By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
All-league selections Carter Wilkie and Tommy Scarfone, major components in Rochester Institute of Technology’s Atlantic Hockey championship and march into the NCAA Tournament, will play elsewhere next season.
The RIT juniors have entered college hockey’s transfer portal with the intention of enhancing their chances to sign NHL contracts in the future.
Though he still has a year of eligibility, Wilkie was expected to leave because of interest from NHL teams. But no significant offer materialized for the multi-talented centerman, so he has opted to find another prime-time opportunity in one of college hockey’s elite leagues.
Scarfone’s decision, however, caught the RIT coaching staff off guard. The all-AHA goaltender was expected to be the defensive foundation of next year’s team.
“ ‘Wilks’ we were prepared for, but we thought he would be leaving for the pros; Tommy, that was a complete shock,” Tigers coach Wayne Wilson said. “I just wish there was more conversation (with Scarfone).”
Wilkie was Atlantic Hockey’s Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, Player of the Year selection in 2022-23 and an all-league pick this year after scoring 16 goals and sharing the team lead in points (41) with linemate Cody Laskosky. He had drawn interest from NHL scouts since his freshman season but apparently didn’t do enough this year to earn the offer he wanted.
“We thought maybe an NHL deal would be there so, rightly or wrongly, we’ll use a different platform to up his credibility,” said Steve Bartlett, Wilkie’s family advisor.
Bartlett said the difficult decision will be narrowing down “the 30 or so schools that have already shown interest.”
Wilkie would have been a popular entity had he entered the transfer portal after last season, but he opted to stay loyal to RIT to pursue the goal of winning the AHA playoff title and earning an NCAA berth.
With those goals accomplished, he now is turning his attention to doing whatever he can to convince NHL scouts that he can play at hockey’s highest level.
“That’s his dream and I support it,” Wilson said. “But if those two come back, I’ll not only say we should be in the NCAAs but we can take another step. Right now our team is as good as any program in the country.”
The Tigers lost 6-3 to Boston University in the regional semifinals but the game may have been much different had the Tigers converted on early scoring chances and if Scarfone had made saves on two shots that probably should have been stopped.
Entering the transfer portal doesn’t by rule mean a player cannot return to his current school. Wilson, however, said the RIT rule is clear: You enter the portal, you’re not coming back.
“The tough thing is, you’re one of us, and now you’re not,” Wilson said. “You’re not a Tiger anymore.”
Wilson said he understands why Wilkie and Scarfone are looking to play elsewhere, but he doesn’t necessarily believe playing in what are considered college hockey’s best leagues will translate to greater individual success.
“They were great for us and I love those guys but there is responsibility on the player’s part to earn that contract,” Wilson said.
RIT also has lost four other players to expired eligibility: forwards Elijah Gonsalves (now playing for ECHL Cincinnati) and Caleb Moretz and defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro and Ryan Nicholson.
The goaltending duties very likely will fall to incoming freshmen, Wilson said, although RIT is investigating whether graduate student Luke Lush, the backup to Scarfone, could be granted one more season of eligibility.
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