Bourque named MVP as Hershey repeats its Calder Cup title

Chris Bourque and the Hershey Bears repeated as AHL Calder Cup champs, eliminating the Texas Stars, 4-0, in game six. Bourque, who now has played on three Calder Cup champions, led the Bears in post-season scoring with a 7-20-27 line and was named MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Playing for BU in 2004-05, Bourque earned MVP honors in the Beanpot, scoring the game-winner (video) in overtime against Northeastern.

Looking back
Former Terrier standout Joe Sacco, now head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, is among three finalists for the Jack Adams Award who are profiled by NHL.com.

New England Hockey Journal reported on Tony Amonte's appointment at Thayer Academy's head coach and Shawn McEachern's appointment by The Rivers School.

Mile High Hockey, looking at the Avalanche's defensive prospects, offers a profile of Colby Cohen.

Looking ahead
One of our readers forwarded an article from a few months back about the exercise regimen followed by 2010 recruit and "workout fanatic" Charlie Coyle. Coyle, who excelled at the recent NHL combine in Toronto, should love the time he’ll spend in Mike Boyle’s state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility at Agganis Arena.

Two of the nhl.com mock drafts have Coyle being selected by Anaheim late in the first round of the 2010 entry draft. Hockeysfuture.com profile.

Young joins the prep coaching parade

Former Terrier forward Scott Young has become the third BU alum in a matter of three weeks to become a prep school head coach, taking over behind the bench at St. Mark’s in Southborough, Mass.,where he played prior to BU.

Last week Tony Amonte was named as head coach at Thayer Academy while Shawn McEachern recently assumed the top position at The Rivers School.

All three went on from BU to lengthy NHL careers—a total of 47 seasons between them. Young played on two Stanley Cup champions and McEachern played on one.

All three were members of Team USA which won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Amonte scored the game-winner in the decisive third game of the best-of-three against Canada to decide the gold medal. Amonte feature.

Young represented the U.S. on three Olympic teams (1988, 1992, 2002) and is one of only 16 players to skate for three U.S Junior National Teams. He scored 65 points in two seasons at BU. During his 18 NHL seasons, he scored 756 points with a career-high 73 (40-43) in 2000-01 for St. Louis. Q&A interview.

New rules
Among the rules changes under consideration for college hockey is allowing players to use half-shield helmets rather than the currently required full cage. BU Coach Jack Parker, who backs the proposed change, told the Boston Herald why. The Herald also reported that Boston has been selected to host the 2014 Frozen Four.

Several other proposed changes have been controversial. College Hockey News editor Adam Wodon weighs in on a change that would prohibit icing while killing a penalty.

Amonte joins the coaching ranks

While his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, was hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since the days of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Eric Nesterenko, Tony Amonte begins a new career as head coach at Thayer Academy, his high school alma mater, as reported by U.S. Hockey Report.

A November 2009 inductee to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Amonte starred at Thayer in the late '80s, teaming with Jeremy Roenick, who would become his teammate again in Chicago, where he spent eight seasons.

Amonte scored an even 900 points in 16 NHL seasons (416-484) following 58- and 68-point seasons for the Terriers. BU reached the Final Four in both his varsity seasons, falling in the 1990 semifinals after stunning top-ranked Michigan State (video highlights) in the best-2-of-3 quarterfinals and reaching the 1991 national championship game, a triple overtime loss to Northern Michigan.

As we’ve noted numerous times, Amonte’s cousin is 2010 BU recruit Charlie Coyle. Tony’s sister, Kelly Amonte Hiller, was a four-time All-American in lacrosse at Maryland. She now is head coach at Northwestern, leading the Wildcats to five national championships.

Amonte’s move to a head coaching slot in the prep ranks follows just a few weeks after his Terrier linemate Shawn McEachern was named head coach and athletic director at The Rivers School.

The past season marked the 20th anniversary of the '89-'90 Terrier team – with freshman Amonte and sophomore McEachern helping to lead an improbable post-season run that saw BU win three best-of-three series after losing the opener each time: against Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals, against North Dakota in the NCAA first round and against the Spartans in the quarterfinals. The run ended with a 3-2 loss to Colgate in the NCAA semifinals.

The 89-90 squad has produced several other successful coaches, including Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco, Rangers assistant coach (and former Bruins head coach) Mike Sullivan, who captained the team, and current BU associate head coach Mike Bavis.

Next week, blog contributor CDRAL will help us catch up on current activities of the other '89-'90 team members. He’ll be in touch with many of them on Monday when the annual Terrier hockey alumni golf tournament is held at Tedesco Country Club in Swampscott, Mass.

Looking ahead
Red Line Report's Kyle Woodlief, writing in USA Today, calls Coyle a "sleeper" among top forward draft prospects, adding:

Coyle plays for the South Shore Kings in the Eastern Junior Hockey League and combines excellent size with smooth puckhandling skills and playmaking ability. He has terrific vision and soft hands, and uses his size to win puck battles around the corners and create traffic around the slot. Coyle is also one of the EJHL's hardest workers and very unselfish with the puck.

International Scouting Services list of top 30 draft prospects for June ranks Coyle at #28.

Looking back
The Lake Erie Monsters' Web site's preview of 2010-11 rookies begins with a profile of Colby Cohen who played the final three games of last season for the Monsters and Coach David Quinn on an amateur tryout.

Looking back

Chris Bourque recorded a pair of assists for the Hershey Bears in a 6-3 win over Texas in the AHL Calder Cup finals, which the Star lead, 2 games to 1. Bourque has 25 post-season points to go along with 70 in the regular season.

The Chicago Blackhawks are just one win away from their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, and the team from the Windy City seeking the clincher tonight has a few connections with Terrier Nation.

Ron Anderson, a former Terrier standout forward, is the Blackhawks’ Director of Player Recruitment, following 8 years with the team as a scout. Anderson, who had spent 15 seasons as head coach at Merrimack College, played for legendary coach Jack Kelley’s back-to-back national championship teams (1971 & 1972) and scored a pair of goals in the 4-0 shutout of Cornell in the ’72 title game at Boston Garden.

Kelley’s son, Mark, who played at Colby College and in Europe, is now in his third year in Chicago and his first as the team’s Director of Amateur Scouting.

His brother, David Kelley, a former Princeton captain and writer/producer of Mystery Alaska, was in attendance at Sunday’s game 5 Chicago win and spoke with NHL.com about his favorite team.

Cissé to rejoin 2010 recruit class?

Yasin Cissé may rejoin BU's 2010 recruit if his injured ankle tendon is sufficiently healed, according to a recent report in The Boston Hockey Blog. Cissé, a 6-3, 210 power forward from Westmount, Quebec, had his USHL season with Des Moines cut short when an opponent's skate cut the tendon last December. BU had initially asked him to defer to 2011.

Cissé had been off to a torrid start for the Bucs, with a 13-6-19 line in 18 games. Combined with his impressive physical assets, those numbers earned him a midterm ranking of 83 from Central Scouting. Unable to play the rest of the season, he finished at #107 in the final rankings.

Looking at USHL draft prospects, the Unofficial USHL Prospect Blog wrote:

Cisse has a great shot which is very quick. He has a quick release on his shot which was what helped him get those 13 goals in the 18 games. Along with Cisse's offensive skills, he also has some pretty solid defensive skills. Cisse is a very good back-checker. He gets down and blocks passes in the lanes, and also blocks the occasional shot. Skating, Cisse has great speed for a player of his size. The one thing that Cisse needs to work on for sure is to make sure he uses that size he has to finish his checks. If he can start hitting on a regular basis, he can only help himself.

Looking ahead

2010 recruit Charlie Coyle, whose on-ice ability has him projected as a late first round or early second round pick in this month's draft, solidified his standing with a strong showing in the physical testing at the NHL combine in Toronto. Coyle, a 6-2, 202, RW/C from the South Shore Kings, and a cousin of former BU standout Tony Amonte, placed in the top 10 in 10 different categories.

Adam Clendening, a 2010 recruit, but draft eligible in 2011, talked with the Niagara Gazette about his decision to play college hockey and his choice of BU as well as his hopes to earn a spot on next year's USA team for the World Junior Championships in Buffalo. The Niagara Falls native cited Terrier strength and conditioning guru Mike Boyle as one of his key decision factors.

Clendening led all NTDP U-18 defensemen in scoring with a 14-35-49 line in 65 games (and a team-leading 6-14-20 in international play)and was the top scoring defenseman in the recent World U-18 Championships where he helped led the U.S. to a second consecutive gold medal. His strong late-season performance, an all-tourney effort at the Worlds have strengthened his stock in early rankings for the 2011 draft. One early projection ranks the right-shot defenseman at #21.

Meet the coaches

A BU Athletics Reception in New York City on June 17 will enable alumni and other BU fans to meet Head Coach Jack Parker, women's team Head Coach Brian Durocher and Olympian Mike Eruzione. Athletic Director Mike Lynch and the men's and women's basketball coaches also will be on hand for the event at Stout's, near Madison Square Garden, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Details/registration.

Looking ahead

BU’s newest 2010 recruit Garrett Noonan (#3 in photo, credit Graeme Corbett), told the Vernon Morning Star, ““Growing up I’ve always wanted to play for BU, and in the Beanpot.” Commenting on the commitment from the Vipers’ left-shot defenseman, Coach Jack Parker said, “We’re excited to have him in our fold. The kid has figured out the game in all three zones, and not only does he understand his position, but he understands every position out there.”

BU's defense corps for 2010-11 now lines up with junior Dave Warsofsky, sophomores Max Nicastro, Sean Escobedo, Ben Rosen and Ryan Ruikka, and freshmen Adam Clendening, Patrick MacGregor and Noonan.

2010 recruit Charlie Coyle returned from the NHL combine in Toronto where he interviewed with 27 of 30 NHL teams and “finished in the top 10 in several categories during fitness training,” is expected to be a late first-round or early second round choice in the June draft.

The Newburyport News reports that BU has strong interest in power forward Derek Freeman, who led Newburyport H.S. to the Mass. Div. 2 title game this past season. Freeman, a senior who attended the BU Hockey Showcase last summer, will play a year or two of junior. Terrier Associate Head Coach Mike Bavis has arranged for the 6-3, 215 wing to try out in June with the USHL Cedar Rapids Roughriders where 2011 recruit Cason Hohmann just completed a successful rookie season.

Looking back
Chris Bourque is the Hershey Bears leading playoff scorers as the Washington Caps’ AHL affiliate enters the Calder Cup finals against Texas beginning this Thursday. Bourque has a 7-16-23 line in 15 post-season games after registering 70 points in 49 regular-season games. The Bears are seeking to repeat as AHL champs.

USHR reported that former BU All-American Shawn McEachern has left his position on the UMass-Lowell coaching staff to become head coach and athletic director at The Rivers School in Weston, Mass. A 14-year NHL veteran with 256 career goals, McEachern was a Hobey Baker finalist in 1991 when he scored 82 points to lead BU to the NCAA championshp game. He was inducted into the BU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

McEachern told USHR: "I've always wanted to be a head coach, and, as I went around to different boarding schools while working as an assistant, I noticed that it was a good lifestyle the coaches at those schools were leading.

"In my time, when I was playing at Matignon, the Catholic Conference was big around here. Now, it's the preps with Nobles, Belmont Hill, etc. And at Rivers we're going to be competing in the same field. Everyone is Division 1 now. We want to win, and we want to be there at the end."

The Tampa Bay Lightning Web site looks back at the battle with cancer that cut short the pro career of John Cullen, BU’s all-time scoring leader with 241 points and a 1995 Hall of Fame inductee. Now fully recovered, Cullen reflects on his battle and the ups and downs since his playing days ended.

BU reaches to the left coast for a Bay Stater

The Terriers completed the defensive part of their 2010 recruit class when they received a commitment from bruising Vernon Viper defenseman Garrett Noonan. The 6-1, 205 left-shot blueliner is a Norfolk, Mass., native who starred at Catholic Memorial before helping the Vipers and fellow 2010 recruit Sahir Gill win a second consecutive RBC Cup, Canada’s Junior A Championship, earlier this month.

For the Vipers, Noonan registered a 2-16-18 line with 60 PIMs during the regular season, adding 4 goals and 5 assists in Vernon’s playoff run, including the final goal in the RBC Cup championship game.

Vernon Morning Star reporter Graeme Noonan notes that:

“Noonan was one of the players that stood out for me at the Viper training camp last August, and he has had a solid rookie season. This won't sound like a compliment, but the thing about Noonan is you don't always notice him. While he doesn't always turn up on the scoresheet, he rarely gets caught making bad decisions. He's not flashy, but he is effective and always seems to make the smart play.”

Video: Noonan scores the final goal on this YouTube clip.


Video: Interview with Noonan.


In 2008-09, Noonan led Catholic Memorial to the Massachusetts Super 8 championship, earning Boston Globe All-Scholastic recognition and being named co-MVP of the Catholic Conference. Noonan was the Knights’ co-captain as a senior and was tied for the team lead with 25 points. The Globe called him “one of the most physical players in the state.”

Noonan will be the third former Viper, along with Gill and Ryan Santana, on the 2010-11 Terrier roster. At BU, Noonan will play for three coaches who also were CM standouts: Jack Parker, Buddy Powers and Mike Bavis. Throughout the 1990s when BU reached the Frozen Four X times, CM recruits, including Mike and Mark Bavis, Mike Prendergast, Chris O’Sullivan, Mike Sylvia, Jeff Kealty and Tom Noble, were instrumental in the Terriers’ success. Noble, Prendergast and Sylvia were members of BU’s 1995 national championship team.

Looking ahead

2010 recruit Charlie Coyle shared his thoughts with New England Hockey Journal following the first day of the NHL combine in Toronto.

Looking ahead

2010 recruit Charlie Coyle is one of 100 draft-eligible prospects attending the NHL combine in Toronto this week. The Scouting Report has ranked Coyle at #35 for the June draft, calling him "a big winger that moves well on the ice and isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas. He competes hard in the corners and has a good scoring touch in front of the net."

While Terrier fans are aware that Coyle is the cousin of BU and NHL standout Tony Amonte, the South Shore Kings forward has a second family connection to the NHL. He's also a cousin of Weymouth's Bobby Sheehan who played 310 NHL games, including stints with Montreal, Chicago, the Rangers, Detroit and Los Angeles, as well as the WHA's N.Y. Raiders.

2013 recruit Matt Gryzelcyk, defenseman who played at Belmont Hlil last season, has been added to the 2010-11 roster of the NTDP U17s. David Warsofsky, who will be a BU assistant captain next season, is the most recent Terrier blueliner to come through the NTDP program. 2011 recruit Alexx Privitera will play for the U18s next season. Kevin Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen, Ryan Whitney, Bryan Miller, Freddy Meyer and Pat Aufiero are are BU defensemen who played for the NTDP.

Miracle on Ice event in Chicago

Former Terriers and U.S. Olympians Mike Eruzione and Jack O'Callahan will be featured at a BU Alumni event in Chicago tonight. Details about the "Miracle on Ice" themed gathering are here.

Durocher lands Olympic pair for women’s program

Terrier women’s hockey head coach Brian Durocher, who coached BU to its first Hockey East title last season, has scored a pair of recruiting coups, getting 2010 commitments from two members of the gold-medal winning Canadian Olympic hockey team, according to The Daily Free Press.

Eighteen year old Marie-Philip Poulin, at 18 the youngest member of her Olympic team, is a forward with high-end offensive skills, leading the Canadian media to call her the “Sidney Crosby of women’s hockey. She scored both goals in Canada’s gold-medal game win against Team USA and previously set the scoring record (31 points) for the Canadian U18 program. Poiulin has already performed on the Walter Brown Arena ice, skating with Dawson College in a 2008 exhibition game against BU.

The other Olympic recruit is defenseman Catherine Ward. Prior to last season, Ward played at McGill University for three seasons, earning CIS rookie of the year honors in 2006-07 and being named CIS First Team All-Canadian all three years. Ward will have one year of eligibility at BU.

Last winter, USCHO reported that UNH standout forward Jenn Wakefield was transferring to BU after spending last season training with the Canadian Olympic team. Wakefield was Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year in 2007-08 and a league all-star in her two seasons as a Wildcat, scoring 95 points. She also was a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist in 2008-09.

Durocher, co-captain of BU’s 19778 national champions, has been named as an assistant for the 2010 U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team that will take part in the 2010 USA Hockey Women's National Festival prior to playing a three-game series against Canada in mid-August.

Looking back
This past Saturday night, 1994-95 Terrier captain Jacques Joubert was among the class of six inducted into the BU Athletics Hall of Fame. Joubert scored 29 goals for BU in his senior year, including one in the 6-2 win against Maine in the 1995 national championship game.

Former Terrier assistant coach Pertti Hasanen has launched Hasanen Power Wear, an innovative company committed to developing safe and functional weighted training gear. Last week, USA Hockey announced that Hasanen Power Wear will serve as its official weighted training gear sponsor and will provide sets of its training equipment to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.

Looking ahead

In the USHL futures draft held today, BU 2012 recruit Robert Polesello (Toronto Jr. Canadians) was selected 7th overall by Indiana. Two picks later, Gavin Stoick, a power forward from Colorado whom BU has been recruiting (along with Harvard,Cornell, Yale, and Michigan) was taken by Green Bay. Belmont Hill's Matt Grzelcyk (photo), a 2013 recruit went in the fourth round to Youngstown. Alexx Privitera's younger brother Jarrid (North Jersey Avalanache)--a Brad Zancanaro-sized forward with a scorer's touch--was the first pick in the 5th round by the new Dubuque franchise.

Looking back
Team USA won its final relegation round match, defeating Italy 3-2 in a shootout, in the IIHF World Championships in Germany. After losing three preliminary round matches, each by one goal, the USA won all three relegation round games and will remain in the top division for next year’s World Championships. Matt Gilroy, who had a hattrick against Kazahkstan, assisted on the second U.S. goal against Italy.

Gilroy hattrick paces U.S. win

Former Terrier co-captain Matt Gilroy registered a hattrick in Team USA’s 10-0 win over Kazakhstan in the relegation round of the IIHF World Championships. Gilroy news feature.

Joe Sacco, a 63-goal scorer at BU and an assistant coach of Team USA, played in six World Championships (2002, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1992, 1990).

John McCarthy, also a co-captain on BU’s 2009 national champs, has been called up from Worcester to the Sharks “taxi squad” as San Jose prepares to take on Chicago in the Western Conference files.

Chris Bourque, whose overtime goal won the 2005 Beanpot championship, had the game-winner in OT as Hershey edged the Monarchs, 3-2.

Linkorama

USA Hockey.com caught up with former Terrier co-captain and Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy at the IIHF World Championships, his first experience representing his country.

Looking ahead
Red Line Report, an independent international scouting service that annually ranks college recruit classes, has pegged the Terriers’ 2010 class as third best, behind Minnesota and North Dakota. Earlier this year, College Hockey 247 ranked the top 50 recruits for 2010 with four Terrier recruits making the list: LW Matt Nieto (#3) , RW Charlie Coyle (#15), RD Adam Clendening (#22) and LW Sahir Gill (#39).

Looking back
Former Terrier netminder Tim Regan has been a member of the BU Athletics Hall of Fame since 1993. Last Wednesday, the Most Outstanding Player in the 1972 NCAA tournament and former standout at LaSalle Academy was inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Athletic Hall of Fame. Among those in attendance were former Terrier John Grady, Tom Mellor, a teammate on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, and blog contributor CDRAL.

Regan, who teamed with Dan Brady in goal to lead BU to back-to-back NCAA titles (1971 and 1972), holds the Terrier single season records for save percentage (.929) and goals against average (1.77).

After earning a Silver medal at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, Regan replaced an injured Brady for the then-four-team NCAA tournament. After yielding an early goal in BU’s 4-1 semifinal win over Wisconsin, he blanked Cornell, stopping all 39 shots in a 4-0 win.

Former Terrier All American forward Boomer Ewing, now skating for the ECHL Reading Royals, is playing in game seven of the Royals' American Conference final series against Cincinnati tonight. Last year, Ewing was the ECHL's rookie of the year, playing for Wheeling.

Gill and Vipers Repeat as RBC Cup Champs

Winning a national championship twice in a row is tough on any level, but the Vernon Vipers have done just that with back-to-back titles in Canada’s RBC Cup, the nation’s junior A hockey tournament.

2010 recruit Sahir Gill chipped in a goal and an assist in Vernon’s 8-1 win in the championship game over tourney host Dauphin. The hosts had dealt Vernon its only loss of the tournament, 6-5 in a preliminary round game. Gill finished the tournament with a 3-4-7 line, two points behind linemate Kellen Jones for the team scoring lead. In 32 post-season games, Gill scored 9 goals and 17 assists. Last year, Gill and rising sophomore Ryan Santana were members of Vernon's 2009 RBC Cup champs.

Looking back
Matt Gilroy isn’t the only former Terrier blueliner playing in the IIHF World Championships in Germany. A sharp-eyed blog reader points out that Jakabs Redlihs, a 2002-03 Hockey East All-Rookie team member, and a four-year player at BU, is skating for Latvia, Currently a member of Dynamo Riga, he is a teammate of his younger brother Mikelis, who represented Latvia in the Vancouver Olympic games along with oldest brother Krisjanis. Both the U.S. and Latvia have 0-2 records after two games.

Former Terrier co-captain Brad Zancanaro was forced to retire from hockey after the 2007-08 due to an injury. But he put the skates back on to replay a high school game that had been interrupted in 1999 due to a serious player injury. Zanc’s Trenton High School resumed its contest with Detroit Novi Catholic and Brad contributed a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win. Zancanaro, who along with David VanderGulik led the Terriers to 2006 Hockey East title, also scored the first-ever goal in Agganis Arena on Jan. 3 2005 against Minnesota

Gill spurs Vipers to RBC Cup semifinal

2010 recruit Sahir Gill’s third-period goal ignited the Vernon Vipers’ 4-goal comeback in a 4-2 win over Brockville at the 2010 RBC Cup tournament in Dauphin, Manitoba . The victory sends defending champion Vernon to the tournament semifinals, a rematch with Brockville tomorrow afternoon. With four points in the tournament (2+2), Gill is tied for the team lead in scoring.

Looking back
Matt Gilroy’s college career ended to soon for him to participate in this season’s Frozen Fenway game vs. BC, but outdoor hockey on a world stage still is in the cards for him. Gilroy is a member of Team USA which begins play in the IIHF World Championships in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, today, taking on the host team in a 76,000-seat soccer stadium. Link to live stats. Game notes.

Hockeysfuture.com, rating the Phoenix Coyotes’ top prospects, reports that former Terrier captain Sean Sullivan, coming off his best pro season (12-37-49), is one of the two “most NHL-ready defensemen in the Coyotes system.

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Saponari Brothers dismissed from BU program

Citing conduct “unbecoming of a Boston University hockey player,” head coach Jack Parker has dismissed brothers Vinny and Victor Saponari from the Terrier hockey program. At the same time, junior center Corey Trivino was suspended and will miss an undetermined number of games at the beginning of next season.

Victor, the older brother, had only played 14 games in three seasons, but his younger brother, an NHL draftee and a product of the NTDP program, had been an important contributor in his two seasons at BU, registering 20 goals and 27 assists.

Vinny Saponari told The Daily Free Press that he was shocked by the coach’s decision and is evaluating his future plans, which may involve transferring to another Division 1 school.

Daily Free Press news report.


BU announcement:

Three Men’s Ice Hockey Student-Athletes Disciplined
Two dismissed,
another suspended

BOSTON - Junior Victor Saponari and sophomore Vinny Saponari have been dismissed from the Boston University men’s ice hockey program and sophomore Corey Trivino will be suspended for multiple games at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, head coach Jack Parker announced on Tuesday.

“Over a period of time, there have been cumulative instances in which Victor and Vinny Saponari have displayed conduct unbecoming of a Boston University hockey player,” said Parker. “In a related issue, Trivino will be suspended for the early part of next season.”

Victor Saponari played in 14 games over his three seasons with the Terriers and recorded two points - both assists. Vinny Saponari appeared in 82 contests over the last two seasons and totaled 47 points on 20 goals and 27 assists.

Trivino enters his junior season having tallied 28 points (10g,
18a) in 60 career games. He missed the final 10 contests of the 2009-10 campaign with a fractured right fibula.

Looking back
Matt Gilroy, a member of Team USA, begins play in the IIHF World Championships in Germany on Friday. The U.S. beat France in an exhibition game, 3-1 . Former Terrier forward and first-year head coach of the Colorado Avalanche Joe Sacco is an assistant to Team USA head coach Scott Gordon.

Looking ahead
2010 recruit Sahir Gill and the Vernon Vipers have a 2-1 record after three games of the RBC Cup, the Junior A championship of Canada. Gill has one goal and two assists in the three games. He opened the scoring for the Vipers in yesterday’s 4-2 win over Oakville. Vernon plays its finally preliminary round game today against the Brockville Braves.

Sacco a finalist for NHL Coach of the Year

From GoTerriers.com

After leading the Colorado Avalanche to the National Hockey League playoffs in his first season as the team's head coach, former Terrier Joe Sacco has been named a finalist for this year's Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's Coach of the Year.

Last June, Sacco was named the Avalanche's head coach after a 2008-09 season that saw the team finish in last place in the Western Conference. Sacco orchestrated a 26-point turnaround, as this year's squad posted a 43-30-9 record, good for 95 points and an eighth-place finish.

Sacco and the Avalanche faced the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in the first round and won two of the first three contests in the best-of-seven series before falling in six games.

The other two finalists for this year's Jack Adams Award are Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators and Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Looking ahead

2010 recruit Adam Clendening spoke with the Buffalo News about his standout performance in the World U18s and his hopes to play in more international events. NTDP Coach Kurt Kleinendorst evaluated his blueliners and power play quarterback, who led all defensemen in scoring at the Worlds:

He was our best defenseman. He's self motivated. He shows up every day for practice and does everything you ask him, pays attention at all the meetings. If he was a little bit older and getting paid to play I would tell you he's a pro. That's the way he conducts himself.

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And then there were none

Seven former Terriers who were competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs had their seasons end when they were eliminated in opening round series. For Tom Poti (Washington), Mike Grier (Buffalo), Jay Pandolfo (New Jersey), Colin Wilson (Nashville) Adrian Aucoin (Phoenix), and Brandon Yip and Coach Joe Sacco (Colorado), it’s wait ‘til next year.

There is one player call-up from the AHL. Former Hockey East MVP and All-American goalie John Curry, however, has joined the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second round, now that the Wilkes Barre Penguins were eliminated in Calder Cup play. He most likely would only play in case of an injury. Also moving up to the big club is Baby Pens' assistant John Hynes, a former BU forward and coach of the U.S. National Development Team Program.

Also skating on is 2010 recruit Sahir Gill (photo), whose Vernon Vipers won the Doyle Cup in seven games, defeating Spruce Grove. Vernon joins the five-team field for the RBC Cup, Canada’s Junior A Championship. Vipers are defending RBC Cup champs. Gill has a 6-9-15 line in 19 playoff games, skating on the Vipers top line.

USA repeats as World U18 champ

2010 recruits Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto concluded their NTDP careers with their second World U18 championships gold medals, as Team USA defeated Sweden, 3-1, to win this year’s title game in Belarus. Team USA outscored its opponents 33-7 in the seven games.

Clendening (photo) assisted on the third goal and finished the tournament with 10 points, tied for best on the team. He was the tournament’s top-scoring defensemen and had the best plus/minus, +7. Clendening was one of two U.S. players named to the all-tournament team and also was named one of Team USA’s three best players. Nieto had a 1-3-4 line in the tournament.

Both players had won gold medals at last year’s World U18s in Fargo, N.D. They join Colin Wilson, Vinny Saponari, Kevin Shattenkirk—all 2007—and Brian Strait, 2006, as Terriers who played on gold-medal teams at the World U18s. Clendening finished the season with a 13-32-45 line in 63 games. Nieto had 27-26-53 in 53 games

Looking back
Former Terrier All-American Mike Grier had a goal and earned third-star honors in Buffalo’s 4-1 playoff win over the Bruins. Commenting on his performance, NECN reported:

Mike Grier. The pride of Boston University and St. Sebastian’s has been one of Buffalo’s best players throughout the series, and he had another beauty of a game for Buffalo. Three shots on net, five hits, three blocked shots, a goal scored and a plus-1 during an eventful night. Grier was also drilled in the back of the head with a Dennis Wideman shot he stepped in front of in the third period, but returned later in the game after hitting the dressing room briefly.
Tough, intelligent, experienced and skilled enough to skill get the job done, Grier is one tough mammer jammer.

What if…?

The title of NCAA champion remains on Commonwealth Avenue for a third straight year, with BC succeeding the 2009 Terriers, who in turn, succeeded the 2008 Eagles. Inside Hockey’s Scott Martineau offers one man’s opinion of how a “dream matchup” between this season’s BC squad and last year’s BU team would shake out. Who do you think would come out on top?

Team USA meets Sweden at Noon today Eastern Time in the World U18 gold-medal game. Live updates.

Looking back
Former BU blueliner Brian Strait’s rookie season in the AHL came to an end as Wilkes Barre was eliminated in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. In 78 games, Strait had a 2-12-14 line with 73 penalty minutes and a team-best +22.

Clendening, Nieto goals send U18s to gold-medal game

2010 recruits Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto (photo) each scored a second-period goal and Nieto added an assist as Team USA blanked Finland, 5-0, in the semifinal of the World U18 Championships in Belarus.

The victory marked the U.S. team's third shutout in the past four games and its fifth win in six game. USA will have the opportunity to defend the title it won in 2009 in Friday's gold-medal game against Sweden, the only team to beat Team USA in the tournament.

According to the game recap:

Campbell helped his own cause in the second stanza when he poked the puck to Bryan Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), who sent a long pass to a streaking Matthew Nieto (Long Beach, Calif.). Nieto then sped around a defender and flipped a backhanded shot inside the left post to make it 3-0 at 6:19.

Team USA received a four-goal cushion with just one second remaining in the middle period after Shore found a wide-open Adam Clendening (Niagara Falls, N.Y.), who wired a shot into the upper-right corner of the net.

(Video of the team USA goals, with Nieto's at 1:40 of the clip, followed by Clendening's)







Clendening's goal, his third of the tournament, tied him for the team lead in scoring with 9 points and also in plus-minus with +9 for the six games. Nieto's goal was his first of the tournament. He has a 1-3-4 line.

Both Clendening and Nieto were members of the 2009 U.S. that took the U18 title in Fargo.

Looking ahead
2010 recruit Patrick MacGregor talked with CollegeHockey247.com 's Jeff Arnold about his development as a defenseman at Avon Old Farms and his decision to play for BU.

Former BU MVP hangs ‘em up

Steve Thornton, MVP of the Terriers’ 1994-95 national championship team, has ended his professional career after 15 seasons. Thornton, who scored 144 points during his BU career, played one season with Peoria in the IHL and spent the next 14 years in Europe, primarily in the UK. The past two seasons, he’s been player-head coach of the Belfast Giants.

Thornton finished his pro career the same way his college career ended—with a title—as Belfast won the Playoff Championship of the British Elite League. His Terrier teammate Shane Johnson also played for the Giants the past few seasons.

On a high-scoring BU squad that included one first team All-America (Mike Grier) and second-teamers Kai Linna and Chris O’Sullivan, Thornton earned his teammates vote as MVP. In the NCAA title game vs. Maine, he scored BU’s first goal right off a faceoff to the left of the Black Bears’ goalie. (video)

A dual citizen of Canada and the U.K., Thornton is returning to Ontario and has taken a position outside of hockey near Ottawa.

Looking ahead
2010 recruit Adam Clendening scored his second goal of the World U18 Championships and added an assist in Team USA's 7-1 win over host Belarus. With six points, Clendening is the leading scorer for Team USA who faces the Czech Repubilc tomorrow in the tournament quarterfinals.

2010 recruit Sahir Gill scored his seventh post-season goal in Vernon’s 3-2 OT win over Spruce Grove in game three of the Doyle Cup series. BCHL champ Vipers lead the Saints 2 games to 1. Gill’s goal gave Vernon a 2-1 lead and appeared to be the game-winner until a late Spruce Grove goal tied the game.

Pereira and Connolly to lead 2010-2011 Terriers

Rising senior forward Joe Pereira and rising junior forward Chris Connolly were announced as co-captains of next year's BU hockey team at last night's Friends of BU Hockey Break-Up Banquet at the George Sherman Union. Rising junior blueliner David Warsofsky will serve as an alternate captain. Winners of annual team awards:

• Clifford P. Fitzgerald Scholarship Award (given to the most outstanding junior or senior defenseman) -- David Warsofsky

• Regina Eilberg Scholarship (given to the player who best combines athletics and academics) -- Ryan Ruikka (3.89 GPA)

• Bennett McInnes Award for Spirit -- Joe Pereira

• Most Improved Player -- Ross Gaudet

• Friends of Hockey Albert Sidd Unsung Hero Award -- Zach Cohen

• Ed Carpenter Award (given to the leading scorer) -- Nick Bonino

•George V. Brown Most Valuable Player Award -- Nick Bonino

More details and Coach Parker's comments from The Boston Hockey Blog and WTBU.

Looking back

Matt Gilroy, captain of the 2009 National Championship team and winner of that season's Hobey Baker Award, has been named to the roster of Team USA for the IIHF World Championships to be played in Germany next month.

Brandon Yip scored his first NHL playoff goal and added an assist in the Avalanche's 6-5 loss to San Jose, tying the first round series at one apiece.

Looking ahead

2010 recruits Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto each assisted on a goal in Team USA's 5-0 shutout of Canada in the preliminary round of the World U18 Championships being played in Belarus. Clendening leads Team USA in scoring with 1-3-4 after three games. Team USA's final preliminary round game, against the host team Belarus, is now under way. We'll report on the outcome later today. Quarterfinal play begins in Minsk on Tuesday. Both Clendening and Nieto played for the gold-medal winning U.S. squad in last year's tournament.

2010 recruit Sahir Gill assisted on two goals as BCHL champion Vernon Vipers edged their AJHL counterparts Spruce Grove, 3-2, in Doyle Cup competition. Series is tied at 1-1.

2011 recruit Cason Hohmann's season ended last week as Cedar Rapids was eliminated in the first round of USHL playoffs. Hohmann scored two goals in the five-game series with Indiana, including one game-winner. During the regular season, Hohmann scored nine goals and 27 assists in 58 games for the Roughriders.

Looking ahead--UPDATED

2010 recruit Adam Clendening spoke with the Buffalo News about participating in the World U18 Championships and some of his goals when he suits up at Boston University next season.

Clendening racked up four assists in Team USA's exhibition game win over Belarus. But Team USA got off to a rocky start in the preliminary round, losing to Sweden, 4-2, yesterday. Fellow 2010 recruit Matt Nieto assisted on Team USA's first goal. Next up is Switzerland today. Both Nieto and Clendening played for the American squad that won the gold medal at last year's U18 title in Fargo.

• UPDATE-Clendening scored a goal and assisted on two others to lead the U.S. past Switzerland, 5-1, on the second day of preliminary round play.

2010 recruit Sahir Gill scored the game-winner for the Vernon Vipers in their 2-1 win over Powell River in the seventh game of the BCHL Fred Page Cup playoffs. The Vipers, seeking to return to the RBC Cup Championships, which they won last year, next take on the AJHL champions, Spruce Grove.



Vipers Coach Mark Ferner discussed the return of Gill to the team in January after spending the first half of the season in the USHL:

"People questioned me bringing Sahir Gill back after he went
to Chicago. I was happy for him that he came back and scored
the game-winner in Game 7. He’s a great kid and a great player
and we welcomed him back with open arms. When we put him
back with the Jones’ twins, they caught fire.”

Gill has scored 15 points in 19 post-season games.

Cohen earns first team All-American honors

Colby Cohen, who signed a pro contract with the Colorado Avalanche last week, has been named to the ACHA's Reebok Divison One All-American Team. Cohen, who also was a first-team Hockey East All-Star, finished the season with 30 points and was second on the team in goal-scoring with 14. BU now has had at least one first team All-American in each of the past five seasons. Cohen is the fourth Terrier first-team All-American in the decade, joining Matt Gilroy, Dan Spang and Freddy Meyer. For a full list of Terrier All-Americans, click here and scroll to page 116.


Looking ahead
Thursday was a good day for Terriers' 2010 recruit Charlie Coyle.


During the second intermission of the Boston-Buffalo game at TD Garden, Coyle was named the 2010 male recipient of The John Carlton Memorial Award, which is named for the late Bruins scout and administrator who passed away in 1982. The award is given annually by the Boston Bruins to an outstanding male and female student-athlete in an Eastern Massachusetts High School or Junior hockey who combine exceptional hockey skills with academic excellence. Coyle received his award from former Bruins standout and Vice President Cam Neely.


From the Bruins' game notes:

Charlie Coyle is currently a forward for the South Shore Kings in the Eastern Junior Hockey League and a senior at Weymouth High School. Charlie was named the Eastern Junior Hockey League's Rookie of the Year, finishing fifth in league scoring with 21 goals, 42 assists and 63 points in 42 games under the guidance of Coach Scott Harlow. Charlie has played for USA Hockey’s Under-18
team in Slovakia and at the Four Nations tournament in Finland. He is also an outstanding student at Weymouth High School, and will be attending Boston University next year.

NHL Central Scouting announced its final rankings for the 2010 draft and Coyle was ranked #24 among North American skaters. 2011 recruit Yasin Cissé, who missed much of his USHL season with an ankle injury, was #107.

Looking back--So long, Keith
Former Terrier wing Keith Tkachuk wrapped up his pro career last night in the Blues' 6-3 win against the Ducks, registering two assist and earning first-star honors. (Video) Tkachuk, who was honored in a ceremony following the game, finished with 538 goals and 527 assists in 1201 games. He is one of only four players to accumulate 1000 points and 2000 penalty minutes in an NHL career. NHL.com has compiled a highlight video with memorable goals in his long career

Chris Drury's 14th goal helped the Rangers keep their playoff hopes alive in a 4-3 win against Philadelphia.

Eric Gryba scored his first professional goal last night in the Binghamton Senator's 6-5 win again Adirondeck.

Monster Mash

Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen made their pro debuts tonight in Lake Erie's 5-4 shootout win over Abbotsford. With the Monsters trailing, 4-2, late in the third, Shattenkirk assisted on goal to narrow the deficit. Then Zach Cohen assisted on the tying goal (with 17 seconds left, no less). No goals in OT, but Shattenkirk had one of the shootout goals for the Monsters. Colby got on the scoresheet with his first pro fight. Shattenkirk took 5 shots, Colby 3. Former Terrier David VanderGulik had two assists for the Heat.

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Looking ahead

DailyFree Press talked with Coach Jack Parker about next season and the roles that returnees are likely to play.

2010 recruit Sahir Gill scored the game-winner and added an assist in Vernon's 4-2 win over Powell River, tying the BCHL final series at two games apiece. Gill has 13 points in 16 playoff games to date, third best on the Vipers.

NHL Central Scouting has posted its final rankings for the June draft. Among North American skaters, 2010 recruit Charlie Coyle is ranked #24, while 2011 recruit Yasin Cisse, who missed most of the season with an injury, was ranked #107.

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A blog reader forwarded the information that 2012 recruit Robert Polesello was named co-MVP of the Greater Toronto Hockey League Top Prospects game, featuring the top 15 year olds in Toronto. Earlier in the season, Polesello was co-scoring leader in the Toronto Marlboros International Holiday Classic with 7 goals and 7 assists 8 games as he led the Jr. Canadians swept to the tournament title.

Looking back

Let's Play Hockey reports that nearly one-third of NHL players are products of college hockey--including 13 ex-Terriers, tied with BC for third most after Michigan and Wisconsin. For a full list of collegians in the NHL, click here.

BU fills a slot on defense

With Eric Gryba graduating and juniors Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen foregoing their senior seasons to sign with Colorado, BU has lost half its starting blueline corps. BU’s coaching staff has added a defenseman with size to fill one of the slots, Avon Old Farm's blueliner Patrick MacGregor, a 6-4, 210 right-shot.

USHR reports that MacGregor, a 7-12-90 birthdate, has "size, strength, and the ability to both clear out in front and get the puck out of his end efficiently. He improved significantly in his senior season. "

In the Winged Beavers' run to the 2010 New England Prep championship, he scored 3 goals and 18 assists, including two assists in the 4-1 title game win over Northfield Mount Hermon. Like his new BU teammates, MacGregor has played an outdoor game at Fenway Park, as Avon Old Farms took on Taft on Dec. 21 in the historic ballpark. He also played in the Western New England Fall Prep Elite Hockey League last fall.

Prior to spending two seasons at AOF, MacGregor was an all-state defenseman for Hamden H.S. in Connecticut.

He joins NTDP U18 defenseman Adam Clendening, who committed in BU last September, in the Terriers' 2010 recruit class, along with forwards Charlie Coyle, Sahir Gill and Matt Nieto.

Shattenkirk and Cohen join the march to the West

A year after the slogan "Burn the Boats" guided them to a national championship, two more Terriers are heeding the advice of newspaper editor Horace Greeley more than 150 years ago, "Go West, young man." Junior defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk (photo) and Colby Cohen have both signed entry level contracts with the Colorado Avalanche. Both will join the Avs' AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters where Zach Cohen has already begun his pro career and where they'll be reunited with Head Coach David Quinn, who recruited both blueliners and coached them for two seasons at BU. Denver Post coverage. Classmate Nick Bonino also headed West to begin his pro career in Anaheim.

USCHO photographer Melissa Wade has assembled photo galleries of Shattenkirk and both Cohens, who are not related.

Shattenkirk was the Avs' first round draft choice in the 2006 draft and Cohen was selected in the second round that season. The two were teammates long before their Terrier careers, playing together in Ann Arbor for the NTDP U17s and U18s and also for Travis Howe's East Coast Selects program (1, 2) where many current and future Terriers have honed their skills.

Shattenkirk, who captained the 2009-10 team, finished his BU career with 78 points, including 29 as a senior. In 2008-09 he was second in the nation in plus/minus with +28. Cohen also finished with 78 career points and was BU's second-leading goal scorer this past season with 14. His overtime goal, off a pass from Shattenkirk, gave BU its fifth national championship a year ago in Washington, D.C. (video)

Brandon Yip, who was enjoying a strong rookie season for Colorado, before injuring a shoulder, has returned to the Avs lineup and commented on his once and future teammates.

Daily Free Press reporter Scott McLaughlin, writing for NESN.com produced a list of the top ten moments (with video clips) in Frozen Four history, with last April's dramatic come-from-behind victory by BU taking the top spot. BU's triple-overtime loss to Northern Michigan in the 1991 title game was rated #3.

Looking back

Former BU captain and Hobey Baker winner Chris Drury's 13th goal of the season helped the New York Rangers upend the Florida Panthers, 4-1, and pull into a tie for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Looking Back--BU's 4th NCAA title

Fifteen years ago today... BU nailed down its fourth NCAA championship with a convincing 6-2 win over conference rival Maine at the Providence Civic Center, which also was the site of BU’s 1978 national title. The Terriers had played Maine three times previously during the season, losing once and tying twice. But on this day, the result was far different.

Steve Thornton, later voted team MVP, got things going late in the first period scoring from a faceoff to the left of Maine’s Blair Allison. BU stretched the lead to 3-0 on second period goals by Chris O’Sullivan and Captain Jacques Joubert, before Tim Lovell got Maine on the board. The Black Bears cut the lead to one in the first minute of the third period on Trevor Roenick’s power play goal. But BU put the game out of reach with O’Sullivan’s second goal and scores by Mike Sylvia and Bob Lachance. Tom Noble stopped 21 Black Bear shots, while Allison had 33 saves. O’Sullivan, a second team All-American, was chosen the game’s Most Outstanding Player. He was named to the all-tournament team along with Shawn Bates and Kaj Linna.

BU finished the season with ten consecutive wins and 15 victories in its final 16 games.
► Team stats
► Full video highlights
► Sports Illustrated coverage link.

Joubert, who transferred to BU after a year at Princeton, will be inducted into the BU Athletics Hall of Fame next month.

Of the members of the 1994-95 team, three are currently playing in the NHL: Chris Drury (Rangers), Mike Grier (Sabres) and Jay Pandolfo (Devils). Thornton and Shane Johnson are with the Belfast Giants in the EIHL and Bates was in the AHL with Manchester earlier this season.

Former Terrier captain and Olympic captain Mike Eruzione was in Omaha for a fundraiser at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and answered questions about Olympics past and present. Eruzione is a part-owner of the USHL Omaha Lancers.

Looking ahead

2011 recruit Cason Hohmann scored his ninth goal of the season in Cedar Rapids' 5-0 win over Fargo last night. Hohmann has 34 points in 56 games as a USHL rookie.