U.S. Hockey Report
- U-17 Team for Slovakia Trip Named
- Select 16 Standouts
- In putting together these rankings (of 68 out of the 240 players here) we looked mainly for two key things -- potential, and how they they played in the tournament. That's pretty much it.
- Sorry about the delay in getting news up, but with six games a day, there hasn't been a lot of time to write!
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- FORWARDS:
- 1. Josh Hennessy, Massachusetts, 6'0", 180, Milton Academy. Just average the first half of the week. Held scoreless until fourth #4 of the tournament, in which he picked up six points in a 9-1 rout of a hopeless Southeastern team. The next day, with three Massachusetts defensemen out with injuries, Hennessy moved back to the blue line and came through with a major performance, scoring the final goal with seven seconds left on the clock in a 3-2 win over Minnesota. Hennessey figured in all three goals. The next night, back at forward for the Bronze medal game, Hennessy came through with a hat trick. Can really turn it on -- when he wants to. However, even with a partial effort, Hennessy wound up as second-leading scorer in tournament and was named to all-tournament team. By the way, Hennessy was excellent as a defenseman, handling the puck adroitly and making good decisions. Many feel that, over the long term, he might be more effective back there. It's unlikely to happen, however.
- 2. T.J. Hensick, Michigan, 5'8", 165, HoneyBaked Midget AAA. Quick, aware, super-skilled, and a pure scorer. Smallish, but will be a star wherever he decides to go to school. Third-leading scorer in tournament with a 6-8-14 line. Is going to the National Program.
- 3. Jake Dowell, LC, Central, 6'0", 175, Eau Claire Memorial HS. Works hard every single shift. His persistence, along with a good size/skill package, makes him a player to watch closely. Perhaps the most consistent forward here. Didn't put up a lot of points (4-4-8) but made things happen every time he stepped on the ice. Had an excellent week. Is going to the National Program.
- 4. Michael Bartlett, RC/LW, Central, 6'0", 175, Chicago Chill Midget AAA. Tremendous prospect who had an off week. Nonetheless, finished with a 6-4-10 line, which says something in itself. Is going to the National Program.
5. Aaron Bader, Lsh RW, Minnesota, 6'0", 192, Shattuck. Power forward who, when he's on his game, is as good as they come at this age level. Had his best game by far the night Seattle GM Russ Farwell was in town, but needs to have those games every night. Finished with a 4-5-9 line, tied for 10th in tournament.
6. Brent Borgen, LC, Minnesota, 5'11" 165, Mahtomedi HS. Tenacity and on-ice awareness are the keys to his success. Scored four goals in 8-0 opening day win over Southeastern. Leading scorer in tournament with a 6-11-17 line.
7. James Russo, RW, Massachusetts, 5'11", 160, Thayer Academy. Worked, and then worked some more. Consistently good, night after night. Likes the high tempo games. Finished with a 4-5-9 line, good for second on his team.
- 8. John Vigilante, LC, Michigan, 5'11", 168, Compuware Bantam. Excellent skills. Shows up to play every night. Brother of Lake State's John Vigilante. Is going to the National Program.
- 9. Steven Mandes, Rsh RC/LW, Atlantic, 5'9, 176, Hotchkiss School. Highly competitive. A leader. Goes toe-to-toe with everyone. 3-4-7 line.
10. Nino Musitelli, RF, Michigan, 5'9", 165, Belle Tire Midget AAA. Works hard to get himself in good scoring position, and it pays off. 4-5-9.
- 11. Josh Sciba, Michigan, 5'11", 181, Compuware Jr. A. Injured in third game (thigh muscle pull), so it's a little hard to rank him, but he likely would have been in the top five or ten. Is going to the National Program.
- 12. Todd Johnson, Rsh LW, New England, 6'3", 180, Brunswick School. Big power forward type who goes to the net. Needs to improve his skating a bit, and gain consistency. Excellent potential. Finished with a 6-4-10 scoring line, tied for seventh-best in festival.
- 13. Brian McGuirk, LW, Massachusetts, 5'11", 170, Governor Dummer Academy. Not a finisher, but he's an excellent skater who works hard and with consistency. Physical, too. A pleasant surprise.
- 14. J.D. Corbin, Lsh RW, Rocky Mt., 5'8", 155, HoneyBaked ' 85. Excellent playmaker who didn't really have anybody to play with. Is going to the National Program.
- 15. Topher Scott, Lsh RW, Central, 5'4", 145, Chicago Steel (USHL). Has a year of USHL experience so this tournament didn't faze him in the least. Has a knack for finding the open man, and getting open himself. Tied for fourth in tournament scoring with a 5-7-12 line.
- 16. Mike Atkinson, LC, Atlantic, 5'7", 135, NJ Devils Bantam. Cerebral player. If there's a loose puck anywhere within his vicinity, he'll gather it in and make a play out of it. Thinks the game extremely well. Needs to build himself up. Scored in OT to give his team a 5-4 win over Mass. and the bronze medal. Finished with a 3-4-7 line.
- 17. Mike Brown, RW, Central, 5'11", 185, Chicago Chill Midget AAA. Well put-together winger is strong on skates, and goes hard to net. Didn't have as good a week as he's capable of, but he's a player to watch. Is going to the National Program. 2-4-6.
- 18. Corey Carlson, RC, Minnesota, 5'10", 175, Two Harbors HS. Has a touch around the net. 3-5-8 line.
- 19. Ryan Maki, RW, Michigan, 6'1", 188, Alvinston Flyers Jr. B. Good size and goes to net hard. 2-3-5.
- 20. Corey Couturier, R Sh. LW, Michigan, 6'1", 170 Traverse City Northstars. A sleeper from northern Michigan. Has good size and works hard. 3-3-6.
- 21. Derek Hanson, RC, Minnesota, 5'8", 150, Bemidji HS. Solid. Wins faceoffs; finds the open man. 3-6-9 line.
- 22. Sammy Bowles, RW, Southeastern, 5'10", 175, Hotchkiss School. His team lost every game it played, and were outscored 40-5, but Bowles never stopped working. An admirable player. Never stops moving his feet. Works hard along wall, and drives to the net.
- 23. Dustin Collins, LC, Rocky Mt., 6'1", 175, Phoenix Polar Bears. Great upside because of his size and skating ability. He's coming from Arizona, so will need a little time to catch up. Is going to the National Program.
- 24. Jeff Lovecchio, LW, Central , 6'1", 167, St. Louis Blues Midget AAA. One of the pleasant surprises here. Good size, and uses it to his advantage.
- 25. Joe Rooney, LW, Massachusetts, 5'8", 175, St. Sebastian's. Didn't play as well as he can. Had scoring chances, but didn't finish.
- 26. Michael Cohen, RF, New York, 5'10", 175, Buffalo Regals Midget AAA. Shifty, and dangerous down low. 4-5-9.
- 27. Anthony Canzoneri, RW, Central, 5'10", 165, CYA Midget AAA. Quick, elusive, and savvy with the puck.
- 28. Kevin Coughlin, RW, Massachusetts, 6'2", 205, Cushing. Plays best when mad, but doesn't get mad often enough. Did, however, in final round-robin game vs. Minnesota -- and came up with a big performance.
- 29. Jason Beeman, RW, Pacific, 6'0", 208, Spokane Braves. Tremendous potential. His scores are always highlight film quality. Unfortunately, he's inconsistent, and needs to lose weight. Going major junior with Tri-Cities (WHL).
30. Matt Puntereri, Lsh F, Mid-Am, 5'10", 185, Pittsburgh Hornets Bantam. Heavy-footed, but has a knack down low. Going major junior with the Guelph Storm (OHL). 4-7-11 for the tournament.
31. Tyler Ludwig, RW, Rocky Mt., 5'11", 170, Dallas Midget AAA. Raw, but has upside. Could really emerge in a year or two. Good bloodline: he's the son of former NHLer Craig Ludwig.
- 32. Joe Norman, RW, Atlantic, 5'8", 176, Deerfield Academy. Everything he gets comes from hard work.
- 33. Peter MacArthur, LC, New York, 5'10", 170, Shenendehowa HS. Excellent speed and hand skills. Had a goal and two assists in NY's 5-2 win over Mass. 3-2-5.
- 34. Mike Mallette, LW, New England, 5'6", 140, Mt. St. Charles. Small, but skates well, works hard, and can handle the puck. 4-5-9 line.
- 35. Christopher Greene, RW, New York, 6'2", 170, Lake Placid HS. His size gives him power forward potential. Needs to compete harder to lift game to next level. 2-3-5.
- 36. Paul Stastny, LC, Central, 5'10, 165, St. Louis Blues Midget AAA. His brother, Yan, was a late bloomer and is now going to Notre Dame. Paul is in about the same place as Yan at this age. (Both boys are the sons of former NHL star Peter Stastny, the first of the Czechs to escape that country when it was still under communist rule.)
DEFENSEMEN:
- 1. Ryan Suter, LD, Central, 6'0", 180, Culver Military Academy. As mentioned last week, Suter, who is the son of 1980 gold medal winner Bob Suter and nephew of Gary, was the dominant player here. He has size. He plays physically. His passes are tape to tape. And he has a bomb of a shot. It's early still, but Suter has first-round NHL draft potential. Is heading to the National Program.
- 2. Jeff Likens, RD, Central, 5'10", 155, Chicago Chill Midget AAA. Leading scoring defenseman (by a mile) with a 5-7-12 line. Came into tournament as a bubble guy for the U.S. National Program; his play here put him over the top -- the spot is his. A converted forward, he can play both ends of the ice. Good acceleration. Can make a pass at top speed.
- 3. Matt Hunwick, LD, Michigan, 5'11", 175, HoneyBaked Midget AAA. 3-5-8 line gave him a tie for second-leading scorer among defensemen here. Good offensive instincts. Pinched in and jumped on a rebound to tie up Minnesota. Strong defensively. Is also going to the National Program.
- 4. Dan Venard, RD, Central, 5'11", 160, CYA Midget AAA. 3-5-8 line gave him a tie for second-leading scorer among defensemen here. Has decent size, a good long stride, can play physically, and has the offensive skills. A player who has improved tremendously over the past year.
- 5. Bobby Selden, RD, Michigan, 6'0", 195, Marquette Electricians Midget AAA. Selden, playing with a cast on his hand, moved the puck with aplomb, coming up with a 2-4-6 scoring line, good enough to make him the fourth-leading point producer among d-men here. Good at both ends. Solidly built and plays the body well.
6. Bret Tyler, LD, Massachusetts, 5'9", 175 Boston Jr. Bruins (EJHL). Small, but plays big. A bulldog who doesn't back down from anything. Had an excellent week.
- 7. Bryan Cirullo, LD, New England, 6'0", 175, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL). Cirullo wasn't at the very top of his game, playing a little too conservatively early. Even so, he's a top prospect. Played physically and moved the puck well.
8. David Robertson, RD, Atlantic, 5'10, 165, Jr. Flyers Bantam. A converted forward who's learning the nuances of playing back. Very athletic, and an excellent skater. Is going to the National Program.
9. Matt Cohen, RD, Atlantic, 6'1", 165, NJ Devils Bantam. He has size and can skate. Is from Lower Manhattan, not exactly a hockey hotbed. Is also going to the National Program.
10. Spencer Dillon, RD, Pacific, 6'3", 180, Shattuck. He's coming along. Lanky. Great frame. Smooth skater. Played better as the week progressed.
11. J.D. McCabe, RD, Atlantic, 6'2", 166, LaSalle HS. Big, stay at home defenseman who competes. Agile for size. Has a big shot.
12. Casey Borer, LD, Minnesota, 6'0", 190, Shattuck. Not the greatest skater, but if he trimmed down that could change some. Has the hands, and the head for the game. The more you watch him, the more you like him. A smart player with good puck skills.
13. Trevor Ludwig, LD, Rocky Mt., 5'11", 180, Dallas Midget AAA. The twin brother of Tyler Ludwig (see above) is a good-sized d-man who gained confidence as the week went along. Really stood out by the end. Solid in all areas, but not a standout in any one.
14. Jarrett Sousa, LD, New England, 5'10", 180, St. Ray's/Boston Jr. Bruins Midget. A pleasant surprise. Skilled as ever, but composed, too.
15. Alex Spezia, D, Michigan, 5'10", 177, HoneyBaked ' 85. Missed most of the tournament with an injured shoulder, so it's hard to really rank him. He likely would have been higher.
16. David Graden, RD, Minnesota, 6'1", 175 Burnsville. Big, rugged defensive defenseman.
17. Zach Fitzgerald, LD, Dakota, 6'1", 190, Duluth East HS. Fitzgerald, a big offensive d-man who can skate, should have been right up at the top of this ranking. However, he had off-week, running around a lot, missing checks, and taking far too many penalties. Played distracted, which can be attributed to the fact that he's trying to decide whether to go major junior or to the NTDP.
18. Christopher Robinson, RD, Mid-Am, 5'11", 190, HoneyBaked ' 85. Extremely well put-together. Strong, physical, but athletic, too.
19. Garrett Raboin, RD, Rocky Mt., 5'9", 160, Detroit Lakes HS. One of the sleepers of the tournament. Stocky kid who competes, and creates offense, too. Good shot.
- 20. Phillip McDavitt, D, Massachusetts, 5'10", 185, Nobles. Smart player who's improving steadily. Injured mid-week but came back for playoff.
GOALTENDERS:
- 1. Al Montoya, Central, 6'2", 185, Texas Tornado (NAHL). Let in a couple of soft goals which knocked his save percentage (.907) down. Had a strained groin muscle, which caused him to miss a game, and it likely affected him a bit when he returned to action. A tall, rangy goalie from Illinois who played in the NAHL last season. Is going to the National Program.
- 2. Mike Zacharias, Minnesota, 5'9", 160, Armstrong. .950 save percentage was tops here -- by far. A nearly flawless performance. Excellent vs. Mass. Showed poise in making a couple of stops on breakaways.
- 3. Dan Tormey, New York, 6'2", 168, Syracuse Stars Jr. B. .920 save percentage was third-best here. Fills up the net and is technically sound.
4. Wesley Russell, Central, 6'1", 170, St. Louis Blues Midget AAA. Like Tormey, has size and good fundamentals. .928 save percentage was second-best here.
- 5. Joe Fallon, Minnesota, 6'3", 175 Bemidji. Had an off week. Excellent at times, but let in soft ones at other times .838 save %.
- 6. Jason Kearney, Mid-Am, 5'10", 185, Pittsburgh Hornets Bantam. .918 save percentage. Will be playing for Joe Gaul's midget team this season.
- 7. Keith Longo, Massachusetts, 5'10", 160, Cushing. Athletic stand-up goalie. Quick. Made some big-time saves in final. .905 save percentage.
- 8. Brian Lundeby, Pacific, 5'11,165, Alaska All-Stars Bantam. .919 save percentage among tops here.
- 9. Matt Burzon, New England, 5'10", 172, Holderness School. .908 save percentage also among tops here. Catches right.
- 10. Anthony Tocco, Michigan, 5'10, 142, Michigan Ice Dogs. Quick, with excellent lateral movement. .900 save percentage.
- 11. Zane Kalemba, Atlantic, 5'9", 160, NJ Devils Bantam. Didn't play as well as he's capable. .864 save percentage.
- 12. Wylie Rogers, Pacific, 5'8", 150, Fairbanks Ice Dogs Jr. B. Very quick. .888 save percentage.
6/27/01
49 Invited to National Junior Camp
Here is the invite list to next month's U.S. National Junior Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. Of the 49 players invited, 29 are '82s, 19 are '83's, and one is an '84. Returning for his second year as head coach will be Keith Allain. Returning players -- those who made the final cut and went to Europe for the WJC --are denoted by a *.
The evaluation camp will be Fri. Aug 3- Mon. Aug. 6, with intrasquad games scheduled for Sat. Aug 4 (8 pm); Sun. Aug 5 (5 pm); and Mon. Aug. 6 (6 pm).
Following this four-day camp, twenty players will be chosen to stay on. They, along with the six returning players, will take part in a four game series vs. Finland, Aug. 7, 8, 10, 11, with games each night at 6 pm.
- Goaltenders (5):
- Jason Bacashihua, Chicago (NAHL), '82
- Steve Belanger, Kamloops (WHL), '83
- Dwight LaBrosse, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Nick Pannoni, Seattle (WHL), '82
- Travis Weber, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Defensemen (16):
- Keith Ballard, Omaha (USHL), '82
- *Tim Gleason, Windsor (OHL), '83
- Joey Hope, Portland (WHL), '82
- Matt Jones, Green Bay (USHL), '83
- Neil Komadoski, Notre Dame, '82
- *Mike Komisarek, Michigan, '82
- Bryce Lampman, Omaha (USHL), '82
- Jesse Lane, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Brett Lebda, Notre Dame, '82
- Bryan Miller, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Jared Newman, Plymouth (OHL), '82
- Erik Reitz, Barrie (OHL), '82
- Brandon Rogers, Hotchkiss School, '82
- Mark Stuart, U.S. Under-17, '84
- Noah Welch, St. Sebastian's School, '82
- Ryan Whitney, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Forwards (28):
- Brandon Bochenski, Lincoln (USHL), '82
- Ed Caron, Phillips Exeter Academy, '82
- Tom Cavanagh, Phillips Exeter Academy, '82
- Ben Eaves, Boston College, '82
- Lee Falardeau, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Chris Fournier, Lincoln (USHL), '82
- *Rob Globke, Notre Dame, '82
- Gino Guyer, Greenway (Minn.) HS, '83
- Dwight Helminen, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Matt Herneisen, Peterborough (OHL), '82
- Chris Higgins, Avon Old Farms, '83
- Ryan Hollweg, Medicine Hat (WHL), '83
- Gregg Johnson, Boston University, '82
- Chad LaRose, Plymouth (OHL), '82
- Justin Maiser, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Brian McConnell, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Ryan Murphy, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Eric Nystrom, U.S. Under-18, '83
- Bryan Perez, Michigan Tech, '82
- Scott Polaski, Sioux City (USHL), '82
- Jim Slater, Cleveland (NAHL), '82
- Dave Spina, U.S. Under-18, '83
- *David Steckel, Ohio State, '82
- Colin Stuart, Colorado College, '82
- Barry Tallackson, U.S. Under-18, '83
- *R.J. Umberger, Ohio State, '82
- *Kris Vernarsky, Plymouth (OHL), '82
- Jon Waibel, Minnesota, '82
6/26/01
Suter to National Program
It's official now -- 6'0", 180 lb. defenseman Ryan Suter of Madison, Wisconsin and Culver Military Academy will be moving up to the U.S. National Program in Ann Arbor.
Suter, who is the son of Bob Suter, a Wisconsin star in the late '70s and a gold medal winner with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team at Lake Placid, has been, in our view, the single most dominant player here at the U.S. Select 16 Festival, which has reached the halfway point here at St. Cloud.
Suter, who has size and strength, excels at the physical game and is excellent at both ends of the ice. His outlet passes are invariably tape-to-tape, and he has a powerful shot from the point.
Look for Suter to have the same presence on this year's Under-17 Team blueline as Mark Stuart did this past season. Like Stuart, Suter has all the makings of a first-round NHL draft pick.
Central, by the way, is by far the most potent team here. Besides Suter, other top defensemen from the district include converted forward Jeff Likens, who was outstanding yesterday, and Dan Venard. Up front, Central boasts Michael Bartlett, Mike Brown, and Jake Dowell, all three of whom will be teammates of Suter on the Under-17 team starting this fall. Another Central kid going to the NTDP this fall is goaltender Alvaro Montoya, who sat out yesterday with a strained groin, but could be OK for today.
6/26/01
Bader to Dub
6'0", 192 lb. forward Aaron Bader, who played for Shattuck last year and this spring committed to the U.S. National Team Development Program, will instead be going to the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL).
Last night at the Select 16 Festival here in St. Cloud, Bader had his best game of the tournament, scoring a pair of goals and staying involved throughout. The fact that Seattle GM Russ Farwell had flown in from Seattle for a look at his newest player certainly helped.
Bader is the second U.S.-born '85 to go major junior this month and there's a chance that Minnesota Select 16 teammate Zach Fitzgerald, a defenseman from Duluth East, could make it a threesome.
The first, of course, was Josh Hennessy, the Milton Academy honors student who is going to the Quebec Remparts this fall. The reason given by Hennessy's agent, Bob O'Connell, was that major junior is the "quickest" route to the NHL. This was once true but is no longer. Today, it's just one of many routes. Most player agents know this, but won't admit it publicly because of their financial interest. That is, when a kid goes major junior, agents start getting money right away, and, with major junior kids not having to opt in, the bonus money comes a year earlier. It's great for the agents, but bad for any kid with proven academic success, such as Hennessy.
The other thing is that the top 15 and 16 year olds are not always the top 18 year olds. To give a recent example, Ryan Hollweg was the top 15 year old a few years ago, the #1 ranked kid out of the U.S. Select Festival, and the first American to be chosen #1 overall in the WHL Bantam Draft. On Sunday, the Medicine Hat (WHL) center was drafted by the N.Y. Rangers in the eighth round -- not a lot of eighth round picks make it to the NHL.
For Hennessy, who has not had his "A" game going in early action here in St. Cloud, and the others there's a huge risk involved. It's called boxing yourself into a corner. Hennessey will have to tough it out in the QMJHL, playing with a large number of older, French-speaking kids in a league which is notoriously unfriendly to Americans. If it doesn't work out, and he decides that college is the best route after all, he'll have to sit out a year plus the number of QMJHL games played. Hennessy's decision has been a major topic of conversation here, with virtually everyone feeling that, of all the options available to him, the one chosen was the worst.
As one former NHLer once said, "Pro hockey, even at the NHL level, is littered with guys who played major junior but wished they'd gone the college route. But I never once heard a player say, 'Geez, I wished I hadn't gone to college --- I wished I'd played major junior instead.' I never heard that a single time."
Here at the Select 16s, Todd Christie, a young Toronto-based agent for Reich, Brisson, Reich, and Theofanous, and the impetus behind Bader's jumping to the Dub, has been conspicuous, going from game to game bumping and then attaching himself like a deer tick to parents of the top kids. At this, a USA Hockey hosted event, Christie has been an unwelcome guest, urging players to break their commitment to the U.S. National Program and go major junior -- a violation of etiquette that has dismayed parents, college recruiters, and the USA Hockey staff.
Bob Dylan, a Minnesotan, said it best: "Money doesn't talk, it swears."
6/22/01
Vanek Nixes Major Junior
Thomas Vanek, the 6'1", 195 lb. winger from Graz, Austria who has played for the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) the past two seasons, has refused offers to sign with the Memorial Cup-winning Red Deer Rebels (WHL), choosing to return to the Stampede for his 12th grade year this fall.
In his first season in North America, 1998-99, Vanek, an '84, skated with the Lacombe (Alberta) Midget AAA squad. Lacombe is about 15 miles north of Red Deer, on the Calgary-Edmonton Highway.
Vanek's top three college choices are reported to be BC, Michigan, and Minnesota, though BU and Wisconsin are in there, too.
Vanek, who battled through an injury-plagued season, finished the regular season with a 19-10-29 line in 20 games. Projecting those numbers, if Vanek had played the full 56 game slate, he would have finished with 53 goals. And Vanek, remember, didn't turn 17 until January.
This fall, one of Vanek's teammates will be University of North Dakota freshman C/RW Quinn Fylling, who, by coaches' decision, is taking a year off from the Fighting Sioux to improve his game. Fylling, who was the youngest player at UND this past season (he's an '82), will still be among the youngest when he returns there in 2002. A speedy, tenacious fourth line forward from Minot, N.D., Fylling struggled to put up points in his WCHA rookie season, finishing with a 4-3-7 line in 42 games.
6/21/01
Bumblebees Take Wing
Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the St. Louis Sting will live to see the start of another NAHL season.
An 11th hour deal to save the team and keep whatever players they had left from going into a dispersal draft has been approved by the league.
As part of all this, the Sting will take wing, leaving Chesterfield, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb, crossing the mighty Mississippi, and touching down at the E. Alton (Illinois) Ice Arena about 25 miles to the northwest.
This season, St. Louis finished with a league-worst 15-36-5 (.313) record.
6/21/01
Borek Returns East
Look for ex-Lake Superior State Head Coach Scott Borek, let go recently when Frank Anzalone decided he wanted to return to the Lakers, to be announced as the next head coach of New England College.
New England College, a Div. III school in Henniker, NH, plays in the ECAC East. Borek will replace Mark Ostapina, who resigned after six years behind the Pilgrims bench, winding it up with a 20-10-0 record and a 2-1 win in the ECAC East title game over eventual Div. III National Champs Norwich. Ostapina, a Wisconsin native who played briefly for the Badgers in the late '70s, wished to return to Wisconsin. He'll take over the head coaching position at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
For Borek, a Swampscott, Mass. native, it's a return to familiar territory (kind of), as he was head coach at Colby from 1992-95 before heading to the Upper Peninsula as an assistant under Jeff Jackson for one year before taking over when Jackson left to found the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Borek, 39, also served as an assistant coach at Dartmouth, where his playing career was cut short after a neck injury during his sophomore season; as well as Providence College, and Brown.
At Lake State, Borek posted a 76-94-15 mark, finishing third in the CCHA in 1999-00 before falling back to last place this season.
6/19/01
Roberts Joins Whalers
U.S. NTDP Assistant Coach Alex Roberts has been named Assistant Coach/Assistant GM of the Plymouth Whalers (OHL).
Roberts, 33, has been with the NTDP since the program's inaugural season (1997-98). The Bloomington Hills, Michigan native played in the NAHL before going on to play defense for the University of Michigan ('86-'90). After graduation he played four years of minor league hockey before joining the Chicago Wolves (IHL) coaching staff for three years.
This is a good step for Roberts, as Plymouth owner Peter Karmanos, who also owns the Carolina Hurricanes, tends to promote from within. For example, Paul Maurice, who coached the Whalers in the early '90s, has been coach of the Hurricanes since they were in Hartford. His seven year's tenure with one NHL team is exceeded only by Scotty Bowman.
6/19/01
Winer to UMass-Amherst
5'10" Governor Dummer Academy goaltender Gabe Winer has committed to UMass-Amherst. Winer, who'll be entering his senior year this fall, is from Stoughton, Mass. and has been a huge factor in GDA's turnaround of the last couple of years.
In addition to UMass-Amherst, Winer visited BC, Dartmouth, and UNH. However, UMass was the school he visited first and the first to make an offer, so the goalie, an '84 who, by the way, catches right, decided to go for it.
Tim Warner, an '83 from Avon Old Farms, enters UMass-Amherst this fall, so it looks like it will be Warner and Winer, a nice alliterative goaltending combo, in the net for the Minutemen starting in the fall of 2002.
6/18/01 Editorial
Michigan-MSU Misbegotten
It's official now, having been announced at a press conference this morning: On Saturday, October 6 at 6 pm, Michigan and Michigan State will face off against each other outdoors... in Michigan State's 72,027 seat football stadium.
"This is more than just another hockey game between two old rivals -- it's an event," MSU Athletics Director Clarence Underwood said.
Perhaps Underwood is right, but an "event" is not always a good thing. The maiden voyage of the Titanic, to use just one handy example, was an "event." Why does a Michigan State-Michigan hockey game, which we always found to be just fine in Yost or Munn Arenas, suddenly have to be puffed up like a bad blimp?
"Our goal," Underwood added, "is to break the world record for hockey attendance."
In other words, it's a Guinness Book of World Records stunt. And, as goals go, a dubious one.
But no matter: to pull it off, Underwood will need over 55,000 people willing to shell out $10-18 apiece to sit enormous distances from the action. A cursory look reveals that, from a fan's point of view, the seats are all lousy. The temporary rink, in case you're wondering, is way out in the middle of the football field, between the 20-yard lines. The game might as well be held in the middle of Lake Michigan, with bleachers on the opposite shores.
The strangest part of all this is the fact that Michigan put a diagram on its web site (see link below) that shows the stadium and how the temporary rink, said to cost as much as $500,000, will be situated. It doesn't exactly make you want to rush out and buy tickets (four games played across the field on four different rinks, might have been a better idea -- how about Michigan-Michigan State on Rink A; The Beanpot on Rink B; North Dakota-Minnesota on Rink C; and Middlebury-Norwich on Rink D?)
We suspect the raison d'être for this game is so the AD and others in the Michigan State Athletic Department can add to their résumés the fact that they hosted the biggest hockey game of all time.
The 55,000 fans needed to set the world record stems from March 5, 1957, when that number of frostbitten Russians showed up at Moscow's Lenin Stadium to watch Sweden beat the Soviet Union, 3-2, for the World Championship. What nobody is mentioning about that tilt is the fact that Nikita Khrushchev, that old shoe-banger, ordered Russians, in particular military personnel, to attend the game. Admission was free.
6/18/01
Hennessy Opts for Major Junior
All the Div. I schools that were eyeing Milton Academy forward Josh Hennessy can bid it adieu. Hennessy, who just finished his 9th grade year, has opted to go major junior. He will play for the Quebec Remparts, who drafted him in the second round (19th overall) of Saturday's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.
Hennessy, according to his agent Bob O'Connell of Global Sports Advisors, wanted "the quickest route to the NHL" and decided that major junior was it. He thus turned down an opportunity to play in the U.S. National Program and gain what would almost certainly be a full scholarship to any Div. I program he wanted.
Hennessy becomes the first high profile New England player to go to the QMJHL since New England became its exclusive region two years ago. Tangentially, there has been talk for some time now about the QMJHL placing a franchise in Lewiston, Maine in a year or two, so that may help the league develop a toe hold in New England, though financially it's hardly a safe bet. In other words, look for St. Dom's to outdraw them.
Hennessy's draft year is 2003.
6/17/01
Seven U.S. Kids Picked in QMJHL Draft
Seven U.S. kids -- all from New England, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's exclusive region this side of the border -- were selected in yesterday's league draft, held at the Verdun Auditorium.
The seven selected, led by Milton Academy's Josh Hennessy (2nd round, 19th overall), represent half the number selected in last year's draft, when 14 New England players were drafted -- and none chose to head north. Look for the same to happen this year, as the QMJHL has totally failed to gain a footprint -- or even a pawprint -- in New England.
Before going any further, we should mention that the #1 selection in the draft was 6'1", 214 lb. RW Steve Bernier of Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy. Bernier was selected by Moncton.
Anyway, here are the U.S. players drafted:
- 2nd round (#19 overall) by Quebec -- Josh Hennessy, LW, Milton Academy
- 12th round (#182 overall) by Sherbrooke -- Greg Moore, RW, U.S. Under-17 Team
- 13th round (#193 overall) by Montreal -- Greg Schultz, RW, N.E. Jr. Coyotes
- 13th round (#203 overall) by Halifax -- Matt Brody, LD, Austin Prep
- 14th round (#209 overall) by Moncton -- Ben Lovejoy, RD, Deerfield Academy
- 15th round (#225 overall) by Montreal -- A.J. Bucchino, G, Tilton Academy
- 15th round (#232 overall) by Cape Breton -- Evan Shaw, LD, U.S. Under-17 Team
Protocol note: '85s could only be drafted in the first five rounds, while '83s and '84s could be drafted in any round.
6/15/01
Younger Than Yesterday
USA Hockey, at its Board of Directors meeting in Colorado Springs, approved a change in youth hockey age classification, aligning it with the calendar year and, in effect, making everyone "six months younger."
The changes, which will not go into place until the 2002-03 season, will provide consistency with Canadian youth ice hockey age groupings. It also brings U.S. youth hockey in line with other USA Hockey programs -- e.g. Select Teams, the National Program, World Juniors -- which go strictly by the calendar year.
A year from now, this is how things will look:
- Date of Birth Age Category Age Division
- 7/1/84 to 12/31/84 6 months only! Midget
- 1985 17 years of age Midget
- 1986 16 years of age Midget
- 1987 15 years of age Midget
- 1988 14 years of age Bantam
- 1989 13 years of age Bantam
- 1990 12 years of age Pee Wee
- 1991 11 years of age Pee Wee
- 1992 10 years of age Squirt
- 1993 9 years of age Squirt
- 1994 8 and under Mite
6/15/01
Mid-Am Select 16 & 17 Squads Named
Here are the Select 16 and 17 teams from the Mid-Am District. The writing on the rosters all this was transcribed from was very small (kind of like this, but smaller), so there might be a few misspellings of players' names. Let us know if you see any. The 15s will be named later.
Mid-Am Select 17 Team ('84s)
Goaltenders (2): Kyle Rudman (St. Edwards HS); Peter Mannino (Cleveland Barons)
Defensemen (6): Christopher Colvin (Team Ohio); Michael Cook (Columbus Crush); Raymond Dagli (Lake Catholic); Keith Jordan (State College); Patrick O'Neill (Cleveland Barons); Dylan Reese (Pittsburgh Hornets)
Forwards (11): Scott Bordieri (Ft. Wayne Comets); Ben Camper (Cleveland Barons); Drew Carnahan (Dayton Gems); Grady Clinghan (Shattuck St. Mary's); Joseph Federoff (Pittsburgh Hornets); Matthew Jones (St. John's HS); Matthew Lombardo (Cleveland Barons); Jim McClain (St. Edward's HS); Doug Miller (Beaver HS); Tim Snyder (Pittsburgh Hornets); Eric Tetzlaff (Cleveland Barons)
Head Coach: Mike Mankowski. Assistant Coaches: Dave Smith and Joe Gaul
Mid-Am Select 16 Team ('85s)
Goaltenders (2): Dru Delaforet (Thomas Worthington HS); Jason Kearney (Viper Stars)
Defensemen (6): Stewart Carlin (Compuware); Nicholas Kuqali (Pittsburgh Viper Stars); Steven Leppo (Pittsburgh Hornets); Grant Lewis (North Hills Viper Stars); Bobby Phillips (Indy Checkers); Christopher Robinson (Detroit Honeybaked)
Forwards (11): Nicholas Biondo (Cleveland Barons); Jace Buzek (Detroit Honeybaked); Stephen Culbertson (Bowling Green HS); William DePaoli (Pittsburgh Hornets); Brian Moore (Culver "B" Varsity); V.J. Nardy (Cleveland Lumberjacks); Steve Niederriter (Detroit Honeybaked); Matthew Puntureri (Pittsburgh Hornets); David Smith (Columbus Icemen); Sean Sutphen (St. Charles HS); Joseph Ulerich (Shadyside Academy)
Head Coach: Rob Haberbusch. Assistant Coaches: Steve Brent and Wade Nilson
6/13/01
Bourque to Cushing
After all that national TV time during the Stanley Cup finals, the family of Raymond Bourque is almost as recognizable as #77 himself. And the oldest boy, Christopher Bourque -- he's the one who was jumping up and down with his arms over his head -- is heading to Cushing Academy this fall. Bourque, a forward who will be entering the 9th grade, played for the Littleton (Colorado) Bantams last winter and will be playing for Team Massachusetts at the U.S.A. Hockey Select 15 Festival in St. Cloud this August.
With 10 seniors on the team, Cushing coach Steve Jacobs is bringing some top young players into the program. Including Bourque, five of them will be representing their districts in St. Cloud, and two, forwards Michael Rego (9th gr.) and Sam D'Agostino (9th gr.), will be teammates on the Massachusetts team. Rego, who played for the Middlesex Islanders this past season, is the son of Mickey Rego, who starred for Merrimack in the late '70s. D'Agostino played for Austin Prep.
Other forwards include: Chris Sabo (10th gr.), who played at Delbarton in New Jersey and is the brother of former Cushing and NTDP forward John Sabo. The younger Sabo will be playing in St. Cloud for the Atlantic District Select team. Coming to Cushing as an 11th grader is Chris Fontas (11th gr.), a 6'1, 170 lb. center who was an all-state at Nashua (NH) High School. He's the son of Jon Fontas, a star center at UNH from 1974-78.
On defense, 6'0", 190 lb. Mike Reynolds, a smooth skater who played for St. Ray's in Rhode Island and will play for Team New England at St. Cloud, will be coming in as a 10th grader. Coming in as a 9th grader is Cardigan Mountain's Andrew Woodford, the younger brother of recent vintage Cushing star Michael Woodford. Last but by no means least is 6'4', 205 lb. Kyle Koziara (10th gr.), formerly of the Springfield Jr. Pics Bantams. Koziara moves very well for his size and age, shows poise with the puck, and could be a big-timer before long.
6/13/01
Southeast Select Teams Named
Here are the Select 15, 16, & 17 Teams from the newly-minted Southeast District -- one of two "expansion teams" in this summer's USA Hockey Select Festivals (the other is Dakota, which has six slots for players from North and South Dakota kids, with the rest filled out by at-large players).
Southeast Select 17 Team ('84s)
Goaltenders (1): Craig Vardy (Leesburg, Virginia)
Defensemen (3): Brian Coleman (Falls Church, Virginia); Roderick Johnson (Powder Springs, Georgia); Alex Schimelpfening (Sherwood, Arkansas)
Forwards (11): Andrew Broughton (Oldsmar, Florida); Kurt Carter (Columbia, Maryland); Alex Cohen (Miami, Florida); Matt Crum (Clearwater, Florida); Cliff Merrill (Rockville, Maryland); Timothy Nussbaum (Potomac, Maryland); Steven Plattby (Seminole, Florida); Eric Pretto (Clearwater, Florida); Bryan Sobonya (Manassas, Virginia); John Turner (Mathews, N. Carolina); Matt Weber (Potomac, Maryland)
Southeast Select 16 Team ('85s)
Goaltenders (1): Clayton Adams (Chevy Chase, Maryland)
Defensemen (4): Robert Bracke (Germantown, Maryland); Nick Brzuchalski (Forest Hill, Maryland); Mike Forman (Ruson, Louisiana); Thomas Harrison (Springfield, Virginia)
Forwards (11): Robbie Arnone (Great Falls, Virginia); Sam Bowles (Davidson, Maryland); Chris Donovan (Fairfax, Virginia); Matt Fairchild (Ashburn, Virginia); Matt Fritz (Chapel Hill, N. Carolina); Brian Gallagher (Davidsonville, Maryland); Marc Howe (Hollywood, Florida); Wyatt Kuperman (Washington, DC); Jeff Morgan (Virginia Beach, Virginia); Bobby Plant (Laurel, Maryland); Nick Shackford (Burke, Virginia)
Southeast Select 15 Team ('86s)
Goaltenders (2): Kelly Curl (McLeansville, N. Carolina); Matthew Demas (Somerville, S. Carolina)
Defensemen (4): Ian Goodwin (Cooper City, Florida); Jason Seney (Silver Spring, Maryland); Dillon Rioux (Weston, Florida); Mark Ponte (Pembroke Pines, Florida)
Forwards (11): Anthony Marrone (West Palm Beach, Florida); Michael Vaskivuo (West Palm Beach, Florida); Justin Zucchini (Weston, Florida); Tommy Bardis (Alpharetta, Georgia); Steven Cipriano (Sunrise, Florida); Ben Grotting (Birmingham. Alabama); Thomas Genova (Virginia Beach, Virginia); Jeremiah Cunningham (Ashburn, Virginia); Shane Falcon (Pembroke Pines, Florida); Ben Bunk (Gaithersburg, Maryland); Joseph Crisp (Charleston, S. Carolina)
6/12/01
Mass. Select Teams Named
Here are the Select 15, 16, & 17 teams that will be representing the Commonwealth this summer at the USA Hockey Select Festivals, to be held in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the banks of the Mississippi.
Massachusetts Select 17 Team ('84s)
Goaltenders (2): Adam Geragosian (N. Andover); Kevin Regan (S. Boston)
Defensemen (6): David Cioch (Ludlow); Colin Greenhalgh (Marshfield); Noah Lucia (Brookline); Chris Murray (Dover); David Norton (Marlboro); Sean Sullivan (Braintree)
Forwards (12): Brian Boyle (Hingham); Brian Ciborowski (W. Springfield); Kevin Colwell (Wellesley); Paul D'Agostino (Foxborough); Patrick Dufault (Shrewsbury); Patrick Forshner (Natick); John Halverson (Lexington); Lyle Gal (Amherst); Scott McDougall (Mansfield); Raymond Ortiz (Charlestown); Kenneth Roche (S. Boston); Dan Shribman (Swampscott)
Head Coach: Steve Dagdigian. Assistant Coaches: Bill Gilligan and Jack Sweeney. Team Leader: John Riordan.
Massachusetts Select 16 Team ('85s)
Goaltenders (2): Phil Greer (Franklin); Keith Longo (Hopedale)
Defensemen (6): Andrew Baird (Holbrook); Jay Bletzer (Medfield); Joe Cappelano (S. Boston); Greg Goldman (Westwood); Phil McDavitt (Duxbury); Bret Tyler (Maynard)
Forwards (12): Ted Brzek (Duxbury); Kevin Coughlin (S. Boston); Josh Hennessey (Rockland); Thomas Maregni (Ashland); Stephen McClellan (Milton); Brian McGuirk (Danvers); Nicholas Monroe (Acton); Aaron Moore (Medfield); Chris Poli (Medfield); Joe Rooney (Canton); Mike Rosata (Needham); James Russo (Marshfield).
Head Coach: Jamie Rice. Assistant Coach: Paul Pearl. Team Leader: Chip Bradbury.
Massachusetts Select 15 Team ('86s)
Goaltenders (2): Cory Schnieder (Marblehead); Christopher Mannix (Acton)
Defensemen (6): Brian McCafferty (Lexington); Dan McGoff (Charlestown); Rory Farrell (Westfield); Sam Curtis (Jamaica Plain); Topher Bevis (Harvard); Alex Sousa (Billerica)
Forwards (12): Christopher Bourque (Topsfield); Adam Pineault (Holyoke); Matthew Nelson (Westwood); Alex Muse (Lynnfield); Greg McCarthy (Medfield); Nick Coskren (Walpole); Seth Seidman (Milton); Patrick Kimball (Framingham); Ryan Ginand (Milford); Michael Rego (Hudson); Sam D'Agostino (Medford); Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman (Westborough)
Head Coach: Mike Bavis. Assistant Coach: Nate Leaman (tentative). Team Leader: Paul Stelzer.
6/11/01
Pietrasiak a Hot Property
Berkshire School goaltender Jeff Pietrasiak is going into his senior year as the most-heavily recruited prep school goaltender in a while, perhaps since J.R. Prestifilippo of Hotchkiss six years ago.
So far Pietrasiak, who is staying at Berkshire, has visited UNH, BC, Yale, and UMass-Amherst. Michigan and Colorado College are interested, too, and visits there may come in the fall.
Pietrasiak, 6'1", 180 lbs. and agile, is from Shrewsbury, Mass. (outside Worcester), and played at St. Peter Marian HS before going to Berkshire as a junior. With Berkshire this past season, he had eight shutouts. Noteworthy games included a 1-1 tie vs. Taft Dec. 4; a 2-2 tie vs. Cushing on Jan. 13; a 1-0 shutout over Westminster on Feb. 17; and, the biggest of all, a 2-0 shutout that at Taft in the NEPSAC quarterfinals that sent Berkshire on to the final four in Salem, NH.
Notes: It's looked all along like the University of Maine is where 6'1", 204 lb. U.S. Under-17 RW Greg Moore will be showing up in the fall of '02. That scenario still looks like the most likely one. However, the Lisbon, Maine native -- and ex-St. Dom's standout -- hasn't committed to the Black Bears yet. Look for Moore, who finds his scoring touch has improved since switching to a longer stick, to visit Boston University sometime before July 1.... Mike Corbett, who has spent the last five years as head coach of the Butte Fighting Irish and Billings Bulls of the AWHL has joined the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. Corbett, a 29 year old native of Green Bay, Wisc., played defense at Denver Univeristy (1993-97).... Trinity-Pawling captain Jamie Parker is headed to St. Lawrence, where he will redshirt his freshman year.... John Toffey, who helped lead St. Sebastian's to the New England prep championship this season, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 47th round of the major league baseball draft last week. Toffey, a center and a right-handed pitcher, will be attempting to pull off a double and play both sports at Ohio State next season. Under the rules of the baseball draft, the Rockies lose the rights to Toffey as soon as he attends his first class at Ohio State. However, unlike in hockey, baseball players can be drafted several times -- out of high school, after their junior year in college, and again after their senior year.
6/11/01
Cohen to NTDP
6'0", 160 lb. RD Matthew Cohen of the New Jersey Devils Bantams will be heading to Ann Arbor this fall to join the U.S. National Program.
Cohen is a smooth, fluid skater with size, and, given that his father is 6'2", could well put on another two inches.
Cohen, who was accepted into Taft and other prep schools before the invite from Ann Arbor came, comes from New York City -- lower Manhattan, to be precise, an unusual domicile for a hockey player (though it sure didn't stop the Mullens).
6/08/01
The Latest on Guyer
Greenway HS center Gino Guyer, the leading scorer in Minnesota high school hockey this past season and one of the top recruits in the country, has decisions to make.
First, there's college. On Tuesday, Guyer visited Minnesota-Duluth, which is down the road apiece from his hometown of Coleraine, Minn. Duluth was the fourth school Guyer visited, the others being North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota. Also, he may be visiting Wisconsin.
There could be another addition, though. In late April, Pat Guyer, Gino's father and high school coach, was in Boston en route to a men's hockey tournament in Nova Scotia, and, acting on encouragement from his son, stopped by Boston University for a visit. Guyer, one of the top high school coaches in Minnesota, liked Boston -- and B.U. -- a lot. So don't be surprised to see Gino head east for a visit to Babcock Street.
Guyer, who's around 5'10", maybe 5'11", and 175 lbs., is a clever, cerebral type who can make a great pass or finish, and is very tough to defend against. A 10/14/83 birthdate, Guyer posted a 38-49-87 line in 27 games to help lead Greenway to a third-place finish in the Minnesota State High School Tournament in March. He will enter his senior year as the hands-on favorite to win the state's Mr. Hockey award -- that is, if he decides to play his senior year at Greenway.
Guyer, after the state tournament, joined the Lincoln Stars and played with them through the USHL playoffs (Lincoln lost to Omaha in the Clark Cup finals). Guyer adapted instantly, and, including playoffs, had a 5-7-12 line in 15 games.
Will he spend his senior year in the USHL or back on the Iron Range? In the past, Guyer, who was invited to join the U.S. National Program two straight years, has elected to stay home and play for his father and, starting last season, with younger brother Andrew, a defenseman. This year, coming off a state tournament in which his team went to overtime of all three games they played in the Xcel Center, but had to settle for third place, he may feel there's some unfinished business to attend to. However, he may feel likewise about the Lincoln Stars, who went to the fifth and deciding game of the Clark Cup finals before bowing to the Omaha Lancers.
Stay tuned.
6/08/01
Minnesota Select 17's Named
Here is the Minnesota Select 17 Team. The Select 17 Festival runs from June 30-July 6 in St. Cloud, Minn. For the Minnesota Select 16 Team, please check 4/30/01 USHR News. Minnesota will be holding its Select 15 camp starting next week in St. Cloud.
Minnesota Select 17 Team ('84s)
Goaltenders (2): Jonathan Anderson (White Bear Lake HS); Josh Johnson (Cloquet HS).
Defensemen (6): Jim Jensen (Hill Murray HS); Brandon Longley (Elk River HS); Matthew Maunu (Cloquet HS); John Paulson (Benilde -St. Margaret's HS); Josh Williams (Osseo HS); Christopher Wothe (Park Rapids HS).
Forwards (12): Pat Borgestad (St. Paul Como HS); Mike Franks (Burnsville HS); Matt Hartman (St. Cloud Apollo HS); Ryan Hawkins (Eden Prairie HS); Ryan Helgason (Woodbury HS); Tyler Hirsch (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Mike Howe (St. Cloud Apollo HS); Travis Morin (Osseo HS); Zach Parisé (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Nick Pernula (Osseo HS); Ian Ross (Hibbing HS); Scott Thauwald (Rochester Mayo HS).
Head Coach : Dave Hendrickson. Assistant Coaches: Eric Means and Pat Forte. Team Leader: Gene King.
6/07/01
Forward of the Future is BC's
Long-time followers of college hockey who are still trying to come to grips with the large number of 11th graders committing early had best sit down for this one: BC coach Jerry York has just gotten a commitment from 6'1", 176 lb. center Adam Pineault of the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL)
Pineault, who's finishing up his 9th grade year at Holyoke Catholic High School, celebrated his 15th birthday two weeks ago.
Pineault, who made an unofficial visit to The Heights this winter, knew all along he wanted to go to BC and didn't really consider other schools. He told coach York of his decision Tuesday. He'll receive a full athletic scholarship.
This fall, Pineault, a 5/23/86 birthday, will be heading to the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he'll play for Moe Mantha on the Under-17 Team. Pineault will be the only '86 in the program, but, given that he already has a year of junior experience under his belt, he should adapt quickly. A right shot, Pineault is a classic power forward with skill. He has size, toughness, fights for position in front of the net, and can drop the gloves, too. He possesses a bullet of a shot, and does a lot of little things well, e.g. winning faceoffs a remarkably high percentage of the time. Pineault sees the ice well, and is patient with the puck. As a 14 year old this past season, he averaged better than a point a game for the Junior Bruins, and by mid-season was playing on the team's top line with DI recruits Chris Casey (Army) and Greg Mauldin (UMass-Amherst). The Junior Bruins are coached by former Boston College defenseman Peter Masters.
In Ann Arbor this fall, Pineault will be going into the 10th grade. That means he's scheduled to arrive at The Heights in the fall of 2004. Of course, he could accelerate, which would put him on track for 2003.
6/06/01
Hutchins Commits
5'11", 190 lb. LD Michael Hutchins, a son of the Granite State, has committed to UNH.
A late '82 birthdate, Hutchins has played the last two seasons for the St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. He's moving on, though, having opted to spend his senior year honing his game in the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers and "new" coach Bob Ferguson.
Hutchins, a native of Wolfeboro, NH (that's up on Lake Winnipesaukee), is the younger brother of former Lawrence Academy and Boston College winger Tony Hutchins.
Hutchins' final decision was between BC and UNH. When defensemen Peter Harrold and then Ben Lovejoy committed to the Eagles, Hutchins slid over to the Wildcats.
Hutchins, very athletic, has the quick feet necessary for the big sheet in Durham. A hard-nosed type, he has a good shot, and moves the puck efficiently.
He joins Cushing Academy's Brian Yandle, also a D, as the first two UNH recruits for the fall of 2002.
6/04/01
Six '86s Named for Czech Trip
Six of the United States' top '86s will be heading to the Czech Republic later this month to take part in an International Ice Hockey Federation tournament for the best of that birth year.
USA Hockey will be sending:
- G- Chris Carlson, Chicago Chill Midget Minor
- D- Matt Lashoff, Connecticut Yankees '86
- D- Brian McCafferty, Belmont Hill School
- F- Adam Pineault, Boston Jr. Bruins (EJHL)
- F- Chad Kolarik, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Bantam Major/LaSalle (Penn.) HS
- F- Robbie Schremp, Syracuse Jr. Crunch (OPJHL)
The above players, chosen by USA Hockey scouts, will leave the U.S. on June 29 and return July 8.
Every IIHF country -- some more than others -- will be represented at this tournament, which will take place in Nymburk, Czech Republic, 50 km from Prague. There will be six teams of 17 players, and to achieve a multinational mix, kids will be spread equally among the squads. Should be an interesting challenge for the coaches.
Finland, Russia, Canada, Czech Republic, Sweden, and the U.S. will each be sending six players.
Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Germany, Belarus, the Ukraine, and Slovakia each get to send three players (Slovakia only gets three?)
Poland, Latvia, Hungary, France, Norway, and Japan each will send two.
A whole slew of countries -- Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, and Mexico, to name just a few -- will be sending one player apiece.
6/01/01
Win Some, Lose Some
6'1", 190 lb. forward Patrick Murphy of the Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL) has committed to Michigan Tech for this coming fall. Murphy, who posted a 13-18-31 scoring line in 40 games for Newmarket, played the 1999-2000 seaon with the U.S. Under-17 Team. Though he's an Aurora, Ont. resident, he's a dual citizen, born 7/24/83 in Encino, California when his father, former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Murphy, was playing his final NHL season with the L.A. Kings. Murphy, who works today in the NHL front office, is also the father of Ryan Murphy, a 4th round Carolina draft pick who just graduated from Bowling Green.
While we're on the subject of Michigan Tech, they have lost their recruiting battle for Joe Jensen, which hurts because he's a legacy, being the son of former Tech star -- and 1976 U.S. Olympian -- Paul Jensen. The younger Jensen, a skilled, gritty center at Osseo (Minn.) HS, went on to the Sioux Falls Stampede this past season and, including playoffs, posted a 16-24-40 line in 64 games.
The winner for Jensen's services? St. Cloud State.
6/01/01
The Great Circle Route
Former Avon Old Farms goaltender Todd Marr, who spent a semester at Northeastern before embarking on a 1½ year sojourn in the USHL with Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, was accepted at -- and looked like he was going to -- Div. III Wesleyan, the alma mater of his former prep coach John Gardner. However, in the wake of Chris Gartman leaving Cornell for the USHL, Marr has transferred up to Ithaca and will battle for playing time in the Big Red net. It won't be easy, at least this season, as Matt Underhill (1.28/.928) is back for his senior season and highly regarded David Leneveu of the Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) arrives on campus this fall.
***
- Copyright © 2001 U.S. Hockey Report
All rights reserved.
Duplication or redistribution in any form is illegal.
7/03/01
At last week's Select 16 Festival twenty players were chosen to represent the U.S. at a four nations tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia next month.
They are:
Goaltenders (2): Alvaro Montoya (Central); Mike Zacharias (Minnesota).
Defensemen (6): Bryan Cirullo (New England); Matt Hunwick (Michigan); Jeff Likens (Central); Ryan Suter (Central); Bret Tyler (Massachusetts); Dan Venard (Central).
Forwards (12): Aaron Bader (Minnesota); Mike Bartlett (Central); Brent Borgen (Minnesota); Anthony Canzoneri (Central); J.D. Corbin (Rocky Mt.); Jake Dowell (Central); Josh Hennessy (Massachusetts); T.J. Hensick (Michigan); Brian McGuirk (Massachusetts); Joe Rooney (Massachusetts); Jimmy Russo (Massachusetts); John Vigilante (Michigan). j
The head coach is Boston College's Scott Paluch. Assistants will be Jim Hillman of the Tri-City Storm (USHL) and Doc DelCastillo of St. Cloud State.
The team will meet in Laurel, Maryland on August 2 for a mini-camp; depart on the 4th and arrive in Slovakia on the 5th. They will play exhibition games on Aug 6-7 and then begin the three-game tournament with a Aug. 9 game vs. Slovakia. On Aug. 10 they play the Czech Republic, and finish with a Aug. 12 tilt vs. Switzerland. The team will fly home on Aug. 13.
Seven of the twenty players chosen to the squad are from the Central District, which fell to Michigan in the gold medal game. Massachusetts had five players named; Minnesota and Michigan three apiece, and New England and Rocky Mt. one each.
7/03/01
Here are the players we felt stood out at last week's Select 16 Festival here in St. Cloud, Minn. The tournament, which featured a good group of high-end players, was won by Michigan, which upended a loaded Central team, 5-3, in the gold medal game. Atlantic, which had no quit in them, knocked off Massachusetts, 5-4 in OT to pick up the bronze. The all-tournament team consisted of forwards Josh Hennessy (Mass.), T.J. Hensick (Michigan), Brent Borgen (Minn.); defensemen Ryan Suter and Jeff Likens (both Central); and goaltender Alvaro Montoya (also Central).
