Saturday Morning Skate

The Mavericks' season starts today! Check out the Saturday Morning Skate on the Puckato Substack. Be sure to subscribe. Hoping to grow that site as the season goes on! 

Next on the pod: Nathan Davis ... er ... Smith!

CCHA Preseason Player of the Year and MSU junior forward Nathan Smith joins me on the Maverick Hockey Live Podcast this week to talk about the upcoming season, his preseason award, roller hockey and his decision to return for another year of college hockey. Take a listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Mavericks dominate CCHA preseason picks

As I continue to consider the logistics of a Substack page/newsletter, possibly with a paid subscription. (for now, sign up here), the new CCHA came out with its preseason awards and predictions on Monday.

Minnesota State, which won the last four straight WCHA championships, is the favorite to win the first CCHA regular season title, per the league's head coaches, five of whom gave the Mavericks their first-place vote. Here are the results:

1. Minnesota State (5) 67 points

2. Bemidji State (1) 63 

3. Michigan Tech (2) 55

4. Northern Michigan 54

5. Bowling Green 46

6. Lake Superior State 45

7. Ferris State 32

8. St. Thomas 30

Mavericks junior forward Nathan Smith, who came on strong in the NCAA tournament, was picked as the conference's Preseason Player of the Year, a bit of a surprise, as senior goalie Dryden McKay was the WCHA's top player last season, as well as a Hobey Baker and Richter Award finalist. Smith, a second-team All-WCHA selection last season, had 25 points, including nine goals a year ago and was the WCHA's top power-play point scorer (13).

Smith and McKay were among four MSU players to make the CCHA's Preseason All-Conference Team, joining senior forward Julian Napravnik and sophomore defenseman Akito Hirose. Northern Michigan forward Joseph Nardi and Michigan Tech defenseman Colin Swoyer were the other selections.

Finally, Bowling Green forward Austen Swankler was named CCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year.

A new season, a new venture

Hello! 

We're only a couple of weeks away from the start of the 2021-22 hockey season, and I'm excited to say that I'm still hanging around the sport!

After taking a bit of a stab at it last spring before the playoffs, I'm proud to announce that I'll be hosting the Maverick Hockey Live Podcast this season. This will be a weekly feature as part of a bunch of content Minnesota State hockey is rolling out this year.

I recorded the first episode this week, and it was released today. I talked to a couple of super-senior, fifth-year players, both defensemen — one you all know well and one you might not. Jack McNeely is returning to the Mavericks with his extra year of eligibility granted due to the pandemic, and Benton Maas comes to MSU for his extra season after four years at New Hampshire. Each offered a different perspective as to why he is at Minnesota State for a fifth year of college hockey (McNeely isn't alone; teammate Reggie Lutz is also back with the Mavs for a fifth season). 

Give it a listen here (or go to Apple Podcasts or other podcast apps and subscribe):

I'm considering some other areas to involve myself in covering some college hockey this season. One consideration is to start a Substack page, possibly with a paid subscription. For now, get in on the ground floor with that by signing up here.

Feeling Blue: Mavericks' longtime assistant steps away

Over the last two decades plus, I'm not sure I met anyone more passionate about Minnesota State men's hockey than Darren Blue. The guy simply bleeds purple and gold.

A former Mavericks player and captain, he became an assistant coach for his alma mater in 2000, when Troy Jutting took over as head coach for the retiring Don Brose. Blue spent 12 seasons with Jutting and then, after Jutting was fired, stayed on with Mike Hastings (and fellow assistant Todd Knott) for nine seasons. I'm sure it was a thrill for him to be behind the bench as the Mavericks became a powerhouse in the WCHA and eventually made it to the Division I Frozen Four for the first time last April.

On Monday, Minnesota State announced that Blue is stepping away from the bench to take a job in the private sector. For a lot of people, it will be strange not to see him around the rink. There simply aren't that many people who have been associated with the program for more years than he. Brose started the program and coached for 30 years. Jutting was a four-year player and a 10-year assistant before taking the reins for a dozen years. Paul Allan has been in athletic communications at the university since 1985.

"Darren Blue has been synonymous with Maverick hockey for over two decades. ..." Hastings said in a press release. "His integrity, class and passion for Maverick hockey and the city of Mankato has helped build our program to where it is today. ... (He) has been instrumental from day one on helping me understand what it means to be a Maverick."

Blue literally helped build MSU into a Division I program. As a player in the 1990s, he led efforts to whip up community support for the building of the downtown arena the Mavericks eventually called home. When the facility was being renovated to become MSU's everyday home in 2015, Blue's penchant for detail was often noted in the design of the new locker rooms, offices and training areas. (It certainly makes sense, then, that his next move is to be a business strategist for the sports and recreation business unit at ISG.)

Blue has been the connection between the hockey program and its alumni, finding ways to keep them involved with the the program well beyond their playing days and even making sure they completed their college degrees. (It will be interesting to see if, perhaps, Hastings hires a former MSU player to replace Blue, and, if so, who might be a candidate.)

"It's hard to believe 21 years in this position have gone by so fast," Blue said in a statement. "I think that's a testament to the quality of people and players I have had the opportunity to work with during this time."

McKay shut out for Richter, Hobey

The Associated Press

It was no surprise that Dryden McKay didn't win the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top men's college hockey player. That he didn't get the Richter Award as the country's top goalie, though, was a bit of a shocker, at least in these parts.

McKay, who racked up 10 shutouts this season and had stunning numbers, especially over the first half of the season, lost out to Minnesota's Jack LaFontaine for the Richter. High-scoring Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield, as expected, won the Hobey.

Interestingly, McKay was a top three Hobey finalist — the Hobey Hat Trick —and LaFontaine was not. It should be noted, however, that those awards have two different committees and different voting windows. It's been reported that the Richter vote came after conference championship weekend (not great for McKay and pretty good for LaFontaine), while the Hobey vote came after the NCAA regional round (when McKay shut out the Gophers in a head-to-head meeting with LaFontaine to get to the Frozen Four).

LaFontaine stopped 46 of 50 shots in the Big Ten title game against Wisconsin for a 6-4 win, while McKay got pulled after giving up four goals on 14 shots in the WCHA semifinal against Northern Michigan. If that was the last impression voters got of two extremely close candidates before turning in their ballots, that might have made a difference. A week later, following that head-to-head matchup, who knows what the result would have been? Perhaps that result was why McKay, and not LaFontaine, made the Hobey Hat Trick.

Following Minnesota State's 5-4 loss to St. Cloud State in the Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday, McKay finished the season 21-4-0 — all against WCHA opponents prior to the NCAAs — with a .924 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average. He also had 10 shutouts to raise his career total to 24, two shy of Ryan Miller's NCAA record.

LaFontaine, playing only Big Ten games before the tournament, went 22-7-0 with stats of .934, 1.79 and five shutouts. 

Both goalies, interestingly enough, had series shutouts on the road this season, McKay at Northern Michigan and LaFontaine at Notre Dame.

Although I can live with the result — LaFontaine indeed had a great season — I, for one, will defend McKay on a few fronts: His consistency over three seasons has been incredible. The confidence with which his team plays in front of him is impressive. And the shutout total, no matter who MSU played, is insane. It's hard to get shutouts, and, at one point this season strung together three in a row — all on the road! McKay shut out Bemidji State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan (twice), Bowling Green, Michigan Tech and Minnesota — not just the WCHA bottom feeders. 

Finally, I'll add that, unlike LaFontaine and Boston College's Spencer Knight, McKay is not a 6-foot-3 NHL draft pick who makes scouts go gaga when he steps on the ice for warmups. He's 5-11 (maybe) and, who knows, might end up playing five season of college hockey when all is said and done.

As for all of the arguing (and there was plenty on Twitter for an hour-plus after the announcement), it's not like anyone who voted for LaFontaine thinks McKay is terrible. I'm guessing it was a very, very close vote, a flip of a coin, perhaps. It's just tough, I'm sure, for Minnesota State and its fans to swallow this for a second year in a row.

On a positive note, McKay was also named second-team West All-American on Friday (LaFontaine was first-team), becoming MSU's first two-time Division I All-American.

Huskies 5, Mavericks 4

The Associated Press

Freddy's three thoughts ...

1. So, so close: It was a great game between Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. Mike Hastings said afterward, "When you have two evenly matched teams, a play at the end of the game can make the difference." And that's what happen when the Huskies' Nolan Walker scored the game-winner on a deflected shot with 53.2 seconds to play in regulation. Minnesota State got down early and was down 3-1 before storming back to take a 4-3 lead at 4:18 of the third period. But it couldn't add to that lead or close out this final-period lead, and the Huskies made the comeback to win it and move on to the championship game.

2. Smith steps up: Minnesota State sophomore forward Nathan Smith might have been the best player on the ice, scoring two goals, both on the power play. If the Winnipeg Jets draft pick returns next season, he could be quite a force in the new CCHA. "The steps he made over the last few weeks are going to serve him well," Hasting said. "I thought (he) was outstanding in the regional and was impactful tonight." Walker Duehr had a big goal to spark MSU's second-period comeback and a big assist to fellow senior Dallas Gerads for the go-ahead goal.

3. Historic season: This season won't soon be forgotten, as the Mavericks got to the Frozen Four for the first time. "They wrote some new history," Hastings said. "Last March, a year ago, when that group was on that journey, they didn't get a chance to write it. I think this group picked those pieces up." Senior Riese Zmolek fought back tears during the post-game press conference, saying: "Obviously, it's tough, what we just went through, But I'm proud of the group we have in there. It's a special group of guys. I'm proud of every single person in that locker room. ... And the coaching staff, coach Hastings, they'll be back. They'll be back for more."

Deep thought: The ESPN broadcast left so much to be desired. Between Nathan Smith being called "Davis," Todd Burgess being called "Tom" or even "Tommy," and Barry Melrose clearly not knowing which team was which or what conference they played in, it was really tough to watch. I appreciate John Buccigross' passion for college hockey and his commitment to trying to give a niche, regional sport some national exposure, but a little prep can go a long way to improve a broadcast. Be better, ESPN.