6/8/09
McCarthy Decommits
Boston College ’10 recruit Chris McCarthy today notified Jerry York and staff that he is decommitting from the school.Also today, McCarthy restarted the college process by sending emails to five other colleges that he might be interested in attending, mainly schools that were in the picture during the time he was getting recruited by BC. Reportedly, he wishes to bypass juniors – BC expected him to play a year for Waterloo in the USHL – and enroll in college this fall. His academics are in order, but he was also a repeat sophomore when he enrolled at the Berkshire School in ’07-08, and will have to get through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
As a player at Berkshire, the Collegeville, PA native sparkled in his one season there, and committed to BC last summer. Shortly afterward, he accepted an offer to join the U.S. Under-18 Team. However, he had difficulty making the transition – the plays we saw the center make at the prep level were rarely seen in Ann Arbor, and his confidence seemed shot. Midway through the year, he was demoted to the Under-17 Team.
While in Ann Arbor, McCarthy was moved from his best position, center, and placed on the wing. In addition, he injured himself early in the season and played with a torn labrum that required six screws in his shoulder. On top of everything else, McCarthy was in his fifth school in five years. His father says he missed playing at the Berkshire School, where his role was more clearly defined.
If McCarthy hopes to go to school in the fall, he will face limitations, scholarship-wise, as the vast majority of schools have used up their scholarship money.
We reached Martin McCarthy, Chris' father, who said, "The challenge is hopefully finding a place to play. Chris didn't want to spend the year going through a holding pattern. We've reached out to some schools to see about availability. We have to get through the clearinghouse. From what we're told, that won't be a problem."
6/29/09
Early Action at the Select 16s
A few players have stepped to the forefront in the early going at USA Hockey’s Select 16 Player Development Camp ('93 birthdates) in Rochester, NY and we’ll tell you about them in a minute.First, we should mention that the camp has trimmed down from 12 teams last year to 10 this year. You may also recall that last year the number of forwards on each team was cut back from 12 to 10. For purposes of illustration, consider that in 2007 a total of 144 forwards were at the 16 Camp. Last year, that number dropped to 120. This year it’s down to 100.
By going from 144 to 100 in two years, a lot of the deadwood has been cut out. And by going with three lines instead of four, players are in the flow. Consequently, the tempo of the games is quicker.
So, who’s playing well? First off, we’re once again going to leave the NTDP kids out of the equation, and concentrate on the kids who may get named to the team going overseas in August. But if you are wondering which kids from this fall’s Under-17 are on hand, here’s the list: John Gibson, Andy Ryan, Barrett Kaib, Dan Carlson, Alexx Privitera, Travis Boyd, Michael Paliotta, J.T. Miller, Matt McNeely, Ryan Haggerty, and Colin Suellentrop.
In addition to picking a team for the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament Aug. 18-22 in Fussen, Germany – Darren Turcotte will be the head coach and will be assisted by Union associate coach Rick Bennett – the NTDP will be looking to add a couple forwards and a couple of D out of the camp to the upcoming season’s Under-17 Team. We’ll try to get you those names at the end of the week.
Among those not at this week’s Select 16 Festival are the three players this typist felt were the top three players at last August’s Select 15 Festival in St. Cloud: Seth Ambroz, Colin Jacobs, and Rocco Grimaldi. Other notables missing the action in Rochester this week include Vince Trocheck, Tyler Biggs, Zach Larazza, Cole Bardreau, and Alex Lepkowski. Others, like Stefan Noesen, are here, but hampered by injury.
At any rate, this is summer hockey. Some of the players shining in the early going will become invisible by the end of the week, while others -- including perhaps a number of 'name' players omitted below -- will step up and take their place. Here are our early standouts.
Forwards:
Note: If we could pick one forward out of the camp, we’d go with 5’10” Hopkins High center Travis Boyd, but we can’t use him -- he’s going to the NTDP.
So…
Right out of the gate, we were impressed by 6’0” Lukas Sutter, a center for the Lethbridge Titans who was born in St. Louis when his father, Rich Sutter, was playing for the blues. Lukas is right out of the Sutter mold – he plays with jam, and he plays both ways – and looks a likely candidate to extend the Sutter mark on the NHL into the next generation. If we have one reservation about Sutter it’s that we didn’t see a lot of finish to his game. Maybe that will show up later in the week; maybe not. Sutter, we’re told, wants to play college hockey in the states. He won’t have a hard time finding a home.
Here are our “A” forwards:
6’0” Lukas Sutter (#9 Orange) -- Lethbridge Titans
6’3” Adam Reid (#10 Forest Green) -- LA Selects
6’1” J.C. Campagna (#9 Royal) -- Ohio AAA Blue Jackets
5’8” Cason Hohmann (#15 Blue) -- Compuware Under-16
5’11” Kevin Irwin (#14 Orange) -- Cleveland Barons
6’0” Austin Wuthrich (#12 Orange) -- Alaska All-Stars
6’1” Cullen Hurley (#10 Royal) -- Holy Angels
The following five forwards are bubbling under. They could move up or down – or just stay where they are:
5’11” Jared Linnell (#12 Kelly Green) -- Alaska All-Stars
6’1” Seth Swenson (#12 White) -- Colorado Thunderbirds
6’0” Justin Selman (#8 Gold) -- Jersey Avalanche, a 10/93 birthdate
5’10” Shane McColgan (#17 White) -- LA Jr. Kings (a very quiet start to week)
5’10” Danny Elser (# 16 Black) -- Shattuck Under-16
6’0” Ryan Rosenthal (#9 Red) -- North Jersey Avalanche… going to the Kent School
Our “B” forwards:
6’1” Sean Kuraly (#14 Grey) -- Ohio AAA Blue Jackets
6’1” Luke Sandler (#18 White) – Culver Academy
5’9” Tanner Sorenson (#18 Grey) -- Shattuck Under-16
6’0” Kent Sherrer (#16 Royal) -- Ohio AAA Blue Jackets
5’11” Travis Maezes (#10 Kelly Green) -- Pioneer High School, a 12/93 birthdate
6’1” Ryan Dau (#15 White) -- Team Wisconsin Under-16 and Hudson High
6’1” Joe Prescott (#11 Grey) -- St. Sebastian’s School
6’2” Trevor Morbeck (#18 Kelly Green) – Team Illinois, an 11/93 birthdate
6’2” Jack Barre (#17 Royal) -- Salisbury School
5’8” Anthony Greco (#8 Forest Green) -- Shattuck Under-16
5’10” Christian Horne (#10 Gold) -- Benilde-St. Margaret’s
5’10” Ben Bahe (#9 Blue) – Hill-Murray HS
6’0” Jeff Stenglein (#12 Blue) -- Rochester Alliance
5’11” A.J. Jarosz (#14 Black) -- Team Illinois
5’11” Riley Bourbonnais (#17 Red) -- Rochester Alliance
6’2” Nick Szopinski (#18 Gold) -- Beaver Dam HS (Wisc.)… big and raw.
6’0” Brian Hart (#15 Grey) -- Greely HS (Maine)… also quite raw.
6’1” Kurt Krotz (#17 Forest Green) -- LI Royals
5’11” Joey Yeadon (#11 Red) -- Burlington (Mass.) HS
6’1” Ryan Fitzgerald (#9 Forest Green) -- Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
Our “A” Defensemen:
6’0” Max Everson (#2 Kelly Green) -- Edina HS
6’2” Jordan Schmaltz (#2 Grey) -- Chicago Mission Under-16, a 10/93 birthdate
6’1” Connor Murphy (#3 Blue) -- Ohio Blue Jackets
5’9” Brian Cooper (#4 Orange) -- Alaska All-Stars, an 11/93 birthdate
6’1” Colin Sullivan (#4 Red) -- Fairfield Prep… going to Avon Old farms
5’7” Mike Reilly (#12 Red) -- Holy Angels
5’11” Dan Molenaar (#3 Gold) -- Eden Prairie HS
5’10” Connor Schmidt (#7 Royal) -- Detroit Little Caesar’s Under-16, a 10/93 birthdate
Our “B” Defensemen:
5’11” Joakim Ryan (#3 Grey) -- NJ Devils
6’1” Branden Fisher (#2 Royal) -- Alaska All-Stars Under-16
5’11” Matt Caito (#7 White) -- LA Selects… going to Salisbury School
6’1” Frank Schumacher (#7 Red) -- Victory Honda, a 10/93 birthdate
5’11” Tanner Mort (#2 Forest Green) -- Wenatchee Wild (NAHL)
5’11” J.D. Cotroneo (#4 Black) – Hill-Murray HS
5’11” Julian Ciocco (#5 Grey) -- Cushing Academy
Goaltenders:
6’3” Matt Mahalak (#30 Orange) – Culver Academy
6’1” Brendan Jensen (#1 Blue) -- LA Selects
6’1” Jay Williams (#1 White) -- Hotchkiss School
6’2” Peter Traber (#30 Grey) -- Shattuck Under-16
6’0” Josh Malecki (#30 Forest Green) -- Compuware Under-16
5’9” Bodi Engum (#30 Gold) -- Burnsville High
6’2” Christopher Eiserman (#1 Black) -- Newburyport (Mass.) HS
6’0” Jake Hildebrand (#30 Kelly Green) -- Pittsburgh Hornets
6’0” Kevin Venturoso (#1 Kelly Green) -- Bridgewater Bandits Jr. B
6/30/09
Paluch Takes USA Hockey Position
Scott Paluch, head coach at Bowling Green for the past seven seasons, has resigned to take a position as a regional manager with USA Hockey’s American Development Model.Paluch, 39, joins former Brown coach Roger Grillo and former Air Force assistant Joe Doyle as regional managers for the ADM. In addition, former UMass-Lowell and Babson assistant Kenny Rausch has been named USA Hockey’s youth program director.
As for Bowling Green, Dennis Williams, 29, who joined Paluch’s staff as an assistant a year ago, will serve as interim head coach for the ’09-10 season. The school will be looking to fill two assistants positions on Williams’ staff.
Williams, a Stratford, Ont. native, played at Bowling Green from ’97-’01 and was head coach at Div. III Neumann College from ’03-06, where he turned around a moribund program. Neumann won the Div. III national title this March.
Paluch, a Chicago native and a defenseman at Bowling Green in the ‘80s and a member of the ’86 US National Junior Team, was previously an assistant at Boston College from ‘94-’02.
We’re not exactly sure what all of this indicates about the future of Bowling Green’s hockey program, which in the spring was threatened by proposed budget cuts at the school.
6/30/09
U.S. Olympic Camp Roster Released
USA Hockey has released its 34-man roster for the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Orientation Camp, which will run from Mon. Aug. 17 through Wed. Aug. 19 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Ill.
This camp represents a real changing of the guard, as only five of the 34 players have previous Olympic experience: Mike Modano, who has been in three Olympics; Chris Drury and Brian Rafalski, who have each been in two; and Scott Gomez and Jamie Langenbrunner, who have each appeared on one Olympic team.
The XXI Olympic Winter Games to be held from Feb. 12-28, 2010, in Vancouver, B.C.
Of the 34 players invited to the camp, 25 played college hockey.
As for home states, 10 players are from Minnesota; Michigan and New York follow with six apiece; Wisconsin and Connecticut each send three players. A handful of states are sending one player apiece.
2009 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Orientation Camp Roster
Goaltenders: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas
Defensemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Ryan Whitney
Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.
Head coach: Ron Wilson. Assistant coaches: Scott Gordon and John Tortorella. GM: Brian Burke. Associate GM: David Poile.
Click here to download the roster.
6/27/09 updated
Leddy Tops 53 Americans Drafted
Eden Prairie High School defenseman Nick Leddy, taken with the 16th pick of the first round by the Minnesota Wild, was the top American chosen in this weekend’s NHL draft in Montreal.Fourteen of those players were selected in the first two rounds, including nine in the second round.
The 53 US players drafted came from 20 different states.
U.S. Drafted Players, June 26-27, 2009, Montreal, Que.
1/16 Minnesota -- Nick Leddy, D, Eden Prairie HS
1/19 NY Rangers -- Chris Kreider, F, Phillips Andover
1/21 Columbus -- John Moore, D, Chicago (USHL)
1/22 Vancouver -- Jordan Schroeder, F, Minnesota (NCAA)
1/26 Anaheim -- Kyle Palmieri, F, US Under-18
2/36 Phoenix -- Chris Brown, F, US Under-18
2/41 Nashville – Zach Budish, F, Edina HS
2/43 San Jose -- William Wrenn, D, US Under-18
2/44 Florida – Drew Shore, F, US Under-18
2/45 Atlanta -- Jeremy Morin, F, US Under-18
2/50 Toronto – Kenny Ryan, F, US Under-18
2/51 Carolina -- Brian Dumoulin, D, NH Jr. Monarchs (EJHL)
2/56 Columbus – Kevin Lynch, F, US Under-18
2/61 Pittsburgh -- Philip Samuelsson, D, Chicago (USHL)
3/63 Pittsburgh – Ben Hanowski, F, Little Falls HS
3/67 Florida -- Josh Birkholz, F, Fargo (USHL)
3/71 Edmonton – Troy Hesketh, D, Minnetonka HS
3/79 Montreal – Mac Bennett, D, Hotchkiss
3/80 NY Rangers – Ryan Bourque, F, US Under-18
3/89 Chicago – Dan Delisle, F, Totino Grace HS
3/91 Phoenix – Mike Lee, G, Fargo (USHL)
4/98 Nashville – Craig Smith, F, Waterloo (USHL)
4/99 Edmonton – Kyle Bigos, D, Vernon (BCHL)
4/100 Ottawa – Chris Wideman, D, Miami-Ohio (NCAA)
4/104 Buffalo – Marcus Foligno, F, Sudbury (OHL)
4/110 Nashville – Nick Oliver, F, Roseau HS
4/114 New Jersey -- Seth Helgeson, D, Sioux City (USHL)
4/116 Washington – Patrick Wey, D, Waterloo (USHL)
5/123 Pittsburgh – Alex Velischek, D, Delbarton
5/126 LA -- David Kolomatis, D, Owen Sound (OHL)
5/128 Toronto – Eric Knodel, D, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (AJHL)
5/134 Buffalo – Roo Adams, D, Malden Catholic HS
5/138 Florida -- Wade Megan, F, South Kent School
5/146 Ottawa – Jeff Costello, F, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
5/150 Detroit – Nick Jensen, D, Green Bay (USHL)
6/152 NY Islanders – Anders Lee, F, Edina HS
6/154 Colorado – Brandon Maxwell, G, US Under-18
6/158 Toronto – Jerry D’Amigo, F, US Under-18
6/164 Buffalo – Connor Knapp, G, Miami-Ohio (NCAA)
6/168 St. Louis – David Shields, D, Erie (OHL)
6/173 Vancouver – Joe Cannata, G, Merrimack (NCAA)
6/179 LA -- Brandon Kozun, F, Calgary (WHL)
6/180 Detroit – Mitchell Callahan, F, Kelowna (BCHL)
7/184 Colorado – Gus Young, D, Noble & Greenough
7/188 Toronto -- Barron Smith, D, Peterborough (OHL)
7/190 Ottawa – Brad Peltz, F, Avon Old Farms
7/191 Ottawa – Michael Sdao, D, Lincoln (USHL)
7/193 Minnesota – Anthony Hamburg, F, Dallas Stars Midget AAA
7/195 Chicago – Paul Phillips, D, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
7/198 LA – Nic Dowd, F, Wenatchee (NAHL)
7/199 Montreal – Mike Cichy, F, Indiana (USHL)
7/202 St. Louis – Max Tardy, D, Duluth East HS
7/203 Atlanta -- Jordan Samuels-Thomas, F, Waterloo (USHL)
Notes:
Shawinigan (QMJHL) 6'2" power forward Nick Petersen, picked in the fourth round by Pittsburgh, played prep hockey at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Maryland, notching 42 points in his senior season ('06-07) with the Little Hoyas. Petersen is a native of Wakefield, Que.
Former Northwood School forward Alex Chiasson, a native of Montreal, Que. who played for Des Moines (USHL) this season, was chosen in the second round by Dallas.
Phillips Exeter defenseman Tommy Larkin, who was born in London, England and raised in Italy, was drafted in the fifth round by Columbus.
Three European-born Shattuck-St. Mary’s players were drafted: forward Alexander Fallstrom, from Sweden, was drafted by Minnesota in the fourth round. Forward Eric Haula, from Finland, was also drafted by Minnesota, in the seventh round. Also drafted in the seventh round, by Tampa Bay, was defenseman Kirill Gotovets, from Belarus.
Former Holderness forward Steven Anthony, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia who played for Saint John (QMJHL) this past season, was drafted by Vancouver in the seventh round.
6/26/09
McCarthy a Cat
Former Boston College recruit Chris McCarthy has committed to the University of Vermont and will matriculate there in the fall.
On June 8th, McCarthy, a former Berkshire School and US Under-18 Team forward from Collegeville, PA, notified BC that he would not be coming there in the fall of ’10. Instead, he would decommit and would choose a school at which he could play right away.
McCarthy, a repeat sophomore when he enrolled at the Berkshire School in ’07-08, still has to get through the NCAA Clearinghouse. His academics are reported to be in order, so it is not expected to keep him from suiting up this fall.
A year ago, when McCarthy was being recruited after a stellar season at Berkshire, his final two choices were BC and Vermont, so he was already very familiar with the Catamounts program. Vermont wanted him then, and they want him now.
McCarthy is the second decommitted player in two weeks to sign on with Vermont, as Gunnery goaltender Alex Vazzano, previously committed to Union College, switched to Vermont on June 16th.
***
5’9”, 160 lb. Sioux City Musketeers RW Austin Mattson, a ’91 from Livonia, Michigan, has left the USHL and signed with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL).
Mattson, who, in consecutive seasons, went from bantams to the Motor City Chief (CSHL) to the Marquette Rangers (NAHL) to Sioux City, made a strong appearance in last September’s Fall Classic, and earned attention from a number of schools.
However, he had a slow start to the regular season, and, as of Jan. 15th, he had a total of two points (both goals). But he picked it up dramatically, and finished the season with a 12-16-28 line.
Mattson is a very good skater, and hard to handle one-on-one. He needs to work on his shot, but that will come in time. He would have made a nice college player for someone.
***
Speaking of the Plymouth Whalers, the OHL team has hired Donnie Harkins as its scouting director. Harkins, who worked as the Whalers US scout last season, was the GM of the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets for two seasons before that.
6/25/09
Destinations for Players – and Coaches
Four teams, comprised of players from Ontario, New York, and Ohio all interested in the prep and NCAA route, will be converging on New England this weekend, arriving on Sat. June 27and staying until Fri. July 3.
The teams will be facing off in a series of games in Newington, Conn. (Sun 6/28 and Mon. 6/29) and Salem, NH (Tues. 6/30, Wed. 7/1, and Thurs. 7/2). Games start at 9:00 a.m. every day.
The morning starts allow teams the chance to tour prep schools and colleges in the evening. Scheduled are visits to a pair of prep schools -- Berkshire and Avon Old Farms. And the following colleges: Quinnipiac, Yale, Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, UMass-Lowell, and the University of New Hampshire
Several players competing are bound for prep school this fall. They include:
-- Taft-bound Sean McGovern, a late ’93 center from the Halton Hurricanes AAA Minor Midget, has speed to burn, which allows him to break away from defenders and create a ton of open ice for his team. McGovern, who is 5’11” and 160 lbs., is also positionally strong, physical, competitive, and can both set up and finish. The Oshawa Generals drafted him in the eighth round; he would have gone much higher, but he had made his NCAA intentions clear in advance.
-- Gunnery-bound Jake Wood, a ’93 forward, also from the Halton Hurricanes AAA Minor Midget squad, is a 5’7”, 140 lb. whirling dervish. Skilled and fast, he’s very physical -- and strong for his size. Will finish his hits, and go hard into the corners. Good vision; great set-up guy.
-- Cushing-bound Eric Chevrier, a ’93-born 5’10”, 185 lb. defenseman from the Toronto Marlboros AAA Minor Midget squad, committed to UNH last spring. He’s a strong, physical, nasty, shut-down defenseman who can skate and make a hard, accurate first pass. Chevrier also controls the puck well, rarely turning it over. He was drafted by the Oshawa Generals in last month’s OHL draft.
Those are three that we know of that will be in prep school in the fall.
Others to keep an eye on:
5’11”, 180 lb. Aaron Pearce, a ’92 forward with the Georgetown Raiders (OPJHLP), was a second round draft pick of the Peterborough Petes in the 2008 OHL draft. With Georgetown he had 47 points in 49 games as a rookie, while playing well in all three zones. A leader on the ice, Pearce is captain material. He’s also an honor roll student. In ’07-08, he played for the powerhouse 1992 Toronto Marlboros AAA Minor Midget team.
5’8”, 165 lb. goaltender Michael Santaguida, a ’93 with the Mississauga Rebels AAA Minor Midget squad, was passed over in the OHL draft last month, but he can stop pucks. Very athletic, Santaguida can also handle the puck well. He is exploring New England prep school opportunities for next season.
6’0”, 165 lb. Michael Neville, a ’93 from the Toronto Young Nationals, is an excellent defensive forward who plays a strong physical game and doesn't turn away from the tough going. He finishes his hits and controls the puck well from the corner, creating offensive opportunities. Has vision and playmaking skills. Solid all-around player was drafted by Erie in the 3rd round of last month’s OHL draft.
5’9”, 160 lb. ’93 forward Jeff DiNallo, from the York Simcoe Express AAA Minor Midget squad, is an excellent all-around player who competes in all three zones. A top-notch passer, DiNallo exhibits vision and creativity. He also plays a physical game and, despite his size, goes hard into the corners. Was drafted in the 6th round of last month’s OHL draft by the Guelph Storm.
The tour has a website with a ton of info. Rosters, schedules, player profiles – everything you need. Here’s the link:
20/20 Elite New England Summer Tour
***
College recruiters interested in watching some top prep players facing off against college and pro players might want to get down to the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport, Conn., the home of the Endeavor League , a four-team summer league.
If you go on the right night you can see a ’93 like Michael Paliotta in action against a pro like Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jaime Sifers.
The games are Tuesday and Wednesday (one game each night) until August 19. Starting time is 8:00 p.m. The games consist of three, 16-minute, stop-time periods.
Former Taft teammates John Longo and Brad D’Arco will be running the show, and a number of prep coaches have expressed interest in getting behind the bench for a few games.
***
The U.S. College Hockey Advancement Camp that Merrimack head coach Mark Dennehy and Pomfret head coach Bruce Wolanin run at the Mullins Center at UMass isn’t exactly a showcase, which is a good thing because it runs from Sun. Aug. 16 – Wed. Aug. 19 – the exact dates of the Beantown Classic 60 miles to the east. This camp, now in its sixth year, is a place for players with NCAA aspirations to go and get coaching. Dennehy and Wolanin offer a 1:1 practice-to-game ratio and work hard to develop the players in the brief time they have, with practices that are intense, up-tempo, and come with significant teaching. A side benefit to this setup is the fact that the coaches get to know the players better. And it’s a distinguished group of gentlemen. Besides Dennehy and Wolanin, there’s Greg Brown (BC), Bob Prier (St. Lawrence), Jim Ward (Connecticut College), Darren Yopyk (Merrimack), Len Quesnelle (UMass), and Matt Dennehy (NH Monarchs). That’s a lot of hockey knowledge under one roof. And Yopyk might be the only Div. I coach with a Ph. D. It’s in psychology, which certainly has its hockey applications.
The camp’s web site is at www.uscha.net.
6/23/09
Gibson a Buckeye
6’3”, 175 lb. goaltender John Gibson, who will be entering the NTDP and playing for the Under-17 Team in the upcoming season, has committed to Ohio State for the fall of ’11.
Gibson, who played for the Pittsburgh Hornets organization, is a 7/14/93 birthdate.
6/23/09
Riley Takes Over at Groton
Bill Riley has been hired as the new head coach at the Groton School, taking over for Mike Mastrullo.
In May, Mastrullo took the head coaching position at his alma mater, Billerica High, where he was a standout defenseman before going on to play four years (’75-79) at Brown.
For Riley, 33, who has spent the last five seasons on Terry Meagher’s staff at Bowdoin, taking the Groton job is a chance to get back to Massachusetts, where he grew up in Chelmsford before heading off to Kimball Union and Colby.
Riley, who will be working in the admissions department at Groton, has had prep coaching experience, as he was behind the bench at New Hampton from ’03-05.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to the prep school world,” Riley said. “I’ve had a wonderful experience at Bowdoin. Terry Meagher has been great to me -- I’ve been all but totally running the recruiting. I’ll miss Bowdoin, but I’m also looking forward to coming back to Massachusetts. That’s where my family is, and now that I have a 14-month-old son being around family is important to my wife and I.”
Riley has high hopes for his Groton charges. “I am looking for guys who will play with each other and support each other. I want guys willing to go through the wall for the guy sitting next to them. If they do that, the winning will take care of itself.”
Riley is the son of longtime UMass-Lowell coach Bill Riley. Riley’s grandfather is Bill Riley Sr. who, along with brothers Jack and Joe Riley, were stars at Dartmouth in the 40’s. Jack Riley went on to coach Army for 36 years and was also the head coach of the ’60 U.S. Olympic Team that won gold at Squaw Valley, California. Current Army head coach Brian Riley and Columbus scout (and former Army coach) Rob Riley are Jack’s sons.
6/23/09
Coming Back to You, Omaha
According to informed sources, Mike Hastings will be leaving the University of Minnesota to join Dean Blais’ staff at UNO.Hastings replaces assistant Todd Jones, who was let go by Blais today.
A year ago, just a month after winning the Clark Cup, Hastings left Omaha, where he’d amassed a won-lost record of 529-210-56 over a span of 14 straight winning seasons with the Lancers, and joined the Gophers staff.
As Hastings is the face of Omaha hockey, this makes sense in a lot of ways. It adds to local interest in the Mavericks, but, more importantly, it positions Hastings as the heir apparent to the head job if and when Blais retires or returns to the pro game. Another thing to keep in mind: Blais is the head coach of the national junior team. It’s very difficult for a college coach to switch gears in December and take charge of the junior team. And it’s even more difficult for a coach who has just taken over a program and is trying to get it moving forward. Blais has a full plate, an overflowing plate, and it was imperative that he have a highly experienced hand.
In closing, I'm sure some of you have heard Waylon Jennings’ album Honky Tonk Heroes, which came out back when country music still had teeth. Anyway, you might recall the following verse from that album. It sure does fit.
Omaha you've been weighin' heavy on my mind
I guess I never really left at all
I'm turnin' all those roads I walked around the other way
Coming back to you, Omaha
6/22/09 Houser Has a Home
Houser, a 9/13/92 birthdate from Wexford, Michigan, joined Des Moines from the Little Caesar’s organization late last fall, as the club was experiencing problems in goal – and in all defensive matters. Houser wound up facing a lot of rubber in a lot of games, finishing the season with a 4.02 gaa and a .902 save percentage in 32 games played.
***
USHL Coaching News
In USHL coaching news, the Fargo Force have filled the vacancy created when Dean Blais took the Nebraska-Omaha job with a familiar face -- Steve Johnson.
Johnson, who has 12 years head coaching experience in the USHL, and was USHL Coach of the Year three times with the Lincoln Stars (where he amassed a 406-188-47 record), is a Grand Forks, ND native who starred for the University of North Dakota in the late ‘80s, winning an NCAA title with the Fighting Sioux in 1987.
His younger brother, Chad, was an assistant on Blais’ staff last winter, as was former North Dakota defenseman Jason Herter. Johnson said he hopes to keep both on his staff.
-- Sioux City Musketeers GM/head coach Todd Knott has been hired as an assistant on Troy Jutting’s staff at Mankato State (WCHAP).
Knott, who played his college hockey at Bemidji State, was with Sioux City for just one season. Prior to that he was an associate head coach on Regg Simon’s staff at Des Moines.
6/22/09
Quinn Heads West – as AHL Head Coach
David Quinn, for the last five seasons the associate head coach at Boston University, was introduced today as the new head coach of the Cleveland-based Lake Erie Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.Quinn takes over from former BU forward Joe Sacco who, after two years as the Monsters’ head coach, was hired June 4 as head coach of the Avalanche.
At a press conference in Cleveland today, Quinn said, “I’m flattered and honored and it was really an easy decision to accept this position.”
Quinn, by being tapped by the Avalanche, joins an organization that has a track record of moving their coaches up, meaning an NHL job could be a distinct possibility if Quinn has success in the AHL. At the same time, serving as head coach in the AHL will give Quinn a leg up should a choice college job – BU, to name the most obvious example – were to open up.
We caught up to Quinn a few hours ago, as he was heading to the airport to catch an evening flight back to Boston. We asked him if getting back to college hockey via pro hockey was in his thoughts when he accepted his new position.
“No,” he said. “I took the job because it's a great opportunity to be a head coach. It adds diversity to my resume and will open doors for me because it’s a different experience. But it doesn’t preclude my coming back (to the college game). I didn’t take this position thinking about either pro or college,”
Quinn said he and BU head coach Jack Parker talked over the offer. “He and I both agreed that there is not much downside.”
“I’m 42,” Quinn added. “I’m not getting any younger.”
Concerning the college game, Quinn said, “You can always come back.” He pointed to Northeastern’s Greg Cronin and Northern Michigan’s Walt Kyle as current college coaches who had coached in the AHL.
As for the BU job, Quinn simply said, “Everybody talks about Jack retiring, but he’s still having fun coaching. He’s taking it year by year.”
Quinn said his hiring by Lake Erie “happened fast.”
”I had my first conversation with them on Wednesday afternoon,” he said. “On Thursday (Colorado GM) Greg Sherman offered me the job. And I accepted it on Friday.”
Quinn said it “didn’t hurt” that Sacco preceded him behind the Lake Erie bench. For the record, Quinn and Sacco never actually played together at BU. “Joe was a freshman when I was a senior and coaching the JV team,” Quinn said.
“It also didn’t hurt that we had three Colorado draft picks on the BU roster – Yip, Shattenkirk, and (Colby) Cohen – so I already had a good relationship with (asst GM) Craig Billington.”
”I’m very excited about being a head coach again,” Quinn said. “It will be nice just coaching. The recruiting and travel can wear on you.”
Asked what he’d miss, Quinn said, “My life with Jack and Bavo. It’s been great. And we had a special end to a special year.”
Quinn, a Cranston, RI native, was a star defenseman at the Kent School who arrived at Boston University in the fall of ’84, just months after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft by the Minnesota North Stars. After three seasons at BU, Quinn took a year off to play for the U.S. Olympic Team but during the team’s fall exhibition tour was diagnosed with Christmas Disease, a rare disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly. Quinn, forced to retire from hockey, returned to BU, coached the JV team, and graduated from college. Later, with the help of a then-new medication, Quinn attempted a comeback and wound up playing two years of minor pro hockey, including one in Cleveland. But he’d missed several years of development, and never fully got his game back. After hanging up the skates, he got into coaching, first as an assistant on Ben Smith’s staff at Northeastern, and then on Mike Kemp’s staff at Nebraska-Omaha, where they were starting from scratch. After six years in Omaha, Quinn coached in the NTDP for two years before returning to his alma mater for the ’04-05 season.
Asked if he had an idea as to who might take over for him at BU, something sure to be a hot topic over the summer, Quinn said, “I took this on Friday. Bavo was out of town. So the three of us haven’t really had a chance to sit down and talk about that in any depth yet.”
6/16/09
That was Fast!
Gunnery goaltender Alex Vazzano, who decommitted from Union College last week, has committed to the University of Vermont this week.
He will matriculate there in either the fall of ’10 or ’11.
Vazzano, who will be a senior in the upcoming season, was highly ranked on the final Central Scouting Service rankings, coming in at #6 among all North American goaltenders eligible for this month’s NHL draft. He was drafted by Waterloo in the May USHL draft.
Vazzano, a Trumbull, Conn. native, is the younger brother of Vermont backup goalie John Vazzano.
6/16/09
Another Delbarton Player to Div. I
5’9”, 170 lb. Delbarton forward Michael Ambrosia has committed to Princeton for 2012.Ambrosia, a ’92 birthdate, will be a senior next season for Delbarton, which went 27-2-1 and won the New Jersey Non-Public Championship, blanking Christian Brothers Academy, 7-0, in March.
Ambrosia becomes the fourth player off that team to commit to a Div. I NCAA program. Preceding him were defenseman Alex Velischek (Providence, fall ’09), and forwards Charles Orzetti (Yale, ‘11) and Kenny Agostino (Yale, ’11 or ’12). In addition, the ’08-09 Delbarton squad, the best New Jersey high school/prep team we can remember seeing, could send a fifth player to the Div. I college ranks, as forward Michael Pirovano also has talent.
A native of Chatham, NJ, Ambrosia is a left shot playing the off wing. His coach, Bruce Shatel, describes him as “an intense kid who practices hard and has an edge to his play.”
“He has a real knack for burying the puck, Shatel adds. “He can shoot it on the fly and has a quick release. He’s lethal from 25 feet in. He has a great knack for getting open. He and Kenny (Agostino) really complement each other.”
Ambrosia -- wasn't ambrosia the food of the gods in Greek mythology? -- will be the first Delbarton alum to play for Princeton since George Parros earlier in the decade.
Delbarton, which had an easy time this past season beating Catholic Memorial and a couple of Rhode Island high schools a December road trip, also played and beat Hotchkiss (sans Mac Bennett) by a 4-2 score on Jan. 6.
Delbarton, which will take part in the pre-season showcase at Yale on Sun. Nov. 22, is also keeping an eye on a tournament that the Tampa Bay Lightning are hoping to host, possibly in January. The tournament would feature Delbarton and Catholic Memorial and a couple top high schools from Minnesota – possibly Edina and Hill-Murray.
But Shatel, a Deerfield alum, is also looking for more matchups with New England prep schools. “We would love for this group of kids to get some games with New England Div. I prep schools. If there are any schools that want to play us, we’ll play.”
6/15/09
U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Roster
USA Hockey has announced its roster for this summer’s U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, which will be held in Lake Placid, NY Aug. 7-15.
The team features players from 18 states. Included on the roster are four returnees from last winter’s National Junior Team: forwards Tyler Johnson, Danny Kristo, Jordan Schroeder, and Mitch Wahl.
Twelve players played last winter in the NTDP; 12 played in college; nine played major junior; seven played in the USHL; and three played in high school.
This winter’s IIHF World Junior Championship will be held Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010 in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan.
Goaltenders (4):
Jack Campbell ’92 (Port Huron, Mich./U.S. Under-17)
Connor Knapp ’90 (York, N.Y./Miami – NCAA)
Mike Lee ’90 (Roseau, Minn./Fargo -- USHL)
Brandon Maxwell ’91 (Winter Park, Fla./U.S. Under-18)
Defensemen (15):
John Carlson ’90 (Colonia, N.J./London -- OHL)
Adam Comrie ’90 (Ashburn, Va./Saginaw Spirit -- OHL)
Matt Donovan ’90 (Edmond, Okla./Cedar Rapids -- USHL)
Cam Fowler ’91 (Farmington Hills, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Jake Gardiner ’90 (Minnetonka, Minn./Wisconsin -- NCAA)
Nick Leddy ’91 (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS)
Sean Lorenz ’90 (Littleton, Colo./Notre Dame – NCAA)
John Moore ‘90 (Winnetka, Ill./Chicago -- USHL)
Aaron Ness ‘90 (Roseau, Minn./Minnesota – NCAA)
Philip Samuelsson ‘91(Scottsdale, Ariz./Chicago -- USHL)
Beau Schmitz ‘91(Howell, Mich./Plymouth -- OHL)
David Warsofsky ’90 (Marshfield, Mass./Boston University -- NCAA)
Patrick Wey ’91 (Pittsburgh, Pa./Waterloo -- USHL)
Chris Wideman ’90 (St. Louis, Mo./Miami – NCAA)
William Wrenn ’91 (Anchorage, Ak/U.S. Under-18)
Forwards (24):
Ryan Bourque ’91 (Boxford, Mass./U.S. Under-18)
Zach Budish ’91 (Edina, Minn./Edina HS)
Mike Cichy ’90 (New Hartford, Conn./Indiana -- USHL)
Robbie Czarnik ’90 (Washington, Mich./Michigan – NCAA)
|Jerry D’Amigo ’91 (Binghamton, N.Y./U.S. Under-18)
Justin Florek ’90 (Marquette, Mich./Northern Michigan – NCAA)
AJ Jenks ’90 (Wolverine Lake, Mich./Plymouth -- OHL)
Tyler Johnson ’90 (Spokane, Wash./Spokane -- WHL)
Chris Kreider ’91 (Boxford, Mass./Phillips Andover)
Danny Kristo ’90 (Eden Prairie, Minn./Omaha -- USHL)
Kevin Lynch ’91 (Grosse Pointe, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Tyler Maxwell ’91 (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Everett -- WHL)
Philip McRae ’90 (Chesterfield, Mo./London -- OHL)
Jeremy Morin ’91 (Auburn, N.Y./U.S. Under-18)
Kyle Palmieri ’91(Montvale, N.J./U.S. Under-18)
Kenny Ryan ’91 (Franklin Village, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Vinny Saponari ’90 (Powder Springs, Ga./Boston University – NCAA)
Jordan Schroeder ’90 (Prior Lake, Minn./Minnesota –NCAA)
Drew Shore ’91 (Denver, Colo./U.S. Under-18)
Derek Stepan ’90 (Hastings, Minn./Wisconsin – NCAA)
A.J. Treais ’91 (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Mitch Wahl ’90 (Seal Beach, Calif./Spokane --WHL)
David Wohlberg ’90 (South Lyon, Mich./Michigan – NCAA)
Andrew Yogan ’91 (Boca Raton, Fla./Erie – OHL)
Team Staff:
Head Coach: Dean Blais Assistant Coaches: John Hynes, Mark Osiecki, Joe Exter. General Manager: Jim Johannson. Director of Player Personnel: Tim Taylor. Video Coach: Jay Varady. Camp Coaches: Tony Granato, Mark Carlson.
2009 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Schedule
Aug 7-15 - Lake Placid, N.Y.
Fri. 8/7 USA Blue vs. USA White, 7:00 pm
Sat. 8/8 USA Blue vs. USA White, 7:00 pm
Sun. 8/9 USA Blue vs. USA White, 4:00 pm
Tues. 8/11 USA vs. Russia, 6:00 pm
Wed. 8/12 Russia vs. USA, 6:00 pm
Fri.. 8/14 USA vs. Russia, 7:00 pm
Sat. 8/15 USA vs. Russia, 5:00 pm
6/12/09
Blais Back in College Ranks
The University of Nebraska-Omaha named Dean Blais head coach today.Blais, who left the University of North Dakota in 2004 for the Columbus Blue Jackets, led the expansion Fargo Force to the USHL finals this past season.
Blais was recently named the head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team, so he has a bit on his plate.
Other candidates reported to be in the hunt for the job included Boston University assistant David Quinn, Minnesota assistant Mike Hastings, Minnesota-Duluth assistant Steve Rohlik, and Indiana Ice (USHL) head coach Jeff Blashill.
Blais, 58, replaces Mike Kemp, the first and only coach the Maverick’s have ever had.
6/12/09
Will Brown Break the Barrier?
Brown University has internally posted the head men’s hockey coach’s position vacated by Roger Grillo – and, according to sources at the school, Brown women’s coach Digit Murphy has applied for the position.If Murphy were to get the job, she would become the first woman to coach a men’s college program.
Generally, positions are open internally for 2-3 weeks before being posted for the public. What that means is that, if no one suitable can be found in-house during that time frame, the school can look outside.
Concurrently, it’s reported that Brown recently implemented a temporary hiring freeze.
A 1983 graduate of Cornell, where she captained the hockey team, Murphy has coached Brown for 20 years and has amassed a 313-199-49 record. She is the winningest coach in the Div. I women’s hockey history.
Murphy, a mother of four, created a minor stir a few years ago when she left her husband, came out of the closet, and moved in with her girlfriend.
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Brown recruit Rich Crowley of Canton, Mass. and the U.S. Under-18 Team is considering decommitting from Brown and attending McGill while playing for Drummondville (QMJHL). The assistant coach at Drummondville is Danny Brooks, who had recruited Crowley to Brown two years ago.
Drummondville, by the way, had a remarkable season, going from last to first – an unprecedented 79-point turnaround in the standings – and reached the Memorial Cup semifinals, where they bowed to the Windsor Spitfires.
Brooks, who enjoyed his first year in Quebec, is on the staff of Guy Boucher who, in the wake of the big turnaround, is a very hot prospect in coaching circles. Boucher’s name has come up in connection with several AHL jobs.
6/11/09
So You Want to Be a Prep School Hockey Coach?
Today’s Burlington Free Press is reporting that the parent of a Vermont Academy forward attacked his son’s coach, Matt Jones, at a graduation party on the school’s Saxton’s River, Vt. campus on Sunday May 24th.The Free Press is reporting that the father in question, James Scoggin, 47, of Birmingham, Michigan, got into a verbal altercation at the party with Jones, and attempted to punch him but was unsuccessful. Scoggin was restrained by several people at the party.
When Jones, a four-year goaltender at Hamilton College, left the party and started walking home, Scoggin and his wife also left. At that time, according to Saxton’s River police, Scoggin caught up with his son’s 27-year-old coach in a school parking lot, and attacked him from behind. Jones suffered cuts to his face and a knee after Scoggin hit him in the head several times and threw him to the ground.
Scoggin was cited to appear in Vermont District Court in Brattleboro on June 30.
Scoggin’s son, Travis Scoggin, a 5’11” PG forward from Birmingham, Michigan, was Vermont Academy’s 11th leading scorer this past season with a 3-2-5 line.
A Google search for a James Scoggin in Birmingham, Michigan came up with one name, that of the founding principal of Great Lakes Employee Benefit Services in Troy, Michigan.
By the way, this qualifies as major crime news in Saxton’s River, a quintessential New England village of about 500. We’ve been there, and can tell you that it is a very quiet place. They might be talking about Mr. Scoggin’s visit to town for a long time to come.
6/10/09
Ebert Makes Statement at Liberty Bell Games
The buzz out of the 1st Annual Liberty Bell Games in Colmar, PA over the weekend was 6’1”, 185 lb. ’94 defenseman Nick Ebert, a high-end prospect who projects to be a high pick at the 2010 OHL draft. “He’ll go in the top five picks or I will be shocked,” said an NHL scout on hand. “I don’t know if there are many ’92 defensemen as good as he is right now.” Ebert, who just turned 15 a month ago, can move the puck, is physical, and can skate like the wind. He swung the net and took it end to end whenever he wished. Ebert, who is represented by Don Meehan at Newport Sports, is a less-than-stellar student, so is expected to go major junior. He’s also reported to be an excellent baseball player – in other words, he’s an athlete. He played for former Hotchkiss and Providence College forward JJ Picinic on the North Jersey Avalanche last winter. Despite his youth, Ebert would have no problem should he decide to play in the EJHL in the upcoming season.Two other defensemen who stood out were ‘93s Nick Malysa and Julian Ciocco.
Malysa, who is 6’0”, 195 lbs. and played last winter for the Avalanche, is a smart, poised player with good hockey sense and puck moving skills. He’s a smooth skater who is good positionally and excellent in transition. Was drafted by the Plymouth Whalers in last month’s OHL draft, and was selected #4 overall by Des Moines in the USHL Futures Draft.
Ciocco, who is 5’11” and 200 lbs., is a hard-nosed, tough, physical d-man with offensive skills who played last winter for Cushing Academy, but recently signed with Guelph (OHL). Was solid in all three zones. An Atco, NJ native, he’s the brother of former UNH forward Josh Ciocco, now a player agent.
The consensus top forward at the tournament was Team Comcast center Eric Neiley, a ’92 with great finish – he was snapping pucks up under the crossbar like he does it in his sleep. Neiley, who is 5’11” and 180 lbs., led the tournament in scoring with a 9-4-13 line in four games. He was drafted by Kingston in the 2008 OHL draft.
There were other forwards of note:
6’2”, 175 lb. Team Comcast Under-16 RW Andrew Tegeler, a ’92 birthdate, stood out as a power forward to keep an eye on. He was good with the puck, strong along the wall, skated well, and took it to the net.
Patrick Thompson, a late ’93 center from the Hatfield Ice Dogs Midget AA program, put himself on the map here. He’s 6’1’, 180 lbs., and a smooth skater with good puck skills.
6’3”, 205 lb. Tyler Rehm, a big ’93 power forward from King of Prussia, PA and the Philly Jr. Flyers, drew attention as well. A left wing, Rehm was a 7th round pick of Brampton in last month’s OHL draft.
Forward John Gaudreau of Team Comcast Under-16 deserves mention. Gaudreau, whose father Guy played for Toot Cahoon at Norwich back in the late 70’s, is a ’93 birthdate and tiny – really tiny, as in just a bit over five feet and a hundred pounds. But he was speedy and productive, posting a 6-4-10 line in four games and exhibiting finesse, skill, and awareness.
The top ’94 forward was 6’1”, 170 lb. Mark Petaccio, a rangy right wing from Team Comcast and St. Augustine Prep. Petaccio, a power forward in the making, has a sturdy wide-based style, can shoot it, and take it to the net.
Our top goalie was Gabe Antoni, a ’92 from Team Comcast. Antoni will be going to prep school this fall, at Salisbury.
Garrett Nesbitt, a ’92 from the Philly Jr. Flyers, also had a good weekend.
The tournament was the brainchild of Lew Mongelluzzo, a Lansdale, PA native and Ottawa Senators scout. The tournament, limited to Philadelphia/New Jersey area kids from the ’92-93-94 birth years, was well attended, particularly by prep schools who have been mining the Atlantic District for years. A number of colleges, NHL teams, Jr. A and major junior teams were there as well.
6/9/09
A Few More Tournaments
Here are a few more tournaments to add to the list we published the other day.
The annual Road to College Tournament, run by former Harvard goaltender Chuckie Hughes and former BU forward (and current Dexter coach) Dan Donato, will take place Fri.-Sun. June 19-21 at Milton Academy. Among those on hand will be New England players Branden Komm (NMH G), Jonathon Mleczko (Milton D), Jake Goldberg (Berkshire F), Max Fenkell (Exeter G), Brandon Russo (Salisbury D), Matt Harlow (Nobles F), Tommy O’Regan (St. Sebastian’s F), Thomas Freyre (Taft D), and Jack Barre (Salisbury F). Minnesota high school players will include Michael Sit (Edina F), Andrew Prochno (Minnetonka D), David Jarrett (Edina D), and Jimmy Kruger (Minnetonka G). Ontario players include Zach Shapiro (Toronto Jr. Canadians D) and Mark McGowan (Georgetown Raiders F). Coaches will include Dan Driscoll, Rob Gagnon, Steve Dagdigian, Bruce Wolanin, Larry Rooney, and Mike Doneghy.
On Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th, the games will run from 2 pm – 7 pm. On Sunday the 21st, they will run from 11 am - 4 pm.
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The Hub City Fall Junior Showcase will take place on Fri.-Sat. Sept. 11-12 at the Bridgewater Ice Arena in Bridgewater, Mass.
Teams are: Bridgewater Bandits (EJHL), Bay State Breakers (EJHL), South Shore Kings (EJHL), Portland Jr. Pirates (AJHL), NJ Rockets (AJHL), Walpole Express (AJHL), Northern Mass. Cyclones (AJHL), Rice Memorial HS Midget AAA, Boston Advantage Midget AAA, Boston Jr. Rangers Midget AAA, and Team Maryland Midget AAA
***
On Fri.-Sun. Dec. 11-13, the Boston Advantage will host a Tier I Elite Hockey Showcase at the Pilgrim Arena in Hingham, Mass. Games will run all day Friday and Saturday, and half the day on Sunday. Teams from the Tier I East Region (Boston Advantage, Pittsburgh Hornets, Buffalo Regals, Team Comcast, and Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) will face off against teams from the Chicago Region (Chicago Fury, Chicago Mission, C.Y.A., Team Illinois, and the Madison Capitals).
6/8/09
Yale Tournament Showcases Diverse Group
Yale University will be hosting a prep tournament on Sun. Nov. 22.
There are ten prep teams committed, and a diverse group it is, with Cushing, Berkshire, South Kent, Milton, Delbarton, Gunnery, Northwood, Rice Memorial, Dexter, and Northfield-Mt. Hermon all signed on.
(Perhaps we should say nine prep programs, since Rice Memorial is technically a midget program.)
The field could expand to 12 teams, as there is a chance an EJHL game – between opponents to be determined -- could be added as a nightcap, bringing the total number of games on the day to six.
All games will be played at Yale’s Ingalls Rink. Note that Nov. 22 is the Sunday before Thanksgiving, which falls on the 26th this year.
6/8/09
Vazzano Decommits
Gunnery junior goaltender Alex Vazzano has decommitted from Union College, where he was to have matriculated in the fall of ’10.Vazzano, who will be a senior in the upcoming season, was highly ranked on the final Central Scouting Service rankings, coming in at #6 among all North American goaltenders eligible for this month’s NHL draft. He was drafted by Waterloo in the May USHL draft.
Look for Vazzano, a Trumbull, Conn. native and the younger brother of Vermont backup goalie John Vazzano, to be picked up by another school before long.
Union has Keith Kinkaid, who would have provided stiff competition for Vazzano, coming in this fall. Kinkaid, a 6’2” former NY Bobcat (AJHL) from Long Island, posted a 1.78 gaa and a .935 save percentage for the St. Louis Bandits (NAHL) in 40 regular season games. In the playoffs, Kinkaid did even better, playing 12 games and posting a 1.15 gaa and a .951 save percentage while leading St. Louis to its third straight Robertson Cup. Kinkaid was named tournament MVP.
6/8/09
Kreider Gets the Green Light
Phillips Andover forward Chris Kreider has been given the green light by Masconomet High School and, after taking – and passing -- a summer course at the high school, will be awarded his high school diploma.He will enroll at Boston College this fall.
6/7/09
Back in Town
Former Harvard assistant coach Bobby Jay has signed on for his second tour of duty with the Crimson.Jay takes the assistant's spot vacated by Sean McCann, who was recently hired as the new head coach at St. Sebastian’s School.
Jay was previously an assistant coach at Harvard from 2004-07, the first three years of the Ted Donato era.
A 43-year-old native of Burlington, Mass., Jay played defense for Burlington High and the Canterbury School before going on to Merrimack where he was captain of the Merrimack team that went on to the 1988 Div. II NCAA championship.
Jay’s pro career was mostly spent in the IHL, though he did get into three games with the Los Angeles Kings during the ’93-94 season.
Donato, late in his career, played for Jay, who at the time was an assistant coach for the New Hampshire Monarchs (AHL). After Manchester, Jay was GM at San Antonio (AHL) before coming to Harvard in August of 2004.
In the two seasons since leaving Harvard, Jay has been in private business.
6/5/09
Tournament Schedule
Going on this weekend – June 5-7 -- are the Liberty Bell Games at the Hatfield Ice Center; Colmar, PA. Run by Ottawa scout Lew Mongelluzzo, the five-team tournament features top ’92-’93-’94 birthdates from the Mid-Atlantic region. Nick Ebert of the NJ Avalanche, who could be the top ’94 d-man in the country, will be on hand. ’94 Comcast goalie Eamon MacAdam will also be competing. Top ‘93s, like Julian Ciocco, who just signed with Guelph, and Comcast’s Nick Malysa will be there as well. Ditto for ’92 Comcast forward Eric Neiley and ’92 goalie Gabe Antoni. The latter will be playing at Salisbury in the fall.And, looking ahead, here are a batch of tournaments to add to your calendar.
-- July 9-12 ’93-94 Chowder Cup at Foxboro and Walpole, Mass.
-- July 17-19 New Hampshire Monarchs Tournament at Hooksett, NH. Eight teams will be on hand, five of which will be Monarchs teams, along with the Junior Bruins, Jersey Hitmen, and a Mid-Atlantic All-Star team.
-- July 23-26 Chowder Cup at four rinks, primarily Foxboro and Walpole.
-- July 24-26 EJHL Summer Showcase at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass. 28-36 teams will be on hand this year.
-- July 26-Aug. 2 Hockey Night in Boston. Haverhill, Mass. To celebrate the tourney’s 35th year, tourney director Lance LoFaro is offering something different this year in the form of an elite five-team 20-and-Under division. Junior teams from Sweden and Finland are coming in, along with teams coached by, respectively, Mike Addesa, Sean Tremblay, and Peter Masters. Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston will play a role in bringing over the players from Europe.
-- July 30-August 2 Beantown Summer Tour. Exeter and Durham, NH. It’s expanding from five teams to ten teams this summer. Look for squads from Calgary, Vancouver, Detroit, Ontario, Boston, Minnesota, Buffalo, Philadelphia, NY/Connecticut, and Chicago. This is mainly a ’93 tournament, though each team may also roster up to five ‘92s and five ‘94s.
-- August 16-19 Beantown Classic New England Sports Center. Marlborough, Mass. There will be eight teams in the Pro Division (’89-92) and six in the Futures Division (’92-94). There will also be four ’95 teams that will play each other. The women’s Beantown Classic (six teams) also returns this year.
-- Sept. 11-13 Woodchuck Tournament. Burlington, Vt.
-- Sept. 18-20 Hitmen Showcase. Wayne, NJ
-- Sept. 18-20 Philadelphia Showcase at the Iceline Ice Rink in West Chester, PA This will be a 56 to 64 team showcase featuring all 12 AJHL teams, 26 MET League teams, 10 teams from the National Elite Tier I Midget 18 League, and the top eight Atlantic Youth Hockey League AAA 16U National teams. (The Tier I midget teams coming in are: Belle Tire, Honeybaked, Little Caesar's, Victory Honda, Compuware, Boston Advantage, Buffalo Regals, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, Pittsburgh Hornets and Team Comcast.)
-- Sept. 25-27 Junior Bruins Shootout at the New England Sports Center, Marlborough, Mass.
-- October 16-18 NH Monarchs Tournament. Hooksett, NH.
-- October 22-25 Fall Beantown Classic at Exeter, NH, Governor’s Academy, and UNH.
-- Nov. 12-15 Valley Warrior Tournament at Haverhill and Lawrence, Mass.
-- Dec. 11-13 Huskies Showcase at Fitchburg (Mass.) Civic Center
-- Dec. 17-20 Prep School Tournaments. Note that the Exeter Tournament will start on Friday this year (not the traditional Thursday start).
-- Jan. 7-10, 2010 EJHL Showcase at New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.
-- Jan. 18 (MLK Day) EJHL All-Star Game Hooksett, NH
-- EJHL Playoffs: Quarterfinals are Feb. 27-28. Semis are March 6-7, and finals are March-13-14-15.
-- March 17-19 Spring Beantown Classic at New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.
6/6/09
Today's QMJHL Draft Results
Ten U.S. players – all ‘92s -- were taken in today’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft. All were ‘92s. (U.S.- born ’93 birthdates, who can only be taken in the first five rounds, were totally passed over.)Here are the players selected:
Rd. 7 (#124 overall) Lewiston – Derek Henderson, D, Tabor
Rd. 8 (#129 overall) Lewiston – Tyler Piercy, G, North Yarmouth Academy
Rd. 8 (#137 overall) Montreal – Michael Novella, D, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack
Rd. 8 (#142 overall) Moncton -- Brian Billett, G, NH Jr. Monarchs
Rd. 11 (#183 overall) Lewiston – Connor Brickley, F, Belmont Hill
Rd. 11 (#191 overall) Gatineau – Billy Arnold, F, Noble & Greenough
Rd. 11 (#195 overall) Moncton – Brandon McNally, F, Belmont Hill
Rd. 11 (#196 overall) Drumondville – Nathan Hardiman, F, Xaverian
Rd. 12 (#206 overall) Montreal – Christian Kader, D, New Hampton
Rd. 12 (#208 overall) Rimouski – Kevin Hayes, F, Noble & Greenough
In addition, one Canadian playing at a U.S. prep school was selected: ’92 defenseman Marc-Antoine Carrier, who was taken in the 12th round (#205 overall).
6/5/09
Mitchell Decommits
5’11”, 155 lb. RW Zach Mitchell, a Harvard University 2011 recruit who would have been a new junior at the Westminster School this fall, has decommitted – to both schools. Mitchell, a Caledon, Ontario native and a ’93 birthdate, has instead signed with the Guelph Storm, the team that drafted him four weeks ago in the OHL draft.
Mitchell played on the OHL Cup champions Toronto Marlies Midget Minor squad this past season, scoring 90 points in 77 games.
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Ciocco Going Major Junior
Cushing Academy sophomore defenseman Julian Ciocco, drafted last month by the Guelph Storm, has signed with the team.
Ciocco, who is 5’11”, 190 lbs., is a 5/5/93 birthdate from Atco, NJ. He was the leading scorer among defensemen at last summer’s Select 15 Festival in St. Cloud, Minn. He is also the younger brother of former UNH forward – and now player agent – Josh Ciocco.
5/31/09
Grillo Makes it Official
Today, 12-year Brown head coach Roger Grillo notified his captains that he will not be returning to coach Brown in the fall.Grillo will be accepting one of the USA Hockey High Performance Program jobs, which come with a three-year contract.
A 43-year-old from Apple Valley, Minn. and a 1986 University of Maine graduate, Grillo was an assistant at Vermont for five years before taking over the Brown job in 1997.
Grillo’s final record at Brown was 125-228-57. He had three winning seasons and nine losing seasons. The winning seasons -- from 2002-05 -- featured Yann Danis for the first two seasons and Adam D’Alba (who would retire after his sophomore season) for the third season. The past two campaigns have been particularly tough ones at Meehan Auditorium, as Brown has gone 6-21-4 and 5-23-5. It was said that the back-to-back shutouts Mike Clemente posted at Harvard in the first round of the ECAC playoffs may have saved his coach’s job, but in the end it wasn’t enough.
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Elmira College has a new head coach in Aaron Saul, an alum. Saul replaces Tim Ceglarski, who resigned in April.
