UNH Freshman Nolan McElhaney: An Offensive Defenseman

Nolan McElhaney
UNH Defenseman #7

"Nolan is someone who sees the ice well and will add size to our back end. He has showed tremendous will power in battling back from injury." Mike Souza, UNH Head Coach

"Nolan is an offensive defenseman and is constantly looking to activate into the offensive rush." Neutral Zone

Nolan McElhaney UNH Jersey #7 Defenseman, 6'3", 190 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Natick, Massachusetts DOB: 4-22-1999 Turned 20 in April Neutral Zone Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Last Team: Omaha Lancers (USHL)                       ~ Right/Left Defenseman **Season-ending Injury in 5th Game Commits to UNH: January, 2018 at Age 18 years, 9 months. "Nolan McElhaney: Cushing Academy Defenseman Commits to UNH"

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Nolan McElhaney at the UNH Hockey Media Day on September 25th.

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): What would you like UNH fans to know about you, both as a person and a hockey player?

Nolan McElhaney: On the ice, I think I'm an offensive minded defenseman. I like to push the pace playing with the puck on my stick and jumping into the play as much as possible - to create offense and help to score. Defensively, I like to shut down the top lines. I like playing against the best players on the other team to help us win games.

I would call myself a quiet guy in the locker room. But if I need to be, I can be a talkative guy. I like to make sure that everyone knows what they're doing on the ice before the game starts. On the ice, I like to lead by example and do whatever I need to do to help the team win and hopefully, everyone else will figure that out.

Mike Lowry: Do you see yourself as similar to any of the upperclass defensemen on the team in terms of style and skill set?

Nolan McElhaney: I think I'm similar to Benton Maass. I try to imitate how he plays. He's been teaching me a lot over the past month, giving me a lot of pointers. He's drafted in the NHL and he'll be there soon and hopefully I'll follow not far behind. I'm trying to get as much from him now and implement that into my game as much as I can.

Lowry: Can you give an example of one of the things he's conveyed to you that's been helpful?

McElhaney: Like in 2-on-1 situations, good sticks like jumping at the guy and then back and then staying in the middle. He's a good stick in the defensive zone. He knows where he needs to be and where his stick placement is. On the blueline, he knows how to walk the puck along the blueline very well. He's been teaching me how to do that and it's coming along real well.

Winter 2017 Highlight Reel

Neutral Zone Scouting Report

Battle of Boston, May, 2018

"Nolan had a breakout year at Cushing this year and his development hasn’t slowed. He is an offensive defensemen and is constantly looking to activate into the offensive rush. He is long and lean and will need to continue to develop strength so that he is tougher to play against in his own zone. He sees the ice well and is at his best with the puck on his stick through the neutral zone. Heavy shot from the point. Sees shooting angles well."

Youth, Prep & Junior Hockey Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Nolan McElhaney  (D)	2018-19	Omaha Lancers	USHL	5	0	0	0	2
	2017-18	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	14	9	15	24	14
		EMass Senators	MHSL U18	18	7	6	13	24
	2016-17	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	32	5	10	15	-
		EMass Senators	MHSL U18	14	1	8	19	15
	2015-16	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	31	3	4	7	-
		Junior Bruins	MHSL U16	11	4	2	6	10