Saturday Morning Special - July 9th

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What a fantastic way to start your day - not only did we have terrific guests today but we had major breaking news occur during our broadcast and our listener auction produced almost $3000 for charity!

Congratulations and a huge "Thank You!" to the Owner(s) of O2's Taphouse & Grill who coughed up the high bid on the day, a cool $2800. For that they picked up the trip to Jasper, the Moosehead prize pack and the autographed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Red Deer Rebels jersey.

If you were one of the many who were in on the fierce bidding war, don't worry; We're doing it again on Tuesday and next Saturday with a signed Mark Pysyk Edmonton Oil Kings jersey followed by a Buffalo Sabres sweater autographed by local product Tyler Ennis!

Oilers Deal Penner for Picks and 'The Punisher'

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The Edmonton Oilers have dealt veteran forward Dustin Penner to the Los Angeles Kings for prospect blueliner Colten Teubert, a 1st round pick in 2011 and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2012. The LA Kings obviously get the best warm body in the trade but the Oilers certainly get some pieces to further along their rebuild.

Iginla a King, Schenn a Flame?

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I was told tonight that the LA Kings are hard after Jarome Iginla, and that LA has assigned Brayden Schenn to Manchester on a conditioning stint as he is to be part of the package to land the Flames captain.

Schenn has played 8 games, he can play one more before a team must make a decision on his NHL future, as 10 games burns a year of his entry level deal. My understanding is that LA has assigned him to Manchester, thus allowing the Flames - if the deal goes through - the choice of keeping him or sending him back to Brandon of the WHL. Schenn has been a healthy scratch 7 times this year, and this allows him to play right now.

As for who else might be in the package I would have to imagine that one of the Kings young blueliners would be involved. Colten Teubert or Thomas Hickey come to mind, as Calgary gave up Keith Aulie in the Dion Phaneuf deal last year.

Here is where you can find the archived audio from the segment where it was discussed on The Pipeline Show on Tuesday.

Wheat Kings cruising despite ugly ending to game

The Brandon Wheat Kings took the Regina Pats to the woodshed Friday night, in a 10-2 pounding that was filled with fights. 3 broke out in the final minute and a half. Oilers prospect Toni Rajala notched a hattrick and chipped in with 2 assists giving him 55 points in 50 games, and 16 multi point games this season. The win gives Brandon a 2 point cushion on Calgary and Saskatoon and improves the Memorial Cup hosts to 12-0-1 in their past 13.

The game might prove costly though as Wheat King Mark Stone needed help off the ice after a scrap with Regina's Colton Teubert. This from Luber's Lounge on the incident.

It was an ugly end to the game as Stone was goaded into fighting by Teubert, who followed the winger around the ice despite his team being on a 5-on-3 penalty-kill and was going to be assessed slashing and elbowing penalties before the fight happened.

"Very disappointed and just totally unnecessary and certainly wish that it hadn't have happened...it's just a fight we didn't need," said Brandon GM/Coach Kelly McCrimmon, "We were, I thought, doing the right thing. We had a 5-on-3 power-play late in a 10-2 game and we could have put our big boys out and jammed it down their throat and tried to make it 11-2 or 12-2 but we did what we thought was the right thing and the right way to play the game by putting out the guys that don't get that opportunity as much. I think what happened was very, very disappointing...I can't sugar-coat it, I can't say it any simpler than that, I thought it was really unnecessary."

Somehow, Teubert managed to escape an instigator penalty on the play and what would have been an automatic game misconduct.

The incident so irked the Wheat Kings that Brandon co-captain Brayden Schenn, a teammate of Teubert's on the Canadian Junior Team and a prospect with the same NHL organization (Los Angeles) came across the ice while Teubert was being escorted to the Regina dressing room to give the defenceman his opinion of what transpired.

Earlier this week Guy and I spoke with the voice of the Wheat Kings Bruce Luebke to find out what's going right for Brandon and you can hear that conversation here.

(photo courtesy Brandon Wheat Kings)

Deadline Dmen in the WHL

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The WHL trade deadline is January 10th, just 5 days after the World Junior Championship. A player isn't supposed to be traded during the tournament, but it does happen, it's just not officially announced until after the event. Here are a few blueliners who will be available leading up to the deadline. Some of these players may have already been dealt, but as mentioned it can't be announced until they return to their WHL teams.

A Pat On The Back Regina G.M. Brent Parker

This road trip aside, things have been better than most expected for the Regina Pats this year. Until they went on their current 5 game losing skid, Regina was over .500 and challenging for a top 4 spot in the conference.

Who Will Become Captain Canada?

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Now that the final roster is in place, the next question is who will Hockey Canada look to as the leadership group for the 2010 World Junior Championship. When you have a roster comprised of 22 leaders, it's probably a good problem to have and an easier decision to make. That said, it also makes guessing who will wear the letters might be more challenging too.

Top 5 Tuesday: AHL Rookies

The Pipeline Show will coming out with our rookie of the year list in the next few weeks, and you can be sure we'll feature a segment or two on the subject. Today though on 'Top 5 Tuesday' we look at some ROY candidates for the American Hockey League. Mostly it's 2007 draft picks with the odd 2008 choice with a late birthday thrown in. There are some guys who aren't on the list that might make you wonder, but we think players like Colin Wilson (08, Nashville) and Zack Boychuk (08, Carolina) will crack their NHL clubs. So below is a list of 5 AHL freshman to watch out for.

1-James Van Riemsdyk-Adirondack
It seems longer than 2 years since Van Riemsdyk was taken 2nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. After a couple of seasons at New Hampshire where he scored 74 points in 66 games, JVR left school and played 11 AHL games (7 reg season, 4 playoff) at the end of last year netting 2 points. The powerful winger is the top prospect in the Flyers system, but there's no need for the club to rush him, so a season with new farm team Adirondack will keep his career moving along nicely. It's about time, 11 players from JVR's draft year have played atleast 30 NHL games.

2-Thomas Hickey-Manchester
The LA Kings shocked most people at the 2007 draft when they took Hickey 4th overall ahead of Karl Alzner. Since then he's captain Canada at the WJC and had back to back double digit goal seasons in Seattle. The Kings have promoted a lot of youth over the past few years, and barring injuries the blueline won't have room for Hickey. Some thought he struggled at the WJC championship while paired with fellow Kings prospect Colton Tuebert, but Hickey skates well enough and notched 7 points in 7 AHL games at the end of last year.

3-Tyler Ennis-Portland
At the time of writing this, Tyler Ennis doesn't have a signed contract with Buffalo. TPS talked to him a week ago and he told us he wasn't concerned with it getting done. So let's assume it happens and Ennis isn't coming back to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Some say he's to small at 5.09, but remember this is the same guy who scored 6 goals in a game against Prince Albert last year. To be small and succeed at the pro game you have to be ultra skilled, for me Ennis is and should have a great year in Portland, with an organization that hasn't had a problem promoting pint size stars.

4-Logan Couture-Worcester
I'm not sure how Logan Couture never made a WJC team in Canada, after all he averaged 34 goals a season for the Ottawa 67's, with 25 in his rookie season and 39 last year. The Sharks took him 9th overall in 2007 and are anxious to see him take the next step. San Jose is likely to deep for him to make a mark at the highest level, but for a Worcester team that had only 2 guys score 20 plus goals his nose for the net could come in handy.

5-Jonathan Blum-Milwaukee
The Nashville Predators are one of my favorite teams when it comes to their prospect pool. Colin Wilson has a spot to lose with the big club while Cody Franson should graduate to the big club this year. That will leave a spot on the blueline with the Admirals for Jonathan Blum. He was recently a guest on TPS and you can hear the interview here. The Long Beach product became the first California kid to be taken in the first round when the Preds grabbed him 23rd in 2007. Since then he set the Vancouver Giants assists record, was named the top blueliner in the CHL, and has captained both the Giants and team USA at the World Junior Championship. Blum isn't the biggest D-man, but is one of the smartest players and it should help him succeed in his first pro year.

There are a few other guys to watch for. Angelo Esposito-Chicago, Nick Petrecki-Worcester and Colten Tuebert-Manchester. The latter (pictured)isn't old enough to play in the AHL, but played 14 regular season games for Regina as a 15 year old, and 6 more in the playoffs, and might be eligible for the AHL because of that. TPS is checking into this a little more and hopes to have the answer in the coming days. Have we missed someone on your list, let us know.

As for tonight, we'll preview the QMJHL, talk to a Canuck rookie hoping to crack the line up and find out who's looking good at Oilers rookie camp. 7-9 PM MST on the TEAM 1260 in Edmonton, or online at www.thepipelineshow.com.

Caron Injured After Teubert Hit

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Colten Teubert is regarded as one of the most physical defencemen in the WHL and that's ne of the reasons Hockey Canada had him on their WJC last year and why he'll be in Saskatoon/Regina in 2010. Unfortunately for Jordan Caron (BOS), he found out the hard way just how hard the Regina Pats defender can hit; he's now out for 6-8 weeks with a broken collar bone.

The Rimouski Oceanic forward was injured during Saturday's Red/White game during Canada's U20 camp in Saskatoon. Caron had just received a breakout pass and was crossing over his own blueline when he was rocked by the 6'3, 190 lb Teubert in an very aggressive but clean hit.

"It's unfortunate but it's part of the game right?" Teubert told the media after the game, "I'm just doing my job and that's what I do so... it sucks for him but hopefully he has a quick recovery."

Caron was taken to hospital after the hit and on Sunday the severity of the injury was revealed. Teubert (LA), was not penalized on the play.

Team White (Teubert's side) won the game 5-2 with both Jordan Eberle (EDM) and Ryan O'Reilly (COL) picking up a goal and an assist.

Highlights of the game and that hit are available HERE.

There is another Red/White game tonight.

Falcons win streak over, Oil Kings go Cougar Hunting, Jumbo Joe strikes gold for Pioneers

Springfield's win streak has ended just as it was getting started...literally. After doubling up Portland 6-3 Tuesday, they fell to Worcester 2-1 in overtime. Springfield grabbed a point for the second straight night though. Newly acquired Charles Linglet scored the only Falcons goal. The winger was picked up from Peoria, the farm club of the St. Louis Blues, in exchange for Carl Corazzini. Corazzini was signed in the off season to a minor league deal. Devan Dubnyk was the games 2nd star and deservedly so, kicking out 35 saves with the game winner a deflection with under a minute to go in next goal wins time. Gilbert Brule sat this one out with an injury, as did Geoff Paukovich (See Guy's post below) You can hear Head Coach Rob Daum's post game comments courtesy of the Falcons website. Springfield is home to Bridgeport tomorrow and travel to Providence Sunday.

Meanwhile, apparently Guy was a little premature with his locust warning (again see below) as the assist J.F. Jacques looked to get last night on a Liam Reddox goal, has been taken away by the NHL.

The Edmonton Oil Kings brought out both barrels in Prince George Friday night, firing 38 shots on net and winning 3-2. Jeff Lee, Thomas Vincour, and Logan Proulx scored for Edmonton. Vincour was playing just his 3rd game since January 11th due to an injury. P.G. pulled within 1 with 51 seconds to play, but the Kings held off a late rally. The same two teams will do it again tomorrow night in Big Al Bristowe's town. Prince Albert was idle so the OK kids are tied with the Raiders for the 8th and final playoff spot. Regina beat Moose Jaw on Rogers Sportsnet so the Pats are still 8 points back. 2 interesting things about the Pats, they gave away some really cool posters as Guy pointed out below and was shown on Global TV Friday, and Colton Teubert went off on fans in Regina. Check out Greg Harder's story. I hope this guy turns things around, because when he's good he can be a game changer with big hits. But it's his reputation that's taking a big hit right now.

Also tonight former Camrose Kodiak Joe Colborne, who was once a guest blogger for TPS, came up extremely large for the Denver Pioneers tonight. The game was on the NHL network, and Colborne made sure it didn't end on time, scoring the tying goal with 15 seconds to go. The Pioneers won it the first minute into overtime. It's the second straight week Jumbo Joe has tied a contest as he salvaged a point against Colorado College last weekend. After a slow start with just 2 goals in his first 16 games, the Bruins first rounder has 3 in 2 games and 5 points in 4 February games. He has 26 points in 31 games overall, and if he can finish strong he might catch the eye of Team Canada for next year's World Junior Championship in Saskatoon and Regina.

Falcons Done In by Devils, Huge Win For Oil Kings

Despite a few new faces in the line up, the Springfield Falcons were doubled up by Lowell Friday night, giving them 5 straight losses.

Both Ryan Potulny and J.F. Jacques who were assigned to Edmonton earlier in the day suited up for Springfield, while Danny Sabourin made his Falcons debut and Taylor Chorney returned from a mild concussion, but it wasn't enough.

Springfield actually led 2-1 in this one thanks to second period goals from Carl Corazzini and Potulny, but a pair of goals from 2008 Canadian World Junior hero Matt Halischuk, including the winner in the 3rd gave the unholy the victory.

Once again a slow start where Springfield was outshot 12-5 in the first set the birds back. Overall they gave up 10 more shots than they put towards Lowell pipeman Jeff Frazzee. Sabourin in his inaugural Falcons contest stopped 34 shots with 2 Lowell goals coming on the power play. You can here post game comments from the netminder and head coach Jeff Truitt here.

In his first game this year, Jacques was -1 with one shot, while skating on the right side with Rob Schremp at left wing and Potulny in the middle. Taylor Chorney also registered a shot in his first game after missing the past 3. Potulny scored once and put up 4 shots while also going -1.

I received a message from a Springfield player tonight responding to a question I had about team morale. His answer was that spirits were high on the farm, the team was working hard, they were just having trouble scoring goals. So atleast things aren't as bas as they might appear on the outside.

This Tuesday TPS is hoping to speak with newly acquired forward Ryan Stone. For more on the upcoming show check out our site.
(photo courtesy Springfieldfalcons.com)
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As for the Edmonton Oil Kings, they picked up a huge win over Regina on the road Friday night. The OK kids, the Pats and P.A. Raiders came into the contest tied for 8th, and thanks to a Brandon win over Prince Albert and their victory, Edmonton is temporarily in the post season.

There are 2 great write ups on this contest. One from the Oil Kings website and the other from the view of Past broadcaster Rod Pedersen.

Two things strike me about reading the stories from both websites. One is how much of a gut check and team effort it was by Edmonton, and the other is how much the fans are fed up with Colton Teubert and some of the other Pats.

Edmonton heads to Brandon Saturday night.
(Photo courtesy Reginapats.com)

Oil Kings Down Pats

For the first time in their 2-year existence the Edmonton Oil Kings were able to beat the Regina Pats and they did it in front of a record crowd of 13, 765 at Rexall Place.

It wasn't the most exciting WHL hockey game we've seen in Edmonton this year but the final 10 minutes or so was fairly memorable. I actually think that the fact the stand were three quarters full made the atmosphere so much better than even though the game wasn't a barn burner (until the end), it was more entertaining being there than in many of the games this season.

The game began rather slow as both teams struggled to get any shots on net; the teams had a pair each at the midway point of the opening frame.

Robin Soudek scored the only goal that counted tonight, a power play marker near the end of the first period.

The Oil Kings thought they might have added another in the third period after Regina goalie Linden Rowat (who was excellent in the final frame) clearly bumped the net from its moorings. Play continued for a handful of seconds during which time Soudek put the puck into the back of the goal. A brief officials scrum immediately took place and the goal was eventually waved off because the net was dislodged before the puck went in... but that's not what Edmonton coach Steve Pleau was arguing when he was told of the reasoning. You can hear from the coach in the post game audio I collected from Rexall tongiht by clicking HERE.

I was in charge of picking the 3 stars for the night and settled with Edmonton goalie Torrie Jung on top because he was simply fantastic at points in the contest. We really should stop being surprised because Jung is now firmly entrenched in the top 5 of goalies this year and trails only keepers on teams everyone considers to be championship contenders (which no one is saying about the Oil Kings). I'm not sure when they arrived but I was actually pleased to see that Jung has finally been able to ditch his teal-flavored Kelowna pads.

My second star was Linden Rowat who turned aside 26 shots including some goal mouth scrambles and point blank opportunities. The L.A. Kings prospect was really sharp but was still the second best goalie on the ice.

Lastly, on a night where Regina's top line was pretty well held in check, I gave my third star vote to defenceman Mark Pysyk. It was Pysyk who drew the responsibility of checking Jordan Eberle, Jordan Weal and Matt Robertson and outside of a two or three scoring chances, that line was nicely contained. (Weal and Eberle are pictured here against Prince Albert).

Next up for the Oil Kings is a Tuesday night road game in Calgary against the Hitmen, meaning no edition of The Pipeline Show this week, at least not live. We've got some stuff "in the can" which we're going to release on Tuesday though.

The next home date for Edmonton is Wednesday when another Oiler prospect returns to town. The Saskatoon Blades invade Rexall and bring Milan Kytnar along with them.


Notes: I had a chance to speak with a few key Pats before the game including coach Dale Derkatch. I asked the bench boss about two players in particular - Jordan Weal, who I am writing an upcoming feature on for Hockey's Future - and Colten Teubert who has been in the news lately for all of the wrong reasons. I found the coach's comments about the health of his dressing room to be surprisingly frank and gave an explanation that I wasn't expecting. You can hear what coach Derkatch had to say by clicking HERE.

Speaking of Teubert (pictured left)... the big blueliner has been a popular guest on TPS in the past beginning during the 2008 Top Prospects Game and again last fall during the mini-tournament in St. Albert. I asked Teubert about his golden experience at the WJC in Ottawa and everything that's gone on since then including getting scratched and his recent phone conversation with LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi. You can hear what Teubert had to say by clicking HERE.


I also spoke with top rookie Jordan Weal in advance of a detailed feature which you'll be able to read in the near future at Hockey's Future. You can ehar the raw audio of that interview by clicking HERE.

Lastly, Jordan Eberle's media whirlwind tour has come to a close and I asked him after the game tongiht about how exhausting the attention has been. You can hear his comments HERE.

I overheard a couple of interesting things tonight too. One being that the announced crowd of over 10,000 a couple weeks ago for Military Night produced slightly over 7000 butts in the seats. It's unfortunate that something like 3500 people were no-shows because they missed a 8-1 performance by the home team.

Also, it sounds like the Oil Kings might be playing an exhibition game a little farther north next fall. I had my glass pressed to the wall and heard Barrhead is more than likely to receive the game that has been played in Leduc for the past couple of years. I do not know if the opponent has been determined yet. Nice to see the team take the show around a bit but... Barrhead's much farther away from my place than Leduc is so... THUMBS DOWN from me!

Eberle and Jacques updates

Team Canada hero and Oilers first rounder from last June met with the Edmonton media this morning, as his Pats are in town to face the Oil Kings Saturday night.

Eberle has been great since returning from Team Canada, with 11 points in 9 games, and seems to be one of the few Pats doing anything, as the team has dropped 8 of their last 12 games. The 22nd overall pick from last June is on the opposite track as fellow first rounder and Regina Teammate Colton Teubert.(pictured below) The Kings prospect was a healthy scratch recently and Los Angeles G.M. Dean Lombardi has spoken to the D-man about his play and behaviour off the ice recently. Teubert can be a great player if he doesn't let his reputation (and what some are telling him) trick him into thinking he's earned a spot with LA for next year.

As for Eberle, should Regina miss the playoffs (they're battling for 8th right now) or bow out early, the Oilers will ask him to finish the season with Springfield of the AHL. Colton Gillies did the same thing after Saskatoon's season last year when he reported to Houston and it should be a good indication of whether or not he might be ready to turn pro next year. Shameless plug time, I'll have a story on Eberle tonight (Friday) at 6 and 11 on Global.

I spotted J.F. Jacques skating out with Steve Serdachny this morning before the Oilers morning skate, and had a chance to chat with him afterwards. He's been skating for about 3 weeks now and says while his back is a little sore and will be for likely the next year, it's night and day compared to pre surgery. JFJ told me he expects to be in AHL game action by next Friday with Springfield.

Top Prospects Report Card (Pt. 1)

The CHL Top Prospects Game (TPG) has come and gone now and after getting to sit on the festivities for a week or so I thought it was about time to go over the performances of the participants. I'm really going to try and simplify it as much as possible; give a guy's name, club team, North American ranking according to Central Scouting and overall rank from ISS, then offer a brief synopsis of my thoughts on the player. The latter will be comprised of one on one interviews, the skills competition and of course the game itself.

Again, the legend is as follows: Name, team (league): (Central Scouting/ISS)

Goalies

Chet Pickard, Tri-City Americans (WHL): (1/4) Pickard played well, I would not say he was head and shoulders above the other four goalies here but he may have been the most consistent. I found it interesting that a guy from Winnipeg would decorate his mask with Captain America but when I asked him about it he told me it was a winning contest design drawn by a little kid. Of course, the team name goes well with the mask too. Grade B

Robert Mayer, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): (15/6) Quite the disparity between his CSS and ISS rankings. I know early on in the year he was one of the netminders being touted as one to watch this year but he hasn't played all that well. Was in net for Switzerland at the WJC but that team underachieved badly and suffered relegation for next year. Mayer stopped 9/9 in the breakaway relay during the skills but was lit up in the TPG game. Despite how engaging and friendly he was in interviews, I'd have to guess his stock dropped. Grade D

Peter Delmas, Lewiston Maineiacs (QMJHL): (2/5) Delmas was strong for Team White in the game but was only 6/9 in the breakaway relay the night before. What I do like about him is that he's got a ton of starts under his belt already what with Jonathon Bernier spending time in the NHL and the WJC this year and on the shelf with injuries last season. Delmas could be a dominant goalie in the Q starting next year. Grade B

Thomas McCollum, Guelph Storm (OHL): (3/3) It should be noted here that because ISS combines their Euro and North Americans together, McCollum is their top rated NA goalie behind two Euros. Easily made the highlight save of the game with a reach behind him goal line glove save. Even Grant Fuhr said it was an unbelievable stop. Very care free and friendly off the ice. Also went 9/9 in the breakaway relay. Grade +B

Defencemen

Tyler Cuma, Ottawa 67's (OHL): (15/34) Of the 6 players to take part in the fast lap event, Cuma placed 3rd with a decent time of 14.458 seconds. He got a second assist during the game and made a couple nice passes but this is a fairly quiet, don't-always-notice-him type of player. Nice enough guy in person, played along with me in an interview where he jokingly slagged former 67's (and current Oil Kings) play-by-play voice AJ Jakubec. 2nd rounder to me. Grade +C

Zach Bogosian, Peterborough Petes (OHL): (3/9) In the days and weeks leading up to the event, this was the player that I'd been hearing the most buzz about. "Watch his speed with the puck", "He's got a big shot" and "Size, speed and skill... complete package" were the types of comments I was getting. Before the skills competition, John Sexsmith had me appear on Global Sports and this was the guy I said to watch for. Bogosian was very good but was not the top blueliner of the event. He did blow a power play goal past Mayers and was generally solid throughout, wouldn't surprise me if he goes in the top 5. Grade +B

Michael Del Zotto, Shawa Generals (OHL): (14/22) Looking for a guy who raised his stock? Here's your guy. Del Zotto went Ray Bourque in the accuracy shooting going 4/4 then made a great move on the breakaway relay only to hit the post. No points in the actual game but played well defensively and did create at times. Probably closer to top half of the first round now than he was two weeks ago. Grade +B

Drew Doughty, Guleph Storm (OHL): (2/2) Clearly comfortable with the media now after appearing in several showcase events all year but his performance last week was pretty average bordering on disappointing. However, as Stu MacGregor (Oilers head amateur scout) told us last show, Doughty had the least to prove and NHL teams already know very well what he has to offer. But based only on his play last week... Grade D

Tyler Myers, Kelowna Rockets (WHL): (6/18) Standing a very Wookie-ish 6'6, Myers stood out for his height and his physical play. Once this guy fills in that frame (he's currently under 200 lbs) he could be a force to be reckoned with. Very strong play defensively and notched an assist as well. Not sure he's a top 10 guy but his play here may have helped his cause. Grade B

Jyri Niemi, Saskatoon Blades (WHL): (29/33) Surprised onlookers by winning the hardest shot competition with a NHL calibre 97mph blast. However, that was about it for positives on the week. Didn't have a great game (like most of Team Red) and his lack of English didn't help when it came to interviews. Grade C

Alex Pietrangelo, Niagar Ice Dogs (OHL): (5/4) A well balanced blueliner with size and offensive ability, Pietrangelo probably did not live up to the expectations some had of him. His fast lap was second worst (15.281 seconds) and only ranked that high because the "slowest" skater wiped out. No points in the game but did score on his breakaway relay attempt and played physical so it wasn't all bad. Grade +C

Colby Robak, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): (8/14) One of the under-the-radar players who helped his cause with a good showing in the game. His wonderful long bomb pass to Jamie Arniel was one of the best plays of the night. Fell during his fast lap but looked very good until that slip. Stock surely went up and a strong finish in Brandon might get him top 12 consideration. Grade B

Yann Sauve, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): (21/47) One of the players who was voted into the event by the NHL teams that wanted to take another look at him. Sauve played the role of the trigger man on the power play for Team White and picked up a helper on the games second goal. Most notable, he was the other player in the fight with Steven Stamkos. Grade -B

Luca Sbisa, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL): (18/28) The Swiss product has been solid for the Hurricanes this year, underperformed in the WJC and was pretty good in the TPG week. Sbisa finished second in the accuracy shooting event going 4/6 and he played OK in the game. I like him as a late first rounder, a very good 2nd rounder if he's still there. Grade -B

Luke Schenn, Kelowna Rockets (WHL): (7/7) Without question he was the best blueliner in the game and his draft stock just went through the roof. If Doughty isn't the top rated defenceman anymore it'll be because Schenn just leap-frogged him. A total package of size, defensive reliability, bang on outlet passes, physical play and leadership skills. Scored the opening goal but was dominant, especially in the first half of the game. His 94mph shot was 2nd best in the big shot event. Great performance. Grade A

Colten Teubert, Regina Pats (WHL): (27/21) There was more hype around Teubert early on this year but his stock has dropped for some reason. I've heard the knock on hm described as "All the tools, no tool box" and when I interviewed him in the preseason I could kinda see why. However, he was very well spoken last week and I personally thought he had a pretty good game. He was one of the more physical guys on the week. Grade B



Part 2 with a look at the forwards will come out in the next few days...