Hi, My Name Is ... Reilly Smith

Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.

A number of teams experienced magical and unexpected runs to the Frozen Four last year. While Bemidji (Minn.) State is making a ton of headlines for their awesomeness so far this season, 2009 NCAA runner-up Miami University is the top-ranked team in both major polls. The RedHawks have plenty of experience back from last season, but a highly-touted freshman is quickly rising up the scoring charts.

The Dallas Stars thought highly of Reilly Smith, taking him in the third round of the 2009 draft. Smith was a 2010 recruit for the RedHawks, but he came in a year early and has quickly established himself as a regular on Miami's forward lines.

Smith has seven points in 16 games so far, but his coming-out party may have been Saturday night in Grand Forks, N.D. Playing in the Subway Classic, hosted by North Dakota, the RedHawks were coming off a 3-2 upset loss to Bemidji State on Friday. Their Saturday game against North Dakota was expected to be a defensive struggle, as the two teams were near the top of Division I in defense.

Naturally, it turned into a slugfest. The Fighting Sioux scored four goals in the second period -- including two by freshman Danny Kristo (Montreal) -- to take a 5-3 lead. However, Miami had a comeback in them, one that was completed by Smith's fourth goal of the season (second of the game) with less than three minutes to play. Miami had the only two shots on goal in overtime, but the teams settled for a 5-5 tie.

Smith's development is going to be fun to watch. He's not small, but needs to put on some more muscle before he will really be a factor at the next level. He has a good shot and is obviously a smart player. Hard-nosed veterans Jarod Palmer, Andy Miele, and Carter Camper (all undrafted) are the leaders for this Miami team, but they have some solid freshmen like Smith and Curtis McKenzie (Dallas) who will be bigger factors as this season goes on.

Other Players to Watch

Michigan may be starting to put some things together. The annual College Hockey Showcase saw the Wolverines beat Minnesota 6-0, then Wisconsin 3-2. Junior forward Carl Hagelin (N.Y. Rangers) had a three-point weekend, while junior Louie Caporusso (Ottawa) scored once in each game.

Sophomore forward Derek Stepan (N.Y. Rangers) had a big weekend for Wisconsin, as the Badgers split games in the College Hockey Showcase. Stepan had five points (one goal, four assists) in Wisconsin's 7-3 stomping of Michigan State on Friday, then picked up a goal in Saturday's loss to Michigan. Meanwhile, junior defenseman Brendan Smith (Detroit) had two goals and two assists on the weekend, and he is the team's leading scorer with 17 points.

Maine junior Tanner House (undrafted) had a six-point weekend (four goals, two assists) as the surprising Black Bears picked up a pair of wins. Maine won 3-1 Friday at ranked UMass-Lowell, then routed St. Lawrence 10-1 on Saturday. Not to be outdone, sophomore Gustav Nyquist (Detroit) scored once and had four assists in the two games. Nyquist is among the leading scorers in the country with 21 points in just 14 games.