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HITS Fights COVID-19

By
Randy Schultz
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To the Western New York Community

The goal of the HITS Foundation has always been to give back to the Buffalo community and provide support in whatever way possible. During this unprecedented time, we want to continue to do our part by helping individuals affected by COVID-19 in hopes of bringing smiles to their faces.

We are partnering up with local Buffalo restaurants and essential businesses in WNY to show appreciation for the many people who are helping us everyday. 100% of the money raised will be used to purchase food and other items for those in need and affected by the pandemic.

Here’s how you can help.

  1. First and foremost…be safe! Wash your hands, wear masks, and social distance.
  2. Make a donation via PayPal. Every dollar counts!
  3. Venmo @HITSAGAINSTCOVID and include your email in the comment for a receipt of your donation!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at hitsagainstcovid@outlook.com

RPI Senior Celebration: Mike Gornall

By
Randy Schultz
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While at Rensselaer:
Played 55 games … Six goals and 21 assists for 27 points … Five goals and 14 assists for 19 points as senior … Had 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) in 35 career ECAC Hockey games … Blocked 52 shots, including 30 in 2019-20 … Business and Management major … Dean’s Honor List.

Congratulations To Mike. Best Wishes for your future.

A Memorial Day Tribute: Bob Kalsu

By
Randy Schultz
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BY RANDY SCHULTZ –

Memorial Day 2020 is one which will be remembered by many of us for years to come. While our country, as well as the rest of the world, recovers from the Pandemic, life as we know it has changed.

But the bottom line that never changes about Memorial Day is that it is still the day we remember those in the military who paid the supreme sacrifice to protect our freedom and the freedom of others around the world.

The first name that came to mind when I thought of Memorial Day was former Buffalo Bills guard, Bob Kalsu. Now many of you know me as a hockey guy and I know there have been many hockey players who have given up their life for our country.

But I came to know about Kalsu during my days of writing about former Buffalo Bills for “Shout” Magazine. I would later include him in a separate chapter in the Bills book I wrote in the early 2000’s, “Legends of the Buffalo Bills.”

Back in the day when Bills fans would come to New Era Field, then simply known as “The Ralph,” and go to the ticket office one of the first things they might see was a plaque on the wall, just to the right of the ticket window.

The plaque was made up of two items, an army helmet on one side and a 1960s-style Bills helmet. It is a tribute to Kalsu and to this day can still can be found inside New Era Field.

He was one of the best tackles to ever play at the University of Oklahoma. He was drafted in the eighth round of the NFL Draft by the Bills in 1968.

Kalsu played just one season for the Bills, 1968, before putting aside his promising pro football career in 1969 to serve in the United States Army. He was soon deployed to Vietnam.

Unfortunately, on July 21, 1970, just 18 months after going into the Army, Kalsu was killed by mortar fire while defending Ripcord Base on an isolated jungle mountaintop near Vietnam’s Ashua Valley. The former Bills guard turned out to be the only NFL player, as well as professional athlete, to be killed during the Vietnam War.

While he may have played only one season in the NFL, the former guard with the Bills was remembered by his teammates. Although he began training camp as a backup, within a few short weeks he was in the starting lineup, replacing veteran guard Joe O’Donnell, who had been injured.

“There was never a doubt in anyone’s mind that Bob was a very good football player,” recalled the late O’Donnell in a 1990 interview. “He was a big boy (6-3, 250 pounds at the time).

“And he seemed to fit right in. He was pushing all of the offensive linemen for their jobs, including Billy Shaw, our captain.”

Shaw, who would later be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 1999, remembered Kalsu, who started eight games for the Bills in 1968.

“He was a backup for Joe, but for me as well,” stated Shaw. “We didn’t have as many players on the roster at that time like they do today.

“He had good speed and slipped right in there when we would go on a sweep with our running game. Of course, that one season he spent with us was one of our worst in the history of our franchise, injury-wise.

“That season we went through five different quarterbacks. But through it all, Bob kept up with us. And that wasn’t easy, having five different types of quarterbacks in the lineup throughout the season.

“Bob never seemed like a rookie that year with us. He never acted like one. He just never seemed in awe of anything. But just seemed comfortable with the surroundings.”

A better person who felt that it was his duty to serve the Army full-time beginning in 1969. As fate would have it, Kalsu was killed in action.

Like many other Vietnam veterans, Kalsu’s name is etched on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.  And besides the plaque that honors Kalsu at New Era Field, the Bills also honored the former guard in 2000 when his name was placed on the Bills Wall of Fame.

“Bob Kalsu was a good person and football player,” concluded Shaw. “But he will always be remembered as an American hero for the sacrifice he made for his country.

“Bob will always be a hero to all of us.”

(Photo from SUNY College at Buffalo Library)

Cornell Women’s Hockey 2020 Graduates

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Randy Schultz
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Congratulations from NY Hockey OnLine and the fans of The Big Red Women to the Class of 2020 – #20 Kristen O’Neill, #5 Grace Graham, #14 Jaime Boubonnais, #21 Amy Curlew, #18 Paige Lewis, and #8 Micah Zandee-Hart. You have left us so many memories. C’mon back to Lynah Rink any time! #Cornell2020 
Best Wishes with your future endeavors.

Men’s Hockey Posts Top-Five APR Scores

By
Randy Schultz
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0


Student-athletes’ success in classroom highlighted in annual NCAA report

The academic success of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players continues to shine, with hockey among the top five men’s sports the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released Tuesday.

Men’s hockey’s most recent single-year APR score of 983 for 2018-19 ranked third among men’s sports with 50 or more teams, trailing only golf and lacrosse. Men’s hockey’s four-year average score from 2015-19 is 985, which ranks fifth among all men’s sports and second among those with at least 50 teams.
NCAA Averages & Trends Report (.pdf)
The APR, created in 2003 to measure Division I schools and teams on their student-athletes’ success in the classroom, awards points to teams based on students’ grades, their progress toward their degree and for staying in school. Teams are also rewarded in the APR for students who return to school to complete their degree.

Men’s Hockey APR Among NCAA Men’s Sports
Four-Year Average (2015-19)                    Single-Year Score (2018-19)*
1. Skiing, 989 (10 teams)                            1. Golf, 987 (299 teams)
1. Gymnastics, 989 (14 teams)                  1. Lacrosse, 987 (73 teams)
3. Golf, 987 (299 teams)                             3. Hockey, 983 (60 teams)
4. Volleyball, 986 (22 teams)                     3. Swimming, 983 (132 teams)
5. Hockey, 985 (60 teams)                         3. Tennis, 983 (251 teams)
5. Rifle (co-ed), 985 (22 teams)                 * Sports with 50+ teams

The APR is related – but not identical – to the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR), serving in a way as a predictor of GSR success. Men’s hockey’s 95.8% graduation rate for the most recent study leads all men’s sports and is hockey’s highest single-year number since the NCAA began tracking GSR in 2002.

The calculation of APR also rewards teams when former student-athletes return to school to complete their degree. In the past year players like Danny DeKeyser (Western Michigan) and Devin Shore (Maine) have completed their undergraduate degrees despite leaving school early to play in the NHL.

Not only is hockey excelling on average as a whole, but each of the individual teams has demonstrated success. Across all sports, APR scores below 930 are subject to penalties, but no men’s hockey teams are near that threshold.

Eleven teams – Brown, Clarkson, Colgate, Connecticut, Harvard, UMass Lowell, Michigan State, Omaha, Penn State, Princeton and Yale – had perfect four-year average APR scores of 1,000. Seventy-three percent of all teams (44 of 60) had four-year APR scores above 980 and more than half (31 of 60) had scores of at least 989.

Elmira College Names Female Athlete of the Year

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Randy Schultz
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Elmira College Women’s Hockey final award of the 2019-20 season is the Elmira College Female Athlete of the Year.

After a breakout junior campaign that resulted in All-America Honors and a UCHC Hockey Championship, please congratulate Elmira College Women’s Ice Hockey‘s Emma Crocker ’20!

Jr. Enforcers Ink Southern Tier Native Bryce Malyszek

By
Randy Schultz
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The Elmira Junior Enforcers, proud member of the USPHL Premier Division, have announced the signing of forward Bryce Malyszek.

Malyszek, a 2002 born player from Endicott, New York, played for Endicott High School this past season and has played for the Syracuse Stars organization in the past. Bryce looks to provide offensive punch to the Junior Enforcers lineup, having scored 35 points in 23 games last season. 

The Junior Enforcers roster will be made up of players ages 20 and under from all across North America and the world. The Junior Enforcers look forward to an exciting and successful season, which will start in late August with training camp, and will see the puck drop for the season on September 25th. Tryout information will be communicated as soon as it is finalized due to the fluid situation resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. We anticipate more exciting news, including players signings and staff announcements coming next week. 

(Elmira Jr Enforcers Photo)

Elmira College Women’s Hockey ROY

By
Randy Schultz
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This Award goes out to a freshman that stepped into a major role from her first game and never looked back for Elmira College Women’s Ice Hockey. 

Congratulations to blueliner Jordan Holt ’23 for earning Soaring Eagle Rookie of the Year honors!

Barre-Boulet Named To AHL 2nd All-Star Team

By
Randy Schultz
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Syracuse Crunch Alex Barré-Boulet (12) before a face-off against the Binghamton Devils in American Hockey League (AHL) action at the Upstate Medical Arena in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, December 21, 2019. Syracuse won 5-2.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The American Hockey League announced the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities.

2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team
G – Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild (34gp, 25-6-3, 2.07gaa, .927sv%, 7so)
D – Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (59gp, 10+38=48pts., 3 PPG, 18 PPA)
D – Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (57gp, 5+42=47pts., +8, 3 PPG, 23 PPA)
LW – Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (53gp, 34+33=67pts., +8, 9 PPG, 7 GWG)
C – Josh Norris, Belleville Senators (56gp, 31+30=61pts., +9, 10 PPG, 4 GWG)
RW – Sam Anas, Iowa Wild (63gp, 20+50=70pts., 7 PPG, 35 PPA)

2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team
G – Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (33gp, 21-5-5, 1.92gaa, .933sv%, 2so)
D – Jacob MacDonald, Colorado Eagles (56gp, 16+26=42pts., +7, 7 PPG, 14 PPA)
D – Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (57gp, 7+38=45pts., +17, 3 PPG, 17 PPA)
LW – Gerry Mayhew, Iowa Wild (49gp, 39+22=61pts., +16, 13 PPG, 10 GWG)
C – Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (60gp, 27+29=56pts., +2, 9 PPG, 3 GWG)
RW – Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (44gp, 16+38=54pts., +14, 3 PPG, 2 GWG)

Each All-Star Team member will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams.

Recent First and Second Team AHL All-Star selections include Cory Schneider (2009), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Ben Lovejoy (2009), P.K. Subban (2010), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Kyle Palmieri (2012), Ben Bishop (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Jonathan Marchessault (2013), Justin Schultz (2013), Sami Vatanen (2013), Gustav Nyquist (2013), Brett Connolly (2013), Jake Allen (2014), Mike Hoffman (2014), Petr Mrazek (2014), Colton Sceviour (2014), Matt Murray (2015, 2016), Jacob Markstrom (2015), Jordan Weal (2015), Colin Miller (2015), Brandon Montour (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Travis Boyd (2017), Austin Czarnik (2018), Andreas Johnsson(2018), Mason Appleton (2018) and Carter Verhaeghe (2019).
The winner of the 2019-20 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Thursday.

2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team

Kaapo Kahkonen, Goaltender (Iowa Wild):
Building off a strong first season in North America, Kaapo Kahkonen had a standout campaign again in 2019-20, leading the AHL in victories (25-6-3) and shutouts (seven) and ranking fourth in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927). Kahkonen, who finished the year 10-1-1 (1.16, .961) with five shutouts in his last 12 starts, also earned a victory in his NHL debut on Nov. 26 at New Jersey and went 3-1-1 (2.96, .913) in five appearances with Minnesota. The 23-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, was the Wild’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft.

Jake Bean, Defenseman (Charlotte Checkers):
Following a debut season that included AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship, second-year pro Jake Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring in 2019-20 with 48 points, also good for the Charlotte team lead. Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent). A 21-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was Carolina’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Brennan Menell, Defenseman (Iowa Wild):
Third-year pro Brennan Menell established a career high with 47 points in 57 games for Iowa in 2019-20, finishing second among AHL defensemen in scoring and first in assists (42). The 22-year-old native of Woodbury, Minn., is Iowa’s franchise record-holder in nearly all offensive categories for blueliners, with 101 assists and 116 points in 199 games over his AHL career. Menell signed as a free agent with Minnesota on Sept. 26, 2017, and made his NHL debut with the parent Wild this season, appearing in five games.

Reid Boucher, Left Wing (Utica Comets):
One of the AHL’s most prolific scorers over the last several years, Reid Boucher set career highs in 2019-20 with 34 goals, 33 assists and 67 points in just 53 games with Utica, finishing second in the league in overall scoring and first with an average of 1.26 points per game. Boucher authored a 16-game scoring streak from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 – the longest in the AHL this year – and went consecutive contests without a point only twice all season. A 26-year-old native of Grand Ledge, Mich., Boucher has appeared in 133 career National Hockey League games with New Jersey, Nashville and Vancouver.

Josh Norris, Center (Belleville Senators):
Named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, Josh Norris was the AHL’s top-scoring rookie in 2019-20 with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games for Belleville, tying for third in the league’s overall scoring race. Norris, whose father Dwayne was a First Team AHL All-Star himself in 1994-95, also made his NHL debut with Ottawa on Feb. 22 and appeared in three games with the parent Senators. The 21-year-old native of Oxford, Mich., was a first-round choice (19th overall) by San Jose in the 2017 NHL Draft and was acquired by Ottawa in a trade on Sept. 13, 2018.
Sam Anas, Right Wing (Iowa Wild):
Fourth-year pro Sam Anas won his first AHL scoring title in 2019-20, finishing on top of the league with 50 assists and 70 points in 63 games for Iowa. The 26-year-old native of Potomac, Md., who was also assessed only five minor penalties all season, racked up 42 points on the Wild power play, the most by an AHL skater in the last six years. Anas, Iowa’s franchise leader in assists (175) and points (267), signed as a free agent with Minnesota on April 15, 2016, after three seasons at Quinnipiac University.

2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team

Connor Ingram, Goaltender (Milwaukee Admirals):
In his first season in the Nashville organization, Connor Ingram ranked third in the AHL in both goals-against average (1.92) and save percentage (.933) while posting a record of 21-5-5 in 33 appearances with Milwaukee. Splitting duties with Troy Grosenick, Ingram earned a share of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award as the Admirals allowed the fewest goals in the league (2.24 per game), and made his second consecutive trip to the AHL All-Star Classic. The 23-year-old native of Imperial, Sask., was acquired by the Predators on June 14, 2019, after being selected by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Jacob MacDonald, Defenseman (Colorado Eagles):
Jacob MacDonald led all AHL defensemen with 16 goals and finished fourth with 42 points in 56 games for Colorado this season, earning his second postseason All-Star Team selection in three years. A 27-year-old native of Portland, Ore., MacDonald placed second on the Eagles in scoring and scored seven goals on the power play, tied for the most among league blueliners. MacDonald was acquired by Colorado in a trade with Florida on June 29, 2019, and recently signed a two-year extension with the Avalanche through 2021-22.

Brogan Rafferty, Defenseman (Utica Comets):
Brogan Rafferty had a standout 2019-20 season with Utica, placing third among all AHL defensemen in scoring with 45 points and first among all league rookies with 38 assists. The 24-year-old native of Naperville, Ill., also posted a plus-17 rating in 57 games and contributed 20 points on a Comets power play that ranked fourth in the AHL. Rafferty, who was also voted to the 2019-20 AHL All-Rookie Team, signed as a free agent with Vancouver on April 1, 2019.

Gerry Mayhew, Left Wing (Iowa Wild):
Gerry Mayhew had a career year in 2019-20, scoring a league-high 39 goals – the most by an AHL player in eight years – and posting 61 points in 49 games with Iowa. Mayhew, who potted a league-leading 10 game-winning goals and registered 11 multiple-goal games, also made his National Hockey League debut in 2019-20, notching two goals in 13 outings with Minnesota. The 27-year-old native of Wyandotte, Mich., signed with the NHL Wild on May 10, 2019, after two seasons playing on an AHL deal.

Alex Barre-Boulet, Center (Syracuse Crunch):
Named the AHL’s outstanding rookie a year ago, Alex Barre-Boulet returned to Syracuse in 2019-20 and led the Crunch with 27 goals and 56 points in 60 games. Finishing fifth in the AHL in scoring this year, the 22-year-old native of Montmagny, Que., is one of only two players to place among the league’s top 10 point-getters each of the last two seasons. Barre-Boulet, who represented Syracuse at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic, signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on Mar. 1, 2018.

Drake Batherson, Right Wing (Belleville Senators):
Drake Batherson was one of the AHL’s top players for the second year in a row in 2019-20, posting 16 goals and 38 assists for 54 points in while skating in just 44 games for Belleville. Batherson finished sixth in the AHL in scoring this season while also appearing in 23 contests for the parent Ottawa Senators, where he chipped in three goals and seven assists. The 22-year-old Batherson, born in Fort Wayne, Ind., and raised in New Minas, N.S., was a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Two Comets Earn AHL Honors

By
Randy Schultz
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0

BOUCHER, RAFFERTY EARN LEAGUE HONORS

Utica, N.Y. – The American Hockey League announced the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities.

2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team

G – Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild (34gp, 25-6-3, 2.07gaa, .927sv%, 7so)

D – Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (59gp, 10+38=48pts., 3 PPG, 18 PPA)

D – Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (57gp, 5+42=47pts., +8, 3 PPG, 23 PPA)

LW – Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (53gp, 34+33=67pts., +8, 9 PPG, 7 GWG)

C – Josh Norris, Belleville Senators (56gp, 31+30=61pts., +9, 10 PPG, 4 GWG)

RW – Sam Anas, Iowa Wild (63gp, 20+50=70pts., 7 PPG, 35 PPA)

2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team

G – Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (33gp, 21-5-5, 1.92gaa, .933sv%, 2so)

D – Jacob MacDonald, Colorado Eagles (56gp, 16+26=42pts., +7, 7 PPG, 14 PPA)

D – Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (57gp, 7+38=45pts., +17, 3 PPG, 17 PPA)

LW – Gerry Mayhew, Iowa Wild (49gp, 39+22=61pts., +16, 13 PPG, 10 GWG)

C – Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (60gp, 27+29=56pts., +2, 9 PPG, 3 GWG)

RW – Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (44gp, 16+38=54pts., +14, 3 PPG, 2 GWG)

Each All-Star Team member will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams.

Recent First and Second Team AHL All-Star selections include Cory Schneider (2009), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Ben Lovejoy (2009), P.K. Subban (2010), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Kyle Palmieri (2012), Ben Bishop (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Jonathan Marchessault (2013), Justin Schultz (2013), Sami Vatanen (2013), Gustav Nyquist (2013), Brett Connolly (2013), Jake Allen (2014), Mike Hoffman (2014), Petr Mrazek (2014), Colton Sceviour (2014), Matt Murray (2015, 2016), Jacob Markstrom (2015), Jordan Weal (2015), Colin Miller (2015), Brandon Montour (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Travis Boyd (2017), Austin Czarnik (2018), Andreas Johnsson (2018), Mason Appleton (2018) and Carter Verhaeghe (2019).

The winner of the 2019-20 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Thursday.

2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team

Reid Boucher, Left Wing:

One of the AHL’s most prolific scorers over the last several years, Reid Boucher set career highs in 2019-20 with 34 goals, 33 assists and 67 points in just 53 games with Utica, finishing second in the league in overall scoring and first with an average of 1.26 points per game. Boucher authored a 16-game scoring streak from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 – the longest in the AHL this year – and went consecutive contests without a point only twice all season. A 26-year-old native of Grand Ledge, Mich., Boucher has appeared in 133 career National Hockey League games with New Jersey, Nashville and Vancouver.

2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team

Brogan Rafferty, Defenseman:

Brogan Rafferty had a standout 2019-20 season with Utica, placing third among all AHL defensemen in scoring with 45 points and first among all league rookies with 38 assists. The 24-year-old native of Naperville, Ill., also posted a plus-17 rating in 57 games and contributed 20 points on a Comets power play that ranked fourth in the AHL. Rafferty, who was also voted to the 2019-20 AHL All-Rookie Team, signed as a free agent with Vancouver on April 1, 2019.

Amerks Sign Olofsson To One-Year AHL Deal

By
Randy Schultz
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(Rochester, NY) – Rochester Americans General Manager Randy Sexton announced that the team has signed forward Jesper Olofsson to a one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2020-21 season.

Olofsson, 28, joins the Amerks after spending the last five seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, including the previous two with Färjestad. Following a career-high 33-point campaign in 2018-19, Olofsson finished this past season seventh in the SHL with 17 goals and tied for seventh on the team in scoring with 28 points in 44 games.

A native of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, the 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward has amassed 125 points (69+56) in 254 career SHL games with Färjestad, Skellefteå, Karlskrona and MODO. He also added 14 points (8+6) in 37 postseason appearances.

Internationally, Olofsson represented Sweden at the U19 World Junior A Challenge in 2011, scoring two goals in four games.

New Pro Hockey League Names Head Coaches

By
Randy Schultz
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3ICE, THE NEW 3-ON-3 PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, APPOINTS EIGHT HALL OF FAMERS AS HEAD COACHES

League Set to Begin Play in June 2021 in Cities Across North America

NEW YORK (May 20, 2020) – E.J. Johnston, CEO of 3ICE, and Commissioner Craig Patrick, today announced eight Hall of Famers to serve as head coaches when the new and totally independent, three-on-three professional ice hockey league begins play in North America next year.

Johnston and Patrick agreed to terms with Guy Carbonneau, Grant Fuhr, Ed Johnston, John LeClair, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Angela Ruggiero and Bryan Trottier for each to coach one of the eight 3ICE teams. The overall schedule will encompass nine hockey-filled weekends in nine different locations throughout the U.S. and Canada during the summer of 2021.

Combined, these coaches represent nearly 8,000 games played, 29 All-Star Game appearances, 28 Stanley Cup Championships and sport five Olympic medals. None of the coaches’ teams will represent specific cities, rather, all eight will visit each tour stop and play in a bracket-style format to determine a champion each weekend of play.

Carbonneau was awarded the NHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy three times and hoisted the Stanley Cup three times throughout his playing career before his election into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Edmonton was home to Fuhr for a decade that saw him earn six NHL All-Star Game nods while winning five Stanley Cup Championships. Named a Hall of Famer in 2003, the goaltender was announced as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history during the league’s centennial season three years ago.

Ed Johnston’s professional hockey career spanned more than half a century. A player for 22 years and executive for 31, he won two Stanley Cups as the Boston Bruins goaltender and three more as an advisor with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The senior Johnston spent 25 years in various capacities with the Penguins and was the last goalie to play every minute of every game, achieved during the 1963-1964 season.

LeClair’s 16 seasons in the NHL were spent with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Penguins. He famously became the first American-born player to score 50 goals in three consecutive NHL seasons while in Philadelphia and the five-time All-Star won his Stanley Cup as a member of the Canadiens in 1993.

Undrafted, Mullen is the first American player to score 500 goals and to accumulate 1,000 points in his career, Mullen spent 16 seasons in the NHL before being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. He hoisted the Stanley Cup for two different teams, the first coming in 1989 with the Calgary Flames and two others with Pittsburgh.

Murphy is the only player to win four Stanley Cup Championships in the 1990s, winning his first two back-to-back with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, and the same result in 1997 and 1998 with the Detroit Red Wings. He is the fifth highest scoring defenseman in NHL history with 1,216 points and was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

A four-time Olympic medalist, Ruggiero was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, only the fourth woman and second American woman to have earned the honor. She is the all-time leader in games played for Team USA, male or female, with 256 games. Ruggiero is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sports Innovation Lab, a technology-powered market research firm empowering industry-leading sports brands to identify the trends, products, and services that will drive the future of sports.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Trottier is a seven-time Stanley Cup Champion earning six as a player – four with the New York Islanders and two with Pittsburgh – and one as an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche. He joined Fuhr in being named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017 and in his 18 seasons, Trottier only missed the playoffs once.

The inaugural 3ICE season will take place during the summer of 2021. The league will consist of eight teams with each consisting of seven players – six skaters and one goalie – and a head coach. Overall, every season will see a total of 60 games per season played over the nine tour stops, culminating in a final league championship game, giving fans the ultimate hockey experience.

-3ICE-

About 3ICE: 3ICE is a new and totally independent three-on-three professional ice hockey league in North America, created by CEO E.J. Johnston. Designed to give fans the speed, skill and excitement they love 100% of the time, the on-ice action moves at an unprecedented pace showcasing the best part of hockey. 3ICE will begin competitive play in the summer of 2021. 3ICE will consist of eight teams. For more information, visit www.3ICE.com.   

“Small Saves”

By
Randy Schultz
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Here is this week’s edition of “Small Saves.” Enjoy!

Toronto Names Their NWHL Team

By
Randy Schultz
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TORONTO – For the NWHL’s sixth team that begins play in the league’s sixth season, we introduce you to…the Toronto Six.

The Toronto Six unveiled its name, colors and logo prior to the club’s inaugural 2020-21 season.

“We wanted a bold, clean and modern brand for the team, for the game and for the city,” said Tyler Tumminia, chairman of the Toronto Six.

The team name, of course, draws its inspiration from one of Toronto’s nicknames. The name also works perfectly for hockey since a full complement of players on the ice at one time for a team is six.

Inside the TO6 crest is an angled golden maple leaf. The gold reflects the Golden Horseshoe region in Ontario, and also the high standards set by everyone in Canadian Women’s Hockey, and the levels of excellence the new NWHL team is committed to establishing – as a perennial Isobel Cup contender, as a provider of opportunity for women in sports, and as a leader in the advancement of women’s professional hockey in North America.

The maple leaf included in the brand mark has a notched mark that shows a hockey stick in the negative space as well as shaped in angle of skate edge. The red pays homage to Canada and the flag. An additional pattern with the maple leaf is in tribute to the architecture of the city.

In a Name the Team poll on the league’s website after the NWHL’s first team for Canada was announced last month, there were more votes for The Six than any other name. The design was created by M Style Marketing, which has worked on several projects for the NWHL in recent years, including the league’s popular All-Star jerseys for events in Minnesota, Nashville, and Boston.

The team’s uniforms will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

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