6/27/03
Pearl Steps Down at Holy Cross; Takes Over at Milton
Paul Pearl, the head coach at Holy Cross (MAAC) for the past eight years, will be leaving the Worcester hilltop to coach hockey and work in admissions at Milton Academy.
We have no word on a potential successor at Holy Cross.
Pearl, a Holy Cross grad and a defensman on the hockey team, is making the move because of lifestyle considerations. He has a son and a daughter who hope to be attending Milton, and he's looking forward to rebuilding the Milton program, which has fallen on hard times in recent years.
Pearl was recommended for the Milton job by Paul Marks, who has been head coach there for the last five years. Marks, who has a full-time job in the insurance business and suffered from the death of his mother in the middle of last season, said he wants to be able to spend more time with his own children. Marks says that to run a top-notch prep program today you need someone who is involved with the school all the time.
"It's time to have someone in with the admissions people and athletic people, someone breaking bread with them everyday," he said. In my situation, it was too easy for them to say no to me."
For one more year, Marks will stay on and work with Pearl.
Pearl coached Crusaders to a 116-114-19 record. Of the school's eight most successful seasons, Pearl was behind the bench for five of them. Before returning to his alma mater, Pearl was an assistant at Brown. Pearl has also worked extensively with the Massachusetts Satellite Program and Mass. select teams.
We have no idea who, if anyone, Holy Cross has in mind to take Pearl's place.
6/27/03
Wiseman Returns to College Game
Brian Wiseman, a star forward at the University of Michigan in the early '90s, has been named an assistant on Len Quesnelle's staff at Princeton.
After graduation, Wiseman, a 31-year-old native of Chatham, Ont., played six years of minor pro hockey (and three games with the Toronto Maple Leafs). For the last two years he has been a video coach with the Dallas Stars.
The other two who were in the hunt for the job were former Princeton star forward Andre Faust and former Vermont assistant Pat Norton.
6/24/03
It's Sneddon
Kevin Sneddon will be named the University of Vermont's new head coach at a 3 p.m. press conference in Burlington today.
For the last five years, Sneddon, 33, has been the head coach at Union, and has gained a lot of respect in hockey circles with the job he's done there. His first year at Union, 1998-99, the team was 3-26-3, then improved the next year to 8-24-1, then again to 12-18-4, then one more time, to 13-13-6. This past season the Dutchmen slipped back a bit, finishing at 14-18-4, though losing goaltender Brandon Snee to graduation certainly had something to do with that.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Sneddon had been an assistant there on the staff of Stan Moore and, before that, Bruce Delventhal. Taken all together, he's been there ten years.
Sneddon, a native of Burlington, Ont (not too many people get to live in two towns of the same name in their lifetime) played Tier II with the Burlington Cougars Jr. B squad and arrived at Harvard Univeristy in the fall of '88, instantly becoming a regular on the team that would go on to compile a 31-3-0 record and bring a National Championship to Cambridge.
As a defenseman, Sneddon, 6'1", 200 lbs., was unspectacular but extremely reliable, a guy who kept it simple and made the smart decision time after time. The Kings drafted him in the 12th round in the 1989 NHL draft, but Sneddon suffered injuries in his junior and senior seasons and never made it to the NHL. He knows what it takes to succeed at that level, though, as his father, Bob Sneddon, was a journeyman goaltender in the '60s and '70s.
Sneddon will be as popular in Vermont as he is among his peers. He's a gentleman, plain and simple. And while he's very easygoing, once a game starts some of the Billy Cleary influence shines through, and he can get intense.
The final two candidates are being reported as being Roger Grillo and
Sneddon. What might have tipped the scales in Sneddon's favor was the reaction
of the players, who met with the candidates themselves and then passed their
feelings on to the search committee. We know for a fact that Sneddon was far
and away the coach who most impressed the players.
6/24/03
Draft Numbers
After Saturday's first three rounds were complete, Zach Parise, a steal for the Devils at #17, told a reporter, "I can't remember the last time there were this many Americans ranked this high."
He's only 18, so the number of drafts he's pulling up from his memory bank is short, but he's right. The eight US-born first round picks on Saturday were one more than the seven in 1986.
Back in '86, that was an eye-popping number, especially coming on the heels of '85, when only one American, Belmont Hill's Chris Biotti, was drafted in the first round. Biotti was the only first round pick that year to never play a single game in the NHL. A 6'3", 200 lb. d-man who played at Harvard for two years before leaving to sign a minor league contract, Biotti's career stalled out in the minors.
In 1986, however, there were some big names and all but one US-born first rounder that year made it to the NHL. The exception was 6'3", 235 lb. Bemidji HS RW George Pelawa, who died in a car crash that summer. The six US-born first rounders from that year's draft who made it to the NHL were Jimmy Carson, Dan Woodley, Brian Leetch, Scott Young, Craig Janney, and Tom Fitzgerald. (Woodley, an American only by birth, played his hockey in Canada. Picked seventh overall, he played only five NHL games in his career.)
However, after those first rounders, the US talent dropped off fast. Only five Americans picked in rounds 2-9 -- Dave Capuano (Mt. St. Charles), Dennis Vaske (Armstonrg HS), Bob Corkum (University of Maine), Lance Pitlick (Cooper HS), and Dan Keczmer (Little Caesar's) -- played in 100 or more NHL games. Kind of sobering, isn't it? But those are the odds.
This year, the top end is higher, and overall it's a deep draft, for the US and everyone else.
As for numbers, there were 60 US kids drafted over the weekend, one more than last year. The major difference is one of quality. In this year's draft more U.S. kids were taken in the top two rounds, and fewer in the last four. By rounds, the weekend's draft looked like this: 8, 10, 6, 6, 12, 3, 3, 5, and 7.
Notes:
Where did the 60 drafted Americans play last year? The answer:
NCAA -- 16
USHL -- 14
Major Junior -- 12
US High School -- 10
NAHL -- 3
EJHL -- 2
US Under-18 Team -- 2
BCHL -- 1
-- Of the 16 U.S.-born collegians, Dartmouth and CC had two apiece, while a dozen other schools had one apiece. (For the record, six foreigners were also drafted out of college, bringing the number of the weekend's draftees playing in the NCAA last season to 22.)
-- Of the 14 USHL players, four were from Lincoln, three from River City and Des Moines, two from Chicago, and one apiece from Sioux Falls and Waterloo. Cedar Rapids, Green Bay, Sioux City, Topeka, and Tri-City didn't have any.
-- Of the 10 U.S. high school/prep school players, four were from St. Sebastian's, while six other schools had one player apiece. The St. Sebastian's mark ties the record set by Edina High School in '82 and the Northwood School in '87.
(The first of the four Edina players drafted in '82 was LW Dave Maley, who went on to the University of Wisconsin and a long NHL career. None of the other three -- C Wally Chapman, RW John DeVoe, and D Bill Brauer -- reached the NHL. It was a similar story at Northwood, where only one of the four teammates drafted in '87 made it to the NHL. That was RW Chris Winnes, who went on to UNH and a brief 33-game NHL career. His teammate, RW Chris Jensen, drafted before him, didn't play in the NHL at all. Neither did goalie Mark Felicio and C Mike Lappin.)
-- St. Sebastian's is the first U.S. prep or high school to have two first round NHL draft picks in consecutive years -- Mike Morris in 2002, and Boyle this past weekend.
-- Both EJHL players selected came from the New England Jr. Coyotes, headed up for over 25 years now by Gary Dineen , who played on the 1964 Toronto Marlboros Memorial Cup team.
-- Twelve Americans who played in the CHL were drafted over the weekend, which is a record number of Yanks. Last year, only five Americans playing major junior were drafted.
-- The number of players drafted out of major junior was 118 this year (40 WHL; 45 OHL; 33 QMJHL). In 2002, 101 players (43 WHL; 35 OHL, 23 QMJHL) were drafted out of major junior.
-- Nineteen players (including one American) were drafted off of Canadian Tier II teams, up from 12 last year.
-- One player was drafted off of a Quebec Midget AAA squad and that's Lennoxville's
Marcus Smith, a goaltender who has already been recruited to Sacred Heart
University (MAAC). Smith, picked in the sixth round, is the first-ever MAAC
recruit to be drafted. (Ben Blais doesn't count, as he transferred to
Quinnipiac from St. Lawrence.)
-- Fifteen players who played in the NTDP were drafted.
Total numbers: 142 Canadians were drafted (48%); 60 Americans (20%), and 91 Europeans playing in Europe (31%.) For the third consecutive year, the number of Europeans went down -- from 123, to 119, to 110, and now 91. (The number is actually a little higher because a few players, like Thomas Vanek, who played for North American teams, were not included.)
U.S. skaters listed on Central's final North American rankings who didn't opt in or simply weren't drafted were: John Vigilante (Plymouth); Travis Morin (Chicago Steel); Bobby Selden (US Under18); Mike Curry (Sioux City); Tim Wallace (Notre Dame); Jamie Milam (NMU); Matt Hayek (Lincoln); Matt Hartman (Sioux City); Jake Wilkens (Vernon); Christian Jensen (Yale); Tyler Hirsch (Minnesota); Drew Larman (Sarnia); Chris Kelley (Deerfield); Dave Germain (NMH); Todd Fletcher (Chelmsford HS); Joey Zappala (Yale); Greg Schultz (New Eng. Jr. Coyotes); Bill LeClerc (St. Paul's School); Ray Ortiz (Belmont Hill); Sean Hurley (NMH); Mike Hartwick (Boston Bulldogs); and Noah Babin (Green Bay). Goalies on the final rankings who were not drafted were: Dominic Vicari (River City); Travis Weber (Minnesota); Josh Gartner (Yale); Josh Johnson (Green Bay); and A.J. Bucchino (Des Moines).
6/23/03
O'Sullivan and the Draft
Pre-draft, there was a lot of talk about the possibility of Mississauga IceDogs center Patrick O'Sullivan dropping out of the first round and a team getting a crack at him early in the second. However, the 5'11", 190 lb. center lasted until the bottom of the second round, when the the Minnesota Wild took him with the 55th overall pick.
A year ago, O'Sullivan was being spoken of as a top five pick.
For those of you who have read the Hockey Report for awhile, you probably know about the sad saga of Patrick O'Sullivan and his father, John O'Sullivan. We first got hip to it five years ago when O'Sullivan, as a 13 year old, played in the U.S. Select 15 Festival after his father had falsified documents. As the years went by, other stories came out concerning ways in which young Patrick was abused by his father. In the 2001-02 season, John O'Sullivan, who played minor league hockey and, while fairly short, is pretty well put-together, beat up on his son. Patrick realized he needed protection, filed assault charges, and got a restraining order against his father, who pleaded guilty and spent 22 days in jail.
Think about being 16, as O'Sullivan was at the time, and taking a restraining order out on your very own father. And think about the years of physical and emotional abuse, though. You don't get out from under that easily. Last December, O'Sullivan stole six sticks from a Mississauga sporting goods store. As IceDogs coach Steve Ludzik said, "It was a cry for help."
Ludzik immediately sent O'Sullivan home, telling the press it was due to on-ice defensive indifference, though you can be sure that O'Sullivan's dad did not reward defensive efforts one-tenth as much as offensive ones. In December, O'Sullivan went home to his mother and sisters down in Winston-Salem, NC, and didn't return to Ontario until the next month. O'Sullivan, with protection from a U.S. Federal Marshall, and his dad in attendance anyway, had a mediocre tournament. His stock started dropping, but even on Central's final list, which came out in mid-May, he was still projected to go #14 overall.
But 55th?
Pro teams, even in this age of psychologial testing, have traditionally backed off players who have emotional issues.
It's a fact, however, that some of the the greatest pro athletes out there have heavy emotional burdens they carry every day. A couple have opened up to talk about it. Terry Bradshaw, a Hall of Fame quarterback who played for four Super Bowl winners and is now in the Football Hall of Fame, suffered for decades with depression. 1998 Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams had a severe case of social anxiety disorder. Low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness are a major component in practically all psychological disorders. Elite level athletes are under a great deal of pressure, which often exacerbates the problem.
Anyway, O'Sullivan has gotten a lot of press recently. ESPN the Magazine did a very good story in it's June 23 issue about the situation. In the story, which you can probably find at espn.com, a pro scout was quoted as saying, "Kids from a troubled family hardly ever pan out."
If this is true, we'd like to see some proof. This reporter has been around long enough to see people in all walks of life doing spectacularly well in their work even while battling all kinds of demons. Those are the ones you don't hear about, even though they make up the majority, because good news doesn't sell papers. The ones you hear about are the spectacular flameouts, hence the scout's comment.
Drafting a player -- any player, particularly in the high rounds -- is a risk. The best rule to follow is simply to draft for skill. If you don't, it's going to come back and bite you -- a recent exhibit would be undrafted Martin St. Louis in Tampa Bay, who was overlooked for a long, long time. Skill is always at a premium. If you have a good number of high-skill players in your system, you at least have someone to trade when it's time to fill a specific need.
One more thing: If O'Sullivan had been taken in the first round, he would have gotten the one million plus rookie salary cap. Dropping to the second round cost him all that. Our sense is that when you watch O'Sullivan next season, you'll see a man on a mission.
4/22/03
U.S.-Born Players Selected in NHL Draft
The following US-born players were selected in the NHL draft held over the weekend in Nashville, Tenn.:
1/7 Nashville -- Ryan Suter, D, US Under-18
1/12 NY Rangers -- Hugh Jessiman, RW, Dartmouth (NCAA)
1/13 LA -- Dustin Brown, RW, Guelph (OHL)
1/17 NJ -- Zach Parise, C, North Dakota (NCAA)
1/21 Boston -- Mark Stuart, D, Colorado College (NCAA)
1/23 Vancouver -- Ryan Kesler, C, Ohio State (NCAA)
1/26 LA -- Brian Boyle, C, St. Sebastian's
1/29 Ottawa -- Patrick Eaves, RW, Boston College (NCAA)
2/31 Carolina -- Danny Richmond, D, Michigan (NCAA)
2/41 Tampa Bay -- Matt Smaby, D, Shattuck-St. Mary's
2/43 San Jose -- Josh Hennessy, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
2/46 Columbus -- Danny Fritsche, C, Sarnia (OHL)
2/47 San Jose -- Matt Carle, D, River City (USHL)
2/51 Edmonton -- Colin McDonald, RW, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
2/56 Minnesota -- Patrick O'Sullivan, C, Mississauga (OHL)
2/57 Toronto -- John Doherty, D, Phillips Andover
2/62 Tampa Bay -- David Backes, C/RW, Lincoln (USHL)
2/64 Detroit -- James Howard III, G, Maine (NCAA)
3/75 NY Rangers -- Kenny Roche, C, St. Sebastian's
3/78 Minnesota -- Danny Irmen, C, Lincoln (USHL)
3/83 Washington -- Stephen Werner, RW, UMass (NCAA)
3/87 Philadelphia -- Ryan Potulny, C, Lincoln (USHL)
3/88 St. Louis -- Zach Fitzgerald, D, Seattle (WHL)
3/99 Dallas -- Matt Nickerson, D, Texas (NAHL)
4/102 Carolina -- Aaron Dawson, D, Peterborough (OHL)
4/110 Atlanta -- Jimmy Sharrow, D, Halifax (QMJHL)
4/118 Boston -- Frank Rediker, D, Windsor (OHL)
4/122 NY Rangers -- Corey Potter, D, Michigan State (NCAA)
4/124 Florida -- James Pemberton, D, Providence College (NCAA)
4/136 Atlanta -- Mike Vannelli, D, Sioux Falls (USHL)
5/141 Florida -- Dan Travis, RW, Deerfield Academy
5/142 Ottawa -- Tim Cook , D, River City (USHL)
5/143 Calgary -- Greg Moore, RW, Maine (NCAA)
5/145 Atlanta -- Brett Sterling, LW, Colorado College (NCAA)
5/146 Colorado -- Mark McCutcheon, C, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
5/148 St. Louis -- Lee Stempniak, RW, Dartmouth (NCAA)
5/150 Buffalo -- Thomas Morrow, D, Des Moines (USHL)
5/153 Boston -- Mike Brown, G, Saginaw (OHL)
5/154 Edmonton -- David Rohlfs, RW, Compuware (NAHL)
5/155 Washington -- Josh Robertson, C, Proctor Academy
5/165 Dallas -- Gino Guyer, C, Minnesota (NCAA)
5/167 New Jersey -- Zach Tarkir, D, Chilliwack (BCHL)
6/180 NY Rangers -- Chris Holt, G, U.S. Under-18
6/183 Boston -- Nate Thompson, C, Seattle (WHL)
6/186 Anaheim -- Andrew Miller, LW, River City (USHL)
7/205 San Jose -- Joe Pavelski, C, Waterloo (USHL)
7/209 NY Rangers -- Dylan Reese, D, Pittsburgh (NAHL)
7/224 Tampa Bay -- Gerald Coleman, G, London (OHL)
8/230 Carolina -- Jamie Hoffman, C, Des Moines (USHL)
8/232 Pittsburgh -- Joe Jensen, C, St. Cloud State (NCAA)
8/238 NY Islanders -- Cody Blanshan, D, Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
8/245 Chicago -- Dustin Byfuglien, D, Prince George (WHL)
8/256 Tampa Bay -- Brady Greco, D, Chicago (USHL)
9/267 San Jose -- Brian O'Hanley, D, Boston College HS
9/272 Phoenix -- Sean Sullivan, D, St. Sebastian's
9/274 LA -- Marty Guerin, RW, Des Moines (USHL)
9/275 Chicago -- Michael Grenzy, D, Chicago (USHL)
9/276 San Jose -- Carter Lee, F, Canterbury
9/277 Boston -- Kevin Regan, G, St. Sebastian's
9/282 Chicago -- Chris Porter, C, Lincoln (USHL)
6/20/03
Russell's First Recruit at Michigan Tech
The first commitment for new Michigan Tech head coach Jamie Russell is 6'1", 170 lb. RD Jake Obermeyer of Chaska HS.
Obermeyer, a 1/9/85 birthdate from Chanhassen, Minn., will play two years with the Tri-Cities Storm (USHL) before arriving in Houghton in the fall of '05.
The captain at Chaska last winter, Obermeyer is an offensive defenseman who skates and handles the puck well. He will frequently jump up into the play. This past season he put up pretty big numbers for a defenseman with a 16-30-46 line in 27 games.
Obermeyer was a forward through his 11th grade year. At the start of this past season, Chaska head coach Dave Snuggerud put him back on defense.
While very skilled, Obermeyer is on the thin side and needs to put on some muscle before playing in the WCHA, hence the USHL stint. He also needs to gain more experience playing on the blue line.
Obermeyer stood out at the Great 8 Tournament, held at the Wakota Arena in South St. Paul on the last weekend in March. One of those in attendance was Tech assistant coach Marc Maroste.
6/20/03
Massachusetts Select Teams Named
The Massachusetts Select 15, 16, and 17 teams have been announced, and the roster for each can be found below.
The dates for the festivals are:
Select 17s: July 11-17; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 16s: June 27-July 3; Rochester, NY
Select 15s: Aug. 3-8; St. Cloud, Minn.
The 15s will consist of mixed teams. The 16s and 17s will play as a district.
***
Massachusetts Select 17s (1986)
Goalies (2): Cory Schneider (Phillips Andover); A.J. Skola (Worcester Academy).
Defensemen (6): Dan McGoff (Nobles); Anthony Aiello (Thayer); Keith Yandle (Cushing); Bret Bevis (Lawrence Academy); Andrew Stevenson (Newton North HS); Alex Sousa (Austin Prep).
Forwards (12): Chris
Bourque (Cushing); Matt Nelson (Nobles); Nick Coskren (St.
Sebastian's); Gerry Pollastrone (Salisbury): Ryan Ginand (Boston
Jr. Bruins); Paul Jerusik (Springfield Pics Midgets); Patrick Kimball
(Lawrence Academy); Cory Falite (Boston Jr. Bruins Midget AAA); Greg
McCarthy (Boston Harbor Wolves); Ryan Maguire (Arlington HS); Sam
D'Agostino (Cushing); Alex Berry (Gov. Dummer); Cory Quirk
(Catholic Memorial HS).
At-Large Players: D Stephen Kelley; F Greg Collins;
F Alex Muse.
Head Coach: Steve Dagdigian. Assistant Coaches: Paul Pearl and Steve Hoar. Team Leader: John Riordan.
***
Massachusetts Select 16s (1987)
Goalies (2): Peter Cox (St. John's-Shrewsbury); Matt Unger (National Sports Academy).
Defensemen (6): Sean Coughlin (Cardigan Mountain); Tommy Dignard (Phillips Andover); Chris Huxley (Duxbury HS); Ryan Stelzer (New England Jr. Coyotes); Hunter Thunell (Philllips Andover); Colin Young (St. Sebastian's).
Forwards (12): Chris
Cahill (Phillips Andover); Chris DeBaere (Belmont
Hill); Ryan Driscoll (Thayer); Benn Ferreiro (Gov. Dummer); Matthew
Gordon (Belmont Hill); Kyle Kucharski (Phillips Andover); Jason
Lawrence (Boston Jr. Bruins); Matt Lombardi (Thayer); Chris Murphy
(St. Sebastian's); Danny Rossman (Pingree); Jason Schneider (Littleton
HS); Steven Silva (Cardigan Mt.).
At-Large Players: D Patrick Cullity; F Jonathan Maniff,
F Bret Moore.
Head Coach: Nate Leaman. Assistant Coaches: Jack Sweeney and Brian Day. Team Leader: Chip Bradbury.
***
Massachusetts Select 15s (1988)
Goalies (2): Matthew McCarthy
(Natick HS); Wesley Vesperini (Belmont Hill).
Defensemen (6): Michael Cornell (Mount St. Charles); Michael Hambelton (Thayer); Jordan Lalor (St. Sebastian's); Kevin McNamara (Belmont Hill); William O'Neill (St. John's Prep); Wes Stephanian (Belmont Hill); Brian Strait (NMH).
Forwards (12): Barry
Almeida (New England
Coyotes Midgets): Stephen Bergan (Eaglebrook); Paul Carey (Thayer);
Jack Clayman (Shore Country Day); Mark Dube (Burlington HS); Eric
Lake (Boston Jr. Bruins Midgets); Sean McCloud (King Phillip Regional
HS); Ryan Pezzulo (Triton HS); Doug Rogers (St. Sebastian's);
Bryan Rosata (Catholic Memorial HS); Joey Smith (Woburn HS); Joe
Whitney (Belmont Hill); Ryan Young (Belmont Hill).
Head Coach: Bill O'Neill. Assistant
Coaches: Anthony Esdale and Andy Heinze.
6/19/03
Boyle to Follow the Sun
Mike Boyle, Boston University's strength and conditioning coach, is leaving the Terriers program after 21 years in order to take on a director's position with Athletes Performance, which is at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.
Boyle, who in 1983 became the school's first-ever strength and conditioning coach, developed a very strong reputation among both college and pro athletes, and was a feather in the cap of BU's recruiting efforts.
In recent years he became quite the entrepreneur, starting up Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. Nowadays, just about every serious hockey player in New England, from junior high right up to the pros can be seen marching around in a "Body by Boyle" tee shirt. Also these days, you won't find a serious Div. I program without a strength and conditioning guy on board. Boyle got in on the ground floor, and was a leader in the emerging field.
Boyle's position will be taken over by Walter Norton, Jr., who is a co-owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, and a former quarterback for the Boston University football team ('89-92).
6/19/03
Lehun Leaves St. Cloud for Major Junior
St. Cloud State LC Jonathan Lehun, who would have been going into his sophomore year at St. Cloud State this fall, is instead going major junior with the Owen Sound Attack (OHL).
The coaching staff at St. Cloud learned about it in a fax received this morning from Lehun's father, William, a Toronto lawyer.
Lehun, 6'0", 170 lbs., played for the St. Michael's Buzzers (OPJHL) before leaving home to play for the Huskies this past season.
Aa 2/22/84 birthdate, Lehun finished his sole NCAA season with a 8-8-16 line in 35 games. He was drafted by Owen Sound in the seventh round of the 2002 draft. He would likely have gone in the first round if he hadn't let it be known that he was leaning toward college.
Lehun, who has speed, is eligible for Saturday's NHL draft and is expected
to go in the middle rounds.
6/18/03
Southeastern District Festival Teams Named
The Southeastern District Select 14, 15, 16, and 17 teams have been announced, and the roster for each can be found below.
The dates for the festivals are:
Select 17s: July 11-17; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 16s: June 27-July 3; Rochester, NY
Select 15s: Aug. 3-8; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 14s: July 27-Aug.1; Rochester, NY
The 14s and 15s will consist of mixed teams. The 16s and 17s will play as a district.
***
Southeastern District Select 17s (1986)
Forwards (9): Philip Axtell (New Windsor, MD); Thomas Bardis (Alpharetta, GA); Jeremiah Cunningham (Ashburn, VA); Benjamin Grotting (Birmingham, AL); Daniel Jackson (Orlando, FL); David Kreager (Oak Hill, VA); Bradley Miller (Alpharetta, GA); Anthony Morrone (West Palm Beach, FL); Dillon Rioux (West Palm Beach, FL).
Defensemen (3): Ian Goodwin (Copper City, FL); Robert Skelton (Goosecreek, SC); Drew Wadsworth (Arlington, VA).
Goalies (2): Matthew Demas (Summerville, SC); Steven Parry (Clearwater, FL).
Head Coach: Wil Nichol. Assistant Coaches: Rick Hildreth and Etienne Bilodeau. Team Leader: Michael Kacser.
***
Southeastern District Select 16s (1987)
Forwards (11): Mark Armstrong (Palm Harbor, FL); Christopher Bower (Chevy Chase, MD); Joseph Brock (Cumming, GA); Darryl Dunn (Highland Springs, VA); Scott Halpern (Boca Raton, FL); Douglas Jones (Marietta, GA); Ryan Kupperman (Washington, DC); Luke Lynes (Ellicott City, MD); Matthew Mulhall (Indian Trail, NC); James Powers (Coral Springs, FL); Daryl Saylor (St. Petersburg, FL).
Defensemen (3): Matt Horan (Winston-Salem, NC); Kevin Mallon (Arlington, VA); Scott Wolfe (Palm Beach Gardens, FL).
Goalies (2): David Brosnan (Coral Springs, FL); Patrick Street (Annapolis, MD).
Head Coach: Darren Turcotte. Assistant Coaches: Jerry Sroka and David Cole. Team Leader: Steve Clough.
***
Southeastern District Select 15s (1988)
Forwards (11): Ari Blinder
(Delray Beach, FL); Patrick Colclough (Bradenton, FL); Jeffery Donovan
(Fairfax Station, VA); Mike Fayad (Mclean, VA); Blake Geoffrion
(Brentwood, TN); Milton Lyles II (Opa Locka, FL); Brad McCabe
(Washington, DC); Ricky Norris (Silver Springs, MD); Garrett Roe
(Vienna, VA); Ian Slater (Satellite Beach, FL); Joshua Weiner
(Rockville, MD).
Defensemen (4): Toby Heaslip (Naples, FL); Corey Toy (Round Hill, VA); Christopher Wilcox (Hollywood, FL); Kent Wittmann (Ellenton, FL).
Goalies (2): Benjamin Powers (Atlanta, GA); Matthew Shirley (Hoover, AL).
Assistant Coach: Joe Cardarelli. Team Counselor: Kevin Connelie.
***
Southeastern District Select 14s (1989)
Forwards (12): David Boehm (Naples, FL); Connor Cafferty (Coral Springs, FL); Merrick Friedman (Miami, FL); Sebastian Geoffrion (Brentwood, TN); Matthew Gottlieb (Boca Raton, FL); Lucas Kobitter (Clearwater, FL); Kyle Krulac (Simpsonville, SC); Kevin Piepsney (Weston, FL); Kevin Reny (Hollywood, FL); Stanley Thomas (Alexandria, VA); Tony Vento (Coral Springs, FL); Daniel Vranek (New Port Richey, FL).
Defensemen (5): Eric Barnhart (Germantown, TN); Bradley Cooper (Boca Raton, FL); Frank Pacho Grzeszczak (Plantation, FL); Jeremy Schaffel (Pembroke Pines, FL); Tommy Wittmann (Ellenton, FL).
Goalies (2): Kevin Bauman (Davie, FL); Colin Davis (Chesterfield, VA).
Team Counselor: Joe Turso.
6/17/03
U.S. Junior Camp Roster Announced
Here's the roster for the US National Junior Team Evaluation Camp.
Goaltenders (4): Mike Brown, Jimmy Howard, Alvaro Montoya, and Dominic Vicari.
Defensemen (15):Matt Carle, Jason Dest, Matt Hunwick, Brian Lee, Jeff Likens, Jamie Milam, Corey Potter, Dylan Reese, Danny Richmond, Tom Sawatske, Evan Shaw, Matt Smaby, Mark Stuart, Ryan Suter, and James Wisniewski.
Forwards (24): David Booth, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Jake Dowell, Robbie Earl, Patrick Eaves. Danny Fritsche, Josh Hennessy, T.J. Hensick, Dan Irmen, Hugh Jessiman, Ryan Kesler, Colin McDonald, Greg Moore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Zach Parise, Ryan Potulny, Robbie Schremp, Drew Stafford, Brett Sterling, Nate Thompson, John Vigilante, Tim Wallace, and Stephen Werner.
The links to full, printable rosters can be found below.
The camp will take place at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, NY Aug. 3-10, and will include exhibition games against under-20 select teams from Finland and Sweden.
Here's the schedule for the U.S. teams.
Sun. Aug. 3:
Practice
Mon. Aug. 4:
Practice.
Tues. Aug. 5:
USA Blue vs. Sweden, 4 pm.
USA White vs. Finland, 7 pm
Wed. Aug. 6:
USA Blue vs. Finland, 4 pm
USA White vs. Sweden, 7 pm
Fri. Aug. 8:
USA White vs. Finland, 4 pm
USA Blue vs. Sweden, 7 pm
Sat. Aug. 9:
USA White vs. Sweden, 1 pm
USA Blue vs. Finland, 4 pm
The 2003 World Junior Championship takes place from Dec. 25-Jan. 4 in Helsinki and Hameenlina, Finland.
2003 U.S. Junior Camp Roster (Microsoft Word)
2003 U.S. Junior Camp Roster (Adobe)
6/17/03
Tech Hires Kallay as Assistant
New Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell has hired Ian Kallay as an assistant.
Kallay, 29, who has coached the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the past two seasons, was named the league's coach of the year this season.
Kallay, a Calgary native, played his college hockey at the University of North Dakota, where he was a forward. After a stint playing in the ECHL, Kallay worked as an assistant under Mark Osiecki with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).
One of the main reasons for Kallay's hiring is the fact that he is plugged into the western Canada talent pool. Look for Tech, which now has a head coach from British Columbia, and an assistant from Alberta, to direct much of their recruiting efforts toward those provinces. This past season, the Huskies had only two players from Alberta (forwards Colin Murphy and Jon Pittis), and one from B.C. (freshman forward Matt Gibbons).
6/17/03
Western Tabs Kenny
Western Michigan University head coach Jim Culhane has hired Brendan Kenny as an assistant.
Kenny replaces Scott Garrow, recently hired for a second stint as a Cornell assistant.
Kenny, a 29-year-old Edmonton native, was a grad assistant at Western during the 2001-02 season. After graduating from Western Michigan in '97, where he was a defenseman, Kenny played several seasons in the Western Professional Hockey League.
6/16/03 UPDATED 6/17
Vermont Update
The five finalists for the UVM job are Catamounts assistant Damian DiGiulian, former U. of Calgary head coach and Atlanta Thrashers assistant coach Tim Bothwell, Brown head coach Roger Grillo, Union head coach Kevin Sneddon, and U.S. Under-17 Team head coach David Quinn.
One finalist per day will be interviewed and meet with Corran and the search committee. We are unsure of the exact number or actual makeup of the committee, but we do know that the committee is advisory in nature and that Corran and the university president have the final say. Also, Mike Gilligan, while he may or may not be on the actual committee, is a key figure in the whole process and that most of the communication between the candidates and the athletic administration goes through him. In addition, assistant AD Jeff Schulman, a former Catamounts defenseman, is also a key figure. Other members of the committee include a couple of faculty members, a couple of former players in the area, and a couple of boosters from the Friends of Vermont Hockey. On top of all that, current players who are in town for the summer have the opportunity to meet each of the candidates.
Sources close to the scene report that the search is open and that Bothwell is not a lock for the job.
In 2000, Bothwell was Corran's #1 choice for the Duluth job, but a lot of negative feedback resulted from the fact that Bothwell was coming from a Canadian university and not the NCAA. After Corran was overruled, Scott Sandelin, an Iron Ranger who had been an assistant for five years at his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, was apponted to take over the Bulldogs program.
In 1997, Bothwell was offered the head coaching job at Brown, his alma mater, but turned it down.
In other Vermont news, between having a new university president and a new AD, a lot of energy is being directed toward the hockey program. The president is already working on getting a new 8,000 seat, $40 million arena built on the edge of campus. A public/private endeavour, it is expected to require very little in the way of UVM capital expenditure.
6/16/03
Corran Getting Closer?
New Vermont Athletic Director Bob Corran is at his desk in the school's athletic department today. Job #1 is to begin the face-to-face interviewing process, and decide who will be the next Catamounts coach.
Vermont assistant Damian DiGiulian, who's been at the school for six years, is reportedly getting an interview today, with one more candidate being interviewed each day this week, for a total of five.
Going into the weekend, it looked like the top candidates for the job -- and we cross-checked it among numerous sources -- were Brown coach Roger Grillo, Union coach Kevin Sneddon, Colgate coach Donnie Vaughan, recent Atlanta Thrashers assistant Tim Bothwell, and University of Minnesota assistant Bob Motzko.
All five of those names came from a group of applicants that included six current Div. I head coaches, a large pool of assistants, and a number of men not currently in the college game.
The last group could be the X factor in the process, mainly because, despite significant overlap, many of the pro guys are outsiders to many in the college hockey community, so news of their interest is less likely to circulate down to the college game.
We know that ex-Lake Superior State coach, NTDP founder, and Guelph Storm (OHL) head coach Jeff Jackson applied for the job, but there has been no mention of his name lately, which may or may not mean anything, but seems odd considering the length of his resume, which also includes coaching the US to its best-ever finish in the World Juniors and serving as an assistant for the 1998 Olympic team in Nagano, Japan. However, several sources have mentioned that Corran is looking for someone young. That could mean Sneddon, but the word is that the former Harvard defenseman has pulled out of the process. Sneddon, 31, already has five years as a Div. I head coach under his belt. It could also mean U.S. Under-17 coach David Quinn, 36, whose name has come up as well.
One assistant conspicious by his absence is BC assistant Ron Rolston, 36, who has a lengthy list of accomplishments at Lake State, Clarkson, Harvard, and now BC. We simply haven't heard his name.
A head coach extremely conspicuous by his absence is Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet, who has already proven he can do what UVM wants done -- that is, turn a loser into a winner. Remember that in Gaudet's first year at Brown, the Bears went 1-25-0, but four years later, with every player on board brought on by Gaudent, Brown reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in 17 years. At Dartmouth, the pattern is repeating itself. Once Gaudet had a team composed entirely of his recruits in place, they started winning -- and haven't stopped yet.
Reportedly, Gaudet hasn't even been asked to drive from Hanover to Burlington for a face-to-face interview. Little things like that have caused some people to wonder if the fix is in, and that it has already been decided that the job will go to Bothwell, the 48-year old former Brown defenseman.
We're also wondering, if indeed Bothwell was so great at the University of Calgary, where Corran was the AD, then why didn't the latter hire him when the Duluth job was opened in the spring of 2000. After all, Bothwell was in his mid-forties then and, after a 13-year NHL career, had served as a head coach in major junior, the IHL, and the U. of Calgary. In addition, in the spring of 1997, right after Gaudet moved on to Dartmouth and before Grillo was chosen to take over the Bears, Bothwell had been offered, but declined, the Brown job. It wasn't until a year later that Bothwell left Calgary to pursue the pros. Midway through his second season, last Dec. 26, Atlanta head coach Kurt Fraser and Bothwell, his assistant, were fired.
We have a feeling that Bothwell will end up with the job. We also have a feeling this may have been settled a while ago, and everything since has been simply the process taking its due course. That's purely a hunch, though.
6/15/03
The West is the Best?
Five of the six eastern schools that made it to the NCAA tournament this past season had a heavy CCHA /WCHA presence among their coaching staffs.
They are:
UNH: While Dick Umile is as New England as a saltbox house, he's looked to the west when he's made his hires. David Lassonde was an assistant at both Wisconsin and Miami-Ohio before coming back east. Scott Borek was Jeff Jackson's assistant at Lake State, then took over as head coach when Jackson left to start the National Program. Prior to that, Brian McCloskey, a British Columbia native who used his knowledge of the BCHL to come up with the likes of Jason Krog et al,.was a long-time assistant.
Cornell: Mike Schafer, before taking over at Cornell, put in five years as an assistant at Western Michigan. New/old Cornell assistant Scott Garrow has spent the last five years at Western Michigan, but is back at his alma mater because Jamie Russell, who also coached five years at Ferris State, is now back at Michigan Tech, his alma mater. Brent Brekke played at Western and was an assistant coach/director of player personnel for the now-defunct Chicago Freeze (NAHL).
BC: Jerry York coached 15 years for Bowling Green. Scotty Paluch, whose fingerprints are all over the strong BC teams of recent years, is from Chicago, played for York at BGSU, and also coached under him both there and at BC. Of course, Paluch is gone now, but his successor, Ron Rolston, played at Michigan Tech and was an assistant at Lake State, Clarkson, and Harvard before coming to the Heights.
Maine: While Tim Whitehead, like Umile and York, is an eastern guy, his staff is not. Grant Standbrook played his college hockey for Minnesota-Duluth and built his reputation at Wisconsin, where he was Bob Johnson's chief recruiter. Assistant Campbell Blair is from British Columbia. The Black Bears, of course, were built into a perennial contender by Shawn Walsh, who coached under Ron Mason at both Bowling Green and Michigan State before taking over at Maine in 1984.
Harvard: Mark Mazzoleni won three NCAA Div. III title in his six years at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, then was hired away by Doug Woog to be an assistant with the Gophers. From there Mazzoleni moved on to the CCHA, spending six years at Miami (Ohio) before moving on to the banks of the Charles.
BU was the only team to make the NCAA playoffs without a coach with experience out west.
We should note that Providence College, which finished fourth in Hockey East behind UNH, BC, and Maine, also has a strong CCHA presence with head coach Paul Pooley, a former Ohio State star forward who went on to work as an assistant under Jackson at Lake State; and assistant coach Dave Berard, an easterner who also went west to work as an assistant at Lake State for a couple of years.
All the remaining teams in Hockey East/ECAC -- and there are 14 others -- feature staffs that are heavily eastern-based. Out of that group only four schools -- Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, and UMass -- finished the season with an overall record better than .500.
The western makeup of the coaching staffs at the top eastern programs is something that's seldom talked about, perhaps because nobody wants to consider the fact that it may be more than coincidence, but with the Vermont head job open, and a possible assistant's slot or two riding shotgun, it's at least something to think about.
After all, most of the highly successful programs mentioned above have a significant number of players on their roster who hail from the mid-west and far west of both Canada and the United States.
6/14/03
McCarthy to Boston University
6'0", 190 lb. forward John McCarthy of St. John's Prep (Danvers, Mass.) will be heading to BU in the fall of 2005.
McCarthy, a left-shot center, will be a senior in the upcoming season and then, in 2004-05, will play a year of junior hockey before heading off to Babcock St.
McCarthy, an 8/9/86 birthdate, is not the high-profile kid usually snapped up early on. The Andover native, who is also the quarterback on St. John's prep highly-ranked football team, has size, strength, athleticism, and competes hard. We've seen him play a few times, but not against particularly strong competition, so it's a little hard to get a line on him. He's not fast and doesn't have great great stickhandling skills, but he's a smart player, a power forward type with good awareness and passing skills. He has also shown a knack in the clutch. He has a little way to go but with a couple years of work will compete for a spot on the Terriers.
McCarthy will captain both the St. John's Prep football and hockey teams in the upcoming season.
6/11/03
Hockey East Recruit Bound for QMJHL
6'2", 217 lb. UMass-Lowell recruit Kevin Coughlin is going major junior with the Quebec Remparts.
Coughlin, a RW from South Boston, Mass., played several seasons at Cushing Academy. This past season, his senior year, Coughlin played for the U.S. National Team Development Program where, in 56 games, he posted a 4-6-10 line. For three seasons before that he played at Cushing Academy.
Coughlin, a 4/23/85 birthdate whose father played at Michigan State in the late '70s, was picked in the 7th round (#103 overall) in last year's QMJHL draft.
There are now five New England kids on the Remparts (see below).
6/11/03
Warriors on Deck
6'2", 190 lb. goaltender Pat Watson, who starred at Waltham (Mass.) HS before taking a PG year at the Pomfret School this past season, has committed to Merrimack College for the fall '05.
Watson will play the next two seasons for the Valley Jr. Warriors (EJHL), coached by Andy Heinze.A 2/4/84 birthdate, Watson will enter Merrimack as a 21-year-old freshman. The Waltham native has the tools -- size and athleticism -- but is still a little raw.
Coming to Merrimack in the fall of '04 is Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL) power forward Hank Carisio. A Cheshire, Conn. native, Carisio posted a 25-36-61 line in 53 NAHL games. He also posted a whopping 253 pims, nearly five minutes a game.
Carisio is expected to be back with the Jr. Blues in the fall. However, his USHL rights are owned by the Lincoln Stars, who drafted him in the first round of last month's draft. In 2002, Carisio was drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Carisio, a left shot, is an 11/29/83 birthdate, so he, too, will be a 21-year-old freshman. Before going to the NAHL he played for the Connecticut Clippers Jr. B.
6/10/03
The Heat is On
Next week, the list of 46 players to be invited to the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp (Aug. 3-10; Lake Plaid, NY) will be finalized, and there will be a lot of familiar faces, as 11 players named to last year's team are eligible again this year.
It's an experienced team , and has an excellent chance to win a gold medal. Failing to medal at all, which has been the case over the last six years, would be a huge disappointment, though hardly unprecedented. Over the 27-year history of the tournament, the U.S. has won three medals, and not one of them was gold. They have won a silver ('97) and a pair of bronze medals ('86 & '92).
The last team that looked as good as this year's crop was probably the 1989 team which, with Mike Modano, John LeClair, Jeremy Roenick, Bill Guerin, and Tony Amonte had five guys who could wind up in the Hall of Fame someday. They also had Steve Heinze, Joe Sacco, Peter Ciavaglia, and future Hobey Baker winner David Emma -- all guys who could score. And score they did, 45 times in 7 games, setting a U.S. record in the process. But they still finished 3-3-1, and had to settle for fifth place. The tournament was also on home ice that year, in Anchorage, Alaska.
It hasn't been easy, that's for sure.
The grand pooh-bahs of USA Hockey know this team is good, and that's why they tapped Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves for the head job. Eaves is the only coach to lead a U.S. team to a gold medal in an internationally-sanctioned tournament outside of our fifty states. That was just 14 months ago, when the U.S. Under-18 Team edged heavily-favored Russia , 3-1, in the title game of the 2002 World Under-18 Championship in Piestany, Slovakia. Expect roughly 16 players off that team to be showing their stuff at Lake Placid in August. As his assistants, Eaves has hired two coaches he trusts -- Moe Mantha (NTDP) and John Hynes (Wisconsin).
How serious is the U.S. about jumping on this opportunity? Well, Lou Vairo, who coached the team last year after a 21-year absence (he also coached the junior team for four straight years between 1979-82) reportedly wanted to do it again this season, but was passed over in favor of Eaves, who has a much greater degree of familiarity with what the current player pool can do, obviously an important consideration in a tournament for which practices and exhibition games are at a premium.
Eaves will be the first college coach since Boston University's Jack Parker in 1996 to serve as head coach for the national junior team. With both Eaves and Hynes over in Helsinki, it also marks the first time in WJC history that two coaches from the same college program also coached together at the tournament. Assistant coach Troy Ward will run the Badgers over the holidays, with help from Bill Howard. Eaves and Hynes will miss four games -- the Badger Hockey Showdown and a two-game series against Mankato.
So, who's likely to be invited to the August evaluation camp? Here's how we see it. Please remember that these are our views only, and do not necessarily represent the views of the coaching and scouting staff. That said, we think you'll see ninety percent -- or better -- of these guys in Lake Placid.
Up front, there are seven returnees: Dustin Brown ('84), Ryan Kesler ('84), Patrick O'Sullivan ('85), Greg Moore ('84), Zach Parise ('84), Brett Sterling ('84), and Patrick Eaves ('84), who was replaced on the roster last December due to injury. We wouldn't be amazed to see one of those guys not make the final cut in December as the U.S. has great depth this time around. The potential newcomers to the national junior team are Danny Fritsche ('85), Hugh Jessiman ('84), Josh Hennessy ('85), David Backes ('84), Ryan Potulny ('84), Tim Wallace ('84), Robbie Schremp ('86), Stephen Werner ('84), David Booth ('84), Drew Stafford ('85), Robbie Earl ('85), Brian Boyle ('84), John Vigilante ('85), Jake Dowell ('85), T.J. Hensick ('85), Kevin Porter ('86), and perhaps another '86, such as Adam Pineault. That makes 24 -- two teams of 12.
On defense, there are three returnees: Mark Stuart ('84), Ryan Suter ('85), and James Wisniewski ('84). After them, we are looking at Matt Carle ('84), Brian Lee ('84), Corey Potter ('84), Danny Richmond ('84), Evan Shaw ('84), Jason Dest ('84), Frank Rediker ('85), Jimmy Sharrow ('85), Jeff Likens ('85), Matt Smaby ('84), Tim Cook ('84), Kyle Klubertanz ('85), and Matt Hunwick ('85). That's our 16 -- two teams of eight.
In goal, there is just one returnee and that is James Howard III ('84). The best candidate to join him on the team is, hands down, Alvaro Montoya ('85). We expect Dominic Vicari ('84) to push those guys a bit, though he doesn't have either college of major international experience, which puts him in exactly the same position as Bobby Goepfert was in last year at this time -- and Goepfert made the team. Others likely to get a camp invite are Chris Holt ('85) and Mike Brown ('85). After them we'll go with Gerald Coleman ('85), and Josh Gartner ('84). Gartner is a dual citizen. That's seven goalies which, since there are normally six goalies in camp, is one too many. We'll leave it at that rather than try to split hairs.
On our list we have twenty-six '84s (3G, 11D, 13F); eighteen '85s (4G,5D,8F); and three '86s (0G, 0D, 3F). A number of the players with world junior eligibility in future years -- the '85s and '86s in this case -- will make the team that heads to Helsinki in late December. Others will be seriously competitive for a slot. Some may be the longest of long shots now, but will be right in the picture next year. This is a good chance for those younger players to get their feet wet, and for the staff to watch them against the top older kids.
The team is not picked at Lake Placid. Players are simply evaluated there, and then followed throughout the fall, when a new candidate -- or two or three -- could force his way into the picture. The team is named in late November/early December.
The official camp roster is scheduled to be released in the days leading up to the draft, which is on June 21-22 in Nashville, Tenn.
Here's the schedule for Lake Placid.
Sun. Aug. 3:
Practice
Mon. Aug. 4:
Practice.
Tues. Aug. 5:
USA Blue vs. Sweden, 4 pm.
USA White vs. Finland, 7 pm
Wed. Aug. 6:
USA Blue vs. Finland, 4 pm
USA White vs. Sweden, 7 pm
Fri. Aug. 8:
USA White vs. Finland, 4 pm
USA Blue vs. Sweden, 7 pm
Sat. Aug. 9:
USA White vs. Sweden, 1 pm
USA Blue vs. Finland, 4 pm
6/9/03
Ryan, Andricopoulos Top Yanks in QMJHL Draft
U.S. NTDP recruits Joey Ryan, from the Valley Jr. Warriors (EJHL); and Andrew Andricopoulos, from Tabor Academy, were the top two U.S.-born players selected on Saturday at the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft, held in Val-d'Or, Que.
Both 6'1", 198 lb. Ryan and 6'0", 177 lb. Andricopoulos are '87s and right shot defensemen. Ryan was drafted by the Hull Olympiques franchise, which is moving five kilometers upriver to Gatineau (where -- and this is the obligatory seventh game of the Stanley Cup final content -- New Jersey Devils head coach Pat Burns used to work as a police detective.) Andricopoulos, who will not be going to the NTDP, was drafted by the Quebec Remparts.
What about the two players situations?
Joey Ryan: His father, Bob Ryan, a fireman from Malden, Mass. said it "was a shock" his son went so high. "We never spoke to them," he said. "As of right now, he's still going out to the National Program and then to Merrimack."
Joey, like his brother before him, has been a student at the Landmark School in Beverly, Mass., which is nationally recognized for its work with kids who suffer learning disabilities. However, the city of Beverly, which picked up the hefty $30,000 tab, will no longer do so on account of across-the-board budget cuts. If the Landmark option had continued to be available to Ryan, the defenseman would have stayed home and played for Andy Heinze's Warriors squad again in the upcoming season. The Ryans, who are dead serious about academics, are hoping the Ann Arbor high schools will be able to carry on the work and help Joey get through the NCAA clearinghouse.
If, however, Ryan fails to get through the clearinghouse two years from now and then on to Merrimack, the family would, naturally, consider the QMJHL. And Gatineau has his rights. It's a calculated risk on the Gatineau's part, but one with a large potential payoff. Fifteen -year-old defensemen with two years of junior experience and a mean streak don't exactly grow on trees.
Andrew Andricopoulos: Look for him to sign soon with Quebec, which already has three New England kids -- forwards Josh Hennessy and Jordan LaVallee, and defenseman Evan Shaw -- on board, and, in addition to the former Tabor defenseman, also drafted Avon Old Farms RD Adam Blanchette. Quebec hosted the Memorial Cup this season and Andricopoulos was a guest of the Remparts, which are partly owned by ex-NHL goaltender Patrick Roy.
Andricopoulos is a smooth skater with strong puck-handling skills -- and has good size, too.
This is the second straight season the Remparts have scooped up a player who had previously committed to the National Program. Last year, it was LaVallee, who previously played for the Walpole Stars (EJHL).
Here is the full list of American kids -- there were 17 total -- taken in Saturday's draft. Because of geographical rights, the only Americans eligible to play in the QMJHL are natives of the six New England states.
Round 1, #10 overall, by Gatineau: Joey Ryan, RD, Valley
Jr Warriors (EJHL), 10/19/87 6/2/03 Pavelski a Badger 5'11", 195 lb. Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) forward Joe Pavelski
has committed to the University of Wisconsin for the fall of '04. Pavelski, a right-shot center and a native of Plover, Wisc., is a sniper who
played at Stevens Point HS through his junior year. Last fall he moved to the
USHL for his senior season, and made a significant impact, finishing the regular
season third in scoring and being named rookie of the year. A 7/11/84 birthdate, Pavelski will return to Waterloo for another season, and
then enter Wisconsin with the recruiting class that includes defensemen Nate
Hagemo (NTDP) and Kyle Klubertanz (Green Bay); and forward Matt
Auffrey (NTDP). Though other big-time schools were interested in Pavleski, but Pavelski only
wanted to play within driving distance of his family's central Wisconsin hometown.
The final four were Minnesota Duluth, Mankato State, Northern Michigan, and
Wisconsin. Madison is just a 103 mile drive from Plover -- by midwestern standards,
that's a drive around the block. 6/1/03 Atlantic District Select Teams Named The Atlantic District Select 14, 15, 16, and 17 teams have been announced,
and the roster for each can be found below. The dates for the festivals are: The 14s and 15s will consist of mixed teams. The 16s and 17s will play as a
district. Atlantic District Select 17s (86s) Goaltenders (3): Stephen Ritter
(Senafly, NJ); A.J. Drago (Guttenberg, NJ); Brady Williams (Colorado
Springs, CO). Defensemen (5): John Conte (Mahway, NJ); Peter
Rossi (Hamilton Square, NJ); Ned Crotty (New Vernon, NJ); Chris
Androulakis (Paramis, NJ); Barry Goers (Ivyland, PA). Forwards (13): Christopher Potts (Phillipsburg,
NJ); Dale Reinhardt (Livingston, NJ); Dan Gallela (Jersey City,
NJ); Frank Berry (Allentown, PA); John Goffredo (Washingtonville,
NY); Kevin Hecht (Holland, PA); Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ); Octavian
Jordan (Waldwick, NJ); Ryan Mathews (Upper Nyack, NY); Shane Mandes
(Doylestown, PA); Will Denise (Princeton, NJ); David DeKastrozza
(Toms River, NJ); Joseph Nobilio (Hillsborough, NJ). Head Coach: Rich Eby. Assistant Coaches:
Steve Riley and Josh McCoy. *** Atlantic District Select 16s (87s) Goaltenders (2): Shane Connelly
(Cheltenham, PA); Tristan Favro (Westfield, NJ) Forwards (12): Brett Bandazian (Wyckoff, NJ);
Michael Del Mauro (Watchung, NJ); Anthony Ferri (Jersey City,
NJ); L.G. Gatison (Blue Bell, PA); Adam Gorelick (Morris Plains,
NJ); Bryan Haczyk (Nutley, NJ); Michael Kennedy (Upper Montclair,
NJ); Louis Lozzi (Philadelphia, PA); Scott McClintic (Skillman,
NJ); Thomas Schmicker (Rye, NY); Christopher Tutalo (Bedminster,
NJ); Rem Vanderbeek (Warren, NJ). *** Atlantic District Select 15s (88s) Goaltenders (2): Bryan Mountain
(Bryn Mawr, PA); Jared Tepper (Staten Island, NY). Defensemen (7): Bobby Sanguinetti (Mount Holly,
NJ); Jonathan Wolter (Chester, NJ); Mark Znutas (Emerson, NJ);
Matt Campanale (Chester Springs, PA); Thomas Mapes (Glen Rock, NJ);
Brendan Reich (Montvale, NJ); Andrew McDeavitt (Harrisburg, PA).
Forwards (12): Adam Houli (Howell, NJ); Adam
Kaiser (Stony Point, NY); Bobby Kramer (New City, NY); Brett Hextall
(Voorhees, NJ); Christopher Atkinson (Sparta, NJ); Gregory Squires
(White Plains, NY); John Piotrowicz (Plymouth Mtg, PA); Luke Popko
(Skillman, NJ); Cory Callen (Annandale, NJ); Zach Brown (York,
PA); Greg Manz (Conshohocken, PA); Thomas Scocozza (Kunkletown,
PA). *** Atlantic District Select 14s (89s) Goaltenders (2): Andrew Margolin
(Mahwah, NJ); John Yanchek (Hillsborough, NJ). Defensemen (6): Colby Cohen (Villanova, PA); David
Conte (Mahwah, NJ); Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, NY); Patrick
Bursee (West Nyack, NY); Peter Lompado (Staten Island, NY); Ryan
McKiernan (White Plains, NY); Forwards (12): Bobby Conner (Lititz, PA); Chris
Pronchick; Cory Alexieff (Middletown, NJ); David Brownschidle; Dominick
Morrone (Sewell, NJ); Greg Dobson (Oreland, PA); John Passantino
(Staten Island, NY); Josh Stolvoort (Quakertown, PA); Matt Rappaport
(Livingston, NJ); Nicholas Cook (Harrisburg, PA); Robert Lim (E.
Stroudsburg, PA): Stephen Bury (York, PA).
Rd. 3, #33 oa, by Quebec: Andrew Andricopoulos, RD, Tabor Academy, 4/1/87
Rd. 5, #72 oa, by Halifax: James Pouliot, LC, NH Jr. Monarchs (EJHL),
12/8/87
Rd. 6, #84 oa, by Quebec: Adam Blanchette, RD, Avon Old Farms, 2/21/86
Rd. 10, #145 oa, by Rimouski: Cory Schneider, G, Phillips Andover Academy,
3/18/86
Rd. 10, #153 oa, by Victoriaville: Rob Bellamy, RW, Berkshire School,
5/30/85
Rd. 10, #156 oa, by Chicoutimi: Keith Yandle, LD, Cushing Academy, 9/9/86
Rd. 11, #164 oa, by Andrew Andricopoulos: Kory Falite, LW, Boston Jr.
Bruins (EJHL), 7/18/86
Rd. 11, #169 oa, by Victoriaville: Matt Nickerson, RD, Texas Tornado
(NAHL) 1/11/85
Select 17s: July 11-17; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 16s: June 27-July 3; Rochester, NY
Select 15s: Aug. 3-8; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 14s: July 27-Aug.1; Rochester, NY
Defensemen (6): Eric Castellazzo (Freehold, NJ); Zachary Cherney
(New York, NY); Alfred Meyer (Westfield, NJ); Jonathan Miller
(Freehold, NJ); Jared Siganuk (Williamstown, NJ); Ryan Stewart (Princeton,
NJ).
Head Coach: Jim Hunt (Ramsey, NJ). Assistant Coaches:
John Dinorcia (South Organge, NJ) and Peter Rizzotti (Ramsey, NJ).
Coaches: Wally Meullenbrenner and Gump Whiteside.
Head Coach: John Riley.
