Mining for Prospect Gold – Sudbury Miners 2017 CCHL Draft Review

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Going into their first CCHL Entry Draft since their re-location from Copenhagen at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, the Sudbury Miners were looking to un-earth some talent and change the direction of the club, despite the Cinderella playoff run the franchise had just experienced.

Through his various moves leading up to the draft, General Manager Terry James was armed with 15 picks in this year’s draft (including 5 picks in the first 22) in order to start the re-shaping of this franchise.  He and his scouting staff went big on skill this draft, grabbing such highly rated prospects as Owen Tippett and Casey Mittelstadt among others in this draft.   Elite talent is now bound for Sudbury.

This was always going to be a historic draft for one of the CCHL’s newest cities, but in getting the prospects they did, Sudbury has established a rock-solid foundation for its pipeline.

“It’s hard to get the kind of talent we did anywhere else than in the draft, “ James said.  “It’s not hanging on trees; it’s not low fruit.  You have to build your team and get your elite players through the entry draft.”

The Miners pipeline received a nice infusion of talent up front and on the back-end, but they know that they still need to improve their goaltending prospect pool.  Taking highly touted Finnish goalie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen early in the second round was a start.

James is quick to caution fans in Sudbury that this is a process, and that players taken from this draft class could take two or more years for any of these prospects to make it to the NHL.  James strongly believes that letting these guys grow and find success at the collegiate, European, and AHL levels often pays big dividends down the road for a patient organization.  He added that the team would not be giving up prospects or picks for short-term gains, instead opting for the long-term approach to development.

Overall, this isn’t a draft that makes the Miners a better team in 2017-18 but it should be a draft that pays dividends down the road, with very strong prospects at forward and in net, and some good “lottery ticket” type picks in the later rounds.  James and his staff have laid the groundwork for the organization’s future success.

Below are the picks that make up the 2017 Sudbury Miners Entry Draft Class:

Owen Tippett - RW 1st Round - 6th Overall

Casey Mittelstadt - C 1st Round - 7th Overall

Jusso Valimaki - D 1st Round - 14th Overall

Elias Petterrsson - C 1st Round - 15th Overall

Martin Necas - RW 1st Round - 19th Overall

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - G 2nd Round - 36th Overall

Henry Jokiharju - D 2nd Round - 43rd Overall

Alex Formenton - LW 3rd Round - 58th Overall

Troy Terry - C 5th Round - 102nd Overall

Morgan Geekie - C 6th Round - 111th Overall

Ian Scott - G 6th Round - 124th Overall

Evan Barratt – C/LW 7th Round - 146th Overall

Cameron Crotty - D 8th Round - 168th Overall

Matt Benning - D 10th Round - 212th Overall

Brandon Hagel - LW 11th Round - 234th Overall

Norsemen 2017 Draft Review...

2017 CCHL DRAFT REVIEW: Minnesota Norsemen

[SAINT PAUL . MN]

The 2017 CCHL Draft has completed, and the Minnesota Norsemen leave Halifax with twenty new prospects to add to an already immense pool.

                “Like every draft, we’re thorough in our analysis and pick with a purpose,” said General Manager Blake Wendt. “We take pride in how we approach this process. Starts probably early fall when you get those initial eligible names. Some you have been aware of for much longer. But as an overall draft group, that’s when we start laying the ground work for what we hope to accomplish in June/July for the next year.”

                This year’s draft almost didn’t even happen for the Norsemen. Having traded away most of their picks for prospects further along in their development. But parlaying some dispensable assets and cash amassed a large horde for Wendt and his Norsemen.

                “We got some really good quality for the picks we moved out,” said Wendt. “Obviously we run the risk of being left out on the front porch when everyone else is inside partying. But again, we got what we wanted out of trading those picks initially and still managed to acquire many more and really got some high quality future assets in the players we drafted.”

                In total, Minnesota used their twenty picks on seven forwards, ten defensemen and three goaltenders. Amongst that group, they were all over the board geographically, physically and even age.

                The Norsemen took twelve North Americans. Eight Americans and four Canadians. Of the eight from the U.S., they kept to their normal script of keeping as much of the homegrown talent in-state, with seven Minnesotans. Europe traditionally has been a place not well mined for Wendt and his staff. But this year a total of eight players were snagged from over the pond. Five Swedes, one Finn, one Latvian and a Swiss.

                “I think that this draft gave us an opportunity to seek out different places where we don’t normally go,” said Wendt. “This year the crop of first year talent depth was probably not near as heavy as years past. While there was also ample, older talent that maybe developed at a slower rate and have been overlooked. We made it our focus to go after those type players.”

                Age-wise, Minnesota’s youngest player taken was goalie, Olle Eriksson Ek (18, 6/22/99). The oldest being defenseman, Philip Holm (25, 12/8/91).

                The disparity in the Norsemen picks wasn’t just limited to birthdays. Goaltender, Gilles Senn (6’5) stands a full eight inches taller than defenseman, Jacob Bryson (5’9). Center, Scott Reedy and defenseman, Andreas Borgman (205 lbs) are a full thirty five pounds heavier than left-winger, Noah Cates (170 lbs).

                “Overall, we don’t care so much about heights, weights and age. As long as you can skate and be an asset to this team. We kept an open mind to bring in guys that fit into the style of hockey we want to play. If you’re 5’9, from Honolulu, and skate like you’re on air, you’ve got our attention. More than a 6’8 road cone from Saskatoon.”

 Minnesota Norsemen picks:

D Filip Westerlund (Frolunda, SHL)

F Stelio Mattheos (Brandon, WHL)

D Andreas Borgman (HV71, SHL)

F Scott Reedy (US Dev Team, USHL; Committed to the Univ of Minnesota)

D Mikey Anderson (Waterloo, USHL; Committed to the Univ of Minn-Duluth)

F Noah Cates (Stillwater [MN] High School; Committed to the Univ of Minn-Duluth)

F Tanner Laczynski (The Ohio State Univ, NCAA)

G Olle Eriksson Ek (Frolunda J20, Swe-Jr)

D Jake Bischoff (Graduated from the Univ of Minnesota, NCAA)

D Josh Healey (early departure from The Ohio State Univ, NCAA)

D Calle Rosen (Vaxjo, SHL)

D Nick Perbix (Elk River [MN] High School; Committed to St Cloud State Univ, NCAA)

G Matiss Kivlenieks (Sioux City, USHL)

D Philip Holm (Vaxjo, SHL)

F Cameron Hughes (Univ of Wisconsin, NCAA)

F Sebastian Repo (Tappara, SM-liiga)

D Jacob Bryson (Providence Univ, NCAA)

G Gilles Senn (HC Davos, SUI)

D Matt Hellickson (Sioux City, USHL; Committed to the Univ of Notre Dame, NCAA)

F Nick Swaney (Waterloo, USHL; Committed to Univ of Minn-Duluth)

#duNord

                

FALCONS NAME ALTERNATE CAPTAINS

Fort Erie - 1/24/17

The Fort Erie Falcons have announced that Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Toffoli, and Paul Stastny will serve as alternate captains for the remainder of the season.  

The team will hold off naming an official captain until the start of next season.  

"We feel that this is a good group to lead the rest of the way through this season.  Given our decision to rebuild, we feel these three will be key members of the Falcons franchise for a number of years to come" said General Manager Matt Young at the press conference.  

In what has been a whirlwind season for Fort Erie, Young has managed to change the face of the franchise within just a few short months.  

Young has been quiet on the proceedings this season and has met with the media today for the first time since dispatching several key veterans in the rebuilding effort.  

"I didn't meet with you people because I knew there would be a lot of questions.  I wasn't done and I didn't want anything to be leaked with respect to the plan.  We are still not done but we are in a better place today to compete for the next decade than we were 3 short months ago" added the upstart Young.  

In what were surprising moves, Young dealt Pietrangelo, Carter, Datsyuk, and Perry for a host of picks and prospects that should be CCHL ready next season.  

In a more bizarre move, Young also dealt Kadri before re-acquiring the shift disturber just 23 days later.  

"It was a little bizarre," said Kadri. "It's a good thing that I hadn't sold my house.  I got to move back in.  It might be the easiest trade I'll ever go through."  

Young thought the move just made sense.  

"Not that I need to justify it to you, but I like Naz.  I think he could turn into one of the best third centers in the league behind Geno and Dylan (Strome)" quipped Young.  

While the team is clearly building for the future, Malkin believes the team can make the playoffs this season.  

"We are only three points out.  JVR is back in another game.  We have a tradition of winning in this organization and have made the playoffs five straight years.  I'm new here but I believe that this group can make the playoffs" said Geno with the "A".  

While the team has three first round picks for this summer's draft, it remains to be seen whether or not they'll all be used by the Falcons.  

"I'll do whatever it takes to compete with Hamilton, Siberia, and Wisborg for the next decade.  I'll examine all opportunities for those picks and decide what we do closer to the draft.  We are definitely looking for a defenceman, that's for sure" concluded Young. 

It should be an interesting conclusion to the season and off-season in Fort Erie as the team continues its aggressive rebuild.  

Youth Movement Progressing Strongly in 3 Cities...

Youth Movement Progressing Strongly in 3 Cities

This CCHL season, we have seen a lot of the same top contenders in the CCHL as last year.  You have the reigning champion Puffin leading the Canosa Conference and leading the league in goal scoring, followed by the steady and reliable Georgetown Millers and Victoria Ronin.  The Corfield Conference is led by perennial contender and current #1 team, the Dayton Musicmen, followed by the #2 team in the league, the young and strong Calgary Chinooks, along with the ever present Niagara Falls Thunder.  But this year, we are seeing a few young teams pushing for playoff spots with their youthful rosters.  Those 3 teams are the Hamilton Tigers, the Siberia Icecats and the Wisborg Donuts.  All 3 teams missed the playoffs last year and all have been building with youth and lots of patience.  The Tigers and Icecats are battling it out for 4th place in the tough Canosa Conference, while the Donuts currently sit in 5th place in the Corfield Conference, but poised to push the Winnipeg Ferrets for 4th.  We spoke with GM Silvio Saouaf of the Icecats earlier today and here is what he had to say.  "You know, it's refreshing to see this team with it's youth step up and make a difference.  The last few years have been extremely hard on Icecats fans, but as promised, they are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  With captain Connor McDavid leading the way, this team has forged an identity of playing tough and putting the puck in the net.  We have struggled defensively, but we are addressing that also.  I expect this team to be better next season."  GM Saouaf is of course referring to his deadline deal to bring in a stalwart on D, Marc Vlasic.  He should be a rock on the Icecats blue line for many years to come.

GM Saouaf also had this to say about his fellow youthful franchises.  "You know, I admire what both GM Taylor and GM Kallum have done with their teams.  They have built their teams through the draft, as we have in Siberia, and have blended in experienced veterans to balance their teams.  I expect that we will be battling each other for years to come as our franchises continue to grow and evolve."  Indeed, these 3 franchises are on their way up the ranks of the CCHL.  With all of this youth, will they be able to maintain their positions down the stretch?  This is where their veteran leadership will help balance the inexperience of their youth.  Only time will tell if these 3 franchises can rise to become powerhouses like Dayton, Calgary, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Georgetown, Niagara Falls and Victoria.  Stay tuned sports fans!

Trio Shine In Chinook’ 5-2 Win Over the Reign September 30th, 2016 (Game 1)

Trio Shine In Chinook’ 5-2 Win Over the Reign

September 30th, 2016 (Game 1)

CALGARY, AB -- The line of the Calgary Chinook scored three goals and combined for six points to defeat the Seattle Reign 5-2 in season home opener action at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.

Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist, Silfverberg had a goal and an assists and 20-year-old hockey sensation Dylan Larkin had his first CCHL assist for the Chinook (1-0-0). Nyquist had a goal and an assist for the Reign (0-1-0).

"We're learning each other," Monahan said. "The good thing is we've started camp together from Day One. We've had lots of good practices. I think the three of us work well together. It's just been a pretty smooth transition so far."

Calgary goaltender John Gibson made 29 saves in the game. 

O’Reilly scored early in the game at 1:44 of the first period, deflected a shot off from Letang. "It's always nice to score goals no matter what it is," O’Reilly said. "It's always a good feeling. You want to have that good feeling going into the start of the season. “

Need to Know:  Neither team score on the power play.  Both teams spent the equal amount of time (9mins 52 seconds) in the offensive zone.  Barkov played only 10 mins despite playing on the first line.  

Three Stars:

1.  Monahan - 2 goals, 1 assist

2.  Letang - 3 assists

3.  Nyquist - 1 shorthanded goal, 1 assist

Millers Prepare for 16-17 Campaign, Final roster released, plus scheduling news

Georgetown, KY - The Georgetown Millers Hockey Club released its opening night roster during a press conference held at the Yuko-En Gardens adjacent to the team offices at Cardome. Among those sent to the AHL affiliate in Huntington, WV are highly-touted forward Teuvo Teravainen, veteran C Jarrett Stoll, and rugged winger Trevor Lewis. Lewis in particular took the news hard, upset at losing his spot as the 13th forward to waiver pick-up John Mitchell and he may request a trade. Defensemen sent down are youngsters Brett Pesce and Alex Marchenko. Darcy Kuemper will act as the goaltender in Huntington. 

The opening night roster is: 

Forwards - Backstrom, Krejci, Fisher, Bonino, Smith, Doan, Schenn, Hoffman, Cogliano, Janmark, Girgensons, Hornqvist, Mitchell 

Defensemen - Josi, Braun, Savard, Ristolainen, Orlov, Lovejoy, Sekera 

Goalies - Fleury, Talbot 

The team Captain is Mike Fisher, with Roman Josi, Shane Doan, Niklas Backstrom and Reilly Smith alternating the Assistant roles. 

The team also announced a change concerning home venues for high profile midwest opponents Dayton and Minnesota. All home games against long-time rival Dayton will be played at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati. The KFC Yum Center in Louisville will play host to the Norsemen when they travel to the Bluegrass State. Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park will remain the location for all other home games.

Hamilton Tigers Update...

AP Hamilton:

A group of reporters, camera-people and various technicians are milling around in the orchestra pit in the Hamilton Place theatre. The theatre is the home of the Hamilton Philharmonic and is adjacent to Copps Coliseum.  It is also home of the "Big Black Curtain"  For those who have never seen the curtain it is over 110' from stage to rod and blacker than the back door of Hades as well as being a of CCHL lore....

GM Taylor walks out from between the curtains to the strains of "Enemy" by Days of the New WWE style.

Taylor in jeans a Tigers t-shirt and a mantled black leather duster walks to the podium.  "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I have some thoughts to share and announcements to make".

There is a stir amongst the TSN, Sportsnet, CBC and American reporting groups.

"I have a few announcements to make.  "Ryan Kessler whom we acquired a few days ago will be our UFA resign and we are inking the all star for 3 seasons"

"I am also proud to announce the appointment of Gerard Gallant as head coach of the Hamilton Tigers" Gerard walks out wearing a sharp black and ivory pinstripe suit and a Tigers tie. "Gerard has demonstrated his ability to win as every level.  I have been endorsing him for 5 years in our inner circles since he was winning the memcup in St John. He relates to the young guys and I think that will be the difference.   I believe him to be the superior coach to coach the superior players I plan to give him"

Taylor looks around

"Speaking of superior players I would like to announce that the Tigers intend to draft Austin Matthews first overall.  We believe he can be the crown jewel of our group.   We would also like to announce the debut of a new 3rd jersey.   We thank CCHL creative and BWE* for the superior design."

Stepping up and tossing his head back he said "I am excited to see the impact our kids can have this season."  Taylor then walks off leaving Gallant to answer questions

* Blake Wendt Enterprises