Michigan defenseman Owen Power became just the fourth collegiate player selected first overall on Friday, taken with the top pick by the Buffalo Sabres (File photo: University of Michigan)
Michigan defenseman Owen Power became the first collegiate player selected first overall since 2006, and just the fourth all-time, as the Buffalo Sabres tabbed the blueliner with the first pick in Friday’s NHL Draft.
That simply started a barrage of Michigan players – current and incoming – to become top-tier NHL selections. Minutes later, forward Matty Beniers was selected by Seattle with the second overall pick. And two picks later, New Jersey selected incoming Michigan freshman Luke Hughes at four.
Kent Johnson, who scored 27 points in 26 games last season for Michigan, closed out the Maize and Blue parade, taken fifth by Columbus.
Michigan would later make history with five players selected in the first round when incoming freshman Mackie Samoskevich was taken 24th by Florida.
Power, who posted three goals and 13 assists in 26 games this past season for the Wolverines, has been a consensus top pick in most pre-Draft rankings for the past year.
“It’z pretty special,” Power told ESPN’s Jackie Redmond. “I’ve even dreaming about it my whole life. I’m not sure if my younger self would believe this.”
Power joins a special group of past collegians to become the first overall selection. Erik Johnson (2006, Minnesota), Rick DiPietro (2000, Boston University) and Joe Murphy (1986, Michigan State) are the other three to hold that honor.
It is the first time in Draft history that two players from the same school were selected one-two. Only once before have two collegiate players been chosen with the top two selections (2000). It is also the first time in Draft history that three players with collegiate ties are taken in the top four and four players are taken in the top five.
Michigan coach Mel Pearson may have a major challenge ahead, working to convince this quartet of players to either return or arrive on campus in Ann Arbor as the 2021-22 season begins.
“I’m not thinking about it too much right now,” said Power. “I’m just trying to enjoy the night. That’s something I’ll worry about later.”
Boston University incoming freshman Tyler Boucher, son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, broke the Michigan run when he was a high-end jumper in the first round going 10th to Ottawa. Ranked 25th among North American skaters, Boucher was thought the be an early second-round selection according to many pre-draft projections.
Harvard commit Matthew Coronato went 13th to Ottawa. Ranked 9th among North American players, right winger/center Coronato put up 85 points with 48 goals and 37 assists in 51 games for the USHL’s Clark Cup-winning Chicago Steel.
Incoming Minnesota freshman Chaz Lucius joined Hughes and Boucher as the third U.S. Under-18 (NTDP) player selected. Lucius spent three months without walking after knee surgery to repair a bone lesion last summer and endured two-hour hyperbaric oxygen chamber sessions five days a week as part of his recovery.
Right winger Samoskevich, ranked 26th, was taken ahead of four higher-ranked college players and was the second Chicago Steel player selected.
Wisconsin incoming freshman defenseman Corson Ceulemans was taken 25th by Columbus in the last of its three first-round picks.
In all, nine college players were selected in the first round, including seven from the Big Ten. The most ever taken is 11, in 2016 and 2017.
Rounds 2-7 will take place on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
This is breaking news and will continue to be updated.
Greg Heffernan earned 81 wins at Western New England from 2009 to 2020 (photo: WNE Athletics).
After 12 years as Western New England’s coach, Greg Heffernan has stepped down to become the coach and general manager of the EHL’s Connecticut Chiefs.
Western New England did not play during the 2020-21 season.
Heffernan finishes with an 81-181-18 mark behind the bench at WNE.
“We are extraordinarily pleased to bring a coach of Greg’s pedigree and passion to our organization,” Chiefs owner and president Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “Over the last couple of seasons, we have grown considerably to become a winning playoff team. We believe that Greg will take us to the next level and become a consistent championship-caliber team. Just as importantly, with Greg’s contacts and reputation, he will help a multitude of our organization’s athletes take the next steps in advancing their hockey careers.”
During the 2019-20 season, Heffernan led WNE to its best winning percentage in 18 years and reached the ECAC Northeast semifinals before being eliminated by the tournament’s top-seed and NCAA tournament participant Wentworth.
“I’m extraordinarily proud of building a successful program with WNE,” Heffernan said. “The administration and students were always with us and I’m grateful for all of their support. When I heard about this amazing opportunity with the Chiefs, I was intrigued by it and all it had to offer. In terms of what I was looking for in the next step in my career, this checked off all the boxes, and after meeting with Mr. Johnson and (VP and director of coaching) Ike (Corriveau), I knew I had to be a part of this organization.”
While he was proud of his success on the ice, Heffernan was thrilled by what his players did off the ice.
“We had our success on the ice (at WNE) because we had very intelligent young men striving even harder for academic success off the ice,” said Heffernan. “We consistently placed double-digits numbers of our players into the CCC Academic All-Conference (posting GPAs of 3.30 or higher). I intend to instill that same emphasis on academic success to our Chiefs players.”
Prior to Western New England, Heffernan was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Fredonia and was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Mercyhurst.
Owen Power is seen by many NHL Draft pundits as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (photo: Adam Sheehan).22
How many Wolverines does it take to dominate the top 10 spots in an NHL Draft?
Four. Perhaps. No joke.
Everyone knows that college hockey will be represented well in this year’s draft. What remains to be seen, though, is whether the top overall pick will be from the University of Michigan and how many total Wolverines will be chosen before the draft is an hour old.
Three Michigan sophomores are among the most talked-about, draft-eligible players this year. Defenseman Owen Power is widely regarded to be the likely No. 1 overall pick when the draft begins Friday.
His classmates, forwards Kent Johnson and Matty Beniers, are projected top-10 picks. Johnson may go as high as No. 2 and Beniers as high as fourth. Incoming freshman defenseman Luke Hughes – brother of NHLers Quinn (Vancouver) and Jack (New Jersey) – is also projected to be chosen as high as No. 4.
“It’s going to be such an historical evening not only for the University of Michigan but for college hockey,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson.
Should he be chosen first overall by the Buffalo Sabres, Power will become the fourth NCAA player to be the NHL’s top pick and second Canadian-born collegian to garner that spot. With all the attention focused on him, Power recognizes that this group of Michigan and Michigan-bound players is unique.
“I think all of us know where the guys are and how good all the guys are – and how good all the guys on the team are,” said Power. “The development at the program and the history of the program are big parts to why all of us sign on at Michigan. Obviously, they’re doing a really good job of developing players and having players go on to play in the NHL.”
Only once before have four NCAA players been chosen in the top 10 of an NHL Draft but never all from the same college team. In 2006, Minnesota’s Erik Johnson was the top draft pick. He was joined by his teammates Kyle Okposso and Phil Kessel in the top 10, along with North Dakota’s Jonathan Toews.
“It’s an exciting time,” said Pearson. “I’m really looking forward to the draft. I’m really happy for the guys we have. They’ve worked hard through this past year to put themselves in the position to be selected.”
In advance of that selection process, Michigan’s high-profile sophomores have been juggling interviews with prospective NHL teams, media scrutiny and training for the upcoming season.
“I think I’ve had no problem handling it,” said Power, who turns 19 in November. “Maybe at times getting a bit unorganized, kind of forgetting about some stuff, but I think overall it’s been pretty good.”
Kent Johnson collected nine goals and 27 points in 26 games during the 2020-21 season (photo: Jonathan Knight).
Pearson said that Power’s calm demeanor is one of the things that makes him so attractive to NHL teams.
“You can see it in how he plays and how he talks,” Pearson said. “He just has a way about him, just that calmness, the patience, the poise. It’s a huge factor. He just goes about his business.
“He’s confident with who he is. Whatever happens, he’s just confident in his ability, and who he is, and where he’s headed and how he’s going to get there.”
Power said he’s talked to “probably 10 to 15” NHL teams.
“I don’t know,” he said. “There were some during the year and then some after.”
When asked about how many teams that have contacted him, Beniers laughed and asked, “What did Owen say? Yeah. Probably about that.”
Beniers said that while the attention has been “pretty crazy” and that he’s enjoyed the process, he’s trying to take it in stride.
“I’m not putting too much stress on myself,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the upcoming draft, but right now I’m pretty much working out and doing my regular summer. Nothing too different.”
Like Power, Beniers also turns 19 in November.
“It’s been really helpful this year to go through this process with two other guys,” said Beniers. “That was really nice this year. I think it was pretty special with three of us in the running and more to come for next year. It’s really cool.”
Michigan has seven draft-eligible players. In addition to Luke Hughes, incoming Wolverines Mackie Samoskevich and Dylan Duke are both likely to be selected no lower than the second round of the draft, and Mark Estapa may be chosen in a later round. All three are forwards. Incoming freshman Ethan Edwards, another forward, was picked in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
“We really like our class,” said Pearson. “Obviously Luke Hughes, and you throw in Dylan Duke from the [U.S. National Team Development] Program who’s a solid player, Ethan Edwards who’s already been drafted. Then you’ve got Mackie Samoskevich, who’s a late first-rounder, second-round pick but just a tremendous talent. Then there’s poor Mark Estapa. Nobody talks about him, but he’s going to be a dynamite player.”
Samoskevich, who may be another first-round pick, said that he’s loved “every second” of the time leading up to the draft, but that the draft itself is a means to an end.
“You want to go as high as possible and it’s always been a dream of mine to get drafted,” said Samoskevich. “But I think at the end of the day, the goal is to make the NHL, no matter where you are in the draft.”
“It’s just a really exciting time and a time that I think I’m just taking it all in,” said Duke. “I’m kind of just looking forward to the opportunity to play at Michigan, and the opportunity to be able to get drafted here and the opportunity to go to the World Junior Summer Showcase. I’m just ready to soak it all in and take in the experience.”
Matty Beniers could go as high as No. 2 to start the 2021 NHL Draft tomorrow night (photo: Michigan Photography).
Samoskevich, Hughes and Duke have all been invited to the 2021 World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich., July 24-31, which coincides with the NHL Draft.
While the incoming Michigan freshmen won’t be feeling much pressure to forego their college experience, there’s been plenty of speculation about whether Power, Johnson and Beniers will return for their sophomore seasons. There is a collective feeling of unfinished business with this Michigan team that just missed the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Playing with Michigan this coming season “would be awesome,” said Power.
“We’ve got so many good guys and such a close group, and obviously we’re going to have a really good shot at winning a national championship with the team we have, so I think being able to play with Luke and all the other guys would be pretty special.”
Power said that NHL teams have asked him what he wants to do but they haven’t given him much advice. “I think that when a team drafts me, we’ll go more in depth and talk a little bit more about,” said Power, who also said that getting a “true college experience” following COVID isolation will “factor in” to his decision whether to return.
“I’m not someone who thinks about it all the time,” said Power. “I’m just focusing on my game and continuing to develop in the gym and on the ice.”
Beniers sounds as though he’s leaning toward returning to Michigan. “This upcoming year, it’s all about strength, getting stronger, getting bigger, getting faster. That’s kind of the next step for me to become an NHL player, I think. That’s my big focus.”
Pearson – of course – is hoping that all of this talent returns to give the Wolverines a real shot at a national championship, but he says that a sophomore season may be just what each of these players needs to prepare for the NHL.
“You can talk about Cole Caufield and him coming back this year and just what that year meant him, and how much he improved. Look at Quinn Hughes or Zach Werenski or even Josh Norris or Cale Makar,” said Pearson. “You can go down the list of just defensemen. Cam York. Cam York grew so much from his first year to his second year, then he goes and becomes captain of the World Junior team, has a great year for us, is an All-American, and then, bang, at the end of [his sophomore] year with us he gets in games with Philly.
“I think that’s the path Owen’s looking at. If he comes back, it’s a solid path, it’s a good plan. To me, the growth you have from that first year to that second year is amazing and I can only imagine Owen and the rest of those guys at the end of the year, how good they’re going to be.”
Pearson said that he also wants last year’s rookie class to have a full college experience following the COVID year. Pearson wants to them “to be a student at Michigan,” and to “be able to go to a football game on Saturday, to play in Yost in front of the Children of Yost and the band, all those things” and more, like taking advantage of everything a university with the culturally diverse student body that Michigan has.
“Walking around campus and meeting people from all over the world,” said Pearson. “They’re hockey players, don’t get me wrong, but they came here for a reason. There’s more to them than that. We always tell our student-athletes to take advantage of Michigan – the people you meet, the culture, the town, the other sports. There’s so many things to take advantage of when you’re here. You’re only young once. That may be part of the reason they may decide to come back.”
Besides, said Pearson, the NHL Draft is “just the start of the journey.”
“You don’t walk out of the draft a better player,” said Pearson. “That’s when the work really has to be put in to become the player someone thought you were going to be.”
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AT A GLANCE: Michigan draft-eligible players
Owen Power (Mississauga, Ont.). Defenseman. Had three goals and 13 assists in 26 games as a Michigan freshman. Projected to be the No. 1 overall pick. At 6-foot-6, Power is a surprisingly agile two-way player with the ability to assess the entire ice in any situation.
Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C.). Forward. Had nine goals and 18 assists in 26 games as a Michigan freshman. Projected to go as high as No. 2 overall. Johnson is nuanced with the puck, a craftsman passer. He has the potential to become a dynamic forward.
Matty Beniers (Hingham, Mass.). Forward. Had 10 goals and 14 assists in 24 games as a Michigan freshman. Projected to go as high as No. 4 overall. Beniers is a good skater, an excellent set-up man, and plays very good defensively.
Luke Hughes comes from an NHL pedigree and is slated to be a top pick Friday night (photo: Rena Laverty/USA Hockey’s NTDP).
Luke Hughes (Canton, Mich.) Defenseman. Had six goals and 28 assists in 34 for the U.S. National Development Program Under-18 Team in 2020-21. Projected to go as high as No. 4 overall. Like his brothers, Hughes is an excellent skater. He has great hands to compliment his excellent defensive sense.
Mackie Samoskevich (Newtown, Conn.). Forward. Had 13 goals and 24 assists in 36 games with the Chicago Steel (USHL) in 2020-21. Also served as an alternate captain. Projected to go in the first round or high in the second round. Samoskevich is a tenacious player with a nose for the puck, a great skater and a patient playmaker.
Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio). Forward. Had 29 goals and 20 assists in 50 games for the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team in 2020-21. Projected to be a high second-round pick. Duke is very physical for his size (5-foot-10) and is especially good in front of the net. He’s not flashy, but he’s where he should be when needed.
Mark Estapa (St. Clair, Mich.). Forward. Had 10 goals and 21 assists in 45 games with the Tri-City Storm (USHL) in 2020-21. Projected to be a late-round pick. Another physical player, Estapa is considered a good special teams player.
Roundy will make his collegiate head coaching debut with the Colonels after spending six seasons at Holy Cross, including the last two as associate head men’s hockey coach.
“It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce Peter Roundy as the next head men’s ice hockey coach at Curry College,” said Curry athletic director Vinnie Eruzione in a statement. “Peter’s experience as the associate head coach at both NCAA Division I Holy Cross and Division III Trinity College make him a perfect fit for our men’s hockey program. He is a tireless recruiter and extremely knowledgeable in skill development and numerous systems. The care he has for student-athletes as a whole on the ice, in the classroom and in the community are evident by what Peter has accomplished in the past. He will bring quality student-athletes to our campus that have great character and commitment to the college and the men’s ice hockey program.
“Peter is ready to lead his own team and I could not be happier that he is going to be doing it at Curry.”
Roundy takes over a program that went 17-6-3 in 2019-20, including a 12-4-2 mark in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Colonels earned the third seed in the CCC championship tournament but were upended in the quarterfinals.
“I am honored and grateful to have the opportunity to be the next head men’s ice hockey coach at Curry College,” said Roundy. “I am excited to work with our motivated and talented student-athletes, to help them realize their goals on and off the ice. The program has a great foundation for success, and I look forward to building upon that. I would like to thank President Quigley, Vinnie Eruzione, and the entire search committee for their confidence in me to lead the program into a new era.”
Prior to his time at Holy Cross, Roundy spent four seasons at Trinity, serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bantams, who won the 2015 NCAA Division III national championship. The team went 25-3-1 to win its first national title in program history.
Roundy started his coaching career at Becker, where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Hawks in 2010-11.
A 2010 Stonehill graduate, Roundy earned a bachelor’s degree from in Health Care Administration with a minor in Business Administration. At Stonehill, Roundy was a four-year member and two-time captain of the hockey team, which won the 2007 Northeast-10 championship. He ranks among the top 10 assist leaders in Stonehill program history.
He earned his master’s degree in Public Policy Studies at Trinity in 2013.
Tavis MacMillan (right) joins Kyle Connor on stage as the Winnipeg Jets select the Michigan star in the first round (17th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft (photo courtesy Tavis MacMillan).
Recruiting is the lifeblood of college hockey.
For its professional counterpart, the basis for any franchise begins with scouting.
The 2021 NHL Draft will be conducted virtually this weekend, the culmination of over a season’s worth of countless individuals scouting games across North America and Europe, trying to determine the next clutch of players to perhaps one day be good enough to don an NHL sweater.
Denver assistant coach Tavis MacMillan, a former player and coach at Alaska Fairbanks, scouted for the Atlanta Thrashers from 2007 to 2011. He then stayed with the franchise for four more seasons when it relocated to Manitoba to become the new Winnipeg Jets.
Macmillan came to scouting after serving as an assistant coach at UAF from 1996 to 2003, and then as head coach from 2004 to 2007. He had just signed an extension to stay with the Nanooks when he decided to relocate his young family to Minnesota, to further his wife’s advancing career. Hopeful of staying in hockey, he got some help from his old college coach.
“Don Lucia gave me a scholarship—and then he got me a job,” chuckled MacMillan, who then went to work for the Thrashers as their Minnesota-area scout.
Having been a coach himself in the past only aided MacMillan’s scouting efforts.
“It helped immensely, and it gave me perspective,” admitted the Milk River, Alberta native.
He said that sometimes, one can get stuck on the proverbial “eye test” in watching players and their in-game performance. With a coaching background, however, they may be more apt to notice certain things players are doing, or are supposed to be doing, within a team framework, rather than simply showcasing their individual skills.
“I became a better scout from coaching, and a better coach from scouting,” said MacMillan. “The more disciplines involved, they make you better at your job.”
He also worked as a crossover scout in his last few years in the NHL. He would observe a list of players from outside his normal scouting zone, to offer his assessment of those prospects, with the observances coordinated by the team’s area scout.
“They know those players better than you ever will,” said MacMillan.
With Atlanta, he also served as an area scout in Minnesota, where he was responsible for creating a list of players to be scouted.
“You sort it out and do your homework,” he said, although the top players are generally known to everyone these days. “There’s not as much ‘diamond in the rough’ anymore.”
For amateur scouts based in the United States, who are often tasked to attend various showcases and tournaments in addition to regular league games, MacMillan said they can view anywhere from 225 to 275 contests in a given season. He also admitted that being a scout entails all the perceived trappings of racking up air miles, hotel points, and car rentals, in searching for the next hopefully “can’t miss” prospect.
His travels also involved time away from home, which for MacMillan meant some months where he was away from his wife and three daughters for over 20 days or so. Sometimes he would head out west for 10 days to scout players, return home for a few days, and then repeat that cycle. There were also European trips, some of which could last as many as 14 days at a time.
“That’s the job,” said MacMillan. “You’ve got to see games.”
MacMillan said he also learned as a scout to value more intangible traits in players.
He cited high-scoring forward Brayden Point of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning as an example. Point’s skating might not have been up to perceived NHL standards in his draft year, but MacMillan said Point has made up for that shortcoming with his on-ice intelligence, anticipation, and compete level.
“You can get blinded by the eye test and miss some stuff, or overvalue some things,” said MacMillan. “I’ve learned over time to appreciate hockey sense and competitiveness.”
In a normal season, the NHL Draft is held in June in one of its member cities. A team’s final prospect list, however, is set well before the event actually arrives.
“In my experience, we worked hard to put that list together,” said MacMillan. “Our final meetings were done in May.”
To tinker with that prepared list by, say, pushing hard for a particular player leading right up to the draft would be “dangerous,” as he put it, especially since a team’s scouting staff spends an entire year compiling and refining it.
“To change it would be a shame,” said MacMillan, unless something “earth-shattering” occurred.
Even with the list set, team scouts still do their homework. A week or so before the draft, they may meet with up to a dozen top prospects to interview them again on a 1-on-1 basis. Still, no major changes are usually made in a club’s approach at that point.
“Everyone feels a part of it,” he said of the club’s final prospect list. “In my experience, it stayed pretty consistent.”
He added that he had also been fortunate to work for general managers and assistant general managers who let their scouts do their jobs.
Sometimes, scouting can be more akin to spying when it comes to certain players, players that one NHL club may value far more than their competitors do.
“You hold your cards pretty close to the vest,” said MacMillan of those instances. “You don’t want to tip your hand.”
FITZGERALD
One such bit of skullduggery involved current Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who backstopped UMass Lowell to the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four before turning pro. MacMillan recalled scouting the draft-eligible Michigan native when he was playing his lone season (2011-12) in the North American Hockey League.
“I saw him,” said MacMillan, “but I didn’t want anyone to see me.”
MacMillan said he “morphed into the stands” by not wearing any identifying Jets logos, not even carrying a pen and paper for notes.
“You go incognito, so to speak,” said MacMillan of those extreme situations.
Winnipeg went on to select Hellebuyck 130th overall that year. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender in 2020.
MacMillan left the Jets in 2015 to join Denver’s coaching staff, and two years later he helped the Pioneers to their first NCAA title in a dozen campaigns. Now it’s NHL scouts who contact him, to get the skinny on his current players.
“I’m on the other side now,” he said.
MacMillan’s former linemate at Alaska Fairbanks, Dean Fedorchuk, led the NCAA in scoring in 1993-94 with 74 points, which tied him with MacMillan that season. Fedorchuk was also a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award that year.
After retiring in 2008 after skating over a dozen seasons in Europe, specifically Germany and Denmark, Fedorchuk coached in those two countries over the next three years before joining Winnipeg as a scout for two seasons, first as a European scout and then as a pro scout. For the Winnipeg native, it was a chance to connect with the newest incarnation of his boyhood team.
“When Winnipeg came back to the NHL, it was a wonderful opportunity to live out a childhood dream,” he admitted. “It was the team I used to listen to on the radio as a kid, and I just wanted to put my name in there. It was a great opportunity, and pretty fun.”
As with MacMillan, Fedorchuk believes that previous experience in coaching hockey can enhance one’s efforts in scouting players.
“I think there’s great synergy between the two,” said Fedorchuk, who has spent most of the last eight years coaching in Croatia and Switzerland. “You’re looking at players, and you think ‘I’d love to have that guy play for me.’ The coach in you comes out, and sometimes even the player, seeing someone you would have loved to have had as a teammate.”
He noted that at the end of the day, scouts fill out reports on how a player might potentially excel one level higher, by rating them on physical skills such as skating, up to how hard they battle on the ice.
“There’s key things you’re looking for with forwards, and key things with defensemen,” said Fedorchuk, “and then there’s the intangibles and other things for (ranking) players.”
As a pro scout for the Jets in Europe, Fedorchuk related that he didn’t scout the junior leagues there, as he was looking for more than the standard youthful prospects.
“It was two-fold,” he said. “I was looking for free agents, guys probably between 21-25, as prospects for the NHL.”
He would still seek out draft-eligible players in the pro leagues, though.
“I’d give a recommendation on them as well,” he said. “It was sort of the best of both worlds.”
He also saw a rise in European players who started to view American college hockey as a viable path to the NHL, and today’s NCAA game has seen a sizable influx of European talent.
“I started to get a sense that more European players were interested in the college route,” said Fedorchuk. “They have very good university packages and socialized government (at home), whether they play hockey or not—and now there are opportunities for athletes from Scandinavia, Germany, Latvia, etc., who are exposed to the college route.”
He also said there had been a lessening of the grip of family and advisors back home on such players, to let them play in North America. Places like Sweden have even hosted camps for skaters seeking to play in the NCAA.
“There’s more opportunity for Europeans to jump in, for sure,” said Fedorchuk, who remains UAF’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 113 tallies.
A player who has made the transition from Europe to the NCAA to the NHL recently is Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm. Sturm played his formative hockey in his native Germany, traveled to North America to play juniors, and then skated three seasons with Clarkson University before signing with the Wild as a free agent and becoming a fixture in its lineup.
During his tenure with the Jets, Fedorchuk believed that he viewed some 20-25 games per month, and perhaps several more when attending tournaments. His European scouting season usually began in mid-August with observing training camps, and would conclude at the end of May with the World Championships.
Fedorchuk, who returned to Fairbanks in the summers for many years to work ALCAN Hockey camps there, also said he was never more than 7-10 days away from his family at a time during his scouting days.
“I had a lot of autonomy to make my own schedule,” he admitted.
Headquartered in Malmo, Sweden, he would often venture to places like Stockholm to watch the Swedish league, Helsinki to view the Finnish league, and Latvia to observe the Kontinental Hockey League.
“I could see a game every night when I wanted to,” he said, “and travel was inexpensive and simple.”
He would sometimes take a train or plane from Helsinki to Riga, Latvia some 245 miles away, and spend time in hotels at both sites, going back and forth between the two cities when he was not at their rinks looking for talent.
“The biggest thing was the players you wanted to see, in making the optimal schedule,” said Fedorchuk.
Besides Riga, he also scouted in such capital cities as Prague in the Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. He called them “beautiful cities” with great infrastructure, and added that they often gave him more opportunity to scout players, in less crowded environments than some other stops.
Fedorchuk also explained that, early on in Winnipeg’s second NHL tenure, the Jets general manager had come from the Chicago Blackhawks system, and his interest was in building the “new” Jets through the draft.
FEDORCHUK
“There was a big focus on that,” said Fedorchuk, of selecting the best players available at the time.
College players, or players headed to college, who heard their name called by Winnipeg at subsequent NHL Drafts included Jacob Trouba (Michigan), Andrew Copp (Michigan), Kyle Connor (Michigan), Jack Roslovic (Miami), Mason Appleton (Michigan State), Dylan Samberg (Minnesota Duluth) and Nathan Smith (Minnesota State).
Fedorchuk said that, with the salary cap and its constraints, NHL teams nowadays often look to fill out their rosters with European free agents. Those players, who are perhaps in their older 20s, are usually signed for under $1 million or so apiece, which allows most clubs to still pay the huge salaries of their core stars.
“It’s a huge shift now,” he said.
NHL scouts are usually tasked with looking for players in all three basic positions of the game—but at least one club employs an individual who looks solely at potential puck-stoppers, sort of in the “it takes one to know one” category.
Former Nebraska Omaha and NHL netminder Dan Ellis has served as the pro and amateur goaltending scout for the Chicago Blackhawks since 2017. Drafted in the third round (60th overall) by the Dallas Stars in 2000, he then backstopped UNO for three seasons, winning 53 games before going on to a 10-year NHL career with Dallas, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Carolina and Florida where he recorded 87 wins and 15 shutouts.
Asked if he might have scouted/selected himself as a player now, Ellis noted that the goalie game has changed in the last 20-plus years, and he might not hear his name called today.
“My style was a lot different back then,” he related.
The Saskatoon native explained that he spent a lot of time on his stomach, in comparison to today’s largely butterfly-style netminders that he and other scouts spend so much time scrutinizing.
“You pick apart what makes them successful, and what could be successful in the NHL,” said Ellis.
By today’s standards, bigger goaltenders tend to have the best shot at becoming No. 1 NHL netminders.
“Six-foot-two (in height) usually translates to a number-one goaltender,” said Ellis. “They cover a little more net. There’s a few more (shooting) openings in smaller goaltenders.”
To Ellis, though, it doesn’t necessarily matter where draft-eligible amateur goaltenders ply their trade.
“I don’t know if it’s a disadvantage to play in college,” said the former NCAA netminder. “It’s four years of development, with some older players.”
Although goalies in the Canadian Hockey League might play 60 or more games in a given year, which more readily imitates a pro-style schedule, Ellis noted that college players have the opportunity to hit the gym and improve under the eyes of school strength staff.
“It’s a little bit longer timeline for some teams,” he said, regarding college-trained goaltenders turning pro.
He also keeps tabs on European netminders, including prospects who might one day choose to play U.S. college hockey.
“My goal in general is to give us the best goaltending depth in the NHL,” said Ellis. “That’s how I approach it every day, at every single level—to secure a bright future for years to come.”
Scott Fitzgerald, director of collegiate scouting for the Boston Bruins, played junior hockey with former NHL and Boston College forward Bill Guerin, now GM of the Minnesota Wild. Fitzgerald related that the Bruins technically have two college scouts, in himself and former Bowling Green center Brett Harkins, who piggyback their efforts off of the franchise’s other amateur scouts.
Boston’s general manager the last six years has been former Harvard and Bruins blueliner Don Sweeney.
“I’m the sign-off guy,” said Fitzgerald, of compiling the club’s college prospects list. “I bring it to Don, to see what he needs, and narrow it down to who we really like.”
Besides examining current college players who might still have NHL draft eligibility, Fitzgerald also makes pitches to older college free agents, which he said occurred more in the past year with COVID-related restrictions, including travel across the U.S.-Canadian border.
“It was a goofy year, for sure,” he said.
Fitzgerald regularly scouts Atlantic Hockey, ECAC Hockey and Hockey East schools during the season. Atlantic Hockey features four New England schools in AIC, Bentley, Holy Cross and Sacred Heart, which he said provides “a good starting point,” along with the Beanpot schools. He also believes that the college route to pro hockey provides more structure, with the common arrangement of skating several practices during the week followed by two games on the weekend.
“There’s more time to work out, and less time on buses,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s been very successful lately, and a lot of kids are leaning towards the college route. College is a global game now.”
He also said that college hockey is a step closer to the NHL, with the American Hockey league being the closest, although some NCAA players can graduate directly to the NHL now.
“It’s a really good development league,” he said of the NCAA, with teams holding players’ rights for four years, allowing collegians more time to mature.
With the Bruins, any scouts viewing college players are tasked/chained to the amateur side in assembling the team’s potential draft list. Players are “slotted in,” as compared to their counterparts playing in high school or the CHL, along with recommendations on what round to take a player in, should he still be available when Boston’s turn comes at the draft board.
“We get a good book on everyone in college,” said Fitzgerald. “We basically want to know everyone in college.”
Besides assembling prospects for the parent club, potential picks might include those who could be considered for trade talks.
“Everyone has college prospects,” said Fitzgerald, brother of New Jersey Devils GM and former Providence forward Tom Fitzgerald, and uncle to former Boston College skaters Casey and Ryan Fitzgerald.
He added that most clubs have a dedicated college scout or two who help provide GMs with the proper data to build the so-called book, especially with the NHL Draft now comprised of just seven rounds in all.
“There’s more free agents, and it’s more of a global game,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s an important part of team building.”
Following a national search, Kyle Richards has been named the next coach for the men’s hockey team at Castleton.
“We’re excited to have Kyle fill this role,” said Castleton associate dean for athletics and recreation Deanna Tyson in a statement. “He has been a part of this program for many years both as a player and a coach, and he has a true passion for Castleton, for the student-athletes and for the community.”
Richards most recently spent the 2020-21 season as Castleton’s graduate assistant, returning to his alma mater on the coaching side of the program.
He was a four-year member of the Spartan hockey program from 2010 through 2014, winning more than 70 percent of his faceoffs and earning the team’s most improved player award during the 2011-12 season. He was also named to the ECAC All-Academic Team multiple times and was named the fan favorite during his senior year.
Richards finished his playing days with Castleton netting 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists.
Following a successful playing career with the Spartans, Richards quickly moved behind the bench as the head coach of West Virginia University’s ACHA men’s hockey program where he coached his way to a 21-16-1 record over two seasons.
Following his time at WVU, Richards spent the 2016-17 season as the associate head coach for Alabama’s AHCA program before stepping into the head coach role at Alabama during the 2017-18 season. During his three years as head coach at Alabama, Richards guided the Crimson Tide to their most AHCA Division I wins and the highest national ranking in program history.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to be named the newest head coach of the Castleton men’s hockey program,” said Richards. “I want to thank Deanna Tyson, Tim Barrett, the entire hiring committee and the Blue Line Club for putting their trust in me to lead this program. Since I stepped foot on campus, I knew that Castleton was home. I had an unbelievable experience as a player, student, and member of the community, and I want to help current and future student-athletes have that same experience.
“I look forward to building a new tradition and standard of Castleton hockey that the University, community and, most importantly, the alumni will be proud to call their own. I am excited to help our current and future student-athletes achieve their goals academically and athletically during the time at Castleton and beyond.”
Leah Marino collected four points during her junior season for Robert Morris (photo: Justin Berl).
The Toronto Six announced this past week that the team has signed forward Leah Marino, the youngest player picked in last month’s NWHL Draft, to her first professional contract.
“I am beyond excited to get started and play in the NWHL,” said Marino to the Six website. “After the sudden discontinuation of the Robert Morris hockey program, I wasn’t ready to step away from the game. The Toronto Six franchise gave me a new home, one that values the professional aspect of women’s hockey and the excellence that comes with it.
“I am beyond excited to get started with the Toronto Six and be a part of the program. More than anything I’m excited to be surrounded by such a talented group of women and make my pro debut under such high regarded staff and leadership. I can’t wait to get to the city and start working towards a championship.”
Marino was picked 16th overall on June 29 having spent three seasons in Division I hockey, capping her career as a CHA champion.
In 2021, Marino, the first California native (South Lake Tahoe) to skate for RMU, played in 25 games, where she recorded four points (goal, three assists) to bring her collegiate totals to 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 97 career games.
“Allowing Leah Marino to continue on her hockey experience was a key factor in selecting her to be part of our organization. She is a hard-working player who brings a an incredible drive and work ethic to our club,” said Digit Murphy, president of the Toronto Six. “While the youngest player to sign in the league, Marino can certainly keep up with the fast pace of our team and we are confident that as a rookie, she will make an impact on our team and improve and develop into a consistent performer. We’re thrilled to have her join for season seven.”
“Leah is an excellent two-way player with exceptional leadership qualities,” said RMU coach Paul Colontino. “Her versatility to play both center and wing and be equally effective is a bonus to any team. Her size, strength and toughness combined with her ability to finish in tight makes her the complete player that’s so hard to find.”
Mike Kemp was the first-ever Omaha hockey coach and has worked up the athletics administration ladder for the Mavericks (photo: Omaha Athletics).
Mike Kemp has been named Omaha’s interim athletic director and will assume the role on Monday, July 19, 2021.
“This is a bittersweet time for me,” said Kemp in a statement. “Trev Alberts has been a trusted friend and a great colleague for over 12 years. Together, we have gone through many challenging and thrilling experiences. He has left an indelible mark on Omaha athletics that will ink his legacy in our athletic lore.
“It is a great honor for me to be entrusted with the responsibility to lead this department,” added Kemp. “I want to thank President Carter, Chancellor Li and the Nebraska Board of Regents for this tremendous opportunity. I have spent my career here at UNO dedicated to creating opportunities for student-athletes, first as a coach, then as a sport administrator, and I feel blessed that my journey has led me here. In this new position, student-athletes will be the center of my efforts. With the help of the campus community, and the continued support of Omaha at large, we will be able to continue the tremendous growth that Omaha Athletics has experienced over the past 12 years. I look forward to the challenge.”
Kemp has been with Omaha since 1996 when he became the program’s first head hockey coach. He later rose to the associate athletic director position in 2009 which he held until 2019 when he was elevated to senior associate athletic director for events and facilities, overseeing the hockey program and serving as the general manager of Baxter Arena.
For his service to the conference and NCAA men’s hockey during a difficult 2020-21 season, Kemp was honored in April with the 2021 NCHC Commissioner’s Award. He is the first person to receive the NCHC Commissioner’s Award, which is presented to an individual who, through dedicated effort and service, has achieved a singularly distinguished accomplishment that has significantly enhanced the NCHC or a member institution during the current academic year.
“Mike Kemp has been an integral part of the NCHC since its formation,” said NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton. “He has made significant contributions toward our success over 10 years. We are fortunate to have someone in Mike who can step right into the interim AD role at Omaha and continue supporting the conference at a high level.”
“I would like to congratulate Mike on his appointment to interim AD,” added Mavericks hockey coach Mike Gabinet. “Mike is a friend, mentor and a great leader. I am very confident in his ability to continue to grow our athletic department. We are in good hands.”
During Kemp’s tenure at the helm of the Maverick hockey program, the team became a national leader in college hockey attendance, a tradition that continues today. Also during his coaching career, he served on the board of governors of the American Hockey Coaches Association, serving as a second vice-president from 2000 to 2003.
Kemp is currently a board member of the Omaha Sports Hall of Fame and serves as the chair of the six-member NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee.
In 2009, Kemp was inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Omaha Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lake Superior State announced Friday that the university has selected veteran collegiate athletics executive and Michigan native David Diles as its new director of athletics after conducting a national search.
He succeeds Dr. David Paitson, who earlier resigned after four years to accept an assistant professor of sport management position at University of Indianapolis.
A four-time NCAA athletic director over the past 26 years, Diles comes to LSSU from the Virginia Military Institute, a Division I institution with 18 varsity sports.
“My wife, Suzanne, and I are thrilled to be returning to our home state and to be joining an institution that we believe in and a leadership team that made a profoundly positive impression. Both of our adult children, Matthew and daughter-in-law Heather, and Mitchell will be frequent visitors to Sault Ste. Marie,” said Diles in a statement. “President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley and Provost Dr. Lynn G. Gillette as chair of the search committee provided a clear and compelling vision of the vital role intercollegiate athletics can play in the advancement of the university. In addition, my familiarity with the GLIAC and the CCHA will allow for a quick transition.
“I’m honored to accept this appointment and looking forward to working with the department’s coaches, staff, and, most importantly, the student-athletes.”
Other career credits include director of athletics and chair of the physical education department at Case Western Reserve University (2005-13), athletic director at Eastern Michigan University (1999-2005), and VP/director of athletics at St. Bonaventure (1995-99).
Earlier jobs included assistant director of athletics at Auburn University (1991-94) and Central Michigan University (1989-91). He also served as director of athletics at Dexter Community Schools (1987-89). Diles was an assistant director of public relations for the NFL’s New York Jets in 1984.
An author of numerous articles in professional journals and member of numerous conference and NCAA committees, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master of sports administration from Ohio University and a doctorate of education from UMichigan.
“David Diles was easily our top candidate for many reasons,” said Hanley. “He is a highly experienced administrator with more than 25 years of work as a NCAA director of athletics and comprehensive leadership in institutional, conference, and national governance work in athletics. And he has considerable experience in growing programs, supervising capital projects, and fundraising. The list of his accomplishments is very lengthy, but perhaps the thing we were most impressed with is his record of ethical leadership at the various places he has served.”
Diles begins at LSSU on Aug. 2, 2021, and will oversee 11 Division II teams in the GLIAC and a Division I men’s hockey team in the CCHA.
Bethany Brausen and Marty Sertich will serve as St. Thomas assistant coaches for the Tommies’ first-ever NCAA Division I team next season.
St. Thomas has announced the hiring of Bethany Brausen and Marty Sertich as assistant coaches with the Tommies preparing for their first season of Division I competition in 2021-22.
Brausen won two NCAA championships playing for Minnesota and also coached the last five seasons at Minnesota as an assistant.
A St. Thomas women’s assistant coach the last four seasons, Sertich has Division I and professional playing experience on the ice.
“I am incredibly excited to have Bethany and Marty join us as we move forward into a new chapter of the women’s hockey program here at St. Thomas,” first-year St. Thomas coach Joel Johnson said in a statement. “Both Bethany and Marty bring extensive experience along with unique gifts and talents on and off the ice that will be a great complement to our department and ultimately lead to a tremendous experience for our student athletes.
“The University of St. Thomas is committed to comprehensive excellence, and I can’t think of two better people who demonstrate that commitment.”
Brausen joined the Minnesota coaching staff in 2016-17 after competing for the Gophers from 2010 to 2014.
As a two-time captain at Minnesota, Brausen contributed to back-to-back national championship teams in 2012 and 2013, along with Minnesota’s national runner-up team in 2014 in her senior year. She helped the Gophers post a 139-17-5 (.879) record during her four-year career, including an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak. She played in 161 career games while recording 51 points on 16 goals and 35 assists.
She is currently pursuing her PhD in Organizational Leadership Policy and Development.
Sertich brings continuity plus his extensive hockey background as a recruiter, instructor and an elite player. He retired in 2016 after a 10-year professional playing career in Europe and in the AHL. He was college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award winner as a junior while at Colorado College in 2005, and also made All-America and was voted the WCHA Player of the Year in his Tiger career.
He was part of a St. Thomas staff that guided the 2018-19 Tommies to a late-season No. 1 national ranking, a school-record 25 victories, and a D-III Frozen Four appearance.
“I am beyond thrilled to have Taylor Willard join our staff,” Norwich head coach Sophie Leclerc said in a statement. “It was clear after getting to know Taylor through the hiring process that she has a deep passion for all aspects of the game, and will be an incredible addition to the Norwich community.
“The players and I are eager to learn from Taylor and her tremendous experiences as a player and coach at the Division I level.”
Willard comes to Norwich after serving the last two years as a volunteer assistant at Vermont, her alma mater.
A two-year captain, Willard played 145 games for Vermont, which is tied for the second-most in program history. Willard also ranks in the program’s top 10 for points (62, ninth), assists (41, tied for fourth), power-play goals (12, fourth) and most power-play goals in a single season (six, tied for fifth). Her point total is the most by a defenseman in program history.
“I am extremely honored to be given the opportunity to join such an established and successful program at Norwich University as an assistant coach,” Willard said. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to work for Sophie Leclerc. She is an amazing person and coach, and I’m excited to get to know and build relationships with our driven student-athletes. I cannot wait to experience and feel the support from the community, and become part of the Norwich family.
“I also want to thank the University of Vermont for everything they have given me over the years, and I hope that I can bring the knowledge I gained from both playing and coaching for that program to Norwich.”
Willard also won the 2018 Sarah Devens Award, which is presented annually to a player who “demonstrates leadership and commitment both on and off the ice.” The Devens Award is given as a joint honor between ECAC Hockey and Hockey East and aids a deserving student-athlete with a post-graduate scholarship of $10,000. Willard was the first Vermont player to win the prestigious award, and the first Hockey East player since 2006 to earn the honor.
After college, Willard spent the 2018-19 season playing professionally for the CWHL’s Montreal Canadiennes. She registered seven points (two goals, five assists) in 26 games as the Canadiennes went all the way to the Clarkson Cup.
Willard will begin her new role in early August, joining Leclerc and volunteer assistant coach Jon Guiffre.
Robert Morris University and the newly-formed Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation have announced that they will partner together in an effort to raise sufficient funds to support the reinstatement of RMU’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs in time for the 2021-22 season.
The university announced May 26 that it would discontinue the two teams, effective immediately. The Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation was formed soon after by alumni players and other RMU hockey supporters to raise money to revive the programs, and it has already secured a meaningful amount of gifts and pledges.
Representatives of the university and the foundation met Monday and agreed to work toward raising sufficient additional funds by July 31 to bring the teams back and position them to be financially sustainable for the foreseeable future – with an overall fundraising goal of $7 million over the next five years.
It was unknown what the fundraising goal is for July 31.
Anyone interested in making a contribution in support of RMU ice hockey should contact Logan Bittle with the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation at [email protected] or T.J. Brown with RMU Athletics at [email protected].
On Tuesday, ESPN’s John Buccigross tweeted that he was hearing both of the teams would be reinstated.
On a little NY/OH/PA golf vacation and not sure if it’s out there, but….but….Hearing Robert Morris hockey programs will be reinstated..stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/zTSu1T2mDD
Demczuk served as the video analyst and assisted with team services for the AHL’s Stockton Heat the last two seasons. He led video operations, oversaw the team’s operational budget, coordinated team travel and assisted visiting teams with video and practice needs.
Demczuk joined the Heat prior to the 2019-20 season after six seasons with the Penn State women’s hockey team, including two seasons as director of operations. As the director of operations, Demczuk coordinated team travel and meals, led team video operations and assisted the coaching staff with pre-game and post-game preparation.
Demczuk was promoted to director of women’s hockey operations at Penn State after serving four years as a student assistant manager for the program.
He also served on Team USA’s staff for several tournaments over the past few seasons.
“We are excited to add Chris to our staff and the Tiger family,” first-year Tigers head coach Kris Mayotte said in a statement. “He brings incredible attention to detail, a remarkable ability to connect with people, and an innovative vision for the position that will help us push towards our goals.”
Graduating from Penn State in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Demczuk is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown.
Justin Simpson and Makenna Newkirk are new assistant coaches at Brown.
Brown has announced the addition of Justin Simpson and Makenna Newkirk as assistant coaches for the Brown women’s hockey team.
Simpson comes to College Hill after serving the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach for RIT. Prior to coaching the Tigers, Simpson spent two seasons in the same role at Colby.
Prior to Colby, Simpson spent five seasons with the Providence women’s program, including four as the director of hockey operations. Prior to his operations role at PC, Simpson was an intern with the Friars during the 2012-13 campaign.
“I was fortunate to work with Justin early in his career and knew that when I had the opportunity to build my own staff, he would be my first call,” said first-year Brown coach Melanie Ruzzi in a news release. “His knowledge of the game and tireless work ethic will push all of us to be better. I am most thankful our program will benefit from Justin’s positive energy and care for the people around him.”
Newkirk was most recently a coach and assistant director at the North American Hockey Academy, where she transitioned the program from Vermont to Massachusetts. She managed all of the Under-16 team’s dynamics and worked with the Under-19 group during practice and games for two seasons.
Prior to the North American Hockey Academy, Newkirk was an assistant coach at Milton Academy for one season (2019-20) and was a marketing specialist and skill development coach for Eagles Elite Sports, LLC.
Newkirk starred at Boston College from 2015 to 2019, where she was a two-time captain and ranked fifth all-time in career points (73 goals, 116 assists, 189 points). She helped the Eagles appear in the NCAA national championship game and win two Hockey East championships and three Beanpots. She was voted the conference’s Best Defensive Forward in 2019 and was named Rookie of the Year in 2016.
Following her stellar career with the Eagles, Newkirk competed for USA Hockey and attended three national team festivals. She was a member of the U.S. Under-22 National Team in 2016 and was an invitee to the Olympic tryouts for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Newkirk additionally played two seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in the New Hampshire Region and was drafted seventh overall in the 2019 NWHL Draft.
“Makenna brings a champion’s mentality to our program after having an incredibly successful playing career at Boston College and opportunities with the USA National Team,” said Ruzzi. “Her passion for developing student-athletes on and off the ice will raise the individual skill of our players and help to strengthen the culture and leadership within the program.”
Shelly Picard has a decorated playing background with USA Hockey national women’s teams (photo: USA Hockey).
A Team USA veteran, Olympic silver medalist and four-time IIHF World Champion, Shelly Picard has joined the Princeton women’s hockey staff as an assistant coach.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Shelly to our coaching staff at Princeton,” said Princeton head coach Cara Morey in a statement. “Shelly is not only a decorated U.S. Olympian, but she also has strong ties to the Ivy League and an extensive coaching resume across all age groups. Shelly understands what it takes to compete at the highest level while being a student-athlete in the Ivy League. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with our Princeton players and staff. I can’t wait for her to get started.”
Picard, a blueliner, was a member of the U.S.’s silver medal-winning team at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and Picard has been a part of five U.S. entries in the IIHF Women’s World Championships, most recently winning her fourth gold medal in 2019 in Finland.
“Thank you to the Princeton athletic department for giving me the opportunity to join this incredible coaching staff and team,” Picard said. “This group has high expectations and I can’t wait to dive in and get to work.”
Picard, a Harvard alum, played four seasons for the Crimson between 2011 and 2016 and was a three-time All-Ivy League pick, earning first-team honors in 2016, second-team honors in 2015, and honorable mention in 2013. She earned third-team All-ECAC Hockey recognition in 2013, was a 2016 ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team member. As of her hiring at Princeton, Picard ranked in the top 50 on Harvard’s career assist list, with 45 to go with eight goals for 53 career points.
Picard was a part of three NCAA tournament teams at Harvard, including helping the Crimson reach the championship game in 2015.
Following her time at Harvard, Picard played for the NWHL’s Metropolitan Riveters from 2016 to 2019, helping the team win the league title in 2018, before serving as a deputy commissioner with the league until March 2021.
She worked as a coach with the New Jersey Colonials youth program for three years beginning in 2018, and Picard has also given her time to Hockey in New Jersey, a group that provides opportunities for youth players to compete free of charge, and to RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports and Equality, as a fellow with the organization.
Picard was an Anthropology major during her time at Harvard.
Minnesota Duluth coach Maura Crowell and director of hockey operations Nick Bryant celebrate USA Hockey success after a recent tournament (photo: UMD Athletics).
Nick Bryant, who has served as Minnesota Duluth’s women’s hockey director of operations and equipment for the past four seasons, will permanently join USA Hockey as the hockey operations and event manager for the women’s national team ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“My time here with UMD women’s hockey has had a tremendous impact on my life,” said Bryant in a news release. “From starting my career in Duluth, to playing in Hockey Day Minnesota, and advancing to the Frozen Four this past year, I have made memories that will last a lifetime – both on and off the ice. As one chapter of my life comes to an end, another one is just about to begin, and I look forward to what lies ahead with Team USA. Bulldog Country will always have a special place in my heart, and once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.”
While at UMD, Bryant’s crowning achievement was helping the Bulldogs get back into the NCAA Frozen Four in 2021. Bryant, who earned an MBA from St. Scholastica in 2019, also played a part in Hockey Day Minnesota 2018, bringing back UMD retro jerseys and was on the hockey commissioner’s task force for video exchange in 2021.
“Nick has been an important member of our staff during his time with the women’s hockey program,” said UMD head coach Maura Crowell. “His passion for hockey and his willingness to go above and beyond are qualities that made him an asset to both our program and our university. I wish Nick all the best as he moves forward in his career.”
In addition, Bryant has built a strong USA Hockey resume. He was named to the 2020 and 2021 Women’s World Championship staff under USA Hockey operations, and was the equipment manager on the 2020 Under-18 World Championship squad in Bratislava, Slovakia. Bryant also worked multiple USA Hockey Development Camps, in hockey operations during the 2019-20 season, and was the equipment manager for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Bryant graduated from Minnesota State with degrees in both Business Management and Nonprofit Leadership.
Munn Ice Arena has been home to the Michigan State hockey team since 1974 (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Building on the rich tradition of Michigan State ice hockey and expanding on its future, the school announced a $1.5 million gift to the Munn Ice Arena expansion project from former Spartans hockey player Gary Harpell and his wife Joanne Harpell.
“This generous gift from the Harpells gives a vital assist to Spartan Hockey for the ongoing and long-awaited renovation of one of MSU’s most storied sports facilities,” said MSU president Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., in a statement “Gary’s experience is a great example of the important influence being a student-athlete has had on many Spartans’ lives.”
Gary, a 1982 grad, played on the Spartans hockey team from 1978 to 1982 for legendary coaches Amo Bessone and Ron Mason.
“Walking on and making the team in 1978 was the fulfilment of many, many years of dreaming, and a goal of mine to play D-I college hockey,” he said. “I proved to myself that if I set my mind to something, I could really achieve it. I want that for everybody that comes through Michigan State.
“Making that team in 1978 was the springboard for me to be able to take risks. It gave me the confidence that I could go on and do pretty much whatever I wanted to do. I used it in my professional life, in my personal life, it had a profound effect on me.”
In addition to his own contributions to the facility, Gary has volunteered his time as part of a committee of fellow Spartan hockey alumni who are helping drum up support to increase fundraising efforts for addition.
The $26.2 million, 35,000-square-foot facility will dramatically improve the Big Ten’s second-oldest ice arena (built in 1974) by elevating many areas from ice level to above ground, including a weight room, training room, film room, offices, conference rooms and administrative spaces. Fans will be welcomed through a new “front door” entrance on the south end, complete with an MSU hockey hall of history.
“For me, investing in the Munn renovation project has been a little bit like taking a slap shot off the ankle to save the game,” Gary said. “It hurt a bit when I first blocked the shot — when I first made the commitment. But as time goes on, the pain subsides, and what you’re left with is this incredible feeling. It’s indescribable, the amount of pride that I have in what’s happening at Michigan State and in the hockey program.”
To date, nearly $17 million has been raised for the expansion project. The Harpells, along with five other donors, including Tom and Lupe Izzo and the Forest Akers Trust, have committed over $1 million each to the facility. In all, 89 donors have stepped up with gifts of $10,000 or more.
“MSU athletics thanks Gary and Joanne for their commitment to excellence and generous philanthropy,” said Bill Beekman, vice president and director of athletics. “Michigan State hockey holds a very special place in the hearts of many Spartans who will recall the days in which MSU hockey was the hardest ticket to get on a Friday and Saturday evening. With this addition, we aim to provide our hockey program what it needs to recruit elite-level student-athletes on and off the ice, while consistently competing for Big Ten championships in front of full capacity crowds at Munn.”
Danton Cole, head coach of MSU Hockey, added, “Gary made a great impact on Michigan State as a student-athlete. He played for both Coach Bessone and Coach Mason and was a large part of that successful transition between two legendary coaches. Gary and his wife, Joanne, have now left a lasting impression on another major transition for Spartan Hockey with a tremendous donation to the Munn Renovation Fund. This is the most significant construction project for our program since the opening of Munn Ice Arena and with the leadership and benevolence of Gary and Joanne, we are excited to see it become a reality and provide an even better place for our Spartans to grow.”
Naming opportunities for donors and fans remain available. For more information, visit spartanfund.net or call 517-432-4610.
Denver has named Travis Culhane its director of hockey operations.
“We are excited to welcome Travis Culhane and his fiancé Michelle to the Pioneer hockey family,” DU coach Davis Carle said in a statement. “Travis brings an elite ability to connect with people, great organizational skills and a vast knowledge base to execute the hockey operations of our program.”
Culhane completed his second season as the director of hockey operations at Colorado College in 2020-21. Prior to his time at CC, Culhane was in the same role at Western Michigan in 2018-19 after assisting in operations as a student at WMU beginning in 2015.
“I am very excited to join the University of Denver hockey program,” Culhane said. “Joining a team with a championship culture and athletic excellence at a premiere institution is an honor. I want to thank David Carle and the rest of the staff for the opportunity, and I cannot wait to get going. I’m excited to see what this team can accomplish.”
The Kalamazoo, Mich., native is the son of WMU Hockey Ring of Honor member and former Bronco defenseman and head coach Jim Culhane.
Canisius has announced the addition of Max Mobley as an assistant coach.
“Max is a terrific addition to our staff,” Canisius head coach Trevor Large said in a statement. “He is passionate, professional and has the positive energy to enhance our current players’ development as well as the experience to drive our recruiting efforts. Max brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience as a player and coach at the Division I level. I am excited for our staff and players to bring such a quality person and coach to our program.”
Mobley makes his way to Canisius after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Holy Cross.
“I’m extremely excited to join the Canisius Hockey staff and want to thank Coach Large for giving me this opportunity,” Mobley said. “I have the utmost respect for Trevor, both as a coach and as a person. He’s a great hockey mind as well as a genuine person, invested in developing relationships with players – both past and present. It was a very easy decision for me to join the Golden Griffins.
“Canisius has developed a great reputation of consistently competing as one of the top teams in Atlantic Hockey, and I’m looking forward to continuing the push towards winning conference championships and competing in the national tournament. I know this group is hungry to accomplish both goals, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Before his stint at Holy Cross, Mobley spent the 2018-19 season as a volunteer coach at Notre Dame. Prior to his time in South Bend, Mobley worked for four seasons at Hamilton (2014-18) as an assistant coach.
Mobley began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, St. Lawrence, during the 2013-14 season.
As a four-year letter-winner with the Saints from 2008 to 2012, Mobley earned the ECAC Student-Athlete award three times during his collegiate career (2010, 2011, 2012). He went on to play professionally in the ECHL and SPHL after graduating with a history degree from St. Lawrence in 2012.
