Each Day until September 15th TPS will take a look at one team from the East and one team from the West and spotlight a few rookies to watch for this season. Today in the West it’s the Nashville Predators.
Showing posts with label Ellis (Ryan). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ellis (Ryan). Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Rookie Watch: Nashville Predators
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Each Day until September 15th TPS will take a look at one team from the East and one team from the West and spotlight a few rookies to watch for this season. Today in the West it’s the Nashville Predators.
Each Day until September 15th TPS will take a look at one team from the East and one team from the West and spotlight a few rookies to watch for this season. Today in the West it’s the Nashville Predators.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
On the Fence With Ryan Ellis
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I’ll admit it; I’m not the biggest believer in Ryan Ellis.
To put this in perspective though… on The Pipeline Show we talk about everything in Major Junior, NCAA and minor pro but being based in Edmonton, we don’t get to watch a lot of OHL hockey. My own personal viewings of Ryan Ellis are limited to the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa and the recent Memorial Cup in Rimouski – and both on TV, which I’ve never believed gives a complete picture of a player if you are really trying to “scout” him.
Thankfully in our line of work we speak with a lot of people who do get to watch the players first hand, whether it be media colleagues that are on hand, other players or the network of people employed in the hockey world including scouts, coaches and GMs from various levels. Tapping into that network is how I round out my personal opinion or expectations of a player – sometimes that works out well and sometimes it doesn’t.
My opinion right now on Ryan Ellis is that he’s a fantastic junior hockey player, maybe one of the best in the history of junior hockey, but that he’s going to have a hell of a time making a career in the NHL.
His offensive numbers this year with the Windsor Spitfires were unreal – 89 points in 57 games and 31 more in the 20 playoff games that followed. Considering how much hockey he played this year including the extra tournaments, I think he deserves a ton of credit for not running out of gas like a lot of players might.
Ellis has a wicked, booming shot that has become his trademark. As he told us on the show back in November, most (if not all) of his 15 goals in 2007-08 came from the top of the circles courtesy the mighty slapper he has at his disposal.
Despite a lack of stature Ellis isn’t shy of the open ice hit, just ask 6’5 Rimouski forward Keven Veilleux. The 5’10 blueliner stepped into Velleux during the Memorial Cup and the Penguins prospect lost his wind, a few shifts and maybe a couple of teeth before he managed to get back into the game.
According to everyone I’ve spoken with, his strongest asset sits between his ears – there is no question that Ellis thinks the game as well as anyone his age. He’s a tactical assassin that knows when to pinch in on the power play, where to find the open man with a stretch pass or how to angle off a forward to break up an attack. Ellis can quarterback a power play as effectively as anyone in junior hockey, and maybe arguably as well as some right now in the NHL.
Did I mention that I’m not a big believer?
Well despite all the sunshine and rainbows I described, I have no problem envisioning Ryan Ellis ending up like any number of previous Major Junior stars who couldn’t translate that success to the highest level of the sport. For all his strengths there are just as many things that create doubt and every person I talk to, those who like him and those who don’t, all agree that there is a serious level of uncertainty with him.
The questions obviously begin with his size. Generously listed at 5’10 and just less than 180 lbs, Ellis is going to struggle defensively at the NHL level. He’s already been described to me by one scout as a player “who appears reluctant to turn and chase after a puck in his own end” because of the subsequent contact that will result. That’s not to say that he’s afraid of the hit but rather that he knows it’s a puck battle that he’s not likely to win.
That leads to the question of whether he’ll be able to handle the power forwards that dominate the NHL these days – players like Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin. One scout I talked to expressed that very concern when he said “There is a definite risk involved taking a guy that small when you picture how he’s going to try and defend against someone like Iginla.”
The next critique I hear lodged against Ellis is his skating. He’s not bad but he’s just average or as our friend Peter Loubardias (Rogers Sportsnet) put it: “There are some question marks in terms of him not being the most fluid skater.”
To me, the combination of undersized and average speed is an absolute killer. To play defence at the NHL level you can be small but then you’d better be fast and the fact that Ellis is neither of those things is a big red flag to me. One scout suggested he wouldn’t be able to play the same puck rushing style that he does in junior because he couldn’t get back to his own end fast enough if something went wrong. So if he’s not going to be the same style of pro as he is a junior… what will he be?
The other knock we all heard so much about, mostly before the WJC in Ottawa, is that his defensive play is suspect. I actually didn’t have any problems with the way he looked at the WJC and I thought he was fine at the Memorial Cup too but it’s still a concern to people who have seen him way more than I have. “He seems to be more of a one-dimensional player” one bird-dog suggested to me.
So when I list the pros and the cons I come up with really big issues on both sides of the ledger:
PROS: Ridiculously good hockey sense… howitzer shot from the point… able to log a ton of ice time… great on the power play… terrific point production… surprise open ice hitter
CONS: Diminutive size… average skating ability… potentially limited to offensive role as a pro… strength against pros questioned…
It leaves me on the fence.
When we had Ellis on the show back in November, I asked him directly if he looked at a guy like Kris Russell as someone to pattern his game after in order to reach the NHL. Little did I know that I had picked the very person Ellis himself had singled out.
“Kris Russell is one of my favorite players in the NHL right now and I watched him with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Memorial Cup and loved how he played; his style and I thought he was really close to what I am like so he became my favorite player,” said Ellis. “Ever since then I just focused on becoming like him and he’s come a long way playing with Columbus. I think with myself, being underestimated because of my size is a lot like him so I think we have the same things in common and the same goals as well.”
So using Russell as a comparison, since that is the guy Ellis himself would use, I have to ask this question: Why is Ryan Ellis getting 1st round consideration? Kris Russell was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2005, the year of the lockout, so no one really knew how the league would change once it got back to playing. Russell’s height and weight are basically the same as Ellis but in 2005 he was deemed a gamble pick for the NHL.
In his draft year Russell scored 26 goals, 4 more than Ellis, and ended with 61 points. Ellis was part of a Memorial Cup Champion team with Taylor Hall, Greg Nemisz, Andrei Loktionov and Dale Mitchell that scored 311 goals in the regular season alone. By Comparison, Russell’s Medicine Hat team in 2005 lost out in the second round of the WHL playoffs and was led by Clarke MacArthur and Stefan Meyer, obviously not the same level of teammates that Ellis benefited from this past year. The 2004-05 Tigers scored 234 times that year.
Some people point to the plus-57 ratings that Ellis had as evidence that he’s not simply a power play specialist. One scout wasn’t buying it though.
“Yeah sure but he played a ton there and obviously they had a great team,” said the scout, “But when you get those forward who can put the puck in the net, all he has to do is make a pass to Taylor Hall and you get an assist and you’re going to get a plus.”
The similarities between the players is uncanny; same size, same puck-rushing or puck-moving style of play, both control the power play for their team and both played similar roles for Canada at the WJC (although Russell was a bit older when he first made the team).
Anyone who knows me knows that I was and still am a big supporter of Kris Russell. I thought he was a great selection by Columbus in the 3rd round and felt he would have been worthy of a 2nd round pick that year. So my question becomes… would Kris Russell be a mid-1st round pick if he were eligible this year or, is Ryan Ellis overrated? Other than the fact that Ellis is surrounded by better players than Russell was in 2005, what is so much better about the Spitfire blueliner that he’s getting hyped as being worth a mid-1st rounder?
In January we asked Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins to compare the two players after having just returned from running the defence for Canada at the WJC in Ottawa.
“[Ellis] really controls the power play, he’s so good up there, and at 17 he does some pretty exceptional things and Russell did the same at 16 and 17,” said Desjardins, “You have to look at their size and see a similarity too.”
Which still doesn’t tell me why Ellis ranks so much higher so I asked a couple of different scouts the same thing.
“That’s a good question... I don’t know.” Said one.
“And, Russell skated better than him.” Pointed out the other evaluator.
Forget Russell for a second and let me really lower the bar for another comparison. What makes Ellis a better pro prospect than say Marc-Andre Bergeron? Both have a big point shot, both like to make open ice hits, both can run a power play. Ellis clearly has as edge because of his elite hockey sense but there is no doubt that Bergeron can skate in the NHL. Bergeron was never drafted.
The fact that Ellis thinks the game so well seems to generally be what is the most attractive thing for scouts; arguably good enough that they are willing to overlook his size and average speed. There are a lot of people making comparisons to Brian Rafalski, which makes sense because they are similar size and style of player. Rafalski was never drafted.
Greg Hawgood was a super offensive blueliner out of the WHL who was drafted very late in the 1986 draft by Boston. It was a different era of course but Hawgood had three seasons of over 100 points while with the Kamloops Blazers. He had a 20-year pro career but was only a full time NHLer in three of them.
I just don’t get it but there has to be some explanation that is eluding me. Maybe if I was one of the stat-savvy bloggers I could make the comparisons from that perspective and that would shed some light on it. But I’m not so this is an open invitation for those of you that are math wizards to tell me what the difference is between Ellis and the guys I’ve listed above. I assume there is a difference; I just don’t see it yet so your calculator skills would be appreciated.
So hopefully you can see why I’m doubting that Ellis can live up to the expectations that a 1st round selection would heap on him. And then, just when my mind is made up, that’s when a guy like Peter Loubardias drops the following information on me and sets me right back up on the fence again.
Loubardias was on our show two weeks ago and we asked him directly if he was a believer in Ryan Ellis:
“I put a lot of stock in intangibles,” he began, “I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Ryan Ellis has reeled off the most impressive 13-month run that any young hockey player has ever enjoyed; he’s won five championships... in 13 months! World U18 gold, Ivan Hlinka Memorial gold, he won at the World Juniors, he won the OHL title and he won the Memorial Cup… since last April. I don’t think that it was a complete coincidence that he was involved and was a pretty important piece at times during all of the above.”
“At the World Juniors in Ottawa, I get it – he was a power play specialist – but his play on the boards to hold the puck in, twice, in the semi-final… Jordan Eberle is never in front of the net by himself with the puck if Ryan Ellis doesn’t make that play.” Loubardias pointed out.
“If Ryan Ellis doesn’t step up his game at the Memorial Cup and score the game winner in the third against Kelowna, his team ends up 0-3 and goes home,” he added, “He’s a tough guy to judge because you want to go against him in one way but on the other hand he is so smart and so competitive and is such a winner that I wouldn’t have a tough time taking him between 10 and 15, I really wouldn’t.”
As much as I respect Loubardias and his opinion because quite frankly, he’s forgotten more about junior hockey than I’ll ever know… I’m still not 100% convinced. The last 13 months have been an amazing success story for Ellis but the one thing those memorable wins all have in common is that they are achievements in junior hockey. No question that it’s rare for one player to be a part of all of those teams in one season but I don’t think it’s any guarantee of NHL success and for me, it doesn’t erase the doubts I have.
Do I think Ryan Ellis should be drafted? Of course I do. He could very well go on and have a lengthy pro career including a degree of success at the NHL level. However, I don’t see why he should be a Top-10 candidate and I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think we might see him slip outside the Top-20 at the NHL draft on June 26th.
I’ll admit it; I’m not the biggest believer in Ryan Ellis.To put this in perspective though… on The Pipeline Show we talk about everything in Major Junior, NCAA and minor pro but being based in Edmonton, we don’t get to watch a lot of OHL hockey. My own personal viewings of Ryan Ellis are limited to the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa and the recent Memorial Cup in Rimouski – and both on TV, which I’ve never believed gives a complete picture of a player if you are really trying to “scout” him.
Thankfully in our line of work we speak with a lot of people who do get to watch the players first hand, whether it be media colleagues that are on hand, other players or the network of people employed in the hockey world including scouts, coaches and GMs from various levels. Tapping into that network is how I round out my personal opinion or expectations of a player – sometimes that works out well and sometimes it doesn’t.
My opinion right now on Ryan Ellis is that he’s a fantastic junior hockey player, maybe one of the best in the history of junior hockey, but that he’s going to have a hell of a time making a career in the NHL.
His offensive numbers this year with the Windsor Spitfires were unreal – 89 points in 57 games and 31 more in the 20 playoff games that followed. Considering how much hockey he played this year including the extra tournaments, I think he deserves a ton of credit for not running out of gas like a lot of players might.Ellis has a wicked, booming shot that has become his trademark. As he told us on the show back in November, most (if not all) of his 15 goals in 2007-08 came from the top of the circles courtesy the mighty slapper he has at his disposal.
Despite a lack of stature Ellis isn’t shy of the open ice hit, just ask 6’5 Rimouski forward Keven Veilleux. The 5’10 blueliner stepped into Velleux during the Memorial Cup and the Penguins prospect lost his wind, a few shifts and maybe a couple of teeth before he managed to get back into the game.
According to everyone I’ve spoken with, his strongest asset sits between his ears – there is no question that Ellis thinks the game as well as anyone his age. He’s a tactical assassin that knows when to pinch in on the power play, where to find the open man with a stretch pass or how to angle off a forward to break up an attack. Ellis can quarterback a power play as effectively as anyone in junior hockey, and maybe arguably as well as some right now in the NHL.Did I mention that I’m not a big believer?
Well despite all the sunshine and rainbows I described, I have no problem envisioning Ryan Ellis ending up like any number of previous Major Junior stars who couldn’t translate that success to the highest level of the sport. For all his strengths there are just as many things that create doubt and every person I talk to, those who like him and those who don’t, all agree that there is a serious level of uncertainty with him.
The questions obviously begin with his size. Generously listed at 5’10 and just less than 180 lbs, Ellis is going to struggle defensively at the NHL level. He’s already been described to me by one scout as a player “who appears reluctant to turn and chase after a puck in his own end” because of the subsequent contact that will result. That’s not to say that he’s afraid of the hit but rather that he knows it’s a puck battle that he’s not likely to win.
That leads to the question of whether he’ll be able to handle the power forwards that dominate the NHL these days – players like Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin. One scout I talked to expressed that very concern when he said “There is a definite risk involved taking a guy that small when you picture how he’s going to try and defend against someone like Iginla.”The next critique I hear lodged against Ellis is his skating. He’s not bad but he’s just average or as our friend Peter Loubardias (Rogers Sportsnet) put it: “There are some question marks in terms of him not being the most fluid skater.”
To me, the combination of undersized and average speed is an absolute killer. To play defence at the NHL level you can be small but then you’d better be fast and the fact that Ellis is neither of those things is a big red flag to me. One scout suggested he wouldn’t be able to play the same puck rushing style that he does in junior because he couldn’t get back to his own end fast enough if something went wrong. So if he’s not going to be the same style of pro as he is a junior… what will he be?
The other knock we all heard so much about, mostly before the WJC in Ottawa, is that his defensive play is suspect. I actually didn’t have any problems with the way he looked at the WJC and I thought he was fine at the Memorial Cup too but it’s still a concern to people who have seen him way more than I have. “He seems to be more of a one-dimensional player” one bird-dog suggested to me.
So when I list the pros and the cons I come up with really big issues on both sides of the ledger:
PROS: Ridiculously good hockey sense… howitzer shot from the point… able to log a ton of ice time… great on the power play… terrific point production… surprise open ice hitter
CONS: Diminutive size… average skating ability… potentially limited to offensive role as a pro… strength against pros questioned…
It leaves me on the fence.
When we had Ellis on the show back in November, I asked him directly if he looked at a guy like Kris Russell as someone to pattern his game after in order to reach the NHL. Little did I know that I had picked the very person Ellis himself had singled out.
“Kris Russell is one of my favorite players in the NHL right now and I watched him with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Memorial Cup and loved how he played; his style and I thought he was really close to what I am like so he became my favorite player,” said Ellis. “Ever since then I just focused on becoming like him and he’s come a long way playing with Columbus. I think with myself, being underestimated because of my size is a lot like him so I think we have the same things in common and the same goals as well.”
So using Russell as a comparison, since that is the guy Ellis himself would use, I have to ask this question: Why is Ryan Ellis getting 1st round consideration? Kris Russell was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2005, the year of the lockout, so no one really knew how the league would change once it got back to playing. Russell’s height and weight are basically the same as Ellis but in 2005 he was deemed a gamble pick for the NHL.In his draft year Russell scored 26 goals, 4 more than Ellis, and ended with 61 points. Ellis was part of a Memorial Cup Champion team with Taylor Hall, Greg Nemisz, Andrei Loktionov and Dale Mitchell that scored 311 goals in the regular season alone. By Comparison, Russell’s Medicine Hat team in 2005 lost out in the second round of the WHL playoffs and was led by Clarke MacArthur and Stefan Meyer, obviously not the same level of teammates that Ellis benefited from this past year. The 2004-05 Tigers scored 234 times that year.
Some people point to the plus-57 ratings that Ellis had as evidence that he’s not simply a power play specialist. One scout wasn’t buying it though.
“Yeah sure but he played a ton there and obviously they had a great team,” said the scout, “But when you get those forward who can put the puck in the net, all he has to do is make a pass to Taylor Hall and you get an assist and you’re going to get a plus.”
The similarities between the players is uncanny; same size, same puck-rushing or puck-moving style of play, both control the power play for their team and both played similar roles for Canada at the WJC (although Russell was a bit older when he first made the team).Anyone who knows me knows that I was and still am a big supporter of Kris Russell. I thought he was a great selection by Columbus in the 3rd round and felt he would have been worthy of a 2nd round pick that year. So my question becomes… would Kris Russell be a mid-1st round pick if he were eligible this year or, is Ryan Ellis overrated? Other than the fact that Ellis is surrounded by better players than Russell was in 2005, what is so much better about the Spitfire blueliner that he’s getting hyped as being worth a mid-1st rounder?
In January we asked Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins to compare the two players after having just returned from running the defence for Canada at the WJC in Ottawa.
“[Ellis] really controls the power play, he’s so good up there, and at 17 he does some pretty exceptional things and Russell did the same at 16 and 17,” said Desjardins, “You have to look at their size and see a similarity too.”
Which still doesn’t tell me why Ellis ranks so much higher so I asked a couple of different scouts the same thing.
“That’s a good question... I don’t know.” Said one.
“And, Russell skated better than him.” Pointed out the other evaluator.
Forget Russell for a second and let me really lower the bar for another comparison. What makes Ellis a better pro prospect than say Marc-Andre Bergeron? Both have a big point shot, both like to make open ice hits, both can run a power play. Ellis clearly has as edge because of his elite hockey sense but there is no doubt that Bergeron can skate in the NHL. Bergeron was never drafted.The fact that Ellis thinks the game so well seems to generally be what is the most attractive thing for scouts; arguably good enough that they are willing to overlook his size and average speed. There are a lot of people making comparisons to Brian Rafalski, which makes sense because they are similar size and style of player. Rafalski was never drafted.
Greg Hawgood was a super offensive blueliner out of the WHL who was drafted very late in the 1986 draft by Boston. It was a different era of course but Hawgood had three seasons of over 100 points while with the Kamloops Blazers. He had a 20-year pro career but was only a full time NHLer in three of them.
I just don’t get it but there has to be some explanation that is eluding me. Maybe if I was one of the stat-savvy bloggers I could make the comparisons from that perspective and that would shed some light on it. But I’m not so this is an open invitation for those of you that are math wizards to tell me what the difference is between Ellis and the guys I’ve listed above. I assume there is a difference; I just don’t see it yet so your calculator skills would be appreciated.
So hopefully you can see why I’m doubting that Ellis can live up to the expectations that a 1st round selection would heap on him. And then, just when my mind is made up, that’s when a guy like Peter Loubardias drops the following information on me and sets me right back up on the fence again.
Loubardias was on our show two weeks ago and we asked him directly if he was a believer in Ryan Ellis:
“I put a lot of stock in intangibles,” he began, “I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Ryan Ellis has reeled off the most impressive 13-month run that any young hockey player has ever enjoyed; he’s won five championships... in 13 months! World U18 gold, Ivan Hlinka Memorial gold, he won at the World Juniors, he won the OHL title and he won the Memorial Cup… since last April. I don’t think that it was a complete coincidence that he was involved and was a pretty important piece at times during all of the above.”
“At the World Juniors in Ottawa, I get it – he was a power play specialist – but his play on the boards to hold the puck in, twice, in the semi-final… Jordan Eberle is never in front of the net by himself with the puck if Ryan Ellis doesn’t make that play.” Loubardias pointed out.“If Ryan Ellis doesn’t step up his game at the Memorial Cup and score the game winner in the third against Kelowna, his team ends up 0-3 and goes home,” he added, “He’s a tough guy to judge because you want to go against him in one way but on the other hand he is so smart and so competitive and is such a winner that I wouldn’t have a tough time taking him between 10 and 15, I really wouldn’t.”
As much as I respect Loubardias and his opinion because quite frankly, he’s forgotten more about junior hockey than I’ll ever know… I’m still not 100% convinced. The last 13 months have been an amazing success story for Ellis but the one thing those memorable wins all have in common is that they are achievements in junior hockey. No question that it’s rare for one player to be a part of all of those teams in one season but I don’t think it’s any guarantee of NHL success and for me, it doesn’t erase the doubts I have.
Do I think Ryan Ellis should be drafted? Of course I do. He could very well go on and have a lengthy pro career including a degree of success at the NHL level. However, I don’t see why he should be a Top-10 candidate and I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think we might see him slip outside the Top-20 at the NHL draft on June 26th.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Top 5 Tuesday: Memorial Cup Moments
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The hardest championship to win, in my humble opinion, is almost halfway over and today in Top 5 Tuesday I'll give you 5 things I've noticed through 4 games.
5. Windsor Winless
Who would have thunk it? Not me and probably not anyone if they are being truthful. A team with so much firepower has yet to win a game. Windsor pretty much steamrolled their way to the Memorial Cup but after an overtime loss to Drummondville and losing to an inspired host team from Rimouski, they need to beat Kelowna tonight and get some help to see the weekend. I can't believe it but maybe I shouldn't be to shocked, after all the #1 team in the country didn't even make the Memorial Cup. After winning 12 straight playoff games, Calgary lost to Kelowna in 6 games during the WHL final.
4. Goaltending Gaffes
With the exception of Rimouski's Maxime Gougeon, the goaltending at the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup has been well below average. Each of Mark Guggenberger from Kelowna, Marco Coussineau from Drummondville and Andrew Engelage from Windsor have given up soft goals. Engelage has done it at key times like the goal that forced overtime against Drummondville and the eventual game winner vs. Rimouski. Windsor is reminding me of Regina at the 2001 Memorial Cup. Donald Choukalas started for the Pats but was brutal as they fell to 0-2. Chad Davidson took over and led the host team to within an overtime game of reaching the final. Will Windsor pull the chute on Engalage and go with Josh Unice who played in this tournament with Kitchener last year?
3. Kool Kulikov
I'm really starting to like how Dmitry Kulikov plays the game. Ok so he struggled against Kelowna Monday night, but if we judged a player on one game, Jakob Markstrom wouldn't be so highly rated after his meltdown against Canada in the WJC gold medal game this year. Kulikov seems to know exactly when to dash up the ice and does it smoothly. He's a great power play QB and has a pretty decent shot. Drummondville's Mr. Everything on defence played in Russia's top 4 at the WJC as an underager. He's been hanging around the #10 spot for the past few months in the ISS rankings but one scout I spoke to tonight thinks he'll be gone earlier than that.
2. Barrie Outplaying Ellis
I'm not suggesting that NHL scouts will start ranking Kelowna's Tyson Barrie ahead of Windsor's Ryan Ellis, but in the battle of the pint sized blueliners, Barrie is winning. Barrie is listed at 5.10, 190 lbs and has 4 points in 2 games - including a 3 point night against Drummondville Monday - he's also plus 2. Ellis has just one goal, on the power play, and has been on the ice for 3 goals against giving him a -3 rating. I called Barrie a poor man's Ryan Ellis on TPS last Tuesday, he's ranked 77th by ISS in their May report but some scouts might be moving him up their list.
1. Huska = Memorial Cup Championships
With their win Monday night, Kelowna sent head coach Ryan Huska to the Memorial Cup final for a 5th time in his playing/coaching career, looking for his 5th championship. He won 3 as a player with Kamloops and was an assistant coach to Jeff Truitt when Kelowna won it all in 2004 on home ice. Incredibly this is Huska's 7th time at the tournament, the other 2 times they failed to make the final. So you have to think history is on his side as each time he's reached the title game, he's won it.
The hardest championship to win, in my humble opinion, is almost halfway over and today in Top 5 Tuesday I'll give you 5 things I've noticed through 4 games.
5. Windsor Winless
Who would have thunk it? Not me and probably not anyone if they are being truthful. A team with so much firepower has yet to win a game. Windsor pretty much steamrolled their way to the Memorial Cup but after an overtime loss to Drummondville and losing to an inspired host team from Rimouski, they need to beat Kelowna tonight and get some help to see the weekend. I can't believe it but maybe I shouldn't be to shocked, after all the #1 team in the country didn't even make the Memorial Cup. After winning 12 straight playoff games, Calgary lost to Kelowna in 6 games during the WHL final.
4. Goaltending Gaffes
With the exception of Rimouski's Maxime Gougeon, the goaltending at the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup has been well below average. Each of Mark Guggenberger from Kelowna, Marco Coussineau from Drummondville and Andrew Engelage from Windsor have given up soft goals. Engelage has done it at key times like the goal that forced overtime against Drummondville and the eventual game winner vs. Rimouski. Windsor is reminding me of Regina at the 2001 Memorial Cup. Donald Choukalas started for the Pats but was brutal as they fell to 0-2. Chad Davidson took over and led the host team to within an overtime game of reaching the final. Will Windsor pull the chute on Engalage and go with Josh Unice who played in this tournament with Kitchener last year?
3. Kool Kulikov
I'm really starting to like how Dmitry Kulikov plays the game. Ok so he struggled against Kelowna Monday night, but if we judged a player on one game, Jakob Markstrom wouldn't be so highly rated after his meltdown against Canada in the WJC gold medal game this year. Kulikov seems to know exactly when to dash up the ice and does it smoothly. He's a great power play QB and has a pretty decent shot. Drummondville's Mr. Everything on defence played in Russia's top 4 at the WJC as an underager. He's been hanging around the #10 spot for the past few months in the ISS rankings but one scout I spoke to tonight thinks he'll be gone earlier than that.
2. Barrie Outplaying EllisI'm not suggesting that NHL scouts will start ranking Kelowna's Tyson Barrie ahead of Windsor's Ryan Ellis, but in the battle of the pint sized blueliners, Barrie is winning. Barrie is listed at 5.10, 190 lbs and has 4 points in 2 games - including a 3 point night against Drummondville Monday - he's also plus 2. Ellis has just one goal, on the power play, and has been on the ice for 3 goals against giving him a -3 rating. I called Barrie a poor man's Ryan Ellis on TPS last Tuesday, he's ranked 77th by ISS in their May report but some scouts might be moving him up their list.
1. Huska = Memorial Cup ChampionshipsWith their win Monday night, Kelowna sent head coach Ryan Huska to the Memorial Cup final for a 5th time in his playing/coaching career, looking for his 5th championship. He won 3 as a player with Kamloops and was an assistant coach to Jeff Truitt when Kelowna won it all in 2004 on home ice. Incredibly this is Huska's 7th time at the tournament, the other 2 times they failed to make the final. So you have to think history is on his side as each time he's reached the title game, he's won it.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Spitfires misfire now 0-2 at Memorial Cup
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Well I guess someone misspoke when he said:
But in fairness to Guy, I thought the same thing, that if Rimouski had a shot at winning the Mastercard Memorial Cup, they would have to beat Kelowna coming out of the chute to gain momentum.
They didn't and looked really rusty in losing. On the flipside Windsor looked good, but lost in overtime against Drummondville Saturday. So by our theory, Windsor should have handled Rimouski easily today right? Wrong.
It was a wildly entertaining game, but a game where Winsdor received some shoddy goaltending from Andrew Engelage...again. Yesterday he allowed a soft tying goal. Today he gave up a bad game winner to Logan MacMillan (Anaheim, 1st round, 2007)from a sharp angle in the corner.
Windsor pulled within one when Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles, 5th round, 2008) notched his second of the game. They would have tied it late if it wasn't for the quick stick of Sebastien Piche, who knocked the puck away from a diving Dale Mitchell (Toronto, 3rd round, 2007) and prevented him from getting his second of the game.
The game featured two 2nd period lead changes and 7 goals in the middle frame and for the second straight day, the pre tournament favorite lost by a goal.
Can Windsor battle back to force a tie breaker and reach the final? It will be extremely tough and it will start with a must win game against Kelowna on Tuesday.
I was impressed again with Rimouski netminder Maxime Gougeon, who was strong down the stretch for the Oceanic and gave his club a chance today, especially with a breakaway save on possible first overall pick in 2010 Taylor Hall. Windsor's Loktionov I liked as well, and Rimouski's Patrice Cormier (New Jersey, 2nd, 2008) who scored and played physical as well. The Oceanic's Keven Vielleaux (Pittsburgh, 2nd round 2007) was also effective, coming back after losing some teeth on a Ryan Ellis hit and setting up Luca Cunti (Tampa Bay, 3rd round, 2007) with a beautiful toe drag.
Monday it's Kelowna and Drummondville. Windsor's loss puts the Rockets in a great spot. As Guy mentioned Friday, Drummondville is pretty banged up and might run out of gas. Kelowna has a chance to go 2-0 and secure atleast a berth in the semi-final.
Well I guess someone misspoke when he said:
"Goodbye Rimouski"
But in fairness to Guy, I thought the same thing, that if Rimouski had a shot at winning the Mastercard Memorial Cup, they would have to beat Kelowna coming out of the chute to gain momentum.
They didn't and looked really rusty in losing. On the flipside Windsor looked good, but lost in overtime against Drummondville Saturday. So by our theory, Windsor should have handled Rimouski easily today right? Wrong.
It was a wildly entertaining game, but a game where Winsdor received some shoddy goaltending from Andrew Engelage...again. Yesterday he allowed a soft tying goal. Today he gave up a bad game winner to Logan MacMillan (Anaheim, 1st round, 2007)from a sharp angle in the corner.
Windsor pulled within one when Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles, 5th round, 2008) notched his second of the game. They would have tied it late if it wasn't for the quick stick of Sebastien Piche, who knocked the puck away from a diving Dale Mitchell (Toronto, 3rd round, 2007) and prevented him from getting his second of the game.
The game featured two 2nd period lead changes and 7 goals in the middle frame and for the second straight day, the pre tournament favorite lost by a goal.
Can Windsor battle back to force a tie breaker and reach the final? It will be extremely tough and it will start with a must win game against Kelowna on Tuesday.
I was impressed again with Rimouski netminder Maxime Gougeon, who was strong down the stretch for the Oceanic and gave his club a chance today, especially with a breakaway save on possible first overall pick in 2010 Taylor Hall. Windsor's Loktionov I liked as well, and Rimouski's Patrice Cormier (New Jersey, 2nd, 2008) who scored and played physical as well. The Oceanic's Keven Vielleaux (Pittsburgh, 2nd round 2007) was also effective, coming back after losing some teeth on a Ryan Ellis hit and setting up Luca Cunti (Tampa Bay, 3rd round, 2007) with a beautiful toe drag.
Monday it's Kelowna and Drummondville. Windsor's loss puts the Rockets in a great spot. As Guy mentioned Friday, Drummondville is pretty banged up and might run out of gas. Kelowna has a chance to go 2-0 and secure atleast a berth in the semi-final.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Memorial Cup Head-to-Head: Defences
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Like yesterday's examination of the four goaltenders at the Memorial Cup, here is a comparison of the defences that will be on display.
Rimouski Oceanic
Offensively, the Oceanic have a pair of defencemen that recorded at least 60 points during the regular season. Sebastien Piché led the blueline in scoring with 72 points including 23 goals. Marc-Andre Bourdon, a 3rd round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, was acquired during the year and he contributed 60 points combined between Rimouski and Rouyn-Noranda. 5'9 Emmanuel Boudreau also factored in the scoring with 10 goals and 31 points.
Bourdon has kept pace in the playoffs but Piché's production has stalled.
Defensvively, most of Rimouski's blueliners ended the regular season on the good side of the +/- rating. The injured Maxime Ouimet, who came over from Baie-Comeau, posted an impressive +22 in just 27 games with the Oceanic. (He had a -22 rating with the Drakkar). He won the Kevin Lowe trophy as the league's top defenceman so his absence will be felt.
Looking at their roster sheet, the first thing that jumps out at me is their size. It's like the old Wendy's commercial: "Where's the Beef!?"
The biggest Oceanic defenceman is Bourdon who checks in at a solid 6'0 and 215 lbs. That's fine and dandy but there is no one else that cracks the 200 lb plateau (according to their roster).
Drummondville Voltigeurs
For the Voltigeurs it probably starts with 2009 eligible Dmitri Kulikov who led the team's defenders in scoring with 62 points - as a 17-year-old just getting used to North America. 20-year-old Marc-Antoine Desnoyers came next in scoring with 42 points, a pretty big dropoff from Kulikov's numbers but decent on its own. Outside of those two there isn't a lot of flash from the backend in Drummondville.
In the playoffs Kulikov has been a point-per-game player with 19 points. Desnoyers has chipped in 12 points and veteran Czech import Patrik Prokop has upped his production slightly with 8 points in 19 post season games.
The Volts were one of four teams that surrendered fewer than 200 goals during the regular season (189) while Rimouski allowed 223.
Size is going to be a concern as like Rimouski, there is no one that will pose much of a physical threat. Desnoyers is 6'1 and 190 lbs but he's the tallest and the only +200 lb player is Andrew Randazzo who tilts the scale at 215 lbs but stands just 5'10. But a fire hydrant can pack a punch although Randazzo's 40 PIM this year don't suggest an overly aggressive player.
None of Drummondville's defencemen have NHL ties although we know that will change in June as Kulikov is predicted to go in the top 15.
Windsor Spitfires
Ryan Ellis was tops in the OHL for scoring by a defenceman with 89 points, 13 more than the next closest player. His 67 assists were tops in the entire league regardless of position. He finished a single point behind Taylor Hall atop his team in scoring, a club with a celebrated offence. Not enough can be said about what Ellis brings to the table from an offensive standpoint.
Rob Kwiet had a great year with 67 points and Ben Shutron (CHI) provides another veteran punch although the latter is being counted on much more for his defensive play.
The main job of Windor's blueline group, outside of Ellis and maybe Kwiet, is to take care of their own end. The Spitfires have so much firepower up front that they don't really need to do much offensively except get the puck up to their attackers.
Compared to their Quebec-based opponents, the Spitfires defencemen look big. Certainly Harry Young, at 6'4 and 205 lbs, woould be big on any team. Kwiet is 6'1 and nearly 220 lb, while the rest of the group (sans Ellis) hovers near around the 195 lb mark.
Kelowna Rockets
Tyson Barrie is the Rockets' version of Kulikov or Ellis - a smallish, 2009 eligible offensive minded defenceman who more than makes up for his lack of size with his abundance of production. He had 52 points during the regular season.
Converted forward Brandon McMillan (ANH) has been terrific since making the switch to the backend. His offensive instincts are still there but his greatest asset is his speed - he won the fastest skater competition at the 2008 Top Prospects Game in Edmonton.
The biggest name on Kelowna's d-line might be the biggest player in the CHL, from a literal perspective. Tyler Myers (BUF) stands 6'7 on dry land and weighs in at 211 pounds. He is to the WHL what Zdeno Chara is to the NHL. Myers had 42 points during the regular season but has stepped it up in the playoffs with 20 more in just 22 games.
Colin Bowman has a chance at making the Memorial Cup a family affair after his brother Drayson won the trophy last year with Spokane. Bowman is a 2009 eligible prospect.
No question that this is the biggest defensive group in the tournament. Bowman is 6'2, Tysen Dowzak is 6'5 and 212 lbs and then of course there is Myers.
Comparisons
The head-to-head match up between Kulikov and Ellis will be front and center. Both are considered top 15 caliber players for the 2009 draft so all eyes will be on them in this tournament. My co-host wonder aloud on Tuesday if Tyson Barrie might be a "poor man's Ryan Ellis" for Kelowna and I think it's a valid statement. How much will a strong tournament here raise his draft stock, especially if he is able to out perform and possibly outscore his counterparts?
Kelowna has a size advantage but without seeing all of the teams in action this year it would be impossible to argue which 7-man unit is more defensively sound or potent at the other end of the ice.
My hunch is that if there was a coach poll done asking which defensive unit, as a whole, is best over all aspects of the game... that Kelowna's would come out on top. All have offence, all have veteran leadership, all have good two-way puck movers but only the Rockets have the size to match the biggest forwards at the Memorial Cup.
Like yesterday's examination of the four goaltenders at the Memorial Cup, here is a comparison of the defences that will be on display.
Rimouski Oceanic
Offensively, the Oceanic have a pair of defencemen that recorded at least 60 points during the regular season. Sebastien Piché led the blueline in scoring with 72 points including 23 goals. Marc-Andre Bourdon, a 3rd round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, was acquired during the year and he contributed 60 points combined between Rimouski and Rouyn-Noranda. 5'9 Emmanuel Boudreau also factored in the scoring with 10 goals and 31 points.Bourdon has kept pace in the playoffs but Piché's production has stalled.
Defensvively, most of Rimouski's blueliners ended the regular season on the good side of the +/- rating. The injured Maxime Ouimet, who came over from Baie-Comeau, posted an impressive +22 in just 27 games with the Oceanic. (He had a -22 rating with the Drakkar). He won the Kevin Lowe trophy as the league's top defenceman so his absence will be felt.
Looking at their roster sheet, the first thing that jumps out at me is their size. It's like the old Wendy's commercial: "Where's the Beef!?"
The biggest Oceanic defenceman is Bourdon who checks in at a solid 6'0 and 215 lbs. That's fine and dandy but there is no one else that cracks the 200 lb plateau (according to their roster).
Drummondville Voltigeurs
For the Voltigeurs it probably starts with 2009 eligible Dmitri Kulikov who led the team's defenders in scoring with 62 points - as a 17-year-old just getting used to North America. 20-year-old Marc-Antoine Desnoyers came next in scoring with 42 points, a pretty big dropoff from Kulikov's numbers but decent on its own. Outside of those two there isn't a lot of flash from the backend in Drummondville.In the playoffs Kulikov has been a point-per-game player with 19 points. Desnoyers has chipped in 12 points and veteran Czech import Patrik Prokop has upped his production slightly with 8 points in 19 post season games.
The Volts were one of four teams that surrendered fewer than 200 goals during the regular season (189) while Rimouski allowed 223.
Size is going to be a concern as like Rimouski, there is no one that will pose much of a physical threat. Desnoyers is 6'1 and 190 lbs but he's the tallest and the only +200 lb player is Andrew Randazzo who tilts the scale at 215 lbs but stands just 5'10. But a fire hydrant can pack a punch although Randazzo's 40 PIM this year don't suggest an overly aggressive player.
None of Drummondville's defencemen have NHL ties although we know that will change in June as Kulikov is predicted to go in the top 15.
Windsor Spitfires
Ryan Ellis was tops in the OHL for scoring by a defenceman with 89 points, 13 more than the next closest player. His 67 assists were tops in the entire league regardless of position. He finished a single point behind Taylor Hall atop his team in scoring, a club with a celebrated offence. Not enough can be said about what Ellis brings to the table from an offensive standpoint.Rob Kwiet had a great year with 67 points and Ben Shutron (CHI) provides another veteran punch although the latter is being counted on much more for his defensive play.
The main job of Windor's blueline group, outside of Ellis and maybe Kwiet, is to take care of their own end. The Spitfires have so much firepower up front that they don't really need to do much offensively except get the puck up to their attackers.
Compared to their Quebec-based opponents, the Spitfires defencemen look big. Certainly Harry Young, at 6'4 and 205 lbs, woould be big on any team. Kwiet is 6'1 and nearly 220 lb, while the rest of the group (sans Ellis) hovers near around the 195 lb mark.
Kelowna Rockets
Tyson Barrie is the Rockets' version of Kulikov or Ellis - a smallish, 2009 eligible offensive minded defenceman who more than makes up for his lack of size with his abundance of production. He had 52 points during the regular season.Converted forward Brandon McMillan (ANH) has been terrific since making the switch to the backend. His offensive instincts are still there but his greatest asset is his speed - he won the fastest skater competition at the 2008 Top Prospects Game in Edmonton.
The biggest name on Kelowna's d-line might be the biggest player in the CHL, from a literal perspective. Tyler Myers (BUF) stands 6'7 on dry land and weighs in at 211 pounds. He is to the WHL what Zdeno Chara is to the NHL. Myers had 42 points during the regular season but has stepped it up in the playoffs with 20 more in just 22 games.
Colin Bowman has a chance at making the Memorial Cup a family affair after his brother Drayson won the trophy last year with Spokane. Bowman is a 2009 eligible prospect.
No question that this is the biggest defensive group in the tournament. Bowman is 6'2, Tysen Dowzak is 6'5 and 212 lbs and then of course there is Myers.
Comparisons
The head-to-head match up between Kulikov and Ellis will be front and center. Both are considered top 15 caliber players for the 2009 draft so all eyes will be on them in this tournament. My co-host wonder aloud on Tuesday if Tyson Barrie might be a "poor man's Ryan Ellis" for Kelowna and I think it's a valid statement. How much will a strong tournament here raise his draft stock, especially if he is able to out perform and possibly outscore his counterparts?
Kelowna has a size advantage but without seeing all of the teams in action this year it would be impossible to argue which 7-man unit is more defensively sound or potent at the other end of the ice.
My hunch is that if there was a coach poll done asking which defensive unit, as a whole, is best over all aspects of the game... that Kelowna's would come out on top. All have offence, all have veteran leadership, all have good two-way puck movers but only the Rockets have the size to match the biggest forwards at the Memorial Cup.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Top 5 Tuesday:Small in size-super skilled
Martin St. Louis-undrafted, Derek Roy-2nd round 2001, Theo Fleury-8th round 1987.These 3 guys are all pint size players who did and are doing great things in the NHL. St. Louis is 5.09 and is a past Stanley Cup champ and Hart Trophy winner, Buffalo's Derek Roy who stands 5.08 scored 32 goals and 81 points last year and is one his way to another 30 plus goal season right now, and Theo Fleury won a cup with the Flames, and racked up 1088 points in 1084 games, while playing a bigger than his 5.06 height. Here are 5 vertically challenged players for the upcoming draft who could emulate the above 3 and other small players who are rising above the short comings others might think will keep them down.
5. Chris DeSousa-5.09, 191 pounds-Niagra-OHL
DeSousa has proven he can score with 33 goals in 67 games this year for the Ice Dogs. Last year he had 23 in 64 games. The left winger is a shoot first ask questions and pass later type of guy with only 18 assists this year but he's not afraid of tough areas. DeSousa racked up 100 plus penalty minutes for the second straight season. DeSousa has fast hands and can dart into open areas giving him space to light the lamp. ISS doesn't have him ranked in their top 195 for this June, but Martin St. Louis wasn't drafted either after 4 playing 4 years of NCAA hockey with Vermont.
4. Garrett Mitchell-5.10, 180 pounds-Regina-WHLHe doesn't score a ton of points, just 5 goals and 10 helpers in 71 games with Regina this year, but he's as tough as nails and makes it hard for the other teams top players. Mitchell played on a line with a couple of Europeans this year and by all accounts was the protector with 140 penalty minutes. The hometown Regina product fought 9 times last year and 14 times this year. While 2008 first rounder Jordan Eberle and 2010 draft prospect Jordan Weal get most of the attention when people think of Regina you can bet other WHLers can remember games against Regina because of Mitchell's hard checking style. ISS has the good skater ranked 90th for this June.
3. Toni Rajala-5.09, 163 pounds-Ilves-Finland
Once thought to be a top ten pick for this year's draft, Rajala didn't exactly light it up at the World Juniors in Ottawa. He did shoot alot leading Finland with 23 shots, but finished just twice adding one assist in 6 games. But let's remember he was a young player in a 19 year old tournament. Rajala has terrific speed, a great shot but some say he's to much of a perimeter player. Rajal has split this year between the top Junior A team in Ilves Tampere where he was a point per game player and the senior team. Some say he's the most talented Fin in years. ISS has his ranked 39 which could make him a second round steal.
2. Kyle Palmieri-5.10, 190 pounds-No Where
Palmieri is a very interesting prospect. He was a member of the U.S. National program until getting kicked off a few weeks back. Some say it had to do with an issue while in Sweden for a tournament. So for now, Palmieri waits for the NHL draft and hopes that not playing right now won't hurt him. One scout told me he doesn't think it will, as they've seen him play already. But you have to wonder about why he was kicked off and if his reputation takes a hit from it. TPS spoke to Palmieri while he was a member of Team USA, you can here the interview here. As for his on ice play, Palmieri has been compared to Zach Parise which should make every NHL team thinking of passing on him because of his size reconsider. ISS has him ranked 21st.
1. Ryan Ellis-5.09-183 pounds-WindsorHockey Canada took an extra blueliner to the World Junior Championship because they weren't sure about Ellis could play a regular shift. Their fears were dismissed pretty quickly though. Aside from running the power play extremely well, Ellis was so strong positionally that he didn't become a liability. He's a fantastic skater and his shot looks like it's coming from a guy who's 6.04. Ellis was key in Jordan Eberle's tying goal against Russia doing a great job keeping the puck in at the point. His 22 goals and 89 points in 59 games with Windsor were 3rd among draft eligible players in the CHL behind only Evander Kane and John Tavares. Some think he could turn into a Brian Campbell type player. ISS has him ranked as the 4th best defenceman and 13th overall.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Canada wins rematch and other random thoughts from TPS
Okay so they weren't facing Sweden's #1 pipeman Jakob Markstrom, but still it was an impressive pre tournament win from Canada over the country they knocked off in overtime for last year's gold medal win. The Canadians came out physical - I'll venture a guess Victor Hedman has never been knocked harder by a 5'9.5" than when Dana Tyrell knocked the top prospect on his butt early in this one - and they peppered Mark Owuya with 43, including 20 in the 2nd period on route to a 4-2 victory. An official scoresheet can be found here.
Canada did a great job of keeping the pressure on the Swedes with a relentless forecheck and were able to escape their own zone easily. The line of Zach Boychuk, and Jordan Eberle centred by Cody Hodgson (a trio Guy predicted would be together before the camp invites were sent out) was especially creative (6 points combined) and as I mentioned to Guy Tuesday on The Pipeline Show, I think they could be Canada's most effective line. Simply put Hodgson and Boychuk had great chemistry at the top prospects game in Edmonton a year ago while Hodgson and Eberle worked great together with the Under 18 last spring. I also think they'll thrive because they won't face the tough match ups that John Tavares and company will. I chuckled when I heard Pierre McGuire (other than Peter Loubardias of Rogers Sportsnet the most enthusiastic national TV broadcaster when it comes to junior hockey) refer to Colton Teubert as "this year's version of the human eraser, taking over from Luke Schenn" as I had predicted to my Global Sports colleagues John Sexmith and Kevin Karius that PM would latch on to the LA Kings 2007 first round draft pick. John Tavares had a wack of jump tonight and I loved how Stephan Della Rovere was on body check hunt all game long. Sweden was an interesting study. They had just arrived in Canada mid week, started their back up tender and might have been playing possum.
As for the big man Victor Hedman while the flight from Sweden and the jarring hit from Tyrell may have affected him, he looked poised in his own end breaking up Canadian rushes with ease and jumped into the play, as noted by his 3rd period goal. The TSN crew quoted Peter Forsberg as saying Hedman is the best blueliner to come out of Sweden since Nick Lidstrom. We spoke to the Red Wings all star recently about Hedman, you cna here that conversation here.It's interesting that Canada took 8 D-men because they were worried about Ryan Ellis' size and age, but Ellis looked okay to me, hopefully this won't be a decision Hockey Canada regrets if a forward goes down like Dana Tyrell in the 2nd period of this game. Of note the TSN crew did mention that Canada can add a player to the roster before December 24th if a player is injured, so Evander Kane, Brayden Schenn and Taylor Hall keep your cell phones on.
Meanwhile the top prospect roster was released recently, the complete list can be found courtesy the WHL here. This game was huge for current world junior member Cody Hodgson last year in Edmonton. Edmonton Oil King Tomas Vincour leads 15 WHL products into the game this year in Oshawa,
look for hulking Spokane D-man Jared Cowan (how did he not get invited to Canada's camp?) to make a massive impression in this game. And keep your eye on Carter Ashton of Lethbridge to make his mark in this contest.(Photos courtesy www.kuklaskorner.com, www.eurohockey.net, www.canada.com)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Top 5 Tuesday
With Canada's roster selected yesterday, I figured I would throw out 5 players I'll be watching closely and expecting special action from starting Boxing Day. I haven't always agreed with decisions that Hockey Canada has made when it comes to this tournament, in fact there have been some that I just can't understand. Cutting Eric Fehr who twice scored 50 goals in the WHL. Not inviting Kyle Beach to a camp, who knows maybe he's changed? And telling Cam Ward he just wasn't good enough. However in most years, HC has proven why they pick the team and I don't as their record is pretty darn good at this event. This year they will try and earn a 5th straight gold medal for a 5th straight time.
5. Stefan Della Rovere- Forward
Every good hockey team should have that one guy who forces the opponents to keep their head on a swivel. Brandon Sutter and Jordin Tootoo have been Canadian players in the past that have filled that role. Oilers prospect Ryan O'Marra filled that role nicely in 2006 as evidenced by this hit:
This year it could be Stefan Della Rovere who becomes a fan favorite like Jordin Tootoo did in Halifax in 2003, but the difference is Della Rovere doesn't take a 20 foot run or jump a few feet to deliver hits. He is short and stocky like Tootoo and does pack a punch when he crunches guys. He can also chip in offensively, as he leads Barrie in scoring this year with 31 points and 93 penalty minutes in 29 games. When Pat Quinn needs some energy, don't be surprised if he taps Della Rovere on the shoulder.
4. Ryan Ellis-Defence
Ellis becomes the first 17 year old to crack Canada's blueline since Jay Bouwmeester turned the trick in 2001 and it's not hard to see why. Ellis is second in team scoring with Windsor this year after piling up 48 points in 30 games, and maintaining an incredible plus 31 rating. The 5'10 rearguard will be a power play specialist for Canada, just as he is in Windsor where 7 of his 15 goals have come with the man advantage. Ellis told TPS that his playing time from the U-18 world championships to the Ivan Hlinka tournament increased quite a bit and if he proves to the coaching staff early in this tournament that his size and age aren't a liability he could earn more then just power play time, something Kris Russell did when he played with Canada. Ellis won't be afraid to roam the ice on the power play and sneak down for back door goals.
3. Angelo Esposito-Forward
After getting the early morning phone call he didn't want for 3 straight years, Angelo Esposito received a knock on his door this year, telling hime he wasn't going anywhere. Did Hockey Canada as guy mentioned simply not want to cut a guy for a 4th straight year? I don't think they would keep someone, especially when they don't have an extra forward, for that reason. Esposito is such an insteresting study. After registering 98 points in his QMJHL rookie season, his point totals have plummeted, from 79 to 69 in about the same amount of games played each season. And as noted, he didn't miss any time to play for Canada. This year Esposito could prove he is ready for the spotlight and feed his naysayers a huge helping of crow, or the tournament might expose him as a player not able to compete with the big boys.
2. Jamie Benn/Brett Sonne-Forwards
You might be asking yourself who Jamie Benn and Brett Sonne are and why are they on this team? After all Benn was a 5th round pick of Dallas in 2007 while Sonne was a 3rd round selection of St. Louis the same year. Neither have the pedigree of Cody Hodgson or the hype of John Tavares. But check out these numbers for Benn in Kelowna: 24 Goals, in 27 games, along with 21 helpers putting him 5th in league scoring. Sonne's numbers are even more impressive with the Calgary Hitmen: 23 goals, 32 Assists for 55 points in 34 games, good enough for top spot in the Western Hockey League. It might come as a surprise for casual hockey fans, but The Pipeline Show wouldn't be shocked if either guy led Canada in scoring, provided they are put in offensive situations.
1. Chet Pickard/Dustin Tokarski-Goalies
What, you're surprised I made the goaltending situation my top story? You obviously haven't listend to TPS often enough or read Coming Down The Pipe regularily. Before the team was picked I had Pickard and Jake Allen as my netminders. I like so many others before me counted Dustin Tokarski out. However my esteemed collegue Guy Flaming did not, as he nailed the two netminders, as did Sam Cosentino and Peter Loubardias on previous TPS shows. So now that two have been chosen who starts? The coaches have said they will let the exhibition games decide that.
Pickard (pictured below)was the highest goalie chosen in last year's draft, going 18th to Nashville, while Tokarski led Spokane to a Memorial Cup championship and was named MVP. Earlier this season Pickard was struggling, but got red hot at the right time, entering Canada's camp as the CHL goaltender of the week. Pat Quinn said he would like to go with one guy, but as he showed with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City games, he won't be afraid to swap his tenders should one guy have an off game. The Canadians face the Czech Republic on Boxing Day, and I expect Pickard to be the starter, but wouldn't be at all shocked if Tokarski plays a role in Canada's tournament. After all, Steve Mason wasn't Canada's starter when the event began last year.A couple of bonus items this week, on what else to watch for. Pat Quinn. The coach stated this week he hasn't watched a single QMJHL game this year, which tells you he doesn't exactly have his finger on the pulse of junior hockey. But he knows the game and every player I've spoken with who played for him at the Under 18 event spoke highly of how he handled the bench and related to the players. Cody Hodgson. The Canucks 2007 first rounder will play second fiddle to John Tavares down the middle, but might end up being the best forward Canada will have. He's been compared to Sam Gagner and has a deadly shot. Tyler Myers. The giant blueliner who stands 6'7 once played for the States, but Canada is glad he picked the Maple Leaf over stars and stripes for this event. Myers is huge, but unlike most big men, can get around the ice easily, and can you imagine a pairing of him and Keith Aulie? The Brandon Wheat King blueliner is 6'6. John Tavares. The deadliest sniper within 12 feet outside of the NHL will go head to head with the man battling him for top spot at this year's draft, Victor Hedman. I have gone on record as a Tavares guy for the upcoming draft, but can't wait to see the two battle each other at the WJC as the key guys for their respective teams. It won't happen until the medal round if it happens at all. For a complete schedule of the tournament, click here.
By the way, tonight on TPS Guy and I will speak with Oilers prospect Riley Nash, who I was shocked didn't make this team. We may also speak to one player who did make the grade. Mike Oke of International Scouting Services is scheduled to join us to chat about the draft elegible players in the tournament. Stefan Elliot of the Saskatoon Blades wasn't invited to Canada's camp but was recently a 2009 Draft Prospect Preformer of the week, and we'll chat with him about the season so far in Saskatoon. Also Flaming Hot/Not, my fantasy prospect pick up of the week, Bad Ass trivia and more, starting at 7 PM mountain time on The TEAM 1260 and online around the world at www.thepipelineshow.com
Stunning Final Roster for Canada
Hockey Canada released its final roster for the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship this morning and all I can say is that there is more on the line now for the selection group than simply winning a gold medal.
Every year there are surprises both in who does and doesn't make the team. This time around there aren't just one or two names that jump off the sheet at me but several.
1) The first name that caught my eye as I read the release (which you can see here) is Keith Aulie. Not a guy who appeared on any prediction list I saw and was not considered a legit candidate to some knowledgeable people we spoke with either like Peter Loubardias last week on the show. I can only assume that his 6'6 frame is a large reason, pardon the pun, for his inclusion on this roster but everyone I've talked to about him has described Aulie as a big guy who plays like he's 6'. He's apparently a really nice guy though.
2) Cody Goloubef is an interesting addition and not that he's not deserving but both Dean and I thoguht that Brendan Smith and Patrick Wiercioch had better chances. The Wisconsin Badger that made the team (Goloubef and Smith are teammates) is smaller, younger and has less points than the one that was cut so it will be interesting to see how this one turns out. I certainly had Smith ahead of Goloubef on my list and I believe Dean did too. Wiercioch is scoring at a point-per-game pace...
3) Hockey Canada's choice to go with 8 defencemen is very interesting too. It's the first time ever that Canada has veered away from the 13-7-2 format and I'm a bit surprised that they've done it here. By doing so they run a huge risk should a forward get injured during the tournament plus, simply having an extra blueliner meant cutting a forward at the expense of a young but potentially offensive catalyst like Taylor Hall, Matt Duchene or Brayden Schenn. Apparently this was a decision centering around the wish to limit Ryan Ellis (pictured left)to a power play role and to protect the youngster from being exposed should an injury come to the top 6 on the back end. Apparently injuries up front aren't much of a concern. Both Dean and I had Ellis on our projected teams last week so we're not arguing his inclusion but rather the decision to go with 8 defenders raised our eyebrows a bit.4) I theorized last week that this year's entry might be void of players from the QMJHL. To my suprise, all three forwards who were invited actually made the final team (although goalie Jake Allen and defender Kevin Marshall were sacked). Patrice Cormier, Chris Didomenico and even Angelo Esposito all make the grade and while I thought one might make it (I picked Didomenico) I as surprised all three are here. It sounds like Esposito's shootout skills helped his cause and really, even though all reports suggest he fully eanred his way onto the team, you know people will speculate Hockey Canada simply didn't want to cut a guy for the 4th year in a row.
5) The fact that there are 3 Q-League players on the team is a suprise (for me at least) and comes at the expense of the NCAA players who were trying out. I completely expected the number of collegians to exceed the QMJHLers but with only Goloubef making the squad... wrong again! Riley Nash (pictured) had 3 points in the exhibition games but that wasn't enough. I expected a talented center with size who could play a 2-way role would be something Hockey Canada would desire considering their general lack of forward size. Nash will be a guest on The Pipeline Show on Tuesday night and we'll find out what he was told after getting the bad news.
6) Lastly, the list of talented forwards who didn't make the team is a pretty impressive array of names. It's true that every year Canada could send two medal contending teams to the WJC so it's not a shock that talented players were cut. Still, to see names like Matt Duchene, Evander Kane, Brayden Schenn, Riley Nash and Nazem Kadri on the outside looking in... it's a little suprising. Working against those players (outside of Nash) must be their age; all will still be eligible for the 2010 and 2011 WJC tournaments and should be considered as shoe-ins for them.So with the final roster set all that is left to speculate on are possible line combinations. Dean and I scibbled down some thoughts as to what our forward lines would look like and, although not perfect in the bottom six we think our top 6 is dynamite.
Team Canada forward lines according to TPS:
Jamie Benn - John Tavares - Brett Sonne
Zack Boychuk - Cody Hodgson - Jordan Eberle
Patrice Cormier - Angelo Esposito - Stefan Della Rovere
Dana Tyrell - Chris Didomenico - Tyler Ennis
I thought about playing the 3 QMJHL guys together but as Dean pointed out, that would leave a very small 4th line. Perhaps having Cormier centering Tyrell and Della Rovere would make for an interesting bang & crash line...EDIT: Thanks to some comments from readers, here's another crack at potential line combos...
Jamie Benn - John Tavares - Chris Didomenico
Zack Boychuk - Cody Hodgson - Jordan Eberle
Dana Tyrell - Patrice Cormier - Stefan Della Rovere
Brett Sonne - Angelo Esposito - Tyler Ennis
Lots of potential with this line up even though it's much different than the ones that Dean and I proposed last week.
What say YOU?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday Re-Set
Last night on The Pipeline Show...We began with a quick theory about where Dean Youngblood would have been drafted in real life.
Dean and I both have family in the military so we wanted to take a minute to acknowledge Remembrance Day with a brief tribute to the troops.
We discussed the recent success of Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers and also chatted about the Springfield Falcons current events including Devan Dubnyk's 46-save shutout earlier in the day.
Flaming Hot & Not plus Dean's Fantasy Pick Up of the Week rounded out segment #1.
In Segment #2 we brought on Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires who was a recent winner of the 2009 Draft Prospect Performer of the Week which TPS is happy to be a part of. Ellis spoke about his somewhat surprising success this year, a potential WJC camp invite, the draft, Windsor a season after the death of Mickey Renaud and more...
Mike Lee, goaltender of the victorious American squad from the WJAC joined us in Segment #3 to talk about the tournament and his season with the new USHL team in Fargo (pictured).In Segment #4 we wrapped up the WJAC with our own review of the tournament then played an interview we did with Mike Oke (head scout from ISS) where he went into detail of the Russian squad.
Remember last year when The Pipeline Show had Nikita Filatov's first ever North American interview? Well we did it again last night as we played an interview with Kirill Kabanov who many are expecting to be a top 5 pick in 2010.
One of the most entertaining editions of Bad Ass Trivia came up in segment #5... it's one for the ages.
Finally in the 6th and final segment we presented a nice package that Dean put together on Blake Wheeler. Want to know why he didn't sign on with Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes? He told us. Plus you've heard the call on his famous one-handed diving over time goal against North Dakota that we used in our Season 3 intro... he looks back on that one too.Find it all right here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
2009 Draft Performers of the Week - Nov. 2/08
Each week, International Scouting Services (ISS), Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), Hockey Now, and The Pipeline Show recognize the Top Draft Eligible player from each of the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, & USHL leagues for the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft based on their play over the course of the week. Players are nominated and the selected by graduates of the SMWW Hockey GM & Scouting with each of the winners receiving a gift acknowledging their selection.
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE – OHL
Ontario Hockey League – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires
Defense
Born Jan 3 1991 -- Freelton, ONT
Height 5.10 -- Weight 178 -- Shoots R
Ryan Ellis had an outstanding week on the blueline for the Windsor Spitfires, recording 2 goals and 5 assists in 2 games while registering a plus-8. Ellis, with 10 goals and 23 assists on the season is tied for first in OHL scoring with teammate Taylor Hall. Ellis is known for being offensively gifted as well as responsible when the puck is on his stick, a rare combination for a player his age.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE – WHL
Western Hockey League – Kellen Tochkin, Everett Silvertips
Right Wing
Born Feb 15 1991 -- Abbotsford, BC
Height 5.09 -- Weight 170 -- Shoots R
Everett winger Kellen Tochkin had an impressive week in the WHL, notching 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games. The 5’ 9” native of Abbotsford, BC has 6 goals and 11 assists and is a plus- 9 in 16 games for the Silvertips this season. Tochkin skates very well and has good on ice vision.
QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE – QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – David Savard, Moncton Wildcats
Defense
Born Oct 22 1990 -- St-Hyacinthe, PQ
Height 6.01 -- Weight 201 -- Shoots R
David Savard had an outstanding week for the Moncton Wildcats, registering 1 goal and 3 assists in 2 games. Savard, a native of St-Hyacinthe, QC has 3 goals and 10 points on the season with posting a plus-9 rating in 18 games. The 6’ 1” defenseman plays a physical game and moves the puck well from the back end.
UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE – USHL
United States Hockey League – Brett Chartier, Lincoln Stars
Forward
Born Jun 28 1991 -- Winnipeg, MAN
Height 5.09 -- Weight 175 -- Shoots L
Brett Chartier is the USHL draft performer of the week for the second time this season after recording 2 goals and 1 assist while racking up 15 PIM in 2 games for Lincoln. On the season the 5’ 9” forward has 5 goals, 6 assists and 24 PIM in 9 games. The Winnipeg, MB native has a quick first step and is not afraid to play physical.
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE – OHL
Ontario Hockey League – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires
Defense
Born Jan 3 1991 -- Freelton, ONT
Height 5.10 -- Weight 178 -- Shoots R
Ryan Ellis had an outstanding week on the blueline for the Windsor Spitfires, recording 2 goals and 5 assists in 2 games while registering a plus-8. Ellis, with 10 goals and 23 assists on the season is tied for first in OHL scoring with teammate Taylor Hall. Ellis is known for being offensively gifted as well as responsible when the puck is on his stick, a rare combination for a player his age.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE – WHL
Western Hockey League – Kellen Tochkin, Everett Silvertips
Right Wing
Born Feb 15 1991 -- Abbotsford, BC
Height 5.09 -- Weight 170 -- Shoots R
Everett winger Kellen Tochkin had an impressive week in the WHL, notching 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games. The 5’ 9” native of Abbotsford, BC has 6 goals and 11 assists and is a plus- 9 in 16 games for the Silvertips this season. Tochkin skates very well and has good on ice vision.
QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE – QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – David Savard, Moncton Wildcats
Defense
Born Oct 22 1990 -- St-Hyacinthe, PQ
Height 6.01 -- Weight 201 -- Shoots R
David Savard had an outstanding week for the Moncton Wildcats, registering 1 goal and 3 assists in 2 games. Savard, a native of St-Hyacinthe, QC has 3 goals and 10 points on the season with posting a plus-9 rating in 18 games. The 6’ 1” defenseman plays a physical game and moves the puck well from the back end.
UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE – USHL
United States Hockey League – Brett Chartier, Lincoln Stars
Forward
Born Jun 28 1991 -- Winnipeg, MAN
Height 5.09 -- Weight 175 -- Shoots L
Brett Chartier is the USHL draft performer of the week for the second time this season after recording 2 goals and 1 assist while racking up 15 PIM in 2 games for Lincoln. On the season the 5’ 9” forward has 5 goals, 6 assists and 24 PIM in 9 games. The Winnipeg, MB native has a quick first step and is not afraid to play physical.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
2009 Draft Prospect Performers Of The Week
Each week, International Scouting Services (ISS), Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), Hockey Now, and The Pipeline Show recognize the Top Draft Eligible player from each of the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, & USHL leagues for the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft based on their play over the course of the week. Players are nominated and selected by graduates of the SMWW Hockey GM & Scouting with each of the winners receiving a gift acknowledging their selection.
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE – OHL
Ontario Hockey League – Ryan Ellis – Windsor Spitfires
Ryan Ellis had a strong showing on the blueline for Windsor this weekend. The 5.10, 173 lbs Freelton, Ontario native registered 2 goals, 3 assists and was a plus 4 in wins against Peterborough & Oshawa and a loss to Barrie. Ellis, who has 11pts in 7 games for the Spitfires who are the number 1 ranked team in the CHL, is known as a slick puck moving defenceman with good speed.
Ryan Ellis
Defense
Born Jan 3 1991 -- Freelton, ONT
Height 5.10 -- Weight 178 -- Shoots R
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Windsor Spitfires OHL 63 15 48 63 51 5 2 3 5 2
2008-09 Windsor Spitfires OHL 7 5 6 11 2
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE – WHL
Western Hockey League – Stepan Novotny – Kelowna Rockets
Stepan Novotny and Kelowna Rockets hit the road for 3 games last week, playing in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Kootenay, winning 1 and losing 2. The Czech native who was Kelowna's 1st Rnd. Pick, 24th Overall in 2008 CHL Import, had a solid week scoring 2 goals and 2 assists. The 6.02, 194 lbs right winger played last year in the USHL with the Indiana Ice, is strong on his skates and tough to knock off the puck.
Stepan Novotny
Forward
Born Sep 21 1990 -- Prague, Czech Rep.
Height 6.02 -- Weight 194
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Indiana Ice USHL 44 4 7 11 8 4 0 0 0 0
2008-09 Kelowna Rockets WHL 8 3 2 5 2
QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE – QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – Oliver Roy – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Olivier Roy was a standout performer this week for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Eagles' third round pick in the 2007 QMJHL draft who was last year's QMJHL Rookie of the Year, had two victories over the Lewiston Maineiacs including one shutout. Roy, an Amqui, PQ native has posted 7 wins on the season alongside a .911 save percentage and a 2.57 goals against average.
Olivier Roy
Goalie
Born Jul 12 1991 -- Amqui, PQ
Height 5.11 -- Weight 163 -- Shoots L
Season Team Lge GP Min GA EN SO GAA W L T Svs Pct
2007-08 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 47 2428 116 2 4 2.87 27 11 3 1003 0.896
2008-09 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 9 420 18 0 1 2.57 7 0 0 184 0.911
UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE – USHL
United States Hockey League - Ryan Walters – Des Moines Buccaneers
Ryan Walters of the Des Moines Buccaneers is off to a good start, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in the Bucs 8-2 vs Tri City in the opening game of the 2008-09 schedule. Walters, a native of Rosemount, MN, has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2010-11 season.
The 5.11, 180 lbs left handed center was a member of the US entry at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament held this past August.
Ryan Walters
Forward
Born Jul 30 1991 -- Rosemount, MN
Height 5.11 -- Weight 180
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 16 0 3 3 14 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 1 1 1 2 0
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE – OHL
Ontario Hockey League – Ryan Ellis – Windsor Spitfires
Ryan Ellis had a strong showing on the blueline for Windsor this weekend. The 5.10, 173 lbs Freelton, Ontario native registered 2 goals, 3 assists and was a plus 4 in wins against Peterborough & Oshawa and a loss to Barrie. Ellis, who has 11pts in 7 games for the Spitfires who are the number 1 ranked team in the CHL, is known as a slick puck moving defenceman with good speed.
Ryan Ellis
Defense
Born Jan 3 1991 -- Freelton, ONT
Height 5.10 -- Weight 178 -- Shoots R
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Windsor Spitfires OHL 63 15 48 63 51 5 2 3 5 2
2008-09 Windsor Spitfires OHL 7 5 6 11 2
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE – WHL
Western Hockey League – Stepan Novotny – Kelowna Rockets
Stepan Novotny and Kelowna Rockets hit the road for 3 games last week, playing in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Kootenay, winning 1 and losing 2. The Czech native who was Kelowna's 1st Rnd. Pick, 24th Overall in 2008 CHL Import, had a solid week scoring 2 goals and 2 assists. The 6.02, 194 lbs right winger played last year in the USHL with the Indiana Ice, is strong on his skates and tough to knock off the puck.
Stepan Novotny
Forward
Born Sep 21 1990 -- Prague, Czech Rep.
Height 6.02 -- Weight 194
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Indiana Ice USHL 44 4 7 11 8 4 0 0 0 0
2008-09 Kelowna Rockets WHL 8 3 2 5 2
QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE – QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – Oliver Roy – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Olivier Roy was a standout performer this week for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Eagles' third round pick in the 2007 QMJHL draft who was last year's QMJHL Rookie of the Year, had two victories over the Lewiston Maineiacs including one shutout. Roy, an Amqui, PQ native has posted 7 wins on the season alongside a .911 save percentage and a 2.57 goals against average.
Olivier Roy
Goalie
Born Jul 12 1991 -- Amqui, PQ
Height 5.11 -- Weight 163 -- Shoots L
Season Team Lge GP Min GA EN SO GAA W L T Svs Pct
2007-08 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 47 2428 116 2 4 2.87 27 11 3 1003 0.896
2008-09 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 9 420 18 0 1 2.57 7 0 0 184 0.911
UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE – USHL
United States Hockey League - Ryan Walters – Des Moines Buccaneers
Ryan Walters of the Des Moines Buccaneers is off to a good start, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in the Bucs 8-2 vs Tri City in the opening game of the 2008-09 schedule. Walters, a native of Rosemount, MN, has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2010-11 season.
The 5.11, 180 lbs left handed center was a member of the US entry at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament held this past August.
Ryan Walters
Forward
Born Jul 30 1991 -- Rosemount, MN
Height 5.11 -- Weight 180
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007-08 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 16 0 3 3 14 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 1 1 1 2 0
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