Although the season has barely begun, injuries to BU’s Chris Heron and both of Boston College’s goalies could have a significant impact on both teams’ chances this week. And be sure to check out the Northeastern preview for some interesting developments in Husky-land. Last week’s record in picks: 2-0 Season record in picks: 2-0 No. … Read more
This weekend sees the debut of college hockey’s new season-opening tourney, the Ice Breaker Invitational, at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wis. The tourney, originally announced at the NCAA championships last March, brings together one team each from the CCHA, WCHA, ECAC and Hockey East for a two-day event. This year, the invitees are … Read more
SportsChannel New England announced today that Sean Grande and Cap Raeder will serve as play-by-play announcer and color commentator, respectively, for its Hockey East broadcasts. Grande has broadcast hockey and other collegiate sports on radio and television for the past ten years, as well as hosting the Stanley Cup playoffs on NHL Radio. He is … Read more
In many ways, Joe Bertagna was ECAC hockey. Over the course of 15 years, he ran the full gamut of positions in the conference, going from tournament director to public relations coordinator to sports information director to its first hockey commissioner. His footprints surrounded everything from the ECAC television packages to its corporate sponsorships to … Read more
(In the first installment, new Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna talked about the league’s SportsChannel contract and a potential national TV package.) The ECAC vs. Hockey East As ECAC commissioner, Bertagna oversaw not just the 12 Division I schools under the ECAC umbrella, but all the Division II and III programs competing in ECAC-sponsored leagues. … Read more
Boston University forward Dan LaCouture has signed a multiyear contract with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. LaCouture would have been a sophomore this fall. The signing came soon after the Oilers acquired LaCouture, 20, in a trade with the New York Islanders, who drafted him 29th overall in 1996. The 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound LaCouture played in 31 … Read more
Hockey East power New Hampshire lost its leading goal-scorer Wednesday, as forward Eric Nickulas announced that he will renounce his senior year to play professionally. “It was a really tough decision, but right now I think it’s the best choice I can make,” Nickulas said. Although his NHL rights are held by the Boston Bruins, … Read more
The new season-opening Ice Breaker Cup tournament has undergone a change of venue and taken on a new name and corporate sponsor. The tournament is now the Team Cheerios Ice Breaker Invitational, and will be played at Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wis., home of the host Wisconsin Badgers. Originally, the tournament was to be … Read more
Forty-one players were named to the 1996-97 Hockey East All-Academic Honor Roll, headed up by its Top Scholar-Athlete, four Distinguished Scholars, and a league-high eight players from Merrimack. Boston University senior Shawn Ferullo earned the league’s Top Scholar-Athlete Award by compiling a grade point average of 3.91 in the school’s College of Arts and Sciences. … Read more
Brown’s two-month search for a new men’s ice hockey coach is finally over. Roger Grillo, a highly-regarded seven-year assistant at Vermont, was introduced Monday as the team’s next coach. He replaces Bob Gaudet, who left two months ago to take over the head coaching position at his alma mater, Dartmouth. “I’m excited to move from … Read more
Boston University head coach Jack Parker has turned down the offer from the Boston Bruins to be their next coach according to reports out of Boston. Parker was offered the job Wednesday by Bruins general manager Harry Sinden after meeting with team officials for an hour, and had until Monday to decide. Parker has compiled … Read more
The Second Annual Eastern Senior All-Star game provided a surplus of excitement and goals for the 3,203 college hockey fans in attendance Sunday Apr. 6 as the ECAC all-stars edged the Hockey East seniors, 10-8, in an up-and-down, run-and-gun offensive shootout at the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Fieldhouse. The ECAC team (comprised of players from … Read more
The Ice Breaker Cup, a new season-opening college hockey tournament, debuts at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago next October. The tournament will feature four Division I teams, one from each of the four major conferences,in a single-elimination competition on Oct. 11-12, the first weekend of the NCAA college hockey season. “The Ice Breaker Cup is … Read more
“It’s just too much fun to play hockey.” Christmas trees had just been dragged out to the corner for trash pickup; credit card statements had yet to show the fallout of holiday excess; New Year’s Eve memories were still fresh. Tommi Degerman was having fun. The Boston University Terriers had entered January with little to … Read more
University of New Hampshire coach Dick Umile has been cleared to return to the bench on Friday when the Wildcats open the NCAA East Regional Tournament. Umile suffered a heart attack in the early morning hours of Mar. 8, after his team played its opening round game in the Hockey East tournament. against UMass-Amherst. Assistant … Read more
Hockey East Preview: "Ice Wars" by Dave Hendrickson "Ice Wars," Hockey East’s title for this weekend’s semifinal and championship games, will see two surprise entrants. Everyone expected regular-season co-champions Boston University and New Hampshire to advance, but Boston College and UMass-Lowell became the first two schools to not only upset a higher seed, but to … Read more
New Hampshire head men’s hockey coach Richard Umile was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack at his home in Portsmouth. According to Nursing Supervisor Nancy Bruce, Umile was listed in fair condition as of 10 a.m. on Saturday. “The athletic department was shocked to hear … Read more
Hockey East Playoffs: Quarterfinals by Dave Hendrickson The second season begins with New Hampshire and Boston University the heavy favorites, based on their regular-season dominance. Providence, however, could be poised for some serious playoff deja vu and Merrimack is playing as well as anyone in the tournament. Darkhorses Boston College, UMass-Lowell, UMass-Amherst and Northeastern will … Read more
Hockey East Preview: Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 1997 by Dave Hendrickson Maine’s five-day, three-game sweep of UNH and BU (twice) proved that postseason or no postseason, they are now back among the Hockey East and national elite. Providence College also ended the weekend smiling, its sweep of UMass-Lowell clinching a home-ice berth in the playoffs. Since … Read more
Joe Bertagna was named the fourth commissioner of Hockey East on Tuesday in an announcement made by the conference’s Board of Directors. The Arlington, Mass. native leaves the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC), where he was employed for 15 years, including the last three as the conference’s first Hockey Commissioner. Bertagna will stay with the … Read more