Official Men's Hockey Recruiting Thread

[mac2351]

Tage Thompson is 1 of 100 on the first 2016 NHL central scouting draft list.

 

[huskymedic]

Youth Hockey Hub ‏@YouthHockeyHub
Defenseman Connor Mayer ('99 @cmayer_99) of Benilde-St. Margaret's had 4a at USA Hockey 16's Development Camp. #RedKnight

 

[mac2351]

Connor Mayer selected as one of the 7 defensemen to represent the USA at the Select U-17 5 Nations tournament in Switzerland. Tournament runs from August 10-16.

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/533861?referrer_id=752796

 

[FDNY99]

Connor Mayer selected as one of the 7 defensemen to represent the USA at the Select U-17 5 Nations tournament in Switzerland. Tournament runs from August 10-16.

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/533861?referrer_id=752796

Mac it seems as though one of the goalies (William Girard) on this team hasn't made a choice on college yet. That may be a nice get for us to replace Nicholls.

 

[FDNY99]

Here is the link to Chris Heisenberg's recruiting database from Over The Boards (click on the tab "listing by college"):

He has Brendan Shane, Anthony Siderio, , Ben Freeman, Will Garin, Tyson McLellan (who still has "Committed to the University of Connecticut" on his twitter page) as 2016 recruits with Adam Karashik listed as 2016 or 2017. He has Connor Mayer, Mike Young and Evan Wisocky listed as 2017 commits.

 

[TheDoggPound]

I thought Shane wasn't committing to us? Or am I mistaken?

 

[FDNY99]

I thought Shane wasn't committing to us? Or am I mistaken?

No it looks like he is behind with his database, Siderio isn't coming either. McLellan still lists himself as a UCONN commit, so I'm going to assume he will be here in 2016.

 

[mac2351]

I think Karashik will be brought in next season to replace the graduating Huson. They do not have a defenseman committed for next year except Karashik. Unless they decide he needs a year of Juniors and they recruit a kid who is playing Juniors this year. There are some who believed he should have made the USA roster for the Ivan Hlinka tournament. There were some good reports coming out at that camp about him. Every report I see about him is really positive.

It will interesting to see if UConn sticks with the commitments of McLellan and Freeman with Brendan Buckley being brought in. He will probably be put in charge of recruiting and I am sure he will have a big say on who is brought in. With all the great talent being brought in for the blue line, they still need some top end forwards to put pucks in the net. Offense needs to be upgraded.

FDNY, the most important commit that has not committed yet is whoever is going to replace Nichols. I I have never seen Thulin play but he had a year to redshirt last season and he is only a freshman this year. Be interesting to see how he develops.

 

[FDNY99]

I think Karashik will be brought in next season to replace the graduating Huson. They do not have a defenseman committed for next year except Karashik. Unless they decide he needs a year of Juniors and they recruit a kid who is playing Juniors this year. There are some who believed he should have made the USA roster for the Ivan Hlinka tournament. There were some good reports coming out at that camp about him. Every report I see about him is really positive.

FDNY, the most important commit that has not committed yet is whoever is going to replace Nichols. I I have never seen Thulin play but he had a year to redshirt last season and he is only a freshman this year. Be interesting to see how he develops.

totally agree with you there Mac....that is definitely going to be one to watch. If I remember right..there was an interview with Thulin after he signed and I don't think he was given any type of a scholarship.

 

[mac2351]

Karashik will be playing at Avon Old Farms this season.

These are some interesting quotes from an article on Adam Karashik:

1. UConn had only one player on its 2014-15 roster from Connecticut — Rocky Hill's Patrick Kirtland, who will serve as the team's captain next season — but Karashik said he was told that the coaching staff is not necessarily targeting native Nutmeggers.

"They want to bring in the best players they can," Karashik added. "They're not going to just focus on one state or region."

2. according to sources, UConn thinks enough of Karashik that he was offered a full scholarship.

"It's unheard of money-wise," Oilers' EHL coach Eric Lind said. "They usually break it up."

3. "I think prep school is the best option for me right now," said Karashik, who is hoping to enroll at UConn as a true freshman in the fall of 2016.

If his plans change, Karashik said he would consider the USHL and British Columbia Hockey League after prep school before heading off to Storrs.

"If need be, I'll play a year or two of juniors," he said


http://www.thehour.com/sports/ct-oi...cle_167f220e-d4bb-11e4-932a-af48a876465e.html

 

[huskymedic]

Wooza...

ManthonyCourant 11:34am via Twitter Web Client
Sources: Maxim Letunov will play hockey at UConn instead of BU. Elite recruit. Center. Complications in BU admission reopened recruitment

ManthonyCourant11:50am via Twitter Web Client
Letunov, top recruit in UConn history, awaiting official word on admission (won't be issue) and initial NCAA eligibility (15-16 or 16-17).

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=233028

http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=775046

 

[Dooley]

Wooza...

ManthonyCourant 11:34am via Twitter Web Client
Sources: Maxim Letunov will play hockey at UConn instead of BU. Elite recruit. Center. Complications in BU admission reopened recruitment

ManthonyCourant11:50am via Twitter Web Client
Letunov, top recruit in UConn history, awaiting official word on admission (won't be issue) and initial NCAA eligibility (15-16 or 16-17).

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=233028

http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=775046

OUTSTANDING GET!

Geez, I knew UConn would eventually become a top recruiting destination in HE because of our size, budget and location. But I didn't expect to be landing so many top recruits so quickly!

GET ON THE FRIGGIN' ICEBUS!!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

OUTSTANDING GET!

Geez, I knew UConn would eventually become a top recruiting destination in HE because of our size, budget and location. But I didn't expect to be landing so many top recruits so quickly!

GET ON THE FRIGGIN' ICEBUS!!

Temper the excitement a bit there, he fell into UConn because BU wouldn't accept his Russian classes as legitimate for admission. It's a huge get for UConn but also a last-minute one when other schools didn't have space for him. There's no reason to believe if he were matriculating in Fall of 16 instead of 15 he'd have immediately chosen UConn.

 

[Dooley]

Temper the excitement a bit there, he fell into UConn because BU wouldn't accept his Russian classes as legitimate for admission. It's a huge get for UConn but also a last-minute one when other schools didn't have space for him. There's no reason to believe if he were matriculating in Fall of 16 instead of 15 he'd have immediately chosen UConn.

I know you're a BU guy but no, I will not temper the excitement. I don't care how a top recruit gets here...as long as he gets here. UCONN Hockey is way ahead of the recruiting schedule and that should excite the part of you that roots for UConn in other sports!

GET ON THE ICEBUS!

 

[FDNY99]

Temper the excitement a bit there, he fell into UConn because BU wouldn't accept his Russian classes as legitimate for admission. It's a huge get for UConn but also a last-minute one when other schools didn't have space for him. There's no reason to believe if he were matriculating in Fall of 16 instead of 15 he'd have immediately chosen UConn.

I know this is personal for you because it's BU losing him...but if there were ANY school in HE that would have room for Letunov it's UCONN 1) because of them not being at full scholarship level and adding 5 full for this coming season...then 3 more to get to a full 18 for next yr..2) Because Cav hasn't had the chance to recruit a full 4 yr's worth of his recruits. That leaves room for kids like Masons and Letunov to use UCONN as a fall back school. It also helps that Cav has a rep as a very good recruiter, and has had a hand in putting a LOT of BC kids into the NHL.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I know you're a BU guy but no, I will not temper the excitement. I don't care how a top recruit gets here...as long as he gets here. UCONN Hockey is way ahead of the recruiting schedule and that should excite the part of you that roots for UConn in other sports!

GET ON THE ICEBUS!

Yes, it's great for the program, but this would be akin to the basketball team losing a recruit at the last minute because of an admissions hiccup and him deciding to go play for Tulane because they were the best option that had a spot for him. That doesn't necessarily make Tulane's recruiting ahead of UConn's or the other big basketball programs, but still is a great thing for that school. It wouldn't be until a player of Letunov's caliber begins choosing UConn when all other options are on the table that things would be rolling really well for UConn.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I know this is personal for you because it's BU losing him...but if there were ANY school in HE that would have room for Letunov it's UCONN 1) because of them not being at full scholarship level and adding 5 full for this coming season...then 3 more to get to a full 18 for next yr..2) Because Cav hasn't had the chance to recruit a full 4 yr's worth of his recruits. That leaves room for kids like Masons and Letunov to use UCONN as a fall back school. It also helps that Cav has a rep as a very good recruiter, and has had a hand in putting a LOT of BC kids into the NHL.

That's exactly my point, UConn is in a unique situation to have space for Letunov at this point in the recruiting stage and the pieces fell correctly for him to end up at UConn. As I said above, the litmus test for how UConn is recruiting against the rest of Hockey East is when a Letunov-type player makes his decision with all options available to him. It's clear from this specific instance all options were not available to him when the BU admissions office (who currently is on the list of BU hockey fans because WTF WE HAVE SO MANY FREAKING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS HERE - YOU SHOULD'VE MADE THIS DECISION MONTHS AGO) rejected his credentials. It's a very fortunate bounce for the UConn program, so it goes in the game of hockey - can't control the bounces.

 

[huskymedic]

ManthonyCourant11:56am via Twitter Web Client
Maxim Letunov to play college hockey at UConn:
http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-uconn-hockey-maxim-letunov-0804-20150803-story.html

 

[Dooley]

Yes, it's great for the program, but this would be akin to the basketball team losing a recruit at the last minute because of an admissions hiccup and him deciding to go play for Tulane because they were the best option that had a spot for him. That doesn't necessarily make Tulane's recruiting ahead of UConn's or the other big basketball programs, but still is a great thing for that school. It wouldn't be until a player of Letunov's caliber begins choosing UConn when all other options are on the table that things would be rolling really well for UConn.

Disagree. How many programs in the HE are going to have similar admissions issues in the future? Given that they are all excellent academically, but private (with much smaller AD budgets), they can't afford to miss on a kid. There will be more of these in the near future and I hope that UConn can swing in and poach them all. Whether it's because we were a prospect's top choice or we are a prospect's fall-back option because of another HE school's admissions standards, I could not care less how we got Letunov. As long as we get 'em.

The ingredients of building a top program are in place and in full swing. You get top talent (like Letunov) however you can get him. When he laces 'em up for the UConn red, white, and blue, hopefully we will get to show future top recruits the brand and level of hockey we can play here. "2019 kid" sees Letunov and hopefully others playing at UConn and the NHL and thinks to himself "hmmm...UConn plays good hockey, located in the northeast and I don't have to bend over backwards to get admitted. Maybe I'll hop on the icebus." Then Boom!...it's BrassBonanza time over and over again (I don't mean you, I mean the glorious anthem played after Whaler...err...UConn goals)!!!

But don't worry, if UConn takes its hockey program to the B1G with the rest of its sports then you won't have to worry about the large public vs small private admissions standards any more! Then we can all go back to loving the UConn red white and blue together and you don't have to read any more hockey links!!!

 

[FDNY99]

That's exactly my point, UConn is in a unique situation to have space for Letunov at this point in the recruiting stage and the pieces fell correctly for him to end up at UConn. As I said above, the litmus test for how UConn is recruiting against the rest of Hockey East is when a Letunov-type player makes his decision with all options available to him. It's clear from this specific instance all options were not available to him when the BU admissions office (who currently is on the list of BU hockey fans because WTF WE HAVE SO MANY FREAKING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS HERE - YOU SHOULD'VE MADE THIS DECISION MONTHS AGO) rejected his credentials. It's a very fortunate bounce for the UConn program, so it goes in the game of hockey - can't control the bounces.

I think if you look at the gets of Murphy (who decided to go major Junior and went to the Q to play for Moncton), Thompson and Elser that Cav can compete for kids with the established schools in HE. This will come to a screeching halt though if a new facility/barn isn't built on campus.

 

[FDNY99]

here is a video clip of Letunov vs USNTDP

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

This will come to a screeching halt though if a new facility/barn isn't built on campus.

On this point, we 100% agree. Those XL Center apologists on here who can't see this need to remove the blinders. Not a chance the Letunovs of the hockey world choose UConn consistently (unless indirectly forced to) if there isn't a dedicated practice and playing facility for the program on campus. It'd be an enormous recruiting disadvantage.

 

[Dooley]

I think if you look at the gets of Murphy (who decided to go major Junior and went to the Q to play for Moncton), Thompson and Elser that Cav can compete for kids with the established schools in HE. This will come to a screeching halt though if a new facility/barn isn't built on campus.

^ This is vital for UConn hockey...unless they know they are going B1G soon and don't have the same on-campus arena requirement as Hockey East. Even so, I think an on-campus arena should be built even if they split the schedule like basketball. College players love the excitement generated from college student fans and robbing them of that might not be good for future recruiting. XL hockey games (except for BC) are the same as XL hoops games: corporate.

 

[FDNY99]

here is another where he steals puck from incoming man masons:

 

[FDNY99]

here are a few more: