Ben Smith proving to be the ultimate role model in the Windy City

Former Eagle of the year (the highest student athlete award @ Boston College) and standout forward  Ben Smith is proving himself not only as a solid NHL forward on the Chicago Blackhawks but also proving to be the ultimate role model within the community. Said Smith on helping kids in the Chicago area "It was something they instilled in me at Boston College; there’s a huge emphasis on going out and giving back in the community". Smith spearheads the Blackhawks' campaign to help kids in the community become better hockey players and better people. Here is the link.

http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=636203

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Sam Piazza to come to BC in 2013.

For a while now it has not been known what year defenseman Sam Piazza will come to BC due to the concussions he suffered this season. We have learned that Piazza will stay in juniors one more year and come to BC in 2013 instead of next year (which was the original plan). 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES 

Eagles and Badgers reach scheduling deal.

Today, I learned that BC and Wisconsin have reached a scheduling deal. Here are the details

2013/2014. Wisconsin will travel to Boston to face BC and BU. (A game each) 

2015/16- Wisconsin will again travel out to Boston to face both teams. 

2016/17- BC will travel to Wisconsin for two games.

*There could be more to this deal... This is all I know as of now. 

Dumoulin traded to Penguins, Matheson drafted by Panthers.

To be honest, I was hoping to have the night off from blogging because I have the Club Championship tomorrow. Yea, well so much for that. In tonights first round of the 2012 NHL draft in Pittsburgh, former Eagle defenseman Brian Dumoulin was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Pittsburgh Penguins. If I am the Penguins right now, I would be taking a victory dance around the draft room. Brian Dumoulin is as ready for the NHL as I have ever seen a college player be. He can skate, he can move the puck, and he can defend. I can't wait to see him in a Penguins uniform come next season. 

The other news from the draft is that incoming defenseman Mike Matheson was drafted 26th overall by the Florida Panthers. Most scouting agencies had Matheson going late first/early second so obviously this kid can play. 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES

Read This.

Now with UConn officially being a part of Hockey East, by 2014, there will be twelve teams in the conference. I think I may have posted this link earlier in the year but I think this is an awesome idea. Our friends at BC Interruption thought of an idea where Hockey East would have two divisons, one for the private schools (BC, Notre Dame, PC, MC, NU, and The Other School) and one for the public schools (UMass-Amherst, Lowell, UNH, Maine, UConn, and Vermont). Another great part of the divisons is that the schedule plays out pretty well. BCI proposed that each team play the teams in their division three times and have a home and home with the teams in the other division , that equals 27 games. Here is the link, I highly recommend it.

http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/3/29/2909657/hockey-east-expansion-uconn-to-hockey-east-notre-dame

Taking a look at next years recruiting class

Incoming defenseman Mike Matheson

With hockey season officially over after the Kings captured the Stanley Cup, I thought it would be nice to take a look at next seasons incoming recruiting class. Before we look at the recruits, it should be noted  that there are some really good players returning from last years championship team. Guys like Johnny Gaudreau, Steven Whitney, Kevin Hayes, Pat Mullane, and Bill Arnold are primed to have big seasons up front but with a little help from guys that will get more playing time this year like Quinn Smith, Danny Linell, and Destry Straight this team shouldn't have any problem scoring goals. The blue line is where the incoming recruits are going to need to step up the most. Losing the two best defenseman in Hockey East from a season ago is certainly going to sting a little bit in the early going but with some help from these freshman, I think the Eagles will be just fine on defense.

The recruit that has the most hype around him next year is defenseman Mike Matheson. This season for the Dubuque Fighting Saints (Johnny Gaudreau's former team) Matheson recorded 27 points which was tops for defenseman on the team. With the losses of Brian Dumoulin and Tommy Cross, I think you could very well see Matheson have some power play time this season. The kid has good size a 6'2 and plays a style not unlike the style of Brian Dumoulin (which means he's pretty good). Another recruit who could log some big minutes on the blue line could be Matheson's teammate at Dubuque, Teddy Doherty.  Doherty, a Hopkington native, recorded a solid fourteen assist this season (along with a couple of goals) for the Fighting Saints and also had nine power play points. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see these guys be the #2 and #3 defenseman on the team next year behind Patrick Wey. Another guy I like coming in is Collin Sullivan (a former Yale commit). Sullivan is another one of those guys that could very easily find his way on the opening night roster if he practices well to start the season. Most people say this kid has a lot of skill so look for him to also have an impact on this team.

Up front, I think this team is pretty deep compared to a lot of other teams in Hockey East. I really like the first couple of lines this team could have because of the firepower returning up front. The forward coming in to most look for is Frank Vatrano. Vatrano had 35 points this season for the US Under 18 team and could be placed on the second or third line next year depending on where the staff thinks he fits in the best. Honestly, we were a little spoiled last year with Johnny G being the best freshman I have ever seen (ok maybe Gionta) so we forget that guys like Quinn Smith, Destry Striaght, and Danny Linell had really solid seasons. Last years fourth line (made up of all freshman) was as solid of a fourth line as the Matt Lombardi- Matt Price- Barry Almeida fourth line was in 2010. If the freshman on next years team can be as solid as the guys who were freshman on this years team were, watch out.

Note- For those looking for the schedule, I made it into a page up top so it would be easier to sort out.

It's Official, UConn set to join Hockey East in 2014.

Today, the athletic directors in the Hockey East conference voted to let the University of Connecticut become the 12th team in the conference. The Huskies will also be joined by Notre Dame (who will come to the conference in in 2013) as the new teams in the conference. Personally, I like the move IF UConn can upgrade it's rink. Freitas Forum is a lot like Merrimack as it looks more like a high school rink than a college one. It is good however that the conference is getting a school that is very well known throughout the country and has a solid fanbase. Another reason I like the move is because we all know that BC and UConn have a little bit of history in the past (Not in hockey but in other sports). No, it's not as good as the move to get Notre Dame was but it's still good in the sense that the conference picked up a school that has a large fanbase and could attract fans if they start getting better. One thing that I think UConn will/should do is that when some of the bigger name schools (BC, BU UNH, Maine) come to town they will play in the XL Center in Hartford. UConn's basketball teams play all of their games in the XL but it would cost the university some money if they decided to go that route. I don't think that Hockey East would have allowed UConn to come unless they promised to play at the XL or upgrade their facilities. All in all though, I like the move for the conference and I think it's nice that BC has another rival. Then again they won't be up there with Notre Dame and certainly not with BU in terms of BC Hockey's rivals.

Champions on and off the ice.

I try to write about the off ice accomplishments of this team as much as I can. Over the past week, four current/former Eagles Steve Whitney, Chris Kreider, Chris Venti, and Brian Billett went out to Massachusetts General Hospital to deliver teddy bears to patients in need. The players were working in copperation with the Teddy Roosevelt Association to help bring smiles to children in the hospital. The goal of the TRA is to bring smiles and help children who are sick in the hospital. What an awesome job by these players in taking time out of their day to help out with these children. Visit www.teddybearsforkids.org for more information on how you can help out a child in need.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Cahoon, UMass part ways.

UMass head coach Toot Cahoon has parted ways with the university. Cahoon was the head coach in Amherst for 12 years, making the NCAA's just once. It is kind of unfortunate for Cahoon and the Minutemen because they should be better than they are. They were a very underachieving team last season and should be one of the top programs in Hockey East. Now that Cahoon is out, I really hope that one of the BC's guys (Coach Brown or Cav) can get this job. Obviously, as a BC fan, I want them to stay but in reality, these are the two best assistants in the country and they should get a big time job like this.  Both are great on ice coaches, great recruiters, and great guys. They have both played essential roles in building what is now the king of the court in college hockey. Each has playing experience and know the game very well. At UMass, you have good facilites to recruit, a pretty well known school to attract kids, and a solid program. If I am UMass, I am saying to myself, "Why not hire one of these guys" ?  Say what you want but Browne and Cav are the best of the best when it comes to assistant coaches. One of them deserves this job.

Catching Up

How about that US Open ? My boy Lee Westwood almost had it but he is saving it for the British (I hope). Anyways, since I have not posted anything on here in a week, I thought we could do some catching up. The NHL Draft is coming up later this week and you could very well see some future recruits have their names called in Pittsburgh. Incoming recruit Mike Matheson is ranked in the top thirty prospects according to most scouting agencies so we will see where he winds up. Others to keep an eye on are Frank Vatrano, Chris Calnan (13) are both ranked in the top seventy five according to most websites and incoming defenseman Travis Jeke could also hear his name called this weekend. I don't think the draft postion/place will have any effect on whether or not the player will still come to the Heights because pro teams are usually very high on programs like BC. Other than that, there is not much going on in the world of college hockey recruiting. On the scheduling front, there was one major change I had to make on the left and that is that BC will be @ Northeastern the first week of the year. I previously had NU coming to BC in the first week of the season but NU released it's schedule last week and it showed that they were coming to BC the week after. Northeastern is going to be very young next year so it will be interesting to see how they play in their second and third games versus the defending National Champs. The only Hockey East teams that have not released their schedules as of now are BC (won't be out until late summer/early fall), Maine, UMass, Vermont, and BU. One thing we do know is BC will take on archrival BU in the first weekend of December like always. The locations of the games are not 100 % but I believe BC will host on Saturday and BU will "host" BC on Friday.

There have not been anymore early departures in Hockey East since Adam Clendening escaped from the other side of Comm Ave but Steve Quailer of Northeastern officially signed with the Montreal Canadiens last week. It was known for a long time that Quailer was exiting Huntington Ave but the details were not made final until last week. Other news around the league is that UMass assistant coach and former Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald is leaving Amherst to take over as head coach at Colby College. To be honest, I don't see MacDonald being at Colby for very long because once some division one coaching spots turn up, he will be on some colleges' short list. Well, I wish I had more for you but right now I don't. I hope all of you are enjoying your summers. 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES 

Mark Begert leaving Boston College

BC defenseman Mark Begert is leaving school according to sources. Begert played in just one game last year versus UMass Lowell and had no points on the season. It is save to assume that he will go on to pursue other opportunities in college/amateur hockey.  Best of luck to Mark in what ever he does in the future.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Robert Scuderi Captures Second Stanley Cup with Kings

Last night, former BC hockey standout Robert Scuderi captured his second career Stanley Cup as his Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils by a score of 6-1. Scuderi took a big hit from Steve Bernier early in the game which led to a five minute power play for the Kings (They went on to score three goals on that PP). Congratulations to Scuderi, the Kings, and to former BC players Stephen Gionta and Peter Harrold for having a great season with the Devils.

Tuch commits to BC

Reports say that Alex Tuch from the Syracuse Stars has committed to Boston College for the fall of 2014. Tuch, a 96 date of birth, is a 6'2 forwards from the Syracuse Stars and is committed to playing for the US National Development team next season. Tuch was selected by the Guelph Storm of the OHL this winter so he could go there if he decides.

John Muse Signs Pro Contract With Carolina

Today, Boston College hockey legend John Muse signed a one year two way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. He could be playing alongside former teammate Brian Dumoulin come next season. Muse won the Kelley Cup this season with the Florida Everblades (ECHL).

Recruiting Video: Chris Calnan (13)

Here is a link to a story and interview with future Eagle and current Nobles student, Chris Calnan who participated in the 2012 NHL combine. He says towards the end of the interview that he is deciding between staying at Nobles next year, going to the South Shore Kings, or to the US Development program.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/72345/video-2012-nhl-combine-chris-calnan-noble-and-greenough-school/

The Top 10 Biggest Goals Since 2001.

Last nights post about the top ten non Frozen Four games in recent BC hockey history got me thinking, what are the top 10 goals scored in that same amount of time. Yes, there are thousands of goals to chose from but I think I have a good idea of what ones stand out. I bet if you thought about it, some come directly to mind. You don't even have to look too far back as we all remember Johnny G's goal in the final versus Ferris State and Billy Arnolds OT winner to beat Parker and the Terriers. The best player I have ever seen (I don't remember Gionta to well because I was too young) Nathan Gerbe scored some unbelievably clutch goals to help lead the 08 Eagles to a National Championship. So here it is, the top ten goals since the 2001 season.

1. Krys Kolanos' OT winner versus North Dakota in the 2001 championship. No if's, but's, or what if's. This is by far and away the biggest goal in the history of Boston College hockey. Krys Kolanos' OT winner is one of the great moments in BC athletics history along with Fluite's pass.

2. Johnny Gaudreau's goal in the 2012 championship versus Ferris State. Some may argue with this one but we're not talking about some 6'3 dominating senior that scored this goal. We're talking about a FRESHMAN that is smaller than I am on feet. Just sensational in every way. The best part ? He's coming back next year.

3. Ben Eaves' goal versus Michigan is the 2004 Northeast Regional final. This is a memorable one by a player that will always be remembered for his skill. The way Eaves scored it was just phenomenal. The Michigan fans in Manchester were just shocked beyond belief.

4. Billy Arnold's OT winner in the 2012 Beanpot versus archrival Boston University. Ok, how long did you think it was going to be until I brought one up against the Terriers ? Billy Arnold's goal will forever go down as the goal that officially ended the Terrier domination of the Beanpot and continued the amazing success of the Eagles.

5. Nathan Gerbes two goals/four points in the 2008 National Championship versus rival Notre Dame. To this day, I have never seen a player in college hockey that can basically carry a whole team to the top of the world. I mean think about it, in every big game that year Nathan Gerbe scored at least one goal. That game was the best of his BC career.

6. Chris Kreider's goal in the 2010 Beanpot versus archrival Boston University. Ok, this may bot be the absolute biggest goal in BC hockey history but the way it happend just sums up the wonderful career of Chris Kreider. He got the puck, turned on the jets, and flat out embarrassed BU defenseman Max Nicastro before putting the puck in the net.

7. Joe Whitney's OT goal in the 2008 Northeast regional final versus Miami. Like I said yesterday in the top ten games post, that goal was just one of many clutch ones in Joe Whitney's career at Boston College.

8. Nathan Gerbe's OT game winner in the first round of the 2008 Beanpot semifinals versus archrival Boston University. The goalie for BU on that night is still looking for the puck as I write. He doesn't know what happend to it. Anyways, that was certainly a great night to be an Eagle fan.

9. Every single goal in the 2006 beatdown of BU in Worcester. That was to this day, the happiest I have ever been as a BC hockey fan besides the Beanpot and National Championships. Brian Boyle's goal early on stands out.

10. Steve Whitney's goal versus Northeastern in the 2011 Hockey East semifinals. You don't see a play from college hockey get voted the #1 play of the day on Sports Center too often. Well, Steven Whitney made it happen with his highlight reel goal on NU's Chris Rawlings.

I am sure there are others that you guys would put on here instead of a couple I have. It is certainly an interesting discussion so let's hope we get some more next year.

Top 10 Most Memorable Non Frozen Four games since 2000

Joe Rooney beats BU goalie John Curry in the 06 regional.

Ever since the year 1998 when Boston College began it's journey to becoming the best program in college hockey like it is today, there have been many memorable games. Finding the top 10 non Frozen Four games is tough but if you think about the Beanpot, Hockey East tournament, and NCAA regionals, you could easily pick out some very memorable games in the history of Boston College hockey. So without further adieu, here are the top ten non Frozen Four games in the last twelve years.

1. BC 5 BU 0- 2006 Northeast Regional Final. Thanks to two goals from Joe Rooney and stellar games from star forward Brian Boyle and goalie Cory Schneider, BC embarrassed BU in front of a sell out crowd at the DCU Center. By far the greatest non Frozen Four win in BC hockey history.

2. BC 3 BU 2 OT- 2012 Beanpot. Ok, I promise they all won't be BU games but this win will stay in the hearts of Eagle fans forever. For so long Parker and his Terriers have dominated the Beanpot but this win signified a real change in Beanpot hockey.

3. BC 4 Miami 3 OT- 2008 Northeast regional final. Joe Whitney's goal just twelve minutes into overtime lifted the Eagles to what was a big time upset over the top ranked Redhawks. BC scored three goals in less than three minutes towards the end of the second period.

4. BC 3 Michigan 2 OT- 2004 Northeast regional final. Ben Eaves scored one of the more memorable goals in BC hockey history when he knocked a puck out of the air in OT versus Red Berenson's Wolverines.

5. BC 3 Harvard 2 OT- 2008 Beanpot. BC and Harvard have had a competitive rivalry in the history of the two schools but no game may top the 2008 Beanpot final. Defenseman Nick Petricki scored the winner for BC halfway through OT. His celebration after the goal may be memorable than the goal itself.

6. BC 7 Maine 6- 2010 Hockey East final. In what was to this day one of the best hockey games I have ever witnessed, BC edged rival Maine for a league leading 10th (now 12) tournament title. Maine tied it up with just seconds left before Matt Lombardi scored the biggest goal of his career to give BC the edge in OT.

7. BC 7 NU 6- 2011 Beanpot Final. No one gave Northeastern a shot to win this game against the high powered Eagles but the Huskies nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Beanpot history. Thanks to Jimmy Hayes' rebound goal in OT, the Eagles escaped with a second straight Beanpot title, the 16th in program history (Now 17).

8. BC 4 Merrimack - January 2012. 800 wins. I have witnessed a lot of cool events over the period of time I have been attending BC hockey games but no regular season game tops this, for me. When Coach York passes Ron Mason for first all time next year, that will certainly be in the top five.

9. BC 5 UNH 4 3 OT's- 2008 Hockey East semifinal game. One thing that I remember about this game- It was just too long. Benn Ferriero scored the game winner just :43 seconds into the third OT though.

10. BC 9 BU 5- December 2010. I have to end it with another BU one. There really is no better feeling in the world than going into that awful place and coming out with a victory. The nine goals given up by the BU goalies was one of the worst goaltending performances I have ever seen.

Catching Up and Recruiting News

First of all, I hope all of you are enjoying the start of summer, hitting the golf ball straight, and are getting excited for the title defense that will start next October. In terms of news regarding BC hockey, I don't have much for you. There have been no more recruits added for next years class but there are some reports that USHL player of the year and Brown recruit Kevin Roy will get out of his commitment. In the last few days, there have been some articles on some hockey websites saying that Roy is still going to Brown. If he does in fact decommit from Brown and decide to look somewhere else, BC is a rumored destination. The problem however is BC might not have another spot so it will be interesting to see what happens. Another story going around is that recruit Ryan Fitzgerald will leave Malden Catholic and head to the USHL next year. There is a very good possibility of this happening because it is very rare for a recruit to come directly out of high school and compete at this level. Fitzgerald will still be here in the fall of 2013. In news across Hockey East, former BU defenseman Max Nicastro had his charges dropped against him this week, making him available to either play his final year in college or sign with the Detroit Red Wings (The team that drafted him). Odds are that Nicastro will not be going back to BU so it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Another big story coming from the ugly side of Comm Ave is that defenseman Adam Clendening will not returning for his final two years at BU. Clendening was the top player returning on that BU team this season so it will be interesting to see what Parker will do with that extra scholarship.

Former Eagle Robert Scuderi has played a big role for the Stanley Cup leading Los Angeles Kings so far in the Stanley Cup as Scuderi and the Kings lead Peter Harrold and Stephen Gionta's Devils two games to none. On the scheduling front, there is nothing new besides what I have up on the left. The non conference schedule is final as BC will be hosting Notre Dame, Yale, and Dartmouth while traveling out to Minnesota for their holiday tournament over Christmas break.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES