On this, the eve of the real start of the college hockey season, I'm sure that you're asking, "Hey, how are our good friends to the North doing?" I'm glad you asked, because he's a round-up of the major junior leagues.
We'll start in the WHL since they're going to have a ridiculous amount of first round draft picks this year. There's a couple names of interest atop the scoring board so far.
Martin Hanzal, a first round Phoenix draft pick who played in the USHL last season is tied for the league lead in scoring right now with 12 points. Hanzal played 19 games for Omaha last year in the USHL and had 19 points in the regular season, but only one point in 5 playoff games.
Much like the football team at his old school, Tyler Swystun is continues to tell the world "Don't you dare ever write me off". He's got 9 points in 6 games which puts him 6th in the league in scoring.
American defenseman Jon Blum has 8 points in his first six games. I think he'll make a big move up a lot of NHL teams' draft boards this year. Another American defenseman, Ray Macias, has 5 points in his first 5 games.
Other names of note: Would-have-been-Seawolf Erik Felde has a goal and three assists in his first 4 games. Would-have-been-Nanook Brandon Campos has a goal in four games. A.J. Thelen has only played one game since he was with the Wild, but scored a goal and an assist in that game. Sartell, MN's Mike Sauer has a goal and assist in 4 games. Former recruit Lucas Bloodoff only has one goal in his first six games. I don't think Peter Mueller has played any games yet since he was with Phoenix.
In Ontario, former Wisconsin recruit Sam Gagner is third in league scoring with 11 points(1g, 10a) in three games.
American defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti has 10 points, with six goals, in his first 5 games. Yet for some reason, can't make the US World Junior team. It boggles the mind.
Would-have-been-Wolverine Trevor Lewis has 8 points in his first five games. Pat Kane has 7 points in his first three games, though from reports, it sounds like he's looked a lot better than Gagner, for whatever that it is worth. Two Americans from New York, Dan Collins and Nick Palmieri are also off to nice starts with 7 points so far this year.
Former Spartan Peder Skinner has 5 points in his first four games. Former Leprechuan Victor Oreskovich also has 5 points through four games. Would-have-been Bulldog Jared Boll has two goals and two assist in five games. Would-have-been Wolverine A.J. Jenks has a goal and three assists in his first five games. Would-have-been Buckeye Kelly Geoffrey has three assists in his first five games. Former Badgers Matt Auffrey has two goals in four games. Former Omaha Maverick Joe Grimaldi has two assists in his first four games. Would-have-been Maverick Frank Grzczazazazaa(not that he's moved on, I don't have to remember how to spell his name), has a goal in five games. Christian Steingraber has been held scoreless in two games.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Funny how Sam Gagner couldn't even manage a pt. per game in the USHL last year (46 pts. in 50+ games) yet, in only 3 games in the OHL, he has already managed to produce close to 25% of what he did all of last season. I thought Major Jr. was supposed to be a "step up" and so "much tougher" than the USHL and college hockey? :-)
Sanguinetti bailed on the NTDP after he had signed, so he is on the "***" list with USA Hockey and that is why he is not considered for World Jrs. Besides, USA is very strong at that position.
Which is total BS.
The US isn't Canada. They can't afford to play favorites and hold grudges.
The US defense has been terrible the past couple years. Last season, they fell apart because after the Johnsons, they didn't have a defenseman they could rely on. They took Mark Mitera and he sat on the bench the whole tournament.
The same thing happened two years ago. They didn't take Jack Johnson for purely political reasons, and they forced to trot out an injured Nate Hagemo instead, when he shouldn't have been playing.
USA Hockey needs to stop acting like they're bigger than they are. They need to pick the best team possible, and not worry about the political stuff.
The OHL is an inferior league compared to NCAA. Hard to compare Sanguinetti's stats playing against 16 year-olds to those of the '87 and '88 born Defenseman playing in the NCAA and say that he deserves a spot on the world jr team.
Hey, these kids make there own beds, with their genious agents, so they take their medicine. JJ, Ryan, Sangunetti, are all marked men around the stars and stripes, cuzz they think they are bigger than USa hockey, coaches and their country. let em live in Canada forever!
Jenks in the same boat- he is just young and raw- the ohl is not challenging enough, but a slimer agent got him a dream deal.......so let him stew in the OHL for a while and then come knocking for international play.
USA Hockey v.s. Slimey Agents.......Its a wash !!!
Oh yeah, because the U.S. has been so successful at the international level lately.....hm lets see, two medals in the last ten years at the WJC compared to 9 from Canada...oh yeah USA Hockey sure knows what they are doing!
As for the USHL vs the OHL, some newspaper interviewd Trevor Lewis and he stated that the O is more talented, more physical and the style allows for the better players to showcase their stuff...as compared to the boring clutch and grab of the USHL
OHL is a great level of hockey to develop in.
What are you talking about. 5 int games...wooowww
USA Hockey has a big ego problem. Players should play where they want, they will develop better because of it.
Post a Comment