NHL, NCAA and Hockey East Make Summer Moves

 

Things have certainly been changing for college hockey so far this year.

In addition to new recruiting rules and an upcoming new conference, the biggest alteration to date is that Joe Bertagna (Harvard) will be stepping down as commissioner of Hockey East after the 2019-20 season, following 23 years at the helm of one of NCAA Division I hockey's top leagues. The conference has won six NCAA men's titles under his watch, four of those by Boston College, with the most recent national crown coming from Providence in 2015. A former goaltender at Harvard, Bertagna previously worked in administration for the ECAC before taking over Hockey East.

Several former NCAA players have also been on the move in the NHL following the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign in June, including one who played his last year of college this season. Here's a sampling of those moves, through trades or free agency:

- Phil Kessel (Minnesota) from Pittsburgh to Arizona
- Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) from San Jose to Dallas
- Jacob Trouba (Michigan) from Winnipeg to the New York Rangers
- Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) from the New York Rangers to Buffalo
- Dakota Joshua (Ohio State) from Toronto to St. Louis
- Alex Kerfoot (Harvard) from Colorado to Toronto
- Gustav Nyquist (Maine) from San Jose to Columbus
- Anthony Stolarz (Omaha) from Edmonton to Anaheim
- Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville) from Philadelphia to Calgary
- Steven Santini (Boston College) from New Jersey to Nashville

Among NHL free agents who re-signed with their original clubs, Anders Lee (Notre Dame) inked a seven-year, $49 million deal to remain as captain of the New York Islanders.