Mike Lundin and Daniel Winnik might be sharing the spotlight as the only current Hockey East players trumpeted as NHL draft material this year, but many others with ties to the league have appeared on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s radar screen. A pair of true 18-year-old freshmen, defenseman Steve Birnstill of Northeastern (ranked 61st … Read more
One year ago, no one knew if Joe Exter would live through the night. Today, he is playing professional hockey.
Joe Exter never considered himself a big fan of Pittsburgh Penguins owner/player Mario Lemieux. But that may have changed last night. Less than 10 months after the former Merrimack captain suffered a near fatal head injury in the Hockey East playoffs, the 25-year-old goaltender signed his first professional contract last night to play for the … Read more
Merrimack sophomore forward Matt Johnson suffered a broken jaw in a 6-1 loss at No. 10 Boston University on Nov. 15 and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Johnson had surgery to set the jaw at a Boston hospital and was released. He will have to avoid contact for three to four … Read more
Last year Merrimack was picked in the preseason coaches’ poll to finish in the cellar for the umpteenth time, but defied those expectations with a seventh-place performance that fell only two points short of sixth. The lion’s share of the credit, however, went to All-Hockey East goaltender Joe Exter, whose graduation leaves a significant hole … Read more
An insight into the remarkable recovery and spirit of goalie Joe Exter, courtesy the Eagle-Tribune of Andover, Mass.
Injured Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter has returned home after spending nearly four weeks in two hospitals in Boston. “Joe is making a remarkable recovery from the head injury. He will continue his rehabilitation from home,” said Heechin Chae, MD, associate medical director, Inpatient Brain Injury Program, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network. “It is too early to … Read more
Joe Exter flashed a broad smile and thumbs-up sign to his surprised visitors yesterday during an impromptu walk from his hospital bed to a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center waiting room. A clear signal the worst appears to be over for the Merrimack College goaltender. Still dealing with complications brought on by a fractured skull … Read more
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter, who was seriously injured a week and a half ago in a collision with Boston College’s Patrick Eaves, has been upgraded from serious to fair condition, according to representatives from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on Tuesday. There was no word whether Exter is out of the coma he’s been in … Read more
As the college hockey community rallies around Joe Exter, Mike Machnik stops to say thanks.
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter remains in serious condition with multiple skull fractures at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center today following a collision in last Friday’s opening game of the Hockey East quarterfinal series at Boston College. (Original story) According to hospital spokespersons, Exter’s condition is unchanged in the last 24 hours, and unless there … Read more
As a tragedy unfolds before your eyes, keeping focused on the game is hard for everyone.
With his star goalie Joe Exter still in the hospital in serious condition with a fractured skull — the result of a nasty head-first collision with Boston College freshman Patrick Eaves — Merrimack coach Chris Serino addressed the media Saturday afternoon. Serino spoke candidly and emotionally about Exter, the ugly melee that followed the incident, … Read more
Merrimack goalie Joe Exter was in critical condition Friday night after a collision with BC’s Pat Eaves in their quarterfinal round game.
Former Wisconsin and Colorado College coach Jeff Sauer was named winner of the 2003 John “Snooks” Kelley Founders Award, one of six awards announced today by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Sauer won 655 games (4th all-time) in 31 seasons as head coach at Colorado College (1971-1982) and Wisconsin (1982-2002), before retiring from coaching. He … Read more
Merrimack sophomore center Steve Crusco will miss at least three months after suffering a laceration of the palm side of his left arm during practice on Oct. 29. Crusco had five tendons and an artery severed when his arm was pinched against the boards by the blade of a teammate’s skate. He was rushed to … Read more
Merrimack coach Chris Serino was issued a formal reprimand by Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna after blasting referee John Murphy to reporters following his team’s loss at Michigan, 5-1, on Oct. 19. Serino said of Murphy, “I think he’s incompetent.” He later added, “You don’t have a game like this anywhere. There were observers here … Read more
One year ago, the news of Chris Serino’s cancer came as a shock. Now the return of one of the sport’s good guys is being celebrated.
With more or less typical losses to graduation, this was going to be the season for Merrimack to take a step forward in the standings. No more battling it out to the end for the final playoff spot. That is, until early departures ripped extra holes in the depth chart. Count ’em: Anthony Aquino, a … Read more
Merrimack senior captain Anthony Aquino has decided not to return to the Hockey East school this season. Instead, he will attend the training camp of the Dallas Stars, who drafted him in the third round in 2001. Aquino will attend the camp without a contract and look to either make the club or play with … Read more