UConn men’s hockey lands 2021 F Nate Hanley

UConn men’s hockey has added a fifth player to its 2021 class in forward Nate Hanley, a source told The UConn Blog. Listed at 5-foot-10, 179 pounds with a right-handed shot, Hanley is described as “skilled, very unpredictable, ability to make plays in tight areas” and a “dynamic player with the puck on his stick,” according to Neutral Zone.

Hanley is projected to be one of the best players in the USHL this upcoming season and will be taking the ice for the Youngstown Phantoms after recording 10 goals and 15 assists in 46 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last year.

UConn men’s hockey recruiting

Jasen Robbennolt

The only place to find in-depth coverage of UConn men’s hockey’s recruiting.

A four-star prospect on Neutral Zone, the expectation for Hanley is that he’ll make an instant impact when he arrives in Storrs ahead of the 2021-22 season. He hails from Long Island (Rocky Point, NY), an area UConn hopes to turn into a new pipeline as the program grows.

Hanley had previously committed to Northeastern in 2018.

With five commitments in their class of 2021 after the addition of Hanley, the Huskies will look to add 2-3 additional players: one or two more forwards and an elite goaltender.

Here’s a look at the Huskies’ future commitments:

2021: Forwards Mark D’Agostino, Nate Hanley, Tabor Heaslip, Brandon Santa Juana; defenseman Jack Pascucci;

2022: Forwards Ignat Belov, Sean Donaldson, Oliver Flynn

2023: Forward Mike Murtagh

Unclassified: Forward Drew Elser