Alaska-Anchorage is the most recent team to lose a player to the pro ranks. Junior-to-be Jay Beagle is now playing with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.
How big of a deal was this in Anchorage? Um, not very, apparently. One paragraph saying "Well, I guess he's gone" is all Beagle earned during his time there? Too bad the UAA Fan Blog is off for the summer. I'm sure Donald would have an opinion about that.
Anyway, Beagle is a big forward at 6-3 200 lbs. and was the 4th leading scorer for the Seawolves with 10 goals and 10 assists. He was also the only player in the WCHA to wear the number 71. Beagle is an '85 birthdate, so he probably felt it was the right time for him to start getting paid to play hockey. Hopefully he has a long and prosperous career.
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The scuttlebutt is that Jay wasn't enamored with school in general. No doubt the move came as a surprise though. The fact that the ADN mentioned it only as an aside in an Alaska Aces piece is nothing short of par for the course as the ADN has essentially downgraded the programs priorities on its pages.
As for the depth of the loss it is certain that many times this year on a game-by-game basis Jay was the best player on the ice for UAA. His production was fairly inconsistent overall but his potential junior output could be missed.
I'd say it was considerate of Jay to make the move right at the end of the season rather than thinking about it all summer and deciding in August. I'd tend to think that playing on a good line in the WCHA (and he, Clark and Lunden looked to be very effective next season) is probably more beneficial to an AHL/NHL contract than playing in the ECHL (unless he tears the league up). But of course if ya ain't a "student" then there's little use in continuing the "student-athlete" experience.
It took the ADN a week and a half to find out Jay was gone. They are starting to piss me off.most of us who comment on Donald's blog figured it out the day after he left to drive down to Idaho. Jay said he does have a tryout with an AHL team next fall so hopefully that works out for him.
How does a kid who was probably this teams best player leave after his sophmore season to go to the ECHL. It doesnt jive that he was having academic issues. I can understand for a pro contract but the ECHL. What is going on here.
From ADN 3/31/07:
"(He) said he loved playing here, loved playing for the staff, loved the guys," Shyiak said. "He would love to come back if he didn't have to go to school.
"He just thought school was becoming too difficult for him, and he didn't want to do it. Just wanted to play hockey."
I don't understand what doesn't "jibe" with that situation. I imagine that Jay figures if he produces in the ECHL that he'll get called up to the A and that if he produces in the A he'll get a chance in the show.
It's good for him and the school at this point because he made the decision early out of respect for his teammates and the program. If he didn't like being a student he could have walked away weeks ago but he stuck it out. UAA already had an extra forward coming in so it's all good.
Jay already has his electricians ticket, which is big in Canada. As a fan in Idaho and someone who has got to spend some time with him since he arrived, there is a buzz about him and he is playing phenominally!
Scott White the Director of Hockey Ops for the Iowa Stars was here and could not believe how good Beagle played. He said he was going to talk to Dallas about signing the kid in the off-season.
Collegiate players that think they are going right to the AHL or NHL and have some advisor/agent telling them to hold out for the "big ticket" instead of playing for chump change in the ECHL have clients that are afraid.
Prove what you can do, Jay Beagle is.
BTW, he is unbelieveable on face-offs, almost unbeatable!
Beagle,Corrin,Berry,Rosett, and Lawson all leaving UAA.
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