Okay, so, I’ve been following the New Hampton hockey team for a while now. I gotta say, these guys really know how to play some hard-nosed hockey. I mean, I started watching them a couple of years back, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
First off, I spent a bunch of time digging into their history. It’s pretty impressive! They’ve been finalists in the NEPSAC tournament in both 2011 and 2018. I mean, they were that close to taking the whole thing. And get this – they totally dominated the Brooks-Pingree Holiday Tournament, winning it five times, from 2014 to 2017 and again in 2019! I watched some of those old tournament games. Man, they were intense.
- I watched so many replays.
- I went through all their stats pages.
- I even started following some of their former players who are now in Division I and III.
Then, last season, I made sure to watch every single game. They ended up 16-16-3. Not too bad! They were number 2 and they beat Groton, which was the top seed. That was a sweet, sweet victory. I was literally jumping up and down in my living room during that final game.
What did I do?
I created a whole spreadsheet to track their stats. I noted down goals, assists, and even penalties. It’s pretty messy, but hey, it’s my way of keeping up. I also started looking into what to expect for the 2024-25 season. A lot of folks are talking about them as one of the teams to watch, especially after being outside the Elite 8 last year. Makes sense, they have got the skills!
What I found out is interesting!
Then, I also heard that there are some new teams entering the league, like the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, Seattle Kraken in 2021, and the Utah Hockey Club in 2024. I even found out that there are some relocations of teams since 2011, like the former Atlanta Thrashers became the second and current incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets. That’s a lot of new things.
The most exciting part, though, was reading about some of the breakout goalie candidates for 2024-25. There’s this one story I stumbled upon that’s just amazing. I won’t go into all the details, but it made me even more pumped for the next season. There is also Vermont that has appeared in the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship six times since 1974. I will keep my eyes on it.
So, yeah, that’s my New Hampton hockey journey so far. I’m just a regular dude who loves the game and this team. I’m no expert, but I’m definitely a dedicated fan. I can’t wait to see what these guys do next! It is going to be a wild ride!
