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College Notes: Team USA, Hellickson, Ford, Peart

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Though it should come as no surprise, USA Hockey has officially tabbed Providence College head coach Nate Leaman to lead the American entry into the 2022 World Junior Championship. Leaman coached Team USA to a gold medal this year and more than earned another go-round as head coach. “It’s always an honor to be asked to coach for my country and I’m grateful to be back behind the bench,” Leaman stated. “I’m excited to see some familiar faces, and coach some of America’s best young talent, as we look to build another championship roster.” The Friars’ bench boss, who has also been linked to NHL openings in the past, has nearly two decades of experience as a head coach at the college level, not only finding consistent success in the standings, but also in developing NHLers. Leaman will also be making his fourth appearance at the WJC for the U.S., but only his second as head coach. The Americans have medaled in six of the past seven tournaments, including two gold medals, so the bar has been raised for their performance. Fortunately, with Leaman at the helm they are in good hands in 2022.

  • Notre Dame defenseman Matt Hellickson has signed with the Devils, but not the ones who drafted him – at least not yet. Hellickson, a seventh-round selection of New Jersey back in 2017, has signed a contract with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils for the remainder of the season, the team announced. The organization going in this direction with the prospect defender as opposed to signing an entry-level contract that begins next season and merely finishing the year in Binghampton on an amateur tryout raises questions about his future. It seems possible that the Devils are still hoping to see more development from the four-year Fighting Irish starter before handing him an NHL contract. Hellickson, 23, was not as productive in the NCAA as he had been in the USHL before he was drafted, but was still a reliable presence on the back end for Notre Dame. Perhaps the concern from New Jersey is not that Hellickson is not pro ready, but simply lacks NHL upside. He will look to prove otherwise over the rest of the season.
  • As the NCAA transfer market continues to operate like NHL free agency this off-season, another notable name is moving on. Bowling Green captain Connor Ford has announced that he will spend his graduate season at North Dakota. Ford, 23, has been one of Bowling Green’s best players in each of his four seasons and has certainly drawn some attention from the pro ranks. However, this move likely indicates that his current offers were of the AHL variety instead of NHL entry-level proposals, so he will take his chances with a fifth year in college. If Ford is able to maintain his top scorer status with a power house like North Dakota, those NHL offers should roll in next year for the impressive forward.
  • As if St. Cloud State University needed anything else to be excited about, the NCAA Tournament finalist can now claim to be the future home of the best high school player in the state. Defenseman Jack Peart has been named the 2021 recipient of the Mr. Hockey Award as Minnesota high school hockey’s top athlete. The dynamic defender recorded a stunning 11 goals and 35 points in just 18 games for Grand Rapids High this year, earning him the honors. He added 11 goals in 18 games for the USHL’s Fargo Force as well. The offensive blue liner is a game-changer on the back end, which will likely lead to his selection in the second or third round of the upcoming NHL Draft. He will then head to St. Cloud where he will be expected to take on a big role right away. There is a strong correlation between winning the Mr. Hockey Award and finding NCAA success and playing in the NHL, with past winners including Ryan McDonagh, Nick Leddy, Nick Bjugstad, and Casey Mittelstadt. Peart is a name to keep an eye on.

Prospect Notes: Drysdale, CHL Agreement, Nappier

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The Anaheim Ducks will have the future on the ice tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. Jamie Drysdale is expected to make his NHL debut, in the lineup along with fellow top prospect Trevor Zegras, who will be in his 11th. The 18-year-old Drysdale has dominated the AHL so far this season, scoring ten points in 14 games. The young defenseman was the sixth overall selection in the 2020 draft and has almost limitless offensive upside.

The Ducks, who have lost four straight and scored just 67 goals in 30 games this season have nothing to lose by testing Drysdale at the NHL level, though a few games down the road they’ll have a decision to make. The team has already elected to burn the first season of Zegras three-year entry-level contract when they could have theoretically had it slide forward, keeping him in the minor leagues all season. The same would happen for Drysdale if he plays in more than seven NHL contests this season. With the OHL still hopeful that a season could begin in April, Drysdale wouldn’t be able to return to the AHL if his junior team is in session. If he shows he can compete at the highest level right away, it might not matter.

  • That CHL agreement, which states that players drafted out of the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL cannot play in the AHL while the junior league is in session until they are 20 years old, will actually expire once again at the end of this season. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports today that there is a growing appetite for some sort of an exception to be included in the renegotiated deal for players like Drysdale, who have shown an obvious ability to perform at the minor professional level. Seth Jarvis and Connor Zary have already been sent back to the WHL after it started, despite strong showings in the AHL.
  • That agreement won’t matter for the players named today to the 2021 Biosteel All-American Game, a showcase for the top draft-eligible players in the USNTDP and USHL. The group includes Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, and many other picks that will end up going off the board relatively early in July. The game takes place in Plymouth, Michigan on April 7.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed undrafted Ohio State University goaltender Tommy Nappier to an unusual three-year AHL contract that will kick in right away. Nappier, 22, posted a .906 save percentage this season but had been almost unbeatable in years past. His college career ends with a .925 in 82 appearances and his professional one is just getting started.

Brent Johnson Commits To The University Of North Dakota

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The University of North Dakota is one of the top programs in all of college hockey and their roster always includes a plethora of NHL Draft selections. However, the team is about to lose much of its core in departing seniors Jordan Kawaguchi, Collin Adams (NYI), Grant Mismash (NSH), and Matt Kiersted and a trio of highly-regarded underclassmen likely to turn pro in Shane Pinto (OTT), Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT), and Jasper Weatherby (SJS). That also doesn’t include the pre-season transfer of Jonny Tychonik (OTT) and dismissal of Mitchell Miller, both on the back end. Even with 2020 fifth overall pick Jake Sanderson (OTT) and others sticking around, North Dakota is in need of an influx of talent.

Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a problem for the program. With a strong recruiting class already lined up for next season, you can now add Brent Johnson to the list of incoming NHL hopefuls. The skilled 2021 draft-eligible prospect has announced his commitment to North Dakota, moving from the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede to the NCAA’s (former) Fighting Sioux. Johnson, 17, has been one of the best rookies in the USHL this season, currently ranked sixth among all defensemen with 24 points in 36 games. He is also among the top five in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus for Sioux Falls. Johnson has played so well in fact, that he de-committed from Arizona State University when major programs like North Dakota began to show interest. It’s not only NCAA programs that have been watching the dynamic defender either; he is currently considered a top-100 player in the 2021 draft class by a number of scouting services, with some believing he could go as early as the top of the second round and none expecting him to fall out of the third round. A mobile, right-shot defenseman with offensive instincts, Johnson checks a number of boxes for NHL clubs and is now headed down an elite developmental path at UND.

If Johnson enrolls at North Dakota next season, he will join an impressive group of freshman. A fellow defenseman, Scott Morrow, is the highlight of the group as a potential first-round pick this year. In fact, righties Morrow and Johnson could be likely to pair up with Sanderson and Tyler Kleven (OTT) as the Fighting Hawks’ new top-four – perhaps the Senators will draft them as well. Also heading to Grand Forks next year are previously-drafted forwards Jackson Kunz (VAN), Matteo Costantini (BUF), Jake Schmaltz (BOS), and Ethan Bowen (ANA). If Johnson instead opts to play another season of junior in the USHL, he appears to be the current gem of North Dakota’s 2022 recruiting class and will still have an opportunity to play with most if not all of the aforementioned players.

 

USHL Gaining Top Players With Canadian Junior Leagues Out Of Action

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The United States Hockey League, USHL, is the top junior league in the U.S. and has been growing as a top developmental destination in recent years. Yet, they have never seen an influx of talent as they have this season. Early on, it was NCAA players whose teams (mostly Ivy League programs) canceled play this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, as the CHL leagues – OHL, WHL, and QMJHL – and other Junior-A Canadian leagues remain out of action, the flow of top players has continued. The USHL season is ongoing and has thus far operated without much delay, making it the greatest beneficiary on the other side of the border from the stalled Canadian leagues. This past week has shown that talented players throughout Canada are running low on patience with their current leagues and are now making the move south.

On Tuesday, the trend really began to pick up steam when the BCHL announced nine departures, four to the USHL including two top players from the powerhouse Penticton Vees. Buffalo Sabres forward prospect Matteo Costantini, who had joined Penticton this season before heading to the University of North Dakota next year, has now joined the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Well-regarded 2021-eligible defenseman Owen Murray is also headed to the NCAA next season as a University of Massachusetts commit, but instead of staying with the Vees this year, he has now joined the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

On Wednesday, Penticton lost another top defenseman, as projected 2021 second/third-round pick Jack Bar left for the USHL’s Chicago Steel and will not return to the Vees next season with Harvard University in his sights. However, the bigger story was the exodus from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Detroit Red Wings 2020 second-round pick Cross Hanas and potential 2021 first-round forward Jack O’Brien, along with two other teammates, all left for the USL’s Lincoln Stars. Lincoln also picked up 2021 defenseman and Boston University commit Charles-Alexis Legault from the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.

The biggest move to date is a major addition for the Sioux Falls Stampede. Forward Cole Sillinger, a consensus 2021 first-round pick, left the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to head to the U.S. Sillinger recorded 53 points in 48 games with the Tigers last year and may just be one of the best players in the USHL now that he has arrived in Sioux Falls.

The question of course with all of these transfers is whether any of these players will leave if their Canadian teams are able to play this season. These USHL clubs undoubtedly hope they can retain their newfound talent throughout their season and postseason and they almost certainly will if junior play in Canada is unable to return. However, the WHL is already taking steps toward a possible return and other leagues will try to follow. Regardless, this influx of talent is great for the competition level of the USHL this year and its reputation moving forward as it looks to compete for top players with the CHL elite in the future.

Snapshots: Savoie, Perron, Ritchie

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The Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL made big news today, announcing that Matthew Savoie has decided to leave the AJHL and will join the team shortly. Savoie, 17, is one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, even though he was denied exceptional status by the WHL in 2019. Selected first overall in the WHL bantam draft that year, he played 22 games with the Winnipeg Ice in 2019-20 when he became eligible and had suited up four times for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL this season.

Blazing speed and elite hockey sense are Savoie’s calling cards and they likely will get him selected in the first few picks come 2022. For now, he just needs to get back on the ice and continue his development as he prepares for a career in professional hockey. Meanwhile, his brother Carter Savoie, a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2020, is lighting it up as a freshman at the University of Denver, scoring 13 points in his first 12 games and earning NCHC Rookie of the Month honors.

  • David Perron was available to the media today after the St. Louis Blues hit the ice for the second time and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he underwent surgery for a sports hernia in the offseason. The 32-year-old forward had one of the best seasons of his career last year for the Blues, scoring 25 goals and registering 60 points in just 71 games. In the early part of training camp, he’s been lining up beside Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn on the top line, with no expectation he’ll be anything other than full strength when the season begins.
  • Though it hasn’t been announced by the team, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that Brett Ritchie “is the mystery PTO possibility” for the Calgary Flames. Ritchie, 27, played in 27 games for the Boston Bruins last season, eventually clearing waivers to go to the minor leagues. He was not given a qualifying offer by the Bruins, meaning he’s an unrestricted free agent looking for work just like so many other fringe NHL players.

Snapshots: Liiga, Paajarvi, Bradley

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Just days after the QMJHL announced a month-long pause due to the heightened spread of the Coronavirus, another league is set to make a similar call, but this time it’s a pro league out of Europe. According to a number of sources including The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf, the Finnish Liiga is expected to halt all play through the month of December. This move is expected to carry over to Finland’s junior leagues as well. A number of NHL prospects will be impacted, as will NHL players currently on loan who will return to North America sooner than expected. It does seem as though the shut down will end in January, but the COVID numbers in Finland will ultimately determine when play resumes.

  • Veteran NHL forward Magnus Paajarvi opted to take his talents to Russia last summer, signing a two-year deal with the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. His first season fell short of expectations, as Paajarvi played in only 39 games and recorded just 19 points. His second season has started off much better, as Paajarvi already has 11 ponts through 26 games and will far exceed last season if he stays healthy. Yaroslavl decided to take advantage of the success of the impending free agent, as they have traded Paajarvi to Dynamo Moscow in exchange for another name familiar to NHL fans, Teemu Pulkkinen. Given that Paajarvi was still a serviceable bottom-six forward when he left the NHL, is on pace for a superior season this year with his contract expiring, and has now abandoned any loyalty he might have felt to the KHL club he initially signed with, this could all be leading to an NHL comeback for the skilled power forward next year.
  • Detroit Red Wings prospect Chase Bradley has made his collegiate selection. The 2020 seventh-round pick out of the USHL has committed to the University of Connecticut, the program announced. The St. Louis native is a hard-working forward who is expecting to take a big step forward offensively in his final junior season before moving to the NCAA. Bradley becomes the second NHL prospect commitment for the Huskies this month, as fellow 2020 seventh-rounder Ryan Tverberg (TOR) will also join UConn next season.

Ivy League Schools Cancel Hockey Season

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While other NCAA hockey conferences have been busy announcing their schedules for the 2020-21 season, delayed and shortened but a season nonetheless, the Ivy League schools have decided to go in a different direction. In a joint announcement between the eight member institutions, the Ivy League announced that they will forego all winter sports this year as a result of the continuing Coronavirus pandemic. While the conference itself does not sponsor hockey, six of its members participate in the the ECAC: Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. All will sit out the season following this decisions.

While this had been a fear of many since the conference canceled all sports in the fall semester, eliminating the possibility of hockey until late December at the earliest, there was hope that with other conferences opting to face the challenge and spare the season that the Ivy League’s would fall in line as well. After all, hockey is the most high-profile sport for those six schools who sponsor the sport at the Division I level. However, they stated that they felt that canceling all winter sports was the best decision “with the health & wellbeing of student-athletes & the greater campus community in mind.”

On an overall NCAA hockey scale, the loss of the Ivy League removes perennial contenders such as Cornell and Harvard from the mix this season. It also leaves the ECAC with just six other active teams; the conference has yet to announce a schedule for the coming season but will have very few options outside of repeated match-ups between their remaining teams.

On an individual basis, the loss of this season will have a major effect on a number of NHL prospect. While some opted not to wait for the Ivy League’s to make this decision – presumptive 2021 first-round pick Matthew Beniers and recent Boston Bruins draft pick Trevor Kuntar are among those who transferred to other schools this summer, while some incoming freshmen deferred, and some upperclassmen turned pro early – many others are left without a collegiate season. They will have to decide if they want to stay at school and perhaps try to find a local junior team to play with or if instead they will search for a landing spot in the USHL or elsewhere. Seniors and even some others could still opt to sign their entry-level contracts as well. The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to all winter athletes, but that means little to those with NHL dreams who are not looking to put off turning pro for an extra year. Fortunately, many of those affected have already begun playing elsewhere or have plans to do so and hopefully all will be able to find a suitable locale for the season. Below is a list of all of the drafted NHL prospects left without a collegiate season in light of the Ivy League’s winter sports cancellation:

Cornell: D Misha Song, Jr. (NYI); F Matt Stienburg, So. (COL)*

Harvard: F Nick Abruzzese, So. (TOR); F John Farinacci, So. (ARI)**; G Mitchell Gibson, So. (WSH); F Alex Laferriere, Fr. (LAK)***; D Henry Thrun, So. (ANA)****; F Austin Wong, So. (WPG)*****

Princeton: F Liam Gorman, So. (PIT)

Yale: F Curtis Hall, Jr. (BOS); D Phil Kemp, Sr. (EDM); D Jack St. Ivany, Jr. (PHI)

*Stienberg is expected to play with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL this season
**Farinacci will play with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL this season
***Laferriere is expected to play with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL this season
****Thrun will play with the Dubuque Fightning Saints of the USHL this season
*****Wong is expected to play with the Fargo Force of the USHL this season

Florida Panthers Loan Alec Rauhauser To Slovakia

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Former Bowling Green State University standout Alec Rauhauser will not be making his pro debut in the NHL or AHL, but in the Slovakian Extraliga. The Florida Panthers have loaned their recent NCAA signing to DVTK Jegesmedvek, the Hungarian club announced. Like most players on loan, Rauhauser will only stay with the Polar Bears until NHL training camps open.

While Hungary may seem like an odd location, Rauhauser has connections to the club. His former junior head coach with the USHL’s De Moines Buccaneers, Dave Allison, is now the head coach at DVTK, and his former Bucs teammate, Nick Wolff of the Boston Bruins, is also on loan to the club. Rauhauser stated in the press release that it was Wolff who recruited him to the team.

While Rauhauser and Wolff are both big defensemen who found immense success in the NCAA, the two play very different styles. Rauhauser will be a nice complement to Wolff, a stay at home defender, with his offense and mobility. Rauhauser recorded 29 goals and 122 points in 159 games over four seasons at Bowling Green and was perennially one of their top scoring players. With the Polar Bears, Rauhauser will get a chance to play a major offensive role from the blue line and can prepare to battle in camp for the Panthers as a potential dark horse option to see NHL action this season.

Negotiation Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Bertuzzi, Gushchin

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While the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade rumors dominated the pre-free agency headlines, the Arizona Coyotes’ star defenseman ultimately stayed put. Now, the ’Yotes captain tells AZ Central’s Jose Romero that this was the result that he had hoped for:

I have a clause in my contract, a no-trade, no-move clause. At the same time, I did not want to stand in the way if the organization felt otherwise. That’s how I am as a person. It was more that if they wanted to remove me, I set up the two clubs as an alternative, but, as I said, I wanted nothing better than to continue in Arizona so it feels good that it turned out the way it did.

Ekman-Larsson didn’t stand in the Coyotes’ way of making a trade per say, but the longest-tenured Coyote provided as little flexibility as he could while seeming open to a deal. Ekman-Larsson provided Arizona with just two teams he would accept a trade to, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, and also set a deadline of October 9 for a deal to be completed. While the team reportedly had talks with both Boston and Vancouver, no deal could be reached in time and Ekman-Larsson stayed put. While he admits that even being available on his own terms was uncomfortable, Ekman-Larsson feels happy to still be a Coyote and has moved past the whole situation. Arizona meanwhile will have to find another way to solve their current salary cap crisis.

  • While there is a negative correlation between reaching a salary arbitration hearing and the number of seasons that player spends with his team after the fact, Tyler Bertuzzi remains on good terms with the Detroit Red Wings, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Bertuzzi tells James that all is well, even after the player was critically examined by his own team in front of an arbitrator, who seemingly agreed with an award closer to where the Red Wings filed. Bertuzzi went so far as to say the process “went smoothly” and stated that it was “nothing personal at all.” Congratulations are due to Detroit and GM Steve Yzerman on not only winning the arbitration battle, but maintaining such good terms with the subject. Bertuzzi’s experience with an arbitration hearing is far from the norm.
  • Daniil Gushchin, selected in the third round by the San Jose Sharks earlier this month, had previously signed with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs this summer after the team picked him fourth overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft. This seemingly marked the end of his consideration of going the collegiate route as well as his time in the USHL. Yet, with the OHL season delayed, Gushchin’s USHL club, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, have revealed that their star forward is still very much in the mix for the 2020-21. It is possible that the Ice Dogs have negotiated a loan of Gushchin to the Lumberjacks until OHL training camps open, but it also may be that the skilled forward has simply found himself a place to play. So long as Gushchin stays in the USHL this season and does not suit up in the OHL, he would maintain his NCAA eligibility and could still wind up joining a college program, many of whom had interest before he committed to Niagara.

Predators Loan Egor Afanasyev To CSKA Moscow

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One of the Nashville Predators’ top prospects is headed to one of the best teams in Europe. Egor Afanasyev, the Predators’ second-round pick in 2019, has been loaned to CSKA Moscow of the KHL, Nashville announced. The club did not specify whether the loan is for the entire 2020-21 season or merely until NHL training camp begins.

Afanasyev was born in Russia, but this will be his first time playing at a competitive level in his native country. Afanasyev moved to the United States earlier in his life and came up through the USHL before jumping to the OHL this past season. However, this move to the KHL – short or long term – could be a major benefit to Afanasyev’s development. The 6’4″, 200-lb. winger recorded 31 goals and 67 points in 62 games in his first OHL season and looked like he had already outgrown the junior ranks. Playing against older competition, and some of the best outside of North America, in the KHL will only help prepare Afanasyev to make the jump to Nashville sooner rather than later.

CSKA Moscow is not a bad place to start your pro career either. The 2019-20 regular season champs and 2018-19 Gagarin Cup champs are an elite squad. Afanasyev will be joining a roster that is flush with NHL experience and has made an effort to get younger. While he may not get significant ice time, Afansysev will be able to compete for opportunities and to learn from a number of player who know what it takes to break into the NHL.

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