Jim ConnellyIf there’s any theme to the 2005-06 hockey campaign for Canisius, it would be new beginnings. A year ago, despite having wonderful on-ice success, the Griffs took a major black eye when head coach Brian Cavanaugh was fired after a player revolt. With Cavanaugh out, multiple disciplinary problems ensued that led to the resignation of … Read more
As you look around Atlantic Hockey, a lot of teams are faced with the issue of not having a goaltender to turn to. That said, it almost seems unfair that Mercyhurst has four. That’s right, the defending champs, who this year were picked along with Holy Cross to repeat as champions, have four different goaltenders … Read more
AIC head coach Gary Wright is a hard-working man. Not only does he coach hockey for the Yellow Jackets, he’s also the school’s golf coach. So when the Atlantic Hockey coaches’ poll picked his Yellow Jackets to finish last this season, he was a bit humbled. “I’m just glad I don’t coach three sports,” said … Read more
Mercyhurst and Holy Cross have been tabbed the preseason favorites in Atlantic Hockey, according to the preseason coaches’ poll released Wednesday at the league’s annual media day. The Lakers and the Crusaders received 59 points apiece, with Mercyhurst obtaining four first-place votes to Holy Cross’ three. Sacred Heart, which led the Atlantic Hockey standings for … Read more
The homeless Atlantic Hockey Championship tournament has finally found a home — at least for one year. The 2006 Atlantic Hockey tournament will be held at Holy Cross’ Hart Center on March 17 and 18, according to an announcement made by league commissioner Bob DeGregorio on Wednesday. It will mark the third time that Holy … Read more
Boston College head hockey coach Jerry York underwent successful surgery to remove prostate cancer on Friday, according to the BC athletic department. The surgery, performed by Dr. Frank McGovern at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, is believed to have removed all of the cancerous cells from York, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late June. … Read more
College hockey has, for the past few years, been in the land of riches. Everything began in 2000 when Boston University goaltender Rick DiPietro was chosen as the number-one overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. Minutes after DiPietro was chosen, Wisconsin’s Dany Heatley made the daily double when he was picked second. Since that … Read more
A whopping 40% of Hockey East will see new faces heading up teams behind the bench when the 2005-06 season starts. Jim Connelly takes a look at the changing face(s) of Hockey East.
Boston College head coach Jerry York has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the school announced Wednesday. York, who just completed his 12th season behind the Boston College bench, is expected to undergo surgery in an attempt to remove the cancer in late July or early August. According to school officials the cancer was detected at … Read more
Providence introduced Tim [nl]Army as the school’s men’s ice hockey coach in a press conference on Friday morning. Army succeeds Paul Pooley, who announced his resignation earlier this month to take the assistant coach job at Notre Dame. Army has a long-time history and association with Providence hockey. After playing three seasons with the Friars … Read more
Providence head coach Paul Pooley officially resigned Friday and will head to Notre Dame next season to serve as an assistant to recently-hired head coach Jeff Jackson, ending days of speculation about the future of the Friars’ coach. Pooley, having just completed his 11th season behind the Providence bench, will reunite with Jackson, after the … Read more
Canisius has found its man, and to many it comes as a bit of a surprise. Dave Smith, who was an associate head coach this past season at Mercyhurst College, leading the Lakers to this year’s NCAA tournament, has been hired by the Griffs it was announced at a news conference Friday. Smith replaces Brian … Read more
Atlantic Hockey will expand to 10 members beginning in the 2006-07 season when it will add Air Force, commissioner Bob DeGregorio announced at a news conference on the Air Force campus today. The league formerly had announced it will add RIT in the same season, which takes the total from the current eight members to … Read more
The stage was set and the story was all but written. North Dakota had risen from the ashes. Rebounding from a 15-13-3 record late in the season, UND rallied to make the NCAA tournament and pulled off three straight blowouts to make it to the national championship game against defending champ Denver. Add in the … Read more
Boston College’s Sarah Carlson says that she’s made volunteering a lifestyle. It’s that lifestyle and her commitment to helping others that has earned her this year’s Hockey Humanitarian Award presented annually to “college hockey’s finest citizen.” Carlson was presented the award at a ceremony held Friday as part of Frozen Four weekend in Columbus — … Read more
It takes six and a half hours to fly from Anchorage, Alaska, to Grand Forks, N.D. If you add in connections, plus the time it takes to get to the airport and home again, you’re looking at a 12-hour trip. On February 20, those 12 hours must have felt like an eternity for the North … Read more
As a hockey coach, you hope to rely on what is expected: that your top scorers will create offense, and that your goaltender can play steady, if not pace your club’s defense. Thursday night, North Dakota got those things in beating Minnesota, 4-2, to advance to the national championship game. The Sioux got solid goaltending … Read more
It was surprising to most that Denver and Colorado College combined for eight goals in Thursday’s first semifinal, as Denver came out on top, 6-2. More surprising, stunning even, was the fact that all eight goals came on the power play. Denver finished the game 6-for-12 with the man advantage, while CC was 2-for-8. For … Read more
It’s a coach’s worst nightmare. You execute your game plan perfectly. You dominate your opponent at the game’s opening. And what do you have to show for it? Nada. Zilch. Zip. After a sluggish start Saturday for defending national champion Denver that resulted in the Pioneers needing overtime to get past underdog Bemidji State, the … Read more
It was like déjà vu all over again. For the third time in two days, the top-seeded team in an NCAA regional was pushed to the brink. This time it was defending national champion Denver, with CHA champion Bemidji State fighting hard. But similar to Friday’s near-upsets between Boston College and Mercyhurst in the East … Read more