2010 Prospects on TPS

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Every year on The Pipeline Show we consider it our job to introduce prospects to the masses, guys who aren't really well know just yet but will be after the NHL draft. We're proud to say that we've spoken with the 1st overall selection from each NHL draft on our show - well before they were ever selected.

We went on the air midway through the 2006 season and before the draft in Vancouver we'd talked to key prospects like Peter Mueller, Erik Johnson (pictured), Jonathon Toews, Phil Kessel and Leland Irving.

2007 brought us the likes of Patrick Kane, James vanRiemsdyk, Sam Gagner, Kyle Turris, Brandon Sutter, Zach Hamill and Logan Couture.

The Class of 2008 featured TPS guest such as Steven Stamkos, Luke Schenn, Colin Wilson, Kyle Beach, Zack Boychuk, Jordan Eberle, Joe Colborne and even direct from Russia... Nikita Filatov.

Last year we started with John Tavares and continued on with guys like Matt Duchene, Evander Kane, Scott Glennie, Brayden Schenn, Nazem Kadri, Ryan Ellis before ending things with a couple of Swedes from their homeland in Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and Viktor Hedman (pictured).

The 2009-10 season is well underway and so is this year's round of interviews with the top eligible names that fans will get to know over the course of the year. We're often one of the first places casual fans can go to not only learn more about these young future stars but to also hear directly from the players themselves!

Already appearing on The Pipeline Show this year have been Taylor Hall, Alex Petrovic, Brandon Gormley, Tyler Seguin, Quinton Howden, Jon Merrill, Emerson Etem, Brett Connolly, Jordan Weal, Jaden Schwartz, Joey Hishon and Austin Watson. Plus we first introduced Russian Kirill Kabanov to everyone way back in the Fall of 2008!

The most recent 2010 prospect of interest is actually a player who was eligible in 2009 but was passed over. Shane Berschbach is a 5'8, 140 lb forward in the USHL with the Indiana Ice who just led USA to a gold medal finish at the 2009 World Junior A Challenge in Summerside, PEI.

We see some similarities between Berschbach and previous American WJAC gold medalist in Mike Cichy (pictured). Last year Cichy played for Indiana in the USHL with Berschbach and he led USA in scoring at the 2008 WJAC in Camrose, AB. Cichy had also been passed by in his first draft year but was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens in the 7th round of 2008. Trevor Timmins admitted to us that Cichy was a player that Montreal "had to get".

Cichy isn't big but Berschbach is even smaller. The road will definitely be tough for the Michigan product but if he can capitalize on his WJAC performance, he too might garner interest from a NHL club this June.

Hear from 2010 eligible Shane Berschbach by clicking HERE.