The Patty Kazmaier Award will be given to the country’s most outstanding player in women’s college hockey, starting this year. The award will be given annually, and is sponsored by the USA Hockey Foundation. The winner of the award, the women’s hockey analogue to the Hobey Baker Award, will be selected by an 11-member selection … Read more
Three members of Maine’s men’s hockey team face charges of criminal threatening, and will appear in Bangor District Court on Jan. 16, 1998. The charges come following a Dec. 14 incident in which one student allegedly made “reprehensible” comments, and at least one student may be charged with making racial slurs in violation of Maine’s … Read more
Former hockey stars Jon Fontas and Ray Patten were inducted into the University of New Hampshire’s Hall of Fame by the UNH 100 Club in ceremonies on Nov. 14. Fontas, a Wildcat from 1974 through 1978, is one of UNH’s top all-time forwards. He ranks as UNH’s sixth-leading career scorer, with 174 points in only … Read more
The Hockey East Association has announced its official online presence, located at http://www.hockeyeastonline.com. The Web site, which debuted on Monday, is still under development, but currently carries weekly press releases, standings and statistics. “Our audience wants information on Hockey East with greater speed and convenience than we’ve been able to provide,” said commissioner Joe Bertagna. … Read more
Minnesota sophomore defenseman Ben Clymer will miss the remainder of the 1997-98 season after reinjuring his shoulder Wednesday afternoon in practice. Clymer, the top collegiate player taken in the 1997 NHL draft, will be scheduled for surgery in the near future. “Ben has an anterior instability in the shoulder which has not responded to protection … Read more
SportsChannel New England announced today that Sean Grande and Cap Raeder will serve as play-by-play announcer and color commentator, respectively, for its Hockey East broadcasts. Grande has broadcast hockey and other collegiate sports on radio and television for the past ten years, as well as hosting the Stanley Cup playoffs on NHL Radio. He is … Read more
The Northern Michigan University Board of Control has approved a plan calling for the construction of a new campus event center, slated to go up by mid-1999. Construction will begin on the $9.5 million project next spring. Of the new arena, Mike Roy, vice president for finance and administration, said, “It will offer individual seating … Read more
The 1997-98 ECAC Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Poll was released today, and the Rensselaer Engineers were voted the top school this season. “We’ve gotten a lot of respect from the coaches,” said RPI head coach Dan Fridgen. “And it’s reflected in this preseason poll.” RPI received nine of 12 first-place votes, as it did … Read more
Though an official announcement has yet to be made, it appears that the ECAC will change the format of its Division I ice hockey playoffs. Under the new arrangement, 10 of 12 teams still qualify for the playoffs, but the ECAC will go to five quarterfinal series, with the winner of the five-six series advancing … Read more
Michael Doneghey has been named head coach of Fairfield, replacing Peter LaVigne, who stepped down after one season. “I am very excited about coming to Fairfield University,” said Doneghey. “Fairfield is an established program and I hope to keep building on the school’s hockey tradition.” Doneghey, a 1993 graduate of Merrimack, comes to Fairfield after … Read more
The Michigan State Spartans, coming off a third-place, 23-13-4 season and a first-round NCAA tournament loss, have been anointed the team to beat by CCHA coaches and media. “It’s nice to know going in that you are among the group that has a chance to win the league,” said MSU head coach Ron Mason. “But … Read more
Confirming a story USCHO reported in August, the nation’s fifth Division I hockey conference was officially born Thursday as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced the formation of an eight-team league to begin play in 1998-99. The new league includes Quinnipiac, Fairfield, Connecticut, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross, Iona, Canisius and American International, all northeastern schools … Read more
Dan Price, a forward for the Bowling Green Falcons, was injured and another passenger killed Saturday night in an automobile accident near Marysville, Ohio, north of Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that Price was driving when the car struck a ditch along Route 38, just south of Marysville, and flipped over. Neither Price nor … Read more
According to the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune, Falcon defenseman Peter Ratchuk has renounced his three remaining years of NCAA eligibility to sign with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Ratchuk, a 6-foot, 175-pound native of Buffalo, N.Y., scored nine goals and added 12 assists for Bowling Green in his rookie campaign last season, garnering honorable mention designation on … Read more
The prospects for the Princeton Tigers’ season took a hit this week when defenseman Dominique Auger, an ECAC all-rookie team selection last year, signed a contract with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The loss of Auger is a severe blow to Princeton, where it isn’t easy to recruit players of … Read more
According to Wednesday’s Anchorage Daily Times, left winger Neil Schell, who led all Seawolf freshmen with 20 points in 35 games last season, will not return to UAA this year. Seawolf head coach Dean Talafous said Schell’s decision was based on health concerns — Schell is missing one kidney due to a junior-hockey injury — … Read more
Dominique Auger, the flashy Princeton defenseman who was an All-ECAC Rookie Team member last season, is seriously contemplating a jump to the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Auger, a native of Levis, Quebec, called Remparts general manager Raymond Bolduc on Saturday, saying he would like to play for the team. According … Read more
On Saturday, Gophers captain Mike Crowley became the second Minnesota player in a one-week span to turn pro, announcing his signing with the NHL’s Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Forward Erik Rasmussen announced his agreement to terms with the Buffalo Sabres last Wednesday. Crowley, a defenseman who would have been a senior this season, had nine … Read more
Boston University forward Dan LaCouture has signed a multiyear contract with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. LaCouture would have been a sophomore this fall. The signing came soon after the Oilers acquired LaCouture, 20, in a trade with the New York Islanders, who drafted him 29th overall in 1996. The 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound LaCouture played in 31 … Read more
Hockey East power New Hampshire lost its leading goal-scorer Wednesday, as forward Eric Nickulas announced that he will renounce his senior year to play professionally. “It was a really tough decision, but right now I think it’s the best choice I can make,” Nickulas said. Although his NHL rights are held by the Boston Bruins, … Read more