Eight new players will join the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team this upcoming season, according to a statement released by the team on Tuesday.
Six forwards and two defensemen have committed to play for the Black Bears during the 2013-14 season, a group that has newly-hired head coach Dennis “Red” Gendron feeling optimistic about the state of the men’s hockey program.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the newest class of Maine Black Bears into our hockey family,” Gendron said in the release. “We feel that each will have an opportunity to contribute to the success of our program immediately and that each of these young men can develop themselves into top level players in Hockey East.”
This newest crop of commitments features size and skill both up front and along the blue line.
Blaine Byron, a at 6-foot, 165 pound forward, is a proven playmaker. The Ontario native was selected 179th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft after tallying 12 goals and 40 assists last season as he split time between the Smith Falls and Kemptville 73’s of the Central Canadian Hockey League.
Zach Glienke is a solid two-way forward with great size at 6’3” and 195 pounds. Glienke was named a Mr. Hockey finalist in Minnesota last season after racking up 32 goals — including five game-winners — and 32 assists in 28 games for Eagan High School.
Forward Josh Henke anchored the New Jersey Hitmen during their run to the Eastern Junior Hockey League championship last season after recording nine points in eight playoff games. The Michigan native put up 70 points in 51 regular season games, including 10 power play goals. That production on the man-advantage should help out what was a dismal UMaine power play last season.
Brady Campbell was awarded the Ontario Hockey Association’s Top Prospect Award last season after notching 40 goals and 29 assists for the Elmira Sugar Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League last season, and could prove to be a serious goal-scoring threat for the Black Bears in 2013-14.
Defenseman Daniel Renouf and forward Cam Brown both logged minutes for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League in 2012.
Renouf, who stands at 6’2” and weighs 205 pounds, will be looked at to provide offense from the back end after tallying 18 points and being named the USHL Defensemen of the Week three times last season. Brown, a Massachusetts native, had 51 points for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the EJHL in 2011-12 before netting 16 goals and 20 assists for the Phantoms and the Sioux City Musketeers this past season.
Forward Brian Morgan skated for both the Indian Ice and Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL last season. The New Hampshire native managed 20 goals and 11 assists in 59 games during the 2012-13 campaign.
Defensemen Eric Schurhamer out of Minnesota also logged ice time for two USHL franchises in 2012, producing one goal to go along with eight assists in 37 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks and Lincoln Stars.
This recruiting class will hope to fill the void left by UMaine’s seven departed seniors: Defensemen Mike Cornell, Mark Nemec and Nick Pryor; and forwards Kyle Beattie, Adam Shemansky, Joey Diamond and Klas Leidermark.
The Black Bears open their season with an exhibition matchup against Dalhousie University at the Field House on Sunday, Oct. 6.