2007 update

[Al DeFlorio]

Jeff Kahn '70 wrote:

His continued perserverence and hard work actually managed to get him (please excuse the cliche) a cup of coffee in the NHL as a player.

And not many "cups" were tasted by college grads in those days.

[CUlater \'89]

Although I never saw Brian play, what Jeff wrote is my understanding as well from speaking to people who did see him play (including his buddy and former linemate John Hughes and Laing Kennedy).  That's actually part of the basis for his approach to coaching and why coaching Manderville made him nuts.  I understand that Mark was taught similarly, to try to make the most out of his talent and not to coast on it.

[Greg Berge]

Saw this on the Maine recruit's USCHO thread:

Victoria Salsa Defenseman Ryan O'Byrne, who was watched by up to eight NHL scouts during Tuesday's Salsa loss to the league-leading Nanaimo Clippers at Esquimalt, is now himself a Clipper.

The highly regarded defenceman -- who will be flown down to Maine and Cornell soon for campus visits as the NCAA U.S. university recruiting war for him rages -- was traded Wednesday to the Clippers for Tyler Cherwinski in a swap of 18-year-old blueliners

[cbuckser]

According to the Victoria Salsa web site, Ryan O'Byrne is 18 years old, 6'5", 210 lbs.  His hometown is Victoria, BC, and his ambition is to play in the NHL and get a business degree.  According to the Nanaimo Clipper web site, O'Byrne has played in 28 games and had 4 goals (including 3 power-play goals), 8 assists, and 95 penalty minutes.

Cornell has recruited players from O'Byrne's teams before.  Kelly Hughes played for Victoria.  Greg Hornby, Shane Hynes, and Dave LeNeveu played for Nanaimo.  Class of 2007 recruit Byron Bitz currently plays for the Clippers.  If O'Byrne is interested in the business program in the Ag Ec department and becomes close friends with Bitz, that can only help Cornell's chances of bringing him on board.  On the other hand, O'Byrne has a new teammate, Brent Shepheard, who will be going to Maine.

Here is a blurb on Dave LeNeveu going to the WJC tryout camp that mentions the Clipper-Cornell connection:  http://www.nanaimoclippers.com/news.php?story=news_0032