Between transfer portal news and recent commitments, tracking player movement across the New England college hockey scene has proven to be a time-consuming endeavor.
The number of players entering the transfer portal seems to grow exponentially by day. Schools are looking to grab depth pieces, and older players in junior are fighting for coveted roster spots.
Despite its season ending two weekends ago in the final of the NCAA Northeast Regional, Boston College coaches have been hard at work. The Eagles lost star goaltender Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.), center Alex Newhook, and wingers Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.) and Mike Hardman (Hanover, Mass.) to the NHL. Jerry York and his staff went right to work to try and rebuild.
BC has added three players in the transfer portal. Two of the players are coming to The Heights from Bowling Green, York’s former employer. Goaltender Eric Dop and left wing Brandon Kruse will be fifth-year graduate students next fall.
Dop had a .923 save percentage to go along with his 13-8-1 record as a senior this winter. For his career, the Lewis Center, Ohio, native was 45-26-7 with a .914 save percentage.
Kruse, a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, finished his BGSU career with 38 goals and 104 assists in 151 games. The Saline, Mich., native was a WCHA first-team All-Star this past winter.
While those two are official, multiple sources have confirmed that UMass Lowell sophomore Matt Brown will also be transferring to the Eagles. The `99 from Wood Ridge, N.J., has been one of the top offensive threats for the River Hawks in both of his two seasons in Lowell. He finished 2020-21 with eight goals and five assists in 18 games.
The Eagles have also lost a couple of defensemen to the portal. Senior Michael Karow and freshman Timmy Lovell both entered the portal. Lovell, an `02 from Hingham, Mass., is heading to Arizona State.
River Hawks take a beating
The NCAA transfer portal hasn’t been as friendly to UMass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin. His team has already lost Brown, top defenseman Chase Blackmun, and several others. Other key players from UML to enter the portal are senior defenseman Anthony Baxter, sophomore goaltender Logan Neaton, and junior defenseman Nolan Sawchuk.
According to a report in the Lowell Sun by longtime college hockey beat writer Barry Scanlon, Bazin is displeased with the current state of the sport. There’s an argument to be made for both sides of the story.
It’s unfortunate that players like Brown and Blackmun don’t show loyalty to a school like Lowell, who recruited them before other schools recognized their talents. On the other hand, both are free to explore their options and try to better their future. After all, Bazin has at least twice pursued other jobs in hopes of more money.
UNH duo in portal
Washington Capitals prospect and New Hampshire junior defenseman Benton Maas is in the transfer portal. The Elk River, Minn., native served as an alternate captain this season. In three years in Durham, he has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 84 games.
New Hampshire senior Kohei Sato entered the portal immediately following the conclusion of the Wildcats’ season. He has now announced his intention to play the 2021-22 season at Bentley as a graduate student.
Falcons add USHL defenseman
Fargo Force defenseman Tucker Hodgson has committed to Bentley for the 2021-22 season. The Grand Forks, N.D., native has four assists in 48 games during his first USHL season. The Grand Forks Center High School alum spent the 2019-20 season with Steinbach in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Huskies land Junior Bruins goaltender
Northeastern has added a backup goaltender for the future in T.J. Semptimphelter. The `02 from Marlton, N.J., recently completed his first season of junior hockey with the Junior Bruins in the USPHL NCDC.
Semptimphelter, a 2020 graduate of Lawrenceville School, had a .930 save percentage and a 21-6-3 record in 30 appearances with the Junior Bruins this winter. He also spent time developing with the Mercer Chiefs, North Jersey Avalanche and Jersey Rats.
Northeastern was in the market for a backup goaltender when Connor Murphy entered the transfer portal. Murphy started all 21 games for the Huskies this winter, but would have taken a backseat next season to Devon Levi, who missed this year between representing Hockey Canada at the World Junior Championship and with a rib injury.
Semptimphelter had also drawn interest from a couple of other Division 1 schools in the Big Ten and Hockey East as well as from NESCAC schools in Division 3.
Price commits to fledgling program
2000-born defenseman Caleb Price will play college hockey at Lindenwood University, a new Division 1 hockey program in St. Louis. The Hookset, N.H., native spent his Midget hockey years with the Northern Cyclones. After spending 2017-18 in the NCDC with the Cyclones, he’s bounced around the NAHL and USHL the past three seasons.
In 36 games this season, Price has three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. The former Arizona State commit also played junior hockey for the Youngstown Phantoms, Lincoln Stars, Tri-City Storm, Sioux Falls Stampede and Jamestown Rebels.
WCHA defenseman transfers to Merrimack
Merrimack has received a commitment from Minnesota State transfer Colby Bukes. The `99 defenseman from Littleton, Colo., had one assist in just five appearances in two seasons with the Mavericks. He’ll have three years of eligibility left with the Warriors. Bukes had a successful three-year junior career with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.
