2024-25 NCAA Division I Hockey Thread

[JMCx4]

Calem Mangone, 4 seasons with Saginaw Spirit (OHL) commits to Lake Superior State for 2025-26.

It's happening. Expect many more of these announcements.

Might be time for a separate thread. Or its own forum.

 

[JMCx4]

The College Hockey News Teams of the Week keep stacking up.

 

[JMCx4]

CHN's Mike McMahon offers his This Week in College Hockey thoughts ... AIC, UNLV, and Games of the Week are on his mind.

 

[TLEH]

Denver is such a wagon.

 

[AUS Fan]

Lukas McCloskey (2025-26 Army commit) leaves Vernon Vipers, BCHL for Wenatchee Wild, WHL.

 

[JMCx4]

USCHO's Tuesday Morning Quarterbacks (shouldn't they be 'Rovers' in hockey? ) explore the AIC demotion ... TMQ: With American International leaving for NCAA D-II ranks in 2025-26, what is the trickle-down effect across college hockey?

 

[JMCx4]

Denver is such a wagon.

College Hockey Inc. piled on the Pioneer praise, even before this past weekend's punishment of NoDak ... Men’s Notes: Defending Champ Denver off to Dominant Start

 

[JMCx4]

From: University of St. Thomas > Sports

Women's Hockey 11/19/2024 3:50:00 PM

St. Thomas announces leadership change within women's hockey program​

ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas today announced women's hockey coach Joel Johnson has resigned from his position. Assistant coach Bethany Brausen has been named the team's interim head coach.

The Tommies, who are 5-8-1 overall and 2-7-1 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play, will compete at #1 Wisconsin November 22 – 23. The series will take place at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Ice Garden's Giselle Velazquez offers some rumors to spice up the story ... TIG: St. Thomas' Women's Hockey Coach Joel Johnson Resigns

 

[Bonk]

From: University of St. Thomas > Sports

The Ice Garden's Giselle Velazquez offers some rumors to spice up the story ... TIG: St. Thomas' Women's Hockey Coach Joel Johnson Resigns

Just came here to see if anyone had posted this, and if so, if anyone had any insight.

WTF?

 

[AUS Fan]

Looked at several articles and all referenced an "incident".

Found this in one article: "According to sources, Johnson had his usual scheduled meeting with his team in the visitors locker room following the game on Friday but returned at least once to excoriate the team’s performance — a breach of protocol that caught the team by surprise."

Did he walk in while the players were undressed? That would constitute a breach of protocol.

 

[JMCx4]

Looked at several articles and all referenced an "incident".

Found this in one article: "According to sources, Johnson had his usual scheduled meeting with his team in the visitors locker room following the game on Friday but returned at least once to excoriate the team’s performance — a breach of protocol that caught the team by surprise."

Did he walk in while the players were undressed? That would constitute a breach of protocol.

"excoriate" might be on the list of no-nos as well.

 

[JMCx4]

Nicole Haase for Victory Press ran down some women's DI action from last weekend ... Nicole's NCAA Notebook: November 18, 2024

ETA: Ms. Haase also provides a weekly list of DI women's streaming/broadcast action under her VP gig ... NCAA Women's Hockey: How to Watch, November 22-27

 

[AUS Fan]

Scrolling thru the scores today and see that ASU swept DEN.

 

[JMCx4]

Victory Press (aka, Nicole Haase) offers a review of the recent week in women's DI play, incl. a handful of highlight reel-worthy goals ... Nicole's NCAA Notebook: November 25, 2024

 

[JMCx4]

USA Hockey pairs up with The Rink Live for a weekly DI men's coaches poll. This week's shuffle at the top is noteworthy ...

Michigan State takes over No. 1 spot in USA Hockey / The Rink Live men's poll ...

By The Rink Live
November 25, 2024 at 2:41 PM

Arizona State's weekend sweep at Denver threw the USA Hockey / The Rink Live poll into a blender this week as Michigan State took over the top spot from the Pioneers. ...

Rank, school, points, last week, record, weeks in top 25​

1. Michigan State University, 664 (24), 2, 9-1-0, 9​

2. University of Denver, 628 (5), 1, 12-2-0, 9​

3. Boston College, 605 (1), 3, 9-3-0, 9​

4. University of Minnesota, 604 (4), 4, 12-2-0, 9​

5. University of Maine, 534, 6, 8-2-2, 9​

6. University of Michigan, 517, 5, 9-2-1, 9​

7. Western Michigan University, 463, 9, 8-1-1, 9​

8. Colorado College, 411, 8, 9-2-1, 9​

9. St. Cloud State University, 370, 10, 9-4-0, 9​

10. Providence College, 335, 11, 8-3-2, 9​

11. Cornell University, 309, 7, 4-2-2, 9​

12. Ohio State University, 287, 12, 9-2-1, 6​

13. Boston University, 253, 16, 6-5-1, 9​

14. Dartmouth College, 237, 15, 5-0-1, 3​

15. University of North Dakota, 230, 14, 7-6-0, 9​

16. University of Massachusetts Lowell, 217, 13, 9-3-0, 5​

17. Minnesota State University, 184, 17, 10-4-2, 7​

18. Quinnipiac University, 82, 18, 6-6-0, 8​

19. Clarkson University, 56, 19, 9-4-1, 2​

20. Arizona State University, 47, RV, 6-7-1, 1​

Others receiving votes: Union College, 31; University of Massachusetts, 21; University of Connecticut, 18; Bentley University, 16; Harvard University, 13; Colgate University, 4; Michigan Tech University, 3; Bowling Green University, 1.​

 

[AUS Fan]

Sam Oliver, Drummondville QMJHL commits to UNH for 2025-26

 

[JMCx4]

Some DI women player milestones courtesy of Victory Press & their weekly Stick Taps and Snark feature ...

... On Saturday, Kalty Kaltounková became the first Raider in Colgate program history to score 100 career goals. She is also the only active NCAA Division I skater to reach that plateau. Wisconsin's KK Harvey became the fifth Badgers blueliner to reach 100 career points and was the quickest to reach that number. Teammate Casey O'Brien set a new program record for career assists with a helpe(r) on the Badgers' third goal on Saturday to reach 139. Minnesota's Peyton Hemp and Minnesota Duluth's Olivia Wallin each tallied their 100th career point last weekend. ...

 

[JMCx4]

November (and a day of December) DI men's action has wrapped up. Here's the latest USCHO.com national poll, as the Top 10 teams are digging in before the traditional holiday break ...

USCHO Division I Men's Poll - December 2, 2024​

Rnk	Team	(First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	Michigan State	(43)	11-1-0	989	1
2	Denver	(4)	12-2-0	934	2
3	Boston College	(2)	10-3-0	887	4
4	Minnesota	(1)	13-2-1	834	3
5	Maine		10-2-2	831	5
6	Michigan		10-3-1	721	6
7	Western Michigan		9-2-1	701	7
8	Colorado College		9-2-1	617	8
9	St. Cloud State		9-4-0	556	9
10	Providence		10-3-2	547	10
11	Boston University		8-5-1	460	13
12	Cornell		4-2-3	443	11
13	Dartmouth		6-1-1	384	15
14	UMass Lowell		10-3-1	339	16
15	Minnesota State		10-4-2	290	17
16	North Dakota		7-7-1	214	14
17	Ohio State		9-4-1	192	12
18	Quinnipiac		6-6-1	140	18
19	Arizona State		6-7-1	113	19
20	Clarkson		9-5-2	76	20

Others receiving votes: Union 71, Bemidji State 33, Massachusetts 26, New Hampshire 16, Bentley 15, Harvard 13, Penn State 13, Northeastern 12, Connecticut 10, Michigan Tech 10, Notre Dame 7, LIU 3, Colgate 2, Princeton 1

 

[JMCx4]

Equal time for the DI women's field, also courtesy of USCHO.com. As with the men's side, the teams at the top are all in stride. But the Badgers are the team that all others wish they could be ...

USCHO Division I Women's Poll - December 2, 2024​

Rnk	Team	(First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	Wisconsin	(20)	17-1-0	300	1
2	Ohio State		13-4-2	278	2
3	Minnesota		11-4-1	262	3
4	Minnesota Duluth		10-5-1	235	4
5	Colgate		16-4-0	217	5
6	Clarkson		14-3-1	196	6
7	Cornell		8-3-2	171	7
8	St. Cloud State		10-5-3	144	8
9	Quinnipiac		12-4-3	136	9
10	Boston College		11-5-0	118	11
11	St. Lawrence		9-5-4	113	10
12	Penn State		13-4-1	48	12
13	Boston University		10-5-1	43	13
14	Yale		6-5-2	42	NR
15	Connecticut		10-8-0	32	14

Others receiving votes: Princeton 30, Northeastern 19, Brown 14, Minnesota State 2

 

[JMCx4]

From: College Hockey News

December 4, 2024

On the Road ... Again​

Nanooks' Wrap Up Grueling 12-Game Road Stretch, But For Alaska, It's Par For the Course​

by Chris Murphy/CHN Reporter

Alaska-Fairbanks junior forward Chase Dafoe remembers when reality hit.

Traveling for hockey was nothing new. From the time he was a kid in British Columbia skating on an outdoor rink built by his dad, to playing college hockey for Providence, the road came with the territory.

But there was something different when he went on his first road trip with the Nanooks last season. When the team arrived at the hotel in Houghton, Michigan, after nearly 24 hours of traveling, Dafoe remembers the way his roommate, an upperclassman, unpacked his clothes. He folded them, put them away in drawers and hung them up nicely in the closet. Dafoe was used to just tossing his bag on the bed and rummaging through it on trips.

That’s when he realized the road was home for the Nanooks. It wasn’t just a stop.

“It’s a surreal thing, the way we travel,” Dafoe said. “But I’ve learned to take advantage of where your feet are.” ...

Read more at:

On the Road ... Again

Alaska wraps up grueling 12-game road stretch, but for the Nanooks, it's par for the course.

www.collegehockeynews.com

 

[JMCx4]

Nicole Haase uses her Victory Press platform to share some thoughts & highlight clips from women's DI hockey as they head into the Santa Pause ... Nicole's NCAA Notebook: December 9, 2024

 

[JMCx4]

From: College Hockey News

This Week in College Hockey: Injuries Showcase How Roster Cap Is Too Small
by Mike McMahon/ (@mikemcmahon)

Injuries have been a significant story in college hockey over the last few weeks.

Just in the last 14 days, Merrimack had just enough healthy players for a full lineup in Belfast, St. Cloud State lost goalie Isak Posch for 10-12 weeks, North Dakota swept Miami despite being without several top players (and captains), AIC’s injury situation in goal forced a postponement of a game, and Boston College moved Teddy Stiga back to defense for a game against UMass Lowell after multiple defensemen went down injured.

All of these stories are happening at the same time some college hockey teams could face a 26-player roster cap (for programs that opt-in to the House settlement) as early as next season. ...

Read more at: This Week in College Hockey: Injuries Showcase How Roster Cap Is Too Small | CHN

 

[AUS Fan]

I just looked at a couple of articles on roster cap. One mentioned the loss of 140 spots because of the reduction to 26. Also with the influx of CHL players, there will be fewer spots.

I guess a silver lining is that the games will have "better" players.

AUS teams have been impacted by a cap several times with the odd game using 15 or 16 skaters.

 

[JMCx4]

From: FloHockey.tv

2024-25 Men's College Hockey Power Rankings

Updated 2d ago (Dec 12, 2024) by Jordan McAlpine

FloHockey's every-other-week power rankings for the 2024-25 men's (DI) college hockey season. ...

1. Minnesota 15-2-1 (Previous Ranking: 2)
The Gophers are coming off an impressive sweep of Michigan, out-scoring the Wolverines 8-0 and controlling much of the series. Minnesota is unbeaten (5-0-1) over its last six, the one outlier being a Nov. 29 tie against Alaska. The Gophers held Michigan, which had scored 51 times through its first 14 games, off the board and Minnesota’s 4.1 goals per game are now tied with Denver for the NCAA lead. Sophomore goaltender Nathan Airey is also unbeaten this season at 9-0-1.

2. Michigan State 12-2-0 (PR: 1)
Michigan State is 3-1-0 over its last four but they’ve had to earn it. The Spartans swept Lindenwood to close out November, 4-0 and 2-0 in the finale. However, MSU struggled a bit this past weekend at Wisconsin, which entered the series 5-8-1. MSU fell 4-0 in the opener but clawed back for a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday. Isaac Howard (TBL) delivered the overtime winner and has nine points (3-6-9) over his last seven games.

3. Boston College 11-3-1 (PR: 4)
The Eagles are back on track and unbeaten over their last four, which includes a 3-0-0 mark on home ice. BC also skated to a 3-3 tie at UMass Lowell last weekend. Ryan Leonard (WSH) remains red-hot and leads the NCAA with 12 goals, while Gabe Perreault (NYR) ranks second in the nation with 23 points. Leonard is also tied for the NCAA lead with five game-winning goals. BC is idle until Jan. 10.

Ryan Leonard has been named the National Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/nPu8hejzXe

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) December 5, 2024 ...​

See the Rest of the Rankings at:

Men's College Hockey Power Rankings

The Gophers ride back-to-back shutouts and an impressive sweep of Michigan to the top of this week's rankings

www.flohockey.tv

 

[JMCx4]

From: College Hockey Inc.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Women’s Notes: First-Year Standouts

Princeton’s Alexander Leading all Freshmen this Season

Among the numerous freshmen across the league making strong starts to their college careers, only one currently ranks in the top 10 in NCAA scoring. Princeton forward Mackenzie Alexander (Etobicoke, Ontario) is tied for ninth with eight goals and 22 assists, totaling 30 points. She is averaging 2.14 points per game, a pace that earned her Rookie of the Month honors from the Hockey Commissioners Association for November. ...

Other leading freshmen include Union forward Karianne Engelbert (Whitby, Ontario), who has 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 20 games. Penn State’s Grace Outwater (Fr., Picton, Ontario) also has 17 points this season, with eight goals and nine assists.


Read more Alexander Notes at: Women’s Notes: First-Year Standouts | CHI