Rangers Prospects Shine amidst Rollercoaster Week in College Hockey
By Marvin Azrak
From thrilling comebacks to dominating performances, dive into the action-packed world of college hockey as New York Rangers prospects shine on the ice.
It would be an understatement to say it was an eventful week in college hockey. Everywhere you turned, there was either an upset, thrilling overtime finish, or a stunning comeback. We saw heavyweights at the top of the rankings go against each other. Caught up in the frenzy were a myriad of New York Rangers prospects. Let’s dive into the action.
College Hockey Thrills: Rangers Prospects Steal the Spotlight:
Starting with the Wisconsin Badgers, the curse on No. 1 struck hard. They fell 4-2 on the road to Michigan State on Friday, with Owen Lindmark tallying a goal in the second. Michigan State wasn’t finished. The Spartans unleashed chaos in the third, sealing the deal with an empty-netter by Jeremy Davidson.
Saturday brought no relief as Michigan State did it again, sweeping Wisconsin 3-2. Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine made 28 saves in the win.
The Spartans now top the Big Ten standings and boast double-digit wins, leaving Wisconsin stunned.
In the State of Hockey, Notre Dame took Rangers prospect Brody Lamb and Minnesota by storm, pulling off a 4-2 upset. But the Gophers roared back on Saturday with a 4-1 win, led by Washington Capitals prospect Ryan Chesley’s go-ahead goal, sparking three consecutive tallies in the third. Washington Capitals prospect Bryce Brodzinski, Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Mike Koster, and Tampa Bay Lightning selection Connor Kurth all had two assists on the night.
Now, let’s talk Quinnipiac and Cornell. The game turned into a goal-fest, with Quinnipiac securing an 8-4 win. Jayden Lee and Collin Graf ran the show. Lee had a goal and an assist, while Graf scored two goals and had an assist. Quinnipiac continued the party with a 7-4 win against Colgate.
Boston University had a standout week. First, they outlasted Maine 3-2, with 17-year-old and projected top overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft Macklin Celebrini shining bright with a power play goal. Chicago Blackhawks prospects Ryan Greene and Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander also scored on the man advantage in the victory.
Then, a 5-4 win on Saturday capped a weekend sweep thanks to Quinn Hutson’s two-goal magic, Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hudson’s two assists and Celebrini’s three assists.
And the cherry on top? On Wednesday, a thrilling comeback against third-ranked Quinnipiac (9-4-1) secured a 3-2 win. The fifth-ranked Terriers (9-3-1) beat former BU goaltender Vinny Duplessis with three goals in 13 minutes. Greene netted the last two, with the game-winner coming on the power play with 1:51 remaining. Mathiew Caron made 27 saves for Boston, including 12 in the final frame.
Rangers fans can see the Terriers in action when they come to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night for a match with Cornell following the anticipated bout between the Bruins and Blueshirts at 1 PM. Before you ask, yes, there will probably be a plethora of Bostonians at both contests.
Now, onto Boston College. Rangers prospects Gabe Perrault, Drew Fortescue, and the Eagles faced off against Connecticut. It was a nail-biter, with Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier scoring the tying and game-winning goals in a 5-4 OT victory. Perrault extended his point streak to nine games. BC completed the sweep on Saturday with a 3-0 win, where Perrault made it ten straight as he had an assist in San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith’s tally.
It capped a stellar week for the program, which also celebrated the impending arrival of Dean Letourneau, who announced on social media he was transferring from ST Andrew’s to BC. The 17-year-old forward and former Northeastern commit had 24 goals and 50 points last season.
On the disappointing side, Rangers prospect Jaroslav Chelmar and fifth-ranked Providence faced a challenging weekend, getting swept by 15th-ranked UMass. UMass clinched the series with a 2-1 overtime victory, thanks to Ryan Ufko’s heroics. Arizona Coyotes prospect Micheal Hrabal registered 32 saves for the Minutemen in the bonus time win over the Friars.
For Noah Laba, it was a tough week as Colorado got swept by 16th-ranked Western Michigan. Yet Victor Mancini and Nebraska had a split series with third-ranked Denver, winning 4-3 on Sunday after a tough 8-4 loss on Friday.
Hank Kempf faced a challenging week as Cornell fell 2-1 in overtime to Princeton. Despite the tough result, Kempf showcased his defensive prowess and contributed to Cornell’s efforts.
In net, Rangers prospect Hugo Ollas made 35 saves for Merrimack Warriors in their 3-2 overtime loss to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell RiverHawks on Saturday. The Warriors won on Friday night 2-1 in a shootout against the Riverhawks.
The U.S. National Under-18 Team in Michigan put on a spectacular show as they dominated the Adrian University Bulldogs 13-1 on Wednesday. Lucas Van Vliet netted four goals and an assist, leading the charge. Boston University commits Kamin Bednark had a hat trick and five points, while fellow Terrier prospect and projected second overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, Cole Eiserman, had two goals and three assists. Christian Humphreys also had a memorable night with two goals and four assists.
Also having a memorable night in the Junior Hockey realm was Canadiens prospect Owen Beck, who tallied his second hat-trick of the season as he powered reigning OHL champion Peterborough’s 6-5 comeback over Oshawa on Sunday. The Petes allowed the Generals to explode for five in the first period before Beck’s three goals, two in the second, brought the visitors closer. Donovan McCoy had four points (1 Goal, 3 Assists), including the overtime winner off an odd-man rush feed from Beck.
Yet where one man shined by scoring, the other did through stopping pucks. On Thanksgiving Thursday, NHL draft prospect Carter George recorded a monstrous 50-save shutout as the visiting Owen Sound Attack shutout the Barrie Colts 3-0.
Also feeling it is Rangers prospect, Soo Greyhounds captain Bryce-Mcconell-Barker. He has a 10-game point streak, seven goals, 20 points in 22 games, and scored a power-play goal in a 3-2 OT loss at the Erie Otters on Thanksgiving Thursday.
And a special shoutout to Aiden Fink, who registered a hat-trick as Penn State defeated tenth-ranked Michigan 5-3. That win marked Penn State’s 200th in NCAA D-I program history.
Rangers prospects are making waves, and the excitement is only building. Stay tuned, Blueshirts fans!