Alumni in the pros 25-26

[stereax]

Ultimately players will do what is best for them, which is proper.  IMO, based on what has happened with early departures in recent history, forwards should go, goalies should stay, and defensemen are case-by-case.

Forwards should not go. It's a case by case basis, obviously, and to be honest Castagna has a much higher likelihood of success than eg. Bancroft or Angello did when they left. But our early departures have failed to crack the NHL far more often than not regardless of position, and anyone considering leaving before graduation should exercise extreme caution.

AHL salaries are (considerably) lower than a typical intro finance role most Cornell hockey graduates get right out of college.

It's not just Cornell's .... anywhere when player's leave, they're not cracking an NHL lineup more often than not. And that wouldn't matter if they stayed 2, 3, 4 years.  Which Harvard "stars" in the last 5 years stayed 4 years? Adam Fox? (see below).  This isn't about what I (or anyone) think is best for them - I've ranted about that for 30 years and you might as well save your breath.  To me it's better if 99% of the players stayed 4 years. But no player has never listened to me. Until about 2015 or so, you could count on 3 years out of players who were NHL ready. Now you're lucky for 2. And because of the free agency rules, teams push to get drafted players out after 3. If a player stays for their 4th year, it's because they are looking to get away from their drafted team very specifically.

Henry Thrun recently

In 2017, Harvard made the Frozen Four with drafted players Tyler Moy, Alexander Kerfoot, and Sean Malone all staying for their senior year and producing over a point per game. (Kerfoot has since had a long NHL career of course.)

In general almost no one leaves Harvard early, 2023 being the exception.

2107 may as well be 150 years ago. And Moy was a late pick, didn't do much for 3 years, never played in the NHL. Malone was hurt a lot in his time - went on to play 2 NHL games - showing, as I said, that it doesn't matter if they stay 3 or 4, most of them aren't getting NHL time anyway. Kerfoot managed to carve out a decent career somehow. Cornell's duo has had a much better 3 years than any of those Harvard guys did at that point.

Wasn't Kerfoot also draft dodging?

[Iceberg]

Fox left after this junior year and so did Ryan Donato, so there are quite a few additional examples.

[BearLover]

Fox left after this junior year and so did Ryan Donato, so there are quite a few additional examples.

Getting three years out of Fox is more than probably any other school could have gotten, maybe excluding a couple of the other Ivies.

[stereax]

Fox left after this junior year and so did Ryan Donato, so there are quite a few additional examples.

Getting three years out of Fox is more than probably any other school could have gotten, maybe excluding a couple of the other Ivies.

Part of that was Fox begging his way to the Rangers, no?

[BearLover]

Fox left after this junior year and so did Ryan Donato, so there are quite a few additional examples.

Getting three years out of Fox is more than probably any other school could have gotten, maybe excluding a couple of the other Ivies.

Part of that was Fox begging his way to the Rangers, no?

I think that happened after his junior year, and he was threatening to return for his senior year. Can't really remember though

[andyw2100]

Ultimately players will do what is best for them, which is proper.  IMO, based on what has happened with early departures in recent history, forwards should go, goalies should stay, and defensemen are case-by-case.

Forwards should not go. It's a case by case basis, obviously, and to be honest Castagna has a much higher likelihood of success than eg. Bancroft or Angello did when they left. But our early departures have failed to crack the NHL far more often than not regardless of position, and anyone considering leaving before graduation should exercise extreme caution.

AHL salaries are (considerably) lower than a typical intro finance role most Cornell hockey graduates get right out of college.

It's not just Cornell's .... anywhere when player's leave, they're not cracking an NHL lineup more often than not. And that wouldn't matter if they stayed 2, 3, 4 years.  Which Harvard "stars" in the last 5 years stayed 4 years? Adam Fox? (see below).  This isn't about what I (or anyone) think is best for them - I've ranted about that for 30 years and you might as well save your breath.  To me it's better if 99% of the players stayed 4 years. But no player has never listened to me. Until about 2015 or so, you could count on 3 years out of players who were NHL ready. Now you're lucky for 2. And because of the free agency rules, teams push to get drafted players out after 3. If a player stays for their 4th year, it's because they are looking to get away from their drafted team very specifically.

Henry Thrun recently

In 2017, Harvard made the Frozen Four with drafted players Tyler Moy, Alexander Kerfoot, and Sean Malone all staying for their senior year and producing over a point per game. (Kerfoot has since had a long NHL career of course.)

In general almost no one leaves Harvard early, 2023 being the exception.

2107 may as well be 150 years ago. And Moy was a late pick, didn't do much for 3 years, never played in the NHL. Malone was hurt a lot in his time - went on to play 2 NHL games - showing, as I said, that it doesn't matter if they stay 3 or 4, most of them aren't getting NHL time anyway. Kerfoot managed to carve out a decent career somehow. Cornell's duo has had a much better 3 years than any of those Harvard guys did at that point. Calling any of them stars as of the end of their junior year is a big stretch. ... Also Kerfoot did not play with the team who drafted him, probably meaning they just didn't care if he stayed.  Certainly if you have a situation where a drafted team doesn't care, then players may stay. I don't think that's the case with Castagna or Walsh though. Bruins are excited for them.

[andyw2100]

2107 may as well be 150 years ago.

Or 81 years in the future. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)