BC's Knight Shines in Winning NHL Debut

Spencer Knight (Boston College) made his first career NHL start a highly memorable one.

Wearing his Boston College mask, the rookie pro goaltender from Darien, Conn. stopped 33 of 34 shots in backstopping the Florida Panthers to a 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night in Miami. It was his first appearance as a professional player after he signed with Florida last month after a pair of NCAA campaigns.

Knight, 20, was chosen 13th overall by the Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft. The 2020-21 Hockey East Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, he fashioned a 16-4-1 record over 21 games with a 2.18 goals-against average and three shutouts in leading the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament berth in five seasons. He was also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey, and a top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.

A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, the 6-foot-3 Knight went 39-12-3 with a 2.05 GAA and eight shutouts in two full seasons at BC, while helping the Eagles to back-to-back Hockey East regular-season championships. His brief tenure at the Heights also earned him a host of other awards, including Hockey East All-Rookie Team status as a freshman, along with First Team Hockey East and First Team All-America accolades as a sophomore.

Knight also starred at the 2021 World Junior Championship where he went 5-1-0 in six games in leading the United States to a gold medal, including a 34-save effort in a 2-0 victory over host Canada in the title game. He also wore his Team USA gloves and pads in his NHL debut.

Guité Named Interim Head Coach at Maine

Former University of Maine center and assistant/associate head coach Ben Guité has been named interim head coach of the Black Bears men's hockey team following the passing of Dennis "Red" Gendron earlier this month.

Guité, 42, a native of Verdun, Quebec, began his coaching tenure as an assistant at Maine in 2013-14, shortly after his retirement from professional hockey as a player, and was promoted to associate head coach in 2017-18. He skated for the Black Bears from 1996 to 2000, and was a member of their 1999 NCAA title team. In four seasons in Orono as a player, he finished with 47 goals and 49 assists for 96 points in 146 career games.

A 1997 draft choice (172nd overall) by the Montreal Canadiens, Guité saw action in 174 NHL regular-season contests over five seasons with Boston, Colorado and Nashville. He recorded 19-26—45 points in that span, and also had one goal in 10 Stanley Cup playoff appearances, all with Colorado in 2008. 

Guité spent the bulk of his professional playing career in the American Hockey League, notching a total of 103-176—279 points in 582 regular-season games with Bridgeport, Cincinnati, Providence, Albany, Milwaukee, Springfield and Worcester. After starting his career with one season in the ECHL in 2000-01, he played his final year as a pro in Italy in 2012-13 before joining the staff at Maine.

Jones, Chau Move on from UMass

Two key members of UMass' 2021 national championship team won't be back in Amherst next season to help the Minutemen defend their NCAA and Hockey East titles.

Sophomore defenseman Zac Jones has signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. The native of Glen Allen, Va. led all UMass defenseman this past year with nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points, and in two seasons with the Minutemen posted 12-35—47 points in 61 appearances. He was chosen 68th overall by New York in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Senior and second-leading UMass scorer Oliver Chau is taking his talents to Quinnipiac University as a graduate transfer after four years with the Minutemen. The Oakville, Ont. product finished second in UMass overall scoring this season with 5-22—27 points, setting a personal career-high for points in one campaign, and registered 28-56—84 points in 135 outings overall.

NCAA Players Moved at 2021 NHL Trade Deadline

 

Following is a list of NCAA-trained players who were moved between April 1 and Monday's 2021 NHL trading deadline:

Player (School) Old NHL Club-New NHL Club

Ben Hutton (Maine) Anaheim-Toronto

Nick Desimone (Union) San Jose-Vegas

Josh Dickinson (Clarkson) Colorado-Chicago

Adam Gaudette (Northeastern) Vancouver-Chicago

Anders Bjork (Notre Dame) Boston-Buffalo

Mike Reilly (Minnesota) Ottawa-Boston

Jon Merrill (Michigan) Detroit-Montreal 

Brandon Montour (UMass) Buffalo-Florida

Henrik Borgstrom (Denver) Florida-Chicago

Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) New Jersey-NY Islanders

Travis Zajac (North Dakota) New Jersey-NY Islanders

A.J. Greer (Boston Univ.) NY Islanders-New Jersey

Mason Jobst (Ohio State) NY Islanders-New Jersey

Vinnie Hinostroza (Notre Dame) Florida-Chicago

Mayotte Takes Over at Colorado College

 

Colorado College has a new head coach in former NCAA goaltender and assistant coach Kris Mayotte.

A press conference was held Monday in Colorado Springs to introduce Mayotte as the 15th head coach in the long history of the Tigers, after he spent the last two years as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan.

Mayotte, 38, began his coaching career as an assistant at St. Lawrence University from 2012 to 2014. He then joined Providence College for the next five seasons, the last one as an associate coach, and was part of the Friars' 2015 NCAA title team before he headed to Michigan in 2019.

Following two years in junior hockey with Cleveland (NAHL) and Sioux City (USHL), after backstopping Central Catholic High School in his native Pittsburgh, Mayotte played four years for Union College (2002-2006). He compiled a record of 46-52-13 over 116 appearances with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage for the Dutchmen, and ranks second all-time in Union hockey's NCAA Division I annals in wins (46), shutouts (10) and saves (2,977). As a senior in 2005-06, he went 16-15-5 with a career-best 2.33 GAA and .918 save percentage, along with a personal-high five shutouts. 

After his graduation from Union, Mayotte played professionally in the AHL, CHL and ECHL for five seasons before retiring following the 2009-10 campaign. He takes over a Colorado College club that finished 4-17-2 in the NCHC last season, and which last made the NCAA tournament in 2011.

UMass 2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Champions

The University of Massachusetts (Amherst) won its first ever Hockey East tournament title this season. Now it's also claimed its inaugural NCAA championship.

The Minutemen blitzed St. Cloud State, 5-0, on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh to win the school's first men's hockey national title, and first NCAA crown for UMass in any sport since 1998 when football won the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.

Five years ago, UMass Hockey won a total of five games under new head coach Greg Carvel. Two years ago, the Minutemen and Carvel made it to their first NCAA championship contest, but were blanked by defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth in Buffalo.

Not this time. This year, it was UMass doing the whitewashing.

Aaron Bohlinger's first career goal early in the first period on Saturday stood up as the game-winner for UMass (20-5-4 overall), before Reed Lebster made it 2-0 with just over a minute remaining in the opening stanza. Philip Lagunov (shorthanded) and Matthew Kessel (power play) then scored in the second period to make it 4-0 for the Minutemen after 40 minutes, before Bobby Trivigno salted away the scoring exactly six minutes into the final frame.

Filip Lindberg made 25 saves for the shutout in his return to the UMass net, after he sat out the semifinal win over Minnesota-Duluth two nights earlier due to COVID-19. Dávid Hrenák made 17 stops for SCSU (20-11-0), in the Huskies' first appearance in the NCAA Division I title game.

It was the first NCAA title for a Hockey East team since 2015, when Providence edged Boston University in Boston. The win by UMass also snapped a string of four straight national title championships by St. Cloud's league, the NCHC. 

Maine's Gendron Gone at 63

University of Maine men's hockey coach Dennis "Red" Gendron passed away on Friday at the age of 63.

A 1979 graduate of New England College, where he was a three-year hockey captain, Gendron had helmed Maine since 2013, and compiled an overall record of 103-137-32 while heading the Black Bears.

After a successful high school coaching career in New Hampshire and Vermont following his college graduation, Gendron began his collegiate coaching career at Maine as an assistant in 1990. He spent three seasons in Orono, helping the Black Bears to the 1993 NCAA championship, before moving on to the NHL and the New Jersey Devils. 

He worked three years with New Jersey as an assistant/video coach, earning a Stanley Cup ring in 1995. He then headed to Albany (AHL) as an assistant for four seasons, while also serving as a scout for New Jersey from 1996 to 2002, before taking over the Albany River Rats as head coach for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns. He earned additional Stanley Cup rings with the Devils in 2000 and 2003. 

A two-time assistant coach with the U.S. at the World Junior Championship in 2001 and 2002, Gendron spent the 2004-05 season as GM/head coach with Indiana (USHL) in the junior hockey ranks, before heading back to college hockey as an assistant at UMass from 2005 to 2011. The Minutemen made the NCAA tournament in 2007. 

After two years as associate coach at Yale University, where he helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCAA title, Gendron took the head coaching job at Maine. In his last full season with the Black Bears in 2019-20, he guided them to an 18-11-5 overall record and a potential NCAA tournament berth, before the season was ultimately canceled by COVID-19.

NCAA Hockey 2021 Major Award Winners Announced

NCAA Hockey's major award winners for the 2020-21 campaign were announced on Friday evening on NHL Network.

University of Wisconsin sophomore forward Cole Caufield, the leading Division I men's scorer with 30 goals and 52 points this season, won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award (pictured) as college hockey top's player. Now in the Montreal Canadiens' farm system, Caufield is the first Badger to win the Hobey Baker since Blake Geoffrion did so in 2010.

University of Minnesota senior goaltender Jack Lafontaine claimed the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. Lafontaine, a former University of Michigan transfer who backstopped the Golden Gophers to this year's Big Ten tournament title, also posted a record of 22-7-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and five shutouts in 29 appearances.

Saint Mary's (Minn.) University senior defender Delaney Wolf earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award for her extensive volunteer and community service. She also carries a 4.0 grade-point average academically as a biochemistry/Spanish double major.

University of Michigan freshman forward Thomas Bordeleau was chosen as the recipient of this season's Tim Taylor Award, which goes to the NCAA rookie of the year, and is named for the former longtime Yale University men's coach. Bordeleau led the Wolverines with team highs of 22 assists and 30 points this season, in his first collegiate campaign.

Union College senior forward Josh Kosack collected the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, named for the former Army hockey letterwinner who died in Afghanistan 16 years ago. It goes to the NCAA Division I player who is judged to best exemplify the "qualities of sportsmanship, competitiveness, intelligence and work ethic." Union did not play this season, due to COVID-19, although Kosack continued his widespread charitable and community efforts.

SCSU to Meet UMass for NCAA Hockey Title

The 2021 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship game match-up is set, with St. Cloud State to meet Massachusetts on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

SCSU edged Minnesota State, 5-4, in the early national semifinal game on Thursday, as Nolan Walker tipped home a shot from the point by Seamus Donahue with less than a minute remaining in regulation to send the Huskies (20-10-0 overall) to their first-ever Division I national title game. Dávid Hrenák made 25 stops in net for SCSU, which last made the NCAA Frozen Four in 2013, also in Pittsburgh.

In the late game, a rematch of the 2019 NCAA championship contest, Massachusetts ousted two-time defending champion Minnesota-Duluth, 3-2, in overtime. The Minutemen (19-5-4) dominated play and time of possession in the extra session, after being outshot by a 36-15 margin in regulation, before former Minnesota transfer Garrett Wait knocked home a pass just in front of the UMD net at 14:30 of the fourth period to end it. UMass goaltender Matt Murray, playing in his first game since Jan. 18, made 36 saves in the victory, propelling the Minutemen to their second consecutive national title game after last year's entire tournament was canceled by COVID-19.

The Huskies and Minutemen will meet Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) for the national title, with both seeking their first NCAA Division I crown. The winner will be the first first-time national college hockey champion at the men's Division I level since Providence in 2015.

Devils Trade Zajac, Palmieri to Islanders

 

Travis Zajac (North Dakota) and Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) are moving to Long Island.

The now-former New Jersey Devils forwards were traded yesterday to the New York islanders for a 2021 first-round NHL draft choice, a 2022 conditional fourth-round choice, and minor-league forwards A.J. Greer (Boston University) and Mason Jobst (Ohio State).

Zajac, 34, who played in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game earlier this season, has been a fixture in New Jersey since turning pro in 2006-07 after two years with North Dakota, whom he helped to two NCAA Frozen Fours. In that span he has recorded 202 goals and 348 assists for 550 points in 1,024 regular-season NHL appearances. He also has 11-17—28 points in 57 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and led the Devils to their 2012 Eastern Conference championship.

Palmieri, 30, who sat out New Jersey's last several games while awaiting a trade, began his NHL career with Anaheim in 2010-11, two years after the Ducks drafted him 26th overall, and just after he played his one season at Notre Dame. He joined New Jersey in 2015-16 and has proceeded to register five straight years of 20 or more goals. In 595 career NHL regular-season outings, Palmieri has posted 183-172—355 points, along with 8-7—15 totals in 38 Stanley Cup playoff appearances.

Greer, 24, played parts of two seasons at Boston University before jumping to the major junior ranks. Drafted 39th overall by Colorado in 2015, after helping BU to the NCAA national title game that year, he has recorded a goals and five assists for six points in 37 NHL regular-season games, all with the Avalanche.

Jobst, 27, a two-year team captain at Ohio State who helped the Buckeyes to the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four, has spent the last two seasons with Bridgeport (AHL). In 51 outings with the Sound Tigers, he has put up 5-10—15 points.

Twenty Years Ago Today in Albany ...

... Boston College beats North Dakota, 3-2, for its first NCAA championship in 52 years, on an overtime goal by Krys Kolanos. 

UND ties the game with two extra-attacker tallies in the final two minutes, but Kolanos breaks in from the left side, cuts across the crease, and then tucks the puck under Karl Goehring's glove 4:43 into sudden death to give the Eagles their first national title since 1949. Chuck Kobasew and Tony Voice assist on the winning goal at the Times Union Center in upstate new York.

Scott Clemmensen makes 34 saves for the win in his collegiate finale as BC's senior class finally breaks through after three consecutive Frozen Four disappointments.

Swayman Sunny in Philadelphia for Bruins

 

Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (Maine) made his NHL debut Tuesday night, stopping 40 shots for the Boston Bruins in their 4-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers. It was the first start at hockey's highest level for the Anchorage, Alaska native, who was drafted 111th overall by Boston in 2017 after his lone season with Sioux Falls (USHL).

In three years at the University of Maine, Swayman, 22, compiled a record of 47-34-18 in 100 games, while fashioning a 2.51 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage to go along with four shutouts. As a junior in 2019-20, he finished a career-best 18-5-11 (2.07. .939) with three shutouts for the Black Bears, and also won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's top netminder before turning pro.

The 6-foot-3 Swayman played nine games with Providence (AHL) earlier this season, recording eight wins and one shutout, before being called up to Boston recently. He made 36 saves over the first two periods last night in Philadelphia, including 23 stops in the second stanza alone.

UMass Loses Four to COVID Before Frozen Four

 

The University of Massachusetts will be playing shorthanded on Thursday when the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Frozen Four begins in Pittsburgh.

According to published reports, leading goal-scorer Carson Gicewicz, rookie goaltender Henry Graham, sophomore forward Jerry Harding, and starting netminder Filip Lindberg have all been ruled out of their national semifinal contest against Minnesota-Duluth due to contract tracing for COVID-19 before UMass (18-5-4 overall) left for Pennsylvania.

Gicewicz, a St. Lawrence transfer, leads the Minutemen with 17 goals so far this season, and ranks third on the squad with 24 points. Graham has yet to see action with the Minutemen while Harding, a Providence transfer, has two goals and six points to date. Lindberg has a record of 9-1-4 in 14 appearances this campaign, to go with a 1.33 goals-against average and four shutouts.

It is not known if the foursome would be available to play Saturday if UMass defeats UMD, in what is a rematch of the 2019 NCAA title game. The winner will move on to the national championship game against the winner of the early semifinal between Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.

St. Thomas Chooses Blasi as Coach

St. Thomas University has found its first NCAA Division I men's hockey head coach.

The Tommies, who are moving up from Division III to begin play in the new CCHA this fall, last week chose longtime former Miami head coach Enrico Blasi, who has spent this season working in administration at Providence College, as their new bench boss.

Blasi, a former Miami forward, guided his alma mater from 1999 to 2019, and posted an overall record of 398-311-76 in that span. He led the RedHawks to 10 NCAA tournament berths, including eight straight appearances from 2005 to 2013, plus the 2009 national title game. He also led Miami to two CCHA regular-season championships and two CCHA postseason crowns, to go with the 2015 NCHC playoff title after the Red Hawks changed conferences when the original CCHA folded.

Blasi's hiring is one of several recent coaching moves at college hockey's highest level. Colorado College parted ways with Mike Haviland last month after seven seasons, while David Berard just resigned from Holy Cross, also after seven seasons.

2021 Hobey Hat Trick Announced

 

The three "hat trick" finalists for the 2021 Hobey Baker Memorial Award were announced this week:

Cole Caufield, So., F, Wisconsin - Caufield led all NCAA Division I men's players with 30 goals and 52 points this season, including 11 power-play goals and five game-winning tallies. A member of the gold medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2021 World Junior Championship, the Stevens Point, Wis. native signed an NHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, one day after Wisconsin's season ended with an NCAA East Regional semifinal loss to Bemidji State. He was selected 15th overall by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Preston McKay, Sr., G, Minnesota State - McKay, who is also a finalist for this year's Mike Richter Award as the nation's top netminder, has backstopped the Mavericks to their first-ever Frozen Four next week in Pittsburgh after allowing just three goals over two games at the NCAA West Regional last weekend. In 25 total appearances so far this season, the Downers Grove, Ill. native has fashioned a 21-3-0 record to go with a 1.39 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and a nation-leading 10 shutouts.

Shane Pinto, So., F, North Dakota - Pinto finished his final collegiate campaign with 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points, while also helping the Fighting Hawks to their first-ever NCHC postseason crown. The Franklin Square, N.Y. product just signed an NHL contract with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him 32nd overall in 2019. He played his final game for UND in a five-overtime NCAA Midwest Regional final loss to Minnesota-Duluth on March 27, recording two assists.

2021 NCAA Exodus to NHL Has Begun

 

The annual pre-Frozen Four exodus of NCAA players with college eligibility remaining to the pro hockey ranks is underway. Below are some of the players who have signed with NHL clubs since the regionals ended on Sunday:

Player                Yr. Pos. School (NHL Club)      

Cole Caufield         So. F    Wisconsin (Montreal)

Mike Hardman       So. F    Boston College (Chicago)

Matthew Boldy       So. F    Boston College (Minnesota)

Layton Ahac           So. D    Ohio State (Vegas)

Spencer Knight       So. G    Boston College (Florida)

Alex Newhook          So. F    Boston College (Colorado)

Jacob Bernard-Docker  Jr. D    North Dakota (Ottawa)

Cam York       So. D    Michigan (Philadelphia) 

Adam Scheel       Jr. G    North Dakota (Dallas)

Shane Pinto       So. F    North Dakota (Ottawa)

More to come, obviously ...