This Week in Hockey East: October 25, 1996

Hockey East took it on the chin last week, dropping four of its six games against the other three conferences. CCHA power Michigan State and four ECAC teams prepare for battle with Hockey East this week. Providence and Merrimack, as well as UMass-Amherst and UMass-Lowell, open league play with home-and-home series. One of the top … Read more

Lowell Goalie Suspended

UMass-Lowell athletic director Dana Skinner has confirmed reports that goalie Martin Fillion was suspended for violating team rules. Tuesday’s Boston Globe reports that Fillion’s suspension spans four games. He will miss Lowell’s Hockey East-opening series against UMass-Amherst Oct. 25-26, and the two game stint with Boston College on Nov. 1-2. Reportedly, Fillion will be eligible … Read more

The Men Who Would Be Reasoner

If you think you’re going to read about network journalist Harry Reasoner, you need to watch less TV and more hockey. The Reasoner is Marty Reasoner, Boston College’s slick playmaker. Reasoner, Marty that is, garnered last year’s Hockey East Rookie of the Year award and should be one of the league’s top forwards this year. … Read more

Hockey East Medley

USCHO All-Hockey East Preseason Team and Award Winners Goaltender Dan Dennis Providence CollegeGoaltender Martin Legault Merrimack Defenseman Jon Coleman Boston UniversityDefenseman Darrel Scoville MerrimackDefenseman Mike Nicholishin Mass LowellDefenseman Ken Hemenway Boston College Forward Chris Drury Boston UniversityForward Marty Reasoner Boston CollegeForward Mark Mowers New HampshireForward Shawn Bates Boston UniversityForward Eric Boguniecki New HampshireForward Dan Shermerhorn … Read more

Fillion Reportedly Suspended for Six Games

Martin Fillion, UMass-Lowell’s pre-season All-Hockey East goaltender, has been suspended for six games for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, according to an article in The Lowell Sun. Lowell coach Tim Whitehead confirmed after his team’s exhibition win over Concordia that he had banished Fillion to the stands for disciplinary reasons, but declined to elaborate. When asked if … Read more

Hockey East Announces Preseason Picks

Hockey East announced its preseason picks during its Media Day held today at the Fleet Center. Boston University took the top spot in the Coaches’ Poll, in which a first place vote is worth one point, second place two points, and so on. They were also the only team to place three players on the … Read more

Lovell To Decide By December

Senior forward Tim Lovell will decide by December whether he will join the UMass-Amherst Minutemen in mid-season. Lovell, a Norwood, Mass. native, left Maine, where he compiled 21 goals and 40 points statistics last year en route to a selection to the All-Hockey East team. Lovell will choose between two options. He may sit out … Read more

Vermont Picked to Win ECAC

Vermont is the preseason number one team in the 1996-97 ECAC men’s ice hockey coaches poll, according to USA Today. Vermont returns virtually the same lineup that led it to a 27-7-4 record last season and a berth in the NCAA semifinals against Colorado College. The Catamounts received 11 of a possible 12 first place … Read more

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

In a direct about-face from previous comments that they were staying for their senior years at Maine, Blair Allison and Jeff Tory have now decided to try out for the Canadian National Team. Both players have been All-Hockey East selections the past two years. Tory was also a First Team East All-American in 1995-96. Both … Read more

The Kid Who Wore Number Three

He began playing hockey at the age of two. A natural athlete, he competed primarily against older players until he was selected to the national Select-16 and Select-17 teams, beginning a streak during which he made every national team he tried out for. Recruited by all the top schools, he selected Boston University, in part … Read more

Maine Hockey Loses Three, Retains All-Americans

Maine lost three players this week in the wake of NCAA sanctions against the program, but reportedly will keep two important All-Americans on the roster, according to the Bangor Daily News. Brad Mahoney and Tim Lovell, both seniors, transferred to rival Hockey East schools this week. Mahoney transferred to Northeastern to play for Bruce Crowder. … Read more

O’Sullivan Signs with Calgary

Boston University’s Chris O’Sullivan has signed a pro contract with the Calgary Flames, forgoing his senior year. O’Sullivan was drafted as a defenseman on the second round in 1992, prior to his attending BU. In 1992-93 he redshirted after a neck injury felled him after only five games. The following year he was one of … Read more

Maine To Keep ’93 Championship

The NCAA Executive Committee announced today that the University of Maine will retain their 1993 Ice Hockey National Championship. Amid numerous NCAA violations, the one pertaining to Dunham was his acceptance of a stipend when he was the U.S. Olympic tean. The goalie was a member of the 1993 national champions. The Executive Committee met … Read more

Maine Responds to NCAA Ruling

It’s not over, yet. During a press conference on the campus of the University of Maine on Wednesday afternoon, school president Frederick Hutchinson and athletic director Suzanne Tyler made it clear that, while, in many cases, the NCAA’s penalties are fair and necessary, the added year of postseason sanction is “excessive.” “That punishment seems excessive, … Read more

NCAA Stings Maine

The NCAA handed down one of the most “severe penalties in the last few years” to the University of Maine on Wednesday. The NCAA put Maine on four years probation, and banned the ice hockey team from competing in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. The NCAA also banned Maine from being on television for the 1996-97 … Read more

Hockey East Names All-Academic Honor Roll

With 45 student-athletes named to its 1995-96 All-Academic Honor Roll, Hockey East established a new record for the most players named in a season. The Honor Roll was first instituted in 1989. Leading the way was Top Scholar-Athlete Tomas Persson of Northeastern, who compiled a 3.918 GPA for the year in International Business and Finance, … Read more

Whitehead Hired at UML

As first indicated here last Friday, Tim Whitehead has officially been hired as head coach at UMass-Lowell. Whitehead was strongly endorsed by outgoing coach Bruce Crowder, and also received support of many fans and media personalities. Whitehead, 35, was an assistant for five years at UMass-Lowell, and will fill the position vacated when Crowder jumped … Read more

Magliarditi and Thompson Leave Teams

Western Michigan goaltender Marc Magliarditi and Maine forward Jamie Thompson have both recently decided to leave their college teams. Magliarditi, CCHA 1996 Rookie of the Year, has decided to go to Spokane, Wash., to play for the Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. “It leaves a big hole to fill,” said Western Michigan coach Bill … Read more

The Best Coach in the Business?

“My grandmother could recruit All-Americans for that school.” Fans have been known to mutter such comments in reference to a rival where hockey has become a self-perpetuating institution. Western schools like Minnesota, home of the 9,305 automatic sellout and season tickets for standing room only seats, provide the best examples. But the shoe fits for … Read more

UML Names Coaching Finalists

UMass-Lowell has selected Tim Whitehead and Blaise MacDonalad as finalists for the vacant head coaching position, according to the Lowell Sun. Both Whitehead and MacDonald have ties to the program and to other Hockey East schools. Whitehead, 35, has been an assistant coach at UMass-Lowell for the past five seasons. He was also an assistant … Read more