The next front in college hockey realignment could involve Atlantic Hockey, and four of its schools are scheduled to meet with the CCHA. Representatives from Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Robert Morris will meet with CCHA officials on Tuesday for what CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch called “exploratory discussions.” That meeting will take place in Erie, Pa., … Read more
The WCHA announced Wednesday that former conference member Northern Michigan will be re-joining the league starting with the 2013-14 season after being approved for membership in a conference call of league members held earlier today. The Wildcats, who won the Division I national championship in 1991 while a member of the WCHA, were part of … Read more
Eric Rud is returning to Colorado College after a seven-year absence after being named the Tigers’ new assistant coach Wednesday. “We are very excited that Eric is returning to Colorado College and joining our staff,” CC head coach Scott Owens said in a statement. “He brings great hockey knowledge and has a positive way of … Read more
Northeastern women’s coach Dave Flint has agreed to a contract extension to remain head coach through the 2015-16 season. “I am excited to announce this contract extension for Dave,” Northeastern director of athletics Peter Roby said in a statement. “His program has continued to improve each year and competes at a national level. His leadership … Read more
Former Niagara and Massachusetts-Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald has been named an assistant coach for Massachusetts. MacDonald replaces Red Gendron, who was named the associate head coach at Yale. “Blaise was unquestionably the best candidate for the position and for our needs,” said UMass head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon in a press release. “He comes … Read more
Yale has named Dennis “Red” Gendron as an assistant coach for the 2011-2012 season. Gendron, who will be replacing Kyle Wallack on the Bulldogs’ bench, was an assistant at Massachusetts the past six seasons. A three-time captain and 1979 graduate of New England College, Gendron has spent the last 21 years coaching, with 11 of … Read more
Robert Morris has announced the hiring of former Colonials goaltender and United States National Team member Brianne McLaughlin as a volunteer assistant coach. “We are very excited to have Brianne join the Robert Morris coaching staff,” RMU head coach Paul Colontino said in a statement. “Bri had an excellent collegiate playing career and continues to … Read more
Albie O’Connell has been named an assistant coach at Harvard, coming to the Crimson after three years at Northeastern. O’Connell, who will work with Harvard’s defensemen and special teams, previously coached at Merrimack, Holy Cross, Niagara and Colby College. He played at Boston University (1995-1999), where he won four Beanpots and a Hockey East championship … Read more
The WCHA is on the verge of adding Northern Michigan to its lineup for the 2013-14 season. Formal approval of the Wildcats’ application for membership will happen next week, the league announced in a statement Friday afternoon. Administrators from the five schools that will remain from the current-day WCHA after formation of the Big Ten … Read more
Scott Steffen has been named Hamline’s head coach and will coach the Pipers on familiar ice this year at the Vadnais Heights Sports Center. Steffen, the owner of Steffen Elite Hockey Training and a 1997 Hamline graduate, runs his programs at the home rink of Hamline. Since 2001, Steffen has been the head strength and … Read more
Clarkson announced Friday that former Golden Knights defenseman Phil Roy has been hired as an assistant coach. “I am very excited to have Phil join our staff,” said Clarkson head coach Casey Jones in a press release. “He is an alum who has great passion for Clarkson University, the hockey program and the Potsdam community. … Read more
The changing conference landscape of men’s college hockey has given Minnesota State-Moorhead another opportunity to launch Division I men’s and women’s programs. The school is roughly 40 percent of the way toward a $37 million goal to endow Division I programs through “soft commitments,” school president Edna Mora Szymanski said at a news conference Friday. … Read more
Wisconsin forward Craig Smith will forgo his final two years of eligibility to sign with the Nashville Predators, the school announced Thursday. The Predators drafted Smith in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2009 NHL draft. “We’re excited for Craig,” Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said in a statement. “The window of opportunity to make … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth forward J.T. Brown, the rookie of the year last season for the Bulldogs and the most outstanding player at the Frozen Four, has been summoned to appear in St. Louis County District Court on Aug. 18 on charges that he gave a false name to a peace officer and attempted to flee police during … Read more
Northern Michigan’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a proposal for the school’s hockey team to pursue a spot in the WCHA. The vote, as reported by Mining Journal reporter Matt Wellens via Twitter, comes a day ahead of a WCHA meeting in St. Paul, Minn., where adding an additional member is expected to be considered. … Read more
Amherst College has announced the hiring of Tracy Johnson as an assistant coach for the 2011-2012 season. A former defenseman at Boston College from 2006-2010, Johnson joins the Lord Jeffs after serving as an assistant coach at Arlington (Mass.) Catholic High School last year. “I am very excited to welcome Tracy to Amherst,” said Amherst … Read more
Brown will have a new women’s coach for the first time in 21 years this fall as Digit Murphy, while not officially announced by the school, will not be back. Brown sports information director Chris Humm did tell the Associated Press Wednesday that Murphy was “pursuing other opportunities.” An assistant coach for two years, Murphy … Read more
Jamie Dumont has been named an assistant coach for the Bowdoin men’s team, a team Dumont served as an assistant from 2001-2005. He replaces Jeff Pellegrini, who left to become an assistant coach for the Harvard women’s team. Dumont, a 1998 SUNY-Oswego graduate, has served in several coaching capacities around the globe, including stops at … Read more
Minnesota has hired Mike Guentzel as associate head coach, bringing him back to a team where he was an assistant from 1994-2008. Guentzel, who also played defense for Minnesota from 1981-1985, was an assistant coach at Nebraska-Omaha last season. “I wanted to hire a Minnesota alumnus, someone who could work with the defensemen and someone … Read more
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference — college hockey’s newest conference that will be comprised of Denver, Colorado College, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth and Miami — was officially announced on Wednesday at a news conference at the Penrose House in Colorado Springs, Colo. It will begin play in the 2013-14 season. The news conference featured the … Read more