2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament: Why Your Team Can Win It All (Albany Regional)

Enough parity exists in the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament where at least one No. 4 seed has upset a No. 1 seed in every tournament played since 2005. The unexpected is more than expected. It is no surprise, in an era where the final at-large bid has won three of the last seven national titles, to see any of the 16 teams reach the Frozen Four.

Makes bracket challenges fun and impossible, even before playing in a global pandemic.

So with that in mind, I thought it would be best to preview the 2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament by showcasing two non-pandemic extremes. First, why each team can win the national championship. Second, why each team will be upset and lose in round 1. Add three players to watch and a "chip on their shoulders" ranking (1 being none and 10 being wanting to prove the world wrong) and there's a preview that covers the bases for your bracket challenge. 

Yesterday (Wednesday) featured the Fargo regional. Today already featured the Bridgeport regional while tomorrow (Friday) showcases the Loveland regional.

NOTE: This post was written before the NCAA announced Notre Dame would be unable to play in the NCAA Tournament due to Covid protocols. Boston College automatically advances to the Albany Regional Final. The Fighting Irish are the second team that earned the right to participate yet are unable to play. ND originally got into the NCAA Tournament only because St. Lawrence had to withdraw. 

With this year's tournament being played in these uncertain times, a team being pulled due to Covid protocols was likely a possibility. I am leaving in Notre Dame's section to show how the team would do if healthy and able to participate. I did update Boston College's "why the Eagles will be upset" section, however.

Albany Regional

No. 1 Seed: Boston College

Why the Eagles will win it all: A theme exists among the top four teams where each college hockey blueblood returns to the NCAA Tournament as a national title contender after missing multiple tourneys. 

Boston College (17-5-1) sits atop the Albany Regional after being the top Hockey East team all season. The talented Eagles team did not miss a beat despite losing star sophomore forward Alex Newhook, who has 7 goals in his last 10 games, for a large portion of the season. Another star sophomore forward, Matt Boldy, leads the team with 30 points (10G-20) in 21 games. Only North Dakota averages more goals per game than BC (3.91). Boston College's scoring depth goes beyond its elite players with 8 having 15 or more points.

Of the four bluebloods, Spencer Knight stands out individually in goal. Knight, who helped lead USA Hockey to a 2021 WJC gold medal, has championship-level experience. The sophomore enters the NCAA Tournament with a .933% save percentage and three shutouts. Teams need good goaltending and defense to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Boston College can bring both, along with a plethora of elite players.

Why the Eagles will be upset in round 1 the regional final: Boston College features talent while its potential opponents, St. Cloud State or Boston University, each feature a more recent NCAA Tournament experience.

The Huskies have been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament of late while BU seniors were on the Terriers team that upset No. 1 seed Cornell in 2018. It's been five years since the Eagles last made the NCAA Tournament, making this experience a new one.

At the same time, Boston College comes into the regional final rested but coming off a performance where the Eagles blew a 4-1 third period lead to UMass-Lowell, eventually losing in 2 OT. (Boston College did have a potential game-winning goal disallowed for offsides.) The game leaves a bad taste in the mouth and it will be interesting to see how BC responds. Sometimes. teams respond this time of year. Oftentimes, teams follow up with another disappointment.

Chip on their shoulder ranking: 2. Things are going well for the Eagles. Almost too well. On a team that features several future NHLers and is seeded second overall, the biggest chip on their shoulder might be from this low ranking.

Three Players To Watch: #12 F- Matt Boldy (MIN), #4 D- Drew Helleson (COL), #18 F- Alex Newhook (COL)

No. 2 Seed: St. Cloud State

Why the Huskies will win it all: St. Cloud State (17-10-0) has been at its best in the NCAA Tournament when expectations are lowered. For the first time in four appearances, the Huskies are not one of the top-two overall teams.

This year's St. Cloud State squad is plenty dangerous. The Huskies finished second in a tough NCHC regular season, finished second in the NCHC conference tournament, and went 7-5-0 against the conference's three NCAA Tournament teams. Two of those losses came in OT. No one should be surprised to see the Huskies return to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh. Easton Brodzinski continues his high level of play, leading the team with 11 goals. Freshman Veeti Miettinen rightfully earned the NCHC Rookie of the Year award for his play. When the offense is going, St. Cloud State is a tough team to face, regularly putting up 4-5 goals a game.

David Hrenak is the most experienced goaltender in the Albany Regional, showing throughout his college career he can steal games. If he is able to find a way to do so, or the Huskies offense stays in gear, it would not be a surprise to see this St. Cloud State team end the year with a win. 

Why the Huskies will be upset in round 1: Do I have to write this one? Fine. Apologies in advance, SCSU fans.

Facing Boston University, St. Cloud State goes against a Terriers team with players to match its offensive talent and one of the top defenders. It won't be an easy game even if the Huskies are able to test BU goalie Drew Commesso. 

And then there's the elephant in the room. To not beat around the bush any longer, better St. Cloud State teams have been upset. In the last five years, AIC, Air Force and Ferris State all defeated Huskies teams in the opening round. This year's senior class was there for the first two. This is a different group, one that will get the chance to have its Virginia moment, but in this category ends up being relevant.

Chip on their shoulder ranking: 9. At least I hope it's a 9. At this point, if it's not a 9 after discussing the last section and the Huskies coming up short in both the regular season and conference tournament, something is wrong.

Three Players To Watch: #29 F- Veeti Miettinen (TOR), #19 F- Sam Hentges (MIN), #22 F- Easton Brodzinski (undrafted)

No. 3 Seed: Boston University

Why the Terriers will win it all: Boston University (10-4-1) has been a bit of an unknown this season in a season full of them. 

Multiple Covid pauses pushing BU's season debut to January, the Terriers enter the NCAA Tournament playing a total of 15 games. The late start did not hinder Boston University's results, with its talented group starting 9-2-0 and sweeping Massachusetts. Jay O'Brien, the rare first-round draft pick who transferred, made the most of his long wait, tying David Farrance for the team lead with 16 points. 

Speaking of Farrance, the senior defender earned his second Hobey Baker top-ten finalist nod despite only playing 10 games. When on the ice, Farrance makes Boston University a better team. Being healthy as the team has been recently, the Terriers are full of talent able to make noise in a single-elimination tournament like this one.

Why the Terriers will lose in round 1: The Terriers benefit from being a bit of an unknown and playing a smaller schedule. Playing a smaller schedule hides some of the issues Boston University faced during the season while comfortably sitting in an NCAA Tournament spot as the third-ranked Hockey East team.

No tournament team has as poor of a shot margin (-7.47 shots per game) as BU. In recent games, being consistently outshot came back to bite the Terriers, as Merrimack and UMass Lowell each defeated Boston University handily while outshooting BU. The Terriers face a Huskies group that can easily follow the footprint set by Hockey East teams and make a tough night for Boston University's defense; especially if the Lowell loss looms large to the Terriers.

Chip on their shoulder ranking: 6. The Terriers are getting overlooked. Whether it is teams in BU's conference, city, selection tier, or being one 5 Eastern teams, there is enough for Boston University players to work with to use a "nobody believes in us" mantra. It's not as much as others, with the Terriers returning for the first time in 3 seasons and would have been on the outside last year too, but teams have made work with worse.

Three Players To Watch: #4 D- David Farrance (NSH), #29 G- Drew Commesso (CHI), #11 F- Luke Tuch (MTL)

No. 4 Seed: Notre Dame

(Again, please note that the Fighting Irish will be unable to play due to Covid protocols and that I wrote this before the news was announced.)

Why the Fighting Irish will win would have won it all: Being the last team in the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament is not a bad thing. Tell that to Yale (2013), Providence (2015), or a team Notre Dame knows all too well, Minnesota Duluth (2018).

In the 2021 tournament, Notre Dame (14-13-2) is the latest last team in that has what it takes to join the above list of national champions. The Fighting Irish can compete with top teams, sweeping Minnesota and Michigan each at home. Away from Compton Family Ice Arena, Jeff Jackson's team is 9-2-1. The law firm-sounding line of Slaggert (Graham), Slaggert (Landon) and Steeves (Alex) has been the Fighting Irish's best. All three sit atop ND's stat sheet. Spencer Stastney at times can be a magician on the blue line, making big-time plays on both sides of the ice.

When playing well, Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the nation. It's why in a single-elimination tournament where two big weekends can make larger difference than a .500 season, no one should be surprised to see the last at-large bid, one who got in because St. Lawrence dropped out, end the season as the last team standing.

Why the Fighting Irish will lose would have lost in round 1: For all the big wins, Notre Dame should be able to celebrate several more. ND is a paltry 9-5-1 this season when scoring the first goal. That total includes losing an early 2-0 lead against Penn State in the Big Ten conference tournament quarterfinal, the last game Notre Dame played before this weekend. 

While this year's Notre Dame team keeps Jeff Jackson's defensive mantra, it's been a different group after three seasons of Cale Morris in net. Dylan St. Cyr is making the most of his time being the Fighting Irish goaltender, holding down a .921% save percentage in 22 games played and 3 shutouts. St. Cyr has been able to steal a game or two when needed, but it's a big difference than having the stability of Morris going against Boston College. 

Chip on their shoulder rankings: 4. No team is playing with house money quite like Notre Dame after the way the Fighting Irish entered the NCAA Tournament. Still, the team can find some chips on their shoulder based on the number of people who had the Big Ten pegged at three teams or didn't consider Notre Dame's resume for the bubble teams. (Update: It's now a 10 for next season.)

Three Players To Watch: #16 F- Alex Steeves (undrafted), #24 D- Spencer Stastney (NSH), #19 F- Landon Slaggert (CHI)

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Bracketology: Why Your Team Deserves To Make The 2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament (Or Not)

For the first time in a generation, NCAA hockey teams need to showcase their body of work and sell accomplishments to the selection committee. 

It's new. It's different. College hockey coaches on the NCAA Tournament bubble have stopped being polite and started using postgame pressers to stump for why their team is worthy and their opponents should be sitting at home eating popcorn and watching TV. 

And honestly? Not every team knows how to do it.

Take this attempt by Bowling Green, one of several WCHA teams fighting for 1-2 NCAA Tournament spots.

𝙉𝘾𝘼𝘼 𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚

🏒Bowling Green rosters four of the nation's top-12 active scorers and are the only team in the country with four 100-point scorers (Kruse, 142 - Johnson, 122 - Ford, 114 - Wright, 101)! #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/9kM9KZEjEj

— Bowling Green Hockey (@BGFalconHockey) March 17, 2021

Active scorers? The NCAA Tournament does not constitute a lifetime achievement award. This isn't the Hobey Baker. 

C'mon Bowling Green, lead with the fact the Falcons beat Quinnipiac twice at Quinnipiac! Lead with the 20 wins, or the 10-4-1 road record, or the sweep over Michigan Tech, or the 3.48 goals per game and +10.03 shot differential that is second in the WCHA behind Minnesota State! Don't bring up active scorers. It helps BGSU as much as bringing up the 6-8-1 finish, first-round series loss to Northern Michigan, and losses to nearly every WCHA team in the hunt. You need to sell yourself, Bowling Green. NCAA Tournament bids are not just handed out!

As a public service, I am going to help 14 other teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble with their resumes. Unlike the rest of these programs, I come with plenty of experience writing resumes. #HireNate

In alphabetical order:

Army: 

Point out: Atlantic Hockey has won three straight first-round series. In a year where there are few true non-conference games and a limited ECAC, why shouldn't Atlantic Hockey get a second bid? The league has proven itself in the NCAA Tournament. The Black Knights are 15-5-0 this season, a better win/loss record than many on the bubble, and help shore up the East-West split if the team beats Canisius and proves it is the second-best AHA team. (This blueprint can also be used for Canisius if the Golden Griffins beat Army Friday.)

Avoid: Discussing the 1-3 record against AIC, who hasn't played since January, or the loss to a first-year LIU. The Sharks did not exist this time last year. Maybe the committee does not know about Long Island in the way the Hobey committee (but not Toronto fans) do not about Colin Bilek.

Bemidji State:

Point out: Of all the WCHA teams fighting behind Minnesota State for a spot, Bemidji State has the best record. Of the Mavericks' three losses, two came against Bemidji, who also went 3-1-0 against Bowling Green. The win total is not boosted by Division III wins or four games against Ferris State and Alabama Huntsville. It is a legit WCHA strength of schedule. Maybe sweeten with Zach Driscoll's performance in the net or the fact that the state of Minnesota has never gotten all five schools in the men's NCAA hockey tournament.

Avoid: Being swept by Northern Michigan, or losing two of three in March to Lake Superior State if the Lakers go on to win Friday in the WCHA Conference Tournament semifinal. Or that one of those Minnesota State wins saw the Beavers outshot 36-10 and score 4 goals on 10 shots against not Dryden McKay.

Boston University: 

Point out: How the Terriers' lack of experience is not a detriment. Boston University only played 15 games this season and was without key players for several. Finishing 10-4-1 with wins over UMass and Boston College helps immensely. Plus with that record and results, which also includes a sweep of Providence, who else out East deserves a spot over Boston University? Hockey East is not getting only two teams.

Avoid: Discussing the Hockey East tournament loss to UMass-Lowell. Even though rival BC also lost, it's not a good look. Nor is the -7.47 shots on goal margin per game (43rd of 51 teams). BU has won yet those wins come at the expense of a possession stat that sees the Terriers surrounded by bottom feeders.

Connecticut:

Point Out: The better Hockey East record and wins in regulations. All 10 victories came in regulations. The Huskies have a 0-3-2 record in overtime and a 1-1-1 record against Boston College. Against Providence in the regular season, Connecticut went 2-1-0. Maybe also bring up the season Jonny Evans is having since it flew a little under the radar.

Avoid: Saying anything about the 6-1 Hockey East quarterfinal loss to Providence, who is in position with the Huskies to take a fourth Hockey East bid. Or how it dropped UConn below .500 this season while UMass Lowell sits above .500 even with a loss in the Hockey East championship game. 

Denver:

Point out: Head-to-head matchups. If the NCHC deserves four teams, and the argument comes down between Denver and Omaha for that fourth spot, well the Pioneers went 3-2-0 against Omaha. DU also won at the most important time, playing with 16 skaters in the NCHC Conference Tournament. Add two wins over North Dakota and no one being quite sure how overtime losses work - Denver is 0-3-1 with the extra period - and DU can punch above its weight to try and extend the nation's longest NCAA Tournament streak. It would not be the first time someone gets a job without the qualifications.

Avoid: Bringing up the full sub-.500 record or the bad with the good. Say nothing about how the two North Dakota wins can be contrasted with losses to the two worst NCHC teams, Colorado College and Miami. Same with the 0-4-0 record against Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. A lot of teams just missing the NCAA Tournament in a normal year look to be among the top-16 best teams while ending up on the outside, a bad loss or two away from being a No. 3 seed. That is exactly where Denver sits, but this is a year where Pairwise does not make the math rules.

Lake Superior State:

Point out: Play down the stretch. The Lakers are 11-1-0 in its last 12 games. While that is technically not a part of the criteria, the subjective human element seems to be a fan of how teams leave last impressions. Not only that, but the Lakers can avenge the one loss by defeating Bemidji State in the WCHA semifinals. Doing so might be enough to end one of the longest NCAA Tournament droughts, as Lake Superior State has not been in since 1996 when Jeff Jackson still coached.

Avoid: Discussing how the 17-6-3 record looks better on paper than in reality. Two of those wins come against Division III Adrian. Four came against Alabama Huntsville and three more were against Northern Michigan. The Lakers did not play Minnesota State on the road and went 1-2-1 against Bemidji State. LSSU did play well against Bowling Green, but so did several other teams. Not that Lake Superior State needs someone to tell the Lakers, but avoiding a loss Friday would help the resume stand out big time.

Massachusetts Lowell:

Point out: How things are coming up Milhouse for the RiverHawks. The new skill of upsetting Hockey East teams named Boston (University and College) when it matters makes UMass Lowell an at-large spoiler for a potential fourth Hockey East bid. One more win over Massachusetts and it's a guarantee. If last impressions make a difference, playing while Providence and Connecticut sit at home make a final statement.

Avoid: Making comparisons. No matter what happens Saturday night, UMass Lowell finishes above .500, doing so with a lineup without a double-digit goal scorer, and in a time where the options for Eastern teams are limited. If the RiverHawks lose, there are plenty of comparisons that put Providence ahead of UMass Lowell for a fourth Hockey East spot. Asking for a fifth might be a bridge too far for the RiverHawks.

Northern Michigan: 

Point Out: Multiple wins against Bowling Green, Bemidji State, and a win over Lake Superior State. Sing the praises of that 2021 WCHA conference tournament semifinalist appearance (at worst) in the "accomplishments" section.

Avoid: Losing? Honestly, the Wildcats sit in a spot where the team needs an automatic bid to get in the NCAA Tournament. Losing to either Minnesota State or the Bemidji State/Lake Superior State winner does very little to help those options. 11-17-1 will not put Northern Michigan in an at-large bid 

Notre Dame:

Point out: It's been a good year for the Big Ten and the Fighting Irish, with a 14-13-2 record, end the season with a good record. Notre Dame swept Minnesota and Michigan on the road. None of the wins in OT while several losses did. If finishing strong matters, Jeff Jackson's current team ended the year 4-1-1 with dominating wins. If location matters when deciding whether a fourth Big Ten team makes sense in an NCAA Tournament searching for eastern teams, Indiana is further east than Nebraska or Colorado.

Avoid: Bringing up why there is a mid-March gap in accomplishments, or why there is a gap in accomplishments at home. Minnesota ended up with as many wins (5) in Compton Family Ice Arena this season as Notre Dame. Luckily, there is no regional in South Bend. The 9-2-1 road record helps, however, an extra home win or two would make an easier argument for a fourth Big Ten team.

Omaha:

Point out: The record. The Mavericks sit above .500 and have a better record (14-10-1) than Denver and several teams on the bubble. Perception matters and it helps UNO. Outside of an early 1-0 loss to Miami, Omaha has a consistent season with only the one bad loss, going 6-0-0 against Colorado College. The Mavericks also took two wins against North Dakota, going 2-4-0 in six games against the Fighting Hawks. UNO also has a higher goal margin than DU. Many of the arguments for the Mavericks are also the same ones that the women's hockey committee saw in Minnesota Duluth's favor. Maybe bring that up?

Avoid: The record. The math is closer than it seems because four of the wins came in overtime (compared to zero OT losses), leaving Omaha with 10 regulation wins. Denver, as mentioned previously, has the better head-to-head record with the Mavericks. Conference tournaments continue to be a thorn in the Mavericks' side, as an NCAA Tournament bid would be the fourth for Omaha since its last conference semifinal appearance two conferences ago. Two players on this year's Omaha team were not even born when the streak began (s/t Chris Dilks for this tidbit).

Penn State:

Point out: The Big Ten conference tournament results like this week is the only thing that matters. Hammer that home. Say nothing else. Just point out that and how the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin the time before losing in OT. That Notre Dame win showed Penn State can play when healthy and not missing a month of play. If you guilt the committee about 2020 and say the Big Ten deserves four teams, and that the Nittany Lions are the fourth-best, maybe it will work? Stranger things have happened.

Avoid: Mentioning the 0-5 start, being swept by a combined 12-3 score to Notre Dame the week prior to the Big Ten conference tournament, the sub-.500 record, the fifth-place finish, the six regulation victories, and...at this point I've said too much. Brevity is key.

Providence:

Point out: How head-to-head put the Friars ahead. Against UMass Lowell, Providence won the only game. That helps when the two teams are competing for what might be one at-large bid. PC would also have a better record and zero OT wins compared to the RiverHawks. Against UConn, the Friars split the series, but took the all-important Hockey East conference tournament game and finished with the better record. While it does not need to be pointed out, PC has made its brand on finding ways in the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

Avoid: Bringing up weaknesses like bad losses. Math and RPI only care whether a win or loss occurs, but a human selection committee might look at 9-0 and 8-1 losses to BC and UMass, respectively and ask a few extra questions. At the same time, it would help if Massachusetts wins the Hockey East championship after defeating PC in the semifinals. Not much the Friars can do there besides pray and hope an at-large spot remains for Providence. It's just best to avoid. 

Quinnipiac: 

Point out: Of the remaining ECAC teams, Quinnipiac is by far the most deserving to make the NCAA Tournament. Even without an automatic bid. QU's 17-6-4  record stands out in most conferences. Leaving the Bobcats out if St. Lawrence wins pushes the boundaries of how many Eastern teams can make the 16-team NCAA Tournament.

Avoid: Mentioning that Bowling Green sweep. Yes, it keeps coming up, but the Bobcats are one of the few teams who played a true non-conference schedule, which includes a two-game sweep over three-loss AIC. Normally, that would be a good thing. This year? Take the gift and discuss the ECAC.

St. Lawrence:

Point out: A top-two ECAC conference tournament finish for future generations. The ECAC automatic bid if the Saints defeat Quinnipiac for its fifth win of the season. 

Avoid: Failing to win the ECAC automatic bid. Yes, it's a weird year. No, it's not that weird.

Related: 

2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket 3.0

Bracketology 101: Five More Selection Questions + NCAA Tournament Locks & Bubble Teams

Bracketology 101: How Many Teams From Each Conference Make The Men's NCAA Hockey Tournament?

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College Hockey Mailbag: Contenders & Pretenders, Gopher Football, & More (Vol. II)

After a hiatus, it's time to bring back the college hockey mailbag.

Let's dig in for this week.

****

with the massive Gopher football win Saturday (biggest in my lifetime), what is the equivalent Gopher hockey win? or is there not an equivalent given gopher hockey sustained excellence.

— Chad Stevermer (@stretch3281) November 13, 2019

Nothing like starting a college hockey mailbag with some football talk, right?

Minnesota's win over Penn State in a battle of 8-0 teams hit a sweet spot as someone following decades of Gopher football. (And I say this as someone surrounded by Nittany Lions fans Saturday. Credit to them for being great sports.) Seeing a maroon and gold crowd rush TCF Bank Stadium was night and day from previous times opposing fans did at the Metrodome. The only similar games in recent history that brought up the same feeling were the last two Axe wins and seeing Minnesota celebrating winning the Little Brown Jug in person in 2014.

None of those games, however, hold the same value for Minnesota from a stakes perspective as Saturday's win. The vast majority of fans rushing the field were not alive during Gopher football's glory days. Throw in the fact that the story has not been completely written and it's tough to come up with a comparable win for Gopher hockey.

Winning the 2002 national championship after 23 years seems too big for the occasion. The 0.6 victory over North Dakota shares more with the Axe and Little Brown Jug games. While Minnesota hockey has its share of big wins, sustained success makes it difficult to reach the highs of Minnesota football. If there is a recent college hockey comparison, it's likely Michigan Tech or Bowling Green returning to the NCAA Tournament in recent years after decades of disappointment.

The closest Gopher hockey victory to Saturday's football win I can come up with would be March 3, 2012 against Wisconsin. Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Minnesota scored a shorthanded goal by Erik Haula and a game-winning-goal by Nate Schmidt that earned one of the loudest roars at Mariucci. Given the Gophers were on a three-season NCAA Tournament drought and won the MacNaughton Cup that night, it's one that sticks out in memory.

College Hockey Stock Report: November 11, 2019

Sometimes the best-laid plans do not work out.

Before the season began, the entire WCHA women's league scheduled itself to be idle this weekend. The idea was that since many teams would be missing players for the Four Nations Cup,

Turns out, no team was missing players for the Four Nations Cup. The annual tournament ended up canceled by host Sweden after its national team declared its intentions to boycott as part of an ongoing dispute over equal pay and conditions. Instead, only a few players are in Pittsburgh playing in a USA-Canada rivalry series with most of them being on teams playing.

Another team with changing plans was Denver, whose 44-0-0 dream came to an end in Duluth. Kobe Roth and Noah Cates erased a 3-1 third period deficit Friday in a battle of NCHC contenders before the Bulldogs became the other one in Denver's 8-1-1 record.

Each weekend sees ups and downs as players and teams adjust to new situations. That's the fun and joy of the sport and one that bodes well for a handful of new trends on a weekend where not everything went to plan.

As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.

College Hockey Stock Report (July/August 2019)

One more offseason month to go.

July 1st technically kicks off the season, as it's the date teams officially switch conferences or begin. There was one in Division 1 this year as Long Island University kicks off its inaugural women's hockey program. For the most part, we're still asking #IsItOctoberYet (or #IsItNovemberYet for those who are Ivy League schools). There's still a month (or two) until games begin.

Right now, players are coming back on campus. Classes are underway. Teams are starting up practices or even exhibition games.

Guys crushed the run test this morning & came back in great shape. First on ice practice tomorrow. No matter how many times you have done it, start of a new season is so exciting #300s #passfail #dayone

— Derek Schooley (@derekschooley) August 27, 2019

With one more offseason month to go, it's time to bring back the stock report and take a measure of what's going on over the past two months. And if this isn't enough, make sure to follow along my "60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less)" series profiling all sixty D1 men's hockey programs.

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Boston University

Boston University

2018-19 Record: 16-18-4 (12-9-3, 5th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Albie O'Connell, 2nd Year
Top returning scorer: Patrick Curry (13G-13A)
Top returning goaltender: Vinnie Purpura (So.)

Once again, the Terriers start over. A talented group of NHL drafted players replaces another talented group of NHL drafted players who departed early.

Boston University had five early departures. Four were first-rounders. One was a freshman, the third straight season BU had at least one one-and-done.

In all the turnover comes the Terriers trying to return to the NCAA Tournament. After winning the 2018 Hockey East conference tournament championship, lightning couldn't strike twice in Albie O'Connell's first year. An 0-4-1 start saw BU playing from behind, however, the Terriers found its groove. Patrick Curry broke through during his junior season. Freshman Joel Farabee ended up being named the 2019 Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year.

What's New: Besides being in a new spot, on the outside looking in and without a trophy, O'Connell's team has its share of new talented players to get back to the NCAA Tournament after four consecutive trips.

11 freshmen plus two grad transfers join the Terriers. Sam Tucker, part of a Yale goalie platoon the past three seasons, provides stability in net after Jake Oettinger signed with the Dallas Stars.

The biggest name of a group that includes six 2019 NHL draft picks is 9th overall selection Trevor Zegras. The USNTDP product, wearing lucky #13, is one of the top playmakers in his age group. He can play both left wing and center.

Zegras and fellow BU rookies Alex Vlasic, Case McCarthy and Robert Mastrosimone were among the players at last month's US World Junior Summer Showcase. (Although Mastrosimone sat out due to suffering a broken ankle in June.) I could keep going on about the freshman class but 600 words have its limits.

Closing Thoughts: The late-2010s Terriers remind me a little of the mid-2000s Minnesota teams. Both were made up of some of the top players in the age group leading them to success. (Insert your Phil Kessel-Jack Eichel comparison here.) Both were able to get first-rounders but not always get them to stick around.

On a long enough timeline, it's difficult to keep restocking each season without losing any consistency as an NCAA Tournament contender. (There's already another first-rounder in the pipeline in Jay O'Brien, who transferred from Providence, plus two more 2019 picks.) It's a problem Minnesota ran into towards the end of the decade and one that, if the past couple of seasons have been any indication, is one BU's dealing with.

Boston University loses 56 of 99 goals plus its three-year starting goalie plus two top defenders. The opening two months sees series against UMass Lowell, Massachusetts and Providence plus Red Hot Hockey at MSG against Cornell.

Despite pieces that can contribute right away, it'd be a different team if Boston University kept Farabee for a second season. There's a difference continuously going down the NTDP assembly line and annually needing to replace one-and-dones. It didn't work in 2009 and looks to be harder to pull off in 2019 college hockey.

Still, it's possible. A young, talented Denver team made the Frozen Four last season after losing a similar amount of talent early and getting leadership from its small senior class. The Terriers need something similar from Curry, Patrick Harper and the rest.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Brown
Wisconsin
Michigan
Maine
Every Team So Far

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BLOG: Remembering the 2009 NCAA Tournament (and the craziness it brought)

Time flies. It's hard to believe nearly 10 years passed since Boston University defenseman Colby Cohen's overtime winner ended the craziest NCAA Tournament in memory.

Cohen's goal wasn't too crazy. In terms of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, a deflected puck off a diving defender fluttering past the Miami goaltender could be considered normal.

It came in a national championship game where BU trailed the RedHawks by two goals entering the final minute of regulation. It came in a tournament where the Terriers weren't the first team to claw back from two goals down entering the final minute of regulation. It came in a tournament when Air Force upsetting Michigan in Friday's opening game was both a major deal and forgotten about 48 hours later.

The 2009 NCAA Tournament was the tournament that, looking back, helped shape its perception of unpredictability, where the last at-large team to get in has won as many times in the last six years as a No. 1 seed. This tournament had everything.

On the 10 year anniversary, let's take a look back at the craziness.