Big Ten Expanding, College Hockey Speculation Follows

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Chris Peters

It appears the Maryland will announce later today that it will be joining the Big Ten Conference (possibly by the 2014-15 academic year) and it is expected that Rutgers will announce the same Tuesday. Now that the Big Ten is also a hockey conference, speculation and perhaps hopefulness leads to plenty of chatter about the potential for expansion within college hockey as well.

There’s nothing wrong with a little innocent speculation and conversation. Both Rutgers and Maryland would offer highly intriguing options for college hockey’s expansion, even if they’re somewhat puzzling additions to the Big Ten itself. Now, there’s no indication that either of these schools have any interest in adding hockey, but we won’t let that stop us from our little chat here.

In terms of footprint, a big reason these two are going to be added to the Big Ten, it would be a boon for college hockey’s reach as well, should either ever decide to add the sport.

Coming up after the jump, a look at the potential impact of Rutgers and/or Maryland hockey and why it may happen one day…

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Posted in Grow the Game, NCAA | 3 Comments

U.S. World Junior Watch: In-Depth Look at Defense, Goalie Competitions

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Chris Peters

With now less than a month before USA Hockey brings together 27 or so players to its pre-tournament camp in New York City, the picture remains a little fuzzy on which seven players will make up the defense corps for the U.S. National Junior Team.

The battles for roster spots aren’t as wide open as they are at some of the forward positions, but USA Hockey has the challenge of finding the right mix for a medal-contending defense. The good news is, they have a lot of different options, so it won’t be a situation where they’re struggling to find players that are good enough.

Fact is, there are going to be some really talented defensemen left home.

In goal, the battle is for the back-up position and with USA Hockey reportedly thinking they’ll bring three goalies to the pre-tournament camp, it sounds like that battle is still too close to call.

While there is more uncertainty than comfort in what the U.S. has at the forward position, defense and goaltending is likely to be the difference between medal contention and an earlier-than-expected exit.

The pieces are there for this to be a world-class defensive battery.

Coming up after the jump, a look at some of the brewing competitions at both positions.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, World Junior Championship | 2 Comments

VIDEO: U.S. WJC Candidate Jake McCabe’s Ridiculous Spinning Assist

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Chris Peters

Wisconsin sophomore defenseman Jake McCabe is known better for what he can do in his own end, but his offensive game has come a long way in recent years. Never was that on better display than in Friday night’s huge rivalry game at Minnesota.

With the Gophers leading the Badgers 2-1 early in the second period, Wisconsin put on a bit of a passing clinic. However, when Derek Lee’s one-time snapper from the slot got turned away by Adam Wilcox, the puck found Jake McCabe’s stick. Then this happened.

Wow. (A big thank you to @cjzero for the video. If you’re not following him on Twitter, you’re missing out. CJ is a sports video and GIF machine. Always entertaining.)

McCabe knew the Badgers had numbers up front, but Zach Budish closed down the passing lane to prevent a possible feed from the forehand. In one fluid motion, McCabe spun, rifled a pass through traffic, between Mark Alt’s legs and right on the tape of Michael Mersch, who slammed it home for his second goal of the game.

Sure, there’s an element of luck involved — it could have caught a skate easily — but it doesn’t take away the level of skill and strength on the puck that a pass of that velocity and accuracy requires.

More after the jump

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Posted in American Prospects, NCAA, World Junior Championship | 1 Comment

U.S. World Junior Watch: In-Depth Look at Forward Competition

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Chris Peters

One month from today, the U.S. National Junior Team picture will begin to clear as USA Hockey brings an expanded roster to New York City for the pre-tournament camp.

Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey operations and U.S. GM, told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that they expect to bring 27 players to New York which is likely to include 15 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies. That roster will have to get down to 22, likely with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies, before the squad heads overseas.

There should be some tough decisions to be made between now and then, but with about four weeks left to impress the USA Hockey brass, the competition should only intensify. There are some serious battles at just about every position and only a few clear locks. The next few weekends will prove important for those on the bubble in particular as the door is certainly open to grab a spot for a lot of different players.

Coming up after the jump, a look at some of the players vying for spots at each forward position.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, World Junior Championship | 19 Comments

Could College Hockey Expand Through Atlantic Hockey Association?

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Chris Peters

The Atlantic Hockey Association doesn’t always get a lot of respect around college hockey as a conference. If you were to rank the five conferences, AHA would come in fifth, but it is of vast importance and has played a significant role in the college hockey landscape.

Though Atlantic Hockey is home to mostly smaller schools with names that don’t resonate as well with a national audience, the conference has allowed college hockey’s footprint to extend to markets where there are voids, particularly in hockey hotspots like the Pittsburgh and Buffalo areas.

Atlantic Hockey’s somewhat relaxed standards for inclusion in the conference might be lower than those of the big conferences, but as such become less prohibitive.

AHA has been a stepping stool for some teams like Quinnipiac and as of 2014-15, UConn, but more than anything else, it’s created an important opportunity for others. Without the burden of minimum scholarships and looser arena requirements, Atlantic Hockey has become a place where universities big and small can play Division I hockey.

Based on a USCHO report from Chris Lerch, Atlantic Hockey could be on the verge of landing another team looking for an intro to Division I.

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Posted in Grow the Game, NCAA | 1 Comment

U.S. World Junior Watch: Spotlight on Alex Galchenyuk, Other Top Candidates

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Chris Peters

With the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship now less than two months away, United States of Hockey will be spotlighting candidates a few times per week, in addition to tracking other WJC-related news all the way up to USA Hockey’s pre-tournament camp.

Alex Galchenyuk (Getty)

Alex Galchenyuk — Center
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis. Birthdate: Feb. 12, 1994
Current Team: Sarnia Sting
NHL Rights: Montreal Canadiens (1st Rd., 3rd overall, 2012)
National Team Experience: U.S. Under-18 Select Team (2011 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka)

There was much confusion last year. Was Alex Galchenyuk Russian or American? By virtue of being born in Milwaukee, Galchenyuk is American. At least in the eyes of the United States government. If you’re still confused, read this.

Assuming there are no hang-ups (and there isn’t expected to be) with the International Ice Hockey Federation and their sometimes confusing eligibility rules, USA Hockey will have a legit No. 1 center in Galchenyuk.

His on-ice skill is hard to match, especially among this American forward pool.

There haven’t been a ton of game-changing players on U.S. national teams. U.S. teams have had players step up, but never in a way that was wholly dominant, not even in the gold-medal years of 2004 and 2010. I don’t know that Galchenyuk, as an 18-year-old can be that dominant force, but he certainly has the potential to be.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, World Junior Championship | 2 Comments

College Hockey Roundup: Parity; Dartmouth!?; College Hockey’s Best Player; Recruiting News and Notes

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Chris Peters

If you’re a fan of parity in college hockey, the way this season has started has to warm your heart. While parity itself is typically a good thing, this probably isn’t the year for it.

Yeah, that sounds weird, but it’s true.

College hockey is in a unique position this season, one that it has been in before, but not quite like this. The NHL lockout creates a void in the market for hockey. It’s a void that college hockey is better positioned than any league in the U.S. to fill, with multiple television contracts, a fervent press covering it, and brand recognition in the American sports marketplace.

Despite the seemingly easy-to-fill void, college hockey hasn’t had a lot of headline-worthy moments or games so far this season. There hasn’t been a lot to grab the attention of the starving hockey public.

Outside of the play of Boston College and Denver so far this season, there has been some maddening inconsistency among the top teams in college hockey. The nationally-televised games so far this year have been utterly boring and some of the best games of the year had no TV at all.

Parity becomes a problem when it is born out of underachieving teams and poor execution on the part of some of the nation’s best players. That’s when parity is fairly uninteresting to the casual hockey fan who has no basis for being a college hockey fan outside of wanting to see good hockey.

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International Break Recap — U.S. National Teams Go 4-for-4

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Chris Peters

It was a good week for USA Hockey as the IIHF’s first international break of the season brought a lot of hardware. U.S. teams went 4-for-4 in international competition last week, winning tournament titles from Ann Arbor, Mich. to Monthey, Switzerland.

The U.S. National Women’s Team kicked off the winning streak with a 3-0 victory over Canada in the championship game at the Women’s Four Nations Cup in Finland. The U.S. National Under-18 Team followed that up with a 3-1 win over Sweden at the U18 Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor, Mich. Sunday, the U.S. National Under-17 Team finished round-robin play 2-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) to clinch the U17 Four Nations Tournament title in Monthey, Switzerland. The U.S. Junior Select Team then downed Canada West to claim its fourth World Junior A Challenge title in five years.

Coming up after the jump, a recap of each tournament with results, scoring leaders and a few extra notes.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NHL Draft, NTDP, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, Women's Hockey | Comments Off on International Break Recap — U.S. National Teams Go 4-for-4

What Lockout? More than 10,000 Kids Tried Hockey Free Saturday

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Chris Peters

Try Hockey Free day has been a wildly successful venture organized by USA Hockey to give kids aged 4-9 to experience the game. Without the potential barrier of cost, parents can allow their children a chance to get on the ice and give hockey a shot, no strings attached.

In November of 2011, more than 11,000 children participated in the nationwide event. With the added marketing muscle of the NHL and its member clubs, through television and in-arena advertising, Try Hockey Free instantly became one of the most successful youth sports events ever organized.

With the lockout hanging over hockey’s head and no TV or games to help promote the event to a wider audience, I expected turnout to be much, much lower this year. That projection was flat wrong, I’m happy to report.

According to USA Hockey, more than 10,000 boys and girls attended a Try Hockey Free day in one of 494 rinks nationwide. Considering Superstorm Sandy wiped out a few of the events, USA Hockey may have seen an even larger turnout.

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U.S. World Junior Watch: Spotlight on Shayne Gostisbehere, Who’s Trending Up, Down for Team USA

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Chris Peters

With the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship now less than two months away, United States of Hockey will be spotlighting candidates a few times per week, in addition to tracking other WJC-related news all the way up to USA Hockey’s pre-tournament camp.

Shayne Gostisbehere (Photo via College Hockey, Inc.)

Shayne Gostisbehere — Defense
Hometown: Margate, Fla. Birthdate: April 20, 1993
Current Team: Union College
NHL Rights: Philadelphia Flyers (3rd Rd., 78th overall, 2012)
National Team Experience: None

The race for spots on the U.S. National Junior Team is only intensifying as we get closer to the pre-tournament camp for the World Junior Championship. Plenty of spots appear to remain up for grabs with just over a month to go before USA Hockey brings an expanded roster together to make the final decisions.

One of the strengths of this team should be its defensive corps, with many solid options for the final roster, head coach Phil Housley has some tough decisions to narrow the group down. What he’ll definitely like to see, however, is the number of gifted offensive-minded defensemen he has at his disposal.

One of the better ones is Shayne Gostisbehere from Union College, who is in our World Junior Watch Spotlight this week.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, U.S. National Teams, USA Hockey, World Junior Championship | Comments Off on U.S. World Junior Watch: Spotlight on Shayne Gostisbehere, Who’s Trending Up, Down for Team USA