Getting back in the swing of things, it’s time to take a look at the future Minutemen.

Brandon Montour – D – Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL) – Dec 2014
1 GP / 0 G / 0 A / 0 Pts / 0 PIM / 0
Of course the big news recently was that the 2nd Round draft pick did not make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse and would not be eligible to join the Minutemen until 2nd Semester.  The reigning USHL Player of the Year was held scoreless in his season debut.

Brandon Egli – D – Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) – 2015
2 GP / 0 G / 0 A / 0 Pts / 0 PIM
Egli was originally supposed to be playing in the USHL, in Waterloo specifically where he could’ve been skating alongside Montour, but it appears he ended up back in the BCHL where he had 11 goals and 24 assists in 53 games last season.

Jake McCarthy – D – South Shore Kings (USPHL) – 2015 or 2016
0 GP / 0 G / 0 A / 0 Pts / 0 PIM
McCarthy was supposed to play in the BCHL this year, but was cut by Prince George after he hurt his shoulder in training camp.  Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reported that he has since signed on to play with the South Shore Kings of the USPHL, but has yet to suit up.

Kurt Keats – C – Powell River Kings (BCHL) – 2015
5 GP / 4 G /2 A / 6 Pts / 2 PIM
Keats is off to a hot start with four goals in five games played.  Last year with Powell River he had 19 goals and 36 assists in 51 games.

Troy Conzo – RW – Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) – 2016 or 2017
1 GP / 0 G /0 A /0 Pts / 0 PIM
Conzo went scoreless in his USHL debut.  Last year he scored 22 goals and had 22 assists for the New Jersey Rockets of the Empire League.  Over the Summer he participated in the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp.

Kyler Nachtigall – LW – Brooks Bandits (AJHL) – 2016
7 GP / 1 G / 1 A / 2 Pts / 4 PIM
Last season Nachtigall had 12 goals and 18 assists in 50 games while playing along side current freshmen Patrick Lee and Maddison Smiley.

Shane Bear – D – Brooks Bandits (AJHL) – 2016
7 GP / 0 G / 19 A / 4 Pts / 8 PIM
Yet another Brooks Bandit.  Last season he had 4 goals, 19 assists, and 63 PIM in 52 games for Brooks.

Ty Pelton-Byce – C – Madison Memorial (WI HS) – 2016
0 GP / 0 G / 0 A / 0 Pts
It doesn’t appear high school hockey has started yet in Wisconsin.  At least that’s where I think he’s playing.  Last year Pelton-Byce had 36 goals and 46 assists (82 points) in 24 games for Madison.  His father played for Wisconsin, scoring a hat trick in the 1990 NCAA Championship.   Pelton-Byce also participated in the USA Hockey Select 17 Development Camp over the Summer.

John Leonard – F – Springfield Cathedral (MA HS) – 2017
0 GP / 0 G / 0 A / 0 Pts
High school hockey won’t start for a while.  The Amherst native had 29 goals and 23 assists in 25 games for Cathedral.  He attended the USA Hockey Select 16 Development Camp over the Summer and the Republican had this write-up on his time there.

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Captain Troy Power is writing a blog during the current season.  The latest entry is pretty interesting as he walks fans through a typical week of practice.

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No UMass mentions but Over The Boards ranked the Top 15 recruiting classes for this fall while College Hockey News take a look at the biggest news stories recently in the sport.

CHN also has this story URI alumni pushing for a DI hockey team.  Rhody AD and former UMass football player and Associate AD Thorr Bjorn must make this happen.  Surely someone who once donned the Mr. Slice costume for UMass hockey games understands the benefits of college hockey.