October remains several months away, or as a question whose answer is "no." That doesn't stop news from happening, however. With plenty to discuss in June, it's time to go through what is trending up and what is trending down in the world of college hockey.
(7/1 Update: This was published about an hour before seven WCHA teams announced intentions to leave the conference in 2021. I wrote more about that decision and what it means for college hockey here. Obviously, things are trending down for the three blindsided schools not invited to the party.)
Up: Jerry York
No one's stock has been moving up faster after the past week. For good reason. College hockey's winningest coach (1,067 wins) received one of hockey's highest honors when York was announced as one of six Class of 2019 inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The longtime Boston College head coach, who has won five national championships between BC and Bowling Green, will be going in as a "Builder" along with current Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford.
Besides being well deserved, it is truly a big milestone for college hockey. Other NCAA coaches such as Herb Brooks and Bob Johnson are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but York is the first who got in without coaching in the NHL. His induction may open the door to get other longtime college coaches into the HHOF as builders (or players/builders in the long overdue case of Red Berenson).
If the Hockey Hall of Fame honors was not enough, York's 2019-20 team received honors of its own. Three incoming Boston College freshmen - Matthew Boldy (Minnesota), Spencer Knight (Florida) and Alex Newhook (Colorado) - were selected among the top 16 picks. No other school had more than two first round picks.
Down: NCAA Tournament teams getting first rounders
Boston College's three were among nine players with collegiate were selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. None of them went to teams who made the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
On one hand, it's a far cry from recent drafts. Six years ago, one player with NCAA ties was drafted and he ended up going to the CHL. On the other hand, there's no better way to sum up college hockey in 2019 than the stat of every NCAA team to get a first-round pick went to a big name school who missed the last NCAA Tournament.
Hold: Illinois adding D1 Men's Hockey
Sorry that one account who, for the better part of a decade, says twice a year Illinois will be announcing a D1 hockey program and ends up always being wrong. You were wrong again.
Still, there have been enough positive signs around Champaign and the sport to put in a holding pattern rather than sour on the 90th promised announcement. The Big Ten, wanting an eighth team, has been advising teams on not overloading non-conference schedules past 2022. Construction of a home seems to be on pace for that year and Illini AD Josh Whitman continues to say the right things. The school is interested, but it takes more than interest to start a program. There also needs to be money, a home building, and home conference. Right now, Illinois seems to have two of those three and is working on a third.
Illinois has not yet announced adding D1 men' hockey. That day seems to be getting closer. As far as potential new programs go, the school would be the best best. However, until it actually happens it is best to wait and see rather than be crying wolf.
Up: Thanksgiving College Hockey
Minnesota and North Dakota playing one of college hockey's great rivalries on Thanksgiving night? Count me in! Beats watching a third NFL game or dealing with family. A rivalry this good should stand out rather than be on the same night as dozens of other games or stuck on a TV station no one outside North Dakota gets.
Down: Mike Eaves
The longtime Wisconsin head coach left St. Olaf's (MN) after three seasons to take over the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate in Cleveland. Technically this box of puppies is a promotion for Eaves. Having the master of analogy, as SB Nation's Chris Dilks put it, in college hockey so long has been learning the nae nae fantastic. Take good care of him, pro hockey.
The rich get richer in Madison. Wisconsin reloads for defending its national championship by adding
Slight Down: Clarkson's thing for transferring stars
The Golden Knights continue to be home to transferring players (and likely will). At this point, reloading with immediate transfers can be considered one of their gimmicks. I half expect Matt Desrosiers to be like, "Say, that's a pretty nice star hockey player you have. Be a shame if anything happened and she decided to transfer to Clarkson..."
It just would have been another, Hulk Hogan dropping an Atomic Legdrop on Randy Savage level of joining the NWO if Watts joined former BC teammate Caitrin Lonergan, former St. Cloud State forward Kayla Friesen and former Ohio State goaltender Amanda Zeglen at Clarkson.
Up: Penticton as the locale for transferring NCAA players
Penticton has become the BCHL version of Clarkson, being a stopping point for transferring NCAA players who need to sit out a season. (The team also has been a stopping point for Minnesotans between high school and college.) In recent years, Mat Robson, Jack LaFontaine, Nick Jones, and Scott Conway, among others have suited up for the Vees between college teams. Former Providence forward and 2018 first round pick Jay O'Brien will be the latest, joining the Vees before heading to Boston University.
Now that O'Brien has a team for next year and 2020-21, I'll move his stock back into the "Up" column.
Down: David Backes
The Spring Lake Park, MN native and Minnesota State alum might have ended June with the most Minnesota way to lose a championship. Facing the team he was a longtime captain for and left in free agency, Backes sat out Game 7 and watched the team he played for losing its shot at an elusive Stanley Cup.
June ended up, between Ohio State's Steve Rohlik and Scott Sandelin, being good for 2000s Minnesota Duluth coaches getting extensions. For Sandelin, the second-happiest UMD hockey person this month after Brett Hull, the four-year extension moved the two-time defending national championship coach into
It also came in very Scott Sandelin style as he signed it before interviewing for the Anaheim Ducks head coaching job. Almost anyone else would wait until afterward.
Hold: D1 Coaches on NHL Radars
Unlike the last offseason, where two college coaches (DU's Jim Montgomery and BU's David Quinn) accepted NHL head coaching jobs, none of this year's vacant NHL head coaching jobs went to college coaches. On the surface, that should be a stock trending down. With a pair of coaches (Sandelin and Providence's Nate Leaman) interviewing for jobs in Anaheim and Ottawa, respectively, and teams looking at college coaches to be head coaches, there's a reason to believe more could be hired in future years. This could change if the trend seems to be a one-year deal.
Sandelin reportedly was the runner-up for the Ducks job and seems to be someone who comes up in NHL job circles; something a national championship winner wasn't inside even 4-5 years ago.
When Dave Hakstol was hired by Philadelphia, it felt college coaches to the NHL could be a one-off. Now it seems like that isn't the case despite how his Flyers tenure ended. It doesn't hurt that Montgomery led the Stars within an overtime goal of beating the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Down: Canadian Super Prospects Committed to NCAA Route
The days of Canadian super prospects regularly holding soft verbal commitments mostly seem to be done. When 15-year-old Matthew Savoie, after not being granted CHL exceptional status, made a verbal commitment to Denver to join his older brother, you thought it would last longer than three months.
Nope. Instead, Winnipeg called his bluff, choosing Savoie with the first overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft and signing him.
Up: Not sitting through offsides challenges
2019-20 is a non-rules year so only a couple changes are coming. Besides the WCHA adopting 3-on-3 OT in women's hockey, the big change by the NCAA, pending approval next month, is all video reviews for offsides or too many players on the ice leading to a goal can only be initiated by a coach's challenge. RIP hearing "The play is under review" four times per game.
Up: Dogs on College Hockey Twitter
The offseason content we all need. Thank you, Dartmouth and Arizona State.
***Summer Friday Traditon: dog pic.— Dartmouth Men's Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) June 7, 2019
This is Sunny. She’s a fan of @DartmouthWLax and rarely misses a game. It’s not uncommon to see Sunny being very good girl around Thompson Arena, Hanover or majestically pictured here in Vermont.
Always gets belly rubs and noggin pats. 12/10. pic.twitter.com/yFPIejWYVB
Cross guard dog off the list as well...eventually we will find what talent Al brings to the table pic.twitter.com/Rr0LrGfmuU— Jon Laughner (@JonLaughnerEM) June 14, 2019
Down: Us
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our favorite supporters and @mitchsmisfits. Maneet's passion and love for the Huskies were on full display every single day and he will be dearly missed. #FollowTheHuskies pic.twitter.com/EpmR4Aiytx— Michigan Tech Hockey (@mtuhky) June 19, 2019
One of the things that makes college hockey is how while it draws in people - players, coaches, fans, media - from all over the country and world, at the end of the day we remain a big family. We fight, we argue, but it's all in good fun. We're passionate about the same thing. When someone passes away, it affects us all.
Unfortunately, that was the case earlier this month so I wanted to end this edition of the stock report by sending thoughts and condolences to the Michigan Tech and all who were touched by Maneet's too short life.
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