National Hockey League fans will recognize the name of the University of Massachusetts hockey team's newest recruit.

Eddie Olczyk, the son of longtime NHL forward Ed Olczyk, will join the Minutemen this fall.

The younger Olczyk announced his commitment Tuesday.

Olczyk, spent last season playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks, the same United States Hockey League junior program that produced current Minutemen James and Michael Marcou and former Minuteman Cory Quirk.

Olczyk, a 6-foot, 185-pound forward, had six goals and 15 assists last season. He will be a 20-year-old freshman.

"With Eddie, the numbers don't tell the whole story," Waterloo coach P.K. O'Handley told USHL.com.

"During his time in Waterloo, he was a big contributor on special teams, and his experience was an intangible."

His father played 16 seasons in the NHL with six different franchises and coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for two seasons. He currently works as a broadcaster.

Olczyk was one of four players from the USHL who are bound for Amherst. The others, and their teams, are Darren Rowe of Cedar Rapids, Rocco Carzo of Des Moines and John Parker of Indiana.

Carzo, an undrafted 19-year-old from Media, Pa., skated with the Philadelphia Flyers at their rookie conditioning camp earlier this summer.

"I was a little bit surprised to hear from the Flyers," Carzo told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I grew up watching guys like Eric Lindros and John LeClair and now I am skating on the same ice and putting on the same jersey. I am still on cloud nine right now.

"... I wanted to prove to a few people that I could be here," he added. "I wanted to turn a few heads in the Flyers' organization. I am obviously not trying to make the team - I am going to college - but it's a new experience. It's humbling. I wanted to see what I will need to make it to the pros. I'm trying to do that."

Carzo, a 6-foot-1 forward, had 20 goals and 13 assists in 2008-09 for the Des Moines Buccaneers. He will be a freshman at UMass in the fall.

WELLMAN IN NASHVILLE - Like Carzo, Minuteman sophomore Casey Wellman spent part of his summer playing in an NHL camp.

Wellman participated in the player development camp for the Nashville Predators, which included minor league, college and junior players. Wellman, who had 11 goals and 22 assists as a Minuteman freshman, was undrafted. He was a Hockey East All-Rookie team selection last year and is expected to be a key player for the Minutemen this season.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/category/sports/umass-sports.