The CCHA has named its new commissioner to replace Tom Anastos today. Interim commissioner Fred Pletsch will take over the reins full time. Pletsch is a solid choice, and I can't imagine many better candidates lining up to take over that job. He'll have a difficult task in the coming years trying to keep the CCHA afloat once the Big Ten schools leave the conference.
It's a pretty quiet week otherwise in college hockey. The coaches are heading down for their annual coaches convention and conference conventions, so hopefully some interesting news comes out of those.
There was tragic news out of western Canada this past weekend as potential NHL Draft pick Myles Bell was involved in a car crash that left him seriously injured and a female passenger dead. All the details haven't come out, but police have said speed and alcohol were factors in the accident, and that charges are pending against Bell, as the driver, so it's not hard to speculate on the circumstances. Bell would have likely been a top 50 pick in this year's draft.
The QMJHL released their draft rankings list for their upcoming draft, and its an interesting year for NCAA fans. Shattuck's Nathan MacKinnon is the number one overall prospect, and the holder of the first overall pick, Baie-Comeau seems intent on taking him. I'll still be shocked if MacKinnon doesn't end up in the Q at some point, but the theatrics prior to that should be entertaining to watch. Meanwhile, prospects 2-4, Jonathan Drouin, Anthony Duclair, and Jeremy Gregoire were all picked in the USHL Futures Draft. Seventh overall Anthony Deluca is already committed to Vermont. There's also an American list, but it's a little too broad to provide any useful information.
The OHL Priority Selection, also known as the Dirtiest Day in Sports takes place this weekend. Treat all news of college commitments as utter BS for the next week. Barrie holds the first overall pick, which they will announce the day before the draft, and it's almost guaranteed to be defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who was granted exceptional status to enter the draft a year early. I'll have more throughout the week, but for now The Scouting Report took a crack at a Mock Draft. They have BU recruit Anthony DeAngelo and North Dakota recruit Charlie Pelnik as the only two Americans in the first round.