CANTLON: HOCKEY OFFSEASON NEWS & NOTES  – VOL 37 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The talk of the hockey world, and for that matter, the rest of the general population, is when will the lives of people in a post-pandemic world begin.

For the NHL and AHL they are no different.

There’s no official word, but there are plenty of rumors and speculation, but a source said things are likely to get resolved in the next 72 hours.

“They have to nail this down because many decisions have to be made and there is quite a bit to digest and work on,” the hockey insider said. “The biggest hurdle is the NHL players and owners deciding on the pay issue. Once that happens, I think the other pieces will be able to be agreed upon based on info they all have regarding the pandemic and the coming vaccines.”

The NHL continues its arm-wrestling with the NHLPLA over compensation despite signing a six-year MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) in July extending the CBA for another six years.

The scenarios for scheduling haven’t changed. If play resumes on January 1st for the NHL, which is looking increasingly unlikely, it will be for a full 80 games. If the opening comes on Friday, January 15th, or on Monday, January 18th, it will be for 60 games. Post-holiday or on February 5th, the season will be 48 games.

Sometime between January 15th until February 1st is considered the most likely time frame the 2020-21 season would begin.

“48 games is as far as they’re gonna go, and it’s all being driven by TV. They have to have the Stanley Cup wrapped up by July 15th before the Tokyo Olympics. The Stanley Cup Finals have to start July 1st, just work the season back from that point. They can move dates here and there, but that’s the framework. I think it winds up between 54-60 games. One thing you won’t have is a January 1st start. The players put their foot down. No training camps during Christmas time.”

The AHL has already set a date of return of February 5th, and the season will no doubt be shorter than the regular 76 games the majority of the league plays or the 68 games in the Pacific Division. It will be the first homogenized league schedule since the formation of the Pacific Division in 2015-16.

“The AHL is a whole other issue. The return issues are more complicated and different because the league, now being national in size, you have a variety of COVID regulations in each state and Canadian provinces.

“The NHL will have to finalize that as well because it’s cap-driven, and player personnel availability for injury issues and they have to determine the value of the AHL to them. They will play, but the when, and in what form, is to be determined. They won’t write off a whole year. The prospects can’t miss a whole year of play.”

There will be an All-Canadian Division for both leagues as the border will remain closed until likely mid-2021. The reason for establishing that division is the current restrictive COVID regulations in all 31 NHL markets covering 18 states, and five Canadian provinces, and 16 states and three Canadian provinces in the AHL.

How the AHL plans to move Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver’s affiliates from Bakersfield, Stockton, and Utica, respectively, into Canada has yet to be worked out.

Canada has 1/10th of the US population, but they have spiking issues, not on the US scale, but enough to make it a major concern.

Expect February 1st or 8th just before or after the Super Bowl on February 7th.

UCONN HOCKEY

While college hockey remains “iced” until the UCONN Huskies travel to Boston College on December 11th at 7 PM, followed on the 12th at Freitas Ice Forum at 4:30 PM, the school did announce some of their commits for the 2021-22 season.

As previously reported, the announcement included highly-regarded goaltender Logan Terness, who’s currently with the Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL). Also on the commit list is Nate Hanley with the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL), and Ryan Tverberg skating with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL). Tverberg was a Toronto Maple Leafs seventh-round draft pick (213th overall).

The latest commit is another NHL-draftee, forward, Chase Bradley, who is currently skating with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL). Bradley was selected in the NHL draft in October in the seventh round (203rd overall) by the Detroit Red Wings, bringing the number of NHL drafted UCONN players to eight.

The Huskies were scheduled for one game this weekend at Freitas against the Boston University Terriers on Saturday at 2:30 PM, but that was canceled Thursday morning because of a positive test at BU. The school responded by pausing all athletic activity.

The season of schedule changes continues.

NESN will have a Hockey East doubleheader on Saturday with Merrimack College at UMASS-Amherst at 3:00 PM and Boston College at Providence College at 7:00 PM.

NESN Plus will have the UCONN women at Conte Forum battling Boston College at 2:00 PM.

HOCKEY LEAGUE NEWS

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has suspended games in its six-team Maritimes Division due to new coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions set forth by the governmental health agencies of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (PEI).

The league then paused ALL league play from December 1st until January 3rd. The WHL has a January 8th date set as their opener in the other two leagues while the OHL has set February 5th to commence play.

The North American Hockey League (NAHL), a US  junior-A level league, has put the entire five-team Midwest Division on pause until December 31, 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions in the state of Minnesota.

Teams included are the Chippewa (WI) Steel, Fairbanks (AK) Ice Dogs (playing in MN), who are coached by UCONN alum (AHA years) Trevor Stewart, Janesville (WI) Jets, Kenai River (Soldotna, AK) Brown Bears (playing in MN), Minnesota (Richfield) Magicians, coached by former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman, Stu Bickel. The teams’ owner/GM is A.J. Bucchino (Avon Old Farms) and the Springfield (IL) Jr. Blues.

The NAHL Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (5-1-0) had their season paused in November after just six games. They return to action starting December 11th in a baseball-style East Division series, Friday (3:30 PM), Saturday (7:00 PM), at the Danbury Ice Arena against the New Jersey Titans. See the complete season schedule HERE.

Next week they play again against the New Jersey Titans but in The Garden State. They will not return home until January 15th.

The Junior Hat Tricks have five players from Connecticut. On their roster are three Division-I college commits including Shea Courtemanche, tied for third-highest scorer with five points in six games (Madison/Taft School). They also have their top-scorer with seven points in six games in Mark D’ Agostino (North Branford/ Gunnery School/UCONN-HE 2021-22), and Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero (University of Nebraska-Omaha-NCHC 2021-22).

The team’s second-leading scorer with six points in six games is Cody Hoban (Guilford/Loomis Chaffe School/Dartmouth College ECACHL 2021-22). Also, on the roster is Noah Melanson (Simsbury/Elite Academy (Guilford U-16/18) and Hank McDonough (Westbrook/Selects Academy at South Kent Prep).

The ten Junior-A leagues in Canada have all made serious schedule changes and taken the same COVID crosscheck.

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) hopes to start a shortened season in early January 2021 for its 22 teams but hasn’t set a date yet.

The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), a league with many college-commit players has seen their only United States-based team called, the Wenatchee (WA) Wild announce they will not play this season due to travel restrictions with the US-Canada border still closed and the state of Washington COVID-19 rules. The border likely will not be opened until late spring.

All the players are now free agents including Aidan Cobb (Ridgefield/Kent School) a Cornell University (ECACHL) commit next year and twins, Blake and Quinn Emerson, sons of former Whaler Nelson Emerson, who are Bowling Green (WCHA) commits for 2021-22.

The BCHL canceled its exhibition schedule and delayed its season start until December 8, 2020.

The Albert Junior Hockey League (AJHL) started to play earlier this month but announced this week it will delay further play for the rest of the month.

The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) played some pre-season games but has delayed the start of its 2020-21 season with no firm opening date.

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockley League (NOJHL) has eleven teams, three have yet to play, and all the others have played just six games.

The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) just started to play with two games and just one of their five teams has not played.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) is paused until after Christmas and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), after ten games, paused the season until, tentatively, New Year’s Day.

The Maritime Junior Hockey league (MHL) has not paused play but is postponing and rescheduling games. Lastly, the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QJAAAHL) has just started play and are three games into their season after a two-month delay.

The same Covid-related changes are happening in Europe too.

In Finland, the Elite League announced on Wednesday it has postponed games beginning on December 3rd to the 19th, and the second tier league called, Mestis, has paused the season until the start of the New Year.

WJC TOURNAMENT

The calendar has flipped to December and in three weeks, one of the most prestigious international tournaments – the World Junior Championship – will take place in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at Rogers Place in a “bubble city” format a la the Stanley Cup playoffs held back in July through September.

UCONN will potentially have two players in the tourney for the Russia WJC team that will be coached by hockey legend, Igor Larionov. Defenseman Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary) and Vladislav Firstov (Minnesota) are among the 28 players presently on the roster.

If Kuznetsov and Firstov make the final roster, the pair or individual would become the first Russians on a US college roster to make a Russian WJC team.

Both players are back in Moscow in the final selection camp, and the full Russian squad will depart Moscow for Edmonton on December 13th for their two week quarantine period. The announcement of the final team is expected on or around December 15th.

The US squad for the US Selection camp in Plymouth, MI that starts on Saturday, December 5th was announced this week.

Goalie Spencer Knight (Darien/Avon Old Farms), a Florida Panthers draftee, is the number one goalie, and Trevor Zegras (Avon OId Farms), who signed in the summer with the Anaheim Ducks leaves Boston University after his freshmen year and is still WJC eligible.

Jake Sanderson (Ottawa) (University of North Dakota – NCHC), is the son of Hartford Whalers great, Geoff Sanderson. Brett Berard, a New York Rangers draft pick in October, is currently skating with Providence College (HE). He is the son of the one-time UCONN assistant coach (AHA year), David Berard, who is currently the head coach Holy Cross (AHA).

John Farinacci (Harvard University – ECACHL) is presently playing with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), and is the nephew of ex-Wolf Pack and Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Ted Donato, one of Team USA’s assistant coaches, is also in camp.

Canada has started its camp in Red Deer, AB which was supposed to be the second arena site for the tournament.

The team goalie coach is ex-Wolf Pack star, Jason LaBarbera. The CEO of Hockey Canada is former Rangers head coach, Tom Renney. They have two Rangers draft picks on defense among the 46 players under consideration.

The players are recently drafted first-rounder, Braden Schneider (Brandon Wheat Kings – WHL) and 2018 first-rounder, Matt Robertson, (Edmonton Oil Kings – WHL), who is WJC eligible and is expected to be in Hartford when the AHL season begins February 5th.

The other player is goalie Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers – WHL) is battling with four other goalies in camp.

One player they will not have is the NHL’s first overall draft pick back in October by the Rangers, Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers announced on Thursday will not lend him to Team Canada, currently in a 14-day COVID-related pause.

The Czech Republic camp in Vyskovy, Czech Republic runs from December 6-13 and all the participating nations are currently in their final selections camps until December 13th.

There some CT connections on several other rosters for the tourney that will run a day earlier from Christmas Day until January 5th.

Austria – Senna Peeters (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep).

Canada – Dylan Garand, Braden Schneider, and Matt Robertson (all three are Rangers draft picks) and Samuel Poulin (the son of former Whaler, Patrick Poulin).

Czech Republic – Nick Malik, the son of former Whaler, Ranger, and Beast of New Haven defenseman, Marek Malik.

Finland – Brad Lambert, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk player and Bridgeport Sound Tigers head coach, Lane Lambert. Lambert is presently the Islanders’ assistant coach.

Russia – Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary/UCONN) and Vladislav Firstov (Minnesota/UCONN)

Slovakia – Rayen Petrovický, the son of former Whaler, Róbert Petrovický, who plays for TUTO (Finland Division-I) is in camp, and his father is the head coach for the Slovak WJC team.

Sweden – Karl Henriksson (Rangers), Simon Holmstrom (Sound Tigers), and Simon Robertsson (who is the son of ex-Wolf Pack, Bert Robertsson).

PLAYER MOVEMENT

As reported last week, former Yale defenseman, Phil Kemp, who signed an entry-level last week with Edmonton would shortly be assigned to a European club – that was done by the Oilers on Monday.

Kemp was assigned on loan to Väsby IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan), technically from the Bakersfield Condors. Yale picked up a commit from another righthanded shooting defenseman in Dylan Herzog (Dubuque Fighting Saints – USHL) this week that fills his spot for 2021-22.

Goalie, Calvin Pickard, heads from the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Vienna Capitals (Austria – IceHL).

Forward, Giovanni Fiore, who split time with the Ontario Reign and the Toronto Marlies plus Rapid City (ECHL) is heading to Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL) to take Alfie Turcotte who is off to the US WJC selection camp.

That makes 195 AHL players to be signed or loaned to a European team and the 46th to head to Sweden with Kemp’s assignment the most of any country in Europe.

Ex-Wolf Pack/CT Whale, Conor Allen, is loaned by HC Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic-CEL) after 14 gamers to BK Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic-CEL).

Dean DeFazio, the son of former Nighthawk, Dean DeFazio, is released after six games by HC Brno (Czech Republic-CEL).

After two years, ex-Pack, Vinny Saponari, is released by Krefeld (Germany-DEL).

Chris Schutz, UMASS-Lowell (HE) opts to sign with Tulsa (ECHL). Joining him is Blake Gober from Penn State (Big 10).

Mike Lee (Hamden/Gunnery Prep/Sacred Heart University) signs with Indy (ECHL).

Tanner Salsberry and Tyler Empey, both of Division-III SUNY-Geneseo (SUNYAC), are on the training camp roster of the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).

The Rapid City training camp roster also includes two former CT prep school players, Griffin Luce (Hotchkiss Prep) and Joey Sides (Avon Old Farms) making 62 players in Division-III collegiate ranks to sign pro deals. 199 Division-I players have signed North American deals, and 334 total college players Division I and II to sign pro deals in North America and Europe.

The conference breakdown is; Hockey East has 37, NCHC 35, the Big 10 has 34, ECACHL has 33, WCHA has 32, AHA has 26, and Division-I independent Arizona State has four.

Goalie, Dylan St. Cyr, the son of former New Haven Senator, Gerry St. Cyr, and nephew of ex-Pack and Ranger, Pascal Rheaume, was in net in relied upon for Notre Dame in a tough 7-3 loss to Arizona State on Thursday.

Jack Babbage, another alumnus of the Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers program presently with the Chicago Steel (USHL) makes a commitment for next season to the Quinnipiac University Bobcats (ECACHL).

Micah Gernander (Newington), the son of former Wolf Pack head coach and player, Ken Gernander, is playing junior hockey with the Rochester (MN) Grizzlies (NA3HL).

Ex-Pack, Alex Kile, signs with Florida (ECHL) after Maine suspended operations for this season.

J.M. Piotrowski (Yale University) of the Birmingham Bulls (SPHL) is cut from his try-out with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL as were ex-Pack goalie, Chris Nell (Allen), and Adam Samuelsson (the youngest son of Ulf Samuelsson), and Nick Jermain (Cos Cob/Quinnipiac University) from Greenville.

Plenty of AHL’ers were assigned to ECHL teams to get playing time. Among them are goalie, Shane Starrett, (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep) heads from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), goalie, Garrett Sparks, who just signed an AHL deal, heads from the Henderson Silver Knights to the Orlando Solar Bears.

Stockton assigns goalie Andrew Shortridge (Quinnipiac University) to the Kansas City Mavericks.

Hershey announced mid-week it was sending six players to their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, including ex-Wolf Pack, Caleb Hebert.

Spenser Young and Arvin Atwal head from Milwaukee to Florida Everblades and ex-Pack, Matt Register, goes from Iowa Wild to the Allen Americans.

The Colorado Eagles are sending four players including Charlie Gerard and Ian Scheid, to the Utah Grizzlies.

Syracuse has assigned five players to the Orlando Solar Bears, starting with forwards Devante Stephens and Peter Abbandonato.

Mike McKee (Kent School) signs for a fourth year with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL).