2024-2025 Season - Providence College

NEW Friar said:

A very good season in the books. Could bode well for 2025-26, (depending on whether we are helped or hurt by the portal). I am also concerned about the crazy deterioration in US relations with Canada, (who could have imagined that would happen), and the impact of NIL on college athletics. I personally liked the world where amateur athletes were playing for their school and team and appreciated the value of their education and scholarship opportunities.

In prior seasons my posts were almost always driven by Zlax who never had anything good to say and an irrational prejudice against the coach. This year was very different and the absence of his posts was a surprising positive development.

I hope you all have a good offseason, the college hockey season is very long so it is difficult to break the habit of following it. Next task for me is canceling my ESPN+ subscription until October!

Thanks to all the readers and posters on this thread. All the best PC fans!

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Echoing your comments as well. Obviously not the result I wanted, but credit to Denver recruiting when they landed 2 Buium's in different years.

I liked the progress over the course of the year from the freshmen class. Connelly with his multiple injuries was hard to grade but the talent is there. Mustard developed nicely over the course of the year, as did Sawyer. Bales started to come along in the last couple months of the season. Kivioja impressed down the stretch with added playing time as well. Hard not to like Machu's game, his progression as well makes for a solid sophomore core for next year if the portal doesn't take any of them away. Up and down the roster was an improvement from several years ago where they had a few poor classes, or had more misses than hits. Looks like it was the freshman group from 2019-20, then the following year we got Brett, Yoder, Ruikka and Poisson as the only freshmen in 20-21. It took a few years for the roster to recover and reshape to what it was this year. They could roll out four solid forward lines six solid defensemen.

I felt Yoder regressed significantly this year and losing him only really hurts for the leadership. The biggest loss for the forwards group of graduating players is Logan Will. He was an outstanding find but will have to hope they get some good returns through the portal again this year. Defense looks like where they're going to lose the most, and depending on if Svedeback leaves or not, we would lose 2 or 3 of the goaltenders. As it is now, with the defense, the team has: Bales, May, Centrella and Meritahti who I don't recall seeing get in a game this year. Yikes.

Between scheduling tough out of conference and finishing in the top half of Hockey East, it was a positive step for the team this year. They managed to hang in there often with the teams above them in-conference, just couldn't grab too many wins in the second half yet managed to stay around top half of tournament-eligible Pairwise through the season. For a program that felt like this was a reset year, they exceeded my expectations. Hopefully a steady offseason and retaining the core of the remaining players and back in October.

And Meritahti to the portal. If he only appeared in one game this will have about the same impact of other 4th-line/depth players leaving the past couple years. Already some interesting names in there, some that hopefully land at PC but I'm sure the bigger the NIL deal the top-tier players can get will persuade them to go elsewhere.

PaulKorea said:

And Meritahti to the portal. If he only appeared in one game this will have about the same impact of other 4th-line/depth players leaving the past couple years. Already some interesting names in there, some that hopefully land at PC but I'm sure the bigger the NIL deal the top-tier players can get will persuade them to go elsewhere.

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Echoing this, lots of portal activity ... will be interesting to see how/where the money talks.

Now that the season is over, who amongst the remaining are we expecting to wear letters next year? Any line predictions for next season?

Tough call on who the captains would be. Judging by the current roster I'd have to think Malinoski would be one of them, maybe Tanner as well. Gamache? Not a lot to work with, as May would be the only current junior besides Svedeback, going into senior year if they stay. I think Centrella progressed over the course of the year, or from year 1 to 2, but wouldn't be disappointed if it was May as Captain, Centrella and Malinoski as alternates.

Connelly signs with Vegas. Would've liked to see him stay a second year, put on some weight/muscle, play a more injury-free college season but think a high profile recruit like that benefits Providence for the future. It may not be perceived as a top destination in division 1, but it's a steady, stable program that's consistently competitive. Breaking the no-tournament streak after coming close several years is a step in the right direction. On Connelly signing with Vegas, I'd rather lose him to the pros than another NCAA team.

On the subject of Connelly, I felt as the year developed that Mustard was improving and often in that role of primary puckhandler the same way Trevor would be, or Brett Berard was. He showed a good skill set with improvements month-over-month, so hopefully he sticks with Providence and continues his growth as a player.

PaulKorea said:

Tough call on who the captains would be. Judging by the current roster I'd have to think Malinoski would be one of them, maybe Tanner as well. Gamache? Not a lot to work with, as May would be the only current junior besides Svedeback, going into senior year if they stay. I think Centrella progressed over the course of the year, or from year 1 to 2, but wouldn't be disappointed if it was May as Captain, Centrella and Malinoski as alternates.

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Looks like May entered the transfer portal per Mark Divver on Twitter.

I was just coming by to update. So far next year's d-core looks to be eight? Donovan McCoy from the CHL, Machu, Centrella, and a few recruits. I overlooked the leading scorer from the QMJHL arriving in the fall. Overage for juniors but can't hurt to add a body that could be an immediate contributor on offense, potential leadership role.

That's pretty wild that if May doesn't decide to stay, that leaves Svedeback as the lone senior. I don't know if anybody can answer if there's been a time for Senior Night that there were 1 or 0 seniors celebrated?

PaulKorea said:

That's pretty wild that if May doesn't decide to stay, that leaves Svedeback as the lone senior. I don't know if anybody can answer if there's been a time for Senior Night that there were 1 or 0 seniors celebrated?

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Yeah... I was caught off guard by the May portal entry this morning. Is Svedeback confirmed returning?

I haven't seen anything on Svedeback. With Boston holding his rights and their goalies that the AHL and ECHL teams are carrying, there doesn't seem to be any room for him this year other than to sit and learn. Or, return to PC for a fourth year which I hope that he does.