The 2012-13 WHL season is just around the corner and here are eight players to keep an eye on.
Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips)
Despite being NHL-ready, Murray will be back in the WHL for his fourth season if there is an extended NHL lockout.
He won’t blow you away with fancy offensive skills, but he is very good at all aspects of the game. He has already shown he can play with men by playing significant minutes for Canada at the World Hockey Championships.
He was drafted second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Entry draft. Murray has the potential to be the next Scott Niedermayer as a steady, reliable defenseman who excels at everything. He is ranked 30th in the FHC Prospects Guide.
Ty Rattie (Portland Winterhawks)
Rattie absolutely dominated the WHL last season, scoring 57 goals and 121 points in 69 games.
He will be playing his fourth full season on a stacked Portland team, which means his numbers will once again be at the top of the league. Rattie showed he could handle the added pressure of big games as he scored 19 goals in 21 WHL playoff games, which included a four-goal game against the Kelowna Rockets.
Rattie will be an offensive force in the WHL, as well as in Canada at the World Juniors. He is going to be an impact player for the St. Louis Blues and should develop into a better version of Kris Versteeg.
He is ranked 100th in our guide.
Mathew Dumba (Red Deer Rebels)
Dumba does it all; he can score goals, put up points, and throw huge hits.
He doubled his production in year two, going from 26 points as a rookie to 57 points as a sophomore. He is the type of defenseman that helps teams win championships. Get on YouTube and check out his hits there—he will be the most feared player in the WHL.
He won’t put up huge numbers in the NHL, but will consistently be around the 45-50 point mark once he makes the jump. Dumba has the potential to be the next Chris Chelios. He was drafted seventh overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild and is the 33rd ranked prospect in our guide.
Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw Warriors)
We should finally get to see exactly what Rielly is made of this season.
Obviously, the Toronto Maple Leafs think he is something special, as they took him fifth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, despite only playing in 18 WHL games last season. He missed most of the 2011-12 WHL season due to an ACL injury, but was lights out when he did play. He scored 18 points in 18 games.
Can he score at that pace for a whole season?
Hopefully, Rielly can get back to and stay at 100 percent, as a significant injury like he suffered does weaken that part of the body and leads to multiple injuries.
Draft with caution, he is high risk with very high reward and is ranked 34th in our guide.
Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice)
This Reinhart is the youngest Paul Reinhart's three sons, and quite possibly the most talented.
He scored 28 goals and 62 points in 67 games as a rookie in the WHL. He will be expected to carry more of the offensive load this season, with older brother Max moving up to the AHL. He averaged just under a point a game last season and this season those totals will climb, as he is a lock for 40+ goals and 90+ points.
Sam isn’t draft eligible till 2014, but is ranked second in the 2014 NHL Draft Watch List.
Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Reinhart was selected fourth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. He has improved his points per game over his two full WHL seasons and should see a bigger jump this season.
He doubled his goal totals in season two to 12 goals; look for him to break the 20-goal mark this season.
Reinhart is a big, mobile defenseman who needs to play a more physical game and has the potential to be a lesser version of Shea Weber. He is the 41st ranked prospect in our guide.
Duncan Siemens (Saskatoon Blades)
Siemens is the top ranked prospect in the Colorado Avalanche system and ranked 31st overall.
Siemens has proven he can put up points in the WHL and will finish his checks every chance he gets. If there is a NHL season this year, he will challenge for a roster spot on the big club, as the Avs don’t have much depth at the defense position.
Injuries are always a concern for players like Siemens, who aren’t afraid to throw the big hits, and he may have suffered a concussion last season. Think Scott Stevens, but with a little more offense.
Seth Jones (Portland)
If the WHL preseason is any indication of what to expect from Jones, then Portland fans are in for a treat. Jones had five points in just three games.
He is a 6'4", 206-pound defenseman who is just loaded with potential. Last season with the U18 U.S. National Team, he scored eight goals and 31 points in 52 games. At the Worlds U18 Tournament he scored three goals and eight points in six games. He comes from an athletic family, as his father is a former professional basketball player, and has scouts drooling over him.
Portland is expecting a lot of great things from Jones, who is expected to go in the top two of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Eight other players to keep an eye on heading into the 2012-13 WHL season are Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat Tigers), Marek Tvrdoň (Vancouver Giants), Henrik Samuelsson (Edmonton), Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets), Derrick Pouliot (Portland), Colton Sissons (Kelowna), Victor Rask (Calgary Hitman) and Troy Bourke (Prince George Cougars).
Aaron Brouwer is the co-creator of www.fantasyhockeycoach.com. FHC is a free fantasy hockey service that developed a ranking system combining post-lockout statistics, current factors, and hockey knowledge. Email: brouwer@fantasyhockeycoach.com.
The style of hockey played in the WHL is the closest to the NHL you will find in junior hockey which is why you see so many former WHLers making an impact in the NHL. Lets take a look at a few players who are dominating the WHL who make excellent prospects for your fantasy hockey team.
Brett Connolly was drafted sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The biggest question heading into the draft was Connolly’s health, which he seems to have answered early this season with 15 goals and 25 points in 20 WHL games. There are several NHL scouts who said that if Connolly was healthy last season he would have been competing with Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin for 1st overall. Connolly is a very gifted offensive player who has helped propel the Prince George Cougars into a tie for second in their division and tied for sixth in their conference as of November 13, 2010. Only three other players have more goals this season and if he stays healthy Connolly should be the WHL’s leading goal scorer. With Steve Yzerman as the Lightning GM you can expect him to follow the Detroit Red Wing’s model for prospect development, which is not to rush their development and they must earn the right to play in the show. Connolly will have to show that he can handle playing against men and will definitely see at least one season in the AHL before playing full time in the NHL. Connolly’s NHL career potential is a 50-goal and 95-point player.
The Boston Bruins drafted Craig Cunningham in the fourth round at last years NHL Entry Draft. Cunningham is only 5-10 and 180 pounds but this is a new era in the NHL where smaller players can be an impact. Cunningham is a pure offensive player who put up 97 points last season to finish sixth overall in WHL scoring. This season Cunningham has scored 39 points in 22 games and is leading the WHL in scoring by seven points. Cunningham is a 20 year old so this will be his last season in the WHL and will need a couple seasons in the AHL before making the jump to the NHL. The Boston Bruins have had success in drafting wingers from the Vancouver Giants and he is definitely a player to keep an eye on.
Darcy Kuemper is currently the best goaltender in the WHL. Kuemper has the most wins and shutouts over 20 games while posting a league low GAA of 1.78. Kuemper has helped put the Red Deer Rebels into first place in their conference. The Minnesota Wild drafted Kuemper in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Kuemper is a bigger goalie at 6-4 who has already seen action in the AHL where he won two of the four games he played in. Kuemper is sitting behind Matt Hackett and Anton Khudobin on the Wild’s prospect depth chart but Kuemper has gotten better every year he has played. Remember goaltenders take longer to develop and Kuemper should slowly move up the depth charts.
The last player we will look at is a dark horse and is an undrafted free agent. Brandon Manning is not only leading all WHL defensemen in scoring but he is also in the top 20 overall for scoring. Manning has an extremely hard point shot, can carry the puck end-to-end and is not afraid to drop the gloves. Manning attended the New York Rangers prospect camp this year and showed he could play at that level. Don’t let the fact that he went undrafted scare you off as he has all the tools to be a gritty offensive minded defenseman in the NHL. Brian Rafalski, Dan Boyle and Borje Salming were never drafted and went on to have great NHL careers. I am not comparing Manning to those stars but rather showing that players who are undrafted can develop into strong NHLers. If your hockey pool allows you to sign undrafted players I would definitely be adding Manning to my fantasy roster.
The Portland Winterhawks are going to be a team to watch in the Western Hockey League this year. Portland has played 13 games so far this year, racking up a total of 21 points. They're currently tied for 1st in the league with the Kootney Ice and the Tri-City Americans.
Portland has a stacked offensive squad, with players such as Ryan Johansen, Brad Ross, Ty Rattie, Steven Bartschi and recently cut New York Islander prospect Ninno Niederreiter.
Ryan Johansen was recently drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets 4th overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Johansen put up 25 goals and 44 assists with Portland last year. Since being released by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Johansen has put up 11 points in 10 games for Portland. He's currently slated as their first line centre, and will be a huge part of their team in the 2010/2011 season.
Brad Ross was the second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Ross has been compared to players such as Darcy Tucker and David Clarkson. Ross brings offensive power with a gritty edge to Portland, racking up 68 points last year, with 12 points in 12 games this season.
Ty Rattie is currently 3rd in the Western Hockey League in points, with 23 points in 13 games. Rattie has yet to be drafted into the National Hockey League and is currently rated as a 1st-round pick by central scouting in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Rattie has been a pleasant surprise this year for Portland as he has taken it upon himself to become a leader both on the ice and in the dressing room.
Steven Bartschi is a rookie in the Western Hockey League and he's taken the league by storm. Bartschi currently has 20 points in 13 games, on pace for a 110-point season. It will be interesting to see if Bartschi can maintain his role as goal scorer in Portland with the return of sniper Ninno Niederreiter.
El Niño, as they call Niederreiter, was recently cut by the New York Islanders. Portland got Niederreiter back, and he is looked at by many as the icing on the cupcake, as Portland is already dominating the Western Hockey League this year. Niederreiter put up 36 goals and 24 assists last year in his rookie season in the the Western Hockey League. It's expected that “El Nino” will be a force this year, having a full year of WHL hockey under his belt, and some National hockey league experience as well.
Will we see the Portland Winterhawks at the Memorial Cup in Mississauga, Ontario? Time will tell, but at this point it would be hard to count them out. With their offensive power it will be hard for any team in the Canadian Hockey League, let alone the Western Hockey League, to stop them.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest NHL and WHL updates.http://twitter.com/KellyFriesenNHL
When hoping to make a career out of the sport you love, you must step into the most competitive amateur and junior leagues to catch the attention of scouts.
At the first round of the NHL draft on Friday, the WHL and OHL proved to be the two leagues the scouts and pro teams are most impressed with.
The OHL was well represented from the beginning of the night with three of their players (Hall, Seguin, and Gudbranson) picked in the top three draft spots. The WHL was right behind them with the No. 4 through No. 6 picks (Johansen, Niederreiter, and Connolly).
It wasn’t until pick No. 9 by the Minnesota Wild that teams stepped out of the apparent comfort zone of the two above leagues when they picked a European player. Overall, 16 out of the 30 players drafted in the first round were from OHL and WHL teams.
The Portland Winterhawks proved to be the most “popular” drafting pool with two of its players drafted in the first five first round picks.
Center Ryan Johansen was picked up by the Bluejackets in the No. 4 spot. He was ranked No. 10 by Central Scouting in the final rankings.
Right wing Nino Niederreiter was picked by the Islanders in the No. 5 spot after a No. 12 final ranking by Central Scouting. He is the highest drafted Swiss in league history.
There were also 11 American players drafted in the first round. That is the highest number of Americans picked in the first round ever.
Watson (drafted to Predators) played for Peterborough in the OHL and was drafted 18th. He helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2010 Under-18 World Championships in Belarus.
The late pick surprise Etem (ranked No. 8 by Central Scouting) played for Medicine Hat in the WHL and was picked by his home state Ducks. Many people thought he would be picked earlier than 29th.
The closest league to record draft pick numbers like the OHL and WHL was the USHL with four players. The WHL had seven drafted, and the OHL had nine drafted.
It will be interesting to see if the two leagues keep ahead of the rest of the pack in the next six rounds. The leagues are throwing out some extremely talented young players and it is paying off for everyone involved with them.
What’s that you say? Hockey’s back? Why yes, it is!
Well it’s the preseason. That’s something right?
Today around 4PM, the Rangers announced the first round of cuts and I can’t say that I’m surprised.
From Dan Akeson of Blueshirt Bulletin:
PLAYERS ASSIGNED TO HARTFORD (AHL) ON 9/17/09:
Goal: Miika Wiikman
Defense: Trevor Glass, Brent Henley, Sam Klassen, Mike Sauer, David Urquhart, Nigel Williams
Forwards: Andres Ambuhl, Daniel Bartek, Devin DiDiomete, Brodie Dupont, Dan LaCouture, Matt Maccarone, Justin Soryal, Dale Weise
PLAYERS RETURNED TO JUNIORS ON 9/17/09:
Goal: Scott Stajcer (Owen Sound, OHL)
Defense: Tomas Kundratek (Medicine Hat, WHL)
Forwards: Ryan Bourque (Quebec, QMJHL), Roman Horak (Chilliwack, WHL), Ethan Werek (Kingston, OHL)
PLAYERS STILL IN NEW YORK RANGERS TRAINING CAMP:
Goal: Chad Johnson, Henrik Lundqvist, Steve Valiquette, Matt Zaba
Defense: Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Dan Girardi, Ilkka Heikkinen, Corey Potter, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Bobby Sanguinetti, Alexei Semenov, Marc Staal
Forwards: Artem Anisimov, Tyler Arnason, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Donald Brashear, Dane Byers, Ryan Callahan, Paul Crowder, Chris Drury, Marian Gaborik, Evgeny Grachev, Christopher Higgins, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, Corey Locke, Jordan Owens, P.A. Parenteau, Vinny Prospal, Patrick Rissmiller, Aaron Voros
I’m glad I watched the game against the Devils last night because it allowed me to get my first glimpse of Chad “Nueve Seis” Johnson even if I had to listen to Chico Resch say that Vladislav Tretiak is not well known. If I didn’t like Vally so much I might even go out on a limb and say that Johnson has a chance to compete for the position of Henke’s back up. But maybe it would be better for him to actually play games with the Pack.
Hopefully on Monday when Rory and I go to the game, I’ll be able to get a look at both Gaborik and Ilkka Heikkinen. Unfortunately, I wont get a chance to see the Ambuhlance in action.
Related posts:
For those of you who do not know, I am a big prospect and a big Draft guy. I follow the current and prospective young guys to enter the farm system closely and usually compilate lists of my top Entry Draft prospects and top current prospects.
During the year, we will revert back to the lists I make to see what so far I've gotten right and what I've gotten wrong. Something people don't do for the CSS and ISS's of the world when they make their rankings.
Without further adieu, here is my top 115 skaters for the 2009 Draft:
1. Victor Hedman, Left Defence, Modo- SweE
2. John Tavares, Centre, London Knights- OHL
3. Matt Duchene, Centre, Brampton Battalions- OHL
4. Evander Kane, Centre, Vancouver Giants- WHL
5. Magnus- Svensson Paajarvi, Left Wing, Timra- SweE
6. Brayden Schenn, Centre, Brandon Wheat Kings- WHL
7. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Left Defence, Leksands- SweAl
8. Jacob Josefson, Centre, Djurgarden- SweE
9. Jared Cowan, Left Defence, Spokane Chiefs- WHL
10. Dmitri Kulikov, Left Defence, Drummondville Voltiguers- QMJHL
11. Jordan Schroeder, Right Wing, Minnesota- WCHA
12. Anton Lander, Left Wing, Timra IK- SweE
13. Calvin de Haan, Left Defence, Oshawa Generals- OHL
14. Scott Glennie, Right Wing, Brandon Wheat Kings- WHL
15. Stefan Elliot, Right Defence, Saskatoon Blades- WHL
16. Kyle Palmieri, Centre, USA U-18 NTDP
17. Peter Holland, Centre, Guelph Storm- OHL
18. Louis LeBlanc, Centre, Omaha Lancers- USHL
19. Tim Erixon, Left Defense, Skelleftea- SweE
20. Nazem Kadri, Centre, London Knights- OHL
21. Jordan Caron, Centre, Rimouski Océanics- QMJHL
22. Ryan O’ Reilly, Centre, Erie Otters- OHL
23. Zach Kasian, Right Wing, Peterborough Petes- OHL
24. Landon Ferraro, Right Wing, Red Deer Rebels- WHL
25. Jeremy Morin, Left Wing, US U-18 NTDP
26. Ethan Werek, Centre, Kingston Frontenacs- OHL
27. Simon Depres, Left Defense, Saint John Sea Dogs- QMJHL
28. Jerry D’Amigo, Right Wing, USA U-18 Team NTDP
29. John Moore, Left Defence, Chicago Steel- USHL
30. Charles-Olivier Roussel, Right Defense, Shawinigan Cataractes- QMJHL
31. Taylor Beck, Left Wing, Guelph Storm- OHL
32. Brayden McNabb, Left Defence, Kootenay Ice- WHL
33. Drew Shore, Centre, US U-18 Team NTDP
34. Taylor Doherty, Right Defence, Kingston Frontenacs- OHL
35. Carter Ashton, Left Wing, Lethbridge Hurricanes- WHL
36. Cody Eakin, Centre, Swift Current Broncos- WHL
37. Toni Rajala, Left Wing, Ilves- FinJrA
38. Ryan Bourque, Centre, USA U-18 Team NTDP
39. David Rundblad, Right Defence, Skelleftea- SweE
40. Benjamin Casavant, Left Wing, P.E.I. Rockets- QMJHL
41. Eric Gelinas, Left Defence, Lewiston Maineiacs- QMJHL
42. Alex Hutchings, Left Wing, Barrie Colts- OHL
43. Ryan Button, Left Defence, Prince Albert Raiders- WHL
44. Andrej Nestrasil, Right Wing, Victoriaville Tigres- QMJHL
45. Ryan Ellis, Right Defence, Windsor Spitfires- OHL
46. Jakob Silfverberg, Centre, Brynas IF. Jr
47. Kenny Ryan, Right Wing, USA U-18 Team NTDP
48. Tomas Tatar, Centre, Zvolen- SvkE
49. Kellan Tochkin, Right Wing, Everett Silvertips- WHL
50. Jimmy Bubnick, Right Wing, Kamloops Blazers- WHL
51. Carl Klingberg, Left Wing, Vastra Frolunda-SweJE
52. William Wrenn, Right Defence, USA U-18 Team NTDP
53. Mike Cichy, Centre, Indiana Ice- USHL
54. Michael Latta- Centre- Guelph Storm- OHL
55. Ryan Howse, Left Wing, Chilliwack Bruins- WHL
56. Linden Vey, Right Wing, Medicine Hat Tigers- WHL
57. Chris Brown, Left Wing, USA U-18 NTDP
58. Colin Bowman, Right Defence, Kelowna Rockets- WHL
59. Marcus Johansson, Centre, Farjestad- SweE
60. Philip Varone, Centre, London Knights- OHL
61. Simon Bertilsson, Left Defence, Brynas Jr.- SweJE
62. Dylan Olsen, Left Defence, Camrose Kodiaks- AJHL
63. Jordan Szwarz, Right Wing, Saginaw Spirit- OHL
64. Seth Helgeson, Left Defence, Sioux City Musketeers- USHL
65. Byron Froese, Centre, Everett Silvertips- WHL
66. Tyler Randell, Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers- OHL
67. Philippe Lefebvre, Right Wing, Drummondville Voltiguers- QMJHL
68. Joonas Nattinnen, Centre, Espoo- FinJrA
69. Corban Knight, Centre, Okotoks Oilers- AJHL
70. Josh Birkholz, Right Wing, Fargo Force- USHL
71. Chris McCarthy, Forward, USA U-18 Team NTDP
72. Rasmus Rissanen, Defence, Kuopia- FinJrA
73. Michael Hlinka, Right Wing, Chicoutimi Saguenéens- QMJHL
74. Philippe Paradis, Centre, Shawinigan Cataractes-QMJHL
75. Richard Panik, Right Wing, Trinec- CzeJR
76. Brandon Pirri, Centre, Georgetown Raiders –OPJHL
77. Patrick Wey, Right Defence, Waterloo Blackhawks- USHL
78. Tomas Vincour, Centre Edmonton Oil Kings- WHL
79. Burke Gallimore, Right Wing, Saskatoon Blades- WHL
80. Garrett Wilson, Left Wing, Owen Sound Attacks- OHL
81. Curtis McKenzie, Left Wing, Penticton Vees- BCHL
82. David Savard, Defence, Moncton Wildcats- QMJHL
83. Matt Clark, Right Defence, Brampton Battalions- OHL
84. Matt Brown, Left Wing, Moncton Wildcats- QMJHL
85. David Gilbert, Centre, Quebec Remparts- QMJHL
86. Brendan Rempel, Defence, USA U-18 Team NTDP
87. Kris Foucault, Left Wing, Calgary Hitmen- WHL
88. Gleason Fournier, Left Defence, Rimouski Océanics- QMJHL
89. Tyson Barrie, Right Defence, Kelowna Rockets- WHL
90. Kyle Clifford, Left Wing, Barrie Colts- OHL
91. Brian Dumoulin, Left Defense, New Hampshire Monarchs- EJHL
92. Sergei Chvanov, Forward, Cherepovets- RusDi
93. Jesse Blacker, Defence, Windsor Spitfires- OHL
94. Ben Hanowski, Right Wing, Little Falls- USHS
95. Kevin Connauton, Defence, Western Michigan- CCHA
96. Brendan Dillon, Left Defence, Seattle Thunderbirds- WHL
97. Levko Koper, Left Wing, Spokane Chiefs- WHL
98. Garrett Mitchell, Right Wing, Regina Pats- WHL
99. Stepan Novotny, Right Wing, Kelowna Rockets- WHL
100. Marcus Foligno, Left Wing, Sudbury Wolves- OHL
101. Adam Polasek, Left Defence, HC Vitkovice- Czech U20
102. Brodie Melnychuk, Defence, Brandon Wheat Kings- WHL
103. Michael Fine, Centre, Soo Grehounds- OHL
104. Anton Myllari, Right Defence, Vastera- SweAl
105. Stephen Anthony, Centre, Saint John Sea Dogs- QMJHL
106. Nicolas Deslauriers, Left Defence, Rouyn- Noranda Huskies- QMJHL
107. David Valek, Right Wing. USA U-18 Team NTDP
108. Gabrielle Dumont, Left Wing, Drummondville Voltiguers- QMJHL
109. Alex Chiasson, Right Wing, Des Moines Buccaneers- USHL
110. Ryan Daugherty, Right Wing, Omaha Lancers- USHL
111. David Gerths, Right Wing, Lincoln Stars- USHL
112. Scott Valentine, Left Defence, Oshawa Generals- OHL
113. Ondrej Havlicek, Forward, Usti- CzeJr
114. Riley Smith, Right Wing, St. Michaels Buzzers- OPJHL
115. Gabriel Lemieux, Left Defence, Shawinigan Cataractes- QMJHL
Notables from that list are names like Anton Lander, Mike Cichy and Jerry D'Amgio, the latter two who both went in the very late rounds, and Kellan Tochkin who went undrafted and signed as a free agent with Vancouver.
Calgary Hitmen Sweep Brandon Wheat Kings
The Calgary Hitmen Playoff train has run over another helpless victim in claiming the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship in four games straight. R.I.P. Wheat Kings.
The Hitmen tied a Western Hockey league record with their 12th consecutive playoff victory by jumping out to a 5-0 lead before the game was even half over and eventually hanging on for a 6-4 victory.
Calgary has now swept through the first three rounds of the WHL playoffs putting together a 12-0 record while outscoring their opposition by 24-14 (Brandon), 19-4 (Lethbridge), and 15-3 (Edmonton) margins.
Calgary will play the winner of the Vancouver Giants and Kelowna Rockets series, which is presently led by the Giants at 2-1. As unfortunate as it is, Calgary is already on the back of both teams' minds.
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||
| 1. CAL Seabrook, (3) (Kozun), 7:23 (PP) | |||||||||||||||
| 1. CAL Postma, (4) (McMillan, Karpov), 7:37 |
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| 2. CAL Plante, (4) (Broda, Golicic), 3:47 |
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| 2. CAL Golicic, (2) (Plante, Broda), 6:41 |
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| 2. CAL Sonne, (4) (Bortis, Seabrook), 7:51 |
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| 2. BDN Clark, (9) (Aulie, Green), 14:35 |
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| 2. BDN Hale, (2) (Stone, Jefferies), 15:09 |
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| 2. CAL Karpov, (3) (Schultz), 19:26 |
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| 3. BDN Fehr, (2) (Lewadniuk), 12:50 |
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| 3. BDN Green, (7) (Lowry, Fehr), 15:26 (PP) | |||||||||||||||
Statistics can be found here.
Related posts:
Calgary Hitmen 5 - Brandon Wheat Kings 4
The Calgary Hitmen did what they have done all year Sunday afternoon at the Saddledome, and that is win hockey games.
The local boys found themselves in a fight of a game today against Brandon, trailing by two goals twice before finally coming out on the right end of a 5-4 victory.
Brandon held a 2-0 lead after one period, and a two goal lead in the second before Joel Broda and defenseman Michael Stone tied the game up at three before the second intermission.
After Brandon built a 4-3 lead on a powerplay marker at 8:56, Calgary’s Ian Schultz scored less than a minute later to tie the game and Brett Sonne scored the game winner —just his 2nd goal of the postseason—two minutes and fourteen second later.
Hitmen goaltender Martin Jones postseason numbers are staggering to date, 10-0, 1.09 GAA, and a .946 savepercentage.
First period
1. Brandon, Calvert 8 (Glennie, Schenn) 3:56
2. Brandon, Schenn 8 (Glennie, Calvert) 17:55
Penalties—Melnychuk Bdn (hooking) 12:26, Stone Cal (hooking) 13:45, Cowan Bdn (unsportsmanlike conduct), Postma Cal (roughing), Cal bench (too many men, served by Karpov) 14:30, Calvert Bdn, Plante Cal (roughing) 17:55, Cowan Bdn (interference) 19:42.
Second period
3. Calgary, Bortis 4 (Foucault, Stone) 14:23 (pp)
4. Brandon, Fehr 1 (Clark, Lowry) 15:52
5. Calgary, Broda 8 (Golicic, Plante) 16:38
6. Calgary, Stone 2 (McMillan, MacDonald) 19:48
Penalties - Jeffries Bdn (hooking) 13:14, Lewadniuk Bdn, Plante Cal (roughing) 20:00.
Third period
7. Brandon, Aulie 2 8:56 (pp)
8. Calgary, Schultz 4 (Plante, Seabrook) 10:54
9. Calgary, Sonne 2 (Broda, Seabrook) 13:10
Penalties - Golicic Cal (checking from behind) 3:14, Schenn Bdn (high-sticking) 4:58, Seabrook Cal (slashing) 7:03, Fehr Bdn, Calvert Bdn, Plante Cal (double roughing), Seabrook Cal (roughing) 20:00.
Shots on goal by:
Brandon 12 7 6 - 25
Calgary 8 11 8 - 27
Goal—Brandon: Hayes (L, 7-2); Calgary: Jones (W, 10-0).
Powerplays (goals-chances): Bdn: 1-4; Cal: 1-4.
CALGARY HITMEN 2009 PLAYOFF STATS | ||||||||
| PERIOD SCORING | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | OT | TOTAL | HOME AND AWAY | ||
| Hitmen | 9 | 19 | 14 | 1 | 43 | Home: | 5-0 | |
| Opposition | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 | Away: | 4-0 | |
| PERIOD SHOTS | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | OT | TOTAL | |||
| Hitmen | 100 | 126 | 105 | 9 | 340 | |||
| Opposition | 49 | 68 | 64 | 4 | 185 | |||
CALGARY HITMEN 2009 PLAYOFF STATS | ||||
| SHOTS ON GOAL RECORD | HITMEN RECORD AFTER 2nd PERIOD | |||
| When outshooting opposition: | 9-0 | When Leading: | 8-0 | |
| When outshot by opposition: | 0-0 | When Losing: | 1-0 | |
| When shots are tied: | 0-0 | When Tied: | 0-0 | |
| FIRST GOAL OF GAME | ||||
| When Hitmen Score First: | 7-0 | Overtime | 1-0 | |
| When Opposition Score First: | 2-0 | HITMEN RECORD | 9-0 | |
CALGARY HITMEN 2009 PLAYOFF STATS | |||||||||||
| NO. | PLAYER | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | PPG | SHG | GW | OT |
| 26 | Joel Broda | 9 | 7 | 7 | 14 | +14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Brandon Kozun | 9 | 6 | 8 | 14 | +14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Kyle Bortis | 9 | 3 | 10 | 13 | +7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Kris Foucault | 9 | 8 | 2 | 10 | +6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Paul Postma | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | +12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Bostjan Golicic | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 | +13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Alex Plante | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | +7 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Tomas Karpov | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | +5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Keith Seabrook | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | +8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Michael Stone | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | +12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Brett Sonne | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | +4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Ian Schultz | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | +5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Carson McMillan | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | +4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Chase Schaber | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Matt Mackenzie | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Tyler Fiddler | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Erik Bonsor | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Austin Madaisky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Cody Sylvester | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Jason MacDonald | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Martin Jones | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MacKenzie Royer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Rigby Burgart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Michael Snider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Penalties | 0 | ||||||||||
GOALIE 2009 PLAYOFF STATS | |||||||||||
| NO. | GOALTENDER | GP | MINS | SAVES | GA | SO | EN | AVERAGE | PCT | WINS | LOSSES |
| 1 | Michael Snider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Martin Jones | 9 | 548 | 175 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1.09 | 0.946 | 9 | 0 |
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Spring is here for the National Hockey League, which means the real season has begun.
That's right the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the eyes of sixteen teams. The remaining fourteen organizations are now planning and working on their options for the National Hockey League 2009 Entry Draft.
Here are my projected picks for this years Entry Draft.
1). New York Islanders—John Tavares, C, London, OHL—Tavares will instantly become the franchise player the Islanders have been waiting for. He has excellent vision and natural talent and can project the play before it happens. He will suffer some growing pains, but he will adapt quickly to the NHL game. While he can not bring the Islanders back to their old glory days by himself, he will become an important part in bringing the Islanders back to their old glory.
2). Tampa Bay Lightning—Victor Hedman, D, Modo—Hedman is a big, fast defenseman from Sweden who will dominate on the blue-line. He can make plays happen very quickly. He posses excellent vision and will be a huge boast to Tampa's power-play.
3). Colorado Avalanche—Evander Kane, C, Vancouver—Evander is an excellent stick handler and scoring touch. After an amazing season leading the WHL in scoring he is ready to bring his game to a struggling, but talented Colorado team.
4). Atlanta Thrashers—Magnus Paajarvisvensson, LW, Timra—Without a doubt Paajarvisvensson is the best forward coming out of Europe this year. He has great two way skills and has been compared to other great Swedes like Forsberg and Sundin. He will be the piece of the puzzle Atlanta has been needing.
5). Los Angeles Kings—Matt Duchene, C, Brampton—Finally the term rebuilding can be taken off the Kings, and playoff team can be added to the label. This young but extremely talented team will become even better with Duchene. He is a quick two way player that can break a game open quickly. Probably one of the fastest skaters from a dead stop in the draft.
6). Phoenix Coyotes—Nazem Kadri, C, London—Over shadowed by teammate John Tavares, Kadri possess the most accurate shot in the draft. Coach Gretzky will be the perfect person to help Kadri develop into an NHL player. With a tutor like that you can see Kadri being a Calder Cup contender next season.
7). Toronto Maple Leafs—Dmitry Kulikov, D, Drummondville–While I expect Brian Burke to trade this pick and move down in the draft, he could decide to keep it and select Kulikov. He is a hard hitting defensemen with good puck handling skills. This is a corner stone for every successful Burke team.
8). Dallas Stars—Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Leksand—It will be at least a year before he can show his skills in the NHL, but Oliver is a hard hitting, fast skating defensemen in the mold of Sydor. Will be a big boost to an aging blue line.
9). Ottawa Senators—Brayden Schenn, C, Brandon—He is one of the hardest working players in the draft. Schenn could develop into a solid second line center for the Senators. He has excellent passing skills and a very accurate wrist shot.
10). Edmonton Oilers—Jared Cowan, D, Spokane—He is a big, bruising blueliner. Cowan will not get many points but he is a solid shot blocker who is not afraid to throw his body around.
11). Nashville Predators—Jacob Josefson, C, Djurgarden—A smart skater, who does not take risky chances but knows when the time is right to make the right play. Josefson is a good passer who should pile up a lot of assists during his career.
12). Minnesota Wild—John Moore, D, Chicago—Moore is a small but quick defensman with good puck handling skills. He will take some time to develop but should become a solid blue liner in two to three years.
13). Buffalo Sabres—Scott Glennie, C, Brandon— A small quick forward perfect for the system Buffalo employees. There is plenty of video of Glennie on you tube, which is perfect for the Sabres since they discarded their scouting department.
14). Florida Panthers—Nick Leddy, D, Eden Prarrie—This might be a reach but after two years in the AHL this kid could become the blue liner the Panthers need. He is quick and still growing. Leddy is an excellent shot blocker that can also handle the puck.
Consider this to be continued as the playoffs begin to dictate how the remainder of the draft plays out.
