Junior defenseman Nate Clurman served as Notre Dame’s captain for the 2020-21 season (photo: Notre Dame Athletics).
Notre Dame junior defenseman Nate Clurman has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, giving up his senior season with the Fighting Irish.
Clurman, a Boulder, Colo., native, was originally selected by Colorado in the sixth round (161st overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
He will report to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Notre Dame’s team captain this past season as a junior, Clurman skated in 27 games in 2020-21, scoring a career-high four goals and adding three assists for seven points.
Clurman played in 103 career games over three seasons, scoring four goals and adding 15 assists for 19 points.
David Berard spent seven seasons behind the Holy Cross bench, guiding the Crusaders from 2014 to 2021 (photo: Holy Cross Athletics).
Holy Cross coach David Berard has resigned, effective immediately, to pursue new opportunities, according to a news release.
Berard, who took over the program in June 2014, led the Crusaders to an 84-116-34 mark in his tenure.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to be the head coach at Holy Cross for the past seven seasons,” Berard said in a statement. “It has been a truly amazing experience, and I want to thank (assistant coaches) Peter Roundy and Max Mobley, as well as past members of the coaching staff, for their professionalism, commitment and loyalty to the program. I would also like to thank (director of athletics) Marcus Blossom and all the administration and staff I have worked with throughout the years for their time, effort and expertise in caring for our players and program.
“Most importantly, I want to thank our current and former players for their trust and belief in our vision, and the pride they showed in representing Holy Cross. Being your coach and building relationships with you is what I will always cherish.”
Under Berard’s tutelage, Holy Cross has achieved well-rounded success, seeing 114 Crusaders named Atlantic Hockey Academic All-Stars and 12 tapped as AHCA All-American Scholars, while 17 have gone on to continue their careers in the professional ranks.
“I’d like to thank David for his seven years of dedication to Holy Cross,” Blossom said. “Coach Berard has been a great teammate during his time here, and, most importantly, he was extremely committed to the academic, athletic and personal development of every student-athlete he recruited and coached. I wish David all the best in his next chapter.”
A national search for the next coach will begin immediately.
St. Cloud State’s Kevin Fitzgerald (28) and Jami Krannila (13) celebrate a goal during the 2020-21 season (photo: Russell Hons).
This is the second of four team previews for the teams that have reached the Frozen Four this week in Pittsburgh.
ST. CLOUD STATE
Season record: 16-9-0
How they got to Pittsburgh: Beat Boston University 6-2, beat Boston College 4-1 in the Northeast regional
Top players: Freshman forward Veeti Miettinen (11-13-24), sophomore forward Jami Krannila (11-12-23), junior defenseman Nick Perbix (7-16-23), sophomore forward Zach Okabe (6-15-21)
Top goalie: Dávid Hrenák (16-9, 2.50 GAA, .910 SV%)
Why they will win the national championship: St. Cloud has just about been scoring for fun lately. The Huskies scored a combined 10 goals in Albany against two Hockey East powers, and SCSU hasn’t been limited to under two goals scored in a game in over a month.
Why they will not win the national championship: Senior forward Easton Brodzinski (8-5-13) is out with a broken right femur suffered in the Northeast regional final, and the Huskies will miss his presence enormously.
Although this is a NCAA tournament where none of the four regionals’ top-seeded teams made it to the Frozen Four, St. Cloud State is perhaps playing with as much proverbial house money as any team left in the field.
The Huskies found themselves in the “others receiving votes” column in USCHO’s preseason poll, and they were listed fourth in the NCHC’s own preseason media poll. Forget all that, because SCSU sure as heck did. The Huskies reached the NCHC playoff final and then won the Northeast Regional, beating Boston University and Boston College by a combined score of 10-3.
SCSU will show a different look in Pittsburgh with Brodzinski out injured. Seven more seniors will have a big say, though, on how their team fares in its first Frozen Four appearance since 2013, and just the team’s second all-time.
“Obviously it’s been our goal from the start of the year,” third-year coach Brett Larson said of SCSU’s run to Pittsburgh. “We were a team that, at the beginning of the year, wasn’t picked to be in the top 20, and we had a goal for ourselves to finish in the top half of our league and make a run in our league tournament and make the NCAA tournament and eventually make the Frozen Four.
“I think, right now, they feel like they’ve accomplished a few of their goals, and they’re hungry to accomplish another one.”
The Huskies will have plenty of motivation still, and not just from the national championship trophy. They’ll also be playing for Brodzinski, an All-Region selection this season who had 55 goals and 98 points in 140 career college games.
“He’s incredibly disappointed,” Larson said of Brodzinski’s injury. “He’s a guy that has put his heart and soul into this program for four years. His name is synonymous with the program, obviously, and all of the hard work he’s put in, and now he can’t go be a part of this, it’s really tough on him.
“He just wants this so bad for this team and this program, and that’s tough. On the other hand, our guys, I think from the moment he went down, used it as kind of a rallying cry. We all know we need to bring a little bit more when we lose somebody like that, so I think that’s the feeling in the room right now: we want to do it from Easton.”
And they have been. Brodzinski left the Northeast Regional final about a minute into the second period after receiving a clean hit in Boston College’s zone. SCSU was down 1-0 at the time, but goals later in that period from Luke Jaycox, Will Hammer and Nolan Walker turned the game on its head. Micah Miller put a bow on the come-from-behind win with an empty-netter in the game’s final minute.
Brodzinski, Jaycox, Walker, Perbix and Hrenák all earned All-Regional honors. Hrenák was named the most outstanding player of the tournament, beating out BC goalie and Mike Richter Award finalist Spencer Knight.
Speaking of awards, Larson is up for the Spencer Penrose Award, given to the NCAA men’s hockey Division I coach of the year, for the second time in his three seasons behind SCSU’s bench. He also knows a thing or 20 about what it takes to put together a national championship-caliber squad. Minnesota Duluth won NCAA titles in 2011 and 2018 with Larson on the staff at his alma mater,
This season’s SCSU team is on a mission, but it’s also a program that has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. The Huskies were the No. 1 national seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament, fell at the first hurdle against American International and then went 13-15-6 last season.
It’s not hard to see why SCSU was unfancied by many outsiders heading into this season, but those lowered expectations and pain from two years ago are now specks in the Huskies’ rear-view mirror.
“I answered this question a lot going into (last) week, and to be honest, it almost frustrated me because I felt like this is a new team, and I use COVID as an example,” Larson said. “With no playoff last year, and being almost two years removed, it felt fresh, it felt new. The team wasn’t looking back, they weren’t looking ahead, and I think part of that might be COVID because, with COVID, you can only count on the day you’re in.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen the next day, so the past doesn’t really matter so much, the future doesn’t really matter so much, and this team always just felt like a very fresh, new mentality of being thankful for the day we have and making the most of it. I think that’s the attitude we’re going to continue here with.”
Matthew Galajda put up splendid numbers in three seasons at Cornell (photo: Cornell Athletics).
Notre Dame announced Monday the addition of graduate transfer goaltender Matthew Galajda for the 2021-22 season.
The 2018 First Team All-American played his first three seasons at Cornell.
“We’re excited to add Matthew to our program,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said in a statement. “He has a very impressive resume both academically and athletically from his career at Cornell and not only is he a great goaltender but also a tremendous young man. He’s a great fit for Notre Dame and for our team culture.”
For his career, Galajda boasts a 60-15-9 record to go along with a 1.64 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
The Aurora, Ontario, native put together a strong junior campaign in 2019-20, posting a 23-2-4 record for the Big Red to go along with a .931 save percentage and a 1.56 GAA. He was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and posted five shutouts on the season.
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season, Galajda and the Big Red were ranked first in the USCHO.com poll.
The WCHA announced Monday that conference supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd has been voted unanimously by the league’s 10 teams as the 2021 recipient of the Otto Breitenbach Distinguished Service Award.
“The WCHA was and always will be the best league in college hockey and I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award,” Shepherd said in a statement. “I owe a lot to Dewey Markus and to Ron Foyt, both of whom made me a better referee. Thanks goes to Bruce McLeod who took a chance and named me supervisor when he became our commissioner. I was blessed to work with Bruce, Carol LaBelle, Doug Spencer and my friend forever, Jeff Sauer. Bill Robertson took over for Bruce and trusted me to continue as supervisor. I’m thankful to work with him, Dean Thibodeau, Todd Bell and our women’s commissioner, Jennifer Flowers. I’m also grateful my sons Derek and Brad followed me into officiating and did such a great job working in the WCHA during their careers.
“Lastly, I want to thank my wife, Nancy, who stuck with me all those years I was on the road. An official’s life is full of travel and weekends away and that is never easy on our families and spouses. I’m proud to have served the WCHA for 42 years.”
One of the most respected and experienced officials and supervisors in college hockey, Shepherd finished his 42nd season with the WCHA – and 29th as supervisor of officials – in 2020-21. The longest-tenured officials’ supervisor in college hockey, Shepherd began in the role with the WCHA men’s league in 1992 and has served in the same capacity for the WCHA women’s league since its inception in 1999.
“Greg Shepherd exemplifies all the traits that constitute awarding him the prestigious the Otto Breitenbach Award,” Robertson said. “His 42 years of service as a referee and supervisor shows his love for the WCHA and his devotion to college hockey. No one cares more about this great league than ‘Shep.’ He embodies what is great about the college game. It has truly been a privilege to work with and learn from him during my time as commissioner.”
Shepherd is responsible for identifying, training, developing and sustaining the WCHA officiating staff. Under his tutelage, several men’s and women’s officials have received prominent postseason assignments, including his sons Derek and Brad, each of whom have worked NCAA Frozen Fours. Derek is currently an officials supervisor with the NCHC.
“Greg is one of the most experienced and respected officials in college hockey, both on the ice and off as a referee and as a supervisor,” said McLeod. “Working 10 NCAA Frozen Fours in 14 years on the ice is an acknowledgement of that. He formalized the recruitment and training of officials for the WCHA, many of whom followed in his footsteps and worked innumerable NCAA postseason events. Greg has been a tremendous and fiercely loyal promoter of the WCHA and his enthusiasm for his craft is second to none. His counsel is often requested by other conferences regarding supervisory questions and the respect for him nationwide is a testament to hard work and dedication. I am proud to call him a friend and very much appreciate his great work for the WCHA.”
Shepherd’s commitment to hockey has spanned more than 40 years and six decades on and off the ice. After beginning as a youth hockey official, he worked his way up to the collegiate level and debuted with the WCHA in 1978. Shepherd spent 14 years as an on-ice official with the league, working in 10 Frozen Fours during that time.
A veteran, Shepherd served in the United States Navy from 1967-69. He also worked for Northern States Power Company for 35 years, while serving his community on the West Saint Paul City Council for four years.
Shepherd and his wife, Nancy, who will celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, are parents to three children (Derek, Tiffany and Brad) and are proud grandparents to Austyn, Madison, Cameron, Lauren, Gabby, Anthony, Joe and Ryan.
The Breitenbach Award is presented by the WCHA’s 10 member institutions to individuals who have rendered extraordinary service to the Association. Shepherd is the 42nd recipient of the award, the first officials supervisor and third referee to be honored, joining Bob Gilray and Butch Mosseau.
Breitenbach served as the WCHA’s second commissioner from 1983 to 1994, an era that saw the league produce three national championships (North Dakota – 1987, Wisconsin – 1990 and Northern Michigan – 1991) and five Hobey Baker winners. Breitenbach oversaw the return of Michigan Tech to the WCHA along with the addition of Northern Michigan, St. Cloud State and Alaska Anchorage. He was also instrumental in the development of the WCHA Final Five postseason tournament.
Zac Jones has been steady all season on the UMass back end (photo: Rich Gagnon)
This is the first of four team previews for the teams that have reached the Frozen Four this week in Pittsburgh.
MASSACHUSETTS
Season record: 18-5-4 (13-5-4 Hockey East)
How they got to Pittsburgh: Defeated Lake Superior State 5-1, defeated Bemidji State 4-0 in East Regional
Top players: Forwards Bobby Trivigno (10-21-31), Garrett Wait (8-8-16) and Carson Gicewicz (17-7-24) – unavailable due to COVID protocols; and defensemen Zac Jones (8-15-23) and Matt Kessel (9-12-21)
Top goalie: Filip Lindberg (9-1-4, 1.33 GAA, .946 SV%) – unavailable due to COVID protocols; Matt Murray (9-4-0, 2.01 GAA, .913 SV%)
Why they will win the national championship: This is as complete a team as UMass has ever had.
Sure, they reached a Frozen Four two years ago with brand name players like Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro, but this team might be a deeper all-around club. Their defense has become one of the best in the nation allowing just 1.70 goals per game (second behind Minnesota State). And unlike many other teams, they can match the intensity and heavy play of the other three teams in Pittsburgh.
Why they will not win the national championship: The UMass offense has been cranking of late, particularly in the regional. But should they meet a defense that slows them down like UMass Lowell did in the Hockey East title game, then the outcome can become a bounce of the puck. This isn’t a team that will get blown out of a building (only bad loss this season was a 6-3 defeat versus Boston College early in the season), but if the game stays close, you never know. Edit: Add in the loss of both Gicewicz and Lindberg due to COVID protocols, and this team becomes more vulnerable.
Two years ago, when UMass reached the Frozen Four, and subsequently the national title game, for the first time in program history, coach Greg Carvel admits his team wasn’t fully prepared for the moment.
“[Two years ago], we played in overtime until after midnight [in the semifinals] against Denver,” Carvel said. “The next day, the itinerary had us up and going. We were a tired team going into that championship game.”
Carvel says that, not taking anything in this year’s semifinals for granted, if they are able to move on he’s going to make recovery on the off day a priority. That’s just part of what he feels is the positive experience that he took from his team’s loss to Minnesota Duluth in 2019.
“I think we’re all ready to go in there with some experience,” Carvel said. “The last time it was all eyes wide open, go where we were told. Now we have the experience of how it goes, how it is run and important it is that your players get the proper rest and preparation.
“The experience, we think will be very helpful this time.”
The Minutemen can prove that they’ve learned from the past right away as Thursday’s second semifinal pits UMass against the same team that ended their historic run two years ago, Minnesota Duluth.
“Last time we played Duluth, it wasn’t close,” Carvel said. “They shut the door on us; they beat us 3-0. I expect we’ll have an equally tough time.”
This team is considerably different from 2019. First off, they are missing maybe the biggest component, Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar as well as another standout blueliner, Mario Ferraro. But the defensive position is hardly empty and, if anything, this club is most stingy.
The backend is led by two talented goaltenders, though Filip Lindberg has taken the reins of the club for much of the last two months. After missing games with injuries early, allowing Matt Murray to carry the water between the pipes, Lindberg played so well upon returning, Carvel couldn’t keep him out of net. (Edit: Lindberg will not play in the Frozen Four due to COVID protocols. Murray will be the starting goaltender).
“This summer, [Filip] came to me and said, ‘I need to play more,’” Carvel recalled. “I got angry and said, ‘Be better.’ I said that to both of the goaltenders. Matt made it easy early in the year; he won seven games in a row. The Filip came back, and he’s gone 12 games without a loss.
“I told him, ‘You want to play every game, go out and get a .940 save percentage be under two goals a game. That’s what he did, so now he plays every game.”
Carvel recognizes that everything isn’t built around goaltending. The backend for UMass has become elite at limiting chances. When the opportunities present, both the blueliners and a talent crop of forwards can put the puck in the net.
“You don’t win if you’re not a good defensive hockey team,” said Carvel. “It’s impressive of the defensemen we have. When you have Zac Jones and Marc Del Gaizo and Aaron Bollinger, kids who are really good offensive defensemen who are committed to playing strong defense. Then you have Matt Kessel and Colin Fields who are big, strong, hard defensemen. But they’re all good two-way players.
“We’re not a super skilled team. The kids are just committed to playing what I think is the right way. Limiting teams, frustrating teams and being opportunistic. We don’t sit back. We play the game hard going forward but hard coming back. We’ve done a good job down the stretch here refining it.”
St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth battle in a game during the 2020-21 season (photo: Dave Harwig).
Minnesota has called itself the state of hockey for years now, but even someone who rolls their eyes at the saying would have to admit that it rang true in college hockey this season.
What else would you call a state that put all five Division I programs into the 16-team postseason tournament and will make up 75 percent of the Frozen Four?
“You’re talking to a guy that the reason I’m maybe standing here after a long NHL career and two Olympic teams, or whatever you want to say, I’m here because Herb Brooks came back to Minnesota after coaching in the NHL and obviously winning the gold medal in the 1980 Olympic team and said, ‘You know what, there’s just not enough Division I opportunities in Minnesota for Minnesota kids,’” former St. Cloud State defenseman Bret Hedican said. “For him to come back and start this wave, an opportunity for Minnesota kids to have move Division I opportunities, at St. Cloud, you’re looking at the fruits of his labor. He’s got to be smiling right now looking down at three of the top four teams in the finals and five of the 16.”
St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth will play in the Frozen Four on Thursday. It’s the second time one state has sent three teams after Michigan did it in 1992.
It’s the first trip to the Frozen Four for the Mavericks, who earned their way by beating Minnesota 4-0 a day after picking up the program’s first NCAA Tournament win. The weekend was fun to watch for Ryan Carter, who skated for Minnesota State for two seasons from 2004-06 before moving onto the NHL.
“I think the resiliency of the club is something that’s special,” Carter said about the Mavericks. “The words togetherness, teamwork, do this as a group, sometimes that gets thrown around a little too loosely but, if you look at this team, they truly are a group that’s come together. (Mike) Hastings, too, for a long time he’s been great at developing leadership and the right culture in that program.”
Carter didn’t play for Hastings but said that the Mavericks’ bench boss has been impressive during his spell at the university and that postseason success was bound to happen.
“I’ve been very impressed with how he’s incorporated alumni and tried to, not only create a good culture inside that locker room for their program, but for everybody,” he said. “I hear that he’s a fantastic motivator. He hasn’t had to motivate me to play hockey, but I get excited listening to him. You can see his passion, for hockey, for winning, but, most importantly, for his student athletes.”
Hastings is far from the only lauded head coach from the state heading to Pittsburgh. When Alex Stalock arrived on campus at Minnesota Duluth, the Bulldogs were coming off their third Frozen Four in program history, but the first of the new millennium. Scott Sandelin didn’t have three national titles to his name like he does now, but success was on the horizon.
The Bulldogs are now in their fourth straight Frozen Four and are seeking their third straight title.
“Not only players, but coaches go through ups and downs, too, right?” Stalock said. “He got a group there in 2004 and he saw that it took and what type of team it takes to get there, not only on the ice but off the ice.
“It takes a mix of a lot of different skill at that level to be successful. He’s done a great job of recruiting not only high-end top end guys that leave the program after a year or two but also guys that are huge factors and stay three or four years.”
Head coaches don’t usually work on the X’s and O’s with goaltenders, but the South Saint Paul, Minn., native took something from Sandelin that had nothing specific to do with his position.
“He wanted you to work, that was it, go in and work your butt off,” Stalock said. “Everything’s going to work out that way.”
Stalock, who left Duluth in 2009 after three seasons to sign with the San Jose Sharks organization, said that all the alumni have reveled in the recent success of the program.
“It’s fun to see and I know from going back for some of the golf tournaments in the summer that anyone that shows up there, all the Bulldog alumni, they wear the Bulldog with a ton of pride right now and the program’s probably the strongest it’s ever been,” he said.
St. Cloud State finds itself in the second Frozen Four in program history. It’s the first for head coach Brett Larson, who took over the reins in 2018. To intertwine things even further, Larson was a longtime assistant under Sandelin at Duluth before heading West.
“I can’t even tell you how proud I am of Brett Larson and just the team in general of what they’ve done this season,” Hedican said.
The Huskies, who were dominant against Boston University and Boston College last weekend at their regional, will face the Mavericks on Thursday. The Bulldogs facing off against the one non-Minnesota team, Massachusetts, will follow.
Hedican, who played for St. Cloud State for the 1990-91 season, enjoyed a solid 20-year NHL career. He currently resides in California and is a part of the San Jose Sharks broadcast, but the Huskies are still a large part of his life.
Minnesota State players celebrate a goal against Bowling Green during the 2020-21 season (photo: David Faulkner/SPX Sports).
“I just graduated college in December, during the pandemic,” he said. “I decided to finish up my degree and ended up getting a Bachelor of Elective Studies and a Minor in Mass Communications. Matter of fact, my minor just went through last week. My relationship with St. Cloud has always been close, I’ve always been part of the alumni and reaching out to players and letting them know how important they are.”
Not lost in three Minnesota teams making the Frozen Four is that none of them hail from Minneapolis. Both Stalock and Carter stopped short of dancing on the Gophers’ grave, Carter’s current jobs as color commentator for the Minnesota Wild on Bally Sports North and as a digital content producer for Wild.com do require him to appease to a statewide audience after all, but both were proud of what the state schools have accomplished.
“I grew up wanting to be a Gopher and then I grew to always want to beat the Gophers because they were the measuring stick for a long time,” Carter said. “I still think that they’re a marquee program and a program that everyone wants to play at. That said, you have to give respect to the other state schools around.
“It’d be great if it was four Minnesota schools, and I’d welcome the Gophers in, I’ve gotten over my desires to beat them, but it’s fantastic for the state schools to get that respect.”
Stalock said there probably wasn’t many tears shed for the Gophers up North but added that the more exciting aspect was Mankato breaking through and not Minnesota losing.
“When you’re up in the 218 area code, it does put a little smile on your face that the Gophers aren’t the ones moving on,” he said. “I have relationships with the players and staff down at Mankato, I was excited to see them not only get their first tournament victory but move on. It’s a team that’s been knocking on the door for years to make that next step, and they did. Now is it going to be a situation where they go on a run now?”
Hedican, who played during an era where three teams from Minnesota advancing and one not being the Gophers would have been borderline unthinkable, gave credit the hires that the schools have made over the years. He also noted that there were multiple ties to St. Cloud.
“It says a lot about the people they’ve elected to coach,” he said. “Mike Hastings at Mankato, (Tom) Serratore who spent a lot of time at St. Cloud, Hastings was a St. Cloud Huskies. Brett Larson learned a lot at Duluth how to win, and now he’s at St. Cloud. You’re seeing these Minnesota coaches all, really, under the umbrella of St. Cloud State which, for me, also really speaks to the culture that I’m really proud of at St. Cloud.”
Sampo Ranta played in 102 games over three seasons for Minnesota (photo: Ben Ludeman).
The Colorado Avalanche announced Saturday that the team has signed Minnesota junior forward Sampo Ranta to a three-year, entry-level contract.
He will report to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
In signing, Ranta gives up his senior season.
In 2020-21, Ranta posted a career-best 31 points in 31 games while also establishing career highs in goals (19) and assists (12). His 19 tallies ranked second in the nation while he led the Gophers in goals, points and finished second in power-play goals (3). Ranta’s +19 rating and four game-winning markers were both tied for second on the team.
The Naantali, Finland, native was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and was a Big Ten All-Tournament Team selection and finished with 67 points (37 goals, 30 assists) and a plus-27 rating in 102 career games with the Gophers.
Originally selected by the Avalanche in the third round (78th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Ranta was part of the Finland’s gold-medal entry at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, notching two points (goal, assist) in seven games. He helped his country to a fourth-place finish at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording two assists in seven games.
Yan Kuznetsov played in all 34 games during his freshman season at UConn and finished the year with 11 points coming on two goals and nine assists from the back end (photo: Stephen Slade/UConn Athletics).
UConn defenseman Yan Kuznetsov has signed a three-year entry level contract with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, forgoing his final two years of eligibility with the Huskies.
Kuznetsov was a second-round pick (50th overall) by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft. The the youngest player in the NCAA as a freshman in 2019-20, Kuznetsov was the fourth highest draft pick in UConn program history.
In his two seasons in Storrs, Kuznetsov played in 50 games and totaled 17 points on three goals and 14 assists.
During the 2020-21 season, he had six points (goal, five assists) in 16 games and finished plus-5 for the year.
As well, Kuznetsov and classmate Vladislav Firstov, Kuznetsov became the first NCAA players to earn a spot on Team Russia for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Minnesota goalie Jack LaFontaine helped the Gophers win the Big Ten tournament title this season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Minnesota goalie Jack LaFontaine has informed the Gophers that he will return for a third year with the program and fifth overall collegiate campaign in 2021-22.
“I love it here at the University of Minnesota, I love my teammates and I love the culture we are building,” LaFontaine said in a news release. “I have some unfinished business, and this team has unfinished business, so we are excited to get back to work and see this journey through.”
LaFontaine emerged as one of the top college players in the nation this season – currently standing as one of three remaining finalists for the Mike Richter Award, a candidate for All-America honors and one of three Gophers in the running for the Senior CLASS Award. The alternate captain was also the 16th Gopher and third Minnesota goaltender to be named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this season while also being named the Big Ten goaltender of the year, a first team All-Big Ten selection and most outstanding player of the Big Ten tournament.
“Jack has been a No. 1 goalie for a year and a half, and his growth has been excellent,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said. “Another year of strength, maturity and game time will be an incredible advantage in his career. He is an outstanding teammate and leader for this program, and we are so fortunate he is a Gopher.”
The 2020-21 season saw LaFontaine set new school records for single-season save percentage (.934) and single-season GAA (1.79) while his five shutouts this year rank tied for third all-time in one season at Minnesota. Among regular goaltenders in college hockey this year, the senior currently ranks first in wins (22-7-0), tied for first in save percentage, tied for second in shutouts, third in saves (717) and fourth in goals against average.
In 16 games against nationally ranked opponents this season, LaFontaine boasted an 11-5-0 record and helped the Gophers to the 2021 Big Ten tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament – backstopping Minnesota to its 38th NCAA tournament berth (tied with Michigan for most in college hockey), its first appearance in the national tournament since 2017 and its first NCAA tournament win since 2014.
A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, LaFontaine helped Minnesota set a new program record with a 3.35 cumulative GPA as a team in the fall of 2020, while the men’s hockey team recorded a term GPA of 3.46, which ranks second in program history after last spring’s 3.64.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected LaFontaine in the third round (75th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 07: St. Cloud State Huskies practice during a Division I Men’s Ice Hockey practice day held at PPG Paints Arena on April 7, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (photo: Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Twelve different programs are represented on the All-USCHO Women’s Division I teams this year. Northeastern and Wisconsin lead the way, each placing four players on our lists.
First Team
F: Daryl Watts, Sr – Wisconsin
F: Danielle Serdachny, So – Colgate
F: Alina Mueller, Jr – Northeastern
D: Ashton Bell, Sr – Minnesota Duluth
D: Skylar Fontaine, Sr – Northeastern
G: Aerin Frankel, Sr – Northeastern
Second Team
F: Chloe Aurard, Jr – Northeastern
F: Grace Zumwinkle, Sr – Minnesota
F: Caitrin Lonergan, Sr – Clarkson
D: Grace Bowlby, Sr – Wisconsin
D: Cayla Barnes, Jr – Boston College
G: Emma Söderberg, Jr – Minnesota Duluth
Third Team
F: Anna Klein, Sr – Minnesota Duluth
F: Emma Maltais, Sr – Ohio State
F: Sophie Shirley, Jr – Wisconsin
D: Sophie Jaques, Jr – Ohio State
D: Emily Curlett, Sr – Robert Morris
G: Loryn Porter, Sr – Maine
Rookie
F: Jamie Nelson, Fr – Minnesota State
F: Lacey Eden, Fr – Wisconsin
F: Kiara Zanon, Fr – Penn State
D: Nicole Gosling, Fr – Clarkson
D: Riley Brengman, Fr – Ohio State
G: Josie Bothun, Fr – Penn State
St. Thomas announced Friday the hiring of Rico Blasi as its new men’s hockey head coach.
Blasi will lead the Tommies’ transition into Division I hockey play starting next fall as UST is moving to Division I in all sports starting with the 2021-22 season.
The 49-year-old Blasi will join the Tommies from Providence, where he has served since October 2020 as the associate athletic director for men’s and women’s hockey.
Blasi averaged 20 wins a season over his 20-year era as Miami head coach (1999-2019). The 2005-06 national coach of the year, Blasi took the RedHawks to 10 NCAA tournament appearances highlighted by one championship game berth (2008-09) and one other Frozen Four appearance (2009-10).
He was Division I hockey’s youngest head coach in 1999 when at age 27 he was hired at Miami, his alma mater.
Blasi will make a return to the CCHA, where he won five league coach of the year honors during his first 14 seasons.
The original CCHA disbanded after the 2012-13 season, but a new CCHA was announced this year. St. Thomas is one of eight members of the new CCHA which starts play in 2021-22.
The Tommies led NCAA Division III men’s hockey programs in all-time victories, and just completed their 39th consecutive winning season. Jeff Boeser, who coached St. Thomas the last 11 seasons, announced last fall his plans to retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.
St. Thomas will formally introduce Blasi on Tuesday, April 6 at a 1 p.m. CST news conference on its St. Paul campus.
Northeastern goalie Aerin Frankel is the 2020-21 USCHO Player of the Year.
Northeastern goalie Aerin Frankel adds USCHO Player of the Year to her impressive 2020-21 resume. Photo: Jim Pierce
The case for Player of the Year was not as clear cut this season. We went back and forth on who we thought deserved this honor this year. What we came back to is that the final two teams likely would have made it to the championship game had they not had their top scorers in Daryl Watts and Alina Mueller – the other two players we talked about as contenders. However it’s far less certain that Northeastern plays in their first-ever title match without Frankel in the net.
That is said with all due respect to her teammates, who are phenomenal. At the micro level, Frankel kept them in the semifinal game as they struggled to adjust to UMD’s speed and pace of play and gave them a chance to mount a comeback to win the game.
At a macro level, Northeastern’s style of play evolved because of her solid presence in net. The Huskies have been able to push pace – at even strength and on the penalty kill – because they had absolute faith in her between the pipes. Skylar Fontaine and the rest of the Huskies’ defense are able to play more involved roles in the offensive zone because they aren’t afraid of giving up quick transitions and breakaways.
For her phenomenal season, Frankel was named Hockey East Player of the Year. Statistically, she led the country in goals against average (0.81), save percentage (.966), wins (20), winning percentage (.891) and shutouts (9). Her goals against average was good for third best season in NCAA history.
The two-time First-Team All-American holds Northeastern career program records in games played, minutes, goals against average, save percentage, shutouts, and wins. A three-time Hockey East Goaltender of the Year and MVP of the Hockey East Championship, Frankel’s career save percentage .947 is tied for second all-time in NCAA history.
Frankel set a new standard at Northeastern and in Hockey East, and is one of the most accomplished goaltenders of the past decade. Having her in net is the building block upon which Northeastern’s current success has been built.
Adam Scheel was a rock between the pipes this season for North Dakota (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).
North Dakota junior goalie Adam Scheel signed a free-agent, entry-level deal with the Dallas Stars Thursday evening.
Scheel forgoes his senior season with the Fighting Hawks.
In 78 games over the past three seasons, Scheel set the new UND program record for career GAA, posting a 1.95 overall mark for the Fighting Hawks.
Scheel was a Mike Richter Award finalist this season, recording 20 wins and helping North Dakota to a 22-6-1 overall mark with NCHC regular-season and tournament titles. The Lakewood, Ohio, native was an All-NCHC First Team honoree, finishing the regular season with an NCHC-leading 16 wins with a 1.80 GAA, a .929 save percentage and four shutouts. He then won four more games in the postseason and played all five overtimes of an epic 3-2 loss in the NCAA Midwest Regional final against Minnesota Duluth, making a career-high 51 saves.
His 52 career wins ranks tied for seventh in program history despite playing just three seasons. In addition to setting the career GAA mark, Scheel is also in the top 10 in winning percentage (2nd, .727), save percentage (5th, .916) and shutouts (6th, 7) at North Dakota.
Shane Pinto was an offensive sparkplug this season for North Dakota (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).
North Dakota sophomore forward Shane Pinto will pursue his professional career, signing with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Pinto, a second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, signs a three-year entry-level contract and will report to Ottawa follow a quarantine period.
In signing with the Senators, Pinto gives up his junior and senior seasons at UND.
In his two seasons at North Dakota, Pinto led the team in goals in both years and was recently named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist. He scored 31 goals and added 29 assists for 60 points in 61 games played for the Fighting Hawks.
His 15 goals as a sophomore paced the conference and ranked seventh in the NCAA. He recorded a dozen multi-point games this season, including assisting on both extra-attacker goals late in the Midwest Regional final to send the game to extra sessions. His .619 faceoff win percentage also led the league and was in the top five nationally. He owns the second- and third-best season faceoff win percentages in school history and his 61.2 career win percentage is a new school record.
Pinto was the NCHC rookie of the year as a freshman, scoring a team-high-tying 16 goals, including an overtime winner on Feb. 29 to clinch the league’s regular-season title.
There wasn’t a sophomore slump as the Franklin Square, N.Y., native made history by picking up the NCHC player of the year unanimously (the first to do so) as well as forward of the year and defensive forward of the year, the first to win both of those awards in the same season.
This season, Pinto won the league’s scoring title with 28 points and 15 goals in the regular season. He also paced the conference in power-play goals (7), faceoff win percentage (.620), multi-point games (11) and multi-goal games.
A kinesiology major, Pinto was an NCHC distinguished scholar-athlete each of his two seasons, adding all-academic honors as well.
Bemidji State seniors Brad Johnson and Ethan Somoza will return to the Beavers for the 2021-22 season.
Bemidji State seniors Brad Johnson and Ethan Somoza will return to the Beavers for the 2021-22 season.
While both players have exhausted the traditional four years of eligibility, due to a COVID-19 delayed start and condensed 2020-21 season, the NCAA has given seniors the opportunity to take an additional year of eligibility.
Johnson and Somoza will complete their business administration curriculum and pursue MBA degrees while returning to the Beavers for a fifth season.
“We are excited that Brad and Ethan have the opportunity to come back next year to lead our team and better themselves by continuing their education,” said BSU coach Tom Serratore in a statement. “To have high-end leaders like these two back in our room next year is huge and will give us an edge as we move to a new league and look to build on our 2020-21 NCAA tournament season.”
Traditionally, a student-athlete has five years to play four seasons of their sport. Because the pandemic impacted the 2020-21 winter season in ways that nobody could predict, the NCAA granted all winter sport athletes an extra year of eligibility. The extra year means current college student-athletes have six years to play their four seasons. This also means that student-athletes can compete in all or a portion of the 2020-21 season, but it won’t be counted against their years of eligibility depending on their division level specific eligibility rules.
“To be able to come back and get the full experience and play a full schedule for my senior season is an exciting opportunity,” said Somoza. “I think we have a really good group coming back. I want to be a part of this team for as long as I can and lead it as far as I can. We got a taste of the tournament this year. Now we want more.”
Somoza is the first native Californian to wear the ‘C’ for the Beavers. He posted 20 points on a team-high 15 goals and five assists in 29 games for the Beavers in 2020-21.
In 133 career games with Bemidji State, Somoza has 27 goals and 29 assists for 56 points.
“Looking back at last season and all the extra issues we had to deal with because of COVID, our team was still able to have success,” Johnson said. “To be able to come back and compete again with this special group of guys is a great opportunity. Also, being able to complete my MBA at Bemidji State will open doors for me in whatever career path I choose. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
Johnson was among BSU’s top four defensemen in all 29 of BSU’s games as a senior. He recorded three goals and matched a career high with seven assists. His 10 points were good for third among BSU blueliners and eighth on the team in scoring.
In 115 games on the BSU blue line, Johnson has 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points.
From left, the 2021 Hobey Hat Trick – Cole Caufield, Dryden McKay, Shane Pinto.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee announced Thursday the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists for the 2021 award, honoring college hockey’s top player.
Alphabetically, they are Wisconsin sophomore forward Cole Caufield, Minnesota State junior goaltender Dryden McKay and North Dakota sophomore forward Shane Pinto.
The three finalists were selected from the initial list of 10 candidates by the 30-member selection committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year’s Hobey Baker Award winner.
Criteria for the award includes displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.
Known as a prolific scorer, Caufield soared to the top of the national scoring charts, leading the nation in total points while averaging almost a goal per game. He became the first player in the eight-year history of the Big Ten conference to win back-to-back scoring titles.
Additionally, the league rewarded him as Player of the Year and First Team all-conference. Pouring in 30 goals in 31 games, Caufield finished the season with a flurry, recording 15 multiple point games in his final 18 contests. His shoot-first mentally saw him unload 165 shots on goal, averaging 5.3 shots per game – both numbers leading the nation. He also won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
· Finished his season with 30 goals, 22 assists for 52 points in 31 games – averaged 1.68 points per game to lead the nation
· Led the nation with 24 power play points and 11 power play goals
· Montreal draft (1st round – 15th overall) – signed a pro contract following this season
For two straight years, McKay is a Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Award top ten finalist, making the final three for each this past season.
For the second straight campaign, he has posted a national best 10 shutouts, and his three-year body of work totals 24 shutouts – second all-time in NCAA history (Hobey 2001 winner Ryan Miller holds the record with 26). McKay backstopped the Mavericks to a second straight WCHA regular season title and helped guide them to their first ever appearance at the NCAA Frozen Four. The WCHA rewarded him as Player of the Year, Goalie of the Year and First Team all-conference.
· His current record is: 21-3-0 (.875 win percentage best in nation) – goals against average 1.39 (2nd best in nation) – save percentage .931 (tied-6th in nation)
· In 25 games started, allowed two or less goals in 19 games – pro hockey free agent
· Finance major with 3.83 GPA – First Team All-American last season
A coaches’ dream – a responsible, competitive 200-foot player – Pinto helped guide the Fighting Hawks to NCHC regular-season and playoff titles.
While winning the conference regular season scoring title, Pinto was honored with numerous league awards: Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Defensive Forward of the Year and First Team all-conference. Dangerous in the faceoff circle, he won 61.9% of faceoffs, fifth best in the nation. His expertise on the power play saw him ranked top five nationally in both power play points and goals (7-7 for 14 points). Pinto finished the season tied for ninth in the nation in scoring and tied for seventh in goals.
· Finished his season with 15 goals, 17 assists for 32 points – had 12 multiple point games
· Kinesiology major with 3.59 GPA – Ottawa draft (2nd round)
· Last season: NCHC Rookie of Year; led Team USA in scoring at World Junior Championship
The Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 9 during a live broadcast on NHL Network and streamed at hobeybaker.com beginning at 6 p.m. EDT. Additional national awards will also be announced during the show.
Union senior Josh Kosack had compiled six goals and 16 points in 95 games from 2017-20 prior to the 2020-21 season being cancelled (photo: Amanda Lopez).
Growing up, Union senior captain Josh Kosack remembers being that kid banging on the glass at hockey games.
A chance encounter two years ago at an away game gave him the chance to return the favor – and then some.
While warming up prior to a game at Dartmouth in February 2019, Kosack exchanged greetings with a young fan sitting along the ice.
“I didn’t really think too much of it; I was talking to him between periods and giving him props. I gave him a puck and I thought that was it,” Kosack said.
But when Patrick Toner’s mother emailed Union president David Harris to mention the impact such a small gesture had on her son, Kosack thought he might be on to something.
“It put into perspective how easy it was to make a difference,” Kosack said. “I just decided to make something out of it. I realized the platform that we have as college athletes. If someone gave me a puck as a kid, I’d be star-stuck. I wanted to give back and put a smile one someone’s face.”
That was the impetus for starting Kozi’s Kids, a group run by Kosack that helps distributes Union hockey tickets to local children and their families. Each player is allotted a certain number of tickets per game, but the Dutchmen’s roster is made up of players from all over the map, meaning that their families can’t always attend every game.
That generosity, along with his other community service work in Schenectady, N.Y., led to Kosack being nominated as one of the three finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
“It was very gratifying to get nominated,” Kosack said. “It shows the bigger picture of the impact that I’ve had with those kids.”
Kosack works with COCOA (Children of Our Community Open to Achievement) House, a non-profit organization founded by a Union student in 1996 that promotes academic success and offers expanded opportunities for at-risk youth in the Schenectady community. Kosack arranged for transportation and gives the children a tour of the locker room before the game. Many of the children have never been to a college hockey game before.
Growing up, Kosack spent his summers working at hockey camps.
“I always had a passion for helping out younger kids,” he said.
But he had never launched a project of this magnitude.
“This wasn’t just something that he just winged together in the summer,” Union coach Rick Bennett said. “It was during the year, while doing two full-time jobs with school and hockey.”
In November, Union announced that it was cancelling its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that Kozi’s Kids was put on hold last winter, but that didn’t stop Kosack, who still made an impact even without a season.
“I was bummed four about 10 minutes and then I talked to my dad about it,” he said. “I just kind of realized that it’s not the end of the world. Lots of people have it worse off. I kind of kicked into gear and asked, ‘How am I going to grow from this?’”
It didn’t take him long, as Kosack and co-captain Sean Harrison ran a coat drive in December for the Schenectady City Mission.
“I meant to print off 30 flyers but I printed 300 by accident so I spent two hours hanging them around campus,” Kosack said.
It worked, as the coat drive ended up getting 100 coats in 48 hours, which he called “unreal.”
Kosack also wanted to make sure that he didn’t forget about the kids at COCOA House, even without any games for them to attend.
“Lots of kids loved coming to the games. I wanted to say, ‘Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you guys,’” Kosack said.
He did that by starting a GoFundMe campaign to collect money for Christmas presents for the kids. The campaign raised more than $5,000.
Those actions after his season was cancelled spoke volumes for his Bennett.
“Being told that your season has been cancelled and to still follow up on what you said you were going to do for your community service, to me that speaks loudly about a person’s character,” Bennett said. “Do you follow up on what you said you were going to? And he did.”
In addition to being nominated for the Humanitarian Award, Kosack is a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year award and a valuable leader on the ice for the Dutchmen.
“In the fall, when we were going through whether or not we were going to play or not, he did a tremendous job working with our first-year class and setting the tone,” Bennett said. “It was really impressive.”
Kosack, who withdrew from Union for the last two semesters this season to maintain his athletic eligibility, plans to play his final collegiate season next year and continue with Kozi’s Kids.
With any luck, he might be able to snag a couple of recruits for the Dutchmen.
“A lot of these kids didn’t know what hockey was,” he said. “Now some of them have told me their dream is to play for Union one day.”
Jacob Bernard-Docker was a rock on the North Dakota blue line the past three seasons (photo: Russell Hons).
The NHL’s Ottawa Senators announced Thursday that the team has signed North Dakota junior defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Following a required quarantine period, Bernard-Docker will report to the Senators.
In signing the contract, Bernard-Docker gives up his last year of NCAA eligibility.
Bernard-Docker was an alternate captain this year for UND, helping the team to back-to-back NCHC regular-season titles, a league tournament title this year and the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
An All-NCHC second team member this season, Bernard-Docker was also named the NCHC defensive defenseman of the year.
The Canmore, Alb., native earned NCHC distinguished scholar-athlete accolades in each of his three seasons, also a member of the all-academic squad all three years.
He produced 18 points this season (three goals, 15 assists) and finishes his three-year collegiate career with 60 points (15 goals, 45 assists). The past two seasons combined he was a +39 rating, including a +18 this year, third-best in the conference.
Bernard-Docker was selected by Ottawa in the first round (26th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He helped Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2020 IHF World Junior Championship, scoring a goal and leading the Canadians in time on ice in the tournament.
