Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)
Every time I go to an NCAA hockey game and note the players on both rosters that already are claimed in the NHL draft, I wonder why other leagues don't adopt a similar system.
On Friday night, I watched the Denver Pioneers open their National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff series against Nebraska Omaha with five NHL draft choices — center Quentin Shore (Ottawa), right wings Danton Heinen (Boston) and Troy Terry (Anaheim), defenseman Will Butcher (Colorado) and goaltender Evan Cowley (Florida) — in uniform.
That's a lower number than usual for the DU program in recent years, but third-year coach Jim Montgomery said it probably will go back up in the next few seasons as highly touted players who already say they plan to attend DU arrive on campus.