Minnesota Wins Second Straight PWHL Title

Liz Schepers (Ohio State) scored off a rebound 12 minutes into overtime to lift the Minnesota Frost to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game Four of their best-of-five PWHL final series on Monday. Minnesota took the best-of-five series, three games to one, to claim its second consecutive Walter Cup as league playoff champion, with Schepers scoring the clinching goal both years.

Ottawa's Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern) earned the Ilana Kloss Trophy as playoff MVP after making 36 saves in defeat. Tereza Vanisova (Maine) scored Ottawa's lone goal to force OT, after Kelly Pannek (Minnesota) tallied first for the Frost. Minnesota's Lee Stecklein (Minnesota) led all PWHL playoff scorers with eight points in seven games, on four goals and four assists.

Three More NHL First Round Series Finished

The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is down to two series, after three others were decided Thursday night.

Toronto finished off host Ottawa, 4-2, to claim that series in six games. Max Pacioretty (Michigan) tallied the game-winning goal and also had an assist for the Maple Leafs, who had lost the last two games. Team captain Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) had one goal for the Senators, who were playing in the NHL postseason for the first time since 2017. Toronto will now take on defending Stanley Cup champion Florida in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Zach Hyman (Michigan) registered a goal and an assist for Edmonton as the Oilers topped Los Angeles, 6-4, to close out that series in six games. It marks the fourth year in a row that Edmonton has eliminated LA, which had won the first two games of this series, in the playoffs. 

Vegas finished off host Minnesota, 3-2, in the sixth and final game of that series. Jack Eichel (Boston University) notched a goal and an assist for the victorious Golden Knights, who will now face Edmonton in the Western Conference semifinals.

Colorado stayed alive with a 7-4 triumph over visiting Dallas. Cale Makar (Massachusetts) tallied three points and Brock Faber (North Dakota) had two assists for the Avalanche, who forced a winner-take-all Game Seven on Saturday night in Texas. Jake Oettinger (Boston University) finished with 41 saves for the Stars in defeat.

U.S. Wins Second Straight WJC Gold Medal

Teddy Stiga (Boston College) scored on a partial breakaway just over eight minutes into 3-on-3 overtime to lift the United States to a 4-3 win over Finland in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game tonight in Ottawa.

Team USA overcame deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1 to claim its second straight WJC gold medal and seventh overall, all of them coming since 2004. James Hagens (Boston College) recorded the first U.S. goal to forge a 1-1 tie in the first period, while Brandon Svoboda (Boston University) and Cole Hutson (Boston University) tallied second-period scores to tie the contest at 3-3 after 40 minutes of play.

Ryan Leonard (Boston College), who earned tournament MVP honors, had two assists on the night, while Trey Augustine (Michigan State) made 21 saves in goal for the Americans. Hutson led all WJC scorers with three goals and eight assists for 11 points in seven games, while Leonard was third overall with 5-5—10 points and Augustine finished with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.

Czechia defeated Sweden, 3-2, in a shootout to claim the bronze medal. Next year's WJC will be contested in Minnesota, the first time it will be held in the U.S. since Buffalo in 2018.

U.S. Drops Swiss in WJC Quarterfinals

Fresh off a convincing 4-1 victory over host Canada in its last game of round-robin play on New Year's Eve, the United States moved closer to defending its gold medal status at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa with a 7-2 win today over Switzerland in the quarterfinal round.

James Hagens (Boston College) and Ryan Leonard (Boston College) each scored two goals for the Group A champion Americans, who also got 17 saves in goal from Hampton Slukynsky (Western Michigan) and three assists offensively from Gabe Perreault (Boston College).

The U.S. will now face Czechia in the WJC semifinals on Saturday. The other semifinal will match Sweden and Finland, with the winners to meet on Sunday for the championship.

ADDENDUM: Team USA defeated Czechia, 4-1, and will face Finland on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET (NHL Network) for the gold. Czechia will meet Sweden for the bronze.

USA Routs Germany in WJC Opener

Team USA is off to a good start at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

The United States routed Germany, 10-4, in its tournament opener today, as over a dozen American skaters recorded at least one point on the scoresheet. Cole Hutson (Boston University) set up five goals, while James Hagens (Boston College) scored two goals and assisted on two others. Gabe Perreault (Boston College) and Brodie Ziemer (Minnesota) scored twice apiece, with Perreault also adding an assist. Trey Augustine (Michigan State) stopped 18 shots for the Americans in earning the win.

The U.S. returns to WJC action on Saturday against Latvia.

ADDENDUM: Team USA topped Latvia, 5-1, before falling to Finland, 4-3, in overtime on Sunday.

Six Eagles Named to 2025 WJC Team

A half-dozen Boston College Eagles have been named to the final U.S. roster for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship (NHL rights): 

D Drew Fortescue (NY Rangers)

D Aram Minnetian (Dallas)

F Teddy Stiga (Nashville) 

F Ryan Leonard (Washington)

F James Hagens

F Gabe Perreault (NY Rangers)

Hagens is projected to go first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft next summer. 

Leonard has been named U.S. team captain, according to USCHO.com. This season's WJC will be contested from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Ottawa, after the U.S. won the gold medal in last year's tournament in Sweden.

Princeton's Veronneau Scores First NHL Goal

Former Princeton University All-America forward Max Veronneau has arrived in the National Hockey League. The Ottawa native scored his first career NHL goal in the Ottawa Senators' 5-4 loss at Vancouver on Wednesday, his third career NHL game. He made his league debut on March 14 in a 2-0 win over St. Louis, and picked up his first professional point with an assist in a 6-2 win against Toronto on March 16. He was held scoreless in last night's 5-1 loss at Calgary.

Veronneau signed with an Ottawa as a free agent after Princeton was eliminated from the ECAC  Hockey tournament by Brown University on March 16. He was one of the top scorers in the nation in 2017-18, when he finished with 55 points in helping the Tigers to the ECAC Hockey title plus the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 10 years. He left Princeton as one of the Tigers' top all-time scorers with 52 goals and 91 assists for 143 points in 130 appearances, after notching 13-23—36 points in 31 games as a senior.

A Tale of Two NCAA Netminders

A pair of former NCAA netminders made their NHL debuts against one another on Sunday night in Canada's capital city.

Mike Condon (Princeton) made 20 saves in earning his first NHL victory, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-1 win over Matthew O'Connor (Boston University) and the host Ottawa Senators.

“A lot of energy going into the game, but after that first shot comes, all the interior monologue just quiets down and all your training takes over,” said Condon to NHL.com afterwards. “After the first shot, I was just having some fun.”

A 6-foot-2 native of Needham, Mass., Condon went 23-19-0 with Hamilton (AHL) last season, after playing the previous season with Wheeling (ECHL). He recorded 18 victories at Princeton from 2009 to 2013, and also saw time with the former Houston Aeros AHL franchise after originally turning pro.

O' Connor, who made 31 stops for the Senators on Sunday, also made his professional debut that evening. He went 25-5-4 at BU last season, backstopping the Terriers to the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles, along with a national runner-up finish. A 6-foot-6 native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., he notched 40 wins from 2012 to 2015 at BU.

Senators Sign Turris to Five-Year Extension

The Ottawa Senators signed former University of Wisconsin star Kyle Turris to a five-year contract extension, as detailed today at NHL.com. Acquired by trade in December from Phoenix, who drafted him third overall in 2007, Turris has 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 186 career NHL games with the Sens and Coyotes.

Turris, 23, played one season of college hockey after he was drafted, and notched 11-24—35 points in 36 games with Wisconsin in 2007-08. He jumped to the pros right after the Badgers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in overtime by WCHA rival North Dakota. He played in his first three professional games with Phoenix that spring, recording an assist.

The New Westminster, B.C. native never seemed to find his NHL niche in the desert, although he did post 24-39—63 totals in 76 games with San Antonio (AHL) in 2009-10. He was a scoring machine in junior ‘A’ hockey in his native Canada, collecting 102-91—193 points in two seasons with Burnaby (BCHL) before enrolling at Wisconsin for one season.

Turris probably won’t be the last player to be signed to an extension in the next few weeks. The NHL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Sept. 15, and it’s been said that the owners will lock out the players as they did eight years ago if a new deal is not brokered by then.

Devils Sign Former UNH Sniper Butler

The New Jersey Devils, looking to replenish some firepower after losing former captain Zach Parise  to free agency this summer, yesterday signed former University of New Hampshire star Bobby Butler to a one-year, two-way contract.

Butler, 25, a native of Marlborough, Mass., was bought out by Ottawa in July after tallying six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 56 NHL games with the Senators last season. He registered 10-11--21 points in 2010-11 with Ottawa, and had 22-11--33 totals in 47 AHL games with its Binghamton affiliate that same winter.

“He signed a two-way (contract), so we’ll just see what develops, but he has the potential of being a top-six forward," said Devils President/GM Lou Lamoriello to The Record.

The six-foot, 180-pound forward, who prepped with the Boston Jr. Bruins before going to UNH, played four years for head coach Dick Umile and the Wildcats. He posted 61-60--121 points in 153 collegiate outings from 2006 to 2010, and helped the Wildcats to four NCAA Tournament berths and three Hockey East Association regular-season championships.

Butler definitely saved his best for last, notching 29-24--53 points in 39 contests as a senior while helping UNH to the 2009-10 Hockey East Association regular-season championship and the NCAA East Regional Final. He also earned Hockey East Player of the Year and First Team All-America accolades, and had two goals and one assist in a 6-2 regional semifinal win over Cornell.

Now he'll be looking to recapture some of his scoring magic in Newark.

“It’s going to be really up to him,” said Lamoriello. “He’ll be given every opportunity.”

Hagelin Wins NHL Fastest Skater Competition

Rookie forward Carl Hagelin of the New York Rangers, who played collegiately at the University of Michigan, won the Fastest Skater competition at the NHL All-Star Skills Challenge in Ottawa tonight. He completed the circuit in 13.218 seconds in the final against Ottawa's Colin Greening (13.303), a former Cornell University standout.

Hagelin, who played four years at Michigan (2007-2011) and helped the Wolverines to two Frozen Fours and one NCAA title game in his career, tallied 61 goals and 91 assists for 152 points in his collegiate career. A native of Sodertalje, Sweden, Hagelin made his professional debut last spring with Connecticut (AHL), where he also began the 2011-12 campaign.

Hagelin has posted 8-8—16 points in 29 NHL games with the Rangers, and will play for Team Alfreddson in Sunday's NHL All-Star Game.

Greening suited up for Cornell from 2006 to 2010, and collected 55-63—118 points in 137 career outings with the Big Red before apprenticing in Binghamton (AHL) to begin last season. He then joined Ottawa, notching 13 points in 24 games, and has 17 goals and 39 points in 52 contests so far this season with the Senators.

Greening, who hails from St. John's, Nfld. will skate for Team Chara on Sunday afternoon.

Sdao Article Up at USCHO.com

Got to talk with Princeton University junior Michael Sdao, an Ottawa Senators draft choice, on Jan. 13 at Hobey Baker Rink. He's currently one of the top-scoring blueliners in the ECAC. Story is now up at USCHO.com.

The first Princeton University player drafted by an NHL team since 2001, Sdao is currently leading all Tigers' defensemen in scoring. He has six goals and nine assists for 15 points, all career-highs, in his first 20 games this season.