Millers Musings- Training Camp Edition

 With the start of the 2024-25 CCHL season just around the corner, here is an inside look at how the Georgetown Millers look as camps open. 

Forwards

Potential Lines (LW-C-RW)

1. Blake Coleman-Dylan Larkin-Trevor Moore

The Millers are expected to have a lot of offense on the top line, with Larkin’s point-per-game production combined with newcomer Moore’s 31 goals and Coleman’s 30 goals. All of them are at least respectable defensively as well and should hold up when matched against other top lines. 

2. Jared McCann- Evgeni Malkin- Nick Bjugstad

Malkin is a big upgrade over JT Compher as the 2nd line Center, while McCann comes off a 29 goal season and Bjugstad’s 45 point season was the 2nd best of his career. Bjugstad is the defensive conscience on the line but he’s also expected to contribute offensively. 

3. Dylan Guenther-Marco Rossi-Yanni Gourde

Gourde may have the biggest responsibility of any Millers forward as the veteran anchor of this line with 2 of the Miller’s brightest young stars. Guenther will also see power play time, something that Rossi won’t have the luxury of with Larkin and Malkin in front of him. 

4. Logan O'Connor-Casey Cizikas-Andrew Copp

Cizikas is the newest addition to the roster, and he’ll center the checking line and lead the penalty kill. O’Connor is coming off a career best offensive season but an injury-riddled one as well, and Ridley Greig is on hand to fill-in as needed, Copp was last year’s 3rd line Center and will play up the lineup as needed if injuries strike the top 3 lines. 

Reserves

The aforementioned Greig is the 13th forward and could play a good amount depending on injuries and performance. Jasperi Kotkaniemi is the wild-card, restricted to just C duty and unlikely to get above the 4th line when he does play. Andreas Athanasiou put up good number for the Millers last season, but injuries and new additions put him at the bottom of the forward depth chart. 

Defensemen

1. Shea Theodore-Sean Walker

Theodore has battled injuries but when in the lineup is a nearly ppg player and PP quarterback. Walker is a strong 2-way defender who’ll get first crack at pairing with Theodore. 

2. Jake McCabe- K’Andre Miller

Dubbed “The Altman Pairing” for those who know their 70’s movies, this is the Millers shutdown line. Both have the offensive skill to put up some respectable counting stats as well. 

3. Mario Ferraro-Shane Gostisbehere

An old-fashioned offense-defense duo, “Ghost” should put up good numbers and the hope is Ferraro can cover for Ghost’s occasional defensive lapses. 

Reserves

Jake Walman has a booming shot and is solid defensively, and Scott Mayfield is an old-school shutdown type. Either could start for a lot of teams. With only Theodore an injury concern ice-time will be hard to come by. If the forwards get hit by a lot of injuries don’t be surprised to see a 7 man D unit.  Zachary Jones is a deep depth option, whose shot will likely come next season. Jayden Struble is destined for the minors. 

Goalies

1. Stuart Skinner

Skinner is the uncontested starter, and the team can live with his occasional slumps with a solid backup in Dostal. Assuming good health and relative consistency, expect Skinner to be in net a minimum of 60 games this upcoming season. 

2. Lukas Dostal

Dostal is a riser among young goalies and should ably back-up Skinner this season and perhaps position himself for a larger role in a season or 2. 

Reserves

Jake Allen is a veteran warhorse who backed up Skinner down the stretch last year, but finds himself in a battle to be the 3rd net minder with new addition Vitek Vanecek. Neither are a threat to unseat Dostal as the backup, and only injuries would see them getting game time. 

The Jacks are Back!

 It has been an eventful off season with long term GMs moving on and new GMs arriving. These changes have created opportunities and The Crackerjacks have been working hard to take advantage as much as possible. With a complete reconstruction of the backend of the team we now have what we believe to be a very solid and highly competitive top four defence and goaltending depth. On the front we have seen a massive overhaul with almost a complete restructuring bringing in almost 90% new players. Although there is still work to be done, there is a competitive setup at this time that should be able to keep us in the game on any given night. There had been a focus on slotting players in the right spots to not over exert, and overuse them. It’s easy to lean too heavily on your top players and not have the depth required for a long season and playoff run. The Jacks have payed special attention to this in trying to have a strong player personnel overall but also in identifying specialists that fill specific roles well. Aligning our player acquisition efforts with our coaching style has also been a factor albeit less of one than just getting the best talent that fits our group. Cheers to an exciting off season and well wishes to everyone on a fun and exciting 2024/25 season!

Iceland deals two key defensemen

 Hello sports fans. We are back here in Iceland, speaking with GM Saouaf about a few recent deals he made. In both deals, GM Saouaf dealt away what would seem to be key defensemen on the Icecats. First, Iceland traded away young up and coming defenseman, Bowen Byram, to Amos, along with Zach Bolduc and Raphael Lavoie for prospects EJ Emery, Brennan Othmann and Halifax's 1st in 2025. When asked about the trade, GM Saouaf stated that he had a surplus of dmen and saw an opportunity to further stock his prospect pool and get a very good pick next year. With young defensemen such as Mason Lohrei and Olen Zellweger seemingly on the cusp of being NHL regulars, Byram could be moved.

Then, in a more shocking trade, GM Saouaf once again hooked up with Amos to deal away all around stalwart, Devon Toews, acquiring Nicolas Hague, prospect Filip Bystedt, and Capeside's 1st in 2026. This one is a head scratcher as it seemed like Toews was a starting dman for the Icecats. GM Saouaf stated that another young dman was ready to step in and take a spot, and that dman is Jake Sanderson. Jake has earned the right to a full-time spot based on his play and ratings. By getting Hague, Iceland keeps the depth needed to contend in the CCHL, while continuing to build up their prospect and draft pick pools. Iceland especially liked Bystedt's size and athletic ability. He had a wonderful start to his AHL career, notching 7 points in 8 games. Bystedt projects to be a middle six player, but with his size, could slot on the wing to create havoc for Mack Celebrini or Will Smith.

It's clear that GM Saouaf is up to shaking up his roster when needed. Stay tuned to see what else is brewing in Iceland!

Millers Musings August 2024

After a quiet summer, Georgetown woke up and made 3 trades in the past couple of weeks. 

(07/18/24) CHP trades Z. Jones to GEO for GEO 9th-25

Zachary Jones is a 23 year-old Defenseman coming off his first full NHL season where he served as the Rangers #7 blue liner. Expected to be a regular in the 24-25 season, Jones was an offensive Dman in college and showed some scoring ability in the AHL; he’s scored at a decent rate in limited NHL time. Best case scenario is that plays 15-17 minutes a night, including time on the 2nd PP unit, and puts up a 30 to 40 point season. Something like that could give him a 3rd line role for the Millers in the 2025 season. Jones is unlikely to see the ice this season, probably 10th on the depth chart currently. If he doesn’t have his breakthrough, the cost was just a 9th rounder, so it’s a worthwhile gamble. 

(07/31/2024) CAP trades E. Malkin, S. Mayfield & $2m to GEO for JT Compher, B. Skjei, Ryan Ufko-p & GEO 3rd-25…

The Millers have not had a slam-dunk Hall of Famer on their roster in quite some time. Evgeni Malkin is still an excellent player and will provide the Millers with a solid 2nd line Center who can easily step into the top line role when/if Larkin gets hurt. He’s a huge upgrade over Compher and allows the Millers to not rely on rookie C Marco Rossi as much for offense. Scott Mayfield is a solid defensive D coming off an injury-filled NHL season and saw a big drop in his scoring, although his defense remains elite. Mayfield will battle Walman for the 7th D slot and should receive some decent playing time even if he isn’t a regular. 

(08/01/2024) CHP trades S. Walker to GEO for D. Fabbro & Anton Wahlberg-p…

Losing Skjei in the Malkin trade left the Millers short on puck-handling, 2 way Defenders. Sean Walker, while not the point producer that Skjei is, brings a well-rounded game on both sides of the puck and may slot next to Theodore to form a fast-skating, puck-moving unit with Walker also providing the defensive conscience. Walker’s skillset should enable him to find a good fit with just about any partner on the Millers, and he could play up or down the lineup as needed. He’ll also get some time on the #2 units for both special teams. 

The possibility exists that the Millers are not done dealing, as they have 8 starting caliber Dmen and could use one more solid, 2-way top 9 winger. They are also carrying 4 Goalies and would like to move Jake Allen to a club looking for a depth upgrade in net. 

State of the Loons; 2025 preview

 Last year was the first time in Capeside history that the Loons made it past the first round of the playoffs. However, Donut domination in round two showed us that we are still a long way from being championship contenders. Being towards the bottom of the CCHL financially along with a barren prospect pool, adding to the roster was not in the cards. Instead we decided to take a step back in order to hopefully move forward in a few years. Our goal was to bring in prospects that would be ready to help the Loons once Zegras, Beniers and Oettinger rebound from a down 2024.

Out the door went Makar, Coyle, Malkin, Teravainen, Orlov, Lindholm, Terry and Suzuki. Czepiel brought in Tyler Seguin, Frank Vatrano, Brady Skjei and JT Compher to stabilize the roster while a improved prospect pool of Faber, Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, Zeev Buium, Jimmy Snuggerud, Cam York, Cole Eiserman, Teddy Stiga and Ryan Ufko develop.

Our goal is to remain a playoff team this upcoming season, and with our current roster we think that is achievable. The CCHL went through contraction and realignment leaving the Loons in a division with former allies Halifax and Amos, previous rivals Seattle and Calgary and newcomer Baltimore. Navigating through this difficult division will be tough as Calgary and Seattle have strong rosters, Amos and Baltimore are retooling while Halifax is finishing up their rebuild. 

With only a few players to go til we have a complete USA roster - this year will be fun with a bunch of players we like even if a championship is not a possibility

Capeside's projected lineup for 24/25

Kreider    Eichel    Boldy   (all masshole line)

Vatrano   Seguin   Schmaltz

Caufield  Beniers  Compher.

Beecher  Dowd      Smith

Hanifin        McAvoy

Skjei            Faber

Werenski     York

Daccord

Oettinger

State of the Loons; Makar era ends

 Cale Makar is undoubtedly one of the five best players in the NHL and easily the best all around defenseman. So why then was Makar traded to the Norsemen last month? Some other GMs have openly suggested that Capeside is a organization with no direction, but even a madman has his reasons.

At only 25 years old Makar is a superstar in the NHL, but in the CCHL he is an above average defenseman. At the time of the trade Makar was not even the highest rated dman on the Loons, Noah Hanifin owned that distinction with a 79. That is hardly a reason to trade someone when Makar would easily surpass Hanifin within a year or two in the CCHL. Even though Makar does not get the respect he deserves by Simon, Capeside traded Makar for two reasons: his salary and his nationality. 

The trend within hockey is skyrocketing salaries amongst defensemen. If you are even a slightly above average dman you are being offered north of $9m per, ie Darnell Nurse. Makar at $9m is a bargain, however the Loons would have been paying Makar $9m, Werenski $9.5m and McAvoy $9.5m starting next season. Financially speaking the Loons are improving but are still in the bottom third of the CCHL. Capeside is only staying afloat by having a number of rising stars on their rookie deals. The Loons made the tough decision that one of these three have to go. Werenski - there would be no market after coming off of two injury plagued NHL seasons. If a team wanted to take on Werenski for his potential, his salary would be used against him and the return would be laughable. McAvoy - definitely would be a market but is also incredibly undervalued by Simon and the lowball offers would not be worth moving a player that is loved by our organization. So that leaves Makar. We know our reputation amongst other owners and that we likely would not get what Makar is worth but at worst he would bring back valuable assets. Our top priority in a deal would be a young, affordable defenseman with a lot of upside.

It is no secret that the Loons prioritize American born players and have a long term goal of an all American organization. For the record we are not some radical, pro American nationalist. In a few years I hope to be living elsewhere but it is more appealing to me to have players that I have watched grow up and develop. So that narrows down our search to a young, American defenseman with a lot of upside. A few CCHL teams had that but only the Norsemen had other pieces we wanted to go along with Faber. We reached out to Halifax and negotiated over a couple of days, when negotiations stalled Denver made an amazing offer but was draft pick based and their picks were going to suffer because Makar would make them even better then they already are. 

The final deal was Makar and Hagen Burrows for Brock Faber, Cole Eiserman, EJ Emery and a possible top 10 pick. 

Faber likely will never be the player that Makar is but we think it will be close. Eiserman could be Wahlstrom 2.0 but maybe his game evolves and he becomes an offensive force. Emery and a potential top ten pick are great assets that could turn into a player like say Cam York or Jimmy Snuggerud?

You may not agree with our reasons but deals like this is why I love the CCHL and have fun being a part of it, so maybe I am a madman  lol

State of the Loons; 2024 Draft recap

 Not since the dark days of covid has the CCHL draft preceded the NHL, but due to scheduling conflicts here we are again. Back in 2020 the Loons were able to hit some homeruns on the "Wisborg rating scale." The Donuts wrote a blog seeing how close their drafting was to the NHL's, this is known as the Wisborg scale.

In 2020 the Loons had 31 draft picks compared to only 9 in 2024. After a couple draft day trades another 2 players were added that we will throw in. So lets take a look at this year's draft class.

1.3  Tij Iginla : CCHL (3)/ NHL (6)  gives us a Wisborg rating of +3  Tij's dad Jerome was one of my favorite players as a kid and Tij was someone we were pining over to have on the Loons. However, Ryan Leonard was someone we like even more and a trade was worked out with the Crawdads. We wish Tij well and maybe our paths might cross again one day.  (+3)

1.7  Cole Eiserman : CCHL (7)/ NHL: (20) -  +13 This was not a Loon's draft pick but everyone knew that he was coveted by us. A masshole that scores at a record pace. Cole began the year challenging for the top spot in the draft but scouts started raising concerns about Cole's all around game. We are counting that when you can shoot the way he can - that is all the program asked of Cole. He will head off to BU in the fall and we have faith that Eiserman will take his game to a new level. If not he will follow the Wahlstrom footsteps. Not our pick so not taking the hit on the Wisborg Scale.

1.10  Zeev Buium : CCHL (10)/ NHL (13) - WR +3  The Loons had pick 11 and of course Zeev went the pick before. Zeev caught our eye during the juniors tournament. He was dominant at both ends of the ice, and then during the frozen four he led Denver to a national championship as a freshman. Zeev's skating has been compared to Makar and has a high hockey IQ. Scouts have called him the most well rounded defensemen in the draft.  (+6)

1.11  Sam DIckinson : 11/11 - 0  After talking to the Nugget's GM, we were informed that Sam was their second choice and if we were to take Sam a deal could likely be made for Zeev. It all worked out in the end, Val D'or got a top pairing dman. (+6)

2.5  Teddy Stiga; 29/55  +26  No one in this draft had just astronomical development as Stiga. Prior to this year he was considered lucky to go in the 7th round, but all Teddy did was show is determined to be a star. Every scout we spoke with raved about his non stop motor, his high hockey IQ and has the ability to drive his line from the wing. The doubts about Teddy are due to his size at 5'10'' and 175. We are counting on this Masshole's compete level to overcome those missing couple of inches. (+32)

3.2  EJ Emery: 50/30  -20  We can't take credit for this pick since we brought EJ over in the Eiserman trade. EJ projects as a shutdown defender that is an excellent skater. Likely someone that will be paired with an offensive dman and plays big PK minutes.

4.11  Torry Pitner:  83/185  +102   We had a scout really sell us on Torry but NHL scouts obviously did not feel the same. Torry will head to Denver U to try and prove people wrong.  (+134)

5.5  Blake Montgomery: 101/117  +16  Blake went undrafted his first year eligible but saw his game take off as an over-ager. Blake is known for his skating combined with his 6'4'' frame makes him an intriguing prospect. Headed to Wisconsin next year. (+150)

6.5  Max Plante: 125/47  -78  Our biggest hit according to the Wisborg scale. Max is a second generation NHLer known for his playmaking abilities. He will head to Minnesota Deluth in the fall and if all goes right then Detroit in a few years down the road. (+72)

7.15  James Reeder  159/198  +39  Inconsistency is what we heard over and over from out scouts on Reeder. Some nights he looked like first round talent and other games he looked like he could be playing beer league on Friday nights with me. The talent outweighs the risk, especially at pick 159. Reeder will join Pitner and maybe Buium at Denver U were he can show he is a steal. (+111)

10.20   Thatcher Bernstein 236/ NA  We did not have any hope of Thatcher being drafted this year. Our best hope is that this Masshole heads to Harvard in the fall and one day cracks the NHL as a free agent signing. Worse case we get to watch him in the Beanpot for the next 4 years .

Four years ago we came out of that covid draft with an overall Wisborg rating of an amazing -765 while this year a +111. The elimination of international scouts really affected our score.

Loon top 10 prospects 

1.  Will Smith             C          Sharks

2.  Ryan Leonard     RW       Capitals

3.  Zeev Buium          D          Wild

4.  Cole Eiserman    LW      Islanders

5.  Drew Commesso  G      Blackhawks

6.  Alex Jefferies       LW      Islanders

7.  Brandon Bussi      G          Bruins

8. Teddy Stiga           LW     Predators

9.  EJ Emery               D       Rangers

10. Sean Farrell         C       Canadiens

Iceland drafts "blindly" for CCHL 2024 draft

 Well sports fans, the CCHL entry draft is done and what a wild ride it was. With the CCHL draft being held a few weeks before the NHL draft, teams did not have the luxury of seeing who was drafted in the NHL. This certainly creates a lot of uncertainty but also some excitement. Once the NHL draft is held, we could see some of the players drafted early in our CCHL draft end up being later round picks in the NHL, or vice versa, we could see some late round CCHL picks turn out to be early NHL draft gems! Of course, there is also the possibility that a player drafted in the CCHL will not be drafted in the NHL, which is a bummer, but we have seen this before.

With that background, Iceland set out to create their own draft list, scouring many draft sites and doing their own homework to come up with our draft list. As the draft unfolded, the expected early round picks went off the board, like Macklin Celebrini, Ivan Demidov, Tij Iginla, etc. As Iceland stepped up to the podium with the 12th pick, a pick they acquired in the dispersal draft, the best player available was dynamic offensive dman, Zayne Parekh. While Iceland did not have a strong need at D, Parekh was too good to pass up.

With subsequent picks, Iceland acquired some additional high-end dmen in Leo Sahlin Wallenius (from the land of the Wisborg Donuts) and Aron Kiviharju. Kiviharju was a bigger "swing for the fences" type of pick but if he continues to develop, could be a dynamic offensive dman in the NHL.

Iceland also acquired some talent and size up front, with Nikita Artamonov, Maxim Masse, Christian Humphreys, Jack Berglund and Topias Hynninen. Artamonov is particularly exciting with his skill. Humphreys came from the US National Development team and could be another "swing for the fences" type of pick. He is talended but a bit on the smaller side. Given the trend in the NHL to have exciting, smaller players, his size should not be a limiting factor.

Iceland also added to their goalie depth, drafting Eemil Vinni, the #1 ranked international goalie, from Finland, and Victor Ostman, also from the land of the Donuts.

The two most celebrated picks of the day were Ryder Korczak, who is a Rangers prospect, and Daniil Ustinkov, who is a nominee for the best name in the draft. He's no Ivan Ivan, but still pretty darn good!

With the depth of draft picks, Iceland also made a few trades, trading Justin Poirier to Amos for Simon Zether and Harrison Brunicke. Then, Iceland made a trade with Fort Erie, sending their last 3 picks for Fort Erie's 4th round pick in 2026.

All in all, Iceland drafted/acquired 5 dmen, 7 forwards and 2 goalies. That is a successful draft that should help keep the prospect pipeline in Iceland filled with shiny, new prospects!

Millers 2024 Entry Draft Review

 The Millers replenished their prospect pool not in quantity, but by what they hope is quality after making 4 picks in the draft. Georgetown dealt a total of 6 picks to Fort Erie in 2 separate deals, with 2 going to move up to draft Chernyshov and 4 late picks dealt for a 2026 5th rounder. 

4th Overall - Berkly Catton, C. 

Long on the Millers radar, the Spokane pivot should provide the club with a long-sought dynamic offensive force. On skill alone Catton is probably the 3rd best Forward in this draft but his 5’10 height has him pegged in most mocks as falling outside the top 10. Georgetown decided to roll the dice regardless, hoping the speedy, shifty and intelligent scorer can translate his skill to at least a 2nd line C role or possibly as a top line Winger. Catton’s speed is also an asset on the penalty kill. Catton is likely 2 to 3 seasons away from featuring in the Millers lineup. 

27th Overall - Igor Chernysov, W

The Millers traded picks 40 and 64 to Fort Erie to move up and acquire the Russian winger, having had him at 16 on their internal draft board. Chernysov is a solidly built 6’2 winger with above average skating ability and a direct north-south style. He saw some time in the KHL in a bottom line role and put up 3 goals while scoring over a point per game in the MHL. Chernyshov should see a bigger KHL role as a teen-ager in the upcoming season and his pro frame and playing style should help him make a quick transition to the North American game in 2 to 3 seasons. 

72nd Overall- Carson Wetsch, W

With their next pick the Milers went back to the Western Hockey League and chose Calgary winger Carson Wetsch. The British Columbia native is already carrying 200 lbs on a 6’1 frame and profiles as middle 6 power-forward as a pro. Wetsch is likely to be a complimentary piece on a scoring line, doing the dirty work on the forecheck and in the corners and getting to the net to put in pucks. His skates very well for his size and has a plus wrister. At worst he’s a solid bottom 6 wing but hopes are he can support the 2nd and 3rd lines in his prime. 

107th Overall - Maxim Tsyplakov, W

With their last pick the Millers decided to pick what they hope is immediate help in the 25 year-old Russian winger who is moving to the NHL after signing as a free agent. Tsyplakov exploded for 31 goals in his last KHL season, three times his previous career high. At 6’2 and 190 lbs his physical play is just as impressive as his shooting prowess. Assuming a smooth transition to the NHL, he should be a solid bottom 6 winger for a few years. 

Millers Musings - Memorial Day edition

 One more trade and a look at the roster’s top 23 and under players. 

Goodrow goes to Fort Erie

After dangling him all off-season the Millers finally moved out veteran F Barclay Goodrow, sending him and $1.8 million in cash (half his salary) to Fort Erie for 2 prospects: D Gavin White and G Maxim Mayorov. 

 White just completed his first AHL season, and the former OHL Defender held his own, scoring 11 points in 49 games. Known as an offensive-minded blue liner in his OHL days, the hope is he can increase his scoring in his 2nd AHL season and possibly show enough to become a 3rd pair or depth option for the Stars in the next couple of years. 

 Mayorov is a 6’6  20 year-old goalie in Russia who has spent his last couple of years putting up monster numbers in the MHL, the Russian equivalent of the CHL. He’ll either spend the 24-25 season in the MHL for the last time or move up to the VHL. He’s a good 2 seasons away from possibly having a KHL role, so he’s a wildcard but the size, bloodlines (his father was a long-time KHL goalie) and performance make him an interesting lottery ticket. 

23 and Under Players

With the CCHL draft a little over 3 weeks away, it’s a good time to look at the youth pipeline in Georgetown and see where the strengths and weaknesses lie and how that might effect the Millers picks in the draft. Many analysts use a players age 23 season as a dividing line between potential and plateauing. Below are the U23 players eligible to play for the team this season, based on their disk age. 

Dylan Guenther (20), LW/RW. Guenther is seen as a future top 6 mainstay on the wings, and is projected to have a top 9 role and lots of PP ice time this coming season. He should be a 30 to 40 goal scoring winger with an all-around game in his prime. 

David Jiricek (20), D. Jiricek is projected by the Millers to be a top 4 D-Man and PP threat at minimum. His defensive zone reads need work, and he’s probably no higher than 10th on the blue line depth chart entering the season, but it’s hoped he can work his way to at least semi-regular duty by the 25-26 season. 

Matt Rempe (21), C. Throughout franchise history the Millers have rarely ever utilized a traditional fighter. Chris Neil played one year towards the end of his career but didn’t see much ice time. Rempe could change that, although he is more likely to be used as a depth option then an everyday player., drawing in when up against more physical teams. 

Mikael Pyythia (21), C. The Finn had a decent 1st AHL season and saw action for 17 games for a depleted Columbus roster. He’s likely a depth forward in the NHL since he lacks any one outstanding skill. He’s highly unlikely to see any time in the Millers lineup this season and would be a depth option even if he cements a bottom 6 NHL role. 

Ridley Greig (21), C. Picked up in the dispersal draft, the Millers are excited to have him on the club, although he currently profiles as the team’s 13th forward heading into the season. Greig’s got a high motor and enough skill to carve out a long career as a middle 6 forward and special teams contributor.

Jayden Struble (22), D. Struble had a good NHL debut, playing bottom 4 minutes in Montreal a year after coming out of college. He’s above Jiricek on the current depth chart but long-term is a bottom pair defenseman for the Millers.

Marco Rossi (22), C. The crown jewel of the Millers offseason acquisitions, Rossi is a future 2nd line C , and potentially a top line C with further development. Although not reflected in his ratings Rossi is considered to have strong defensive chops as well as offensive ability and should grow into a well-rounded top 6 player for the Millers within a couple of years. He’ll start 24-25 as the 3rd line Center. 

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (23), C. A former first round pick of the Millers. Kotkaniemi returns to the club with a lot less hype than he had on his draft day. Coming off a terrible NHL season, he’s at best the club’s 14th forward on the depth chart. Management is hoping for a comeback season that will at least put him into a bottom 6 role for the 25-26 season. 

Lukas Dostal (23), G. Slated to backup Skinner in net, there is hope that as Dostal gains more experience and his NHL club matures around him he could become the starter in a couple of years. The team’s best G prospect is Michael Hrabel and he’s a good 5 years from an NHL job, so Dostal is the present and near future in-system challenger to Skinner. 

Millers 23-24 Offseason Review

 Since bowing out in the first round of the playoffs, the Millers have made several roster moves

in the past few months. Looking to get younger, but still remain competitive, the team has seen

a combination of youth and experience join the club so far this offseason.

Players Out:

Claude Giroux (trade), Frank Nazar (trade), Jake Bean (trade), Reilly Smith (trade), Scott

Laughton (trade), Nathan Bastian (RFA Release), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (UFA), Brett Kulak (UFA)

Players In:

Marco Rossi (trade), Jayden Struble (trade), Vitek Vanecek (trade), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (trade),

Christian Fischer (trade), Trevor Moore (Dispersal Draft), Ridley Greig (Dispersal Draft), Brian

McCabe (Dispersal Draft)

Georgetown did not sign any UFAs.

Below is a breakdown and the reasoning behind each acquisition:

Claude Giroux and prospect Frank Nazar to Amos for Marco Rossi, Jayden Struble and

prospect Quinn Finley.

The Millers had targeted a young, future top 6 Center as their main goal of the offseason and

acquired the 22 year-old Rossi from Amos when trading resumed. Giroux was well loved and

respected in Georgetown but the emergence of Dylan Guenther meant a top 6 spot on the

wing had to open, and with Giroux getting up there in years it made sense to move him for

Rossi. Georgetown was also high on Nazar, but his NHL future seemingly lies on the wing and

the club felt Rossi offered more current and latter-day value. The trade also brought in 22 year

old Struble, who looks like a solid 3rd pair, D and collegian Quinn Finley, who’s played for the

US at the U20 WJC and projects as a possible speedy middle 6 winger at the pro level. Long-

term Rossi may not put up the points that Nazar does, but Rossi is considered to be a solid

defensive Center for a young player and a possible Selke nominee down the line who can

contribute 60-70 points a season. In other words, an extremely solid 2nd line Center. He’s

slated to start on the 3rd line this upcoming season.

Jake Bean to Baltimore for prospect Alexander Pashin

Bean ably served as a depth Dman the past couple of seasons, but the acquisition of Brian

McCabe in the dispersal draft moved him down to 9th on the depth chart. Rookies Struble and

David Jiricek, although minors-bound, are also available if needed so Bean was a $2,000,000

luxury. Once lauded as an offensive Dman, his point totals have disappointed but his defensive

play has been solid. Bean could find regular ice time in Maryland, so the Millers were happy to

move him in exchange for former Carolina prospect Pashin. Pashin’s entry-level contract was

voided last year as he left the AHL to play in Russia, where the dimunitive winger put up decent

numbers in his first full KHL year. He’s a lottery ticket, but if Pashin continues to improve and

produce in the KHL, a return to North America isn’t out of the question.

GEO 10-24 and Reilly Smith to Chippewa for Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Vitek Vanecek.

This deal serves 2 purposes: 1) Moving out Reilly Smith as the expensive vet was looking at a

4th line or reserve role, and 2) Taking flyers on Kotkaniemi and Vanecek to improve for the next

disk after poor 23-24 NHL seasons. The Kotkaniemi return is particularly risky, as he’s making

$4.6 million over the next 3 years, and will very clearly be the 5th or 6th Center on the depth

chart and could conceivably see no ice time in the 24-25 Miller’s season. If he can return to his

form of the 22-23 NHL season he’ll make a decent bottom 6 Center still with some potential to

meet his top 6 ceiling. Vanecek is no improvement over Jake Allen as the #3 Goalie, but a

comeback in the 24-25 NHL season more in line with his 22-23 showing could see the pending

RFA resigned as a fairly cheap 3rd Goalie, or possibly dealt if he shows enough to be a good

#2 option again.

Scott Laughton to Fergus for Christian Fischer and prospects Ryan Ufko and Vincenz

Rohrer

Laughton was acquired at mid-season last year and was a revelation, finding instant chemistry

with Claude Giroux on the top line and scoring a point per game and adding some needed grit

to the lineup. With his ratings going down following a tepid NHL season that included a

substantial cut in his ice-time, Laughton was pencilled in as the LW on the 3rd line with Copp

and Guenther. The acquisition of Rossi and the desire to pair him with a strong defensive

forward who can help with face-offs and with another good offensive player made Laughton

expendable. This move set-ups a potential third line of Rossi centering Copp and Guenther.

Fischer is a 4th line energy player who’s merely depth on the wings. The prospects are not

definite NHL’ers but have desirable skills and traits that could see them fit in at the bottom of a

lineup. Rohrer joins fellow Austrians Rossi and prospect Marco Kaspar in the system. Rohrer is

not as skilled as Rossi nor a 200 foot player like Kaspar, but he is a smart, creative Center

who’s likely to move to the wing due to his size if he makes the NHL. Ufko is a former WJC star

as an offensive defenseman who also had a solid NCAA career at UMass. He turned pro after

his college season ended and held his own in the AHL. On the small side at 5’10 and 180 lbs,

Ufko is likely a 3rd pair D and 2nd PP QB at the NHL level.

Dispersal Draft - Moore, Greig, McCabe

With their first pick in the dispersal draft of Sudbury and New England players, the Millers

chose winger Trevor Moore. Coming off a 30 goal NHL season, the heady winger is slated to

play to the right of Dylan Larkin on the top line. An all-around player with great speed, Moore

will also see time on the PK in addition to PP duties.

The 2nd pick was C/LW Ridley Greig, a 21-year old coming off his first full NHL season. A late

1st round pick in 2020, Greig plays a fast, hard-nosed brand of hockey that belies his size. He

also has very good skill, and should be a middle 6 mainstay for years to come. Given the

Millers current forward depth Greig probably won’t see a lot of game time this coming season

unless injuries strike a few forwards, but in a couple of years he’ll be a regular, likely on the

wing.

(Prospect Josh Filmon was the Millers 3rd pick. He’s an average-sized winger out of the WHL,

lauded for his compete and hockey IQ. A solid scorer, he’s also viewed as a potential middle 6

winger.)

Georgetown’s final pick was D Brian McCabe. The veteran comes off perhaps his best NHL

season, and is likely to pair with Shea Theodore on the top defensive pairing, as well as being

on one of the PK units. A shut-down D who can skate and move the puck, he should thrive

alongside the offensive-minded Theodore.

Iceland navigates the dispersal draft

 The league announced the disbanding of 2 teams. One team was expected, the New England franchise. The other was a complete shock, the Sudbury franchise. Shock is probably an understatement given how well previous GM Terry James had built his team. That meant that there was a ton of talent available for the remaining teams to choose from. At the top of the available list were 2 franchise centers: Auston Matthews and Sebastian Aho. There were also some very talented youngsters in Wyatt Johnston and Seth Jarvis. And if that wasn’t enough, there were top line wingers / centers in JT Miller, Zach Hyman and Brayden Point. It was clear that the Icecats would not be able to draft one of those top talents, so we looked at what was available at our #19 spot. With our lineup pretty set, we went about looking at futures. With our first pick, we took PAR 1st-24, which could yield a high end talent in the upcoming draft. It also makes our own 1st available to trade to improve our team.

With the snake order of the draft, we picked again at 26. While we hoped to draft Gavin Brindley, with him off the boards, we took his potential future teammate, Luca del bel Bulluz. Bulluz had a strong first year in the AHL and scored in his NHL debut. His talent is intriguing.

When the 3rd round pick came up, most of the better talent was gone and so were the better draft picks. As such, we took a chance on another prospect with talent, defenseman Artyom (Artem) Duda. Duda was an early 2nd rounder for the Coyotes. He has plenty of time to develop as the Icecats are in no rush to get another dman into the CCHL. It’s a good gamble.

With our fourth and final pick, we took a chance on another player who had a good first year in the AHL, Viktor Neuchev. Neuchev seems to be trending upwards from the MHL to the KHL and now the AHL. We expect bigger things from Neuchev this coming AHL season.

All in all, it was a good dispersal draft given where we were drafting. While we did not acquire a player to help immediately, we acquired future talent to continue to build our prospect pipeline. Time will tell if the picks were wise or not but for now, Icecats management is pleased. Stay tuned for more, sports fans!

Fort Erie to keep Falcons name!

 In Fort Erie, it's like they barely knew the Riverhawks and the 24s, and there is a reason for that.  The almost name change of the Falcons hockey club will not actually take place thanks to a last minute agreement made to keep the name in place.  

"We went down to the wire but after examining the cost to change the name in terms of brand awareness, we went back to the school and worked out an agreement to keep the Falcons name.  We'll be changing our colours a bit to ensure that there is a distinct difference moving forward, but we've kept the name," said GM Young earlier today.  

In return for keeping the name, the hockey club agreed to change the team colours from a navy, light blue with white trim and will now sport navy, gold and the white trim.  

The Falcons will also adopt a new primary logo on their jerseys for the navy home and white aways, which is pictured below.  

The team will also introduce a gold third jersey that will sport their old logo, with some gold added to it as pictured below.  

"Our new look is a nice and fresh, clean looking logo with the primary focus being a determined Falcon.  We like the simplicity of it and know it will look fantastic on our navy and white jerseys," quipped Young in regards to the new look.  

As much as the team liked the new simple look, they didn't want to move forward without paying homage to their old look.  In creating the third jersey, a gold jersey sporting the old logo, the team feels like they've done that.  

"If you look at us across our time since moving to Fort Erie in the CCHL, we're kind of the gold standard for franchises if you look at our regular season record.  That's why we've gone with the gold in our colour scheme.  While we haven't won a Kehler Cup yet, maybe adopting the gold will allow us to capture that cup we are missing, but in terms fo the regular season, our record for success is hard to beat.  We just need to carry that over to the playoffs," said Young.  

In addition to the new jerseys, the team also acquired a pair of goaltenders this week in Ukka Pekka-Luukkonen and Laurent Brossoit.  

"We've got three guys right now that I feel are number one goalies in the league, and Brossoit who could be rated strongly as well, perhaps the best backup in the CCHL.  Any time you have an opportunity to add depth in goal, you do it.  While Ilya (Sorokin) is far from old, we feel we've acquired our true goalie of the future in UPL and are happy to have him return to the team that originally drafted him."  

The handsome GM continued by saying the team could look at moving Varlamov once the new disk comes out, commenting that he will have outstanding ratings and he expects a few teams should be very interested in the veteran goaltender.  

There is never a dull moment in Fort Erie and with free agency quickly approaching, it will come as no surprise should the team find itself aggressive there as well.  

"There are some players we are interested in should they hit free agency.  Nicky (newly acquired Nick Foligno) will be our UFA resign.  We love his leadership, defensive play, physicality and he can score too.  I wouldn't even be shocked if he's wearing a letter for us next year," concluded Young.  

It'll be an exciting month in Fort Erie so stay tuned to see what happens as the franchise continues to try to capture that elusive Kehler Cup.  

Springfield Isotopes: A Season of Triumph, Transition, and Tenacity

 The 2023-24 season will forever be etched in the lore of the Springfield Isotopes as a testament to the team's resilience, skill, and unwavering spirit. The Topes embarked on a remarkable journey that saw them reach their first-ever conference final, captivating audiences with their determination and skill.

Leading the charge was Jeremy Swayman, whose exceptional goaltending talents were on full display throughout the season. Swayman's heroics between the pipes often kept the Isotopes in games, earning him the admiration of fans and opponents alike. His stellar play was a driving force behind the team's historic playoff run and a testament to his status as a cornerstone of the franchise.

On the offensive front, Roope Hintz was a standout performer, showcasing his scoring prowess with an impressive 27 points in just 20 games. Hintz's ability to find the back of the net and create scoring opportunities was instrumental in the Isotopes' success, making him a key player to watch in future seasons.

Jeff Skinner and Seider also made significant contributions to the team's success, with Skinner tallying 23 points and Seider adding 22 points to their impressive totals. Their offensive firepower added depth to the Isotopes' lineup and kept opposing teams on their toes throughout the season.

Looking ahead, the Isotopes face a period of transition, as multiple stars such as Courture, Carlson, and Malkin will not be returning next year. These departures signal significant changes for the team, as they look to rebuild and redefine their roster for future success.

As the Isotopes reflect on their season of triumph, transition, and tenacity, they can take pride in their achievements and look forward to a bright future ahead. With a solid foundation of talent and a relentless drive to succeed, the Springfield Isotopes are poised to continue their ascent and bring glory to their storied franchise.

Fort Erie has a new coach

After a difficult loss to Wisborg in the Corfield Conference finals, Fort Erie will have a different look behind the bench next season.  

Following the loss, Fort Erie GM Young and Joel Quenneville met to discuss the coach's future and it was decided that the team would move forward without the veteran coach.  

"After consulting with Joel, he seemed to be worn out by the grind of the CCHL season and the pressure that follows a job like this.  He wants to spend more time at home given his age, so we just felt it was time to part ways.  We can't thank Joel enough for the contribution he's made to the organization and the success we've had together," said GM Young.  

It didn't take long for a successor to be announced, as Young quickly noted that Quenneville would be succeeded by Kris Knoblauch behind the bench.  

"Kris just wins everywhere he goes.  He did great things in Erie in the OHL with four 50 win seasons in a row - that's almost impossible in junior hockey.  He's been a good head coach in the AHL and we feel he's the voice we need behind our bench for the upcoming season," said Young.  

Dylan Strome, who played for Knoblauch in Erie said that he was excited by the move and knows that the new coach will make the most of the opportunity.  

"Coach is a great communicator and he'll get the best out of this team.  We have a skilled group here and I think he'll get us the next level - one that he got us to in Erie.  He will achieve buy-in and I'm excited to play for him again," said the center.  

The team is said to be announcing trades in the upcoming days as well so it should be an exciting time in the early part of the off-season in Fort Erie.  

Stay tuned - it'll be a busy week for the regular season record setters!  

Falcons flying from the nests of Fort Erie?

With a conference finals loss this year, it was inevitable changes would be made for the Fort Erie Falcons.  

As with every playoff disappointment, teams around the CCHL make moves to change their fortunes the following season and this offseason was to be no different in Fort Erie.  

We've heard players like Gavrikov, Zuccarello and maybe even mainstay Debrincat or Marner may not be back as Falcons but what we didn't anticipate is that potentially nobody will return as a member of the Falcons.  

How's that possible you ask?  

Well, rumor started circulating this week that the team would be changing names for the 24-25 season as a result of a dispute with a local elementary school.  

It turns out a local school has also been using the moniker of "Falcons" and has taken action to ensure that they are the only Falcons in town.  

It turns out that may not necessarily be something that has upset the team, as they had already been looking at a name change having realized that the name was not unique to the border city.  

The possible new names range from Border Cats to 24's to the Riverhawks, with a blue and gold themed uniform to follow from the light blue and navy the team has worn for years.  

Let's examine the potential names and their meanings:

The Border Cats name represents the fact that Fort Erie is located right on the US border of NY state and they'd be able to leap across like a cat would with relative ease.  While it's a creative name, I think it likely finishes third in the grand scheme of things.  

The Riverhawks name is a name that carries tradition around the Fort Erie and Niagara region, while still maintaining the "bird" theme the organization has had for years.  It also looks awesome in the new colour scheme so this possibility is great!  

Now for the one that has most people scratching their heads.  The Fort Erie 24's????  It's a lot like the Ottawa 67's of the OHL where the name took place because they were created in 1967.  While that's true, there's also a lot of deeper potential meaning to the 24's name. 

Yes, it would be 2024 that the team would adopt the name so that does follow consistent with the Ottawa 67's rationale.  The 24 name is also one to celebrate the fact there are indeed 24 bottles of beer inside a case of beer - most notably known as the two-four.  

One other fact is that there is history to the 24 number in Fort Erie as well.  It was on the 24th day of the month that the Americans left Fort Erie; ending the War of 1812.  A lot of significance in the number 24 in Fort Erie.  

In any event, nothing has been finalized yet but with name changes due to the league very soon - you can bet we'll be hearing about an announcement in the coming two weeks.  

CCHL Survey Results and Thoughts

 Another offseason is upon us and with that, comes another off-season survey to see that we are resolving the hot-button issues in the league that may need to be changed.  

One thing to be said about it.  For us to look at making a change, I've always been a big believer of the majority (70% or more) would want to be in favour of it; meaning we had the rule wrong for our league members.  Without it, it's hard to make a change when a lot of the league is happy with the status quo, or doesn't see the need to make a change.  

With that said, another survey was issued where 20 out of 23 GMs (New England still vacant) voiced their thoughts on the CCHL questions and issues at hand.  

The first question was about the goaltending usage rule required for the playoffs.  Of the 20 responses, 10 wanted the rule to stay the same.  Seven of you wanted the minimum number of games required for playoff action changed and three wanted the fatigue raised.  Without the majority of people interested in a change, we will leave things as is since half the league does not see the need for change.  

The next question was about a return to the minor leagues where 19 people took part in the vote.  11 of those votes said to not bring back the minor league, so we'll be avoiding doing that once again.  I'm always curious as to the hate for the minor league system since there isn't a requirement to manage the lineups for it, but it seems to be something people generally hate the idea of so we'll be shelving that idea again.  

Our third question of the survey was to ask for feedback on the website for submitting lines with almost everyone saying it made it easier, and those using drop box still said that it did not make a difference.  Fair point but I am glad the majority are liking the use of the website as it shows the investment of time to make that happen has been well worth it for the league.  

Question four dealt with the waiver draft with ten of you saying keep it the way it is.  Eight people said to scrap it while two said to allow the players to get signed as free agents.  As I said at the outset of this blog, the reality is we won't look at making a change if most of you don't want it, so there won't be a change concerning the annual waiver draft.  

Next up was the CCHL draft website.  The purpose for this question was to see if it added value with 14 people saying they really liked it and six saying that they are easy either way.  We'll be keeping the CCHL draft website and it's again nice to see the feedback that it's worthwhile for us as a league.  

Question six was regarding the draft black book.  For those who voted yes, please send me an email so I can compile a list and figure out the cost when the time is appropriate.  

Question seven was asked to see if there was any interest in some CCHL-like action in the summer time to which the majority said there wasn't any interest at all (12 votes).  Two people wanted a full-on World Cup while six liked the idea of the U23 World Cup.  I asked this question because in talking to quite a few people they said they missed the league in the summer so I thought it would be a good opportunity to fill that gap with something unique but there doesn't appear to be the interest so I'll forego the idea.  

Question eight was the one I was personally more curious about - would GMs like to have the divisions and conferences realigned again.  The purpose for this question was simple.  If I have to re-do the schedule this summer anyway, there would not be a better time to realign if that is what people wanted.  

11 of those who voted said they wanted it to be kept the same, so no further changes would be necessary.  This would have never been a question had the schedule not had to be re-done but since it has to be, I figured it was worthwhile to ask in order to see how people liked the current alignment.  

That's it - another year-end survey is in the books.  Lots of big things happening as our offseason gets underway this week.  Use the time to build your team up.  I'm hoping to see a little more parity next year in the league and the offseason should be really interesting.  

Enjoy the offseason and the summer as our season will be here again before we know it.  

-The Commish

Amos GM’s statement following the 23-24 season.

 Amos GM’s statement following the 23-24 season.

It has been a roller coaster season again. Lots of trades, lots of tough decisions but overall, we

are satisfied with the season we had. We made a real hard push at the end of the season to

secure our playoffs spot. Samsonov been absolutely incredible between the pipes. Our group

made a solid effort collectively to achieve the level of competitivity we had. Coach St-Louis have

done a solid job too to regroup the players around one goal: The playoffs.

The off-season might be again loaded of tough decisions. With the number of defensemen we

have under contracts, we will have to make some adjustments. Some names like Hague,

Schmidt, Karlsson, Kovacevic have been meet up to let them know they will be on the block.

In front, Josh Anderson and Jakub Vrana both RFA won’t be re-sign by the team. We have made

a couple of first approach to extend Boeser, Bunting, Joseph and Werenski who could be

important pieces in our future. Next season camp will be interesting. Rookies like Rossi,

Neighbours, Barron, Struble, Kochetkov and even maybe Roy might make the main roster. While

Snuggerud, Guschchin, Dobes, Bourgault & Farrell will be the leaders in our Farm team.

Our main seeking in the off-season will be to find a center. Here’s a sneak peek of what our 24-

25 lineup might look like even though we all know half of them will be traded before the

beginning of the season (LOL):

Forwards

Bunting – Danault – Boeser

Farabee – Newhook – Necas

Neighbours – Pageau – Evangelista

Frederic – Rossi – Atkinson

Extra: F. Gaudreau, Iafallo, Noesen

Defense

Karlsson – Brodin

Werenski – Guhle

Walker – Durzi

Extra: Kovacevic, Hague, Bahl, Barron, Struble

Goalies

Samsonov – Kochetkov -Andersen

Millers Musings - Trade Deadline Edition

 After only making 2 trades the first 2/3 of the season the Millers have been involved in 3 deals in the past week. Below is a write-up of each trade, examining the expected effect on the rest of the this season and a preview of the 24-25 season. 

GEO trades S. Varlamov & J. Martinook to FOR for J. Allen & Y. Gourde…

This season: Varlamov had been an expensive bust as the backup keeper and Martinook fell out of the lineup after the first month. In return the Millers downgraded ratings wise with Allen as the new back-up but gained more flexibility by bringing in Gourde, who can play all 3 positions and contribute on both special teams. With Reilly Smith not clicking on the Larkin line it’s expected Gourde will play RW to relieve some of Larkin’s defensive responsibilities. He’ll also see PK time and could make an appearance on the 2nd PP unit. 

Next season: Gourde’s scoring has dropped off so far this NHL season and it’s likely he’ll be on the 3rd line and on the PK. Allen will battle Lukas Dostal for the right to backup Stuart Skinner in net. 

CAP trades D. Fabbro to GEO for N. Jensen

This season: Jensen has been a mainstay in the lineup recently, but his PK performance had dropped off and he had fallen back into his early season penalty-drawing rut. With Shea Theodore having returned from injury Jensen was likely the odd man out if the Millers went 12-6, as they liked the performance of Jake Bean on the PP and on the 3rd pairing. Fabbro won’t ever live up to his prospect potential but he’s a solid 4 to 6 D and is unusually mobile for a stay at home Dman. He’ll take over a 3rd pairing and PK role.  

Next season: Fabbro is pencilled in for the 3rd pairing and 2nd PK unit for the 24-25 edition of the Millers. 

FOR trades S. Gostisbehere to GEO for I. Barbashev…

This season: Barbashev started out as the top line LW but struggled before finding a home on the 3rd line. He was not playing on any special teams unit though, only getting about 14 minutes a night at even strength. His lineup spot is likely to be taken by either Michael Rasmussen or Blake Coleman on the 4th line, with Andreas Athanasieau dropping to the 3rd line. Gostisbehere was brought in to help the PP and replace offense if Shea Theodore suffers another injury; he’s considered an upgrade over the aforementioned Bean as Theodore cover. He’ll likely to be on the 3rd pairing and 1st or 2nd PP. 

Next season: Ghost will likely be on the 2nd pairing and 1st PP unit. With Theodore’s injury issues this NHL season his presence will be needed to drive offense from the back-end if Theodore is unavailable. 

Projected Lines for rest of 23-24 season:

Compher-Laughton-Giroux

Larkin-McCann-Gourde

Copp-Athanasieu-Smith

Bjugstad-Goodrow-Coleman

Reserves: Rasmussen, O’Connor, Bastian

Miller-Theodore

Skjei-Ferraro

Ghostisbehere-Fabbro

Reserves: OEL, Bean, Walman, Kulak

Skinner

Allen

Projected 24-25 lines:

Larkin-Coleman-Giroux

Compher-McCann-Smith

Copp-Rasmussen-Gourde

Laughton-Goodrow-O’Connor

Reserves: Athanasieu, Guenther, Bastian

Miller-Theodore

Skjei-Ferraro

Fabbro-Gostisbehere

Reserves: Walman, Bean, Jiracek (M)

Skinner

Dostal/Allen