Castagna and Walsh - The Worry Zone

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

[ugarte]

Waaait...

Castagna's three-year entry-level deal begins in the 2026-27 season, he will report to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) on a PTO for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, and is day-to-day with a lower body injury. He was acquired by Calgary from Utah on March 4.

What?

ATO->ELC isn't uncommon, though I can't say I was expecting it, but LOWER BODY INJURY?

sounds to me like "he's going to finish his classes this semester instead of getting beat up in the AHL while nursing a minor injury"

then why sign the ATO at all? just sign the ELC for next year and come home to Ithaca lol.

Also, the Flames have a video of Casty talking about his signing and he's still in his Cornell hockey shirt and I might cry on this bus from Syracuse to Ithaca.

probably some reciprocal obligations in the meantime that are good to have in writing ASAP. you aren't kidding about how you treat your classes!

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

plus if he wants to/they want him to, he can access the professional training room.

[Snowball]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

Interesting coincidence: when I was in New Zealand, my sister and I almost went bungee jumping off a bridge. We backed out after finding out that the week before, someone had died—not because the cord snapped, but because they forgot to attach it.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

Interesting coincidence: when I was in New Zealand, my sister and I almost went bungee jumping off a bridge. We backed out after finding out that the week before, someone had died—not because the cord snapped, but because they forgot to attach it.

Whaaaaat? 

You're sitting there watching everything they do.  How could the customer not notice that they hadn't attached the cord?

[Snowball]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

Interesting coincidence: when I was in New Zealand, my sister and I almost went bungee jumping off a bridge. We backed out after finding out that the week before, someone had died—not because the cord snapped, but because they forgot to attach it.

Whaaaaat? 

You're sitting there watching everything they do.  How could the customer not notice that they hadn't attached the cord?

No idea. This was in the 90s and that was the story. It was likely exaggerated, but it was enough to stop us.

[Trotsky]

no braving the Slope after midnight...

I have a story about that...

Oh boy...

What?  You know it already.

I must've forgotten 😂

I told you 9 days ago and you hadn't been drinking.  This does not bode well for the bar exam.

I tuned you out when you started talking about the Mets tbf

So, from early Friday to early Sunday.

That tracks.

[Trotsky]

_{It is tremendously demoralizing to me that you will not recognize this man with tantalum rivets in his head.}

WAIT THIS IS THE GUY WHO WENT SLEDDING AND CRACKED HIS SKULL OPEN?

There ya go.

[Trotsky]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

Interesting coincidence: when I was in New Zealand, my sister and I almost went bungee jumping off a bridge. We backed out after finding out that the week before, someone had died—not because the cord snapped, but because they forgot to attach it.

"Forgot."

[andyw2100]

Makes sense when you put it that way. No skydiving, no bungee jumping, no braving the Slope after midnight...

Bungee jumping isn't that dangerous.

If the cord doesn't snap.

A quick google turned up only two incidents of cords breaking - one in Africa and one in Thailand.  FWIW, I've done the jump in Africa and felt perfectly safe. 

I've also jumped in New Zealand and was told that their operation is monitored by the NZ Government.  Also they change the cords out much more frequently than mandated by the gov't just to be extra safe.

Interesting coincidence: when I was in New Zealand, my sister and I almost went bungee jumping off a bridge. We backed out after finding out that the week before, someone had died—not because the cord snapped, but because they forgot to attach it.

Whaaaaat? 

You're sitting there watching everything they do.  How could the customer not notice that they hadn't attached the cord?

No idea. This was in the 90s and that was the story. It was likely exaggerated, but it was enough to stop us.

I vaguely remember this. I just looked it up:

[Snowball]

Wow! Impressive research. Do you work for the CIA?

Seriously I also remember that the operator we were talking to seemed like a stoner (do people still use that term??). So that sealed the deal for us. Back to observing sheep.

[Trotsky]

I also remember that the operator we were talking to seemed like a stoner

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Wow! Impressive research. Do you work for the CIA?

Seriously I also remember that the operator we were talking to seemed like a stoner (do people still use that term??). So that sealed the deal for us. Back to observing sheep.

Ah.  Not the AJ Hackett operation in Queenstown.  That makes more sense.

[George64]

Castagna going, going, gone!  Good luck Jonny!

[George64]

More on Jonny and Hoyt.  We'll miss you guys! 

[BearLover]

I looked at every draft pick of the Schafer era and noted their draft year, draft round, and whether they left early. I also indicated whether they had a strong junior season (i.e. there would have been strong desire for their drafting team to sign them after their junior year).

PLAYER, DRAFT YEAR, DRAFT ROUND, LEFT EARLY? STRONG JUNIOR YEAR?

• Jean-Marc Pelletier, 1997, 2nd round, left after 2 seasons, N/A [didn't get much playing time]
• Matt Underhill, 1999, 6th round, did not leave early, Yes (.928 sv%)
• Stephen Baby, 1999, 7th round, did not leave early, Yes (point per game)
• Douglas Murray, 1999, 8th round, did not leave early, Yes (11 goals and point per game as a defenseman)
• Brian Mcmeekin, 1999, 9th round, did not leave early, No
• Matt Mcrae, 2000, 5th round, did not leave early, No
• Mark Mcrae, 2000, 9th round, did not leave early, Yes (point per game as a defenseman)
• Mike Knoepfli, 2001, 9th round, did not leave early, Yes (24 points in 32 games as strong defensive forward)
• David LeNeveu, 2002, 2nd round, left after 2 seasons, N/A [.950 sv% year before he left]
• Dan Glover, 2002, 8th round, did not leave early, No
• Ryan O'Byrne, 2003, 3rd round, left after 3 seasons, Yes (7-6-13 as a defenseman, good at defending)
• Shane Hynes, 2003, 3rd round, left after 3 seasons, Yes (point per game)
• Byron Bitz, 2003, 4th round, did not leave early, Yes (almost a point per game and great defensive forward)
• Mark McCutcheon, 2003, 5th round, did not leave early, No
• Matt Moulson, 2003, 9th round, did not leave early, YES (dominant numbers, 22 goals)
• Ray Sawada, 2004, 2nd round, did not leave early, No (21 points in 32 games)
• John Gleed, 2004, 7th round, did not leave early, No
• Mitch Carefoot, 2005, 8th round, did not leave early, No
• Sasha Pokuluk, 2005, 1st round, left after 2 seasons, N/A [half a point per game as a big D]
• Colin Greening, 7th round, did not leave early, Yes (point per game)
• Tony Romano, 2006, 6th round, went to CHL after one season, N/A [had a good freshman year numbers-wise]
• Justin Krueger, 2006, 7th round, did not leave early, No
• Riley Nash, 2007, 1st round, left after three years, N/A [great college player][a 1st rounder staying 3 years I consider equivalent to a later round pick staying 4 years]
• Braden Birch, 2008, round 6, did not leave early, No
• Sean Collins, 2008, round 7, did not leave early, No
• Nick D'Agostino, 2008, round 7, did not leave early, Yes (8 goals, 20 points as a defenseman)
• Kirill Gotovets, 2009, round 7, did not leave early, No
• Brian Ferlin, 2011, round 4, left after 3 seasons, Yes (point per game)
• Joel Lowry, 2011, round 5, did not leave early, Yes (24 points in 32 games; also had a very good sophomore year)
• Reece Willcox, 2012, round 5, did not leave early, No
• John McCarron, 2012, round 6, did not leave early, Yes (24 points in 32 games)
• Joakim Ryan, 2012, round 7, did not leave early, Yes (8 goals, 24 points as a defenseman)
• Matt Buckles, 2013, round 4, did not leave early, No
• Beau Starrett, 2014, round 3, did not leave early, No
• Anthony Angello, 2014, round 5, left after 3 seasons, Yes (13-13-26 in 33 games)
• Jared Fiegl, 2014, round 7, did not leave early, No
• Dwyer Tschantz, 2014, round 7, did not leave early, No
• Misha Song, 2015, round 6, did not leave early, No
• Matt Cairns, 2016, round 4, did not leave early, No
• Morgan Barron, 2017, round 6, UNKNOWN, Yes (point per game) [Barron was forced to sign due to COVID.]
• Alex Green, 2018, round 4, did not leave early, Yes (7-9-16 in 29 games as a defenseman, defensive defenseman of the year) [Note: Green did sign during the canceled 2021 season, but confirmed on the Big Red Hockeycast that he would have returned for his senior year if not for COVID wiping out the season]
• Matthew Stienburg, 2019, round 3, did not leave early, Yes (point per game)
• Jack Malone, 2019, round 6, did not leave early, No
• Justin Ertel, 2021, round 3, left for CHL after one season, N/A
• Hank Kempf, 2021, round 7, did not leave early, No

I marked in bold the early departures.
I marked in red the players who had strong junior seasons.
I crossed out players who left early for another league besides the pros, or who we cannot say would have gone pro due to COVID knocking out the season.

Analysis:
Cornell had 46 draft picks under Schafer.
I have chosen to exclude Riley Nash from this analysis because I don't think it would be fair to categorize him as either an early departure or a four-year player. He obviously wasn't a four-year player, but keeping a first round pick three years is way better than a program would typically hope for.
Out of 42 draft picks excluding R. Nash and those crossed out, 7 left early. (16.67%)
Out of 18 players who had strong junior seasons, 4 left before their senior year. (22%) Adding LeNeveu to that total (given he had an incredible sophomore season), 5/19 left. (26%)

Conclusions:
Under Schafer, Cornell did an incredible job retaining drafted players through their senior seasons. 16.67% early departures among drafted players is very low. Even more impressive, Cornell retained a huge majority of players who had strong sophomore/junior seasons. In many of these cases, the drafted players ended up signing with their drafting teams anyway. See, e.g., Murray, Moulson, Ryan, Greening, Stienburg, Bitz. And in each of these cases, the player got NHL time. This indicates that in many cases, a player staying four years was not due to their team not wanting them but rather a result of that player desiring to return to Cornell.

It is no surprise that the last three Ivies to make the Frozen Four - Cornell in '03, Yale in '13, and Harvard in '17 - were loaded with seniors who could have gone pro after their junior seasons but chose to return to college.

Unfortunately, this postseason we've already seen two juniors jump to the pros. This includes Hoyt Stanley, who seems like a longshot to have any kind of NHL career. This is an unfortunate development and very atypical in Cornell Hockey history. Going forward, if Cornell wants to compete with more talented programs, it will be critical that our best players stick it out for four years, as they mostly did for the past 30 seasons.