PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh hosted the Frozen Four in 2013, and while the weather may be a bit colder next week, the Three Rivers Classic that takes over the arena on Thursday and Friday certainly has a Frozen Four feel to it.
Boston College, Ferris State and Quinnipiac join host Robert Morris in the tournament, meaning that each team in the tournament won a conference championship last season. That makes for an exceptional field – consider that none of the other five holiday tournaments taking place this season have more than one defending conference champion in their field.
The three visiting teams have combined for six Frozen Four appearances in the last five years, including the Bobcats’ visit to Pittsburgh in 2013. Boston College and Quinnipiac play in the opening game of the tournament, a rematch of last April’s Frozen Four semifinal.
Here are five more facts you should know about the Three Rivers Classic:
Home cooking – Robert Morris has won the Three Rivers Classic twice (2012, 2015), and its importance is clear when talking to head coach Derek Schooley.
“It’s grown year-by-year and every year we have a second-to-none field,” Schooley said. “It’s a great event in an outstanding facility, put on by a first-class organization in the Penguins and PPG Paints Arena. Playing in this event is something that our players will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Three Rivers Classic Champions
2012 – Robert Morris
2013 – Boston College
2014 – Colgate
2015 – Robert Morris
The tournament also lets Schooley’s team test itself against top competition. After a 2-3-1 start, the young Colonials have been one of the better teams in the country, beginning with a win and a tie against No. 10 Ohio State.
“We have an inexperienced hockey team and we expected to have some growing pains,” Schooley said. “Our goal is to get better every week. It’s been an unbelievable group to work with and a real joy to coach.
“It will be exciting to see how we’ve grown and how we match up against some of the best teams in the country.”
BC is back – Boston College returns after winning the event in 2013 and is the highest ranked team in the field at No. 5. The Eagles were initially lured to participate, in part, by then-Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, who had played for Jerry York at Bowling Green.
Bylsma had a family connection on his side that he didn’t know about when he made his pitch. York’s son, Brendan, lives just north of the Robert Morris campus in Beaver, Pa.
Tournament Field by Wins, Last Five Years
112 – Boston College
119 – Quinnipiac
96 – Robert Morris
90 – Ferris State
In 2013, Johnny Gaudreau earned MVP of the Three Rivers Classic on his way to the Hobey Baker Award. This year his younger brother, Matthew (Carneys Point, N.J./Omaha-USHL), leads the Eagles in scoring and is making a name for himself as a creative, competitive playmaker.
Future Pens? – There aren’t any Pittsburgh draft picks on the four rosters at the Three Rivers Classic, but there still may be some future Penguins. No other NHL team has been as aggressive in adding NCAA talent to its roster.
Last year’s Stanley Cup champions had 13 NCAA alumni names on the Cup, tied for the most in history. Among them were Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State), who will welcome their alma maters to their home rink.
Most NCAA Alumni, Stanley Cup Champions
13 – Pittsburgh Penguins, 2015-16
13 – New Jersey Devils, 1994-95
11 – Anaheim Ducks, 2006-07
Last year the Penguins signed two NCAA players as free agents: Thomas DiPauli (Notre Dame) and Ethan Prow (St. Cloud State). Rest assured that executives like associate general manager Jason Botterill (Michigan) and assistant general manager Bill Guerin (Boston College) will be watching for more future Penguins.
Senior citizens – Seniors lead three of the four teams in scoring, with host Robert Morris the lone exception. Junior Brady Ferguson (Lewisville, Texas/Amarillo-NAHL) leads the Colonials and is one of the top active career scorers in the tournament – only one junior nationwide has more career points than Ferguson.
Most Career Points, Tournament Field
117 – Ryan Fitzgerald, BC (BOS)
101 – Gerald Mayhew, FSU
97 – Austin Cangelosi, BC
92 – Brady Ferguson, RMU
85 – Tim Clifton, QU
83 – Landon Smith, QU
83 – Daniel Leavens, RMU
Boston College senior Ryan Fitzgerald (N. Reading, Mass./Valley-EJHL/BOS) – the son of former Penguins executive Tom Fitzgerald – leads all scorers in the tournament and ranks fifth among active players with 117 career points.
Legendary leaders – York and his all-time record 1,025 career victories headline an impressive group of head coaches in the tournament. In fact, York, Ferris State’s Bob Daniels and Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold have all been at their schools at least 23 years and are three of the seven longest-tenured coaches in Division I.
Longest Tenure, Current School
Red Berenson, Michigan – 33rd season
Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst – 29th season
Dick Umile, New Hampshire – 27th season
Bob Daniels, Ferris State – 25th season
Don Vaughan, Colgate – 24th season
Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac – 23rd season
Jerry York, Boston College – 23rd season
Schooley is the new kid on the block but the only coach Robert Morris has ever had. He recently led the program to its 200th victory in this, its 13th season of Division I.