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Jack Rathbone Taking Time On NHL Decision

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When the NCAA season was suddenly ended when the Frozen Four tournament was canceled, a whole other group of players became eligible for NHL contracts. The question during this league “pause” becomes how a contract would even be filed and whether a player could negotiate a deal  that starts this season to burn the first year of entry-level status. Those uncertainties and many others make it very easy to understand any hesitation on the part of college players, meaning it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Rick Dhaliwal of TSN reported today that Jack Rathbone will take his time deciding whether or not to sign with the Vancouver Canucks.

Rathbone, 20, was a fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Canucks and has had two excellent seasons at Harvard. Registering 31 points in 28 games this season he was the highest-scoring defenseman on his team, ahead of lauded New Jersey Devils draft pick Reilly Walsh.

With Quinn Hughes making such an impact in his first season in the NHL, the Canucks’ defensive group already has huge upside for the next decade. Adding in players like Rathbone will only provide some depth behind that star power, especially if they happen to lose Chris Tanev in free agency.

To be sure, it would be hard to expect Rathbone stepping directly into the NHL. But after two excellent seasons at a top program like Harvard, he’d certainly be on a strong development path.

U18 World Championship, Frozen Four Canceled

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The fallout from the coronavirus outbreak continues, this time to the amateur ranks. The IIHF U18 World Championship and the NCAA Frozen Four have both been cancelled for this year. The U18 event was set to be held later this month in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan while the Frozen Four tournament is part of a wider swath of cancelations from the NCAA. The OHL Cup, the top midget hockey tournament and the prime location for junior hockey teams to scout upcoming talent, has also been canceled.

While not unexpected, these moves will once again have an indirect effect on the NHL as teams can no longer scout the next wave of prospects. The Frozen Four especially is a chance for undrafted collegiate talent to showcase their skills, while the U18 event is always attended by scouts from every NHL organization.

One event still technically on the calendar is the IIHF Men’s World Championship, which is normally attended by NHL players that have been eliminated from the postseason. That tournament is set to start in eight weeks, but could obviously face the same fate.

Minor College Signings: O’Leary, Beaudoin, Michigan State

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While many of the NCAA’s elite can jump right into an NHL contract, and sometimes the NHL itself, the majority must work their way up through the pro ranks. Minor league contracts and amateur tryout (ATO) contracts are common at this time of year and after a number of those deals were signed yesterday, a few more rolled in today:

  • From preseason contender to unranked and out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, it was a season to forget for Notre Dame. However, senior forward Mike O’Leary enjoyed the best campaign of his collegiate career, recording 23 points in 37 games. The two-way winger is now on his way to the AHL, signing a contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
  • Another four-year starter up front has found a spot in the pros. Brown senior Brent Beaudoin will stay close to home, joining the ECHL’s Worcester Railers. The New Hampshire native recorded 14 points in 31 games to lead all Brown forwards in scoring.
  • Perhaps the best team to have already called it a year, Michigan State sent Patrick Khodorenko to the New York Rangers yesterday and today saw fellow seniors Logan Lambdin and Butrus Ghafari head to the ECHL. Lamdin will stay nearby, as he has inked a deal with the Kalamazoo Wings. Meanwhile, Ghafari joins the Toledo Walleye. The Lebanese-American defender was a dominating stay-at-home presence at times this year.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Patrick Khodorenko

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The New York Rangers aren’t going to let the Pittsburgh Penguins be the only team signing college free agents. While they may watch Drew O’Connor head to Pittsburgh, the Rangers have agreed to terms with  Patrick Khodorenko. He will sign a three-year entry-level contract which begins during the 2020-21 season and will report to the Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season.

The 21-year old forward just finished his senior season with the Michigan State Spartans, in which he scored 16 goals and 33 points. Khodorenko, who was born in Walnut Creek, California, has been a consistent presence in the lineup for the Spartans and has 120 points across 143 NCAA games. Like O’Connor, there was plenty of NHL interest in the Michigan State forward but he looks like he’ll go to an organization known for getting the best out of the college ranks.

New York is always mining the college free agent ranks, with recent players like Neal Pionk, Jimmy Vesey and Vinni Lettieri all choosing them as the destination to start their professional careers. With so much positivity surrounding the club and their direction right now, it’s hard to blame any young player for wanting to be a part of the rebuild.

Minor College Signings: Zimmer, Lodermeier, Giuttari

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While some college players will step right out of the NCAA and into professional organizations under NHL contracts, many others will have to go another route. Those who aren’t able to secure an NHL deal right away can jump into the minor leagues under amateur tryout (ATO) contracts, trying to prove they can produce at the higher level. There have been several of those today:

  • Max Zimmer from the University of Wisconsin has signed an ATO with the Charlotte Checkers, now that his NCAA career is over. In four years with the Badgers, Zimmer totaled 45 points in 115 games. A 2016 fourth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, his draft rights will expire in August.
  • Derek Lodermeier has inked his ATO with the Manitoba Moose, following four years at the University of Vermont. The 25-year old forward had just 11 points in his senior season but has served as captain since 2018.
  • Zach Giuttari from Brown University has signed an ATO with the Hartford Wolf Pack, giving him a chance to play in the AHL after four years in the NCAA. The undrafted defenseman served as captain for the team this season, scoring 15 points in 31 games.
  • Sometimes it isn’t even the AHL, as Matt Alvaro and Nick Hutchison have found out. The two collegiate forwards have signed with the Orlando Solar Bears and Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL respectively. Alvaro is coming off four years at the University of Vermont, while Hutchison recently completed his senior season at Canisius College.

Snapshots: College Free Agents, Ceci, Perunovich

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While we have to way until July to get any free agent action among NHL players, the college season will be ending a little sooner. The end of the line for the best NCAA players means a feeding frenzy for NHL organizations, who will be snapping up talent in the hopes that they can step directly into the professional ranks. With that in mind, Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down five names who are on the radar.

The top name as expected for most of the season is Connor Mackey, who has drawn plenty of speculation over the years. Seravalli reports that 28 of the league’s 31 teams have shown interest in Mackey, including nine that apparently are willing to sign him to an NHL contract this season—allowing him to burn the first year of the entry-level deal he will be restricted to. Remember, to do that the team must have an empty slot under their 50-contract limit, something that the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning currently do not.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs, who will surely be one of the team showing interest in the college defenseman, are getting back one of their own blueliners. Cody Ceci has been activated from injured reserve, adding some more experience to a group that has very little at the moment. The Maple Leafs have been forced to play Travis Dermott, Rasmus Sandin, Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen all at the same time, a quintet that has 291 games of NHL experience between them. Ceci, for all his faults, has played in 494.
  • Speaking of college defensemen, the St. Louis Blues are monitoring one of their own draft picks very closely in Scott Perunovich, who is having another outstanding season for the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the situation and exactly what options Perunovich will have after his year is done. Rutherford points out that there may not be a ton of opportunity right away in St. Louis, which has many speculating about whether the dynamic defenseman will try to find a different destination to start his professional career.

Canadiens To Recommend Cole Caufield Stay At Wisconsin

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One of the most hyped players coming out of the 2019 NHL Draft, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield would be in the NHL as soon as possible. A record-breaking goal-scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Caufield had committed to the University of Wisconsin, but most believed that the 15th overall pick would be one-and-done after his freshman campaign. In fact, it was not outside the realm of possibility that Caufield could have made his NHL debut later this season had the Canadiens made the playoffs.

However, things have not gone according to plan for any of the parties involved. Montreal is not a playoff team, the Wisconsin Badgers are not the national contender that many expected them to be, and Caufield is not ready for the NHL, reports Mathias Brunet of La Presse. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin tells Brunet that he will recommend that Caufield remain at Wisconsin for another year:

Cole Caufield is having a good year. But, in our eyes, he is not ready. We will make a decision at the end of the year. If he really wants to leave college, we won’t force him, but we’ll recommend that he stay [at Wisconsin]. That doesn’t mean it’s a disappointment. We aim for the best in long-term development.

Bergevin would go on to say that playing for the AHL’s Laval Rocket next season would also be a possibility for Caufield next season, but he feels that even that would be a challenge. While Caufield’s offensive ability is apparent, Bergevin notes that the young sniper’s play without the puck has a long way to go, and that is a crucial part of competing at the pro level. He adds that over-inflated media expectations for the likes of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling have hurt those players’ development in the eyes of the team and they hope to prevent the same fate for Caufield. While the slow play could be disappointing to Montreal fans, especially as they look to the future during another disappointing season, is it always better not to rush a young player, especially if the team honestly feels that he is not ready to make the jump.

This news will be received much differently in Madison than it is in Montreal. Assuming Caufield stays at Wisconsin, Badgers fans can hold out hope that an NCAA title run may still be possible. This season has been disappointing from a team perspective, but Caufield has been stellar in his freshman season, leading the team with 19 goals and 35 points in 33 games. Fellow freshman standout Alex Turcotte, selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings last year, is not confirmed to be returning next season, nor is sophomore defenseman and 2018 first-rounder K’Andre Miller (NYR). However, if the trio stays put, the likes of Dylan Holloway (2020), Owen Lindmark (FLA), Ty Emberson (ARI), and Ryder Donovan (VGK) take a step forward, and incoming recruit Cameron Rowe (2020) helps to repair the poor results in net, then the Badgers could do a better job of meeting expectations in the 2020-21 season.

 

College Hockey Round-Up: 02/26/20

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With just one or two weekends left in the regular season for NCAA programs, every game counts a little more as teams are jockeying for position in their conference tournaments. The Big Ten, ECAC, WCHA, and Atlantic kick off their tournament play on March 6th, while Hockey East and the NCHC play an extra week of regular season matchups and get underway on March 13th. The winners of each tournament get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, while the rest of the field is selected based on the national rankings.

In the Big Ten, all seven teams make the postseason and preseason favorite Wisconsin already has the sad distinction of locking up the bottom seed and a meeting with the second seed in the first round. All other spots are still up for grabs, but the conferences only ranked teams – No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 Ohio State, and No. 18 Minnesota – are the only ones left in the running for the coveted first-round bye.

In Hockey East, only eight of eleven teams make the tournaments and Vermont and Merrimack have already been eliminated from contention. That leaves nine teams, all within a nine-point range and having two-to-four games remaining, to battle for seeding in what should be an excellent conference tournament.

The WCHA uses a similar structure as Hockey East, allowing eight of their ten teams into the tournament. It’s a good thing too, as this past weekend showed that the likes of No. 2 Minnesota State and current WCHA bottom-dweller Alabama-Huntsville do not need a playoff series to determine who is better. In fact, the balance of power in the conference is so much that a tournament win by anyone other than Minnesota State or No. 11 Bemidji State would be a major upset and would cause a shift in the NCAA Tournament landscape.

The NCHC has the same 1-8 format, except that the conference only houses eight teams. No team has locked up a specific seed yet, but the field is deep behind No. 3 North Dakota, No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, No. 6 Denver, No. 16 Western Michigan, and unranked but formidable St. Cloud State.

The ECAC also allows all 12 of its teams to compete in the conference tournament, with the top four seeds earning a bye. It is clear that No. 1 Cornell and No. 7 Clarkson will be among that top quartet, but the likes of No. 17 Quinnipiac, Harvard, and surprise Rensselaer will battle for the final two byes this week.

Finally, there is Atlantic Hockey, the spoiler conference. The tournament winner, often a surprise, is also almost always outside the top 16 seeds, causing a shakeup to the national tourney. This year, either one of No. 20 American International or previously ranked Sacred Heart could potentially hold their own on the NCAA, but they will be bumping a better team nevertheless.

Recent Results

There has been another shift at the top of the national rankings in recent weeks. Despite sweeping No. 6 Denver two weeks ago, North Dakota drops to No. 3 after recording a tie and a loss against St. Cloud State this past weekend. In their stead, Cornell moves back up to No. 1 with four wins over four different ECAC opponents, while Minnesota State slides into No. 2 with just two wins but a whopping 18-0 differential against Alabama Huntsville.

Boston College established itself as both a true national contender and the team to beat out of Hockey East this year with a convincing four-win stretch over Merrimack and No. 13 Northeastern. Northeastern fans may be scratching their heads a bit, as the team currently sits one spot behind No. 12 UMass Lowell, who they swept two weeks ago and who picked up just one win in their most recent home-and-home against No. 8 UMass. One way or another, these four programs seem like a lock for the national stage barring a collapse in the final weeks or the conference tournament. The real question is whether No. 15 Maine or the severely slumping No. 19 Providence College can get into the NCAA Tournament on merit or if they will have to win Hockey East to get in, like UConn and Boston University must do.

The Big Ten’s top teams finally appear to be turning things around. While a 2-1-1 record in recent weeks is not stunning, it was enough for Penn State to move up to No. 9. Meanwhile, Ohio State has climbed to No. 10 following a sweep of Michigan State. Quietly, No. 18 Minnesota has also climbed into the national conversation, but will need a strong final week and conference tourney showing to get in.

Three ranked teams that currently qualify as wild cards right now are No. 11 Bemidji State, No. 14 Arizona State, and No. 20 America International. Bemidji has been moving up the rankings for some time now, but a recent 3-0-1 run has catapulted them to right outside the top-ten. Yet, when it comes to evaluating the weak competition of the WCHA, there’s a chance that Bemidji could be a bubble team if they don’t at least reach the conference tournament final against Minnesota State. Arizona State, an independent, must get into the NCAA Tournament on merit, but a recent sweep by Wisconsin to end their regular season doesn’t help. A spoiler or two in conference tournaments seems likely to bounce ASU, as they now have to sit back and be at the mercy of other teams for the next few weeks. Finally, there’s American International, the newest addition to the national rankings. AIC has won eleven straight games and will only move up the rankings further if they close out the regular season by extending that streak. However, the team plays in the weakest conference in college hockey and are 0-6 in nonconference play this season. Barring a drop-off from several top teams over the next few weeks, AIC will very likely need to win the Atlantic to move on with their season.

Tyler Madden Out Indefinitely

When it comes to college prospects, this year’s NHL Trade Deadline was somewhat of a bust. Of all the deals made, only two current NCAA prospects were dealt and zero NCAA-bound prospects were moved. Denver defenseman Slava Demin was traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the three-team Robin Lehner trade, but the sophomore blue liner is still somewhat of a raw product and his acquisition did not move the needle on the national scale. However, the Los Angeles Kings’ acquisition of Northeastern star Tyler Madden is a much bigger deal. Madden, acquired in the Tyler Toffoli deal, is one of the very best goal scorers in the NCAA. The sophomore forward has 37 points in 27 games this season, which places him in the top five of per-game producers at the college level. His 19 goals also places him in the top ten. Madden just recently helped the Huskies win their third straight Beanpot title and has a strong chance of leading the team in scoring this season.

However, his current totals will likely have to hold for the rest of the year. Madden suffered a hand injury on Friday, February 14th against UMass Lowell, just two days before his rights were traded to L.A. Head coach Jim Madigan announced last week that Madden is out indefinitely, while other sources have stated that the timeline is six-to-eight weeks. The early end of that timeline would allow Madden to return in time for the NCAA Tournament, but the latter would only allow him to play in a potential Final Four appearance. Judging by how Northeastern played against Boston College this past weekend, dropping both games and the second by a score of 10-1, the Huskies will have to fight just to get into the national tournament and a long run seems like a long shot. Fortunately, even if he misses the remainder of the campaign, Madden is expected back at Northeastern next year even after his trade to the Kings and will be looking to re-assert himself as one of the best players in college hockey and his team as a national contender.

Bids Placed For Future Frozen Fours

The bidding on hosting the Frozen Four in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 closed earlier this month and featured some interesting locations. This year’s Frozen Four is set to return to Detroit for the first time since 2010, while the next two years are set for familiar cities in Pittsburgh and Boston. However, a new name seems likely to host in the coming years: Las Vegas. After hosting holiday tournaments over the past few years, the city is hoping to move up to the biggest NCAA stage by hosting the Final Four. The games would take place at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. Another city itching for a return to the grand stage of college hockey is St. Louis. The 2007 hosts have been frequent bidders in recent years, but now the home of the defending Stanley Cup champs and this year’s NHL All-Star Game have as good a chance as ever. Columbus would also like to get in on the action. The city last hosted in 2005, but on the campus of Ohio State. This time around, Blue Jackets’ home of Nationwide Arena would be the epicenter of the action, while college town atmosphere would still be present. Perhaps the most exciting opportunity could be the bid from Seattle, which has the support of the NCHC. Soon to be the NHL’s newest city, a Frozen Four in Seattle would only further the growth of the hockey fan base in the area. Among other bids were Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

West Notes: McDavid, Kuemper, Holland, Lehner, Samberg, Simmonds

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting back a familiar face in Connor McDavid as the team announced the star forward returns tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. That might be perfect timing with Edmonton barely holding onto third place by just one point, although they are also just one point away from second place. McDavid has missed six games with a quadriceps injury.

In fact, it looks like McDavid will be teamed with Sam Gagner and Alex Chiasson for Sunday’s game and is expected to join the power play. McDavid has 31 goals and 81 points through 55 games this year and should be able to add some extra offense for the Oilers for the team’s stretch run. The Oilers have gone 3-2-1 without their star player.

  • It looks like the Arizona Coyotes will get a significant boost to their team as well. The Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL from his conditioning stint. The netminder has been out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 19. He was close to a comeback several weeks ago, but suffered a setback. Kuemper played Saturday for Tucson, stopping 26 of 28 shots, and looks ready to join the Coyotes’ lineup. Kuemper was one of the top goaltenders in the league before his injury, posting a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
  • NHL.com’s Tim Campbell writes that Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland isn’t interested in moving the team’s 2020 first-round pick just to add a piece to the team at the trade deadline. Edmonton is currently one point out of second place in the Pacific Division, but the GM is resistant to moving such a pick, considering the team is still building. “I’m hoping that we can compete for a playoff spot and more on an every-year basis,” said Holland. “You can’t be in the trading game every deadline, well maybe with secondary pieces, but you can’t trade first-round picks [every year].”
  • The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that while the Chicago Blackhawks have discussed trading goaltender Robin Lehner to the Carolina Hurricanes after the team lost both their goaltenders Saturday night. However, the scribe adds that at this moment, Carolina considers Chicago’s asking price for the goaltender far too high. However, both teams will continue to talk up to the trade deadline on Monday.
  • In an interview with the Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Billeck, University of Minnesota-Duluth defenseman and Winnipeg Jets’ 2017 second-rounder Dylan Samberg, said that he is focused on winning a third-straight NCAA championship. However, he also said, after that, he has every intention of joining the Winnipeg Jets after his season is complete. The Jets were hoping the 6-foot-4, 215-pound blueliner would sign with the team last summer where he would have likely played a significant role with Winnipeg this year. However, Sampson would like to help his school be the first to win three straight national titles. “They took a chance on me, they wanted me for a reason and I respect that,” said Samberg. “I respect the organization, they have a lot of great people, and it’s not that far from home, which is nice. I want to eventually get to the Jets.”
  • TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks are no longer in the running for New Jersey Devils forward Wayne Simmonds. There was a time that Vancouver was quite interesting in adding the veteran leader to their roster, but the team is evidently looking in a different direction.

College Hockey Round-Up: 02/13/20

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While the NCAA Tournament is obviously the culmination and highlight of the college hockey season, another timeless tournament draws nearly as much attention each year. The annual Beanpot tournament sees each of Boston’s four historic college hockey programs square off and it is always a good battle. This year was no different. Coming off back-to-back Beanpot wins, No. 12 Northeastern took down No. 18 Harvard in the first game of the tourney on Monday, February 3rd. However, the second game, which featured arguably the best rivalry in college hockey, was an overtime thriller in which Boston University overcame two two-goal deficits to beat No. 7 Boston College. BU was right back into an extra time battle in the final this past Monday, February 10. Yet another 4-4 tie went to OT, but this time the Terriers did not come out on top. Jordan Harris’ (MTL) power play goal lifted the Huskies to their third straight Beanpot title, just the eighth three-peat in the storied history of the Beanpot and the first for Northeastern.

Recent Results

While Boston College did not emerge victorious from the Beanpot this year, they do remain the front runners in the Hockey East Conference this season. Yet, even that took a hit this past weekend, as they fell to No. 11 UMass Lowell, their closest competitor in the conference. Even a blowout win against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game wasn’t enough to redeem BC’s recent stretch, as they have fallen out of the top-five in the nation.

While it’s really a top-four spot that matters most when it comes to NCAA Tournament seeding, all the top seeds right now somewhat lack luster compared to the top team overall, No. 1 North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks received 48 of 50 first place votes in the most recent poll and are up to 21-3-3 on the year. They hold the top scoring offense in the NCAA as the only team averaging more than four goals per game, an effort fueled by Hobey Baker hopeful Jordan Kawaguchi, who is closing in on Jack Dugan of No. 14 Providence for the NCAA scoring title. Meanwhile, they are also a top-ten defensive team as well. With North Dakota rolling on all cylinders, they could be hard to beat this season.

Of the six non-wins suffered by North Dakota this year, they owe a third to No. 3 Minnesota State. The Mavericks bide their time quietly in the WCHA every season, but this year seem more likely to surprise come tournament time rather than disappoint. With a win and tie over the Fighting Hawks to their credit, Minnesota State is more battle-tested this season than in years past. Two-time reigning champs No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth have also taken points from North Dakota and have overcome some early bumps to again assert themselves as a contender, helped out by a 4-0 record over the past two weeks, including two wins over No. 6 Denver.

The ECAC’s standouts No. 2 Cornell and No. 5 Clarkson continue to motor along this season. Cornell has gone 3-1 in recent games, while Clarkson went 3-0. Cornell holds the head-to-head nod with one win earlier this season, but the two teams will square off in their regular season finale which could have a major impact on both the conference and national tournaments. Clarkson keeper Francis Marotte continues to be one of the top stories of the season, potentially even pushing Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay for the title of top goalie in the college ranks this season.

Although BC slipped in the rankings, No. 8 UMass remains a legitimate threat behind a stifling defense lead by NCAA plus/minus leader Jake McLaughlin and the goaltending duo of Filip Lindberg (MIN) and Matt Murray. UMass Lowell, Northeastern, and Providence College have all remained relatively steady and well within the national conversation, while No. 17 Maine made a major leap from unranked status following a recent winning streak.

No. 9 Penn State remains the top-seeded team out of the Big Ten in a down year for the conference. The Nittany Lions somehow stayed within the top ten despite a 1-1-2 record over the past two weekends. No. 13 Ohio State remains in the hunt, but there is a strong possibility that the Big Ten could only send one representative to the NCAA Tournament if Penn State were to win their conference tourney.

Kennette Commits To Sacred Heart

Sometimes it pays to be in a smaller conference. No. 20 Sacred Heart is having an excellent year, currently sitting with an 18-9-2 overall record and a 15-7-1 conference record. That conference? The Atlantic, generally accepted as the weakest in college hockey. However, like any conference, the Atlantic winner is guaranteed a berth in the NCAA Tournament. While Sacred Heart sits second to American International College in the conference standings, they have put up huge offensive numbers against a number of other weaker opponents to rise to No. 2 in the country in scoring. That visibility, as well as the strong chance of making the tournament despite being outside the top sixteen seeds, is an attractive opportunity.

In this case, that opportunity appealed to defenseman Brendan Kennette. Kennette proudly announced his commitment to Sacred Heart last week. Kennette, one of the top blue liners in the OJHL, was recently named to NHL Central Scouting’s list of top North American skaters and even at No. 182 he stands a decent chance of being selected in this year’s draft. It’s not every day that an Atlantic team can grab a legitimate NHL prospect, but this strong season for Sacred Heart came at the right time to land a rare gem. Kennette likely saw the chance to be one of the top players on a team that will have a real chance at an NCAA Tourney berth every year and didn’t want to pass up that opportunity. If a few other top prospects think that same way, Sacred Heart could have staying power atop the Atlantic and in the national conversation for years to come.

Stachowiak, Sato Make International Mark

It’s not often that an NCAA player turns pro mid-season and far less often that it happens in the midst of a poor season. A highly-regarded prospect may sign in the NHL or AHL after their season has ended or a struggling athlete may return to junior in-season, but rarely do those lines cross. Michigan State’s Wojciech Stachowiak decided to buck that trend. In an up-and-down season for the Spartans, it was all down for Stachowiak. The sophomore forward had just one point in only 13 games and was not playing the type of role for Michigan State that he might have expected as a former star at the junior level in Germany. And so, Stachowiak opted to return home, signing with ERC Ingolstadt of the German DEL on Tuesday. Still just 20 years old, it remains to be seen if Stachowiak will play a larger role for Ingolstadt than he did for Michigan State, but no one can blame him for accepting a pro contract when the college game was not working out for him.

New Hampshire forward Kohei Sato is overseas as well, but he will be coming back. The Japanese forward is currently in Slovenia representing his country in Olympic qualifying. Team Japan is playing in Group G with Slovenia, Lithuania and Croatia and trying to advance to the final Olympic Qualification Round this summer. While Japan has long odds of qualifying it would be quite the story ahead of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China. Sato is quite the story already, as the first student-athlete from Japan to play Division I hockey, as well as a key contributor for the Wildcats. He has seven goals and 15 points in 26 games so far in his junior year and has improved with every campaign. Sato is only expected to miss a couple of games for UNH before he returns to action for a team pushing to qualify for the Hockey East tournament.

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