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.

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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North Dakota retakes No. 1, UMass, Minnesota Duluth pick up big wins, NCAA prognostication: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 15

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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 results and the week’s news, plus round two of NCAA bracketology.

In this episode:

• Then-No. 1 Boston College goes down to an impressive UMass;

• North Dakota keeps rolling;

• Minnesota Duluth gets back to winning ways against St. Cloud State;

• Minnesota State loses its first WCHA game this season during weekend split with Bemidji State;

• Bowling Green sweeps Alabama-Huntsville, finishes with a 19-8-1 mark overall;

• Big Ten will come down to the final weekend;

• Atlantic Hockey field is set;

• And our scenarios for the NCAA tournament.

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St. Cloud State at Minnesota Duluth preview with Bulldogs radio voice Bruce Ciskie: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 13

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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

No. 6 St. Cloud State visits No. 10 Minnesota Duluth in a single, nationally-televised NCHC game on Saturday with conference and NCAA postseason implications. Bulldogs radio voice Bruce Ciskie previews the contest with a look at this year’s UMD team and how they match up against they Huskies.

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger also look ahead at another NCHC tilt, No. 2 North Dakota at No. 11 Omaha, as well as No. 3 Minnesota State’s home-and-home series against No. 19 Bemidji State in the WCHA, No. 9 UMass at No. 1 Boston College for a game, and Ohio State at No. 5 Wisconsin.

Plus with almost the entire week’s schedule wiped out, playoff positions in Atlantic Hockey’s western pod all comes down to Canisius and Niagara’s home-and-home pair this weekend.

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North Dakota’s Brad Berry talks Fighting Hawks, NCHC playoffs, keeping seniors four years: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 13

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

Last weekend, North Dakota clinched the NCHC regular season trophy, the Penrose Cup.

Fighting Hawks head coach Brad Berry joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about this year’s team, the competitiveness and rivalries in the conference, keeping talented seniors for four seasons, and the challenges of a single-elimination Frozen Faceoff this season.

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North Dakota clinches NCHC, other conferences coming into focus, NCAA bracketology: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 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 and Ed Trefzger look back at the weekend and news of the week.

North Dakota clinched the Penrose Cup as the NCHC regular season champion.

Boston College’s sweep and BU’s OT win seem to make it a three-horse race in Hockey East with UMass, but the HEPI formula leaves that murky to outsiders.

Minnesota is close to sewing up the Big Ten title, but Wisconsin also has a path.

Minnesota State needs three points in its last four games to win the WCHA, while Bowling Green got off the schneid.

AIC has won the eastern pod regular season title, while big weekends for Air Force and RIT have left the western pod still up for grabs.

Plus, we do a little early bracketology and prognosticate how many teams each conference can expect in the NCAA field of 16.

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Hockey East picks: Feb. 19-23

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Pretty impressive that both Marisa and I were a perfect 7-0-0 last week (and for those who pointed out, yes, we picked an extra game between Providence and UConn, oops.) Let’s see if that perfection continues. Fri.-Sat., Feb. 19-20 Merrimack vs. New Hampshire (Fri. at UNH, Sat. at MC) A battle of two consistently inconsistent … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Due to schedule imbalance, new power index assuring teams that ‘every game matters’

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In a very challenging year, one thing was clear to first-year commissioner Steve Metcalf early in the 2020-21 Hockey East campaign

It took just a couple of weekends of canceled games and teams and the league working to change opponents to make Metcalf realize come season’s end, there would be a significant imbalance in both number of games played as well as the strength of opponents each team faces.

Thus, Metcalf turned to a somewhat familiar formula to help determine the Hockey East standings: the PairWise.

Boston University vs. UConn preview with Terriers head coach Albie O’Connell: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 12

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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

In a season filled with delays and pauses for the Terriers, No. 11 Boston University nevertheless finds itself near the top of the Hockey East playoff race at 8-2 overall. BU head coach Albie O’Connell joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview of a weekend series against UConn.

Also on tap: No. 9 Omaha visits No. 2 North Dakota for a weekend series, Colorado College visits No. 8 Minnesota Duluth and No. 6 St. Cloud for single games, the Big 10 has three weekend series, No. 19 Robert Morris visits RIT for a pair, and on Tuesday, No. 20 Lake Superior visits No. 18 Michigan Tech.

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NCAA tournament selection and preparations with D-I men’s ice hockey chair Mike Kemp: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 12

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

With a commitment to making this season’s tournament happen, the NCAA men’s D-I ice hockey committee has had a lot on its plate.

Committee chair Mike Kemp, associate athletic director at Omaha, joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to answer questions about the 2021 tournament, including selecting the field of 16, whether there will be fans allowed at the regionals and the Frozen Four, and replacing Manchester as a host for a regional.

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Great weekend for most of the top 10, some teams to watch, embellishment and game management: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 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 and Ed Trefzger look back at the weekend and news of the week.

It was a great weekend for No. 1 Boston College, which swept UMass Lowell, No. 2 North Dakota with a sweep of Denver, No. 3 Minnesota State with just one goal allowed – and an eighth shutout for Dryden McKay, and a bounce back for then-No. 5 Minnesota with two 3-0 wins over Notre Dame.

Then-No. 7 Wisconsin and then-No. 8 Michigan split while then-No. 4 Minnesota Duluth had a lost weekend at the hands of Western Michigan.

Teams that are on a hot streak include Boston University, Michigan Tech, and Army West Point.

Intensity of play has stepped up if suspensions and supplemental discipline are an indicator.

And Jim and Ed weigh in on embellishment, game management by officials, and setting expectations for sportsmanship.

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No. 7 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan preview with Badgers beat writer Todd D. Milewski: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 11

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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

No. 7 Wisconsin is arguably the hottest team in college hockey since the semester break. The Badgers travel to a team coming off a three-week pause, No. 8 Michigan, in a key Big Ten series. Todd D. Milewski, Wisconsin State Journal beat writer for Badgers hockey, joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview.

We also look at Denver at No. 2 North Dakota in the NCHC, UMass Lowell vs. No. 1 Boston College and No. 20 UConn vs. No. 16 Providence in Hockey East, and No. 11 Quinnipiac at Colgate in the ECAC.

And a WCHA matchup is highlighted by the stellar goaltending numbers of Dryden McKay, as he and his fellow No. 3 Minnesota State Mavericks visit Alabama Huntsville.

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