2012 Eligibles in the Memorial Cup

The 2012 Mastercard Memorial Cup begins on Friday night and while it is definitely about crowning a national champion, the tournament is also the last on ice chance some players have to showcase themselves before the NHL Draft. 

Three teams have players of note that scouts will still be keying on to see how they perform on the CHL's biggest stage. 

Here's a look at the guys ranked by NHL Central Scouting and International Scouting Services.

ISS May 2012 Draft Rankings

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International Scouting Services unveils their monthly rankings in the middle of each month. You can hear head scout Ross MacLean every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show during the ISS Draft Countdown segment. His next appearance is scheduled for this weekend.

Below are the March rankings for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Wheat Kings part ways with Clouston: Updated

The Brandon Wheat Kings will have a new head coach next season as Cory Clouston was let go today, with a year remaining on his two year contract.  While some reports (including this one yesterday) had Clouston getting paid by the Senators last year, Wheat Kings G.M. Kelly McCrimmon corrected us.  Clouston was promoted from Binghamton, then was hired by the Senators.  He was fired after his 2 year contract expired.

The masked men of the Mastercard Memorial Cup

For me it's the hardest trophy in hockey to win.  Not only do you have to grind through 4 rounds in your own league, but then face at minimum 2 teams from a different league to become Memorial Cup Champions.  That means goaltenders not only getting used to new shooters, but a whole new style of skill.  Here's a look at the pipe men you will see starting Friday.

Kings Take WHL Crown

The Edmonton Oil Kings saved their best game for last as they topped the Portland Winterhawks 4-1 on their way to capturing their first WHL championship in modern history.

Led by their veterans and leadership group, the Oil Kings controlled play almost from start to finish as they defeated the Winterhawks in a thrilling conclusion to the epic 7-game series in front of a record playoff crowd at Rexall Place. 

Does it get any better then game 7?

The Oil Kings had a chance to close things out in Portland tonight but the Winterhawks were relentless and in the end, forced Laurent Brossoit to say Uncle on a knuckle puck shot from Oliver Gabriel, who just happens to have grown up in Edmonton.

2012 Draft Blog: Mike Matheson Pt.4

Michael Matheson is a native of Quebec who just finished playing his rookie season in the USHL for the defending champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. His first blog entry here with us was made public back on October 3rd and gave readers a sense of where he's come from and what has led to the position he is in today. He continued his 2011-12 story with chapter 2 at the end of November. The blueliner added a third entry in mid-February.

Here now is the fourth chapter in the 2012 Guest Player Blog written by defenceman Mike Matheson.

WHL Coaching Rumours

As the Oil Kings and Portland Winterhawks were getting set to do battle in game 2 of the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, the rumour mill was ramping up with some possible coaching moves.

Kings take game one and take out Ty Rattie

Edmonton slipped past Portland 3-2 at Rexall Place Thursday night in a game that had many twists and turns.

WHL Final Should Be a Classic

The WHL Final begins tonight at Rexall Place in Edmonton and has the makings of a fantastic series. The two teams are similar in some ways but the amount of sidebar stories have added to the intrigue of the match up as fans await to see how things play out. 

We'll discuss a variety of those things after the jump.

2012 WHL Bantam Draft: Top 22

We've ranked the forwards the dmen and the top 10 goaltenders and now it's time to wrap it all together. After the jump, check out our panel of scouts top 22 heading into this year's draft. As always remember that this isn't personal and if your 'player' isn't on our list doesn't mean he's not on someone else's. Enjoy.

Oilers Sign 'Latvian Assassin'

Photo: Andy Devlin / Edm Oil Kings

New this morning from the Edmonton Oilers that they have signed 2010 7th round selection Kristians Pelss to a 3-year entry level contract. Here is the official release. Pelss is currently a member of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings who are getting ready to open the league championship series at home against the Portland Winterhawks this Thursday night.

Pelss ended the 2011-12 campaign with 28 goals and 50 points through 63 games. He also captained Latvia's entry at the 2012 World Junior Championship. 

Coming Down the Pipe Tonight

As we are now just 2 sleeps from the WHL championship and just over a week from knowing who will hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Edmonton Oil Kings are the team that used to be the Oil Kings before flying off to Portland and becoming the Winter Hawks.

Koules Picks Medicine Hat

Photo: John Sullivan

Like father like son, Miles Koules has decided that the Western Hockey League is the right fit for him and announced earlier today on Twitter that he'll join the Medicine Hat Tigers next season. The 5'10 right winger from California will follow in the footsteps of his father, former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules, who played three years in the WHL with six different clubs including Medicine Hat. 

The news is good for Medicine Hat and the WHL but may sting a bit for the University of North Dakota where Koules indicated he would play had he opted for the collegiate route. According to Brad Elliot Schlossman, Koules is the third such player that UND has lost to the CHL in the past 10 months. 

Record setting night in USHL

What a night for Chicago Blackhawk prospect Alex Broadhurst.  The forward for the USHL Green Bay Gamblers set multiple league records Tuesday as his Gamblers beat Youngstown 6-3.

Oil Kings closing in on playoff records: Updated

Ask an Edmonton Oil King player, coach, manager, trainer, broadcaster or booster and they'll all respond the same way, the streak doesn't matter, only the next win does.  It has to be that way for the team or else they start drifting off and setting up their opponents for 5 alarm chances.

WHL Dominates CHL Attendance Numbers

Not only is the Western Hockey League the biggest member of the Canadian Hockey League but it's also the most watched. The 22-team circuit dominates when compared to the 2011-12 regular season attendance figures of both the 17-team QMJHL and 20-team OHL although the reigning fanbase still resides in La Belle Province.

Who was #1 overall? Who cracks the top 20 in the CHL? Where does the USHL rank by comparison?

Blackjack! - Oil Kings Win 21st in a Row

The Edmonton Oil Kings hold a 2-0 series lead over the Moose Jaw Warriors and in the process pushed their winning streak to a remarkable 21 games. Despite a much better effort from the Warriors in game 2 it was the exact same result as the Oil Kings posted back to back 6-1 victories in the WHL's Eastern Conference Final. 

Some thoughts on the series and other things going on these days after the jump.

2012 WHL Bantam draft preview: Top Ten Goalies

We've ranked the forwards and the dmen, so now it's time to show you who our panel of scouts think are the top 10 goaltenders, and a few knocking on the door, for the Western Hockey League bantam draft.

ISS April rankings

The 2012 draft is just over 2 months away and International Scouting Service has released it's April rankings.   The top 4 looks different then NHL Central's list as ISS includes European players in it's overall list.  

Ryan Murray Gets Call From Canada

Photo: Jon Howe / WHL.ca

As reported Saturday evening by Dean Millard via Twitter, Hockey Canada has talked to and is expected to invite 2012 draft eligible defenceman Ryan Murray to join their entry to the Men's World Championship in Sweden/Finland.

"We have confirmed that Ryan Murray has been approached by Hockey Canada to play in the World Championship.Should be announced tomorrow," was how Dean's tweet read.

As expected, the instant reaction from fans was surprise but that quickly gave way to speculation of what this may mean for the entry draft this June.

Warriors Get Rielly Back

It's taken a couple of weeks longer than we were told it would but Morgan Rielly has finally been given clearance by his doctor to return to action, just in time for round 3 of the WHL playoffs. The timing couldn't be any better for Moose Jaw as they prepare for what most expect will be a lengthy series against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The CHL's Undefeated Duo

48 teams made the CHL playoffs and after the second round is finished only twelve clubs will move on to the third round. Of that even dozen, only two remain undefeated with perfect 8-0 records; the defending 2011 Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs and the 2012 WHL regular season champions, the Edmonton Oil Kings.

A quick comparison follws...

Pulock and Shinkaruk to be added for U18

Sportsnet Patrick King reported what a little birdie told me tonight.  Defenceman Ryan Pulock of Brandon and Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medicine Hat Tigers will be added to Canada's U18 club that is already over in the Czech Republic.

This shouldn't shock anyone, both will be high first round picks next year,.  My partner on TPS Guy Flaming thinks Pulock could be the first WHL player taken.

Canada opens the tournament Thursday against Denmark, they can still add one more player to the roster.

2012 WHL bantam draft preview: Forwards

Previously in our bantam draft preview we featured defenceman. You can read that entry here, and after the jump, check out our panel of scouts top ten forwards heading into this year's draft. As always remember that this isn't personal and if your 'player' isn't on our list doesn't mean he's not on someone else's. Enjoy.

Work Continues Once Season Ends for Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers 2011-12 season will end this weekend in Vancouver but there is still plenty of work to be done off the ice. With another lottery pick awaiting them at the draft in June, the potential exists for another strong performance by Stu MacGregor and his staff of which most have helped to add valuable prospects to the organization over the last decade.

But it's still in question whether some of the more recent draftees are going to be with the organization for much longer.

Canada names U18 World Championship team

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Hockey Canada announced today the 20 players it's taking to the Czech Republic for the World Under 18 Championship that starts in 8 days.

The entire team can be found here. It's interesting that Canada has chosen to take 3 goalies and only 6 defenceman, meaning they'll be in tough should an injury pops up.

10 from the OHL, 7 from the WHL and 3 from the QMJHL make up the team, with 6 players returning from the gold medal winning team at the Ivan Hlnika tournament last summer.

What does stand out is the amount of 2013 draft eligible players on the squad. 4 players were 16 years old for most of the season, while 3 have late birthdays pushing them to next year. In the case of Anthony Mantha, he misses the draft by one day.

2012 WHL Bantam draft preview: Top 10 Defencemen

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Each year we gather the thoughts of WHL scouts and compile lists about the upcoming future stars for one of the best development leagues in the country. To kick things off, we'll start with blue liners. Some will be franchise players, others solid but silent, while others not on this list will also rise up successfully.

Please remember this isn't personal, and it's the opinions of scouts.

Final cut last year - Bourke first named to Canada U18 team

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Last August Prince George Cougar forward Troy Bourke was the final cut for team Canada's entry into the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. It could have been a devastating blow for the teenager, and it looked for a while that Bourke wasn't yet over the disappointment as he struggled out of the gate.

However he finished strong and it's why TPS has learned Hockey Canada has tapped him for their team this spring.

Rielly not ready yet

Tonight was supposed to be the game Morgan Rielly returned to the Moose Jaw Warriors line up, but TPS has learned it won't happen.

Word is there hasn't been a set back, but that the doctor wouldn't clear him to play, so now he's back to week to week.

The Warriors can wrap up their first round playoff series with Regina tonight, which would give Rielly more time to heal.

Barely 16 year old really makes his Point for Moose Jaw

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The Regina Pats opened their playoff series with bitter rival Moose Jaw with a 3-2 win, but since then it's been all Warriors including a 5-4 double overtime victory in game 4 Wednesday night. They now lead the series 3-1 and predictably are led in scoring by veteran Quinton Howden. But it's a rookie who's starting to turn heads.

Check that, an ultra rookie; Brayden Point just turned 16 - 16 days ago.

Winterhawks list owner's son Ben Gallacher

Word is surfacing that Ohio State defenceman Ben Gallacher is leaving the Buckeye program after just one season. The 20 year old could turn pro and play for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL or the Panthers for that matter, but he could also suit up for one season in the WHL. Oddly enough the team his father owns, Portland, just listed him. Hmmmmmm.

Before going the NCAA route the Calgary born blue liner honed his craft with Boris Rybalka's Camrose Kodiaks, with his best season coming last year with 5 goals, 22 helpers and 119 penalty minutes in 37 games. The 5.11 183 pounder had 1 goal and 12 points along with 30 pim this season in 24 games.

Gallacher is an undersized skilled D-man with some grit to his game and could be a very nice find for next year's team which will lose some star power and offence from this year's squad. Will he be a Tyson Barrie type player for Portland?

Canadian U20 Camp in Russia This Summer

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Sometimes even the most bitter rivalries should be left on the ice and forgotten. Calgary and Edmonton worked together to put together the 2012 World Junior Championship this past winter. Finland and Sweden are teaming up for the Men's World Championship this spring. But perhaps the best example is what Hockey Canada is doing this summer for Russia.

Last night on The Pipeline Show head scout Kevin Prendergast confirmed that Hockey Canada was going to hold their summer U20 camp in Russia. We'll tell you why after the jump.

Morgan Rielly To Return in First Round

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This is a good news, bad news story depending on which side of the Regina/Moose Jaw rivalry you sit on. TPS has learned that the Warriors will have a rising star back in their line up at some point in the opening round.

Morgan Rielly last played for the Tribe November 6th when he chipped in with 2 helpers against Calgary. But an injury against the Hitmen led to Rielly tearing his ACL and requiring surgery. Some thought it would be season ending, the doctors said mid April with the most optimistic time frame being mid to late March. Well they nailed it.

NCAA National Tournament Preview

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The 16-team NCAA National Tournament begins on Friday and culminates with the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa Bay on the first weekend in April. The Boston College Eagles are the #1 ranked team heading in but in this 1-game format, anything can happen.

After the jump, the picks and predictions from Dean, Guy, Taylor and special guest Julie Robenhymer from Hockey Buzz.

QMJHL Playoff Preview

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The 2012 QMJHL playoffs begin tonight with action in two series with the other six beginning on Friday. The defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs have secured home ice advantage for the duration of the post season and look to repeat as league champions. The Shawinigan Cataractes are hosting the 2012 Memorial Cup but don't want to use the backdoor to get to the big dance.

Our predictions for the playoffs come after the jump along with guest Willy Palov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald.

WHL Playoff Preview

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The WHL post season gets underway Friday night with the Kootenay Ice as defending champions. The Edmonton Oil Kings will have home ice advantage after capturing the Scotty Munro trophy with 107 points. After the predictions from Cam Moon - the voice of the Red Deer Rebels, Guy, Taylor Medak and myself.

OHL Playoff Preview

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The Ontario Hockey League kicks off it's playoffs this Thursday. Unlike last year when Owen Sound and Mississauga both went to the Memorial Cup, only the league champion will earn a trip to Shawinigan in May. After the jump we feature the predictions of myself, Guy, Taylor Medak and our CHL insider Sam Cosentino from Sportsnet.

Roy Continues Assault on USHL

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Lincoln Stars 18-year-old rookie Kevin Roy has already established the USHL's tier I single season goal record but now he's within grasping distance of two other notable milestones. With 9 games remaining on the USHL schedule, Roy is closing in on 50 goals and 100 points, achievements not seen since before the league went tier I ten seasons ago.

Samuelsson Hit; Dirty or Not? [UPDATED]

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Edmonton Oil Kings forward Henrik Samuelsson was handed a 2-game suspension for a hit delivered Saturday on Red Deer Rebels captain Adam Kambeitz. The result is that the Oil Kings will be without the forward's services for the first two games of their playoff series against the defending WHL champion Kootenay Ice beginning on Friday.

If you haven't seen the hit, the video follows the jump. What we want to know is if you think the hit is dirty or not, worthy of 5 and a game he received on Saturday or not and deserving the suspension handed down on Monday.

UPDATE: I was contacted by the WHL and given explanation on their ruling...