CCHL 2017-18 Playoff field set! First round starts tomorrow!

The 2017-18 CCHL Regular Season is over! Congrats to the 12 teams that have earned the right to continue their seasons in our playoffs.

Let's take a closer look at our upcoming playoffs:

CANOSA CONFERENCE:

Conference Champion (Regular Season) 

Siberia Icecats - 117 points

1st round bye teams: 

Siberia #1 seed
Georgetown #2 seed

First round matchups:

Minnesota #6 seed @ Hamilton #3 seed
Springfield #5 seed @ Rejkjavik #4 seed

CORFIELD CONFERENCE:

CANOSA CONFERENCE:

Conference Champion (Regular Season) 

Calgary Chinook - 141 points

1st round bye teams: 

Calgary #1 seed
Fort Erie #2 seed

First round matchups:

Portland #6 seed @ Wisborg #3 seed
Niagara Falls #5 seed @ Halifax #4 seed

Random thoughts: There's just NO WAY to NOT view the Calgary Chinook as the prohibitive favorites this playoff year.

Most points, wins, goals for, fewest goals allowed, best power play, best penalty killing, fewest pims, league's leading scorer in Crosby, etc...

But, stuff happens - that's why we play the games...

If CGY can stay healthy, it's probably theirs to lose. But, should the Chinook fall, it's wide open as to who fills the void this year.

GOOD LUCK to all the playoff teams! 

Minnesota Norsemen Get ready for CCHL Playoffs!

[SAINT PAUL . MN]

While the Twin Cities are abuzz with the Super Bowl this weekend, the Minnesota Norsemen are in St. Paul, quietly preparing for the CCHL Playoffs and somehow out of the limelight in what would normally be unrelenting media coverage in the State of Hockey.

“We love the passion in this state for hockey,” said Captain, Charlie Coyle. “But in all honesty, this is nice to focus completely on the task at hand and have these extra couple of days to rest up and prep for either the Tigers or Puffin.” Too be fair, with the New England Patriots in town and vying for their sixth title, and second in as many years. The Weymouth, MA native, Coyle is probably not completely focused on hockey. 

The Norsemen even in the playoffs is somewhat of a surprise to many. Even so for the team’s management that envisioned a rebuild that would keep the team’s focus on building back up into contention. “I’d say we’re ahead of where we would’ve seen ourselves in the timeline of events,” said General Manager, Blake Wendt. “We were a dead last team in the rankings at this time last season. To say we would be in the playoffs a year later? I wouldn’t have said that with much confidence. Not because of our personnel, but because we are so young and developing and still in that process of our overall development. Full credit to our coaching staff and players for not accepting that path, and pushing for more.”

There was some major turnover in the roster from that 2016-17 squad that finished 22ndin a 22-team league with a 15-60-7 record. Only Coyle, Anders Lee, Jonas Brodin, Antti Raanta and in lesser roles, Nick Bjugstad and Mike Reilly were on last year’s team. Longtime coach Craig Hartsburg, who was hired by Wendt when he took over the team in 2007 in Thunder Bay, moved into a player development role. Mike Yeo was promoted from the Duluth Leifs and name head coach of the Norsemen in the summer.

Management was active in the offseason and took some swings on free agents. Some of those were costly misses, but the intent was there. Mostly though, the rookies that stepped up have been a major infusion into the success of this season. Jake Guentzel (who was shipped out and re-acquired) and Anthony Mantha have floated up and down the line-up. Guentzel nearly hit 20 goals and finished the regular season with 19, 26 assists for 45 points. Mantha played in 53 games, scored 14 and had 17 assists for 31 points and was a very respectable +16. But even more impressive has been a pair of rookie blueliners that have solidified themselves on the top pairing this season. Ivan Provorov (5-24-29 +13) and Brandon Carlo (3-18-21 +7) played in all 82 games and have not only been extremely impressive but garnered the trust of their coach enough to line up opposite of the other team’s best. “We fought it for a while to not pair up two rookies,” said Yeo. “Ivan played a lot with Vatanen to start and Brandon with Brodin. Then Sami was traded and we started playing McQuaid up more with Brodin and it was inevitable that Provorov and Carlo would end up together. We paired them up top, and they sort of forced our hand into keeping them there and together.”

As impressive as Provorov and Carlo have been, the future will continue to get brighter next season with Charlie McAvoy set to make the team. “We’re excited about what has been accomplished this season and to battle again in the playoffs,” said Wendt. “But we’re probably more amped up for what we will have next season and beyond. McAvoy should fit in perfectly with this group. He’s been dominating this season in Duluth, and we look forward to that translating to the CCHL with ease.”

But for now, it’s all preparation for a continuation of the season, hopefully, sneak up on some teams, and continue to build upon a strong foundation and be a consistent, relentless force for years to come.

Miners trade skates for sleds...

Miners trade skates for sleds??

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON)

"They're going to slow us all down!"

That was the reaction from one of the players of the Sudbury Northern Sliders sled hockey team when he found out that he'd be sharing the ice with some of their hometowns Sudbury Miners this past weekend.

One of the most underrated aspects of hockey is the way it brings people together, be it to play, watch, or simply talk about the game. Sled hockey does just the same, and in their continued effort to be part of the community, some of the Miners brightest stars tried their hand at a different brand of hockey.

The attendees which included star defenseman Aaron Ekblad, forward Vincent Trocheck, and young gun Timo Meier were among the dozen or so players who took part in the sled hockey game with the Sliders sled hockey team. The whole thing was being treated as just another practice for the Sliders, but when Ekblad and Co. stepped out onto the ice, it definitely took the team by surprise.

What was incredible to see was the respect the CCHL players have for the sled hockey players, including winger Marcus Foligno saying he just wished the stick was just a little longer so he could hook or trip another player.  It’s proof what great athletes the entire Sliders team is, and how incredibly talented they are on their equipment.  Trocheck even admits he knew he had to change up his style on the sled if he had any chance of even taking part in the game. It's an interesting look at how these players view an alternative to their professional game.

Many of the Slider players were just thrilled to have the opportunity to play with and against some of the Miner players, and you can see the respect each CCHLer has for just how these talented players show their dedication to the sport they all love.

 As Aaron Ekblad pointed out after the practice, “Just seeing the poise and the character and the mental strength, they’re really an inspiration for all of us. So, I think, their passion for hockey is something we all share, no matter what our situation or where we come from.”

Canosa Conference Update!

THE CANOSA CONFERENCE:

There is one day left of play that will involve all the teams in the Canosa Conference. The six playoff teams are known. The final order of these six teams is not known yet.

1) We don't know who will finish in first place, second place, third or fourth place.

2) After losing tonight against the Puffin, SPR is locked in as the #5th seed.

3) Minnesota will be the #6 seed.

4) SIB & GEO are tied and will both have first-round byes. If they finish the season tied, GEO will be the #1 seed based on winning the season series against the Icecats. GEO went 5-1-0 against Siberia in 17-18.

5) On Wednesday night, Hamilton will play Georgetown. HAM controls its own destiny and if they beat the Millers, the Tigers will be the #3 seed.

6) If HAM ends up in a tie with Reykjavik, HAM will be the #3 seed based on the season series, where HAM beat REK 5-1-0.

7) If GEO beats HAM AND REK beats SIB, REK will be the #3 seed...

CURRENT STANDINGS: (All teams have 1 game to go...)

CANOSA     W   L   T PTS 
  ------------- --  --  -- ---  -- 
Icecats*        55  21   5 115 
Millers*        55  21   5 115 

Tigers*         52  25   4 108 
Puffin*         52  26   3 107 
Isotopes*      50  27   4 104 
Norsemen*   38  37   7  83 

Portland in a jam now...BUT....

The Portland Owls are in an interesting situation.

Going into this evening's game against the Seattle Reign, the Owls held a two-point lead over the Ottawa Barracudas in the Corfield Conference.

Tonight, Portland played Seattle, a team with 12 fewer points than the Owls. Also, a team that played Portland well this regular season and entered tonight's game holding a 3-2 edge in 17-18.

After the Reign, POR has two really tough matchups in the Fort Erie Falcons (110 pts.) and then CGY (137 pts.)

Portland really wanted 2 points tonight so that OTT couldn't catch them.

Final score?

POR-3
SEA-4

Portland has 2 games left against FOR & CGY. Two games that the Owls will be expected to lose. Ottawa has just one game left, against the league-worst Dayton Musicmen. If OTT wins against the Musicmen, OTT will have 33 wins. If POR loses both games remaining, they will finish with 70 pts. , the same OTT will wind up with IF they beat DAY on Wednesday night.

Can POR beat either FOR or CGY?

Oh yes, yes they can.

POR won the season series against BOTH the Falcons (3-2-0) and the Chinook (3-2-0).

Stay tuned!

5 Days left in the regular season, a look at the playoff possibilities in the Corfield Conference....

With five days left in the 2017-18 CCHL Regular Season, we're going to take a look at the two conferences, the standings in each and how the first round playoff matchups are shaping up.


THE CORFIELD CONFERENCE:

CURRENT STANDINGS:


  CORFIELD   W   L   T PTS   GAMES LEFT
  ------------- --  --  -- ---  --  --
Chinook*        66  10   3 135             3 
Falcons*        51  21   7 109              3

Donuts*         48  24   8 104              2
Hamm'heads* 39  28  12  90             3
Thunder*       38  38   3  79               3
Owls             32  41   6  70                3  @SEA, @FOR, CGY

Barracudas      32  44   4  68             2  PAR, DAY

As you can see, the Corfield Conference is far more decided than the Canosa Conference is.

Calgary is locked into the 1st seed
Fort Erie is locked into the 2nd seed
Wisborg is locked as the 3rd seed
Halifax is locked as the 4th seed
Niagara Falls is set as the 5th seed

Only the 6th and final seed is up for grabs as both Portland and Ottawa could snag it. The Owls currently lead OTT by 2 pts. and have a game in hand. The most points OTT can finish with is 72, so POR controls its own destiny. Key is the opponents each faces. POR plays two strong teams in FOR and CGY after a game with SEA. I see them finishing up 1-2-0 in their last 3 games to finish with 72 points.

Ottawa plays PAR and DAY, two teams they should be able to defeat, which would give them, yup - 72 points to tie POR. So we go to the 1st tiebreakers (Most wins). POR would have 33 wins on the year, OTT would have 34 and make the playoffs while the Owls would go home.

All the drama the next five days will focus on Portland and Ottawa to figure out the final playoff team. Opening round will see CGY/FOR with byes. #3 - WIS hosting either OTT/POR as the 6th seed, while #4 seed Halifax will host the #5 seed Niagara Falls Thunder.

5 Days left in the regular season, a look at the playoff possibilities in the Canosa Conference....

With five days left in the 2017-18 CCHL Regular Season, we're going to take a look at the two conferences, the standings in each and how the first round playoff matchups are shaping up.


THE CANOSA CONFERENCE:

CURRENT STANDINGS:


 CANOSA    W   L   T PTS   GAMES LEFT
  ------------- --  --  -- ---  -- 
Icecats*        54  21   5 113                2    ISL, REK
Millers*        53  21   5 111                3    @LAS, SUD, HAM

Tigers*         50  25   4 104                3     SUD, @ISL, @GEO
Puffin*         50  26   3 103                3     VIC, @SPR, @SIB
Isotopes*      49  26   4 102                3     MIN, REK, @LAS

Norsemen*   38  35   7   83                2      @SPR, @LAS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing to look at is the top two seeds in the Canosa, which will be SIB and GEO, with the order, still to be determined. SIB is currently in 1st, but GEO has a game in hand. They do not play each other.

If both teams win all of their remaining games, they will finish in a tie with each having 117 pts., In the case of a tie, the first tiebreaker is the most number of wins and they would still be tied after applying the first tiebreaker. The next tiebreaker is best season series record. The Millers dominated the Icecats 5-1-0 this season. If they finish tied, GEO will be the #1 seed. For Siberia to claim the #1 seed, they need to win outright.

Now the hard part, lol...

It is a three-way battle royal for the 3, 4, and 5 seeds in the Canosa Conference. Minnesota will be the 6th seed for sure. Each of the teams, Hamilton, Reykjavik, and Springfield, have three games left.

HAM plays SUD and ISL - two games they should win - and GEO a game let's say they lose. HAM winds up with 108 pts. 

REK plays VIC, SPR and SIB - Let's put them down for a win against VIC, a tie against SPR (season series between REK/SPR is 3-2-0 in favor of REK, so too close to call). Let's put them down for a loss to SIB. REK winds up with 107 pts.

SPR plays MIN, REK & LAS. Let's put them down for wins against MIN & LAS and a tie against HAM. SPR would finish with 107 pts. 

If all that happens, HAM would be the #3 seed, based on the season series record of 3-2-1 in favor of the Puffin, REK would claim the #4 seed and SPR would be the 5th seed.

The first round would see GEO & SIB enjoying their bye, and we'd see #3 - HAM hosting #6 - MIN and #4-REK hosting #5-SPR. 

Fun stuff, too close to call, so keep an eye on these games over the weekend!

Miners lose again....

Miners scoring woes continue; lose 5-0 to Puffin.

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON)

The Reykjavik Puffin are already in playoff mode and that was more than enough to beat the struggling Sudbury Miners on Sunday night.

Braden Holtby made 24 saves to record his 7th shutout of the season on Sunday as the Puffin cruised past the Miners, 5-0.  For Holtby, he is becoming a fan of playing the Miners, as this was his second shutout versus Sudbury in as many games.

"We have been trying to tighten up defensively as we get ready for the playoffs," Holtby said. "We know in our conference, we will need that type of structure to have success against some of the highest scoring teams in the CCHL.  This was a good win for us."

Victor Hedman has three assists to lead the attack for the Puffin (48-26-3), who have now won four of their past five contests.  With the victory, they have now closed the gap to a single point in the battle for fourth place in the CCHL's Canosa Conference with the Springfield Isotopes.       

“It's going to be like this for the next couple of months, but everybody here in this locker room is comfortable with that kind of game and that's the reason why we're winning," Hedman said. "We're a tight defensive team and we've got to score on the few chances that we will get during the playoffs."
                 
Ben Bishop turned aside 27 of 32 shots for Sudbury (18-54-6), which have now won only once in their past 10 games straight and appear to just be playing out the string.

"Not sure what you want me to say about this game.  Terrible.  We were outworked, simple as that," said Miners coach Derek Sutton. "We did not compete and that is a dangerous mindset for our young team.”


MINERS NUGGETS

- The injury bug just doesn’t want to leave Sudbury.  This time, forwards Ben Smith and Lauri Korpikoski were both injured in the game against the Puffin and are expected to miss a game or two each.

- The next game for the Miners is Tuesday night, when they travel to Long Island to take on the Express.  Game time at the Vale Centre is 7:30pm.

Miners open to trading a first round pick this year.

Miners open to trading a first round pick this year.

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON) 

If there is some solace to be had in Sudbury this year, it will lie at the CCHL draft table.

In addition to stockpiling losses (52, second most in the Canosa Conference), the Miners have been collecting early-round draft picks for this spring.

And they would be open to dealing one of those coveted selections for a body that can make a more immediate contribution.

General manager Terry James was asked during the Friday morning pre-game press scrum, if Sudbury would be open to trading any of its first-round or early-second-round draft picks.
“We’d be willing to make a deal to get a younger player a little further along than an 18-year-old and preferably a center” James told reporters.  “But at the same time, we hold those picks in very high value. We’re going to get some good players.”

 “Our mandate from Day 1, has been to build a championship-calibre team. And I know our fans feel that we are not on schedule with the timeline that they want, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not recognizing the position we’re in given the assets we have acquired this year.  We are striving to build a sustainable, long-term successful franchise, and a big part of that is going to be through the draft.”
Highlighted by phenoms Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov, scouts expect the 2018 draft to be a deep one for defenseman and wingers. The 20th-place Miners are on pace to have a good shot at landing another star forward or defenceman, but their options at the draft will be even greater due to their moves made during the season.


“We’ve seen some signs the last little while that the team is playing better and some positive signs – but when it starts to go, then it’s going to be sustainable for a long time,” James said. “And we’ll look back, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, in the rear-view mirror of all of this pain and suffering that we’ve all had to endure.”

Miners extend winless streak, and settle for another 2-2 draw.

Miners extend winless streak, and settle for another 2-2 draw.

CANADIAN PRESS (Las Vegas, NV)

A 28-save performance by goaltender Carter Hutton lifted the Las Vegas Aces to a 2-2 tie against the visiting Sudbury Miners on Wednesday night. 

With that result, the Miners (18-52-6) now sit third last in the CCHL and have run their winless streak to 7 games, while the Aces (25-44-6) remain two points ahead of Seattle in the race for the final lottery spot.

After both teams exchanged first period goals, the Miners on a goal by Tobias Reider, scored the lone goal in the second to take the lead.  The goal was Reider’s 21st of the season with Damon Severson and Radim Vrbtata drawing the assists on Reider’s tally. 

The Aces were badly outplayed in the third and directed only 3 shots at Miners netminder Ryan Miller, but Sven Angrighetto managed to beat him for the tying marker halfway through the period.   Despite heavy pressure from the Miners, Hutton held the fort and the teams ended regulation tied at 2.

The Aces would outshoot the Miners 5-1 in overtime, but neither team could break the deadlock.

Despite the winless streak, the Miners are trying to look at the positives and look to build upon that in the final six games.

“We struggled this season, not winning a lot,” Reider said. “But it’s a process and we are looking to get a head start on a huge improvement for next year.  We have new talent and they’re eager and positive.  We have something to build on. I’m happy with this tie. We played a very competitive game.”


MINERS NUGGETS

- The Miners lost another player due to injury.  Forward Vernon Fiddler has been lost for the remainder of the year due to a head injury.  This was likely his last game as a member of the Miners.

- Defenceman Darnell Nurse returned to the line-up last night and was a welcome addition.  He played 23 minutes on the night, with three shots on goal and an even rating.

Georgetown Top Prospects...

It may be surprising that Georgetown has 5 legitimate prospects given all the futures they have moved out in the last couple of years while chasing the CCHL Championship, but there are a few players on the farm to get excited about.

1. Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver. 2017-18 stats to date: (NHL) 42 GP, 22 G, 18 A, 16:58 TOI
The most asked-about prospect when the Millers discuss trades, Boeser has exceeded expectations in his rookie season. Playing on a mediocre Vancouver squad has not dampened his production. He projects as GEO's 2nd line RW next season and should be a lineup mainstay for seasons to come.

2. Janne Kuokannen, C, Carolina. 2017-18 stats to date: (AHL) 22 GP, 3 G, 11 A. (WJC) 5 GP, 0 G, 2 A
Kuokannen broke camp with the Hurricanes but only made 4 appearances before being sent down to the AHL. Even in the unlikely event, he gets enough games to be included on next season's disc he won't be expected to contribute until the 2019-20 season. He has all the hallmarks of a prototypical play-making 2nd line Center and special teams contributor.

3. Ilya Samsonov, G, Washington. 2017-18 stats to date: (KHL) 22 GP, 2.65 GAA, .917 SV %
Samsonov's numbers are down from his previous season but he's still widely regarded as the best goalkeeping prospect outside of North America. His KHL contract expires after this season, and he's expected to debut in the AHL next season before hitting the NHL to apprentice under Braden Holtby for a year or two.

4. Dylan Samberg, D, Winnipeg. 2017-18 stats to date: (NCHC) 21 GP, 0 G, 5 A. (WJC) 7 GP, 1 G, 3 A.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the USA's WJC squad, Samberg ascended to the top-pairing for much of the tournament and did not look out of place. Although his ice-time and production have been limited as a freshman at UMinnesota-Duluth, his size, skating ability, and offensive projection have scouts viewing his upside as a 2nd pairing defenseman in the NHL.

5. Tim Sodurland, LW, Chicago. 2017-18 stats to date: (SWEHL) 27 GP, 6 G, 2 A (WCJ) 7 GP, 2 G, 3 A
Originally drafted in the hopes that his offensive skills would catch up to his superior skating, Soderlund opened some eyes at the WJC with his point production. He's also enjoying his best pro season in Sweden. Despite his tiny size (5'9, 165 lbs) he could be an NHL 2nd liner if his offensive growth continues.

Other prospects of note:

Filip Hronek, D, Detroit
Alexei Lipanov, C, Tampa Bay
Antoine Morand, C, Anaheim
David Farrance, D, Nashville
Dennis Gilbert, D, Chicago
Casey Fitzgerald, D, Buffalo

Miners and Norsemen battle to a 2-2 draw.

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON)

Goaltender Ben Bishop made 37 saves, including 10 in overtime, but it would solve nothing, as the Minnesota Norsemen and Sudbury Miners battled to a 2-2 draw on Monday night.

Both teams have been struggling entering the final stretch of the season.  After last night’s game, the Miners are now winless in 6 games, while the Norsemen are winless in 5.  The difference is that the Norsemen are battling with the Sanibel Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Canosa Conference.   They currently lead the Islanders by a point in the standings with both teams having played 75 games.

Given the importance of this game, the Norsemen started quick and jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Anders Lee and Tyler Seguin.  Goaltender Pekka Rinne was not very busy but was solid when called upon, turning aside all 8 shots directed his way.

After scoreless second period, the Miners began to press in the third and scored early.  Benoit Pouliot with his 3rd goal of the season cut the lead to one.  Despite being outshot 11-8 in the period, the Miners kept pressing and mid-way through period the Miners struck again.  Matt Calvert, with his 7th goal of the year, tied the game at 2-2.  That would be all scoring in the period. 

Despite dominating overtime, the Norsemen could not find a way past Bishop and the game would end in a tie.

The Miners were happy with their compete level in this game, especially versus a division rival.

“It's easy to prepare for games against these guys, or any division game.  We know what the standings are like, and what these games mean, especially to them.  You battle a bit more when you're playing a rival and a division team that's ahead of you in the standings," Bishop said.   “Playing in those tight games is good for our growth and gives us something to build on for next year.”


MINERS NUGGETS

- The Miners lost another defenceman due to injury.  Toby Enstrom suffered a hand injury early in the second period and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.

- With Enstrom going down to injury, the timing of Darnell Nurse’s return from injury could not come at a better time.  He is expected in the line-up on Wednesday night.

- Rumours persist out of Sudbury that the Miners would be willing to trade any of their first round picks in the upcoming CCHL Entry Draft.  Word is they are looking for a young center in exchange for a pick.

Fort Erie Falls to Calgary....

Sometimes in hockey, no matter what you try, there are teams that just have your number.

In the case of the Fort Erie Falcons, that team might be the Calgary Chinook.  The Chinook continued their dominance over the Falcons on Sunday night with a 7-4 victory in Fort Erie.

Fort Erie tried a new defensive system for the game and it was clear from the outset that the team didn't thrive under the new system.

Before the game was eight minutes old, the Falcons trailed by three and it was all downhill from there.

Despite the loss, Captain Blake Wheeler still believes his squad can beat Calgary.

"We didn't get the result we wanted tonight but we were right there with them.  Curtis did  a great job and he hasn't played in a month, but I think with Freddy playing how he has been we have a really good shot.  Who knows, maybe we're saving all of our wins for them in the playoffs but I definitely believe in this group," said Wheeler following the game.

While the outcome wasn't positive on the scoreboard, Falcons GM Matt Young wasn't necessarily disappointed with his team tonight.

"You want to see effort and the effort was there.  We tried a different system and had our third goalie in net.  It didn't work out but the effort was there and the team battled hard until the end."

Sam Reinhart continued his surprising season for the Falcons in this game, adding another three points to push his season total to 72.

While the expectations have been high for Reinhart, nobody could have expected the season he has had; not even Reinhart himself.

"It's been fun this year.  I'm playing with some pretty great players here and things have clicked.  You just have to keep it going and hopefully I can carry this over into the playoffs and into next season.  You want to be consistent and I've managed to do that this season," commented Reinhart following the game.

The Falcons return to action on Tuesday night as they host the Ottawa Barracudas.

Ottawa continues to fight for the last playoff spot in the Corfield Conference and are just one point ahead of Portland in the standings.  The Falcons know that Ottawa will be ready to play on Tuesday night and won't be able to take their opponent lightly despite their record.

"We'll have to be ready.  They have their season on the line over the next two weeks and need every point they can get.  We have our goals as a team and we need the win to accomplish those goals.  We aren't just playing out the schedule here.  We want to go into the playoffs playing the right way," quipped Wheeler prior to departing the arena.

Dayton Musicmen Top Ten Prospects as of January 14, 2018...

Top ten prospects as of January 14, 2018...

1. Robert Hagg (D) Philadelphia Flyers - Continues to be apart of the Flyers top four defensemen, although his TOI has dropped slightly. Hagg still leads all team dmen in +/- with a +14 in 43 games. Hagg is 2nd in plus/minus and leads all rookie NHL dmen in hits and shot blocks. Hagg continues to demonstrate his ability to handle the NHL game on a not very good team in Philly and looks to be a top four and possible top pairing candidate in Dayton in 2018-19.

2. Malcolm Subban (G) Las Vegas Knights - The return of Marc-Andre Fluery has severely eaten into Subban's starts and since our last ranking, he's seen just 5 games. We expect it to be this way unless Flower gets hurt or fades down the stretch. We doubt Subban will hit 30 starts, but 20-25 seems very likely. The 24-year-old netminder looks to be the backup to the pending UFA in Mike Smith for the 18-19 CCHL campaign.

3. Christian Fischer (RW) Arizona Coyotes - Fischer continues to see over 15 minutes of playing time per game as he grows in confidence every game. A fixture on the 'Yotes 2nd line and top line power play unit, he now sits 3nd in goals and 6th in team scoring. Fischer has climbed to the 2nd best shooting percentage on the team. The 20-year-old is one of the few bright spots on this young team.

4. Travis Sanheim (D) Philadelphia Flyers - Sanheim has been a healthy scratch for the last 5 games in Philadelphia, with the main cause being deficiencies in his own zone. Still an awesome package of skills and talent, there are signs that Sanheim is coming along reasonably well in his first NHL season. Philly is under no pressure to push the issue and by the time the regular season is over, his TOI may be on the rise again.

5. Cale Makar (D) Colorado Avalanche - After a highly impressive World Juniors performance, Makar is also doing nicely as a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, sitting 4th in overall team scoring. This kid is the real deal and the Avs would be smart to let him hone his craft for another year or two before having him turn pro.

6.  Morgan Frost (C)  Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyer prospect jumps up to 3rd overall as this talented centerman has climbed to the top of the OHL scoring race. On pace to score 113 pts. this season after 62 pts. in 67 games last season with OHL's Sault Ste. Marie squad. Opportunity abounds for him in Philly in the not too distant future.

7. Mike McLeod (C) New Jersey Devils - The 12th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft was one of the best skaters in the '16 draft. A top end talent and point producer, NJ can't wait for him to reach the big leagues. An injury delayed his 17-18 season, but after ten games in the OHL, Mcleod is scoring at a better than a point per game pace for Mississauga. Look for Mcleod to join either the NHL or AHL Devils after the OHL season is over. Dayton expects him in the 2019-20 CCHL season.

8. Taylor Raddysh (W) Tampa Bay Lightning - Frost isn't the only DAY prospect in the top ten of scoring in the OHL. Tampa's Taylor Raddysh currently sits 4 pts. behind Frost in 7th overall in the OHL. Just 19 and already 6'2 and over 200 pounds, Raddysh will push for a job on the Lightning next Fall. Arrival time in Dayton is 2-3 years away.

9. Brenden Guhle (D) Buffalo Sabres - The 2nd round pick for the Sabres in the 2015 NHL draft, Guhle is a non-flashy, but well - rounded blueliner who had just been promoted to the Sabres and played in two games before being sent back down. A likely part of the Sabres blueline corps next season, Guhle is one of 7 dmen BUF controls contractually through the end of next season, so it seems he is seriously in the mix for an NHL job next year.

10. Danick Martel (C/LW) Philadelphia Flyers - Got called up to the Flyers after posting 21 points in 22 games for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and did - absolutely nothing in several games in the NHL. It's fair to say he wasn't given top-line minutes and it was no surprise when Martel was sent back to the AHL Phantoms. Since then his production has tanked with just 7 pts. (3+4) in the 19 games since his demotion. That may prove to be more damning long term than his unproductive NHL stint will be.

Honorable mention:

Drake Batherson, Aleksi Heponiemi, Tanner Laczynski, Jonah Gadjovich, Cliff Pu, Dennis Cholowski, Daniel Vladar...

Fort Erie Falcons: A Hidden Draft Gem Matures...

The art of the CCHL Entry Draft is one of the harder tasks a General Manager in the CCHL must undertake annually.

The draft provides an opportunity to build a strong team for the future, or a window as to why a team potentially failed to get better. 

The key to a strong draft is to find potential hidden gems within the middle to late rounds; everyone knows the odds of a first round pick succeeding in comparison to the third round or later. 

The Fort Erie Falcons may have found one of those gems in center Carter Verhaeghe. 

Verhaeghe was selected in the third round of the 2013 CCHL Entry Draft.  After posting a pair of 82 point seasons to conclude his OHL career, he has bounced around in the AHL the past few years; until landing in Syracuse this season. 

Despite a late start to the season due to injury, Verhaeghe has found a fit within the Crunch and has posted 25 points in 25 games this year in the AHL. 

While Verhaeghe won't be a top line center in the CCHL, the 22-year-old has the potential to be a solid third line forward if he continues to develop like he has this season. 

"Carter has really taken a step in his game this season and we're excited to see what he's become.  He has a chance to play in the CCHL in the next couple of years.  We just have to be patient with him.  Not everyone develops at the same pace and that's okay," said Fort Erie GM Matt Young on Verhaeghe.

While the centerpiece of the organization down the middle is third overall pick Dylan Strome, Verhaeghe finds himself in a position to contribute down the road. 

If Verhaeghe continues his ascent to the CCHL he could become proof for other General Managers that every pick has value.

Not many gave Verhaeghe a chance coming into the season but he has played his way onto the Falcons radar as a legitimate prospect. 

Who will this year's Verhaeghe be in the 2018 CCHL Entry Draft?  Time will tell but Verheaghe could be proof of the importance of making the most of your picks. 

You never know what that pick could become five years in the future. 

The Soundstage: Holding up pretty well, for its age...

The Soundstage was built in the Spring and Summer of 1965 in Dayton, OH. After acquiring the necessary land for the rink and 15,000 parking spaces, the ground was broken on April 15th, 1965.

The project moved quickly and the rink held its first event, an opera at 7:00pm on Saturday, September 11th, 1965.

A sellout crowd of 15,000 attendees came out for the much-publicised opening night, which saw people turned away due to the sellout. "We'd never seen anything like this before in Dayton," said the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.

That fall, the Dayton Bombers began to call the Soundstage home during the 65-66 ECHL season. Other events like University of Dayton basketball, Truck and car shows, trade shows, conventions, political rallies, religious gatherings, funerals, etc. were also well-attended events.

"This is our 53rd year and the building is holding up very well," said retired Supervisor of Operations Tony Oaks. "We've always maintained the building the best we could and the current management and ops crew do a terrific job. The place was built so well, there has never been any major issues. None." said Oaks.

A major expansion increased the seating for hockey and basketball games up to 20,000 in 2002. "The community had expressed a frustration about so many events being sold out that after we put some financing together, we were about to grow our seating by about 30%, " said current General Manager Bill Corfield.

"Since the '02 seating expansion, we've added a new hi-def scoreboard, chaser light rings around the lower and upper bowls and revamped our food and beverage concessions by using as many local restaurants as we can. Finally, there's so much interest in Musicmen merchandise, that we've opened up 3 new guest gift shops in the last 6 months," said Corfield.

Monies have also been budgeted to restripe the full parking lot in the coming off-season.

018 WJC Summary – How did the Miners prospects fare?

CANADIAN PRESS (Buffalo, NY) 

The 2018 World Junior Championship has come to a close, wrapping up a month of evaluating some of the top young players outside the CCHL.

The Sudbury Miners had a good presence at this tournament, with a number of highly touted prospects, which bodes well for their future.
Here are the Miners players scouts were talking about based on their performance for one reason or another during their time in Buffalo.

Olli Juolevi, D, Finland 

Scouts indicated that Juolevi wasn’t consistently great throughout the tournament, but he seemed to turn it on towards the end and play at a level that was closer to his days with London.  Finland’s coach eventually placed Juolevi on the top power play unit given how well he was moving the puck.  When he is on his game, Juolevi skates so well that, when he gets gaps in the defense to work with and spots lanes for passes, he can make a lot happen.  He is projected to be a solid CCHL defenseman.

Casey Mittelstadt, C, United States

Mittlestadt had an outstanding tournament.  He was a popular choice among the media for MVP of the tournament and the eventual winner of the award was dynamic from his first shift to his last.  Mittelstadt was the driving force of USA’s offense, who ended up relying on him more than anticipated. His hands are among the best outside the CCHL.  He moved the puck well.  He skated very well.  He isn’t small.  There’s so much to like about how he plays the game and how consistently he made high-level offensive plays.  He’s right there in the discussions for the No. 1 CCHL prospect.

Martin Necas, C, Czech Republic 

In talking to a number of scouts, many thought Necas was clearly the second best forward in the tournament. The media didn’t give him a nod as an All-Star among the three forward slots, which was absurd.  If you did a re-draft of the 2017 CCHL draft right now and from talking to a number CCHL people around the tournament, Necas would be a top-seven, if not a top-five pick (Sudbury drafted him at No. 19).  Necas’ skating and skill stood out with incredible consistency in terms of generating offense but he also showed flashes of his playmaking ability and scouts pointed out that he came back on defense. Sudbury has a good one here.


Henri Jokiharju, D, Finland

You could argue that Jokiharju was Finland’s best puck moving defenseman in the tournament despite all the big names they had on that defense unit.  When Finland shuffled their power play, it was Jokiharju who was given point duty for most of the tournament to man the first unit.  Jokiharju skates and thinks the game well, and seemed to be a calming force on the blueline for the Finns during the tournament.

Artur Kayumov, LW, Russia 

Since being drafted 58th overall by the now defunct Copenhagen in 2016, Kayumov hasn't been fantastic in terms of production in Russia and his ice time has been limited in the KHL. In this tournament, though, scouts have seen flashes of the promise he showed during his draft year two years ago.  He's a very good skater, has skill, shows vision and seems to create a lot of high-quality chances. He's back on the radar of many scouts as a real CCHL prospect.

Checking in on the Dayton Musicmen...

With thirteen games left in the 2017-18 CCHL Regular Season for the Dayton Musicmen, here are a few observations for the hometown team:

Oscar Sundqvist sustained a severely sprained left knee early in the first period against the Hammerheads. The trainers told the media after the game last night this season is over. "Its sprained so bad that we'll need to wait for the swelling to go down, which will probably take the better part of a week. If there's ligament damage, then we'll decide whether rehab or surgery would be the best way to go. If there's not, I'm told it'd be smart to stay off skates for at least a month and work on strengthening the entire knee over the summer." said Sundqvist.  Either way, he should be fully ready to go for next season.

Sundqvist joins Mark Stuart who is also injured and will not return this season as Musicmen who won't be seeing any game action the rest of this season. Likewise, Jared Coreau, Jason Dickinson, Carter Rowney, Zach Sanford and Tomas Nosek have each hit their team imposed game limits to avoid paying a full season of salary.

Other players who will not be returning include Mikhail Grigorenko (not on next disk), John Mitchell (not on next disk), Adam Cracknell (probably not on next disk), Drew Stafford and Matt Irwin (both are UFA's, Irwin - who is currently running away with the shot block lead after post SIX blocks against Halifax last night - may be of interest to some other team or if Dayton trades pending UFA goalie Mike Smith, would then be a possible resign. Likewise, pending RFA's Phil DiGiuseppe, Reid Boucher, Luca Sbisa and Matt Tennyson don't appear to be in the plans for next season.

DiGiuseppe and Boucher have shown next to nothing this season in limited time in the NHL and are probably watching their last serious shot at the big show fade away forever. Tennyson went through the same thing earlier in the year for Buffalo and has been in Rochester ever since late October. Sbisa is an interesting case. His $4M/yr. contract expires after this season in Vegas and he will be a UFA. The word from the Musicmen front office is that while they all like Sbisa as a player, no one seems interested in playing him $4M let alone what his new salary might be after he signs a new deal in the NHL.

The 18-19 Dayton blueline projects to be: Girardi, Del Zotto, Barberio, Ruhwedal and rookies Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg. After those six, DAY seems likely to pursue 3 lower end dmen with good games played, affordable contracts and reasonable job security to start next season with.

Next year's forwards look to be: Ryan, Comeau, McAnn, Janmark, Nosek, Mitchell, Archibald, Sundqvist, Pyatt and rookie forwards Christian Fischer and Luke Kunin. From that group of eleven, look for between 3-4 2nd/3rd line types to be targeted in UFA, again with good games played, affordable contracts and reasonable job security to start next season with.

If Dayton resigns Mike Smith, he's their unquestioned #1 goalie, with Subban and Brossoit as the backups. If Dayton trades Smith and gets a goalie in return, whoever comes over in that deal would likely be the presumptive #1 guy. If Smith leaves via trade or UFA and no other goalie is on board by the time the UFA bidding begins, the 'Men will likely target one of the following group of UFA goaltenders: Lehtonen, Khudobin, Montoya, Neuvirth, Varlamov or Pavelec. Most like, Mike Smith returns to Dayton for another few years until the new blood arrives.

Of the 13 remaining games, 7 are at home (NIA, OTT, FOR, SEA, DRT, HAL & CGY) with 6 games left on the road (CGY, PAR, POR, WIS, NIA & OTT.)

2018 AHL All Star Competition Rosters and CCHL Representation By Team....

The American Hockey League (AHL) has announced its rosters for its 2018 All-Star Classic coming up on January 28th & 29th. The CCHL has 23 prospects who will be appearing in the game. Here's a team by team look at who will be representing our teams on that weekend.

Calgary - (0)

Dartmouth -  (0)

Dayton - (5) -  Danick Martel, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Luke Kunin, Iowa Wild,  Reid Boucher, Utica Comets, Erik Gustafsson, Rockford IceHogs & Andrew Mangiapane, Stockton Heat

Fort Erie - (5) -  Dylan Strome, Tucson Roadrunners

Georgetown - (0)

Halifax - (0)

Hamilton - (0)

Long Island - (2) - Gabriel Gagne, Belleville Senators & Cal Peterson, Ontario Reign

Las Vegas - (1) - Jack Roslovic, Manitoba Moose

Minnesota - (0)

Niagara Falls - (1) - Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Ottawa - (1) - Michael Hutchinson, Manitoba Moose

Parry Sound - (0)

Portland - (1) - Austin Czarnik, Providence Bruins

Reykjavik - (0)

Sanibel - (2) - Emil Pettersson, Milwaukee Admirals & Matt Puempel, Grand Rapids Griffins

Seattle - (3) - Thatcher Demko, Utica Comets, Brandon Pirri, Chicago Wolves & Rocco Grimaldi, San Antonio Rampage 

Siberia - (1) - Valentin Zykov, Charlotte Checkers

Springfield - (1) - Nick Merkley, Tucson Roadrunners

Sudbury - (1) - Travis Dermott, Toronto Marlies

Victoria - (0)

Wisborg - (3) - Kasperi Kapanen, Toronto Marlies, Daniel Sprong, W-B/Scranton Penguins & Linus Ullmark, Rochester Americans

From the AHL website:

The 2018 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 (8 p.m. ET) will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

In the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge on Jan. 29 (7 p.m. ET), the four teams will participate in a round-robin tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each, played entirely at 3-on-3. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship, a six-minute game also played at 3-on-3.

This should be an interesting display. The traditional 5 on 5 play has been set aside for the more entertaining 3 on 3.

Springfield can't stay out of the box and lose to Georgetown

Penalties tell the tale of loss to Millers...

For a team that entered last night’s game against the Millers as the 4th lowest penalty minutes per game (PIM/GP) one would think penalties would not be an issue.  That was not the case though as Springfield felt that wrath of the referee and racked up 13 minor penalties, moving the team from 4th to 6th overall.

"I don't think there are many examples of a team giving up 12 power play chances and winning the game", said GM Stacey, "We have to play smarter out there, and for god’s sake whoever pissed off that ref, please apologize before the next game".

The worst offenders: Muzzin 6 PIM, Getzlaf 4 PIM, MacKinnon 4 PIM, and Tkachuk 4 PIM.

The loss has come at a terrible time for the Isotopes as the Canosa conference is still tight and every point matters.  Things do not get easier in the next few games as the Isoptopes host Hamilton (3rd at 90 points), on the road in Minnesota (6th at 73 points), and continue the road trip to Reykjavik (5th at 85 points).

The ‘topes are currently on a two game losing streak and if they stay out of the box they can turn it around and begin moving up the conference again.  The Isotopes sit in 4th place in the conference with 90 points and 3 points out of first.

Injury news:

- Dell’s injury has forced Montoya to dress as a backup but it is expected that Dell will be returning tonight as a backup to Bobrovsky

- Schultz is hurt again, yet another lower body injury, he is expected to be held out of the lineup even after the injury to get him healthy and in playoff form.

Werenski Enjoying Strong Season

Fort Erie, ON

Life in the CCHL for Fort Erie Falcons rookie defenceman Zach Werenski is pretty good these days. 

 The Falcons have points in 49 of 67 games this season and the rookie defender has made the transition to the CCHL seamlessly from the ranks of the NCAA where he played prior to transitioning into a professional this season.

 Werenski reached the 50 point plateau last night with his 11th goal of the season and now sits tied with teammate Dougie Hamilton for eighth in scoring by defencemen.  He is also a +40 on the season, which is fantastic for anyone; let alone a rookie playing the toughest position in the game.

 All of these accolades would normally put Werenski in rare air and would have many talking about him as a serious rookie of the year contender – but this isn’t every year.

 There are two other rookies that have taken the CCHL by storm and both have scored at least 40 goals in their first seasons respectively.

Hamilton’s Patrik Laine and Halifax’s Auston Matthews have been sensational in their CCHL debuts which comes to no surprise to anybody you ask around the league.

Despite that, one would have to think it was frustrating for a player like Werenski to have the season he is having with very little fanfare.  Werenski however doesn’t see it that way at all and has relished being able to enter the league without the league-wide spotlight shining on him.

“It has certainly made the transition a lot easier to have the focus be on those two.  They are great players and deserve to have that spotlight.  I’ll never score 40 goals in this league.  They are stars and they deserve all of the attention they get.  I’m just happy to play a top-four role on a really good team.  I’m just happy to be contributing like I am and to be at 50 points already has kind of exceeded my expectations but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Werenski of his success. 

Although humble, those around the team on a regular basis understand what he’s meant to the team – especially Falcons General Manager Matt Young.

“He’s a guy that I tried to get for a year.  I paid a massive price to Calgary to get him and Gibby (goaltender John Gibson) but they were two guys I valued highly.  He’s been exactly what I thought he’d be, probably more.  I actually don’t know where we’d be without him.  He’s been that good.  I think, because of the position, he’s the best rookie in the league but I know everyone else will go by the numbers and that’s fine.  We’re very happy with him and he’ll be on this team for a long time.” 

Despite Werenski and teammate Jacob Slavin being under 24, the team has prospects Vince Dunn and Thomas Chabot expected to challenge for jobs next year.   One could see this embarrassment of riches being a problem, but not the Falcons GM.

“Problem?  No, it’s not a problem and if it’s considered a problem, well it’s a problem I’m sure 20 other teams in the league would happily take.  We’re in a good spot and it gives us depth should we need to address another area of concern but I’m hoping we don’t have to go that route anytime soon,” said Young.

With that being said, who is your CCHL rookie of the year?  It’s as tough a choice as there has ever been in the CCHL and illustrates the importance of gaining a franchise player through the CCHL draft.  Let us know your choice in the comment section!

Falcons Move toward 1st round bye with win...

Fort Erie, ON

The Fort Erie Falcons continued their quest for second place in the Corfield Conference on Tuesday night against the Wisborg Donuts in what would be a key game in the Falcons quest towards a first round bye in the CCHL playoffs. 

 Everyone entering the arena knew how important the game would be for the home team.  A win would put the Falcons up by 11 points on the Donuts for second place with 15 games to play in the season, while a loss would make it considerably tighter and give Wisborg hope of catching Fort Erie in the standings.

With the tone set, it was Falcons’ Captain Blake Wheeler that got things going with a goal late in the first period.  Wheeler would add another at 1:51 of the second period to put Fort Erie up by a pair. 

“It was important to set the tone from our standpoint.  It was nice to get a pair early like that and help the team to a solid start,” said Wheeler following the contest.  

CCHL leading goal scorer Nazem Kadri would add his 48th of the campaign to stake the home team to a three-goal lead. 

David Backes would respond with just 25 seconds left in the second period but the damage had been done by that point.  

Kadri would add his 49th of the year in the third period and rookie defenceman Zach Werenski would score on the power play with 3:49 to play to put the game away for the home squad. 

Fort Erie controlled the game from the outset, outshooting Wisborg 50-17 in the contest.  Despite the lopsided shot total, Kadri doesn’t believe that the game was that lopsided.  

“Listen they were only down a pair of goals going into the third period.  They were still in the game and that’s a good team they have in that room.  We knew we couldn’t take them lightly at all and we wanted to have  a strong third period to close out the game, because at times this year, we’ve had trouble doing that.”

Kadri now sits just one goal away from the magical 50 mark on the season but says he doesn’t feel any extra pressure to get the goal. 

“If you told me coming into the season we’d be talking about me scoring my 50th goal here soon, I would have laughed at you.  The goals are a function of team success and my line with Patches (Pacioretty) and Marn Doggy Dawg (Marner) has been great to be a part of the past twenty or so games.  We found a chemistry that you don’t always find and luckily for us, the puck has found the net,” added Kadri. 

The Falcons return to action on Thursday night as they host local rival Niagara Falls Thunder in what is expected to be another sellout for the Falcons. 

Miners scoring woes continue; lose 5-0 to Puffin.

CANADIAN PRESS (Rejkjavik, Iceland)



The Reykjavik Puffin are on a roll heading into the new year.

Braden Holtby made 32 saves to record his sixth shutout of the season on Monday as the Puffin blanked the visiting Sudbury Miners, 5-0 for their second straight win.

"Our defencemen have been so good all year," Holtby said. "They keep it to the outside and they let me see shots, they're not getting too many deflections against me. Those things are small details, but they're huge and I think that makes the biggest difference."

Mikko Koivu had a goal and two assists for the Puffin (40-24-3), who have now won two straight after losing three in a row.  With the victory, they have now moved into fifth place in the CCHL's Canosa Conference and are sitting securely in a playoff spot.  Vladimir Tarasenko, Artem Anisimov and Nikita Kucherov also chipped in with goals for the Puffin.

"There were very few times where we were caught on the wrong side of the puck," Koivu said. "We were trying not to let their top guys get top speed going, trying not to let them play with a lot of time and space."

Ryan Miller turned aside 37 of 42 shots for Sudbury (17-47-4), which have now dropped five straight.  The Miners were only down 1-0 after two periods, but gave up four goals in the third period.

"We were outworked, simple as that," said Miners coach Derek Sutton. "When you're out-worked, out-hustled, out-skated, out-grinded and out-committed, the rest isn't going to be in place. That's the biggest disappointment for me.”

“They smelled blood, let's be honest," said Miners forward Ben Smith.  "We didn't do anything right in those 10, 12 minutes in the third.  We were just whacking pucks away, stick checking.  It's what good teams do when they smell blood.  We got it handed to us."


MINERS NUGGETS

- Defenseman Darnell Nurse was put through a vigourous skate on Monday morning back in Sudbury.  Word is that he is progressing nicely but there is no timetable for his return to the lineup.

- The next game for the Miners is Wednesday night, when they play host to the Long Island Express.  Game time at the Vale Centre is 7:30pm.

CCHL Prospects Hitting the next Disk. A team by team review...

With about 80% of our regular season behind us, it's a reasonable time to take a look around the league and see which CCHL teams will see some rookies on their rosters next Fall. (As of 1/2/2018)...

Calgary - (0)

Dartmouth - (1) - Clayton Keller

Dayton - (5) -  Luke Kunin, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, Malcolm Subban & Christian Fischer

Fort Erie - (5) -  Dylan Strome, Thomas Chabot, Vince Dunn, Kyle MacDermid & Alex Debrincat

Georgetown - (2) - Brock Boeser & Janne Kuokkanen

Halifax - (0)

Hamilton - (1) - Alex Iafallo

Long Island - (4) - Michael Amadio, Matthew Barzal, Sonny Milano & Alex Tuch

Las Vegas - (2) - Nolan Patrick & Jan Rutta

Minnesota - (2) - Charlie MacAvoy & Calle Rosen

Niagara Falls - (5) - Christian Djoos, Andreas Borgman, Brendan Lemieux, Jake DeBrusk & Kailer Yamamoto

Ottawa - (1) - Madison Bowey

Parry Sound - (3) - Tyson Jost, Danton Heinen & Haydn Fleury

Portland - (4) - Mark Jankowski, Sean Kuraly, Victor Mete & Viktor Antipin

Reykjavik - (1) - Oscar Dansk

Sanibel - (2) - Anders Bjork & Ben Harpur

Seattle - (3) - Nico Hischier, Gabriel Carlsson & Brenden Leipsic

Siberia - (5) - Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ian Mccoshen, Will Butcher, Anton Forsberg & Charlie Lindgren

Springfield - (1) - Charles Hudon

Sudbury - (3) - Colin White, Mikhail Sergachev & Samuel Girard

Victoria - (2) - Jakub Jerabek & Tristan Jarry

Wisborg - (1) - Kasperi Kapanen

New year's wishes for all 22 teams...

A new year has arrived in the CCHL and I've put together a wish list of things each of our teams might be hoping for in 2018.


CALGARY - Most points in the league, best offense, best defense, best power play, best penalty killing, fewest pims, leading scorer and almost certainly home ice through the entire upcoming playoffs. What's left to hope for? The 2018 Kehler Cup, nothing else.


DAYTON - 1st overall pick? With 16 top 40 draftees and the second most prospects playing in this year's Junior Tourney, two highly effective drafts in 2018 and 2019 would go along way to building a deep, deep organization. There will be some consolidation down the road, but if the next two drafts are good quality ones, this could be quite something brewing in SW Ohio in a few years.

DARTMOUTH - For EDM to give Cam Talbot a decent defense to play behind.

FORT ERIE - An upset win over the Chinook which would present a very doable path to the Falcons first CCHL championship.  A big hump to get over but the most likely team to trip up the gang from Calgary.

GEORGETOWN - Only CGY has earned more points than GEO has over the last two seasons. How about a victory over the Corfield Conference foe in the upcoming Finals?

HALIFAX - Two years of great earnings and a good scouting department to target the next iteration of the Hammerheads.

HAMILTON - The Tiger's point totals over the last 4 year (projected for this season) are 42, 37, 84, 110. They are coming and coming hard. A bit of a darkhorse to win a Cup this year, they may be the team no one wants to deal with come playoff time. Beyond a successful playoff run this year, some influx of his prospects to address some aging on the big club probably his biggest wish.

LONG ISLAND - Like Hamilton, the Express hope for an influx of high upside youth to help form the core of the new edition for Long Island.

LAS VEGAS - Like the Hammerheads, two years of great earnings and a good scouting department to target the next iteration of the Aces.

MINNESOTA - A productive off-season to address a few holes and the arrival of 3-5 high-end prospects to make the lineup for the Norsemen.

NIAGARA FALLS - With 5 or more prospects hitting the lineup next year for the Thunder, the future isn't far away

OTTAWA - Again, we look to the upcoming drafts and development of prospect as key to the future of the Barracudas.

PARRY SOUND - With three first rounders in the next two drafts, and plenty of draft picks, factor in a league-high of prospects playing in this year's World Juniors tourney in Buffalo, time and development will serve the Orrsmen very well. Look for a Tiger-like improvement in the next few years in OTT.

PORTLAND - High on the Owl's wish list are some high-upside goaltenders and centermen. A few nice pieces will be in Portland next season, but more will be needed over the next few years.

REYKJAVIK - The Puffin could use an influx of homegrown talent to restock the cupboard with youngsters. They are very close to being on the short, short list of contenders, so, otoh a trade to mortgage some future for some top line additions to make a big-time Cup push.

SANIBEL - With ZERO goaltending prospects, a good haul of 5-8 well-regarded goalies from the next two drafts seems like a worthwhile thing to wish for.

SEATTLE - A crack scouting department to identify the proper targets to complement the already nice, high upside prospects currently in the Reign's system.

SIBERIA - A successful first four picks in the 2018 entry draft will go along way to maintaining the impressive stream of great young talent for the Icecats. Also hoping for a healthy Matt Murray and an improved Pens defense to help the guy out.

SPRINGFIELD - Patience. If the 'Topes nail the next two CCHL Entry Drafts, look for them to be a perennial top six team going forward. A nice but not elite group of prospects on the way, Mr. Stacey is doing a nice job at the helm but a heavy, serious investment into the next two drafts will pay off.

SUDBURY - Quietly building a stellar prospect system, with 42 picks in the next two CCHL Drafts, the Miners are following the path of Siberia and Hamilton which will serve them well.

VICTORIA - Under the radar flies Donpaulo but he has some serious talent on the way to the CCHL in a few years. Wishing for a couple of strong drafts to add to his growing list of high upside talent who will take the ice for the Ronin in a few years.

WISBORG - Wishing for an upset to slay the Chinook and then its quite realistic to plot a course where the Donuts might be enjoying a Finals and dare we say it? A Kehler Cup?