Minnesota announced Tuesday that freshman defenseman Tommy Vannelli has decided to leave the program before playing one game with the Gophers. “After a few weeks of trying to balance academics and athletics, Tommy made the decision this morning that college hockey was not the best route for him at this time,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia … Read more
Niagara has been picked to repeat as Atlantic Hockey regular-season champions by the league’s coaches in the 2013-14 preseason poll released Tuesday. The Purple Eagles edged out Mercyhurst and Air Force as the top pick in a tightly-packed ranking. The Lakers and Falcons tied for second place. Mercyhurst garnered the most first-place votes with four, … Read more
Clarkson is the ECAC women’s coaches’ pick to win the conference this season, as announced Tuesday in the annual preseason poll. The Golden Knights received seven of 12 first-place votes and also placed three players on the ECAC women’s preseason all-conference team. 2013 ECAC PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL 2013 ECAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Shera Fetter will be coaching alongside her husband, Jim Fetter, this season as the former Elmira women’s assistant is the new assistant at St. Cloud State, where Jim has been an assistant the past two seasons. “That’s probably the bonus [coaching with her husband], but she’s somebody that I interviewed before and with different circumstances, … Read more
Massachusetts redshirt freshman forward Frank Vatrano, who enrolled at UMass in January 2013, will become eligible for competition beginning with the 2014 Hockey East tournament. This announcement comes as a result of an admissions documentation discrepancy at his previous academic institution, Boston College. Vatrano will continue to practice with the Minutemen throughout the 2013-14 regular … Read more
Former Saint Michael’s captain Dan Evarts has been hired as the program’s top assistant coach. Evarts replaces Adam Berger, who recently accepted a position with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. “I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity by Coach (Damian) DiGiulian and the Saint Michael’s College athletic department,” … Read more
Former Michigan Tech video coordinator Nick Laurila has joined Alabama-Huntsville’s staff as director of hockey operations. Laurila, a Carol Stream, Ill., native, is a 2010 graduate of Michigan Tech and spent four seasons in the video role there.
Former Notre Dame defenseman Brock Sheahan has been added to the Irish staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2013-14 season. He replaces Jason Nightingale, who served as the team’s volunteer assistant coach the last two seasons, and was hired by the Buffalo Sabres in August as a hockey data analyst.
Boston College alum Marty McInnis has been named the new volunteer assistant coach for his alma mater. McInnis played nearly 800 regular-season games in the NHL after recording 142 points in just three varsity seasons at BC, where he was a member of BC’s famous “HEM Line” with Steve Heinze and David Emma. He played … Read more
Keith Hackett has been named the new athletic director at Alaska-Anchorage. Hackett replaces Steve Cobb, who was fired in May. A university and administrative management executive with 36 years of higher education experience, Hackett comes to the Seawolves after working the past nine years as the senior associate AD for internal affairs at the University … Read more
Holy Cross announced Wednesday that Shayne Toporowski has been named an assistant coach. Toporowski comes to Holy Cross after serving as an assistant captain and player-coach of the Central Hockey League’s Quad City Mallards during the 2012-2013 season. “We are very pleased to add someone with Shayne’s playing experience as well as coaching expertise,” said … Read more
While not officially announced by the school, Harvard assistant coach Jerry Forton has been hired by the Buffalo Sabres to become an assistant coach on Ron Rolston’s staff, according to the Associated Press. Forton has 18 years of experience coaching at the college level, including the past two at Harvard. He has also coached at … Read more
The next four Great Lakes Invitational tournament fields have been announced and the event will have a definite Michigan feel through 2016. Western Michigan will join tournament mainstays Michigan Tech, Michigan State and Michigan outdoors this December at Comerica Park. Back inside at Joe Louis Arena for the 2014 tournament, Ferris State will join the … Read more
Tim Clark has been promoted to associate director of athletics communications and Mark Majewski has been named assistant director of athletics communications at Boston College. In addition, the office has changed its name from Media Relations to Athletics Communications. Majewski, who will be the primary men’s hockey contact at BC, spent the past four years … Read more
Mike Brown, a 2013 Northeastern graduate, has been hired as Hockey East’s graduate intern for the upcoming 2013-14 season. Brown will assist in day-to-day operations in both the men’s and women’s leagues, including event management, marketing and media relations efforts.
Michael Weisman, formerly an assistant athletic communications director and men’s hockey contact at Miami, was named the director of communications for the NCHC on Tuesday.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Maine athletic director Steve Abbott will announce his departure from the school this week to become chief of staff for Sen. Susan Collins later this fall.
Western Michigan has announced the promotions of Rob Facca and Pat Ferschweiler to the positions of associate head coach. Both Facca and Ferschweiler joined the WMU program as assistants for the 2010-11 season under former head coach Jeff Blashill. “Rob and Pat have been vital to the resurgence and continuing success of Bronco hockey,” said … Read more
According to the Daily Gazette, defenseman Tim Boyle has left Union and will not return for his sophomore season. Instead, Boyle will be playing junior hockey for the South Shore Kings of the new United States Premier Hockey League after posting two assists in 15 games in 2012-13. “Tim Boyle is no longer in our … Read more
The official title to Minnesota’s inaugural Division I men’s tournament that will be staged in January 2014 is the North Star College Cup. The event runs January 24-25, 2014, in St. Paul, Minn., with Minnesota, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State all taking part. Bemidji State will not participate in the 2014 event.