BC's Santini Re-Signs with Devils

Steven Santini (Boston College) has signed a new three-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. The average annual value of the contract, according to newjerseydevils.com, is just over $1,416,666.

A 6-foot-2 defenseman from Bronxville, N.Y., Santini split last year between New Jersey and Binghamton (AHL). He posted two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 36 games with the parent Devils. In 75 career NHL games, he has notched 4-13—17 points, and has also recorded 3-5—8 points in 47 AHL outings with Binghamton/Albany.

Santini, 23, turned pro after helping BC to the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four and also earning Hockey East's Best Defensive Defenseman accolades that year. In three seasons with the Eagles, he registered 5-30—35 points and 122 penalty minutes in 98 appearances, and also represented the U.S. at the 2014 World Junior Championship.

Prior to enrolling at BC, Santini played two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team, and after skating with New York Apple Core (EJHL).

BU's Tkachuk Signs with Senators

The Ottawa Senators have announced that they have signed forward Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) to a three-year entry-level contract. Tkachuk will thus forgo his final three years at BU.

Tkachuk, 18, a 6-foot-3 native of St. Louis, tallied eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points last season as a freshman as the Terriers won the Hockey East Tournament and advanced to within one game of the NCAA Frozen Four. The Senators then drafted him fourth overall at the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas.

The son of retired NHL player Keith Tkachuk, who also played one year at BU, and the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk played two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development program prior to enrolling at BU. He was also a member of the bronze-medal U.S. squad at the 2018 World Junior Championship held in Buffalo.

Larkin Re-Signs, Berenson Earns Latest Honor

Two former University of Michigan players made headlines over the weekend—one an up-and-comer, and the other a living legend.

Dylan Larkin, who played one season with the Wolverines before turning pro, has signed a five-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. A restricted free agent, Larkin, 22, will receive an average of $6.1 million per season, according to NHL.com. Drafted 15th overall by Detroit in 2014, the Waterford, Mich. native has notched 56 goals and 84 assists for 140 points in 242 regular-season appearances over three full NHL campaigns, all with Detroit. He registered 15-32—47 points in 35 outings with U-M in 2014-15, his lone year in Ann Arbor and the inaugural season of the current Big Ten Conference.

Longtime Michigan head coach Gordon "Red" Berenson, who manned the Wolverines for 33 seasons and also won two NCAA Division I titles at the U-M helm, will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in December. The Regina, Sask. native starred at Michigan as a forward before going on to play in the NHL from 1962 to 1978. He later coached the St. Louis Blues for three seasons.

Berenson guided his alma mater from 1984 to 2017, and recorded an 848-426-92 overall mark with the Wolverines while winning national titles in both 1996 and 1998. He also led the Maize and Blue to 10 Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championships, nine CCHA Tournament crowns, one Big Ten tournament title, and 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 1991 to 2012.

Also, in late July, Michigan defenseman Quinn Hughes announced he will return to U-M for his sophomore season. Drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in June, the Orlando, Fla. native earned 2017-18 Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades in collecting 5-24—29 points in 37 games as a rookie, while also helping the Wolverines to the NCAA Frozen Four.

BC's Dennehy, Buckley Move On

Two former Boston College players have moved on in the coaching ranks, one professionally and one in college.

Mark Dennehy (BC'91), who led Merrimack College as head coach from 2004 until earlier this year, is the new head coach of the Binghamton (NY) Devils of the American Hockey League, the top minor-league affiliate of the NHL's New Jersey Devils.  Dennehy, 50, who helped BC to three NCAA Tournaments as a defenseman (1989-1990-1991) and has also coached collegiately at Princeton and Massachusetts, had just joined Wheeling (ECHL) as head coach in June.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, Wheeling's parent NHL club, gave New Jersey permission to talk to Dennehy, and he leaves Wheeling without ever coaching a game for the ECHL's Nailers. A native of Dorchester, Mass., Dennehy led Merrimack to an NCAA Tournament berth and a No. 1 national ranking in 2011.

Brendan Buckley (BC'99) has returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach after three seasons as an assistant at Hockey East rival Connecticut. A fifth-round selection of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1996, Buckley played on the BC blueline from 1995 to 1999, and helped the Eagles to consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours as a junior and senior while accumulating 39 points and 306 penalty minutes in 158 career games. He went on on to skate in 569 career AHL regular-season contests, and also played in Germany and Italy before retiring as a player in 2011.

A native of Needham, Mass., Buckley, 41, succeeds former Eagles associate coach Greg Brown, who left the Heights last month after 14 years on the BC bench to join the NHL's New York Rangers.

BC's Hayes Re-Signs with Rangers

Kevin Hayes (Boston College) will be back on Broadway for at least one more season. The 6-foot-5 power forward from Dorchester, Mass., a restricted free agent, recently signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers, the sole NHL team he has ever played for.

Hayes scored a career-high 25 goals for the Rangers last season, to go along with 19 assists for 44 points in 76 games. In 310 career NHL regular-season outings, all with New York, he has tallied 73 goals and 101 assists for 174 points. He has also notched two goals and 10 points in 34 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests, and was a member of New York's 2014 Eastern Conference champion club.

Hayes, 26, played at BC from 2010 to 2014. He notched 44-88—132 points in 142 career games with the Eagles, including career-best totals of 27-38—65 points as a senior in 2013-14 when he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and also helped BC to the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four. Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft before later signing with the Rangers as a free agent, he was a sophomore on BC's 2012 national championship team.