Clarkson defenseman Willie Mitchell, the 1997-98 ECAC co-Rookie of the Year and a 1998-99 All-America, has opted to give up his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility, signing with the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils. After a rookie season in which he compiled nine goals and 26 points, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder — an eighth-round … Read more
Following weeks of speculation about his job security after two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, Doug Woog stepped down Tuesday as head coach at Minnesota. “This is an end, and yet a beginning,” said an emotional Woog at an afternoon press conference at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. “It’s important for people to know it was a volunteer … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage goaltender Gregg Naumenko will renounce his remaining three years of collegiate eligibility to sign a two-year guaranteed contract with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times and the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday. Naumenko, the 1999 WCHA Rookie of the Year, led the conference in both goals-against average and save percentage, setting … Read more
Fourteen different Division I schools are represented, including all four Frozen Four participants, on the 1999 Titan University Division All-American teams, as announced today by The American Hockey Coaches Association. Nine All-Americans are playing this weekend: Brian Gionta and Mike Mottau of Boston College; Steve Kariya and David Cullen of Maine; New Hampshire’s Jason Krog … Read more
At a news conference held today here, award foundation officials announced the 10 finalists for the 1999 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to college hockey’s most outstanding player. The finalists were determined by a vote of head hockey coaches from all Division I NCAA schools, and are listed below in alphabetical order: Name Yr … Read more
Eric Hoffberg, the winningest coach in RIT history, resigned today to pursue a position at the Division I or professional level. Hoffberg was 188-82-22 in his ten-year career at RIT, including 47-7-7 the last two seasons. The Tigers made the Division III NCAA Tournament five times during his tenure, including a fourth-place finish this season. … Read more
The NCAA Wednesday placed the University of Wisconsin’s athletic programs on two years’ probation, mostly for violations in the use of booster club money by various staff members. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 77 UW staffers received reimbursements from booster club accounts without proper authorization from the chancellor’s office. The payments themselves were for legitimate … Read more
The four qualifiers for the second-ever American Women’s College Hockey Alliance national championship have been announced, as defending champion New Hampshire, ECAC champion and top-ranked Harvard, host Minnesota and Brown will battle Friday and Saturday at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. Harvard (31-1-0), the top seed, faces No. 4-seeded Brown (20-5-4) at 5 p.m. CT Friday … Read more
U.S. College Hockey Online is pleased to announce the finalists for the first annual USCHO Division II/III Player of the Year. Nominations were solicited from coaches and media, and ten finalists selected. A panel of coaches and media will select this year’s winner and a runner-up, to be announced at the conclusion of the NCAA … Read more
Members of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, the WCHA regular-season champions and the nation’s No. 1 team, took home three major individual awards, and the Sioux placed six players on the first two all-WCHA teams in awards announced Thursday. UND senior Jason Blake, who led the conference in scoring with 20 goals and 49 points, … Read more
Hockey East regular-season champion New Hampshire took the league’s top three 1998-99 individual awards, announced on Thursday at the Hockey East Awards Banquet at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Mass. Jason Krog, Darren Haydar and Richard Umile were all unanimous choices as the league’s Player, Rookie and Coach of the Year, respectively. The Hockey … Read more
St. Lawrence, a surprise second-place finisher in the ECAC regular season, led the way at the annual ECAC awards banquet by dominating the major awards — winning four, including Eric Heffler’s double as Player of the Year and as the Dryden Award winner, for Goaltender of the Year. Saints forward Brandon Dietrich was named ECAC … Read more
The MAAC announced its end-of-year awards at its banquet Thursday night here. Iona freshman forward Ryan Carter was named Offensive Player of the Year, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year. Carter finished the season with 62 points (32 goals, 30 assists) and leads all Division I players in goals per game (1.0). Quinnipiac … Read more
Michigan State, the top team in the CCHA, claimed four of the six honors announced at the annual CCHA awards banquet Thursday. Mike York was named Player of the Year and Best Defensive Forward, while Ron Mason was named Coach of the Year, and Mike Weaver was the league’s Best Defensive Defenseman. Bowling Green’s Mike … Read more
Michigan State players Jeff Kozakowski and Bryan Adams are currently under investigation by East Lansing (Mich.) police for their roles in a Sept. 18, 1998, incident, and criminal arrest warrants for both players have been issued. Adams, a senior forward and assistant captain, is charged with illegal entry and malicious destruction of property. The charges … Read more
The four schools which have participated in the first six years of the College Hockey Showcase have agreed to continue the event next year, and to keep the games at campus sites. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have participated in the Showcase, begun in an effort to highlight Big Ten rivalries in college hockey, … Read more
USA Hockey Foundation president Walter L. Bush, Jr., announced Tuesday the names of the 10 candidates for the 1999 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA women’s ice hockey. Harvard features three candidates, while Brown and New Hampshire boast two each. The candidates are Ali Coughlin, Princeton; Hillary Witt, Northeastern; … Read more
At its meetings in Chicago last week, the NCAA Championships Cabinet rejected a proposal to expand the NCAA men’s Division I championships from 12 teams to 16. The proposal, brought by the newly-formed MAAC, would have taken effect either next season or possibly for the 2000-01 tournament, and would probably have required a move to … Read more
ECAC ice hockey commissioner Jeff Fanter has confirmed that on Oct. 15 and 16, a new interconference preseason tournament will take place at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y. The as-yet unnamed tournament will feature Rensselaer as host, Boston University, Niagara and a fourth team which is still to be determined. An official announcement on … Read more
Western Michigan head coach Bill Wilkinson, whose last-place team had been the focus of an internal investigation earlier this season, has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, the university announced today. Wilkinson will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jim Culhane while the search for his successor gets underway. Culhane is … Read more