NCAA Championship Game Hero Clinton Bourbonais Removed from Yale Hockey Team

New Haven, Conn. -- Clinton Bourbonais scored arguably the most important goal in Yale hockey history last April in Pittsburgh. His goal with 3.5 seconds remaining in the second period of the national championship contest against rival Quinnipiac broke a scoreless tie, and swung the momentum heading to the final period. Yale eventually won the game, 4-0, for the school's first ever national championship. He is no longer on the hockey team at Yale, and it remains a mystery exactly what happened to lead to that occurring.

The senior from Dexter, Mich. scored 15 goals and added 27 assists in 86 career games for Keith Allain's Bulldogs, but he had appeared in only one game this season. His name was removed from the roster prior to Yale's 5-1 win over Sacred Heart on Saturday.

Yale is 4-1-2 overall and 2-0-2 in ECAC play in its bid to defend as NCAA Champions. Bourbonais' departure leaves the team with only three seniors, Calgary Flames prospect Kenny Agostino, Colorado Avalanche prospect Gus Young, and Pittsburgh native Jesse Root.

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Jeff Cox covers college and junior hockey, NCAA recruiting, NHL Draft prospects and the AHL for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.