What We're Thankful For: ECAC Hockey Edition

Today is "American" Thanksgiving, so it's time for us to reflect on what we are thankful for. I am thankful for my supportive family, great friends, and my health. Also, I am thankful for the people who read this blog and follow it on Twitter. While all of us don't agree on everything and some of us tend to argue, I think it's pretty cool that people care a bit about what I write.

So, just to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is what I think each ECAC team should be thankful for. Some were pretty easy, while some were difficult. Leave a comment if you think there's anything else a team should be thankful for.

Brown: This was probably the toughest one for me. The Bears don't have a standout forward yet (I assume it will be Jack Maclellan later on), and goaltender Michael Clemente has been fine. Also, Brown has this thing where they beat good teams (Cornell, Union), but lose to bad teams (RPI, AIC). So with that, I'm going to say that they Bears are thankful for... not having the league leader in penalty minutes. In 2009-10, Aaron Volpatti led the league with 115 penalty minutes, which was followed up by Harry Zolnierczyk's 128 penalty minutes last season. Right now, Brown's leader in penalty minutes is Dennis Robertson with 29, which is only seventh most in the league. But at the same time, both Volpatti and Zolnierczyk played in the NHL after they led the league in penalty minutes and captained the Bears. So, if Jack Maclellan does not start taking more penalties, he shouldn't plan on being in the NHL next season  (haha, I'm just kidding... but, seriously...).

Jake Morley

Clarkson: The Golden Knights are thankful for their seniors. Louke Oakley (6g, 8a, 14pts) and Nick Tremblay (7g, 5a, 12pts) lead the team in scoring, while Julien Cayer (7pts), Corey Tamblyn (7pts), and captain Jake Morley (6pts) have chipped in as well. Also, goaltender Paul Karpowich has had a very good start with a 1.73 GAA (2nd in ECAC) and .943 save percentage (1st in ECAC).

Colgate: This was pretty easy... The Raiders are thankful Austin Smith, who at this moment is the top player in the league. He leads the league with 21 points and 15 goals in just 13 games. He also leads the nation with 4 short-handed goals. It seems that Smith has had his hand in every big goal for the Raiders this season.

Cornell: The Big Red are thankful for their freshman class. You never know how big of an impact your freshmen will give you, so it must be nice for Cornell fans to see so many young guys making a big difference so far. Brian Ferlin has been a force up front with 11 points (5g, 6a) in just eight games, while Joakim Ryan has brought a nice scoring punch from the blueline with four goals and three assists. Ferlin and Ryan are second and fourth on the team in goals, respectively. Also, Joel Lowry (2g, 4a, 6pts) and John McCarron (0g, 5a, 5pts) have done a nice job. Imagine if Phillipe Hudon stuck around?

Dartmouth: The Big Green are thankful for so many home games to start the season. Of their first 13 games of the season, 10 of them will be at home. This is due to Thompson Arena hosting the Ivy Shootout (October 28 - 29) and the Ledyard Bank Tournament (December 30 - 31). While Dartmouth is only 4-4 so far, it must be really nice for them to get the kinks out at home.

Alex Killorn

Harvard: The Crimson are thankful for assistant captain Alex Killorn. The senior forward currently leads the team with five goals and nine points, as well as being tied for the team lead in assists with four. No other Harvard skater has more than two goals. Killorn also leads the team with three power-play goals. His goal scoring and leadership abilities were shown Tuesday night when tallied two goals and an assist in the second period to spark Harvard to a 7-6 comeback victory against UNH.

Princeton: The Tigers are thankful for their two defensive captains, junior Michael Sdao and senior Derrick Pallis. Things haven't started to great for the Tigers (2-6-1), but these two leaders have done their best to push their team in the right direction. Both of the blueliners are tied with Rob Kleebaum with the team lead in points with five. Sdao is tied for the team lead in goals (4) and power-play goals (2), while Pallis leads the team with five assists.

Quinnipiac: The Bobcats are thankful for Jeremy Langlois. While the junior forward has cooled off of late, he has had a great start to the season. In the beginning of the year, he looked like the early favorite for League MVP. Currently, Langlois is second in the league with 10 goals and 16 points (behind Austin Smith), and is tied for tops in the nation in power-play goals with six. Even though the Bobcats offense is at a standstill right now (along with the Jones twins, who the Bobcats are also thankful for), they should be up and running soon with the help of Langlois.

RPI: There really isn't much to be thankful for in Troy right now, but the Engineers have to be thankful for goaltender Bryce Merriam. Allen York decided to forgo his senior season and sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Merriam to take the starting role. While Merriam has not been York, he's been pretty close. To date, he has posted a 2.24 GAAGAA and .924 save percentage, so Merriam has obviously been a satisfactory replacement. Also, the Engineers offense should be thankful that their fans still show up to watch them play. They've only scored 11 goals in 12 overall games, and three goals in five ECAC games.

Kyle Flanagan

St. Lawrence: The Saints are thankful for Kyle Flanagan. The hometown boy (he's from Canton, NY) leads SLU with six goals (three power-play goals), seven assists, and 13 points. No other Saint has more than three goals or has a double-digit point total. The Saints must also be thankful for the job done by Mike Hurlbut and Greg Carvel, who have taken over the coaching responsibilities while Joe Marsh has been out on indefinite medical leave. I'm sure this was tough for the Saints, who started the season 0-5, but the players and the coaching staff have turned it around, winning four of their past five games.

Union: The Dutchmen are thankful for goaltender Troy Grosenick. With the departure of Keith Kinkaid to the New Jersey Devils, many questioned who could replace the First Team All-American. But, Grosenick has been up to the task, leading all ECAC goaltenders with a 1.62 GAA, and is second with a  .935 save percentage.

Yale: The Bulldogs are thankful for contributions from the entire team. As of now, no one player has stolen the show for Yale. Of the 18 players who have played in at least seven of the team's eight games, 14 of them have scored a goal and all 18 have registered a point. No Bulldog skater has more than three goals or a double-digit point total. Also, starting goalie Jeff Malcolm has done a good job replacing Ryan Rondeau with a 2.09 GAA and .932 save percentage.