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Letellier to Merrimack

Portland Junior Pirates (AJHL) 5'10", 165 lb. forward Andrew Letellier has committed to Merrimack for '07-08. 

Letellier played Maine high school hockey as a freshman and a sophomore at Thornton Academy, and is now in his second season with the Pirates. An '88 birthdate, he played at last summer's Select 17 Festival. A skilled forward, he's good around the net, quick on his feet and quick with his shot. He'll spend another year with the Junior Pirates to gain strength before joining the Warriors. 

In 29 games, he has a 21-17-38 line with the Pirates.

Playoff Projections 

The NEPSIHA Tournament Committee will be crunching numbers and going over things again in the morning and by early afternoon should have an official  tally. Our numbers indicate no change from the projections we made after Wednesday's games. 

This is what we have now:

East
1. Nobles -- 3
2. Cushing -- 7
3. Lawrence -- 10
4. Belmont Hill -- 11

West:
1.Salisbury -- 3
2. Taft -- 6
3. Avon -- 9
4. Westminster -- 12

 
While both Lawrence and Belmont Hill will make the playoffs, they are pretty close numerically. That might be an area to watch for further confirmation. It's within the realm of possibility that they could flip-flop, though we don't see it happening.

Milton D-man Makes His Choice

5'10", 180 lb. LD Mike Matczak, a junior at Milton Academy, has committed to Yale.

Matczak is a mobile skater, with an accurate shot, good puck-handling skills, and -- perhaps his strongest suit -- a strong sense of the game. 

A 4/6/88 birthdate from Sewell, NJ, Matczak was one of the better defensemen at last July's Select 17 Festival in St. Cloud.  

Div. I Commitments

Three more Des Moines Bucanneers have committed to Div. I schools:

-- 6'2", 205 lb. defenseman Chase Ryan is headed to Minnesota-Duluth this fall. Ryan, an 11/9/86 birthdate from Algonquin, Ill., played for CYA before going to to the USHL with Cedar Rapids this fall. After being released by Cedar Rapids, he joined Des Moines, where, in 46 games, he has a 1-14-15 line with a +19. A good, steady, stay-at-home D.

-- 6'1", 190 lb. defenseman Shane Sims has committed to Ohio State for the fall of '07. A 4/30/88 birthdate from East Amherst, NY, Sims, a USHL rookie, played for the Buffalo Saints last season. He's a good, smart, solid defenseman with some offensive upside. In 46 games with the Bucs, he has a 8-12-20 line with a +8.

-- 5'10", 170 lb. forward Rich Purslow has committed to UNO for the fall of '07. Purslow, a 7/30/86 birthdate from Long Island, played for Apple Core (EJHL) before heading to the USHL this past fall. Purslow, the younger brother of Chris Purslow, who played for the NTDP and St. Cloud State, is a very smart, crafty forward who has a good stick and sees the ice well. Needs to get stronger for Div. I play. In 46 games, he has a 11-24-35 line with a +9.    

***

6'1", 175 lb. forward Eric Kattelus of the Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL) has committed to Michigan Tech for the fall of '07. Kattelus, who leads the NAHL in goals with 32 in 37 games, has lived near Houghton since moving up there from Traverse City, Michigan three years ago to play for the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA squad. So going to Michigan Tech will be a homecoming for him. He's a 5/22/87 birthdate.

Speaking of the Upper Peninsula, the NAHL is adding a 21st team, as the Marquette Rangers will join the league this fall, playing out of Lakeview Arena. David Saint-Onge will be president and GM; Rich Tegge, a Marquette native, will be VP and director of hockey operations; and Brad Layzell, who played at RPI, will be VP and Director of Player Development. A coach will be named soon.

Kaiser to Princeton

St. Paul's School 5'10" RC Kevin Kaiser has committed to Princeton, likely for this coming fall.

Kaiser, a gritty, two-way player who wins battles and competes, is a co-captain at St. Paul's this season and has a 15-13-28 line to date. As a junior, he had a 16-23-39 line.

A 1/5/87 birthdate, Kaiser is a son of the Granite State, from Pelham, NH.

  

2/17/06

News from About

-- Viktor Stahlberg, a 6’3”, 192 lb. left-shot forward from the Frölunda junior team in Sweden, has committed to Vermont for next season. Clarkson was also recruiting Stahlberg, who is a 1/17/86 birthdate, played for Sweden at the Under-20 Four Nations Cup in November.

-- Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL) center Pat Kimball has committed to Merrimack for this fall. Kimball, a 5'8", 180 lb. native of Framingham, Mass., is a 7/30/86 birthdate. In 38 games he has a 17-24-41 line.

-- Former BC High goaltender Joe Grossman has committed to Dartmouth for this fall. Grossman, a 20-year-old from Foxboro, Mass., has played the last two seasons with Waterloo in the USHL.

Grossman was expected to go to BC this fall as a walk-on, but with Cory Schneider unmoveable in the Eagles’ net, he changed his mind and decided to take a second year in the USHL.

In August, after Chris Holt left UNO to sign with the Rangers, Mike Kemp offered him a scholarship there. Grossman, though, wanted to go to school in the east, so turned it down.

Grossman, in 33 games at Waterloo this season, has a 3.08 gaa and a .888 save percentage. His numbers are down from last season when, in 29 games, he had a 2.68 gaa and a .903 save percentage. 

Sophomore Mike Devine has been the #1 goalie for the Big Green this season.

-- In other Dartmouth news, Taft junior defenseman Eric Baier, who had committed to Dartmouth for ’07, has uncommitted due to financial reasons, and will instead be looking at scholarship schools. Another defenseman Dartmouth was recruiting, Kyle Hardwick of Warroad, Minn. and the Lincoln Stars (USHL), stopped considering an Ivy education because of cost, and will also be looking to scholarship schools. So he’s still out there, and may have to take another year in the USHL. 

-- Also in Dartmouth news, defenseman Colin Young, also a Dartmouth recruit, is no longer playing at St. Sebastian’s. He’s joined the Walpole Stars (EJHL).   

-- 6’5”, 220 lb. Taft senior forward Sean Carty, an ’87 from Glen Ellyn, Ill., will be heading to Colgate this fall.

-- Senior defenseman Aaron Slattengren was dismissed from Colorado College earlier this week for academic reasons. Slattengren, a 24-year-old from Duluth, Minn. who played in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers, had a 10-8-18 line in 26 games.

-- 6’2” NY Apple Core forward Scott Birnstill, an ’87 who formerly played in the National Team Development Program and for the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL), has reportedly retired from hockey, or at least from Apple Core.

-- Colorado College has a commitment from 5'9" forward Tyler Johnson, a junior at Cloquet HS. In 23 games for the Lumberjacks, Johnson has a 21-22-43 line. An '89, he's small, fast, and skilled.  
 

Predicting the Future

In 1998, in its first edition, Total Hockey contributing writers went out on a limb and took a crack at projecting Olympic hockey rosters for both four years ahead (Salt Lake, 2002) and eight years ahead (Torino, today). 

How'd they do? For eight years ahead, that is.

For some countries, quite well. The writers correctly picked nine of 23 players on Canada's roster, and eight of 23 for both Russia and Sweden. On the downside, they picked five of 23 for the U.S. and Finland, and went only two for 23 when it came to the Czech Republic roster. 

The players correctly picked for the U.S. roster in Torino were: Derian Hatcher, Keith Tkachuk, Brian Rolston, Chris Drury, and Scott Gomez.

Ten of Total Hockey's misses are still in the NHL: Jamie Langenbrunner, Steve Konowalchuk, David Legwand, Erik Rasmussen, Matt Cullen, Tim Connolly, Marty Reasoner, Bryan Berard, Paul Mara, and Brian Boucher.

Eight are not in the NHL. Goaltender Jim Carey, a former Vezina Trophy winner, retired after the 1998-99 season. Goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier has played seven NHL games in the nine years since he has left Cornell -- he's with Rochester (AHL). Scott Lachance played 13 years in the NHL but is playing in the Swiss League now. Defenseman Nik Tselios, Chris Chelios' cousin and a Carolina first round pick in 1997, has played a total of two NHL games and is now playing in the Finnish Elite League. Defenseman Mike McBain played a couple of years in the NHL and is now with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL). Forward Adam Deadmarsh retired after the '02-03 season. Forward Ty Jones, a first round draft pick of Chicago in 1997, played 14 NHL games and retired after the '03-04 season. Forward Brad Winchester is with Hamilton (AHL).

Total Hockey did not pick Chelios to make either the 2002 or the 2006 Olympic Team. Can't say as we would have either.

If anybody wants to take a crack at picking the 2010 or 2014 U.S. Olympic Teams, we encourage it. If enough people do it, we'll hold on to the submitted rosters, and when the time comes we'll award a prize (we have plenty of time to think of one) to whomever comes closest. 

Obviously, we're very interested in seeing how many people pick Chelios for 2010. 

Mr. Hockey Finalists Announced

The finalists for the Mr. Hockey Award, presented annually to the top senior in Minnesota, have been announced. They are:

Jay Barriball, F, Holy Angels
David Fischer, D, Apple Valley
Michael Forney, F, Thief River Falls
Jordan Fulton, F, Breck
David Grun, F, White Bear Lake
Kyle Medvec, D, Apple Valley
Joey Miller, F, Wayzata
Nick Oslund, F, Burnsville
Andy Sackrison, F, St. Louis Park
Carl Sneep, D,  Brainerd

If we have to take a guess, we say Barriball will win it.

Austin Lee of Bloomington Jefferson has been awarded the Frank Brimsek Award, given annually to the state’s top senior goaltender. We have no idea why they don't wait until the end of the season to give out this award (not that that Mr. Lee is not totally deserving). 

The Mr. Hockey Award is handed out the day after the State Tournament ends. The state tournament this year runs from March 8-11, at Mariucci Arena and the Excel Center. 

Latest on Prep Playoff Race

There are just 12 days left in the regular season for New England prep schools, so for the latest shapshot on the Div. I playoff race, and the latest USHR Div. I Poll, check out today's prep news section. 

USHR Prep News -- Feb. '06

2/10/06

Walpole Showcase Resurrected

The old Walpole Stars Showcase, dormant for the past few years, has been resurrected and is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 17-19 at the twin-sheet Foxboro Sports Center. Twelve of the 14 EJHL teams will be there. Apple Core and Bridgewater won’t be. Each team will play three league games in three days. There will be no playoffs.

Fri. Feb. 17:
12:00 pm – NH Monarchs vs. Bay State Breakers
12:10 pm – Valley Jr. Warriors vs. Junior Bruins
2:30 pm – CD Selects vs. Walpole Stars
2:40 pm – New England Falcons vs. New England Huskies
5:00 pm – Boston Harbor Wolves vs. Green Mountain
5:10 pm – Syracuse Stars vs. NJ Hitmen

Sat. Feb. 18:
10:00 am – Bay State Breakers vs. Green Mountain
12:30 pm – Boston Harbor Wolves vs. New England Falcons
12:50 pm – Valley Junior Warriors vs. Walpole Stars
3:20 pm – NH Monarchs vs. New England Huskies
6:10 pm – Syracuse Stars vs. CD Selects
8:40 pm – NJ Hitmen vs. Junior Bruins

Sun. Feb. 19:
8:00 am – Syracuse Stars vs. Valley Jr. Warriors
8:50 am – Green Mountain vs. New England Huskies
10:30 am – CD Selects vs. Junior Bruins
11:20 am – NH Monarch vs. Boston Harbor Wolves
1:00 pm – NJ Hitmen vs. Walpole Stars
3:30 pm – Bay State Breakers vs. New England Falcons

With a Little Help Their Friends

The U.S. Under-17 Team is 2-0 in the Vlad Druzilla Tournament, yesterday beating the German Under-18 Team 7-3 behind a four-point performance (2g,2a) from Cleveland Barons (NAHL) forward Carter Camper, a Miami recruit.

Meanwhile, the US Under-18 team topped Switzerland, 3-2, as New England Falcons (EJHL) forward Barry Almeida led the team with a goal and an assist. Almeida is being recruited by Providence College, UNH, BC, BU, Maine, and Denver and will make his decision sometime after the EJHL season ends next month.

2/8/06

The Boston Globe is reporting that the much-talked-about possibility of Boston College playing an outdoor game under the lights is going to happen and should be worked out in the next several weeks.

What makes it even more intriguing is the fact that the game will be in Fenway Park, which, while it isn’t exactly tailored for hockey, makes for a very good reason to head to the ballpark in midwinter.

Boston University could be an opponent, and the possibility of a doubleheader, with BU and BC facing off against a pair of Midwestern schools -- Michigan State and Michigan were mentioned – is also a distinct possibility.

2/8/06

Milton Case Back in the News

Jay Driscoll, one of the five Milton Academy players expelled in last winter’s highly-publicized sex scandal, has sued the school over the way the incident was handled.

The Quincy Patriot-Ledger reports that the Driscoll family filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Norfolk Superior Court alleging that school administrators improperly questioned Driscoll, a Milton native, forcing him to sign a confession even though he had not had a chance to talk to his parents or a lawyer.

The Driscolls are seeking unspecified damages from the school, and want their son’s transcript changed from “expelled” to “withdrawn.” The suit also claims the school meted out different punishments to other students allegedly involved in similar sexual encounters, and also made incriminating and false statements to the media. 

Massachusetts law prohibits sex with anyone under the age of 16. The girl in the case was 15.   

Driscoll was one of several players charged with rape, but, after apologizing to the girl’s family, were ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and placed on two years pre-trial probation, which means that if they keep a clean record during that time, they will not have criminal records. Two other members of the team, both juveniles, were also charged in the case.

2/9/06

Future Warriors

Two USHLers – forward Matt Moulakelis of the Omaha Lancers and defenseman Joe Loprieno of the Chicago Steel – have committed to Merrimack College.

-- Loprieno, who will be joining the Warriors this fall, is a former captain of Team Illinois and is now the captain of the Steel. An ’86, he’s physical, steady, tough to beat 1-on-1 and good on the penalty kill. At 6’3”, 205, he also has size.

--Moulakelis, also a Chicagoland kid, played for TI before going to the USHL, where he missed much of last season with a knee injury. A 6’1”, 180 lb. right wing, Moulakelis will take another year in the USHL and come to Merrimack in the fall of ’07. An ’87, Moulakelis has a 4-10-14 line in 38 games. He has good speed, plays physically, and with another year in Omaha, could become a good get for Mark Dennehy’s Warriors.

2/9/06

Under-18 Team in Moscow

The U.S. Under-18 Team is in Moscow, preparing to play Russia in the Five Nations Tournament tomorrow night. On Saturday, they face Finland, and then finish with Sweden on Sunday and the Czech Republic on Monday.

Defenseman Erik Johnson, who’s played plenty of hockey recently, more than proving his worth in the World Juniors, won’t be making the trip, nor will forward Greg Squires. The latter is playing with the Under-17 Team. Taking their place are two forwards -- UNH recruit James VanRiemsdyk, who’s been called up from the Under-17 Team; and Michael Forney, a North Dakota recruit who’s currently a senior at Thief River Falls HS, where he has 28 points in 11 games.

Big D for the Cats

6'5", 191 lb. LD Kyle Medvec of Apple Valley (Minn.) HS has committed to the University of Vermont for the fall of '07. Medvec, a 6/16/88 who was ranked 84th on Central Scouting's Mid-Term Rankings of North American Skaters, is also a top student.

Other schools in the picture for him reportedly included BC, Maine, and Harvard. 

2/8/06

Prep Playoff Info

The 2006 NEPSIHA prep playoffs will follow the traditional pattern, with quarterfinals taking place the first Wednesday following the close of the regular season, and the semis and finals taking place that weekend, Sat.-Sun. March 4-5, in Salem, NH. 

Div. I

Quarterfinal action is scheduled for the afternoon of Wed. March 1 at campus sites:

#4 East will play at #1 East; and #3 West will play at #2 West. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal play on Sat. March 4 at 3:30 pm.

#3 East will play at #2 East; and #4 West will play at #1 West. The winners will faceoff at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal play on Sat. March 4 at 6:00 pm.

The Div. I championship game will be held at 3:00 pm on Sun. March 5, also in Salem, NH.

Div. II

For Div. II, teams are simply seeded 1-8. As with Div. I, the quarterfinals will take place Wed. afternoon March 1 at campus sites. The games will be held at the higher-seeded schools unless the travel time exceeds two hours, in which case the game will be held at a neutral site somewhere between the two schools.

#1 plays #8 and #4 faces #5. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal action on Sat. March 4 at 11:00 am.

#2 plays #7 and #3 plays #6. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in a semifinal matchup on Sat. March 4 at 1:15 pm.

The Div. II championship game will be held Sunday March 5 at 12:30 pm, also in Salem, NH.

Driving Directions to the Icenter: From Boston, Take Route 93 North. Right after crossing the Mass/New Hampshire border, take Exit 1 (Rockingham Park Boulevard). After exiting, you will see a sign for Mall Road, which will take you up on an overpass. When you come to a traffic light, take a right. This is Mall Road (you will see the race track on your right). Very shortly thereafter, it comes to a T, take a left there (Rt. 38 South), go straight through two sets of lights, and you'll see the Icenter about a half-mile down on the right. 

Note: As was the case last year, there will be no seniors game Sunday morning. It looks like that game has been permanently deep-sixed.  

Warm Up the TV

At 8:00 pm EST tonight, ESPN Classic will be airing "First Miracle: The 1960 U.S. Olympic Team." Bud Greenspan will be hosting this look back at the events of 46 years ago at Squaw Valley. We haven't seen it, but it sounds like must-see TV to us.  

For those of you who, like Billy Cleary, will be at the Beanpot, ESPN Classic will be replaying the documentary at midnight. 

-- On a more sober note, Pat Rupp, goaltender for the 1964 and 1968 U.S. Olympic Teams died last Thursday of cancer at his home in Dayton, Ohio. Rupp was 63. 

A Detroit native, Rupp played junior hockey for the Flin Flon Bombers and in the EHL with the Philadelphia Ramblers before hooking on with the '64 Olympic team, which came in fifth in Innsbruck, Austria. He played one game with the Detroit Red Wings as a fill-in for an injured Terry Sawchuck, but spent most of his career with the Dayton Gems (IHL). Rupp was with the Gems when he got the slot on the '68 team that finished sixth in Grenoble, France.

After retiring from hockey, Rupp went into the financial investment business.

2/4/06

Almeida to Join Under-17s

5'9", 170 lb. New England Junior Falcons (EJHL) forward Barry Almeida will be joining the U.S. Under-17 Team as they head out this weekend for Piestany, Slovakia where they will compete in the Vlad Dzurilla Classic, an Under-18 Tournament.

Almeida, an excellent skater, scorer, and passer, is the top forward in the EJHL this season, leading the league in scoring with a 32-24-56 line in 33 games.

Almeida, an '88, will join Cleveland Junior Barons (NAHL) forward Carter Camper, and Mahoning Valley Phantoms (NAHL) defenseman Doug Leaverton on the trip.

Under-17 Team members sidelined with injuries and unable to play overseas are defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and David Kolomatis, and forward Phil McRae.


 

2/2/06

An Offensive Touch

USHL leading scorer Chad Costello of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders has committed to Northeastern for this coming fall. A 7/22//86 birthdate from Des Moines, Iowa, Costello has a 20-31-51 line in 39 games. He's small, listed at 5'9", 170 lbs., but he's always around the puck, and makes things happen. He'll definitely give the Huskies a touch around the net. 

Costello played his midget hockey with the Des Moines Capitals and Team Illinois, played a year in the USHL with Des Moines ('03-04), left for a year with Wichita Falls of the NAHL where he had 63 points in 56 games, and then returned to the USHL this season.

-- Union College has a commitment from LC Jason Walters of the Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL), also for this coming fall. A 4/4/86 birthday, Walters, with a 32-54-86 line in 45 games, is the second-leading scorer in the league, trailing only his linemate, California native Ryan Lasch, a St. Cloud State recruit.

Last year, Walters led the CJHL in scoring. A 5'10", 180 lb. playmaking center who mans the point on the power play, Walters needs to improve his defensive game. 

UNH Suspends Seven

UNH coach Dick Umile has suspended seven forwards for tomorrow night's nationally televised game at Maine, according to the  Concord (NH) Monitor.

The players suspended are Dan Winnick, Brett Hemingway, Josh Ciocco, Mike Radja, Greg Collins, Trevor Smith and Jerry Pollastrone. 

The players will be back for Saturday's game. The suspensions were for an unspecified violation of team rules. 

Look for seldom-used players to be manning forward positions tomorrow, including a number of defensemen. 

Concord Monitor Article