New NAHL Michigan team gets affiliate

The Frederick (Md.) Freeze of the Continental Hockey Association Junior B loop have become an affiliate of the Southern Minnesota Express of the NAHL.

The Express will be moving to Detroit after this season and will be named the Motor City Machine. The ownership group of the Machine are part of the same ownership group that have just purchased the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.

"This is going to give our players a great advantage in progressing their hockey and educational futures," Freeze coach-GM Derek Comeau said. "Machine coach and GM Matt Romaniski is one of the most respected coaches in junior hockey and has placed numerous players in NCAA programs. The Machine ownership runs a first-class operation. This is a great avenue for East Coast players looking to further their careers."

The Freeze will be hosting an East Coast tryout for the Machine from May 30-June 1. The staff of the Machine will be looking for players who can step in and make an impact in the 2008-09 season as well as identifying future prospects.

REFERENCE

Marquette signs tenth tender for this fall

The Marquette Rangers have signed their tenth and final tender for the upcoming 2008-09 North American Hockey League season.

Ryan Johnson, a 5-foot-9 forward from Blaine (Minn.) High School, signed his tender late last week.

According to Rangers scouting personnel, Johnson, who scored 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points in 31 games as a senior, was added to bolster the team's offense for next season. In three years at BHS, Johnson scored 128 points and as a senior was named Minnesota All-State Honorable Mention, All-Conference, Blaine’s Most Inspirational Player and his team's offensive MVP.

Andy Cousin, Marquette’s Minnesota scout, says Johnson can make an immediate impact in the NAHL.

“Ryan’s coming out of one of the toughest sections in Minnesota hockey,” Cousin said. “He’s a dynamic forward with top-end skating ability and great hockey sense. I expect big things from him at tryouts and beyond.”

Johnson is the only the second player from Minnesota to be tendered by the Rangers in their three-year history.

Soo Eagles set to become reality

By Randy Russon
OspreyBlogs.com

There are signs of progress concerning the return of a Michigan Soo franchise to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League after a one-year hiatus.

Should the Michigan Soo be re-admitted to the NOJHL at the league's annual general meeting in June, it has a coach in place in former OHL bench boss Paul Theriault, who has already gone ahead and booked open tryouts for May 17-18 and June 13-14-15. Theriault and his group have until May 1 to pay a $300 deposit to the Northern Ontario Hockey Association and unveil a business plan to the NOJHL.

Meantime, Theriault confirmed that the new team's would-be owner is Greg Eagle, a Michigan Soo native who now lives in Florida.

Formerly known as the Soo Indians, the proposed new team would be called the Soo Eagles.

(On a side note, I guess there's nothing wrong with Eagle wanting to call his team the Eagles. But let's hope that Charles Wang, who owns the NHL's New York Islanders, doesn't decide to re-name his team after himself.)

Miller takes new job in Marquette

The Marquette Rangers will have several new faces both on and off the ice when the 2008-09 North American Hockey League season opens in September.

In addition to signing 10 tenders, Kenny Miller has been named head coach of the Rangers after guiding the Alpena IceDiggers for the past three seasons. Miller will assume his position with the Rangers immediately.

Miller said he’s excited about the opportunity in Marquette.

“When you coach against a team as many times as I faced Marquette over the past two years, you learn quite a bit about them,” said Miller. “Knowing the talent that’s coming back, the tenders that have been signed, and the dedication of the staff, I’m confident we can come in and be successful for the fans. We’ll be busy early with three tryout camps, so I’m anxious to contact the players and get going on this season.”

Miller added that he’s happy to no longer be an enemy for Rangers fans.

“Lakeview is such a great building and the fans do a terrific job at getting on the opposing team from up behind the visitors bench," he said. "It’s a great atmosphere, the Rangers put on a terrific show every night and I’m happy to be on the right side of it now. My family and I are excited to join the organization and we’re looking forward to calling Marquette our home.”

Miller and his wife, Stephanie, have a five-year-old daughter, Kadyn.

Rangers president and general manager David Saint-Onge said Miller was the obvious choice to lead the team as the organization continues to grow.

“Kenny has proven he can win in this league, he understands our division and knows what we need to do as an organization to take the next step in our development," Saint-Onge said. "He has plenty of connections in the hockey business and will be a tremendous asset for us in building a competitive team for next season and moving our players on to the next level, which is our ultimate goal.”

Miller guided Alpena to a third place finish this past season with a 30-23-5 record, and led the club to 37 wins in 2006-07 when the IceDiggers finished second in the NAHL North Division and placed 12 players into NCAA Division I and III programs. Miller was also named North American Hockey League GM of the year after the 2006-07 season.

The Rangers opted not to renew the contract of head coach Randy Enders after the conclusion of this past season, while assistant coach Dieter Kochan won’t be returning because he is entering the law enforcement field.

“We understood when we hired Dieter that it would be a one-year relationship as he was already on the academy’s waiting list,” said Saint-Onge. “He was a great help to us last season especially with our goaltenders and we hope to maintain a relationship with him as a goaltending consultant during this next season.”

Saint-Onge said the decision regarding Enders was a difficult one.

“Not having Randy return wasn’t a decision we entered into lightly,” he added. “It should be noted that Randy took over as head coach during a difficult time in our organization’s infancy in 2007 and helped get our young team back on track after a tough start. Randy is truly a quality guy and this move is not a reflection on him or his character. We just felt our team needed a few more intangibles as we head into our third season. We’re grateful to Randy and his efforts with the Rangers.”

Marquette is currently in preparations for their pre-draft tryout camp May 15-18 at the Berry Events Center.

Plymouth rookie Jordan wins gold in Poland

Plymouth Whalers rookie defenseman Michal Jordan won the gold medal with the Czech Republic at the 2008 World Under-18 IIHF Championships - Division 1, Group A in Poland last week.

Jordan finished the tournament with five assists in five games with a plus-5 rating and was also named the tournament's top defenseman.

The Czech Republic was relegated to the Division 1A tournament from the top division after losing to Germany last year, but will now return to the top division in 2009 by winning this year's tournament. This year's Division 1A featured the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Ukraine.

The Top Division, which will feature 10 teams including Canada and the U.S.A., takes place April 13-23 in Russia.

Photo by Walt Dmoch/Plymouth Whalers

New Soo Junior A team to be named Eagles

By ROB ROOS
Soo Evening News

SAULT STE. MARIE - Plans continue to progress for Junior A hockey to return to Sault Ste. Marie and Pullar Stadium.

The new franchise has selected a nickname and will be called the Soo Eagles. Tryout schedules have been set up in the Sault and in Brighton.

The Eagles will be comprised of student-athletes who have already completed high school, coach Paul Theriault said Wednesday during a team meeting at the Pullar. Team practices will be run in the mornings, allowing the players to attend college classes in the afternoons. Players could potentially take up to 11 college credits and still maintain full future college athletic status.

“We are looking for student-athletes who want to advance to the college hockey level, in Division I, II or III,” Theriault said. “I want to help young players improve their games and mature as young men. We can provide a great opportunity here. We will build our team with as much talent from our local district as we can, but they will all have to earn their spurs.”

Pullar Stadium will be home ice for the Eagles. A veteran of 14 Ontario Hockey League coaching seasons, Theriault said he is looking forward to return to the bench at the Junior A level, where he had his first head coaching job with the former Soo Indians in 1975.

“You could look around the world and not find a better facility than the Pullar,” Theriault said. “It's the perfect place to watch a hockey game.”

Open camp tryouts for the Eagles will be held at Kensington Arena in Brighton on May 17-18, and at Big Bear Arena in Sault Ste. Marie on June 13-14-15. Both camps are priority to high school graduates.

The local Junior A franchise was formerly the Soo Indians before folding operations in 2007 after winning the NOJHL title. The new team owner is Greg Eagle. He is a Sault native who now lives in Florida and is in the real estate business.

The Eagles are still ironing out a number of business matters, and will seek approval to re-enter the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League next month. The NOJHL season begins the first week of September and could potentially extend as late as early May.

Rangers tender two Michigan high schoolers

The Marquette Rangers continue their preparations for the upcoming 2008-2009 NAHL season with the signing of two more tenders, bringing the total to nine players tendered by the Rangers.

Nathan Milam, a forward from Livonia Churchill High School and a member of Team Michigan, and Kevin Gibson, a forward from Grosse Pointe North High School, signed their tenders late last week.

According to Rangers scouting personnel, Milam (who is not related to former Northern Michigan and Soo Indians defenseman Jamie Milam) is a highly-skilled offensive player who has the ability to be among one of the teams’ leading scorers. In 25 games this past season, Milam scored 45 goals and added 19 assists for 64 points on the year - an average of 2.56 points per game.

“Nathan has the ability to put on a show every time he touches the puck,” said Tom Boileau, Rangers director of player personnel. “He’s a fast skater, has great hands and a natural ability to score goals. This kid is fun to watch and he’s the kind of player every coach dreams of having on his bench.”

Gibson, according to Boileau, is a fearless, tough-nosed player who’s willing to go into the corners and win battles for the puck.

“Kevin will do whatever he’s asked to do and will do it well,” Boileau said. “He’s gritty, physical, he blocks shots, he does all the things a NAHL forward must to do to be successful. Add the fact that he can score, too, (46 points in 28 games) and he could be a great addition to the Rangers this next year.”

Ex-North Star commits to Colorado College

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs have announced that defenseman Arthur Bidwill has committed to Colorado College for next season.

Now in his third NAHL season, Bidwill, a 20-year-old from Fontana, Wis., finished this year with 10 goals among 29 points in 39 games. He was also plus-27.

"I’ve always dreamed of playing in the WCHA and I couldn’t be happier to be going to CC,” said Bidwill, a NAHL Top Prospects Tournament participant. “I can’t thank my family, teammates and coaches enough for the opportunity.”

Bidwill began his NAHL career with the Southern Minnesota Express before hooking on with the Traverse City North Stars. He joined the Ice Dogs in a mid-season trade last season.

“We’re very proud of Arthur,” said Ice Dogs assistant coach Josh Hauge. “Colorado College is not just getting a great hockey player, but also a great young man.”

Bidwill is the 11th player for this year’s Ice Dogs team to commit to a Division I program.

Spirit names '07-08 award winners at banquet

The Saginaw Spirit hosted their sixth annual Meijer Award Ceremony Tuesday night at TheDow Event Center.

The ceremony is a chance for players and fans to celebrate the previous season and to look forward to the next. Players, staff and fans voted on several awards, which were given out during the ceremony.

Spirit captain Ryan McDonough was awarded the team's ‘Most Valuable Player Award' and the prestigious ‘Wren Blair Leadership Award.'

Rookie Jordan Szwarz was honored with the ‘Most Valuable Rookie Award' and defenseman T.J. Brodie was given the ‘Most Valuable Defenseman Award.'

Defenseman Jordan Ogilvie was recognized with the ‘Most Improved Player Award.'

Spirit assistant captain Jack Combs and rookie Tyler Murovich shared honors on two occasions – both were chosen for the ‘Fan Favorite Award' and the ‘Top Scholar Award.' Combs attended Davenport University during the season while Murovich attended Nouvel Catholic Central High School. The two also received awards in separate categories.

Combs, who was the first Spirit player in team history to secure 100 points during a single season, brought in the team's ‘Top Scorer Award.'

Murovich was honored with the teams ‘Heart and Soul Award.'

Goalie Ryan Daniels capped off this season's accolades with the ‘Community Service Award,' given to him for his efforts promoting the Spirit product in the greater mid-Michigan community.

Traverse City tenders three more skaters

The Traverse City North Stars enjoyed the best season in its three-year history, setting team marks wins, points, and goals per game while finishing third in the NAHL in power play efficiency.

With as many as 19 eligible returnees, the club will look to build on the momentum of a 12-5-4 stretch run heading into the 2008-09 campaign, starting with a May 9-11 tryout camp at Centre ICE arena.

The North Stars capped a stellar class of tenders last month, inking a trio of front-liners who have shown an innate ‘twine-clination.’ Two came from the ranks of the Midwest Elite Hockey League ranks – Soo forward Daniel Radke and Chicago Young Americans centerman Chris Salomone – and the state’s top prep player, Trenton’s Josh Miller.

“All three are offensive players, and all have many other facets to their respective skill sets,” said Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “They wouldn’t be coveted at this level if they lacked the ability to play in their own zone as well. Given the guys we have coming back, and this entire group of tenders, we have a lot to look forward to. It’s exciting to think about.”

Radke, an Orinda, Calif., product, led the Soo in scoring last season, racking up 26 points over 26 MWEHL contests, including six multi-point outings for the Indians. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder appeared in 24 games in 2006-07 for the Soo – a club for which seven current or former North Stars have played. Radke billeted with the family of current Stars winger Kyle Jean.

“Knowing so many of the guys, TC was definitely my number one choice,” said Radke, who will turn 17 on Apr. 5. “The jump to juniors means bigger, stronger guys, and the speed of the game increases. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Palumbo kept a close eye on Radke during the MWEHL season, and liked what he saw.

“Dan is a young recruit at ’91 (birth year), but the kid just seemed to get better and better throughout the year,” said Palumbo, who also tendered Radke’s Soo teammate, Bo Jacobs, earlier in the season. “He has that mind and feel for the game that you look for. Some (NCAA) D-1 schools have already recognized his puck skills.”

Salomone was the second-leading goal-scorer for Chicago on a team Palumbo called “loaded with talent.” Despite his 14-goal outburst in MWEHL play (40 goals overall), the Homer Glen, Ill. native says he’d rather give than receive.

“I try to be more of an assist guy, a set-up man,” said the 6-foot, 180-pound center, who combusted for 21 points over one nine-game stretch last season. “I try to look for guys and would just as soon rack up assists as goals.”

Salomone, who will turn 19 in October, led the Young Americans to a runner-up finish in the Illinois state tourney, and finished with 80 points overall.

“He has tremendous offensive talent, but he’s also one of the best penalty killers we saw,” Palumbo added. “He has the size up the middle and the consistency to make an impact.”

Miller is the second Mr. Hockey winner (state’s top high school player) to sign with Traverse City (Zach Hitch played parts of two seasons with the Stars after winning the 2006 award at Brighton). He led all Michigan high schoolers with 86 points for state champions Trenton, which included a symmetrical 43 goals and 43 assists.

“He had an unbelievable year statistically,” Palumbo remarked. “Josh is a player that can play both ways, he’s physical and can check, and he’s obviously a real offensive threat.”

Miller told Michigan Hockey that his team’s run to the state title began the previous season.

“Just starting my senior year was a motivator knowing that we got knocked out of the playoffs early last year,” he said in the March 24 issue. “I didn’t want my last year to be like that so it pushed me to get everyone else motivated and energetic and make a run at a state title and that’s what we did.”

The Stars have closed out their allotment of tenders – which secure players’ NAHL rights ahead of the May 20 draft. TC’s tenders class also includes Jacobs (Soo Indians), Lake Forest Academy teammates Danny McAuliffe and Mike Schenfeld and Compuware forward Ryan Amin. The club dealt its eighth tender to Marquette in a deal that brought Jean to TC.

“You stars to think about all the talent that could be back here, and all the talent that is coming in as tenders, those we’ll pick up in the draft, and those at our summer camps – it’s easy to get pumped up about where we’re headed,” Palumbo beamed. “We really got going in the right direction this year, and the future is very bright.”

Whalers hand out awards at banquet

The Plymouth Whalers concluded the 2007-08 season with a banquet Monday evening at Ginopolis on the Ice Restaurant in Plymouth.

The following players received awards:

REGULAR SEASON MOST VALUABLE PLAYER and LEADING SCORER– Chris Terry – A draft choice of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, Terry led the Whalers with 44 goals and 57 assists for 101 points and was +12 in 68 games. Terry is currently playing with Albany of the American Hockey League.

DEFENSEMAN of the YEAR – Brett Bellemore – A veteran defenseman and Carolina Hurricanes draft who was often paired against the top lines in the OHL, Bellemore scored six goals with 18 assists for 24 points this season. Bellemore is currently playing with Albany of the American Hockey League.

HUMANITARIAN of the YEAR – Wes Cunningham – Veteran defenseman who has been active in the Whalers’ community relations efforts for the last three seasons. Cunningham scored six goals with 43 assists for 49 points in 55 games this year.

ROOKIE of the YEAR – Michal Jordan – Acquired from Windsor in November, Jordan became an integral part of the Whalers blue line group. Jordan scored six goals with 22 assists for 28 points and was +2 on the season. Jordan is expected to be selected in the National Hockey League Entry Draft this summer in Ottawa.

LABATT BLUE COLLAR PLAYER of the YEAR – Kaine Geldart – Plymouth fans loved Geldart’s grit, work ethic and never-say-die attitude on the ice. Geldart’s play reminded many of former Whaler Jared Boll, now with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Geldart scored a career-high 13 goals with 25 assists for 38 points and 99 PIM’s in 68 games this season.

UNSUNG PLAYER of the YEAR – Andrew Fournier – Plymouth captain enjoyed his best offensive season with 35 goals and 40 assists for 75 points. Fournier is now playing with Norfolk of the American Hockey League.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER of the YEAR – Joe Gaynor – A solid defensive forward who received extended ice time for the first time in his career. Gaynor scored a career-high nine goals with 10 assists for 19 points in 66 games this season.

ACADEMIC PLAYER of the YEAR – AJ Jenks – Jenks’ intelligent play on the ice carried over into the classroom for the second straight season. Jenks – ranked 20th by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau – scored 26 goals with 29 assists for 55 points in 68 games this season.

ALICE IAFRATE AWARD as OVERAGE PLAYER of the YEAR – Andrew Fournier - Voted by the Whalers’ Off-Ice Officials.

PLAYOFF MOST VALUABLE PLAYER and LEADING SCORER – Chris Terry – Terry led the Whalers in the playoffs tallying a point in each of the four playoff games with four goals and three assists for seven points.


WHALERS BOOSTER CLUB AWARDS:

PLAYER of the YEAR – Chris Terry
PLAYER of the MONTH for March – Patrick Lee – Lee scored eight goals with four assists for 12 points in 12 games in March
FAN FAVORITE – Wes Cunningham
GRINDER of the YEAR – Kaine Geldart
SCHOLASTIC PLAYER of the YEAR – Josh Bemis – Bemis kept up with school while playing hockey and missing time due to surgeries

Photo: Plymouth right wing Kaine Geldart (left) meets with Whalers head coach Greg Stefan (right) during the Whalers' season-ending banquet Monday night at Ginopolis on the Ice. Photo by Walt Dmoch

Zaborsky gets AHL deal in Hartford

Saginaw Spirit forward Tomas Zaborsky has signed with the American Hockey League's Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers.

Details of the signing were not disclosed.

Zaborsky left Saginaw to play with the Wolf Pack at the conclusion of the 2008 OHL playoffs.

Zaborsky, who was selected by the Rangers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, came to the Spirit via the 2006 CHL Import Draft. The 1987-born Trencin, Slovakia native wrapped up his second OHL season, compiling a career record of 50 goals and 63 assists, including 31 goals and 39 assists during the 2007-2008 regular season. Zaborsky tallied three goals and three assists in 10 post-season games, including two goals and an assist in four games during the 2008 post-season.

“Tomas had an outstanding year and was third in team scoring,” stated Spirit general manager Don Edwards. “He was also one of our best forwards in the post-season. The Spirit family wish this talented young man the best of luck in his pro career.”

Saginaw's Jarram signs with Rochester

Saginaw Spirit forward David Jarram has signed a contract with the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

Details of the signing were not disclosed.

Jarram arrived in Saginaw via a January trade with the Oshawa Generals (pictured).

The 1987-born native of Kitchener, Ontario, posted 14 goals and 15 assists in his five-year OHL career that saw stops in Sault Ste. Marie, Ottawa, London, Oshawa and Saginaw. He tallied 11 goals and seven assists during the 2007-2008 season, including five goals and two assists in 29 games with the Spirit.

“The Saginaw Spirit want to win OHL championships, but just as importantly, this organization strives to develop its players into future NHLers,” stated Spirit president and managing partner Craig Goslin. “The fact that he signed a pro contract immediately following the end of our season is a testament to the fact that the OHL is the top developmental program for the NHL.

"We are thrilled for David and wish him the best of luck. The entire Spirit family will be rooting for his continued success as he works toward the day when he skates with the NHL's Florida Panthers.”

Terry also gets AHL deal

In addition to Andrew Fournier getting an AHL tryout in Norfolk (see below), Plymouth center/left wing Chris Terry – a fifth-round draft choice of the Carolina Hurricanes last summer – is expected to spend some time with the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Albany River Rats.

Terry is eligible to return next season to Plymouth.

Photo courtesy Walt Dmoch/Plymouth Whalers

Plymouth captain gets AHL tryout

The Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League have signed center Andrew Fournier to an amateur tryout.

Fournier is a 20-year-old, 5-foot-11, 192-pound native of Amherstview, Ontario, and just finished his fourth full season of junior hockey with the Plymouth Whalers this season, ranking second on the team in goals and points while finishing third in assists. He also served as team captain.

In 64 games this season, Fournier netted 35 goals and added 40 assists for 75 points and 49 penalty minutes. His 17 power-play goals were tied for the eleventh-most in the OHL and he also netted two shorthanded goals and five game-winning goals. Fournier now ranks in the top 20 of the Plymouth all-time scoring list (19th, 168 points) and goals list (T-12th, 85).

He was a member of the 2006-07 OHL championship Whalers team.

Fournier made his Plymouth debut at the end of the 2003-04 season.

Photo by Walt Dmoch/Plymouth Whalers

Whalers banquet set for Monday

The Plymouth Whalers' annual end-of-the-year banquet will be held on Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the Ginopolis On The Ice restaurant inside Compuware Arena.

Tickets are $15.

RSVP by calling 734-453-8400.

Saginaw's season over in Soo sweep

The Saginaw Spirit lost 4-2 to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds last night at home, ending a 2007-2008 season that saw a regular-season record of 33-25-8-2 with 76 points and a winless post-season record.

Chris Chappell and Nick Crawford notched goals for Saginaw in the effort.

Chappell gave the Spirit a 1-0 lead early in the game with a goal at 10:09 of the first period. The Greyhounds would be quick to respond, scoring two goals to give themselves a 2-1 lead exiting the period. Anthony Peluso notched a goal at 14:03 of the period and Brandon Biggers followed with a goal at the 15:45 mark.

Both teams traded goals in the second period. Crawford fired one in from the blue line at the 11:49 mark and the Greyhounds would answer with a goal from Wayne Simmonds at 18:56.

The two teams would battle into the third period. The Spirit pulled goalie Edward Pasquale in the final seconds for an extra attacker, but Dustin Jeffrey scored an empty-net goal with five seconds left.

Pasquale tallied 28 saves, giving him the second star of the game. Greyhounds goalie Kyle Gajewski earned the first star of the game with 32 saves.

IceDiggers get Phantoms in first round

The North American Hockey League announced today the schedule of the best-of-five North Division semifinal series of the Robertson Cup Playoffs.

Team USA vs. St. Louis Bandits

Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Game 3: Sunday, April 6 @ St. Louis, 5 p.m.

Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ USA, 7 p.m.*

Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ USA, TBD*

Alpena IceDiggers vs. Mahoning Valley Phantoms

Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 p.m.

Game 3: Thursday, April 10 @ Alpena, 7 p.m.

Game 4: Friday, April 11 @ Alpena, 7 p.m.*

Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ Mahoning Valley, 6 p.m.*

* if necessary

The playoff schedules for the Central and South Divisions will be announced when the seeds in each division are determined.

Whalers eliminated by Rangers in four

Last season, the Plymouth Whalers won the Ontario Hockey League championship playing the opposition any way they wanted to play. This season, the Kitchener Rangers used the same formula in eliminating Plymouth from the OHL playoffs in four games.

Led by Justin Azevedo’s four assists, the Rangers led from start to finish in a 7-4 victory over Plymouth in Game 4 of the best-of-seven OHL Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Rangers led most of the series in winning all four games.

Although he scored only one goal in the series, Azevedo racked up 13 assists and leads the OHL playoffs in scoring with 14 points in four games. Azevedo also led the OHL in scoring during the regular season with 43 goals and 81 assists for 124 points in 67 games. Utilizing a balanced scoring attack, Kitchener received single goals in the game from Mikkel Boedker (second of the playoffs), Scott Timmins (1), Matt Halischuk (team-leading sixth), Nick Spaling (4), Ben Shutron (2), Mike Duco (3) and Scott Tregunna (1).

Plymouth received goals from Jordon O’Neill and Tyler J. Brown (both with their first-ever OHL playoff goals), captain Andrew Fournier (1) and Patrick Lee (3). Plymouth was behind the entire game, cutting into Kitchener leads of 2-0, 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3, but couldn’t find the equalizer.

Kitchener built a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Boekder (one-timer from the right circle at 1:57) and Timmins (wrap around right wing side at 3:00). The Whalers cut the Kitchener lead to 2-1 on O’Neill’s snap shot from the slot at 12:55.

The Rangers led, 2-1, after one period.

Rangers took a 3-1 lead on Halishuck’s penalty shot goal at 8:19, but Lee scored for Plymouth on a deflection of a Chris Terry point shot at 13:17. Kitchener took a 4-2 lead on Spaling’s shot of a rebound from the right crease area at 15:40.

Kitchener led, 4-2, after forty minutes.

Plymouth battled back, cutting the Kitchener lead to 4-3 12 seconds into the third period when Brown scored from the left circle after Kitchener goaltender Josh Unice made a save on Brett Bellemore’s shot from the right point. Kitchener came right back 36 seconds later on Shutron’s shot from the left point to regain a 5-3 lead. The Whalers cut into the Kitchener lead again at 5-4 at 8:45 when Fournier scored on a scramble at the right wing side of the Kitchener goal. But Duco (15:09) and Tregunna (15:47) scored for the Rangers and they pulled away to win.

Kitchener outshot Plymouth, 55-36.

Jeremy Smith made 48 saves for Plymouth, while Unice finished with 32 for the Rangers.

PHOTO: Plymouth's Patrick Lee scores in the second period Wednesday night at Compuware Arena. Photo by Walt Dmoch.

Rangers finish season against North Stars

Despite the fact that neither the Marquette Rangers or the Traverse City North Stars qualified for the North American Hockey League playoffs this year, you’ll be hard pressed to convince members of either team that there’s nothing left to play for this season.

The two NAHL North Division rivals will square-off this Friday and Saturday at Lakeview Arena to decide the champion of the inaugural Smith-Barney Challenge Cup between the two clubs.

The Challenge Cup was formed as a way to promote the rivalry between the two teams and is sponsored by Smith-Barney offices in both Marquette and Traverse City.

“Of course we’re disappointed in not making the playoffs this year,” said Rangers head coach Randy Enders. “It’s the goal of every team to make the post-season, so coming up short does leave a bad taste in our mouths.

“The goal of having this Challenge Cup though was to ensure that both teams, regardless of playoff status, would have an extra something to play for every year. I know our guys don’t want to lose this thing this weekend, so I expect them to really fight to keep it in our offices during the offseason.”

Enders also pointed out that weekends like this one will go a long way in defining the character of his young players.

“We may not be a playoff team, but we still have the challenge of these two games in front of us," said Enders. "I’ll be looking for these guys to give it their all and really show their true character this weekend. Some guys may just go through the motions and those guys will be easy to spot. It’s the players who come to play this weekend that can, and will, make a difference.”

The Smith-Barney Challenge Cup race is as close as the regular-season series between the two teams. Going into this weekend, Marquette is in fifth place in the NAHL North at 26-27-3 while the North Stars are one point back with a record of 21-23-12.

The Rangers lead the Challenge Cup race by two points after 10 games, and must win one of the two games this weekend to claim the Cup as their own. Currently, Marquette has 12 points in the series and Traverse City has 10.

Traverse City, meanwhile, needs to sweep Marquette in regulation both nights to win the Cup outright.

Should the North Stars win both nights in an overtime or shoot-out situation, the Rangers will earn one point each night to go with the two points for a Traverse City win, thus forcing a tie at 14 points apiece for the Challenge Cup series title.

“Given the history between these teams over the past two seasons anything’s possible,” Enders added. “Who knows how we’ll determine things if that happens, but we’ll find a way to settle it. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

NAHL returning to Detroit area this fall

The North American Hockey League announced Monday that its Board of Governors has approved the relocation of BAM, LLC’s membership to the Detroit area for the 2008-2009 season.

BAM currently owns and operates the NAHL’s Southern Minnesota Express.

More information on the relocation of membership will be announced in the coming weeks.

Spirit-Soo playoff games rescheduled

The Saginaw Spirit will be hosting the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for two playoff games this week – Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27.

Both games will take place at 7:11 PM at TheDow Event Center in Saginaw. Saturday night's home game was postponed due to unsafe ice conditions, but the team found better conditions when they hit the ice Monday morning for practice.

“The ice is getting better and should be in good shape when Wednesday comes around," stated Spirit captain Ryan McDonough. “TheDow has done a good job getting the ice in shape for the next game."

Fans can turn in their ticket stub from Saturday's contest for admittance into Thursday's home game or get a full refund in-person at TheDow Event Center box office or the Saginaw Spirit merchandise store.

“We came out of the locker room after a two-hour delay Saturday night and still found the building packed," added McDonough. "The guys (Spirit players) really appreciated the show of support and we look forward to seeing everyone back at TheDow Wednesday and Thursday night."

The Spirit and TheDow Event Center are pleased to announce beer and concession specials for Wednesday and Thursday night's games. TheDow will be selling 22-ounce draft beers for $2.50 each – regularly priced at $5 each. Popcorn, medium soft drinks and king size candy bars will be sold for $1 each, plus fans can receive a special $1 off coupon for a frozen drink at TheDow Event Center's Frosty Coconut Bar.

The revised series schedule:

Game 2: Monday, March 24th in Sault Ste. Marie; 7:00 PM
Game 3: Wednesday, March 26th in Saginaw; 7:11 PM
Game 4: Thursday, March 27th in Saginaw; 7:11 PM
Game 5: Saturday, March 29th in Sault Ste. Marie; 7:00 PM*
Game 6: Monday, March 31st in Saginaw; 7:11 PM*
Game 7: Tuesday, April 1st in Sault Ste. Marie; 7:00 PM*

*if necessary

Alpena's Miller in jail - for charity

On Wednesday, Alpena IceDiggers head coach Kenny Miller will go to jail to help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. All proceeds of Miller's bail will go to the MDA.

"This is great a cause and I am happy to help in any way I can," said Miller

Anyone interested in helping coach Miller make bail can click HERE and pledge a donation.

Bandits invade Traverse City this weekend

Just when the Traverse City North Stars need to grab every single available point in their pursuit of the fourth and final playoff spot in the NAHL North, along come the defending champs.

The St. Louis Bandits come into the final weekend homestand of the regular season at Centre ICE arena, toting the NAHL’s best record (44-9-2), a roster that is chock-full of NCAA Division I commitments and the Robertson Cup.

“They’re pretty much the top team in the league no matter how you look at it,” surmised North Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “We’re going to compete hard and play our best hockey to get what we need to get out of this series.”

The North Stars’ late-season combustion was quelled – but not extinguished – last weekend in Mahoning Valley, as Traverse City’s seven-game win streak was halted. The Stars are two points behind the fourth-place U.S. National Team Development Program for the last postseason spot, with Marquette a point up on TC in fifth. Marquette and Team USA embark on a two-game series this weekend, with the North Stars heading to Marquette next weekend to cap the regular season.

“There are a lot of computations and scenarios there, but if we don’t take care of our end, it won’t matter much,” Palumbo added. “We’re already in playoff mode, essentially. These last games are every bit as must-win as any playoff series would be.”

The Bandits would have some cause to enter the weekend without a sense of urgency, having locked up the league’s top overall record/seed, the North Division regular season crown, and sit squarely in the catbird seat heading into the Robertson Cup playoffs. However, the club is laden with top-college talent, as no fewer than seven D-1 signatories dot the St. Louis roster: Sam Bozoian (Harvard), Tom Brooks (Robert Morris), Nick Condon (Notre Dame), Andrew Hamburg (Colorado College), Mike Hull (Army), Mike Merrifield (Michigan State) and Ben Warda (Michigan State).

Warda leads the Bandits with 71 points – good enough for fourth overall in the NAHL – while Kyle O’Kane is tops in goals (38) and Mike Leone first with 44 assists. In net, both all-star Cal Heeter (22-6-1) and Mike Johnson (21-3-1) are essentially impermeable, permitting just over 2.5 goals per outing.

For the host Stars, Nate Urbaniak continues to re-write the club’s single-season scoring records for goals (25) and points (60), while Kyle Bonis has 12 points in his past six outings. Goalkeepers Chris Paliafito and Brandon Stephenson are each a series removed from their first career shutouts.

Both weekend contests get underway at 7 p.m.

Beverly Hills native Merrifield commits to MSU

St. Louis Bandits forward Mike Merrifield has committed to Michigan State University for the 2009-10 season.

Merrifield, from Beverly Hills, leads all first-year NAHL players in scoring with 18 goals and 56 points after 55 games. The 18-year-old’s plus-33 rating ranks second in the league.

"Playing hockey for Michigan State has been a dream of mine since I was seven years old,” said Merrifield. “I can't be happier. I want to thank the Bandits organization for helping this become a reality.”

"One thing you never have to worry about with Mike is his work ethic and commitment to play, and play hard,” said Bandits coach-GM Jon Cooper. “The fact that he has exceptional skill and speed is icing on the cake.”

Merrifield is the seventh Bandit from this year’s team to commit to a Division I program this season.

Saginaw draws Greyhounds in playoffs

The Saginaw Spirit are preparing for their upcoming playoff series against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds this week. The first round match-up with the Greyhounds is one that the Spirit know all too well, as they squared off against the West Division rival in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Saginaw will travel to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday to take on the Greyhounds at 7:30 p.m. The team will then return home to the Dow Event Center to play the first home playoff game of the series on Saturday at 7:11 p.m.

The Spirit compiled a record of 3-3-2-0 against the Greyhounds this season.

Game 1 – Fri., March 21 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:30
Game 2 - Sat., March 22 at Saginaw, 7:11
Game 3 - Mon., March 24 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:00
Game 4 - Wed., March 26 at Saginaw, 7:11
Game 5 - Fri., March 28 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:30*
Game 6 - Sat., March 29 at Saginaw, 7:11*
Game 7- Tues., April 1 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:00*

*If Necessary

Whalers get Rangers in first round

The Plymouth Whalers have drawn the Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, starting Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

The dates of the Whalers-Rangers Western Conference Quarterfinal series are as follows:

Game 1 - Friday, March 21 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.

Game 2 - Saturday, March 22 at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m.

Game 3 - Monday, March 24 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.

Game 4 – Wednesday, March 26 at Plymouth 7:05 p.m.

Game 5 (*) - Friday, March 28 at Kitchener 7:30 p.m.

Game 6 (*) - Saturday, March 29 at Plymouth 7:05 p.m.

Game 7 (*) - Tuesday, April 1 at Kitchener 7:30 p.m.

(*) if necessary

Kitchener (league-best 53-11-1-3, 110 points) is the top team in the Canadian Hockey League rankings and will host the Mastercard Memorial Cup in May. Plymouth (34-28-2-4, 74 points) finished the regular season as the eighth seed in the OHL’s Western Confrence playoff race.

PLYMOUTH-KITCHENER PLAYOFF HISTORY
2007 – Western Conference Semifinals – Plymouth eliminated Kitchener, 4-games-to-1.
2004 – Western Conference Quarterfinals – Plymouth eliminated Kitchener, 4-games-to-1.
2003 – Western Conference Finals – Kitchener eliminated Plymouth, 4-games-to-3.
1996 – West Division Quarterfinals – Detroit Whalers eliminated Kitchener, 4-games-to-1.

Photo - Plymouth's Vern Cooper shoots on Kitchener goalie Josh Unice in a game Feb. 16 at Compuware Arena. Photo by Rena Laverty.

Plymouth's playoff opponent anyone's guess

The Plymouth Whalers will make the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. They just don’t know where they’ll finish in the Western Conference standings or who they’ll play in the first round of the OHL’s post-season, which starts at the end of next week.

Fifth seed through eighth in the OHL’s Western Conference race looks like this:

#5 Guelph - 66 games - 33-24-5-4, 75 points
#6 Plymouth - 65 games - 34-26-2-3, 73 points
#7 Sarnia - 65 games - 35-28-2-0, 72 points
#8 Saginaw - 65 games - 32-25-6-2, 72 points

The Storm, Whalers, Sting and Spirit will all be in action this weekend as the OHL completes the regular season.

Plymouth may not know who they are playing in the first round until Sunday evening.

After playing in Sault Ste. Marie (42-18-2-4) on Friday against the first-place Greyhounds, Plymouth returns home on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena to host Sarnia. The Sting features 18-year-old center Steven Stamkos, who may be the first player chosen in the National Hockey League Entry Draft this summer. Stamkos rates an excellent chance to play in the NHL next season.

Stamkos – sixth overall in OHL scoring 55 goals and 43 assists for 98 points in 58 games – has been a Whaler killer for two years. The season, Stamkos has scored eight goals (two shorthanded) and an assist for nine points in five games. In 10 games over two seasons against Plymouth, Stamkos has scored 12 goals with four assists for 16 points.

With 55 goals coming into the weekend, Stamkos has a chance to set a Sarnia team record for goals scored in a season. Ivan Novoseltsev currently holds the record with 57 goals scored in 1998-99.

“I know it’s on his mind and his teammates have been talking about it,” Sarnia head coach Dave MacQueen told the Sarnia Observer. “But I’m sure he will tell you he would give up a few goals for a few more wins. And the fact if he does break the record, there’s a good chance we will be winning some more games.”

Saturday’s game is also the Whalers’ annual Green Out, where fans can bid on the popular Plymouth green game-worn jerseys. A silent auction will be held during the game for some of the jerseys, with a public auction held after the game in Ginopolis on Ice restaurant for the rest.

Plymouth finishes up the regular season on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Saginaw.

K-Zoo native tendered by Brown Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League have signed Honeybaked defenseman Rob Michalka to a tender for the 2008-09 season.

A solid anchor on Honeybaked’s defensive core this year, Michalka, 18, helped the team to an astounding 46-10-9 record and a second-place finish in the Midwest Elite Hockey League, widely considered one of the top Tier 1 AAA leagues in the U.S.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Michalka, from Kalamazoo, totaled three goals and 16 points along with 118 penalty minutes in 65 games this season. He was also a plus-21.

“Rob adds a certain level of toughness, size and defensive stability to our defensive core,” said Brown Bears coach-GM Mike Flanagan. “He should fit nicely into our returning group and play a very important role in us becoming a more competitive team.

“Rob’s on-ice ability, his strong moral character and his good academics make him the type of young man we want here representing our team and community.”

Michalka is the third tender signed by the Brown Bears this recruiting season – all from the MWEHL - with more expected to follow.

Saginaw finishes regular season this week

The Saginaw Spirit enter the week with three games remaining in a hotly-contested Western Conference – the Spirit, Guelph Storm, Sarnia Sting and Plymouth Whalers are fighting for dominance in the lower half of the conference.

The Spirit now have 72 points and a record of 32-25-6-2 and host the Windsor Spitfires on Friday night, travel to Sault Ste. Marie to play the Greyhounds Saturday night and close out the regular season Sunday afternoon at home against the Whalers.

More details HERE.

Alpena hosts NTDP Friday and Saturday

The Alpena IceDiggers will wrap up their regular-season home schedule this weekend on Friday and Saturday versus the USA Under-17 Team at Northern Lights Arena. Faceoff for both contests is 7:00 p.m.

Alpena is third in the North Division standings heading into the weekend. The IceDiggers trail Mahoning Valley by three points and the Phantoms have two games in-hand on Alpena. Traverse City has moved into fourth place in the tight division standings trailing the IceDiggers by six points.

"This is a big weekend for us," Alpena head coach Kenny Miller said. "The standings are really tight as we get down to the final weeks of the season, so every point is very important."

Team USA comes to Alpena after dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to Traverse City on Tuesday night. USA sits four points out of the fourth and final playoff spot.

On Friday, the IceDiggers will honor the housing families during the first intermission.

"It is very important for us as an organization to show these families on Friday night just how important they are to the team," added Miller

NOTES

Alpena native Erik Peterson is one assist away from 100 in his three-year career with the IceDiggers.

Jon Puskar missed Tuesday practice due to an injury. The training staff excepts Puskar to play this weekend.

Tyler Pilmore and Tristan Harper missed at least one practice this week due to an illness. Both are excepted to play this weekend.

The IceDiggers and the NTDP are the two least penalized teams in the NAHL. Alpena averages 17.12 PIMs per game, while USA is the least penalized team at 16.94 PIMs per game.

From pucks to pasta in Traverse City

For one night, the Traverse City North Stars are switching specialties – from pucks to pasta.

The second annual ‘Spaghetti on Ice’ event, slated for Thursday, March 20 at Centre ICE arena, will feature North Stars players as skating waiters, serving a piping hot Auntie Pasta’s spaghetti dinner, with all proceeds to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Northern Michigan. There will also be games and prizes, and a silent auction. Doors open at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m.

Dinner is $10 per adult, $5 for children under 12, and $30 for a family (max. 5). Tickets can be purchased at the North Stars ticket office at Centre ICE arena, or by calling the team at (231) 941-9200.

Nashville signs Plymouth goalie Smith

The Nashville Predators announced today that the club has signed goaltender Jeremy Smith to an entry-level contract.

Smith, is among the Ontario Hockey League leaders in both save percentage (.921) and shutouts (3) in his second full season with the Plymouth Whalers. The 5-foot-11, 161-pound native of Dearborn was also selected to the 2008 OHL All-Star Classic.

“We’re excited for Jeremy,” said Plymouth general manager Mike Vellucci. “He’s worked very hard to develop into one of the best goaltenders in the Ontario Hockey League.”

In 2006-07, Smith helped lead Plymouth to the 2007 OHL championship and shared the OHL’s Dave Pinkney Trophy for the best team goals-against average.

Smith, Nashville’s third choice, 58th overall, in the 2007 Entry Draft, was Team USA’s starting goalie at the 2008 World Junior Championships, posting a 4-2-0 record and a 2.40 goals-against average.

Smith also won USA Hockey’s Dave Peterson Award as the Top Junior Goaltender in the United States and made the OHL’s All-Academic Team last season and finished the season as the No. 1-rated North American goaltender by Central Scouting Services.

Photo by Walt Dmoch/Plymouth Whalers

Marquette finally back home at Lakeview

It’s been 34 days since the Marquette Rangers last played at Lakeview Arena.

Since that 6-3 win over Alexandria on Jan. 2, the Rangers have kept alive their playoff hopes in an ever-tightening North Division playoff race.

The only certainty in the division is that St. Louis will win the regular-season crown. The remaining five teams are all very much alive for the remaining three playoff positions. For Marquette (24-23-3), the run continues this Friday and Saturday at home against second-place Mahoning Valley (29-16-4.)

“It’s a very exciting time for all of us,” said Rangers head coach Randy Enders. “Every night is crucial, every shift becomes that much more important, every special-teams opportunity is multiplied in its’ importance. Every team in our division will be looking at the scoreboard every night - it’s a great time of year.”

Enders went on to say that when the schedule was announced last summer, the organization saw this home stretch as possibly being the difference in their season.

“We have six of our last eight at home which is rare, so we have an edge over the teams we’re battling right now," Enders said. "We need to take advantage of our building and our fans and use this opportunity to better our place in the standings.”

Marquette and Traverse City are tied for fourth place going into this weekend with 51 points apiece, six points behind third-place Alpena and three points ahead of the sixth-place U.S. National Team Development Program.

Traverse City, who is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games, is idle this weekend while Alpena hosts the USNTDP Under-17’s.

“We can get some separation this weekend if we play well and get points," said Enders. "It’s that simple."

IceDiggers to honor host families Friday

With the Alpena IceDiggers playing their final two home games of the regular season this Friday and Saturday night at Northern Lights Arena against the USA Under-17 Team, the team will honor the housing families during the first intermission Friday night.

Faceoff for both games is 7:00 p.m.

"It is very important for us as an organization to show these families on Friday night just how important they are to the team," said Alpena head coach Kenny Miller. "The billet families are a big piece to the puzzle when you have a junior hockey team. Without great host families like we have, you cannot put a team on the ice."

During the first intermission on Friday, the housing families will be introduced at center ice with their player leading them on the ice in front of the home crowd.

Alpena is coming off a 4-2 win over the USA Under-18 Team on Sunday in Ann Arbor.

"The guys played hard for 60 minutes," Miller said. "It was refreshing as the coach because the two nights before we didn't play well in some areas."

The IceDiggers dropped both games Friday and Saturday in Mahoning Valley.

With the Sunday win, the IceDiggers trail Mahoning Valley by three points in the standings and have an eight-point lead on Marquette and Traverse City, who are tied for fourth place in the tight North Division standings.


NOTEBOOK

Russ Anderson earned honorable mention honors for division player of the week this past week. The Riverside, Calif., native racked up a goal and three assists in three games last week and finished with a plus-1 rating.

Alpena native Erik Peterson is one assist away from 100 in his stint with his hometown team. Peterson has added 51 goals to go along with his 99 assists in 153 games.

After going winless his last five starts, Nick Graves recorded 24 saves in the 4-2 win over USA on Sunday. It was Graves' 13th win with the IceDiggers.

Saginaw has busy week ahead, Kitchener Sunday

The Saginaw Spirit wrapped up a weekend that saw four games in five days. The team posted a record of 2-1-1-0 over the weekend and advanced in the OHL Western Conference rankings with 69 points and a record of 31-24-5-2.

Saginaw will host the Sarnia Sting on Wednesday night for a 7:11 p.m match-up. The Spirit will cap off the weekend with two away games against the Owen Sound Attack on Saturday and the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday.

Details HERE.

'Shocks and Saves' game a hit in Saginaw

The first annual Shocks and Saves charity game saw former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fisher make his first public skate tonight in Saginaw since he collapsed on the Red Wings' bench on November 21, 2005.

Former NHLers Don Edwards (current Saginaw general manager) and Warren Rychel, as well as several local doctors and medical professionals, also participated in the event that raised over $15,000 for Fischer's Healthy Hope Foundation.

The Foundation will be donating that money to the local community to support the placement of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) in mid-Michigan schools and ice rinks.

The Saginaw Spirit lost the OHL game to Windsor, 4-3 in overtime.

Marquette tenders two more from Michigan

The Marquette Rangers have tendered two more players for the 2008-09 NAHL season, bringing the number of draft-protected players to seven for the North Division club.

The Rangers have added forward Kent Daavettila, who is currently playing Midget AAA for Detroit Compuware of the Midwest Elite Hockey League. Scouting reports show the 6-foot, 180-pound winger is strong at crashing the net with the ability to score having registered 65 points so far this year on 27 goals and 38 assists.

Marquette also tendered goaltender Robert Tadazak, who stands 6-foot-2, 165 pounds and is currently playing for the Flint Jr. Generals of the Central States Hockey League. Tadazak is tied for first in the CSHL in shutouts, is second in the CSHL in save percentage (.930) and third amongst goaltenders in both goals-against average (2.38) and wins (20).

“These two players really compliment both the players we’ve already signed to tenders, as well as the guys we’re hoping to have back from this year's team,” Rangers head coach Randy Enders said. “Both guys are big and strong and have been leaders for their current teams. I think both can make a significant impact next year in our league.”

Signing a player to a tender is a team's way of protecting that player from being drafted by another team in May's NAHL draft. It’s also a signal to that player that the team is confident in his abilities and his chances of making the final roster.

“It’s kind of like the early signing period in college sports,” said Enders. “We’re telling these guys that we think they’re good enough to be a part of next year's team, and we’re also telling them we’re willing to back that confidence up by putting it in writing.

“There are no guarantees. Each guy we sign still has to come to tryout camp and win a position on next year's team, but with the talent we’ve signed so far, I don’t think that will be much of an issue as we have now signed seven very strong players.”

Daavettila and Tadazak join five other players already tendered by the club in January.

The Rangers will be holding three tryout camps later this spring in Marquette, Detroit and Stevens Point, Wis., before holding their final camp in Marquette in July.

Plymouth plays three-in-three this weekend

The Plymouth Whalers (32-22-2-3) face another busy weekend and look to improve on their fifth-place standing in the competitive Ontario Hockey League Western Conference playoff race.

Here’s a closer look at the Whalers’ weekend:

Friday – Plymouth at Sarnia (32-26-0-2), 7:35 p.m. Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre. Sarnia has defeated Plymouth in three of four meetings this year, but the Sting is coming off a 9-0 defeat in Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday at the Steelback Centre. Sarnia features Steven Stamkos (46-41-87), who could be selected first overall in this summer’s National Hockey League Entry Draft in Ottawa. Left wing Justin DiBenedetto (33-40-73) helps Stamkos up front and defensemen Ryan Wilson (6-55-61) and Mark Katic (4-25-29) provide offense from the blue line. Goaltender Andrew Perugini (2.95, .921) has missed two weeks with a groin injury suffered against Plymouth Feb.13 and could return Friday. If Perugini can’t play, Tomi Karhunen (3.59, .891) will be in goal for the Sting.

WHALERS OUTLOOK: Center Chris Terry (39-51-90, fifth in league scoring) leads the Whalers this month with 14 points. Terry leads the OHL with five shootout goals. Right wing Ryan Hayes (9-9-18 in 18 games) has given the Plymouth offense a shot in the arms just coming over from Boston College in January. Second-year center Vern Cooper (17-14-31) has picked up the pace over the second half of the season. NHL scouts continue to evaluate the Whalers’ draft-eligible players – AJ Jenks (25-22-47) and Michal Jordan (5-18-23, +9) – with interest. Plymouth goaltender Jeremy Smith (2.82, .921) is tied with Perugini for second place in the OHL in save percentage. The Whalers will play this weekend without suspended head coach Greg Stefan and defenseman Leo Jenner. Both will return Mar. 7 in Guelph. Injured defenseman Josh Bemis is close to returning from a broken wrist, but is still listed as day-to-day.

Saturday – Belleville (41-12-4-2) at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m. Compuware Arena. The Bulls roll into Plymouth as the OHL’s top team in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall in the Mosaik Mastercard Canadian Hockey League Top Ten Rankings. The Bulls come into the weekend 21-3-1-0 since Dec. 29.

Belleville features a deep roster, including goaltender Mike Murphy, who leads the OHL with a 2.26 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Montreal draft pick P.K. Subban (7-34-41) and Colorado draftee Nigel Williams (13-26-39) provide offense from the blue line, while NHL scouts are watching draft-eligible defenseman Shawn Lalonde (9-19-28, +30). Up front, Belleville has a veteran group, led by Florida prospect Shawn Matthias (27-44-71), Los Angeles draft choice Bryan Cameron (33-33-66), Detroit prospect Jan Mursak (16-47-63) and veteran Adam Perry (28-45-73). Belleville may play this weekend without Anaheim pick Matt Beleskey (40-43-83), who has a bad shoulder.

Sunday – Saginaw (30-23-4-2) at Plymouth, 2:00 p.m. Compuware Arena. Plymouth has won four of the six games so far with the Spirit. Saginaw comes into the weekend on a four-game winning streak, including a 3-1 victory over Kingston on Wednesday. Spirit goaltender Ryan Daniels (3.07, .906) has played very well over the last two months and has given Saginaw a lift. Veterans Jack Combs (38-51-89, +28), Ryan McDonough (40-40-80, +30) and Tomas Zaborsky (28-33-61) lead Saginaw offensively and the young Spirit blue line – led by T.J. Brodie (2-23-25), Adam Comrie (8-15-23, +14) and Nick Crawford (4-14-18) – improves as the season wears on.

Former Whaler and Jr. Wing Dan Pawlaczyk will be available for autographs and photos during the second intermission of Sunday's game against Saginaw.

'Shocks and Saves' game to feature Jiri Fischer

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman and CHL alumnus Jiri Fischer will be skating in the ‘Shocks and Saves’ charity game on March 1 in Saginaw.

The occasion marks the first time that Fischer will participate in a hockey game since Nov. 21, 2005, when he collapsed on the Red Wings' bench due to heart complications.

The ‘Shocks and Saves’ charity game was organized by the Michigan Cardiovascular Institute (MCVI) Foundation and presented by Biotronik 'Excellence for Life,' Covenant Health Care, MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland, the MCVI and Mobile Medical Response.

The game will be played at 5:00 p.m. with a special $10 ticket that also includes admission to the following Saginaw Spirit home game against the Windsor Spitfires.

IceDiggers on the road this weekend

The Alpena IceDiggers will head out of town for three very tough road games this weekend.

Friday and Saturday, the IceDiggers will invade the Ice Zone in Boardman, Ohio, to take on the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. Both games start at 7:15 p.m. On Sunday, Alpena will travel to Ann Arbor to take on the U.S. National Under-18 Team for the first time this year. The puck drops at 3:00 p.m. for Sunday's contest.

The IceDiggers are coming off a disappointing weekend where they dropped three straight in picking up only one out of a possible six points. Traverse City defeated Alpena on Friday, 4-2, in Traverse City. On Saturday, the IceDiggers came from two down late in the third to send the game to overtime before falling in a ten-round shootout. On Sunday, the USA Under-17 Team took a 2-0 road win home with them.

"Last week was one of those weeks a coach likes to forget about, not much good came out of those three games," said Alpena head coach Kenny Miller. "As a team, we need to find a way to fight through the little things it takes to win at this level."

Mahoning Valley didn't fair much better dropping two straight in St. Louis last weekend. The Phantoms are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. Alpena has only made one trip to Mahoning Valley back in November when the two teams split the weekend series. The Phantoms have a record of 14-6-1 at the Ice Zone.

"That is a tough building to play in," added Miller. "They are a team that plays well at home, so we will have our hands full."

The USA Under-18 Team is coming off a 5-2 win over Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. The Under-18 team has defeated several teams at the D-I college level. Yale, Harvard, Minnesota Duluth and Northern Michigan have all fallen to the Americans.

The IceDiggers will return to Northern Lights Arena next Friday and Saturday when they play host to the USA Under-17 Team. The weekend series will wrap up the IceDiggers' regular season home schedule.

Soo junior team coming back?

By Randy Russon
OspreyBlogs.com

More than 30 years ago, circa 1975, Paul Theriault started his coaching career behind the bench of the Michigan Soo Indians of the International Junior Hockey League.

Now a venerable coach who has had subsequent stops in the Ontario Hockey League (Soo Greyhounds, Oshawa Generals and Erie Otters), the National Hockey League (Buffalo Sabres) and gigs that have taken him to Germany, Italy and Japan, Theriault hopes to again be where it all started for him.

As the coach of a Michigan Soo junior hockey team.

The 57-year old Theriault is spearheading a bid to return a Michigan Soo franchise to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League for the 2008-09 season. The Michigan Soo Indians won the NOJHL title in 2006-07 with Kevin Cain as coach, but the franchise was revoked from erstwhile owner Charles Perdicaro last summer and mothballed for the 2007-08 campaign.

Enter Theriault, who has been busy this winter trying to gather the financial backing to revive the franchise for the 2008-09 NOJHL season.

"We've got an out of state investor with ties to the (Michigan Soo) community in place as well as commitments from local investors," said Theriault.

But the Canadian Soo native, who has maintained a Michigan Soo area residence with his wife Janice for more than 30 years, said he hopes to have more investors on board.

"We are trying to avoid what happened with previous ownerships," said Theriault, referring to when Perdicaro, who resides in East Rockway, N.Y., owned the Indians and when the franchise, known as the Northern Michigan Black Bears, was controlled by partners from outside the Upper Peninsula.

"We don't this to be a one-or-two-year thing," Theriault said. "We want to re-establish a junior hockey franchise (in the Michigan Soo) for the long term."

Theriault, who said he is "very confident" of a Michigan Soo return to the NOJHL for '08-09, said the team would play its home games downtown at historic Pullar Stadium. Both the former Indians and Black Bears played their games at Big Bear Arena on the outskirts of town.

"We need to draw from the downtown area and the Pullar, with its location and rich history, is the place for us to be," Theriault emphasized.

The ancient Pullar will be undergoing renovations over the next while after getting approval from Michiagn Soo's City Commission last week.

Theriault, who plans on coaching the revived Michigan Soo entry should it be a part of the NOJHL in 2008-09, said he only wants student-athletes on the team, preferably from the area,

"It will be a criteria for all of our players to be post-secondary school students at either Lake Superior State University, Algoma University or Sault College," Theriault added. "We don't want high school-aged players...we don't want to disrupt the area high school hockey programs."

Theriault added that his plan is for the team to practice at the Pullar in the morning and for the players to attend school in the afternoon and/or at night.

Theriault, who has had discussions with NOJHL commissioner Mark Seidel about a return of the Michigan Soo for '08-09, said he hopes to meet with league governors "sooner than later." Should the NOJHL grant the return, the franchise would also need the approval of USA Hockey in order to play in the Northern League.

It's not a given that if a Michigan Soo franchise returns to the NOJHL that it would be called the Indians though, according to Theriault.

"It's a different generation, maybe it's time for a name change, I don't know. We'll let the community decide that," said Theriault.

Al Jones, general manager and part owner of the Soo Thunderbirds, is hoping for the return of a crossriver Michigan Soo franchise.

"It would not only cut down on our travel, but re-establish the longstanding Twin Soo rivalry," said Jones.

Saginaw at home for three this week

The Saginaw Spirit swept their last weekend series with wins over the Brampton Battalion, the London Knights and the Oshawa Generals. The Spirit enter the week in eighth place in the OHL Western Conference with 64 points and a record of 29-23-4-2.

This week will find the Spirit taking on the Kingston Frontenacs on Wednesday, the Belleville Bulls on Friday and the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday. All three games will take place at TheDow Event Center in Saginaw, with a start time of 7:11 p.m. The Spirit are 16-12-0-0 at home.

The Spirit are playoff bound for their third consecutive season. The team clinched their post-season spot following a victory over the Knights last Friday.

The Spirit are currently in eighth place with 64 points. They are two points behind the seventh place Sarnia Sting (64 points) and three points behind the 6th place Guelph Storm (67 points). If the post season started this week, the Spirit would be facing the Kitchener Rangers in the first round.

Kingston Frontenacs, February 27th, 2008; 7:11 PM TheDow Event Center, Saginaw
The Spirit are set to faceoff against the Kingston Frontenacs in the game that was rescheduled from November. The Frontenacs are fighting to get into the post-season, currently in ninth place in the OHL Eastern Conference with 38 points and a record of 18-37-0-2. The Peterborough Petes are in eighth place with 51 points. The Frontenacs enters the week following a 7-4 win on Sunday over the Petes, the team’s first victory in Kingston’s newly-built K-Rock Centre.

The team lost a lot of veteran talent to trades this year, including winger Cory Emmerton, defenseman Jonathan Sciacca and Ben Shutron and goalie Jason Guy. Center Nathan Moon (26-32-58), winger Matthew Kang (25-27-52), center Bobby Mignardi (15-27-42), winger Josh Brittain (22-19-41), and center Andris Dzerins (17-23-40) have posted solid numbers up front, combining for 105 goals. Defensemen Justin Wallingford (5-34-39) and Taylor Doherty (3-9-12) filled the gap left by Sciacca and Shutron. Goalies Mavric Parks and John Murray, both former Kitchener Rangers, have shared time in net for the Frontenacs.

The Spirit last saw action against the Frontenacs on Oct. 19 in what would be a 7-1 win thanks in part to a Tyler Murovich hat trick.

Belleville Bulls, February 29th, 2008; 7:11 PM TheDow Event Center, Saginaw
The Spirit host the Belleville Bulls on Friday in what could be an exciting matchup featuring several former teammates squaring off against one another. The Belleville roster includes former Saginaw players Nigel Williams, Jan Mursak and Parker Van Buskirk. On the other bench, the Spirit roster now boasts former Bulls players Brendan Taylor, Kyle Tront and Edward Pasquale. The Bulls are currently the top team in the OHL Eastern Conference with 88 points and a record of 41-12-4-2.

Wingers Matt Belesky (40-43-83) and Bryan Cameron (66-33-66), who both notched a goal against the Spirit earlier in the season and tallied hat tricks in games last weekend, are at the forefront of an impressive offensive lineup featuring veteran winger Adam Perry (28-45-73), center Shawn Matthias (27-44-71) and Mursak (16-47-63). The Bulls defense is one of the best in the league, allowing only 153 goals this season (less than three goals per game on average). Defenseman P.K. Subban (7-34-41) and Williams (13-26-39) often chip in from the blue line while defensemen Geoff Killing (1-7-8) and Shawn Lalonde (9-19-28) have posted high figures in the plus/minus category with a plus-31 and plus-30, respectively. Goalie Mike Murphy is the reigning OHL Goalie of the Month, and has posted a 2.26 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in 43 games.

The Spirit lost an overtime battle to the Bulls earlier in the season, 3-2, on Oct. 6. Rookie Jordan Szwarz tallied a goal in the effort.

Windsor Spitfires, March 1st, 2008; 7:11 PM TheDow Event Center, Saginaw
The Spirit will open the month of March with a game against the Windsor Spitfires. The Spitfires are currently in third place in the OHL Western Conference with 76 points and a record of 33-15-6-4.

Rookie center Taylor Hall (31-27-58) and defenseman Ryan Ellis (13-40-53) have taken the league by storm in their rookie season, quickly becoming a critical part in the Spitfires play this season. Winger Bradley Snetsinger (30-47-77) is the team’s leading scorer, and has tallied three goals against the Spirit this season. Center Joshua Bailey (24-49-73) and winger Greg Nemisz (26-26-52) round out the team’s top five scorers. Defenseman Mark Cundari (6-14-20 ) leads the Spitfires D-men with a plus-24 and Andrew Engelage has started in net 38 games this season, earning a 2.12 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

The Spirit are 3-0-0-1 against the Spitfires this season and are riding a three-game win streak against their West Division rivals. Jack Combs has notched three goals against the Spitfires this season, with Ryan McDonough and Tomas Zaborsky each scoring two goals. Goalie Ryan Daniels has compiled an 1.71 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage against the Spitfires this season.

North Stars welcome Alpena tonight

The time is now for the Traverse City North Stars.

With three-quarters of the 2007-08 season in the books, the Stars will have to continue their roll if they hope to catch Marquette for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NAHL North Division. Traverse City is currently eight points back with 13 games left – including four head-to-head meetings with the Rangers.

The stretch run gets underway on Friday evening, when the Alpena IceDiggers visit Centre ICE arena for the first in a home-and-home series that returns to Northern Lights Arena on Saturday.

“We’ve kind of stopped watching the standings and worrying about what other teams are doing,” Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “We’re tried to look at the next game, the next period, the next shift. Honestly, I don’t know who plays who, how many games are left against which teams, and all that stuff. I think you lose focus when you go that route.”

The last time the Stars and Diggers met (Feb. 1-2), Traverse City converted a home-and-home sweep that helped spawn a 4-1-3 record over its last eight games. The North Stars are coming off a victory at Mahoning Valley – the franchise’s first – and took three of four points against the Phantoms.

“I think we’ve come to a point where the guys understand what the coaches expect and we as a coaching staff have grown to understand our team better,” Palumbo explained. “The pieces seem to be fitting, and we’re getting contributions from a lot of guys.”

Few North Stars players are as switched on right now as center Nate Urbaniak. The Perrysburg, Ohio product set a new team single-season record for points (51) with a quarter of the season remaining. He has nine points over his past five games, including a two-goal, two-assist effort in a 4-2 win at Mahoning last Saturday. Urbaniak leads TC with 21 goals – tied for most in a season in the Stars’ three-year history – and 15 power play assists. He also had a goal on Monday at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament all-star event.

“Nate is doing all the little things right,” Palumbo explained. “He’s responsible defensively, creative offensively, and has a really nice chemistry with Harrison (Niemann) and Kyle (Bonis).”

Erik Peterson is the Diggers’ biggest offensive threat overall, with 63 points – fourth among all NAHL skaters - including 23 assists on the power play. Jon Puskar (18 goals), Russell Anderson (17), Jimmy McCusker (16) and Isaac Viau (15) are also credible threats with the puck for Alpena. Mike DeGrazia has dished out nine assists in 12 games versus TC this season.

Niemann (49 pts.) leads the North Stars (15-19-11) with 31 assists and a +18 plus-minus rating, is second with 49 points, and had four helpers in last weekend’s twin-bill at Mahoning. He also dished out a pair of assists in Sunday’s all-star opener. Bonis has 21 points in just 24 games with TC, and has four goals in his past four games.

Friday’s game is set to face off at 7 p.m., while Saturday’s capstone contest gets underway at 7:30 p.m. The Stars will head to Ann Arbor on Wednesday to face the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Under-17 squad.

Whalers host Brampton, Soo this weekend

Due to the tragic death of Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud, Plymouth’s game Thursday night in Windsor against the Spitfires has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

The Whalers (31-22-2-2, 66 points, fifth seed in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference race) get back to action this weekend with a pair of games at Compuware Arena:

Friday – Brampton (35-19-1-2) at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m., Compuware Arena: The Battalion march into Compuware Arena in first place in the OHL’s Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Brampton defeated Plymouth, 5-4, on Jan. 27 at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. In that game, Plymouth came all the way back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game in the third period, but lost on John Hughes’ goal with 2:34 left in regulation.

WHO’S HOT FOR THE WHALERS: With 87 points through 57 games, Chris Terry (37-50) has 11 games remaining on the schedule to become the 14th player in franchise history to record 100 points in a season. The Whalers are getting production of late from a forward line featuring Vern Cooper (14-14-28), Kaine Geldart (10-24) and Joe Gaynor (8-9-17). Whalers’ veteran defenseman and OHL All-Star Wes Cunningham (6-43-49) will miss the rest of the season after undergoing finger surgery, but the Whalers are getting good work from NHL prospect Michal Jordan (5-17-22, +7), Carolina draftee Brett Bellemore (5-16-21, +6) and Ohio native Christian Steingraber (1-14-15, +9) in Cunningham’s absence. Brownstown’s Jeremy Smith (2.80 goals against, .920 save pct.) continues to have an excellent season in goal for the Whalers.

WHO’S HOT FOR BRAMPTON: The Battalion feature Red Wings prospect Cory Emmerton (19-33-52), who was acquired from Kingston earlier this year. Emmerton has a history of playing well at Compuware Arena. He’s been named the game’s first star for Kingston in two victories over the Whalers – Nov. 18, 2006 in a 5-2 win in which he scored two goals and an assist and Nov. 18, 2005 in a 7-5 win over the Whalers in which he also scored two goals with an assist. In all, Emmerton has scored seven goals with five assists for 12 points in seven games against Plymouth over his career.

Brampton also features center Cody Hodgson (35-35-70, +10) and defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti (21-36-57, +10), a New Jersey native who was a first round pick of the New York Rangers in last summer’s National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Saturday – Sault Ste. Marie (36-15-2-4) at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m., Compuware Arena: The Greyhounds are battling with Windsor for first place in the OHL’s West Division and have split four games with Plymouth so far this season.

WHO’S HOT FOR THE SOO: Leading scorer and captain Dustin Jeffrey (24-50-74, +16) is a Pittsburgh Penguins draftee who has already been signed by the Penguins. Los Angeles pick Wayne Simmonds (28-31-59) brings grit and skill to the rink. Defenseman Josh Godfrey (15-28-43, +26) has one of the hardest shots in the OHL and has been signed by his NHL team, the Washington Capitals. Veteran goaltender Kyle Gajewski (2.50, .910) is a National Hockey League free agent playing for a pro contract next season.

Rangers off to Ann Arbor this weekend

Following their final off week of the season, the Marquette Rangers return to North American Hockey League North Division action this Friday and Saturday in Ann Arbor battling the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-17 Team.

The puck drops at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

Marquette is currently in fourth place in the North Division with 46 points (23-20-3) and leads the NTDP (21-18-2) by five points heading into the weekend.

There is, however, an added sense of urgency for Marquette as the NTDP has played five fewer games this season due to international competitions in Canada and Europe. Achieving some separation before those games-in-hand come into play is at the top of the Rangers’ agenda this weekend.

“Back in the fall we talked about how tight the division was going to be this year,” Rangers head coach Randy Enders said. “Every game is important through the course of the season, so obviously keeping our lead over those guys at this stage of the game is going to be crucial. These four points this weekend could be the difference at the end of the season, so we need to do the things we do best, take advantage of the off week and come out ready to go.

“I like our team right now - we’ve got an exciting balance of veterans and younger guys who can deliver a lot of firepower. The key for us is getting that on a consistent basis and it looks more and more like that’s happening, which is exciting at this time of year.”

Although the team enjoyed some time away, two Rangers’ players were busy participating in the recent North American Hockey League Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor.

Forward Aaron Pietila and defenseman Derek Grogan represented the Rangers and the North Division in the round-robin event that featured teams from all three NAHL divisions and a team representing the NTDP.

The showcase was designed as an opportunity for scouts and coaches to watch the top players in the NAHL for future recruiting opportunities.

Pietila finished the three games with an assist and a plus-minus rating of plus-2, while Grogan ended the tournament with an assist and a plus-3 rating. Both players are expected back in the Rangers’ lineup for the two games this weekend.

North Stars rescued by Marquette bus

ALONG I-75 NORTH, NEAR MILE MARKER 169 – The three Traverse City North Stars all-stars were heading home from the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, drained after a weekend series in Mahoning Valley and three days of all-star games.

Somewhere near Kawkawlin – about 20 minutes north of Bay City – the SUV in which Harrison Niemann, Jameson Raymond and Nate Urbaniak were riding lost its transmission and ground to a halt near the Beaver Road on-ramp. AAA Road Service could not arrange for a 150-mile tow and accommodate all four travelers, and it seemed as if the players were headed for an unexpected stay at a local motel – if they could find one, and find a way to get there.

Just then, Niemann remembered that the Marquette all-stars were also on their way home, and in a bus that the league had chartered for use ferrying players about at the tournament. Urbaniak furnished the mobile phone number of Marquette’s Aaron Pietila – a former North Stars standout who was on the bus – and rivals became rescuers.

The Rangers bus had already passed the stranded Stars’ location, but turned around and picked up the trio, dropping them in Grayling where another party brought the players home.

“It was a funny way to end a long weekend,” said a road-weary Niemann. “We became teammates with guys we go out and battle against every night, and then to get picked up on the side of the interstate late at night by one of your biggest rivals – it sort of gives you a little perspective on things.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the North Division capped its three game run with a 2-1 setback to the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Under-18 squad. Alpena’s Jimmy McCusker had the North’s lone goal, while Robbie Czarnik registered the game-winner for the U-18s 5:29 into the third. Overall, the North and Team USA both finished with 2-1-0 records, followed by the Central (1-1-1) and South (1-2-0).

“It was good hockey with a crisp pace,” said Raymond. “It was fun to get a chance to play with the best players in our league.”

The trio combined for five points over the three-game span. Raymond had a goal and an assist, Niemann assisted on two North goals, while Urbaniak rang up a rare feat: the bottle-buster. The Stars’ all-time single-season scoring leader (51 pts.) broke in on Central Division netminder Robby Moss (North Iowa) early in the third period of Monday’s contest, and unleashed a blast that beat Moss - and shattered the Gatorade bottle sitting in the top netting.

“I think that’s a first for me,” Urbaniak quipped.

The North Stars get back to work this weekend with a home-and-home series with Alpena. Traverse City (15-19-11) will host the IceDiggers on Friday at Centre ICE arena (7 p.m.) before heading west for Saturday’s finale.