Hockey's Future - The #1 Online Prospects Resource

The 2003-2004 college hockey season marked a significant milestone in Columbus Blue Jackets history. Tyler Kolarik and Peter Zingoni, the first college players chosen during the Blue Jackets inaugural entry draft in 2000, played their final season of college hockey and will be evaluated for contract offers. Another highly rated college prospect, Greg Mauldin, left school after his junior season and made his NHL debut on an amateur try-out with the Blue Jackets. All of the other prospects are expected to return for another season at their respective schools. The following is a review of the college hockey season.

Justin Aikins - Junior –Center – New Hampshire – Selected in the 6th Round (173rd Overall) in 2001

Aikins nearly doubled his career high point total this season by posting 41 points in 41 games. He finished the season centering leading scorer Steve Saviano and Colorado Avalanche prospect Sean Collins to form the Wildcats most dangerous line. Aikins also contributed in killing penalties and playing the point on the seventh best power play unit in Division I. His four game winning goals equal his total goal output in either of the past two years. He led all Wildcats in assists and tied for sixth most assists among all Division I players. In Hockey East play, Aikins led all players in assists with 20 and tied for fifth in overall scoring. Aikins also may have silenced critics who questioned his consistency by recording points in 27 of 41 games this season.

Jeff Genovy – Sophomore – Right Wing / Center – Clarkson – Selected in the 3^rd Round (96^th Overall) in 2002

Clarkson forward Jeff Genovy struggled mightily to create offense this season. This has to come as some concern to the organization as the 6’3” 200-pound prospect is the highest draft pick Columbus has playing in the college ranks. As a freshman, Genovy scored five goals, all coming on the power play. This season, Genovy had only one power play point and did not register a power play goal. He scored only one goal during 29 regular season games. The Golden Knights, as a whole, had difficulty scoring until the end of the season when they went on a tear and made a run at the ECAC conference title. To a limited extent, Genovy shared in the offensive surge recording one-third of his season’s point total during the seven game tournament run.

Kevin Jarman Freshman – Left Wing - U Mass – Amherst – Selected in the 4^th Round(103^rd Overall) in 2003

Kevin Jarman had an up and down first year for the Minutemen, which was not entirely unexpected. The speedy left winger had most of his scoring success on the power play, recording three of his four goals on the man advantage. All of the goals were scored by November 28^th, meaning he didn’t find the back of the net through the final 21 games of the season. Jarman was strong in the post season playing on a high energy line with Capitals prospect Steven Werner and team captain Mike Warner. He registered four assists in four games.

Tyler Kolarik – Senior- Center – Harvard – Selected in the 5^th Round (150^th Overall) in 2000

Harvard struggled this season finishing sixth in the ECAC after being named the preseason favorite to win the conference. Kolarik finished the season third on the team in overall scoring, second in both goals and assists. He led the team with eight multi-point games and eclipsed the 100-point mark for his career. Kolarik played a key role in winning the ECAC and securing an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. In Harvard’s first round sweep of Vermont, Kolarik was named the first star of game one after collecting a goal and assist. In the six-game run through the ECAC tournament, the Harvard power play came alive with Kolarik scoring three power play goals and adding one assist. Harvard lost their match-up against Hockey East champion, Maine, in the first round of the Eastern Regionals played in Albany, New York on March 26, closing out Kolarik’s four-year run at Harvard.

Greg Mauldin - Junior, Left Wing / Center - U Mass – Amherst – Selected in 7^th Round (199^th Overall) in 2002:

After posting two very solid seasons at U Mass, Mauldin was expected to make the next step towards becoming one of the elite players in college hockey. But, like many of the other Blue Jackets prospects, his season was marred by injury. Mauldin was checked from behind into the boards in the January 3^rd game against Mass-Lowell. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher and diagnosed with a concussion. As a result, he missed the next eight games of the season. Despite the injury, Mauldin led all Minutemen forwards in goals and overall scoring, and finished only behind defenseman Thomas Pock in both categories for the team lead. Mauldin scored 15 goals, five coming on the power play, and added 14 assists in only 29 games. He finished the season strong by recording six goals in his final five games. Upon the conclusion of the college season, Mauldin made the jump to the NHL playing six games with the Blue Jackets on an amateur try-out arrangement.

Andrew Murray –Junior – Center - Bemidji State- Selected in the 8^th Round (242^nd Overall) in 2001:

Prior to the start of the season, Murray was named by the conference coaches to the preseason All-CHA team. Murray was well on his way to living up to the high expectations until he suffered a serious ankle injury that required surgery. Murray missed 11 games due to the injury. To his credit, when he returned to the lineup he stepped right back into his top line center position and averaged nearly a point per game for the remainder of the season. Murray, a second year assistant captain, helped lead Bemidji State to their first regular season conference championship since it elevated its program to Division I in 1999. Murray’s season ended when the Beavers failed to secure the CHA automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament losing in to Niagara in the CHA Championship game.

Jekabs Redlihs – Sophomore- Defense- Boston University- Selected in the 4^th Round (119^th Overall) in 2002:

After Jekabs Redlihs’ first season at Boston University, Paul Castron, Director of Player Development, referred to Redlihs as “the nicest surprise in the system.” This year the surprises have not been so nice. Redlihs missed the first game of the season for undisclosed disciplinary reasons. He then suffered a broken collarbone on October 17^th during practice and did not see his first game action until January 2^nd against Minnesota. He recorded an assist in the game, but was later assessed a major penalty for hitting from behind and was required to miss the second game of the series. But by the time Redlihs had returned to the lineup, the Terriers were struggling to maintain position in an ever increasingly competitive conference. Redlihs did rebound to play 23 games and the Terriers improved enough to narrowly earn the final seed to the Hockey East Tournament. Boston shocked their cross-town rivals, top rated Boston College, before falling to Maine in the second round series. Redlihs’ offensive game never rebounded to last season’s form as he scored only two goals and four assists on the year. Surprisingly, despite the injury, the big Latvian rearguard added a physical element to his play. In 23 games he recorded 53 penalty minutes compared to 14 in 40 games a year ago.

Peter Zingoni – Senior- Left Wing- Providence College- Selected in the 8^th Round (231^st Overall) in 2000:

The Syracuse Crunch signed Zingoni to an amateur try-out contract days after he completed his college hockey career at Providence College.The Friars season ended after a tightly contested Hockey East battle with the New Hampshire Wildcats in the first round of the conference tournament. As a senior with the Friars, Zingoni had his best offensive output of his college career scoring a team high 13 goals and 19 assists in 36 games. Zingoni played left wing on the first line and was a fixture on the power play. For his college career, Zingoni scored 34 goals and 47 assists in 127 games.