Month: June 2012

Eight future Terriers taken in 2012 NHL Draft

By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff

While no Boston University hockey players were selected on Friday’s first round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Saturday’s rounds two through seven featured eight future Terriers drafted to play professional hockey.

The highest drafted recruit was incoming freshman forward Sam Kurker, who was taken in the second round (56th overall) by the St. Louis Blues. The Reading native last played at St. John’s Preparatory School, and was widely regarded as the best Massachusetts prospect in the draft. The Blues currently have a former Terrier on their roster, as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk won a national title with BU in 2009.

One round later, incoming freshman defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was selected by the team that plays a few miles down the Green Line, as the Boston Bruins grabbed him in the third round (85th overall). Grzelcyk is a Charlestown native and spent last year playing with the U. S. National Team Development Program. At 5-foot-9, 171 pounds, Grzelcyk compares to former a former Terrier defenseman currently in the Bruins’ system, David Warsofsky.

In the fourth round, incoming freshman goaltender Sean Maguire was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins (113th overall). Maguire last played with the Powell River Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League and will be competing with fellow incoming freshman Matthew O’Connor for the starting goaltender job this fall. Maguire joins an organization abundant with Hockey East talent, including former Terrier defenseman Brian Strait and former Northeastern University goaltender Brad Thiessen, as well as the freshly acquired Brian Dumoulin, the defenseman who turned pro in April after winning the national championship with Boston College.

The fifth round featured three future Terriers selected. Defenseman Doyle Somerby, taken by the New York Islanders at 125th overall, was the first of those three. Somerby, a Marblehead native expected to arrive at BU in 2013, spent last season playing with Kimball Union Academy. In the 2000 NHL Draft, the Islanders selected former Terrier goaltender Rick Dipietro first overall.

Next was 2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon, taken by the Ottawa Senators with the 136th overall pick. The forward and Enfield, Conn., native spent last season playing with the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League after graduating from Cushing Academy in 2011. Former Terrier defenseman Eric Gryba is currently playing with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate.

Two picks later, the San Jose Sharks took incoming freshman forward Danny O’Regan with the 138th overall pick. The Needham native played with St. Sebastian’s School and the USNTDP last year. The last Terrier to be drafted by the Sharks was Charlie Coyle, whose draft rights were traded to the Minnesota Wild the following year. Former Terrier John McCarthy is a current member of the Sharks.

In the sixth round, the Vancouver Canucks used their pick (177th overall) to take incoming freshman forward Wesley Myron. Myron is a Victoria, British Columbia native who spent last season with the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL. It has been a long time since a BU player played with the Vancouver Canucks, as the last to do it was Chris O’Sullivan, who played with the Terriers from 1992-96 and the Canucks in 1999.

The final future Terrier selected in the draft was 2013 recruit forward Brendan Collier, who was taken by the Carolina Hurricanes in the seventh round (189th overall). Collier is another Charlestown native who spent last season with Malden Catholic High School. The last Terrier to play with the Carolina Hurricanes was Dan Lacouture in 2008-09.

Of the nine incoming freshmen coming to BU, five were drafted, while forwards Matthew Lane and Mike Moran, defenseman Marc Hetnik, and O’Connor all went undrafted.

From the Freep: Charges dropped against Max Nicastro

By Emily Overholt/DFP Staff

Prosecutors dropped the sexual assault charges made against former Boston University hockey player Max Nicastro at a hearing Friday morning in Brighton District Court.

Hugh Curran, Nicastro’s attorney, said in a statement after the hearing that the decision “speaks volumes” about the case.

“The District Attorney’s office did a thorough and intensive investigation and reviewed numerous witnesses, and they have declined to prosecute Max,” he said.

Nicastro, a former Metropolitan College junior and hockey defenseman, faced charges on two counts of rape stemming from a Feb. 19 incident. He was kicked off the hockey team after his arrest and unenrolled at BU during the court proceedings.

A BU spokesman declined to comment.

Nicastro said in a brief statement after the hearing that he feels “relieved.”

“It’s been a hard road, but I stayed confident,” he said. “My friends and family have been with me this whole time. It’s been okay.”

Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Adam Clendening signs with Chicago Blackhawks

By Tim Healey/DFP Staff

Adam Clendening’s career as a Boston University Terrier is over.

The 19-year-old defenseman signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday, opting to forego his final two years at BU. The Blackhawks selected him in the second round (36th overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft.

“My advisor and the ‘Hawks had been talking for a while, discussing things, and it ended up just being the right offer and the right time,” Clendening said.

Clendening wraps up his BU career with 59 points (nine goals, 50 assists) in 77 games over the course of two years donning scarlet and white. Clendening said he had anticipated returning to BU for his junior year – therefore adding to those totals and anchoring the Terrier defensive corps – but the Blackhawks stepped up their interest of late.

With the support of this family, Clendening decided to end his collegiate career.

“The Hawks put some pressure on me, not that it is bad pressure – it was always up to me at the end,” Clendening said. “Pressure might not be the right word. I would say more they showed interest.”

Clendening’s signing comes as a shock to those who assumed he would be back for his junior year, though he said he always just tried to go with the flow.

“It’s always a thought when you’re in school and you’re a wanted player. ‘Is the team going to sign me? Is the team going to sign me?’ You never know,” Clendening said. “I wasn’t looking to be signed, I was just going along and whenever the time was right, I felt it was right, was when I was going to do it. It came maybe just a little earlier than everybody expected.”

Since Clendening was drafted last June rumors surfaced that his father, Frank, was pushing him to go pro. But when it came down to it, according to Adam, that was not necessarily the case.

“At the end of the day, believe it or not, my dad. . . . He watches a lot of hockey, and he was actually kind of wanting me to come back for my third year,” Clendening said. “He looks at guys like [New York Rangers defenseman] Ryan McDonagh, who have played three years, [Rangers forward] Chris Kreider, a lot of college guys that seem to do well [in the NHL] after three years.”

That said, Frank was not exactly sad to see his son go pro to make an average of $650,000 each of the next three years.

“Every father’s end goal for their son is to see them play in the NHL,” Adam said.

Although he won’t officially be done with BU until the end of June – he’s staying on campus to finish his Summer I classes – he spoke very highly of his time there.

“I’m going to miss this place like crazy. The friendships I have here, every single one of these guys, they’re like my brothers,” Clendening said. “The friendships are what make this whole experience special, especially the guys in my class.”

The Wheatfield, N.Y., native gave BU coach Jack Parker a “heads-up” before signing the paperwork – “It was just a normal conversation,” Clendening said – and acknowledged the pros and cons to coming back to BU and signing with Chicago.

But in the end, “learning the lifestyle of a pro” and playing 70 games per season outweighed the benefits of another year of college.

“It’s kind of sinking in now that I guess I can’t come back. I’ve played my last game at Agganis,” Clendening said. “The fans were great, the support was great, even through all the tough times.

“I always wanted to be a Terrier . . . and I hope that I always will be.”