Daily Skate: Multi-time transfers are here to stay. What will the impact be?

GRAND FORKS — This offseason marks the first time in college hockey history that players can transfer multiple times and be eligible immediately without a waiver.

There's a court case in West Virginia challenging the NCAA's rule that says athletes can transfer once, but a second transfer requires a year of sitting out. While that case is working its way through the system, the NCAA agreed to allow multi-time transfers in this cycle.

The case hasn't been decided yet, but the NCAA won't be fighting it, anymore.

It announced this week there will be no transfer limits as long as the athletes are in good academic standing.

This is for all sports.

What impact will it have in the hockey transfer portal?

If this year is any indication, it might not be as big as everyone thinks.

Yes, there are multi-time transfers in the portal. But no, it's not an overwhelming number. And most of them are players who are entering their fifth season, using the free COVID-impacted 2020-21 year.

There will be no COVID-year players left after next season.

Only four of the 26 players who have made transfer commitments to National Collegiate Hockey Conference teams are multi-time transfers.

Two are fifth-year seniors — Western Michigan-bound defenseman Brian Kramer of American International and Robert Morris, and Arizona State-bound forward Artem Shlaine of UConn and Northern Michigan.

The other two are goaltenders — UND-bound T.J. Semptimphelter of Arizona State and Northeastern, and Arizona State-bound Luke Pavicich of UMass and UMass Lowell.

Only two of 15 players who have made transfer commitments to the Big Ten are multi-time transfers. Both are fifth-year seniors.

Nearly 40 percent of all Division-I players who have entered the portal this cycle are those with just their free COVID year left.

Former UND center Brad Malone is making one last run at a championship in the American Hockey League, then he plans to hang up the skates.

Malone, the longest-tenured captain of the Bakersfield (Calif.) Condors, has had an excellent pro career since graduating from UND in 2011.

Malone played 217 NHL games for the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. He's also played more than 550 AHL games.

Bakersfield will honor Malone before Saturday's game.

"It has been a 20-year journey since I left home, and this is the only place I’ve called home since leaving," Malone said. "I’m most proud of the relationships we’ve made here with close friends and the culture we’ve created on and off the ice. I’m thankful for my family, staff, teammates and everyone I was able to learn from that came before me. I’m not a leader who leads by himself and I’m proud of our team success and looking forward to a long postseason run."

Malone was part of UND's prolific Pony Express Line during the 2010-11 season alongside Evan Trupp and Matt Frattin.

Former UND star Zach Parise played his final regular-season NHL game Thursday night for the Colorado Avalanche. He has said multiple times he will retire after the playoff run.

Parise will finish just 26 games shy of James Patrick for the most NHL regular-season games by a former UND player.

Patrick is at 1,280. Parise is at 1,254.

In style, Parise scored a goal in his final NHL regular-season game.

Now, it's on to the playoffs, where Parise will try to win a Stanley Cup. He came close in 2012, leading the New Jersey Devils to the final, but Parise lost to his old UND roommate Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings in six games.

Former UND forward Rocco Grimaldi was named an AHL second-team all-star.

Grimaldi, who plays for the Chicago Wolves, ranks third in the AHL in goals (34) and second in points (69) heading into the final weekend of the regular season. He has factored in on more than a third of Chicago's goals this season.

Grimaldi played in the AHL All-Star Game earlier this season.

A couple of former UND players have confirmed they plan to play for Team USA at the IIHF Men's World Championship next month in Czechia.

Ottawa Senators players Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson both told assembled media Thursday in Ottawa they are expecting to head overseas.

Sanderson scored 10 goals and tallied 38 points in 79 games for the Senators. He registered a plus-8 rating.

Pinto scored nine goals and tallied 27 points in 41 games for Ottawa. He was a plus-9.

Several UND recruits will be in action this weekend in the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup playoff quarterfinals.

Forward Mac Swanson (2024 recruit) and the Fargo Force will take on forward Cooper Simpson (2025 or 2026) and the Tri-City Storm. Fargo hosts Games 1 and 2 on Saturday and Monday.

Defenseman Jayden Jubenvill (2024) and the Dubuque Fighting Saints will take on defenseman Andrew Strathmann (2024) and Youngstown.

Muskegon, which features three commits, will take on Green Bay. Muskegon features forwards Sacha Boisvert (2024), Cody Croal (2024) and David Klee (2024 or 2025).

Two members of last year's UND freshman class have found new homes through the transfer portal.

Forward Michael Emerson, a sixth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, will transfer to Merrimack, according to Mike McMahon of College Hockey News.

Emerson left UND midseason to return to the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Green Bay knocked the Steel out of the USHL playoffs earlier this week. Emerson will have three years of college eligibility left.

Defenseman Nate Benoit, a sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, will transfer to Quinnipiac.

At Quinnipiac, Benoit will be teammates with another former UND defenseman in Cooper Moore, who announced he will return to the Bobcats for his fifth and final season of college hockey.

Benoit, who is from nearby Bow, N.H., will have three years of college eligibility remaining.

• Two of UND's three transfers have now signed — Semptimphelter and forward Carter Wilkie. UND has not yet announced defenseman Caleb MacDonald, who verbally committed to join the Fighting Hawks in the fall as a sophomore.
• Former UND star Brock Boeser was held out of Vancouver's final regular-season game Thursday night. Vancouver had already wrapped up the division title. Boeser finished the season with 40 goals, a career-high.
• Denver has lost two players early to NHL contracts. Junior forward Massimo Rizzo signed with the Philadelphia Flyers and junior defenseman Shai Buium signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Both were second-team all-NCHC picks. Two depth players also are leaving Denver via the transfer portal. Sophomore defenseman Lucas Olvestad is heading to UMass, while sophomore forward Tristan Lemyre has entered the portal.
• Boston College forward Ryan Leonard, the No. 8 overall draft pick of the Washington Capitals, announced he plans to return to school for his sophomore year. Leonard tallied 60 points as a freshman.
• Michigan forward T.J. Hughes, a free agent who is garnering NHL interest, has opted to stay in school for his junior season. Hughes tallied 36 points as a freshman and 48 as a sophomore.