CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

Jimmy Mullin is still over a year away from suiting up for the RedHawks, but already he is a member of a record-setting NHL draft class.

Mullin was one of a record 22 high school hockey players selected in the 2010 draft this weekend.

Mullin was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning late in the fourth round, 118th overall. Mullin is expected to play one season of juniors, probably in the USHL, before joining the RedHawks in the fall of 2011.

"There are a lot of talented players in high school hockey, but the big knock has always been that teams don't know if there's good enough competition (at the high school level)," Blackhawks prep draftee Justin Holl - the 54th pick overall - said to NHL.com. "High school hockey is on the rise, and a lot of people are beginning to realize it now. The leagues throughout the country can produce a lot of good players and we're beginning to see that."

Mullin played for Shattuck St. Mary's prep school last season - the same Minnesota institution that Sidney Crosby suited up for prior to joining the Penguins - where he finished with 32 goals and 40 assists for 72 points in 55 games.

The Philadelphia-area native was the 12th high school player selected in this year's draft, and the only one picked by Tampa Bay.

Mullin is listed at 5-feet-10, 152 pounds (a Friday article in the Philadelphia Daily News said he was 5-11, 165), which may be why he was not selected higher, although the NHL Central Scouting Bureau had him projected 165th overall. Had that happened he would have been taken midway through the sixth round.

Mullin was the lone Miami player taken over the weekend, but that was mostly because most other incoming RedHawks' birthdays did not fall in the draft window.

The incoming class of 2011 may be another of coach Enrico Blasi's masterpieces. Forwards Tyler Biggs and Alex Gacek - both highly-touched NHL prospects - are also expected to join the team for 2011-12.

ANALYSIS: I was pleasantly surprised to see Mullin drafted in the fourth round, although the height-weight discrepancy may have accounting for at least part of his jump.

So it's a great day for Mullin. It looks like he has an extremely bright future in hockey ahead of him. And it's a great day for Miami, which has once again had its program validated by having one of its recruits picked in the draft.

I'm not sure, and I'm not sure if even Blasi is sure, exactly which players are coming here this fall, but I'm not sure that a season in juniors is necessary for a player who scored 32 goals in 55 games at the elite prep level.

This is purely a guess, but it may be a numbers game with the incoming players already slated to come in this fall.

A couple of articles have surfaced regarding potential rules changes for the 2010-11 season, and most of the proposals make me wonder if the powers-that-be ever watch college hockey.

Here's a few of the absurdities tabled in a piece released by U.S. College Hockey Online last month:

--Some made-up idea of "hybrid icing" that makes the decision arbitrary at the hands of the linesmen.

--Allowing goals to be kicked in.

--Requiring penalty killers to remain on the ice for the duration of minor and double-minor penalties.

--Not allowing penalty killers to ice the puck.

--Not allowing players to leave their skates to block shots.

Before I start dissecting these items, it is important to note that there is little chance these proposals will be implemented. Still, the fact that such potential bastardizations of the game are even being tabled shows that a segment of the NCAA brass is utterly clueless about hockey.

First, a few thoughts on icing. Touch-up or no touch-up? The NHL's touch-up system is dangerous and caused several injuries this past season. In a way I like it, but it isn't worth the injury risk. The NHL also waives off icing way too often for reasons players don't even fully understand.

The NCAA has no-touch icing. It isn't a perfect system, but it's fairly straight-forward and does not encourage players to skate full-speed toward the boards to either induce the icing call or nullify it.

At the college level, why can't we just keep the no-touch and allow linesmen to waive it off if a defensive player pulls up to allow it to cross the line?

The USCHO piece says "if the attacking player reaches an imaginary line between the faceoff dots before the defending player, icing is negated. That would presumably increase scoring chances and hit on another committee mandate, reducing whistles."

It's no secret college hockey doesn't have the best officiating in the world. Why put more of a burden on the lowest-ranking two officials on the ice?

Next, we have the elimination of the "distinct kicking motion" rule. Seriously? The subject doesn't even warrant discussion. This isn't soccer.

Then we have two items designed to further punish short-handed teams. Requiring players to remain on the ice might be the dumbest idea I've ever heard. Part of the strategy of killing penalties is line changing. Do you attempt it and risk getting caught on a change when the puck comes to center ice?

Prohibiting a team from changing lines for two minutes - or even four - is the equivalent of forcing football teams to keep the same personnel on the field for an entire possession for being assessed a penalty.

To make matters worse, they don't want to allow PK units to ice the puck. Why not just award a goal to any team heading to the power play?

A minor penalty should not give a team a 50/50 chance of scoring, but if the proposed rules changes were implemented, that's what would happen.

Oh yeah, not allowing players to leave their skates to block shots. Good one. I have a better idea: If the NCAA is dead-set against allowing teams to play defense, let's make a rule preventing teams from using goalies?

So in the NCAA's dream world, players could kick the puck toward the net and defensemen wouldn't be allowed to slide in front of the "shot" to block it.

Even if you aren't against all of these ideas, even more asinine proposals surfaced today on the Inside College Hockey site. INCH said that the decision on these issues will be made next month.

The highlights:

--Mandatory sentencing for contact to the head penalties.

--Changing ends for overtime.

--If a team scores on a delayed penalty situation, the penalty is still assessed to the offending team.

The NCAA wants a mandatory major for contact to the head, but unfortunately it isn't that simple. There are several factors involved, including intent, size discrepancy, whether the violated player had his head down, degree of impact, etc.

I'm in no way saying that penalties for dangerous head shots are unwarranted, just that a one-size-fits-all approach is a very bad idea.

A player turning into a check at the last second is not the same thing as a player dishing out a deliberate head shot in a 7-1 game with two minutes left.

My suggestion: For better of worse, the NCAA hired the referees it has for a reason. Let them make the decisions instead of tying their hands.

There was no context for the changing ends for overtime, but it sounds like that would happen every time a game was tied after three periods.

I think it's a great idea for CCHA and NCAA Tournament games, but I don't understand it for regular-season games (but hey, our seats are at the end opponents shoot at twice, so horray for us and too bad for the student section).

Other than just being silly, the other drawback is making players have a longer way to go for a line change after playing a full 20-minute period.

And the penalty after a goal stemming from a delayed penalty is pretty silly. So a minor penalty could cost a team two goals?

I will say that I do like one idea being floated: On a delayed penalty, make violating teams clear their zone. Possession is often an arbitrary concept for officials. Usually the penalty is assessed when a player touches the puck (see: Knapp, Connor during overtime vs. Michigan in the regional final).

This seems a lot more cut-and-dry. Either the puck is out of the zone or it isn't. Anytime you can take discrepancy out of the hands of officials, it's a good thing.

That said, almost all of these changes seem to be geared toward encouraging more scoring. Specifically, the NCAA seems to want to inflate power play percentages.

In the CCHA, teams averaged 2.78 goals per game in 2009-10, and an average of 5.46 goals were scored in games played by the 12 teams in the league.

Throw out 32 "goals", which were actually shootout wins which weren't actually hockey goals per se, and that number drops to 5.39.

So 3-2 was pretty much the norm in 2009-10. Five-plus goals in a 60-minute game.

That's the same number of scoring plays as one would see in a 21-14 football game or a 5-4 baseball game with two three-run homers.

While I wouldn't mind seeing a little more scoring (the NHL average was 5.53 when shootout "goals" are removed), I have no problem with the current format, and I wonder why the NCAA has proposed such radical measures.

The combined power play percentages of the CCHA teams was 17.6 (433 for 2456). The NHL average was 18.2 (1,664 for 9,136).

If the NCAA really wants to help college hockey, it can encourage schools to take up the sport and try to ensure strong programs like Alabama-Huntsville don't fold because they have no conference.

But leave the on-ice product alone.

(Press release sent by Miami University)

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Junior captain Tommy Wingels became the latest Miami Hockey player to join the professional ranks Tuesday when he signed with the San Jose Sharks, executive vice president and general manager Doug Wilson announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Tommy Wingels (Cathy White/CNATI.com)

Wingels, 22, spent the last three seasons with the RedHawks, amassing 99 points (43-56=99) in 127 games played. He helped Miami to consecutive Frozen Four appearances in the last two seasons, including the championship game in 2008-09.

This season, Wingels served as team captain and finished second on the club in goals (17), fourth in points (17-26=43) and second in game-winning goals (5). His 43 points were tied for 33rd among all NCAA scorers and tied for ninth in the CCHA. Following the season, he was named the league's "Best Defensive Forward", while being selected second-team all-conference.

As a junior, Wingels tallied 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists with two goals and an assist in the national semifinal win over Bemidji State. He scored 15 goals and dished out 14 assists for 29 points as a sophomore. Prior to Miami, Wingels played with Cedar Rapids of the United States Hockey League (USHL), helping the 2006-07 RoughRiders to a 37-18-5 regular-season record and second-place finish in the USHL's East Division.

"Tommy's mix of hockey sense and skill allow him to make an impact in all phases of the game," said Wilson. "Miami head coach Enrico Blasi has built an extremely strong program at Miami and Tommy was a leader for them during his three years there. We're excited for him to begin his development at the professional level."

The 6-foot, 195-pound native of Wilmette, Ill., was selected by San Jose in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The son of Robert and Karen Wingels, Tommy is a finance major.

ANALYSIS: Wingels had a great career and is an outstanding person off the ice, and he's going to be an outstanding pro. Few players have been more deserving of this opportunity.

That said, this is obviously a huge loss for Miami. The RedHawks lose their captain, one of their top goal scorers and a major physical presence.

I'm in no way second-guessing his decision or the decisions of those who have left after three years in previous seasons (see: Martinez, Alec, and Zatkoff, Jeff), but I've never really understood turning pro with one season left. Two? Sure. But not one.

Miami is obviously expected to contend for a national title again this season, and Wingels bled Miami red.

Everyone close to the situation was saying he was going to stay as recently as mid-April. Nothing within the organization changed since then (former assistant Chris Bergeron was announced as the coach of Bowling Green before then), so I have to believe the Sharks persuaded him to leave early.

NHL teams generally aren't concerned with whether players receive their degrees - their goal is simply to win hockey games, and develop players that will help them do that. The Sharks figure the sooner they can get Wingels acclimated to their system, the sooner he can start contributing at the NHL level.

San Jose likes to bring its players along slowly, so Wingels will likely start next season in Worcester of the AHL and may not get a taste of the NHL until 2011-12.

I have no doubt he'll have a successful NHL career because of his size, physical nature and goal-scoring ability.

Trying to look at the positives:

1-His departure allows Miami to bring in another player this fall, which I'm guessing will be one of the studs in the RedHawks' system.

2-This helps balance the classes out. Palmer was the only major departure from 2009-10, and Miami was going to suffer a ton of key losses after the upcoming season, so this sort of softens the blow.

3-The pre-game music at Cady Arena might improve.

That's all I can come up with. Congratulations to Tommy, and hopefully the RedHawks will be able to win a national championship without him, but it's going to be tough.

Cyclones defenseman Kevin Roeder (Cathy White/CNATI.com)

Kevin Roeder could not have found a better fit than the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Like the franchise he plays for, the defenseman seems to encounter endless hurdles, yet he always manages to clear them and hit the ground as strong as ever, preparing for the next obstacle.

He is best known for being a victim of arguably the unluckiest goal in college hockey history. Playing for Miami University last season in overtime of the national title game, a seemingly innocuous shot by Colby Cohen deflected off his shoulder and into the net to give Boston University an NCAA championship.

But 13 months later, Roeder has again put himself in position to win a major hockey title. The Cyclones beat Idaho, 3-2 on Thursday to take a 3-games-to-1 lead in the Kelly Cup finals.

Game 5 will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at U.S. Bank Arena.

"Anytime you can have a guy that's been in that winning environment - they've got a great program up at Miami," Cyclones coach Chuck Weber said. "That was one of the reasons we brought him here is that he's used to winning, and his being able to contribute to our culture here is huge."

Roeder, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Ill., began his Miami career in the fall of 2005. Immediately he became one of the most intimidating hitters in college hockey, as well as an outstanding stay-at-home defenseman.

He scored five goals and dished for 31 assists as a RedHawk. As a junior, he led the team with a plus-27 rating and helped Miami finish with the highest penalty killing percentage in the country.

Roeder was an assistant captain his senior season, finished second on the team in blocked shots (41) and played in Miami's first-ever national championship game.

Roeder, playing for Miami in 2008-09 (Cathy White/CNATI.com).

But with a two-goal lead and less than a minute left in regulation in that game, a nightmare scenario unprecedented in college hockey unfolded. Boston U. scored twice with an extra attacker, forcing overtime.

Just over halfway through the extra session, that fateful shot hit Roeder, who was playing his position properly, and the deflected puck floated, end-over-end through the air and over the shoulder of Miami goalie Cody Reichard.

The clip was repeatedly aired on highlight reels nationwide.

"It was an unlucky bounce off of me for BU to win, but it's part of the game," Roeder said.

Roeder missed several games down the stretch prior to that game due to multiple injuries, and rumor had it he would require surgery after the season. Many wondered aloud if he would pursue a professional career.

After all, at 5-feet-9, even a healthy Roeder is considered undersized for professional hockey at any position, much less defense.

But last fall, there was Roeder, competing for a job with Syracuse, the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate. He was one of the final cuts, and Roeder ended up in Cincinnati.

"It's part of the job," Roeder said. "I understand the situation that I was in, and if I had to start here in Cincinnati, that's OK, but you know what? You have to work to get to the top."

Weber said that Roeder's work ethic was never affected after he came to the Cyclones.

"It was get-down-to-work - he definitely put a workmanlike attitude in," Weber said.

Roeder was recalled by Syracuse during the regular season, but he never played in a game and was sent back to Cincinnati three days later.

Then he got hurt. Roeder identified the injury only as "lower body", but it was uncertain if he would ever return in 2009-10.

Roeder had played only 23 professional games, recording a goal and two assists, and now faced the possibility of a season-ending injury.

"I thought I was going to be out for the year, but I did a lot of rehab on it and let it heal, and got some time off, so that helped," Roeder said.

"And now I'm back out playing."

He played in seven games before the end of the regular season, and has been in the lineup for all 23 of the Cyclones' postseason games.

"It was disappointing - when he finally got his feet under him, he got hurt," Weber said. "Hopefully, he can use this playoff run to springboard him for next year."

That 2008-09 Miami team nearly missed the NCAA Tournament because of a late regular-season and conference-tournament drought, and the RedHawks were written off by experts because of their youth.

The Cyclones faced their own mortality in the conference finals, when they fell behind, three-games-to-none to Reading.

But this franchise has played the underdog role far too often to be fazed. The Cyclones became the first team in ECHL history to rally from a 3-0 hole to win a series, defying overwhelming odds.

Like when the team was declared dead in April 2004 when it announced it was going dormant.

Then again two years later when it re-emerged in the ECHL and was the only team in the league to average less than 2,000 fans per game in 2006-07.

The Cyclones' response? All they did was win a Kelly Cup in 2007-08, giving Cincinnati its first professional hockey league title since the Swords in 1973.

The deciding Game 6 was played in front of 12,722 fans, also with Weber behind the bench.

Apparently no one told the Cyclones that the Bengals, Reds, University of Cincinnati and Xavier basketball are king here, and hockey is an afterthought.

It is no coincidence that the Cyclones are playing for their second ECHL championship in three years. And it is also not random luck that Kevin Roeder is on the team.

Miami will host New Hampshire, Notre Dame and Michigan in 2010-11, according to the RedHawks' season schedule that was released on Friday.

The RedHawks open up with an exhibition game vs. Waterloo on Oct. 3, then they host New Hampshire the following weekend to begin their regular season.

Miami will play 16 home games, 16 road games and two neutral-site contests against Maine and either St. Cloud or Cornell at the Florida College Classic the weekend after Christmas.

With Nebraska-Omaha leaving the league, the CCHA is down to 11 teams for next season, but the conference schedule will remain at 28 games. Miami has home-and-home series vs. Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State.

Here is the complete schedule:

(Home games in CAPS)
Oct. 3: WATERLOO (exhibition)
Oct. 8-9: NEW HAMPSHIRE
Oct. 15-16: at St. Cloud State
Oct. 22-23: N. MICHIGAN
Oct. 29-30: L. SUPERIOR ST.
Nov. 5-6: at Ferris State
Nov. 12-13: ALASKA
Nov. 19-20: at Bowling Green
Nov. 26-27: at Western Michigan
Dec. 3-4: NOTRE DAME
Dec. 29: vs. Maine*
Dec. 30: vs. St. Cloud or Cornell*
Jan. 7-8: at Ohio State
Jan 14-15: BOWLING GREEN
Jan. 21-22: at Michigan State
Jan. 28-29: at Notre Dame
Feb. 4-5: MICHIGAN
Feb. 11-12: WESTERN MICHIGAN
Feb. 25-26: at Lake Superior State
   *-at the Florida College Classic, Estero, Fla.

Despite growing up less than a half hour drive from Minneapolis, none of the college teams in Minnesota were interested in Jarod Palmer four years ago.

But on Monday, it was announced that the former Miami forward was signed to a one-year contract by his hometown Minnesota Wild.

"It's incredible to actually sign an NHL contract and see my name, and see who I'm playing for," Palmer said. "I literally couldn't believe it."

Jarod Palmer (Cathy White/CNATI.com)

Palmer led the RedHawks in goals (18), points (45) and plus-minus (27) this season, and he finished 12th all-time among Miami scorers with 137 points. He also broke the school record for most career games played (169) as he never missed a game in a Miami uniform.

Palmer attended the Wild's prospect camp in 2009, and he said the process of becoming a member of the organization began then. He said he was impressed with facilities and the training available.

"I knew if I went there I would get a lot better at hockey," Palmer said. "That was a big part of me wanting to play for the Wild. I don't think I'm going to make it if I don't improve."

Palmer, who is from the Minneapolis suburb of Fridley, said he had offers from other teams - a couple of which offered him more money - making the decision extremely difficult.

The Wild will give Palmer a chance to make the team out of training camp this fall, he said, and if he does not secure a roster spot, he could be sent to Houston of the AHL to develop his skills.

Palmer's maternal grandparents live in Texas, and he said if he plays for the Aeros it could give him a chance to bond with them.

Another factor in Palmer's decision to choose Minnesota is the style of hockey to Wild have implemented. Previous Minnesota teams played a defensive system and lacked physicality.

But under general manager Chuck Fletcher and head coach Todd Richards, the Wild are more up-tempo and do not shy away from contact.

"I think it was a big factor in me going there," Palmer said. "It was frustrating for years to watch it. It's nice to know (the current regime) thinks there needs to be a difference in the style of play. I'm hoping they look to me to be a guy that brings in that new change of hockey."

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Palmer's contract is worth about $700,000. He receives a $90,000 signing bonus, and would make $67,500 if he played in Houston.

Palmer said a one-year deal for free agents in situations similar to his is common.

"It puts a little added pressure on me to prove I'm worth it," Palmer said.

As for now, Palmer has two weeks of classes remaining until graduating, including some difficult schoolwork before he completes his degree.

He said he still gets to skate at the Goggin Ice Center, and he is looking forward to playing some shinny hockey with his Miami teammates in the near future.

Palmer is unclear about his living arrangements once he graduates. He said he may rent a place near home in Minnesota until it's determined where he will play this fall.

Palmer said a couple of months ago that his ultimate dream was to play in one NHL game. Now the Wild have given him a chance, and he may be just months away from achieving it.

"It hasn't sunk in yet - it will probably sink in when the check comes in," Palmer said. "I've been kind of on cloud nine since."

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami hockey seniors are all expected to give a short speech during the end-of-season Night of Celebration banquet held at Shriver Center every April.

Over the years, some players have openly acknowledged they dread that moment.

But on Saturday, Gary Steffes got on stage and said he had actually been looking forward to giving his senior speech. It was the first time I'd ever heard anyone admit that.

Steffes opened his speech by pointing out that he played in less than half of the RedHawks' games this season, and he recorded just one point. Last season, he said, media wanted to interview him and he scored a goal in the national championship game.

Steffes then challenged the audience to judge his career at Miami as a success or a failure.

This senior class is the first to play at Cady Arena for its entire career, and I became a season ticket holder when the rink opened, so I have seen every home game in which Steffes has played (except one when I had to attend a funeral in Chicago).

I met Steffes for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was because I wanted a quote from another senior for a feature I was doing on Brandon Smith. My first choice was Jarod Palmer, whom I already knew and had done a feature on previously.

Plus Palmer is having the type of season that has NHL teams watching. But he had a late class that day and left practice early, so I asked if I could talk to Steffes.

I talked to everyone else for my story, and I was waiting on him to finish his lifting regiment. I stood in the visitors' bench for five minutes, then 10, and a thought in my head kept getting louder.

Wouldn't this guy be a little resentful that I'm asking for a quote about someone who has basically passed him on the forward depth chart this season?

When he finally emerged from the locker room, I met a player who seems utterly incapable of feeling such envy. The ultimate team player, Steffes was more than willing to sacrifice his time to benefit a teammate and close friend.

I'd heard from others what a great person he is, but that's the type of thing one has to experience for his or herself. He's one of those rare people whose mere presence makes one feel a little more upbeat.

He's the type of person the world needs more of.

So near the end of Steffes' speech on Saturday, he told people not to feel bad for him. He talked about how he wasn't close to any of his family members when he enrolled in college.

But he said the growth he underwent and friendships he made at Miami made his experience in Oxford unforgettable. And now he's closer than ever with his family.

He's also going to leave Miami with a degree, having accrued a 3.6 grade-point average.

It was like he was reading my mind, because standing there on the visitors' bench before he arrived for our interview, I felt sort of sorry for him and a little anxious because I wasn't sure how he would take being asked about a classmate who was having more success.

As a hockey player he had progressed so much during his collegiate career, but his senior season ended with him wearing a suit during the Boston College game in Detroit.

Steffes probably won't take a shift in the pros, but The Brotherhood made him a better person, made that unfocused college freshman into a man, and that will last longer than a hockey career.

"I feel like the most fortunate person in the room tonight," Steffes said near the end of his speech.

He wasn't the only one that felt that way.

Yes, Steffes' Miami career was a success.

OXFORD, Ohio - The 2009-10 season was one of the most emotional in Miami hockey history, and on Saturday the team took one more opportunity to remember the events of the past few months.

The RedHawks' annual Night of Celebration was held at Shriver Center, and former NHLer Rick Vaive and the brother of the late Brendan Burke spoke about the team manager who was killed in a traffic accident on Feb. 5.

"Other than his family, the most important thing in his life was this team." Patrick Burke said.

Patrick Burke accepted the Jim Grant Seventh Man Award for Brendan. Their mother, Kerry, was also in attendance.

"Brendan Burke was ultimate seventh man," said Rick Vaive, who gave the award to the Burke family. "He would've won this award regardless of the events that unfolded."

Jim Grant, for whom the award is named, was the father of former RedHawks forward Todd Grant. Jim Grant died from cancer following the 2002-03 season, but he attended games up until a week before his death.

"We love Miami, and I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much you guys mean to us," Patrick Burke said.

Here were the team award winners (others nominated in parentheses):

Blue Line Club Award - Tommy Wingels (Pat Cannone, Brandon Smith).

Scholar-Athlete Award: Dane Hetland, Gary Steffes, Brandon Smith and Jarod Palmer.

Rookie of the Year: Joe Hartman (Reilly Smith, Curtis McKenzie).

Outstanding Defensive Player: Will Weber (Joe Hartman, Vincent LoVerde).

Most Improved Player: Justin Vaive (Dane Hetland, Cameron Schilling).

Outstanding Senior: Jarod Palmer (Dane Hetland, Brandon Smith).

Outstanding Offensive Player: Andy Miele (Carter Camper, Jarod Palmer).

Most Valuable Player: Cody Reichard (Andy Miele, Tommy Wingels).

Jim Grant Seventh Man Award: Brendan Burke.

Some of the best comments of the night:

"The campus was beautiful and the women were beautiful, and that was all I needed." - Dane Hetland on why he chose Miami.

"We consider him the fifth senior on this team." - Dane Hetland on Brendan Burke.

"We'll miss you, you're not far, and don't think you're beating us." - Enrico Blasi to Chris Bergeron.

"Your colors are orange." - Blasi on Bergeron's new team.

"The wind blows north, east, south and west at the same time." - Blasi on Bowling Green.

"If you get bored, players can practice on I-75." Blasi still ripping on Bowling Green.

Blasi also said that his daughter, Sophie, has asked if she can take over for departed assistant coach Chris Bergeron, and Blasi said he had to tell her "no".

Blasi then said "she's not speaking to me. I guess I have that affect on women."

During Hetland's senior speech he also mentioned that the team would have to improve its cardio program for junior defenseman Vincent LoVerde.

Other interesting pieces of information learned from Saturday:

Palmer revealed that classmate Gary Steffes bailed him out a potential "butt-kicking" by some football players during their freshman season.

Wingels is minoring in Chinese.

Blasi was asked before John Buccigross' ESPN piece on Burke was released if he was OK with the timing of it, since it could have posed a potential distraction. He was completely supportive of its publication.

ANALYSIS: This is honestly one of my favorite nights of the year. The Blue Line Club does an outstanding job with this event, and $35 is a more than reasonable price to pay for the opportunity to say good-bye to the seniors, wish everyone else a good summer and watch great highlights reels.

Not to mention we get to enjoy excellent food and see all the cool stuff available in the silent auction.

But the best part for me is the senior speeches. While many schools merely pay lip service to the student-athlete concept, it brings stability to my world to see not just the great hockey players but also the quality young men that the Miami hockey team continues to hone.

All four seniors finished with a GPA over 3.0.

We sat with Pat Cannone, a player I'd actually never met. What a delightful young man. He has a great sense of humor.

The sad thing about the night is that it signifies the end of the season. But I have the memories of the evening to get me through the summer.

The first few days after college hockey season ends are like the hours following an earthquake.

The end-of-the-season loss rocks everyone's world, but the aftershock - this is, players leaving early for the pros - can happen at any time and be just as devastating.

Or it could not happen at all. But at the very least it raises a cloud of uneasiness around everyone involved during that period.

Obviously, that's what Miami fans are hoping for this off-season, and there is a good chance their wishes may be granted.

Miami will keep most of its players from its 2009-10 team, with the exceptions of stud forward Jarod Palmer, fourth-liner Brandon Smith, and part-timers Gary Steffes and Dane Hetland. For the remaining players to know how good next season's team will be has to factor into each player's decision.

And since four days have elapsed since the end of the RedHawks' season, and no one has left yet has to be considered a good sign.

It's a complicated issue that is not easy to analyze, and it must be looked at from each individual's standpoint, and the track record of the NHL team owning the player's rights has a major impact.

For example, the Los Angeles Kings tried to get Marty Guerin to leave after his freshman season, and they succeeded in getting Jeff Zatkoff and Alec Martinez to leave a season early. Former Michigan defenseman Jack Johnson is another player that came out before graduating to join the Kings' organization.

The excellent returning team, coach Enrico Blasi and the team's commitment to The Brotherhood and the situations of each of the players themselves are reasons I believe no one will depart early this off-season.

Plus, only two players have gone pro early in recent years, and both were Kings draft picks. Miami currently does not have a Kings draftee on its roster. And neither has made the NHL yet, which may also factor into current players' decisions.

So here's a look at drafted and undrafted players who could depart:

D Will Weber - It's been rumored the Blue Jackets' draftee wants to stay, and he still needs to develop offensively before he can be an impact player in the pro ranks.

D Cameron Schilling - It's not much of a secret that NHL teams are salivating over the sophomore. Schilling has made a ton of progress since the beginning of his freshman year, and he may be the biggest flight risk on the team.

D Chris Wideman - Wideman is a Senators pick who still needs work in his own end before he can help a pro team. He still gets pushed around too easily by big forwards, and hopefully he'll benefit from Matt Cady's outstanding strength and conditioning program.

D Joe Hartman - Hartman is undrafted, and he's an older freshman who could help a pro team right away. One knock on him is a supposed lack of speed, which is absurd for anyone who watches him regularly. He should stay, but after next season fans will be biting their nails.

Fs Curtis McKenzie and Reilly Smith - Both Dallas draft picks were true freshman last season, and will be only 19 in 2010-11. Players rarely go to the AHL at that age.

McKenzie had a solid year, but he still needs to become a more disciplined player and consistent scorer. Smith looked great in the second half before fading late.

F Justin Vaive - Vaive, an Anaheim draftee and son of former NHL 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive, obviously has the pedigree to go pro, but his development has been slow.

He played very well in Miami's last few games, but the problem is he will not play on one of the RedHawks' top two lines because the team is so loaded. The senior-to-be could look elsewhere for more ice time if a degree is not a priority.

F Trent Vogelhuber - Vogelhuber was all but invisible offensively the first year and a half of his career, but something clicked in February and the Blue Jackets draft pick started scoring regularly. His stickhandling and hitting also improved drastically. He still needs work and his development will benefit from continued ice time at Miami.

Also, coach Blasi likes him and gives his shifts on the power play and penalty kill.

F Tommy Wingels - Wingels is obviously good enough to play in the pros at this point, but the Sharks draftee is captain of the team, and probably would not have accepted or been offered captaincy if he was a flight risk.

Fs Carter Camper, Pat Cannone and Andy Miele - All undersized, undrafted junior forwards who could undoubtedly land pro jobs but probably will not because of the quality of the team coming back this fall.

For whatever reason, none are as highly regarded as Schilling in terms of free agent interest, so it would be wise for all to finish school. All three have the talent to play in the AHL some day if they choose.

G Connor Knapp - A Sabres draft pick, Knapp was a true freshman coming in and will only be 20 during his junior season this fall.

Like Vaive, the biggest risk factor for Knapp is his playing time. Miami should continue rotating goalies, which cannot please Buffalo. Knapp has only played 43 games in two seasons, and in the pros he could play 60 or more in one year.

But Knapp is an outstanding student, the Sabres should have Ryan Miller in net for a long time and Knapp should continue to play in a winning atmosphere.

Miami assistant coach Chris Bergeron accepted the head coaching job at Bowling Green on Monday.

Bergeron, who was a member of coach Enrico Blasi's staff for the past 10 seasons, takes over a team that finished 11th out of 12 in the CCHA last season.

"I'm very excited to be a part of putting Bowling Green back where it belongs in the hockey world," Bergeron was quoted as saying in a press release sent out by Miami Monday morning. "My family and I are looking forward to becoming part of the Bowling Green community. What excites me the most, though, is seeing how hungry everyone is to make Bowling Green hockey successful again."

Bergeron is a 1993 Miami graduate and a former member of the Cincinnati Cyclones of the former IHL and the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL. He also played in the ECHL and CHL.

While playing for the RedHawks, Bergeron recorded 120 points, ranking him tied for 25th on Miami's all-time scoring list.

The Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune reported that Bergeron's contract is for six years, with a base salary of $125,000 annually with additional incentives for on-ice and athletic performance.

Bergeron's hiring gives the CCHA two new coaches from the Miami pipeline in the last week. Indiana Ice coach Jeff Blashill was hired by Western Michigan as its head coach last week.

Blashill is also a former RedHawks assistant.

ANALYSIS: Congratulations to coach Bergeron. This is a move in the right direction for Bowling Green, and honestly I'm surprised it took this long for Bergeron to land a head coaching job.

For Miami, this is a substantial loss. Bergeron and Blasi have worked together for 10 years, and they were RedHawks teammates for three seasons.

Fortunately, the RedHawks already have a head coach who is an excellent recruiter, and next season's team should be as solid as the 2009-10 version.

Having a beautiful facility like the Goggin Ice Center doesn't exactly hurt Miami in its search, either.

I have no doubt Miami will find a quality replacement shortly, if it hasn't already. Internally, goaltenders coach Nick Petraglia is an option.

Petraglia is in his sixth season at his current post, and he's also a Miami graduate and a former player who is very highly regarded by the coaching staff.