Site AdministratorNate Leaman, who last week indicated he would remain at Union despite being regarded as a possible candidate for the vacant Harvard head coaching position, confirmed his position Wednesday in a release issued by the school. “I was flattered to be mentioned among several fine candidates for the open head coaching position at Harvard,” said … Read more
Ron Rolston, assistant coach at Boston College and former assistant at Harvard, is no longer a candidate for Harvard’s top job, according to sources close to the situation. That paves the way for Harvard to name former captain Ted Donato its new coach; an announcement is expected shortly. Six candidates were interviewed for the open … Read more
Scott Sandelin, who was earlier named the assistant coach of the 2004-05 U.S. World Junior Championships team, has been named to replace Dean Blais as head coach. Blais resigned from the position last week after recently leaving his job as head coach at North Dakota for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The 2005 IIHF World … Read more
Day 2 of the draft saw some more interesting names come through the draft board. Following up the selection of Chris Bourque from Day 1, two more sons of ex-NHLers were selected on Day 2. One was Providence-bound Trevor Ludwig, son of long-time NHL defenseman Craig Ludwig, by the Dallas Stars. The other was … … Read more
Niagara coach Dave Burkholder has agreed to a new multi-year contract, locking him up through the 2007-08 season. Burkholder, who begins his ninth year with the program, fourth as head coach, led the Purple Eagles to a CHA tournament title and automatic NCAA bid last season. “I’m pleased that Dave will continue to lead the … Read more
Chris Bourque has always had to look up, but he’s had some good role models to look up to. Now his career is looking up, too.
Wayne Gretzky, in town as managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, held court with the media on Saturday, and among the things he spoke about were the state of the on-ice game itself — particularly, the dearth of scoring. But the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer didn’t seem to as alarmed by the situation as … Read more
No one seemed too alarmed at Day 1 of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft about the departure of Dean Blais from North Dakota — not current Sioux first rounder Drew Stafford, incoming Sioux first-rounder Travis Zajac, or the general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Lou Lamoriello, who once again took a Sioux player in … Read more
Kris Chucko, headed to Minnesota in the fall, was one of three players taken from the British Columbia Junior League in the first 50 picks of the draft, including his Salmon Arm teammate Travis Zajac and second-round pick Ray Sawada. Chucko, the 24th overall pick by Calgary, was another player whose stock rose quickly since … Read more
When team Managing Partner Wayne Gretzky stepped to the podium to make Phoenix’s first-round selection in the 2004 NHL Draft, the crowd of mostly Carolina Hurricanes fans, draft prospects and their families, stood to salute ‘The Great One’ with a rousing, heartfelt ovation. Just moments later, the reaction changed to agape jaws when Gretzky announced … Read more
Friday, the University of North Dakota announced that associate head coach Dave Hakstol has been named interim head coach in the wake of Dean Blais’ departure for the NHL. Hakstol, a 1992 graduate of UND and former hockey captain, has head coaching experience with the USHL’s Sioux City franchise — where he was the league’s … Read more
The Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee concluded its annual meetings in San Francisco earlier this month, and a change to the Frozen Four start times was its most notable move. Instead of a noon and 6 p.m. (ET) start time, the committee decided to change the times to 2 and 7 p.m. The final … Read more
North Dakota’s Dean Blais, first in winning percentage among all active Division I coaches and winner of two national championships, is stepping down from his job in Grand Forks to take over as associate coach for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
When the NHL’s Central Scouting Service released its buzz-creating list of prospects for the upcoming entry draft, the casual hockey fan might have been surprised to see that St. Cloud State’s Casey Borer was near the top. Borer, one of 27 players with ties to the WCHA listed in the North American skater ranking, was … Read more
The Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee met earlier this month in San Francisco, and came away with little in the way of changes, and nothing of major significance. “We looked over the book again to make corrections, but we didn’t change anything — nothing earth shattering,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi, a member … Read more
It really won’t be an earth-shattering surprise to any of his friends, teammates or coaches if and when Maine defenseman Mike Lundin hears his name called June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. The 19-year-old Lundin is projected by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau as a second-rounder in the NHL Entry Draft, and … Read more
At first glance, it might seem that the WCHA was lagging behind in the race to produce NHL-caliber talent. After all, the conference produced just five Central Scouting-ranked players this year, the fewest of any major. In reality, however, the opposite is true. With nearly 50 percent of the WCHA comprised of players from the … Read more
It doesn’t really matter if his boyhood favorites — the Toronto Maple Leafs — come calling on NHL draft day, New Hampshire center Daniel Winnik is just excited to think about the possibilities. “The dream would be to play in Toronto, but I’m not really one of those guys who cares where they play,” said … Read more
Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon has officially declined an interview for the vacant head coaching position at Harvard, ending speculation as to his candidacy for the Crimson’s open position. Sneddon was a captain at Harvard in 1991-92, and a member of the 1989 national championship team. He took the head coaching job at Vermont last … Read more
When Colgate turned its seventh- place finish in 2002-03 into this year’s ECAC regular- season championship, league observers had to give the Raiders their due. And professional scouts couldn’t help but take notice of Kyle Wilson. The 6-foot, 200-pound forward from London, Ontario, improved his all-around play markedly between his freshman and sophomore seasons. At … Read more