One team in Colorado had a much better day than the Avalanche.
MUCH better.
The Denver Pioneers, the premier program in NCAA Hockey, became the first school to win 10 National Championships on Saturday when they shutout the stacked Boston College Eagles by a score of 2-0. The hero of the game, like he has been for most of the tournament, was 22 year old goaltender Matt Davis, who stopped all 35 shots sent his way by the Eagles, who are loaded with future NHL players.
Davis was a beast all tournament long for the Pioneers, but saved his best for last. Everyone will be talking about the save he made on Ryan Leonard in the second period, as he dove to his right to make a ridiculous glove save on the top 10 pick.
For those asking, Davis is undrafted and can sign with whoever he pleases.
It’s the second National Championship for the Pioneers in the last three years. Their head coach, 34 year old David Carle, might be a very hot commodity in the NHL coaching market this summer. Not only has he won two National Championships, but he also has a World Junior Gold Medal under his belt as well. All he does is win. There’s got to be some NHL teams interested in a guy like that, right?
From an Avalanche perspective, all eyes turn to former second round pick Sean Behrens. The 21 year old just completed his junior season with the Pioneers, and could very easily play professional hockey right now. I doubt he’d be an option for the Avalanche down the stretch, but the organization didn’t want to move him at the deadline, so they clearly value him. Signing him and having him finish his year with the Eagles would be ideal.
From a Colorado perspective, you don’t necessarily want Behrens going back to the NCAA for his senior season, because he would hold all the power at that point. If he doesn’t sign and goes back for another year, he could easily wait to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and sign with whoever he wants.
Behrens is a top five prospect for the Avalanche, and if he does sign, could play NHL games next year. He’s not big, but is really smart positionally, blocks a ton of shots, can play both sides, and uses his stick really well. You might watch him and see a bit of Devon Toews, which is not a bad thing at all.
Congratulations to the Pioneers on another title, and here at CHN, we’ll keep an eye on Behrens to see what his next step is.
More must-reads: