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.

Final Bracketology: One last look figuring out which 16 teams will play for the 2021 national college hockey championship

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We’ve seen all six conference tournaments completed and here are both Jayson’s and Jim’s fields, as well as how they place them into regionals. It’s amazing how controversial this year has been but how close Jayson and Jim are with their final fields. How they move teams around, though, is very much different. Jayson: Here … Read more

Bracketology: With Selection Sunday around the corner, taking one last stab at how the NCAA hockey tournament field will look

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We’re inching ever so close to Selection Sunday so let’s take another look at Bracketology.

Right now, there are just nine college hockey games remaining after the NCHC (North Dakota) and Big Ten (Minnesota) crowned their champions. Hockey East has whittled their field to two teams, ECAC is down to three and WCHA and AHA still have their final four to be played.

Previewing ECAC Hockey, Atlantic Hockey, WCHA, Hockey East championships: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 16

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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

Wisconsin State Journal writer and USCHO editor emeritus Todd D. Milewski joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to preview the semifinal and championship rounds in ECAC Hockey, Atlantic Hockey, and the WCHA and the Hockey East finals between UMass Lowell and No. 6 UMass.

They also consider NCAA implications of the four series, including what “eye test” criteria might be used by the committee.

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Big Ten, NCHC tournament wrap up and more NCAA prognostication: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 18

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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 and Ed Trefzger wrap up the exciting semifinal and championship rounds of the Big Ten and NCHC in this special midweek edition of Weekend Review.

They also look at a projected NCAA field with 12 or 13 teams that are locks – or nearly so – for the tournament and consider which teams on the bubble might get in depending on this weekend’s four playoffs. Plus, who will be the top four seeds and where might they go?

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This Week in Hockey East: Offensive catalysts Thompson, Trivigno leading Providence, UMass into conference semifinals

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When Providence and Massachusetts square off this evening for a spot in the Hockey East title game, there will be two players on opposite sides who have evolved significantly this season to become offensive leaders of the respective clubs.

UMass’ Bobby Trivigno and Providence’s Tyce Thomspon each lead their respective clubs in scoring, but both played have evolved throughout this season to each be playing their best hockey down the stretch.

Looking at conference playoffs and NCAA implications as ‘Selection Sunday’ approaches: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 17

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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 and Ed Trefzger review the weekend’s men’s D-I hockey conference playoffs in the Big Ten, Hockey East, NCHC, Atlantic Hockey and WCHA, and ask some questions about the results.

How did the weekend affect the fortunes of teams that lost – in particular Notre Dame, Bowling Green, and Boston University? What about Omaha and Denver? Did Penn State and Providence get boosts? Can Atlantic Hockey get two bids?

Jim and Ed also discuss what might go into the decisions to pick the last three or four teams in the NCAA field.

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Northeastern at UMass preview with Jim Madigan, plus a look at the weekend’s playoffs: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 15

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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 Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan to preview the No. 20 Huskies’ Sunday Hockey East single-elimination playoff game at No. 7 UMass. Madigan also reflects on this anniversary of the day all of college and pro sports were shut down in 2020.

We also take capsule looks at the five men’s D-I conferences with playoffs underway by the end of the weekend.

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Bracketology: What teams are in the NCAA tournament, what teams are not with men’s college hockey playoffs starting

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We promised it last week, that in this week’s Bracketology, Jayson and I would try to find some sort of agreement on a field, just like being on the NCAA committee.

If we’re able to do that (spoiler: we’re not), we’ll attempt to put together what we think the regionals should look like.

ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell on this season, NCAA tournament, 2020-21 overtime: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 15

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A conversation with incoming Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 20

No men’s D-I hockey conference was more impacted by COVID-19 than ECAC Hockey, which saw eight of its 12 teams elect not to play this season.

Commissioner Steve Hagwell joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a wide-ranging discussion, including how the remaining four teams have adapted, what short- and long-term outcomes there may be from pandemic protocols and student-athlete transfers, about the 2020-21 overtime changes, room for future growth of college hockey, and his conference’s NCAA bid prospects.

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Wisconsin goes worst to first; who are locks for the NCAAs (and who could spoil): Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 16

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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 and Ed Trefzger look back at the weekend’s games and the week’s news, including:

• Wisconsin sweeps Michigan State to clinch the Big Ten regular-season title and goes from worst to first;

• Boston College downs Northeastern to take Hockey East’s top seed, while Boston University clinches second;

• St. Cloud will face Colorado College in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff after defeating Minnesota Duluth (who gets Western Michigan);

• Holy Cross and Merrimack see their seasons end due to COVID-19 protocols;

• Atlantic Hockey starts its playoffs;

• For some, women’s seedings cause concern for men’s tournament selections;

• Plus, who are the locks and near locks for the NCAA tournament – and who could spoil?

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GOTW: No. 7 Michigan spoils No. 3 Minnesota’s B1G title hopes, knocking off Gophers, 5-2; Wisconsin now in catbird seat to take regular-season crown

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No. 7 Michigan furthered improved its NCAA tournament resume with a 5-2 victory over No. 3 Minnesota. The result combined with Wisconsin’s victory over Michigan State puts the Badgers in position to earn its first regular-season Big Ten title with a win on Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold)

Michigan at Minnesota preview with reporter Jess Myers: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 14

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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 Jess Myers, who covers the Golden Gophers beat as a reporter for The Rink Live, to preview No. 7 Michigan at No. 3 Minnesota.

We also look at another Big Ten series and its implications – No. 5 Wisconsin at Michigan State – as well as Hockey East single games with No. 18 Northeastern at No. 2 Boston College, No. 10 Boston University at UMass Lowell, and Maine at No. 6 UMass. Also significant are a pair of single NCHC contests with No. 12 Omaha visiting No. 1 North Dakota and No. 9 Minnesota Duluth traveling to No. 8 St. Cloud.

The WCHA wraps its season with some important games and Atlantic Hockey plays its first round with three single-elimination matchups.

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American International’s Eric Lang on building the Yellow Jackets program, this season: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 14

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A conversation with incoming Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 20

American International clinched its third consecutive Atlantic Hockey regular season championship – no small feat for a team that few had heard of five years ago.

Head coach Eric Lang joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about the growth and success of the program, a team that lost 10 seniors but which didn’t skip a beat, the recovery of Eric Otto from cancer, mentoring others, and keeping sharp in a season filled with cancellations and pauses.

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