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.

[adamw]

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.

Yes, that is the anticipated comeback ... but whether they have won national titles or not, a bunch of teams have been in Frozen Fours in the last 5 years ... and just look at the players coming from there in terms of NHL blue-chipper-ness ... Fantilli, Martone, Cole Caufield, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, Jakub Dobas, Snuggerud, Logan Cooley, now McKenna, the list goes on. Besides McKenna, yet, those guys are all killing it in the NHL already.  Note I'm not saying Cournoyer is anywhere near this level. But it just answers the question as to why someone would believe the Big Ten was a better path to development than the ECAC., and why someone would want to transfer there now that it's so easy and they're giving you $50k to do it. And again, I don't even agree that it's necessary. But it's easy to see why anyone would.

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.

He was not. He was a bit of a late bloomer. Great job by Cornell seeing it, and striking while the iron was hot there. But this is the risk you take when transferring is so easy now.

[BearLover]

I remember watching this interview with Cournoyer shortly after he committed and wondering how in the world this kid ended up at an Ivy League school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8beuZ2yyRo0

[BearLover]

Rosseau was very good in 2023-24 as a 19 year old, playing 44 games with a .925 save percentage in the QMJHL, but since then he has regressed. He had a bad year in the Q in 2024-25, with a .904 sv%, and he lost the starting job. Last year he had bad numbers for Maine, a .896 sv%, though the other starter with whom he split time was no better. Overall, he seems like a step down from Counoyer, though obviously a lot of uncertainty. It will be an interesting case study seeing how their numbers shift going from Maine->Cornell and Cornell->Wisconsin.

I hope Roest and Katz are pushing hard because they have a very realistic path to getting starts next season.

[stereax]

Rosseau was very good in 2023-24 as a 19 year old, playing 44 games with a .925 save percentage in the QMJHL, but since then he has regressed. He had a bad year in the Q in 2024-25, with a .904 sv%, and he lost the starting job. Last year he had bad numbers for Maine, a .896 sv%, though the other starter with whom he split time was no better. Overall, he seems like a step down from Counoyer, though obviously a lot of uncertainty. It will be an interesting case study seeing how their numbers shift going from Maine->Cornell and Cornell->Wisconsin.

I hope Roest and Katz are pushing hard because they have a very realistic path to getting starts next season.

Notably, he wasn't the starter for Maine going in. Which might have something to do with it.

Agreed. You want Roest and Katz pushing. But I can only assume night 1, Rousseau gets the net, unless something happens to shake that.

[stereax]

I remember watching this interview with Cournoyer shortly after he committed and wondering how in the world this kid ended up at an Ivy League school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8beuZ2yyRo0

...he's probably better spoken than I am. in a second language 😂

[tretiak]

I remember watching this interview with Cournoyer shortly after he committed and wondering how in the world this kid ended up at an Ivy League school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8beuZ2yyRo0

...he's probably better spoken than I am. in a second language 😂

Don't sell yourself short. One more vatnik bot invasion and you qualify for a Russian major at Cornell.

[arugula]

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.

Yes, that is the anticipated comeback ... but whether they have won national titles or not, a bunch of teams have been in Frozen Fours in the last 5 years ... and just look at the players coming from there in terms of NHL blue-chipper-ness ... Fantilli, Martone, Cole Caufield, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, Jakub Dobas, Snuggerud, Logan Cooley, now McKenna, the list goes on. Besides McKenna, yet, those guys are all killing it in the NHL already.  Note I'm not saying Cournoyer is anywhere near this level. But it just answers the question as to why someone would believe the Big Ten was a better path to development than the ECAC., and why someone would want to transfer there now that it's so easy and they're giving you $50k to do it. And again, I don't even agree that it's necessary. But it's easy to see why anyone would.

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.

He was not. He was a bit of a late bloomer. Great job by Cornell seeing it, and striking while the iron was hot there. But this is the risk you take when transferring is so easy now.

I always liked, as many of us did, that Roberston fessed up and "blamed" his parents when he transferred--"can't ask my parents to keep paying this tuition."  That's just a much more politic, and charming, response to the question, 

[stereax]

I always liked, as many of us did, that Roberston fessed up and "blamed" his parents when he transferred--"can't ask my parents to keep paying this tuition."  That's just a much more politic, and charming, response to the question, 

That's not even "blaming" though - it's just "money, currently, matters to the family". Which I think many of us can relate to! Especially given how damn much Cornell costs, and that Ivies don't give scholarships to athletes.

[Jim Hyla]

I always liked, as many of us did, that Roberston fessed up and "blamed" his parents when he transferred--"can't ask my parents to keep paying this tuition."  That's just a much more politic, and charming, response to the question, 

That's not even "blaming" though - it's just "money, currently, matters to the family". Which I think many of us can relate to! Especially given how damn much Cornell costs, and that Ivies don't give scholarships to athletes.

Be careful how you say this. Ivies don't give Athletic Scholarships, but they do give scholarships to athletes and many receive them.