Horcoff Joins Red Wings as Player Development Director

Shawn Horcoff has come back to the state of Michigan full-time.

The former Michigan State University star, who retired earlier this year after a 15-season NHL career, has been named director of player development for the Detroit Red Wings, as reported at mlive.com.

Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft after his sophomore campaign at MSU, Horcoff spent the first 12 years of his professional career with them. He also captained the Oilers, and helped them to within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2006. He joined the Dallas Stars for two seasons beginning in 2013, before finishing up last year with the Anaheim Ducks.

He tallied 186 goals and 325 assists for 511 points in 1,008 NHL regular-season outings, and added 11-19—30 points in 46 Stanley Cup playoff contests, according to hockeydb.com. A native of Castlegar, B.C, Horcoff, 38, played at MSU from 1996 to 2000, and was a member of its NCAA Frozen Four team as a junior. He joined the Spartans after starring with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League

As a senior at MSU, Horcoff was tabbed as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s Player of the Year and its Best Defensive Forward while leading the conference in scoring, with 14-51—65 totals in 42 games overall. He was also named to the CCHA All-Academic Team and the league’s first All-Conference Team that spring, and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist and first team All-America selection, according to uscho.com.

In 155 games in his tenure in East Lansing, Horcoff recorded 50-102—152 points. He also helped the Spartans to two CCHA regular-season titles, two CCHA Tournament championships, and four NCAA Tournament berths while skating for the late Ron Mason.

U.S. Eliminated from World Cup

Team USA is done.

The American contingent dropped its second straight game of the 2016 World Cup in Toronto on Tuesday night, 4-2, to host Canada. The loss eliminates the U.S. from semifinal contention, after its second defeat in as many games in Group ‘A’ play.

Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin) and T.J. Oshie (North Dakota) sandwiched goals for the U.S. around four consecutive tallies by Canada that spanned the first and second periods at Air Canada Centre. Jonathan Quick (Massachusetts) had 34 saves for the Americans, three days after he made 14 stops against Team Europe in a 3-0 loss.

The U.S. went 2-1-0 in exhibition play before the start of this year’s tournament, including a split with Canada. Team USA, which won the inaugural World Cup in 1996 in Montreal, will close out this year’s edition on Thursday against the also-eliminated Czech Republic.

ADDENDUM: The U.S. closed out the World Cup by finishing in next-to-last place overall with a 4-3 loss to the Czechs.

15 Years Later (9/11)

Rest in peace, Mark.

NCHC Staying at Eight Schools

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference will remain at eight member schools for the time being.

According to USCHO.com and other sources, the league will not accept Arizona State and current WCHA member Minnesota State into its ranks at this time. ASU is an NCAA Division I independent, in its second season of varsity competition, while MSU belongs to the Western College Hockey Association.

The NCHC, which began play in the fall of 2013, consists of Colorado College, Denver, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan. CC, DU, UMD, Omaha, UND and SCSU came to the league from the WCHA, while Miami and WMU are transplants from the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

North Dakota won the NCHC's first-ever national title in April, defeating Quinnipiac, 5-1, in the
national championship game in Florida.