Michigan Tech's website is reporting that assistant coach Ian Kallay has left the program to pursue a business opportunity.
I won't even make the obvious Kids in the Hall joke here. I'm sure Michigan Tech fans are disappointed to see a good assistant leave, but the truth is, being an assistant coach in college is a hard job, with long hours, lots of time spent away from family, and not the greatest of pay. It's certainly understandable why Kallay would be interested in something else.
Kallay played a pivotal role in Tech's recruiting over the past couple of seasons, utilizing his connections in the USHL and western Canada, and should be difficult to replace. Off the top of my head, former Anchorage assistants Keith Morris and Jack Kowal, who were released by Anchorage coach Dave Shyiak this summer, come to mind as possible candidates. I'm sure there are dozens of other young, qualified applicants coaching junior hockey.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Select 16 Festival
USA Hockey's Select 16 Festival is going on this week in Rochester, New York. Here's the Festival website. There's been some controversy this week because instead of the Festival's usual lax enforcement of the rules, officials have been testing out USA Hockey's new rules enforcement which has led to an increased number of penalties.
You can check out the list of leading scorers here. Michigan recruit Robbie Czarnik is leading the field by a couple of points. Hockey in Wisconsin has been keeping track of players tied to Wisconsin.
I tried to put together some brief notes on some of the leading scorers in the tournament to make things a little easier for some people.
Robbie Czarnik- NTDP forward. Committed to Michigan. 2008 recruit. Led MWEHL in scoring.(28-31-39-70)
Brett Beebe- Played for California Wave last season and won U16 Tier I championship. 2008 recruit.
Danny Kristo- Played for Eden Prairie HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Tyler Landman-Played for Roseau HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Steve West-NTDP defenseman. Committed to Ohio State. 2008 recruit
Ben Hanowski-Played for Little Falls HS(MN). Tried out for NTDP. 2009 recruit.
William Rapuzzi-Played for Alaska Diamond HS(AK). 2008 recruit.
Shawn Syzdlowski-Played for Belle Tire U16 AAA(MI). 2008 recruit. 3rd in MWEHL in scoring (28-12-23-35)
Chris Bournazos-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 5th in MWEHL in scoring (28-18-12-30)
Troy Power-Played for California Wave U16 AAA. Drafted by Prince Albert in special WHL US player draft. Will play for Des Moines of USHL next season. 2008 recruit
James Werner-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 8th in MWEHL in scoring (28-13-13-26) 2008 recruit.
David Warsofsky-Played for Cushing Prep(MA). 2009 recruit
Danny Mattson- Played for Holy Angels(MN) last season. 2009 recruit.
Nathan Condon-Played for Wausau West HS(WI). 2008 recruit.
Mike Voran-Played for Livonia Stevenson HS(MI). 2008 recruit
Craig Kitto- Played for Stone Bridge HS(VA). 2008 recruit. Lived next door to Jason Woolley while in Buffalo. Article.
Nick Pryor-NTDP defenseman. 2009 recruit. Committed to Wisconsin.
Marc Rodriguez-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 7th in MWEHL in scoring(28-9-19-28)
Aaron Ness-Played for Roseau HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Alex Simonson-Played for Grand Forks Central HS(ND) 2008 recruit. (24-11-12-23)
Andrew Fitzstephens-Played for Honeybaked U16 AAA(MI). 2008 recruit. 12th in MWEHL in scoring (28-10-15-25)
Nate Dewhurst-Played for Culver Varsity B team last year. 2008 recruit. Originally from Iowa.
Jordan Schroeder. NTDP forward. 2009 recruit. Scholarship offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Brandon Kozun. Played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s. 2008 recruit.
Eric Ringel- Played for Cleveland Barons AAA. 2008 recruit.
You can check out the list of leading scorers here. Michigan recruit Robbie Czarnik is leading the field by a couple of points. Hockey in Wisconsin has been keeping track of players tied to Wisconsin.
I tried to put together some brief notes on some of the leading scorers in the tournament to make things a little easier for some people.
Robbie Czarnik- NTDP forward. Committed to Michigan. 2008 recruit. Led MWEHL in scoring.(28-31-39-70)
Brett Beebe- Played for California Wave last season and won U16 Tier I championship. 2008 recruit.
Danny Kristo- Played for Eden Prairie HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Tyler Landman-Played for Roseau HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Steve West-NTDP defenseman. Committed to Ohio State. 2008 recruit
Ben Hanowski-Played for Little Falls HS(MN). Tried out for NTDP. 2009 recruit.
William Rapuzzi-Played for Alaska Diamond HS(AK). 2008 recruit.
Shawn Syzdlowski-Played for Belle Tire U16 AAA(MI). 2008 recruit. 3rd in MWEHL in scoring (28-12-23-35)
Chris Bournazos-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 5th in MWEHL in scoring (28-18-12-30)
Troy Power-Played for California Wave U16 AAA. Drafted by Prince Albert in special WHL US player draft. Will play for Des Moines of USHL next season. 2008 recruit
James Werner-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 8th in MWEHL in scoring (28-13-13-26) 2008 recruit.
David Warsofsky-Played for Cushing Prep(MA). 2009 recruit
Danny Mattson- Played for Holy Angels(MN) last season. 2009 recruit.
Nathan Condon-Played for Wausau West HS(WI). 2008 recruit.
Mike Voran-Played for Livonia Stevenson HS(MI). 2008 recruit
Craig Kitto- Played for Stone Bridge HS(VA). 2008 recruit. Lived next door to Jason Woolley while in Buffalo. Article.
Nick Pryor-NTDP defenseman. 2009 recruit. Committed to Wisconsin.
Marc Rodriguez-Played for Team Illinois U16 AAA. 2008 recruit. 7th in MWEHL in scoring(28-9-19-28)
Aaron Ness-Played for Roseau HS(MN). 2009 recruit.
Alex Simonson-Played for Grand Forks Central HS(ND) 2008 recruit. (24-11-12-23)
Andrew Fitzstephens-Played for Honeybaked U16 AAA(MI). 2008 recruit. 12th in MWEHL in scoring (28-10-15-25)
Nate Dewhurst-Played for Culver Varsity B team last year. 2008 recruit. Originally from Iowa.
Jordan Schroeder. NTDP forward. 2009 recruit. Scholarship offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Brandon Kozun. Played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s. 2008 recruit.
Eric Ringel- Played for Cleveland Barons AAA. 2008 recruit.
Recruiting News
Massachusetts forward Jimmy Hayes committed to Boston College for 2008. I haven't really mentioned him at all on here since he narrowed his list of schools to BC, BU, Harvard, and UNH last summer, but he is one of the best players in the country for his age group. He's a 6'4" power forward that is great at finishing off plays. He'll more than likely be a first round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. He turned down an offer to play for the NTDP last season, but has accepted a spot on next year's U18 team. He played his high school hockey at Nobles and Grenough Prep, so he gets the WCH standard "He went to the same school as Courtney Sims, I bet he's soft too." The only potential problem for BC is that Hayes will play with the U18 team next year, and then the following year, he will be too old for the U18 team, but too young for college. He'll either have to play in the USHL, stay with the NTDP but not play in any international competitions, go back to prep school and dominate there, or choose to play in the QMJHL and lose his college eligibility.
This news is like a month and a half old, but I just came across it. I had had Chicago Chill goalie Kyle Jendra and Canadian forward Kaine Geldart on the 2007 Recruiting Board, but both have signed with the Plymouth Whalers.
I also removed Denver commits Keith Seabrook and Tyler Ruegsegger off the 2007 Board because they will be playing with the Pios next season.
St. Cloud State is still in the process of who will be on their team next season. Forwards A.J. Gale, Garrett Roe, and Travis Novak were all deciding between joining the Huskies next year or the following year. So far, it looks like Gale will play there next season, while Roe will wait until '07. Novak is still undecided. Defenseman Jared Hummel was originally an '06 recruit, but he has been pushed back to 2007. Gale, Hummel, and defenseman Craig Gaudet represent the last three players to be recruited by former coach Craig Dahl.
In Minnesota, coach Don Lucia told reporter Sid Hartman that if Phil Kessel signs with Boston, he will be replaced by 2007 recruit Jay Barriball, and if Erik Johnson signs with St. Louis, Kevin Wehrs will be brought in a year early to replace him.
This news is like a month and a half old, but I just came across it. I had had Chicago Chill goalie Kyle Jendra and Canadian forward Kaine Geldart on the 2007 Recruiting Board, but both have signed with the Plymouth Whalers.
I also removed Denver commits Keith Seabrook and Tyler Ruegsegger off the 2007 Board because they will be playing with the Pios next season.
St. Cloud State is still in the process of who will be on their team next season. Forwards A.J. Gale, Garrett Roe, and Travis Novak were all deciding between joining the Huskies next year or the following year. So far, it looks like Gale will play there next season, while Roe will wait until '07. Novak is still undecided. Defenseman Jared Hummel was originally an '06 recruit, but he has been pushed back to 2007. Gale, Hummel, and defenseman Craig Gaudet represent the last three players to be recruited by former coach Craig Dahl.
In Minnesota, coach Don Lucia told reporter Sid Hartman that if Phil Kessel signs with Boston, he will be replaced by 2007 recruit Jay Barriball, and if Erik Johnson signs with St. Louis, Kevin Wehrs will be brought in a year early to replace him.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Linkorama
Sometime tomorrow, WCH should have it's 100,000th visitor to this site since I started keeping track last September. That's not bad.
2008 forward recruit Brock Montpetit has verbally committed to Wisconsin. There was some confusion about this earlier in the year when a local Wisconsin paper prematurely announced that he had committed to Wisconsin. This time it's for real though. The article also says that Montpetit will play for Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep School next season instead of for the NTDP like most people originally thought.
The article also talks about 2007 forward recruit Ben Winnett. Winnett had an excellent year in the BCHL for someone his age. Winnett took unoffical visits to Wisconsin and Michigan recently, and has also said he's interested in Denver and North Dakota. Winnett grew up in the same neighborhoodas Wisconsin recruit Kyle Turris.
Herb Brooks got a well-deserved nomination for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hockeys Future interviewed Kings director of scouting Al Murray. He had some interesting comments about draft picks Trevor Lewis and Jeff Zatkoff.
Technically this is out of my jurisdiction, but the Double A Zone has some college hockey coverage up with an interview of Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy. Dennehy has done a pretty good job in a tough situation at Merrimack. The interview fails to mention that Merrimack's president is still a total assclown.
The LSSU Hockey Blog sat down for an interview with head coach Jim Roque.
Wisconsin defenseman Jeff Likens got into some trouble while camping.
The Minnesota hockey team can't seem to escape the Blarney's drinking scandal. Blarney's bar owner Mike Mulrooney was charged with nine counts of giving liquor to underagers and allowing them to drink it two weeks ago. KMSP television also said there is some evidence of players not having to pay their tabs, and Mulrooney getting free tickets. Minnesota is still conducting their own investigation into the matter and would not comment on it. Unless some big revelation breaks in this story, I doubt anything of major consequence(like losing scholarships) will happen to Minnesota.
2008 forward recruit Brock Montpetit has verbally committed to Wisconsin. There was some confusion about this earlier in the year when a local Wisconsin paper prematurely announced that he had committed to Wisconsin. This time it's for real though. The article also says that Montpetit will play for Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep School next season instead of for the NTDP like most people originally thought.
The article also talks about 2007 forward recruit Ben Winnett. Winnett had an excellent year in the BCHL for someone his age. Winnett took unoffical visits to Wisconsin and Michigan recently, and has also said he's interested in Denver and North Dakota. Winnett grew up in the same neighborhoodas Wisconsin recruit Kyle Turris.
Herb Brooks got a well-deserved nomination for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hockeys Future interviewed Kings director of scouting Al Murray. He had some interesting comments about draft picks Trevor Lewis and Jeff Zatkoff.
Technically this is out of my jurisdiction, but the Double A Zone has some college hockey coverage up with an interview of Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy. Dennehy has done a pretty good job in a tough situation at Merrimack. The interview fails to mention that Merrimack's president is still a total assclown.
The LSSU Hockey Blog sat down for an interview with head coach Jim Roque.
Wisconsin defenseman Jeff Likens got into some trouble while camping.
The Minnesota hockey team can't seem to escape the Blarney's drinking scandal. Blarney's bar owner Mike Mulrooney was charged with nine counts of giving liquor to underagers and allowing them to drink it two weeks ago. KMSP television also said there is some evidence of players not having to pay their tabs, and Mulrooney getting free tickets. Minnesota is still conducting their own investigation into the matter and would not comment on it. Unless some big revelation breaks in this story, I doubt anything of major consequence(like losing scholarships) will happen to Minnesota.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Postdraft Winners and Losers
Here's a look at some players who had a good day on Saturday, and a few that didn't have such a good day on Saturday.
Winners:
Trevor Lewis- Lewis went higher than anyone expected when the Kings traded up to number 17 to get him. The only downside is that this probably puts some undue pressure on Lewis to perform well at Michigan. He likely wouldn't have been that high if he hadn't played all season with Kyle Okposo.
David Fischer-Montreal had the opportunity to take Ty Wishart, who most felt was the best defenseman in the draft, after Erik Johnson, but instead traded down so they could take Fischer
Michigan State defenseman- Michigan State has been pretty quiet in the draft the past few years, but this year was a good year for the Spartans. Defenseman Jeff Petry and Michael Ratchuk both went in the early second round, and forward/defenseman Ryan Turek was selected with the first pick of the fourth round.
Blake Geoffrion- The former Tennessee native was picked by the hometown Preds in the NHL draft. I believe he'll be the first local to play for Nashville when he does.
Jeff Zatkoff- His great play last season helped him move up enough to be the first collegiate-affiliated goalie to be drafted.
Kevin Quick-I'm surprised we haven't heard more about this kid as a 2007 recruit. He was the first uncommitted college prospect to be taken in the draft, beating out Aaron Marvin by 11 picks.
Jase Weslosky- It was probably reassuring for St. Cloud fans that Bobby Goepfert's successor was taken over highly touted goalie recruits like Minnesota's Alex Kangas, Colorado College's Richard Bachman and Denver's Marc Cheverie.
Troy Mattila- He was the only player from the NAHL to get drafted.
Losers:
Nigel Williams- Williams seemed bound to either go very high or very low. He ended up falling out of the first round and into the late second round.
Brian Strait-A lot of people had him in the first round of the draft, but he slipped all the way to the start of the third round. I can't believe no one was willing to use a second round pick on him. I think a lot of teams will regret that a few years from now.
Mike Forney-Injuries killed his draft stock. He got hurt at the Minnesota State High School tournament, causing him to miss some games against quality competition, and couldn't play in the U18 championships due to a leg injury. Teams weren't willing to gamble on him without seeing him play more against quality competition.
Kevin Montgomery-He was supposed to be one of the best defenseman on the NTDP team, but was the 6th defenseman taken from the NTDP team in the draft.
Derrick Lapoint- He ended up sliding to a spot way lower than where he was projected to go.
Jan-Michael Juutilainen- A lot of people had him as kind of a wildcard to maybe go as high as the first round of the draft, but he wasn't taken until the 6th round.
Ryan Flynn-A tough year dropped him all the way down from being a potential second round pick, to a sixth round pick.
Billy Sauer- He was dangerously close to not being drafted at all. I think he was unfairly punished for being thrown into the starting job at Michigan a year too early.
Winners:
Trevor Lewis- Lewis went higher than anyone expected when the Kings traded up to number 17 to get him. The only downside is that this probably puts some undue pressure on Lewis to perform well at Michigan. He likely wouldn't have been that high if he hadn't played all season with Kyle Okposo.
David Fischer-Montreal had the opportunity to take Ty Wishart, who most felt was the best defenseman in the draft, after Erik Johnson, but instead traded down so they could take Fischer
Michigan State defenseman- Michigan State has been pretty quiet in the draft the past few years, but this year was a good year for the Spartans. Defenseman Jeff Petry and Michael Ratchuk both went in the early second round, and forward/defenseman Ryan Turek was selected with the first pick of the fourth round.
Blake Geoffrion- The former Tennessee native was picked by the hometown Preds in the NHL draft. I believe he'll be the first local to play for Nashville when he does.
Jeff Zatkoff- His great play last season helped him move up enough to be the first collegiate-affiliated goalie to be drafted.
Kevin Quick-I'm surprised we haven't heard more about this kid as a 2007 recruit. He was the first uncommitted college prospect to be taken in the draft, beating out Aaron Marvin by 11 picks.
Jase Weslosky- It was probably reassuring for St. Cloud fans that Bobby Goepfert's successor was taken over highly touted goalie recruits like Minnesota's Alex Kangas, Colorado College's Richard Bachman and Denver's Marc Cheverie.
Troy Mattila- He was the only player from the NAHL to get drafted.
Losers:
Nigel Williams- Williams seemed bound to either go very high or very low. He ended up falling out of the first round and into the late second round.
Brian Strait-A lot of people had him in the first round of the draft, but he slipped all the way to the start of the third round. I can't believe no one was willing to use a second round pick on him. I think a lot of teams will regret that a few years from now.
Mike Forney-Injuries killed his draft stock. He got hurt at the Minnesota State High School tournament, causing him to miss some games against quality competition, and couldn't play in the U18 championships due to a leg injury. Teams weren't willing to gamble on him without seeing him play more against quality competition.
Kevin Montgomery-He was supposed to be one of the best defenseman on the NTDP team, but was the 6th defenseman taken from the NTDP team in the draft.
Derrick Lapoint- He ended up sliding to a spot way lower than where he was projected to go.
Jan-Michael Juutilainen- A lot of people had him as kind of a wildcard to maybe go as high as the first round of the draft, but he wasn't taken until the 6th round.
Ryan Flynn-A tough year dropped him all the way down from being a potential second round pick, to a sixth round pick.
Billy Sauer- He was dangerously close to not being drafted at all. I think he was unfairly punished for being thrown into the starting job at Michigan a year too early.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
NHL Draft Coverage
Welcome to my somewhat live coverage of today's NHL Entry Draft. Once the draft starts, I'll try to be posting live updates on all the picks.
I'm gonna put all the new updates at the top of the post to make things easier for everyone.
That ends the first round. I'm gonna stop updating since I've run out of stuff to say.
New Jersey selects: Matthew Corrente
Who? Kind of a reach here. I didn't see his name in anybody's first round.
Phoenix selects: Chris Summers
Detroit trades their first round pick to Phoenix and Phoenix takes Summers. That makes three Wolverines in the first round.
Ottawa selects: Nick Foligno
Foligno sneaks into the end of the first round. Ottawa isn't really addressing a need here. They're just taking the best available player.
Dallas selects: Ivan Vishnevsky
The Stars pick up a good offensive defenseman who can skate well.
Calgary selects: Leland Irving
I'm surprised Calgary didn't pick Ryan White since he was available. Irving is a solid goalie for the future though.
St. Louis selects: Patrik Berglund
The Blues trade up and potentially get a sleeper. I really like the pick of Berglund.
Buffalo selects: Dennis Persson
The Sabres get a good offensive defenseman, which they needed.
Washington selects: Semen Varlamov
The Caps traded up for this pick. He was the best goalie left in the draft, and has a funny name.
Philadelphia selects: Claude Giroux
Philly gets a playmaking winger to go with their talented centers Richards and Carter.
New York Rangers select: Bobby Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti fell a lot due to some teams taking guys that were way lower on the board. The Rangers pick up a talented player for the spot they were drafting from.
Montreal selects: David Fischer
This was part of the deal where San Jose moved up for Ty Wishart. Fischer was at the very bottom of some people's first rounds. Again, nobody had him this high. Fischer is a good player though with a lot of potential. It makes sense that Montreal would trade down if they were interested in him.
Anaheim selects: Mark Mitera
The second Wolverine to be drafted. He went a little higher than expected as well. Anaheim has really wanted to add some defensive defenseman and Mitera is one of the best available.
Colorado selects: Chris Stewart
I love this pick, and I think it's a huge steal for Colorado to get him this late. Stewart is a freakish athlete, and I think once he gets some good coaching, he'll really take off.
Los Angeles selects: Trevor Lewis
Wow. LA traded up for this pick to pick a guy very few people had in the first round. I'm sure there's a lot of Michigan fans that aren't happy about this pick. Apparently the Wild gave up the pick and Patrick O'Sullivan for Pavol Demitra. Demitra is a top notch offensive talent, but I'm not sure I would have given up O'Sullivan. He was the Wild's best prospect. It's a good move if you're close to a championship, but the Wild are no where near that.
San Jose selects: Ty Wishart
Montreal traded their pick to the Sharks, who moved up to select Wishart. I like Wishart's potential.
Tampa Bay selects: Riku Helenius
The second goalie picked. Still only one defenseman taken. For whatever reason, I've been correct on both goalie picks. I saw people who had Helenius as the best goalie in the draft.
Vancouver selects: Michael Grabner
Wow, kind of a reach here. I didn't even have Grabner in the first round. Most other places had him towards the end of the first round, but I don't think I ever saw him this high. Interesting choice.
I'll be surprised if the Leafs don't take Chris Stewart here. And they don't.
Toronto selects: Jiri Tlusty
Don Cherry is probably going to throw a fit. The Leafs pass over the local kid for a Czech, who is a solid all-around player. Tlusty slipped a little farther than most people had him. If his goal-scoring ability can translate to the NHL, it's a very nice pick for Toronto. They need pure goal-scorers.
Atlanta selects: Bryan Little
As expected, the run on forwards continues. It should be interesting to see which ones pan out and which ones don't.
Los Angeles selects: Jonathan Bernier
Ha. Take that, anonymous commenter who told me there was no way Bernier would be picked here. The Kings get some much needed goaltending depth.
Florida selects: Michael Frolik
Everyone thought they would pick a defenseman, but apparently they didn't want to pass up on Frolik. His stock dropped a lot this season, but he's still a very talented offensive player.
Minnesota selects: James Sheppard
Meh. Sheppard was probably one of the best players available, but I'm not really excited this pick. Sheppard is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer. I think he'll be of a grinder in the NHL. But then again, the Wild were probably looking for another French-Canadian grinder.
Phoenix selects: Peter Mueller
Mueller was definitely the best player on the board. Phoenix was lucky to get him to fall to there. I think he could step in right away and help the Coyotes. Another potential pick gets stolen out from under the Wild. It should be interesting to see who they pick next here since there's no obvious pick.
New York Islanders select: Kyle Okposo
Okposo goes off the board before the Wild even get a chance to pick him.
Columbus selects: Derick Brassard
Now we reach the point where my picks start to suck. Columbus should be getting a good player in Brassard though.
Boston selects: Phil Kessel
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Minnesota to trade up and take a great offensive talent in Phil Kessel. The Bruins probably would have loved to trade down too. But the B's get a very good player. Now it's a matter of if they're willing to pay him.
Washington selects: Nicklas Backstrom
I miss my first pick. Washington takes the Swede over Kessel.
Chicago selects: Jonathan Toews
Chicago is probably going to want to get Toews in right away. Bad news for North Dakota.
Pittsburgh selects: Jordan Staal
I'm 2 for 2. I'm gonna enjoy it because this is probably the best it'll be. No trade yet, but the Pens could still deal Staal for Johnson, though I still think it's an awful trade for Carolina.
Our first trade of the day. Colorado sends Alex Tanguay to Calgary in return for Jordan Leopold and a 2nd round draft pick. The Flames weren't happy with Leopold's offensive production and were looking to deal him. They pick up a little scoring, which they could use.
St. Louis selects: Erik Johnson
No surprises here. Nobody made an offer sweet enough for the Blues. Johnson is a safe pick. My only concern is that he's at the same place Phil Kessel was last season. Coming off a great World Juniors as an underager, and now people will expect the world of him. Even if he plays well next season, whether at Minnesota or St. Louis, people will probably still be disappointed in him a bit.
There's a few trade possibilities that could happen today.
Blues GM Larry Pleau has said Erik Johnson will be the first pick in the draft unless someone makes them an offer they can't refuse. I have a tough believing they'll get a deal done before the draft though.
The biggest trade rumor has Carolina sending Michigan defenseman Jack Johnson to Pittsburgh for the second pick to draft Jordan Staal, the brother of their young star Eric Staal.
I've heard people describing this as a win-win situation for the teams involved, but I think Carolina would be crazy to make this deal. The Hurricanes are going to need to completely retool their defense since Bret Hedican, Glen Wesley, and Aaron Ward are all on their last legs as pros. Why not start that rebuilding with one of the top defensive prospects in all of hockey? Carolina has good young forwards, and if they're that intent on getting another Staal, they can draft Jared in two years. Or I'm sure there's like 8 more Staals coming after that.
Another potential deal involves the Wild trading their 9th and 17th overall picks in order to move up and take one of the top forwards in the draft. That would probably be a smart move by the Wild since what they really need is elite offensive talent.
I'm gonna put all the new updates at the top of the post to make things easier for everyone.
That ends the first round. I'm gonna stop updating since I've run out of stuff to say.
New Jersey selects: Matthew Corrente
Who? Kind of a reach here. I didn't see his name in anybody's first round.
Phoenix selects: Chris Summers
Detroit trades their first round pick to Phoenix and Phoenix takes Summers. That makes three Wolverines in the first round.
Ottawa selects: Nick Foligno
Foligno sneaks into the end of the first round. Ottawa isn't really addressing a need here. They're just taking the best available player.
Dallas selects: Ivan Vishnevsky
The Stars pick up a good offensive defenseman who can skate well.
Calgary selects: Leland Irving
I'm surprised Calgary didn't pick Ryan White since he was available. Irving is a solid goalie for the future though.
St. Louis selects: Patrik Berglund
The Blues trade up and potentially get a sleeper. I really like the pick of Berglund.
Buffalo selects: Dennis Persson
The Sabres get a good offensive defenseman, which they needed.
Washington selects: Semen Varlamov
The Caps traded up for this pick. He was the best goalie left in the draft, and has a funny name.
Philadelphia selects: Claude Giroux
Philly gets a playmaking winger to go with their talented centers Richards and Carter.
New York Rangers select: Bobby Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti fell a lot due to some teams taking guys that were way lower on the board. The Rangers pick up a talented player for the spot they were drafting from.
Montreal selects: David Fischer
This was part of the deal where San Jose moved up for Ty Wishart. Fischer was at the very bottom of some people's first rounds. Again, nobody had him this high. Fischer is a good player though with a lot of potential. It makes sense that Montreal would trade down if they were interested in him.
Anaheim selects: Mark Mitera
The second Wolverine to be drafted. He went a little higher than expected as well. Anaheim has really wanted to add some defensive defenseman and Mitera is one of the best available.
Colorado selects: Chris Stewart
I love this pick, and I think it's a huge steal for Colorado to get him this late. Stewart is a freakish athlete, and I think once he gets some good coaching, he'll really take off.
Los Angeles selects: Trevor Lewis
Wow. LA traded up for this pick to pick a guy very few people had in the first round. I'm sure there's a lot of Michigan fans that aren't happy about this pick. Apparently the Wild gave up the pick and Patrick O'Sullivan for Pavol Demitra. Demitra is a top notch offensive talent, but I'm not sure I would have given up O'Sullivan. He was the Wild's best prospect. It's a good move if you're close to a championship, but the Wild are no where near that.
San Jose selects: Ty Wishart
Montreal traded their pick to the Sharks, who moved up to select Wishart. I like Wishart's potential.
Tampa Bay selects: Riku Helenius
The second goalie picked. Still only one defenseman taken. For whatever reason, I've been correct on both goalie picks. I saw people who had Helenius as the best goalie in the draft.
Vancouver selects: Michael Grabner
Wow, kind of a reach here. I didn't even have Grabner in the first round. Most other places had him towards the end of the first round, but I don't think I ever saw him this high. Interesting choice.
I'll be surprised if the Leafs don't take Chris Stewart here. And they don't.
Toronto selects: Jiri Tlusty
Don Cherry is probably going to throw a fit. The Leafs pass over the local kid for a Czech, who is a solid all-around player. Tlusty slipped a little farther than most people had him. If his goal-scoring ability can translate to the NHL, it's a very nice pick for Toronto. They need pure goal-scorers.
Atlanta selects: Bryan Little
As expected, the run on forwards continues. It should be interesting to see which ones pan out and which ones don't.
Los Angeles selects: Jonathan Bernier
Ha. Take that, anonymous commenter who told me there was no way Bernier would be picked here. The Kings get some much needed goaltending depth.
Florida selects: Michael Frolik
Everyone thought they would pick a defenseman, but apparently they didn't want to pass up on Frolik. His stock dropped a lot this season, but he's still a very talented offensive player.
Minnesota selects: James Sheppard
Meh. Sheppard was probably one of the best players available, but I'm not really excited this pick. Sheppard is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer. I think he'll be of a grinder in the NHL. But then again, the Wild were probably looking for another French-Canadian grinder.
Phoenix selects: Peter Mueller
Mueller was definitely the best player on the board. Phoenix was lucky to get him to fall to there. I think he could step in right away and help the Coyotes. Another potential pick gets stolen out from under the Wild. It should be interesting to see who they pick next here since there's no obvious pick.
New York Islanders select: Kyle Okposo
Okposo goes off the board before the Wild even get a chance to pick him.
Columbus selects: Derick Brassard
Now we reach the point where my picks start to suck. Columbus should be getting a good player in Brassard though.
Boston selects: Phil Kessel
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Minnesota to trade up and take a great offensive talent in Phil Kessel. The Bruins probably would have loved to trade down too. But the B's get a very good player. Now it's a matter of if they're willing to pay him.
Washington selects: Nicklas Backstrom
I miss my first pick. Washington takes the Swede over Kessel.
Chicago selects: Jonathan Toews
Chicago is probably going to want to get Toews in right away. Bad news for North Dakota.
Pittsburgh selects: Jordan Staal
I'm 2 for 2. I'm gonna enjoy it because this is probably the best it'll be. No trade yet, but the Pens could still deal Staal for Johnson, though I still think it's an awful trade for Carolina.
Our first trade of the day. Colorado sends Alex Tanguay to Calgary in return for Jordan Leopold and a 2nd round draft pick. The Flames weren't happy with Leopold's offensive production and were looking to deal him. They pick up a little scoring, which they could use.
St. Louis selects: Erik Johnson
No surprises here. Nobody made an offer sweet enough for the Blues. Johnson is a safe pick. My only concern is that he's at the same place Phil Kessel was last season. Coming off a great World Juniors as an underager, and now people will expect the world of him. Even if he plays well next season, whether at Minnesota or St. Louis, people will probably still be disappointed in him a bit.
There's a few trade possibilities that could happen today.
Blues GM Larry Pleau has said Erik Johnson will be the first pick in the draft unless someone makes them an offer they can't refuse. I have a tough believing they'll get a deal done before the draft though.
The biggest trade rumor has Carolina sending Michigan defenseman Jack Johnson to Pittsburgh for the second pick to draft Jordan Staal, the brother of their young star Eric Staal.
I've heard people describing this as a win-win situation for the teams involved, but I think Carolina would be crazy to make this deal. The Hurricanes are going to need to completely retool their defense since Bret Hedican, Glen Wesley, and Aaron Ward are all on their last legs as pros. Why not start that rebuilding with one of the top defensive prospects in all of hockey? Carolina has good young forwards, and if they're that intent on getting another Staal, they can draft Jared in two years. Or I'm sure there's like 8 more Staals coming after that.
Another potential deal involves the Wild trading their 9th and 17th overall picks in order to move up and take one of the top forwards in the draft. That would probably be a smart move by the Wild since what they really need is elite offensive talent.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
A Longer Season?
The Stanley Cup was awarded this week, and as I watched the Carolina Hurricanes skate around their home arena with sport's greatest trophy, I thought back to almost two and half months ago when it was another team dressed in red, the Wisconsin Badgers, skating around their (almost)home arena with the NCAA championship trophy. It was a little hard remembering though, as the college hockey season seemed like a distant memory to me. Many collegiate prospects at the NHL's pre-draft fitness camp earlier this month were out of shape, as they had not skated competively since the end of March, while their Canadian counterparts were in top shape after just recently completing their season. That made me think: should the college hockey season be longer?
There are many arguments against expanding the college hockey season. College hockey already has the longest season of any NCAA sport, spanning from October to March. People argue that by making the season longer, players will wear down physically, and it will take them away from their efforts in the classroom.
I don't believe that the NCAA needs to adopt a season as long as the NHL's season. No major college sport plays as many competition as their corresponding professional league. But college hockey is one of the only sports where college teams play significantly fewer games than other leagues at or below their level. One of the major selling points for Canadian major junior hockey when competing for college prospects is that they play almost twice as many games as college teams. Moreoever, junior leagues where the large majority of college hockey players play before attending college play almost twice as many games as a college hockey team. If players have shown the ability to play 60-80 games a season before and after college, it's not difficult to believe they could handle the same schedule during college. If anything, college players are probably more prepared for a long season because games are usually played on the weekend, giving them an entire week to rest between games.
A longer season wouldn't put much of an additional strain on academics either. College hockey players have already proven that they can handle the rigors of the classroom. According the NCAA's most recent Academic Progress Rate numbers, college hockey players have the highest likelihood of staying on track to graduate of any of the major sports. If they can excel academically already having one of the longest seasons in college sports, they should be able to handle it if their season was made a little longer.
College hockey teams would actually be aided by a longer regular season as well. By playing more games, teams would have more scheduling flexibility, and more games would equal more revenue for the programs. Teams are currently handcuffed in terms of scheduling by the number of games they are allowed to play. Once a team's conference games are scheduled, teams are only left with 6-8 non-conference games to play. Because of this, teams feel like they have to schedule home games, in order to get some extra revenue for their program, and they're afraid to schedule quality opponents for fear of hurting their end of year Pairwise Ranking. This has led to many bigger schools filling their early season schedule with cupcake teams from the CHA and Atlantic Hockey who are willing to play on the road, in order to get the revenue from the home game, and pad their record. It's very rare to see a top team like Michigan or Minnesota ever play a non-conference series on the road.
But if the season was lengthened and teams could play twice as many non-conference games, college hockey would be more like college basketball, where teams don't have to worry about traveling on the road and taking a loss to a quality opponent, because they know that they can still get into the NCAA tournament and they know they'll still make money with their other home games. One of the best parts about the current conference set-up is that powerhouse programs have to travel to smaller campuses to play. These games bring in tremendous amounts of revenue for the smaller programs, and are often the most important games of the season for these schools. Playing more non-conference games would make big programs more likely to travel to a smaller school for a non-conference series. There would also be incentive for teams to schedule games against quality opponents. Teams wouldn't have to worry about taking a few losses, because it wouldn't hurt them as much.
The advantages of a longer season would also trickle down to the fans. Ticket prices around the country have gone up considerably over the past 10 years as teams try to squeak out as much money as they can from each home game. If teams played more home games, that means they could reduce ticket prices. It would make the price of season tickets higher for many fans, but they would be getting more games for their money. There is also the potential for cheaper half-season ticket packages. Many fans would probably be willing to pay a little more knowing that they would be seeing more games against the top teams in the country as opposed to paying to see their team blowout an Atlantic Hockey they've never heard of. More games also means that more tickets will be available to the public, which could help bring new fans to the sport.
This is probably just a dream, because the NCAA has no intention of increasing the length of the college hockey season, but I feel that it is an idea that makes a lot of sense, and something that should be looked into.
There are many arguments against expanding the college hockey season. College hockey already has the longest season of any NCAA sport, spanning from October to March. People argue that by making the season longer, players will wear down physically, and it will take them away from their efforts in the classroom.
I don't believe that the NCAA needs to adopt a season as long as the NHL's season. No major college sport plays as many competition as their corresponding professional league. But college hockey is one of the only sports where college teams play significantly fewer games than other leagues at or below their level. One of the major selling points for Canadian major junior hockey when competing for college prospects is that they play almost twice as many games as college teams. Moreoever, junior leagues where the large majority of college hockey players play before attending college play almost twice as many games as a college hockey team. If players have shown the ability to play 60-80 games a season before and after college, it's not difficult to believe they could handle the same schedule during college. If anything, college players are probably more prepared for a long season because games are usually played on the weekend, giving them an entire week to rest between games.
A longer season wouldn't put much of an additional strain on academics either. College hockey players have already proven that they can handle the rigors of the classroom. According the NCAA's most recent Academic Progress Rate numbers, college hockey players have the highest likelihood of staying on track to graduate of any of the major sports. If they can excel academically already having one of the longest seasons in college sports, they should be able to handle it if their season was made a little longer.
College hockey teams would actually be aided by a longer regular season as well. By playing more games, teams would have more scheduling flexibility, and more games would equal more revenue for the programs. Teams are currently handcuffed in terms of scheduling by the number of games they are allowed to play. Once a team's conference games are scheduled, teams are only left with 6-8 non-conference games to play. Because of this, teams feel like they have to schedule home games, in order to get some extra revenue for their program, and they're afraid to schedule quality opponents for fear of hurting their end of year Pairwise Ranking. This has led to many bigger schools filling their early season schedule with cupcake teams from the CHA and Atlantic Hockey who are willing to play on the road, in order to get the revenue from the home game, and pad their record. It's very rare to see a top team like Michigan or Minnesota ever play a non-conference series on the road.
But if the season was lengthened and teams could play twice as many non-conference games, college hockey would be more like college basketball, where teams don't have to worry about traveling on the road and taking a loss to a quality opponent, because they know that they can still get into the NCAA tournament and they know they'll still make money with their other home games. One of the best parts about the current conference set-up is that powerhouse programs have to travel to smaller campuses to play. These games bring in tremendous amounts of revenue for the smaller programs, and are often the most important games of the season for these schools. Playing more non-conference games would make big programs more likely to travel to a smaller school for a non-conference series. There would also be incentive for teams to schedule games against quality opponents. Teams wouldn't have to worry about taking a few losses, because it wouldn't hurt them as much.
The advantages of a longer season would also trickle down to the fans. Ticket prices around the country have gone up considerably over the past 10 years as teams try to squeak out as much money as they can from each home game. If teams played more home games, that means they could reduce ticket prices. It would make the price of season tickets higher for many fans, but they would be getting more games for their money. There is also the potential for cheaper half-season ticket packages. Many fans would probably be willing to pay a little more knowing that they would be seeing more games against the top teams in the country as opposed to paying to see their team blowout an Atlantic Hockey they've never heard of. More games also means that more tickets will be available to the public, which could help bring new fans to the sport.
This is probably just a dream, because the NCAA has no intention of increasing the length of the college hockey season, but I feel that it is an idea that makes a lot of sense, and something that should be looked into.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Other Draft Resources
Here's some other good websites for information about the upcoming NHL draft.
America Online has created a blog-type thingy covering the NHL draft. It's pretty thorough, even though the site is apparently being run by one of Ted Leonsis' relatives and a guy who chose his Facebook photo for his bio picture.
Hockey's Future has their own Draft Center. They've got detailed reports for every team and info on a lot of players.
One of the more thorough draft previews was put together by one Max Giese. There's pretty detailed reports on his top 60 prospects.
TSN's Bob McKenzie has his top 30 prospects. McKenzie is easily one of the best of the business. It's nice to see Peter Mueller didn't bother to comb his hair for his picture.
Depening on my availability, I may try to do a liveblog of the NHL draft on Saturday. That way, we'll have live updates of just how awful my mock draft selections were.
America Online has created a blog-type thingy covering the NHL draft. It's pretty thorough, even though the site is apparently being run by one of Ted Leonsis' relatives and a guy who chose his Facebook photo for his bio picture.
Hockey's Future has their own Draft Center. They've got detailed reports for every team and info on a lot of players.
One of the more thorough draft previews was put together by one Max Giese. There's pretty detailed reports on his top 60 prospects.
TSN's Bob McKenzie has his top 30 prospects. McKenzie is easily one of the best of the business. It's nice to see Peter Mueller didn't bother to comb his hair for his picture.
Depening on my availability, I may try to do a liveblog of the NHL draft on Saturday. That way, we'll have live updates of just how awful my mock draft selections were.
NHL Draft Preview Part II
Here's my guesses for picks 15-30.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning- Riku Helenius, Goalie, Finland
Comment: The Lightning would probably take Bernier if he was available. If one of the forwards from the top 14 is still available, they also might go after him.
16. Montreal Canadiens- Ty Wishart, Defenseman, Prince George(WHL)
Comment: Wishart is a big defenseman that plays his position very well.
17. Minnesota Wild (from EDM)- Ryan White, Forward, Calgary(WHL)
Comment: Probably a bit early for White, but the Wild’s Tom Thompson said they were planning on drafting someone that they thought might have been available at number 30.
18. Colorado Avalanche- Bobby Sanguinetti, Defenseman, Owen Sound(OHL)
Comment: The Avs don’t have a lot of depth on defense, and they’ll be extremely please if Sanguinetti falls this far.
19. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim- Ivan Vishnevsky, Defenseman, QMJHL
Comment: With Sanguinetti falling one pick before, the Ducks take the next best offensive defenseman available.
20. San Jose Sharks-Mike Forney, Forward, Thief River Falls HS
Comment: The Sharks will be willing to let Forney spend a few years at North Dakota to develop his game.
21. New York Rangers- Patrik Berglund, Forward, Sweden
Comment: Skilled enough offensively that the Rangers decide to take a chance on him
22. Philadelphia Flyers- Ben Maxwell, Forward, Kootenay(WHL)
Comment: He should fit in well with the Flyers other young, high-scoring talent
23. Washington Capitals (from NSH)- Chris Summers, Defenseman, USA U18
Comment: After securing a forward with their first pick, the Caps go back to trying to build up their defense. They’ll choose Summers over Mark Mitera because they’ve already drafted players similar to Mitera in recent years. Summers has the potential to be a little more dynamic.
24. Buffalo Sabres- Brian Strait, Defenseman, USA U18
Comment: The Sabres seem to like taking college players. Strait is an excellent defensive defenseman.
25. New Jersey Devils-Mark Mitera, Defenseman, Michigan
Comment: The Devils are another team that likes taking college prospects. Mitera would fit in well with the Devils style of defense-first hockey.
26. Calgary Flames-Jamie McGinn, Forward, Ottawa(OHL)
Comment: The run of NCAA players stops here. I’d be surprised if the Flames took another college player in my lifetime. The Flames would have liked Ryan White, but will instead have to settle for McGinn who plays a hard-nosed style that Calgary appreciates
27. Dallas Stars-Ondrej Fiala, Forward, Everett(WHL)
Comment: The Stars could use some offensive talent, and from the 27th position, it’s worth taking a gamble on a player with a lot of potential like Fiala.
28. Ottawa Senators-Dennis Persson, Defenseman, Sweden
Comment: Kind of in the same mold as Brian Lee, who they picked in the first round last season, but having defenseman that can skate at a high level should be valuable commodity in the new NHL.
29. Detroit Red Wings-Jesse Joensuu, Forward, Finland
Comment: The Wings have a long history of taking sleeper-type picks from Europe.
30. St. Louis Blues (from CAR)-Trevor Lewis, Forward, Des Moines(USHL)
Comment: Having already taken Erik Johnson, the Blues look for some offensive talent to add. They’ll hope Lewis can develop in college the same way T.J. Oshie has at North Dakota.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning- Riku Helenius, Goalie, Finland
Comment: The Lightning would probably take Bernier if he was available. If one of the forwards from the top 14 is still available, they also might go after him.
16. Montreal Canadiens- Ty Wishart, Defenseman, Prince George(WHL)
Comment: Wishart is a big defenseman that plays his position very well.
17. Minnesota Wild (from EDM)- Ryan White, Forward, Calgary(WHL)
Comment: Probably a bit early for White, but the Wild’s Tom Thompson said they were planning on drafting someone that they thought might have been available at number 30.
18. Colorado Avalanche- Bobby Sanguinetti, Defenseman, Owen Sound(OHL)
Comment: The Avs don’t have a lot of depth on defense, and they’ll be extremely please if Sanguinetti falls this far.
19. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim- Ivan Vishnevsky, Defenseman, QMJHL
Comment: With Sanguinetti falling one pick before, the Ducks take the next best offensive defenseman available.
20. San Jose Sharks-Mike Forney, Forward, Thief River Falls HS
Comment: The Sharks will be willing to let Forney spend a few years at North Dakota to develop his game.
21. New York Rangers- Patrik Berglund, Forward, Sweden
Comment: Skilled enough offensively that the Rangers decide to take a chance on him
22. Philadelphia Flyers- Ben Maxwell, Forward, Kootenay(WHL)
Comment: He should fit in well with the Flyers other young, high-scoring talent
23. Washington Capitals (from NSH)- Chris Summers, Defenseman, USA U18
Comment: After securing a forward with their first pick, the Caps go back to trying to build up their defense. They’ll choose Summers over Mark Mitera because they’ve already drafted players similar to Mitera in recent years. Summers has the potential to be a little more dynamic.
24. Buffalo Sabres- Brian Strait, Defenseman, USA U18
Comment: The Sabres seem to like taking college players. Strait is an excellent defensive defenseman.
25. New Jersey Devils-Mark Mitera, Defenseman, Michigan
Comment: The Devils are another team that likes taking college prospects. Mitera would fit in well with the Devils style of defense-first hockey.
26. Calgary Flames-Jamie McGinn, Forward, Ottawa(OHL)
Comment: The run of NCAA players stops here. I’d be surprised if the Flames took another college player in my lifetime. The Flames would have liked Ryan White, but will instead have to settle for McGinn who plays a hard-nosed style that Calgary appreciates
27. Dallas Stars-Ondrej Fiala, Forward, Everett(WHL)
Comment: The Stars could use some offensive talent, and from the 27th position, it’s worth taking a gamble on a player with a lot of potential like Fiala.
28. Ottawa Senators-Dennis Persson, Defenseman, Sweden
Comment: Kind of in the same mold as Brian Lee, who they picked in the first round last season, but having defenseman that can skate at a high level should be valuable commodity in the new NHL.
29. Detroit Red Wings-Jesse Joensuu, Forward, Finland
Comment: The Wings have a long history of taking sleeper-type picks from Europe.
30. St. Louis Blues (from CAR)-Trevor Lewis, Forward, Des Moines(USHL)
Comment: Having already taken Erik Johnson, the Blues look for some offensive talent to add. They’ll hope Lewis can develop in college the same way T.J. Oshie has at North Dakota.
NHL Draft Preview Part I
I've got the first 14 picks of my Mock NHL Draft ready, so I figured I'd post them. I'll post the remaining 16 picks sometime later this week, although that will probably be a complete crapshoot.
1. St Louis Blues- Erik Johnson, Defenseman, USA NTDP U18
Comment: The Blues could also use a talented scoring forward, but they need so much help right now that they have to take the best available player.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins- Jordan Staal, Forward, Peterborough(OHL)
Comment: The Staal's are like the Canadian version of the Kennedys. After seeing the way Eric has developed, and his impressive fitness tests, I think Jordan goes a little higher than most people think. If Johnson doesn't go first, he'll definitely be picked here.
3. Chicago Blackhawks- Jonathan Toews, Forward, North Dakota
Comment: Toews is a very good all-around player and should be a good NHLer for a very long time. Chicago has said that they want to sign their pick right away, so this is bad news for North Dakota fans.
4. Washington Capitals- Phil Kessel, Forward, Minnesota
Comment: The Caps want an elite offensive talent to play alongside of Alexander Ovechkin.
5. Boston Bruins- Nicklas Backstrom, Forward, Brynas(Sweden)
Comment: The Bruins would probably like to pick a defenseman, but there's no defenseman available worth picking this high. They may try to trade down. Backstrom would an incredible value for a 5th pick though.
6. Columbus Blue Jackets-Peter Mueller, Forward, Everett(WHL)
Comment: There seems to be a bit of a gap between the top 5 players, and the next group of 5 players, but Mueller seems to be considered the best of that next group.
7. New York Islanders-Derick Brassard, Forward, Drummondville(QMJHL)
Comment: The Islanders need scoring help, and Brassard should be able to help with that.
8. Phoenix Coyotes- Michael Frolik, Forward, Kladno(Czech Republic)
Comment: Frolik's stock has dropped a lot this year, but the Coyotes need a high-scoring forward, and while I don't think Frolik is a sure thing, he's got that potential.
9. Minnesota Wild-Jiri Tlusty, Forward, Kladno(Czech Republic)
Comment: The Wild could pick local kid Kyle Okposo, but they'll probably be more interested in picking the best two-way player available. There's also the possibility of the Wild trying to move up to take one of the top forwards, but I don't think they'll make the deal.
10. Florida Panthers- Nigel Williams, Defenseman, USA NTDP U18
Comment: Mike Keenan will be looking to add a defenseman, and while Williams might be a bit of a stretch this early, he has a better physical upside than Bobby Sanguinetti or Chris Summers.
11. Los Angeles Kings- Jonathan Bernier, Goalie, Lewiston(QMJHL)
Comment: Matt Zaba is rated as the best goalie in the Kings system. That's not good. They could also use a defenseman, but will decide to take the best goalie in the draft instead.
12. Atlanta Thrashers- James Sheppard, Forward, Cape Breton(QMJHL)
Comment: Atlanta could use a skilled center, and Sheppard could easily be a top 6 or 7 pick.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs- Kyle Okposo, Forward, Des Moines(USHL)
Comment: The three things Hockey's Future feels the Leafs need: 1. A goal scorer to play with their finishers. 2. Young guys to play on the wings 3. A player with speed and toughness. That describes Okposo perfectly.
14. Vancouver Canucks- Bryan Little, Forward, Barrie(OHL)
Comment: Little has the potential to go much earlier in the draft, but with the number of quality forwards available, I'm guessing he gets shuffled to the bottom.
1. St Louis Blues- Erik Johnson, Defenseman, USA NTDP U18
Comment: The Blues could also use a talented scoring forward, but they need so much help right now that they have to take the best available player.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins- Jordan Staal, Forward, Peterborough(OHL)
Comment: The Staal's are like the Canadian version of the Kennedys. After seeing the way Eric has developed, and his impressive fitness tests, I think Jordan goes a little higher than most people think. If Johnson doesn't go first, he'll definitely be picked here.
3. Chicago Blackhawks- Jonathan Toews, Forward, North Dakota
Comment: Toews is a very good all-around player and should be a good NHLer for a very long time. Chicago has said that they want to sign their pick right away, so this is bad news for North Dakota fans.
4. Washington Capitals- Phil Kessel, Forward, Minnesota
Comment: The Caps want an elite offensive talent to play alongside of Alexander Ovechkin.
5. Boston Bruins- Nicklas Backstrom, Forward, Brynas(Sweden)
Comment: The Bruins would probably like to pick a defenseman, but there's no defenseman available worth picking this high. They may try to trade down. Backstrom would an incredible value for a 5th pick though.
6. Columbus Blue Jackets-Peter Mueller, Forward, Everett(WHL)
Comment: There seems to be a bit of a gap between the top 5 players, and the next group of 5 players, but Mueller seems to be considered the best of that next group.
7. New York Islanders-Derick Brassard, Forward, Drummondville(QMJHL)
Comment: The Islanders need scoring help, and Brassard should be able to help with that.
8. Phoenix Coyotes- Michael Frolik, Forward, Kladno(Czech Republic)
Comment: Frolik's stock has dropped a lot this year, but the Coyotes need a high-scoring forward, and while I don't think Frolik is a sure thing, he's got that potential.
9. Minnesota Wild-Jiri Tlusty, Forward, Kladno(Czech Republic)
Comment: The Wild could pick local kid Kyle Okposo, but they'll probably be more interested in picking the best two-way player available. There's also the possibility of the Wild trying to move up to take one of the top forwards, but I don't think they'll make the deal.
10. Florida Panthers- Nigel Williams, Defenseman, USA NTDP U18
Comment: Mike Keenan will be looking to add a defenseman, and while Williams might be a bit of a stretch this early, he has a better physical upside than Bobby Sanguinetti or Chris Summers.
11. Los Angeles Kings- Jonathan Bernier, Goalie, Lewiston(QMJHL)
Comment: Matt Zaba is rated as the best goalie in the Kings system. That's not good. They could also use a defenseman, but will decide to take the best goalie in the draft instead.
12. Atlanta Thrashers- James Sheppard, Forward, Cape Breton(QMJHL)
Comment: Atlanta could use a skilled center, and Sheppard could easily be a top 6 or 7 pick.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs- Kyle Okposo, Forward, Des Moines(USHL)
Comment: The three things Hockey's Future feels the Leafs need: 1. A goal scorer to play with their finishers. 2. Young guys to play on the wings 3. A player with speed and toughness. That describes Okposo perfectly.
14. Vancouver Canucks- Bryan Little, Forward, Barrie(OHL)
Comment: Little has the potential to go much earlier in the draft, but with the number of quality forwards available, I'm guessing he gets shuffled to the bottom.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Petry Commits to MSU
Des Moines(USHL) defenseman Jeff Petry has chosen to play for Michigan State in 2007 over Michigan. It's an important recruiting victory for coach Rick Comley because it marks the first time that Michigan State has beaten Michigan in a head-to-head recruiting battle since Jim Slater committed to the Spartans.
It's a tough loss for Michigan, who is still in desperate need of defensman for the 2007 season. It was confirmed last week that Lincoln(USHL) defenseman Chad Langlais committed to Michigan. It is likely that Jack Johnson will turn pro after this next season. Mark Mitera and Chris Summers are likely to be drafted high in the NHL draft, and could possibly leave early. The other defenseman on the roster would be Steven Kampfer, Tristan Llewellyn, Langlais, and walk-on Jon Montville. The Wolverines would probably like to add 2 more defenseman to that class just to be safe.
It's a tough loss for Michigan, who is still in desperate need of defensman for the 2007 season. It was confirmed last week that Lincoln(USHL) defenseman Chad Langlais committed to Michigan. It is likely that Jack Johnson will turn pro after this next season. Mark Mitera and Chris Summers are likely to be drafted high in the NHL draft, and could possibly leave early. The other defenseman on the roster would be Steven Kampfer, Tristan Llewellyn, Langlais, and walk-on Jon Montville. The Wolverines would probably like to add 2 more defenseman to that class just to be safe.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Model Camp Report
I made it to the Minnesota Men's Model Camp, last Saturday, which featured some of the top prospects in the state of Minnesota. You can view the full rosters for the camp here. Here's my opinion on some of the players I was watching. I'm sure I missed a lot of good players, so don't hold that against me.
Tyler Johnson(Colorado College), Cloquet- Probably the best player of the camp. He should end up as the leading scorer as well. He's small, but is incredibly strong. He can set up plays and is excellent at finishing plays off. Colorado College looks to have gotten a real steal.
Tyler Kieffer, Stillwater- He was the best offensive defenseman I saw at the camp. He's got excellent hands, and is an excellent skater. He basically took over the game when his team was down late in the game. He could probably improve a little defensively, but he'll be an excellent WCHA defenseman some day.
Mike Louwerse(Minnesota State), Blake- He has great hockey sense. He's excellent at hanging out away from the play, but being in the right position to get the puck and make a play. I would have liked to see him be a little better in 1-on-1 situations.
Joe Gleason, Edina- Was invited to NTDP camp but didn't make the team. I loved the way he played. He's a good defender, and is solid enough to play a physical style of play. He can also jump into the play. He made a great pass through a defender to a streaking teammate that led to a goal. If he grows a couple inches, he'll be a very highly-recruited prospect.
Matt Crandell, St. Cloud Cathedral-Crandell was the best defensive defenseman I saw. He loves to push people around. Don Lucia seemed pretty interested in checking out the game involving Crandell. I'll guess that Crandell commits to Minnesota for the 2008 season.
Ben Arnt, North St. Paul- I finally got to see Arnt play and I was pretty impressed. He may not be as good all-around as some other top prospects in his class, but his shooting ability more than makes up for it. I think he'll be a very good college hockey player, because he'll be such a threat to score, especially on the powerplay.
Pat White(Minnesota), Grand Rapids-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.
Danny Kristo, Eden Prairie-He's only going to be a sophomore next season, and he was already one of the best skaters at the camp.
Joe Phillippi, Hill-Murray- He didn't have a great state tournament in goal for H-M, which I think really affected people's opinion on him. But I thought that he looked solid in net, though he didn't get tested a ton.
Reid Ellingson, Cloquet-Probably the best goalie I saw there. He made a couple outstanding saves, made some difficult saves look easy, and didn't have any mental lapses.
Ben Hanowski, Little Falls- I'm still a huge fan of the way he plays. He's got amazing hands for someone his size. I think he's going to be a great college player.
Luke Grenier, Shattuck St. Mary's- He's listed at 5'8" 162 lbs., but he's gotta be way smaller than that. He has great puckhandling and passing ability though.
Chris Student, Benilde-He first caught my eye during the Elite League season, and he was impressive again. It looked like he had grown a little bit, which should help his college chances. He's a steady and reliable defenseman that can do everything pretty well.
Taylor Matson(Minnesota), Holy Angels- Didn't do much offensively in the half I saw him play, but broke up a couple plays with his speed. He got hit hard going over the middle late in the game and had to leave due to injury.
Stephen Carew, Benilde-He's been playing well this summer and is starting to get mentioned as a college prospect. He's a good all-around hockey player.
Tom Serratore, Colorado Thunderbirds-Good skater. Once he puts on a little weight, he should be a very good forward.
Danny Mattson, Holy Angels- He wasn't dominant, but he's also only a sophomore-to-be. In a couple years, he should be an excellent player.
Bryan Brutlag, Holy Angels- His stock has risen a lot recently. He was one of the better defenseman I saw yesterday.
Josh Levine, Bloomington Jefferson-Excellent in the offensive zone.
Nick Larson(Minnesota), Hill-Murray- He's not the prettiest, most natural looking player, but he's effective. He has the potential to be outstanding in college.
Jake Youso, International Falls- Very natural looking skater. I was impressed by what I saw from him.
Keegan Flaherty, Duluth East- He has a ton of potential. I like the way that he plays.
Kent Patterson, Blake-He has a ton of talent, but sometimes lets in a few goals that he shouldn't.
Nico Sacchetti, Virginia- Maybe I was expecting too much, or he had an off game. It's probably a combination of the two. He created a few chances, but for the most part, wasn't a standout. He didn't have the extra burst of speed to get away from backcheckers in the neutral zone.
Cory Thorson, Armstrong- He started out kind of slow, but I was more impressed as I watched him more. Given a couple years to develop, he should be an excellent player.
Charlie Thauwald, Rochester Mayo- Only going to be a sophomore next season. Didn't really stand out, but he should be a kid to keep an eye on for the next couple years.
Jascha Pettit, Wadena-I haven't heard much about him in the past year. He played pretty well though. He has very quick hands.
Adam Estoclet, Benilde-He's got talent, but I think he needs to strengthen his legs and get a little faster so he can take more advantage of his goal-scoring ability.
Derek Stepan, Hastings-Scored a very nice goal on a breakaway.
Ben Leis, Duluth East- Had a really off game. I don't think you can draw any conclusion from it.
Anthony Raiola, Minnetonka- I wasn't familiar with him before the camp, but I liked the way he played.
Nick Carson, Blaine- I thought he played a nice game. Not really known as a top prospect, but someone that might be worth watching over the next couple seasons.
Tyler Johnson(Colorado College), Cloquet- Probably the best player of the camp. He should end up as the leading scorer as well. He's small, but is incredibly strong. He can set up plays and is excellent at finishing plays off. Colorado College looks to have gotten a real steal.
Tyler Kieffer, Stillwater- He was the best offensive defenseman I saw at the camp. He's got excellent hands, and is an excellent skater. He basically took over the game when his team was down late in the game. He could probably improve a little defensively, but he'll be an excellent WCHA defenseman some day.
Mike Louwerse(Minnesota State), Blake- He has great hockey sense. He's excellent at hanging out away from the play, but being in the right position to get the puck and make a play. I would have liked to see him be a little better in 1-on-1 situations.
Joe Gleason, Edina- Was invited to NTDP camp but didn't make the team. I loved the way he played. He's a good defender, and is solid enough to play a physical style of play. He can also jump into the play. He made a great pass through a defender to a streaking teammate that led to a goal. If he grows a couple inches, he'll be a very highly-recruited prospect.
Matt Crandell, St. Cloud Cathedral-Crandell was the best defensive defenseman I saw. He loves to push people around. Don Lucia seemed pretty interested in checking out the game involving Crandell. I'll guess that Crandell commits to Minnesota for the 2008 season.
Ben Arnt, North St. Paul- I finally got to see Arnt play and I was pretty impressed. He may not be as good all-around as some other top prospects in his class, but his shooting ability more than makes up for it. I think he'll be a very good college hockey player, because he'll be such a threat to score, especially on the powerplay.
Pat White(Minnesota), Grand Rapids-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.
Danny Kristo, Eden Prairie-He's only going to be a sophomore next season, and he was already one of the best skaters at the camp.
Joe Phillippi, Hill-Murray- He didn't have a great state tournament in goal for H-M, which I think really affected people's opinion on him. But I thought that he looked solid in net, though he didn't get tested a ton.
Reid Ellingson, Cloquet-Probably the best goalie I saw there. He made a couple outstanding saves, made some difficult saves look easy, and didn't have any mental lapses.
Ben Hanowski, Little Falls- I'm still a huge fan of the way he plays. He's got amazing hands for someone his size. I think he's going to be a great college player.
Luke Grenier, Shattuck St. Mary's- He's listed at 5'8" 162 lbs., but he's gotta be way smaller than that. He has great puckhandling and passing ability though.
Chris Student, Benilde-He first caught my eye during the Elite League season, and he was impressive again. It looked like he had grown a little bit, which should help his college chances. He's a steady and reliable defenseman that can do everything pretty well.
Taylor Matson(Minnesota), Holy Angels- Didn't do much offensively in the half I saw him play, but broke up a couple plays with his speed. He got hit hard going over the middle late in the game and had to leave due to injury.
Stephen Carew, Benilde-He's been playing well this summer and is starting to get mentioned as a college prospect. He's a good all-around hockey player.
Tom Serratore, Colorado Thunderbirds-Good skater. Once he puts on a little weight, he should be a very good forward.
Danny Mattson, Holy Angels- He wasn't dominant, but he's also only a sophomore-to-be. In a couple years, he should be an excellent player.
Bryan Brutlag, Holy Angels- His stock has risen a lot recently. He was one of the better defenseman I saw yesterday.
Josh Levine, Bloomington Jefferson-Excellent in the offensive zone.
Nick Larson(Minnesota), Hill-Murray- He's not the prettiest, most natural looking player, but he's effective. He has the potential to be outstanding in college.
Jake Youso, International Falls- Very natural looking skater. I was impressed by what I saw from him.
Keegan Flaherty, Duluth East- He has a ton of potential. I like the way that he plays.
Kent Patterson, Blake-He has a ton of talent, but sometimes lets in a few goals that he shouldn't.
Nico Sacchetti, Virginia- Maybe I was expecting too much, or he had an off game. It's probably a combination of the two. He created a few chances, but for the most part, wasn't a standout. He didn't have the extra burst of speed to get away from backcheckers in the neutral zone.
Cory Thorson, Armstrong- He started out kind of slow, but I was more impressed as I watched him more. Given a couple years to develop, he should be an excellent player.
Charlie Thauwald, Rochester Mayo- Only going to be a sophomore next season. Didn't really stand out, but he should be a kid to keep an eye on for the next couple years.
Jascha Pettit, Wadena-I haven't heard much about him in the past year. He played pretty well though. He has very quick hands.
Adam Estoclet, Benilde-He's got talent, but I think he needs to strengthen his legs and get a little faster so he can take more advantage of his goal-scoring ability.
Derek Stepan, Hastings-Scored a very nice goal on a breakaway.
Ben Leis, Duluth East- Had a really off game. I don't think you can draw any conclusion from it.
Anthony Raiola, Minnetonka- I wasn't familiar with him before the camp, but I liked the way he played.
Nick Carson, Blaine- I thought he played a nice game. Not really known as a top prospect, but someone that might be worth watching over the next couple seasons.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Random Stuff
I've been doing a fair amount of research on the NHL Draft lately. I felt happy enough with it that I felt comfortable putting together my own Mock Draft. I'll probably post it as we get closer to the draft. I've got the first 14 picks ready, and will hold off on the rest until the draft order is determined.
As part of my draft coverage, I found this great post from Hockey Analysis that tracked all the draft picks between 1988 and 1995, categorized them into four groups of success, and created a chart. Judging by the chart, only two of the first five picks in this draft will go on to be first line players in the NHL, while it's likely that two won't even go on to be NHL regulars.
Speaking of Hockey Analysis, you may have noticed the new addition at the bottom of the linklist. HA is trying to compile a ranking of all the college hockey websites and blogs out there. So feel free to click on it and vote for me, or if you're the proprietor of your own site, it'd be cool if more sites were added to the list.
Congrats to Chris Snow on getting to live the dream. If you haven't heard of Chris Snow, he is a 24 year old journalist who spent last season as a beat writer for the Minnesota Wild, before moving on to beat writing for the Boston Red Sox, and yesterday, was hired as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Minnesota Wild. That's moveieland fantasy stuff. Snow's responsibility with the Wild will largely entail dealing with all the complicated contractual stuff in the NHL, as well as doing a lot of statistical work for the Wild. Apparently teams are starting to catch on to the fact that the wonky stats a lot of blogs and websites provide have a lot of value.
As part of my draft coverage, I found this great post from Hockey Analysis that tracked all the draft picks between 1988 and 1995, categorized them into four groups of success, and created a chart. Judging by the chart, only two of the first five picks in this draft will go on to be first line players in the NHL, while it's likely that two won't even go on to be NHL regulars.
Speaking of Hockey Analysis, you may have noticed the new addition at the bottom of the linklist. HA is trying to compile a ranking of all the college hockey websites and blogs out there. So feel free to click on it and vote for me, or if you're the proprietor of your own site, it'd be cool if more sites were added to the list.
Congrats to Chris Snow on getting to live the dream. If you haven't heard of Chris Snow, he is a 24 year old journalist who spent last season as a beat writer for the Minnesota Wild, before moving on to beat writing for the Boston Red Sox, and yesterday, was hired as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Minnesota Wild. That's moveieland fantasy stuff. Snow's responsibility with the Wild will largely entail dealing with all the complicated contractual stuff in the NHL, as well as doing a lot of statistical work for the Wild. Apparently teams are starting to catch on to the fact that the wonky stats a lot of blogs and websites provide have a lot of value.
Jenks to the OHL
A.J. Jenks, along with teammate Robbie Czarnik, was the first player to commit to a college for the class of 2008, when he committed to Michigan late last summer. It was thought that Michigan's early commitment would help keep the talented Jenks away from the OHL. That move seemed to have worked, as Jenks was taken in a later round of the OHL draft. But ultimately, Jenks decided this week to sign with the Plymouth Whalers.
The loss leaves a big hole in Michigan's 2008 recruiting class. Michigan already had one of the top recruiting class for 2008 locked up with 3 forwards committed to play for the NTDP next season, but Jenks will be difficult to replace. There isn't really another top prospect from the state of Michigan that would be interested in playing for Michigan. Luckily, the Wolverines have some time to scour the US and Canada to find a replacement.
Jenks departure also leaves another spot open on the NTDP team. He's the second player to accept a bid to the team, before bolting to the OHL, after defenseman Zach Bogosian did so earlier this summer. My pick for a replacement would be Little Falls(MN) High School forward Ben Hanowski. Hanowski is almost as big as Jenks, and has incredible hands for someone his size. I think he'd be a more than suitable replacement.
The loss leaves a big hole in Michigan's 2008 recruiting class. Michigan already had one of the top recruiting class for 2008 locked up with 3 forwards committed to play for the NTDP next season, but Jenks will be difficult to replace. There isn't really another top prospect from the state of Michigan that would be interested in playing for Michigan. Luckily, the Wolverines have some time to scour the US and Canada to find a replacement.
Jenks departure also leaves another spot open on the NTDP team. He's the second player to accept a bid to the team, before bolting to the OHL, after defenseman Zach Bogosian did so earlier this summer. My pick for a replacement would be Little Falls(MN) High School forward Ben Hanowski. Hanowski is almost as big as Jenks, and has incredible hands for someone his size. I think he'd be a more than suitable replacement.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
NCAA Looks at Early Verbals
The NCAA’s blog, the Double A Zone posted a link to an interesting article from the NCAA News, by Michelle Hosick, that affects college hockey.
The article discusses athletes that verbally commit to colleges as 15 and 16 year olds. It has become commonplace for top college hockey prospects to commit to a college two or three years in advance. Last fall, high school freshmen Nick Pryor committed to Wisconsin just two months after his 15th birthday, making him the youngest player to commit to a college hockey team ever. The NCAA hasn’t been in favor of this trend, however, and has created a “working group” of university officials to look at this issue and possibly recommend rule changes.
The NCAA doesn’t seem to have any complaints about the process of players verbally committing to schools. Most of their complaints seem to focus on a lack of understanding from players and their parents. Ms. Hosick wrote, “Some officials fear that early commitments occasionally leave student-athletes without the means or opportunity to attend college, much less participate in collegiate sports. That unfortunate outcome could be for a number of reasons, including the prospect not meeting academic admissions standards at a particular institution, the prospect not meeting NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse criteria, or a change in the coaching staff.”
I suppose I can understand the argument about a coaching change leaving a player without a school to play at, although I’d be willing to guess the large majority of coaches would honor commitments from the previous regime. I certainly can’t think of any recent examples where a new coach released a player that had already verbally committed to a school. But I fail to see what an early verbal commitment has to do with a player meeting the NCAA’s Clearinghouse requirements. A player that doesn’t pass high school won’t play in college whether he commits at 16 or 18.
I thought it would be fairly obvious that a player had to be admitted into the school before he could play there. After all, every press release I’ve ever seen reporting new signings ends with “All signings are contingent upon admission to [school] and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.” If schools tell the general public this stuff, they can’t be keeping it a secret from the players they recruit.
One suggestion the group is looking into is forcing teams to have a prospect’s academic record reviewed by the university before they can verbally commit to a player. ACC associate commissioner Shane Lyons feels that this extra step of red tape is “…more concrete evidence of a true commitment from that institution”
There’s also been suggestion of banning verbal commitments altogether, though it would be impossible to enforce since all verbal commitments are completely unofficial. Thurston Banks of Tennessee Tech, also a group member, said, ““If it were in the book as an NCAA bylaw, at least coaches and institutions would understand that they’re not supposed to do it, and they might not do it as liberally as in the past,” But would this honestly stop any college coach when he knows that every other team he competes against is verbally committing to players?
Much like the NCAA’s witchhunt against certain mascots they deemed “offensive,” this group is another example of the NCAA’s liberalism run amok. Instead of fixing a problem, they’ll likely end up creating more bureaucratic red tape and another useless page in the already over-sized NCAA rulebook.
I think this group needs to look more closely at whether or not this issue really needs to fixed. Again, like the mascot issue, the NCAA may not like it, but certain things are outside of their control, sometimes throwing a bunch of rules and regulations at problem only makes the situation more difficult and confusing.
Ultimately, the responsibility in this situation needs to fall on the player making the decision, and not the NCAA. There is no one forcing these kids to commit to a college at such a young age. But if a player does choose to commit early, it is definitely a case of “buyer beware”. It should be up to them to make sure that the school they are committing to is the right fit for them athletically and academically. Most people would think it was foolish to buy a $20k car without doing a fair amount of research on the vehicle. The same should be true when choosing a $100k education.
The article discusses athletes that verbally commit to colleges as 15 and 16 year olds. It has become commonplace for top college hockey prospects to commit to a college two or three years in advance. Last fall, high school freshmen Nick Pryor committed to Wisconsin just two months after his 15th birthday, making him the youngest player to commit to a college hockey team ever. The NCAA hasn’t been in favor of this trend, however, and has created a “working group” of university officials to look at this issue and possibly recommend rule changes.
The NCAA doesn’t seem to have any complaints about the process of players verbally committing to schools. Most of their complaints seem to focus on a lack of understanding from players and their parents. Ms. Hosick wrote, “Some officials fear that early commitments occasionally leave student-athletes without the means or opportunity to attend college, much less participate in collegiate sports. That unfortunate outcome could be for a number of reasons, including the prospect not meeting academic admissions standards at a particular institution, the prospect not meeting NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse criteria, or a change in the coaching staff.”
I suppose I can understand the argument about a coaching change leaving a player without a school to play at, although I’d be willing to guess the large majority of coaches would honor commitments from the previous regime. I certainly can’t think of any recent examples where a new coach released a player that had already verbally committed to a school. But I fail to see what an early verbal commitment has to do with a player meeting the NCAA’s Clearinghouse requirements. A player that doesn’t pass high school won’t play in college whether he commits at 16 or 18.
I thought it would be fairly obvious that a player had to be admitted into the school before he could play there. After all, every press release I’ve ever seen reporting new signings ends with “All signings are contingent upon admission to [school] and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.” If schools tell the general public this stuff, they can’t be keeping it a secret from the players they recruit.
One suggestion the group is looking into is forcing teams to have a prospect’s academic record reviewed by the university before they can verbally commit to a player. ACC associate commissioner Shane Lyons feels that this extra step of red tape is “…more concrete evidence of a true commitment from that institution”
There’s also been suggestion of banning verbal commitments altogether, though it would be impossible to enforce since all verbal commitments are completely unofficial. Thurston Banks of Tennessee Tech, also a group member, said, ““If it were in the book as an NCAA bylaw, at least coaches and institutions would understand that they’re not supposed to do it, and they might not do it as liberally as in the past,” But would this honestly stop any college coach when he knows that every other team he competes against is verbally committing to players?
Much like the NCAA’s witchhunt against certain mascots they deemed “offensive,” this group is another example of the NCAA’s liberalism run amok. Instead of fixing a problem, they’ll likely end up creating more bureaucratic red tape and another useless page in the already over-sized NCAA rulebook.
I think this group needs to look more closely at whether or not this issue really needs to fixed. Again, like the mascot issue, the NCAA may not like it, but certain things are outside of their control, sometimes throwing a bunch of rules and regulations at problem only makes the situation more difficult and confusing.
Ultimately, the responsibility in this situation needs to fall on the player making the decision, and not the NCAA. There is no one forcing these kids to commit to a college at such a young age. But if a player does choose to commit early, it is definitely a case of “buyer beware”. It should be up to them to make sure that the school they are committing to is the right fit for them athletically and academically. Most people would think it was foolish to buy a $20k car without doing a fair amount of research on the vehicle. The same should be true when choosing a $100k education.
News Updates
There’s a lot of stuff for me to catch up on, so I'll get right to it.
Pat White from Grand Rapids HS committed to the Gophers for 2007. As a junior last season, he led Grand Rapids to the state tournament and played great there. There’s a bit of a Grand Rapids connection with the Gophers as defenseman Alex Goligoski and coach Don Lucia are both from Grand Rapids.
Jordan Parise decided to leave North Dakota for the pros, and the Sioux responded by bringing in Ontario goalie Anthony Grieco to back-up Phillippe Lamoreaux next season. I would guess that the Sioux might still be interested in trying to recruit a blue-chip goalie for next season.
Corey Tropp has committed to Michigan State for 2007. Tropp was one of the best player’s in Michigan, playing for the Belle Tire AAA program. This past season, he moved on to play for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL where he scored a respectable 7 goals and 8 assists as a 16 year old.
Michigan’s streak of recruiting goalies to start as true freshmen will end after over a decade. The Wolverines got a commitment from Lincoln(USHL) goalie Bryan Hogan for 2007. Hogan was a standout at Detroit Catholic Central HS before moving on to the USHL and having an outstanding season.
I also received word from a reader, who most Minnesotans would know as “Iceburg,” that Lincoln defenseman Chad Langlais was listed as a Michigan commit at the Lincoln tryout camp last weekend. There hasn’t been any other confirmation of this yet, though. Langlais played high school hockey at Detroit Cranbrook HS, and spent last season with the Stars. Langlais would likely be a walk-on or near walk-on at Michigan, but the Wolverines desperately need some defenseman for the 2007 season, after a number of potential recruits decided to commit elsewhere.
Last December I speculated that St. Cloud forward Matt Francis might be better served by a change of scenery, either to the WHL, or transferring to a different college hockey team. Francis has decided to take that route by transferring to Bemidji State. He’ll have to sit out next season before starting with the Beavers in 2007. Francis is talented, but never seemed to find himself at St. Cloud, and the pressure of not being able to tally his first collegiate goal seemed to kill his confidence. With a fresh start, he could be a very good player for Bemidji in his last two seasons though.
Brent Borgen, who left the University of Minnesota midway through last season due to a lack of playing time will enroll at St. Cloud State. Borgen has two years of eligibility remaining.
There have been reports that Wisconsin recruit Garrett Suter has failed to academically qualify and won’t be playing for Wisconsin next season. Suter isn’t considered a huge loss for the Badgers, who have recruited many other talented defenseman for the future.
Pat White from Grand Rapids HS committed to the Gophers for 2007. As a junior last season, he led Grand Rapids to the state tournament and played great there. There’s a bit of a Grand Rapids connection with the Gophers as defenseman Alex Goligoski and coach Don Lucia are both from Grand Rapids.
Jordan Parise decided to leave North Dakota for the pros, and the Sioux responded by bringing in Ontario goalie Anthony Grieco to back-up Phillippe Lamoreaux next season. I would guess that the Sioux might still be interested in trying to recruit a blue-chip goalie for next season.
Corey Tropp has committed to Michigan State for 2007. Tropp was one of the best player’s in Michigan, playing for the Belle Tire AAA program. This past season, he moved on to play for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL where he scored a respectable 7 goals and 8 assists as a 16 year old.
Michigan’s streak of recruiting goalies to start as true freshmen will end after over a decade. The Wolverines got a commitment from Lincoln(USHL) goalie Bryan Hogan for 2007. Hogan was a standout at Detroit Catholic Central HS before moving on to the USHL and having an outstanding season.
I also received word from a reader, who most Minnesotans would know as “Iceburg,” that Lincoln defenseman Chad Langlais was listed as a Michigan commit at the Lincoln tryout camp last weekend. There hasn’t been any other confirmation of this yet, though. Langlais played high school hockey at Detroit Cranbrook HS, and spent last season with the Stars. Langlais would likely be a walk-on or near walk-on at Michigan, but the Wolverines desperately need some defenseman for the 2007 season, after a number of potential recruits decided to commit elsewhere.
Last December I speculated that St. Cloud forward Matt Francis might be better served by a change of scenery, either to the WHL, or transferring to a different college hockey team. Francis has decided to take that route by transferring to Bemidji State. He’ll have to sit out next season before starting with the Beavers in 2007. Francis is talented, but never seemed to find himself at St. Cloud, and the pressure of not being able to tally his first collegiate goal seemed to kill his confidence. With a fresh start, he could be a very good player for Bemidji in his last two seasons though.
Brent Borgen, who left the University of Minnesota midway through last season due to a lack of playing time will enroll at St. Cloud State. Borgen has two years of eligibility remaining.
There have been reports that Wisconsin recruit Garrett Suter has failed to academically qualify and won’t be playing for Wisconsin next season. Suter isn’t considered a huge loss for the Badgers, who have recruited many other talented defenseman for the future.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Iowa: Now Even Less Fun
Last offseason was difficult for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. First, Peter Mueller, who had originally considered playing for the Muskies for a season before joining the University of Minnesota, decided to instead leave for the WHL. Second, 16 year old defenseman Brendan Smith was not allowed to play in the US because he was too young. The loss of these potential star players considerably hurt the Muskies chances last season, and they finished in last place in the USHL's West Division.
As bad as last offseason was, this offseason is turning out to be an even bigger disaster for the Muskies.
I had previously mentioned that Sam Gagner, the team's second leading scorer, who was poised to be one of the league's leading scorer's next season, left the team to play for London in the OHL.
After the loss of Gagner came reports that defenseman Frank Grzeszczak, who was one of the few 1989 born defenseman in the league last season, and had committed to Nebraska-Omaha for 2007, had decided to forgo another year in Sioux City and sign with Plymouth of the OHL.
Then today, it was reported that Matt White, a forward from the LA Jr. Kings who Sioux City drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the USHL draft this season, will play for Cushing Academy next season into of for the Muskies. White will likely end up playing at an Eastern school in college.
Those three players would have made up the core of the Sioux City team next season. Instead, it could be another miserable season for the Musketeers.
As bad as last offseason was, this offseason is turning out to be an even bigger disaster for the Muskies.
I had previously mentioned that Sam Gagner, the team's second leading scorer, who was poised to be one of the league's leading scorer's next season, left the team to play for London in the OHL.
After the loss of Gagner came reports that defenseman Frank Grzeszczak, who was one of the few 1989 born defenseman in the league last season, and had committed to Nebraska-Omaha for 2007, had decided to forgo another year in Sioux City and sign with Plymouth of the OHL.
Then today, it was reported that Matt White, a forward from the LA Jr. Kings who Sioux City drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the USHL draft this season, will play for Cushing Academy next season into of for the Muskies. White will likely end up playing at an Eastern school in college.
Those three players would have made up the core of the Sioux City team next season. Instead, it could be another miserable season for the Musketeers.
World Juniors Tryout Roster Announced
USA Hockey has announced their list of 45 players that will attend a tryout camp for the 2007 World Junior Championships this winter. Here's a link to USA Hockey's release.
Last year, I tried picking my own team when the rosters were announced, and I've decided to try and continue that tradition this season.
Goalies:
Jeff Frazee
Joe Palmer
Comments: Frazee was picked to be the starter for this team last season, when he was chosen as the back-up to Cory Schneider, but most people know about how struggles at Minnesota last season when he saw little playing time and had his work ethic publicly questioned by coach Don Lucia. I really like Joe Palmer though, and think he'll be the one to receive the majority of the playing time.
Defenseman:
Jack Johnson
Erik Johnson
Brian Lee
Taylor Chorney
Mark Mitera
Brian Strait
Kevin Montgomery
Comments: This is kind of cut and dry since 5 of these guys were on the World Junior team last season, and it's pretty rare when a player makes the team one year and not the following year. I think that if you were picking the best possible team, Zach Jones should be there over Taylor Chorney or Kevin Montgomery, but the two things USA Hockey values are experience, and getting young players experience. Thus, no Jones.
Forwards:
Peter Mueller
Phil Kessel
Nate Gerbe
Bobby Ryan
Jack Skille
Kyle Okposo
Pat Kane
Ryan Stoa
Bill Sweatt
Trevor Lewis
Blake Geoffrion
Mike Carman
Justin Abdelkader
Comments: All of these guys are either easy gimme picks, or complete guesses. The first five guys listed were all on the team last year, and all had pretty good seasons last year, so they're easy picks. I think Okposo and Kane are guarantees too. Sweatt and Lewis help give Team USA a little speed, while Stoa, Geoffrion, Carman, and Abdelakder give them a little more grit. I probably would have put Mike Forney on here if he hadn't injured his leg. I think that sets him back in his development enough that they'd be better served with someone else. I gave Sweatt the nod over Rau as well since Sweatt can play next season.
Overall: I think this is going to be a very good team. And not like last year's "very good team" which totally sucked. The biggest weakness on this team will be the goaltending. Frazee will have to pull things together or Palmer will have to really step up. The good news is that there should be a guy with the surname Johnson on the ice at all times. The US should be able to consistently play six defenseman. Last year, they could only afford to play the same 3 or 4 defenseman the whole game, and they ran out of gas.
The key for the forwards will be the success of Kessel, Mueller, and Bobby Ryan. I'm not sure who else will be able to score goals for this US team, so they'll need a big tournament from their superstars.
I think this team has the potential to finish with a medal in this tournament, and I'll be disappointed if they don't. I'm not sure what the roster for some of the other hockey powers will look like, but this should be one of the better US teams in the past couple years.
Last year, I tried picking my own team when the rosters were announced, and I've decided to try and continue that tradition this season.
Goalies:
Jeff Frazee
Joe Palmer
Comments: Frazee was picked to be the starter for this team last season, when he was chosen as the back-up to Cory Schneider, but most people know about how struggles at Minnesota last season when he saw little playing time and had his work ethic publicly questioned by coach Don Lucia. I really like Joe Palmer though, and think he'll be the one to receive the majority of the playing time.
Defenseman:
Jack Johnson
Erik Johnson
Brian Lee
Taylor Chorney
Mark Mitera
Brian Strait
Kevin Montgomery
Comments: This is kind of cut and dry since 5 of these guys were on the World Junior team last season, and it's pretty rare when a player makes the team one year and not the following year. I think that if you were picking the best possible team, Zach Jones should be there over Taylor Chorney or Kevin Montgomery, but the two things USA Hockey values are experience, and getting young players experience. Thus, no Jones.
Forwards:
Peter Mueller
Phil Kessel
Nate Gerbe
Bobby Ryan
Jack Skille
Kyle Okposo
Pat Kane
Ryan Stoa
Bill Sweatt
Trevor Lewis
Blake Geoffrion
Mike Carman
Justin Abdelkader
Comments: All of these guys are either easy gimme picks, or complete guesses. The first five guys listed were all on the team last year, and all had pretty good seasons last year, so they're easy picks. I think Okposo and Kane are guarantees too. Sweatt and Lewis help give Team USA a little speed, while Stoa, Geoffrion, Carman, and Abdelakder give them a little more grit. I probably would have put Mike Forney on here if he hadn't injured his leg. I think that sets him back in his development enough that they'd be better served with someone else. I gave Sweatt the nod over Rau as well since Sweatt can play next season.
Overall: I think this is going to be a very good team. And not like last year's "very good team" which totally sucked. The biggest weakness on this team will be the goaltending. Frazee will have to pull things together or Palmer will have to really step up. The good news is that there should be a guy with the surname Johnson on the ice at all times. The US should be able to consistently play six defenseman. Last year, they could only afford to play the same 3 or 4 defenseman the whole game, and they ran out of gas.
The key for the forwards will be the success of Kessel, Mueller, and Bobby Ryan. I'm not sure who else will be able to score goals for this US team, so they'll need a big tournament from their superstars.
I think this team has the potential to finish with a medal in this tournament, and I'll be disappointed if they don't. I'm not sure what the roster for some of the other hockey powers will look like, but this should be one of the better US teams in the past couple years.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Charges Dropped Against Mankato Players
Four Minnesota State Mankato hockey players were exonerated today when the police decided that no charges would be filed against them after being accused on sexual assualt last February.
Here is thefirst article I wrote about the case, as well as the player's side of the story, and a follow-up story in April.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Worthless, But the Best I've Got
Someone had asked for more NHL draft combine coverage, and I wasn't going to bother with it anymore, but then I was reading Hockey's Future's review of the combine and this was too sweet to pass up:
I can only imagine some poor prospect standing there with tears in his eyes while a man-hungry GM with a digital camera screamed "Don't you want to be famous?" At best, it sounds like the worst first date ever.
The article gives a pretty good rundown of the activities of combine, but not too much on who actually did what. They do throw out a few names, with 2006 recruits Erik Johnson and Kyle Okposo being on the "good" list. That's not a huge surprise since they're both known as very physically strong players. Phil Kessel and Mark Mitera were the two college players on the "not as impressive" list. Again, not as surprising since college players were at a disadvantage with their seasons ending so early.
"After the prospect was greeted at the front table (and signed a release for the testing that was about to begin), his height was measured and weight taken. Then the prospect was asked to take his shirt off and to pose for the myriad of scouts and cameras that were evaluating his physique. Pictures were taken of the prospect facing forward, with his right side toward the camera, and from the back. Prior to being allowed to put his shirt back on, each player’s body fat was measured, and measurements were taken of his arms and legs."
I can only imagine some poor prospect standing there with tears in his eyes while a man-hungry GM with a digital camera screamed "Don't you want to be famous?" At best, it sounds like the worst first date ever.
The article gives a pretty good rundown of the activities of combine, but not too much on who actually did what. They do throw out a few names, with 2006 recruits Erik Johnson and Kyle Okposo being on the "good" list. That's not a huge surprise since they're both known as very physically strong players. Phil Kessel and Mark Mitera were the two college players on the "not as impressive" list. Again, not as surprising since college players were at a disadvantage with their seasons ending so early.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Gross
The NHL is holding their draft combine this weekend, and North Dakota's Jonathan and Minnesota's Phil Kessel both made news; not for what they did during their workout, but what they did after their workouts. TSN reported on their combine blog that both Toews and Kessel needed a bucket to vomit into after their workout on a stationary bike.
Both players didn't necessarily get the best reviews for their physical testing. But anything that gets made of this will be too much, in my opinion. I didn't need a room full of scientists and NHL scouts to tell me that Jonathan Toews would fall below the median in a bench press competition, when the NHL loves to invite 6+ ft. 200+ lbs. players to this thing.
TSN also made the point that the college season ended in April for most players(March for Phil Kessel*), while the major junior players played much deeper into the spring. There's a lot to be said for being in "game shape" and it's pretty much impossible to maintain, no matter how hard you work. Kessel was said to do well in the strength tests, which is much easier to work on over the summer.
In the end, these workouts aren't that big of a deal. Teams are going to focus more on what a player can do on the ice instead of what they do in a weight room. Hopefully people don't focus too much on the performance of Kessel and Toews on the stationary bike.
*In case you missed it, Minnesota lost to Holy Cross in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was kind of a big deal.
Both players didn't necessarily get the best reviews for their physical testing. But anything that gets made of this will be too much, in my opinion. I didn't need a room full of scientists and NHL scouts to tell me that Jonathan Toews would fall below the median in a bench press competition, when the NHL loves to invite 6+ ft. 200+ lbs. players to this thing.
TSN also made the point that the college season ended in April for most players(March for Phil Kessel*), while the major junior players played much deeper into the spring. There's a lot to be said for being in "game shape" and it's pretty much impossible to maintain, no matter how hard you work. Kessel was said to do well in the strength tests, which is much easier to work on over the summer.
In the end, these workouts aren't that big of a deal. Teams are going to focus more on what a player can do on the ice instead of what they do in a weight room. Hopefully people don't focus too much on the performance of Kessel and Toews on the stationary bike.
*In case you missed it, Minnesota lost to Holy Cross in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was kind of a big deal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
