Paolini Skating With Cornell

Was at practice yesterday and Paolini was skating with the team. I assume it means he was cut by Atlanta. He has only used three years of eligibility after being red-shirted his freshmen year. He clearly never signed a pro contract. If he paid his own way when he was at the Thrashers rookie camp and main camp, then he has not forfeited his NHL eligibility. Of course he would still have to be a full time student to play as well. Anybody have any insight or information regarding this?

What makes you think Sam was red-shirted? The sources I've checked list him as playing as many as 12 games his freshman year.



Post Edited (09-20-03 15:27)

calgARI '07 wrote:

Was at practice yesterday and Paolini was skating with the team. I assume it means he was cut by Atlanta. He has only used three years of eligibility after being red-shirted his freshmen year.

Huh?

There is no "red-shirting" in the Ivy League--except for injury. Sam played twelve games as a frosh.

I don't know the exact terminology for it, but I'm 99% sure that he did not lose a year of eligibility his freshman year.

I remember looking at a Cornell program last year and seeing that he only had two asterisks next to his name. I'm just thinking back to Vinnie Auger and how he didn't get a year of eligibility because of injuries and stuck around after his senior year to play (and eventually got injured again).

calgARI...he played twelve games. He wasn't injured. Or sick.

The asterisks in the program only indicate how many years you lettered, I believe. And Vinnie Auger still had to petition the NCAA to recieve the extra year, and that was with him missing the entire '94-'95 season. Paolini has no medical reason to receive an extra year of eligibility. He's probably skating with the team to help out, as various alumni have done in the past.

Rich H '96 wrote:

He's probably skating with the team to help out, as various alumni have done in the past.

And to stay in shape, I'd guess.

I guess I was under the impression that if could keep playing until you've earned four letters.

calgARI '07 wrote:

Was at practice yesterday and Paolini was skating with the team. I assume it means he was cut by Atlanta. He has only used three years of eligibility after being red-shirted his freshmen year.

As others have mentioned, Sam played only a handful of games his freshman year. I had the number 5 stuck in my head but db.elynah.com indicates Sam only played in 3 games. Not to be rude to Sam, but frankly, he simply wasn't good enough to earn a letter as a freshman. If anything, I think this speaks to Sam's insane work ethic. To go from being a bench warmer on a .500 team to being a key forward on the #1 ranked team in the nation is an amazing acheivement.

For the record, Ivies do not redshirt except for medical reasons. The fact that Sam did not earn a letter is irrelevent. Quoting NCAA rules:

"Each student is allowed no more than four seasons of competition per sport. ... You should know that NCAA rules indicate that any competition, regardless of time, during a season counts as one of your seasons of competition in that sport. It does not matter how long you were involved in a particular competition (for example, one play in a football game, one point in a volleyball match); you will be charged with one season of competition."

John,

FYI, there is a discrepancy in Sam's stats between db.elynah.com and TBRW/USCHO (and last year's program). The former lists Sam as playing 3 games (no points) his freshman year, and the latter list 12 games (5 points).

I suspect the 12-game stats are correct, in part because I do remember Sam playing during his freshman year, and 3 games probably wouldn't have made an impression on me -- especially during a year when we had so many freshmen who made the team right away.



Post Edited (09-21-03 12:22)

Saw Sam at Johnnie O's last night. He's trying to stay in shape and help out with the Captains practices.

FWIW - my archives have Sam playnig 12 games in '00 as well with five points. (I think that was before I totally gave up on the web site...)

It's not surprising that the eLD has Sammy playing less than 12 games his Freshman year, since there are only 8 games in the database for that season.

[Q]Statistics before the 2000-01 season are incomplete or missing[/Q]

Well, John got to it before I did. Yes, there are only 8 games (plus the exhib. game) in for '99-2000 so far.

[db.elynah.com]

Should get back on that. At least stats are correct for all current players

And if anyone has a better name for the database, I'd love to hear it, since one seems to be escaping me...