UNH Roster Changes for 2022-23: Outgoing Players

Changes in NCAA Eligibility & Transfer Rules

In seasons prior to 2020-21, player turnover from the end of one season and beginning of the next was straightforward. Graduating seniors plus underclassmen turning pro would leave and incoming freshmen would backfill the open roster spots. It got more complicated during the 2020-21 season when the NCAA implemented two new rules.

In the summer and fall 2020, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic was causing great uncertainty for college athletes. Many were trying to decide whether to use a year of eligibility to play and risk either catching the virus and/or playing an abbreviated season due to game cancellations. The NCAA provided relief in October, 2020 when it implemented the "one-time rule" for Division 1 athletes. It provided one extra year of eligibility to play college sports for all members of the 2020-21 teams. For example, a senior hockey player gained the option to play one extra season after graduation.

Then, in April, 2021, the NCAA implemented the "one-time transfer waiver rule". Players who want to transfer from one Division 1 hockey school to another no longer have to sit out a season. In effect, free agency was created in college athletics.

The administrative mechanism for processing a request to transfer to another Division 1 hockey program is the "transfer portal". It includes a database of all players seeking to transfer. Now, if a D1 hockey player wants to pursue a transfer to another college hockey program, he first needs to provide written notification of his request to enter the "transfer portal" to his current school's NCAA compliance administrator. That request must be submitted by May 1st.

There's a level of uncertainty facing a player considering entrance into the transfer portal. For example, he is not allowed to contact the coach of a program he might be interested in until after officially entering the portal. Another consideration is once he enters the portal, the coach of the program where he has played is not obliged to keep the roster slot open or maintain the athletic scholarship for the coming season.

Outgoing UNH Players from 2021-22 Roster

There are several ways a player on the 2021-22 roster becomes an outgoing player. One is a 5th-year player who has used up his 4 years of standard eligibility plus the extra year of eligibility provided by the one-time rule. Goalie Mike Robinson and forward Eric MacAdams meet this criterion.

Another criterion is a graduating senior who turned professional. Defensemen Will MacKinnon (Reading Royals/ECHL) and Ryan Verrier (Worcester Railers/ECHL), and forwards Filip Engaras (Bakersfield Condors/AHL) and Tyler Ward (Maine Mariners/Kansas City Mavericks/ECHL) are in this category. In addition, Joe Cipollone signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) and played 4 games with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) before being released. A graduating senior who chose to move on from hockey is also considered an outgoing player. Defenseman Drew Hickey plans to enter Law School.

Another category includes graduating seniors who entered the transfer portal and earned a verbal committment with another Division 1 hockey program. To date, forward Jackson Pierson has committed to Notre Dame and Eric Esposito has committed to Mercyhurst College.

The final group of 2021-22 players who are considered outgoing are those who have entered the transfer portal and not yet secured a verbal committment from another college hockey program. There are two forwards - Lucas Herrmann and Carsen Richels in this category. In addition, there is graduating senior Alec Semandel, a defenseman, who has not yet obtained a verbal committment from another college program. Hypothetically, any one of these players may be allowed to return to play at UNH next season but I think that is unlikely.

To summarize, here is the current list of outgoing players:
GOALIE (1)
Mike Robinson

DEFENSEMEN (4)
Will MacKinnon
Ryan Verrier
Drew Hickey
Alec Semandel

FORWARDS (8)
Eric MacAdams
Filip Engaras
Tyler Ward
Joe Cipollone
Jackson Pierson
Eric Esposito
Carsen Richels
Lucas Herrmann

Implications for Potential Incoming Players

The 2021-22 UNH men's hockey roster included 29 players - 3 goalies, 9 defensemen, and 17 forwards. Let's assume the coaching staff keeps the same overall number as well as the number for each category of player for the 2022-23 season. That would mean roster slots for 1 incoming goalie, 4 incoming defensemen, and 8 incoming forwards. As I explained earlier, there are two pools of potential incoming players - potential freshmen and transfers. In my next article, I'll make projections on who the incoming players are likely to be. Within that group, I have varying degrees of confidence about my projections. I will explain that as well. Stay tuned.