USHR's February News

2/27/99

Barbin Barred by Board

When Exeter, the #1 seed in the east, takes to the ice Wednesday afternoon for its quarterfinal game, it will be without coach Dana Barbin, who was suspended today by the NEPSAC executive board for the duration of the playoffs.

In addition, the board ruled that Barbin can not even watch his team's playoff games.

Barbin was behind the bench for today's season finale, a 5-3 home win over archrival Andover. Associate coach Bill Dennehy will run the team in Barbin's absence.

Erratum: Barbin, according to a member of the Exeter administration, was actually suspended by the school for the playoffs. In making the decision, Exeter, we're told, was acting 'on the advice of the NEPSAC board.'

BFA-St. Albans Wins Vermont State Tournament

Bellows Free Academy-- St. Albans won the Vermont State championship Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 win over Champlain Valley Union. Nick Jansen scored a goal with 1:46 remaining in regulation to break a 0-0 tie. Ben Driver added an empty-netter with 36 seconds left to seal the win.

2/25/99

Nothing Fair At Fairfield Prep

Last Thursday, following a loss the night before to Bishop Hendricken, Fairfield Prep head coach Adolph Brink met with Athletic Director Robert Harris for the first time this season.

It was also the last.

"Out of nowhere," recalled Brink, "Harris asked me to resign. He claimed there were some unhappy players and parents on the team, and that -- among other things -- those players were considering going away to prep school."

A flabbergasted Brink replied, "I will not resign."

Thus was the coach of the #2-ranked team in Connecticut high school hockey (for the record, New Canaan is #1) fired after less than three full seasons on the job.

The news sent shockwaves through the Connecticut hockey community and left Brink, his former players, and most of the team parents stunned and confused.

"My understanding," said Brink in an interview with USHR, "is that a small group of parents went to Harris and expressed their displeasure with me. From there, I'm not sure what happened but we know the end result."

Athletic Director Harris, in an interview with the Connecticut Post, cited "philosophical differences" and an "unhappy environment" as the reasons for Brink's dismissal. "We had some causes of concern on the program," Harris said, "and I felt that a change of direction was necessary. Our focus is on the kids."

Brink, who was professional and polite during our interview, chose his words carefully as he spoke of the situation."Certainly, I am not happy with the way things were handled by the school." he said. "What concerns me the most, aside from the immediate future of the kids, is the school's refusal to cite any specific reason for the sudden change. I am just afraid -- with all the crazy things that have happened in the hockey world recently -- that people will begin to speculate reasons for this. I don't want people to think that I did something bad, like hit a kid or something of that nature."

In addition to numerous phone calls and personal visits paid to Brink showing support, a letter was generated by team parents showing widespread approval of Brink and displeasure both with the firing and the way the school handled the situation.

Despite Harris' comments, Brink remains confident that the players and their parents were happy with him. "It is kind of obvious which parents are responsible for this," he said. "I don't want to name names but if you read the articles in the Post, you can figure it out."

Asked about the letter of support for Brink, the A.D. said, "I have not seen the letter, and I don't want to see it."

Brink, when asked about his future, replied, "I will land on my feet." He also added that he's had preliminary discussions with two schools, and that he's sure other situations will present themselves. "If you're asking if this will slow me down," he said, "the answer is no!"

The question remains -- why did this happen? For whatever reason, the parents involved felt strongly that Brink be dismissed. However, with the state tournament just around the corner,  and the team sporting a 12-4-3 record, the timing of the move must be questioned -- particularly in light of the fact that no evidence of unhappiness with Brink had surfaced before.

We found one quote from the A.D. particularly revealing. In the meeting with Brink, Harris cited one of the factors in his decision to fire the head coach was that some of the players were considering leaving Fairfield for "prep schools."

However, few observers of the scene were willing to blame Brink for that. Fairfield's refusal to upgrade its schedule, coupled with its inability to build a rink on campus, leaves players seeking the challenge of tougher competition no choice but to move on to prep school.

If Harris is as concerened with the kids as she says he is, then he should be encouraging the more-gifted players to move on. 

If he doesn't want the kids to move on, then, in his capacity as A.D.,  he should be working  toward giving them a reason to stay -- i.e, upgrade the program so the kids aren't playing in the rapidly-declining Connecticut state high school league. If Fairfield Prep put its mind and resources to it, they could compete on the ice with elite prep schools such as Taft, Choate, and Deerfield.

Right now, you could put Scotty Bowman himself on the Fairfield Prep bench and it would make little difference. The school would still have a schedule filled with cream puffs, and the ambitious athletes would still move on.

To blame the coach for having players on his roster who aspire to higher levels of play doesn't cut it. It's like blaming a high school teacher for having too many good students in class.

For now, Fairfield Prep's future rests in the hands of 24-year-old Matt Sather, a 1993 Prep graduate who presently teaches English at the school. Ironically, Sather was chosen last summer by Brink to be the head JV coach. "Matt's a solid guy," said Brink. "He'll do well."

Here at the USHR, we're not so sure. Athletic Director Harris as much as said that part of the new coach's  job description is to keep players from leaving for prep school. That pretty much defines a no-win situation. It's rotten to drop someone into it.

--- J. Riley

2/23/99

Exeter Gets Thumbs Up for Playoffs

A potentially messy situation hanging over Exeter head coach Dana Barbin for the past several weeks took a major step towards resolution with today's announcement that the team, the likely #1 seed in the East, has been cleared to participate in the prep school playoffs, which begin next Wednesday at the home rinks of the top-seeded teams.

According to Matt Corkery, the president of the New England Prep School (NEPSAC) Ice Hockey Association, the decision by that agency's executive board means that, "If Exeter applies to the boy's ice hockey tournament and is selected, the Exeter team may play."

There is no reason to believe that Exeter would not apply for inclusion in the tournament. What's still unclear is whether or not the NEPSAC board will take further action that might prohibit Barbin from coaching his team in the playoffs.

At issue is a charge brought by Lawrence Academy coach Charlie Corey that Exeter had committed a recruiting violation when current Lawrence forward Ryan Stevens, a sophomore, skated at the Exeter rink in December 1997, during Christmas break. At the time, Stevens, than a Cardigan Mountain School student, had an application for admission pending at Exeter, Lawrence, and, reportedly, other schools. Stevens was subsequently denied admission by Exeter.

The volatile Corey, in his 17th year at Lawrence, has fueded with Barbin for several years, and has even brought charges concerning Barbin to the NEPSAC board before. Two years ago, Corey charged the Exeter coach with holding practices in advance of the November prep school starting date.

A number of coaches in prep circles consider Barbin, a former UNH player, as somewhat of a renegade. Barbin skates more PG's than most other teams, and has a standing offer out to all opponents to play 20-minute periods. 

If this year's charges had stuck, and Exeter had been unable to take part in the playoffs,  Lawrence Academy would have been a direct beneficiary, moving up a slot in the East seedings and possibly gaining home ice for next Wednesday's quarterfinal game. With today's decision, Lawrence can only finish as high as third -- or as low as fifth. In the latter case, they'd miss the playoffs entirely.

Barbin was unavailable for comment, having been asked by the Exeter headmaster not to address the case until its resolution.

However, we've been able to learn that Stevens did indeed skate at Exeter during Christmas vacation last year. That has never been contested. Exeter, which has two ice sheets, leaves its rink open over the holidays and for years prep school players from numerous schools have gathered there to play in pickup games while their own team was on break. Stevens is from Concord, NH, 45 minutes up the road from Exeter.

At issue, then, is whether Barbin knew about Stevens' participation and, if so, whether Exeter gained any unfair recruiting advantage. Barbin claims that he didn't know of Stevens' participation, that there are simply too many people using the rink to monitor things to that extent, and that, regardless, it wasn't, as suggested, 'a tryout.'

This year's Exeter squad, picked by most to finish well out of the playoff picture, has enjoyed a storybook season, going 18-1 in prep play and losing only to Lawrence Academy (Jan. 6).

Now, the players will be allowed to write the final chapter.  

Mike Cammalleri's Replacement

Windsor Spitfires center Ryan Courtney has been selected to replace Bramalea Bulls center Mike Cammalleri for Team Ontario in the Canada Winter Games.  Cammalleri injured his knee two weeks ago.  Ontario opens competition tonight at 8:30 against British Columbia.  Follow all the tournament action at the Canada Winter Games site.

2/20/99

Not So Fast

One recent report on the internet suggested that U.S. Under-18 forward John Sabo had committed to Boston College.  This is not true.  The Summit, New Jersey native has yet to make a final decision.  Sabo, late of Cushing Academy and Cardigan Mountain School, will decide between Boston College and Boston University.

1999 Canada Winter Games Preview: Team Manitoba

The hockey portion of the Canada Winter Games gets under way on Sunday, February 21 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.  The tournament pits the top 1982 births in each province against one another in a battle for provincial supremacy.  Ontario, based purely on population, is the favorite.  The Ontario team also features many impressive OHL rookies, including Erie Otters forward Brad Boyes, Mississauga Ice Dogs forward Lou Dickenson, and St. Michael's defenseman Mark Popovic among others.  Manitoba begins play against Newfoundland tomorrow, and our scout in Manitoba files this report on that province's outfit: 

USHR subscribers can expect more reports from Manitoba in the coming months. 

2/16/99

USHR's Final Minnesota AA Prep Hockey Ratings

As section playoffs begin, Roseau still holds the top perch in the state. Hastings and Hill Murray follow.

Full Breakdown.

Purslow to St. Cloud State

Chris Purslow, a forward with the U.S. National Team Development Program, has committted to St. Cloud State.

2/14/99

U.S. Under-18 Team Takes Gold at Five Nations Tournament  

Prague, Czech Republic -- The U.S. Under-18 Team came back from a 2-0 first period deficit to beat Russia, 5-4, and capture the gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament here today. 

The U.S. began its comeback with a pair of power play goals by Brian Fahey and Freddy Meyer late in the first, then added two more in the second to go up, 4-2. Paul Harris got the go-ahead goal, then Fahey notched his second goal at the 13:08 mark, also on the powerplay.

Nineteen seconds into the third period, Meyer scored his second goal (and third point) of the day to put the U.S. up, 5-3. It was the fourth power play goal of the day for the U.S.

Russia tallied at the 4:17 mark to cut the lead to one, but that was it.

Rick DiPietro stopped 23 of 27 shots in the U.S. net.

The U.S. (2-1-1) won the gold, while Finland (2-2-0) placed second and Sweden (2-2-0) third. (Last year, in the Under-18 Team's first-ever appearance at the Five Nations, they finished with an 0-3 record.)

This is the first major international tournament win for the Under-18 Team, and it bodes well for the team's chances at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Fussen, Germany this April.

Box Score

2/13/99

Czech Republic's Kucera Ties Up U.S. Under-18 Team

Prague, Czech Republic -- Czech Republic goaltender Josef Kucera had a spectacular day today, kicking out 38 of 42 shots and allowing his team to pick up a 4-4 tie against the U.S. Under-18 Team.

For the U.S., Brad Winchester had two goals, while Brian Fahey picked up three assists.

The U.S. plays Russia today (Sunday 2/14) at 9:30 am EST. A victory combined with a loss by Sweden will give the U.S. the gold.

Box Score

2/12/99

Hilbert Leads U.S. Past Finland

Prague, Czech Republic -- University of Michigan-bound center Andy Hilbert had four points -- two goals and two assists -- as the U.S. Under-18 Team dispatched Finland 6-2 earlier today.

Defenseman Brian Fahey had two goals, while Brett Nowak and Freddy Meyer each added one. Brad Winchester had three assists and Rick DiPietro stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced.

Note: We haven't received a box score for this game, but if and when we do, we'll be sure to post it... The U.S. plays Finland tomorrow night (1 pm EST).

Atop the State, Atop Our Poll

Going into the final week of the season, Roseau High School sits on top of the USHR's Minnesota Prep Rankings.

The Full Breakdown.

2/11/99

Skating Saints Get a Viper

Goaltender Derek Gustafson of  the Vernon Vipers, currently in first place in the  BCHL's Interior Division (hey, we could have come up with that name), has committed to St. Lawrence for the fall. Gustafson, a '79 birthdate from Gresham, Oregon, leads the BCHL with a 36-3-0 record, a 2.22 gaa, and a .930 save percentage.

2/10/99

U.S. Falls to Sweden at Five Nations Tournament

Prague, Czech Republic -- In the first game of the Five Nations Tournament today, the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to Sweden, 3-2.

The U.S. fell behind early but came back to tie the game on goals by Brad Winchester and Joe Cullen.

Sweden's winning goal came on a 5-on-3 power play early in the third.

Box Score.

Like Coach, Like Goalie

Nichols School goaltender Shawn Conschafter has committed to the University of Vermont. Those of you over age 20 may recall that Dave Weber, now Conschafter's coach at Nichols, captained the Catamounts in '89-90. 

Don't Rein Me In

Stratford Cullitons defenseman Dave Cousineau, the younger brother of Ohio State captain Dan Cousineau, is reportedly headed for Western Michigan University. Cousineau just set a Mid-Western Jr. B record for points by a defenseman -- he's at 90 and counting. The old record of 89 was set by Todd Loveday of Waterloo (what, you don't remember him?) back in 1983-84. Now, with four games left in the season, Cousineau is gunning to become the first defenseman to lead the league in scoring. The last time we looked he was on top by one point with a 34-56-90 line in 43 games played.

2/9/99

Provincial Junior A 1999 Future Stars Showcase

On Sunday, Ontario Provincial Junior A staged its 1999 Future Stars Showcase for 1982 and 1983 birthdates at Victoria Park Arena in Bramalea.  Many of the players listed below have already been profiled in USHR's OHL Draft Scouting Reports section.  Also, in the months leading up to the OHL Draft, we will be updating our 455 player draft list once a month (the next update is scheduled for February 20).  Jay Suszek files this report: 

Game One:

Team One 4 (OT) (MVP-Mark Wires, Wexford), Team Two 3 (MVP-Paul Varteressian, Mississauga)

 

Game Two:

Team Three 2 (MVP-Ryan Ashaber, Bancroft), Team Four 8 (MVP-Ryan Ramsey, Ajax)

Goaltenders:

Mike Smith 1982 Kingston -- Gave up 5 goals (3 early in game), had an off day, big, good glove.

T.J.Aceti 1982 Bramalea -- Played very well (1 goal against), smart, moves well.

Andy Chiodo 1983 Wexford -- 2 goals against, quick reflexes, goes down early at times.

Andrew Penner 1982 North York -- 3 goals against, big goalie, played well, had many shots.

Miguel Beaudry 1982 Collingwood -- 1 goal against (in OT), played very well, quick, good glove.

Ryan Aschaber 1982 Bancroft -- 3 goals against but had a lot of shots, big goalie.

David Currie 1982 Peterborough -- 2 goals against, good glove, challenges.

Drew McIntyre 1983 Trenton -- No goals against, good size, does not look like a goalie but he stops the  puck, recovers well, stays square to shooter, high pick.

Defence:

Chris Latimer 1983 Kingston -- Small, skilled , moves puck very well.

Derek Hennesey 1982 Peterborough -- Made some great plays in the offensive zone.

Mike Gresdale 1983 Huntsville -- Solid in all areas.

John Treptow 1982 Brampton -- Huge, played well and physical.

Steve Eminger 1983 Bramalea -- Great with the puck, handles it and moves it very well, very high pick.

Michael Nagai 1982 Bramalea -- Moves the puck very well, not big.

Trevor Daley 1983 Vaughan -- Outstanding end-to-end rushes, opened a lot of eyes, can run a power play, may go first round.

Trevor Wilkieson 1982 Hamilton -- Not flashy, smartly does his job.

Jimmy Ball 1983 Markham -- Moves puck very well, strong.

Jeff McGee 1982 Burlington -- Showed some offensive skill and good defensive coverage.

Brendan Butterworth 1982 Georgetown -- Not flashy but steady.

Paul Flache 1982 Cobourg -- Huge, has skill, can be physical.

Beau Llewellyn 1982 Stouffville -- Strong stride, carries puck up ice.

Forwards:

Brad Horan 1983 Ajax -- Showed his great hands for a big player with 2 goals, great passer, very high pick.

Kyle Wailes 1983 Ajax -- Plays high tempo game, we like him at centre, loves to carry puck.

Ryan Ramsey 1983 Ajax -- Gritty, skilled.

Justin Olden 1982 Ajax -- Works, physical, scored 2 nice goales.

Mike Knoepfli 1982 Georgetown -- Big, strong, smart with puck.

Daniel Sisca 1983 Markham -- Small but great skill and speed, great playmaker.

Adam Paiement 1982 Streetsville -- Son of Wilf, smart playmaker, very good shot.

Jay McClement 1983 Kingston -- Had an off day, good size, works, good skill, very high pick.

Chris Cook 1982 Kingston -- Works, hits, can score.

Brock Yates 1983 Cobourg -- Not flashy, bangs and crashes, gritty, showed some skill.

Peter Flache 1982 Cobourg -- Huge, works, has good shot.

Cory Stillman 1983 Lindsay -- Showed why he will be a very high pick, made a great rush up ice.

Peter Veltman 1982 Georgetown -- Had an off game, is physical, has good hands.

Robert Chapman 1982 Wellington -- Very good skater, good skill.

Scott Misfud 1982 Burlington -- Small but very skilled and hungry to score.

Justin McCutcheon 1983 Shelbourne -- Smart, works, needs to fill out.

Chris Rowan 1982 Milton -- When he is on he can be dominant.

Ryan Stewart 1982 Milton -- Showed some skill.

Luc Chaisson 1982 Pickering -- Skilled, smart, skating must improve.

Steve Farquarson 1982 Pickering -- Not flashy, up and down, bangs, skating must improve.

Marco Rosa 1982 Wexford -- Great skater, played out of position.

Mark Wires 1982 Wexford -- Great skater, showed skill and smarts.

Patrick Murphy 1983 Aurora -- Son of Mike, young, good size, showed some skill.

Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer 1982 Auburn -- Made some creative plays.

Paul Varteressian 1982 Mississauga -- Played well, showed skill and physical play.

Steve Weiss 1983 North York -- Had an off day, sees ice very well, great playmaker.

Ryan Robert 1982 North York -- Works, physical, showed some skill.

Scott Rozendal 1982 Collingwood -- Works, hits, showed some skill.

Josh Sands 1982 Wellington -- Small, skilled.

 

2/6/99

EJHL All-Stars Unload on Under-17 Team

The EJHL All-Stars unloaded on U.S. Under-17 goaltender Nick Pannoni in a five-goal seond period en route to a 9-4 win at Northeastern's Matthews Arena tonight. Leading the attack were Gregg Johnson, Ken Turano, and Peter Zingoni, who each had a pair of goals. R.J. Umberger had a pair of goals for the U.S.

Box Score

Michigan Recruit Injured; Out For Season

Dynamic Bramalea center Mike Cammalleri sustained a knee injury in a recent game.  Cammalleri's injury is a major blow to Ontario's Under-17 squad, which begins play in the Canada Winter Games on February 20.  Cammalleri, an '82 whom we rated as a first-round pick in the OHL draft, was slated to be on one of Ontario's top two lines.  Cammalleri signed with the University of Michigan in November.

2/6/99

EJHL Takes Opener, 4-3

The Eastern Junior Hockey League All-Stars edged the U.S. Under-17 Team, 4-3, last night at Walpole's Iorio Arena. The Coyotes' Gregg Johnson had a goal and an assist for the All-Stars, as did Quinn Fylling for the U.S. 

Box Score.

Nowak, Martin, and the USHL

Yesterday, we reported that Hotchkiss' Brett Nowak and Elk River (Minn.) High's Paul Martin would be spending the weekend playing USHL league games with the US Red Team. That all changed on the night before departure when the USHL protested Nowak's and Martin's inclusion in the lineup, arguing it would give the U.S. an unfair competitive advantage in the three games the two players were scheduled to play in. The point is legitimate, but petty -- Nowak and Martin were included in the U.S. lineup simply to prepare for next week's Five Nations Tournament in Prague, in which both will be playing. Since the Five Nations Tournament is an international competition and the USHL is sanctioned by USA Hockey, one might think that the league could look past its short term (i.e., one weekend) interests and see the big picture. The Five Nations is a big tuneup for April's World Under-18 Championships in Germany, and a good showing would be nice for the U.S.  Helping the team prepare by allowing Nowak and Martin to take part in the USA Red Team's games at Omaha, Sioux City, and Lincoln would have been a nice gesture.

Instead, plane tickets were shuffled madly and Nowak and Martin went east with the blue team, while Jake Fleming went from the Blue team to the Red Team. Chris Purslow, scheduled for the Boston trip, was sidelined with an injury and stayed in Ann Arbor -- it's too bad, because the weekend was shaping up as a good East Coast showcase for Purslow, who recently saw the University of Maine, in order to free up scholarship money to pursue another player, renege on the scholarship they'd given him in the fall.

Anyway, getting back to the two newcomers, Nowak, who wore #49, played well last night, assisting on Fylling's first period goal, creating havoc in front of EJHL goalie Jon Leino on a second period blast by Ryan Lannon, and almost scoring in the third.

Martin, on the other hand, was no factor, seeming to avoid physical play, and, early in the first period, with the game still scoreless, allowing the Stars' Marius Andersen to take the puck off his stick at the blue line and break in alone on US goaltender Chris Gartman, who made a sparkling save.

All this shuffling, of course, doesn't change the status of either Nowak or Martin for the Five Nations Tournament. Both will be rejoining the Red Team for the Monday night flight to Prague.

He'll Look Good in Red

On Wednesday, U.S. goaltender Chris Gartman made his college pick for the fall -- it'll be Cornell. Last night, Gartman faced a handful of his former Apple Core teammates -- Evan Wax, Ryan Vesce, Ken Turano, and Doug Murray. At the opposite end of the ice was current Apple Core goaltender Jon Leino, the Lewiston, Maine product who played at Exeter Academy last year.

Downing Returns Home

For personal reasons, U.S. Under-17 Team defenseman Andrew Downing has -- at least temporarily -- left the National Program to return to his family's home in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

2/5/99

Roseau Moves Up to #1

Roseau High School has moved to the top of USHR's Minnesota Prep Poll for the first time this season. Last week's #1, Hill-Murray, drops to #3 after consecutive losses to Maple Grove and White Bear Lake.

The Full Breakdown.

Boston Cup Gets Underway Tonight

The U.S. Under-17 Team arrives in Boston this afternoon for the 1999 Boston Cup, a two-game series against the Eastern Junior Hockey League All-Stars. The games, which will be at Walpole's Iorio Arena tonight (Fri. Feb 5), and Northeastern's Matthews Arena tomorrow night (Sat. Feb 6) are both 7 pm starts.

We expect the Under-17 team, despite an abundance of skilled players, to be beaten soundly by the EJHL All-Stars, who hold a huge edge in age, experience, and physical maturity -- plus they, too, have some skilled players. For the record, the All-Stars will be skating seven '78s,  three '79s, six '80s, four '79s, and only three '82s. The U.S. Under-17 Team, on the other hand, consists almost entirely of '82's. The lone exceptions are '81 goaltender Chris Gartman, and a pair of '80's, defenseman Bill Cass and forward Chris Purslow.   

Blue Chip Weekend: Stoney Creek, Ontario

Last weekend, USHR's Ontario scout Jay Suszek, most recently a scout with the OHL's Owen Sound Platers, attended the Blue Chip Weekend tournament at Valley Park Arena in Stoney Creek, Ontario. All players were 1982 or 1983 births. Here's his report:

Game One

Niagara Jr.C White 6 (MVP John Alldis, Flamborough)

Niagara Jr.C Black 3 (MVP Josh Wall, Grimsby)

 

John Alldis 82 RW 6'1 185 really improved his draft stock as he had an outstanding game physically and on the scoreboard.

Jeff Lauer 83 RC 6'1 165 of Simcoe also impressed many scouts present with his skill and physical play.

Game Two

Golden Horseshoe Jr.B White 5 (MVP Marc Pinizzotto, Stoney Creek)

Golden Horseshoe Jr.B Black 2 (MVP Jason Harshaw, Fort Erie)

 

Chris Knighton 82 LW 6'0 180 of Stoney Creek continues to impress us with his consistent physical and skilled play every shift.

Chad Little 82 LC 6'2 185 of Welland looks like he has the tools to be a player, he just needs to be more consistent.

Ray Emery 82 G 6'1 170 of Dunnville Jr. C didn’t see a lot of shots but he did impress with his athleticism.

Rory Glaves 82 RD 5'11 175 of Niagra Falls plays a sound defensive game and he moves the puck well.

Matt Wight 83 LW 6'1 190 of St.Catherines has lost some weight and really improved his mobility, he is close to going in the top 4 rounds of the draft.

Game Three

OMHA Bantam/Midget Black 6 (MVP Chris Ramanauskas, St.Catherines Midget)

OMHA Bantam/Midget White 5 (MVP Adam Hogg, Guelph Bantam)

 

 

Brandon Nolan 83 LC 5'10 160 of St. Catherines bantam is the son of Ted Nolan, he has very good puck skills.

Matt McDonald 83 LD 6'1 180 of Niagra Falls midget was impressive, he moves the puck well, and he likes the physical game.

Kyle Neufeld 83 LW 6'0 180 of St. Catherines bantam plays a solid two way game, he’s not flashy but he has some skill and he works hard every shift.

Frank Fazio 83 RC 5'10 170 of Halton Hills bantam has some imagination with the puck.

News from Ontario:

The Ontario Provincial Jr. A league may remove the centre ice line for two line passes next year. They feel that many of their veteran players go the NCAA route, and they want their product to mimic the college game more. They also want to increase the skating and puckhandling skills of their defencemen. Many of the league's young players only play one year or so before moving on to the OHL.

In a proposal that will get a lot of opposition (as well as support), the CHA may charge European players $10,000 to play in Canada’s junior hockey leagues next year. The money will go into development of minor hockey.

The Ottawa 67's will host the Memorial Cup this May. They beat out the Plymouth Whalers, Sarnia Sting, and Barrie Colts for the honor.

CHL announced the rosters for their Top Prospects Game, to be held in Calgary on Tuesday, February 16.  They players selected to participate are listed below.

Goaltenders

Alex Auld, North Bay Centennials
Brian Finley, Barrie Colts
Simon Lajeunesse, Moncton Wildcats
Maxime Ouellet, Quebec Remparts

Left Defence

Jeff Beatch, Seattle Thunderbirds
Martin Grenier, Quebec Remparts
Eddie Hill, Barrie Colts
Steve McCarty, Kootenay Ice
Branislav Mezei, Belleville Bulls
Luke Sellars, Ottawa 67's

Right Defence

Matt Carkner, Peterborough Petes
Jonathan Fauteaux, Val-D'Or
Barrett Jackman, Regina Pats
Ross Lupaschuk, Prince Albert
Peter Reynolds, London Knights
Nolan Yonkman, Kelowna Rockets

Centre

Kris Beech, Calgary Hitmen
Scott Cameron, Barrie Colts
Tim Connolly, Erie Otters
Scott Kelman, Seattle
Jamie Lundmark, Moose Jaw Warriors
Brett Lysak, Regina Pats
Derek MacKenzie, Sudbury Wolves
Mike Zigomanis, Kingston Frontenacs

Left Wing

Alexandre Giroux, Hull Olympiques
Dusty Jamieson, Sarnia Sting
Chris Kelly, London Knights
Justin Mapletoft, Red Deer Rebels
Mirko Murovic, Moncton Wildcats
Taylor Pyatt, Sudbury Wolves
Brad Ralph, Oshawa Generals
Oleg Saprykin, Seattle Thunderbirds

Right Wing

Pavel Brendl, Calgary Hitmen
Jamie Chamberlain, Peterborough Petes
Sheldon Keefe, Barrie Colts
Denis Shvidki, Barrie Colts
Charlie Stephens, Guelph Storm
Marc-Andre Thinel, Victoriaville Tigres
Kyle Wanvig, Kootenay Ice

2/1/99

USHL Protected Lists

USHL teams have completed their protected lists and filed them with the league office. Are you on them? Check here.

USHL Protected Lists

Boucher Heads to New Haven

Exeter defenseman Greg Boucher today committed to play at Yale next season. Boucher does not project to be a superstar at the next level --- we've projected him as a fifth or sixth defenseman. More importantly, though, Yale is getting a great kid. Greg has faithfully provided Exeter scores to USHR, win or lose, for the last two years, and for that we are eternally grateful.

Boucher joins two other high-character players Taft's Denis Nam and Apple Core's Evan Wax in Yale's Class of 2003.

Prior to today's announcement, Boucher had been getting interest from Harvard, Merrimack, and RPI.

Yale is still looking at a couple of other defensemen for next year.

Apple Core Does it Again

Both junior Rocky Vesce and Yale-bound senior Evan Wax notched a goal and two assists in Apple Core's 6-2 win over the Boston Bulldogs at this past weekend's Northwood Tournament.

In the semis, Apple Core knocked off the Junior Bruins, 3-0.

Apple Core, which has won three major tournaments this season, gave up only five goals in five games as goaltenders John Leino and John Yaros combined for a strong tournament.  

Cornell-bound defenseman Doug Murray was named tournament MVP. Named to the all-tournament team were Wax and Vesce.

Thayer Coach Unloads on USHR

The Thayer hockey team, which was thrashed Saturday afternoon at St. Sebastian's, 6-1, has now lost three in a row and is totally out of sync.

And longtime coach Jack Foley is struggling under the pressure.

Minutes after Saturday's debacle, Foley, standing outside the Thayer dressing room, pulled this reporter aside. He was in a foul mood, totally understandable given the situation. However, instead of praising St. Sebastian's fine game and offering a few comments on his team's woes,  he unloaded on this reporter in a rant that was as public as it was bizarre.

Here's what happened -- and please bear in mind that we hate being part of the news. It's our job to report the news but, since this clash occurred in public (and we've had to field numerous calls on it, anyway), and involves the head coach at one of the more respected prep programs in the country, we have no choice but to go with it.

Foley began his attack by accusing the U.S. Hockey Report of printing a story it never printed (and, as much as we hate to admit it, never even knew about.) Apparently, a certain Ivy League school that had recruited one of Foley's seniors had backed off after getting commitments from a pair of top-flight defensemen. Foley mistakenly thought we had written about his player getting turned down.

I told Foley that this was neither printed nor known by us. Furthermore, I made it clear to the coach that while we do indeed report on players and where they are going, it's only in rare situations that we report on a school's backing off on a player. (An exception to this rule is when a college drops out of the running for a superstar. That's news, and will always be reported.) 

But the player this Ivy League school had spoken to and then backed off on is not a superstar, just a solid Division I prospect. I asked Foley how he came up with the notion that I had written that which he was alleging me of.  

"I heard it from somebody," he replied.

"Do you think it's right," I asked, "to accuse someone of something based on second-hand information? You could have checked the Hockey Report, Jack. It's easily accessible."

I asked him if he'd ever even read the U.S. Hockey Report.

"No," he snapped. "I haven't read it. It's yellow-sheet journalism. There's nothing in there that would do me any good to know."

"Jack," I said, "how can you say that if you've never even looked at it?" .

Jabbing his index finger at me as he spoke, he launched into a tirade that bordered on the surreal, nervously jumping from point to point, insisting several times that, as an educator, he   knew what was right to write about and what was wrong -- even though, as he'd admitted, he had never laid eyes on the USHR.

I should have walked away right then. Here I was in the Needham, Mass. rink I had played in as a pee wee right up to my days at BB&N, and now a respected prep coach was poking his index finger at me, possibly trying to goad me into a fight. I asked him to stop. He said he had every right to poke at me with his finger. I told him it was rude, and to stop doing it. He said he'd do it if he wanted.

At this point, I began to realize this was all too stupid, and considered walking away. Normally, when someone mistakenly accuses someone of something, they apologize quickly, and back away gracefully. Not Foley. He was digging in his heels, and resorting to bullying. As he continued with his finger-poking, I referred back to the squabble the coach had with me last year. "Jack," I said, "let's talk about the Dolinar-Orpik fight. If that's still bugging you, let's talk about it."

He knew exactly what I was referring to. However, some of USHR's newer readers may not, so here's the backstory: Last February 12th, as the final buzzer of a Thayer-Lawrence tilt sounded, Thayer defenseman Brooks Orpik and Lawrence forward Ales Dolinar dropped their gloves in the corner and started duking it out.

Later, outside the dressing room, Foley asked me "as a favor" not to include any mention of the fight in my game report. I ignored the request and went ahead and included it. How could I not? Two top recruits, both bound for Boston College, had whaled away on each other. It happened, I saw it, I deemed it newsworthy -- and I wrote about it. I did, however, keep it low-key, reporting simply that Dolinar and Orpik had squared off at the game's conclusion and that the two players will each be missing one game as a result.

But even that concession was not enough for the Thayer coach. . 

Several days later, as Thayer was about to take the ice at Belmont Hill, Foley said I should never talk to him again, that what I wrote was "bad for prep school hockey." Belmont Hill coach Ken Martin said almost the exact same thing, and firmly closed a door in my face.  

Bad for prep school hockey? Were these alpha dogs of the prep world really so arrogant that they assumed I would put any spin they wished on things? Clearly, there was more going on, stuff bubbling under the surface.

Thinking about it later, I realized that the only coaches who had consistently (and usually rudely) blocked my efforts to report on prep school hockey were the old guard of the Keller Division -- particularly Martin, Lawrence's Charlie Corey, and now Foley. For years, this small group had tightly controlled every aspect of the Keller Division, right down to the dissemination of news. Clearly, my presence on the scene was a threat to their hegemony. Corey even told a college hockey coach that I was "dangerous." Is this because USHR reporters will occasionally ask a tough question, the kind of question a player or the parent of a player might wish to ask but, because of  their position, might refrain from doing? 

As for myself, I majored in journalism in college, and, before starting the Hockey Report, wrote for numerous publications -- from small-town publications to major dailies to Sports Illustrated and other magazines. I think I have a pretty good line on what constitutes a news story. Making sure it gets reported is what I owe the readers of this report.

Anyway, over the past summer, I decided not to trouble this troika unnecessarily. Their contributions to the prep game, firmly rooted in the past, are deserving of my respect. Let it rest, I thought.

Until this weekend everything was fine. A tenuous sort of truce held. I avoided them, and they avoided me. The only downside was that I couldn't ask them (and a couple of other Keller coaches) for info on their team's games. When a college recruiter asks me why I can't get box scores for, say, Lawrence Academy, I simply tell them that the aggravation is too great. Unfortunately, the end result of all this pettiness is that when recruiters and scouts check the USHR for info they get plenty on the Connecticut schools, but hardly anything on players from Belmont Hill, Lawrence, Thayer, Milton, and St. Paul's.

I have no idea why Foley chose to break this uneasy truce by publicly railing against me Saturday afternoon. We certainly know what the larger problem is --  his team has gone south on him. However, publicly berating a reporter over nothing is a lousy response. As for myself, I regret being drawn into it. I should have just walked away when I realized the direction the coach was taking his attack.  

For his players' sake, we can only hope that Thayer gets back to their winning ways. Right now, though, there's good reason to ask whether Coach Foley is more a part of the problem than the solution.

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