Reports-Another Terrier on the Way Out

Photo by Matt Dresens 

BU Senior forward Justin Courtnall is leaving school according to reports. Courtnall, one of the biggest goons in Hockey East, will sign an entry level agrement with the Boston Bruins. With Courtnall on the way out, the Terriers have now lost seven players from last seasons team, including starting forwards Alex Chiasson, Chirs Connolly, and Courtnall.

BC Hockey-The Essentials

As some of you may have noticed, I made a few changes on the blog over the past week but you can be sure to see more as we get closer to the start of the season. Don't be afraid to email me on any comments or concerns you have over the new look..I appreciate all the advice. As for tonight, I saw a blog post from one of my favorite Hockey East blogs, Fear The Triangle last week on the essentials of the UMass hockey program and did a little more research on some other essentials from other teams such as the Bruins. So let's take a look at the "essentials" of the Boston College Hockey program.

Player: Brian Gionta 

Never before has there been a more talented nor skilled forward in the history of Hockey East than former Eagle Brian Gionta. In his four years at BC, he never had less than 54 points (that includes 62 in his freshman year) and also was the leading scorer in the nation during his senior season. I think it is pretty save to say that no one will ever again step foot on that ice with the speed, skill, and raw talent that one Brian Gionta had. 

Team: 2000-2001 

After numerous years of heartbreak in the Frozen Four to teams like Maine, Michigan, and North Dakota, the 2001 Eagles were finally able to break down the barriers that kept this program from winning a second National Championship. Led by Gionta, Krys Kolanos, Chuck Kobasew, and goalie Scott Clemmensen, the Eagles were able to win the Beanpot, Hockey East championship, and National Championship all in one season for the first time ever (but certainly not the last). While there have been some great teams as of late, no BC team has yet (and may never)  match up to the 2001 squad. 

Goal: 2001 National Championship OT Winner 

Chris Kolanos' goal in the 2001 National Championship game to give BC it's first championship in  52 years will go down as the greatest moment in BC athletics history (Sorry football fans). I mean you never know..what would have happend if the Sioux had won that game ? Would BC Hockey be where it is right now ? I am not going to say no but in reality, if that puck does not go in, we may not be here saying the Eagles have won 3 National Championships in the past 5 years. 

Game: BC 5 BU 0- 2006 NCAA Regionals 

I know, the 2001 National Championship game (and other championships) is #1 but I want to go with something totally unrelated to the 2001 team because everything I have so far circles around that club. There are certainly a bunch of games to choose from but in my opinion, none come close to this one. I mean come on, beating Jack Parker and his Terriers in the NCAA's by 5 GOALS ??? Does it get any better than that ? One word-No. 

Coach: Jerry York 

Ya, this was a real tough one...real tough. Not so much. Snooks and Lenny Ceglarski were both outstanding coaches and coached some great teams here at BC but neither had nearly the success that Coach York has had. Four National Championships, 6 Beanpots, 9 Hockey East titles, and the list goes on and on. Not a lot of coaches can come to a school and take them from the bottom of the league and bring them to the Frozen Four in a matter of four years.. Coach York did and for that, he will remembered not just as the best coach in BC Hockey history, but in the history of college hockey. 

Program Nemesis: Jack Parker 

For so long, Jack Parker and BU dominated BC in every big game and made BC basically irrelevant in Hockey East. His BU teams have always been BC's biggest obstacle in obtaining glory whether it be in the Beanpot, Hockey East tournament or the NCAA's. In the late 80's and all throughout the 90's BU dominated the Eagles but soon some guy named York came to the rescue. And every since he came back to The Heights, the Eagles have been able to turn the tide in this heated rivalry back towards the good end of Comm Ave. 

Most Feared Opposing Player: Peter MacArthur (BU)

When I talk about an opposing player that I most feared, none will ever top Peter MacArthur. Every time this guy stepped on the ice, he seemed to score a goal or at least generated an opportunity for the Terriers against the Eagles. None will top the winning goal in the 06 Beanpot but who cares, we still won the NCAA game. 

Conte Forum Tradition- Alma Mater

I don't think there is any other team in Hockey East that stays on the ice post game whether it's a win or a loss to listin to the schools Alma Mater. I've always thought the whole thing was pretty cool and it makes Conte a little bit unique when compared to opposing arenas. Hopefully, the crowds at hockey games can get even better as the years go on and the team does better. 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES !

Joey Dudek Commits to Boston College

Tonight, it was announced that Kimball Union forward Joe Dudek would commit to Boston College for the 2014 or 15 season. Dudek, who will transfer to KUA this year, spent last season at the Pinkerton School (NH) and recorded a team high 21 goals and 34 assist. Dudek is slated to be a 2014 recruit but could always decided to play a year in the USHL or something like that.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Previewing the Incoming Forwards and Hitting the Links

Last night I wrote some comments on what to expect for each incoming freshman defenseman. Today, I will do the forwards that we will see on campus this fall. Unlike on defense, the Eagles still have some major artillery up front with the likes of Johnny G, Pat Mullane, Steve Whitney, and Bill Arnold all returning from a fantastic championship season. Even though BC loses Kreider, Carey, and Alemdia, the team is still pretty deep up front considering that five freshman started in the National Championship game last season and all played a major role in the teams success. Like last season, the Eagles are going to need guys to step up and put their feet in bigger shoes to help the team win hockey games. Let's take a look at the incoming forwards.

Frank Vatrano- Many consider the 5'10 forward out of Springfield, MA to be the best forward in this class. Vatrano recorded thirty five points for the US National Development program team last season including an assist in the teams 3-3 tie at Boston University. Vatrano played first line left wing for the team most of last year and is noted for having an NHL type shot and is also tough to knock off the puck. This season, Vatrano will need to get a little bit faster to get accustomed to the guys that he will be playing with/against in Hockey East. If he can do that, he will easily be a top three line guy for the Eagles.

Peter McMullen- The 6'2 forward who played last season for the Vernon Vipers recorded just three goals and four assist last season for the Vipers. McMullen played wing at the start of his high school hockey career for the Delbarton School (NJ) but became a center last year for the Vipers. The problem last year with McMullen is that he only played 22 games for the Vipers (Due to injury I think). While at Delbarton two seasons ago, McMullen recorded a team high forty six points including the game winning OT goal to give his school the state championship. Like Vatrano, McMullen does not have a ton of speed but he can use his body to fight off defenders and can use his big shot to put the puck in the net. I am not sure if I think McMullen will start on opening night or not for the Eagles. I could see him going back to right wing and playing with Mike Sit and maybe a Pat Brown on the fourth line but we will see once hockey starts.

Brendan Silk- The 6'2 forward out of Wakefield, MA is coming off a year for the USNDT in which he played first line right wing (along with Vatrano). Silk didn't have a boatload of points last year but he did have a goal in the teams loss to Maine in November among other ones. Like Peter McMullen, I am not sure if Silk will start when the year kicks off. He, McMullen, or even both guys could be a part of the fourth line next year if they continue to improve their skating and get adjusted to the college game but only time will tell if they do indeed start for the Eagles.

Hitting the Links-

Merrimack and Vermont appear to be losing recruits.

BC is the only team not to have "officially" released their Hockey East schedule even though the league released the composite schedule a few weeks ago.

I don't have much on the AD search. In fact, I don't have anything at all..for that, turn to BC Interruption 

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Preview Season...The Incoming Freshman Defenseman

With hockey season knocking on the door, it is time that we start our preview season here on the blog. I will begin my Hockey East previews sometime next week but for now, I thought it would be good to look at the incoming freshman. Next years freshman class will not be your prototypical BC freshman class as some guys will be expected to fill some big shoes in a very short amount of time..something that is never easy for freshman playing at a school like BC (Unless your Johnny G or Gionta). The biggest holes that will need to be filled will be on defense as the team loses Brian Dumoulin, Tommy Cross, and Edwin Shea. Now, I don't think it's fair to expect a guy like Mike Matheson to come in here and be the next Brian Dumoulin or Peter Harrold because thats a real high bar. However, I do think that it is fair to expect guys will come in and become adjusted to the speed of the college game as the season goes on. Let's take a look at the incoming defenseman.

Mike Matheson- The 6'1 defenseman out of Point-Clare, Quebec, is one of the more highly touted defensive recruits in recent memory as he was drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. While playing for the Dubuque Fighting Saints last season, Matheson recorded eleven goals and 16 assist for the Saints which was tops for defenseman on the team. Matheson's strengths are that he is a highly skilled "offensive" defenseman with great speed and nifty puck moving ability in the offensive zone. I think Matheson could really help out on the power play with offensive skill and smart play making. One aspect of his game that must improve this season is his play in his own end. With a small frame at 6'1, Matheson must get stronger as the year goes on to get ready for the big, powerful, forwards that he will face this season.

Colin Sullivan- A former Yale commit, Sullivan is a 6'2 defenseman out of Milford, CT. Last season, Sullivan recorded 17 points for the Avon Old Farms school and was also named to the NESPAC all league team by his fellow coaches. Like Matheson, Sullivan is a strong skater with good balance and is also is good physical condtion according to reports. When he gets to The Heights and starts his career here at BC, he must get quickly adjusted to the speed of the forwards that he will face. It takes a while for every freshman to get adjusted to the speed of the college game but if Sullivan can do it quickly, he could be a good player during his time at BC.

Teddy Doherty- A 5'11 defenseman out of the Dubuque Saints and hockey power Shattuck St Marys (MN), Doherty is another guy that will probably start on opening night for the Eagles. Doherty recorded  16 points last season for the Fighting Saints but had nine of those points on the power play. I think that it will take Doherty a little bit longer to adjust to the college game but with more playing time and some coaching, he could turn out to be a solid defenseman. At 5'11, he is a little undersized so I would expect that he needs some polishing in his own end.

Travis Jeke- A 6'4 defenseman out of the Northwood School (NY), Jeke is a towering walk-on defenseman that may not start at the beginning of the season for the Eagles, but has a chance to crack the lineup as the year goes on. Jeke recorded 27 points (including 16 goals) for the Detroit Little Caesars two season before attending the Northwood School where he had 31 points for the Huskies. If he can improve in a few areas as the season goes on, I think he could play a few games for the Eagles this season.

I'll post the forwards later tonight.

DeFilippo Out As Athletic Director

As you probably all know by now, Gene DeFilippo has stepped down as director of athletics at Boston College. DeFilippo was the head of athletics for 15 years at The Heights and whether you want to believe it or not, he led BC to it's greatest achievements in school history. When we look back at DeFilippo's career, we certainly cannot forget all of the accomplishments that the school had under his leadership. In his 15 years, he oversaw an athletic department that has gone to places unheard of before his arrival and was the key man in making one of the biggest decisions in school history when BC made the move to the ACC. Under GDF's lead, BC was able to upgrade it's athletic facilites, become more competitive in each and every sport, and have had one of the highest graduation rankings in the country. Let's be honest, being an AD at a major sports school like BC is not easy, I mean this isn't BU where you have one sport that people care about. Here at BC, you have a bunch of teams that have very high expectations from the students, fans, alumni, facility etc to succeed year in and year out. A key stat that we must look at when we look at DeFilippo's tenure is that BC is one of just three BCS schools that have neve committed a major NCAA violation. That's pretty good.

On the other hand however, there are some aspects of the DeFilippo era that people were not satisfied about. The firings of Jeff Jagodzinski and Al Skinner did not go well with most of the BC community as both were very successful coaches while at BC and most would say their firings were unjustified. Another problem as of late is that most teams were just not performing up to BC's standards. Football was  a joke last season and basketball is losing to teams like UMass and BU. Unfortunately, the blame  for the bad performances is put on DeFilippo and he eventually paid the price with his job.

When it's all said and done, Gene DeFilippo should be thanked by the Boston College community for his hard work and dedication over these past 15 years. Was everything that GDF did endorsed by the BC community ? No, but we most thank him for all the good he did and the dedication he had to making Boston College a place for unique and talented individuals.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Eagles to Participate in Pittsburgh College Hockey Classic in 2013

With the season fast approaching, now is not the time to be talking about something that will happen over a year and a half from now but BC will participate in the second annual (first will be this year) Pittsburgh College Hockey Classic. The other three teams in the tournament will be Penn State, Bowling Green, and Robert Morris. The games will be played the CONSOL Energy Center (Home of the Penguins).

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

More Lineup Scenarios

A couple of days ago, I posted some line combinations that we could see this upcoming season. Since then, I think I have developed a couple of more combos that we could see on opening night.

Johnny G- Pat Mullane-Steven Whitney. If this line were created, it could very easily be up there with the Whitney-Gibby-Atkinson line in terms of best line in the past couple of years. I mean, you have one of the most talented players we have seen in recent memory in Johnny G, a really solid centerman in Pat Mullane and a player like Steve Whitney who has performed at a high level in each of his three years at BC. I wouldn't count on this line being created however because there wouldn't be as much depth at the forward postion as opposed to if these guys were spread out. If it wasn't a 5 on 5 line, I would definitely think that all three guys would be on the first PP unit (Whitney on D though like he always is)

Destry Straight-Bill Arnold-Danny Linell. To be honest, I kind of like this line for a couple of reasons. First of all, Destry Straight and Danny Linell are going to be key to the teams success this season. If they can perform like they did in the second half of last season, I think this would be a great line. Billy Arnold is probably the best defensive forward on the squad this year but he can also be very productive in the offensive end. I actually wouldn't be surprised if we saw this combination sometime this season.

Quinn Smith-Kevin Hayes-Frank Vatrano. We could switch Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold because the staff may like the idea of keeping Hayes with Straight because they had success playing on the same line with Chris Kreider last year. The reason I like Smith here is because he is a little quicker than Straight and would add some speed to this line. Like I said in an earlier post, Kevin Hayes is the key player on the team this season. If he can get a little bit quicker and can put the puck in the net like he did at the end of last year, he could be primed for a big year.

Cam Spiro-Mike Sit-Pat Brown. Same as last time except I have Cam Spiro in for Brooks Dyroff. I kind of blanked on Spiro last time but after thinking about it, I think he would be a little bit better of a fit than Dyroff. Mike Sit was pretty solid last season as he became an everyday guy about a quater of the way into the campaign so hopefully he picks up where he left off. As for Pat Brown, I hope he gets his chance to play everyday this season. It must have stunk for him to see three freshman take over his spot on the fourth line last season so hopefully he had a good offseason and becomes a night in and night out guy for the Eagles.

Defense- (Minimal changes)

Wey-Matheson

Alber-Sullivan

Dorethy-Macleod

Goalie- Who do you think ?

Kerfoot Commits to Harvard

In what was a long awaited decision, forward Alex Kerfoot has committed to Harvard University over BC and Yale. Kerfoot will arrive in Cambridge in the fall of 2013.

Some lineup scenarios

With news coming out today that forward Evan Richardson would be held back a year and come to BC in 2013, I thought it would be a good idea to once again take a look at a couple of possibilities for next years opening night lineup. Let's start with the forwards-

Johnny G- Pat Mullane- Danny Linell. I really like this first line combination as I think that Johnny G and Pat Mullane could be two of the top scorers in the league next year. Both were absolutely outstanding in the second half of last year so hopefully we see those two light it up again. As for who will replace Paul Carey's spot at right wing, I think Danny Linell would be a good fit. He is quick, a real solid defensive forward, and could see his point production go way up while playing with these two.

Quinn Smith-Bill Arnold- Steve Whitney. Like Mullane and Johnny G, both Billy Arnold and Steve Whitney had phenomenal seasons last year. I would think that the staff would keep Arnold and Whitney together because of the chemistry they developed playing alongside Barry Almeida last season. I couldn't really decide on who to put at left wing but I choose Quinn Smith because like Linell, he is a solid defensive forward and has some real speed that could benefit his linemates.

Destry Straight-Kevin Hayes-Frank Vatrano. The more I think about it, this third line is going to be essential to the club next season. Look at last year, when the third line (Straight-Hayes-Kreider) was playing well, BC was impossible to beat. The problem however is that #19 is not coming through the tunnel this season, which means that all three of these guys need to be playing good hockey. You know  Johnny G, Mullane, Whitney, and Arnold are going to show up on a nightly basis but if these guys can be a solid line, BC could be really tough to beat next year.

Brooks Dyroff- Mike Sit- Pat Brown.  I originally had Evan Richardson in place of Dyroff but now that he is not coming next year, Dyroff gets plugged in. Honestly, I could be 100 % wrong on this line. Maybe Pat Brown will play center and Mike Sit will go to wing (where he played a little last year). Who knows... maybe Dyroff will not play at all and Peter McMullen or Brendan Silk takes the spot.

Defense- 

Pat Wey- Isaac Macleod

Mike Matheson- Patch Alber

Colin Sullivan- Teddy Doherty

Goalie- Parker Milner

I'll try to post some other scenarios as we get closer to the season.

Richardson Staying Back a Year

Powell River Kings forward Evan Richardson will not attend BC next year and will stay back one year. Instead of next fall, Richardson will come to The Heights in 2013.

Kevin Roy Commits to Northeastern

As expected, Kevin Roy and his brother Derrick have committed to Northeastern for this upcoming fall. More to follow tonight.