Established 1996
 
 

U.S. Hockey Report

July News

U.S. Select Rosters   

 

7/31/01

Weber a Scratch for Junior Camp

Goaltender Travis Weber, a Golden Gopher recruit out of the NTDP and Hibbing, Minn., is a late scratch for the junior camp, which begins Friday in Lake Placid, NY. Weber is recovering from knee surgery and is not yet ready for game action. There may or may not be a replacement named. (Without Weber, there are still four goalies in camp.)

After a day of practice on Friday, a series of three games between the East and West squads listed below commence Saturday at 8 pm, and continue on Sunday and Monday at 5 pm.

These rosters are subject to change, as coach Keith Allain may want to see how different combinations, etc. work.

Team East

Forwards (12): Ed Caron, Chris Higgins, Justin Maiser, Eric Nystrom, Dwight Helminen, Chris Fournier, Tom Cavanagh, Jimmy Slater, Jon Waibel, Matt Herneisen, Barry Tallackson, Chad LaRose.

Defensemen (7): Keith Ballard, Neil Komadoski, Mark Stuart, Ryan Whitney, Matt Jones, Brandon Rogers, Joey Hope.

Goaltenders (2): Dwight LaBrosse, Nick Pannoni.

Team West 

Forwards (12): Dennis Packard, Bryan Perez, Gregg Johnson, Colin Stuart, Ben Eaves, Ryan Hollweg, Brian McConnell, Gino Guyer, Scott Polaski, Dave Spina, Ryan Murphy, Brandon Bochenski.

Defensemen (7): Brett Lebda, Jesse Lane, Noah Welch, Eric Reitz, Bryan Miller, Bryce Lampman, Sean Curry. 

Goaltenders (2): Steven Belanger, Jason Bacashihua.

Note: The returnees from last winter's junior team -- Tim Gleason, Michael Komisarek, Rob Globke, David Steckel, R.J. Umberger, Kris Vernarsky -- come to camp next week for the series vs. Finland.

 

7/30/01 

Raduns to NTDP

6'2", 185 lb. right-shot center Nate Raduns of Sauk Rapids, a Class A high school in Minnesota's Rum River Conference, will be joining the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Last winter, Raduns posted a 24-36-60 line in 24 games for Sauk Rapids, where he also played football. Earlier this month, he had a strong week at the Select 17 Festival -- and the rest is history. In addition to his size, Raduns is deceptively fast, and can make a play or finish. 

As an '84, Raduns will age out after this season, hence he'll be a one-year player for the NTDP. That means he'll likely play in the USHL for his senior year in high school, much like former NTDP members Keith Ballard and Jake Fleming did this past season.

For those of you not familiar with Minnesota geography, Sauk Rapids, which is across the Mississippi from St. Cloud, is not to be confused with Sauk Center, which is 35 or so miles up Interstate 94. Sauk Center, of course, is where author Sinclair Lewis (Babbitt, Main Street, Arrowsmith, etc.) grew up and lived until heading off to Yale where, it should be noted, he did not play hockey for coach Tim Taylor. 

 

7/30/01

Packard, Curry Added to Junior Camp 

With Michigan State recruit Lee Falardeau, a 6'3", 202 lb. forward, out with a wrist injury; and Jared Newman, a 6'2", 201 lb. RD with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) out with mono, their slots have been filled by, respectively, Dennis Packard and Sean Curry. 

Packard, a 6'5", 215 lb. RW from Kingston, PA, played a year with the U.S. NTDP before going on to Harvard. In 33 games as a freshman with the Crimson, Packard posted a 4-4-8 line. A 2/9/82 birthdate, Packard was drafted by Tampa Bay in the 7th round of last month's NHL draft.

Curry, a 6'4", 230 lb. RD, played last season, his first in major junior, with the Tri-City Americans (WHL). In 72 games played, he posted a 5-12-17 line and had 113 pims. A native of Burnsville, Minn., where he played for Burnsville High, Curry is a 4/29/82 birthdate. He was drafted by Carolina in the 7th round of last month's NHL draft.

 

7/27/01

Capraro a Minuteman

5'8", 175 lb. Austin Prep center Chris Capraro is headed to UMass next fall. Capraro, a highly-skilled '83, was the top goal scorer in Massachusetts last season, finishing with a 36-42-78 line. He was named MVP of the Catholic Central League. He will return to Austin Prep for his senior year. 

 

7/27/01

Przepiorka Switches Leagues 

Eric Przepiorka, the 5'9" right-shot center and Dartmouth College recruit from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, will be moving from the Chicago  Freeze (NAHL) to the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) for the upcoming season.

Przepiorka is one of over 30 NAHL players either drafted or tendered by USHL teams for the upcoming season. A number of other NAHL kids who weren't drafted or tendered have tried out for -- and, in some cases, made -- USHL teams.

Przepiorka, one of the top scorers in the NAHL last season (32-27-59 in 51 gp), has excellent leadership qualities, so head coach Tony Gasparini will be looking to him for that, especially given that the Stampede could be carrying as many as eight players who are still in high school.  

One of those high schoolers will be 6'2", 180 lb. RD Mike Vannelli, the Gopher recruit out of Cretin-Durham Hall (the alma mater of Paul Molitor). The son of former Gopher Tom Vannelli, the MVP of the 1976 NCAA Tournament, the younger Vanelli has come out of nowhere in the past year. 

In addition to having size, Vanelli makes great decisions, has a head for the game, and keeps improving steadily. He'll play for Cretin-Durham Hall again, but will do a before-and-after with the Stampede.  

Other Stampede newcomers still in high school are:

-- Senior Jacob Macflikier, a small, highly-skilled forward from Western Canada most recently at Shattuck-St.Mary's.

-- Senior Cody Blanchan, a big defenseman -- he's the son of the former Minnesota Viking linebacker --  out of Minnesota's Eastview HS. 

-- Senior Nick Pernula, a speedy forward from Osseo HS. Pernula actually played nine games with the Stampede last season. 

-- Senior Chris Wothe, a 5'9" mobile defenseman out of Cottage Grove- Park Rapids HS (Minn.).. 

-- Senior Jake Wilkens, a 6'1", 200 lb. defenseman from Alaska who played last season for the Vernon Vipers (BCHL).

-- Junior Jeremy Smith, a quick, offensively-gifted 5'9" defenseman who's also an Alaskan, having played for the Alaska All-Stars Midget AAA squad last season.

Wothe, Smith, and Wilkens are all coming off strong showings at the Select 17 Festival. 

Stampede newcomers who have completed high school include speedy University of North Dakota forward Quinn Fylling; goaltender Layne Sedevie and forwards Jason Moul and Steven Canter of the Billings Bulls (AWHL); forward Mike Forconi of Greenway-Coleraine HS (Minn.); and, last but by no means least, CC recruit and Roseville HS star Marty Sertich, Minnesota's Mr. Hockey this past season.

 

7/26/01

Fritsche to OHL

Cleveland Barons (NAHL) center Danny Fritsche, who was selected in the first round of May's OHL draft by the Sarnia Sting, will be signing with that club. 

Fritsche and his family were slow to commit primarily because they were trying to decide whether to go to the OHL or join the U.S. NTDP and keep the college option open.    

Though just an '85, Fritsche averaged better than a point a game (23-29-52 in 49 gp) in his rookie campaign last season.

Fritsche, mending a dislocated shoulder, will be ready to play by mid-September.   

 

7/26/01

Maki to NTDP

Michigan native Ryan Maki, a 6'1, 188 lb. RW who played in Ontario last season with the Alvinston Flyers, has accepted an invitation to join the U.S. NTDP. 

Maki, a 4/23/85 birthdate who had a strong showing at the U.S. Select 16 tournament last month, is a strong skater with size. With Alvinston he was 20-25-45.

Maki will play for the Under-17 team. 

 

7/23/01

Carlson Pick of Litter at Peterson Camp

Reports from the annual Dave Peterson Goaltenders Camp in Colorado Springs point to the '86s being a far thinner and less deep group than the '85s, which included Gerald Coleman, Alvaro Montoya, Joe Fallon, et al.

Here is our ranking of the top five:

1. Chris Carlson; Plainfield, Illinois -- Technically sound, and intelligent. Positional goaltender with good athletic ability. Mentally strong. Will be playing for the Chicago Chill Midgets in the coming season.

2. Jordan Pearce; Anchorage, Alaska -- Outstanding athletic ability and competitiveness.

3. Tim Higbee; Steamboat Springs, Colorado -- Has never had any high-level coaching, but just soaked up everything thrown his way -- a true sponge. Worked hard. Excellent upside.

4. Andrew Batson; Berkley, Michigan -- Doesn't have a strong concept of positional play, but his tremendous athleticism and aggressiveness gives him something to build on. An interesting prospect. Will be playing for Little Caesar's this season. 

5. Brady Williams: Lancaster, Penn. -- Very strong technically. Moves well. A textbook goalie who could loosen up a little, thus allowing his pure athletic ability to come into play. Will be playing for Central Penn. Jr. B.

 

7/23/01

Carlson on the Move?

OK, we're talking about a different Carlson here. This one is Corey Carlson, the 5'11", 165 lb. scoring machine out of Two Harbors High School, about 25 miles north of Duluth. The news is that Carlson, an early '85 entering his junior year, is looking to move up to a higher level of competition. And one thing he's seriously looking into is transferring to Greenway HS where he could play for coach Pat Guyer, likely be on a line with Gino Guyer and Andy Sertich, and compete for a state title, too (Greenway reached the state finals in March, coming in third).

Guyer was the leading scorer in Minnesota last winter with 87 points. Sertich was second with 80, while Carlson was fourth with 76.

Minnesota has liberal rules regarding transferring. Basically, all a player has to do is establish residency in a new town. And he can begin play immediately.

Note: Gino Guyer has completed home visits from Minnesota, St. Cloud State, North Dakota, and Minnesota-Duluth. His fifth and final visit will be from Boston University head coach Jack Parker, who is scheduled to arrive at the Guyer's Iron Range home shortly.

 

7/20/01

URI to Go Div. I?

The University of Rhode Island, the only state university in New England without varsity hockey, will be breaking ground Aug. 9 on a $12 million ice rink.

Look for men's and women's varsity programs to follow within a few years of the rink's expected opening in 2002. 

From there, it may be only a matter of time -- and money -- before URI takes a crack at Division I men's hockey. All of the school's other athletic teams compete in Division I.

As for the rink, it will have 2,500 seats and six dressing rooms. On top of that, there is plenty of room to add more seats, a fitness center and a second ice sheet. For purposes of comparison, a state-of-the-art Div. I rink like UNH's palatial Whittemore Center, which seats 6,000, cost $26.5 million -- more than twice as much -- when it was built six years ago. However, that also included the complete renovation of Snively Arena into a student athletic center.

Both Hockey East and the MAAC are receptive to the idea of URI someday applying for membership, says assistant athletic director Art Tuveson. 

In the meantime, the rink will be home to URI's men's and women's club teams. The men's team, under long-time coach Joe Augustine, a BC defensemen of the late '70s, finished 15th in the ACHA rankings last season. 

The University of Rhode Island is in Kingston, 30 miles south of Providence.

 

7/18/01

Top Prep Prospect Joins Lancers

6'4", 190 lb. Tim Cook, a right-shot D from Montclair, NJ and a sophomore last season at the Hotchkiss School, will be joining the Omaha Lancers. 

Cook, who not only has the frame, but the agility and good feet rare in a player of his height and age, has top DI -- and eventually pro -- potential. Cook was impressive at this month's Select 17 Festival, particularly when, after trying to do too much over the first day or two, he settled back into his game. He's a 3/13/84 birthdate. 

This month, Hotchkiss has lost its two top players. In addition to Cook, the school lost Steven Mandes, an '85 forward (see below), to the National Team Development Program.  

Cook will join speedy Jason Dest as the newcomers on the Lancers blueline. Dest, who committed to the Lancers after last month's tryout camp, is, like Cook, an '84. He played last winter for the Michigan Jaguars Midgets squad. A 6'0",165 lb. native of Fraser, Mich., Dest also stood out at the Select 17 Festival. 

 

7/18/01

Chico's the Man 

Danville Wings (NAHL) head coach Josh Mervis will be promoting associate coach Chico Adrahtas to head coach, with an announcement expected sometime this week. As for Mervis, he'll concentrate on his GM duties, coach the powerplay, and be on the bench for the majority of games. Andy Vicari, former St. Cloud State captain, will be elevated to assistant coach/assistant GM.

Adrahtas, a former goaltender, has coached for nearly twenty years, and at just about every amateur level. He is best known for his role in establishing Team Illinois as one of the elite midget programs in the country, winning a gold, two silvers, and a bronze at the USA National Championships. 

While we're on the subject of Danville, we should mention that one of the new recruits Adrahtas will be coaching this season will be 6'0" left-shot center Bryan Marshall, an '83 from the Honeybaked Midgets. Marshall, who stood out at the Wings recent tryout camp, is a strong skater with excellent hand-eye coordination. He's gritty and can fight (as he showed with a unanimous decision at the camp), but most of all he provides offense, as he showed last year when he led HoneyBaked with a 50-44-94 line in 73 games. Marshall is from Livonia, Michigan. 

 

7/18/01

Kallay to AJHL

Ian Kallay, who was an assistant to Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) head coach Mark Osiecki this past season, has been named head coach of the Drayton Valley Thunder, which finished the recent campaign with the second-best overall record in the Alberta Jr. Hockey League. 

Kallay, 27, is a native of Whitecourt, Alberta. He was a LW on the 1997 University of North Dakota NCAA championship team.

Luke Strand, 28, formerly a forward at Wisconsin-Eau Clair and an assistant at St. Norbert College, will be Kallay's replacement. Strand will be working with former Wisconsin former Erik Raygor, 28, who Osiecki added to his staff last month. Raygor has coached Superior (Wisc.) High School the past two seasons.  

 

7/13/01 

Mandes, Howard Picked for NTDP

Two players, helped in large part by strong performances at, respectively, the U.S. Select 16 and 17 Festivals, have been added to the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Joining the Under-17 Team will be forward Steve Mandes of Doylestown, Pennsylvania and the Hotchkiss School. Mandes, a 5'9", 176 lb. right-shot forward, is an explosive skater who is strong N-S and terrific laterally, possesses very good vision, better than average hands, and a competitive fire. At the Select 16 Festival a couple of weeks ago, Mandes and hardnosed 6'0" Central defenseman Ryan Suter, who will be his teammate this year in Ann Arbor, went at it hammer-and-tong in the corner one night, neither giving an inch. Mandes, by the way, is also a top student. 

Long-time readers of the USHR will remember Mandes from the 1999 Pee Wee Nationals. As his team marched to the national title, Mandes was on the ice for every single goal his team scored, actually picking up a point on all but two goals. The following year, Mandes played for the Valley Forge Minutemen Bantams and then went on to Hotchkiss. He's an 8/15/85 birthdate.

Howard, a goaltender, is from Ogdensburg, NY, up on the St. Lawrence River, not far from Potsdam, but has been playing junior hockey in Ontario since he was 14, first Jr. B for Westport, and then this past season with the Kanata Valley Lasers. While relatively unscouted over the winter, tapes were received and then broken down by former Nottre Dame goaltender Forrest Carr, a grad assistant at the National Program, who was deeply impressed. Howard continued his good work last week at the Select 17 festival in St. Cloud, getting the nod on the spot. He and fellow newcomer Alvaro Montoya will be with the Under-17 team when the season starts a little over two months from now. Tim Roth and Gerald Coleman will be with the Under-18 team.

 

7/13/01

Two for UVM

Two Massachusetts kids, Matt Hanson and Phil Youngclaus, are heading up to God's Country to join the University of Vermont Catamounts a year from this September.  

Youngclaus, from Newburyport, Mass. is a big stay-at-home D who played for the Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL) as a 15-year-old before moving on to Cushing Academy, where he's been a mainstay ever since. Youngclaus, an '83, will be spending his senior season at Cushing. 

Deerfield Academy goaltender Matt Hanson, the younger brother of former BU forward Bobby Hanson, will also be making the Gut his new home. Hanson, a small, quick goalie, is an '82 and will be spending his senior year at Deerfield. 

 

7/13/01

Whittet to Stay

Dartmouth assistant coach Brendan Whittet, reportedly the front-runner for the assistant's position at UMass-Lowell, has decided to stay in verdant Hanover, NH. 

It looks now, unless someone else emerges, that the position, open since assistant John Hynes left for the NTDP a few weeks ago, will go to either Merrimack assistant Mike Doneghy or former BU forward Jacques Joubert. 

 

7/12/01

The Ugly American 

What is it about summer hockey, anyway? Last summer, a man in North Reading, Mass. gets beaten to death at some meaningless youth pickup game and then, this afternoon, this comes across the Reuters wire. Does anybody out there know this nutball?

Canadian Police Seek U.S. Coach in Ice Rage Ruckus

TORONTO (Reuters) -- Canadian police are seeking a U.S. hockey coach to lay charges after an ice rage incident that was described by witnesses as one of the wildest cases they've ever seen, officials said on Thursday.

David McCabe, coach of the junior Minnesota Rangers team, allegedly chased a Canadian referee around the ice, threw him against the boards, grabbed him around the neck and shook him, while swearing profusely.

The scuffle flared up last Sunday during a consolation game at an international hockey tournament held in Brandon, a small city in the western province of Manitoba.

The Minnesota team was playing a Manitoba team of 13-year-olds when McCabe took offense at a call by referee Jeff Dietrich, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.

After being told to calm down and assessed a bench penalty, McCabe jumped over the boards and attacked the referee on the ice.

The ruckus lasted about 15 minutes before the coach was finally subdued by officials and whisked off the ice. The game was then called.

The Brandon Police Department is seeking an arrest warrant for McCabe, officer Murray Blight told Reuters on Thursday.

"But the prospect of getting it or finally laying charges against Mr. McCabe is unclear at the present stage," said Blight.

 

7/12/01

One Out; One In

BU forward Dan Cavanaugh, a junior last season, bid adieu to his teammates and coaches late last week and has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Wild organization. Look for the Wild to make an announcement next week. 

At the same time, LW David Van der Gulik, one of the top recruits from Western Canada, committed to the Terriers for 2002-03. Van der Gulik, who was also recruited by Michigan, Michigan State, Denver, and Notre Dame, is a pure goal scorer who, in 60 games with the Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL), posted a line of 42-38-80, very good numbers for an '83 in that league. He's 5'11", 175 lbs., hails from Abbotsford, B.C., and is described as a smart, slippery player with a good stick. Van der Gulik, who needs to fill out some, should be a force in the BCHL in the upcoming season -- as should Chiefs' teammates Gabe Gauthier and Steve Tambellini, both '84s.   

 

7/12/01

Select 17 Standouts
 

Here are the players we felt stood out at the Select 17 Festival, which wound up a week ago in St. Cloud, Minn., with Minnesota taking the gold with a 5-2 win over Central. Of the 82 players ranked below, 17 were off that Minnesota squad. (After that there was a dropoff, as New England had "only" nine; Pacific and New York had eight apiece; Mass and Michigan had seven; Dakota had six; Atlantic and Central had five; Mid-Am and Rocky Mt. had three; and Southeastern had two.)   

Anyway, in putting together this ranking, we looked, as always, for two key things -- potential, and actual performance at the tournament. In other words, some kids, just to give an example, are ranked 70% for performance; 30% for potential, while it's totally the opposite for others. We feel that every single player on this list is a strong candidate for play at the Jr. A level or higher.  
Teams listed are this past season's team's. The All-tournament Team consisted of goaltender Kevin Regan (Mass.); defensemen Danny Richmond (Central) and Brandon Longley (Minn.); and forwards Zach Parisé (Minn.), Bryan Horan (New England), and Nate Thompson (Pacific).
 
We're sorry that we don't have player comments, but a few things are crowding the summer docket here. Please accept our apology.
 
 
Forwards:
 1. Zach Parisé, RC, Minnesota, 5'10", 165, 7/84, Shattuck-St.Mary's   
 2. Dustin Brown, LW, New York, 6'0", 194, 11/84, Guelph Storm (OHL)   
 3. David Booth, LW, Michigan, 6'1", 202, 11/84, Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL)  
 4. Hugh Jessiman, RW, New England, 6'4", 180, 3/84, Brunswick School 
 5. Nate Raduns, RC, Dakota, 6'2", 185, 5/84, Sauk Rapids HS (Minn.) 
 6. Travis Morin, LC, Minnesota, 6'2", 170, 1/84, Osseo HS   
 7. Nate Thompson, LC, Pacific, 6'0", 173, 10/84, Alaska All-Stars Midget AAA 
 8. Chris Porter, LW, Central, 6'1", 185, 5/84, Shattuck-St.Mary's  
 9. Bryan Horan, RC, New England, 6'1", 165, 2/84, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)  
10. Ryan Potulny, RC, Dakota, 6'0", 175, 9/84, Red River HS (Grand Forks, ND) 
11. Pat Borgestad, RC, Minnesota, 6'2", 190, 3/84, Como Park HS
12. John Curry, RC, Pacific, 6'3", 179, 9/84, Alaska Blue Devils Midget AAA  
13. Brian Boyle, LC, Massachusetts, 6'5", 210, 12/84, St. Sebastian's School  
14. Danny Irmen, RW, Dakota, 6'0", 168, 9/84, Red River HS (Grand Forks, ND) 
15. Chris Collins, LW, New York, 5'8", 175, 6/84, Taft School    
16. Ryan Dingle, LC, Rocky Mt., 5'10", 170, 4/84, Vail Midget AAA  
17. Tyler Hirsch, RW, Minnesota, 5'10", 160, 1/84, Shattuck-St.Mary's 
18. Matt Burto, LW, New England, 5'10", 185, 7/84, Connecticut Clippers Jr. B  
19. Alex Foster, LW, Michigan, 5'11", 175, 8/84, Compuware Midget AAA  
20. Mike Franks, RW, Minnesota, 6'0, 177, 11/84, Burnsville HS  
21. Ray Ortiz, RW, Massachusetts, 5'10", 185, 6/84, Belmont Hill School   
22. Michael Ramirez, LW, Pacific, 5'9", 160, 3/84, Alaska All-Stars Midget AAA  
23. Mike Howe, RC, Minnesota, 5'11", 170, 9/84, St. Cloud Apollo HS  
24. Tim Sestito, LW, New York, 5'11", 175, 8/84, Syracuse Crunch Jr. A 
25. Kevin Sheehan, RW, Central, 6'0", 165, 1/84, Chicago Chill Midget AAA  
26. Dane Smulick, LC, Pacific, 5'10", 180, 12/84, Alaska All-Stars Midget AAA  
27. Danny Charleston, LW, Central, 5'8", 170, 11/84, Benilde HS  
28. Mark McCutcheon, RC, New York, 6'0", 170, 5/84, Buffalo Lightning Jr. A  
29. Matt Hartman, RW, Minnesota, 6'0", 183, 8/84, St. Cloud Apollo HS  
30. T.J. Fox, LC, New York, 6'0", 185, 6/84, Syracuse Crunch Jr. A 
31. Colin MacDonald, RW, New England, 6'1" 175, 9/84, New Eng. Jr. Coyotes (EJHL) 
32. Scott Thauwald, LW, Minnesota, 5'11", 171, 10/84, Rochester Mayo HS 
33. Bryce Dale, LC, Pacific, 5'9", 175, 1/84, Queens Park Pirates Jr. B (PIJHL)  
34. Ben Camper, RC, Mid-Am, 6'1", 170, 9/84, Cleveland Barons Midget AAA  
35. Bill Kinkel, LC, New York, 6'4", 229, 2/84, Nichols School  
36. David Rohlfs, RW, Michigan, 6'3", 213, 6/84, Compuware Midget AAA    
37. Matt Lombardo, RW, Mid-Am, 6'3", 200 lbs., 10/84, Cleveland Barons Midget 
38. Dan Peace, RC, Michigan, 6'0", 178, 3/84, Compuware Midget AAA  
39. Ryan Hawkins, RW, Minnesota, 5'8", 158, 9/84, Eden Prairie HS 
40. Kenny Roche, LW, Massachusetts, 5'11", 185, 1/84, St. Sebastian's School
41. Nick Pernula, RW, Minnesota, 5'9", 175, 3/84, Osseo HS  
42. J.P. Platisha, LW, Dakota, 5'11", 182, 1/84, Brainerd HS  
43. Adam Ladd, RW, New England, 5'8", 160, 4/84, Pomfret School  
 
Defensemen: 
 1. Danny Richmond, LD, Central, 6'1", 175, 8/84, Team Illinois     
 2. Chris Kelley, LD, Dakota, 6'2", 195, 4/84, Deerfield Academy 
 3. Jason Dest, LD, Michigan, 6'0", 165, 10/84, Michigan Jaguars Midget AAA  
 4. Tim Cook, RD, Atlantic, 6'4", 190, 3/84, Hotchkiss School  
 5. Jeremy Smith, RD, Pacific, 5'9", 175, 12/84, Alaska All-Stars 
 6. Brandon Longley, RD, Minnesota, 5'10", 165, 9/84, Elk River HS    
 7. Evan Stoftlet, RD, Central, 6'2", 175, 5/84, Bozeman Ice Dogs (AWHL)  
 8. Dylan Reese, RD, Mid-Am, 5'11, 185, 8/84, Pittsburgh Hornets Midget AAA- 
 9. Garret Overlock, RD, New England, 6'0", 180, 4/84, Brunswick School (Conn.)  
10. Ben Lovejoy, RD, New England, 6'2", 200, 2/84, Deerfield Academy   
11. Christopher Wothe, LD, Minnesota, 5'9", 175, 4/84, Park Rapids HS  
12. Sean Sullivan, LD, Massachusetts, 6'0", 173, 3/84, St. Sebastian's School 
13. Jake Wilkens, RD, Pacific, 6'1", 200, 3/84, Vernon Vipers (BCHL)  
14. Bob Gates, LD, New England, 6'1", 180, 1/84, LaSalle (RI) HS  
15. Matt Smaby, RD, Southeastern, 6'2", 180, 10/84, South St. Paul (Minn.) HS  
16. Chris Trick, RD, Michigan, 6'4", 200, 8/84, Chicago Freeze Jr. A  
17. Jim Jensen, RD, Minnesota, 6'0", 175, 7/84, Hill-Murray HS  
18. Brad Robbins, RD, Michigan, 6'2", 185, 6/84, Sarnia (Ont.) Steeplejacks Jr. B 
19. Josh Williams, LD, Minnesota, 5'9", 160, 2/84, Osseo HS  
20. Matt Maunu, RD, Minnesota, 5'11", 165, 4/84, Cloquet HS  
21. Chris Anderson, RD, Dakota, 6'2", 190, 8/84, White Bear Lake HS     
22. Jonathan Ralph, RD, Atlantic, 5'11", 175, 10/84, N.J. Devils Midget AAA 
23. Chris Murray, RD, Massachusetts, 6'1", 175, 12/84, Lawrence Academy  
24. Jamie Milam, RD, Michigan, 5'11", 192, 5/84, HoneyBaked Midget AAA 
25. Kevin Kielt, LD, Atlantic, 6'2", 180, 7/84, N.J. Jr. Titans Midget AA  
26. Keith Rodger, RD, Rocky Mt., 6'0", 170, 11/84, Vail Midget AAA - 
27. Jeff Mosher, RD, New York, 6'0", 165, 3/84, Syracuse Jr. Crunch Jr. A  
28. Michael Findorff, RD, Rocky Mt., 6'5", 185, 9/84, Pike's Peak Midget AAA
29. Joseph Viscuse, RD, Atlantic, 6'2", 170, 3/84, Philly Jr. Flyers Midget AAA  
 
Goaltenders: 
 1. Jimmy Howard, New York, 6'0", 184, 3/84, Kanata Valley Lasers (Ont.)  
 2. Peter Mannino, Mid-Am, 6'1", 170, 2/84, Cleveland Barons Midget AAA 
 3. Josh Johnson, Minnesota, 5'10", 160, 1/84, Cloquet HS  
 4. Travis Russell, New England, 5'11", 160, 3/84, Essex HS (Vt.)   
 5. Kevin Regan, Massachusetts, 6'1", 195, 7/84, St. Sebastian's School  
 6. Jon Anderson, Minnesota, 5'11", 180, 6/84, White Bear Lake HS 
 7. Adam Geragosian, Massachusetts, 5'11", 160, 3/84, Lawrence Academy  
 8. Robbie Hazelwood, Pacific, 5'8", 160, 3/84, San Jose Jr. Sharks 
 9. Todd Sheridan, Atlantic, 6'1", 180, 8/84, Hotchkiss School 
10. Craig Vardy, Southeastern, 6'4", 220, 4/84, Washington Caps Midget AAA  

 

7/10/01

Two From Michigan

Two Michiganders have accepted their invitations to join the U.S. National Program this fall. 

6'1", 202 lb. LW/C David Booth, from the Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL), will be joining the Under-18 Team. As an NAHL rookie, Booth posted a line of 17-13-30 in 42 games. Before going to Compuware, Booth played for HoneyBaked '84. 

Booth is a physical, aggressive player with skill. He uses his size and strength very effectively, driving through anyone in order to work the puck down low. 

An 11/24/84 birthdate, Booth is from Washington, Mich., just north of Detroit. He's a 4.0 student who is taking a boatload of courses this summer in order to accelerate and enter college 14 months from now. Michigan and Harvard are the two schools we've heard mentioned as possible destinations. 

Joining the Under-17 Team will be defenseman Bobby Selden, a 6'0", 195 lb. right shot from the Marquette Electricians Midget AAA squad.  Selden, a 1/30/85 birthdate, is from Negaunee, Mich., which is on the Upper Peninsula, one of the finest spots in the country. 

Selden, despite playing with a cast on his hand, was a standout at last month's U.S. Select 16 Festival, moving the puck smartly and with aplomb, and 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. 

Note: While we're on the subject of the U.P. (sort of, anyway), we should mention that the Marquette Electricians Fall Classic, perhaps the top midget AAA tournament in the country, will be held from Sept 27-30 this year. The field has been increased to 20 teams this year. They are: Alaska All-Stars, Los Angeles Jr. Kings, Pikes Peak Miners, Dallas Metro Stars, Chicago Flames, Chicago Chill, Team Illinois, Chicago Young Americans, Team Wisconsin, Marquette Electricians, Detroit Belle Tire, Little Caesar's, Compuware, Honeybaked, Michigan Ice Dogs, Cleveland Barons, Pittsburgh Hornets, Washington Jr. Capitols, Thunder Bay Kings, and the Sault Ste Marie MI Indians.

 

7/08/01

Parisé to Stay Put

Top recruit Zach Parisé, sought after by the National Team Development Program (and just about everyone else), has decided to stay at Shattuck-St. Mary's for his senior year. 

Parisé's father, J.P., is the director of hockey operations at the Faribault, Minn. prep school.

In April, Parisé led Shattuck to the national midget AAA title, where he scored 15 of his team's 34 goals. For the season, Parisé, in 63 games,  posted an eye-popping 77-65-142 line. His 77 goals were over twice as many as Shattuck's second-leading goal scorer, Tyler Hirsch. Clearly, Parisé has outgrown midget hockey. However, wishing to graduate from Shattuck with his classmates, he's staying. 

As for college, look for Parisé to be heading east -- perhaps Michigan; perhaps to the Boston area, where BU, BC, and Harvard are all making a pitch.

 

7/08/01

Fitzgerald to the Dub

Last week, we reported that Duluth East defenseman Zach Fitzgerald was trying to decide whether to play the upcoming season for the NTDP, to which he'd previously committed, or go major junior. 

Well, he's made up his mind, and the early money wins out: Fitzgerald will be heading to the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). 

Fitzgerald, a smooth skating 6'1", 190 lb. left-shot D, becomes the second Duluth East d-man in the past few years to go major junior. Patrick Finnegan left in 1998 for the Windsor Spitfires (OHL), playing two years there, then falling off the map. 

Another top defenseman from Northern Minnesota who went major junior in recent years -- and also washed out -- is 6'1" Grand Rapids native Andrew Downing, who, despite the entreaties of Golden Gopher coach Don Lucia, went off and played the 1999-00 season with the Tri-City Americans (WHL). Downing, who had all the tools to be a great college and pro player, quit hockey after that season, returned home to Minnesota, and hasn't played organized hockey since. 

 

7/06/01

U-18 Team for Germany Trip Named 

At last week's Select 17 Festival twenty players were chosen to represent the U.S. at an international tournament to be held late next month in Fussen, Germany. The squad, which will compete against Under-18 and Under-19  National Teams from Germany and Norway, will consist of the following players. 

Goaltenders (2): Travis Russell (New England); Kevin Regan (Massachusetts).

Defensemen (6): Brandon Longley (Minnesota); Ben Lovejoy (New England); Christopher Wothe (Minnesota); Dylan Reese (Mid-Am); Danny Richmond (Central); and Garrett Overlock (New England). 

Forwards (12): Matt Burto (New England); Dustin Brown (New York); Chris Collins (New York); Tyler Hirsch (Minnesota); Bryan Horan (New England); Mike Howe (Minnesota); Ray Ortiz (Massachusetts); Zach Parisé (Minnesota); Chris Porter (Central); Ryan Potulny (Dakota); Michael Ramirez (Pacific); Nate Thompson (Pacific). 

The head coach is Minnesota-Duluth's Scott Sandelin. Assistants will be Paul Cannata of Northeastern University (HE) and Steve Johnson of the Lincoln Stars (USHL).

Minnesota won the tournament with a 5-2 win over Central, and, coincidentally enough, five players from Minnesota and two from Central will be on the Fussen-bound squad. New England will have five players on the squad; Pacific, N.Y., and Mass. will have two each, while Mid-Am and Dakota will be represented by one player a piece.

The team will train in Laurel, Maryland from Aug. 17-19, arrive in Germany on the 20th, and play an exhibition game on the 22nd against the German Under-19 team. Tournament play begins Aug. 24 with a game against the German Under-18 team, continues Aug. 25 against Norway, and winds up with a game against the German Under-19 team on the 26th. The team returns home on August 27.

 

7/03/01

Sertich to the U

Greenway High School LW Andy Sertich has committed to the University of Minnesota for the fall of 2002.

Sertich, who converted to forward before the start of last season, scored 80 points in helping lead Greenway to the Minnesota State High School Tournament in March. A 5/6/83 birthdate, Sertich will be a senior in the fall.

Sertich, who is 6'0", 165 lbs., is highly skilled, with good feet and hands, deceptive speed, and playmaking ability.

Gopher head coach Don Lucia made home visits July 1 to Gino Guyer, Sertich's center at Greenway; and defenseman Mark Stuart (U.S. Under-17). Zach Parisé, another target for the Gophers, is here in St. Cloud for the Select 17 Festival.   

 

7/03/01

Top Canadian Recruit Opts for the O 

Left-shot center Corey Locke of the Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL), who had cancelled July 1 home visits from both Boston University and Clarkson, signed with the Ottawa 67's yesterday.

Locke, who had made unofficial visits to Michigan State, Ohio State, BU, and Bowling Green, is a Zach Parisé type, though a little less skilled. As an '84, Locke was fifth in the Provincial League in scoring. 

 

7/03/01

Moore to Maine

It's not the biggest surprise, since it's been his top choice all along, but U.S. National Team Development Program RW Greg Moore, a native of Lisbon, Maine, will be going to the University of Maine.

Moore, who played at St. Dom's HS before going to Ann Arbor, played last year for the Under-17 team that won the World Under-17 Challenge, held  in Nova Scotia over New Year's. This year, he'll be moving up to the Under-18 Team, and will get a chance to appear before the home folks when the U-18's play in the Colby Classic over Thanksgiving. He'll arrive at Orono in the fall of 2002.  

Moore, who's 6'1", 215 lbs., is a pure power forward with excellent pro potential. The bulk of his goals come from just driving to the net. He has a heavy shot and will continue to develop his goal-scoring ability.

 

7/03/01

Hynes Returns

John Hynes is returning to the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor after a year as an assistant at UMass-Lowell. A wing on BU's 1995 NCAA championship team, Hynes was a graduate assistant at the NTDP from 1998-2000. Among other duties, Hynes was the main man behind the NTDP's strength and conditioning program. 

A Warwick, RI native, Hynes takes the place of Alex Roberts, now with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL), and will be an assistant under Mike Eaves with the Under-18 Team.

 

7/03/01

Bova To Lowell

Northfield-Mt.Hermon forward Brian Bova has made a verbal commitment to UMass-Lowell for the fall of 2002. Last year, as a junior at NMH, Bova posted a 23-26-49 line in 26 games for the Hoggers. An '82 birthdate, Bova, a North Andover, Mass. native, is 6'1", 190 lbs. 

 

7/03/01

U-17 Team for Slovakia Trip Named 

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

Select 16 Standouts

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).

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! 
 
 
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.
 

 

***

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