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.

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.

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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.

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Hockey East stays tight, Atlantic Hockey only regular season clinched, PairWise bubble: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

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

With only one or two weekends left in conference play, all but Atlantic Hockey – clinched by American International – remain up for grabs for regular season titles. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look back at a wild weekend of college hockey.

In Hockey East, No. 8 UMass and No. 14 UMass Lowell split their home-and-home weekend, while No. 6 Boston College won both halves against No. 10 Northeastern, including a thumping at home. Merrimack ended its season with a home-and-home upset of No. 15 Providence, while No. 17 Maine picked up three home points against Vermont.

In the NCHC, No. 1 North Dakota managed just a tie at St. Cloud State, while No. 4 Minnesota Duluth split with host No. 19 Western Michigan, and No. 7 Denver won in big fashion over Miami at home.

No. 11 Penn State ended its Big Ten season with 5-of-6 points at home against No. 18 Minnesota, but the conference race remains wide open, with No. 12 Ohio State controlling its own destiny.

In ECAC Hockey, No. 20 Harvard upset No. 5 Clarkson, giving No. 2 Cornell a two-point lead in the standings, but the Crimson stumbled Saturday at St. Lawrence. Meanwhile the race for a first-round bye and first-round home ice is tight heading into the league’s last weekend.

No. 3 Minnesota State kept up its winning ways with big wins over Alabama Huntsville, but it was Bowling Green’s two home wins that were most significant in the WCHA as the Falcons look to gain home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

In Atlantic Hockey, AIC’s 11-game winning streak and 20 league wins have sewn up first place, while Sacred Heart has at least a share of second place and the second playoff seed sown up. Rochester Institute of Technology and Army West Point each will finish either third or fourth, but a battle remains for the fifth-place first-round bye and home ice in the first round this coming weekend.

Plus, Wisconsin’s sweep of No. 9 Arizona State kept the Sun Devils from clinching an NCAA berth and put ASU near the PairWise bubble.

And Jim and Ed share some Miracle on Ice 40th anniversary remembrances and thoughts.

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. 20-22

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Well, it’s just about time to wave the white flag as the odds of me making my picks with any integrity and still finding a way to beat Dave have passed me by. With Dave gaining yet another game last weekend, I’m eight games back. And unless I take the contrarian approach and pick opposite … Read more

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

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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

With both Massachusetts state schools having successful seasons at the same time, the battles between No. 8 UMass and No. 14 UMass Lowell are becoming quite a rivalry. Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview of that weekend home-and-home series.

Also in this episode:

Hockey East also features a Thursday-Friday home-and-home between No. 6 Boston College and No. 10 Northeastern with conference and PairWise positioning on the line.

In the Big Ten, all three weekend series are critical for league standings, including No. 18 Minnesota at No. 11 Penn State. The two teams are tied for first with this weekend the last of the regular season for the Nittany Lions.

In ECAC Hockey, No. 20 Harvard is at No. 5 Clarkson on Friday in the only matchup between ranked teams in that conference.

The NCHC’s premier series has No. 4 Minnesota Duluth at No. 19 Western Michigan, while No. 1 North Dakota can’t look past their weekend hosts, St. Cloud State.

Bowling Green is battling for home ice in the WCHA at home this weekend against Ferris State, while No. 3 Minnesota State hosts Alabama Huntsville and No. 13 Bemidji State visits Alaska Anchorage.

Three teams in Atlantic Hockey have clinched first round byes – American International, Sacred Heart and Army – but AIC can claim a regular season title in a Thursday-Saturday home-and-home series with Holy Cross. Meanwhile Rochester Institute of Technology and Robert Morris look to nail down a first-round bye – and the Tigers home ice – this weekend.

And in the lone non-conference series, No. 9 Arizona State visits Wisconsin to end the regular season for the Sun Devils. A weekend sweep would virtually guarantee an NCAA berth for ASU.

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

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

On Monday, Hockey East announced New Hampshire deputy athletic director Steve Metcalf as its fifth commissioner. Metcalf, who begins his job in the conference in April, brings experience to the position as an administrator familiar with the teams in the league and as a member of the NCAA D-I men’s ice hockey committee for several years, the past two as its chair.

Metcalf joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger in a wide-ranging discussion including what led him to apply for the position, what sorts of initiatives he hopes to take, working with other conferences, his views on the national scene in college hockey, and what’s in store for the Frozen Four.

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

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

Hockey East announced today that New Hampshire deputy athletic director Steve Metcalf will become the fifth commissioner of the conference this spring. Hosts Jim Connelly  and Ed Trefzger discuss his hiring.

Also in this episode, a look around the conferences and results from the weekend of February 14-16:

In the NCHC, a weekend sweep by No. 1 North Dakota over No. 6 Denver has cemented the Fighting Hawks atop the conference and guaranteed an NCAA berth.

The Big Ten remains tight, with Minnesota’s five-of-six point weekend at Notre Dame giving the Golden Gophers a share of first place with Penn State.

Cornell and Clarkson have opened up some space atop ECAC Hockey.

Hockey East remains jumbled, with three teams gaining weekend sweeps, leaving five points separating first through ninth place, and just two points among the top five.

Bemidji State’s weekend sweep gains ground on Minnesota State, but the idle Mavericks need just two points to clinch.

Sweeps by Army and RIT have given them the edge in the race for home ice and a first-round bye in Atlantic Hockey, while American International and Sacred Heart have clinched it.

And Arizona State’s weekend sweep has the Sun Devils nearly a lock for the NCAA tournament pending a road trip to Wisconsin next weekend.

Plus, Jim gives his odds for teams to make the NCAA tournament at this point in time as we look at the PairWise Rankings.

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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No. 6 Denver at No. 1 North Dakota preview with Fighting Hawks TV voice Alex Heinert: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

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No. 6 Denver visits No. 1 North Dakota in a weekend NCHC series. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Midco Sports Network TV play-by-play broadcaster Alex Heinert for a preview.

A number of other key matchups are on the schedule this weekend. In the Big Ten, Michigan and Michigan State have a Friday game in East Lansing and a Monday tilt at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit. Minnesota is at Notre Dame for a weekend series in which each needs to maintain momentum, while No. 9 Penn State could extend its lead in the standings at Wisconsin.

In the WCHA, No. 16 Bemidji State is at No. 19 Northern Michigan in a battle for position in the top half of the standings, while Alaska looks to defend fourth place against visiting Bowling Green.

Hockey East features a home-and-home matchup between No. 11 UMass Lowell and No. 12 Northeastern, while No. 17 Maine looks to stay unbeaten at home with a weekend series against UConn.

ECAC Hockey’s prime contest is on Friday as No. 5 Clarkson visits No. 15 Quinnipiac, while in Atlantic Hockey, the battle for home ice includes Bentley at Rochester Institute of Technology for a pair.

And in non-conference play, Alaska Anchorage visits No. 10 Arizona State for two.

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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Bracketology: Figuring out problems on how to best seed the 2020 NCAA hockey national tournament

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We’re down to five and a half weeks until selection Sunday, and as things begin to shape up in terms of what teams are getting closer to punching their NCAA tickets, we are also running into some problems on how to best seed the tournament (photo: Jim Rosvold/University of Minnesota).

Michigan’s Mel Pearson on this season’s Wolverines, the Big Ten race toward the playoffs: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 19

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One of the hottest teams in college hockey – and just two games out of first place in the Big Ten – is Michigan. Wolverines head coach Mel Pearson joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about this year’s team, its senior leadership, overtime rules (and the Big Ten coaches’ preference for NHL-style OT), the difficulty of getting back to the Frozen Four, and what makes Yost Ice Arena special. Plus a look ahead at this weekend’s upcoming games with rival Michigan State.

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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Penn State alone in first in Big Ten, Maine continues to surprise Hockey East, PairWise Update: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 18

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Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look back at the D-I college hockey weekend of February 7-9, 2020.

No. 9 Penn State moved into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten by picking up four of six points against No. 13 Ohio State, while Michigan stayed hot with a sweep of Wisconsin.

No. 6 Minnesota Duluth moved to within two points of No. 1 North Dakota in the NCHC race with a sweep of Omaha, and jumped to No. 4 in the PairWise.

In the WCHA, No. 3 Minnesota State kept its winning ways going with a sweep of No. 15 Northern Michigan.

Hockey East continues to be tight with the weekend highlighted by Maine’s home win over No. 12 Northeastern, moving the Black Bears to No. 13 in the PairWise, along with No. 8 UMass’s home-and-home sweep of No. 10 Providence, and wins for No. 14 UMass Lowell over No. 4 Boston College and Merrimack.

Clarkson and Cornell are tied atop the ECAC Hockey standings with the Golden Knights’ win over rival St. Lawrence and the Big Red’s home-and-home sweep of Colgate.

Atlantic Hockey’s standings remain tight with Bentley’s win over Army, RIT’s four points at Robert Morris, and Canisius holding Air Force to one point on the road.

Arizona State swept its weekend, but dropped two spots in the PairWise.

We also look at where things stand now in the PairWise Rankings, and pay tribute to Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon, who announced he’s stepping down at the end of the season.

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. 7-10

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In the words if the immortal Jim Carrey: “So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance?” Sure, I entered last weekend with an eight-game deficit to Dave, but an 8-2-0 mark was good enough to gain two games and slowly chip away at the lead. Realistically, though, I have about as much chance as Jim Carrey’s character … Read more