2015-16 Roster

BOSTON – Northeastern men's ice hockey head coach Jim Madigan announced his 2015 incoming class on Thursday. The group of eight consists of one goaltender, two defensemen and five forwards.
 
"I like our class," Madigan said. "Our class grew a little bit larger than it was anticipated early on, but it's a class with a lot of character. There are a lot of guys who were leaders on their junior teams and in their leagues that we have high hopes for this year. At every position, these players will make an immediate impact to our program."
 
Jon Barry, Jason Cotton, Adam Gaudette, Lincoln Griffin, Sam Kurker, Patrick Schule, Ryan Ruck and Eric Williams comprise the 2015-16 recruiting class.
 
The group will join 21 returning letterwinners from last season's 16-16-4 following the graduation of Dax Lauwers, Adam Reid, Torin Snydeman and Clay Witt, while Mike Gunn, Gus Harms and Mike Szmatula will not return to this year's roster
 
Ryan Ruck  |  Goaltender  |  6-1  |  180  |  Coto de Caza, Calif.  |  Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
 
Before NU: Played for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL for two seasons, posting a 3.17 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage through 33 games in 2014-15 … Shined for the Buccaneers in 2013-14, playing 35 games with a 2.99 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage … Had a standout game against the Tri-City Storm on Dec. 6, 2013, stopping 53 shots in the Buccaneers' victory … Played 25 games for the Minot Minotauros in 2012-13 where he had a 2.94 goals-against-average and a .910 save percentage and helped the team to a playoff appearance … Was named NAHL Central Division Star of the Week in March of 2013 after making 40 saves against the Bismarck Bobcats … Played for the Los Angeles Selects U18 team in 2011-12.
 
Madigan on Ruck: Ryan has played the last two years in the USHL, which is the premier league for the development of a college player. He's had close to 35 starts in each of the last two seasons, and we look for Ryan to come in and challenge and compete with Derick Roy and Jake Theut right off the bat. He's a goaltender who has good, quick reflexes and he competes and covers the net really well. He also moves his lower body really well. He's someone who communicates well with his defensemen, and is a real student of the game. When he gets acclimated to the college shooters, he will get better and better as the season moves along. We expect him to play some quality games for us this season.

Ruck's Career Statistics:


Jon Barry  |  Defense  |  6-1  |  200  |  Hanover, Mass.  |  South Shore Kings (USPHL)
 
Before NU: Played for the South Shore Kings of the USPHL in 2014-15 … Appeared in 53 games … Recorded three goals and 10 assists … Played at Thayer Academy and also spent time with the Cape Cod Whalers U16 and Neponset Valley River Rats U18 teams … In his two years with the team, Barry helped the River Rats to a 47-13-4 overall record and a 2013 USA Hockey Tier 1 National Championship … Voted to the 2013-14 Prep All-New England East Team.
 
Madigan on Barry: Jon Barry is one of three players joining us from Thayer. John is that defenseman who gives you a balance between strong defensive play and the ability to support the forwards on the rush. He's a really good athlete. He was initially going to go to Providence for lacrosse but then decided to change his perspective on what sport he wanted to pursue in college and he ultimately decided on college hockey. He's a physical defenseman who takes care of his own zone really well. He retrieves pucks quickly, moves pucks quickly and will be someone who is really hard to play against in his own zone. Because he's a really good skater, he has the ability to cover ice and move up ice in supporting the rush. Look for him to give us a good balance between offense and defensive presence. He's a real character player. He's been a captain in junior and at prep school at Thayer Academy. He was well groomed by Tony Amonte, the head coach at Thayer.

Barry's Career Statistics:


Eric Williams  |  Defense  |  6-1  |  185  |  Newmarket, Ontario  |  Aurora Tigers (OJHL)
 
Before NU: Played with the Aurora Tigers on the OJHL for two years, appearing in 52 games each season … Recorded 22 goals (17 power play goals) and 28 assists in the 2014-15 regular season with the Tigers, good enough for second in scoring among defensemen … Winner of the 2015 CJHL Top Defenseman Award … OJHL First Team All-Star … Participated in the Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge two consecutive years.
 
Madigan on Williams: Eric, a right defenseman, was voted the best defenseman in Tier 2 junior hockey in Canada, which is quite a feat and accomplishment given the number of junior leagues and players playing junior hockey in Canada. He's a puck moving defenseman who is very cerebral. He's someone who sees the ice really well, breaks his team out of their own zone really well and will jump in and support the play extremely well. Offensively, he has a cannon for a shot from the point, and will get some power play time for us. He anchored a power play the last two years in juniors and he has the ability to not only shoot the puck hard but to get it on net, which is very difficult in this era of hockey where there are so many blocked shots and players sacrificing their bodies and taking shot lanes away. We're excited for what he's going to bring. He might remind some folks of a younger Matt Benning when Matt came into the league. He's well groomed and he comes from a program that sends a lot of players to college hockey. He comes from a coach who I'm very familiar with who played college hockey and who was a two time captain in Hockey East.

Williams' Career Statistics:


Jason Cotton  |  Forward  |  6-2  |  200  |  Allen, Texas  |  West Kelowna (BCHL)
 
Before NU: Played for the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL for two seasons where he averaged 1.1 points per game … Tallied 27 goals and 31 assists in the 2014-15 season, along with 15 power play goals … Played the 2012-13 season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL … Spent the 2011-12 season with the Colorado Thunderbirds U16 team.
 
Madigan on Cotton: We've had some really good success over the last few years with BCHL players. Jason played his last two years there. Prior to that, he played a year in Tri City in the USHL. He's a real gifted offensive player. He's someone that was used a lot on the power play, both on the point and on the top of the circle and half wall. He has a real good shot and the ability to distribute the puck really well. If anything, we want him to get more selfish with the puck around the net because he can shoot it really well, but he's a very good playmaker. He is a long-bodied, 6'2" type of player who is smart and cerebral offensively and should be able to contribute to our team right away.
 
Cotton's Career Statistics:

Adam Gaudette  |  Forward  |  6-1  |  172  |  Braintree, Mass.  |  Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
 
Before NU: Was a fifth round draft pick (149th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2015 NHL Draft … Played for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL in 2014-15 … Tallied 30 points and a plus/minus rating of +23 … Previously played at Thayer Academy and also with the Boston Advantage U16 team … In his senior year at Thayer, Gaudette recorded 29 goals and 38 assists in 27 games … Voted to the 2013-14 Prep All-New England East Team along with fellow freshman Jon Barry.
 
Madigan on Gaudette: Another Thayer player who then made his way to the USHL in Cedar Rapids, Adam was a fifth round draft pick two weeks ago by the Vancouver Canucks. He has a motor that just doesn't stop. Even with the combination of high energy and high motor, he has the ability to make smart hockey plays. He has a real good stick and sees the ice well. He is a tough competitor who plays 200 feet. He covers the ice really well and has the ability to impact the game, not only on the score sheet, but also by being hard to play against. He will find his way into special teams situations both in power play situations as well as defensive situations where he will be killing penalties and playing later in games. He's a hard nose player who will contribute both goals and assists and will set up his linemates.
 
Gaudette's Career Statistics:

Lincoln Griffin  |  Forward  |  5-11  |  176  |  Walpole, Mass.  |  Thayer (ISL)
 
Before NU: Was one of the top New England prep hockey players, playing for Thayer Academy for four years … Recorded team highs in goals (30), assists (35), and points per game (2.17) in 2014-15 and helped Thayer to a 14-11-3 regular season record … His 65 total points in 2014-15 led all New England prep players … Upset No.1 Brunswick School in the 2015 NEPSAC Large-School quarterfinals … ISL All-League nominee … Awarded with the Robert H. Ferriter MVP award after leading Thayer to victory in the 2015 Valicenti Cup game … Tallied 23 goals and 32 assists as a junior as Thayer cruised to a 21-5-1 record … Also spent time in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2015 … Won the 2013 Five Nations Tournament with the U.S. Under-17 Select Team … Scored a crucial shorthanded goal in a victory over Slovakia in the final game of the tournament … Also played for the Cape Cod Whalers U18 team.
 
Madigan on Griffin: Lincoln Griffin comes in again from Thayer Academy and is the youngest player in this class. Lincoln played for Tony Amonte this year and was a linemate of Adam Gaudette's for two years where they had good chemistry together. Lincoln, without Gaudette on his team this year, was the go-to guy. He too is a guy with a motor that doesn't stop, but he has the ability to make plays and be a cerebral, smart player. There's texture and grittiness to him and he gets into the dirty areas. Lincoln is 5'11" but you wouldn't know it by the way he plays. He makes things happen with his quickness and his ability to never give up. People might remember his dad, John, who played baseball here at Northeastern. He was a great athlete who still holds some baseball records. Lincoln played baseball up until a year ago but then solely focused in on hockey. He's a really good athlete and is someone who we expect to contribute offensively.
  
Griffin's Career Statistics:

Sam Kurker  |  Forward  |  6-3  |  210  |  Reading, Mass.  |  Boston University (HEA) / Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
 
Before NU: Spent time with the Indiana Ice and Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL from 2013-2015 … Recorded 24 goals and 25 assists with the Musketeers … Played for Boston University for two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) … Appeared in 47 total games with the Terriers … Played high school hockey at St. John's Prep … Part of the U.S. U18 Select Team that competed in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament … Named MVP of the 2012 MSCHA High School All-Star Classic … Selected to the Massachusetts High School All-Star Team … Selected in the second round (56th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues.
 
Madigan on Kurker: Sam Kurker, who played at Boston University for a year and a half, went back to the USHL and won a championship with Indiana. He then stayed for another year in Sioux City this year in the USHL. He had a strong year with more than 25 goals, a strong accomplishment in the USHL. Usually, if you score goals in the USHL, it will carry over into college. Sam played his high school hockey at St. Johns Prep and he was a second round pick by the St. Louis Blues. He's really rounded out his game in the last two years coming from the USHL. We believe that he can give us what Torin Snydeman provided us for two years here at Northeastern, having transferred and sat out a year. We believe that, with the offensive skill set that Sam has, in addition to his skating and thick body, he will be able to come in and take off right away. He knows the league and the competition that we're going to play each and every day. We're excited about Sam, knowing that he will be able to play a big man's game up and down the wall but also be able to contribute offensively.
 
Kurker's Career Statistics:

Patrick Schule  |  Forward  |  5-10  |  173  |  Queens, N.Y.  |  New Jersey Hitmen (USPHL)
 
Before NU: Played two seasons with the Jersey Hitmen of the USPHL, recording 33 goals and 47 assists in the 2014-15 regular season … Helped the Hitmen to a first-place finish in the USPHL in 2015 … Previously played for the Long Island Gulls (AYHL), the Metro Fighting Moose, and the New York Bobcats (AJHL).
 
Madigan on Schule: He was the second leading scorer this year in that league, right behind his linemate. Patrick is someone that has played two or three years in the premier division for the New Jersey Hitmen, a team that sends a lot of good players onto college hockey. We are fortunate to have Trevor Owens, one of Patrick's teammates from the year before. Patty Schull is a kid who has a lot of energy, and plays a hard-nosed gritty game. He comes from Queens, NY and there is a lot of texture and sandpaper to his game. He has the ability to score around the net. He has a real good touch, the puck is off his stick really quick around the net, but he battles and competes really hard.

Schule's Career Statistics: