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Ryan O’Reilly Commits To Arizona State University

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The day is coming soon when Ryan O’Reilly will be recognized for more than simply sharing his name with an NHL All-Star. Being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2018 was his first step in the right direction for the talented, young forward. Today marks yet another big step, as O’Reilly announced that he will play his college hockey for Arizona State University. O’Reilly has a chance to become the face of the young Sun Devils program, as he is set to be the highest-drafted prospect to ever suit up for Arizona State.

O’Reilly, 19, was selected 98th overall in the fourth round by the Red Wings two years ago, but some projected him to go even higher. A big, natural right wing, O’Reilly is a goal scoring threat from anywhere on the ice. A former verbal commit to the University of Denver, the Dallas, Texas native is an exciting talent given his combination of size and skill. O’Reilly has recorded more than 30 points in each of the past two seasons in the USHL and is on pace to shatter that mark this season. Through 18 games, O’Reilly has scored at a point-per-game pace with nine goals and nine assists.

The Sun Devils gain a major piece with the addition of O’Reilly to next year’s recruiting class and continue to impress with how quickly they have built their program. Arizona State did not ice a Division I hockey team until 2015-16, a season in which they went 5-22-2. Yet, just three years later they were in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The team has been provided with consistently stellar play over the past few years from the likes of forward Johnny Walker, defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, and since-graduated Ottawa Senators goalie prospect Joey Daccord. Yet, with the team’s recent success they can now compete with other top teams in the recruiting race, adding NHL talent in some cases. Forward Demetrios Koumontzis, selected by the Calgary Flames just ten picks after O’Reilly, is the lone NHL draft pick on the team, but not for long. O’Reilly and young New Jersey Devils-owned goaltender Cole Brady are on their way, undoubtedly followed by more in the near future. While O’Reilly has a chance to be a star for Arizona State and show the Red Wings what he can bring to the NHL level, his commitment will open the door for even more talent to find their way to Arizona State.

College Hockey Round-Up: 12/12/19

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In the biggest departure from their pro and junior counterparts, college hockey is about to take a significant holiday break. As student-athletes take final exams for thee fall semester and then enjoy a break over Christmas, there are just five games scheduled from December 15-27. The final weekend of the month is also a lighter schedule than normal, as many teams are already done until January and many more will be after this weekend.

Recent Results

It has not been so much of a fall from grace for several top teams of late as it has been a plummet. Notre Dame and Harvard, both of whom began their seasons with substantial undefeated streaks, have both failed to pick up a point in the past two weeks, and Wisconsin, a popular pick to be title contender this season, has fallen out of the rankings with three straight losses. Notre Dame has fallen ten spots in the rankings from No. 5 to No. 15 after back-to-back sweeps at the hands of No. 10 Bowling Green and No. 5 Boston College by a combined score of 20-5. BC also took down Harvard, as did Boston University, No. 3 Cornell, and Colgate. The Crimson have moved from No. 9 to No. 17 as a result. Wisconsin had a disastrous run-in with their next door neighbors, splitting a home series against unranked Michigan before being swept on the road at No. 18 Michigan State.

Meanwhile, the teams at the top continue to soar. No. 1 Minnesota State continues to be unbeatable, taking both games against defending champion No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth and extended their winning streak to nine games with a sweep of Lake Superior. Mankato currently has an unassailable lead in the NCAA rankings. Goaltender Dryden McKay’s impeccable .957 save percentage and 1.06 GAA are miles ahead of even his closest rivals, Tyler Wall (NYR) of No. 14 UMass Lowell and Cornell’s Matthew Galajda. The Mavericks’ keeper could be on the fast track to taking home the Hobey Baker Award this year.

However, another player in the hunt will be Jordan Kawaguchi of No. 2 North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks have been on fire of late, knocking off Minnesota on Thanksgiving Day (and again the day after) and then sweeping No. 19 Western Michigan, and Kawaguchi has been the catalyst. The junior forward is up to 24 points on the year, third-best in the NCAA, and could become a real threat to Jack Dugan (VGK) of No. 13 Providence for the scoring title.

Providence themselves split a chippy series with UMass Lowell in a battle between two teams pushing for a spot in the top ten. It’s been a better stretch for Hockey East over the past two weeks, as Boston College is also surging, No. 12 Northeastern came away with a tournament win in Belfast, Northern Ireland two weeks ago, and No. 9 UMass  has not surrendered more than two goals in a game in a month.

World Junior Participation

While most NCAA teams will take a break for much of the remainder of December, not all of their players will be out of action. With the majority of preliminary rosters released for the upcoming U-20 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic, it looks as though a number of college standouts will get a chance to make their mark on the international stage. Below is the list of NCAA participants:

Canada: D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT), North Dakota; F Alex Newhook (COL), Boston College; F Dylan Holloway (2020), Wisconsin

Finland: F Sampo Ranta (COL), Minnesota

Switzerland: F Matthew Verboon, Colgate

United States: G Spencer Knight (FLA), Boston College; G Isaiah Saville (VGK), Nebraska-Omaha; D Ty Emberson (ARI), Wisconsin; D Jordan Harris (MTL), Northeastern; D Ryan Johnson (BUF), Minnesota; D Zac Jones (NYR), UMass; Christian Krygier (NYI), Michigan State; D K’Andre Miller (NYR), Wisconsin; D Mattias Samuelsson (BUF), Wester Michigan; D Spencer Stastney (NSH), Notre Dame; D Cam York (PHI), Michigan; F John Beecher (BOS), Michigan; F Bobby Brink (PHI), Denver; F Cole Caufield (MTL), Wisconsin; F Jack Drury (CAR), Harvard; F Parker Ford, Providence; F Curtis Hall (BOS), Yale; Trevor Janicke (ANA), Notre Dame; Robert Mastrosimone (DET), Boston University; F Shane Pinto (OTT), North Dakota; F Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Notre Dame; Alex Turcotte (LAK), Wisconsin; Trevor Zegras (ANA), Boston University

 

Toronto Marlies Hire Greg Moore As Head Coach

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Since the promotion of former head coach Sheldon Keefe to the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been searching for his replacement. The team has decided to go outside of the organization to tab their next bench boss, a rare move in-season, and have announced that Greg Moore has been named head coach. Moore was hired away from the USHL’s Chicago Steel midway through his second season with the team.

Moore, 35, is very familiar with developmental hockey. A young head coach, Moore was himself an NHL prospect not long ago. The Maine native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the early 2000’s and then played his college hockey at home at the University of Maine. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames after his freshman year, but his rights were traded to the New York Rangers before he turned pro. Moore made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2007-08 overall made ten NHL appearances with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets over five pro season in North America. He also played a leadership role with nearly every AHL club he played for. Moore moved to Germany in 2011 and extended his playing career another four years before calling it quits in 2015. He immediately jumped into the coaching ranks, becoming an intern assistant coach with the USNTDP. After two seasons as an intern, he became full-time in 2017-18 only to be named head coach for USHL rival Chicago a year later.

Moore is well-regarded among young NHL coaching prospects. His Steel team went all the way to the Clark Cup in his first season and recorded a 52-25-5 record overall in 82 games with Moore behind the bench. His name had already been in the mix for possible NCAA openings this off-season, but he gets an even better deal with an AHL promotion mid-season. The Leafs organization has seemingly had an eye on Moore for some time, as they invited him to be a guest coach at development camp this summer and worked quickly to hire him just ten days after the firing of Mike Babcock and promotion of Keefe. Moore will be in the spotlight with the Marlies, but has a bright future ahead of him following this major career move.

College Hockey Round-Up: 11/27/19

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Boston University is making headlines this season for all of the wrong reasons. One of the most talented teams on paper in all of college hockey, the Terriers fell to 4-5-5 on the season with a 4-0 shutout loss to Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The team received just two votes in the latest rankings and is well outside the Top 20 at this point in time. On top of that, BU has had three players receive game misconducts for dangerous hits over the past two weeks and head coach Albie O’Connell served a one-game suspension after a post-game outburst at a media member. There have been bright spots – the production of defenseman David Farrance (NSH) and freshman forward Trevor Zegras (ANA) for example – but by and large it has been a season to forget thus far for the Terriers. Their only hope at redemption may be to maintain their respectable conference record and make a run in the Hockey East Tournament later this season.

Recent Results

Now eight games into their season, No. 2 Cornell has yet to suffer their first loss. The Big Red are a perfect 8-0-0 after knocking off No. 6 Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac, and Princeton over the last two weeks. ECAC rival No. 9 Harvard is also undefeated at 6-0-0, picking up wins over Brown, Yale, and RPI. The Crimson have been scoring at an unbelievable rate, leading the NCAA with 5.5 goals per game – almost a full goal more than the next-best team, No. 7 Penn State. Harvard has been led by Casey Dornbach, who trails only NCAA leading scorer Jack Dugan (VGK) in points per game, and freshman defenseman Henry Thrun (ANA), who is tied with Dugan for the top plus/minus in college hockey at +14. Both Harvard and Cornell have also been stout defensively, among the top four ranked teams in goals against average.

Yet, the efforts of the Ivy Leagues have not (yet) been enough to move No. 1 Minnesota State from the top spot in the rankings. The Mavericks continued to roll through their opponents this past weekend with a two-game sweep of Alaska-Anchorage by a combined score of 10-1. The team’s 1.17 goals against average leads the NCAA and workhorse starter Dryden McKay also leads the category among individual keepers and is tops with a .951 save percentage as well.

Minnesota State has been impenetrable defensively so far, but they will be tested this week when they face in-state rival No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth has finally looked mortal this season at 7-4-1, but they still sport a dangerous lineup, including the top scoring defenseman in college hockey, Scott Perunovic (STL). If any team left on the Mavericks schedule is going to knock them from the top spot in the rankings, it’s Duluth.

No. 5 Notre Dame is no longer undefeated after being blanked 3-0 by No. 19 Wisconsin back on November 15th and losing again against No. 20 Michigan State this weekend. They have now dropped behind No. 3 North Dakota and No. 4 Denver in the rankings, who actually clashed with one another two weeks ago. In a pair of tight games, the Fighting Hawks came away with a win and a tie against the Pioneers, likely giving them that edge in the rankings.

No. 15 UMass Lowell finally suffered their first conference loss against Connecticut two weeks ago, while No. 10 UMass, No. 12 Northeastern, No. 13 Providence, and No. 14 Boston College all  have failed to move up the rankings. It has been an underwhelming season thus far from Hockey East, who has also seen Boston University disappoint and Maine fail to garner recognition from the voters.

Penn State and leading scorer Nate Sucese continue to roll, going 3-1 over the past two weeks and maintaining a lethal efficiency with their NCAA-best power play. Workhorse starter Peyton Jones is also tied with North Dakota’s Adam Scheel for the most wins so far this season. The Nittany Lions’ loss came against conference rival No. 11 Ohio State, who is knocking on the door of a top-ten spot with their own strong recent performance.

Ratzlaff Commits To Minnesota

While the Minnesota Gophers have been overshadowed by their Big Ten brethren so far this year, the team is adding promising future pieces. One such recent commitment comes from Minnesota high school star Jake Ratzlaff. Ratzlaff announced that he would staying at home to attend Minnesota. The Rosemount High captain is a big, right-handed two-way defenseman with considerable pro potential. In fact, Ratzlaff could push for first-round consideration this June.

While Ty Smilanic has garnered the most attention among college-bound draft prospects, that is partially due to the Quinnipiac commit playing on the U.S. National Development Team this season. Ratzlaff has not been under the same spotlight in the high school ranks, but he could still challenge Smilanic for his top NCAA prospect title. A rare combination of size and speed, not to mention a right shot, Ratzlaff will be a valued commodity. ISS ranked the blue liner at No. 30 in their initial draft rankings and another point-per-game season at Rosemount is only going to boost his draft stock.

Ratzlaff joins a growing group of elite recruits for the Gophers. The list now includes Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), Brock Faber, and brothers John and Luke Mittelstadt, among other talented prospects. Minnesota may be off to a tough start this season, but the future is bright.

Alaska Athletics Safe (For Now)

The Alaska university system is facing severe budget cuts and for a time there was concern that intercollegiate athletics could be cut. In the small world of Division I college hockey, losing two teams in Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks would be a major blow. Fortunately, College Hockey News reports that the schools received confirmation of continued funding to participate in NCAA athletics through 2020-21. This is great news, for both the growth of college and hockey and also the preservation of the game in two relatively obscure markets.

However, the conversation about Alaska sports is far from over. Both Anchorage and Fairbanks rely on their hockey programs for revenue above all other sports. But with the WCHA set to dissolve, as seven member schools plan to leave to form their own conference ahead of the 2021-22 season, it could be that funding will be cut after one more year in anticipation of the hit that both programs could take from becoming independents. Both schools will have to begin cost-cutting measures, not only in hockey but in all sports, if they hope to retain athletics in the long run.

Ty Smilanic Commits To Quinnipiac University

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The U.S. National Team Development Program may not be the same lauded group as it was last year, producing seven first-round picks and a dozen other selections, but the top player from the program is always a name to watch. This year that is Ty Smilanic. However, Smilanic is not only known for his NHL Draft stock; he was also one of, if not the top remaining un-commited player in American junior hockey. That is no more, as Smilanic made his decision today. Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports that Smilanic has committed to Quinnipiac University.

The 17-year-old forward out of Denver is a dynamic talent. A combination of speed and smarts fuels Smilanic’s dangerous two-way game. At 6’1” but only 170 pounds, he still has room to bulk up and become even more of a threat at both ends. Smilanic has proven at each level of the developmental stage to have superior skating ability and a nose for the net, while also growing in his defensive awareness. So far this season with the USNTDP, Smilanic has rebounded from missing some time early on to record ten points in 13 games. While he may not catch Michigan-bound teammate Thomas Bordeleau for the team lead in scoring this year, he is a safe bet to finish second. And many scouts like him as the first player to be drafted from the team as well, ahead of Bordeleau and several other talented prospects. Most draft rankings have Smilanic going in the back half of the first round in June, but others like his chances at pushing toward the top ten. As he gets his legs under him this season, he could continue to take strides in his development and enter the conversation as a top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

This is no small deal for Quinnipiac. While the team has grown into a national contender over recent years, it has not been because they had the best players, but instead the right players who have bought in to head coach Rand Pecknold’s system. Sure, the program has produced NHLers like Devon Toews, Connor Clifton, and Matthew Peca in recent years and had two high-profile graduates in Chase Priskie (CAR) and Andrew Shortridge (SJS) last season, but those players were not considered surefire pro talents before their collegiate careers began. Smilanic is a different story. He is easily the top recruit in program a history and has surely left several other NCAA programs disappointed today.

Snapshots: College Free Agents, Moore, Penguins

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The NCAA ranks are a place to find undrafted talent that can fill in the gaps in an organization, and even potentially unearth a star player. NHL.com contributor Mark Divver writes on the college names that are drawing the most interest from NHL scouts, including Connor Mackey of Minnesota State-Mankato.

In one of our earlier College Hockey Round-Ups, our own Zach Leach examined Mackey’s game and the report that at least seven NHL clubs had already shown interest. The 23-year old defenseman’s market may turn into something of a sweepstakes this summer if his strong play continues.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another forward, this time to a shoulder injury. Trevor Moore left in the first period of tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins and will not return, an injury that the Maple Leafs can’t afford at this point. The team is already missing Mitch Marner and Alexander Kerfoot, meaning their vaunted forward group (that hasn’t been so spectacular yet this season) will be tested even further.
  • Even with Sidney Crosby out of the lineup for at least a month, the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t going to make any desperate moves. That’s what GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required), explaining that he thinks the team is still strong enough to navigate the waters without their captain.

College Hockey Round-Up: 11/13/19

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The University of Minnesota is one of the more storied programs in college hockey history and Minnesota-Duluth has appeared in each of the past three NCAA Championship Games, winning the last two. But is this finally the year of Minnesota State? The Mavericks are the No. 1 team in the nation and sport an 8-1-1 record through their first two games. Minnesota State has been impressively stingy, allowing just 1.30 goals per game behind the efforts of Dryden McKay and his .946 save percentage. Forward Marc Michaelis and defenseman Connor Mackey have also impressed early on. However, the concern, as it is every year for Minnesota State, is competition and whether their WCHA schedule can properly prepare them for the national tournament. The team is playing great and could very extend their current .800 winning percentage through the whole regular season, but will they be ready when the competition heats up this spring? Minnesota State has never made it to the National Championship nevertheless taken home the title, but they hope to change that this season.

Recent Results

Oftentimes, a team is only as good as it’s goaltending. That has been the case thus far for two of the most talented rosters in college hockey, as No. 15 Wisconsin and now-unranked Boston University are enduring surprising struggles this season that start in net. After sweeping No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth in October, the Badgers looked ready to make good on the high expectations placed on their young, highly-skilled squad. However, they ran into No. 8 Penn State two weeks ago and dropped both road games by a combined score of 10-3. To make matters worse, they also fell to Nebraska-Omaha this past weekend in a major upset. Starting goaltender Daniel Lebedeff has an .887 save percentage in ten games and his struggles have only been exasperated by a lack of support defensively for a team relying too heavily on freshmen Alex Turcotte (LAK) and Cole Caufield (MTL). But at least they’re not BU. The Terriers currently sit at 2-3-4 after failing to pick up a win in the past two weeks, going 0-2-2 against the University of Maine and No. 10 Providence College. Starter Sam Tucker has not played his best, but it’s backup Vinnie Purpura who has proven to be totally unreliable thus far for a BU team that simply needs more out of everyone – other than maybe red-hot Trevor Zegras (ANA). Things don’t get easier for the Terriers either, as they face No. 5 UMass in a home-and-home this weekend.

At the other end of the spectrum is No. 12 UMass Lowell, who has had a number of games stolen by the stellar play of senior keeper Tyler Wall (NYR). It’s hard to argue that Wall, the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for three weeks running, is not the best goalie in the NCAA thus far and a possibly Hobey Baker candidate if the River Hawks continue to move up the rankings. The team already has the designation being the only Hockey East team without a conference loss after sweeping the University of Vermont and getting a win and a tie against another impressive goaltender, Jeremy Swayman (BOS) and the Maine Black Bears to stay undefeated in college hockey’s toughest conference. With freshman forward Matt Brown tied for third in the country with 15 points as well, UMass Lowell is looking strong early this season. Remove a puzzling loss and tie against Colgate and this could be a top-five team.

Two weeks back, No. 4 Notre Dame managed to escape a hard-fought weekend series with the University of Minnesota with a win and a tie, but there was some doubt about whether they could stay undefeated as they were set to go up against No. 11 Ohio State. After all, the Buckeyes had just completed a sweep of the rival Wolverines of the University of Michigan and were riding high. Yet, the Fighting Irish remained perfect by edging out back-to-back one-goal wins over Ohio State.

The other two undefeated teams in the nation hail from the ECAC, as No. 3 Cornell and No. 13 Harvard got their seasons started two weeks ago and have remained perfect thus far. Cornell picked up wins over Michigan State (twice), Brown, and Yale by a combined score of 19-7, with Morgan Barron (NYR) leaping to the league lead in points per game with five goals and five assists in four games. Meanwhile, three members of the Crimson recorded six points apiece and Mitchell Gibson (WAS) allowed two goals on 65 shots as Harvard picked up wins over Dartmouth, Princeton, and the previously-ranked Quinnipiac.

And what of former top seed Denver? After easily disposing of Niagara, the Pioneers suffered their first loss against rival Minnesota-Duluth this past weekend and managed a tie in the other game of the series. Denver falls back to No. 2 in the rankings, but could re-take the top spot from Minnesota State if they can survive upcoming series with No. 9 North Dakota and No. 20 Western Michigan.

Dugan Dominating

While game results have been up and down for No. 10 Providence College, now 5-3-2 on the year, the consistent has been scoring. The architect of the nation’s most prolific offense has undoubtedly been sophomore sensation Jack Dugan (VGK). At 24 points on the year, Dugan is already 60% of the way toward surpassing his 39 total points from last year and has done it in less than 25% of the games. Not only that, he is also miles ahead of where leading scorers were last season. No player in the NCAA hit 24 points until December last year, whereas Dugan is already there. If Providence was to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and Dugan was to keep up this torrid pace, 100 points could potentially come into play. No one in college hockey has cracked the hundred-point mark since Maine’s Paul Kariya in 1992-93, so Dugan would be joining elite company. Yet, even if Dugan’s production falls off or the Friars are one-and-done in the tournament, the Golden Knights’ prospect still stands a realistic chance of being the highest scoring playing in the NCAA since the turn of the century – he would need just 83 points to claim that title.

Dugan’s play is also having obvious effects on his teammates. The NCAA leader in assists with 19, Dugan’s helpers are feeding the likes of Tyce Thompson (NJD) and Greg Printz. Thompson sits alone in second in the college hockey points race with 16, including eight goals, which is tied for second in the NCAA. It’s Printz’ nine goals that lead the way, and his 13 total points have him inside the top ten.

The problem for Providence right now is that they are leaning too much on their top line and getting too little from their other nine forwards and six defensemen. If the hot streak does start to cool for Dugan and company, the Friars could be in trouble.

National Signing Week

National Letters of Intent have been sent out to athletes all over the globe as today marked their first opportunity to officially commit to play college athletics. Here are some of the intriguing early names headed for NCAA hockey:

Prospect Notes: Bjorkqvist, King, Samuelsson

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The first professional season for Kasper Bjorkqvist will not be what he or many Penguins fans had hoped. The former Providence College captain entered the year with high expectations after back-to-back strong seasons of NCAA play and looked like the exact type of intelligent and hard-working two-way forward that Pittsburgh could use. It was not a major surprise that he did not break camp with the NHL club, but there remained speculation that he would not have to spend much time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before earning his first career recall. Unfortunately, as it turns out he will have to wait until next year at the earliest for that promotion. Just six games into his AHL season, Bjorkqvist suffered a knee injury and was sidelined. WBS beat writer Jason Iacona now reports that Bjorkqvist has undergone surgery on his knee and the expected timeline for recovery is six months. As Iacona states, this essentially ends his season. The earliest conceivable return for Bjorkqvist would be during the Calder Cup playoffs, should the AHL Penguins qualify, and that’s only if the Pittsburgh brass decide it is worth it to get him back on the ice this season. Most likely, the talented Finnish winger will be shut down until next season in hopes that he can resume play at full strength and compete for an NHL role again next year.

  • If trade value at the junior level is any indication of NHL Entry Draft stock, Ben King is a 2020 draft prospect on the rise. The 17-year-old forward was dealt by the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos to the Red Deer Rebels this week for a rather hefty return of two players – including recent first-rounder Cohner Seleski – the rights to a third player, and a third-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Such packages are usually reserved for veteran junior players who can be immediate difference-makers for a contender, but head coach and GM Brent Sutter clearly sees something that he likes in King and opted for the long-term play. A first-round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, King recorded 26 points in 48 games for Swift Current in his first season with the team in 2018-19 and had eight points through his first 16 games this year. King, who usually lines up at center, has a sturdy frame and plays a patient, play-making style. He still has room to grow, both physically and in his skill development, but early expectations have been that is already in consideration for selection in the third or fourth round of the coming draft. And with this vote of confidence from the well-respected Sutter, that may just be the floor of where one might expect King to go in June.
  • A new name in Canadian juniors is Adam Samuelsson. The son of Ulf and brother of Philip and Henrik, Samuelsson comes from a strong hockey background and was once considered a future NHL prospect. However, things started going downhill when he surprisingly went undrafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018. Then, he struggled at Boston College early last season and ended up on the bench for much of the first half of the season before leaving school to join the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. It isn’t uncommon for college players experiencing production issues or a poor fit to return to juniors before transferring to another NCAA team, but Samuelsson instead returned to Sioux City this season in a confusing move, especially considering his improved play after leaving BC. It appears now that this was simply a precursor to his true intentions. The hulking defenseman has signed on with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, who had drafted him back in 2016. The team’s press release indicates that they have been pushing to sign Samuelsson for years and the blue liner finally decided to give up on the collegiate path and head to Ontario. It remains to be seen if Samuelsson can re-assert himself as an NHL prospect, but with two years of junior eligibility, there is plenty of time to show that he is a pro-quality player like his dad and brothers.

College Hockey Round-Up: 10/30/19

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The college hockey season is a month old, but only a handful of teams have played more than six games so far. Yet, just three schools remain undefeated (not including the Ivy League’s of course, who have yet to begin play.) Those three teams are No. 1 Denver, No. 2 Minnesota State, and No. 5 Notre Dame. The Pioneers are an impressive 6-0 and have a good chance of remaining unbeaten through their upcoming weekend series with Niagara. The Mavericks are 5-0-1, with their one tie coming against another national powerhouse, No. 14 North Dakota. Other than that one tie, Minnesota State has allowed just four goals in their five wins. The Fighting Irish sit in fifth nationally behind UMass and Cornell as their 4-0 record has not exactly featured the most menacing competition in Air Force and Lake Superior State. Yet, as they begin Big Ten Conference play, Notre Dame is sure to be tested with series against Minnesota, No. 13 Ohio State, and No. 7 Wisconsin next up. Which team will stay undefeated the longest? And could an Ivy League like Cornell or Harvard enter the battle of the unbeaten?

Recent Results

Two weeks ago, college hockey fans were treated to an epic early-season clash between the defending NCAA champions, No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth, and a popular pick to win it all this season, Wisconsin. The two-game series in Madison wasn’t as close as many expected though, as the young, star-studded Badgers took both games by a combined score of 9-3. The Bulldogs edged out two wins against their flagship rival Minnesota this past weekend to sit at 3-3 on the year and have their recent seasons of dominance to thank for their continued presence in the top ten, but that won’t save them all season. Meanwhile, Wisconsin suffered a shutout loss to No. 11 Clarkson this weekend, but picked up the win in the second game. Through six games, the team is tied for the NCAA lead in goals for, led by college hockey’s top goal-scorer, Cole Caufield (MTL), and his fellow first-round pick Alex Turcotte (LAK).

The program tied at the top of the scoring race with the Badgers is No. 8 Providence College. The Friars are spreading the scoring wealth, with three players among the top six in points. Jack Dugan (VGK) and his 14 points lead the NCAA by a relatively wide margin, as the 2017 fifth-round pick is off to a blazing start. Tyce Thompson (NJD) is tied for second with 11 points and Greg Printz, who led the way after two weeks, sits in sixth. Despite the considerable offense from Providence, the team is 4-2 with a stunning loss to Holy Cross early on and a heartbreaker against No. 17 UMass Lowell this weekend.

And what of the top teams in the country? Denver has certainly earned their top billing in college hockey so far. They picked up two wins against a loaded No. 15 Boston College squad two weeks back, including a 3-0 shutout. Freshman keeper Magnus Chrona (TBL) continues to be stellar in net with a .930 save percentage and 1.83 GAA in six wins for the Pioneers, while highly-regarded defenseman Ian Mitchell (CHI) is one of the league leaders in scoring among defenseman. Also among that group is UMass freshman Zac Jones (NYR), who is showing that the Minutemen can indeed survive without Cale Makar. After a tough loss to Northeastern – and arguably the best goalie in college hockey thus far, graduate transfer Craig Pantano – UMass rebounded with a convincing sweep of Union and a win over nearby American International. Behind a shutdown tandem of Matt Murray and Filip Lindberg (MIN), it may prove hard for opponents to pick up wins in Amherst this year. The team hopes to prove that point when they face the Huskies again in a home-and-home this weekend. Finally, Minnesota State stayed unbeaten with a win and tie against North Dakota and two easy W’s against Alabama-Huntsville. The team’s stingy defense – eight goals allowed in six games – and the serious skill of Nathan Smith (WPG) make Mankato a dangerous place to play this season.

What To Expect From Cornell

The Cornell Big Red have played exactly zero games so far this season. Yet, they have held on to their No. 4 spot through a month of play. After an impressive 2018-19 campaign, expectations are high for Cornell to replicate their success. But are those expectations realistic?

The team unofficially kicked off their season this weekend with an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Development Program. While this isn’t the historic USNTDP group of last year, it is still a talented squad that features many of the players who will be star freshman in the NCAA next year. Yet, the Big Red made them look like the junior team they are, shutting out the American standouts 3-0. Next up is Michigan State, before they begin their ECAC schedule.

The unrivaled star of the team is Morgan Barron (NYR). The Rangers pick has far exceeded his sixth round expectations already and just narrowly missed out on a point-per-game campaign last year. Barron led Cornell in goals and points last season with his physical brand of offensive ability. However, he’s now missing the lightning to his thunder, as slick winger Mitchell Vanderlaan graduated and moved on to the ECHL. If the Big Red are to avoid regression this season, Barron will need to be even better and the likes of Cam Donaldson, Michael Regush, and impressive goaltender Matthew Galajda will have to step up. Fortunately, the veteran group is accustomed to playing with one another; it’s one of the team’s greatest strengths and could allow a potential impact freshman like defenseman Alex Green (TBL) to play a more confident game right away.

Connor Mackey Drawing Interest

While Minnesota State’s defensive prowess over the past few years has most often been credited to talented netminder Dryden McKay, NHL scouts have their eyes on another key member of that effort. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that defenseman Connor Mackey has met with at least seven NHL teams about his impending free agency. Mackey is expected to be one of the top college free agents available this spring.

Many actually believed Mackey, 23, would turn pro this past summer, but he decided to go for another run at an NCAA title with the Mavericks. However, it’s hard to imagine the junior blue liner making that decision a second time. Mackey already has four points in six games to go along with a team-leading 13 penalty minutes, which is right in line with last season, when he recorded 25 points a team-high 55 penalty minutes. A dual-threat puck-mover and physical force, Mackey plays a well-rounded style and has matured his game at the college level. Mackey may not have elite skill, size, or skating ability, but he does everything well and projects as an all-situations defender at the pro level.

Friedman speculates that the Winnipeg Jets, who suddenly have a massive need for both immediate and long-term defensive help, could be the top suitor for Mackey’s talents. However, the Minnesota Wild are surely keeping an eye on the nearby prospect, while the Chicago Blackhawks could also pursue the Illinois native. And that’s just three teams. With at least seven interested in October, it could be quite the pursuit later this season when Mackey moves on from Mankato and begins his pro career.

Philadelpia Flyers Recall Joel Farabee

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Less than a week after the division rival New York Islanders recalled Oliver Wahlstrom, the Philadelphia Flyers have called up his former teammate, collegiate foe, and fellow 2018 first-round pick, Joel Farabee. The team announced that Farabee, as well as Mikhail Vorobyev, has been promoted, while Carsen Twarynski has been reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It is the first career recall for the Flyers’ top forward prospect.

This is the first career recall for Farabee, who like Wahlstrom, played in the NCAA last season before turning pro after just one year. A U.S. National Team Development Program product, Farabee is dynamic forward who can shoot as well as he can pass and defensive instincts to match his offensive instincts. A truly well-rounded player, Farabee was a force at the college level, recording a near-even 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 37 games with Boston University. Farabee was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year and it was little surprise that he departed for the NHL after his freshman campaign.

So far, the transition to the pro level has been seamless for Farabee. He has four points in four games with the Phantoms and has drawn rave reviews early on in his pro career. Farabee’s mature game and high hockey IQ should help find a fit in the NHL if the Flyers plan to keep him on a long-term basis this season. Philadelphia ranks seventh-worst in the NHL thus far in per game scoring and Farabee could provide a needed boost on the offensive front.

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