This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Conference championship game between Minnesota, Michigan matching two of country’s top NCAA tournament-bound teams

In many ways, No. 2 Michigan facing off against No. 1 Minnesota has felt like an inevitability for the past two months. Once the Golden Gophers reached the top of the standings, no one in the Big Ten was going to catch them. With just four total losses in B1G play and a 9-2-1 B1G … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Rematch of 2015 NCAA title game between Boston University, Providence highlights conference semifinal weekend

One doesn’t have to look too far back in time to know how significant it is for Boston University and Providence to face off at TD Garden. There was the 2018 Hockey East championship game, won by the Terriers 2-0. And with all due respect to the Hockey East tournament, there was a meeting with … Read more

BRACKETOLOGY: Taking one last shot at NCAA tournament seedings ahead of conference title games this weekend

Here we are with the final Bracketology prior to Saturday night’s championship games where the final field will be set. Jayson and I are taking a little bit of a different approach this week, yet again, so let’s see what that yields. (Editor’s note: Jim and Jayson will produce a single, final bracket prediction on … Read more

Top 10 candidates announced for 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as NCAA D-I men’s hockey’s top player

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee has announced the top 10 candidates for the 2023 award honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are Logan Cooley (Minnesota), Adam Fantilli (Michigan), Sean Farrell (Harvard), Collin Graf (Quinnipiac), Lane Hutson (Boston University), Matthew Knies (Minnesota), Devon Levi (Northeastern), Yaniv Perets (Quinnipiac), Blake Pietila (Michigan Tech), and Jason … Read more

Northeastern’s Levi named Hockey East player of year, Boston University’s Hutson tabbed best rookie, BU’s Pandolfo chosen top coach

Hockey East announced Wednesday that Northeastern junior goaltender Devon Levi has been awarded the honor of 2022-23 Hockey East player of the year. In addition, Boston University freshman defenseman Lane Hutson was named rookie of the year while the Terriers’ Jay Pandolfo was voted coach of the year by his peers. All three awards were … Read more

CCHA names Michigan Tech’s Pietila top goalie, Minnesota State’s Silye best forward, Minnesota State’s Livingstone top ‘D,’ Michigan Tech’s Kukkonen rookie of year

The CCHA continued naming 2022-23 award winners Wednesday. Michigan Tech senior Blake Pietila has been unanimously selected as the CCHA goaltender of the year, while Minnesota State junior David Silye has been named the CCHA forward of the year, Minnesota State junior Jake Livingstone is CCHA defenseman of the year for the second consecutive season, … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After eliminating Western Michigan from conference tournament, Colorado College oozing with confidence heading to NCHC Frozen Faceoff

Late in his second season at Colorado College, Tigers coach Kris Mayotte just saw his team make a good kind of program history out of what had been a potentially bad situation. Seventh-seeded CC’s wins Friday and Saturday in the first round of the NCHC playoffs at No. 2 Western Michigan marked the first time … Read more

Atlantic Hockey hands out 2022-23 awards, including RIT’s Wilkie as top player, AIC’s Fiske as goalie champ, Army West Point’s Itagaki as best rookie

Atlantic Hockey has announced its 2022-23 regular-season awards – player of the year, rookie of the year, coach of the year, best defenseman, best defensive forward, scoring champion, goaltending champion, individual sportsmanship award and team sportsmanship award. Honorees this year include four from Atlantic Hockey regular-season champion RIT – forward Carter Wilkie (player of the … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Canisius, Holy Cross gearing up for winner-take-all conference title game Saturday with NCAA tournament berth on line

For the last 17 years that I have been covering Atlantic Hockey for USCHO, this final column of the season has looked forward to a championship weekend that involved four teams converging on a single, neutral location. Things have changed. The new format adopted by the league this season creates a one-game, winner-takes-all championship, hosted … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Northern Michigan, Minnesota State up for challenge Saturday with winner getting conference title, NCAA tournament autobid

Since Grant Potulny’s first season in Marquette in 2017-18, Northern Michigan has twice played in a conference championship game. In 2018, the second-place Wildcats hosted Upper Peninsula archrivals Michigan Tech in the WCHA championship game. A sold-out crowd at the Berry Events Center saw the Huskies shut out the Wildcats 2-0. NMU returned to the … Read more

Mercyhurst’s Briere allegedly caught on video pushing wheelchair down stairs; university releases statement

On March 14, a Twitter post from @juliazukowski allegedly shows Mercyhurst hockey player Carson Briere at an undisclosed location pushing an empty wheelchair down a flight of stairs. https://twitter.com/juliazukowski/status/1635537697040130048 Later that day, Mercyhurst released a statement. pic.twitter.com/Fy62bYhKQU — Mercyhurst University (@MercyhurstU) March 15, 2023 Briere was previously dismissed from the Arizona State hockey team in … Read more

Minnesota Duluth blueliner Kaiser inks with Blackhawks, forgoes senior season with Bulldogs

Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Wyatt Kaiser has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. In signing the NHL deal, Kaiser gives up his senior season with the Bulldogs. Kaiser was selected by the Blackhawks in the third round (81st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. A native of Andover, Minn., Kaiser compiled 52 … Read more

CCHA announces all-conference first, second teams for 2022-23 campaign with Michigan Tech, Minnesota State each boasting three players each

The CCHA has announced the 2022-23 all-CCHA first and second teams. Six players from four different programs have been recognized on the first team, while six players from six different programs have been recognized in the second team. Forwards Ryland Mosley (Michigan Tech), David Silye (Minnesota State) and Austen Swankler (Bowling Green) are joined by … Read more

Minnesota’s Knies tabbed Big Ten player of year, Michigan’s Fantilli top freshman, Notre Dame’s Bischel best goaltender

The Big Ten has announced the hockey individual award winners and all-Big Ten teams. Voting was conducted by conference coaches and a media panel. PLAYER OF THE YEAR Matthew Knies, So., F, MINN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Brock Faber, Jr., D, MINN GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR Ryan Bischel, Sr., G, ND FRESHMAN OF THE … Read more

TMQ: Heading to conference championships this weekend, are more upsets on horizon with NCAA tournament looming?

Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Ed: I think you and I both agree, Jim, that we’re headed into the best weekend of the college hockey season, the six conference championships. It’s also been an interesting path … Read more

Notre Dame’s Rolston leaves Irish after junior season, signs NHL contract with Blackhawks

Notre Dame junior forward Ryder Rolston has signed an entry-level contract with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and will forego his senior season with the Fighting Irish. The Traverse City, Mich., native will report to the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs, this week. “To Notre Dame, dating back to the first time that I … Read more

AIC, Army West Point, RIT lead way with four players apiece on ’22-23 Atlantic Hockey all-conference teams, all-rookie team

Atlantic Hockey has announced its 2022-23 all-Atlantic Hockey teams and all-rookie team. Regular season champion RIT, runner-up AIC, and Army West Point led all teams in selections with four players each. First Team Carter Wilkie, F, So., RIT Neil Shea, F, Sr., Sacred Heart Blake Bennett, F, Sr., AIC Gianfranco Cassaro, D, Sr., RIT Aiden … Read more

Six players from four different schools named to 2022-23 CCHA all-rookie team

The CCHA has announced the 2022-23 all-rookie team with six players from four different programs recognized. Forwards Kyle Kukkonen (Michigan Tech), Joey Larson (Northern Michigan) and Lleyton Roed (Bemidji State) were joined by defensemen Dalton Norris (Bowling Green) and Josh Zinger (Northern Michigan), as well as goaltender Beni Halasz (Northern Michigan). All year-end awards were … Read more