Coming Down the Pipe!

McKee Finds Fit in USHL

2012-01-27T06:15:00.003-07:00

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The USHL Top Prospects Game featured a number of the top draft eligible players in the league with the exception of those from the US-NTDP and a couple key players unfortunately sidelined by injury. The vast majority of the skaters who were on hand in Muskegon, Michigan this past Tuesday were of the smallish, skilled variety with a couple of exceptions.

One was an 18-year-old behemoth patrolling the blueline for Team West named Mike McKee. The nearly 6'5, 232 lb rearguard definitely stuck out from the group because of his size but also because of his passport; McKee is Canadian.

I spoke with McKee after the morning practice on the day of the showcase game. He towered above me looking every bit the imposing player he is on the ice; even his grin seemed large and somewhat menacing with ten stitches sewn into the top lip and a front tooth already forced into early retirement.

McKee hails from Newmarket, Ontario but insists that he has never had his eyes on the OHL which is why the big blueliner has made his way south to the United States Hockey League. He played prep school at Kent in Connecticut, wasn't taken in the 2010 NHL Draft even though he'd been thought of highly enough the previous fall to have taken part in the NHL's Research and Development Camp.

"It's always been a dream of mine to play college hockey and the USHL is probably the best fit for me right now," he told me.

He's not the first Canadian to pick the USHL over the various tier 1 junior leagues in Canada where players can develop and still retain their NCAA eligibility. I asked what it was about the American loop that convinced him it would be better than playing in Ontario or venturing west to Alberta or British Columbia.

"I thought that Lincoln was a great fit for me - coach Johnson and coach McGroarty really helped me out and have worked with me a lot and they kind of drew me to the USHL and I'm happy there with them," said McKee who clearly doesn't regret a thing. "It's the best decision that I've made so far."

The USHL's Lincoln Stars are currently in second place in the Western Conference, just two points behind arch-rival Omaha. Recognizable alum for the Stars include Ryan Potulny and Chris VandeVelde who have both appeared in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. Brandon Bochenski, David Backes (STL), Jason Gregoire (WPG), Jared Boll (CLB), Erik Condra (OTT), Jimmy Hayes (CHI), Brian Lee (OTT), Chris Porter (STL), Colby Cohen (BOS) and Carter Camper (BOS) are all former Lincoln players.

The arena, as it was described to me, is apparently something that has to be seen to be believed. Located on the town's fair grounds in what may or may not have been originally meant for housing livestock, the Ice Box is now the home of the hockey team and its dedicated fanbase.

"Lincoln has I think for the last seven or eight years, maybe eight for eight, they've got the best attendance record each season," said McKee, "The place is packed every night and win or lose all the fans are there supporting you so it's an unreal place to play. I really like it."

Just a couple of weeks ago the Ice Box was the scene of an epic clash between bitter foes. The visiting Omaha Lancers were in town and by the end of the night they had escaped with two points but paid the price physically in the process. It was a fight filled affair including a line brawl where all six players on the ice from each team got involved. Lancers goalie Alex Lyon took part in the Top Prospects Game sporting one of the biggest shiners I have ever seen in person.

"Well Omaha is a huge rivalry [for Lincoln] in Nebraska," McKee smiled as he recounted the night's events, "I had a fight earlier in that game that kind of got things going a little bit and then things escalated after one shift in the second; we had a line brawl and both goalies went at it.

Here's the video evidence, please forgive the horrible choice in music.

"It was good for the fans and that's what happens when tension gets pretty high between Omaha and us," McKee smiled.

As you would expect from a man-child his size, McKee loves the physical side of the game but according to head coach Chad Johnson, it would be a mistake to consider him as a simple thug.

"He's not a one dimensional player," the coach told me, "Teams definitely know when he's out there but he also makes a lot of plays. We put him out there in a lot of crucial situations as far as power play. If we're up a goal or down a goal, he's the guy that I'm putting out there."

After 35 games this year McKee has 1 goal and 12 points but is second in the USHL with 100 penalty minutes. I was curious as to which version of McKee I would see in the Top Prospects Game but I was pleased to get a glimpse of the skill and ability that coach Johnson referenced as well as the toughness that I expected. While he didn't register a point in the game, twice he had offensive chances including one drive to the net that saw him beat a defender one on one and nearly score on a deke in close.

"Finish hits, make some plays," McKee shrugged when I asked him to describe himself as a player. "For the most part this year I have led the league in PIMs but that's not the entire part of my game. It's definitely a big part but I can also play the game. I have some skills and I can skate. I think I'm pretty decent and not just a fighter."

He's also apparently the kind of guy that both teammates and coaches love to have around.

"Guys kind of gravitate to him in the locker room, they're drawn to him," described coach Johnson, "He's a big kid, he's very skilled, he's a guy that goes out and plays hard every night; He just understands the game."

As for college, McKee's plans changed over the last couple of years when the coach that recruited him left his program for the NHL. Like fellow Wookie stunt double Jamie Oleksiak (DAL), McKee had planned on being a Hockey East Husky.

"I was originally going to Northeastern," he explained, "I love the school there and I thought that coach [Greg] Cronin was my kind of coach but he left. Now he's in Toronto and all the rest of the coaches are gone now too."

Northeastern's loss is Western Michigan's gain as the Broncos are now to be his collegiate destination and McKee suggests that it was almost first come, first serve.

"When I de-committed from Northeastern they were kind of the first school to jump on me and its a pretty nice fit I think," said McKee who will benefit from the tutelage of one of hockey's most respected teachers. "Andy Murray... it seems like another situation like I have in Lincoln, all really nice guys and I think they can help me a lot."

Murray took over the Broncos this past summer and has an extensive coaching résumé that includes jobs at just about every level of the game from the NHL to high school with a lot of success along the way. McKee says he isn't certain whether he'll be a Bronco in 2012-13 or the following season.

"We're still talking about next year or the year after but I'm just happy to go whenever they can have me," he said, "I think it will be an honor to play under Andy Murray and a great opportunity for me to play for a guy with such a great record."

NHL Central Scouting ranked McKee 144th on their mid-term North American skaters list meaning, according to them, the big defender may not even get chosen this June. That would be a mistake according to the bench boss in Lincoln.

"He's the type of guy that isn't satisfied with just playing his next four years of college hockey," said the coach, "He's a complete player and I think he's going to be a pro."

(Photos: USHL, Brandon Anderson Photos, Jeff White/Depicted Images)

90 Shots, 9 Goals, Almost 65 mins

2012-01-26T00:08:00.006-07:00

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A week ago it was the top two teams in the WHL and the #1 ranked team in Canada vs. the #9 team. Wednesday night at Rexall revealed how great an Edmonton/Tri City playoff series would be. Playoff starved hockey fans in Edmonton will eat it up.

The 2 clubs combined for 90 shots, 9 goals and almost 65 minters of excellent hockey. According to Corey Graham who calls the games on the TEAM 1260, there was talk it was the best game at Rexall Place since the Stanley Cup run of 2006. I'm not sure about that, but it was the best game I've seen this year at Rexall Place and a lot of the scouts I spoke with agreed.

Tri City started hard but once the Kings held them off for a bit the tide started turning. Edmonton outshot the Americans 19-8 and led 1-0 after T.J. Foster notched his 19th on the season and closed to within 2 points of his career high of 54. Edmonton should have been up more but Tri City tender Ty Rimmer was sensational making a couple of stops he had no right to.

The visitors slipped in the tying goal just 1:15 into the sandwich frame thanks to Laurent Brossoit missing the Patrick Holland shot along the ice. Not a great goal, and there were a few like that on both sides, but the pipemen more then made up for it with brilliant and timely saves.

Tri City grabbed a one goal lead, but it was short lived as Griffin Reinhart pumped in his 10th and 11th goals for a 3-2 40 minute lead.

From there the third had everything. Huge stretch pad saves, point blank blocker stops and desperation robbery by the goaltenders. Deadly power play passing and some funny bounces that ended up in goals. It would have been nice if the overtime winning goal by Brendan Shinnimin was a hilite reel special, as there were goals like that during the game, but it was a long shot that fooled Brossoit who was looking through bodies in front of him.

A terrific game that had a nice atmosphere. Hopefully we see a lot of that this spring in Edmonton.

Comrie/Rimmer Homecomeing

2012-01-25T06:00:00.002-07:00

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Some are calling it the 'game of the year' at Rexall Place. Tonight the Edmonton Oil Kings play host to the Tri City Americans. Edmonton leads the Eastern Conference while The Americans are 2 points back of top running Kamloops in the Western Conference.

When you look into the match up statistically it's even more intriguing. Edmonton is the highest scoring team in the league with 208 goals through 48 games while Tri City is #1 defensively with just 112 goals against this season.

While they are tied for points with 69 which is just 2 back of Kamloops, the Americans are clicking at a .750 win percentage and have 2 games in hand on the Oil Kings.

Tri after Tuesday night's action was still #1 in the CHL with Edmonton holding down the #9 spot in the rankings (which should come out sometime today).

There are 4 players from this game in the top ten of scoring, two off each team. Michael St. Croix of the kings is 3rd with 77 points while Adam Hugheman is 6th with 72.

Backing it all up are some pretty impressive goaltenders as Laurent Brossoit is 2nd in wins with 27 and 4th in goals against average, while the visitors will counter with either Ty Rimmer who's 2.13 goals against average leads the league or 16 year old rookie Eric Comrie who is 8th in the league in GAA. The pair have combined for 8 shut outs this year.

Either way you look at it, this game should be fantastic and it will feature an Edmontonian in net for the visitors. Both Rimmer and Comrie hail from the city of champions. Comrie was born her and moved to Los Angeles when he was 8, while Rimmer is a graduate of the Knights of Columbus AAA midget program. Both players will have plenty of friends and family in attendance tonight no matter who's in net TPS spoke to Comrie on Tuesday night and you can hear the conversation here.

On The Road: TPS Hits the USHL

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

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The Pipeline Show is hitting the road once again. We've made the effort over the years to try an attend as many of the major events as possible that we feature on our show. Whether it was at the World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, the Memorial Cup in Brandon the RBC Cup in Prince George, the NHL Draft in Minnesota or various Hockey Canada camps, Deano has done his fair share.

Now that my kids are a bit older, it's a bit easier for me to get away. I've covered some Hockey Canada stuff, the World Junior A Challenge, the CHL Top Prospects Game and obviously the recent WJC tournament, conveniently located in our back yard, but I want to travel a bit further than I have been able to.

Last April I was able to check out the Frozen Four in Minnesota and that was an awesome experience. It was my first taste of college hockey but it will definitely not be my last.

This week, it's another first for me and for TPS; The USHL.

The United States Hockey League is holding their first ever Top Prospects Game on Tuesday night. We discuss the league on a regular basis on The Pipeline Show and the open letter from USHL Commissioner Skip Prince earlier this year has become one of the most read entries ever on our blog.

So when the USHL extended an invitation to TPS to attend their Top Prospects Game, I decided to see if it would be possible and sure enough, I'll be on my way to Muskegon Michigan when this post hits computer screens on Monday morning.

Tuesday's edition of The Pipeline Show will be a special one indeed. Dean will be back in the studio but I will join him live at the top of the show from the game and then for a couple of segments after it's over. We'll be speaking with Commissioner Prince once again and will try to have the player named as the game's MVP on as well.

The morning of the game I will be speaking with a number of the players and you will here portions of those conversations on our Saturday show this coming weekend. I'll also be blogging away between shows as well.

I am very excited to be headed south of the border once again to experience something new and to see a bunch of players eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. A number of them have already been on TPS this year including the Dubuque Duo of Zemgus Girgensons and Mike Matheson (also blogging with us) but so have Brian Cooper (Fargo) and goalie Jon Gillies (IND). It's always nice to put a face to the name and this will also provide the opportunity to see the players in action, even if it's not a regular season game.

I expect that, like the CHL version, the USHL Top Prospect Game will be fast paced, hard hitting and full of action. These players are looking to impress the scouting horde that will be present so I hope to come away with some lasting memories of the game.

If you have any questions for specific players involved in the game (Here are the rosters), fire them off to me on Twitter (@thepipelineshow) and I'll see what I can do for you.

Lazar V Forsberg: Round 1

2012-01-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

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Edmonton vs Prince George was really no contest Wednesday night at Rexall Place. The Cougars came out hard and doubled the Oil Kings in shots during the opening frame. All in all a good road start, but found themselves down 2-0. From then on it was a bit of a rout. The home side outshot their guests 24-2 in the middle frame and led 4-0 before adding a goal and 23 more shots in the 3rd. Drew Owsley could sue for non support making 50 saves. He was good, but the Oil Kings were to fast for the young Cougar team with a plethora of 16 year olds.

PG has a bright future if they can add a few pieces, the Oil Kings are right in the middle of what could be some very successful seasons. On this night they were led by Michael St. Croix's natural hat trick who said post game his last one might have come in midget back in Winnipeg. It was also a night to compare the first 2 picks from the 2010 WHL bantam draft.

The Cougars took Alex Forsberg first overall while the Oil Kings grabbed Curtis Lazar. Both were 5.10 skilled forwards, but Forsberg had 14 pounds on Lazar that draft day. Now Lazar is listed at 6.0 and 189 pounds, while Forsberg is still listed as 5.10, 170, however he looks much bigger then that.

Through 39 games this season Forsberg has 11 goals, 18 helpers for 29 points good enough for 2nd in team scoring. With the Oil Kings Lazar has put up 12 goals and 9 helpers in the same amount of games. His plus minus is much better, but that's a reflection of where the teams are in the standings. Neither player added anything to their stat line Wednesday night other then a game played.

Forsberg plays first line minutes but like most of his teammates was relatively ineffective in this game. He hit a cross bar and was lurking around the net at times. He's not a great skater, especially through the neutral zone, but from the hash marks in he can be deadly. Something that was quite often said about John Tavares during his OHL days.

Lazar on the other hand sometimes reminds me of the Tasmanian Devil. His motor is always running and he'd just as soon skate through you then around you. That scares me a little, but he also has an excellent shot and good vision.

About the only thing these two have in common is their number....27. And they will be two of the many skilled forwards that will be available for the 2013 draft. Get to know these two names, along with Mackinnon, Monahan, Shinkaruk.

First to 40

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

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Ty Rattie's late third period goal against Tri-City on Monday gave him an even 40 on the season making him the first player in the Canadian Hockey League to reach that plateau this season. The St. Louis Blues second round pick has accomplished the feat in 43 games. The Portland Winterhawks have 27 games remaining in the regular season schedule so some quick math has Rattie on pace for an impressive 65 goals.

How's that compare to the other top junior leagues on the continent?

Medicine Hat's Emerson Etem is right behind Rattie with 37 goals in 39 games. The Californian missed some WHL action due to the World Junior Championship where he played for USA but didn't record a goal. Etem, a late 1st round pick by Anaheim, is on pace for a 63-goal campaign.

The OHL's leading goal scorer is Ottawa 67's forward Tyler Toffoli. He's off the WHL production having lit the lamp 34 times so far this year. The LA Kings prospect is one of just two OHL skaters to have 30 goals, Seth Griffith of the London Knights is the other.

Zach O'Brien leads all QMJHL snipers with 37 goals but he's played 45 games. Acadie-Bathurst teammate Matthew Bisonette is second in the Q with 33 goals.

By comparison, the top goal getter in the USHL is Kevin Roy (below) of the Lincoln Stars. The Canadian-born forward has 27 goals in 33 games, that's a pace for 49 should he play all 60 games for the Stars this year. Roy is eligible for the NHL draft again after not being selected in 2011.

Former Edmonton Oil King Mark Reners is tops in the AJHL with 34 goals in 42 games with the Brooks Bandits. A pair of BCHL forwards share the honor in that league with 33 goals; Paul De Jersey of the Prince George Spruce Kings and Bryce Gervais from the Penticton Vees.

Put into perspective, Ty Rattie's torrid goal production this year is quite remarkable and he's scoring at a greater pace than any junior player in North America (that I could find).

Hindsight is 20/20 but does Hockey Canada regret cutting Rattie from the World Junior team last month?

Who's The Best Young Back Up Goalie in the NHL?

2012-01-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

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Not many teams in recent memory have had the type of goalie platoon that the Edmonton Oilers had during their hay day. Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog were #1 goaltenders on all the teams they played on other then Edmonton and they shared the distinction in Edmonton. Fuhr did get most of the playoffs starts, but it was even if not slanted slightly towards Moog during the regular season.

That doesn't happen anymore. Teams use journey men or youngsters to caddy for the starter. Some get in more action then others depending on who that starter is. Tuesday night on TPS we discussed who the top young back ups are in the NHL. It was the topic of our poll question on the main site, and we welcomed Justin Goldman from The Goalie Guild to chat about it.

"I think it has to be Tuuka Rask. I mean he has all the elements that you want, not only in a premier back up but in a future starter." Goldman told us when we threw the question at him.

"I love dynamic goaltenders, it doesn't matter if you're big or small, you have to be athletic, you have to be willing battle your heart out to make 2nd, 3rd and 4th save opportunities...you just can't match him in the rest of the league as a back up."

Cory Schneider (top) was also on our list and Goldman loves the Boston natives size and footwork. "I think he's got a great work ethic, he puts little messages and notes on the inside his blocker and being a back up in Vancouver you have to have a great work ethic because you have to earn every starter behind Roberto Luongo."

Rask and Schneider play behind Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo, but their not alone in talented back ups parked behind an entrenched starter. Jonathan Bernier plays behind the guy who has the 7th most wins in the NHL this year and Jonathan Quick is ultra durable, playing in 38 of the Kings 46 games this year to go along with seasons of 61 and 72 games played. Bernier in my opinion could be the first back up to be dealt for improvements, and Goldman is impressed with his patience, which wasn't always his strong suit.

"A lot of these goalies go from playing 80-85% of their teams games in the AHL, and Bernier played a lot in the QMJHL as well, and they you gotta sit on the bench and really learn through experience what it takes to be mentally tough and mentally prepared for that rare opportunity that you do receive. It's not easy to do, especially in Bernier's case because it seems every time he gets a couple of starts, Jonathan Quick is right there to push right back. He (Quick) is probably the most underrated goalie in the world right now."

Guy has been talking up Jhonas Enroth for a while to me now and asked Goldman about whether or not Enroth could end up being the main man in Buffalo.

"When Miller was injured after the Lucic collision, Enroth got a string of starts, and when you get those consistent starts and you get into a rhythm that's what you really want, and Enroth really played well during Miller's absence." As Goldman pointed out, when Miller came back and Enroth returned to the back up roll, his play struggled a bit.

An email question led to our 5th goalie, Josh Harding. The question wasn't about Harding's ability, but durability. Harding's career high for games in a season is 29. A lot of that has to do with Niklas Backstrom being the undisputed starter, but injuries have played a major roll in Harding's development. He missed all of last year due to a knee injury

"I think Josh Harding has always been a great young goaltender, but I think it's just a matter that GM's don't really know how good Harding is because they just haven't seen him enough. Scouts need to see these guys play otherwise they can't comment about his potential and what it might be like to bring him in. Right now those he's getting some more exposure.

We also chatted with Justin about some of the top guys about to burst the bubble and make the jump from the AHL, some veterans some youngsters, but most of which are in a log jam to get to the show.

Finally we asked Justin about a recent interview we had with Team Canada goaltending consultant Ron Tugnutt. The Goalie Guild actually provided some content for that interview and Tuesday night Goldman weighed in what Tugnutt had to say.

For all of that and the rest of our Tuesday night show, you can click here.

Captain Latvia Looking to Build on WJC

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

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The big stage of the World Junior Championship meant different things for different players. For some, like Canada's Quinton Howden, it meant a chance at golden redemption. American netminder Jack Campbell was trying to finish his WJC eligibility the same way it began - with a gold medal. Yevgeni Kuznetsov and the Russians were trying to make it two in a row while Oscar Klefbom and Sweden were hoping to finally live up to expectations.

Then there was Denmark and Latvia, the two nations who played their way up to the big pool who were hoping to avoid relegation and embarrassment along the way. Leading the way for Latvia was an Edmonton Oil King who has come away from the experience with a new found attitude and level of confidence.

Not much was expected of Latvia; much of the focus for those watching the Eastern Europeans was on 2012 draft eligible Zemgus Girgensons. Latvian fans have become renowned for their passion and festive behavior at hockey games and so it was no surprise that the underdog team was embraced by the Canadian crowd in Calgary.

One of the key members of the team was Kristians Pelss, a 7th round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010 who is currently in his second WHL season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. The speedster is one of the fastest skaters in the league and has a terrific amount of skill too which makes him a dangerous junior player. Pelss is 5th in team scoring with 16 goals and 30 points but has a remarkable +22 rating.

Last weekend I was able to speak with Pelss in order to reflect on the WJC experience, what it meant to him and how it might make him a better player.

"It was very exciting to be there and to play in it," Pelss said about being involved in the 2012 WJC, "Every game was special and every game you learned something knew. I enjoyed it."

Latvia began the tournament off very well. Pitted against a perennial powerhouse like Sweden in their opening contest could have be a crushing defeat but not only did Latvia not get embarrassed, they kept up to the Swedes for half of the game. It was 4-3 Sweden midway through the second period and the fact that Latvia was still very much alive in the game not only surprised their opposition but it won over the Canadian fans.

"It was the first game and we started good," Pelss said of the game Latvia eventually lost 9-4. "Maybe the Swedes didn't think we'd start like that. We had a good start but..."

Latvia only won a single game in the tournament but it was the one that mattered the most. With just one nation destined to be relegated to Division 1-Group A for 2013, the meeting with Denmark on January 4th was crucial.

The Danes opened the scoring but it was Pelss who tied the game in the second period on what he described as a fortunate one. The power play marker was a long distance slap shot that beat the netminder cleanly. Latvia would eventually go on to win 2-1 in overtime so the goal by Pelss was obviously a huge one.

"It was a good game and that was a good goal, maybe a bit lucky too," Pelss said with too much modestly, "It was fun, a good experience for everybody to play at this level. That game was our biggest goal of the tournament so we were glad to win that."

It means that Latvia will return to play in the 2013 event being held next year in Ufa, Russia but unfortunately for Pelss, he'll be too old to take part. I asked him what he'll take away from the experience of representing his country this year and also last year at the Div 1 WJC.

"I will remember that during this tournament I played against the best guys in the world that are my age," he said, "A lot of them will play in the NHL and maybe one day we will look at them as big stars."

There were four members of the team that are currently playing in North America like Pelss is. Defenceman Nikita Kolesnikovs plays for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL, Teodors Blugers is skating at Shattuck-St.Mary's and then there is probable 1st round pick this June, Zemgus Girgensons who will become the new face of hockey for Latvia. I asked Pelss about his WJC teammate.

"He's really good, he's a hard worker and a good skill guy too," Pelss praised, "He'll get drafted for sure... hopefully in the 1st round."

Girgensons has repeatedly stated that he will join the Catamounts at the University of Vermont but Pelss did say that during their time in Calgary, the two did talk about the WHL; Girgensons CHL rights are held by the Kelowna Rockets.

In what was a terrific honor for him, Pelss was chosen by his teammates to be the captain of the Latvian squad. It was a role that was new to him but one he said he will cherish for a long time.

"It was a new experience; I had never been a captain before, maybe in a tournament as a little kid but not [since growing up]," he told me, "It was a good experience and I got to learn something new being the team leader. I'm happy that they picked me for that, it's good to be captain but I felt good that they trusted me and maybe respected me too."

I asked the lighting fast winger where playing in the WJC for Latvia ranks among his hockey accomplishments and goals.

"Being drafted... playing in the WJC and then to play in the NHL," he smiled, "Those are my goals."

With a new level of confidence, Pelss has returned to life in the WHL and has recorded 5 points in the 5 games since the tournament ended. Now focused on playing for the Oil Kings, first in the WHL's Eastern Conference, Pelss is a key member of another team. This one not looking for international glory but chasing playoff success for the first time. To accomplish that post season goal, Edmonton will need all types of leadership from offensive production and character to perseverance and dedication.

They can get all of that from Captain Latvia.

ISS January Rankings

2012-01-16T13:32:00.006-07:00

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The January 2012 NHL Draft rankings from ISS have been released. Some of the notable topics this month include a new defenceman leading the pack of blueliners in the #4 spot, the London Knights with a pair of players inside the top 15, a Russian playing in the KHL cracks the top 30 and there may be a friendly wager in June between a pair from Dubuque.

1. Mikhail Grigorenko (RW) - Quebec (QMJHL) *-above
2. Nail Yakupov (LW) - Sarnia (OHL)
3. Filip Forsberg (RW) - Leksands (SWE)
4. Jacob Trouba (RD) - US-NDTP (USHL)
5. Ryan Murray (LD) - Everett (WHL)
6. Mathew Dumba (RD) - Red Deer (WHL)
7. Brendan Gaunce (C) - Belleville (OHL)
8. Morgan Rielly (LD) - Moose Jaw (WHL)
9. Griffin Reinhart (LD) - Edmonton (WHL)
10. Olli Maatta (LD) - London (OHL)

11. Cody Ceci (RD) - Ottawa (OHL)
12. Sebatian Collberg (RW) - Vastra (SWE) *-above
13. Andreas Athanasiou (C) - London (OHL)
14. Pontus Aberg (LW) - Djurgarden (SWE)
15. Slater Koekkoek (LD) - Peterborough (OHL)
16. Jarrod Maidens (C) - Owen Sound (OHL)
17. Matthew Finn (LD) - Guelph (OHL)
18. Alex Galchenyuk (RW) - Sarnia (OHL)
19. Radek Faksa (LW) - Kitchener (OHL)
20. Brady Skjei (LD) - US-NTDP (USHL)

21. Derrick Pouliot (D) - Portland (WHL)
22. Tomas Hertl (LW) - Slavia (CZE)
23. Stefan Matteau (LW) - US-NTDP (USHL)
24. Zemgus Girgensons (C) - Dubuque (USHL) *-above
25. Michael Matheson (LD) - Dubuque (USHL)
26. Colton Sissons (C/RW) - Kelowna (WHL)
27. Nicholas Kerdiles (C/LW) - US-NTDP (USHL)
28. Thomas Wilson (RW) - Plymouth (OHL)
29. Anton Slepyshev (LW) - Novokuznetsk (KHL)
30. Ludvig Bystrom (LD) - Modo (SWE)

Det your complete copy of the ISS monthly draft report by visiting their official website.

Matheson Addresses CHL Rumors

2012-01-16T06:00:00.006-07:00

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First it was Boston University's Charlie Coyle leaving for Saint John. Then it was Cam Reid leaving St. Cloud for Portland. Recent collegiate defections to the CHL have some people on edge and ready to believe any small suggestion that might point to another seemingly NCAA-bound player choosing his other option and heading to major junior.

The Moncton Wildcats traded impact defenceman Brandon Gormley to the Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes last week, before the QMJHL deadline, and got a pretty good return. 6 draft picks, including a 1st in the 2013 CHL Import draft, and the rights to defenceman Michael Matheson.

Yes, the same Michael Matheson who is eligible for the 2012 NHL draft this June and has been one of the players blogging for The Pipeline Show this year from his current home with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL.

So will the defenceman leave the Fighting Saints and report to Moncton? More after the jump...

First off, CHL teams can't add players now because the January 10th deadline has come and gone. The rare possibility exists in the case of Brett Connolly who could be assigned back to the WHL by the Tampa Bay Lightning which needs to happen before the NHL's trade deadline on February 27th.

Also, several CHL GMs have also told me that if Matheson had been released prior to Janaury 10th and had not played any games since then, he'd be eligible but that's not the case either.

So the absolute earliest Matheson could play for Moncton is next season.

As for Matheson, it will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out. His brother, Kenny Matheson, is no longer with the Dubuque having returned to play for Brockville in the CCHL where he played last year. Dubuque made that "trade" announcement about 10 days ago and the rumors regarding Michael's future with the team began right away.

The 17-year-old from Quebec, 18 in late February, has declared Boston College as his program of choice should he ultimately decide that he wants to go down the NCAA path. His major junior option just changed from Shawinigan to Moncton but it's unknown whether that makes much of a difference to him.

Considering the Cataractes are hosting the Memorial Cup this year and being a part of a team that does so means playing until the end of May, it would seem to me that if he was going to play in the QMJHL, this was the year for him to do it.

Suffice to say I contacted Michael and asked him to comment on the record about his situation.

"I'm still focused on finishing my year with Dubuque and then heading to [Boston College]," Matheson told TPS, "I still want to make sure I don't absolutely close any doors but I'm excited and happy that I'm where I am and headed to BC."

It would stand to reason that this is a decision that he'll make this summer, after the NHL draft and he's had a chance to consult with the club that selects him. He'll take their feedback, if given any, and make the final choice with his family. If he then decides to continue on to play for Jerry York and the Eagles then great and if he opts for Danny Flynn and the Wildcats, that's not exactly a bad decision either. It should be noted that Boston College lost recruit Brandon Shea to the Wildcats last summer.

Half of The Pipeline Show will be in attendance for the inaugural USHL Top Prospects Game which will be held in Muskegon Michigan on January 24th. We'll be chatting with all of the key 2012 eligible prospects involved in that game including Matheson.

And, according to the player, you can expect the next chapter in his season-long blog here at Coming Down the Pipe shortly after that marquee event as well.

(Photos: Jim Naprstek, Dubuque Fighting Saints)

Musil "Lucky" With Wrist Injury

2012-01-15T21:54:00.006-07:00

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The Vancouver Giants may be without defenceman David Musil for a handful of games but it could have been much worse. TPS has learned that the wrist injury suffered by the Czech defenceman a week ago was first believed to have been broken. Not only will the Oilers prospect avoid a lengthy recovery time but also possible surgery.

On Saturday I spoke with someone close to Musil who described the way that the defenceman hurt his wrist last Tuesday against Prince George. I was told that he jammed his hand hard into the dasher board and bent it backwards. Initially Musil believed he had broken his wrist but that has proven not to be the case.

Still, the Giants have been without their marquee blueliner for the past two outings, both losses to Tri-City and Kelowna. It wasn't made clear if Musil will be ready for Vancouver's next game which comes Tuesday at home against the lowly Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Normally you would expect a banged up player to get the night off, as I do here, but the Giants saw star forward Brendan Gallagher and Dalton Sward also go down to injury this past weekend.

Vancouver is probably still good enough to beat the Hurricanes without those three in the line up but with the Spokane Chiefs hot on their heels for 4th place, playoff implications are entering the picture every night.

Musil also missed time during the World Junior Championship with a head injury although I have been told that the decision at that time was based heavily on precautionary reasons that an actual concussion.

Spencer's Future Unwritten With Seawolves

2012-01-13T16:54:00.008-07:00

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It was reported Thursday that Alaska-Anchorage junior Mickey Spencer had left school without giving any explanation for his decision. TPS has learned that the initial report is only half accurate. While the Seawolves leading scorer has indeed removed himself from the team, the student has not in fact left school and that a return to the team is possible.

More on the situation after the jump.

In the wake of recent college defections of college players to the CHL, (Charlie Coyle from BU to Saint John and Cam Reid from St. Cloud to Portland), casual fans may have jumped to a similar conclusion when the news on Spencer came out yesterday. However, once you notice that the Edmonton-area forward is 22 years old you realize that can't be the case.

On Tuesday the Anchorage Daily News touched on Spencer's notable absence from the team's website but didn't shed any light on the reasons why either.

The Pipeline Show has learned that Spencer, originally from the Edmonton bedroom community of Gibbons, has stepped away from the team due to personal conflict with head coach Dave Shyiak. What exactly the details of those differences are is not known but ice time may be at the heart of the matter as the top scorer, TPS has been told, hasn't been used on the power play as much as he had been earlier in the season.

However, until either the coach or the player confirms the actual reason(s) that they are not on the same page, we won't know for certain if the above is in truth, a factor or the main reason.

Spencer, who is undrafted and likely not high on the radar of NHL teams, has wisely chosen not to leave college and will continue his academic studies at Alaska-Anchorage.

A return to active duty with the Seawolves is not out of the question but would take a meeting between player and coach and more than likely, a slice of humble pie for Spencer.

With a career high 7 goals to his credit this year, Spencer is a valuable part of the team but let's be honest here. The struggling Seawolves have a .389 winning percentage this year and their top scorers only have 10 points. It's not like they are contenders and the coach is guiding the team as he sees fit. There are 16 freshmen or sophomores on the roster so an argument can be made that this is a rebuilding year and the coach is spreading around the icetime to better the club in the long run.

It's also understandable that Spencer, a junior looking to earn a pro contract, wants to play more (again, if that's the issue here).

Hopefully the self-banishment ends sooner as opposed to later and everybody in Alaska can get back to focusing to hockey on the ice.

Flames/Habs deal from a prospect point of view

2012-01-13T01:35:00.006-07:00

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Montreal and Calgary made quite a stir Thursday night. I'm not sure why they couldn't have done the deal before or after the game instead of yanking Mike Cammalleri out of the game after the 2nd period. But it was a big deal for January. Cammalleri, who spent 3 years with the Michigan Wolverines, goes back to Calgary where he nearly potted 40 and Rene Bourque, a one time St. Albert Saint and 4-year forward with the Wisconsin Badgers, is much needed size for the Habs with a potential for goal scoring.

The picks are a win for Montreal, they get a 2nd pick next year while giving up a 5th this year. Patrick Holland joins the Montreal organization as a pretty good prospect, despite being a 7th round pick. He could be similar to former Oiler Kyle Brodziak who carved out a nice career and is a reliable player now.

However the Flames could be in a perfect situation to bring goaltender Karri Ramo along. Originally a 6th round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 (the Habs picked him up for goaltender Cedrick Desjardins) he's been brilliant in the KHL for the past 2 and a half seasons. 64 wins, a gaa of 2.11 or lower, .920 save per cent age. Rammo was stalled with Tampa and wasn't going to join Montreal and play in Hamilton, but will Calgary be a different story? Is the allure of playing with fellow Fin (and possible idol) Mikka Kiprusoff enough to get Ramo back to North America? If so the Flames could have their successor to Kiprusoff. Ramo came up at the same time as Tuukka Rask and who knows could be just as good.

NHL Central Scouting 2012 Mid-Term Rankings

2012-01-11T11:22:00.011-07:00

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It's one of those banner days during the NHL draft season for players, scouts, media and fans alike; the NHL Central Scouting mid-term rankings have been released. As always, the list will get picked apart by folks who have differing opinions but as the late great E.J. McGuire said at least once during every appearance he made on The Pipeline Show - "We're a recommending body to the NHL, our list is meant as a recommending list to the NHL team scouts".

That said, the Central Scouting list is a good barometer for many. The links and some thoughts follow...

As always, Central Scouting separates North American and European players and goaltenders. The list of North American skaters includes a little more than 210 players which is plenty considering there are only 210 players drafted in the typical 7 round, 30 team event (only compensatory picks can increase that number).

Two Russians top the list of North American skaters - Nail Yakupov (Sarnia) and Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec). Four of the top six are, in fact, European born skaters with Czech forward Radek Faksa (Kitchener) and Olli Maatta (London) in that top grouping.

Half of the players listed in the top 10 come from the Western Hockey League and all five of them are blueliners. Ryan Murray (Everett) in 3rd, 5th goes to Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw), Matt Dumba (Red Deer) is 7th followed closely by Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton) in 8th and Derrick Pouliot (Portland) rounds out the top 10.

The top-ranked WHL forward is Kelowna's Colton Sissons who is slotted 14th.

Positions 15-24 are all Ontario Hockey League based players except for one, Brady Skjei who skates for the US-NTDP in the USHL.

Speaking of the USHL, there are six players from the league in the top 30 lead by US-NTDP defenceman Jacob Trouba in 9th. By comparison, there are only two QMJHL players to be found that high with Martin Frk (Halifax) joining Grigorenko.

The highest ranked high school player is Cristoval "Boo" Nieves playing at Kent.

The first Canadian Jr. A players to be found are Jujhar Khaira and Alex Kerfoot, both from the BCHL, coming in at 80th and 81st respectively. Only two Alberta Junior Hockey League skaters made the grade; Peter Quennville (Sherwood Park) is 150th followed by Rhett Holland (Okotoks) at 192nd.

I was recently speaking with a long-time NHL scout about the Edmonton Oil Kings and made the argument that there would be five members of the team drafted this year. I said the same thing on the TEAM 1260 morning show last week. Today there are indeed 5 Oil Kings listed - Reinhart (8th), Ashton Sautner (91st), Cody Corbett (92nd), Mitch Moroz (171st) and Henrik Samuelsson who has yet to play in the North America so is still ranked on the European list.

Speaking of the European skaters list, despite only recording a single point at the World Junior Championship, Filip Forsberg is still considered by Central scouting as the top Euro available in June. Sebastian Collberg, who had no trouble piling up points in Calgary, ranks second behind his fellow countryman.

It's a good year for defenceman overseas this year as well it seems as half of the top 12 consists of rearguards. The top blueliner from Europe in Ville Pokka who was very good for Finland during the recent 2012 WJC.

The aforementioned Henrik Samuelsson is ranked much lower than I personally expected; 33rd in Europe. We'll see if his move to North America turns out to boost his draft stock as expected.

The crop of goaltenders in the Class of 2012 is growing on me. The North American goalie list is led by Malcom Subban (Belleville) and includes Russian WJC goalie Andrey Makarov (Saskatoon) at 8th, Czech import Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer) 10th and Chris Driedger (Calgary) 12th.

On the European side of the net, Andrei Vasilevski's breakout on the big stage of the World Junior Championship will be remembered for a long time and earned him the top ranking. The gap between him and Sweden's Oscar Dansk has to be almost airtight though and the European pair may be the first two netminders drafted in June. Joonas Korpisalo has his fans too; one NHL scout told TPS that his team is very high on the Finnish netminder.

What stands out for you?

WHL Deadline Day Done

2012-01-10T23:09:00.005-07:00

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Who improved the most? You tell us by voting on our poll questions here. A handful of teams made big time upgrades but most teams decided that what they had was good enough. Or at least good enough for them not to pay reported extremely high prices.

The top two teams in each conference didn't give away anyone on their rosters and still added to the arsenal, or in the Tri City Americans case, hope they have added. The WHL's top club traded for the rights to Brett Connolly from Prince George. He's in Tampa right now and the Lightning have until the NHL's trade deadline to send him back. For now Connolly occupies a roster spot in Tri. It's a 5th round pick for now but could turn into a 1st and 2nd down the road.

How great would it be for Connolly to get returned to Tri-City and face Prince George in the first round??? It could easily happen, we just need Steve Yzerman to play along. The Americans are very good without him, good enough that a lot of people are still picking them to win it all without any improvements. From the Cougars point of view, we spoke with G.M. Dallas Thompson Tuesday night and you can hear it here.

As for the Oil Kings Bob Green brought in top 6 forward Henrik Samuelsson without giving anything up, for the second time this season. Samuelsson like defenceman Cody Corbett earlier this year was a listed player that decided Edmonton was the right fit for him. Both are 2012 draft eligible and like Corbett adjusted from Minnesota high school hockey, Samuelsson had been playing at various levels for Modo in Sweden. The power forward joined Guy and myself Tuesday night and you can hear his thoughts about why the time was right and what he expects to do in the WHL.

An interesting point that Guy brought up Tuesday, because Samuelsson will be drafted out of the CHL this year, his only two options for the next two seasons will be the NHL or WHL, which sets up well for the Oil Kings down the road.

Some of the teams chasing Tri City and Edmonton added, but most didn't. Medicine Hat, Saskatoon and Calgary did little or nothing at the deadline, while Kamloops, Kelowna and Vancouver subtracted or stood still. However there were a few GM's thinking this could be their year.

Portland gave up a second round pick to Edmonton for Cam Reid (above) who was playing NCAA at St. Cloud, it gave the Oil Kings something to play with but nothing developed. Portland saved their biggest splash for the very end, picking up scoring forward Marcel Noebels in the final minutes. The Hawks sent 2 first round picks and a player back to Seattle for Noebels. It beefs up an already offensive team and it's an interesting move by the Thunderbirds. They trade their forward but keep Calvin Pickard, who most thought would be dealt. Keeping PIckard still gives them a chance to make the playoffs, and post season money is starting to factor into more trades. Prince George did something similar with Drew Owsley and both Pickard and Owsley will be key for whichever team makes the big dance.

Regina came late to the party but still went home with a beauty. The Pats made a late offer that Prince George couldn't resist and picked up Slovakian giant dman Martin Marincin. Going back to PG is Swedish rear guard Ricard Blidstrand along with a first and 2nd round picks. The Pats also get mid to late round picks. It's a nice move by the Pats who get a big tough mobile dman who will go nice with Brandon Davidson and Regina's already stingy defence.

Not to be outdone down the highway in Moose Jaw the Warriors added some impressive veterans and playoff experience getting former Vancouver captain James Henry from the Giants as well as all purpose forward Cam Braes from Lethbridge. The Warriors gave up a total of:

-1st 2012
-2nd 2012
-2nd 2013
-3rd 2014

Kelly McCrimmon did his damage a day before the deadline grabbing point producer Kevin Sundher from Victoria. Unlike most of the other deals, Brandon had to part with Jordan Fransoo and Dakota Conroy, two good players as well as a first round pick in the 2012 draft. Brandon now has one of the most lethal offences in the league, it'll just be a matter of keeping pucks out of their net. Most thought the Wheat Kings were going to grab a goaltender like Pickard or Owsley. Guy and I spoke with Rod Pedersen and Sam Costentino about the deadline moves and they both pointed to Brandon as being the most improved. You can hear both of their opinions here.

Who is the dominant country at the WJHC?

2012-01-06T06:00:00.003-07:00

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For those who complain about Canada winning all the time at the World Junior Hockey Championship, you must think this is the greatest tournament in the world. The last 4 years has produced 4 different winners and this year's event had some real 'holy #$##$$" moments to it. From big hits, slick moves and outstanding goaltending it was worth all the hype.

The crowds were great in both cities, but it sure seemed like Edmonton was a bit louder when it counted. I like the fact that in both Calgary and Edmonton it wasn't only the Canadian games that attracted big crowds. Both cities proved they can host international events very well.

As for the title question...

Is it Canada which earned a medal for a 14th straight year but, thanks to a bad half game against Russia, saw it's run end at ten for reaching the gold medal game? It's easier to count up the years Canada hasn't won a medal, only 8 in total and that includes 1987 when the Punch Up at Piestany robbed Canada of a medal. For those like me who need a calculator that's a total of 23 medals in 31 years.

Is it Sweden who ended a 31 year drought by winning in thrilling fashion on Mika Zibanejad's beautiful GWG? Their 2nd ever gold medal puts them on the podium in 4 of the last 5 years with a bronze in 2010 and back to back silvers in 08 and 09. The Swedes were not he other side of gold medal overtime in 2008 when they narrowly lost to Canada. Sweden is also producing great talent for this tournament right now. For the 3rd time Sweden had 6 first round picks in the 2011 draft, 3 in the first 6.

What about the Russians? They are next year's hosts and dearly wanted to be two time defending champions for the first time since '02 and '03. Russia looked awfully good with a blend of skilled veterans and exciting young draft eligible players. They came within a whisker of owning the U20, U17 titles and having Russians go 1-2 at the NHL draft for the first time since 2004 when Evgeni Malkin followed Alexander Ovechkin. Nail Yakupov and Mikael Grigorenko have the chance to do that this June as the two top rated prospects for the NHL draft. Throw in the young confident pipe man Andrei Vasilevski who went save for save against tournament MVG Petr Mrazek in the quarter finals and was all world for Russia most of the tournament and the Russians future looks awfully bright.

Is the U.S.A still in the running? Not if the question is about the most dominant team right now, but if you're talking a powerhouse team, yes, the Stars and Stripes hockey program is still a threat to win gold. Had they won a medal of any kind it would have ran their streak to 3 straight years. They were at one point like Russia is now, but owned the U18 World Championship as well after John Carlson silenced Sask place in Saskatoon with his overtime golden game winner at the 2010 event.

The U.S.A, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic are all tied with 2 titles each. Russia is alone in 2nd with 13 (combining those earned by Soviet Union) while Canada leads the way with 15 golds, and an incredible run of 14 straight years with a medal. This year I was impressed with Finland and the Czech Republic. I didn't see enough of Slovakia or Switzerland to make an informed opinion, but I hope it's not a flash in the pan for those nations taking forward strides. It would be great if more games meant something in the round robin.

I'm a Canadian and always love to see my country win, but I'm a bigger fan of great hockey and that's what we watched this year, hopefully it continues. I think that the Maple Leaf should fly on top when talking the top country at this event overall but Sweden gets the biggest celebration right now.

What do you think?

WHL Deadline nears

2012-01-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

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The annual 'get traded while you're at the World Junior Hockey Championship' shuffle doesn't happen any more.

Gone are the days of Steve Mason going from London to Kitchener on the same day he was beating the U.S.A in the semi-final or Brad Marchand the same year who knew before Canada's training camp that he was going to be dealt to Halifax at some point. Some in the hockey world have told TPS there is an unofficial trade freeze for players taking part in the World Junior Championship and Under-17 events.

But that doesn't mean you can't talk trade, kick tires or make an offer and it sounds like several teams are doing that while others seem to be standing pat.

Brett Connolly, or at least the rights to him, will get traded. That shouldn't be a shocker to anyone, unlike what was written about Connolly on the Tampa Bay Lightning website Wednesday. The Bolts originally wrote that he would be missing the Bronze medal game and joining the team on their Eastern Canadian swing. After a few tweets about it from yours truly, the site was changed to say he would join the team at the conclusion of the tournament. Tampa's official twitter page then read this:

Tampa Bay Lightning @TBLightning: Absolutely no truth to the rumors that Brett Connolly will not play in the Bronze Medal Game at the World Juniors tomorrow.

What rumour? If an NHL team writes it on their website, is that a rumour?

Connolly might rejoin the Lighting post tournament but that doesn't mean he will stay there, and you can bet teams are lining up with conditional offers for him. If he does get sent back before the trade deadline then you can expect a Cody Eakin, Brayden Schenn, Travis Hamonic type deal for the Cougars. If not, then PG will surely trade his rights. Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Portland, Brandon have all been mentioned. In 2001 the Regina Pats made a conditional deal with Prince Albert, that if Scott Hartnell was returned to Junior and played for the Pats, PA would receive a first round pick. The Pats were hosting the Memorial Cup but never had the services of Hartnell.

Our good friend Ross MacLean, the head scout of ISS tweeted the other day that Brandon will end up with goaltender Calvin Pickard from Seattle. The Wheat Kings are reportedly giving up 3 players and 2 picks for Pickard and a 2nd rounder. The move would give Brandon a chance to win in the playoffs, and their goaltending took a beating recently when Edmonton rolled into Brandon and left with a 7-1 win. A hand injury took out Corbin Boes and Brandon Anderson hasn't been good enough. The one thing that might bungle up this deal is playoff money. Seattle is 7th right now but are 17 points out of hosting a series. They will get 2 games, and if Russ Farwell thinks Pickard can steal a series for him he'll keep him.

At the start of the season everybody told me I was crazy to pick Medicine Hat to win the conference and that the Tigers would be major sellers as the deadline. Well we're 5 days away and the Tigers sit tied for 3rd in the east. They'll soon get Emerson Etem back from the World Juniors and can rev up the offence again. Will the Tigers bulk up or just stand pat and hope to get hot in the Spring?

A few years ago Brent Parker was widely criticized for not trading Jordan Eberle and Colton Tuebert at the deadline. Parker wanted both to remain Pats, and passed up the chance to stock the cupboard for years. Will his successor make the same decision this year? Chad Lang should at least be listening to offers for Jordan Weal (23 g, 65 pts, 40 gp) and Brandon Davidson (31 pts, 41 gp, +15)? Probably, but then again Regina is only 2 points back of the Tigers and I'm being told Lang is buying.

Would Spokane move Brandon Kichton? He moves the puck well and showed he can pair with an elite Dman when he was +55 alongside Jared Cowen.

Ryan Murray would fetch a massive amount of return, and if the Silvertips think he'll be in the NHL next season they might want to deal him, but G.M. Doug Soetaert told TPS in October that Murray will be drafted as a Silvertip. If there is a work stoppage Soetaert will look very smart, but I think that is what it will take for Murray to be back in the WHL next season.

I'm pretty sure I know one team that can likely stand pat and that is the Oil Kings. Once Henrik Sameulsson arrives at Rexall Place, G.M. Bob Green will have added 3 players without giving up a live body. Cody Corbett joined the team from Minnesota and Green gave up a list player for Tyler Maxwell. Throw in injured forward Travis Ewanyk, who could have a massive late season impact and Green's work should be done. Edmonton is already leading the Eastern conference and soon will have more size and skill in the line up. The toughest thing might be not messing up the chemistry, but that's a good problem for the coaching staff to have.

Is There a Canadian Crisis In The Crease?

2012-01-05T06:00:00.002-07:00

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"I've said it before but why is it Canada never has a goalie that steals the show? We are horrible at picking goalies for this team."

That's a quote from a friend of mine in a recent email. He is amazingly patriotic and passionate, but obviously making a blanket statement like that shows he's more tin man then scarecrow after meeting with the Wizard.

His memory is shorter then it would take anyone riding the stick Tiger Williams style to get planted in the WHL.

That Canada hasn't had a goaltender steal the show in recent years is true, but never is bit much.

In the last 3 gold medal/semi-final games the following goaltenders have seen action for Canada.

-Scott Wedgewood-2012
-Mark Visentin-2012
-Mark Visentin-2011
-Martin Jones-2010
-Jake Allen-2010

The only goalie not to either be replaced or replace his partner in a gold medal game has been Olivier Roy in 2011, and he was the starter when that tournament began. It's no coincidence that Canada has settled for Silver twice and will play for Bronze this year. Now for some countries that wouldn't be settling, it would be celebrating but not Canada, especially when the tournament was held in Canada twice and just across the border a 3rd time in that span. Where are the Canadian goaltenders my friend (we'll call him Scoot) has forgotten about? The ones that were named the tournaments top tender or set records or made incredible gold medal saving stops? I don't know but Canada better find a few soon. Neither Wedgewood nor Visentin can return next year so there will be fresh blood soaking up the tournament. One name to watch for is Oil King netminder Laurent Brossoit. He's tied for 2nd in wins with 23, 5th in gaa at 2.50, 6th in save per centage at .914 and no pipe man has played more minutes. Is there crisis? No, but they have top be concerned.

As for the past, here's a few Canadian goaltending accomplishments:

-Roberto Luongo nearly stole the gold in 1999. Russia more then doubled Canada in shots peppering and finally beating him on the 40th shot in overtime.

-Marc Andre Fleury stood on his head in 2003 and almost willed Canada to a gold medal, but like Luongo his heroics weren't enough. Like Luongo though he was named to the All Star team then was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

-Carey Price stellar shoot out stops in 2007 are legendary. While the States did pump some by him, Price was all world as Canada won gold for a 3rd straight year.

-Steve Mason named tournament's top tender after backstopping Canada to gold by beating Sweden in overtime and earning a 4th straight gold medal.

-Since the tournament began in 1977, a goaltender from the Great White North has been named to the all star team 10 times. More then any other country. Russia is the next closest at 6, followed but by the U.S.A at 5. The record for most shut outs in a tournament is held by Canadian Justin Pogge who had 3 in Vancouver where he led Canada to what some thought was an unexpected gold medal.

Any time Canada loses people will point to players that didn't make the team or were even invited. That game was being played today by thousands of people. What if Tyler Bunz made the team? What if Sam Brittain was healthy? What if chips and dip were healthy for you? As a fan, "Scoot" included, you have the right to cheer when they win, boo when they lose and jump on and off the bandwagon as many times as you want. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Henrik Samuelsson to Join Oil Kings

2012-01-03T12:04:00.008-07:00

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The Eastern Conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings just got better without really doing a thing. 2012 NHL draft eligible Henrik Sameulsson has decided to leave Modo in Sweden and will reportedly join the Oil Kings prior to the January 10th deadline.

The news was broken on Twitter by Uffe Bodin, the Editor in Chief for hockeysverige.se who simply tweeted "Draft eligible fw Henrik Samuelsson is heading to the #WHL. He's leaving Modo, where his dad Ulf is coaching, for the Edmonton Oil Kings."

The press release from Modo. (in Swedish)

Samuelsson played for the US-NTDP last year after growing up in Phoenix, AZ where his dad was coaching with the NHL's Coyotes. He left the U18 program and moved to Sweden last summer when his dad became head coach of Modo.

The 6'2, 192 lb winger is exactly what the Oil Kings don't have - an offensive weapon with size.

The Oil Kings will also benefit from the return of injured forward Travis Ewanyk, expected back in February. The 1st place Oil Kings were already considered WHL contenders and adding Samuelsson and Ewanyk without giving up anything in the process will only further cement that status.

Samuelsson was a guest on TPS last May and spoke about the possibility of joining the Oil Kings after his 1-year contract with Modo expired.

Henrik and his brother Philip were both Oil Kings prospects although the defenceman opted for the NCAA route and played two years at Boston College.

Blain Traded

2012-01-02T12:32:00.006-07:00

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TPS has learned that Edmonton Oilers prospect Jérémie Blain has been traded today in the QMJHL. The Acadie-Bathurst Titans have dealt him to the Tigres of Victoriaville, one of four clubs considered to be true contenders for the QMJHL title this year.

Blain returns to the organization that he first broke into the league with in 2008-09. He has 6 goals and 24 points in 29 games this year. He was suspended last month for uttering racial slurs towards player Jonathan Racine during a game against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Blain was drafted in the 4th round (91st overall) by the Oilers in 2010.

The deal involves a pair of draft picks and 18-year-old defenceman Francis Godin headed back to Bathurst. The Titan has released the details via Twitter.

Czech Wanted Russia as Opponent

2012-01-02T06:00:00.003-07:00

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"It would be really nice to beat the champions."

The Czech Republic will have the opportunity to do just that tonight when they square off against the mighty Russians in WJC action. It's hard to imagine anyone choosing to play Russia but that is what one Czech player told me after his team lost to Finland on Saturday.

Defenceman Marek Hrbas spent the 2010-11 season as a member of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. It was a pleasant return to Rexall Place this week as a member of Team Czech Republic because it provided him a chance to catch up with old familiar places and faces.

"It was nice to be back to see all the people I know from last year," Hrbas told me on Saturday evening, "I had a chance to see my billets."

The Oil Kings average about 4500-5000 fans for a regular season home game and that's a bit higher this year than it was last season before Hrbas was traded to Kamloops. He's noticed a slight difference in Rexall during the WJC than when he wore #13 for the Oil Kings.

"It's even better to play in front of 17,000 people instead of last year with 5000 people," he laughed. It wasn't the only difference in Edmonton from what he remembered, "The weather surprised me a bit; I thought it was going to be colder."

Edmonton has enjoyed an extremely mild winter thus far with day time temperatures hovering at or even north of the freezing point - a rarity for December and January around here.

With the WJC here, the Oil Kings are are on the road so there are no former teammates to meet up with except one; fellow blueliner Mark Pysyk who is playing for Canada.

"I talked to him after our game against Canada," said Hrbas, "it was nice, he's a good guy."

Then we got down to business. The game between Russia and Sweden was still on when we spoke and I asked him about heading down to Calgary for the medal round and facing one of the two powerful hockey nations.

"We've got to get more ready than we were for [Finland]," said Hrbas, "Obviously it's going to be very hard to play against Sweden or Russia but we'll try very hard to get a win."

Picking between those two countries to face as your opponent might be like asking which you'd prefer; a punch in the face or a kick in the junk - neither is likely going to be a great experience. Still, the Czech blueliner called his shot.

"Uh.... probably Russia because, well... they're probably [equal] but probably Russia," he said after weighing his options for a minute or so. I asked him if there was any particular reason why he chose the Russians.

"It would be really nice to beat the defending champions."

Indeed it would and the Czech Republic, as heavy underdogs, have a chance to do just that tonight in Calgary.

(Photos: Andy Devlin / Edmonton Oil Kings / IIHF Images)

Why Coyle Didn't Play

2011-12-30T21:57:00.011-07:00

~
"I wanted to give all I had... I got a few shifts at the end but it was too late."

That from USA forward Charlie Coyle after his team's 5-2 loss on Friday night which basically eliminated his nation from the 2012 WJC. Unfortunately for the top line player, he was stapled to the bench for most of the game and unable to contribute much to his club's effort.

The reason why follows...

Early in the third period, with Coyle positioned at the far right end of his bench, I Tweeted that "it's been a quiet game for Charlie Coyle... so far" as it was noticeable that the big center hadn't been involved in the game through the first two periods.

A listener, "Bruce", pointed out that Coyle appeared lethargic in his few appearances and also noticed that he was sitting at the end of the bench.

There had been no mention of an injury but it seemed inconceivable that coach Dean Blais would be benching one of his top players in a must-win situation. After the game I finally got confirmation of what the problem was when I asked the former BU Terrier directly.

Coyle told me that he'd been awake most of the night throwing up and that even prior to the game he was ill. The flu bug has made its way around the tournament; Canada's Michal Bournival missed the game against Denmark for the same reason but clearly this was a much different scenario for USA and Coyle.

"I'm not feeling 100% right now and that was the reason why coach decided not to play me," Coyle said in the post game interview area. I asked him to clarify if that was coach Blais' call or not, "Yeah. He knew I wasn't 100% so that's what he decided."

Midway through the third period I spied Coyle on the bench calling over one of the team's trainers. A moment later during a stoppage in play the trainer called to coach Blais who turned towards he and Coyle. Coyle said something and then moved from the end of the bench to the middle, apparently ready to get into the game.

At that point I still didn't know if Coyle's absence from the game was due to injury, illness or if he'd been benched. I Tweeted: "Coyle has to be hurt. I can't see USA benching one of their top guys right now and he hasn't seen the ice this period."

I asked Coyle if what I had seen played out the way I had thought, that he'd told the trainer and then the coach that he was ready to go; a "put me in coach" kind of moment.

"Yeah, I wanted to give all I had," he confirmed, "I got a few shifts at the end but it was too late."

Indeed, despite his team's desperate attempt to rally, Coyle didn't hit the ice until after Tomas Filippi had scored his second goal of the game putting the Czechs ahead 4-2.

My reaction on Twitter: "And NOW Coyle is on the ice????"

As we all know now, the game ended 5-2. I asked the new Saint John center how it felt sitting on the bench, ready to get on the ice but not getting the chance to try and contribute.

"It's a terrible feeling but it is what it is," Coyle managed to say.

During his post game scrum, coach Blais briefly mentioned that his top line center was ill.

"Charlie Coyle was sick, hopefully he'll be ready to play tomorrow," he said.

The scrum broke up but before he left the mixing area I was able to ask him about Coyle again.

"He was sick," Blais said again, "Flu, throwing up... diarrhea."

I asked about the midway point of the final period when Coyle stood up to let the coach know that he was ready to go again.

"Yeah but by then you can't go out," Blais suggested, "If you're going to [say you can play] you have to say right away. As soon as I took him out of the line up he's got to say 'hey bullshit, I'm ready to go!', you know?"

Admittedly, it's a tough spot for Blais to have been in at that stage of the game. Here he was trying to ice the players that were best able to get his team the goals they desperately needed. Was he to go with a player who was physically tired, weak and had barely played all game and not since at least the second period?

On one hand I can understand going with the healthy guys and the ones that had been playing well. On the other... desperate times call for desperate measures and Coyle, one of the team's best players, made it clear that he wanted to get into the game. Often it's at those difficult moments when star players show their worth.

Coyle didn't get the chance.

I can't say that it was a mistake by Blais - he's the coach and has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt with his impressive track record as a coach over many years - but right or wrong, I feel like Coyle was an option worth trying before that fourth goal.

Czech Republic Scores Critical Win Over USA

2011-12-30T18:54:00.006-07:00

~
Petr Mrazek's amazing 52-save performance helped the Czech Republic deliver a 5-2 punch that has all but eliminated the United States from the 2012 World Junior Championship.

The Americans will need a highly unlikely Denmark upset of Finland this evening just to stay in the tournament beyond tonight and then will need to defeat Canada tomorrow to avoid relegation.

Postgame reaction and comments follow...

In what was the most exciting Pool B game of the event thus far, the Czechs overcame 37 minutes of penalties, including a stretch of almost 11 minutes of shorthanded play in the first period, and scored timely goals to earn the victory.

The game opened with the Czechs on the attack but Petr Straka's aggressive hit on defenceman Derek Forbort knocked the American out of the game and led to a 5-minute major and game misconduct for himself. USA capitalized during the major, T.J. Tynan (CLB) converted an exceptional centering pass from J.T. Miller (NYR).

However, the power play for USA went cold after that despite a double-minor at the end of the period that gave them four consecutive minutes with the man advantage.

Tomas Filippi scored his first of two goals on the night to get the Czechs right back on even ground.

The shots after the first period were lopsided 18-6 because of the extended power play time awarded to USA but in reality, the times spent 5-on-5 were equal between the two teams.

The stalemate was broken by Bill Arnold (CGY), again on an American power play, who was in perfect position to grab a rebound and snap it behind Mrazek.

Once again the Czechs responded. Tynan, who had been playing a strong game to this point, gift wrapped a turnover to 2012 draft eligible Tomas Hertl in the slot who took three strides then lifted a backhand over the glove of netminder Jack Campbell.

The third period saw the two teams go back and forth with neither able to get the go ahead goal. Then, Josh Archibald was hauled down on a partial breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. U.S. coach Dean Blais appeared to ask the officials if they could use any shooter although after the game he claimed that the question was whether they could opt to take a power play instead. Either way, the answer from the referee was no so the pivotal moment of the game was on the stick of Archibald.

At the other end of the ice, Mrazek had already stopped one penalty shot during the tournament (against Mark Stone of Canada) and as he did in that game, made no mistake on Archibald. The celebratory fist pump made another appearance too although this time the Canadian crowd had no problem with it.

"I don't want to say something wrong about the referees of something but I don't think it was that bad for a penalty shot," Mrazek commented after the game. The Americans, like the Canadians a game earlier, didn't appreciate the fist pump but Mrazek didn't sugar coat his indifference.

"Well I don't care about the U.S. team and if they don't like my celebrations," he said, "The fans didn't like the Americans today and if I did some celebration then the Canadian fans would stand up and enjoy it so I was happy with that."

USA turned up their attack and controlled play in the Czech zone for the next 60 seconds, peppering Mrazek with shots but they couldn't solve the Ottawa 67's goalie. Then, on a rush the other way, Petr Holik drove to the net looking for a rebound, got it and lifted it over an outstretched Campbell.

The Americans continued to press but were turned away time after time by Mrazek. Another odd-man rush led to Filippi's second of the night, a 2-on-1 pass from teammate Jiri Sekac that Filippi slapped past Campbell.

With the score now 4-2, Dean Blais called for timeout and pulled his netminder, nearly a full three minutes remaining on the scoreboard.

It didn't work.

In fact, Mrazek came closer to scoring than the Americans did as he grabbed a dump in and launched it the full length of the ice only to see it glide wide by about a foot. It's not the first time the keeper has tried to score.

"I had a chance last year against London in Ottawa but today was closer," he smiled, "At center ice I [thought] it would go in but it went for icing but no worries, it was an important win."

The sold out Rexall crowd was nearly going berserk and then let loose when Holik was able to score on the empty net to salt away the victory and basically bury USA.

After the game it was obviously two very different stories; the Czechs spoke about a proud moment for their country while team USA was devastated by the loss and what the position they now find themselves in.

"It's a really positive thing for Czech hockey, there have been a lot of phone calls from back home already," said Assistant coach Jiri Fischer, "People back home are watching and the President is very happy."

The star of the game, but somehow not the Player of the Game, was Mrazek who said it was the best game he'd ever played but made the point that the Czechs hadn't won anything yet so it's too early to party.

"The tournament's not finished so I can't feel like a hero," said the goalie, "We have a game tomorrow and then the quarter final. We can say something after the tournament."

American head coach Dean Blais was complimentary of the Czech goalie's performance.

"He was good, I thought he was lucky and you need a little bit of have both but he was in the right place at the right time," said the coach who made it clear that he took no issue with Mrazek's exuberant celebrations, "That's OK. Hockey's an emotional game and when you have a good game like he did, he celebrated the way he thought."

Blais said the downfall for his side was coughing the puck up at the wrong time.

"Almost every goal they scored... we had the puck and then turned it over."

The coach was asked how he and the team will approach the now meaningless game against Canada on New Year's Eve.

"One word" pride," said Blais, "Even though you're nicked up you have to pull on the skates and be ready for tomorrow. emotionally it's not going to be easy of course when you know that no matter how you play you won't have the chance to win a medal and that's why we're here."

Forward Jason Zucker flat out guaranteed that his squad would beat Canada and Blais backed up his captain.

"You have no chance if you don't believe it," said the coach.

The Czech Republic will face Finland in the early game tomorrow, the winner will claim the second seed from Pool B and the loser will finish 3rd. USA will play Canada with nothing on the line except bragging rights, and then play Latvia on Monday in the first part of the relegation round.

Russia wins big and loses all at the same time

2011-12-30T06:00:00.002-07:00

~
Yevgeni Kuznetsov exploded for 9 points Thursday night as Russia pounded Latvia by a pair of touchdowns. The Capitals prospect scored or set up 6 straight goals in a 13:36 span. The 3 goal, 6 assist outburst vaults Kusnetsov into a tie for the tournament scoring lead with teammate Nikita Gusev. Until Thursday night Kuznetsov had been held pointless in Russia's first two games but had piled up the shots.

The two Russians now sit ahead of a trio of Canadians in Ryan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau and Mark Stone who all have 7 points. Stone leads the tournament with 6 goals. This one was 1-0 after one with the Russians outshooting Latvia 17-8. In the end the shot totals were 50-30 Russia.

However Russia has to be concerned that star forward Mikhail Grigorenko left the game under duress.

The potential first overall pick in June collided with an opponent and left the game in the second period. Aaron Vickers had this post game reaction from Russian Head Coach Valeri Bragin.

"There was an injury around the ankle,....We don't know about it right now. We'll see tomorrow morning."

The 17 year old was more then holding his own with 2 goals, 2 assists in the 2 and a half games he played and despite a very skilled line up, his absence will be felt.

Like Canada, Russia has a decision to make on which goalie they ride in the medal round. Andrei Vasilevski has yet to give up a goal in 2 games and made 30 saves in a 14-0 win. While Andrei Makarov made 31 saves in a 3-1 over Slovakia Wednesday night.
I expect them to go with Makarov over the 17 year old Vasilevski when they take on Sweden Saturday night.

Denmark No Contest for Canada

2011-12-29T23:32:00.007-07:00

~
From the beginning of the 2012 World Junior Championship, especially the Pool B portion in Edmonton, much of the focus has been looking ahead to New Year's Eve. The much anticipated collision between the United States and Canada is nearly here and Canada is a near flawless 3-0 after turning Denmark into a speed bump on their way to December 31st.

Post game comments follow...

Thursday's contest was anything but; Canada dominated Denmark in every facet of the game right from the outset. The score after the first period was 4-0, the shots 15-3. By the middle of the second frame it became painful to watch the Canadians skate circles around their opponents, a likeable group of Danes that have become underdog stars over the last few days in Edmonton.

There are those who believe the WJC should be an 8-team tournament with one nation relegated in and out each year. It's hard to argue that Denmark and Latvia, 14-0 losers to Russia, deserve to be playing at this level.

Canada used this game to fine tune some things and hoped not to create any problems while playing against vastly inferior competition.

"Sometimes those are the tough games to play but I thought our team did a good job of sticking to the systems and not letting those bad habits creep in," said Brandon Gormley.

"We just tried to stick to the game plan, didn't try too much fancy stuff and just play simple hockey and I think that's what our mindset was going in," said forward Boone Jenner (CLB) after the lopsided win over Denmark.

Now, 3-0 and having allowed only 3 goals against in the tournament, it's fair to ask if they head into New Year's Eve against the Americans having truly been tested.

"We had some good [exhibition] games and round robin games," argued Jenner, "We're going to start focusing on [USA] tonight and tomorrow and hopefully be ready to roll on New Year's Eve... it should be a fun game to play in and a really competitive one."

One aspect of Canada's offensive attack that blossomed against Denmark was the contribution made from the blueline. Defenceman Scott Harrington had four points on the night and Gormley scored twice, the Moncton Wildcats rearguard was named Player of the Game for his effort although he downplayed the honor.

"Personal success comes along with team success and we got the 'W' so that's the main thing," Gormley said before commenting on the play of the rearguards. "It was a big part of our game plan. I thought last game we were getting a lot of shots blocked and not getting pucks to the net. From our standpoint as defencemen it's about getting pucks to the net and letting the forwards do the dirty work down low."

Unlike the games against the Czech Republic and Finland, Don Hay was able to give a lot of players ice time against the Danes. One guy who played more than he had up to now is Edmonton Oil Kings captain Mark Pysyk. I asked him to talk about his limited role with the team and like any good captain, for him the team comes first.

"Everybody wants to play top minutes but in this type of tournament, with team Canada, that's not a big issue for me," Pysyk said, "Any time that I'm out there I'm going to try my best and seize the opportunity. I felt pretty confident playing with Jamie [Oleksiak] tonight so who knows what will happen coming up against the States."

I pressed Pysyk on whether he'd been told to expect a bottom pairing role.

"They haven't said much but I think that's the way it's going to go and I'll be on the third pairing," said Pysyk, "[Ryan] Murray and [Scott] Harrington are the shutdown guys, [Brandon] Gormley and [Dougie] Hamilton are the next guys and it looks like Jamie and I go out whenever, maybe kill some penalties if that's what needs to be done."

I also wanted to know if it's hard to go from being a 25-30 minute guy with the Oil Kings to much less with Canada.

"It's really easy, honest to God," he insisted, saying at times like this the ego goes out the window, "playing for Team Canada is a dream come true. I could be the back up goalie or the stick boy here and honest to God I'd be happy. We're here to win a gold medal and whatever that means, whatever they want from me, that's what I'm going to do."

Fortunately for Pysyk, offensive production isn't one of the things he's expected to provide. He, along with partner Jamie Oleksiak, are now the only two skater on the team to yet record a point in the tournament. I jokingly asked them both whether there might be a side bet between them now to not be the last to hit the score sheet.

"Yeah we saw last night that Wedgewood got a point before we did... I guess maybe we should make a little bet here," said Pysyk.

"I'm trying to focus more on my plus/minus and being more of a team player," began Oleksiak, "I don't think we'll have a bet, [Pysyk] has been a great sport about it and I'm not worried about it at all to be honest with you."

That said, Oleksiak did concede that being outscored right now by goalie Scott Wedgewood is problematic.

"Yeah Wedgie... his head's getting a little big," the big defenceman kidded, "I kind of have to remind him a little bit of the regular season where I've scored two on him. That's the big thing I try to throw up there. He's kind of let it go to his head a little bit, we've had a little Twitter battle here so, he's been good about it, he's a fun sport."

Notes:

- a funny moment during the post game press conference with the two coaches when Dean Millard asked Denmark coach Todd Bjorkstrand to talk about the play of his netminder so far. Sebastian Feuk, sporting a 9.58 GAA and .803, has been shelled by the opposition thus far but had made some incredible saves along the way.

"He's a free agent," said the coach who seemed to be wearing his agent hat at the same time, "He's looking for a team, he doesn't have a team back in Denmark so... if anyone's interested."

- Michal Bournival was a game time scratch as he battles a flu bug. At times Don Hay called on Nathan Beaulieu to take a few shifts as a forward.

"We asked him if he'd like the opportunity to play forward, he said 'sure', so... I think he gave us some good shifts," said Hay, "Obviously he's not comfortable there but he jumped in and did a good job for us and we really appreciated that."

- Defenceman Jamie Oleksiak, now with Saginaw in the OHL, was asked a ton of questions about playing USA on Saturday, a team he nearly cracked the roster of in 2011. The big blueliner still wears a Northeastern University bracelet earned during the annual Beanpot tournament. Fittingly, Northeastern's colours are red and black so it goes well with his current jersey.

- Forward Mark Stone has scored in all three tournament games so far and also the three exhibition lead up games. He leads the 2012 WJC so far with 6 goals.

Canada is now off until Saturday when they will face the United States in the game everyone has been waiting for. Denmark closes out their round robin with the late game on Friday against Finland.

Canada 2-0 After Blanking the Czech Republic

2011-12-29T02:24:00.006-07:00

~
Mark Stone is still red hot, the secondary scoring has arrived and Scott Wedgewood has staked a pretty good claim to be the go-to goalie in net. All in all, it was a pretty solid night for Canada as they improved to 2-0 thanks to a 5-0 shutout over the Czech Republic.

It was another quick start for the host team and once again it was a familiar player lighting the lamp. Mark Stone scored his fourth goal of the event just five minutes into the contest sending the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Canada had several chances to build on that lead in the first period but Czech netminder Petr Mrazek (DET) made some absolutely stellar saves to keep his team alive. The period closed out with a penalty shot for Canada but Mrazek bested Stone, a bit of a surprise choice, and then celebrated the save with an animated fist pump.

After the game the Czech keeper, named his team's Player of the Game, explained his actions which some felt motivate Canada on for the rest of the game.

"I knew that he would try the 5-hole because he went from the other side, he's right handed so I knew he would try the 5-hole," Mrazek began, "I was happy because it was a last minute play in the first period and they didn't score so I was so happy."

The goalie was roundly booed by the fans who didn't like the showboating from the Czech keeper but that didn't surprise Mrazek at all.

"That's their home team right?" he smiled, "It [would have been] a 16,000 people celebration but they didn't score."

I asked Canadian forward Mark Scheifele (WPG) what he and his teammates thought about it at the time.

"It maybe gave me a little energy to get back at him," he admitted, "I know a lot of the guys were kind of mad about that so it was good to beat him for a few and especially to get the win."

Canada scored twice in the second period with Ryan Strome and Brett Connolly doing the damage. Connolly's goal was a terrific display of eye/hand coordination as he shot, went to the net chasing a rebound, jumped over Mrazek's outstretched leg and tapped the loose puck across the line in one motion.

The third period was punctuated by a pair of goals from Scheifele, his first two of the event including the exhibition games. Head coach Don Hay said afterward that he hopes it's just the start of things to come for the Jets prospect.

"I thought it was great that Mark was able to get the goals, he was in front of the net and in the area that we thought we had to get to to have success and score goals," the coach said, "I think when a goal scorer is not scorer and then he comes out and scores a couple goals, that's a shot to his confidence and hopefully he'll take that and get better as we move on."

Hay also explained why he opted to go with Mark Stone in the penalty shot as opposed to a more noted shootout scorer like Ryan Strome or Brett Connolly.

"Mark's been our best shootout player throughout the camp," said Hay, "We've had a lot of shootouts in the selection camp and in Banff we did that a lot. He seemed to go in and shoot and then he decided to deke tonight so... it's his decision. We just thought he was the hottest player on the ice at that time."

There were a lot of penalties called during the game, both sides had 5-on-3 chances but only Canada was able to capitalize. After the game both coaches said they needed to play with more discipline for the rest of the tournament.

The big question moving forward for Canada is which goaltender Hay will lean on at crunch time. It stands to reason that Mark Visentin will start tomorrow but Wedgewood seems to provide a greater air of confidence, at least from a fan's perspective, when he is in the net. Hay wouldn't tip his hand at all but speaking with a number of colleagues, we all get the sense that it will be the Plymouth goalie in net on New Year's Eve and perhaps Visentin's last action will be Thursday against Denmark.

"I like both of them, they both have played very well," Hay stated, "Where I'm going with it I think you'll have to come to the game tomorrow and find out because I'm not going to tell anybody."

The Player of the Game for Canada was Freddie Hamilton who has two assists so far in the tournament but is making a name for himself based more on his ability to shutdown the opposition. I asked the Niagara IceDog if it's been an easy transition for him to make to go from his role as a point producer in the OHL to defensive specialist at the WJC.

"Yeah it was I think easy for me," he said without a hint of an inflated ego, "Really all I wanted to do at first was make the team and I thought the best way i could do that was with my versatility in being able to put up points and play a defensive role. Now really all I want to do is win the gold medal so I think the best way we're going to do that for me is in that defensive role so that some of the more offensive guys that can really put the puck in the net doing that so, I'm definitely fine with that."

Canada's next game comes Thursday night against Denmark. The Czech Republic will try and regroup before their game on Friday against the United States.

Finland Upsets USA

2011-12-29T00:31:00.008-07:00

~
It was an outcome not many would have predicted before the tournament and even fewer after the first games had been played but with a win by Finland over USA, the WJC just became a lot more interesting.

After the Americans pounded Denmark 11-3 and Finland was embarrassed 8-1 by Canada, everyone expected that USA would come out on top of their meeting with the Northern nation on Wednesday. But a strong goaltending performance at one end with strange bounces and odd goals at the other gave Finland the victory.

With both teams now sporting 1-1 records, the importance and unpredictability of the final three days of round robin action is off the charts.

Postgame comments from players and coaches follows...

There was no quick goal in this contest as there was in the games involving both teams on Monday. In fact, it would be fair to say that it seemed like both teams were playing rather defensively in the early stages of the game. The Americans were not the hard charging, big hitting aggressive team against Finland that they were in their opener against Denmark. Meanwhile, Finland had the crowd at their backs which wasn't the case on Monday against Canada and appeared to rattle them.

The first period was scoreless and saw USA the better team for much of it although by the end of the frame it was Finland showing the most life. Defenceman Konsta Makinen (UFA) drew a reaction from the crowd as he stepped around an American forward but that was really one of a just a few highlights through 20 minutes.

USA carried much of the play in the second period but still couldn't solve netminder Sami Aittokallio (COL) in the Finnish net. By the end of the middle stanza the shots on net were 24-9 in favor of the Americans but it was Finland who had managed the only goal, a beautiful shot from Miikka Salomaki (NSH).

That changed just 19 seconds into the final period when Emerson Etem, inserted onto the top line for Jason Zucker, sent a pass across to Brandon Saad who tapped it past Aittokallio to even the score.

"I just tried to create something and threw it at the net and [Saad] was able to put it home," said the Medicine Hat Tigers forward after the game, "Hopefully we can stay together and generate some more opportunities."

Play continued on for another ten minutes with neither side establishing an advantage until Finland was called for a penalty. It was the chance USA had been waiting for but it was short lived as goalie John Gibson was dinged for interference as a Finnish skater breezed through his crease and bumped into the goalie. The controversial call negated the American power play and would be looked at afterward as the turning point of the game.

Just over a minute later, Buffalo Sabres prospect Joel Armia broke in alone on Gibson. The Finnish sniper made a move to deke, lost control of the puck only to see it still elude Gibson. The unlikely goal put Finland back in front to stay and Armia celebrated the odd goal as though he'd planned to whiff on his shot all along.

Thirty seconds later Finland would get another fortunate break as a pass from the corner by Mikael Granlund went off the skate of defender Jon Merrill, then the post and behind Gibson. The 3-1 lead looked insurmountable at that point and momentum was completely behind Finland as was a raucous 14,000-deep crowd at Rexall Place.

Coach Dean Blais called for a time out to rally his troops and according to 17-year-old Jacob Trouba, the message was simple.

"Keep playing. Don't give up," said Trouba, "We're not a country that gives up and we're definitely not a team that is ever going to give up so keep playing, maybe we'll get a bounce or two and we can put some in the net."

It wasn't meant to be though and in fact Armia would add his second of the game just a few minutes later and Finland would skate to a 4-1 victory.

Afterward, American players did their best to try and explain the unexpected loss despite outshooting their opponent by a 39-27 margin.

"They got spanked by Canada the other day so we knew that they would be coming out hard, that's what we expected, but they got a few bounces that went their way," said forward Charlie Coyle.

Gibson, who some will wrongly try to pin goat horns on for the loss, was candid in his post game address. I asked the keeper if he worries that having a defeat next to his name may prevent him from getting another start in the tournament as starter Jack Campbell has age, experience and a previous U20 gold medal on his resumé.

"I don't think I should be [blamed] for the loss but I'll take responsibility for it; I took the penalty that took a lot of life out of us," he said. I asked what he thought of the call. "Whether it was a penalty of not, it was still my fault and I shouldn't have done it but at the same time we just have to look forward and prepare for the Czechs now."

I asked Gibson if the referee gave him an explanation on the call.

"I didn't get a look at it but he said I took my foot out of the crease, I thought I was still in the crease but that's just the way that the bounces were tonight and that's the reason we lost."

Coach Dean Blais wasn't overly disappointed with some aspects of his team's performance but did identify a few things that he thought they could have executed better.

"I thought we had too many guys that were passengers tonight and we can't have that," said Blais, "I didn't think that we paid the price to get to the net. I bet we didn't have 15 quality chances on the fly and those are the areas that Canada took advantage of against Finland and we didn't do it."

"We might not have the firepower that we had in Saskatoon two years ago but definitely we have players that can score," he added, "But we have to have players that want to get to those areas to make plays, get the rebounds and tip ins."

According to the coach, there is no question at what point the game started to get away from USA.

"I think the turning point to the game was that we had a power play and we took a penalty on our power play and changed the momentum," Blais said, "Evidently the goaltender has his crease but you can't interfere with the guy going through it. He's allowed to go through and as long as you're not standing in there... I thought he bumped him."

When asked to comment specifically about the play of his goaltender, Blais was quick to praise but didn't conceal much about his feelings on what happened in the third period.

"I thought he played great through two periods but obviously the turning point when it was 1-1 was that penalty," said Blais before looking forward with his goalie situation, "Obviously Jack has the tradition of being the go-to goalie but we'll see if that happens or not."

USA is off for a day before getting back to action on Friday against the Czech Republic. Finland will also rest tomorrow before taking on Denmark on the 30th.

Czarnik Making Big Impact for USA

2011-12-27T12:34:00.006-07:00

~
He's not a big guy but Austin Czarnik is playing a big role for USA at the 2012 World Junior Championship. Yesterday in Edmonton the diminutive forward played alongside a pair of high caliber Golden Gophers and didn't look out of place one bit. In fact, one could argue that it was the 5'8 Miami RedHawk that was the catalyst on the line.

I chatted with Czarnik after the game.

The native of Washington, Michigan is enjoying his freshman year at Miami as he sits second in team scoring with 16 points after 19 games. He arrived in Ohio after a year with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL which followed a stint with the US-NTDP.

There was some thought at one point that he may consider the OHL where cousin Robbie played for a couple of seasons after leaving the Michigan Wolverines program. That didn't happen and now the undrafted 19-year-old is flourishing with The Brotherhood.

I asked Czarnik if his role with USA at the WJC differs at all from his job description with the RedHawks.

"No it's pretty much the same," he said, "I just try to get all over the ice, finish my checks, make good plays and score goals."

Finishing his checks is something Czarnik has certainly been able to do since arriving in Alberta. That talent was on full display in an exhibition game last week against Denmark and again last night when the two teams met on the first day of the tournament.

Despite his small 152 lb. frame, Czarnik has an ability to not just run into opposing players but level them. It's a source of pride for him and the reason he thinks he made the American WJC squad.

"I agree, you want a hard working guy that finishes his checks, blocks shots and provides high energy and I think I bring that to the table so it's gone pretty well so far," he said, "That's something that I've tried to establish in my game growing up; my dad always told me to finish my checks so I've been working on it."

Back in Miami, Czarnik plays with Curtis McKenzie and Reilly Smith and also for coach Enrico Blasi, both Canadian. I asked the Michigan native if there are any side bets riding on New Year's Eve when the two nations will meet.

"[They] obviously want Canada to win but I keep chirping them and they give it back so it's pretty funny."

Czarnik had two assists in the game yesterday against Denmark and likely established himself in the top-6 for USA. He's small and undrafted but he's a player that NHL teams have to be taking notice of now on the big stage. At Miami he's following int he footsteps of small skilled players like Andy Miele and Carter Camper and like both of them, stands a very good chance of earning a free agent contract when his time with the RedHawks is done.

(Photos: Bill Arnold / USA Hockey, CCHA)

USA Thumps Denmark 11-3

2011-12-27T06:00:00.002-07:00

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If hockey was a 20 minute game then Denmark would have been please but USA built on a 3-2 1st period lead and trounced the European underdog by an 11-3 final score. The Danes kept it interesting for a period but couldn't keep up with the bigger, faster and more talented Americans who eventually won the game on cruise control.

Game story and post game comments from players and head coach Dean Blais after the jump.

Charlie Coyle was named player of the game for USA based on his hat trick and physically dominating play. The former Boston University Terrier showed Saint John fans what they could expect to see in a game where he scored just 23 seconds in, added two more, should have scored two more and was laying the body as much as he could.

USA's top line of Coyle, Jason Zucker and Brandon Saad were very effective all night long against the Danes and finished with a combined 7 points.

There were two bright spots for Denmark on this night; the two goal performance from Mathias Bau-Hansen and the first period performance of netminder Sebastien Feuk. Feuk stoned Coyle twice in the period including the stellar glove save above that will surely be in the highlight reel for the tournament let alone for this lone game.

Unfortunately for Denmark, most of their highlights came in the opening period and Feuk was given the hook midway through the contest with the score 7-2.

Still, USA didn't let up and continued to press adding 4 more goals on the night. Some would suggest that it was running up the score on a much weaker team while others would contend that you have to show your opponent respect and recognize the potential to come back. I asked several players about that after the game including Coyle.

"We can't get sloppy though or anything like that because we need to carry that over to the next game," he said.

Nick Bjugstad, off the injured list, also commented on walking that fine line.

"This is a prestigious tournament and you don't really want to embarrass anyone but they played hard and they're a good team but our team has a lot of offence which is good for us."

The Golden Gopher played his first hockey in a couple of weeks after resting a sore shoulder through the exhibition schedule. Bjugstad commented on knocking off some early rust.

"Getting into that game situation is a little different than practicing so it was nice to get the contact going," the Gopher sophomore said, "Hopefully I can keep it rolling through the tournament."

Head coach Dean Blais wasn't even sure if goals for and against could come into play (goal differential does matter) and seemed to try and avoid the question at first.

"I thought in the first period our guys looked a little bit nervous which we kind of expected and they stayed together and didn't panic or anything and then we had a good second period," he said, "It's tough when you're up 9-2 going into the third period."

I repeated the question and the veteran coach opened up only slightly.

"We tried some different things, it's not like we tried to get to 15 or anything, you're not our their point hunting and that's what I said [on the bench] 'don't be selfish, get the puck in, get the puck out, work on our transition game and not get run down'," said Blais, "We played four lines and seven defencemen pretty much through the whole game."

Denmark's three goals all came with the man advantage. Coach Blais admitted that despite the lopsided win, clearly their penalty killing is something that still needs attention.

"Oh yeah, [assistant coach] Scott Sandelin's not too happy, he kinda controls the penalty kill and he definitely wasn't happy," said Blais, "Your best penalty killer is your goaltender and I'm sure Jack [Campbell] says the same thing."

Out of curiosity, I asked the coach if he considered playing John Gibson for the third period just to get him into some tournament action.

"No, John's going to get his playing time," the coach stated, "It's a bit different where Andy Iles was Jack's back up last year; John Gibson is for real and has been real good all the way through. He was OK in Lake Placid but since we've been together he's been really good here."

Coyle, who had scored just three goals all year at BU managed to equal the feat in just one tournament game. Jokingly, I asked coach Blais if he was surprised by the offensive outburst.

"Well Jack Parker's got to use him better!" Blais quipped right back, "No, he's a good hockey player and he had a good tournament last year and some media outlets have him as a player to watch. He's one of the guys that has to be a key guy."

"I guess at BU I am (was) more of a defensive guy that could contribute and score as well but it just so happened that the puck went off my stick and into the net today," Coyle explained, "My linemates made it easier for me, I was just at the end of all the plays. It gets your confidence up but I just want that to carry over to the next game and keep working hard."

Denmark will square off against the Czech Republic on Tuesday while USA's next meeting is with the 0-1 Finland entry on Wednesday.

Canada Hammers Finland in Opener

2011-12-27T00:54:00.008-07:00

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Most headlines after Canada's 8-1 blowout of Finland on Monday are probably along the lines of "Canada Stones Finland" or "Finland Stoned at WJC". Canadian forward Mark Stone registered a hat trick but Jonathan Huberdeau's 5-point night and Ryan Strome's 4-point effort should not be overlooked after game 1.

Post game comments after the jump.

Canada dominated Finland in every aspect of the game on Monday. Finnish head coach Raimo Helminen was nearly at a loss for words during the post game press conference but suggested that his team was somehow not prepared for the Canadian team they faced in the tournament's opening contest.

Stone scored his first of the game just 2:14 into the opening period and Brendan Gallagher increased the home side's lead to two goals barely two minutes later. Although Finland escaped the first period without allowing another goal, and even scored 1:21 into the second, they were never really in the game.

Starting the tournament off with a win is one thing but defeating a potential medal contending team by a resounding 8-1 score is quite different. It sends a pretty clear signal to the rest of the nations in the event that Canada's suspect offensive abilities are no longer in question.

I asked Brett Connolly after the game what winning so decisively meant for the team.

"You could say that was a message game to the rest of the tournament," he said, "8-1 is obviously a good score for us. We're happy with the game tonight but there are still areas where we can get better. If we can improve on those areas we'll be better collectively as a team."

The lopsided victory was not without its own loss though for Canada as Devante Smith-Pelly is reportedly done for the tournament after blocking a shot. The Anaheim prospect took the puck off the left boot and sustaining a broken foot.

Finland was also dealt an injury blow, maybe a pair of them. Netminder Sami Aittokallio (COL) took a shot in the collar bone before the game and left the warm up under some duress. With Christopher Gibson left largely to fend for himself, several people wondered why the Chicoutimi goalie wasn't given the mercy pull once the game was out of reach, which led to questions of Aittokallio's status.

After the game I asked Gibson what he takes from the huge loss.

"It's a tough pill to swallow right now, the game didn't go the way I wanted it to go," said the Finnish keeper, "It's a great experience playing here in Edmonton with the building almost full and hearing all the cheers for Canada. It's a great experience and I have to build on this."

I also asked Gibson about staying in for the entire game and if he wanted to be relieved at any point.

"I wanted to stay, like I said, it's a great experience and a once in a lifetime chance even if it doesn't go as good as I was hoping it would, I was happy to play." said Gibson.

Gibson also said that Aittokallio was "feeling good now" after the game and that the coach could have pulled him so the pre-game injury doesn't sound serious to the Avalanche prospect.

2012 eligible defenceman Olli Maatta is not so lucky. He was drilled early in the game by Boone Jenner and, according to head coach Helminen in his post game address, appears to have suffered a concussion.

Stone, the leading scorer in the WHL right now, complimented his linemates and with Strome and Huberdeau the trio accumulated a dozen points. The last Canadian player to score a hat trick in the WJC was Brayden Schenn, another Wheat King, and Stone was clearly flattered to join his former teammate in that club.

"I didn't really know that," he began after Dean Millard pointed that stat out to him, "Just being mentioned with Brayden Schenn is something I'll honour obviously but it's good for our organization."

Defenceman Mark Pysyk's voice was raw during out post game conversation and says he didn't realize until after the game that he'd hurt it but said it must have been from yelling on the ice. The Oil Kings captain is a vocal but playing in front of the largest crowd of his career meant he had to raise the voice to a new level leaving him sounding rough afterward.

Head coach Don Hay is now 8-0 in World Junior play. He basically ran the gauntlet after the game making sure to credit everyone from goalie Mark Visentin to the fans. In fact, both coaches hoped the loud fanbase would be beneficial to their team.

"I thought that could help us too," said coach Helminen of the Finnish side, "It's a great place to play hockey but we are disappointed that we didn't show up as well as we would on our best day."

Finland will put this game in the trash can and focus on the rest of the tournament.

"The tournament is not gone yet, it's only the first game and we have to learn everything about this [first] game and our next game is against USA, the same kind of team so we have to learn everything we can from this game," said Helminen.

Next up for Finland is team USA while Canada will face the Czech Republic, both games come on Wednesday.

WJC team by team preview: Canada

2011-12-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

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This year's World Junior Championship will mark the 11th time Canada has hosted and the 5th time in the last 10 years. The Maple Leafers will be out for their 5th gold medal on home ice. This marks our final team by team preview, the rest of the countries can be found by scrolling down on our blog.

Pool B - Edmonton
First Game vs. Finland December 26th, 1:30 pm

3 Keys to Success

1 - Ryan Murray - He's the youngest Canadian but he really could have been the team captain. Hockey Canada has a tradition of giving it to a returning player and Jaden Schwartz is a grade A leader, but Murray would have been just fine a selection and he's not even NHL property yet. He's born in 1993 and because of his late birthday he's not eligible until 2012. He'll likely go top 3 because of his ultra smooth play. He never panics and will have the best first pass in the tournament.

2 - Visentin or Wedgewood - Canada's starting goaltender over the past two years hasn't been the guy who's finished the tournament as the number one man. Jake Allen gave way to Martin Jones in 2010 and Olivier Roy watched Mark Visentin take over last year. Visentin is back this year but enters the tournament on the heels of as shaky final game. There are lots who wouldn't be surprised if Wedgewood finishes the tournament as Canada's pipe man.

3 - Brett Connolly - The word potential has been following Brett Connolly around like a shadow for years. Despite injuries he was a top 6 pick and he made the Tampa Bay Lightning this year. Steve Yzerman loaned him to team Canada and Connolly has the potential to dominate the tournament. Often times Connolly will leave you wanting more for 50 minutes then make 2 unbelievable plays that lead to goals and lead his team to victory. He was unfairly criticized by some media members for his hit on Quinton Howden in training camp and had more then a few people talk honestly with him. He can come across as aloof at times and his play can fool people into thinking he's lazy but he really is a good kid with tremendous skill. Both will have to be on display for Canada to be successful. Last year Connolly had just 3 points.

Wild Card

Devante Smith-Pelly might separate someones shoulder in this tournament. If his pre tournament play is any indication the Anaheim Ducks prospect will be a heat seeking missile starting Boxing Day. He skates hard and hurls his 209 pound frame at opponents with all the passion one Canadian kid could have. The only problem that might occur is if Smith-Pelly can't contain his physicality and ends up in the box. Every Canadian team has had a physical dynamo, from Jordan Tootoo to Steve Downie and Smith-Pelly could be the X factor for this year's bunch.

Expectaion: It's gold or bust every year for Canada

Prediction: Canada ends it's 2 year Silver medal run with a return to the top part of the podium. Gold Medal Winners

Merry Christmas From TPS

2011-12-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

Just want to send our best wishes to everyone this year, even those who we aren't big fans of. Have a great holiday season everyone and all the best in 2012. We sincerely thank you for stopping by our blog on a regular basis.

Cheers

Dean Millard
Guy Flaming
Taylor Medak
The Pipeline Show

WJC team by team preview: Sweden

2011-12-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

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Merry Christmas everyone. We are now just one sleep away from the start of the - in my opinion - the best tournament around. With that in mind we present to you our final two team previews. Later today we'll profile Canada, but right now it's the Swedes we dive into.

Pool A - Calgary
First Game vs. Latvia December 26th, 3:30 pm mst

3 Keys to Success

1- Mika Mania - The Ottawa Senators took Mika Zibanejad 6th overall in June and thought seriously about keeping him in the capital city for the season. Instead after 7 games they sent him back to Sweden to play in the Elite league and to eventually excel at the World Junior Championship. He's big, fast, skilled and scored twice against Canada in pre tournament play. Most of the offence should come through him this year for team Sweden.

2 - Don't mess with the Johan? I'm still not sure who Sweden is taking for goaltenders as they still have 3 listed on their roster, or maybe they bring 3. I'm just guessing but I think they'll go with Johan Matsson and Johan Gustafsson. The latter played very well in defeating Canada in pre tournament play and both the Johan's are bigger. Sweden in the past has had great goaltending and whoever they take will have to live up to the standards left behind by Jacob Markstrom and Robin Lehner.

3- Foppa 2.0 - Anytime you have a Forsberg on your Swedish hockey team ears perk up. There could be two Forsbergs on the team if Anton makes it as a goaltender, but all eyes will be on Filip starting Boxing Day. He's projected to be a top 5 pick come June and as the youngest player on Team Sweden will need to fight for his ice time on a older team. Sweden has shown in the past it will give a young players ample ice time, but whether Forsberg gets the same treatment as Adam Larsson and Victor Hedman did remains to be seen.

Wild Card

In past years Sweden has come in as heavy gold medal contenders and failed to live up to the hype. This year they weren't generating a lot of buzz - until they beat Canada that is - and maybe that's a good thing. Can the Swedes really fly under the radar? I asked Anton Lander the other day who he would rather beat, Canada or Finland? Remember Canada beat the Swedes the last two years they played for gold. Lander, a former captain for team Sweden said in Canada he'd rather beat the hosts, otherwise it would be Sweden all the way. If Canada and Sweden meet let's hope the pace of play is as good as it was Friday night.

Expectations: Sweden might not be the flavour of the tournament going in, but make no mistake they expect to challenge for gold and at the very least win medal.

Prediction: 4th place,losing to their arch rival Finland.

WJC team by team preview: U.S.A

2011-12-24T12:00:00.001-07:00

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Earlier today we checked in with the Swiss for our WJC team by team preview. Now it's time to look at the country that has a gold and 2 bronze medals in the last 3 years, team U.S.A.

Pool B - Edmonton
First Game vs. Denmark December 26th, 6:00 PM mst

3 Keys to Success

1- Jack Campbell - The Dallas Stars 2010 first rounder is a gold medal machine for the stars and stripes. He saved the U.S. in 2010 winning gold where he was named top tender. He won back to back U18 golds and also owns a Bronze from last year's WJC. While there are some who aren't sold on Campbell (they are all Canadians by the way) he has to come into the tournament as the top goaltender. He's calm, cool and collected and will be taking part in his 3rd tournament.

2- Emerson Etem - The Medicine Hat Tiger sniper had a very underwhelming tournament last year for the States in Buffalo. He could have been rattled by the negative attention he brought upon himself when he called Buffalo 'the worst city ever' and said it made Medicine Hat look like 'Paradise' before going on to record just a single point. So far the Anaheim draft pick has 3N goals in 34 games with the Tigers and will be the go to guy starting Boxing Day.

3 - Nick Bjugstad - The hulking forward is like the Xmen character Juggernaut when he gets going. But how will an upper body (many believe it to be a shoulder) affect him during the tournament as he didn't suit up in any of the pre tournament games. When he's healthy he can dominate as his 27 points in 20 games with Minnesota would attest to.

Wild Card

Jon Merrill - Before pre tournament action Merrill hadn't played a game since April because he was suspended by Michigan for 11 games of the NCAA season. He's good, but is he good enough to shake off that much rust? Team USA's blue line hopes so because he is a vital part of what should be the best back end in the tournament.

Expectations: I'm not sure if the U.S expects to win gold every tournament yet, but they do expect a medal.

Prediction: Silver

WJC team by team preview: Switzerland

2011-12-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

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We're down to our final four when it comes to World Junior Championship team previews. Still to come, the U.S, Canada, Russia and right now the Swiss.

Pool A - Calgary
First Game vs. Russia December 26th, 8:00 pm mst

3 Keys to Success

1 - Can they clone Bartschi? The Flames draft pick and Portland Winterhawk is easily the most talented Swiss player and is likely in the top 5 when it comes to pure skill in the tournament. But he's only one man and unfortunately won't have Nino Niederreiter to take some of the pressure off of him this year. Bartschi will face the toughest defenders each shift. He scored a dandy against the States Wednesday night but was fairly ineffective against Canada and at times looked off his game and Canada seemed to be under his skin.

2 - Wolf in Swiss clothing - Tim Wolf took on the Canadians Thursday and while he wasn't howling with happiness after the game he did say it was a confidence booster as well as a wake up call for what he can expect when the games begin. Wolf faced 51 shots and gave up 7 goals including a few where he had no chance. If Wolf can somehow muster up a performance similar to what Benjamin Conz did 2 years ago for the Swiss then they'll be ripe to upset someone, but I just don't see it happening.

3 - Lightweight Lino Martschini - He's the smallest at 5.8 and lightest at 132 pounds in the entire tournament, but Lino Martschini will use the strategy that if they can't catch you they can't hit you. He plays for Peterborough so the rough stuff he might face won't be a surprise. The 18 year olds numbers aren't bad with 23 points in 33 games. Last year he was just short of being a point per game player for the Petes.

Wild Card

Along with having the smallest and lightest player, the Swiss also have the youngest. Phil Baltisberger just turned 16 last month. He's a 6.0 blue liner who isn't eligible until the 2014 NHL draft, so scouts will have a few years to watch him develop.

Expectations: The Swiss would be thrilled just to play for Bronze like they did in Saskatoon 2 years ago.

Predictions: it's not their year, they will battle it out for 7th-8th.

WJC team by team preview: Russia

2011-12-23T14:00:00.001-07:00

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Continuing our look at each team taking part in the World Junior Championship we move from Finland earlier today to the defending champions from Russia.

Pool B - Calgary
first game vs. Switzerland, December 26th, 8:00 pm mst.

3 Keys to Success

1 - Which team will show up? Last year the Russians showed incredible resilience bouncing back from a 3 goal deficit in the 3rd period against Canada to win gold. In fact the team came back several times during the tournament. In 2010 the team imploded and struggled to a 6th place finish. Nikita Filatov was the captain that year, for a while before he was stripped of the C and told TPS that the team basically quit on the coach. This year's club is very skilled up front and is like a shark tasting blood...they want more.

2 - Kuznetsov, Yakupov or Grigorenko? There is so much skill on this team you have to wonder if they will be led by one player in particular. Yevgeny Kuznetsov was the guy who sparked the comebacks last year and will be the captain of this squad. The Capitals first rounder had 11 points in 7 games last year. But Nail Yakupov and Mikael Grigorenko will be vying for some of that top end ice time to, as well as trying to impress scouts in preparation for the 2012 NHL draft. Putting all 3 on the power play could be deadly for the opposition.

3 -Experience - Depending on which goaltender the Russians leave off the roster they could have just one 17 year old on the roster. In fact they could have up to 17 nineteen year olds. They also have back with them head coach Valeri Bragin who worked magic with last year's gold medal winning team.

Wild Card

Who will start in net for the Russians? Andrei Makarov told TPS weeks ago he was already on the team. If that's accurate it leaves youngster Andrei Vasilevski and 19 year old Sergei Kostenko to battle it out for the other job. Vasilevski was brilliant in beating the U.S in pre tournament play.

Expectations: Russia expects to win gold, especially after last year's impressive comeback win.

Predictions: While they are ridiculously skilled, there is just something about this year's Russian team that has me worried. I have them losing to Finland in the Bronze medal game.

Canadian Line Combos

2011-12-23T10:00:00.002-07:00

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Team Canada wasn't planning an on ice work out Friday so who knows if the lines will stay the same as they were against Switzerland when they take on Sweden at Rexall Place tonight. There might be some tinkering, especially with Don Hay and company working an extra forward and defenceman through the line up. Who knows maybe they catch lightning in a bottle while cycling through the 13th forward.

So for what it's worth here are last night's line combinations, which were shuffled up as the game went on.

The Dmen were kind of all over the place, but the duo of Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Murray could be very good, as well as Brandon Gormley and Scott Harrington, but I think they all teamed up at one point vs. the Swiss.

Jaden Schwartz - Freddie Hamilton - Mark Stone

This was Canada's most consistent line in my opinion. Jaden Schwartz made a few brilliant passes including one that led to a goal. The captain controlled the play then slipped it to Mark Stone who made a deft little drop pass for Freddie Hamilton who slid it past Tim Wolf. Earlier in the game it was Wolf who robbed Hamilton point blank. The Canadian trio was at it again when Hamilton's hot shot created a generous rebound that Mark Stone gobbled up and went high in a hurry on Wolf. They were dangerous all night and combined for 7 points.

Jonathan Huberdeau - Ryan Strome - Devante Smith-Pelly

This line started together but it was thrown in the blender as the game wore on. Strome teamed up with Micahel Bournival in the 3rd and scored his first goal of pre tournament action. There seemed to be some concern with the Islanders draft pick's lack of production through camp and the first pre tournament game vs. Finland, but he said afterwards he wasn't feeling it. Canada will need the centre who scored 106 points last season to be an offensive contributor. Meanwhile Huberdeau was playing his first game in 6 weeks and while there might be concerns over his previously broken foot he showed his hands are just fine. Huberdeau thought there was some rust, but it wasn't there when he made a deft little back hand cross crease pass to Tanner Pearson. The Florida Panther prospect started with the puck on the far side of the net before making a wrap around pass to Pearson.

Brett Connolly - Boone Jenner - Tanner Pearson

Jenner scored what proved to the be the game winner in the first period on a play that really impressed me. First of all Ryan Murray perfected a pinch play to keep Canadian possession of the puck. Tanner Pearson made a nifty pass in front but Brett Connolly's shot was high. it came off the glass right to Jenner who ripped it past Tim Wolf, so hard that not everyone thought it was in...especially Jenner. The Oshawa General raced after the puck that was now in the neutral zone and fired it in for good measure. In the end the first one counted.

Quinton Howden - Mark Scheifele - Brendan Gallagher

They didn't get on the scoresheet with a goal or penalty but the trio had some chances. It was good to see Howden taking some bumps out there, and he said post game he felt good during the game.

Michael Bournival

Worked through the line up in the first, seemed to get more ice time as the game wore on, particularly on special teams where he was an effective penalty killer. He grabbed the puck on a scrum draw and fired it short side shelf off the cross bar. Aside from his solid work on Strome's goal, he picked a Swiss damn's pocket to feed Quinton Howden for a scoring chance.

Power Play 2-8

Devante Smith-Pelly - Mark Scheifele - Brendan Gallagher - Brendan Gormley - Nathan Beaulieu

Really skilled teams sometimes have a tendency to get to cute on the power play. Canada was guilty of that a little bit against the Swiss. It's good every once in a while to look for the down low cross crease pass and it did work at times, but if the opposition is going to give you room to walk in and rip a shot, do it. That's what Smith-Pelly did going top shelf on Wolf to open the scoring. It's something Don Hay said post game that he wanted to see more on the power play and I agree.

Smith-Pelly scored Canada's 2nd ppg as well, this time a Brandon Gormley shot hit Mark Stone in front who then deftly slipped it 6 feet away to a wide open Smith-Pelly. Stone has great power play potential, as he takes up a lot of room and has soft hands.

Penalty Kill 4-4
Freddie Hamilton - Quinton Howden - Ryan Murray - Scott Harrington

Jonathan Huberdeau - Mark Scheifele - Mark Pysyk -Jamie Oleksiak

Both units were very good with Wedgewood making a few very good saves, his best with the glove on Christoph Bertschy just as a man advantage expired.

Scott Wedgewood was fine in net, but Hay said afterwards the plan is to start Mark Visentin on Boxing Day against Finland. Wedgewood stopped 17 of 18 shots he faced and the one that got passed him was thanks to Samuel Walser being left alone in front.

WJC team by team preview: Finland

2011-12-23T06:00:00.001-07:00

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We continue our team by team preview series here with 2 more countries today. Already we've explored Latvia, Denmark, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Now it's time to dig into the Fins.

Pool B- Edmonton
First Game vs Canada December 26th, 1:30 pm mst.

3 Keys to Success:

1. He ain't heavy he's my brother - It's amazing to think that had he not been injured last year Mikael Granlund would be suiting up for a 4th time in this tournament. It was obvious they missed him last year losing to Russia in the Quarter finals. But as good as Granlund is, Finland hasn't won a medal with him on the roster. The Minnesota Wild first rounder in 2010 was leading the elite league before joining the national team and looked to have some nice chemistry with his brother Markus, a Flames prospect in their first pre tournament game against Canada. Markus will be making his first WJC appearance but has led Finland in U18's before, as a captain last year and offensive leader with 10 points in 6 games. His older brother is captain for Finland this year and will look to add to the 13 points in 12 WJC career games.

2. Joel Armia - He's the biggest Finnish forward at 6.04 and will have to be a pest in front of the net for Finland to be successful. The Sabres first rounder, 16th overall last year, will also need to pick up his play from last year's tournament where he netted just 1 assist. Armia will rely on his U18 experience where he was exceptional for the Fins.

3. Olli Maatta - He's young (3rd youngest on the team) but might not believe that after watching him play. Maatta is eligible for the 2012 draft but already has a year of the World Junior Championship under his belt. Maatta plays with London of the OHL regularly and plays in all situation with the Knights. It will be no different with Finland as he could be their top rear guard in all situations. He's mobile, big and plays a smart game.

Wild Card

Aleksander Barkov - The second youngest player in the tournament could be a crowd favourite. He will become the youngest Finnish player to ever play in the tournament, adding more milestones to his resume. Earlier this year he became the youngest player to score a point in the Finnish Elite League. Barkov's father is of Russian decent and played many years for Russia, he's also a coach in the KHL right now. Barkov could make an early statement for the 2013 draft with a strong performance and could take some heat off the Granlunds and Joel Armia.

Expectations: Despite their last medal coming in 2006, a bronze, the Fins still expect to medal every year. I'm not sure they're worried about what colour it is.

Predictions: I like the Fins this year. Michael Granlund could lead the team in scoring and their goaltending looks to be very good. Bronze medal.

Canada cruises past Swiss in pre tournament action

2011-12-22T21:50:00.004-07:00

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Don Hay is still perfect as a Canadian coach in Red Deer. Hay who guided Canada to it's first perfect tournament in winging gold in the 1995 event watched his troops skate the Swiss into the ice Thursday night at the Enmax Centrium. The final score was 7-1, the final shots were 51-18.

Canada's most productive line was the trio of Freddie Hamilton, Jaden Schwartz and Mark Stone who combined for 7 points. Devante Smith-Pelly was all over the ice, picking up points and unnerving the Swiss all game long and Don Hay noticed his opponent checking out the Anahiem Duck in warm up. Dougie Hamilton was excellent in both ends of the night.

Canada's power play clicked twice, but at times tried to get to cute, especially down low. Smith-Pelly scored on the power play with a rocket shot from around the top of the circles and Hay wants to see more of that starting Friday against Sweden in the team's final tune up. Here's as sample of some of the post game chatter.

Don Hay on power play

"We have to establish more of a shot, right now we're to much on the permitter, we have to get inside a little more"

Ryan Strome on scoring his first goal

"It's only the second game but everyone wants to get one. Our line was creating chances. I think it's a feeling out process and whatever role we're put in we gotta be up for the test."

Jonathan Huberdea on testing out his foot and picking up an assist

"It feels great...it was a great game I was excited to play, sure it's tough to come back when you didn't play for 6 weeks but the foot feels great. It wasn't my best game but it's nice to get some plays I did before and get it back."

Jaden Schwartz on being named captain and playing the point on the pp (he's on the half wall at Colorado College.)

"It's a huge honour and it's pretty special looking at all the players and coaches that have gone through Hockey Canada."

"It's a little different, something you have to get used to. I played a little bit with Canada before I got hurt."

Hay on Schwartz being Captain

"He's a mature young man and he draws people to him. He makes really good decisions. The guys look at him as a guy with experience and composure and that's important in this tournament."

Hay on his goalies

"We have a plan what we want to do, Mark is the guy we want to start against Finland on the 26th and then we'll continue to move ahead as we see fit."

Howden on returning to line up after training camp concussion, was he worried about taking a hit

"It's tough to get back up to speed in one game but I felt good and it's definitely a good progression step."

"I'm confident, I took a few bumps out there and it felt good. I knew coming in I wouldn't be hesitant because that's when you don't play well."

Swiss goaltender Tim Wolf on facing Canada (through a translator)

"He thinks it was a very positive experience for himself, but it was also a wake up call to actually see when the competition begins."

Wolf was the best Swiss player in my opinion.

Canada takes on Sweden Friday night in Edmonton in it's final tune up game before the games begin for real on Boxing Day.

No Surprises on Final USA Roster

2011-12-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

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Almost immediately after Wednesday night's 7-3 victory in Camrose over Switzerland, the USA Hockey brass and coaching staff got to work on cutting players from their camp. The final 22-man roster was named early on Thursday and didn't stun anyone although at least one player has already voiced his disappointment.

With Seth Jones on the shelf with an injured shoulder there was only one defenceman to trim to get to 7. I speculated on Wednesday that it would come down to Austin Levi and Kevin Gravel and as it turned out, Levi was sent back to the CHL's Plymouth Whalers.

Of the four forwards who were released, only one played in the game against the Swiss so it's clear that USA Hockey had weeded out Shane Prince, John Gaudreau and Brian Ferlan earlier. Yale Bulldog Kenny Agostino was the final forward cut from camp.

Prince, a high profile member of the OHL's Ottawa 67's and a draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, didn't hold back from sharing his feelings later in the day.

Prince told me the same thing about his 6 or 7 shifts during an intermission at the Swiss game on Wednesday. It's unfortunate that he didn't get a shot higher on the depth chart but those are the breaks at a camp as competitive as USA's or Canada's. Prince's OHL teammates Tyler Toffoli and Cody Ceci were both released by Canada last week.

We've mentioned it several times on the show lately and have written about it here on the blog; USA is going to be a team in contention this year, I have no doubt about it. Few teams share their size on either the backend or up front, and they haven't had to sacrifice speed at all to get it.

Their starting netminder is back for his third tournament and has always risen to the challenge of the big stage. Leadership will be aplenty with the likes of Jason Zucker, Jarred Tinordi, Charlie Coyle, Nick Bjugstad and Austin Watson.

The team will be able to throw a full compliment of offensive stars, power forwards to shut down the opposition, smallish but tenacious forecheckers and nearly all of them boast an abundance of wheels.

Behind the bench USA has the only American coach to have won WJC gold on Canadian soil and also has the head coach from the defending NCAA National Champion Duluth Bulldogs as well.

If this team isn't playing for gold on January 5th, it should be considered a disappointment because they are certainly talented enough to win it all.

WJC team by team preview: Czech Republic

2011-12-22T14:00:00.001-07:00

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Earlier today we profiled Slovakia for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship. Now it's time to feature their former country mates from the Czech Republic.

Pool B- Edmonton
First game vs. Denmark, December 27th, 6 pm

3 Keys to Success:

1- Petr Mrazek - It's mind boggling that this is Mrazek's first kick at the World Junior Championship. He has been considered the best goalie in the Czech Republic for some time but the Red Wing draft pick wasn't allowed to play for his country at this tournament the past few years because of his CHL situation. He plays with the Ottawa 67's and whether it was stubbornness on the part of the Czech hockey federation or not it was silly that he wasn't playing. The countries chances have increased quite a bit with him on the roster.

2- David Musil - The hulking blue liner gets to play his round robin games in the city he was born in. The son of Frank, David was born while his dad was playing with the Oilers, but he's always suited up for the Czech Repbulic. He plays in Vancouver and was drafted by the Oilers in 2011. Some scouts think he's an Adam Foote type blue liner and he'll have to be strong and tough for the Czech's to win.

3 - Martin Frk - There's no question Frk would lead this team offensively, if he was healthy. He's been named to the team but has played just 7 games this year for Halifax because of a concussion. Frk is a very important player for his country and this is a very important tournament for the highly skilled 2012 draft eligible forward.

Wild Card

Radek Faksa - While a lot of 2012 draft talk surrounds Frk, Faksa could steal some of the spotlight with a strong tournament. Most publications have Faksa as a 2nd half first round guy. He's 6.03 and 200 pounds and is over a point per game with Kitchener of the OHL. ISS says Faksa loves the North American game so it should be interesting when he faces hard hitting teams like the States and Canada.

Expectations: The Czech's would love to say they expect a medal, but really it's not true. They want at least a bronze medal game but a strong round robin will still be an accomplishment.

Predictions: They could nip Slovakia in a placement game, but I don't see them making noise in the medal round. 5th-6th.

WJC team by team preview: Slovakia

2011-12-22T06:00:00.004-07:00

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Yesterday we kicked off our team by team preview for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship. You can read up on Latvia and Denmark by clicking here and here. Here is a closer look at Slovakia.

Pool A-Calgary
First Game vs Latvia December 27th, 8:00 pm mst

3 Keys to Success

1-Marty's Party on the blue line - Slovakia's blue line could be anchored by a couple of Oiler prospects in Martin Gernat and Martin Marincin. The pair who measure up at 6.05 and 6.04 respectively, are from the same home town of Kosice. Gernat (below) started the year on fire but ran into the wall that Europeans usually hit at some point in their first junior season. They simply tire out, but if it happens earlier enough the player can bounce back. Marincin did the same last year, but it seems has yet to bounce back. He had more points in the month of October last year then his 16 he has this season. Slovakia needs the two towers of power to be charged up if they are going to be able to shut down the opposition.

2- Tomas Jurco - The Saint John Sea Dog will be the straw that stirs Sovakia's drink. He's big and skilled and went through the CHL playoffs to win a Memorial Cup last year. Jurco will be looking to improve on his one point he notched in last year's event, and the Detroit Red Wings are excited to see him and how the 2nd round pick from last June measures up against the rest of the World. He's not on an Island with Slovakia, but the high end skill is pretty thin.

3. Paging Yan Lasak - I don't know anything about the Slovakian goaltending, but if they are anything like Yank Lasask in the 1999 tournament they'll be ok. Lasak stared down Canada at the Keystone Centre in Brandon that year, holding canada scoreless in a 0-0 tie. Dominik Riecicky is the only one of the 3 remaining goaltenders on Slovakia's roster with experience from this tournament. He posted a 3.37 gaa and .916 save per cent age in 5 games last year. Richard Sabol is a 2012 first time draft eligible player who previously suited up in U18 and U17 events, and Juraj Simboch is a 19 year old undrafted pipe man vying for one of two spots.

Wild Card

If Marek Tvrdon wants to face his junior head coach he'll have to lead Slovakia to a medal round berth and hope they draw Canada and Don Hay. The two are together with the Vancouver Giants. Tvrdon would also be taking on his line mate Brendan Gallagher.

Expectations: The Slovaks will celebrate if they can play for a medal and even a 4th place finish will feel like an accomplishment.

Prediction: It's not their year for a medal, 6th-7th

USA Tunes Up on Switzerland

2011-12-22T03:06:00.012-07:00

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A night after being doubled up on by Russia, the United States rebounded to paste Switzerland 7-3 in 2012 WJC exhibition action in Camrose on Wednesday night. Brandon Saad's 5-point effort led the Americans to the convincing win on the eve before USA Hockey makes its final cuts in advance of the event beginning on Boxing Day.

The Pipeline Show was in attendance and spoke with several players and coach Blais after the contest.

USA was on the board before the Zamboni driver had even turned off his engine. Miami RedHawks forward Austin Czarnik pounced on a turnover by a Swiss defender, walked in unimpeded and beat netminder Lukas Meile just 23 seconds into the game.

A scary incident for the Americans a couple of minutes later when forward Jason Zucker (MIN) was hit heavily along the boards in his own end. He gingerly made his way to the bench and was parked behind the rest of the players for several minutes. He looked to have been favoring his shoulder at first but the longer lasting damage was to his face.

"I caught an elbow to the face and then the boards to the face but, it's hockey and that's what happens," he said through bloody, swollen lips after the game. Zucker, like the rest of his teammates aside from 17-year-old Jacob Trouba, is wearing a half shield visor which obviously offers less protection than the full cage players are forced to wear in the NCAA.

Zucker's effort if relentless; The Denver Pioneers sophomore missed three or four shifts then returned to the ice to kill a penalty and crashed hard into the end boards while forechecking. Speed, hard working and a leader... Zucker is a prime candidate to be named captain.

There were not a lot of shots in the first 15 minutes of the game but one of them came from Zucker and it was difficult enough to produce a rebound. Saginaw's Brandon Saad (CHI) popped the loose puck home to give USA a 2-0 lead.

Shortly after that, Boston College forward Bill Arnold (CGY) strolled into the slot and casually took aim before he roofed a quick shot just under the crossbar beating Meile to the short side. It was a sniper's goal but the 4th round pick made it look easy.

The opening frame ended with USA ahead 3-0.

Switzerland would strike early into the middle period; Christoph Bertschy with Adam Clendening (CHI) in the penalty box. The pro-underdog crowd revealed its support for Switzerland despite the fact that USA Hockey as been using the town as home base for the past few days.

USA regained the 3-goal lead after a nifty tic-tac-toe play which began with Czarnik, to Saad and was finally finished off by Medicine Hat winger Emerson Etem (ANH).

One of the few bright spots on the night was pint-sized Peterborough Petes forward Lino Martschini who had a few terrific chances, none better than a breakaway created by Sven Bartschi (CGY). He failed to score though and that was the case all evening for the OHL import.

Jacob Trouba, physically asserting himself all night long, slap-passed a point shot to Charlie Coyle who tucked it behind an unsuspecting Swiss goalie making it 5-1. The underaged rearguard was impressive with his desire to play the body although he did stray too far a few times over the course of the evening.

"That's kind of the role I want to take on the team," Trouba told me after the game, "I think that physical defenceman is something we need more off and it's something that I can bring to the team."

The set up to Coyle was simple but perfectly timed, much like his answer.

"Just get the puck to the net and let him do the rest," he laughed, "Once you get the puck, [the forwards] are going there so it's just about getting it through."

It wasn't long after when Bartschi would find the back of the net and he did it in style. A partial breakaway for the Portland Winterhawks winger turned into a dazzling, unbelievable display of eye-foot-hand coordination.

Bartschi's original shot was stopped by USA goalie John Gibson (ANH) but the Swiss sensation was able to corral the rebound by kicking it ahead with his foot. Just before it bounced into the net, Bartschi managed to get the blade of his stick on the airborne puck and deflected it in.

"I got really lucky when [an American defenceman] turned over the puck, everyone was just flying by me and I had a breakaway; I was really surprised.," described Bartschi after the game, "I came in and saw that the 5-hole was open so I tried to go for that and then it hit his pad, it came out and the only option that I had was like, to get it up with my skates. The puck was like, one foot away from line and I knew that I couldn't kick it in so I knew I had to put it in with my stick... so I did that."

"It's one of those things you practice at home or in the backyard or whatever."

Right before the end of the second period it was Saad leading the attack once again as he did all the work before sliding a pass to Notre Dame's T.J. Tynan (CLB) to fire into the net.

During the intermission I chatted with Ottawa 67's forward Shane Prince (OTT) who was sporting a few stitches after taking a head shot the night before against Russia. I asked Prince how he felt his camp had gone and he said that he'd done as much as he could with the opportunity that he'd been given. It doesn't look good for him though after playing just 6 shifts on Tuesday and being scratched for Wednesday's game but we'll find out on Thursday morning.

I also tracked down inured forward Nick Bjugstad who was sporting a Soo Greyhounds toque. As it turns out, goalie Jack Campbell didn't have a USA hat or toque to wear on the bench (as back up on Wednesday) so Bjugstad traded head wear for the game. Seeing the Minnesota Golden Gopher wearing an OHL team's toque made for a good picture though and Bjugstad laughed about the potential panic we could create on Twitter by posting the picture.

Bjugstad will be re-evaluated before Friday's final tune up against Slovakia.

In the third period, Gibson began to channel former Canadian keeper Marc-Andre Fleury. The American netminder tried to fire the puck to a teammate only to have it hit Bartschi and fall to his feet for an easy goal. That goal made it 6-3 and set up the final tally of the contest.

The man of the night, Brandon Saad, earned a breakaway and slid the puck between Meile's legs. The 5-point outburst for Saad couldn't come at a better time with cuts coming in the morning.

"I didn't get to play [on Tuesday] so I had a little more energy, felt pretty good and played with some good players so I just got the bounces tonight," Saad told me during our post game chat. I asked him if he thought he'd sleep well tonight.

"Yeah, hopefully," he laughed, "It's still pretty nerve racking, it is for everyone just to see if you made the team but yeah, I feel a little bit more comfortable now."

Playing on the top line alongside Zucker and Coyle was a perfect fit for Saad.

"I played with Zucker a few years back and we found chemistry pretty quick and Coyle's a great player so we fit in well together."

With a 6-3 loss to the Russians on Tuesday and a 7-3 victory over Switzerland, a team they should expect to beat, I asked Saad what he had learned about the team over the course of the two games.

"I think it's about our bounce back and the character of the team," he said, "It was a tough loss last night, we got back late, but we came here with a good attitude today and stayed focused and that got us the big win here today."

I put the same question to coach Dean Blais.

"It's the way the tournament is going to be; a lot of times you've got games back to back and if you should happen to lose you have to recover and I thought the guys competed hard," said the University of Nebraska-Omaha bench boss, "Last night they were upset. We could tell from the time that we left Red Deer that we lost to the Russians so I was glad that we came back tonight and that Switzerland gave us a good game."

When I had visited the practice on Monday, coach Blais told me that nobody had played their way off of the team. Since then defenceman Seth Jones hurt his shoulder (dislocated or separated, no one is confirming which) and Justin Faulk was confirmed as unavailable. I asked coach Blais if by now, on the eve of the final cuts, had players indeed played their way off of the WJC roster.

"I think it's more about the guys that we're going to choose deserve to be here," explained the coach, "I don't think that we really had a weak candidate. Campbell and Gibson are both quality goaltenders and then you build on out from your goaltending. It hurt, obviously, not to have Justin Faulk here but we moved on but to now lose Seth Jones means we've lost another good defenceman."

"The guys that will represent the United States will deserve it and the other guys that were here for the camp... it's a shame to let them go."

Thoughts

- USA has to trim one defenceman from the remaining 8 healthy bodies. It's impossible for me to say for certain after seeing one practice and one game but I get the impression that it probably comes down to Austin Levi (CAR) of the Plymouth Whalers and St. Cloud blueliner Kevin Gravel (LA).

- Again, just guessing, but after conversing with two different USA followers that I respect a lot, I'm thinking that Shane Prince, Brian Ferland and Jon Gaudreau are on the outside looking in. That still leaves one too many and that will depend on Bjugstad. If he's 100% (or close enough to it) then he stays and either Josh Archibald or Austin Watson may lose out.

- Players I was impressed with on Wednesday were Zucker, Czarnik, Saad, Tynan, Arnold and Brickley up front. Trouba and Clendening caught my eye the most for the rearguards but that's not always an indication of which defencemen played the best. I like them both though.

WJC team by team preview: Denmark

2011-12-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

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Starting Today and running through till Boxing Day we'll give you a quick look at each team suiting up in the World Junior Hockey Championship. We started with Latvia, and now it's Denmark's turn.

Pool B-Edmonton
First game Vs. U.S.A December 26th, 6 pm mst

3 Keys to Success

1. Nicklas Jensen- The Oshawa Generals forward and Vancouver draft pick has nice size and can fly up the ice, but that's in the OHL when he has Boone Jenner and Christian Thomas to take away some of the attention. In Edmonton he'll be the target every opposition focuses on. How he and his teammates handle that will determine in the Danes are great or they get dogged by the rest of the world. (below)

2. Mads Eller-The younger brother of Lars Eller will hope to bust onto the WJC scene like his brother did in 2008 when he had 6 points in 6 games along with 37 penalty minutes for Denmark. Like big brother Lars, Mads should be a big boy, already at 16 he's 6.0 and 165. Lars went 13th, at the time it was the highest draft spot for a Danish player. Mikael Boedker bested that in 2008 going 8th overall. and young Mads will try and set a new mark in 2013. He'll give scouts an early look this holiday season.

3. 1-3-1 - Watching Denmark practice one day they repeatedly ran through the 1-3-1 system. It might be their best chance at winning. Yes it's boring, but you plan your style around the players you have not the other way around. They will need exceptional goaltending to succeed.

Wild card

There are at least 3 teams with brother combinations in the tournament. The Hamiltons on Canada. The Granlunds on Finland and the Bjorkstrands on Denmark. Patrick, a 19 year old winger and Oliver a 16 year old centre are the sons of Minnesota native Todd Bjorkstrand who moved to Denmark 21 years ago to play and never left. Todd took over the junior team last year and the family act will hope to take Denmark where they've never gone before. A win at this tournament. Their only other appearance came in 2008 when they went 0-6.

Expectation: Don't get relegated, win a game.

Prediction: An outside shot at 8th, but most likely relegation.

WJC team by team preview: Latvia

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002-07:00

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Starting Today and running through till Boxing Day we'll give you a quick look at each team suiting up in the World Junior Hockey Championship. First up is Latvia

Pool A-Calgary
First game Vs. Sweden, December 26th, 3:30 pm mst

3 keys to Success:

1-Zemgus Girginsons-The 2012 draft eligible forward could become the first Latvian taken in the first round of the NHL draft. Most publications have him as a first rounder with some thinking top 10 potential. He was wooed by the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, but has committed to Vermont in the NCAA and has repeatedly denied any interest in moving west. Currently he's in his second season with Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL where he's put up 12 goals and 26 points in just 22 games. As a rookie he netted 49 in 51.

2-Kristians Pelss-The Edmonton Oil Kings forward and Oilers draft pick will likely be the only one to take the pressure off Girginsons. Pelss at times has looked dominant in the WHL and he'll enter the tournament on a hot streak with 9 points in 8 games including a 7 game point streak.

3-Latvian Fans-It's well known that the tiny Baltic country has some of the best fans around when the World Championships are held in Europe. Will they make the trip to Canada for the event? If so they'll be loud and proud for their boys and will be very entertaining. Also watch for Calgary fans to adopt the team as a feel good story.

Wild Card

Teodor Blugers is a 17 year old centre who was born in Riga, Latvia but developed in North America. He's currently in his 3rd season with Shattuck St. Mary's prep school where he's torching things up with 33 points in 20 games. Next year he's set to join Minnesota State University (Mankato). Blugers is also 2012 draft eligible.

Expectations: Don't get relegated.

Prediction: Relegation

USA Camp News & Notes

2011-12-20T06:00:00.004-07:00

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I had the opportunity on Monday to drive out to Camrose to take in most of team USA's practice and speak with a handful of players as well as head coach Dean Blais. While I was there I ran into frequent TPS guest Dave Starman who will be handling the colour analyst duties for the American coverage of the tournament being shown on the NHL network south of the border.

The practice was entertaining and informative all at once. No surprise but this is a team that is going to demand respect once the 2012 WJC gets underway. Here are some notes and thoughts I had plus some insight from the day in Camrose.

The first thing I noticed about the American squad is the size; you can't help but see it. Only one defenceman is under 6'2 and that's Adam Clendening who more than makes up for his average size in other facets of the game.

The beef isn't only on the back end though as USA has several forwards in the 6'1 - 6'4 range including Nick Bjugstad, the Minnesota Golden Gopher sophomore who is off to such a hot start. Unfortunately for him, he was a bit banged up in his last outing with the Gophers and is wearing the protective yellow jersey during practice. Those I chatted with during the practice felt that the shoulder injury wasn't going to prevent Bjugstad from playing in the tournament but when I asked coach Dean Blais about it after the skate, he sounded less certain.

"We're day by day with Nick and he'll be in that gold jersey probably until our third exhibition game and then we'll decide whether we'll play him," said the coach, "If there's any question at all, if he's not 100 percent, he will not play. That's the policy that our trainers have and that's the policy we have as coaches; we're not going to put anyone out there and jeopardize not only his career but also the success of the team if you play a guy that's hurt."

For clarification I asked again if Bjugstad's status for the start of the tournament was really in question.

"Well you never know, you never know with any kind of injury and [the shoulder] is a day to day kind of deal," Blais repeated, "We'll make sure that he's in good condition and that he's 100 percent and if he's not we're not playing him."

It's not unlike the situation that Canada is facing with both Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden. Oddly enough, both of the Canadian forwards and Bjugstad are all property of the NHL's Florida Panthers.

USA begins their exhibition schedule tonight in Red Deer against Russia and coach Blais suggested everyone who dresses for his club better be prepared to impress.

"No one here has played their way off the team which is kind of unusual when you get 28 or 29 guys competing."

The lines that USA had formulated during practice were interesting. Certainly the trio of Jason Zucker (MIN) and Emerson Etem (ANH) flanking Charlie Coyle (MIN) looked promising. There is a lot of speed, strength and offensive ability with that threesome. I asked Zucker afterward about the chemistry of that line.

"It's not hard to play with them, that's for sure," Zucker laughed, "They have plenty of talent obviously and they are both having great years so far. I'm glad to be playing with them."

Zucker, who has to be considered a strong candidate for the captaincy as a 3rd year member of the team, said he played with Etem as 10-year-olds so they've got some old school history between them.

Speed was the key to the gold medal success USA enjoyed in 2010 and that will once again be a trait of this year's edition. Derek Forbort, a smooth skating 6'5 defenceman with the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota, is one of several big blueliners that can move really well.

"I think that's something that not a lot of teams have is big defencemen but also good skaters and we've got a lot of those guys on the back end," he said before commenting on a couple of the forwards he faces a lot in WCHA action. "It sucks chasing those guys around, especially having [Bjugstad] and Rau on the same line is brutal but I'm just glad that they're on our side."

At one point during practice, the players were working on one timers which was clearly something they needed to do. Shots routinely went high, wide or were fanned on. Starman relayed a humorous anecdote that he was once told about college players and the subject of one timers that went something like (paraphrase): "College players are horrible at one timers because they never practice them. They all have to pay for their own sticks at every level coming up so they don't want to risk breaking them so... they don't practice it."

I don't know if that's completely true or not... but it sure looked like it on Monday.

The practice ended in entertaining style with a shootout drill. Considering how many times the shootout has come into play during the WJC as of late, usually with Canada/USA, I wasn't surprised to see coach Blais try it in practice.

The goalies occupied the nets at opposite ends, the skater would pick up a puck at center, shoot on one goalie, circle back and do the same at the other end of the ice; two shots per shooter.

By the time the skaters were finished, only 6 managed to score a single goal and only Kyle Rau was able to best both Jack Campbell and John Gibson (above). Gibson made the highlight save of the drill when he robbed Forbort with his glove. 17-year-old defenceman Jake Trouba beat Campbell with a slapshot from the top of the circle then faked the same move on Gibson to no avail.

The six successful shooters went in the second round, all of them on Gibson, and one by one they were turned away. Gibson stole the show.

"Gibby was for sure the first star tonight," laughed Campbell afterward.

I jokingly asked Zucker if there was a problem with scoring for the skaters or if this was it a case of stellar netminding.

"I think it's a bit of both, obviously the ice was a little chopped up," he laughed, "Two great goalies and they work on shootouts just like we do so they were ready to go and they got the better of us today."

It was a loose, upbeat group. As I was talking to Jack Campbell, Adam Clendening stopped behind him to rub him in the face with the blade of his stick. A couple of the players and personnel commented on how welcoming Camrose has been for them, people going out of their way to make them feel comfortable. The AJHL club, the Camrose Kodiaks, have given up their dressing room for the Americans to use and at least for the next 5 days, USA can feel as though they aren't behind enemy lines in the small city.

That will change come Boxing Day and the start of the tournament.

NOTES

- In the wake of Charlie Coyle's defection from Boston University to Saint John of the QMJHL, there has been some of speculation as to the future of a couple of other NCAA players. The CHL rights to defenceman Mike Paliotta and forward Connor Brickley, both playing at Vermont, are also held by the Sea Dogs so immediately people began to wonder if the two would follow Coyle to Canada.

Brickley is in Camrose so I asked him to comment on the record just to get his perspective on the subject.

"My allegiance is still to the University of Vermont right now and it looks like it's going to be there for good but who knows what could happen but for now it's at UVM," Brickley told me.

I asked him if Coyle's decision made him consider all his options including the QMJHL and the Sea Dogs.

"Charlie, whatever it takes for him and his individual growth as a hockey player... my team, I think, needs me back at UVM and my allegiance is to them and I want to help them turn the program around so UVM is my home."

- Jack Campbell's mask is awesome. Chris Peter's excellent United States of Hockey blog has a snapshot of the Captain America themed mask. It's really impressive in person.

- Apparently TSN was in Camrose over the weekend to do a small feature on the team. I'm told that the network messed up the spelling of the name of the 2010 gold medal winning coach as Dean "Blaze". Most would consider that a small thing but it was noticed and mentioned to me so it obviously drew a reaction from some around USA Hockey.

- Lastly, it was made official yesterday that Justin Faulk will not be loaned to USA by the Carolina Hurricanes. Coach Blais told me that they'd basically planned as though he wouldn't be so the 9 players at camp are the ones they assumed they would have to pick from. Faulk would have been a big bonus though for sure.

NOTE: You can hear all of the interviews with the players and head coach tonight on TPS www.thepipelineshow.com 7-9 pm MST (9-11pm EST).

(Photos: John LUcas / Edmonton Journal, Matt Manor / IIHF Images, Tom Sorensen / USA Hockey, UVM)

Win tickets to a WJC game with your all time line

2011-12-20T01:22:00.005-07:00

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On Tuesday night Guy and I will be revealing our all time World Junior Championship line. 3 forward, 2 blue liners and a goalie.

We'd also like to see your team, and to entice you, everyone who emails us their team will be entered into a draw for two tickets to a World Junior game in Edmonton, opponents tba.

So it's that simple, email us your team to pipeup@theteam1260.com. We'll be making the draw near the end of our show Tuesday night.

While you're emailing us you might also have a question for our World Junior Championship preview show. We will be taping it this week and it will air Saturday morning at 10, a great way to start your Christmas Eve!!!! Long time CHL media members Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet and Peter Loubardias who calls the games on SHAW will help us go through the tournament team by team. Have a question about a player, team, or past moment, drop us a line or tweet us @thepipelineshow .

And remember you can catch all the games on the TEAM 1260 with Sam and play by play man Rod Pedersen starting Boxing Day with Canada vs. Finland.

Oil Kings to join the cast of Glee???

2011-12-16T23:00:00.001-07:00

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The hit show Glee, (which happens to air on Global Television), should be extending a guest host invitation to the Edmonton Oil Kings veterans. If you've been a to a game lately (which if you're a hockey fan you should have by now) you will have seen the rookies on the big screen with their versions of classic Christmas songs.

Now the veterans have gotten into the Christmas spirit. The video evidence after the jump and really, you have to see this.

This team really is talented, they've managed to squeeze in a 10 game win streak with a performance that should win them some kind of award.

Bravo to Klarc Wilson for such a smooth intro and the players for getting into it.

I'm told the production was the brain child or equipment guru Rogan Dean, whom you can follow on twitter @R_Dean, as well as trainer Brian Cheeseman @b_cheeseman. Mitch Sharma, the team's community coordinator was also in on the planning.

The team should be even more entertaining Saturday night when the Hitmen roll into town after taking on Regina as part of Sportnet's CHL Friday night double header.

Maybe it's in honour of the team's 10-game winning streak, but tickets are 10 bucks and it's teddy bear toss night, so a great cause wins out no matter what.

The team will be wearing some cool Christmas themed jerseys as well that fans can get their hands on with the proceeds, like the bears going to Santa's Anonymous. All the details are on the club's website. www.oilkings.ca I'll be disappointed with a crowd smaller then 10,000.

By the way you can hear the game with Corey Graham and my regular co-host Guy Flaming with the call on the TEAM 1260. Guy has promised me a history making call when the Kings score their first call and it start's 'raining stuffed animals'. Can't wait Guy!!!!

Lastly, we told you about the goal call that the Oil Kings are using. "Barbara Streisand" by 'Duck Sauce'. Well, we received an email from an apparent fan who wanted to wish the Oil Kings luck during their current winning streak. So from her to the team:

Coyle Leaves BU for CHL

2011-12-16T21:00:00.003-07:00

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This morning the rumors started to spread that Boston University sophomore Charlie Coyle was going to leave college and join the Saint John Sea Dogs. The Boston College Hockey Blog wrote on Thursday that it appeared the Terriers star forward was leaving and that "Coyle is gone mainly for flunking in school", an allegation that the player has vehemently denied to TPS.

With Team USA arriving in Edmonton on Friday, both Dean and I planned to meet the team at the airport and with this news coming out this morning, it gave us just one more reason to do so.

Oddly enough, Dean (there for his TV gig with Global) , an unknown local newspaper reporter and myself were the only media who apparently knew USA was flying in so the opportunity was right for a candid one-on-one. Which is what I got with Coyle.

The first American player to arrive was Ottawa 67's forward Shane Prince. He was soon followed by a number of teammates and I briefly spoke with a number of them about the upcoming WJC for use on our radio show this Saturday. I spied Coyle among the group of players and as they came over to meet the tournament welcoming committee. I let him know that I wanted to chat with him once he'd loaded his gear on the team's bus and he said no problem.

I spoke first with Plymouth Whalers forward J.T. Miller and then Nick Bjugstad of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. While talking with Miller I spotted Coyle return to the meeting area but he'd walked off by himself with his phone attached to one ear. Clearly headed to a more private part of the terminal.

I met with defenceman Adam Clendening (right) who is not just a teammate of Colyle's but his roommate as well. After discussing USA's arrival into Edmonton and the anticipation of the World Junior Championship our conversation changed gears and I asked him how things are at BU these days.

"Uh... Alright. I mean, we're hanging in there," he said sounding a bit at a loss for the right words, "It's a good time for a break for us I'd say."

I mentioned the recent departure of Corey Trivino and about the news of the day that Charlie Coyle might also be leaving and asked the defenceman to comment on the situation for the Terriers.

"I really don't have a comment on Corey," Clendening began, "Even with Charlie, it's pretty much new news to me. I read the article on the plane as we waited to taxi off but I really don't know the truth about that either. I'm his roommate and he tells me that he's not going anywhere but I don't know."

"I'm still in shock on both things so I'm really not sure of what to say or what to do."

Done my conversation with Clendening I turned to find Coyle who was patiently leaning against a pillar waiting. I've chatted casually with him in the past and of course he's been a guest on TPS a few times over the last couple of years. We exchanged pleasantries and spoke briefly off the record about the situation to find out first off, if the rumors were true and whether he could even discuss them. Fortunately, he told me that he had just been given permission to talk on the record about it, clearly what his private phone conversation was all about, and so we began.

I asked him to explain how he had arrived at the decision to leave BU for the CHL.

"I did make the decision to go to the Q and play for Saint John. I'm leaving BU," he confirmed, "It's not for any academic reasons, I'm not failing or any of that stuff. It's just that, frankly, I just want to focus on hockey right now and pursue my NHL career; 100% towards hockey and just leave the school part behind."

"No part of it was me failing or anything like that; I loved my time at Boston University, the coaches the teammates, I'm definitely going to miss it but it's a decision that I think I have to make and I made it."

He'd indicated to me that this was something he and the school had hoped to keep quiet until after the tournament but that was something he knew would happen't once the whispers had started.

"It's never a good time to leave my team like this, I feel bad but it's something that I have to do," Coyle explained, "I wanted to wait until after [the WJC] but it leaked out so I have to be up front about it right now and be honest about it and so that's what I'm doing."

I asked if he knew whether he would head straight to Saint John from the tournament or if it was too early to know for certain.

"I think I'll probably fly back home for a day or two and maybe pack my things to go but for the most part I'm focused on this tournament," he said.

I wondered if staying in a WJC frame of mind was going to be a challenge considering the rest of his life was changing completely.

"I have a pretty level head, you have to just throw that aside and when people bring it up I'll have to say that I'm focusing on [the WJC] and that's what I'm going to try to do," he said, "It's off my plate now."

Dean then joined in having wrapped up his TV interviews and made a strategic suggestion to Coyle for in that he may want to go a bit easy on Jonathan Huberdeau on New Year's Eve considering they'll be teammates in Saint John after the tournament.

"I know of some of the guys who play for Saint John so it will be interesting to play against them, it will be fun and a great experience," laughed Coyle.

Another future teammate in Saint John is Zack Phillips who may also be a NHL teammate one day as both he and Coyle are property of the Minnesota Wild. I asked Coyle if he'd spoken yet with Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant or anyone else with the organization.

"We've made some contact with them just to go over things but for the most part I'm focused on this tournament and we'll deal with that when the time comes."

Dean then asked what Minnesota's role has been through this process and if there was talk about potentially signing on with them to join their AHL affiliate in Houston or perhaps with the big team.

"There's been communication obviously but they would never tell me what to do," Coyle said, "They'll support whatever my decisions are and this decision that I made, they're going to back me. Maybe I'm not ready for [pro hockey], I don't know yet, but it was my decision to go to Saint John and that's what I'm sticking with."

There is no question that Coyle's arrival in Saint John will make a team that is already considered a Memorial Cup contender that much more so. The Sea Dogs won their first ever national title last year and are well positioned to get back to the party as the other QMJHL team along with Shawinigan.

I will say that at some points in our discussion, especially in regard to leaving school, Coyle appeared to me to be struggling for the right words. He mentioned that he hadn't even had a chance to inform anyone on the team including Clendening who, as mentioned earlier, was his roommate.

I may just be reading too much into it but his body language and the look in his face indicated to me that the weight of his decision was just sinking in for him. Remember, just minutes before our discussion, things had not be settled so he hadn't even prepared how to talk about it with the media.

While we spoke, it appeared to me that reality was hitting him. We may have been the first ones to talk to him about it, but at the same time the understanding was in his eyes that if this was news even in Edmonton, over 4000 KM (2600 Miles) away, it was going to be big news back home.

The team hung around the airport for over an hour as they waited for other players and coaches to arrive. I had written on Twitter that I could confirm the news and as I saw that post explode in re-tweet after re-tweet I knew that he would be hearing about it too. I saw him scrolling on his phone and we laughed about the immediate reaction it had generated.

I told him I was getting a lot of people reacting to his statement that academics were not an issue for him and that the basic reply on Twitter from fans and other media were basically "uh huh, sure it's not".

He reiterated that schooling was not an issue and pointed out that he hadn't even written his exams yet. In the end, it was clear to me that this is a player that is simply exhausted with trying to balance education and performing on the ice at a high level.

He chuckled when I informed him that his familiar #3 is currently not being worn in Saint John.

Perhaps his timing is questionable and that an off-season move would have been better for coach Jack Parker and the BU Terriers but in the end, the player has to make the decision for himself and that's what has happened here.

On TPS we've always argued that there are players who should go the college route and that there are those who aren't meant for it. Clearly, Charlie Coyle is of the latter category.

You can hear this conversation with Coyle Saturday morning on The Pipeline Show, likely in our first segment beginning at 10AM MST (Noon, EST).

On a side note: I found out later in the day that there were four QMJHL teams in pursuit of Coyle's services. I had mistakenly thought that his rights were held by the Sea Dogs but apparently the Victoriaville Tigres, Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes and the always shopping Quebec Remparts had expressed interest as well.

USHL Goal You Have to See

2011-12-16T10:11:00.006-07:00

It's one of those goals you won't believe until you see it two or three times so it's fortunate that you get to see it from 3 or 4 different angles here. A remarkable second effort goal by Cedar Rapids forward Landon Smith that he might not be able to repeat in a hundred attempts.

The 18-year-old from Greenwood Village, Colorado is a rookie this year in the USHL and is committed to join the University of Denver.

The goal reminds me of Blake Wheeler's diving OT goal against North Dakota in 2007.

OHL - The New Goalie Factory

2011-12-15T14:00:00.004-07:00

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There are 10 different nations represented in the World Junior Championship but nearly half of the goaltenders expected to be on those roster will come from teams based in the Canadian Hockey League. Is the CHL, and more specifically the Ontario Hockey League, becoming the new place for goaltenders to develop?

Here's a look at the CHLers from around the globe.

Not surprisingly, both of Canada's goaltenders come from the CHL. If not for the injury to Sam Brittain (FLA) of the Denver Pioneers, the Calgary native may have challenged that ratio but he won't be back until late January so unable to help Canada.

Mark Visentin (PHX) of the Niagara IceDogs isn't a shocker to be back with Canada after he finished the 2011 WJC in the starter spot after cleaning up from Olivier Roy (EDM). His partner in Alberta starting Boxing Day will be Scott Wedgewood (NJ) who definitely played his way onto the roster. The Plymouth Whalers keeper is 9-1 in his last 10 OHL games but having given up at least 3 goals in seven of those contests, he's clearly getting goal support from his teammates.

Casual fans who will watch the World Junior Championship on TV but aren't followers of junior hockey might be surprised to learn that both netminders for USA also call the CHL home.

Jack Campbell (DAL) will be at his third WJC and he's been a focal point in each of the past two years. Like Visentin, Campbell became the main man as the 2010 event went on and Mike Lee (PHX) struggled. Earlier this season he was dealt from the Windsor Spitfires to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Most people would suggest that with Campbell returning once again, USA probably has the top netminder in the tournament.

Campbell's support man is pretty darn good too. John Gibson (ANH) plays for the Kitchener Rangers and after 21 games still sports a .933 sv%. He might only see action against Denmark or the Czechs, or not at all, but he's a high caliber goaltender in his own right - good enough to be a starter on probably two thirds of the other teams in the event.

Like Campbell, Gibson spent time with USA Hockey's excellent U17 and U18 program based in Ann Arbor Michigan that now plays in the USHL. And also like Campbell, when his time was up with the US-NTDP, he detoured off from his NCAA path and steered his career to the OHL.

Two other countries may decide to use a CHL goaltender as their starter when the WJC begins on Boxing Day. Certainly that is what most believe the Czech Republic will do as they have finally agreed to let Petr Mrazek (DET) play for them in the tournament. Politics and red tape has meant that this will be the first year that the 19-year-old gets to do so and it should mean a lot to the team. Mrazek has been considered one of the best goalies in the OHL over the last couple of seasons. HIs Ottawa 67's are contenders again this year in no small part because of his 16-7-3 record. This is the Vitkovice product's third year in Ontario, all with the 67's.

Sweden hasn't declared their final roster as of yet but one of the three netminders is Johan Mattsson (CHI) of the Sudbury Wolves. He's clearly the starter in Sudbury but we don't no for certain if Mattsson is even on the final Swedish roster but for the purpose of this story, it's worth mentioning that like they did with Robin Lehner (OTT) last year from the Soo Greyhounds, they could pluck from the OHL once again.

There's another Gibson who will likely be a factor at the 2012 WJC and that's Christopher Gibson, the Finnish goaltender with the name from Saskatchewan and the accent from Quebec. Gibson learned to speak English playing at Notre Dame in Wilcox Saskatchewan and then added a French accent over the last couple years in Chicoutimi where he stops pucks for the Saguenéens. Finland still has four netminders on their list but it stands to reason that Gibson has an excellent chance of being one of the two goalies for Suomi.

We broke the news a few weeks ago that Saskatoon Blades goalie Andrey Makarov will be one of the two Russian goalies at the WJC this year, at least that's the impression he's under after bring told as much from coach Valeri Bragin. Although it's Makarov's first year in the WHL with the Blades, it's actually his second season in the CHL. The Kazan keeper played for the now defunct Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL until they disbanded this past summer. During our conversation it was Makarov who hit on the reason why he and so many other European goalies are looking to the CHL as the league they should play in.

"It's good for me, 40 shots every game, it's good practice for me," he said. Makarov also said that the stereotype of the QMJHL being a much more offensive league and the WHL being so tight defensively is just that; a stereotype. "No... not the case. In Quebec I face 25, 30 shots in a game but here it's 40-43. It's really good for me."

Patrik Bartosak of the Red Deer Rebels didn't make the shortlist for the Czech Republic which is a moot point now that he's injured and done for the season. Still, he talked to us about why he also chose to come to the Canadian Hockey League.

There are a number of others in the CHL who hold passports not bearing a maple leaf. Moncton Wildcats import Roman Will and David Honzik (VAN) from Victoriaville are both Czech born, CHL developed goalies. American Anthony Terenzio wears a Halifax jersey.

German Mathias Niederberger plays in Barrie for the Colts, Matej Machovsky is in his second OHL season but now with Brampton. Erie's Ramis Sadikov is Russian as is former WJC goalie Igor Bobkov (ANH), now with Kingston. Garret Sparks is an American in Guelph and many thought that London goalie Michael Houser deserved a look from USA. You can add Matt Mahalak (CAR) to that list as well; he's from Michigan just like Brandon Hope from the Sarnia Sting. John Cullen has played for four different OHL teams but calls USA his home.

Out West, the Swift Current Broncos and Vancouver Giants both chose European goalies in the CHL import draft and hoped to have them on their rosters this year. Norwegian Steffen Soberg (WSH) actually practiced with the Broncos before bailing but Jonathan Iilahti (VAN) didn't even get that close for the Giants.

Mike Comrie has ties to Alberta but he's from California and moved from there to Tri-City to play with the Americans in the WHL. Mac Carruth (CHI) was a USA summer WJC camp invite last year.

Some other recent examples include Juha Metsola and Riku Helenius, German Phillip Grubauer, Robert Mayer and Lukas Flueler from Switzerland.

We used to talk about different countries as being the sources for goaltenders. Finland was once known as the goaltending factory. For a long time it was the French-Canadian trained guys getting the looks.

Is it fair to now think of leagues in that same way? Rather than describing Finland as the hot goalie market, might it make more sense to say that the CHL is the place to find your goalie these days?

Edmonton Fans getting the Royal treatment

2011-12-15T06:00:00.002-07:00

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Wow, it must be fun to be an Oil King fan right now.

Edmonton fans - and those across the WHL on Shaw - watched the OK kids run their win streak to an even 10 Wednesday night, doubling up Victoria 6-3. The numbers during the streak are pretty impressive.

-10 straight wins (14 straight on home ice)

-60 goals for

-6 straight games with at least 5 goals for

-21 goals against

-never more than 3 goals against in one game

-6 power play goals against

Linemates Dylan Wruck and Tyler Maxwell are currently at 12 as far as point streaks, while their winger Michael St. Croix also had a 12 game stretch this season, putting the trio tied for the 3rd longest streaks this season. Laurent Brossoit has varied from steady to spectacular and the crowds are starting to grow at Rexall Place.

The team is fast and fun to watch right now, when they're going full tilt, which hasn't always been the case over the last 10. (Well, the last 3 to be exact). At times the Kings have looked sluggish and lazy, only to ratchet up the intensity and score in bunches. On one hand the coaching staff will be happy that they can turn things on when needed, but taking large gaps of time off during games will cost this team down the road and it's not a habit Derek Laxdal and company will allow for much longer.

The fun will continue for 2 more games before the team heads home for Christmas and then on the road during the World Junior Championship, which means even more great action at Rexall Place. Speaking of Christmas, here's hoping Santa brings the Oil Kings a new goal song. How about something with some pep to it. Use the current song for player intros before the game.

Guy's contribution: I just have to say that finding the Duck Sauce video on YouTube to embed here was the first time I have actually heard this song outside of Rexall Place. An entire song of "ooooweeeee ooooooooweeeee, Barbara Streisand"??? Are you kidding me?

Might I take the liberty and suggest something that actually makes sense to use after a goal scored by a team named Oil KINGS? Just loop the bit from 0:10-:30 and you're set. Sure, it's not a dance song but you can understand the words and hey... they fit the situation. Go figure!

I leave it in Lemmy's hands:

Team Canada Complete; Reaction

2011-12-14T14:13:00.007-07:00

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"I'm looking for players that can play a 200 ft game; at all ends of the ice, all areas of the ice and that can adjust to different roles. We're going to ask some real top-end skill guys to play different roles than they're used to."

That's what Canada's coach Don Hay said the morning they revealed the initial 41-man camp roster. Now that the final team has been picked (pending injuries*), we can reflect on those statements and see how true they are.

Canada opted to go with both goaltenders from Ontario. No, this isn't going to be a anti-OHL rant but I do find it interesting that so much talk about how performance over the start of the regular season is apparently less important than the 3 days at December's camp.

Tyler Bunz and Louis Domingue are the superior netminders if you consider stats and regular season CHL play but everyone felt sure that Mark Visentin would return because of his inclusion on the 2011 team. Scott Wedgewood, the smallest of the 4 invitees, knocked off Bunz for the back up job clearly based on the last three days as opposed to the last 3 months.

You know when you invite 41 players to camp (which then became 43, less Ryan Spooner so 42) that you're going to end up cutting some very good players. What troubles me about some of the players sent home is that there was a distinct lack of scoring in both red/white games and yet a 32 goal man like Ty Rattie doesn't make the grade. Especially considering the quote above from Hay which fits the Portland forward well. People will argue that Rattie failed to score so he was left off the team but I would point out that Phillip Danault scored twice, once on a beautiful feed from Rattie, and Tyler Toffoli scored twice and none of them made it. Clearly actually scoring goals in the exhibition games isn't the be-all-end-all either.

Do I really take issue with any of the players who did make the team? Not really although I will say I am surprised that Tanner Pearson and Scott Harrington are there. The latter was invisible in the summer and I didn't talk to anyone since that camp in Edmonton who suggested he should be an invite let alone on the roster.

I think Pearson makes the team because of his age and size, some might say his chemistry with Mark Scheifele but are they even going to play together at the WJC? Pearson is a feel good story, a late blooming, undrafted 19-year-old who will surely get selected this June. Good for him, he wasn't on my team but I take nothing away from him earning his spot.

Things could still change - Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden have to still be considered question marks and maybe that leaves the door open a bit for Rattie.

No one can suggest a bias for the WHL this year as some expected because of the coaches involved. Only 5 Western leaguers made the squad and one, Brett Bulmer, failed to make it despite his NHL start to the year and his Kelowna head coach (Ryan Huska) being on the Canadian bench staff.

Likewise, no anti-Quebec arguments can be made since half the QMJHL invitees did make the team including Huberdeau who did so without skating in the last 6 weeks.

As is the case every year, the cuts and selections will be debated heavily until the tournament begins.

My Team Canada

2011-12-13T23:04:00.011-07:00

Hockey Canada will cut down from 35 to 22 by early Wednesday morning meaning the hearts of 13 more kids will be broken. However one of them might have a glimmer of hope. Jonathan Huberdeau will be named to the team, but if he can't play at some point due to his broken foot Don Hay and his staff will have to bring in a replacement for the Saint John Sea Dog. It would be a tremendous blow to the team as the Florida Panther prospect - 3rd overall last June - was scoring at at rate of more then 2 points per game. But it's not like the team will be replacing him with a 4th liner should they have to. Evander Kane was called back after Dana Tyrell was injured during a pre tournament game in 2009 and Kane had 6 points in 6 games.

As for who will be joining Huberdeau on the final roster, here's my stab at it.

I might not have picked this final team, but I think Kevin Prendergast and Don Hay might.

Jaden Schwartz - Mark Scheifele - Brett Connolly
Jonathan Huberedau - Ryan Strome - Devante Smith-Pelly
Quinton Howden - Boone Jenner - Mark Stone
Freddie Hamilton - Phillip Danault - Brenden Gallagher
Brett Bulmer

Ryan Murray - Dougie Hamilton
Mark Pysyk - Brandon Gormley
Jamie Oleksiak - Nathan Beaulieu
Ryan Murphy

Scott Wedgewood
Mark Visentin

And If I were Ty Rattie and Phillip Di Giuseppe I wouldn't be straying from my phone just in case Huberdeau and/or Howden can't play.

We'll find out in the morning, but let me know what you think?

Canada Announces 7 Cuts

2011-12-13T12:01:00.007-07:00

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Hockey Canada spent the wee hours of the third morning of WJC camp breaking hearts as they trimmed their roster from 42 to 35. Three defencemen and four forwards got the bad news on Tuesday, the remaining players will take on a mixed-CIS team tonight with the final cuts coming on Wednesday.

Here's a list of who was sent home.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (BUF) is one of the leading defensive scorers in the entire country but didn't make the grade. He now returns to Rimouski.

2012 draft eligible Mathew Dumba was returned to the Red Deer Rebels. It wasn't the year for Dumba who captained the summer Ivan Hlinka team, but surely he will be a cornerstone on the club next year if he's not tied up in the NHL.

A bit of a surprise was Brendan Kichton (NYI) of the Spokane Chiefs who showed well in the Red/White games. His terrific pass to Devante Smith-Pelly was a thing of beauty and resulted in one of the very few goals thus far in the camp.

Up front, big Mark McNeil was also thought to have done enough to survive until at least Wednesday. It's good news for the P.A. Raiders but many, including me, had McNeil penciled in for a roster spot before camp started.

Kootenay will welcome back Max Reinhart and Brandon will do the same for Michael Ferland, both were considered long shots to stick with the club.

With the center position the one most up for contention, it's odd to see Zack Phillips dispatched back to Saint John so early.

All four goalies will play tonight, two for the CIS team. 11 defencemen remain, that will be chopped to 7 on Wednesday morning. 7 of the 20 remaining forwards will compete for a final roster spot tonight.

Quinton Howden is reportedly "feeling better" but will not play tonight. He was injured following a hit by Brett Connolly yesterday. Howden's season began late this year after returning from Florida's training camp with a concussion. It's not clear if the Moose Jaw forward is suffering concussion like symptoms right now.

Jonathan Huberdeau is still not skating as of yet.

Red Vs. White Vs. Connolly

2011-12-13T00:29:00.011-07:00

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Team Canada's inter squad game Monday night produced only one goal that beat a goalie, but plenty of hits and one injury. One returning player may have knocked another out of the tournament. Or Quinton Howden will be ok and able to fill a huge roll for Canada starting Boxing Day in Edmonton. Either way Brett Connolly seems to be taking a lot of heat right now.

Connolly finished his check on Howden Monday night and the Moose Jaw Warrior forward left the game in pain. It could be a shoulder or it could be a head injury. Some have suggested it was after the whistle, but it wasn't, and after watching it on TV and online it looks like Connolly actually slowed up a little.

After the first day of practice and red/white game the HC brass told Connolly they wanted more from him. He needed to give more and I truly believe he was just trying to play a little harder. If he stopped finishing checks then maybe he doesn't make this team or is ineffective.

While some media have ripped Connolly some in the hockey world don't see anything wrong with it. One long time hockey management personnel said 'if you don't want injuries, don't have a camp.". Another in the hockey world simply said "don't have inter squad games if you want to try and avoid injuries, but really you can't. Just let them play hard and hope for the best. I mean it's not like they're throwing a puck in the corner and asking who wants it from Youngblood."

I really hope Howden is OK and I also hope Connolly doesn't become the whipping boy for this team by the media. While I will say he does have to be better, I think he will.

Tyler Bunz really impressed me Monday night. He entered the game and faced back to back 5 on 3 team white PP's and didn't allow a goal until Mark Stone banged in a 3rd period rebound. Bunz also make a snazzy glove save. I spoke to him about his personality and how it should work perfectly in a pressure packed tournament like the WJC. You can hear some of that conversation Tuesday night. You'll also hear who our CHL Insider Sam Cosentino has the inside track on being the main pipe man.

Boone Jenner was physical and Nathan Beaulieu let fly a few one time howitzers on one of the many team white power plays. The PK units definitely won out on this night and while there haven't been a lot of goals, this group is to talented to be shut down. I think once they're a group taking on the CIS club and through the pre tournament games you'll see plenty of offence. Remember this is a team without Jonathan Huberdeau right now.

It's also a team that will have less players in the morning when 7-8 players are sadly sent packing. We'll chat with Hockey Canada Head Scout Kevin Prendergast about the players who are no longer in camp and how the team is taking shape moving forward.
You can find out all the details and listen on line, here. You can also have your say in our poll question about the Brett Connolly hit on Quinton Howden.

(Photos: Dylan Lynch / Hockey Canada)

Team Canada Camp Day 2

2011-12-12T15:10:00.006-07:00

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The brass for Team Canada decided to give the players the morning off from on ice activities. Some are healing bumps and bruises while others aren't yet able to skate. Another reason is that most guys played Friday night before jetting to Calgary on Saturday. Here are some notes from the media availability before tonight's 2nd inter squad game.

-Brett Connolly left last night's game with a lower body injury. Coach Don Hay was optimistic that Connolly would be ok. The team would know more after he takes the pre game skate, but it's expected he'll be in the line up. Really there's no reason to rush Connolly back as he's a lock for this team, and going on his past history from Hockey Canada it might be a good reason to let him rest.

-Jonathan Huberdeau hasn't skated as he's still using a walking boot for his broken foot. I asked Hay when he needs to see Huberdeau by but he was non committal, simply stating they would wait and see what the Saint John Sea Dog was like Wednesday. Huberdeau was seeing a doctor about his foot this morning.

-Mark Pysyk and Joe Morrow are picking up where they left off in bantam. The best friends who grew up playing together in Sherwood Park and now are opponents in the WHL. Pysyk with Edmonton, Morrow with Portland. They both went 23rd overall in their respective drafts. They were paired together at times on Sunday night and both said it was like they had never stopped playing together. Both kids spend hours together on the outdoor rinks and ponds as kids, but strangely never pretended to win World Junior gold. Maybe they'll be able to make every kids dream come true together.

-Brendan Gallagher isn't expecting any special treatment from Canadian bench boss Don Hay, who also happens to be his coach in Vancouver. The gritty and skilled forward says if you know Don Hay you know he doesn't play favourites. For Gallagher it's almost like when your dad coaches you and you have to be better then everyone else just to prove there is no favouritism. That won't be a problem for the Canadians draft pick who can play anywhere in the line up.

-It seems strange that a guy with 32 goals in 32 games could be on the bubble, but with Ty Rattie that might be the case. The addition of Devante Smith-Pelly and Brett Connolly takes away 2 winger spots. Rattie trotted out the tried and true line of playing anywhere in the line up. He said he's not worried about scoring but bringing a 2 way game to the try out.

You can here a lot of these conversations tomorrow night on TPS, as well as a conversation with Kevin Prendergast about the cuts the Head Scout will me making tomorrow morning.

Smith-Pelly & Connolly News: Great for Canada and Maybe Prince George Too

2011-12-08T22:58:00.009-07:00

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Kevin Prendergast and the coaching staff for Team Canada received 2 early presents Thursday night when it was announced by Anaheim and Tampa Bay that Devante Smith-Pelly and Brett Connolly would be loaned to the Canadian World Junior team.

Smith-Pelly was excellent at this summer's evaluation camp in Edmonton. He proved to many that he was more then just a checker or a mucker displaying a soft touch around the net while still providing a physical force, exactly the role he'll be asked to play in Edmonton when the tournament starts on Boxing Day. With the Ducks he had 3 goals and 2 assists and was -10 playing almost 11 minutes a game through 26 games.

Like Smith-Pelly, Connolly surprisingly stuck in the NHL and it was thought he was lost to Hockey Canada. But earlier tonight we were told there was a chance it could come down the pipe this weekend and Connolly would be wearing the Maple Leaf once again. The Prince George product confirmed it on Twitter:

Brett Connolly @bconnolly8 2 hrs Details
Well let's go get a gold medal. #worldjuniors

I asked someone tonight if Connolly would see this as a positive that he gets to play in one of the best tournaments around or a negative that he won't be in the NHL?

"His last chance to win a gold medal for Canada and get redemption from last year on Canadian Soil? He'll be pumped."

Connolly had been stuck on 8 points for the past 10 games, but 2 of his four goals were game winners for Tampa. Last season he reeled off 46 and might have netted 60 if he didn't miss time while with Hockey Canada. He'll be out to improve on the 3 assist tournament he had last year when Canada settled for silver for the second straight year.

The decision by Tampa brings up another question. What happens when the tournament is over. Does Connolly return to the sunshine state or back to the interior of B.C? Is he this year's version of Brayden Schenn whom the Kings loaned to Team Canada last year and then back to Brandon, who dealt him for a boat load to Saskatoon. If that's the case then the return for Connolly along with Martin Marincin (Guy wrote about him earlier this week) would set the Cougars up well for years to come. As it is now the youth is leading the charge.

It would start to end some of the bad luck they've been dealt with injuries to Dana Tyrell and Connolly in the past that prevented them from making the playoffs or rebuilding properly.

It's rare that Hockey Canada gets 2 players let alone one so they really have to take advantage of it. The pair will really bolster the top two lines and their special teams. It doesn't sound like Erik Gudbranson will be made available, but then again HC can't get to greedy.

Will other teams follow suit with some of their players for other countries? If Nino Niederreiter was healthy enough would the Islanders loan him to the Swiss? He was dynamite during the 2010 tournament in Saskatoon and along with Sven Bartschi could give the Swiss a podium chance. However according to Aurther Staple it's not known when he'll be back on the ice.

How about the Carolina Hurricanes allowing Justin Faulk (left) to skate with the Stars and Stripes? Guy Flaming was told that Faulk asked the Hurricanes two months ago if he could play in the tournament. However the big club is dealing with some injuries and might need Faulk in the NHL. He would be a massive boost for Team U.S.A who already have a big blue line.