College Hockey 2014-2015

RedOctober3829

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BC loses out on 1st round pick Sonny Milano.
 
Sonny Milano, the Blue Jackets' first-round draft pick in the June draft, has pulled out of a commitment to Boston College and will instead play this season for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.
Milano, the No. 16 overall pick, informed Boston College coach Jerry York of his decision today.
"Sonny has informed me he will sign a contract," York was quoted as saying in a tweet by @BCHockey, the Boston College sports informational department. "They will dictate his path as he embarks on his pro career."
That would seem to indicate the Blue Jackets were involved in making Milano's decision, which they have denied.
 
The Blue Jackets have said repeatedly that contract talks wouldn't begin until Milano made his decision -- Plymouth or Boston College? -- and that they wouldn't get involved in the decision-making process.
"That's a decision for Sonny Milano and his family," Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said earlier this summer. "He and his family have to make the decision, and we'll support them either way."
Milano was said to be leaning away from Boston College even before he was drafted, but he denied repeatedly that a decision had been made -- first at the NHL draft in Philadelphia, then at Blue Jackets' development camp, and again last week at the United States national junior development camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Plymouth is one of Canada's well-respected major-junior programs. He'll play nearly twice as many games in major-junior as he would at Boston College, and he can sign an entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets - along with a healthy signing bonus -- without having to worry about his NCAA eligibility.
 
The Whalers, meanwhile, have been trying to sweeten the pot for Milano and make his decision easier.
On Friday, they traded with Sudbury to acquire center Mathew Campagna, who had 59 assissts last season and is expected to play with Milano.
Milano was due to arrive at Boston College on Aug. 24. Now he's free to attend the annual prospect's camp in Traverse City, Mich., next month, as well as Blue Jackets training camp.
Milano, who had 14 goals, 25 assists and 21 penalty minutes in 25 games with the United States National Team Development program last season, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
 
http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/2014/08/milano-headed-to-plymouth.html
 

Laser Show

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Can't say I have much sympathy after we lost Gaudreau 3 summers ago ;)
 
I am super excited for this upcoming season - this might be Northeastern's best chance in a long while to make some noise. I'll post my thoughts on the league a little further on as we get closer.
 

Laser Show

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Some news and notes as we're just a few weeks away from the season now.
 
First off, Casey DeSmith is an asshole. UNH suspended him indefinitely and I would be shocked if he plays for them again.
 
The media poll and preseason all-conference team can be found here, and are as follows:
 
1) Providence
2) BC
3) BU
4) Northeastern
5) UML
6) Maine
t-7) ND
t-7) Vermont
9) UNH
10) Merrimack
11) UMass
12) Connecticut
 
F Ross Mauermann (for some reason I thought he was a senior last year - Providence is in for a big season)
F Kevin Roy
F Devin Shore
D Ben Hutton
D Michael Matheson
G Jon Gillies
 
Coaches' poll was announced today too:
 
https://twitter.com/hockey_east/status/514097428711366656
 
 
Some thoughts:
- Coaches' poll must have been done before DeSmith's arrest. Hard to see them doing too well this year after losing so much talent this summer, including Sorkin, Goumas, Speelman, Knodel, van Riemsdyk, and Agosta.
- Surprised to see BU so high in the media poll, and ND so high in the coaches' poll. Both have undeniable talent, but they each have a lot more to prove, I think, before counting them among the elite in the conference. OTOH, 3-9 is really a complete pick 'em, so having either team at 3rd isn't saying much.
- I would love to know who gave a first place vote to NU
- Polls don't actually matter, ergo, most of what I just said doesn't matter. Let's play hockey already.
 

Laser Show

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gryoung said:
Doesn't BU have the "can't miss kid" ..... Jack Eichel (sp?) coming in?  He's projected to be the 2nd overall pick in the 2015 draft.
That's correct. And they have a healthy Grzelcyk... they're certainly a team to watch, I just want to see how they come together under Quinn the first few games before picking them in the top 4 of the league.
 

RedOctober3829

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I toured the North Dakota arena and hockey facility this past weekend.  It is by far the best college hockey facility in the country and is better than a handful of NHL arenas.  They just moved into their $10 million renovated locker room on Friday and that is without a doubt the best locker room I've ever seen.  I can see why they attract the best recruits in the nation.  I can't say enough how impressed I was.
 

FelixMantilla

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sachmoney

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Finally got my ticket to Michigan at BU. Need to get a ticket to Michigan at BC. Not sure if I'm going to Michigan at Lowell because that requires me going to Lowell.
 

Laser Show

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First USCHO.com poll out. Northeastern at 16, one of 7 Hockey East teams ranked in the top 20.
 

Clears Cleaver

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UConn has plans drawn for a 185K sq foot on campus hockey arena. they join hockey east this year and the arena should be done in time for 2016. As a comp, Agganis is 200k and Quinnipiac's arena is 185k. I think it is expected to seat close to 5k fans
 
Amazingly, UConn hockey is the only sports program in a legit conference.
 

Laser Show

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It's Canada exhibition weekend in Hockey East. Nothing too notable yesterday - UNH downed by St. Francis Xavier 2-0, BC beat New Brunswick 6-4, UMass 5-2 over Dalhousie.
 
Except for bu. They won 12-1(!!!) over St. Thomas (NB). Jack Eichel had 5 assists, and Ahti Oksanen (who is apparently being converted to forward - I had no idea they were doing this) scored 4 goals, all 4 assisted by Eichel. He is going to be fun to watch in this league this year (unless you live on the other end of Comm. Ave or on Huntington Ave.).
 

sachmoney

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Laser Show said:
Except for bu. They won 12-1(!!!) over St. Thomas (NB). Jack Eichel had 5 assists, and Ahti Oksanen (who is apparently being converted to forward - I had no idea they were doing this) scored 4 goals, all 4 assisted by Eichel. He is going to be fun to watch in this league this year (unless you live on the other end of Comm. Ave or on Huntington Ave.).
I went to this game. Part of me wishes I hadn't gone because it was my first impression of Eichel against very very bad competition. He definitely wasn't hitting his highest gear. He wasn't skating hard. He wasn't bearing down at the face off dot. However, when he had the puck on his stick, he could explode through multiple defenders with ease. It seemed like he was going out of his way to pass the puck too. He didn't really shoot at all.
 
To be clear, Eichel is amazing. He showed flashes of it. But given the opponent, he was clearly taking it easy. He'd take one stride and glide around the ice. The first impression stuff is just me wishing that I had seen him give it his all the first time I saw him play live.
 
Dec 10, 2012
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sachmoney said:
I went to this game. Part of me wishes I hadn't gone because it was my first impression of Eichel against very very bad competition. He definitely wasn't hitting his highest gear. He wasn't skating hard. He wasn't bearing down at the face off dot. However, when he had the puck on his stick, he could explode through multiple defenders with ease. It seemed like he was going out of his way to pass the puck too. He didn't really shoot at all.
 
To be clear, Eichel is amazing. He showed flashes of it. But given the opponent, he was clearly taking it easy. He'd take one stride and glide around the ice. The first impression stuff is just me wishing that I had seen him give it his all the first time I saw him play live.
Eichel 2G 2 Ast @ Umass-Amherst on Friday night, including 2 G 1 Ast in a 4:08 stretch.  One of the goals was on 5-3, so let's discount a little.
 
Let's see how he does against the better HE teams. But he's looking special so far.
 

Laser Show

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RedOctober3829 said:
Vermont opened up the season in convincing fashion last night beating Northeastern 6-2 in Matthews Arena.  Jonathan Turk had a hat trick for the Catamounts.  Very surprising to me to open like this.
I think I underestimated Vermont coming into this season. They played really well, and I think Puskarich is in for a big year. That being said, I couldn't watch the game myself, but everyone I know on campus that was there said the Huskies looked like dogshit. Didn't show up to play and completely embarrassed themselves. Jerry Keefe even said they were soft after the game (asst. coach, filled in for Madigan who was suspended due to some comments on officiating in the quarterfinals last year).

Just so so disappointing to open like that when there's real expectations for the first time in years. Especially when the students actually packed Matthews for a game against not-BC for the first time in a while.
 

twibnotes

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Michigan down 4-0 in home opener to UNH. Another underachieving squad? Wouldn't be surprised. Think Berenson needs to step down.
 

twibnotes

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Fred not Lynn said:
Well, NOW it's time to fire Brandon. I thought Red was retiring soon...had I heard wrong?
Under contract through '15/'16 and no plans to retire (though he supposedly thought about it a couple years ago). Think he'd step down if he thought it would help the program...just not sure when he'll think that.
 

Fred not Lynn

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Well, it was mid last summer I had heard it, so maybe that counts as "a couple years ago". Sacrilege to say it, but maybe Red's departure should coincide with a move to a more modern facility...
 

twibnotes

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Fred not Lynn said:
Well, it was mid last summer I had heard it, so maybe that counts as "a couple years ago". Sacrilege to say it, but maybe Red's departure should coincide with a move to a more modern facility...
NOOOOOOOOO!!!

Have you been to yost? One of the best facilities in sports. Loud, intimate...perfect
 

Fred not Lynn

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Yes, I have, and it got better with the recent renovations...But...the team facilities leave some to be desired, and because they can't be duplicated in honor of Title IX Michigan can't even have a women's ice hockey - which should be a natural fit there.

Also, Red Bernesen has long desired an Olympic size ice surface...and it can't be done at Yost (they tried to figure out a way at Red's request. It just wasn't possible).
 

twibnotes

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Fred not Lynn said:
Yes, I have, and it got better with the recent renovations...But...the team facilities leave some to be desired, and because they can't be duplicated in honor of Title IX Michigan can't even have a women's ice hockey - which should be a natural fit there.

Also, Red Bernesen has long desired an Olympic size ice surface...and it can't be done at Yost (they tried to figure out a way at Red's request. It just wasn't possible).
Having been to many of the newer rinks (bu, penn st, unh, bc), I can't say any of them were even half as loud. With the exception of penn st (still no yost in terms of ambience and crowd noise), they were libraries.
 

Fred not Lynn

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I don't think you could build a new arena and have it be loud like that, probably some code restrictions or something, or the sorts of materials used.
 

twibnotes

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Fred not Lynn said:
I don't think you could build a new arena and have it be loud like that, probably some code restrictions or something, or the sorts of materials used.
Above all, I think it's the desire to have no obstructed view seats. To have that upper deck hanging over the ice, you unfortunately end up with some not so good seats underneath, and new arenas seem to be built with the idea in mind that no bad seats will exist.
 

sachmoney

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Does BC count as new?
 
Of the ones you mentioned, I've only been to Agganis, which feels like it was designed to accommodate other events (concerts) other than hockey. Yost is a special place for me and I'd hate for it to go. I do think that the AD needs to figure out a way to invest and or expand the facilities as they did with basketball. Michigan doesn't need the hockey arena to serve other purposes because we do have Crisler and Hill for smaller events. It does seem like the facilities of other schools is surpassing us and preserving Yost could be interfering with the progress of the program.
 

Clears Cleaver

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so, who is this frosh at BU? Eichel? All the cool kids seem to be talking about him. "a young Kariya" "better than Mceachern" etc...
 

kenneycb

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Clears Cleaver said:
so, who is this frosh at BU? Eichel? All the cool kids seem to be talking about him. "a young Kariya" "better than Mceachern" etc...
He's going to be the number 1 or 2 pick in the draft next year, so that sounds about right.
 

Clears Cleaver

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so there's a reason to watch BU for the first time in like 10 years? excellent. HE looks loaded this year
 

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Clears Cleaver said:
so there's a reason to watch BU for the first time in like 10 years? excellent. HE looks loaded this year
You didn't think they were worth watching when they won a national championship five years ago?
 

Clears Cleaver

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Lol. The last five seasons have seemed like 10 given the on and off ice issues. I totally forgot they won in 2009 given they made one tourney since that and have had no beanpot or hockey east success since (Parker's going away HE run notwithstanding).
 

Laser Show

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Northeastern 0-4 for the first time since 1971 after losing to the Minutemen.
 
QU, UML, and UNH due up next. This is going to get ugly. Again.
 

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Dan to Theo to Ben said:
UML allowed 8 to Michigan tonight (including Hyman with a hat trick). The NU UML game might be actually be quite fun.
Not fun for us. NU now 0-6, worst start in program history. Supposedly Clay Witt is concussed.
 
I have a hard time seeing them win before Merrimack, maybe at home vs. UNH. I'd be surprised to grab anything versus Lowell at this point.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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I saw both QU v NU games this weekend. First game 3-2 QU, pretty evenly played, QU goalie finally had a good game. Second game had the familiarity breeds contempt chippiness of the second game on same ice in a row. NU jumped out 2-0 early, but QU came back to win 4-3. QU has a few guys good at getting under other team's skin (C Clifton, St. Denis)..

The NU goaltender seems very meh. QU is young, had lots of scoring and experience graduate last year, but there's talent on the team. Very much needed that sweep.
 

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Doug Beerabelli said:
I saw both QU v NU games this weekend. First game 3-2 QU, pretty evenly played, QU goalie finally had a good game. Second game had the familiarity breeds contempt chippiness of the second game on same ice in a row. NU jumped out 2-0 early, but QU came back to win 4-3. QU has a few guys good at getting under other team's skin (C Clifton, St. Denis)..

The NU goaltender seems very meh. QU is young, had lots of scoring and experience graduate last year, but there's talent on the team. Very much needed that sweep.
 
He's Kevin Roy's brother. They came as a package. The only reason he's seeing time is because Witt is hurt. Meh is a perfect way to describe him.
 

Clears Cleaver

Lil' Bill
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8,000+ at the XL center tonight for Uconn's first home Hockey East game. versus BC. Cavanaugh v Yost. Formner BC player Evan Richardson scores in the first (and yes, they played  Brass Bonanza after the goal)
 
1 - 0 Uconn with a couple minutes left in the second period.
 
1-0 after two periods. UConn goalie Nichols was great in 2nd period after Uconn took it to BC in the first. Feels like Uconn is hanging on at this point
 
1-0 with six minutes left. Nichols 32 saves.
 
Biggest college hockey game ever played. In November. In CT
 

Clears Cleaver

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     Uconn 1
#3 Boston College 0
 
what do you guys like better?
1. "BC should have worked harder to keep Uconn out of Hockey East"
or
2. "BC just announced they will seek to leave Hockey East to join another conference so they can be the 'official New England team'"
 
first time BC shut out in 103 games. Imagine what happens when UConn get scholarship players!
 
BU-BC should be a lot of fun Friday, then UConn goes to BU saturday