NHL to Participate in 2014 Olympics

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Chris Peters

It took way longer than it should have, but the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and IOC came to an agreement for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, so NHL players will be made available.

The NHL will shut down for 17 days in February as many of its best players will be off to Sochi for a shot at Olympic gold.

“The National Hockey League features the most international player population in professional sports, and our outstanding athletes take tremendous pride in representing their homelands on the global stage,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “The decision to participate in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was in many ways a difficult one, but one that we know will be well received by our Players and, most importantly, by the vast majority of our fans and sports fans everywhere.”

“The Players are very pleased that an agreement has been reached that will allow the world’s best hockey players to compete at the Winter Games in February,” said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director in a released statement. “Having the opportunity to wear their nation’s sweater in Sochi is something the players look forward to.”  Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 Olympics, NHL, USA Hockey | 2 Comments

Could College Hockey Come to EA Sports’ NHL Franchise?

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Chris Peters

The NCAA announced Wednesday that it would not renew its licensing agreement with video game giant EA Sports. The NCAA’s name and logo has appeared on EA Sports’ games for 21 years on such titles as NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball and MVP NCAA Baseball.

Until Wednesday, I had been under the assumption that the NCAA’s licensing agreement was the only way EA Sports was able to create college sports games. However, that is not so. It is the Collegiate Licensing Company that licenses the trademarks and intellectual property of many of the universities within the NCAA to EA Sports. Check out Kotaku for more.

In a statement, Andrew Wilson, EA’s executive vice president expressed the following in regards to the end of the company’s licensing agreement with the NCAA:

EA SPORTS will continue to develop and publish college football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks.  Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, conferences and all the innovation fans expect from EA SPORTS.

We took big creative strides with this year’s college game and you’ll see much more in the future.  We love college football and look forward to making more games for our fans.

Seeing as the individual schools have more control in whether or not their logos and uniforms can be included in video games, this might be good news for college hockey fans.

Continue reading →

Posted in NCAA, NHL | 4 Comments

College Hockey Roundup: College Friendly NHL Draft, WMU’s Bad Week, NCHC on TV & More

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Chris Peters

The summer months are usually pretty quiet on the college hockey front. Usually if there’s any news, it isn’t good. There’s been more of a mix over the last few weeks. So to get caught up with the latest, it’s time for a rare summer edition of the College Hockey Roundup.

Among the big topics, as so often during the summer, is departures to the CHL. Over the last week, three recruits and one current player have revealed their intentions to play in various CHL leagues, but no program was hit harder than Western Michigan, which suffered two fairly sizable losses in the last week.

In better news, I’ll have a look at the NHL Draft and why some teams are leaning more favorably towards college players, the NCHC’s TV schedule for inaugural season and some recruiting news.

All of that after the jump… Continue reading →

Posted in Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL Draft | 4 Comments

A Reflection on the Brief, but Impactful Career of Blake Geoffrion

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Chris Peters

Montreal Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion confirmed Monday that he will be stepping away from the game of hockey at the age of 25. A freak injury in the form of a depressed skull fracture during an AHL game last November robbed the 2010 Hobey Baker winner of his career far too soon. While his playing career was relatively brief, Geoffrion’s impact and lessons should not soon be forgotten.

From the second Geoffrion hit the ice, he was destined to be a special player.

He had special bloodlines as the great-grandson of Hall of Famer Howie Morenz, the grandson of Hall of Famer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and the son of former NHLer Danny Geoffrion.

The name on the back of his jersey carried such weight, but that isn’t what made him special.

Geoffrion was born in Florida, raised in Tennessee and despite those non-traditional roots, he played hockey and blossomed into a terrific player. That’s not what makes him special either, though.

It is very rare to find a hockey player, particularly a good one, who is wholly self aware. So many, in my experience, aren’t great personal evaluators and oftentimes lack perspective in their younger years. There’s getting to the NHL as quickly as possible, then there’s everything else. That was never the case with Blake Geoffrion, however.

Continue reading →

Posted in NCAA, NHL, NTDP | Comments Off on A Reflection on the Brief, but Impactful Career of Blake Geoffrion

NCAA vs. CHL: Decommitment Season is Officially Underway

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Chris Peters

It’s that time of year, when the last buzzer has sounded, the Stanley Cup awarded, the Draft completed and rookie camps just starting off. As the temperature rises this time of year, so does the number of players signing with Canadian Hockey League teams.

Though nothing has been made official yet, it appears the biggest NCAA-CHL recruitment battle of the offseason may be over.

Michael McCarron, 25th overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens, according to the London Free Press appears likely to sign with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. A decision was expected to be made Wednesday, but as of this writing, nothing has been made public.

UPDATE (7/11, 9:23 a.m.): Montreal announced Thursday that it has signed McCarron to a three-year entry-level contract, meaning he forfeits his college eligibility. He will almost assuredly play for the London Knights next season, so consider the hypotheticals below not hypothetical.

If McCarron does sign, he’ll leave a commitment to play at Western Michigan University next season on the table. McCarron had also previously given and rescinded verbal commitments to Michigan State and Cornell over the last three years.

A move to the Knights always seemed possible after London acquired McCarron’s rights from Belleville last June in exchange for a fifth-round pick and other conditional picks. London has a habit of getting their man.

McCarron, whose older brother plays for Cornell, still seemed on the college track before the draft, but had mentioned he’d be open to alternatives if the NHL team that drafted him had other plans.

The second McCarron was picked by Montreal, the likelihood of him making it to Kalamazoo became much slimmer. The Habs organizationally have had a recent habit of drafting college-bound players in the first round. The last two such players ended up in the CHL.

Continue reading →

Posted in Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP | 2 Comments

Hockey Participation in U.S. Down Slightly in 2012-13

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Chris Peters

When USA Hockey released its membership statistics a few weeks back, there was some good news and bad news. The bad news was that for the first time in four years, hockey participation didn’t grow in the United States. The good news is that the drop was minimal and hardly a cause for concern.

USA Hockey’s playing membership (not including coaches and officials) stood at 510,279 in 2012-13, just 899 fewer players than 2011-12’s record high of 511,178. So the down-turn is a little disappointing after such tremendous growth over the last four years, but in the end, it’s a negligible loss of 0.18 percent.

Hockey participation essentially flattened out a bit, which perhaps should have been expected after two consecutive years of dramatic increases in hockey players throughout the country. In 2010-11, hockey participation grew by over 5 percent, which was followed by another boost of 2.12 percent in 2011-12. Even as hockey gains popularity, it would be difficult to expect that type of growth to be sustainable.

Coming up after the jump, a look at some of the causes of the slight drop, as well as where hockey actually grew in 2012-13 and the top 10 hockey states in the U.S. last year.

Continue reading →

Posted in Grow the Game, NHL, USA Hockey | 9 Comments

Fourth of July: America’s Ultimate Hockey Team

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Chris Peters

It’s the Fourth of July in the United States, which means, if you’re like me, you’re celebrating America today. Sure, you might grill a few hot dogs, drink something cold, wear shorts, maybe toss the ball around the yard or shoot off some of those fireworks that guy in the van said were totally legit.

Here at United States of Hockey, I decided to celebrate America a little differently.

What if some of the great (and some not so great) icons of American history played hockey? What position would they play? What would their role on the team be?

These are the things that keep me awake at night. So I decided to form America’s Ultimate Hockey Team.

Without further ado, I present to you the greatest hockey team ever assembled… in my brain… just now.

Continue reading →

Posted in U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, Whimsy | 7 Comments

2013 NHL Draft: A Look at the Top American Prospects Taken

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Chris Peters

The 2013 NHL Draft has come and gone. While it wasn’t the flurry of trades and insanity everyone expected, it was still its unpredictable self.

NHL_2013_Draft_PrimaryI’ve been following the draft most closely since about 2007 and every year I am reminded just how quickly the end of the first round sneaks up on you. This year it seemed to come up even faster with loads of players that had what I would classify as first-round talent still on the board as the 30th pick was made.

That’s how good this draft was and if a lot of these players reach their projections, this could go down as one of the best we’ve seen. It was also a better-than-expected draft for Americans.

Three U.S.-born players went in the first round, 11 total over the first two. Fifty-seven Americans were taken in the draft, which is actually two more than last year.

After the jump, a look at all 11 taken in the top 61, as well as other notable picks from Sunday’s draft

Continue reading →

Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP, USA Hockey | 4 Comments

2013 NHL Draft: Top 15 American Prospects (9-15 & More)

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Chris Peters

After detailing the top eight of the American class, it’s time to look at the guys who won’t be making the first round, but are still a big part of this U.S.-based draft class.

NHL_2013_Draft_PrimaryLike many years before, there should be a large number of Americans selected throughout the middle and late rounds. In each of the last several years, no less than 50 Americans have been selected in the draft, often making up more than 20 percent of the players selected.

There are going to be some really solid prospects available in the middle rounds that could make some noise over the course of their careers.

Coming up after the jump a look at the remainder of the top 15 American prospects, some honorable mentions and a quick look at some sleepers to know.

Continue reading →

Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on 2013 NHL Draft: Top 15 American Prospects (9-15 & More)

2014 Olympics: USA Hockey turns to David Poile, Dan Bylsma for Sochi

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Chris Peters

“We’ve reached a point in our country where winning gold medals is not a miracle, it’s an expectation,” USA Hockey president Ron DeGregorio said as he looked out from a podium in New York City Saturday morning.

SochiWith those expectations, USA Hockey has turned to David Poile and Dan Bylsma to lead the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Poile was revealed as the team’s general manager Friday, while Bylsma was formally introduced during Saturday’s press conference.

This is all contingent on an agreement between the NHL and IOC to allow NHL players to participate in the Olympics, but all signs to that being completed Monday.

Both Poile and Bylsma are keenly aware of the responsibility that has been handed to them.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Poile said upon being introduced. “It’s been a privilege to be a part of USA Hockey, but this is ultimate honor and challenge.”

“We certainly have one objective, and that’s to go to Sochi and win gold,” said Bylsma. “We’re ready for the challenge and excited for opportunity.”

Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 Olympics, NHL, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey | Comments Off on 2014 Olympics: USA Hockey turns to David Poile, Dan Bylsma for Sochi