Bryan Hogan and Michigan beat Wisconsin and Minnesota in the College Hockey Showcase

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
It was a tough weekend for the nation's top teams, as none of the top eight escaped last week with a pair of victories. Top-ranked Miami faced two of its stiffest tests of the season. On Friday, the RedHawks were shut out for the first two periods, but got a pair of goals from junior forward Carter Camper in the third to tie the score against sixth-ranked Bemidji State - only to see senior forward Chris McKelvie jam home a rebound goal with less than three minutes remaining to give the Beavers a 3-2 victory. Junior defenseman Ryan Adams was plus-3 for BSU.

The Beavers could not finish off their weekend prefectly, though, as Ohio State got an overtime goal from Kyle Reed on Saturday to take a 2-1 decision over Bemidji. Miami faced the host school, No. 4 North Dakota, of the Subway Holiday Classic that same night and needed a pair of goals in the third to salvage a 5-5 draw against the Fighting Sioux. Freshman forward Danny Kristo had a pair of goals and an assist for UND, and MU freshman Reilly Smith matched that output and also finished with a plus-3 rating. All four games in the event drew over 11,000 fans each.

Elsewhere in the top five, No. 2 Denver got a pair of goals from junior forward Jesse Martin on Friday in a 5-3 win over St. Cloud State, but junior forward Tony Mosey had two goals the next night to lead the Huskies to a 3-2 upset. After rising to third in the national poll, UMass Lowell was winless in a pair of games last week. The second was a 3-1 defeat at Maine on Friday that saw junior forward Tanner House score a pair of goals for the Black Bears (who, incidentally, beat St. Lawrence 10-1 on Saturday). Fifth-ranked Colorado College got a shutout from freshman Joe Howe in a 5-0 pounding of Alaska Anchorage on Friday that ran the Tigers' winning streak to six. But on Saturday, CC needed a goal in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, and UAA freshman center Daniel Naslund scored a rebound goal in the extra session to give the Seawolves a 3-2 triumph.

The College Hockey Showcase in East Lansing produced some good hockey between four perennial powers. In the end, eighth-ranked host Michigan State was beaten twice - and has now lost three straight (following an eight-game unbeaten streak) - while unranked Michigan was the only team with two wins. On Friday, Wisconsin sophomore forward had a goal and four assists to lead the 15th-ranked Badgers to a 7-3 triumph against the Spartans. Goaltending was the story the next night, as MSU's Drew Palmisano stopped 40 shots and Minnesota's Kent Patterson made 37 saves in the Gophers' 2-1 win. Bryan Hogan helped Michigan post a 6-0 shutout of Minnesota on Friday, and the Wolverines knocked off the Badgers by a 3-2 score in their second game.

In other matchups of ranked teams, ninth-ranked Quinnipiac topped No. 10 Massachusetts in overtime by a 5-4 score, as senior Brandon Wong scored at 18:50 in the third to tie it (after UMass used four straight goals to take the lead) and then potted the game-winner in the extra session. Also, 18th-ranked Vermont edged No. 11 Yale 1-0 on Monday in a defensive battle that saw UVM senior Mike Spillane notch the shutout.

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WHAT'S IN STORE
With just two weeks left until most teams take a holiday sabbatical, we have a truly outstanding slate of games on tap this weekend. In fact, there will be a total of 11 games between nationally-ranked squds, with four of those pitting top-10 teams against each other and all of the top-four schools facing stiff tests. The marquee series of the weekend will be a WCHA home-and-home between the conference's current co-leaders: No. 2 Denver and No. 6 Colorado College. They will play on Friday at 7:37 p.m. MT in Colorado Springs and on Saturday at 7:07 p.m. in Denver. Both games will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain. CC has held the upper hand in the series of late, taking the Gold Pan trophy in each of the last three years - though last season three of the four games ended in ties. The Tigers are unbeaten in their last six (3-0-3) against DU.

There are some other intriguing matchups, as well. The two highest-scoring teams in the nation - No. 4 Quinnipiac (4.31 goals per game) and No. 10 Yale (4.10) - will play on Friday in New Haven, while the goaltenders who are No. 1 and 2 in Division I in goals-against average - freshman Mike Johnson (1.35) from No. 14 Notre Dame and top-ranked Miami's Cody Reichard (1.59) - will have their teams face each other for two. Below is a complete listing of the matchups of ranked teams.

WEEKEND SCOREBOARD WATCH
Matchups Between Ranked Teams - All Times Eastern
Friday
No. 4 Quinnipiac at No. 10 Yale, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 15 Boston College at No. 9 Massachusetts, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 18 Nebraska-Omaha at No. 17 Ferris State, 7:05 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 14 Notre Dame at No. 1 Miami, 7:35 p.m. - TV: ONN/Comcast | Live Stats
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 12 Minnesota Duluth, 8:07 p.m. - TV: Charter Communications | Live Stats
No. 2 Denver at No. 6 Colorado College, 9:37 p.m. - TV: FSN | Live Stats
Saturday
No. 18 Nebraska-Omaha at No. 17 Ferris State, 7:05 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 9 Massachusetts at No. 8 UMass Lowell, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 14 Notre Dame at No. 1 Miami, 7:05 p.m. - TV: ONN/Comcast | Live Stats
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 12 Minnesota Duluth, 8:07 p.m. - TV: Charter Communications | Live Stats
No. 6 Colorado College at No. 2 Denver, 9:07 p.m. - TV: FSN | Live Stats

Jarod Palmer and Miami won twice at Michigan

Top-ranked Miami made a strong case that it is the top team in college hockey early in this season with a road sweep of No. 4 Michigan. The RedHawks - now 8-1-1 on the season - got a pair of goals from senior forward Jarod Palmer on Friday in a 3-1 victory (though U-M had a 28-13 shot advantage) and then scored five straight after surrending the opening goal on Saturday to take a 5-1 win. Sophomore goaltender Cody Reichard It marked the first time that a visiting team came into Yost Ice Arena and left with two victories since Oct. 26-27, 2001, a span of 45 series. Crowds of greater than 6,700 took in both games.

The only team to have defeated MU this season - No. 17 Michigan State - also made a statement in a conference series, getting a win and a tie against 10th-ranked Nebraska-Omaha. Sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano earned his first career shutout on Thursday in a 3-0 win for the Spartans. The Mavericks did bounce back the next night to register a 3-3 tie and then win the shootout on the fourth skater.

The other big clashes over the weekend all ended with no clear winner. On Friday night, No. 8 UMass Lowell and 15th-ranked Vermont battled to a 3-3 draw, though UVM had a 37-22 edge in shots. No. 9 Notre Dame dealt 13th-ranked Alaska its first defeat of the season on Friday in a 3-2 decision, but the Nanooks snapped their 11-game winless streak (0-10-1) against Notre Dame the next night in a 3-1 game that featured a pair of goals by junior forward Derek Klassen.

In the WCHA, No. 20 Minnesota Duluth battled to a 4-3 road win against 12th-ranked Colorado College on Friday despite being outshot by 12 (33-21). But the Tigers got two goals and an assist from senior left wing Bill Sweatt on Saturday en route to a 6-2 triumph that featured four power-play markers. Two traditional national powers also split their WCHA series, as No. 18 Wisconsin topped Minnesota 4-2 on Friday behind a pair of goals from Blake Geoffrion. The Gophers struck back the next night with a 5-2 victory despite being outshot 47-28. Zach Budish had two goals and an assist and a plus-3 rating and Tony Lucia finished as a plus-4 and also added three points (1-2).

Second-ranked Denver opened the weekend with a 3-2 victory at Alaska Anchorage that saw senior forward Rhett Rakhshani score twice, but the Seawolves would come back the next night with a 7-3 upset win. Sean Wiles had a pair of tallies for UAA.

After a big win to open the season, No. 6 Yale failed to get a victory last weekend. The Bulldogs lost 5-2 to Rensselaer on Friday (Chase Polacek had two goals and an assist for the Engineers) and then managed just a 3-3 draw at Union. Another team that had a disappointing weekend was seventh-ranked and defending NCAA champion Boston University. The Terriers were shut out by Northeastern's Chris Rawlings in a 1-0 game on Friday and then lost 3-2 at Maine on Sunday. BU now stands at 2-5. The other upset over the weekend was delivered by St. Lawrence, which beat No. 14 Princeton 5-2 on Saturday.

Adam Shemansky scored twice in Maine's upset of No. 10 Vermont

The marquee series of the weekend did not disappoint, as the teams favored to finish atop Hockey East this season - No. 4 Boston University and No. 9 UMass Lowell - both battled to road victories against each other. On Friday, BU sophomore defenseman David Warsofsky scored twice (including once on the penalty kill) and had a plus-3 rating to lead the Terriers, and junior blueliner Colby Cohen - who scored the overtime game-winner in last season's NCAA title game - came through with an OT goal to give BU a 5-4 win in front of 5,496 fans. The River Hawks struck back the next night in a 3-2 decision in Boston. Senior forward Paul Worthington had two assists for UML.

The Ivy League schools finally began their 2009-10 campaigns over this weekend - meaning that all 58 Division I teams have now played regular-season games. Two of the Ivies hooked up in a big early matchup on Saturday, and seventh-ranked Yale scored four times in the third to rally from a 2-1 deficit for a 5-2 victory on the road against No. 11 Princeton. Junior forward Denny Kearney had three assists and junior defenseman Mike Matczak finished with a plus-4 rating to lead the Bulldogs.

Top-ranked Miami continued to roll with a road sweep against Northern Michigan. The RedHawks scored the game's first four goals - including two tallies in 41 seconds by junior forward Justin Vaive - and held on for a 4-3 triumph on Friday. Sophomore goaltender Cody Reichard, now 5-0-1 on the season, then made 24 saves the following night to lead MU to a 2-1 win.

No. 2 Denver had to settle for three points in its home series with Minnesota State. The Pioneers got two goals and an assist from junior forward Jesse Martin in a 4-3 win on Friday. The next night, freshman forward Tyler Pitlick had a pair of goals for the Mavericks, and DU needed a late tally from junior forward Kyle Ostrow to earn a 4-4 draw. Both games drew crowds of greater than 5,300 fans.

The biggest upset of the weekend occurred on Friday in Orono, as Maine - which came into the game with a 1-5-0 record - posted a 4-1 home victory against 10th-ranked Vermont. The Black Bears scored three times on the power play - including two goals from freshman forward Adam Shemansky - and also got 31 saves from sophomore Scott Darling. The Catamounts took all three meetings with Maine last season.

Three ranked teams - No. 13 Boston College, 17th-ranked Massachusetts and No. 18 Quinnipiac - earned multiple-goal victories on Friday, but then were knocked off in the second game of the series. BC doubled Merrimack's shot toal (36-18) on Friday in a 4-3 win in its home opener, but the Warriors would strike back on home ice in a 5-3 decision. It ended a 20-game winless streak (0-16-4) against the Eagles for Merrimack - which beat BC for the first time since Feb. 15, 2003, and stands 5-0 at home this season. Merrimack junior forward Chris Barton scored his seventh goal of the season on Saturday - which puts him in a tie (with Justin Fontaine of Minnesota Duluth and Michigan State's Corey Tropp) for tops among DI players.

UMass got goals from five different players in a 5-3 road victory over Providence on Friday that gave the Minutemen their first 4-0-0 start in six years. But sophomore goaltender Alex Beaudry stole the series finale for the Friars, making a career-high 47 saves in PC's 2-1 win that saw UMass hold a 48-28 shot edge. It was the second win over a ranked team already this season for the Friars, who split a series at Notre Dame last month.

Quinnipiac dominated Robert Morris on Friday, as freshman goaltender Eric Hartzell led the Bobcats to a 5-0 victory. It would be a different story for the Colonials the next night, though, as Robert Morris got a school-record four goals from junior forward Nathan Longpre - as well as a program-record 58 saves from freshman goaltender Eric Levine in an 8-5 upset win. Quinnipiac outshot RMU 105-53 in the series, but could manage just a split.

Eighth-ranked Notre Dame and No. 12 Nebraska-Omaha both had to settle for a win and a tie in CCHA series. The Irish topped Ohio State 3-1 on Friday before tying 2-2 the next night. The Mavericks tied Bowling Green, 3-3, on Friday and won 3-1 over the Falcons the next night.

No. 14 Bemidji State came home with a road sweep to remain unbeaten (5-0-1), but it wasn't easy. The Beavers took a pair of 2-1 overtime decisions against Alabama-Huntsville. Junior forward Matt Read had three of BSU's four goals.

Notre Dame's Brad Phillips

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
In a rare Tuesday-night showdown of elite teams, ninth-ranked Notre Dame delivered an impressive 3-0 win on the road against No. 3 Boston University. Junior Brad Phillips made a career-high 34 saves for the Irish, who dealt BU its first shutout in 99 games (since BC took a 1-0 decision on Dec. 2, 2006). The Terriers had opportunities, as they outshot Notre Dame 34-16 and held the puck in the Irish zone for a span of just under two and a half minutes at one point in the third period. But the ND penalty kill was outstanding, holding BU to just 10 shots and no goals on its eight power plays. The Irish - who got goals 12 seconds apart late in the second from sophomore right wing Billy Maday and junior center Ben Ryan to take control - have now killed off 20 consecutive penalties. Each team has another huge game this weekend, as Notre Dame plays host to rival and 14th-ranked Boston College on Friday and the Terriers welcome No. 5 Michigan on Saturday.

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When the National Hockey League regular season began earlier this month, the opening-day rosters of the teams at the highest level of hockey featured a total of 187 players whose path to the NHL included playing collegiate hockey. Here are a few notes about these players, followed by a complete listing of them by school (four-year collegiate players are listed in italics).

• Michigan leads the way with 20 former players on NHL opening-day rosters, while Boston College is next at 15. Boston University had a dozen, and Michigan State, North Dakota and Wisconsin boasted 11 each.
• Michigan also had the most current NHL players who played four seasons of college hockey, with 10. BC was right behind with nine, while Wisconsin had seven and Michigan State four.
• Current WCHA schools combined to have 57 former players on NHL opening-day rosters, while the CCHA members were right behind with 54 and Hockey East schools had 49.
• Hockey East does have a noteworthy distinction - as all five players that made NHL rosters out of training camp after playing collegiately in 2008-09 are out of Hockey East. Those players are forwards Benn Ferriero of Boston College (Sharks), Colin Wilson from BU (Predators), James van Riemsdyk from New Hampshire (Flyers) and Viktor Stalberg of Vermont (Maple Leafs), as well as Hobey Baker Award winner and defenseman Matt Gilroy from Boston University (Rangers).
• Michigan has, by far, produced the most current NHL forwards, with 15 of them on opening-day rosters. Next best is Boston College, with eight. But the Eagles have more current NHL defensemen (six) than anyone else, with Boston University and Minnesota just behind at five. Only Maine - with Jimmy Howard (Red Wings) and Ben Bishop (Blues) - had multiple goaltenders on NHL opening-day rosters.
• Four NHL teams - the Devils, Islanders, Sharks and Blues - had a league-high 10 former collegians on their opening-day rosters. The Coyotes had the fewest of all teams, with just a pair.
• The Devils lead the way with six players who played four seasons collegiately, while the Sharks, Islanders and Capitals had five each. The only teams without a four-year collegian on their opening-day rosters were Phoenix and Buffalo.
• St. Louis and Toronto have a league-best six forwards each that played collegiately, while Minnesota is the only NHL team without a former collegian at forward. The Kings have six former collegians on defense to lead the NHL, and San Jose has five. Both Calgary and Ottawa are without a former collegian on the blue line. Two teams - the Blues and Islanders - have a pair of goaltenders that played collegiately.

MOST FORMER PLAYERS ON NHL OPENING-DAY ROSTERS
1. Michigan - 20
2. Boston College - 15
3. Boston University - 12
T4. Michigan State - 11
T4. North Dakota - 11
T4. Wisconsin - 11
7. Minnesota - 9
T8. Clarkson - 7
T8. Maine - 7
10. Vermont - 6

MOST FOUR-YEAR PLAYERS ON NHL OPENING-DAY ROSTERS
1. Michigan - 10
2. Boston College - 9
3. Wisconsin - 7
4. Michigan State - 5
T5. Boston University - 4
T5. Clarkson - 4

BREAKDOWN BY CONFERENCE (USING CURRENT MEMBERSHIP)
1. WCHA - 57
2. CCHA - 54
3. Hockey East - 49
4. ECAC - 28
5. CHA - 1
6. AHA - 0

NUMBER OF FORMER COLLEGIANS ON NHL OPENING-DAY ROSTERS
10 - New Jersey Devils (Pandolfo, Parise, Pelley, Rolston, Zajac, Greene, Martin, Mottau, Murphy, Danis)
10 - New York Islanders (Jackman, Moulson, Okposo, Tambellini, Weight, Hillen, Meyer, Sutton, DiPietro, Roloson)
10 - San Jose Sharks (Ferriero, Heatley, Mitchell, Ortmeyer, Pavelski, Blake, Boyle, Callahan, Huskins, Murray)
10 - St. Louis Blues (Backes, Kariya, McDonald, Oshie, Tkachuk, Winchester, Johnson, Weaver, Bishop, Conklin)
9 - Pittsburgh Penguins (Adams, Bourque, Guerin, Kunitz, Letestu, Eaton, Goligoski, Lovejoy, Orpik)
9 - Toronto Maple Leafs (Blake, Kessel, Mayers, Rosehill, Stalberg, Stempniak, Finger, Komisarek, Van Ryn)
8 - Carolina Hurricanes (Brind'Amour, Cole, Conboy, Cullen, Ryan, Alberts, Corvo, Ward)
8 - Colorado Avalanche (Galiardi, Hendricks, Hensick, Jones, Stastny, Clark, Liles, Preissing)
8 - Los Angeles Kings (Purcell, Drewiske, Greene, Harrold, Johnson, Martinez, Scuderi, Quick)
6 - Anaheim Ducks (Brown, Carter, Ebbett, Marchant, Parros, Whitney)
6 - Boston Bruins (Bitz, Kobasew, Wheeler, Hunwick, Stuart, Thomas)
6 - Buffalo Sabres (Grier, Kennedy, Stafford, Vanek, Butler, Miller)
6 - Calgary Flames (Bourque, Conroy, Glencross, Moss, Nystrom, McElhinney)
6 - Chicago Blackhawks (Burish, Madden, Sharp, Toews, Hendry, Keith)
6 - Edmonton Oilers (Cogliano, Comrie, Horcoff, Penner, Pisani, Gilbert)
6 - Florida Panthers (Booth, Reinprecht, Ballard, Garrison, Leopold, Clemmensen)
6 - Nashville Predators (Guite, Jones, Santorelli, Wilson, Suter, Ellis)
6 - Tampa Bay Lightning (Halpern, Malone, Miller, St. Louis, Hale, Smaby)
6 - Vancouver Canucks (Glass, Johnson, Kesler, Raymond, Bieksa, Mitchell)
6 - Washington Capitals (Clark, Knuble, Morrison, Steckel, Pothier, Poti)
5 - Atlanta Thrashers (Peverley, Reasoner, Slater, White, Hainsey)
5 - Detroit Red Wings (Abdelkader, Eaves, Lebda, Rafalski, Howard)
5 - Montreal Canadiens (Cammalleri, Gionta, Pacioretty, Gill, O'Byrne)
5 - New York Rangers (Boyle, Drury, Higgins, Voros, Gilroy)
4 - Ottawa Senators (Ruutu, Shannon, Winchester, Elliott)
4 - Philadelphia Flyers (Powe, van Riemsdyk, Carle, Teslak)
3 - Columbus Blue Jackets (Murray, Umberger, Commodore)
3 - Dallas Stars (Petersen, Niskanen, Turco)
3 - Minnesota Wild (Scott, Sifers, Zanon)
2 - Phoenix Coyotes (Winnik, Aucoin)

ALASKA (2)
Jordan Hendry, D, 2002-06 - Chicago Blackhawks
Aaron Voros, F, 2001-04 - New York Rangers

ALASKA ANCHORAGE (2)
Ty Conklin, G, 1996-97 - St. Louis Blues (also played at New Hampshire)
Curtis Glencross, F, 2002-04 - Calgary Flames

BEMIDJI STATE (1)
Andrew Murray, F, 2001-05 - Columbus Blue Jackets

BOSTON COLLEGE (15)
Andrew Alberts, D, 2001-05 - Carolina Hurricanes
Brian Boyle, F, 2003-07 - New York Rangers
Scott Clemmensen, G, 1997-2001 - Florida Panthers
Patrick Eaves, F, 2002-05 - Detroit Red Wings
Benn Ferriero, F, 2005-09 - San Jose Sharks
Brian Gionta, F, 1997-2001 - Montreal Canadiens
Bill Guerin, F, 1989-91 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Peter Harrold, D, 2002-06 - Los Angeles Kings
Chuck Kobasew, F, 2000-01 - Boston Bruins
Ben Lovejoy, D, 2002-03 - Pittsburgh Penguins (also played at Dartmouth)
Mike Mottau, D, 1996-2000 - New Jersey Devils
Brooks Orpik, D, 1998-2001 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Marty Reasoner, F, 1995-98 - Atlanta Thrashers
Rob Scuderi, D, 1997-2001 - Los Angeles Kings
Ryan Shannon, F, 2001-05 - Ottawa Senators

BOSTON UNIVERSITY (12)
Adrian Aucoin, D, 1991-92 - Phoenix Coyotes
Christopher Bourque, F, 2004-05 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Rick DiPietro, G, 1999-2000 - New York Islanders
Chris Drury, F, 1994-98 - New York Rangers
Matt Gilroy, D, 2005-09 - New York Rangers
Michael Grier, F, 1993-96 - Buffalo Sabres
Freddy Meyer, D, 1999-2003 - New York Islanders
Jay Pandolfo, F, 1992-96 - New Jersey Devils
Tom Poti, D, 1996-98 - Washington Capitals
Keith Tkachuk, F, 1990-91 - St. Louis Blues
Ryan Whitney, D, 2001-04 - Anaheim Ducks
Colin Wilson, F, 2007-09 - Nashville Predators

BOWLING GREEN (2)
Kevin Bieksa, D, 2000-04 - Vancouver Canucks
Rob Blake, D, 1987-90 - San Jose Sharks

BROWN (1)
Yann Danis, G, 2000-04 - New Jersey Devils

CLARKSON (7)
Chris Clark, F, 1994-98 - Washington Capitals
Erik Cole, F, 1997-2000 - Carolina Hurricanes
Craig Conroy, F, 1990-94 - Calgary Flames
Kent Huskins, D, 1997-2001 - San Jose Sharks
Todd Marchant, F, 1991-93 - Anaheim Ducks
Willie Mitchell, D, 1997-99 - Vancouver Canucks
Todd White, F, 1993-97 - Atlanta Thrashers

COLGATE (3)
Andy McDonald, F, 1996-2000 - St. Louis Blues
Cory Murphy, D, 1997-2001 - New Jersey Devils
Jesse Winchester, F, 2004-08 - Ottawa Senators

COLORADO COLLEGE (5)
Jack Hillen, D, 2004-08 - New York Islanders
Curtis McElhinney, G, 2001-05 - Calgary Flames
Toby Petersen, F, 1996-2000 - Dallas Stars
Tom Preissing, D, 1999-2003 - Colorado Avalanche
Mark Stuart, D, 2002-05 - Boston Bruins

CORNELL (4)
Byron Bitz, F, 2003-07 - Boston Bruins
Matt Moulson, F, 2002-06 - New York Islanders
Douglas Murray, D, 1999-2003 - San Jose Sharks
Ryan O'Byrne, D, 2003-06 - Montreal Canadiens

DARTMOUTH (5)
TJ Galiardi, F, 2006-07 - Colorado Avalanche
Tanner Glass, F, 2003-07 - Vancouver Canucks
David Jones, F, 2004-07 - Colorado Avalanche
Ben Lovejoy, D, 2004-07 - Pittsburgh Penguins (also played at Dartmouth)
Lee Stempniak, F, 2001-05 - Toronto Maple Leafs

DENVER (3)
Chris Butler, D, 2005-08 - Buffalo Sabres
Matt Carle, D, 2003-06 - Philadelphia Flyers
Paul Stastny, F, 2004-06 - Colorado Avalanche

FERRIS STATE (2)
Jason Blake, F, 1994-95 - Toronto Maple Leafs (also played at North Dakota)
Chris Kunitz, F, 1999-2003 - Pittsburgh Penguins

HARVARD (1)
Craig Adams, F, 1995-99 - Pittsburgh Penguins

LAKE SUPERIOR (2)
Brian Rolston, F, 1991-93 - New Jersey Devils
Doug Weight, F, 1989-91 - New York Islanders

MAINE (7)
Ben Bishop, G, 2005-08 - St. Louis Blues
Brett Clark, F, 1995-96 - Colorado Avalanche
Ben Guite, F, 1996-2000 - Nashville Predators
Jimmy Howard, G, 2002-05 - Detroit Red Wings
Paul Kariya, F, 2002-04 - St. Louis Blues
Dustin Penner, F, 2003-04 - Edmonton Oilers (also played at Minot State)
Teddy Purcell, F, 2006-07 - Los Angeles Kings

MASSACHUSETTS (1)
Jonathan Quick, G, 2005-07 - Los Angeles Kings

MIAMI (4)
Dan Boyle, D, 1994-98 - San Jose Sharks
Andy Greene, D, 2002-06 - New Jersey Devils
Ryan Jones, F, 2004-08 - Nashville Predators
Alec Martinez, D, 2005-08 - Los Angeles Kings

MICHIGAN (20)
Mike Brown, F, 2003-05 - Anaheim Ducks
Mike Cammalleri, F, 1999-2002 - Montreal Canadiens
Andrew Cogliano, F, 2005-07 - Edmonton Oilers
Mike Comrie, F, 1998-2000 - Edmonton Oilers
Andrew Ebbett, F, 2002-06 - Anaheim Ducks
TJ Hensick, F, 2003-07 - Colorado Avalanche
Matt Hunwick, F, 2003-07 - Boston Bruins
Jack Johnson, D, 2005-07 - Los Angeles Kings
Mike Komisarek, D, 2000-02 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Mike Knuble, F, 1991-95 - Washington Capitals
John Madden, F, 1993-97 - Chicago Blackhawks
Brendan Morrison, F, 1993-97 - Washington Capitals
David Moss, F, 2001-05 - Calgary Flames
Eric Nystrom, F, 2001-05 - Calgary Flames
Jed Ortmeyer, F, 1999-2003 - San Jose Sharks
Max Pacioretty, F, 2007-08 - Montreal Canadiens
Jeff Tambellini, F, 2002-05 - New York Islanders
Marty Turco, G, 1994-98 - Dallas Stars
Mike Van Ryn, D, 1997-99 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Aaron Ward, D, 1990-93 - Carolina Hurricanes

MICHIGAN STATE (11)
Justin Abdelkader, F, 2005-08 - Detroit Red Wings
David Booth, F, 2002-06 - Florida Panthers
Rod Brind'Amour, F, 1988-89 - Carolina Hurricanes
Shawn Horcoff, F, 1996-2000 - Edmonton Oilers
Duncan Keith, D, 2001-03 - Chicago Blackhawks
Tim Kennedy, F, 2005-08 - Buffalo Sabres
John-Michael Liles, D, 1999-2003 - Colorado Avalanche
Drew Miller, F, 2003-06 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Miller, G, 1999-2002 - Buffalo Sabres
Jim Slater, F, 2001-05 - Atlanta Thrashers
Mike Weaver, D, 1996-2000 - St. Louis Blues

MICHIGAN TECH (4)
Jarkko Ruutu, F, 1995-96 - Ottawa Senators
John Scott, D, 2002-06 - Minnesota Wild
Andy Sutton, D, 1994-98 - New York Islanders
Michael-Lee Teslak, G, 2005-08 - Philadelphia Flyers

MINNESOTA (9)
Keith Ballard, D, 2001-04 - Florida Panthers
Alex Goligoski, D, 2004-07 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Erik Johnson, D, 2006-07 - St. Louis Blues
Phil Kessel, F, 2005-06 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Jordan Leopold, D, 1998-2002 - Florida Panthers
Paul Martin, D, 2000-03 - New Jersey Devils
Kyle Okposo, F, 2006-08 - New York Islanders
Thomas Vanek, F, 2002-04 - Buffalo Sabres
Blake Wheeler, F, 2005-08 - Boston Bruins

MINNESOTA DULUTH (4)
Jason Garrison, D, 2005-08 - Florida Panthers
Matt Niskanen, D, 2005-07 - Dallas Stars
Mason Raymond, F, 2005-07 - Vancouver Canucks
Jay Rosehill, F, 2004-05 - Toronto Maple Leafs

MINNESOTA STATE (3)
Ryan Carter, F, 2004-06 - Anaheim Ducks
David Backes, F, 2003-06 - St. Louis Blues
Tim Jackman, F, 2000-02 - New York Islanders

MINOT STATE (1)
Dustin Penner, F, 2001-02 - Edmonton Oilers (also played at Maine)

NEBRASKA-OMAHA (2)
Dan Ellis, G, 2000-03 - Nashville Predators
Greg Zanon, D, 1999-2003 - Minnesota Wild

NEW HAMPSHIRE (3)
Ty Conklin, G, 1997-2001 - St. Louis Blues (also played at Alaska-Anchorage)
James van Riemsdyk, F, 2007-09 - Philadelphia Flyers
Daniel Winnik, F, 2003-06 - Phoenix Coyotes

NORTH DAKOTA (11)
Jason Blake, F, 1996-99 - Toronto Maple Leafs (also played at Ferris State)
Mike Commodore, D, 1997-2000 - Columbus Blue Jackets
Matt Greene, D, 2002-05 - Los Angeles Kings
David Hale, D, 2000-03 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Johnson, F, 1994-96 - Vancouver Canucks
T.J. Oshie, F, 2005-08 - St. Louis Blues
Zach Parise, F, 2002-04 - New Jersey Devils
Matt Smaby, D, 2003-06 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Drew Stafford, F, 2003-06 - Buffalo Sabres
Jonathan Toews, F, 2005-07 - Chicago Blackhawks
Travis Zajac, F, 2004-06 - New Jersey Devils

NORTHEASTERN (1)
Michael Ryan, F, 1999-2003 - Carolina Hurricanes

NORTHERN MICHIGAN (1)
Michael Santorelli, F, 2004-07 - Nashville Predators

NOTRE DAME (2)
Mark Eaton, D, 1997-98 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Brett Lebda, D, 2000-04 - Detroit Red Wings

OHIO STATE (4)
Ryan Kesler, F, 2002-03 - Vancouver Canucks
Rod Pelley, F, 2002-06 - New Jersey Devils
David Steckel, F, 2000-04 - Washington Capitals
R.J. Umberger, F, 2000-03 - Columbus Blue Jackets

PRINCETON (3)
Jeff Halpern, F, 1995-99 - Tampa Bay Lightning
George Parros, F, 1999-2003 - Anaheim Ducks
Darroll Powe, F, 2003-07 - Philadelphia Flyers

PROVIDENCE (2)
Hal Gill, D, 1993-97 - Montreal Canadiens
Fernando Pisani, F, 1996-2000 - Edmonton Oilers

RENSSELAER (1)
Brian Pothier, D, 1996-2000 - Washington Capitals

ST. CLOUD STATE (5)
Tim Conboy, F, 2002-04 - Carolina Hurricanes
Matt Cullen, F, 1995-97 - Carolina Hurricanes
Jeff Finger, D, 2000-03 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Matt Hendricks, F, 2000-04 - Colorado Avalanche
Ryan Malone, F, 1999-2003 - Tampa Bay Lightning

ST. LAWRENCE (1)
Rich Peverley, F, 2000-04 - Atlanta Thrashers

UMASS LOWELL (2)
Ron Hainsey, D, 2000-01 - Atlanta Thrashers
Dwayne Roloson, G, 1990-94 - New York Islanders

VERMONT (6)
Torrey Mitchell, F, 2004-07 - San Jose Sharks
Patrick Sharp, F, 2000-02 - Chicago Blackhawks
Jaime Sifers, D, 2002-06 - Minnesota Wild
Martin St. Louis, F, 2003-07 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Viktor Stalberg, F, 2006-09 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Tim Thomas, G, 1993-97 - Boston Bruins

WESTERN MICHIGAN (3)
Joe Corvo, D, 1995-98 - Carolina Hurricanes
Mark Letestu, F, 2006-07 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Jamal Mayers, F, 1992-96 - Toronto Maple Leafs

WISCONSIN (11)
Rene Bourque, F, 2000-04 - Calgary Flames
Adam Burish, F, 2002-06 - Chicago Blackhawks
Drew Drewiske, D, 2004-08 - Los Angeles Kings
Brian Elliott, G, 2003-07 - Ottawa Senators
Tom Gilbert, D, 2002-06 - Edmonton Oilers
Dany Heatley, F, 1999-2001 - San Jose Sharks
Joe Pavelski, F, 2005-06 - San Jose Sharks
Brian Rafalski, D, 1991-95 - Detroit Red Wings
Steven Reinprecht, F, 1995-2000 - Florida Panthers
Ryan Suter, D, 2003-04 - Nashville Predators
Brad Winchester, F, 1999-2003 - St. Louis Blues

YALE (2)
Joe Callahan, D, 2001-04 - San Jose Sharks
Christopher Higgins, F, 2001-03 - New York Rangers

The 2009-10 regular season officially gets underway tonight with a pair of games (details below). One of the exciting things at the start of every season is to see the new talent across the country, so today we touch on some of the players expected to make be difference-makers in their first collegiate seasons. Inside College Hockey took an early look at who this year's impact freshman might be by ranking the incoming classes. Below are the top 15 in those rankings, along with the top newcomers mentioned for each team on the list. For the full rankings, click here.

Top 15 Freshman Classes
1. Notre Dame - D Sam Calabrese, F Kyle Palmeiri, F Riley Sheahan
2. Denver - D Matt Donovan, F Drew Shore, D William Wrenn
3. Boston College - F Chris Kreider, D Patrick Wey, F Steve Whitney
4. Minnesota - F Zach Budish, D Seth Helgeson, D Nick Leddy
5. Harvard - D Danny Biega, F Marshall Everson, F Louis Leblanc
6. Boston University - F Alex Chiasson, F Justin Courtnall, D Max Nicastro
7. St. Cloud State - F David Eddy, F Ben Hanowski, G Michael Lee
8. North Dakota - F Mike Cichy, F Danny Kristo, D Andrew MacWilliam
9. Rensselaer - F Jerry D'Amigo, F Brandon Pirri, F Marty O'Grady
10. Michigan - F Chris Brown, F Kevin Lynch, D Lee Moffie
11. Minnesota Duluth - F Dan Delisle, D Dylan Olsen, F Mike Seidel
12. Wisconsin - F Derek Lee, D Justin Schultz, D Craig Smith
13. Cornell - F Eric Axell, D Nick D'Agostino, F Greg Miller
14. Yale - F Josh Balch, D Jessie Hudkins, F Andrew Miller
15. New Hampshire - D Connor Hardowa, F John Henrion, D Brett Kostolansky

Inside College Hockey also ranked the top individuals by position. The top five in each category are listed below (along with the NHL teams that selected them in the 2009 draft, where applicable).

Top Incoming Forwards
1. Louis Leblanc, Harvard (Canadiens)
2. Kyle Palmeiri, Notre Dame (Ducks)
3. Chris Kreider, Boston College (Rangers)
4. Riley Sheahan, Notre Dame
5. Drew Shore, Denver (Panthers)

Top Incoming Defensemen
1. Nick Leddy, Minnesota (Wild)
2. Dylan Olsen, Minnesota Duluth (Blackhawks)
3. Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
4. Matt Donovan, Denver
5. Patrick Wey, Boston College (Capitals)

Top Incoming Goaltenders
1. Michael Lee, St. Cloud State (Coyotes)
2. Shawn Sirman, Maine
3. Kevin Murdock, Minnesota State
4. Andrew Hare, Niagara
5. Keith Kinkaid, Union

OPENING NIGHT SCOREBOARD WATCH
Rensselaer at Massachusetts, 7 p.m. - Live Stats | Free Audio: UMass | RPI
Quinnipiac at No. 17 Ohio State, 7:05 p.m. - Live Stats | Free Audio