May 2019 | The News
Rounding up major and minor news in the hockey world
These posts are a way to recap some goings-on in the hockey world as well as gather links I think might be worthwhile reads. There are a lot of news items and articles I’ve linked to here, as I let them pile up. I’ll miss some things, but there will still be plenty in these posts. Email me or contact me @overtheboards if you have any suggestions for clips or other news that ought to be here. (See post one from January and post two from March)
This month features everything from the Clark Cup to the USHL draft to high school hockey in Minnesota, to women’s hockey + beyond.
Recently posted
Expectations for first-overall picks
Clark Cup Final: Game 1 Review
USHL Conference Finals Reflections
Five Prospects: Chicago x Muskegon
USHL Playoffs: Chicago x Cedar Rapids
USHL Draft Recap
Futures Draft
The first round saw Lincoln select Pittsburgh’s Carter Schade, hot off a national championship with the Pittsburgh Pens Elite 16s. Schade, a defenseman with no current college commitment, was picked relatively late in the OHL draft.
2nd overall went to Luke Mittelstadt, selected by Madison. The brother of Casey Mittelstadt had 35 points for Eden Prairie last season, and looked really strong on the biggest stage for the state tournament.
The first forward to go was Canadian Ryan Greene, picked by Green Bay. A BU recruit by way of Paradise, Newfoundland, Greene skated for the Selects Hockey Academy’s 15s last year, totaling 81 points. The rest of the first-round selections (not tenders) were as follows.
F Bennett Schimek — Gentry Academy (MN) - Omaha - Miami
F Kenny Connors — Jr. Flyers 16s - Dubuque - UMass
D Drew Tsakounis — Avon (CT) - Sioux City - Penn State
D Jack Peart — Grand Rapids (MN) - Fargo - Uncommitted
F Paul Davey — Brunswick (CT) - Des Moines - Boston College
F Ty Voit — Pittsburgh Pens 15s - Cedar Rapids - Uncommitted
There were a number of tenders as well, which I will loop back to as I start to preview next season of the USHL later this summer. I’m not going too in-depth on a draft where I’ve only watched a few players, but I’ve highlighted some of the other Big Ten-linked early round draft picks:
D Henry Nelson — Maple Grove (MN) - Lincoln - Notre Dame
F Tyler Haskins — Chicago Mission 16s - Madison - Michigan
F Vincent Salice — OJG 16s - Des Moines - Ohio State
Of note: Japanese citizen Aito Iguchi went to Waterloo in the 7th round. He was a hot commodity for junior drafts, also taken by the GMHL’s London Lakers in the 3rd round. Sportsnet has a great piece on Iguchi.
In the older draft I’ve highlighted three Big Ten-tied early selections.
Ryder Rolston - NTDP U18 - Waterloo - Notre Dame
Rolston, selected 2nd overall, is not NHL draft-eligible this year, but he is a serious player, providing the Black Hawks with a bona fide weapon at forward. The Birmingham, MI native will probably be served well by taking another year before arriving on campus ready to rifle pucks into Big Ten nets.
Erik Portillo - Frolunda J20 - Dubuque - Michigan
The Wolverines got their goalie of the future in 6’6 Portillo just weeks ago, but going fifth overall here is curious. He posted great numbers (~2.00/9.30) in Swedish juniors, and Michigan need someone to stop pucks this fall. As with Rolston, though, both sides could be served well by Portillo plying his trade in junior hockey for another year, seizing the blue ice for his own in the fall of 2020.
Luke Levandowski - Rosemount (MN) - Chicago - Wisconsin
Really liked what I saw of Levandowski with the Rosemount Irish Varsity this year. He was nearly a goal-per-game in high school (24 in 25) and could emerge as a really awesome pick-up for the Steel. The late-2002 birthyear skater likely won’t be on campus in Madison too soon.
USHL Finals
In the Clark Cup finals, the Steel were swept 3 to 0 by the Sioux Falls Stampede. I’ll be putting out my notes on the prospects who played in the finals in the weeks to come.
NAHL Finals
Goaltender Matt Vernon finished off a heck of a season in Aberdeen with a 2-1 win over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs to capture the Robertson Cup. The CC recruit was named MVP of the playoffs. Both USHL and NAHL playoffs were won by teams based in South Dakota.
NJAC (Canada)
The National Jr. A Championship was won by the Brooks Bandits, of the Alberta league.
World Championships
World Championships are currently underway. The Americans lost in the quarterfinals to Russia. Click here for the IIHF site.
World Championships U18
The Americans medalled — Bronze — but bowed out of the run for Gold, partly thanks to Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (2020 draft) standing on his head.
Links / Stories / Tweets / else
The NHL draft looms, so much of my focus lately has been on that. Below are links to three major draft media and their (presumably) final rankings for 2019.
World Selects Invite took place in Philadelphia this year, with two age divisions now. EPRinkside has a nice piece on the event where many elite prospects have played. The main event featured 2004 birthyears, although they added an “03” older division this year. Shattuck-St. Mary’s bound Maddox Fleming, a Rochester (MN) native, lit the event up. Notre Dame recruit Rutger McGroarty (Honeybaked by way of Lincoln, NE) put up some serious points as well. BU recruit Lane Hutson (whose brother Quinn just recently committed to the Terriers) picked up a gaudy 1-15-16 line in nine games. A couple other statistical stand-outs include: Compuware product Gavin Hayes, Canadian Owen Mehlenbacher, fellow Canadian Michael Lastarza, Michigan recruit Seamus Casey and UMD recruit Isaac Howard.
NCAA Coaching Changes:
Chris Bergeron was named the new coach at Miami, leaving BGSU. His replacement there was long-time assistant Ty Eigner.
Eric Lang re-signed with AIC after it seemed he was flirting with heading to St. Lawrence. I’m looking forward to see what he can do in Springfield. The sky is the limit for Lang and company, as long as he has support from the school and keeps the momentum going.
While researching the CSSHL and prep/sport school options in Canada, came across this release on CSSHL Scholastic Player of the Year Brendan Wang. The 17-year-old defenseman out of Burnaby Winter Club Academy was one of the top-scoring skaters in the CSSHL and is also an accomplished Pianist, playing at Carnegie Hall last February. From the CSSHL newsletter: “Additionally, Wang is currently pursuing his Associate of The Royal Conservatory (ARCT) diploma offered through the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). The ARCT diploma for performers and teachers is the highest academic standing awarded by The Royal Conservatory of Music. It involves senior theory courses as well as challenging practical piano pieces. The ARCT diploma is recognized and respected internationally and the goal is for Wang to obtain his diploma in 2019.”
While the Western Hockey League provides an option for hockey talents to ply their trade, it is great that a player like Wang has been able to be much more than ‘just’ a hockey player and seize other opportunities as well. Wang, who won the provincial championship in baseball last season for the Coquitlam Reds, has played one game for the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings and is looking to play Jr. A hockey.
OHL investigation finds IceDogs signed secret deals with multiple players
In connection with that case, Denise Burke testified in a Nov. 14, 2015, affidavit that while her OHL team brought in an average of $2.7 million, it still lost money. Seven months before the IceDogs purportedly signed a secret deal with the Ham family, Denise Burke said that it would be "catastrophic" if the IceDogs had to pay players. "We knew that we wouldn't become rich owning a team, but seeing as this is our only business, we have always hoped that we would at least be able to break even and at least make more money than we spend, otherwise sooner or later the 'Bank of Burke' will run dry," she testified.
In other news, earlier this year, StateofHockey.com published a comprehensive look at which Minnesota high schools produce the most Division 1 talent. They broke down the categories every which way: gender, enrollment size, Division 1 players, etc. The top 5 for men going D1 are as follows: Edina with 41 in the past 10 years, Shattuck with 31, then Hill-Murray, Benilde and St. Thomas Academy all in the high-20s.
For women going D1, Edina again on top with 27, followed by Benilde, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka and the Blake school, all in the high-teens.
On totals alone, Roseau and Warroad, as well as Hermantown, stand out. Roseau has a class size of 305, with 17 total Division 1 players among men and women. Warroad has 283 students, with 15 going Division 1 in the past ten years. Hermantown has sent 16 players to men’s Division 1 hockey in the past ten years with a class size of 629. Nearby Duluth East, nearly twice their size, have three less players produced than that.
Edina stands out, their 68 D1-bound players, 41 men, pace both sides of the gender split by a decent amount. Edina is also one of the top-performing schools in the nation and has an enrollment of 2646, so they have a lot to work with. Four of the five teams in Minnesota’s Lake conference (Edina, EP, Tonka, Wayzata) produced at least 16 Division 1 players in the last ten years, which I would suggest lays credence to the claim that the Lake conference is the top of the line in high school hockey.
Speaking of impressive smaller schools from the land of 10,000 lakes. Check out the hockeyhub’s look at the Mahtomedi Zephyrs, where Michigan rising junior forward Jack Becker was a stand-out ‘back in the day’.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski looked at ice hockey in Alabama
The University of Illinois, as I mentioned in the last ‘links’ round-up, is once again strongly considering adding Division 1 ice hockey. The Big Ten are preparing as well, reportedly.
Anyone paying attention to what is going on in the Division 3 MIAC? St. Thomas have been pushed out of the Minnesotan conference, perhaps to ultimately end up in D1 play. As someone covering the Big Ten, I think they have a pretty interesting argument to join as a hockey-only school. For one, the league is almost detrimentally small as is, and geographically, St. Thomas works. Notre Dame did it. I think there is an exciting opportunity for St. Thomas to go D1 that most schools simply could not seize. They are seated in the heart of hockey country and if Providence/ASU/etc have proven anything, it is that a motivated school, alumni base and coaching staff can make a lot come together quickly. Is the motivation there, though? The Tommies have been having their way with the MIAC for a long time.
Hockey East reportedly considering an 11-team playoff format
Speaking of hockey in Alabama, the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler had a brilliant piece — Tracing Josh Kestner’s winding road from Alabama to Newfoundland to the Marlies
Also on hockey in Alabama (Huntsville) — UAH proposes campus expansion, new hockey facility
ESPN’s Dimitri Filipovic wrote about how less is more when it comes to shooting from the blue
Gary Bettman on concussions and CTE: “I don't believe there has been anything, based on everything I've been told, and if anybody has any information to the contrary we'd be happy to hear it, other than some anecdotal evidence, there has not been that conclusive link,”
NHL.com: Pride of St. Andrew’s College (and UNH) is the next man up for the Canes
It is a good time of year for SAC hockey. A couple hits:
Jack Agnew ‘19 committed to BC,
alum Cam Hillis made it 4 years in a row that an SAC Old Boy won an OHL ‘ship,
alum Nic Canade won the OHL’s Humanitarian award,
and BC-bound alum Alex Newhook won the CJHL’s top forward award
The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell wrote back in January about a SNAFU in the OJHL and the trading deadline that meant some top players from the league wouldn’t be able to play beyond the OJHL’s post-season.
London Knights secured the signings of Miami one-and-done Jon Gruden as well as now-former PC recruit Bryce Montgomery.
Brad Schlossman discussing the merits of recruiting elite talents versus those who might help win more national championships: “…clearly, UND has made the calculation that winning big will also require older, undrafted, do-it-all players like Riese Gaber and Griffin Ness. UND’s dominant 2016 NCAA national championship team will be held as the model in Grand Forks for some time. That squad looked similar to what UND is trying to build again -- a mix of high-end young players (Brock Boeser, Nick Schmaltz) and older, talented players (Tucker Poolman, Paul LaDue, Troy Stecher, Drake Caggiula).”
MiHockey.com wrote about how AAA hockey in Michigan is shifting — there will be 15-only and 16-only divisions now. That will be the 2004 and 2003 birthyears, respectively. Not sure what to feel about the fact that there are now 14, 15, and 16 year old teams where most youth hockey organizations seemed to prioritize two in the past (14/16), but I’m open to the possibility that having these ‘15-pure’ teams better serves everyone in the long run, rather than diluting the level of talent. In the article themselves they say “this should calm things down”, but they even note how the recruiting really won’t calm down. Related, Bloomberg had a solid piece a few years ago on the intensity of the youth hockey scene in Michigan.
Also in youth hockey news, the Northeast Pack has been formed, a new AAA circuit on the East Coast. The teams include some names from the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, including champions Pittsburgh Pens Elite, as well as the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. Mount-St. Charles’ new hockey program will also be in the league, with the NJ Avalanche and South Kent’s Selects Academy. I’m looking forward to having more information on the circuit as it becomes available. Find them on twitter @NortheastPack.
CHN’s Melissa Burgess: Freshman Phenom Ludwig Stenlund Comes Through For Niagara
Buffalo News: UMD’s Hunter Shepard better than good as Minnesota Duluth's last line of defense
EPRinkside’s Christoffer Hedlund wrote about two of the top Swedish defenders for the draft, Broberg and Söderstrom.
NHL.com: Hughes, likely No. 1 pick in 2019 NHL Draft, gets big assist from family
"They ran cross-country against 150 other kids from other schools and came back Nos. 1-2-3," Jim [Hughes] said. "Thing is, you learn about your body and what makes you tick walking into unfamiliar situations by playing other sports. You learn how to adapt, adjust and navigate, so that's why we felt these other sports were great for their overall well-being."
EPRinkside’s Russ Cohen: John Beecher could be surprise first-round pick (it wouldn’t be a surprise to me, or anyone who has paid attention to him this season)
Enjoyed this piece on hockey-graphs.com: It’s time to stop talking about analytics
ICYMI, Oliver Wahlstrom became the youngest goalscorer in Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) history. Of note, the 2018 first-rounder (after spending just the one year at BC) is in Bridgeport with another one-and-done Comm Ave product in Kieffer Bellows.
KSTP news featured Eden Prairie’s Jack Jensen — focusing on how the Minnesota recruit finished his season with the local NAHL Minnesota Magicians rather than play in the USHL
In BCHL news, the Penticton Vees signed two ‘01 American skaters: Cade Webber, a BU recruit out of Rivers (MA), and Danny Weight, a BC recruit from the NTDP.
Massachusetts HS Hockey News: Shunned by Andover High, Chris Kuchar takes hockey job at powerhouse Malden Catholic
Former Gopher skipper Don Lucia had some interesting comments on college hockey recruiting: ‘“I was waving the flag five years ago,” Indeed, he proposed a system where a verbal commitment would become “real” in the summer before a player’s junior year of high school.’
Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska): Stars GM Hull leaving Lincoln after six years
Arizona State’s team is heading to China this summer. Beijing to be exact. ASU will play the Kontinental Hockey League's Kunlun Red Star, the Chinese Olympic Team and the Sun Devils plan to play a third game during the trip in August as well.
Providence College freshman Jay O’Brien heads to the BCHL after a season to forget in Rhode Island. One assumes he will land back in college hockey after this season.
In Poland, a new ice hockey ‘super league’ may be forming, with teams from Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and other Baltic countries. (per sport_tvppl by way of PolandHockey)
In South Korea, Dynamo Moscow will be launching a hockey academy.
Women’s pro hockey has effectively gone on strike. Many of the top players posted a simultaneous message to social media stating that they are ‘one’ in their desire to have a league that can pay them adequately, provide healthcare, and address other concerns. Not everyone is on board, though.
In other women’s hockey news, one of BC’s top players, Caitrin Lonergan has decided to transfer to Clarkson. It was also reported that fellow star scorer Daryl Watts is in the transfer portal.
While I'm still a novice when it comes to women's hockey, I can't say I'm shocked at the news. BC was the first team I familiarized myself with this year, to the extent of watching a few games. Here's what I wrote at the time: "For a team that boasts the only freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier award in Daryl Watts and just generally an embarrassment of riches talent-wise, I’ve caught a number of their games and been relatively unimpressed! Not because the team is bad, but because they don’t seem to be anywhere near their potential. This team clearly has so many gifted players. The execution in the final third of the ice hasn’t been there, and with it the production: Watts had 82 points in 38 games last season, well over a goal-per-game. Only 11 tallies in 20 this year."
To be fair, after that I also went on about how great Megan Keller was playing.
The Athletic
Justin Bourne: Why centers should (and do) get paid a ‘premium’ over wingers like Mitch Marner — This wasn’t a big eye-opener, but it did have me reflecting for the ten-thousandth time on the top two prospects for this year’s draft. Regardless of stated position, there is one who seems strikingly similar to Marner and one that seems more similar to Matthews.
Katie Strang: A near-tragedy prompts questions about transportation safety in junior hockey
Max Bultman: Back at home, Jason McCrimmon wants to keep hockey in the heart of ‘Hockeytown’
Scott Cruickshank: Elite skill set, grinder mindset: Jarome Iginla was the ‘last of that breed’
Jordan Samuels-Thomas in the Athletic — Roundtable: Four black hockey players on obstacles they faced, being a role model and diversity in the NHL
The Athletic: NCAA Tournament?! How ASU hockey’s improbable rise reached a new level.
NHL Draft Rankings: Pronman | Wheeler
