While fans of college have have to wait nearly six months in between games, there was no shortage of action during the off-season months.
Between administrative moves, coaching changes, player departures, recruiting changes, and other happenings, there’s been plenty to talk about and analyze over the past six months in Hockey East land.
While it wasn’t directly related to wins or losses, some of the off-season changes throughout Hockey East will have a huge impact on the future of the league and its member schools.
Bertagna out as commissioner
After serving the league for 22 years, Joe Bertagna is out as Hockey East commissioner following the 2019-20 season, it was announced in July.
While Bertagna, an Arlington, Mass., native and former goaltender at Harvard, has done many great things for Hockey East and college hockey as a whole over the years, it was long overdue for a new voice in the league office.
The league lacks the television deal and vibrancy of the NCHC and Big Ten, the two other top leagues in college hockey. Part of that was beyond Bertagna’s control, but there seemed to be a general unwillingness to make necessary changes for the betterment of the league.
A new leader with more of a burning desire to make a name for himself and improve the brand image will hopefully help all Hockey East schools.
Speaking to coaches and administrators around the league, there was little disagreement that a new commissioner was imperative to lead Hockey East into the future. Many within Hockey East believed that Bertagna had neglected to serve all of the member schools equally.
While it’s easy to promote the brand name schools in Hockey East such as Boston College and Boston University, there’s an inherent need to engage and push the other member schools to the forefront.
Whoever the next commissioner is will be tasked with creating a buzz around all Hockey East teams and the conference as a whole. In today’s climate with so much competition for people’s attention and entertainment dollars outside of live sporting events, it will be a tall order.
There are a couple of quick and easy changes I’d like to see implemented by the new commissioner, or perhaps before.
I’d like to see highlights of all league games produced and displayed universally. All highlights should include goals of all teams, not just of the home team’s goals, as is the case in certain stances. The radio or television call should be heard with the highlights. The way former Merrimack SID Chris Aliano produced highlights should be used as an example for all to follow. There should be a clear section of the league website devoted to all game highlights as the NCHC does on its website. The league should tweet out the link to every highlight and make sure all highlights are uploaded to the league’s YouTube page.
Secondly, I’d like to see a concerted effort to reduce ticket prices across the board, but especially for the Hockey East Championship at the TD Garden. The semifinals and final have become stale with subpar crowds, for the most part. As mentioned above, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get fans at live sporting events. Reducing ticket cost could potentially get more younger families to games, which will in turn increase revenue at concessions and make fans for future generations.
Additionally, the speed and pace of the game has increased drastically over the years. It’s difficult to find referees who can keep up with that. Realizing college hockey officials aren’t full-time employees, it is certainly not all on them.
There are some very good officials, but there are also some bad ones who need to be held accountable. That has been difficult with the good-old-boy network controlling much of that. Hopefully a new commissioner will bring change in that regard, including fresh sets of eyes supervising said officials.
Lastly, for now, it would be great to see the commissioner hold all league teams to the standards necessary to make the student-athlete and fan experience what it should be.
The league, led by Bertagna, dropped the ball on UConn. The school should not have been allowed in the league if it wasn’t going to build a suitable rink on campus. Part of what makes college hockey so great is the atmospheres at the game.
Playing in an old and decrepit facility far from campus is not what college hockey is supposed to be about. Hopefully the new commissioner will do all in his power to enforce the league’s bylaws, which were not adhered to when the Huskies joined Hockey East.
Coaching changes
There are no new head coaches in Hockey East heading into the 2019-20 season. However, there were several notable changes when it comes to assistant coaches in the league.
The most recent was perhaps the most newsworthy. Providence associate head coach Kris Mayotte left the Friars to become an assistant coach at the University of Michigan. He had joined Nate Leaman’s staff ahead of the 2014-15 season which saw Providence win its first national championship in school history.
Mayotte has been replaced by Joel Beal, a former player of Leaman’s, who most recently served as an assistant coach at Miami. The Union alum had also been a grad assistant at his alma mater and an assistant coach at Sacred Heart.
At Northeastern, Mike McLaughlin was promoted from Director of Hockey Operations to assistant coach on Jim Madigan’s staff. Jason Smith, who previously was the assistant coach, has since left to take a similar position at Brown.
Second year Merrimack head coach Scott Borek lost his top assistant coach, Curtis Carr, who left the Warriors to take a similar post at Bowling Green. Stepping in for Carr will be former RPI assistant coach Dan Jewell.
Early departures
Several league teams were hit hard by players leaving early to sign pro contracts. UMass, Boston University, Providence and Northeastern were dealt the biggest blows.
Sophomores Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro both left the Minutemen after just two seasons in Amherst. The departure of Makar, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft and 2019 Hobey Baker Award winner, was a mere formality, but UMass coaches had expected Ferraro to stay for one more season. Moving on from two game-changing defenders will certainly be difficult.
The Terriers lost forwards Joel Farabee and Shane Bowers, defensemen Dante Fabbro and Luke Krys, and goaltender Jake Oettinger, four of whom were first round draft picks. It could be tough sledding in 2019-20 for second year head coach Albie O’Connell.
Leaman’s Friars lost several key players early, as well. Gone with eligibility remaining are forwards Kasper Bjorkqvist, Josh Wilkins, and Brandon Duhaime and defenseman Jacob Bryson.
Northeastern wasn’t prepared for the early exit of goaltender Cayden Primeau, who left following his sophomore season to sign with the Montreal Canadiens. Madigan’s Huskies expected to have Primeau for three seasons. Also gone early is top defenseman and New Jersey Devils prospect Jeremy Davies.
Boston College lost goaltender Joseph Woll, who signed with Toronto, but his void will be filled by Spencer Knight, a first round pick.
Other key early departures around the league include center Chase Pearson and defenseman Brady Keeper at Maine, defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic at Merrimack, defenseman Mattias Goransson at UMass Lowell, defenseman Jake Massie at Vermont, and goaltender Adam Huska at Connecticut.
Recruiting changes
Starting in May, college hockey programs are now forbidden from offering scholarships to players prior to August 1 ahead of their junior season. Communication cannot begin until January of a prospect’s sophomore season.
That won’t impact several league schools, who have typically chosen to wait on the recruiting trail. UMass, UMass Lowell, Merrimack, New Hampshire and Connecticut will be the least affected.
It will be interesting to see how the new legislation impacts Boston College, Boston University and other top programs. A player or two might head to major junior who previously would have headed to college hockey.
But, a potential benefit is those top programs won’t be bogged down with limited scholarships available when late bloomers become available in the recruiting process. It’s much more likely that programs will miss on early recruits as opposed to those who have proven themselves in junior hockey.
The impact of grad transfers
Graduate transfers are a relatively new phenomenon, but it has gained even more traction this off-season. Several Hockey East schools gained or lost lost players due to the loophole that allows players to transfer without sitting out if they graduate first.
Northeastern added Craig Pantano from Merrimack and James Van Riemsdyk from New Hampshire. Pantano is likely to be the starting goaltender for the Huskies and van Riemsdyk should see middle six minutes and be a piece of the puzzle on the power play.
Goaltender Michael Lackey graduated from Harvard and is in the mix to be the starting goaltender at Providence.
It’s a trend that will continue and it will be interesting to follow. Could it hurt lesser programs as players graduate and look for greener pastures? Will players at marquee programs graduate early in hopes of finding more playing time elsewhere? Both scenarios are likely to happen.
