Coach’s Comments • Meeting the Team Virtually • Bronco Notes
• 2020-21 Bronco Hockey Schedule • 2020-21 Bronco Hockey Roster
• Alumni Playing Professionally • Active Hockey Administrators
Unlike other years, here we are in late November and we are just getting ready to start the season. On Saturday, November 28th, we will bus to Omaha, NE for 8 games against the NCHC Western Division schools (Colorado College, Denver, Omaha Nebraska, and North Dakota) and 2 games against our Eastern Division ri- val St. Cloud State. We will begin play December 1 and finish play on December 19th. Our 10- game schedule with game times is: Dec. 1 vs. St. Cloud State 8:35pm Dec. 3 vs. Omaha 8:35pm Pat Ferschweiler Dec. 6 vs. North Dakota 1:05pm Andy Murray Dec. 8 vs. Colorado College 12:35pm Dec. 9 vs. St. Cloud State 4:35pm Dec. 11 vs. Colorado College 8:35pm Dec. 13 vs. North Dakota 5:05pm Dec. 15 vs. Denver 4:35pm Dec. 18 vs. Omaha 4:35pm Dec. 19 vs. Denver 5:05pm
Our complete regular season game schedule can be found later in this newsletter. All games J.J. Crew from Omaha will be carried on NCHC.tv and the Bronco Radio Network. I hope you will find it possible to follow our progress in this unique beginning to the season. With only a few setbacks, we have been practicing since early September and the boys are more than ready to see some unfamiliar jerseys and faces lining up across from them. As we approach the December 1st puck drop in the Pod, our practices have focused on simulating the game schedule and game preparation we will face in Omaha.
With 11 freshmen on the roster we will be a young team. However, our seniors and upper class- Tim Herrmann men have done a particularly good job in bringing the team together and instilling the Bronco work ethic. As a coaching staff, we are pleased at how the pieces have come together. The younger players have quickly learned the difference between hard work and Bronco hard work. And the team is committed to our DWD mantra: Do what you are supposed to do, When you are supposed to do it, and Do it that way every time. As coaches, we like the effort and progress we have made as a team. The media pundits picked the Broncos to finish fifth in the NCHC (the complete preseason poll is listed later in the newsletter). This is not the goal we have set for ourselves. We will compete hard for the Penrose Cup. And, as in other years, an initial goal is to host the quarter finals of the NCHC Tournament, with our ultimate goal being to win the last game we play in the 2020- Justin Penna 21 season. This is what we will strive to accomplish. While these things cannot be guaranteed, I will guarantee that your Bronco team will always strive to be BETTER. If you ask any of our players, “how are you doing as a person, . . . as a player, . . . or as a student?, he will answer you with one word, BETTER. Better today than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today. Our commitment is always to be BETTER. Doing that we will always compete with a strong Bronco effort and be great ambassadors for Western Michigan University athletics.
Plan to follow us on NCHC.tv or on the Bronco Radio Network (wmubroncos.com/hockey) as Brody Carns we begin the 2020-21 season in the Pod in Omaha. In this time of COVID-19, our thoughts are with each of you and your families. Please stay safe and stay well. Join with your Broncos and mask up, socially distance, and sanitize your hands frequently. Remember the DWD mantra applies to our life with COVID! Thank you for being a true Bronco! It is always a great day to be a Bronco . . . GO BRONCOS!! Respectfully Zeljka Vidic
Andy Murray, Head Coach
Lynn Ross
Andy Murray Pat Ferschweiler J.J. Crew Brody Carns Lynn Ross Ken Dickie Head Coach Associate Head Coach Assistant Coach Dir. Of Hockey Ops. Business Manager Newsletter [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ph.: 269-387-3053 Ph.: 816-838-3980 Ph.: 714-271-2759 Ph.: 269-512-2559 O.: 269-387-3049 Ph.: 269-330-2070 Ken Dickie
MEET THE TEAM: Living in the virtual world dictated by COVID-19, approximately 60 alumni, fans, and par- ents joined a Zoom call on November 10, hosted by Assistant Coach JJ Crew, to meet our eleven freshmen and receive a preview of the 2020-21 Broncos and the season. Coach Crew introduced each of the freshmen by name and picture and then each joined the call from his “safe and secure” location (dorm room) to provide some statistics, infor- mation on his home community, and academic major. Following their general introduc- tion, Coach Crew posed personal questions related to what influenced his choice of Western; style of play; and preferences in food, leisure activities, influential people, etc. A complete list of these questions and the answers provided by each freshman were in the October newsletter. In keeping with COVID-19 protocol, it has not been possible for fans to see the players in practice so, seeing them in person on the call allowed call partici- pants to view them as more than a name and jersey number. Associate Head Coach Pat Ferschweiler provided a comprehensive review of the 2020-21 season schedule. Coach Ferschweiler described, the new divisional format of the NCHC, an East and a West Division, and the rationale for adopting divisional play. The Broncos will play in the Eastern Division with Miami, University of Minnesota-Duluth, and St. Cloud State University. He discussed the rationale behind the League’s decision to bring all eight teams to Omaha, NE to begin league play in a Pod setting starting December 1. In the Pod, each team will play 10 games in a twenty-day period. To limit travel during the year, each team will play each team in the other division twice (8 games) and will play 2 games against the opponent in their division that involves the greatest travel distance. For the Broncos, that will be St. Cloud State. The balance of the total 26 game NCHC schedule will begin January 1, 2021 with intra-divisional games held at campus sites. Each team will play the other teams in its division a total of 6 times. For Western that will be 6 games against Miami, 6 games against University of Minnesota-Duluth, and 4 games against St. Cloud. Head Coach Andy Murray provided an overview of the training program to date, a pre- view of practices leading up to the team’s departure for Omaha, and a detailed discus- sion of the COVID-19 protocols being followed to keep the players and staff safe and healthy. Coach Murray described, and expressed his gratitude to University administra- tors, for the decisions made and the protocols that have been put in place. For example: masks are mandatory when in Lawson, even on the ice; no more than four players to a dressing room; 20 minutes to dress for practice and 20 minutes to leave the rink after practice; single rooms for players in Omaha; to allow for social distancing, two travel bus- es to Omaha, rather than the usual one; and the list could go on. In preparation for play in the Pod, practices are being planned to simulate the game schedule in Omaha including the coordination of pre-game meals with game times, whether they be afternoon, early evening, or late evening. With respect to NCAA D-I hockey in general, Coach Murray also discussed the change in overtime, going immediately to a five minute 3-on-3 to settle a tie, rather than the 5-on-5 overtime used last year. In addition, Coach mentioned that the distribution of points for a win in overtime was still under discussion. Also, he briefly discussed the decision of the NCAA to grant all D-I athletes an additional year of eligibility due to COVID. Captain Paul Washe and Assistant Captain Josh Passolt joined the call to describe, from a player’s perspective, training camp, the run up to the season, and the cohesiveness of the team. After hearing their views, call participants should have no doubt that the players have come together as a tightly knit group and are definitely ready to get started in pur- suit of the Penrose Cup. The hour on Zoom was a great way to get caught up on happenings with Bronco Hockey and to get to know our freshman class. GO BRONCOS!!
Moving On: Cam Lee, D (2016-20) After completing his four year career with the Broncos, Cam signed a two year entry level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Cam is presently on loan to Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia. At the time of this writing Cam has appeared in 8 games, has scored 2 goals , added 6 assists, accrued 4 minutes in penalties, and has a plus 6 rating. CON- GRALATIONS Cam on a great start to your professional career!
The Hockey News:
Five Bronco alums have been mentioned in the The Hockey News, “2020-21 Ultimate Fantasy Pool Guide”. These five were either identified as members of an NHL teams depth chart or among the top 10 prospects in the NHL team’s system. CONGRATULATIONS to each of them and best wishes for 2020-21, Wade Allison, F (2016-20) Wade is ranked 6th among the top 10 prospects in the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization.
Danny DeKeyser, D (2010-13) Danny is ranked 2nd among defensemen on the Detroit Red Wings depth chart
Sheldon Dries, F (2013-17) Sheldon is ranked 5th among left wing forwards on the Colorado Avalanche depth chart
Jordan Oesterle, D (2011-14) Jordan is ranked 5th among defensemen on the Arizona Coyotes depth chart.
Mattias Samuelsson, D (2016-20) Mattias is ranked 5th among the top 10 prospects in the Buffalo Sabers organi- zation. Luke Witkowski, D (2009-13) Luke is ranked 8th among defensemen on the Tampa Bay Lightning depth chart.
NCHC Preseason Poll:
Local media members from each of the eight NCHC schools, as well as selected national media, sub- mitted ballots on which each team’s projected finish in the league standing was indicated. Points were awarded on a descending scale with a first-place vote worth eight points, a second-place vote worth seven points and so on. Twenty-eight ballots were submitted.
The Broncos were picked to finish in fifth place.
The Broncos earned 116 points in the poll, just 10 shy of fourth place St. Cloud State and 20 ahead of Omaha. The voters tabbed North Dakota to repeat as the Penrose Cup winners, with the Fighting Hawks receiving 27 of the 28 first place votes.
2020-21 NCHC Preseason Media Poll 1. North Dakota – 223 points (27 first-place votes) 2. Denver – 185 (1) 3. Minnesota Duluth - 173 4. St. Cloud State - 126 5. Western Michigan -116 6. Omaha - 96 7. Colorado College - 45 8. Miami – 44
Recognition: #17 Cedric Fiedler:
Western Michigan hockey freshman defenseman Cédric Fiedler has been named to Switzerland's 34-man camp ahead of the 2021 World Junior Championships. The Zug, Switzerland native has a chance to compete for a roster spot for the tournament, which runs from Dec. 25-Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.
This marks the fourth straight season an active WMU player has been invited to a World Junior Championship camp. Mattias Samuelsson attended camp and played for the United States the last two years, while Hugh McGing attended camp in 2018.
# Name Yr Pos Ht Wt Home 1 Austin Cain Sr G 6-4 189 Ottawa, ON In The Pod: 2 Kale Bennett * Sr D 6-0 200 St. Louis, MO Baxter Arena, Omaha, NE 3 Michael Joyaux Jr D 5-10 181 Bloomingdale, IL Dec. 1 vs. St. Cloud State L 4-3 Dec. 3 vs. Omaha L 10-2 4 Cam Knuble Fr F 6-0 200 Grand Rapids, MI Dec. 6 vs. North Dakota 1:05pm 6 Scooter Brickey So D 6-3 202 Lakeport, MI Dec. 8 vs. Colorado College 12:35pm Dec. 9 vs. St. Cloud State 4:35pm 7 Ronnie Attard So D 6-3 208 White Lake, MI Dec. 11 vs. Colorado College 8:35pm Dec. 13 vs. North Dakota 5:05pm 9 Luke Grainger Fr F 5-10 180 Beaconfields, PQ Dec. 15 vs. Denver 4:35pm 10 Chad Hillebrand Fr F 6-4 194 Skokie, IL Dec. 18 vs. Omaha 4:35pm Dec. 19 vs. Denver 5:05pm 11 Rhett Kingston Jr F 6-1 195 Okotoks, AB
CAMPUS SITES: 12 Cole Gallant Jr F 5-10 190 Dover, FL
JAN. 2 VS. MIAMI 7:05pm 13 Drew Worrad Jr F 6-2 186 Denfield, ON JAN. 3 VS. MIAMI 7:05pm 14 Jason Polin So F 5-10 182 Holt, MI Jan. 8 @ Miami TBA Jan. 9 @ Maimi TBA 15 Daniel Hilsendager Fr D 6-0 204 Lloydminster, SK JAN. 15 VS. ST. CLOUD STATE 7:05pm JAN. 16 VS. ST. CLOUD STATE 7:05pm 17 Cedric Fiedler Fr D 6-3 203 Zug, Switzerland Jan. 21 @ Minn-Duluth TBA 18 Brett Van Os Sr F 6-2 210 St. Albert, AB Jan. 22 @ Minn-Duluth TBA Jan. 24 @ Minn-Duluth TBA 19 Lukas Samuelsson Sr F 6-0 177 Voorhees, NJ Feb. 5 @ St. Cloud State TBA Feb. 6 @ St. Cloud State TBA 20 Jamie Rome Jr F 6-2 211 Canton, MI FEB. 11 VS. MINN-DULUTH 7:05pm 21 Josh Passolt * Sr F 6-0 195 Hayward, WI FEB. 12 VS. MINN-DULUTH 7:05pm FEB. 14 VS. MINN-DULUTH 7:05pm 22 Trevor Bishop Fr F 5-10 165 Rochester Hills, MI FEB. 26 VS. MIAMI 7:05pm Feb. 28 @ Miami. TBA 23 Paul Washe ** Sr F 6-1 201 Clarkston, MI
March 12-14 NCHC Quarter Finals 24 Aiden Fulp Fr D 6-4 216 Indianapolis, IN (campus sites) March 19 NCHC Semifinals 25 Jared Kucharek Jr D 6-4 203 Parma, MI (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paull, Minn.) 26 Ethen Frank * Sr F 5-10 175 Papillion, NE March 20 NCHC Finals (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paull, Minn.) 27 Ty Glover Fr F 6-3 200 London, ON
Home games in capitals 28 Hugh Larkin Fr F 6-2 205 Livonia, MI All times: Eastern Standard Time (EST) All games available on NCHC.tv and Bronco Radio 29 Jarred White Fr F 5-10 200 Edmonton, AB Network • TIMES/DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE 30 Brandon Bussi So G 6-4 214 Sound Beach, NY 35 Alexandros Aslanidis Fr G 6-5 220 Moorestown, NJ
Statistics as of November 26, 2020 (www.hockeydb.com) (www.eliteprospects.com).
Chase Balisy , F, 2010 - 14, Straubing Tigers, DEL, GP , G , A , TP , PIM , +/ - Mike Cichy, F, 2012– 14, GKS Tychy, Poland, GP 15, G 5 A 10, TP 15, PIM 6 +/- 0.
Colton Hargrove, F, 2012-15, Fehervar AV19, ICEHL, GP 13, G 7, A 8, TP 15, PIM 18, +/-
Jerry Kuhn, G, 2008- 11, EC Kassel Huskies, DEL2, GP 4, GAA 2.43, S% .923.
Cam Lee, D, 2016-20, HC Slovan Bratislava, Slovakia, GP 8, G 2, A 6, TP 8, PIM 4, +/- +6.
Kenney Morrison, D, 2012-15, Tolzer Lowen, DEL 2, GP 5, G 1, A 3, TP 4, PIM 10, +/- +3.
Frederik Tiffels, D, 2014-17, Kolner Hale, DEL, GP, G , A , TP , PIM , +/- . Germany, International, GP 3, G 0, A 1, TP 1, PIM 0, +/- 0.
Spiros Anastas: Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations, Brampton Beast, ECHL Ben Barr, Assoc. Head Coach, UMass Minutemen, ECAC Jeff Blashill: Head Coach, Detroit Red Wings Joe Bonnett: USA Hockey, ADM Regional Manager Brent Brekke: Head Coach, St Lawrence., ECAC Chris Brooks: Asst. Coach, Michigan Tech Univ. WCHA Danny Brooks: Scout, Washington Capitals, NHL Jeff Campbell: Head Coach, SC Langenthal in the SWISS NLB League J.J. Crew: Assistant Coach, Western Michigan University, NCHC Travis Culhane: Director of Hockey Operations, Colorado College, NCHC Mike Eastwood: Player Development, Anaheim Ducks, NHL Trevor Elias: Asst. Coach, Mount Royal College, Calgary, AB Rob Facca: Amateur Scout, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL Pat Ferschweiler: Associate Head Coach, Western Michigan University, NCHC Ross Fitzpatrick: Professional Scout, Philadelphia Flyers, NHL Glenn Healy: Executive Director/President, NHL Alumni Association Mike Leone: Assistant Coach, Hockey USA, NDTP U-18 Team. Chris MacDonald: Director of European Amateur Scouting, Arizona Coyotes, NHL Brian Renfrew: Amateur Scout, Winnipeg Jets, NHL Scott Robson: Amateur Scout, Winnipeg Jets, NHL Jim Scanlon: Head Coach, Women’s Hockey, Bemidji State University, WCHA Mike Shafer: Head Coach, Cornell, ECAC Dave Shyiak: Associate Head Coach, St Cloud State University, NCHC Derek Schooley: Head Coach, Robert Morris, AHA Frank Serratore: Head Coach, Air Force Academy, AHA Ben Warda: Head Coach of the U16AAA and the U13AAA Nashville Junior Predator Teams in the NAPHL Bill Watson: Operations Asst., Univ. of Minn. Duluth, NCHC Chris Wells: Head Coach, Women’s Hockey, St. Lawrence University, ECAC
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