No Joking Matter

BEFORE THE SEASON, ALL eyes were on Finland’s second-tier Mestis because Jokerit returned to the Finnish league system after withdrawing from the KHL during the 2021-22 playoffs and not icing a team at all last season. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Helsinki club also lost its home arena, which is owned by Russian oligarchs, and had to split its home games between the old Helsinki arena and a 1,200-seat rink in the suburbs. Regardless, Jokerit finished third, 14 points behind a mighty IPK squad that won the regular-season title and then went all the way in the playoffs. Based out of Iisalmi, 250 miles northeast of Helsinki, IPK went the full seven games in the semifinal against Hermes (who ousted Jokerit in six games). The final was another seven-game…

Smart Money

HEADING INTO THE NCAA men’s national championship game, a lot of folks pencilled in Boston College as the favorite. After all, the Eagles had been the No. 1-ranked team in the country and featured a treasure trove of NHL prospects led by Cutter Gauthier, goalie Jacob Fowler and the all-NTDP line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. But if you had been paying attention, you would have done well to put some money down on the Denver Pioneers. Boston College lost only six times all season, and the first setback came at home in October to Denver. Coaches David Carle (Denver) and Greg Brown (Boston College) even joked with each other after the game that they’d see each other at the Frozen Four, and, sure enough, they did. Thanks to…

READY TO BREAK OUT: ATLANTIC DIVISION

After two seasons at Ohio State, MASON LOHREI split the 2023-24 campaign between the AHL and NHL. But Lohrei’s playoff performance with the Bruins made it clear the 23-year-old is in line for full-time big-league duty next year, perhaps in the top four and as the quarterback of the second power-play unit. Lohrei was solid throughout the NHL post-season, and his offensive upside – whether that entailed creating a one-pass breakout, reading and joining the rush or finding lanes to get pucks on net – was on full display. Between off-season Achilles surgery and a subsequent lower-body injury shortly after he returned, JACK QUINN was limited to just 27 games this season. Still, the No. 8 pick in 2020 managed career-best per-game production, scoring at the equivalent of a 27-goal, 57-point…

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 7