Friday, December 30, 2022

Western Michigan Wins 2022 GLI

The first Great Lakes Invitational held outside Detroit is done.

18th-ranked Western Michigan took home the crown earlier this week by winning both of its games, 8-1 over No. 17 Michigan Tech in the first round, and 8-2 over Ferris State in the championship contest. MTU finished in third place by edging 11th-ranked Michigan State, 3-2, in the consolation game. FSU had beaten MSU, 4-2, in the first round.

WMU senior forward Jason Polin scored three goals in each game for the Broncos (10-9-1 overall), giving him five hat tricks on the 2022-23 season, and a nation-leading 19 goals through 22 games. His scoring efforts also garnered him the Jack Tompkins Trophy as this year's GLI MVP. Cameron Rowe stopped 52 of 56 shots over two games for the Broncos, who also got five assists in all from Ryan McAllister, the top scorer in NCAA Division I with 28 assists and 38 points through 22 outings..

The victory was WMU's fourth GLI title in six appearances, the last coming in 2016. WMU also won the GLI in 2013 and 1986.

All four games this year were held at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., home of the AHL's Griffins. It was the first time the tournament had been held since 2019, with the 2020 version being canceled due to COVID-19, and last year's version being played on campus sites in what was a non-traditional, non-championship format. The GLI began in 1965 at the old Olympia, before later being played at now-demolished Joe Louis Arena, Comerica Park (outdoors) and Little Caesar's Arena, all in Detroit.

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

U.S. Wins 2023 WJC Opener in Canada

The United States is off to a good start at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in eastern Canada. 

Team USA posted a 5-2 victory over Latvia on Monday in Moncton, N.B. to open this year's tournament, as five different players scored for the Americans. Sean Behrens (Denver) and Red Savage (Miami) tallied a goal and an assist apiece for the U.S., while Dylan Duke (Michigan) set up two goals and Trey Augustine made 15 saves in net.

The 2023 U.S. WJC squad this year features no less than 20 players from 12 different NCAA Division I schools. The head coach for the Americans this year is Rand Pecknold (Quinnipiac University).

Team USA will face Slovakia in its next WJC match-up, on Thursday at the Avenir Centre in Moncton.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Alaska (Fairbanks) Wins 2022-23 Governor's Cup

The Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup continued last weekend after a two-year hiatus—and Alaska (Fairbanks) is the champion once more.

The visiting Nanooks swept Alaska Anchorage by 4-0 and 1-0 scores at the Seawolf Sports Complex on Dec. 16-17 to clinch the Cup for 2022-23. Simon Falk and Bowling Green transfer T.J. Lloyd each posted a goal and an assist for the Nanooks (9-7-2 overall) in the opener on Friday, while Chase Dubois notched the game-winning goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation in the rematch on Saturday. Holy Cross transfer Matt Radomsky earned the shutout both nights for UAF, stopping 20 and 17 shots, respectively.

UAF had swept UAA (2-12-0) at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks on Dec. 9-10 by 5-2 and 7-2 counts in the Governor's Cup renewal, the first games played between the two 49th State rivals since the 2019-20 campaign. Both teams sat out the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19, while UAA stayed on the sidelines last season to rebuild, after the hockey program was dropped by the university due to budget cuts before being reinstated through a fundraising effort.

The Nanooks have now won nine straight Governor's Cups, after their titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012 were subsequently vacated due to NCAA violations. The two independent schools will close out their season series on Jan. 27-28 in Anchorage.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Princeton Outlasts RPI, 6-5

After starting off the 2022-23 campaign with six losses in its first eight outings, Princeton University seems to have righted the ship heading into the holiday break.

The Tigers claimed their fourth victory in their last five games by holding on for a 6-5 win over Rensselaer in an ECAC hockey matchup on Dec. 10 at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers never trailed that night, but saw several multiple-goal leads ultimately evaporate by the final minute of regulation as the Engineers pulled out all the stops to try and force a tie.

Nick Marciano opened the scoring for the home side with his first career collegiate goal early on, followed by a Brendan Gorman goal that made it 2-0 for Princeton before Auston Heidemann got RPI on the board with 0.4 seconds left before intermission. Ryan Mashie then pulled the Engineers within one just 24 seconds into the second period, but Princeton made it 4-2 at the end of 40 minutes on goals by Adam Robbins and Spencer Kersten, the latter a shorthanded marker.

The Tigers made it 5-2 early in the final stanza on David Jacobs' tally, before Mashie got RPI back within two goals just under 10 minutes later. Ian Murphy then scored into an empty-net, shorthanded, with under two minutes remaining, with that goal ultimately standing up as the game-winner after Jake Gagnon notched two extra-attacker goals for the Engineers only 24 seconds apart, the latter with just 2.2 seconds left on the clock. 

Nathan Pearson (30 saves) helped keep Princeton ahead for good with a point-blank glove save on TJ Walsh's one-timer from the right circle in the last minute of regulation. Jack Watson had 29 saves for RPI, which finished 4-for-8 on the power play. Princeton defenseman Pito Walton collected three assists, which helped him earn ECAC Defender of the Week accolades.

Princeton (6-7-0 overall, 5-6-0 ECAC Hockey) is now off until a two-game NCAA non-conference set at Colorado College on Sec. 30-31, while RPI (7-9-1, 2-6-0) returns to action that same weekend at Bowling Green.

Monday, December 5, 2022

Big Ten Hockey - Dec. 2-3, 2022

It was quite a weekend for men's hockey in the Big Ten conference.

Ohio State, ranked 17th in NCAA Division I, skated to a split at sixth-ranked Penn State. The host Nittany Lions took a 2-1 decision on Friday, before the visiting Buckeyes rebounded for a 4-3 victory in the series finale.

No. 4 Minnesota swept host No. 13 Michigan State by 5-0 and 6-3 scores. The Golden Gophers have now won six of their last seven games overall, and nine of their last 11 outings.

Wisconsin, last in the Big Ten standings so far this season, still managed a split at fifth-ranked Michigan. The visiting Badgers won by a 6-3 count in the opener before falling, 4-2, in the rematch.

The conference's seventh school, No. 20 Notre Dame, was idle last weekend, and will host Penn Stat this Friday and Saturday.

Friday, December 2, 2022

Mike Addesa 1945-2022

Former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute men's hockey coach Mike Addesa passed away earlier this week at the age of 77.

The Boston native was head coach at RPI from 1979 to 1989, and guided the Engineers to the 1985 NCAA Division I men's hockey title. He was relieved of his duties in 1989 after a racial incident with two of his players, and never coached at the college level again.

After one year as general manager with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Addesa spent five years as a scout with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. He went on to become general manager/head coach and franchise owner with the Boston Bulldogs junior organization, from 1995 to 2012. He then scouted for the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, and also served as GM with the Seacoast Spartans Prep organization until retiring in 2017.

Addesa began his hockey coaching career in 1966-67 as an assistant at Stoneham (Mass.) High School, then moved on to St. Mary's (Mass.) High the following season as head coach. He then oversaw Randolph (N.J.) High for five seasons and Wellesley (Mass.) High for one before taking an assistant's job in 1974-75 at his alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross, where he had played football. He was promoted to head coach of the Crusaders in 1976, and remained in Worcester until he took the top job at RPI, where he fashioned an overall record of 186–124–9 over 10 NCAA campaigns.

Addesa was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.

Monday, November 28, 2022

NCAA Highlights for Thanskgiving 2022

 

It was quite a Thanksgiving weekend in NCAA Division I men's hockey ...

- Cornell blanked UConn, 6-0, at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday night in its semi-annual Frozen Apple game in Manhattan. Dalton Bancroft scored three goals and Ian Shane stopped all 27 shots he faced for the victorious Big Red.

- No. 9 Harvard (7-1-1 overall) became the last NCAA Division I men's team to suffer a loss this season, a 4-1 setback at No. 5 Michigan on Saturday. The two schools played to a 4-4 tie the night before in Ann Arbor.

- LIU earned its first-ever victory against a ranked opponent with a 3-2 triumph over visiting No. 12 Ohio State on Friday. Former Michigan State forward Adam Goodsir tallied the game-winning goal in the third period, although OSU rebounded for a 4-1 win the next night to salvage a split.

- Speaking of Michigan State, the No. 16 Spartans swept former CCHA foe Miami by 5-3 and 4-0 counts in Oxford, Ohio. Dylan St. Cyr stopped 69 shots on the weekend for MSU, including 39 saves in the shutout victory.

- No. 2 Minnesota and Arizona State split a series at the latter's brand-new Mullet Arena in Tempe. Minnesota won the opener, 3-2, as Logan Cooley set up one goal and then scored the game-winner for the Golden Gophers. The host Sun Devils responded the following evening with a 6-5 victory in overtime as former Boston University forward Robert Mastrosimone connected in the extra session.

- Two teams of Tigers split a non-conference series in Rochester, N.Y. RIT defeated visiting Princeton, 5-3, on Friday as Carter Wilkie scored twice and assisted on another goal for the hosts. Princeton came back the next night to record a 5-0 shutout win behind 23 saves from Ethan Pearson.

- Last but not least, defending NCAA champion Denver (10-4-0 overall) retained the top spot in the DCU/USCHO Division I Men's Poll this week, after a series split with Omaha. The visiting Mavericks won, 3-0, the first night on Jake Kucharski's 22 saves before host DU came back with a 6-3 triumph on Saturday.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

MSU's Jagger Joshua Issues Statement


Jagger Joshua (above) is the younger brother of Dakota Joshua, who helped Ohio State to the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four and is now with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. 

The player from Ohio State who received the game misconduct penalty was Kamil Sadlocha. He has not missed any games since the incident took place. OSU and the Big Ten did not issue any supplemental discipline afterwards.

MSU will play at OSU on Jan. 6-7 in a Big Ten series.

It's hard to believe in this day and age, less than two months from the year 2023, that incidents like this still persist. There's no place for this type of action in hockey, NCAA or otherwise.

ADDENDUM: Sadlocha is currently not playing or practicing with the Buckeyes.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Denver Regains Top Spot in DCU/USCHO.com National Poll

 


The DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Poll from Nov. 14, 2022 (place, number of first-place votes, team record):

1 Denver     (44) 9-3-0

2 Minnesota    (5) 8-4-0

3 Michigan 9-3-0

4 St. Cloud 9-3-0

5 Quinnipiac 7-1-2

6 Penn State    (1) 10-2-0

7 Connecticut 9-1-3

8 Minnesota State         7-3-0

9 Providence 6-2-3

10 Harvard         6-0-0

11 Boston University 6-3-0

12 Ohio State 7-4-1

13 UMass Lowell         7-3-0

14 Western Michigan 8-5-0

15 Merrimack 8-3-0

16 Massachusetts         5-5-1

17 Michigan State         8-3-1

18 Northeastern         6-3-3

19 North Dakota         4-5-2

20 Notre Dame 5-5-2

Defending NCAA champion Denver returns to the top spot it occupied earlier this year, while Michigan State has cracked the top 20 for the first time in several years.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Peter McNab 1952-2022

Longtime NHL player and color commentator Peter McNab (Denver) passed away on Sunday at the age of 70 after battling cancer.

Born in Vancouver, McNab was selected 85th overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, and went on to a 14-year NHL career with Buffalo, Boston, Vancouver and New Jersey in which he scored 363 regular-season goals before retiring in 1987.

A ten-time 20-goal scorer and a six-time 30-goal scorer who also recorded two 40-goal seasons, including nine straight campaigns from 1974 to 1983, McNab tallied 363 goals and 450 assists for 813 points in 954 career NHL regular-season contests. He also added 40-42—82 points in 107 Stanley Cup playoff outings, and helped Boston to the Stanley Cup Final in both 1978 and 1979. 

A 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward, McNab played three NCAA seasons at DU (1971-1973), registering 78-92—170 points in 105 appearances. In his third and final season with the Pioneers, he collected a career-best 32-40—72 points in 38 outings and led DU to a third-place finish at the NCAA championship in Boston. He turned pro the following season and recorded 34-39—73 points with Cincinnati (AHL) in his lone minor-league campaign, while also making his NHL debut with Buffalo. He later represented the United States at the 1986 World Championships in the then-Soviet Union.

McNab, the son of the late NHL player/executive Max McNab and the brother of former NHL scout/executive David McNab (Wisconsin), went on to become a color commentator for New Jersey for eight years following his retirement as an active player. He then joined the Colorado Avalanche and was a party to their 1996, 2001 and 2022 Stanley Cup championships.

Rest in peace, Peter.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Colgate Edges Princeton in OT

Liam and Brendan Gorman almost made it Princeton's night. Almost.

The two brothers from Arlington, Mass. staked the Tigers to a 3-2 lead with their individual goals at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday night, but in the end it was the visiting Colgate Raiders escaping with a 4-3 NCAA victory in overtime. 

Ross Mitton took a drop pass just inside the Princeton blueline, skated between the faceoff circles, and wristed a shot through Tigers netminder Aidan Porter just 57 seconds into the 3-on-3 extra session to give Colgate its first and only lead of the evening. Porter finished the game with 22 stops.

Liam Gorman opened the scoring when he stole the puck along the right wing boards just over five-and-a-half minutes into the contest, and skated in alone to beat Colgate netminder Carter Gylander (33 saves). Colgate's Nic Belpedio responded nine minutes later with a power-play tally to close out the opening stanza.

Jack Cronin connected on the power play for Princeton for the only goal of the middle session, before Colgate knotted matters once again on Colton Young's power-play goal two-and-a-half minutes into the third period. It was a five-minute man advantage for the Raiders, after the Tigers' Nick Seitz received a major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting from behind only 20 seconds into the final frame.

Brendan Gorman whipped home a shot from the right circle just under six minutes into the third period to again put Princeton (0-3-0 overall, 0-3-0 ECAC Hockey) up by a goal. Simon Labelle replied just under seven minutes later for Colgate (3-6-1, 1-1-0) off a goalmouth scramble to make it 3-3 and ultimately push the contest into sudden death.

Princeton outshot Colgate, 36-26, on the night and finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Raiders went 2-for-7 while a man up. The two schools will meet again in January at Colgate to close out their season series.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

North Dakota's Pinto Named NHL Rookie of the Month

Shane Pinto (North Dakota) has been tabbed as the NHL Rookie of the Month for October 2022.

Pinto, 21, tallied six goals and an assist for seven points in a span of eight games last month. He led all NHL rookies in goals scored in October, and also led all NHL skaters in scoring percentage (42.9). The Franklin Square, N.Y. native has now recorded 7-8—15 points in 26 career NHL regular-season appearances, after playing just five games in all last year due to shoulder injuries. He was drafted 32nd overall by Ottawa in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, after playing for Tri-City (USHL) in 2018-19.

The 6-foot-2 center starred for UND in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NCAA campaigns, before turning pro just after the end of his second and final collegiate season. In 61 career outings with the Fighting Hawks, Pinto notched 31-29—60 points to go with 50 PIM. He also helped UND to two NCHC regular-season titles and one NCHC postseason crown, along with two NCAA tournament berths (the first was negated by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020).

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

UConn's Thompson on Scoring Streak for Sabres


Tage Thompson (UConn) is on a roll. The 25-year-old forward for the Buffalo Sabres has recorded six goals and five assists for 11 points in his last three games, all wins at home. The Sabres now stand third in the NHL's Eastern Conference with a 7-3-0 record.

Thompson first tallied a goal and three assists in a 4-3 overtime victory over Chicago on Oct. 29. He then celebrated Halloween by scoring three goals and setting up three others in an 8-3 rout of Detroit, and followed up with a goal and two assists tonight in a 6-3 triumph over Pittsburgh.

Thompson has collected 7-7⁠—14 points in his first 10 outings this season. Drafted 26th overall by St. Louis in 2016 after playing for the U.S. National Under-18 Team, he has recorded 63-54⁠—117 points in 233 career NHL regular-season outings to date. 

Born in Phoenix, Ariz., Thompson skated two seasons (2016, 2017) at UConn before turning pro. In 70 career NCAA appearances with the Huskies, he notched 33-31⁠—64 points.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Michigan State Sweeps LIU at Munn Arena

Michigan State improved to 4-2-0 on the nascent 2022-23 NCAA season with a sweep of visiting LIU over the weekend.

The Spartans outlasted the Sharks, 3-1, on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena, in the first-ever hockey meeting between the two schools. David Gucciardi tallied the game-winning goal early in the second stanza to break a one-all tie, while Dylan St. Cyr finished with 14 saves for the hosts. 

On Saturday evening, MSU scored the first four goals of the contest en route to an 8-4 victory. Karsen Dorwart posted four assists for the Spartans, while Jagger Joshua scored three goals and Tanner Kelly and Daniel Russell set up three goals apiece. Pierce Charleson made 23 stops for the win.

Saturday's result marked the most goals scored by an MSU team since an 8-2 triumph over visiting Princeton on Dec. 1, 2013. That win that also clinched a two-game nonconference series triumph at Munn.

The Spartans returns to Big Ten play on Oct. 28-29, with two games at Notre Dame.

Monday, October 17, 2022

ASU, Lindenwood Record Milestone Victories

It was a tale of two firsts on Friday night in men's college ice hockey.

First, independent Arizona State University christened its brand-new, on-campus, 5,000-seat Mullet Arena with a 2-0 victory over visiting Colgate. Josh Doan, son of retired longtime NHL player Shane Doan, scored the first-ever goal in the new facility, which will also house the NHL's Arizona Coyotes over the next few years. Northeastern transfer TJ Semptimphelter earned the shutout on 30 saves for the host Sun Devils, who played their first seven NCAA Division I seasons out of the 747-seat Oceanside Arena.

That same evening in St. Charles, Mo., some 1,450 miles east, fellow independent Lindenwood University earned its first-ever win as an NCAA Division I program with a 7-6 triumph over visiting Air Force. Ryan Finnegan notched the game-winning goal late in regulation, while Trent Burnham made 39 stops for the Lions, like ASU a former ACHA Division I club power.

Friday, October 14, 2022

Andy Greene Retires as NHL Player

Longtime NHL defenseman Andy Greene (Miami) has called it a career.

Greene, 39, from Trenton, Mich., signed a one-day contract this week with his original team, the New Jersey Devils, before retiring as an active player after 16 full NHL campaigns.

In 1057 NHL regular-season outings with the Devils and New York Islanders, from 2006-07 through 2021-22, Greene scored 52 goals and assisted on 212 others for 264 career points, to go along with 277 penalty minutes. A former Devils captain (2014-2020), the 5-foot-11 Greene added 5-9⁠—14 points and 42 PIM in 90 career Stanley Cup playoff contests. He helped New Jersey to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, and after being traded to New York during the 2019-20 season, helped the Islanders to both the 2020 and 2021 Eastern Conference finals.

A product of his hometown Trenton High School, Greene also played two full years of junior hockey with Compuware (NAHL) in Plymouth, Mich., earning NAHL Defenseman of the Year accolades in 2001-02 while also leading the Ambassadors to the Robertson Cup championship. He then enrolled at Miami (Ohio), where he tallied 27-87—114 points and 256 PIM over four years. He was a two-time All-America selection and a two-time CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman choice, and led the Red Hawks to the 2005-06 CCHA regular season title and two NCAA tournament appearances. He also served as Miami's captain his last two seasons.

An undrafted free agent, Greene signed with the Devils in 2006. He played 52 games with Lowell (AHL), and also skated in the AHL All-Star Game that season, before joining New Jersey for its 2007 playoff run and spending the rest of his career in the NHL. He also suited up for Team USA in the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Denver Wins 2022 IceBreaker

Defending men's Division I national champion Denver is first in the national polls this week after winning the season-opening 2022 IceBreaker Invitational on home ice over the weekend. The Pioneers, who won their record-tying ninth NCAA title in April, defeated Notre Dame, 5-2, and Maine, 3-1, at Magness Arena last Friday and Saturday, respectively..

Transplanted Harvard forward Casey Dornbach scored DU's first and final goals in the win over the Fighting Irish, then assisted on both of Carter Mazur's tallies in the victory over Maine. Magnus Chrona, who backstopped DU to the national title in Boston, stopped 18 shots against UND, while Matt Davis made 24 saves versus Maine. 

It was Denver's first IceBreaker title since it defeated Providence in 1999 in DU's inaugural tournament appearance, also at home. The Pioneers also participated in 2006 and 2016.

DU (2-0-0) hits the road this weekend for a pair of contests at No. 13 UMass, which is coming off a season-opening tie at AIC. 


Tuesday, October 4, 2022

2022-23 NCAA Hockey Season Underway

Just under six months after Denver was crowned the Division I men's national champion in Boston, the 2022-23 NCAA hockey season is underway.

The Pioneers opened the new season on Saturday with a 10-0 exhibition victory at home over UNLV, although things actually got underway on Sept. 23 when Alaska Anchorage returned to action after a two-year hiatus with a 1-0 exhibition loss to visiting Simon Fraser, 6-0. A day later, Alaska (Fairbanks) blanked SFU, 6-0.  

In CCHA play, Bowling Green split a two-game series with Northern Michigan, while Miami posted a win and a tie against Ferris State. In Hockey East, UConn swept Vermont in a pair of contests, while Minnesota-Duluth did the same to Arizona State in non-conference action.

The Division I women's game made its season debut on Sept. 17 when Syracuse topped Union, Quinnipiac edged UConn, and Maine defeated New Brunswick. As of Oct. 3, defending national champion Ohio State (2-0-0) was in first place in the USCHO.com women's poll.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

BC's Gerbe Retires as Pro Player

Nathan Gerbe (Boston College) retired from professional hockey as an active player last week.

The 5-foot-4 forward from Oxford, Mich., believed to be shortest skater in NHL history, led BC to the 2008 NCAA title. He later appeared in 435 career NHL regular-season games with Buffalo, Carolina and Columbus, and tallied a total of 63 goals and 88 assists for 151 points to go with 196 penalty minutes as an NHL player.

Drafted 142nd overall by Buffalo in 2005 from the U.S. National Team Development Program in his native Michigan, Gerbe went on to play three seasons at BC, where he registered 71-62—133 points in 123 appearances as an Eagle, culminating in the 2008 national championship. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Frozen Four in Denver that season, after recording a total of five goals and three assists in wins over North Dakota and Notre Dame to secure BC's first national title in seven years. He also won the Jim Johannson Award as USA Hockey College Player of the Year that season, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award after recording 35 goals and 68 points overall to lead the nation in scoring.

Internationally, Gerbe helped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2004 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, followed by a gold medal in the same event the next year. He also helped the Americans to a bronze medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship.

Gerbe, 35, who missed all of the 2021-22 season following hip surgery a year ago, was also a veteran of 209 AHL regular-season contests with Portland and Cleveland, with whom he posted 67-112-179 points and 223 PIM in 209 outings overall. He also played two seasons in Switzerland (2017, 2018) before retiring, and recently joined Nashville as a development coach.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Ryan Miller Headed to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) is headed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as a member, as was announced last week.

The East Lansing, Mich. native, who retired as an active player at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, also guided the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, before winning the Vezina Trophy later that year as the NHL's best goaltender. He posted a 391-289-88 career record with a 2.64 goals-against average and 44 shutouts in 796 NHL regular-season appearances with Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim from 2002 to 2021. 

Miller, 42, also went 28-27 with a 2.52 GAA and three shutouts in 57 career Stanley Cup playoff outings.

The induction ceremony for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's 50th class will be held Nov. 30, 2022, at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minn. Joining Miller will be U.S. Paralympic goaltender and gold medalist Steve Cash, late USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson (Wisconsin), and Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (North Dakota) and Monique Lamoureux-Morando (North Dakota).

Drafted 138th overall by Buffalo in 1999 after starring in juniors for the Soo Indians (NAHL), with whom he won 52 games over two seasons, the 6-foot-2 Miller went on to play three seasons at Michigan State University (1999-2002). A two-time First Team All-America selection, he went 73-19-12 with a 1.54 GAA in 106 career appearances with the Spartans, and set a then-NCAA record with 26 career shutouts. He also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player in 2001, when he helped MSU to the NCAA Frozen Four that season.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Mark Bavis and Sept. 11 at 21

 Remembering my old friend Mark Bavis (Boston University) on the 21st anniversary of Sept. 11 (9-11) #United175



 

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Canada Wins 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship

Brianne Jenner (Cornell) scored two goals less than two minutes apart in the second period, and Ann-Renee Desbiens (Wisconsin) made 20 saves in all, including several in-close in the final minute of play, to lift Canada to a 2-1 victory over the United States on Sunday in the gold medal game of the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark.

Abby Roque (Wisconsin) tallied the only goal on the afternoon for Team USA in the final period to cut the deficit to one, which was as close as the the U.S. would get. Nicole Hensley (Lindenwood) stopped 17 shots in net for the Americans, who lost for the first time in the tournament. The U.S. had defeated Canada, 5-2, in round-robin play back on Aug. 30.

It is the first time in 18 years that Canada has won back-to-back Women's World Championships. The win also marked the third gold medal won by the Canadians in just over a year's time, with two World Championships and one Olympic title, all backstopped by Desbiens.

Friday, August 26, 2022

Mike Scala (1970-2022)

I worked in sports information at Montclair State (NJ) University from Nov. 2000 to Sept. 2005, after three tours of ice hockey publicity duty in Michigan. My supervisor all five of those years was Michael Scala.

Mike taught me much about many different sports that didn't include a small black rubber puck, including baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, softball and wrestling. I also remember my interview with him in what would be my first office at Montclair State, in a two-story house on Normal Avenue, just off campus. 

I wore a suit. Mike told me I was overdressed. 

I got to know Mike well over the next several years and the myriad fall, winter and spring sports seasons. I was fortunate enough he let me travel to Florida five times during spring break with different Red Hawks teams, four with softball to Orlando/Fort Myers, and once with baseball to Tampa. The only other time I had ever gone on spring break was to Anchorage, Alaska in 1992, and only because I was living 350 miles away in Fairbanks at the time.

I also got to go to San Diego my first year, to the 2001 College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) annual convention, when Mike could have easily gone to California himself. I remember accompanying him on such MSU basketball trips to places like William Paterson University and Manhattanville College, for statistical support, with me usually keeping the written, spiral-bound NCAA scorebook, including player fouls. I also attended Mike's wedding to his wife, Jamie, early on in my tenure at MSU, when I had been at the university just over a year's time. 

Working in NCAA Division III athletics was a bit different than my experience in Division I (Michigan State) or Division II (Alaska Fairbanks), but the statistics are the same, and the student-athletes do truly play for the love of the game, with no scholarships or financial aid or pro career prospects. I didn't work with ice hockey, which is a club sport at MSU, but I met a lot of good people in Red Hawk varsity athletics. Case in point: Mike and Jamie and other MSU athletics staff were good enough to attend my grandmother's wake just one month after 9/11, even though they had only known me for 10 months or so. I can never repay them for that kindness.

Besides MSU, Mike was a big fan of the New York Giants, the New York Mets, and Bruce Springsteen, among other thingsbut he was also a hockey fan, particularly of the New York Rangers. Having interned with the NHL in 1993-94, I bequeathed him a copy of the Rangers media guide from that season, in which they won their first Stanley Cup crown in 54 seasons (and their last one to date). One night he even told me that I wouldn't be working an outside, non-MSU basketball game scheduled at MSU's Panzer Gym, because he knew I had New Jersey Devils tickets that evening. I also worked with Mike the sole season of the original XFL in 2001, writing back-up stats for the NY/NJ Hitmen at the now-demolished Giants Stadium.

I left MSU in 2005, wanting to move on from sports information after almost 14 years, and went on to become a journalist. Mike thanked me for my loyalty, and also helped me in my job search as a reference. He remained at MSU, his alma mater, although he also worked for Monmouth University, the New Jersey Athletic Conference, the Pinstripe Bowl, the New York Jets, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in his storied career, while also helping the MAAC to land the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Frozen Four in Buffalo. He went on to earn a host of sports information and athletics awards for his ability and longevity, but he just really enjoyed what he did, whether it was scoring games, updating the website, designing yearbooks, and so much more, especially caring for MSU's many, many student-athletes and coaches. 

I saw him sporadically over the years that followed, mostly at MSU, and even once at Nutley High School's graduation ceremony. The last time I remember seeing him was at Kean University in 2018, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the year before he was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. He was most definitely a good man, and I figured I'd see Mike at another game again somewhere down the road, after the world more or less got back to normal.

On Thursday, I visited MSU for the last-ever New Jersey Jackals minor-league baseball game at Yogi Berra Stadium, a place where Mike had overseen hundreds of Red Hawk baseball games. I also passed by the Burger King in Cedar Grove where Mike took me for lunch on my first day at MSU, over 20 years ago.

Mike was just 51 years old when his three-year battle with colon cancer ended early this morning. He would have turned 52 in September. He is survived by his wife, Jamie, and their three children, Jenna, Michael and Joelle. I hope people will keep them all in their prayers. Donations to the family can be made at https://bit.ly/3pM2rsi.

Today I tuned the radio to Q104.3 FM just as Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" began to play. I remember how Mike and I would joke about that song in the press box at MSU's Sprague Field, as one of the Red Hawk teams back then used it for their warm-ups. We used to recite the speech made by the villainous Clubber Lang in the film "Rocky III", when he told trainer Mickey Goldmill that he demanded a shot at world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Balboa ("I want Balboa!"). Those few minutes of music brought back a lot of good memories.

Rest in peace, my friend, and Go Red Hawks.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Faceoff on the Lake Coming Feb. 2023

College hockey will head outdoors again early next year, with a Big Ten battle at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the NFL's Browns, on Lake Erie.

The University of Michigan will face rival Ohio State University on Feb. 18 in the “Faceoff on the Lake.” It will be the ninth time Michigan will have played outdoors since the inaugural NCAA outdoor contest, the Cold War, on Oct. 6, 2001 at Michigan State University. Ohio State will be appearing outdoors for the fourth time in program history, according to collegehockeyinc.com. A list of all NCAA Division I men's hockey outdoor games to date in the modern era, 40 in all since 2001, can be found here.

It will be the second time the Wolverines and Buckeyes have faced off outdoors, both times in Cleveland. U-M defeated OSU by a 4-1 count on Jan. 15. 2012, before 25,864 on-lookers at the Frozen Diamond Faceoff at Progressive Field, home of the MLB's Guardians. 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Canada Wins 2022 WJC Title in OT

Kent Johnson (Michigan) got the golden goal for Canada. 

Johnson, 19, an assistant captain for Canada, put home own rebound just over three minutes into 3-on-3 play in overtime to lift Canada to a 3-2 victory and the gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place in Edmonton. 

Johnson's game-winning goal came shortly after Finland had nearly scored the winner at the other end, but the puck was knocked out of the air and away from the Canadian goal line. Finland had to settle for the silver medal, its first in WJC play since 2001, after last winning gold in 2019. Sweden defeated Czechia, 3-1, earlier in the day to win the bronze medal.

Finland outshot Canada, 30-29, on the evening. It also weathered six Canadian power plays, including five in a row at one point, and scored two third-period goals to tie the contest after trailing, 2-0, after 40 minutes of regulation. 

It was Canada's second WJC title in three years, after it fell to the U.S. in the 2021 gold-medal game, which was also held in Edmonton. Canada added to its record haul with its 19th WJC title overall since the tournament officially began in 1977.

Johnson finished the WJC, which had been postponed and rescheduled from December due to COVID/Omicron concerns, with three goals and six assists for nine points in seven games, while leading all WJC participants with 43 shots on goal. He turned pro earlier this year after completing his second and final season at Michigan, where he helped the Wolverines to the 2022 Big Ten tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Frozen Four. In two seasons in Ann Arbor, he tallied 17-47—64 points, then recorded three assists in his first nine NHL games this spring with Columbus, which drafted him fifth overall in 2021.

Next year's WJC will again be held in Canada, in Halifax and Moncton, starting in late December before carrying over into January.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

U.S. Eliminated at 2022 World Juniors

The United States will not repeat as IIHF World Junior champions. 

Following four wins in four preliminary group-play games, Team USA fell to the Czech Republic (Czechia), 4-2, in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday night in Edmonton, and was eliminated from medal contention.

Logan Cooley (Minnesota) and Carter Mazur (Denver) scored for the Americans, but three Czech goals in-between which spanned the first and second period proved to be the difference. The U.S. also had to kill off two five-minute power plays in the third period, while trailing by two goals at the time. 

Czechia finally iced the contest on an empty-net tally with 32 seconds remaining in regulation, after U.S. goaltender Kaidan Mbereko (Colorado College) had been pulled for an extra attacker. Mbereko finished with 20 saves on the night.

Team USA, which had outscored its opposition by a 22-4 margin through its first four games, was seeking to win consecutive WJC gold medals for the first time ever, having claimed gold in 2021 in Edmonton. The Czechs will now play host Canada, a 6-1 winner over Switzerland last night, in the semifinals.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Doug Ross (1951-2022)

Longtime University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey head coach Doug Ross (Bowling Green) passed away today at the age of 70.

Ross mentored UAH from 1985 when it was a club program, until his retirement in 2007, after starting his career at Ohio University and then Kent State University. He coached the Chargers to four NCAA Division II tournament berths and two national titles at that level, along with an NCAA Division I tournament appearance in his final year after UAH won the College Hockey America postseason tournament. He also oversaw eight Chargers teams in all that won 20 or more games in a single season, and finished with a personal overall record of 376-255-42 (.590) at UAH. 

As a player, Ross skated for three years at BGSU at forward, after one season at the NAIA level with Lake Superior State. A Detroit native, he posted two 30-goal campaigns with the Falcons, while helping them to the CCHA playoff tournament crown in 1973. He earned First Team All-CCHA status in 1974-75 after notching 34 goals and 29 assists for 63 points, and finished his career at BGSU with 65-64⁠—129 points in just 74 games in all.

Ross then skated for the 1975-76 U.S. National Team. He recorded 10-23⁠—33 points in 34 outings on the pre-Olympic tour, before adding a goal and two assists in six games at the XII Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria as Team USA finished in fifth place. He was later inducted into the UAH Athletic Hall of Fame is 2020 as part of its inaugural class.

UAH Hockey has been on hiatus since the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, awaiting acceptance into a conference. The program played as an independent from 1985 to 1999, and again from 2010 to 2013. The Chargers went 3-18-1 in their final campaign, as part of the now-dissolved men's component of the WCHA.

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Team USA Wins First Two at Rescheduled World Juniors

The United States National Junior Team is off to a solid start at the revamped 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. Team USA defeated Germany, 5-1, in its opening game, and then pasted Switzerland, 7-1, in its next outing.

Luke Hughes (Michigan) leads all defensemen in the tournament, and is fifth overall among all skaters so far, with five points through two games, on a goal and four assists. Mbereko Kaidan (Colorado College) is 2-0-0 in net for the Americans, with a 1.00 goals-against average and .943 save percentage to date. 

This month's tournament (Aug. 9-20) replaces the original event that was canceled shortly after it began in December, due to COVID-19/Omicron variant concerns. The U.S. won the last World Junior championship that was played to completion in 2020, which was also held in Canada.

The U.S. will now face Switzerland in in its next contest today (2 p.m. ET, NHL Network), before meeting Sweden on Sunday night to close out the preliminary round.

ADDENDUM: After routing the Swiss by a 7-1 count, Team USA held on to defeat Sweden, 3-2, to finish with a 4-0-0 record in group play. Matthew Coronato (Harvard) scored two goals, including the game-winner, for the Americans, who will now face Czechia in a quarterfinal contest on Aug. 17.

Friday, August 5, 2022

Mel Pearson Out as Head Coach at Michigan

The axe has finally fallen in Ann Arbor. Mel Pearson has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the University of Michigan men's ice hockey program.

Pearson, 63, a former Michigan assistant coach who has helmed the Wolverines since 2017, had been working without a contract since his original five-year deal expired earlier this year. He led Michigan to a 31-10-1 overall record last season, including a Big Ten postseason tournament title, plus a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in Boston where the Wolverines fell in overtime to eventual national champion Denver in the semifinals. That led to an exodus of underclassmen with NCAA eligibility remaining, led by 2021 first overall NHL draft choice Owen Power.

U-M athletic director Warde Manuel announced Pearson's dismissal on Friday, although he had said prior to the expiration of Pearson's contract in early May that the latter was still the head coach, and according to the Detroit Free Press that, as of June, he expected Pearson to remain in that role. U-M's Board of Regents thought otherwise, though, as it voted 8-0 for Pearson's expulsion as head coach, according to Michigan insider John Bacon. Interim university president Mary Sue Coleman apparently agreed with the board, and perhaps those two entities put Manuel in a situation where he had to show Pearson the proverbial door, or else follow him out it.

Also from Bacon: “The investigators make clear their belief that Pearson lied to them repeatedly on serious issues – in one case denying an important conversation took place, until confronted with the tape recording of that conversation.”

According to a 68-page third-party report conducted by the Washington, D.C. legal firm of WilmerHale that had apparently been completed months ago, but not released until recently following various media leaks, there was toxicity in the culture of the Michigan hockey program.

Former Michigan staffer Rick Bancroft, who suddenly retired in June, had been accused of harassing numerous female employees at Michigan, and Pearson apparently took no action to remedy the situation. Pearson himself was also reported to have verbally berated at least one female member of Michigan's athletic staff during his tenure as head coach.

Pearson was also found to have instructed his players to lie on COVID-19 forms prior to the 2021 NCAA tournament, which Michigan ultimately pulled out of playing in.

Pearson may have also played a role in the ouster of former Michigan goaltender Steve Shields, who had been serving as volunteer goaltending coach/director of player development with the Wolverines, before he was fired last year. It is believed that Shields was the one who originally filed a complaint against Pearson regarding how the hockey program was being conducted.

Starting goaltender/team captain Strauss Mann left Michigan before his senior year in 2021-22 due to friction with Pearson over the team’s culture, coupled with a fear of possible retaliation by Pearson that could have impacted Mann’s professional playing prospects. Mann, who played for the U.S. in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, is now under contract to the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, after playing the majority of last season in Sweden.

Pearson, from Vancouver, B.C., played collegiately at Michigan Tech before becoming an assistant there from 1982 to 1988. He then spent the next 23 years at U-M with the legendary Gordon "Red" Berenson, and helped Michigan to NCAA titles in 1996 and 1998 as an assistant before serving as associate head coach with the Wolverines from 1999 to 2011. He finished 99-65-16 in five years in charge of U-M, following six seasons as the head coach at Michigan Tech. His career record as a college head coach stands at 217-157-45 to date over 11 NCAA campaigns, and includes six NCAA tournament berths.

ADDENDUM: Michigan has named former Wolverines player Brandon Naurato as interim head coach. He rejoined his alma mater last season as an assistant coach, after working for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

BU's Quinn Takes Over in San Jose

David Quinn (Boston University) is back behind an NHL bench.

Quinn, 55, who previously led the New York Rangers from 2018 to 2021 in his first-ever stint as an NHL head coach, was handed the reins to the San Jose Sharks earlier this week. The Cranston, R.I. native spent last season coaching Team USA at both the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, and the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland.

Quinn finished with a record of 96-87-25 in 208 NHL regular-season games with the Rangers, leading them to one Stanley Cup Playoff appearance. He was relieved of his coaching duties in Manhattan following the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, after guiding the Rangers to a 27-23-6 mark that year.

Quinn served as a college assistant at Northeastern and Nebraska-Omaha to start his coaching career, and then spent five years as an associate at BU, helping the Terriers to the 2009 NCAA title in his final year there. He then coached Lake Erie (AHL) for three seasons, and spent one season as an assistant with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, before taking the top job at his alma mater in 2013. 

In five seasons at the BU helm, Quinn guided the Terriers to a 105-68-21 overall record, including four NCAA Tournament berths, two Hockey East Association regular-season titles, two HEA tournament crowns, and one Beanpot Tournament title, plus the 2015 NCAA Championship Game in Boston. He remained at BU until signing on with the Rangers in 2018.

A product of the Kent School in Connecticut, where he served as varsity team captain both of his years there, Quinn was a first-round draft choice of the NHL's old Minnesota North Stars in 1984, as a defenseman. He then skated three seasons for BU (1984-1987), while battling a blood disorder known as Christmas Disease that cut his college career short. Later, with medication, he went on to play two years professionally, one each with Binghamton (AHL) and Cleveland (IHL), before joining the coaching ranks in 1993-94 at NU.

The Sharks, who made the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, have missed the NHL playoffs the past three seasons. They finished 32-37-13 overall in 2021-22, and were 20 points out of a potential playoff slot.

Friday, July 15, 2022

BC's Gaudreau Leaves Calgary for Columbus

The NHL free agency period has begun—and the Columbus Blue Jackets have already landed the largest prize.

After eight full seasons with the Calgary Flames, who drafted him 104th overall in 2011, left wing Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) has left Alberta for Ohio, after signing a seven-year, $68.2 million deal with the Blue Jackets.

Gaudreau, 28, who turned pro in 2014 after three years at BC, has tallied 210 goals and 399 assists for 609 points in 602 NHL regular-season appearances, all with Calgary. He notched 40-75—l15 points in 82 outings in 2021-22, setting new career highs in each category as he finished second in the league in total points, and in addition led all NHL players with a plus-64 plus-minus rating. He has also recorded 11-22—33 points in 42 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, including 3-11—l4 points in 12 games this spring in leading the Flames to the second round. The 2016 Lady Byng Trophy winner as the NHL's most gentlemanly player that season, he also scored the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars in the first round this year, Calgary's first true playoff series win since 2015.

Gaudreau, from Salem, N.J., joined BC after registering 36 goals and 71 points in 60 games with Dubuque (USHL) in 2010-11. Originally committed to Northeastern University, he switched to BC and registered 78-97—l75 points in three seasons with the Eagles, and won a national championship with them as a freshman in 2012. He recorded 36-44—80 points as a junior in 2013-14, winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award that season as the NCAA's top player while also helping BC to the Frozen Four in Philadelphia before turning pro shortly afterwards with Calgary.

Gaudreau has also suited up for the United States in several international competitions, helping the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2013 World Junior Championship, and to bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He also won silver at the 2012 Under-18 Championship.

A full updated list of 2022 NHL free agent signings is available here.

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Michigan State's Keith Retires after 17 NHL Seasons

Former NCAA defenseman Duncan Keith (Michigan State) has hung up his professional skates for good. The Winnipeg native, who skated 17 seasons in the NHL and won three Stanley Cups, has called it a playing career after 1,256 regular-season contests and 151 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

Keith, 38, played 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, before spending the 2021-22 campaign with Edmonton, where he helped the Oilers to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2006. He finished with 106 goals and 540 assists for 646 points in NHL regular-season competition, while adding 19-72⁠—91 points in postseason play. 

Keith was a member of Chicago's Stanley Cup championship teams in 2010, 2013, and 2015, and was also the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in 2015 after recording three goals and 21 points in 23 playoff games that spring. He also served as an assistant captain from 2007 to 2021 for the Blackhawks, who prior to 2010 had not won the Cup since 1961.

After playing two years of junior hockey with Penticton (BCHL), Keith skated in 56 games over two years with Michigan State, including the outdoor Cold War contest in fall 2001 at Spartan Stadium. He had six goals and 24 points in his short time with the Spartans, before joining Kelowna (WHL) for the remainder of the 2002-03 campaign, where he tallied 11-35⁠—46 points in 37 outings while also helping the Rockets to a Memorial Cup berth. 

Drafted 54th overall by Chicago after his freshman year at MSU, he spent two seasons with Norfolk (AHL), registering 16-35⁠—51 points in all in regular-season action. He then moved up to the NHL for good in 2005-06.

A two-time winner of the Norris Trophy (2010, 2014) as the NHL's best defenseman, Keith also represented his native Canada several times in international competition, twice at the World Championships and twice at the Olympic Winter Games. He was also a member of Canada's Olympic gold medal squads in both 2010 and 2014.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Several NCAA-Bound Skaters Selected in 2022 NHL First Round

The European-dominated first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal on Thursday night didn't feature very many NCAA-bound players. 

The ones who were selected were a half-dozen forwards who all came from the U.S. National Team Development program in Michigan, long a feeder to both the NCAA and the NHL. All six of those skaters are committed to NCAA Division I schools for the upcoming 2022-23 season. 

Logan Cooley was taken third overall by the Arizona Coyotes, after tallying 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points for the USNTDP during the 2021-22 season. He's headed to the University of Minnesota as a freshman this fall.

Cutter Gauthier (34-31⁠—65 pts.) went fifth overall to the Philadelphia Flyers and is committed to Boston College, while Frank Nazar (28-42⁠—70 pts.) was taken 13th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and will skate for the University of Michigan.

Also committed to Michigan starting next season is Rutger McGroarty (35-34⁠—69 pts.), who was selected one slot after Nazar, and went to the Winnipeg Jets. Jimmy Snuggerud (24-39⁠—63 pts.) was tabbed 23rd overall by the St. Louis Blues and is off to Minnesota, while Minnesota-Duluth commit Isaac Howard (33-49⁠—82 pts.) was chosen 31st overall by the three-time Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Also selected on Friday at 25th overall by Chicago was defenseman Sam Rinzel, who played last season with Waterloo (USHL) and Chaska (Minn.) High School. He is committed to Minnesota, but not until the 2023-24 season, according to eliteprospects.com.

Rounds Two through Seven of this year's draft will be televised today, beginning at 11 a.m. ET (NHL Network).

ADDENDUM: The full slate of all 225 selections from this year's entry draft can be found here.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

Former NCAA Players Moving up NHL Ranks

Former NCAA players are moving up the NHL ranks in coaching and management.

Jim Montgomery (Maine), who led Maine to the 1993 national title as a forward and Denver to the 2017 NCAA crown as head coach, is the new bench boss of the Boston Bruins. He was serving as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues, after previously leading the Dallas Stars.

The Detroit Red Wings hired first-time NHL head coach Derek Lalonde (SUNY Cortland), who was most recently an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom he helped to three consecutive Eastern Conference titles along with back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He previously coached in college at Ferris State and Denver as an assistant, and as head coach with Green Bay (USHL), Toledo (ECHL) and Iowa (AHL).

Brian Wiseman (Michigan), who served as first a player and then an assistant coach at his alma mater, has joined the New York Islanders as an assistant, after three seasons in the same capacity with the Edmonton Oilers. He started his coaching career with one season as an assistant at Princeton.

Lastly, Mike Grier (Boston University), a member of the Terriers 1995 NCAA title team at forward, and a former New Jersey Devils assistant coach, has been named general manager of the San Jose Sharks, the first black GM in NHL history.

Monday, July 4, 2022

Tom Campbell 1948-2022

 

Last week saw the passing of Tom Campbell, the longtime manager of Munn Ice Arena at Michigan State University. He was a genuinely good man who was always happy to see you, and who always had a smile and a kind word.

I first met Tommy in 1994, when I played in the adult Sunday night league at Munn my first year at MSU. I used to line up against him at wing sometimes, his team usually getting the better of mine by a large margin. He was smiling then, too, as he said hello.

I recall how he was supposed to accompany Spartan Hockey to the College Hockey Showcase at the now-demolished St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota in Nov. 1994, but had to remain in East Lansing to take care of a problem that developed with the ice at Munn. It was his baby, and there was no one better to handle it.

I saw Tom intermittently after I moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. in 1996, usually while attending games at MSU in my spare time. I saw him only once more (at Munn, of course) after leaving Michigan for good in 2000, when I last visited in 2007, and got to talk with him in his office, which blended invisibly into the walls on the main concourse at Munn. He told me the Sunday night league was unfortunately a thing of the past, but it was just good to see him again.

Tom was not only the caretaker of Munn, which has ice for all but one month a year, but he was the first player from the Greater Lansing Amateur Hockey Association to suit up for the Spartans, in the late 1960s under legendary head coach Amo Bessone. He later took over the management of Munn in 1985, after spending time working at the now-defunct Lansing Ice Arena and the MSU Physical Plant. He also played a large part in events such as the Cold War at Spartan Stadium in 2001, which launched the ongoing wave of outdoor hockey games in the 21st century. 

My condolences to his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Grace, on his passing. He will definitely be missed.

Rest in peace, Tommy, and say hi to Jerry Marshall and Coach Mason for us up there. Go Green. 

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Atlantic Hockey Altering Postseason Format

The Atlantic Hockey Association, one of the the six NCAA Division I men's hockey conferences, has shifted its postseason tournament fully to on-campus sites beginning with the 2022-23 season. 

The first round will be best-of-three series, starting with the top eight teams, followed by best-of-three semifinals with the four remaining schools. The single-game championship contest will then be held in mid-March at the host of the highest-remaining seed, similar to what the revamped WCHA did before its demise last year.

Atlantic Hockey, which began play in 2003 after six seasons as the hockey arm of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), had previously held its championship game at such neutral sites as West Point, Rochester, Buffalo and Utica in New York. It has also been held in Hamden, Conn, along with Worcester and Springfield, Mass.

Atlantic Hockey's current roster consists of Air Force, American International, Army West Point, Bentley, Canisius, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Niagara, RIT, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart. Robert Morris will not resume on-ice play until the 2023-24 campaign, after the program was dropped and then subsequently brought back, along with its women's program, which competes in College Hockey America. 

AIC has won the last three AHA postseason titles, earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in the process each time. The 2020 AHA tournament was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19.

Monday, June 27, 2022

Colorado Avalanche Claims 2022 Stanley Cup

The Colorado Avalanche are the 2022 Stanley Cup champions. 

The visiting Avalanche overcame an early one-goal deficit to defeat the two-time defending NHL champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Colorado won the best-of-seven series in six games.

It was the first time the Avalanche had won the Cup since 2001, when current general manager Joe Sakic was team captain. Colorado won its first Cup in 1996, less than a year after relocating from Quebec, when the Avs swept the Florida Panthers in four games, winning the decisive contest in triple overtime in Miami. 

Colorado's NCAA contingent this spring included Jack Johnson (Michigan), Erik Johnson (Minnesota), Devon Toews (Quinnipiac), Cale Makar (UMass), Andrew Cogliano (Michigan), Alex Newhook (Boston College), J.T. Compher (Michigan), and Nico Sturm (Clarkson). 

Makar, who had earlier won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, was also honored Sunday night with the Conn Smythe Trophy, as NHL playoff MVP, after recording eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 20 games. He had three goals and four assists in the Final.


Sunday, June 26, 2022

Chicago Wolves Win AHL's 2022 Calder Cup

Alex Lyon (Yale) stopped all 28 shots he faced, and Andrew Poturalski (New Hampshire) again contributed a goal and an assist as the Chicago Wolves clinched the 2022 Calder Cup as American Hockey League champions. 

Jack Drury (Harvard) had two assists in Chicago's 4-0 win at Springfield on Saturday evening, while David Gust (Ohio State) scored a goal for the visiting Wolves. Charlie Lindgren (St. Cloud State) stopped 26 of 29 shots in defeat for the Eastern Conference champion Thunderbirds.

Chicago rebounded from an opening-game loss in the final with four straight victories, including three in Massachusetts, to win the best-of-seven series, four games to one. It was the first Calder Cup awarded since 2019, with the AHL's postseason competition canceled the past two seasons due to COVID-19. 

Drury finished third among all Calder Cup Playoff scorers this spring with 24 points, on nine goals and 15 assists, while Poturalski was right behind him with 8-15—23 points. Lyon finished 9-3-0 in net with a 2.03 goals-against average and two shutouts in 12 playoff appearances.

It is the third Calder Cup in Wolves' history, with the previous ones coming in 2002 and 2008. Chicago, which began play in 1994 as a member of the now-defunct International Hockey League, also won the Turner Cup as IHL champs in both 1998 and 2000.

Makar, Connor Win NHL Awards

Two former NCAA players were honored earlier this month with season-ending National Hockey League individual awards for the 2021-22 campaign.

Cale Makar (UMass) of the Colorado Avalanche won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman. He tallied 28 goals and 58 assists for 86 points in 77 outings with the Avs, and also registered a plus-48 in plus/minus rating.

Kyle Connor (Michigan) of the Winnipeg Jets claimed the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded for gentlemanly play. He posted 47-46⁠—93 points in 79 appearances with the Jets, while recording just four penalty minutes on the season.

Maker and the Avalanche will try again to close out the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight (8 p.m. ET, ABC, CBC) in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Colorado leads the series, three games to two.