Twenty years since Sept. 11 has become twenty-five. Recirculating this piece I wrote years ago in remembrance of my friend, Mark Bavis, a former Boston University forward, NAHL assistant coach and NHL scout whom I only knew for much too short a time. Two years ago I got to visit the Mark Bavis Arena in Rockland, Mass. that was named after him, just over 20 miles from his hometown of Roslindale. He would be 56 now. Rest in peace, Mark.
Jamie Russell (Michigan Tech) has joined Princeton as an assistant men's hockey coach.
The head coach at his alma mater from 2003 to 2011, Russell, 60, had also served as an assistant at Ferris State, Cornell and Providence in a coaching career that stretches back to 1984-85. He also worked as a head coach in the ECHL with Elmira and Worcester from 2014 to 2020, before spending the next four years with the South Kent School and the Selects Academy AAA program in Connecticut. He guided Ritten Sport in Italy to a 27-22-0-3 mark in 2024-25, before a brief stint as GM/head coach with the Fife Flyers (EIHL) last season.
A native of Kamloops, B.C., Russell skated on defense at Michigan Tech from 1987 to 1989, notching eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points and 134 penalty minutes over 78 NCAA appearances with the Huskies. He then played professionally for two seasons in the AHL and ECHL. His son, Ben, served as director of hockey operations at Cornell for two years, while his younger son, Charlie, is entering his third campaign as a forward at Maine.
The NCAA has made changes in the women's Division I Frozen Four schedule for 2027, which will be contested in Duluth, Minn. Instead of the previous Friday-Sunday schedule, the national semifinals will be now contested on Sunday, March 21, with the championship game following on Tuesday, March 23, all at AMSOIL Arena.
"Committee members’ rationale for making the change is to have all three games of the Women’s Frozen Four televised on ESPN’s linear channels," as stated at ncaa.com.
Wisconsin is the two-time defending women's Division I champion, having defeated WCHA rival Ohio State in each of the past two years.
Cale Makar (UMass) is the NHL's first $20 million man.
The 27-year-old defenseman from Calgary recently signed a new eight-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche that will pay him an average of $20.4 million per season, to the 2034-35 campaign, making him the NHL's highest-paid player.
Drafted fourth overall by Colorado in 2017 out of Brooks (AJHL) in junior hockey, Makar has spent his entire NHL career with the Avalanche, tallying 136 goals and 371 assists for 507 points in 470 regular-season games over his first seven full professional seasons. He has also recorded 26-64—90 points in 90 Stanley Cup Playoff outings, and led Colorado to the Cup in 2022 while also winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL's postseason MVP that spring.
Makar helped Canada to the title at the 2025 Four Nations Faceoff, and then a silver medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. He played two seasons at UMass, totaling 21 goals and 70 points in 75 appearances, and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the NCAA's top player as a sophomore just before turning pro for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He claimed the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2019-20, and is a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.
NCAA Division I men's hockey newest program will play a hybrid/transition schedule in 2026-27 as it begins its varsity history as an independent.
Maryville University will skate in 16 games against NCAA Division I schools this upcoming season, all on the road, including single contests at St. Lawrence, Yale, Princeton, Ferris State, Lindenwood, Quinnipiac and Holy Cross. The Saints will also play two-game sets at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green, Lindenwood and Alaska (Fairbanks). The home slate at the Maryville University Ice Hockey Center in St. Louis will include two games against NCAA Division III opponent Trine, plus two-game series against ACHA Division I club foes Midland, Liberty and UNLV.
Maryville will close out its inaugural varsity campaign with two games against the USHL's USA National Development Team in Plymouth, Mich. in late February.
Jaxon Ezman (Princeton) will begin his professional career overseas, after recently signing with the Coventry Blaze of the Elite Ice Hockey League in Great Britain for the 2026-27 season.
Ezman, 23, a forward from Middleton, Wisc., spent the last four seasons at Princeton, tallying 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points to go with 100 penalty minutes in 101 appearances. His best campaign came last year as a senior, when he collected career highs of 11-15—26 points in 34 outings as the Tigers finished fourth in ECAC Hockey, and came within an overtime goal of qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018.
Coventry went 25-22-0-7 in 2025-26, finishing seventh in the EIHL.
John Marino (Harvard) will continue playing for the Utah Mammoth, after he recently signed an eight-year, $54 million extension with the NHL club he has skated for the last two seasons.
Marino, 29, a 6-foot-1, 200 lb. defenseman from North Easton, Mass., had his best NHL campaign to date in 2025-26 when he tallied four goals and 32 assists for 36 points for the Mammoth, before adding his first career league postseason goal in six Stanley Cup Playoff contests. In 443 career NHL regular-season outings over seven years with Pittsburgh, Utah and New Jersey, he has collected 23-134—157 points to go with 1-6—7 points in 35 playoff appearances.
Drafted 154th overall by the Edmonton Oilers after his second season of junior hockey with South Shore (USPHL), Marino joined Harvard in 2016 after winning a Clark Cup with Tri-City (USHL). In three collegiate seasons with the Crimson in Cambridge, he registered 7-35—42 points in 101 games, while helping Harvard to two ECAC Hockey titles and an NCAA Frozen Four berth as a freshman.
Tennessee State University will not be playing NCAA Division I men's hockey in 2026-27. The university announced that the Tigers, who were originally scheduled to begin play in 2024-25, will be sidelined for yet another season, with the university still facing significant financial challenges. Tennessee State also opted out of the 2025-26 campaign.
TSU, which had originally announced in 2023 that it was adding the sport, would have been the first HBCU to feature a hockey program. Denver goaltender Johnny Hicks, a former TSU commit, led the Pioneers to a national title this spring, earning Most Outstanding Player honors of the NCAA Frozen Four in the process.
Trades of former NCAA players with National Hockey League franchises up to this, the first day of NHL free agency, since the NHL trade deadline back on March 6.
Player, Position (School) New Team Old Team
Dalton Bancroft, F (Cornell) Nashville Boston
Brett Berard, F (Providence) Montreal NY Rangers
Bobby Brink, F (Denver) Minnesota Philadelphia
W. Bongiovanni, F (Quinnipiac) Washington Ottawa
Magnus Chrona, G (Denver) Colorado Nashville
Ross Colton, F (Vermont) Nashville Colorado
Angus Crookshank, F (New Hampshire) Florida New Jersey
Andre Gasseau, F (Boston College) San Jose Boston
Jack Drury, F (Harvard) Nashville Colorado
Justin Faulk, D (Minnesota-Duluth) Detroit St. Louis
Jordan Greenway, F (Boston U.) Chicago Buffalo
A.J. Greer, F (Boston U.) Anaheim Florida
Garnet Hathaway, F (Brown) Florida Philadelphia
Michael Kesselring, D (Northeastern) San Jose Buffalo
Devon Levi, G (Northeastern) Edmonton Buffalo
Bobby McMann, F (Colgate) Seattle Toronto
Ian Mitchell, D (Denver) Tampa Bay Detroit
Isak Posch, G (St. Cloud State) Nashville Colorado
Massimo Rizzo, F (Denver) NY Rangers Nashville
Evan Rodrigues, F (Boston U.) New Jersey Florida
Jack St. Ivany D (Boston College) Winnipeg Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich (Michigan) Seattle Florida
Hunter Shepard, G (Minn-Duluth) Montreal Ottawa
Ben Steeves, F (Minnesota-Duluth) New Jersey Florida
Brandon Svoboda, F (Boston U.) Ottawa San Jose
Aidan Thompson, F (Denver) NY Rangers Chicago
Alex Tuch, F (Boston College) Washington Buffalo
Joseph Woll, G (Boston College) Philadelphia Toronto
Players listed alphabetically by last name. Does not include incoming NCAA players.
As expected, left wing Gavin McKenna (Penn State) was the first overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs at this year's NHL Draft in Buffalo tonight.
Several other current NCAA players were selected in the first round on Friday night at KeyBank Arena. Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota), a defenseman, was chosen ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks, while center Tyan Lawrence (Boston University) went 11th to the St. Louis Blues, and left wing Oscar Hemming (Boston College) went 14th to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Buffalo Sabres tabbed center Ilia Morozov (Miami) 20th overall.
As for incoming and future collegiate skaters, the Vancouver Canucks chose center Caleb Malhotra (Boston University) third overall, while defenseman Daxon Rudolph (Denver) was taken one spot later by host Buffalo. Carson Carels (North Dakota), another defenseman, went sixth to the Calgary Flames, while Chase Reid (Michigan State) went seventh to the Seattle Kraken. Left wing Wyatt Cullen (Minnesota) was tabbed 10th by the Nashville Predators, followed by right wing Nikita Klepov (Michigan State) at 15th to the Anaheim Ducks and left wing Ethan Belchetz (Michigan State) at 17th to the Utah Mammoth.
San Jose chose defenseman Ryan Lin (Denver) 21st overall, while right wing Liam Ruck (North Dakota) went to the Pittsburgh Penguins with the very next selection and left wing JP Hurlbert (Michigan) went 23rd to the Detroit Red Wings. The Philadelphia Flyers chose defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii (Maine) 27th overall, with center Jack Hextall (Michigan State) going three selections later to Calgary and defenseman Thomas Bleyl (Michigan State) right after to the Nashville Predators. The final pick of the first round was right wing Jaxon Cover (Penn State), who went 32nd overall to the Ottawa Senators.
The 2026 draft concludes Saturday with Rounds 2-7 (11 a.m. ET, NHL Network). The full list of college-related selections can be found here.
Several former NCAA skaters were recently named to the 2025-26 NHL All-Star Teams:
First All‑Star Team
D – Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche (Massachusetts)
D – Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (Michigan)
Werenski also claimed the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the NHL last season.
Second All‑Star Team
LW – Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens (Wisconsin)
Caufield also claimed the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly play.
All-Rookie Team
G - Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens (Ohio State)
F - Jimmy Snuggerud, St. Louis Blues (Minnesota)
Dobes led the Canadiens to the 2026 Eastern Conference final, while Snuggerud tied for second on his team with 51 points.
Former Harvard assistant coach Rob Rassey (Northeastern) is returning to Cambridge, this time as the 12th head coach in Crimson men's hockey history. He succeeds Harvard alumnus Ted Donato, who stepped down earlier this year after 21 years at the helm.
Rassey, 41, from Shelby Township, Mich., spent the last four years as an assistant/associate coach at Michigan, where he helped the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and NCAA Frozen Four berth last season. Prior to that, he served as an assistant at Harvard from 2013 to 2019 after beginning his coaching career with two years at Youngstown (USHL), where he played in juniors when the franchise was in the NAHL.
Rassey played four years as a forward at Northeastern (2005-2009), where he tallied 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 123 career games while helping the Huskies to the NCAA tournament as a senior, their first national berth in 15 seasons.
Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) is joining brother Matthew in the Sunshine State.
Tkachuk, 26, who has skated with the Ottawa Senators since turning pro in 2018-19, was traded Sunday to the Florida Panthers, where he will wear No. 8, for four draft choices. In 572 NHL regular-season games, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound left wing has tallied 213 goals and 250 assists for 463 points to go along with 821 penalty minutes. In 10 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, he has recorded 4-3—7 points and 19 PIM, and led Ottawa back to the postseason in 2025 after a seven-year drought. A four-time NHL All-Star Game selection, he captained the Senators the past five years.
A product of the St. Louis Blues AAA franchise and later the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he won a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, Tkachuk played one year at BU, notching 8-23—31 points and 61 PIM in 40 outings with the Terriers while helping them to a Hockey East tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth. After being drafted fourth overall by the Senators that summer, he turned pro, and has been in the NHL ever since. He was also a member of the gold-medal winning American squad at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games earlier this year in Italy.
Tkachuk is the younger son of former NHL and BU forward Keith Tkachuk, who was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.
Jonathan Toews (North Dakota) has called it a career.
Toews, 38, announced his retirement last week after playing last season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets, where he recorded 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 82 outings. He skated 16 full seasons in the NHL, all but one with the Chicago Blackhawks, whom he captained to three Stanley Cup titles after they drafted him third overall in 2006. He tallied 383-529—912 points in 1,149 NHL regular-season games overall with Chicago and Winnipeg, and added 45-74—119 points in 137 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, all with Chicago, while leading the Blackhawks to NHL titles in 2010, 2013, 2015, their first championships since 1961.
The Winnipeg native helped Team Canada to gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2006 and 2007, and at the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 and 2014. He also skated in two IIHF World Championships, and won a World Cup in 2016. As an NHL player, he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP in 2010, the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in 2013, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015. He sat out the 2023-24 and 2025-25 campaigns due to illness.
After prepping at Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota, Toews played two collegiate seasons at North Dakota, collecting 40-45—85 points in 76 games while helping UND to the 2006 WCHA conference championship and two NCAA Frozen Fours. He turned professional in 2007-08 with Chicago, was named Blackhawks captain the following season, and never a played game in the minor leagues.
The Toronto Marlies are American Hockey League champions for the second time in seven seasons. The Marlies defeated the visiting Chicago Wolves, 4-3, on Friday in Game Five of the 2026 Calder Cup Final to claim the best-of-seven series, four games to one. Vinny Lettieri (Minnesota) notched what turned out to be the Cup-clinching goal late in the second period, after Jacob Quillan (Quinnipiac) had given Toronto a 3-2 lead just over a minute before.
Other former NCAA players in the Marlies lineup for the final game of the 2026-27 campaign included: Matt Benning (Northeastern), Luke Haymes (Dartmouth) Marc Johnstone (Sacred Heart), Dakota Mermis (Denver), Marshall Rifai (Harvard), Henry Thrun (Harvard) and Ryan Tverberg (UConn).
Chicago, which was seeking its fourth Calder Cup since joining the AHL in 2001, got a goal from Josiah Slavin (Colorado College), plus 19 saves in defeat from goaltender Cayden Primeau (Northeastern).
For the fourth time in five seasons, the Florida Everblades are ECHL champions.
The Everblades claimed this year's Kelly Cup by defeating the Kansas City Mavericks in six games, including a 5-4 double-overtime victory in the clinching contest on Monday night in Missouri, after rebounding from a three-goal deficit after 40 minutes. Florida, which won the last four games of the series, including three in OT, previously defeated Kansas City in five games to win the Cup in 2024.
Anthony Romano (Clarkson) tied for Florida's playoff scoring lead with 17 points in 20 games, including a league-best 12 goals. Carson Gicewicz (UMass), who won an NCAA title in 2021, contributed 10 goals over 20 postseason outings. Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson (North Dakota) earned the Most Valuable Player award for a record third time in his career after posting a 16-4 record in 20 appearances this spring, including three shutouts and a 1.88 goals-against average, and has been a member of four Kelly Cup title teams.
Florida has now raised the Kelly Cup five times (2012, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026), extending its own ECHL record.
Jaccob Slavin (Colorado College) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) both assisted on the first goal of the game early in the first period by Taylor Hall, before Blake added an insurance marker of his own in the second stanza as the Carolina Hurricanes cliched their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years with a 3-0 blanking of the host Vegas Golden Knights tonight in Game Six of the 2026 NHL championship series. Eastern Conference champion Carolina won the best-of-seven title series, four games to two.
Brandon Bussi (Western Michigan) stopped all 22 shots he faced in winning his third game of the series for the Hurricanes, who last claimed the Stanley Cup in 2006, their first-ever NHL championship after moving from Hartford in 1997. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour (Michigan State) was the captain of that Carolina team, and becomes the seventh individual in NHL history to win the Cup as both a player and a coach with the same franchise. Bussi is the first NHL goaltender to make his first career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final, and won all three, leading the ‘Canes to the crown after a two games-to-one deficit in the series.
Other former NCAA players who suited up for Carolina in the clinching contest tonight included Shayne Gostisbehere (Union), Mark Jankowski (Providence), K’Andre Miller (Wisconsin), Eric Robinson (Princeton) and Sean Walker (Bowling Green). Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal in the final two minutes, after opening the series scoring back in the first minute of Game One. The Hurricanes outshot the Golden Knights, 23-22, on the night, and also won 33 of 63 faceoffs in what turned out to be the final NHL contest of the 2025-26 campaign.
Jackson Blake (North Dakota) tallied a goal and an assist in the first period, and Brandon Bussi (Western Michigan) stopped 18 of 21 shots in his first-ever NHL playoff start as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the host Vegas Golden Knights, 5-3, last night in Nevada. The best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final is now tied at two games apiece, with Game Five slated for tomorrow night in Raleigh (8 p.m. ET, ABC, SN).
Carolina jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first 20 minutes, with Vegas having a potential late goal waved off as it entered the net after time expired. The Golden Knights then tied the contest with two goals in the second stanza, before Jordan Staal scored his second goal of the game in the third period to lift the Hurricanes back into the lead, prior to Carolina tallying an empty-net goal for insurance late in regulation. Carolina outshot Vegas, 28-21, on the night, and also finished 1-for-3 on the power play.
ADDENDUM: Bussi stopped 23 shots, and Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) set up two goals as Carolina moved within a win of the Stanley Cup with a 4-2 victory in Game Five. Game Six is Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Brandon Bussi (Western Michigan) stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief, but couldn't prevent the game-winning goal as the Vegas Golden Knights rebounded for a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes last night in double overtime in Game Three of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. Vegas now leads the series, two games to one.
Bussi took over in net for the Hurricanes at the start of the third period, with Carolina down 4-0, and backstopped them to a 4-4 tie before a Shea Theodore carom off the end boards glanced off his left pad and into the Hurricanes net to end Bussi's first appearance in this year's playoffs. Carolina scored three goals in 39 seconds in the third period and then added a power-play goal to force overtime, after Vegas had forged a four-goal lead in the second stanza, with Mitch Marner scoring three of those goals and assisting on the other.
Game Four of the best-of-seven NHL championship series is Tuesday night in Nevada.
Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) tied the game midway through the third period, but the visiting Vegas Golden Knights got the last goal of the evening to edge the host Carolina Hurricanes, 5-4, last night in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final in North Carolina.
Carolina took a 2-0 lead just over 12 minutes into regulation on two goals by Nikolaj Ehlers, with Jacob Slavin (Colorado College) picking up an assist on the first goal, and later just missing out on a goal of his own when his shot from in close hit the crossbar. Vegas rebounded to take a 3-2 lead early in the second stanza, with Jack Eichel (Boston University) assisting on the Golden Knights' second goal, before K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) set up the tying goal for the Hurricanes.
The teams than traded goals again, with Gostisbehere scoring off a faceoff with just over 11 minutes expired in the third session to make it 4-4, before Tomas Hertl decided matters just over five minutes later on a clean shot from the low slot. The Hurricanes outshot the Golden Knights, 27-23, overall, while the two teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.
It was just the second loss for Carolina in these playoffs, and its second straight loss in a series-opening contest, both coming at home. Game Two is Thursday night in Raleigh.
ADDENDUM: Eric Robinson (Princeton) helped set up a tying goal by Mark Jankowski (Providence) in the third period, and Gostisbehere assisted on both the go-ahead goal and the eventual game-winner in OT as the Hurricanes evened the series with a 4-3 victory in Game Two. Game Three is Saturday night in Nevada,
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final will feature a number of former NCAA players between the Vegas Golden Knights, who are seeking their second NHL title in four years, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who are pursuing their first crown since their last final appearance in 2006. Game One is tonight in North Carolina.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Nic Dowd, F (St. Cloud State)
Jack Eichel, F (Boston University) #
Noah Hanifin, D (Boston College)
Ben Hutton, D (Maine)
Tanner Laczynski, F (Ohio State)
Jaycob Megna, D (Omaha)
Reilly Smith, F (Miami) #
CAROLINA HURRICANES
Jackson Blake, F (North Dakota)
Brandon Bussi, G (Western Michigan)
Shayne Gostisbehere, D (Union) *
Mark Jankowski, F (Providence) *
K'Andre Miller, D (Wisconsin)
Mike Reilly, D (Minnesota)
Eric Robinson, F (Princeton)
Jaccob Slavin, D (Colorado College)
Sean Walker, D (Bowling Green)
Only players who played for either team during the 2025-26 NHL season are included above
# Won Stanley Cup as a player
* Won NCAA title as a player
Finland won its fifth gold medal ever at the IIHF World Championship, defeating host Switzerland on Sunday by a 1-0 count in overtime. Norway took bronze with a 3-2 OT win over Canada.
Canada's Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) finished second among all scorers with 14 points on six goals and eight assists in 10 games. Devin Cooley (Denver) of the United States was fourth among all goaltenders with a 1.76 goals-against average over seven outings.
Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) set up two goals, and K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) also recorded assists as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Montreal Canadiens, 4-0, last night in Game Four of their NHL Eastern Conference series. Carolina now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to one.
Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 39 shots for the Canadiens, who were outshot, 43-18, on the night. Montreal, which will be facing elimination on Friday night in Game Five in North Carolina, is 7-3 on the road so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
ADDENDUM: Blake notched a goal and an assist, and Gostisbehere and Eric Robinson (Princeton) also scored as the Hurricanes topped Montreal, 6-1, in Game Five to win the Eastern Conference title. Carolina will now meet Vegas in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, starting Tuesday night in Raleigh.
The United States, defending champion at the IIHF World Championship, advanced to this year's quarterfinal round with a 4-1 win over Austria today in Switzerland. U.S. goal scorers included Connor Clifton (Quinnipiac), Ryan Ufko (UMass) and Paul Cotter (Western Michigan), while Devin Cooley (Denver) finished with 25 saves in net for the Americans.
Team USA, which finished fourth in Group B, will now take on second-ranked Canada on Thursday in an elimination contest. The Canadians advanced with a 3-2 victory over Czechia today, thanks to two goals by Macklin Celebrini (Boston University).
ADDENDUM: Canada ousted the U.S. with a 4-0 victory, and will play Finland in the semifinals.
Mark Jankowski (Providence) notched two assists, including one on the game-winning goal, as the Carolina Hurricanes knotted their best-of-seven Eastern Conference series at one game apiece with a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Eric Robinson (Princeton) scored a goal for the second straight game for Carolina, which rebounded from its first loss in these Stanley Cup Playoffs with its ninth victory in 10 NHL postseason contests this spring. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 23 shots for Montreal, which was outshot, 26-12. Game Three is Monday night in Montreal.
ADDENDUM: The Hurricanes took a two games to one lead with a 3-2 OT victory in Game Three.
Jack Eichel (Boston University) scored the tying goal and then assisted on the eventual game-winner, both in a two-minute span midway through the third period, as the Vegas Golden Knights topped the host Colorado Avalanche, 3-1, on Friday night in Game Two of the 2026 NHL Western Conference final in Denver. Vegas now leads the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoff series, two games to none.
Ross Colton (Vermont) scored the game-opening goal for Colorado, which had fallen, 4-2, in Game One on Wednesday. Colton's goal stood up from the first period on until Eichel knotted matters in the final frame, before Vegas went ahead and then added an empty-net tally for insurance with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. The top-seeded Avalanche, who were missing all-star defenseman Cale Makar (UMass) for the second straight game, outshot Vegas, 30-25, and won 34 of 58 faceoffs on the night.
Game Three is Sunday night in Las Vegas.
ADDENDUM: The Golden Knights rebounded from a 3-0 deficit after the first 20 minutes of Game Three to lock up a 5-3 victory and move within one game of their third Stanley Cup Final in their nine-year existence.
Abby Roque (Wisconsin) scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the visiting Montreal Victoire blanked the Ottawa Charge, 4-0, on Wednesday to earn the 2026 Professional Women's Hockey League title. Montreal won the best-of-five series, three games to one, to become the first Canadian club to lift the Walter Cup as PWHL postseason champion.
Ann-Renée Desbiens (Wisconsin) of the Victoire stopped 23 shots for the shutout, while Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern) made 12 saves for Ottawa, which had forced a fourth game after dropping the first two contests of the series. Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin (Boston University) was named PWHL playoff MVP after recording two goals and six assists for eight points in nine games, tying Roque for the playoff lead.
Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored just over 11 minutes into overtime for his second straight game-winning goal in a Game Seven this spring, and the Montreal Canadiens ousted the host Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, on Monday in the deciding contest of their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup. Montreal wins the Eastern Conference semifinal series, four games to three, including victories in the last two games played in Buffalo.
Newhook, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, finished this series with six goals in seven games after also notching the game-winner in Game Seven of the first round at Tampa Bay. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 37 shots last night for the Canadiens, who advance to the conference finals for the first time in five years. Jordan Greenway (Boston University) scored the first goal of the night for the Sabres, who were competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Montreal will now face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final starting on Thursday.
Tage Thompson (UConn) assisted on three goals, and also scored one into an empty net as the visiting Buffalo Sabres staved off elimination last night with an 8-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game Six of their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff second-round series, which is now tied at three games apiece.
Jason Zucker (Denver) had a goal and assist for the Sabres, who scored seven consecutive unanswered goals over the final 46 minutes of play after falling behind, 3-1, in the first period. Buffalo's Zach Metsa (Quinnipiac) also tallied his first career playoff goal in his first NHL postseason appearance. Alex Lyon (Yale) made one save on four shots for the Sabres in goal, before being replaced by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 27 of 33 shots for the Canadiens before giving way late in regulation to Jacob Fowler (Boston College), who made his own Stanley Cup Playoff debut in relief. The deciding Game Seven of this Eastern Conference semifinal is Monday night in Buffalo, with the winner to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final.
Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) scored two goals and set up another, and Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin) notched a goal and an assist as Canada continued its international success with a 6-0 victory over Italy at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland today. Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville) stopped 19 shots for the shutout.
Canada opened this year's Worlds with a 5-3 victory over Sweden on Friday. Porter Martone (Michigan State) had two assists for the Canadians in that contest, and now has three assists so far over two games. Canada will next face Denmark on Monday.
Lane Hutson (Boston University) set up two goals, and Cole Caufield scored for the third straight game, as the Montreal Canadiens moved within one win of the Eastern Conference final with a 6-3 victory over the host Buffalo Sabres last night. Montreal, which trailed, 3-2, after 20 minutes of play, now leads the best-of-seven 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series, three games to two.
Josh Doan (Arizona State) scored Buffalo's second goal, assisted by Owen Power (Michigan), as the Sabres outshot Montreal, 36-26, on the evening. Alex Newhook (Boston College) drew an assist on the game-winning goal for the Canadiens, giving him six points so far in five games. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 33 saves in net for Montreal, which can wrap matters up Saturday night at home in Game Six. The series winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
In the Western Conference last night, the visiting Vegas Golden Knights routed the Anaheim Ducks, 5-1, to wrap up that quarterfinal series in five games. The Golden Knights will now face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.
Jack Drury (Harvard) pulled his team within a goal late in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche went on to top the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday in their Western Conference quarterfinal. The Avalanche, who overcame a 3-0 deficit after one period of play, won the best-of-seven 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series in five games.
Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) assisted on Drury's goal, and finished the series with a goal and four assists over five games. Nico Sturm (Clarkson) set up two goals for the Wild, which was seeking its first NHL conference final berth since 2003. Colorado, which outshot Minnesota on the night, 34-20, advanced to its first Western Conference final since it won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Tage Thompson (UConn) tied the game on a fluke goal in the second period, and then assisted on the game-winner early in the third stanza, to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 victory over the host Montreal Canadiens last night in Game Four of their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The second-round 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup is now tied at two games apiece, with Game Five set for Thursday night in Buffalo.
Josh Doan (Arizona State) finished with two assists for the Sabres, who went 2-for-4 on the power play, including Thompson's blueline goal that banked off the left wing boards and into the Canadiens net. Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored his fifth goal in the last three games for Montreal, which also got a power-play goal from Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and 19 saves in net from Jakub Dobes (Ohio State).
Jack Drury (Harvard) set up the game-winning goal in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche moved one step away from the Western Conference Final with a 5-2 victory at the Minnesota Wild last night. Colorado now leads the best-of-seven 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs series, three games to one.
Ross Colton (Vermont) put the Avalanche up, 2-1, in the final frame before Nico Sturm (Clarkson) tied matters less than three minutes later for the Wild. After Drury's heroics, Colorado closed out the contest with two empty-net goals, the second by Brock Nelson (North Dakota), and outshot Minnesota, 34-21, on the night.
Game Five and a potential clinching contest for the Avs is Thursday night in Denver.
Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) tallied three assists as the Anaheim Ducks tied their Stanley Cup Playoff series with a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night. The best-of-seven Western Conference matchup is now tied at two games apiece, with Game Five set for Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Alex Killorn (Harvard) notched a goal and an assist for the Ducks, while Jack Eichel (Boston University) set up two goals for the Golden Knights.
In the Eastern Conference, the host Montreal Canadiens took a two game to one lead with a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game Three of their series on Sunday. Alex Newhook (Boston College) notched his second two-goal game of the series for the Canadiens, who also got two points apiece from Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and Lane Hutson (Boston University), plus 26 saves in net from Jakub Dobes (Ohio State). Tage Thompson (UConn) scored a goal and added an assist for the Sabres, who got 32 stops from Alex Lyon (Yale). Game Four is Tuesday in Montreal.
Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored two goals, and Mike Matheson (Boston College) notched the game-winner as the visiting Montreal Canadiens evened their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff second-round series with the Buffalo Sabres last night. The best-of-seven NHL Eastern Conference matchup is now tied up at one game apiece, with Game Three set for Montreal on Sunday night.
Lane Hutson (Boston University) assisted on Newhook's first goal, while Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) finished with 29 saves in net for the Canadiens. Josh Doan (Arizona State) assisted on Buffalo's lone goal late in the second period, long after Montreal had built a 3-0 lead. Alex Tuch (Boston College) of the Sabres led all skaters with seven shots on goal. Both teams went 0-for-5 on the power play.
Ted Donato has stepped down as Harvard University's men's hockey head coach after 22 years at the helm of his alma mater.
"It is with immense gratitude that I have decided to end my tenure at Harvard as head coach of the Men's Hockey program," said Donato at gocrimson.com. "I am proud and grateful for all the incredible moments, everlasting memories, and relationships from my 27 years connected to the University as a student-athlete, coach, and parent."
A 1991 Harvard graduate who led the Crimson to the NCAA title as a sophomore, the Boston native compiled a 334-292-77 record from 2004 to 2026 that included eight NCAA tournament berths, including a Frozen Four appearance in 2017 in Chicago. His coaching ledger in Cambridge, Mass. also included six seasons of 20 or more wins, four ECAC Hockey tournament titles, and four Ivy league crowns. The winningest coach in Harvard men's hockey history, he also helped guide the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship as an assistant.
Donato, 57, starred at Catholic Memorial High School before going on to play four years at forward at Harvard, where he collected 50 goals and 94 assists for 144 points in 106 career games. A fifth-round draft choice of the Boston Bruins in 1987, he went on to skate in 796 career NHL regular-season outings with Boston, Ottawa, Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, the New York Islanders and the New York Rangers, compiling 150-197—347 points over 13 campaigns, along with 8-10—18 points in 58 career Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. He was also a 1992 U.S Olympian, and played in two IIHF World Championships. His son, Ryan, also a Harvard alumnus, is a current member of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, while younger son Jack also played for his father at Harvard.
The university is expected to begin an immediate national search for Donato's successor.
Josh Doan (Arizona State) scored one goal and set up another, and Jordan Greenway (Ohio State) added another goal as the Buffalo Sabres topped the visiting Montreal Canadiens, 4-2, in Game One of their 2026 NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series tonight.
Alex Lyon (Yale) made 26 saves for the Sabres, who are skating in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007, the last time they qualified for postseason play. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) had 12 stops for the Canadiens, who continued their pattern of win-lose so far in these playoffs.
Game Two is Friday night in Buffalo.
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021. A third-period goal by Alex Newhook (Boston College) stood up as the game-winner as the Habs edged the host Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday in the seventh and deciding game of their first-round NHL Eastern Conference series.
Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 28 saves in net for Montreal, which was outshot, 29-9, overall. The Canadiens will now face the Buffalo Sabres in the best-of-seven second round, starting Wednesday in upstate New York.
Jackson Blake (North Dakota) tallied a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes opened the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-0 win last night over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. Carolina leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series, one game to none.
The Hurricanes outshot the Flyers, 23-19, as both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play. Game Two of the first-ever postseason meeting between the two NHL clubs is Monday night in Raleigh.
Alex Tuch (Boston College) and Josh Norris (Michigan) scored the first and last goals of the game, respectively, and the Buffalo Sabres moved on to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins last night. Buffalo wins the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series, four games to two.
Tage Thompson (UConn) had two assists and Alex Lyon (Yale) stopped 25 shots as the Sabres won their first postseason series since 2007. Prior to this year, the Sabres had not made the playoffs in 14 seasons, which set an NHL record. Buffalo will now face the winner of the Montreal-Tampa Bay series, which will wrap up with a deciding seventh game tomorrow night in Florida.
Troy Terry (Denver) and Chris Kreider (Boston College) each scored a goal and set up two others, and Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) notched a goal and an assist as the host Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Edmonton Oilers from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 5-2 victory last night. Anaheim won the best-of-seven Western Conference series, four games to two, its first postseason series victory since 2017, ousting an Oilers club that had won the NHL's Western Conference the last two seasons. Edmonton's Zach Hyman (Michigan) had a goal disallowed for a kicking motion in the second period. The Ducks will now face the winner of the Utah-Vegas series in the conference semifinals.
The Minnesota Wild won their first Stanley Cup Playoff series since 2015 as Quinn Hughes (Michigan) recorded two goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Dallas Stars on Thursday. Minnesota won the best-of-seven Western Conference series, four games to two, and will now take on top-seeded Colorado in the second round. Matt Boldy (Boston College) sealed the win yesterday with two empty-net goals for the Wild, while Jake Oettinger (Boston University) made 16 saves for the Stars.
Cam York (Michigan) scored from the right point through a screen with less than three minutes remaining in overtime to boost the Philadelphia Flyers to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
York's goal was the only one in Philadelphia's 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins last night to win the best-of-seven first-round matchup in six games. The Flyers had won the first three games of the series, while the Penguins had won the last two contests and were seeking to become just the 11th team in NHL history to force a seventh game after trailing, three games to none. It is the first playoff series win for the Flyers since 2020, the last time they qualified for the postseason.
Philadelphia will now meet top-seeded Carolina in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Alaska Anchorage has named its eighth hockey head coach all-time in Eric Rud, a longtime college assistant coach and former defenseman.
Rud, 53, joins the Seawolves after spending the past two seasons at St. Cloud State, where he also coached from 2006 to 2010. Prior to his latest stint with SCSU, he served two years as head coach with Sioux Falls (USHL), after three years at Miami (Ohio) and three years before that at his alma mater, Colorado College. He also served as head coach at Green Bay (USHL) in 2010-11, where he led the Gamblers to the Clark Cup final, after earlier working as an assistant with Cedar Rapids (USHL) after three years of serving in the ECHL as a player-assistant coach.
A native of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., Rud skated on the blueline at Colorado College from 1993 to 1997, recording 22 goals and 90 assists for 112 points in 168 outings over four seasons. He also led the Tigers to three WCHA regular-season titles and three NCAA tournament berths, including the 1996 national championship game where he assisted on CC's second goal while serving as team captain. An undrafted free agent, he went on to play in the IHL, ECHL and WCHL as a professional for five seasons, notching 34-98—132 points over 319 regular-season appearances. He prepped with Des Moines (USHL) and Simley (Minn.) High as a player prior to attending CC.
Alaska Anchorage finished 5-27-1 overall last season, its fourth as an NCAA Division I independent, under former head coach and Seawolf defensemen Matt Shasby. UAA will be seeking its first winning campaign since 2013-14, when it went 18-16-4 while in the WCHA. The Seawolves began play in 1979.
Jack Eichel (Boston University) set up three goals and Noah Hanifin (Boston College) had two assists as the visiting Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth, 5-4, in overtime last night, in Game Four of their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series. The best-of-seven NHL Western Conference first-round matchup is now tied at two games apiece,
Nick Schmaltz (North Dakota) had a goal and assist for the Mammoth, who fought back from an early three-goal deficit to take a one-goal lead before Vegas came back to tie it in the third period prior to winning in OT. Game Five is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
Cale Makar (UMass) and Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) both scored goals, and the visiting Colorado Avalanche topped the Los Angeles Kings, 5-1, on Sunday in Game Four of their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series. The Avalanche swept the best-of-seven Western Conference series in four games.
Makar tallied two goals and one assist for three points over the four games, including the game-winning goal on Sunday, while also recording a plus-five plus/minus rating and 15 shots on goal. He now has 87 points in 83 career NHL postseason outings since making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in 2019. Colorado outshot Los Angeles, 32-25, in the clinching contest, and also won 35 of 65 faceoffs in all.
Sunday's game also marked the final outing in the 20-year NHL career of Los Angeles captain Anže Kopitar, who retires as the Kings' all-time leading scorer with 1,316 regular-season points. A 14-time 20-goal scorer, he also led LA to its first-ever Stanley Cup championships, in 2012 and 2014.
Matt Boldy (Boston College) tipped home a shot in the final minute of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 win over the visiting Dallas Stars last night in their first-round 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series. The best-of-seven NHL Western Conference matchup is now tied at two games apiece.
Brock Faber (Minnesota) scored the Wild's first goal, and also assisted on the tying goal late in regulation along with Nico Sturm (Clarkson). Jake Oettinger (Boston University) made 40 saves in goal for Dallas. Game Five is Tuesday night in Texas.
Lane Hutson (Boston University) scored on a slapshot just over two minutes into overtime Friday night to give the host Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Montreal now leads the best-of-seven series, two games to one.
Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 15 saves in net for the Canadiens, who are seeking their first NHL playoff series win since 2021. Jake Guentzel (Omaha) assisted on Tampa Bay's first goal of the night. All three games of this series so far have been decided in OT.
Game Four is scheduled for Sunday night in Montreal.
