College game is coming on
The Bruins-Flames game from Wednesday night spoke volumes about the changing path from amateur to pro hockey.
Canadian juniors still reigns supreme, but college hockey is on the rise. In 2000, just 20 percent of the NHL came from the NCAA ranks; two seasons ago, a record 314 former college players played, comprising 32 percent of the league.
It is the ninth straight season with more than 300 NCAA veterans skating on NHL rosters. As USA Hockey — despite questionable roster decisions — has started to make a bigger name for itself on the world stage, much of that has to do with college development.
The game in Calgary felt like a mini-reunion of the Beanpot. It was former Terrier Charlie McAvoy leveling former Eagle — and Hobey Baker winner — Johnny Gaudreau with a hit that sparked controversy. McAvoy’s former defensive partner at BU, Matt Grzelcyk, and Harvard’s Ryan Donato skated for the Bruins, while former BC defender and Gaudreau teammate Noah Hanifin played for the Flames.
One-and-dones are also becoming more common, among them BU stars Clayton Keller with the Coyotes and Brady Tkachuk with the Senators. (Tkachuk, injured earlier in the week and projected out for a month, was impressive early in his professional tenure.) Around 71 percent of college hockey players in the NHL played at least three seasons, among them BU’s Jordan Greenway (Minnesota) and Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey (Rangers), but super-talented players are shrinking that number.
Before the season, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy noted some NHL teams squirm as their drafted collegians reach their junior season out of fear they will “pull a Vesey” — playing four seasons in the NCAA and nullifying the drafting team’s rights to become a free agent.
Tkachuk was among 67 NCAA players taken in the 2018 draft, the most since 2012. That’s no doubt helped by players jumping from college to the pros without missing a beat quicker than ever, notably McAvoy in the postseason two seasons ago and Donato last year.
A year ago, 49 of the 60 NCAA hockey programs had skaters in the NHL, from the powers like BU and BC to Alabama-Huntsville — goalie Cam Talbot of the Oilers, who faced the Bruins on Thursday. The Bruins alone have representatives from BU, Notre Dame, Harvard, Denver, Providence, Michigan State, Vermont, Michigan, Miami, Colgate and Minnesota State.
The 12 former college skaters is ahead of the 11 with the Penguins and Wild, and 10 with the Ducks, but the rest of the league has tak- en note as well.
It’s also not just Americans — 52 Canadians on NHL rosters played in the NCAA, with presences from Finland and Sweden as well.
The Bruins will face a Senators team for the second time on Tuesday that dresses eight former NCAA players, including Chris Wideman, who was a Miami University teammate with Sean Kuraly.