The Pipeline Show: NCAA Playoffs and Campus Report

This week on the program Guy gets prepared for the NCAA conference playoffs, he speaks with a Hobey Baker nominated defenceman and gets to know two more players that are eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft.

 

NCAA Campus Report: Jimmy Connelly

Four of the six Division 1 conferences begin their respective playoffs this weekend with the NCHC and Hockey East following suit next weekend. All of that leads into the National tournament a couple of weeks later and of course the Frozen Four in mid-April.

Personally, for me to explain how the the Pairwise ranking works would be akin to me teaching latin – not going to happen. Suffice to say that the goal is to get the top 16 teams into the national tournament with an opening for the six teams that win their respective conference playoffs.

Some perennial powerhouse programs like Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and both Boston University and Boston College are all currently on the outside looking in which means some new blood for the tournament. One of those clubs in Arizona State and Connelly tells us more about how the Sun Devils may have an advantage being an independent.

We also talk about the Hobey Baker contenders and those guys who will be high on the list for NHL teams to consider signing as UFAs.

NCAA Campus Report

The first of two NCAA Campus Report segments that you will hear on the show this week is with the leading scorer of the Northeastern Huskies, defenceman Jeremy Davies. I had initially booked Jeremy for last week but something came up so we had to delay to this week. Regardless, the New Jersey Devils prospect was worth the wait.

Northeastern was in a weird spot coming into this year having lost their top three scorers from the preview season. But to hear him talk about it, Davies says the team knew that they would be better in some ways. Davies is having another terrific season and has been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award for his effort.

A Canadian from just outside of Montreal, Davies says he grew up dreaming of playing in the QMJHL. So it’s interesting to hear him discuss his path to the NCAA, which he didn’t even knew existed as a kid, after he’d been drafted by the Victoriaville Tigres.

Davies talks about what stood out to him about Northeastern, playing for coach Hardigan, his two years in the USHL and the most recent thrill, winning the Beanpot tournament. Again.

Of course, on behalf of Devils fans, I asked him if he thinks about his future and when the next step might be taken.

2019 Draft Spotlight: Josh Nodler

One of the top draft eligible players from the USHL that is not associated with the US-NTDP is forward Josh Nodler of the Fargo Force. The defending champions are much different than the team that captured the Clark Cup last year but every other team in the league is looking to knock them off their perch.

My only live viewing of Nodler cam back in August during the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Edmonton. Most of the games played by USA were held in Red Deer but eventually they came to my backyard and met with Canada in a controversial semi-final finish. I spoke with Nodler a bit about that during our conversation.

Most of chat was on Nodler himself; his background, what led him to Fargo in the USHL and what comes next for him – either Michigan State or the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. The Michigan product also talked about what is left on his “To Do” list this season in terms of development and statistical goals.

2019 Draft Spotlight: Kaedan Korczak

It’s been an inconsistent season for the Kelowna Rockets, a team that is used to contending each year in the Western Hockey League. After a slow start the team gassed head coach Jason Smith and replaced him with Adam Foote. Since then the club has evolved and is now trying to hold onto 3rd place in the B.C. division.

One of a handful of draft eligible players on the Rockets roster is defenceman Kaedan Korczak, a 6’3 defenceman from Yorkton, Saskatchewan that the club chose 11th overall in the 2011 bantam draft.

I spoke to Korczak about this season for the team and about his path from Yorkton to Kelowna with appearances with Hockey Canada in between. We also discussed the upcoming NHL draft for he and a couple of his teammates that he shared his own scouting reports on.

Guy Flaming is the host of The Pipeline Show, a year round, 100% prospect orientated podcast now in its 14th season. Since 2006, the mandate of the program has been to introduce the audience to the future of the NHL and that is accomplished every week by speaking with the top players, coaches, general managers, scouts and media that junior and college hockey have to offer. It is free to subscribe to The Pipeline Show and is available via iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud, Spreaker, the Podcast App and www.thepipelineshow.com