2024-25 Players Graduating

[stereax]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

If it is NJ, as I recall there was interest there, both Utica (AHL) and Adirondack (ECHL, though I'd suspect he'd go to AHL first) aren't in their respective playoffs, and both teams are pretty miserable. Likely enough, in that case, that he'd finish the year at Cornell and sign in the summer. Plus, iirc from his Daily Sun article, his family put a strong emphasis on academics.

[The Rancor]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

[stereax]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

[Swampy]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

Wouldn't the most sensible thing be to join a Canadian NHL team?

(Except for Canada's tariffs on U.S.-produced goods, there wouldn't be much else standing in the way.)

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

Wouldn't the most sensible thing be to join a Canadian NHL team?

(Except for Canada's tariffs on U.S.-produced goods, there wouldn't be much else standing in the way.)

Crossing the border to play US teams?

[stereax]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

Wouldn't the most sensible thing be to join a Canadian NHL team?

(Except for Canada's tariffs on U.S.-produced goods, there wouldn't be much else standing in the way.)

And the Canadian tax rates and price levels. And the fact that he'd be spending significant time in the US anyway. If he is upset enough with the American political climate that he doesn't want to stay here (which is quite unlikely - hockey players skew conservative, and those that don't won't often "make a stand" like that, especially leaving significant money on the table), he would most likely go back to Czechia. That being said, even if the end goal is Czechia, he'd likely be better-served playing in the American minors for a year or few anyway to have a body of work at the pro level that will get him a large ("star" level) contract in Europe. Right now, he doesn't have that.

[stereax]

Kempf to the Eagles (Avs AHL team). O'Leary following Shane to Norfolk.

[stereax]

From Big Red Hockey (@hockey_cornell_):

Big Red games to watch:

Tim Rego and the Swamp Rabbits take on the Icemen at 7
Michael Suda and the Ghost Pirates take on the Everglades at 7:30
Ian Shane and the Admirals take on the Heartlanders at 8
Dalton Bancroft and the Bruins take on the Checkers at 7:05
Jack O'Leary is set to make his pro debut tonight for the Admirals!! Tune in at 8 pm!

[stereax]

Only Penney and Psenicka remain.

[Dafatone]

Kempf to the Eagles (Avs AHL team). O'Leary following Shane to Norfolk.

Avs love them some Cornell defensemen.

[fastforward]

FFJOL!!
So glad to see this along with all the others!!

[jtwcornell91]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

The World Championships start in 5 weeks.  The roster doesn't seem to be out yet: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2025/wm/teams/roster/61445/czechia but that often depends on which AHL and NHL teams have been eliminated from the playoffs by the time of the tournament.

[scoop85]

Only Penney and Psenicka remain.

I have to imagine both will be landing somewhere soon

[stereax]

Surprised no team has taken a flyer on Ondrej.

Someone's going to pick him up, there has been a lot of interest in him.

He might be more interested in European leagues, considering the state of our country and it's immigration policy. He's likely on a student visa. Who knows what hoops he has to jump through (especially at 6'6"!!)

I forgot the student visa angle of it. Also a factor for sure. Though I'd be mildly surprised if he goes back to Europe. As we've talked about, you can't teach 6'6" (plus he's also pretty good at the whole hockey thing) and it's likely enough that one or more NHL teams will want to take a flyer on him. (Y'all already know who I want that to be, lol.) With an ELC similar to Bancroft's, he could be in the $150K a year range without playing a single NHL game - that's likely much more than he can get in Europe. Plus, the "boom" of the NHL - if he can secure a stable roster spot, it could be worth millions of dollars. Additionally, if it "doesn't work out" in North America and he tops out in the minor leagues, it's easier to go back to Europe to be a star there than it is to go from Europe to America.

I'd also note that Czechia's also got a tumultous political climate, if we want to go there, though I'd suspect that's not his number one priority, lol.

The World Championships start in 5 weeks.  The roster doesn't seem to be out yet: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2025/wm/teams/roster/61445/czechia but that often depends on which AHL and NHL teams have been eliminated from the playoffs by the time of the tournament.

Are we seriously saying Psenicka on the Worlds team. I love him but no, guys. If that happens I will cry tears of joy, but it's not.

[arugula]

Correct.