Ten years of NCAA simming

[Alessandro]

So, I've simmed for 10 years and watched at the Hobey Baker winners, just to check where they are now. Please note that only NCAA was used as playable (+ default NHL).

2016-17 Dylan Gambrell, C/RW, Denver Pioneers

Signed as an UFA by the Sharks, played six years in the AHL posting very good numbers, and then grow tired of waiting his NHL chance and moved to Europe. He moved to France, Chamonix-Morzine (Pionniers, hyronically), where he spent the latest four seasons posting very good numbers, but he is not producing in the latest season. His career is IMHO a realism facepalm (sign every year a one-year deal with the Sharks not giving you even a single NHL minute?, keeping on signing in frigging France instead of going to Sweden/Finland/KHL?), but what do we want.

2017-18 Kieffer Bellows, C/LW, Boston University Terriers

He won the Frozen Four posting seven goals in four games. Then he spent three years in the NHL with the Isles with good but not great numbers. Then he moved to the KHL (CSKA) for big money, he keeps on enjoying Gazprom rubles playing for SKA. Much more realism here.

2018-19 Dakota Joshua, C/LW, Ohio State Buckeyes

Similar to Gambrell. Played three years in the AHL with the Leafs, then he moved to Belarus and maybe he married a local girl as he stayed in Neman for multiple years, gained citizenship and started representing Belarus internationally. He finally signed for Dinamo Minsk in 2026.

2019-20 Mattias Samuelsson, D, Princeton

Played an awesome season as senior in the NCAA, then moved directly to the NHL. Played five years for the Stars, who drafted him originally, then he was traded to the Capitals. Failed to live up to the expectations, he's constantly a -20 or worse and never won anything.

2020-21 Bradley Carlson, D, Providence

The first game-generated player to appear in this list. Drafted by the Islanders but apparently they missed to sign him and instead signed with the Stars. A much more succesful player than Samuelsson, became an NHL All-Star and was awarded in team of the year awards. His caphit is a steal as less than three millions and a half.

2021-22 Mattias Lane, RW, Denver Pioneers

First rounder in 2020, had an amazing college career of just two years, then he moved to the Jackets. Runner up in the Calder Trophy, runner up in the Olympic Games, but in the end an elite checking line player (20 in checking and hitting with a good offensive instinct.

2022-23 Michael Priskie, G, Michigan State Spartans

Another game "fail". He's an awesome goalie, who has been drafted by the Panthers and then was buried in the AHL since then. Now, the Panthers have one of the best NHL goaltending duos, and he's marinating in the AHL. Why in the world 1-the Panthers don't trade him off and 2- he keeps on renewing his contract? I think players in general aren't ambitious enough in the game, top prospects shouldn't be happy with playing in the AHL and renewing the contract year after year.

2023-24 Gunnar Ryan, RW, Harvard

See Priskie. Seventh overall pick, three years in the AHL posting a point per game. And he's "happy to commit his future to the team". Meh.

Please comment!

[Named]

Thats sad. We need improvements also on teams managing salary cap. When they dont have cap space they put on block not needed players but don't want to move them for grants also also their better RFAs pending on ufa next also being taken by other clubs. Riz back..........

[BKarchitect]

To be fair many Hobey Baker winners don't amount to much at the NHL. The issue with weird contract decisions by NHL clubs are nothing new so I'm sure that's not an easy thing for Riz to just magically fix.

As related to just the NCAA I'm more concerned about:

1) Making sure a certain number of legit Canadian and Euro prospects choose the NCAA route every year.
2) Making sure teams are still fielding full rosters after 10 years, which sounds like is being worked on.
3) Would be nice if you could get really young prospects to commit years in advance like real life (but maybe if a higher profile college scouts then later then they switch)...although this isn't a must or anything.
4) Wishlist item...USNTDP taking in like 20 of the top 17 year old Americans each summer (if Russia brings back U18 team that might be nice for them too)

[BKarchitect]

The Bellows and Joshua situations are totally realistic too - I think it's actually pretty cool that Joshua gained citizenship to represent another country after playing in that league and living there, quite a few former NA junior/college stars now can be found on those type of national teams...isn't Barys Astana/Kazakh filled with guys like that?

[Alessandro]

To be fair many Hobey Baker winners don't amount to much at the NHL. The issue with weird contract decisions by NHL clubs are nothing new so I'm sure that's not an easy thing for Riz to just magically fix.

As related to just the NCAA I'm more concerned about:

1) Making sure a certain number of legit Canadian and Euro prospects choose the NCAA route every year.
2) Making sure teams are still fielding full rosters after 10 years, which sounds like is being worked on.
3) Would be nice if you could get really young prospects to commit years in advance like real life (but maybe if a higher profile college scouts then later then they switch)...although this isn't a must or anything.
4) Wishlist item...USNTDP taking in like 20 of the top 17 year old Americans each summer (if Russia brings back U18 team that might be nice for them too)

Of course this was nothing more than a fun test. The sample size is too small to jump to conclusions, and we know some of the things just because of experience. I think that for 1.5 1 and 2 will be fixed, at the very least they will be improved. 3 is I think too complicated for a league that isn't even officially supported. The 4 well, I think it's the same as three because after all the game doesn't support (yet??) national teams in club leagues.

[Alessandro]

The Bellows and Joshua situations are totally realistic too

I don't want to sound rude on you, but the Joshua situation is as unrealistic as others. There's NO WAY than a foreign players tears up a minor league and remains four full seasons in the same, low-level team. In the same team! I could accept if then he moved to a bigger team like Yunost Minsk, but renewing FOUR TIMES with Neman Grodno is as realistic as me moving to the United States and starting playing in the NHL right away. One thing would be if he was playing for Dinamo Minsk or Barys Astana, those are KHL teams, but in Neman Grodno...
And I also love the fact that he signed contracts worth $600,000 in the NHL yet he's ok with 50K to play in Belarus. And not once!
Now, this is the all-time canadian players in Neman Grodno: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player_na ... NationID=3
Finland has sent a little bit more players: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player_na ... NationID=2
Only Laakkonen survived more than one season.
Can you imagine a player scoring every year 100 points a season in the AHL renewing each year an AHL contract with say the Stockton Heat? Because this is what we're talking about.

[Filip Croatia]

But there are also examples in real life that hobby baker award winners finish in some lower leagues like NLB (Marty Sertich)

[BKarchitect]

Well I don't know Neman Grodno from Nieman Marcus so you are probably right I'm just saying good college players ending up in second tier Euro leagues happens and that I do still think it's cool that the game allows for guys who play in a foreign country for a long time to eventually suit up for their national teams like Nigel Dawes or Brandon Bochrnski IRL.

[nino33]

And I also love the fact that he signed contracts worth $600,000 in the NHL yet he's ok with 50K to play in Belarus.

Maybe he wanted to play in the Olympics and the NHL wasn't sending their players?

I know, I know in EHM the NHL breaks for the Olympics & ultimately nothing's changed yet IRL...just a joke

[Alessandro]

Well I don't know Neman Grodno from Nieman Marcus so you are probably right I'm just saying good college players ending up in second tier Euro leagues happens

Of course it does happen. I'm not contesting that. I'm contesting that he renewed his contract four times when he was clearly out of category.

[ebenton99]

The Priskie scenario happens fairly often in the game. NHL teams will see a goalie as a major piece of the franchise even though they have them buried in the minors and they are at their peak, so they have no interest in trading either that goalie or whatever goalie is keeping them stuck there.

This happened in a game with Malcolm Subban. His attributes were reaching elite levels, yet the Bruins had no interest in calling him up since Rask was their starter and yet considered him so valuable that he was practically untouchable. In the end, he went to free agency by the time he was in his late 20's and I picked him up as my franchise goalie with the Kings. Won multiple Vezina trophies.