NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Three Niagara University men’s hockey players are showcasing their skills at NHL development camps this week. Forward Eric Cooley and defenseman Noah Delmas will hit the ice this evening as both players open their second development camps with the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively. Forward Ludwig Stenlund continues his stint at the New York Islanders’ Mini Camp, which will wrap up on Saturday but is highlighted by an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday, June 27.
Cooley, who was invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp in 2018, is coming off a strong sophomore season that saw him finish third in team scoring with 27 points (9 G, 18 A) in 41 games. The Pittsburgh native had a blistering start to the season, notching an assist in each of the team’s first five games. He pieced together another four-game point streak in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, scoring once and providing another three assists. Cooley’s best statistical month came in November, as he recorded seven points (2 G, 5 A) to help the team go 5-2-1 against conference opponents.
Delmas, who also attended development camp with the Maple Leafs last summer, was an offensive juggernaut from the blue line in his third season with the Purple Eagles. By scoring 15 goals and supplying 25 assists without missing any of the team’s 41 games, Delmas was nearly a point-per-game player and was a constant threat on special teams. Delmas registered nine assists (all primary) on power play goals by Stenlund, who led the nation with 10 on the year. The defenseman was a two-time Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week during the 2018-19 campaign. He was named the Player of the Month for November following an 11-point (4 G, 7 A) month that included a four-game stretch in which he registered at least two points in each contest. At season’s end, Delmas was selected to the All-Conference Third Team for his efforts. Delmas will also serve as the team’s captain during his senior season in 2019-20.
Stenlund’s first season at Niagara saw him shatter plenty of team records and make waves throughout Division I. During the month of November, the Swedish native put up eight points (3 G, 5 A) and earned an AHA Rookie of the Week Award, NCAA Third Star of the Week, and the AHA Rookie of the Month for his performance. He continued to improve throughout the January, as he scored at least once in eight straight contests and put up 14 total points (9 G, 5 A) while shattering the program’s previous mark for consecutive games with a goal (five). In January, Stenlund was named the AHA’s Rookie of the Month for the second time, and also became the second freshman in program history to earn Hockey Commissioners’ Association Rookie of the Month honors. In February, he added another Rookie of the Week honor to his resume and was named the conference’s Player of the Month. By the end of the season, Stenlund had broken Niagara’s freshman goals (23) and points (42) records, led the nation in power play goals (10), short-handed goals (3), was named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year, was selected to the conference’s All-Rookie Team and All-Conference Third Team, and was the runner-up for the Tim Taylor Award, given annually to the top freshman in the country.
Schedules, rosters, tickets, and more Information for each of the team camps can be found on their respective websites: Buffalo Sabres | Carolina Hurricanes | New York Islanders
