Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was a standout for the Union College Dutchmen when they earned a berth in the Frozen Four in 2012. Gostisbehere was a 19 year-old, undrafted freshman at the time. Union would go on to lose 3-1 to the Ferris State Bulldogs.
Gostisbehere’s 5 goals and 22 points as a freshman were enough to draw attention among several NHL teams. The Philadelphia Flyers ultimately drafted the 5′-11″ defenseman in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
What is most impressive about Union College’s success between 2012 and 2014 is that the school has less than 2200 undergraduates, doesn’t offer scholarships for athletics, and has only one player who has been drafted by an NHL team (guess who?).
On Saturday night, the Dutchmen defeated the University of Minnesota Gophers 7-4 to earn their first national championship title. They are also the first non-ivy, non-scholarship team to do so.
Although Union had a number of impressive players stand out this season, including defenseman Mathew Bodie, Gostisbehere stole the show in the championship game. He scored one goal, earned two assists, and finished an astonishing +7.
Many hockey pundits and broadcasters were extolling on Gostisbehere’s speed and powerful shot during the course of the game. TSN’s Bob McKenzie wrote via twitter, “Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) played one of all-time great games to lead Union to NCAA win.”
The Flyers placed Gostisbehere on their reserve list before the trade deadline, meaning that if they were to sign him today, he would be eligible for the playoffs.
Neither the team nor the player seem to be in any rush to go pro just yet, however. Gostisbehere declined to comment on his future after the game, and as of Sunday morning, was on the bus headed back to Schenectady, New York.
Even when he does turn professional, there are going to be aspects of his game that he needs to simplify for the NHL. He can get away with a lot more of the risks he takes now on the ice because of the level of competition, but he’s going to need to time to adapt. Between his shot and his speed, he has the skillset to do so.
If the Flyers can convince him to sign an entry-level-contract before next season, he would probably begin his season in Allentown with the Phantoms. Hopefully there are no surprises ala Justin Schultz (Anaheim Ducks prospect who waited to become an unrestricted free agent after his senior year and signed with Edmonton Oilers) waiting for them in the future.
entertaining Frozen Four – I was unaware that potentially Gostisbehere could become a free agent by playing his senior year at Union. Mat Bodie is a good player also, might be worth trying to invest in him also.