Then Huberdeau hit the ice in 2021-22 and rewrote the record book. It can take some time for ice sports to grow on southern states. Shesterkin has been New York's -- and arguably the entire NHL's -- regular-season MVP. However, Smith has more impressive numbers once you consider Boll has played in over 500 games while he has played in a mere 216 (as of Nov. 28 2016). He has best known for his time with Boston University, where he spent four seasons. In his lone year, he had 51 points in 39 games. Born in Toledo, he was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1990 NHL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports. Always known as being friendly to the media, Halpern constantly provided the DC media with donuts. At the age of 28, he already ranks 27th all-time among American forwards with 686 career points. The Stanley Cup playoffs are when the spotlight shines the brightest on the NHL. Known as a power play specialist, 480 of Housleys career assists came with a man advantage. The success of Weiss has done a lot for hockey in Mississippi. He placed in the Vezina Trophy voting five times during his 14 year career. Their first NHL player? He scored his first NHL goal during the 2016-17 season opener against the St. Louis Blues. Ortmeyer, a native of Omaha, got his hockey career started by playing for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. Ewing helped lead them to a Hockey East title in the 2005-06 season with 26 points in 40 games. Arnason scored his first goal on Feb. 26th against the Philadelphia Flyers in a loss. He's been a solid statistical playoff performer the last two seasons as well, notching five goals and 11 points in consecutive first-round exits for Edmonton. Perhaps the success of Greer and other young players is inspiring other players to take up the sport. Gillis had a very interesting career that spanned over three decades. But the Bruins signed Buffalos Linus Ullmark to a four-year, $20 million contract in the offseason. But Dallas Ben Bishop, who led UMaine to its last Frozen Four appearance in the 2006-07 season, continues to recuperate from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, so he cant square off against Jeremy Swayman, if Swayman were to get the starting nod for the Bruins. He played for Team North America in the World Cup with Matthews. Also playing for theNrnberg Ice Tigers, he played in over 300 games in the DEL. He also has the highest plus-minus rating at +46. Before joining the Maple Leafs, he set records with the United States Developmental Team. Quint has seen success in a multitude of leagues, including the AHL, NHL, KHL, and DEL. If you want to know what Point can do in the playoffs, direct your attention to Tampa's pair of back-to-back Stanley Cup banners. Ortmeyer spent three seasons with them. Heres the best hockey player from each of the 50 states. Not coincidentally, they're also when hockey's star players shine the brightest, too. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports. Ironically, the state of Pennsylvania is home to a player who gave its two NHL teams, the Penguins and the Flyers, a lot of headaches over his career. Get to know the top names on the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team ahead of the Winter Games. WebWomen's Basketball. Jeff Halpern is an exception to this rule, as he starred for the Washington Capitals from 1999 to 2006 and during the 2011-12 season. Maybe theres a hockey player being raised right now in Wyoming who will finally give the state the privilege to say they have an NHL player. Born and raised in Sparks, NV, he started his playing career when he played for the Hope Icebreakers in the PIJHL. Its been a long battle, but Mississippi is steadily growing to embrace hockey. The state has produced over 175 NHL players, so thats a large pool of candidates to choose from. Few Mandatory Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images. No state other than Hawaii has lower participation in hockey than Mississippi. Leclair finished his career by playing for the Penguins his last two seasons, putting up 58 points in 94 games. Some players struggle to maintain their offensive excellence in the playoffs. After his stint with the Avalanche, Arnasonwent overseas. That kind of two-way player, paired as he's been with Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk, will rocket the Flames further into the postseason. With them, he had 102 points in 223 games. When the wins matters most -- like in the playoffs -- one does not bet against the league's best veteran. He spent four years atNiagara University playing Division I hockey, including serving as their captain in his senior season. Alaska has had 12 NHL players. Koizumi chose to go to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. His family moved to Finland at an early age. One of the most popular players in the NHL today is from the state of Washington. In 263 AHL games, Ortmeyerhad 116 points. While it is an informal name, its a tremendous sign of respect to be called batya. Orpik won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2008-09 season. 40, back when Marty got injured. He currently plays for them. Lucas Nukaya-Heady plays for local Boise State University, who has an ACHA Division II team. -- Shilton, 2021-22 stats: 31 G | 53 A | 84 PTS Oshie is slightly overrated because of his fame. Draisaitl made a 55-goal regular season look easy. Dumoulin has stuck in the league for good since the beginning of the 2015-16 season. A native of Potomac, he played in 976 games. Field Hockey. He also had 51 points. What's next for the Senators after sale to Michael Andlauer? 2021-22 stats: 60 G | 46 A | 106 PTS Johnson got sent (sort of) home when the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired him for Jeff Carter. With the Sherbrooke Castors, Gillis put upover a point per game in three of his four seasons, including two 100 point seasons. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup during the 2008-09 season, scoring each of his four career playoff goals during that run. For example, someone might have played hockey in Boston, but this doesnt necessarily qualify them to be from Massachusetts. One of them is Tucker Alspaugh, a defenseman who plays in the NA3HL. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports. However, injuries forced them to call Gostisbehere up. This is understandable because they feature warm weather pretty much all year. He spent the first eight years of his career in Buffalo. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang wins Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Lance King/Replay Photos via Getty Images. He saw action in just one game his freshman year. Their best one is Brian Dumoulin, currently of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Men's Ice Hockey. I am confident in myself. WebMike Bossy Prolific scorer for Islanders dynasty, only man with nine straight 50-goal seasons Ray Bourque Hall of Fame defenseman won Norris Trophy five times with It could have featured a match-up of two of the schools best former goaltenders who are at different stages of their careers. Josi became the eighth defenseman in NHL history to record at least 96 points. 3 mins read. His best years were with them. He played for them in the 1988 Olympics and the 2004 World Cup. Booras even got to star for his hometown Billings Bulls of the AWHL before taking his talent to the USHL. Quint played one season in Winnipeg before the Jets became the Coyotes. Here's the playoff edition of ESPN NHL Rank, which seeks to identify the top forwards, defensemen and goaltenders in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. Preseason rank: 17, Pick the winners and crown your Stanley Cup champion! However, he used his lack of size as an advantage. Credit must be given to the efforts of the University of Arkansas as well. However, his most prolific seasons came with the Winnipeg Jets, as he had 259 points in 232 games. Mandatory Credit: Noah Graham/Getty Images. Minnesota is poised for a long run. Gillis wasnt quite done with hockey though. Watch out. Ewing had his best season during his senior year with 17 goals and 43 points in 39 games. On one hand, Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, one of the Having a winning season would be good for everybody, said Mucitelli, who has had friends play at UMaine and describe the lively crowds at Alfond Arena. Preseason rank: 42. However, none of Alaskas players have come close to accomplishing what Scott Gomez did in his hockey career. UMaine lost to Merrimack 6-2 in the first round of the playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports. Then again, its hard to not be overrated after scoring such a huge goal. He had 333 goals and 310 assists for 643 points with the Flyers. Booras then returned to the MOL Liga for the 2016-17 season, playing for Budapest. Trumbull served as an alternate captain in two of his three years with the Stampede. Hartman spent one more season with them after being drafted, notching 53 points in 52 games. He won two Stanley Cups in his hockey career, both with the Devils. With the Devils, he played in 68 games over six seasons. By comparison, the next most points scored by a Missouri born player is Paul Ranheim with 360. There's no time like the present for the Leafs' most famous local product to start crafting a new narrative around his postseason capabilities. The state of New Mexico has yet to have any natives play in the NHL or even the AHL. This wound up being a great role for Gaustad because he consistently won faceoffs, winning over 60 percent of them in three of his five seasons in Nashville. LSU has a team, though they play in the ACHA instead of the NCAA. Coyote caught red-handed playing with a Maine dogs toys, Analysis: UMaine mens hockey team lacked the talent needed to win games, Plant these 5 herbs once and enjoy them for years, Accused leader of Maine medical pot ring claims federal law protects him, The meaner you are to these plants, the better they will grow, We took a remote fishing trip to the North Maine Woods, These 2 Maine bagel shops ranked among best in the US by Bon Appetit, How you can repel disease-carrying ticks without any chemicals, June will be one of Maine's rainiest in a quarter century, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. -- Shilton, 2021-22 stats: 42 G | 64 A | 106 PTS Veteran defenseman Ben Hutton, who played for Toronto last season, is a free agent. Check Your Bracket. Much like Arizona and Florida when they first got NHL teams, hockey hasnt exactly taken off as a sport in Nevada. Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round of the 2002 NHL Draft, he never spent a game in North America. There's a challenge in separating how spectacular Draisaitl is individually from the Oilers' dismal playoff results in recent years. Though he was born in Florida, Blake Geoffrion counts for the state of Tennessee. Greer spent the last two seasons of his professional hockey career withS-Kiekko, putting up 42 points in 59 games. Pacioretty averages 0.714 points per game as of Nov. 20, second most in Connecticut history. With the Sharks, he had eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 76 games. He appears to be a very capable third or fourth line forward. Yet Stamkos seems to be getting better with age, becoming even more savvy in leveraging his chances. During his 26 years in the NHL, he cemented his legacy as Americas greatest defenseman. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images. Its not likely that he will surpass Brett Hulls 1,391 points, but he should come darn close. The Leafs expected him to be a star, which is something he wasnt prepared to be. However, Bryan Ewing had a pretty successful career in college and even managed to play in the AHL. He is proof that the NHLs decision to move the old Winnipeg Jets to the southwest was the right decision. Credit: Courtesy of UMaine Athletics Who is the best hockey player from each of the 50 states? The 6-foot-3, 188-pound Mucitelli, a sophomore from Deerfield, New York, who backed up Ethan Haider this season, compiled an 8-0-1 record, a 1.30 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage for the Golden Knights. After that, he joined the BHL, where he put up very impressive point totals. In his first 19 games, he has seven points. Preseason rank: NR, 2021-22 stats: 40 G | 37 A | 77 PTS An essential ingredient to the Avs' Cup recipe. They have never produced an NHL player, but defenseman Andrew Peterson currently plays overseas. Sure, Craig Jannay averaged more points per game than him. Smolinski retired after the 2007-08 season, his only yearwith the Montreal Canadiens. However, they have Lexington native Paul McAvoy, who is currently playing in the BCHL and will play for Colgate University in 2017-18. Bishop loves to use his lanky frame to his advantage, as hes a very athletic and quick goalie. Women's Ice Hockey. Eaton had a unique path to the NHL. Nobody thinks about a sport played on ice. However, his contract is up after the 2017-18 season, so hell have to push hard to get 63 points by then. Ross is also from Alabama. -- Wyshynski, 2021-22 stats: 30 G | 85 A | 115 PTS Clemmensen appeared in 120 in five seasons with Florida. Why? The gifted, playmaking winger is probably the best Russian hockey prospect in nearly a decade and maybe longer, going back She played several years in the CWHL, accumulating 77 points in 89 games. Speaking of prolific American scorers, Mike Modano is the greatest hockey player ever from the state of Michigan. There have been other college players to come from Nevada, but Petersons still the only one to play any significant hockey post-college. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Forget everything you thought you knew about how players make it to the NFL. Greer got his playing career started with the Pikes Peak Miners under 18 team. These great hockey players are the main reasons thousands gather at various NHL Arenas in flags and colors to enjoy another entertaining hockey match. WebThe official 2022-23 Men's Ice Hockey Roster for the University of Maine Black Bears In 53 games with the Preds, he had four goals and four assists for eight points. However, he might be most famous for indirectly forcing Brandon Shanahan out of St. Louis. I know I can get even better and help Maine win., Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Tampa can only hope. Former All-Star defenseman P.K. Gomez was born in Anchorage, Alaska and even joined the Alaska Aces (ECHL) during both of the NHL lockouts. Technically, Auston Matthews was not born in Arizona. Since being traded from Chicago, he has bounced around from the San Jose Sharks to the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Colorado Avalanche to back to Toronto. While he might not be a Hall of Famer, the undersized Alaskan had a far better career than anyone could have imagined. FARMINGTON University of Maine at Farmington first year forward Ginny Twitchell was named the New England Collegiate Conferences Rookie of the Year when the conferences field hockey post He has seen success in the NCAA, IHL, UHL, ECHL, CHL, and has recently gone overseas. Mandatory Credit: Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images. With Dijon, he put up 12 points in 11 games during the regular season and 12 points in six games during the playoffs. Cross Country and Track & Field. But having taken his cues from friend and mentor Sidney Crosby, MacKinnon has worked hard to develop the defensive part of his game through the years. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. Housley came darn close during the 1997-98 season with the Washington Capitals, but the Caps got swept in the Stanley Cup finals by the Detroit Red Wings. With his hard-nosed style and his playmaking abilities combined with his accuracy, hes one of the most prolific offensive playersever. Saturday nights mutual National Hockey League season-opener between the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston could have been a special evening for University of Maine hockey fans. With the Sabres, Housley averaged nearly a point per game with 558 points in 608 games. It should catch up to the likes of Alabama within the next decade or so. With them, he put up 56 points (13 goals and 43 assists) in 58 games. Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman reaches for the puck during the second Her love for hockey transfers off the ice as she also represented America in roller hockey. University of Alaska forward DidrikHenbrant, who had a goal and three assists in two games against UMaine this past season, and Ferris State forward Justin Michaelian are the other two. However, their best hockey player ever is retired center Tyler Arnason. Field Hockey. Makar is the kind of defenseman who can make a crowd gasp with a puck dangle or a dance along the blue line on a power play. Only four of them stuck around in the league and one of them is Donald Brashear (known more for getting injured than anything else). He also served as a head coach for two seasons. The state of West Virginia has yet to produce an NHL player. Alspaugh hopes to grab the attention of an NCAA team. While Oshie will always be remembered for his shootout heroics, he also deserves to be remembered by fans as being a very good hockey player. That latter stat is key given how playoff officiating can sometimes be stingy with the penalty calls. Few players can boast the kind of two-way play that the Panthers center possesses, with 304 points since 2018-19 (12th in the NHL) and last season's Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league. In 1999, Eaton made his NHL debut and scored his first goal against the Boston Bruins in 2000. In Hartmans first 18 games during the 2016-17 season, he has seven points. The gifted, playmaking winger is probably the best Russian hockey prospect With very few opportunities to play in America, Brown went overseas to play in Poland. Participation on the ice is up all over the state, so who knows? Terreri currently serves as New Jerseys goaltending coach. Through his first 113 games in Sweden, he has eight goals and 43 points with a -70 plus minus rating. He didnt get drafted, so he went to a variety of teams before starring for Notre Dame for a season. However, that might be changing, especially with a new wave of defensemen hitting the NHL. Ewing played several more seasons alternating between the AHL and ECHL before officially retiring from hockey following the 2009-10 season. 562players are registered for the 2015-16 season, which is a significant increase from 433 in 2014-15. Jannay is another famous hockey player from Connecticut. Native Jakob Chychrun was selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Coyotes. A native of Wheeling, WV, Ewing is a center who made a name for himself playing college hockey. Preseason rank: 32. After putting up 19 points in 13 games withGKS Katowice. He spent just one season (his pre-draft year) in college, playing for the University of Minnesota. His wife cheated on him with the future Hall of Famer, so the Blues resolved it by trading him for Chris Pronger. Perhaps most telling of his influence is that young Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov refers to him as batya. There are quite a few solid choices, but the best player from the state is Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan. My goal is to come in there and help the team get back to the glory days, Michaelian said. Wyoming has very few professional athletes, let alone any who play hockey. 10 players to watch on the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team. In 2006, he got traded to the Ottawa Senators. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images. Preseason rank: NR, 2021-22 stats: 37-15-9 | 2.22 GAA | .922 SV% Cross Country and Track & Field. Preseason rank: 52, 2021-22 stats: 28 G | 59 A | 87 PTS I believe in what Coach Barr is doing and I want to help in any way I can, Michaelian said. First He joined the Islanders just after their dynasty ended and the Edmonton Oilers dynasty started. Brian Leetch helped put the Lone Star state on the map. The best player from the state is Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman. The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its 2023 inductees Wednesday, and as always, people had opinions. Modano is second to Hull in goals (561), second to Phil Housley in assists (813), and secondin game winning goals. Preseason rank: 24. Not outstanding, but theres a reason he stuck around for a while he was reliable. Gomez won the Calder Trophy in 1999-00 as the NHLs top rookie. He'll need to drive even more offense for the Panthers to win the Cup. Ironically, his long limbs might also be the cause of his repeated injuries. Gostisbehere even set the rookie point streak record for a defenseman. All rights reserved. After a 40 points season with the Scarecrows, Booras attended Lake Superior State University for college. However, batya is still one of the NHLs better penalty killers and has inspired a lot of youth in California to fall in love with hockey. Of New Jerseys 17 NHL players, 11 of them have been born post-1980, suggesting perhaps its becoming an underrated factory for hockey players. Tampa may have stumbled down the regular season stretch a bit, but Stamkos will play a key role in picking them back up in the first round -- and beyond? Preseason rank: 30. Colorado's top-line force has been excellent in the Avs' last three postseason appearances -- as in, 18 goals and 48 points in 37 games excellent. In four years, the forward had 32 goals and 83 points before joining the Quad City Mallards of the CHL. Now with some Louisiana natives playing for them, maybe thats what helps the state embrace hockey. In fact, they even have an active player in New Jersey Devils defenseman Jon Merrill, whos from Oklahoma City. Givani Smith. It's the little things Rantanen can do so seamlessly, like creating space and turning a play back up the ice so quickly, that should really make him shine this postseason. Because North Carolina has only produced two NHL players, theres not much of a choice. After five years with Montreal, he spent the next 10 seasons with the Flyers. His career save percentage is .905. WebPatric Hornqvist (A) Ryan Lomberg. After joining the University of Michigan, he put up some impressive numbers. The 34-year-old Bishop is a three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy awarded to the NHLs best goalie. From there, he signed with NCAA hockey powerhouse Union College. WebWomen's Basketball. He finished his career with 825 penalty minutes and a +56 plus-minus rating. Subban and Terreri played two more seasons with them before splitting his final season between the Devils and the New York Islanders. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Kris Letang won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Mandatory Credit: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images. After being drafted by the Rangers in 1986, he spent one year with Boston College before joining the NHL. He moved to Connecticut so he could attend South Kent Prep High School. After his playing career, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a pro scout. 33 NHL players have come from Wisconsin, including a good number of active players. From there, all he did in his rookie season was dazzle. Preseason rank: 79, 2021-22 stats: 33 G | 49 A | 82 PTS Following his NCAA career, Booras split time between the UH, IHL, and ECHL, CHL for the next nine years. Gomez might be remembered more positively had he suck with the Devils. Following his Rangers tenure, Ortmeyer spent two seasons with the Nashville Predators organization, splitting time between the AHL and NHL. Everyone talks about how Jaromir Jagr is still great at his age, which is true. Plus he will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job. Since 2010, Koizumi has been an assistant coach for Yales womens team. Ironically, the Penguins beat the Capitals on the way to winning the Cup. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports. In 46 games, Peterson put up 15 points. Goaltender Mike Richter, a native of Abington, PA, is most famous for helping the New York Rangers win the 1993-94 Stanley Cup. The pride and joy of Des Moines, Scott Clemmensen had a successful hockey career. Halpern spent 507 games with the Capitals with 230 points. His 60-goal season was the first in the NHL since Steven Stamkos' in 2011-12, and the first ever for an American-born player. Mandatory Credit: Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images. Smith is a bit better than a journeyman, though. Josi was let loose as an offensive threat in 2021-22 and responded with one of the best scoring seasons for a defenseman in the last 30 years. While Modano fell just short of 1,500 career games, he still is arguably the most successful forward America has ever produced. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators were looking to solve their center problem. In 664 games with Chicago, Chelios had 92 goals and 487 points. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports. Eric Staal. Softball. His career was quite short, as he played in just 865 games. Kessel fought back from a cancer diagnosis to become a regular NHL player for the Bruins. Perhaps the success of Ewing inspired some people as well. Soccer. In His career is only taking off as hes just 25 years old. Swayman is making $925,000 on his rookie contract. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. A pair of Green Bay Packers rookies have proved that. Recently, theres been a bit of an uptick of participation in hockey in New Mexico. Preseason rank: NR, 2021-22 stats: 20 G | 57 A | 77 PTS The state of Rhode Island might be small, but it has 20 NHL players. His chemistry with linemates Matthews and newcomer Michael Bunting is electric, he's equally dangerous at 5-on-5 as he is shorthanded, and there's a hunger in Marner to put the past behind him that's burned all season. Mandatory Credit: Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images. He got to play for the Canadiens just like his male ancestors, as he got traded to them in the Hal Gill trade back in 2011-12. It shouldnt be too long before South Dakota sees its first NHL player. All eyes will (rightly) be on Kaprizov. He ranks second in career points among American defenseman to only Phil Housley. Following his performance with Dijon, Brown currently finds himself back in Poland, where he plays for Orlik Opole. Other great hockey players from Minnesota include Matt Cullen, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Dave Christian, and Neal Broten. Shore has appeared in 326 NHL games and has 44 goals and 71 assists.