Category: College Hockey Player

Thomas Jarman(5) was all set to have a great 2nd campaign with Maryland Black Bears, committed to a great school, Boston University for 2021 one month in, then went on Christmas break and found out his new college club was wooing him to start his schooling early to play for the team.

He skated 14 NAHL games this season pocketing a nifty 3 goals and 3 assists with 2 game-winning attempts before needing to split.

The fairly large 6’3″ 201 lbs. defenseman ended up playing 16 NCAA Division 1 hockey games for the Terriers with two assists and a +1 rating to his record.

We bet he can’t wait to start his 2nd season, which should be way more normal than the 2021 campaign was, especially with all the “postponed” games.

New York Rangers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft (#63 overall), defenseman Zac Jones(6) signs his 3-year entry level contract after his college team UMass Minutemen for the past two years wins the NCAA Division 1 Frozen Finals in spectacular fashion.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner has put up some decent numbers since he was at school, leaving behind 61 games played, scoring 12 goals and 35 assists with a super good +29 rating.

He was selected by the Blueshirts after a breakout season for Tri-City Storm, where he picked up 7 goals and 45 assists in 52 USHL games with a mammoth +38.

The still young 21-year old should be heading straight to the big club to play games and the Virginia-born (?) player has a super future ahead of him.

Former four year University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ defenseman Wyatt Newpower(40) signed a one-year deal with Cleveland Monsters soon after it was apparent the 2019/2020 season was grinding to a halt on a senior run that saw tie his two-time 3 goal mark and gain a new best 19 assists and 22 points with an outstanding +23 rating.

The pretty big 6’3″ 194 lbs. blue liner committed to college straight from high school.

In 10 AHL games he has his first pro goal and 4 assists with a +5 rating.

It’s definitely quite possible he gets scouted for a contact with the parent club, Columbus Blue Jackets.

Danbury Hat Tricks‘ 3rd, almost 4th year junior, left wing Levi Stauber(5) commits to Michigan Tech for 2021/2022 as he finishes up a decent season with the team scoring 5 goals and a best 8 assists.

The 5’11” 175 lbs. forward took an interesting path in his last few sessions, first joining Austin Bruins, which lasted almost a season with a loan to the USHL for a few games for Dubuque Fighting Saints, a team he was in training camp with, before he headed up north to the BCHL for his next endeavor.

For 2020/2021, he thought to play for closer to home Minnesota Wilderness but that didn’t quite work out as it was maybe planned, as he was traded to where he is currently.

He committed to college early after captaining his high school club in a 2nd straight great session but has definitely taken an interesting, longish tour to college.

We did a Twitter interview with Levi:

CHP: You were drafted after a solid 2nd year as assistant captain at your high school, Duluth Marshall School, then joined Austin Bruins before heading up to play in the BCHL. What caused that route to happen?

Levi: I signed with Austin after my hs season then played a season year there. My second year I had the opportunity to go play in west Kelowna in the BC and I didn’t want to pass that opportunity up. Had a great start to the season there then I got mono and when I came back I struggled for a while.

The summer after my second junior season I was able to sign with the MN Wilderness back in the NAHL. It was a great opportunity for me. I got to play junior hockey and live at home as well. At the end of January I got traded to Danbury. It’s been good so far.

CHP: You do look comfortable with this Hat Tricks’ team. Why did you decide to do a third year of juniors?

Levi: Yes I think I’m fitting in pretty well with the team. Playing a 3rd year of juniors because I want to take advantage of playing as many games as possible before going to college.

MTU had a solid lineup and playing an extra year of juniors will hopefully help me be able to crack the lineup as a freshman.

CHP: You were called up to Dubuque for a few games during your rookie year of juniors. How did that happen?

Levi: Yes I got called up to Dubuque for a few games my rookie year. I started my rookie year in Dubuque then got sent to Austin and they called me up for a few games right before Christmas my rookie year

Montreal Canadiens‘ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft (#15 overall), the small and speedy Cole Caufield(44) finally got in a first AHL game with affiliate Laval Rocket, a couple of weeks after signing his 3-year entry level contract post two huge scoring seasons at University Of Wisconsin.

As he was readying for his pro debut, he was given the news that indeed he won the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, as the best player in college hockey, something few people doubted he would receive.

The 5’7″ 165 lbs. forward got right to business in his initial appearance striking for his team’s first tally, later would come up with the game-winner and also grabbed an assist, leaving the game with a +1 rating in a 5-3 win.

It’s tough to say if the quick pivot with excellent hands will get the nod to skate with the big league club in this frame or simply continue to help guide the minor league squad for a potential championship.

There is little doubt though, the 20-year old Wisconsin native, who played 99 games scoring 159 points in his 2nd session with the USNTDP and U18, is just getting started.

UMass Minutemen undrafted junior left wing Garrett Wait(12) potted the overtime game-winner in the 3-2 win to propel them to a 2nd straight NCAA Division 1 National Championship.

They ousted the team that beat them in the final game of 2019, two-time title collector, University Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward came to the school after two years at University Of Minnesota Gophers and was able to over double his scoring totals in the first year of his new school to 9 goals and 8 assists in 28 games with a phenomenal +18 rating.

For the former Waterloo Blackhawks‘ striker, beating another team from his former school’s state must have been a little extra nice.

Kenai River Brown Bear undrafted forward Theo Thrun(16) may have had a better rookie campaign with the team than he has in a pandemic infest 2020/2021 go at a season.

The 5’11” 165 lbs. pivot scored 17 goals and 21 assists in 40 NAHL games last year but has only struck for 6 so far this run with 15 helpers.

Probably nice he picked to commit to Western Michigan University early in 2020, and we wouldn’t think anything of what transpires with the remainder of this session.

The 20-year is likely just looking forward.

Former Merrimack College captain, Finnish-born Sami Tavernier(79) played one AHL game for Syracuse Crunch on an ato after graduating last season but decided to move on for his official rookie campaign to his other homeland, France’s Ligue Magnus joining Chamonix, where he struck for a quick 4 goals and 7 assists in 11 games.

He was scooped by Kalpa to come home there and join the fight for the 2020/2021 season.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward pocketed 2 goals and 3 assists in 22 Liiga games with a +4 rating.

He came from scoring decently in college but has yet to really connect with the scoresheet, although that could come, especially if he re-signs, where he’s at.

Nashville Predators‘ sophomore defenseman Jeremy Davies(38) gets a first NHL point, an assist in his 9th appearance in the big league with a +3 rating.

Originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 7th round pick in the 2016 draft (#192 overall), the 5’11” 180 lbs. blue liner received the call-up after posting 9 assists in 9 AHL games with current affiliate Chicago Wolves.

He was involved in a summer 2019 trade that changed his address to the midwest.

His college commitment to Northeastern University Huskies was made after a 2nd successful year with Central Illinois Flying Aces of the USHL, where he amassed 36 helpers, so he looks to be good at this.

In his 2nd and 3rd years at college before leaving he had 29 and 28 assists, and even as a rookie with Milwaukee Admirals had 24.

No word on how long he’ll stick at this recall, but at the very least he’s making an argument to stay and for a new deal as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Russian-born, giant 6’4″ 215 lbs. defenseman Yan Kuznetsov(2) decides to leave a crazy 2nd year of only 16 NCAA games played with University Of Connecticut Huskies to sign his 3-year entry level contract with Calgary Flames.

He was chosen (2nd round in 2020, #50 overall) after a strong freshman campaign, where he tallied modest career highs of 2 goals and 9 assists in 34 appearances with a +5 rating.

The only just turned 19-year old did most of his youth hockey in the homeland but came over for a 2019 Clark Cup Champion season with Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL before committing to college.

He will report immediately to affiliate Stockton Heat to get started.