Got to Find a Way

If you didn't watch the the All-American prospects game tonight, the best way for me to sum it up is by saying two things. Number one, the future of American hockey is in bright hands because there were some absolute studs out there tonight. Whether it's Eichel, Hanifin, Wierenski, White, Bracco, or Greenway, there is potential for some guys not just to change the impact of some lucky NHL franchises, but a chance to change the course of American hockey.

Secondly, I don't care if they want me to move to Ann Arbor and camp out in front of NTDP headquarters, the staff has to find a way to get Jeremy Bracco to campus. I don't know the kid at all but he seems like he's got "it". What do I mean by that? It's not just his sensational speed and skill, it's the fact that he looks like he LOVES being on that ice and scoring goals. A big emphasis of Coach York's is being excited about wins and being excited about scoring goals. I have never been to a hockey practice where the whole team literally goes crazy after a goal in a drill or ever seen bench that stands up for the whole game, patting each other on the back and pointing to the guy that made the play, not just the goal scorer. You see the way Jeremy Bracco points right at his teammate after a goal? See the way he gets all pumped up? See the way he skates with his head up when he has the puck? Remind you of anyone from Carney's Point, NJ? Is he going to end up here? I don't know, only he really knows that, but he looks like the kid that we want representing not just the school, but the program as a whole, you want kids that would run through a brick wall to put on the maroon and gold. Having his skill helps to.

Go Eagles

Lineup Talk

I'm not ready to give out some lineup predictions because I believe the staff is still trying to insert certain guys at different positions. I am however ready to start talking about expectations for the guys on this team. Remember, the team goals never change. 1. Beat BU 2. Win the Beanpot 3. Win a National Title but the goals for each member of the team changes from year to year. Let's take a look at some lineup talk.

Let me start out by saying that this could be, talent wise, the staff's best recruiting class and the nicest part about it is that all three guys are a little bit different. Zachary Sanford is the first big time recruit that they had play one extra year in the USHL, which allowed him to gain another year of experience, work on his skills, and most importantly, add some age to what will be a very young forward core. Alex Tuch is a 6'3 giant that is one of the smartest players, hockey IQ wise, the staff has brought in since, well, a long time. He will undoubtedly play a role on either one of the top two lines and the second power play unit (maybe first if he really stands out early). I don't need to talk about Noah Hanifin, you know how I feel about him.

If we are comparing this group of forwards to years past, especially 2010, 2011, or 2012, then of course, it is a very shallow group with not much veteran experience on the top end. On the other hand, the 2010 team had a  couple of fourth line seniors that were the hardest working players on the ice game in and game out, making life miserable for an opponent's first line and power play units. I'm not expecting Quinn Smith, Danny Linell, and Mike Sit to go out and suddenly become Brian Gionta, Johnny G, and Nathan Gerbe overnight but there is no reason why they shouldn't contribute in a big way each and every way. When I say "big way" I don't necessarily mean averaging a goal per game (although it would be huge if they could find a way to score every 3.5/4 periods), I mean being one of the top penalty killing units in Hockey East and one of the toughest, grittiest lines that no one wants to play against. If the staff plays them against the Devin Shore's and Jack Eichel's of the world, they're going to give up some points but if they can make each shift the hardest shift of the game for the opposition's top guns, we got a shot.

Obviously the sophomore class is the big key up front. Who was the best player in that class last year (offensively)? Fitzgerald. Who was the most consistent player in that class last year(offensively)? First half it was Cangelosi, second half it was Gilmour. Who made the biggest jump from October to April? Calnan. As you can see, there are a lot of positives to take out of everyones season in 2013-14. It was the #1 ranked class in college hockey for two reasons. First, it was loaded with talent, second it was loaded with depth, something that this year's class doesn't have. A lot of people are betting on Ryan Fitzgerald as BC's "go to" guy this year. I don't think there will be any such thing. I expect Fitz, Gilmour, Cangelosi, and Tuch to be in the 35-40 point range but I don't expect any of them to go north of say, 66 points. I love the fact that no one is talking about Sanford because I think he's got a shot to sneak up and surprise a lot of us. I think it's going to take him a little bit of time to get used to the speed, such as it did in the USHL, but by Beanpot time, he's going to be big weapon.

I think this defense is as good as any defensive core we have seen, not just @ BC, but in college hockey over the past six or seven years (BU's 2009 D core was scary, unfortunately). Obviously, at certain points over his first two years @ BC, Mike Matheson wasn't exceptional in his own end but one of the reasons he wasn't so good in that area is because he isn't a "defensive" defenseman. Is he bad in his own end? No, not at all but he isn't McCoshen or certainly not Santini. That right there is why this team could be so good, each defenseman has qualities the other may not possess. In 2013, we needed Matheson out there literally every shift and in the end, he got tired and wore down. In 2014, McCoshen got banged up and wasn't playing at his highest level, forcing Matheson to play a lot of minutes in March and April, once again wearing him down.

Insert Noah Hanifin.

We've got two predominately offensive defensemen in Savage and Doherty, both of which are more than capable of playing second power play and possibly second penalty killing units, Santini and McCoshen (on a lesser extent) are two guys you can put out there against the best forwards in the country and expect to slow them down, Matheson is a tad bit better in the offensive end but isn't a liability in his own end, and Hanifin is basically a combination of everything you want in a defenseman, I'm not kidding. To be honest, I like Travis Jeke as the 8th guy because two years ago he had to play top five minutes in big times games such as the Hockey East playoffs and NCAA tournament and he basically wasn't ready. Fast forward two years and he's proven both in real games (Pittsburgh tournament) and practice that he can go out there and play minimal minutes.

I have to tell you, I like this team but then again, I like every BC Hockey team. Sure, the names on the back no longer read "Johnny G", "Hayes", or "Arnold" but the lettering on the front is the same as it was when those guys left. It doesn't matter if you're a walk on or a highly touted recruit, when you put on those colors, you're expected to contribute to this program both on the ice and off it. I'm telling you, it's going to be a little bit different, it's probably not going to be six or seven goals per game like we saw at times last year but the only thing that matters at the end of the day is what the scoreboard says. I think this club has a chance to win a lot of hockey games this season if they grow sooner rather than later.

Go Eagles.

Central Scouting Preseason Rankings Released

NHL Central Scouting released their 2015 draft preseason grades this afternoon, a list that ranks skaters with an "A", "B", or "C" grade. Here is how the future/current Eagles faired.

A Skaters- 

Noah Hanifin (Defenseman, Boston College) 

Colin White (Forward, USNTDP) 

B Skaters- 

Jeremy Bracco (Forward, USNTDP) 

Chris Birdsall (Goalie, Youngstown Phantoms) 

Casey Fitzgerald (Defenseman, USTNDP) 

C Skaters- 

David Cotton (Forward, Cushing Academy) 

Hockey East Media Poll Released

With tomorrows Hockey East media day (wow the season is really here), numerous members of the BC hate club, also known as the Hockey East media, released their rankings and preseason first team this afternoon. Here are the results.

1. Providence

2. Boston College

3. Boston University

4. Northeastern

5. UMass Lowell

6. Maine

7. Notre Dame (tie)

7. Vermont (tie)

9. UNH

10. Merrimack

11. UMass

12. UConn

First team- Devin Shore (Maine), Kevin Roy (NU), Ross Mauermann (PC), Ben Hutton (Maine), Michael Matheson (Boston College), John Gilles (PC)

I didn't vote but here is how I would have voted, not that it means anything.

1. PC, 2. BC, 3. BU, 4. NU, 5. Notre Dame, 6. Maine, 7. UNH, 8. Lowell, 9. Vermont, 10. Merrimack, 11. UConn, 12. UMass

My first team would have been Shore, Roy, Lucia, Hanifin, Matheson, Gilles.

Go Eagles.

A New Hope Arises

I'll be the first one to admit it, I probably underrate some recruits and overrate others, mainly because of the amount of time I have watched some and not others. I live in Chestnut Hill, so I don't get a chance to watch recruits out in Ann Arbor (I'm not that crazy, I don't fly out to Michigan to watch recruits), but I always try and get to any local games that involves any potential recruits. Don't get me wrong, I watched Noah Hanifin a lot while he played @ St.Sebastian's, heck I probably went to every game over the course of his sophomore season but like I've said in past posts, it is getting difficult to measure the quality of players in the ISL mainly because the product of the league has gone so far down due to the rise of the USHL/EJHL/BCHL etc.

Listen, I watched Noah twice this summer and I left the rink thinking he was by far and away the best player on the ice but like anyone else would, I've always been curious as to how his talent would translate onto the ice @ Kelly Rink. I saw him practice for the first time yesterday and I know it's just a one hour session with no real flow to it yet but I'm telling you right now, you won't believe how good this kid is. I'm sure Jack Eichel is a tremendous hockey player and he will do great things down the street but the amount of attention he receives compared to Noah is just typical Hockey East media bias towards BC.

I'm not going to go out and say Noah's going to be the next Bobby Orr or Nick Lidstrom but there is one thing I can say with very little hesitance, he will be one of, if not the best, defensemen in Hockey East this year. Everyone always talks about an "adjusting period" for freshmen and I think both Sanford and Tuch will have a little bit of that, but Noah? Not so much. He looked like a man playing with kids during some of those drills. When was the last time you saw a defensemen that was 6'3, 200 pounds, and was without a doubt one of the best skaters on the ice?

I know we are all worried about the lack of scoring up front and trust me, I can understand why but adding this kid to what was already the best returning D core of the Coach York era is a huge boost for the team's chances at a National Title. Again, I know he hasn't even played a game yet and I just watched about thirty minutes of practice but a freshman doesn't show up on day one @ this program and look like the best player out there unless he is something totally unique. I don't know how long he will be at BC, getting him for more than a year would be icing on the cake but I'm telling you right now, this kid is going to have as big an impact on this program as anyone that has ever put on that uniform. Trust me.

Oh and he is the youngest player in the history of the program. Go figure.

Go Eagles.

Recruiting Notes

Lot of homework tonight so just a quick little run through.

- Late 1997 D Jacob Bryson visited BC a few days ago, he is a defenseman that will play at Loomis  this fall. Played with Connor Moore on the Neponset River Rats this summer and impressed the staff @ the Labor Day tournament in Marlboro. Other schools that are in the hunt for Bryson include Providence and Northeastern. Lots of upside. Downside is his size, only 5'9


- Speaking of that Labor Day tournament, the US Hockey Report came out with their player rankings. In the U16 division, 2016 recruit David Cotton struggled and was given a "B" rating. I was out there for one of his games and he just looked flat out tired. He didn't have a great summer so hopefully he picks it up @ Cushing this fall.    

- Luke McInnis was given an "A" rating for that tournament, he plays for former Eagle Andrew Orpik and a loaded Cape Cod Whalers U18 squad that includes Lincoln Griffin, Ryan Shea, Billy Sweezy, and Will D'Orsi. Connor Moore looks like he has improved tremendously since the last time I saw him play in December. He was also given an "A" rating.

That's all I got. Go Eagles.

Top 5 Position Battles Heading Into "Preseason"

Coaches and players hit the ice today for the first time @ Kelly Rink and a new season of Eagle Hockey is set to begin. This year, perhaps more so than other in the past five years, is full of question marks, especially up front. The Eagles return star goaltender Thatcher Demko as well as the nation's best D core but with the loss of the big three plus the last minute ditch by he who shall not be named, the forward depth is average at best.

I'll do more previews and stuff as the season gets even closer but I kind of like the fact that there are so many unknowns. Everyone looks at that as a bad thing but why not give guys like Tuch, Sanford, and Calnan a chance to step up and play big time minutes? A summer full of training plus more experience plus more playing time with higher quality players plus an "average" Hockey East could make for a nice jump in points for some guys. The bottom line is that certain guys, especially Calnan, Gilmour (not as much), and Spiro will need to step up and play consistently solid hockey.

Here are some questions.

1. Final forward spots. Like I said, we are not very deep this season but our talent level on the front end ranks in the top three of the league along with BU and Providence. I'm not going to get into positions now because the staff still has to try and figure out what guys are going to move and so fourth so bear with me.

Locks- Tuch, Sanford, Gilmour, Calnan, Cangelosi, Fitzgerald, Linell, Smith, Silk, Gaudreau

Bubble- Straight, Spiro, McMullen

This year, more than any other, I expect the staff to constantly roll three lines, especially when we play teams like Minnesota, Denver, and Providence.

2. First power play unit. Fitzgerald, Gilmour, and Cangelosi will be the first forward unit, to start. Matheson will be on one point but the question is who will be on the other. They have two good options, Scotty Savage and Noah Hanifin. I think they will start with Savage on the first unit meaning the second unit will be Tuch, Sanford, Calnan, Hanifin, and McCoshen. Not bad.

3. Who will be first line right wing, Calnan or Cangelosi? Of the top six forwards, all of whom could be moved to any position, I would think they will have to put both of these guys at right wing because I don't think either could play center very well. Cangelosi could probably adjust on the fly but they like Calnan's play on the boards. Hopefully he improves his skating and produces. Cangelosi first line, Calnan second....to start.

4. Out of Smith, Sit, Spiro, Linell, Straight, and Silk, who will get the most playing time? Because of the lack of depth, one (maybe two) of these guys is going to have to play a lot more minutes than he did last season. I really liked the way Silk progressed in his sophomore year but he's not the most skilled guy on the ice. Personally, I've always been a big fan of Cam Spiro, he had like 30 goals in his senior season @ Tabor and he has manifested his speed and skill during practice and the few games he's had a chance to play in.

5. How much will the style of play change this year? Not really a position question but I think the staff is going to change the way this team plays hockey. A year from now, we will be stacked and play that open, fast paced, north/south style we love to play. This year, I think it's going to be more defensive, a little bit more passive forecheck, and much less goals/shot totals. As long as they win, I could care less if they score one goal and then throw the puck around the rest of the game. Whatever gets more goals on the board than the opponent.


Ryan Shea committed to Northeastern yesterday. Would have been nice to see him go to BC but really wasn't going to work out, unfortunately. Anyways, that's all on the recruiting front.

Go Eagles.

A Hero That Needs To Be Honored

There are certain dates that everyone, no matter how they old they were at the time, remembers exactly where they were, who they were with, and most importantly, the impact the event had on their life. September 11th, 2001 is without any doubt the worst day in the history of our country and perhaps the worst day this world has ever seen. Nearly 3,000 men, women, and children will always be remembered for the sacrifices they gave to our country. The Boston College community lost 22 distinguished alumni but the story of Welles Crowther, class of 1999, is one of the most well known 9/11 stories ever documented. If you don't know the entire story, please take ten minutes out of your day and watch this video. It will forever change your view on that day and will perhaps inspire you to remember this man and what he did. 

For those of you that do know the story, it goes without saying that this man is the type of individual that each parent should try and mold their kids to be like. Welles Crowther could have just left the south tower of the World Trade Center with the rest of his coworkers. Instead, he went back and without his heroic acts, 7 or 8 more individuals would have lost their lives on that dreadful day. 

One of the main hallmarks of the Jesuits and their mission is to be a "man/woman for others". If you can find a better example of any person being a man for others than Welles Crowther, please feel free to email me. I'm not an administrator, admissions director, or teacher but if we could get just a couple of graduates each year to be like Welles Crowther, then there is no reason why Boston College cannot be the best university in the world. That man epitomizes everything that a BC graduate should be and for that reason, this university should do something to let every student, fan, alumni, visitor, etc know who he is and what he did on September 11th, 2001. 

Now, there are numerous ways the school can honor Welles, whether it be a statue, a section of Conte Forum dedicated to him, a banner, a building bearing his name, or as one twitter follower suggested, an honorary degree in his name for the service of others. While I think a degree would be awesome, there needs to be something that every single person who visits campus can see and learn about this remarkable story. Maybe they could even paint a red bandana on the ice and leave it there from here on out? 

This university has had a lot of notable graduates that have been recognized in some way, shape of form (Tip O'Neil, Snooks Kelly, Doug Flutie) but in my opinion, no Boston College graduate deserves more recognition than Welles Crowther. 

Go Eagles and Rest in Peace, Welles. 

Top 5 Recruiting Targets

As you all know, the college hockey season is just around the corner but the drop of the puck @ Conte Forum also marks the start of another year of recruiting for the staff. Last year was without a doubt one of the best years in BC Hockey recruiting history as they gained commitments from Jeremy Bracco, Zachary Walker, Luke McInnis, Graham McPhee, Chris Brown, Connor Moore, David Cotton, and of course,  Miles Wood. It is quite amazing how much better these next three recruiting classes will be (talent wise) compared to the past four we have had. Outside of last years freshmen class, we only brought in two NHL draft picks, combined, in the 2012 and 2013 freshmen classes (G and Matheson). For comparisons sake, there were 6 in the 2014 freshmen class, and two of the three guys coming in this year are already draft picks, the other will be a top five pick this summer. Here is the simple form.

2012 freshmen class- 1 NHL draft pick (G)

2013 freshmen class- 1 NHL draft pick (Matheson)

2014 freshmen class- 6 NHL draft picks

2015 freshmen class- 2 NHL draft picks (will be 3 in June)

2016 freshmen class- 3 NHL draft picks already (Bracco and White not eligible until this summer, will be 5)


So as you can clearly see, the staff has really ramped up their recruiting efforts over the course of the past couple of seasons. Detractors love to talk about BC's "shady" recruiting tactics but the numbers and draft picks clearly show that no other school in the country, outside of maybe Minnesota, recruits as well as BC does. For all the talk about how intense the BC-BU rivalry is on the ice, the most intriguing aspect of the rivalry is on the recruiting trail. In the 2010 documentary "The Battle of Comm Ave" Jack Parker was the first to point out that the rivalry off the ice is five times more competitive than the one on it. We win some (Wood, White) and they win some (Eichel) but a new hockey season only means another installment of colligate athletics' greatest rivalry, off the ice.

Anyways, I went out and tried to gather some information regarding a couple of top targets for the staff this season. A lot can happen over the course of a long hockey season so things will change but right now, I think this would be a pretty accurate list. It's not in any particular order but Krys is #1.

1. Chad Krys- The 5'11 defenseman from Ridgefield, CT is the #2 ranked uncommitted prospect on Over the Boards and it is widely known that his final two choices are BC and BU. The issue for the Eagles is that both of Krys' parents attended BU and his father was the captain of the hockey team. On the plus side, he hasn't committed to BU yet and a lot of people believe that BC has a legitimate shot to land him. If they did, what an upset that would be.

2. Jacob Bryson- A 5'8 defenseman from London, ON will enroll @ Loomis and Chaffee this fall. Played for the Labor Day Tournament winning team in Marlboro, Neponset River Rats alongside BC commit Connor Moore. 22 points in 32 games played last season for the London Jr Knights. Providence and Northeastern are also in the mix, among others.

3. Auston Matthews- 6'0 forward from Arizona, currently plays for the USNTDP U18 team,  recorded 12 goals and 21 assists last season for the U17 squad. Supposedly was very impressive at World Jr Camp in Lake Placid earlier this summer. He is a draft pick of the Everett Silvetips (WHL) but has spoken with a bunch of colleges. If in fact he does go the college route, it would be a big time pick up for the staff.

4. Jake Wise- There was White, Eichel, and Hanifin, and now there is Wise. The North Andover native is only a 2000 (!!!!!!) birthday but completely outclassed the 15,16,and 17 year olds he played against last weekend in the New England Fall Prep league up in Salem, NH. He even gets that comparison that drives me insane every time I hear it...."he is the next Sidney Crosby". BC and BU again.

5. Ryan Shea- 5'11 defenseman out of Milton and BC High.  Father Danny is certainly one of the top 10-15 forwards ever to play @ BC, certainly top 5 of the non-Coach York era. Look, I think the kid is certainly good enough to come in and play here, Over the Boards has him ranked #3 in their uncommitted list but I don't think the staff is going to get him and isn't because he doesn't want to go to BC. Who knows, maybe things will change and they will get him but as of now, it doesn't look good. Don't be surprised if he winds up you know where.

Have a good weekend. Go Eagles.

A Change In Direction? Yup

Ever since the event that shall not be named that occurred two weeks ago, the staff has explored a couple of options to add some depth to BC's forward core. There were three legitimate options, well, two really. The first (pretty unrealistic) one was to bring in Noble and Greenough forward Miles Wood a year early. He is, without a doubt, BC's #3 forward recruit in the pipeline (behind White and Bracco) but unlike those guys, he will be a 19 year old senior in high school this fall. He couldn't make it to Chestnut Hill this year because he doesn't have the high school credits required to gain entry into BC.

The second, what I thought very realistic, option was to bring Joey Dudek, who did in fact graduate from high school this spring, a year early. The reason they didn't bring Dudek in is because while he would have most likely been able to accelerate and gained entry into the school, the staff feels that he needs one more year to develop into the top end player that he is capable of being.

The third option the staff had was bringing in Chris Brown but like Dudek, they think he needs a year in the USHL to play against bigger, stronger guys similar to the ones he will see in Hockey East just a year from now.

You may be wondering why I decided to title this "A Change in Direction". As you certainly know, the whole age issue in college hockey drives me insane. I have never been a fan of the fact that we have 17 year old freshman that have to play against guys @ Merrimack and Lowell that are 22/23 year old freshmen or 26/27 year old seniors but like my lovely (sarcastic) twitter followers like to point out, there is no rule against bringing in older guys and maybe the staff should try and see what they can do with older prospects. Well look how old these guys are going to be when they hit the ice for us.

Zach Sanford (this fall)- Turns 20 on November 9th.

Joey Dudek (fall of 2015)- Will turn 19 midseason.

Miles Wood (fall of 2015)- Will be 20 when the puck drops in the fall of 2015.

Christopher Brown (fall of 2015) Will turn 20 towards the end of the 2015 season.

Whether we like it or not, and I certainly am not a fan, college hockey recruiting is changing in so many ways, especially the age at which players are first recruited and when they eventually arrive on campus. The fact of the matter is my opinion, the staffs opinions, your opinion, don't matter. Older players is becoming a trend but unlike other schools in this league (besides BU), we continue to bring in TRUE freshmen that will have every opportunity to succeed.

Oh and by the way, Merrimack is bringing in their first true freshman since 2003, this fall. Go figure.

Go Eagles.

Four Eagles Named To All American Prospects Game

One current Eagle and (hopefully) three future ones were named to the All American Prospect game, which will take place September 25th in Buffalo, New York. Noah Hanifin (the only current Eagle), Colin White, Casey Fitzgerald, and Jeremy Bracco were named to the 42 man squad. The four Eagles is the second most amongst NCAA teams, the Michigan Wolverines led the way with five guys. BU had two. 

Congrats to all four guys. Good luck. 

Go Eagles. 

A Local Recruiting Problem

Craig Janney, Brian Leetch, Mike Mullowney (had to), Brian Boyle, Greg Brown,Marty McInnis, and Mike Mottau, what do these names all have in common? They're are all BC legends that played in the Independent School League (or another New England Prep league) before arriving and succeeding @ BC. The question is, what happened? So much of our dominance in the mid 2000's through today has been because of Massachusetts born kids, some that didn't even play in the ISL. Schneider, Hayes, Arnold, Gibbons, and Whitney(s), but certainly without a doubt, one can say that BC's dominant product led by Massachusetts kids could soon be coming to an end. Are my saying BC Hockey is going down the drains? Haha no, I am not. I am saying that in order for the Eagles to be as good as they're capable of year in and year out, the staff may need to make stronger recruiting efforts in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York (a place where they have already been great).

Over the next couple of years, the Eagles have recruits coming in from these various states.

Massachusetts- Hanifin (left after sophomore year), White (left after sophomore year), Wood (3, maybe 4, years), Casey Fitzgerald (left Mass after sophomore year for NTDP), David Cotton (entering sophomore year @ Cushing), Connor Moore (entering sophomore year @ Brooks, didn't make USHL team), Luke McInnis (entering sophomore year @ Dexter, transfer from Hingham).

New Hampshire- Dudek (Coming this year, I believe), Sanford (here now, finished high school career in USHL)

New York- Tuch (here now), Bracco (left after his freshman year of high school for NTDP)

Pennsylvania- Chris Shero (graduated from a New England prep school, playing in EJHL)

Washington DC- Graham McPhee (Playing for NTDP this year after playing for Shattuck U16's

Idaho- Zachary Walker (played for Colorado Thunderbirds, will play for NTDP this year)

Michigan- Chris Brown (Played in Michigan high school leagues, will play USHL jr and sr years)

Minnesota- Nothing

The most important thing to take out of all that information is we have just ONE guy coming from Minnesota and Michigan, COMBINED. Look, I love the ISL and Mass high school leagues more than anyone but I'll be the first to admit that there are maybe three kids in the ISL that are good enough to play @ BC right now and one or two guys that are good enough to be @ BC right now from the MIAA.

As of now, Massachusetts hockey is still producing high quality players but it's concerning that the high quality players are not staying in Massachusetts which only means that there is a huge difference between the high end players (Wood, White, Eichel, etc) and the average players you find in the ISL or MIAA. To me, it is very disturbing to see the quality of hockey in the Mass high school leagues go down so much because for so many years, BC could just pluck kids right of the ISL in their junior or senior year. Now, the staff has to offer a kid that is a star in the ISL as a freshman but since the league is so down, who knows what he will do when he plays in the USHL or the NTDP?

Everyone (including this guy) likes to tall about how college hockey recruiting is changing because of age, which it is, but in this state, it appears to me that a large majority of elite players go to other leagues and fade away, mainly because the competition they played against in Mass is slipping tremendously. Look, the Woods, Eichels, and Hanifins of the world are going to be good no matter who they play against because those are the type of kids that have the skill and size to play versus the best high schoolers in the United States. It's about those third and fourth line guys that I am worried about. Obviously, our bottom six forwards have been a bit of a weakness since the National Championship in 2012 and I believe it's because the staff is having such a hard time finding guys in this area that are going to stay three or four years, will play third or fourth line and block shots, kill penalties, play solid defense vs another team's first line, etc.

We need to find a way to bring in more Barry Almeida's, Matt Lombardi's, Paul Carey's, Pat Mullane's, guys that come in here as fourth line guys, from this area, and will eventually work there way up and become high quality players and leaders by their junior and senior years.

Look, BC obviously a public university like the University of Minnesota or the University of Michigan, but BC Hockey (and admittedly BU Hockey) have inspired kids all throughout Massachusetts and New England to work towards one day wearing the maroon and gold or, if worst comes to worst, the scarlet and white. I mean, it seems that David Quinn and his staff have picked up a lot more Mass kids (Coughlin, Carpenter, Greer, Difley, Macleod) than we have. Obviously, the staff can't recruit Mass kids if the quality of play in the state does not go up but hopefully in the future, we will see more guys in the maroon and gold from Massachusetts than from California or Idaho.

Go Eagles.

Hayes Signs With Rangers, Mottau Retires

With all that is surrounding the current and future states of the Eagles, I have completely forgotten to talk about a couple of former guys, both of whom made some big time decisions this week.  Yesterday, former Eagle and Hobey Baker winner Mike Mottau retired after a 14 year professional hockey career. Mottau is arguably the best defenseman of the Coach York era and is certainly one of the very best guys to come out of this program. Teammate Bobby Allen called him "My favorite teammate of all time, no contest". The have played with or against each other since they were eight years old. Congrats to Mike on a terrific career.

This afternoon, Kevin Hayes signed an entry level deal (worth about 925,000 plus bonuses) with the New York Rangers. Hayes selected the Rangers over his hometown Bruins and the Colorado Avalanche, among others. Congrats to Kevin, we wish him all the best (except when they play the Penguins)

Go Eagles

Waiting Games

Let me start this post with being completely honest with you. I am really, really, worried about what could possibly take place this season for our club. Everyone wants to talk about our superb D and solid goaltending but if you look at our past three National Title teams, those clubs won on offense, each of which had three lines that could score at any time and a fourth line that could shut down another team's first line at certain junctures of a game. Frankly, I don't see that with this team, as of now.  Last season, the Eagles had 27 players on the roster and for the first time in a long time, they had to cut a guy (Sullivan) before the season started. As of today, BC has just 22 total skaters (including goalies). That is as shallow a roster we have ever had.

The position that I am most concerned about is the wing, both wings. On the left side we have Fitzgerald, Smith(can play both), Straight, Gaudreau, and Cam Spiro. On the right side, we have Chris Calnan, Austin Cangelosi, Brendan Silk, and Smith. Not very deep, especially on the left side. Milano was projected to be a first or second line left winger but that spot has since been vacated. What is the best case scenario for filling that hole? Of course, it would be Miles Wood but I don't think the chances of the staff bringing him in are very high, even though they can say with absolute certainty that he will play a lot of minutes both even strength and power play. The other, more likely, option is that they bring in Joey Dudek from Dubuque. Unlike Wood, Dudek was a senior this year @ Kimball Union and he graduated with the necessary credits needed to get into BC. While bringing in Wood would help the team more, Dudek would fill in just fine on the third or fourth line. Who is the better hockey player right now? Wood. Who has the actual credits to get into school right away? Dudek. The bottom line is that the staff has to find a way to get at least of these guys on campus this fall.

The other option they have is one that is more risky and far less likely to happen. They, hypothetically, could try and find a way to get Colin White to accelerate but he, like Noah Hanifin, would be a kid playing against guys that are six or years his senior. Why would I say bringing in a kid like White is so risky? It isn't because he isn't skilled because he is the best forward prospect they have in the pipeline, it's because playing for the USNTDP for one more year could give him the experience he needs to become the best freshman in college hockey when the 2015-16 season begins. If they brought him in this year, he could become a top four or five guy by midseason but I don't know if it is worth taking away one more, very important season of development against elite competition. His teammate, Jeremy Bracco, is another option but he isn't quiet as physically "gifted" as White is. Bracco needs another season to get bigger, faster, and stronger. Another issue with him is that he could be a very real possibility to bolt to the CHL.

I would expect that in the next couple of days, possibly by this weekend, the staff will announce that they're bringing in Joey Dudek for next season. It makes the most sense. He graduated from high school, he can play both wing and center, he is very close to being "Hockey East ready", and he has more skill than any of BC's bottom six guys currently have.

Here are my updated percentage odds to come next year-

Dudek- 95%

Wood- 40%

White/Bracco- Under 10% (a miracle would need to happen)

Rest In Peace, Corey Griffin

Yesterday was a tragic day in BC Hockey world and what happened with Sonny Milano has absolutely nothing to do with it, at all. Former Eagle Corey Griffin was killed in a freak diving accident in Nantucket this weekend. He was 27.

Griffin played at BC for a very short period of time before transferring to Babson, where he graduated. Whether it's a superstar or a walk-on transfer, this is the type of stuff that really hits home for everyone that has been a follower of the program.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Griffin family during this terrible time. 

Rest in Peace, Corey.

What Now?

As posted earlier today, star recruit Sonny Milano is no longer committed to Boston College for this fall. Instead, he will play with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL (according to Mike McMahon). The Blue Jackets made it official earlier when they tweeted that Milano had in fact decided to sign with them. As you may have seen if you have a Twitter account, I was very shocked and disappointed by this news. Unlike most people, I am gravely worried about BC's chances at competing for a National Title with it's current roster because in all honesty, we just aren't deep enough. BU has Eichel. Maine has Shore. Northeastern has Roy. We don't have a real "go-to" guy, I thought Milano was going to be that guy by midseason, no matter how old he was. On the other side of things, a lot of people @ BC think this is a good move for the team because Milano is as much a self centered person as they have ever come across. He was in it for Sonny, not for Boston College. I'm sure that is true but in reality, we needed more talent. Every other fan in the country will cry about how we are BC and we always get the talented guys, well, obviously not.

So, what could the staff do now? Let's look at some options.

Option #1- Do nothing 

The worst part about this whole thing is that it comes so late in the summer and the staff doesn't really have the time to go out and bring a guy or two in. With the roster as it right now, BC has just 13 forwards for next year and a good number of them won't contribute much to the score sheet. I'm just thinking about this in a common sense sort of way. The staff knows they need not just talent, but they need bodies.

Chance this happen- High


Option #2- Bring Miles Wood in. 

You know my opinion on this. He's ready.

Chance this happens- Zero

Option #3- Bring Joey Dudek in

The reason Dudek isn't coming this year is because they thought he needed one more year to develop and become a "smarter" hockey player. He has some talent (6th round pick by NJD) but I think if he came this year, it would take him a long time to get used to the speed and skill that he will see night in and night out in Hockey East.

Chance this happens- A lot higher than Wood.

Option #4- Bring Colin White and or Jeremy Bracco in. 

Call me crazy but I'm convinced that Colin White could come in here right now and be a top three forward for us by the end of the year. The kid is an all around animal. He has all the tools necessary to become a star player @ BC. Bracco, while not quiet the physical specimen that White is, has the creativity and skill to be a freshman that plays top nine minutes right of the bat. Personally, I think they should hold off on Bracco because one more year of development would do him just a little bit more than it would for White. I do believe White would be an instant impact type of guy.

Chances they come- Slim

I'm sure there are other options and as I learn more, I will add to the blog. It's going to be a trying couple of weeks for the staff.

Tough day. Go Eagles.

Panic Mode. Milano Gone.

Sonny Milano informed Coach York this afternoon that he will sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets and become a professional hockey player. He will no longer be attending Boston College this fall.

I'm speechless. I'll have more later.

Disaster.

Lineup Preview #1, Couple of Updates

Before I get to the lineup, there a few minimal notes we should touch upon.

It appears the staff is done looking for another forward to join the roster next season, which is the primary reason I am doing my first lineup preview tonight. The Wood ship sailed long ago but they made a couple of other attempts on other guys but because of the timing and the fact they couldn't get anyone they thought really fit the system, they're going to go with what they got and that isn't half bad. There's always that slight chance things change but it doesn't look good.

Speaking of Miles Wood, he will play for the South Shore Kings half season team next fall before taking the ice for Nobles.

The schedule is pretty much set in stone, we are just waiting on two games vs UMass-Amherst. I think the Minutemen could possibly be BC's home opener either Saturday October 11th but that remains a question mark. As for when we travel out to Amherst, possibly the very next weekend, Saturday the 25th after we host Colorado College on Friday the 24th. Hopefully that will be figured out soon.

Not much to report on the recruiting trail. They're still awaiting word on Krys but who knows when that will be. 2016 recruit David Cotton participated in the Beantown Classic in Marlborough this week, not a real inspiring performance from his team tonight, they got smoked like 5-1, Cotton seemed to struggle for large portions of the game but it could just be fatigue.

Anyways, here is my first lineup projection of the year because when I walked into Kelly Rink today, the ice was down and almost fainted. I'll try and do a couple others before the season starts.

Ryan Fitzgerald- Adam Gilmour- Chris Calnan

I thought Ryan and Adam played really well towards the end of last season, as Fitzgerald was without a doubt BC's best player in the Frozen Four game vs Union (besides the penalty). If they continue to progress like they have been, then they'll be two consistent players this year. I would expect that they also both play first power play unit. Calnan is the one question mark. He struggled for the first three quarters of last winter but like the other two, he became more of a factor out there as the year grew older. The issue for me is whether or not he is ready to become a first line guy that can put points on the board. Sure, he can be the meat and potatoes guy on this line but he also has to find a way to put the puck in the net.

Sonny Milano- Alex Tuch- Austin Cangelosi

This line has the potential to be really special by Beanpot time (if they're even a line). The staff has big expectations for Austin Cangelosi this season, they think he could be the team's best offensive player and one of the top point getters in the league. He certainly showed his value in some big games (Beanpot final) last season. Obviously, everyone has some expectations for the two incoming first round picks but I think we need to separate them a little bit because they're different players. Milano, if the right pieces fall into place, could be the most talented freshman of the Coach York era besides some guy from New Jersey but Tuch is a bit of a different animal. He is a really big, a good skater for his size, and has a booming shot. They went together really well in Ann Arbor so I think the staff should at least give them a shot at playing together from the get-go in Chestnut Hill.

Matty Gaudreau-Zach Sanford-Brendan Silk

Now that I think about it,  pretty much every freshman got better as the season went on, including Matty Gaudreau who I also thought was solid in the NCAA tournament. I don't see any reason why he should be benched behind any of the four senior forwards. Brendan Silk was the most improved player on the team from 2013 to 2014 and hopefully he continue to be somewhat of a physical presence out there. Sanford is the big key for me when it comes to this line. Personally, I have never seen him play but the scouts say he is a big forward (6'3), that has a knack for moving the puck. He was a second round draft pick of the Washington Capitals so he must be pretty darn good. He is, by far, the most underrated prospect in the incoming class.

Quinn Smith- Mike Sit- Danny Linell

For a fourth line, I don't think they're all that bad but that's only assuming they find a way to take their games up a notch. Look, I'm certainly not one to sit here and talk about their performance on the ice but I think everyone expects a little more from these guys. It seems to me that Smith and Sit are out there every shift battling but they just never seem to put the puck in the net. Ever. This is BC. We don't bring guys in to dump pucks in the zone and stand around. They're expected to contribute to the scoresheet. They have got to find a way to play some good hockey this season. They have to.

Defense (it's scary good) 

Mike Matheson- Scott Savage

I'm a big fan of these two players. Coaches are not allowed to have favorites. Bloggers are. I think both of these guys have tremendous upsides in the offensive end and because of our depth @ D, they don't need to be out there with a minute left in a game in which we're up a goal. Mike Matheson is coming back with a C on his shoulder. You don't just get named the captain @ BC and you're expected to be one of the outstanding leaders and in Mike's case, one of the outstanding players in all of college hockey. Really high expectations for these two.

Ian McCoshen- Noah Hanifin

Talk about Eichel all you want. He may be the next Mike Modano. He may be the next Patrick Kane. I don't know. But I am telling you this right now, Noah Hanifin has a chance to be one of the top defenseman in the NHL four or five years from now. If I could put together a perfect defenseman, he would be big in size, an obvious ability to take the puck end to end with a fluent skating motion, has keen awareness in his own end, and a booming shot. Ever watch Nick Lidstrom play? Yea, this kid reminds me of him. I think by the end of the season, he will be the most valuable player on our team outside of maybe Demko. As for McCoshen, he just has to find a way to stay healthy. He is great in his own end, isn't a stiff when it comes to offensive zone, and has perhaps the best shot on the team. When Eichel is on the ice, I want McCoshen, and of course Santini, out against him. That should be the shutdown pair.

Steve Santini- Teddy Doherty

Remember the 2013 NCAA playoffs when we had Colin Sullivan playing forward and played like four defenseman the whole entire game? Things have changed in a big way. While Teddy Doherty might be the least heralded out of these six guys, he has clearly proven his worth over the course of his first two years here. Yes, he struggles in his own end and has a weak shot but I love the way he skates, moves the puck up the ice and finds the open man. His "risky" style of play fits perfectly with the best defensive defenseman BC has had since Andrew Alberts, Steve Santini. I mean if I'm coaching against the Pittsburgh Penguins and I'm the Bruins, screw Chara and Boychuck, I want Santini out there (remember, Pens fan here). I was talking to a team member a few weeks back and asked how the heck we were going to stop Eichel, he replied "we can only do one thing, put Santini out there". What a battle that will be.

Goalie- obviously Demko.

Anyways, that sucked the wind out of me. Enjoy. Have a good night.

Go Eagles.

I Don't Know What to Say

I've probably stated over 2,000,000 apologies from the first week in April to now so I won't add 2,000,001.

Ok I will. I am sorry for all the crap you've seen on this blog and on twitter over the past few months. It was a really long Spring and I'm just praying hockey season comes around sooner rather than later.

Here we go. Again.

McCoshen and Savage Cut At World Jr Camp

Sophomores Ian McCoshen and Scotty Savage were cut this morning at US World Jr evaluation camp in Lake Placid. Obviously, we want to have as many guys on the team playing because even though it will put the Eagles in a tough spot for two or three games, nothing compares to representing your country on a national stage.

Alex Tuch, Sonny Milano, Thatcher Demko, and Steve Santini are still up there and many believe that McCoshen will be back with the team by the time they're set to begin tournament play.

The fact that Noah Hanifin isn't at camp is the biggest mystery since JFK. It's something that he should certainly use for motivation.

Go Eagles