The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Pecknold agrees to extension
Coach will remain with Quinnipiac for next five years
HAMDEN — This fall marks the 25th season behind the bench for Quinnipiac men’s hockey coach Rand Pecknold. If all goes according to plan he’ll have at least five more years.
Pecknold, 51, signed a contract extension through the 2022-23 season, the school announced on Friday. Among those he publicly thanked was university president John Lahey, whose vision to expand Quinnipiac’s national profile through hockey allowed Pecknold to become one of the most successful coaches in the country.
Lahey’s final day on the job is today. He’s retiring after 31 years leading Quinnipiac.
“(My wife) Nikki and I are extremely grateful to (university president) John Lahey, (executive vice president) Mark Thompson and (athletic director) Greg Amodio for their continued support of Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey and their belief in me to lead our program,” Pecknold said in a press release. “I also want to thank my staff and players for their commitment to excellence and their relentless pursuit of success on and off the ice.”
This season Pecknold, with a career record of 485-297-89, can become the 26th coach in college hockey history to win 500 games. Among active Division I coaches only Boston College’s Jerry York (1,053) and Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin (546) have more career victories.
Pecknold led the Bobcats to Frozen Four runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2016. Last spring he served as an assistant coach to the U.S. U-18 men’s national team at the IIHF World Championships in Russia.
Quinnipiac opens the season at Vermont on Oct. 13.
BOBCAT SIGNINGS
John Furgele, who chose to forgo his final season of college eligibility at Quinnipiac, signed an ECHL contract with the Maine Mariners, an affiliate of the New York Rangers. Furgele transferred from New Hampshire two years ago and sat out the 2016-17 season per NCAA rules and had a goal and
13 assists last winter.
Landon Smith, a senior who scored 109 career points at Quinnipiac despite battling injuries last season, signed with a second-tier Swedish pro team.
DEVELOPING PROSPECTS
Eight Quinnipiac players will attend NHL Developmental Camps this summer.
Senior defenseman Chase Priskie (Washington), junior goalie Andrew Shortridge (Los Angeles), defensemen Brogan Rafferty (New York Rangers)
and Karlis Cukste (San Jose) and forward Alex Whelan (Carolina), sophomore Keith Petruzzelli (Detroit) and incoming freshman Peter Diliberatore (Vegas).
Skyler Brind’Amour, set to attend Quinnipiac in the fall of 2019, is in camp with Edmonton. He’s the son of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Priskie, Cukste, Petruzzelli, Diliberatore and Brind’Amour are all draft picks. Shortridge, Rafferty and Whelan are free agents.
Yale has five players in
various NHL camps: senior forward Joe Snively (Buffalo), junior goalie Corbin Kaczperski (New York Islanders), sophomore defenseman Phil Kemp (Edmonton) and incoming freshmen forward Curtis Hall (Boston) and defenseman Jack St. Ivany (Philadelphia).
Kemp, Hall and St. Ivany are draft picks. Snively and Kaczperski are free agents. Ryan Hitchcock, Yale’s captain last season, is also in camp with the Islanders.