Yale and Nobles alum Luke Stevens has signed a one-year contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as NEHJ first reported last week. The ’97 left wing from Duxbury, Mass., played the past four seasons for Keith Allain at Yale. In 31 games during the 2019-20 season, Stevens had seven...
Yale and Nobles alum Luke Stevens has signed a one-year contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as NEHJ first reported last week.
The ’97 left wing from Duxbury, Mass., played the past four seasons for Keith Allain at Yale. In 31 games during the 2019-20 season, Stevens had seven goals and five assists for 12 points. It was the most productive year of his Bulldogs tenure. He finished his collegiate career with 19 goals and 16 assists in 101 games.
Stevens became a free agent on Aug. 15 when he wasn’t signed by the Carolina Hurricanes. He originally was drafted by that organization in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft.
Stevens is the son of former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Kevin Stevens, who is now a special assignment scout for the organization. Another Penguins amateur scout who would have seen a lot of Stevens is Frank Golden. The elder Stevens and Golden were instrumental in the organization acquiring and signing John Marino out of Harvard during last offseason. Marino, a ’97 from North Easton, Mass., played some youth hockey with Stevens.
MacLeod changes commitment
New Hampton alum Isaac MacLeod has switched his college commitment from Dartmouth to St. Lawrence, the school announced Monday morning. He’s expected to play junior hockey this season before matriculating to the Canton, N.Y., ECAC Hockey program in 2021-22.
MacLeod, an ’02 left wing from Caledonia, Ont., had a monster senior season for the Huskies in 2019-20. In 35 games, MacLeod potted 39 goals and added 26 assists for 65 points. During the 2018-19 season as a junior, he scored 23 goals and 17 assists.
MacLeod came to New Hampton from the Toronto Junior Canadians in the GTHL. He’s a skilled winger with tremendous hands. His ability to stickhandle and make highlight-reel plays with the puck on his stick always has been a positive attribute. His skating has gotten better, but it’s an area of his game that could use continued improvement.
