CANTLON: UCONN 2021-22 SEASON PREVIEW 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

STORRS, CT – As if on cue, the first-morning dew on campus heralded a new hockey season for the UCONN Huskies and their head coach, Mike Cavanaugh.

“I’m excited to be with the team and to make a deep push in Hockey East and maybe the NCAA tournament (both at the Boston Garden this year). We’ll have our fifth practice today, and I hope we’ll have 16 before next weekend’s first game with Sacred Heart (University) at the XL Center.”

SHU is the Division I level team UCONN has had trouble with and has not beaten them at the D1 strata.

“Not only have our freshmen, but none of our sophomores have played there, so we want to get them acclimated to the building,” remarked Cavanaugh.

LAST YEAR

The team, which posted a 10-11 record last year and lost to Providence College in the playoffs’ opening round, hasn’t advanced in Hockey East post-season action. They have a slew of grad transfers, and it’s different but not unique to future opponents.

“It was like they were recruiting us in (goalie) Darion Hanson (Union College), Kevin O’Neil (Yale), and (Jarrod) Gourley (Arizona State). They didn’t play last year. They spoke to us, and I have spoken to their coaches, who would love to have had them back for a fifth year, and they spoke highly of them.

“Boston University, our second opponent, has seven (transfers). We just have three, and they have been committed to us for a long time. They give us a different perspective and are a great for me and a great resource for our players,” remarked Cavanaugh.

IN NET

In net, Hanson will share duties with Logan Terness, who’s a highly touted freshman from Trail (BCHL). They will also have one goalie coming off labrum (hip) surgery, Matt Pasquale. They will also have one having it, Ryan Keane (Coppell, Texas), who both had zero time behind the off to the NHL, Tomáš Vomáčka, who played every second last year.

“It’s wide open; not a lot of them played last year. Darion has the most experience of the three goalies, so I expect he’ll get the most work early, but we have five or six practices to go before that decision is made.”

Upfront, the Huskies have a solid returning cast led by last year’s Hockey East top scorer, senior Jonny Evans. They’ll also have senior Carter Turnbill, and after not being offered a contract, 6’6 center from the Czech Republic, Jachym Kondelik (Nashville).

FIRSTOV

Vladislav Firstov (Minnesota) is giving Cavanaugh a rare luxury they haven’t had.

“This is the best depth we’ve had since I’ve been here. We really don’t have a fourth line. I can spread Jonny on one line, Vladdy Firstov on another, Carter Turnbull on one, Jachym (Kondelik) on another. This could be the strength of our team this year.”

On defense, Yan Kuznetsov and Tomas Vomáčka went pro, Kuznetsov, though, was a surprise.

“Tomas, a goalie, they offered him a contract, and they give out only five or six goalies. One, you gotta take it, and it shows they think he can play. So, you have to take the contract. Yan, by the same token, was a surprise. It wouldn’t have hurt him to come back,” remarked his now-former head coach.

SOPHMORES

His younger sophomore class with Hudson Schandor, Artem Schlaine, Cassidy Bowes, and Nick Capone (East Haven/Salisbury School) (Tampa Bay 6th round #157) got to know Hockey East last year, introduced themselves, and got quality minutes.

He has high hopes for Capone.

“He is really a good player. He can do a lot of things (well) that can translate to getting to the next level. I want him to be more of a factor night in and night out. I want him to play a power forward game like Tom Wilson without the suspensions, antics, and penalties. I want him averaging three or four shots a game, and he’s capable of that, and can bring that intimidation factor to the game too.”

On the backline, Jake Flynn and Carter Berger, are a pair that have made early good impressions.

CAPTAIN KINAL

On his team’s new captain, Roman Kinal, Cavanaugh was philosophical.

“He’s on a trajectory like (former defenseman) Wyatt Newpower was (now with Cleveland-AHL). He struggled on-and-off the ice in the classroom the first year and struggled with his play and injuries in his second year.”

His freshmen class is a more traditional mix in net with a high-end goalie prospect in Terness, who’s in the mold like Adam Huska and Tomas Vomacka, who both came before him. There’s also a late defenseman to commit, Aidan Metcalfe, and in-state kid Jake Veilleux (South Windsor/Selects Academy at South Kent Prep), another BCHL grad from the Victoria Grizzlies, and Sasha Telguine.

“Aidan was a surprise. He is a big kid, strong, skates well; Veilleux can play forward or defense. He’s pretty versatile, and Sasha has a lot of skill. We’re not going to have to rely on them because we’re a veteran team. Injuries in a season will happen, so it’s good to have some players to slide into those positions, on a veteran-laden team.”

POSTSEASON HOPES

The change in the post-season conference playoff system to the one-and-done structure from the three-game series that Cavanaugh has advocated for over the past several years.

“I think you’ll see more conferences going toward it. It mirrors our national tournament. Shooting for Boston is a team goal.”

The new captain Kinal replaces Adm Karascik (Ridgefield/Avon Old Farms) will play a post-grad year at ND.

“The (Boston) Garden has been talking about all (offseason and all year) Hockey East is there, the Finals (Frozen Four) are there. We’ve been talking about it all year to get to the Garden; that’s our goal. That’s our long-term goal. We also, of course, have individual goals. That starts with winning October 2nd against Sacred Heart and goes from there.”

DRAFT PICKS

That some of his players and just five nationally (three in the first six picks) with more incoming players selected surprised Cavanaugh.

“When you’re drafted, that means the work has just begun. When you’re drafted, you sign a million-dollar deal; you’re taking home $400,000 after taxes, escrow, and paying your agent, and we’re bringing in business people to educate the kids about the business inside and outside of hockey. It’s sticker-shock when you go to places like Seattle and California,” said Cavanaugh.

The brand new yet unnamed rink is taking shape.

“It’s great,” said Cavanaugh. The new (UCONN) rink will be the second smallest rink in the conference to Matthews Arena (home to Northeastern built over 100 years ago and occupied in 1910.) We’re already getting benefits on the recruiting trail with inquiries from kids we wouldn’t have heard from before, say, three or four years ago. It’s exciting; once a week at the top of the hill, I can look in, and you can see the foundation of the building now.”

CAPTAIN PUMPED

His captain is equally enthused.

“I pass it every day going to class. It’s awesome. You definitely see progress being made. Every year they would talk about. Now you see the stones being set in place. Now you see the work being done. It’s pretty cool were excited for sure,” said Kinal.

The season looks to be a bright one for UCONN.

COLLEGE NEWS

Heading pro is Wisconsin-River Falls (WIAC) player from Division III in Christian Hausinger, with Wichita (ECHL) as the seventh D3 player.

The Division-1 breakdown is: Hockey East 29, Big 10 has 23, NCHC 17, AHA 11, ECACHL with eight, CCHA, formerly the WCHA with four, and independent Arizona State with two.

Division-I pro signees are 94, underclassmen who have left school early 36, and ALL college players signed from Division I and III in North America are now up to 132.

Grad school transfers are at 51, and school transfers are 81 for 132 players who switched schools. In addition, 36 Division I and III have headed to Europe, including the latest Jaako Heikkinen (Denver University). Three went to Canadian college and university, and one went to Canadian major junior.

COACHES

A whole slew of volunteer coaches and assistant coaches were named. Jordy Murray at ND, Jack Riley heads to Division III independent Albertus Magnus College (New Haven), Ryan Zapolski, former Team USA goalie in the 2018 Pyeongchang, South Korea Games at Mercyhurst (AHA). Peter Ward is the new is senior advisor for coaches at MSU with Dylan Strom, the Spartans volunteer, Matthew Vanden Berg at Maine (HE).

Minnesota State in the new CCHA and Colgate ECACHL are the preseason favorites to win their conferences.

The brand new Ed Robson Arena at Colorado College ribbon is cutting is coming up shortly.

UCONN HOCKEY

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