David H. HendricksonBC coach Jerry York had planned on trying to replace Brian Gionta, Bobby Allen and the rest of the graduated senior class, but what he hadn’t counted on was also losing Brooks Orpik, Chuck Kobasew and Krys Kolanos to either the pros or junior leagues. Nonetheless, the Eagles have hardly gone from the penthouse to … Read more
Northeastern finished a disappointing 13-19-4 last year, making it three straight losing seasons on Huntington Avenue. The Huskies defeated NCAA tournament-bound St. Lawrence and Wisconsin, not to mention New Hampshire, BU, Rensselaer and Harvard, but overall the wins were too few and far between. The Huskies then lost their top scorer and two key defensemen … Read more
The Friars broke through last season to finish higher than ever before in Hockey East, a tie for second. The expected rebuilding year instead turned into what might become a steppingstone to PC’s first-ever regular season title. That’s what the Hockey East preseason coaches’ poll predicted… sort of… in its first-place-but-no-first-place result. “In the past … Read more
For most teams, a myriad of unknown variables will decide their fate this upcoming season. Although that’s also true for New Hampshire, a single unknown dominates all others. Hobey Baker finalist, All-American and First-Team All-Hockey East goaltender Ty Conklin was The Man who kept Wildcat hopes alive even during prolonged scoring droughts last season. His … Read more
His passion for teaching, for Maine, and for college hockey were legendary, and Shawn Walsh had an impact on everyone who met him. USCHO’s Dave Hendrickson offers an appreciation of the man and his legacy.
So much sorrow… All the images from the last few days keep racing through my mind. Strangely, the one that I find most haunting is a quiet one: the New Jersey grammar school with over 100 children in its gymnasium last Tuesday evening because no parent had come to pick them up. I reassure myself … Read more
Merrimack coach Chris Serino has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his neck. The decision as to whether chemotherapy or radiation treatments are needed is pending. The impact on Serino’s ability to coach full-time will depend on the treatment.
A CHA proposal to use four-on-four during league overtimes will lead the agenda when the NCAA Rules Committee meets May 21-24 in New Orleans. An anticipated WCHA request to use video replay during the regular season will not materialize. The league opted not to pursue the change because different levels of replay would exist at … Read more
Maine coach Shawn Walsh continues the battle of his life. So far, he’s gotten through with love, faith and hockey. Dave Hendrickson chronicles Walsh’s latest round in the fight against cancer.
New UMass-Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald addresses the River Hawks’ media and fans Thursday.
After three straight years of near-misses in the Frozen Four, Boston College’s players, coaches and fans could have been excused for seeing the nightmare starting anew Saturday night. Instead, the Eagles exorcised the demons of a half-century. Dave Hendrickson reports.
With Chuck Kobasew scoring twice in Boston College’s 4-2 win over Michigan and Ben Eaves adding another conventional goal along with an empty-netter, the game’s headliners were easy to identify. Just a shade behind the two was goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who stopped 31 of 33 shots to set an all-time Frozen Four career save record. … Read more
The goalie at one end of the ice had earned just about every possible accolade this year: CCHA Player of the Year, CCHA best goaltender, CCHA Tournament Most Valuable Player, All-CCHA Tournament Team, All-CCHA first team and Hobey Baker Award finalist. As just a sophomore, he’d set an NCAA career shutout mark with 18, 10 … Read more
Maine coach Shawn Walsh will undergo surgery on Thursday to remove his left lung and as many tumors as possible in preparation for a stem-cell transplant three or four weeks later.
From the outside, Maine’s heart-stopping victory over Minnesota Friday — in which the game-tying goal was scored with seconds left in regulation — looked like a stunner. But for the Black Bears, it was just the culmination of a season on the brink. Dave Hendrickson reports.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award won’t be handed out until Friday, April 6, but the identity of the winner may be decided this weekend. Dave Hendrickson reviews three of the top candidates in the context of the NCAA regionals.
They were the only ECAC representative in this year’s NCAA tournament, in the field despite finishing 14th in the Pairwise Rankings — an underdog one year removed from a Frozen Four berth. But Dave Hendrickson finds that the St. Lawrence Saints carried their burden with class.
All season, Boston College’s Tony Voce has labored in the shadows of his fellow Eagle rookies, thanks to one of the deepest and most talented freshman classes in the nation. Well, that changed this weekend. Dave Hendrickson reports.
Devin Rask and Peter Fregoe are already known quantities in Hockey East, but with Providence’s strong performance in the league playoffs, the pair of sophomores may soon find their notoriety growing. Dave Hendrickson profiles the Friars’ hidden gems.
When the playoff season began, the shaving stopped for UMass-Lowell. Dave Hendrickson tells the tale of one team’s follicular follies.