A Tuesday this full of news during the college hockey season is very rare, so it is time to clean out the notebook after a busy day from around the local scene.
BUSY DAY FOR "MATTY GRIZZ" AND "JOHNNY G" - AWARD WINNERS & TEAM USA SELECTIONS
Boston College sophomore forward Johnny Gaudreau and Boston University rookie defenseman Matt Grzelcyk were each honored by Hockey East with monthly awards, while also receiving a spot on the initial Team USA roster for the upcoming World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia. Gaudreau and Grzelcyk will be joined by Providence rookie goaltender Jon Gillies as Hockey East representatives on the roster, while Harvard freshman Jim Vesey (North Reading, Mass.) is also a member of the preliminary 27-man team.
Gaudreau scored seven goals and 14 points in the month of November to earn Player of the Month honors. The Carneys Point, N.J. native tallied at least one point in all seven games during the month, while posting four multi-point contests. In a 6-3 victory over Dartmouth on Nov. 24, Gaudreau scored a career-high five points, including a pair of goals.
Grzelcyk, a Charlestown, Mass. native, was named Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month after totaling eight points in eight games. Just two of those points came from goals, but both of his tallies were obtained against archrival Boston College at Agganis Arena.
After setting a new UNH program record shutout streak, sophomore Casey DeSmith was the obvious Goaltender of the Month choice in the league this month. The Rochester, N.H. native went 5-1-1 in November, posting a very solid .951 save percentage in the process.
The 27 World Junior hopeful players will attend Team USA's training camp Dec. 16-18 at the New York Rangers' Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, N.Y. before the roster is cut to 23 just before Christmas.
CISSÉ DEPARTS BU PROGRAM
The news was not all good for the Scarlet and White as redshirt sophomore Yasin Cissé left the program to "pursue other hockey endeavors in his native Canada," according to a press release from BU hockey sports information director Brian Kelley.
Sources have told College Hockey News that he will likely head to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he was a fifth-round draft pick of the Moncton Wildcats in 2008. The Westmount, Quebec native, who was a 2010 NHL draft selection of the Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets), scored just two goals and five assists in 39 career games for the Terriers.
READY FOR MIDWEEK HOCKEY
In a nationally televised NBC Sports Network contest (with Steve Schlanger and Pierre McGuire in the booth), Vermont makes the trek to its twin-state rival and former ECAC travel partner Dartmouth on Wednesday night. After a three-point weekend in Maine, the Catamounts return the favor to the Big Green with hopes of continuing a four-game win streak in the series.
UVM rookie Brody Hoffman was named Hockey East Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Black Bears. The Saskatchewan native stopped 67 shots on the weekend, including 36 in Saturday's 2-2 tie.
Top-ranked New Hampshire and No. 7 BU meet in a crucial league contest at Whittemore Center on Thursday, which is the second of three between the teams this season. The teams feature the pair that shared Hockey East's Player of the Week honors released on Monday - sophomores Grayson Downing and Evan Rodrigues.
Downing scored two goals in Friday's 5-2 win over UMass-Lowell, while adding two assists in the victory that completed the sweep the following night at Tsongas Center. Rodrigues scored twice in a weekend sweep of BC.
The 11-1-2 Wildcats earned the top spot in the USCHO.com & USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls for the first time since Jan. 29, 2007. UNH is also the lone team remaining in all of college hockey with less than two losses on the season.
Joshua Kummins is the Hockey East beat writer and a weekend editor for SB Nation Boston. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.