By Nate Ewell
More than two-thirds of Division I teams (46 of 60) are off for exams and a holiday break. There are 13 games this weekend, but this week’s notes look at the storylines ahead in the second half of the college hockey season. This notebook will return the week of Dec. 26, when the games return. Happy holidays!
Last year eight teams entered the holiday break with winning percentages over .775; this year the only one is Penn State (13-1-1, .900). The lack of dominant teams in college hockey sets up a fascinating second half, with a lot of new contenders. Ten teams in the USCHO.com top 20 didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last season, including the Nittany Lions, who are in just their fourth year being eligible for to play for the title. Other surprises who have spots in the top 20 but weren’t there in the preseason include Ohio State, Vermont and Union. | Grand Forks Herald: Who will win college hockey’s national title?
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Burlington Free Press: Rookie goalie Lekkas on a roll for Vermont
St. Cloud Times: Eyssimont trying to duplicate strong stretch
Fosters Daily Democrat: Kelleher has had huge start for UNH
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Listen to "Second-Half Storylines" on Spreaker.
Five More Storylines to Watch in the Second Half
Vecchione leads Hobey race – Union senior Mike Vecchione leads the nation in scoring (35 points in 17 GP) and could join Johnny Gaudreau as the only players since 2000 to record at least 2.00 points per game. Most see Vecchione as the Hobey Baker Award favorite at the break, though several others – like UNH’s Tyler Kelleher and Notre Dame’s Anders Bjork – are within striking distance. Vecchione and Kelleher are also among the group of undrafted NHL prospects who will certainly be in demand when their NCAA seasons conclude.
NCHC supremacy – Despite the array of teams that could contend for the NCAA title, it’s been NCHC teams that have been in the top two spots of the polls for most of the year. Minnesota Duluth is the current No. 1, having split last weekend vs. No. 2 Denver. Defending champion North Dakota – also from the NCHC – has also occupied the top spot. The Big Ten and Hockey East both boast three top-10 teams, but no one has unseated the NCHC from No. 1 yet.
Rise of upperclassmen – After freshmen led the nation in scoring the last two seasons, the elders are claiming the spotlight this season. Each of the top five scorers nationally are upperclassmen, with seniors Vecchione and Kelleher ranking 1-2. Seniors have played an especially important role on the nation’s best teams, like Minnesota Duluth’s Alex Iafallo and Boston College’s Matthew Gaudreau, who both lead their teams in scoring.
Impact rookies – That’s not to say the newcomers haven’t made a splash. Penn State’s freshman class is the highest scoring in the nation, led by Denis Smirnov. First-round pick Henrik Borgstrom has helped fuel Denver, while Harvard’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State’s Dennis Cholowski are rookies making an impact on defense. Freshmen goaltenders may have the biggest say in how conference races turn out. Rookies – and former USA Hockey National Team Development Team teammates – Joe Woll and Jake Oettinger man the nets at Boston College and Boston University, respectively. Robert Morris’s Francis Marotte and Michigan Tech’s Angus Redmond each rank in the top four nationally in save percentage and have their teams in the hunt for conference titles. A remarkable 13 of the top 20 goaltenders nationally in save percentage are freshmen.
Top 20 Goaltenders in Save Percentage, by Class
13 - Freshmen
4 - Juniors
2 - Seniors
1 - Sophomore
European influence – A steady rise in the number of Europeans playing college hockey has reached an all-time high of 82 this season, including as many as seven who could represent their countries in the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship. Sixteen of the teams in the top 20 have at least one European on their roster, and many are among the most critical players on their team. Smirnov and Minnesota State’s Marc Michaelis lead their teams in scoring, while Borgstrom, BU’s Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson and Quinnipiac’s Karlis Cukste are all NHL draft picks playing big roles.
European Players in Men’s Division I
2016-17 – 82
2015-16 – 58
2014-15 – 45
2013-14 – 37
NHL Note of the Week
Wednesday night Matt Grzelcyk became the 26th player who played college hockey in 2015-16 to reach the NHL. He is also the ninth player from the 2015 NCAA championship game to play in the NHL.
NHLers from the 2015 NCAA Title Game
Boston University: Jack Eichel, A.J. Greer, Matt Grzelcyk, Matt O’Connor, Danny O’Regan, Evan Rodrigues
Providence: Noel Acciari, Mark Jankowski, Brandon Tanev
Fries at the Bottom of the Bag
NCAA players and recruits are competing for spots on five teams for the upcoming 2017 World Junior Championship … There are only 13 games this weekend but four involve two ranked teams: No. 11 Vermont hosts No. 13 Union for a pair and No. 1 Minnesota Duluth and No. 15 Bemidji State play a home-and-home … At Thanksgiving, Princeton was the only team in the nation without a win; since Thanksgiving, the Tigers lead all teams with six wins.