2025-26 Incoming Freshman and Transfers

I'm excited for the new batch of Big Red hockey players. Does anyone have a full list of who to expect this fall?

We are losing 6 starting forwards and 4 starting defensemen and our goalie. Goalie is easiest to fill, probably just throw keopple in there, he’s earned it, but I’m sure Erick Roest also comes in this year to back him up.

I think we’re actually in a fine spot in terms of forwards. The return of Devlin, Wallace, and Murray fills half the spots and we bring in Aiden Long, Chase Pirtle, and Gio Diguilian, who should be ready to play right away and can fill up the rest of the lineup. We also will bring in Reegan Hiscock, who can compete for the lineup and will mean that our forward group will have a ton of size. We probably have to bring in at least one more forward, my guess is Caton Ryan if no new recruits are added but I would prefer he get another year in the juniors.

Defense could be a little shaky. I think wolfenberg likely steps into the lineup returning from injury and incoming freshman Xavier Veilleux and Hudson Gorski also step in along with transfer Michael Fisher. I would guess that Jack O’Brien and Marian Mosko battle for the extra skater spot. We probably bring in more than just those two freshman though, likely Luke Mccrady or Donovan Hamilton.

That is a great preview, thank you.

Are the predictions based on age or perceived progress in Juniors or what? As a naif I just see a menu of 25 possibilities.

Trotsky
That is a great preview, thank you.

Are the predictions based on age or perceived progress in Juniors or what? As a naif I just see a menu of 25 possibilities.

Yeah trying to guess based on their production primarily, but age as well because you never really see us being in 22 year olds. This is my first year following the recruits really so I don’t know what I’m talking about tbh but thought I’d throw some guesses out there

I only recently discovered that Malinski has a brother playing D at UVM: anyone know if he's any good? And any chance Sam can convince him to consider a transfer?

chimpfood
We are losing 6 starting forwards and 4 starting defensemen and our goalie. Goalie is easiest to fill, probably just throw keopple in there, he’s earned it, but I’m sure Erick Roest also comes in this year to back him up.

I think we’re actually in a fine spot in terms of forwards. The return of Devlin, Wallace, and Murray fills half the spots and we bring in Aiden Long, Chase Pirtle, and Gio Diguilian, who should be ready to play right away and can fill up the rest of the lineup. We also will bring in Reegan Hiscock, who can compete for the lineup and will mean that our forward group will have a ton of size. We probably have to bring in at least one more forward, my guess is Caton Ryan if no new recruits are added but I would prefer he get another year in the juniors.

Defense could be a little shaky. I think wolfenberg likely steps into the lineup returning from injury and incoming freshman Xavier Veilleux and Hudson Gorski also step in along with transfer Michael Fisher. I would guess that Jack O’Brien and Marian Mosko battle for the extra skater spot. We probably bring in more than just those two freshman though, likely Luke Mccrady or Donovan Hamilton.

There’s a difference between (1) having recruits at these positions and (2) having recruits at these positions who will make a difference next season. I’m really worried about next year. First of all, the most important position (goalie) is a massive question mark. While it’s true Keopple will probably be the starter, the coaching staff clearly thought Shane was way ahead of him. Shane had a tough year, but still Keopple almost never saw the light of day. Second, the departure of Robertson was devastating. It is much worse than the departure of Bancroft or any departing senior. For many reasons. We’re really short on D now, with only two returning. Add in the graduation/pro signing of so much forward production and we are going to be lacking at every position next year. Based on sheer numbers we will have enough kids at every position, but we on paper don’t have the talent for an at-large bid, so we’ll need another ECAC tourney miracle.

BearLover

chimpfood
We are losing 6 starting forwards and 4 starting defensemen and our goalie. Goalie is easiest to fill, probably just throw keopple in there, he’s earned it, but I’m sure Erick Roest also comes in this year to back him up.

I think we’re actually in a fine spot in terms of forwards. The return of Devlin, Wallace, and Murray fills half the spots and we bring in Aiden Long, Chase Pirtle, and Gio Diguilian, who should be ready to play right away and can fill up the rest of the lineup. We also will bring in Reegan Hiscock, who can compete for the lineup and will mean that our forward group will have a ton of size. We probably have to bring in at least one more forward, my guess is Caton Ryan if no new recruits are added but I would prefer he get another year in the juniors.

Defense could be a little shaky. I think wolfenberg likely steps into the lineup returning from injury and incoming freshman Xavier Veilleux and Hudson Gorski also step in along with transfer Michael Fisher. I would guess that Jack O’Brien and Marian Mosko battle for the extra skater spot. We probably bring in more than just those two freshman though, likely Luke Mccrady or Donovan Hamilton.

There’s a difference between (1) having recruits at these positions and (2) having recruits at these positions who will make a difference next season. I’m really worried about next year. First of all, the most important position (goalie) is a massive question mark. While it’s true Keopple will probably be the starter, the coaching staff clearly thought Shane was way ahead of him. Shane had a tough year, but still Keopple almost never saw the light of day. Second, the departure of Robertson was devastating. It is much worse than the departure of Bancroft or any departing senior. For many reasons. We’re really short on D now, with only two returning. Add in the graduation/pro signing of so much forward production and we are going to be lacking at every position next year. Based on sheer numbers we will have enough kids at every position, but we don’t have the talent to make the NCAAs barring another miracle.

October came early this year.

marty

BearLover

chimpfood
We are losing 6 starting forwards and 4 starting defensemen and our goalie. Goalie is easiest to fill, probably just throw keopple in there, he’s earned it, but I’m sure Erick Roest also comes in this year to back him up.

I think we’re actually in a fine spot in terms of forwards. The return of Devlin, Wallace, and Murray fills half the spots and we bring in Aiden Long, Chase Pirtle, and Gio Diguilian, who should be ready to play right away and can fill up the rest of the lineup. We also will bring in Reegan Hiscock, who can compete for the lineup and will mean that our forward group will have a ton of size. We probably have to bring in at least one more forward, my guess is Caton Ryan if no new recruits are added but I would prefer he get another year in the juniors.

Defense could be a little shaky. I think wolfenberg likely steps into the lineup returning from injury and incoming freshman Xavier Veilleux and Hudson Gorski also step in along with transfer Michael Fisher. I would guess that Jack O’Brien and Marian Mosko battle for the extra skater spot. We probably bring in more than just those two freshman though, likely Luke Mccrady or Donovan Hamilton.

There’s a difference between (1) having recruits at these positions and (2) having recruits at these positions who will make a difference next season. I’m really worried about next year. First of all, the most important position (goalie) is a massive question mark. While it’s true Keopple will probably be the starter, the coaching staff clearly thought Shane was way ahead of him. Shane had a tough year, but still Keopple almost never saw the light of day. Second, the departure of Robertson was devastating. It is much worse than the departure of Bancroft or any departing senior. For many reasons. We’re really short on D now, with only two returning. Add in the graduation/pro signing of so much forward production and we are going to be lacking at every position next year. Based on sheer numbers we will have enough kids at every position, but we don’t have the talent to make the NCAAs barring another miracle.

October came early this year.

Do not worry my friend. I’ve edited my above post to clarify that while we don’t have the talent on paper for an at-large bid, there is still hope that the rest of the ECAC is so bad that we can dodge/upset Quinnipiac and beat everyone else to win the ECAC tournament again.

And of course there are still outs to get someone really good in the portal (a Seger-level player) or the team plays above expectation and squeaks in as an at-large.

BTW I think we have a very strong class coming in. Don’t let my pessimism about the immediate future obscure this. Next year or two will be hard but I think we project to not be down for long.

BearLover

marty

BearLover

chimpfood
We are losing 6 starting forwards and 4 starting defensemen and our goalie. Goalie is easiest to fill, probably just throw keopple in there, he’s earned it, but I’m sure Erick Roest also comes in this year to back him up.

I think we’re actually in a fine spot in terms of forwards. The return of Devlin, Wallace, and Murray fills half the spots and we bring in Aiden Long, Chase Pirtle, and Gio Diguilian, who should be ready to play right away and can fill up the rest of the lineup. We also will bring in Reegan Hiscock, who can compete for the lineup and will mean that our forward group will have a ton of size. We probably have to bring in at least one more forward, my guess is Caton Ryan if no new recruits are added but I would prefer he get another year in the juniors.

Defense could be a little shaky. I think wolfenberg likely steps into the lineup returning from injury and incoming freshman Xavier Veilleux and Hudson Gorski also step in along with transfer Michael Fisher. I would guess that Jack O’Brien and Marian Mosko battle for the extra skater spot. We probably bring in more than just those two freshman though, likely Luke Mccrady or Donovan Hamilton.

There’s a difference between (1) having recruits at these positions and (2) having recruits at these positions who will make a difference next season. I’m really worried about next year. First of all, the most important position (goalie) is a massive question mark. While it’s true Keopple will probably be the starter, the coaching staff clearly thought Shane was way ahead of him. Shane had a tough year, but still Keopple almost never saw the light of day. Second, the departure of Robertson was devastating. It is much worse than the departure of Bancroft or any departing senior. For many reasons. We’re really short on D now, with only two returning. Add in the graduation/pro signing of so much forward production and we are going to be lacking at every position next year. Based on sheer numbers we will have enough kids at every position, but we don’t have the talent to make the NCAAs barring another miracle.

October came early this year.

Do not worry my friend. I’ve edited my above post to clarify that while we don’t have the talent on paper for an at-large bid, there is still hope that the rest of the ECAC is so bad that we can dodge/upset Quinnipiac and beat everyone else to win the ECAC tournament again.

And of course there are still outs to get someone really good in the portal (a Seger-level player) or the team plays above expectation and squeaks in as an at-large.

I'll worry about Q in Lake Placid when Q wins in Lake Placid.

I wonder if Casey is going to try to rebalance the class sizes at some point

underskill
I wonder if Casey is going to try to rebalance the class sizes at some point

It tends to happen on its own. Large classes have a tail of frosh who never see the ice, hence they never develop, hence they continue to get beat out by incoming guys the next year, and eventually they leave.

Something interesting is that USHL numbers seem to be deflated all around. Highest scorer is at 74 points, the leader hasn’t been below 80 since 2019/20. The highest save percentage is .912, the leader hasn’t been below .920 since 2019/20 as well. Wonder if this means it is a weak class, a good defensive class, or this is just happening by chance.

Trotsky

underskill
I wonder if Casey is going to try to rebalance the class sizes at some point

It tends to happen on its own. Large classes have a tail of frosh who never see the ice, hence they never develop, hence they continue to get beat out by incoming guys the next year, and eventually they leave.

Regression to the mean.

the teams with NIL money will also lose some players with roster limits perhaps

I wonder if the USHL is already seeing good young American players 15-17 choosing to go to the CHL juniors over the USHL more now that it is a legit path to NCAA D1 hockey! This year CHL had about 50 more American players drafted than the previous year.

Long an assist but Madison goes down 2-1 in the series.

Lincoln sweeps, no points from Digiulian, Pelletier or sandruck tonight.

It’s cool that there are more people tracking the recruits now

Roest got the start for Cowan valley today but Victoria already has hung 3 on him. One goal from hiscock, primary assist to pirtle. That’s been a trend for those two, goal for one, primary assist for the other. Would like to see them keep playing on the same line once they come here with that chemistry.

All 3 incoming this Fall?

Trotsky
All 3 incoming this Fall?

Most likely

Heisenberg says MN Mankato freshman D Luke Ashton is transferring to Cornell. #2 d scorer, drafted 6th round last year.

pfibiger
Heisenberg says MN Mankato freshman D Luke Ashton is transferring to Cornell. #2 d scorer, drafted 6th round last year.

Very nice! It’s a whole new world under Casey.

Is the poster who called me an asshole for suggesting Schafer didn’t like to use the portal going to apologize?

pfibiger
Heisenberg says MN Mankato freshman D Luke Ashton is transferring to Cornell. #2 d scorer, drafted 6th round last year.

More importantly he’s 6 foot 6

chimpfood

pfibiger
Heisenberg says MN Mankato freshman D Luke Ashton is transferring to Cornell. #2 d scorer, drafted 6th round last year.

More importantly he’s 6 foot 6

6'6, 239 lbs, and somehow 6 PIM in 38 games last year.

I really don’t feel too concerned about next year with all of the talent we have coming in. One thing I do worry about a little bit is that players that come in through the portal are more likely to leave early, which means we need to bring in more players from the portal, and so on. Hopefully this is just a one year thing and we quickly get back to our normal ways, but it’s comforting to know we can get big portal pickups if it comes to it.

Here are my new predictions for who comes in next year after the transfer

Goalie: losing Shane
Bring in Roest

Defense: losing Kempf, Suda, Robertson, Rego, Rayhill
Bring in Ashton, Fisher, Veilleux, Gorski. If there is one more my money would be on Donovan Hamilton, but I think they just bring in the four with guys like Wolfenberg, Mosko, and O’Brien also being serviceable options.

Forwards: losing Bancroft, Penney, Oleary, Kovich, Mack, Psenicka
Bring in Long, Digiulian, Pirtle, Hiscock, Pelletier. If there are more maybe that would be Connor Arsenault or Caton Ryan.

Luckily, since we had such a big roster last year, we don’t have to replace everyone that left. But because of our injury situation last year I wouldn’t be surprised if the coaches bring in a couple of guys early to play it safe.

chimpfood
I really don’t feel too concerned about next year with all of the talent we have coming in. One thing I do worry about a little bit is that players that come in through the portal are more likely to leave early, which means we need to bring in more players from the portal, and so on. Hopefully this is just a one year thing and we quickly get back to our normal ways, but it’s comforting to know we can get big portal pickups if it comes to it.

Yes I agree, I had the same thought. Until this offseason Cornell really didn’t engage with the portal at all, whether guys coming or leaving. It cultivated a culture of loyalty. Cornell having way less roster turnover, and the coaches knowing they could develop guys and expect them to stick around, was a huge plus, ann advantage few schools have. And it apparently worked well, as we’ve had great success lately But it’s hard to know if the success was because of our lack of portal use or in spite of it. And, of course, the one portal pickup we did have (Seger) put up the most points since Matt Moulson.

I view this pickup as a bullish indicator that we can get good players out of the portal: that the coaching staff is trying, that players want to play here, that Ivy League rules aren’t getting in the way.

And this kid in particular looks quite good too, so it makes me more optimistic about the next couple of years.

Wonder if there’s more where that came from, or even a late CHL pickup, on the way.

chimpfood
Here are my new predictions for who comes in next year after the transfer

Goalie: losing Shane
Bring in Roest

Defense: losing Kempf, Suda, Robertson, Rego, Rayhill
Bring in Ashton, Fisher, Veilleux, Gorski. If there is one more my money would be on Donovan Hamilton, but I think they just bring in the four with guys like Wolfenberg, Mosko, and O’Brien also being serviceable options.

Forwards: losing Bancroft, Penney, Oleary, Kovich, Mack, Psenicka
Bring in Long, Digiulian, Pirtle, Hiscock, Pelletier. If there are more maybe that would be Connor Arsenault or Caton Ryan.

Luckily, since we had such a big roster last year, we don’t have to replace everyone that left. But because of our injury situation last year I wouldn’t be surprised if the coaches bring in a couple of guys early to play it safe.

I basically agree with all of this. But Wolfenberg should be more than serviceable. Also ideally we’d find a forward somewhere (CHL, portal). Ryan might be ready but one extra F would be nice anyway with all the injuries this year. I guess we’re rolling with Keopple in goal, should be exciting…

pfibiger
Heisenberg says MN Mankato freshman D Luke Ashton is transferring to Cornell. #2 d scorer, drafted 6th round last year.

Fuck yeah.

Top pair guy on a very good team. Excellent.

arugula
Top pair guy on a very good team. Excellent.

Robertson replacement?

stereax

arugula
Top pair guy on a very good team. Excellent.

Robertson replacement?

Sure looks that way.

Out of curiosity, anybody know if Wolfenberg was healthy the last half of the season? My vague memory is he left the lineup after an injury and never made it back but I wasn’t paying much attention to lineups between February and Placid.

stereax

arugula
Top pair guy on a very good team. Excellent.

Robertson replacement?

He looks more like a Douglas Murray replacement.

Our defense corps was beginning to tilt righthanded, and Luke Ashton will balance things out in this regard.

stereax

arugula
Top pair guy on a very good team. Excellent.

Robertson replacement?

Well, he has 8 inches and 50 pounds on Robertson, and appears to be a shoot-first rather than pass-first defenseman, so probably a very different player. But we have players like Veilleux and Fegaras who can step into Robertson’s role so we will have some puck moving D.

Interesting that of the three draft picks coming in, two are transfers and one is a defection.

I'm sure there's no shortage of good players who would transfer to Cornell as there are many good non-athletes who would do the same. I knew several people who transfered to Cornell when I was a student and they did just fine on campus and afterwards. IMO, being transfer friendly is a significant advantage over the other Ivys.

Iceberg
I'm sure there's no shortage of good players who would transfer to Cornell as there are many good non-athletes who would do the same. I knew several people who transfered to Cornell when I was a student and they did just fine on campus and afterwards. IMO, being transfer friendly is a significant advantage over the other Ivys.

Plus, you'll always have Cornell on your resume. Sounds a little better than Mankato or Northeastern.

Also preplanning Veilleux chants for Harvard. Give me a V, give me an E... give me an X, what's that spell? NOT YOURS.

If my math is still adequate, we will have 8 draft picks on the squad, none of them seniors:

Pick Dr Cl Name
  70 23 Jr Castagna
  76 22 So Fisher
  83 22 Jr Fegaras
 108 23 Jr Stanley
 165 24 So Ashton
 179 24 Fr Veilleux
 182 22 Jr Devlin
 188 23 Jr Walsh

Have we... reloaded?

Pelletier and Veilleux score as their teams win game 2 of their semis. Muskegon up 2-0, Lincoln tied 1-1.

Pirtle with the game-winner last nite, assist from Hiscock, at 19:52 3rd period

Vielleux named All-USHL second team:

[x.com]

Lincoln (digiulian, Pelletier, sandruck) eliminated, Muskegon (veilleux) is in the finals starting Friday. Victoria (Pirtle and Hiscock) and Penticton (Ryan, fisher (though he hasn’t played recently) and Wehmann) in the BCHL semi finals. Nice to see some of our guys make extended runs.

Nice that we have an All-USHL second-team commit. And makes one wonder, where's the first team going to?

I went to the Twitter page for the ND reporter, Brad Elliott Schlossman (who created the above post), and this guy posts enough enough interesting stuff to maybe lift X stock. He posts about a kid getting a hockey stick left for him, an ND NHLer coming back. He is @SChlossmanGF, which either stands for gluten free or Grand Forks. Back in 2018 he also Tweeted that he has covered his 400th consecutive UND hockey game.

As for the first team
Will Zellers, F, Green Bay Gamblers -- North Dakota
Ryker Lee, F, Madison Capitols, also ROTY -- Michigan State
Giacomo Martino, F, Sioux City Musketeers -- Northeastern. Is he going to have time for coop?
Luke Osburn, D, Youngstown Phantoms -- Wisconsin
Sam Laurila, D, Fargo Force -- North Dakota
Yan Shostak, G, Lincoln Stars (via Belarus) -- St. Cloud State

The only other ECAC commit:
Third team, Etienne Lessard, D, Lincoln Stars -- Union

Hiscock had 2 goals & 2 assists for the Grizzlies last nite. He now leads the BCHL in playoff points. Pirtle is tied for 3rd.

Are these points coming from finesse or vision or what?

Trotsky
Are these points coming from finesse or vision or what?

From watching some highlights and just seeing that he’s listed at 6 foot 5 it seems like a Psenicka type to me. Big body that always finds the front of the net and a natural scorer.

A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

If all hockey freshmen were 18 then BU and Minnesota would win every year.

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

Bertrand was older.

BearLover

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

If all hockey freshmen were 18 then BU and Minnesota would win every year.

Wrong because they would have 18 year olds and we would still have 20-22 year old juniors and seniors.

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

As a purist I should hate it but I am fine with it.

I would love it if kids took a gap year, or more, before entering. The tradition In My Day was high school was where you learned to drink (18 de jure; 16 de facto), college was where you learned to fuck. Pushing back the drinking age and the perma-childhood of The Desert of the Now means we've shifted everything 3 years. Ok, fine, but work that shit all out before wasting your parents money and your one and only chance in life to get a true education rather than the animal training of business or technology.

Everybody should start* at 21. It would be healthier.

* Hell, 90% of kids shouldn't go at all. Give a credential path to the derps who are just looking to make money and return education to people who want to learn, not earn.

Al DeFlorio

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

Bertrand was older.

I suspect the rules have changed since 1967.

Trotsky

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

As a purist I should hate it but I am fine with it.

I would love it if kids took a gap year, or more, before entering. The tradition In My Day was high school was where you learned to drink (18 de jure; 16 de facto), college was where you learned to fuck. Pushing back the drinking age and the perma-childhood of The Desert of the Now means we've shifted everything 3 years. Ok, fine, but work that shit all out before wasting your parents money and your one and only chance in life to get a true education rather than the animal training of business or technology.

Everybody should start* at 21. It would be healthier.

* Hell, 90% of kids shouldn't go at all. Give a credential path to the derps who are just looking to make money and return education to people who want to learn, not earn.

Fair points.

arugula

BearLover

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

If all hockey freshmen were 18 then BU and Minnesota would win every year.

Wrong because they would have 18 year olds and we would still have 20-22 year old juniors and seniors.

I think you’re more likely to compete with BU if you have 24 year olds than 21 year olds. Also, the non-BUs recruit a lot of kids who are 19 and 20 at the time they commit.

arugula

Al DeFlorio

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

Bertrand was older.

I suspect the rules have changed since 1967.

Pretty sure I recall that Doug Krantz was 21 as a freshman.

My question wasn’t about 21 year old freshman although I’m not crazy about that. My question was about whether there was any age limit at all.

Al DeFlorio

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

Bertrand was older.

Seems to me that Bertrand couldn't play in the NCAA tournament his senior year because he was too old. He had worked a few years before enrolling.
Current rule for ice hockey is that you have to enroll before you turn 21. [www.ncsasports.org]

One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

arugula
One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

I literally don’t care how old our players are, I just want us to win. They could be 37 for all I care. Same with NIL or scholarships or grad transfers, I just want us to win. Don’t care if it’s on a bad call by the refs, or a fluke goal. No national title since 1970 or frozen four since 2003. How about we win for once before worrying about being more ethical than our opponents.

BearLover

arugula
One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

I literally don’t care how old our players are, I just want us to win. They could be 37 for all I care. Same with NIL or scholarships or grad transfers, I just want us to win. Don’t care if it’s on a bad call by the refs, or a fluke goal. No national title since 1970 or frozen four since 2003. How about we win for once before worrying about being more ethical than our opponents.

I don’t want to win that badly. Hence I root for my Alma mater, as well as the Rangers and Knicks. Virtue is its own reward. At least I hope it is. And at least no one can call me a front runner.

David Harding

Al DeFlorio

arugula

ugarte

arugula
A 21 year old freshman. Oy. Hate that.

i recommend getting over it

I am over it. Doesn’t mean I have to like. I’m not saying all freshman should be 18 but 21 seems a bit much. Serious question, under current rules, is there a limit? Could a college recruit a 24 year old?

Bertrand was older.

Seems to me that Bertrand couldn't play in the NCAA tournament his senior year because he was too old. He had worked a few years before enrolling.
Current rule for ice hockey is that you have to enroll before you turn 21. [www.ncsasports.org]

Thanks for that.

BearLover

arugula
One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

I literally don’t care how old our players are, I just want us to win. They could be 37 for all I care. Same with NIL or scholarships or grad transfers, I just want us to win. Don’t care if it’s on a bad call by the refs, or a fluke goal. No national title since 1970 or frozen four since 2003. How about we win for once before worrying about being more ethical than our opponents.

Strangely enough, I find myself in harmony with BearLover here. My thoughts go like this: Is the player a student? If yes, then "he" is one of "us." Nothing else matters, because I know Cornell takes it easy on absolutely nobody.

Don't much care how old they are. Actually, I think there is a certain elitism to thinking that every young person is going to find his or her way to college at the same time and in the same way. Preventing those who have enrolled after the age of 21 from participating in NCAA sports is pretty snobby.

Scersk '97

BearLover

arugula
One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

I literally don’t care how old our players are, I just want us to win. They could be 37 for all I care. Same with NIL or scholarships or grad transfers, I just want us to win. Don’t care if it’s on a bad call by the refs, or a fluke goal. No national title since 1970 or frozen four since 2003. How about we win for once before worrying about being more ethical than our opponents.

Strangely enough, I find myself in harmony with BearLover here. My thoughts go like this: Is the player a student? If yes, then "he" is one of "us." Nothing else matters, because I know Cornell takes it easy on absolutely nobody.

Don't much care how old they are. Actually, I think there is a certain elitism to thinking that every young person is going to find his or her way to college at the same time and in the same way. Preventing those who have enrolled after the age of 21 from participating in NCAA sports is pretty snobby.

One could take this argument/discussion and compare it to the knotted-knickers of our Cantab brethren regarding our recruiting of *gasp* CANADIANS (said with a proper Harvard sneer) to play at our internationally known university.

arugula

BearLover

arugula
One of the reasons I love following Cornell sports is that I can unironically refer to the teams as we. Also that I can engage in a measure of sanctimony on thinking that we are somehow doing it the right way and are better than at least our non-Ivy opponents. Having elderly freshman undermines the power of my sanctimony which, along with sarcasm, is my superpower.

I literally don’t care how old our players are, I just want us to win. They could be 37 for all I care. Same with NIL or scholarships or grad transfers, I just want us to win. Don’t care if it’s on a bad call by the refs, or a fluke goal. No national title since 1970 or frozen four since 2003. How about we win for once before worrying about being more ethical than our opponents.

I don’t want to win that badly. Hence I root for my Alma mater, as well as the Rangers and Knicks. Virtue is its own reward. At least I hope it is. And at least no one can call me a front runner.

I agree. My self-esteem is not tied to Cornell sports success.

Don’t get me wrong. I want to win within the rules as they exist.

arugula
Don’t get me wrong. I want to win within the rules as they exist.

Of course. But if Cornell doesn't win, I won't find it "devastating" or "brutal" or "depressing."

According to College Hockey News, the 2024-5 Cornell team was younger than most college teams (tied w/two other teams at 36th oldest out of 64 teams). And that with Cornell’s big senior class. The 2023-4 team was tied w/3 other teams for the 55th oldest (out of 64 teams). Cornell haa generally played with younger players than the competition.

Al DeFlorio

arugula
Don’t get me wrong. I want to win within the rules as they exist.

Of course. But if Cornell doesn't win, I won't find it "devastating" or "brutal" or "depressing."

Still getting triggered by innocuous terminology used by 99% of sports fans, eh?

BearLover

Al DeFlorio

arugula
Don’t get me wrong. I want to win within the rules as they exist.

Of course. But if Cornell doesn't win, I won't find it "devastating" or "brutal" or "depressing."

Still getting triggered by innocuous terminology used by 99% of sports fans, eh?

Not just the words, but the context within which they are used: the demand for "investigative reporting;" the demand to get answers to "burning questions." Get a life. It's a sport. We all love it. Learn to enjoy the ride.

I could be completely wrong here, but it was my understanding that due to the players having to go to juniors before coming on board, (mostly due to space issues) that would make them older… Especially if they spend two years in the juniors.
One can also argue the point that an extra year or two can make a big difference in one’s size and strength, along with experience

Al DeFlorio

BearLover

Al DeFlorio

arugula
Don’t get me wrong. I want to win within the rules as they exist.

Of course. But if Cornell doesn't win, I won't find it "devastating" or "brutal" or "depressing."

Still getting triggered by innocuous terminology used by 99% of sports fans, eh?

Not just the words, but the context within which they are used: the demand for "investigative reporting;" the demand to get answers to "burning questions." Get a life. It's a sport. We all love it. Learn to enjoy the ride.

You’re still harping on the same quotes from like four months ago? You seem to believe that posting on a college sports forum is equivalent to knocking on the door of the Daily Sun office demanding they investigate the hockey program. In any event, this topic has nothing to do with the subject of this thread! Sorry my posts have had such a powerful influence but you really don’t need to keep bringing them up. Enjoy the beautiful weather and LGR!

pfibiger

Pretty sure I recall that Doug Krantz was 21 as a freshman.

Penney, Mack and O'Leary were all 21 as freshmen too. FFJOL turned 22 in March of his freshman year.

CAS
According to College Hockey News, the 2024-5 Cornell team was younger than most college teams (tied w/two other teams at 36th oldest out of 64 teams). And that with Cornell’s big senior class. The 2023-4 team was tied w/3 other teams for the 55th oldest (out of 64 teams). Cornell haa generally played with younger players than the competition.

Wasn't Cornell the oldest or second-oldest of the teams to make the NCAAs though? I remember that stat being constantly thrown around.

Trotsky
Everybody should start* at 21. It would be healthier.

* Hell, 90% of kids shouldn't go at all. Give a credential path to the derps who are just looking to make money and return education to people who want to learn, not earn.

(21, finishing up first year of law school after 5 cumulative years of college)

But to be completely frank, almost requiring a college degree to be competitive in the modern workforce (barring certain trades) is likely a significant cause of why so many younger people find upward mobility difficult, if not impossible. Paying off serious student debt while being paid less comparatively and the comparative rise in prices across the board. The age-old adage of people forgetting most of a subject after finals are over is worrying as well: you're essentially paying to sit around for four years and then get a diploma...

sah67

pfibiger

Pretty sure I recall that Doug Krantz was 21 as a freshman.

Penney, Mack and O'Leary were all 21 as freshmen too. FFJOL turned 22 in March of his freshman year.

Ian Shane had hit the 21 year old limit of the USHL in the middle of the year before he enrolled at Cornell.

Got a little bored so I figured I would throw a guess out there for our lineup next year.

Goalies:
1: Keopple
2: Katz
3: Roest

I think Keopple is clearly expected to be the starter. There could be a battle for the backup spot but I wouldn’t give the edge to Katz. He’s bigger, older and put up better numbers in the juniors.

Lines: LW Center RW
1: Long Walsh Desantis
2: Kraft Castagna Digiulian
3: Hiscock Major Pirtle
4: Murray Devlin Wallace

Here we have no lines of all freshman and the only one with two freshman is two guys in Hiscock and Pirtle who are older and already have chemistry from being on the same line this year. I originally had Major as the first line RW but moved him back to center and sent Digiulian to the wing (because we have a shortage of non center righties). I also had Devlin as the third line left winger at first but decided to move him into Catalano’s fourth line center spot. Devlin was quite bad on faceoffs his freshman year but putting him at center just makes room for more talent in the lineup with the amount of guys we have at left wing. If they bring in just the freshmen that I am confident will come, this lineup would leave Catalano as a leftover center, Donaldson and Pelletier leftover at left wing (great depth there), but nothing extra in terms of right wingers. I love the look of the fourth line here, absolutely massive and would make a beautiful checking line.

D pairs: LD RD
1: Veilleux Stanley
2: Ashton Fegaras
3: O’Brien Fisher

This was a lot easier than the forwards but I’m still far from positive about this guess. With Wolfenberg and Gorski as righties that would find themselves on the bench there’s a ton of talent there and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them found their way into the lineup. Mosko is the extra lefty, wouldn’t be surprised if he settles into the role of extra skater because I think he can play some forward too.

The point of this isn’t really to guess the perfect lineup for opening night but to get a sense of our team and how it balances out with righties vs lefties, centers vs wingers, etc. All and all I think this looks like a solid group for next year. There will of course be injuries to move things around and I could see a couple more freshmen being brought in maybe one more forward (maybe Caton Ryan or Arsenault) and one more D (maybe McCrady or Hamilton).

Interested to hear what the rest of you think.

chimpfood
Got a little bored so I figured I would throw a guess out there for our lineup next year.

Goalies:
1: Keopple
2: Katz
3: Roest

I think Keopple is clearly expected to be the starter. There could be a battle for the backup spot but I wouldn’t give the edge to Katz. He’s bigger, older and put up better numbers in the juniors.

Lines: LW Center RW
1: Long Walsh Desantis
2: Kraft Castagna Digiulian
3: Hiscock Major Pirtle
4: Murray Devlin Wallace

Here we have no lines of all freshman and the only one with two freshman is two guys in Hiscock and Pirtle who are older and already have chemistry from being on the same line this year. I originally had Major as the first line RW but moved him back to center and sent Digiulian to the wing (because we have a shortage of non center righties). I also had Devlin as the third line left winger at first but decided to move him into Catalano’s fourth line center spot. Devlin was quite bad on faceoffs his freshman year but putting him at center just makes room for more talent in the lineup with the amount of guys we have at left wing. If they bring in just the freshmen that I am confident will come, this lineup would leave Catalano as a leftover center, Donaldson and Pelletier leftover at left wing (great depth there), but nothing extra in terms of right wingers. I love the look of the fourth line here, absolutely massive and would make a beautiful checking line.

D pairs: LD RD
1: Veilleux Stanley
2: Ashton Fegaras
3: O’Brien Fisher

This was a lot easier than the forwards but I’m still far from positive about this guess. With Wolfenberg and Gorski as righties that would find themselves on the bench there’s a ton of talent there and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them found their way into the lineup. Mosko is the extra lefty, wouldn’t be surprised if he settles into the role of extra skater because I think he can play some forward too.

The point of this isn’t really to guess the perfect lineup for opening night but to get a sense of our team and how it balances out with righties vs lefties, centers vs wingers, etc. All and all I think this looks like a solid group for next year. There will of course be injuries to move things around and I could see a couple more freshmen being brought in maybe one more forward (maybe Caton Ryan or Arsenault) and one more D (maybe McCrady or Hamilton).

Interested to hear what the rest of you think.

Great off-season post. Thanks

Pretty sure Digulian and Kraft played together at Kent so that sounds like it could be a good line.
Just got home and checked it out-they did play together

Veilleux scored in the last second of regulation to send Muskegon to OT with a chance to win the Clark cup but they lost. Game 5 is on Tuesday.

Bertrand arrived at 25 and already have been an Ontario police officer. You lost a year of eligibility for every year you were Canadian and over 25. This did not applied to USA Americans if, for instance, they served in the military or were missionaries. It was a pretty blatant screw-Canadian-junior-hockey rule. I was about to say it would not have passed legal muster today although, who knows under the current administration. Also, I believe you could not play NCAA college hockey if you had played in the top junior leagues, which were considered pro leagues.

I'm pretty sure there is an NCAA exemption today for over-21s who have done military service. I also don't know the NCAA does to the odd 40-year-old who wants to kick field goals. I mean, there are age anti-discrimination rules.

billhoward
Bertrand arrived at 25 and already have been an Ontario police officer. You lost a year of eligibility for every year you were Canadian and over 25. This did not applied to USA Americans if, for instance, they served in the military or were missionaries. It was a pretty blatant screw-Canadian-junior-hockey rule. I was about to say it would not have passed legal muster today although, who knows under the current administration. Also, I believe you could not play NCAA college hockey if you had played in the top junior leagues, which were considered pro leagues.

I'm pretty sure there is an NCAA exemption today for over-21s who have done military service. I also don't know the NCAA does to the odd 40-year-old who wants to kick field goals. I mean, there are age anti-discrimination rules.

Oldest college football players of 2024 and all-time. The record is held by a 61-year-old kicker. [www.collegetransitions.com]

David Harding

billhoward
Bertrand arrived at 25 and already have been an Ontario police officer. You lost a year of eligibility for every year you were Canadian and over 25. This did not applied to USA Americans if, for instance, they served in the military or were missionaries. It was a pretty blatant screw-Canadian-junior-hockey rule. I was about to say it would not have passed legal muster today although, who knows under the current administration. Also, I believe you could not play NCAA college hockey if you had played in the top junior leagues, which were considered pro leagues.

I'm pretty sure there is an NCAA exemption today for over-21s who have done military service. I also don't know the NCAA does to the odd 40-year-old who wants to kick field goals. I mean, there are age anti-discrimination rules.

Oldest college football players of 2024 and all-time. The record is held by a 61-year-old kicker. [www.collegetransitions.com]

NINTH YEAR SENIOR. I think some would have a heart attack if that was in hockey...

chimpfood
Got a little bored so I figured I would throw a guess out there for our lineup next year.

Goalies:
1: Keopple
2: Katz
3: Roest

I think Keopple is clearly expected to be the starter. There could be a battle for the backup spot but I wouldn’t give the edge to Katz. He’s bigger, older and put up better numbers in the juniors.

Lines: LW Center RW
1: Long Walsh Desantis
2: Kraft Castagna Digiulian
3: Hiscock Major Pirtle
4: Murray Devlin Wallace

Here we have no lines of all freshman and the only one with two freshman is two guys in Hiscock and Pirtle who are older and already have chemistry from being on the same line this year. I originally had Major as the first line RW but moved him back to center and sent Digiulian to the wing (because we have a shortage of non center righties). I also had Devlin as the third line left winger at first but decided to move him into Catalano’s fourth line center spot. Devlin was quite bad on faceoffs his freshman year but putting him at center just makes room for more talent in the lineup with the amount of guys we have at left wing. If they bring in just the freshmen that I am confident will come, this lineup would leave Catalano as a leftover center, Donaldson and Pelletier leftover at left wing (great depth there), but nothing extra in terms of right wingers. I love the look of the fourth line here, absolutely massive and would make a beautiful checking line.

D pairs: LD RD
1: Veilleux Stanley
2: Ashton Fegaras
3: O’Brien Fisher

This was a lot easier than the forwards but I’m still far from positive about this guess. With Wolfenberg and Gorski as righties that would find themselves on the bench there’s a ton of talent there and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them found their way into the lineup. Mosko is the extra lefty, wouldn’t be surprised if he settles into the role of extra skater because I think he can play some forward too.

The point of this isn’t really to guess the perfect lineup for opening night but to get a sense of our team and how it balances out with righties vs lefties, centers vs wingers, etc. All and all I think this looks like a solid group for next year. There will of course be injuries to move things around and I could see a couple more freshmen being brought in maybe one more forward (maybe Caton Ryan or Arsenault) and one more D (maybe McCrady or Hamilton).

Interested to hear what the rest of you think.

Awesome post. Not sure if they have Catalano as an extra center given the influx of freshmen, but that's definitely helping me see how next year might shake out. I'm excited. Is Veilleux that good that he's going to be a 1LD from the get-go? (Sounds like he's pretty good from what I hear here.) Or is it more we have nobody else, lol...

chimpfood
Got a little bored so I figured I would throw a guess out there for our lineup next year.

Goalies:
1: Keopple
2: Katz
3: Roest

I think Keopple is clearly expected to be the starter. There could be a battle for the backup spot but I wouldn’t give the edge to Katz. He’s bigger, older and put up better numbers in the juniors.

Lines: LW Center RW
1: Long Walsh Desantis
2: Kraft Castagna Digiulian
3: Hiscock Major Pirtle
4: Murray Devlin Wallace

Here we have no lines of all freshman and the only one with two freshman is two guys in Hiscock and Pirtle who are older and already have chemistry from being on the same line this year. I originally had Major as the first line RW but moved him back to center and sent Digiulian to the wing (because we have a shortage of non center righties). I also had Devlin as the third line left winger at first but decided to move him into Catalano’s fourth line center spot. Devlin was quite bad on faceoffs his freshman year but putting him at center just makes room for more talent in the lineup with the amount of guys we have at left wing. If they bring in just the freshmen that I am confident will come, this lineup would leave Catalano as a leftover center, Donaldson and Pelletier leftover at left wing (great depth there), but nothing extra in terms of right wingers. I love the look of the fourth line here, absolutely massive and would make a beautiful checking line.

D pairs: LD RD
1: Veilleux Stanley
2: Ashton Fegaras
3: O’Brien Fisher

This was a lot easier than the forwards but I’m still far from positive about this guess. With Wolfenberg and Gorski as righties that would find themselves on the bench there’s a ton of talent there and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them found their way into the lineup. Mosko is the extra lefty, wouldn’t be surprised if he settles into the role of extra skater because I think he can play some forward too.

The point of this isn’t really to guess the perfect lineup for opening night but to get a sense of our team and how it balances out with righties vs lefties, centers vs wingers, etc. All and all I think this looks like a solid group for next year. There will of course be injuries to move things around and I could see a couple more freshmen being brought in maybe one more forward (maybe Caton Ryan or Arsenault) and one more D (maybe McCrady or Hamilton).

Interested to hear what the rest of you think.

I have a hard time picturing Catalano out of the lineup when he has been a lineup mainstay ever since December 2023. Meanwhile Murray hasn’t seen much ice yet so it seems a lot more likely that the checking line would be Devlin-Catalano-Wallace.

The D are hard to evaluate with only two returning. Wolfenberg was twice ranked by NHL Central Scouting; I think you are underrating him. We do have a glut of D righties and few lefties but I think we’ll probably see a righty playing on his off-hand if it means getting more talent into the lineup. Losing Robertson (LHD) is extra punishing here. Robertson, Suda, and Kempf were all LHD so we lost the entire left side of the D from last season.

The Keopple situation is interesting. Cornell Hockey is built on dedication and loyalty. It seems to be paying off: outside of Robertson, our players have stayed loyal to Cornell. And so perhaps the coaches made a calculated decision by handing the reins to a guy who’s been a loyal backup three full years. If the coaches were to have brought in a transfer goalie it would have sent a bad message to Keopple, as well as to the two younger goalies, that dedication won’t be rewarded. That’s the opposite of how BU and Quinnipiac operate, but maybe it’s a net positive in the long run. Or maybe the coaching staff just thinks Keopple is a good goalie.

One week until the NHL draft, our two possible draftees this year are incoming freshmen Alexis Cournoyer and Gio DiGiulian. Both are looking like 6-7 rounders but if I had to guess I would assume that both do end up getting drafted. If that does end up happening we would have a haul of 10 draft picks on the roster next year.

Just read up on DiGiulian and Cournoyer in the EP draft guide. Can link those pages if anyone wants. Making me more and more excited for those two

I don't subscribe to EP Premium. Would you be able to copy and paste the writeups?

cbuckser
I don't subscribe to EP Premium. Would you be able to copy and paste the writeups?

I can do you one better.

stereax
Just read up on DiGiulian and Cournoyer in the EP draft guide. Can link those pages if anyone wants. Making me more and more excited for those two

[www.archivebuttons.com]

The Rancor

stereax
Just read up on DiGiulian and Cournoyer in the EP draft guide. Can link those pages if anyone wants. Making me more and more excited for those two

[www.archivebuttons.com]

EP draft guide is a 1800-page downloadable book they sell. I don't think this works with that.

What do the player grades mean?

stereax

The Rancor

stereax
Just read up on DiGiulian and Cournoyer in the EP draft guide. Can link those pages if anyone wants. Making me more and more excited for those two

[www.archivebuttons.com]

EP draft guide is a 1800-page downloadable book they sell. I don't think this works with that.

oh... I did not know that,

It’s nice that even though DiGiulian’s reviews aren’t too hopeful on his NHL potential, they think he’ll be a nice college player. It’s nice when we have guys in the NHL but anyone who can give us college production is very exciting. It’s great to hear that the work rate is the best trait of a guy that was almost a point a game in the USHL.

CAS
What do the player grades mean?

A is like, top tier, B is rounds 2-3, C is rounds 4-5, D is rounds 6-7, and F is do not draft, iirc

stereax

cbuckser
I don't subscribe to EP Premium. Would you be able to copy and paste the writeups?

I can do you one better.

Can you link Cornoyer’s profile too?

chimpfood
It’s nice that even though DiGiulian’s reviews aren’t too hopeful on his NHL potential, they think he’ll be a nice college player. It’s nice when we have guys in the NHL but anyone who can give us college production is very exciting. It’s great to hear that the work rate is the best trait of a guy that was almost a point a game in the USHL.

When Doug Derraugh potted 30 goals his senior year (which was my freshman year), the goals didn't count any less because Doug wasn't an NHL prospect. And Doug didn't need to play any games in the NHL to embark on an extraordinarily successful professional career in hockey.

stereax

cbuckser
I don't subscribe to EP Premium. Would you be able to copy and paste the writeups?

I can do you one better.

]
Thank you very much, stereax.