New England Hockey Journal’s RinkWise

NEPSAC girls finals: What we learned

Pat Donnelly joins Evan Marinofsky to recap the girls NEPSAC championships. They review lessons learned among all three finals on Sunday.

NEPSAC boys finals: What we learned

Evan Marinofsky joins Pat Donnelly to recap the boys NEPSAC championships. They review lessons learned among all three finals on Sunday.

NEPSAC girls quarterfinals: Initial reactions

Patrick Donnelly joins Evan Marinofsky to discuss his reactions to the winners and losers in the quarterfinals of the girls NEPSAC hockey tournament on Wednesday, March 4.

NEPSAC boys quarterfinals: Initial reactions

Evan Marinofsky joins Patrick Donnelly to discuss his reactions to the winners and losers in the quarterfinals of the boys NEPSAC hockey tournament on Wednesday, March 4.

NEPSAC boys hockey tournament: Brackets, favorites, predictions

This episode features Evan Marinowski and Patrick Donnelly breaking down the brackets for the NEPSAC boys hockey tournament, specifically the Elite 8, Large School, and Small School divisions.
 

NEPSAC girls hockey tournament: Brackets, favorites, predictions

This episode features Evan Marinowski and Patrick Donnelly breaking down the brackets for the NEPSAC girls hockey tournament, specifically the Elite 8, Large School, and Small School divisions.

MIAA Hockey Tourney Favorites and Sleepers

Evan Marinofsky and Patrick Donnelly focus on Massachusetts postseason hockey. They review MIAA boys Division 1 seeding (Catholic Memorial No. 1, Xaverian No. 2, St. John’s Prep No. 3, Arlington No. 4) and discuss potential sleepers including Reading, Wachusett, Framingham, Marshfield, Weymouth and a deep Pope Francis run, with Evan picking CM over Pope Francis in the final. They then break down MIAA girls Division 1 depth and Pat’s bracket picks (Bishop Fenwick over NDA; Methuen/Tewksbury reaching the final quadrant), plus Division 2 picks highlighting Westwood, Milton, Duxbury and King Philip with Pat selecting Milton to win. The show shifts to boys prep, citing Salisbury’s dominant win over Avon and changes in the Elite 8 picture, plus Avon’s six-game skid. Girls prep rankings change significantly, with Nobles rising to No. 1, Loomis to No. 2, Dexter moving up, and St. Paul’s surging after beating Exeter. In "Overtime," they discuss potential future Russian Olympic participation, the impact of the U.S. women’s gold on women’s hockey and the PWHL, and where the men’s win ranks historically (both place it behind 1980).
Topics02:15 MIAA Boys D-1 Bracket04:27 Boys D-1 Sleepers Picks08:00 Why CM Wins D-111:10 Girls D-1 Wide Open13:35 Girls D-1 Predictions19:41 Girls D-2 Bracket Picks26:09 Bracket Challenge Idea26:46 Boys Prep Salisbury Surge29:36 Avon Old Farms Slump31:49 Avon Slump Concerns33:12 Elite 8 Projections35:14 Bubble Teams Watch List39:12 Girls Rankings Shakeup39:44 Nobles New No. 143:21 Loomis Surge Analysis45:25 Dexter And St. Pauls48:41 Top Ten Newcomers50:43 Elite 8 Seeding Outlook53:26 "Overtime" Olympic Questions56:41 Women's Gold Impact59:33 Men's Gold Memories01:05:01 Wrap And Signoff

The Elite 8 race heats up

Evan Marinofsky and Patrick Donnelly open with reactions to the shooting at Dennis Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., offering condolences and noting reported heroes. They then preview late-season prep hockey: boys teams slipping (Avon Old Farms, Belmont Hill) and rising (Cushing, Kimball Union), and girls hockey shakeups with Phillips Andover taking No. 1, Nobles surging, plus Williston Northampton, Groton, St. Paul’s and Cushing bubble scenarios. MIAA notes include Canton’s Ed Burns win, Reading’s defensive run, Catholic Memorial over Pope, Algonquin’s perfect season, Hingham, KP, St. Mary’s, and a Framingham highlight. Overtime discusses Olympic hockey.
Topics
01:34 Tragedy at Dennis Lynch Arena: Community Shaken, Heroes Step Up
04:32 Pat’s Ski Crash: The Collarbone Break Storytime
07:59 Back to Hockey: Playoff Stretch Run and Bracket Watch
08:34 Boys Prep: Avon Old Farms Slipping, Elite 8 Pressure Mounts
10:29 Boys Prep: Belmont Hill’s Rough Patch and ISL Gauntlet
12:45 Boys Prep: Cushing’s Late-Season Surge: Can It Make the Elite 8?
16:44 Boys Prep: Kimball Union Rebounds and Lakes Region Tournament Impact
20:35 Olympics-Themed Feature: "Four Nations’"All-Star Concept for Prep Hockey
23:52 Girls Prep: New No. 1; Phillips Andover Tops Williston, Elite 8 Chaos Ahead
25:28 Girls Prep: Nobles Rolling and Francie Ames’ Ridiculous Scoring Streak
27:07 Girls Prep Bubble Talk: New Hampton’s Turnaround and Groton’s Uphill Climb
29:55 Girls Prep: St. Paul’s vs Exeter Home-and-Home Could Decide the Cut Line
31:08 Girls Prep: Cushing Back in the Mix; Big Week vs Deerfield, Rivers, Dexter
33:02 Nobles vs. Andover Projections and the Race for the No. 1 Seed
34:35 Dexter’s Path to Cracking the Top Four (and the Girls Standings Chaos)
35:45 MIAA Boys: Can Williston Still Sneak In?
36:36 Canton’s Ed Burns Statement Win and Super 8 Talk
38:33 Reading’s Shutdown Streak: Built for the Tournament
41:16 Catholic Memorial Beats Pope; CM as the Clear D-1 Favorite
42:40 MIAA Girls: Algonquin Stays Perfect with Win over NDA
44:31 Girls Contenders Heating Up: Hingham, King Philip, St. Mary’s
47:23 Power Rankings, Showcases and the Shifting Super 8 Picture
49:54 Quick Hit: Framingham’s Ed Cahoon Cup Win and Sleeper Potential
51:52 Overtime (Olympic Edition): Is Hockey the Best Olympic Sport?
57:23 Gold Medal vs. Stanley Cup and U.S.–Canada Final Hype (Wrap-up)

Adaptive hockey: Transforming lives on ice

Evan Marinofsky and Patrick Donnelly, with guests Ray LeBlanc, Jeremiah Tabor and Kip St. Germaine of Adaptive Hockey, discuss Mass Hockey's third Adaptive Hockey Day, scheduled for Feb. 22. The event will showcase six USA Hockey disciplines, including blind, deaf, sled, special standing, amputee and warrior hockey. LeBlanc details the growth of the East Coast Jumbos and the increasing involvement of prep and high school players as volunteers. St. Germaine shares his experiences in adaptive hockey, culminating in his gold medal wins. The panel also discusses the rising popularity of girls hockey, the role of private equity in rink ownership, and the various developmental paths for young players in Massachusetts.
 
Topics
00:32 Mass Hockey's Third Adaptive Hockey Day
01:38 Ray LeBlanc's Journey with Adaptive Hockey
02:11 Jeremiah Tabor's Role and Adaptive Hockey Growth
05:25 Kip St. Germaine's Inspirational Story
08:54 Adaptive Hockey Events and Initiatives
31:56 The Impact of Adaptive Hockey on Volunteers
35:54 Community Support and Local Partnerships
36:16 Inclusion of Athletes from Various States
36:53 Exciting Game Series and Event Details
37:43 Growth and Impact of Adaptive Hockey
38:45 Collaborations and Youth Clinics
39:15 Role Models and Inspirational Stories
46:30 Challenges and Opportunities in Town Hockey
50:47 Development and Future of Youth Hockey
52:50 High School Hockey and Junior Levels
01:02:21 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

Sleeper Teams in Prep & Super 8 Reactions

Evan Marinofsky and Patrick Donnelly delve into the highlights of Beanpot Monday, evaluating the performances of Boston College and Boston University on their path to the title game. They provide an in-depth analysis of several prep hockey games, including thrilling matches such as Dexter Southfield's win over St. Mark's and the dynamics of this season's top players. They also address the recent developments in the MIAA, notably the anticipated return of the Super 8 tournament and its implications for Division 1 and Division 2 teams. To wrap up, they make their Super Bowl predictions, weighing in on the big game's potential outcomes. 
Topics
00:22 Recap of Beanpot Monday
00:56 Harvard vs. BC Analysis
01:50 BU vs. Northeastern Game Insights
03:55 St. Mark's vs. Dexter Thrilling Match
05:49 Player of the Year Candidates Discussion
11:36 St. Sebastian's Comeback Season
15:03 Berkshire's Rise to Contender
16:19 Winchendon's Impressive Turnaround
18:15 Weekly JSPR Check-in
19:15 Girls Prep Hockey Highlights
31:06 Analyzing Team Stats and Plea for Submissions
31:46 Girls MIAA: Milton's Ups and Downs
34:04 Bishop Feehan and Archie's Weekly Check-In
36:00 Hingham vs Pembroke: A Prove-It Game
36:41 King Philip's Undefeated Streak Ends
37:15 Super 8 Tournament: Boys and Girls
44:01 Division 2 Teams Shine in Ed Burns Tournament
46:58 Arlington and Canton: Top Public School Teams
49:10 St. John's Prep and Arlington Catholic Updates
51:47 NHL Enforcers Trivia Challenge
56:46 Super Bowl Predictions and Final Thoughts