Opening Faceoff

In today’s edition of College Hockey Insider:

• Michigan and Michigan State both had late changeups to their 2026-27 rosters over the past week. At Michigan, a player is likely flipping a commitment to Penn State due to an admissions quirk. Michigan State lost a first-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks on a late signing.

• Harvard has job postings for two assistant coaches after Matt Gilroy was removed from the team’s website as an assistant coach. We have some notes on what’s next.

• UNH and Robert Morris have new ADs, plus Michigan AD Warde Manuel is stepping down in December with a huge payday.

• Dartmouth, Ohio State, Niagara, Army, and Union all added new commitments.

I will continue my All 63 preseason power rankings later this week. I noticed some issues in the formula I needed to fix. It doesn’t change Maryville’s spot (it might slightly change its score). Be on the lookout!

Our next issue will clean up some mailbag questions I have sitting in my inbox as well. If you have something to contribute, feel free to respond to this email.

Notebook: Late-summer roster changeups at Michigan and Michigan State

— Late last week, the Anaheim Ducks signed first-round pick Nikita Klepov to an entry-level contract.

Klepov had been announced as part of Michigan State’s incoming freshman class just one day earlier. It was certainly an interesting timeline.

Losing Klepov is a significant blow for the Spartans. In my preseason power rankings, I had him graded as one of Michigan State’s top forwards—not merely one of its best incoming forwards, but one of its top forwards overall.

Read more

Opening Faceoff

Before we get into the preseason rankings portion of the newsletter, we today’s issue also includes some news and notes:

• Michigan has a new associate head coach.

• Brad Berry is close to returning behind a bench.

• Three coaches received contract extensions this week.

• UNH is nearing a new AD.

Alright, ladies and gentlemen …

That’s right—it’s time for my preseason power rankings.

Before we dive into the top three teams today, here’s a look at the methodology behind the rankings.

1. Player Grades

First, every player in college hockey receives an individual grade.

The model is based on a modified version of Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game Score. Because the NCAA doesn’t track every data point available at the NHL level, I’ve adjusted the formula to fit the data that’s available through InStat. InStat provides an outstanding dataset—probably 90 percent of what I’d ideally like to have—but there are still a few gaps.

The formula closely mirrors the approach behind College Hockey News’ CHIP metric, with a few adjustments based on traits I value more heavily. Personally, I place a premium on tall, mobile defensemen and two-way power forwards. That doesn’t mean smaller or offense-first players are penalized, but players who excel in those areas receive additional value in the model.

The projections also account for player development. Last season’s performance is adjusted based on the expected improvement from freshman to sophomore year, sophomore to junior year, and so on. That development curve naturally flattens as players get older, reflecting the reality that most upperclassmen are closer to finished products. There are always exceptions—a player jumping from 15 points as a junior to 40 as a senior—but those cases are relatively uncommon.

Finally, each player’s production is adjusted for strength of schedule on a per-game basis before being projected over a standard 34-game regular season.

2. Incoming Freshmen

The same process is used for incoming freshmen.

InStat tracks junior hockey extensively, allowing me to translate junior production into NCAA projections. Over the past four seasons, I’ve built a projection model by comparing freshman performance against their previous junior league and age.

Age matters. A 17-year-old scoring 60 points in 50 USHL games projects differently than a 20-year-old posting identical numbers. Players also receive a modest boost based on their Neutral Zone star rating.

3. Team Grades

Simply adding together every player’s rating doesn’t work because roster sizes vary from school to school.

Instead, I project each team’s lineup using its top 13 forwards, top seven defensemen, and the two highest-rated goaltenders. That creates an apples-to-apples comparison by ensuring every team is evaluated using the same number of players, regardless of whether it carries 26 skaters or 30.

Those player grades are then combined to produce each team’s overall score.

4. Positional Rankings

Each team receives separate rankings for its forwards, defense, and goaltending using the same top-13, top-seven, and two-goalie methodology.

You can follow all of the preseason rankings throughout the series by bookmarking this page:

2026-27 Preseason Rankings

All 63 Rankings: Maryville is the newest addition to college hockey

Storylines

• Maryville is embarking on its inaugural Division I season. John Hogan is the program’s first head coach and Assistant AD for hockey.

• Renovations are ongoing at the Maryville University Hockey Center in Chesterfield, Mo. That’s the home of the program, and D-I facilities (locker room, coaching areas, etc) are part of the project.

Read more

Opening Faceoff

Today’s issue of College Hockey Insider is a mailbag. The topics include:

• What is the latest on the NCHC TV deal?

• Any word on who Michigan might hire as an assistant coach?

• What does it take to start a D-I program?

• Would a “Senior Bowl” game work in college hockey?

• Is there a college stadium that needs to host an outdoor game?

Other topics in today’s issue include:

• Yale gave AD Vicky Chun a contract extension despite an external review into the department.

• Rob Rassey is getting closer to hiring an assistant coach at Harvard

• What I’m hearing on some USHL potential openings (hint, hint).

• Brown hired Tom Peffall as an assistant coach.

• Michigan AD Warde Manuel is under fire.

• Ted Donato landed in the NHL.

• Notes on Niagara sponsorships and an assistant hire at Omaha.

Yale AD Vicky Chun extended through 2031

Last week, we reported that Yale had retained an outside law firm to conduct an external review of its athletic department. At the time, athletic director Vicky Chun was awaiting a decision on a contract extension, while several current and former coaches had raised concerns about her leadership, including former men’s hockey coach Keith Allain.

On Thursday, Yale president Maurie McInnis announced that Chun has received a contract extension through the 2030-31 academic year.

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On Thursday, an Ohio judge granted 24 NCAA basketball players who exhausted their fourth season of eligibility this past year a temporary injunction allowing them to receive a fifth year of eligibility and immediately enter the transfer portal to explore roster opportunities.

The ruling found that the NCAA unfairly excluded those players from its new age-based eligibility model by failing to grandfather in athletes who graduated in 2026.

For now, the injunction applies only to the 24 basketball players who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. However, the decision could pave the way for all graduating seniors who would otherwise qualify for a fifth season under the new rules to receive that additional year of eligibility.

Attorney Darren Heitner, one of the lead attorneys representing the players, celebrated the ruling on X, writing, “THE FIRST BATTLE IS WON.”

He also said:

“We have more interest than we can handle at the moment and plan to include athletes beyond basketball in the near future.”

Read more

Opening Faceoff

Tennessee State won’t launch its program in 2026-27, marking the second straight season that university has canceled plans to launch the program. However, this time, the situation seems more bleak than before. TSU’s president essentially said that the program needed to be self-sustainable, through fundraising, for at least five years before it would be added, as the university has turned its attention to solving a budget deficit and improving other on-campus facilities.

Other topics in today’s issue include:

• Alaska’s future use of the Carlson Center hit a snag two weeks ago during a town meeting. The topic will be discussed again on July 23, but as of right now, the town has now approved UAF to use the Carlson Center for its games next season.

• Yale AD Vicky Chun’s contract has officially expired. She’s still Yale’s AD, but the university has retained a law firm to do an external investigation into the athletic department.

• NCHC commissioner Heather Weems received a contract extension, and Union promoted John Ronan.

Tennessee State once again cancels inaugural season

There was a glimmer of hope this spring that Tennessee State was nearing the launch of its Division I hockey program. NCAA coaches told me the Tigers were soliciting opponents for the 2026-27 season. But it was only a glimmer. The program never assembled a roster, and the university ultimately canceled plans for the season.

It’s the second straight year Tennessee State has postponed its inaugural campaign.

The program was originally scheduled to debut in 2025-26 and had already secured a partial recruiting class. Boston University was slated to open its season with an exhibition game against the Tigers before those plans were shelved last summer because of funding issues. Most of the committed players eventually found new homes. Ironically, national championship-winning goaltender Johnny Hicks, who helped Denver capture the NCAA title, was originally committed to Tennessee State.

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Programming Note: I’ve spent a lot of time over the last two weeks — during a small publishing hiatus — to dig into my 2026-27 preseason rankings and preview. Expect that to start rolling out later this month. I’m still waiting on some teams to confirm freshman classes. Believe it or not, there are a lot of rosters that aren’t set in stone yet. It’s a new world, with late CHL decisions and the age-based eligibility rule impacting final rosters this upcoming season.

I have another mailbag coming soon as well. If you want to contribute, simply respond to this newsletter, or leave a comment if your’ reading on the web.

Opening Faceoff

There’s a ton of news items in today’s newsletter. Up first, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee is discussing expanding the coaching staffs, upping the maximum game limit, and starting the season earlier — at least when it comes to practices. We have all of that covered, plus the 31 new rules proposals that the committee approved.

Other topics in today’s issue include:

• UMass Lowell has a new assistant coach, whose focus will primarily be recruiting.

• Notes on assistant openings at Wisconsin, UConn, and Bowling Green.

• A weird story out of Vermont, where it was mis-reported earlier this week that two assistants were leaving the staff. That’s not true. However, the Catamounts will have an opening. We have news on that.

• Notes on staff changes at Brown, Michigan Tech, potentially Harvard, and maybe an addition at BU?

• The latest commitments.

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Unlimited on-campus coaches one of several proposals by Division I Men’s Hockey Oversight Committee

The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee met on June 24. During the meeting, the committee discussed several legislative proposals and approved the implementation of 31 playing rules changes.

Here’s a rundown:

(1) The oversight committee is recommending that the NCAA Division I Council allow men’s ice hockey teams to place a commercial logo on helmets, similar to what has become standard in the NHL. The committee also recommended maintaining the current limit of three commercial logos on a team’s uniform.

(2) As part of its June 1 meeting, the oversight committee approved legislation for the October legislative cycle that would permit any institutional staff member to provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes and/or be designated as an off-campus recruiter.

Read more

Before we get into today’s mailbag, top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft, Landon DuPont, committed to Michigan today. We have some questions pertaining to DuPont that were submitted this afternoon. I just wanted to make sure readers had that context.

Opening Faceoff

Today’s issue of College Hockey Insider is a mailbag. The topics include:

• Should college hockey push back its recruiting timeline?

• Did Landon DuPont consider Harvard after Rob Rassey was hired?

• Who will Rassey target for assistant coaches?

• How are NCAA general managers different from NHL/CHL general managers? Do they have hiring/firing power?

• When will my preseason previews begin?

• Who are the next big prospects that could commit now that Landon DuPont has chosen Michigan.

Other topics in today’s issue include:

• RPI is hiring a new assistant coach to replace the spot that opened when Karlis Zirnis departed last summer.

• Notes on the assistant opening at UMass Lowell, and speculation on where Brandon Naurato might turn to fill the vacancy on his staff.

• The Division I Cabinet officially approved age-based eligibility this week.

• Plus, more notes on a GM title at Denver and a new AD for Alaska Anchorage.

Mailbag: How are NCAA general managers different from the CHL/NHL, and should the recruiting calendar change?

Q. The teams that have named general managers, do they operate the same as NHL general managers? Or CHL general managers? Are they responsible for signing players? Obviously, there are no trades. But do they have hiring and firing power over the coaching staff?

No.

College GMs are essentially assistant coaches who are responsible for the construction of the roster. Fifteen years ago, there were some teams who designated one of their assistant coaches the “recruiting coordinator” as a way to give them a more meaningful title. It’s the same principle.

It’s different than the juniors and the pros, and I can understand the confusion (especially if you are more familiar with the NHL or CHL). But college GMs actually report to the head coach, not the other way around.

At the NCAA level, the head coach is ultimately responsible for everything operationally within the program.

Read more

Opening Faceoff

Today’s issue of College Hockey Insider is a mailbag. The topics include:

• Am I surprised that Harvard has not announced Rob Rassey as head coach yet?

• What are the chances the NHL moves up the draft age?

• What does Maine need to do to return to the glory years of the Shawn Walsh era?

• Who are the best undrafted college free agents ever?

• Will the shift toward Canadian-born players playing NCAA be less dramatic because more Americans may choose the CHL?

• How are non-conference games arranged, and why do teams travel so far outside their regions?

Other topics in today’s issue include:

• Landon DuPont is making college visits in Michigan over the next few days. But, could. Minnesota still be in the mix?

• A bunch of assistant notes, including promotions at Denver and Clarkson. Plus, a new hires at Brown and St. Cloud State, and a note on the UMass Lowell opening.

Mailbag: A later NHL Draft? Best NCAA free agents? How do teams handle schedules?

Q. Are you surprised that Harvard has not announced Rob Rassey as head coach yet?

No, not really.

Every university has a background-check process that new hires must complete before they can be formally announced. I’ve heard that Harvard’s process is a bit more extensive than most. Regardless, if Rassey accepted the position on Tuesday — as I’ve been told — it’s possible the onboarding process didn’t begin until Wednesday. That could easily push an announcement to sometime next week.

Q. MLB proposed a later draft to the MLBPA today. You’ve discussed the possibility of a later draft in hockey before. Do you think it has a chance of passing in the NHL?

Yes, I saw the MLB proposal. Within a matter of hours, the MLBPA aggressively pushed back against it.

Personally, I think a later NHL Draft would benefit teams. I’m not sure the impact on players would be universally positive or negative — it probably depends on the individual. Some players would benefit from an additional year of development. Others might stagnate and lose value because of the delay.

From a team-building standpoint, a 19-year-old draft would likely be more efficient. As more players pass through the NCAA at some point in their development path, it could also bring hockey more in line with football and basketball.

Overall, I’m in favor of a 19-year-old draft. I don’t expect the NHLPA would support it, and for that reason I don’t think it’s particularly likely to happen. But generally speaking, I think older drafts make sense across most sports.

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Opening Faceoff

• Michigan associate head coach Rob Rassey was offered the Harvard job, multiple sources confirm.

• Looking at where Rassey could go to fill out the Harvard staff (he needs to replace James Marcou).

• Also, where might Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato look to hire Rassey’s replacement? Where has he gone in the past for assistant hires?

• The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly interviewed Pat Ferschweiller. That’s more notable given that Western Michigan’s AD, Dan Bartholomae, is also linked to Michigan State’s AD search.

• Luke Strand made two staff promotions at Minnesota State.

• Former Northeastern/Maine coach Greg Cronin has a new gig in the NHL.

• Brown is close to hiring two assistant coaches to its staff.

• I’m planning on making tomorrow’s newsletter a mailbag. You can email (just reply to this newsletter) or send submissions in the chat

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Michigan’s Rob Rassey offered the Harvard job

Rob Rassey will be the next head coach at Harvard, multiple sources confirmed to College Hockey Insider. Rassey was offered the position on Monday and officially accepted it on Tuesday. There are still a few final steps remaining — including things like a background check, etc. — but an announcement could come later this week.

There was a lot of information that developed on the Harvard job during the day today. Remember, if you are a paid subscriber to the newsletter, you have access to my subscriber chat. I was in the chat all day today providing updates between newsletters. It’s almost like a private X feed where I can post updates and we can interact.

Rassey, 41, previously served as an assistant coach at Harvard from 2013-19. He began his coaching career in 2011 as an assistant with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. After leaving Harvard, he spent two seasons as an amateur scout with the Detroit Red Wings and one season with the Omaha Lancers before joining Michigan in 2022. Rassey was originally hired as head coach of the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2022 but was recruited away by Michigan before coaching a game.

As a player, Rassey skated at Northeastern from 2005-09.

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Harvard is expected to name its next head coach this week.

Jason Lammers (Niagara head coach), Jason Tapp (Dartmouth associate head coach), and Rob Rassey (Michigan associate head coach) were the three finalists for the position. On-campus interviews were completed last week.

There had been speculation that Lane MacDonald was leading the search committee. However, I’ve been told that MacDonald, a prominent Harvard alum, has not been involved in the hiring process because his son, Ben MacDonald, is entering his senior season with the Crimson. According to multiple sources, both sides wanted to avoid any potential conflicts of interest given the circumstances.

Whoever is hired will need to hit the ground running.

Read more

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I’ve never published them before, but since 2009, I’ve compiled my own NHL Draft rankings every year.

I’m part of a very deep and highly technical fantasy hockey league (at least that’s how I like to describe it). My wife calls it my “nerd” league. She’s not far off. There are 32 of us from all over the world. Essentially, each owner serves as the general manager of an NHL franchise. We maintain full NHL rosters, AHL rosters, and prospect pools. Players are rated based on their NHL performance, and games are simulated using simulation software.

There’s a salary cap, free agency, waivers, and trading.

Yeah, my wife is right ... you could call it “nerdy.” But it’s also a lot of fun.

Every year, we hold our draft the week before the NHL Draft, ensuring that no one can simply rely on where a player was selected by an NHL team.

The league was founded in 2005, and I joined in 2009. I’ve won the championship twice and last week just fell in Game 7 of the finals while attempting to capture what would have been a league-record third title.

Unsurprisingly, my roster tends to be heavy on college players. I frequently target NCAA talent, especially in the third through seventh rounds.

Players currently on my roster who were drafted directly out of college programs (and not acquired via trade or free agency) include Adam Gaudette (Northeastern), Will Smith (Boston College), Johnathan Kovacevic (Merrimack), Ryan Shea (Northeastern), Cam York (Michigan), Alex Vlasic (Boston University), Brock Faber (Minnesota), and Stephen Halliday (Ohio State).

There’s even more NCAA representation on my AHL roster: Lucas Mercuri (UMass), Trevor Kuntar (Boston College), Andre Gasseau (Boston College), Luke Tuch (Boston University), Cole Knuble (Notre Dame), and Jacob Fowler (Boston College). Are you starting to see a trend?

Because I’m part of this ultra-competitive (and definitely not nerdy) league, I’ve always created my own draft rankings. I’ve just never felt comfortable publishing them. Many of the people in this league follow my work, and I had no interest in giving them a leg up by revealing who I was targeting.

This year, however, I don’t own a first-round pick. In fact, I won’t make a selection until the third round. So, for the first time ever, I’m going to publish my NHL Draft rankings — my Top 32 prospects.

I have 18 current or committed NCAA players projected among my Top 32 selections. If that projection comes anywhere close to reality, it would shatter the previous record. The all-time mark for NCAA players selected in the first round is 11, set in both 2007 and 2016 (with 10 selected last year).

These rankings are MY rankings. I know size isn’t everything, but I skew in that direction (especially on defense). I tend to value forwards more than defensemen at the top of the draft. Since the end of the college hockey season, I’ve spent a lot of time on InStat while watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s proved invaluable in coming up with these rankings.

Fun with trades …

I spent some of my Saturday morning going back through the trade archive to pick out some fun ones.

I have the Senators in this league.

3/3/11: Chicago Blackhawks trade Roman Hamrlik to Ottawa Senators for Jay Pandolfo, Matt Hunwick, Viktor Tikhonov and OTT 2012 Rnd 8

This might be the only trade I have in this league that involves a current NCAA head coach.

11/21/10: Ottawa Senators trade Corey Perry and Jed Ortmeyer to Buffalo Sabres for Cameron Atkinson, Colby Cohen, Daniel Briere and STL 2012 Rnd 2

Cam Atkinson was part of a team that eventually won me my first championship in this league, so this wasn’t all bad. But looking back, trading 26-year-old Corey Perry probably wasn’t my best move.

9/7/09: Ottawa Senators trade Henrik Zetterberg to Washington Capitals for Jordan Eberle, Mikkel Boedker and Tyler Ennis

This one felt like a good deal at the time … I’d say it did not age well.

It’s time for another Mailbag Edition of the College Hockey Insider Newsletter.

Among the topics and questions in today’s edition:

• After one full season of CHL players in the NCAA, what has been the biggest impact? And looking beyond college hockey, what long-term effects could this have on the broader hockey landscape?

• Could there be any additional Division I head coaching openings before the start of the season?

• If I were making the decision at Harvard, who would be my choice for the program’s next head coach?

• Will Cam Reid play NCAA hockey next season? If so, which programs appear to be the most likely landing spots?

• Could a proposed NCAA rule change effectively close the door on AHL and ECHL players moving into college hockey?

• Would the proposed five-year eligibility rule also apply at the Division III level?

• What should we make of Quinnipiac goaltenders entering the transfer portal after strong seasons?

• How does the NCAA transfer portal actually work behind the scenes? Who has access to it, who manages it, and what does the process look like from a software standpoint?

• What do Hockey East coaches think of the current setup, and would they prefer to see any changes?

Also in today's issue: Wisconsin has hired Nick Peruzzi, creating a vacancy on UConn's staff. ... St. Cloud State is still working to round out its coaching staff. Who are the names to watch there? ... Minnesota State moved quickly to fill its opening, adding a former U.S. NTDP assistant coach. ... Harvard's on-campus interviews are complete. What comes next, and when could a decision be made? ... Plus, updates on Landon DuPont and Carter Meyer, and much more.

This is issue #685 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

Mailbag: What has been the biggest “big picture” takeaway from the first year of the CHL rule change?

Q. Now that you have seen the impact of CHL players for a year, what do you believe the biggest impact will be on the sport of hockey, not just college hockey. Is there a big picture thing that we need to pay attention to?

Absolutely.

My biggest takeaway is that fewer Americans will be playing Division I college hockey in the years ahead.

Last season, 908 Division I players were from the United States (55.8 percent), while 628 were from Canada (38.5 percent). That gap is going to shrink over time, and it would not surprise me if Canada eventually surpasses the United States in total representation.

Compared to 2024-25, the percentage of U.S.-born players declined by six percent, while the percentage of Canadian-born players increased by six percent. That’s not really open to debate; the numbers are the numbers (see below).

Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is a separate discussion. My point is simply that it appears to be the natural outcome of a recruiting landscape increasingly centered around four leagues: the CHL and the USHL.

Just look at the math.

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The bulk of the transfer portal activity was concentrated into just a few weeks this season, thanks to the NCAA shortening the entry window and most players committing within days of entering.

So while the portal isn’t technically finished for this cycle — there will still be additional commitments, and Harvard players have until a new head coach is announced to enter the portal — there likely won’t be many, if any, major moves that significantly alter the numbers we track each year.

Today’s newsletter breaks down the portal data from the 2026 cycle, including several notes on recent commitments and late additions to the portal.

Also in today’s edition: More on recent assistant coaching hires at Colorado College and Yale, the United States Collegiate Selects have finalized their schedule for December’s Spengler Cup, and I have a small note on the connection between Jason Lammers and Harvard.

This is issue #684 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

2026 Transfer Portal: Breaking down the numbers

It’s been a few weeks since I updated the data on this year’s transfer portal. Here are the numbers:

Total Entries

Total Entries (not incl. 5th years): 341
Forwards: 173
Defensemen: 119
Goaltenders: 49

Entries by Class

3 YOE Remaining: 114 entries (33.4% of entries)
2 YOE Remaining 124 entries (36.4% of entries)
1 YOE Remaining 72 entries (21.1% of entries)
5th Years: 18 (5.3% of entries)

Commitments

Overall: 61.3% of players have committed
D-I Commitments: 56.6% of players have committed to D-I schools
D-I: 193
D-III: 5
USport: 2
ACHA: 6

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You can add another name to the list of interviewees at Harvard. Niagara coach Jason Lammers has been interviewed, per sources. In today’s newsletter, I take a deeper dive into the candidates at Harvard, including who I’d peg as my top target.

Also in today’s newsletter: Notes on how the NCAA baseball playoffs compared to NCAA hockey on ESPN. ... Tommy Bleyl will enroll at Michigan State in 2027. ... Who is still in the mix for Landon DuPont? ... Boston College is making some facility upgrades. ... A former Merrimack forward is a new head coach in the OHL.

This is issue #683 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

Diving deeper into Harvard’s candidates

I reported on Harvard’s opening last week, noting that the Crimson interviewed former Boston Bruins assistant Jay Leach, Mike Ayers (Boston College), Jared DeMichiel (Michigan State), and Rob Rassey (Michigan). The New England Hockey Journal also reported that Juliano Pagliero (Penn State) and Jason Tapp (Dartmouth) interviewed.

You can add Niagara head coach Jason Lammers to that list as well. Lammers has a direct connection with Harvard Athletic Director Erin McDermott — they were together at Princeton about 20 years ago.

I didn’t go too deep into the candidates last week. If you’ve read my stuff for a while, you know that I don’t believe all head coach openings are created equal, largely because every program presents a different reality. I strongly believe that when hiring a coach, athletic directors need to target the best specific fit for their program. Identifying a candidate who has not only tasted success, but has achieved it at schools with a similar profile, should be the top priority.

In Harvard’s case, that means a candidate who has shown the ability to win at another Ivy League school or, at the very least, an institution with high academic standards.

At this point, I’m told Harvard is moving towards wrapping up its search. With the exception of Jay Leach, who was a candidate but took the Hartford Wolfpack (AHL) job last week, I wouldn’t say anyone is out just yet.

Let’s quickly run through the field.

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Sorry for the quick update (at my son’s middle school graduation as this is breaking).

The NCAA D1 Cabinet met and further discussed the hockey model today.

Sources say the NCAA will adopt hockey’s proposed model, where the eligibility clock begins the season following an athlete’s 19th birthday or college enrollment, removing HS graduation.

This seemed dead a week ago. The hockey proposal received support from basketball, soccer, and the service academies.

This is a huge won college hockey commissioners, who spearheaded the counterproposal.

From a memo sent to schools this evening:

Age-Based Collegiate Eligibility Model. The NCAA Division I Cabinet discussed the age-based collegiate eligibility model and stakeholder feedback, including clarifying applications associated with implementing the model.

The cabinet continued to discuss stakeholder feedback from men’s basketball, men’s ice hockey and the U.S. national service academies recommending an adjustment to the age-based collegiate eligibility model. The cabinet supported adjusting the model to remove a student-athlete’s actual or expected high school graduation as a criterion for the start of the five-year period of eligibility. In supporting this adjustment, the cabinet noted that a student-athlete’s five-year period of eligibility would start either upon initial full-time enrollment at any collegiate institution or at the start of the academic year immediately following the student-athlete’s 19^th birthday, whichever occurs first. An updated implementation document will be distributed to the membership during the week of June 8.

Harvard is getting closer to naming its next head coach. Final interviews appear to be underway, and an announcement is expected within the next week or two.

In today’s newsletter, I break down several candidates known to have interviewed for the position, including a former Boston Bruins assistant coach who remains firmly in the mix.

Also in today’s edition: What was behind the buzz linking David Carle to the Toronto Maple Leafs last weekend? Plus, updates on several assistant coaching openings around college hockey, the USHL’s plans for western expansion, new rumblings surrounding the CHL and potential U.S. expansion, Lindenwood’s recent meeting with the CCHA, and more.

This is issue #682 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

Harvard narrowing its search, former Bruins assistant Jay Leach in the final mix

If you haven’t downloaded the Substack app yet, consider this your semi-regular reminder to do so.

Between full newsletter editions, I’ll continue sharing quick notes, reporting nuggets, and updates in our subscriber-only chat. The chat is accessible on the web, but the mobile app allows you to receive push notifications so you never miss a scoop.

Rest assured, I won’t be flooding the feed or blowing up your phone throughout the day. It’s simply a convenient way to keep the conversation going between newsletters and provides subscribers with a direct line to me.

Yesterday in the chat, I shared several updates as Harvard’s coaching search enters its final stages. An official announcement could come within the next week or two.

I’ve confirmed that Harvard interviewed Mike Ayers (Boston College), Jared DeMichiel (Michigan State), and Rob Rassey (Michigan). The New England Hockey Journal also reported that Juliano Pagliero (Penn State) and Jason Tapp (Dartmouth) remain in the mix.

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In today’s edition of College Hockey Insider:

The NCAA received encouraging news from the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, as Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell announced a bipartisan bill aimed at restoring some guardrails to college sports. The legislation includes transfer restrictions, codifies age-based eligibility, and incorporates several components of the House settlement.

Plus: Anthony Walsh is expected to join Kyle Wallack on Jeff Hamilton’s staff at Yale, new numbers on which programs spend the most on hockey operations, a small update on Harvard’s coaching search, and a unique jersey patch partnership for Air Force.

This is issue #681 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

Bipartisan bill aimed at regulated college sports was introduced in the U.S. Senate

In the midst of the NCAA rejecting hockey’s counterproposal for implementation of the age-based eligibility model, it appears the NCAA may be moving closer to securing the congressional support it needs to enforce some of its rules.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced an agreement on a bipartisan bill that would codify several NCAA rules into federal law. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) also signed on as co-sponsors.

The legislation has been named the Protect College Sports Act. It follows months of negotiations between Cruz and Cantwell, who at one point appeared far apart on several key issues.

If the bill passes both houses of Congress, the NCAA would receive limited antitrust protection.

The legislation contains several major components, but here are some of the most significant potential impacts on college athletics:

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In today’s edition of College Hockey Insider:

The NCAA formally — or at least informally — rejected hockey’s counterproposal to the age-based eligibility model. What does that mean? What comes next? Who will this impact, and how?

Plus: Kyle Wallack is returning to Yale as an assistant coach, Luke Strand signed a contract extension at Minnesota State, UMass has a new goaltending coach, Arizona State officially hires a new assistant, and could rumors surrounding the Colorado Avalanche eventually spill into the college hockey world?

This is issue #680 of the College Hockey Insider newsletter.

Thanks for reading and being part of this community — your support truly means everything. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just joined us, we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

NCAA rejects hockey’s age-based counterproposal

In a phone call yesterday with Division I coaches, NCAA officials confirmed they intend to move forward with the organization’s age-based enrollment proposal, informally rejecting the counterproposal the sport of hockey unified behind last week.

The Division I Cabinet met Friday (May 22) to discuss feedback on the proposal. Under the NCAA’s model, athletes in all sports would receive five years of eligibility beginning with the season following either their expected high school graduation or their 19th birthday — whichever comes first.

“Expected high school graduation” is being defined as four years after freshman enrollment in high school. In practical terms, that means repeating a grade in high school would eat into a player’s five-year eligibility clock.

The NCAA proposal would also eliminate redshirt waivers — medical or otherwise — with exceptions only for pregnancy, religious missions, or active-duty military service.

Hockey submitted formal feedback and a counterproposal to the NCAA two weeks ago. While it mirrored much of the NCAA’s framework, hockey’s proposal removed “expected high school graduation” as a trigger point and instead proposed that an athlete’s five-year clock begin with the season following their 19th birthday or initial college enrollment, whichever comes first.

That proposal carried unanimous support across the sport, including backing from the NHL, USA Hockey, the USHL, the CHL, the Hockey Commissioners Association, and the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).

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The NCAA ice hockey rules committee has officially released its recommendations for the 2026–27 season.

Several significant rule changes for the men’s game are included in the committee’s proposal. The package now heads to the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee for review, with a meeting scheduled for later this summer to review the proposals and vote on potential implementation.

Here is the breakdown of what is on the table:

Cut-Resistant Equipment Mandated for 2027–28

This mandate will blanket all levels of men’s and women’s ice hockey. Under the proposal, players will be required to wear cut-resistant material protecting their necks, wrists, and ankles starting in the 2027–28 season.

The rules committee plans to meet with equipment manufacturers this summer to iron out implementation details. Meanwhile, D-III programs could receive an exemption, delaying implementation until 2028–29 due to potential budget constraints.

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In an unprecedented move, hockey’s power brokers sent a clear message to the NCAA last week regarding its controversial new five-year eligibility proposal.

The Division I Council is set to meet on Friday to sift through the feedback on the docket. As it stands, the NCAA’s plan would hand all athletes five years of eligibility, ticking the clock down from either their expected high school graduation date or their 19th birthday—whichever comes first.

If passed, this rule will send shockwaves through the entire collegiate landscape. But hockey will take the biggest hit. The sport relies on a unique junior hockey ecosystem, a proven model that gives prospects a place to develop until their age-20 season before ever stepping foot on a college campus.

Some players are ready earlier, but the data shows that the vast majority of NCAA hockey players age out of juniors before heading to school.

A massive packet of unified correspondence landed on the NCAA’s desk last week. The pushback included formal feedback from all six college hockey commissioners, the coaches’ association, the NHL, the USHL, the CHL, and USA Hockey.

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