UNH 2021 Off-Season Thread: Finally!?!

[HockeyRef]

Max Gildon named to AHL All Rookie Team: https://theahl.com/2020-21-ahl-all-rookie-team

A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2017 NHL Draft, Max Gildon spent the 2020-21 season on loan to Bakersfield following three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. The 22-year-old native of Plano, Texas, tied for second among all AHL defensemen with 17 assists and ranked fourth among both rookies and defensemen with a plus-16 rating in 32 games. Gildon tied a Condors franchise record with four assists in a game vs. Henderson on Apr. 28.

Congratulations Max! Also to Andrew Poturalski who had an excellent season as well...

[Chuck Murray]

Max Gildon named to AHL All Rookie Team: https://theahl.com/2020-21-ahl-all-rookie-team

A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2017 NHL Draft, Max Gildon spent the 2020-21 season on loan to Bakersfield following three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. The 22-year-old native of Plano, Texas, tied for second among all AHL defensemen with 17 assists and ranked fourth among both rookies and defensemen with a plus-16 rating in 32 games. Gildon tied a Condors franchise record with four assists in a game vs. Henderson on Apr. 28.

Congratulations Max! Also to Andrew Poturalski who had an excellent season as well...

Gildon is well-positioned in an organization which could utilize and develop his skills at the NHL level in the not-too-distant future. Nice to see him thriving in his first pro season. Future looks bright.

[Dan]

USHL Phase II Draft:
1.10 | Morgan Winters, Youngstown
2.16 | Stiven Sardarian, Youngstown

[Chuck Murray]

Fun hockey trivia question for the offseason, with the subject (loosely) being Bobby Orr.

When Bobby Orr returned to Boston Garden in January 1979 for his jersey retirement ceremony ... which team provided the opposition for the Bruins that evening?

[Snively65]

Fun hockey trivia question for the offseason, with the subject (loosely) being Bobby Orr.

When Bobby Orr returned to Boston Garden in January 1979 for his jersey retirement ceremony ... which team provided the opposition for the Bruins that evening?

Not a regular season game, so maybe a Russian team?

To stay with the theme, who was the last Bruin to wear No. 4 before Bobby Orr, who was initially offered No. 5, Dit Clapper's number, which had not yet been retired at the time?

[Snively65]

Max Gildon named to AHL All Rookie Team: https://theahl.com/2020-21-ahl-all-rookie-team

A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2017 NHL Draft, Max Gildon spent the 2020-21 season on loan to Bakersfield following three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. The 22-year-old native of Plano, Texas, tied for second among all AHL defensemen with 17 assists and ranked fourth among both rookies and defensemen with a plus-16 rating in 32 games. Gildon tied a Condors franchise record with four assists in a game vs. Henderson on Apr. 28.

Congratulations Max! Also to Andrew Poturalski who had an excellent season as well...

Anyone still upset that Max's younger bro Mike did not come to UNH?

[Chuck Murray]

Not a regular season game, so maybe a Russian team?

You are definitely on the right track, Snives. I got curious when watching a video of Orr's ceremony, which literally started with an eight (8) minute, non-stop standing ovation. Orr's wife Peggy got another minute herself, before Bobby came out onto the ice. It may also have been the last time Harry Sinden (relatively early in his long stint as B's GM) got a favorable reaction from the Bruins' faithful. And yet, even before he was exposed as the rat he truly was, Alan Eagleson (Orr's now-infamous agent) got heavily booed, presumably for taking Orr to Chicago in '76. John Ziegler (NHL commish) got some light booing, while former NHL commish Clarence Campbell got polite applause.

I saw a brief clip of the opposition's jerseys, and initially thought it was the long-relocated Kansas City Scouts, as their white jerseys featured a "KC" styled logo. But KC had already moved to Colorado (Rockies) by then, on their way to New Jersey. I'll stop here and let you figure out the rest ... :-)

To stay with the theme, who was the last Bruin to wear No. 4 before Bobby Orr, who was initially offered No. 5, Dit Clapper's number, which had not yet been retired at the time?

Al Langlois. I only know this because I lost a trivia contest 25 years ago when I didn't know. My first conscious memories of the Bruins and Bobby Orr date back to the '68 playoffs and the crunching hit Orr took late in a blowout win against Toronto. That turned into a proverbial Pier Six brawl in the end, I might refer back to that for another series of trivia questions later. :-)

[Chuck Murray]

I'm feeling pretty good about my first round picks (so far anyway). Two up, one down, but with four of the remaining five holding leads in their series to date (fifth is deadlocked). If I'd only stuck with my head and picked the Avs over the Blues, I'd be in with a shot at running the table for the first round. And all four of my choices for the Cup semis are at least still in play.

I still think Colorado turns into "Toronto West" against Vegas. Toronto proper will have to fight their own demons against the McDavid-killing Jets. Edmonton may become the "new Toronto", I figured they would struggle against the 'Peg, but honestly I'm shocked at seeing them getting swept.

Hockey postseason - it's the most wonderful time of the year!!! :-)

Leafs may not be quite done yet being the same "choking-dogs-in-the-postseason" Leafs.

Still think they'll beat the Habs in Game 7 ... but it didn't have to come down to this ...

[NCAA watcher]

The problem remains a lack of consolidation of top talent - and hanging on to certain upperclassmen ensures that the development of UNH's better recruits is spread far too thin. Most of the upperclass names you mention are fine players, but they're not top-line or top-pair talent and the depth behind them is either not up to par or not quite ready for par...

By the time Evans, Turner or potentially Rickwood would be ready to contribute in a top-six role, Ward, Pierson and Blaisdell will be gone. It's a continuation of the cycle UNH has been stuck in for years - some talent, not enough....

Let's dream of a world in which Rickwood picks UNH. Joining Sardarian. Suddenly, you have 22-23 with a strong top 6 (depending on Pierson or Engaras staying a fifth year), and a very competitive 23-24 year.


2021-22
Sr.Ward---------------Sr.Pierson-----------Grad.MacAdams
Jr.Blaisdell------------Sr.Engaras----------So.Cafarelli
Jr.Stevenson---------So.Gendron----------Fr.Cronin
Fr.Margel-----------Jr.Herrmann---------Fr.Evans
So.Richels------------Sr.Cipollone---------Sr.Esposito
Fr.J.Ring--------------Fr.Sweeney---------Jr.Hankinson

Jr.Eriksson--------Fr.Gagne
Sr.MacKinnon-----So.Reid
Sr.Verrier---------So.Jenson
Fr.Huard----------Sr.Semandel
Sr.Hickey

Grad.Robinson-----Jr.Fessenden----So.Forman

2022-23
Grad.Ward-------------[[[[Grad.Pierson or Engaras]]]]------So.Evans
Sr.Blaisdell----------Fr.Sardaryan--------Fr.Rickwood
Sr.Stevenson-------Jr.Gendron-----------Jr.Cafarelli/So.Cronin
So.Margel-----------Sr.Herrmann---------Fr.Turner
Jr.Richels-----------Fr.Leclerc-------------Fr.Devlin/Fr.D.Sacco
Fr.Winters----------So.Sweeney----------Sr.Hankinson
So.J.Ring-----------

Sr.Eriksson-------So.Gagne
Jr..Reid-----------Fr.Ardanaz
Fr.Carfagna------Jr.Jenson
So.Huard---------Fr.Penney

Fr.Baliotti-----------Sr.Fessenden---------Jr.Forman

2023-24
Grad.Blaisdell-------So.Sardaryan-------Jr.Evans
Grad.Stevenson-------Sr.Cafarelli----------So.Rickwood
Jr.Margel------------Sr.Gendron-----------Jr.Cronin
Sr.Richels-----------So.Turner------------So.D.Sacco
So.Winters---------So.Leclerc-------------So.Devlin
Jr.J.Ring-----------Jr.Sweeney-------------Fr.N.Ring

Sr.Reid-----------Jr.Gagne
So.Ardanaz-------Fr.Fitzgerald
So.Carfagna------Sr.Jenson
Jr.Huard---------So.Penney

So.Baliotti-----------Fr.Muszelik---------Jr.Forman

Still an awful lot of dreaming, but the path seems clearer if you get a couple of BCHL all-rookie teamers Evans/Ardanaz followed by BCHL rookie of the year/MVP Rickwood.

[Chuck Murray]

Let's dream of a world in which Rickwood picks UNH. Joining Sardarian. Suddenly, you have 22-23 with a strong top 6 (depending on Pierson or Engaras staying a fifth year), and a very competitive 23-24 year.


2021-22
Sr.Ward---------------Sr.Pierson-----------Grad.MacAdams
Jr.Blaisdell------------Sr.Engaras----------So.Cafarelli
Jr.Stevenson---------So.Gendron----------Fr.Cronin
Fr.Margel-----------Jr.Herrmann---------Fr.Evans
So.Richels------------Sr.Cipollone---------Sr.Esposito
Fr.J.Ring--------------Fr.Sweeney---------Jr.Hankinson

Jr.Eriksson--------Fr.Gagne
Sr.MacKinnon-----So.Reid
Sr.Verrier---------So.Jenson
Fr.Huard----------Sr.Semandel
Sr.Hickey

Grad.Robinson-----Jr.Fessenden----So.Forman

2022-23
Grad.Ward-------------[[[[Grad.Pierson or Engaras]]]]------So.Evans
Sr.Blaisdell----------Fr.Sardaryan--------Fr.Rickwood
Sr.Stevenson-------Jr.Gendron-----------Jr.Cafarelli/So.Cronin
So.Margel-----------Sr.Herrmann---------Fr.Turner
Jr.Richels-----------Fr.Leclerc-------------Fr.Devlin/Fr.D.Sacco
Fr.Winters----------So.Sweeney----------Sr.Hankinson
So.J.Ring-----------

Sr.Eriksson-------So.Gagne
Jr..Reid-----------Fr.Ardanaz
Fr.Carfagna------Jr.Jenson
So.Huard---------Fr.Penney

Fr.Baliotti-----------Sr.Fessenden---------Jr.Forman

2023-24
Grad.Blaisdell-------So.Sardaryan-------Jr.Evans
Grad.Stevenson-------Sr.Cafarelli----------So.Rickwood
Jr.Margel------------Sr.Gendron-----------Jr.Cronin
Sr.Richels-----------So.Turner------------So.D.Sacco
So.Winters---------So.Leclerc-------------So.Devlin
Jr.J.Ring-----------Jr.Sweeney-------------Fr.N.Ring

Sr.Reid-----------Jr.Gagne
So.Ardanaz-------Fr.Fitzgerald
So.Carfagna------Sr.Jenson
Jr.Huard---------So.Penney

So.Baliotti-----------Fr.Muszelik---------Jr.Forman

Still an awful lot of dreaming, but the path seems clearer if you get a couple of BCHL all-rookie teamers Evans/Ardanaz followed by BCHL rookie of the year/MVP Rickwood.

Dreaming is free. Unfortunately, a lot of recent dreams have gone elsewhere. Philly, Ottawa, BU ...

[Snively65]

You are definitely on the right track, Snives. I got curious when watching a video of Orr's ceremony, which literally started with an eight (8) minute, non-stop standing ovation. Orr's wife Peggy got another minute herself, before Bobby came out onto the ice. It may also have been the last time Harry Sinden (relatively early in his long stint as B's GM) got a favorable reaction from the Bruins' faithful. And yet, even before he was exposed as the rat he truly was, Alan Eagleson (Orr's now-infamous agent) got heavily booed, presumably for taking Orr to Chicago in '76. John Ziegler (NHL commish) got some light booing, while former NHL commish Clarence Campbell got polite applause.

I saw a brief clip of the opposition's jerseys, and initially thought it was the long-relocated Kansas City Scouts, as their white jerseys featured a "KC" styled logo. But KC had already moved to Colorado (Rockies) by then, on their way to New Jersey. I'll stop here and let you figure out the rest ... :-)



Al Langlois. I only know this because I lost a trivia contest 25 years ago when I didn't know. My first conscious memories of the Bruins and Bobby Orr date back to the '68 playoffs and the crunching hit Orr took late in a blowout win against Toronto. That turned into a proverbial Pier Six brawl in the end, I might refer back to that for another series of trivia questions later. :-)

Turns out something seems amiss with Bobby Orr's Wikipedia pages, as Dit Clapper's no. 5 was raised to the rafters in 1947 soon after he retired, so I think that it would have been very strange if the Bruins management offered Bobby Orr that number.

Meanwhile, Brett Pesce got a goal for the cause in winning game 3 against the Lightning. In my heart I have been rooting for the 'Canes (aka The Whale), but in my brain I suspect that the Lightning will prevail in the Central. In my heart I have been rooting for the Bruins (of course), but in my brain I thought that the Caps would take the East. so maybe my heart still has a chance on this one. For the West, in my heart I have been rooting for the Avs (aka The Nordiques), and my brain agrees. For the North, in my heart I rooted for the Leafs (1966/67 was too long ago for their last SC), but my brain has said the Canadians (and their hot goaltender) would win the North once they made the cut. Some great games so far, I think.

[Chuck Murray]

You are definitely on the right track, Snives. I got curious when watching a video of Orr's ceremony, which literally started with an eight (8) minute, non-stop standing ovation. Orr's wife Peggy got another minute herself, before Bobby came out onto the ice. It may also have been the last time Harry Sinden (relatively early in his long stint as B's GM) got a favorable reaction from the Bruins' faithful. And yet, even before he was exposed as the rat he truly was, Alan Eagleson (Orr's now-infamous agent) got heavily booed, presumably for taking Orr to Chicago in '76. John Ziegler (NHL commish) got some light booing, while former NHL commish Clarence Campbell got polite applause.

I saw a brief clip of the opposition's jerseys, and initially thought it was the long-relocated Kansas City Scouts, as their white jerseys featured a "KC" styled logo. But KC had already moved to Colorado (Rockies) by then, on their way to New Jersey. I'll stop here and let you figure out the rest ... :-)

Just to tie off loose ends, the B's opposition on the night of Bobby Orr's return to Boston for his jersey retirement ceremony was none other than The Wings of the Soviet.

My first conscious memories of the Bruins and Bobby Orr date back to the '68 playoffs and the crunching hit Orr took late in a blowout win against Toronto. That turned into a proverbial Pier Six brawl in the end, I might refer back to that for another series of trivia questions later. :-)

It was actually the '69 playoffs, but this was/is the first NHL game I have any conscious recollection of. Some trivia questions arising from that bizarre game follow, for anyone who wants to take a swing ...

(1) In the '69 Stanley Cup divisional semis (first round), the Bruins faced the Leafs for the right to advance to what was the "de facto" Stanley Cup Finals, since the divisional winner would then advance to face the winner of the expansion division in the "technical" Finals. What team would advance from the expansion division, and who was their head coach?

(2) The first game of the B's-Leafs series was the one that featured a heavy hit on Bobby Orr, which was reminiscent of the crunching Schieffle-Evans hit in Game One of the current Habs-Jets series, with two skaters coming at close to full speed in opposite directions. Orr was laid out by the hit by this well-known and (for B's fans) infamous Leafs player, who would go on to a more notable career in management later on. Name him (easy one)?

(3) Orr was stretchered off after that infamous hit. How many games did he miss as a result?

(4) What was Game One's final score? The aggregate score of the first two games in Boston?

(5) Later in Game One after the infamous hit on Orr, there was an all-out Pier Six brawl in which anohter Leafs player got involved in a series of altercations, in this order ... first, with a B's goalie, then punched out an on-ice official, followed by a 2nd bout with the goalie, and finally with a feisty B's forward, who broke the Leafs' players nose. Take a shot at any of the following:

(a) Leafs' player who got two fighting majors, two misconducts, and a suspension?
(b) Bruins' goalie who had two separate altercations with said feisty Leafs' player?
(c) Bruins feisty forward who was the only guy to get the better of the Leafs' player?
(d) BONUS POINTS: name of the punched-out official, and length of suspension?

This was definitely a prime example of "old time hockey", Eddie Shore style. Miss those days. :-)

[amkirby10]

So apparently Greg Carvel just signed a lifetime contract to stay in Amherst. I figured you fellas would have something to say regarding lifetime contracts...

[Chuck Murray]

So apparently Greg Carvel just signed a lifetime contract to stay in Amherst. I figured you fellas would have something to say regarding lifetime contracts...

Ironically, our "lifetime" guy leveraged his deal against an offer to coach at UMass Amherst.

At least Carvel sealed the deal with this year's NC to earn his, I guess.

In retrospect ... the Umile deal probably looked to be a genius move for maybe 5 years, as UNH bounced back quickly after two FF trips in the late '90's to make two more FF trips in the early '00's, plus won their first (and to date only) two HEA Lamoriello Trophies to boot. But once McCloskey moved over to the Women's side, Umile's apparent aversion to recruiting beyond the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital catch basin reared its ugly head, and when Scott Borek couldn't keep McCloskey's standards for recruiting quality going, the emperor was slowly but surely disrobed over the next decade-plus that followed.

Eventually the "lifetime" deal became an albatross that sunk the UNH program. As far as Carvel goes ... well, interestingly he's just lost his ace in the hole (Barr) on the recruiting side, and filled it with a decent qualified candidate, not that unlike UNH's Borek hire to replace McCloskey. Like Umile, there's no reason not to expect Carvel to ride the momentum of Barr's recruiting prowess for a few seasons more, and hope his coaching and the new guy's recruiting can keep them at or near the top. So on the surface, there appears to be some compelling similarities and parallels between where UMass is now, and where UNH was about 20 years ago. Oh ... except of course for the "won the last game of the season" thingie.

For what it's worth ... I think there are more than a few guys around D-1 hockey who have de facto "lifetime" deals, either now or in the recent past. Parker (BU) probably could and would have continued but for some uncomfortable incidents at the end of his reign, York no doubt will be at BC as long as he wants to, Leaman is certainly being treated similarly by PC, and I doubt Bazin (Lowell) is going anywhere anytime soon, either. Even Luce seems to be on irrationally solid footing at Storrs for a guy still looking for his first winning season in HEA after almost a decade. And of course, now Carvel. I guess it's a good time to be a HC in Hockey East. Job security doesn't seem to be a major issue of concern anywhere ...

[Gibber]

Good evening folks, long time!
Longshot but I’m wondering if anyone has a ticket stub from the 2009 NCAA regional win over NoDak. I’m working on a framed piece with a photo I took of the celly from the game tying goal signed by Fortney and JVR and was hoping to include a ticket with it… I’d happily trade a print of that image (I can’t seem to upload it from my phone) if anyone would be willing…
I hope everyone is well!