Ex-Union star Welsh reassigned to Utica

by Ryan Fay

Former Union forward Jeremy Welsh will begin the new year back in the minors.

Welsh in action earlier this season

The Vancouver Canucks reassigned Welsh to the American Hockey League's Utica Comets, it was announced Tuesday.

His lone point in 19 games with the Canucks this season was a goal in a 6-2 win over Columbus on November 22. The goal was his first at the NHL level and the first by a former Union player at that level.

Often seeing limited minutes on the fourth line, Welsh struggled to cement his spot in the Canucks lineup. He was a healthy scratch in 13 of the team's last 16 contests.

The 25-year-old appeared in two games with Utica before being recalled on October 20. He didn't record a point.

Vancouver acquired Welsh in a September trade with Carolina, the team he signed with in the hours following Union's Frozen Four semifinals loss to Ferris State on April 5, 2012.

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Welsh scores first NHL goal (w/ videos)

by Ryan Fay

Friday night was one to remember for former Union center Jeremy Welsh.

Welsh after Friday's win

He scored his first goal in the National Hockey League and in the process became the first former Union player to record a goal at that level.

Welsh, who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks, accomplished the feat with 29 seconds left in the third period of Vancouver's 6-2 win over Columbus. He tipped a Ryan Stanton shot past Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

"It feels good," Welsh said on Canucks TV. "It's been a while coming, so it's a milestone in anyone's career. It feels good. I'm glad it's over with."

Entering Friday's contest, Welsh had one assist in 20 career NHL games with Vancouver and Carolina. The helper came in Carolina's 4-2 loss to Montreal on March 7. Vancouver acquired Welsh in a September trade with Carolina.

Welsh surrendered his senior season at Union when he signed with Carolina in the hours after Union's Frozen Four semifinal loss to Ferris State on April 5, 2012.

The Ontario native finished his Union career with 100 points (53 g, 47 a) in 119 games.

VIDEO: Welsh's first NHL goal



VIDEO: Welsh speaks after the game



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Welsh assigned to Utica

by Ryan Fay

Ex-Union center Jeremy Welsh was assigned to the American Hockey League's Utica Comets on Monday.

Welsh was acquired by Utica's parent club, the Vancouver Canucks, in a weekend trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Comets visit the Albany Devils on October 12. The 5:05 pm contest could potentially see Welsh squaring off against Keith Kinkaid and Kelly Zajac of the Devils.

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Welsh traded to Canucks

by Ryan Fay

Former Union center Jeremy Welsh is on the move.

The Carolina Hurricanes traded Welsh and Zac Dalpe to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Vancouver received Kellan Tochkin and a fourth round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Welsh spent most of last season with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, picking up 14 goals and 12 assists in 69 games. He collected an assist in a handful of games with Carolina.

Welsh had one goal in four preseason games with Carolina this season. 

The 25-year-old scored 100 points (53 goals, 47 assists) in 119 games with Union from 2009-2012. He surrendered his senior season when he signed with the Hurricanes in the hours following Union's Frozen Four semifinals loss to Ferris State on April 5, 2012.

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Welsh scores in Carolina loss

by Ryan Fay

Former Union center Jeremy Welsh scored a goal but it wasn't enough as the Carolina Hurricanes lost their preseason opener, 5-4, to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

Welsh's tally came just under three minutes into the second period and tied the score at 2-2.

Welsh saw 13:01 of ice time and fired three shots in the losing effort. He won 29% of his faceoffs.

You can see Welsh's goal below.



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Welsh named 7th best Hurricanes prospect

by Ryan Fay

Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus/ESPN has named former Union forward Jeremy Welsh as the seventh-best prospect in the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

Welsh starred at Union from 2009-2012, recording 100 points (53 goals, 47 assists) in 119 games played. He gave up his senior year of eligibility when he signed with the Hurricanes after the 2011-2012 season.

Here's Pronman's report on Welsh (used with author's permission) -

7. Jeremy Welsh, Center
2011-12 Ranking: 3rd
Date of birth: 05/30/1988
Age: 25
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 208
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 69 GP, 14 G, 26 P (Charlotte, AHL)
Acquired: College free agent

Year in Review: Welsh struggled to start the season, but he picked up his game as he went along. Still, his first pro season was only average.

The Good: Welsh has solid two-way instincts, and he shows innate hockey sense that could translate to the top level. His skating, while decent overall, is good for a bigger player. He is big and strong, and he protects the puck well. Welsh kills penalties effectively, and if his offense does not come around, he could have some defensive value. He can play center or wing.

The Bad: Welsh struggled with the faster pace of the pro level, and overall, his season was underwhelming. He has the tools to play at both ends, but as an older player, he simply needs to display more output.

Projection: He could be a bottom-six forward.

UPDATED: Jooris forgoes senior year, signs with Calgary

by Ryan Fay

The Dutchmen suffered a major loss on Tuesday.

Star forward Josh Jooris gave up his senior year of eligibility to sign with the Calgary Flames, just weeks after impressing in their development camp.

Jooris inked a two-year, two-way entry-level deal that is worth $832,500 per year in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL, with a signing bonus of $92,500 each season. The average annual value is $925,000.

"Josh is a right shot center with size and skill,” Flames general manager Jay Feaster said in a release. “During our recent development camp he played an aggressive, up-tempo style and displayed good grit and a high compete level. Our staff felt strongly that we should attempt to get him signed, and we are pleased to welcome him to the organization."

The decision to leave Union a year early wasn't an easy one for Jooris, who is expected to compete in Flames main camp later this year.

Jooris (Union)

"My time at Union has truly been the best of my life,” Jooris said in a release. “The people involved with my three years at school is what made this decision extremely difficult. I fully intend on completing my degree in the near future. Union has always upheld the importance of being a student first and an athlete second, and I truly value my education."

Union head coach Rick Bennett said Jooris called him on Monday night to break the news. The deal had already been done.

"He's living his dream now," Bennett said when reached by phone on Tuesday. "You wish him all the best. He was a great guy for us, a great person, and we always appreciated his time with us."

Jooris, 23, made the most of that time. He piled up 88 points (29 goals, 59 assists) in 117 games over three seasons with the Dutchmen, and finished fourth on the team this past year with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists). He was Union’s active career leader in playoff scoring with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists), including a pair of goals in Union's 5-1 win over Boston College in the NCAA East Regional semifinal on March 30.

Losing a key offensive player so late in the summer wasn't the best timing for the program, which had already lost its top two scorers, Wayne Simpson and Kyle Bodie, to graduation.

"The timing absolutely stinks," Bennett said. "I wish I could sugarcoat it, but it stinks. It's awful tough to replace a player at this time, never mind one of your best players."

Jooris is the fourth Union player to leave early to go pro in the past three years, but the other three signed contracts within weeks of the season ending. Goaltender Keith Kinkaid signed with New Jersey following the 2010-2011 season, forward Jeremy Welsh signed with Carolina after the 2011-2012 season, and netminder Troy Grosenick agreed to terms with San Jose in April.

Kinkaid and Welsh have already had cups of coffee in the NHL. Bennett thinks Jooris could see that level as well.

"My thoughts are that he's probably going to be in the American Hockey League this year and he may get a call-up to the National Hockey League," Bennett said. "I hope he does, I really do. It would be great for him and his family."

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Catching Up With Adam Presizniuk

by Ryan Fay

Former Union men's hockey star Adam Presizniuk still remembers getting recruited to play for the Dutchmen like it was yesterday.

"Union recruited me while I was playing in the BCHL for the Powell River Kings," Presizniuk recalls. "I remember former Union assistant Bill Riga watched me play a few times. After he told me that they were interested, I received a call from former head coach Nate Leaman, who wanted me to fly down to visit. At the time of my fly down, I already knew one of the players who I had played with the year before in Powell River, Mike Wakita. I knew I was going to get straight answers from him whenever I had any questions.

"I knew after visiting that I wanted to go to Union. I really liked the trimester system as well as the campus. As far as the hockey, I felt like I had a good opportunity to play if I played well. I liked the coaching staff and the players that I had met on the team. It just felt right, and after my four years there, I know it was the right decision."

The Alberta native, who was also recruited by Quinnipiac, Providence, and RPI, was rewarded for picking Union as the program was on an upswing during his four years in Schenectady. The Dutchmen won 14 games the year before Presizniuk came but won 26 during his senior season, a year that also included the school's first Cleary Cup.

"To win the Cleary Cup on senior night in front of our family, friends, students, and fans was an amazing feeling," Presizniuk said.

But there were other memories, like the 2010 quarterfinals series win over Quinnipiac.

"We beat them in three games after losing the first one in 5 OT," Presizniuk remembers. "It was our first time advancing to the ECAC championship weekend and I will always remember celebrating that series win down by the student section. They were going nuts."

Presizniuk had a great run for Union, ending his four-year career as the program's Division I era points leader with 131 while being named Team MVP three times and alternate captain on two occasions.

"It’s an honor to be the Division I era leading scorer for the Dutchmen," says Presizniuk. "I was lucky to play with such great players as Mario Valery-Trabucco, Jason Walters, Jeremy Welsh and Kelly Zajac. With the program making strides the way it is, I'm sure it won't be long before someone moves ahead of me on the points list."

After a decorated Union career, Presizniuk moved up to the pro ranks. He spent the summer following his graduation (2011) in rookie camp with the Boston Bruins and then with their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Presizniuk (Trenton/ECHL)

"My agent set up everything with the Boston Bruins organization from the Boston rookie camp to the Providence main camp," said Presizniuk. "The Bruins rookie camp was pretty cool since I got to play with some high draft picks and hang out with some of the current Boston Bruins. The Providence camp went well and I felt that I was playing better each day. Unfortunately, I didn't stick with the team but I think that I learned a lot from those experiences in Boston and Providence."

The forward wasn't out of work for long as he quickly signed a contract with Trenton of the ECHL, a league generally seen as one step below the AHL.

"After I got let go from Providence, the head coach there said he knew that Trenton needed a few players," Presizniuk said. "The assistant coach with Providence was the head coach of Trenton the year before so he still had some contacts with the coaching staff there. I thought it was a good spot because it was close to quite a few AHL clubs so it might be easier to get a call up."

That gamble proved to be a good one. After scoring 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in his first 15 games with Trenton, Presizniuk was back in the AHL with Providence via a loan.

"It was a good experience to play with Providence, especially since we played two road games in Hershey and Norfolk. They were fun arenas to play in," he recalled. "I thought I was playing well as did the coaching staff. I guess the toughest part is that when I got called up, I only played a few minutes a game on the fourth line, which makes it tough to show what you can do."

Those two road games were the extent of Presizniuk's stint in Providence as he was cut loose and spent the rest of the season back in Trenton, finishing seventh on the team in goals with 13 and third in assists with 27. That kind of play prompted Trenton to re-sign the Union product for the 2012-2013 season, but he was released before playing another game for them.

"Trenton received eight to ten forwards from the AHL affiliates after the NHL lockout continued on through training camp," said Presizniuk. "That forced their coaching staff to release some players. It was a numbers thing and they told me they wanted me to stay but couldn't release any of the AHL players. It was unfortunate because I knew once the lockout ended that they would be strapped for players -- and they were."

A few other ECHL teams subsequently expressed interest, but the now 26-year-old said the circumstances weren't right.

"I knew that all of the ECHL teams would have so many players [from the lockout] that it just didn't seem worth it to go somewhere else and sit in the stands," he said.

Instead, Presizniuk decided to move on from professional hockey.

"I am living back in Calgary and getting into the oil and gas industry, which is big in Alberta," he said. "I will also be playing on a summer hockey recreational team with former Union teammate Andrew Buote, who is also living here in Calgary."

As for the differences between college hockey and pro hockey, Presizniuk said there were a few.

"The ECHL was more of a different style of game," he said. "College is played at a higher tempo so you have to make decisions a little faster. The ECHL is a more controlled game where you don’t run around too much. There is a jump of skill from the ECAC to the AHL. Everyone has skill and can skate. It doesn't matter if you’re on the first line or fourth line."

Karmanos: Welsh's improvement "very dramatic"

by Ryan Fay

For the Carolina Hurricanes, the courtship of ex-Union hockey star Jeremy Welsh began long before the Ontario native signed with the organization last April.

"We started tracking his progress at Union a couple of years back, but we didn't concentrate on it until the middle part of last season when we came in regularly to watch him live," said Carolina executive vice president and assistant general manager Jason Karmanos, whose responsibilities include player evaluations, contract negotiations and player movements.

The Hurricanes thought enough of Welsh to offer him a contract after he finished second in the ECAC with 27 goals during his junior season a year ago.

"We felt as a staff that he's a very smart player," Karmanos said. "He has good size and we heard very good things about his character and work ethic. He was producing at a pretty good clip on the ice and when you combine that with smart play and good hockey sense you feel pretty good that you're looking at a prospect for the NHL."

One difficult part of the negotiations was convincing Welsh, now 25, to bypass his senior season of college hockey.

"It was a very tough decision for him because he very much enjoyed playing and going to school at Union," Karmanos said. "It's always tough for players to make that choice to leave early. But when you had the type of success Welsh did, you're looking for a bigger challenge going forward when you made it your goal to become a hockey player."

Welsh was signed to a one-year entry-level contract last spring and was re-upped for two more years in September. The latter deal pays Welsh as much as $700,000 this year and $1 million next season.

Welsh (Hurricanes)

He debuted in the NHL two days after Union lost to Ferris State, 3-1, in last year's Frozen Four semifinal game. In the time since, Welsh has spent the vast majority of his time with Charlotte, Carolina's top minor league affiliate, and has racked up 11 goals and 10 assists in 52 games.

"It has been a bit of an adjustment as it is with all kids," Karmanos said of Welsh's transition to the pro game. "It's a big jump from college hockey to pro hockey no matter what your age is because you're playing against grown men who have experience playing against other grown men at the pro level."

But Karmanos, who played college hockey at Harvard, said the organization is pleased with the way Welsh has come along.

"We feel his progress has been tremendous," Karmanos said. "He had an adjustment to the pace of the pro game as well as the schedule compared to college, where you play just a couple of games on the weekend. The pro game is much more demanding in terms of the number of games you play. The exciting part for us is that his improvement over the course of the season in terms of consistency has been very dramatic."

That could be one reason why Welsh has received three recalls to the parent club this season, the most recent being a one-day stint last Thursday in which Welsh collected his first NHL point, an assist. He was sent back down the next day when Carolina activated Tim Brent off injured reserve.

"If he was up full-time with the Hurricanes, his play at this point (based on who we have ahead of him) would be limited to fourth-line type minutes," Karmanos said. "We feel it's important for him to play a lot for his long-term development. That currently takes him to Charlotte."

It's the fourth line where Welsh has received the bulk of his NHL action, but Karmanos believes the Union product has the skill to eventually move beyond being a fourth-liner at the NHL level.

"We hope so, but that's certainly easier said than done," Karmanos said. "It's the best league in the world. We think he has the possibility to do that and we would love for him to do that. But it's going to be up to him to put in the work and continue to improve. The first step for him is to get to the point where he's a regular NHL player and contributing at the NHL level on a daily basis. He has a little bit to go there and that's not unexpected to a certain degree."

In order to get there, Karmanos said Welsh's next steps are "to increase his offensive production, to get stronger, and if at all possible to continue to get faster."

Welsh is likely to be in Charlotte's lineup when the Checkers host San Antonio tomorrow night at 7 pm.

Welsh tallies first NHL point (with video)

by Ryan Fay

Former Union standout Jeremy Welsh notched his first NHL point during Carolina's 4-2 loss to Montreal on Thursday.

Welsh, who received his third recall of the season earlier in the day, was credited with an assist on Drayson Bowman's goal at 10:29 of the second period. The assist was the first NHL point tallied by a former Division I era Union player.

The contest was Welsh's fifth NHL game of the year and sixth overall. He appeared in one game last April after giving up his senior year of eligibility to sign with Carolina.

The Bayfield, Ontario native has spent most of the season playing for Charlotte, Carolina's top minor league affiliate. Welsh tallied 11 goals and 10 assists in 51 contests.

He concluded his three-year Union career with 100 points, including a team-leading 27 goals last season.

VIDEO: Welsh assists Bowman

Reviewing the men's hockey class of 2013

by Ryan Fay

Tonight's game versus Clarkson marks the final regular season home game for five Union players. Kyle Bodie, Greg Coburn, Ryan Forgaard, Wayne Simpson, and Shawn Stuart are set to graduate this spring.

The seniors have propelled Union to 89 victories in the past four seasons and would become the winningest class with three more wins. Additionally, the seniors have contributed to two Cleary Cups (2011, 2012), a Whitelaw Cup (2012), and a Frozen Four appearance (2012).

Below are former head coach Nate Leaman's assessments of the seniors from when the recruiting class was announced by Union in May 2009. I've included some short career summaries to see how those assessments have panned out. There's also looks at three additional members of the class who left the program early.


F KYLE BODIE

LEAMAN: "Kyle has very good vision with a great stick. In junior hockey he was a very good power-play player at the top of the point. We graduated two guys, leaving holes that we needed to fill. We look for him to step in and have an impact on the team."

It may have taken two seasons, but Bodie has undoubtedly had an impact on the team. After a combined 22 points in his freshman and sophomore years, Bodie has 60 points in his junior and senior seasons. He is currently tied with Simpson for the team lead in points with 30.

D GREG COBURN

LEAMAN: "Greg led his team in scoring as a defenseman. He is another mobile defenseman with great stick skills and has an offensive upside."

Coburn has saved his best for last as the senior is enjoying his best offensive season to date. His eight goals, 15 assists, and 23 points are all career highs. He has been the Dutchmen's best offensive defenseman this year and has dressed in 146 career games. Of the five seniors, only Simpson has played more games (152).

D RYAN FORGAARD

LEAMAN: "Ryan has a great skill set with good mobility. He competed in probably the best league last year and he has great pedigree coming from the USHL."

Forgaard hasn't provided much impact on the stat sheet (0 goals, 9 assists in four years) but has served as solid depth on the blueline for a defensive unit that has ranked in the top 15 nationally in each of the past four years. The Minnesota native has over 100 games in a Union sweater to his credit.

F WAYNE SIMPSON 

LEAMAN: "Wayne is another forward we think can make an impact. He led prep school in scoring and he plays more of a power game. He has a good stick, good vision and has all the attributes to be a very good player."

Simpson has turned into at least a "very good" player. Earlier this year, he became the ninth player to join Union's Division I era 100 points club and has three 30+ point seasons under his belt.

D SHAWN STUART

LEAMAN: "Shawn has a very good stick with good size on the blue line. He has mobility and we look for him to play for us."

Stuart has certainly played for Union. Until injuries derailed the second part of his senior season, Stuart played in 100 straight games. While never a guy you'd notice looking at a statsheet (25 points in 140 career games) Stuart has nevertheless been a rock on defense for Union. He earned the program's Scott Richardson "unsung hero" award last season.

OTHERS

There are three members of the 2009 recruiting class who won't be partaking in senior night tonight.

JEREMY WELSH left the program after pacing the team in goals (27) and points (44) last year. Welsh decided to forgo in his senior year to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes organization and has spent time in the AHL and NHL since. The Bayfield, Ontario native ended his Union career with exactly 100 points, ninth most in the program's Division I era.

"We don't have a player like Jeremy," Leaman said in 2009. "He has good size and we don't know if he is going to play center or on the wing - he does both exceptionally well. We are going to be a real impact player with how versatile he is on offense and defense."

With a 1.99 goals against average, KEITH KINKAID backstopped the Dutchmen to their first Cleary Cup in his sophomore campaign.

"Keith has won almost every award in junior hockey," Leaman said in 2009. "He's really developing nicely. He has good size and good athletic ability."

The goalie developed nicely enough that the Devils wooed him to go pro after two years in Schenectady. In the time since, Kinkaid has performed solidly in extensive action at the AHL level for Albany.

JEAN SEBASTIAN BERGERON is the least known name of the bunch. The defenseman left Union after two seasons.

"Jean Sebastian is a mobile defenseman," Leaman said in 2009. "I like his competitive level; he competes very well."

But he never competed for Union. Bergeron saw no game action in his two seasons. He would go on to play 11 games of Canadian college hockey in 2011-2012 for Concordia.

Welsh returns to NHL action

by Ryan Fay

Former Union standout Jeremy Welsh will reportedly play in his second NHL game tonight.

Welsh (Union Athletics)

According to Carolina Hurricanes beat writer Chip Alexander, Welsh will be on the fourth line tonight when the Hurricanes play the Tampa Bay Lightning. Another former ECAC player, Kevin Westgarth (Princeton), will also be on Welsh's line.

Welsh, who lead Union with 27 goals last season, was spending the lockout plagued year with Carolina's AHL affiliate in Charlotte. He had six goals and seven assists in 37 games.

Hours after Union's loss to Ferris State in the 2012 Frozen Four, Welsh gave up his final year of eligibility and signed with the Hurricanes.

Two days later, on April 7th, he made his NHL debut against Florida. He didn't factor in the scoring that night.