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.

D-I men’s conference tournaments canceled; the implications, what comes next? USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 24

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

Just hours after deciding that league playoffs would be played with no spectators in attendance, five of the six men’s D-I hockey conferences announced that they were canceling their postseason tournaments altogether.

With this news, hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger sat down to discuss the news and its implications, as well as what might come next.

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PairWise analysis: who’s in, who could be, plus what might be the effects of COVID-19: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 23

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

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look at the PairWise Rankings, who’s in and who could be in, and answer listener questions.

And they weigh in on the effects COVID-19 might have – although with breaking news, these comments may not be completely up to date as the show was recorded at about 2 p.m. EDT on March 11, 2020. Harvard’s cancellation of the remainder of its season broke after this was recorded.

USCHO PairWise Rankings: https://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-i-men/

USCHO PairWise Explanation: https://www.uscho.com/faq/pairwise-rankings-explanation/

USCHO RPI and Explanation: https://www.uscho.com/rankings/rpi/d-i-men/

This episode is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

This episode of USCHO Spotlight is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

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

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Four conferences finish playoff first round; NCHC, Hockey East wrap regular seasons: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 22

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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 of March 5-8, which saw four conferences begin playoffs and two others wrap up their regular seasons.

In ECAC Hockey, Princeton’s two overtime wins advanced the Tigers past Dartmouth, while it took two overtimes for Yale to advance past Union in the league’s only game three.

The big surprise in Atlantic Hockey was that there were no surprises; all three higher seeds advanced, though only Robert Morris needed three to move past Holy Cross, including a game two overtime win.

In the Big Ten, the higher seeds all won as well. Notre Dame will miss the NCAA tournament after a disappointing second semester, while Wisconsin will await decisions by three first-round draft picks who might turn pro.

The WCHA saw two lower seeds advance. Bowling Green swept Alaska and Michigan Tech downed rival Northern Michigan in a three-overtime thriller.

Hockey East settled its playoff lineup and home ice as did the NCHC, which decided everything on Friday except whether North Dakota would be alone in first place. The Fighting Hawks’ win over Omaha gave them sole possession of the Penrose Cup.

Arizona State continues to watch the PairWise, which Bemidji State showed over the weekend still has some volatility.

Plus we weigh in on the impact of the coronavirus as Rensselaer announced its series against Harvard will be played at an empty Houston Field House.

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Frozen Four, April 9-11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour to get your tickets today.

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

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D-I men’s hockey playoff preview, including Canisius at Bentley with Falcons’ Ryan Soderquist: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 22

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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

Our first Game of the Week this season between two Atlantic Hockey teams features a first-round match up sending Canisius to Bentley for a best-of-three series. Falcons head coach Ryan Soderquist joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview.

We also look at every other playoff matchup in D-I men’s hockey, taking note of Wisconsin at No. 11 Ohio State – especially after the Badgers took five of six points from the Buckeyes last weekend – in the Big Ten and which series may lead to an upset in ECAC Hockey. Plus No. 3 Minnesota State and No. 10 Bemidji State and their home series in the WCHA vs. Alaska Anchorage and Lake Superior State respectively, as well as Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan and Bowling Green at Alaska.

Meanwhile, it’s still the regular season in two conferences. St. Cloud State, No. 6 Denver, and No. 17 Western Michigan all look to sew up home ice in the NCHC, though it’s a tall order for the Huskies at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth. And in Hockey East, Boston University, Providence, Northeastern, and New Hampshire are four teams trying to find one of three chairs when the music stops playing.

This episode is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

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

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Hockey East picks: Mar. 5-7

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The final weekend of the regular season with plenty of positioning on the line. My positioning against Dave? Well, it’s improved (how about calling one of those UVM wins last week!?), but time is so short a comeback seems highly unlikely. Jim last week: 6-2-1 Dave last week: 4-4-1 Jim to date: 122-81-26 Dave to … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: New Hampshire needs execution ‘where it needs to be’ if conference playoffs in the cards

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New Hampshire is not too far removed from a 7-3-1 stretch that took the Wildcats from a club with no postseason hopes up to a spot where earning home ice seemed realistic. But back-to-back losses to Boston University followed by a series a week ago against UMass Lowell where the Wildcats probably played well enough to take more than the single point that they did, and suddenly, it is the midnight hour for this UNH team (photo: Rich Gagnon).

Cornell’s Mike Schafer talks Big Red and ECAC Hockey: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 22

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

Cornell completed its regular season with just two losses and won ECAC Hockey’s Cleary Cup for the regular season championship. Big Red head coach Mike Schafer joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to look at this year’s season, the preparation for upcoming playoffs, historic Lynah Rink and Cornell’s great fan support, ECAC Hockey, the Ivy League, and his service on the NCAA men’s D-I Ice Hockey committee.

This episode of USCHO Spotlight is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

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

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Hockey East, NCHC still have things to decide; other conference playoffs set: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 21

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

Playoff fields are set in four conferences after last weekend, while two conferences still have a final week left in their regular season. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look at the results of February 27-29, 2020.

In Hockey East, Boston College has clinched the regular season and UMass has locked up home ice, but four teams are still battling for the last three playoff spots.

In the NCHC, North Dakota has won a share of the regular-season Penrose Cup, but Minnesota Duluth could share that title, while St. Cloud still has a shot at home ice.

Cornell’s highly-anticipated Saturday contest with Clarkson was a bit anticlimactic after the Golden Knights’ tie with Colgate on Friday clinched the Cleary Cup for the Big Red, but the surprise team in ECAC Hockey is Rensselaer, which earned a first-round playoff bye.

With its season completed last week, Penn State had to await the results of the weekend to see whether it would hold onto first place in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten regular-season title after Minnesota and Ohio State managed just one point each on the weekend.

In the WCHA, Minnesota State clinched sole possession of first place with a weekend split with Bemidji State, while Alaska’s sweep of Alaska Anchorage gave the Nanooks home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Atlantic Hockey’s repeat regular season champion American International had already clinched the league, but three teams competed over the weekend for the first-round bye, which Niagara won with a sweep of Robert Morris.

And Arizona State’s PairWise position was shored up by the weekend’s results, with the Sun Devils at No. 12.

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Frozen Four, April 9-11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour to get your tickets today.

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

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Hockey East picks – Feb. 27-29

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Well, I think we can officially forget about the race for first in the picks battle – Dave will take it when all is said in done. I can’t with integrity even pick opposite of him enough to gain much ground. So I give a hat’s off. Last week was awful. Some upsets combined with … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Surging UConn has shot at regular-season title, home ice for 2020 playoffs

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Truly the team that has been the biggest surprise in a positive way is Connecticut. The Huskies, by projections, were to finish either eighth or ninth, but a 7-1-0 record in their last eight Hockey East games has UConn not just in position to clinch a playoff spot, but also to possibly grab home ice (photo: Stephen Slade/UConn Athletics).

No. 7 Clarkson at No. 1 Cornell preview with Golden Knights coach Casey Jones: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 21

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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

The ECAC Hockey schedule couldn’t have worked out better, with No. 7 Clarkson at No. 1 Cornell Saturday on the last night of the regular season with the Cleary Cup potentially on the line. Clarkson coach Casey Jones joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to preview USCHO’s Game of the Week.

Also previewed:

Two Big Ten teams have a chance to clinch at least a share of the regular season title. No. 10 Ohio State hosts Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota hosts Michigan, while No. 9 Penn State – four points ahead of the Gophers and Buckeyes – has completed its schedule and watches for the results.

Nothing has been decided in Hockey East. Key series include No. 8 UMass home-and-home with red hot UConn and New Hampshire home-and-home with No. 12 UMass Lowell. Plus, No. 15 Maine travels to No. 19 Providence in a single game that is huge for both. Nine teams are still jockeying for eight playoff berths.

In the NCHC, No. 16 Western Michigan is at No. 3 North Dakota for two, while St. Cloud State, fresh off a five-point weekend against the Fighting Hawks, hosts No. 6 Denver in a weekend series.

The top matchup in the WCHA has No. 2 Minnesota State traveling for the weekend to No. 11 Bemidji State, while Alaska and Bowling Green each have key series as they look for home ice in the WCHA quarterfinals.

Atlantic Hockey settles everything this weekend. While No. 20 American International and Sacred Heart have clinched the top two spots, Army West Point and Rochester Institute of Technology will have games that determine who finishes third. AIC is at Army for one game Saturday, while RIT hosts Air Force in a series. The Falcons, along with Robert Morris and Niagara – who play a series this weekend – are vying for fifth place and a first-round bye.

This episode is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

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

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UConn’s Mike Cavanaugh on the Huskies, Hockey East race: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 21

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

The Hockey East playoff race is the tightest in a decade, and one of the hottest teams in the conference over the last several weeks is Connecticut.

UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about this season’s Huskies, recruiting and team building, and the last two weekends of Hockey East regular season play – including his team’s home-and-home series with Massachusetts.

Cavanaugh also has some fresh thoughts on overtime rules as well as the Hockey East schedule and playoff format.

This episode of USCHO Spotlight is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

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

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