Hi, My Name is ... appears weekly on NHL FanHouse. We will spotlight future NHL prospects currently making a name for themselves in college hockey. Where applicable, the players' draft rights will be listed. Check back each Tuesday at 8AM ET (except this week, where you had to look for it much later due to technical difficulties. Hit me up in the comments section if you have a nomination, or if you want to accuse me of having an Eastern bias.When the new Collective Bargaining Agreement took effect in the NHL, it became common practice for star college players - especially those drafted high by NHL teams - to leave school early.
It's gotten to the point where it's almost a surprise to see kids like T.J. Oshie stay in college (North Dakota) for three years before turning pro.
Another surprise came during the summer in the form of Colin Wilson (NHL rights: Nashville). He was projected to be a high pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft after putting up impressive numbers (35 points in 37 games) in his freshman season at Boston University. Wilson ended up going seventh overall to the Predators, making him the first college player selected in the draft.
Everyone assumed he would go pro.
Nope.
Instead, Wilson is back in school. There were reports that the Predators couldn't guarantee him a spot on the NHL roster, so he decided to stay in college. Good for Boston University and legendary coach Jack Parker. Bad for Hockey East and possibly the rest of Division I.
Saturday, it was bad for Michigan.
Wilson was hardly the only contributor to the Wolverines' misery at Agganis Arena, but he was fully decked out in his "playmaker" hat. The highly-touted prospect set up three goals in BU's 7-2 romp over Michigan. Parker, who has tutored his share of NHL stars over the years, said Wilson "looked like an NHLer out there".
As I said, this can't be good news for Hockey East. Defending national champion Boston College is still impressive, but there's no reason to think the Terriers won't give BC a serious run for the national crown this year. For Parker and the BU program, it would be a breath of fresh air. While they've had virtually no problem making the NCAA Tournament, it's been over a decade since the Terriers have made the Frozen Four.
As for Wilson, here's a snippet from his Hockey's Future profile:
Wilson is an instinctive player blessed with a wonderful combination of size, power and elite-level skill. However, his greatest attribute is his tremendous hockey sense. Wilson thinks and understands the game remarkably well for such a young player. What sets him apart from other collegiate freshmen is how he is able to utilize his hockey sense to better the team around him regardless of which zone he is playing in. His great on-ice vision and awareness allows him to anticipate and make very good reads on developing plays.He's coming to an NHL rink near you, especially if you live in a Central Division city.
Other players to watch
Northeastern goaltender Brad Thiessen (undrafted) stopped 54 of 55 shots in the Huskies' weekend sweep at Maine. NU hasn't had a winning season since 2001-2002 and hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 1994, but they're off to a 5-0-1 start. Thiessen's numbers (1.32 goals against, .957 saves) are a big reason for the hot start.
Ohio State freshman defenseman Matt Bartkowski (Florida) had a three-point weekend during the Buckeyes' weekend split at Denver. Bartkowski assisted on two goals during tOSU's 4-3 comeback win Saturday.
Before the "Crease Creatures" could even settle in, Minnesota forward Ryan Stoa (Colorado) had the Gophers out in front Saturday. Stoa scored six seconds into the first period - one second off the WCHA record - and added another later in the first as the Gophers cruised past winless Wisconsin 5-2.
Junior forward Kevin Clark (undrafted) of Alaska-Anchorage celebrated being named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for October 17-18 in style. He scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Seawolves won their second WCHA conference opener in 16 years by beating Minnesota-Duluth 4-3 Friday. UMD sophomore forward Justin Fontaine (undrafted) scored three of the Bulldogs' four goals in the weekend series.
