A power forward for the Terriers

BU has received a commitment from St. John’s Prep’s rising senior forward Sam Kurker, a 6-2, 205 right shot winger from Reading, Mass. His father, Paul, played for Union College in the 1980s. Kurker, who trains at Mike Boyle’s strength and conditioning facility in Woburn, will arrive on Commonwealth Avenue in either 2012 or 2013. (photo credit-Mark Teiwes/Salem News )

Kurker recently returned from Europe where he was a member of the U.S. Select U-18 team that played in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament along with 2013 recruit Danny O’Regan. He earned a spot on that squad with strong showing at the Select 17 development camp in Rochester (7-1-8, tied for sixth in scoring). He also tallied two assists in the Select 17 all-star game.

Kurker, who will be St. John’s Prep’s captain next season, scored 20 goals and 17 assists last year and has 66 points over three seasons. In the 2011 Massachusetts Super 8 tournament, his two-goal performance in a 3-1 win against Catholic Memorial lifted the Eagles into the championship game. St. John’s fell in the final to Malden Catholic on 2013 recruit Brendan Collier’s overtime goal.

Kurker, who also skates for the Little Bruins midget team and the Beantown Bullies tournament team, is one of three future Terriers who made the NHL Central Scouting 2012 futures list. He received a B ranking, as did Collier. 2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon received an A ranking.

According to U.S.Hockey Report, Baillargeon, who scored 64 points as as a sophomore last season at Cushing Academy, will play for the USHL Indiana Ice next season along with 2012 recruit Robert Polesello. USHR calls Bailargeon “a potential top three rounds pick for next June’s NHL draft.”

USHR also reports that NTDP forward Cam Darcy, who recently decommitted from Northeastern, will make a final choice for his new committment between BU and BC during the next month. The South Boston native recently attended the NHL RDO camp in Toronto for top 2012 draft prospects. Before joining the USA NTDP program where he scored 9 goals and 13 points last season, Darcy skated for former Terrier Dan Donato at The Dexter School.

Women’s team
Three Terriers are participating in this week’s IIHF Twelve Nations Tournament in Finland. Senior Kasey Boucher is on the U.S. roster while senior Jenn Wakefield and Catherine Ward, who played for last year’s NCAA finalist BU squad, are skating for Canada.

Drury announces retirement

One day shy of his 35th birthday, former Terrier, NHL and Team USA standout Chris Drury made his retirement from hockey official. Earlier this summer, Drury and the New York Rangers agreed to a buyout of the final year of his contract and he considered continuing his career despite a lingering knee injury .However, today Drury made his decision public through a media release from the NHL Players Association.

The only player to win both the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player (1998) and the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie (1999), Drury also won a Stanley Cup with Colorado early in his 12-year NHL career and the NCAA championship as a BU freshman in 1995. His NHL totals include 255 regular season goals and another 47 in the playoffs where he often delivered his best efforts.

In four years at BU, "Captain Clutch" became the school's all-time goal scoring leader with 113 to go with 101 assists. He played in three Frozen Fours and two national championship games and was a two-time All-American. He was elected to the BU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

Drury suited up for the U.S. in three Olympic games, winning silver twice, and was part of the U.S. squad in 2004's World Cup of Hockey. He first came to national attention as the winning pitcher for Trumbull, Conn., in the 1989 Little League championship game, ending a five-year U.S. drought.

Describing why Drury was able to deliver so often in key moments throughout his career, BU Head Coach Jack Parker said:

“I think the reason why Chris has been so successful is he always manages to stay cool, calm and collected in the most competitive of situations. That’s why guys can rise to the occasion in big moments, because they don’t get rattled. “It’s a fine line to walk between being really intense and being really calm. He can do that better than anybody. What defines Chris is: ‘Did I play hard tonight? Did I do my best?’ He’s a hockey player. A real good hockey player.”

-Retirement coverage: ESPN; New York Times
-2007 Sports Illustrated feature: The Winner
-1997 NCAA Regional Final: game-winning goal (video)
-Avalanche highlights (video)
-USA Today slide show

Dallas Stars draft pick (2009/2nd round) Alex Chiasson talked with ESPN Dallas about his second summer attending Stars' development camp and his plans for his junior year at BU.
-Chiasson photo gallery by Melissa Wade.

Looking back
Jason Lawrence, who led the 2008-09 national champion Terriers in goal-scoring with 25, has signed on with the Manglerud Stars of the Norwegian Elite League. Last year, he played for Eindhoven Kemphanen in the Netherlands Elite League, producing a 30-28-58 line in 45 games.

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Marc Hetnik, Jr., talked with the Vernon Morning Star about his decision to play a season of junior with the BCHL Vernon Vipers.

Linkorama

Adam Clendening and Charlie Coyle made this week's roster cut at US Junior National Evaluation Camp (photos). Matt Nieto did not. USA Hockey will hold a final camp in December and players who didn’t make the cut or were not at the evaluation camp could be invited to the final camp. Former Terrier captain and current New York Rangers Associate Coach Mike Sullivan is one of the special evaluation camp coaches. Camp ends Saturday following Team USA's game against Sweden.

Looking ahead
Despite losing just one game, the U.S. Select U18 team finished fifth in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. 2013 recruit Danny O’Regan was among the top U.S. scorers, with 2-3-5 in four games. He scored a goal and an assist in the team’s final game a 3-1 win against the Czech Republic, duplicating his effort in team’s 5-4 OT win over Russia.

Looking back: “Mr. Consistency”
Former All Hockey East blueliner Bryan Miller will return to the ECHL Alaska Aces for a fifth season. Miller, who quarterbacks the team’s power play, helped lead the Aces the leagues’ Kelly Cup this past Spring.

Women’s team
Isabel Menard, who has transferred from Syracuse to BU, talked with the Ottawa Citizen about her decision to become a Terrier. This week she is at development camp for Canada’s U-22 team, along with three BU teammates, Marie-Philip Poulin, Tara Watchorn and Jennelle Kohanchuk. In an intersquad game Thursday, Menard, a distant relative of Mario Lemiuex, recorded two assists for the blue team while Watchorn scored a goal. Menard, Watchorn and Kohanchuk won gold medals with Canada’s U-22 Team at the 2011 MLP Cup in Switzerland.

Blog notes

A few additions to the blog sidebar:

-- Terrier Tales: The Vagabond Champions is Scott Weighart's chronicle of BU's first NCAA championship team, forty years ago in 1971.

--Links: United States of Hockey focuses on USA Hockey, U.S. National Teams, American hockey prospects, college and junior hockey, and the growth of the game.

Coyle, Clendening help US to wins at Jr. National Evaluation Camp

On the first day of international competition at U.S. Jr. National Team evaluation camp, sophomores Adam Clendening (photo) and Charlie Coyle —and members of last season’s Hockey East All rookie team, played important roles in U.S. wins. In a 4-3 win for USA Blue over Sweden, Clendening scored his team’s second goal midway through the game and later assisted on the overtime game-winner. Coyle registered a pair of assists in USA White’s 5-3 win against Finland. Sophomore forward Matt Nieto also skated for USA White.

Also in international play, 2013 recruit Danny O’Regan is a member of the USA Select U-187 team playing in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Another standout from last year’s freshman class, Sahir Gill, is serving as an instructor at The Champions Hockey School in British Columbia.

Playing for the Providence Bruins last year, former Terrier Colby Cohen was reunited with Carter Camper, his junior hockey teammate with the Lincoln Starts. Camper, a star forward with Miami Univ., was a Terrier opponent in the 2009 NCAA championship game that BU won on Cohen’s OT slapshot.

The College Hockey Blog has begun a series of article previewing its choices for the top 16 teams for the upcoming season.

College Hockey News reports that Versus cable, which will soon be rebranded as NBC Sports Network, is negotiating to air a package of college hockey games that would include Hockey East games.

Women’s team
Goalie Kerrin Sperry and defenseman Kasey Boucher will be in Blaine, Minn., this week to participate in USA Hockey’s Women’s National Festival.

Terriers announce 2011-12 roster with four newcomers

BU has announced its roster for 2011-2012, which includes four newcomers: forwards Cason Hohmann and Evan Rodrigues (photo), defenseman Alexx Privitera and goalie Anthony Moccia. All are freshmen, except for Moccia, a sophomore who was a practice goalie for the Terriers last season. Prior to BU he was the starting goalie for Massachusetts prep school Buckingham, Browne & Nichols.

The announcement includes thumbnails of the first-year players and comments on each from head coach Jack Parker. Returning as a red-shirt freshman is Yasin Cisse, who injured in the first game he played and missed the rest of the season.

Former BU standout Keith Tkachuk has been named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2011 class and becomes the 8th former Terrier selected. Previous selections were Jack Garrity, Jack Kelley, Tony Amonte and 1980 Olympians Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Jack O’Callahan and David Silk. A member of BU’s 1991 national runner-up team, Tkachuk scored 538 goals and 527 assists in 1201 NHL regular season games.

Binghamton Senators assistant coach Steve Stirling, recuperating from emergency heart surgery, had his opportunity to spend some time with the Calder Cup, which the Senators won in the AHL playoffs. A former college coach at Providence, Stirling captained BU’s first NCAA championship in 1971, 40 years ago this past Spring.

Former Terrier captain Kevin Shattenkirk, traded from the Avalanche to the Blues during his standout rookie season, will live guest between 6:30 to 8pm Wednesday, August 3, at Hotshots in Maryland Heights, MO, to kick off Verizon Wireless Hockey Nights.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looked back on the career of former Penguins and BU star John Cullen, who celebrated his 47th birthday yesterday. Cullen, a Terrier from 1983 through 1987 is BU’s all-time scoring leader with 241 points (98-143).

2013 recruit Brendan Collier (video) is participating in the annual Hockey Night in Boston tournament before beginning his senior season at Malden Catholic. Collier scored the game-winning goal in this past season’s Super 8 championship game.

As many observers expected following the QMJHL draft, Adam Erne has decommitted and will play major junior hockey for the Quebec Remparts.

Chowdah!

Pro-Am Hockey’s annual Chowder Cup tournament is underway South of Boston and at least seven players with BU connections are participating. The Beantown Bullies Jr. Major roster includes current Terriers Charley Coyle and Garrettt Noonan (photo) along with 2012 recruit Marc Hetnik and 2013 recruits Danny O’Regan and Matt Grzelcyk. 2013 recruit Brendan Collier is skating for the New England Nordiques Blue, while 2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon is with Wildcats Elite.

More news about Terriers from NHL development camps:
• Charley Coyle: Sporting News, Twin Cities.com
• Alex Chiasson: ESPN Dallas
• Matt Nieto: Sharks Web site
• Corey Trivno Islanders Web site
• Ben Rosen: Syosset Patch

Predators' GM Dave Poile and Ass't GM Paul Fenton discussed their selection of Noonan in the recent NHL entry draft.

Nick Bonino has signed an new one-year deal with Anaheim.

Former BU captain Albie O’Connell has been named an assistant to Harvard head coach Ted Donato.

Camp season

Senior Corey Trivino (photo) and junior Ben Rosen are in Islanders development camp along with a few rivals from Northeastern.

The Denver Post talked with Kieran Millan, who is attending his first Colorado Avalanche development camp. The Goalie Guild interviewed Millan and a another goalie in a podcast (2nd interview)

We have a pair of video interviews with Charley Coyle at Minnesota Wild camp: ESPN Wild TV

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor, who will tend the nets for Youngstown again this season, was in Ottawa’s camp and made a strong impression.

2013 recruit Danny O’Regan, who scored 8 points in the Select 17 camp and played in the tournament all-star game, was named to USA Hockey’s U-18 Select squad which will play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia and The Czech Republic next month.

Thanks to the blog reader who forward this WickedLocal Brookline story on 2012 recruit Marc Hetnik.

Looking back
Colby Cohen’s junior team, the Lincoln Stars, interviewed him about his Stanley Cup experience.

John Laliberte, who has re-upped for a third season in the German DEL with Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams, has been instrumental in organizing a charity hockey event in his hometown, Saco, Maine, to benefit the Michael T. Goulet Foundation, which raises funds and heighten awareness about traumatic brain injuries and epilepsy disorders. Goulet's sister, Candace, is married to Laliberte. Details.

Keith Tkachuk, who scored 1065 points in 1201 NHL games, is following the exploits of oldest son Matthew, who played in this year's USA Hockey’s Select 14 camp and finished among the top five scorers.

Linkorama

• 
  
  
  David Warsofsky, who turned pro following his junior year at BU, is attending his second Bruins development camp. Coverage from NECN, NEJH, Boston Herald, Enterprise News
  
  The Minneapolis Star Tribune caught up with Charley Coyle, whose rights were acquired by the Wild in a trade from San Jose, in advance of this week’s development camp. The Wild’s assistant GM also offered thoughts on Coyle’s development.
  
  Alex Chiasson, who led the 2010-11 Terriers in scoring with 34 points , continues to impress at the Dallas Stars' developement camp.
  
  Hockeysfuture.com evaluated the Sharks’ 2011 draft including top pick Matt Nieto (video).
  
  Justin Courtnall was in the Canucks’s development camp, seeking to follow in his father’s skates.
  



• Looking ahead
  2013 recruit Danny O'Regan (Team Gold) scored a hattrick and added an assist during the first day of action at USA Hockey's Select 17 Development Camp in Rochester, N.Y. Playing for the gold team, the son of former BU co-captain Tom O'Regan has since added two more assists for a total six points. 2012 recruit Jarrid Privitera (Team Grey), also playing in the annual USA Hockey event, has registered two assists.

Gilroy lands in Tampa; Bourque returns to D.C.

Former Terrier co-captain and Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy, an unrestricted free agent following two seasons with the Rangers, signed a $1-million, one-season deal with Tampa Bay.

Chris Bourque, who played one season at BU before turning pro, has re-signed with the Washington Capitals, after playing the 2010-11 season in Russia and Switzerland. In 2010, Bourque was MVP of the AHL playoffs.

The Boston Hockey Blog traces Colby Cohen's first pro season which included his first NHL goal, a trade that brought him back to Boston and a call-up to the Bruins for their playoff run culminating in a Stanley Cup for Boston and never-to-be-forgotten celebrations.

New England Hockey Journal reports that former Terrier Nick Bonino has received a qualifying offer from the Anaheim Ducks and that former co-captain John McCarthy is expected to receive one from the San Jose Sharks. Mike Grier, an All-American during BU's 1994-95 championship season, has indicated he'll either return to the Buffalo Sabres or retire. He has played 1060 NHL games during 14 NHL seasons.

Vancouver native Justin Courntall, will be attending the Canucks development camp. Alex Chiasson was in Dallas Stars camp this past week (video).

Looking ahead
Three future Terriers were among the players on the NHL's initial players to watch list for the 2012 draft. 2013 recruit Rob Baillargeon, who starred for Cushing Prep last season, received an "A" ranking, while fellow 2013 recruits Brendan Collier (Malden Catholic) and Danny O'Regan (St. Sebastian's) each received "B" rankings.

O'Regan and 2012 recruit Jarrid Privitera (Gunnery Prep) will participate in USA Hockey's Select 17 development camp in Rochester, N.Y., beginning this Thursday. Another 2013 recruit, Adam Erne (Indiana Ice), was named to the U.S. Under 17 Select Team that will play in the 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, August 9-13, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Looking back
Bob Sylvia, a co-captain of BU's 1964-65 squad, retired in 2010 as Quincy, Mass., High School head hockey coach after 44 seasons. Friends, colleagues and former players recently gathered for a roast and tribute to the long-time coach who retired from his teaching position at Quincy H.S. this year. Syliva scored 64 points in three varsity seasons at BU, and led the Terriers to their first winning season under Coach Jack Kelley.

Linkorama

Chris Drury now has agreed to allow the New York Rangers to buy out the final year of his contract and will seek to continue his NHL career with another club. Drury sent a letter to the New York Post, thanking the Rangers organization and the team’s fans for their support during his four seasons in New York.

The Boston Hockey Blog conducted post-draft interviews with Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto

Fellow sophomore Charley Coyle, whose rights were traded to Minnesota, discussed future plans with The Boston Globe.

Summer Camp
Alex Chiasson is headed to another Dallas Stars development camp while 2012 prospect Matt O’Connor, a goalie with Youngstown/USHL, has been invited to the Ottawa Senators rookie camp.

The 9th Annual Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation Golf Event will be held at Mashpee, Mass. on July 25. Established on honor the memory and principles of BU standout Mark Bavis, killed in 9-11 hijackings, the foundation provides educational grants to deserving young men and women. Click here for event details and further information about the foundation.

Former All-American goalie and Hockey East MVP John Curry has departed the Penguins organization and has signed to play next season with the Hamburg Freezers in the German DEL.

2013 recruit Adam Erne finished tournament play at the Select 16s with three goals and one assists in five games, and he earned a spot in today’s all-star game.

Three Terriers drafted by NHL

Rising sophomore Adam Clendening, Matt Nieto and Garrett Noonan were selected by NHL teams on day two of the entry draft. Clendening was taken in the second round, 36th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks, whose head of amateur scouting is Mark Kelley, son of legendary Terrier Coach Jack Kelley California native Nieto was taken 11 picks later by San Jose and Noonan, who hadn’t been ranked by NHL Central Scouting was Nashville’s second pick in the fourth round, #112 overall.

Paul Fenton, a former Terrier forward and current Nashville assistant general manager, noted that the Preds’ Chief Amateur Scout Jeff Kealty, also a former Terrier and, like Noonan, a Catholic Memorial High School product, had emphatically urged the club to select Noonan.

Terrier head coach Jack Parker was in St. Paul to support Clendening and Nieto who were at draft headquarters with their families. USCHO’s Jim Connelly caught up with Parker to discuss his young stars’ future prospects.





● GoTerriers.com coverage
● ESPN-Boston coverage
● College Hockey News coverage
● NEHJ coverage
● Boston Herald coverage: Parade of Terriers; Nieto feature
● San Francisco Chronicle feature on Nieto
● Clendening: Tonawanda Times, CSN Chicago

Coyle trade update
The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa reported that Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is not planning to lure newly acquired Charley Coyle to join the pro ranks.

“I’m not a big believer in pulling kids out of college,’’ said Fletcher, a
Harvard graduate. “It’s up to the young man and his family to make that decision.

“We’ll certainly sit down and speak to him. We’ll speak to Jack Parker and we’ll try to go through the process of assessing where exactly he’s at and be up front.

“The goal of trading for him was not necessarily to get him in uniform right away. It was to add another piece. Hopefully in the next one, two, three seasons, he’ll have a very positive impact on our franchise and give us a big forward to match up against some of the big forwards in the Western Conference.’’

● Patriot Ledger coverage

Looking ahead

Fargo Force defenseman Garrett Haar has decommitted from Northeastern and indicated that BU is among the colleges he's now considering, along with Minn-Duluth, Denver, North Dakota and Minnesota. Haar also indicated the Dubuque's high-scoring forward John Gaudreau is also likely to decommit from Northeastern and return to the USHL for another season. Several message-board posts indicates BU would be in the mix of possible suitors. (We'll try to get further information on both players.)

2013 recruit Adam Erne is participating in USA Hockey's Select 16 Development camp in Rochester, N.Y. and earned kudos from Amateur Hockey Report for his first-day efforts.

Coyle traded to Wild at NHL draft

WhiIe Adam Clendening, Matt Nieto and Sahir Gill await selection in the 2011 NHL entry draft, a Terrier selected in the first round last year had his rights traded. Charley Coyle, the Sharks’ top pick (28th overall) in 2010 was part of a multiplayer deal with the Minnesota Wild.

The Niagra Gazette spoke with Clendening about where he might be selected. The Long Beach Press Telegram and Fox Sports West interviewed Nieto, one of the increasing number of Californians with a bright NHL future. Hockey Scout Dan Sallows conducted a Q&A interview with Gill.

Looking ahead
The Hockey News and Sallows both profiled 2012 recruit Robert Polesello, who after a standout season with the OPJHL Vaughan Vipers, will play for the USHL’s Indiana Ice next season. He’ll join 2013 recruit Adam Erne who completed his first USHL with the Ice. Erne, a second round choice of Halifax in the QJMHL draft, recently participated at Indiana’s main camp along with Polesello and another 2013 recruit, Rob Baillergon, who played for Cushing Prep last season.

Women's program
The Terrier women’s team announced its 2011 recruit class including Isabel Menard, a junior transfer from Syracuse where she was the Orange’s top scorer.

Former captain and all-time leading scorer Gina Kearns was named an assistant coach at Penn State whose program goes Division 1 in 2012.

Injury threatens to end Drury’s career

The New York Post reports that former Terrier captain and Hobey Baker Award winner Chris Drury is suffering from a degenerative condition in his left knee that likely will prevent the Rangers’ captain from playing next season and possibly ending his career. The Rangers had planned to buy out the final year of Drury’s contract, but the medical situation prevents this. Drury is BU’s all-time goal-scoring leader (113) and is third on the all-time points list (214). A member of BU’s 1995 national championship team, he was the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 1998-99 and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001. BleacherReport looked back on Drury's career.

►No former Terriers were on the ice for the Bruins when the won the Stanley Cup in Vancouver last week, but Colby Cohen (in photo with Michael Ryder) one of several reserves called up from Providence, was in the Arena and in uniform, celebrating Boston’s first Cup win since 1972. Cohen, who scored the game-winning overtime goal in BU’s 2009 NCAA Championship game winner against Miami, played 46 games for Providence after his mid-season trade from Colorado. He was joined on the ice during the celebration by former Terrier Eric Thomassian.

►Sahir Gill who scored 25 points as a freshman for BU was interviewed by The Hockey Spy blog.

►2013 recruit Brendan Collier led the New England Nordiques to the championship of the the 2011 NH Jr. Monarchs Summer Showdown, scoring the clinching goal in a shootout of a 1-0 game.Collier also had a hattrick and an assist in the quarterfinals. Another 2013 recruit, Adam Erne also skated for the Nordiques. Patch interview with Collier.

►USHR reports that former BU captain Albie O’Connell, an assistant coach at Northeastern, may be in the running for a similar post at Harvard. Reports today indicate that Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin will depart to become an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Blaise McDonald, an associate head coach at BU before he became head coach at Lowell, may join former Terrier Don Cahoon’s staff at UMass as an assistant.

►Andrew Glass who played two and a half seasons for BU will continue his college hockey career at Canada’s Carleton University. Details from The Boston Hockey Blog.

Linkorama--Updated

►2012 recruit Marc Hetnik, Jr., was a recent recipient of the Commitment to Excellence Award at Catholic Memorial School's 51st commencement exercises. He was one of eight seniors to receive the award recognizing devotion to academics and athletics.

►Rising sophomores Charlie Coyle, Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto are among the 40 players named to this summer’s USA Hockey National Junior evaluation camp in Lake Placid. All three also were camp invitees last summer, but only Coyle was named to the final roster of the U.S. Junior National Team.

Former Terrier defenseman Eric Gryba (right in photo) finished his first full pro season on a high note as the Binghamton Senators won the AHL’s Calder Cup championship Monday night, defeating Houston four games to two. In 66 regular season games, Gryba scored seven points and added one more in ten playoff games.

On June 5, Senators assistant coach Steve Stirling, captain of BU's 1971 national champions, underwent successful quadruple bypass surgery and, according to the Senators, was resting comfortably.

BU’s Matt Nieto and Adam Clendening participated in last weekend’s NHL combine in Toronto. According to TSN, defenseman Clendening scored well on bench press and push-ups and recorded the furthest medicine-ball toss, measuring upper body power, as well as some vertical jump testing. Clendening, who earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie team this past season, discussed his preparation for the combine with New England Hockey Journal

► NHL.com interview with Nieto at the combine.

► MTR Media profiles of Nieto and Clendening

► The Scouting Report has ranked Clendening and Nieto 36th and 43rd respectively for the upcoming NHL entry draft, set for June 24 & 25 in St. Paul, Minn.

Terriers Wade Megan, Ryan Santana and Ross Gaudet each had their heads shaved at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro Sunday to raise money for the One Mission Kids Cancer Buzz-Off which benefits the Children’s Hospital Boston's Pediatric Oncology unit. The rest of their BU teammates were on hand for the event. Megan has established a donations Web page for One Mission, Inc.

► GoTerriers.com coverage and Fox TV video

Anthony DeAngelo, who had been a 2014 recruit, has now signed on with Sarnia of the OHL. Adam Erne, a 2013 commit, was picked by Halifax in the second round of QMJHL draft.

Fosters.com reports that former BU All-American defenseman Freddy Meyer, who has been in the NHL since 2005, is considering a move to Europe next season. Injuries limited him to 15 games with Atlanta last season.

Former Terrier goalie Jason Tapp has been named an assistant coach by Union College’s newly appointed head coach, Rick Bennett. Tapp, whose minor league career ended in 2009, was a volunteer goalie coach for the Dutchmen during the past two seasons.

Could an expansion be in Hockey East’s future ? With upcoming establishment of a Big Ten hockey league, some CCHA clubs may be seeking a new home. One report suggests that Notre Dame may be eyeing Hockey East.

2012 recruit will "prep" with BCHL powerhouse

2012 recruit Marc Hetnik, Jr., who is completing his senior year at Catholic Memorial High School, will follow the same path to BU as former Knights blueliner Garrett Noonan did, spending a season in the junior ranks with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL.

Hetnik, who was CM’s captain and tallied four goals and 16 assists this season, earned Boston Globe All Scholastic, Boston Herald Dream Team and ESPN Boston First Team All Star honors. When he arrives on Commonwealth Avenue, Hetnik will join former Vipers Noonan, Sahir Gill and Ryan Santana.

Vernon, winner of two of the past three RBC Cup championships in Canada’s Junior A ranks, is rebuilding its defense. At least three starting blueliners from the past season’s team are departing.

Hetnik’s father Marc Hetnik, was a forward on BU’s 1978 national championship team and scored 92 points in four varsity seasons.

Looking back
Former all Hockey East defenseman Bryan Miller and his Alaska Aces teammates claimed the ECHL Kelly Cup championship Saturday night with a 5-3 win against Kalamazoo in game five for a 4-1 series victory.

Miller, who had been the hero in game two of the series scoring an overtime game-winner (recap, photo), is in his fourth season with the Aces and second time in the league finals. He led the team’s defensemen in scoring with a career-high 41 points and added another six points in the Aces’ playoff run. His former Terrier teammate, Brian McGuirk, is a forward for Kalamazoo.

The Orange County Register profiled Nick Bonino, who spent most of his first full professional season with the Duck’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

► The Warrior Rink Rat Blog recently interviewed Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna about how the advent of a Big Ten Hockey Conference might lead to restructing in other leagues.

2011-12 schedule features non-conference tilts vs. Denver, Notre Dame, Cornell

BU has announced its 2011-2012 regular season schedule with 27 Hockey East games and a seven non-conference games, including visits from Denver and Holy Cross, a New Year's Eve match at Notre Dame, the Beanpot Tournament and the third edition of Red Hot Hockey with the Terriers taking on Cornell at New York City's Madison Square Garden. In addition, the schedule includes a pair of exhibitions games, both at Agganis Arena: St. Francis Xavier on Oct. 1 and the U.S. NTDP U18s on Jan. 8. The full schedule follows below.

OCTOBER
Sat. 1 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER – Exhib. 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 8 NEW HAMPSHIRE* 8:00 p.m.
Fri. 14 at Providence* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 15 DENVER 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 22 HOLY CROSS 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 28 at Massachusetts* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 29 MASSACHUSETTS* 7:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER
Sat. 5 at UMass Lowell* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 11 MERRIMACK* 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 13 at Boston College* TBA
Fri. 18 VERMONT* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 19 NEW HAMPSHIRE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 26 vs Cornell^ 8:00 p.m.

DECEMBER
Fri. 2 at Boston College* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 3 BOSTON COLLEGE* 7:00 p.m.
Thu. 8 at New Hampshire* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 at Maine* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 31 at Notre Dame TBA

JANUARY
Wed. 4 at Harvard 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 7 MERRIMACK* 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 8 U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 – Exhib. 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 13 at Northeastern* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 20 PROVIDENCE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 21 at Providence* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 27 MAINE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 28 MAINE* 7:00 p.m.

FEBRUARY
Fri. 3 at Merrimack* 7:00 p.m.
Mon. 6 vs Harvard# TBA
Fri. 10 MASSACHUSETTS* 7:00 p.m.
Mon. 13 vs Boston College/Northeastern# 4:30/7:30 p.m.
Fri. 17 at UMass Lowell* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 18 UMASS LOWELL* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 24 at Vermont* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 25 at Vermont* 7:00 p.m.

MARCH
Fri. 2 NORTHEASTERN* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 3 at Northeastern* 7:00 p.m.

All times ET
All home games (in CAPS) to be played at Agganis Arena
* Hockey East game
^ Red Hot Hockey (Madison Square Garden – New York, N.Y.)
# 60th Beanpot Tournament (TD Garden)

Academic recognition
The Men’s Hockey team was among eight BU varsity teams recognized by the NCAA being among the top academically performing squads within their respective sports Details.

Looking ahead

A pair of BU's 2013 recruits were selected in this week's USHL draft. Brendan Collier, whose 30th goal of the season was the overtime game-winner that gave Malden Catholic the Massachusetts Super 8 Championship, was selected by Youngstown in the 7th round. Named All-Scholastic by both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, he also participated in the USA Hockey Tier I, U16 tournament--leading the Greater Boston Jr. Bruins in scoring--and earlier this month played in the New England Pro-Am Hockey Pre-Draft Showcase.

Danny O'Regan, who just completed his junior season at St. Sebastian's with a team-high 25 goals to go with 24 assists, was picked in the 8th round by Dubuque. He'll represent Massachusetts this summer at the National Select 17 Festival in Rochester, N.Y. O'Regan's father, Tom, co-captained BU's 1982-83 squad before playing in the NHL and Europe. His brother, Tom, Jr., is a 2011 commit to Harvard.

Linkorama

● Former Terrier teammates Bryan Miller and Brian McGuirk are on opposite sides for the ECHL Kelly Cup championship finals. Defenseman Miller, a 2005 Hockey East all star, is in his fourth season with the Alaska Aces and scored a career best 41 points (8-33). McGuirk was a captain of the 2007-08 Terriers and scored the overtime game-winner in the 2007 Beanpot championship game. He scored nine points for Kalamazoo this past season.

● Hockeysfuture.com has ranked rising junior Alex Chiasson as the Dallas Stars #3 prospect overall and #1 in the college ranks. ESPN Dallas profiled the power forward, who led the Terriers in scoring this past season with 34 points and was ninth in conference scoring.

● Former captain Kevin Shattenkirk has spent the past few weeks in Slovakia playing for Team USA in the IIHF World Championships. The St. Louis Blues' defenseman registered a goal and two assists in seven games for the U.S. squad that bowed out in the quarterfinals, losing to the Czech Republic. Shattenkirk was the NHL's top-scoring rookie blueliner with 43 points in 72 games.

The Boston Hockey Blog reports that former Terriers Chris Higgins and Joe Pereira have signed to play for Tingsryds AIF in Sweden next season. Higgins, who scored 133 points in his BU career, played in Italy and for the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers last season. Pereira was the Terriers' co-captain and led BU with 15 goals this past season. Both were members of the 2009 national championshp team.

● 2011 recruit Cason Hohmann's final USHL season is over as Cedar Rapids was eliminated in the Eastern Conference final of the Clark Cup playoffs by Green Bay. The forward from Plymouth, Michigan, had a 22-33-55 scoring line in 55 regular season games and was tied for team best with a +19. He led the Roughriders in playoff scoring with eight points.

● Hohmann's Roughriders teammate and 2014 recruit Anthony DeAngelo was drafted in the second round of the OHL draft by Sarnia. De Angelo, who was the youngest skater ever in USHL history, beginning last season at 14 and scored 15 points in 28 games, missed the final month of the season and the playoffs due to a fractured kneecap. The defenseman from New Jersey told a local newspaper his current plan is to return to the Roughriders next season.

Women's team
● Defenseman Shannon Stoneburgh, a 17 point scorer for the Toronto Aeros of the Provincial Women's Hockey League, has committed to BU for 2011.

Looking back at 1990-91

Twenty years ago last month, in a climactic ending to a remarkable season of high-scoring wins, BU came that close—hold your thumb and index finger almost together—to winning its fourth NCAA championship. In the Terriers’ longest ever final four game, they rallied from a three-deficit with less than eight minutes left in the third period, only to fall, 8-7 to Northern Michigan in triple overtime. Like this season’s championship game, it was played in St. Paul.

With the loss, not only did the national title elude BU—the preseason top-ranked team; the team also barely missed recording the school's second trifecta—a Beanpot title, conference title and NCAA championship, a feat later accomplished by the 1994-95 and 2008-09 squads.

The 90-91 squad set a then-program record for goals in a season with 234—and also gave up the ninth most tallies in BU history, 142—with a roster than included 11 future NHLers, including Shawn McEachern, Tony Amonte, Keith Tkachuk, Ed Ronan, Dave Tomlinson, Dave Sacco and Scott Lachance.

Blog contributor mh82 has a produced another masterful chronology, detailing the 1991-92 season from the opener at RPI to the nearly 82-minute finale in St. Paul that ended a fraction of an inch from victory.

The 1990-91 Terriers: One Glove and Two Caroms Shy of a Load

By mh82

And so it goes, and so it goes
And so it goes, and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows
Nick Lowe


Ed Carpenter, the Boston University Sports Information Director, reached across his desk to answer the ringing telephone, but when he picked up the receiver, the voice on the line didn’t sound familiar.

Perhaps that’s because the caller was a high school teacher hailing from the town of Chicago Heights, located 30 miles south of the City of Big Shoulders.

“I just called to tell you that I watched your game against Northern Michigan last Saturday,” he informed Carpenter. “I have no ties to BU, but I just wanted to say that watching that game was an exciting, absorbing experience. It was just great.”

That game.

The caller’s reference to “that” game was the 1991 NCAA hockey championship game between the Terriers and Wildcats at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota, the rink that featured clear boards and the venue that once served as the home of the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the defunct World Hockey Association. It was also where Harvard had won its first and only NCAA title two years before, defeating Minnesota in overtime.

The BU-NMU game took over four hours to complete (ending past midnight on the East Coast), featured comebacks from three goals down by each team over the final two periods, went to three overtimes and had 88 combined shots on goal. It showcased continual shifts in momentum on the ice, endless swings of emotion on the benches, in the arena and for those watching the dramatic game unfold on television. And finally, there was one euphoric team creating a pile of bodies in celebration on the ice where the winning goal had been scored while the losing squad simply watched in silence, slumped in exhaustion against the boards or mostly motionless on the bench.

It is a game still remembered and dissected two decades later, in arena corridors, over beers at a bar, on message boards and wherever else there is talk about the history of the NCAA Hockey Tournament. Whenever chatter about the greatest NCAA hockey championship games surfaces, the 1991 final rightfully earns a place in the discussion. Although it’s a fruitless exercise to determine what the “best” NCAA hockey championship game of all time is, simply because there have been so many enthralling ones down through the years, it’s difficult to come up with a more compelling back-and-forth clash than the one that took place on March 30, 1991. [MORE]

Connolly to lead Terriers in 2011-12

Rising senior Chris Connolly was named captain of next season's Terriers at last weekend's annual Friends of Boston University Hockey Banquet. No assistant captain were named. Connolly becomes the first Terrier to serve as co-captain during his junior year and captain as a senior since All-American and Olympian Jack O'Callahan in '77-'78 and '78-'79.

The banquet feted the team's two departing seniors, forward and co-captain Joe Pereira and backup goalie Adam Krause. In addition seven team awards were announced:
• George V. Brown Most Valuable Player Award—Kieran Millan

• Ed Carpenter Award (leading scorer)—Alex Chiasson

• Most Improved Player Award—Justin Courtnall

• Regina Eilberg Scholarship—Ryan Ruikka

• Clifford P. Fitzgerald Scholarship—Sean Escobedo

• Bennett McInnis Award for Spirit— Joe Pererira

• Albert Sidd Unsung Hero Award—Joe Pereira

More details from The Boston Hockey Blog

Rising sophomore Charley Coyle was the recipient of the George C. Carens Award as the Division 1 Rookie of the Year, presented by the New England Hockey Writers Association.

BU's schedule for next season has not yet been announced, but one date to mark on the calendar is November 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when BU and Cornell again meet at Madison Square Garden in New York City for Red Hot Hockey III. The previous two games, a BU 6-3 win (video) in 2007, and a 3-3 overtime time in 2009, were both sellouts.

Looking ahead

A pair of future teammates are squaring off in the USHL playoffs. Last night Cedar Rapids defeated Muskegon, 4-1, in the opener of a best-of-five series with 2011 recruit Cason Hohmann picking up an assist for the Roughriders. Cedar Rapids, which owned the league's best regular season record, had a first-round bye, while the Lumberjacks swept the NTDP U17s in their first round matchup. 2011 recruit Alexx Privitera scored a power play goal in Muskegon's 5-2 clinching win over the U17s.

Another future Terrier on Cedar Rapids, 2014 recruit Anthony DeAngelo, is sidelined for the rest of the season with a fractured kneecap.

A few weeks back we posted that Privitera's younger brother, Jarrid, has committed to BU for 2012. Some further information on the left-shot forward from his coaches at The Gunnery and the North Jersey Avalanche.

Coach Chris Baudo, The Gunnery:

Jarrid possesses an excellent skill set that will translate very well to the college game. He is very complete in his ability to be effective in all three zones. His speed, grit, skill, and touch around the net make him a consistent offensive threat (25 goals in 34 games this season). He can play in all situation (PK, PP, 4 v. 4), and his strength allows him to win one on one battles with bigger opponents. He finally possesses outstanding character and always puts the team first.

Coach Dan May, North Jersey Avalanche:

Jarrid has played in our NJ Avalanche AAA program for the last six seasons. He has continued on a steady path of improvement that was a result of consistently being one of the hardest workers and most dedicated player on his team. His low center of gravity and excellent leg strength makes him hard to knock off the puck, despite playing against bigger defense men. Jarrid has a keen sense for offensive opportunity and is a pure goal scorer with breakaway speed. Last but not least, he is team guy, great in the room and has been a pleasure to coach for the last six years.

May also coached Alexx Privitera and former Terrier forward Matt Radoslovich when he was NJ Player of the Year at Bergen Catholic.

Looking back

Former Terrier standout defenseman, co-captain, and associate head coach David Quinn is among the finalist for the vacant head coaching job at Providence. Quinn has spent the past two seasons coaching the Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

Women's team

Four Terriers--Tara Watchorn, Catherine Ward, Jenna Wakefield and Marie-Philip Poulin are representing Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Women's Championship in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland. BU has more representatives on the squad than any other team. Poulin, who was named Hockey East Rookie of the Month for March, has three points in three games. Ward and Watchorn has two apiece and Wakefield one.

Coach Brian Durocher, whose team reached the national championship game this season, losing to Wisconsin, has lined up three excellent recruits for the 2011-12 season: Defenseman Shannon Stoneburgh of the Toronto Aeros, forward Kayla Tutino of Ontario Hockey Academy and forward Sarah Bayersdorfer (photo) of Morristown-Beard School and the NJ Colonials.

Bayersdorfer, coached in high school by former Wisconsin and NHL defenseman Bruce Driver, was a three-time all-state player and two-tim Star-Ledger Player of the Year, but missed her entire senior season due to a knee injury suffered playing soccer. In her three seasons she set a school scoring mark with goals and assists in 60 games. She discussed her recruitment by BU and rehabbing her knee with The Daily Record.

Another scorer from the prep ranks

BU continues to fill out its recruit classes for future seasons, again reaching into the New England prep hockey ranks for a highly regarded scorer. Cushing Academy’s Rob Baillargeon, a sophomore, who put up a gaudy 30-34-64 line for the Penguins, committed to BU for 2013. According to reliable sources, three Hockey East rivals--New Hampshire, Maine and Northeastern--were also in the hunt for Baillargeon.

The 6-0, 174 right-shot forward, played one season for Enfield, Conn., High School in 2008-09, scoring 35 goals and earning First Team All-State recognition. As a repeat freshman at Cushing in 2009-10, he totaled 15 goals and 30 assists. Last summer, he participated in USA Hockey’s Select 17 Festival, scoring seven points, tied for ninth best.

Cushing Coach Rob Gagnon says he compares Baillargeon to ex Terrier Nick Bonino, “except he skates better than Nick did. His strengths are his skating and stick skills as well as his hockey IQ. He does need to improve his consistency of always bringing it each shift. His top level is really high, but when he takes a shift off he is then just a good player. I think the sky is the limit once he figures out how to be consistent.”

In an NHL.com feature on 2012 draft prospects, Central Scouting's Gary Eggleston, who focuses on East Coast talent, noted Baillargeon’s “great hands and scoring touch around the cage.”

2013 With the addition of Marc Hetnik, Jr., Jarrid Privitera and Baillargeon in recent weeks, BU’s recruiting classes for the next few years look like this:

• 2011: (F) Cason Hohmann, (F) Evan Rodrigues, (D) Alexx Privitera

• 2012: (F) Robert Polesello, (F) Jarrid Privitera, (G) Matt O’Connor, (D) Hetnik

• 2013: (F) Brendan Collier, (F) Danny O’Regan, (D) Matt Grzelcyk, (F) Adam Erne, (F) Baillargeon

• 2014: (D) Anthony DeAngelo

2013 recruit Erne, a power forward and one of the youngest players in the USHL talked with The Scouting Report about his first season with the Indiana Ice and his commitment to BU.

NHL Central Scouting issued its final rankings for the 2011 entry draft. Freshman Matt Nieto was #43, while classmates Adam Clendening and Sahir Gill were #45 and #110 respectively. O’Connor was #25 among North American goalies.

Another Terrier freshman, Charley Coyle, talked with The Daily Free Press’s Arielle Aronson about his path to BU and how he is "living his dream."

Looking back

Former BU captain Kevin Shattenkirk finished his rookie NHL season with 43 points (9+34), leading all first-year defensemen. His total also was seventh best for all rookies. After 46 games with Colorado—that included a nine-game scoring streak—Shattenkirk was traded to St. Louis in a blockbuster trade. He averaged just under 20 minutes per game for the season.