Clendening impresses at Blackhawks camp

►College Hockey Prospective reports that former Terrier Adam Clendening, who signed a three-year deal with Chicago last month, has been a standout in Blackhawks development camp and called him “the most NHL-ready HEA player in camp.”

His performance at the camp earned praise from Blackhawks VP/General Manager Stan Bowman, who said “[Clendening] is probably the one [prospect] defenseman who has the most potential to make a jump. It’s good for him to look at this year as a learning year, but also one he can make an impact for us.” 

Clendening discussed his hopes for his first pro season with Blackhawks TV.

►The Denver Post reports that Kieran Millan, the fifth-round draft choice of the Colorado Avalanche in 2009, is likely to begin his pro career with the new Denver Cutthroats franchise in the Central Hockey League.

As a freshman he backstopped the Terriers to the 2009 NCAA championship, earning National and Hockey East Rookie-of-the-Year honors after posting a nation’s best winning percentage-- .894 (29-2-3). He also broke the all-time BU record for wins by a goaltender in a single season. (previous record was 25) and now holds the career wins record for a BU netminder with 81, along with a slew of other Terrier records. Millan was voted team MVP for his junior and senior seasons.

Former Terrier All-American Colin WIlson has a new three-year contract for $6 million with the Nashville Predators. In his first three pro seasons, his NHL totals are 39-45-84. He scored 90 points in his two seasons at BU.

►The Watertown (N.Y) Daily News spoke with local standout and 2012-13 BU captain Wade Megan, who had recently returned from Florida Panthers development camp.

Looking ahead

Examiner.com’s Russ Bitely, reviewing the recent USA Hockey Select 16 camp, named 2014 recruit Jack Eichel as one of three A rated (exception) prospects at the camp.

Women’s program

Coach Brian Durocher has announced a seven-member recruiting class along with one transfer as the Terriers prepare to defend their 2012 Hockey East Championship. In addition to claiming its second conference title in the program’s seven-year history, BU rang up a 23-14-1 record and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, losing to Cornell, 8-7 in triple overtime.

Jenn Wakefield, captain of last season’s Terriers, has been drafted by the Toronto Furies of the Women’s Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She was BU’s co-MVP for 2011-12, Hockey East’s scoring champion and tournament MVP. Wakefield became the first Hockey East player to record 100 goals and the second to ring up 200 points. 

►  With the Summer Olympics about to begin, we’ll step away from the rink briefly to recall a gold medal performance 44 years ago at the Mexico City. David Hemery (BU ’68), who had won the NCAA 400 meter championship in the Spring of 1968, smashed the world and Olympic records in the event in Mexico City to win a gold medal for Great Britain.  (Video)

Hemery, who later would be a three-time winner in the British Superstars competition and would coach the BU men’s track team, also competed in the ill-fated 1972 Munich Olympic games, earning bronze in the 400 meters and a silver in the 4x400 meter relay. In 1969 Queen Elizabeth named him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Another Terrier track star of the 60s, John Thomas, earned a bronze medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome in the high jump and a silver in the same event four years later in Tokyo.