Compared to injuries, first-round wait was nothing for Miami recruit Murphy
Injuries limited the defenseman to just 11 games over the last two seasons. Jim Connelly reports.
Jim Connelly
Notebook: Former Central Scouting director, Brockport coach McGuire remembered before his signature event
The excitement of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft was tempered a bit on Friday night as the NHL remembered longtime head of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire, who lost his battle with cancer on April 7. The letters “EJ” in a black circle donned the upper right corner of the draft board, and most of the … Read more
Four players with college ties selected in first round of NHL Entry Draft matches lowest in a decade
It was a long night of waiting for college hockey fans watching the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. And once the waiting ended, the floodgates didn’t exactly open. Northeastern sophomore-to-be Jamie Oleksiak was the top collegian selected on Friday, going 14th overall to the Dallas Stars. Oleksiak was also the first U.S. player (he holds dual … Read more
Going out on a limb: Our best guess at the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
Jim Connelly takes a shot at predicting the first 30 picks.
Don’t count on college player in top 10 of 2011 NHL Entry Draft
But college hockey should be represented in Friday’s first round. Jim Connelly reports.
Northeastern’s Oleksiak looks to stand head and shoulders above NHL Entry Draft’s college class
The defenseman’s size helps him stand out to NHL teams, but he knows he has to work on his offense. Jim Connelly profiles the draft’s top-ranked college player.
From Vermont to the Stanley Cup, Thomas’ journey a memorable one
The goaltender led Vermont to its first Frozen Four in 1996, but his road to the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy was anything but easy. Jim Connelly reports.
Former St. Lawrence forward Peverley makes mark in Stanley Cup Final
A pair of goals in the critical Game 4 helped the ex-Saints standout make his coach look good. Jim Connelly reports.
Late change of scenery working out well for former Yale star Higgins
Dealt to Vancouver at the trade deadline, the forward has a chance to get his name on the Stanley Cup. Jim Connelly reports.
Massachusetts-Lowell turns to alum Bazin to lead program
The Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks announced their sixth head coach in school history on Thursday, and for the first time they are turning to an alum to lead the program. Norm Bazin, who played for the River Hawks from 1990 through 1994 and was a part of the senior class that led Lowell within a goal … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth wins its first national championship, beating Michigan in OT
The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs made history on Saturday night, and it was a hometown boy who will forever be remembered as the hero. Kyle Schmidt, who grew up just minutes outside of Duluth in Hermantown, Minn., scored the overtime game-winning goal 3:22 into the extra session, setting off an explosion of the 19,222 fans at the … Read more
By titles, championship game matchup is haves vs. have-nots
Michigan and Minnesota-Duluth are the last teams standing in the race for the 2011 NCAA championship. Jim Connelly reports.
Jack Connolly goal helps Minnesota-Duluth edge Notre Dame
Minnesota-Duluth’s quest to make history and win the school’s first-ever national championship lived on Thursday, as the Bulldogs used near-perfect special teams and a remarkable effort in net from goaltender Kenny Reiter to edge Notre Dame, 4-3, in the opening game of the 2011 Frozen Four. Minnesota-Duluth will face Michigan in Saturday’s championship game. The … Read more
Goalie to goalie: Notre Dame’s Jackson sees maturity, leadership in Johnson
Both the coach and the goaltender grew up in single-parent households. Jim Connelly reports.
Johnson stops 37 as Notre Dame edges New Hampshire
National title, please head west. With a 2-1 victory by Notre Dame over New Hampshire in the NCAA Northeast Regional final at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., the national championship will be claimed by a team from the WCHA or CCHA for the first time since 2007, after three straight Hockey East teams … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth beats Yale, makes Frozen Four on strength of second-period surge
It was billed as the battle of the Bulldogs, and in the end it was the less aggressive dog — at least in terms of banging bodies around the rink — that prevailed. Minnesota-Duluth placed its opposition, Yale, into a massive hole by capitalizing on power plays generated from undisciplined penalties in the middle period … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth’s power play makes its presence felt in win over Union
When the field for the East Regional was announced last Sunday, there was a lot of talk about the power play units for three of the participants: Union, Yale and Air Force. It was the one team that wasn’t mentioned — Minnesota-Duluth — whose power play was successful at the right time, scoring twice on … Read more
Seen and heard around the East Regional…
With all four teams practicing Thursday at the East Regional, there were plenty of quotable moments. Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin kicked off his press conference on Thursday by introducing leading scorer Jack Connolly as Zac Brown from the Zac Brown Band. I’ll admit that I had to do a Google image search for Zac … Read more
Seen and heard around the East Regional…
With all four teams practicing Thursday at the East Regional, there were plenty of quotable moments. Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin kicked off his press conference on Thursday by introducing leading scorer Jack Connolly as Zac Brown from the Zac Brown Band. I’ll admit that I had to do a Google image search for Zac … Read more
Cam Atkinson notches three points to lead Boston College to Hockey East title
It’s cliché in hockey playoffs to say that experience is what matters, but when it comes to the Boston College Eagles, that’s a cliché that continues to be proven worlds over. ‘ Saturday night, experience was essentially the difference maker, as the Eagles, who have won two of the of the last three national championships, … Read more