A pair of seniors have earned two of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s most prestigious individual awards as announced today (March 8), with forward Jack Connolly of the University of Minnesota Duluth being named WCHA Player of the Year for 2011-12 and Brad Eidsness, a goaltender at the University of North Dakota, selected as WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year.
The league’s five other major individual awards went to University of Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz as WCHA Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, University of Denver defenseman Joey LaLeggia as WCHA Rookie of the Year, Connolly as WCHA Scoring Champion, University of Minnesota netminder Kent Patterson as WCHA Goaltending Champion, and to first-year head coach Mel Pearson of Michigan Technological University as WCHA Coach of the Year.
Connolly, who received 48 of the 96 votes in player of the year balloting, also captured the league’s scoring title (conference games only) with 43 points (16g, 27a) while playing in all 28 games for the defending national champion Bulldogs – after finishing second a year ago. Named to the All-WCHA First Team for the second straight season and a two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 15, Feb. 14), he averaged a league-best 1.54 points per game, was first in assists, first in power-play points (8-16=24) and had three game-winning goals. A native of Duluth, Minn., Connolly was a finalist for the 2010-11 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, was a first team All-American last season, and is a finalist for this season’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. He is currently second nationally in points with 55 and for his career (through March 8) he has 64 goals, 128 assists and 192 points, which ties him for ninth place on UMD’s all-time career scoring list with 1984 Hobey Baker winner Tom Kurvers. Connolly has also been held pointless for more than two games in a row only twice since the start of his sophomore season – six weeks ago when he was blanked in the Michigan Tech series – which ended his school single-season record 22-game point-scoring streak. He has also played in a school-record 161 consecutive games.
North Dakota’s Eidsness, a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete, was named the men’s WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year in a vote of league member team Faculty Athletic Representatives. Over the course of his four years he has not only stayed on track with progress towards a degree but he has completed both a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and by May will have completed the requirements and be awarded a Master of Business Administration degree. In recognition of his academic efforts, he was awarded an NCAA Elite 88 Award for men’s ice hockey at the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four. Eidsness graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.779 cumulative GPA in undergraduate work and has a 3.625 cumulative GPA in graduate school. During this past fall semester, he completed 15 credits of graduate coursework with a term GPA of 3.80 while continuing to perform well for the UND hockey team as a regular goaltender. He has seen action in 14 games this season and sports a 7-3-1 record, a noteable 2.09 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. Over his career at UND, he has a 57-27-10 won-loss record with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage along with five shutouts. In addition to his stellar work in the classroom and on the ice, Eidsness has been active on campus as a team representative to SAAC and with community service. His contributions include annual food drives, fan fests, Sioux Kids Club events and speaking engagements at a number of different community events.
The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award is determined from nominations made by the member institutions and each institution then has one final vote. The criteria is as follows: 1) must be a senior student-athlete, i.e. one who is finishing his competition as an eligible player in the WCHA; 2) consistently displays outstanding sportsmanship on and off the ice; 3) is a good student making satisfactory progress toward a degree; and 4) is a good hockey player who has performed consistently as a regular member of the team.
For the second straight season, the league’s 12 head coaches voted University of Wisconsin blueliner Justin Schultz as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. This is only the third time in the history of the award that started in 1991 that a player has won it twice. Colorado College defenseman Eric Rud won the award in both 1995-96 and 1996-97 while Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold earned the honor in both 2000-01 and 2001-02. From West Kelowna, B.C., and a first team All-American honoree and Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top 10 Finalist as a sophomore, Schultz also earned All-WCHA First Team honors for the second straight season and he is the third straight Wisconsin player to earn the league’s defensive player of the year award (Brendan Smith in 2009-10). The nation’s, and the WCHA’s, top point-producing defenseman, Schultz is averaging 1.24 points per game through 34 games this season (15-27=42) and if he stays on top of the UW’s current goal-scoring list for 2011-12, he’ll become the first defenseman in school history to lead the team in goal scoring. A draftee of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, he logs 30-35 minutes of ice time per game, leads the Badgers with a +11 plus/minus rating, and has produced almost a point per game over his 118-game collegiate career, with 39 goals, 72 assists and 111 points. Schultz was the league’s defensive player of the week on both Nov. 29 and Jan. 24.
Honored as the WCHA Rookie of the Year for 2011-12 was University of Denver freshman defenseman Joey LaLeggia, who was named on 55 ballots, and also earned All-WCHA First Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team accolades. From Burnaby, B.C., LaLeggia has stepped in as a rookie and averaged better than a point per game for the Pioneers, ranking just behind Schultz in scoring overall among league defensemen with 37 points (11g, 26a) in 36 games. He was also the top scoring rookie in WCHA play this season with 8-20=28 in 28 conference games, leads all NCAA rookie defensemen in points, goals and assists, and owns an impressive +16 plus/minus rating. He is tied with teammate Jason Zucker for the team lead with 13 multiple-point games, he was named the HCA (Hockey Commissioners’ Association) National Rookie of the Month for January, and was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 17.
Earning the WCHA goaltending crown for 2011-12 was Minnesota veteran Kent Patterson, who was also voted to the All-WCHA First Team. A senior from Plymouth, Minn., Patterson owned a league-best 2.06 goals-against average while playing in all 28 games and a league-leading 1659:41 of action for the WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup-champion Golden Gophers. He also owned a WCHA-best 20 victories (20-8-0, .714) and his .918 conference save percentage ranked third. Patterson,w ho earned three WCHA Defensive Player of the Week awards on Oct. 11, Nov. 1 and Feb. 21, has played in 82 games at UM (through March 8) with a 40-27-9 record, a 2.38 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage over 4,559:54 of action.
The WCHA Coach of the Year for 2011-12 is Mel Pearson of Michigan Technological University, who led a resurgent Huskies team to an 11-13-4 league record and 26 points, just two points out of a top six finish and a first round home playoff berth. The most improved team in the WCHA this winter, Pearson left a long and successful tenure as the top assistant coach at CCHA-powerhouse Michigan to take over the MTU program and had the Huskies in contention for a top division finish through the final weekend of the regular season. A former Michigan Tech player, Pearson elevated the Huskies from a 4-30-4 overall record a year ago to a 14-18-4 mark so far this season and lifted them from a 2-24-2 league slate in 2010-11 to a 11-13-4 record in his first year behind the bench. Along the way, MTU posted a 7-5-2 home record in WCHA play, earned sweeps over Wisconsin and Alaska Anchorage, took three of four points from visiting Denver in late October and at defending national champion Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 27-28, and had an impressive WCHA road victory at Minnesota on Dec. 9.
Four conference-member teams – Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Denver – are represented on the All-WCHA First Team for 2011-12, with the Bulldogs and Gophers each landing two players.
Named to the All-WCHA First Team, with statistics for league games only, were: F – Jack Connolly, Sr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 16-27=43); F - Nick Bjugstad, So., Minnesota (27 gp, 16-13=29); F - J.T. Brown, So., Minnesota Duluth (26 gp, 18-19=37); D - Justin Schultz, Jr., Wisconsin (28 gp, 10-18=28); D - Joey LaLeggia, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 8-20=28); G - Kent Patterson, Sr., Minnesota (20-8-0, 2.06, .918). Connolly was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Nov. 15 and Feb. 14, Bjugstad was the HCA National Player of the Month for November and the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 22. Brown was WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Feb. 7 and Feb. 28. Schultz earned the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award on Nov. 29 and Jan. 24 and LaLeggia was so-honored on Jan. 17. Patterson, who was the HCA National Player of the Month for October, also received the league’s weekly defensive honor on Oct. 11, Nov. 1 and Feb. 21.
Members of the 2011-12 All-WCHA Second Team are: F - Jaden Schwartz, So., Colorado College (25 gp, 12-23=35); F - Drew Shore, Jr., Denver (27 gp, 14-23=37); F - Jason Zucker, So., Denver (27 gp, 19-18=37); D - Gabe Guentzel, Sr., Colorado College (28 gp, 4-16=20); D - Nate Schmidt, So., Minnesota (28 gp, 2-21=23); G - Kenny Reiter, Sr., Minnesota Duluth (15-7-5, 2.58, .904). Shore was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Oct. 25 and Jan. 4. Schmidt was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 28 and Reiter earned the award on three occasions – Nov. 8, Nov. 15 and Jan. 11.
Voted to the All-WCHA Third Team for 2011-12 were: F - Mark Zengerle, So., Wisconsin (28 gp, 11-25=36); F - Brock Nelson, So., North Dakota (28 gp, 20-13=33); F - Travis Oleksuk, Sr., Minnesota Duluth (18 gp, 14-22=36); D - Nick Jensen, So., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 5-18=23); D - Ben Blood, Sr., North Dakota (28 gp, 1-13=14); G - Josh Thorimbert, So., Colorado College (12-4-1, 2.33, .928). Zengerle was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on March 6, Nelson was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 and Oleksuk was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 11. Jensen earned the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award on Dec. 20 while Thorimbert was so honored on Nov. 22 and March 6.
Members of the All-WCHA Rookie Team as selected by the voters for 2011-12 were: F - Kyle Rau, Fr., Minnesota (27 gp, 12-15=27); F - Jean-Paul Lafontaine, Fr., Minnesota State (28 gp, 10-13=23); F - Jayson Megna, Fr., Nebraska Omaha (28 gp, 12-12=24); D - Joey LaLeggia, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 8-20=28); D - Andrew Prochno, Fr., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 4-18=22); G - Juho Olkinuora, Fr., Denver (5-4-3, 2.32, .915). Rau, who was the HCA National Rookie of the Week for October, was a three-time WCHA Rookie of the Week – on Oct. 18, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28. Lafontaine earned the WCHA Rookie of the Week award on Nov. 8 and Prochno earned the honor on Jan. 24. Olkinuora earned both the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honor on Jan. 4 and the WCHA Rookie of the Week award on Nov. 29.
Repeat members of all-league teams from 2010-11 were: Jack Connolly, F, UMD (All-WCHA First Team in 2010-11); Justin Schultz, D, UW (All-WCHA First Team); Jason Zucker, F, DU (All-WCHA Second Team); Drew Shore, F, DU (All-WCHA Second Team); Kent Patterson, G, UM (All-WCHA Second Team); and Jaden Schwartz, F, CC (All-WCHA Third Team). Zucker, Schwartz and UMD forward J. T. Brown were members of the All-WCHA Rookie Team last season.
Two players named to the all-league teams were also honored on Feb. 15 as WCHA Scholar-Athletes for 2011-12. They were: Kenny Reiter, Sr., G, Minnesota Duluth (All-WCHA Second Team) and Nick Jensen, So., D, St. Cloud State (All-WCHA Third Team).
To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.
Major award winners and members of the various all-league teams who were also recognized today as member of the 2011-12 men’s All-WCHA Academic Team were: Gabe Guentzel, Sr., D, Colorado College (All-WCHA Second Team); Drew Shore, Jr., F, Denver (All-WCHA Second Team); Jason Zucker, So., F, Denver (All-WCHA Second Team); Kent Patterson, Sr., G, Minnesota (All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Goaltending Champion); Nate Schmidt, So., D, Minnesota (All-WCHA Second Team); Jack Connolly, Sr., F, Minnesota Duluth (WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Scoring Champion, All-WCHA First Team); Kenny Reiter, Sr., G, Minnesota Duluth (All-WCHA Second Team); Ben Blood, Sr., D, North Dakota (All-WCHA Third Team); Brad Eidsness, Sr., G, North Dakota (WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year); Brock Nelson, So., F, North Dakota (All-WCHA Third Team); Nick Jensen, So., D, St. Cloud State (All-WCHA Third Team); and Mark Zengerle, So., F, Wisconsin (All-WCHA Third Team).
Voting for the WCHA awards is done by conference member coaches, players, sports information directors and local media. Each team receives eight ballots for a total of 96 voters. Points for awards and all-league teams are awarded on a 5 (1st team vote), t3 (2nd team), and 1 (3rd team vote) basis. The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year award is selected by member team Faculty Athletic Representatives while the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year is selected by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Showing posts with label wcha awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wcha awards. Show all posts
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Jack Connolly Named WCHA Player of the Year; Other League Honors
As usual, I present the WCHA press release announcing the league honors without commentary or snark. Just the facts, ma'am/sir.
Monday, March 05, 2012
2012 All-WCHA Ballot
Geez, this is difficult. I mean, there are always hard decisions, but this year seemed more difficult than most.
I tried to flesh out some of the award candidates this week, but in some cases, I made the picture cloudier for myself.
After a couple hours spent Saturday looking at the ballot, moving people around, and complaining about the decisions on Twitter, I've filled out a complete ballot.
As usual, I encourage all the other voters in the media to be open about their votes, but each person can make that call for themselves. Fans are free to use the comments area or hit me up on Twitter to ask questions or just vent because they think I'm an idiot.
Then again, they're always free to do that.
Here is my ballot, complete with explanations and all that jazz.
ALL-WCHA TEAMS
FORWARDS
First team
Jack Connolly, UMD
Brock Nelson, North Dakota
Travis Oleksuk, UMD
Second team
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota
JT Brown, UMD
Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin
Third team
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College
Drew Shore, Denver
Jason Zucker, Denver
Apologies to
Terry Broadhurst, Nebraska Omaha; Jordan George, Bemidji State; Ben Hanowski, St. Cloud State; Erik Haula, Minnesota
Overview
There were several difficult decisions in this group, even once I narrowed the group down to nine players. Hanowski was probably tenth. I liked Nelson over Bjugstad largely because of his consistency in the league games I've seen UND play, along with the production he's put up despite North Dakota's lack of scoring depth versus Minnesota. That was probably the toughest call, followed up by Zengerle being on the second team when he was so good this season. Oleksuk got the nod over teammate Brown for the first team because of the improvement in his all-around game, along with prowess on faceoffs.
In the end, I took Jaden over Rylan because of his points per game totals. He's done a lot in a more limited number of total games.
DEFENSEMEN
First team
Ben Blood, North Dakota
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
Second team
Brad Hunt, Bemidji State
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Third team
Brady Lamb, UMD
Nate Schmidt, Minnesota
Apologies to
Gabe Guentzel, Colorado College; Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State
Overview
Generally not as difficult as the forwards, but a couple tough calls, especially on the second and third teams. Schultz is way ahead of everyone in this group, and I think Blood is a clear second. Schmidt doesn't make it over Jensen by much, but I don't care where the points come from. It's hard to not look at a defenseman with 30 assists.
GOALIES
First team
Kent Patterson, Minnesota
Second team
Kenny Reiter, UMD
Third team
Josh Thorimbert, Colorado College
Overview
Pretty straightforward here. Only issue was small number of legitimate candidates. Patterson and Reiter have won games and have been consistent throughout the season, and that should count for something in a year where so many teams struggled to keep goalies healthy and playing well.
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Caleb Herbert, UMD
Jean-Paul Lafontaine, Minnesota State
Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Apologies to
David Johnstone, Michigan Tech; Jayson Megna, Nebraska Omaha
Overview
Rau and Herbert are easy picks. I ended up taking Lafontaine over Megna in the end because I was more impressed by Lafontaine when I saw him, and his numbers in WCHA play are better than Megna's. Very tough decision, though.
Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State
Apologies to
Chris Casto, UMD
Overview
Casto's played a ton of minutes and played well, but I think Prochno has been a little better. LaLeggia is a slam-dunk here, being that he leads WCHA rookies in points.
Goalie
Ryan Faragher, St. Cloud State
Overview
Faragher stepped in for an injured Mike Lee, and while SCSU still needs a win and help to get home ice, the Huskies would probably not be anywhere near the home ice chase were it not for the play Faragher has given them in goal.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
WCHA Player of the Year
Jack Connolly, F, UMD
Connolly is an easy pick, with a convincing WCHA scoring championship and points in nearly all of UMD's games this season. There isn't a better playmaker in college hockey, and he's helped a number of UMD players achieve career years this season. Justin Schultz would be second on the ballot if we voted a top three or something like that. Schultz is the best defenseman in the country, bar none.
WCHA Rookie of the Year
Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver
Spent a lot of time on this one. Wrote a blog about it this week. In the end, I'm choosing LaLeggia, largely becauseI hate the Gophers we're talking about a rookie scoring a point per game on the blue line. That's freaking insane. Oh, and it's not all about power plays. LaLeggia's plus-16 this season. Rau had a great, great year, and I love watching the smaller guys like him compete at this level, especially when they're as damn competitive as Rau is.
But it's hard for me to turn away from that kind of play from a freshman defenseman in the toughest league college hockey has to offer.
WCHA Coach of the Year
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota
Mel Pearson and Michigan Tech had a great year, but you can't coach health. Pearson benefited from a healthy team, something Hakstol never had. Throw in JT Miller bolting for major juniors, and it's been a cruel year for North Dakota. Oh, and there's the nickname flap, too, and you can't tell me it didn't have some impact on the players. Hakstol got his guys to keep going, leaned on his high-level guys for a lot of minutes, and coaxed a fourth-place finish out of a team that started slow and had no depth (17 skaters right now).
Another tough choice, and Pearson will probably win. I like the guy a lot, so I'm not going to scream if that happens. But I like Hakstol, too, and I really like what he's done this season.
I tried to flesh out some of the award candidates this week, but in some cases, I made the picture cloudier for myself.
After a couple hours spent Saturday looking at the ballot, moving people around, and complaining about the decisions on Twitter, I've filled out a complete ballot.
As usual, I encourage all the other voters in the media to be open about their votes, but each person can make that call for themselves. Fans are free to use the comments area or hit me up on Twitter to ask questions or just vent because they think I'm an idiot.
Then again, they're always free to do that.
Here is my ballot, complete with explanations and all that jazz.
ALL-WCHA TEAMS
FORWARDS
First team
Jack Connolly, UMD
Brock Nelson, North Dakota
Travis Oleksuk, UMD
Second team
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota
JT Brown, UMD
Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin
Third team
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College
Drew Shore, Denver
Jason Zucker, Denver
Apologies to
Terry Broadhurst, Nebraska Omaha; Jordan George, Bemidji State; Ben Hanowski, St. Cloud State; Erik Haula, Minnesota
Overview
There were several difficult decisions in this group, even once I narrowed the group down to nine players. Hanowski was probably tenth. I liked Nelson over Bjugstad largely because of his consistency in the league games I've seen UND play, along with the production he's put up despite North Dakota's lack of scoring depth versus Minnesota. That was probably the toughest call, followed up by Zengerle being on the second team when he was so good this season. Oleksuk got the nod over teammate Brown for the first team because of the improvement in his all-around game, along with prowess on faceoffs.
In the end, I took Jaden over Rylan because of his points per game totals. He's done a lot in a more limited number of total games.
DEFENSEMEN
First team
Ben Blood, North Dakota
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
Second team
Brad Hunt, Bemidji State
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Third team
Brady Lamb, UMD
Nate Schmidt, Minnesota
Apologies to
Gabe Guentzel, Colorado College; Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State
Overview
Generally not as difficult as the forwards, but a couple tough calls, especially on the second and third teams. Schultz is way ahead of everyone in this group, and I think Blood is a clear second. Schmidt doesn't make it over Jensen by much, but I don't care where the points come from. It's hard to not look at a defenseman with 30 assists.
GOALIES
First team
Kent Patterson, Minnesota
Second team
Kenny Reiter, UMD
Third team
Josh Thorimbert, Colorado College
Overview
Pretty straightforward here. Only issue was small number of legitimate candidates. Patterson and Reiter have won games and have been consistent throughout the season, and that should count for something in a year where so many teams struggled to keep goalies healthy and playing well.
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Caleb Herbert, UMD
Jean-Paul Lafontaine, Minnesota State
Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Apologies to
David Johnstone, Michigan Tech; Jayson Megna, Nebraska Omaha
Overview
Rau and Herbert are easy picks. I ended up taking Lafontaine over Megna in the end because I was more impressed by Lafontaine when I saw him, and his numbers in WCHA play are better than Megna's. Very tough decision, though.
Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State
Apologies to
Chris Casto, UMD
Overview
Casto's played a ton of minutes and played well, but I think Prochno has been a little better. LaLeggia is a slam-dunk here, being that he leads WCHA rookies in points.
Goalie
Ryan Faragher, St. Cloud State
Overview
Faragher stepped in for an injured Mike Lee, and while SCSU still needs a win and help to get home ice, the Huskies would probably not be anywhere near the home ice chase were it not for the play Faragher has given them in goal.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
WCHA Player of the Year
Jack Connolly, F, UMD
Connolly is an easy pick, with a convincing WCHA scoring championship and points in nearly all of UMD's games this season. There isn't a better playmaker in college hockey, and he's helped a number of UMD players achieve career years this season. Justin Schultz would be second on the ballot if we voted a top three or something like that. Schultz is the best defenseman in the country, bar none.
WCHA Rookie of the Year
Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver
Spent a lot of time on this one. Wrote a blog about it this week. In the end, I'm choosing LaLeggia, largely because
But it's hard for me to turn away from that kind of play from a freshman defenseman in the toughest league college hockey has to offer.
WCHA Coach of the Year
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota
Mel Pearson and Michigan Tech had a great year, but you can't coach health. Pearson benefited from a healthy team, something Hakstol never had. Throw in JT Miller bolting for major juniors, and it's been a cruel year for North Dakota. Oh, and there's the nickname flap, too, and you can't tell me it didn't have some impact on the players. Hakstol got his guys to keep going, leaned on his high-level guys for a lot of minutes, and coaxed a fourth-place finish out of a team that started slow and had no depth (17 skaters right now).
Another tough choice, and Pearson will probably win. I like the guy a lot, so I'm not going to scream if that happens. But I like Hakstol, too, and I really like what he's done this season.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
WCHA Awards: First Team Forwards
While a couple individual award races in the WCHA should prove to be interesting, I wanted to take a little bit to focus on what should be a fun little problem for voters, and that's the fact that only three forwards can make the All-WCHA first team.
In all honesty, this could be the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years of calling games. In most years, you have a slam-dunk couple of players, with two or three more fighting for the third spot.
This year, however, there is really only one slam-dunk candidate for the first team, and the other two spots could realistically go to any of about eight players. It's insane how good this league is at the forward position this year.
Jack Connolly, UMD. The Hobey front-runner leads the league in scoring, both overall and when you only count conference games. He's seven points clear of teammate Travis Oleksuk for the league lead in all games (54-47), and seven points clear of Oleksuk, JT Brown, and Denver's Drew Shore in conference games (42-35). No reason not to have Connolly on the first team, unless you hate America or something.
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota. There aren't many holes in the big man's game this season. Bjugstad has developed into one of the best power forwards in college hockey, and he has the numbers to back up such statements. Bjugstad has 23 goals -- including some really big ones -- and 38 points in 33 games for the first-place Gophers. He's been probably the most important offensive player on a team that has experienced quite a resurgence this season.
JT Brown, UMD. Despite missing two games with an upper body injury, Brown has 20 goals and 42 points overall, and an impressive 17 goals and 35 points in 24 WCHA games. He's likely to leave UMD after this season, but man has he been impressive during his two-year stint, quickly becoming one of the best players in college hockey.
Brock Nelson, North Dakota. While the Fighting Sioux have experienced their share of struggles when it comes to keeping players healthy, Nelson has become a rock on the top line. Like Bjugstad, it's been fun to watch Nelson get better and better throughout the season, and he's been rewarded with a 22-goal season thus far, including 19 goals and 32 points in 26 league games. Nelson's ability to score from virtually anywhere -- especially from the faceoff dots in -- will be crucial to UND's playoff chances.
Travis Oleksuk, UMD. While Connolly is having one of the best seasons you'll find anywhere in college hockey this season, Oleksuk has quietly put together his finest collegiate season in his senior year. Oleksuk has career highs in goals (21), assists (26), and points (47), and is tied for second in WCHA play with 35 total points. He wins faceoffs, kills penalties, and is one of the players Scott Sandelin will not hesitate to put on the ice late in close games.
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College. It's easy to forget him, because he missed games at the World Juniors, but Schwartz is again one of the league's best players. In 26 total games, the 2010 first-round pick (St. Louis) has 36 points, nearly a point and a half per game. He's averaging 1.35 points per game in WCHA play, ranking him in the top ten. What's most impressive to me is watching him compete. He's not going to make anyone forget Mike Testwuide, but Jaden Schwartz will stick his nose in the tough areas and do a lot of the little things to make plays.
Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College. Despite Jaden being a bigger name, Rylan might be a better candidate for the first team. He has 22 goals this season to lead his team, and like his younger brother, Rylan makes a lot of noise by going to the net and wreaking havoc. I like both players, but I'd probably take Rylan over Jaden, largely because he's been able to stay in the lineup, and he's made some big plays for his team over the course of the season as a result.
Drew Shore, Denver. Hard to argue with the way Shore's played this season. He's having a great year, with 45 points and 19 goals overall. He's tied for second with 35 points in league play, so he's produced against tough WCHA competition. He's another guy who will get ice time in all the tough situations, and there are a lot of big goals he's been a part of for DU.
Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin. You can forget some guys when they play on ninth-place teams, but that would be a real disservice to Zengerle. He's overshadowed as an elite player on his own team by Justin Schultz, and he's overshadowed as an elite passer in the WCHA by Connolly. He's forgotten about because he "only" has 11 goals, as if no one can read the next number on his scoring line (33 assists), a number that's just as important as any. Unless Badger players are getting all their goals on end-to-end rushes, Zengerle's a big part of the offense, and he's a very good player who deserves recognition.
Jason Zucker, Denver. I told you there was a long list. Zucker may not have enjoyed a great World Juniors, but he's come back and continued to play well for Denver. His 1.34 points per game rank him sixth in all games, and he's fourth in league games at 1.36. In all, Zucker has 18 goals in 25 WCHA games, and his speed makes him one of the most dangerous players in college hockey.
In all honesty, this could be the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years of calling games. In most years, you have a slam-dunk couple of players, with two or three more fighting for the third spot.
This year, however, there is really only one slam-dunk candidate for the first team, and the other two spots could realistically go to any of about eight players. It's insane how good this league is at the forward position this year.
The shoo-in
Jack Connolly, UMD. The Hobey front-runner leads the league in scoring, both overall and when you only count conference games. He's seven points clear of teammate Travis Oleksuk for the league lead in all games (54-47), and seven points clear of Oleksuk, JT Brown, and Denver's Drew Shore in conference games (42-35). No reason not to have Connolly on the first team, unless you hate America or something.
The other top contenders
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota. There aren't many holes in the big man's game this season. Bjugstad has developed into one of the best power forwards in college hockey, and he has the numbers to back up such statements. Bjugstad has 23 goals -- including some really big ones -- and 38 points in 33 games for the first-place Gophers. He's been probably the most important offensive player on a team that has experienced quite a resurgence this season.
JT Brown, UMD. Despite missing two games with an upper body injury, Brown has 20 goals and 42 points overall, and an impressive 17 goals and 35 points in 24 WCHA games. He's likely to leave UMD after this season, but man has he been impressive during his two-year stint, quickly becoming one of the best players in college hockey.
Brock Nelson, North Dakota. While the Fighting Sioux have experienced their share of struggles when it comes to keeping players healthy, Nelson has become a rock on the top line. Like Bjugstad, it's been fun to watch Nelson get better and better throughout the season, and he's been rewarded with a 22-goal season thus far, including 19 goals and 32 points in 26 league games. Nelson's ability to score from virtually anywhere -- especially from the faceoff dots in -- will be crucial to UND's playoff chances.
Travis Oleksuk, UMD. While Connolly is having one of the best seasons you'll find anywhere in college hockey this season, Oleksuk has quietly put together his finest collegiate season in his senior year. Oleksuk has career highs in goals (21), assists (26), and points (47), and is tied for second in WCHA play with 35 total points. He wins faceoffs, kills penalties, and is one of the players Scott Sandelin will not hesitate to put on the ice late in close games.
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College. It's easy to forget him, because he missed games at the World Juniors, but Schwartz is again one of the league's best players. In 26 total games, the 2010 first-round pick (St. Louis) has 36 points, nearly a point and a half per game. He's averaging 1.35 points per game in WCHA play, ranking him in the top ten. What's most impressive to me is watching him compete. He's not going to make anyone forget Mike Testwuide, but Jaden Schwartz will stick his nose in the tough areas and do a lot of the little things to make plays.
Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College. Despite Jaden being a bigger name, Rylan might be a better candidate for the first team. He has 22 goals this season to lead his team, and like his younger brother, Rylan makes a lot of noise by going to the net and wreaking havoc. I like both players, but I'd probably take Rylan over Jaden, largely because he's been able to stay in the lineup, and he's made some big plays for his team over the course of the season as a result.
Drew Shore, Denver. Hard to argue with the way Shore's played this season. He's having a great year, with 45 points and 19 goals overall. He's tied for second with 35 points in league play, so he's produced against tough WCHA competition. He's another guy who will get ice time in all the tough situations, and there are a lot of big goals he's been a part of for DU.
Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin. You can forget some guys when they play on ninth-place teams, but that would be a real disservice to Zengerle. He's overshadowed as an elite player on his own team by Justin Schultz, and he's overshadowed as an elite passer in the WCHA by Connolly. He's forgotten about because he "only" has 11 goals, as if no one can read the next number on his scoring line (33 assists), a number that's just as important as any. Unless Badger players are getting all their goals on end-to-end rushes, Zengerle's a big part of the offense, and he's a very good player who deserves recognition.
Jason Zucker, Denver. I told you there was a long list. Zucker may not have enjoyed a great World Juniors, but he's come back and continued to play well for Denver. His 1.34 points per game rank him sixth in all games, and he's fourth in league games at 1.36. In all, Zucker has 18 goals in 25 WCHA games, and his speed makes him one of the most dangerous players in college hockey.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
WCHA Awards: Coach of the Year
Monday, I ran down the three players I think are the top candidates for WCHA Rookie of the Year.
Now, it's time to look at the race for top coach. Like Rookie of the Year, the Coach of the Year award is a simple vote for the participating media and other panelists. There isn't a first team, second team, and third team. Just one name.
Like Rookie of the Year, there might be a clear-cut choice for most, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right choice.
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota. This might not seem obvious to everyone. North Dakota, after all, won the MacNaughton and the Broadmoor last year, and the Fighting Sioux were a Shawn Hunwick head-stand away from the national title game against UMD.
But every year is different, especially when you lose as much as UND lost off last year's team (most notably, Matt Frattin, Chay Genoway, and Brad Malone, among others). Throw in a couple transfers and mix in a top prospect bolting for the CHL, and you have a team lacking a lot of depth going into the season.
All UND has endured this season are injuries to guys like Derek Forbort, Rocco Grimaldi, Brendan O'Donnell, and Derek Rodwell, and yet Hakstol has a team robbed of its depth within striking distance of third place in the league.
He might not win the award, but there's no question that Hakstol deserves consideration.
Don Lucia, Minnesota. "Blah!," you say. But who picked Minnesota to win the league? Lucia has found a way to get this program turned around and back from a couple of seriously mediocre seasons. Recruiting guys like Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau helps, and the emergence of Kent Patterson as a more consistent goaltender hasn't been a hindrance.
Lucia deserves credit, though. While some fans were trying to run him out of town, Lucia dumped John Hill for Mike Guentzel, who has made an immediate impact on the team's defensemen. Minnesota is not without its flaws, but is a deep team with scoring on all lines, a lethal power play, and a goalie good enough to win games if other parts of the team break down.
Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech. After a couple injury-riddled seasons that challenged the resolve of everyone involved with the program, it was time for Jamie Russell to go. No, you can't blame the rash of injuries on Russell, but instead it was all about making a change. Alum Pearson came aboard after intially deciding not to take the job while the Michigan team he was an assistant for advanced to the NCAA title game.
Pearson has benefited from a healthier team for sure, and players Russell recruited have made an impact. But Pearson also was able to engineer a quick and decisive change in the program's culture. It's that culture change that makes Pearson a top candidate for the award, even if it's easy to forget that the on-ice work has been done with players Pearson had no role in recruiting.
Russell is a good man, and I always enjoyed my interactions with him. I felt badly for what he went through the last two years, but it's also hard to argue with the school's decision to make a change, even given how much of what went wrong wasn't Russell's fault. It was just a miserable atmosphere around the program last year, and that atmosphere is incredibly different now.
Whether Tech steals home ice from Colorado College or not, Pearson is the leading candidate for this award. Despite the fact that Russell deserves a nod for bringing in the players Pearson is succeeding with, it's hard to overlook how hard Pearson had to work to change the culture in Houghton.
I think Hakstol has a slightly better case than Lucia. Expectations for UND might have been a touch on the high side going into the season, but they were high. And when you look at the way things have played out for UND, it's amazing they are in the position they are in. I just don't know that I'd take Hakstol over Pearson.
Michigan Tech won four games last season. Four. One less than five. Pearson's fifth win as Tech coach came on Oct. 28. Now, the Huskies are a point out of home ice with two games to play. If Pearson isn't the Coach of the Year, I'll be floored, though it's not for a lack of top candidates who could steal it from him.
Now, it's time to look at the race for top coach. Like Rookie of the Year, the Coach of the Year award is a simple vote for the participating media and other panelists. There isn't a first team, second team, and third team. Just one name.
Like Rookie of the Year, there might be a clear-cut choice for most, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right choice.
Top contenders
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota. This might not seem obvious to everyone. North Dakota, after all, won the MacNaughton and the Broadmoor last year, and the Fighting Sioux were a Shawn Hunwick head-stand away from the national title game against UMD.
But every year is different, especially when you lose as much as UND lost off last year's team (most notably, Matt Frattin, Chay Genoway, and Brad Malone, among others). Throw in a couple transfers and mix in a top prospect bolting for the CHL, and you have a team lacking a lot of depth going into the season.
All UND has endured this season are injuries to guys like Derek Forbort, Rocco Grimaldi, Brendan O'Donnell, and Derek Rodwell, and yet Hakstol has a team robbed of its depth within striking distance of third place in the league.
He might not win the award, but there's no question that Hakstol deserves consideration.
Don Lucia, Minnesota. "Blah!," you say. But who picked Minnesota to win the league? Lucia has found a way to get this program turned around and back from a couple of seriously mediocre seasons. Recruiting guys like Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau helps, and the emergence of Kent Patterson as a more consistent goaltender hasn't been a hindrance.
Lucia deserves credit, though. While some fans were trying to run him out of town, Lucia dumped John Hill for Mike Guentzel, who has made an immediate impact on the team's defensemen. Minnesota is not without its flaws, but is a deep team with scoring on all lines, a lethal power play, and a goalie good enough to win games if other parts of the team break down.
Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech. After a couple injury-riddled seasons that challenged the resolve of everyone involved with the program, it was time for Jamie Russell to go. No, you can't blame the rash of injuries on Russell, but instead it was all about making a change. Alum Pearson came aboard after intially deciding not to take the job while the Michigan team he was an assistant for advanced to the NCAA title game.
Pearson has benefited from a healthier team for sure, and players Russell recruited have made an impact. But Pearson also was able to engineer a quick and decisive change in the program's culture. It's that culture change that makes Pearson a top candidate for the award, even if it's easy to forget that the on-ice work has been done with players Pearson had no role in recruiting.
Russell is a good man, and I always enjoyed my interactions with him. I felt badly for what he went through the last two years, but it's also hard to argue with the school's decision to make a change, even given how much of what went wrong wasn't Russell's fault. It was just a miserable atmosphere around the program last year, and that atmosphere is incredibly different now.
Overview
Whether Tech steals home ice from Colorado College or not, Pearson is the leading candidate for this award. Despite the fact that Russell deserves a nod for bringing in the players Pearson is succeeding with, it's hard to overlook how hard Pearson had to work to change the culture in Houghton.
I think Hakstol has a slightly better case than Lucia. Expectations for UND might have been a touch on the high side going into the season, but they were high. And when you look at the way things have played out for UND, it's amazing they are in the position they are in. I just don't know that I'd take Hakstol over Pearson.
Michigan Tech won four games last season. Four. One less than five. Pearson's fifth win as Tech coach came on Oct. 28. Now, the Huskies are a point out of home ice with two games to play. If Pearson isn't the Coach of the Year, I'll be floored, though it's not for a lack of top candidates who could steal it from him.
Monday, February 27, 2012
WCHA Awards: Rookie of the Year
When I arrive at the National Hockey Center Friday night, there will be some paperwork waiting for me. It's going to be time for the WCHA awards ballot, and there will be some deliberating going on, at least for me.
Throughout the week, I'm going to take some time to look at what I think are the most intriguing races, presenting arguments for and against some of the top candidates for various honors. You're invited to join in with the comments, as well as the ol' Twitter and Facebook bit, which you can access on the left.
In this go round, we'll examine the top candidates for WCHA Rookie of the Year. Candidates will be listed alphabetically, largely because doing it any other way could imply a bias that doesn't exist, as I haven't really decided my vote on any of these awards yet.
The top contenders
Caleb Herbert, F, UMD. In a "normal" season, a freshman who earns a second-line role over more experienced players because of his speed and quick transition to the college game would be a much better bet for this award. Herbert's taken Kyle Schmidt's vacated spot at left wing on a line with Travis Oleksuk and JT Brown, and that line might be better than it was a year ago.
Herbert might not have Schmidt's smarts, but he has great speed, is a very determined player, and he compliments Oleksuk and Brown well, even though it's a different dynamic than what we saw last season. Watch him take the body, and it's easy to forget how much skill he possesses.
The problem for Herbert is that this is a numbers game, too, and his don't stack up. He's a clear No. 3 in my view, but I can't rate him any higher than that.
Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver. Somehow, LaLeggia's become almost a forgotten man in this race. This despite the fact that LaLeggia leads all WCHA rookies in scoring, and he's doing it as a defenseman. He's six points behind Wisconsin's Justin Schultz -- a legit Hobey candidate -- for top honors among all defensemen in the league.
LaLeggia has a lethal shot, and he's very dangerous with the puck on his stick. He plays for a highly-visible program, both in the league and nationally. Not that it matters much, but you can't even blame his high point total on power play production, as LaLeggia only has 14 of his 36 points on the power play.
So where's the buzz? I'm undecided on my vote, and LaLeggia's a big reason why.
Kyle Rau, F, Minnesota. You've probably heard the superlatives. Rau's scored a few big goals in his day. His points-per-game average is identical to LaLeggia, and six of his 16 goals have been game-winners, for a team that's been in a lot of close games this season.
There was considerable buzz about Rau from the start of the season, which went immensely well for him. He's got 27 points in 26 WCHA games, so it's not like he fattened up too much on Sacred Heart or Niagara or whatever.
(For the record, LaLeggia has 27 WCHA points, too, so that's not going to help separate the candidates.)
Rau's a beast around the net, isn't afraid to mix it up physically, and exudes confidence every time he's on the ice. It's not a factor for me, but I wonder how much his one-game suspension for an illegal check on Denver's Jason Zucker will matter in the voters' minds.
Overview
I believe -- no matter how I end up voting -- that Rau is going to win this award easily. I think the buzz has been too great, and when the vast majority of voters in this process are relying on -- yes -- buzz, it is often too hard to overcome that. The voters the WCHA employs for this process (myself included) are going off the few chances they have to see these teams in person (remember that Minnesota played only two games against most of the teams in the league, not four). For example, I only saw Rau play twice in person, and I happened to catch a couple other Gopher games on the DVR. UMD hasn't had an off weekend since Christmas break, so my chances to just sit around and watch hockey on television have been severely limited.
I'll do some more recon on these two players this week, but I look at this as a very tough decision. Rau's on the better team record-wise, and he's had some impact in the fact that his team is better. But Denver might not be in the race for home ice without guys like LaLeggia, who has been very steady and solid -- and sometimes dynamic -- on the blue line.
It's one of many close races for awards and honors, in my view. It'll be very interesting to see how it all breaks down once we get into the week of the WCHA Final Five. I'd love to hear from fans about how they feel this should break down. If you feel one player or another should be a lock to win this, explain yourself. I'm just not seeing either guy as a lock, and it's going to be a frustrating time trying to figure this one out.
Throughout the week, I'm going to take some time to look at what I think are the most intriguing races, presenting arguments for and against some of the top candidates for various honors. You're invited to join in with the comments, as well as the ol' Twitter and Facebook bit, which you can access on the left.
In this go round, we'll examine the top candidates for WCHA Rookie of the Year. Candidates will be listed alphabetically, largely because doing it any other way could imply a bias that doesn't exist, as I haven't really decided my vote on any of these awards yet.
The top contenders
Caleb Herbert, F, UMD. In a "normal" season, a freshman who earns a second-line role over more experienced players because of his speed and quick transition to the college game would be a much better bet for this award. Herbert's taken Kyle Schmidt's vacated spot at left wing on a line with Travis Oleksuk and JT Brown, and that line might be better than it was a year ago.
Herbert might not have Schmidt's smarts, but he has great speed, is a very determined player, and he compliments Oleksuk and Brown well, even though it's a different dynamic than what we saw last season. Watch him take the body, and it's easy to forget how much skill he possesses.
The problem for Herbert is that this is a numbers game, too, and his don't stack up. He's a clear No. 3 in my view, but I can't rate him any higher than that.
Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver. Somehow, LaLeggia's become almost a forgotten man in this race. This despite the fact that LaLeggia leads all WCHA rookies in scoring, and he's doing it as a defenseman. He's six points behind Wisconsin's Justin Schultz -- a legit Hobey candidate -- for top honors among all defensemen in the league.
LaLeggia has a lethal shot, and he's very dangerous with the puck on his stick. He plays for a highly-visible program, both in the league and nationally. Not that it matters much, but you can't even blame his high point total on power play production, as LaLeggia only has 14 of his 36 points on the power play.
So where's the buzz? I'm undecided on my vote, and LaLeggia's a big reason why.
Kyle Rau, F, Minnesota. You've probably heard the superlatives. Rau's scored a few big goals in his day. His points-per-game average is identical to LaLeggia, and six of his 16 goals have been game-winners, for a team that's been in a lot of close games this season.
There was considerable buzz about Rau from the start of the season, which went immensely well for him. He's got 27 points in 26 WCHA games, so it's not like he fattened up too much on Sacred Heart or Niagara or whatever.
(For the record, LaLeggia has 27 WCHA points, too, so that's not going to help separate the candidates.)
Rau's a beast around the net, isn't afraid to mix it up physically, and exudes confidence every time he's on the ice. It's not a factor for me, but I wonder how much his one-game suspension for an illegal check on Denver's Jason Zucker will matter in the voters' minds.
Overview
I believe -- no matter how I end up voting -- that Rau is going to win this award easily. I think the buzz has been too great, and when the vast majority of voters in this process are relying on -- yes -- buzz, it is often too hard to overcome that. The voters the WCHA employs for this process (myself included) are going off the few chances they have to see these teams in person (remember that Minnesota played only two games against most of the teams in the league, not four). For example, I only saw Rau play twice in person, and I happened to catch a couple other Gopher games on the DVR. UMD hasn't had an off weekend since Christmas break, so my chances to just sit around and watch hockey on television have been severely limited.
I'll do some more recon on these two players this week, but I look at this as a very tough decision. Rau's on the better team record-wise, and he's had some impact in the fact that his team is better. But Denver might not be in the race for home ice without guys like LaLeggia, who has been very steady and solid -- and sometimes dynamic -- on the blue line.
It's one of many close races for awards and honors, in my view. It'll be very interesting to see how it all breaks down once we get into the week of the WCHA Final Five. I'd love to hear from fans about how they feel this should break down. If you feel one player or another should be a lock to win this, explain yourself. I'm just not seeing either guy as a lock, and it's going to be a frustrating time trying to figure this one out.
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