Boston College continued it's hot streak on the recruiting trail as they received a commitment from top 2000 defenseman Adam Samuelssson, brother of former Eagle Philip and son of Rangers legend Ulf. The youngest Samuelsson, a product of the Connecticut Jr Rangers, is a 6'3 mammoth that, according to those who have seen him play, has a solid stride and can move the puck. It appears that he plays a style similar to that of Steven Santini. Over the Boards described him as "another serious pick up for BC, imposing, high end defender." Samuelsson will be a strong candidate for the National Development Program next season.
In my opinion, things are really looking good on the recruiting trail. After a couple of rough months last winter, the staff has received several big time verbal commitments from Samuelsson, Pat Giles, Jake Tortora, Joe Cassetti, and Spencer Knight. Obviously, a lot will change between now and the time these guys arrive on campus but the coaches have done a terrific job of solidifying the future.
The two big names to watch out for now are 2001 forward Pat Moynihan of Nobles and 2000 forward Joel Farabee of New York. SB Nation's Jeff Cox reported this afternoon that BC has offered Moynihan who also has interest from several Ivy League schools and arch rival Boston University.
We shall see what happens but as of now, all is well in BC Hockey world.
Go Eagles.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Observations From Exhibition Game
The Eagles suffered a 5-2 setback at the hands of New Brunswick last night. I did not see the entire game but what I saw was exactly what I expected. BC looked a bit out of sorts which is fine considering they haven't been able to hold an official practice yet. Here are a few quick notes I gathered.
1. Demko looked perfectly healthy when he was in. The first portion of the opening period was all Varsity Reds and they nearly had a goal to show for it (got reversed). I wouldn't read too much into the fact that he wasn't on the bench for the final two periods as he probably getting some care in the trainers room. I would not be surprised if the staff gave him a couple days off early this week to get ready for Friday.
2. I was very impressed with the freshmen, especially Miles Wood. It was an exhibition game versus bigger and older kids so it is no surprise that BC's biggest and oldest newcomer performed the best. The speed his able to generate through the neutral zone is borderline insane for a kid of that size. I think they should put him on the power play because it could really help them transition from break out to set up but what the heck do I know.
3. They need Birdsall to be better. I know the game doesn't matter at all but freshman goalie Chris Birdsall struggled a bit in his first go around. There is no way Demko can go the entire season without skipping a beat so hopefully Birdsall improves as the year goes on. Although I wasn't there to see it, apparently Birdsall was relatively solid in the third period which is a good sign.
4. The most important thing about these type of games is that no one gets hurt. We will see what happens this week in practice but as of now, they should have a full roster for Friday night.
5. Both the power play and penalty kill need some fine tuning. When you consider the fact that they haven't been able to work on either one of these much during practice then it is not a big deal. I think they will experiment with different units throughout the week and see what works and what doesn't.
6. The staff has a tough call to make with regards to the fourth line. I thought Silk was okay but Dudek was better than I expected him to be. That will be an interesting battle to watch as the week progresses.
That is all I got. Game week baby!
Go Eagles
1. Demko looked perfectly healthy when he was in. The first portion of the opening period was all Varsity Reds and they nearly had a goal to show for it (got reversed). I wouldn't read too much into the fact that he wasn't on the bench for the final two periods as he probably getting some care in the trainers room. I would not be surprised if the staff gave him a couple days off early this week to get ready for Friday.
2. I was very impressed with the freshmen, especially Miles Wood. It was an exhibition game versus bigger and older kids so it is no surprise that BC's biggest and oldest newcomer performed the best. The speed his able to generate through the neutral zone is borderline insane for a kid of that size. I think they should put him on the power play because it could really help them transition from break out to set up but what the heck do I know.
3. They need Birdsall to be better. I know the game doesn't matter at all but freshman goalie Chris Birdsall struggled a bit in his first go around. There is no way Demko can go the entire season without skipping a beat so hopefully Birdsall improves as the year goes on. Although I wasn't there to see it, apparently Birdsall was relatively solid in the third period which is a good sign.
4. The most important thing about these type of games is that no one gets hurt. We will see what happens this week in practice but as of now, they should have a full roster for Friday night.
5. Both the power play and penalty kill need some fine tuning. When you consider the fact that they haven't been able to work on either one of these much during practice then it is not a big deal. I think they will experiment with different units throughout the week and see what works and what doesn't.
6. The staff has a tough call to make with regards to the fourth line. I thought Silk was okay but Dudek was better than I expected him to be. That will be an interesting battle to watch as the week progresses.
That is all I got. Game week baby!
Go Eagles
Friday, October 2, 2015
Forward Preview #2
It is time to finish up our season previews that we started a couple nights ago.
Chris Calnan- Although I said yesterday that Austin Cangelosi was the "x-factor" for this team, I think you could certainly make the case for Chris Calnan filling that role. The third round pick of the world champion Chicago Blackhawks has had his ups and downs but I thought there were times last year when he looked like one of BC's best forwards. There was a period when the Norwell native recorded seven points in six games but he failed to record any points in the final fourteen games. I think the best parts to Calnan's game are his skating and his work along the walls. He could rack up a good amount of points if he continues to work hard down low and get pucks to the front of the net. The third line right wing spot with Wood and Cangelosi is the perfect fit for #11 because he won't have to be the playmaker on that line, he will do what he does best- grind. Not sure if he will see power play time right off the bat but he certainly will be a key aspect of Coach Ayers' penalty killing unit.
Adam Gilmour- This is another one of those situations where I'm not sure what to expect. A season ago, Gilmour centered BC's top line with Tuch and Sanford but this year he will switch to the wing on the second line (at least to start). He will likely be a stalwart on the Eagles' second power play unit but will probably see a reduced role in the penalty killing department. If the Hanover native can record anywhere between 40-50 points, it would really take a lot of pressure off of the first line. The past three seasons have been ones in which the maroon and gold have had stellar top units but a significant drop in production after that has led to early playoff exits. If guys like Gilmour, Fitzgerald, and Calnan can expanded their roles as upperclassmen, then BC has a chance to be a very good team.
Chris Brown- The nephew of Coach Brown and son of BC legend Doug Brown is my pick for "surprise" player of the year. I had never seen him skate before a couple months ago and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. As a fourth liner, he probably won't have a ton of points but I think he will morph into a solid two way, penalty killing forward. Due to all the star power in front of him, power play time doesn't seem like a possibility at this point but things always change during the course of a long season. In terms of production, I think anywhere between 13-20 points would be fine. As I said in Gilmour's piece, BC's problem is never the first liners, it's the bottom nine guys who ranged from 6-23 points a year ago. That number has to much higher this time around.
Matthew Gaudreau- Like the aforementioned Brown, Matthew Gaudreau will likely be an everyday player on BC's fourth line. It's amazing to think that there was a time last season when he was playing either first or second line because he is certainly much more fit for that secondary role. The Carney's Point, NJ native does not possess the skills his brother does but for a fourth liner in this league, he's got some pretty nifty moves. Not sure if he will garner much time on special teams. Hopefully he can double up his 6 point total from a season ago, I certainly think he will.
Brendan Silk- For whatever the reason, I've always rooted for Brendan Silk a little bit more than anybody else. Let's be honest, his time has at BC has been full of rough stretches, usually due to injury. Whatever you think of the kid as a hockey player, from what I can tell, he works hard every single day at practice and deserves a chance to play next weekend at Army. Whether it was two years ago against PC or freshman year against Boston University, Silk has had some brilliant bright spots, unfortunately, they have been few and far between. I'm not saying he is going to go out and light the world on fire this season but I do think he could set the tone for this team by doing what he does best- banging bodies and blocking shots. Oh he also has an absolute rocket of a shot, maybe the best of any forward outside of Tuch and Wood. He won't have more than ten or fifteen points but he's got a chance to do a lot of damage outside the box score. I think this is finally the year where fans come to realize Silk's value to this program.
Chris Shero- The son of Devils GM Ray Shero won't get much playing time this season but he's looked pretty solid in the four or five practices I've watched. In the case of an injury, Shero is capable of coming in and playing some minutes.
Joey Dudek- A 6th round draft pick of the Devils, one of three on the roster, Dudek has an outside shot of cracking the opening night lineup. He's not a terrific skater but there's certainly some skill to work with there and he would obviously be the next guy up if somebody went down. There is a chance (usually a high one) that I am completely wrong and Dudek starts opening night but unless he really stands out against New Brunswick, I think Silk gets the nod on fourth line right wing.
Well, that will do it for the player previews. Let's take a look at the top things to watch out for tomorrow night vs UNB.
1. How much will Demko play, if at all?
According to a source, the staff is still considering whether or not to give BC's starting netminder some reps tomorrow night but there is a chance he plays. He has been a full go at practice.
2. Who will man the power play units?
This is what I am looking most forward to. I think the top two units will be- Bracco, Sanford, Tuch, McCoshen, Doherty then Gilmour, White, Fitzgerald, Savage, and then maybe C. Fitzgerald or Wood.
3. How does BC stack up vs UNB?
Believe it or not, the Varsity Reds are a heck of a team. They're ranked #1 in the CIS and just beat the Portland Pirates (AHL) last night.
4. Will they change up the lines as the night goes on?
I think they will stick with what they had earlier this week. They ran the same combinations (sans Dudek) at todays practice so unless something drastic happens, those are what we got.
Go Eagles. Go Acadia (playing BU) !
Chris Calnan- Although I said yesterday that Austin Cangelosi was the "x-factor" for this team, I think you could certainly make the case for Chris Calnan filling that role. The third round pick of the world champion Chicago Blackhawks has had his ups and downs but I thought there were times last year when he looked like one of BC's best forwards. There was a period when the Norwell native recorded seven points in six games but he failed to record any points in the final fourteen games. I think the best parts to Calnan's game are his skating and his work along the walls. He could rack up a good amount of points if he continues to work hard down low and get pucks to the front of the net. The third line right wing spot with Wood and Cangelosi is the perfect fit for #11 because he won't have to be the playmaker on that line, he will do what he does best- grind. Not sure if he will see power play time right off the bat but he certainly will be a key aspect of Coach Ayers' penalty killing unit.
Adam Gilmour- This is another one of those situations where I'm not sure what to expect. A season ago, Gilmour centered BC's top line with Tuch and Sanford but this year he will switch to the wing on the second line (at least to start). He will likely be a stalwart on the Eagles' second power play unit but will probably see a reduced role in the penalty killing department. If the Hanover native can record anywhere between 40-50 points, it would really take a lot of pressure off of the first line. The past three seasons have been ones in which the maroon and gold have had stellar top units but a significant drop in production after that has led to early playoff exits. If guys like Gilmour, Fitzgerald, and Calnan can expanded their roles as upperclassmen, then BC has a chance to be a very good team.
Chris Brown- The nephew of Coach Brown and son of BC legend Doug Brown is my pick for "surprise" player of the year. I had never seen him skate before a couple months ago and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. As a fourth liner, he probably won't have a ton of points but I think he will morph into a solid two way, penalty killing forward. Due to all the star power in front of him, power play time doesn't seem like a possibility at this point but things always change during the course of a long season. In terms of production, I think anywhere between 13-20 points would be fine. As I said in Gilmour's piece, BC's problem is never the first liners, it's the bottom nine guys who ranged from 6-23 points a year ago. That number has to much higher this time around.
Matthew Gaudreau- Like the aforementioned Brown, Matthew Gaudreau will likely be an everyday player on BC's fourth line. It's amazing to think that there was a time last season when he was playing either first or second line because he is certainly much more fit for that secondary role. The Carney's Point, NJ native does not possess the skills his brother does but for a fourth liner in this league, he's got some pretty nifty moves. Not sure if he will garner much time on special teams. Hopefully he can double up his 6 point total from a season ago, I certainly think he will.
Brendan Silk- For whatever the reason, I've always rooted for Brendan Silk a little bit more than anybody else. Let's be honest, his time has at BC has been full of rough stretches, usually due to injury. Whatever you think of the kid as a hockey player, from what I can tell, he works hard every single day at practice and deserves a chance to play next weekend at Army. Whether it was two years ago against PC or freshman year against Boston University, Silk has had some brilliant bright spots, unfortunately, they have been few and far between. I'm not saying he is going to go out and light the world on fire this season but I do think he could set the tone for this team by doing what he does best- banging bodies and blocking shots. Oh he also has an absolute rocket of a shot, maybe the best of any forward outside of Tuch and Wood. He won't have more than ten or fifteen points but he's got a chance to do a lot of damage outside the box score. I think this is finally the year where fans come to realize Silk's value to this program.
Chris Shero- The son of Devils GM Ray Shero won't get much playing time this season but he's looked pretty solid in the four or five practices I've watched. In the case of an injury, Shero is capable of coming in and playing some minutes.
Joey Dudek- A 6th round draft pick of the Devils, one of three on the roster, Dudek has an outside shot of cracking the opening night lineup. He's not a terrific skater but there's certainly some skill to work with there and he would obviously be the next guy up if somebody went down. There is a chance (usually a high one) that I am completely wrong and Dudek starts opening night but unless he really stands out against New Brunswick, I think Silk gets the nod on fourth line right wing.
Well, that will do it for the player previews. Let's take a look at the top things to watch out for tomorrow night vs UNB.
1. How much will Demko play, if at all?
According to a source, the staff is still considering whether or not to give BC's starting netminder some reps tomorrow night but there is a chance he plays. He has been a full go at practice.
2. Who will man the power play units?
This is what I am looking most forward to. I think the top two units will be- Bracco, Sanford, Tuch, McCoshen, Doherty then Gilmour, White, Fitzgerald, Savage, and then maybe C. Fitzgerald or Wood.
3. How does BC stack up vs UNB?
Believe it or not, the Varsity Reds are a heck of a team. They're ranked #1 in the CIS and just beat the Portland Pirates (AHL) last night.
4. Will they change up the lines as the night goes on?
I think they will stick with what they had earlier this week. They ran the same combinations (sans Dudek) at todays practice so unless something drastic happens, those are what we got.
Go Eagles. Go Acadia (playing BU) !
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Season Preview Part II: The Forwards
A couple nights ago, we began our season previews by looking at BC's defensive core. Tonight, we will look at the forward corps. I will be splitting this into two sections of it's own for time's sake.
The 2015-16 edition of the Eagles will feature, in my opinion, the best forward grouping of the Coach York era. Led by returnees Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, Zach Sanford, and a terrific freshmen class, BC will look to rebuild an offense that took a step back last season after the departures of G, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold the year before. Boston College returns 6 of it's top 7 seven scorers from a season ago and they will lead college hockey with 10 NHL draft picks on the front end. A year ago, BC was a whopping 7th in Hockey East when it came to goals per game (2.82) but I would be shocked if they didn't increase that number by a full point over the course of the 2015-16 season.
Alex Tuch- I almost fell off the roof of my house when I saw that College Hockey News did not have Tuch on either their first or second team. Outside of NU's Kevin Roy, there may be no one more talented in the entire league when it comes to pure puck skills. I expect the staff to match Tuch with freshman Jeremy Bracco and Zach Sanford which is as deadly a combination as you can possibly get in the college game these days. #12 will obviously see time on the first power play unit, it just remains to be seen who joins him there. The staff used him to kill penalties at times last year but I don't expect that to be the case all that often this year because three of the four freshmen will probably get more PK time than expected. Obviously I am biased, but I think the Baldwinsville, New York native has a shot to bring home the Hobey Baker award, especially considering the amount of skill he will have surrounding him.
Zach Sanford- Before his arrival, the Pinkerton, New Hampshire native was expected to come in and hopefully contribute offensively but nobody thought he would have the season he had in 14-15. Like his classmate Tuch, I think Sanford will benefit greatly from a deeper lineup with more skill to help offset everyones strengths and weaknesses. We know how good Sanford and Jeremy Bracco are with the puck on their sticks and if you mix that in with Tuch's shot, the results could be devastating. I could tell that the enormous amount of minutes Zach was getting took a toll in the Vermont series and subsequent Denver game. Teams went after him all the time. This year, he doesn't have to go up against opponents' top defensive pairing every single shift because the staff can just throw out one of BC's other top lines. I think #24 will be on the first power play unit along with being one of the top penalty killers on the squad. A tall task? Sure, but after the surprise he pulled a season ago, I would not be surprised to see Zach as one of the top scorers in college hockey.
Jeremy Bracco- As far as I am concerned, no forward has arrived at BC with as much hype surrounding him as Bracco has. When a kid goes out and breaks NTDP records set by Pat Kane and Phil Kessel, you know he has got to be pretty, pretty good. My expectation is that the Long Island native will come in and play top minutes right off the bat, something that is very rare at BC. How many freshmen have come in here and played first line right away? Tuch and Gionta are the only two I can think of. Kreider didn't, G didn't, Hayes didn't. Anyways, I think Bracco is basically going to run the power play. He might set the BC record for assists in a season along the way. In fact, he was my pick to win Hockey East player of the year. Not one other media type had him on there. Ridiculous.
Ryan Fitzgerald- A fourth round draft pick of his hometown Bruins, Fitzgerald is coming off a season is which he recorded a team high 17 goals. With the infusion of the freshmen class, one would expect Fitz's role to be slightly reduced but he will certainly be cornerstone of BC's second power play unit and perhaps their top penalty killing team. I think he will play second line with Gilmour and White to start things off. Honestly, I think a lot of fans, including myself, are underrating Fitz because he has been the top player out of that junior class throughout his first two years yet not many think he will be a major player in terms of league scoring. This time around, he won't need to carry the load which could be a blessing in disguise for one of BC's best two way forwards.
Colin White- I always get a lot of heat from people who read this thing because supposedly I don't talk enough White compared to his fellow NTDP alum Bracco. The first round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators could very well be a fixture on BC's second power play unit but even if that is not the case, he will get a lot of time on the penalty kill. The Hanover native and Nobles product will be one of the Eagles' top two way players. With all the weapons up front, maybe it will take some time for Colin to get used to playing a bit of a secondary role but after a few months, he will be one of the top players on this club.
Austin Cangelosi- In hockey, it is hard to pick out "key players" on any team but for me, Cangelosi is the X factor this year's BC team. I believe he was dragged down by having to play with slower players a season ago because he might be the fastest guy in the entire league. Pair him up with a guy like Miles Wood who can also fly, then you've got two players that could really compliment each other. I read some of these message boards and see that fans are ready to give up on #26, who at the time, was a huge commitment for the staff. I am not one of those people. I think the Estero, Florida native will be the biggest surprise out of anybody in that locker room. Cango just needs to be with guys that can put the puck in the net and keep up with his speed. With the addition of the new freshmen class, that is a distinct possibility.
Miles Wood- The only freshman in the entire country to make the US World Jr team a season ago comes to the Heights after a terrific stint at Nobles. I've always thought he plays a lot like Chris Kreider, he's big, he's got a terrific stride, possesses a shot could kill somebody, and sometimes gets a bit fired up and takes a few penalties here and there. I think the staff should put him on the point on the first power play unit, something he did during his time at Nobles, but the odds of that happening are slim. Of course, the biggest question mark for me is how will he make the adjustment from playing against high schoolers to top level division one players? Guys like Bracco, White, Casey Fitz, and Brown have all played against older kids in the USHL but Miles never got a chance to do that, in fact he was the oldest guy in the ISL. Personally, I don't think he will have any issues adjusting after a few games but who knows what will happen.
The 2015-16 edition of the Eagles will feature, in my opinion, the best forward grouping of the Coach York era. Led by returnees Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, Zach Sanford, and a terrific freshmen class, BC will look to rebuild an offense that took a step back last season after the departures of G, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold the year before. Boston College returns 6 of it's top 7 seven scorers from a season ago and they will lead college hockey with 10 NHL draft picks on the front end. A year ago, BC was a whopping 7th in Hockey East when it came to goals per game (2.82) but I would be shocked if they didn't increase that number by a full point over the course of the 2015-16 season.
Alex Tuch- I almost fell off the roof of my house when I saw that College Hockey News did not have Tuch on either their first or second team. Outside of NU's Kevin Roy, there may be no one more talented in the entire league when it comes to pure puck skills. I expect the staff to match Tuch with freshman Jeremy Bracco and Zach Sanford which is as deadly a combination as you can possibly get in the college game these days. #12 will obviously see time on the first power play unit, it just remains to be seen who joins him there. The staff used him to kill penalties at times last year but I don't expect that to be the case all that often this year because three of the four freshmen will probably get more PK time than expected. Obviously I am biased, but I think the Baldwinsville, New York native has a shot to bring home the Hobey Baker award, especially considering the amount of skill he will have surrounding him.
Zach Sanford- Before his arrival, the Pinkerton, New Hampshire native was expected to come in and hopefully contribute offensively but nobody thought he would have the season he had in 14-15. Like his classmate Tuch, I think Sanford will benefit greatly from a deeper lineup with more skill to help offset everyones strengths and weaknesses. We know how good Sanford and Jeremy Bracco are with the puck on their sticks and if you mix that in with Tuch's shot, the results could be devastating. I could tell that the enormous amount of minutes Zach was getting took a toll in the Vermont series and subsequent Denver game. Teams went after him all the time. This year, he doesn't have to go up against opponents' top defensive pairing every single shift because the staff can just throw out one of BC's other top lines. I think #24 will be on the first power play unit along with being one of the top penalty killers on the squad. A tall task? Sure, but after the surprise he pulled a season ago, I would not be surprised to see Zach as one of the top scorers in college hockey.
Jeremy Bracco- As far as I am concerned, no forward has arrived at BC with as much hype surrounding him as Bracco has. When a kid goes out and breaks NTDP records set by Pat Kane and Phil Kessel, you know he has got to be pretty, pretty good. My expectation is that the Long Island native will come in and play top minutes right off the bat, something that is very rare at BC. How many freshmen have come in here and played first line right away? Tuch and Gionta are the only two I can think of. Kreider didn't, G didn't, Hayes didn't. Anyways, I think Bracco is basically going to run the power play. He might set the BC record for assists in a season along the way. In fact, he was my pick to win Hockey East player of the year. Not one other media type had him on there. Ridiculous.
Ryan Fitzgerald- A fourth round draft pick of his hometown Bruins, Fitzgerald is coming off a season is which he recorded a team high 17 goals. With the infusion of the freshmen class, one would expect Fitz's role to be slightly reduced but he will certainly be cornerstone of BC's second power play unit and perhaps their top penalty killing team. I think he will play second line with Gilmour and White to start things off. Honestly, I think a lot of fans, including myself, are underrating Fitz because he has been the top player out of that junior class throughout his first two years yet not many think he will be a major player in terms of league scoring. This time around, he won't need to carry the load which could be a blessing in disguise for one of BC's best two way forwards.
Colin White- I always get a lot of heat from people who read this thing because supposedly I don't talk enough White compared to his fellow NTDP alum Bracco. The first round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators could very well be a fixture on BC's second power play unit but even if that is not the case, he will get a lot of time on the penalty kill. The Hanover native and Nobles product will be one of the Eagles' top two way players. With all the weapons up front, maybe it will take some time for Colin to get used to playing a bit of a secondary role but after a few months, he will be one of the top players on this club.
Austin Cangelosi- In hockey, it is hard to pick out "key players" on any team but for me, Cangelosi is the X factor this year's BC team. I believe he was dragged down by having to play with slower players a season ago because he might be the fastest guy in the entire league. Pair him up with a guy like Miles Wood who can also fly, then you've got two players that could really compliment each other. I read some of these message boards and see that fans are ready to give up on #26, who at the time, was a huge commitment for the staff. I am not one of those people. I think the Estero, Florida native will be the biggest surprise out of anybody in that locker room. Cango just needs to be with guys that can put the puck in the net and keep up with his speed. With the addition of the new freshmen class, that is a distinct possibility.
Miles Wood- The only freshman in the entire country to make the US World Jr team a season ago comes to the Heights after a terrific stint at Nobles. I've always thought he plays a lot like Chris Kreider, he's big, he's got a terrific stride, possesses a shot could kill somebody, and sometimes gets a bit fired up and takes a few penalties here and there. I think the staff should put him on the point on the first power play unit, something he did during his time at Nobles, but the odds of that happening are slim. Of course, the biggest question mark for me is how will he make the adjustment from playing against high schoolers to top level division one players? Guys like Bracco, White, Casey Fitz, and Brown have all played against older kids in the USHL but Miles never got a chance to do that, in fact he was the oldest guy in the ISL. Personally, I don't think he will have any issues adjusting after a few games but who knows what will happen.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Season Preview Part I: The Defense
On Saturday night, the #1 Boston College Eagles will take the ice for the first time this season in an exhibition game versus the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, commencing the 94th season in the history of the program. Instead of doing one massive season preview, I am going to break it into a couple different parts, one about the defense and one about the forwards. Let's take a look at this year's blue line.
A season ago, the Eagles boasted one of the best defensive cores in college hockey but after the departures of Michael Matheson and Noah Hanifin, the staff will be relying on juniors Ian McCoshen and Steve Santini to log big minutes. I expected the Eagles to be the top team in the conference in terms of goals against last year but instead, they finished with a 2.39 goals against average, good for 4th in Hockey East. Of course, many around the league are raising questions about BC's blue line because they will be breaking in two freshmen, Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier. Unlike Hanifin or other recent rookies, these two are not highly drafted NHL prospects but they will be asked to come in and contribute right off the bat. I expect that McCoshen, Santini, Savage, and Doherty will get the majority of the minutes when it comes to penalty kills but I could certainly see a scenario in which one of those two rookies gets a look on the second power play unit. Going back to the questions about BC's D, I certainly see why people would have their doubts but let's remember that the best BC teams are built from the forward position on out. They tried to play a slower, more defensive style last year and it just didn't click for them. The reason I am optimistic about this back end is because I think they will be given ample opportunities to grow as the season goes on. In fact, Boston College plays just one NCAA tournament team from last season before Christmas break (Denver). The lack of depth on the back end is a bit of cause for concern but I think we will see the staff drastically cut back on McCoshen and Santini's minutes in games that are out of hand. I wonder if they would even consider dressing just 11 forwards and 7 defensemen because they have all the depth they need up front, why not add another guy to the back end to play every couple shifts in order to keep guys fresh?
Here is a bit on the expectations for each of BC's defensemen.
Ian McCoshen- I don't know if there is a guy I would rather want on my blue line than Ian McCoshen. He is tough, contributes offensively, shuts down other teams' top guys, and has the best shot I've ever seen at BC. This season, he will undoubtedly play the most minutes on the team, maybe even the league. I expect that he will anchor BC's top power play unit along with the first penalty killing squad, two things he also did a year ago. The only worry I have this year when it comes to #3 is his ability to stay fresh because he is going to play a ton.
Steve Santini- Like McCoshen, junior alternate captain Steve Santini will garner huge minutes throughout the year, especially vs the top players on the other end of the ice. Since his freshman season, Santini has been thrown right into the fire and has often succeeded. He doesn't have much of an offensive side to his game but he will join forces with McCoshen on BC's top penalty killing unit and will also be on the ice any time the Eagles are in need of a late game defensive stand. Of course, there was a big hole in BC's defensive core when "The Sheriff" missed 16 games a season ago due to injury. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year and become the driving force behind a BC defense that will certainly be relived of the pressure they faced last year.
Scott Savage- First off, I want to say that I'm a big fan of Scott Savage. I think he showed a ton of upside both offensively and defensively freshman year. However, he took a bit of a step back a season ago as he recorded 0 goals and a -7 rating, lowest out of any BC defenseman. Despite the ups and downs of last winter, I think a renewed offense will allow Scott to take more shots at the blue line and spend less time in his own end, an obvious formula for success. I thought the pace at which the team played at a season ago really affected #2 because he didn't have time to make any plays in the offensive zone and since the forwards had such a tough time moving the puck up ice, he often got stuck in his own end. It is my hope that the staff gives him another chance on the power play because he has an absolute rocket of a shot that found the net 4 times in 2014 to go along with 14 helpers. Look for a bounce back year from the junior out of California.
Teddy Doherty- The senior captain epitomizes everything you want in a BC Hockey player. He plays his heart out every game, has improved drastically from year to year due to his hard work, and possesses all the tools necessary to led this team both on and off the ice. The Hopkinton native was second amongst defensemen in points last year with 6 goals and 17 assists to go along with a +15 rating. I would certainly say he was BC's most consistent blue liner a year ago and I think that will carry over to this year. Doherty is an exceptional puck mover, especially on the man advantage. I'm not sure how they will sort out the blue line on the power play but I think #4 should be on the first unit along with McCoshen. With the skill up front, you have to wonder if the staff will go back to a four or five forward first unit. Anyways, I'm thinking big things are ahead for BC's senior leader.
Casey Fitzgerald- Now we get into the unknowns. The younger brother of Ryan comes to Chestnut Hill a bit under the radar after failing to get drafted in June. I've only watched him a few times but I think he will fit in just fine at BC with his smooth stride and offensive instinct. Again, I think there is a chance Casey gets some minutes on the power play early on as the staff plays around with different combinations. I would be surprised if #5 isn't paired with a seasoned vet like McCoshen or Santini in the early going to help offset any miscues in the defensive end. In talking with some people inside the program, there is feeling that if either Fitzgerald or Couturier can play at a high level for a large chunk of the season, it will make this team that much better because let's be honest, playing four guys every night will be tough. The staff doesn't need the newcomers to be the next Bobby Orr or Nick Lidstrom but they have got to find a way to play mistake free hockey this year.
Josh Couturier- The former Northeastern commit is the biggest question mark for me simply because I have only seen him play two or three times. Coach York described the Newburyport native as a "sleeper for us. He's a little older and he will bring good size to our defense. We believe he will be a contributor throughout the season." I think Coach hit the nail on the head, like usual. No one really knows how Couturier is going to adjust from playing in the USPHL to Hockey East but the good news is that he is physically on par with everybody else, he just has to get used to the speed of the game.
Travis Jeke- The senior defenseman out of Pittsburgh will provide some depth for the Eagles this season. I think he will certainly play between 7-15 games, depending on what happens with injuries and the performance of the the two freshmen. Like I said in the first paragraph, I think Jeke is a perfectly reliable 6th guy in the rotation who, believe it or not, has some skill to work with.
Hey, if you're worried about the defense don't get too anxious. Coach Brown will get them going in no time and even if they struggle at times, having the best forward group of the Coach York era won't hurt at all.
Go Eagles
A season ago, the Eagles boasted one of the best defensive cores in college hockey but after the departures of Michael Matheson and Noah Hanifin, the staff will be relying on juniors Ian McCoshen and Steve Santini to log big minutes. I expected the Eagles to be the top team in the conference in terms of goals against last year but instead, they finished with a 2.39 goals against average, good for 4th in Hockey East. Of course, many around the league are raising questions about BC's blue line because they will be breaking in two freshmen, Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier. Unlike Hanifin or other recent rookies, these two are not highly drafted NHL prospects but they will be asked to come in and contribute right off the bat. I expect that McCoshen, Santini, Savage, and Doherty will get the majority of the minutes when it comes to penalty kills but I could certainly see a scenario in which one of those two rookies gets a look on the second power play unit. Going back to the questions about BC's D, I certainly see why people would have their doubts but let's remember that the best BC teams are built from the forward position on out. They tried to play a slower, more defensive style last year and it just didn't click for them. The reason I am optimistic about this back end is because I think they will be given ample opportunities to grow as the season goes on. In fact, Boston College plays just one NCAA tournament team from last season before Christmas break (Denver). The lack of depth on the back end is a bit of cause for concern but I think we will see the staff drastically cut back on McCoshen and Santini's minutes in games that are out of hand. I wonder if they would even consider dressing just 11 forwards and 7 defensemen because they have all the depth they need up front, why not add another guy to the back end to play every couple shifts in order to keep guys fresh?
Here is a bit on the expectations for each of BC's defensemen.
Ian McCoshen- I don't know if there is a guy I would rather want on my blue line than Ian McCoshen. He is tough, contributes offensively, shuts down other teams' top guys, and has the best shot I've ever seen at BC. This season, he will undoubtedly play the most minutes on the team, maybe even the league. I expect that he will anchor BC's top power play unit along with the first penalty killing squad, two things he also did a year ago. The only worry I have this year when it comes to #3 is his ability to stay fresh because he is going to play a ton.
Steve Santini- Like McCoshen, junior alternate captain Steve Santini will garner huge minutes throughout the year, especially vs the top players on the other end of the ice. Since his freshman season, Santini has been thrown right into the fire and has often succeeded. He doesn't have much of an offensive side to his game but he will join forces with McCoshen on BC's top penalty killing unit and will also be on the ice any time the Eagles are in need of a late game defensive stand. Of course, there was a big hole in BC's defensive core when "The Sheriff" missed 16 games a season ago due to injury. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year and become the driving force behind a BC defense that will certainly be relived of the pressure they faced last year.
Scott Savage- First off, I want to say that I'm a big fan of Scott Savage. I think he showed a ton of upside both offensively and defensively freshman year. However, he took a bit of a step back a season ago as he recorded 0 goals and a -7 rating, lowest out of any BC defenseman. Despite the ups and downs of last winter, I think a renewed offense will allow Scott to take more shots at the blue line and spend less time in his own end, an obvious formula for success. I thought the pace at which the team played at a season ago really affected #2 because he didn't have time to make any plays in the offensive zone and since the forwards had such a tough time moving the puck up ice, he often got stuck in his own end. It is my hope that the staff gives him another chance on the power play because he has an absolute rocket of a shot that found the net 4 times in 2014 to go along with 14 helpers. Look for a bounce back year from the junior out of California.
Teddy Doherty- The senior captain epitomizes everything you want in a BC Hockey player. He plays his heart out every game, has improved drastically from year to year due to his hard work, and possesses all the tools necessary to led this team both on and off the ice. The Hopkinton native was second amongst defensemen in points last year with 6 goals and 17 assists to go along with a +15 rating. I would certainly say he was BC's most consistent blue liner a year ago and I think that will carry over to this year. Doherty is an exceptional puck mover, especially on the man advantage. I'm not sure how they will sort out the blue line on the power play but I think #4 should be on the first unit along with McCoshen. With the skill up front, you have to wonder if the staff will go back to a four or five forward first unit. Anyways, I'm thinking big things are ahead for BC's senior leader.
Casey Fitzgerald- Now we get into the unknowns. The younger brother of Ryan comes to Chestnut Hill a bit under the radar after failing to get drafted in June. I've only watched him a few times but I think he will fit in just fine at BC with his smooth stride and offensive instinct. Again, I think there is a chance Casey gets some minutes on the power play early on as the staff plays around with different combinations. I would be surprised if #5 isn't paired with a seasoned vet like McCoshen or Santini in the early going to help offset any miscues in the defensive end. In talking with some people inside the program, there is feeling that if either Fitzgerald or Couturier can play at a high level for a large chunk of the season, it will make this team that much better because let's be honest, playing four guys every night will be tough. The staff doesn't need the newcomers to be the next Bobby Orr or Nick Lidstrom but they have got to find a way to play mistake free hockey this year.
Josh Couturier- The former Northeastern commit is the biggest question mark for me simply because I have only seen him play two or three times. Coach York described the Newburyport native as a "sleeper for us. He's a little older and he will bring good size to our defense. We believe he will be a contributor throughout the season." I think Coach hit the nail on the head, like usual. No one really knows how Couturier is going to adjust from playing in the USPHL to Hockey East but the good news is that he is physically on par with everybody else, he just has to get used to the speed of the game.
Travis Jeke- The senior defenseman out of Pittsburgh will provide some depth for the Eagles this season. I think he will certainly play between 7-15 games, depending on what happens with injuries and the performance of the the two freshmen. Like I said in the first paragraph, I think Jeke is a perfectly reliable 6th guy in the rotation who, believe it or not, has some skill to work with.
Hey, if you're worried about the defense don't get too anxious. Coach Brown will get them going in no time and even if they struggle at times, having the best forward group of the Coach York era won't hurt at all.
Go Eagles
Updates
With only a few days remaining until the start of hockey season, the Eagles continue to gear up for their exhibition game versus New Brunswick on Saturday night. The staff keeps playing around with different line combinations, here is what they had in store today.
Tuch-Sanford-Bracco
Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan
Fitzgerald-White-Gilmour
Gaudreau-Brown-Silk
I would expect that those are the combinations they will use vs UNB but depending on what works and what doesn't, they could certainly mix it up before Army next Friday. Thatcher Demko was on the ice once again and looked as good as usual. I think we will see him between the pipes on opening night.
Central Scouting came out with their annual September rankings this afternoon. Boston College landed 6 guys on the list- McInnis, Walker, Casey Fitzgerald, McPhee, Woll, and Campoli. That ties arch rival Boston University and Wisconsin for the most in college hockey
I will have the first part of my season preview up tonight around 8 o'clock.
Go Eagles
Friday, September 25, 2015
McInnis Named MVP of All-American Prospects Game
BC recruit Luke McInnis took home MVP honors last night at the All American Prospects game in Buffalo, New York. McInnis, who will play for the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) this year, scored the game winning goal in the third period. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to watch much of the game but according to those that did, 2016 recruit Mike Campoli stood out on both ends. SB Nation's Jeff Cox added that another 2016 recruit, Graham McPhee, is one of the most improved players on the NTDP squad along with Wisconsin commit Trent Frederic.
All in all, a solid night for the future Eagles.
I'll have my full length season preview up at some point next week.
Go Eagles
All in all, a solid night for the future Eagles.
I'll have my full length season preview up at some point next week.
Go Eagles
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Eagles Pick Up Another Top 99
Coach York and his staff continued their recruiting upswing as USNTDP U17 forward Joe Cassetti committed this evening. The 6'2 forward out of Pleaseanton, California has recorded 3 goals in 4 games this season for an NTDP squad that also features BC commit Jacob Tortora. Cassetti made a strong impression on the staff this weekend at the USHL Pittsburgh Showcase, a tournament in which both Coach Brown and Coach Ayers attended.
This is another strong addition for BC's already potent recruiting pipeline. Their most recent gets of Pat Giles, Spencer Knight, and Cassetti, along with previous verbals from Tortora and TJ Walsh, are strong indications that the Eagles will certainly be contending for National Titles well beyond this season.
Here is a report from Jeff Cox on Cassetti.
Go Eagles !
This is another strong addition for BC's already potent recruiting pipeline. Their most recent gets of Pat Giles, Spencer Knight, and Cassetti, along with previous verbals from Tortora and TJ Walsh, are strong indications that the Eagles will certainly be contending for National Titles well beyond this season.
Here is a report from Jeff Cox on Cassetti.
Go Eagles !
Monday, September 21, 2015
First Practice Observations
I got my first glimpse of the 2015-16 Eagles today. The first thing observation I had was the pace at which the team was going at, even if it was just their third or fourth time together on the ice. Comparing the tempo of last year's practices to this year would be like comparing the speed of Honda Pilot and a Corvette.
Earlier today, Coach York told the Hockey East media that Thatcher Demko may not be ready for opening night, "He is not 100% yet but by the end of October, early November, he should be fully healed." Demko was on the ice today and from what I could tell, there were no instances in which he showed a lot of pain. Sure, we all want him in the net vs Army on October 9th but the reality is that this team should be able to beat their first four opponents relatively easily before things get a bit tougher in November. It is not the end of the world if he has to miss the first three or four games.
It is still early in the preseason but here are the lines the staff rolled out today.
Earlier today, Coach York told the Hockey East media that Thatcher Demko may not be ready for opening night, "He is not 100% yet but by the end of October, early November, he should be fully healed." Demko was on the ice today and from what I could tell, there were no instances in which he showed a lot of pain. Sure, we all want him in the net vs Army on October 9th but the reality is that this team should be able to beat their first four opponents relatively easily before things get a bit tougher in November. It is not the end of the world if he has to miss the first three or four games.
It is still early in the preseason but here are the lines the staff rolled out today.
Wood-Sanford-Calnan
Fitzgerald-Brown-Gilmour
Bracco-Cangelosi-Tuch
Gaudreau-White-Silk/Dudek
Certainly, there are some interesting combinations but I doubt the staff will have the same exact lineup for opening night.
On another note, BC was voted #1 in the Hockey East coaches poll for the 14th time in the last 17 years. Not bad.
Go Eagles.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Hockey East Media Selects Boston College As Preseason #1
20 of 35 Hockey East media members selected Boston College as the #1 team in Hockey East for the 2015-16 season. BC received 397 points overall, followed by BU who received 374. The Eagles also landed 3 players on the all Hockey East first team.
Final order-
1. Boston College
2. Boston University
3. Lowell
4. Providence
5. Notre Dame
6. Vermont
7. Northeastern
8. UNH
9. UConn
10. Merrimack
11. Maine
12. UMass
First team all Hockey East as voted by the media -
F- Tyler Kelleher (UNH)
F- Danny O'Regan (BU
F- Kevin Roy (NU)
F- Alex Tuch (BC)
D- Ian McCoshen (BC)
D- Matt Grzelyck (BU)
G- Thatcher Demko (BC)
Go Eagles
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Recruiting Links
I know some of you are not on Twitter so I wanted to pass along these two recruiting links.
The first is a total clown show from the International Scouting Service, which listed the top 30 freshmen in college hockey. Of course, BC had two of the top four guys (White #1, Bracco #4) along with Chris Brown (#17) but in what was perhaps the most stunning thing I saw all day, Miles Wood was not on the list. Sure, it is awesome that college hockey has so many top end guys coming in this year but not one of them made the US World Jr team last season. Miles Wood did. It's a complete joke that he isn't on there. Here is the list
On the good side of things, SB Nation's Jeff Cox, who is as neutral as it gets when it comes to this stuff, ranked BC the #1 recruiting class in Hockey East. It takes someone that really dislikes BC to say that a class with the #21 overall pick, one of the highest scoring players in NTDP history, and the only freshman to make the WJC team, is not the #1 class. Unfortunately, those people are all around the internet but be sure to pray for them because they are in for a long year.
Let's be honest for a second. These rankings don't really matter that much but it just goes to show just how much people will not give BC any credit. How in the world is Miles Wood not on that list? How? How can one take a glance at BC's projected lineup and not say they're the preseason number one team? Am I lenient towards BC? Of course I am, but I've been around long enough to know that this the best forward group Coach York has ever had yet they're not everyone's preseason number one. Insane. Again, all these preseason rankings don't pull too much weight but it just goes to show that the anti-BC media machine is once again gaining steam.
Go Eagles
The first is a total clown show from the International Scouting Service, which listed the top 30 freshmen in college hockey. Of course, BC had two of the top four guys (White #1, Bracco #4) along with Chris Brown (#17) but in what was perhaps the most stunning thing I saw all day, Miles Wood was not on the list. Sure, it is awesome that college hockey has so many top end guys coming in this year but not one of them made the US World Jr team last season. Miles Wood did. It's a complete joke that he isn't on there. Here is the list
On the good side of things, SB Nation's Jeff Cox, who is as neutral as it gets when it comes to this stuff, ranked BC the #1 recruiting class in Hockey East. It takes someone that really dislikes BC to say that a class with the #21 overall pick, one of the highest scoring players in NTDP history, and the only freshman to make the WJC team, is not the #1 class. Unfortunately, those people are all around the internet but be sure to pray for them because they are in for a long year.
Let's be honest for a second. These rankings don't really matter that much but it just goes to show just how much people will not give BC any credit. How in the world is Miles Wood not on that list? How? How can one take a glance at BC's projected lineup and not say they're the preseason number one team? Am I lenient towards BC? Of course I am, but I've been around long enough to know that this the best forward group Coach York has ever had yet they're not everyone's preseason number one. Insane. Again, all these preseason rankings don't pull too much weight but it just goes to show that the anti-BC media machine is once again gaining steam.
Go Eagles
Monday, September 14, 2015
Possible Lineup Projection
I was on my way home from school this afternoon and I glanced over to my dashboard in order to switch the music that was playing. As I was doing this, the date September 14th jumped right out at me like a bat out of hell, signaling hockey season is almost here. It feels like that Denver loss took place five years ago but I have to say, the offseason was a heck of a lot better thanks to Nate Leaman and the Providence College Friars. I am going to hold off on any "official" season previews for a few weeks but I think it would be a good idea to take a peek at some potential lineups. Of course, the staff will be welcoming in a ten man freshmen class headed by Jeremy Bracco, Miles Wood, and Colin White. Accompanying this new "big three" will be returnees Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Zach Sanford. I'm going to say this one last time so we can get it on the record. On paper, compared to the rest of the teams throughout college hockey, this is the most talented squad Coach York has produced at BC. Of course, the 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2014 teams were probably a little more stacked but college hockey as a whole was also a lot stronger in those years. By my count, Boston College will have the most NHL draft picks of any team at 13 (BU has 11).
A lot of pundits have released their Hockey East preseason polls over the course of these past couple days and many have sighted BC's defensive depth, or lack thereof, as a concern. I certainly see why people are hesitant to crown the Eagles after the departures of Mike Matheson and Noah Hanifin but historically, our best teams have been built on high powered offense, not stifling defenses. That is not to say that defense is not important, because of course it is a huge part of the game but let's not sit here and say Scott Savage and Teddy Doherty are minuscule pieces. If Savage can get back to playing the way he was in 2014 and newcomers Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier can play solid hockey, the D will be fine. The biggest key this season for the D core will be it's ability to stay healthy because there is not a ton of depth back there. If Fitzgerald, Savage, and Couturier can show the staff early on that they can be relied on during key situations, that will go a long way in keeping Doherty, McCoshen, and Santini fresh. Sure, it's a little bit of a question mark but I think Coach Brown will get them going by midseason.
A lot of pundits have released their Hockey East preseason polls over the course of these past couple days and many have sighted BC's defensive depth, or lack thereof, as a concern. I certainly see why people are hesitant to crown the Eagles after the departures of Mike Matheson and Noah Hanifin but historically, our best teams have been built on high powered offense, not stifling defenses. That is not to say that defense is not important, because of course it is a huge part of the game but let's not sit here and say Scott Savage and Teddy Doherty are minuscule pieces. If Savage can get back to playing the way he was in 2014 and newcomers Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier can play solid hockey, the D will be fine. The biggest key this season for the D core will be it's ability to stay healthy because there is not a ton of depth back there. If Fitzgerald, Savage, and Couturier can show the staff early on that they can be relied on during key situations, that will go a long way in keeping Doherty, McCoshen, and Santini fresh. Sure, it's a little bit of a question mark but I think Coach Brown will get them going by midseason.
McCoshen-Doherty
Santini- Fitzgerald
Savage- Couturier
Of course, the big guns on this team lie within the forward corps. As I said earlier, you could argue (like I do) that this is Coach York's best forward group in the past fifteen years. This is the first time in a long time where will have three lines, perhaps even four, that will have a legitimate chance to play against an opponent's top line night in and night out. For example, we couldn't match up versus teams like BU and Minnesota up front because they had first lines that blew our third out of the water. This time around, you could make the argument that BC's third line is better than anybody else's first line. I think these first three weeks of practice are going to be highly competitive because there are three or four freshmen that have a legit chance to play top nine minutes right off the bat. On top of that, BC returns all of it's top six forwards from a team, that despite all it's struggles, made the NCAAs. I haven't been to any practices yet so I'm not sure what the staff has in mind but I think they absolutely must put Tuch, Sanford, and Bracco together. If you can combine Bracco and Sanford's play making abilities with Tuch's finishing touch, then that would be flat out lethal. Also, the center position is a question mark because both Adam Gilmour and Colin White have a real chance at being the second line center. Perhaps they will move White to right wing and match him with Gilmour and Fitzgerald. Here is what I'm thinking
Bracco-Sanford-Tuch
Fitzgerald-Gilmour-White
Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan
Gaudreau-Brown-Dudek/Silk
Of course, things will fluctuate between now and October 9th but it's just nice to be talking some hockey again.
Recruiting note- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal that BC may be in the mix for 2000 forward Joel Farabee, a former UNH commit.
Go Eagles !
Friday, September 11, 2015
Remembering Welles Crowther and 9/11
It is my hope that you have already seen the video I linked here but I try and get around to posting it on every anniversary of 9/11 to remember what Welles and so many others sacrificed for our country.
Go Eagles
Go Eagles
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
My Preseason Hockey East Picks
Although it is still probably a bit early to do this, I got an email a couple nights ago about my preseason Hockey East projections so I figured I would post them on the blog before I forgot. Of course, I am always a bit biased towards BC guys but I actually think most of the picks will be unanimous. Under a month baby!
My predicted order of finish-
1. Obviously
2. UMass- Lowell
3. Boston University
4. Providence
5. Northeastern
6. UConn
7. Vermont
8. Merrimack
9. Notre Dame
10. UNH
11. UMass
12. Maine
First team all Hockey East- Tuch (BC), Roy (NU), Bracco (BC), McCoshen (BC), Grzelyck (BU), Demko (BC)
That is all they asked for. Go Eagles !
My predicted order of finish-
1. Obviously
2. UMass- Lowell
3. Boston University
4. Providence
5. Northeastern
6. UConn
7. Vermont
8. Merrimack
9. Notre Dame
10. UNH
11. UMass
12. Maine
First team all Hockey East- Tuch (BC), Roy (NU), Bracco (BC), McCoshen (BC), Grzelyck (BU), Demko (BC)
That is all they asked for. Go Eagles !
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Athletic Department To Provide Cost of Attendance Stipends
Earlier this year, Boston College was the only Power 5 team to vote against the cost of attendance stipends which would give student athletes extra money to spend on living expenses. Although BC was the only "nay" in the meeting, they fully expected that the measure would pass and had always planned on providing funds to athletes on scholarship. I cannot speak for other programs because I don't know what their situation is but I do know that the athletic department will be providing the cost of attendance to men's ice hockey players. I would assume that every other program on campus would get some kind of support, whether it is for all players or only the ones that are on full rides.
The only other teams in Hockey East that have also come out and stated they will provide the COAs are UMass-Amherst, Providence, and Notre Dame. At the end of the day, I think every institution will eventually put this into action, however, UMaine has said that they will not be able to provide their student athletes with this money.
No matter what the actual amount of money is (I assume around $2,700), this should certainly help the staff in their recruiting efforts. Personally, I am an advocate for the payment of student-athletes and I think this is a good start but as time goes on, I think you will see that number of 2,000-3,000 increase substantially.
Go Eagles
The only other teams in Hockey East that have also come out and stated they will provide the COAs are UMass-Amherst, Providence, and Notre Dame. At the end of the day, I think every institution will eventually put this into action, however, UMaine has said that they will not be able to provide their student athletes with this money.
No matter what the actual amount of money is (I assume around $2,700), this should certainly help the staff in their recruiting efforts. Personally, I am an advocate for the payment of student-athletes and I think this is a good start but as time goes on, I think you will see that number of 2,000-3,000 increase substantially.
Go Eagles
Friday, August 28, 2015
Staff Publishes Roster
The 2015-16 edition of the Eagles is now official as Coach York and company released the roster earlier this afternoon. There were no surprises or number changes, but here is a picture. Sleep tight tonight, I know I will.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
BC Picks Up First 2001 Prospect
BC continued to load up on recruits for a couple years down the road as 6'2 goalie Spencer Knight Mid-Fairfield Rangers) pledged for the fall of 2019. Of course, the year of arrival is always subject to change but USHR described Knight as the "best 13 (now 14) year old goalie we have seen in a couple of years" in November. According to reports, Knight was tremendous at the Harvard Showcase last weekend and was a highly sought after recruit.
Of course, no one can project what will happen in four years time but right now, it seems that BC has their goaltending situation set in stone for the next five or six years. Demko is obviously the go to guy this season, Woll will fill his shoes for the next three or four years, and then Knight will take the reigns. The question of whether or not the staff should be recruiting kids this young is something that is totally out of their control. The way the recruiting game is set up these days, they have to start getting these kids before they verbal to other institutions.
No matter what anyone thinks of the age issue, there is no denying that BC got themselves a heck of a goaltender this afternoon.
Go Eagles !
Of course, no one can project what will happen in four years time but right now, it seems that BC has their goaltending situation set in stone for the next five or six years. Demko is obviously the go to guy this season, Woll will fill his shoes for the next three or four years, and then Knight will take the reigns. The question of whether or not the staff should be recruiting kids this young is something that is totally out of their control. The way the recruiting game is set up these days, they have to start getting these kids before they verbal to other institutions.
No matter what anyone thinks of the age issue, there is no denying that BC got themselves a heck of a goaltender this afternoon.
Go Eagles !
Friday, August 21, 2015
Wahlstrom to Harvard
BC's top recruiting target, 2000 forward Oliver Wahlstrom, committed to Harvard last night. Wahlstrom is the last of the "big three" 2000 Massachusetts forwards to commit, TJ Walsh gave his verbal to BC, Wahlstrom is of course going to Harvard, and Central Catholic's Jake Wise is headed to arch rival Boston University.
First of all, things can change between now and the fall of 2018 when Wahlstrom is set to arrive in Cambridge so there is a chance that he never even ends up there. However, it's a tough loss for BC especially considering how hard they recruited the Maine native. In fact, the night before his commitment, the staff was watching him compete in the Foxboro Summer League championship at Foxboro Sports Center. It certainly stings missing out any recruit but I guess losing to Harvard isn't as bad as BU. The Crimson have now snagged the #1 forward and #1 defenseman (Bode Wilde) for the class of 2000.
Tough loss but I'm confident the staff will rebound with a big get in the coming weeks.
Go Eagles
First of all, things can change between now and the fall of 2018 when Wahlstrom is set to arrive in Cambridge so there is a chance that he never even ends up there. However, it's a tough loss for BC especially considering how hard they recruited the Maine native. In fact, the night before his commitment, the staff was watching him compete in the Foxboro Summer League championship at Foxboro Sports Center. It certainly stings missing out any recruit but I guess losing to Harvard isn't as bad as BU. The Crimson have now snagged the #1 forward and #1 defenseman (Bode Wilde) for the class of 2000.
Tough loss but I'm confident the staff will rebound with a big get in the coming weeks.
Go Eagles
Thursday, August 20, 2015
A Push For a New Rink
As Boston College alumni, students, employees, and fans, we are very fortunate to have some sort of connection to a place that is dear to our hearts. BC people believe that there is no better place in the world than Boston College and the transformation of the university over the past 30 years has been truly special. While the emergence of Doug Flutie led the football program and eventually the school as a whole to unbelievable heights, Coach York's arrival in 1994 and subsequent success has revamped the Boston College hockey program and made it the best in college hockey. When Coach York arrived, although the program was in dire straights, he had some things to work with, among those were BC's academic excellence, location, picturesque campus, and a rink that was perhaps the best college arena in the country at the time. Ever since then, BC's status among national universities has only grown and the hockey program has reached unparalleled heights, however, one thing has drastically changed the way some recruits look at BC.....it's rink.
When we take a look at BC's main competitors when it comes to recruiting, the top five schools that stand out are arch rival Boston University, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Harvard. Every single one of those schools has put millions of dollars into their hockey facilities over the past 15 + years, resulting in state of the art rinks that simply blow Kelley Rink out of the water. In today's age, kids, whether you like it or not, care as much about the facilities and "it" factors of programs than they do about the academic reputation of the school. Even if you look at programs outside of those five I mentioned above, schools like Providence, Nebraska Omaha, and RIT, all smaller schools with less than money than BC, have seen terrific results ever since they pumped some amount of money into their hockey program, whether it be to update their current rink (PC) or build a new one (RIT, UNO). Let me be clear here, I am in no way saying that the BC athletic department doesn't do enough for the hockey program because the program wouldn't be where it is today with the support of Father Leahy, current athletic director Brad Bates, and formed AD Gene DeFilippo. However, I believe that in order to stay at the top of college hockey, BC is going to need to have a serious discussion about upgrading their hockey facilities in order to attract the very best recruits.
Here are the results of my research...I should note that I had a hard time finding the cost of Schneider Arena (PC) but 5 million was the most common results.
If you pay attention to the sport, you would know that every single one of those programs has had an some amount of success ever since they made a commitment to upgrading their hockey facilities. After looking at these numbers, we are left with a couple of questions regarding BC and their quest to update Kelley Rink, let's take a look.
1. How much would BC be willing to take out of the endowment (2.2 billion) in order to pay for a new rink or an upgrade?
I don't think BC is going to take much money out of bank account in order to build a new hockey rink. If they were ever going to pull through on the project, it would require one or more donors to make it their projects but the more the university can put up, the more donors that would probably be willing to come forward.
2. Where would they put a new rink?
First of all, I don't like the idea of knocking down Kelley Rink and building one right on top of where it is. They tried that in the late 80's and it was just a disaster having to play at other teams' rinks. I don't know the exact measurements of the land but BC bought a nice chunk right across the street on the Brighton campus. If you drive by there, you will notice a pretty substantial area of grass but truth be told, I don't know if it would be big enough to hold a rink. I think the best idea is to put it where the Plex currently sits. As you probably know, they're knocking that down and building a new one but why not do what BU did (I don't like saying that) and build a rink in conjunction with a student center? That would be my vote.
3. What design would best fit BC?
We can't have a rink like North Dakota or Minnesota because we simply wouldn't fit as many people as they can. The new arena would need to be more modern, with seats closer to the action and preferably not made of plastic. Why not build something like Agganis? Heck, why not make an exact replica of it? We win every time we play there.
4. What would they name it?
York Arena. Nothing else needs to be considered.
5. Is there any chance this happens?
In the next five years? No. In the next 10? Yes.
Go Eagles !
When we take a look at BC's main competitors when it comes to recruiting, the top five schools that stand out are arch rival Boston University, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Harvard. Every single one of those schools has put millions of dollars into their hockey facilities over the past 15 + years, resulting in state of the art rinks that simply blow Kelley Rink out of the water. In today's age, kids, whether you like it or not, care as much about the facilities and "it" factors of programs than they do about the academic reputation of the school. Even if you look at programs outside of those five I mentioned above, schools like Providence, Nebraska Omaha, and RIT, all smaller schools with less than money than BC, have seen terrific results ever since they pumped some amount of money into their hockey program, whether it be to update their current rink (PC) or build a new one (RIT, UNO). Let me be clear here, I am in no way saying that the BC athletic department doesn't do enough for the hockey program because the program wouldn't be where it is today with the support of Father Leahy, current athletic director Brad Bates, and formed AD Gene DeFilippo. However, I believe that in order to stay at the top of college hockey, BC is going to need to have a serious discussion about upgrading their hockey facilities in order to attract the very best recruits.
Here are the results of my research...I should note that I had a hard time finding the cost of Schneider Arena (PC) but 5 million was the most common results.
If you pay attention to the sport, you would know that every single one of those programs has had an some amount of success ever since they made a commitment to upgrading their hockey facilities. After looking at these numbers, we are left with a couple of questions regarding BC and their quest to update Kelley Rink, let's take a look.
1. How much would BC be willing to take out of the endowment (2.2 billion) in order to pay for a new rink or an upgrade?
I don't think BC is going to take much money out of bank account in order to build a new hockey rink. If they were ever going to pull through on the project, it would require one or more donors to make it their projects but the more the university can put up, the more donors that would probably be willing to come forward.
2. Where would they put a new rink?
First of all, I don't like the idea of knocking down Kelley Rink and building one right on top of where it is. They tried that in the late 80's and it was just a disaster having to play at other teams' rinks. I don't know the exact measurements of the land but BC bought a nice chunk right across the street on the Brighton campus. If you drive by there, you will notice a pretty substantial area of grass but truth be told, I don't know if it would be big enough to hold a rink. I think the best idea is to put it where the Plex currently sits. As you probably know, they're knocking that down and building a new one but why not do what BU did (I don't like saying that) and build a rink in conjunction with a student center? That would be my vote.
3. What design would best fit BC?
We can't have a rink like North Dakota or Minnesota because we simply wouldn't fit as many people as they can. The new arena would need to be more modern, with seats closer to the action and preferably not made of plastic. Why not build something like Agganis? Heck, why not make an exact replica of it? We win every time we play there.
4. What would they name it?
York Arena. Nothing else needs to be considered.
5. Is there any chance this happens?
In the next five years? No. In the next 10? Yes.
Go Eagles !
Friday, August 14, 2015
Krys To BU
One of the top uncommitted defensemen in the country, Chad Krys, committed to Boston University this afternoon. Yes, BC was in on Krys but there was little to no chance he was going to end up in Chestnut Hill because his father, Mark, was a Terrier captain in the late 80's.Once again, I've been swamped with tweets and emails about BC's recruiting, especially when it comes to defensemen, but in reality, there isn't any reason for panic. Yes, BU has an absolutely stacked set of defensemen and forwards coming in two years but BC will counter that with a loaded forward group over the course of the next couple seasons (assuming some guys stay). Sure, losing any recruit to BU stings but if the staff could go out and land top Canadian recruit Dante Fabbro, then they are set on defense for the next couple season. While they may not be the top end NHL prospects that Krys, McAvoy, and Farrance are, the guys that BC has brought in will be very solid four year guys but now the task is to match them with two/three year NHL studs.
No reason for anybody to worry about the recruiting, they're going to be fine. I mean, if you're actually feeling uneasy, just look at the projected lineup for this season and then you'll sleep fine.
Go Eagles
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Staff Picks Up Second 2000 Recruit
The summer of good news continued this afternoon as the staff received a commitment from one of the country's top 2000's, Patrick Giles. The 6'3 power forward out of Maryland recorded 42 points in 22 games played for the Richmond Generals a season ago. USHR named him one of the top players at the Northern Cyclone Showcase earlier this year, saying "at 6'3 he is a force and is very difficult for defenders to contain. Uses his frame well to protect the puck and has a nice stride for someone who has grown so much in such a short time"
Don't look now but BC's team a couple years down the road with Giles, TJ Walsh, Jake Tortora, and perhaps Oliver Wahlstrom could be one of the more talented Eagle squads we've seen....after this year of course.
Nice job by the staff....Go Eagles!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Updates
Ever since the whole Bracco fiasco a couple weeks back, everything has been quiet on the BC Hockey front. The staff joined a tremendous gathering of former players on Monday for the annual Pikes Peak golf outing at Walpole Country Club. Close to 50 former Eagles showed up to display their support for Coach York and the program. I think it says a lot about the culture he has created in his hockey program when guys who are making millions of dollars a year and are living, in some cases, a long ways from Chestnut Hill, come back to participate in a golf outing. When it was all said and done, Mike Ewanowski (81), Paul Marshall (89), Mike Mullowney (89), and Coach Brown (90) took home the hardware. Props to Pikes Peak for throwing what was another fantastic event.
World Jr Evaluation camp continues throughout this week in Lake Placid as the first round of cuts were made yesterday, all four Eagles are still in contention to make the final roster. There was a bit of bad news as sophomore Alex Tuch was injured in an exhibition game and was told to sit out the rest of camp as he nurses a minor knee injury. At his media session shortly after the game, Tuch said "I am rehabbing here and hopefully I feel better by the end of the week".
If you had told everyone in Hockey East that a major recruit would be leaving Comm Ave over the summer, over 95% of them would have assumed it was Jeremy Bracco bolting for the OHL. In an amazing turn of events, BU's top incoming recruit, Russian Maxim Letunov, was denied admissions to the school because of a technicality and will instead head to UConn. First of all, what a get for Coach Cav and his crew, by far and away the biggest recruit he has landed during his short time in Storrs. If Letunov is granted eligibility for this season (which is still up in the air), the Huskies could be a formidable opponent next fall for the rest of the conference. As for the Terriers, it is certainly a blow to their already thin forward group but with their defense and coaching staff, I'm sure they will be in the hunt come next spring.
On the recruiting trail, the only thing I have to report is that I'm hearing BC is one of the top front runners for star 2000 forward Oliver Wahlstrom, a former Maine commit. I think the decision will take some time but there is certainly a good chance BC is able to land the top uncommitted player in the country. Can you imagine a team with Wahlstom, TJ Walsh, and Jacob Tortora? Maybe not as good as this year's squad but pretty darn good!
Last major of the year next week, come on Phil!
Go Eagles
World Jr Evaluation camp continues throughout this week in Lake Placid as the first round of cuts were made yesterday, all four Eagles are still in contention to make the final roster. There was a bit of bad news as sophomore Alex Tuch was injured in an exhibition game and was told to sit out the rest of camp as he nurses a minor knee injury. At his media session shortly after the game, Tuch said "I am rehabbing here and hopefully I feel better by the end of the week".
If you had told everyone in Hockey East that a major recruit would be leaving Comm Ave over the summer, over 95% of them would have assumed it was Jeremy Bracco bolting for the OHL. In an amazing turn of events, BU's top incoming recruit, Russian Maxim Letunov, was denied admissions to the school because of a technicality and will instead head to UConn. First of all, what a get for Coach Cav and his crew, by far and away the biggest recruit he has landed during his short time in Storrs. If Letunov is granted eligibility for this season (which is still up in the air), the Huskies could be a formidable opponent next fall for the rest of the conference. As for the Terriers, it is certainly a blow to their already thin forward group but with their defense and coaching staff, I'm sure they will be in the hunt come next spring.
On the recruiting trail, the only thing I have to report is that I'm hearing BC is one of the top front runners for star 2000 forward Oliver Wahlstrom, a former Maine commit. I think the decision will take some time but there is certainly a good chance BC is able to land the top uncommitted player in the country. Can you imagine a team with Wahlstom, TJ Walsh, and Jacob Tortora? Maybe not as good as this year's squad but pretty darn good!
Last major of the year next week, come on Phil!
Go Eagles
Sunday, August 2, 2015
World Jr Evaluation Camp Underway
Over the course of the next seven days, 39 guys will compete for a chance to make the first cut of the US World Jr team, including 4 current/former Eagles. Representing the current Eagle squad are forwards Jeremy Bracco, Alex Tuch, and Colin White. Noah Hanifin is expected to lead the team's defensive core. Last year, Tuch and Hanifin joined Miles Wood, Ian McCoshen, and Thatcher Demko for one of hockey's best annual tournaments but unfortunately, the US bowed out early. Of course, Tuch and Hanifin are shoe-ins to play again this year but I think there is a high possibility of Bracco and White joining them in December. In fact, Bracco was the last cut a year ago while White did not try out due to injuries.
As expected, Bracco was asked about his plans for next year immediately after he was made available to the media and his response was as solid as BC fans could have hoped for-
It was already set in stone but the more assurance the better, especially after last summer.
Good luck to Noah, Alex, Jeremy, and Colin this week.
Go Eagles
As expected, Bracco was asked about his plans for next year immediately after he was made available to the media and his response was as solid as BC fans could have hoped for-
It was already set in stone but the more assurance the better, especially after last summer.
Good luck to Noah, Alex, Jeremy, and Colin this week.
Go Eagles
Friday, July 31, 2015
Solidify the Future and Name Greg Brown Head Coach in Waiting
We all know that the most important thing in this business is recruiting and with archrival Boston University back from the dead, Providence winning a National Title, and Cav revamping UConn, winning the top end guys is as tough as it has ever been. The way recruiting has evolved in this sport, the staff has to start getting commitments from guys that wouldn't be here for another three, four, or even five years, a time period in which no one really knows where the program will be at. That is why I think AD Brad Bates should name associate head coach Greg Brown the head coach in waiting as soon as possible, because it would give the program an enormous amount of stability going forward. When they bring these extremely young kids in for visits, they can say unequivocally that if Coach York isn't here when you get to campus, Coach Brown and hopefully Coach Ayers will be there to insure that the operation is the same as it was when Coach York was here. Kids are not going to want to commit to a program and then have the whole thing change when a coach from the outside gets brought in because it totally changes everything that led them to the school.
Naysayers will say "Bates should go through the whole process and hire the best candidate" and point to Coach Brown's lack of head coaching experience but I think that whole argument is highly overrated. Does it really make a difference if he is a head coach between now and when Coach York retires? He is still going to recruit the same amount that he already does, he will have to implement a X's and O's strategy for whatever team he were to go to (something he already does at BC), what difference does it make? Mike Cavanaugh had no head coaching experience in college hockey, neither did Dave Hakstol, David Quinn, or Dick Umile and last time I checked, all of those guys are doing okay at their respective locations.
Coach Brown represents everything that is right with Boston College and it's hockey program. We can't afford to lose him and that is why he should be our head coach in waiting.
Go Eagles
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Tortora Joins NTDP
Jacob Tortora (Victor, NY) has joined the National Development Program as he was officially added to the roster this afternoon. Tortora, who is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2017, is one of the staff's best recruits in the pipeline. He was slated to play in Youngstown (USHL) this upcoming season. As of now, he is the only future Eagle on the U17 team but the U18 squad has Graham McPhee, Joseph Woll, Zach Walker, and Michael Campoli.
Go Eagles.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Locked And Loaded
Earlier this afternoon Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Potzline reported that Jeremy Bracco had decommited from Boston College and would sign with the Kitchener Rangers. However, no more than an hour later, Bracco himself refuted the report with this tweet.....
Since this unique turn of events, I have been able to confirm with very reliable sources that Bracco, along with his parents, called Coach York today and informed him that Jeremy would 100% be attending Boston College in the fall. From what I am told, Jeremy and his family are excited to become part of the BC community and all the noise about what he is going to do has just been greatly exaggerated because Kitchener has not stopped trying to get ahold of him over the course of the past several weeks. Everyone out there is talking about Milano and how Bracco could just be following in his steps but Milano didn't call Coach York and reaffirm his commitment, he didn't confirm anything on Twitter which everyone in the world sees these days, and Toronto is totally different organization than Columbus.
Let's take a couple minutes here and talk about this recruiting win for the staff. Like usual, the college hockey media machine made it seem like there was no way he would end up here but Coach York and his crew went out there and landed the most talented freshman in the country. Awesome work by Coach Brown and Coach Ayers. I know he is young and maybe isn't the biggest guy but I think this kid has a chance to win Hockey East player of the year next year and maybe even the Hobey Baker because of how many points he gets on a nightly basis. I think he will love it here at BC because if you ask me, it's the best school in the world and Coach York's track record with younger forwards speaks for itself.
Now let's look at this from a hockey perspective and how it affects BC's lineup. They're going to be very deep and talented at pretty much every position, especially on the wings. I don't know if they're going to keep last years top line together but I think they probably should just to start things out. However, the power play is going to be a huge question mark because they have so many first unit type guys but you can only put 5 out there obviously. I think Tuch and Bracco would be a deadly combination but I also love Sanford and Gilmour on that top line because they're probably better in the defensive end than any of BC's other top 9 forwards with the exception of maybe Cangelosi. Whatever the staff decides to do, they will have three lines that will probably be better than anyone else's first line. Here is just a random guess....
Since this unique turn of events, I have been able to confirm with very reliable sources that Bracco, along with his parents, called Coach York today and informed him that Jeremy would 100% be attending Boston College in the fall. From what I am told, Jeremy and his family are excited to become part of the BC community and all the noise about what he is going to do has just been greatly exaggerated because Kitchener has not stopped trying to get ahold of him over the course of the past several weeks. Everyone out there is talking about Milano and how Bracco could just be following in his steps but Milano didn't call Coach York and reaffirm his commitment, he didn't confirm anything on Twitter which everyone in the world sees these days, and Toronto is totally different organization than Columbus.
Let's take a couple minutes here and talk about this recruiting win for the staff. Like usual, the college hockey media machine made it seem like there was no way he would end up here but Coach York and his crew went out there and landed the most talented freshman in the country. Awesome work by Coach Brown and Coach Ayers. I know he is young and maybe isn't the biggest guy but I think this kid has a chance to win Hockey East player of the year next year and maybe even the Hobey Baker because of how many points he gets on a nightly basis. I think he will love it here at BC because if you ask me, it's the best school in the world and Coach York's track record with younger forwards speaks for itself.
Now let's look at this from a hockey perspective and how it affects BC's lineup. They're going to be very deep and talented at pretty much every position, especially on the wings. I don't know if they're going to keep last years top line together but I think they probably should just to start things out. However, the power play is going to be a huge question mark because they have so many first unit type guys but you can only put 5 out there obviously. I think Tuch and Bracco would be a deadly combination but I also love Sanford and Gilmour on that top line because they're probably better in the defensive end than any of BC's other top 9 forwards with the exception of maybe Cangelosi. Whatever the staff decides to do, they will have three lines that will probably be better than anyone else's first line. Here is just a random guess....
Sanford-Gilmour-Tuch
Fitz-White-Bracco
Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan
Gaudreau-Brown-Dudek/Silk
I think that is probably the third or fourth best forward lineup of the Coach York era with the potential to be the best if everyone pans out. You all know how good I think this team can be so I won't repeat it but they have a chance to do things no college hockey team has ever done, they're that good.
In other, unrelated news, Thatcher Demko hit the ice today for the first time since his surgery which just goes to show how hard he has worked to get back because he wasn't expected to be ready for the season opener.
What a day in BC Hockey world, now all we need to close out the summer is a Phil win @ Whistling Straits.
GO EAGLES !!!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Lamoriello New Toronto GM, Could This Help?
In a shocking turn of events this afternoon, longtime New Jersey Devils president and Providence College hockey alumnus Lou Lamoriello was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs to be their next general manager. In his 28 years at the helm, the Devils captured 3 Stanley Cups and made the playoffs 21 times. Immediately after the news broke, I began to think about how this could possibly affect BC and their push to get top recruit Jeremy Bracco to campus. Truth be told, I have no idea if this will have any impact on Bracco's decision but under Lamoriello's leadership, the Devils have drafted as many BC players as any franchise in the NHL, with the exception of maybe Pittsburgh. Stephen Gionta, Peter Harrold, Scott Clemmensen, and Cory Schneider are just a couple of the more recent examples of BC grads to wear the red and black. Recently, New Jersey has zoomed in on future/current Eagles, taking Steve Santini, Miles Wood, and Joey Dudek in the 2013 draft.
You don't need to look far to see that Lamoriello obviously has a huge amount of respect for the program Coach York has built here and the job he has done getting guys ready for the NHL, particularly the ones that maybe aren't the most physically gifted of the pack. I have heard numerous times over the past week that Toronto has been pushing for Bracco to play at BC this fall and maybe it is because they have known for a period of time that Lamoriello would be running the ship. There have been numerous rumors swirling around about what will actually happen and of course, you have a lot of people out there that say he is 100% gone but I'm not sure about that. There will be a final decision in the next couple of days but until then we will just have to sit around and take in the different leads.
Go Eagles
You don't need to look far to see that Lamoriello obviously has a huge amount of respect for the program Coach York has built here and the job he has done getting guys ready for the NHL, particularly the ones that maybe aren't the most physically gifted of the pack. I have heard numerous times over the past week that Toronto has been pushing for Bracco to play at BC this fall and maybe it is because they have known for a period of time that Lamoriello would be running the ship. There have been numerous rumors swirling around about what will actually happen and of course, you have a lot of people out there that say he is 100% gone but I'm not sure about that. There will be a final decision in the next couple of days but until then we will just have to sit around and take in the different leads.
Go Eagles
Thursday, July 16, 2015
BC vs North Dakota @ MSG, Other Notes
Apologies for the lateness in the updates, I was on vacation this week and have been glued to my TV watching Phil battle for another Claret Jug.
According to Brad Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Harold, Boston College will face rival North Dakota at The Worlds Most Famous Arena on December 2, 2016. These rumors have been swirling for years as there was one last year pertaining to a possible BC vs Qunnipiac game but that obviously never came to fruition. So with this news, the two best programs in college hockey will add another chapter to their history next season but we have a long way to go until then so let's focus on the current stuff.
No news on Jeremy Bracco but of course, the college hockey media machine is making it seem like there is absolutely no chance he ends up at BC. From what I am hearing, Toronto is very aware of BC's history with smaller players and thus could be pushing Bracco to attend college this fall. Obviously the rest of the country wants to see him bolt for the CHL so of course they're saying he is going to leave. My guess at this time yesterday was that he was 100% gone but after what I heard today, I am feeling confident about his arrival. I keep getting these messages about how the staff should stop recruiting "mercenaries" (other peoples words). Let's get two things perfectly clear. Neither Noah Hanifin nor Jeremy Bracco is a "mercenary", they're just trying to do what is best for their hockey careers. Of course I want Jeremy to play at BC but the kid's dream is to play in the NHL and whatever path he feels is best for him is the way he should go but don't count BC out just yet. The other complaint I have gotten is about the staff's recruiting strategy when it comes to these "mercenaries". That is ridiculous, they're working as hard as ever this summer after a somewhat disappointing season last year. I have a ton of confidence they will find a way to get Jeremy to campus but if they don't, it isn't the end of the world.
Go Eagles
According to Brad Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Harold, Boston College will face rival North Dakota at The Worlds Most Famous Arena on December 2, 2016. These rumors have been swirling for years as there was one last year pertaining to a possible BC vs Qunnipiac game but that obviously never came to fruition. So with this news, the two best programs in college hockey will add another chapter to their history next season but we have a long way to go until then so let's focus on the current stuff.
No news on Jeremy Bracco but of course, the college hockey media machine is making it seem like there is absolutely no chance he ends up at BC. From what I am hearing, Toronto is very aware of BC's history with smaller players and thus could be pushing Bracco to attend college this fall. Obviously the rest of the country wants to see him bolt for the CHL so of course they're saying he is going to leave. My guess at this time yesterday was that he was 100% gone but after what I heard today, I am feeling confident about his arrival. I keep getting these messages about how the staff should stop recruiting "mercenaries" (other peoples words). Let's get two things perfectly clear. Neither Noah Hanifin nor Jeremy Bracco is a "mercenary", they're just trying to do what is best for their hockey careers. Of course I want Jeremy to play at BC but the kid's dream is to play in the NHL and whatever path he feels is best for him is the way he should go but don't count BC out just yet. The other complaint I have gotten is about the staff's recruiting strategy when it comes to these "mercenaries". That is ridiculous, they're working as hard as ever this summer after a somewhat disappointing season last year. I have a ton of confidence they will find a way to get Jeremy to campus but if they don't, it isn't the end of the world.
Go Eagles
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Hanifin Signs With Carolina
First off, really happy for Noah and his family. He is a tremendous kid who will without a doubt be a star in the NHL someday. He has all the tools to become one of the best defensemen in the game, he is big, he can fly, he has a shot that is improving, he has a high hockey IQ, and is getting better in his own end day by day. I think he will help lead that franchise to a lot wins over the next 15 years.
As for BC, not really sure what to say, obviously it is a huge loss. I can't speak for everyone but personally, I was always under the impression that he was going to stay two years but how the heck can are you supposed to turn down that kind of money? Our D situation is fine but it is young and probably not as deep as the staff would like. I think McCoshen is the best returning D in the league and we all know what Santini is capable of when healthy. Doherty is going to be his usual, offensive minded/gritty self that the team can rely on in a lot of situations. Savage will hopefully get back to the way he was playing freshman year but we can only wonder about how the two rookies, Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier, will perform.
I suppose that with Noah's scholarship opening up, the staff could use it to try and lure another defenseman (or forward) for this years squad. I am not sure of Chad Krys' or Dante Fabbro's academic situations but if there was any chance that they could gain admissions this late in the cycle and enroll in September, then that would be the best case scenario. Sure, it stings a bit right now but I have total faith that this staff will get things situated before the season begins.
Congrats Noah, Go Eagles!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Development Camp Notes
Here is where the following Eagles are attending NHL development camps over the next two weeks.
New Jersey Devils- Miles Wood, JD Dudek, Casey Fitzgerald*, Matt Gaudreau*, Steve Santini, Josh Couturier
Toronto Maple Leafs- Jeremy Bracco
Ottawa Senators- Colin White
Buffalo Sabres- Chris Brown
New York Islanders- Teddy Doherty*, Austin Cangelosi*
Minnesota Wild- Alex Tuch
Washington Capitals- Zach Sanford
Columbus Blue Jackets- Scott Savage
Chicago Blackhawks- Chris Calnan
Florida Panthers- Ian McCoshen
Boston Bruins- Ryan Fitzgerald
Carolina Hurricanes- Noah Hanifin
Vancouver Canucks- Thatcher Demko (not playing, still recovering from surgery)
That is 18 guys....has to be some sort of record. * means they were not drafted by the club
Adam Gilmour is not at Wild camp, not sure why, believe because of summer classes.
Go Eagles.
New Jersey Devils- Miles Wood, JD Dudek, Casey Fitzgerald*, Matt Gaudreau*, Steve Santini, Josh Couturier
Toronto Maple Leafs- Jeremy Bracco
Ottawa Senators- Colin White
Buffalo Sabres- Chris Brown
New York Islanders- Teddy Doherty*, Austin Cangelosi*
Minnesota Wild- Alex Tuch
Washington Capitals- Zach Sanford
Columbus Blue Jackets- Scott Savage
Chicago Blackhawks- Chris Calnan
Florida Panthers- Ian McCoshen
Boston Bruins- Ryan Fitzgerald
Carolina Hurricanes- Noah Hanifin
Vancouver Canucks- Thatcher Demko (not playing, still recovering from surgery)
That is 18 guys....has to be some sort of record. * means they were not drafted by the club
Adam Gilmour is not at Wild camp, not sure why, believe because of summer classes.
Go Eagles.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Notes
First off, hope you all had a great Fourth with your friends and family. As we get back into the swing of things, this week may be the biggest of the offseason as we should know more about the decisions of Noah Hanifin and Jeremy Bracco. Yesterday, Hanifin told the Carolina media that he has not made a decision on whether or not he will return to BC but he added that he didn't want to hurt BC in any way by telling them late in the summer which is a classy move on his part. As for Bracco, some Toronto reporters have tweeted that they expect to know today what his plans are for next season. Surprisingly, I have heard some positive news concerning BC's top incoming recruit as of late but I guess there is only one person who really knows where Jeremy Bracco is going to play hockey next season.
On Friday, BC and BU alums will face off in the Comm Ave Charity Classic to help benefit victims of ALS. The game will feature Johnny G, Bill Arnold, Brian Gibbons, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, and Coach Brown among others.
Nothing new on the scheduling front except for the two Vermont games.
On the recruiting side of things, BC will be in the hunt for two guys with former Maine connections. Late last week, Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reported that top 2000 Oliver Wahlstrom, a former Maine commit, is now reopening his commitment and I have since confirmed that BC will be one of the teams in on him. Even though every big name program in the country will be after him, I think BC has a good shot of landing this kid because apparently, he is best friends with TJ Walsh, another top 2000 that BC landed last summer. Walsh had a pretty good year for Shattuck St Mary's last year, recording 136 points in 66 games.
The other recruiting news I've got is that BC is one of the finalist for ex-Black Bear Liam Pecararo who left the university a couple of weeks ago. Truth be told, he had a bit of a tough freshman season under Red Gendron but there is no doubt that the talent is there for him to be a terrific player in this league. Pecararo recorded 61 points in 54 games two years ago in the USHL. The other suitors for Pecararo are North Dakota and Denver, among others.
If anything happens today with Bracco, I'll be sure to have a post on it. Say your prayers.
Go Eagles
On Friday, BC and BU alums will face off in the Comm Ave Charity Classic to help benefit victims of ALS. The game will feature Johnny G, Bill Arnold, Brian Gibbons, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, and Coach Brown among others.
Nothing new on the scheduling front except for the two Vermont games.
On the recruiting side of things, BC will be in the hunt for two guys with former Maine connections. Late last week, Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reported that top 2000 Oliver Wahlstrom, a former Maine commit, is now reopening his commitment and I have since confirmed that BC will be one of the teams in on him. Even though every big name program in the country will be after him, I think BC has a good shot of landing this kid because apparently, he is best friends with TJ Walsh, another top 2000 that BC landed last summer. Walsh had a pretty good year for Shattuck St Mary's last year, recording 136 points in 66 games.
The other recruiting news I've got is that BC is one of the finalist for ex-Black Bear Liam Pecararo who left the university a couple of weeks ago. Truth be told, he had a bit of a tough freshman season under Red Gendron but there is no doubt that the talent is there for him to be a terrific player in this league. Pecararo recorded 61 points in 54 games two years ago in the USHL. The other suitors for Pecararo are North Dakota and Denver, among others.
If anything happens today with Bracco, I'll be sure to have a post on it. Say your prayers.
Go Eagles
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Notes
These next two to three weeks can be some of the most stressful for the staff as they will try to get a firm grip on next year's roster but unfortunately, things may be falling out of their hands. Let's take a look at what is going on.
Yesterday, a Carolina Hurricanes PR guy tweeted out Noah's number (#5) which led to rampant speculation that the 18 year old defenseman had signed with them but there has been no official word and from what I have heard, he has not made up his mind. From a pure outsiders prospective, it appears that the staff has been under the thinking that Noah would return for one more season but ever since the draft, numerous videos and quotes have been presented that would point in the other direction. In the end, I think there is a better chance than people think of him coming back but based on everything that was said at that draft, and let me be clear, just based on that, I think he will leave but hopefully Coach York can create some magic and get him to return.
The other issue is the ongoing debate over what Jeremy Bracco is going to do next year. Multiple college hockey reporters have come out and said they think there is a 0% chance Bracco ends up on campus in October and I think everyone at BC was taken aback by his quote at the draft when he basically said he would let the Leafs decide what his path was, although he was careful to say "the focus is on BC". Of course, we all know what happened last year with Milano and how much that desecrated our club. If Bracco is going to bolt, which I am convinced he will because of all the swirling rumors, then hopefully he tells the staff in the next couple days instead of waiting until late August so they can try and bring in a replacement, which I have been told they will do if worst comes to worst.
No truth to the rumor that the fireworks you may have heard today after Eichel announced he was leaving came from Chestnut Hill but in all seriousness, that kid is the most NHL ready hockey player I have ever seen. I think he is going to be an all star and get that team to the playoffs next season, he is that good. I wish him nothing but the very best although I sure am happy he won't be skating against BC any time soon.
Yesterday, a Carolina Hurricanes PR guy tweeted out Noah's number (#5) which led to rampant speculation that the 18 year old defenseman had signed with them but there has been no official word and from what I have heard, he has not made up his mind. From a pure outsiders prospective, it appears that the staff has been under the thinking that Noah would return for one more season but ever since the draft, numerous videos and quotes have been presented that would point in the other direction. In the end, I think there is a better chance than people think of him coming back but based on everything that was said at that draft, and let me be clear, just based on that, I think he will leave but hopefully Coach York can create some magic and get him to return.
The other issue is the ongoing debate over what Jeremy Bracco is going to do next year. Multiple college hockey reporters have come out and said they think there is a 0% chance Bracco ends up on campus in October and I think everyone at BC was taken aback by his quote at the draft when he basically said he would let the Leafs decide what his path was, although he was careful to say "the focus is on BC". Of course, we all know what happened last year with Milano and how much that desecrated our club. If Bracco is going to bolt, which I am convinced he will because of all the swirling rumors, then hopefully he tells the staff in the next couple days instead of waiting until late August so they can try and bring in a replacement, which I have been told they will do if worst comes to worst.
No truth to the rumor that the fireworks you may have heard today after Eichel announced he was leaving came from Chestnut Hill but in all seriousness, that kid is the most NHL ready hockey player I have ever seen. I think he is going to be an all star and get that team to the playoffs next season, he is that good. I wish him nothing but the very best although I sure am happy he won't be skating against BC any time soon.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Pat Wey Retires
I wish Pat all the best in whatever lies ahead, once and Eagle, always an Eagle.
Go Eagles.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Bracco Picked But It Looks Bad
Freshman Jeremy Bracco was selected 61st overall this morning by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL draft. However, it has become more and more likely that he will ditch BC for the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). I am not sure how much the Maple Leafs will influence his decision but I do know that Brendan Shanahan has been at a handful of BC's games in the past so he knows what the program is about.
Obviously, we went through this last year but this time around, I think everyone should be prepared for what is coming. I would say there is a 5% chance he ends up at BC next season. Obviously, it would be a total bummer but maybe the kid will step back and think about all the positives of playing college hockey and at BC in particular. In the end, no matter where he plays, we all want him to achieve his goal of donning that blue and white sweater in the near future.
As for what the staff will do to fill the spot (if and when it opens up), it appears that they have a plan to bring in someone to help out next years squad, should their top rated recruit bolt for Canada.
Go Eagles
Obviously, we went through this last year but this time around, I think everyone should be prepared for what is coming. I would say there is a 5% chance he ends up at BC next season. Obviously, it would be a total bummer but maybe the kid will step back and think about all the positives of playing college hockey and at BC in particular. In the end, no matter where he plays, we all want him to achieve his goal of donning that blue and white sweater in the near future.
As for what the staff will do to fill the spot (if and when it opens up), it appears that they have a plan to bring in someone to help out next years squad, should their top rated recruit bolt for Canada.
Go Eagles
Friday, June 26, 2015
Hanifin Goes To Carolina, White to Ottawa, and Finger Crossing Time
Tonight, Noah Hanifin became just the second Eagle ever taken in the top 5 of the NHL draft along with long time NHLer Bill Guerin. About an hour later, freshman Colin White was selected by the Ottawa Senators as the 21st overall pick, becoming the first Eagle to be drafted by the red and black since Patrick Eaves.
As you probably know, I say some stuff on this blog and on the Twitter waves that probably don't resonate too well with some people, including some of BC's own players but when it comes to Noah Hanifin, I've never had a player treat me with kindness and respect quite like he has. Sure, it's a really small thing but the kid goes out of his way to treat me well and for that, he will always be a top my list of favorite Eagles, along with G of course. I know how hard he has worked to get his named called this evening and no one deserves it more than that kid. He always talks about how he wants to improve his shot before he gets to the show. A lot of people just talk about that stuff but I can't tell you how many times he has stayed after practice working on his one timer with Coach Brown while everyone else heads to the locker room. Carolina is not just getting a special hockey player, they're getting one heck of a kid who represents Boston College unbelievably well. As for what happens now, I was always in the camp of thinking he would return but it doesn't look good (click link), However, Here is a link of Carolina's GM saying the organization is certainly open to him coming back to BC.
When it comes to Colin White, I thought he was going to end up with Boston or Detroit (my favorite team) but he ended up sliding down to Ottawa, where a lot of pundits had him. Obviously, a terrific night for him and his family but this tweet below got me thinking again. Immediately after it was posted I talked with a person inside the program and he said there was "no way" White would ever bolt. From everyone I have talked to, it seems like he is excited to get here and contribute, even telling a local paper last week that he wanted to be a "point per game player @ BC". It is probably nothing but here it is.......
UPDATE********- As of Saturday morning, that tweeted from Lafortune has been deleted.
As you probably know, I say some stuff on this blog and on the Twitter waves that probably don't resonate too well with some people, including some of BC's own players but when it comes to Noah Hanifin, I've never had a player treat me with kindness and respect quite like he has. Sure, it's a really small thing but the kid goes out of his way to treat me well and for that, he will always be a top my list of favorite Eagles, along with G of course. I know how hard he has worked to get his named called this evening and no one deserves it more than that kid. He always talks about how he wants to improve his shot before he gets to the show. A lot of people just talk about that stuff but I can't tell you how many times he has stayed after practice working on his one timer with Coach Brown while everyone else heads to the locker room. Carolina is not just getting a special hockey player, they're getting one heck of a kid who represents Boston College unbelievably well. As for what happens now, I was always in the camp of thinking he would return but it doesn't look good (click link), However, Here is a link of Carolina's GM saying the organization is certainly open to him coming back to BC.
When it comes to Colin White, I thought he was going to end up with Boston or Detroit (my favorite team) but he ended up sliding down to Ottawa, where a lot of pundits had him. Obviously, a terrific night for him and his family but this tweet below got me thinking again. Immediately after it was posted I talked with a person inside the program and he said there was "no way" White would ever bolt. From everyone I have talked to, it seems like he is excited to get here and contribute, even telling a local paper last week that he wanted to be a "point per game player @ BC". It is probably nothing but here it is.......
Tomorrow we will see Jeremy Bracco, Casey Fitzgerald, and David Cotton get drafted. See you then.
Go Eagles
UPDATE********- As of Saturday morning, that tweeted from Lafortune has been deleted.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Draft Notes, Staff Announces Freshmen Class, and Other Notes
Tomorrow marks one of the most exciting days in the offseason as the NHL draft commences in Sunrise, Florida. Like usual, many Eagles are projected to be picked over the course of the next few days but of course, no one stands out more so than Noah Hanifin who is slated to go #3 overall in tomorrows first round. The question is where will Noah and a handful of other Eagles take the next steps in their hockey careers after leaving Boston College?
I'm not going to sit here and try to make it seem like I know where these guys are going to end up but I think a good idea would be to give you a few different mock drafts so you can try to see for yourself where the BC guys will end up. For the record, I think Hanifin will go #3 but I think it will be to Columbus rather than Phoenix. I was surprised at how low some experts had Colin White because I think he will go #13 to Los Angeles and I also wouldn't be blown away if Jeremy Bracco makes it a trio of Eagles in the first round due to his vision and play making abilities. So, here are the different mock drafts I came across.
USA Today
SB Nation
My NHL
Mike Morreale's final mock draft (this guy knows what he is talking about)
Adam Kimelman's final mock draft
Yahoo Sports
Sports Net
Blue Jackets Blog "The Cannon"
Here is a good trivia question....who is BC's highest first round draft pick all time and what number was he?
When the draft is all said and done, I expect Hanifin, White, Bracco, David Cotton (3rd round), Casey Fitzgerald (6th or 7th round) to all get drafted. So, if that does indeed take place, BC will have 15 NHL draft picks on it's team next year. Think we're going to be pretty good? Ya, pretty, pretty, pretty, good.
The staff officially finished announcing the incoming class today so here are the freshmen numbers.
Jeremy Bracco- 17
Colin White-18
Miles Wood- 28
Chris Shero-23
Chris Birdsall-1
Casey Fitzgerald-5
Josh Couturier- 22
Chris Brown-10
Joey Dudek-15
Before I go, I want to share a tweet I saw yesterday but because it has become such a controversial topic that I have touched on time and time again, I will avoid comment.
Also, I have updated the schedule with three more games, including the two vs archrival Boston University.
Good luck to all the guys down in Florida, Go Eagles!
I'm not going to sit here and try to make it seem like I know where these guys are going to end up but I think a good idea would be to give you a few different mock drafts so you can try to see for yourself where the BC guys will end up. For the record, I think Hanifin will go #3 but I think it will be to Columbus rather than Phoenix. I was surprised at how low some experts had Colin White because I think he will go #13 to Los Angeles and I also wouldn't be blown away if Jeremy Bracco makes it a trio of Eagles in the first round due to his vision and play making abilities. So, here are the different mock drafts I came across.
USA Today
SB Nation
My NHL
Mike Morreale's final mock draft (this guy knows what he is talking about)
Adam Kimelman's final mock draft
Yahoo Sports
Sports Net
Blue Jackets Blog "The Cannon"
Here is a good trivia question....who is BC's highest first round draft pick all time and what number was he?
When the draft is all said and done, I expect Hanifin, White, Bracco, David Cotton (3rd round), Casey Fitzgerald (6th or 7th round) to all get drafted. So, if that does indeed take place, BC will have 15 NHL draft picks on it's team next year. Think we're going to be pretty good? Ya, pretty, pretty, pretty, good.
The staff officially finished announcing the incoming class today so here are the freshmen numbers.
Jeremy Bracco- 17
Colin White-18
Miles Wood- 28
Chris Shero-23
Chris Birdsall-1
Casey Fitzgerald-5
Josh Couturier- 22
Chris Brown-10
Joey Dudek-15
Before I go, I want to share a tweet I saw yesterday but because it has become such a controversial topic that I have touched on time and time again, I will avoid comment.
Also, I have updated the schedule with three more games, including the two vs archrival Boston University.
Good luck to all the guys down in Florida, Go Eagles!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Offseason Questions
It's been a little while since we discussed the offseason and what could possibly lie ahead for this team next fall. As you probably know, I'm quite excited about the team BC could possibly have next season but there is a still a couple of questions as to who shows up in September.
1. Will Noah Hanifin stay?
Obviously, this is the #1 question in every player, coach, and fan's mind, will BC's top player return for another year on the Heights? First of all, I think it says a lot about Hanifin and Jack Eichel that they're taking their respective commitments to BC and BU so seriously, that is something we don't really see these days. It is clear that these two prospects, perhaps the most highly touted in college hockey since Toews and Kessel, enjoyed their seasons and it's quite amazing that they're even considering coming back. My take on Hanifin is probably the same as anyone else's, I think it's 50-50 as to whether he stays or goes because it depends so much on who drafts him although I do think there is a better chance of him staying than people think. Is BC screwed if he leaves? No, they still have four very solid guys coming back on the blue line with two young but talented freshmen in Couturier and Fitzgerald. If you really want me to say what I think, and I am very biased, yes, I do think he will stay.
2. Will Jeremy Bracco show?
Unfortunately, I feel like this one is more up in the air than the Hanifin question. The good news is that its been about a month since the close of the NTDP season and Bracco has yet to sign anywhere, unlike some other guys on his team such as Tkachuk and Max Jones (U17). The bad news is that in speaking with people around the program, it is clear that they are not 100% sure that he will arrive in the fall. We all know what happened with Sonny Milano and that was arguably the worst thing that could have happened to the team last year. Bracco signing with Kitchner wouldn't be as big a blow as Milano but I am one of many who believe he could be the leading scorer on this team next season because he always seems to have a knack for putting points on the board, something BC desperately needs. I would like to think that he will be in the opening night lineup at Army but there is only one person that really knows the answer to whether or not that will come to fruition.
3. Is the staff done recruiting for the year?
With 7 seniors and Mike Matheson gone, many believe that the staff has some left over scholarship money to spend for next season. Unlike BU, Coach York and his crew are pretty conservative when it comes to throwing around scholarship money. Here is what I think, if Bracco does in fact sign with Kitchner, then BC will certainly bring in another guy, I believe they have a plan in case that happens. But, if he does end up coming to BC, I don't think they will sign anyone else, and unlike others, I don't think they necessarily need to. All those BU clowns keep talking about how we won't be deep next season but when you look closely, BC won't just be deep next year, they will have "role" players who are experienced and most importantly, skilled. Here is just a quick projected forward lineup for next year....not much thought went into this.
Sanford-Gilmour-Tuch
Fitz- White-Bracco
Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan
Gaudreau-Brown-Silk/Dudek
That is as deep a lineup as Coach York has ever had, at least skill wise. I think you could certainly switch some guys around like White and Cangelosi, Calnan, Bracco, and Tuch can be arraigned literally anyway they want, and I'm not sure if they're going to keep that first line together again after they struggled in the postseason. Again, just a quick run through, we will do more of these as October gets closer but it sure is fun when you have a lot of options.
4. How is Demko doing?
From all I have gathered, it seems as if Thatcher Demko is recovering well from his hip surgery earlier this spring. Obviously, we still have a ways to go until October 9th but I think there is a solid chance he is ready to go and if not then, certainly in the first couple weeks of the season. I do not think he will play nearly as much as he did a season ago because I think the staff has some confidence in Birdsall's abilities along with the fact that BC should be the highest scoring team in the nation. For example, will he really need to play @ Army, vs Wisconsin, or RIT? Why not give the freshman some valuable experience early on. It can't hurt in the long run.
5. I've gotten about 1500 emails about BU's recent recruiting run and how we should be concerned, should we?
Remember what Aaron Rodgers said after the Packers went 1-2 to start the year? "RELAX". Obviously, the staff is confident that a lot of guys will stay following this season because they have not committed much scholarship money to high end guys that are coming in the fall of 2016. BU on the other hand will lose guys like Oksanen, O'Regan, Grzelyck, Lane, and perhaps Hickey after this season. Tuch is certainly here for just two years, but I wouldn't say it is a forgone conclusion that guys like Santini, Gilmour, and Calnan leave after their junior seasons.....but that is a long ways off. The point is, don't worry, we will be fine. No one will question recruiting this year, trust me, not even this guy.
6. Is this the most talented team Coach York has ever had, outside of maybe 2011? (If Bracco and Hanifin come/stay)
......................................................Yes.
Go Eagles!
One week until Chambers Bay, come on Phil!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Support A Terrific Cause
Former Eagle captain Pat Mullane and his classmates joined forces with a couple of counterparts from the down the street to develop the Comm Ave Charity Classic to be played on Friday, July 10th at BU's Walter Brown Arena. The game will pit former Eagles including Brian Leetch, Cam Atkinson, Chris Kreider, Brian Dumoulin, and G vs former Terriers such as Scott Young, Jay Pandolfo, and Charlie Coyle. The proceeds for the game will go straight to research for ALS.
I'm certainly impressed with the work Pat has put in to help bring this game to fruition as I know he was very close with Dick Kelly during his time at Boston College. Of course, the news of Pete Frates' diagnosis a couple of years back and the subsequent "Ice Bucket Challenge" last summer provided even more initiative for Pat and his crew to get this thing together. I know we like to give them a hard time when it comes to the hockey and recruiting but hats off to the former Terriers for playing a big role in what will certainly be a terrific event next month.
Here is the website if you want more information. Hopefully we can see the good guys take home another victory over the scarlet and white.
Go Eagles!
I'm certainly impressed with the work Pat has put in to help bring this game to fruition as I know he was very close with Dick Kelly during his time at Boston College. Of course, the news of Pete Frates' diagnosis a couple of years back and the subsequent "Ice Bucket Challenge" last summer provided even more initiative for Pat and his crew to get this thing together. I know we like to give them a hard time when it comes to the hockey and recruiting but hats off to the former Terriers for playing a big role in what will certainly be a terrific event next month.
Here is the website if you want more information. Hopefully we can see the good guys take home another victory over the scarlet and white.
Go Eagles!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Updates
As we learned the hard way last August, no news can usually be perceived as good news and that is exactly what has taken place so far this summer in BC Hockey world. I don't have much to report on but here are some quick points.
It appears Thatcher Demko's recovery from hip surgery is going quite well. By all accounts, there is a solid chance he is good to go for Army on October 9th but I would expect that he sits 7-9 times this year. He simply ran out of gas last season but the good news is he should have a high powered offense to support him.
Forward Brendan Silk is still recovering from a concussion and was cleared to begin working out just a couple of weeks ago. Still not a sure thing he will be ready to go for the season opener.
As far as recruiting goes, nothing much to report. Over the course of the past three weeks, we have seen numerous CHL teams announce signing of American prospects but thankfully, none of those have been Jeremy Bracco who still seems set on attending BC in September.
In the schedule page, we've got pretty much all of the non-conference games set in stone with the exception of RIT. No conference games have been announced but we host Notre Dame and travel to Vermont.
Other than that, enjoy the summer and get ready for Phil at Chambers Bay!
Go Eagles
It appears Thatcher Demko's recovery from hip surgery is going quite well. By all accounts, there is a solid chance he is good to go for Army on October 9th but I would expect that he sits 7-9 times this year. He simply ran out of gas last season but the good news is he should have a high powered offense to support him.
Forward Brendan Silk is still recovering from a concussion and was cleared to begin working out just a couple of weeks ago. Still not a sure thing he will be ready to go for the season opener.
As far as recruiting goes, nothing much to report. Over the course of the past three weeks, we have seen numerous CHL teams announce signing of American prospects but thankfully, none of those have been Jeremy Bracco who still seems set on attending BC in September.
In the schedule page, we've got pretty much all of the non-conference games set in stone with the exception of RIT. No conference games have been announced but we host Notre Dame and travel to Vermont.
Other than that, enjoy the summer and get ready for Phil at Chambers Bay!
Go Eagles
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