Western College Hockey II

Michigan Stars MDHL 08-09 Roster

2008-11-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

Jersey # Last First School DOB Grade Position
2 Wahl Matt Cranbrook 5/15/1991 12th Defense
3 Sandmeyer Chris Portage Central H.S. 08/06/90 12th Defense
4 Hensley Steven Catholic Central 7/9/1992 11th Defense
5 Moore Evan U of D Jesuit 2/22/1992 11th Defense
6 DeBrincat Andrew Farmington Harrison 7/21/1993 10th Defense
7 Yanis Michael U of D Jesuit 6/15/1991 12th Defense/Forward
8 Brown Patrick Cranbrook 5/29/1992 11th Forward
9 Darnell Brent Catholic Central 3/23/1992 11th Forward
10 Brown Drew Chelsea 4/28/1992 11th Forward
11 Depp Brian Hartland 4/23/1991 12th Forward
12 Gruse Martin Trenton High School 9/15/1992 11th Forward
14 Kovacs Justin GP North 10/13/1991 12th Forward
15 Olson Mac U of D Jesuit 8/13/1991 12th Forward
16 Scarfone Benjamin Grosse Pointe North 3/2/1991 12th Forward
17 Spurlin Jonah Flint Powers 10/1/1990 12th Forward
18 Thomas Tony Catholic Central 11/16/1990 12th Forward
19 Wojtala Camden Trenton 8/29/1991 12th Forward
20 Hughes Christopher SMCC 7/27/1991 11th Forward
1 Kleinhans John DeLaSalle Collegiate 2/8/1991 12th Goalie
29 Rohrkemper Eric Grosse Pointe North 4/2/1991 12th Goalie

Malmo Redhawks 08-09 Roster

2008-11-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

P # Name Birth Year
3 G 31 Alexander Bengtsson 90
4 G 35 Fabian Sivnert 92
5
6 D 44 Niklas Arell 90
7 D 38 Ziga Grahut 90
8 D 61 Anton Blomqvist 90
9 D 9 Rasmus Damgaard 91
10 D 10 Oliver Widding-Persson 91
11 D 4 Henrik Sandmark 91
12 D 7 Scott Nordh 92
13 D 5 Viktor Mångs 92
14
15 F 51 Adam Strandh 90
16 F 23 Linus Molin 90
17 F 11 Anders Poulsen 91
18 F 59 Robin Dahse 92
19 F 27 Andreas Ahlberg 91
20 F 86 Victor Öhman 92
21 F 40 Viktor Holmkvist 92
22 F 17 Sebastian Dyk 92
23 F 39 Roger Olsson 92
24 F 26 Axel Wemmenborn 92
25 F 15 Pontus Westerholm 92
26 F 33 Patrik Westerholm 92

CCHA Preview

2008-10-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Notre Dame finds themselves in the same position Michigan State was last year. They come into the season following a fairly average year, ended with a fantastic run in the NCAA tournament. The Irish were one goal--strangely enough, one goal for, not against-- from not making the NCAA tournament last year, before finishing as runner-up in the national tournament. Which team is the real Notre Dame? I think the NCAA tournament-version of the Irish. The Irish lot some of their heart and soul due to graduation, with the loss of Mark VanGilder, but have yet to feel the sting of early pro departures of some of Jeff Jackson’s more talented recruits. This is the most talented team in the CCHA, and they should be able to take home a conference crown.

Michigan will have to recover from losing their entire top line of Kevin Porter, Chad Kolarik, and Max Pacioretty. It’s unlikely that any combination of players will replace their amazing goal totals of last year, but Michigan’s large freshmen class of last season is back—minus Pacioretty—and should be even better than last season. On the backend, Mark Mitera is back for his senior season and is a Player of the Year candidate. Billy Sauer’s struggles in the NCAA tournament have been well-documented, but his regular season play last year was very good. Michigan may lack the scoring to seriously compete for a national title, but their record NCAA tournament appearance streak should remain in tact.

This could be a defining year for the Miami program. With the departures of Nathan Davis, Ryan Jones, Alec Martinez and Jeff Zatkoff, Miami will need to prove that they can compete annually with the CCHA’s best, rather than the past few years being the result of a one good group of players. This group should be able to score goals, but their goaltending will have to prove itself for Miami to be a serious contender. The Redhawks have a good chance of sneaking into the NCAA tournament, but unless one of their goalies plays way better than expected, they likely won’t have much success in the tournament again.

Much like Michigan last season, Michigan State’s season will depend on how quickly their freshmen can adapt to college hockey, after a string of departures to the NHL this past summer. The Spartans bring in a lot of forwards that were among the very best in their respective junior leagues last season, but those leagues are less traditional recruiting grounds for top NCAA players. Goalie Jeff Lerg may need to carry this team early in the season while those players adjust for the Spartans to be successful. The Spartans could be on the NCAA tournament bubble, but a slump, either early in the season, or in the second half when the youngsters start to hit a wall, could keep them out of the tournament.

Even diehard college hockey fans would be hard-pressed to name more than a few players on Ferris State’s roster, but the Bulldogs have quietly been one of the better mid-tier CCHA teams, and would have been the near the NCAA tournament bubble last year, if not for a rough stretch in the middle of January. The Bulldogs finished 5th in most every statistical category. Goalie Mitch O’Keefe’s eligibility ran out at the end of last season, so Pat Nagle will need to improve his numbers in goal a little bit, but overall, this looks to be a very tough, gritty team.

Northern Michigan seems to be the trendy pick for surprise team in the CCHA this year, even ending up in the first national poll. But regardless of expectation, the Wildcats always seems finish in the middle of the pack in the CCHA, make a run to Joe Louis for the CCHA tournament, but end up a game or two short of making the NCAA tournament. Mark Olver should keep a family tradition alive by being the Wildcats leading scorer this year. He led the team in scoring as a freshman last year, while older brother Darin led the Wildcats in scoring in his first three seasons, before finishing second in team scoring as a senior. The key for the Wildcats will be the play of Brian Stewart in goal. Stewart’s numbers improved last season, but goaltending still isn’t a strength for this team.

Despite not having a lot of success recently, Bowling Green has managed some pretty decent recruiting classes, which should make them a difficult team to play against. Leading the way is sophomore Jacob Cepis, a leading scorer in the USHL who looks destined for big things. The Falcons have struggled in goal ever since the departure of Jordan Sigalet four years ago, but Nick Eno showed promise last season, and if he can hold Bowling Green in some games, they have a chance to be very successful.

This will be a make-or-break year for Ohio State head coach John Markell. He’ll have to hope for improved chemistry in the locker room, and a huge impact from his freshman and sophomore classes to save his job. Those newcomers will be a welcome addition to a powerplay that was the worst in CCHA play last season. There is a lot of talent on this team, but unfortunately this team is probably a year or two away from really competing.

Nebraska-Omaha has enjoyed enormous amounts of production from their top line recent years thanks to great forwards like Bryan Marshall, Mick Lawrence, Scott Parse, and Bill Thomas. This year’s UNO team will need to rely on a much more balanced offensive approach to be successful. The Mavericks have gone with a goalie-by-committee approach over the past three seasons, with no one ever stepping in and taking the reigns. Jeremie Dupont has the talent to be that goalie they’ve needed, and as a junior, will have to step up.

Dallas Ferguson will start his first season as the third head coach of Alaska in just three years. His team is a little thin on talent, but he’ll have a great first line with the Knelsen brothers and Dustin Sather, and will hope for a big freshmen year from Carlo Finucci. The Nanooks have the advantage of experience in goal with senior Chad Johnson, who could help keep his team in a few more games.

Lake Superior may not be a team with a lot of household names, but they have a very experienced group up front with players like Nathan Perkovich, Zac MacVoy, Troy Schwab, and Josh Sim. It’s not elite level talent, but it also isn’t as bad as things were during the Anzalone 2.0 disaster. Brian Mahoney-Wilson showed promise in goal last year as a freshman, and Lake Superior may need him to help carry the team, the same way LSSU had moderate success with Jeff Jakaitis in goal.

Last year was another abysmal year for Western Michigan and things don’t look to be getting much better. The Broncos had the worst offense in the league last year, averaging less than two goals per game. They were also near the bottom of the league in goals against. The offense may improve, with good scorers like Patrick Galivan and Max Campbell returning, but none of their newcomers look like they will make an immediate impact in the same way Mark Letestu did two years ago, and it’s hard to see much improvement in this year’s WMU team.

Wisconsin Preview

2008-10-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a change by the NCAA Rules Committee, the 07-08 Wisconsin Badgers will go down in history as the only team to make the NCAA tournament with a losing record. The Badgers won an NCAA tournament game on their home ice, before losing a third period lead to North Dakota in the regional final. This year's Wisconsin team returns most of the players from last year, including star defenseman Jamie McBain and Ryan McDonagh, but minus superstar forward Kyle Turris.

Who is Gone?: The Badgers had a very young team last year, so they didn't lose too much, but did lose one of their top forwards in Kyle Turris. They lost two top defenseman in Kyle Klubertanz and Davis Drewiske. Depth players Josh Engel and Matt Ford also graduated.

Who is New?: The Badgers bring in a strong freshman class, who beat out a cast of thousands of other players committed to the Badgers for the right to play college hockey this year. Forwards Matt Thurber, Jordy Murray and Derek Stepan should make an immediate impact. First round NHL draft pick Jake Gardiner is talented, but could need some time to adjust to college hockey. Eric Springer and Ryan Little should add depth on defense.

Forwards

Projected Forward Lines

Mike Davies-Ben Street-Derek Stepan
Josh Turnbull-Blake Geoffrion-Pat Johnson
Matt Thurber-Sean Dolan-John Mitchell
Jorday Murray-Ben Grotting-Tom Gorowsky

Kyle Turris was the Badgers' leading scorer last year as a freshmen, but unfortunately for Badger fans, one year is all he would play in Madison. The Badgers don't have a flashy offense, but do return a few proven scorers in Ben Street and Mike Davies. Blake Geoffion had a 24-point increase between his freshman and sophomore seasons, and could be an offensive catalyst for the Badgers this year. Wisconsin also has the advantage of being able to count on some offense from their talented blueline.

Wisconsin finished 6th in league scoring last year, and without any bonafide superstars, they'll likely finish in the middle of the league again this year in scoring. If anything, I'd expect an inconsistent offense that looks very good some nights, but is shutdown on other nights.

Defense

Projected Defensive Pairings

Jamie McBain-Ryan McDonagh
Brendan Smith-Cody Goloubef
Jake Gardiner-Craig Johnson

This should be one of the more talented groups in the country. Last year, the Badgers had three 18-year-old freshmen defenseman playing nearly every night, and there were some hiccups as they learned the ropes. This year, those three are a year older and should be much better. Jamie McBain and Ryan McDonagh are both All-American candidates, and are likely playing their last year of college hockey.

While this is a talented unit, most of their defensemen are known for their offensive prowess. They could chip in some offense, but I'm not convinced that they will absolutely shut teams down the way their national title winning team did 3 years ago.

Goalie

Shane Connelly
Scott Gudmanson
Jeff Henderson

After struggling mightily at the start of his career, Shane Connelly proved that was a capable starting goalie in his first full year as a starter, but he'll likely never be a dominating star in the way his predecessor Brian Elliott was. Scott Gudmanson played sparingly last season, and could see more action this year to prepare him for Connelly's graduation at the end of this year.

Overall

The Badgers finished in the middle of the pack in just about every statistical category last year in conference play(except for penalty kill, where they weren't very good). That means the Badgers should be in the hunt in the WCHA this year, but will probably lack the game-changing offense or goaltending to really compete amongst the best in the league. Their defense will be very good, but probably not enough to make a huge difference offensively or defensively. A little puck luck--and avoiding Randy Schmidt as an official--could make a big difference, but the lack of great goaltending will probably move them down towards the bottom of the middle of the pack.

Other Shattuck Rosters

2008-09-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

Midget AAA
Jasper Aasa
Paul Barral
Brandon Beneduce
Billy Bruggeman
Ethan Caple
Peter Clements
Paul Enders
Geoff Ferguson
Karlis Kalvitis
Nick Kolz
Truman Landowski
Josh Little
Cody Marooney
Colin McCarthy
Ben Murphy
Dom Racobaldo
Alex Seyb
Guan Wang
Charles Wilson
Marcus Zelzer

Boys U16
Cory Bastian
Nick Bruneteau
Dennis Dalidovich
Daniel Elser
Ken Gillespie
Anthony Greco
Ben Grenier
Reid Jackson
Keegan Lowe
James Mullin
Nick Oswald
Canon Pieper
Ben Roush
Bryan Sinz
Tanner Sorenson
A.T. Terenzio
Peter Traber
Nicholas Weberg

Midget AA
Tyler Bruneteau
Mik Bushinski
Clayton Curwin
Jacob Davidson
Brody Decker
John Domina
John Draeger
Hans Drawbert
Victor Estoque
E.J. Faust
Aaron Forgaard
Castrenze Fricano
Orri Haman
Brian Harrison
Kyle Lee
Caleb Neal
Archie Ogani
Paul Parisot
Michael Rodriguez
Joseph Roelle
Trevor Stewart
Kevin Szopa
Tadas Tsibulskis
Nick Weiler
Zach Wolff
Spencer Wright

Bantam Tier 1
Zack Aman
Peter Barrel
Teddy Blueger
Oscar Dansk
Teddy Doherty
Hunter Fejes
Kyle Hayton
Noah Henry
Jordan Jancze
Miles Koules
Sebastien Lemm
Zack MacQueen
Ian McCoshen
Jake Montgomery
Trey Olson
Bo Pieper
Truman Reed
Ryan Schwalbe
Zach Stepan
Quinton Vitek

Bantam A
Liam Biard
Colin Biebel
Alex Birk
Spencer Carter
Michael Chuinard
Jake Curwin
Andrew Farney
Matt McCardel
Nick Mosher
Taylor Parkinson
Cal Perry
Justin Pirard
Kirk Reeve
Caleb Sevier
Andrew Sprang
Jack Strommen
Ben Tegtmeyer
Danny Tirone
J.T. Walters
Noah Westphal

Girls Prep
Dru Burns
Jessica Cohen
Brianna Decker
Kellie Dineen
Alyssa Gagliardi
Nicole Germaine
Kristine Horn
Lauren Joarnt
Kinzey Johnson
Amanda Kessel
Madison Kolls
Courtney Langston
Heidi Martin
Madison Marzario
Logan Murray
Madi Murray
Elena Orlando
Kathleen Rogan
Elena Ruegsegger

Girls U16
Rachel Bellio
Lexi Bender
Camille Biard
Jessica Brown
Courtney Burke
Molly Byrne
Megan Cox
Alexis Crossley
Kim Drake
Lauren Eberwein
Brook Garzone
Makeena Keil
Erin Krichiver
Kelly Murray
Aimee Rupp
Breanna Simon
Kayla Sullivan
Dana Trivigno
Jorie Walters
Ellie Williams

Select 17 Camp Report

2008-07-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Team Black

Drew Shore(DU recruit)-Finished with a very respectable 7 points and was really a catalyst for this team. One of the most talented forwards at the camp.

Alex Wideman(Miami recruit)-Played with Shore and was a great playmaker all week. A little small, but excellent offensively.

Tyler Pitlick(Minnesota State recruit)-Has all the physical tools; a great skater, good hands, good size. He just needs to put it all together to become a great player.

Collin Bowman(WHL)-Had a great year with Kelowna last year, and looked very good here. He’s added a lot of strength recently and should be an excellent prospect to watch next year.

Eric Johnson-Played really well on Wednesday. Not flashy but a very solid defender.

Zach Marginsky-He’ll get a lot of looks because he’s a very legitimate 6’6” tall. He can move around fairly well for his size.

Gold Team

Tyler Brickler-Had a very brief stint with the Lincoln Stars last year. He should have a big year next year in the USHL. Very talented forward.

Stephen Obarzanek-Had a great week statistically. He’s got good size and can throw his weight around, and showed some nice scoring touch this week.

William Wrenn(DU recruit)- Excellent defender. Good shot. Plays with a bit of temper. I thought he played very well.

Nick Oliver(St. Cloud recruit)- Skating still needs a lot of work, but he’s always working hard.
Sean Casey-Big defenseman from Florida that has some potential.

Lee Winston-Not the most skilled player, but always willing to get his nose dirty.

Green Team

Zach Budish(Minnesota recruit)- Physically dominated everyone at the camp.

Tyler Voight-Excellent along the boards.

Eamonn McDermott- Very small for a defenseman, but extremely quick and smooth with the puck.

Mike Montrose-Showed the ability to jump into the play occasionally. Good talent, but got caught out of position a few times.

Grey Team

Joey Zarbo(Clarkson recruit)-Very speedy, good offensive talent.

Matthew White-I was a little surprised he didn’t score more points. A big power forward with a lot of skill.

Kenny Ryan(BC recruit)-Played pretty well on Wednesday. Injured and didn’t play on Saturday.

Joe Rogalski(OHL)-Big stay-at-home defenseman.

Josh Birkholz(Minnesota recruit)-A ton of talent. Attitude has been the biggest question with him.

Maroon

Brad Smith(OSU recruit)- Played very well. His lack of size may keep him from being an NHL prospect, but he should be an excellent college player.

David Valek-Was playing with a soft cast on his wrist, but still one of the best power forwards at the camp. It’s surprising that he hasn’t chosen a college yet.

Sam Alfieri-Played with Smith and Valek on Wednesday and the line was nearly unstoppable.

Dan Furlong-Good skater that moves the puck well.

Sam Calabrese(Notre Dame recruit)-Not as dominant as he was at the Select 15s, but still very good. He’s grown a little bit, so he’s not as quick, but he’s still very agile. Probably not a superstar, but a very good player.

John Ramage-Big defenseman that skates really well. Of the defenseman that played Jr. A last year, Ramage was probably the best.

Joey Rehkamp-Quick and skilled, but still very small.

Navy Team

Brad Robbins-A little guy, but he’s not afraid to go to the front of the net to score goals. Played very well both days.

Paul Phillips(DU recruit)-Played solid both days, but didn’t really stand out to me.

Nick Mattson(North Dakota recruit)-Not very flashy, but played well all week. Moved the puck well and did a nice job on defense.

Caleb Herbert-Very speedy and scored a couple of goals on the week.

Brendan Rempel-Very big defenseman. If he improves his skating a little bit, he could be an excellent player.

Patrick Wey-Didn’t play his best on Wednesday, but looked good on Saturday.

Orange Team

Ryan Walters(Minnesota recruit)- Always making things happen in the offensive zone.

Kevin Cole(Cornell recruit)-One of the best players on Wednesday. Very fast.

Blake Coleman-Scored a lot of points over the course of the week.

Nick Lovejoy(Clarkson recruit)-Big, young defenseman with a lot of ability

Tyler Amburgey-Great size and strength. Still a little raw defensively but has a lot of potential.

David Johnstone(Michigan State recruit)-Kind of a quiet week, but chipped in a couple of points. Comfortable in the offensive zone with a decent snap shot.

Purple Team

Garrett Orhn-Good defenseman, but needs to add a lot of strength to play at the college level.

Brad Walch-Not a dominating performance, and got called for a few bad penalties, but plays pretty good defense. A good combination of size and skating.

Cody Murphy-Never really able to put things together and score like he is capable of, but is still incredibly talented. A good skater with excellent finishing ability.

Jay Camper-Played very well. Good poise with the puck.

AJ Treais(Michigan recruit)-Lack of size is starting to catch up to him a little bit, but still an amazing stickhandler.

Kit Sitterley- Very impressive. He’s underrated because he comes from a non-traditional hockey area, but is a very solid player.

Red Team

Brian Dumoulin- Big defenseman that can really skate.

Nate Schmidt(Minnesota recruit)-Not as impressive as he was at the Select 15s since he doesn’t physically dominate over everyone anymore, but he’s still a very good player, and looks more comfortable playing defense now.

Richie Crowley-Surprised he hasn’t made a college commitment yet. Very poised and responsible on the blueline all week.

Chris Brown(Michigan recruit)-Played like a bull in a china shop, which didn’t work well with the tight officiating, but a very impressive prospect. He skates extremely well for his size and isn’t afraid to throw his weight around. One of the more impressive forwards at the cap.

Nick Widing-Didn’t stand out much for Hill-Murray last year, but was more of an offensive threat here.

Anthony Hamburg-Consistently the most dangerous offensive threat for his team. Very skilled.

Royal Team

Mark Alt(Minnesota recruit)-Huge defenseman that is incredibly athletic. Should be a very high draft pick in 2010.

Mac Bennett(Michigan recruit)-Always calm, cool and collected. Had the most poise with the puck of any defenseman at the camp.

Beau Bennett-Leading scorer at the camp thanks to a big game on Saturday. Not flashy, but very effective.

Michael Pereira-Always in the middle of things offensively.

Teal Team

Beau Schmitz(OHL)-Great skater. Played the game a higher level than everyone else. Didn’t play on Saturday and his team really struggled without him.

Torey Krug-A small defenseman, but works hard and plays smart defense.

Ryan Reilly-One of the smaller forwards at the camp, but very speedy and a good playmaker.

Matt Tabrum-A solid player that understands the game very well.

Kevin Lynch(Michigan recruit)-Not incredibly flashy skillwise, but he always seemed to be in the middle of the play in the offensive and defensive zones, and always seemed to be making things happen.

White Team

Nick Leddy(Minnesota recruit)-One of the best skating defenseman at the camp. Really starting to develop into an excellent player.

Ben Hughes-Smart, poised defenseman with decent size and excellent skating. Should do well at the Jr. A level next season.

Kyle Beattie-Needs to add a little weight, but once he does, he should be an excellent player. Great skills and hockey sense.

Shane Berschbach- Doesn’t get a lot of hype because he’s so small, but always finds a way to score points.

Steven Whitney(BC recruit)-Not a dominating performance like the past two Select camps, but still one of the most skilled players on the ice.

Nate Heng(Nebraska-Omaha recruit)-Great stickhandler and playmaker. Can make something happen every time he touches the puck.

It’s difficult to judge the goalies over such a short time, but a couple that stood out to me were Max Fenkell, Cab Morris, Matthew Skoff, Branden Komm, and Eric Ferber

Sioux Falls Tryout Camp

2008-06-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sioux Falls camp this year didn't have as much star power as last year's camp with Jake Hansen and Jack Connolly giving impressive performances, but it was another very fast-paced camp. It was pretty well-attended too. It looked like some fans had made the trip from Sioux Falls which is pretty impressive.

The Navy team was the most impressive at the camp, led by Harvard recruit Luke Grenier. Grenier was the most impressive player of the day. He's filled out over the past 12 months, and should be due for a huge year for the Stampede. Returning player Matt Farris also had a nice game. St. Cloud recruit David Eddy looked talented, but was kind of all over the place. A year in the USHL refining his game a little bit should serve him very well. Also, former Blaine HS forward Mike Schaber played an excellent second half of his game and was rewarded with a goal. He was recruited by some WCHA teams over the high school season. Former Texas Tornado forward Adam Mitchell also looked very good, and has very good size.

On defense, Randy Cure recently committed to Mercyhurst. He's a big guy that skates well. He's a little unpolished, but has a lot of potential. Another intriguing defenseman was '91 birthdate Drew Scurfield. He played a couple games in the MJHL last year. In another couple years, he could be very good.

Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel looked pretty good for the Green team, as did returning forward Dane Walters.

On the Gold team, Anthony Raiola had a pretty impressive camp and he should have a solid year for Sioux Falls. Cretin-Derham Hall's Ryan Bohrer also had a good game. The Gold team also had a couple nice power forwards in Ryan Kesti and Duncan McKellar.

The most impressive player for the Red team was former Texas Tornado forward Sam Goodwin. Goodwin was great, but he might have trouble making the team because he's an '88 birthdate. The Stampede have '88s Kris Reinthaler, Max Grover, Terry Broadhurst, and Joe Knoepke all returning, so one of them would have to go for Goodwin to make the team. If Goodwin didn't make it in Sioux Falls, I'm sure somebody would pick him up.

'91s Andy Simpson and Travis Belohrad both looked pretty good for the Red team.

Among the goalies, Eric Hartzell will likely be returning unless he commits to a college. Sioux Falls also had two of the better '91 goalies out there in camp with C.J. Motte and Clay Witt. Both are talented, but maybe a little raw right now, though they'd potentially make nice back-ups to Hartzell. Also at the camp was a goalie named Matt Ray, a '92 from Andover, Minnesota. I wasn't familiar with him, but he was outstanding.

Tri-City Storm Camp

2008-06-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

As you might expect, Tri-City's returning players were, for the most part, the top players at the camp.

For the Gold team, Mike Cichy played pretty well. He should have an exceptional year in the USHL next year before heading to North Dakota. Another returning forward, Josh Berge, also played pretty well. Kyle Politz of Apple Valley, played in the NAHL last year, and he looks like he's ready to make the jump to the USHL this year. Returning defenseman Danny Heath has made a huge jump in terms of strength over the past 12 months and looks like a much more solid defenseman.

For the second straight year, I though Nick Oliver looked great at this tryout camp. He drew some criticism for his play during the high school season, but I still believe he's better suited for a league like the USHL or in college hockey which is more physical. Former Hill-Murray forward Andy Singerhouse was another player that didn't blow me away during the high school season, but played extremely well at the camp. I think he's got a decent shot of making the team.

Chicago Young Americans defenseman Charlie Dodero was the only '92 birthdate(that I recognized, the roster didn't have birthyears). He struggled a little bit with the faster pace, but he should be pretty good in a few years.

Jordan Van Gilder was playing for the Navy team, which implies that he won't be going to Alaska next year. Twins Matt and Joe Zarbo looked very good for the Navy team, though passing and team play was understandably sloppy with everyone at the camp, so they definitely had an advantage playing together.

Off the Red team, New York defenseman Sean Escobedo tried out for Sioux Falls' team last year and I thought he was very close to making the team. He looked good at this tryout camp too. The Red team also had three recently graduated defenseman from the Minnesota high school ranks in Grant Fahnhorst, Rob Vannelli, and Zach Tolkinen. Vannelli is probably good enough to play right now, while the other two are bigger defenseman that could be very good USHL defenseman with a little more development.

Anthony DeCenzo played a few games for Tri-City last year and with a full season for the Storm this year, he should be one of their best scoring threats. Troy Power is another returning forward that had a surprising(at least to me) lack of points last year, but with a year under his belt, should score more next year.

St. Cloud Tech's Jared Maetche played at forward at the camp after experimenting on defense during the high school. He played well at forward and continues to remind me of St. Cloud Tech alum John Swanson.

New Jersey forward Colin Markison was one of the best forwards at the camp. I thought he had made a commitment to somewhere, but then couldn't find anything. In any case, he was excellent.

The Grey team had Minnesota recruit Brandon Martell. Martell lost most of last year due to injury, and some Minnesota fans have raised their eyebrows about his potential future with Minnesota. Martell played pretty well at the tryout camp, but wasn't head and shoulders above the competition. He'll likely be what Minnesota expected when they recruited him, which is a solid defenseman that can add some depth and fill in if the team gets beset by injuries.

The Grey team also had some nice performances from players I wasn't familiar with before the camp. Forwards Nick Curry, Doug Clifford, and JT Osborn all played pretty well.

Roseau's Tyler Landman also had an excellent camp. He scored the goal of the day when he dove past a defender to deflect a centering pass into the net, and added a nice assist through hard work.

The goalies at the camp were: Ryan Benitez, Tyler Bruggeman, Owen Collette, Nick Holmes, Kyle Jendra, Nick Maricic, and Sean McClure. Nick Hopper was supposed to be coming back this year, but he wasn't at the camp. The Storm probably needed an overhaul at the goalie position anyway. Bruggeman and Collette both played pretty well. Bruggeman stopped 7 straight breakaways between the game and the post-game shootout. Both goalies will likely go back to high school and compete for the honor of top senior goalie in the state next year.

Jendra is still a tremendously quick goalie, and has a shot at making the team. It's really a shame that he wasted his college eligibility by signing with the Plymouth Whalers and then only playing three games for them. Nick Holmes and Yale recruit Nick Maricic are two other '90 born goalies that played well and have an excellent shot at making the team.

The 2011 Recruiting Board

2008-04-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've tried to be as thorough as possible in creating this list, but given the difficult nature of maintaining a list like this, there are always going to be players that should be on this list that are missing. If you think I have missed a player that should be listed, or have any other comments on the list, please email me at westerncollegehockey@gmail.com

Committed Forwards

Seth Ambroz-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Big power forward with good scoring ability.

Nick Bjugstad-Blaine(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Big forward with excellent shot

Austin Czarnik-NTDP U17-Committed to Michigan State-One of the top scorers at 2008 Select 16 Festival.

Uncommitted Forwards

Shane McColgan-LA Kings AAA-Likely signing with Kelowna of WHL.

Colin Jacobs-Texas Attack

Brandon Saad-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)-Visited Michigan, among other schools

Brett Benson-Weyburn

Cason Hohmann-Dallas Ice Jets-

Colton Hargrove-Dallas Penguins-Big, power forward. Visited UMass and Denver.

Vince Trochek-Little Caesar’s

Travis Boyd-Hopkins HS(MN HS)-

Dan Carlson-Maple Grove Bantam-

Max Birkinbine-White Bear Lake(MN) Bantam-

Danny Elser-Shattuck-

Craig Duinick-St. Cloud(MN) Bantam

Committed Defenseman

Robbie Russo-Chicago Mission-Committed to Notre Dame-

Uncommitted Defenseman

Justin Sefton-Notre Dame Prep

Eric Preston-Little Caesar's U16-Good skater. Right-handed shot.

Kevin Liss-Pittsburgh Hornets-Talented puck-moving defenseman

Ben Marshall-Mahtomedi(MN HS)-Invited to 2008 NTDP tryout camp. Capable of playing forward or defense.

Max Everson-Edina HS(MN HS)-

Andrew Ryan-Victory Honda-Very big for his age. Lots of potential

Uncommitted Goalies

Thursday HS Preview

2008-03-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Game 1: Cloquet-Esko-Carleton vs. #2 Edina

How C-E-C wins:

It's going to be extremely tough for Cloquet to pull off this upset, but they are on a serious roll right now, beating two excellent teams during sectional play. David Brown played amazing hockey for the Lumberjacks during sectionals and will need to continue to score goals. They also have to stay out of the penalty box to avoid Edina's great powerplay.

How Edina wins:

Edina has such an advantage in terms of strength and physicality that they sometimes look like men amongst boys. I think they'll use that size to create a few turnovers in the Cloquet zone, and any time Edina gets the puck deep in the other team's end, they always seemed poised to make a great pass for an easy goal.

Bottom line: Cloquet is good enough to avoid being blown out, but Edina is just too strong of a team and should win easily.

Game 2: Woodbury vs. #3 Benilde-St. Margaret's

How Woodbury wins:

I think Woodbury has a chance to play with BSM 5-on-5, but if they take too many penalties, BSM's powerplay will kill them. Woodbury put up 8 goals in the sectional final, and they'll need that offense to continue in St. Paul to have a chance.

How Benilde wins:

Benilde has a talented goalie in sophomore Jacob Meyers, who has already played in some important games, but he's still young, and there's always a chance he could be rattled. Defenseman Chris Student will be the best player on the ice, and should be able to control the game.

Bottom line: I don't see Meyers struggling, and I think BSM's senior forwards will find a way to score, be it at even-strength or on the powerplay. Woodbury should keep it close for a while, but I think the Red Knights will pull away.

Game 3: Blaine vs. #1 Roseau

How Blaine wins:

Blaine did a great job of keeping the game close against Roseau earlier this year. They play strong defense and they might be able to keep Roseau to the outside of the rink and help goalie Danny Harper look good. This time around, they'll need senior forwards Mike Schaber and Ryan Johnson to step up and score a couple goals to give Blaine a chance to win.

How Roseau wins:

Roseau just needs to play the type of hockey that they have all year, and not get caught looking ahead to Hill-Murray or Edina. They've been the best, most talented team all year, and have more than enough ability at forward, defense, and goal to win this game.

Bottom line: This should be the best game of Thursday. I'm expecting another game like the outdoor game that ended in a 1-0 Roseau win. Blaine will give Roseau a serious run for their money, but come up just short.

Game 4: Lakeville South vs. #4 Hill-Murray

How Lakeville South wins:

Lakeville will need an amazing game from goalie Hakan Yumusaklar to have a chance in this game, and I think he might be capable of pulling it off. If Lakeville can keep this game low-scoring, and then get a few lucky bounces, they might really surprise some people.

How Hill-Murray wins:

The more wide-open and high-scoring this game is, the better for Hill-Murray. If they do get a lead, they need to keep up their intensity and not let the lead slip away like they did last year against Rochester Century.

Bottom line: I don't think Hill-Murray will get upset two years in a row, but I do think this game will be closer than most people expect. I like Hill-Murray to win a low-scoring game.

Wednesday's HS Preview

2008-03-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Game 1: Mankato West vs. #2 Duluth Marshall

How Duluth Marshall wins:

Mankato West has never played in the state tournament, or in a venue as large as the XCel Center, while most of the Marshall kids are making their second or third trip. If Marshall can score a few goals early, they might be able to knock Mankato West out of contention before the Scarlets can get their feet under them. The longer West stays in the game, they better chance they have of pulling off an upset. Marshall also has much more depth than West, and will have to exploit some of the mismatches that creates.

How Mankato West wins:

Mankato West got great goaltending in the section final against Rochester Lourdes and that has to continue. West has been a bit penalty-prone this year, and if they spend too much short-handed, Marshall will make them pay with their powerplay. Mankato West probably won't get too many chances, so they will need to capitalize on them when they come.

Bottom line: The southern part of the state still has a long ways to go in terms of earning the respect of the rest of the state. A win or two at the XCel would go a long ways in helping that, but Duluth Marshall is a tough first-round match-up. I think West will keep this game closer than people think, but the Hilltoppers will have too much deep and experience for Mankato West to handle.

Game 2: Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato vs. #3 Warroad

How Warroad wins:

Warroad has a number of high-end players that LDC will have a tough time matching up against. Warroad needs their star players like Bryce Ravndalen to step up and score a few goals to put LDC away.

How Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato wins:

LDC is probably the weakest team in the tournament, but they're also a bit of an unknown, and have played some good hockey recently to make the state tournament. In order to pull off the big upset, they need to play strong defensive hockey to keep Warroad off the board and then hope a bounce of two goes their way.

Bottom line: I'd really like to see LDC make this a close game and earn some respect, but their Cinderella story probably stops here. Warroad should win big.

Game 3: Little Falls at #1 St. Thomas Academy

How St. Thomas Academy wins:

The Cadets need to find a way to neutralize Little Falls top line, led by the Hanowski brothers. The Cadets should have an advantage in terms of depth that they should be able to exploit as the game goes on.

How Little Falls wins:

Little Falls likes to play a wide-open style of hockey, but I don't know that it would benefit them against St. Thomas, because St. Thomas just has more goal scorers. I think they'll need a great game from their top line, and need their top defenseman to really step up and log a lot of ice time.

Bottom line: This is the second straight year Little Falls has drawn the top seed in the state. I think this game could go in much the same way as last year's did, with Little Falls jumping out to an early lead, but St. Thomas having a little too much depth and taking the lead later in the game and winning.

Game 4: Blake at #4 St. Cloud Cathedral

How Cathedral wins:

Blake is a tough team to play because they're always a very deep, well-coached team. I think Cathedral will need a great game from defenseman Nate Schmidt to shutdown Blake's scoring lines. I'm not sure where Schmidt's conditioning is at since he's missed so much time this year due to illness and injury, but two years ago, Cathedral wasn't afraid to play defenseman Matt Crandell 75% of the game, and I could see them doing the same with Schmidt.

How Blake wins:

Blake is an experienced tournament team, making their third straight trip. They lost to Duluth Marshall in each of their last two trips, so seeing Cathedral should be a breath of fresh air. Blake has some excellent seniors that they will need to carry them to victory.

Bottom line: This should be the best, closest game of the first day. I could definitely see this game heading to overtime, but I think Blake will prevail and finally make it into the second round of the tournament.

Michigan Tech at St. Cloud

2008-02-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

Michigan Tech came out playing great in the first period, and as a result, got a few powerplays and had some great scoring chances early.

On Tech's first powerplay, Jimmy Kerr got the puck down low with a lot of net to shoot at, but wasn't able to pull the trigger and score. It was the start of a long night for him. The next shift, he got a great pass from behind the net, and with Jase Weslosky looking over the wrong shoulder, Kerr fired the puck into Weslosky's chest. Midway through the period on the powerplay, Tech worked the puck around beautifully and got St. Cloud out of position. The puck got passed over to Kerr in the exact same spot, where he fired a one-timer, only to have Jase Weslosky make a ridiculous acrobatic save. In the second period, Kerr got a pass on a two-on-one that he tried to one-timer, only to have the puck bounce off his stick and into the corner. By that point, Kerr snapped his stick and threw it across the ice, and really, who could blame him? To cap off the night, he got hurt in the third period.

Anyway, Tech had some great chances in the first period, but couldn't get the lead. If they had, I think it would have been a much different hockey game. Instead, St. Cloud got a powerplay at the end of the period, and capitalized. With less than 20 seconds left in the period, there was a loose puck at about the top of the left circle. A Tech penalty kill dove at it to try and knock it out of the zone, but missed. St. Cloud got control of the puck, and Tech had to scramble with one of their players out of the play. The puck quickly got moved down to Andreas Nodl on the goalline to the left of goalie Rob Nolan. Nolan had just about all the angles covered, but Nodl fired a wrist shot and bounced off the post, landing on the other side of the crease where Ryan Lasch was able to knock it in.

You might say it was a little bit of puck luck for St. Cloud to escape that period with a 1-0 lead, after Tech had so many great chances, and St. Cloud needed a lucky bounce off the post to score. But I think it highlights the difference between the two teams right now. Tech doesn't have a player like an Andreas Nodl that can take nothing and turn it into something. Instead, they were a few times where they had something, and turned it into nothing.

A lot of credit for the first period also goes to Weslosky. Weslosky hasn't played poorly this year, but he was also wasn't making many huge saves at critical times, which has been bad news for a team that struggled defensively and has needed a goalie to bail them out on several occasions. On Saturday, he made a couple of those huge, momentum-turning saves which I think was a huge boost for St. Cloud.

I should also mention that this was Marco Hunt's first series since his bungling of the DU/UND series. I thought he was really bad in the first period, but not that noticeable in the last two periods, which is pretty good for an official. I didn't get a great look at either of the two checking-from-behind majors handed out within 45 seconds of each other, so I can't comment on those. One thing I've noticed with Hunt this year, and it's not a major thing, is that he makes some bizarre choices in the naming of penalties.

The perfect example came in the first period. A Michigan Tech player came rushing down the ice with the puck, with St. Cloud's Garrett Raboin defending. Raboin tried to stand him at the blueline, so he stopped and tried to check at the player rushing at him. He maybe got his elbow up a little bit high. Hunt gave Raboin a two-minute penalty for hooking. Wait, what? I've never seen a player get a hooking penalty while standing face-to-face with an opponent.

At the start of the second period, the game really had a feel to it that whoever scored the next goal would probably win. If Tech scored and gained back the momentum, I thought they would have been able to roll the rest of the night. If St. Cloud scored again, I didn't see Tech being able to score three times to win. Tech's odds looked pretty good when St. Cloud took a 5-minute checking-from-behind major, but as I mentioned, Tech answered back with a check-from-behind about 45 seconds later, meaning a good chunk of the period was played 4-on-4. In kind of an odd choice, Tech had freshmen Jordan Baker serve the five-minute major. I could maybe understand the logic of that if Tech was going to be shorthanded, but four and a half out of the five minutes were going to be played 4-on-4, and Tech voluntarily took one of their fastest, most creative players off the ice. Later that period, Tech did play Baker in a 4-on-4 situation and seemed to do pretty well with him out there.

About midway through the period, St. Cloud extended their lead to two. John Swanson showed an amazing burst of speed to get around a Tech defenseman. He didn't score on the initial shot, but the puck got worked back out to the point, and after Robbie Nolan failed to cover a rebound on the shot from the point, Swanson was able to knock it back in. It kind of makes me wonder how a player as talented as Swanson only has five goals on the season. I know he spent a lot of time playing defense this year because St. Cloud was so weak back there, but it still seems like he should be contributing more offensively.

Things felt pretty comfortable for St. Cloud with a two goal lead. I was interested in seeing how St. Cloud would play in the third period with a lead, since that area has been one of their biggest problems all year. For the most part, I thought they did a decent job of locking things down. They gave up a few rushes, but Tech didn't have the firepower to make them pay for it. St. Cloud's fourth line put together a couple nice shifts, and was rewarded with a goal late in the game. Mary Mjelleli picked up an assist, doubling his season point total.

This was really a make-or-break weekend for Michigan Tech, and unfortunately, I think it may have broken them. A sweep would have moved them ahead of St. Cloud, Minnesota, and Duluth and kept them in the race for home ice. Now they're looking like a good bet for 9th place in the league.

St. Cloud on the other hand, has put themselves in a great position. They're back in position for an NCAA tournament bid, and are tied for 5th place in the WCHA. Their series against Wisconsin this weekend will be huge, especially since points will be tough to come by in the last weekend of the season against North Dakota. The Huskies now become huge fans of Michigan Tech. A good performance by Tech against Mankato would give St. Cloud a great shot at home ice, and St. Cloud needs Michigan Tech to stay in the top 25 in the RPI, or St. Cloud will lose their four wins against Tech in the TUC category of the Pairwise.

Section 8AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

Basically all you need to know is that this is the section with undefeated, top-ranked Roseau.

There are two other pretty decent teams in this section in Moorhead and Brainerd, though one will knock out the other before they reach Roseau. Brainerd lost their only meeting of the year with the Rams 7-0. Moorhead lost twice, 7-2 and 4-0.

That said, I think everyone has Roseau penciled in as the top seed at the state tournament, but I think this section final could be closer than people anticipate. Moorhead certainly won't lie down for the Rams and give them a free pass. Last year, Moorhead beat Roseau twice during the regular season, before the Rams upset them in the sectional final. Still, this Roseau team is on a different level than everyone else in the state, and I would be incredibly shocked if they didn't make it to the state tournament. Growing up in Roseau, those kids are fed a steady diet of the town's hockey history, and they realize they have a chance to write another important chapter, and I don't see them letting that opportunity go by.

Section 7AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

This is traditionally a very deep section, and this year is no exception. The 4/5 match-up between Cloquet and Elk Rapids should be an intense one. Even the 3/6 match-up between Grand Rapids and Forest Lake should be interesting, since Forest Lake beat Grand Rapids early in the season at Grand Rapids. Forest Lake goalie Paul Moberg is capable of stealing a game.

Second seed Anoka should come out of the bottom half of that section. They've a great top line with John O'Neill, Cory Belisle, and Berkley Scott.

I think Duluth East will be the team to make it to the state tournament, however. The Greyhounds are a well-coached team with an amazing first line that moves the puck about as well as any high school team I've seen. They're pretty solid on defense too, with two big, up-and-coming defenseman in Joe Arbour and Derek Forbort. You can also add that they will have a home-ice advantage playing at the DECC in Duluth.

Section 6AA Preview

2008-02-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

These could be the best two semifinal games in the state. On the top half of the draw, top seed Minnetonka will play a surprising Hopkins team that spent much of the year in the top ten of the state. Goalie Alex Fons should keep Hopkins in the game and make things interesting, but I think Minnetonka will prevail.

On the other half, Benilde-St. Margaret's will play Eden Prairie. I'll take Benilde just because they are a team that relies a little more on seniors, while Eden Prairie's most talented players are a little younger.

In the final, in what will be one of the best games of sectionals, I think Benilde will pull out the win. It's a lot of pressure on a sophomore, but goalie Jacob Meyers has proven that he's capable of stealing big games for Benilde. Minnetonka won their only meeting of the season, and has received way more press, but I think Benilde is flying under the radar as a great team.

Section 5AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

This section is filled with a lot of pretty good teams that maybe aren't as well known as some of the teams in the southern Twin Cities suburbs. Teams like Champlin Park, Osseo, and Maple Grove quietly put together pretty nice seasons, without a lot of big name talent, and they are all capable of making some noise in this section.

All year, however, it has seemed destined that the trip to the state tournament will come down to the winner of a game between Centennial and Blaine. It should be a great game between two intense rivals, but I like Blaine to make it to the state tournament. Centennial has some talented players, though most are still juniors, while Blaine relies on senior talent. I think that extra experience and maturity will give the Bengals the slight edge in the big game.

Section 4AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T22:18:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

Hill-Murray headlines this section as one of the top team's in the state. Nobody else in this section really has had a great year. Roseville is seeded second, but the Raiders really lack depth this year. Third seed White Bear Lake has had kind of an up-and-down year, that included having one of their better players kicked off the team.

I think White Bear will make it to the sectional final, setting up another classic White Bear/Hill sectional final, but I'll take Hill-Murray to win. The Pioneers have had White Bear's number the past few years, and Hill-Murray has won some very big, very close games in recent weeks, and I think that confidence will really help their team.

Section 3AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

A few weeks ago, I came across an old message board thread about how Rosemount had a number of talented players in their hockey system, and there was a good deal of debate about which ones would stay at Rosemount, and which would move to St. Thomas Academy. It ended up being about 50/50 staying vs. leaving. Those that went to St. Thomas have had a great deal of success at the state tournament, while those that stayed in Rosemount haven't. That could change this year, however, as the Irish are the section's top seed.

They'll likely meet a talented Cretin-Derham Hall team in the semifinals that has some excellent players on their team, but have really had a disappointing season.

On the other half of the bracket, Eastview is a potentially dangerous team. Forward Rob Maloney, doesn't get a lot of press, but is a very dangerous player.

Like Section 1AA, I think this section has the potential for a big upset, but I'll play it safe and take Rosemount to earn their trip to St. Paul.

Section 2AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T21:58:00.001-08:00

The Bracket.

This is going to be a very fun section. I think the first thing that jumped to everybody looking over the brackets was the potential match-up between Edina and Holy Angels in the semifinals. After years of playing the role of the heavy favorite, Holy Angels gets to come into a game as the underdog to a powerful Edina team. The Stars should give Edina a huge test, but I think Edina will be too strong.

Third seed Bloomington Jefferson has experienced a bit of a renaissance after really struggling last season. I think Burnsville's top line of Barnes/Hendrickson/Perisic will be too much for them, however.

This section final should be a great game regardless of what combination of the top four teams make it. But I don't think we'll see a major upset here. Edina is just too good not to make it back to St. Paul for another shot at a state title.

Section 1AA High School Preview

2008-02-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

Last year was a banner year for Section 1AA when upstart Rochester Century shocked everybody with a come-from-behind overtime win over Hill-Murray in the first round of last year's playoffs, and when they followed that performance up two days later with another OT win over Burnsville to take third place. It was a great performance from a team that is from traditionally the weakest section in the state.

Unfortunately, this year is much more of a return to reality for the section that covers the southeast part of the state. Lakeville South earned the top seed, despite finishing the year with a losing record. Owatonna has the best record in the section, though most of those wins came against Class A cupcakes in the southern part of the state. They also got hammered by some good Class A teams.

It's a down year for all three Rochester schools in this section. This year was the first time since 1993 that a team from Rochester failed to win the Big 9 conference, and while that means the Section 1A tournament is very competitive, it is bad news for Section 1AA.

It's not safe to count the Rochester schools out, however. Whoever wins the 4/5 match-up between Rochester Century and Rochester Mayo will provide a very stiff test to Lakeville South. Mayo tied South, while Century lost a one-goal game.

The winner of that semifinal game should be the one that advances to the state tournament. I think goalie Hakan Yumusaklar will carry Lakeville South to the win, though in a very close game.

Section 8A High School Preview

2008-02-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

Warroad has dominated this section, and this year is more of the same, with the Warriors as the top seed. It won't be a walk in the park for them, however. They're facing a potential match-up in the semifinals with Thief River Falls. The Prowlers have a goalie in Zane Gothberg that is capable of stealing a game, and will be playing Warroad in their home rink.

On the other side of the bracket, Park Rapids, led by Mr. Hockey candidate Zach Lehrke, has had a great season, though they haven't played much of a schedule.

My head says a lack of big game experience will hurt Park Rapids if they make it to the final against an experienced Warroad team, but I'll still take Park Rapids. Two years ago, Mike Forney led Thief River Falls to an upset victory over Warroad in the sectional final, and I think Lehrke will pull off the same magic for Park Rapids.

Section 7A High School Preview

2008-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

The bracket.

This could be one of the best sections in all of Class A, with the two best Class A team; Duluth Marshall and International Falls. Third seed Hibbing is also a talented team, but I Falls and Marshall should be meeting in the section final in Duluth.

International Falls should have the most exciting offensive player in the section with Jake Youso, but Duluth Marshall is very strong defensively. Marshall also has a lot more playoff experience, so I'll pick the Hilltoppers.

Section 6A High School Preview

2008-02-17T23:34:00.001-08:00

The Bracket.

This section has quickly become Little Falls' section to lose, and the Flyers are becoming a fixture at the state tournament. They're back as the favorites again this year. They'll likely meet St. Cloud Apollo in the semifinals, and Apollo's first year in Class A hasn't brought much more success than they had in Class AA.

On the other side of the bracket, second seed Fergus Falls isn't the most talented team in the state, but very tough to beat, while Alexandria is led by goalie Matt Hemingway, who is capable of stealing a game.

I think Little Falls will be playing their best hockey, and they've got talent that no one in the section can match.

Section 4A High School Preview

2008-02-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

This section should be all about top seed St. Thomas Academy. The Cadets are technically a Class A school in size, but they wouldn't be hurt if they followed Hill-Murray or Benilde and played up in Class AA. They do lose to the occasional Class A team, but usually it is to one of the top Class A teams in the state, like Duluth Marshall.

The Cadets could face a potentially challenging game in the semifinals against fourth seed Totino-Grace, who has a couple talented forwards, but don't have the depth to keep up with St. Thomas over a full game. Whoever comes out of the other semifinal should be a tough challenge in the final as well. Second seed South St. Paul has quietly put together a pretty nice year, including a tie over Hill-Murray. Mahtomedi also has a pretty solid team, and should be looking to avenge a disappointing upset loss last year.

Section 3A High School Preview

2008-02-17T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

As expected, this is the state's weakest bracket. It should tell you something that Hutchinson, with a record of 11-12-1 is the section's second seed.

New Ulm is the heavy favorite in this section, led by a trio of great juniors in defenseman Beau Bergau, Cody Kohn, and forward Kyle Reinarts, who moved to New Ulm from Sleepy Eye.

Fourth seed Marshall is led by Tony Krogen, who is among the state's leading scorers. He finished behind only Park Rapids' Zach Lehrke in goal-scoring with 43 goals. Krogen's older brother Cory helped lead Marshall to a shocking upset victory over top-seed Albert Lea two years ago in the section semifinals, but it's unlikely that another miracle upset is in the works. New Ulm destroyed Marshall 9-0 earlier in February.

I'd be pretty surprised if anyone other than New Ulm came out of this section.

Section 2A High School Preview

2008-02-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

The bracket.

This year, Blake and Breck get their own section, and thus avoid meeting up with Totino-Grace in sectionals. Not surprisingly, these two teams are the top two teams in the section, with Blake getting the top-seed, but third seed Mound-Westonka should also provide tough competition.

Mound started out the year very strong, but struggled midway through the season while one of their top forwards, Riley Horgan was out. They do have some impressive results, however, including a win over Rochester Lourdes last week.

Breck is a very intriguing team. They are a team loaded with kids that have the potential to be college prospects, but the problem is that they are all extremely young. They've got the talent to beat just about anybody in the state, as they proved when they beat St. Thomas Academy earlier this year, but I don't think the consistency is there yet, and this team might be a year away from truly making it.

I'm going to go with the top seed Blake, even though they lost to Breck on Saturday. The Bears weren't dominant this year, and at times, they struggled to keep the puck out of their net, but they've proven the past two years that they can pull it together when it matters most and make it out of the section.

Section 5A High School Preview

2008-02-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Here is The Bracket.

This section looks to be a four-horse race between the top four seeds. St. Cloud Cathedral is the top seed in the section, but they have been without one of their best players, Minnesota recruit Nate Schmidt, for nearly a month due to a bout with mono.

The second seed, Sauk Rapids-Rice has been one of the more confusing teams to follow this year. They have some great wins over some good teams, including a 3-2 win over St. Cloud Cathedral, but also have a couple head-scratching losses to some teams out west.

Sauk Rapids will likely meet 3rd seed Duluth Denfeld in the semifinals. Sauk Rapids won their previous meeting this year at home, with a 5-goal third period burst, and with the game being played in Cloquet, closer to home for Denfeld, I think Denfeld will prevail.

Last year's state champ, Hermantown, is the fourth seed. It's been a rough year for the Hawks, after losing some key seniors off last year's team, and losing Drew Leblanc to junior hockey. I think their playoff experience should carry them to the final.

In the end, however, I'll take Denfeld to win the section. Senior Jake Johnson passed on the USHL for one last shot at the state tournament, and I think he'll lead his tema there.

Section 1A High School Preview

2008-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

The Bracket.

This may be the deepest section in the entire state. Any of the top 5 seeds has a legitimate chance at making it to the state tournament. Usually it's out of the question for a team that plays in the first round to have a chance at winning the section, but 5th seed Red Wing could win four straight games.

Rochester Lourdes had the most impressive resume in the section and earned the number one seed. Mankato West and Alberta Lea avoid what should be a grueling quartfinal between the 4 and 5 seeds, but Albert Lea's game against Northfield and Mankato West's game against Faribault should be tough in their own right.

Mankato West and Albert Lea split during the regular season, with each team winning at home. On a neutral site, I think Albert Lea will prevail, and meet Rochester Lourdes in the final. I'll take Albert Lea to make it to the state tournament. They are one of the best-coached teams in the section, and have pretty good depth. The semifinals and finals have the potential to be some great games.

Q&A with Travis Morin

2008-01-24T09:29:00.001-08:00

Q & A with Travis Morin

By DJ Powers

Former Minnesota State Mankato Maverick Travis Morin has gotten off to an outstanding start to his pro career as a member of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. He has played in 36 games and currently ranks tied for third in the league in rookie scoring with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists). He is also tied for the league in shorthanded goals with five.

Travis Morin shared his insights about the pro game and his days at Minnesota State Mankato, after the ECHL All-Game at Stockton Arena earlier on Wednesday night.

Q: How were the All-Star Game festivities for you these last two days?

TM: It was good. I met a lot of guys that I play against, getting to know them a little bit and just going out there, playing some hockey and just having a good time.

Q: You scored the first goal for the American conference tonight. So take me through that.

TM: I tried to make a pass, then their defenseman blocked and it bounced right back to me. I just pulled it in quick, shot it and beat the goalie.

Q: Was there something that you took out of this event that you’ll be able to take back to South Carolina with you?

TM: It’s just something that you’re going to remember because it’s your first All-Star game. It’s a way to meet some guys that you play against all the time that you’ll see for the rest of the year and just say ‘hi’. Other than that, it’s just a little springboard to the second half of the season.

Q: I know that this is your first year as a pro. How has it been for you in terms of the learning experience?

TM: I think that it’s been pretty easy adjustment. I came down last year after my senior year and played a couple of games with South Carolina. So that was good to get acclimated that way and going down there just gave me more confidence for this season. So far, it’s been pretty good.

Q: Did you go to either the Capitals or Hershey’s camp back in the fall?

TM: Yes. I went to the Capitals camp for a couple of weeks. Then I went to Hershey’s camp and they sent me down to South Carolina.

Q: I would assume that you being Capitals property and having been in the camps that they’ve been keeping tabs on you in South Carolina.

TM: Yes. I know that our coach sends in the (player) reports every day about how their guys are doing down in South Carolina. I got called up (by Hershey) for a couple of games earlier in the season and just looking to maybe get another chance up there.

Q: So how was the experience of playing in Hershey?

TM: Everything was a little faster and quicker. But it’s good to get your feet wet in there. I’m looking forward to next year and hopefully I’ll be up there the whole time.

Q: How was the adjustment for you going from the college game to the pro game?

TM: I think the biggest adjustment for me coming from the WCHA, were the rinks. Most of the rinks in the WCHA are Olympic-sized ice. When you come up to the pros, the guys are bigger, quicker. Things happen a little bit faster and you also don’t have as much time. So I think that’s the biggest adjustment that I had to make.

Q: You played for a wonderful coach in Troy Jutting at Mankato. What were some of the things that he taught you that you’ve been able to bring to the pro level?

TM: The thing that I had to learn the most was that I had to compete all the time. I probably didn’t do that early in my college career and he’d say it. It’s just something that you learn as you get a little bit older. You learn patience and when you have to choose your times. You’ve got to come to play every day because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Q: What do you feel are some of the areas that you’ve improved in since coming up to this level?

TM: I’d say my patience in making plays and taking my time out there. You think that you don’t have a whole lot of time but you can stop it for just a split second, figure everything out and make your play. I think that’s the biggest key to having success.

Q: Has the rigorous pro schedule been a real challenge for you as well?

TM: Yeah, it’s definitely a lot different from college, where you have practices during the week and games on the weekends. But it hasn’t been bad. We’ve had a couple of long road trips, but it’s nice to be able to get away and hang out with the guys sometime. You can’t really argue when you’re playing pro hockey.

Q: What are your best memories that you’ve taken with you from Mankato?

TM: I’d say that the guys that I graduated with are probably the best memories. I still keep in contact with them. They keep up with me and I see that they’re all playing in other places and try to keep tabs on them. It’s something that you don’t forget.

Q: Well the one player that I have to ask if you keep in close touch with is David Backes because you guys were so great together when the two of played at Mankato.

TM: Yeah, he’s doing really well for himself. St. Louis is an up and coming team. They’re young but they’re showing some good signs. He’s part of what they wanted and build around. I hope that he’ll have a long and distinguished career.

Q: Are you two still in contact with each other?

TM: Yes. He was one of my grooms at my wedding and I’ll be one of his grooms at his wedding this summer. Yeah, we still keep in touch and get together on the fourth of July every year.

Q: Finally, when are we going to be seeing you with the Caps? I know that you’re still their property, so I would imagine that you have contact with them.

TM: Yeah. I’m still (property) with them this year and next year. I’ll see what I can do and finish out this year, hopefully have a good summer, and then go out there and showing them what I can do.

Q: Do you plan to attend their camp next fall?

TM: Yes. I’m definitely going to be going out there for the camp and we’ll see what happens when I get out there.

More of the Nunn Fiasco

2007-12-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

I had fully intended on yesterday's post being my last thoughts on the subject, but it seemed like every hockey mind across the continent had an opinion on this story, and there were a few more things I wanted to share. It's largely been reported as a pretty black and white story so far, but there's also a lot of gray area.

There are some people that have expressed concern over the way Nunn has been portrayed as a "victim" in this situation. There was a feeling that Nunn and his family enjoyed the recruiting attention from both sides a little too much, and got caught trying to play both sides of the fence.

The question is, whose fault is that? Is the problem with Nunn or is it systemic? When that type of attention gets thrown on young kids, it's probably only natural for things like that to happen from time to time. It's an awful lot to ask from parents as well.

Regardless, I think if the Nunn family knew all of the facts, they wouldn't have handled the situation in the way that they did. Nunn essentially ended up signing something that gave him little guarantee of a future with the Giants, yet limited his NCAA options.

It's also hard to feel too sorry for Nunn since it was rumored that he got $50,000 upfront from the Giants for signing with them.

There are also a few holes in the Giants "sinister plot". First, the Giants dropped Nunn off of their protected list for a period of time after Nunn committed to the college route, so any other WHL team could have added to him. It's also questionable how much Vancouver knew about the NCAA rules. According to the article yesterday, they only found out fairly recently that Nunn had to sit out a year at Mankato, making them one of the last to find out.

There also wasn't a lot of sympathy for Minnesota State in this situation. It was pretty well-known that Nunn was a fairly high-risk kid during his recruitment, and a number of teams chose to stop recruiting him. MSU chose to take the risk and it ended up not working out for them. MSU head coach Troy Jutting told the Mankato Free Press yesterday, "I knew when they ruled he'd have to sit a year that it might happen. It's unfortunate. He's a big-timer."

There were also a few notes on the CHL education package.

First, it's pretty likely that Nunn, with his NCAA leverage, was able to negotiate a deal that paid for all four years of college, should he go back and use it. In order to get his room and board paid for, however, that would have to be negotiated separately through the team, and couldn't be sent in to the WHL.

As far as the idea of Nunn being able to get a head start on college while with the Giants, that may be true, but highly unlikely. He would have to pay for his classes, and then get reimbursed if he passes them. Given the rigorous travel schedules in major junior hockey, especially out west, it would be extremely difficult to maintain much of a course load. Most players I've seen only take about one class per semester, which isn't going to get you that far ahead.

MN High School Preview: Class AA

2007-11-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Here's my preview of Class AA. You can view a map of all the schools in Class AA here.

Section 1

Last year, Rochester Century came out of this section, and surprised everyone by upsetting Hill-Murray in the first round of the state tournament, and then coming back to beat Burnsville in the third place game to finish third at the state tournament.

It’s unlikely that the Panthers will have another magical run though. They lost perhaps the best duo in school history in forwards Garrett Grimstad and Joe Knoepke, and forward Ryan Knutson, who looked like he would play a starring role for the Panthers this year, is playing Midget AAA hockey for the Russell Stover program in Kansas.

Lakeville North usually has a pretty strong team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their success continues and they won this section this year.

Section 2

This should be the most competitive section in the state. It features some great programs, including Edina, who is widely regarded as the best metro-area team, and Holy Angels, who has had some great teams over the past few years, and sent nearly 30 players on to play Division I hockey. Burnsville is also in this section, and has proven themselves capable of pulling off the big upset when they defeated Holy Angels in last year’s section final.

Chaska was the only team in the state to lose a player to the National Development Program this year when Nick Mattson moved on to Ann Arbor. It may seem weird for many old-time high school hockey fans that Bloomington Jefferson isn’t mentioned much, but the Jaguar program has fallen on hard times recently and probably won’t be able to compete with powerhouses like Edina and Holy Angels.

It’s hard to imagine Holy Angels going three straight years without making the state tournament given the talent they’ve had, but I think Edina will just be too good this year.

Section 3

Cretin-Derham Hall is the perennial favorite out of this section, though they were upset by Woodbury last season. There seems to be a fair amount of hype surrounding Rosemount’s team heading into the season, and Eastview should be competitive with two future D-I players on their roster in Corey Fienhage(North Dakota) and Rob Maloney(Providence). But I’ll pick the Raiders to avoid the upset.

Section 4

This section features the classic Hill-Murray/White Bear Lake rivalry, and thanks to the re-sectioning of the state, Centennial is no longer in this section to compete.
If the Bears had Jake Hansen and Taylor Johnson for their senior years this year, I’d be tempted to pick the Bears, but now, I think Hill-Murray has too much raw talent for anybody in the section.

Section 5

Blaine has dominated this group over the past few years, but Centennial, which usually boasts one of the strongest youth programs in the state, is now in this section, and should provide some stiff competition for the Bengals. This section boasts a number of talented 11th graders, including Centennial’s Tyler Pitlick and Dustin Lovick, Rogers’ Nick Jensen, and Maple Grove’s Tom Malone and Josh Gross.

It’s hard to pick against Blaine, but I think the group from Centennial that won youth hockey state championships will finally make some noise on the high school level and win the section.

Section 6

This section is noteworthy for some of the talented defenseman playing in the section, specifically Minnetonka’s Jake Gardiner and Anthony Raiola, and Eden Prairie’s Alec Rush and Nick Leddy. Armstrong is also usually fairly strong, and Cory Thorson could have a big year as a senior. I think Minnetonka will come out of this section.

This isn’t the strongest section this year, but in a few years, I expect this to be one of the toughest sections in the state. There are a lot of families with young, hockey-playing kids moving into the southwestern suburbs, and it’s only a matter of time before those numbers translate into hockey success.

Section 7

This is usually one of the deepest, and most exciting sections in the state, and this year will probably be no exception. The teams in this section don’t seem to be as strong as last year, but it the section semifinals and finals in Duluth should still be great games.

Grand Rapids has come out of this section the past two years and advanced to the state championship game. Their run of success looks like it will end this year though. The Thunderhawks lost their two best players, who are now playing college hockey in Pat White and Joe Stejskal. They also lost starting goalie Reidar Jensen, who was fabulous in the state tournament last year. Grand Rapids really struggled in the first half of last year while White was hampered by an injury, and I think they’ll really struggle without him this year.

Cloquet-Esko-Carleton usually has a pretty good team. They lost star Tyler Johnson and the state’s best goalie in Reid Ellingson, but return one of the best power forwards in the state in Justin Jokinen. Anoka should have a strong team too, with seniors John O’Neill and Cory Belisle both scored over 20 goals last year.

The best team in this section should be Duluth East. After a couple quiet years, the Greyhounds should be back as one of the tougher teams in the state, led by Minnesota-Duluth recruit Max Tardy.

Section 8

This section has pretty much belonged to Roseau and Moorhead over the years, and it’s unlikely that that will change this year. Brainerd moves into this section, and will have the potential to upset one of the two powerhouses. This could be one of Brainerd’s better teams with two exceptional seniors in Joey Frazer and Drew Olson.

In the end though, this year will likely be all about Roseau. The Rams are the defending state champions, and return most of the talent off of that team, including the state’s best player in Aaron Ness, and one of the best goalies in Mike Lee.

The only potential pitfall for the Rams should be the pressure that will be on them this year. The Hockey News will be following the Rams on a weekly basis, scouts from the NHL and NCAA should be attendance at most of their games, and since they are defending a championship and favored to win it again, even more attention than usual will be placed on them in the tiny town with little else besides hockey.

Mr. Hockey Candidates

2007-11-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award is given out annually to the top senior high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota. Here is a list of past winners and finalists.

This year's crop is looking a little thin right now, mainly because my top three choices for the award, Little Falls' Jared Festler, White Bear Lake's Jake Hansen, and Virginia's Nico Sacchetti, have all opted to spend their senior year of high school playing in the USHL rather than playing high school hockey. There are still plenty of great candidates though, and here is a look at a few of them.

1. Jake Youso, Forward, International Falls HS, Committed to Minnesota

Youso is one of the smoothest skaters in the skate, and displays a great understanding of the game. The Broncos will miss goalie Brady Hjelle who is playing in the USHL this year, but Youso should be one of the state's best players.

2. Jake Gardiner, Defenseman, Minnetonka HS, Committed to Wisconsin

Gardiner made the move from forward to defense, and now, as a senior, he is considered one of the best defenseman in the state. He's another very smooth skater that can jump into the rush at any time. He's considered an "A" prospect by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau and some scouting sites have him listed as high as a first round pick, which is taken into consideration for this award.

3. Tyler Barnes, Forward, Burnsville HS, Committed to Wisconsin

Barnes has come out of nowhere ever since Burnsville's surprising upset of Holy Angels last season. He's a creative playmaker that works well with senior linemate Jake Hendrickson.

4. John O'Neill, Forward, Anoka HS, Committed to Minnesota-Duluth

O'Neill is one of the most complete players in the state. He may not stand out in any one particular area, but he does everything pretty well.

5. Adam Mueller, Forward, Roseville, Committed to Minnesota State

Mueller is one of the fastest skaters in the state, and has a great knack for picking up points. He was overshadowed a little bit last year by another Mr. Hockey candidate in Mike Dorr, but as Roseville's go-to-guy this year, Mueller could shine. At only 5'9" 160 lbs., he's at a little bit of a disadvantage with the NHL scouts, but that didn't stop another Roseville native, Marty Sertich, from taking home the award.

6. Drew Olson, Defenseman, Brainerd HS, Uncommitted

Olson is a talented defenseman that can do just about everything. He skates well, can play physical defense, makes nice outlet passes, and has a pretty strong shot. He, along with teammate Joe Frazer, should lead Brainerd to one of their stronger seasons in school history.

7. Justin Jokinen, Forward, Cloquest-Esko-Carleton, Uncommitted

Jokinen had a nice year last season playing alongside Colorado College's Tyler Johnson. This year, the big power forward will be on his own, but should do just fine. He's a very strong goal-scorer that should be one of the best players in the Northland.

8. Joe Gleason, Defenseman, Edina HS, Committed to North Dakota

Gleason is a talented puck-mover that should rack up a lot of assists feeding scorers like Zach Budish and Anders Lee. It may be tough for him to stand out on such a talented team though.

9. Chris Student, Defenseman, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Committed to Northeastern

Student is another talented puck-mover that got away from the WCHA when he committed to Northeastern last year. BSM lost some very talented forwards off of last year's team, which could hurt his offensive production, but he's one of the smarter defenseman in all of Minnesota.

10. Bryce Ravndalen, Forward, Warroad HS, Committed to St. Cloud

Ravndalen is a slippery stickhandler that made a name for himself last year playing with SCSU's Aaron Marvin. Marvin has graduated, but Ravndalen has improved to become one of the better playmakers in the state, and he should have a very big year.

Wildcard: Aaron Ness, Roseau, Committed to Minnesota

Ness is a bit of a wildcard in that he should be an 11th grader, but is accelerating through his senior year of high school to play for Minnesota next fall. It sounds like his academic progress will be monitored, and if he's deemed to be the equivalent of a high school senior, he will be eligible for the award. If he's eligible, Ness would have to be one of, if not the favorite for the award. He's a smooth skater and very smart hockey player that controls the game from the blueline.

MN High School Preview: Class A

2007-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota State High School League re-configured all of the sections for hockey this year. Here is a helpful map of which schools are in which section.

For my preview, I'll go through section by section and give some thoughts, as well as some predictions, starting today with Class A, which is for the smaller schools in the state.

Section 1

With the redrawing of the sections, this became an incredibly interesting section. Red Wing and Rochester Lourdes are two programs that have been traditionally strong, but over recent years, hasn't been able to beat St. Thomas Academy. New Prague and Faribault were both fairly strong last year, but couldn't get past Orono. Those four teams no longer have to worry about those schools now, but do have to worry about Albert Lea and Mankato West, who were two of the strongest teams in the old Section 1.

Albert Lea made it to the state tournament last year and seems to have an unending supply of fast, strong skaters. Mankato West should have the section's most dangerous line in Corey Leivermann, Ricky Litchfield, and Ryan Anderson, but will need great goaltending from junior Tyler Bruggeman. Junior Tyler Lapic and freshman Seth Ambroz should give New Prague a talented scoring combo. Faribault returns some talented players, but lost superstar Seth Helgeson to the USHL.

Albert Lea and Red Wing are probably the favorites, but I'll go out on a limb and pick Mankato West to avenge last year's upset and finally earn their trip to St. Paul.

Section 2

This group is highlighted by the intense rivalry of Blake and Breck. Also in this section is Orono, who has made it to the state tournament the past couple of years. Orono is a scrappy team, but I think that without goalie Taylor Peterson, who graduated last spring, that tournament streak will end. Blake pulled off a couple upsets to make last year's state tournament, but I think their run will also end. Breck has some exciting young players in Joey Rehkamp, Riley Borer, and Tyson Fulton, and are my pick to make it to states.

Section 3

Blech. I would take the third seed in any other section in the state over any team from this section. The old Section 1 was a comparatively weak section to the rest of the state, but usually, at least the team that came out of it was respectable. The same can't be said here.

Still, as much as it pains me, I have to pick New Ulm to win the section. They do have two junior defenseman that are worth keeping an eye on in Cody Kohn and Beau Burgau.

Section 4

St. Thomas Academy has to be the heavy favorite in this section. They lost some very key players in goalie Aaron Crandall and forward Nick Larson to the USHL, but also return some good talent and are a very well-coached team. Ryan Walters will be back from a pre-season USHL stint and should score a lot of points.

St. Thomas should receive some competition from Totino-Grace, who has been rebuilding the past two years, but look ready to compete at a high level again. The Eagles are led by two big power forwards in Nick Nagel and Dan DeLisle. Mahtomedi had a great regular season last year, but was upset in their section playoffs.

Section 5

This section features the defending state champion Hermantown Hawks. The Hawks lost a lot of talent off of last year's team, including starting goalie Nate Hardy, top defenseman Chad Huttel, and top scorer Drew Leblanc, who is spending his senior year in the USHL, but Hermantown is such a strong program that they should be able to reload with a fresh set of talent and win the section.

There are some very talented individual players in this section including Duluth Denfield's Jake Johnson and St. Cloud Cathedral's Nate Schmidt, but I don't think any team will have the depth to upset the Hawks.

Section 6

Over the past three years, this part of the state has belonged to Little Falls, and the departure of Jared Festler to the USHL shouldn't stop that from happening again. The Flyers return a great team with some very talented players including the Hanowski brothers, forward Ben Nelson, and defenseman Izaak Berglund.

Potential threats for Little Falls include Alexandria, who could be extremely dangerous, especially if goalie Matt Hemingway gets hot in net, Fergus Falls, who have given the Flyers some trouble over the past few years, and St. Cloud Apollo, who is playing in Class A for the first time. The Apollo program, which has produced players like Kurt Sauer, Chris Harrington, Mike Howe, and Matt Hartman has fallen on hard times recently and was struggling to compete in Class AA.

Section 7

Technically this is the Iron Range section, but the new sections bring Class A powerhouse Duluth Marshall into this section, and the Hilltoppers should be the best team out of this section.

This section was hit by departures to the USHL, with goalie Brady Hjelle leaving International Falls and Nico Sacchetti leaving Virginia. I-Falls Jake Youso and Hibbing's Anthony DeCenzo are noteworthy players, but it's unlikely anybody will be able to keep up with Marshall's depth.

Section 8

Bemidji joins this section as the latest team to stop playing up in Class AA; a sad sign for those that remember the glory days of hockey in northwest Minnesota.

Warroad is the favorite in this section every year, if only on name alone. They've got a star in Bryce Ravndalen that should score a lot of points for them. I could see Zach Lehrke and his Park Rapids team giving Warroad a run for their money, but I think Warroad will return to the state tournament.

Fighting Words

2007-11-06T09:08:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to write a post about fighting in hockey for a while now, but I needed an extra little bit of motivation to put finger to keyboard. Thankfully, there's been a couple scenarios over the past few weeks that have given me that motivation.

The conventional wisdom from the pro-fighting bloc has always been about how fighting actually cleans up the game, and makes it safer for the skill players. Personally, I think it's completely unnecessary.

Example 1: Derek Boogard fights D.J. King

D.J. King tries a wraparound against the Minnesota Wild and takes a couple jabs at the puck before the whistle play. Derek Boogard who, not surprisingly, was out of the play, comes flying in and picks a fight with King.

I know the argument here. "But, if Boogard doesn't fight King, the Blues will keep whacking at Josh Harding all night!" Ok, so King hacks at Harding's pads a little bit there. Maybe next time he hits him a little harder. Maybe the next time he hits him too hard, and is called for a penalty.

It's nice of Boogard to try and police the game, but there's already like four guys out there on the ice to do that. What King did wasn't worthy of being called an infraction by the officials, so it wasn't.

It's also no coincidence that the guy Boogard just happened to pick was St. Louis' biggest fighter, who Boogard had just happened to fight two other times in the last year. That fight had nothing to do with policing the game and everything to do with a guy trying to justify his NHL paycheck.

Example 2: Junior Hockey Brawl

Boy, it's a good thing that Halifax had those enforcers or things might have gotten out of hand.

Example 3: Boulerice Cheap Shots Kesler

Of course the argument is that having a bunch of goons out on the ice is supposed to stop this type of stuff. But would this type of stuff even happen if there weren't a bunch of goons out on the ice?

Boulerice's NHL statline reads like this: 162 games, 8 goals, 2 assists, 319 PIMs. He's not in the NHL for his skill. Of course we don't know the whole story. Maybe Kesler had done something earlier in the game to provoke the attack, but I can guarantee you that whatever he did, getting cross-checked in the face was a disproportionate response. Again, that's why there are officials out on the ice to judge this type of stuff. Somebody that gets punched in the head for a living probably isn't the right choice to play judge and jury out on the ice.

And of course this isn't a rare occurrence. Look at the other players that have committed some of most atrocious cheap shots in recent memory: Chris Simon: 302 career points, 1772 career PIMs, Todd Bertuzzi: 542 career points, 1056 PIMs, Marty McSorley: 359 career points, 3381 career PIMs, Dale Hunter: 1020 career points, 3565 career PIMs.

All guys that were supposed to be "policing" the game with their fighting and instead, they ended up giving the game of hockey a black eye.

Example 4:Junior Hockey Fight

I was at a junior hockey game at a tournament a few weeks ago, and I don't want to use names, but Team A wasn't having a great game. It was fairly early in the third period and they were getting blown out. Player X wasn't having a great game for Team A. All of a sudden, a player from Team B got tripped up and slid into Team A's goalie. Player X jumped on the player and got into a fight with him. The referees finally pulled the two players, and it took 5-10 minutes for the referees to straighten out the mess and get the game started again. While they were sorting it out, most of the scouts in the rink had gotten up and wandered off to watch a different game. The funny thing though, is that as Player X was being escorted to the box, everyone on Team A got up and cheered for him. Why? They were still losing by a lot. They had lost out on a nice opportunity to be scouted. Maybe they were just happy that one of their weakest players wasn't going to be playing anymore. In any case, I fail to see what that accomplished other than positively reinforcing stupid behavior.

Fighting Words

2007-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to write a post about fighting in hockey for a while now, but I needed an extra little bit of motivation to put finger to keyboard. Thankfully, there's been a couple scenarios over the past few weeks that have given me that motivation.

The conventional wisdom from the pro-fighting bloc has always been about how fighting actually cleans up the game, and makes it safer for the skill players. Personally, I think it's completely unnecessary.

Example 1: Derek Boogard fights D.J. King

D.J. King tries a wraparound against the Minnesota Wild and takes a couple jabs at the puck before the whistle play. Derek Boogard who, not surprisingly, was out of the play, comes flying in and picks a fight with King.

I know the argument here. "But, if Boogard doesn't fight King, the Blues will keep whacking at Josh Harding all night!" Ok, so King hacks at Harding's pads a little bit there. Maybe next time he hits him a little harder. Maybe the next time he hits him too hard, and is called for a penalty.

It's nice of Boogard to try and police the game, but there's already like four guys out there on the ice to do that. What King did wasn't worthy of being called an infraction by the officials, so it wasn't.

It's always no coincidence that the guy Boogard just happened to pick was St. Louis' biggest fighter, who Boogard had just happened to fight two other times in the last year. That fight had nothing to do with policing the game and everything to do with a guy trying to justify his NHL paycheck.

Example 2: Junior Hockey Brawl

Boy, it's a good thing that Halifax had those enforcers or things might have gotten out of hand.

Example 3: Boulerice Cheap Shots Kesler

Of course the argument is that having a bunch of goons out on the ice is supposed to stop this type of stuff. But would this type of stuff even happen if there weren't a bunch of goons out on the ice?

Boulerice's NHL statline reads like this: 162 games, 8 goals, 2 assists, 319 PIMs. He's not in the NHL for his skill. Of course we don't know the whole story. Maybe Kesler had done something earlier in the game to provoke the attack, but I can guarantee you that whatever he did, getting cross-checked in the face was a disproportionate response. Again, that's why there are officials out on the ice to judge this type of stuff. Somebody that gets punched in the head for a living probably isn't the right choice to play judge and jury out on the ice.

And of course this isn't a rare occurrence. Look at the other players that have committed some of most atrocious cheap shots in recent memory: Chris Simon: 302 career points, 1772 career PIMs, Todd Bertuzzi: 542 career points, 1056 PIMs, Marty McSorley: 359 career points, 3381 career PIMs, Dale Hunter: 1020 career points, 3565 career PIMs.

All guys that were supposed to be "policing" the game with their fighting and instead, they ended up giving the game of hockey a black eye.

Example 4:Junior Hockey Fight

I was at a junior hockey game at a tournament a few weeks ago, and I don't want to use names, but Team A wasn't having a great game. It was fairly early in the third period and they were getting blown out. Player X wasn't having a great game for Team A. All of a sudden, a player from Team B got tripped up and slid into Team A's goalie. Player X jumped on the player and got into a fight with him. The referees finally pulled the two players, and it took 5-10 minutes for the referees to straighten out the mess and get the game started again. While they were sorting it out, most of the scouts in the rink had gotten up and wandered off to watch a different game. The funny thing though, is that as Player X was being escorted to the box, everyone on Team A got up and cheered for him. Why? They were still losing by a lot. They had lost out on a nice opportunity to be scouted. Maybe they were just happy that one of their weakest players wasn't going to be playing anymore. In any case, I fail to see what that accomplished other than positively reinforcing stupid behavior.

Rising to the Challenge

2007-11-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Here’s a look at a few uncommitted college prospects that I think really helped increase their stock over the course of the Elite League season.

Jeff Costello, Catholic Memorial(Wis)

Most of the attention throughout the fall focused on his Team Wisconsin teammates Seth Soley and Nate Condon, who both committed to schools over the Elite League season, but Costello was almost as good as his teammates. But unlike Soley and Condon, Costello is only an 11th grader. There weren’t many inspiring Elite League performances from ’91 and ’92 birthdates in the Elite League this year, which could make Costello’s services highly-sought after by WCHA schools for 2009 or 2010.

Justin Jokinen, Cloquet

Jokinen got a little bit of attention last year, playing alongside Tyler Johnson, but this fall, he showed that he can be excellent on his own. He’s 6’3” 185 lbs., with a nice shot and good skating ability. It shouldn’t be long before he starts fielding scholarship offers.

Anthony Raiola, Minnetonka

I’ve always though Raiola was a fantastic player, and this fall, he helped cement that with 12 points, which was tied for 4th among defenseman in scoring.

Zach Lehrke, Park Rapids

Lehrke made the Select 17s this past summer as an alternate, and this year in the Elite League, he earned a reputation as a hard-working forward with pretty good skills.

Nick Nagel, Totino-Grace

Nagel was fairly unknown prior to this fall, but put up some big points in the Elite League thanks to being paired on a line with the speedy Adam Mueller. He’s a big guy with a fair amount of potential that was listed by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as a “B” prospect.

Corey Leivermann, Mankato Western College Hockey

Leivermann has long been known as one of the best players in southern Minnesota, but with the exception of the Rochester area, being the best player in southern Minnesota is often about as big an honor as being the best football at Notre Dame. But Leivermann proved that he could play this fall by scoring a lot of points during the Elite League season and making one of the NIT all-star rosters. His skating isn’t the greatest, but he’s a hard worker and a very unselfish player that showed he has a knack for getting to the right spot at the right time to score goals.

Elite League NIT Recap

2007-11-05T13:29:00.001-08:00

Here's my recap from the Elite League NIT. I saw the first two games on Saturday, and everything on Sunday. The teams are listed in order of finish the tournament, with their record in parenthesis.

1. Minnesota Red (3-0)

By far the best team of the tournament. They dominated everyone. Not only were they a talented team, but they moved the puck with remarkable ability for a team playing their first games together. They were able to keep a little continuity with the Wisconsin line of Seth Soley, Nate Condon, and Jeff Costello. All three players were fantastic. Soley has an incredible snap shot. On defense, Aaron Ness played fantastic. He really does a great job of controlling the play and moving the puck.

2. LA Jr. Kings (2-1)

Probably the biggest story for LA was Shane McColgan, who was born on January 1st, 1993. It’s pretty impressive for a kid that young to be playing at such a high-level, but McColgan didn’t look out of place at all. He’s an incredibly fast skater, with a pretty good shot. What surprised me most is that he didn’t look like he was the youngest player out there. He wasn’t afraid to play with an edge and get his nose dirty. He picked up two penalties in the second period of the championship game; one for driving hard to the net and poking at the goalie, and one for getting into a shoving match with a Minnesota player.

Tyler Maxwell is a player that had gotten some attention from USA Hockey, and he looked like a solid player. Garrett Taylor was supposed to be another top ’91 birthdate on their team, but he took a spearing penalty and got kicked out, so he didn’t play much.

3. Shattuck-St. Mary’s(2-1)

Shattuck was probably the favorite heading into the tournament, but was upset by LA on Saturday. They beat Malmo pretty soundly in the third place game.

Shattuck’s top line of David Toews, Jordy Murray, and Derek Stepan was pretty dominant, though I don’t know that they racked up a ton of points. Jordy Murray really impressed me, just because he looks like he’s developed so much over the past couple of years. Toews was quietly effective. He didn’t do anything that screamed “first round draft pick,” but made a lot of really nice little plays.

It was my first chance seeing Alexander Fallstrom play, and I was pretty impressed. He’s got good size, and always seems to be causing trouble for the opposition. Seniors Brian Elser and Luke Grenier also played very well.

Stepan Novotny also seems to be developing quite well. His skating looked much better than it did at this time last year. His combination of size and skill kind of reminds me of Andreas Nodl. He just needs to work on getting better at finishing. I must have counted four or five scoring opportunities that he sailed over the net.

’92 Emerson Etem showed some flashes of great play, but still needs to get a little older, and add a little more muscle before he’s dominant at this level.

David Carle was another player that was quietly effective. He’s not very flashy, but plays very solid defense. I overheard one coach say that they were pretty sure he’d be playing college hockey next fall, rather than making a stop in the USHL. Defenseman Mac Williams and Ben Montgomery also played well on the point.

4. Malmo Redhawks (1-2)

It was a little tough to get a read on them. I saw them play against Minnesota Red and Shattuck, and they were way overmatched in both games. They had three ’92 birthdates on their team: goalie Fabian Sivnert, who played very well against Shattuck, forward Victor Ohman, and a 6’4” defenseman named Victor Mangs. Considering how young they were, they looked like pretty nice prospect, especially Mangs, who will be eligible for the 2011 NHL draft. It should be interesting to see if their trip to the US results in any NCAA scholarship offers.

5. Team Michigan (2-1)

As far as skill, they may have been the weakest in the tournament, but they brought an experienced, gritty team to the tournament that fought hard and was able to come away with two wins. They had a big upset over Minnesota White on Thursday. On Sunday, they had a dramatic win over the Dallas Stars to take 5th place for the second straight year.

Goalie Adam Janecyk started Sunday’s game for Michigan, and he was outstanding. He was probably the best goalie at the tournament. Defenseman Brock Carlston and Greg Merrill played close to every other shift for Michigan, and were solid, especially Carlston. At forward, Ryan Baratono scored a nice goal to open the game on Sunday, and Billy Balent looked like a speedy, talented player.

6. Dallas Stars (1-2)

’91 forward Anthony Hamburg played on Dallas’ top line, and he looked like one of their better forwards. Forward Trevor Gerling scored a pretty goal on Sunday, and also played pretty well. Defenseman CJ Ludwig was tabbed by NHL Central Scouting as a player of interest. I’d be surprised if he got drafted just because of the combination of playing midget hockey and that he’s not overly big, but he’s a nice player that should play college hockey somewhere. He’s got a powerful shot from the point, and plays nice defense.

7. Minnesota White(1-2)

Definitely the most disappointing team of the tournament. Conventional wisdom before the tournament was that they would be Shattuck’s biggest competition in the tournament. Instead, they lost to LA on Friday, and were then upset by Michigan on Saturday. There was a brief stretch in the second period on Sunday were they looked great and put together 3 or 4 goals, but other than that, they had a pretty bad weekend.

The two defenseman from Minnetonka, Jake Gardiner and Anthony Raiola both played very well. They’re excellent skaters. Tyler Barnes, Jake Hendrickson, and Danny Mattson played on a line, but they didn’t seem to get much going while I was there. Mattson left late in the third period on Sunday with a shoulder injury that hopefully isn’t too serious.

8. Team Illinois (0-3)

Team Illinois had some talented players, but not as much depth as the other teams in the tournament. Their most impressive players was ’91 forward Cody Murphy. He looks like he will be a star some day. ’91 defenseman Ben Hughes also played pretty solid on both days that I saw TI.

UNO recruit Fredrik Csisar looks like he has developed a lot over the past year. He didn’t do much on Saturday, but played pretty nicely on Sunday. I don’t think he’ll be a star in college, but should be a nice player.

Michigan Thoughts

2007-10-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

Billy Sauer-Sauer is only as good as the defense in front of him, and unfortunately, the defense in front of him isn't very good. Of the 7 goals he gave up, four came off of terrible defensive breakdowns. Only the second goal against BC was what I would classify as a bad goal on his part, but at the same time, he also has to step up and make a big save to cover a mistake once in a while.

Mark Mitera-Michigan's best defenseman. The Wolverines need him to play every other shift, at least when they have a lead. He's not an All-American by any means, but the most reliable option Michigan has.

Steve Kampfer-Very high risk/high reward. If the number of smart pinches(like on the goal he scored against Minnesota) outweighs the bad pinches and poor defensive plays in the neutral zone, he'll be a pretty good player. Aside from that one play against Minnesota though, I wasn't overly impressed.

Chad Langlais-I wasn't as impressed as everyone else seemed to be. Both nights, he tried to bat passes out of the air that ended up getting by him and leading to breaks for the other team. He also lost on Ryan Flynn when he fell down behind the net, leading to Minnesota's third goal.

Kevin Quick-The Wheeler goal just about says it all. Talented, but has a ways to go before he's ready for the highest levels of college hockey.

Scooter Vaughn-Didn't see a lot of ice time, and I was ok with that.

Tristin Llewellyn-He took the two dumb penalties on Friday, and it was probably ok leaving him out against a faster opponent in Minnesota, but I'd still like to see him playing every night.

Summers-Rarely was the answer to "Who is supposed to be back on defense right now?" which is about all it takes to be Michigan's second defenseman.

Kevin Porter-He's not going to score 58 points again without T.J. Hensick, but I was very impressed with how he played. Definitely a leader on the team, and he should still finish with at least 40 points this year.

Chad Kolarik-You can really tell that he and Porter are the only two seniors on the team. It looks like he's also going to really step up and have a nice year.

Max Pacioretty-Very talented kid. I think he'll start putting up points once he adjusts to the speed of the game and things start to slow down for him. He doesn't take much time to get his shot off, but I can think of one instance in the Minnesota game when a puck got dropped to him in the slot(not all the dissimilar to where White scored the winning goal), and he wasn't able to pull the trigger on the shot quick enough. Hopefully by the second half of the season, that's a goal for Michigan.

Travis Turnbull-I expected him to make jump this year, and it looks like he has. After Porter and Kolarik, he's probably the third best forward.

Tim Miller-Same as Turnbull. He looks much, much better than he did last year.

Carl Hagelin-I wasn't sure what to expect out of a kid from Sweden, but he's such a hard worker and is always making things happen.

Ben Winnett-Needs to add a lot of muscle before he'll be able to do much in college. He got put on his back a couple times against BC, but I was very impressed with his defensive effort all weekend. He won't provide a lot of offense this year, but will make a great fourth-liner for the time being.

Aaron Palushaj-It's nice that Wolverines will have someone to pick up garbage goals in front of the net, if nothing else.

Louie Caporusso-I think BC felt sorry for him after the way Ferriero abused him.

Danny Fardig-Always nice to see his effort rewarded on the scoresheet.

Season Preview: Ferris State

2007-10-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Head coach Bob Daniels says:

"In regards to our team, a little bit like Bowling Green from the standpoint that we did have a good second half as well that we'd like to build on. We were 6-2 in February; I think one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch run against some pretty good opponents such as Notre Dame and Michigan State. We felt like we had a real good finish to the season. Quickly from goal out, in net we return both goaltenders from a year ago. We are also bringing in a freshman that we have high hopes for in Pat Nagle. We are hoping some increased competition in that area will lead us to realize a little more consistency in that position. On defense, I would say we're probably in the top four in the league, top 10 in the country in terms of defensive corp. We are led back there by third-time captain (first time in the history of the program that we've had a captain for three straight years), Adam Welch. We are real deep in that position. We have a couple newcomers, we are very comfortable on defense. Upfront is the real question mark. We've got some players with potential but that's what it's been and they need to realize that potential now. We've got some opportunities there with Adam Miller, Aaron Lewicki, Cody Chupp, Brendan Connolly. I think they all have ability to be scorers in this league but now it's a matter of doing that."

WCH says:

Ferris State certainly fits the model of a team that has built themselves from the goal out. Their deepest position is in goal, where they have three highly-recruit goalies in Derek MacIntyre, Mitch O'Keefe, and incoming freshman Pat Nagle. O'Keefe saw most of the playing time last year, but took a step backwards from his impressive freshman season. That leaves the door open for Nagle to take the starting job.

Whoever is in goal will have the benefit of an experienced defense. They lost two experienced defenseman in Jeremy Scherlinck, the last holdover from Ferris State's NCAA tournament, and Jon Van Culin, but return captain Adam Welch, and Chris Zarb, an NHL draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Bulldogs lost incoming freshman Pat Maroon to the OHL after he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL draft. They do bring in a number of gritty, hard-working freshman, however. The offense will rely on sophomores Cody Chupp and Aaron Lewicki building off of their impressive freshman seasons.

Season Preview: Nebraska-Omaha

2007-10-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

Head coach Mike Kemp says:

"We're looking forward to a great year. The opportunity with Doc leaving gave me a chance for the first time to bring a former player on as and assistant coach. It's a thrill for us to have Nick Fohr, who played on our second through fifth teams at UNO, in a full-time coaching position. He served under Enrico Blasi at Miami for one year as a graduate assistant, had spent three years as our director of hockey operations and will now step into a full-time coaching position, which for me is very gratifying to have one of our own guys move up the coaching ladder. We have some big shoes to fill in our program losing Scott Parse who was our four-time team MVP, three time First Team All-CCHA selection, and holder of every scoring record in our school's history. That's going to be a big hole to fill, along with Alex Nikiforuk, who was another one of our high-scoring forwards that we lost to graduation. We have three seniors that have been consistent scorers, Bryan Marshal, Brandon Scero from Canton, Michigan and Mick Lawrence returning. We'll look for those guys to give us some offensive punch throughout the course of the season. We'll be relatively green back on the blueline. Juha Uotila will be a junior defenseman who has shown some offensive ability back there. Eddie Del Grosso returning from an All-Rookie Team in his first year at UNO and Mark Bernier are our only defensemen with any experience. We'll be playing five freshmen defensemen this year who will all be vying for playing time. And it will be a test to prep them for the rigors of CCHA play. Goaltending should be stable if nothing else. We have Jeremie Dupont coming back from a strong freshman season. He'll be supported by Jerad Kaufman and senior Eric Aarnio. We feel that position can give us some stability for what we consider to be a very difficult cluster in a very difficult CCHA league. We're looking forward to seeing everyone on the road and a great CCHA season."

WCH says:

The biggest story for Nebraska-Omaha is the gaping hole left by Scott Parse. Parse led the Mavericks in scoring all four years at Nebraska-Omaha, and led the program from last place in the CCHA his freshman year to the school's first NCAA appearance in his junior year. Seniors Bryan Marshall and Brandon Scero have put up decent numbers in their careers, but will have to make a big jump this year to help replace the loss of offense.

The Mavericks have a fairly big freshman class this year with 9 new freshman, but there are two players not in this freshman class that could be bigger losses. Defenseman Quinn Waller was able to qualify academically for UNO, and will instead play for Division III Adrian College this year. Also, talented forward John Kemp was unable to qualify academically and is instead playing another year for the Indiana Ice in the USHL. Kemp would have helped offset the loss of Parse, as well as Alex Nikiforuk, who scored 43 points last year for the Mavericks. Freshman Rich Purslow scored a lot of points as an older player in the USHL, however, and will try to carry that offense over to the college level.

If nothing else, the incoming freshman will add a little more size to the Mavericks roster. Last year, Nick Fanto was the only Maverick forward taller than 6-0. The Mavericks add a little more size in forward Matt Ambroz(6-4 198), defenseman Alain Goulet(6-3 195), and two late additions on defense in Nick van Bokern(6-4 210) and Pasko Skarica(6-3 210).

In goal, Jeremie Dupont saw most of the minutes last season, despite not turning 18 until December. His numbers weren't spectacular, but about as good as any team could hope for given that he was an underage goalie. He should be even better this year with another year of maturity.

Season Preview: Nebraska-Omaha

2007-10-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Head coach Mike Kemp says:

"We're looking forward to a great year. The opportunity with Doc leaving gave me a chance for the first time to bring a former player on as and assistant coach. It's a thrill for us to have Nick Fohr, who played on our second through fifth teams at UNO, in a full-time coaching position. He served under Enrico Blasi at Miami for one year as a graduate assistant, had spent three years as our director of hockey operations and will now step into a full-time coaching position, which for me is very gratifying to have one of our own guys move up the coaching ladder. We have some big shoes to fill in our program losing Scott Parse who was our four-time team MVP, three time First Team All-CCHA selection, and holder of every scoring record in our school's history. That's going to be a big hole to fill, along with Alex Nikiforuk, who was another one of our high-scoring forwards that we lost to graduation. We have three seniors that have been consistent scorers, Bryan Marshal, Brandon Scero from Canton, Michigan and Mick Lawrence returning. We'll look for those guys to give us some offensive punch throughout the course of the season. We'll be relatively green back on the blueline. Juha Uotila will be a junior defenseman who has shown some offensive ability back there. Eddie Del Grosso returning from an All-Rookie Team in his first year at UNO and Mark Bernier are our only defensemen with any experience. We'll be playing five freshmen defensemen this year who will all be vying for playing time. And it will be a test to prep them for the rigors of CCHA play. Goaltending should be stable if nothing else. We have Jeremie Dupont coming back from a strong freshman season. He'll be supported by Jerad Kaufman and senior Eric Aarnio. We feel that position can give us some stability for what we consider to be a very difficult cluster in a very difficult CCHA league. We're looking forward to seeing everyone on the road and a great CCHA season."

WCH says:

The biggest story for Nebraska-Omaha is the gaping hole left by Scott Parse. Parse led the Mavericks in scoring all four years at Nebraska-Omaha, and led the program from last place in the CCHA his freshman year to the school's first NCAA appearance in his junior year. Seniors Bryan Marshall and Brandon Scero have put up decent numbers in their careers, but will have to make a big jump this year to help replace the loss of offense.

The Mavericks have a fairly big freshman class this year with 9 new freshman, but there are two players not in this freshman class that could be bigger losses. Defenseman Quinn Waller was able to qualify academically for UNO, and will instead play for Division III Adrian College this year. Also, talented forward John Kemp was unable to qualify academically and is instead playing another year for the Indiana Ice in the USHL. Kemp would have helped offset the loss of Parse, as well as Alex Nikiforuk, who scored 43 points last year for the Mavericks.

If nothing else, the incoming freshman will add a little more size to the Mavericks roster. Last year, Nick Fanto was the only Maverick forward taller than 6-0. The Mavericks add a little more size in forward Matt Ambroz(6-4 198), defenseman Alain Goulet(6-3 195), and two late additions on defense in Nick van Bokern(6-4 210) and Pasko Skarica(6-3 210).

In goal, Jeremie Dupont saw most of the minutes last season, despite not turning 18 until December. His numbers weren't spectacular, but about as good as any team could hope for given that he was an underage goalie. He should be even better this year with another year of maturity.

Season Preview: Notre Dame

2007-10-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Head Coach Jeff Jackson says:

"We're excited about the upcoming season. Last year is behind us and we have a really strong returning group of forwards. We did lose seven seniors that all played a regular place in our line-up and will be difficult to replace from a character standpoint, leadership standpoint. We are just as excited about the incoming freshmen class that we have coming in. That should give us some stability I'm sure with a few bumps early on to try and improve our back end with a couple freshmen defensemen and young goaltending. We are excited about the prospects up front with Erik Condra, Ryan Thang. Kevin Deeth and Mark Van Guilder returning. On the back side, I think that Kyle Lawson and Brock Sheahan will be two of the better (defensemen) in the conference. We expect our goaltending to be good. I think Jordan Pearce, a junior, is somebody that has potential to be a great goaltender in the CCHA. We have an outstanding freshman in Brad Phillips that we think will be good in time. We are excited about the prospects and we are excited about a new building in the next couple of years. There are a lot of positive things going on in the hockey program. I would like to think we are going to have a great season this year and hopefully consistency will be part of building this program into something special."

Last season was a breakthrough year for the Irish. Coach Jeff Jackson led the school to their first ever number one ranking and number one seed in the NCAA tournament. They fell just short of the Frozen Four losing to Michigan State in the Midwest Regional Final.

If you believe the preseason rankings, the Irish are due for a bit of a step back this season. They were picked to finish third in the league behind Miami and Michigan State, and 8th nationally. But I believe the Irish will be just as good, if not better than they were last season.

When discussing the Irish, the first place everyone starts with is in goal. The Irish lost Hobey Baker finalist David Brown to graduation. Without a doubt it's a huge loss for Notre Dame, but the question is, was Notre Dame a product of Brown's success, or was Brown a product of Notre Dame's success? Brown was an excellent goaltender, but in looking at his stats, he only saw, on average, about 23 saves per game. If Notre Dame's defense can limit shots that much again this year, they don't need their new starter, whoever it is, to be spectacular and steal wins, they just need him to be solid and not make too many mistakes. Junior Jordan Pearce and Freshman Brad Phillips will compete for playing time, though Phillips looks like the long-term solution in goal and will likely be given every opportunity to win the starting job.

The Irish also lost six other seniors, including a couple on the blueline. It's an interesting choice of words from Jackson when he says that they will be "difficult to replace from a character standpoint, leadership standpoint." While they do lose experience and leadership, they gain a huge advantage in talent thanks to Jackson's first recruiting class, which included two defensive gems in Ian Cole, Notre Dame's first ever first round NHL draft pick, and Teddy Ruth, who both gained collegiate experience playing for the NTDP U18 team last season.

The Irish also returns a ton of talent from last year's team. Kyle Lawson and Brock Sheahan could both be all-conference selection in a pretty weak year for defenseman in the CCHA. At forward, Erik Condra and Mark VanGuilder have both developed as dangerous scoring threats. Sophomores Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth both had excellent freshman seasons last year, and behind them, there are some talented incoming freshman that could surpise people, just as Thang and Deeth did last year.

The Irish should be one of the best teams in college hockey this year. They may get off to a slow start until they figure out their goaltending situation, but by the end of the year, they will be one of the most dangerous teams in the NCAA.

Season Preview: Western Michigan

2007-10-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Head Coach Jim Culhane says:

"We had a great off-season at Western Michigan. I thought our players did a great job in the weight room improving on their athleticism and their strength. In addition to that, I'm very proud that we did a great job last semester and last year in the classroom with a roster of 27 student-athletes. I think at times we can put this on the back burner, but our team grade-point average was a 3.30 with three guys with 4.0 and graduating five student-athletes on time where these young men are competing over four years and not red shirting like some of the other intercollegiate sports at the Division I level and guys walking out with their degrees in four years. We are very proud of that at Western Michigan. We are looking forward to the challenges of the upcoming season. Some key losses for us were the early signing to Mark Letestu, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the loss to graduation of Ryan Szczechura and Ryan Mahrle. We feel we have a good core group returning led by our netminder Riley Gill, who was also on the All-Rookie team. On the blue line, I feel we have some depth there with senior Nathan Ansell, Jonathan Lupa, a couple of juniors in Steve Silver and Chris Frank and sophomore Tyler Ludwig. Up front, looking at key contributors in the upcoming season, Jeff LoVecchio, Jeff Pierce, Brian Bicek, I think will be key contributors for us. Someone we expect to have a real big year for us is Patrick Galivan with some sprinkling in from our freshmen class with a couple guys that were drafted this past June in Max Campbell, a Ranger draft, and Ryan Watson, who was a Florida draft. We are excited about the upcoming season and looking forward to the challenges."

WCH says:

Western Michigan surprised everyone last year. They were almost universally picked to finish near the bottom of the league, and somehow, quietly snuck into 6th place by the end of the season. Interestingly, Western Michigan somehow managed to finish conference play with a winning record despite giving up more goals than they scored.

There were two main keys to the Broncos success last season. The first was the scoring punch provided by CCHA freshman of the year Mark Letestu and senior Paul Szczechura, and the second was the emergence of freshman goalie Riley Gill.

Gill is back for his sophomore season, and should have an experienced defense playing in front of him. For many years, the Broncos biggest problem has been keeping the puck out of the net, but that looks like it will be an area of strength this year.

The big question will come on offense. Szczechrua graduated, and Letestu signed a contract with the Pittsburgh, leaving a little bit of a hole on the top line. Wings Jeff LoVecchio and Jeff Pierce each scored over 30 points last year, and return, but the biggest Broncos offense will rely on the impact of some of their newcomers.

Freshman Max Campbell joins the Broncos after a record-setting performance in the Western Ontario Jr. B league, and has a chance to be a huge contributor. He was drafted in the 5th round of the NHL draft by the New York Rangers. He looks like he could have a huge impact playing between some of Western's more experienced wings. I wouldn't be surprised if Western had the CCHA rookie of the year for a second straight year.

Season Preview: Bowling Green

2007-10-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Head Coach Scott Paluch said:

"This year's team, we understand the rankings that we see ahead of us. As we talk to our team, it's kind of a situation where a lot of our guys are back. We put ourselves in that situation and now it's our responsibility to get us out. We feel real good about this team. Twenty three of our players are back from last year, led by our captain Derek Whitmore, who scored 19 goals and was our leading goal scorer. Our most improved player from last year, Jimmy Spratt in goal, is back and is building on an outstanding second half. We had a really good second half, didn't add up to as many wins as we would have liked. We were a pretty good team in the second half. A lot of last year's players are back with us drawing on that experience. We feel real good about our team. Our off-season has been outstanding from a team building and conditioning stand point. We are ready to prove the rankings wrong."

WCH says:

The Falcons do return 23 players from last year's squad, but it is the two players not on the roster that could be the most important. The first is Jonathan Matsumoto, who was Bowling Green's leading scorer last year and left this summer to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. The second is goalie Josh Unice, who was scheduled to be the starting goalie for Bowling Green this season, before he shocked everyone by signing with an OHL team.

Matsumoto averaged over a point per game in his three year career at Bowling Green. His loss should hurt the offense. Senior Derek Whitmore, who scored 19 goals last year returns, but he will have to prove that his 10-point-increase between his sophomore and junior year wasn't just a product of playing alongside Matsumoto. The Falcons will have to hope from big jumps in production from some of their talented sophomore forwards like Tomas Petruska, Todd McIlrath, Kai Kantola, and James Perkin. Incoming freshman Jacob Cepis scored a lot of points in the USHL and could contribute immediately too.

Jimmy Spratt was charged with being the replacement to Falcon Jordan Sigalet two years ago, and has struggled in goal. Spratt is capable of putting together nice games, but has struggled with consistency. As coach Paluch noted, he had more good games than bad games towards the end of season, which bodes well for the future. If he can't stay consistent, incoming freshman and Buffalo Sabres pick Nick Eno will challenge for playing time. The Falcons will probably need great goaltending to hold them in games.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '93 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:03:00.002-07:00

Rocco Grimaldi, Forward, Little Caesar’s U16-This was my first chance to get to see him. I had heard some mixed reports on him in the past, but I was very impressed. He’s a little guy that can stickhandle around anyone. He really reminds me of Jordan Schroeder. He should be a nice college player.

Colin Jacobs, Forward, Texas Attack U16-This was my first chance to see a kid who is already being hyped as one of the top ‘93s. I was glad I got to see him two different days. The first day, he didn’t do much. The second day, he showed what all the hype was about. He’s a very nice skater. His skating reminded me of Danny Kristo, when Kristo was a freshman. He’s also got an amazing wrist shot. I was really surprised that someone his size could get that kind of pace on a shot. His puck control was also superb, and he made a couple great passes to open teammates on the powerplay. I’m sure that there will be another battle between the NCAA and WHL for his services, and unfortunately, for a player that good that young, I’d think the WHL would have an advantage.

Seth Ambroz, Forward, Russell Stover U16-It seems like he’s grown quite a bit since last year. He looked pretty good for being a year younger than everyone else.

Andrew Ryan, Defenseman, Victory Honda U16-Already 6’2” 185 lbs. He looks like he has a lot of potential.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '92 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

Jon Merrill, Defenseman, Little Caesar’s U18(Mich. Commit)-Some people thought he might play in the USHL this year. I think it was a good choice that he stayed at the Midget Major level. Even though the level of play is a little lower, I think there is something to be said for getting experience being one of the best players on the ice, and getting experience playing special teams and leading a team. Merrill scored a nice goal on a slapper from the slot, but also gave up a goal on a weird turnover. Overall, I thought he looked excellent, especially considering that he’s still playing up a year. He is one of the best I’ve seen at pinching in on the powerplay. He also sees the ice well and can make great outlet passes.

Garrett Clarke, Defenseman, Russell Stover U18-Scored a natural hat trick on Thursday night. I watched him play on Friday, and while he was talented, I don’t think he played his best game. He’s a very calm, relaxed player, though sometimes I think he holds on to the puck a little too long. He’s amazing offensively, but could use a little work defensively. Reportedly already has some scholarship offers.

Brandon Saad, Forward, Pittsburgh Hornets U18-Didn’t blow me away, but it’s important to remember that he’s a ’92 birthday playing against ‘91s, ‘90s, and ‘89s, and I think it’s harder for an underage forward to stand out than an underage defenseman. He should be very good in the future.

Stephen Johns, Defenseman, Pittsburgh Hornets U18-Very impressive. A big guy that moves well, can contribute some offense, and plays pretty good defenseman. Definitely should make the NTDP team.

Kevin Liss, Defenseman, Pittsburgh Hornets U18-Not huge for a defenseman, but played very reliable defense.

Evan Accettura, Defenseman, Victory Honda U18-Big defenseman. Could improve his skating a little, but that should come when he grows into his body.

Cody Von Reuben, Defenseman, Chicago Young Americans U16-Very strong defenseman.

Steven Phillips, Forward, Chicago Young Americans U16-Young kid that looks pretty talented.

Cody Campbell, Goalie, Pikes Peak Miners U16-Talented goalie. Great glove. Struggled when the other team had the puck behind his net, but otherwise was solid. Should get some NTDP consideration.

Colton Hargrove, Forward, Texas Attack U16-Big power forward that can skate pretty well, and creates havoc in front of the net.

Jacob Fallon, Forward, Texas Attack U16-Very fast forward that isn’t afraid to drive hard to the net.

Jeff McMinimy, Forward, Texas Attack U16-Stood out more here than he did at this summer’s Select 15s. Showed really nice speed.

Jay Llewellyn, Forward, Victory Honda U16-Very big power forward, that has decent hands for his size. He should be a nice college prospect if he continues to develop.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '91 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:02:00.002-07:00

Dakotah Collins, Forward, Fargo-Moorhead Jets-Youngest player in the NAHL, and it showed. A very fluid skater, but he didn’t quite have the strength to keep up with guys so much older than him. Worth keeping an eye on though.

John Ramage, Defenseman, St. Louis Bandits-Not intimidated by older competition. Really did a nice job throwing his weight around. He’ll probably start the season behind some older players, but his role should grow over the year. Very talented player.

Shane Berschbach, Forward, Little Caesar’s U18-Not very big, but a very crafty stickhandler.

R. Christopher Blessing, Forward, Southern California Titans U18-A pretty good skater. A nice prospect on a weaker AAA program.

Andrew Huckleby,Defenseman, Victory Honda U18-Reliable puck-moving defenseman

Alex Wideman, Forward, St. Louis Blues AAA-Top forward for St. Louis.

Jackson Brandstetter, Defenseman, Chicago Young Americans U16-Decent overall defenseman, that can throw a big hit.

Brent Tate, Forward, Little Caesar’s U16-Worked very hard, and was rewarded with a couple of goals on Friday morning. Very skinny.

Stephen Obarzanek, Forward, Little Caesar’s U16-Hard worker that always seems to be making things happen on the ice.

Keenan Kelly, Defenseman, Pikes Peak Miners U16-Playing in the US after playing prep hockey in Canada. Good size, and can move well. Made a bad turnover in the game I saw, but otherwise played a nice game.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '90 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:02:00.001-07:00

Eric Ringel, Defenseman, Mahoning Valley Phantoms-It’s amazing how much he has developed from 12 months ago, where he was one of the youngest players in this tournament. This year, he looked like the best defenseman in the league. He’s always been great on the powerplay, but this year, he’s getting time on the penalty kill too, and his defense was pretty solid.

Chris Heineman, Defenseman, Traverse City North Stars-In his second year in the NAHL, and looks like he’ll be a top player. Very good all-around defenseman.

Kellen Michalak, Forward, Traverse City North Stars-Talented player. He probably needs another year to get a little stronger before colleges really start looking at him, but he is a definite college prospect.

Ryan Misiak, Forward, Little Caesar’s-A hard worker that uses his size very well. A nice grinder with a little bit of skill.

Bob Marx, Defenseman, Russell Stover U18(Alaska commit)-Does everything pretty well, but doesn’t really stand out in one area.

Colin South, Forward, Pittsburgh Hornets U18-Wasn’t playing, which is a shame because I think he could be an NHL draft pick this year. I though I heard he was injured? Not sure.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '89 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:01:00.002-07:00

Sam Carr, Defenseman, Fargo-Moorhead Jets-A pretty big contributor, which is rare for a player just out of high school, but I thought he played excellent. He got some time on the powerplay, where he looked pretty solid.

Dan Weiss, Defenseman, Springfield-Solid all-around defenseman. Looks like he’ll play more of an offensive role this year.

Jared Rickord, Forward, Springfield-Former Chicago AAA star showed some really nice offensive flair. He’s a speedy kid that can put the puck in the net.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '88 Birthdates

2007-09-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

Jerry Freismuth, Forward, Alexandria Blizzard-This is his second year with the Blizzard, and it looks like he’ll play a big role with the team this year. It seemed like he was all over the ice.

Brandon Bahnemann, Forward, Alexandria Blizzard-Hard worker. Should have a nice year for Alexandria, and will probably be in the USHL next year.

Erik Peterson, Forward, Alpena IceDiggers-Alpena native. I thought he was the IceDiggers best forward. Very solid all-around hockey player.

Colin Hoey, Forward, Bismarck-Not very big, but fast and scrappy.

Kyle Maggard, Forward, Bismarck-Top playmaker on an offensively-challenged team.

Isaiah Bennis, Forward, Fairbanks-Not overly skilled, but should get some looks from colleges for his size.

Derek Graham, Forward, Mahoning Valley-Small, but did a great job setting up on the offwing on the powerplay and getting off quick one-timers. Scored a goal in every game.

Tim Kirby, Defenseman, Southern Minnesota-Playing a much bigger role in his second year with the Express. He looks like their top defenseman. His skating could use a little work, but he rarely gets beat in tight spaces.

NAHL Showcase/Midget Showcase '87 Birthdates

2007-09-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

Russell Anderson, Forward, Alpena IceDiggers-Very big forward(6’4” 225) that seemed to make plays all over the ice. He should definitely receive some college attention this year.

Andrew Muir, Forward, Fargo-Moorhead Jets-Older player that was all over the ice. He’d probably make an excellent penalty-killer at the college level.

Robby Phillipp, Forward, Fargo-Moorhead Jets-Always one of the hardest workers on the ice. Should have a very big year for the Jets.

Max Mobley, Forward, North Iowa-Veteran forward was all over the ice for the Outlaws. Definitely their top forward.

Matt Morin, Defenseman, North Iowa-Small for a defenseman, but a smart player that doesn’t make many mistakes.

CJ Willms, Forward, Southern Minnesota-Hard-working veteran. A few people were surprised he didn’t get a college offer after last year. He’ll probably get one before the year is out.

Brian Arrigoni, Forward, Southern Minnesota-Can skate and shoot better than almost anybody in the league. Giving a good consistent effort will be a question though.

2008 NHL Draft List

2007-08-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

1. Jimmy Hayes
2. Colin Wilson
3. Phil McRae
4. Adam Comrie
5. Mitch Wahl
6. AJ Jenks
7. David Toews*
8. Drew Olson
9. Robbie Czarnik
10. Tyler Myers
11. David Warsofsky
12. Mike Cichy
13. Matt Donovan
14. Danny Kristo
15. Nick Pryor
16. Vinny Saponari
17. Matt Thurber
18. Jared Festler
19. Brock Montpetit
20. Nick Bailen
21. Corey Fienhage
22. Jake Youso
23. Luke Witkowski
24. Austin Handley
25. Kevin McCarey
26. Ryan Grimshaw
27. Max Nicastro
28. Michael Fink
29. Jake Gardiner
30. Troy Power
31. John Carlson
32. Eric Ringel
33. Adam Mueller
34. Brett Beebe
35. Jesse Brown
36. John O’Neill
37. Grant Scott
38. Ryan Hegarty
39. David Carle
40. Derek Stepan
41. Pat Gaul
42. David Wohlberg
43. Ross Henry
44. Mark Anthione
45. Jordy Murray
46. Colin Moore
47. Seth Soley
48. Steve Spinell
49. Andrew Panzarella
50. Aaron Ness
51. Colin South
52. Keegan Flaherty
53. Chris Wideman
54. Anthony Raiola
55. Nate Condon
56. Shawn Szydlowski
57. Joe Gleason

*not really American, but plays in the US

Select 15 Report

2007-08-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Since I don't think I'll be able to post anything without someone saying "That's nice and all, but where's the Select 15 report?"(not that I'm complaining about people actually wanting to read the stuff I write), I may as well post it.

Before I get to the players, there's a couple things I'd like to point out. First off, it should be obvious to most, but sometimes I feel it gets lost: these kids are still 14/15 years old. Everyone that makes it to the national level has tremendous talent, but also has a long ways to go in terms of development before they are ready for college hockey. It's not like the Select 17 Festival, where most players are just 11 months away from being drafted by the NHL, and many have at least a year Junior A hockey under their belt. The Select 15s is more about trying to judge potential. So that's what I'll try to do.

The same standard disclaimers still apply to this event. I watched about 2/3s of every game(since they overlap) on Sunday and Tuesday. I didn't see everything, but I'd like to think I saw a lot. I don't pay as much attention to goaltending, so comments on them are sparse. I'll also be listing the 06-07 team(and the state that team plays out of) for each player, as it was listed in the program, because odds are, most people haven't heard of most of these kids.

Black Team Record: 3-2

Alex Koopmeiners(St. Cloud Cathedral): Strong kid that works hard and can do just about everything fairly well.

TJ Tynan(Chicago Mission): A very small, playmaker-type player.

Quinn Smith(Mid-Fairfield Blues(CT)): An eastern kid that really stood out to me. A very active player that created some nice offense.

Jake Goldberg(Honeybaked(MI)): Extremely quick release on his shot makes him a very dangerous player.

Gold Team Record: 4-1-0

Chase Balisy(Jr. Canadiens(Ont.)): One of the most hyped kids coming into the camp. He's a very talented player. He was especially dangerous when working from behind the net. 99% chance that he won't play college hockey, as he's expected to be a top draft pick in the OHL draft next spring.

Bryan Rust(Honeybaked): Plays a similar style to his older brother Matt. He's a fast skater that works hard, and can contribute some offense. He ended up having a great week offensively.

Emerson Etem(Shattuck-St. Mary's(MN)): Likes to drive hard to the net. He's not huge, but I thought he used his size very well. Very good offensive talent.

Green Team Record: 3-2-0

Derek Forbort(Duluth East Bantam(MN)): Tall defenseman. If he can improve his foot speed, he should be a nice college prospect.

Michael Mersch(Team Illinois): Finished the week as the leading scorer. Very active player that always seems to be involved in the play. Showed the ability to hit, as well as score points.

Andrew Sinelli(Honeybaked): The leading scorer at the Select 14s didn't put up as many points this week. He's great exceptional hands, but he's really skinny. Once he gains a little weight, he should be a very dangerous player. He kind of reminded me of St. Cloud recruit Jared Festler.

Grey Team Record: 4-1-0

Jack Campbell(Honeybaked): Pretty good stats in net all week, and made a beautiful save on Sunday that created a buzz in the crowd.

Brandon Russo(Mid-Fairfield Blues): Not a big defenseman, but a very solid, dependable type. I thought he played very well both days.

Alex Aleardi(Compuware(MI)): Very good skater. I thought he played great. There were a lot of forwards from the metro-Detroit AAA programs, and I think he may have stood out as the best.

Kevin Tiefenwerth(Mid-Fairfield Blues): Needs to add a lot of weight, but looks like he has potential as a talented goal-scorer.

Quin Buckellew(Moorhead Bantams(MN): A very nice hitter.

Maroon Team Record: 3-2-0

D.J. Jones(Wayzata Bantams(MN)): A younger kid, and really small for a defenseman, but he does a nice job of moving the puck.

Carter Foguth(Compuware): One of Compuware's many huge defenseman that is still a little raw, but has a lot of talent.

Colten St. Clair(Phoenix Firebirds): One of the leading scorers at the tournament. Will only be a freshman next year.

Kyle Cook(Cleveland): A very big forward that has some nice offensive talent.

Navy Team

Jordan Nickerson(Shattuck-St. Mary’s): Scrappy, hard-working defenseman.

Jon Merrill(Little Caesar’s(MI)): Easily the best player at the camp. He’s 6’3, but skates like he’s 5’9”. Very smooth with the puck. Excellent in the defensive zone. Does a great job of picking up his man in the defensive zone.

Tyler Vanscourt(California Wave): A smaller, very fast defenseman.

Tyler Cratsenberg(SnoKing(WA?)): A bigger forward that can skate well and has a very hard shot.

Ryan Belonger(Green Bay Jr. Gamblers(WI)): Scored a hat trick on Tuesday, including one beautiful finish where he took the puck off his skate and was able to put it top shelf.

Cody Campbell(Pikes Peak Miners(CO)): Great week statistically, and made some really great saves on Tuesday.

Orange Team

Stephen Johns(Pittsburgh Hornets): A very big defenseman that skates really well. He has a lot of potential.

Austin Levi(Compuware): Another big defenseman with a lot of potential. Skates pretty well in open ice.

Matt Krug(Buffalo Regals): He’s in the Class of 2011. Made a couple mistakes each day, but has a lot of potential.

Evan Hoffman(Mt. St. Charles Academy(RI)): Had some nice moments on Sunday.

Brent Darnell(Catholic Central(MI)): Didn’t end up with great point totals, but I thought he was one of the best forwards there. A great two-way center. Skates well, very tough, and can win face-offs.

Alex Lippincott(Cleveland Barons): One of the bigger forwards at 6’0” tall. Great at controlling the puck and can fire a very nice snap shot. He can move pretty well, though his acceleration is just ok. He looked like a very mature player, with a style that would translate well to higher levels.

Tyler Parker(LA Hockey Club(CA)): Really stood out to me on Tuesday. Really nice combination of size and skill.

Purple Team

Kevin Gravel(Marquette American Legion(MI)): A really big defensive defenseman that can move fairly well. Very responsible in his own end.

Jason Zucker(Las Vegas Outlaws): A nice playmaker.

Jayce Douskey(Colorado Thunderbirds): Pretty talented all-around forward.

Adam Knochenmus(Roseau HS): Seeing him play with people his own age highlighted how good he is. Probably the best Minnesotan in the group. Not very big, but a very hard worker that really understands how to play the game.

Red Team

Jason Binkley(Cleveland Barons): One of the better defenseman at the camp. Skates well, can anticipate plays, and has a very good shot from the point.

Trevor Mingoia(Syracuse Stars): Put up a lot of points the first couple days. Talented, but still needs to fill out physically.

Nick Shore(Colorado Thunderbirds):Had a very good week statistically. Looks like a very nice prospect.

Casey Purpur(Grand Forks Jr. Sioux(ND)): One of the younger kids at the camp, but still showed a lot of talent.

Royal Team

Brandon Archibald: Big defenseman that is a great skater and passer. His team struggled all week, and he didn't play a great game on Tuesday, but he has a ton of potential. Looked like one of the top prospects for the future.

Jimmy Murray(Chicago Mission): A really little guy, but one of the fastest skaters that I saw.

Scott Wamsganz(Alaska All-Stars): Big power forward that can snap off a nice shot. Should be a force once he adds some more weight.

Max Gardiner(Minnetonka Bantams(MN)): Tall forward that can move pretty well. Maybe he’ll switch to defense like his older brother did?

Brandon Saad(Pittsburgh Hornets): A big, solid forward that skates really hard. An early front-runner for best forward in 2011.

Jared Knight(Compuware): Never really got things going offensively. One of the faster skaters at the camp, and can get to top speed very quickly. Extremely quick release on his slap shot, and still gets good pace on it.

Teal Team

Michael Gunn(Compuware): Big defenseman with nice athleticism, but still a little raw.

Austin Watson(Compuware): A very tall, skinny kid that occasionally looks like he hasn’t adjusted to how tall he is, but always looks extremely comfortable in the offensive zone. His snap short is an absolute laser. One of the forwards with the most potential at the camp.

Shane Sooth(LA Hockey Club): Talented power forward. Uses his size pretty well.

White Team

Matt Youso(International Falls HS(MN)): Skates almost as well as his older brother. I’m surprised that he only made the camp as an alternate, because I thought he was towards the higher-end of the defenseman.

Matt Nieto(LA Hockey Club): One of the best forwards at the camp. Very speedy, and has great hands.

Jean-Paul Lafontaine(Bozeman Ice Dogs(MT)): Should be a good player once he gets a little bigger.

Austin Czarnik(Compuware): One of the camp’s youngest players. Not a superstar like his brother Robbie was at that age, but should be a nice player once he grows a little more.

Luke Moffatt(Phoenix Firebirds): A lot of people were disappointed with his low point totals. He struggled to get things going offensively early in the week, but is still exceptionally talented. Aside from being so skilled, what stood out to me was how tenacious and competitive he was.

Tyler Bouchard(Mid-Fairfield Blues): Eastern player that I thought played very well.

Select 17 Camp Report

2007-07-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Disclaimers: Every player that makes it to this level of competition is an exceptional player. I tried to watch as much as possible, but it’s impossible to see everything. I’m sure there were things I missed. I’ll probably have less to say about goalies than the skaters because I think it’s difficult to judge goaltending performance over the short-term. I also paid a little closer attention to the kids that have made college commitments already.

Black Team:

Record: 3-2-0

Drew Olson: Probably the most pleasant surprise at the camp. I know some hockey people have thought he’s very underrated for a while, but he was probably one of the best defenseman at the camp. He’s a very good skater, plays a very physical game, and has a little offensive ability. He could be like his former Brainerd HS teammate Carl Sneep, who made a big move up NHL draft boards in his draft year. The only drawback for Olson is that he’s only 5’11”, as opposed to Sneep, who is 6’3”

Chris Wideman(Miami commit):Played very well. Should be an exceptional college player once he physically matures a little more.

Nick Pryor(Wisconsin commit): Starting to develop into the great player everyone thought he’d be. A great skater, and very good in the offensive end, including a great slap shot.

Phil McRae: Probably the best forward at the camp. He had a quiet year in London last year playing behind Pat Kane and Sam Gagner, but he should have a great season next year. He was really strong around the net, and understands how to score goals.

Mark Anthione(Maine commit): He was an eastern kid that I wasn’t familiar with before this camp, but his talent stood out to me.

Gold Team:

Record: 4-1-0

David Warsofsky(BU commit): Very relaxed and poised with the puck. Can make a great pass, even when he’s under a great deal of pressure. He has NHL-level skills, but lacks ideal NHL size.

Duncan McKellar: A big kid, that with a little more development could make a great power forward in college.

Grant Scott(Minnesota commit): He was playing forward, rather than defense, which he played with the NTDP last year, but I thought he was better at forward than defense. At forward, he could run around the ice and hit people, which is what he does best, and it didn’t matter as much if he took himself out of position to do so at forward. I didn’t see him contribute a lot offensively, but he did end the week with four goals. His future is definitely as a grinder rather than goal-scorer.

Jordy Murray(Wisconsin commit): I was surprised that he didn’t score a goal because his best attribute his is fantastic shot. He did register four assists though.

Nate Condon: He didn’t register a lot of points, but he’s a nice all-around player with a lot of potential.

Brian Inman: Had a great day on Friday to finish as the leading scorer in the tournament.

Colin South: He’s a big kid, and I really liked the way that he played.

Kyle Jean: Intriguing prospect. He’s 6’3” 200 lbs., and scored a really nice goal on Sunday.

Brady Hjelle(Duluth commit): Very talented, and ended up with great statistics for the week.

Green Team:

Record: 3-2-0

Steve West(OSU commit): Not very flashy, but played a solid, dependable game.

Eric Ringel(Notre Dame commit): He’s very good on both ends of the ice. Has a great low snap shot from the point that nets him a lot of points.

Joe Gleason(North Dakota commit): An excellent skater, and keeps improving his defense.

Danny Heath: A very talented defenseman that should be a solid college prospect once he matures a little more.

Brian Sheehan: One of the kids I wasn’t familiar with prior to the tournament that stood out to me.
Mike Fink(North Dakota): All of his points were scored on days I was there. He seemed to work well with future Sioux teammate Danny Kristo.

Danny Kristo(North Dakota): He’s always been a great skater, but playing with the NTDP last year seems to have helped make him a more complete player. He always seems very confident with the puck on his stick.

Grey Team:

Record: 4-1-0

Matt Donovan(Denver commit): I thought he had a tremendous camp. He was perhaps the best defensive defenseman at the camp. He’s a very nice skater, and has the ability to jump into the rush, but for the most part, he played conservatively, always kept the play in front of him, and rarely made a mistake.

Pat Gaul(Notre Dame commit): He didn’t have a great week offensively until the last day, but he’s a very fun player to watch. He’s always the hardest working player on the ice, and can make his impact felt even if he doesn’t do much offensively.

Derek Stepan(Wisconsin commit): I think he’s really developed a lot over the past year, and he looked like a fantastic player here.

P.J. Musico: He was the top statistical goalie at the camp, and was very impressive in both games I saw him play.

Maroon Team:
Record: 1-4-0

Michael Clemente: He was good, but not great in the games I saw, but he finished the week with pretty good stats. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a goalie knock the net off the posts as much as he does.

Max Nicastro(BU commit): Extremely smooth skater, and comfortable with the puck. Can make a nice pass in just about any situation. He’s listed at 6’3” 195 lbs., but looked a lot lankier.

Sean Lorenz(Notre Dame commit): I don’t think he’ll ever be a superstar, and he doesn’t really stand out in any particular area, but he’ll be a pretty dependable defenseman at the college level.

Tim Hall: I was really surprised that he didn’t have more points than he did. He’s a very good skater, and has great hands. He was the leading scorer on a bad USHL team last year, and I think he’ll have a big year next year.

Shawn Syzdlowski: He’s a really strong kid, and has decent skating ability to go along with his strength.

Troy Power: I don’t think the less-structured play benefits his style of play, but I still thought he played well. He’s probably the best in his age group along the boards and behind the net.

Colin Moore: Not flashy, and didn’t score a lot of points, but I think he’d be a valuable piece to any college hockey team.

Jake Youso(Minnesota commit): He was one of the fastest forwards at the camp. He finished the week with 5 points, but could have had even more if he had finished off a few more chances.

Navy Team:

Record: 2-3-0

Steve Spinell(Miami commit): Talented kid that had a pretty solid week despite not getting on the scoresheet.

Ryan Grimshaw(Harvard commit): I was very impressed with how he played. He’s an excellent defensive defenseman.

Adam Comrie: He probably has the most upside of anyone at the camp. He’s a big kid that is very physical and is good at jumping into the play. He’s a pretty good skater too. He had a lot of penalties, but more from being overly aggressive as opposed to being out of position.

Jesse Brown: A big forward with really nice skills. He scored a really nice goal on Sunday, but then didn’t score the rest of the week. He has a lot of talent though.

Luke Grenier: I thought he had an excellent week. He’s a smaller, more skilled kid that can put up a lot of points.

Josh Berge: He’s another kid that I think does better in a more structured environment where he can cycle the puck and play along the boards. He still has very good skills, though I thought his lack of size was more apparent here.

Zach Lehrke: A Minnesota kid that got thrown in as an alternate and was able to contribute a few points.

William Rapuzzi: He’s very good at controlling the puck on his stick. I’m really surprised he was held off the scoreboard for the week. He should be a college hockey player some day.

Orange Team:

Record: 2-3-0

Ryan Hegarty(Maine commit): Played very solid defense.

Luke Witkowski(Western Michigan commit): I was very impressed with him. An excellent skater, good size and strength, and he was pretty good with the puck. He was a great find by WMU’s coaching staff.

Jarrod Mermis: I wasn’t familiar with him before the camp, but he always seemed to be doing good things whenever I saw him.

AJ Jenks: I thought he looked excellent. He had such a size and strength advantage over everyone else that he was able to play a little higher level. He’s really starting to develop his skills a little more and become a more complete player.

Keegan Flaherty: I think he’s improved a lot over the past year. He had a very nice week here.

Ben Hanowski: I think he does better in a more structured setting, but he still finished the week with good offensive totals. He’s a very talented offensive player.

Purple Team:

Record: 3-2-0

Jordan Tibbett(MSU commit): I thought he played pretty well in the games I saw, though he made one really bad error in each game.

Ross Henry: I thought he was great the first day, and just ok on Thursday.
Jake Gardiner(Wisconsin commit): He’s a converted forward, and still looks like a forward playing defense. He was good offensively, but I think he could improve defensively.

Josh Bemis(Western Michigan commit): He’s an excellent skater for his size. He could be a little better with the puck, but he did rack up a lot of assists on the week.

Tyler Landman: He was all over the ice. Excellent skater and stickhandler, and is always working hard.

Colin Reddin: I thought he looked excellent here. One of the better playmakers at the camp. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’ll be going to the WHL.

Brock Montpetit(Wisconsin commit): He’s a very talented kid. This was the best I’ve ever seen him look. He should be a very good player for the Badgers.

Justin Florek(Northern Michigan): He showed flashes of brilliance, but also looked just ok for long periods of time. He did a good job of getting to the front of net and cashing in on chances. He should be a good college player, but probably not the superstar people thought he might be two years ago.

Red Team:

Record: 0-5-0

Joe Rogers: Faced a lot of rubber playing on a not-so-good team, and did pretty well. He got shelled on Thursday and that killed his stats, but other than that, he had a very good week. He’s super quick. I really hope he finds a way to play college hockey.

Seth Helgeson(Minnesota commit): He’s still very raw, but I thought he played pretty well here. He has an absolute cannon for a shot.

Joe Marciano: He does everything pretty well, but doesn’t really stand out in any particular area.

John O’Neill(Duluth commit): A very solid, complete all-around player. Not flashy, but does everything really well.

Craig Kitto: A speedy little player.

Kevin McCarey(UNH commit): I was very impressed with his offensive ability. He set himself up in the high slot a number of times and fired a fantastic wrist shot.

Royal Team:

Record: 3-2-0

Corey Fienhage: A big, mean defenseman.

John Carlson(UMass commit): A big kid with a lot of offensive ability.

Tyler Fleurent: Caught my eye on a couple different occasions with nice plays.

Mitch Wahl: Tremendously talented. I was a little disappointed with how he played on the first day, but he looked great on Thursday. Very smooth skater, excellent hands, and can throw his weight around a little bit too.

Nate Dewhurst(Denver commit): A nice playmaker.

Danny Mattson: Tremendously talented and still really young. I was once again impressed with his speed, and he has good finishing ability. He’ll be one of the most highly-sought recruits for 2009.

Chris Bournazos: Not a very big kid, but he did a good job of getting himself into position in front of the net to score goals.

Teal Team:

Record: 3-2-0

Bryce Aneloski: I thought he played very well this week.

Malcolm Lyles: Probably the most intriguing prospect at the camp. I think he was the fastest north-south skater at the camp, and had a few jaw-dropping rushes that impressed everybody, but also made a bunch of mistakes and got caught too far up the ice a couple times. If he could improve a little in the defensive end, he’d be a great player.

Mike Cichy(North Dakota commit): He had a great week offensively, especially later in the week. He’s definitely a kid that knows how to get the puck into the net.

Brett Beebe: Another kid that knows how to score. I was very impressed with how good he was around the net.

Marc Rodriguez: Not very big, but has a great shot.

Vinny Saponari: I thought he was one of the better forwards at the camp. He’s very confident and poised with the puck and always seemed to be creating offensive chances. He probably had an even better week than his point totals indicate.

Aaron Crandall: I think he’s one of the top goalies for his birth year. He played a very aggressive, but it worked for him. He finished the week with great stats.

White Team:

Record: 2-3-0

Aaron Ness(Minnesota commit): The most mature hockey player at the camp. Sees and understands the game better than anybody. It’s starting to get to the point where his lack of size is a little more of an issue, but for the most part, he can skate well enough that it isn’t too much of a problem.

Austin Handley(Michigan State commit): A big, solid defenseman that delivered some really nice hits. I thought he played very well.

Robby McDyre: He caught my eye a couple of times on Thursday.

Charlie Thauwald: A big kid with loads of potential. He could develop into a very nice power forward.

NHL Draft Live Blog

2007-06-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

I guess I'll try this. I'm going to try the NHL's live video stream, but my internet connection isn't quite strong enough to handle video, so we'll see how long that sticks.

6:08- It looks like Jim Balsillie won't get his NHL team in Hamilton. Yippee.

6:10-The Blackhawks could probably get some serious eBay money for the jerseys of the two guys they don't pick.

6:11-Bob McKenzie is pretty confident that Pat Kane will be the first pick. Kyle Turris got to meet his idol, Steve Yzerman, which is pretty cool.

6:12-It looks like Columbus has drawn a pretty nice crowd for this. The TSN guy just made a reference to "Maggie the Monkey". This is way better than ESPN's draft coverage.

6:17-My video is really choppy. Chicago is on the clock.

6:20-And the first pick is............Pat Kane. The second American in a row. Congratulations, Mr. Kane.

6:26-Everyone is talking about Kane having the chance to play right away next season. I think that was probably one of the deciding factors for the Hawks over van Riemsdyk and Turris, who will hopefully be playing college hockey next season.

6:27-Philly is at the podium and selects..........James van Riemsdyk. Another American. That's pretty cool, and a nice feather in the cap of the NTDP program.

6:30-I think my video is pretty much dead for now. Sad.

6:36-Kyle Turris goes third to Phoenix. I think he'll play at least a year at Wisconsin, possibly two. I'm 3 for 3 with my mock draft. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

6:38-LA's GM is going up to the podium. He didn't pass any mirrors, so I couldn't check for a reflection. LA selects........Thomas Hickey. Wow. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off the board. Interesting.

6:43-Well, I suppose I expected things to get crazy. This should make things even more interesting. I guess if you can't trade down to the middle of the first round, you may as well take your middle of the first round pick early.

6:45-The Kings did try to move down, but like I said Wednesday, I didn't see anyone dying to get that 4th pick. The LA guy looks defeated.

6:49-Washington is up next. They keep showing Cherepanov, who came to the draft fully mulleted. Washington selects.................Karl Alzner. It sounded like he was going to take Sam Gagner, then he switched midway through and took Alzner. Odd.

6:53-Pierre McGuire is skeptical that JVR will go to New Hampshire, and cites UNH's lack of development of pros. Ouch.

6:55-Edmonton is coming up to the podium. Edmonton selects.........Sam Gagner. Very nice pick.

6:58-Hometown Columbus is up. Voracek maybe?

7:00-The overheard camera shot is not flattering for Dave Gagner.

7:02-Four of the top six picks will play at least one season in the US. That's pretty cool.

7:03-A lot of enthusiasm in Columbus. That's pretty cool. Columbus selects..........Jakub Voracek. Not a bad pick. He's the first European-born player to be selected.

7:07-People are saying Columbus wanted someone else, but basically had to take Voracek since he slipped. Basically, they got Voracek because LA couldn't trade their pick and had to take Hickey.

7:10-The Bruins are up next. Cherepanov looks like a stupid pick, so that's probably who they'll pick.

Cam Neely selects.........Zach Hamill. Interesting. He dropped quite a bit this past year, but I think he's got a lot of talent. This shakes things up a little bit more.

7:15-San Jose selects........Logan Couture. Another kid who slipped a little this past year.

7:23-They keep talking about Cherepanov falling. That seems to be the big story. Florida is up next.

Florida selects.......Keaton Ellerby. They had to be pretty happy that he was still available at number 10.

7:26-Pierre McGuire doesn't care if you can't sign Cherepanov. You should still draft him. Apparently he's so good that he can score goals all the way from Russia.

7:30-Carolina selects............Brandon Sutter. Probably one of the better forwards still available, which Carolina kind of needed, though they also need some young defenseman, so I'm not sure why they passed on the defense.

Still no Cherepanov. This is like Kyle Woodlief's dream.

7:35-Montreal passes over the local kid in Esposito and takes their second straight Mr. Hockey winner in Ryan McDonagh. I think McDonagh will be a great player someday.

7:39-John Davidson steps out of his tanning booth to make St. Louis' pick. I guess the Blues are my new favorite NHL team. St. Louis selects..........Lars Eller. I don't know much about Eller, so I'm not sure how I feel about that.

7:44-Colorado is up next. They select...........Kevin Shattenkirk. Good for him. Everyone I've talked to you says he's a great kid. He's pretty talented too.

7:50-Edmonton picks next. They already have Sam Gagner. Edmonton selects..........Alex Plante. I saw Planet all over the place. Edmonton may have been able to get him with their next first round pick, but they really liked him, I guess.

7:53-Vancouver apparently tried really hard to get Kyle Turris. They can go commiserate with the Vancouver Giants.

7:54-Anaheim trades pick 16 to Minnesota for picks 19 and 42 of this year. Minnesota is on the clock.

7:55-Minnesota selects...........Colton Gillies. Hey, the Wild got a grinder. I think they're lacking those. I think that one day, they'll figure out how to score less than zero goals in a game.

8:02-New York Rangers select.....Alexei Cherepanov. Now we don't have to hear about him, or look at his awful anymore.

8:09-St. Louis selects...........Ian Cole. A bit of a reach, but I really like this pick. Cole is a nice player, and something that STL needs.

I'm giving up on the live-blogging until later. See you then.

2007 NHL Mock Draft

2007-06-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here is my Mock Draft for the first round of this year's NHL Draft.

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Pat Kane, Forward, London Knights(OHL)

Kyle Turris is also a possibility. When I first saw Kane play two years ago, my first thought was that he reminded me of Brendan Morrison. If he lives up to the hype, he could be even better.

2. Philadelphia: James van Riemsdyk, Forward, US NTDP

JVR is big, talented, and a fairly local kid since he hails from New Jersey.

3. Phoenix: Kyle Turris, Forward, Burnaby Express(BCHL)

Phoenix will probably run to the podium to select whichever one of the top three fall to them, unless the guy they really want is already drafted, in which case, another team with a lot of picks will try to trade up.

4. Los Angeles: Karl Alzner, Defenseman, Calgary Hitmen(WHL)

People have mentioned the possibility of LA trading down, but is anyone really going to be clamoring to get this pick? The Kings would like another defenseman and they’ll take the best available.

5. Washington: Alexei Cherepanov, Forward Omsk(Russia)

This is where things get crazy. If the Caps select anyone short of me, I won’t be surprised. I went with Cherepanov since I think he might have the most upside

6. Edmonton: Jakub Voracek, Forward Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)

Almost everyone seems to have Voracek here, so I’ll be a sheep. The Oilers could try to move up since they’ve got a couple first round picks to work with.

7. Columbus: Keaton Ellerby, Defenseman Kamloops Blazers(WHL)

Conventional wisdom seems to have Columbus taking a defenseman. I think Ellerby will be the second one to go.

8. Boston: Sam Gagner, Forward, London Knights(OHL)

I think this would be a nice steal for the Bruins. Gagner is probably more talented than he’s been credited for.

9. St. Louis: Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman Cretin-Derham Hall(USHSW)

Instead of waiting until their later first round picks to get a defenseman, St. Louis grabs an extremely talented player early on, and then will gamble on forwards later on.

10. Florida: Kevin Shattenkirk, Defenseman, US NTDP

I don’t really like anybody in this spot. There’s a lot of talented players, but none that seem to fit Florida’s needs. Florida desperately needs a goalie, but there’s none to be had this early, so they may try to trade down with somebody who really wants one of the good centers available.

11. Carolina: Brandon Sutter, Forward, Red Deer Rebels(WHL)

Carolina mortgaged their future for their Stanley Cup run two years ago, so they need lots of help to refill their prospect pool. They’ll take the best player available.

12. Montreal: Angelo Esposito, Forward, Quebec Remparts(QMJHL)

This seems like kind of a no-brainer if Esposito does indeed last this long.

13. Toronto: Logan Couture, Forward, Ottawa 67’s(OHL)

Another fairly local player that has dropped a little bit.

14. Colorado: Lars Eller, Forward, Frolunda(Sweden)

Eller is Danish. I find that funnier than I probably should.

15. Edmonton: Max Pacioretty, Sioux City Musketeers(USHL)

The third piece of the Ryan Smyth trade is a prototypical power forward to replace Smyth.

16. Anaheim: Jonathon Blum, Defenseman, Vancouver Giants(WHL)

Maybe a bit of a reach, but the Ducks need some new blood on defense, and Blum is a Southern California kid.

17. New York Rangers: Mikael Backlund, Forward, Vasteras(Sweden)

He’s another kid that has dropped a lot over the past couple of months. This is probably low enough that the Rangers will be willing to gamble.

18. Calgary: Colton Gillies, Forward, Saskatoon Blades(WHL)

I would not be shocked to see Calgary take any WHL player here.

19. Minnesota: David Perron, Forward, Lewiston Maineiacs(QMJHL)

The Wild will try to add a little skill and flash to go with their legions of grinders. Plus, he plays in the Q, which automatically bumps him up a couple spots on the Wild’s board.

20. Pittsburgh: Maxim Mayorov, Forward, Leninogorsk(Russia)

The Penguins already have some excellent young talent. They’ll take the gamble on being able to sign Mayorov for the potential to have the most exciting forward corps in the NHL.

21. Phoenix: Tommy Cross, Defenseman, Westminster Prep(USHSE)

A lot of good defensive prospects here, but I think Phoenix will go with Cross.

22. Montreal: Nick Petrecki, Defenseman, Omaha Lancers(USHL)

Montreal likes American prospects, and should be pleased that either Petrecki or Cross will be available here.

23. Nashville: Thomas Hickey, Defenseman, Seattle Thunderbirds(WHL)

A bit of a drop for Hickey. He could easily swap positions with Kevin Shattenkirk

24. St. Louis: Zach Hamill, Forward, Everett Silvertips(WHL)

The Blues took a bit of a gamble taking a defenseman with their first pick, but it pays off with a talented offensive player still available at 24.

25. Vancouver: Brett MacLean, Forward, Oshawa Generals(OHL)

MacLean is probably the best player available at this point

26. St. Louis: Oscar Moller, Forward, Chilliwack Chiefs(WHL)

I’d be kind of surprised if St. Louis kept all three first round picks, but if they do, I think they’d try for another forward that can score.

27. Detroit: Billy Sweat, Forward, Colorado College(WCHA)

In honor of the Blog That Yost Built, I wanted to say Detroit would select “the best available Jiri or Tomas” I don’t think they should pass on Sweatt though, who looks like he’ll be able to contribute at the NHL level some day, and who I think has more offensive ability than he is credited for.

28. Washington: Logan MacMillan, Forward, Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)

MacMillan is a safer choice after the Caps gambled on Cherepanov.

29. Ottawa: Riley Nash, Forward, Salmon Arm Silverbacks(BCHL)

*shrug* I’ll take a shot at a wildcard in the draft.

30. Edmonton: Tyson Sexsmith, Goalie, Vancouver Giants(WHL)

We can’t go the entire first round without a goalie. If Edmonton keeps all of their picks, I think they’ll take the first goalie of the draft.

Model Camp Report

2007-06-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I only made it to the Model Camp last Friday, and with games on two different rinks, I missed decent chunks of pretty much all of the games, so if I missed someone doing something crazy-awesome, I apologize. I'm just writing about what I saw. Also, comments on the goaltending are probably a little thin, since I'm only seeing such a small sample. I used the rosters provided by Iceburg of GopherPuckLive, which looked fairly accurate to me, but if someone was wearing a different jersey number or something, let me know.

Team 8 vs. Team 9

I think Team 9 ended up being one of the better teams in the camp. The player I was probably most impressed with off that team was Little Falls '91 defenseman Izaak Berglund. I think he barely made the national Select 15s last summer as an alternate, but now he looks like he's one of the best in his age group.

I think Hill-Murray's Dan Cecka will score a lot of points next season. He's a big, strong kid with good finishing ability. His Hill-Murray teammate, Tyler Zepeda('91 birthdate) showed off some nice speed and scored a pretty goal. He didn't do much on the defensive end, but given the setting, I wouldn't read too much into it.

Breck teammates Tyson Fulton and Riley Borer are two talented kids, but extremely young, and need some time to develop before they're serious college prospects, but are definitely two kids to watch for the future.

Team 2 vs. Team 3

This was a pretty fun game to watch with a lot of good players.

Ben Arnt was back playing in Minnesota after playing in the USHL last season. He's still not a great skater, but looked to have bulked up even more over the past year. It looked like playing in the USHL helped him get a little better at controlling the puck, and he still has a cannon for a shot. He also delivered one of the better open ice hits I've seen in a while.

Jared Maetche from St. Cloud kind of looked like a smaller version of Arnt. He's over a year younger, so he's not as strong, but he's a better skater. He's got soft hands and always works hard. He's also got a pretty nice shot. He needs to develop and fill out a little bit more, but I think he'll be a solid college hockey player some day.

Another very talented player is Rogers defenseman Nick Jensen. Jensen is a '90 birthdate, and is a great skater. He's got decent size, and is still incredibly agile. I don't think he gets as much hype playing for Rogers, but he's definitely a high-end prospect. White Bear Lake defenseman Taylor Johnson, who will be a senior next year, was also very impressive.

Ben Hanowski was also on Team 2. He seemed to be skating harder than he did at last year's Model Camp. He's still exceptional along the boards, but it seemed like he never developed great chemistry with his linemates to generate a lot of offense. That tends to happen in these types of events.

Speaking of chemistry, on Team 3, Roseau's Ben Nelson and Roseville's Adam Mueller played on the same line and were exceptional. Nelson didn't stand out to me too much during the high school season, but he looked great at the Model Camp. He was probably the best stickhandler at the camp. Mueller isn't particularly flashy, but he's able to get the puck to the net and create goals. That duo combined for at least four goals while I was watching.

Duluth East's Joe Arbour made an all-star game at a USHL tryout camp. He kind of reminded me of former Duluth East defenseman Brian Downing. He's not a great skater, but he's a big guy that uses his size well, and plays a nice, physical style of hockey.

Goalie Keegan Asmundson made some very nice saves in his half of the game. I didn't see a lot of Brady Hjelle in goal, but he looked like the best goalie there. He's very quick, and looked pretty sound positionally.

Team 7 vs. Team 10

Blaine defenseman Nick Carson will probably be one of the top defenders in the state next season. He played a little bit for Southern Minnesota after the high school season, and is a very reliable defenseman. His Blaine teammate, forward Ryan Johnson also played a very nice game.

Danny Mattson is very talented. He's probably one of the better uncommitted players left in Minnesota.

One kid I hadn't heard of was Cretin-Derham Hall's Mychal Bangs. He's only a '91 birthdate, and I don't think he played much for the Raiders last season, but he looked very good. He could have a breakout year next season.

Team 10 had Nick Mattson, who is the sole Minnesotan selected to the NTDP so far this year. Mattson is tremendously talented, but he also looked a little raw. He also still has to fill out a lot physically. Of course, he was one of the youngest players at the camp. After two years with the NTDP, he should be an outstanding player.

Team 1 vs. Team 4

Team 4 had two of the most talented players in the state in Jared Festler and Mike Fink. They played a couple shifts together, but I never felt like they really clicked. They generated some offense, but most of it was off of individual efforts. Fink had a couple great rushes up the ice, and Festler showcased his stick-handling ability. I didn't start off as a big fan of Festler's, but the more I see him, the more impressed I've become, and I think he'll really surprise some people with how far he goes in hockey.

To contrast Team 4, Team 1 had '91 birthdates Zach Budish and Nick Oliver, who have played together in the past and had pretty good chemistry together. Budish was one of the best players I saw, and it sounds like he scored a lot of goals. I saw him score twice on two beautiful snap shots from high in the slot. Not many high schoolers have the strength to finish from where he did. I guess some people have questioned his consistency, but he's looked very good every time I've seen him, and I don't see any '91 forwards in the state being better than him. Oliver also played pretty well. He always gives 100%. He even managed to take two penalties, which given how the games are officiated, is quite a feat.

'91 defenseman Nick Leddy also stood out as a talented player, as did Edina's Brendan Baker. Baker sometimes struggles against top-end players, but given time to develop, he should become better defensively.

Team 11 vs. Team 12

I ended up not watching a lot of this game, since I was more interested in the games on the other rink.

One kid I was interested in seeing was Matt Farris, who scored a lot of points playing high school hockey in South Dakota. He was a pretty decent player, though his point totals definitely look inflated due to his competition. If he gets a little stronger, he may get some looks by junior teams.

Burnsville's Jake Hendrickson is a kid that should get a lot more attention next season. He played pretty well.

Team 5 vs. Team 6

This was the game I was most interested in seeing. There were a lot of great players on both sides.

I was interested to see how Seth Helgeson would do against a little tougher competition. He looked pretty raw. I think it will take some time before he learns when to pick his spots to rush up the ice. He's got all the tools though, including great skating, size, and an absolute cannon for a shot. It'd be a shame if he left Faribault HS, but it'd also probably be in his best interest.

Another duo that had really nice chemistry together was Jake Youso and Anoka's John O'Neill. Youso is probably the fastest player in the state. He's really thin, but I think he's stronger than he looks. O'Neill is an incredibly smooth player, with a lot of talent. He'll be a very nice recruit for somebody.

Wausau's Nate Condon is a young player, but I think he's one of the more talented players in Wisconsin. He's a definite college prospect.

Team 6 had three of the best defenseman in the state in Aaron Ness, Joe Gleason, and Anthony Raiola. Ness and Gleason were paired together and were fun to watch. Ness is almost the exact opposite of Helgeson, in that he has none of the physical ability, but his game is so refined and he almost never makes a mistake. Also, being so light gives him a ridiculous amount of agility. Ness and Gleason took a shift at forward and they ended up scoring a goal.

Raiola isn't flashy like some of the other '90 born defenseman, but he's probably one of the better defensive defenseman at that age group.

The Edina duo of Marshall Everson and Connor Gaarder were also on Team 6. Everson isn't a pretty player, but is very effective. He's not the greatest skater, but he's got a decent amount of size, and uses it to his advantage. Gaarder is a talented kid, but probably needs some more time to develop.

The Tavares Question

2007-06-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

The Oshawa Generals John Tavares had a great season last year. He led the Ontario Hockey League in goal-scoring by 10 goals with 72 goals(a CHL record for a player of his age), and his 134 points trailed only Pat Kane, who may be the first overall pick in this year's draft. Tavares' only problem? He was born on a Thursday, instead of the previous Sunday. Tavares was born on September 20, 1990, meaning that he is five days too young to qualify for the 2008 NHL Draft, and will instead have to wait until 2009 before he can suit up in the NHL.

There isn't a way around that rule, either. The Florida Panthers once tried, selecting Alexander Ovechkin in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and arguing that Ovechkin, born September 17th 1985, had lived for 18 years, due to leap years. The NHL disagreed and Ovechkin had to wait until 2004 to be drafted.

But should there be a way around that rule? After all, Tavares would seem to be ready for next year's draft. Tavares would likely be a shoe-in for the top pick in the 2008 draft. Steven Stamkos, who is currently considered the top prospect for next year's draft, scored 92 points in the OHL last season, which is exceptional, but still 42 points behind what Tavares did.

If the NHL made an exception for Tavares, it wouldn't be the first time an exception was made for him. The OHL, who had seen Tavares dominate against players a year older than him, and fearing Tavares might seek a league outside of Canada to play, decided to grant him an "exceptional player" exemption, which allowed him to be taken in the draft a year earlier.

The NHL doesn't really have to worry about losing Tavares, since he'll end up in the NHL eventually, but they do have to worry about losing fans. The NHL's biggest problems are all of the negative publicity they receive in the media and a lack of TV ratings. A 17 year-old phenom could bring some good publicity and interest back into the game. If nothing else, the sports world would have to pay attention to see how the young kid would do.

There is one small caveat though. I think it's absolutely essential that Tavares ends up in the Western Conference. The NHL has done a great job marketing Sidney Crosby, and to a lesser extent, Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that both of those players play in the east, meaning Western Conference teams only get to see those players maybe once a year. Sidney Crosby helped draw a sellout in Phoenix when Pittsburgh came to town earlier this year. But Pittsburgh only played once in Phoenix, and with so many teams in the league, there's only so much Sidney to go around. Meanwhile, the West lacks a true young star. Joe Sakic is great, but on his way out. Joe Thornton scores a lot of points, but last year he had 4 assists for every goal he scored. And Jarome Iginla plays in Canada. Someone young like Tavares that can score a lot of goals would draw a lot of attention in the West.

Of course the NHL can't rig their draft order so a western team gets the first pick. It's not like this is professional wrestling or the NBA. I'm just saying that it would be really nice if it worked out that way.

It's really in the NHL's best interest to let Tavares into the draft a year early. It would be easy to do, as well. They'd just have to do the same thing that the OHL did. Create an "exceptional player exemption" that players must apply for, and allow the NHL to make the final decision. They could even call it the "Tavares Rule".

John Tavares will be ready for the NHL in 2008, and the NHL is more than ready for another superstar like Tavares. It only makes sense to not force him to wait just because of when he was born.

Sioux Falls Camp Report

2007-06-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Here are the rosters from Sioux Falls Tryout Camp All-Star game. Sioux Falls also had had a recap of the game I saw.

White's top line featured returning '89 birthdates Jake Hansen, Robbie Vrolyk, along with former Buffalo(MN)forward Ross Trousdale. I was really surprised when I checked back and saw that this line didn't have any points. Hansen and Vrolyk were easily the two best players on the ice. Vrolyk is an east coast kid that isn't that big, but is very quick. Hansen was the best player I saw all day. He's got a great combination of speed, strength and hard work. He's very fun to watch.

Michael Juola was the LA Jr. Kings was probably the next best forward for the White team. I was once again impressed with Minnetonka HS defenseman Anthony Raiola. Raiola will be a senior at Minnetonka, but he's talented enough to play in the USHL. Duluth recruit Scott Kishel has a lot of talent, but I think his decision-making needs to get a little better before he's ready for college hockey. He had one awful turnover in his own zone that led directly to a goal. I'm sure a year of playing in the USHL will help that. Max Grover played a solid, dependable game and should make the team.

Jordy Christian probably would have been Blue's best player, but he wasn't playing on Sunday night. Jack Connolly was probably Blue's best forward. It was a little difficult for him to be as creative with unfamiliar linemates, but he was still fun to watch. Team Illinois' Marc Rodriguez scored a nice goal and looks like he has a lot of offensive talent. Travis Belohrad, from Colorado, was the only '91 birthdate to make the all-star game and he didn't look out of place. Nick Dineen is a very nice two-way player.

On defense, Sam Zabkowicz had a rough first half of the game. He was one of the better players on the ice, but looked like he was trying to force things too much, and made some bad decisions. He settled down and played very well in the second half though. Dallas' Kris Reinthaler played a nice game and scored a pretty goal. Ian Ruel is a very physical defenseman, but I don't think he's ready for the USHL level yet.

All in all, Sioux Falls looked like they'll have another very good team next season. I think that Hansen will be one of the league's best players, and they'll get great leadership from some of the '87 birthdates on the team.

Tri-City Camp Report

2007-06-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

For Tri-City's All-Star game, they had two 25 minute running time halves. Instead of penalties, players got a penalty shot, and there was a shootout and the end of each half. Here is the roster from the game.

The White team looked to be the stronger of the two teams. White's best line was Wisconsin commit Chris Hickey, Mario Lamoureux, and Yannick Offret from France. Hickey was probably the best player on the ice. He had a goal, and probably would have had a couple others if he was in mid-season form. Jordan Van Guilder and Cameron Cooper were two other returning players that stood out.

White's second best line was a bit of surprise with three pretty young kids. That line had SCSU commit Nick Oliver, another '91 birthdate in Matt Tabrum, and a '90 birthdate named Tyler Johnson.

Oliver really played exceptionally well. His dad is the head coach at Roseau HS and I doubt he'd leave, but he almost looked like he could have made Tri-City's team. He also scored a very nice goal. Tabrum came from the Pikes Peak Miner's AAA program. He looked like he still needs to fill out a lot, but he looks like he has a lot of potential.

I wasn't familiar with Johnson either prior to the camp. He's a speedy forward with pretty good hands. He was drafted by the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. He's an Idaho native that had a great year last season playing in the NPHL. The NPHL(or NORPAC) is a Jr. B league that drew quite a bit of attention last season for a fiasco involving Fort Vancouver's team. Johnson led that league in scoring with an eye-popping 120 points in 39 games.

Oklahoman Josh Berge also played pretty well, but he's probably a little too small for the USHL this year. He was one of the best players in terms of controlling the puck, however.

Mike Cichy wasn't overly impressive. It looked like the speed of the game was a little faster than he was used to.

Black's team had three overage players on it in Sean Wiles and two Omaha recruits: Alex Hudson and Jordan Willert. All three weren't necessarily the slickest players, but they had a big advantage in terms of maturity and strength and were probably the best players for Black.

I was also impressed with Brendan Berquam. He played for the LA Jr. Kings, and prior to that, at Shattuck. He's not a big guy, but showed very good skating and passing ability.

His LA teammate Troy Power was also on the Black team. I continue to be impressed with Power's talent, though the up-and-down loose flowing style of play in the game didn't really suit his talents. I think he could have a nice year in the USHL though.

Colin Smith and David Chaney were two kids from the Belle Tire program that I wasn't familiar with that played pretty well.

Minnesota Tom Kleidon will probably make the jump from the NAHL to the USHL this season. He plays like a solid, dependable defenseman.

Sioux Falls Stampede All-Star Game

2007-06-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the roster from the Sioux Falls Stampede Tryout Camp All-Star game.

Team Blue
D Sean Escobedo Apple Core '90
D Kris Reinthaler Dallas Stars '88
D Joe Brehm Edina HS '88
D Ian Ruel Victory Honda '90
D Justin Lee Chaska HS '89
D Sam Zabkowicz Sioux Falls '87 (St. Cloud)
F Nick Dineen Sioux Falls '89 (Colorado College)
F Jack Connolly Duluth Marshall '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
F Patrick Divjak WE-V '89
F Marc Rodriguez Team Illinois '90
F Jordy Christian Moorhead HS '88
F Jordan Singer Centennial HS '88
F David Grun Sioux Falls '87
F Travis Belohrad BUH/Pike to Peake '91
F Tom Healy Team Illinois '88
F Tony McDonald Totino-Grace HS '88
F Matt Leer Edina HS '89
F Matt Farris Pierre HS '90
G Eric Hartzell Dallas Stars '89
G Connor Toomey St. Sebastien's '89
G Doug Carr Hanover HS '89

Team White
D Max Grover Little Caesar's '88
D Scott Kishel Virgina HS '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
D Anthony Raiola Minnetonka HS '90
D Gabe Guentzel Southern Minnesota '88
D Mike Baran Thayer Academy '89
D Austin Accettura Honeybaked '90
F Dan Sexton Sioux Falls '87
F Terry Broadhurst Chicago Chill '88
F Britton Smith Holy Angels '88
F Kyle Politz Apple Valley HS '89
F Jake Hansen Sioux Falls '89 (Minnesota)
F Michael Joula LA Kings '89
F Josh Holmstrom Colorado Rampage '89
F Robbie Vrolyk Sioux Falls '89
F Kevin Czepiel Northfield Mount Hermon '88
F Ross Trousdale Buffalo HS '88
F John Kruse Eden Prairie HS '89
F Jeff Rohrkemper Grosse Pointe North '89
G Derek Mohney Buffalo Saints '90
G Max Strang Sioux Falls '89

Tri-City Storm All-Star Game

2007-06-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the rosters for the All-Star game at the Tri-City Storm tryout camp.

Team White
D Nick Jaskowiak Salisbury Prep '89
D Charlie Raskob Holy Angels '89
F Tyler Johnson Couer d'Alene NORPAC '90
F Mario Lamoureux Tri-City Storm '88
F Yannick Offret Amiens, France '88
F Chris Hickey Cretin-Derham Hall HS (Wisconsin) '88
F Colin Phanuef Winnipeg South Blues '90
D Jordan Lolar Springfield Falcons '88
D Danny Heath PF Chang's '90
D Ryan Peltoma Tri-City Storm '88
D Greg Thocker Fargo-Moorhead Jets '90
F Anthony DeCenzo Hibbing HS '89
F Matt Tabrum Pikes Peak AAA '91
F Jordan Van Guilder Tri-City Storm '88
D Cameron Cooper Tri-City Storm '88
F Josh Berge Dallas Alliance AAA '90
F Mike Cichy Jr. Bruins '90 (North Dakota)
F Nick Oliver Roseau HS '91 (St. Cloud)
F Bryce Ravndalen Warroad HS '89

Team Black
D Grant Fahnhorst Wayzata HS '89
D Shawn Jameson Dubuque '88
D David Chaney Belle Tire '90
D Chris Franks Burnsville HS '89
D James Geerin North Iowa '90
D Brandon Martel Elk River HS '89 (Minnesota)
D Tom Kleidon Santa Fe '89
F Brandon Berquam LA Kings '89
F Brett Beebe Anaheim Jr. Ducks '90
F Dan Cecka Hill-Murray '89
F Troy Power LA Kings '90
F Troy Mattila Springfield '88
F Sean Wiles Tri-City Storm '87
F Alex Hudson Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)
F Colin Smith Belle Tire '88
F Jordan Willert Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)

Goalies
Jake Kremer Russell Stover '88
Ian O'Brien Pittsburgh Penguins '90
Aaron Rock Tri-City Storm '87
Hakan Yumusaklar Lakeville South HS '89

NHL Draft Prospect: Max Pacioretty

2007-05-31T13:18:00.001-07:00

The next NHL draft prospect we'll look at is Sioux City Musketeers forward Max Pacioretty.

Max Pacioretty can be considered a bit of a "dark horse" in this summer's NHL Draft, mainly because prior to this winter, when the NHL CSB's mid-term rankings came out, few people had heard of Pacioretty, let alone considered him a top prospect for the draft.

Prior to playing in the USHL, Pacioretty played his hockey for Taft Prep, in Connecticut. As a sophomore, Pacioretty had 5 goals and 14 assists, which was good for fourth on Taft's team in scoring. That summer, he went to the USA Select 17 Festival, and was impressive enough to earn a spot on the US U18 team that traveled to Slovakia to play in the Junior World Cup. Pacioretty returned to Taft for his junior season and scored 6 goals and 30 assists in 25 games. That January, Pacioretty accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Michigan, choosing the Wolverines over a couple Ivy League schools.

Here is what US Hockey Report said about Pacioretty after he committed: "Pacioretty, a New Canaan, Conn. native now in his junior year at Taft, is a big kid with pretty good hands. With his long reach, he is able to protect the puck well, and he has good acceleration for his size. At the very least, he projects to be a solid checking winger for the Wolverines. Depending on how he develops, he could be much more -- there's upside here."

For his senior year of high school, Pacioretty moved on to Sioux City of the USHL, where he really showed off his talent. In 60 regular season games, Pacioretty scored 21 goals and 42 assists for 63 points. He was second on Sioux City's team in scoring, tied for 10th overall in the league, and trailed only Des Moines' Ben Ryan for most points by a player in his first year of draft eligibility by a single point. Pacioretty also had 4 goals and 6 assists in 7 playoff games.

Pacioretty is often described as a "prototypical power forward" because combines his large frame(measured at 6'1.5" 203 lbs. by Central Scouting) and physical play with extremely soft hands, and his skating is very good for his size. Pacioretty is a bit atypical, however, in that he racks up a lot of assists for a power forward. Pacioretty is also pretty intelligent. He fielded scholarship offers from Ivy League schools, and graduated high school a semester early this winter.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Pacioretty 23rd in the their mid-term rankings, making him the highest rated USHL prospect, and Pacioretty moved up to 16th in the final rankings, making him the 5th highest rated American prospect. He will likely be picked in the later half of the first round, though he is a player that could get picked even earlier, as few prospects in front of him have the same size and ability as Pacioretty.

Pacioretty will be as freshman at Michigan next season. The Wolverines lost a significant chunk of offense this summer with the graduation of T.J. Hensick and the Edmonton Oiler's signing of Andrew Cogliano, and Pacioretty will be one of the players called upon to fill that void. Michigan has desperately missed the presence of a high-scoring power forward since Jason Botterill graduated in 1997, and would love for Pacioretty to fill that role. Pacioretty should see powerplay time right away for the Wolverines, and will likely be on one of the top two lines.

Biggest Strength: Hands
Needs to Improve: Goal-scoring ability

Further Reading:

Pacioretty is Named Channel 4 Champion January 17, 2007

NHL Draft Prospect: Mike Hoeffel

2007-05-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our next draft profile is of NTDP forward Mike Hoeffel.

Hoeffel played his high school hockey at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota. He skated for the Hill-Murray JV team as a freshman. The next year, Hoeffel grew four inches and added 25 lbs. to measure at 6'0 and 165 lbs., and was one of the top sophomores in the state of Minnesota. He was the Pioneers second leading scorer with 44 points, behind only Ryan Guentzel. Hoeffel was invited to the US NTDP tryout camp, where USHR thought he was the best forward at the camp. He returned to Hill-Murray for his junior year of high school. Hoeffel once again grew to the size of 6'2" 180 lbs. and was one of the best players in the state. He scored 70 points as a junior, second only to teammate Nick Larson's 79 points.

I was impressed with Hoeffel at the 2005 Elite League: "Before the tournament, I would have guessed that '07 recruit Mike Hoeffel, the 6th ranked uncommitted forward, would be the best player in the league, and he certainly looked like it. Hoeffel was about as close to a complete package as there is. He has very good size, and uses it pretty well. He can also skate exceptionally well for someone his size, and has a very heavy snap shot that he loves to use. The only problem was that he had the accuracy of a Stormtrooper today. He had three quality scoring chances today and put all three shots over the net. One beat the goalie cleanly, but hit the crossbar, while the other two missed badly. If he improves his scoring touch a little, he'll be a very good player."

That November, Hoeffel accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota in 2007. The summer after his junior year of high school, Hoeffel accepted an offer to play for the National Development Program in Ann Arbor.

Hoeffel got off to a slow start with the NTDP. Most players struggle in their first couple of months with the NTDP, but Hoeffel's was a bit more high-profile because he was with the U18 team and was in his draft year. Hoeffel started to become more comfortable with his role on the team. He suffered a torn ACL and had to miss the end of the season, including the World U18 Championships. It should be fully healed for next fall, but it could hurt his development this summer.

Hoeffel is listed at 6'2" 186 lbs. by NHL Central Scouting. Hoeffel has all the tools to be an outstanding player: he's pretty big, a good skater, and is a nice finisher. But as his low scoring totals with the NTDP might suggest, he still needs to find a way to put it all together to be more effective against top competition. Playing college hockey should give him the time to develop those hockey instincts.

NHL Central Scouting rated Hoeffel #22 in their final rankings, up from 24 in the mid-term rankings. That would indicate that Hoeffel would be picked towards the end of the first round, though he could slip down well into the second round due to his injury and not being able to play at the World Championships.

Hoeffel will head to Minnesota next fall. Much like Jimmy O'Brien last year, Hoeffel could get stuck on one of the lower lines and not see a lot of icetime, especially in special teams situations. But given a year or two to develop, Hoeffel should emerge as one of the top threats for the Gophers. Whichever team drafts him would probably best be served by letting him play at least 3 seasons of college hockey.

Biggest Strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Hockey sense

Further Reading:

NTDP Feature December 1, 2006

NHL Draft Prospect: Ryan McDonagh

2007-05-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

The next prospect we'll look at is Cretin-Derham Hall defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

McDonagh has been a player that has flown under the radar. He wasn't invited to the NTDP tryout camp in 2005, though some scouts felt that he was a very underrated player. In December of his junior year of high school, he was offered scholarships from St. Cloud, Minnesota-Duluth, and Wisconsin, and McDonagh chose to commit to Wisconsin. McDonagh's big break came during the 2006 Minnesota State High School tournament, when Cretin-Derham Hall won the state championship.

McDonagh's solid play carried over into his senior season, where he won Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Award. He is the first player from a private school to win the award. He also earned the opportunity to skate with Team USA at the World U18 Championships.

McDonagh really opened eyes when he was rated 12th in the the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Mid-term Rankings. He moved up to 11th in the final rankings. Red Line Report had McDonagh rated 10th after being impressed with the way he handled the speed of the U18 tourney. He'll likely be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round.

McDonagh's play has drawn comparisons to Chris Chelios. He's a solid defender that can make the occasional offensive contribution. He also plays with a nice mean streak, and has shown great leadership abilities. He plays like a prototypical NHL defenseman.

McDonagh will head to Wisconsin next fall. It's unlikely that he'll leave after his freshman. If he develops into a top player, he could leave Wisconsin as early as the end of the his sophomore season.

Biggest Strength: Leadership Ability
Needs to Improve: Consistency- Playing high school hockey in Minnesota, McDonagh hasn't faced top-notch competition night in and night out yet. He may face a bit of an adjustment at Wisconsin.

Further Reading:

Is Ryan McDonagh The Next Chris Chelios?

NHL Draft Prospect: Patrick White

2007-05-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Next on our list of NHL Draft prospects is Grand Rapids HS forward Patrick White.

White grew up playing hockey in the Grand Rapids, Minnesota hockey association. After playing his sophomore year for Grand Rapids High School, White was invited to the NTDP's tryout camp. USHR.com said, "Just OK on the first day, came on the second day, suffered a deep thigh bruise and didn’t play the third day. Strong skater. Good puck skills, good hockey sense, does everything well."

White's stock began to drop a bit heading into his junior year. I wasn't overly impressed with him in limited viewing at the 2005 HS Elite League: "White started the year pretty high on the '07 recruiting board, but has slowly faded as he hasn't lived up to his hype. He had a couple bad shifts and took a bad penalty in the time I saw and certainly did nothing to help his position on the prospect board."

But his stock rose again that spring, and has remained high ever since. It began when White went on a tear at the end of the high school season. He was a key factor in Grand Rapids surprising run to the Minnesota High School state championship game. That played earned him a scholarship offer to Minnesota, which he accepted last June.

A few weeks later, I was impressed with him at Minnesota's Model Camp: "He looks so much better than he did last year. A big part of it is probably confidence. He was good, but not really dominate on offense, but I thought he was excellent defensively. I don't think he'll be a star at the next level, but he'll be a player that Gopher fans are very happy to have." and at the Select 17 Festival: "
On the other side of the ice, the more I see Pat White, the more I'm convinced he'll be a first round draft pick next summer. He had another great performance. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, he was still making his presence felt on the ice."

White was offered a spot on the NTDP team, but chose instead to return to Grand Rapids for his senior year of high school. He got off to a slow start in his senior year of high school. He sprained his ankle in a preseason game and it took over half the season for him to recover. White returned to full health in time for the section playoffs, and led Grand Rapids back to the state tournament, where I said this about his play: "Pat White(Minnesota commit) was easily the best player on the ice. He's incredibly strong, and a smart hockey player. I was very impressed."

After his high school season, White went to Tri-City of the USHL, where he scored 8 goals and one assist in 12 games, and registed a +5 +/- rating. He also played for the US U18 team at the World Championships.

White is incredibly strong with the puck. In last year's state championship game, Roseau head coach Scott Oliver instructed his players to try and play off White, because of his ability to bounce off of checks. White also has a hard, accurate shot which allows him to score a lot of goals. He is also responsible on his own end of the ice, which should make him even more attractive to NHL teams.

White was ranked 23rd in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Final Rankings, which was up from 25 in the Mid-term Rankings. White will likely be on the borderline between the first and the second round.

White will head to the University of Minnesota next season. Whichever team drafts him will likely want White to play at least 2 or three years as he develops physically. White has a great deal of strength, but there is a big difference between being high school-strong and NHL-strong, and it takes time to build that strength. White projects to a solid two-way player that can be a solid finisher on a powerplay. White is one of the more complete players in the draft, with no glaring weaknesses. It will just be a matter of how he continues to develop.

Biggest strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Strength

Further Reading:

Research on Ice feature: Pat White March 12, 2007

NHL Draft Prospect: Ian Cole

2007-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

We’ll continue our 2007 NHL Draft coverage with a look at some individual players. Today, we’ll look at NTDP defenseman Ian Cole.

Cole is originally a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and played his early years of hockey in the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association. As he started to develop into a top prospect, Cole moved on to the famed Compuware AAA program. When he was 15, he chose to play closer to Ann Arbor with the Victory Honda Midget Minor team.

That spring, he was offered a spot on the NTDP team. Cole was known as a strong, physical defenseman, but there were questions about his foot speed and skating ability. Notre Dame was very interested in him, however. Cole was familiar with Notre Dame because he had been coached by Notre Dame assistant Andy Slaggert. He also received interest from Michigan and Wisconsin. In the end, Cole picked Notre Dame and became Jeff Jackson’s first ever recruit at Notre Dame.

With the NTDP, Cole continued to develop thanks to his impressive work ethic. He gained 20 lbs. in the weight room to put over 200 lbs. That size not only makes him effective physically, it also makes it extremely difficult for him to be knocked off the puck.

Cole made another jump in development in his second year with the NTDP, becoming one of the team’s top defenseman. Cole became more comfortable with his role on the team, and started to show more offensive flair, as well as playing better defensively. He capped off his NTDP career with an impressive showing at the World U18 championships where he impressed scouts as one of the team’s top defenseman.

He is probably best described as an all-around defenseman. His strongest area is probably on the defensive side, where he can use his size to his advantage. While he probably won’t rush the puck up the ice much, he can also contribute offensively with solid passes and a hard shot from the point. He may have to improve his skating a little more to play at the NHL level, but he’s improved dramatically every year and could develop even more at Notre Dame.

Cole was ranked 81st in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, though that didn’t take into account his performance at the World Championships. He moved up from 118th in the mid-term rankings. Cole could go much higher though. Red Line Report’s Kyle Woodlief went so far as to put him at 9th in his draft rankings. It’s unlikely that he will go that high, but I could see Cole being drafted as high as the second round. The most likely scenario would be that he will be drafted in the 3rd or 4th round.

Cole will likely play at least 2 or 3 years at Notre Dame before an NHL team even thinks about signing him. The Irish have big expectations for Cole, and he should develop into one of their top defenseman.

Biggest strength: Work ethic
Needs to Improve: Skating ability

NTDP Coach Ron Rolson said: “Ian’s a big, strong kid who plays with a physical presence. He’s solid defensively and keeps the game simple. Ian has a great work ethic and is able to dominate opponents physically.”

Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said: "Ian is a solid defenseman who has good vision on the ice and will give us a great presence because of the way he plays the game. He's a big, gritty kid who is strong in the corners and in front of the net. He's a solid two-way defenseman who puts an emphasis on the physical aspect of the game. He will be a top collegiate defenseman for us in the years to come."

Further Reading:

"Cole Mining" from Paul Shaheen's Research on Ice June 22, 2005.

NTDP Feature November 4, 2005

NTDP Feature March 30, 2007

Pat White

2007-05-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

(The following story was written by me for the Research on Ice newsletter last March)

Grand Rapids forward Pat White was faced with a number of different options for his future after leading Grand Rapids to the Minnesota Class AA championship game last season. He could have spent his senior year of high school in Ann Arbor Michigan, playing for the National Team Development Program and wearing a Team USA jersey, or he could have chosen to head to the USHL where he would play more games and face stronger competition. But for White, the decision to stay in Grand Rapids for his final year of high school was an easy one.

“That game right there is the best example of why I came back for my senior year,” said White, after scoring two goals to lead his team to a victory over the tournament’s top seed, Edina in front of a sellout crowd at the Xcel Energy Center. “There’s nothing more that I could ask for than just playing one hockey game out there. I’d give anything in the world to for it. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget it. All my friends and buddies are in the locker room, we’ve been together all the way together all the way and I don’t think I could leave them.”

Things haven’t been always been as fun and rewarding for White this season. White suffered a sprained ankle in a preseason scrimmage, which forced him to play the first part of the season at less than his full effectiveness, before sidelining him for a few games while he tried to let his ankle heal.

“It doesn’t get much more frustrating than that. You sit up in the stands and you watch your team win, and you watch your team lose. When the team wins you want to be out there to celebrate with them, and when the team doesn’t come out on top you’re feeling the exact opposite. I want to contribute to the team, and I want to help them win hockey games.

White’s ankle now feels better, to the point that it no longer has to worry about it on the ice.

“I guess I’d say it’s 100% now. I hope it is, anyway. I’m certainly not thinking about anymore.”

White’s return to health has been a big boost to Grand Rapids. Some losses in the first half of the season while White was battling injury made Grand Rapids the third seed in Section 7AA, but with White at full strength, Grand Rapids knocked off second seeded Duluth East in overtime, with White scoring the game-winner, and then beat top-seed Cloquet in the final, where White added another goal. After defeating Edina, Grand Rapids proved themselves as one of the best teams in the state with White healthy.

Once his high school season is over, White will still end up with the opportunity to wear a Team USA jersey. White will join the US U18 team that will travel to Finland for the World Championships.

When asked which he would he would prefer, if he had to choose between winning a state title and winning a gold medal, White responded, “I don’t know if I could choose off the top of my head. Either one would probably feel better than anything else.”

If White continues his stellar play, he just might get both.

WCHA Goalies

2007-05-25T20:26:00.001-07:00

Alaska-Anchorage

The Situation: Jon Olthuis is back for his second year, along with freshman Matt Gordon.

Survey Says: Olthuis should be the starter, at least to start the season. If Gordon plays well, he may earn more playing time.

Colorado College

The Situation: The Tigers lose Matt Zaba. Junior Drew O'Connell was highly-touted coming out of juniors, but has struggled whenever he has gotten playing time. Freshman Richard Bachmann started off slowly in the USHL, but played well in the second half of the season.

Survey Says: The door is wide open for Bachmann to earn the starting role. Goaltending probably won't be a strong point for the Tigers though.

Denver

The Situation: Peter Mannino is back for his final year, and should be backed up by freshman Marc Cheverie.

Survey Says: Cheverie struggled this past season in juniors. Mannino shouldn't face a ton of competition for playing time.

Michigan Tech

The Situation: The Huskies return two top goalies in Michael-Lee Teslak and Robbie Nolan.

Survey Says: The Huskies duo should be one of the best in the nation.

Minnesota

The Situation: Junior Jeff Frazee and freshman Alex Kangas will compete for playing time.

Survey Says: Both are talented goalies. I think they will split time for most of the regular season, with Frazee playing in the playoffs.

Minnesota State

The Situation: The Mavericks return juniors Mike Zacharias and Dan Tormey, and freshman Austin Lee.

Survey Says: I think Tormey and Zacharias will both be great this season. If the defense plays well in front of them, they should be right up there with Teslak and Nolan.

Minnesota-Duluth

The Situation: Alex Stalock is back for his second season, and Kenny Reiter will join the Bulldogs.

Survey Says: If Stalock reigns back some of his aggression, he could be a very good goalie. Reiter will likely be the back-up.

North Dakota

The Situation: Same as last year. Phillippe Lamoureux will be the starter with Anthony Grieco as the back-up.

Survey Says: Lamoureux isn't a great goalie, but has shown the ability to rise to the occasion when needed. He should be a good anchor on a talent Sioux team.

St. Cloud

The Situation: Jase Weslosky will take over for Bobby Goepfert as the starter, with Dan Dunn as the back-up.

Survey Says: Weslosky was great in his first couple of starts, then really struggled at the end of the year. Still, the college experience should really help him this year. He won't be Goepfert, but he'll be good enough.

Wisconsin

The Situation: Brian Elliott is gone for the Badgers. Shane Connelly and Scott Gudmanson will compete for playing time.

Survey Says: Connelly struggled early on in his career, but the plan was always to have him ready to start as a junior, which I think he'll do pretty well playing in front of Wisconsin's stout defense.

CCHA Goalies

2007-05-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Alaska
The situation: Chad Johnson and Wylie Rogers both return. Both had down years last season, but have a lot of talent.

Survey Says: They can prevent goals, but can they also score them for the 'Nooks?

Bowling Green

The situation: Goalie has been one of the biggest holes for BG ever since Jordan Sigalet left. Jimmy Spratt has had awful statistics, and last year, freshman Eddie Neville didn't do much better. NTDP goalie Josh Unice will be joining the team and should have every opportunity to win the starting job.

Survey Says: BG needs Unice to be very, very good, or it could be another disastrous season.

Ferris State

The situation: Mitch O'Keefe won the starting job over Derek MacIntyre two seasons ago, but didn't play all that well last season. Freshman Pat Nagle will join the Bulldogs after being one of the NAHL's better goalies.

Survey Says: If O'Keefe can't return to his freshman season form, Nagle could earn a lot of playing time.

Lake Superior

The Situation: The Lakers lost a great goalie in Jeff Jakaitis. Pat Inglis played well in limited minutes last season. Brian Mahoney-Wilson will also compete for playing time.

Survey Says: I think Inglis will be the full-time starter and will surprise people by having a great year.

Miami

The Situation: Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger have both been very good and are both back for next season.

Survey Says: More of the same from the RedHawks goalie duo.

Michigan

The Situation: The maligned Billy Sauer will be back as a junior. Freshman Bryan Hogan will compete for playing time, as will freshman Shawn Hunwick.

Survey Says: Michigan fans would love to see Hogan win the job, but Sauer will likely be the starter the majority of the time. Sauer made strides last season, and should make another big stride this season.

Michigan State

The Situation: Jeff Lerg is back for his junior season.

Survey Says: It will be impossible for Lerg to live up to the legend he built in the four NCAA tournament games last season, but he should still be an exceptionally solid goalie.

Nebraska-Omaha

The Situation: Jeremie Dupont was one of college hockey's youngest players last season. He split time with Jerad Kaufmann.

Survey Says: With an extra year of experience, Dupont should be better, and should see the majority of the playing time.

Northern Michigan

The Situation: The Wildcats have sophomore Brian Stewart, freshman Reid Ellingson, and returnee Derek Janzen.

Survey Says: Stewart may get more playing time to start the season, but Ellingson is likely the long-term solution for Northern.

Notre Dame

The Situation: Notre Dame lost Hobey candidate David Brown to graduation. The Irish will have two former NTDP goalies in junior Jordan Pearce and freshman Brad Phillips.

Survey Says: Pearce hasn't been outstanding in his limited playing time. I think the two may split time to start the season, with one emerging as the starter later in the year.

Ohio State

The Situation: Joe Palmer will be back for his second year.

Survey Says: Palmer has a lot of talent, and should get even better this season.

Western Michigan

The Situation: I don't think Daniel Bellissimo will be returning for his senior season. That leaves sophomore Riley Gill and freshman Jerry Kuhn to compete for playing time.

Survey Says: Gill played very well as a freshman, and should continue to be the starter.

USHL Draft Live Blog

2007-05-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the results from this year's USHL Entry Draft. For more information, check out the Western College Hockey Blog

10 minutes in, and nothing has been posted yet.

1st Round 1st Overall Chicago Selects: Will Weber, Gaylord HS(MI)

I thought Weber might go first overall. He's a big, offensive-minded defenseman that is an excellent skater. He kind of reminds me of Derrick Lapoint last year. He's committed to Miami for 2008.

1st Round 2nd Overall Ohio Selects: Alden Hirschfeld, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)

8th Round 77th Overall Green Bay Selects: Taylor Johnson, White Bear Lake

Johnson is a very talented defenseman from White Bear Lake. I believe he'll be a senior next season, so he might only play before/after the USHL season.

8th Round 78th Overall Waterloo Selects: Matt Marshall, Nobles Prep

One of the more talented players from out East.

Sioux City done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
I don't remember a lot about Hirschfeld after seeing him early in the year, but he is also committed to Miami for 2008.

1st Round 3rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Joe Schiller, Detroit Lakes HS

I didn't think Schiller would go this high. He's an excellent stickhandler/playmaker with pretty decent size. He's committed to Minnesota State for 2008.

1st Round 4th Overall Indiana Selects: Pat Cullen, Washington Jr. Nationals

Cullen is an interesting prospect, because he played in such a non-traditional area. He had an excellent year, but was playing HS hockey in Maryland. He's committed to RPI for 2008.

1st Round 5th Overall Des Moines Selects: Trent Vogelhuber, St. Louis Jr. Bandits(NAHL)

The third Miami recruit in the first round of the draft. I can't say I know a whole lot about him.

1st Round 6th Overall Sioux City Selects: Adam Hout, LA Jr. Kings

Pretty nice defenseman. The Jr. Kings had a lot of very talented players last season.

1st Round 7th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jack Connolly, Duluth Marshall HS

I'm a huge fan of Connolly. He's small, but an excellent passer and stickhandler. He's very fun to watch. He'll also more than likely be playing two years in the USHL, so a great pick-up for Sioux Falls.

1st Round 8th Overall Chicago Selects: Aaron Schmidt, Culver

Linconln traded this pick to Chicago. I didn't get to see Culver play this year.

1st Round 9th Overall Tri-City Selects: Mike Cichy, Boston Jr. Bruins

A bit of a gamble, but a nice pick. Cichy left the NTDP and went to play for the Jr. Bruins. He'll likely play in the USHL next season, though the QMJHL will probably still make a big push for him this summer.

1st Round 10th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Matt Donovan, Dallas AAA

1st Round 11th Overall Omaha Selects: Donny Harris, NW Regulators AAA

I'm not even sure who the NW Regulators are.

1st Round 12th Overall Waterloo Selects: Drew McKenzie, Taft School

6th defenseman of the first round. McKenzie is committed to Vermont.

2nd Round 13th Overall Chicago Selects: Andrew Miller, Cranbrook Kingswood

The Steel pick up the other big prospect out of Michigan HS hockey. Miller is a smaller player, but has great hands and good scoring ability. He should be a very nice player. He's committed to Yale.

2nd Round 14th Overall Ohio Selects: Matt Leitner, Anaheim Jr. Ducks

Didn't get a chance to see Anaheim play this year.

2nd Round 15 Overall Green Bay Selects: Christian Morrissette, St. Andrews College

Committed to RPI.

2nd Round 16th Overall Indiana Selects: Timothy Syner, NO Jr. Falcons(EJHL)

2nd Round 17th Overall Des Moines Selects: Locke Jillison

Good skater and a solid two-way player. Committed to Cornell.

2nd Round 18th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Quailr, Rocky Mountain Wranglers

2nd Round 19th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Gabe Guentzel, Southern Minnesota Express(NAHL)

Guentzel's brother played at Sioux Falls as well. Gaber is a decent defender that doesn't really stand out, but plays a smart, quiet game.

2nd Round 20th Overall Lincoln Selects: Jeff Cecacci, Surrey Eagles(BCHL)

Only listed at 5'8". 1988 birthdate. 21 points in 53 games this year as a defenseman.

2nd Round 21st Overall Tri-City Selects: David Carle, Shattuck-St. Mary's

Carle may be ready to make the jump to the USHL next season. He's not a superstar like his brother, but he has a pretty decent mix of size and skill and should be a solid player in the USHL.

2nd Round 22nd Overall Indiana Selects: Corbin McPherson, Cowichan Valley(BCHL)

Pick traded from Cedar Rapids.

2nd Round 23rd Overall Omaha Selects: Aaron Lewadniuk, Winkler(MJHL)

Committed to Bemidji State.

2nd Round 24th Overall Waterloo Selects: Chad Billins, Alpena(NAHL)

I really like Billins. He's not huge, but he is a very smart, responsible defenseman. He's committed to Ferris State.

3rd Round 25th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Michael Juola, LA Jr. Kings

Juola is a very talented forward. He's got good skating ability and can shoot the puck.

3rd Round 26th Overall Tri-City Selects: Chris Franks, Burnsville HS

I'm really surprised that Franks lasted this long. He's a big defenseman that has great offensive potential, including a huge shot from the point.

3rd Round 27th Overall Green Bay Selects: Phil Ginand, NE Jr. Huskies

3rd Round 28th Overall Indiana Selects: Peter Boyd, Northwood School

3rd Round 29th Overall Lincoln Selects: Hunter Bishop, Vernon(BCHL)

Bishop left North Dakota midway through last year, and will be looking to find another school to play at.

3rd Round 30th Overall Sioux City Selects: Will MacDonald, Culver Academy

<3rd Round 31st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tom Healy, Team Illinois/span>

3rd Round 32nd Overall Tri-City Selects: Colin Smith, Belle Tire

3rd Round 33rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Nick Jaskowiak, Salisbury Prep

Had committed to Harvard, though there are rumors that that offer is no longer there.

3rd Round 34th Overall Cedar Rapids: Jesse Brown, Syracuse Stars

3rd Round 35th Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Sloat, Colorado Thunderbirds

3rd Round 36th Overall Waterloo Selects: Ryan Kretzer, Springfield(NAHL)

4th Round 37th Overall Indiana Selects: Brian Harrison, Chicago Chill

4th Round 38th Overall Lincoln Selects: Dennis Brown, LA Jr. Kings

Brown is an underrated defenseman. He can skate very well and is excellent at moving the puck.

4th Round 39th Overall Green Bay Selects: Stephen Carew, Benilde-St. Margaret's

Good finishing ability.

4th Round 40th Overall Indiana Selects: Scott Darling

The first goalie of the draft isn't picked until the 4th round. Darlings is committed to Maine.

4th Round 41st Overall Des Moines Selects: Adam Henderson, Spruce Grove(AJHL)

Henderson is committed to Michigan State. He's a very talented 1990 birthdate. A nice pick-up for Des Moines if he decides to play in the US.

4th Round 42 Overall Ohio Selects: Zach Trotman, Victory Honda

4th Round 43rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Vince Mihalek, Gilmour Academy

4th Round 44th Overall Lincoln Selects: Kyle Delaurell, Colorado Rampage

4th Round 45th Overall Tri-City Selects: Brett Beebe, Anaheim Alliance

Beebe was one of the leading scorers at last summer's Select 16 Festival.

4th Round 46th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Bruckel, Syracuse Stars

4th Round 47th Overall Des Moines Selects: Miles Winter, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)

4th Round 48th Overall Ohio Selects: Dalton Speelman, San Jose AAA

5th Round 49th Overall Green Bay Selects: Chris Connolly, Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)

Connolly is Jack's older brother. Chris is a very talented offensive player. If he can get a good college scholarship offer for next season, he'd likely take note, but if not, he'd be an excellent overage player in the USHL.

5th Round 50th Overall Des Moines Selects: J.P. Maley

5th Round 51st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jordan Singer, Centennial HS

Singer did well at the Chicago Showcase Tournament.

5th Round 52nd Overall Chicago Selects: Brian Dowd Thayer Academy

5th Round 53rd Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Hausworth, Marquette Electros

5th Round 54th Overall Sioux City Selects: Jarrod Mermis, St. Louis Jr. B

5th Round 55th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Augie Hoffman, Valley Jr. Warriors

5th Round 56th Overall Tri-City Selects: Ian O'Brien, Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins

Only the second goalie drafted.

5th Round 57th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Terry Broadhurst

5th Round 58th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Kyle Flanagan, Cornwall

5th Round 59th Overall Omaha Selects: Richard Manley, Chicago Steel(USHL)

Apparently Chicago didn't keep him on their protected roster. Manley was with the NTDP before leaving for the USHL.

<5th Round 60th Overall Waterlook Selects: Chris Slavik, Elk River HS

Slavik is a pretty good defenseman. He was a bit overshadowed by teammate Brandon Martell this year, but he definitely has D1 talent.

6th Round 61st Overall, Chicago Selects: Eric Alexander, East Kentwood HS

Chicago continues to pick top MI HS players, and they get probably the third best player in the state in Alexander.

Ohio done drafting in Phase 1 of draft

6th Round 63rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Brian Yanovitch, Bridgewater

6th Round 64th Overall Chicago Selects: Spencer Anderson, Brampton(OPJHL)

Des Moines done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft

6th Round 64th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Thompson, Vernon(BCHL)

6th Round 65th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Sean Escobedo, Apple Core(EJHL)

Indiana done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft

6th Round 66th Overall Tri-City Selects: Tom Kleidon, Santa Fe(NAHL)

6th Round 67th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Paul Phillips, Chicago Chill

I believe he's the first 1991 birthdate drafted in this draft. He tried out for the NTDP team recently, but hasn't been selected for the team.

6th Round 68th Overall Omaha Selects: Joe Sova, Sioux City(USHL)

Apparently Sioux City wasn't holding on to Sova.

6th Round 69th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kory Kaunisto, Traverse City(NAHL)

Talented forward. Already committed to Northern Michigan.

7th Round 70th Overall Chicago Selects: Barron Smith, Chicago Mission

Smith is a '91, but very big for his age. He could have a chance to play for his hometown team next season.

Chicago done drafting in phase 1 of the draft

7th Round 71st Overall Sioux City Selects: Ben Kinne, Santa Fe(NAHL)

Kinne played at Cretin-Derham Hall HS in Minnesota. Not a huge player, but a hard worker with some decent skill.

7th Round 72nd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Garrett Chumley, Cambridge HS

Chumley is a nice playmaker that racked up a lot of points at a smaller high school.

7th Round 73rd Overall Lincoln Selects: Jake Newton, Texas Tornado

Tri-City done drafting in phase 1 of draft

7th Round 74th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Jeff Velleca, New England Falcons

7th Round 75th Overall Omaha Selects: Nick Thielen, Moorhead HS

7th Round 76th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kevin Nugent, Taft Prep

Nugent recently committed to Notre Dame. Apparently there is a chance that he could wait to join the Irish until 2008.

7th Round 79th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Kristof Reinthaler, Dallas AAA

8th Round 80th Overall Lincoln Selects: Corey Hibbeler, Culver Academy

8th Round 81st Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bryce Aneloski, Team Illinois

Omaha is done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft

Round 8 82nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Mark Silverman, Victory Honda

Silverman is an excellent student, and has been looked at by some Ivy League schools.

Round 9 83rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Dan Ford, Syracuse Stars

Cedar Rapids is loving the Eastern kids this year.

Round 10 84th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Gustav Bengston, NW Regulators

That completes Phase 1 of the drafting period.

Phase 2 of the Drafting Period

Round 11 85th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bobby Gutsch, Duluth Marshall

Gutsch has potential to make CR's team, and do quite well. He's a big hitter with decent hands. Marshall's Rob Bordson had a great year for CR last season, and Gutsch could do the same.

Round 11 86th Overall Ohio Selects: Jordy Murray, Shattuck-St. Mary's

Probably a flier. I'd guess Murray returns to Shattuck for next season.

Round 11 87th Overall Green Bay Selects: Keegan Flaherty, Duluth East HS

Flaherty is a nice player, that could try to play for GB before/after the HS season.

11th Round 88th Overall Indiana Selects: Angelo Vrachnas

11th Round 89th Overall Des Moines Selects: Mike Mosher, LA Jr. Kings

Mosher is a very talented goalie.

11th Round 90th Overall Sioux City Selects: Cody Butcher, Merritt(BCHL)

11th Round 91st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tedd Falk, Team Wisconsin

11th Round 92nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Peter Lompado, Shattuck-St. Mary's

Another flier. Lompado will probably be playing baseball at Minnesota State next season.

11th Round 93rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Anthony DeCenzo, Hibbing HS

Another before/after HS season possibility.

11th Round 94th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Derek Arnold, Boston Jr. Bruins

11th Round 95th Overall Omaha Selects: Alex Killorn, Deerfield

Killorn is receiving some hype for this summer's NHL draft. He's committed to Harvard. He must be considering returning to Deerfield or else I think he might have gone higher.

11th Round 96th Overall Waterloo Selects: Michael Montrose, Detroit Little Caesar's

Montrose is a '91 born defenseman and is very talented.

12th Round 97th Overall Chicago Selects: Mark Anthione, Portland Jr. Pirates

12th Round 98th Overall Ohio Selects: Brian Flynn, Pomfret Prep

12th Round 99th Overall Green Bay Selects: Kyle Rank, Apple Core(EJHL)

12th Round 100th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Bahnemann, Rochester Lourdes HS

I'm really surprised that Bahnemann lasted this long. He's a very talented prospect that is looking to play in the USHL next season. He should make Indiana's team.

12th Round 101st Overall Des Moines Selects: Jefferson Dahl, Eau Claire HS

12th Round 102nd Overall Sioux City Selects: Justin Brossman, Vernon(BCHL)

Played at Shattuck prior to playing in BCHL.

12th Round 103rd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jeff Rohrkemper, Grosse Pointe North HS

One of the better MI HS players this year.

12th Round 104th Overall Lincoln Selects: Brandon Richardson, Pembroke Lumber Kings

Pembroke is the program that St. Cloud's Ryan Lasch came out of.

12th Round 105th Overall Tri-City Selects: Charlie Raskob, Academy of Holy Angels

12th Round 106th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Castagna, Anaheim Jr. Ducks

12th Round 107th Overall Omaha Selects: David Eddy, Woodbury HS

12th Round 108th Overall Waterloo Selects: Patrick Wey, Pittsburgh Hornets

Wey is a top 1991-born defenseman.

13th Round 109th Overall Chicago Selects: Brian O'Neill, Philly Jr. Flyers

13th Round 110th Overall Ohio Selects: Jon Merrill, Little Caesar's Midget Minor

Intresting pick. Merrill is a '92 birthdate that has already committed to Michigan.

13th Round 111th Overall Green Bay Selects: Reed Rushing, Alaska(NAHL)

13th Round 112th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Blandina, Lake Forest Academy

13th Round 113th Overall Des Moines Selects: David Makowski, St. Louis AAA

13th Round 114th Overall Sioux City Selects: Nate Taurence, Detroit Little Caesar's

13th Round 115th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Britton Smith, Academy of Holy Angels

Smith played very well when I saw Holy Angels play this season.

13th Round 116th Overall Lincoln Selects: Mike Guzzo, Penticton(BCHL)

13th Round 117th Overall Tri-City Selects: A.J. Treais, Little Caesar's

Treais is a '91 birthdate that is already committed to Michigan for 2009.

13th Round 118th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Robert Harrison, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)

Harrison looked like a pretty good player when I saw MV earlier this season.

13th Round 119th Overall Omaha Selects: Chris Ciotti, Gilmour Academy

13th Round 120th Overall Waterloo Selects: Corey Fienhage, Eastview HS

14th Round 121st Overall Chicago Selects: Zach Golembiewski, Belle Tire

Golembiewski seems to have been playing very well of late, and could be an excellent prospect. He's a '91 birthdate.

14th Round 122nd Overall Ohio Selects: Randy Wolcott, Avon Old Farms

14th Round 123rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Aaron Shiborowski, Benidle-St. Margaret's

Shiborowski is a talented puck-moving defenseman. He suffered a knee sprain at the Great 8 which might have dropped his stock a little, but he's still very talented.

14th Round 124th Overall Indiana Selects: Justin Jokinen, Cloquet HS

Jokinen is a talented player, that did well at the Great 8/Chicago Showcase.

14th Round 125th Overall Des Moines Selects: Jake Gardiner, Minnetonka HS

14th Round 126th Overall Sioux City Selects: Kyle Lundey, Dubuque(MNJHL)

The first Minnesota Jr. B selection.

14th Round 127th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Milan Luziach, Rocky Mountain AAA

14th Round 128th Overall Lincoln Selects: Spencer McMillan, St. Paul Academy

14th Round 129th Overall Tri-City Selects: Hakan Yumusaklar, Lakeville South HS

A goalie that seems like kind of a late-bloomer. He could surprise some people.

14th Round 130th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Sean Coughlin, Cushing Academy

14th Round 131st Overall Omaha Selects: Edwin Shea, Boston Jr. Bruins

Shea is a BC commit that will likely stay at his prep school instead of going to the USHL.

14th Round 132nd Overall Waterloo Selects: Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack

There's still a couple more rounds of the draft, but I'm gonna stop there. I'll update if anything major happens.

Worthy of Update #1- Indiana selected super-kid John Tavares in the 15th round. I can't imagine a scenario where he would end up in the USHL, but if he did, Indiana would look like freakin' geniuses.

Jutting and His "Peers"

2007-05-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Runnin' with the Dogs had a tour de force post that discussed, among other things, Minnesota State, the WCHA, and fan expectations.

The genesis of the article was the contract extension of Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting, which was at least in part based on the idea that Minnesota State has competed well against their "peer group" in the WCHA, despite not having a lot of overall success in the league.

The theory is that it is difficult for a program the size of Minnesota State to beat much larger, much more established programs like Minnesota and North Dakota on a consistent basis. The conventional wisdom is that Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Denver, and Colorado College are the "Haves" of the WCHA, while St. Cloud, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech, and Alaska-Anchorage are the "Have-Nots".

But does that logic hold up to the facts? Jutting has been head coach at Minnesota State for seven years. So I looked up the average finish for each WCHA team over the past seven years and it looks like the WCHA can be broken down even more.(Average finish in parenthesis)

1. Minnesota (2.42)
--------
2. North Dakota(3.42)
3. Denver(3.57)
4. Colorado College(3.71)
--------
5. Wisconsin (4.57)
6. St Cloud (4.71)
--------
7. Minnesota State (6.71)
8. Minnesota-Duluth (7.1)
--------
9. Alaska-Anchorage (8.57)
10. Michigan Tech (8.7)

What's even more interesting is that if you look at the number of top 4 finishes each team had over that time frame, you get the same order:

Minnesota: 7
North Dakota: 5
Denver: 5
Colorado College: 5
Wisconsin: 3
St. Cloud: 3
Minnesota State: 1
Minnesota-Duluth: 1
Alaska-Anchorage: 0
Michigan Tech: 0

I'll also point out that the top four teams, along with Michigan Tech, were all original members of the WCHA, and its various previous incarnations. So history and tradition seems to be a pretty big factor, except in the case of Michigan Tech's program, where other factors have hurt their success.

Another important factor looks to be population. With the exception of tiny Grand Forks, and Anchorage, which is big, but in Alaska, schools with a larger local population base seem to be more successful.

If any program looks to be slightly behind where you would expect them to be, it would probably be Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth is in a fairly hockey-rich area, and is slightly bigger than St. Cloud and Mankato. You'd probably expect Duluth to be in the Wisconsin/St. Cloud grouping. It should be noted though that Duluth has had the most postseason success of the bottom five programs, making one NCAA tournament, and getting to the Frozen Four.

So where does that put Minnesota State? It looks like they're right about where one would expect them to be. It's certainly not an extraordinary record, but it also isn't significantly lagging behind where it probably should be. I know Minnesota State fans would like to see themselves higher, but over the long run, if they're consistently finishing higher than a North Dakota, or Denver, or Colorado College, it's probably because those programs are doing something wrong. You could even argue that Wisconsin is artificially low due to the end of the Sauer era, and in another couple years, they will be in the UND/DU/CC category. There's just not a lot of opportunity for smaller programs to move up into those top spots with so many strong programs already in the league.

APR Rates

2007-05-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

_WCHA_
Colorado College - 985
Denver - 984
Wisconsin - 969
Minnesota - 954
Michigan Tech - 950
Minnesota Duluth - 945
St. Cloud State - 943
Minnesota State, Mankato - 942
North Dakota - 930
Alaska Anchorage - 919

_CCHA_
Notre Dame - 996
Michigan State - 986
Michigan - 984
Bowling Green State - 983
Northern Michigan - 982
Miami - 980
Western Michigan - 974
Ferris State - 970
Ohio State - 965
Alaska Fairbanks - 949
Lake Superior State - 945
Nebraska Omaha - 941

_Hockey East_
Boston College - 986
Northeastern - 977
Boston University - 970
Vermont - 968
Providence - 966
New Hampshire - 961
Maine - 959
UMass Lowell - 959
Merrimack - 957
UMass - 951

_ECACHL_
Harvard - 1000
Rensselaer - 1000
Yale - 1000
Brown - 997
Colgate - 996
Dartmouth - 990
Union - 988
Princeton - 984
Cornell - 983
St. Lawrence - 975
Clarkson - 972
Quinnipiac - 972

_CHA_
Bemidji State - 973
Wayne State - 966
Niagara - 965
Alabama Huntsville - 946
Robert Morris - 945

_Atlantic Hockey_
Holy Cross - 1000
Sacred Heart - 1000
Bentley - 995
American International - 994
Air Force - 988
Army - 969
Canisius - 961
Mercyhurst - 950
UConn - 950
RIT - 913

CHL Drafts

2007-05-01T12:05:00.001-07:00

One note, that is somewhat related to this post. Last weekend I said that the NCAA was pushing back the time when colleges could first call a prospect. That is true, however it only applies to prospects that are living in a foreign country. That seems like a fair compromise on the NCAA's part. They're acknowledging that there is a hockey-specific problem, and seem to be giving it a hockey-specific solution.

Anyway, the Canadian major junior leagues will be holding their drafts this week. The WHL will draft '92 birthdates on Thursday, while the OHL will draft '91 birthdates on Saturday.

OHL

Theoretically, top prospects like Cam Fowler, Kenny Ryan, Beau Schmitz, Sam Calabrese, Matt Duchene, and Brad Smith won't be extremely high picks that will get signed since they have already made commitments to colleges, but I'm sure that there are teams out there working hard to advise them against sticking with their commitment. I still think Duchene is the biggest threat since he's been living in Canada, though there are definitely things working in Michigan State's favor, including the fact that he'll likely be joining the Spartans in 2008.

Article on Notre Dame recruit Cam Fowler likely bypassing the OHL.

The stock of Ferris State recruit Beau Schmitz has really risen over the past year, and despite being a defenseman that is less than 6 feet tall, he's become very highly desired by the OHL. It'd be a shame if Ferris State lost him, because he's an outstanding player.

Zach Tatrn-Erie could be a team that is very interested in securing him. The Otters draft first overall, and while they might not take him with the first pick, they could take him early in the draft and get him to sign. His USHL profile was pretty non-committal either way in terms of NCAA vs. OHL.

Brandon Maxwell- He's originally from Florida, but has been playing hockey in the middle of Ontario, and will likely draw a ton of interest from the OHL. He recently committed to the NTDP program, but there are rumors that Kitchener and London are very interested in him, and will try to get him to sign.

Andrew Agozzino-His brother played in the OHL, but his cousin, Mike Cammalleri played college hockey and did quite well for himself.

WHL

Luke Moffatt is said to have the talent to go first overall in the draft, though I get the impression that he just might choose the NCAA route, which would be great for college hockey. If he falls even a couple spots in the draft, I think that would be a good sign.

Two other big prospects on the west coast, Matt Nieto and Shane Sooth, along with Moffatt, skipped a recent WHL camp in California. That might be a good sign for college hockey, though a more cynical view would be that they are just using the threat of not reporting to leverage a better deal in the WHL.

Another player that could have gone extremely high in this year's draft is Notre Dame Midget forward Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz scored a ton of points this season, but he seems very intent on going the NCAA route. His brother, Rylan, is already committed to Colorado College.

A player that has already been drafted, but is definitely worth keeping an eye on is Langley(BCHL) forward Taylor Stefishen. Stefishen is a '90 birthdate that had an outstanding year for Langley and is one of the top prospects in the BCHL. At the beginning of last year, a Prince George newspaper reported that Stefishen told the Prince George Cougars, who drafted Stefishen, that he would report to their camp next year, but later in the season, Stefishen said he was most interested in getting a college scholarship and playing college hockey.

QMJHL

I was going to skip this draft because I don't know a ton about Quebec. THe QMJHL won't hold their draft until June 2nd. Here's a look at their Central Scouting draft list. They keep all of the Americans seperate, since most likely wouldn't report.

Steven Anthony is 3rd on their list, which is interesting since I've seen people who have right behind John Tavares in the 2009 NHL draft. Anthony has apparently shown some interest in some Eastern schools, but I'd be shocked if the Q let him get away. One of the kids ahead of him on the draft list is Louis Leblanc, who Chris Heisenberg at least lists as a potential college player. I'd guess that if he's ranked that highly, he'll probably end up in Quebec, but he has been offered scholarships from Clarkson and Vermont according to USHR.

At 8th on the list is one of Leblanc's teammates, defenseman Danny Biega. His brother Alex plays for Harvard, and his other brother, Michael, is committed to Harvard for next season.

The 2007 Recruiting Board

2007-04-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my list of players that will, or might end up in the WCHA or CCHA for the 2007-2008 season.

I've tried to be as thorough as possible in creating this list, but given the difficult nature of maintaining a list like this, there are always going to beplayers missing that should be on this list. If you think I have missed a player that should be on here, or would like me to add/change comments about a player, please feel free to email me at westerncollegehockey@gmail.com

Committed Forwards

Kyle Turris- Burnaby(BCHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Small, energetic forward with very good offensive skills. His hands and vision are excellent. Good work ethic and attitude. Definitely an NHL-level talent. Played for 2006 Canada U18 team.

Casey Pierro-Zabotel-Merritt(BCHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech-Big forward with excellent scoring sense. Plays his position well. Drawn a lot of interest from NHL scouts. Vancouver Giants of WHL made strong push to sign him. Article.

Mike Hoeffel-NTDP U18 team-Committed to Minnesota-Good offensive skills, as well as the size to deliver big hits. Still developing as a player. Can fire a heavy snap shot. Very impressive at Select 16 Festival and in U17 international tournament. Potential 1st round NHL Draft pick. Injured his knee, and will miss a few months over the summer recovering.

Ben Winnett-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Committed to Michigan-49 points in 60 games in his rookie BCHL season.

Pat White-Grand Rapids (MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota- A very good skater. Strong on his skates. Smart hockey player. Playing with US U18 team in summer of 2007. Potential 1st round draft pick in 2007 NHL Draft.

Tyler Johnson-Cloquet/Esko/Carleton HS(MN HS)-Very quick forward. Small, but incredibly strong. Has the ability to finish off plays. One of the top high school players in Minnesota. Broke his collarbone at Great 8 Festival.

Max Pacioretty-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Michigan-A prototypical power forward type. He could make a big move up the NHL Draft rankings this year.

Jacob Cepis-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Bowling Green-One of the top players in the USHL. Small, but very fast and skilled

Corey Tropp-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-MYV of USHL All-Star game.

Justin Fontaine-Bonnyville(AJHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth- Among the leagues leading scorers as a 17 year old rookie.

Aaron Palushaj-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Michigan- A good skater for a kid with his size. Has the ability to finish off plays.

Aaron Marvin-Warroad HS-Committed to St. Cloud State-Big forward that is an excellent skater with good hands. Good passer and good on face-offs.Drafted 89th in 2006 NHL Draft by Calgary.

Brad Malone-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Power forward. Potential 2nd round NHL draft pick. Cousin of Ryan Malone.Article.

Brett Bruneteau-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Overshadowed while at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, but had a great performance at the Select 16 Festival and was named captain of the U17 team. Played for 2006 U18 team. Grandfather is in the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame.

Pat Maroon-Texarkana(NAHL)-Committed to Ferris State-Very big and physical. Excellent stickhandler.

Jan-Mikael Juutilainen-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Drafted by Chicago Blackhawks.

Evan Trupp-Penticton(BCHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Small, talented playmaking forward from Anchorage, Alaska.

Jesse Martin-Spruce Grove(AJHL)-Committed to Denver- Talented forward. Suffered a concussion as a result of a dirty hit and missed some time, but has recovered nicely. Drafted 197th by Atlanta in 2006 NHL Draft.

Matt Rust- NTDP U18 team-Committed to Michigan- Similar to Kane, but maybe a step below in terms of talent. Small, but crafty forward.

CJ Severyn- NTDP U18 team-Committed to Ohio State- Great hands, very smart player, needs to grow into his body.

Travis Oleksuk-(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Has a great shot. Can drive hard to the net, but sometimes plays too tentative and stays on the perimeter too much. Averaged about 1.5 points per game as a midget. Also a very good shortstop/pitcher. Top Canadian drafted in USHL Futures Draft. Father played for Duluth.

Brian Volpei-BCHL-Committed to St. Cloud State-Originally from Southern California. Second leading scorer on Shattuck team. Not particularly fast, but knows how to finish. Article.

Billy Maday-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Notre Dame-125 points in 74 games for Chicago Chill Midget Major. 2nd overall pick in USHL draft.

Justin Vaive- NTDP U18 team-Committed to Miami-Ohio Grinder, very good down low, some scouts feel he might be a boom or bust type player. Works incredibly hard.

Cody Danberg-Nanaimo(BCHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Coach Scott Sandelin described him as a player that doensn't do anything exceptional, but does everything very well.

Kyle Ostrow-Nanaimo(BCHL)-Committed to Denver- Very exciting player. Considered to be a real sniper.

Louie Caporusso-St. Mike's(OPJHL)-Committed to Michigan-Talented winger. Good stickhandler and playmaker. Could improve his agility. Sometimes doesn't bring his best effort.

Nick Larson-Hill-Murray(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-One of the best scorers in Minnesota HS hockey.

Carter Camper-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Miami of Ohio Hard worker, scrappy player who can put the puck in the net

Travis Novak-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to St. Cloud State-Played for Team Pacific U17 team in 2004. All-around player. Fast, good skills, and hard worker. Article.

John Kemp-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha- Excellent hands and great on the powerplay. Kicked off of NTDP team as a 16 year old.

Tyler Bozak-Victoria(BCHL)-Committed to Denver-Second leading scorer in BCHL as a 20 year old this year.

Bennett Royer-Calgary(AJHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech-Average a point per game in first AJHL season. Named to AJHL All-rookie team.

Ben Ryan-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Notre Dame-Smaller forward. Does everything pretty well, but doesn’t really stand out. Not in the first tier of players in the class, but certainly in the second-tier.

Calle Ridderwall-Tri-City(USHL)-118 points in 76 games for Chicago Chill AAA.

John Albert- NTDP U18 team- Committed to Ohio State- Not flashy, but a smart player that is usually in the right place at the right time.

Tyler Gron-Spruce Grove(AJHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Attracted a lot of interest from the WHL, as well as NCAA.

Tom Wingels-Team Illinois-Committed to Miami of Ohio-More of a power forward that is strong with the puck and good in the corners.

Mike Dorr-Roseville High School(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-A talented player that is a solid finisher. Originally committed to Duluth, but opted not to sign, and wanted to wait for a better school.

Todd Rudasill-Alepan(NAHL)-Committed to Ohio State-Big forward with good scoring ability. One of the top prospects in the NAHL.

Patrick Schaefer-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Ohio State

Carl Hagelin-Sweden-Committed to Michigan-Small forward. Averaged about a point per game in top Swedish U20 league.

Dustin Gazley- Sioux City(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Smart hockey player on both ends of the ice. Creative offensively and sound defensively. Also has good mobility and acceleration. Not very big, but is a pesky player.

Robin Bergman-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Notre Dame-Originally from Sweden. Averaging about a point per game in USHL.

Jared Brown-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Early leader in scoring in USHL.

Max Campbell-Strathroy(WOHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-On pace to break all the scoring records in the Western Ontario Jr. B this year.

Andy Sackrison-St. Louis Park HS(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota State-Minnesota Mr. Hockey Finalist. Excellent at finding open space in the offensive zone. Drafted 124th in the 2006 NHL Draft by St. Louis

Michael Connolly-Camrose(AJHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Hard worker, good with the puck, good skater.

Eric Kattelus-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech- Originally from Houghton. Top 10 in scoring in NAHL. Drafted 7th overall by Indiana

Matt Ambroz-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Big forward with good scoring ability. Originally from New Prague, Minnesota.

Mike Louwerse-Blake School(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota State- Excellent stickhandler. Very dangerous on the powerplay. Good hockey sense. Has the ability to make plays without a lot of time and space.

Anthony Maiani- Sioux City(USHL)-Committed to Denver- Not a bad skater, but could work on speed a little, still the potential to be a first or second line college forward. Very hard worker. Brother Domenic plays for Ohio State.

Brennan Vargas-USNTDP U17-Committed to Bowling Green- Good size for a forward, with a lot of potential. Very good defensively. Son of former Badger and NHLer Ernie Vargas. Offered scholarships by New Hampshire, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State. Article.

Robert Skinner-Pentiction(BCHL)-Small player, but has racked up a ton of assists in the BCHL this season. Injured for beginning of 2006-2007 season.

Brett Hextall-Penticton(BCHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Son of Ron Hextall. Fiery player. Good scoring ability, and plays with a lot of edge.

Andy Miele-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to Miami-Short, stocky forward. Not a great skater, but good hands and dangerous around the net.

Nick Oslund-(USHL)-Big forward with soft hands. Good hitting ability. Drafted 191st by Detroit in 2006 NHL Draft.

Michael Fillinger-NAHL-Committed to Ferris State- Solid all-around hockey player. Good skater and good offensive skills.

David Grun-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist at White Bear Lake. Big forward, with nice scoring ability.

Jordan Baker-Olds(AJHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech- Small player, but a good scorer.

Rich Purslow-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha- Small playmaking wing. Excelled on Des Moines third line this season. Brother of former St. Cloud State forward Chris Purslow.

Winston Daychief-Cowichan Valley(BCHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Hard-working forward with very nice skills.

Drew Fisher-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Big forward with good scoring ability.

Zac MacVoy-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Lake Superior-Big forward, good hands. Not the fastest skater. Played one season for Michigan and will re-enter college as a sophomore.

Brett Peterson-Indiana(USHL)- Committed to Minnesota State- Big, phsyical forward that skates well for his size. Good shot.Article.

Chris Rengert-Burnaby(BCHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Small, tough forward.

Mario Lamoureux-Tri-Cities(USHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Big, grinding forward. Brother already plays for NMU.

Sean Dolan-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Big power forward. Originally from St. Louis area.

Jeff Young-Drumheller(AJHL)-Committed to Alaska-One of the leading scorers for Drumheller this year.

Blake Martin-Sioux City(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Average a point per game with Sioux City in 2005. Small but very tenacious player.

Travis Paeth-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-Played for Traverse City in 2005-2006 and then moved on to USHL.

Brad McCabe-Alaska(NAHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Alaska's leading scorer this year. Rated as "B" prospect by NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.

Nick Dineen-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Colorado College- Some questions about whether or not he has the skating ability to play at the college level, but he is a very gritty player with a lot of character.

Patrick Nagorsen-Traverse City(NAHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-Standout player in Michigan high school hockey. Played two seasons in NAHL.

Andrew Rowe-Sioux City(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State- Very good around the net.

Ryan Watson-Cambridge(MWJHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-Brother Cam plays for Western.

Trevor Nill-Compuware Midget-Committed to Michigan State-Big forward. Son of Detroit Red Wing executive Jim Nill.

Todd Pococke—Committed to Ferris State

Nick Kosinski-Marquette(NAHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Marquette-native

Committed Defensemen

Ryan McDonagh-Cretin-Derham Hall HS(MN HS)-Committed to Wisconsin- Underrated prospect with a lot of ability. Smart hockey player. Helped lead team to Class AA state title in Minnesota.

Cade Fairchild- NTDP U18 team-Committed to Minnesota- Can read the ice well and is able to find open players. Very good skater and playmaker. Makes excellent passes. Should be the number one defenseman on his team. Maybe needs to get a little bigger to deal with the physical aspect of the game.

Brendan Smith- St. Mike's (OPJHL)-Committed to Wisconsin- Drafted 7th overall in OHL draft, but did attend Sioux City's draft camp. Needs to add some weight, but very talented. Good offensive defenseman and a good skater. Also has shown very good character. If he decides to play college hockey, he should be a very good player.

Tristan Llewellyn- Indiana (USHL)- Committed to Michigan- Llewellyn was the youngest player in the USHL in 2004-2005 and acquitted himself quite well. He would have been the top defenseman drafted in the OHL draft if he wasn't going to college. He's a big, physical player with tremendous skating skills. Excellent passer.

Derrick Lapoint-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to North Dakota- Big defenseman. Plays a solid, steady game. Still a little raw but has tremendous talent. Leading scorer in Green Bay. Will likely spend a year in the USHL before going to college. Brother is an equipment manager for North Dakota. Drafted 116th by Florida in 2006 NHL Draft.WCH Article.

Ian Cole- NTDP U17 team- Committed to Notre Dame- Solid all-around player. Some coaches had doubts about him earlier in his career, but a couple of great performances have pretty much done away with these.

Ted Ruth-US NTDP U18-Committed to Notre Dame-A lot of potential and improving his agility. Good speed. Originally from Illinois.

Jeff Petry-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Son of former Detroit Tiger Dan Petry. Big all-around defenseman. Steady defensively and is good at handling and passing the puck. Drafted 45th by Edmonton in 2006 NHL Draft. Won USHL All-Star Game Hardest Shot Competition.

Ben Youds-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Committed to Minnesota State-Mankato- Good offensive defenseman, likes to join rushes, but picks his spots well. Great at quarterbacking a powerplay.

John Lee-Moorhead HS(MN HS)-Committed to Denver-More hard-nosed and defensive-minded than his older brother, Brian.

Ben Blood-Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep-Committed to North Dakota-Originally from Wayzata, MN. Very steady player, that many feel is extremely underrated. Big defenseman, but good offensive skills. Can also be very physical.

Kevin Quick-Salisbury Prep(MA HS)-Committed to Michigan-All-around solid defenseman. Does everything pretty well. Good skater. Tampa Bay staff compares him to Dan Boyle. 11th best defenseman at 2005 Select 17 Festival.Drafted 78th by Tampa Bay in 2006 NHL Draft.

Cody Goloubef-Milton(OPJHL)--Committed to Wisconsin-Excellent offensive defenseman. Received interest from most every school in the NCAA. 50/50 between NCAA and OHL. Missed some time this year due to injury. Article

Shane Sims-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Ohio State- Small, but is a very gifted playmaker. Very good skating and stickhandling ability. Top defenseman in his OPJHL Division in 2005. Drafted 126th by New York Islanders in 2006 NHL Draft.

Corey Toy-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Ohio State- Defensive defenseman. Fundamentally sound, stays in position. Plays the body well. Not a superstar, but a very good stay-at-home defenseman.

Deron Cousens-Penticton(BCHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech-Playmaking offensive defenseman. Rookie of the year in the OPJHL last season.

Kane Lafranchise-Spruce Grove(AJHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Poised defenseman that can play in any situation. Good skater.

Vince Loverde-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Miami-Ohio- Solid overall player. Nothing fancy, but effective as a defender, and shows good character.

Alain Goulet-Aurora(OPJHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Big defensive defenseman with a huge slap shot.

Matt Bartkowski-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Ohio State-MVP of Chicago Showcase Tourney. Very strong.

Kevin Wehrs-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota- Offensive-minded defenseman. Good at moving the puck. Could work on playing in his own end. Named to USHL All-Star game. Chose to play for Minnesota in 2007, over SCSU, UMD, BU, and UNH for 2006. Could be asked to play for Minnesota in 2006. Played HS hockey in Minnesota for Wayzata HS.Article

Chad Langlais-Lincoln(USHL)-Solid, dependable defensive-defenseman. A little small, but also very strong.Article.

Evan Oberg-Camrose(AJHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Very fast skater, good on the powerplay. Suffered a shoulder injury and will miss some time.

Michael Phillippi-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Good all around defenseman.

Scooter Vaughan-St. Louis(NAHL)-Committed to Michigan- solid defender, but not in the same class as other top defenseman in the class. Solid offensive defenseman, but can also play with edge.

Brandon Martell-Elk River HS(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Listed as Player to Watch by NHL CSB. Has a lot of potential. Could be more consistent. Big slap shot. Good at blocking shots.

Kurt Davis-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Offensive defenseman that is small, but battles very well.

Sam Zabkowicz-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Smaller offensive defenseman. Article.

Eric Olimb-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Originally from Warroad, Minnesota and the nephew of hockey legend Larry Olimb.

Jeff Carlson-Southern Minnesota(NAHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Good offensive-minded defenseman. Rumored to have had difficult qualifying academically for college.

A.J. Sturges-US NTDP U17-Committed to Michigan State-Defenseman from Wisconsin. Not as talented as his other teammates, but should benefit more than anyone from the NTDP's coaching. Brother plays for MSU

Quinn Waller-Aurora(OPJHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Experienced defenseman and a good leader.

Chris Reed-Ohio(USHL)-

Bryant Molle-Penticton(BCHL)-Committed to Alaska-Brother Dustin transferred to Alaska

Channing Boe-Siouxs Falls(USHL)-Commmitted to Minnesota State-Played for Bemidji High School. Solid all-around defenseman.

Committed Goalies

Alex Kangas-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Top goalie in USHL. Record-setting performance in Minnesota High School state tournament two years ago with Rochester Century HS. Drafted 135th by Atlanta in 2006 NHL Draft.Article

Reid Ellingson-Cloquet-Esko-Carleton(MN HS)- Committed to Northern Michigan- Good lateral movement, and a very consistent goalie

Brad Phillips-US NTDP U17-Committed to Notre Dame- Opinions on his play vary from great to average. Top goalie on U18 team. One of the top goalies in the 2007 NHL Draft.

Bryan Hogan-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Michigan-Impressive first season in USHL. Struggled Earned a lot of starting time. Helped lead Detroit Catholic Central to state championship

Austin Lee-Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Top Minnesota HS goalie in 2006. Playing well for F-M Jets

Richard Bachman-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Colorado College-Playing out east, but originally from Colorado. Chose CC over Harvard and Cornell. One of the better goalies on the East coast in 2005-2006. First overall pick in USHL draft. Drafted 120th in 2006 NHL Draft by Dallas. Struggled while with Chicago, but looked better for Cedar Rapids after being traded.Article.

Brian Mahoney-Wilson-Newmarket(OPJHL)-Committed to Lake Superior-NHL Draft Pick. Struggled with injuries two years ago.

Ian Keserich-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Played two years for Ohio State before going back to juniors. Will enter college as a junior.

Scott Gudmanson-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-AJHL Rookie of the Year last year. Struggled in USHL then returned to Canada. Playing very well for Salmon Arm.

Marc Cheverie-Nanaimo(BCHL)-Committed to Denver-Tall goalie. MVP of SJHL with Notre Dame last year. Leading all BCHL goalies this season. Drafted 193rd in NHL Draft by Florida.

The 2008 Recruiting Board

2007-04-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of the top college prospects for the class of 2008. The list is pretty short right now, but expect it to grow over the following months.

I've tried to be as thorough as possible in creating this list, but given the difficult nature of maintaining a list like this, there are always going to be players missing that should be on this list. If you think I have missed a player that should be on here, or would like me to add/change comments about a player, please feel free to email me at westerncollegehockey@gmail.com

Committed Forwards

Jordan Schroeder-NTDP U18-Committed to Minnesota- Very creative player. Exceptional stickhandler. Called up to U18 team in the middle of the season, and playedexceptionally well with U18 team. One of the top forwards for the US at the World U18 Championships.

Jason Gregoire-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Originally from Manitoba. Missed a lot of time due to injury, but has been extremely effective when healthy. Committed to Denver, then switched commitment to North Dakota.

David Toews-Shattuck St. Mary's-Committed to North Dakota- Similar style of play to his brother Jonathan, who plays for North Dakota, but more of a power forward down low.

Joe Colborne-Camrose(AJHL)-Committed to Denver-6'3" power forward with good scoring touch. Potential first round NHL draft pick.

Jack Connolly-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Small, but amazing playmaker. Excellent stickhandler and passer.

Robbie Czarnik-NTDP U18-Committed to Michigan- Small scorer. Great vision and offensive instincts. Needs to work on defense and playing a more physical game. Compared to Mike Modano in terms of talent. Made improvements in terms of dealing with physical play. Rumors that he could head to the OHL.

Jared Festler-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to St. Cloud-Second leading scorer in state of Minnesota last season. Impressive Select 17 performance. Good scoring touch, hard worker. Sees the ice incredibly well. Will probably play juniors after graduating high school. Leading scorer in 2006 Elite League.

Tyler Thompson-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Having a great 2007 USHL season. Very hard worker.

Matt Thurber-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Surprising omission from NTDP camp. One of the youngest players in the USHL in 2006. Strong with the puck. Originally from Wisconsin.

Nico Sacchetti- Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota- Very fast skater and a talented scorer.

Pat Gaul-NTDP U18-Committed to Notre Dame-Originally from Pittsburgh. Hard worker and extremely talented. Does all the little things very well.

Justin Jokinen-Cloquet(MN HS)-Big forward with excellent scoring ability. Likely 2008 NHL draft pick.

Jake Hansen-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Big forward with hard shot. Rated as a top three round draft choice by NHL CSB.

Mike Cichy-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to North Dakota-Extremely talented forward with good scoring touch. Also could play in the QMJHL. Left NTDP.

Jordy Christian-Prince George(BCHL)-Committed to St.Cloud State- Good speed and good hockey sense.

Nate Dewhurst-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Denver-Led Three Nations Tournament in scoring in 2006. Smaller forward.

Taylor Matson-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota- A great stickhandler that is very dangerious in one-on-one situations. Could improve his finishing skills a bit. A bit underrated, but a very good hockey player. Will play a year in the USHL after graduating from high school.

Andrew Cherniwchan-Drayton Valley(AJHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-Small forward, but extremely skilled. Scoring a lot of points for an '89 birthdate in Alberta.

Jake Youso-International Falls(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Good goal scorer. Very smooth skater. Participated in the Select 15 Festival in 2005 and Select 16 Festival in 2006. Article

Seth Soley-Eau Claire(WI HS)-Committed to Michigan Tech-Big forward with good skills. One of the top scorers in 2007 Midwest Elite League.

Stepan Novotny-Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep-Committed to Denver-One of the top forwards on Shattuck's team this year. Big forward with good offensive ability.

Daultan Leveille-St. Catharines(GHJHL)-Committed to Michigan State-

Derek Stepan-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Committed to Wisconsin-Plays on a line with Wisconsin recruit Brock Montpetit and Jordy Murray. Talented forward. Could wait until 2009 to join the Badgers.

Zach Dalpe-Penticton(BCHL)-Committed to Ohio State-Described by USHR has a "dynamic, gritty playmaking pivot."

Andrew Conboy-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Physical power forward. Drafted by Montreal Canadiens.

Taylor Stefishen-Langley(BCHL)-Committed to Ohio State-Great 06-07 season in BCHL as a '90 birthdate. Talented scorer.

David Wohlberg-NTDP U18-Committed to Michigan-Uses his size well. Good skater. Can be a solid finisher. Plays well on both ends of the ice. Good at face-offs. Not as offensively talented as others, but could be the best all-around player.

Drew LeBlanc-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to St. Cloud-Strong forward with exceptional hands. Could improve skating.

Joe Schiller-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Good size, and decent hands. Excellent scoring ability. Could improve skating a bit. 3rd overall pick in USHL draft.

Justin Florek-NTDP U18-Committed to Northern Michigan- Potentially very good forward. Great size and great skills. Could improve his foot speed and skating. Shows flashes of brilliance, but not always consistent.

Brett Perlini-Ohio(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Big forward that is a good skater. Highly sought after by OHL.

Joey Miller-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Hard worker and good speed. Also a football star for Wayzata HS in Minnesota.

Brett Beebe-Anaheim Ducks AAA-Committed to Western Michigan-Played well at 2006 Select 16 Festival. Very good finishing ability.

Jordy Murray-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Committed to Wisconsin-Son of Andy Murray, and brother of former North Dakota star Brady Murray. Good shooter. Should be a good college hockey player.

Jordan VanGilder-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Alaska-Should be one of Tri-City's top forwards in 2007-2008.

Craig Smith-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Big power forward. Originally from Madison.

Chris Hickey-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Likes to grind in corners, also good scoring ability.

Andrew Hamburg-St. Louis(NAHL)-Committed to Colorado College-Talented forward. Big, but is good with the puck. Could add more strength.

Adam Henderson-Spruce Grove(AJHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Forward with good size. Very talented.

Alex Hudson-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Dangerous scorer. Almost went to Medicine Hat of the WHL.

Anthony Schooley-Waterloo(USHL)-Commited to Michigan Tech- Top forward prospect, natural goal scorer, great hands, excellent vision and anticipation.

Brock Montpetit-Shattuck St. Mary's-Committed to Wisconsin- Extremely talented. Article.

Trent Vogelhuber-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Miami-First round USHL draft pick.

Brent Gwidt-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Tall forward. Originally from Wisconsin. Likes to shoot the puck. Drafted 157th in 2006 NHL Draft by Washington.

Travis Erstad-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Big forward with a very hard shot.

Lucas Isley-Bonnyville(AJHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-Excellent balance and very good skater.

Jake Skjodt-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-

Jordan Willert-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Big power forward. Could improve skating.

August Aiken-Westside(BCHL)-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Small, skilled forward. Originally from California.

Greg Potacco-St. Mike's(OPJHL)-Committed to Bowling Green-One of the top scorers for the Buzzers in 07-08.

Ron Meyers-Victoria(BCHL)-Committed to Alaska-

Kevin Nugent-Taft Prep-Committed to Notre Dame-Son of former Notre Dame player.

Uncommitted Forwards

Nick Larson-Waterloo(USHL)-Highly-ranked prospect for 2008 NHL draft. Interest from many CCHA schools.

Troy Power-Tri-City(USHL)-Power forward that is very strong and has great hands. Helped team win Midget AAA championship. Drafted in WHL draft.

Joe Beaudette-Omaha(USHL)-Big forward with good skating and scoring ability.

Tyler Pistone-Nanaimo(BCHL)-

Ben Arnt-Omaha(USHL)-Pure goal scorer with an incredible shot.

Ryan Schnell- NTDP U18 team- Physical forward that can throw his body around. One of the best power forwards in the class. Interest from Wisconsin, Miami, and Brown. Article.

Josh Berge-Dallas Alliance-Small forward, but excellent hands and good along the boards.

Kyle Bonis-Indiana(USHL)-Visited some eastern schools.

Keegan Flaherty-Green Bay(USHL)-

Chris Dyer-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)- Not the most talented player, but does a lot of little things well to help make his team better. Member of US U17 in 2005.

Jarrod Mermis-Sioux City(USHL)-Small, but very shifty. Has a hard shot and great hands. Good vision and made plenty of plays happen while finishing checks.

Stephen Bozek-Chicago Mission-Very quick hands. Fast skater. All-tournament team at Chicago Chill Tournament.

Ben Nelson-Roseau HS(MN HS)-A lot of offensive talent.

Pat Rogan-BCHL- Smart player, good vision. Has good top speed, but doesn't have great acceleration. Struggled a bit recently.

Jake Johnson-Duluth Denfield(MN HS)-Hard worker and a very fast skater. Played on 2005 Team USA U17 team. Uncles played for Minnesota-Duluth.

Ryan Bohrer-Cretin-Derham Hall HS(MN HS)-Not as flashy but a very solid hockey player.

CJ Willms-Southern Minnesota(NAHL)-Hard worker.

Tom Serratore-Sioux City(USHL)-From Colorado. Frank Serratore's son. Good skater. All-around good player. Excellent stickhandler.

Erik Peterson-Alpena(NAHL)-One of the leading scorers in NAHL.

Kyle Bailey-Des Moines(USHL)-Originally from Anchorage. Good skater. Good scoring touch. Article.

Max Barron-St. Louis Jr. B-Peewee linemate of Phil McRae and Sean Logue.

Brandon Bahnemann-Alexandria(NAHL)-Big forward. Ranked 180th in North America by NHL Central Scouting in 2007.

Duncan McKellar-PF Chang Midget- Power forward with good scoring ability. Led Phoenix to Tier II 14 and under national championship in 2005. One of four players selected to attend IIHF development camp last summer. Coached by former Duluth Bulldog star Jim Johnson.

Max Mobley-North Iowa(NAHL)-Fast skater.

Mark Morikawa-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Originally from California. Top scorer for Anaheim Jr. Ducks.

Alex Simonson-Grand Forks-Has a lot of potential.

Kelly Zajac-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Brother of Travis and Darcy Zajac. Will likely also go to North Dakota if UND is interested.

Cory Thorson-Armstrong HS(MN HS)-

Mike Voran-Detroit Honeybaked Midget Major-Made it to the 2005 Select 15 Festival as a bit of a longshot, but was impressive at the camp. Taken unofficial visits to Michigan State and Ohio State. Also received interest from Ferris State, Quinnipiac, Michigan Tech, Notre Dame, and Miami.

Robby Phillipp-Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)- Lanky forward that is an excellent skater and very hard worker.

Kellen Michalak-Traverse City Stars-

Justin Johnson-Eau Claire North HS-Stocky forward that isn't a great skater, but has very good hands and is good around the net. Received interest from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Would likely choose Wisconsin if offered a scholarship.
Committed Defenseman

Russell Anderson-Alpena(NAHL)-Big forward that can score goals.

Jerry Freismuth-Alexandria(NAHL)-

Ryan Misiak-Little Caesar's-Hard-checking power forward.

Ryan Santana-Green Bay(USHL)- Big center. Excellent skater, very fast. Good at faceoffs. Has to prove that he has recovered from knee injury before big schools seriously go after him.

Don Hallmark-Des Moines(USHL)- Hard-working character player.

Ben Miller-Texas(NAHL)- Caught the eye of many recruiters with an impressive performance at the Select 16 Festival in Rochester, NY. Talented player, but sometimes struggles with consistency.

Mike Colwill-North York(OPJHL)-Thick build. Good skater that always works hard. Plays with a lot of emotion and can sometimes get into trouble. OHL teams have backed off because he seems likely to go the college route.

Aaron Ness-Roseau HS (MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Father played for North Dakota. Very talented defenseman. Smaller, but a good skater and good at controlling the puck. Very smart player. Plays with a physical edge

Nick Bailen-Indiana(USHL)-Committed to Bowling Green-All-around defenseman. Good at hitting people.

Will Weber-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to Miami-Big defenseman that is also a good skater. One of the top high school players in Michigan. 1st overall pick in USHL draft.

Sam Lofquist-US NTDP U17-Committed to Minnesota-Accelerating his studies to join Gophers in 2008. Very solid all-around player. Good shooter and a very hard worker.

Drew Olson-Brainerd HS-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Underrated player. Plays a tough physical style and has a big shot. Skates well for his size. Some problems with consistency.

Joe Gleason-Edina HS(MN HS)-Committed to North Dakota- Excellent skater, loves to jump into the play and make nice passes.

Brandan Burlon-St. Mike's(OPJHL)-Committed to Michigan-Does everything pretty well. A little smaller, but good at moving the puck.

Eric Ringel-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)-Committed to Notre Dame-Very poised with the puck. Good offensive talent. Underrated defensive prospect. Played well at 2006 Select 16 Festival.

David Carle-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Committed to Denver-Younger brother of Matt Carle. Not as talented as Matt, but a solid player.

Steve West-NTDP U17-Committed to Ohio State-Top defenseman at Select 15 Festival this past summer. Excellent shot from the point. Has the ability to jump into the play and help out offensively. Can play very physical as well.

Joey Marciano-NTDP U17-Committed to Colorado College-Originally from California. Could have been a top WHL prospect but chose the college route. Should be a solid Division 1 prospect. All-around solid defenseman.

Chris Wideman-St. Louis Jr. Blues-Committed to Miami-Ohio- Does everything pretty well.

Cameron Cooper-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Small, mobile defenseman. Very smart player.

Greg Pateryn-Ohio(USHL)-Committed to Michigan-Captain at Brother Rice as a junior.

Chad Billins-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Ferris State-Smallish defenseman, but great at moving the puck. Good skater and makes smart decisions.

Patrick Wiercioch-Omaha Lancers(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Originally from British Columbia. Good skater and a smart defenseman.

Brady Lamb-Calgary Royals(AJHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Experience defenseman. Plays tough defensive game.

Olivier Lauridsen-Linkopings(Sweden)-Committed to St. Cloud-Very tall defenseman. Ranked for 2008 NHL draft.

Scott Enders-Lloydminster(AJHL)-Committed to Alaska-One of the top young defenseman in Alberta.

Kyle Ensign-Tri-City(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Second best defenseman in Wisconsin high school hockey last season behind Derrick Lapoint.

Baylor Dieter-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota State-Big defenseman. Originally from Twin Cities.

Matt Crandell-St. Cloud Cathedral High School(MN HS)-Committed to Michigan State-Makes good decisions with the puck. Very physical defenseman. Solid 4th or 5th defenseman at the college level.

Eric Springer-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Reliable, consistent defensive defenseman.

Tim Buttery-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-

Nick Condon-St. Louis(NAHL)-Smart, veteran defenseman.

Erik Spady-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Committed to Northern Michigan-

Matt Tomassoni-Chicago Mission-Committed to Miami-Fast skater, and good at moving the puck.

Grant Scott-NTDP U18-Committed to Minnesota- Very big defensive defenseman. Good skater with a big shot, but not as skilled with the puck. Also attracted interest as a football and baseball prospect.

Peter Kavaya-Fairbanks(NAHL)-Committed to Western Michigan-Experience defenseman.

Uncommitted Defenseman

Ross Henry-Lincoln(USHL)-Plays consistent defense. Very strong.

Josh Gillis-Sherwood Park(AJHL)-Big, smooth-skating defensive defenseman.

Thomas Carr-Ft. Saskatchewan Traders(AJHL)-Good puck-moving defenseman.

Mac Watts-Ohio(USHL)-Steady Defenseman with great passing ability

Jordan Hennick-Burnaby Express(BCHL)-Power play specialist. Good at moving the puck. Big shot.

Alex Stuart-Sioux City(USHL)-Originally from St. Cloud suburb Sauk Rapids. Played at Shattuck-St. Mary's. Article

Doug Leaverton-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)- Improved a lot over the year. Could move to the forward position. Huge defenseman. Moves fairly well for his size.

Chris Franks-Burnsville HS-Good skater. Decent offensive defenseman.

Nolan Ryan-Columbus(USHL)-Big defenseman with decent offensive skills. Brother of Minnesota-Duluth recruit Chase Ryan.

Sam Carr-Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)-Good skater. Very strong. Plays a solid game.

Chris Heineman-Traverse City Stars(NAHL)-Veteran NHL player. Not overly big, but plays consistent, solid defense.

Dan Weiss-Springfield(NAHL)-

Matt Morin-North Iowa(NAHL)-Experience, smaller defenseman.

Aaron Shiborowski-Benilde(MN HS)-Very agile, offensive defenseman.

Ashford McMaster-Victoria(BCHL)-One of the best available defenseman in the BCHL.

Tyler Pederson-Sioux City(USHL)- Big defender that likes to hit people. Could improve his skating a little bit.

Caleb Wolfgram-Topeka(NAHL)-Solid defenisve defenseman.

Toby Heaslip-Indiana(USHL)-EJHL Rookie of the Year. 4th overall pick in USHL draft. Father, Mark, played in the NHL. Originally from Florida. Excellent offensive-minded defenseman. Received interest from eastern schools. A little small for a defenseman. Struggled with Green Bay and Columbus, but looked better once he started playing with Indiana.

Chris Slavik-Elk River HS(MN HS)-Solid defenseman that should attract some D-I interest.

Ben Ammerman-Moorhead HS(MN HS)-Brother of St. Cloud's Jon Ammerman.

Committed Goalies

Brad Eidness-Okotoks(AJHL)-Committed to North Dakota-

Brady Hjelle-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-

Josh Robinson-Sioux City(USHL)-Committed to Michigan Tech-

Cody Reichard-Fairbanks(NAHL)-Committed to Miami

Nick Hopper-Lincoln(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Great statistics in NAHL.

Uncommitted Goalies

Kent Patterson-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-

Eric Hartzell-Dallas AAA-

Paul Musico-Anaheim Jr. Ducks-

Max Strang-Green Bay(USHL)- Tall goalie, but moves well laterally. Originally from Pennsylvania.

Alam Armour-Selkirk(MJHL)-Former WI HS goalie. Outstanding 07-08 season in MJHL.

Matt Hemmingway-Fargo Force-

Brandon Stephenson-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)-Spent some time with Alpena in NAHL. Playing well at midget major level. MVP of Miami Midget Tournament.

Jordan Tibbett-Mahoning Valley(NAHL)-Originally from Indianapolis.

The 2009 Recruiting Board

2007-04-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've tried to be as thorough as possible in creating this list, but given the difficult nature of maintaining a list like this, there are always going to be players missing that should be on this list. If you think I have missed a player that should be on here, or would like me to add/change comments about a player, please feel free to email me at westerncollegehockey@gmail.com

Committed Forwards

Danny Mattson-Academy of Holy Angels-Committed to North Dakota-Very fast and good one-on-one. One of the top players in MN HS hockey.
Zach Budish-Edina(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Big forward. Good along the boards. Father played football for Minnesota. One of the best 1991 birthdates in the country.

Kyle Palmieri-NTDP U18-Committed to Notre Dame-Small, slick playmaker.

Drew Shore-US NTDP U17-Committed to Denver-Talented scorer. Originally from Denver-area.

Chris Brown-NTDP U18-Big, power forward. Very physical. Excellent skater. From Dallas, but moved to Detroit to play hockey.

Dan Kristo-USA NTDP U18-Committed to North Dakota- Great skater. Led Eden Prairie HS in scoring as a freshmen. Leading scorer at 2006 Select 16 Festival.

Ben Hanowski-Little Falls High School(MN HS)- Committed to St. Cloud-Big forward that is good at controlling the puck. Excellent hands and finishing ability.

Tyler Pitlick-Centennial HS(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota State-Nephew of NHLer Lance Pitlick. One of the top '91 birthdates in Minnesota.

John O'Neill-Anoka(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Led Anoka in scoring as a sophomore. Played for 2006 USA U17 White team in Rochester, NY.

Nate Condon-Fargo Force(USHL)-Committed to Minnesota-Good skater and smart hockey player. One of the top scorers in 2007 Elite League.

Mike Fink-Hopkins(MN)HS-Committed to North Dakota-One of the top young players in Minnesota. Will either play for NTDP or Waterloo(USHL) next season.

Riley Sheahan-St. Catharines(Ont.)-Committed to Notre Dame-Slick, skilled center. Would have been a first round OHL pick if not for college interest.

Derek Lee-Salmon Arm(BCHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Smaller player. Top recruit from British Columbia.

Cody Murphy-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Miami-Very fast with good finishing ability and a nice shot.

Kevin Lynch-NTDP U17-Committed to Michigan-Turned down Plymouth of the OHL to play for NTDP. Dependable two-way player. Could end up in OHL.

Jordan Samuels-Thomas-Waterloo(USHL)-Committed to Bowling Green-

Mike Merrifield-St. Louis(NAHL)-Top rookie in NAHL in 2007-2008

Zach Golembiewski-Indiana Ice-Committed to Michigan State-

Nick Oliver-Fargo Force(USHL)-Committed to St. Cloud State-Big forward for his age. Excellent hands. Good goal scorer. Has a lot of potential. Recorded 4 assists at 2006 Select 15 Festival.

A.J. Treais-NTDP U17-Committed to Michigan-Top scorer on top bantam team in the MWEHL. A little small by very fast and an excellent stickhandler.

Adam Mueller-Roseville(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota State-Leading scorer at 2006 Select 17 Festival.

Joe Frazer-Brainerd HS(MN HS)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Smaller forward. Incredibly hard worker. Very tenacious. Should be an impact player at the college level. Top line forward for BHS as a sophomore.

Brad Smith-Belle Tire AAA-Committed to Ohio State-Leading scorer on Belle Tire team. Played well at Select 14 Festival and Select 15 Festival.Article.

Bryce Ravndalen-Warroad HS(MN HS)-Committed to St. Cloud-Small forward. Excellent playmaker.

Chris Stafne-Duluth Denfeld(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Very fast and a good stickhandler.

David Eddy-Woodbury(MN HS)-Committed to St. Cloud-

Eli Zuck-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Committed to Minnesota State-Small, playmaking forward.

Josh Birkholz-Blake(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Played for 2007 U-17 Five Nations team.

Marc Rodriguez-Sioux Falls(USHL)-Committed to Bowling Green-Small, talented goal scorer.

Max Cook-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to Miami-Ohio- Great playmaker. Very good with the puck.

Eric Alexander-Chicago(USHL)-Committed to Ferris State-Good size and very athletic.

Nick Oddo-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-Omaha-native.

Gustav Bengston-NW Regulators AAA-Committed to Alaska-Anchorage-Small player with excellent scoring ability. Originally from Sweden.

Max Tardy-Duluth East HS-Committed to Minnesota-Duluth-Good playmaker.

Kellan Lain-Oakville(OPJHL)-Committed to Lake Superior-

Fredrik Csisar-Team Illinois Midget Major-Committed to Nebraska-Omaha-One of the top junior players in Norway. Good skater. Could improve his strength.

Uncommitted Forwards

Jeremy Morin-NTDP U17-Amazing Select 14 Festival has made him one of the top US prospects for his age. Played well at 2006 '91 Prospects tourney. Natural goal scorer. Considered playing college hockey. Younger brother of Chad Morin and cousin of former Boston College defenseman JD Forrest. Expressed interest in Michigan, Minnesota, Denver, and some Eastern schools.

Anders Lee-Edina HS(MN HS)-One of the top players on the top Class A team in Minnesota. Very strong forward. Also an excellent football quarterback.

Jerry D'Amigo-NTDP U18-Choosing between RPI, Miami, and Notre Dame.

Sam Alfieri-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Big, all-around solid forward. Good skater and good puckhandler. Uses his size well. Originally from Buffalo, New York.

Isaac Kohls-Hill-Murray(MN HS)-Short, but is very strong. A good playmaker that is dangerous in the offensive zone. Originally from Forest Lake, Minnesota.

Tyler Brickler-Lincoln(USHL)-excellent Fall Classic leading the team in pre season plus/minus for a 91. Made select u-17 5 nations tourney.

Travis Belohrad-Peak to Peak(CO HS)-Made All-star game at Sioux Falls tryout camp.

David Valek-NTDP U17-Born in Utah, played in Czech Republic, before coming to Honeybaked. Big for his age, and considered to be very talented. Interested in Michigan.

Tyler Landman-Roseau HS(MN HS)-One of the top scorers at 2006 Select 16 Festival. Talented offensive player. Great passer. Gritty, hard worker.

Joe Tullis-Chicago Mission-Fast skater and a very hard shot.

Jared Rickord-USHL-Talented goal scorer.

Brad Robbins-Shattuck-Good skater, and an excellent set-up man.

Connor Gaarder-Edina HS-

Matt Tabrum-Pikes Peak AAA-Made final 40 of Tri-City camp. Good speed. Father was an assistant coach under Don Lucia at Colorado College.

Charlie Thauwald-Rochester Mayo-Brother of Colorado College's Scott Thauwald. Very talented young player. Big, power forward.

Kit Sitterley-Culver Academy-Originally from North Carolina. Article.

Daniel Ciampini-St. Mike's(OPJHL)-3rd round pick of Peterborough Petes. Choosing to keep NCAA options open.

Tom Malone-Maple Grove(MN HS)-Solid player with a lot of potential.

Josh Gross-Maple Grove(MN HS)-

Ben Persian-Orono HS(MN HS)-Already 6'4". Played at Select 15 Festival.

Joey Rehkamp-Breck School(MN HS)-4th leading scorer for Breck's team in 2005-2006. Small, but quick.

Sean Logue-Xaverian HS(MA)-Peewee teammate of Phil McRae and Max Barron. Father played football for Boston College.

Brent Olson-Duluth East HS(MN HS)-Very fast skater.

Jordan Miller-Belle Tire-Good all-around hockey player.

Evan Ohngren-Little Caesar's-Very strong, power forward. Likes to go in the corners and hit people.

Derek Bayagich-Little Caesar's-Smaller player, but fast in open ice.

Garrett Peterson-Team Illinois-

Chase Davis-Dallas Alliance AAA-Good prospect from Texas. Played at 2006 Select 15 Festival.

Committed Defenseman

Cam Fowler-NTDP U17-Committed to Notre Dame-Considered one of the best players in his age group in North America. Amazing skater his age and size. Very tall. Great anticipation. Does everything very well.

Nick Leddy-Eden Prairie HS(MN HS)-Committed to Minnesota-Very athletic, mobile defenseman.

Matt Donovan-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Denver-Originally from Oklahoma. First Dallas Stars player to be drafted in USHL first round. Excellent defensive defenseman.

William Wrenn-NTDP U17-Committed to Denver-Solid, dependable defenseman. Moves well for his size. Committed to NTDP. Originally from Anchorage.

Luke Witkowski-Team NXI Midget-Committed to Western Michigan-Excellent skater that is very good with the puck.

Seth Helgeson-Faribault HS(MN HS)-Big defenseman with a lot of potential. Likes to carry the puck up the ice. Huge slap shot. Invited to try out for NTDP U18 team in 2007.

Steve Spinnell-Team Illinois AAA-Committed to Miami-Ohio- Good combination of size and speed. Confident, poised player.

Paul Phillips-Cedar Rapids(USHL)-Committed to Denver-Originally from Chicago-area. Excellent hockey sense.

Corey Fienhage-Eastview(MN HS)-Committed to North Dakota-Big, physical defenseman.

Justin Schultz-Westside(BCHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Tall offensive-minded defenseman. Rated as mid-round NHL pick by NHL CSB.

Austin Handley-Des Moines(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Rated 7th best defenseman at 2005 Select 15 Festival. More defensive-minded defenseman.

Sam Calabrese-NTDP U18-Committed to Notre Dame-Played defense for TI, but could up being a forward. Excellent skater. Amazing accleration. Loves to jump into the rush. Similiar to J-M Liles.

Lee Moffie-Avon Old Farms-Committed to Michigan-

Danny Heath-PF Chang Midget Major-Committed to Minnesota State-Good skater with nice offensive instincts.

Mike Miller-Honeybaked Midget Major-Committed to Bowling Green-Good vision and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Originally from California, but moved to Michigan to play with Honeybaked. Loves to make big hits. Could improve his skating a little.

Taylor Johnson-Green Bay(USHL)-Committed to St. Cloud-Originally from White Bear Lake. Small, but solid defenseman.

Ian Ruel-Victory Honda Midget-Committed to Bowling Green-Competes hard and can do just about anything well. Very physical. Originally from Ann Arbor

Uncommitted Defenseman

Nick Pryor-Des Moines(USHL)- Son of former NHLer Chris Pryor. Played well at Select 15 Festival, and was ranked as the second best defenseman in his age group.

Tyler Amburgey-NTDP U18-Huge defenseman. Nice shot from the point. Plays strong defense.

Michael Montrose-Waterloo(USHL)- played L.C. U-16 last year while playing in-your face defense and using his speed to bring up the puck. Hits very well.

John Ramage-NTDP U18- son of fromer NHL Rob Ramage. Hard hitter with a blistering slap shot. Excellent speed and not afraid to go in to the corners to retrieve the puck.

Richie Crowley-USNTDP-eastern defenseman with a great shot and knows when to step up and pinch. Good vision and great skating ability.

Ben Hughes-Chicago(USHL)- Good skating defenseman that is very smart and moves the puck well. Received interest from Wisconsin, Michigan, BC, UNH, Maine, and UMass-Amherst

Nick Jensen-Rogers HS(MN HS)-Good offensive defenseman. Excellent agility.

Keenan Kelly-Notre Dame Prep-American defenseman playing at Notre Dame Prep. Deciding between NCAA and Seattle of WHL. 6'1" 205 lbs.

Phillipp Samuelsson-PF Chang(Phoenix) Midget-Son of Ulf Samuelsson.

Ben Montgomery-Shattuck-St. Mary's-Originally from Minnesota.

Brendan Baker-Edina HS(MN HS)-Good skater and excellent checking ability.

Jared Maetche-St. Cloud Tech HS(MN HS)-Moved to defense. Good shot.

Izaak Berglund-Little Falls HS(MN HS)-Solid all-around defenseman with a heavy shot.

Patrick Borer-Benilde-St. Margaret's(MN HS)-Small defenseman that moves the puck well.

Joe Arbour-Duluth East(MN HS)-Big, physical defenseman. Could improve skating.

Committed Goalies

Michael Lee-Roseau(MN HS)-Committed to St. Cloud-Top goalie in the state of Minnesota.

Adam Murray-NTDP U17-Committed to Denver-Extremely athletic goalie. Played exceptionally for NTDP in 2007. Originally from Anchorage.

Aaron Crandall-Green Bay Gamblers(USHL)-Committed to Wisconsin-Played HS hockey for St. Thomas Academy.

Kevin Murdock-Lincoln Stars-Committed to Minnesota State-Originally from Florida. Played bantam hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's.

Drew Palmisano-Omaha(USHL)-Committed to Michigan State-Played well for Omaha after being traded from Ohio.

Joe Rogers-Motor City(NAHL)-Committed to Notre Dame-Excellent quickness. Great work ethic.

Connor Knapp-Jr. Bruins-Committed to Miami-Big goalie.

Uncommitted Goalies

Eric Ferber-Bay State Breakers-Played well at 2006 Select 15 Festival. Four straight shutouts at Swift Current rookie camp.

Jeff Teglia-Chicago Mission-Very athletic goalie. Quick movements and can make acrobatic saves.

Justin Farrell-Shattuck-St. Mary's-One of the top goalies in his age group. Moved to Shattuck from New Jersey.

Tyler Bruggeman-Fargo Force(USHL)-Led Mankato West to 2008 State Tournament.

Kyle Washer-Detroit Honeybaked-3-time selection for US Select Festivals.

Corey Morbeck-Wisconsin AAA-Impressive performance at 2006 Select 15 Festival.

Trent Caspar-Eagan(MN HS)-Invited to Select 15 Festival. Stand-up goalie.

2007 MN State High School Tournament

2007-03-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of the tournament.

Day 2 of the tournament.

Day 3 of the tournament.

Day 4 of the tournament.

Post-tournament notes.

My All-Tournament Ballot

2007-03-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's who I voted for for the Wells Fargo All-Tournament Team.

Class A

F-Drew Leblanc,Hermantown
F-Jack Connolly, Duluth Marshall
F-Bob Gutsch, Duluth Marshall
F-Jared Festler, Little Falls
F-Aaron Marvin, Warroad
F-Joe Krause, Hermantown
D-Dano Jacques, Duluth Marshall
D-Chad Huttel, Hermantown
D-Ian Stauber, Duluth Marshall
D-Matt Englemeier, Hermantown
G-Aaron Crandall, St. Thomas Academy
G-Clay Casanova, Albert Lea

In my defense on the goalie pick, my ballot had to be in before I found out that Casanova struggled in the 5th place game, and before Hermantown's Nathan Hardy played outstanding in the last two periods of the championship game. I think the only other one I didn't have was STA's Jon Schreiner in place of Englemeier.

Class AA

F-Pat White, Grand Rapids
F-Kurt Weston, Roseau
F-Tyler Barnes, Burnsville
F-Jake Hendrickson, Burnsville
F-Joe Faupel, Rochester Century
F-Zach Morse, Grand Rapids
D-Aaron Ness, Roseau
D-Joe Stejskal, Grand Rapids
D-Chris Franks, Burnsville
D-Sam Carr, Roseau
G-Reidar Jensen, Grand Rapids
G-Mike Lee, Roseau

Faupel was listed as a defenseman, even though he played forward, so that messed up the final team up a little bit. I think Franks would have been the fourth defenseman selected. Dustin Moser and Garrett Grimstad were the two forwards that made the team that I didn't have.

Credit to the Officials

2007-03-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Of all the stories in the high school tournament this season, one that I never heard was about the officials. Yes, there was the occasional call or two that a coach wasn't pleased with, but for the most part, I thought the officiating was excellent.

It's been my experience that officiating at the high school level can be pretty hit or miss, but credit the MSHSL for finding the top guys for this tournament. I can't think of any games that were really affected by the officials, which is a good thing. They let the players decide the game. Probably the best call I saw came in the Rochester Century/Hill-Murray game. That game may have never went to overtime had it not been for Century's goal to tie the game at 4 early in the third period. There was a scramble in front of the Hill net, and while most officials probably would have blown the play dead, the official was in perfect position and was able to see that the puck was still laying in the crease uncovered. Century was able to score and tie the game, helping them to the win.

Of course it also helped that the teams made the officials' job easier. At the beginning of this season, the MSHSL adopted USA Hockey's new rules calling for stricter enforcement of the rules, and there was a lot of complaining around the state about how many penalties were being called. But by the end of the season, teams had adjusted and I thought the style of play was just fantastic. The game was fast, wide open and exciting. I'd love to see college hockey become more like that.

Quotes from the Tournament

2007-03-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few quotes from the tournament that I thought were worth sharing:

“When I applied for this job, it was made very clear to me that we would playing in Class AA, and that we would always be playing AA.” Roseau coach Scott Oliver on Roseau’s decision to play up in Class AA.

“I didn’t want to rub it in, because then if they score after that, you look like a jerk”-Hermantown goalie Nate Hardy on the glove save he made in the third period of the state championship while laying on his back.

“I’m sure there’s some deep meaning and significance to it. I’m just glad they picked something old enough that I’ve heard of it, and that it has words that I can actually understand.” Rochester Century coach Bruce Frutiger on his team’s tradition of playing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson after a win.

“I thought he hooked our defenseman, so I didn’t think we had to make an adjustment so much as the official had to adjust.” Hermantown’s Bruce Plante on whether his team had to adjust after Jared Festler’s first period goal on Wednesday.

“He’s got more moves than a barrel of worms.” Warroad coach Bruce Olson describing senior forward Bryce Ravndalen.

“That game right there is the best example of why I came back” Grand Rapids’ Pat White, on why he chose to play for Grand Rapids for his senior season.

“This is for all the dads that went out with hoses and put ice on the rinks.” Hermantown defenseman Chad Huttel after winning the state title.

“We’re young. We’re here and we’re not making any excuses, but we have 15 new jerseys from last year, and some of those new guys didn’t quite know how to handle that. If all goes well, all those 15 guys will be back, and better, and maybe we’ll be here too.” Hill-Murray coach Bill Lechner on Hill-Murray’s inexperience.

“They’re going to continue to do great things in hockey, but I’m confident that they’re all going to make a difference in life, wherever they go. When you have that type of group of guys, it makes you thrilled to see them succeed.” Frutiger talking about his team after their 6-5 OT victory over Hill-Murray.

Hermantown 4 Duluth Marshall 1

2007-03-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

They didn’t need a third straight third period comeback, but that didn’t make capturing a first ever state title, and putting the finishing touches on an undefeated season any easier for top ranked Hermantown High School(29-0-2). The Hawks defeated the second seeded Marshall School of Duluth(24-5-2) 4-1 in the championship, backed by 32 saves from senior goaltender Nathan Hardy.

The two teams met earlier this season, in a game that ended in a 1-1 tie, and the championship game picked up where the last game left off, with both teams being tied at one after the first period. Hermantown started off the scoring at 3:40 of the period, when a collision behind the net caused the puck to bounce in front of the net, where Hermantown’s Brett Granmo put it in the net. Marshall responded 33 seconds later when Bob Gutsch took the puck off a face-off and fired a high shot that was gloved by Hardy. Hardy was unable to keep the puck in his glove, however, and Jack Connolly was able to knock the puck into the net. That would be Hardy’s only error of the day, as he proved unbeatable for the rest of the game.

The turning point of the game occurred just after the 10 minute mark of the game, on a Hermantown powerplay when Connolly and Gutsch came down on Hardy on a 2-on-1. Connolly made a pass across the net to Gutsch, but Hardy slid across the crease to make the pad save. Hermantown’s Justin Baker pick up the rebound and skated down the ice, where he made a drop pass to defenseman Kyle Lonetto, who fired a shot into the upper corner of the net. Even Hardy was surprised by his game-changing save.

“I was ready for the shot, he got the pass the across, and I was kind of surprised that I got it,” said Hardy.

Hermantown added to their lead seconds before the second intermission, when Tommy Engseth took a shot from the goal line that deflected off the Marshall goalie and into the back of the net. Hermantown would keep that lead throughout the third period, despite Marshall firing 10 more shots on Hardy. The Hawks iced the game when Ryan Schmidt pick up a loose back with 30 seconds left and scored an empty-net goal, setting off a celebration among the team, and their fans.

For Marshall, it was the second consecutive season that they lost in the Class A championship game.

“I told our kids that there are 140 teams that don’t even get a sniff at the state tournament,” said Marshall head coach Brendan Flaherty. “I’m really proud of our kids.”

The Hilltoppers could not find an answer to Hardy, however.

“He’s the most under-rated goalies in the state of Minnesota,” said Hermantown’s Joe Krause.

The title is Hermantown’s first in 7 appearances at the state tournament. The team will have an official coming home celebration on Monday, but parties in the small town will start tonight.

“[It’s going to be] nuts. We’re going to be going crazy,” said Krause.

Individual Player Thoughts

2007-03-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much of a chance to talk about the future college players and prospects playing in this tournament, so here's my thoughts:

Ryan Walters from St. Thomas Academy caught my eye immediately in the first game. He's tremendously talented for only being a freshman. He made some very nice passes and showed great hockey sense. He easily could have had 3 or 4 assists in the first game.

Aaron Crandall got off to a slow start on Wednesday, but played an exceptional third period. I think he'll be the state's best goalie next season.

Orono's goalie, Taylor Peterson maybe isn't as talented, but he's a battler that made some great saves. He was also a recipient of the High School Character Award. Hopefully he'll have an opportunity to play some hockey after high school.

Last year, I noted that Duluth Marshall's Bob Gutsch was a big hitter. This year, he still has that physical edge to his game, but he's also developed into more of a top line scorer. He showed great hands on Marshall's first goal Wednesday. I could see him following a path like his teammate last year, Rob Bordson, who went to the USHL, played well, and earned a college scholarship.

Also last year, I heard Grand Rapids' team talking about Jack Connolly during DM's game, but I wasn't overly impressed with him. This year, he looked outstanding. He's incredibly quick, and makes a lot of things happen.

Marshall defenseman Dano Jacques had a nice game on Wednesday, and then a huge game in the semifinals against St. Thomas. He's only a junior and he looks like he could definitely play college hockey some day.

Blake's Mike Louwerse(Minnesota State commit) played a pretty good game. For the second straight year, Marshall really keyed on him and forced Blake's other players to beat them. While he isn't particularly flashy at the high school level, I think his game will translate very well to college, because one of his best attributes is that he can make plays without a lot of time and space, which is the way you have to play in the WCHA.

Hermantown's Drew Leblanc was the star of the first day. He's got pretty good size, and was an all-conference football player, so he's strong and tough. He uses his size to his advantage as well. He's got very soft hands in front of the net. He should be a very good college player, wherever he ends up.

This was the most impressive performance I've seen from Jared Festler(St. Cloud commit) in the handful of times I've seen him. His ability to see the ice is just amazing. He made some jaw-dropping passes. He's not super-fast or very big, but he's stronger than he appears and is such a smart hockey player that he is able to compensate.

Ben Hanowski played a nice game for Little Falls. Since this is his third state tournament, and he's so skilled, it's easy to forget that he's only a 10th grader. His goal against Hermantown was a beautiful finish.

Sophomore defenseman Izaak Berglund played a very nice game for Little Falls. He does a nice job of stepping up and taking the body. He plays a lot of minute for LF, and should be a good college prospect.

In the final game on Wednesday, Aaron Marvin(St. Cloud commit) picked up two nice assists off of face-off wins. I've seen a lot of people being critical of his play, but there are also rumors that he's fighting an injury which is hurting his skating. When he gets the puck, he was sensational. He's an above average passer for someone his size.

Roseau was very impressive in their first round win against Woodbury. Aaron Ness drew the most praise from people in attendance. Roseau's Nick Oliver scored two very nice goals. I heard some scouts saying they were impressed by Tyler Landman. It's just amazing to see so many quality hockey players come from such a small town.

Joe Faupel was the hero for Rochester Century, but a lot of the credit really should to his senior linemates, Garrett Grimstad and Joe Knoepke. They're both excellent playmakers that see the ice so well. Faupel just has to go to the net and they find a way to get him the puck. Grimstad is going to the USHL after the season, and I wouldn't be surprised if Knoepke joined him in the USHL next year. Not only are they talented players, their coach couldn't have been more complimentary about them as hockey players.

Hill-Murray really struggled. Nick Larson wasn't noticeable at all on the ice, though it sounds like he was suffering from an injury. Given what I've seen him do in the past, I'm inclined to believe he wasn't 100%. Hill coach Bill Lechner talked about how many new, and young players Hill had on this year's team, and it was obvious that the nerves affected them. A lot of those talented young players should be back at the state tournament some day, and this experience should help them.

Grand Rapids/Edina was the biggest game of the day, and I saw a lot of scouts at the game.

Pat White(Minnesota commit) was easily the best player on the ice. He's incredibly strong, and a smart hockey player. I was very impressed.

I was just as impressed with Grand Rapids defenseman Joe Stejskal(Dartmouth commit). He was a solid defensive defenseman and has a huge shot. He played a big role in keeping Edina's talented players off the board.

Edina's Zach Budish impressed me again, even though he probably didn't have his best game. All 5 sophomores on Edina's second line could end up playing college hockey some day. The three forwards get a lot of press, but I was also impressed with defenseman Patrick Regan, who played a nice physical game.

In the final game on Thursday, I was impressed with the Blaine duo of Ben Lynch and Joe Beaudette. Lynch is small, but very fast. The duo made a lot of nice plays happen. They're both legitimate college propsects.

Tyler Barnes of Burnsville played a very nice game. He's small, but extremely quick. Defenseman Chris Franks is another good player. He reminded me a lot of St. Cloud commit Tyler Kieffer in the way that he played.

Grand Rapids 3 Edina 1

2007-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

On paper, it looked like an upset. On the ice, it was anything but. Unseeded Grand Rapids(18-7-4), with a senior-heavy roster that made it to last year’s state championship game defeated Class AA #1 seed Edina(25-3-1) 3-1 in the first round of the state tournament.

“When we drew the number one seed, a lot of people were disappointed up in Grand Rapids, but our team, personally, looked at it as a big test. We knew that if we could beat the number one seeded team in the tournament, we could beat anyone. I think we’ve proved ourselves now,” said senior forward Pat White.

Grand Rapids got off to an early lead when White, a finalist for Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey Award, bounced off two checks and fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Edina goaltender Derrick Caschetta.

Grand Rapids was able to use their experienced defense, and stellar goaltending to shut down the Edina offense. Senior goalie Reidar Jensen finished the game with 28 saves, including a spectacular save on Edina’s Matt Leer off of a one-timer while Grand Rapids was shorthanded in the second period.

“Our coach always tells us that defense wins championships. We’ve got a star goalie back there, standing on his head, and winning us hockey games,” said White.

Grand Rapids extended their lead in the third period when Pat White poked a rebound from a Zach Morse shot past Caschetta. Brett Cone added an insurance goal with a pretty shot to the top shelf at 10:40 of the period.

“The second goal took the pressure off our shoulders a little, but I’d definitely say the third goal did even moreso. I don’t feel too confident sometimes with a two goal lead. I didn’t want us to sit back and just try and play good defense,” said White.

While Edina’s offense was kept quiet most of the night, their talented line of sophomores was able to strike late. Marshal Everson fired a shot on Jensen, which was kicked away, but Gaarder was able to score on the rebound. But it was too little, too late for the Hornets, and while they pressured the Grand Rapids goal, they weren’t able to close the gap.

“Experience is what gets you through games like this,” said Jensen. “Last year definitely helped us [tonight].”

Grand Rapids win means that they will advance to the state semifinals on Friday to play Burnsville, who beat Blaine later in the evening.

Burnsville 4 Blaine 2

2007-03-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Burnsville High School(18-10) is no stranger to upsets. To earn their way to the Xcel Center, they had to defeat the state’s top team, Academy of Holy Angels in the Section 5AA final. The Blaze got their second consecutive upset win when they defeated fourth seeded Blaine High School(21-7).

Burnsville took an early 1-0 lead when junior Tyler Barnes, the hero in the Holy Angels win, took the puck on an end-to-end rush around a Blaine defender and beat the goalie. Blaine responded 2:36 later when Ben Lynch scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway to tie the game, with less than thirty seconds left in the period.

Blaine’s Luke Bayer gave Blaine the lead at 6:11 of the second period when he finished off a rush with a pretty move to his backhand. Burnsville responded at 10:18 of the second period when defenseman Chad McDuff fired a slap shot from just outside the blueline that was tipped, and handcuffed Blaine goalie Brent Hollerud.

Jake Hendrickson scored the go-ahead goal for Burnsville early in the third period when he took a drop pass from Barnes and fired a one-timer past Hollerud. Burnsville iced the game later in the third period when Hollerud came out of his net and played the puck out to the blueline, where it was picked up by Burnsville defenseman Zach King, who fired a slap shot to the far side of the net before Hollerud was able to get back in position.

Burnsville will advance to the state semifinals to play Grand Rapids, who knocked off top seed Edina in the earlier quarterfinal.

Roseau 7 Woodbury 2

2007-03-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

The first day of the Class AA state tournament started off with something old, and something new. The Roseau Rams(27-2), were making their record 31st appearance in the state tournament, while their opponents, the Woodbury Royals(21-6-1) were making their first ever appearance in the state tournament.

But it was the Royals who looked more comfortable in the early going, jumping out to a 1-0 lead when Nick Jarrett scored an unassisted even strength goal at 4:31 of the first period.

“You have to give credit to Woodbury. They didn’t look tight. They played like they usually play to make it a real good game to start,” said Roseau head coach Scott Oliver.

Roseau was able to tie the game before the period ended, however, with Roseau’s Dustin Moser scoring his 12th goal of the season. Roseau added two more goals in the second period from Nick Oliver and Nathan Voll to take a 3-1 lead.

Roseau looked to be in control of the game at that point, until Woodbury answered back 13 seconds later on a goal by Dane Erickson.

“I thought we were going to put some distance between ourselves and Woodbury until they got that second one,” said Oliver.

Roseau’s Ben Nelson got the Ram’s two goal cushion back by scoring at 14:54 of the third period. The Rams extended their lead early in the third period with a goal by Kurt Weston. Moser and Oliver each added their second goal of the game to close out the scoring.

While it was far from a perfect effort from Roseau, there was some relief to get through the first round of the tournament, after losing both games they played in last year’s state tournament.

“It’s a lot more fun winning. It’s one step closer to hopefully winning the whole thing,” said sophomore defenseman Aaron Ness, who assisted on Roseau’s first three goals and was named player of the game.

The Rams will take on Rochester Century tomorrow in the state semifinals after Century upset third-seeded Hill-Murray.

Rochester Century 6 Hill-Murray 5 (OT)

2007-03-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

When Joe Faupel walked out of the Rochester Century locker room and onto the Xcel Energy Center Ice prior to Century’s quarterfinal game against Hill-Murray, few people outside of the city of Rochester knew his name. After the game, Faupel’s name was on the lips of nearly all of the 15,693 spectators at the Xcel Center, and it took Faupel 15 minutes, and three renditions of “Sweet Caroline,” Century’s favorite post-game victory song, from his teammates before he was able to return to the locker room due to the barrage of questions he received from print, radio, and television media.

Faupel scored his team’s final four goals and added an assist in Rochester Century’s(24-5) 6-5 overtime upset win over 3rd seeded Hill-Murray(23-5-1). Century became the first team to knock off a seeded team this year, in the first year that the MSHSL has seeded teams for the state tournament.

The Panthers jumped out to a surprising 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Colin Briscoe and Joe Knoepke, but Hill-Murray was able to even the score by the end of the first period, and scored twice more to take what looked like a commanding 4-2 lead.

“They didn’t go away. At 4-2, we needed to get that next goal and we didn’t. Maybe if we make it 5-2, they start to go away a little bit, or change their game plan”

15:36 of the second period, Faupel scored the first of his goals by tipping a shot from defenseman Bryan Frischmann past Hill-Murray goalie Joe Phillippi. Faupel then tied the game 1:25 into the third period when he was able to jam home a loose puck that had settled behind Phillippi during a scrum in front of the net.

With the game tied, Hill-Murray looked to score the winning goal when Dan Checka stuffed in his second goal of the game off a rebound with just under 5 minutes to play in the game. But 1:16 later, Faupel responded by finishing off a pretty passing play from linemates Joe Knoepke and Garrett Grimstad. That sent the game to overtime, where Knoepke found Faupel alone in front of the net with a pass that Faupel buried to win the game. Grimstad also assisted on the overtime winner to give him five assists for the game.

“Joe Knoepke and Garrett Grimstad are both seniors and both handle the puck extremely well. They see the ice better than most players do. They’re making some beautiful passes for [Faufel] to finish.”

For Faupel, the thrill of scoring an overtime goal in the state tournament was almost indescribable.

“I can’t even describe it. It’s a great feeling. I was there at the right time, got a nice pass, and put the puck in the back of the net. It’s definitely the number one moment [in my hockey career. State tournament, four goals, it just feels great.”

The elation of the victory will be short lived for the Panthers. A little over 24 hours after pulling off the major upset, they will have to pull off an even bigger upset to beat number two seeded Roseau, who has played in the state tournament a record 31 times, compared to just 2 appearances for the Panthers.

“There’s a lot of teams at the tourney with huge tradition, and our traditions have been made in the last 9 years. In a short time, these boys have built a tradition of their own, said Frutiger.

Beating Roseau would be even more improbable than the win over Hill-Murray, but Hill-Murray coach Bill Lechner thought that Century had a chance.

“Roseau is going to be in for a game tomorrow, because Rochester has grit and they’ve got grind, and strong defense and if their goalie stays hot, they’ll give them a run.”

Warroad 3 Albert Lea 1

2007-03-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

Only in the world of Minnesota high school hockey could a team from a town of approximately 1700 people be considered a hockey giant, while a town with more than 10 times the population be considered an underdog. But such was the case in the state tournament’s most geographically diverse match-up between hockey powerhouse Warroad, hailing from the northernmost reaches of western Minnesota and underdog Albert Lea, who was representing southern Minnesota.

It looked as though Albert Lea had a chance to pull off the day’s only upset until a third period powerplay goal was Bryce Ravndalen, followed by an empty-netter from Ravndalen dashed the Tigers’ hopes.

The game was scoreless through the first two periods, due in part, to some nerves on both sides of the ice.

“We had a lot of young kids that haven’t been here before, and they were as white as my sheets at the hotel, so it took them a while to get into the game and get some rhythm going,” said Warroad coach Bruce Olson.

“I think we came out in the first period and we were very tentative,” said Albert Lea coach Roy Nystrom.

The scoreless tie did not last long into the third period, however. Just 27 seconds into the period, Warroad’s Aaron Marvin won a face-off to teammate Jeremy Hahn who fired a shot into the net, just 5 seconds into a Warroad powerplay. After Albert Lea tied the game on a scramble in front of the net, Ravndalen scored the game-winner, this time, just 4 seconds into a Warroad powerplay.

“I’ve coached 41 years, and I think I’ve seen just about everything happen. I’ve seen that happen, but not twice in a row like that,” said Nystrom, referring to Warroad’s 2 powerplay goals in a combine 9 seconds of powerplay time.

The Warriors will move on to face undefeated Hermantown in the semifinals on Friday, where this time, Warroad will be the team playing the underdog role..

“We watched Hermantown play, and they don’t have any weaknesses. Obviously we’re going to have to play a lot better,” said Olson.

Hermantown 6 Little Falls 3

2007-03-07T23:26:00.001-08:00

Top-seeded Hermantown defeated Little Falls 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Class A state tournament. But it wasn’t the Hawks advantage in talent that helped carry them to the state semifinals so much as it was their advantage in experience.

Heading into the third period, Hermantown trailed Little Falls 3-2, but came up with four unanswered goals in the third period to win the game. The Hawks were led by junior Drew Leblanc, who scored three goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal at 6:05 of the third period and an empty-netter with 12 seconds left to close out the victory and his hat trick.

“ I had a couple bounces go my way and I wanted to make sure I hit the net on the [empty-netter]. My linemate last year, Karl Gilbert, got [a hat trick] last year, and I kind of know what he was feeling. It’s a great feeling,”said Leblanc, referring to the hat trick scored by Gilbert in the first round of the tournament last season against Thief River Falls.

The hat tricks weren’t the only common thread between Hermantown’s first round game this season and last season. Last year, Hermantown also trailed heading into the third period, before coming back to win the game. The experience of knowing they were able to come from behind in the state tournament was a huge boost to the Hawks.

“We’ve come through in the third period this year. They don’t give in and they don’t give up,” said Hermantown head coach Bruce Plante of his team’s comeback. “They were very comfortable”

Little Falls, on the other hand, seemed to struggle under the pressure of the third period. Despite this being the Flyers third consecutive trip the state tournament, the Flyers dressed 8 sophomores that were making their appearance in the state tournament.

“Anytime you get a good team like Hermantown on the ropes, you know that they’re going to battle back. I felt like there was a lot of panicking on our part,” said Little Falls head coach Tony Couture.

Little Falls top forward line showed why they were the highest scoring line in the state. Jared Festler started the scoring at 5:47 of the first period when he stole the puck from a Hermantown defender in the corner and walked in front of the net, where he beat goalie Nathan Hardy for a short-handed goal. Festler also assisted on Little Falls third goal, when he fed the puck to linemate Ben Hanowski, who skated in with Festler on a 2-on-1, but kept the puck and fired it over Hardy’s shoulder to give Little Falls the lead.

In the end, however, Hermantown’s play in the third period was too much for Little Falls to pull off the upset.

Hermantown will advance to the state semifinal on Friday, where they will take on Warroad, who defeated Albert Lea in the last game of the evening.

Duluth Marshall 4 Blake 3

2007-03-07T23:23:00.001-08:00

A late surge by the Bears of the Blake School wasn’t quite enough to overcome the third-seeded Marshall School of Duluth Hilltoppers, as Marshall won 4-3 to advance to Friday’s semifinal game against St. Thomas Academy.

Bob Gutsch started the scoring for the Hilltoppers at 5:28 of the first period when he picked up a loose puck in front of the net and deked around Blake goalie Peter Johnson. Later in the first period, Marshall’s Derek Randall fired a slap shot from point that found its way into the back of net to give Marshall a 2-0 lead.

Blake would cut the gap to one goal in the last minute of the first period on a goal by Erik Olson, but Marshall continued their dominance in the second period, getting two goals within 28 seconds from defenseman Dano Jacques and forward Zach Mausolf.

Momentum quickly shifted in favor of Blake in the third period, however. Stephen Steinhauser scored a powerplay goal 1:10 into the third period, and teammate Blake Dressen scored just seven second later to cut Marshall’s lead to one.

“I never felt comfortable when it was 4-1,” said Marshall head coach Brendan Flaherty. “My kids almost gave me a heart attack.”

Blake was unable to net the equalizer, though they came extremely close at 14:58 of the third period when Blake’s Mike Louwerse fed a puck to the front of the net that was tipped by teammate Josh Birkholz. The puck was trapped somewhere under Marshall goalie Jesse Behning whose body was partially in the net. The play was initially ruled as not a goal by the on-ice official, and a long video review provided no conclusive evidence that the puck had crossed the line.

“I was pretty confident that it didn’t go in,” said Behning, “but when the goal review took so long, I started to get nervous.”

“You believe it’s a goal, and you want it to be a goal,” said Blake head coach John Hamre. Though Hamre was disappointed in the final decision, he was extremely pleased with the effort showed by his team throughout the game. “You don’t play the scoreboard, you play the game. I’m proud of how our kids played; not just in the third period, but the entire game.”

On the other side, Coach Flaherty said his team will still have some work to do tomorrow before they face off against St. Thomas in a rematch of last year’s Class A state final.

“We didn’t play our best hockey. We had to win ugly. I think our kids know that they can play better.”

St. Thomas 5 Orono 2

2007-03-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

Orono High School gave St. Thomas Academy a scare in the first round of last year’s Minnesota State High School Tournament by taking the Tommies to overtime. Midway through their quarterfinal game on Wednesday, it looked as though Orono would give St. Thomas another run for their money, before a two-goal burst in the second period helped lead St. Thomas to a 5-2 victory.

St. Thomas controlled the play early, and looked as though they would easily cruise past the Spartans. St. Thomas started the game by taking 11 of the first 12 shots, and got a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from junior Nick Larson and senior James Saintey.

Despite the early disparity in play, Orono hung in the game. Senior goalie Taylor Peterson helped his team stay in the game by making a number of outstanding saves. Peterson finished the game with 31 saves on 36 shots, with three of St. Thomas’ goals coming off rebounds. Senior Alex Pacovsky beat St. Thomas goalie Aaron Crandall down low at 15:14 of the first period to bring the Spartans within one goal, on Orono’s second shot of the game. Orono would catch another break early in the second period when they were given a 5-on-3 powerplay. It took just 8 seconds of powerplay time for senior Pat McClure to fire a slap shot from the point that beat a screened Crandall, on just the fourth shot of the game for Orono.

“There was a little tension and a little frustration,” said St. Thomas forward Anders Lee, referring to the tie score, despite St. Thomas holding a huge advantage in shots on goal.

“It helped that we got off to a good start,” said St. Thomas co-head coach Rob Vannelli. “If we hadn’t gotten out to that 2-0 lead, it might have been different”

St. Thomas regained their lead at 13:18 of the second period when James Saintey scored his second goal of the game, this time on the powerplay. Teammate Anders Lee added another goal just 31 seconds later to close out the period.

St. Thomas added a fifth goal early in the third period on a powerplay goal from Christian Isackson, but mainly relied on stellar goaltending from Crandall. After making 4 stops on just 6 shots in the first two periods, Crandall stopped all 15 shots he faced in the third period.

With five minutes to play in the third period, Crandall’s blocker came off during a scrum in front of the net, and his right index finger was cut with a skate.

“They couldn’t give me stitches because the skin peeled off,” said Crandall, after visiting the training when the game was over.

Luckily for St. Thomas, the injury should not force Crandall, who has started all but two games this season for the Tommies, to miss any time.

“I’m sure he’s going to play,” said coach Vannelli.

The Tommies will advance to the state semi-finals where they will The Marshall School of Duluth as they try to defend their Class A state title against the team they beat in last year’s final.

“There’s been a bullseye on our back all season and I think we handle it well,” said Saintey.

MN HS Section Predictions

2007-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Section 1A

My preseason prediction: Mankato West

Final: #1 Albert Lea vs. #3 New Ulm

Prediction: New Ulm knocked off my prediction in the semifinal thanks to some great goaltending. New Ulm's goalie will give them a chance, but I think Albert Lea has too much talent and will win a game that will end up closer than it should be.

Section 1AA

My preseason prediction: Lakeville North

Final: #1 Rochester Century vs. #2 Lakeville North

Prediction: Century won the earlier meeting between these teams by a score of 4-3, but I'll stick with my preseason prediction and say Lakeville North wins.

Section 2A

My preseason prediction: Duluth Marshall

Final: #1 Duluth Marshall vs. #2 St. Cloud Cathedral

Prediction: Cathedral had an upset win over Marshall earlier this year, but Marshall is one of the top teams in Class A, and I think they'll win the game.

Section 2AA

My preseason prediction: Cretin-Derham Hall

Final: #1 Cretin-Derham Hall vs. #2 Woodbury

Prediction: Cretin dominates this section, and it would be a huge upset if they didn't win.

Section 3A

My preseason prediction: St. Thomas Academy

Final: #1 St. Thomas Academy vs. #2 Red Wing

Prediction: These two teams met early in the season and STA won a close game. I think the Cadets will win.

Section 3AA

Preseason Prediction: Hill-Murray

Final: #4 White Bear Lake vs. Hill-Murray/Centennial

Prediction: White Bear has lost a number of heartbreakers to Hill recently. I think it's the Bears time, and they'll be the ones to beat Hill-Murray in overtime.

Section 4A

Preseason Prediction: Little Falls

Final: #1 Little Falls vs. #2 Fergus Falls

Prediction: Fergus was able to upset Little Falls earlier this season, but I think the Flyers will be prepared this time, and their talent advantage will carry them back to state.

Section 4AA

Preseason Prediction: Blaine

Final: #1 Blaine vs. Maple Grove/Anoka

Prediction: I'll stick with Blaine.

Section 5A

Preseason Prediction: Totino-Grace

Final: #4 Totino-Grace vs. #3 Blake

Prediction: This is a tough one to pick. I'll stick with my preseason pick of T-G.

Section 5AA

Preseason Prediction: Holy Angels

Final: #1 Holy Angels vs. #2 Burnsville

Prediction: Holy Angels is the easy pick, and it would be a huge upset if they lost.

Section 6A

Preseason Prediction: New Prague

Final #1 Orono vs. #2 New Prague

Prediction: It would be an upset, but I'll stick with my prediction of New Prague.

Section 6AA

Preseason Prediction: Edina

Final: #1 Edina vs. #2 Eden Prarie

Prediction: Edina and their Super Sophs will probably win this one.

Section 7A

Preseason Prediction: Hermantown

Final #1 Hermantown vs. #2 Hibbing

Prediction: Hermantown is a big favorite and should probably win.

Section 7AA

Preseason Prediction: Elk River

Final: #1 Cloquet vs. #3 Grand Rapids

Prediction: Cloquet was lucky to sneak by Elk River, despite not playing their best game. I'll take Grand Rapids to win in a very good game.

Section 8A

Preseason Prediction: Warroad

Final: #1 Warroad vs. #2 Thief River Falls

Prediction: I think Warroad will pay back TRF for the tough loss in last year's section final.

Section 8AA

Preseason Prediction: Roseau

Final: #1 Moorhead vs. #2 Roseau

Prediction: Moorhead beat Roseau twice this year, but I think the Rams will pull off the upset in the section final.

Saturday's Miscellaneous Notes

2007-01-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of talk in the post-game centered around the events at the end of the second period, with Jack Skille's goal and then the scrum by the benches just a few seconds later. But in my mind, it was how the Badgers played in the other 59 minutes of the game that really made the difference. The game was almost a reverse of Friday night with the Mavericks being the team that came out really flat in the first period.

"I thought it was a good game after the first period," said Maverick coach Troy Jutting.

The biggest difference between Friday and Saturday night was that Wisconsin came out in the first period and really set the tone on Saturday night. Mike Eaves tried to make every excuse for his team on Friday night, saying the Wisconsin was coming off a bye week, and wasn't able to practice on the Kohl Center ice all week, though it should be noted that both statements were also true for their opponents.

Mike Eaves said he wasn't as hard on his team after Friday's loss as he might have been earlier in the season. "We’re at that time of the year when I have to get off my soapbox and they have to be responsible," said Eaves.

I mentioned Mike Davies quote about the importance of Wisconsin getting the lead in my game recap, and I think that's a really big thing for the Badgers. Mike Eaves really stresses to his players the idea of being "patiently persistent," but I think that strategy works better when they're in the lead.

Mike Eaves downplayed "The Shane Connelly" effect after the game, as did Jake Dowell who said "We were frustrated with last night. I don't think it makes a difference if Shane is in or Brian is in."

But it is interesting that Connelly has started three games the Saturday after a loss and has only allowed one goal total. Part of that could also be because Connelly is really improving as a goalie.

"When I see Shane in practice, he's stopping more pucks. His teammates would tell you that it's getting harder and harder to beat him in practice," said Eaves.

Troy Jutting seems to be on some sort of septuple secret probation with the WCHA. He was pretty subdued, yet again, on the bench, despite a pretty controversial play going against Minnesota State at the end of the second period.

Jutting said he didn't see the play involving Skille and Brownlee, though his tone and expression said otherwise. He would have been more believable if he said he was the Queen of England. I half expected him to break out the Rasheed Wallace "Both teams played hard" line.

He was even more brief when describing the start of the fight in front of his bench. When asked if he saw what started the fight, he gave a simple nod and said "Mmhmm," and when asked if he wanted to elaborate, just said "No."

Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal asked him if his tongue was bleeding.

Travis Morin maintained that he wasn't involved in the fight at the end of the second period, and looking at Morin's track record as a player, it's certainly believable. On his way from the penalty box to the locker room after the second period was over, he swung by referee Marco Hunt to let him know how he felt about the call.

The non-call on Skille was a mistake by Marco Hunt, but it was an honest mistake. The second period was extremely physical, and you can't really blame him for keeping an eye at what was going on behind the play. It's tough for one referee to see the entire ice. Is that an argument for having two referees on the ice for games? Perhaps, but it's anecdotal, and there are also situations where two referees would hurt.

I get as frustrated as anybody with the quality of officiating in the WCHA, but I can live with guys making the occassional mistake like that, because they are human. I get frustrated when I see each team held to a different standard on the ice by the officials, and I certainly don't think that was the case this weekend. Missing an obvious call that leads to a big goal is certainly way less subtle than not calling an obstruction penalty on one team after calling the same play on the opposing team earlier in the game, but also much more forgivable.

Wisconsin ended up getting an extra penalty out the fight at the end of the second period, but the penalties ended up benefiting the Badgers more than the Mavericks. The Mavericks lost three forwards for 14 minutes of game time, and due to some injuries, coach Jutting said they only had 7 available forwards for that stretch. The Mavericks were also without their entire top line with Travis Morin in the penalty box and Jon Kalinski and Mick Berge out with injurues.

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota State-- Saturday Recap

2007-01-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

After last night’s loss to Minnesota State, Wisconsin came into Saturday’s contest desperately needing a victory. Because the Badgers had labeled this as a “must-win” game, it may seem strange that head coach Mike Eaves decided to start sophomore goalie Shane Connelly over All-American Brian Elliott.

But this was Connelly’s third start of the season following a Badger loss on Friday night, and for the third time this season, Connelly led the Badgers to a victory; this time a 4-1 victory where Connelly made 17 saves.

“I just get excited,” said Connelly after the game. “Playing goaltender, you have enough pressure on you anyway. I get excited to know that the team is going to need someone to step up.”

Not only did Connelly step up for the Badgers, but the entire Badger team stepped up their play from Friday night’s loss.

“We went out there and played relentless from the start, said Jack Skille, who scored his first career hat trick for the Badgers.

The Badgers were rewarded for their relentless play at 11:01 of the first period. Seconds after a penalty to Minnesota State’s Jason Wiley had expired, Badger freshman Mike Davies collected a rebound from Ross Carlon behind the net and beat Maverick goalie Mike Zacharias to give the Badgers their first lead of the weekend.

“I think we have a little bit more jump in our step with the lead,” said Davies.

The Badgers out shot Minnesota State 17-2 in the first period, including 9 shots on four powerplay attempts, but could not extend their lead in the period.

The second period looked as though it would be scoreless, until the 18:21 mark of the second period when Jack Skille scored a controversial goal. Skille and MSU defenseman Chad Brownlee both raced after a puck in the Minnesota State zone, and Brownlee was the first one to reach the puck, but it look as though Skille tripped Brownlee, causing him to fall, which allowed Skille to gain possession and fire a backhand past Zacharias.

The strangest part of the play, however, was that despite the play happening on the puck, nobody on the ice seemed to see what happened.

“(Referee Marco Hunt) told me that he didn’t see the play,” said Maverick captain Travis Morin.

“I didn’t see what happened,” said Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting, who offered no further commentary on the subject.

“I didn’t see it. I was getting the next line up,” said Badger coach Mike Eaves.

Even Jack Skille, who didn’t have the benefit of pleading ignorance seemed unsure of what happened.

“He beat me to the puck, and somehow he fell. I’m not sure,” said Skille, while letting a small smile escape his face.

A similar bout of temporary blindness affected both coaches 42 seconds later when a fight broke out in front of the Minnesota State bench, which led to 3 players from each team being assessed 2 minute penalties and 10 minute misconducts. Wisconsin’s Blake Geoffrion also picked up an extra two minute penalty.

“I didn’t see it. I was trying to keep my guys on the bench,” said Coach Jutting, who once again wasn’t willing to say much on the topic.

“I saw Blake Geoffrion get smoked, and that’s all I saw,” said Eaves.

Badger forward Jake Dowell saw the altercation as a result of the intense atmosphere of the game.

“It was just an intense game. Everybody is scrapping for points. Everybody is going to stick up for their teammate. I’m surprised it didn’t get worse.”

Minnesota State closed Wisconsin’s lead to one goal when Joel Hanson fired a shot from the point on the powerplay that bounced off the post and into the net. But the Badgers answered back just 15 seconds later when Skille scored his second goal of the game.

“That was huge,” said Jutting.

Skille closed out the evening with an empty-net goal to give the Badgers the 4-1 win.

“It’s somewhat bittersweet in that we didn’t win last night,” said coach Eaves of the victory.

The Badgers will take on Colorado College next weekend in Colorado Springs, while the Mavericks will host Michigan Tech.