Men’s D-I in general
Bowling Green has received a commitment from Austen Swankler, a forward who last played major junior hockey for the OHL’s Erie Otters during the 2019-20 season. He did not play during the 2020-21 season. According to a CCHA news release, Swankler and his family applied directly to the NCAA for eligibility prior to expressing interest … Read more
Longtime Minnesota State assistant men’s hockey coach Darren Blue has stepped down to take a position in the private sector. Blue was a defenseman for the Mavericks from 1991-95. A two-time team captain, Blue was a two-time Unsung Hero Award recipient and a Maverick Achievement Award recipient as a senior. Blue spent the 1999-00 season … Read more
Mack Motzko, the 20-year-old son of Minnesota men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko, died Saturday night after a car accident in Orono, Minn. The Long Lake Fire Department and Orono Police responded to the single-vehicle crash at 11:23 p.m. Saturday near 3120 North Shore Drive. “The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and … Read more
The 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament, hosted in conjunction with Holy Cross, College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association, will now be played at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester, Mass. The four-team season-opening tournament featuring Northeastern, Holy Cross, Quinnipiac and Boston College is set to take place on Oct. 8-9 and was originally scheduled … Read more
The 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational will be played in a showcase format at Yost Ice Arena and Munn Ice Arena, rather than a tournament format in Detroit. Michigan Tech will play at Michigan and Michigan State will host Western Michigan on Wednesday, December 29, and then the teams will flip opponents for Thursday, December … Read more
Lake Superior State assistant coaches Zack Cisek and Mike York have both been promoted to associate head coach. In addition, Cisek and York have both agreed to terms on multi-year contract extensions. “Mike and Zack have done an outstanding job in all facets of Laker hockey,” said LSSU head coach Damon Whitten in a statement. … Read more
The second day of the 2021 NHL Draft kicked off Saturday morning and a handful of incoming NCAA college hockey players heard their names called early. Shai Buium, a defenseman who played for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers in 2020-21, was taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the 36th overall pick. The San Diego … Read more
How many Wolverines does it take to dominate the top 10 spots in an NHL Draft? Four. Perhaps. No joke. Everyone knows that college hockey will be represented well in this year’s draft. What remains to be seen, though, is whether the top overall pick will be from the University of Michigan and how many … Read more
The NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken, selected 30 players from current NHL rosters during Wednesday night’s expansion draft. A total of 10 players skated with NCAA teams prior to turning pro.
Recruiting is the lifeblood of college hockey. For its professional counterpart, the basis for any franchise begins with scouting. The 2021 NHL Draft will be conducted virtually this weekend, the culmination of over a season’s worth of countless individuals scouting games across North America and Europe, trying to determine the next clutch of players to … Read more
Mike Kemp has been named Omaha’s interim athletic director and will assume the role on Monday, July 19, 2021. “This is a bittersweet time for me,” said Kemp in a statement. “Trev Alberts has been a trusted friend and a great colleague for over 12 years. Together, we have gone through many challenging and thrilling … Read more
Robert Morris University and the newly-formed Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation have announced that they will partner together in an effort to raise sufficient funds to support the reinstatement of RMU’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs in time for the 2021-22 season. The university announced May 26 that it would discontinue the two … Read more
Chris Demczuk has been named the director of hockey operations at Colorado College, replacing Travis Culhane, who took the same job at Denver on Monday. Demczuk served as the video analyst and assisted with team services for the AHL’s Stockton Heat the last two seasons. He led video operations, oversaw the team’s operational budget, coordinated … Read more
Building on the rich tradition of Michigan State ice hockey and expanding on its future, the school announced a $1.5 million gift to the Munn Ice Arena expansion project from former Spartans hockey player Gary Harpell and his wife Joanne Harpell. “This generous gift from the Harpells gives a vital assist to Spartan Hockey for … Read more
Denver has named Travis Culhane its director of hockey operations. “We are excited to welcome Travis Culhane and his fiancé Michelle to the Pioneer hockey family,” DU coach Davis Carle said in a statement. “Travis brings an elite ability to connect with people, great organizational skills and a vast knowledge base to execute the hockey … Read more
Canisius has announced the addition of Max Mobley as an assistant coach. “Max is a terrific addition to our staff,” Canisius head coach Trevor Large said in a statement. “He is passionate, professional and has the positive energy to enhance our current players’ development as well as the experience to drive our recruiting efforts. Max … Read more
Holy Cross has announced four new members of first-year head coach Bill Riga’s coaching staff. Joining Riga during his first season will be assistant coaches Castan Sommer and Eric Sorenson, volunteer assistant coach Bobby Butler, and director of operations Blake Hailer. Sommer rejoins the Crusaders as an assistant coach after playing for the team from … Read more
TJ Manastersky has been named an assistant men’s hockey coach at Union. “I am grateful to (Union head coach) Rick Bennett for the opportunity to coach at Union College,” Manastersky said in a statement. “I am thrilled to join a storied hockey program at an elite institution, and I am eager to get to work … Read more
Representatives of the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently voted to cease operations of the WCHA men’s league as a result of the departure of eight league members over the last two years. The vote to cease all men’s league operations became effective July 1, 2021. “I am honored and … Read more
Mercyhurst announced this week contract extensions for men’s hockey head coach Rick Gotkin and women’s hockey head coach Michael Sisti. “It is an exciting time for Mercyhurst Athletics as we prepare to resume normal operations this fall, while two opening two facilities that will rank among the best in our region,” said Mercyhurst director of … Read more