Two Big Ten Freshmen Move on to OHL

A pair of Big Ten freshmen left their respective schools this month to skate in the Ontario Hockey League.

Christian Humphreys (Michigan) left the Wolverines to join the Kitchener Rangers, after recording one assist in 10 NCAA games. A 5-foot-11, 170-pound  forward from Pittsburgh, and a seventh-round selection of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2024 NHL Draft, he had one goal through his first three OHL contests.

Also departing the college ranks was forward Noah Powell (Ohio State), who moved on to the Oshawa Generals after notching two goals and three assists for five points in 17 appearances with the Buckeyes. A native of Northbrook, Ill., the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Powell was chosen in the fifth round last summer by the Philadelphia Flyers, and had notched two assists in his first two outings with Oshawa.

DU's Mermis Scores First NHL Goal for Devils

Dakota Mermis (Denver) played just 19 games in his NCAA career. It took him 18 games to score his first NHL goal.

Mermis, 26, beat Jordan Binnington with a wrist shot from the left circle on Friday evening to help the host New Jersey Devils defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, 4-2, at the Prudential Center. It was also the first time the Devils had beaten the Blues in 13 meetings.

A defenseman from Alton, Ill., Mermis played at DU during the 2012-13 season, notching a goal and three assists before leaving midway through the year to join London (OHL). He spent the next full season in London, before splitting the 2014-15 campaign between the Knights and Oshawa (OHL).

Mermis turned pro in 2015-16 with Springfield (AHL), then played most of the next three seasons with Tucson (AHL) while also making 10 scoreless NHL appearances with the Arizona Coyotes.

Mermis tallied three goals and 19 points in 53 games with Binghamton (AHL) this year before being called up to New Jersey early in 2020. In nine games to date with the parent Devils, he has a goal and three assists.

Jacobs Leaves MSU for OHL

Michigan State will need to shore up its blueline a bit next season.

First, Brock Krygier gave up his final two years in East Lansing to transfer to Arizona State's nascent Division I program as a graduate student in April.

Earlier this week, Josh Jacobs made it one-and-done with the Spartans to join the OHL's Sarnia Sting. A second-round NHL draft choice (41st overall) by the New Jersey Devils last year, and was a fourth-round choce by Sarnia in the 2012 OHL Draft, Jacobs tallied nine assists in 35 NCAA games last season with MSU.

According to the MSU website, the Spartans are still expected to return five of their eight defensemen from the 2014-15 season, a campaign in which they finished 17-16-2 overall, and second in the Big Ten with an 11-7-2 conference mark. MSU was also one of the nation’s top defensive teams all season, finishing first in the Big Ten and 13th in the country in goals allowed per game (2.29).

Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Duncan Keith, who begins the Stanley Cup Final tonight in Tampa, is believed to be the last Spartan to leave Michigan State for the major junior ranks, having joined Tacoma (WHL) in 2002. Lansing native and former MSU recruit Reid Boucher jumped to Sarnia in 2011 before ever playing a game for the Spartans, and is now in New Jersey's system.

Mason, Guerin, Weight and Curley Among 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees

Four of the five inductees into the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn. this year have strong ties to the college game.

Ron Mason (pictured) won 924 games between 1966 and 2002 as head coach with Lake Superior, Bowling Green and Michigan State, and retired as the NCAA's all-time winningest hockey coach. A former St. Lawrence forward, he also won an NAIA national title with LSSU in 1972 and an NCAA championship with MSU in 1986. He led BGSU to three CCHA titles and three NCAA Tournament berths, and then guided MSU to 10 CCHA crowns and 19 NCAA berths. He then went on to a nearly six-year stint as athletic director with the Spartans, and now serves as a senior advisor to the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Former Boston College forward Bill Guerin had 40 goals and 30 assists for 70 points with the Eagles from 1989 to 1990, and helped BC to a Hockey East title and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He then collected 429-427—856 points in 1,263 NHL games between 1992 and 2010 with the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, according to hockeydb.com. He added 39 goals in 74 points in 140 NHL playoff games, and won Stanley Cups with the Devils (1995) and Penguins (2009). A three-time U.S. Olympian (1998, 2002, 2006), he now works in the Pittsburgh organziation as player development coach.

Former Lake Superior State forward Doug Weight collected 50-94—144 points in two campaigns with the Lakers, while helping them to two NCAA berths and a CCHA championship. He then notched 278-755—1,033 points in 1,238 NHL outings with the New York Rangers, Edmonton, St. Louis, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and the Islanders from 1991 to 2011. He added 23 goals and 72 points in 97 NHL playoff contests, and won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. A teammate of Guerin's with Edmonton, the Islanders and the U.S. Olympic Team, he now serves as an assistant coach and a special assistant to the general manager with the Islanders.

Cindy Curley starred at Providence College from 1981 to 1985, where she tallied 110-115—225 points with the Lady Friars. She ranks among PC's top five in all three categories, according to Providence's 2012-13 media guide, and also played in three IIHF World Championships with the U.S., including the inaugural women's tournament in 1990. She has since worked in a number of administrative capacities with USA Hockey.

The fifth and final inductee this year is Peter Karmanos, Jr., owner of the NHL's Hurricanes and OHL's Plymouth Whalers, who has also long sponsored the Compuware youth hockey organization in Michigan.

More on each of the inductees can be found here on the USA Hockey site.

Western Michigan Loses Two Skaters in McCarron and Haar

Western Michigan will have to make do with two less players next year, one a highly-prized incoming recruit and the other a defenseman with two years of NCAA experience, according to USCHO.com.

Michael McCarron, a first-round draft choice (25th overall) of the Montreal Canadians at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft last month, decided to bypass playing in the college ranks to sign a three-year deal with the Habs last week. The 6-foot-5, 228-pound winger from Michigan tallied 14 goals and 34 points with the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-18 squad last season, and will either be assigned to London (OHL) in the major junior ranks, or else start his pro career with Hamilton (AHL).

“Our feeling is our program is on solid footing and we will put someone in the lineup to replace Michael McCarron,” said WMU head coach Andy Murray at mlive.com.

Murray also announced that rising sophomore blueliner Garrett Haar has been released by the WMU hockey program and will no longer play for the Broncos after being ruled academically eligible earlier this year.

“Garrett has not lived up to his commitment to his academics and his Bronco hockey teammates and we have decided to part ways with him,” said Murray in a school news release last week.

Haar, a 6-foot-1, 198-pound California native and a 2011 Washington Capitals draft choice (207th overall) who posted four goals and 17 points in 58 career games with the Broncos, said on Twitter that the decision to leave WMU was all his own. He prepped with Fargo (USHL) before coming to Kalamazoo.

Western Michigan joins the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference this season, after playing its first 41 years in the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Milne Leaves Michigan for OHL

Michigan freshman forward Daniel Milne has left the Wolverines to join the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack, who drafted him in the third round of the 2010 OHL draft.

“Daniel Milne informed us today that he is leaving the Michigan hockey program,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said in a statement posted at USCHO.com. “While we are disappointed with his decision, it is important to note that he is leaving in good academic standing.”

Milne had gone scoreless in seven games with Michigan this season. A 5-11, 189-pound winger from Unionville, Ont., he prepped with St. Michael’s of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, with whom he posted 16 goals and 31 assists for 47 points in 38 games last year.

Stolarz Leaving Nebraska-Omaha for OHL

Nebraska-Omaha freshman goaltender Anthony Stolarz is leaving school to join the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, according to sources.

A second-round choice of the Philadelphia Flyers (45th overall) last summer, he was 2-5-0 with a 2.56 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage with one shutout in eight appearances. He follows Denver freshman defenseman Dakota Mermis, who left the Pioneers last week to join London.

A 6'5" native of Jackson, N.J., Stolarz, 18, spent last season with the NAHL's Corpus Christi IceRays, where he went 23-22-4 (2.84, .920) and posted four assists in 50 appearances.

UNO, which is 13-8-1 overall and ranked 13th in NCAA Division I, is in first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with a 9-4-1 mark in WCHA play. The Mavericks have been led in goal so far by senior John Faulkner (11-3-1, 2.63, .900), who is 49-37-9 in 102 career games dating back to the 2009-10 campaign. He also backstopped UNO to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Gibson, U.S. Falter in Loss to Finland

And to think John Gibson could have been suiting up for the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit this week instead.

The Pittsburgh-born goaltender, who spurned Michigan earlier this year to play major junior hockey with Kitchener (OHL) instead, made his World Junior Championship debut against Finland on Wednesday night in Edmonton. It’s very likely he won’t want to remember this one.

Gibson, 18, surrendered three third-period goals in a 4-1 loss at Rexall Place that left the U.S. with a win and a loss in WJC play, and an absolute must-win situation against the Czech Republic on Friday afternoon. Finland rebounded from an 8-1 loss to host Canada on Monday, the same day that the Americans had pounded Denmark, 11-3, to open the tournament.

The beginning of the end for both Gibson and the U.S. against Finland happened when he took an interference penalty midway through the third period with the score tied, 1-1, and the Americans on a power play at the time. Finland proceeded to tally three unanswered goals, including two that Gibson, who was drafted 39th overall by Anaheim (NHL) this year, had at least a chance of stopping.

Joel Armia fanned on a semi-breakaway with 9:07 remaining in regulation, but the puck slid between a sprawling Gibson’s pads and into the net to give Finland the lead for good. Just 19 seconds later, Mikael Granlund’s shot from the right side deflected off Jon Merrill’s skate and inside the far post to make it a 3-1 affair.

Armia then closed out the scoring with 3:33 left when he evaded Gibson’s poke-check attempt and put the puck home to complete Finland’s first U20 win against the U.S. in six years. The U.S. outshot Finland, 39-27, but couldn’t get anything more than an early third-period shot by Brandon Saad past Finnish goaltender Sami Aittokalli.

Canada later defeated the Czech Republic, 5-0, on Wednesday night for its second WJC win in two games. The U.S. and Canada are scheduled to meet on Saturday night in Edmonton in the final group game for both teams.

Gibson Spurns Michigan for OHL

Another Michigan goaltending recruit has decided to leave the CCHA school without ever suiting up for the Wolverines.

John Gibson, who signed a letter of intent to attend U-M this fall after backstopping the U.S. National Development Team, will instead join the OHL's Kitchener Rangers after being drafted 39th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Gibson follows former NTDP netminder Jack Campbell, who also committed to Michigan, got drafted in the first round by the Dallas Stars last year, and then jumped to the OHL's Windsor Spitfires without ever making a start at Yost Arena.

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/john-gibson-de-commits-from-michigan-hockey-team-will-turn-pro/

Michigan has long been a top program that has seen more than its share of players jump early to the professional ranks. Now those players are not even bothering to enroll in school, much less play in any college games. At least Shawn Hunwick is coming back to Ann Arbor for his fifth year after backing the Wolverines to within an overtime tally of a national title in April.

It's the same old adage of major junior plays more games and will get you to the pros faster. Well, you get to play more games, but doing well in juniors is no guarantee that you'll be ever be a star in the NHL itself - especially for goaltenders, since there are so few positions to go around at the top level. Martin Brodeur may be in the twilight of his career in New Jersey; but Jonas Hiller is still going strong in Anaheim, and Kari Lehtonen isn't looking to leave Dallas any time soon after escaping Atlanta. Not only would Gibson and Campbell have to shine in the OHL, they'd have to play well enough to supplant two veteran NHL netminders - easier said than done, especially if they have to apprentice in the minors first.

There are simply no guarantees when it comes to the NHL, no matter how highly you are drafted. I saw Jason Bacashihua win 20 games for the NAHL's Chicago Freeze in 1999-2000, then go to the OHL's Plymouth Whalers after not being eligible to play at Michigan. He won 26 games for the Whalers in 2000-01, then was drafted 26th overall by Dallas. He went to the AHL the next season and a decade later has played grand total of 38 NHL games, all with the St. Louis Blues, and none since 2006-07.

College hockey itself is no guarantee of NHL stardom - Scott Clemmensen won 99 career games and a national title in 2001 with Boston College. Since then he's appeared in 122 NHL contests with New Jersey, Toronto and Florida - granted, he was stuck as Martin Brodeur's backup with the Devils and never really got a chance to play until 2008-09. Brodeur was injured that year and missed most of the campaign, while Clemmensen went on to win 25 games before later going to the Panthers. That's about as big as it's gotten for him in his NHL career - quite serviceable, but admittedly nowhere near superstardom.

Gibson and Campbell may have been drafted higher than Clemmensen, but there's absolutely no guarantee they'll have it any better when they're ready to move on to the next level, which may or may not include the NHL itself.

Oleksiak First NCAA Player Drafted in 2011

To little surprise, Northeastern rising freshman defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was the first (and only) current college hockey player taken in the first round of tonight's 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn. The Toronto native went 14th overall to the Dallas Stars, where his selection was announced by Dallas GM and former Cornell and NHL standout Joe Nieuwendyk.

Oleksiak won't be the last collegian selected this year, either, although at 6-7 and 240 lbs., he's sure to be the biggest. The question now is does he return to Huntington Avenue in the fall, especially since Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin resigned to take an assistant coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week. The Versus telecast tonight mentioned that Oleksiak's major junior rights are held by Saginaw (OHL), and it's a sure bet the Spirit will be trying to pry the first rounder away from the Huskies and Hockey East between now and the start of the 2011-12 season.

Prior to Oleksiak's selection, John-Michael Liles was dealt from Colorado to Toronto for a second-round choice. The former Michigan State standout had spent his entire professional career to date on the Avalanche blueline. The Indianapolis native has tallied 68 goals and 207 assists in 523 career NHL regular-season games since 2003, and posted 4-7--11 points so far in 36 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

North Dakota recruit J.T. Miller, a center, was drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers, while a pair of incoming Miami freshmen also went in the first round. Connor Murphy, a defenseman, was claimed 20th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, while future classmate and right wing Tyler Biggs went to Toronto two picks later.