A number of blue-blood programs are in an unfamiliar spot this spring during the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, with regulars such as Boston University, Boston College, Minnesota and Michigan all on the outside looking in at brackets they've become accustomed to dominating.
And yet, there is still a distinct New England presence during this year's tournament —with both new and old programs making their mark in the 16-team field. In total, six teams from New England earned a spot in the tournament: UMass, Providence, Harvard, Northeastern, Quinnipiac and American International College.
And while the Crimson, Huskies and Yellow Jackets have seen their seasons come to a close, both the Friars and Bobcats will play Sunday for a chance to advance to the Frozen Four — which will be held on April 11-13 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. One team that's already punched its ticket to the Frozen Four? The top-seeded Minutemen, who beat Harvard and Notre Dame during the Northeast Regional in Manchester to secure their place among the final four teams in the tourney for the first time in program history.
After going 17-20-2 last year, Greg Carvel’s Minutemen have orchestrated one of the most impressive turnaround seasons in recent memory — with UMass standing as one of the favorites among the field to take home an NCAA title. It's been quite the ride for Carvel, who posted a record of 5-29-2 in his first season at the helm of the UMass program back in 2016.
And while the Minutemen came up short against BC in the Hockey East Semifinal earlier this month, they didn't let the setback hamper their play on the national stage. During their regional matchups against the Crimson and Fighting Irish, UMass outscored the competition, 8-0, while outshooting both teams by an absurd margin of 70-30.
Ticket ?@UMassHockey is the first team to book a trip to Buffalo for the #FrozenFour!#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/1EfD6q46bt
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 31, 2019
While the likely Hobey Baker winner in defenseman
Cale Makar
has led the way all season, don’t sell the rest of this UMass team short — they close gaps in a hurry with blueliners like
Mario Ferraro
and
Marc Del Gaizo
in tow, while 14 different players on the roster have recorded at least 10 points this season. This is a complete team — and a joy to watch if you’re a hockey fan.
Jack Eichel
Filip Lindberg
Much like Carvel's efforts to revive the Minutemen, major props have to be given to
Eric Lang
the job they've done with bringing AIC into national prominence. Entering this season with an all-time record of
665-1,026-97 across both Division II and Division I play, AIC finally put it all together this season — with a strong junior class and balanced roster helping the club post its first winning record as a D-I program in 2018-19.
Despite getting outshot, 34-13, AIC clogged up the Huskies’ shooting lanes and limited Grade-A looks all night, while both
J
oel Kocur
and
Brennan Kapcheck
scored for the Yellow Jackets (23-16-1) to put them ahead for good. Goalie
Zackarias Skog
finished with 33 saves.
UPSET COMPLETE!!!! @AIC_Hockey ELIMINATES (1) ST. CLOUD STATE IN ITS NCAA TOURNAMENT DEBUT!#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/HEdJVl0NxD
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 30, 2019
Top College Free Agents
While the end of March usually marks the time for NHL clubs to brace for a Stanley Cup playoffs push, it also stands as a window for most organizations to inject new talent into their prospect pipelines.
As hockey campaigns in both juniors and the collegiate ranks come to a close, a slew of premier prospects are taking the next step in their pro hockey careers, signing entry-level deals and closing out the year with games either down in the AHL or up in the NHL.
But this time of the year is also fascinating for another angle when it comes to roster building, as numerous college-level free agents are also able to be scooped up on deals. While signing these players (usually undrafted juniors or seniors) doesn’t totally guarantee that you have a top-flight prospect on your hands, the Bruins have had some luck over the years when it comes to parsing through available talent during the UFA pool — signing regulars like
Torey Krug
(Michigan State) and
Kevan Miller
(Vermont) at the end of their respective collegiate seasons.
“We tell them that if they deserve to play, we’ll find room for them to play, and it’s shown over the years,”
Cam Neely
said of the Bruins luck with college UFAs. “It’s shown that, if there’s an opportunity for them to play in this league, we’ll find it for them on our team, and we’ll make room if they’re going to be able to help us here in Boston. You take a look at a city like Providence, I think it’s a great city to live in if you’re a hockey player. I mean, there’s a lot going on for Providence, and the proximity to Boston, I think, has some appeal to it too.”
While Boston has a crop of prospects ready to take a leap next season in
Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Lauko
and others, there are plenty of intriguing skaters out on the market that Boston could be in play for over the next week.
Let’s take a look at some of the top college free agents still available:
Nico Sturm, Center
Age:
23
Height
: 6-foot-3
Weight:
207 pounds
Team:
Clarkson
Stats:
39 Games Played — 14 goals, 45 points
Alright, let’s get it out of the way real quick — he’s not related to
Marco Sturm
.
But with other electric collegiate UFAs like Michigan State’s
Taro Hirose
Red Wings) and Princeton’s
Max Veronneau
(Senators) already off the board, Sturm has become one of the most prized free-agent forwards on the market — due in large part to his overall body of work.
While most productive college forwards that were passed over in their draft-eligible years were often knocked for size (think Krug or an
Austin Czarnik)
, Sturm already has a frame that can handle a heavier workload up in the pro ranks, measuring out at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds.
While the center was productive in the offensive zone for Clarkson this year (45 points), what allowed the Augsburg, Germany native to secure his spot as a Top 10 Hobey Baker Finalist was his 200-foot-game, with the forward earning ECAC Best Defensive Forward honors in each of his last two seasons — while winning over 62 percent of his draws at the faceoff dot during his sophomore campaign.
There’s an awful lot to like about Sturm’s game, especially when you add in his strong numbers during 5v5 play (only 1 of his 14 goals this year have come on the power play). With Clarkson now bounced out of the NCAA Tournament, expect plenty of suitors for the center.
Mason Jobst, Center
Age:
25
Height
: 5-foot-8
Weight:
185 pounds
Team:
Ohio State
Stats:
36 Games Played — 17 goals, 36 points
With his smaller frame, Jobst will likely draw comparisons to an offensive sparkplug like Czarnik, who has settled into a nice, bottom-six role this season with the Calgary Flames (15 points over 50 games).
While Jobst may not have the frame to be a top-six option in the NHL down the road, the pivot does have great speed, can handle the puck well and is a shifty presence on the power play — especially when operating from the half wall.
The 2017 Second Team All-American attended development camp with both the Bruins and Penguins during the summer of 2017, while appearing in Minnesota’s dev camp the following year. Expect for him to sign a deal soon, with the Buckeyes also sent packing from the tournament.
Jimmy Schuldt, Defenseman
Age:
23
Height
: 6-foot-1
Weight:
205 pounds
Team:
St. Cloud State
Stats:
39 Games Played — 10 goals, 35 points
Another Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist and the NCHC Player of the Year, Schuldt is expected to be the most sought-after UFA defenseman this spring — especially now that the Huskies were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by American International College.
A durable, two-way defenseman that didn’t miss a game with the Huskies during his four years with the program, Schuldt will likely earn NHL reps in short order thanks to his potential as a power-play quarterback and as a talented puck mover. While the Bruins already have a number of impressive prospects on the blue line, Schuldt could contend for a spot up with the club as early as next season, especially if his offensive skills translate to the next level.
Josh Wilkins, Forward
Age:
21
Height
: 5-foot-11
Weight:
181 pounds
Team:
Providence
Stats:
38 Games Played — 18 goals, 43 points
Wilkins’ stock continues to rise, especially after the junior tallied a pair of power-play goals and added a helper in the Friars’ impressive comeback win over top-seeded Minnesota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
While Wilkins will need to bulk up a bit to hang around in the NHL ranks, the Raleigh native has been as consistent as they come during his first three years in Providence, averaging 15 goals and 32 points a season since arriving on campus.
Make it 5 unanswered for @FriarsHockey!
Josh Wilkins scores his second power play goal of the game to put Providence up by a pair.
3rd Period | PC 5 | MSU 3#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/4DdOoVGXAW
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 30, 2019
Chara earns Masterton Trophy nomination
He may be in his 21st season in the NHL, but
Zdeno Chara
isn’t slowing down anytime soon — with the longtime B’s captain
, even if he’s set to turn 43 years old next March.
For his dedication to the game, Chara was nominated for the
2019 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Boston chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA). The Masterton Trophy is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Chara was previously nominated for the award in 2017.
The Bruins have won the award four times since its inception back in 1967 —
Charlie Simmer
(1985=86)
, Gord Kluzak
(1989-90)
, Cam Neely
(1993-94)
and
Phil Kessel
(2006-07).
"It's a huge honor," Chara said on Friday. "Thanks to (the media) for the recognition and the input. I really take it to the heart and I really appreciate it. It's something that I take a lot of pride in the way I try to handle myself and do my part with this team every day. … Again, thank you for recognizing it — and it's also a reflection that we have a really good team and it's a lot of fun to come here every day and be with the guys and play for each other."
Diamond in the rough
Chara might be poised to suit up for his 14th season with the Boston Bruins, but
Bruce Cassidy
was candid when asked if a player of Chara’s stature (6-foot-9, 250 pounds) would even get a chance to hone his game up in today’s NHL — especially with smaller defenseman like
Matt Grzelcyk,
and more becoming a proven commodity as speed takes precedence over size.
"I don't know,” Cassidy said. “It will be like the 5-foot-10 guy years ago getting a solid look. You'd really have to upset the applecart to get a chance. The Torey Krugs of the world had a tough time, Grzelcyk never got a look back then. It's not what the game has wanted or GMs already filled out. I think the same is true now.
“You've got a 6-foot-9 guy coming in here and it looks like he's not fluid. He's getting right away, 'You're not going to be able to skate well enough.' It's tough for big guys in this day and age, they get ruled out quickly if you figure,
well, how much can his skating progress at his age
? So the younger guy would have a tough time. I don't know if there's a lot out there anymore as prospects. There could be, I just don't know."
While Chara quickly started to establish himself as a top-pairing stalwart during his time with the Senators, Cassidy noted that it did take a few seasons for the defenseman to round into form — and find a regular role in the Senators’ lineup. Chara’s howitzer of a slap shot made him a valuable weapon during the start of his tenure with Boston, but the imposing blueliner took on a bit of a different role on the man advantage earlier in his career.
“Ottawa was where I knew more about him,” Cassidy said when asked if he kept tabs on Chara during his early days with the Islanders. “Actually where I heard the biggest news about him was that he played the netfront on the power play as a 6-foot-9 guy with the bomb. You don't get your shot there, but use him for a net presence and to recover pucks, so it was interesting at the time. Teams tend to do that a lot more, have the bigger body in front. And then obviously, he grew into a complete player.
“I did not know a lot about him in New York. I was at the draft, the day he got — was he in the (
Jason) Spezza
deal? ... I did not know him there, much more in Ottawa. Which is probably like a lot of people. THat's where he really cut his teeth and made a name for himself."