NHL Notebook: 16 players to watch in Hockey East this season

It remains to be seen when the NHL will be back on our TV screens, tablets and computers in 2021, but no need to fret. We're set to escape from the doldrums of a hockey-less winter in New England in less than a week — as Hockey East announced its full 2020-21 schedule for both men's and women's hockey on Wednesday.

Here are the full schedules for both seasons:

Men's Hockey Schedule
Women's Hockey Schedule

Games will begin on Nov. 20 for both leagues, with NESN carrying coverage of certain matchups through at least Jan. 1, while other games streamed through the conference's partnership with ViacomCBS Digital will be made free to fans throughout the season.

In total, each of 11 men’s teams will play 20 league games, while each of the 10 women’s teams will compete in 18 games. Both the men’s and women’s schedules primarily feature weekend home-and-home series and day-of-game travel — with the lone exceptions involving games a bit further north in Maine and Vermont.

Three of the final five weekends of regular-season play in each league have also been tabbed as "Flex Weekends" — in which games held during that stretch are currently listed as tentative and opponents may be adjusted. If any games are postponed due to outbreaks or other circumstances during the regular season, these "Flex Weekend" games will be rescheduled with those postponed matchups. Any games played during "Flex Weekends" will be designated as “non-conference” games and will not count toward the league's regular-season standings.

With college hockey in New England set to get underway shortly, we figured that we'd spend most of our weekend notebook focusing on the NCAA ranks, including a look at 16 players — eight men / eight women —  to keep tabs on this upcoming season.

Let's start with the men's circuit:

1. Alex Newhook, F — Boston College

The Avalanche are already a wagon of a team — and Joe Sakic managed to add more key pieces to the roster with the additions of Brandon Saad and Devon Toews this offseason. But then you take a quick glance over the next wave of talent rising through the Avs' system, and it seems like a given that Colorado should hoist at least a couple of Stanley Cups over the next decade.

And yes, a lot of Colorado's young talent lies on its blue line (Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Bowen Byram), but there's good reason to believe Newhook can step in very quickly and be an impact forward up with the Avs as soon as this spring.

Colorado hit a home run by selecting Newhook with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, as the Newfoundland product established himself as the top freshman in the country with the Eagles last season — leading all NCAA freshmen in goals (19), game-winning goals (4) and shorthanded goals (3).

For his efforts, Newhook became the first Eagle to win the Tim Taylor Award as the NCAA Division I Rookie of the Year, and the ninth BC product to take home the Hockey East Rookie of the Year Award. Newhook's speed and motor is evident whenever he hops over the boards, but a strong shot and silky mitts make him far from just a high-energy forward in Jerry York's system — with the forward ranking fourth in Hockey East with 42 points in 34 games last year.

https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/1144782627951513600

Frankly, we could fill this list with just BC players, as the 2020-21 Eagles are primed to be a juggernaut this season — with Newhook leading the charge (and racking up points while skating alongside plenty of top-flight talent) this season. Even as a sophomore, Newhook would be a prime candidate for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA, although he is expected to miss a number of weeks while attending Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp. Still, expect the 19-year-old skater to pile on the points early and often when he does return to the college ranks.

Even a humble BU alum like yours truly can't help but be enthralled whenever Newhook is out on the ice. He's about as legit as they come in the NCAA.

And just wait until his younger sister, Abby, joins the Eagles in 2021. This entire family has some absurd hockey talent.

2. David Farrance, D — Boston University 

There are going to be a TON of NHL clubs keeping tabs on Farrance this season, as the playmaking maestro could be the top collegiate free agent on the market this spring if he opts to not sign with the team that originally drafted him (No. 92 overall, 2017) in the Predators.

An easy comparable to be found with an offensive defenseman like Farrance is Adam Fox — who dominated at Harvard and made it rather evident to his rights holders in the Carolina Hurricanes that he would not sign with them at the end of his college career. Fox's signing rights were promptly dealt to the Rangers, where Fox impressed in 2019-20 as a playmaking conduit on the blue line (42 points in 70 games).

As a senior, Farrance has even more sway over his path to the NHL, as he'd likely be in the middle of a serious bidding war if he opts to not sign with Nashville.

There's an awful lot to like about Farrance's game, especially in terms of his ability to stuff the stat sheet. In his junior campaign, Farrance led all NCAA defensemen in scoring (43 points), goals (14) and power-play goals (9) — and averaged 1.26 points per game, the highest average of any Hockey East defenseman in 25 years.

https://twitter.com/TerrierHockey/status/1240322442486308865

For his efforts, Farrance was named as a finalist for the 2020 Hobey Baker Award and took home First Team All-American honors before surprising many with his decision to return to the Terriers for a senior season. BU may not be a favorite to open the new season, but watching Farrance operate on the offensive blue line is something else — and the Terriers could make some noise if their promising newcomers (Jay O'Brien, Drew Commesso, Luke Tuch, Dylan Peterson) can step in and complement a young, but very talented roster on Comm Ave.



3. Tyce Thompson, F — Providence 

The Friars will be forced to move on without Hockey East's top scorer in Jack Dugan (who signed with Vegas after a fantastic sophomore campaign), but Providence should be just fine with Thompson (Hockey East's second-leading scorer in 2019-20) back in the lineup in 2020-21. Thompson, who racked up 44 points in 34 games last season, might be regarded as a bit of a late bloomer, but the 21-year-old forward rewarded the Devils for scooping him up in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft by breaking through as a sophomore last year. Already adept at finishing plays down low, Thompson should only get better and better as he continues to fill out his 6-foot-1, 171-pound frame.

https://twitter.com/NCAAIceHockey/status/1242141560264744961

4. Michael Callahan, D — Providence 

The one-two punch of Dugan and Thompson in the top six might have paced the Friars' offense in 2019-20, but don't overlook the production that Callahan generated on the blue line — as the playmaking defenseman ranked third on the team in scoring with 28 points (five goals, 23 assists) in 34 games. Callahan, who was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star in 2019-20, is much more than just an offensive defenseman — as the Franklin, Mass. native is also more than willing to eat up pucks and deliver some heavy checks with his 6-foot-2, 197-pound frame. Callahan, who was drafted by the Coyotes in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, is truly the complete package on defense — and still has plenty of room to grow.

https://twitter.com/FriarsHockey/status/1103834971431567360

5. Spencer Knight, G — Boston College

It's been over a year now, and the Panthers' decision to hand Sergei Bobrovsky a seven-year, $70 million contract last summer — just eight days after selecting Knight with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 Draft — continues to melt my brain. Yes, Knight still has plenty to work on before making the jump up to the pros, but it seems like it's more of a matter of when —not if — in terms of the young goalie eventually supplanting Bobrovsky in net. One of the most lauded goalie prospects to ever come out of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP), Knight lived up to the hype in his freshman season with the Eagles, finishing as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award — given annually to the top goaltender in the NCAA. A Hockey East Second Team All-Star (B's prospect and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jeremy Swayman took home First Team honors), Knight was ninth in the country in both GAA (1.97) and SV% (.931) and tied for third nationally with five shutouts in 2019-20. Much to the dismay of the rest of Hockey East, Knight should only keep getting better and better with each new season. He also loves Squidward, apparently.

https://twitter.com/JoshTessler_/status/1224513726629515264

6. Matt Boldy, F — Boston College 

There was a lot of pressure on Boldy last season, with the skilled winger looking to carry over his scoring prowess to the collegiate ranks after racking up 81 points with the USNTDP in 2018-19. The Millis, Mass. native, who was taken 12th overall by the Wild in the 2019 Draft, peppered the net early and often with the Eagles last year, but only managed to bury one goal and post three points through the end of December. But Boldy's proven, heavy shot started to find twine down the stretch with BC, as he recorded 23 points after New Year's (8 goals, 15 assists) and over the span 19 games ahead of the COVID-19 stoppage in March. Expect the deadly sniper to hit the ground (err, ice) running in his sophomore season, and the goals to follow, accordingly.

https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/1275855362214764545

7. Zac Jones, D — UMass Amherst 

Plenty of the pillars from that 2018-19 UMass squad that made it all the way to the NCAA title game are now long gone (Cale Makar, John Leonard, Mario Ferraro, Mitchell Chaffee), but it's a testament to the work that Greg Carvel has done at the helm of the Minutemen program that they continue to replenish their roster with top-tier talent. Jones managed to stand out in a field full of fantastic freshmen across the league last season, ranking fifth among all Hockey East defensemen in scoring with 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) over 32 games. Jones, a third-round pick of the Rangers in the 2019 Draft, is a fun player to keep tabs on when he's out on a shift — with the blueliner routinely standing out on film thanks to his strong strides and slick hands.

https://twitter.com/TheDraftAnalyst/status/1210654402710843394

8. Zach Solow, F — Northeastern

When the Huskies are clicking, they often come in waves against the opposition — smothering teams with a frantic forecheck and a crew of dynamic defensemen ready and willing to uncork some howitzers from the blue line. Solow has often been the man in the middle of Northeastern's top lines, recording 80 points over his first three seasons at Matthews Arena. Even with the departure of Tyler Madden, the playmaking Solow should have plenty of weapons to work with in 2020-21, especially with sophomore Aidan McDonough looking to build off a fantastic rookie campaign and the Huskies once again loaded on their D corps with Jordan Harris (a Haverhill, Mass. native and Montreal 2018 Draft selection) in tow.

https://twitter.com/NCAAIceHockey/status/1199379645382234113

Honorable Mentions: 

Trevor Kuntar, F — Boston College

For as much as the Bruins have set their sights on US-born talent and NCAA players over the last few drafts, Boston doesn't have a ton of prospects to keep tabs on in the Hockey East ranks this season. However, one of the newest additions to their prospect pool is set to play over in Chestnut Hill this season, as Kuntar, a 2020 third-round pick, switched his commitment from Harvard to BC back in July. Given the amount of talent on the Eagles' roster, it remains to be seen if Kuntar will regularly earn top-six minutes as a freshman, but the 19-year-old forward has the tools to be a productive scorer at the NCAA and beyond as he develops.

 

https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1206330751895162885

Other names to keep tabs on:

Sam Colangelo, Northeastern
Declan Carlile, Merrimack
Zach Uens, Merrimack
Charlie Kelleher, UNH
Carl Berglund, UMass Lowell
Filip Lindberg, UMass Amherst 
Jayden Struble, Northeastern
Vladislav Firstov, UConn
Logan Hutsko, Boston College
Robert Mastrosimone, Boston University

In terms of teams to follow, Boston College enters the 2021 season as the favorites to capture its 18th Hockey East Regular Season Championship — as the Eagles received eight out of a possible 11 first-place votes en route to finishing first in the conference’s annual preseason coaches poll.

Here’s the full preseason ranking:

HOCKEY EAST MENS PRESEASON POLL

1. Boston College, 95 (8)


2. Massachusetts, 87 (2)


3. Providence, 77


4. UMass Lowell, 71 (1)


5. Northeastern, 68


6. Boston University, 55


7. UConn, 48


8. New Hampshire, 44


9. Maine, 27


10. Merrimack, 23


11. Vermont, 10

1. Northeastern, 90 (9)


2. Boston University, 82 (1)


3. Boston College, 71


4. UConn, 64


5. Providence, 56


6. New Hampshire, 52


7. Maine, 41


8. Vermont, 39


9. Merrimack, 24


10. Holy Cross, 21

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This will be the first season without a Beanpot since the tournament began back in 1952. BU has won the most Beanpot titles with 30 (although the Terriers are actually in the longest title drought among the four teams, but we'll just sweep this factoid under the rug), with BC following suit with 20 championships. Northeastern, often the punching bag of the tournament, has now won three straight Beanpots at TD Garden.

Of course, the likelihood of the Beanpot somehow getting off the ground in 2021 went down the drain when the Ivy League announced on Thursday that all winter sports for 2020-21 will be canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. It's a brutal break for hundreds of athletes across multiple sports — including B's prospect Curtis Hall, who will now miss out on his junior season at Yale after breaking out with 17 goals in 28 games back in 2019-20.