Hockey Halloween 2023

 

Adam Johnson 1994-2023

 

BC Tops MSU Among Several NCAA Hockey Sweeps

It was a weekend of several two-step sweeps in NCAA Division I men's hockey.

Third-ranked Boston College broomed visiting No. 8 Michigan State by 6-4 and 5-1 scores, in the first meetings between the two storied programs since 2015. Cutter Gauthier led BC with three goals over the two games, including the game-winning power-play goal in the second contest, while Karsen Dorwart notched three goals in two games for MSU. Jacob Fowler earned both wins in goal for the Eagles, stopping 65 of 70 shots overall.

No. 14 Wisconsin stunned top-ranked Minnesota in Big Ten play, winning by 5-2 and 3-2 counts in Minneapolis. Mathieu De St. Phalle tallied two goals and an assist for the Badgers in the opener, while Ben Dexheimer set up two goals. Simon Tassy then scored two goals in the finale for Wisconsin, including the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, while Kyle McClellan picked up the win on 29 saves. In CCHA action, Bemidji State swept visiting St. Thomas, 3-2 and 2-0, in Minnesota as Lleyton Roed had three goals for the Beavers, including the game-winner both nights, and both goals in the second game.

In other non-conference action besides BC/MSU, Notre Dame swept Mercyhurst, 4-3 (OT) and 5-0, in South Bend, Ind. Landon Slaggert scored twice for the Fighting Irish in the opener, including the game-winner in overtime, before adding another pair of goals in the rematch. Owen Say made 50 stops in each game for the visiting Lakers. 

Michigan routed visiting Lindenwood, 9-1 and 10-1, as Gavin Brindley led the way with three goals and three assists, and Dylan Duke scored one goal and set up four others for the Wolverines. Cornell upended visiting Minnesota-Duluth, 4-1 and 3-0, as Ian Shane stopped 35 of 26 shots overall for the Big Red, who also got two goals from Kyle Penney and three points (1g-2a) from Dalton Bancroft.

Pinto Suspended by NHL for Gambling

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto (North Dakota) has been suspended for 41 games by the National Hockey League for violating the NHL's gambling policy. The suspension will be retroactive to the start of the 2023-24 season, although Pinto had yet to play this year prior to the suspension, as he is a restricted free agent. He was not believed to have gambled on any NHL games. 

Pinto, 22, had a career year in 2022-23 with the Senators, who drafted him 32nd overall in 2019 out of Tri-City (USHL). He posted NHL career highs of 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 points last season to go with 18 penalty minutes, while playing in all 82 regular-season games. In 99 career NHL outings, all with Ottawa, he has collected 21-22—43 points and 30 PIM.

A 6-foot-2 center from Franklin Square, N.Y., Pinto starred for UND for two collegiate campaigns, before turning pro just after the end of the 2020-21 season. In 61 career NCAA outings with the Fighting Hawks, Pinto notched 31-29—60 points to go with 50 PIM. He also helped UND to two National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular-season titles and one NCHC postseason crown, along with two NCAA tournament berths (the first one negated by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020).

Should he come to contract terms with the Senators, Pinto will be eligible to make his 2023-24 season debut on Jan. 21 versus the Philadelphia Flyers, according to sportsnet.ca.

Viccisitudes of NCAA's Top 10 Teams

Most of the top-rated teams in men's Division I college hockey experienced highs and lows over the weekend.

Top-ranked Minnesota split a two-game series at No. 5 North Dakota, while No. 4 Quinnipiac, the defending NCAA champion, did likewise at New Hampshire. No. 2 Denver fell at Providence on Friday before edging No. 3 Boston College, which had beaten Rensselaer the previous night, on Saturday. 

No. 6 Boston University split at Notre Dame, and No. 7 Michigan defeated and tied visiting No. 13 Ohio State. No. 8 Michigan State swept visiting Canisius, while Western Michigan doubled up Bowling Green in a home-and-home series, and No. 10 Providence finished up its home victory over Denver with another over Rensselaer.

Scout Truman (UMass Lowell) and Chad Hillebrand (Western Michigan) led all scorers over the weekend, with six points on six assists apiece, while 6-foot-7 netminder Michael Hrabel (UMass) went 2-0-0 with a .952 save percentage and a shutout in the host Minutemen's two-step sweep of No. 19 Minnesota State.

Minnesota is No. 1 in this week's USCHO.com poll, followed in order by Denver, BC, North Dakota, Quinnipiac, Michigan, Providence, Michigan State, BU and WMU. Rutger McGroarty (Michigan) leads all Division I scorers with 11 points in six games, while Kyle McClellan (Wisconsin) has fashioned a 5-1-0 record in net to go with a .935 save percentage.

USCHO.com Division I Poll - Oct. 16, 2023

The latest USCHO. com poll for NCAA Division I men's ice hockey was released today, with Minnesota taking over the top spot following a two-step sweep of St. Thomas:

Rank Team (1st Place Votes) Record

1 Minnesota (33) 2-0-0

2 Denver (10) 2-0-0

3 Boston College (4) 2-0-0

4 Quinnipiac (2) 2-1-0

5 North Dakota 2-0-0

6 Boston University (1) 1-1-0

7 Michigan 2-2-0

8 Michigan State 3-1-0

9 Western Michigan 1-0-1

10 Providence 2-1-0

11 Cornell 0-0-0

12 Penn State 3-0-0

13 Ohio State 2-0-1

14 Minnesota Duluth 1-0-2

15 Harvard 0-0-0

16 Northeastern 2-0-0

17 Michigan Tech 0-1-2

18 Arizona State 2-0-0

19 Minnesota State 2-0-0

20 St. Cloud 1-3-0

2023-24 NCAA Hockey Season Underway

The 2023-24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season got underway for the real this past weekend. Some of the highlights:

• Michigan State christened Ron Mason Rink at Munn Ice Arena with 5-2 and 4-2 victories over Lake Superior State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively

• Boston College spoiled the raising of Quinnipiac's 2023 national championship banner with a 2-1 OT victory on Saturday

• Third-year NCAA Division I program St. Thomas stunned St. Cloud State, 5-4, in overtime on Saturday before falling, 1-0, on Sunday

• Boston University outlasted host Bentley, 3-2, in OT on Saturday

• Providence split at host Michigan, winning by a 4-2 count on Saturday before U-M rebounded for a 5-4 win on Sunday

• Visiting Denver, the 2022 NCAA champion, swept Alaska (Fairbanks) by 7-3 and 5-2 scores

Six months until the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

Wisconsin's Stepan Calls it a Career

Longtime NHL center Derek Stepan (Wisconsin) has retired from professional hockey after 13 seasons.

Stepan, 33, recorded 182 goals and 333 assists for 515 points to go with 216 penalty minutes in 890 career NHL regular-season games with the New York Rangers, Arizona, Ottawa and Carolina. He also collected 20-35—55 points and 32 PIM in 120 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and earned an Eastern Conference title in 2014 with the Rangers, who drafted him 51th overall in 2008 out of Shattuck-Saint Mary's. Last season he helped Carolina to the Eastern Conference final after notching 5-6—11 points in 73 regular-season outings, before adding one assist in 11 playoff appearances in his final action.

Stepan, from Hastings, Minn., skated two collegiate seasons at Wisconsin, registering 21-66—87 points and 14 PIM in 81 outings. He turned pro shortly after helping the Badgers to the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four title game in Detroit, and played all of his pro hockey at the NHL level save for 12 games with KalPa Kuopio (Finland) in 2012-13.

Stepan also represented the U.S. at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal. He also skated for Team USA at the 2011 World Championship, the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.