The NCAA drops the puck today on their mens hockey tournament and there will be no shortage of Canadians on the ice as 16 teams try to make their first step to becoming National Champions. Authentic Brendan Gallagher Jersey . The tournament includes a total of 109 Canadian players. There are 35 players from Ontario, 35 from British Columbia, 18 from Alberta and seven each from Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Many of those players are trying to follow in the footsteps of several successful Canadian NHLers who went to college, including four members of the gold-medal-winning Sochi Olympic team: Jonathan Toews (North Dakota), Martin St. Louis (Vermont), Patrick Sharp (Vermont) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State). "I think that if more Canadian families were exposed to what college can do — as parents for your kid socially, athletically and academically ... I think more people would be doing it," said University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery, a Montreal native who went to Maine and ended up playing 122 NHL games. Among the 945 players to see NHL action this season, 100 were Canadians who played at a U.S. college. Naturally, many went the more traditional road, through the QMJHL, OHL or WHL. But the NCAA is slowly becoming another acceptable way to get there. "Theres no wrong path," Phoenix Coyotes assistant general manager Brad Treliving said. "I think as a Canadian guy you grew up and youre around major junior hockey more, so ... youre closer to it than you are U.S. colleges, but, jeez, theres no wrong answer. Its an individual choice and theres benefits to both." Treliving said major junior hockey is the "quicker" path to the NHL because it has more of a pro-style schedule and grind. But others point to colleges 40-game season as a better chance for some players to develop. Theres more opportunity to lift weights and practice. "Theres the Sidney Crosbys and the Ovechkins and the Malkins of the world that could grow under a rock and are going to play in the NHL," Montgomery said. "Theres other perfect examples — elite players like the Paul Kariyas of the world. Those are the ones everyone knows but its like, did he really need to go to college? Well, Paul Kariya needed to go to college because he was 155 pounds and in 18 months of college he was 175 pounds ready to play against 30-year-old men that are 225 pounds. "It teaches you how to be a man quick." Perhaps some notoriety can come from watching this NCAA tournament. Boston College defenceman Michael Matheson (Pointe-Claire, Que.) is a first-round pick and top prospect for the Florida Panthers, while Quinnipiac has Connor and Kellen Jones (Montrose, B.C.) and Matthew Peca(Petawawa, Ont.). Wisconsin goaltender Joel Rumpel (Swift Current, Sask.) has been one of the best in the country this season and could soon follow in the footsteps of other recent Canadian college players like Matt Read, Ben Scrivens and Cory Conacher who have signed NHL contracts. Hamilton brothers Greg and Matt Carey recently signed deals with the Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, after playing at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Greg Carey came away satisfied with his direction, which was only possible because playing tier-2 junior hockey opened him up to the world of U.S. colleges. "You have friends, older friends on your team who have the ability to go and to head down to the States and play and it looks like a lot of fun," Carey said in a phone interview. "And then you get to go on your visits and you get exposed to this world that you really dont see as a Canadian kid growing up. We see a lot of the major junior with the Dub and the O and the Q and the NHL is right there, front and centre, so we dont really get the NCAA." Looking at the tournament from an NHL draft perspective, the top eligible player in the tournament, according to Craig Buttons rankings, is Boston Colleges starting goalie Thatcher Demko. Demko posted a .921 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average in 21 starts this season. Authentic Matthew Peca Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions made it crystal clear to Golden Tate that he was their top target in free agency. Montreal Canadiens Jerseys China . Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., had 18 aces in the match. He needed one hour 39 minutes to complete the victory. http://www.cheapnhlcanadiensjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-jean-beliveau-jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hey Kerry, Thanks for your insight on some great situations! I dont always agree with your assessment but I appreciate it. My simple question is this; since when did goalie interference become a reviewable thing? During the Hawks-Kings game 1, Toews was driving the net, got a bounce off the skate of a d-man and the pucks goes in the net. As the puck is crossing the line, Toews gets a gentle nudge from said d-man falling onto Quick, even though he did everything but levitate to avoid him. Goal called good on-ice, Toronto calls no goal for goalie interference. While it didnt matter in the end, Id still love to understand better. Thanks! JasonHouston, TX ----- Hi Kerry, I would just like to have some clarification on this disallowed goal in the Los Angeles versus Chicago Western conference game #1. The call originally was called a goal. Then when reviewed they said that there was goalie interference. Isnt the rule you cant review goalie interference? And if they called it off because of goalie interference why was there not a penalty? Thanks,Jordan Pearson ----- Kerry, Can you tell me why Jonathan Toews spectacular goal on Jonathan Quick was disallowed in second period today? Theres no doubt there was contact, but Toews received a slight push in the back on the drive to the net. Even if there was a goal disallowed by contact, I thought that call had to be made by the on ice officials. It looked from the lengthy headset conference that the call was made by Toronto. What gives? Mike Kedzierski Jason, Jordan and Mike, I can understand your confusion once referee Marc Joannettes initial decision to allow Jonathan Toews goal was reversed following discussion with the other members of the officiating crew and then a rather lengthy teleconference with the Situation Room personnel in Toronto. The correct protocol was implemented by the on-ice officials to determine that Toews goal would be disallowed based on incidental contact with Jonathan Quick in the goal crease. The officials quickly gathered for a conference just 10 seconds after Joannette pointed into the net to signal the scoring of Toews goal. The conference (protocol) became necessary because the other officials had important information to share with Joannette on how and why the puck entered the net illegally from their perspective. This play was a classic case of incidental contact with the goalkeeper that should result in no goal and no penalty under Rule 69. Toews received a lead pass through a seam that required his abrupt hard left turn toward the crease for the Hawks captain to make a scoring attempt. Slava Voynov followed close behind in pursuit and used an active stick to separate Toews from the puck a split second before Quick, positioned fully within his blue paint, pushed his paddle toward the puck and made contact with Toews skates at the edge of the crease. In spite of the contact to his skates by Quicks goal stickk, Toews was in too close and going too hard (momentum) to effectively stop or avoid contact with the goalkeeper, regardless of any effort to "levitate", Jason. Authentic Jacques Plante Jersey. Voynov placed his glove on the pants of Toews after the Hawk was in flight from contacting the goal stick with his skate. Toews made significant contact with Quick inside the crease, causing the goalkeeper to be knocked laterally and allowed the puck to enter the net off the skate of Voynov. Referee Joannette was unable to observe these developments and render an initial decision on the goalkeeper interference, based on his position deep behind the goal line and against the end boards on the opposite side of the goal as Toews was attacking the net. By the time the referee had curled to the other side, the contact had long since taken place and the puck was in the net. Both linesmen rushed to the referee following his point toward the net and as Toews got up off the ice to celebrate. I am firmly convinced the goal was disallowed in the subsequent conference of officials, held at the timekeepers bench, based on the accurate information provided by the other members of the crew to referee Joannette! The system then broke down and needless confusion was created when the referee picked up the headset and engaged in a lengthy conversation with the Situation Room personnel in Toronto that lasted over a minute; even though interference on the goalkeeper is not reviewable. Beyond protocol, it is mandatory that the referee take the call when the headset is passed through the hole in the glass at the timekeepers bench and when a disputed goal has been scored. All goals are reviewed and Hockey Operations does need to be kept informed, since they have to answer questions from irate general managers (and on occasion owners). That part is reasonable and should be expected. This unusual delay however gave Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, game broadcasters, members of the media and you (the fans) an impression that the call was reversed through video review. That impression is understandable because none of you have ever been on the other end of that headset nor have you had the direct line ring in the officials dressing room between periods. Toronto wants to know every detail and control the process where they can. If they could referee the game from mission control, Im convinced they would. Since that is not yet an option the phone line is their best source to exert and maintain control. The nature of this particular conversation however, should have been very brief and controlled by the referee. Joannette should have informed the caller on the other end of the line that, "following a conference of the four officials, it was determined that incidental contact with goalkeeper Quick by Toews took place prior to the puck entering the net. We have NO GOAL and NO PENALTY on the play!" The ref should have then handed the headset through the hole in the glass, moved back from the side boards to his broadcast position, clicked on his microphone and made the exact same announcement to the hockey world that was waiting patiently for the referees decision. 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