Hockey East Tidbits

Courtesy of Hockeyeastonline.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that five Hockey East student-athletes were named to the 22-player roster for its 2009 U.S. National Junior Team. The squad will participate at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Under-20 Championship, commonly referred to as the World Junior Championship, in Ottawa, Ontario, Dec. 26, 2008- Jan. 5, 2009. Hockey East led the way among the six Division I NCAA conferences with five selections.

Boston College’s Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.), New Hampshire’s James van Riemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) Boston University’s Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn.) were among the 13 forwards selected to Team USA. On defense, UNH’s Blake Kessel (Verona, Wis.) and BU’s Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y.) were chosen as two of the seven defensemen on the U.S. squad.

van Riemsdyk, who was chosen second overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers and was a member of the 2007 U.S. National Junior Team that won a bronze medal at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. He is currently tied for 11th nationally in points per game at 1.36 and leads the Wildcats’ roster in points with 19 points. His 14 points in league play this season ranks first among conference skaters.


WAKEFIELD, Mass. – The Hockey East Association is pleased to announce that Boston College’s Brian Gionta has been named Hockey East’s Best Goal Scorer as the league continues its 25th Anniversary celebration. Gionta was chosen in a vote comprised of Hockey East fans and members of the league’s 25th Anniversary Committee.

“Brian was a crowd favorite while he was here,” said commissioner Joe Bertagna. “He was skilled. He was tough. And it wouldn’t surprise me if his five-goal night might earn him another fan honor down the line."

As a senior in 2000-01, Gionta also earned a National Championship while a member of the BC Eagles when his team topped North Dakota 3-2 in overtime. Gionta finished his stellar career at the Heights as Hockey East’s All-Time leading goal scorer, posting 83 goals in 96 career league contests. Gionta was named Hockey East Player of the Year in his senior season (2000-01) and was Hockey East Rookie of the Year in 1997-98. Gionta is the only player in Hockey East history to be named to the All-Star team in all four seasons of play. He was also a four-time All-American with the Eagles.

On January 27, 2001, Gionta performed one of the most memorable feats in league history when he scored five goals on five shots in the first period of a 7-2 win against Maine at Conte Forum.

Gionta is in his seventh season in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. He won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in the 2002-2003 season and in 2006 he set the franchise mark for goals in a single-season with 48.

“He’s the one guy here at Boston College who really turned BC back in the right direction. Of all my recruits that I’ve recruited here to Boston College, he was the catalyst that made the change to bring us back to become a national power. He was a phenomenal player and the best pure goal scorer that I’ve seen in college hockey. It was a real pleasure and honor to coach him for four years,” said Eagles Head Coach Jerry York.

The remaining players that finished in the Top Ten voting for Best Goal Scorer were (in alphabetical order): Chris Drury (BU), David Emma (BC), Rob Gaudreau (PC), Nathan Gerbe (BC), Scott Harlow (BC), Jim Montgomery (ME), Jon Morris (UML), Scott Pellerin (ME) and Jean-Yves Roy (ME).