WHL From Above

Officially On The Radar: Morgan Rielly

2012-02-16T08:55:00.000-06:00

The 2012 NHL Draft class has been famous for two main things.

1. A large haul of impressive defenceman.

2. Severe injuries to top prospects.

Morgan Rielly fits into both of those categories. Luckily for me, I had the chance to see Rielly 8 times live last season when he was a 16 year old rookie for the Moose Jaw Warriors and another 2 times live this year before he suffered a severe ACL injury in early November.

Rielly is surely not alone in the injury category as approximately a dozen top ranked 2012 draft prospects have been hurt at various times this season.

The one big question many will have with Rielly's recovery is if his knee injury will effect his skating. His mobility on the ice is clearly his number trait as a defender as he's very agile, has great acceleration and has the ability to take extra risks offensively because he has the skating stride to get him back to the blueline if needed.

So far, it doesn't look like the injury has altered his draft stock. On Bob McKenzie's preseason ranking, Rielly was listed at 7th overall among 2012 eligible players. In his latest midseason ranking had him 8th. That's not too bad considering the kid hasn't laced up his skates and played a game since November 6th, a game where he had 2 assists before getting hurt.

Central Scouting also continues to view Rielly very positively, having him holding steady at 5th overall in their North American rankings.

I have my concerns about how he will recover, but if he can come back 100% healthy and regain his old form, there is a ton to like about this kid. He's listed at 6'0 and I wish he was just a bit bigger, but he's not small by any stretch.

As mentioned, his offensive ability is right near the top of the class in regards to blueliners. He had 18 points in 18 games before being hurt this year and was well on his way to improving on his career high of 28 points, set as a 16 year old last year.

Away from the puck he had also grown leaps and bounds. As a 16 year old he often looked pretty lost in his own zone, running around a bit and losing one on one battles. That seemed to change this year. He's got a great stick and was really learning to use his added strength more to go along with his improving positioning.

There's no doubt that when it's all said and done and some team drafts Rielly inside the top 10-12 in the NHL draft, they are going to get a hell of a player. He might not have the poise of Ryan Murray or the explosiveness of Mathew Dumba, but he's a great offensive defenceman who was well on his way to proving himself in his own zone.

Despite a tough injury this year, Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors is Officially On The Radar.

Officially On The Radar: Ryan Murray

2012-02-15T13:19:00.001-06:00

Coming into this season Ryan Murray seemed to be two steps ahead of the rest of the draft class from the WHL.

Now that we're closing in on the playoffs, I can say that my feelings haven't changed one bit. Not only is Murray an excellent example of a two way defenceman, he's also likely the most NHL ready blueliner to come out of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Murray missed the cutoff for the 2011 NHL Draft by only 12 days, meaning he is one of the older players in 2012's class. It also means that he's had that extra 6-12 months to display his talents, when compared to many of his counterparts.

But, don't let that fool you. That's not the main reason why he's considered tops in the class. He's ranked 1st on almost every list in regards to defenceman simply because he's very talented and he projects well to the pro game.

When watching Murray, the first thing that comes to the forefront is his skating. He's an excellent skater and really makes things look effortless out on the ice. He uses that ability to lead the rush and jump into the rush. He also puts up offence because he's a strong passer and has a very good shot from the point.

His numbers might be a bit disappointing (21 points in 30 games so far for Everett), but I can assure you it's not because of a lack of skill. If he wasn't playing on a team that had 17 more losses than wins and scored the third fewest goals of any WHL club, we'd see point per game numbers from Murray, if not better than that.

The kid really is the total package as he's also more than capable as a defender. He's not overly physical but he's excellent in his positioning and stick work. His skating also comes to the forefront on the defensive side of the puck.

He also comes with leadership capabilities, as he's the captain for the Silvertips. That's an honour he's had since he was a young 17 year old, a feat not often seen in junior hockey.

Overall I don't have many knocks on Murray. If there was one complaint, it would be that he plays a very vanilla game. He won't wow you shift after shift, he's just very calculated and rarely makes mistakes. I would also like to see him be a bit more aggressive on the offensive side of the puck.

Will Ryan Murray be the first defenceman drafted in the 2012 NHL Draft? I sure think so as it's pretty tough to pass on a guy that plays very similarly to NHL great Scott Niedermayer.

Officially On The Radar: Steven Hodges

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

When it comes to the newest WHL team, the Victoria Royals, they definitely have some solid young talent.

Leading the charge in that area might just be centre Steven Hodges.

The 5'11, 167 pound native of Delta, BC is having a very strong draft year for the Royals, posting 17 goals and 36 points at the time of me writing this article.

But, what's even more impressive about his game is his play away from the puck. As mentioned, he's not the biggest of players but that doesn't stop him from grinding, going to the corners and to the front of the net.

To go along with his work ethic, he's a player that constantly has his head on a swivel and clearly has a ton of hockey sense. His vision is also a strong asset, not only being able to see open players, but being able to get them the puck in a proper scoring position. He's taken leaps and bounds in regards to his offensive output over the last 12 months and it's a trend that will surely continue as the Royals young group matures and gets better together. His spot firmly entrenched in the top 6 forward group will also allow him to see big minutes on both sides of the puck against the top forwards and defenceman from across the WHL.

Hodges might not be the most talented offensive talent to come out of the WHL for to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, but his ability to compete hard and stay committed to the game in all 3 zones makes him a player to watch. Steven Hodges is On The Radar.

Officially On The Radar: Logan McVeigh

2012-02-09T09:16:00.000-06:00

In my opinion, Logan McVeigh of the Prince Albert Raiders is one of the most underrated WHL forwards for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

McVeigh is a forward who seemingly can play as effectively as both a winger and a centre. He's got solid size, being listed at 6'1 and 195 pounds.

His numbers don't exactly jump off the page at you, posting 10 goals and 27 points so far this season in 47 games split between the Raiders and the Kamloops Blazers. What does impress me is his ability to make a difference in games that he isn't necessarily scoring in. He's a very hard worker, finishes his checks, skates well and takes the puck to the net.

I've had the chance to see him live three times so far this year, with another couple viewings online. He always catches my eye. He's a fairly simple hockey player, but that's why he is so effective. He doesn't overthink the game and try to do too much. He simply goes out and plays the game hard and effectively.

I like his versatility, being able to play the powerplay and the penalty kill, also being able to be used as a winger or as a center. His goal scoring touch is also there. I've seen him score in a couple of different ways this year, scoring a deflection goal and also wiring a wrist shot high past the goalie. His offensive totals have also increased since his trade to the Raiders. More minutes has equaled more production as he has 5 goals in 13 games as a Raider compared to 5 in 34 games as a Blazer.

As of right now, he really fits into that middle ground with several of the other WHL forwards set to be drafted this year. Where does he stand in relation to guys like Mike Winther, Lukas Sutter, Tim Bozon, Chandler Stephenson or Dominik Volek? It's hard to say but I do think at this point he's flying under the radar when it comes to the draft. He's simple, but he's very effective. His work ethic has caught my eye, putting him On The Radar.

Officially On The Radar: Graham Black

2012-02-08T14:57:00.000-06:00

Not many players have risen up the rankings over the last 10 months as much as Graham Black has.

The Swift Current Broncos forward has had an amazingly strong year, putting him in an interesting spot.

At this time last year, he wasn't even in the WHL. In fact, he made his debut as a 17 year old rookie last March, playing 6 games and posting 2 points with the Broncos.

That also means that this year, Graham is an overager in regards to the draft. That makes his position on scouting lists even more intriguing.

I've had the chance to see him three times this year, with my fourth viewing taking place tonight. One thing has become apparent from this left-handed centre from Regina, he's one of the best defensive draft eligible players from the WHL. He's a very strong skater with excellent edge work, acceleration and overall speed. I've seen him use his speed breaking up the middle or down the wing, he can burn you in a variety of ways. He also uses his excellent skating to show off his committed defensive play, often backchecking hard and defending his ice well.

He's got strong playmaking skills and enough size and reach to use his body to shield the puck from defenders. He's not the biggest of players at only 6'0 and 173 pounds, but it doesn't stop him from playing physical and being a very good defensive player.

On the offensive side of the puck he also has very good puck skills, showing off a hard and accurate wrist shot along with great passing. In my most recent viewing, he held off a defender with one hand while circling the net before dishing the puck in front for a one-timer goal. It was an impressive play that really makes you think about what could be possible once he gets more experienced, bigger and stronger.

Black's been ranked by Central Scouting, so he's definitely on the radar. I have to concur when saying he's going to have his name called come the June 2012 NHL Entry Draft. How high will he go? I would imagine somewhere around the 5th round, but maybe higher. One thing is for sure though, Graham Black is Officially On The Radar.

Central Scouting Releases Mid-term Rankings

2012-01-11T11:57:00.000-06:00

A total of 40 WHL skaters are ranked by NHL's Central Scouting as the midway point of the junior season has come and gone. To go along with that, the WHL also has 5 goaltenders ranked by the organization.

By this point in time most scouts have had a chance to see atleast every team in their area atleast a few times and it's now the point in the season where some solid opinions on players can be made.

Ranking just under 400 players is no easy task. Over the last two years I have gone out and ranked my top 30-40 WHL players ahead of the draft and even that can be a struggle, so I won't be too strong in my opinions of CS today. I will highlight a few things I like and some I don't like.

For the record, the full lists can be found through the link on this page: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=610982

Observations:

- A total of 39 skaters from the WHL are ranked among North American skaters, while newcomer to the WHL Henrik Samuelsson is ranked as a European skater (that means there are actually 40 WHLers ranked as skaters). He recently left the MoDo program in Sweden to join the Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the team coached by his father Ulf. He was born in Phoenix and spent the last few years in the USA U-17 and U-18 programs.

- The WHL has 5 goaltenders ranked on the list in the order of Andrey Makarov (Saskatoon), Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer), Chris Driedger (Calgary), Mackenzie Skapski (Kootenay) and Cole Holowenko (Prince Albert). In my opinion, the top three are likely the only guys who will have their names called come June.

- I would also agree with their current order of the NA goalie ranking, although I know that many people out there have very high opinions on Driedger. He's never blown me away in my viewings and seems to struggle a ton with consistency. I like his size, just like I do with the two European overage goalies currently ranked ahead of him. Those three could realistically picked in any order in the draft, especially considering Makarov and Bartosak have also battled injury.

- It's interesting to see 5 WHL defenceman inside the top 10 for North American skaters. The order of Murray, Rielly, Dumba, Reinhart, Pouliot is fairly close to what I currently have. The way I have them ranked as of today is Murray, Dumba, Reinhart (by a hair over Rielly), Rielly, Sissons and Pouliot. Yes, I have Kelowna captain Colton Sissons inside my WHL top 5.

- I am pretty shocked to see guys like Mike Winther (Prince Albert), Chandler Stephenson (Regina) and Tyrel Seaman (Brandon) ranked as high as they are at 26th, 36th and 50th respectively. Winther has been red-hot since late November and showing he can score, but he still battles from consistency issues and a lack of size, strength and overall grit. Stephenson has grown around two inches since late last year and that's great for him because he needed it, but I'm still not convinced he has the footspeed to be a scorer at the NHL level. Seaman is a guy that has never really impressed me. With that being said, I know Kelly McCrimmon in Brandon adores him as a player, so maybe I just haven't seen him at his best.

- Coda Gordon comes in at 38th among WHL skaters and I still have yet to see the budding powerforward. I've only watched one Broncos game this year and Gordon was out either sick or injured from that game. I've heard great things about his size, physical play and hockey smarts though. Sounds like an intriguing 17 year old WHL rookie.

- One positional battle I've followed all year is Tim Bozon (Kamloops) vs. Dominik Volek (Regina). Both guys are sons of former NHLers and both are very solid players. Bozon is the higher calibre offensive player, while Volek is more physical and more well rounded. I have Volek currently ranked just ahead of Bozon, just because he seems to make a difference in every single situation he plays in, even if he isn't scoring. Bozon is definitely a fun one to watch, though. Great wheels and very neat hands. He also speaks 4 languages. CS has Volek 95th and Bozon 39th.

- Another positional battle I've been following is Dalton Thrower (Saskatoon) vs. Damon Severson (Kelowna). Both are defenceman who skate well, move the puck and play physical. Severson has the size edge while Thrower seems to be a better offensive player. Both are also the coveted right-handed shooting defender. CS has Thrower ranked 30th and Severson 46th.

- Lukas Sutter is ranked lower than I expected at 86th. He's been the Blades best player since late November and seems to be gaining major steam in his rankings elsewhere. I think by the end of the year we see him as an early 3rd rounder. He's the son of former NHLer Rich Sutter.

- Good to see Brandon Troock crack the list at 90th. The big forward has only played 39 career WHL games in parts of three seasons because of injury, but those games have obviously been impressive enough to keep him ranked. I saw him once this year and he was awesome. I would have him ranked in my 3rd round right now, even though he's currently hurt, again.

- Two solid Edmonton Oil Kings come in at 91st and 92nd. Both are defenceman. Ashton Sautner is a big, smooth skating defender while Cody Corbett is physical and safe two way guy. I have Sautner ranked ahead of Corbett by quite a bit just because Sautner is a better skater and puck mover. He's also bigger than the 6'0 he's listed as by CS.

- At 165th Jaynen Rissling has to be considered a super sleeper. I loved his game as a 16 year old last year in Calgary and it has dropped a bit so far this year, mostly due to skating concerns. I'm pretty sure he grew 2-3 inches since the middle of last year and also added 10-12 pounds over the summer, so that's a reason why he hasn't looked as smooth. But, he plays mean, has a great frame, isn't afraid to jump into the rush and should be ranked higher than they have him.

- There are two WHL guys that are pretty big omissions on this list. Ryan Olsen (Saskatoon) and Brandon Magee (Victoria) both haven't appeared. Olsen's game hasn't translated as well as it should have, but he's still a big kid who skates well and is starting to play more physical. Magee is very tiny, but he's dangerous offensively and already matched his point totals from last year in half as many games.

- I really like Ville Pokka of Finland, so it's good to see him ranked 5th among Euro skaters. I liked him at the U-17's in the summer and he looked great once again at the 2012 WJHC. He's not the best skater, but he moves the puck well and has a cannon of a shot. I could see him being a late 1st or early 2nd rounder.

- I really don't understand how Radek Faksa can be the 4th ranked NA Skater. I heard the rave reviews he was getting in November while playing for Kitchener, but I just did not see anything outstanding from him at the WJHC. He's big and rangy, but I just didn't see enough compete from him for my liking. Maybe he's a guy that grows on you, but he'll have to show me more for me to have him ranked inside the top 10-15 of the NHL draft.

Those are my thoughts for today. Let me know what you think!

Officially On The Radar: Mike Winther

2012-01-07T14:41:00.001-06:00

One of the hottest prospects in the WHL over the last two months has been Prince Albert Raiders forward Mike Winther.

I've seen Winther a ton over the last year and a half and I have been known to be fairly hard on him. Last season on a fairly mediocre Raiders club I felt he didn't step up and fill the role that he needed to. He never did enough to jump out at me.

But, he's taken the next step in his development this season and really showing me what he can do. He's got average size at 5'11 but he has great speed and the ability to beat people off the rush.

To go along with his game breaking speed, he's got great puck skills and an excellent release on his shot. He's showing more improvement in his decision making, hockey smarts and play away from the puck, but those are all areas of his game that he still needs to work on.

The biggest knock I have against him right now is really his lack of size and strength. To start this year he weighed in at only 170 pounds and I doubt he's gained much since then. He consistently gets knocked off the puck along the boards and I've seen him struggle trying to defend bigger and stronger opponents. Will this be a longterm problem? I don't think so, but it is a current concern.

As far as pro potential, I like the offence that Winther brings. The way he plays the game, I think he would suit the pro game better as a winger than a centerman, but I still think he has time to learn more about playing the game up the middle. I personally have him ranked to go somewhere in the third or early fourth round of the NHL draft, but I think there will be several teams who like him more than I do.

If he continues to play well and provide goal scoring to the Raiders, I could see a team taking him inside the top 90 of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Officially On The Radar: Griffin Reinhart

2012-01-06T14:32:00.001-06:00

One of the most intriguing prospects to come out of the Western Hockey League for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft is undoubtedly Griffin Reinhart.

Reinhart's a big defenceman for one of the top teams in the league, the Edmonton Oil Kings. At the start of the season, Reinhart was measured at 6'4 and just a shade under 210 pounds. With that type of frame, his skating has been something that has raised some concerns.

Last season as a 16 year old, I thought it was great. A late season injury seemed to slow him down as he looked a step behind at the Ivan Hlinka tournament over the summer. Even early this year it looked to be holding him back. But, it's an area of his game that has steadily improved as the year has gone on.

He is really making his name as a two-way defenceman. Reinhart is a great passer with excellent vision. Known for a strong and accurate first pass. He also excels at keeping the puck in at the offensive blueline while quarterbacking the powerplay. Excellent body position in this situation and great hand eye co-ordination. A good shot, although he doesn’t use it enough. A nice physical player as he isn’t afraid to battle hard in the corners and along the boards. With that being said, I would like to see him throw his weight around much more than he does.

These 'On The Radar' posts have normally been reserved for more under the radar guys, but I find it's a good outlet to get all prospects names out there and allow more people to learn about them.

With his size and bloodlines (two brothers in the WHL, a former NHLer for a father) several NHL teams will be tempted to take him in the top 10. I currently have him ranked 3rd among WHL skaters behind Mathew Dumba and Ryan Murray. When it's all said and done I wouldn't be shocked to see him end up as the top defender to come out of the 2012 NHL Draft class.

CHL Top Prospect Rosters Announced

2011-12-15T10:36:00.001-06:00

10 WHL players will take part in this year's CHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna. The game will take place on February 1st, 2012. A 3 on 3 game and skills challenge will take place the day before.

The rosters look like this:

Team Cherry (Red):

Goaltenders:
Matthew Murray (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Brandon Whitney (Victoriaville Tigres)

Defencemen:
Cody Ceci (Ottawa 67's)
Mathew Dumba (Red Deer Rebels)
Nick Ebert (Windsor Spitfires)
Slater Koekkoek (Peterborough Petes)
Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips)
Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets)

Forwards:
Martin Frk (Halifax Mooseheads)
Brendan Gaunce (Belleville Bulls)
Coda Gordon (Swift Current Broncos)
Charles Hudon (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Scott Laughton (Oshawa Generals)
Jarrod Maidens (Owen Sound Attack)
Andrew Ryan (Halifax Mooseheads)
Gemel Smith (Owen Sound Attack)
Dominik Volek (Regina Pats)
Thomas Wilson (Plymouth Whalers)
Nail Yakupov (Sarnia Sting)
Daniil Zharkov (Belleville Bulls)

Team Orr (White):

Goaltenders:
Malcolm Subban (Belleville Bulls)
Francois Tremblay (Val d'Or Foreurs)

Defencemen:
Gianluca Curcuruto (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Matthew Finn (Guelph Storm)
Olli Maatta (London Knights)
Adam Pelech (Erie Otters)
Derrick Pouliot (Portland Winterhawks)
Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings)

Forwards:
Andreas Athanasiou (London Knights)
Francis Beauvillier (Rimouski Oceanic)
Raphael Bussieres (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)
Radek Faksa (Kitchener Rangers)
Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts)
Tomas Hyka (Gatineau Olympiques)
Scott Kosmachuk (Guelph Storm)
Matia Marcantuoni (Kitchener Rangers)
Tanner Pearson (Barrie Colts)
Colton Sissons (Kelowna Rockets)
Chandler Stephenson (Regina Pats)
Lukas Sutter (Saskatoon Blades)

It's nice to see 10 guys from the WHL taking part. Surprisingly there are 5 defenceman and 5 forwards from the WHL, even though the strength of the WHL crop is clearly on the blueline. I would've liked to have seen Dalton Thrower there, but both team's bluelines are pretty crowded.

I always look forward to this event to see how the top draft eligible players react against the top competition in Canada. With that being said, the casual prospect follower tends to put WAY too much stock into this game as a whole.

Team Canada's Roster Unveiled

2011-12-14T11:31:00.000-06:00

A total of five WHL players highlight this year's entry for Team Canada into the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The roster breaks down as follows:

Goalies:

Mark Visentin
Scott Wedgewood

Defenceman:

Nathan Beaulieu
Brandon Gormley
Dougie Hamilton
Scott Harrington
Ryan Murray
Jamie Oleksiak
Mark Pysyk

Forwards:

Michael Bournival
Brett Connolly
Brendan Gallagher
Freddie Hamilton
Quinton Howden
Jonathan Huberdeau
Boone Jenner
Tanner Pearson
Mark Scheifele
Jaden Schwartz
Devante Smith-Pelly
Mark Stone
Ryan Strome

The Breakdown:

- To me, the biggest question mark about this tournament for Canada has to be the injuries to Quinton Howden and Jonathan Huberdeau. Howden is one of few returning players and Huberdeau is an elite offensive and clutch player. Canada needs these guys to be healthy. With so many young stars in the NHL right now that are still eligible for this club, it's pretty clear that this year's group isn't as offensively talented as it has been in the past. If Howden's suspected concussion and Huberdeau's ankle aren't fully ready to go, Canada is going to be in trouble.

- I once again see a weakness in the goaltending department for Canada. Tyler Bunz was the last goalie cut this season and it's believed a weak game against the CIS last night was his downfall. To me, that has the makings of a short-sighted decision. Bunz has been the top goalie out west and one of the top goalies in the entire CHL over the last year-plus, and I think he needed to be there. Visentin was a shoe-in, despite his tough end to last year's event. He deserved a second chance, but Wedgewood needs to show that this was the right decision, should Canada need to turn to him.

- Harrington on the blueline is the only real question I have. He was a big of a surprise to get named to the tryout camp, let alone getting named to the team.

- I like the ability to move the puck from this blueline, but I think the team is definitely missing some toughness and true shutdown ability back their. You can say that four of those guys are mostly offensive (Murray, Pysyk, Gormely, Bealieu) while a guy like Hamilton isn't afraid to focus solely on offense. I would have liked to see a guy like Petrovic there, just to add more mean.

- The lack of WHLers on the team is pretty shocking, especially considering that Don Hay is the head coach. Going off memory alone, the WHL led the way last year on this team by having the most guys named to the club. I would have expected the same this year.

- Not sure why Freddie Hamilton is there, other than his brother Dougie also making the team. A feel good story maybe? I would have rather seen a more pure offensive player like Toffoli, Rattie or Thomas in his place.

- I like the grit and character of the team as guys like Gallagher, Jenner, Smith-Pelly and Stone will provide a solid work ethic. But, is this team going to be relying too much on that aspect of their game?

- The two players I want to see the most on this stage are Boone Jenner and Oleksiak. Jenner seems to remind me of one of my favorite NHLers in Ryan O'Reilly, while Oleksiak is a freak of nature and just fun to watch.

- Two draft eligible players made the squad, Tanner Pearson and Ryan Murray. Murray's not a shock, as he almost could have made the team last year. But, Pearson deserves a ton of credit. He's having a big year in the OHL after going undrafted last year and he is getting his recognition. Expect him to be a top 60 pick this coming June.

When it's all said and done, it's pretty easy to sit back and point out some potential flaws on this team. It happens every year. But, what else happens every year? This team is a contender, that's what. The 2012 edition of Team Canada will be no different. There will be strengths and there will be weaknesses, but when it's all said and done, don't be shocked if Canada returns to their Gold medal form this year.

Team Sweden Unveiled

2011-12-05T11:12:00.000-06:00

I love Swedish hockey. Not only do I love the players that the country produces, but I love the style that they play. I often find myself cheering for them every Christmas, along with Team Canada.

After a leak of the roster yesterday, the 2012 Team Sweden roster for the upcoming WJHC was officially released today:

Goaltenders:
Anton Forsberg, Modo
Johan Mattsson, Sudbury
Johan Gustafsson, Luleå

Defencemen:
Mattias Bäckman, Linköping
Jonas Brodin, Färjestad
Fredrik Claesson, Djurgården
Oscar Klefbom, Färjestad
Petter Granberg, Skellefteå
John Klingberg, Jokerit
Patrik Nemeth, AIK

Forwards:
Sebastian Collberg, Frölunda
Johan Larsson, Brynäs
Johan Sundström, Frölunda
Max Friberg, Timrå
Filip Forsberg, Leksand
William Karlsson, Västerås
Victor Rask, Calgary
Joakim Nordström, AIK
Mika Zibanejad, Djurgården
Ludvig Rensfelt, Sarnia
Rickard Rakell, Plymouth
Pontus Åberg, Djurgården
Erik Thorell, Färjestad

Not a bad looking team. I can't wait to watch Forsberg and Collberg up front, two front runners to be high picks in the 2012 NHL draft. I also am looking forward to seeing William Karlsson, a Ducks prospect who is having a strong year. Johan Larsson is also a player that I've been a fan of for a while and I think the Wild draft pick could be a darkhorse to play a strong NHL role within the next 18-24 months.

On the blueline, Klefbom and Brodin are two guys that could see their stock soar with big performances on the big stage these holidays.

Central Scouting Rankings - November 2011

2011-11-17T09:57:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we had ISS release their rankings, today it was Central Scouting unveiling there's. First of all, they can be found here:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=75380&navid=DL|NHL|Microsite-Draft2012

As you know, my main focus is the WHL, so I will post their top 25 and their top 6 goalies.

Skaters
1. Ryan Murray Everett D
2. Morgan Rielly Moose Jaw D
3. Mathew Dumba Red Deer D
4. Derrick Pouliot Portland D
5. Griffin Reinhart Edmonton D
6. Colton Sissons Kelowna C
7. Chandler Stephenson Regina C
8. Coda Gordon Swift Current LW
9. Mike Winther Prince Albert C
10. Nicholas Walters Everett D
11. Brandon Troock Seattle RW
12. Brett Kulak Vancouver D
13. Damon Severson Kelowna D
14. Dalton Thrower Saskatoon D
15. Dominik Volek Regina RW
16. Michal Plutnar Tri-City D
17. Tyrel Seaman Brandon LW
18. Lukas Sutter Saskatoon C
19. Brendan Leipsic Portland LW
20. Shayne Gwinner Moose Jaw D
21. Ryan Olsen Saskatoon C
22. Travis Brown Moose Jaw D
23. Timothe Bozon Kamloops C/LW/RW
24. Steven Hodges Victoria C
25. Alessio Bertaggia Brandon LW

Goalies
1. Andrey Makarov Saskatoon G
2. Chris Driedger Calgary G
3. Patrik Bartosak Red Deer G
4. Mackenzie Skapski Kootenay G
5. Corbin Boes Brandon G
6. Cole Holowenko Prince Albert G

Observations:

- It seems like consensus among most people is that there is a solid top 6 in the WHL this year with Ryan Murray sitting at the top. I would still agree with that. However, at this point I think Dumba could be the guy that has the best chances of knocking him out of that spot.

- Not shocked to see Rielly ranked ahead of Dumba. I've seen Rielly dominate a game from the blueline. He's an amazing skater that has really taken big stride this year in his defensive game as well. However I expect to see Rielly slide a few spots because of his recent knee injury that will sideline him all season.

- Pouliot over Reinhart is interesting, even though Reinhart has been off to a bit of a slow start this season and he hasn't been too strong in my two viewings of him this year. But, in all the games I've seen Pouliot play, he's never done anything to jump out at me and make me think he should be in consideration for a top 15 pick. Maybe that's just what makes him so appealing to some, the fact that he can go unnoticed while still playing well.

- Not a huge fan of Chandler Stephenson at 7th. I've seen him around a dozen times live over the last year and a bit and he's a solid player, but I have concerns about carrying his offense to the next level. Seems to be more of perimeter player and he's still only listed at 5'9. I would have him ranked somewhere closer to the late 3rd, early 4th round.

- Unfortunately I have yet to see Coda Gordon play, but I have heard nothing but good things.

- I like Mike Winther. He's versatile and plays well in all 3 zones. I just don't have him rated as highly as Central Scouting does. I just don't think he fits into a top 6 at the NHL level so I would have him ranked in a similar spot to Stephenson.

- Severson and Thrower being ranked that low are surprising to me. They should both be inside the top 8-9 for the WHL. Both strong kids who are good offensively and defensively and play with an edge.

- Volek is getting some love, great to see. He's my biggest sleeper from the WHL so far. I would have him slated to go somewhere in round two.

- Really happy to see Travis Brown ranked again by someone other than myself. The kid is very solid and dependable, has a strong frame to grow into and is a good skater. Plays tough, too. With hard work this year, he could continue to climb into many teams top 90-100 ranked players.

- Bozon is a guy people will start to hear more about as the season goes on. Very quick, shifty and dangerous player. Plays with an edge and isn't afraid to fill that agitator role too. He also speaks 4 languages.

- Bertaggia cracking the top 25 is good to see, even though I don't agree with it. Once again, size is major issue here. He's a very good offensive player and is one of the fastest guys in the league, but I don't see him having enough jam to overcome his size problems.

- One of the biggest shockers among the skaters for me is the lack of Jaynen Rissling from Calgary. Admittedly, he was somewhat disappointing in my lone viewing of him this year, but he is a very good two way defenceman with size. His mobility seems to have suffered the slightest bit as he added more height and weight over the summer, but he's got a strong frame and could be a horse at the next level.

- In goal I would definitely agree with the top 3. Makarov has been stellar for Saskatoon, the team's MVP. Driedger is fantastic and has good size, even though he wasn't very good in my only live viewing of him this season. Bartosak is an import that is more of a blocker then goalie at this point, but I like his potential. Boes would be the one guy that could sneak into that top 3, in my opinion.

International Scouting Services - November Rankings

2011-11-16T14:18:00.001-06:00

The latest ISS rankings are out for the 2012 NHL draft.

http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=51588

Rank Player Pos Ht. Wt. S/C DoB Team League
1. MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO RW 6'3 200 L May 16/94 Quebec QMJHL
2. NAIL YAKUPOV LW 5'10 189 L Oct. 6/93 Sarnia OHL
3. FILIP FORSBERG RW 6'1 176 R Aug. 13/94 Leksands SweAI
4. RYAN MURRAY D 6'0 201 L Sep. 27/93 Everett WHL
5. MATT DUMBA D 5'11 183 R Jul. 25/94 Red Deer WHL
6. JACOB TROUBA D 6'2 196 R Feb. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
7. SLATER KOEKKOEK D 6'2 184 L Feb. 18/94 Peterborough OHL
8. PONTUS ABERG LW 5'11 187 R Sep. 23/93 Djurgarden SweE
9. BRENDAN GAUNCE C 6'2 215 L Mar. 25/94 Belleville OHL
10. MORGAN RIELLY D 5'11 190 L Mar. 9/94 Moose Jaw WHL
11. CODY CECI D 6'2 207 R Dec. 21/93 Ottawa OHL
12. GRIFFIN REINHART D 6'3 207 L Jan. 24/94 Edmonton WHL
13. OLLI MAATTA D 6'1 202 L Aug. 22/94 London OHL
14. JARROD MAIDENS C 6'0 178 L Mar. 4/94 Owen Sound OHL
15. MARTIN FRK RW 5'11 204 L Oct. 5/93 Halifax QMJHL
16. SEBASTIAN COLLBERG RW 5'11 174 R Feb. 23/94 Vastra SweJE
17. ALEXANDER GALCHENYUK RW 6'0 198 L Feb. 12/94 Sarnia OHL
18. DERRICK POULIOT D 5'11 186 L Jan. 16/94 Portland WHL
19. NICHOLAS KERDILES C 6'1 200 L Jan. 11/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
20. ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS C 6'1 201 L Jan. 5/94 Dubuque USHL
21. MIKE MATHESON D 6'1 180 L Feb. 27/94 Dubuque USHL
22. NICK EBERT D 5'11 205 R May 11/94 Windsor OHL
23. ANDREAS ATHANASIOU C 6'0 179 L Aug. 6/94 London OHL
24. COLTON SISSONS C/R 6'1 189 R Nov. 5/93 Kelowna WHL
25. ANTON SLEPYSHEV LW 6'2 187 R May 13/94 Novokuznetsk KHL
26. THOMAS WILSON RW 6'3 203 R Mar. 29/94 Plymouth OHL
27. GIANLUCA CURCURUTO D 6'0 195 L Feb. 25/94 Sault Ste. Marie OHL
28. BRADY SKJEI D 6'3 203 L Mar. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
29. MATT FINN D 6'0 195 L Feb. 24/94 Guelph OHL
30. DALTON THROWER D 5'11 189 R Dec. 20/93 Saskatoon WHL

Observations:

- Oddly enough, the WHL players ranked are in the exact same order as I currently have them.

- With that being said, I think that Sissons and Thrower are more 2nd round talents at this point. With their styles though, I think teams could definitely have them ranked inside the top 20.

- Definitely shocked to see Yakupov not ranked 1st overall. Do I like Grigorenko? Absolutely. Do I think he could end up being better than Yakupov? Absolutely. Is this something being done just to try to generate some buzz? That could definitely be true.

- I like Koekkoek, but him at 7 is a bit of a shocker. Craig Button recently ranked him 25th and I said that was too low, but 7 is too high. I like him around 15th, and behind Morgan Rielly, who is a similar player.

- Good to see Griffin Reinhart holding strong near the top 10, even though I've been hearing nothing but 'somewhat' negative things about his play so far this season.

Overall it's a pretty good list and I really like how the WHL guys are being viewed by ISS.

Officially On The Radar: Tim Bozon

2011-11-04T14:04:00.001-06:00

Each and every season a few draft-eligible European players head over and into the CHL. Many of them slide through the cracks at the draft but some of them gain big time exposure and end up hearing their names called by an NHL team each June.

Tim Bozon of the Kamloops Blazers is one player that I expect to be drafted this year after benefitting from some extra viewings.

The dynamic offensive forward is an interesting character. He’s originally born in St. Louis, has lived in France, he grew up playing hockey in Switzerland as a teenager and he speaks four languages.

Not only that, but he’s a heck of a hockey player.

He’s got excellent speed and features extremely good acceleration and foot work. He’s shown that he can get involved in the forecheck and play physical if that’s what’s needed in the game. With that being said, I would like to see more consistency from him in that area of his game.

Along with his skating, his offensive abilities are his strongest attributes. He’s got great hands, is an excellent handler of the puck and is both a strong passer and shooter. He spends quite a bit of time hovering around the offensive zone and around the goal, even if he isn’t overly physical.

He does play with a bit of an edge and isn’t afraid to get under the oppositions skin by using stick work from time to time.

I don’t think he will ever reach a level like European WHLers Sven Bartschi or Nino Neiderreiter, but he has a chance to be drafted inside the first 3-4 rounds this summer. He’s definitely a player to watch and one that is officially on the draft radar.

Officially On The Radar: Colton Sissons

2011-11-04T13:48:00.000-06:00

The WHL once again has a few ‘powerforwards’ up for grabs at the NHL draft.

For 2012, the most high profile one is definitely Colton Sissons of the Kelowna Rockets. The big 17 year old does a little bit of everything for his club, including wearing the captain’s ‘C’.

He really is a true powerforward, as well. Sissons currently stands 6’1 and weighs in at just a shade under 190 pounds. He’s clearly got another inch or more to go and will likely one day play around 210 pounds. With a body like that, it’s not hard to see how he’s most effective on the ice.

Despite his large frame, he doesn’t get held back by his skating. He has a good first few steps and has good mobility and edgework. He skates hard and also plays with an edge.

He loves to lay the body and is very strong at creating room for his linemates, one of whom has been NY Rangers draft pick Shane McColgan.

Along with his size and strength, he features a very sharp hockey mind and knows where to be at what times on the ice.

His overall offensive potential will be the biggest question regarding Sissons this season. Will he be able to round out his game enough and refine his skills enough to become a future point per game player at the pro level? It’s hard to say and to be honest, I think that might be expecting a bit too much from Sissons.

But one thing is for sure, he’s a big strong kid with a good work ethic and many NHL teams would love to add him to their prospect pool.

I expect him to be in the running as the top WHL forward selected in the 2012 draft, maybe even as soon as the early stages of the 2nd round.

Team Russia for Subway Series

2011-10-28T09:22:00.000-06:00

The CHL has slowly released the names, league by league, for the 2011 Subway Super Series. Yesterday the WHL team was announced and it appears that the roster for Team Russia has been leaked this morning.

This is what I've found from a Russian source:

Goalies:
-Sergei Kostenko (Metallurg Nk.)
-Peter Yeremin (Atlant)
-Pavel Suchko (Dizel)
-Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon, WHL)

Defense:
-Andrei Pedan (Guelph, OHL)
-Albert Yarullin (Ak Bars)
-Viktor Antipin (Metallurg Mg)
-Roman Rukavishnikov (Atlant)
-Mikhail Naumenkov (CSKA)
-Efim Gurkin (Salavat Ufa)
-Ildar Isangulov (Salavat Ufa)
-Grigory Zheldakov (Spartak)
-Artyom Karavaev (Sibir)
-Nikita Nesterov (Traktor)
-Artyom Sergeev (Val D'or, Q)

Forwards:
-Nikita Gusev (CSKA)
-Nikita Kucherov (CSKA)
-Nail Yakupov (Sarnia, O)
-Vladislav Kartaev (Salavat Ufa)
-Kirill Rasskazov (Avangard)
-Jaroslav Kosov (Metallurg Mg.)
-Daniil Apalkov (Metallurg Mg.)
-Bogdan Potekhin (Metallurg Mg.)
-Pavel Kulikov (Neftekhimik)
-Emil Galimov (Neftekhimik)
-Maksim Shalunov
-Alexander Khokhlachev (Windsor, O)
-Bulat Shavaleev (Ak Bars)
-Valeriy Knyazev (Sibir)
-Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec, Q)
-Vladislav Namestnikov (London, O)
-Anton Zlobin (Shawinigan, Q)
-Ivan Telegin (Barrie, O)

The roster includes 9 players who currently play in the CHL.

Officially On The Radar: Branden Troock

2011-10-23T16:49:00.000-06:00

Not many 2012 draft eligible players have entered the 2011-2012 regular season with as many question marks as Seattle Thunderbirds forward Branden Troock.

The 6'3, 200+ pound winger missed the entire 2010-2011 WHL season with a variety of unnamed injuries. Heading into that season he was being pegged as the next potential power forward to come out of the WHL.

Despite the year off, it doesn't look like that expectation has changed much.

Even with his massive size, Troock moves well on the ice. He skates well enough to get involved in transition hockey, which is also a big key for a powerforward as they can create a ton of openings by driving the net when the time is right. He doesn't have the best acceleration in regards to his skating, but once he gets going he's tough to slow down.

He truly embraces the role of a powerforward as he's a physical force along the wall and isn't afraid to take his size to the high traffic areas.

Along with his physical attributes, Troock is also a smart player. He shows above average hockey sense and seems to understand what he needs to do to make a difference in a hockey game. He reads the play well and isn't afraid to get involved in scoring through transition, as I mentioned.

Neither his shooting or playmaking is well above average but it doesn't seem to hold him back either.

Early this season I see alot of similarities between Troock and another WHL powerforward named Adam Lowry. I loved Lowry's game early last season for Swift Current and he transferred his skills into a 3rd round selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2011 NHL draft. I think Troock could do the same this season, despite all the ups and downs he's had to overcome fairly early in his hockey career.

Oct. 16th ISS Rankings

2011-10-17T11:55:00.000-06:00

Here's the list, from TSN.ca

ISS Top 30 for 2012 NHL Draft
Rank Player Pos Ht. Wt. S/C DoB Team League
1. NAIL YAKUPOV LW 5'10 189 L Oct. 6/93 Sarnia OHL
2. MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO RW 6'3 200 L May 16/94 Quebec QMJHL
3. RYAN MURRAY D 6'0 201 L Sep. 27/93 Everett WHL
4. FILIP FORSBERG RW 6'1 176 R Aug. 13/94 Leksands SweAI
5. MORGAN RIELLY D 5'11 190 L Mar. 9/94 Moose Jaw WHL
6. MATT DUMBA D 5'11 183 R Jul. 25/94 Red Deer WHL
7. JACOB TROUBA D 6'2 196 R Feb. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
8. BRENDAN GAUNCE C 6'2 215 L Mar. 25/94 Belleville OHL
9. NICK EBERT D 5'11 205 R May 11/94 Windsor OHL
10. SLATER KOEKKOEK D 6'2 184 L Feb. 18/94 Peterborough OHL
11. GRIFFIN REINHART D 6'3 207 L Jan. 24/94 Edmonton WHL
12. MATIA MARCANTUONI C 5'11 194 R Feb. 22/94 Kitchener OHL
13. JARROD MAIDENS C 6'0 178 L Mar. 4/94 Owen Sound OHL
14. MARTIN FRK RW 5'11 204 L Oct. 5/93 Halifax QMJHL
15. SEBASTIAN COLLBERG RW 5'11 174 R Feb. 23/94 Vastra SweJE
16. OLLI MAATTA D 6'1 202 L Aug. 22/94 London OHL
17. ALEXANDER GALCHENYUK RW 6'0 198 L Feb. 12/94 Sarnia OHL
18. ANDREAS ATHANASIOU C 6'0 179 L Aug. 6/94 London OHL
19. PONTUS ABERG LW 5'11 187 R Sep. 23/93 Djurgarden SweE
20. CODY CECI D 6'2 207 R Dec. 21/93 Ottawa OHL
21. JORDAN SCHMALTZ D 6'2 175 R Oct. 8/93 Sioux City USHL
22. DERRICK POULIOT D 5'11 186 L Jan. 16/94 Portland WHL
23. ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS C 6'1 201 L Jan. 5/94 Dubuque USHL
24. MIKE MATHESON D 6'1 180 L Feb. 27/94 Dubuque USHL
25. SCOTT LAUGHTON C 6'0 177 L May 30/94 Oshawa OHL
26. NICHOLAS KERDILES C 6'1 200 L Jan. 11/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
27. ANTON SLEPYSHEV LW 6'2 187 R May 13/94 Novokuznetsk KHL
28. GIANLUCA CURCURUTO D 6'0 195 L Feb. 25/94 Sault Ste. Marie OHL
29. BRADY SKJEI D 6'3 203 L Mar. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
30. HENRIK SAMUELSSON C 6'2 204 R Feb. 7/94 Modo SweJE

Officially On The Radar: Dominik Volek

2011-10-14T11:17:00.000-06:00

It was no secret, the Regina Pats weren't very good last season. They were a young hockey club and needed help in almost every area of their game.

A quick way to address many of those issues is through the CHL import draft. It's almost like a version of free agency for the CHL. You are free to grab European players who, in many cases, can instantly improve your team.

That's what the Pats have done with Dominik Volek. The Pats grabbed the Czech forward 9th overall this past summer.

I've had the chance to watch him a couple of times this season, and I have been very impressed.

He's got average size, standing in at 6'0 and 175 pounds.

His skating is not the prettiest as he has a low and awkward stride. But, he's got powerful legs and seems to have good top end speed once he gets going. As mentioned, he doesn't have great straight ahead acceleration but he does have solid quickness when it comes to stopping and starting or simply changing directions.

He seems to have very good hockey sense and always has his head on a swivel, watching and waiting for plays to develop, waiting to capitalize.

He's shown very strong passing skills and overall vision. I've seen him make a number of good saucer passes or even simple and effective passes on the breakout.

I like his ability to handle the puck on the half-wall on the powerplay and he doesn't hesitate to either set up a play or throw the puck on net to try and create chances.

I did see him overwhelmed a few times when the defence played tight to him, playing a tighter checking game both on the penalty kill and at even strength. I'm sure on the smaller ice in North America it will take some time to adjust to it, but he surely has the hands and smarts to improve in that area.

As with any young player, I would obviously like him to improve his skating quite a bit, especially his first few strides.

With that being said, I don't see a whole lot of issues with his game and Dominik Volek is definitely a kid that many NHL teams will be watching this season, putting him Officially On The Radar.

Officially On The Radar: Ashton Sautner

2011-10-12T11:59:00.000-06:00

The WHL continues to pump out great defenceman ahead of the 2012 NHL draft.

Another kid that is flying under the radar is Edmonton Oil Kings defender Ashton Sautner. Sautner stands at 6`1 and 185 pounds as a 17 year old rookie for Edmonton.

He has a good frame and size to begin with, but I really get the feeling that he plays and looks bigger then he actually is. That`s a good sign.

In my two viewings of him so far this season he hasn`t been afraid to jump into the rush and create things offensively. He`s good a smooth and powerful stride, but he also isn`t afraid to start the rush with his strong passing abilities.

He has also displayed great defensive abilities early in this season. He seems to be an excellent one on one defender, with good reach and stick positioning. There were several occasions where he used his reach, knocked the puck away and then bodied the defender towards the boards.

If there is one area that might hurt him this year, it could be due to a lack of ice time. The Oil Kings are a great club and have one of the top blueline`s in the Eastern Conference and the entire WHL. Ultimately it would be nice to see him get more ice to grow and develop a bit quicker, but it`s clear that Sautner will be put in good positions to succeed and he will surely be a kid to watch as the draft approaches.

Officially On The Radar: Troy Bourke

2011-10-10T16:12:00.000-06:00

There aren't too many players that can realistically be compared to Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils, but Troy Bourke is one of them.

The Prince George winger stands at 5'10 and weighs only 170 pounds, but he plays much bigger.

Bourke (pronounced BURKE) is an excellent skater with a good first step and solid explosiveness. His low center of gravity allows him to have solid edgework and good agility all over the ice.

He's got an excellent wrist shot that features a very quick and hard release. He's not afraid to fire the puck from all areas of the ice, often resulting in a goal. In fact, he scored 19 as a 16 year old rookie last season in for the Cougars.

Away from the puck, Bourke is also a kid that makes things happen. He competes hard in all three zones, backchecks and even lets his physical play do the talking. In a game I watched on October 4th, Bourke flattened Jesse Knowler of the Prince Albert Raiders along the boards. Tyler Vanscourt stepped in to defend Knowler and Bourke landed the first few punches in the scrap and earned the take down. It's that type of showing that makes scouts really open their eyes to the drive and desire a player like Bourke might just have.

The only true concern I have with Bourke as an NHL prospect is in regards to his size or lack there of. And even with that being said, he's not exactly overly tiny. Plenty of teams aren't afraid to draft forwards who are under 5'11 and I have a feeling that many NHL teams will be paying close attention to this Cougar who hails from Onoway, Alberta.

Officially On The Radar: Chandler Stephenson

2011-10-02T15:58:00.000-06:00

The shifty and dynamic left winger for the Regina Pats is definitely going to be on the NHL draft radar.

The Saskatoon-native isn't the biggest of players at only 5'9 and 170 pounds, but he has the offensive tools that all NHL and pro teams are always looking for.

Stephenson is also able to stand out from the competition because of his skating. He's got extremely quick feet, highlighted by great edge work and the ability to turn on a dime. He's got a great motor and always seems to be flying around all three zones.

To go along with his skating he has very solid vision and is an above average playmaker.

His size is definitely a concern at this point as it would be nice to see him grow atleast another inch and be able to add 20 pounds to his frame within the next 2-3 seasons, without losing any speed or shiftiness.

That's the gamble that NHL teams are facing these days.

I like Stephenson as a player who will be a great junior scorer and a player that can be counted on to fill a number of different roles as he gets older and more experienced, but it will be up to him to prove that he has true pro potential.

Officially On The Radar: Daulton Siwak

2011-09-28T12:00:00.013-06:00

Daulton Siwak is a player that has flown under the radar slightly for the Red Deer Rebels over the last couple calendar years.

That was mostly due to the fact that he was buried on a terribly good offensive hockey club and the fact that he was a very young player.

As a late 1993, Siwak is already entering his third full WHL season and that experience is going to pay off bigtime in his draft year.

Siwak is an explosive skater and a solid, hard working two way player. He shows a good hard release, good hands and good overall hockey instincts. He doesn't rely too much on that hard and quick shot as he isn't afraid to get dirty to score and go to the tougher areas around the net. He's also been known to drop the mitts from time to time.

A quick Youtube search will bring up an epic fight he had with Duncan Siemens a couple of years ago. Great tilt.

I've had the chance to watch him via video only once this season, but will be seeing him live later this week. From what I have seen, he's got the tools to provide the Rebels with solid scoring in their top 9 and he will surely improve on his 13 goals and 27 points from last season.

The way he skates and moves, he seems to remind me somewhat of Phil Kessel of the Leafs. At 6'0 and 193 pounds, he's also got a fairly solid frame to build off of.

Daulton Siwak is definitely On The Radar.

Officially On The Radar: Travis Brown

2011-09-27T11:04:00.000-06:00

As part of my blogging this season, I will be doing features on players I see throughout the year that are 2012 NHL draft eligible. I will call it "Officially On The Radar" and each post will be tagged as such to make it easy to search them down the line. This is my first installment.

The Moose Jaw Warriors are known for having big, strong, mobile defenseman. It looks as if they have another gem in Travis Brown.

At 6'2, Brown is an imposing figure on the blueline that loves to play tough and physical.

Despite that size, he's a very good skater and needs to be considered well above average for a large defenseman. He is not afraid to jump into the rush and join the play. Along with those offensive smarts, he also has nice offensive tools. He's a strong passer and has a solid shot.

Defensively, he also holds his own. In my viewings he's been very strong in his one on one defensive play. He's got a quick and active stick and features solid body positioning.

There are two things that I see holding him back in this, his draft year. He's a 17 year old rookie without a ton of experience. And secondly, he's playing on arguably the deepest blueline in the WHL. Ice time will be a challenge to come by, unless he's able to force the Warriors hand and have them trade a defender for a forward to make more room for him.

I really think Brown is an underrated prospect for the 2012 draft and if he can continue his strong start to this season, he will surely have his name called in Pittsburgh at the 2012 NHL draft.

My Top WHLers To Watch This Season

2011-09-15T13:04:00.001-06:00

Last year was my first season really getting into the WHL and following it on a day to day, in depth basis. It was an exciting time, but this year my excitement is ten-fold what it was then. I’ve always had an interest in following prospects in hockey, but that interest has grown leaps and bounds now that I’ve been part of the scouting community the last year and a half.

The WHL is a great place to watch young hockey players grow and mature and this coming season is going to be an exciting one with the 2012 draft approaching. It’s considered one of the deepest drafts in recent years and it should make for great hockey.

With all that being said, I’ve done up a list of some players that I can’t wait to watch during the 2011-2012 WHL season.

Shane McColgan – Kelowna Rockets – The dynamic winger never quite reached his goal of being a high draft pick in the 2011 NHL draft, sliding into the 5th round. That fall, despite the fact that he lit up the WHL playoffs last year with 19 points in 10 games. The Rangers happily grabbed him and he looks to be using that slide as motivation. A strong showing so far this fall in both Rockets and Rangers training camp has me looking for more from McColgan and I think he has more to offer. He’s clearly more mature, bigger and more dynamic this time around and an improvement on his 65 points from last year’s regular season is clearly on the horizon.

Curtis Lazar – Edmonton Oil Kings – The 2nd overall pick in the 2010 WHL bantam draft has great drive and a great skillset for the western league. I expect the 16 year old to be a frontrunner for the WHL’s rookie of the year honour’s when all is said and done after this season. He’s a great skater, plays with grit, has a great shot and isn’t afraid to set up or finish. He simply does it all. With the Oil Kings large group of talented offensive players, the sky is the limit for what the 2013 eligible can do this year and beyond.

Eric Comrie – Tri City Americans – I’m not sure any young WHL goalie has faced the kind of expectations recently that Comrie is set to face this season. That’s because the Americans went out and traded their two headed goaltending monster from last season as Drew Owlsey was sent to Prince George and Chris Driedger headed to Calgary. That leaves the majority of the starts on the 16 year old Comrie. He’s big, he’s athletic and he’s been compared to a young Carey Prince. The entire hockey world should be watching to see how he handles the task.

Griffin Reinhart – Edmonton Oil Kings – Opinions vary on this big and smooth skating blueliner for the Oil Kings. Some see him as a potential Chris Pronger 2.0, others expectations are much lower. The simple fact is that the league hasn’t seen a 16 year old (when he came into the league last year) with Reinhart’s size and skill package in quite some time. The now 17 year old is going to have to go out and prove that his skating will continue to improve and that his offensive totals were not a fluke last season. With a strong season, his future potential might be enough to vault him to the top of the pile in 2012. He’ll be faced with a large number of challenges this season, including facing top offensive groupings game in and game out. Pull up your socks big Griff, it’s sink or swim time.

Alex Forsberg – Prince George Cougars – Now is the time for the 1st overall choice in the 2010 WHL bantam draft to prove his worth. A young Forsberg has faced challenges since his draft day, including dealing with injuries off and on all of last season. The down year offensively has left some people questioning whether the Cougars made the right choice at the 2010 draft. He’s come to camp in Prince George bigger, stronger and looking to compete hard in a top 6 roster spot. I have the Cougars pegged as a darkhorse out west and for that to come true, Forsberg is truly going to have to show that he’s a gamer and that he’s here to play.

Matt Dumba – Red Deer Rebels – Dumba will be one of the most watched draft eligible players of the season this coming year. The explosive rear guard has drawn comparisons to PK Subban and Dion Phaneuf, and it’s all for good reason. He’s fast, he hits hard, he’s got great offensive instincts and he’s a leader. Dumba headlined the blueline for Team Canada this summer at the Ivan Hlinka tournament and it was clear that he is near the top of the pile in regards to prospects. A top 10 spot in the draft could be his for the taking and he will be counted on bigtime in Red Deer, especially if teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sticks with the Edmonton Oilers (which I expect to have happen).

Ayrton Nikkel – Brandon Wheat Kings – Nikkel is a guy that the average junior hockey fan probably doesn’t know, but you should. The defenceman was the centerpiece of the trade that sent star centre Brayden Schenn from Brandon to the Saskatoon Blades last season. He looks to be a rock solid player in the making. The Wheaties defensive situation will hurt Nikkel’s cause, as 7 defenceman are returning from last year’s club. With that being said, this kid is good enough to force them to make room for him. He’s aggressive, hits hard and isn’t afraid to get involved in the offence. If he can find consistent minutes, he will find a big following from hockey media from coast to coast.

Brendan Gallagher – Vancouver Giants – The small and feisty forward finished 8th in WHL scoring last year as an 18 year old with 91 points in 66 games. I’m expecting those numbers to go nowhere but up as he has another year of experience under his belt. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick can compete hard in his own zone and score a highlight reel goal at the other end. Those types of moments make Gallagher one of the top players to watch in the 2011-2012 WHL season.

Hunter Shinkaruk – Medicine Hat Tigers – Many questions surround how the Tigers roster will shape up, but a couple things are certain. The team will be good, again and they will score a ton of goals, again. Once again, a big chunk of that offence will come from young forward Hunter Shinkaruk, who put on a show as part of Team Canada’s entry into the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. The once diminutive forward is also a few inches taller and noticeably stronger than he was at this time last year. Despite being 17 year’s old this season, his draft year isn’t until 2013. He’ll have plenty of time to showcase his skillset, which is surely one you don’t want to miss out on.

Victor Rask – Calgary Hitmen – Calgary was laughably bad last season. They turned that lack of success into a 3rd overall pick in the CHL import draft, where they selected Swedish star Victor Rask. According to various reports, the big Carolina Hurricanes draft pick is committed to staying in North America. With that being said, he’s also AHL eligible. Is he ready for a pro league on this continent? WHL watchers better hope not as this kid is big, skilled and very offensively talented. If he plays with Calgary this year, he will be the driving force for their push for the postseason and he will also be a strong contender for rookie of the year.

PA Raiders Defenceman Josh Morrissey Is One To Watch

2011-09-04T13:23:00.003-06:00

Last night's game between Prince Albert and Saskatoon reminded me of this same time last year when I first had a chance to watch Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Morgan Rielly. Rielly blew me away in that pre-season game and has since gone on to become one of the huge names for the 2012 NHL entry draft.

The same is about to happen for the Raiders' Josh Morrissey.

He's obviously a kid that has been on the prospect radar for quite some time as he was the 6th overall choice in the 2010 WHL bantam draft, and now I can see why.

Saskatoon dressed 8 veteran players compared to the Raiders 4 in the game but Morrissey looked like he could have been included on that list for Prince Albert. He was steady in every aspect of the game.

He's a great skater and has a flawless stride to go along with his 6'0 frame. His offensive skills are obvious as he makes a strong first pass and also has a very strong slap shot. He showed that offensive skill off as he quarterbacked the Raiders first powerplay unit.

The maturity of his defensive game was what stood out most to be in the game though. He made several nice positioning plays, showing that he has a firm grasp of using his body and reach to his advantage. One play specifically stood out as Blades veteran Chris Collins came down the left wing 1 on 1 with Morrissey. Josh played the situation perfectly, staying square to Collins, standing up on him at the top of the circle and then poking the puck away quickly and efficiently. It was a great play and it was made without him breaking a sweat.

Despite the Raiders losing 6-2, Morrissey finished the game with an assist and a +1 rating, the only player on his team to finish with a + rating. He also wore an 'A' on his jersey, clearly showing that the team is high on him in a leadership role.

He's 1995-born so that means he won't be NHL draft eligible until the 2013 draft. That will give me a ton of time to watch him grow and mature as a person and a player. I can't wait to see what the future has for Josh Morrissey.

NHL comparable: Mark Giordano

Prospect Recap From Saskatoon Blades Camp

2011-08-26T20:42:00.001-06:00

As my last post mentions, I was looking to change the direction of this blog. I've decided that I plan on making this a prospect-centered blog from here on out. Given my position within the WHL, I feel as if I have a great view of certain prospects and players throughout the hockey world.

I'm an avid hockey prospect geek and will gladly post once or twice a week on here about certain players I see throughout the season.

This week has been my first chance to see live hockey in the last couple of months and it's been absolutely refreshing...refreshing enough to post right now. A few of the returning players from the Saskatoon Blades have grown by leaps and bounds. I will highlight a few. A couple Blades players are eligible for the 2012 draft, I will highlight them as well. There has also been a number of 16 and under players that have been very solid at camp so far and I will give them a mention too.

Let's go!

Darren Dietz - Dietz was drafted by Montreal this past June and I've heard the stories about how the franchise absolutely LOVES him and his game. He has flat out been the most impressive player so far at camp. Last year he was primarily a defensive guy, with some underlying offensive skills. So far at camp he's showing he's ready to take that jump forward in his game. He's rushed the puck a ton, made a few nice passes and a ton of sick dekes. He actually scored 5 goals in 2 scrimmage games today. He's also put on 5-10 pounds of pure muscle since last year and it shows. With his grit and defensive prowess already and a growing offensive game, Hab fans are going to be blown away when they see him at rookie or training camp in Montreal.

Tommy Stipancik - The big defender is 2012 eligible. He missed the first half of last year with post concussion syndrome and looked more than capable upon his return. He has truly upped his game a notch this year. He's quicker, both physically and mentally, he's stronger and he still has his 6'3+ frame. He moves quite well to begin with and I think that he could be a riser for the 2012 draft. He reminds me a bit of a skinnier and lankier Braydon Coburn. I will definitely be watching him grow as a player as the season moves along.

Matej Stransky - I was always a fan of his game. As the year went on, he started to get more attention and it became apparent he could possibly be drafted. Dallas did just that. He looks good this year as if he's lost a bit of baby fat. He looks leaner and stronger. He's also about 6'3 and has the body of a man. His skating has improved a bit, but not as much as I had hoped. He's still got the hands of gold and moves like nobody else on the team, but his balance and mobility still needs refining before he becomes a true potential NHLer. A super nice guy too, which always helps.

Andrey Makarov - The Blades were able to grab him in this summer's Import Draft. I know a couple scouts who really liked him last year as he played in Lewiston of the QMJHL, before they folded. I now see why. The Russian goalie is athletic and has a magical glove hand. He went undrafted this past June but I wouldn't be shocked if he was drafted next year or atleast earned a tryout. He also has a solid chance at stealing 20 year old Adam Morrison's starting job in Saskatoon.

Youngsters Who Have Impressed:

Brett Lernout - D - 1995 born - A big kid on the blueline that has great physical size and assets. A bit clumsy but could earn a harder look by staff.

Austin Daae - F - 1993 born - He had a few looks last year by the Blades but looks much improved this year after shedding 12 pounds over the summer. He WILL make the Blades, mark my words.

Linden Penner - F - 1995 born - A big power forward style of player who moves quite well. He was one of the best players in the first scrimmage I saw, and somewhat so-so after that. When he's in the game, he's tough to stop. Could earn a few games during this season.

Luc Soares - F - 1996 born - This 15 year old was undrafted and was a camp invite, but wow is he good offensively. Very quick and very smart. Watch for him to possibly earn a spot on the team's protected list because he looks to have some offensive potential. Quite undersized at only 5'8 though.

Ryan Graham - F - 1996 born - A 5th round pick by the Blades looks like a current steal. Very good offensive player and he has good size. He could be a strong 16 year old candidate for next season.

Christian Stockl - F - 1995 born - Listed at around 165 pounds, but he plays much bigger. Solid and strong with a good nose for the net. Could be a 16 year old on the Blades.

Nick Zajac - F - 1995 born - I know the organization is high on him and it's easy to see why. He's smart and effective all over the ice.

Travis McEvoy - F - 1994 born - Has had a few goals so far in camp as he possesses a very solid shot. A solid and thick kid. Good energy level too.

Other players to watch include Drake Bodie, Michael Statchuk, Connor Swystun, Adam Todd, Ryan Miner, Alex Moodie, Nelson Nogier, Nick Gomerich, Kyle Haas, Dylan Stang, Connor Kortko and Holden Daley.

The Future Of This Blog

2011-08-19T09:22:00.000-06:00

Over the last few summer months I've found it tough to stay on task with this blog. Last season it was mostly used to stay up to date on Saskatoon Blades news, with a few other tidbits (like scouting reports) thrown in here and there.

As some of you may or may not know, recently I was actually hired on by the Saskatoon Blades as their manager of communications and community relations.

Because of that, I feel as if reporting "Blades news" is a bit of a conflict of interest and I'm sure the team would actually agree.

So here I am, left in a bit of a limbo trying to decide what to do with this blog. I feel I have a couple of options:

1. Continue similarly to last season by providing pre-game tidbits and recaps to Blades games. "News" about roster changes and things of that nature would be virtually left out, compared to last year because I am now on the "inside" of operations here. I could also provide a few news and notes from elsewhere around the WHL.

2. Use it as a scouting blog where I post information and details on player's that I watch in various games at various events throughout the hockey season. As some of you may or may not also know, I do some scouting on the side for the group Future Considerations. (visit futureconsiderations.ca)

3. I could drop the blog all together and focus on my duties with the team, with my scouting and with my duties as the colour commentator for the Saskatoon Blades.

I've pondered this question for the last several weeks, ever since I found out I was getting the job with the team. So I figured I would throw this out into the Twitterverse and hope for some responses either on there or in the comment section below.

Let me know what you want to see from this blog!

Five Dub Kids Named To Canada's U-18 Team

2011-08-02T19:10:00.000-06:00

Five WHL players will be headed to the Czech Republic and Slovakia as they were named to Canada's Under 18 team.

Four of those five players are defenceman. Making the team are Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton), Matt Dumba (Red Deer), Derrick Pouliot (Portland), Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw) and forward Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat).

Now people know why 2012 is going to be a great draft year for defenceman, especially defenders from the WHL.

Shinkaruk also made a huge impression at the Calgary camp. He was widely recognized as possibly being the top forward out of anyone. He's still listed as being 5'10 but it sounds like he's grown atleast a couple of inches and put on quite a bit of muscle. He's a shifty and dynamic kid and he's actually not draft eligible until 2013. I said this past winter that he could be a top 5 pick come that time, and I stand by that prediction.

As far as the Saskatoon Blades are concerned, they had one player at camp. Forward Ryan Olsen didn't make the cut, unfortunately. Let's hope he uses it as motivation and comes to camp with a chip on his shoulder in a few short weeks. It looks like the Blades will need a big boost in production from him with guys like Brayden Schenn and Marek Viedensky, among others, moving on.

For a look at the entire roster for team Canada, check it out here:

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/172031/la_id/1.htm

Canada takes on Slovakia in a pre-tournament game in Piestany on Saturday, August 6 before opening the tournament against Sweden on Monday, August 8.

Duncan Siemens signs on with Avalanche

2011-07-28T14:46:00.000-06:00

Big news coming today from the Colorado Avalanche as they announced the signing of their top 2 picks from this June's NHL entry draft.

Both Duncan Siemens and Gabriel Landeskog have been inked to 3 year entry level contracts. Landeskog was the 2nd overall pick in the draft, while Siemens was the 11th choice.

Siemens played this season for the Saskatoon Blades, he registered 43 points, 121 PIMs and a +40. He set career highs in goals, assists, points, plus-minus and penalty minutes. He was also one of the youngest players to be drafted in the entry draft.

Siemens also has a big event on the horizon as he will be spending next week in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, Alberta at the Team Canada World Junior evaluation camp. That runs from the 3rd to the 7th.

Landeskog meanwhile will be heading to Avalanche camp with a spot in the Avs top 6 virtually all locked up. He was called the most NHL-ready prospect for a reason and should be given every opportunity to start the season playing on the wing of either Matt Duchene or Paul Stastny.

Many questions remain about these players future careers, but one thing is for sure...it will be an exciting training camp as a Colorado Avalanche fan.

Two WHL Cities Nearing Coaching Announcements

2011-07-12T15:33:00.002-06:00

The Moose Jaw Warriors will introduce Mike Stothers as their new head coach at a press conference tomorrow. He will be replacing bench boss Dave Hunchak.

Stothers was most recently an assistant coach with the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL. He has also spent time coaching in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, with the Hershey Bears, the Grand Rapids Griffins and with the Owen Sound Attack.

He had a 30 game NHL playing career spent with the Flyers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It also appears that the Regina Pats are close to naming Ryan McGill as their head coach. He is atleast on the very short list, although it's believed that he is also a front runner for the job as the head coach of the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

He spent the last two years as an assistant with the Calgary Flames. He also coached the Kootenay Ice in the late 90's and early 2000's. He had a 151 game NHL playing career as a defenseman, mostly with the Flyers.

Blades Make A Move, Grab A Russian Goalie

2011-06-29T14:21:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Blades swung a deal today to move up 30 spots in the CHL Import draft. They traded the 60th overall pick in the Import Draft and a 3rd rounder in the 2012 Bantam Draft to the Prince George Cougars, in exchange for pick #30 in the Import Draft.

Saskatoon then used that pick to select Russian goaltender Andrey Makarov. Makarov is 18 years old and stands 6'2. He spent last season with Lewiston of the QMJHL. He played in 27 games and posted a 3.37GAA and an .890 save percentage.

He was also draft eligible for the NHL draft, but went unselected.

Well known NHL draft blogger Kirk Luedeke posted an article on Makarov earlier this winter. Check it out. It's a feature he does called "Guys You Should Know".

http://bruins2011draftwatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/andrei-makarov-guy-you-should-know.html

To make a move like this up in the draft order, you would almost have to guarantee that the Blades have confirmation from Makarov that he will be willing to report to the team and will be happy to fight for minutes with 20 year old Adam Morrison.

If that's the case, this deal could be great for Saskatoon if Makarov is able to step in and provide quality minutes.

Two Blades Meet The NHL Media

2011-06-28T14:29:00.003-06:00

A pair of members of the Saskatoon Blades fraternity were unveiled by their new NHL teams today.

In Denver, Colorado defenseman Duncan Siemens took part in an autograph signing with fellow first round pick by the Avalanche Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog was the 2nd overall selection by Colorado, while Siemens was taken 11th overall.

Siemens will now fly back to Sherwood Park, Alberta for a few days before returning to Denver for rookie camp on July 11th.

Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn was unveiled to the media in Philadelphia after he was acquired from the LA Kings last week. Schenn and Wayne Simmonds were the package as the Flyers traded captain Mike Richards to the Kings.

I expect Schenn to stick on in a third line role in Philly next year. His game truly fits the city and the team's style of play.

33 WHL Players Chosen In 2011 NHL Draft

2011-06-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

A total of 33 Western Hockey League players realized their dream this weekend as they were taken in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

That was second-most among the CHL as the Ontario Hockey League once again led the way with 46 selections.

The WHL was highlighted by the first overall pick in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who was chosen by Edmonton.

Here's a full list:

1st Round
#1. Edmonton Oilers – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins; Red Deer Rebels
#11. Colorado Avalanche – Duncan Siemens; Saskatoon Blades
#13. Calgary Flames – Sven Bartschi; Portland Winterhawks
#18. Chicago Blackhawks – Mark McNeill; Prince Albert Raiders
#23. Pittsburgh Penguins – Joseph Morrow; Portland Winterhawks

2nd Round
#31. Edmonton Oilers – David Musil; Vancouver Giants
#32. St. Louis Blues – Ty Rattie; Portland Winterhawks
#46. St. Louis Blues – Joel Edmundson; Moose Jaw Warriors
#57. Calgary Flames – Tyler Wotherspoon; Portland Winterhawks

3rd Round
#67. Winnipeg Jets – Adam Lowry; Swift Current Broncos
#73. Carolina Hurricanes – Keegan Lowe; Edmonton Oil Kings
#74. Edmonton Oilers – Travis Ewanyk; Edmonton Oil Kings
#84. Phoenix Coyotes – Harrison Ruopp; Prince Albert Raiders

4th Round
#106. New York Rangers – Michael St. Croix; Edmonton Oil Kings
#107. Buffalo Sabres – Colin Jacobs; Seattle Thunderbirds
#111. Phoenix Coyotes – Kale Kessy; Medicine Hat Tigers
#115. Detroit Red Wings – Marek Tvrdon; Vancouver Giants
#118. Philadelphia Flyers – Marcel Noebels; Seattle Thunderbirds
#119. Winnipeg Jets – Zachary Yuen; Tri-City Americans

5th Round
#125. New York Islanders – John Persson; Red Deer Rebels
#127. New York Islanders – Brenden Kichton; Spokane Chiefs
#134. New York Rangers – Shane McColgan; Kelowna Rockets
#138. Montreal Canadiens – Darren Dietz; Saskatoon Blades
#141. Phoenix Coyotes – Darren Dzuirzynski; Saskatoon Blades
#144. Pittsburgh Penguins - Dominik Uher; Spokane Chiefs

6th Round
#156. Ottawa Senators – Darren Kramer; Spokane Chiefs
#159. New Jersey Devils – Reece Scarlett; Swift Current Broncos
#164. Calgary Flames – Laurent Brossoit; Edmonton Oil Kings
#165. Dallas Stars – Matej Stransky; Saskatoon Blades
#167. Buffalo Sabres – Nathan Lieuwen; Kootenay Ice
#175. Detroit Red Wings – Richard Nedomlel; Swift Current Broncos

7th Round
#186. Ottawa Senators – Jordan Fransoo; Brandon Wheat Kings
#193. Carolina Hurricanes – Brody Sutter; Lethbridge Hurricanes

A total of 4 Saskatoon Blades were chosen, as you can see on the list. A total of three Saskatchewan kids were also drafted during the 7 rounds.

A large of number of highly talented kids were actually undrafted from the WHL.

The biggest shockers to me were:

Myles Bell - Regina Pats - My 8th ranked WHLer

Jesse Forsberg - Prince George Cougars - My 11th ranked WHLer

Andrej Stastny - Vancouver Giants - My 17th ranked WHLer

Brent Benson - Saskatoon Blades - My 20th ranked WHLer

Dylan Wruck - Edmonton Oil Kings - My 21st ranked WHLer

Others inlcude Dylan Willick, Tyler Hansen, Luke Lockhart and Liam Liston.

For a full list of my WHL ranked players visit:

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-top-whl-draft-eligibles-part-one.html

Five WHLers Taken In Round One Of NHL Draft

2011-06-24T21:24:00.000-06:00

It was a big night for some big names in Western Canadian hockey.

A total of five WHL players were taken in the first round of the 2011 NHL entry draft, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins going first overall to Edmonton.

Last year, seven players were taken in round one, with five also being taken in 2009's first round.

As mentioned, the Oilers didn't shock anybody by taking the Red Deer Rebels centre first overall. Nugent-Hopkins was recognized as the consensus number one player on almost all draft boards and he should fit into their system nicely going forward.

Duncan Siemens was the next WHLer off the board as the Colorado Avalanche took the big Saskatoon Blades blueliner at 11th overall. I would like to apologize to my neighbours, because I am a huge Avalanche fan as well as the Blades colour man. I jumped off my couch screaming and yelling when Siemens name was called.

Sven Bartschi was next off the board as the Calgary Flames took the scoring winger 13th overall. I like the player, but I am not a huge fan of who the Flames passed on to grab Bartschi. I think a guy like Mark McNeill would have fit their club alot more.

Speaking of McNeill, he was chosen 18th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. The PA Raiders centre is a man child and slid a bit in the draft, but will be through the roof with the result. The Raiders list the Blackhawks as McNeill's favorite team, so that's great to see.

Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins nabbed Joe Morrow of Portland at 23rd overall. He's got solid size and skates almost as good as any defenseman in the WHL. It's a good value pick for them and he should make a solid top 4 defenseman on Sidney Crosby's club.

Overall it was a nice night for the WHL, but I expect more fireworks tomorrow morning when rounds 2-7 get underway. A large number of WHLers are still waiting to have their names called.

NHL Draft Based On Fantasy Value

2011-06-22T16:42:00.000-06:00

The NHL Entry Draft is only a couple of days away and it's time to look at what players you should target when it comes to fantasy hockey. I will mention my top 30 players with a few sleepers to keep an eye on.

Putting together a list like this is tough. On one hand, you want to predict which players will be the best once they arrive on the NHL scene, but it also means you have to be safe with your picks. A guy with a well rounded game might rate a bit higher than a boom or bust potential level-player when it comes to how I would construct this mock ranking.

I also take into consideration where a player is going to play next year or two years from now. If a player is committed to the NCAA, his fantasy values goes down because he will take longer to arrive on the NHL scene and thus he is ranked lower on the list. Defenders aren’t as important to me in fantasy hockey, therefore they are down on the list. Goalies are in a different situation as I tend to value goalies higher than most people when it comes to fantasy hockey.

As mentioned, it’s a tough list to put together, so go ahead and tell me what you think.

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Great playmaker, highest offensive potential of any draftable player.
2. Jonathan Huberdeau - Dynamic at both ends of the ice. Can snipe and dish the biscuit.
3. Ryan Strome - Shifty offensive player with a great shot and release.
4. Sean Couturier - Big pivot with good two-way ability.
5. Ryan Murphy - The most explosive defenseman in the draft. Great skater, elite shot.
6. Gabriel Landeskog - Gritty power forward with a good shot.
7. Mika Zibanejad - Big Swede with an offensive touch.
8. Adam Larsson - Will be the first defenseman drafted. Will also QB a PP one day.
9. Matt Puempel - Elite goal scorer. Could be this year's Jeff Skinner.
10. Joel Armia - Big winger with a great shot and scoring ability.

11. Mark McNeill - Big two way center with great playmaking ability.
12. Sven Bartschi - Small winger can fill any role, but has a great offensive touch.
13. Mark Schiefele - Safe offensive center with size and vision.
14. Rocco Grimaldi - Shifty and dynamic scorer, but very small.
15. Dmitrij Jaskin - Big power forward with a great shot. Very slow feet, though.
16. Nicklas Jensen - Big winger is mobile and could be a great top 6 player.
17. Alexander Khoklachev - Shifty and dynamic Russian forward, a tad undersized.
18. Nikita Kucherov - Arguably the most dynamic Russian. "Russian factor" looms large here.
19. Zack Phillips - Can't teach goal scoring, he has it.
20. Tomas Jurco - Flashy and dynamic winger from CHL's top team.

21. John Gibson - Best goalie in the draft. Outstanding mental toughness.
22. JT Miller - Solid two-way center in a Kesler mold.
23. Dougie Hamilton - Big rangy defender plays well at both ends of the ice.
24. Ty Rattie - Great passer and solid two-way player.
25. Brett Ritchie - Big winger with an underrated goal scoring touch.
26. Nathan Beaulieu - Big smooth skating defender with a great shot.
27. Brandon Saad - Good hands, just not enough compete in his game.
28. Vlad Namestnikov - Elite skater and smart defensive player.
29. Joe Morrow - Solid offensive blueliner from the WHL.
30. Stefan Noesen - Big forward with a solid pro-style game.

5 Sleepers to watch:

Victor Rask - Top 5 potential, but worrisome effort levels.
Oscar Klefbom - Big defender that skates well and has a booming shot.
Shane McColgan - Small and explosive WHL forward played hurt all year.
Mario Lucia - The consensus top high school forward available, pro ready shot.
Reid Boucher - Very small, but a great goal scorer. Clutch too.

Victoria "Royals" Officially Announced

2011-06-20T20:17:00.000-06:00

Well, the official team name has been announced for the WHL club based in Victoria.

I must say, they are very sharp looking jerseys. I will also admit that I am not necessarily a huge fan of the logo, but it looks like one that could grow on a person.

Here's the link to the website with a photo of the jersey:

http://victoriaroyals.com/countdown/reveal.php

I have to say, the color scheme and jersey style also looks alot like the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. That's fine, there are only so many colors and styles to go around.

Should be fun to see how they do next year, even though they aren't really considered a "new" team.

Do the Avs go "off the board" at 11th overall?

2011-06-18T16:05:00.000-06:00

It’s well known that every team has a different draft board. If one team has shown that they have a much different board then others, it’s the Colorado Avalanche. They proved that last year when they grabbed Joey Hishon in round 1, 17th overall. Hishon was considered a mid-2nd round pick according to most at that time.

The Avs have two picks in round 1 at 2nd and 11th overall. There has been much debate over what they do at number 2, but I am also very intrigued to see what they could do at 11th overall come Friday. I figured I would start this up to see what other people might think about who they could be targeting if they decide to go “off the board”. I’ve seen a lot of Duncan Siemens and Sven Bartschi being listed as going to the Avs but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Avs did something a bit more surprising.

It’s an established fact the Avs pick using a Best Player Available (BPA) strategy based off 3 things: Skill, Character and Compete.

Here are a few players I think could be targeted if the Avs decide to go a bit “off the board”.

Daniel Catenacci – FW – OHL – Speed personified. The best wheels in the draft. Likely projects to be a Darren Helm type of player but he really does suit what the Avs seem to be after, speedy players with high character. Is ranked in the late 1st to early 2nd.

Philip Danault – FW – QMJHL – The captain of Victoriaville at the age of 17. A great skater with high end speed. Will go through a wall for his team. Some say he compares to Michael Bournival, a guy who the Avs drafted a couple of years ago before trading him to Montreal for Ryan O’Byrne this year. Is ranked mostly in the mid 2nd.

Nick Cousins – FW – OHL – Not a big player but he’s very well rounded. Has good hands and battles hard in the corners. Wouldn’t be shocked at all if the Avs were more interested in Cousins then most teams are. Is ranked mostly in the late 2nd and into the 3rd.

Connor Murphy – D – US NTDP – A big right handed defenseman that spent most of the year battling injuries. Is also the son of Gord Murhpy. Has pro size and had a very strong under 18 tournament this April as team USA won gold. Is ranked mostly in the late 1st and early 2nd.

Scott Mayfield – D – USHL – A huge defenseman that skates well and plays with a major edge. Also is a strong passer with some offensive upside hidden behind a very terrible team this past season. Is also a Denver recruit, which might help his cause. Is ranked mostly in the late 1st and early 2nd.

Boone Jenner – FW – OHL – Screams captain and leader at the NHL level. A terrible skating stride but manages to put up offensive totals despite that fact. Has drawn comparisons to the Avs Ryan O’Reilly. I guarantee the Avs have interest in this guy. Is ranked anywhere from the mid 1st to early 2nd.

Lucas Lessio – FW – OHL – A teammate of Jenner who seems to be an all round very solid player. Have heard concerns about his overall hockey sense and “mind” for the game. Has a very intriguing skillset that wouldn’t be missed by Avs scouts in my opinion. Is ranked anywhere from late 1st to early 3rd.

JT Miller – FW - US NTDP – Definitely not a huge “reach” as some of the others listed, but he is an intriguing player ranked later in the 1st round. Has drawn comparisons to a player like Ryan Kesler of Vancouver. Got size, defensive and offensive skills. Is ranked anywhere from mid 1st to early 2nd.

Jamie Oleksiak – D – Northeastern Univ. – A mountain at 6’7 and likely still room to grow. Dominated the combine physically and some of the testers there said he could possibly play at around 275 pounds. Not great either offensively or defensively but is more than competent in the two way game. Some people say he plays like Tyler Myers because of his skating, while he’s also drawn comparisons to an octopus because of his reach. Just like Miller, he’s also not necessarily a big reach at 11th overall. Is ranked anywhere from mid 1st to late 1st.

These are just a few players that I think the Avs could be targeting at 11th overall. With that being said, I still hope they are riding along with the ‘consensus’ and do nab a player like Duncan Siemens, Mark McNeill or someone who might fall like Mika Zibanejad or Ryan Strome.

Blades' Siemens Highlights WHL Invitees To WJHC Camp

2011-06-17T18:52:00.000-06:00

Thirteen WHL players in total have been invited to Team Canada's summer World Junior evaluation camp.

Saskatoon Blades defenseman Duncan Siemens is included in the group of 46 players overall. Camp goes August 3rd-7th in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The other WHL invitees are as follows:

Tyler Bunz - G, Medicine Hat

Joe Morrow - D, Portland

Ryan Murray - D, Everett

Mark Pysyk - D, Edmonton

Brett Connolly - FW, Prince George

Brendan Gallagher - FW, Vancouver

Patrick Holland - FW, Tri City

Quinton Howden - FW, Moose Jaw

Ryan Johansen - FW, Portland

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - FW, Red Deer

Ty Rattie - FW, Portland

Mark Stone - FW, Brandon

The only two WHL players that are included in this list that played in the tourney last year are Brett Connolly and Quinton Howden.

For a full list of the 46 players invited to camp, visit: http://tsn.ca/world_jrs/feature/?id=45328

Steve Konowalchuk To Take Over In Seattle?

2011-06-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

Rumours started floating this evening that the newest coach in the WHL will be Steve Konowalchuk.

It sounds as if Konowalchuk will be leaving his post as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche to take over as the head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds have been looking for a new coach since the end of March, when they announced they wouldn't be renewing the contract of Rob Sumner.

Sumner had spent the previous 16 years with Seattle, including the last 7 as the head coach. It's actually shocking that he lasted that long with the club. Clearly this last year was too much to take. They wrapped up the year with a record of 27-35-5-5 and failed to make the playoffs in the tough Western Conference.

For those not familiar with Kono, he has been with the Avalanche since they hired Joe Sacco as their head coach two years ago. Prior to that he spent time with the Washington Capitals and the Avalanche during his NHL career. He had just under 400 points in 790 career games. He was known for his grit and leadership and was a solid defensive player.

I love this move for Seattle. They need someone who has played and played well at the pro level and a guy who is also known for his character. Konowalchuk is surely a guy that will do a great job molding young players.

This also has me wondering, this deal must include some MAJOR job security or an extra title along with head coach because this is technically a step back for Konowalchuk. It's always nice to be a top guy on a hockey club as a coach, but going from the NHL to the WHL is still an interesting choice.

It will be interesting to see if this is in fact the announcement that is made tomorrow by Seattle.

2013 Memorial Cup Down To Three Finalists

2011-06-15T12:59:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Blades have been announced as one of three finalists for the 2013 Memorial Cup.

The team officially announced their interest in a bid earlier this spring and have been shortlisted as one of the top contenders.

The other two on that short list include the Kelowna Rockets and the Red Deer Rebels. Teams that have fallen by the wayside include Lethbridge and Prince George.

Saskatoon should definitely be looking as the possible frontrunner as the host for such an event due to the ability to host big events in the past. The city is known far and wide as an "event town" and recently hosted the World Junior Hockey Championships, which was considered a booming success.

Another element that will surely be part of the bidding process is looking at potential team strength for the 2012-2013 season.

Saskatoon could still potentially have players like Ryan Olsen, Brent Benson, Josh Nicholls and blueline anchors Duncan Siemens and Dalton Thrower in the mix for a playoff drive in 2013.

Giving up a big chunk of the future in the deadline deal for Brayden Schenn will surely hurt things for now, but there is still enough time to potentially re-group some assets before they would be needed.

The final bid presentations will be made on October 12th at the WHL Board of Governor meeting in Calgary.

15 WHLers invited to Ivan Hlinka Camp

2011-06-15T11:52:00.001-06:00

Saskatoon Blades forward Ryan Olsen is among the invitees to the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Team Canada training camp.

Current Blade defender Duncan Siemens took part in the event last summer for Team Canada.

42 players were invited in total, with 15 of them coming from the WHL.

Olsen is a centre that played very well in his rookie season in the WHL. He's got pro size at 6'2 and put together a 14 point season this year along with 39 penalty minutes. He steadily improved his play as the season went along before getting hurt down the stretch and missing a large chunk of the Blades playoff drive.

He plays a mature game and was counted on by the Blades to play a solid defensive role, spending much of the season as a third line centre.

Other WHL invitees are as follows:

Matt Dumba - D, Red Deer

Derrick Pouliot - D, Portland

Ryan Pulock - D, Brandon

Griffin Reinhart - D, Edmonton

Morgan Rielly - D, Moose Jaw

Nicholas Walters - D, Everett

Troy Bourke - FW, Prince George

Brendan Leipsic - FW, Portland

Brandon Magee - FW, Victoria

Connor Rankin - FW, Tri City

Tyrel Seaman - FW, Brandon

Hunter Shinkaruk - FW, Medicine Hat

Chandler Stephenson - FW, Regina

Robert Trzonkowski - FW, Calgary

The camp runs July 30th to August 2nd in Calgary. The actual tournament is scheduled for August 8-13 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Steven Stanford Off To UBC

2011-06-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. Now that the Canadian junior hockey season has wrapped up, the lack of news from the WHL really can put things at a stand still blog-wise. It was a long season with over 300 posts on my blog, so I think I deserve to take a break while it's nice and get out to enjoy the links! For those who do want to stay in touch with what I am up to, go ahead and follow me on Twitter. You can do so by clicking on the link over on the right side of the page.

There was a bit of Blades and WHL-related news to pass your way late last week. Graduated goaltender Steven Stanford will be continuing his hockey career with the UBC Thunderbirds of the CIS.

It's my understanding that the T-Birds have a goalie currently on their squad that was with them last year and that these two will now be fighting for playing time. I think that's a great spot to be in for a guy like Stanford, who really plays with a competitive edge, despite looking very calm between the pipes.

Despite a tough end to the 2010-2011 season, it can still be considered a successful one for Stanford. He won 40 of his 48 regular season games and posted a 2.78GAA and a .910 save percentage. He was also one of the players that continued to look good as the team melted in front of him in the second round against the Kootenay Ice.

Not every player that takes part in junior hockey has a chance to play pro, let alone make the jump straight there after leaving junior. It's always nice to see a guy like Stanford get a chance to continue his hockey career and also have a great chance to get an education. It also will allow him to keep his options open for hockey down the line. Not a ton of guys go from the CIS on to NHL careers, but it has happened and will continue to happen to certain hard working individuals.

My Top WHL Draft Eligibles - Part Two

2011-06-04T10:35:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I posted the first half of my top WHL players for the NHL draft. If you didn't see it, scroll down to take a look at the players on my list featured 16-25, plus honourable mentions.

This next chunk features my top 15.

Take a look:

#1 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – FW – Red Deer Rebels

- RNH has continued to grow as a player and by the end of this season has found himself to be the consensus top prospect available for the draft. He’s got vision that hasn’t been seen from a player his age in a decade or possibly longer. He’s got elite level passing abilities, a great hockey IQ, a quick release, a goal scoring touch and the ability to play a 200 foot game. His puck protection skills are also excellent as is his stick positioning defensively. He hustles on the backcheck and is always sniffing around to pick the puck from someone’s pocket. He might have a slender frame, but he has the height to support added weight over the course of time. That light weight doesn’t hold him back physically either, as he has been known to engage players physically and not back down if teams come at him. It's nice to see that his weigh-in at the combine listed him at 177 pounds, which is way up from the 164 most people had him pegged at as the Rebels season came to an end. He didn’t kill penalties this year and much of his point production came on the powerplay, those are two areas that could be of some concern. An NHL transition as early as next year could happen, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. His body is the only thing holding him back in that regard because his skill level is high enough and he is good enough at avoiding contact on a regular basis.

NHL comparable: Pavel Datsyuk

Top end potential: 1st line center

Pick prediction: 1st overall

#2 Duncan Siemens – D – Saskatoon Blades

- Siemens provides a unique blend of size, skating ability and toughness to the blueline. At 6’3 and around 200 pounds, he’s also already got pro size. The thing that sets Siemens apart from other blueliners his size is his skating ability. He’s got great top end speed, solid acceleration and good East-West mobility. He’s at his best when he’s jumping into the rush and creating offense by driving lanes. That skating also allows him to be a bit riskier as he can get back into position well. He’s a solid passer and is good starting a team’s transition. He does tend to over think things and can get himself in trouble by holding on to the puck too long in his own zone. Quicker decisions are big for him as he needs to rely more on his instincts. He doesn’t have a great shot and struggled at times on the Blades powerplay this year. His overall puck skills are an area he needs to work on if he wants to provide some offense at the next level. Overall he’s an imposing package that also shows strong leadership abilities. Ranking him ahead of McNeill was a tough call. Personally, I think Siemens has the ability to be a strong top 3 defenseman. To me, that’s more valuable than someone who will be a solid number 2 center.

NHL comparable: Ed Jovanovski

Top end potential: Top 3 defender

Pick prediction: Top 15

#3 Mark McNeill – FW – Prince Albert Raiders

- McNeill came into this season as a guy that was on team’s radars as a player to watch for later in the draft. As the season wore on, it became more apparent that he is a first round talent and a player that teams can build around. He plays centre and logs big minutes. He kills penalties, can quarterback a powerplay and win big draws in a final minute of a game. Already at a man’s size at 6’2 and over 200 pounds, the thing that sets him apart is his vision. He’s an excellent passer and is very smart with how he dishes the puck around the blue ice. He’s very strong on the forecheck and does a ton of damage behind the goal line. McNeill also has great hands around the net in regards to finishing off the play as he had 32 goals on the season. His top end speed is very good although his edge work and first step could use some work to be taken to the next level. I don’t think his skill level is quite good enough to become a solid 1st line centre in the NHL, but he should definitely be a very solid 2nd line guy if he works hard and things go well.

NHL comparable: Ryan Kesler

Top end potential: 2nd line center

Pick prediction: 12-18 overall

#4 Sven Bartschi – FW – Portland Winterhawks

- Bartschi does a little bit of everything, but his best skills are offensive. He’s only 5’10 but he’s not afraid to get greasy to score. When he gets in those prime scoring areas, he’s got a killer shot with a dynamite release. As WHL rookie of the year this season, the 18 year old Swiss sniper scored 34 goals and added 10 more in the playoffs. He’s also a committed defensive player as a winger and had no problem being the first forward on the backcheck on a regular basis. His skating is good, but not elite and I think that’s an area that will need some improvement if he wants to carry his offense to the next level into pro hockey. Size is also a concern but he does enough things well to make up for it. With his array of tools, he is a guy that should be able to slot into an NHL clubs top 6 on the wing.

NHL comparable: Jeff Skinner

Top end potential: Top 6 winger

Pick prediction: Top 20

#5 Joe Morrow – D – Portland Winterhawks

- Morrow is exactly what NHL teams are looking for in today’s NHL. He’s got good size and features arguably the top skating stride of any draft eligible defender from the WHL. That skating allows him to break games open at both ends of the ice. He enjoys jumping into the rush or starting it with a nice quick transition pass. He’s got a good, hard shot, also likely the best of the WHL dman class. If I have one major knock on him, it would be that he takes a bit too long to get it off. Those adjustments will come with time as he learns to make decisions just a half step quicker. On the defensive side of the puck he’s passable, but not spectacular. He uses his great mobility while defending, being able to turn on a dime making it tough to get by him in a one on one situation. Physically, he doesn’t play overly aggressive, but is not afraid to throw a hit. That ability on the defensive side of the puck should be very attractive teams because it truly shows that Morrow could be the best well rounded defenseman to come out of this draft when it’s all said and done.

NHL comparable: Duncan Keith

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: Top 25

#6 Ty Rattie – FW – Portland Winterhawks

- Rattie is a very well rounded player. He doesn’t do a whole lot to blow you away, but everything he does, he does well. His hockey IQ is likely his best asset as he simply knows how to play his position. His vision is also very good as he is definitely more of a pass-first player. He can find players all over the ice and is very strong working off the side boards on the powerplay. His feet are a bit heavy and he doesn’t have very good speed out of the gate. It would be nice to see him work on his overall skating as it will be greatly necessary for him to excel at the next level. He’s got an ok touch around the net, although shooting the puck more would be of benefit to him. I also like his mental game as he has been in the spotlight for a number of years and continues to impress scouts by adapting and improving his game over time. Rattie is also known to score a clutch goal or two, which also looks good on a resume.

NHL comparable: Patrick Sharp

Top end potential: Top 9 winger

Pick prediction: 20-45 overall

#7 David Musil – D – Vancouver Giants

- Musil plays well for his role. He’s a very solid shut down defender. His skating can be a concern as he definitely is slow to get going and won’t blow you away with top end speed. He makes a strong first pass which should be attractive to teams. His puck control overall could use some work as his hands aren’t his best asset. He has a good shot, but isn’t always in the best position to use it on a regular basis. As mentioned, if he earns an NHL paycheque it will be because of his play in his own zone. He’s a big body that plays physical and uses his reach to his advantage. He is also a very good shot blocker and can eat up a ton of minutes in any situation.

NHL comparable: Robyn Regehr

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: 20-50 overall

#8 Myles Bell – D – Regina Pats

- When you think about WHL defenders, Bell is the kind of guy that normally doesn’t fit the cookie cutter form. But that’s ok, because he does so many things well. He’s first and foremost an offensive defenseman. He’s got a cannon of a shot and is very good at getting it through. He’s a solid passer when it comes to starting the rush and joins it on a regular basis. Physically he’s not tall, but very sturdy. His skating is ok, but it doesn’t stand out. He also has been known to have lapses defensively and needs to show more commitment to playing in his own end of the rink. If he can get some of those aspects of his game figured out, he could become one of the most well rounded defenders to come out of the 2011 NHL draft. Unfortunately, Bell was involved in a well-publicized car accident this offseason and is currently facing some major physical, mental and legal challenges. His draft stock will definitely take a huge tumble and it’s truly impossible to tell exactly how far.

NHL comparable: Brian Rafalski

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: 3rd round

#9 Adam Lowry – FW – Swift Current Broncos

- Lowry is a guy that came on strong as the season went along. That, despite his team in Swift Current going down the tubes. He’s a big body at over 6’4 and he is starting to understand how to use that size. He’s very physical along the boards and in the corners. He often wins those battles and doesn’t hesitate to drag the puck to the net. His hands are quite good for someone his size and he has the ability to cash in on pucks around his feet as he battles near the crease. His skating is considered good for his size, but it’s clearly an area he needs to work on and improve on. He’s got leadership abilities and isn’t afraid to stand up for a teammate. He may be seen more as a project than an NHL-ready player and might take a few more years than some guys, but if he has the ability to hit his highest potential, he could be something special. With that being said, he could also be considered a safe pick by some because of his size and his overall commitment to the game already. It will be interesting to see how NHL teams view him, because I think he might have some of the most untapped potential of any forward from the WHL this season.

NHL comparable: Ryan Clowe

Top end potential: Top 9 winger

Pick prediction: 3rd round

#10 Shane McColgan – FW – Kelowna Rockets

- McColgan is a very skilled forward who relies on the ability to think his way around the rink. He’s a very solid player positionally and is very dynamic with the puck. He’s a little inconsistent when it comes to hustling defensively, but battles hard in the corners more often than not. A bit undisciplined, but overall a very solid goal scoring forward with tons of heart. He will suffer from the typical ‘small forward’ stigma come draft day. He’s not tiny, but he’s below average size-wise, despite his massive skill level. One way to do that is his skating, he’s a very good skater and uses his edges well when getting down low and trying to beat defenders. He also really brought his game up to the next level in the WHL playoffs showing his ability to take over games and lead by example.

NHL comparable: Brian Gionta

Top end potential: Top 6 winger

Pick prediction: Late 3rd round

#11 Jesse Forsberg – D – Prince George Cougars

- Jesse Forsberg is the kind of guy you want on your club. He may be slightly undersized for the blueline but he will run through a wall and hit anything that moves. He's got character and leadership abilities and showed that off while playing important minutes for the Prince George Cougars. His offensive numbers have not quite carried over the way some had hoped after being a first round pick in the WHL's bantam draft. With that being said, he is still more than capable of starting the rush and making a nice pass to get his team moving in the right direction. He may not be joining the rush as often as some had hoped as his skating is only OK at this point. It doesn't hold him back, but it's not quite at the level you might want to see it as he tends to have an odd stride with a hunched over style. For teams looking to add a safe and effective defense-first blueliner to their club, Forsberg will be a great choice.

NHL comparable: Brooks Orpik

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick predictiom: Late 3rd round

#12 Michael St. Croix – FW – Edmonton Oil Kings

- St. Croix is one of the most explosive players to come out of the WHL this season. He can break a game open with his slick moves as he comes across the goal line, can find a player sneaking in the back door or can burn the goalie with a quickly released, rocket shot. Those are the good things he does. He tends to play a little too much on the outside of the play from time to time and hasn’t shown enough commitment to get greasy to score. The skill is there and when he does go to the blue ice, he gets rewarded more often than not. As with most players his age, his defensive play has some holes and he would be a much better prospect if he showed more all-round hustle in his game. His play away from the puck raises some concerns because he might end up being a player that’s not quite good enough to be a top 6 forward, but not gritty enough to be a bottom 6 forward. The skill is there for St. Croix and he should get a couple more years to show it off with a high profiled, up and coming roster of prospects with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

NHL comparable: Danny Briere (regular season edition)

Top end potential: Top 6 winger

Pick prediction: 3rd round

#13 Joel Edmundson – D – Moose Jaw Warriors

- Edmundson has something you can’t teach and that’s size. He is very effective defending his area on the ice because of that size and the ability to push players around. He also uses his reach very well, taking away passing lanes and poking pucks away. He’s strong along the boards. He moves well for someone 6’4, but could still use some overall jump in his skating. He is very passive offensively and is an ok, but not great passer. Let’s say his passing is passable. He has a bomb of a shot but takes much too long to unload it. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did score 8-10 goals next season, vastly improving his offensive production, but it won’t be something that ever carries him to the next level of hockey. He’s not afraid to scrap and is an imposing figure on the blueline overall. When picturing a WHL defenseman, Edmundson fits the bill. I know for a fact that many NHL teams and scouting organizations like him much more than I do, so I won’t be shocked to see him go off the board earlier than I would personally take him.

NHL comparable: Ryan O’Byrne

Top end potential: 4th or 5th defender

Pick prediction: Late 2nd round

#14 Reece Scarlett – D – Swift Current Broncos

- Reece Scarlett had the definition of an up and down season for the Swift Current Broncos. The long and smooth skating blueliner was pencilled in as one of the pillars of a very young blueline and showed stretches of brilliance, but his play truly did go down the tubes as the season went along. Scarlett provides very good two way play overall with good puck skills and the ability to lead the rush or start it with a crisp pass. He's a very strong quarterback of the powerplay and does an excellent job getting his shots through. On the defensive side of the puck he is a smart and safe defender who relies on body positioning and excellent stick work to prevent chances against. Toward the end of the year you could see that he was not the same player. He was either mentally or physically fatigued or a combination of the two. He also was jekyll and hyde on the national stage. He had a very strong showing during the CHL top prospects game, but at the end of the year he was exposed while playing for Team Canada at the World Under 18's. I still like his long term potential, even if he is still considered more of a project pick. I would like him to be a bit more aggressive at both ends of the ice, because I think he has the skill level to do that. He's very skinny with room to grow and add weight and muscle to his frame and his foot work and mobility tell me he will have the ability to contribute as a strong two way defender.

NHL comparable: Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: Late 3rd round

#15 Travis Ewanyk – FW – Edmonton Oil Kings

- Ewanyk went up against the best in the world from his age group at the world under 18’s for Team Canada, and he excelled. He drew tough assignments as a defensive specialist and team’s seem to have enjoyed what they saw. I did too. Ewanyk has good size for his role as a banger and a crasher and loves to get in players faces. The word pest can be used perfectly here. He is counted on for big draws and isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body to win a game. His hands and overall offense are huge question marks, but if a team drafts him, they aren’t doing so to get a 50 goal scorer. Ultimately, he will be one of the safest picks after the 1st round, but I do question his overall potential. Does he ever become more than a 3rd line centre? I don’t see it, but if that’s what a team needs, this guy would be an excellent choice as early as the late 2nd round.

NHL comparable: Steve Ott

Top end potential: 3rd line center

Pick prediction: Late 2nd round

My Top WHL Draft Eligibles - Part One

2011-06-03T12:22:00.000-06:00

Last year, 43 players were selected in the NHL entry draft from the Western Hockey League. Seven of those players were taken in the first round. I’ve had the chance to be very close to the league this year, including seeing over 50 games live as well as dozens of others on TV and on live streams online.

I’ve also had the chance to do some scouting for a few different groups in regards to WHL players and how they look for this year’s draft. With that being said, I have prepared a list of my top 25 draft eligible WHL players. I will also include a few more players to watch.

As for my player comparables, those are not meant to be statistical comparisons. They are simply meant to provide the reader with a view of how a player looks while on the ice and an insight into what that WHLer brings to the table.

Here is part one of my rankings, players ranked 16-25 plus honourable mentions.

#16 Colin Jacobs – FW – Seattle Thunderbirds

- Jacobs could do so much more with the tools that he has. It’s almost like the old saying that he has all the tools and no toolbox. That might be a bit harsh, but it’s not that far off. He’s a big body that moves well and has a number of intriguing offensive weapons. He just doesn’t use it all in the correct way, or often enough. The potential is absolutely there, though. He had a very strong start to the year with a bad Seattle club but as the team soured down the stretch, so did Jacobs’ game. He passes well, can score, moves well for his size and has a ton of versatility in his game. He even saw time on the point on the powerplay for Seattle this season. I’ve seen him dominate a game and score a hattrick, or be totally invisible. Consistency in all areas of his game will be a big thing for teams to address if they take a stab at this big American.

NHL comparable: Nathan Horton

Top end potential: Top 6 forward

Pick prediction: 3rd round

#17 Andrej Stastny – FW – Vancouver Giants

- Stastny was a bit of unknown coming to the WHL this season and arrived on the scene with a bang, registering just under a point per game with the Giants. Speaking of Giants, he is one at 6’4. He moves well for a guy his size, but can look pretty clumsy from time to time. Once he fills out he could be a huge load to handle. When he gets in around the net he’s very dangerous as he possesses great instincts and the ability to either dish the puck or find a way to get it to the back of the net. As an overage player, it’s hard to predict where he could go in the draft, but teams will surely like the overall package that he brings to the table.

NHL comparable: Nik Antropov

Top end potential: #2 or #3 center

Pick prediction: 4th round

#18 Keegan Lowe – D – Edmonton Oil Kings

- One night you see him, the next you don’t. Consistency was a big thing for Lowe this season. On some nights he was the Oil Kings best defender, and sometimes he went totally unnoticed. When he’s on, he has a lot of tools to work with. He’s got above average speed, good skating ability overall, an aggressive mindset offensively and the ability to make smart and effective defensive plays. I like him the most when he is simple and staying smart, chipping pucks off the glass or making a short pass to start the transition game. The offense won’t follow him around but he does have some room for growth in that area of the game. Good bloodlines too, as the son of Oilers president Kevin Lowe.

NHL comparable: Mark Giordano

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: 4th round

#19 Marcel Noebels – FW – Seattle Thunderbirds

- Noebels has the size that will attract teams, but he sure is still learning how to use it. He was a rookie this year in the WHL after coming from Germany as a 17 year old. He put together strong totals, scoring nearly 30 goals and eating big minutes for the underskilled Thunderbirds. I like his size and his hands, but he has shown that he doesn’t compete hard enough and doesn’t always take a hit to make a play. With some time and more commitment to working on his all around game, he could be a real steal for a team. Currently there are still rumbles out there that he may be heading back to play pro in Germany after this season, but whatever team drafts him will make a decision in that regard and I would be shocked if he didn’t stay in Canadian junior hockey.

NHL comparable: Jussi Jokinen

Top end potential: Top 6 forward

Pick prediction: 5th round

#20 Brent Benson – FW – Saskatoon Blades

- Benson is an intriguing player who might be pretty tough to gauge given his role with the Saskatoon Blades this year. He started the season playing in the top 6 and was eventually bumped down after the team acquired Brayden Schenn. After that deal, his production suffered, but he truly showed he has a strong defensive element to his game. Often times he was matched up against one of the opposition's top two lines and he managed to win a ton of battles on many nights. His offense throughout the season was very hit or miss and overall, it hasn't quite transfered to the WHL level after the Blades drafted him 6th overall in the 2008 bantam draft. He still has good skills, a low and powerful skating stride mixed with good hands and vision. But he doesn't do too many things offensively that stand out to you or make you think he will be a huge offensive contributor at the next level. Much of those skills will be put to the test next year as he will be bumped into possibly a number one centre spot in Saskatoon. His other assets are what will attract NHL teams. He's very gritty and will do anything to get his team in the win column. He blocks shots and is solid in the faceoff dot. All those things while having offensive skills that may eventually make their way to the surface.

NHL comparable: John Madden

Top end potential: 3rd line center

Pick prediction: 4th round

#21 Dylan Wruck – FW – Edmonton Oil Kings

- 5’8 is pretty small. So is 162 pounds. Both of those together are what equals Dylan Wruck. But, the Oil Kings PA announcer calls him the “Wrucking ball” for a reason. He never quits on a play and has a dynamic skillset. He can lead his team to victory at the offensive end of the ice and works hard defensively. He still plays a bit too much on the perimeter for my liking but who can blame him? When it’s all said and done, the size of this guy is still a huge concern for most teams and it should be. It’s not every day that a player this size turns into Tyler Ennis or Marty St. Louis. But, I think he’s atleast worth a gamble in the later rounds.

NHL comparable: Tyler Ennis

Top end potential: 2nd line winger

Pick prediction: 7th round

#22 Tyler Wotherspoon – D – Portland Winterhawks

- Wotherspoon might be one of the better defensive defenseman to come out of the WHL this year. He thinks the game well, is good in coverage and can punish people physically. His biggest flaws are his skating, where he needs a ton of work to grow and one day become a regular at the next level. He is an ok puck mover for someone with his role as he can start a breakout by making a good first pass. His game will never revolve around his offense, but for a team looking to add depth and toughness to their future blueline, this guy is worth a grab.

NHL comparable: Craig Rivet

Top end potential: Bottom pairing blueliner

Pick prediction: 3rd round

#23 Kale Kessy – FW – Medicine Hat Tigers

- As the season wore on, people started to talk about Kessy as a potential Milan Lucic. I like him as a player, but a true comparison to Lucic is a bit of a stretch. He’s not a great skater and doesn’t quite have the hands that Lucic had or has now. He is effective, I will give him that. He loves to hit, he’s good on the boards and is tough to knock off the puck. With that being said, we’ve seen him bobble his fair share of passes and miss open nets. The offensive game isn’t there and I’m not sure it will be. Even if it doesn’t come, he has the size and appropriate skillset to make a living banging and crashing on a team’s third or fourth line.

NHL comparable: Mike Rupp

Top end potential: 3rd line winger

Pick prediction: Early 4th round

#24 Harrison Ruopp – D – Prince Albert Raiders

- Ruopp is a guy that has flown under the radar this season in the WHL. He’s got many assets that NHL teams come to the WHL to find. He’s got good size and plays extra physical. He’s a solid skater with good balance and the ability to defend well one on one or along the boards. He won’t blow anyone away with his offensive skills but he will have his name called on draft day by someone looking for a bit of a project on the blueline.

NHL comparable: Johnny Boychuk

Top end potential: Bottom pairing defender

Pick prediction: 6th round

#25 Matej Stransky – FW – Saskatoon Blades

- Matej (Matty) Stransky is the typical projection pick when it comes to the NHL draft. He's got a ton of intriguing tools, but hasn't quite been able to put them all together. He's got size, he doesn't back down physically, he's got a hard shot, he protects the puck as good as almost anyone in the draft and he has hands and moves to get himself into scoring areas. Those are the good things, but he also has his fair share of warts to his game. His overall skating and speed would only be considered average at this point, he takes a while to get his shots off, he battled consistency issues, his balance is not great and he tends to hang on to the puck too long at times. One thing that will help his cause is the fact that he had a very strong playoff for the Blades. After only 26 points in the regular season in 71 games, he got on the board with 9 points in 10 playoff games including a clutch OT winner in game 6 against the Prince Albert Raiders in game 1. From wire to wire it wasn't a bad season for the 17 year old import who had to make a ton of adjustments coming from the Czech Republic. I think he is a very big project player but if a team has some patience and provides the right guidance or him, he could be a player that is ultimately viewed as a major steal.

NHL comparable: A very poor man's Jaromir Jagr

Top end potential: 2nd-3rd line tweener

Draft prediction: 5th round

Other Draftables To Watch:

Zachary Yuen – D – Tri City Americans – Smooth skater that excels at both ends of the ice.

Marek Hrbas – D – Edmonton Oil Kings – Smaller defender who had a solid rookie season in Edmonton.

Eric Williams – G – Prince Albert Raiders – My top ranked goalie. Very quick and athletic. Reminds me of Quick from the Kings.

Colin Smith – FW – Kamloops Blazers – Gritty and speedy forward who is very solid defensively and offensively.

Laurent Brossoit – G – Edmonton Oil Kings – Nice size and angle work. Tad clumsy and needs work on rebound control.

Darren Dietz – D – Saskatoon Blades – Smooth skater who is as tough as nails. Underrated with big potential.

Dylan Willick – FW – Kamloops Blazers – Grit personified. Does a ton of little things well, but won’t blow you away with any aspect of his game.

Tyler Hansen – D – Kamloops Blazers – Big size but won’t provide a ton of offense. Very nice edge to his game though.

Luke Paulsen – D – Kootenay Ice – Safe and smart defender. Right handed shot is also a nice asset teams will look for.

Luke Lockhart – FW – Seattle Thunderbirds – Undersized, but a nose for the net. Reminds me of Brian Gionta.

Liam Liston – G – Brandon Wheat Kings – Was up and down for the Wheaties this year but carrying a big load this season could mean exponential growth is coming for next year.

Charges Laid Against WHL Player

2011-05-31T16:35:00.003-06:00

It's been a bit of a wait, but charges have finally been announced following a deadly accident involving a 17 year old player from the Regina Pats. If you follow junior hockey and are reading this story, you know who the player is so I will not name him here.

The player, who was driving at the time of the accident is charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and failing to provide a breath sample. It relates to a crash on April 30th outside of Calgary where a young girl from Regina was fatally injured.

The RCMP say that speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the accident as the car rolled several times before coming to rest in a ditch.

There is no word yet on when a court date will take place.

The player involved was expected to be a top 45 pick in the this year's NHL entry draft.

2011 NHL Mock Draft

2011-05-27T17:38:00.000-06:00

This is a piece I have been working on for a couple of days and finally finished it today. It's the final mock I will be doing before the NHL entry draft. It's something do for fun and am by no means a scout. With that being said, I have seen 27 out of my top 30 play.

Also, you must remember this is a mock draft, an opinion of what could happen at the NHL draft next June. It's not necessarily my opinion of who are the better players in comparison to the others. Anyways, here it is.

#1 Edmonton Oilers – C, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

- The Oilers take the consensus best player and player with the highest offensive potential in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They still lack size down the middle, but will one day be able to provide smart two way play as well as a dynamic skillset highlighted by elite vision. He is a perfect compliment to the bull-in-a-china shop style of future linemate Taylor Hall. He provides a great two way skillset along with that offensive presence, not backing down physically or not shying away from a defensive matchup. The jury will be out all summer on whether or not the Oilers should play RNH in the NHL next year. I am against it, due to physical reasons more than anything. But I still think he will be there longer than a 9 game tryout.

If they don’t take RNH? Adam Larsson

#2 Colorado Avalanche – LW, Gabriel Landeskog

- The Avalanche have had a set mandate over the last couple of years that have them drafting players known to have character. Landeskog has that, then some. The big Swedish winger plays like a bull in a china shop, has solid hands in tight, isn’t afraid to get dirty, sticks up for teammates, hits, fights and can defend. He does a little bit of everything. He is also likely the most pro-ready player in the entire draft. Some scouts have said that he could have played in the NHL this season, let alone next season. He might not have the highest offensive potential out of the players available to the Avalanche, but they have shown they can be a high scoring team when they need to be. Their biggest issue is grit and true compete level. Landeskog is the way they will go.

If they don’t take Landeskog? Jonathan Huberdeau

#3 Florida Panthers – LW/C, Jonathan Huberdeau

- The weak link for Florida is done the middle. Some will argue for Sean Couturier here, but the Panthers haven’t benefitted from having an elite offensive player since Pavel Bure. Weiss was good, but not a 1st line centre. Horton was good, but his offense never translated like it needed to. Huberdeau is the answer. He plays hard, he plays aggressive, he can play centre or wing and he likely has the 2nd highest offensive potential of any player in this draft. The Panthers need to quit picking safe and need to go for the boom here.

If they don’t take Huberdeau? Sean Couturier

#4 New Jersey Devils – D, Adam Larsson

- The Devils have a number of different options here. They can take a potential first line, two way centre in Couturier. They can take a dynamic offensive player in Strome. Or they can take a stud blueliner to anchor them for the future. That’s what they do at 4. New Jersey hasn’t had a true pedigree set of defenders in quite a few years, since they lost Rafalski, Stevens and Niedermayer in the last handful of years. Larsson is a big, two way defender who will provide offense and defense when he decides to make the jump to North America from Sweden. When will that be? It’s hard to tell, but the Devils will welcome him with open arms.

If they don’t take Larsson? Sean Couturier

#5 New York Islanders – C, Sean Couturier

- SC is the big wild card in this draft. I could see the Avalanche taking him 2nd. I could also see him sliding as far as 7th overall. I think team needs should be taken into account here. The Isles have a large number of intriguing blueline prospects making their way up the pipeline. What they have lacked is a steady group of forwards behind players like Tavares and Moulson. Josh Bailey has improved much slower than expected and that’s a big reason why they take the big centre here. Couturier can do it at both ends of the ice, provide offense or play defense in a mold similar to a combo of Jordan and Eric Staal. He will likely start next season as the Isles 3rd line centre, eventually slotting in as their number two pivot down the road.

If they don’t take Couturier? Dougie Hamilton

#6 Ottawa Senators – C, Ryan Strome

- The league’s 2nd lowest scoring team this season also has a large number of highly talented blueliners in the system. That to me means they are taking a forward with this pick. Ryan Strome is a good fit to play centre down the line behind Spezza. He’s shifty, speedy, dynamic and has a pro shot with a great release. He won’t be pro ready for atleast a pair of seasons and the Sens don’t necessarily have a ton of time to wait around, but they will slowly phase in some of their other prospects on the back end before a guy like Strome is NHL ready.

If they don’t take Strome? Mika Zibanejad

#7 Winnipeg Thrashers – D, Dougie Hamilton

- Ideally, I think the Jets would be more suited to take a centre at this spot but I don’t think you can pass on a guy like Hamilton at 7th overall. There isn’t one centre that I think truly jumps out at me that would fit them to be taken this early either. Hamilton is a horse of a blueliner that has a strong skating stride mixed with a nice blend of size and offensive and defensive abilities. With this pick they will really be putting together an impressive package of defenders.

If they don’t take Hamilton? Mark Schiefele

#8 Columbus Blue Jackets – D, Ryan Murphy

- There isn’t a player that fits a team need more than the Jackets taking Murphy at 8. The guy is the most talented offensive defenseman prospect in the last several years. His size is a concern, but his defensive play did show strong growth this season compared to last. That will need to continue. Frankly, I have concerns that much of the stuff he does on a game to game basis won’t translate to the next level, but he’s so highly thought of because he’s so creative and adaptable. He will have a role as a PP QB in the NHL at some point. Let’s just hope the Jackets don’t rush him like they have countless times with other young players.

If they don’t take Murphy? Mark McNeill

#9 Boston Bruins – D, Nathan Beaulieu

- Nathan Beaulieu provides a very solid package of size, skating ability and two way play. With the amount of depth the Bruins have on offense, they take a defenseman with this pick. I originally had Sven Bartschi going here, but with the emergence of a player like Brad Marchand, that immediate need of scoring from the wing isn’t as pressing. Beaulieu still has some flaws in regards to defensive coverage and consistency so the Bruins won’t have any reason to rush this kid to the spotlight.

If they don’t take Beaulieu? Joe Morrow

#10 Minnesota Wild – LW, Sven Bartschi

- Scoring has always been an issue in Minnesota. That fact has shone through more than ever now that the club is lacking franchise scoring leader Marian Gaborik, who is now on Broadway. Offense and compete is the goal here as they go with Swiss-sniper Sven Bartschi from the Portland Winterhawks. He’s not big, but he plays big. He also is a committed defensive player. Mikael Granlund will provide a good 2nd option down the middle for the Wild within the next two years and ultimately they could opt for more size, but to me Bartschi provides a few roles that some other players won’t at this spot in the draft.

If they don’t take Bartschi? Joel Armia

#11 Colorado Avalanche – D, Duncan Siemens

- The Avs are spoiled by having two picks in the top 11 of the 2011 NHL draft. It’s a big chance for them to add to their prospect pool. These two picks will also create an interesting dynamic. I would hope (I’m an Avs fan) that if they go with a FW at #2, they take a D here and if they take a D at #2, they take a FW here. So, with that philosophy in mind, they take a big, bruising blueliner in Duncan Siemens at the 11th spot. Siemens is 6’3 and skates like the wind. He makes a strong first pass, will stand up for any teammate in a scrap and has very strong leadership capabilities. He also fills a massively huge organizational need for Colorado.

If they don’t take Siemens? Mika Zibanejad

#12 Carolina Hurricanes – RW, Joel Armia

- You can’t teach size and a knack for scoring goals. Armia has both. The Canes can use both. Not only that, but they seem to enjoy Finnish players. To me, I could see Armia going much higher than this spot. He’s a big body that moves well for the most part and has one of the best shots in the draft. Carolina will gladly add a player like this to their roster.

If they don’t take Armia? Mika Zibanejad

#13 Calgary Flames – C, Mark McNeill

- Another one of those players that could go as high as 7th or 8th, but I think he’s the perfect fit in the middle of the first to the Flames. He plays a style of game that truly fits the organization as well. A big rugged centre that has very underrated vision, he’s great on the forecheck and can win a draw in a clutch moment. He’s also been known to play the point on the PP in Prince Albert, showing that he is truly a versatile player. The Flames are in a great spot at 13th, being able to snag a player that might ‘slip’ a bit.

If they don’t take McNeill? Mark Schiefele

#14 Dallas Stars – C, Mika Zibanejad

- This guy is one of most interesting players of the draft. I could see him going anywhere from 5-20. I like his all around game, his size, scoring ability and his (not overpowering) physical game. His skating might be a bit of a concern, but with work it won’t hold him back. The Stars might have some longterm questions down the middle in their lineup and Z is a guy that will fit on either their 2nd or 3rd line somewhere down the line.

If they don’t take Zibanejad? Mark Schiefele

#15 New York Rangers – C, JT Miller

- Miller fits the type of player the Rangers seem to like. He’s big, he skates fairly well, he’s got underrated offensive skills and he has worked his way through the American junior system. There might be concern in regards to his offensive ability translating, but a strong under 18 tournament should have alleviated some of those. A true boom or bust type of player for the blueshirts in round 1.

If they don’t take Miller? Alexander Khokhlachev

#16 Buffalo Sabres – C, Mark Schiefele

- The Sabres have battled with size and depth down the middle of their lineup for years. They finally have some prospects with grit and size making their way through the pipeline in Luke Adam, Marcus Foligno and Zack Kassian but none of those guys have the skill level of Mark Schiefele. Scouts raved about his under 18 tournament for Canada and confirmed that this guy is the real deal. A two way player that can dish the puck and bury it with some space.

If they don’t take Schiefele? Nicklas Jensen

#17 Montreal Canadiens – D, Joe Morrow

- The Canadiens make it back to back years that they take defenseman in the 1st round after snagging Jarred Tinordi last year. Morrow is one of the blueliners that could shock people as to where he goes in the draft. He’s a big body that skates very well and looks similar on the ice to Duncan Keith. He can QB a PP and will be known more as a two way defender as opposed to being dominant at either end of the ice. Montreal might not have a ton of size up front, but they still know you win a championship with a strong defensive core first and foremost.

If they don’t take Morrow? Jonas Brodin

#18 Chicago Blackhawks – LW, Matt Puempel

- The Blackhawks go with one of the purest snipers in this year’s draft. Coming into this season, the 2010 OHL Rookie of the Year had a ton of hype around him. An up and down season was capped off with some minor hip surgery for Puempel. For me, I still love his instincts and hope the Avs look long and hard at him for the 11th pick. The Hawks get a great player here that will look nice in their top six in a few seasons.

If they don’t take Puempel? Jamie Oleksiak

#19 Edmonton Oilers – D, Oscar Klefbom

- There haven’t been too many players glide into the spotlight late in the season like Klefbom. He captained Sweden’s team at the under 18’s and is a unique blend of size and all around ability. He takes the bull by the horns as a defenseman and isn’t afraid to join the rush or smash someone through the boards in his own zone. Scouts have knocked that about him, that he tends to run around a bit instead of playing his position. But, I’ve always said I’d rather have to tame a player as opposed to continuing to remind a player to be aggressive. A nice project pick for the Oilers here.

If they don’t take Klefbom? David Musil

#20 Phoenix Coyotes – LW, Dmitri Jaskin

- The Coyotes haven’t exactly had a ton of success when it comes to drafting and developing European players. But, they go back to the well with Jaskin. The big Czech is aggressive in going to the net and has arguably the best shot of anyone in the draft. The best part about his game is the fact that he doesn’t lack motivation. He’s got a high motor to go with his large frame and that could be a deadly combo for the Yotes’ opposition.

If they don’t take Jaskin? Boone Jenner

#21 Ottawa Senators – LW/RW, Nicklas Jensen

- Injuries decimated the Sens last year and totally robbed them of their offense. Once again, with a massive group of solid blueliners (Cowen, Rundblad) expected to make a big pro jump next fall the Sens decide to go for talent. Nicklas Jensen is a big man with a smooth stride and very slick offensive abilities. He can be compared to a left handed, poor man’s Kovalchuk. A late-season surge by the Sens won’t be as frowned upon come June when they walk away with two amazing prospects in Strome and Jensen.

If they don’t take Jensen? Boone Jenner

#22 Anaheim Ducks – D, Jonas Brodin

- Another mystery player to many North American fans is Brodin. If his Swedish country-man Klefbom is the dynamic defender, this guy is the calm and subdued one. He’s got solid size at 6’1, is a slick skater and is known to make an excellent first pass. That type of mobility makes him very attractive to NHL teams and Brodin could be one of those guys that slides into a top 12 or 15. The Ducks have a number of intriguing prospect up front in Emerson Etem, Peter Holland and Devante Smith-Pelly and are glad to add another high end blueliner to their group.

If they don’t take Brodin? Jamie Oleksiak

#23 Pittsburgh Penguins – LW, Brandon Saad

- Saad was a guy that was expected to be a much higher pick than this. He made the trip to the OHL from the US and put together a strong season. He has the body of a power forward without the true drive of one. He’s got great hands and scores a ton of goals from the hashmarks in. He’s also shown that he can be a committed defensive player. Scouts want to see him get dirty on a more consistent basis. The Pens are very pleased to add this Pennsylvania native to their prospect pool.

If they don’t take Saad? Stefan Noesen

#24 Detroit Red Wings – FW, Rocco Grimaldi

- If Grimaldi was 3 inches taller, he’d be a top 5 pick. That’s the common saying thrown around on this guy. He’s smaller than small at 5’6 but he has arguably the best offensive skills of any player available. This kid is also a big time Red Wing fan and they are happy to role the dice with him and hope he turns into the next Martin St. Louis.

If they don’t take Grimaldi? Brett Ritchie

#25 Toronto Maple Leafs – D, Jamie Oleksiak

- Size and strength, without sacrificing mobility, is the big thing about this 6’7 monster. The Leafs are happy to grab this kid who could end up being similar to a Tyler Myers if all the stars align. Personally, I think the Leafs need to take a safer approach to the draft and avoid projects, but this is a mock and not a personal ranking! The Leafs have done a great job rebuilding their blueline piece by piece and we all know that Brian Burke loves big strong kids, especially Americans….maybe to a fault.

If they don’t take Oleksiak? Boone Jenner

#26 Washington Capitals – C, Boone Jenner

- The Capitals play this season finally showed that they can slow things down and play some defense. That philosophy translates to their draft table as they pass up high end talent for a solid two way player in Jenner. This kid skates like a car wreck in slow motion, but he still gets the job down. He’s also got leadership skills and could very well be a fine replacement for Brooks Laich as a leader on the Capitals if he leaves via free agency.

If they don’t take Jenner? Tomas Jurco

#27 Tampa Bay Lightning – D, Scott Mayfield

- There were concerns over Mayfield as the year went as he was stuck on a bad USHL team. Some people may have thought his play stagnated as the year went on. Either way, he’s a strong skater and plays with an edge, registering over 150 PIM’s this season. The Lightning have some strong pieces up front in regards to prospects (Asthon, Connolly) and are happy to grab a solid two way defender with good size.

If they don’t take Mayfield? Connor Murphy

#28 San Jose Sharks – D, David Musil

- I always have a tough time picking what the Sharks might do when drafts roll around. Do they address the defense or the forwards? Last year they hit a homerun (in my opinion) with Charlie Coyle at 28th overall. This year at 28, they try and do the same thing on the blueline by adding a safe player in Musil. The big blueliner is likely one of the most NHL ready blueliners out of this draft. He moves well for his size, blocks shots and can make a solid first pass. The Sharks don’t have a ton of high end skill in regards to forward prospects, so I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they took a flyer on someone like Zack Phillips, Tomas Jurco, Ty Rattie or Alexander Khokhlachev.

If they don’t take Musil? Ty Rattie

#29 Toronto Maple Leaf – RW, Tyler Biggs

- The Toronto Maple Leafs are more than happy to add a player who plays similarly to Kings captain Dustin Brown. Biggs hits like a truck, drops the gloves and has a hard clapper. Questions have been raised about his overall skill level and that could very well be valid. The way I see it, if Biggs works out you have a 2nd round winger who does it all. If his offensive game doesn’t round out and excel, you have someone that can find a role and provide leadership on the bottom two lines.

If they don’t take Biggs? Daniel Catenacci

#30 Vancouver Canucks – RW, Stefan Noesen

- The Stanley Cup champs are more than pleased to add more size and skill to their top six in Stefan Noesen. Personally, I like this guy a lot more than a 30th overall pick. He provides a nice blend of speed, size, physical play and offense. The Canucks won’t need to rush this kid along, even if he is further along than most players his age, already being noted for his great defensive play.

If they don’t take Noesen? Tomas Jurco

Other Notables To Consider:

Daniel Catenacci – This skilled winger has blazing speed and a solid nose for the net. Think Darren Helm.

Tomas Jurco – I could see a team grabbing this guy early as he has some of the best hands of the draft. Consistency has been a concern.

Ty Rattie – Smart two way player with excellent vision but his skating could use work. Patrick Sharp is a solid comparable.

Richard Rakell – The Swede has good size and plays a solid two way game. I have concerns about his overall offensive game translating to the next level.

Vlad Namestnikov – A skilled and dynamic Russian that competes and plays a two way game. A darkhorse to go in the 20’s of round 1.

Seth Ambroz – Was highly touted coming into 2010-2011, but this power forward suffered a power outage as his skating continues to hold him back.

Zack Phillips – Has a nose for the net and offensive touch that you can’t teach. If a team can see past his skating he could be a top 15 pick.

Alexander Khoklachev – More dynamic and flashy than Namestnikov, but he’s small and isn’t as good defensively.

John Gibson – My top goalie available. The big American has future #1 potential and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team snag him late in round 1.

Victor Rask – Arguably top 10 skill, but not enough compete and a bad attitude have plagued him all year. Watch the Wings snag him in the first….

Phillip Danault – 17 year old captains don’t come along often, but he was one. Good grit and solid offense for this Frenchman.

Brett Ritchie – An up and down year but I could see him doubling his production next year in Sarnia. One of my top sleepers.

Ryan Sproul – Another darkhorse of a blueliner that reminds some of Alex Pietrangelo. He’s big, he’s rangy and he moves better than most his size.

Connor Murphy – A dynamite two way defender with great size who played for the US National team this year. Son of former NHLer Gord Murphy.

Nikita Kucherov – Tore up the scoreboard at the under 18’s, but he’s not the biggest guy and teams are shying away from Russians more and more.

Joel Edmundson – A big, strong, defense-first defenseman who plays with the Moose Jaw Warriors. He uses his reach well and isn’t afraid to punch someone’s face.

Myles Bell – An offseason car accident has put this defenseman’s future up in the air. Before that, he was considered a high end offensive prospect.

Mario Lucia – Arguably the top high school player available this year. Good size for the forward who should be a good defensive player.

Chris Gibson – The Finn is likely the 2nd best goalie available in the draft and should be grabbed shortly after the first goalie goes off the board.

Adam Clendening – A dynamite offensive blueliner who was the highest scoring freshman blueliner with Boston University this year.

Prospects To Watch At The Memorial Cup

2011-05-25T13:19:00.000-06:00

Another piece from my work posted at fantasyhockeycoach.com....

The Memorial Cup has been called the toughest championship to win. It’s a tournament of the best of the best for junior hockey in Canada. Not only is the hockey entertaining, but it’s also the last chance for poolies to take a look at some of the elite players that will be moving onto your fantasy radar sooner rather than later.

This week I take a look at a couple of players from each Memorial Cup club who could have a strong upside in the future and are players you should really watch within the next two to three years for fantasy hockey.

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors

JP Anderson (Goalie) – Anderson was never drafted but signed as a free agent this season when the SJ Sharks came knocking. He’s a tad undersized at 5’11, but if any team knows how to find talent between the pipes, it’s the Sharks. They’ve been a goalie factory over the last 10 years. This kid should be on your radar if you are short between the pipes in a keeper or long-term league.

Justin Shugg (Winger) – Speaking of undersized… Shugg was part of the great 2010 draft for the Carolina Hurricanes as they snagged him in the 4th round. He spent this season in Mississauga after a 39 goal season in Windsor last year. He’s a gritty guy that’s not afraid to get dirty to get on the board. That’s an important thing as he’s listed as 5’9 on a number of sites around the web. If the Majors hope to have a chance in this best on best tournament, Shugg could be the motor that pushes them towards that goal.

Owen Sound Attack

Jesse Blacker (Defenseman) – Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been excited following this kid grow since his draft year, and it’s for good reason. He took a jump up to 54 points this year for the Attack and then had 16 more in 22 playoff games. He’s got solid size at 6’2 and is a slick skater. Expect him to turn pro this summer and possibly turn heads at Leaf camp next fall.

Jordan Binnington (Goalie) – Binnington started the Mem Cup as the head of the Attack’s three headed goalie monster. The draft eligible goalie saw his numbers decrease in the playoffs though compared to the regular season, where he won 27 games. It’s been an up and down battle for him this season overall as he battled consistency, but this starting job should be a solid confidence boost for the youngster, who will be a mid round pick come the June entry draft.

Saint John Sea Dogs

Zack Phillips (Winger) – Some say he’s a potential first round pick, others say he’s a second rounder. Either way, Phillips is a solid NHL prospect. Phillips scored 38 goals this year and finished with 95 points, leading and playing a big role with the CHL’s top rated club. His skating continues to be a knock, but the kid has hands of gold and is worth a long hard look as a fantasy option.

Nathan Beaulieu (Defenseman) – The slick skating blue-liner grew a few inches last summer and it didn’t take too much time for him to adjust. He’s a perennial puck mover who had 45 points this year and will have some teams doing their homework come the top 15 in the 2011 NHL draft. I see a Jordan Leopold type of talent and fantasy producer at the NHL level.

Kootenay Ice

Maxwell Reinhart (Centre) – This guy sums up the word “steal”. He was a third round pick by the Flames last year and plays a pro style game. He defends, can hit, win draws and put the puck in the net. In fact, he scored 34 goals this season and then added 15 more in only 19 playoff games as the Ice ran the table in the WHL. If you can sign free agents in your league and he’s available, don’t sleep on this sleeper.

Nathan Lieuwen (Goalie) – Fantasy players are always looking for sleeper keepers (at least they SHOULD be). This guy fits the bill. At 6’5 he’s an imposing figure between the pipes and plays a bit like Roberto Luongo. He’s almost more of a “stopper” as opposed to a true goalie, but teams will be itching to draft him this June. At 19 years old, he’s older than most of the goalies in the draft as he was passed over twice. That happened due to a number of reasons including a concussion suffered as a 16 year old when a car he was in rolled. He’s over those issues and should be on your radar.

Prospects For Deep Fantasy Leagues

2011-05-22T09:52:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, I am also a columnist for www.fantasyhockeycoach.com. I've been writing articles for them for 2 months now. Here's one that I figured could also be posted here. So, read it if you give a damn!

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Not every league is the same. Not every fantasy league bases results off scoring only. As fantasy sports continue to grow in popularity, many leagues are switching to a deeper scoring method to try and shake things up. Some leagues grade and score off of secondary stats including things like penalty minutes, plus-minus, hits and some even with blocked shots.

It’s time to look at some prospects and young players out there that could provide extra depth to your lineup within the next couple of seasons.

Colton Gillies – FW – Minnesota Wild

Gillies was drafted for his size and his ability to run people through the boards. He may have been rushed to the NHL after being a 1st round pick in 2007, but his bread and butter remains the same. The 6’4 winger has had an up and down pro career so far and has shown limited offensive upside so far, but what he lacks in offense he makes up for in other areas. His AHL PIM totals are solid and he will need to play physical and block shots to show he can play at the next level on a consistent basis, making him valuable in some deeper leagues.

Zack Kassian – FW – Buffalo Sabres

The big forward has taken his penalty minute numbers back in recent years, but that will likely change as he tries to carve out a pro career and will be forced to play more aggressively. He’s a big body that likes to fill the net and throw his weight around. By turning pro next season you can likely expect him to see NHL time as soon as next year in a 3rd or 4th line role. A very good candidate to be a 20 goal and 100 PIM guy down the road.

Adam Henrique – FW – New Jersey Devils

Henrique has been lauded for his two-way play at all levels of his career so far. In his first year as a pro he had an impressive 25 goals this year in limited amounts of ice time with Albany of the AHL. He won’t provide a ton of PIM’s, but to make that next step he will have to be a guy that provides energy, wins draws, blocks shots and throws his weight around. The pluses’ will also come as he could very well be the Devils 3rd line anchor in the very near future.

Matt Fraser – FW – Dallas Stars

Fraser is a kid that does everything well. He’s a good skater, has a rocket shot, can play defense and hits like a truck. Oh, and he fights too. He has 22 scraps over the last two WHL seasons. He also had 74 points this year for the Kootenay Ice. Fraser will be turning pro next season and is likely AHL-bound, but he could be one of those guys that is a real darkhorse for a deep league. I feel that at worst, he becomes a 4th line grinder at the NHL level, but I also think he could become similar to a player like Rene Bourque. One thing is for sure, Fraser will have to fight for every inch of ice as a pro and that is something fantasy hockey players have to look for.

Garrett Wilson – FW – Florida Panthers

Wilson might be one of the best kept secrets in the prospect world. He’s a big kid that plays physical and has offensive abilities. This year for Owen Sound he scored 40 goals and had 114 PIM’s, a pretty solid season for a power-forward. He might be one of the guys on this list that takes the longest to reach the NHL, but I still think he has the ability to provide you with a ton of secondary stats once he gets there. Besides being a solid offensive player, he also has the ability to shut down the opposition. As a big forward, that type of combination makes me think he could be destined for a future role on the Panthers 3rd line.

Mark Cundari – D – St. Louis Blues

After a massively successful junior career with Windsor, Cundari turned pro this season and made huge steps in the AHL. As a rookie he had 30 points, was a +6 and had 106 PIM’s. He’s a tad undersized at roughly 5’10, but he’s the kind of player that plays big. He’s a hard hitter and is solid positionally. Cundari will never be a powerplay quarterback with the Blues, but if you are looking hard for depth defenders that block shots, throw hits, kill penalties and sport a strong plus-minus, this guy is your man.

A True Grinder Honoured As WHL POTW

2011-05-16T12:54:00.000-06:00

Members of the Kootenay Ice continue to parade along as winners of the WHL's player of the week.

It's now been 4 out of the last 5 weeks where a member of the Ice was named as player of the week.

This time it's Jesse Ismond being honoured.

The 20 year old from Kindersley, Saskatchewan had 3 goals and 4 assists in three games as the Ice won the WHL title. He was also a plus 6 in those games.

The WHL has also nominated Nathan Lieuwen as CHL goalie of the week. He was 3-0 on the week with a 2.11 GAA and a 9.29 save percentage. The big keeper will have to continue that hot play as the Ice move on to the Memorial Cup and will face the Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) as well as Owen Sound and Mississauga (OHL).

Kootenay Off To Memorial Cup

2011-05-14T10:34:00.001-06:00

I've never seen a team so dominant in the postseason.

After watching the Ice dismantle the Blades so easily, I figured this team was on the verge of something special in the WHL playoffs. Sure enough, that success carried into the next round where they also swept the highly touted Medicine Hat Tigers.

But could that really continue against the near pro-calibre Portland Winterhawks? I had my doubts, and it turns out I shouldn't have.

The Ice finished off the Hawks in only 5 games, moving on with a 4-1 win last night in Portland.

Congratulations to the Ice. It's clear that they are in fact that the team closest to a pro-calibre than anyone else. They really only have one or two stars, forward Cody Eakin and defenseman Brayden McNabb.

Besides that, they simply rely on their depth that includes a veteran group in front as well as simple, yet effective defenders.

Oh yeah, don't forget Nathan Lieuwen in goal either. The 19 year old went 16-3 in the postseason with 3 shutouts, a 2.24 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He would be my choice as their playoff MVP. I fully expect that performance to translate to a mid-round NHL draft selection this June.

So where does this team go from here? Well, with the WHL championship all wrapped up they now head off to Mississauga for the Memorial Cup. That will once again be some stiff competition. People call it the toughest championship in the world for a reason. Joining the Ice will be the host St. Mike's Majors, the Owen Sound Attack and either the Saint John Sea Dogs or Gatineau Olympiques. Those two Q teams continue to battle in the finals with the Sea Dogs up 3-2.

Many draft watchers out there will surely have wanted to see Portland on the national stage, showcasing the likes of Joe Morrow, Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi. The Ice don't have the high end prospects in regards to the next level of hockey, but it's clear they play as a team and play to win. That's all that matters. Congratulations Kootenay.

2011 Prospect's Big Week

2011-05-10T16:05:00.000-06:00

Another member of the Western Hockey League has been recognized for his strong week in the playoffs.

Portland's Sven Bartschi has been named CHL player of the week.

The 17 year old Swiss import had 5 goals and 2 assists in his 3 games this week. That included 3 points in the 6th and deciding game of the WHL's Western Final against Spokane.

He also had a strong start to the WHL final where he had 4 goals in the first two games. Those two games between the Kootenay Ice and Winterhawks were split with game 3 going tonight from Cranbrook, BC. A member of the opposition Ice was the winner of this award last week, that was Max Reinhart. His win was highlighted by a 5 goal game.

Bartschi seems to be getting hot at the right time. The CHL playoffs are a great proving ground for prospects and Bartschi is one guy that would appear to be on the rise. He is eligible for the 2011 NHL draft. The 17 year old made a major splash in the WHL this year, coming in 2nd in voting for the WHL's rookie of the year award.

He's a smaller guy at only 5'10, but that doesn't stop him from getting dirty and in the middle of things to get his name on the scoreboard. He's also a very committed defensively and is often the first forward back on his line. He's got a pro shot and pro release. His skating isn't the fastest I've seen, but it surely doesn't hold him back.

I think he has his name called this June at the NHL draft in Minnesota in the 11-15 range. With that being said, I wouldn't be shocked if someone takes him in the 7-10 range, especially if he can find his way onto the national stage at the Memorial Cup and produces there. Those memories fresh in scouts minds can always help a kids case.

Saskatoon Blades Bantam Draft Recap

2011-05-06T11:41:00.000-06:00

Saskatoon had a ton of work to do to try and find some diamonds in the rough to try and make up for a lack of high picks this year.

They gave up their first two picks in the Brayden Schenn trade in January, and didn't pick until 66th this time around.

Listening to Blades assistant GM Jarrod Brodsky in a recent interview, he made it clear that there wasn't quite the "high end talent" in this draft that we might have seen in recent years, but there was very solid depth throughout. Noting that teams were going to be able to find solid long term project players even into the mid rounds.

Hopefully he's right and the Blades picked a few solid players among the 12 they were able to draft yesterday. Here they are:

Landyn Hickmott - 3rd round, 66th overall. FW, 5'11, 165 pounds from Mission, BC. According to one bantam scout I talked to, Hickmott was considered a much higher rated prospect earlier in the season, but was passed by other players. He still remains a very quick and agile skater that plays with an edge and has a nose for the net. Also the young brother of Oil Kings Jordan Hickmott.

Nelson Nogier - 4th round, 71st overall. D, 6'0, 160 pounds from Saskatoon, SK. Known to be a physical defenseman that plays tough and "plays for keeps". He had 11 points in 23 games while playing for Martensville this past season.

Ryan Graham - 5th round, 91st overall. FW, 5'11, 165 pounds from Calgary, AB. Known to be a gritty player that the Blades watched improve steadily all year. His 62 penalty in 33 games this year stand out.

Ryan Rewerts - 5th round, 110th overall. G, 6'1, 200 pounds from Cut Knife, SK. A goalie with size is always attractive and according to the scouting staff this kid has some athletic ability to go with that huge size. You can never have enough goalies in the system in my opinion, especially guys that are already man-sized.

Ross Hnidy - 6th round, 115th overall. D, 6'0, 197 pounds from Saskatoon, SK. 25 points in 39 games while playing in Saskatoon, a defenseman with solid size and another one of those kids with a high compete level and a physical edge to their game.

Nick Gomerick - 6th round, 118th overall. FW, 5'11, 165 pounds from Nanaimo, BC. A kid with a good compete level that's not afraid to get dirty to score. Also a solid skater.

Clayton Kirichenko - 7th round, 154th overall. D, 5'11, 167 pounds from Sherwood Park, AB. Known to be a very well rounded defenseman who can make a pass, join the rush, and play physical.

Kaelan Wall - 9th round, 198th overall. D, 6'1, 175 pounds from Hepburn, SK. A smart defenseman that's a solid skater, solid decision maker and already has WHL size.

Sebastian Barrette - 10th round, 204th overall. FW, 5'8, 157 pounds from Cranbrook, BC. Small forward with good skating stride and a good compete level.

Wyatt Hinson - 10th round, 212th overall. FW, 5'10, 185 pounds from Debden, SK. Strong forward that finishes all his checks and also had 32 goals in 22 games this season for Meadow Lake.

Evan Polei - 11th round, 242nd overall. FW, 5'11, 190 pounds from Wetaskiwin, AB. A solid all round player that can put up points and play physical. Had a strong Alberta Cup according to the Blades.

Cody Young - 12th round, 264th overall. FW, 5'10, 151 pounds from Saskatoon, SK. Forward with great puck skills and ability to generate offense. 39 goals in 41 games this year along with 100 PIMs.

Ryan Pruden - 13th round, 286th overall. FW, 5'11, 155 pounds from Winnipeg, MB. A gritty forward with some nice mitts that ended up on the Blades radar after a strong Western Bantam Championship tournament.

After the dust settled the Blades had drafted 12 players, 7 forwards, 4 defenseman and a goalie. Out of those picks, half of them were from Saskatchewan. That number is two more than any other team in the WHL.

I like the sticking close to home strategy when it comes to finding players. I feel it makes the transition that much easier down the road. Saskatoon also ended up taking 2 kids from BC, 3 from Alberta and 1 from Manitoba. They never picked an American player.

The Blades also added some size to their prospect pool. The average player they picked was 71.1 inches tall and 170.3 pounds. Both of those numbers are higher than the average for the 232 players taken. In fact, the players they took on average were over a half inch taller and 10 pounds heavier.

When selecting players like this, at this age, size is always a concern. Who is done growing and who will still grow 4 inches? Atleast by taking bigger kids now, you know that you won't be stuck with the WHL edition of the Montreal Canadiens down the line.

Just looking over what the Blades have had to say about these kids and looking at their numbers and physical attributes, I like most of the picks. They all seem like good character kids that have skill and will be able to push their way up the depth charts. At this point, it's all up to them.

WHL Bantam Draft Recap

2011-05-06T11:01:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the day that WHL teams re-stock their cupboards. There scouting staff's work long hours all year long to be well prepared, to pick the right players to take them to the next level on the ice.

The Calgary Hitmen had the first choice for the first time in their history and they took forward Jake Virtanen. He's 5'11 and 164 pounds and says that he likes to pattern his game after a player like Rick Nash. He was widely considered to be hands down the best forward available at the draft.

As you can see, the kid looks to be an impressive player. Hopefully he works out well for the Hitmen.

The rest of the top 5 broke down like this:

2. Swift Current Broncos - Brycen Martin, D, from Calgary, Alberta
3. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Regina) - Ryan Pilon, D, from Duck Lake, Saskatchewan
4. Kamloops Blazers - Jordan Thomson, D, from Wawanesa, Manitoba
5. Lethbridge Hurricanes - Reid Duke, C, from Calgary, Alberta

For the full results of all the players taken, visit:

http://whl.ca/article/2010-whl-bantam-draft-final-results

When it was all said and done, 46 players from Saskatchewan were drafted out of the total number of players that stood at 232. By position, there were 129 forwards, 82 defenseman and 21 goalies taken.

For an absolutely amazing breakdown of the draft and the players taken, take a look at this page:

http://smallatlarge.blogspot.com/2011/05/draft-pick-breakdowns.html

Now that's a lot of work.

I will have an overall look at the draft by the Saskatoon Blades coming up in a few short minutes!

WHL Awards Handed Out

2011-05-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

The WHL has wrapped up their 2010-2011 awards presentation and there weren't too many surprises with how the hardware was handed out.

Here is the list of who the award winners were:

Scholastic Team Of The Year - Swift Current Broncos

Scholastic Player Of The Year - Collin Smith (Kamloops)

Official Of The Year - Matt Kirk (Referee)

Most Sporstmanlike Player - Tyler Johnson (Spokane)

Humanitarian Of The Year - Spencer Edwards (Moose Jaw)

Coach Of The Year - Don Nachbaur (Spokane)

Executive Of The Year - Lorne Molleken (Saskatoon)

Rookie Of The Year - Matt Dumba (Red Deer)

Goalie Of The Year - Darcy Kuemper (Red Deer)

Defenseman Of The Year - Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon)

Player Of The Year - Darcy Kuemper (Red Deer)

As I mentioned, not too many surprises. The most hotly-contested awards in my view were for MVP between Kuemper and Johsnon and for the Rookie of the Year between Dumba and Bartschi. I stand by my prediction that the award for ROTY should have gone to the Swiss import Bartschi. Sure, he was a year older, but he also had to adjust to a whole new continent.

Next up on the WHL schedule, the bantam draft tomorrow, along with the start of the finals between the Portland Winterhawks and the Kootenay Ice.

Blades Goalie Off To The ECHL, For Now

2011-05-03T16:15:00.002-06:00

Saskatoon Blades goalie Adam Morrison has beend signed and added to the Wheeling Nailers playoff roster.

The Nailers play in the East Coast Hockey League and are based in West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens.

The 20 year old goalie will serve as the 3rd string backup behind Patrick Killeen (Penguins) and Peter Delmas (former Avalanche draft pick).

The Nailers are currently taking on the Kalamazoo Wings in the third round of the ECHL playoffs. That series is tied at 1 game apiece with game 3 going on Thursday from Wheeling.

Morrison was 16-7-3 with a 2.89 GAA and a .901 save percentage this season. He also had a pair of shutouts.

WHL Well Represented At NHL Draft Combine

2011-05-03T15:35:00.002-06:00

A total of 19 skaters from the WHL have been invited to the NHL's draft combine for the lead up to the 2011 NHL draft in Minnesota on June 24th and 25th.

102 skaters in total have been invited to the skill-testing combine that runs May 30th to June 4th.

Here's the list of the Dub's representatives:

Sven Bartschi - Portland - LW - 5'10, 181

Myles Bell - Regina - D - 6'0, 214

Joel Edmundson - Moose Jaw - D - 6'5, 181

Travis Ewanyk - Edmonton - LW - 6'1, 178

Colin Jacobs - Seattle - C - 6'1, 197

Luke Lockhart - Seattle - RW - 5'10, 180

Adam Lowry - Swift Current - LW - 6'4, 186

Mark McNeill - Prince Albert - C - 6'2, 201

Joe Morrow - Portland - D - 6'0, 197

David Musil - Vancouver - D - 6'3, 218

Marcel Noebels - Seattle - LW - 6'3, 195

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Red Deer - C - 6'1, 164

Ty Rattie - Portland - RW - 5'11, 163

Reece Scarlett - Swift Current - D - 6'1, 164

Duncan Siemens - Saskatoon - D - 6'3, 192

Michael St. Croix - Edmonton - C - 5'11, 176

Tyler Wotherspoon - Portland - D - 6'1, 203

Zach Yuen - Tri City - D - 6'0, 203

Laurent Brossoit - Edmonton - G - 6'3, 193

A few things jump off the page at me:

- I will admit, when scanning the list, the first thing that surprised me was the sight of Luke Lockhart. It was a good surprise for me. He's a player that I really think is underrated. He played on a bad team in Seattle, but still put together a solid season despite having a struggling club. He's a water bug player and even when he's not scoring, he's doing other things to get involved. Really reminds me of a Brian Gionta-type player. It's nice to see a player like that invited to this event. It shows that he is definitely on a few teams' radar.

- Only one WHL goalie was invited. That fact isn't that shocking. It is a little shocking to see that Brossoit is the guy that will be attending. Liam Liston out of Brandon has been consistently ranked as the top WHL goalie. I have Brossoit as my number two guy in the WHL as far as "17 year old goalies" go. My number one is Eric Williams of the Raiders. Liston is my number three.

As I mentioned, the combine takes place starting on May 30th.

2010-2011 WHL Award Predictions

2011-05-03T08:28:00.000-06:00

With the WHL award winners being announced tomorrow, I figured I would take the time to post my predictions for who will walk away with the hardware.

Many of the races for these awards are hotly contested, so don't fault me if I miss more than I hit!

Rookie of the Year

Sven Bartschi (Portland) vs. Matt Dumba (Red Deer)

It's the old argument of forward versus defenseman. Another element that could get sprinkled in here is the fact that Bartschi is a 17 year old rookie while Dumba is a 16 year old rookie. I don't think that fact should hurt Bartschi that much, because he still is an import player this year and had to adjust to a whole new culture and playing stile in North America. His 34 goals and 85 points are very impressive, enough for him to win.

Sven Bartschi is my WHL rookie of the year

Top Goaltender

James Reid (Spokane) vs. Darcy Kuemper (Red Deer)

Sorry to Reid, but this one is a landslide victory for Kuemper. What he did this season was nothing short of amazing for the Rebels. 45 wins and 13 shutouts is damn impressive, as is his sub-2 GAA and .933 save percentage.

Darcy Kuemper is my top goalie in the WHL

Most Sportsmanlike

Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon) vs. Tyler Johnson (Spokane)

At first I figured this would be Johnson's to lose. But after doing a bit more research, I find it hard to believe that Elliott wouldn't win this. I mean, 14 penalty minutes as a defenseman? How is that even possible? Johnson was no slouch either with only 48 on the season, but he already has 14 in 13 playoff games this spring. That number matches Elliott's from the entire season.

Stefan Elliott is my pick as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player

Top Coach

Don Nachbaur (Spokane) vs. Jesse Wallin (Red Deer)

This is another one of those categories that could go either way in my opinion. Wallin led his Rebels to a 104 point season and a 2nd place finish in the WHL's Eastern Conference standings. Nachbaur also put together a strong year, guiding his Chiefs to a 4th place finish in the West with 48 wins and 102 points. I will totally dumb down my reasoning here. Taking a look at the Conferences, it's clear the West was a tougher battle this year.

Don Nachbaur was the WHL's top coach this season

Top Executive

Mike Johnston (Portland) vs. Lorne Molleken (Saskatoon)

Both of these guys are more than worthy winners. Coming into the year there was no doubt in my mind that the Portland Winterhawks would be a team to beat in the WHL. Saskatoon on the other hand, had some questions. They were a young team, one of the youngest in the league, that had tremendous turnover from the previous season. Molleken made a few acquisitions as the year went on to make the Blades a deeper and more experience team (Trask, Cox, Collins). Things sure blew up in their faces come postseason, but to me this is Lorne Molleken's win.

Lorne Molleken was the WHL's top executive

Top Defenseman

Tyson Barrie (Kelowna) vs. Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon)

For the 2nd year in a row, the Colorado Avalanche will feature a prospect known as the WHL's top defenseman. Last year it was Barrie, this year he has a chance to repeat against future Av teammate Elliott. Both guys had strong seasons, Barrie also had the chance to represent Canada on the international stage, winning a silver medal at the World Juniors. With an 81 point season, Elliott took over sole possession of the all time scoring record among Blades defenseman. He was the catalyst to a 1st place club as well.

Stefan Elliott was the WHL's top defenseman

WHL MVP

Darcy Kuemper (Red Deer) vs. Tyler Johnson (Spokane)

Flip a coin. Honestly. This one is tough to call. Kuemper did amazing things in goal as I have already touched on. Johnson had 53 goals and had 115 points, one back of the league lead. He also established himself as a future pro, signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Looking at this award, it revolves around who is more valuable to their team. I can't help but marvel at Kuemper and what he did this year. He was a rock for the Rebels. And that's not selling Johnson short at all.

Darcy Keumper was the WHL's Most Valuable Player this season

Those are my predictions. The real winners will be announced soon enough.

Reinhart Honoured For Big Week

2011-05-02T11:43:00.002-06:00

For the third week in a row, a member of the red hot Kootenay Ice has been named as player of the week in the WHL.

Two weeks ago it was Brayden McNabb. Last week it was Cody Eakin. This week it is Max Reinhart.

Reinhart's week was highlighted by a 5 goal game in the WHL's Eastern Conference final against the Medicine Hat Tigers. That effort came in game 4, the game that the Tigers were officially eliminated from the postseason.

In his only other game of the week, Reinhart scored a goal and was named as the game's 2nd star.

It's been a big year for the 3rd year member of the Kootenay Ice. Last June he was chosen in the 3rd round (64th overall) of the NHL draft by the Calgary Flames. He followed that up with a very solid season this year, registering 79 points in 71 games.

Not only does Reinhart have the ability to put the puck in the net and provide offense, he's a very mature and smart player all over the ice. He can shut an offensive line down, if that's the role he is given in a game. Seems to me the Calgary Flames have a very solid and underrated WHL prospect on their hands.

Reinhart's teammate, goalie Nathan Lieuwen has also been nominated by the WHL as the goalie of the week in the CHL. He was 2-0 for the week, stopping 43 of 46 shots and shutting down the high flying offense of Medicine Hat.

Myles Bell Has An Uphill Climb Ahead

2011-04-30T17:49:00.000-06:00

It's an awful situation and no one should ever have to go through it.

According to a report from the police and a report from the Regina Pats hockey club, defenseman Myles Bell was involved in a fatal car crash this morning near Calgary. The 17 year old was apparently behind the wheel, while an 18 year old female passenger in the vehicle was killed.

Not many details have been released.

But, according to the RCMP report alcohol and speed were both a factor as the car lost control and rolled several times before coming to a stop in the ditch. The name of the deceased has not yet been released, but according to the statement from the Pats, she was a close family friend to Regina GM Brent Parker and a friend of his daughter.

Now, at this point in time it's certainly not clear how alcohol was involved, but anyone can put two and two together and assume the worst. It's already an unfortunate situation that would be even more so if in fact Bell is the one that had been drinking.

Bell remains in hospital with "serious injuries" and according to the report the investigation continues with pending charges against him.

Details remain very sketchy at this point but one thing becomes painfully clear, Bell's personal and professional life as a hockey player are very much up in the air.

The slick skating offensive defender was well on his way to being a 1st round NHL draft pick this coming June.

But that hit to his career will be dwarfed in comparison to what he will have to face day in and day out for the rest of his life, the fact that he was at fault for the death of a young woman....if in fact that is how this sad story unfolded.

Eakin Awarded For Strong Start To Round 3

2011-04-25T12:49:00.002-06:00

The Cody Eakin trade is paying off big time, so far, for the Kootenay Ice.

The Ice have jumped out to a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 3rd round of the WHL playoffs.

Eakin has been a big part of that.

Today he was also rewarded for his work so far in the postseason, being named the WHL's player of the week.

He had two game winning goals and added a pair of assists in the first two games of the series. It's been a big year all around for Eakin, a Washington Capitals 3rd round pick. He had 36 goals and 83 points in only 56 games this year in the WHL. He also won a silver medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors in Buffalo. All of that after winning a Calder Cup in the AHL last year.

I expect him to see atleast a handful of games next year with the Capitals. He almost made the team this past fall after a very strong pro camp as a 19 year old.

WHL MVP Nominees Announced

2011-04-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

A goalie and a forward are the two nominees as the WHL's top players for the 2010-2011 season.

In the Eastern Conference, Saskatoon-native and Red Deer Rebels goalie Darcy Kuemper is the nominee.

His numbers were absolutely freakish this season. 45 wins, a 1.86 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. He also had an unbelieveable 13 shutouts. Hell, he had more shutouts than regulation losses this year. (He only last 12 times, outside of extra-time play).

In the Western Conference, Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs is the nominee.

The 5'9 centre scored 53 goals and had 115 points this year, one back of the league lead set by Tigers forward Linden Vey. The Spokane native has also lead his Chiefs into the third round of the WHL playoffs. He also earned himself a pro contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.

Both nominees are more than deserving and it should be interesting to see who gets the nod from the league at their award banquet later in May.

Will Curtis Hamilton Be Back Next Year?

2011-04-21T14:58:00.000-06:00

As expected, it sounds like Curtis Hamilton won't be back with the Saskatoon Blades.

The Edmonton Oilers second round draft pick of 2010 finished up his career with the Blades in a sad fashion, a 2nd round sweep at the hands of the Kootenay Ice earlier this month.

He has since moved on in his hockey life and is currently taking in some AHL playoff hockey with the Oklahoma City Barons as they take on the Hamilton Bulldogs. He joined the team late last week and so far hasn't played in a playoff game, and likely doesn't expect to.

But what about his future? As in next year?

Well, that might have been cleared up last night during the Barons radio broadcast. Oilers president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe apparently appeared as a guest during one of the intermissions and had a few things to say about Hamilton.

That included saying that the big winger will not be returning to junior for next season, instead he will stay in the AHL to round out his skills. It's not exactly shocking news, in fact it's what I expected.

Hamilton would still be eligible for one more year of WHL hockey, but because of his birthdate, he is eligible to turn pro earlier than some other players drafted in 2010.

For next year I would expect to see him playing a 3rd or 4th line role with the Barons in the AHL after showing what he can do at Oilers rookie camp in the coming months. It's a tough blow to the Saskatoon Blades, but these are the things that happen with talented junior players.

==============

The news on this blog has been a little slower over the last few days since the Blades season ended. I have been taking a bit of a break after the tough result I had to watch in round 2. I will do my best to keep you up to date with certain things happening around the league and with certain NHL draft prospects. That includes some mocks as the 2011 NHL draft approaches in June.

Brayden McNabb Is WHL POTW

2011-04-18T16:42:00.000-06:00

Saskatoon Blades fans are all to aware of the dominant force that is Brayden McNabb of the Kootenay Ice.

In many cases the big defenseman from Davidson, Saskatchewan single handedly shut down the Blades attack as the Ice swept the Blades out of the second round of the playoffs.

McNabb has now been honoured as the WHL's player of the week.

The Buffalo Sabres third round pick in 2009 had a goal and five assists in 4 games during the sweep.

The Ice now face the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Medicine Hat knocked out #2 seeded Red Deer in 5 games.

A Big Day For Curtis Hamilton

2011-04-18T16:25:00.002-06:00

Curtis Hamilton has signed on with the Edmonton Oilers. Hamilton was a second round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft.

The Saskatoon Blades forward had a breakout year this past season, while finally managing to stay healthy. He had 82 points in 62 games. That included 26 goals and a team leading 56 assists. He was also a +48, 4th best on the team.

In the playoffs he was second on the team with 11 points in 10 games, including a team leading 7 assists.

Hamilton also won a silver medal (lost the gold) at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, NY.

Hamilton was a leader for the Saskatoon Blades and is now fully AHL eligible for next season due to his birthdate. I don't expect him to be back with the Blades next season and I wish him the best of luck in the future. I would expect him to fill a 3rd or 4th line role for Oklahoma City (Oilers farm club) next year.

Blades Announce Playoff MVP

2011-04-15T16:30:00.002-06:00

Steven Stanford has been named as the Saskatoon Blades 2010-2011 playoff Most Valuable Player.

The 20 year old goalie played in all 10 Blades playoff games this spring. He posted .930 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA, while winning 4 games and losing 6.

Stanford was a class act all season and I always had a good time interviewing him after games, despite the fact that he is a man of very few words. I did actually manage to make him laugh once, which is a pretty big accomplishment if you ask me.

It sounds like he will be trying to keep his options open to see if he gets any interest from the pro's. If not, he will make a damn fine Canadian University goalie for some team out there.

Congrats on a great year and a great WHL career Stanny.

Saskatoon Blades Season Comes To An Abrupt End

2011-04-14T12:46:00.001-06:00

I don't think anybody could have expected an ending like this to the Saskatoon Blades season. A four game sweep at the hands of the Kootenay Ice.

Being gone to Cranbrook kept me away from this blog. I never posted a game 3 recap because of no wireless internet, and frankly, game 3 did not deserve a recap.

It was the Blades chance to get back in the series, as they trailed 2-0 at that point in time. But, they came out flat and played once again with a major lack of confidence.

The final was 3-0.

The Blades mustered only 10 shots on goal through 40 minutes and Nathan Lieuwen made it look easy throughout. It was easily the worst performance I have seen from the team all year.

Game 4 was a much better effort, but it still wasn't enough.

The Blades even scored first, and led 1-0 after one. But, an early PP goal in the 2nd by Max Reinhart turned the tables. Matt Fraser scored just over 6 minutes later and the Ice were well on their way.

Saskatoon was never able to recover. They dug down deep and there was simply nothing there. They fell 5-2 in game 4 and were bumped out of the WHL playoffs.

So what exactly happened?

Were they outworked?

Was the Ice goaltending that much better?

Was the lack of special teams success too much to overcome?

Did their "star" players get out played by the Ice star players?

Were they outcoached?

Did they just not get the good bounces?

Were some of their older players already looking ahead to bigger and better things?

To be honest, I think it's a combination of everything. Each one of those things was a factor in the Blades downfall, a 4-0 2nd round sweep by the Ice.

I have so many thoughts on this downfall, but am having a hard time putting them into words. It was supposed to be the perfect ending to this season. The stars seemed to be aligning for this organization.

The big trade to bring in Brayden Schenn will be criticised by many people for many years, and that's fine, because it comes with the territory.

But for me, Schenn wasn't the problem. He (along with Hamilton) led the Blades in playoff scoring, and he was one of the players that put in a consistent effort on a game to game basis. Did he try to do too much? Possibly. But atleast he was out there giving it his all, trying his best to carry the team when it was clear some of the players weren't on the same page.

With that being said, he was still part of the team, the team that was swept in round 2. It's a shared blame by all those involved.

It's going to be a long summer and a long offseason. Much longer than the organization had wanted it to be. This one stings, and it will for a while.

Blades-Ice Game 3 Preview

2011-04-11T11:43:00.002-06:00

Well, I figured I would post this game 3 preview right now. I am heading out to B.C. this evening for the 10+ hour bus ride.

We won't get in to Cranbrook until around noon tomorrow. That won't give me much time to sit down and post a blog while getting to the hotel, showered and changed and off to the rink for game 3 tomorrow night, so I might as well do this now.

Saskatoon is up against a wall here in game 3. Even game 2 could have been seen as a sort of "must win" situation, which they managed to lose.

The biggest thing that has become apparent through the first two games against the Kootenay Ice has been the lack of finish around the goal.

The top two lines have combined for two goals through two games, simply not good enough. Nathan Lieuwen has been good, including a 50 save performance in game 2, but the Blades have had their chances. There has been rebound after rebound that has managed to be fired wide or that has bounced over the players stick before they have had a chance to whack it home.

The top players have to be your top players. It's plain and simple. The Ice have done a great job shutting down those players, but at some point they seem to be due for a breakout shift, period or game.

I also think that getting away from Saskatoon might be a good thing for the team. Playing in front of 8,000 screaming fans can work wonders, but it also provides that extra pressure. You miss a chance on a rebound and all of a sudden you are squeezing that stick extra tight the next time that situation comes around.

With all that being said, here are my keys to the game 3:

For Kootenay

- Keep things simple defensively. They have been able to spend very limited amounts of time stuck in their own zone this year because of quick puck movement on breakouts.

- Continue to block shots. That type of commitment wins games and series come postseason. It’s something they have to continue to do.

- And win the special teams battle. They’ve done it in the first two games and that can make or break a series.

For Saskatoon

- Start to get dirty. They have to be more aggressive around that front of the net and take advantage of some of the big rebounds Lieuwen has left hanging around the crease.

- Get your point shots through. The Ice forwards have been amazing at getting a piece of shots coming from the Blades blueliners. It’s something that Saskatoon has to discuss and work through.

- And the best players have to be the best players. Schenn managed to score a goal late last game, but the Ice have done an amazing job limiting players like Schenn, Hamilton, Viedensky and Nicholls. It’s crunch time for that group on the road.

Once again, games 3 and 4 can be heard live on 92.9 The Bull on Tuesday and Wednesday night. If you are going to watch the games on Shaw, make sure you turn down the TV and crank up the Bull.

Blades Fall In Game 2

2011-04-10T06:35:00.000-06:00

It's going to be an uphill climb from here for the Saskatoon Blades.

Joe Antilla played overtime hero last night as he scored late in the first overtime frame, giving the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 win over Saskatoon.

With the win, Kootenay leads the series 2-0.

The Ice got their goals in regulation from Max Reinhart and Matt Fraser. Saskatoon had a goal from Brent Benson in the 2nd and a late goal from Brayden Schenn to force overtime.

Antilla's goal came at 18:32 of OT number one as he walked down his off wing and shelved a wrist shot past Steven Stanford. A crowd of over 8,000 turned out to watch the Blades fall.

Once again Nathan Lieuwen was a huge story, making 50 saves to carry his team home with a 2-0 series lead. Many of those 50 saves were of the spectacular variety, especially down the stretch in the 3rd and into overtime.

The Blades powerplay, or lack of one, also turned out to be something that changed the game. They went 0 for 6 and are now 0 for 9 in the series.

Games 3 and 4 will now be on the road for Saskatoon as they leave this morning for Cranbrook, BC. Maybe getting away from the city and the attention will be good for this team. Those games go on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Blades Look To Bounce Back In Game 2

2011-04-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Blades will be looking to get into bounce back mode as they host the Kootenay Ice for game 2 tonight.

Last night was a game that turned quickly in the Ice' favour. A shot off the post by Stefan Elliott, a penalty against and then a powerplay for Kootenay...all within the first minute and a half of the game.

It's not the start they wanted and it put them behind the 8-ball early.

The Ice did a great job keying on Saskatoon's top end forwards, forcing them to the outside and then blocking shots. It looked very similar to how the PA Raiders defended the Blades at the Art Hauser Centre in round 1.

Tonight is a new game, a clean slate and they need a fresh start.

Here are my keys to the game:

For Kootenay

- Get off to another quick start. They scored just over a minute in last night and Saskatoon was forced to play catch up the entire night. That makes it tough on any team.

- Continue to lean on Brayden McNabb. I wouldn’t be shocked if he played near 30 minutes last night and he made a ton of key defensive plays. That is going to be needed again tonight.

For Saskatoon

- Get off to a better start. The emotion level needs to be better here tonight from the Blades, and that can happen with a more physical and energetic start.

- Steven Stanford needs a bounce back game. The loss last night can’t be blamed on one player, but the 20 year old is counted on to make key saves at key times.

And for both teams, who is going to get that key powerplay goal. These teams are the top two teams in penalty killing so far in the playoffs at just a shade under 90 percent on the PK.

Puck drop goes at 7:05 from CUC. The pregame show starts at 6:00 on 92.9 The Bull.

Kootenay Takes Game 1

2011-04-09T05:40:00.000-06:00

Coming into the game, Les Lazaruk and I discussed the rivalry, or the lack of one heading into this series.

For Saskatoon, game 1 looked like a 60 minute "feeling out process", and played as if there was no rivalry. They just seemed "off" throughout the game. They didn't play as themselves. There even seemed to be a lack of emotion on the bench in last night's game, save a few players.

The Ice didn't let the obstacle of unfamiliarity stand in their way as they jumped on the board early, got very solid goaltending and took advantage of solid special teams play to earn a 4-1 game 1 win.

Matt Fraser scored only 1:14 into the game and that seemed to set the tone, taking some of the pressure off the Ice while playing in a much bigger and louder building than they are used to.

Later in the first Stefan Elliott tied the game while playing 4 on 4 hockey, but that ended up the only marker the team got on the night.

Keving King and Max Reinhart scored in the 2nd to give the Ice a 2 goal lead heading into the final frame where Fraser iced it with an empty netter.

Nathan Lieuwen made 35 saves for the win, while Steven Stanford made 29 saves in the loss.

2 of the Ice' 4 goals came with the man advantage, a big boost to them considering that PP only clicked at 11 percent in round 1 versus Moose Jaw.

The Blades were 0 for 3 with the powerplay.

Game 2 goes tonight at 7:05 from Saskatoon. I will attempt to get a preview post up sometime later this morning, hopefully before 11.

Blades Host Ice For Game 1

2011-04-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight is game one of the second round series between the Kootenay Ice and the Saskatoon Blades. Both teams are coming off successful first rounds, as both teams won in 6 games.

The Blades home ice advantage, that they worked so hard for in the regular season, is something that they can really be pleased about these days. It's a big advantage to open up such a "big travel series" here on home ice. The Ice were travelling to Saskatoon already on Wednesday while the Blades were at home and resting in their own beds. Things will eventually even out, but having the first two games in Saskatoon is something that has to feel good to this organization.

It will be interesting to see the feeling out process between these two teams. They aren't overly familiar with each other, having met 4 times throughout the year. The Blades won all 4 of those games, so Kootenay will really want to get things off on the right foot, no doubt.

Here are my keys to the game:

For Kootenay

- They need someone to step up offensively. Cody Eakin will be the key guy to shutdown, and if he is covered well tonight they need another player to hit the score sheet in a big way.

- Nathan Lieuwen needs to be big. He has been this team’s backbone this season and he needs to show why in a very big game one.

- And get the powerplay rolling. They were only 3 for 27 in the opening round against Moose Jaw.

For Saskatoon

- Come out physical. They can’t wait for a feeling out process, they need to hit Kootenay in the mouth right off the bat.

- Offense from the blueline needs to continue. It’s an edge the Blades have over Kootenay when looking at the rosters and that needs to be something this team can count on.

- And go hard at Brayden McNabb. The big Ice blueliner is a monster that plays a ton of minutes. They need to make him work every single time out and try to tire him out as this series goes along.

Puck drop goes at 7:05 from CUC, with our pregame on 92.9 The Bull starting at 6:00.

Saskatoon Blades (1) vs. Kootenay Ice (4) Series Preview

2011-04-07T10:56:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Blades survived a bit of a scare in round 1 against the Prince Albert Raiders. It was a hard fought series in many aspects. That can definitely be looked at in a couple of different ways. Does it show a weakness that they were pushed to the limit? Possibly. But, it also was a great test and a great wakeup call for the team, letting them know they can’t sit back and take teams lightly.

The Kootenay Ice knocked off the Moose Jaw Warriors in round 1. That was a series that I expected to be more hard fought than it was. The Warriors were a team designed with size and speed, a perfect playoff-type team. But, Kootenay deserved the win.

These two teams provide some interesting challenges for each other and match up quite nicely.

Here’s my Saskatoon Blades and Kootenay Ice Series Preview:

Saskatoon Blades (1) vs. Kootenay Ice (4)

Saskatoon matched up well during the regular season against the Ice, going 4-0. They also outscored Kootenay 20-8. But as we all know, the regular season should get tossed out the window in situations like this. I agree for the most part, but atleast the Blades can take the ice with a sense of confidence, knowing that they have matched up well with their opponent all year.

Up Front

The Kootenay Ice really do feature a hard working group of forwards. The only real big name they have is Cody Eakin. The former Bronco is a top notch player and has shown that so far in the playoffs with 5 points in 6 games. That doesn’t lead the team though, as that honour is held by Matt Fraser and his 5 goals and 7 points. Other forwards to watch out for include Max Reinhart, Joe Antilla and Kevin King.

Curtis Hamilton and Brayden Schenn showed their pro-calibre abilities in round 1 for Saskatoon, leading the Blades with 10 points each against the Raiders. The depth of the Blades was also on display in round 1 with third line players like Matej Stransky and Chris Collins stepping to the plate and providing offense. They will also look for more offense from players like Marek Viedensky and Josh Nicholls to truly show off their balance in comparison to the Ice.

Saskatoon’s balance and depth, along with their star power is superior to the Ice. They take this area, especially considering the Blades scored almost 40 goals more during the regular season.

The Blueline

The big stud on the blueline in this series is Brayden McNabb. He is such a unique combination of size and both offensive and defensive ability. So far in the playoffs he is +8 (a team high) and also had 6 points in 6 games. He has shown he can elevate his game when it’s crunch time. James Martin and Joey Leach are two other guys that slide under the radar but provide solid depth to Kootenay.

Saskatoon was led by their captain in the first series. Teigan Zahn might have blocked more shots than Steven Stanford did in round 1. Besides him, Stefan Elliott did his thing, registering 6 points in 6 games. The second pairing of Duncan Siemens and Darren Dietz also provided 4 points each from the blueline, showing that Saskatoon get offense from the blueline.

This area is very close to call. I feel like McNabb is the best all-round defenseman in the series, but the Blades have a higher calibre of depth to role out shift after shift. Saskatoon takes this area of the matchup .

Between The Pipes

The Kootenay Ice will count on their version of the Yeti between the pipes in this series. 6’5 Nathan Lieuwen is the go to guy. The BC native had a very strong regular season and those numbers didn’t quite translate into round 1.

Saskatoon will look to 20 year old Steven Stanford once again. He had a couple of questionable games in 3 and 4 of their last series, but outside of those two games he was very very good. He will need to repeat that again for Saskatoon to win here.

Lieuwen was 4-2 with a 2.55GAA and an .894 save percentage in round 1.

Stanford was 4-2 with a 2.15GAA and a .941 save percentage in round 1.

This is one area that is very close among the two teams. If there is one area that I will have to take the Kootenay Ice in this series, this is going to be it. Kootenay has the edge in goal by the slimmest of margins.

Special Teams

Kootenay’s PP was 3/27 @ 11.1% in round 1.
Kootenay’s PK was 30/34 @ 88.2% in round 1.

Saskatoon’s PP was 7/28 @ 25% in round 1.
Saskatoon’s PK was 31/33 @ 93.9% in round 1.

These teams also possessed very similar numbers in the regular season, with Saskatoon having the slight edge overall. Both teams also have a tendency to score shorthanded. They were the top two teams in that category over the 72 game regular season.

Based off of the regular season and round 1 numbers, Saskatoon wins this category.

The Sked

#1 - Kootenay @ Saskatoon Fri. April 8 7:05pm
#2 - Kootenay @ Saskatoon Sat. April 9 7:05pm
#3 - Saskatoon @ Kootenay Tues. April 12 7:00pm
#4 - Saskatoon @ Kootenay Wed. April 13 7:00pm
#5 - Kootenay @ Saskatoon Sat. April 16 7:05pm**
#6 - Saskatoon @ Kootenay Mon. April 18 7:00pm**
#7 - Kootenay @ Saskatoon Wed. April 20 7:05pm**

**if necessary

The Guessing

The Blades are the top ranked team in the WHL for a reason. When comparing the two teams, they stack up closely, with Saskatoon having the slight edge most of the time. That to me shows that this series will be a tight one and the Ice will have to be disciplined and will need to get key plays at key times to come out on top.

I take Saskatoon in 6 games.

Other Series Predictions

Red Deer over Medicine Hat in 6 games

Portland over Kelowna in 6 games

Spokane over Tri City in 7 games

Blades Advance to Round 2

2011-04-04T00:34:00.000-06:00

As I said on the radio tonight, Matej Stransky started the series with a bang, and he ended it with one too.

The 17 year old ended the Saskatoon Blades series against the Prince Albert Raiders in dramatic fashion, scoring the overtime winner that sends Saskatoon to round 2 of the WHL playoffs.

The Raiders came out early in the game with Antoine Corbin scoring on a point shot only 2:43 into the game. It was the start the Raiders wanted and needed, and that lead held for quite some time.

Brent Benson finally got the Blades on the board, over 12 minutes into the second as he deflected a puck between the legs of Jamie Tucker on a 2 on 1 with Darian Dziurznski.

The game remained scoreless down the stretch and into overtime.

Both teams had their chances in overtime, but at 4:24 the Raiders season was over.

Goalie Jamie Tucker was behind the net playing the puck and heard his name called. He slid the puck to that player, which turned out to be Marek Viedensky. Viedensky grabbed the puck and slid it in front where Matej Stransky fired it home.

The Saskatoon Blades advance in 6 hard fought games.

The goalies were a huge story in the game. Steven Stanford made 33 saves to earn the win. Jamie Tucker made 41 saves in a losing effort.

The Blades will now take on either the 4th seeded Kootenay Ice or the 6th seeded Brandon Wheat Kings.

Brandon currently trails Medicine Hat 3-2 in that series with game 6 going tomorrow night in Winnipeg. It will take 2 huge wins for the Wheaties to come out of that one. I fully expect to see a Kootenay-Saskatoon second round matchup. That would leave the Tigers and Rebels to meet in the other matchup out East.

That would also mean that all 4 top seeds in both conferences would advance to the 2nd round.

The first two games of round 2 for the Blades will start Friday and Saturday in Saskatoon, that is for certain. As for games 3 and 4, they could potentially be set for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Once all the matchups are set I will attempt to post some more predictions, we'll see how that works out. The previews I did for round 1 took longer than I expected and I have other writing commitments I have been putting off for a little while, so I doubt we will see a full scale preview for round 2.

Game 6 Between Raiders and Blades

2011-04-03T09:33:00.001-06:00

Saskatoon has the first chance to knock off the opponent tonight.

It's going to take a big effort to make sure it's the only chance they need. The Raiders let last night get away from them in the second period but will have a lot of positives going for them coming into tonight's game.

It's at home, in front of their own crowd. It's a place that they are familiar with and it's a place they have had success so far in this postseason.

The Raiders will need to draw off the positives from games 3 and 4 and get down to business early in tonight's game.

Sometimes we see teams totally fold up after losing a crucial game, like last night was where the Blades romped the Raiders 8-0. I doubt we see that type of performance out of PA again tonight.

On the Blades side of things, it's going to take a committed team effort and some timely offense tonight. Offense has been tough to come by at the Art Hauser for the Blades. The smaller ice surface (yes, it is smaller) plays into the Raiders hands and doesn't allow for as much time and space. That is a focus in my keys to the game:

For Prince Albert

- Get off to a solid start. The building will be rocking and getting an early lead will be a huge.

- Jamie Tucker has to have a bounce back game. The loss wasn’t his fault necessarily yesterday, but he has to be good here tonight.

- And take advantage of the powerplay. The Blades did it yesterday, and the Raiders are more than capable of busting out on the PP as well. Two powerplay goals in a series is a deathwish, which is how many the Raiders have so far.

For Saskatoon

- Get as many shots as possible. They had trouble scoring here in games 3 and 4, part of that problem was being a bit too cute. Throw anything on net to make up for the lack of space.

- Stay aggressive towards the net. The Raiders took a number of penalties from frustration yesterday and the Blades killed them with the man advantage. That can be a smart strategy again tonight.

- And have that killer instinct. If there comes a time in this game to put it out of reach, they have to do so. They can't let the Raiders hang around if that's the case.

Game time goes at 7:00 from Prince Albert. You can catch the game on 92.9 The Bull starting with the hour long pregame show at 6:00.

Blades Rock Raiders in Game 5

2011-04-03T07:02:00.000-06:00

It wasn't the start the Saskatoon Blades wanted in game 5. They threw 19 shots on Raiders goalie Jamie Tucker in the opening frame, but nothing found the back of the net.

Well, things sure got blown open in the 2nd period.

The Blades scored 6 goals in the fram en route to an 8-0 win, taking a 3-2 series lead.

Curtis Hamilton got things going early in period 2, scoring just 23 seconds in after a nice play by Brayden Schenn.

After that, Schenn, Marek Viedensky, Darian Dziurzynski, Jake Trask and Duncan Siemens scored to make it 6-0 after 2. In that frame the Blades scored 4 goals on the powerplay, setting a new single period franchise record for PP goals. It was a wild period to say the least.

The Blades added goals from Hamilton and Stefan Elliott in the 3rd to make the final 8-0. Jamie Tucker was chased from the Radier net after 2 and 17 year old Eric Williams allowed the final two goals.

Steven Stanford made 30 saves to record the shutout. Saskatoon threw 54 shots on the Raider goal.

Duncan Siemens was a monster in the game. He was a game time decision because of a lower body injury, but he didn't look out of place at all. He ended up with a 4 point night and made a half dozen slick defensive plays that turned into offensive chances. It might have been his best game of the year, and he's had many.

I spoke to him after the game and he could hardly walk, but said it was all about playing through the pain. He sure did.

Another highlight of the game was a 3rd period fight between big Austin Connor and Darren Dietz. Dietz punched Connor's visor clean off and earned the knock down with a few decent rights. Dietz isn't the biggest guy, but he has absolutely rocked a few guys this year. Cement for hands. Connor was bloodied up and left the game and didn't return. For someone 6'4, he sure doesn't fight very well.

So, the Blades lead the series 3-2 with game 6 going tonight at the Art Hauser Centre in PA. The Blades have to repeat their performance from last night and make sure this series doesn't go to 7.

I will hopefully be along with a preview later this morning.

Pivotal Game 5 Tonight

2011-04-02T08:23:00.001-06:00

Tonight is the big swing game in the series between the Saskatoon Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders.

Saskatoon will be looking to keep the winning ways alive on home ice, as all 4 games have been won by the home team so far.

Playing in front of the home crowd and back in familiar territory should go a long way for the Blades, as they looked overwhelmed playing games 3 and 4 in Prince Albert. The Raiders did an excellent job limiting time and space in the offensive zone for the Blades and Jamie Tucker made the saves when he was called upon.

The Blades could be without one of their big assets as defenseman Duncan Siemens is being called "a game time decision" for tonight's game 5. It should be interesting to see if he draws in, because he looked in pretty rough shape when leaving the ice in game 4 after injuring his "lower body".

If he can't go, expect the older Tanner Sohn to draw in, ahead of 16 year old Tommy Stipancik.

Here are my keys to the game:

For Prince Albert

- Continue to take away the slot area. The Blades have had no time and space in that area of the ice and the Raiders have seen success because of it.

- Be in the faces of the Blades players all game. You could see the frustration building in the last two games. The Raiders have to stay under the skin of Saskatoon.

- And keep the momentum. You do that by coming out with a good start tonight and having each line do something positive to start the game.

For Saskatoon

- Get offense from your depth. It worked well in the first two games, but that offense dried up in games 3 and 4. More balance will be key for the Blades tonight.

- Use their speed. It’s a bigger ice surface here in Saskatoon and that allows for the Blades speed and size to be more effective.

- And get the defense more involved in the offense. It’s a weapon this team hasn’t been able to use in the last 2 games, they can be more aggressive here at home.

Puck drops at 7:05 from CUC. You can catch the pregame show starting at 6:00 on 92.9 The Bull.

Raiders Tie Series, Not An April Fool's Joke

2011-03-31T23:56:00.001-06:00

For the Saskatoon Blades and their fans, this is no laughing matter.

They should be genuinely concerned.

The Prince Albert Raiders have climbed right back into the series with a pair of wins, including tonight's 5-2 effort.

The Blades got going early tonight, with a few solid shifts that turned into a drawn penalty. Saskatoon capitalized with Curtis Hamilton scoring to give them the lead within the first 3 minutes.

The Raiders bounced back with a pair of their own to lead 2-1 after 1.

PA kept coming in the second, adding the only goal of the frame on the powerplay.

In the third the Blades needed a big effort and got it with Brayden Schenn kicking it off just over a minute in scoring on the wraparound. But once again the Raiders had an answer in their own barn. They scored again just past the mid point of the period and then hit the empty net to ice it.

The final was 5-2.

The Raiders goals came from Igor Revenko, TJ Constant, a pair from Todd Fiddler and another single by Mark McNeill. McNeill was a monster and seems to be solidifying himself as a top 10-15 selection for the June NHL entry draft. He did it all tonight for the Raiders. A total package of a player with the size and strength to go with great vision and hands to boot.

A big blow came to the Blades in the second when defenseman Duncan Siemens tried to line up Brandon Herrod for a big hit. Herrod turtled and Siemens ran into the dasher, injuring what appeared to be his leg. He didn't return and the team wouldn't say much else. Neither will I.

This game is going to force the Blades to have to look in the mirror and get back to what earned them a pair of huge wins in games 1 and 2. Things are going to have to change.

Getting back in front of their home crowd should help somewhat, but it's going to take a big effort for them to win game 5. That game goes Saturday night at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon.

Game 6 will go in Prince Albert on Sunday.

Raiders Host Blades for Game 4

2011-03-31T13:09:00.000-06:00

The Raiders have stolen the momentum back in the series following last night's 6-3 win in Prince Albert.

The Blades were caught somewhat flat-footed as the Raiders scored twice in the first period to open the game. The Blades did a great job to get back into it, but mistakes down the stretch cost them on the scoreboard.

You have to expect another loud crowd tonight at the Art Hauser Centre as the Raiders and their fans truly believe they are right back in this series.

Here are my keys to tonight's game:

For Prince Albert

- Continue to get good goaltending. After a bad performance in game 1, Jamie Tucker was solid last night. He needs to do that again for the Raiders to win.

- Avoid taking penalties. The Blades have had some nice chances on the powerplay and the Raiders must stay disciplined tonight.

- And they have to continue to get offense from their second line. They finally got on the board yesterday (2 goals from Revenko) and it gave them that extra bounce they needed.

For Saskatoon

- Continue what they did in the last 40 minutes last night. The Blades were definitely pleased with that stretch of the game, and if they play like they did to end the game last night they will have a good result here.

- Limit the mistakes in their own zone. A few precious turnovers really cost them down the stretch and allowed the Raiders to steal back momentum as soon as the Blades had it.

- And score the first goal. The Raiders got the first one last night and it got them rolling.

Tonight's game goes at 7:00 from Prince Albert. Once again, we will be on the air at 6:00 on 92.9 The Bull with the 1 hour pregame show.

Nugent-Hopkins is the WHL's Top Player for March

2011-03-31T12:26:00.000-06:00

19 points in 8 games is worth some sort of reward. That's what Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels did for the month of March.

In those 8 games and 19 points, he also scored 11 goals.

The WHL's top ranked draft-eligible player finished 4th in league scoring with 106 points. He also lead the league with 75 assists.

His Rebels team currently lead the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-0 in their series in the WHL playoffs. Red Deer can advance to round 2 with a win tonight in Edmonton.

In other news, Kelowna Rockets goalie Adam Brown was named the WHL goalie of the month.

He was 6-2 in the month with a 1.61 GAA and a .944 save percentage.

Schenn Racist Remarks on Facebook?

2011-03-31T11:46:00.000-06:00

Don't believe everything you hear.

From the Saskatoon Blades:

SASKATOON -- There are rumours surrounding Brayden Schenn's alleged Facebook status regarding First Nations people. He has no association with these comments; these remarks did not come from him. There are several users on social media sites who choose to impersonate him, including numerous users on Facebook. These are not Brayden's views.

Brayden does have a personal Facebook account; it is does not appear in searches due to extreme privacy settings and cannot be viewed by the public. Therefore, any user with the name 'Brayden Schenn' that you can find on Facebook is not him.

Brayden released the following statement, "I would like to apologize to anyone that was hurt by this persons comment. I appreciate all of my fans and am looking forward to focusing on the Blades playoff run."

The Saskatoon Blades Hockey Club has requested a police investigation.

"I just know that last night somebody had come up to our coach before the game and mentioned there was a Facebook page that was allegedly Brayden Schenn's," Blades President Jack Brodsky told CKRM radio Thursday. "Allegedly there were some racial slurs on there. I have not seen that page, and apparently it's gone now. I did a little search on Facebook today and there were about eight accounts that came up as Brayden Schenn's. In fact none of them were him. He has one that's quite private with a lot of filters on it that's only accessible to his friends. Those comments were not Brayden's. It's just a very unfortunate situation.

"We've talked to city police here and they're looking into it but these things are very difficult to trace and follow. What we'd really like to do is assure everyone that these were not Brayden's comments and Brayden doesn't have those types of feelings to First Nations people, nor anyone else. Brayden just wants to play hockey and that's what he's doing. Again it's an unfortunate. These things happen in the playoffs and there's obviously some person out there with not much integrity and it's unfortunate but we just want to focus on the game coming up here (in P.A.) tonight and do the best we can on that."

Raiders Win Big Game 3

2011-03-31T00:06:00.001-06:00

It was a pivotal game in the Eastern Conference playoff series between the Blades and Raiders, and Prince Albert earned a massive 6-3 win.

The Raiders had the first period that they need to kick the game off, firing 22 shots on Steven Stanford.

In those 22 shots were 2 goals, by Igor Revenko and Brandon Herrod. The Raiders were an overwhelming force as soon as the puck dropped and those 2 goals ended up being key.

Saskatoon was the team that came out hot in period two, as Josh Nicholls scored 41 seconds in. Just over 3 minutes later it was Chris Collins scoring to make it a 2-2 game.

The Raiders pushed back and Jordan Rowley put them back in front 3-2 shortly after. That push back goal truly summed up the night for the Blades.

In the 3rd, the Raiders added 3 more, one via the open net. Matej Stransky scored for the Blades as the final was 6-3.

The biggest moment came late in the game when it was 4-3. Brayden Schenn skated towards a loose puck and would have had a nearly open cage. Before he got to the puck he was tripped from behind, but there was no call.

A few seconds later the Blades took a penalty and eventually the Raiders got the 5th goal to put it out of reach.

The Raiders truly did get the breaks tonight, both from the puck, and from the guys with the stripes. Seems like not much has changed from the regular season.

Also, someone has to check who the hell is keeping shot totals at the Art Hauser Centre. There is no way the Raiders had 50 shots on goal tonight. The 22 in the first period were very legit as they played great, but they surely did not have 28 the rest of the way. Both Les Lazaruk agreed on the drive home that something around 40 was likely a little more accurate.

Both goalies played well, with Jamie Tucker starting and making 37 saves for the win. Steven Stanford was the tough luck loser, stopping 44 shots in the loss. He was definitely not the reason why the Blades fell.

These two teams do it all again tomorrow night for game 4. The win by PA also assured the series will go atleast 5, with that coming Saturday night in Saskatoonn.

I will try to have a preview up for game 4 by early tomorrow afternoon.

Raiders Home To Face Blades In Game 3

2011-03-30T12:06:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the big swing game in the series.

Either the Blades will head into the 4th game with a 3-0 series lead, or the Raiders will be right back in it at 2-1. One thing is for sure heading into the game, the Raiders will have a loud crowd supporting them tonight.

And if the first two games showed anything, it's that they will need that crowd.

Prince Albert has had strong stretches in the first two games, including a very solid opening 20 minutes in game 2 in Saskatoon. But, they couldn't find the back of the net during that stretch. The Blades did, and never looked back.

The opening 10 minutes of tonight's game will be the most important of the season so far for both teams.

Here are my keys to tonight's game:

For Prince Albert

- Use their speed on the forecheck. It’s a smaller rink and that’s a good fit for the Raiders speedy forwards. Force the Blades into quick decisions defensively.

- Capitalize with the man advantage. They’ve outchanced the Blades with the man advantage opportunities, now it’s time to make some of those chances count.

- And they need to score first. They have had two strong starts to games in the series, but it means little if you give up that big first goal.

For Saskatoon

- Trade punches in those first few minutes. You know the Raiders will come out hard, and if they score first, a quick bounce back will be huge.

- Continue to block shots. They are making it pretty easy for Stanford so far by blocking shots and are being led by their captain in this area of the game.

- And be fast in after dump ins. We saw *Eric Williams turn the puck over a few times last game when handling it. Mistakes like that in a smaller rink can hurt you big time.
(*assuming Eric Williams is starting, which I would have to imagine he is)

Puck drop goes at 7:00 from the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. We will be on the air with the pre-game show starting at 6:00 on 92.9 The Bull.

Top CHL Players to Watch In The Playoffs

2011-03-30T11:53:00.000-06:00

I have been hired on part time to write fantasy-hockey related articles for www.fantasyhockeycoach.com. My first one was published today, so I figured I would post it here as well.

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The Canadian Hockey League playoffs kicked off last week. For fantasy hockey players, it’s a great chance to get a bit of a preview into which prospects could take that next step in the near future and become useful to us in the fantasy world. I’ve picked out 5 players from each Canadian league to keep an eye on now that the postseason is underway.

WHL

Ryan Johansen (Portland – Columbus Blue Jackets) - The big center showed it was no fluke that he was picked fourth overall last June. He put together a 92 point year and could be the Jackets long term answer down the middle.

Cody Eakin (Kootenay – Washington Capitals) - Eakin nearly made the Caps this past fall, but was sent back to junior where he put together an 83 point campaign. He could possibly use some AHL seasoning, but he is destined to be a 60+ point player soon with the Caps dynamic offense.

Ryan Howse (Chilliwack – Calgary Flames) - This sniper was second in the league in goals with 51 tallies. That type of offense is exactly what the Calgary Flames could use in their top six.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer – Undrafted) - 17-year-old is the best playmaker in the Dub with a league leading 75 apples. Look for him to be a top three pick in the June entry draft. Datsyuk-like potential.

Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon – Colorado Avalanche) - 81 points in 71 games shouldn’t go unnoticed. A short AHL stint could be in Elliott’s future before hitting and sticking with the Avalanche sometime next season.

QMJHL

Sean Couturier (Drummondville – Undrafted) - Couturier is a big bodied player with big time skill. He ended up T-fourth in Q league scoring this year and should be a top five draft pick into the NHL this season. He should also jump straight into the NHL.

Stanislav Galiev (Saint John – Washington Capitals) - The big, elusive Russian had 37 goals this season and could be a darkhorse to make the NHL next year.

Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John – Undrafted) - He’s long and lanky and should be a top pick in this June’s NHL draft. He likely won’t jump to the NHL next year, but is a versatile and dynamic prospect for down the road.

Brandon Gormley (Moncton – Phoenix Coyotes) - Lauded as a two-way defenseman, point totals should follow Gormley once he makes his NHL debut. Will be a powerplay defenseman, which will help you if you can snag him.

Simon Després (Saint John – Pittsburgh Penguins) - Big, tall and a great skating defenseman. Had 41 points in 47 games this year, one of the top point per game averages among Q blueliners.

OHL

Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa – Los Angeles Kings) - Toffoli proved he was a sleeper of a draft pick for the Kings as he finished T-First in OHL scoring this year, including netting 57 goals. A scorer like this is hard to ignore.

Joey Hishon (Owen Sound – Colorado Avalanche) - The sneaky dynamo led the OHL in points-per-game average this season. He could be playing in the Avalanche’ top six next year as he is already pro-eligible.

Zack Kassian (Windsor – Buffalo Sabres) - Kassian had 77 points this year, a career high. But he also will be a guy that picks up PIM’s in the future, adding that extra element of fantasy value.

Peter Holland (Guelph – Anaheim Ducks) - This big forward can fill a number of different roles and should have a very solid chance at cracking the Ducks roster next year as a 19-year-old.

Ryan Murphy (Kitchener – Undrafted) - He’s not big, but his game sure is. The most dynamic offensive defenseman the prospect world has seen in quite some time. Murphy will provide a unique and explosive role for an NHL team soon.

Blades Up 2-0 Over Raiders

2011-03-27T22:36:00.001-06:00

It wasn't the same dominating performance from Saturday, but the Saskatoon Blades showed tonight that they can win in a number of different ways.

The Raiders came out early in this game and looked much better than last night, carrying the play for the first ten minutes or more.

But it was the Blades who scored the only goal of the period as Brayden Schenn broke through the neutral zone and beat atleast 3 Raiders to the front of the goal and slid the puck past Eric Williams.

It was 1-0 after 1.

The Raiders scored in the 2nd period, but Saskatoon still remained in control as they matched that one tally by scoring three of their own. The Blades 2nd period goals came from Dziurzynski, Nicholls and Schenn. Shane Danyluk scored for the Raiders, his first career WHL playoff goal.

The teams traded goals in the third, Curtis Hamilton from the Blades and Antoine Corbin for Prince Albert.

The final was 5-2. The Blades now lead the series 2-0.

The game featured a pair of scraps. In the first period Curtis Hamilton was absolutely destroyed at centre ice by Harrison Ruopp. Brayden Schenn went to jump in and scrap Ruopp, but Siemens charged in and they squared off. Not much of a fight, but it was nice to see a pair of teammates come to the aid of Hamilton. He missed a few shifts, but came back a few minutes later.

Later in the game Dalton Thrower took on Austin Connor. Thrower gave up a ton of size to the 6'4 Connor, but he earned the take down after landing 2-3 solid rights to the big man's chips.

Steven Stanford was solid once again for the Blades, stopping 31 pucks. Eric Williams was decent for the Raiders, also making 31 saves in the loss.

The series now shifts to Prince Albert for games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday.

Saskatoon + Prince Albert Tangle In Game 2

2011-03-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

If one thing is for sure following last night's game 1 romp by Saskatoon, it's that the Prince Albert Raiders are going to need to play much better if they have any hope of keeping pace with the Blades.

Saskatoon scored early and often last night on their way to an 8-1 win.

The Raiders had stretches of the game where they looked alright, and stretches where they looked totally overwhelmed.

It could be considered a baptism-by-fire for the Raiders team that was and still is lacking severely in playoff experience. The first ten minutes of the game tonight could tell the tale of how this game will finish, and maybe even how this series will finish.

Here are my keys to the game:

For Prince Albert

- Stay disciplined. They did let their emotions get the best of them a bit last night, but in order to hang with a team like Saskatoon, they will have to stay smart.

- Clog up the front of the net. The Blades got a ton of scoring chances last night from key areas, and the Raiders need to try and block a few more shots.

- And Eric Williams needs to build off his strong third period last night. He could be considered the lone bright spot for the Raiders from that game. (*it hasn't been confirmed that he is starting, but I would bet my life savings on it after how Tucker looked last night)

For Saskatoon

- Get off to another good start. They scored just over 2 minutes in last night and it really got the Raiders running around. A start like that will be very important again for Saskatoon.

- Stay physical. The Blades have to stay aggressive and make sure to hit the Raiders on every chance they get, especially the Prince Albert defenseman.

- And continue to go to the dirty areas in front of the Raider goal. They got a few garbage goals last night just by being in front of the net, that’s a great sign.

Tonight is an early start. It goes at 6:05 from CUC. The game can be heard on 92.9 The Bull, starting with the hour long pre-game show hitting the airwaves at 5:00.

Blades Crush Raiders in Game 1

2011-03-27T07:06:00.002-06:00

It started early, and was over early.

In the end, Saskatoon won the game 8-1.

The Saskatoon Blades led game one last night against the Raiders 3-0 after the first period and never looked back. Matej Stransky got Saskatoon on the board within the first three minutes with his first career WHL playoff goal in his first career WHL playoff game.

Brayden Schenn and Dalton Thrower had the other goals in the first.

Saskatoon continued to put the pedal to the metal in the 2nd period. Todd Fiddler scored for PA at 3:33, and that gave Saskatoon that extra push they need to put the game back out of reach. Stefan Elliott answered less than 2 minutes later to extend the lead to 4-1. Then Saskatoon really laid it on. Darren Dietz, Josh Nicholls and Brent Benson added 3 more goals as the Blades led 7-1 after 40 minutes of play.

That 7th goal also chased Raiders goalie Jamie Tucker. I figured we would see 17 year old Eric Williams in goal for PA eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon. And a credit to Williams, he looked very good and was pretty much the only bright spot for the Raiders.

Dalton Thrower scored his 2nd goal of the game in the third period to totally ice things, an 8-1 final.

Matej Stransky had 1 goal and 3 assists and was the first star of the game.

Lost in the shuffle was Steven Stanford. The Blades goalie was very solid, making 33 saves to earn the W. And to think that Regina Pats head coach Curtis Hunt said that "the goaltending between Stanford and Tucker was a draw in this series". Yeah, right Curtis.

Over 8,000 fans attended the game and that was great to see. I was between the benches and boy oh boy was it loud down there. It was fun and I look forward to doing it again.

I will get the chance tonight as the rematch goes at CUC. An early puck drop tonight, at 6:05. We will go on the air at 5:00 with the hour long pre-game show.

I will try to post a preview later this morning or early this afternoon, we'll see if I have time. It's been a long 24 hours for myself, and it's only going to get longer in the next few weeks. Atleast I hope so, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Blades Vs. Raiders Game 1 Preview

2011-03-26T05:56:00.000-06:00

Fans in Prince Albert and Saskatoon have had to wait almost longer than anyone else for this matchup. This is the last series to get underway in the WHL's Eastern Conference playoffs.

The teams should be ready and we will have to see how the long wait between games affects them. The teams haven't played since last Saturday as they both ended the regular season that night.

I don't expect too long of a feeling out period as the teams are more than familiar with each other, having met 8 times during the regular season. The Blades were the big time winners in those matchups going 7-1. But, as I mentioned earlier on this blog in the series preview, the games were closer than that 7-1 mark shows. The Raiders had some stretches of very good hockey at some points, just not consistently enough. They were especially good in their own barn, even though the Blades won 3 out of 4 at the Art Hauser Centre.

A big crowd should be on hand tonight for the series kickoff, including a solid contingent from Prince Albert.

Here are my keys to game 1:

For Prince Albert:

- Get off to a solid start. They can’t be overwhelmed here early in tonight’s game and need to have something positive go there way within their first few minutes.

- Be aggressive on the forecheck. The Raiders have found success this year against the Blades when they are in fast on the Blades defenseman. They need to hit everything below the goal line and try to force pucks loose.

- And Tucker or Williams needs to be very good in goal. I imagine Tucker gets the start as the veteran. This team has had stretches of solid goaltending this year and stretches when it hasn’t been so good. They need consistency in this series.

For Saskatoon:

- Use the crowd. The people have turned up at CUC down the stretch and they want something to cheer about early in this game to make it extra tough on the Raiders.

- Stay disciplined. The Raiders had a very respectable road powerplay this year at 11th best in the league and Saskatoon can’t make extra work for themselves by taking bad penalties.

- And Schenn and Hamilton need to be the go-to guys in this series. These two players have played on the world stage for Team Canada and know how to handle big pressure. They can show that off starting tonight.

Game time goes at 7:05 from CUC. If you can't make it to the rink, check out the broadcast on 92.9 The Bull. We will have an extra long pregame show now that the playoffs start. It goes an hour before the puckdrop. Once the game starts, I will be between the benches TSN-style doing my best Pierre McGuire impersonation. Wish me luck.

Saskatoon (1) vs. Prince Albert (8) Series Preview

2011-03-25T10:29:00.000-06:00

This is the last series of the Eastern Conference to get underway. It’s almost fitting with how the last half of the season has gone for the Blades. They’ve known for quite some time they were going to be playing in the postseason eventually, they might as well wait another day compared to everyone else.

This is also my last preview of the Eastern Conference as tonight is the debut of the playoffs.

So here it is:

Saskatoon Blades (1) vs. Prince Albert Raiders (8)

The Blades didn’t have any trouble with the Prince Albert Raiders this season. They won the season series 7-1. Some of the games were closer than the scores showed, and the season series was definitely closer than the 7-1 mark shows. To me, that signifies that the biggest edge the Raiders will have is the mental one. If the Blades have any ounce of cockiness in their game, the Raiders have to be able to get into that void and exploit it. Will that happen? I doubt it. Could it happen? Raider fans better hope so.

Up Front

The Blades are led by a cast of characters, none of which can really be matched by the Raiders. They have two of the best lines in junior hockey with Hamilton-Schenn-Trask? and Dziurzynski-Viedensky-Nicholls. *The question mark is beside Trask, because he could possibly be slowed by an upper body injury, but we’ll see if he plays tomorrow night. They can also get some punch from the third line, with the fourth line showing that they are more than capable of carrying their weight this year. Saskatoon tied for first in the WHL this year with 310 goals for. Spokane was the only team to match them. That number also dwarfs what the Raiders have been able to muster this year.

The Raiders are led by California-native Jonathan Parker. He had 45 goals and 86 points. Super-sophomore Mark McNeill had 81 points as well. The Raiders actually had 6 20-or-more-goal scorers. But that’s just it, offense hasn’t been this team’s problem. They had 247 goals, 7th best in the conference. Those type of numbers are passable and I’m sure there will be a game or two in this series where they score 4-5 goals in a game. They have that ability, but in order for them to pull off the upset here, they are going to get some further depth scoring. A guy like Charlie Wells or Brandon Herrod has to elevate their game. Their offense shows that they have a few solid candidates for that role. But will that be enough to overcome a hit or miss blueline and some often-questionable goaltending? We will have to wait and see.

The Blades depth is too much for the Raiders to handle here. They are an elite goal scoring team and win this category.

The Blueline

Saskatoon features nice depth on the blueline. They have a veteran top pairing that features a 20 year old Zahn and the eventual top defenseman in the league in Stefan Elliott. They have a 2nd team Eastern All-Star on their 2nd pairing in Duncan Siemens. They just have a very balanced group. If they keep it simple, they will be in great shape. This team’s blueline shows it’s weakness when they over handle the puck and don’t react fast enough. They can be exposed by a strong forecheck on occasion. Saskatoon allowed 213 goals this year , 3rd fewest in the conference.

Prince Albert have a well rounded blueline. I like the size and toughness of their group. Antoine Corbin has one of the hardest shots in the WHL. Rowley is an ok two way defenseman. Bettauer and Yaworski provide more size and depth. But this group is going to have to have some of the best games of their lives in order to handle the Blades offensive group. They allowed 283 goals, the highest number of any team in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Saskatoon features the best offensive defenseman in the series and the best defensive defenseman in the series. That should show you how I feel about this part of the series. Saskatoon simply has a much better blueline core than the Raiders do.

Between The Pipes

The Saskatoon Blades are one of the deepest teams in the Canadian Hockey League, and that fact is emphasized by their goaltending. Steven Stanford won an amazing 40 games this year, 2nd most in the WHL. He also only lost 5 games, that’s the more impressive thing. Adam Morrison has proven to be a capable backup goalie as a veteran 19 year old. His numbers aren’t quite as good as Stanford’s, but the guy has been around the block and will be ready if he’s needed.

The Raiders goaltending got off to a horrendously slow start this year, but it was an area they improved at as the year moved along. Their veteran goalie Jamie Tucker was up and down as the year wore on and actually battled injury down the stretch. But, he’s back and will be counted on to be the man for the Raiders. Eric Williams did a good job spelling Tucker and in my opinion, is definitely the better goalie. But, the 17 year old will likely start this series on the bench, which I can’t really question.

Here’s the teams 4 goalies’ numbers:

Steven Stanford was 40-5 with a 2.78 GAA and a .910 save %. He had 3 shutouts.
Adam Morrison was 16-7-1-2 with a 2.89 GAA and a .901 save %. He had 2 shutouts.

Jamie Tucker was 14-19-1-2 with a 3.87 GAA and an .889 save %. He had 0 shutouts.
Eric Williams was 17-17-1-1 with a 3.71 GAA and an .898 save %. He had 1 shutout.

I give the nod to the Blades in this area of the series but any goalie in this series can steal a game or two.

Special Teams

The Blades finished 8th on the powerplay at 21.4%.
The Blades finished 6th on the penalty kill at 82.4%.

The Raiders finished 14th on the powerplay at 18.8%.
The Raiders finished 14th on the penalty kill at 79%.

The Sked

Game 1 - Sat Mar 26 7:05 PM Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Game 2 - Sun Mar 27 6:05 PM Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Game 3 - Wed Mar 30 7:00 PM Saskatoon at Prince Albert
Game 4 - Thurs Mar 31 7:00 PM Saskatoon at Prince Albert
Game 5 - Sat Apr 2 7:05 PM * Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Game 6 - Sun Apr 3 7:00 PM * Saskatoon at Prince Albert
Game 7 - Tues Apr 5 7:05 PM * Prince Albert at Saskatoon

*if necessary

The Guessing

Both teams come into the playoffs playing pretty good hockey. The Blades have won 9 of their last 10 games. Some of those games weren’t exactly dominating wins like some might have expected, but they were wins none the less. I also think the team did a pretty good job improving some of their defensive miscues. They cleaned up their defensive zone coverage and looked a lot more like a group.

The Raiders won 3 games in a row to head into the postseason. That type of momentum could be lost with a week long break, but it has to be a nice feeling for that squad to know that they were playing good hockey in the last meaningful games they played.

Many people out there have the Blades winning this one easily, in either 4 or 5 games. I don’t blame those people and can’t really stray too much from that after looking deeper at this series. The Blades are simply the better team in every aspect. They have depth in all areas. I think the Raiders get one win in this series, likely on their home ice in either game 3 or 4. If they want to win more than that, they are going to have to get either some freak goaltending performances or some explosively quick offensive starts to a couple of the games. I don’t see that happening enough for the Raiders to pull this one out.

Blades in 5.

WHL Eastern Award Nominees and All-Stars announced.

2011-03-24T14:48:00.000-06:00

The WHL's Eastern Conference All Stars and Award Nominees have been announced today following yesterday's Western announcement.

The All Stars are as follows:

FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon, SK), Red Deer Rebels*
Defenceman – Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), Saskatoon Blades*
Defenceman – Brayden McNabb (Davidson, SK), Kootenay Ice*
Forward – Linden Vey (Wakaw, SK), Medicine Hat Tigers*
Forward – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Burnaby, BC), Red Deer Rebels
Forward – Mark Stone (Winnipeg, MB), Brandon Wheat Kings

SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Tyler Bunz (St. Albert, AB), Medicine Hat Tigers
Defenceman – Alex Petrovic (Edmonton, AB), Red Deer Rebels
Defenceman – Duncan Siemens (Sherwood Park, AB), Saskatoon Blades
Forward – Cody Eakin (Winnipeg, MB), Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Brayden Schenn (Saskatoon, SK), Saskatoon Blades
Forward – Quinton Howden (Oak Bank, MB), Moose Jaw Warriors

Some of the major award nominees have also been announced. They are as follows:

WHL Rookie of the Year, Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Matt Dumba (Calgary, AB), Red Deer Rebels

WHL Goaltender of the Year, Del Wilson Trophy
Eastern Conference – Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon, SK), Red Deer Rebels

WHL Defenceman of the Year, Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), Saskatoon Blades

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, Brad Hornung Trophy
Eastern Conference – Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), Saskatoon Blades

WHL Scholastic Player of the Year, Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Adam Lowry (Calgary, AB), Swift Current Broncos

WHL Coach of the Year, Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Jesse Wallin, Red Deer Rebels

WHL Executive of the Year, Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Lorne Molleken, Saskatoon Blades

WHL Humanitarian of the Year, Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
Eastern Conference – Spencer Edwards (Coquitlam, BC), Moose Jaw Warriors

WHL Marketing / Public Relations Award
Eastern Conference – Calgary Hitmen, Mike Moore

The player of the year nominees get announced on the 21st of April. All the award winners will be announced at a banquet in Calgary on May 4th.

Red Deer (2) vs. Edmonton (7) Series Preview

2011-03-24T10:54:00.000-06:00

Don’t expect this to be the next coming of the NHL’s Battle of Alberta, even if the WHL would love to see that happen. These teams might not currently have a huge rivalry, but that shouldn’t stop it from being a very entertaining series.

So here it is:

Red Deer Rebels (2) vs. Edmonton Oil Kings (7)

Along with the Portland Winterhawks, the Red Deer Rebels were one team that constantly pushed the Saskatoon Blades all season in a battle to be named the league’s top team. They feature a dynamic offense, a solid defense, good role players and possibly the league’s top goalie. Edmonton will have their hands full.

Up Front

The Rebels are led by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The 17 year old is the WHL’s top ranked player for the approaching NHL entry draft. RNH was T-3rd in the WHL with 106 points and led the league with 75 assists in 69 games. But, the Rebels also feature 4 other players who had more than 60 points and have balance all throughout the lineup. They scored 268 goals, 4th best in the Eastern Conference.

The Oil Kings can score goals as well. They are led by two dynamic youngsters in Dylan Wruck and St. Croix. They had 78 and 75 points respectively with Wruck scoring 38 goals. I like TJ Foster and players like Jordan Hickmott, but it’s clear they don’t have the calibre of scorers that the Rebels do. If they are going to have any chance of beating Red Deer, they are going to be aggressive and go to the net hard, something that has been a knock on them all season. They are small up front, but they can’t play small. They scored 249 goals, good for 6th in the East.

The bottom line is that the Rebels are vastly superior in this area of the game, and the first round series should show it.

The Blueline

Red Deer features a very deep, solid and dynamic blueline. That group is led by Panthers draft pick Alex Petrovic. This kid is underrated as an NHL prospect. He is great both ways, shutting players down and providing offense. He had 57 points this year and has a booming shot on the powerplay. Other guys to watch are Colin Archer and 16 year old Matt Dumba. Dumba won’t be counted on for HUGE minutes, but he has to play smart out there. He has a tendency to run around, but he has to be reigned in a bit in this series against the small and quick Oil Kings.

Edmonton is led by Captain Mark Pysyk. The slick two way defender is a Sabres draft pick, in the 1st round. He was 5th on their team in scoring with 40 points this year. The Oil Kings also get a huge boost with 16 year old monster Griffin Reinhart returning from a wrist injury. He healed quickly and was able to play at the end of the regular season. They will need him to be big. Other players to be counted on included Keegan Lowe and veteran Adrian Van de Mosselaer, who will be counted on to play as a shutdown defender.

This area is pretty even. I like that Red Deer has the best “typical WHL defender” in Petrovic, but the all-round talent of the Oil Kings blueline is very intriguing. I give this category to Red Deer by a hair.

Between The Pipes

Darcy Kuemper of the Rebels is arguably the WHL’s MVP. That obviously means that he is likely the top goalie. The numbers show it. He led the league in wins, shutouts, GAA and save percentage. The Oil Kings got ok goaltending this year from Jon Groenheyde and Laurent Brossoit, but I’m not convinced that either of these guys will be good enough to steal a series, which they will NEED to be.

Kuemper was 45-12-3-2 with a 1.86GAA and a .933 save %. He had 13 shutouts.

Groenheyde was 15-19-2-3 with a 3.19GAA and an .893 save %. He had 0 shutouts.
Brossoit was 13-12-0-2 with a 3.32GAA and an .887 save %. He had 2 shutouts.

Red Deer holds an advantage here, and it’s not really close.

Special Teams

The Rebels finished 5th on the powerplay at 22.2%.
The Rebels finished 2nd on the penalty kill at 85.5%.

The Oil Kings finished 19th on the powerplay at 15.9%.
The Oil Kings finished T-11th on the penalty kill at 79.3%.

The Sked

Game 1 - Fri Mar 25 7:30 PM Edmonton at Red Deer
Game 2 - Sat Mar 26 7:30 PM Edmonton at Red Deer
Game 3 - Mon Mar 28 7:00 PM Red Deer at Edmonton
Game 4 - Thurs Mar 31 7:00 PM Red Deer at Edmonton
Game 5 - Sat Apr 2 7:30 PM * Edmonton at Red Deer
Game 6 - Mon Apr 4 7:00 PM * Red Deer at Edmonton
Game 7 - Wed Apr 6 7:00 PM * Edmonton at Red Deer

*if necessary

The Guessing

This series is not as balanced as the first two that I handicapped, that much is obvious. And I think that the results will show that on the ice. Not only are the Rebels the vastly superior team, but they come into the playoffs playing great hockey. They are on a 6-0-1-0 streak and have 7 wins in their last 10 games overall. Edmonton comes in on a 2 game slide with only 4 wins in their last 10. I like the offensive punch of the Oil Kings and I like their blueline (more so for the future than right now) but even those two aspects don’t stack up to Red Deer.

I say Rebels in 5 games. But, I also think this series is the best candidate of all the Eastern Conference battles to be a sweep.

Coming up later today, the WHL announces it's Eastern Conference all-stars and award nominees.

Also, tomorrow will be my final WHL preview as I will look at the Saskatoon Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders.

Blades End Regular Season as CHL's 2nd Ranked Team

2011-03-24T10:17:00.000-06:00

Not much change in the CHL rankings this past week.

The Saskatoon Blades finished up number 2 in the rankings with a 56-13-1-2 record. Once again they trailed the Saint John Sea Dogs, who lost 7 regulation games all year. None of those regulation losses came on home ice. Truly amazing.

The Red Deer Rebels stayed steady at 5th in the CHL. Portland was 7th. Both the Spokane Chiefs and Medicine Hat Tigers were honourable mentions.

In other WHL news, Tigers goalie Deven Dubyk was named as the CHL's goalie of the week. He went 2-0 with 2 shutouts.

Stayed tuned as I will have my next Eastern Conference playoff preview up shortly. It features the Red Deer Rebels against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

WHL Western Award Nominees and Bantam Draft Results

2011-03-23T12:39:00.000-06:00

The WHL's Western Conference All Stars and Award Nominees have been announced today, along with the Bantam Draft lottery results.

The All Stars are as follows:

FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – James Reid (Calgary, AB), Spokane Chiefs
Defenceman – Tyson Barrie (Victoria, BC), Kelowna Rockets
Defenceman – Jared Cowen (Allan, SK), Spokane Chiefs
Forward – Brendan Gallagher (Delta, BC), Vancouver Giants
Forward – Tyler Johnson (Spokane, WA), Spokane Chiefs
Forward – Ryan Johansen (Port Moody, BC), Portland Winterhawks

SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Calvin Pickard (Winnipeg, MB), Seattle Thunderbirds
Defenceman – Brenden Kichton (Spruce Grove, AB), Spokane Chiefs
Defenceman – Ryan Murray (White City, SK), Everett Silvertips
Forward – Brendan Shinnimin (Winnipeg, MB), Tri-City Americans
Forward – Brendan Ranford (Edmonton, AB), Kamloops Blazers
Forward – Ryan Howse (Prince George, BC), Chilliwack Bruins

Some of the major award nominees have also been announced. They are as follows:

WHL Rookie of the Year, Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Sven Bartschi (Langenthal, SUI), Portland Winterhawks

WHL Goaltender of the Year, Del Wilson Trophy
Western Conference – James Reid (Calgary, AB), Spokane Chiefs

WHL Defenceman of the Year, Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Tyson Barrie (Victoria, BC), Kelowna Rockets

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, Brad Hornung Trophy
Western Conference – Tyler Johnson (Spokane, WA), Spokane Chiefs

WHL Scholastic Player of the Year, Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Colin Smith (Edmonton, AB), Kamloops Blazers

WHL Coach of the Year, Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Don Nachbaur, Spokane Chiefs

WHL Executive of the Year, Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Mike Johnston, Portland Winterhawks

WHL Humanitarian of the Year, Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
Western Conference – Jeff Einhorn (Red Deer, AB), Chilliwack Bruins

The player of the year nominees get announced on the 21st of April. All the award winners will be announced at a banquet in Calgary on May 4th.

The Eastern Conference All Stars and award nominees will be announced tomorrow.

Also this morning, the results from the bantam draft lottery were unveiled live on WHL.ca.

The Kamloops Blazers won the draw, and moved up 2 spots because of that. The order will be:

1. Calgary

2. Swift Current

3. Lethbridge (Via Regina)

4. Kamloops

5. Lethbridge

6. Seattle

7. Everett Silvertips

8. Prince Albert Raiders

9. Edmonton Oil Kings

10. Prince George Cougars

11. Brandon Wheat Kings

12. Chilliwack Bruins

13. Swift Current Broncos (Via Kootenay/Vancouver)

14. Moose Jaw Warriors

15. Kelowna Rockets

16. Regina Pats (Via Tri-City)

17. Kootenay Ice

18. Medicine Hat Tigers

19. Spokane Chiefs

20. Vancouver Giants (Via Portland)

21. Red Deer Rebels

22. Brandon Wheat Kings (Via Saskatoon)

The order of the second round and other rounds will be the inverse order of final WHL regular-season standings.

Medicine Hat (3) vs. Brandon (6) Series Preview

2011-03-23T08:19:00.000-06:00

Here is day 2 of my Eastern Conference playoff previews. I said the Warriors-Ice series should be close, well this one absolutely will be too.

Here it is:

Medicine Hat Tigers (3) vs. Brandon Wheat Kings (6)

This should be another interesting battle in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Tigers have stayed strong down the stretch to retain the number 3 seed. They also come into the playoffs with 8 wins in their last 10 games. The Wheaties are no slouch either. They are a team that was in the middle of mediocrity in the first 1/3 of the year. After a few smart trades and some solid contributions from veterans, they salvaged their season and come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the country, not only the WHL.

Up Front

The Tigers are led by WHL player of the year candidate Linden Vey. The Wakaw, Saskatchewan product led the league in scoring with 116 points, including 46 goals. But, he’s not their only weapon. First round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Emerson Etem, had 45 goals this year. He provides unparalleled speed and jump, as well as a threat to score shorthanded. He had 9 during the regular year. They scored 265 goals, good for 5th in the East.

The Wheat Kings might have the deepest, veteran group of forwards in the entire conference. Sens prospect Mark Stone had a breakout year with 106 points. Scott Glennie was solid with 91 points. Matt McKay was lights out after a trade brought him in from Vancouver. He had 52 points in 31 games with Brandon. They had 281 goals this year, 2nd only to Saskatoon in the East.

Like I said, the Wheat Kings are as deep as they come up front. They are a team that has been together for several years and have experience going on deep playoff runs. I like Brandon’s group more, so I give them the edge here.

The Blueline

Medicine Hat is led by a virtually nameless group on the blueline. But that doesn’t stop them from holding the opposition to low offensive totals. The two top players for the Tigers are Jace Coyle, who had 28 points in 48 games, and Thomas Carr had 41 points in 71 games.

Brandon might have the youngest blueline of any team in the playoffs. They played several games this year with only one 18 year old and the rest being 17 or younger. Those young legs are going to be tested by the speed of the Tigers attack. Brodie Melnychuk is going to have to eat a ton of minutes. 16 year old Ryan Pulock also quarterbacks their first PP unit, so he needs to have a great series for them to win.

I think the age factor will definitely hurt the Wheaties here. Medicine Hat might not have the biggest names, but they did only surrender 196 goals this year. Only the Rebels were better in the Eastern Conference. Yes, that has a lot to do with goaltending, but it does say something about their defenders. Medicine Hat wins this category.

Between The Pipes

This is one area where Brandon is going to truly need to get some great performances. They have relied on two 17 year old goalies, and both of them have been up, down and all over the place this year. Tyler Bunz has been very good for the Tigers this year after being a bit of a sleeper draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers last June.

Tyler Bunz was 35-13-4-4 with a 2.47 GAA and a .919 save %. He had 3 shutouts.

Liam Liston was 20-16-0-1 with a 3.77 GAA and an .880 save %. He had 1 shutout.
Corbin Boes was 10-12-1-6 with a 3.44 GAA and an .888 save %. He had 1 shutout.

I would imagine that Liston gets the ball to start the series, but I’ve seen both players have stellar games this year and Kelly McCrimmon won’t hesitate to throw Saskatoon-native Corbin Boes in between the pipes. Either way, I like the Tigers in this area of the series.

Special Teams

The Tigers finished T-9th on the powerplay at 21.2%.
The Tigers finished 7th on the penalty kill at 81.9%.

The Wheat Kings finished 3rd on the powerplay at 23.3%.
The Wheat Kings finished 21st on the penalty kill at 74.9%.

The Sked

Game 1 - Fri Mar 25 7:30 PM Brandon @ Medicine Hat
Game 2 - Sat Mar 26 7:30 PM Brandon @ Medicine Hat
Game 3 - Mon Mar 28 7:30 PM Medicine Hat @ Brandon (Winnipeg)
Game 4 - Thurs Mar 31 7:30 PM Medicine Hat @ Brandon (Winnipeg)
Game 5 - Sat Apr 2 7:30 PM * Brandon @ Medicine Hat
Game 6 - Mon Apr 4 7:30 PM * Medicine Hat @ Brandon (Winnipeg)
Game 7 - Wed Apr 6 7:00 PM * Brandon @ Medicine Hat

*if necessary

The Guessing

I’m finding it really hard to bet against the Wheat Kings here. Like I said, they absolutely tore up February and March to get into the postseason. They have a scary dangerous group up front. But with that being said, their young blueline and combo of 17 year old goalies will hold them when it’s truly crunch time. Tyler Bunz is just exponentially better than either Boes or Liston. I take the Tigers in 7 games.

Up next, I will preview the Red Deer Rebels and the Edmonton Oil Kings tomorrow.

Warriors Forward Lyon Will Miss Start Of Playoffs

2011-03-22T15:53:00.002-06:00

The Moose Jaw Warriors will be without forward Brett Lyon as they start their first round series against the Kootenay Ice.

Lyon has been handed a 4 game suspension for his high hit on Saskatoon Blades forward Jake Trask.

Trask sat out the rest of the Blades season following the hit on March 16th. Lyon was also suspended idefinitely and missed the last 2 games of the regular season for the Warriors.

The league announced that the suspension is now set at 4 games, forcing Lyon out for 2 more.

Moose Jaw opens the playoffs on the road as they meet up with the Kootenay Ice starting on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Trask is expected to return to the lineup for Saturday's series opener against the Prince Albert Raiders.

He had a career high 30 goals for the Blades this year.

Kootenay (4) vs. Moose Jaw (5) Series Preview

2011-03-22T08:21:00.000-06:00

I figured with so many days off before the postseason starts, I would prepare some series preview's for the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

In the week’s first entry, I will look at the 4th ranked Kootenay Ice against the 5th ranked Moose Jaw Warriors. For each matchup I will compare the teams’ offense, defense, special teams, goaltending, post there schedule and dabble into the game of predictions.

So here it is.

====================================

Kootenay Ice (4) vs. Moose Jaw Warriors (5)

I think this might be the most balanced matchup of any of the Eastern Conference’s 4 playoff series. So I guess it’s fitting that these two teams are ranked so closely as the playoffs get underway at 4th and 5th.

Up Front

The Ice are led by former Bronco Cody Eakin, who led the team with 83 points this year as he split time between both teams. But, he is far from their only option. Max Reinhart and Kevin King each had 34 and 33 goals respectively, and both of those players had over 75 points. Their balanced attack led to 272 goals in the regular season, 3rd most in the entire conference.

The Warriors are led by the big, fast and physical Quinton Howden. The Panthers draft pick had 40 goals in 60 games this year. Dylan Hood has also been a guy that has flown under the radar as he had 83 points, which led the team. They scored 245 goals in the regular season, 8th out of 12 teams in the conference.

Looking at the numbers and the players involved, Kootenay definitely has more skill and pure offense up front. The Warriors do have a ton of speed a size up front, so it’s pretty hard to pick which team could come out on top offensively as I think the Warriors team size fits the postseason style of play a little better.

The Blueline

Kootenay’s big anchor is Brayden McNabb. The 6’4 Sabres draft pick plays great defense and also had an astonishing 72 points this year. Joey Leach is also an underrated player on the blueline for the Ice, and they will need him to provide some major depth in their top 4. They got 51 goals from blueliners this year, something not many (if any) teams can say.

Moose Jaw’s defense is big, tough and physical. They may not have anyone as good as McNabb, but I like their group 1 through 6 better than Kootenay. Dylan McIlrath is their big anchor, and was the 10th overall pick of the Rangers last year. He can shut a line down all by himself on some nights. He will likely be up against Eakin in every game. Other players to watch on the blueline are 16 year old Morgan Rielly and 11 goal man Collin Bowman.

It’s close, but I give the edge to the Warriors on the back end.

Between The Pipes

This should be another interesting battle. The 6’5 Nathan Lieuwen of Kootenay takes on 20 year old former-Ice goalie Thomas Heemskerk. Both guys could be considered their respective teams MVP’s this year.

Lieuwen was 33-16-1-3 with a 2.79 GAA and a .903 save %. He had 3 shutouts.

Heemskerk was 36-21-2-4 with a 2.94 GAA and a ..908 save %. He had 2 shutouts.

Talk about similar numbers.

Special Teams

The Ice finished T-6th on the powerplay at 21.8%.
The Ice finished 11th on the penalty kill at 79.3%.

The Warriors finished 16th on the powerplay at 17.7%.
The Warriors finished 9th on the penalty kill at 81.7%.

The Sked

Game 1 - Fri Mar 25 7:00 PM Moose Jaw @ Kootenay
Game 2 - Sat Mar 26 7:00 PM Moose Jaw @ Kootenay
Game 3 - Tues Mar 29 7:00 PM Kootenay @ Moose Jaw
Game 4 - Wed Mar 30 7:00 PM Kootenay @ Moose Jaw
Game 5 - Fri Apr 1 7:00 PM * Moose Jaw @ Kootenay
Game 6 - Sun Apr 3 7:00 PM * Kootenay @ Moose Jaw
Game 7 - Tues Apr 5 7:00 PM * Moose Jaw @ Kootenay

*if necessary

The Guessing

As I have alluded to, this might be the toughest series to handicap in the Eastern Conference. Both teams enter the playoffs with the EXACT same record in their last 10 at 6-3-0-1. But, the Ice are unbeaten in regulation in their last 7, so I might give them a slight edge there.

Like I said above, I like the Ice’ offense, the Warriors defense, the special teams are pretty even. That leaves goaltending and home ice as the big factors for me.

I say the Kootenay Ice win this series in 7 hard fought games. With that being said, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Moose Jaw can find a way to pull this one out.

Up next, I will preview the Medicine Hat Tigers against the Brandon Wheat Kings tomorrow.

Stefan Elliott Signs With Colorado Avalanche

2011-03-21T11:52:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Blades top defenseman has taken the next step on the way to a pro career.

He has signed a 3 year entry level contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Elliott was a 2nd round pick (49th overall) by the Avalanche in the 2009 NHL draft. This season he was tied for the WHL lead in scoring by a defender with 81 points. That included 31 goals, 8 more than any other blueliner. He also led the entire league in game winning goals and in plus/minus.

Raiders Forward McNeill WHL POTW

2011-03-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

One of the WHL's top 2011 NHL draft prospects has ended the regular season on a solid note as the playoffs approach.

Mark McNeill is this week's player of the week in the Western League.

The Edmonton native had 7 points in 3 games as the Raiders went 3-0-0-0 to finish the regular season. He had 2 goals and 5 assists and was a +4.

The big forward ended the year with 81 points in total, good enough for 24th overall in the league. That included 32 goals.

Expect him to go in the top 15-20 in this summer's 2011 NHL draft.

The Raiders take on the Saskatoon Blades in round 1 of the WHL playoffs starting on Saturday night in Saskatoon.

The WHL also announced that Devan Dubyk has been nominated as the WHL's entry as the CHL's goalie of the week. The Medicine Hat Tigers goalie was 2-0 with 2 shutouts over Calgary to close out the season.

Saskatoon Blades 2010/2011 Official Award Winners

2011-03-20T07:14:00.003-06:00

Following last night's win over the Pats, the team announced this season's award winners.

The presentation started with the awarding of the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy, given to the league's top regular season team...which the Blades were.

After that, the Awards went like this:

Top Scorer – Marek Viedensky (88 points)

Plus/Minus Award – Stefan Elliott (+62)

Jackie McLeod Ambassador Award – Steven Stanford

Community Minded Award – Darian Dziurzynski

Most Valuable Player - Marek Viedensky

Most Gentlemanly Player – Stefan Elliott (14 PIMs)

Top Scholastic Player – Brent Benson

Inland Steel Three Star Award –

1. Marek Viedensky

2. Stefan Elliott

3. Steven Stanford

Rookie of the Year – Darren Dietz

Defenceman of the Year – Stefan Elliott

Brian Skrudland Trophy as Best Defensive Forward – Curtis Hamilton

Hardest Hitter – Darian Dziurzynski

As I predicted on Thursday, it was a big night for Marek Viedensky as he took home some major hardware. And it was nice to see Curtis Hamilton get a major award (something I suggested COULD happen). He was a huge part of this team's success, especially before Christmas.

The highlight of the entire event was likely the wipeout and swearing by Marek Viedensky. As he approached the red carpet to accept one of his awards, he fell flat on his ass. In his speech following that, he accidentally dropped an F-bomb when talking about the performance of goalie Steven Stanford on the night.

I don't know which thing was funnier. Either way, it was a good event and good to see some of the guys get honoured for a great (regular) season.

Now it's time for the real games.

Saskatoon Ends Season On A High Note

2011-03-20T07:08:00.000-06:00

It was the final game of the regular season last night for the Saskatoon Blades, and it ended up being one of their more complete efforts of the last couple of weeks.

They dumped the Regina Pats 4-2, in front of over 8,000 fans at the Credit Union Centre.

Josh Nicholls got the Blades on the board early with a backhand at 3:01 of the 1st. Just over 10 minutes later, the Pats answered with Jordan Weal scoring his 43rd of the season. It was 1-1 after 1.

The Blades were the only team to score in the 2nd as Marek Viedensky tipped in a Brayden Schenn point shot on the PP to give Saskatoon a 2-1 lead through 40.

The third period started with a bang as Curtis Hamilton and Darian Dziurzynski both scored shorthanded, 41 seconds apart in the first 1:10. That would be the boost the Blades needed.

Lane Scheidl, a Saskatoon product, would score 44 seconds later for the Pats to make it 4-2, but that was as close as it would be.

Steven Stanford made 26 saves for his 40th win of the year.

It was Saskatoon's 32nd win on home ice this season, setting a franchise record. The Blades ended the regular season with a 56-13-1-2 mark, the most wins and points in franchise history.

With a 2 point night, Marek Viedensky lead the team in scoring with 88 points, one more than linemate Josh Nicholls.

The Pats failed to make the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. Saskatoon will begin their postseason next Saturday as they host the PA Raiders.