All eyes of the hockey world will be on Ball Arena in Denver tonight as the Stanley Cup Final begins. Can Tampa Bay make it three straight cups or will Nathan Mackinnon and Cale Makar solidify their stardom with a championship and possibly a Conn Smythe? Makar is the most obvious New England connection as...
All eyes of the hockey world will be on Ball Arena in Denver tonight as the Stanley Cup Final begins.
Can Tampa Bay make it three straight cups or will Nathan Mackinnon and Cale Makar solidify their stardom with a championship and possibly a Conn Smythe?
Makar is the most obvious New England connection as the two-way defenseman called UMass home for two years. His arrival in Amherst helped the Minutemen rise to prominence, which eventually led to a national championship in 2021 after Makar had turned pro. The 23-year-old from Calgary won the 2019 Hobey Baker Award before signing pro.
Now making $9 million a year, he has five goals and 17 assists in 14 postseason games this spring. His elite performance on the big stage led Wayne Gretzky to compare him to Bobby Orr.
If the Avalanche are to win the Stanley Cup, joining Makar in hoisting sports’ greatest trophy would be three others who played college hockey in New England. Fellow blue liners Devon Toews and Josh Manson skated at Quinnipiac and Northeastern, respectively, while forward Alex Newhook played two seasons at Boston College.
On the other bench, two former prep stars are now unheralded forwards for the Lightning. Deerfield’s Alex Killorn and Taft’s Ross Colton are hoping to win a third and second Stanley Cup, respectively.
Behind the scenes, amateur scout Brian Putnam of Reading, Mass., is looking for his third ring in as many seasons. Putnam, 49, played four seasons at the University of New Hampshire from 1993 to 1997.
While his playing career didn’t lead to a bevy of highlights, he’s carved out a name for himself as a diligent and well-respected amateur scout with Tampa Bay.
Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been side-by-side with bench boss Jon Cooper the past four seasons. A former assistant coach in Division 1 at Ferris State and Denver, he cut his teeth behind the bench in New England at North Adams State College and Lebanon Valley College. He spent five seasons at those two Division 3 schools from 1995 to 2000. Lalonde was college teammates at SUNY-Cortland with Providence head coach Nate Leaman and former Northwood head coach Chadd Cassidy, currently the bench boss in Cape Breton of the QMJHL. Not a bad coaching tree from a Division 3 school in New York.
Lalonde’s name has been attached to rumors regarding the Detroit Red Wings’ open head coaching position. He has earned the opportunity to be the leader of an NHL team.
