By Nate Ewell

Vermont’s big man – It’s rare that a team loses a goaltender to an NHL contract yet still brings back last year’s leader in games played and save percentage – such is life for Vermont, which lost Brody Hoffman (MIN) but returns junior Mike Santaguida (Mississauga, Ont./Surrey-BCHL). At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds Santaguida might not have NHL goaltending size, but his numbers – 9-9-2, .923 save percentage last year – are impressive. Saturday he shut out Minnesota on the road and faces another test this weekend with No. 3/4 Omaha in Burlington for a pair.
Chat with the Cats: Mike Santaguida

Must Read/See/Head Material

Daily Hampshire Gazette: Plevy not overthinking memorable debut
Duluth News Tribune: UMD’s Welinski back for more
Hartford Courant: Anas putting together standout career for Quinnipiac
SBN College Hockey: Parisi leads Friars’ attempt at a repeat
Watertown Daily Times: Clarkson’s Tansey takes winding road to final season
College Hockey News: Kuraly returns to help lead Miami
Yahoo Puck Daddy: What’s left for returning powers?

Five More Storylines No One Should be Without

Bemidji aims for another upset – Bemidji State toppled a top-three team last week in Minnesota Duluth and hopes to do the same in a home-and-home series with No. 1 North Dakota this weekend. Junior Charlie O’Connor (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Chicago-USHL) scored the winner in the final minute Saturday – one of his team-high four shots – and seems poised to build upon his sophomore year, when he led the Beavers with 11 goals. He is among a group of seven of BSU’s top eight scorers who returned this season.

Another Krug? – Michigan State wanted to provide more offensive support for senior goaltender Jake Hildebrand (Butler, Pa./Cedar Rapids-USHL) and in last weekend’s Ice Breaker Tournament, freshman defenseman Zach Osburn (Plymouth, Mich./Chicago-USHL) brought it from the blueline. His two-goal, one-assist effort ties him for the national scoring lead among rookie defensemen. Osburn patterns his game after Boston Bruin and MSU alum Torey Krug, who he calls one of his inspirations for wanting to play for the Spartans.
MSUSpartans.com: Rookie defenseman provides spark | Friday’s game at Denver is on ROOT Sports

Clarkson’s Alaskan connection – Clarkson is off to a 2-0-0 start and the North Country school owes it, in part, to a friendship forged in Fairbanks, Alaska. Former Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL) teammates Brett Gervais (Corona, Calif.) and Steve Perry (Ligonier, Pa.) led the Golden Knights in last weekend’s wins. Gervais, a sophomore, had multiple points in each game while Perry, a junior, stopped 37 of the 38 shots he faced in goal. Gervais – who is already halfway to last season’s point total (8) – picked the school in part thanks to the endorsement of his former teammate. The former Ice Dogs are at Merrimack and New Hampshire this weekend.

Youngstown’s Best – Last weekend was a good one for former members of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, with UConn’s Max Letunov (Moscow, Russia/ARI) notching a hat trick in his first game and Mercyhurst’s Taylor Best (Whitby, Ont.) extending his season-opening goal streak to three games (4 goals, 1 assist). Best – who two years ago led the OJHL with 90 points – will see a former teammate this weekend as he and the 3-1-0 Lakers travel to Michigan. The Wolverines have yet to play a game, so this marks the NCAA debut for freshman Kyle Connor (Shelby Twp., Mich./WPG), last year’s USHL Player of the Year with Youngstown.

More for Morley – Fifth-year senior forward David Morley (Richmond Hills, Ont./Victoria-BCHL) received a medical redshirt after sitting out his first season at St. Cloud State, and he’s making the most of the extra time on and off the ice. Morley was the MVP of the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage last weekend and leads a senior-laden Huskies team into a home series with Minnesota State. Off the ice, Morley is able to work toward a master’s degree.

NHL Note of the Week

More than 200 former NCAA players were on NHL opening night rosters, including eight who played college hockey last season.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

Alabama’s ACHA (non-varsity) program travels to Huntsville Saturday for a meeting with Alabama-Huntsville, which split vs. Connecticut last weekend … A familiar face visits Providence for the 2015 NCAA championship banner as head coach David Berard leads Holy Cross to town. Berard was a player, assistant coach and director of hockey operations for the Friars … RIT hosts its annual homecoming game at Blue Cross Arena Saturday and a sellout crowd should welcome head coach Wayne Wilson’s alma mater in No. 10 Bowling Green … Omaha’s No. 3 ranking in the USCHO.com poll is the school’s highest ever.