 |
| The UNH Men's Hockey Blog |
Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
At the time of this writing, Johns Hopkins University reports 600 people in the United States have died from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The death toll worldwide is 18,227 people. The number of confirmed cases in the USA (currently 49,768) and throughout the world (398,107) is rapidly increasing every day. Given the devastation the coronavirus is causing to the physical and emotional health of so many, to say nothing of the associated financial crisis, I have been reluctant to report on the University of New Hampshire hockey program and the young players committed to join it in the coming years. I hope this "UNH Commits Update" provides a welcome diversion for UNH fans.Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Hockey East cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season on March 12th, the day before the Quarterfinal Playoff Series was set to begin. On the final day of the regular season, the UNH squad had not qualified for the playoffs so were spared the disappointment endured by the top 8 Hockey East teams and their fans.
9 UNH Commits - Finished 2019-20 Season
The table below shows the final 2019-20 statistics for the 22 recruits committed to pursue a college education at UNH and play hockey for the Wildcats. Nine of the UNH Commits were able to finish their season before Covid-19 forced a cancellation of youth and junior hockey leagues. These players have a green "F" next to their name.The 5 UNH commits playing high school hockey - Carsen Richels (Blaine, MN HS) and New England Prep School players David Sacco (Lawrence Academy), JP Turner (Avon Old Farms), Damien Carfagna (Lawrence Academy), and Morgan Winters (Tabor Academy) - completed the season.
Nicolas Ardanaz (West Kelowna Warriors) and Nicholas Cafarelli (Wenatchee Wild) played on teams eliminated in the first round of British Columbia Hockey League Playoffs. Jack Ring and the South Shore Kings did not qualify for the National Collegiate Development Conference Playoffs while his younger brother Nick Ring (Boston Advantage U18) completed his season.
13 UNH Commits - End of 2019-20 Season Cancelled
On March 12th, the junior hockey leagues in North America suspended play, until further notice, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019-20 season ended prematurely for thirteen UNH Commits. These players have a purple "X" next to their name on the statistics table.On March 18th, the United States Hockey League officially cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The USHL teams still had 10-13 remaining games in the regular season. The season ended for UNH Commits Luke Reid (Chicago Steel), Alex Gagne (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Nikolai Jenson (Youngstown Phantoms), Timo Bakos (Sioux Falls Stampede), Robert Cronin (Dubuque Fighting Saints), and Liam Devlin. Reid and Devlin's team, the Chicago Steel, had the best record in the USHL (41-7-1) and was the only team to have clinched a playoff berth.
The North American Hockey League was in a similar situation when they cancelled the season on March 17th. Their regular season had 6-10 games remaining. No doubt, this was disappointing news for three of UNH's newest commits. Cam Gendron, Joe Nagle, and Cade Penney were playing for the New Jersey Titans (31-13-1), the NAHL's top team.
The British Columbia Hockey League had just completed the first round of their playoffs when they cancelled the remainder of the season on March 13th. Will Margel was one UNH Commit still playing. His team, the Coquitlam Express (37-17-4), had the third best regular season record in the BCHL and had just swept the Langley Rivermen in the quarterfinal series. Connor Sweeney and the Trail Smoke Eaters (36-17-2) were also still playing. They swept the Prince George Spruce Kings in the quarterfinals.
The National Collegiate Development Conference cancelled their season on March 13th, the day before the NCDC Playoffs were set to begin. Cy LeClerc and the Islanders Hockey Club (29-17-4) and Aidan Curran and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs had qualified for the NCDC Playoffs.
2019-20 Final Statistics
| Player | NZ Stars** | Team | League | GP | Goals | Asst | Pts | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Commits | Luke Reid X 9/26/01 (D) | 4.75 | Chicago Steel | USHL | 60 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 36 | +15 | Team USA | WJAC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Carsen Richels* F 10/3/01 (F) | 4.0 | Blaine High School | Minn HS | 25 | 27 | 25 | 52 | 12 | |
| Playoffs | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| MPLS ST PAUL | UMidwest HSELH | 13 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 8 | |||
| Playoffs | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Elite League All-Star Team | Internat | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Cam Gendron X 2/5/99 (F) | 3.75 | New Jersey Titans | NAHL | 50 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 48 | +11 |
| Prospects | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -1 | Joe Nagle X 5/17/99 (D) | 3.75 | New Jersey Titans | NAHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -2 |
| Northeast Generals | NAHL | 38 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 22 | -2 | ||
| Prospects | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +3 | |||
| Will Margel* X 3/16/01 (F) | 3.75 | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | 30 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 8 | |
| Playoffs | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | ||||
| Madison Capitols | USHL | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -10 | ||
| 2020 or '21 Commits | |||||||||
| Alex Gagne* X 8/12/02 (D) | 4.25 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | 38 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 26 | -8 |
| Nicolas Ardanaz F 5/30/02 (D) | 3.75 | West Kelowna Warriors | BCHL | 58 | 4 | 28 | 32 | 14 | |
| Playoffs | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Nikolai Jenson X 7/28/00 (D) | 3.75 | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 39 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 36 | -14 |
| Nicholas Cafarelli F 12/31/01 (F) | 3.75 | Wenatchee Wild | BCHL | 42 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 27 | |
| Playoffs | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Connor Sweeney X 5/5/00 (F) | 3.5 | Trail Smoke Eaters | BCHL | 58 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 37 | |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2021 Commits | |||||||||
| Timo Bakos X 7/28/00 (F) | 4.0 | Sioux Falls Stampede | USHL | 41 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 8 | -1 |
| Cade Penney X 3/23/01 (D) | 4.0 | New Jersey Titans | NAHL | 51 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 24 | +30 |
| Prospects | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | |||
| David Sacco F 1/3/02 (F) | 3.75 | Lawrence Academy | NE Prep | 23 | 17 | 23 | 40 | - | |
| Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | ||||
| Cape Cod Whalers U18 | EHF Selects | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 18 | |||
| Mass Regionals | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Cy LeClerc X 8/17/02 (F) | 3.75 | Islanders Hockey Club | NCDC | 50 | 22 | 33 | 55 | 8 | |
| Robert Cronin X 8/15/00 (F) | 3.75 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 44 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 20 | +4 |
| Liam Devlin X 1/7/01 (F) | 3.75 | Chicago Steel | USHL | 36 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 22 | +5 |
| Aidan Curran X 1/22/01 (F) | 3.5 | NH Jr Monarchs | NCDC | 22 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 2 | |
| Bonnyville Pontiacs | AJHL | 13 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||
| Salmon Arm Silverbacks | BCHL | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Jack Ring F 12/18/00 (F) | 3.5 | South Shore Kings | NCDC | 15 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | |
| Northeast Generals | NAHL | 35 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 8 | +1 | ||
| 2021 or '22 Commits | |||||||||
| JP Turner F 1/31/03 (F) | 4.25 | Avon Old Farms | NE Prep | 25 | 14 | 14 | 28 | - | |
| Playoffs | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | - | ||||
| NV River Rats 16U | Beast Series | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 34 | |||
| Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Mass Regionals | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Damien Carfagna F 12/12/02 (D) | 3.75 | Lawrence Academy | NE Prep | 26 | 7 | 22 | 29 | - | |
| Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | ||||
| NV River Rats 18U | Beast Series | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Mass Regionals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Morgan Winters F 12/8/01 (F) | 3.75 | Tabor Academy | NE Prep | 23 | 8 | 20 | 28 | - | |
| NV River Rats 18U | Beast Series | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |||
| Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2022 or '23 Commits | |||||||||
| Nick Ring F 10/26/03 (F) | 3.75 | Boston Advantage U18 | ECEL | 11 | 4 | 3 | 7 | - | |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | - | ||||
| Mass Regionals | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| * = Signed National Letter of Intent | |||||||||
| ** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating | |||||||||
| F = Finished the season | |||||||||
| X = End of season Cancelled | |||||||||
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2020 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2020. I have based these projections on the following factors:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
No comments:
Post a Comment