best college programs for developing prospects?

[AmericanDream]

I think Michigan falls into the camp of guys who just flatline. Year in and year out, they get top-level recruits and so few of them actually meet expectations in the NHL. In the last 25 years, only a handful of players drafted out of UM have 500 games (Chris Tamer, Aaron Ward, Mike Comrie, Mike Cammalleri, and Mike Komisarek). Cammalleri and Comrie are the only ones to hit 100 NHL goals and the only ones to hit 200 points.

First-round picks were Ward, Jason Botterill, Mike Van Ryn, Jeff Jillson, Komisarek, Eric Nystrom, Jeff Tambellini, Al Montoya, and Mark Mitera.

This is just players who were drafted out of UM. Players who were drafted out of high school or the USHL and then went to UM have a similarly dismal track record.

Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba say Hello

but I agree that overall, players coming out of Michigan (Hensick, Porter, Hunwick, Kolarik, Jillson, etc) have all under performed or never made it.

 

[Crede777]

I would look at some lesser known programs who have turned out solid NHLers like Umass Amherst (Jonathan Quick, Justin Braun, Matt Irwin) or Dartmouth (Lee Stempniak, TJ Galiardi, Ben Lovejoy, Tanner Glass). These schools take lesser known talents and develop them into much better NHL prospects that they were when they arrived on campus.

Miami University (Ohio) has a fairly respected ice hockey program. Current NHL'ers include Dan Boyle, Alec Martinez, Andy Greene, and Tommy Wingels among others.

Also, Bowling Green University has given us a number of current NHL head coaches.

 

[GinoLucia2217]

Penn State....

No but I think how you need to look at it may be who turns players from late round picks or undrafted into NHL'ers guys like Erik Haula and Tyler Bozak.

Minnesota is really good at developing skaters. Goalies not so much. Wisconsin produces good players as well as UMD and UND. Denver puts out their fair share of players as well

 

[silkyjohnson50]

I think Michigan falls into the camp of guys who just flatline. Year in and year out, they get top-level recruits and so few of them actually meet expectations in the NHL. In the last 25 years, only a handful of players drafted out of UM have 500 games (Chris Tamer, Aaron Ward, Mike Comrie, Mike Cammalleri, and Mike Komisarek). Cammalleri and Comrie are the only ones to hit 100 NHL goals and the only ones to hit 200 points.

First-round picks were Ward, Jason Botterill, Mike Van Ryn, Jeff Jillson, Komisarek, Eric Nystrom, Jeff Tambellini, Al Montoya, and Mark Mitera.

This is just players who were drafted out of UM. Players who were drafted out of high school or the USHL and then went to UM have a similarly dismal track record.

Marty Turco
John Madden
Brendan Morrison
Mike Knuble
Max Pacioretty
Carl Hagelin
Andrew Cogliano
Jack Johnson
Jacob Trouba
Mike Brown

Are a few guys that have made, are in the midst of, or in the case of Trouba (and you could probably throw Jon Merrill in there too), likely on their way to solid NHL careers that you failed to mention.

 

[seafoam]

How goos is notre dame at developing pros?

2 sabres prospects are going there and I'd love to see them pan out. (Petersen and Hurley)

Anders Lee went there and has developed quite nicely for the Isles.

 

[Derp Kassian]

Wisconsin as of now

 

[Coppy]

I can't speak to the CCHA schools, but I know that most of the Hockey East schools really just seem to take players who are already good and let them get bigger, faster and stronger. The on-ice systems don't resemble anything similar to the pro game, so they all leave a step or two behind in that regard. Guys like Atkinson, Bonino, Hayes (Jimmy and Kevin) and Gaudreau would end up in the NHL regardless of their choice in schools. Then again maybe they choose BC/BU because they feel that it was the best option to develop them into NHL players.
.

I get what you're saying, but those examples are pretty off. Atkinson & Bonino were 6th round picks, Gaudreau was 4th rounder. They were certainly not slam dunk NHLers. I'd actually argue that those names, along with others like Gibbons, Gerbe, Strait, Gryba are great examples of BU/BC turning mid-range prospects into quality NHLers.

Better examples of can't miss guys would be guys like Krieder, Shattenkirk, & Coyle.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I think that there is no question that BC, BU, Minn, Mich, UND and Wisco tend to get the best raw materials each year to work with, but if you look at the list of former college players you notice that they really do come from all over the place (even some of the Atlantic Hockey schools). I agree with other posters that Wisco's recent run is really impressive.

 

[Xvash2]

Team Wisconsin Badgers:
Bourque-Pavelski-Heatley
Street-Stepan-Burish
Mitchell-Turris-Smith
Winchester-Dowell-Skille

McDonagh-Suter
Smith-Gardiner
Gilbert-Schultz
McBain

Elliott

Current NHL/AHL players that were Badgers.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Team Wisconsin Badgers:
Bourque-Pavelski-Heatley
Street-Stepan-Burish
Mitchell-Turris-Smith
Winchester-Dowell-Skille

McDonagh-Suter
Smith-Gardiner
Gilbert-Schultz
McBain

Elliott

Current NHL/AHL players that were Badgers.

McCabe>McBain

 

[Bps21*]

Everyone > McBain

 

[ZeroPT*]

Ville leino>McBain

Not really

 

[Stories]

As a BU alum, we've gone through some up and downs the past decade. The 2009 NCAA Championship BU team had the most NHL talent on it. The best of that bunch has been Kevin Shattenkirk. From that team:

-Shattenkirk
-Colin Wilson (up and down in NSH)
-Colby Cohen (cup of coffee with Colorado, nowhere near since)
-Nick Bonino (great 2nd liner for ANH, traded recently to Vancouver)
-Eric Gryba (serviceable 3rd pair D for OTT)
-Matt Gilroy (7th defenseman for various teams)
-Brandon Yip (13th forward for various teams)
-Brian Strait (3rd pairing d-man for NYI)

But aside from that, there wasn't a lot of NHL talent for almost a decade before that, all I can think of right now off the top of my head is Ryan Whitney and Rick DiPietro who are now broken and out of the NHL, John Curry, who at best, is a 4th NHL goalie, David Van Der Gulik who is the occasional 14th forward callup.

 

[JDinkalage Morgoone]

Not saying it's the best, but my school Miami of Ohio has put out some NHL players recently.

Dan Boyle
Alec Martinez
Andy Greene
Jeff Zatkoff
Tommy Wingels
Kevyn Adams
Ryan Jones
Carter Camper
Andy Miele
Reilly Smith


Also some guys in NHL pipelines like Tyler Biggs, and I'm sure others that I am forgetting.

 

[Coppy]

As a BU alum, we've gone through some up and downs the past decade. The 2009 NCAA Championship BU team had the most NHL talent on it. The best of that bunch has been Kevin Shattenkirk. From that team:

-Shattenkirk
-Colin Wilson (up and down in NSH)
-Colby Cohen (cup of coffee with Colorado, nowhere near since)
-Nick Bonino (great 2nd liner for ANH, traded recently to Vancouver)
-Eric Gryba (serviceable 3rd pair D for OTT)
-Matt Gilroy (7th defenseman for various teams)
-Brandon Yip (13th forward for various teams)
-Brian Strait (3rd pairing d-man for NYI)

John McCarthy has had a few stints with the Sharks and David Warsofsky played a few games with the Bruins last season as well. With Warsofsky's call-up, that means that every member of that BU 09 D-core made it to the NHL at one point, which is pretty impressive.

 

[AmericanDream]

Not saying it's the best, but my school Miami of Ohio has put out some NHL players recently.

Dan Boyle
Alec Martinez
Andy Greene
Jeff Zatkoff
Tommy Wingels
Kevyn Adams
Ryan Jones
Carter Camper
Andy Miele

Also some guys in NHL pipelines like Tyler Biggs, and I'm sure others that I am forgetting.

I really like Riley Barber as a solid pro player.

 

[Jackw5]

Miami University (Ohio) has a fairly respected ice hockey program. Current NHL'ers include Dan Boyle, Alec Martinez, Andy Greene, and Tommy Wingels among others.

Also, Bowling Green University has given us a number of current NHL head coaches.

Reilly Smith also went to miami aswell

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

This is a great point. In terms of "development" these programs are annually among the leaders in 18 and 19-year-olds (with the possible exception of BC) which meanest that players come into school at a fairly elite level and are generally among the top players in their given age group.

At the same time there are programs that bring in players - sometimes at an older age that are a bit off the beaten path and those guys end up being prospects. At the same time were players like Matt Read (Bemidji State) and Taylor Fedun (Princeton) "developed" at smaller schools by getting to play four years?

North Dakota is another program that has produced it's share of pros through the years but how many of those players entered school already fairly polished?

I would say teams like BC and Minnesota seem to lately be getting kids that are already high-end players before they even hit campus. Michigan, BU, Wisconsin, Michigan State have historically turned out a lot of future pros.

 

[Lunatik]

Denver has historically been good, but coach Montgomery has been there only a short period of time (1, maybe 2 years), so its tough to include them. Although he had a hand in developing Girgensons and Gaudreau when they were in the USHL so I am confident he will be successful at DU as well.

As a Flames fan right now I have to say I love how BC and Jerry York have developed Gaudreau and Arnold, I am very excited toq see how they look as pros this season.