60 Teams. 60 Days. 600 Words (or Less): Merrimack College

Merrimack College

2018-19 Record: 7-24-3 (4-18-2, 11th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Scott Borek, 2nd Year
Top returning scorer: Chase Gresock (11G-13A)
Top returning goaltender: None

Welcome aboard, Hockey East! The conference gets some July digital ink with Merrimack popping up for its day in the college hockey preview sun.

After moving on from Mark Dennehy, who was so wanted afterward he ended up being hired twice the same summer, the Warriors finished at the bottom of Hockey East's standings. Under new head coach Scott Borek, Merrimack went 3-17-3 after mid-November to end his first season leading the Warriors.

Merrimack's struggles came throughout the lineup. However, one place, in particular, was defensively both at even strength and elsewhere. None of the team's three goalies finished with a save percentage above .900%. The Warriors gave up nearly 4 goals per game (59th of 60 nationally). Even with an extra player, Merrimack nearly doubled up every other college hockey team by giving up 12 shorthanded goals. (To compare, MC scored 18 power play goals.) That total is by far the most nationally over the past three seasons. No one else has even hit double digits.

Offensively, sophomore forward Chase Gresock does become the first returning player in this series to have double-digit goals.

What's New:


Frequently this section touches upon a freshman or two or other minor changes. Not today. That's not the case in North Andover, MA for 2019-20. The changes there are scorched earth to the point where if you're a freshman at Merrimack and don't have at least one men's hockey player in your orientation, did you really go?

Thanks in part to Borek moving on from seven players, early departures and transfers, the Warriors will have 16 freshmen this season. Sixteen! Eight forwards, five defensemen and three goaltenders are among the 2019-20 freshman class, which doesn't include players transferring in. (Among the players not coming back were both goalies who could return. Chase Pantano entered the transfer portal, per the great Mike McMahon. Onetime Minnesota commit Logan Halladay was among the players cut.)

Cutting players seems to be a move that unfortunately has been gaining more traction in college hockey in recent years. Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Niagara all let a number of players go following a coaching change.

Closing Thoughts: It's tough to make wholesale changes and not wait out graduating players, but Merrimack is coming as close as one team can. The Warriors for Borek's second season changed enough to liken it to when an outcast teen moves and tries a completely new look in their new school to be a popular kid.

Will it work? Maybe on the surface, things look flashier with the extreme makeover. It worked for that other Hockey East team who turned things around. (Coincidentally, former UMass player Griffin Jeszka is now at Merrimack.) Although there's no #4 overall draft pick, some of Merrimack's freshmen should boost the Warriors. Ben Brar led Prince George (BCHL) in goals with 41 while Hugo Esselin captained a Sweden team at the U-18 championships.

Regardless, not everything can change. The new-look Warriors join a group that went 0-7-2 to end the season. Perhaps most importantly, a team that struggled defensively enters the year with two returning defensemen (after Johnathan Kovacevic signing early with the Winnipeg Jets) and three freshmen goalies.

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