BU's Nieto Retires from NHL

Matt Nieto has called it a career. The Long Beach, Cal. native has formally retired from the NHL after 12 seasons, after not playing last year due to injury.

Nieto, 33, was drafted 47th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2011 following his freshman season at BU, the first Californian ever to be selected by the Sharks. A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Michigan, he went on to skate in 705 career NHL regular-season outings at forward from 2013 to 2025 with San Jose, Colorado, and Pittsburgh, including two separate stints each with the Penguins and Avalanche. He collected 87 goals and 119 assists for 206 points in that span, and also posted eight goals and 21 points in 62 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He also recorded 18 points in 28 career AHL appearances.

Nieto played at BU from 2010 to 2013, registering 44-58—102 points in 115 career games with the Terriers. He also helped them 2012 NCAA tournament and the 2013 Hockey East championship game, the latter the final game coached by legendary BU mentor Jack Parker. He also won gold twice with the U.S. at the IIHF World U-18 Championship (2009, 2010).

2027 NCAA Regional Going to Hartford

The 2027 NCAA Men's Hockey Bridgeport (Conn.) Regional is moving to Hartford.

Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, formerly known as Webster Bank Arena, is undergoing renovations and will not be available for the regional next March. It will instead be transferred to the PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, home of the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack and the sometimes home of UConn men's hockey. Sacred Heart University will still serve as the regional host. 

Total Mortgage Arena lost its sole hockey tenant earlier this year when the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders moved to Ontario to become the Hamilton Hammers.

Russell Joins Princeton as Assistant Coach

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.

Toronto Marlies Claim 2026 Calder Cup

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).

UMass Alum Quick Retires from NHL

Three-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Jonathan Quick (Massachusetts) has called it a career.

Quick, 40, from Milford, Conn. played the final game of his 18-year NHL career by making 14 saves for the New York Rangers in a 3-2 loss at Florida on Monday. He finished his league tenure with a 410-307-90 record, a 2.51 goals-against average, and 65 shutouts in 829 regular-season outings with the Los Angeles Kings, who drafted him 72nd overall in 2005, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Rangers, from 2008 to 2026. He also earned the Williams Jennings Trophy twice for lowest goals against, and posted 23 assists offensively, while also skating in two Olympic Winter Games with the United States.

Quick also fashioned a 49-43 mark over 92 career Stanley Cup playoff outings, backstopping Los Angeles to its first-ever NHL championships in both 2012 and 2014 while earning Conn Smythe Trophy playoff MVP accolades the first time. He won his third Stanley Cup as a backup in 2023 in his sole campaign with Vegas, and also played professionally with Manchester (AHL) and Reading (ECHL).

A product of Hamden (Conn.) High and Avon Old Farms, Quick spent two NCAA seasons at Massachusetts before turning pro in 2007. He went 23-22-6 with 2.79 GAA in 54 appearances with the Minutemen, earning Second Team All-America honors as a sophomore while also backstopping UMass to the NCAA tournament that same season.

Three MSU Spartans Turn Pro

Michigan State will have to do without three key contributors going forward, all of whom recently signed NHL contracts.

Freshman right wing Porter Martone was the first to go, signing on Sunday with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him sixth overall last year. Martone, 19, paced the Spartans this past year with 25 goals and 50 points in his only NCAA campaign, after skating three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. The Peterborough, Ont. native, who played in two IIHF World Junior Championships for Canada, made his NHL debut on March 31 at Washington, and picked up his first pro point with an assist against Detroit tonight. 

Junior goaltender Trey Augustine has signed with the Detroit Red Wings, who selected him 41st overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and has been assigned to Detroit's top minor-league affiliate in Grand Rapids (AHL). Augustine, 21, from South Lyon, Mich. fashioned a 24-9-1 record in 34 games this past season, with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, while earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year accolades. In three years with the Spartans, he went 66-25-7 with a 2.40 GAA over 99 career outings while notching nine shutouts and backstopping MSU to three consecutive Big Ten conference regular-season titles and two tournament crowns. He also won two gold medals with the U.S. at the WJCs, after prepping with the U.S. National Junior Team Development Program, and is a finalist this year for both the Mike Richter Award (top NCAA goalie) and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award (top NCAA player). 

Junior defenseman Maxim Strbak has signed with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him 45th overall in 2023, and has been assigned to Rochester (AHL). Strbak, 20, from Kosice, Slovakia, notched three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 37 games this past season with MSU, and in three years in East Lansing collected 8-38—46 points over 102 appearances. A product of Sioux Falls (USHL), he also participated in four consecutive WJCs for Slovakia. 

MSU's 2025-26 campaign ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Big Ten rival Wisconsin in the NCAA Worcester (Mass.) Regional final on March 29, one game short of the Frozen Four. 

ADDENDUM: Michigan State sophomore defenseman Colin Ralph and senior forward Daniel Russell have also signed pro contracts, with the St. Louis Blues and Wilkes-Barre Scranton (AHL), respectively. Ralph, 20, from Maple Grove, Minn., collected 2-16—18 points in 69 career games with St. Cloud State and MSU, after being drafted 48th overall by the Blues in 2024. Russell, from Traverse City, Mich., totaled 43-70—113 points in 140 career outings at MSU, after playing three years in the USHL and one in the NAHL. 

BC's Fowler Wins in NHL Debut

Jacob Fowler (Boston College) stopped 36 shots in his NHL debut on Thursday night to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh.  He blanked the host Penguins for just over two periods before surrendering a goal.

A native of Melbourne, Fla., Fowler began the 2025-26 season by going 10-5-0 in 15 games with Laval (AHL), where he played three regular-season games late in the 2024-25 campaign after turning pro. He was chosen in the third round (69th overall by Montreal) of the 2023 NHL Draft after his second year of junior hockey with Youngstown (USHL), when he led the Phantoms to a Clark Cup title and was also named USHL Goaltender of the Year.

Fowler, 21, joined the Montreal organization after two seasons at BC, where he backstopped the Eagles to two NCAA tournaments, including the 2024 national title game. In 74 career outings at the Heights, he fashioned a 57-13-3 record with a 1.90 goals-against average and 10 shutouts, while twice earning First Team All-America and Hockey East First All-star Team accolades. He also won the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's top goalie last year, and helped the United States to a gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship.

Wisconsin's Thomas Passes at 77

Former NCAA and NHL netminder Wayne Thomas (Wisconsin) passed away earlier this week at the age of 77. The Ottawa native was the first University of Wisconsin player to skate in the National Hockey League, and the first former Badger to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Thomas backstopped the Badgers for two seasons, compiling a 23-13-1 record with a 2.84 goals-against average and three shutouts over 38 games from 1968 to 1970. He also helped Wisconsin to the 1970 NCAA semifinals, where it finished in third place, while personally earning WCHA Second Team All-Star status that season. 

Undrafted, Thomas went on to play in 243 career NHL regular-season games with Montreal, Toronto and the New York Rangers, fashioning a 103-93-34 record with a 3.34 GAA and 10 shutouts. He also appeared in 85 career regular-season outings in the American Hockey League, winning a Calder Cup championship with Nova Scotia in 1972, before winning the Stanley Cup the following year with Montreal. 

Thomas, who retired as an active player following the 1980-81 NHL season, went on to work one year as a goalie coach and then three years as an assistant coach with the Rangers. He then served two seasons as head coach of the International Hockey League's Salt Lake Golden Eagles, leading them to the 1987 Turner Cup title while also earning IHL Coach of the Year accolades that season. After one year as an assistant with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, he spent two years as head coach of Peoria (IHL) before serving the next six seasons as an NHL assistant, three with the St. Louis Blues and three with the San Jose Sharks.

Thomas moved into the front office with the San Jose organization in 1995-96, where he remained until his retirement in 2014-15. In that span he served as assistant general manager and vice-president of hockey operations with the Sharks, and as GM in the AHL with Kentucky, Cleveland and Worcester.

Abbotsford Wins First-Ever AHL Calder Cup

The Abbotsford Canucks are the 2024-25 champions of the American Hockey League.

The Canucks rebounded from a 2-0 first-period deficit tonight to score three unanswered goals and win the decisive Game Six of the 2025 Calder Cup Final by a 3-2 count at Charlotte. Abbotsford thus won the best-of-seven series, four games to two. It is the first overall league championship for Abbotsford, primary affiliate of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, who had previously earned this year's AHL Western Conference title.

John Leonard (Massachusetts) and Jack Devine (Denver) scored early for the Eastern Conference champion Checkers, who were seeking their first Calder Cup crown since 2019. Christian Wolanin (North Dakota) assisted on Abbottsford's first goal late in the opening session, before the Canucks connected twice in the second stanza to close out the scoring and claim the championship, despite being outshot, 30-20, on the evening.

Joining Wolanin as former NCAA skaters who lifted the Calder Cup with the Canucks this season were Phil Di Giuseppe (Michigan), Ty Glover (Western Michigan), Akito Hirose (Minnesota State), Jujhar Khaira (Michigan Tech), Victor Mancini (Omaha), Cole McWard (Ohio State), Ty Mueller (Omaha), Max Sasson (Western Michigan) and Nathan Smith (Minnesota State). 

Canucks Take Two-Game Lead in AHL Final

Kyle Criscuolo (Harvard) and Jack Devine (Denver) tallied third-period goals to bring the visiting Charlotte Checkers within one, but the Abbotsford Canucks held on for a 3-2 victory in Game Four of the 2025 Calder Cup Final. The Canucks now lead the best-of-seven series, three games to one.

Ty Mueller (Omaha) notched two assists for Abbotsford, including one on the game-winning goal. Christian Wolanin (North Dakota) also had an assist for the Canucks, while Devine and Eamon Powell (Boston College) set up goals for Charlotte.

Abbotsford can wrap up its first-ever AHL championship with a win in Game Five at home on Saturday night (9 p.m. ET, NHL Network).

ADDENDUM: Charlotte rebounded for a 4-3 win in overtime in Game Five to stay alive, while also cutting Abbotsford's series lead to three games to two. Game Six is Monday night in North Carolina (8 p.m. ET, NHL Network).

DU's Benning Lifts Charlotte in OT

Mike Benning (Denver) scored from the left point in overtime on Sunday to lift the Charlotte Checkers to a 3-2 win over the visiting Abbotsford Canucks in Game Two of the 2025 Calder Cup Final. The AHL's championship series is now tied at one game apiece. John Leonard (Massachusetts) and Wilmer Skoog (Boston University) scored Charlotte's other goals.

Benning, 23, from St. Albert, Alberta, was a member of DU's 2022 NCAA championship team, and tallied 31 goals and 52 assists for 83 points in three seasons on defense with the Pioneers. He has spent the last two seasons with Charlotte, his first two campaigns as a pro, and has notched 4-4—8 points in 13 AHL playoff games so far this spring.

The next three games of this year's best-of-seven final are slated for the Abbotsford Centre in British Columbia, starting Tuesday night.

Abbotsford Claims AHL Western Crown

Jujhar Khaira (Michigan Tech) and Phil Di Giuseppe (Michigan) scored goals, and Christian Wolanin (North Dakota)and Akito Hirose (Minnesota State) added assists, as the Abbotsford Canucks won the AHL's Western Conference title tonight with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Texas Stars. Abbotsford claimed the best-of-seven series in six games.

The Canucks, who earned their first-ever Robert W. Clarke Trophy with the victory, are also the first primary affiliate of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks to claim a conference crown in 10 years. Abbotsford will now take on the Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers in the 2025 Calder Cup Final, starting Friday in North Carolina.

Texas Stays Alive in AHL Western Final

Curtis McKenzie (Miami) scored just over two minutes into overtime to keep the Texas Stars alive with a 2-1 win over the visiting Abbotsford Canucks tonight in Game Five of the AHL's 2025 Eastern Conference Final. The Canucks still lead the best-of-seven series, three games to two, with Game Six scheduled for Abbotsford on Sunday night.

Jack Becker (Arizona State) assisted on McKenzie's goal in sudden death, while Justin Hryckowian (Northeastern) tallied Texas' only goal in regulation. Max Sasson (Western Michigan) assisted on Abbotsford's only goal of the game. The winner of the series will face the Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers in the 2025 Calder Cup Final.

BU's Sullivan, Penguins Part Ways

The Mike Sullivan era is over in Pittsburgh. The Boston University graduate and the NHL's Penguins have parted ways after almost 10 full seasons at the helm.

Sullivan, 57, from Marshfield, Mass., served as head coach of Pittsburgh over the past decade, after being appointed during the 2015-16 NHL campaign and leading the Penguins to an overall regular-season record of 409-255-89 (44-38 postseason), and back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. The Pens, however, have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2022. He previously served as head coach with the Boston Bruins from 2003 to 2006, going 70-56-15 (3-4) with his home state team, giving him a career NHL record of 479-311-127 (47-42). 

Drafted 69th overall by the New York Rangers in 1987, Sullivan skated at center for BU from 1986 to 1990, recording 61 goals and 77 assists for 138 points in 141 games. He also captained the Terriers to the NCAA semifinals as a senior before embarking upon a 12-year professional career that saw him play in 709 career regular-season outings with San Jose, Calgary, Boston and Phoenix, where he registered 54-82—136 points in 709 outings, while adding 4-8—12 points in 34 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He also played 95 games combined in the IHL and AHL, and represented the United States in the 1997 IIHF World Championship.

Sullivan briefly served as head coach of Providence (AHL) in 2002-23, before joining Boston as an assistant. He also served as an assistant coach with Tampa Bay, the Rangers, and Vancouver, and as a development coach with Chicago. He also briefly helmed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) before being promoted to Pittsburgh, and coached the U.S. to a second-place finish at this year's inaugural Four Nations Cup.

ADDENDUM: Sullivan was hired on May 2 as head coach of the Rangers, succeeding Peter Laviolette.

WMU's Washe, Bump Make Pro Debuts

Fresh off a national championship, former Western Michigan skaters Tim Washe and Alex Bump have already embarked on their professional careers. 

Washe, 23, from Detroit, signed as a free agent with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks following WMU's 6-2 win over Boston University on April 12, and went scoreless in two regular-season games. His 2024-25 campaign is completed, as the Ducks did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He recorded career highs of 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points in 42 games for WMU this season, while helping the Broncos to their first-ever NCHC regular-season crown, their first-ever Penrose Cup as NCHC playoff champions, and their first-ever NCAA title. In five years at WMU, Washe finished with 28-46—74 points in 171 games.   

Bump, 21, from Prior Lake, Minn., led the Broncos in scoring this season with 23-24—47 points in 42 outings, and finished his two-year college career with 37-46—83 points in 80 appearances. He then signed with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him 133rd overall in 2022, and was assigned to Lehigh Valley (AHL). He tallied his first career pro point for the Phantoms with an assist against Cleveland on April 18, and followed that up a day later with another assist and his first pro goal in a game at Hershey. Lehigh Valley is now slated to face Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

BU's Kaplan Debuts with NHL's Flyers

Devin Kaplan became the newest forward from the 2024-25 Boston University men's hockey team to make his NHL debut this month. 

Kaplan, 21, a junior right wing who signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this week, made his big league debut last night in the Flyers' season-ending 5-4 loss to visiting Buffalo, recording one hit and one shot attempt in just over 12 minutes of ice time. The Bridgewater, N.J. native spent the last three years at BU after being drafted 69th overall by Philadelphia in 2022, recording 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 115 collegiate outings with the Terriers. 

Quinn Hutson, who won the Tim Taylor Award this season as the top rookie in men's college hockey, has played in two games with the Edmonton Oilers after signing with the reigning NHL Western Conference champions as a free agent. The junior right wing from Barrington, Ill. notched 56-58—114 points in 117 games with the Terriers. Hutson, 23, also led BU in scoring this season, with career highs of 23-27—50 points in 38 contests.

Ryan Greene, who captained the Terriers this season as a junior, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and played in two games with the Original Six franchise that drafted him 57th overall in 2022. The Paradise, Nfld. native, who turns 22 in October, collected 34-71—105 points 118 career appearances with BU as a center.

Kaplan, Huston, and Greene helped BU to three consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours in their college careers, including this year's national title game, plus the 2023 Hockey East regular-season and conference championships, along with this year's Beanpot Tournament crown. In all, they guided the Terriers to an overall record of 81-35-4 over the last three years.

In addition, senior center Matt Caponi, who played this season at BU after skating for three years with Merrimack, signed with Bakersfield (AHL) and has played in one game with the Condors. Drafted 216th overall by Edmonton in 2023, the 21-year-old Mansfield, Mass. native put up 6-18—24 points in 40 games in his lone campaign as a Terrier. 

Also signing recently was BU sophomore left wing Shane Lachance, whose NHL rights had earlier been traded from Edmonton to the New Jersey Devils. LaChance, 21, from Andover, Mass., registered 25-32—57 points in 80 career games with the Terriers, including a goal in the 2025 NCAA championship game, and has been assigned by the Devils to Utica (AHL). 

Three DU Pioneers Sign Pro Contracts

The University of Denver hockey team will require some retooling next season. No less than three key Pioneer undergraduates have signed professional contracts since DU fell to eventual national champion Western Michigan in an NCAA semifinal on April 10 in St. Louis.

Sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium, the NCHC Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL's Minnesota Wild. In two years at DU, Buium, 19, from San Diego, collected 24 goals and 74 assists for 98 points. 

Junior forward Jared Wright inked a two-year entry level contract with the Los Angeles Kings, and has reported to Ontario (AHL). Wright, 22, a Burnsville, Minn. native, tallied 32-22—54 points over three seasons with DU. 

Junior forward Aidan Thompson signed a two-year ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks, and has been assigned to Rockford (AHL). In three seasons with the Pios, Thompson, 23, from Fort Collins, Co. notched 42-75—117 points.

Buium, Wright and Thompson were all members of Denver's record-breaking 10th NCAA title team in 2024.

Miami's Martinez Retires from NHL

Longtime NHL defenseman Alec Martinez (Miami) announced his retirement as an active player over the weekend. He made his final appearance on April 12 in the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-4 shootout loss to Winnipeg, recording two shots on goal and two blocked shots in almost 18 minutes of ice time.

Martinez, 37, from Rochester Hills, Mich., was drafted 95th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2007. In 862 career NHL regular-season games over 16 seasons with Los Angeles, Vegas and Chicago, he recorded 88 goals and 201 assists for 289 points to go with 250 penalty minutes. According to statmuse.com, he ranks 16th all-time among NHL skaters with 1,884 shots blocked, while also recording 16 game-winning goals and a plus-73 plus-minus rating.

In 131 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests, Martinez added 14-23—37 points and 47 PIM while winning three Cups in all, two with LA and one with Vegas, and also scored the Cup-clinching in overtime with the Kings in 2014. He also played in 150 career minor-league regular-season games, 147 of them in the AHL, along with 11 games for TPS (Finland) in 2012-13. In addition, he skated for the United States in the 2018 and 2019 IIHF World Championships, winning a bronze medal the first year.

A product of Stoney Creek (Mich.) High School and the Detroit-area Honeybaked AAA youth program, Martinez played at Miami from 2005 to 2008 after winning the USHL's Clark Cup with Cedar Rapids in 2004-05. In 123 career outings with the Red Hawks, he tallied 21-46—67 points and 113 PIM while helping Miami to 83 wins overall, three NCAA tournament berths and one CCHA regular-season crown. He also earned Second Team All-America accolades in his final season in Oxford, Oh. 

Wisconsin's Schultz Retires from Hockey

Justin Schultz (Wisconsin) has retired as a professional hockey player, after more than 800 NHL appearances and two Stanley Cup championships.

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman from Kelowna, B.C., Schultz was chosen 43rd overall by Anaheim in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but never skated for the Ducks. After playing the 2012-13 season for Oklahoma City (AHL), he was in the NHL to stay, where he recorded 71 goals and 253 assists for 324 points and 198 penalty minutes in 745 regular-season games with Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Washington and Seattle for 2012 to 2024. He added 10-32—42 points in 81 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in both 2016 and 2017.

Schultz, 34, skated for the University of Wisconsin for three seasons, helping the Badgers to the 2010 national championship game as a freshman after playing juniors for Westside (BCHL). In 121 career NCAA games, he tallied 40-73—113 points and 52 penalty minutes. He finished his career with six assists in eight outings for Lugano in the Swiss-A league this season.

Former NCAA Women's Players Attain NHL, Hockey Hall of Fame

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.