Parker Ford has been a freshman leader for Providence. (Getty Images)
Each year, new players jump into college hockey hoping to make a big splash out of the gate.
Some make the transition as highly touted prospects, built up for exciting arrivals on the college stage, while others quietly make their way into the fold. Some live up to the hype, some don’t, and others emerge as surprising picks. Regardless, those freshmen can play instrumental roles.
Last year, for instance, Tyler Madden stepped into the college hockey world and played a huge role in Northeastern’s run to winning the Hockey East tournament. Similarly, Marc Del Gaizo’s Frozen Four heroics single-handedly pushed Massachusetts to its first-ever Frozen Four victory.
