Feature stories
In the wake of Vermont’s decision to drop the remainder of its hockey season, the ECAC went to a winning-percentage ranking system for this year, keeping the seven completed Vermont games in the league standings and producing an unbalanced schedule. [ii]You’ve heard my opinion on the ECAC’s decision. What you haven’t heard is what coaches … Read more
Strength of Schedule It was late October and UMass-Lowell had just defeated Northeastern after returning from three road losses to Michigan and Rensselaer, both teams that have spent virtually the entire season in the Top 10. “Who’s the idiot who made up this schedule?” asked one writer, tongue-in-cheek. “That would be me,” answered River Hawk … Read more
Among the teams making the recent transition to the Division I level, none stubbed its collective toe harder than Fairfield University last year. The Stags suffered through a debut season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference that would have stretched the patience of any good Jesuit priest. Their only victory came in the final third … Read more
On the first evening of games since Vermont’s Friday announcement that it would be canceling the rest of the season, reactions ranged from shock to bewilderment to sorrow. “It certainly is unfortunate,” said ECAC assistant commissioner Steve Hagwell. “It’s a no-win situation for everyone involved, from Vermont all the way through the ECAC. “It was … Read more
Years ago, when someone said the word “rivalry” in Boston, you might immediately have thought of the Bruins and the Canadiens, the Celtics and the Lakers, and most definitely the Red Sox and the Yankees. But as the days of the great sports rivalries in Boston begin to slowly fade thanks to pro sports expansion, … Read more
As you might expect, Tyler Harlton’s college career was filled with highlights and disappointments. But the environment he found at Michigan State, he knows, is something that may never be recaptured. And when Harlton looks around pro hockey, he sees many of his old friends enjoying great success. He uses that as inspiration to improve … Read more
For most of his four years at Merrimack, Rejean Stringer was haunted by the Boston University Terriers. Hockey East’s traditional powerhouse compiled a 9-4-2 record against Stringer’s Warriors, perhaps no worse than BU treated the rest of the league, but still… Stringer thought he might get away from that when he became a pro. But … Read more
The Harvard Crimson were on top of the college hockey mountain 10 years ago. Bright Center was packed to capacity every night, the 1989 national champions boasted three Hobey Baker Award winners in a seven-year span, and the recruiting pipeline was overflowing with future All-Americas like Ted Drury, Steve Martins and Sean McCann. The second … Read more
As families across the country celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving (by the way, my favorite holiday thanks to the enormous amount of food you can eat without feeling guilty), I thought it might be nice to take a light-hearted look at what the folks around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference have to be thankful for. … Read more
Before the year started, Hockey East coaches, not to mention this writer, picked Merrimack to finish last. It seemed eminently reasonable. The Warriors had come within one point of finishing in the cellar last season and that was before losing All-Hockey East center Rejean Stringer (56 points) and Kris Porter (45). “Being picked last in … Read more
… is going on with Hockey East goaltending? Hasek, a consensus choice as the world’s top netminder, opened the National Hockey League season with a 1-4-1 record and enough poor performances to earn a seat on the end of the bench. He then returned to action and promptly tore a groin muscle, an injury that … Read more
In an ideal world, the ceremony would have been to commemorate Travis Roy’s All-America plaque joining the pantheon of BU greats at the entrance to Walter Brown Arena. In an ideal world, the extended ovation and chants of “Travis! Travis! Travis!” would have brought only smiles and not a pungent mixture of smiles and salty … Read more
It’s hard to believe, but it’s less than 50 days until they drop the puck on the 1999-2000 college hockey season. As outlined in Brave New World, Division III hockey will undergo a major overhaul in terms of automatic qualifiers for the NCAA tournament. ECAC Commissioner Jeff Fanter added a few pieces to the puzzle … Read more
In a season that saw Eastern schools step to the forefront, placing three teams in the NCAA Frozen Four, it is perhaps ironic that the top-rated collegiate pick for the upcoming National Hockey League entry draft would come from the West. Jeff Jillson, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Michigan, is the top collegiate prospect in the … Read more
In early 1998, a decision was made by the NCAA Division III Championships Committee that will have a profound effect on Division III ice hockey for the 1999-2000 season. The committee recommended that current NCAA tournament selection processes be replaced by a new, standardized methodology that puts a far greater emphasis on automatic bids. This … Read more
As the first-ever NCAA tourney played in Pacific time winds to a close, the official verdict is that the event was a rousing success. With 14,447 college hockey fans cheering the 10th overtime title game in tournament history, the atmosphere in Arrowhead Pond was every bit as exciting as last year’s venue, where thousands of … Read more
Paul Kariya … Brett Hull … Chris Chelios. College hockey fans can point with pride to alums such as these who have made their mark in the National Hockey League. The success of these players is obvious to anyone with a TV or a newspaper box score. But for every college hockey alum in The … Read more
When John Greenhalgh, the founding director of the Hockey Humanitarian award, received Kristine Pierce’s nomination from Rochester Institute of Technology sports information director Chuck Mitrano, he couldn’t help himself. “She’s not eligible,” he told Mitrano. “She’s an angel.” She’s also this year’s recipient, announced Friday in Anaheim, Calif., site of the Division I Frozen Four. … Read more
For Jason Krog, the road to the Hobey Baker Award and an appearance in the NCAA title game was a long one, literally as well as figuratively. Born in Fernie, British Columbia, the senior co-captain for the New Hampshire Wildcats and this year’s recipient of college hockey’s highest honor, was cut twice from junior teams … Read more
Ever drive 80 miles an hour on dangerously icy roads because you were worried that you’d miss the first drop of the puck in the Great Lakes Invitational? Ever risk losing your job to attend an NCAA Regional? How about attending the Beanpot on the same day as your wife’s grandmother’s funeral? Did you propose … Read more