The 16-team Division I Men's NCAA hockey championship opens Thursday with regionals in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Fargo, North Dakota. Regionals in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, start Friday.
Fantilli, Farrell, Pietila among players to watch in NCAA Tournament
Halliday, Jefferies, Young also could make impact
By
Mark Divver
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
The University of Minnesota is the No. 1 seed, followed by Quinnipiac University, the University of Michigan and Denver University, the defending national champion, rounding out the top four.
The winners of the games on Thursday play Saturday, while the winners Friday will play Sunday. The four regional champions advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Florida from April 6-8.
Here is a player to watch on each of the 16 teams (listed in alphabetical order).
Jacob Barczewski, Canisius
Canisius finished fourth in Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association in the regular season, but won the postseason title and an automatic tournament bid behind the stellar play of Barczewski. The undrafted 24-year-old senior goalie allowed eight goals in seven playoff games with two shutouts.
Adam Fantilli, Michigan
The 18-year-old forward has had a fantastic freshman season. He leads the country in scoring with 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) in 33 games. The freshman's average of 1.85 points per game is first in the nation and he's a strong contender for the Hobey Baker Award presented annually to the top NCAA men's hockey player. Fantilli is projected to be a top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Sean Farrell, Harvard
A skilled forward, the 22-year-old junior is tied for third in the country in scoring with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 33 games. His average of 1.58 points per game is second behind Fantilli. Farrell, who was named Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year last week, was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the fourth round (No. 124) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He is a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist.
Collin Graf, Quinnipiac
A 21-year-old undrafted sophomore transfer from Union, the forward is second in the country in scoring with 55 points (20 goals, 35 assists) and is plus-28 in 37 games. Graf, who is a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker, is committed to attend development camp with the Nashville Predators if he decides not to sign in the NHL after this season.
Stephen Halliday, Ohio State
The 20-year-old forward leads Ohio State with 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 38 games. Halliday, a freshman, was chosen by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round (No. 104) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Lane Hutson, Boston University
A dynamic 19-year-old defenseman, Hutson has had a brilliant freshman season. He led Hockey East in scoring in the
regular season with 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) and was named MVP of the Hockey East tournament after his overtime goal lifted BU to the championship. Hutson was drafted by the Canadiens in the second round (No. 62) in 2022.
Matthew Knies, Minnesota
The 20-year-old sophomore power forward is expected to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who selected him in the second round (No. 57) of the 2021 NHL Draft, after his college season ends. Knies has 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 36 games.
Jami Krannila, St. Cloud State
The undrafted 22-year-old senior forward was named Most Outstanding Player in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament last weekend. He leads St. Cloud State with 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists) in 39 games.
Alex Jefferies, Merrimack
The 21-year-old junior forward with a great shot leads Merrimack with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games and was named to the All-Hockey East First Team. Jefferies was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2020 draft.
Sam Malinski, Cornell
Known for his poise with the puck, the senior defenseman is drawing free agent attention. The 24-year-old has 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 32 games.
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech
The 23-year-old senior leads the country with 10 shutouts and is 23-10-3 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Pietila, who is undrafted, is a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation's best goalie. He is a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker.
Jason Polin, Western Michigan
After scoring a total of 30 goals in his first three seasons, the 23-year-old forward leads the country with 29 goals and has 46 points in 38 games as a senior. A free agent, he is a top candidate to land an NHL contract after the college season and is a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist.
Massimo Rizzo, Denver
The 21-year-old forward leads the country's second highest-scoring team with 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists). A sophomore, he was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the seventh round (No. 216) Of the 2019 draft.
David Silye, Minnesota State
An undrafted 24-year-old junior, Silye was named CCHA Offensive Player of the Year. The forward has 39 points (23 goals, 16 assists), including 12 power-play goals, in 38 games this season.
Kevin Wall, Penn State
The senior forward leads Penn State in scoring with 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 37 games. The 23-year-old was chosen by the Hurricanes in the sixth round (No. 181) of the 2019 draft.
Alex Young, Colgate
The 21-year-old junior forward was named to the All-ECAC First Team. He has 39 points (21 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games. Young was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round (No. 196) in 2020.
