Jim Connelly

Jim Connelly is the USCHO Executive Editor. He has been with USCHO since 1999 and previously covered Atlantic Hockey and Hockey East. He also serves as a color analyst for Hockey East on NESN.

LaFontaine leaves; Michigan, Cornell sweep; Olympics?: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 14

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at this past weekend’s games and news.

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org

Topics include:

• Minnesota goaltender Jack LaFontaine signs with Carolina as Hurricanes were desperate for some goaltending depth

• Michigan’s back in form with a two-game sweep of UMass.

• Cornell with a big sweep of North Dakota

• AIC sweeps Holy Cross to jump into the top spot in Atlantic Hockey

• Levi and McKay remain hot in net

• Lot of love for college hockey in SportsCenter top ten

• College hockey’s skill level continues to get better

• Rumored Olympians being considered for Team USA/Team Canada?

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USCHO BETTOR’S EDGE: With postponements abound, Sat.-Sun. series between No. 10 UMass and No. 6 Michigan highlights abbreviated slate

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If you read the last edition of Bettor’s Edge well before the holidays, there was a hope to return a week ago. But the schedule became pretty fractured between limited schedules and postponements related to COVID. Those postponements continue yet again this weekend, and it seems the popular opinion is that they will continue likely … Read more

Update on COVID rescheduling with Hockey East’s Steve Metcalf, plus some top games: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 10

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No. 8 UMass home-and-home vs. No. 14 UMass Lowell preview with Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

After this week’s game of the week was postponed, hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger caught up with Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf to discuss the recent uptick in adjustments to schedules because of COVID protocols.

Also previewed are the four matchups to be featured in USCHO’s Bettor’s Edge column this week:

No. 14 Cornell at No. 5 North Dakota

No. 13 Notre Dame at Penn State

Ferris State at No. 1 Minnesota State

No. 10 Massachusetts at No. 6 Michigan

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org.

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Ohio State’s Steve Rohlik talks this season’s Buckeyes, Big Ten parity: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 13

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USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik. The conversation includes this year’s Buckeyes, high points of the season, the Big Ten’s competitiveness, the transfer portal, and dealing with a COVID schedule change this weekend. (Note: since the time this podcast was recorded, the games this weekend with Wisconsin have been rescheduled.)

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org.

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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TMQ: Are in-season tournaments still relevant? Will the PairWise be used for 2022 NCAA tournament? Will a goalie win the Hobey?

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Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Ed: Jim, I know you remember the days when the semester break was filled with holiday tournaments. Those are mostly a thing of the past, but the end of 2021 did … Read more

Holiday tournaments, significant sweeps, COVID cancellations: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 13

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at this past weekend’s games and news.

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org

Topics include:

• Will holiday tournament wins propel Wisconsin and Boston College in the second half of the season?

• The holiday tournament that wasn’t – the GLI – and updates on Michigan’s decision not to play Western Michigan

• Minnesota State’s sweep of Minnesota Duluth – and McKay’s crazy numbers as of late

• St. Cloud State, fresh off a sweep of Bemidji State, prepares to meet UMD

• Does Arizona State’s sweep of Cornell put the Sun Devils back on the NCAA screen?

• COVID’s impact continues to affect schedules – will this impact league standings and scrap the PairWise?

• The World Juniors cancellation (or postponement?)

• Will the NHL’s withdrawal from the Olympics impact college hockey?

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Monday 10: More COVID issues across college hockey, World Juniors possibly rescheduled, GLI doesn’t happen as planned

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Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature. As the calendar turns to 2022, there hasn’t been a lot of hockey played in the past few weekends. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to talk about. Here are 10 things that are on many … Read more

Best teams at the mid-season, Hobey, Richter, COVID, plus the return of Robert Morris: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 12

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at this past weekend’s games and news.

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org

Topics include:

• The best teams at the semester break

• Players to watch for the Hobey Baker Award

• Goalies to watch for the Mike Richter Award

• Our biggest takeaways from the first half

• COVID concerns for the second half

• A conversation with Derek about the return of RMU men’s and women’s hockey

• Remembering R. H. “Bob” Peters

Coach Bob Peters – Common Ground video mentioned in this episode:

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2022 IIHF World Junior Championship preview with hockey draft and prospects writer Chris Peters: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 12

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USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by are joined by NHL draft and prospects writer Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff and Hockey Sense to preview Team USA and the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org.

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Minnesota State avoids the No. 1 curse, but elsewhere it’s splitsville: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 11

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at this past weekend’s games and news. Topics include:

• Minnesota State avoids the curse on No. 1; now has 11-point lead in CCHA over Bemidji State

• Splitsville in the B1G

• Minnesota Duluth and Denver split

• UMass Lowell sweeps Vermont and is in first place in Hockey East at the break

• Arizona State gets a much-needed sweep

• Can we now talk PairWise and feel okay about it?

• What current PWR positions might surprise us?

• Which teams are poised for a big second-half run?

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Previewing Boston College at Boston University with Terriers’ Albie O’Connell: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 9

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No. 8 UMass home-and-home vs. No. 14 UMass Lowell preview with Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Boston University head coach Albie O’Connell to preview Boston College at BU.

Also previewed are four other matchups to be featured in USCHO’s Bettor’s Edge column this week:

No. 3 Michigan at No. 17 Ohio State

No. 1 Minnesota State at Bemidji State

No. 11 Denver at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth

No. 14 Omaha at No. 4 Western Michigan

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Northern Michigan’s Grant Potulny talks this year’s Wildcats, new CCHA: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 11

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USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Northern Michigan head coach Grant Potulny. The conversation includes this year’s Wildcats, high points of the season, the new CCHA, the transfer portal, and this weekend’s series at Lake Superior State.

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Northern Michigan sweeps, a bunch of splits, who’s hot, and we play ‘buy or sell’: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 10

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at this past weekend’s games and news. Topics include:

• Northern Michigan sweeps No. 1 Minnesota Duluth

• Splits of big series: Minnesota and Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, North Dakota and St. Cloud State

• Quinnipiac remains red hot

• Some other hot teams heading into break: Northeastern, Bentley

And … ‘buy or sell’ takes involving: North Dakota, Cornell, Boston University, Minnesota State, Western Michigan, Quinnipiac, Arizona State

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USCHO BETTOR’S EDGE: Return to conference play produces full slate of battles between nationally-ranked teams, with few heavy favorites

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Where have all the underdogs gone? Last weekend, nonconference plays created a bunch of heavy underdogs (Maine was +290 and was in a one-goal game into the closing minutes) but not a single one hit. The only dog to win from last weekend’s column was Arizona State (+130) and that was nearly a pick ’em. … Read more

Previewing No. 13 Providence vs. No. 16 Northeastern with writer Mark Divver: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 8

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No. 8 UMass home-and-home vs. No. 14 UMass Lowell preview with Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by hockey writer Mark Divver to preview No. 13 Providence’s home-and-home series with No. 16 Northeastern.

Also previewed are four other matchups to be featured in USCHO’s Bettor’s Edge column this week:

No. 14 Massachusetts home-and-home with No. 15 UMass Lowell

No. 9 Cornell at No. 18 Clarkson

No. 11 Minnesota at No. 3 Michigan

No. 7 North Dakota at No. 5 St. Cloud State

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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RIT’s Wayne Wilson talks this year’s Tigers, 400 win milestone: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 9

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USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Rochester Institute of Technology head coach Wayne Wilson. The conversation includes Wilson’s milestone 400th victory at RIT achieved last weekend at Princeton, this year’s Tigers and how they are benefitting from the return of four fifth-year players, pending NCAA legislation that would allow RIT (and Union) athletic scholarships for D-I teams, and the 3v3 overtime rule.

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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TMQ: Looking at how teams’ nonconference records can impact the PairWise Rankings, potential NCAA tournament bids

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Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Ed: Last weekend was the renewal of one of college hockey’s most storied rivalries, Jim, and that’s Minnesota and North Dakota. Regular foes in the glory days of the WCHA, the … Read more