BU Hockey 2014-2015 Preview- Forward

                                             


This is our first of most likely many posts about the upcoming season this summer and fall.  130 ish days until the puck drops in the first exhibition game at Agganis Arena and while the schedule needs to be finalized, we can still start taking a look at the upcoming season.   With most if not all of the early departures throughout the league finalized, we can get a good idea of what % of their teams scoring each team will return. This isn't the best way to pick how each team will finish but it is telling in what the teams will need to replace. BC, UMass and UVM have lost the most but all three should have large incoming freshmen classes to attempt to replace that production. BU returns a majority of their points from last season but need the returning players to make an even larger jump as the team struggled to score goals last season and that certainly can't be the case this season with the young defenseman that will see serious ice time. It is also comforting as a fan that BU is returning the largest % of their points out of any team in the league along with all three of their goaltenders from last season. The Terriers will certainly have the right combination to be successful next season with a large portion of last year's team returning along with a highly touted 9-10 man freshmen class.


% of points returned in HE
*Indicates returning starting goaltender

*BU-85.4
*BC 50.5- Buh bye Gaudreau
Maine 81.7(If Lomberg doesn't return to the program)
*UMass 43.8
Lowell 59.5
*Merrimack 70.5
*UNH 41.5
NU 82.8
ND 56.1
*PC 83.8
*UVM 54.7

BSRS World Cup Bracket Challenge

Hey ya'll!

Long time no talk. So I would be doing a 32 team breakdown of the World Cup if I didn't have to work and actually wanting to use my free time to do 32 separate post.

SO I went ahead a created a bracket challenge on ESPN for the World Cup. Left it open so anybody can join. Ill update who is whose bracket once it is finalized. Maybe you non-BU reader will get some jabs on us.



http://games.espn.go.com/world-cup-bracket-predictor/2014/en/group?groupID=13928

BU gets another commit for 2014-2015

Albie O'Connell has already begun to make his presence felt within the BU program as the Terriers landed one of the top defensman for the upcoming season in Brandon Fortunato. Fortunato is a Albertson, NY native but spent the last two seasons with the US NTDP. He was the U 18's top scoring D this past season with a 3-36-39 line. He is a small, puck-moving defenseman who will certainly need to get stronger during his time at BU but is a great get for the staff. He should be able to come in and contribute on the powerplay right away.

BU adds Albie O'Connell as assistant coach, Scott Young as Director of Hockey Ops

Albie O'Connell will be returning to BU, his alma mater, to take the assistant's position vacated by the recent retirement of Buddy Powers.
— USHR (@USHRhockey) April 6, 2014

It was strongly rumored that a change in the BU hockey coaching staff was coming this off-season with many people reporting that assistant coach Buddy Powers is retiring and BU alum Albie O'Connell will be joining the staff in his place. It was also speculated that BU alum and NHL star Scott Young will be joining the staff as Director of Hockey operations after Pertti Hasanen left the position at the conclusion of the season. Both of these announcements were made official recently as coach David Quinn noted to the Free Press today.

O'Connell was rumored to be a candidate to join the staff last season but things never materialized and he remained the assistant coach at Harvard and was given a raise. Young was most recently the head hockey coach at St. Michael's high school, his alma mater.

Powers and Hasanen will be missed and it should be noted of all that they contributed as crucial members of the staff to transition the program from former coach Jack Parker to current coach David Quinn. Both guys were counted on heavily by Coach Quinn this season as was obvious by the fact that Hasanen was referred to interviews by Quinn as someone he would talk about games and strategy about throughout the season.

What college program has the best numbers in the NHL playoffs through Week 1?

The title of this post is a rhetorical question because there is only one real answer (unless I missed a Michigan alum which is very possible)

Former BU Hockey Players playing in the NHL playoffs through 4/24/2014

1. Kevin Shattenkirk 4GP, 1-4-5, +2, 15 SOG

2. Matt Nieto 3 GP , 1-3-4, +4, 5 SOG

3. Charlie Coyle 3 GP, 2-0-2, -2, 8 SOG

4. Alex Chiasson 4 GP, 1-1-2, -4, 9 SOG

5. Nick Bonino 4 GP, 0-1-1, 0 , 5 SOG

Totals- 18 GP, 5-10-15, 0, 42 SOG