5/31/09
Grillo Makes it Official
Today, 12-year Brown head coach Roger Grillo notified his captains that he will not be returning to coach Brown in the fall.Grillo will be accepting one of the USA Hockey High Performance Program jobs, which come with a three-year contract.
A 43-year-old from Apple Valley, Minn. and a 1986 University of Maine graduate, Grillo was an assistant at Vermont for five years before taking over the Brown job in 1997.
Grillo’s final record at Brown was 125-228-57. He had three winning seasons and nine losing seasons. The winning seasons -- from 2002-05 -- featured Yann Danis for the first two seasons and Adam D’Alba (who would retire after his sophomore season) for the third season. The past two campaigns have been particularly tough ones at Meehan Auditorium, as Brown has gone 6-21-4 and 5-23-5. It was said that the back-to-back shutouts Mike Clemente posted at Harvard in the first round of the ECAC playoffs may have saved his coach’s job, but in the end it wasn’t enough.
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Elmira College has a new head coach in Aaron Saul, an alum. Saul replaces Tim Ceglarski, who resigned in April.
5/30/09
Life for Gilligan is Good Again
Longtime University of Vermont head hockey coach Mike Gilligan has defeated the tongue cancer he has been battling for the past year.This week, Gilligan, who survived a very rough stretch last fall, was given the thumbs-up by his oncologist at Mass General Hospital in Boston.
The main thing Gilligan, back in Burlington after a recuperative trip to Florida, needs to work on is putting on some weight, which should happen as he begins to regain his taste for food.
5/29/09
USA Hockey Select Festivals Upcoming
This summer’s USA Hockey Select Festivals get underway four weeks from today. We posted this schedule over the winter, but people have asked for it, so here it is again. All the festivals this summer will be held in Rochester, NY – no more St. Cloud. Not only that, but the schedule has been compressed. Very compressed, actually, to the extent that the 17’s and 14’s will be going on simultaneously. (The ESL Centre has four sheets).
Select 16’s (1993): Fri. June 26-Thurs. July 2
Select 17’s (1992): Tues. July 7-Mon. July 13
Select 14’s (1995): Wed. July 8-Tues. July 14
Select 15’s (1994): Wed. July 15-Tues. July 21
5/28/09
Coaching News -- and Rumors
Dean Blais has been named head coach of the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team. Blais, named the USHL Coach of the Year after leading the expansion Fargo Force to the league championship series, is no newcomer to USA Hockey or even the U.S. National Junior Team, which he was head coach of in 1994 (6th place finish). He was also an assistant in ’88 (6th place) and ’89 (5th place). Blais will have Jim Johannson as the squad’s GM, and Tim Taylor as director of player personnel. Assistant coaches haven’t been named yet. The dates for this year’s WJC are Dec. 26, 2009 through Jan. 5, 2010 in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan. Naming Blais to the position breaks up the NTDP rotation – Rolston, Hynes, Rolston – of the last few years.-- The half dozen or so regional head coaches for USA Hockey’s High Performance Club system are expected to be announced shortly. A very persistent rumor making the rounds has Brown 12-year head coach Roger Grillo taking one of the posts. In addition, it’s rumored that former UMass-Lowell assistant Kenny Rausch will be taking a post. Look for recognizable names when these USA Hockey jobs are handed out. We’re in a recession, and there’s little movement on the college front. And USA Hockey, flush with NHL money, is said to be offering a salary of $85,000 – with a three-year contract -- for the positions. That’s more than most USHL head coaches and Div. I assistants are making.
-- Another persistent rumor making the rounds has Providence College head coach Tim Army, who has been four years at his alma mater, being wooed back to pro hockey. We’ll have to see if anything comes of this, but Army served nine years as an assistant to Ron Wilson, a Providence College alum, during the years Wilson was at Anaheim and Washington. Now, of course, Wilson is head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. And the Leafs general manager is Brian Burke, a teammate of Wilson’s on the Lou Lamoriello coached Friars teams of the mid-70s. It’s easy to connect the dots, but right now this is just a rumor. However, it’s one that won’t quit.
-- With Mike Kemp having stepped down at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, who will take over the Mavericks program? A number of observers feel that Minnesota assistant coach – and former Omaha Lancers (USHL) head coach -- Mike Hastings is the top candidate. And he might well be. But we are hearing a variety of other names. Dean Blais, in the wake of taking the Fargo Force, a USHL expansion team, straight to the Clark Cup finals, could be a potent candidate. Blais won’t come cheap, though. He reportedly earned $200,000 at Fargo this season. He has also, as mentioned above, just been named head coach of the U.S. World Junior team. The UNO search committee would be crazy not to consider Indiana Ice head coach Jeff Blashill who, in his first year behind the Ice bench, led his team to the Clark Cup championship. And the players Blashill recruited to Miami-Ohio made it all the way to the NCAA title game. A couple other prominent names to consider are BU assistant David Quinn and Minnesota-Duluth assistant Steve Rohlik. Both Quinn and Rohlik know their way around the school, having previously served as assistants to Kemp. Then there’s Colorado College assistant Mike Guentzel, someone else who knows his way around Omaha, having served as head coach of the Lancers from ’92-94, before Hastings began his 14 year stint behind the bench. And yet another intriguing name making the rounds is that of Air Force head coach Frank Serratore – also another former Lancer head coach. Serratore’s stock is certainly high, but would he want to leave Air Force? Another candidate might be Mark Osiecki, who played for Kemp at Wisconsin. Osiecki has won a national championship as an assistant at North Dakota and Wisconsin and a USHL championship at Green Bay.
-- Last week, Chris MacKenzie, who spent the last eight years as an assistant on Blaise MacDonald’s staff at UMass-Lowell, was hired as the head women’s coach at Niagara, his alma mater. Taking his place on the UMass-Lowell staff will be Niagara associate head coach Jerry Forton, who was previously on MacDonald’s during the latter’s five years at Niagara (’96-01).
-- Look for Dave Allison, former head coach of the Iowa Stars (AHL) from ’05-08, to be officially named new head coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL). Allison, who coached the Ottawa Senators (NHL) for 25 games in the ’95-96 season is a 50-year-old native of Fort Frances, Ontario. J.P. Parise would stay on as GM. By the way, former Bucs assistant coach Scott McConnell is now head coach of the Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Major team (Tier I Elite League).
- Doc DelCastillo has been named head coach of the Alexandria Blizzard (NAHL), replacing Brad Willner, who resigned last month. DelCastillo was head coach at Alaska-Fairbanks in ’07-08. Before that, the Minnesota native was an assistant at UNO and St. Cloud State, and coached in the USHL with Waterloo, Omaha, and Rochester.
-- Boston Rangers Midget AAA GM/head coach Bobby Kinsella and the organization have, by mutual decision, parted ways. Team owner Chris O'Sullivan said he liked Kinsella's coaching, but, with a recession going on, needed a coach with strong sales skills who could make money for the organization by filling summer camps, tournaments, and other programs. Kinsella, a Massachusetts native who was an assistant with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) returned east a year ago to build the Rangers program from scratch.
-- We haven’t heard much on the Harvard assistant’s position, other than the fact that the job was offered to former assistant Bobby Jay who turned it down, expressing a desire to get back into the pro game.
-- There has been talk that current Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) head coach/GM Patrick Roy may be getting the Colorado Avalanche head coaching job, leaving open the possibility that Ray Bourque might take over in Quebec City, where, of course, he would have the opportunity to again coach his son, Ryan. Word this morning is that Roy, who has reportedly been offered the head coach/GM position with the Avalanche, has turned it down. He told several of his players over the weekend that he was still coach of the Remparts. Of course, there may be more to the whole story. For example, Roy could simply be holding out for more money. So stay tuned.
-- Glenn Patrick, former head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) and the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), has been named the new head coach at Wyoming Seminary.
Patrick, 59, is the grandson of Lester Patrick and the son of Lynn Patrick – both NHL Hall of Famers. He learned of the Wyoming Seminary program from former Wyoming Seminary players Arpad Mihaly, who played with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from ’05-07, and Dennis Packard, who played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this year.
Patrick played 38 NHL games in the 1970s, mostly with the defunct Cleveland Barons.
Wyoming Seminary, a Division I Independent, had a 17-9-6 record last season. Former coach Justin Favere remains in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, coaching youth hockey.
Martin Moucha, a 2003 Wyoming graduate who went on to play at Norwich, will be Patrick’s assistant.
-- Robert Morris University has lost assistants Joe Tuset (to the medical supplies industry) and Chris Kostopoulos (back to the Alliance Bulldogs Under-18 AAA team in Texas). They have been replaced by former Colgate player and Adrian College assistant Matt Nicholson and Joe Shawhan, who is the NAHL's all-time winningest coach from his years with the Soo Indians. Shawhan has also coached at Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State.
5/23/09
Mass Select 16’s and 17’s
Here are the rosters for the Massachusetts players named to USA Hockey’s Select 16 and Select 17 Festivals, to be held in Rochester, NY this summer.The National Camp allocations for Massachusetts is 12 players (1G, 4D, 7F) at the 16 level and 15 players (2G, 5D, 8F) at the 17 level.
Mass Select 16s (‘93s)
Goaltenders (2):
Christopher Eiserman (Newburyport HS)
Kevin Venturoso (Bridgewater Bandits – Empire)
Defensemen (5):
Desmond Bergin (St. Sebastian’s)
Connor Evangelista (Malden Catholic)
Connor Fallon (Thayer)
Joe McNamara (Belmont Hill)
Ross Scherma (Moses Brown)
Forwards (8):
Devin Albert (Belmont Hill)
Stephen Brown (St. Sebastian’s)
Brendan Burke (St. Sebastian’s)
Alex Gacek (Governor’s)
Stephen Miller (Acton-Boxborough HS)
Joe Prescott (St. Sebastian’s)
Paul Russell (Andover HS)
Joey Yeadon (Burlington HS)
Mass Select 17s (‘92s):
Goaltenders (1):
Petie Von Rosenvinge (Junior Bruins – Empire)
Defensemen (4):
William Eiserman (Newburyport HS)
Danny Federico (Junior Bruins)
Jonathan Mleczko (Milton)
Mike Reardon (Nobles)
Forwards (7):
Billy Arnold (Nobles)
Connor Brickley (Belmont Hill)
Charlie Coyle (Thayer)
Matt Harlow (Nobles)
Kevin Hayes (Nobles)
Gunnar Hughes (Salisbury)
Tommy O’Regan (St. Sebastian’s)
5/22/09
Help for the Eagles
With Boston College starting goaltender John Muse on crutches after surgery for a torn labrum – and not expected back until November at the earliest – the Eagles will be bringing in Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Parker Milner to fill the breach.Milner, who played on Avon Old Farms’ 2008 prep championship team but left a year early to take a shot at the USHL, drew the attention of the Boston College staff while they were out watching Waterloo defenseman Patrick Wey, who will also be arriving at the Heights this fall. In short, every time either Mike Cavanaugh or Greg Brown watched Wey, Milner came up with a strong performance in net. When Muse went down, they remembered those games.
Milner, a 6’1”, 185 lb. 9/6/90 birthdate from Pittsburgh, PA, split time with Joe Howe in the Waterloo net. In 31 games, Milner posted a 2.90 GAA to go with a .902 save percentage.
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6’1”, 192 lb. Brooks Dyroff, who was the captain at Phillips Andover this past winter – as well as Chris Kreider’s linemate -- will also be heading to Boston College this fall.
A Boulder, Colorado native who got into BC on his own, Dyroff was Andover’s second-leading scorer last winter, with a 16-14-30 line in 26 games played.
Whatever Dyroff has achieved on the ice, he has achieved even more off the ice.
In 2007, Dyroff, along with a friend from Colorado named Kenny Haisfield, founded CEO4Teens, a non-profit organization that has sent 20 teenage Indonesian students from low-income families on to a year-long computer programming course at Indonesia’s Campuhan College. Without the help from CEO4Teens, these students would have no prospects for moving on academically. With the organization’s help, they stand to earn four times what they would have otherwise.
Three summers ago Dyroff and Haisfield, now a student at North Carolina, were doing community work back home in Colorado. “We loved it,” Dyroff says, “and felt like we should do something more, so over the summer we put a donation letter out. Money came back, and we set up our foundation.”
In the summer of 2007, Dyroff and Haisfield traveled around the island of Bali. “With the help of a local school we were able to pick ten candidates that summer,” Dyroff says. “The following summer, we picked ten more.”
The organization is growing. Andover goalie Glenn Stowell, who will be heading to Wesleyan in the fall, is currently starting a branch in Taiwan.
The organization’s web site can be found at www.ceo4teens.com. Be sure to watch the documentary. It’s a good one.
By the way, CEO does not stand for what you might think but, rather, “Creating Educational Opportunities.”
5/20/09
New England Select 16’s Named
The following ’93-born players have been named to represent New England at USA Hockey’s Select 16 Festival June 26-July 2 in Rochester, NY. New England’s remaining select teams will be named later.Goaltender (1):
Shayne O’Brien – Conn. (Hartford Jr. Wolfpack Under-16)
Defensemen (5):
Jack Even – Conn. (Northern Conn. Wings)
Michael Paliotta – Conn. (Choate)
Bradley Smelstor – Vt. (Green Mountain Glades)
Derek Stahl – NH (Junior Bruins – Empire)
Colin Sullivan – Conn. (Fairfield Prep)
Forwards (8):
Connor Anthoine – Maine (Portland Jr. Pirates)
Jack Barre – Conn. (Salisbury School)
Ryan Haggerty – Conn. (Trinity Catholic HS)
Brian Hart – Maine (Greely HS)
Eric Mack – Vt. (Rutland HS)
Corbin McGuire – Conn. (Taft)
Matthew Salhany – RI (Bishop Hendricken HS)
Evan Schultz – NH (Portland Jr. Pirates)
In addition, defenseman Michael Flynn (Avon Old Farms) and forward Thomas Forgione (Green Mountain Glades) have been nominated as at-large picks.
5/19/09
Sweeney Named EJHL Director of Hockey Ops
Former EJHL head coach Jack Sweeney has been named the league’s first-ever director of hockey operations.
Sweeney, who was the head coach of the Walpole Stars/Foxboro Stars/South Shore Kings for seven years and was an associate coach on Bill O’Neill’s staff at Salem State this past season, will be taking some of the administrative load of running the EJHL off of commissioner Dan Esdale who, in addition to running the league, has his USA Hockey and Mass Hockey duties to take care of – and that’s in addition to running his trucking business.
Sweeney, 39, started coaching 15 years ago at Salem State before moving on to Babson College and then the EJHL. A resident of Lynn, Mass., he will be working out of the league offices in Woburn, Mass.
“Jack certainly has a lot of experience with the league,” Esdale says, “and he understands our history. He’s excited. He’s highly motivated. I have all the confidence he’ll do a great job.”
Esdale says Sweeney “will be the eyes and ears of the league at ground level.” In addition to coordinating league showcases, tournaments, and all-star games, Sweeney will be helping promote the league in terms of marketing and media, and handling various administrative duties. He will also oversee the discipline committee and will work with league supervisor of officials Gene Binda.
Esdale was asked if Sweeney’s hiring represents a changing of the guard, if perhaps Esdale was looking ahead to retirement.
“We will see what happens in the position now,” he said, “and then we will see what develops down the road.”
One thing that Sweeney is looking forward to is a presently unnamed winter showcase tournament the EJHL will be hosting Jan. 7-10, 2010 at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass. “We are looking to make a really big splash with that,” Sweeney says. “We have contacted every Jr. A program – outside the USHL -- in North America. If we just get a portion of what we’re looking for, this will be a very exciting event.”
5/18/09
Comings and Goings at NTDP
Nobles forward Billy Arnold and Mahoning Valley forward Brandon Saad will be joining the U.S. Under-18 Team this coming fall, while NTDP forward Emerson Etem, who was slated to move up to the Under-18 Team, will instead depart for major junior.Arnold, currently a sophomore, repeated when he arrived at Nobles from the Fessenden School in the fall of ’07. He had hoped to accelerate, play the upcoming season as a senior, graduate from Nobles, and move on to Boston College in the fall of ’10, a year early. However, Nobles turned down his request to accelerate, so the family went to Plan B.
The dilemma for Arnold was simply that if he had stayed at Nobles he would have, one year from today, found himself in essentially the same situation as Andover’s Chris Kreider is in right now. Kreider, a junior who will be a high pick in next month’s NHL draft, is ready to play college hockey but, in order to do so, will now have to leave Andover and return to his original high school to get his diploma. It’s the price elite players pay when they repeat a grade.
Arnold will instead be accelerating at high school in Ann Arbor. Then, in ’10-11, will be playing for either Boston College or, less likely, the Waterloo Black Hawks, who selected him in the first round of last October’s USHL Futures Draft.
It looked for a while as if Arnold, a center, would be staying home and playing the ’09-10 season with the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL), but the schedule the Under-18 Team will be playing proved too powerful a lure.
Arnold, a 5/13/92 birthdate, tied fellow soph and BC recruit Kevin Hayes as Nobles’ leading scorer this past winter. The linemates had identical 28-27-55 lines. Needless to say, Nobles is taking a big hit with Arnold’s departure.
Saad, a power forward with finesse, is similar to Arnold in that both are ‘92s who are in their sophomore years in high school. Saad, however, didn’t repeat. He’s just a late ’92 – 10/27/92, to be exact.
A 6’2”, 195 lb. native of Gibsonia, PA, north of Pittsburgh, Saad will, after the upcoming season with the Under-18 Team, likely play the ’10-11 season with Mahoning Valley/Youngstown, who have just joined the USHL and have Saad’s draft rights.
Saad, whose father was born in Syria, is being recruited by Notre Dame (among others). A former Pittsburgh Hornet player, he was a first round pick (10th overall) of Saginaw in the 2008 OHL draft. So there is always that option and, with the OHL right in the NTDP’s backyard, it is not to be underestimated.
Etem, a Long Beach, California native who attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s before joining the NTDP, is a 6/6/92 birthdate who was drafted in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft by Medicine Hat.
5/13/09
USHL Entry Draft Results
Here are the results of today’s USHL entry draft.The league made history this afternoon when, in the 16th round, the Chicago Steel drafted the first woman in league history, selecting goaltender Alex Rigsby, a University of Wisconsin women's recruit who played this past season with the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals and the USA Women’s Under-18 Team.
Round 1:
1. Tri-City – Justin DeMartino, F, Little Caesar’s
2. Des Moines – Austin Coldwell, D, Springfield Jr. Blues
3. Sioux City – Willie Yanakeff, G, US NTDP
4. Des Moines – Brandon Carlson, D, Chicago Mission
5. Youngstown – Dan Senkbeil, D, San Jose Jr. Sharks U-18
6. Sioux Falls – Michael Voran, F, Wenatchee Wild
7. Fargo – Zane Gothberg, G, Thief River Falls HS
8. Omaha – Mathieu Brisson, D, College Charles Lemoyne
9. Waterloo – Tyler Amburgey, D, US NTDP
10. Lincoln – PASS (Pick traded to Ohio in ’07)
11. Tri-City – Taylor Aronson, D, LA Jr. Kings
12. Cedar Rapids – Nolan Zajac, D, Winnipeg Thrashers
13. Green Bay – Max Hartner, D, Colorado Rampage
Round 2:
14. Tri-City – Blake Coleman, F, Dallas Stars AAA
15. Sioux Falls – Ryan Missiak, F, Motor City (NAHL)
16. Sioux City – Jeff Silengo, F, South Kent
17. Cedar Rapids – Garrett Ross, F, Victory Honda
18. Youngstown – J.D. Carrabino, D, Millbrook School
19. Sioux Falls – C.J. Motte, G, Traverse City (NAHL)
20. Fargo – Blake Doering, D, Blake School
21. Omaha – Erik Haula, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
22. Des Moines – DJ Vandercook, F, Wenatchee Wild
23. Chicago – Brendan Woods, F, Williston-Northampton School
24. Indiana – Justin Agosta, D, Berkshire School
25. Cedar Rapids – Evan Kovacs, F, Grosse Pointe North HS
26. Green Bay – Ryan McKay, G, CYA
Round 3:
27. Tri-City – Carson Chubak, G, Powell River Kings
28. Des Moines – Erik Mihalik, G, Bay State Breakers (EJHL)
29. Green Bay – Alex Kubiak, F, Chicago Fury
30. Chicago – Mark Adams, D, Malden Catholic HS
31. Youngstown – Dean Pawlaczyk, F, Traverse City (NAHL)
32. Youngstown – Michael Henderson, F, Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
33. Fargo – Mark Zengerle, F, Salmon Arm (BCHL)
34. Waterloo – Alex Vazzano, G, Gunnery
35. Waterloo – Zach Phillips, F, Lawrence Academy
36. Cedar Rapids -- Kevin Liss, D, Pittsburgh Hornets AAA
37. Indiana – Bryan Paulazzo, F, Topeka (NAHL)
38. Cedar Rapids – Zachary Carriveau, D, Nepean Raiders
39. Green Bay – Robert Francis, F, LA Jr. Kings
Round 4:
40. Waterloo – Jamie Hill, F, Team Comcast
41. Des Moines – Kenny Agostino, F, Delbarton HS
42. Sioux City – Scott MacCauley, D, Winnipeg Saints (MJHL)
43. Waterloo – Alex Guptill, F, Brampton Capitals
44. Youngstown – Ben Paulides, D, San Jose Jr. Sharks U-18
45. Lincoln – Steve West, D, Ohio State (NCAA)
46. Indiana – Billy Fitzgerald, D, Salisbury
47. Omaha – Steve Hensley, D, Detroit Catholic Central
48. Waterloo – Nick Sorkin, F, Team Maryland
49. Chicago – Jake Chelios, F, Little Caesar’s
50. Indiana – Sean Logue, F, South Shore Kings (EJHL)
51. Cedar Rapids – Chad Hudson, F, Wichita Falls (NAHL)
52. Green Bay – Jean-Paul Lafontaine, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
Round 5:
53. Tri-City – Ben Montgomery, D, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
54. Des Moines – Dan O’Donoghue, F, New York Bobcats (AJHL)
55. Sioux City – Darik Angeli, F, Colorado Rampage
56. Chicago – Sahir Gill, F, Vernon Vipers
57. Youngstown – Cody Strang, F, Madison Edgewood HS
58. Sioux Falls – Trent Frey, F, Springfield (NAHL)
59. Lincoln – Brodie Reid, F, Penticton Vees
60. Omaha – Mac Carruth, G, Wenatchee (NAHL)
61. Waterloo – PASS
62. Lincoln – Steve Racine, G, Taft
63. Lincoln – Brent Tate, F, Little Caesar’s
64. Cedar Rapids – Dan Linnell, F, Choate Rosemary Hall
65. Green Bay – Travis Lynch, F, Victory Honda
Round 6:
66. Tri-City – Mitch Hughes, F, LA Jr. Kings
67. Des Moines – Jack McNamara, F, Belmont Hill School
68. Sioux City -- Joe Kalisz, F, Victory Honda
69. Chicago – Ian Young, D, Pikes Peak Miners
70. Youngstown -- Brandon Saad, F, Mahoning Valley
71. Sioux Falls – Zach Kamrass, D, Springfield (NAHL)
72. Fargo – Alex Temby, D, Colorado Thunderbirds
73. Omaha – Matt Wahl, D, Cranbrook School
74. Waterloo – PASS
75. Lincoln – Dax Lauwers, D, Alaska All-Stars
76. Indiana – Cory Thorson, F, Owatonna (NAHL)
77. Cedar Rapids – PASS
78. Green Bay – Matt Stewart, D, Little Caesar’s
Round 7:
79. Tri-City – Chris Joyeaux, D, Team Illinoi U-16
80. Des Moines – Ciaron Driscoll, D, Southern California Titans
81. Sioux City – Max Gaede, F, Woodbury HS
82. Chicago – David Bondra, F, Washington Jr. Nationals (AJHL)
83. Youngstown – Andrew Lamont, F, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
84. Sioux Falls – James McNulty, F, Victory Honda
85. Fargo – Brenden Walker, F, Portage Terriers
86. Omaha – Stefan Demopoulos, F, Avon Old Farms
87. Waterloo – PASS
88. Lincoln – Jeff McMinimy, F, Dallas Stars AAA
89. Indiana – Scott Mayfield, D, St. Louis Blues Under-16
90. Cedar Rapids – PASS
91. Green Bay – PASS
Round 8:
92. Tri-City – Blake Schammel, F, Red Wing HS
93. Des Moines – Eric Knodel, D, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
94. Sioux City -- PASS
95. Chicago -- PASS
96. Youngstown – Thane Heller, F, Gunnery
97. Sioux Falls – Matt Tabrum, F, Pikes Peak Miners
98. Fargo -- PASS
99. Omaha – Justin Holl, D, Minnetonka HS
100. Waterloo -- PASS
101. Lincoln – Will Rayner, D, South Kent
102. Indiana – Cab Morris, G, Hotchkiss School
103. Cedar Rapids -- PASS
104. Green Bay -- PASS
Round 9:
105. Tri-City – PASS
106. Des Moines – Charles Williams, G, Honeybaked Midget AAA
107. Sioux City -- PASS
108. Chicago -- PASS
109. Youngstown – Jean-Laurence Beauchemin, D, Russell Stover Under-18
110. Sioux Falls -- PASS
111. Fargo -- PASS
112. Omaha -- PASS
113. Waterloo -- PASS
114. Lincoln – Chris Wagner, F, South Shore Kings
115. Indiana – Joey Benik, F, St. Francis (Minn.) HS
116. Cedar Rapids -- PASS
117. Green Bay -- PASS
Round 10:
118. Tri-City -- PASS
119. Des Moines – Brandon Burrell, D, Wenatchee Wild
120. Sioux City -- PASS
121. Chicago -- PASS
122. Youngstown -- PASS
123. Sioux Falls -- PASS
124. Fargo -- PASS
125. Omaha -- PASS
126. Waterloo -- PASS
127. Lincoln -- PASS
128. Indiana -- PASS
129. Cedar Rapids -- PASS
130. Green Bay -- PASS
Round 11:
131. Tri-City -- PASS
132. Des Moines – Taylor Wolfe, F, Eden Prairie HS
133. Sioux City -- PASS
134. Chicago -- PASS
135. Youngstown -- PASS
136. Sioux Falls -- PASS
137. Fargo -- PASS
138. Omaha -- PASS
139. Waterloo -- PASS
140. Lincoln -- PASS
141. Indiana -- PASS
142. Cedar Rapids -- PASS
143. Green Bay -- PASS
Round 12:
144. Tri-City – Jason Binkley, F, Cleveland Barons
145. Des Moines – Joe Faust, D, Bloomington Jefferson HS
146. Sioux City – Ryan Rashid, F, St. Louis Bandits
147. Chicago – Patrick Kirkland, F, Russell Stover
148. Youngstown – Andy Huff, F, Honeybaked Midget AAA
149. Sioux Falls – Cole Wilson, F, Flin Flon Bombers
150. Green Bay -- Brock Nelson, F, Warroad HS
151. Cedar Rapids – Matthew Zay, F, New York Bobcats (AJHL)
152. Sioux Falls – Mike Yanis, D, U of Detroit Jesuit HS
153. Lincoln – William Brockett, F, Cleveland Barons
154. Indiana – Tyler Lundey, F, Madison Capitals
155. Cedar Rapids – Tom Mahoney, D, Thayer Academy
156. Tri-City – Russell Blaser, F, Team Wsconsin Under-16
Round 13:
157. Tri-City – Doug Wedel, D, LA Jr. Kings
158. Des Moines – Graeme McCormack, D, Thunder Bay Bearcats (SIJHL)
159. Sioux City – Dan Dekeyser, D, Trail (BCHL)
160. Chicago – Andrew Schmit, F, Culver Academy
161. Youngstown – Brandon Komm, G, Northfield-Mt. Hermon
162. Sioux Falls – Jason Clark, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
163. Fargo – Mike Malady, D, NJ Rockets
164. Cedar Rapids – Steven Collins, F, Green Mountain Glades
165. Waterloo – Andrew Prochno, D, Minnetonka HS
166. Lincoln – Ryan Dzingel, F, Team Illinois
167. Indiana – Colton Hargrove, F, Dallas Penguins
168. Cedar Rapids – Peter Sakaris, F, College Charles Lemoyne
169. Green Bay – Kyle Jean, F, Traverse City (NAHL)
Round 14:
170. Tri-City – Kenny Brooks, F, Nevada Stars AAA
171. Des Moines – Adam Mitchell, F, Bay State Breakers (EJHL)
172. Sioux City – Caleb Herbert, F, Bloomington Jefferson
173. Chicago – DJ Jones, D, Wayzata HS
174. Youngstown – Brandon Russo, D, Salisbury School
175. Fargo – Duncan McKellar, F, Wenatchee Wild
176. Fargo – Michael Vilardo, F, Team Illinois
177. Omaha – Garrett Hendrickson, F, Virginia HS
178. Waterloo – Bennett Carroccio, D, Phillips Andover
179. Lincoln – Izaak Berglund, D, Little Falls HS
180. Indiana – Taylor Burden, F, Indiana Jr. Ice
181. Cedar Rapids – Sam Warning, F, St. Louis Selects AAA
182. Green Bay – Grant Arnold, F, Colorado Rampage
Round 15:
183. Tri-City – Tyler Pistone, F, Nanaimo Clippers
184. Des Moines – Brad Jones, D, Florida Panthers Alliance
185. Sioux City – Tyler Brickler, F, Green Mountain Glades
186. Chicago – Pijus Rulevicius, F, Chicago Mission
187. Youngstown – George Saad, F, Mahoning Valley
188. Green Bay – Mario Puskarich, F, CYA
189. Fargo – Aaron Schleppelman, D, S2 Under-18
190. Omaha – Jonathan Liau, F, St. Paul’s School
191. Waterloo – Seth Jones, D, Dallas Stars Under-14
192. Lincoln – Jonathan Mleczko, D, Milton Academy
193. Indiana – Jarrod Rabey, D, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
194. Cedar Rapids – Nate Wilson, D, PF Chang’s
195. Green Bay – James Polk, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
Round 16:
196. Tri-City – Luke Hernandez, G, San Jose Jr. Sharks Under-18
197. Des Moines – Dalton Young, D, Belle Tire Under-16
198. Sioux City – Blake Edwards, D, St. Louis Bandits
199. Chicago – Alex Rigsby, G, USA Women’s Under-18/Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
200. Youngstown – Zach Sarig, D, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Under-18
201. Sioux Falls – Adam Knochenmus, F, Roseau HS
202. Fargo – Ryan Doner, F, Kent Valley Selects
203. Omaha – Ryan Bedard, F, Stanstead College
204. Waterloo – Tony Turgeon, D, Bismarck Bobcats
205. Lincoln – Luke Curadi, D, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack
206. Indiana – Frankie DeAugustine, F, Culver Academy
207. Cedar Rapids – Robbie Hall, D, CYA
208. Green Bay – Chris Leone, D, Belle Tire Under-18
Round 17:
209. Tri-City – Brice Geoffrion, F, Culver Academy
210. Des Moines – Connor Frick, D, St. Louis Selects AAA
211. Sioux City – Justin Crandall, F, St. Thomas Academy
212. Chicago – Sam Calabrese, D, US NTDP
213. Youngstown – Matt Harlow, F, Noble & Greenough
214. Sioux Falls – Sam Windle, D, Osseo HS
215. Fargo – Willie Corrin, D, International Falls HS
216. Omaha – Phillippe Maillet, F, College Esther Blondin
217. Waterloo – Cody Vonrueden, D, CYA
218. Lincoln – Matt Green, G, Little Caesar’s
219. Indiana – Jake Berger, F, St. Louis Blues AAA
220. Cedar Rapids – PASS
221. Green Bay – Adam Wilcox, F, South St. Paul HS
Round 18:
222. Tri-City – PASS
223. Des Moines – Dustin Darou, D, Smith Falls Bears
224. Sioux City – Jeff Wyer, G, Reading (Mass.) HS
225. Chicago – TJ Sarcona, F, NJ Rockets
226. Youngstown – Tyler Rehm, F, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
227. Sioux Falls – Nick Curry, F, Springfield (NAHL)
228. Fargo – Garrett Haar, D, LA Selects
229. Omaha – Eric Rohrkemper, G, Grosse Pointe HS
230. Waterloo – Justin Jones, F, Dallas Stars AAA
231. Lincoln – Luke Johnson, F, Red River HS
232. Indiana – Adam Phillips, D, Soo Eagles
233. Cedar Rapids – PASS
234. Green Bay – PASS
Round 19:
235. Tri-City – PASS
236. Des Moines -- PASS
237. Sioux City -- PASS
238. Chicago -- PASS
239. Youngstown -- PASS
240. Sioux Falls – Sam Coatta, F, Minnetonka HS
241. Fargo -- PASS
242. Omaha – Anthony Hamburg, F, Dallas Stars AAA
243. Waterloo – Tony Thomas, F, Novi Catholic Central
244. Lincoln -- PASS
245. Indiana -- PASS
246. Cedar Rapids -- PASS
247. Green Bay -- PASS
Round 20:
248. Tri-City -- PASS
249. Des Moines -- PASS
250. Sioux City -- PASS
251. Chicago -- PASS
252. Youngstown -- PASS
253. Sioux Falls -- PASS
254. Fargo -- PASS
255. Omaha – Christian Horn, F, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
256. Waterloo – PASS
257. Lincoln -- PASS
258. Indiana – Derek Zike, F, Chicago Fury AAA Under-16
5/12/09
Fall League Rosters
Here is what we have so far in the way of rosters for the New England Fall Prep Hockey League. Mass East, Mass North, and Mass West are pretty much set. Mass South is getting there, and Mass Central has a way to go.Mass East/Boston Junior Eagles (Head Coach: John McNamara):
Sal Tecci (Thayer), David Cunningham (Belmont Hill), Mike Seward (Winchester HS), Devin Albert (Belmont Hill), Nick Tierney (Belmont Hill), Mike Lopez (Dexter), Mike McNamara (Belmont Hill), Michael van Siclen (Concord-Carlisle HS), Will Gray (Phillips Andover), Connor Helfrich (Lawrence), Daniel Doherty (Milton Academy), Jake Picking (Governor’s), Mike Sullivan (Dexter), Dylan Pike (Belmont Hill), Joe McNamara (Belmont Hill), Aidan Hartigan (BB&N), Desmond Bergin (St. Sebastian’s).
Mass North/Top Gun (Coaches: Peter Ferriero and Rob Riley):
Max Fenkell (Exeter), Rob Liberatore (Salem NH HS), Michael Kennedy (Exeter), Brendan Cosgrove (Exeter), Lucas Sousa (Lawrence), Drew Tallet (Governor’s), Kyle Gietzen (Lawrence), Bennett Carroccio (Andover), Garnet Hathaway (Andover), Bryan Safstrom (Andover), Cody Ferriero (Governor’s), Brian Ward (Governor’s), Brett Riley (Governor’s), Josh Richards (Exeter), Eric Neilly (Exeter), Zach Fox (Timberlane NH HS), Connor Toomey (Proctor), Keith Buehler (Proctor), Niko Tasiopoulos (Proctor).
Mass West/Little Bruins (Coaches: Chris Masters and Andy Powers):
Geno Lane (Nobles), Casey DeSmith (Deerfield), Thomas Park (Nobles), Phil Sciretta (Nobles), Connor Evangelista (Malden Catholic), Ross Scherma (Moses Brown), Christian Pomarico (Westminster), Eric Chevrier (Cushing), Kyle O’Brien (Cushing), Gunnar Hughes (Salisbury), Connor Brickley (Belmont Hill), Brandon McNally (Belmont Hill), Conor Sheary (Cushing), Joey Yeadon (Burlington HS), Trevor Mingoia (Berkshire), Andrew Cerretani (Malden Catholic), Andrew Doane (Nobles), Ryan Tyson (Westminster), Andrew Tegeler (Bishop Eustace HS), Kevin Duane (Mid-Fairfield), Niko Masotta (Avon).
Mass South/Boston Advantage (Head Coach: Tim Lovell):
Connor Dempsey (Rivers), Kevin Perron (Albany Academy), Nathan Hardiman (Xaverian), Thomas Manna (Rivers), Michael Whooley (Rivers), Michael Driscoll (BC High), Zachary Markel (Roxbury Latin), Brian Isaac (Xaverian), William Burchill (Nobles), Michael Cox (Needham HS), Jackson Brewer (Rivers), Cam Miller (Xaverian), Dillon Pieri (Rivers), Preston Kaye (New Hampton).
Mass Central (Head Coach: Andrew Merrick):
Under construction.
5/12/09
USHL Drafts On Tap
The USHL drafts will be held today and tomorrow. The Futures Draft will be this afternoon (Tues. 5/12) at 3:00 pm CST, and the Entry Draft will be tomorrow (Wed. 5/13) starting at 1:00 pm CST.
Live results for both can be seen on www.ushldraft.com
The Futures Draft, which was formerly held in October, is limited to ’93-born players. In this draft, which is five rounds long, each team can select up to five players, whose rights they will hold for three seasons. The 65 players selected today will then be placed on teams’ affiliate lists for the ’09-10 season. At any point during the season, players can be moved to the active roster. Youngstown, as the new team in the league, will pick first.
The Entry Draft is the lengthier of the two drafts. Before the draft starts, each team must submit an initial protected list consisting of the veteran players that they wish to protect plus the players each team drafted for their affiliate list in last October’s Futures Draft. If a team, for example, goes into tomorrow’s draft with a total of 12 protected players, they are then allowed to draft 11 more players in the initial part of the draft. That brings them to 23. Once a team reaches that number, they have to sit on their hands until every other team has reached 23 players. Following that, the draft continues, with each team selecting again until every team reaches 30 players.
***
The Ice, under first year head coach Jeff Blashill, were paced by University of North Dakota recruit Mike Cichy, who was 6-19-25 in 13 playoff games, and was named playoff MVP. His 19 assists set a new USHL postseason record.
In net, University of Wisconsin recruit Brett Bennett was stellar, kicking out 35 of 36 shots. In 13 playoff games, Bennett posted a 2.36 gaa and a .920 save percentage.
5/12/09
USHL Expansion Draft
Ten players currently on the roster or affiliate list of USHL teams were selected by the league’s new Youngstown franchise in yesterday’s expansion draft. They are:Jack Callahan, F, Lincoln (affiliate list)
Jefferson Dahl, F, Green Bay
David Donnellan, D, Tri-City
Brett Gensler, F, Cedar Rapids
Taylor Holstrom, F, Omaha
Matt Lindblad, F, Chicago
Doug Marshall, D, Sioux Falls (affiliate list)
Nick Mattson, D, Des Moines (affiliate list)
J.T. Osborn, F, Indiana (affiliate list)
Tom Serratore, F, Sioux City
"Through this draft, the USHL has provided a great opportunity for an expansion club to enter the league and be competitive," said Bob Mainhardt, Youngstown’s head coach. "Our organization expected to acquire some key contributors to our team for next season and we are very happy with the system which the USHL has put in place."
USHL clubs that had players chosen in the expansion draft were allowed to adjust their protected list accordingly leading into today’s futures draft. Each of the current teams was allowed to protect a maximum of eight veteran players – that is, players who had played in 10 or more games during the past season. Veteran players still enrolled in high school were automatically protected. No USHL teams were allowed to lose more than one player in the draft.
5/12/09
Complete USHL Futures Draft Results
The USHL Futures Draft is complete, and here are the 65 players selected. All are ’93 birthdates.Round 1:
1. Youngstown – Matt Mahalak, G, Culver Academy
2. Cedar Rapids – Cason Hohmann, F, Compuware
3. Waterloo – Jay Williams, G, Hotchkiss School
4. Des Moines – Nick Malysa, D, NJ Avalanche
5. Fargo – Brian Cooper, D, Alaska All-Stars
6. Sioux City – Jordan Schmaltz, D, Mission Under-16
7. Sioux Falls – Blake Pietila, F, Compuware
8. Indiana – Alex Racino, F, Team Wisconsin
9. Green Bay – Dan Molenaar, D, Eden Prairie HS
10. Des Moines – Zane Popilock, D, Team Comcast
11. Chicago – J.C. Campagna, F, Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
12. Tri-City – Peter Hand, D, Compuware
13. Omaha – Scott Dornbock, D, Grosse Pointe HS
Round 2:
14. Omaha – Max Everson, D, Edina HS
15. Tri-City – Dakota Olvin, D, Howell HS
16. Chicago – Theo DiPauli, F, Chicago Mission
17. Des Moines – Kevin Irwin, F, Cleveland Under-18
18. Green Bay – Andy Welinski, D, Duluth East HS
19. Indiana – Alex Gacek, F, Governor’s Academy
20. Sioux Falls – Mike Reilly, D, Holy Angels
21. Sioux City – Brett Curran, D, CYA
22. Fargo – Corbin McGuire, F, Taft School
23. Lincoln – Kevin Zugec, D, Pittsburgh Hornets
24. Waterloo – Michael Zajac, F, Eagan HS
25. Cedar Rapids – Jacob Downing, D, Detroit Catholic Central HS
26. Youngstown – Connor Murphy, D, Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
Round 3:
27. Youngstown – Peter Dudek, Jr., G, Nichols School
28. Cedar Rapids – Jared Linnell, F, Alaska All-Stars
29. Waterloo – J.D. Cotroneo, D, Hill Murray HS
30. Lincoln – Austin Wuthrich, F, Alaska All-Stars
31. Fargo – Seth Swenson, F, Colorado Thunderbirds
32. Sioux City – Ben Bahe, F, Hill Murray
33. Sioux Falls – Charlie O’Connor, F, Lake Forest Academy
34. Indiana – Joseph Fiala, D, Verona HS
35. Green Bay – Travis Boyd, F, Hopkins HS
36. Lincoln – Dominick Shine, F, Compuware Under-16
37. Chicago – Jimmy McDowell, D, Little Caesar’s
38. Tri-City – Cody Bisbing, F, PF Chang’s Under-18
39. Omaha – Kenneth Gillespie, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
Round 4:
40. Omaha – Xavier Ouellet, D, College Esther-Blondin
41. Tri-City – Brandon Fisher, D, Alaska All-Stars
42. Chicago – Cory Czarnik, F, Belle Tire
43. Des Moines – Justin Selman, F, NJ Avalanche
44. Green Bay – Philippe Hudon, F, Choate
45. Indiana – Colin Stevens, G, Albany Academy
46. Sioux Falls – Jake McCabe, D, Eau Claire HS
47. Sioux City – Blake Roubos, F, Culver Academy
48. Fargo – Neil Goff, D, Stillwater HS
49. Lincoln – Frank Schumacher, D, Victory Honda
50. Waterloo – Craig Duininck, D, Compuware
51. Cedar Rapids – Kevin Venturoso, G, Bridgewater Bandits (Empire)
52. Youngstown – Reid Boucher, F, Lansing Capitals
Round 5:
53. Youngstown – Adam Reid, F, LA Selects Under-16
54. Cedar Rapids – Torey Willsey, D, Chicago Mission AAA
55. Waterloo – Kevin Emerling, F, Boston Advantage
56. Lincoln – Kacper Guzik, F, Little Caesar’s
57. Fargo – AJ Jarosz, F, Team Illinois
58. Sioux City – Travis Walsh, D, Capital Center Pride
59. Sioux Falls – Anthony Greco, F, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
60. Indiana – Sean Kuraly, F, Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
61. Green Bay -- Alex Broadhurst, F, Team Illinois
62. Des Moines – Kyle Sucher, D, St. Louis Selects
63. Chicago – Jagger Dirk, D, Okanagan Hockey Academy
64. Tri-City – Cory Ward, F, Las Vegas Stars AAA
65. Omaha – Dillon Donnelly, D, Lac St. Louis Lions
5/11/09 New Tier I Midget League is Showcase-Driven
- Boston Jr. Rangers
- Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
- Chadders Hockey
- Florida Panther Alliance
- Green Bay
- Indianapolis AAA
- Lansing Capitals AAA
- Marquette Electricians
- Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
- Nevada Stars
- Omaha AAA Hockey Club
- Phantom Fireworks
- Pikes Peak Miners
- S2
- San Jose Jr. Sharks
- So Cal Titans
- St. Louis Selects
- Team Maryland
- Texas Tornado
- Thunder Hockey
There is no conventional league schedule in the NAPHL. The league’s reason for existing is simply to offer the above-named organizations a chance to come together as a group for a series of USA Hockey-sanctioned showcases. There will be five of them during the regular season, giving the players numerous opportunities to be seen by scouts and recruiters. On top of that, there will be a league championship series, culminating with the NAPHL Top Prospects Tournament at the NAHL's 2010 Robertson Cup Championship Tournament in late April.
Outside of the showcases, each of these 20 teams is free to play whatever schedule they wish.
The NAPHL consists not only of the 20-team midget major division, but also a 16-team Midget Minor division.
The schedule for the five NAPHL tournaments is as follows:
1. September 17-20, 2009 (Blaine, Minn.)
2. October 9-12, 2009 (St. Louis, Mo., or Chicago, Ill.)
3. November 12-15, 2009 (Rochester, N.Y.)
4. January 15-18, 2010 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
5. February 12-15, 2010 (San Jose, Calif.)
The league’s website can be found here:
NAPHL
5/11/09 Iles Leaving Salisbury
A ’92 from Ithaca, NY and a Cornell recruit, Iles will take the spot in Ann Arbor vacated by Willie Yanakeff, who was asked to leave the program in late winter.
Iles, the USHR Prep Goaltender of the Year, had a .928 save percentage this past season. In ’07-08, splitting time with Anthony Borelli, Iles posted a .948 save percentage.
5/6/09
Fall Prep Leagues Taking Shape
The New England Fall Prep League – modeled after Minnesota’s Upper Midwest High School Elite League -- is rounding into shape, and set to go in the fall.However, unlike Minnesota, which has just one fall league, New England will have two fall leagues, one based in Massachusetts, and the other in Connecticut.
The two leagues share the same principle and goal: to give the kids a chance to “have it all” by offering high-quality competition right at home, thus reducing the temptation for the elite player to head out west to the USHL or the NTDP. The league’s template is the Minnesota-based fall Elite League, which has given players in the upper Midwest an opportunity to play a competitive junior-length schedule without having to leave their high school. Last fall, the elite league, which is heavily scouted, boasted seven players who had turned down the NTDP -- and at least that many others who had turned down the USHL. Not too many years back, Minnesota would not have been able to keep those players. Now, however, they do, the result being that high school hockey in Minnesota has remained a fertile ground for player development. The two New England leagues are expected to help prep schools both attract and retain the elite player.
First off, the basics:
-- The Massachusetts-based New England Fall Prep Hockey League will be a five-team loop, with each team playing a 10-12 game schedule. Games will be played at Babson College in Wellesley on Saturdays (5 pm, 7 pm) and Sundays (12 and 2 pm) starting on September 19th and running through November 8th.
-- The Connecticut-based Western New England Fall Prep Elite League will be a four-team league with games played at Trinity College in Hartford on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons starting on September 26th and running through Nov. 14th. Tryouts will be on September 19th-20th, and are open to prep and high school students.
Both leagues are designed for players in the 11th and 12th grades, though in rare cases a 10th grade player will be allowed to try out. As in the Minnesota Fall Elite League, players are allowed – encouraged, actually – to play a fall sport.
Of the two leagues, the New England Fall Prep League is a little farther along, with coaches already named and most players picked. The league also has a web site up and running. Run by Peter Ferriero, founder of the Top Gun organization, and John McNamara, Boston Jr. Eagles head coach and Belmont Hill assistant, the league will also have a younger five-team division following the same format/schedule as the older division. We’ll have more on that later.
Here are the five teams in the league. Players will be distributed regionally (to facilitate carpooling, etc.):
Mass East: The head coach will be John McNamara.
Mass North: This team will be co-coached by Ferriero and Rob Riley, the long-time Army head coach now scouting for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Mass Central: Coach Andrew Merrick (former University of Michigan forward; currently coaching Timberlane High School in New Hampshire).
Mass West: Andy Powers (Boston Junior Bruins Empire League associate head coach)
Mass South: Tim Lovell (Boston Advantage Midget AAA coach)
The per player cost will be around $500.
With five teams in the league, one team will get a night off every couple of weeks, and the other four teams will face off against each other.
There will be a league showcase Fri. Aug. 28-Sun. Aug. 30 at the Icenter in Salem, NH. In addition to league teams, outside teams will also be invited. “We will be reaching out to teams in the Upper Midwest Elite League so we can roll everything out and show what we have,” Ferriero says.
The league web site can be found here:
***
The Connecticut League – the Western New England Fall Prep Elite League – will, as mentioned above, have tryouts on September 19-20. Unlike the Massachusetts players, which were chosen by the group of coaches, players in the Connecticut league will be chosen by a group of outside evaluators that will be headed up by league commissioner Jason Pagni and will also include Todd Johnson, Mike Backman, and Dave Roberts.
The games will be coached by a rotating group of prep coaches, though no prep coach is allowed to coach a team containing more than five of his regular-season players. (If more than five players from a particular team is chosen for the league, any surplus over five will have to spill over onto another team.)
The Connecticut league will, once September comes around, be getting at it just as hard as the Mass group, and, with all the Founders’ League teams to draw from, promises to be extremely competitive. It’s setup, though, will be more on the back end, so we don’t have much to report now – other than the fact that more news will be forthcoming, so stay tuned. A league web site – with application forms -- should go up in a few weeks. We will let you know when that happens.
5/3/09
U.S. Players Selected in OHL Draft
Here are the American players selected in yesterday's OHL draft. All players are '93s except for John Moore, who's a late '90 (and will be a high pick in the NHL draft next month) and Eric Neiley, who's a '92.2/3 Kitchener – John Moore, LD, Chicago Steel (USHL), 11/19/90
2/4 Saginaw – Vince Trocheck, RC, Little Caesar’s
2/13 Plymouth – Matt Mahalak, G, Culver Academy
2/15 London – Jake Worrad, LD, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs
2/19 Oshawa – Tyler Biggs, RW, Jr. Canadiens
3/4 Oshawa – Colin Suellentrop, RD, Compuware Under-16
3/13 Guelph – Julian Ciocco, LD, Cushing Academy
3/20 Sault Ste. Marie – Trevor Morbeck, RW, Team Illinois Under-16
4/4 Plymouth – Stefan Noesen, RC, Compuware Under-16
4/6 Saginaw – Alex Lepkowski, LD, St. Francis HS
4/7 Windsor – Craig Duininck, RD, Compuware Under-16
4/10 Saginaw – Jay Williams, G, Hotchkiss School
5/12 Sarnia – Joseph Campagna, LC, Ohio Blue Jackets Under-16
5/13 Plymouth – J.T. Miller, LC, Pittsburgh Hornets
5/19 Plymouth – Nick Malysa, LD, NJ Avalanche
6/2 Kingston --Eric Neiley, LC, Team Comcast, 1/30/92
6/3 Kitchener – Barrett Kaib, RD, Culver Academy
6/17 Windsor – Austin Czarnik, RW, U.S. Under-17 Team
6/19 London – Danny Elser, LC, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
7/10 Saginaw – Frank Schumacher, LD, Victory Honda Under-16
7/11 Windsor – Jordan Schmaltz, RD, Chicago Mission Under-16
7/17 Brampton – Tyler Rehm, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Under-16
7/19 London – Darcy Greenaway, LC, Lake Forest Academy
7/20 Guelph – Jacob MacDonald, LD, Compuware Under-16
8/13 Plymouth – Conner Burton, RW, Ohio Blue Jackets Under-16
8/17 Brampton – Jeffrey Stenglein, LW, Rochester Alliance
8/20 Guelph – Garrett Sparks, G, Team Illinois Under-16
9/7 Niagara – Riley Bourbonnais, LC, Rochester Alliance
9/10 Erie – Kevin Zugec, LD, Pittsburgh Hornets Under-16
9/11 Windsor – Blake Pietila, LW, Compuware Under-16
10/2 Kingston – A.J. Jarosz, LW, Team Illinois Under-16
10/13 Plymouth – Peter Hand, RD, Compuware Under-16
10/14 Saginaw – Dominick Shine, RW, Compuware Under-16
10/15 St. Michael’s – Kevin Irwin, RC, Cleveland Barons Midget
11/3 Kitchener – John Gibson, G, Pittsburgh Hornets Under-16
11/6 Peterborough – Justin Selman, LC, NJ Avalanche
11/8 Barrie – Cory Czarnik, LC, Belle Tire Under-16
11/12 Sarnia – Jordan Cosby, RW, TPH Thunder
11/14 Windsor – Josh Maleckie, G, Compuware Under-16
12/4 Oshawa – Jimmy McDowell, RD, Little Caesar’s Under-16
12/7 Niagara – Cole Bardreau, RC, Rochester Alliance
12/13 Plymouth – Kenny Gillespie, RW, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
13/4 Oshawa – Lane King, RW, Team Illinois Under-16
13/6 Windsor – Travis Maezes, LW, Ann Arbor Pioneer HS
13/15 St. Michael’s – Jake Dutter, RD, Team Illinois Under-16
14/12 Sarnia – Reid Boucher, LC, Lansing Capitals
15/3 Plymouth – Sean Kuraly, LC, Ohio Blue Jackets Under-16
15/4 Oshawa – Brett Curran, RD, Chicago Young Americans Under-16
15/5 Sudbury – Paul Berrafato, G, Compuware Under-16
15/10 Sarnia – Connor Murphy, RD, Ohio Blue Jackets Under-16
15/12 Sault Ste. Marie – Devin Loe, LC, Florida Alliance Under-18
15/14 Saginaw – Peter Dudek, G, Buffalo Regals Under-16
5/1/09
24 Yanks Selected in WHL Draft
The highest selected U.S. player was 6’3”, 175 lb. late ’94 defenseman Seth Jones of the Dallas Stars Bantams. Jones is the son of former NBA forward Popeye Jones, now an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.
1st Round:
11. Everett (from Lethbridge), Seth Jones, D, Dallas, TX
2nd Round:
None
3rd Round:
None
4th Round:
68. Portland, A.J. Michaelson, C, Apple Valley, MN
5th Round:
97. Medicine Hat (from Prince Albert), Luke Johnson, C, Grand Forks, ND
98. Kamloops, Chase Souto, RW, Yorba Linda, CA
6th Round:
None
7th Round:
144. Seattle, Johnny Dora, D, Erie, CO
152. Vancouver (from Saskatoon), Matias Cleland, D, Longmont, CO
153. Vancouver, Dennis Kravchenko, San Clemente, CA
8th Round:
156. Portland, Josh Hanson, D, Anchorage, AK
161. Everett, Josh Racek, LW, Colorado Springs, CO
171. Kelowna, Nicolas Kerdiles, LW, Irvine, CA
9th Round:
179. Chilliwack, Austin Carroll, C, Scottsdale, AZ
181. Red Deer, Nikolas Olsson, LW, Escondido, CA
185. Prince Albert, Gavin Stoik, RW, Littleton, CO
186. Spokane (from Kamloops), Chris Buchanan, D, San Jose, CA
187. Medicine Hat (from Lethbridge), Austin Ho, D, Chino Hill, CA
10th Round:
201. Chilliwack, Quentin Shore, C, Denver, CO
202. Medicine Hat (from Prince George), Nicholas Anderson, LW, San Jose, CA
208. Regina (from Kamloops), Darrin Robinson, G, Aurora, CO
210. Vancouver (from Seattle), Luke McColgan, C, Manhattan Beach, CA
214. Prince George (from Spokane), Drew Newmeyer, D, Scottsdale, AZ
215. Spokane (from Kelowna), Dillon Bogart, LW, Spokane, WA
11th Round:
222. Portland, Jake Montgomery, LW, Oakdale, MN
12th Round:
261. Tri-City, Zane Schartz, C, Plano, TX.
13th Round:
276. Seattle, Dan Kowalski, G, Centennial, CO.
14th Round:
None
5/1/09
Martel Named Director of USA Hockey’s ADM
Ken Martel has been named the first-ever director of USA Hockey’s American Development Model.
The ADM, created in January, offers a blueprint for associations nationwide to follow. The goal is to improve the development of US youth players. While we have spoken out against the program, we feel that Martel, a southern California native who went on to win an NCAA title at Lake Superior State before going into coaching, is an excellent choice to head it up. He will listen to opposing viewpoints, and encourage dialogue.
After serving as an assistant at St. Cloud State, Michigan Tech, and the Air Force Academy, Martel spent eight years in Ann Arbor with the NTDP. Since 2006 he has been working out of USA Hockey’s national office in Colorado Springs.
5/1/09 Updated
Twelve Players Named to US Under-17 Team
The first twelve players – all ‘93s -- who have officially committed to the U.S. Under-17 Team for the ’09-10 season are as follows:
Forwards (7): Cole Bardreau (Fairport, N.Y./Rochester Alliance Midget Minor); Tyler Biggs (Loveland, Ohio/Toronto Jr. Canadiens); Reid Boucher (Grand Ledge, Mich./Lansing Capitals Midget Major); Travis Boyd (Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins H.S.); Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmor, Calif./Little Caesar’s Midget Major), Zac Larraza (Scottsdale, Ariz./P.F. Changs Midget Major); and J.T. Miller (Epalestine, Ohio/Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major).
Defensemen (5): Barrett Kaib (Upper St. Clair, Pa./Culver Academy); Michael Paliotta (Westport, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall); Alexx Privitera (Old Tappan, N.J./New Jersey Avalanche Midget Minor); Robbie Russo (Westmont, Ill./Chicago Mission Midget Major); and Matthew Van Voorhis (Edina, Minn./Edina H.S.).
Update:
The above is the official list sent out as a press release by USA Hockey the other day. There are players who have been promised slots on the team who are NOT on the above list -- eg, goaltender John Gibson and forward Ryan Haggerty -- so there are people perplexed by the above list. We have contacted the NTDP for clarification, but have not yet received a response.
5/1/09
St. Sebastian’s Names McCann Head Coach
Harvard University assistant coach Sean McCann will be officially named the new head hockey coach at the St. Sebastian’s School.
McCann, 37, replaces Steve Dagdigian, who led the Needham, Mass. day school to consecutive prep titles in 2001 and 2002 and reached overtime in the 2003 title game. However, Dagdigian -- “Didge” to most -- was informed by the school in early March that he would not be rehired as a hockey coach for ’09-10. He will continue to teach at the school.
Like Dagdigian, McCann is a Harvard alum, having graduated in 1994 with a degree in history. A former Crimson captain, All-America defenseman, and Hobey Baker finalist, McCann, with 22 goals from the blue line, led the Crimson to the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal game (they lost to Lake Superior State in OT) in his senior year.
A Florida Panthers pick in the 1994 Supplemental Draft, McCann went on to play seven years of pro hockey in the AHL and IHL. For the past seven years, he has been an assistant at Harvard. Many observers feel that the incoming class of freshmen McCann recruited may be the best the school has seen in a number of years.
“It is difficult leaving Harvard”, McCann says, “but I’m going into what is a very attractive opportunity – the approach of the school, the direction of the program, and the lifestyle change all added up for me.”
After life as a pro player, and then as a Div. I assistant with its incessant travel demands, McCann is excited to be able to spend more time at his Needham, Mass. home -- he has lived five minutes from St. Seb’s since taking the Harvard job in 2002 -- with his wife and children. He is the father of a five-year-old boy and three-year-old twins (one boy, one girl).
When McCann told his children the news, he says, "they thought I was going to be home with them all day!”
McCann is looking forward to getting down to work. “This is a great opportunity to run my own program and be affiliated with a great school,” he says. “I am really impressed with the people here and what they are trying to do.”
“Didge had a tremendous amount of success here,” McCann adds. “I’m good friends with him and respect him greatly as an individual. I’m happy to learn the prep situation from him. He’s a great guy.”
McCann, however, will be forging his own identity for the program. “My goal,” he says, “is to develop the players for the college game, to impart an understanding of what it takes to play at that level – and to prepare them for it. Hopefully, I can bring my experience of what it takes to play in tournament games and championship games… and what it takes to get there.”
“With young players,” he adds, “you have to be smart, as they are not adults. They are growing and maturing.”
McCann stresses communication. “The most important thing to that end is being upfront, being honest, and being available. You can’t leave kids in the dark. You have to spend a lot of time talking to them – not just the X’s and O’s but the general stuff of life. I need to be available to them and to be honest with them so they understand what’s going on. Being honest is the key.”
In May of 1977, when McCann, the youngest of 11 children, was six years old, a fire in the middle of the night ripped through the McCann family home in North York, Ontario. The blaze took the life of his mother and five of his siblings, including four of the six girls. And then McCann’s father died a year later. McCann, along with his surviving siblings, was raised by an aunt and uncle. From grade six on, McCann attended a Toronto all-boys private school – De La Salle College – that he describes as “similar to St. Sebastian’s.” He played hockey for the powerhouse Thornhill Thunderbirds of the Toronto Metro League, a team from which a total of 14 players went on to play Div. I college hockey.
“For me to go to Harvard was an amazing thing from where I came from,” McCann says.
McCann is asked how the tragedy he endured as a child has shaped him as an adult. Did it possibly give him an inner strength or point of view others might not possess?
“I think possibly having been through so much gave me a determination and work ethic,” he says. “I also think it’s why family means so much to me.”
In addition to coaching, McCann will also be either teaching or working in administration at St. Sebastian’s, though his exact off-ice position has yet to be determined.
In August, McCann will be running the St. Sebastian’s hockey schools at the campus rink.
Other top candidates for the St. Sebastian’s job were a pair of former stars for the Arrows – Joe Hulbig, who went on to play for Providence College and in the NHL and AHL; and Mike Walsh, who went on to Colgate and played in the NHL and AHL also. Walsh is currently the head coach at Proctor Academy.
