Money: Cornellians lost to (and gained from) the portal

[BearLover]

Cournoyer recently spoke to a Quebec magazine:

"I am very grateful for the opportunity Cornell gave me in the NCAA. The team was solid in terms of my development. However, this was a personal decision, made in consultation with my agent and my parents. I am a very competitive person who always wants to improve and prove himself at the highest possible level. So, after my first season, I wanted the chance to compete in a highly competitive conference like the Big Ten," Cournoyer commented.

It is worth noting that Cournoyer is set to head to Wisconsin in the coming days to visit his new campus for the first time.

Incidentally, the Canadiens were not involved in Cournoyer's decision. The Montreal organization simply conveyed to the Trois-Rivières native that they were pleased to see him joining a Big Ten program.

Was this translated from French? Source?

https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/sports/sport-local/2026/04/21/transfert-chez-lalma-mater-de-cole-caufield-pour-alexis-cournoyer-KXAFCXK5GFALXJMCPKK5VOBACY/

[stereax]

Cournoyer recently spoke to a Quebec magazine:

"I am very grateful for the opportunity Cornell gave me in the NCAA. The team was solid in terms of my development. However, this was a personal decision, made in consultation with my agent and my parents. I am a very competitive person who always wants to improve and prove himself at the highest possible level. So, after my first season, I wanted the chance to compete in a highly competitive conference like the Big Ten," Cournoyer commented.

It is worth noting that Cournoyer is set to head to Wisconsin in the coming days to visit his new campus for the first time.

Incidentally, the Canadiens were not involved in Cournoyer's decision. The Montreal organization simply conveyed to the Trois-Rivières native that they were pleased to see him joining a Big Ten program.

Was this translated from French? Source?

https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/sports/sport-local/2026/04/21/transfert-chez-lalma-mater-de-cole-caufield-pour-alexis-cournoyer-KXAFCXK5GFALXJMCPKK5VOBACY/

Merci. Archive link.

It definitely seems like he and/or his agent thinks that there's a "better opportunity" in the B10. In the same breath, he calls it a "personal decision", haha.

I wouldn't look too deeply into the exact word choice, especially because we're translating it from French.

[arugula]

Cournoyer recently spoke to a Quebec magazine:

"I am very grateful for the opportunity Cornell gave me in the NCAA. The team was solid in terms of my development. However, this was a personal decision, made in consultation with my agent and my parents. I am a very competitive person who always wants to improve and prove himself at the highest possible level. So, after my first season, I wanted the chance to compete in a highly competitive conference like the Big Ten," Cournoyer commented.

It is worth noting that Cournoyer is set to head to Wisconsin in the coming days to visit his new campus for the first time.

Incidentally, the Canadiens were not involved in Cournoyer's decision. The Montreal organization simply conveyed to the Trois-Rivières native that they were pleased to see him joining a Big Ten program.

Was this translated from French? Source?

https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/sports/sport-local/2026/04/21/transfert-chez-lalma-mater-de-cole-caufield-pour-alexis-cournoyer-KXAFCXK5GFALXJMCPKK5VOBACY/

Merci. Archive link.

It definitely seems like he and/or his agent thinks that there's a "better opportunity" in the B10. In the same breath, he calls it a "personal decision", haha.

I wouldn't look too deeply into the exact word choice, especially because we're translating it from French.

A shame Dryden or Nieuwendyk or Malinski didn't transfer to Ohio State so they could've developed better and been more successful at the next level....

[adamw]

A shame Dryden or Nieuwendyk or Malinski didn't transfer to Ohio State so they could've developed better and been more successful at the next level....

While I agree that there is no need for a player to choose a Big Ten school over Cornell to develop, even today ... comparing it to anything from 60 years ago, 40 years ago, or even 3 years ago, means just about nothing. First, nowadays, the Big Ten has a significant gap over the ECAC which didn't exist - certainly not to this degree - at any other time. Second, you weren't even allowed to transfer freely until a couple years ago, so none of those were going to go. Transferring then was about as rare as a unicorn sighting. Third, money didn't exist until the last 2 years - and whether you can consider it significant enough to matter or not - $50,000 does (approx.) to some.

If Cornell produces the next Sam Malinski within a couple years - then that will be the only comparison. Right now, we really have nothing to go by.

[arugula]

A shame Dryden or Nieuwendyk or Malinski didn't transfer to Ohio State so they could've developed better and been more successful at the next level....

While I agree that there is no need for a player to choose a Big Ten school over Cornell to develop, even today ... comparing it to anything from 60 years ago, 40 years ago, or even 3 years ago, means just about nothing. First, nowadays, the Big Ten has a significant gap over the ECAC which didn't exist - certainly not to this degree - at any other time. Second, you weren't even allowed to transfer freely until a couple years ago, so none of those were going to go. Transferring then was about as rare as a unicorn sighting. Third, money didn't exist until the last 2 years - and whether you can consider it significant enough to matter or not - $50,000 does (approx.) to some.

If Cornell produces the next Sam Malinski within a couple years - then that will be the only comparison. Right now, we really have nothing to go by.

Understood.  I was being sarcastic. Thought the ellipses sent the message.  I guess you're saying the current situation is sui generis so hard to compare or predict and Obviously top to bottom the big 10 is the better league. But just to satisfy my sanctimony and Not to be difficult, but Remind me again how many national titles each league has since the Big 10 picked up hockey.

If cournhoyer was concerned about this point and/or NIL money, wasn't he recruited by those schools last year?  Odd that a fifth round pick woukd not be widely recruited.

[stereax]

A shame Dryden or Nieuwendyk or Malinski didn't transfer to Ohio State so they could've developed better and been more successful at the next level....

While I agree that there is no need for a player to choose a Big Ten school over Cornell to develop, even today ... comparing it to anything from 60 years ago, 40 years ago, or even 3 years ago, means just about nothing. First, nowadays, the Big Ten has a significant gap over the ECAC which didn't exist - certainly not to this degree - at any other time. Second, you weren't even allowed to transfer freely until a couple years ago, so none of those were going to go. Transferring then was about as rare as a unicorn sighting. Third, money didn't exist until the last 2 years - and whether you can consider it significant enough to matter or not - $50,000 does (approx.) to some.

If Cornell produces the next Sam Malinski within a couple years - then that will be the only comparison. Right now, we really have nothing to go by.

Understood.  I was being sarcastic. Thought the ellipses sent the message.  I guess you're saying the current situation is sui generis so hard to compare or predict and Obviously top to bottom the big 10 is the better league. But just to satisfy my sanctimony and Not to be difficult, but Remind me again how many national titles each league has since the Big 10 picked up hockey.

If cournhoyer was concerned about this point and/or NIL money, wasn't he recruited by those schools last year?  Odd that a fifth round pick woukd not be widely recruited.

minor correction in that he got drafted AFTER he joined us. cournoyer's career trajectory was going to be triple A into probably usports, but he played lights out for I think truro and got called up to the Q proper and set off like a firecracker there. that's how we found him and caught him (along with some other teams who were interested, but it's very possible casey's frenchness and related factors of being closer to quebec helped tip the scales). that's also how he got drafted to the habs, but he got drafted at the end of june and officially joined us at the beginning, iirc. it was still also pretty valid to worry if he wasn't lightning in a bottle.