Thursday, December 7, 2023

Men’s Notes: Collegians Vying for World Junior Spots

United States, Canada announce camp rosters

Both the United States and Canada unveiled their preliminary rosters this week for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship.

The United States is taking 29 players to its training camp in Plymouth, Mich. (Dec. 14-16), and 26 of those players are either current or committed NCAA Division I players. The final Team USA roster will eventually be narrowed to 25 players.

Denver head coach David Carle (Denver ’12) will coach the U.S. World Junior squad. His staff will include St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson, Minnesota assistant coach Steve Miller (St. Mary’s ’88) and Augustana head coach Garrett Raboin (St. Cloud State ’10).

Canada’s selection camp Dec. 10-13 in Oakville, Ontario, will include a pair of current college hockey standouts: Boston University freshman F Macklin Celebrini (Vancouver, British Columbia) and UConn sophomore F Matthew Wood (Lethbridge, Alberta).

Both players lead their respective schools in scoring this season. Celebrini is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, while Wood was a first-round selection (15th overall) of Nashville in last year’s draft.

The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship takes place Dec. 26, 2023, through Jan. 5, 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Head of the Class:

A former NCAA player who later became the architect of a Stanley Cup champion was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday night in Boston.

Brian Burke, former captain at Providence (1973-77) and longtime NHL executive, was enshrined as part of the Hall’s 2023 induction class. Burke captained the Friars as a senior and, after a brief pro playing career, went on to enjoy stints as general manager in Hartford, Vancouver, Anaheim and Toronto. Burke put together the Anaheim Ducks squad that captured the Stanley Cup in 2006-07.

Burke was also president of hockey operations in Calgary and Pittsburgh, and he served as the NHL’s Director of Hockey Operations from 1993-99.

Boston College head women’s hockey coach Katie King Crowley, who played collegiately at Brown, was also a part of this year’s five-member induction class.

Pitlick Rhett-Hot for Golden Gophers:

After scoring just once in his first 10 games this season, Minnesota junior F Rhett Pitlick (Chaska, Minn.) has suddenly caught fire, lighting the lamp in each of his last six contests with eight goals overall during that stretch.

If Pitlick can extend his run Friday at Ohio State, he’ll have the nation’s longest goal-scoring streak this season. The 2019 draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens has scored seven of his eight goals in 10 conference games, already matching the seven tallies he provided in 24 Big Ten outings a year ago.

Offense From the Defense:

It’s not often that a defenseman sits atop the game-winning goals leaderboard, but that’s exactly where RIT senior Gianfranco Cassaro (Nobleton, Ontario) finds himself through his first 14 games.

Cassaro has potted five game-winners already this season, tying him with Boston College sophomore F Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) for the national lead in that category. He’s scored seven goals overall, tying him for the RIT team lead and putting him exactly halfway to the career-high 14 he scored in 39 games last season.

Oh, Brother!:

Maine’s Nadeau brothers were unstoppable offensively last weekend as the Black Bears rolled to Hockey East wins over New Hampshire and UConn.

In Friday’s 5-2 win over UNH, Josh Nadeau (Fr., St-François-de-Madawaska, N.B.) potted a hat trick with brother Bradly Nadeau (Fr., St-François-de-Madawaska, N.B.) setting up all three.

In Saturday’s 7-3 win over the Huskies, it was Bradly’s turn for a hat trick with Josh drawing the primary helper on all three goals. Bradly also added an assist for a seven-point weekend, one better than Josh’s total. Both shared Hockey East Player of the Week honors.

Josh scored another goal in last night’s 3-1 win at Union, assisted by (who else?) brother Bradly. Both players now have 20 points this season.

Fit to Print:

“Jeff is one of the best, outstanding, and we’re so fortunate to have a guy like that on your staff. He is a terrific human being, he’s great at what he does, and we’re so fortunate to have him with us.”

— Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko on Golden Gophers head athletic trainer Jeff Winslow, who worked his 500th regular season game Friday (source: GopherSports.com)

NHL Note of the Week:

A pair of former college hockey standouts are closing in on NHL milestones.

Columbus LW Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College, 2011-14), the 2013-14 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner, is scheduled to appear in his 700th career NHL game tonight against the New York Islanders. Meanwhile, Buffalo RW Kyle Okposo (Minnesota, 2006-08) needs one more point to reach 600 for his NHL career.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Denver freshman D Zeev Buium (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) owns a 10-game point streak (four goals, 13 assists) that is the nation’s longest active streak … Arizona State sophomore G TJ Semptimphelter (Marlton, N.J.) needs just one more shutout to break Joey Daccord’s (2016-19) school record for career blankings. Semptimphelter earned his eighth career shutout in last Saturday’s 2-0 win at Colorado College … Minnesota graduate F Bryce Brodzinski (Blaine, Minn.) collected the 100th point of his career Friday when he tallied the game-winning goal at Penn State … The St. Thomas forward line of sophomores Ryan O’Neill (Roseville, Minn.), Mack Byers (Long Lake, Minn.) and Lucas Wahlin (Woodbury, Minn.) accounted for 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in Saturday’s 7-1 win at Ferris State … Alaska clinched the annual Governor’s Cup rivalry series last weekend with a pair of wins at Alaska Anchorage. The Nanooks lead the season series with the Seawolves 4-0-0, with two head-to-head games later in the year. Senior G Pierce Charleson (Aurora, Ontario) stopped 47 of 48 shots in last weekend’s sweep … Notre Dame’s 6-1 win over Michigan last Friday was the 400th win behind the Fighting Irish bench for head coach Jeff Jackson (Michigan State ’78).

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 92% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players earn their degree!