Sabres Contact Vanek

The Buffalo Sabres have contacted Minnesota star Thomas Vanek to open contract talks, the Associated Press is reporting. Vanek, the 2003 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player, just completed his sophomore season for the Gophers. He was the No. 5 overall pick of the Sabres in the 2003 NHL Draft. Sabres general manager Darcy Regier told … Read more

Venditti Moves From USM to Colby

David Venditti, who helped Southern Maine’s women’s team to 60 wins the past four years, has been named the new head coach at Colby. Venditti, a 1991 graduate of Southern Maine and a former men’s hockey player at USM, becomes the ninth head coach in Colby women’s hockey history. The Mules started play in the … Read more

Atlantic Hockey Stands Pat

Though the winds of change are blowing for Atlantic Hockey, for the present time things will stay the same. Commissioner Bob DeGregorio confirmed today that the league has chosen not to make any increase in scholarship monies given by member schools for the 2004-05 season. This comes after the athletic directors voted against the increase … Read more

Gunn Wins Another Award

Northeastern goalie Chanda Gunn, winner of the 2004 Hockey Humanitarian Award, is also this year’s winner of the Honda Inspiration Award. Gunn overcame epilepsy to become one of the nation’s top female collegiate hockey stars. She is a member of the Team USA and recently played in the Women’s International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship … Read more

19 Former Collegians on U.S. World Cup Roster

USA Hockey Names 26-Player Roster To Compete In World Cup Of Hockey 2004 United States Team Set To Defend World Cup Championship COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Hockey today named 26 players, including 19 former U.S. college players, to the United States roster that will compete at the World Cup of Hockey 2004. Fourteen of … Read more

CHA Tournament Finds New Home

The CHA tournament is moving to the IRA Civic Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USCHO.com has learned. Bemidji State will be the host school. The last two years, the tournament was held in Kearney, Neb., but was looking for a new home after that deal expired. The tournament was sparsely attended in Kearney. Green Bay, … Read more

Seize the Momentum

First, everyone looked at each other and made sure what they thought they heard was true. Steve Hagwell is being made ECAC commissioner? Haven’t we heard this before? Wasn’t he named associate commissioner in 2000 with the intention of giving him the authority to make the necessary decisions that commissioner Phil Buttafuoco, either because of … Read more

At Least Five Apply to ECAC

The ECAC deadline for applications to enter its league, passed on Saturday, with at least five schools known to have applied. Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Sacred Heart are all looking to join the ECAC, which opened up an application process because of the impending departure of Vermont. The Catamounts will join Hockey East … Read more

Providence Dismisses Goepfert From Team

Providence coach Paul Pooley has dismissed goalie Bobby Goepfert from the team for “violations of team rules.” No further details were given by the school. Goepfert, a native of Kings Park, N.Y., recently completed his sophomore season. He posted a 21-15-4 record, .921 save percentage and a 2.46 goals against average in 41 career games … Read more

Montoya Tops CSS Goalie Rankings

Michigan goalie Al Montoya is the top rated goaltender on the Central Scouting Service’s end of season North American rankings, the first such distinction for a college player since Rick DiPietro in 2000. Meanwhile, North Dakota forward Drew Stafford tops the list of current and incoming college hockey skaters on the CSS rankings. Stafford, who … Read more

Union Names New Women’s Coach

Union has hired Tim Gerrish as the new head women’s coach. Gerrish was earlier reported to be the frontrunner by USCHO.com. Gerrish comes to Union from Middlebury, where he was an assistant to men’s coach Bill Beaney and helped guide the Panthers to a 27-3 record and the NCAA Division III Men’s Championship. Currently, Gerrish … Read more

Penner Splits Maine for NHL

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks have snagged Dustin Penner away from Maine, signing the forward to a three-year contract. Contract terms were not disclosed. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Penner came alive in the postseason for Maine, attracting a lot of attention. His loss will leave a huge void, and came as a surprise to the Black Bears. … Read more

Izzi Takes Over at Nichols

Nichols has named Lou Izzi as its new ice hockey coach. Izzi, a former coach at Johnson and Wales University, replaces Mark Jago, Nichols’ coach the last four seasons. Izzi compiled an 86-65-3 record in six years at Johnson and Wales, including an 18-7-2 mark in 2000-01. Izzi is a 1987 graduate of Providence College. … Read more

Wisconsin Loses Defenseman Sawatske; Suter Sets Deadline

Wisconsin is down to seven defensemen for next season — and that’s before first-round NHL draft pick Ryan Suter makes his decision on whether to return to school for his sophomore season. Junior-to-be Tom Sawatske has told coach Mike Eaves he’s leaving the team, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Sunday. The paper also reported Suter’s … Read more

Q&A With Princeton AD Gary Walters

Gary Walters seemed elated Friday as he introduced Guy Gadowsky as the new head coach of the Princeton men’s ice hockey team, believing he found a special personality to lead the embattled program. The Princeton athletic director spent two months searching for someone to replace Len Quesnelle, someone who had been a player, assistant and … Read more

Stafford’s Attacker Earns Record Suspension

Alexander Perezhogin, the American Hockey League forward who sent Garrett Stafford to the hospital with a concussion and other injuries after a stick-swinging incident in an April 30 AHL playoff game, has been suspended for the rest of the postseason and the entire 2004-05 season. The league announced the penalty Friday after completing its review … Read more

Gerrish Leads Union Women’s Search

Tim Gerrish is the leading candidate to fill the women’s head coaching vacancy at Union, according to sources. Gerrish spent the past season as an assistant coach with the Middlebury men, helping guide the Panthers to the NCAA Division III title. Gerrish was the head coach of North Country Community College’s men’s team for 24 … Read more