Hi, My Name Is ... Brock Bradford

Hi, My Name is ... appears weekly on NHL FanHouse. We will spotlight future NHL prospects currently making a name for themselves in college hockey. Where applicable, the players' draft rights will be listed. Check back each Tuesday at 8AM ET. Please post in the comments section if you have a nomination, or if you feel the author really blew it this week.

As we get in the teeth of the college hockey season, we're going to start seeing some separation. The good teams will continue to play well, and at least some of the early-season surprises will fall off the face of the earth.

It's a normal cycle.

There are some teams who are almost certain to be there in the end, no matter how they start. When things go well early, it only makes them all the more dangerous.

One of these teams is defending national champion Boston College. The Eagles beat Notre Dame in last season's final, and while the Irish got a measure of revenge earlier this month (winning 4-1 at Chestnut Hill), Boston College has the look of a solid top-five team again this year.

A big reason for the Eagles' continued dominance is senior captain Brock Bradford (NHL rights: Boston).

Boston College lost two key forwards from last year's title team. Dan Bertram graduated, and Nathan Gerbe left a year early to sign with Buffalo.

Bradford was already off to a good start in trying to make up for the loss of Bertram and Gerbe before this past weekend. In the first eight games, Bradford posted seven goals and four assists. He blew up over the weekend.

Against Merrimack Friday, Bradford notched a hat trick and added an assist. His third goal gave BC a 5-3 lead in the second period. The Eagles were unable to hold on, as Merrimack picked up a power-play goal in the closing minutes to forge a 5-5 tie at home.

On Saturday, the Eagles took down fellow top-ten team New Hampshire 8-6 in an unexpected offensive showcase. Bradford scored twice and assisted on two others. His first goal tied the game at 3-3 in the second period and was part of a five-goal BC outburst after UNH had taken a 3-0 lead. A third-period Bradford tally proved to be the game-winner.

I got to watch Boston College last year in the NCAA Tournament, and I saw them briefly in a game on ESPNU against Vermont earlier in the season. Bradford stands out because of his hockey smarts and his quickness. He's a superb passer and he has a pretty good shot. It's also worth noting that Bradford is the Eagles' captain this year.

Since I don't get to watch Boston College play all that much, I consulted with Hockey's Future for a scouting report on Bradford:

Bradford is a focused and dedicated athlete who sees the rink well and has excellent hockey sense. He generally makes good decisions both with and without the puck. He has natural talent as both a goal scorer and a playmaker; Bradford also possesses excellent stick and puck carrying skills and is difficult to knock from the puck. He's a quick skater, and his first two or three steps getting to various areas of the ice are one of his greatest strengths.

While his NHL future could be clouded by his size (five-nine) and the fact that he's not terribly physical, the Bruins have a good developmental prospect on their hands.

Other players to watch

UMass-Lowell had a strong weekend, beating New Hampshire 8-3 Friday and rival UMass 2-0 Saturday. Junior Kory Falite (undrafted) had a hat trick against UNH, and junior goalie Nevin Hamilton (undrafted) needed 22 saves to shut out the Minutemen.

Miami senior Justin Mercier (Colorado) scored two goals and added an assist as the RedHawks swept Michigan State by 5-1 and 3-1 scores in East Lansing.

We've already gushed about Minnesota freshman forward Jordan Schroeder (draft-eligible in 2009), but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that he picked up three more points (one goal, two assists) as the Gophers tied (2-2) and beat (3-0) Michigan Tech. Captain Ryan Stoa (Colorado) posted a three-point weekend, and goaltender Alex Kangas (Atlanta) stopped 62 of 64 shots.

Air Force goaltender Andrew Volkening (undrafted) stopped 37 of 38 shots in the Falcons' weekend sweep of Holy Cross. The 5-1 and 1-0 wins gave the Falcons a 10-0-0 mark, making them the only perfect team in Division I men's college hockey.

Gustav Nyquist (Detroit) scored three goals for Maine in their weekend sweep of Providence.