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2022 NCAA Frozen Four Preview

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The culmination of the college hockey season has arrived. The “Frozen Four” is set to take place in Boston this weekend with the semifinal match-ups taking place tomorrow and the National Championship game on Saturday. While there are those who are understandably upset that there are somehow no New England teams to play in Boston, it truly is the best of the best at the end this year. Three No. 1 seeds advanced from their regional and the one outlier – Minnesota – was a No. 2 seed who had been a top-four ranked team for much of the second half of the season and arguably should have been a No. 1 seed. The four teams remaining were also the top four scoring offenses in college hockey this season. On top of that, all three Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalists are also still alive. Anyone could seize the title in what should be a great finale to the NCAA season.

Schedule

Thursday
Michigan vs. Denver, 5:00pm ET
Minnesota State vs. Minnesota, 8:30pm ET

Saturday
National Championship Game, 8:00pm ET

No. 1 Minnesota State

Record: 35-5-0
Accomplishments: NCAA Regular Season Champs, CCHA Tournament Champs, CCHA Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Nathan Smith (ARI), D Benton Maass (WSH)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: G Dryden McKay, F Julian Napravnik, D Akito Hirose

The Mavericks have basically been the wire-to-wire top team in the nation this season. Under head coach Mike Hastings, Minnesota State has made it to six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments but had struggled to advance past the first round, with many citing their strength of schedule as inflating their national ranking. That changed last season when the Mavericks made a run to the Frozen Four. This season, armed with a stronger non-conference schedule, Mankato was still No. 1 for the vast majority of the season and could finally be ready to take the title. While they aren’t as flashy on paper as the other remaining competitors and their prospect-laden lineups, Minnesota State had the best goal differential in the league this season, was second in defense, and tied with Michigan for second in power play efficiency. Veteran goaltender McKay was top five in the country in save percentage and goals against average and forwards Smith and Napravnik were both top five in points per game. Don’t underestimate the Mavericks.

No. 2 Michigan

Record: 29-9-1
Accomplishments: Big Ten Tournament Champs
NHL Prospects: D Owen Power (BUF), F Matty Beniers (SEA), D Luke Hughes (NJD), F Kent Johnson (CLB), F Mackie Samoskevich (FLA), F Brendan Brisson (VGK), F Johnny Beecher (BOS), F Thomas Bordeleau (SJS), G Erik Portillo (BUF), D Ethan Edwards (NJD), F Dylan Duke (TBL), D Jacob Truscott (VAN), F Eric Ciccolini (NYR)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: D Nick Blankenburg

The Wolverines entered this season as the championship favorites and have retained that title throughout, now heading into the Frozen Four. It is difficult to recall a more star-studded NCAA squad than the current Michigan roster, which includes a whopping seven first-round picks. Beniers has enjoyed one of the best all-around seasons of anyone in college hockey this season, while Johnson and Power both rank in the top five in assists per game. Yet, those three 2020-21 holdover who received so much draft hype last year are only the tip of the iceberg. Michigan can score with nearly anyone on the ice and Portillo can hold his own in net. They will be difficult to beat.

No. 3 Denver

Record: 27-9-1
Accomplishments: NCHC Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Bobby Brink (PHI), D Antti Tuomisto (DET), D Shai Buium (DET), D Sean Behrens (COL), F Carter Mazur (DET), D Michael Benning (FLA), F Carter Savoie (EDM), G Magnus Chrona (SJS), F Cole Guttman (TBL), F Brett Stapley (MTL), F McKade Webster (TBL), F Massimo Rizzo (CAR)
Notable 2022 NHL Draft Prospect: F Jack Devine

There is no question that the Pioneers are on the brink of greatness. Hobey Baker favorite Brink has been the most dynamic scorer in the nation this season, ranked first in points and assists per game by a significant margin. That’s not all that Denver has to offer though. Savoie is one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the NCAA, especially on the power play. Guttman is masterful at the face-off dot and a well-rounded weapon. The blue line is deep in NHL prospect talent. If the Pioneers have one weakness at this stage of the tournament, it could be starting goaltender Chrona, who simply hasn’t performed to the same level as his remaining counterparts. Yet, if any team can win in a high-scoring shootout with Michigan, it would be Denver.

No. 5 Minnesota

Record: 24-12-0
Accomplishments: Big Ten Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Chaz Lucius (WPG), D Ryan Johnson (BUF), D Jackson LaCombe (ANA), D Brock Faber (LAK), F Matthew Knies (TOR), F Tristan Broz (PIT), F Blake McLaughlin (ANA), F Aaron Huglen (BUF), D Jack Perbix (ANA), F Rhett Pitlick (MTL), D Mike Koster (TOR), D Ben Brinkman (DAL), F Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), F Sammy Walker (TBL)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: F Ben Meyers

Led by top free agent and Hobey Baker finalist Meyers, the Gophers actually have more NHL Draft prospects than Michigan or Denver. Meyers is sixth in the NCAA in points per game as he leads a Minnesota team that has found ways to win at every turn this season, including splitting the regular season series with Michigan. McLaughlin, Knies, and LaCombe have all had terrific seasons as well, and when healthy Lucius has been dangerous. Goaltender Justen Close has performed admirably since taking over for Jack LaFontaine (CAR) mid-season and is not the weakness that many expected him to be. The Gophers are a real threat to knock off Minnesota State on Thursday.

 

NCAA Notes: Marlies, UMass, Transfers, Smilanic

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first foray into the college hockey free agent market this year with a pair of AHL signings. The Toronto Marlies have announced that defenseman Michael Joyaux and forward Nolan Walker have been signed to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, as well as tryout deals for the remainder of this season. Joyaux, 25, may be an older prospect but is nevertheless coming off of his best collegiate season at Western Michigan with 32 points in 35 games, almost more than his first three years of scoring combined. As the Broncos marched to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Joyaux was one of the leaders with the second-most assists on the team, behind only standout free agent Drew Worrard and ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ronnie Attard. Defense is not Joyaux’s greatest strength, but the Leafs have been willing to take a shot on puck-moving college defensemen in recent years. Walker, 23, leaves St. Cloud State after four productive seasons, totaling 87 points in 135 games. Though Walker never topped his freshman season, when he made the NCHC All-Rookie Team with 27 points, the play-making forward has continued to develop his all-around game with the Huskies and appears ready for the next level.

  • Two members of the 2021 National Champion Massachusetts Minutemen are ready to begin their pro careers on amateur tryouts. Forward Oliver Chau, who actually joined Quinnipiac this season as a graduate transfer, has signed with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his college team announced. While Chau was critical to UMass’ run to a title last year, he had his best season to date with the Bobcats this year, finishing third on the talented team in scoring with 33 points in 42 games. Next up for the undersized forward is the challenge of translating his game to the pros. Goaltender Matt Murray is also on the move. After a full five years at UMass during which he recorded an excellent .629 winning percentage, .916 save percentage, 2.23 GAA, and 11 shutouts in 121 games, Murray is off to Texas. The AHL Stars announced that they have inked the experienced netminder to an ATO. While Murray had previously been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending development camps with the team, Murray opted not to land behind Filip Lindberg on the depth chart once again and should have more opportunity with Texas, where a contract offer seems likely.
  • The NCAA Transfer Portal is buzzing these days with numerous daily additions from the top ranks of college hockey. A few notable names have already found new homes for next season, including Chayse Primeau and Matthew Thiessen (VAN). Keith’s kid and Cayden’s brother, Primeau has been a big name and big scoring presence for Omaha the past four years. While he may have been able to draw an AHL contract this year, Primeau will instead take his talents to Notre Dame with his sights set on a breakout season and NHL contract instead. Omaha beat writer Jordan McAlpine reports that Primeau’s decision is made and he is bounf for South Bend. A consistent, hard-working forward with size and skill, Primeau has the pieces to be a difference maker for the Fighting Irish and perhaps in the pros down the road. Thiessen, a Canucks pick, hypothetically has an NHL contract waiting for him, but has failed to show much for a poor Maine team over the past three years. Statistically, Thiessen has not looked like a pro prospect thus far in his collegiate career and shouldn’t have drawn much attention on the portal. However, a thin goalie transfer market has created far more demand than supply and Thiessen’s draft pedigree has earned him a new home with a power house rather than a non-contender. The 21-year-old keeper is headed for Minnesota-Duluth, per his own announcement, and will have a good shot to be the starter with Ryan Fanti (EDM) turning pro, one 2021-22 backup graduating and the other having struggled this season. Perhaps a bounce back and renewed pro ambitions await for the Vancouver prospect.
  • The biggest transfer portal shock of the off-season arrived on Tuesday when Quinnipiac star Ty Smilanic (MTL) entered. Smilanic, 20, was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020 (though many considered him a first- or second-round talent) and was just recently a key piece of the Ben Chiarot deadline deal. Through two seasons at Quinnipiac, he has recorded 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games, finishing among the top scorers for a National Championship contender both years. It seemed like 2022-23 could have been a breakout campaign for Smilanic at QU too; playing behind several veteran players over the past two years who will all be gone next season, Smilanic would have had the opportunity to take over. Instead, he will look elsewhere – and will receive considerable attention – for what could be just one final NCAA season.

Devon Levi Returning To Northeastern

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According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, goalie prospect Devon Levi has informed the organization that he intends to return to Northeastern University for his junior season (link). Though it had not been confirmed, the general belief had been that Levi would return to Northeastern instead of opting to turn pro and sign with Buffalo. As much as the Sabres would like to have the goaltender enter their organization now and learn the business of being a professional hockey player, the move seems to make sense for Levi, who can have another year of development at the NCAA level, another year of education at Northeastern, and another chance at a national title.

Also of note for the 20-year-old is that turning pro would not necessarily mean a regular role with the Buffalo Sabres, and a likely trip to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for at least a year. Although professional could benefit Levi, another year at Northeastern may ultimately be more appealing while still allowing him to develop.

Selected in the seventh-round by Florida in 2020, 212th overall, Levi has been a standout in college. After missing his Freshman year due to injury, Levi burst onto the scene this season as a Sophomore, boasting a .952 save-percentage and 1.54 goals-against average over 32 games. Time will tell how the young goaltender develops, but his return to Northeastern does not make him any less a part of the Sabres’ future plans.

Yaniv Perets Staying At Quinnipiac For 2022-23

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One of the stories of the NCAA season was the goaltending at Quinnipiac, where Yaniv Perets stepped into the spotlight in a big way. The undrafted 22-year-old netminder posted a 22-5-2 record, .939 save percentage, and record-breaking 1.17 goals-against average, all in his first real action on the college stage. Perets had just two appearances in 2020-21–though he did stop all 12 shots he faced.

Some may have looked at those numbers and wondered whether the young netminder would leave the collegiate scene after such an outstanding season, but he’ll be heading back according to the Quinnipiac Chronicle. That’s great news for the program, but also for Perets, who despite his success still certainly has work to do if he’s to become a legitimate NHL prospect.

The plan for 2020-21 was to go back to the BCHL, where he had dominated the year prior, but given the COVID restrictions that ultimately canceled the season, he ended up joining the Quinnipiac program late in the year. Since they already had Keith Petruzzelli there as a Hobey Baker-candidate starter, there wasn’t much action for any other netminder. In fact, Perets’ 32 minutes of gameplay was actually second for all Quinnipiac goaltenders–Petruzzelli logged 1,716.

It wasn’t quite that lopsided this year, with Dylan St. Cyr receiving a handful of starts, but make no mistake the Quinnipiac net belongs to Perets. In fact, he put up his own Hobey Baker-level season, ending as a Top Ten finalist last month. If 2022-23 brings more of the same success, you can bet NHL teams will certainly be picking up the phone next spring. Whether he decides to turn pro at that point remains to be seen, but his name will certainly be on the minds of many watching the undrafted college free agent ranks.

College Notes: Transfer Portal, Lucius, Ford

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A pair of NHL-drafted prospects have entered the NCAA’s transfer portal as Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports (Twitter link) that Blackhawks defenseman Slava Demin and Michigan State forward Josh Nodler are looking for new schools for next season.  It’s actually the second year in a row that Demin, a 2018 fourth-round pick, has been in the portal as the senior transferred from Denver to UMass for this season but had just three points in 22 games.  Meanwhile, Nodler, a 2019 fifth-rounder, had 15 points in 36 games with Michigan State and will now look for a new place to play in the hopes of having a bigger role for his senior year to help his chances of getting an NHL contract from the Flames or someone else.

More college hockey news:

  • Jets prospect Chaz Lucius is expected to remain at the University of Minnesota for his sophomore year, notes Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. The 18-year-old was the 18th-overall pick in 2021 and had 19 points in 24 games before suffering a lower-body injury in February that ended his season early.  While Winnipeg will need some cheaper forwards to balance out the bigger deals they have, turning Lucius pro after that short of a college career would have been risky.
  • Undrafted forward Parker Ford will return to Providence for his senior year instead of turning pro, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old finished third on the Friars in scoring this season with 27 points in 38 games which undoubtedly would have had him on the radar for some teams.  Instead, he’ll stay in college for one more season before making the jump to the pros.

Atlantic Notes: Lundell, Stapley, Berggren

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The Panthers welcomed back a key player back to the lineup for today’s game against New Jersey as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated center Anton Lundell off IR.  The rookie had missed close to a month with a lower-body injury but still sits sixth in rookie scoring with 38 points in 52 games.  More importantly to Florida, Lundell will be a big boost to their penalty kill as he leads all of their forwards in shorthanded ice time per game which is an area that the Panthers will be looking to shore up down the stretch.  Having their top forward in that regard back should only help their cause.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • At this point, it does not appear as if the Canadiens will be signing college prospect Brett Stapley, reports Mathias Brunet of La Presse. The 23-year-old center will be wrapping up his college career next week with Denver and has picked up 41 points in 39 games for the Pioneers this season, putting him in the top 20 of NCAA Division I scoring.  If Montreal doesn’t sign the 2018 seventh-rounder, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on August 16th.
  • While Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren has impressed in his first season in North America, there appears to be some hesitance in bringing him up for the stretch run. As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press points out, Detroit’s farm team in Grand Rapids is still battling for a playoff spot in the minors and it appears the organization may be prioritizing that as being more valuable than a handful of NHL games to finish off this season.  The 21-year-old sits second on the Griffins in scoring with 44 points in 57 games.

Minor Transactions: 04/02/22

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The NHL Trade Deadline has passed, but key transactions continue to occur. The college free agent market is still going strong with NCAA standouts landing NHL and AHL contracts, while many leagues in Europe are already deep into the postseason with eliminated teams signing extensions and conversely allowing some notable names to become free agents. So while it may seem like the deadline puts an end to all important transactions until the offseason, there are still plenty of “minor” moves worth paying attention to:

  • The Boston Bruins have been busy in the college free agent market, signing Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin to an entry-level contract (he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday), as well as Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi and inking Ohio State defenseman Grant Gabriele to an AHL contract. They are back at it again, announcing a one-year AHL contract for 2022-23 and interim PTO for Omaha forward Joseph Abate. Abate, 23, is leaving college a year early to pursue his pro career. A defensive specialist, Abate only produced 32 points in 85 NCAA games but plays a physical checking game, excelled at the faceoff dot this season, and brings deceptive speed. A project for the Bruins, Abate will be groomed in Providence to potentially play a fourth line role down the road. Interestingly, Abate played junior hockey with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms with fellow Bruins prospects Curtis Hall, Trevor Kuntar, and Riley Duran. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have dipped into the college free agent pool, as their Silver counterparts in AHL Henderson announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract for North Dakota forward Connor Ford. A highly sought-after graduate transfer out of Bowling Green, where he played with fellow Knights prospect Brandon Kruse, Ford joined the Fighting Hawks this season and continued to produce. An incredibly consistent scorer through five NCAA season, the 24-year-old Ford appears to have the mature game that will translate to the pros. Ford finished second in scoring for North Dakota behind only Riese Gaber. Vegas certainly won’t mind if signing Ford help to convince the undrafted sophomore sensation Gaber to turn pro and sign with the Knights this year or even down the road.
  • Another NCAA addition is arriving in Lehigh Valley, as the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract with Notre Dame captain Adam Karashik. Karashik, 24, actually played in his first season with the Fighting Irish this season as a graduate transfer, but was named captain based on his veteran leadership and experience and the ability he displayed in four years at UConn. Karashik had always played a sound defensive game on the blue line, but took his offensive game to new heights this season with 16 points, matching his previous three seasons combined. A two-way, right-handed defenseman with a well-developed game, Karashik is a nice piece for the Flyers’ pipeline.
  • Moving overseas, NHL veteran Joakim Ryan isn’t rushing back to the NHL after a year away in Sweden. Instead, the 28-year-old has signed a one-year extension with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the team announced. While Ryan was on an NHL contract for all six of his first pro seasons, including playing 41+ NHL games twice, his value had tailed off before he departed for his native Sweden this past offseason. While he could likely still find a depth role in the NHL, no one will blame him for sticking with Malmo for another year after he emerged as a star for the team in 2021-22. Ryan recorded 31 points in 52 games, second on the team and a top-five mark among SHL defensemen.

More to come…

2022 Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists Announced

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With the collegiate hockey season coming to a close, the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been announced. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2014, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher, and Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact but still became NHL regulars after winning from 2016-18.

2019’s winner was University of Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar, who has gone on to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie and is now dominating the league with the Colorado Avalanche. In 2020 the award was given to Scott Perunovich, who is dealing with some unfortunate injury issues to start his career but still looks like a future contributor to the St. Louis Blues blueline.

In 2021, Cole Caufield took home the award after leading the nation in scoring at the University of Wisconsin. Caufield made an immediate impact by helping the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final a few months later and, while struggling early this season, is now back to his scoring ways under new coaching.

The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.

Earlier this year, 77 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and ten finalists were announced earlier this month. Those ten players have been narrowed to just three, your Hat Trick Finalists.

Bobby Brink – University of Denver (Philadelphia Flyers)

The 34th overall selection in 2019, Brink has shown once again that if you give him a chance to get acclimated to a new league, he’ll dominate it. The DU junior had 14 goals and 56 points in just 39 games, blowing by his total from the first two years of his college career. Listed at just 5’9″ 166-lbs, he led the entire nation in scoring on both a total and per-game basis, and now has Denver into the Frozen Four. They’ll take on Michigan on April 7, a game that will have general managers all across the NHL waiting by their phones to call up whichever prospects are eliminated.

Dryden McKay – Minnesota State University-Mankato (undrafted)

McKay is a Hat Trick Finalist for the second year in a row, after losing the award to Caufield in 2021. His placement this year will certainly come with some raised eyebrows because of the performance that Devon Levi had, but there’s no doubt that McKay was once again one of the most valuable players in the country. Undrafted, the 24-year-old netminder put up a .934 save percentage in 41 games, winning 37 of them. If he can win a national championship, his college career will go down as one of the best of all time. McKay has gone 112-19-4 with a .932 save percentage over his four seasons and will have plenty of interest from clubs when he’s eliminated, even if he isn’t quite the prototypical NHL goaltender build.

Ben Meyers – University of Minnesota (undrafted)

Captain of the Golden Gophers, Olympian, and sixth-leading scorer in the nation, Meyers has come a long way since the undersized forward that barely got drafted into the USHL. Despite doubters at every level, he continues to improve and will now be a huge focus for NHL teams next month. In 33 games this season he had 17 goals and 41 points, while adding another four points in four Olympic games with Team USA. While he technically could return for a senior season, it’s going to be difficult to turn down the offers that come his way in a few weeks–especially if a good number of other Minnesota players decide to turn pro.

Boston University Fires Head Coach Albie O’Connell

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The Boston University Terriers made waves in the college hockey world today without even making the NCAA Tournament. As first reported by ESPN’s John Buccigross, BU has made the decision to fire head coach Albie O’Connell. In a release, athletic director Drew Marochello noted that it was a “difficult decision” to move on from O’Connell, but cited the historic program’s “high expectations” for why a change was needed. This is the first time in nearly 50 years that BU has fired their head men’s hockey coach, following the legendary 40-year run of Jack Parker, who retired 2013, and the short, but successful run of David Quinn, who left for the New York Rangers in 2018.

In some ways, this is a surprising move for the Terriers. O’Connell, 45, has deep ties to the university. He was a four-year starter for the team from 1995 to 1999, during which time they finished first in the Hockey East regular season standings three times. As a sophomore, O’Connell helped lead the team to a conference championship and a run to the National Championship game. As a senior, he took on the role of captain and led the team in scoring. After a brief stint playing professionally, O’Connell got into coaching in 2002 and worked as an assistant at Niagara, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Northeastern, and Harvard before returning to BU in 2014 under Quinn. When Quinn left for the NHL, O’Connell was promoted to head coach in a move that seemed obvious at the time. Yet, he was only given four seasons at the helm – two of which were impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic – before being shown the door. In that time, the Terriers appeared in the national rankings among the top 20 teams in the country 29 times, made an NCAA Tournament, and just this year won the coveted Beanpot title.

However, in many other ways this move should come as no surprise at all. At Boston University, 29 top-20 appearances over 96 weekly rankings and one NCAA Tournament appearance is nothing to hang your hat on. The expectations for the team are much higher than that, especially as O’Connell has continued to use the Terrier name to recruit elite talent like Joel Farabee, Drew Commesso (CHI), Luke Tuch (MTL), transfer Jay O’Brien (PHI) and a 2019 recruiting class that was arguably the best in college hockey, including Trevor Zegras, Alex Vlasic, Robert Mastrosimone (DET), and this season’s leading scorer, Domenick Fensore (CAR). That talent was largely squandered as O’Connell’s squads lost in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs two out of three years, winning just one game total, and lost in the first round of their lone NCAA Tournament appearance. With his job on the line this season, O’Connell checked both boxes of what coaches want to avoid: he started slow, dropping out of the national rankings by Week 5, and he ended poorly, falling from No. 13 in Week 19 to back outside the top 20 by the final week of the season. That season-ending slump combined with an early conference tournament exit cost BU any chance at an NCAA Tournament appearance this season and likely was the last straw for O’Connell, even though things were looking up mid-season.

The main reason that the decision to move on from O’Connell is not a shock is that BU planned in advance. The forecoming change was all but telegraphed this summer when the Terriers hired Jay Pandolfo as associate head coach. Pandolfo had been an assistant with the Boston Bruins but made the unorthodox decision to make a lateral move but to the collegiate level, a move that only made sense if there was a chance that Pandolfo could take over as head coach of his alma mater. After all, why else would a young assistant coaching for his hometown team and who had received NHL head coach consideration previously drop down to the NCAA? It seemed all but certain that Pandolfo was being groomed to replace O’Connell in the event that this season did not go as planned for the Terriers. That seems to be the case and while there has been no announcement of O’Connell’s successor, anyone but Pandolfo being named the next BU head coach would be much more stunning than the firing itself.

As for O’Connell, the well-traveled coach will land on his feet. O’Connell was a decorated college player, has worked for six different Division I teams, and still has moderate success as a head coach to lean on. O’Connell also exceled in recruiting, a crucial part of coaching in the NCAA, even if the talent didn’t come together as hoped on the ice. Whether he finds a head coaching job somewhere with lower expectations that perennial contention for a National Championship or signs on as an assistant for a top program, O’Connell should be back in college hockey in no time.

Kings Sign David Hrenak And Andre Lee

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The Kings have signed one of their college prospects as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed goaltender David Hrenak to a one-year, entry-level deal.  The contract will be for the 2022-23 season and will carry an AAV of $925K.  Later in the evening, the team confirmed Hrenak’s deal while also announcing a two-year, entry-level pact for Andre Lee.

Hrenak, 23, was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2018 (144th overall) and recently wrapped up his college career at St. Cloud State.  This season, Hrenak played in 31 games for the Huskies, posting a 2.26 GAA with a .914 SV% (both career bests) along with a shutout.  Unfortunately, his season came to a disappointing end as he had been hospitalized with pneumonia and was only cleared to dress in case of emergency for their first-round appearance in the Frozen Four tournament, one that they eventually lost to Quinnipiac.

Hrenak will join AHL Ontario on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of this season, allowing him to get his feet wet in the pros.  Los Angeles has a pair of AHL netminders on expiring contracts in Garret Sparks (pending UFA) and Matt Villalta (pending RFA) so while the crease may be crowded for the Reign down the stretch, that won’t likely be the case for 2022-23 as at first glance, Hrenak could be taking Sparks’ place on that roster.

As for Lee, he was a seventh-round selection of the Kings in 2019 (188th overall).  He just finished up his junior year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell where he put up career highs in goals (16) and points (28) while tying his career best in assists with 12 in 28 games.  A 6’5 center, Lee will also be joining Ontario on an ATO agreement for the rest of the season before his contract begins in 2022-23.

Los Angeles also announced that they have re-assigned forward Samuel Helenius to Ontario from JYP of the SM-liiga while they’ve inked defenseman Kim Nousiainen to an ATO agreement.  Helenius, a second-round pick in 2021, had three goals and six assists in 49 games in Finland’s top league while Nousianen, an unsigned 2019 fourth-rounder, had 14 points in 35 games with KalPa in Finland.

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