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Category: NHL Draft

Drafting the Night Away (A SportsGirlKat NHL Draft Preview)

This year’s coverage of the NHL Draft is some of the best I’ve ever seen in any sport. Much of that is due to the social media saturation of hockey, a sport whose earlier decline led to an early adoption of social media, which has led in part to a public resurgence. (But that is a story for another evening.)

While I seriously lack any unique knowledge or insights, I wanted to share some of the story lines, Twitters and blogs I’m following as the draft unfolds this weekend.

– Are the NHL scouts as high on Charlie Coyle as we all are?

Could BU bound Charlie Coyle be the first college player taken in the draft? the most optimistic of projections have him going in the late first round, and even the college-player-shy Boston Bruins have worked out and dined the Massachusetts local. Will Coyle be the sixth BU player to be the first college player picked in the draft in history? (Fun facts provided by these interesting-to-college-hockey-geek-me College Hockey News charts.)

Not so fast, says SB Nation’s In Lou We Trust. While the rest of the media have been touting Coyle’s upside, this New Jersey Devils blog is a great summation of some realistic reviews of his ability. Will his offensive playmaking translate over from his EJHL days? While I believe the dismissal of the EJHL as a “weak league” is incorrect, I may agree with In Lou We Trust that Coyle’s talent on bigger stages may not be easily predictable.

I did speak with one person deep in the know in the EJHL last Friday who says that BU fans won’t be disappointed in Coyle, and that he is quite fun to watch. Could it be that Coyle is one great college hockey player – one BU fans sorely need after having all the fun sucked out of their 2009-10 season – but not first or second round draft pick worthy? Continue reading

Better Know a Compliance Rule #2: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

First, my disclaimer – I am not a compliance official of any sort.  I have a weird fascination with NCAA compliance.  The material below is just my interpretation of the rules in a easily digestible form for fans.  It should not be used by student-athletes or athletics officials for any formal use.

All of Boston University is still abuzz with the future of rising sophomore Colin Wilson’s potential jump to the NHL after the Nashville Predators drafted him 7th in this year’s NHL Draft.  Everyday, there seems to be a different opinion about what he will do – stay another year in college or make the jump to the pros.  Yes, he was Hockey East Rookie of the Year last year, and that’s indicative of his immense potential, but his offensive production left a bit to be desired and he took a while to find his footing in the college game.  Because of that, everyone’s opinion about what he’ll do seems valid – it’s totally up to him at this point.  He’ll be a fun and powerful hockey player wherever he plays next season.

But how can Colin Wilson even entertain a professional hockey team holding his rights and attend Predators development camp while he is still deemed an eligible student-athlete by the NCAA?  Because in certain sports, the NCAA makes provisions for professional teams to draft currently eligible players. However, there are quite a number of provisions placed on the drafting of student-athletes to maintain their amateur status. Continue reading

More Hockey Players Love Country Music (My Brief NHL Draft Thoughts)

I had these grand plans to blog about the NHL Draft. Grand plans. Then I realized that I haven’t seen my boyfriend play softball in two years (yep, I’m a horrible girlfriend), and that he had a make-up game scheduled for the exact same time as the first round of the draft. I decided that it might be a good idea to attend the softball game, and get home in enough time to catch the last few picks of the night. Continue reading

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