Princeton and St. Cloud Skate to Second Straight Tie

One night after skating to a 3-3 tie in non-conference NCAA Division I men's hockey action, Princeton and No. 1 St. Cloud State did it again. The host Tigers and visiting Huskies played to a 2-2 affair at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday, as SCSU scored the tying goal with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation.

Ryan Ferland made 43 saves for Princeton, one night after he posted a 37-stop effort that included 14 saves in a five-minute overtime period. SCSU netminder Jeff Smith made 40 stops on Saturday as the Huskies, who now have three ties in their last four outings to date, outshot the Tigers overall, 45-42. The two teams combined to go 2-for-12 on the power play in the rematch.

Judd Peterson open the scoring for SCSU (12-2-3 overall) just under seven minutes into the second period, on a goal in front of the net. Princeton (6-7-3) responded with less than three minutes left in the period when Jake Paganelli whirled around at the left post and whipped a backhander between Smith’s pads.

The Tigers took their first lead of the night in the first minute of the third period, when Ryan Kuffner scored on the doorstep as the Huskies were trying to kill off the final 20 seconds of a penalty. SCSU came back with a power play goal of its own with 12:18 elapsed in the third when Jacob Benson put the puck home from behind the Princeton cage. The Tigers then had three power plays following Benson’s goal, including one on a too many men on the ice penalty against the Huskies, but couldn’t cash in

Saturday’s deadlock came 20 years to the day that Princeton defeated No. 1 Boston University at Baker Rink by a 3-2 count. The Tigers will visit ECAC opponents Cornell and Colgate next week, while SCSU will play a home-and-home series with in-state rival Minnesota.

U.S. Edges Canada in Snowy WJC Shootout

Former Boston University forward Kiefer Bellows tallied Team USA’s first goal of the day on a power play in regulation, and then added another score in a shootout as the U.S. National Junior Team rebounded from a pair of two-goal deficits to defeat Canada, 4-3, in a round-robin game in the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The game was held in snowy conditions before over 44,000 spectators at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y., home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. It was the first outdoor match ever contested in the history of the WJC.

After Canada forged 2-0 and 3-1 leads, including the game-opening goal by Cale Makar (Massachusetts), Scott Perunovich (Minnesota-Duluth) got the U.S. within a goal early in the third period off a power-play set-up by Casey Mittelstadt (Minnesota). Mittelstadt then picked up his third assist of the afternoon when he orchestrated the tying goal by Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) later in the stanza.

Following a scoreless five-minute overtime period, Bellows and Tkachuk notched the only goals of the shootout to lift Team USA to the victory. Jake Oettinger (Boston University) finished with 19 saves and added an assist in regulation for the U.S., which lost to Slovakia on Thursday, and also did not allow a shootout goal in four tries by Canada.

The U.S., which outshot Canada, 36-22, now trails its first-place northern neighbor by two points in Group “A” play. The Americans will finish the round-robin portion of the tournament on Sunday against Finland, while the Canadians will take on winless Denmark on Saturday.

Team USA Wins World Juniors Opener

Casey Mittelstadt (Minnesota) and former Boston University forward Kieffer Bellows each scored two goals as the U.S. National Junior Team opened the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship with a 9-0 victory over Denmark on Tuesday night in Buffalo.

Mittelstadt and Bellows were two of seven players who recorded two points apiece for the U.S. in its opening game, and were also two of the seven American players who tallied a goal on Tuesday. Team USA led 5-0 after one period of play, and then added two goals in each of the final two stanzas.

Joseph Woll (Boston College) stopped all 17 Danish shots, as the U.S. outshot Denmark, 36-17. Team USA will next face Slovakia, a 6-0 victim of Canada earlier today, on Thursday.

Season's Greetings

Hockey Christmas to all! Best wishes also for the rest of the 2017-18 season.

BC's Boyle Stars Again as Devils Defeat Rangers

Brian Boyle is on a roll.

The Boston College product, who has been fighting cancer since the summer, now has seven points in his last three NHL outings following a 4-3 shootout win by his New Jersey Devils over the visiting New York Rangers on Thursday night in Newark.

Boyle, 33, who skated at BC from 2003 to 2007 and helped the Eagles to consecutive NCAA title game appearances his last two years, tied Thursday's game on a turnaround backhand shot with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, his ninth goal of the campaign in just his 24th game. He then notched the decisive goal in the shootout, while former BC teammate Cory Schneider made 28 saves over three periods for the Devils and also stopped three of four tries in the extra session.

Boyle, from Hingham, Mass., posted back-to-back three-point games prior to the contest against the Rangers, who are one of his former NHL clubs. He notched three assists in a 5-3 win over Anaheim on Dec. 18, three days after he connected for a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over Dallas.

New Jersey, which hosts Chicago on Saturday, currently ranks third in the NHL's Eastern Conference with a 20-9-5 record after 34 games.

Len Ceglarski 1926-2017

Retired Boston College head coach and former All-America player and national champion Len Ceglarski passed away on Dec. 16 at the age of 91.

The East Walpole, Mass. native starred as a left wing at BC from 1948 to 1951. As a sophomore in 1949, he tallied a goal in the national championship game in Colorado as the Eagles edged Dartmouth, 4-3, for BC's first-ever NCAA hockey title. He led the Maroon and Gold with 25 assists in his junior campaign, earning All-America accolades in the process, and in both goals (21) and points (34) his senior season when he served as team captain. He finished his college hockey playing career with 49 goals and 59 assists for 108 points in 52 outings, and also starred in baseball at the Heights.

Ceglarski was a member of the silver medalist U.S. team at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Norway. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and coached and taught at Walpole High School prior to joining the college coaching ranks.

He served as an NCAA Division I head coach from 1958 to 1992, first at Clarkson University, and then at his alma mater from 1972 onwards, the latter where he recorded a 419-242-27 overall ledger. His career record of 673-339-38 placed him No. 1 all-time on the college victory scroll following his retirement in 1992, until he was passed by the late Ron Mason of Michigan State two years later.

A two-time Hockey East Coach of the Year and a three-time recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year, Ceglarski later saw Hockey East's sportsmanship award named after him. He is a member of both the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, and also garnered the NHL's Lester Patrick Award in 1990 for his service to American hockey.

Ceglarski led Clarkson to three NCAA Tournament/Frozen Four berths in his tenure there, and also guided the Golden Knights to both the ECAC regular-season and tournament titles in 1966. At BC, he paced the Eagles to two ECAC crowns, a combined eight Hockey East championships, and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Frozen Fours.

I covered Ceglarski’s Eagle hockey teams from 1987 to 1991 as a BC undergraduate and freelance writer for The Heights, Eagle Eye Illustrated, and College Hockey News. He was always gracious with his time and was always accessible to talk about his players and college hockey in general. May he rest in peace.

Former NCAA Players Among NHL Leaders

Former NCAA skaters dotted the top five of most categories of NHL statistical charts prior to today's games, according to NHL.com.

Arizona's Alex Goligoski (Minnesota) was tied for the league lead with 34 games played so far this season, while Anders Lee (Notre Dame) of the New York Islanders ranked third overall with 19 goals to date. Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler (Minnesota) was knotted for fourth overall with 30 assists, Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) checked in at third with 39 points, and St. Louis' now-injured Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College) was tied for second league-wise with a plus-23 plus-minus rating.

Concerning power-play goals, Washington's T.J. Oshie (North Dakota) was tied for fourth overall with seven tallies, while New Jersey's Brian Gibbons (Boston College) was second with three shorthanded scores and Montreal's Max Pacioretty (Michigan) was fifth on the circuit with 128 shots on goal. Minnesota's Ryan Suter (Wisconsin) led all NHL skaters with an average time on ice of 27:22, with Erik Johnson (Minnesota) clocking in fifth overall at 26:05.

As for goaltending, San Jose's Aaron Dell (North Dakota) led the league in both goals-against average (1.75) and save percentage (.939).

Michigan State Blanks Michigan, 5-0

Patrick Khodorenko scored two goals and Taro Hirose set up three as Michigan State rebounded for a 5-0 victory tonight at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans split a two-game series with the Big Ten rival Wolverines, who had earned a 4-0 triumph Thursday night in Ann Arbor.

Mitch Lewandowski added a goal and two assists for MSU on Friday, while John Lethemon made 29 saves for his third shutout of the season. MSU improves to 8-9-1 overall (2-7-1-1 Big Ten), while Michigan falls to 7-7-2 (3-5-2-1).

The two schools will both return to regular-season action on Jan. 1 in the first round of the 2018 Great Lakes Invitational at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Spartans will face Michigan Tech, while the Wolverines take on Bowling Green.

Preliminary U.S. World Juniors Roster Announced

Minnesota-Duluth led all NCAA Division I schools with five selections among the 28-man preliminary U.S. National Junior Team roster for this season's IIHF World Junior Championship, as announced today.

Boston University, Harvard and Michigan had three players selected apiece, while Minnesota had two players picked and Boston College, Maine, Notre Dame, Penn State, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan, Wisconsin and Yale had one each chosen. The full roster is available here.

A total of 24 of the 28 players chosen came from the current NCAA ranks, including three goaltenders, 10 defensemen and 11 forwards. Six college players also return from last year's triumphant American squad that won gold in Quebec by defeating runner-up Canada in a shootout for Team USA's fifth-ever WJC title.

The roster will be pared down to its final total of 23 players following training camps in Columbus, Ohio and Jamestown, N.Y., along with two preliminary games, later this month, according to USA Hockey. The U.S., which will again be helmed by head coach Bob Motzko (St. Cloud State), will seek to defend its WJC title at the 2018 competition in Buffalo, which begins Dec. 26 and runs through Jan. 5, 2018.

BU Upends BC, 7-4

Boston College took an early 2-0 lead and Ron Greco finished with two goals on the night for the Eagles, but two three-goal outbursts by the visiting Terriers led Boston University to a 7-4 victory at BC's Conte Forum on Friday night.

Shane Bowers had a goal and three points for BU (7-8-1 overall, 5-4-1 Hockey East), which led 3-2 after one period and 6-4 after two. Patrick Harper also set up four goals for the Terriers in the latest iteration of the Green Line Rivalry, also known as the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue, as BU outshot BC, 35-33.

The Eagles (8-6-2, 8-2-0), who last lost in late October, also saw their eight-game unbeaten streak snapped. The rematch is scheduled for Saturday night at BU's Agganis Arena.

ADDENDUM: BC won the rematch, 4-1, after again taking a 2-0 lead.

Woods Story Up at USCHO.com

My latest college hockey feature story, on cancer survivor and Alaska Fairbanks captain Justin Woods, is now online at USCHO.com.

A Fairbanks native, Woods currently has seven goals and 11 points in 16 games this season for the Nanooks, who travel to Lake Superior State for a two-game WCHA series this weekend.

Princeton Splits with Bemidji State

 

Princeton University gave up a goal just 17 seconds into Friday's game, but then didn't look back in scoring twice in each of the next two periods on to best Bemidji State, 4-1, at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers thus gained a split in the two-game series, which began on Wednesday with a 5-3 victory by the visiting Beavers.

After BSU's Jay Dickman one-timed home a puck from the slot in the first minute of play, the score remained unchanged until Ryan Kuffner connected on a Princeton power play with just over three minutes left in the second period. The Tigers then went ahead for good less than two minutes later,  when Alex Riche backhanded a puck from behind the goal line that glanced off the inside of BSU goaltender Jack Burgart's pad and slid into the net.

David Hallisey scored from the left side just under five minutes into the third stanza to make it 3-1 for Princeton, and the goal stood following an official review after BSU challenged that the play had been offside. Princeton freshman and New Jersey native Jake Paganelli closed out the scoring on a breakaway at 14:18 for his first career collegiate goal.

Ryan Ferland finished with 26 saves for the Tigers, while Burgart made 36 stops for the Beavers in his first starts of the 2017-18 season. Josh Teves recorded two assists for Princeton, while Kuffner had a goal and an assist. The all-time series between the two schools is now tied at three wins apiece.

Princeton (4-4-1 overall) will now host ECAC opponent Quinnipiac on Tuesday night and will then visit Arizona State for two games next weekend, while BSU (5-5-2) will visit WCHA opponent Bowling Green next Friday and Saturday.

Princeton Outlasts Yale, 5-4

Max Veronneau had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Ferland made 37 saves as Princeton University held on for a 5-4 ECAC Hockey victory over Ivy League rival Yale on Friday night at Hobey Baker Rink. Full recap can be found here.

Wood Hat Trick Boosts Devils Over Hawks

Miles Wood tallied his first career hat trick and added an assist last night as the New Jersey Devils rebounded from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the host Chicago Blackhawks, 7-5.

Wood tallied the Devils' first goal of the game on Sunday at the United Center, a power-play goal, to forge a 1-1 first-period tie at the time. His second score then pulled the Devils within 4-2 late in the opening stanza.

Wood assisted on a second-period goal by Brian Gibbons (Boston College) to make it 6-4 for New Jersey, while his third goal, which came on the power play in the third period, was the game's final tally. Andy Green (Miami) had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, while Keith Kinkaid (Union) made 39 saves in net for the Devils for the victory.

The 6-foot-2 Wood played one season (2015-16) at BC, tallying 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points to go with 76 penalty minutes while helping the Eagles to the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. He signed with New Jersey, which drafted him 100th overall in 2013, immediately following his sole college campaign.

The son of former NHLer and Yale University graduate Randy Wood, the younger Wood now has 6-3—9 points to go with 21 PIM in 16 games this season for New Jersey. In 77 career NHL games, all with the Devils, he has now recorded 14-12—26 points and 107 PIM.

The Buffalo-born Wood, 22, is part of a BC alumni contingent with the Devils this season that also includes Brian Boyle, Gibbons, Jimmy Hayes, Steve Santini and Corey Schneider. Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy also skated one year (2002-03) for the Eagles before transferring to Dartmouth College for his final three NCAA seasons.

Boyle Scores First Goal for Devils

Brian Boyle is back.

The former Boston College forward scored his first career goal as a New Jersey Devil on Thursday night in a 3-2 overtime loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Boyle tallied the game's first goal off a rebound, beating Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville), while Brian Gibbons (Boston College) assisted on Boyle's score. Drew Stafford (North Dakota) also connected for the Devils, who got 29 saves from Corey Schneider (Boston College). Talbot finished with 32 stops for the Oilers.

Boyle, 32, who signed with New Jersey as a free agent in the off-season, has played five games for his new team after being diagnosed earlier this year with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He now has 94 goals and 77 assists for 171 points in 629 NHL regular-season games with Los Angeles, the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Toronto and New Jersey.

Boyle collected 65-75—140 points in 159 appearances at BC (2003-2007), twice earning All-America honors while helping the Eagles to three NCAA Frozen Four appearances. A 6-foot-6 native of Hingham, Mass., he was selected 26th overall by Los Angeles in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Princeton, Colgate Skate to Scoreless Tie

The Princeton University men’s hockey team opened its 2017-18 ECAC Hockey slate with a 0-0 deadlock against Colgate on Friday night at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink. 

Freshman netminder Ryan Ferland made 34 saves for the Tigers (1-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 ECAC), and has been the goalie of record in both of Princeton's NCAA decisions so far this season. Colton Point had 45 stops for the Raiders (3-2-4, 0-0-1), who dropped a best-of-three 2017 ECAC first-round series at Princeton in March. Each team went 0-for-1 on the power play Friday.

The Tigers will now host Cornell on Saturday at 7 p.m., while Colgate will visit Quinnipiac. Cornell topped host Quinnipiac on Friday by a 2-1 count.

Wheeler, Winnipeg Paste Penguins

Blake Wheeler (Minnesota) scored three of his team's five first-period goals, and added an assist as the Winnipeg Jets cruised to a 7-1 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at the MTS Centre in Manitoba.

Wheeler's goals were his second, third and fourth of the 2017-18 NHL campaign. He tallied a career-high 74 points last season, on 26 goals and 48 assists. Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) stopped 31 of 32 Pittsburgh shots on Sunday as Winnipeg improved to 5-3-2 overall.

Princeton Tops Holy Cross in Home Opener

The Princeton University men's hockey team opened its 2017-18 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 victory over Holy Cross at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink.

Derek Topatigh had three assists for the Tigers (1-0-0 overall), who were outshot, 40-38, by the visiting Crusaders. Eric Robinson and Jackson Cresey each tallied a goal and an assist for the home team, which scored three times in the middle period. Reid Yochim's power-play goal, the first goal of his college career, stood up as the game-winner and also gave Princeton a 3-1 lead at the time.

Spencer Trapp had two assists for Holy Cross (2-1-2), which finished 1-for-7 on the power play. The Crusaders came to Princeton off a 5-3 win at ECAC opponent Dartmouth on Friday.

Freshman goaltender Ryan Ferland made 38 stops for Princeton on Sunday in his NCAA debut, including 14 saves in each of the final two periods. The Tigers will begin their ECAC campaign at home on Friday against Colgate, before hosting Cornell on Saturday.

Tuch Lifts Vegas Over Boston with First NHL Points

Alex Tuch (Boston College) made his NHL debut a memorable one on Sunday, in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 3-1 win over the visiting Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena.

Tuch, 21, stripped the puck from a defender and skated in to score his first NHL goal 14:38 into the second period to break a scoreless tie. Three minutes later, he set up the first-ever NHL goal by also-debuting teammate Vadim Shipachyov for his first NHL assist, and the game-winning tally. Malcolm Subban made 20 saves to earn his first-ever NHL victory, while Vegas has now won four of its first five outings in its inaugural NHL campaign.

A Syracuse native, the 6-foot-4 Tuch skated two seasons at BC (2014-2016), totaling 32 goals and 30 assists for 62 points in 77 appearances. Originally selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, he went scoreless in six games with the Wild last season before being traded to Vegas in June. He also put up 18-19—37 points in 57 pro games last year with Iowa (AHL).

A product of the U.S. National Development Team Program, Tuch scored the game-winning goal for BC in overtime of the 2016 Beanpot Tournament championship game. He also had a goal in a 3-2 loss to Quinnipiac in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal that spring, in his final appearance with the Eagles.

Eagles Post First Win of New Season

Boston College men's hockey finally broke into the win column.

Playing their first road game of the 2017-18 season at Hockey East rival Providence College on Sunday, the Eagles overcame a 3-0 second-period deficit with four unanswered goals. Junior defenseman Casey Fitzgerald scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, as 13th-ranked BC beat no. 9 Providence, 4-3, to improve to 1-1-1 overall and 1-0-0 in Hockey East play.

Christopher Grando and Graham McPhee scored BC's other goals on Sunday at Schnieder Arena, while Logan Hutsko had two assists. Joe Woll made 31 saves against the Friars, who led by three goals just over five minutes into the second period.

BC opened the season with a 1-1 tie against Quinnipac on Oct. 6, then fell to No. 10 Wisconsin by a 5-2 count on Oct. 13. Both of those games were played at BC's Conte Forum.

The Eagles will now travel to No. 3 St. Cloud State this weekend for pair of games in Minnesota. SCSU is coming of a two-step sweep of visiting Alaska (Fairbanks). The Eagles and Huskies have played just once before all-time, a 2-1 BC victory during the 2004-05 season.

Princeton Edges UWO in Exhibition, 6-4

Liam Grande's second goal with 5:05 remaining in regulation stood up as the game-winner as the Princeton University Tigers overcame an early 2-1 deficit to best Western Ontario, 6-4, in an exhibition game at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday evening.

Max Veronneau set up three Princeton goals and Eric Robinson had two assists while Reid Yochim, Jackson Cressey, Josh Teves and Alex Riche also scored for the Tigers, who finished 15-16-3 overall a year ago. Freshman netminder Ryan Ferland stopped all four shots he faced in playing the final eight minutes and 24 seconds of regulation for the Tigers, and also picked up the victory (which will not count in NCAA totals, as an exhibition) as he was in net for Grande's game-winner.

Princeton starting goaltender Austin Shaw stopped 19 of 22 shots over the first 40 minutes on Saturday, while Ben Halford saved two of three shots in just over 11 minutes of play. Princeton finished 3-for-7 on the power play, and stopped 4-of-5 man-advantage attempts by the Mustangs, who got two goals from Anthony Stefano.


Princeton will open its 2017-18 regular season against visiting Holy Cross on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. at Baker Rink.

Gibbons Boosts Devils at Buffalo

Brian Gibbons (Boston College) scored one goal and set up another as the New Jersey Devils improved to 2-0-0 on the nascent NHL season with a 6-2 win at Buffalo on Monday afternoon.

Andy Greene (Miami) also posted an assist while Cory Schneider (Boston College) made 23 stops for New Jersey, which last opened 2-0-0 in the 2014-15 campaign. Rookie defenseman Will Butcher (Denver), who notched his first three career assists in the Devils' 4-1 opening night victory over visiting Colorado on Saturday, finished with a plus-two rating.

New Jersey will attempt to remain unbeaten on Wednesday when it travels to Toronto.

BC, Quinnipiac Tie in Boston

No. 13 Boston College and No. 14 Quinnipiac skated to a 1-1 tie on Friday evening in the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey regular-season opener for both teams at Conte Forum in Boston, Mass.

The visiting Bobcats opened the scoring on Alex Whelan's wrist shot from the left circle over the shoulder of BC netminder Joe Woll (28 saves) 15:10 into the second period. The host Eagles forged a tie with 4:01 remaining in regulation on Jacob Tortora's first career goal, as he put home a rebound to the left of Quinnipiac goaltender Andrew Shortridge (25 saves) on a power play. Shortridge had made a penalty-shot save on BC's David Cotton in the first period.

Each team registered three shots on goal in a scoreless overtime stanza. Quinnipiac outshot BC, 29-26, in all on the night, and now leads the all-time series between the two Eastern schools, 2-0-1.

Quinnipiac fell at Boston University, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday, while BC will host No. 12 Wisconsin on Friday night.

2017-18 NHL Campaign Begins

The new National Hockey League regular season began Wednesday, with four games on the docket.

Calgary is at Edmonton tonight, while Toronto is at Winnipeg, Philadelphia at San Jose, and St. Louis at two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh.

Nine months now, until the next NHL champion is crowned.

New NCAA Hockey Season Underway

The 2017-18 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey campaign dropped the puck on Friday night as Alaska Fairbanks blanked visiting Simon Fraser, 6-0, in an exhibition contest at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

On Saturday, second-ranked Boston University topped No. 16 Union, 4-1, at Agannis Arena in Boston, while Colgate upended visiting Niagara, 5-1, at the Class of 1965 Arena.

Saturday and Sunday saw a slew of exhibitions, as Arizona State, Boston College, Colorado College, Northeastern, Robert Morris, St. Cloud State, Alaska Anchorage, Connecticut, Michigan, UMass, UMass Lowell, North Dakota, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Denver, Lake Superior State, Maine, Minnesota State, Quinnipiac, Minnesota and Vermont all recorded victories over Canadian schools.

In the U.S. Hall of Fame Game at the Kohl Center in Madison on Sunday, host Wisconsin edged former WCHA opponent Michigan Tech, 3-2. Exhibitions continue tonight, with Lethbridge visiting Air Force, while more NCAA teams will swing into action starting Friday, as 20 games between NCAA Division I schools are on the schedule that evening.

Former BC Forward Boyle Diagnosed with Leukemia

New Jersey Devils forward Brian Boyle (Boston College) has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, according to NJ.com. He will undergo medical treatment for his condition, and expects to play the upcoming season.

The 6-foot-7 Boyle, who ended last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs after previous NHL stints with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, has tallied 93 goals and 76 assists for 169 points, and also has 488 penalty minutes, in 624 career NHL regular-season games. He has also posted 15-13—28 points in 106 Stanley Cup Playoff outings, and has twice played in the Stanley Cup Final (2014, 2015). A native of Hingham, Mass., he signed with New Jersey as a free agent this off-season.

Boyle, 32, skated four seasons at BC (2003-2007) and notched 65-75—140 points in 159 appearances. He also helped the Eagles to five Hockey East regular-season or tournament titles, four NCAA Tournament berths, three NCAA Frozen Fours, and two NCAA title game appearances (2006, 2007). He earned Second Team All-America accolades as a junior, and was a First Team All-America selection as a senior.

Boeser Scores Three Times as NHL Preseason Begins

The 2017-18 NHL season got underway, exhibition-wise, on Saturday night as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the host Los Angeles Kings, 4-3, in overtime in the league's preseason opener. Brock Boeser (North Dakota) tallied the game-winner with 22 seconds remaining in the sudden-death session.

Boeser won an NCAA national title as a freshman with North Dakota in 2016. He added two more goals, plus an assist, on Sunday at home as the Canucks fell, 9-4, to the NHL's newest expansion entry, the Vegas Knights, in a game dominated by young players on both rosters.

Alex Tuch (Boston College) tallied Vegas' fifth goal Sunday, on a power play, while Paul Thompson (New Hampshire) closed out the scoring for the Knights late in the third period. Richard Bachman (Colorado College) took the loss in goal for Vancouver, stopping 13 of 18 shots in playing the first 28 minutes. Thatcher Demko (Boston College) mopped up the rest of regulation for the Canucks, and finished with 16 saves on 20 shots.

Dumoulin Story Now Up at USCHO.com

Brian Dumoulin may not be able to win any more NCAA championships — but he might not yet be done claiming Stanley Cups.

A defenseman from Biddeford, Maine, who helped Boston College to two national titles, Dumoulin won his second Stanley Cup in June when his Pittsburgh Penguins outlasted the Nashville Predators in a six-game final.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2017/09/12/two-ncaa-crowns-two-stanley-cups-boston-college-alumnus-dumoulin-compiling-impressive-rsum/#ixzz4sis9bkt8

Sixteen Years Later

In your prayers and recollections today, please remember Mark Bavis (Boston University '93), who was lost on United #175 on 9/11 on his way to training camp as a scout for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. He was 31 years old. Rest in peace, Mark.

Hayton Transferring to Wisconsin

 

Kyle Hayton's career at St. Lawrence is over. His tenure at Wisconsin is just beginning.

Hayton, who backstopped the Saints the past three years as their No. 1 goaltender, has graduated from SLU with a bachelor's degree, and has been cleared to transfer to Wisconsin where he will now backstop the Badgers while also working on his MBA. St. Lawrence does not offer an MBA program among its graduate academic offerings.

A Denver native, Hayton fashioned a 54-37-13 record over 104 career games at SLU, to go with 13 shutouts, according to USCHO.com. He also complied career a 2.09 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.

A product of Sioux City (USHL) and Shattuck St. Mary's prior to enrolling at SLU, Hayton earned Second Team All-America accolades as a junior under new SLU head coach Mark Morris, after going 16-12-7 in 35 outings (2.28, .929, 5 SO). He backstopped the Saints to a fourth-place regular-season finish in the ECAC, and played his final game for SLU in a 3-2 loss against Quinnipiac on March 12 in the deciding contest of a best-of-three ECAC Tournament quarterfinal series.

As a freshman in 2014-15, Hayton won 20 games and posted five shutouts, and was named ECAC Rookie of the Year, Second Team All ECAC, and ECAC All-Rookie Team. He also guided the Saints to the ECAC Tournament semifinals in Lake Placid his first two seasons, where they fell by a goal each time.

Hayton, who has not been drafted by an NHL club, is expected to be in net for the Badgers on Oct. 27-28 when the Saints visit Wisconsin for two non-conference contests. The Badgers went 20-15-1 overall last season in their first campaign under head coach Tony Granato. Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten Conference, qualified for the Big Ten championship game in Detroit, and came within a double-overtime goal of making the NCAA Tournament.

Denver's Butcher to Join Devils

Will Butcher is going from Denver to the Devils.

The 2017 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner as the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey this past season, Butcher has signed a two-year contract with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils worth approximately $925,000, as reported at NJ.com. A Wisconsin native who was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round in 2013 just before enrolling at the University of Denver, he eschewed his drafting club to sign with New Jersey as a free agent.

Butcher scored seven goals and added 30 assists for a career-high 37 points in 43 outings in 2016-17 as Denver won its eighth NCAA hockey championship overall, and first since 2005. He also earned All-America honors on defense for the second consecutive season. In 158 career appearances with the Pioneers from 2013 to 2017, Butcher registered 28-75—103 points, including 15 power-play goals and four game-winners, according to USCHO.com, and helped DU to four NCAA Tournament appearances. He prepped with the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons prior to joining the Pioneers.

Alexander Kerfoot of Harvard, a forward who was drafted by the Devils in the fifth round in 2012, has instead signed with the Avalanche as a free agent. Kerfoot, who last year captained the Crimson to its first NCAA Frozen Four appearance since 1994, recorded career highs of 16-30—46 points and eight power-play goals in 37 contests as Harvard claimed both the ECAC regular-season and tournament titles. He finished with 36 goals and 124 points in 122 career games, and also helped Harvard to three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths over his final three campaigns.

UND's Stafford Signs with Devils

Veteran NHL right wing Drew Stafford (North Dakota) signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils on Friday, according to NHL.com. The deal was reportedly for $800,000.

Stafford, 31, skated for both the Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins last season, notching eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 58 games. In 725 career NHL regular-season contests, including nine campaigns with the Buffalo Sabres, he has tallied 183-217—400 points.

A Milwaukee native who grew up in Minnesota, the 6-foot-2 Stafford was a first-round NHL selection (13th overall) of Buffalo in 2004. He played three collegiate seasons at UND from 2003 to 2006, where he tallied 48-67—115 points in 118 outings. He also helped the Fighting Sioux to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including two straight Frozen Four berths.

Berenson Starts Off NASCAR Race in Michigan

Retired University of Michigan hockey coach Gordon "Red" Berenson gave the command for drivers to start their engines at Sunday's NASCAR Monster Cup Energy Series Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. The race was won by Kyle Larson.

Berenson, 77, retired this summer after 33 years at the helm of Wolverines hockey. He left with a 848-426-92 overall record from 1984 to 2017 at his alma mater , including NCAA titles in 1996 and 1998, and came within an overtime goal of a third in 2011. He also led Michigan to 10 Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championships and nine CCHA Tournament crowns, plus a record 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 1991 to 2012.

A native of Regina, Sask., who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan, Berenson played almost 20 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, St. Louis, the New York Rangers and Detroit, recording 261 goals and 397 assists for 658 points in 987 regular-season outings.

Granato to Guide Team USA at 2018 Olympics

Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato will lead the U.S. men's ice hockey team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang County, South Korea. The announcement was made late last week by USA Hockey.

Granato's assistant coaches will include Keith Allain (Yale), Chris Chelios (Wisconsin), Ron Rolston (Michigan Tech) and Scott Young (Boston University). Jim Johannson (Wisconsin) of USA Hockey operations will serve as Team USA's general manager, while former U.S. Olympic Coach Ben Smith (Northeastern) will be the director of player personnel.

Team USA has yet to be assembled, but will likely consist of NCAA players and players who have been skating for European clubs. NHL players are not expected to compete en masse in the Olympics for the first time since 1994, as an agreement could not be reached with the IIHF for the 2018 games.

Merrimack's Delia Signs with Blackhawks

Merrimack College has lost its most experienced goaltender less than three months before the start of the 2017-18 NCAA campaign.

Rising junior Collin Delia passed up his senior season in North Andover to sign a free agent contract with the NHLs’ Chicago Blackhawks last week. The deal is for two years, according to the Blackhawks’ web site. Delia has taken part in the Blackhawks Prospects Camp in each of the last two seasons.

In three years with the Warriors, the 6-foot-2, 200-lb. native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. fashioned a 17-20-3 record in 56 collegiate appearances to go with a 2.60 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and four shutouts, according to USCHO.com.

Delia finished ninth among NCAA Division I netminders last season with a .927 save percentage over 21 games, while going 9-8-3 with a 2.15 GAA and three shutouts. The Warriors will return rising sophomores Drew Vogler (18 games) and Craig Pantano (one game) in net next season.

Appleton Leaves MSU to Sign with Winnipeg

Michigan State has lost its captain less than three months before the 2017-18 season begins.

Rising sophomore Mason Appleton recently signed an entry-level contact with the Winnipeg Jets, rather than return to East Lansing in the fall, according to USCHO.com. The Green Bay, Wisc. native was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round (168th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Appleton, 21, led the Spartans in scoring last season with 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 35 games, including seven power-play goals, as MSU went 7-24-2 overall and finished last in the Big Ten. In two seasons at State, the Tri-City (USHL) product tallied 17-36—53 points in 72 outings.

MSU begins its first campaign under new head coach and Spartan alumnus Danton Cole on Oct. 7 with an exhibition game against Toronto at Munn Ice Arena.

Ferguson Moving on From Nanooks

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is searching for a new hockey coach.

Longtime head coach and former Nanook defenseman Dallas Ferguson, who had helmed his alma mater's flagship program since 2008, has resigned to take the same position with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.

After beginning his coaching career as an assistant with the North American Hockey League's Fairbanks Ice Dogs in 2002, Ferguson served as an assistant coach with the Nanooks from 2004 to 2008 before being elevated to head coach. He was named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Coach of the Year in his first campaign, and the following year led UAF to its first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament, an at-large selection. The Nanooks fell to eventual national champion Boston College, 3-1, in the opening round of the 2010 NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass.

In 10 seasons guiding UAF, Ferguson, 44, finished with a career record of 139-151-42, according to USCHO.com. In five of those seasons, he led the Nanooks to 17 or more victories. UAF also won eight consecutive Governor's Cups against rival Alaska Anchorage in his time behind the bench, although three of those Cups were vacated due to self-reported NCAA violations by the university. The Nanooks finished sixth overall in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) last season, their fourth year in the league after the CCHA folded in 2013.

Ferguson was a four-year letterwinner on defense for the Nanooks from 1992 to 1996, when the UAF played its first four seasons in the CCHA. He tallied a career-high six goals and 31 assists for 37 points as a sophomore, according to hockeydb.com, and finished his career with 17-87—104 points and 64 penalty minutes in 138 career outings.

He was awarded the Shawn Chambers Top Defenseman Award three times, according to alaskananooks.com, was an alternate captain as a junior, and was voted the team captain as a senior. Ferguson, who hails from Wainwright, Alberta, graduated from UAF with a bachelor's degree in business administration, and also played five years of professional hockey.

At least three of Ferguson's former charges have advanced to the National Hockey League (NHL), including St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson, and 2010 Stanley Cup champion Jordan Hendry.

According to the UAF athletic website, Ferguson's last day with the Nanooks is Aug. 17. The Hitmen will open their 2017-18 WHL season on Sept. 22 at Kootenay, while UAF will begin its new campaign on Sept. 29 in Fairbanks with an exhibition game against Simon Fraser.

ADDENDUM: Longtime Nanook assistant coach and former Alabama-Huntsville player and assistant Lance West was named Alaska's new head coach on July 19.

NCAA Alumni Change NHL Teams as Free Agency Period Begins

A number of former NCAA players changed NHL teams on Saturday, the first day of the NHL’s free-agent signing period.

The biggest coup was perhaps defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University) leaving the Washington Capitals to sign with the New York Rangers for four years at $6.65 million per year, according to NHL.com. Shattenkirk, who has also played with Colorado and St. Louis in his pro career, tallied 13 goals and 56 points this past season, and helped BU to the 2009 national title.

Shattenkirk wasn’t the only former Terrier on the move Saturday. Nick Bonino (BU), who just won his second consecutive Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has joined the team that Pittsburgh beat in the final. Bonino, also a member of BU’s 2009 NCAA title team, signed with the Nashville Predators for four years and $16.4 million total. Chris Kunitz (Ferris State), a member of three championship teams in Pittsburgh, inked a one-year deal for $2 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) has moved from the Vancouver Canucks to the Anaheim Ducks, while netminder Brian Elliott (Wisconsin) went from the Calgary Flames to the Philadelphia Flyers, and Chad Johnson (Alaska Fairbanks) returned to the Buffalo Sabres after playing last season in Calgary. Miller won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in 2001, while Elliott backstopped the Badgers to a national title in 2006.

Veteran NHL forward Patrick Sharp (Vermont) has rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won three Stanley Cups, after spending the past two seasons with the Dallas Stars. Tommy Wingels (Miami) went from the Ottawa Senators to the Blackhawks, while Brian Boyle (Boston College) will play for the New Jersey Devils after spending last season with Tampa Bay and Toronto. Former Devils forward Mike Cammalleri (Michigan) joined Los Angeles from New Jersey, while Beau Bennett (Denver) left New Jersey to sign with the St. Louis Blues.

Kenny Agostino (Yale) who helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCAA championship, led the American Hockey League in scoring this past season with the Chicago Wolves, St. Louis’ AHL affiliate. He signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins. Matt Taormina (Providence), who led all AHL defenseman during the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs with 20 points for Syracuse, has left Tampa Bay for the Montreal Canadiens.

A full list of free-agent signings is listed here.

Former ECAC Players Sign with NHL Teams

A pair of former Eastern College Athletic Conference hockey players inked NHL contracts this week, one of them a heralded rookie and the other a young veteran.

Union College forward Spencer Foo signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames after spending the last three seasons in Schenectady. According to the Flames website, the contract will be finalized and made official on July 1. Foo, 23, tallied career highs of 26 goals and 36 assists for 62 points in 38 games this past year, while leading the Dutchmen to both the ECAC regular-season crown and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014.

The Edmonton native tied with teammate Mike Vecchione for the ECAC scoring lead, with 44 points in 25 conference games, and likewise was a fellow Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist. In 113 career outings at Union, Foo registered 49-63—112 points.

Former Princeton University netminder Mike Condon re-upped with the Ottawa Senators after spending most of last season in Canada’s capital. According to NHL.com, the deal is for $7.2 million for three years. The Holliston, Mass. native, who began last season with Pittsburgh before being traded to Ottawa in November, finished 19-14-6 in 40 games with the Senators. He also recorded a 2.50 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage to go with a career-high five shutouts.

In 96 career NHL games with Montreal, Pittsburgh and Ottawa, Condon, 27, has fashioned a 40-39-12 record with six shutouts. He went 18-22-8 with three shutouts in 53 NCAA appearances at Princeton from 2009 and 2013.

Kariya Named to Hockey Hall of Fame

Former University of Maine star and Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Paul Kariya was announced Monday as part of the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The induction ceremony will be held in November.

The Vancouver native burst on the college hockey scene in 1992-93, when paced Maine with 25 goals and 75 assists for 100 points in 39 games, while also leading the Black Bears to their first-ever NCAA title. He also became the first freshman to ever claim the Hobey Baker Award, and was drafted fourth overall that summer by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

After recording eight goals and 24 points in just 12 games the following season with Maine, Kariya then joined the Canadian National Team. He competed in the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, where he won a silver medal, one year after earning gold at the World Junior Championship, and several months before winning gold at the World Championship. He then embarked upon a 15-season NHL career that saw him tally 402-587—989 points in 989 regular-season outings with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis, before he retired in 2010.

A two-time 100-point scorer and a seven-time 30-goal scorer, according to hockeydb.com, Kariya also added 16-23—39 points in 46 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and helped Anaheim to within one victory of the Stanley Cup in 2003. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in both 1996 and 1997, earned World Championship silver in 1996, and claimed Olympic gold in 2002.

Over 60 NCAA-Related Players Taken in 2017 NHL Draft

Two current NCAA players were drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in Chicago, while a host of incoming collegiate freshmen also heard their names called this weekend at the United Center.

St. Cloud State center Ryan Poehling was drafted 25th overall by the Montreal Canadiens, while goaltender Jake Oettinger of Boston University went to the Dallas Stars with the very next selection. Poehling tallied seven goals and 13 points in 35 games for the Huskies last season, while Oettinger went 21-11-3 with a 2.11 goals-against average in 35 appearances with the Terriers, who had a total of seven players drafted.

Cale Makar, who is slated to suit up on defense for the University of Massachusetts this fall, was the highest-rated college-related player to be drafted over weekend, as he went fourth overall to the Colorado Avalanche. Finnish forward Eeli Tolvanen, who went 30th overall to the Nashville Predators, had been committed to Boston College, but was recently reported to have been rejected by BC's admissions office.

Rensselaer blueliner William Reilly of Rensselaer was the final player drafted this year, as he was chosen 217th and last overall by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. A full list of college-related players taken by NHL teams on Friday and Saturday can be found here.

Former NCAA Players Chosen in Expansion Draft

Several former NCAA players changed teams Wednesday in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, to help stock the new Vegas Golden Knights franchise:

Jon Merill           New Jersey  (Michigan)
Connor Brickley      Florida     (Vermont)
Jason Garrison       Tampa Bay   (Minnesota-Duluth)
Erik Haula           Minnesota   (Minnesota)
Trevor van Riemsdyk* Chicago     (New Hampshire)
Nate Schmidt         Washington  (Minnesota)

* van Riemsdyk was subsequently traded to Carolina on Thursday

The Golden Knights will also have 13 selections in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, which gets underway tonight in Chicago (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN) and continues all day Saturday (10 a.m. ET, NHL Network). It marks the second time in four years that the NHL Entry Draft and the NCAA Frozen Four will be held in the same city in the same year, the last coming in 2014 in Philadelphia.

AHL's Griffins Claim Second-Ever Calder Cup

The Grand Rapids Griffins won their second-ever Calder Cup, and first-ever at home, with Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Syracuse Crunch in Game 6 at Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Griffins claimed their first American Hockey League championship in 2013, by also defeating the Crunch in six games, with the deciding contest that year held in Syracuse. Grand Rapids, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, won 15 of 19 games during the 2017 postseason, ousting Milwaukee, Chicago and San Jose before doing likewise to Syracuse.

Ben Street (Wisconsin) of the Griffins was second on the squad, and fourth in the league, with 21 points during the playoffs. Jared Coureau (Northern Michigan) was in net for all of Grand Rapids’s postseason games, going 15-4-0 with a 2.89 goals-against average in 19 contests.

Syracuse forward Cory Conacher (Canisius) led all scorers during the Calder Cup Playoffs with 12 goals and 28 points. Mike McKenna (St. Lawrence) finished with a 13-9 record and a 2.68 goals-against average in 22 playoff appearances, while Matt Taormina (Providence) paced all league defensemen with 15 assists and 20 points.

One Year Later

Hard to believe it's been a year since retired Michigan State head coach and college hockey legend Ron Mason passed away.

Penguins Win Second Straight Stanley Cup

The Pittsburgh Penguins have repeated as Stanley Cup champions.

A goal by Patric Hornqvist with 1:35 remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner, and Carl Hagelin (Michigan) added an empty-net goal to lift Pittsburgh to a 2-0 win tonight over the host Nashville Predators. The Penguins, who won the series in six games, become the first repeat NHL champion since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Other former NCAA players who participated for the Penguins in the Final this spring who will have their names engraved on the Cup include Justin Schultz (Wisconsin), Brian Dumoulin (Boston College), Ron Hainsey (UMass Lowell), Nick Bonino (Boston University), Chris Kunitz (Ferris State), Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Scott Wilson (UMass Lowell), Ian Cole (Notre Dame), Carter Rowney (North Dakota), Conor Sheary (Massachusetts), Josh Archibald (Nebraska-Omaha), Ryan Guentzel (Nebraska-Omaha) and Phil Kessel (Minnesota). Pittsburgh's staff includes head coach Mike Sullivan (Boston University), goalie coach Mike Bales (Ohio State), and assistant general manager Bill Guerin (Boston College).

Penguins Take 3-2 Stanley Cup Final Lead

Justin Schultz (Wisconsin), Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Conor Sheary (Massachusetts), Phil Kessel (Minnesota) and Ron Hainsey (UMass Lowell) all scored goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins dismantled the visiting Nashville Predators, 6-0, on Thursday night in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final.

Kessel also had two assists as the Penguins scored three goals in each of the first two periods, and recorded the first shutout of the series. Pittsburgh, which won Games One and Two at home at PPG Paints Arena last week, rebounded to take a three games-to-two series lead after losing Games Three and Four in Nashville.

The Penguins can clinch their second straight Stanley Cup (and fifth all-time) with a victory on Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC) at Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee. If Nashville wins that evening, the seventh and deciding match will be contested on Wednesday in Pittsburgh to conclude the 2016-17 NHL campaign.

 

Colorado Wins ECHL's Kelly Cup

The Colorado Eagles are the champions of the ECHL.

The Eagles, a transplant from the defunct Central Hockey league, won their first-ever Kelly Cup by completing a four-game sweep of the South Carolina Stingrays with a 2-1 triumph in North Charleston, S.C. on Monday night.

Luke Salazar (Denver) notched the Cup-winning goal just over a minute into the second period, to break a 1-1 tie at the North Charleston Coliseum. Lukas Hafner (Western Michigan) stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Eagles, and ended the postseason with a personal 14-2-0 record. Parker Milner (Boston College) finished with 42 saves Monday for the Stingrays, who got their lone goal from Derek Arnold (UMass Lowell).

Colorado won all four games of the final by one goal apiece, to capture its first playoff title since it won its second of two CHL Ray Miron President's Cups in 2007. South Carolina was seeking its fourth ECHL playoff crown overall, and first since 2009.

Predators Knot Stanley Cup Final

Craig Smith (Wisconsin) and Harry Zolnierczyk (Brown) each posted an assist on Monday night, as the Nashville Predators evened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. The NHL's ultimate annual playoff series is now tied at two games apiece.

Smith had previously scored a goal in Nashville's 5-1 victory on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee, after the Predators had dropped the first two games in Pittsburgh. Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) assisted on the Penguins' lone goal Monday, which briefly tied the game at a goal apiece.

Game 5 will be played Thursday in Pittsburgh, with Game 6 back in Nashville on Sunday.

Shawhan New Head Coach at Michigan Tech

The latest NCAA head coaching vacancy this offseason was filled on Monday when Michigan Tech University assistant coach Joe Shawhan was named as the 22^nd head coach overall of the Huskies. He succeeds Mel Pearson, an MTU graduate who left Tech after six seasons to return to the University of Michigan as head coach in place of the retired Red Berenson.

Shawhan has been on MTU's staff the last three seasons, helping the Huskies to a WCHA playoff title and NCAA Tournament berth this past season. He previously served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Lake Superior State University, and at Northern Michigan University. He also guided the U.S. Junior National Team to a silver medal at the Viking Cup in Alberta as head coach in 2004, two years after doing the same as an assistant.

Prior to becoming an NCAA Division I college coach, Shawhan served as head coach and general manager of the now-defunct Soo Kewadin Casino Indians of the North American Hockey League from 1995 to 2005, amassing a league-record 474 junior “A” wins to go along with three NAHL titles. He also turned out dozens of players for the collegiate and professional ranks, most noticeably former Michigan State University goaltender Ryan Miller, a Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and U.S. Olympian who now plays for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.

A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Shawhan played collegiately at LSSU. He led the Lakers in total saves (480) in 1982-83 and in goals-against average (3.03) in 1985-86, and finished with 1,130 career saves.