Just four teams remain in the quest to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship this weekend at the Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y.
While it’s often said that it takes more than just a superstar to win a team trophy, most recent champions in college hockey had a future NHL player or a slew of them to put them over the top.
Denver, Massachusetts, Minnesota Duluth and Providence all have a player or a few players who will lead their team on the ice. It’s been a common theme of recent champions.
When North Dakota won in 2016, it did so with a line of future NHL players and a deep blue line than included three defensemen who’ve made it to the show.
In 2017, Denver won in large part thanks to the leadership of Hobey Baker Award winner Will Butcher and Troy Terry, both of whom have already seen significant time in the NHL.
Last season, Joey Anderson, who is now in the New Jersey Devils organization, was the leader on and off the ice. Many of the same slew of star players are back for this Frozen Four run, including Scott Perunovich and Dylan Samberg on defense.
Like last year’s winner, this year’s Frozen Four participants all have a defenseman or two who seem destined to make a living playing hockey on the world’s greatest stage. No player defines that role on his team more than Massachusetts star Cale Makar, the assumed winner of the 2019 Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Cale Makar, So., D, Massachusetts, Calgary, Alberta
For those casual college hockey fans who will be new to watching Makar at the Frozen Four, you’re in for a treat. His long, powerful stride allows him to get up and down the sheet in the blink of an eye. In all my years following college hockey, I can’t remember a defenseman with the ability to close as quickly as Makar can. In the same vein, he’s able to take the puck away and separate in order to get up ice better than anyone I’ve ever seen at this level. It’s explosive and it’s why he has 16 goals and 32 assists. While it’s undeniable that his offense is what makes him such a coveted prospect, a play in the first round game against Harvard stood out at the Northeast Regional. He raced back to catch up to a streaking Harvard player on a breakaway. Without taking a penalty, he got back and lifted the Harvard player’s stick and took the puck away, eliminating the chance. Simply put, Makar is a game-changer who will be a spectacle at the Frozen Four before moving on to play for the Colorado Avalanche, the organization that picked him fourth at the 2017 NHL Draft.
Other UMass players with the most pro potential include sophomore defenseman Mario Ferraro, a 2017 second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, sophomore winger John Leonard, a 2018 sixth-round pick of the Sharks, and sophomore right wing Mitchell Chaffee, an un-drafted free agent.
Ian Mitchell, So., D, Denver, Calahoo, Alberta
Similarly to Makar, Mitchell is short of 6 feet, but he makes up for it with his skating and hockey sense. He’s not as dynamic offensively as Makar, but his positioning, stick, and overall hockey IQ on the defensive side of the puck is elite. A 2017 second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mitchell has six goals and 21 assists on the campaign. He missed two games while playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship as Makar did previously.
In addition to Mitchell, fans should keep close tabs on left wing Emilio Pettersen, a Norwegian who played two seasons at Selects Academy at South Kent. The freshman is a sixth-round pick of the Calgary Flames who has put up six goals and 24 assists in 40 games. He got banged up in the regional final against AIC.
Also worth watching are freshman goaltender Filip Larsson, a Detroit Red Wings pick who posted shutouts in both games at the regional, and freshman defenseman Slava Demin, a Vegas Golden Knights prospect.
Scott Perunovich, So., D, Minnesota Duluth, Hibbing, Minn.
Pernovich led the Bulldogs in scoring en route to the distinction of being named the National Rookie of the Year in 2017-18. While his offensive numbers have trailed some this season, his impact on the team’s possession numbers have been immeasurable. He has three goals and 26 assists and is the classic definition of a puck transporter. His big freshman season led to him being drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues.
UMD has no shortage of good players and the team is extremely well coached. Fellow sophomore defensemen Dylan Samberg, a Winnipeg Jets pick, and Mikey Anderson, a Los Angeles Kings prospect, all have experience playing for the U.S. at the World Juniors. So does junior forward Riley Tufte, a Dallas Stars pick.
Jacob Bryson, Jr., D, Providence
Going on three years now, it’s been a common theme at press conferences following games, head coach Nate Leaman will comment that Bryson was his team’s best player. He’s diminutive in size, but he’s elite on retrievals and turning the play up ice quickly. He makes a strong first pass and has the feet to sidestep oncoming forecheckers. A Buffalo Sabres prospect, he’s likely one of several Friars who will be turning pro early after the Frozen Four.
Others whose near futures will include pro hockey include freshman winger Jack Dugan, a Vegas Golden Knights pick, junior winger Brandon Duhaime, a Minnesota Wild prospect, junior winger Kasper Bjorkqvist, property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and center Josh Wilkins, an un-drafted free agent.
The Friars will be without their highest draft pick, first rounder Jay O’Brien of Hingham, Mass., who has been out with an injury. The former Thayer star had just two goals and three assists in 25 games while battling concussions.
One Providence player who will hear his name called in the 2019 NHL Draft is freshman winger Tyce Thompson, a smart player who can really skate. His best hockey in the Regionals came on the power play. He’ll be watched closely by NHL scouts at the Frozen Four.
