Opening Faceoff
Inside this edition of College Hockey Insider …
(1) We continue our preseason power rankings with a deep dive into RPI.
I had this preview about 50 percent complete when my attention shifted to reporting on the Matthew Mayich/Arizona State story over the past two weeks. Because of that, this issue will feature only RPI.
Starting with the next edition, though, I’m going to begin bundling three or four teams into each preview so we can get through the rest of the rankings before the season begins.
(2) Michigan is facing a new federal lawsuit in which 16 former players accuse the hockey program of years of hazing and sexualized abuse between 1984 and 2001.
The story also includes a response from former Michigan head coach Red Berenson, who denied that the coaching staff encouraged or directed the alleged hazing.
(3) We also have several updates on the situation at Arizona State.
There has been no further update on Matthew Mayich’s condition. His family’s attorney, Rob Carey, most recently said Mayich was unlikely to recover after collapsing during a team workout Aug. 20.
ESPN reported that Carey has asked the Arizona State University Police Department to transfer its investigation to an independent agency.
Cronkite News reported that ASU is preparing to begin its season Oct. 2, while College Hockey Insider reported last week that ASU coaches were on the road recruiting.
Ed. Note — I’m working on putting together my next mailbag. If you are a subscriber and have a submission, reply to this email. Or, reach out using the contact button below:
Preseason Power Rankings: No. 53 RPI
Storylines
— Eric Lang enters his second season as RPI head coach. He added Matt Nicholson to the staff this offseason. Nicholson most recently coached at Bowling Green and previously worked at Robert Morris.
— The Mayor’s Cup, the annual rivalry game between RPI and Union, is moving to Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls this season after previously being held in Albany.
— The Engineers went 11-23-1 in Lang’s first season behind the bench. Last year’s roster was rebuilt largely on the fly through the transfer portal. This season brings even more turnover, with another wave of transfers and a large freshman class reshaping the roster.
Roster Breakdown
Top 378 Forwards
F1 denotes first-line ranking (No. 1 - No. 189)
F2 denotes second-line ranking (No. 190 - No. 378)
Filip Sitar, Junior (F2)
Rainers Rullers, Junior (F2)
Filip Sitar and Rainers Rullers are the headliners in this group, but Jagger Tapper isn’t far behind an F2 designation in my rankings. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish the season looking like a legitimate top-six forward.
