Senior forwards Doug Jones '12 and Nick Walsh '12, defensemen Connor Goggin '12 and Dan Nycholat '13 and goalie Jody O'Neill '12 have entered the professional ranks after recently signing amateur tryout contracts with minor league hockey teams. Having left their mark at Dartmouth, the players will now look to perform well enough in the minors to merit a call-up to the National Hockey League.
Goggin said that his experience at Dartmouth will serve him well in his blossoming professional career.
"I obviously enjoyed my time at Dartmouth," Goggin said. "I loved every second of it. I think the competitiveness of the Ivy League and ECAC conferences really helps prepare players to move on to the next level, and I am very fortunate for this opportunity."
O'Neill was the first of the Big Green to sign a contract, signing with the Stockton Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League, an affiliate of the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers. During his two-week stint with the team, O'Neill joined Thunder player and former Big Green teammate Matt Reber '11.
O'Neill's success in a Big Green uniform dates back all the way to his freshman year, when he was selected as the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year for the 2008-2009 season. In his senior season, O'Neill enjoyed a team and career-best 2.50 goals against average, as well as a .921 save percentage. O'Neill leaves Dartmouth ranked fourth all-time in save percentage (.910), fifth in saves (1,912), eighth in wins (26) and 12th in goals against average (2.99).
Nycholat said he will miss playing hockey at Dartmouth, but he is also enthusiastic about his future.
"Playing here was very exciting," Nycholat said. "It's always sad when your college career ends, but I'm also looking forward to a fresh start."
The next player to sign was Goggin, who did so with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. As a senior, Goggin posted career highs in goals (7), assists (10) and points (17). He also tied for the team lead with three power-play goals and ranked second with two game-winning goals. Goggin played all but one game this past season, giving him a total of 123 career games played, good for 19th all-time at Dartmouth.
With the IceHogs, an affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, Goggin returns to his home state of Illinois.
"It's awesome," Goggin said. "Growing up in Illinois, I have always been a big Blackhawks fan, so this whole opportunity is great. It is nice being close to home and having family and friends at my games."
Goggin said he hopes to play well enough at the minor-league level to get a shot at the NHL.
"Playing in the NHL is every hockey player's dream," Goggin said. "Hopefully I prove myself and work hard enough to get there."
Also playing close to home will be Jones, who signed with the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL, an affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and Phoenix Coyotes from Gwinnett, Ga. In his senior campaign, Jones led Dartmouth in scoring with 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists. Jones ranks eighth all-time in program history in assists (78), while his 107 career points rank him 23rd all-time. Jones played a total of 127 games in his four seasons at Dartmouth, eighth all-time in the program.
"This obviously worked out very well for me," Jones, a native of Marietta, Ga., said. "It is nice to be in my home state and even nicer to be with my friends and family again."
Jones said that playing at the next level has always been a goal of his.
"I have always had the mentality of moving on to the next level," Jones said. "When I was in prep school, my goal was to play at the junior level. In juniors, it was to play college. And in college, I wanted to play professionally."
Jones, who has played in three games with the Gladiators so far, said there is definitely a difference between college and professional hockey.
"It is clear to me that the level of play in the minors is higher," Jones said. "It is a different style of play and the players are more skilled. I think the biggest adjustment will be the sustainability of playing a much longer season. In college, we played about 30 games a season but at the pro level seasons are at least 70 games long."
Jones faces the chance of playing against classmate Nycholat, who signed with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL, another affiliate of the Coyotes. This past season was Nycholat's first season in a Big Green sweater after the 6'1", 190-pound defenseman transferred from Northeastern University two years ago. Nycholat, a native of Calgary, Alberta, played in 25 games for Dartmouth, tallying two assists and 15 penalty minutes.
Nycholat, whose brother Lawrence currently plays professional hockey for the Hershey Bears of the AHL, has always wanted to play professionally.
"Playing at the next level has been a goal of mine for a long time," Nycholat said. "That is why I play the game. I want to keep getting better and move on as a player."
Nycholat has played five games with the Wranglers so far, but admitted that the idea of playing at a new environment was a bit nerve-wracking.
"I was nervous at first," Nycholat said. "Playing for a new team, in a new league and at a higher level is definitely not an easy thing to do."
The most recent Dartmouth senior to sign on to play professionally was forward Walsh, who did so with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings, a minor-league affiliate of both the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils. In the 2011-2012 season, Walsh scored five goals and tallied nine assists for the Big Green. He came up big against ECAC opponents, tallying 10 of his 14 points against conference foes. In four seasons in Hanover, Walsh played in 110 games, contributing 21 goals and 27 assists. He is the last Big Green hockey player to record a hat trick, which came in Dartmouth's 8-2 win over Harvard University on Nov. 27, 2010.
The accomplishments of the five signees do not just reflect their individual talents but also the strength of the Dartmouth hockey program as a whole.
"I think it says a lot about the guys on the team," Goggin said. "It takes extremely hard work and practice to achieve success in hockey, especially past college. The Dartmouth hockey program is a great atmosphere for a player to grow up in."
Jones said that the support staff available at Dartmouth was a key factor in why so many Big Green players continue to play after Dartmouth.
"I think it's great that hockey players have so many ambitions after college," Jones said. "We owe it to our advisors who helped us find opportunities to play professionally and to our coaches and strength and conditioning trainers for developing our players and making sure that we stayed dedicated to the sport."
Despite playing only a year at Dartmouth, Nycholat said he still appreciated the storied legacy of Big Green hockey.
"The fan support here is unbelievable," Nycholat said. "There is a certainly a great tradition of hockey at Dartmouth."
With talented players continuing to flow into the program, it's a tradition that seems primed to endure for some time.
