Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) officially called it a career earlier this week. Pavelski, 40, has retired following a successful 18-year NHL playing career.
In 1,332 NHL regular-season appearances with San Jose and Dallas, Pavelski tallied 476 goals and 592 assists for 1,068 points. He also added 74-69—143 points in 201 Stanley Cup Playoff outings, establishing a postseason record for the most career goals scored by an American, and skated in both the 2016 and 2020 Stanley Cup finals.
A 6-foot-1, 196-pound center from Plover, Wis., Pavelski was drafted in the 7th round (205th overall) by San Jose in 2004 following a 36-goal season with Waterloo (USHL). After one more year in juniors, he played two seasons with Wisconsin, recording 39-62—101 points overall in 84 contests while leading the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA title. In international play, he played in two Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal with the United States in 2010 one year after skating in the World Championship, and he also captained Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The Princeton University men's hockey team released its 2024-25 schedule earlier this week. The Tigers are entering their first year under new head coach Ben Syer, after finishing 10-16-4 overall last year, and in ninth place in ECAC hockey with an 8-11-3 regular-season mark.
Two All-America selections and one national champion have moved on from college hockey after just one season apiece, surrendering their remaining NCAA eligibility in doing so.
Macklin Celebrini (Boston University), who claimed the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and was also an AHCA First Team All-America choice as a 17-year-old, has signed with the San Jose Sharks, who chose him first overall at last month's NHL Draft in Las Vegas after he turned 18. A native of Vancouver, Celebrini tallied 32 goals and 30 assists for 62 points last season to lead BU in scoring, while also earning Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Hockey East Player of the Year accolades. The six-foot, 190-pound center also helped BU to the Beanpot Tournament title game, the Hockey East championship game, and the NCAA Frozen Four while personally earning Hockey East First Team All-Star, Hockey East All-Rookie Team, and national rookie of the year recognition, among other tributes.
Artyom Levshunov (Michigan State) also decided to sign with an NHL club following being drafted last month, when he went second overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. A 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenseman from Zhlobin, Belarus, Levshunov recorded 9-26—35 points in 38 outings last season in helping MSU to its first Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, along with the Spartans' first NCAA tournament victory since 2008. He also earned AHCA Second Team All-America status, along with All-Big Ten First Team, All-Big Ten Freshman Team, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
Leaving for the NHL after winning this year's national title was Miko Matikka (Denver), who signed with the Utah Hockey Club that drafted him 67th overall in 2022 when the organization was still based in Arizona. A native of Helsinki, Finland, he registered 20-13—33 points in 43 appearances in helping DU to a record 10th NCAA championship. A 6-foot-3, 201-pound right wing, Matikka, 20, was a unanimous selection to the NCHC All-Rookie Team, and was also a four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week.
All three players signed standard three-year entry-level contracts with their respective NHL clubs, and all three also participated recently in development camps with those organizations.
The first female assistant coach in NHL history is an NCAA graduate.
Jessica Campbell (Cornell), who spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds, was elevated this week to the same position with the parent club Seattle Kraken. In both her campaigns with the Firebirds, she helped them to two Western Conference titles and two Calder Cup Final appearances.
Campbell, 32, from Moosomin, Sask., began her coaching career in 2017-18 as an assistant with Pursuit of Excellence for two seasons, then moved on to Okanagan HA 1U18 Prep for one year. She also served as assistant with Malmo (Sweden), where she had completed her playing career in 2019-20, and then served with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers (Germany) and with Team Germany in 2021-22 before joining Coachella Valley.
A product of the Melville Prairie Fire organization, Campbell played forward at Cornell from 2010 to 2014, collecting 46 goals and 54 assist for 100 points in 131 NCAA games while helping the Big Red to six combined ECAC Hockey titles and four NCAA tournament berths, including two NCAA Frozen Fours. She then played three years professionally for the Calgary Inferno, notching 29-21—50 points in 63 outings.
Last month also saw two former NCAA women's forwards and college teammates named to the Hockey Hall of Fame, in Natalie Darwitz (Minnesota) and Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Minnesota). Both will be formally inducted in Toronto this November with the rest of the Class of 2024.
Darwitz, 40, from Eagan, Minn., scored 316 goals over four years playing for Eagan High School. At the University of Minnesota, she registered 102-144—246 points in three years, while also starring with the U.S Women's National Team, garnering five IIHF Women's World Championship silver medals, three Worlds gold medals, two Olympic silver medals and an Olympic bronze medal. She went on to work as an assistant college coach at her alma mater in two separate stints, sandwiched around a six-season tenure as head coach at Hamline University, and last year served as general manager with PWHL champion Minnesota.
Wendell-Pohl, 42, from Brooklyn Park, Minn., spent her women's scholastic career scoring 229 goals in 60 games over two years at Park Center High School. She then moved on to Minnesota, where in three seasons with the Golden Gophers she tallied 106-131—237 points while also serving as captain her junior year. Her trophy case with Team USA includes five IIHF World Championship silver medals, a Worlds gold medal, an Olympic silver medal and an Olympic bronze medal. Since 2021, she has served as an amateur scout with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both Darwitz and Wendell-Pohl played at Minnesota from 2002 to 2005. In that span they helped the Golden Gophers to three NCAA tournament appearances, the first two national championships in program history, and four WCHA crowns.
A number of former NCAA players were on the move with the beginning of NHL free agency on July 1 (players listed alphabetically by last name, not a complete list):
Player, Position (School) New Club Old Club
Zach Aston-Reese, F (Northeastern) Vegas Detroit
Cam Atkinson, F (Boston College) Tampa Bay Philadelphia
Brandon Biro, F (Penn State) Buffalo Seattle
Ian Cole, D (Notre Dame) Utah Vancouver
Devin Colley, G (Denver) Calgary San Jose
Jeremy Davies, D (Northeastern) Ottawa Buffalo
Collin Delia, G (Merrimack) Edmonton Winnipeg
Casey DeSmith, G (New Hampshire) Dallas Vancouver
Sheldon Dries, F (Western Michigan) Vancouver Detroit
Josh Dunne, F (Clarkson) Columbus Buffalo
Casey Fitzgerald, D (Boston College) NY Rangers Florida
Warren Foegele, F (New Hampshire) Los Angeles Edmonton
Adam Gaudette, F (Northeastern) Ottawa St. Louis
Dennis Gilbert, D (Notre Dame) Buffalo Calgary
Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) Carolina Detroit
Troy Grosenick, G (Union) Nashville Minnesota
Matt Grzelcyk, D (Boston University) Pittsburgh Boston
Danton Heinen, F (Denver) Vancouver Boston
Cameron Hughes, F (Wisconsin) Dallas Seattle
Tyson Jost, F (North Dakota) Vegas Buffalo
Cole Koepke, F (Minnesota-Duluth) Tampa Bay Boston
Tanner Laczynski, F (Ohio State) Vegas Philadelphia
Alec Martinez, D (Miami) Chicago Vegas
Ben Meyers, F (Minnesota) Seattle Anaheim
Tyler Motte, F (Michigan) Detroit Tampa Bay
Jordan Oesterle, D (Western Michigan) Boston Calgary
Jack Rathbone, D (Harvard) Buffalo Pittsburgh
Eric Robinson, F (Princeton) Carolina Buffalo
Steven Santini, D (Boston College) Tampa Bay Los Angeles
Kiefer Sherwood, F (Miami) Vancouver Nashville
Devin Shore, F (Maine) Minnesota Seattle
Nate Schmidt, D (Minnesota) Florida Winnipeg
Joe Snively, F (Yale) Detroit Washington
Anthony Stolarz, G (Omaha) Toronto Florida
Billy Sweezey, D (Yale) Boston Columbus
Cam Talbot, G (Alabama-Huntsville) Detroit Los Angeles
Jason Zucker, F (Denver) Buffalo Nashville
