Blue Jackets’ Scott Ford To Interview For NCAA Coaching Vacancy
The Columbus Blue Jackets have granted permission for assistant coach Scott Ford to interview for the vacant head coaching role at Brown University’s men’s hockey program, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Portzline added that there would be “further conversations” between GM Don Waddell and head coach Rick Bowness if Ford ends up offered the job. Ford’s name first came up regarding the role in a report from New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver.
Brown is currently without a permanent head coach after former bench boss Brendan Whittet stepped away from the program on Jan. 28 to take a family medical leave. The University noted as part of its announcement that when he returns from leave, “Whittet will transition into a new role in athletics administration.” Whittet became head coach at Brown in 2009-10 after a decade as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College. His most successful campaign came in 2012-13, when he led Brown to the finals of the ECAC tournament..
Ford, 46, is a Brown alumnus who captained the program in 2003-04 and was that year named his conference’s top defensive defenseman. He’s in his second season as an assistant coach in Columbus, brought there as a member of former head coach Dean Evason’s staff. He remained on staff after the Blue Jackets swapped head coaches and hired Bowness, but like many assistants who are holdovers from a prior bench boss, his future in Columbus is likely somewhat uncertain.
Seeing as Whittet remained in his position for well over a decade, it’s unlikely Ford will have an abundance of opportunities to become the head coach at his alma mater – a factor that could impact his interest in making the NHL-to-NCAA move. NCAA coaches often enjoy a significantly greater degree of job stability than NHL coaches, and especially assistant coaches. Not only does that mean the Brown head coaching role, once filled, is unlikely to become vacant again for quite some time, it also means an NHL coach with an uncertain future given the departure of his former boss could be particularly attracted to an NCAA vacancy. That, combined with the fact that Brown is Ford’s alma mater, give Ford all the reason to be interested in the head coaching role at Brown.
While it’s too early to tell whether Ford will ultimately land in Rhode Island, this is a storyline for Blue Jackets fans to look out for as the Olympic break continues.
Snapshots: Clara, Reschny, Olsen
Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara had a performance for the ages today in Italy’s loss to Sweden in the group stage of the Winter Olympics. In front of a home crowd, Clara gave Italy a chance to upset the Swedes, making 46 saves. Per The Hockey News’ Derek Lee, Clara was forced out of Italy’s loss with what appeared to be a lower-body injury while making a save. There has not been any word on the extent of Clara’s injury, or if he will be fit to play in Italy’s next game, which is Friday against Slovakia.
If Clara is not fit to play, Italy will turn to Milan native Davide Fadani, who has a .922 save percentage in 22 games this season with Swiss National League side EHC Kloten. Clara, 21, was a 2023 second-round pick of the Ducks, and has spent this season playing in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL. Through 30 games with Brynäs IF, Clara has an .888 save percentage.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Calgary Flames 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny is questionable for the University of North Dakota’s games this weekend against the University of Miami (Ohio), according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. Reschny left UND’s game last weekend with a lower-body injury. The former WHL Victoria Royals star has had a strong start to his NCAA career, scoring 25 points in 24 games. He could be a large part of the Flames’ future, as he was ranked as the league’s No. 76 skater prospect by the team at Elite Prospects.
- Former Winnipeg Jets prospect Ryan Olsen was released by the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder today, ending his three-week stint in Kansas. The 2012 sixth-round pick helped the Colorado Eagles, now of the AHL, to a Kelly Cup championship in 2018, and has moved around since that point. He spent the following two seasons in the AHL, including a 17-goal, 34-point season with the San Antonio Rampage in 2018-19, before moving to Germany’s second division. Olsen spent the last two seasons in the DEL2 before beginning this season in Germany’s third division. His stint in Wichita, which ends with zero points in six games played, was Olsen’s first opportunity in North American pro hockey since October 2023.
Snapshots: Sabres Injuries, Ravensbergen, Olympic Freeze
The Buffalo Sabres are arguably the NHL’s hottest team at this moment, having won 18 of their last 22 games. They’ve kept up their winning ways more recently despite the loss of center Josh Norris, who suffered a rib injury on Jan. 14. While the latest injury to the Sabres’ oft-injured pivot was a cause of concern, it appears he is progressing in the right direction and is nearing a return to game fitness. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told the media, including Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe, that Norris’ status has been upgraded to day-to-day. Blueliner Jacob Bryson, who was placed on IR on Jan. 23, is also day-to-day.
While star Tage Thompson is undoubtedly Buffalo’s best and most effective forward, Norris has pushed him for that mantle at times this season. The 26-year-old has scored 17 points in 19 games this season, including a stretch in early December where he managed seven points in just four games before suffering another injury. Norris was acquired by the Sabres last season at the deadline in a trade that sent pivot Dylan Cozens (and a second-round pick) to the Ottawa Senators. It was a calculated risk for Buffalo, who elected to take on Norris’ $7.95MM AAV contract that runs through the end of the decade. Former GM Kevyn Adams’ calculated risk has paid off when Norris has been healthy, but he’s only played in 22 total games as a Sabre. Now that he’s inching closer to full health, whether he can stay on the ice will be the clear top storyline to watch regarding Norris as his Sabres tenure progresses.
Other notes from across the hockey world:
- San Jose Sharks 2025 first-round pick Joshua Ravensbergen will leave the CHL to play NCAA hockey for Michigan State University next season, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported today. Ravensbergen, 19, is one of the top goalie prospects in the sport, and will leave the WHL’s Prince George Cougars to play college hockey, rather than turn pro. Ravensbergen, who turns 20 in November, would have been eligible to play in the AHL (or ECHL) next season after at some point signing his ELC. Now, he’ll forgo that path in order to follow Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine as a top young goalie developing with the Spartans. The move also signals that Augustine is likely to turn pro after three seasons at Michigan State. Augustine was his conference’s top goalie last year and has a .938 save percentage in 17 contests in 2025-26.
- Puckpedia outlined some of the NHL’s roster restrictions for the upcoming Olympic break in a post today, highlighting a few ways in which NHL teams will be restricted from moving players while NHL games pause for the tournament in Italy. During the roster freeze, which begins the afternoon of Feb. 4 and ends on Feb. 23, no trades are permitted. In addition, players who are waivers-exempt can only be sent down if they have not played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21. Puckpedia also clarified that players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if a team is waived after a team’s final game before the freeze begins, that player will not need to report until Feb. 17. These rules are likely to impact some of the transactions that get made in the coming days ahead of the freeze, as teams position themselves, and their prospects, for the break in the schedule.
Morning Notes: Mangiapane, Sabres, Spitznagel
Last week, we covered reports coming out of Edmonton that the Oilers were looking to move out a few forwards, with Andrew Mangiapane and Noah Philp specifically named as two likely candidates. Philp was claimed off of waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes later that day, while Mangiapane remains on the Oilers’ roster, though he has been a healthy scratch for two of the last three games. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman addressed Mangiapane’s situation last night, saying that the Oilers are “definitely looking” to see if there’s a fit in terms of trading away Mangiapane.
Mangiapane, 29, has five goals and 11 points through 40 games this season. Complicating his odds of being traded is his contract, which carries a $3.6MM cap hit and a term that extends through next season. During his days with the Calgary Flames, Mangiapane was, without question, worth that kind of cap hit. He hit the 40-point mark three times as a Flame, and even managed 35 goals and 55 points in 2021-22. While Friedman did note that some teams view Mangiapane’s contract as a factor that could limit his chances of being traded, he also said that there are others who don’t see that as “a big deal.” It should also be noted that Mangiapane’s contract carries a full no-trade clause until June 15, meaning Mangiapane will need to sign off on any trade before the Oilers can deal him.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- The Buffalo Sabres’ win streak came to an end last night, and their difficult loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets raised questions about whether the team is in need of defensive reinforcements to help it survive injuries to key players on their back end. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn wrote yesterday that the Sabres “don’t have a lot of internal options [head coach Lindy Ruff] trusts.” Fairburn added that as a result, getting additional defensive depth “seems like a clear need that new general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen should be targeting on the trade market.” While it’s unlikely that means the Sabres will be shopping for high-end defensemen such as the Calgary Flames’ Rasmus Andersson, the injury situation in Buffalo does make the team a likelier candidate to pursue some additional defensive depth on the trade market.
- The Michigan Daily’s Matthew Auchincloss reported yesterday that freshman forward Teddy Spitznagel has left the University of Michigan Wolverines program, a development that was later confirmed by the program. Spitznagel spent parts of three seasons with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks before beginning his NCAA career, winning the Clark Cup last season. McKeen’s Hockey’s Brock Otten commented on Spitznagel’s Michigan departure, noting that Spitznagel could be a candidate to head to the OHL. If he decides to head to the OHL, he would be the second forward in recent years to depart Michigan mid-season to head to the OHL. Christian Humphreys, a 2024 seventh-round selection of the Colorado Avalanche, left Michigan for the OHL after just 10 games played last season. He ended up scoring 33 points in 28 games for the Kitchener Rangers and has 13 goals, 46 points in 33 games there this season.
Morning Notes: McKenna, Karlsson, Laughton
17-year-old Gavin McKenna is one of the top prospects in hockey and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Currently playing NCAA hockey for the Penn State Nittany Lions, he’s gotten off to a productive start, scoring 14 points in 12 games. But even with that production, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has indicated that McKenna’s performances in college hockey thus far have some left NHL teams wanting more.
Wheeler reported yesterday that after McKenna’s Penn State dropped back-to-back games against Michigan State in East Lansing, “the gathering collection of scouts and hockey folks weren’t kind to” McKenna in their thoughts postgame. Wheeler reported that “multiple NHL scouts” commented to The Athletic on McKenna’s “work rate off the puck, a number of backchecks he appeared to give up on,” and perhaps most distressingly for McKenna’s draft stock, “an ongoing desire for more effort.” Wheeler stopped short of saying that McKenna’s status as 2026’s top prospect was truly under threat; he is still a point-per-game NCAA freshman, after all, and his incredible skill level is still evident. But Wheeler did note that “this college hockey season has revealed” that McKenna is right now “a flawed player” whose flaws were better masked when he was playing in, and dominating, the WHL.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Injury issues have once again surfaced for Vegas Golden Knights veteran William Karlsson, who left last night’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks with an injury. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger relayed word from Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy last night, who guessed that Karlsson would be out on a day-to-day basis, but did also note that they don’t know for sure the extent of his injury. Since Vegas is not on the ice today, the earliest an update on Karlsson’s status is likely to be released is Monday. Karlsson played in just 53 games last season due to injury and has seven points through 14 games in 2025-26.
- Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Scott Laughton left last night’s loss against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury after finding himself on the wrong end of a Nikita Zadorov body check. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media after the game, including The Hockey News’ David Alter, that the severity of Laughton’s injury is currently still being evaluated, but he did note that the player will miss the Maple Leafs’ game Sunday. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Berube expressed frustration regarding the hit that injured Laughton, saying postgame “I thought it was a head shot.” Injuries have limited Laughton to just two games played this season, his first coming on Nov. 5.
Morning Notes: Stockselius, Camper, McKenna
Calgary Flames 2025 second-round pick Theo Stockselius had his WHL rights traded on Friday, with the Calgary Hitmen trading several draft picks to the Seattle Thunderbirds, including conditional rights to the team’s 2027 first-rounder. Regarding the trade, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reported that Stockselius won’t be heading to the Hitmen for now – he’ll remain with the SHL’s Djurgårdens – but that this trade paves the way for Stockselius to have the option of starting his career in North America close to his eventual pro landing spot.
The move is an intriguing one for the Flames, as the team’s parent company (Calgary Sports and Entertainment) are the owners of the Hitmen and have the Hitmen play out their home schedule in the Scotiabank Saddledome. Should Stockselius eventually land with the Flames, it would allow Calgary brass to keep a very close eye on his development and likely give them the ability to exert more control over his developmental process. Stockselius began this season with Djurgårdens’ J20 Nationell side, scoring seven points in five games. That performance earned him his first-ever SHL call-up, and he skated in just over seven minutes of the team’s 5-2 Saturday win over Malmö. Scouts generally project Stockselius, a rangy 6’3 center, as a potential middle-six NHL pivot.
Some other notes from around the hockey world:
- Former college hockey star and longtime pro player Carter Camper announced his retirement on social media Friday, bringing to a close a 14-year career in professional hockey. While the 37-year-old only managed three NHL games, he did have a long, highly successful career in the AHL and later, the SHL. The former Hobey Baker Award finalist for Miami (OH) scored 421 points across 551 AHL games and 121 points in 137 SHL games, and also won the Liiga championship in his lone season in Finland’s top pro circuit with Tappara Tampere. Now with his career in hockey finished, Camper announced that he’s transitioning to a career as a financial advisor at global financial services company Morgan Stanley.
- Top prospect Gavin McKenna made his NCAA debut for Penn State this weekend, and his performance only served to underscore his overwhelming likelihood to be the 2026 number-one overall pick, writes FloHockey’s Chris Peters. While McKenna was perhaps not the standout player from Penn State’s weekend series at Arizona State University (that honor would have to go to Carolina Hurricanes 2025 second-rounder Charlie Cerrato who managed six points in the two games played) he still found his way to make his mark. McKenna had two assists in his debut game and scored a game-winning goal in the second game of the series, an extremely impressive start for one of the youngest players in college hockey. Widely ranked as the 2026 draft class’ top player for several years now, this weekend’s series suggests that isn’t likely to change anytime soon, and that McKenna could potentially follow in 2024 top pick Macklin Celebrini‘s footsteps in winning the Hobey Baker Award as a draft-eligible true freshman player.
Snapshots: Beck, Krug, Robertson
2021 Calgary Flames draft pick Jack Beck is headed to college hockey. SunDevilSuource’s Gabriella Chernoff reports that Beck has committed to play for Arizona State University this season. On the surface, Beck’s commitment might seem like a normal roster addition, but the reality is it’s anything but. Beck was a professional hockey player in 2024-25, playing most of the year with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.
The NCAA had long held that athletes in almost all cases, at the moment they receive compensation in exchange for their services as players, sacrifice their eligibility to compete in NCAA competitions. But the college sports landscape has undergone massive shifts over the last several years, and Beck’s commitment is indicative of a major shift within hockey. CHL players, who were previously ineligible to play college hockey, have been committing to NCAA programs en masse for months – and now players who have signed professional contracts and played professional games, like Beck, are following them. In light of this development, is not immediately clear where the NCAA draws the line in terms of what pro experience is allowed for a player to retain his eligibility, but ESPN’s John Buccigross commented today that college coaches “aren’t happy” with the direction things are headed.
Other notes from the hockey world:
- In a bit of unfortunate but also expected news, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported that veteran defenseman Torey Krug failed his season-opening medical, and will, barring a hugely expected turn of events, not play in 2025-26. Rutherford added that the organization hopes to be able to place Krug on in-season long-term injured reserve to give them a “greater ability” to use the additional financial flexbility such a move would create over the course of the season.
- The Dallas News’ Lia Assimakopoulos relayed word from Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill related to pending restricted free agent Jason Robertson: Nill said negotiations with Robertson, who is repped by Pat Brisson of CAA, are currently “at a standstill.” Nill added that both sides want to see where the market progresses before continuing further – but added that he remains confident they’ll reach an agreement on a new contract. Robertson, 26, is one of the Stars’ best players, scoring 80 points in 82 games in 2024-25.
NCAA Grants Eligibility To Two Former Pros
In another milestone decision for collegiate hockey, the NCAA has granted eligibility to two players with experience in the AHL and ECHL. Forward Connor McClennon and defenseman Hudson Thornton will both suit up for the Bemidji State University Beavers, per Jared Rubado of The Bemidji Pioneer. This decision goes against the NCAA’s previous rule that stated any players who have signed pro contracts were ineligible from playing NCAA-sanctioned sports.
The future implications, or even the present justification, for this decision aren’t entirely clear. Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore told Rubado that the team wanted to “throw some darts” after seeing the NCAA allow former pros to participate in other sports. They worked with both players to submit request to the NCAA Eligibility Center, formerly the NCAA Clearinghouse. Both McClennon and Thornton pointed towards their reinstated eligibility for U Sports – Canada’s collegiate league – as one of the reasons why they should be granted a move to the NCAA.
Bemidji also pointed towards the NCAA’s extension of eligibility to pros in both basketball and football. As pointed out by Rubado, the NCAA allowed Ethan Burg to join the University of Tennessee’s men’s basketball team on July 24, despite Burg’s participation in the Israeli Basketball Super League.
The NCAA is also currently facing a U.S. District Court ruling that challenges how the NCAA counts years of eligibility. Previously, the collegiate association would include years in JUCO, or Junior College, against a player’s maximum five years of NCAA eligibility. This new antitrust lawsuit would look to reverse that decision, and extend additional eligibility to three players at West Virginia University, as well as players at Vanderbilt University, Rutgers University, and Memphis University.
The NCAA has released a statement challenging the court ruling, though they may face a tougher task overturning it after extending eligibility to two pro hockey players. McClennon played nine total games between the AHL and ECHL, scoring just one point in the former league. He spent last season at the University of Alberta. Thornton’s pro experience is much more extensive. He appeared in 49 ECHL games, and scored 14 points, this past season, in addition to making his AHL debut. Thornton has never played at the collegiate level, though he previously expressed interest in joining the University of Saskatchewan for next season.
While the long-term impact of this decision hasn’t had time to settle, it marks another boom to the ever-changing junior hockey landscape. It seems unlikely that the NCAA will officially acknowledge changes to their eligibility until after they conclude multiple lawsuits and court cases, leaving questions of who teams can recruit up in the air for now. On the other side, NCAA eligibility could begin mirroring U Sports. Currently, AHL or ECHL players are eligible to join U Sports programs, but must sit out for a season of competition if they are on a pro roster after January 10th. Even those guidelines seem uncertain, though, as U Sports commits to future changes and expansions of their own.
Stars’ Brandon Gorzynski Commits To Arizona State University
Brandon Gorzynski, the recent draft pick of the Dallas Stars, announced his collegiate commitment on Instagram. Starting in the 2026-27 NCAA season, Gorzynski will continue his development at Arizona State University.
Gorzynski was selected 126th overall by the Stars in the 2025 NHL Draft. Despite being drafted in the fourth round, he was Dallas’ second-highest selection in this summer’s draft, given how much draft capital they’ve traded over the past few years in their competitive window.
The native of Scottsdale, AZ, played for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen last year and will return to the team for the 2025-26 season. As one of the youngest players on the roster, he finished sixth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 42 points in 68 games, with a +27 rating. He also produced well in the WHL playoffs, scoring four goals and eight points in 11 postseason contests.
Despite being on a team that has only appeared in the National Tournament once (2019), Gorzynski will join one of the most competitive collegiate conferences in the sport. The Sun Devils have played in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) since the start of last season. It’s home to the two most recent Frozen Four champions, the University of Denver Pioneers and the Western Michigan University Broncos.
In their first season outside of being an independent team, Arizona State finished second in the conference with a 14-9-1-2-5 record in 24 games, finishing 10 points back of the Broncos. In the conference tournament, despite earning an opening game win against the University of Minnesota Duluth, they were dispatched in the next game by the Pioneers.
Snapshots: McKenna, Peterka, Dobson, Pacioretty
Although the 2025 NHL Draft is only a few days away, the projected first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft is already making waves. The expectation is that Gavin McKenna, currently rostered with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, will play in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.
In this week’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, podcast host Elliotte Friedman shared that McKenna has completed interviews with Penn State University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Denver. Friedman lists the former two as the perceived favorites, but all four programs are expected to compete for a National Championship next season.
Any program that lands McKenna will have successfully recruited a generational talent. McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Tigers this season, with another nine goals and 38 points in 16 postseason contests en route to a Memorial Cup Final finish. To put McKenna’s season into perspective, Connor McDavid scored 28 goals and 99 points in 56 games for the OHL’s Erie Otters in his age-17 season, with another four goals and 19 points in 14 postseason games.
Other snapshots:
- According to Frank Seravalli in the DFO Rundown podcast, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders have had loose trade negotiations regarding forward JJ Peterka and defenseman Noah Dobson. A one-for-one swap would fill an area of need for both organizations, with the Sabres prioritizing a right-handed defenseman and the Islanders looking to jumpstart a lethargic offense. Still, both teams are continuing to gauge the market for each player, and a trade isn’t considered imminent.
- Nick Alberga of The Leafs Nation reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain interested in re-signing winger Max Pacioretty for next season. Despite a solid postseason performance, Pacioretty should warrant a relatively cheaper contract, given he missed more than half of the season due to injury. Still, Alberga notes that Pacioretty is prioritizing remaining close to his family in Michigan, meaning his desired employer will come down to the Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings.