Teddy bear toss in Traverse City Sunday

North Stars tender Flint's Scurfield

Flint Jr. Generals forward Nate Scurfield has been tendered by the Traverse City North Stars for next season.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Scurfield, an 18-year-old Midland native, has played in 39 games with Flint, scoring 15 goals and 30 assists to sit second in team scoring.

"Nate sees the ice very well and is a very strong skater," said Jr. Generals coach George Dritsas. "Nate should do well at the next level."

Nate's older brother, Brad, also played two seasons for the Jr. Generals and is now playing for D-III Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

Canton native picks Western Michigan

USHL Press Release

The Chicago Steel announced this week that forward Greg Wolfe has committed to Western Michigan University and will attend the school beginning in the fall of 2010.

The 19-year-old native of Canton ranks third on the Steel in scoring with 30 points (15g, 15a) through 36 games this season. Wolfe was named team captain for 2009-10 and is second in goals (15) while leading the club with a plus-six rating. He began this season scoring a goal in each of Chicago's first four games. Wolfe is playing in his second USHL season after recording 27 points (21g, 6a) in 41 games during the 2008-09 campaign.

Wolfe will be joined by Steel teammate Nick Pisellini at Western Michigan. Three other current USHL players are also committed to attend the school following their USHL careers: Dennis Brown (Omaha Lancers), Dan Dekeyser (Algonac/Sioux City Musketeers) and David Donnellan (Youngstown Phantoms).

Photo courtesy USHL Images

Rangers off on roadie to Janesville

The race is on for four out of the five teams in the North American Hockey League North Division and the Marquette Rangers are right in the thick of it all.

Marquette is currently five points behind first place Traverse City heading into this weekend’s action. The Rangers lead third place Janesville by five points, with the Motor City Metal Jackets still well within the hunt in fourth place with 38 points on the season.

Alpena appears to be the odd team out as the IceDiggers are falling further behind as the season plays out. With eight weekends remaining, Alpena is 15 points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the division.

Traverse City plays a one-game set Friday at Motor City before coming to Marquette the following Thursday evening.

Marquette travels to southern Wisconsin this weekend as the Rangers and Janesville battle one another this Friday and Saturday night in a series that may very well set the tone for the remainder of the race. The Jets and the Rangers have played four games this season with Janesville holding a 3-1 record against Kenny Miller’s club.

Despite the struggles against the Jets, Marquette is in the midst of a four-game winning streak having swept both Alpena and Albert Lea.

As the Rangers continue to battle within the division, the battle for scoring leadership on the team has also begun to heat up. Garrett Ladd (14g, 26a, 40 pts) and Andrew Kolb (15g, 24a, 39 pts) continue to lead the team, with Michigan Tech recruit Tanner Kero (36 pts) and Collin Saint-Onge (34 pts) keeping pace.

Youth being served with Jets' Moeller

When the Metro Jets coaching staff went to scout players in last spring’s Midget A state tournament, one player kept grabbing their attention – Matt Moeller.

Admittedly, Jets coach Ryan Skop said he was at the tournament to watch other players he was told about, but after Moeller, then with the Troy Sting, caught his eye, he quickly became the one skater Skop wanted to get signed for this season.

“I really started to notice Moe because he was always stirring the pot,” Skop said. “It seemed like he was under the skin of every guy on the opposing team. He finished every check and just played with an intensity nobody else out there did. He has a pretty good skill set and he was one of the younger ones out there, too.”

Still just 16, Moeller is the youngest player on the Jets and one of the youngest in the Central States Hockey League. While he started out slow and then had to battle back from an early-season knee injury, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Moeller has picked up his game as of late and scored his first goal of the season last weekend in Peoria.

“Being the youngest on the team comes with a lot of responsibility because I have to work extra hard to keep up with the older guys,” said Moeller. “I think by looking up to the older, more experienced vets, I have learned a lot about the game, which has made me a much better, all-around hockey player. I think the vets respect that I look up to them, as I respect them back, which has helped me fit in more this year with the guys.”

“Part of our plan when we set out last year to do some recruiting was to find a way to get a couple of real young guys who we can work and develop and have in the system here,” explained Skop. “Moe certainly plays the part. Coming into the season, I was hoping Moe wouldn't be intimidated playing with guys who were a bit older. I wanted him to keep that edge we like so much. To his credit, he did just that. After the two exhibition games we had with Flint, we were wondering if he would hold up through an entire season playing with the same kind of reckless abandon he was. For the most part, he's been bringing the same energy night in and night out.”

Moeller, a native of Fraser, has played the last few weeks on a line with Joe Rutkowski and Brad Tunesi and has also earned time on special teams

“He's starting to find a more complete game, too,” Skop said. “Moe does have the skill to be more than an energy guy. Lately, he's really had some good chances and he's getting those chances by working hard. He's been given a chance to start killing penalties here the past couple weeks and he's been pretty good with that, too.”

While Moeller still has four years left of junior hockey eligibility, Skop thinks it’s just a matter of time before Moeller makes the jump up the hockey ladder.

“For Moe, it's just a matter of continuing to develop his skills and maintaining the same style of game he plays,” said Skop. “With the work ethic he has, I'm sure in a year or so he'll be ready to move up.”

Moeller agrees with his coach.

“It has always been my dream to play Division I college hockey,” added Moeller. “With my goal in mind, I would hope to move up in my junior career to the NAHL. However, if nothing happens, then I am fully prepared to stay with the Jets and keep pushing myself and working hard until I do accomplish my goals.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

Metro swept the Peoria Mustangs on the road last weekend with a 5-2 win Saturday night and a 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon.

The two wins pushed Metro’s record to 9-26-0-3 and give the Jets two more wins than all of last season. The Jets also take the season series from Peoria with three wins and a shootout loss.

Saturday night, Metro used five different goal scorers and a 28-save outing in goal from Ian Mercer to gain the win.

Brett Grech had a goal and an assist for the Jets, while Dylan Mantay and Moeller scored their first goals of the season. Jon Elliott added his tenth of the year and Steve Vandenberghe also lit the lamp.

Sunday afternoon, Elliott scored again to go along with a single from David Merkle and Mercer’s 36 saves.

The Jets play just one game this week, on Friday night on the road against the Motor City Chiefs. Metro returns home on Saturday, Feb. 6 against Queen City.

JET FUEL

Grech assisted on Elliott’s goal Sunday to take over the team scoring lead with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists).

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Aaron Davis, a forward with the Jets in the mid-1990s, is now in his eighth professional season after four years at Lake Superior State University.

Davis, a 30-year-old from Dearborn Heights, has 15 goals and 38 points in 37 games this season with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.

Photo by Walt Dmoch

Whalers playing at top of their game

The Plymouth Whalers are playing their best hockey of the season as they move into the last weekend of January.

A number of factors have played into Plymouth’s resurgence:

SEGUIN and CZARNIK: Tyler Seguin is the current Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week who surged to the top of the OHL scoring race (33-46-79) with an 11-point week over three games as the Whalers beat Windsor (7-4), Mississauga (5-1), and Peterborough (4-2) January 18-23 for a record of 28-20-0-1.

It’s hard to pick one play Seguin makes over another this year, but his goal in Mississauga on January 22 was a special play, one in which he made something out of nothing by sheer persistence and talent.

The Whalers were leading, 2-1, in the second period when Seguin – working along the left boards in the Mississauga zone – misfired on a pass to the left point to defenseman Austin Levi. The pass wasn’t hard enough and was not going to make it to Levi, so Seguin chased the puck down, skated to the high slot and snapped a hard low shot past Mississauga goaltender Chris Carrozzi to give Plymouth a 3-1 lead.

Not many players make a play like that.

Seguin has found some chemistry with Los Angeles prospect Robbie Czarnik, who scored in each of the wins against Windsor, Mississauga and Peterborough.

“We always talk and Czarnik’s one of my closer buddies on the team,” Seguin said after the Peterborough game. “He’s got great hands, great skill.”

Los Angeles Kings Director of Player Development Nelson Emerson and other Kings scouts are regulars at Plymouth games since Czarnik came over from the University of Michigan.

"It took a little bit of time for him to adjust to the different leagues," Emerson said in LAKings.com. "By that I mean there are more games, the style of play is different, and I think what you saw is that it took a little bit of time for him to get his feet wet. Now what you are seeing is he's more accustomed to his teammates and he's more comfortable. He's becoming more used to the players and to the style of play and he's using it to his advantage."

AJ JENKS: See any Florida Panthers scout at a Whalers game and they usually meet you with a smile. Jenks is developing into the player Florida projected when they selected him in the fourth round (100th overall) in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

“We like AJ a lot,” said Florida scout Luke Williams last Friday in Mississauga. “He’s got good size, he’s scoring and he takes care of the defensive side of things, too. He’s coming along just like we hoped.”

GOOD HEALTH: The Whalers are injury-free for the first time this season. Any players who sit are now healthy scratches due to a coaches’ decision. Head coach Mike Vellucci, associate coach Joe Stefan, and assistant coach Brian Sommariva now have the good fortune to use the same lineup for an extended period for the first time all season.

HACKETT: A sign of Matt Hackett’s consistency is the fact he’s allowed more than four goals in a game just twice this season. He allowed five on September 19 against Oshawa in a 6-5 overtime victory and then six on January 6 in a 7-3 loss in Erie.

The Whalers as a collective unit battle hard for their goaltender and Hackett appreciates it.

“It’s always awesome to get a shutout,” Hackett said after posting a 3-0 shutout over Niagara on January 16. “But the team in front of me made it easy. They kept the shots to the outside, like always. It was a fun game to play. I wasn’t happy with my game last night, so I wanted to come out and make sure I had a good start. It paid off tonight.”

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Whalers have moved to the top of the OHL in penalty killing. According to veteran penalty killers Leo Jenner and Joe Gaynor, it's part preparation and a lot of perspiration.

“I think part of it is our effort in practice,” Jenner said. “There’s a lot of communication between our forwards and defense and everyone knows what they’re doing. We try to force turnovers. Everybody anticipates where the puck is going to be and we’re on it.”

It’s often said a team’s best penalty killer is the goaltender. Jenner agrees.

“Hack’s an excellent talent,” Jenner explained. “He talks to us non-stop and it’s great to know if you’re in his way. He’ll let you know for sure.”

“We pride ourselves on special teams,” Gaynor said. “Our goal every night is to try to be one hundred percent on the PK and then get a couple of goals on the power play. If we do that, we expect to come out of the game with a win.”

STEFAN and SOMMARIVA: They aren’t looking for any credit, but their pre-scouting and video work of the opposition helps a team looking for an edge. Board the Whalers bus before any road game and you’ll see Stefan watching video of the opponent. Come on the bus after the game and Sommariva is already looking to download the latest game of the Whalers’ next opponent, if he hasn’t done so already.

Visit Stefan’s room the morning of a home game and there’s a good chance he’s watching video.

LIVINGSTON and McRAE: Although the Whalers two acquisitions at the OHL trade deadline, James Livingston and Phil McRae, have scored just one goal apiece since joining the team, they both understand their role and have fit in well in their new surroundings.

“It was definitely strange for me,” Livingston said of the trade. “I played three-and-a-half years in Sault Ste. Marie, so it became a home to me and I loved it there, but when I got news that Plymouth was interested in making a deal, it was an exciting time. I’ve always heard that Plymouth is an excellent organization, a great rink to come play in with a great coaching staff, so I was very excited to come and work with these guys.

“Hearing that they added a couple of other players (Jay Gilbert and McRae), we’re making a push for the playoffs, so it’s very exciting.”

Livingston appreciates the depth of the Whalers.

“I look around the room and I see a lot of talented guys,” he said. “Hopefully, we can all be a part of something special. Hopefully I can bring something to the table and help this team.”

“I’m very excited – we have a lot of great players,” McRae said. “I think we have a good team that can make a run deep in the playoffs. I think everyone in the dressing room realizes we can beat anyone in the league.”

The Whalers play in Owen Sound on Wednesday before coming home on Friday to host Brampton and London on Saturday.

Text and McRae photo courtesy Plymouth Whalers

Vinson doing little things for Metro

It would be easy to mope around during a season such as the one the Metro Jets are having, but in looking at second-year forward Justin Vinson, you’d hardly know the Jets are fighting for their playoff lives.

Always with a smile on his face, the 18-year-old from Livonia, hasn’t lit up the score sheet this season, but his value to the team goes beyond numbers.

“Vinny's just a pretty upbeat kid by nature,” said Metro coach Ryan Skop. “Last year, there wasn't a heck of a lot expected from our team and when we were getting blasted every night, he was one of the guys who came to the rink and kept working. This year, to this point anyway, we've fallen short of some goals and expectations we set as a team and Vinny, true to form, still shows up, punches the clock, and gets his work in. He really helps keep the room loose and energetic when some guys might not be so upbeat.”

As a rookie last season, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Vinson posted 13 goals and 29 points, good for third in Jets’ scoring. This year, with just two goals to his credit, Skop credits his decrease in offensive output to Vinson working on other aspects of his game.

“I think the biggest and most positive change in Vinny's game from a year ago is consistency,” explained Skop. “Last year he'd have a good weekend and follow it up with two bad ones. He’d have a good period, then a bad one. This year, although he isn't scoring, he's consistently doing a lot of other things really well. He's showing a real maturity to his game that just wasn't there before.”

Looking to the future, Skop doesn’t see the need for Vinson to be back in Waterford for another season.

“Vinny's kind of intriguing when it comes to the prospects of him advancing,” Skop said. “He's so quick and so fast that I think he'd be a very nice asset for a team at a higher level. He doesn't score much, but his speed and strength are very valuable on the penalty kill and in a checking-type role.

“I really think that, given the opportunity, he'd be able to provide someone with that same type of game at the next level.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets finished up a long weekend Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 loss at Lakeland Arena to the Quad City Jr. Flames.

Quad City beat the Jets, 6-5, Saturday night, while the Toledo Cherokee blanked Metro, 4-0, Friday night in Toledo.

Tim Hooker had a goal and an assist and David Merkle also scored Sunday and Ian Mercer made 30 saves between the pipes.

Saturday night, Brett Grech scored twice to go along with singles from Will Saley, Jon Elliott and Jon Wickersham.

Elliott added an assist for a multi-point game.

R.J. Heath stopped 33 shots in goal.

Friday night, Mercer turned aside 37 shots in a losing effort.

Metro (7-26-0-3) plays a pair in Peoria this weekend against the Mustangs before going to Motor City next Friday night. The next home game for the Jets is Sat. Feb. 6 against the Queen City Steam.

JET FUEL

Grech is second among CSHL defensemen in goals with 10. Peoria’s Charles Vasseur leads the league with 11. Grech has also seen time at forward this season for the Jets.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Seth Giersdorf, who played for the Jets during the 1999-2000 season, is now living in Canton with his wife of 5 ½ years, Meghan, and their dog.

His hockey career behind him, Giersdorf is now a regional director for Sterling Management, a real estate and property management company, and oversees properties in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

Giersdorf came to the Jets from Coral Springs, Fla., and met his future wife while playing for the Jets as she was a niece of his host family.

Photo by Andy Grossman

Motor City heads to TC for pair

If there’s a team in the NAHL North Division as red-hot as the Traverse City North Stars, it’s the Motor City Metal Jackets.

While the Stars have claimed seven of their last eight contests, the Jackets are winners of four straight and five of six.

When Motor City (15-13-6) makes the journey north for the Friday-Saturday series at Centre ICE arena this weekend, it’ll have a chance to make up some ground on first-place Traverse City. The Metal Jackets are currently in fourth place, 12 points behind the North Stars (23-12-2), with three games in hand.

"I bet they have 8-10 players who didn't start the season with them," Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo told the Traverse City Record-Eagle. "They've been a .500 team right out of the gate and this win streak has put them over .500. I know they've played us tough all year."

R.J. Kleiman leads Motown with 16 goals and 20 assists through 34 games, while Cody Wydo (14), Steve Brancheau (10) and Billy Ballent (10) are each double-digit goal-scorers.

Defenseman Mike Monfredo has 14 assists and is among the league leaders with a plus-minus rating of +17. Randy Willis (9-6-5) and Jason Torf (6-7-1) have split time in net 60/40 so far this season.

Traverse City will get back to action following a two-game sweep of Alpena last weekend and a 7-1 mark since Christmas. Andy Huff, fresh off being named to the NHL Central Scouting’s watch list, has a team-best 20 goals, while Doug Clifford is Traverse City’s top offensive performer with 35 points in 37 contests. Garrett Thompson is in the midst of a nine-point, four-game combustion. Drew Strandberg has worked the majority of Stars games, with a 17-6-1 record, 2.54 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

Clifford tied for the scoring lead at this week’s NAHL Top Prospects Tournament all-star event in Ann Arbor, setting up five goals in the three-game showcase. Nick Shkreli finished the Top Prospects tourney with four points, while captain Travis White was a plus-3 for undefeated Team North (3-0).

Friday’s series-opener will feature a visit from Kidsville News mascot, Truman the Dragon, and a post-game skate with Truman, the North Stars players, and TC mascot, Wild Cherry.

Both games this weekend face-off at 7:00 p.m.

Rangers host Alpena this weekend

It’s been a busy and somewhat difficult week for the Marquette Rangers as they prepare to entertain the Alpena IceDiggers this weekend in North American Hockey League action.

For starters, the team has had to practice minus seven players plus their head coach as the group competed in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor over the past three days. Rangers head coach Kenny Miller guided the North Team to a 3-0 record in the round-robin event, while several Rangers players contributed offensively in the tournament.

Marquette netminder Kevin Kissaw split time in the event with Matt Wichorek of the Janesville Jets.

The third annual event is held each season as an all-star game, as well as a one-stop shopping scouting opportunity for college coaches looking for talent.

Meanwhile, back at Lakeview Arena, the rest of the team had to make the best of the situation under the guidance of assistant coach Dan L’Esperance in prepping for this weekend’s matchup with the IceDiggers.

Not to be lost in all of the confusion is the fact the Marquette is coming off a two-game sweep of the Albert Lea Thunder of the Central Division. The Rangers won 5-1 on Friday before holding off the Thunder 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday.

The four-point weekend moved the Rangers into sole possession of second place in the North Division, six points behind Traverse City and four points ahead of Janesville. Marquette travels to play the Jets next weekend.

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The Marquette Rangers will conduct their fourth celebrity contest contest of the season Saturday night at Lakeview Arena as the team entertains Alpena. With the event, someone in attendance will win a flat screen television from the Rangers organization by correctly guessing the amount of saves made by this week’s guest goaltender.

So far, Gary Muller of Marquette General Health Systems, John Veight of Public Service Garage and Rangers mascot Rock have all graced the ice attempting to stop 10 shots from various shooters.

Mike Ludlum of TV 6 sports will don the pads this weekend during the game's first intermission facing shots from a variety of shooters, including some fellow employees of TV 6.

When fans arrive at the arena, they will be given a slip to write their name on. They will then place their name in the bucket of their choice numbered 1-10. After the celebrity goalie contest reveals the amount of saves made, a name will be drawn from the bucket consisting of all the correct guesses.

The prize will be awarded at the end of the game and the winner must be present to win.

TC trio off to Top Prospects event

For three Traverse City North Stars, this week’s NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is a chance to shine in front of college and pro scouts, compete against the best players from around the league, and enjoy a brief respite from the rigors of the team’s schedule.

Forwards Doug Clifford and Nick Shkreli, along with defenseman Travis White, will head to the Ann Arbor Ice Cube for the three-day event, which will pit Team North against interdivisional foes Team South (Monday), Team West (Tuesday), and Team Central (Wednesday).

Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo says the threesome is deserving of all the recognition and exposure that’ll come their way.

“We’ve experienced some success this year, and all three of these guys have been important pieces of the puzzle,” he explained. “We had a lot of viable candidates (to go).”

Each NAHL team can send a number of players to the event, based on their positions in the standings of their respective divisions. At the time of selection in December, Traverse City was in third place, which slotted them for three representatives. Since then, the Stars have won seven of eight games and enjoy a six-point cushion in the NAHL North over second-place Marquette.

Clifford and Skhreli came to TC after Mahoning Valley jumped ship to the USHL after last season. Clifford leads the North Stars with 15 goals and 20 assists through 36 games, while Shkreli has returned from an off-season injury to post nine goals and 14 assists in 26 outings.

“They’ve made huge impacts on our team,” Palumbo said. “Doug’s been our most consistent forward all season long, and Nick is really just starting to hit his stride after not skating in the off-season due to his injury. They’re both dynamic, steady performers who truly deserve to be a part of this event.”

White, the Stars’ captain, missed 11 games with a lingering injury, but returned to the lineup just around the time the club bounced back from a mid-season lull. Palumbo says it’s no coincidence.

“Travis missed 11 games and we went 3-8 – then he comes back and we win seven of eight,” Palumbo surmised. “He’s probably the most important player in terms of being a steady guy on the blue line, a stabilizing influence on and off the ice, and a vocal leader in the (dressing) room.”

The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament also features an online charity jersey auction. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the Derek Zike Get Well Fund. Zike, a player with the Chicago Fury hockey team, was seriously injured during a game at a tournament last year in Ann Arbor.

Denston progressing well for Jets

The goal of junior hockey is player development and the Metro Jets hoped to accomplish that with Mike Denston when he signed as a free agent last summer.

Based on the first four months of the season, Denston has improved his overall game to the point that the Metro coaching staff feels he may be able to jump to the next level next season.

“Denny's still got a couple years left and I wouldn't at all be surprised if he was able to move up to Tier II next year,” Jets coach Ryan Skop said. “He skates well enough, he's got the skill for it, and he's certainly physical enough for it. We'll have to wait and see how things shake out, but he certainly could end up there.”

Denston, a forward from White Lake who turned 19 on Thursday, thinks coming to the Jets will help him continue to climb the hockey ladder.

“I feel that I’ve progressed rather well, actually,” said Denston. “I feel that throughout the season my confidence has increased and that I've gotten the hang of the fast pace of junior hockey. There's always room to get better and improve and that’s what I look to do every time I'm on the ice during practice or a game.”

In recent games, Denston has added an edge to his game that has made him a threat to make a big play at either end of the ice.”It actually wasn't until last year with my previous coach, Terry Christensen (Oakland Grizzlies midgets), that (the rough stuff) became part of my game,” Denston said. “He was an old school type coach that liked the hard hitting and the fighting and built the team around that. If you weren't that type of player, you had to make it a part of you if you wanted ice time and that's what I did.”

It may not show on the scoresheet a ton, but Denston is one of Metro’s more well-rounded players, according to Skop.

“Denny's improved since the beginning of the season by just making himself a more complete and consistent player,” Skop said. “When we picked him up, you could see he always had the talent to be an effective player at this level, but it was just a matter of getting him to do it on a daily basis. He's really worked on that and done it well.”

Denston has also been used in all situations, a testament again to his overall talent level.

“Denny's a guy who's so versatile we've been pretty comfortable putting him just about anywhere,” noted Skop. “He's played on the back end for us on the power play, he's been on the wall for us on the PP, he'll go to the net for us, he plays the penalty kill, there really isn't a spot he can't handle. He started the year in the middle and when (Tim) Hooker came back, we moved him over to the wing and he's done well since the transition. That line (Denston-Hooker-David Merkle) has been real good for us and Denny's a real important piece there.

“He's a skill guy who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty and playing in the hard areas of the ice. He's good on the forecheck and he provides Hook and Merk that other dimension every good line needs. I think the most noticeable part of Denny's game is his puck skills and creativity. He's got good hands and sees the ice really well. We're still working with him as far as finishing goes, but he's got a great ability to create scoring chances. Regardless of who he's on the ice with, he makes them better.”

Growing up just a few miles from Lakeland Arena, Denston said playing for the Jets is something he always envisioned as a young player.

“I've always thought it would be fun to play for the Jets,” Denston said. “When I was younger, I grew up playing at Lakeland and would always be at the Jets games. It's been a great experience playing in front of my friends and family.”

As for the future, like Skop said, it’s all in Denston’s hands.

”My goals are to reach the next level, whether it is the NAHL, USHL, or college,” said Denston. “Those are the places I have my mind set on and I am working hard to try and get myself to those places in the future.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets returned home after a 19-day break and dropped both games to the Chicago Force over the weekend at Lakeland Arena.

Saturday night, Jon Elliott tallied a goal and an assist in a 5-2 loss. Jon Wickersham also scored and Brett Grech added two assists. In goal, Ian Mercer made 39 saves in defeat.

Then Sunday afternoon, Chicago took a 6-1 decision over the Jets.

Elliott scored again and Mercer stopped 24 shots.

Metro (7-23-0-3) plays at Toledo Friday night before hosting Quad City Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at Lakeland. Game time Saturday night is 7:40 p.m., while the puck drops at 1:20 p.m. on Sunday.

JET FUEL

Of his team-best 16 goals, Josh Magnan has scored 10 at even-strength.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Barry Haber, one of the goalies on the 2002 national championship team, owns his own remodeling company in Tallahassee, Fla. – Haber Remodeling.

Haber started out on his own in the field back in 2002 and three years later moved his family and business down to Florida.

Photo by Andy Grossman

Marquette off on roadie to Albert Lea

For the third time this season, the Marquette Rangers will leave the North Division, traveling this weekend to Albert Lea, Minn., to battle the Albert Lea Thunder of the NAHL Central.

So far this season, Marquette is undefeated against out-of-division opponents having swept both Fairbanks (West) and North Iowa (Central) at Lakeview Arena earlier this year.

The Rangers are currently tied for second place in the North Division with the Janesville Jets. Both teams trail Traverse City by six points heading into this weekend.

Marquette will try and rebound after losing both games at Motor City last weekend.

Albert Lea, in their second year of operation after joining the NAHL last season, currently sits in last place in the Central Division and has dropped three out of their last four games. The Thunder trail North Iowa by 10 points for the final playoff spot in the Central Division race.

Spirit granting wish to local player

Eric Tien’s dream is to someday be part of the Saginaw Spirit.

This Friday night at the Dow Event Center, his dream will come true.

He will have his own locker stall, with a nameplate above it, and will get dressed in full Saginaw Spirit gear to skate to center ice as the Saginaw Spirit’s honorary captain when the Spirit entertain the Niagara IceDogs at 7:11 p.m.

Tien is a 16-year-old forward that plays for the Tri City Ice Hawks of the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League and is battling rhabdomyosarcoma, which is an extremely rare form of cancer found mainly in children. It is found in the skeletal and muscular structures of the body and affects 250-300 kids per year throughout North America.

On Wednesday, Tien met with Spirit president and managing partner Craig Goslin, general manager and head coach Todd Watson and Spirit captain Tyler Murovich before addressing the entire Spirit team in their locker room.

“His message to our team was that he has been battling through a lot during the past seven weeks and feels honored and appreciative of the players allowing him to be their captain for Friday night’s game against Niagara,” stated Watson. “We are the ones that are being honored by him. For a kid to be battling like he is, Eric has the kind of attitude that it takes to be a champion."

Murovich’s thoughts echoed those of Watson.

“It’s obvious after meeting Eric Tien that he is a good person and a great competitor,” said Murovich. “Our entire team hopes that the Spirit crowd will come to their feet to encourage him to beat this disease when he is introduced before Friday night’s game as our honorary captain."

Before hitting the ice at the Dow Friday night, Tien will join his family and close friends as the special guests of the Detroit Red Wings at their Thursday home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Red Wings, in partnership with the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation, will put Tien and guests in a suite complete with food and all the fixings. Spirit partner and local charter company Blue Lakes Charters and Tours will be driving Tien and his guests down to the Joe Louis Arena in one of their limo buses. After the game, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and head coach Mike Babcock will greet Tien and escort him through the Red Wings' locker room where he will meet the Red Wings - including one of his favorite hockey players, Todd Bertuzzi.

“He inspired all of us today - what a great, great kid,” said Goslin. “Eric Tien is a champion that has won at competing at things all of his life. Something tells me that he will win the battle that he is currently fighting, too. We have a capacity crowd that is expected for Friday night’s game and the fans are in for a real honor when they get introduced to this fine young man.

"He is an inspiration to us all.”

Spirit hosting "Shocks and Saves" game

The Michigan Cardiovascular Institute Foundation, in partnership with Jiri Fischer’s Healthy Hope Foundation, Mobile Medical Response and the Saginaw Spirit, is presenting the third annual "Shocks and Saves" charity hockey game on Saturday, January 30 at The Dow Event Center to raise awareness about heart disease with special emphasis on sudden cardiac arrest.

More here.

In-state players ranked for NHL draft

NHL Central Scouting released their mid-term rankings this week and several in-state players made the list:

Tyler Seguin, Plymouth, 2
Cam Fowler, Windsor (Farmington Hills), 3
Jon Merrill, U.S. NTDP (Brighton), 20
Austin Watson, Peterborough (Ann Arbor), 25
Ivan Telegin, Saginaw, 26
Brandon Archibald, Sault Ste. Marie (Port Huron), 58
Josh Shalla, Saginaw, 64
Austin Levi, Plymouth, 117
Jared Knight, London (Battle Creek), 123
Michael Sgarbossa, Saginaw, 183
Andy Huff, Traverse City, 193

Jack Campbell, U.S. NTDP (Port Huron), 2 (goaltenders)
Will Yanakeff, Sioux City (Jerome), 12 (goaltenders)
Scott Wedgewood, Plymouth, 13 (goaltenders)

Metal Jackets making noise in NAHL

NAHL Press Release

Hanging tough in the NAHL's tightly contested North Division, the Motor City Metal Jackets took another step in the right direction last weekend with two victories over the Marquette Rangers.

For the first-year Metal Jackets, it marked the first-ever weekend sweep in the program's history.

"That was an important weekend for our organization," said Metal Jackets head coach David Cole, whose team improved to 13-13-6 on the season. "Getting those divisional points in the standings is obviously huge this time of year, but to get that sweep meant a lot for our morale."

RJ Kleiman struck for two goals and an assist as the Metal Jackets skated to a 5-3 win on Friday. John Scorcia notched the game-winning marker and goaltender Randy Willis turned back 26 shots between the pipes.

The next night, Eric Millisor connected for a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in the Metal Jackets' 3-2 victory over the Rangers. Petrus Sipila notched the other Motor City goal and netminder Jason Torf made 33 saves.

"I think we've been playing better than our record indicates, so we figured it was just a matter of time for us to put some back-to-back wins together," said Cole, whose team has suffered five shootout losses this season. "We're competitive every night; perhaps we just needed a break here and there."

Kleiman, the Metal Jackets' leading scorer, has been a steady offensive force the entire season. The 19-year-old from Dewitt, who will skate in the upcoming Sherwood/NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor, now has 14 goals for 31 points through 32 games this season.

"RJ is a very important part of what we're doing here," said Cole. "He's consistently one of our best players, with and without the puck."

Another Top Prospects selection, defenseman Mike Monfredo (pictured), has also impressed. The 19-year-old from Shirley, N.Y., has 16 points (two goals) to his credit after 32 games and his plus-18 rating ranks sixth in the entire NAHL.

"Mike is one of the top defensemen in the league, no question," said Cole. "He's such a versatile player with so much potential."

The Jackets' goaltending tandem of Torf, an 18-year-old from Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Willis, a 20-year-old from Fond du Lac, Wis., is meeting expectations as well. Both hold save percentages of over .900.

"These two guys are playing well and the rest of the team has a lot of confidence playing in front of them," Cole said of his netminders. "They make all the saves they need to and some they shouldn't, and that's the sign of a good goaltender."

Forwards Steve Brancheau, a 19-year-old Top Prospects-bound player from River Rouge, and Cody Wydo, an 18-year-old from Allen Park, are also making timely contributions at both ends of the ice.

"This is a very tight-knit team that's been one of the most enjoyable groups I've ever been involved with," said Cole. "We've been fortunate to recruit and acquire athletes who are good people from good families."

In short time, the Metal Jackets, through the enthusiasm and support of team owner Kenji Yamada, have also been able to build a sound following off the ice.

"It's great to see the local community get behind us and everything we're doing, and we're certainly committed to their efforts as well," said Cole. "We've been able to establish a lot of positive relationships since we arrived, and that's only going to continue."

The Metal Jackets have two players committed to Division I schools to date in Brice Geoffrion (University of Alabama-Huntsville) and Patrick Sullivan (Canisius College). Cole expects more players to follow suit, especially with three players heading to Top Prospects.

"There's no question we have a number of student-athletes who have the capabilities of playing Division I hockey, and, if we continue to succeed as a team, those opportunities will come and the guys know that."

And Cole sees no reason why the wins can't keep coming.

"We're in a very competitive division, but I'm optimistic this group will continue to grow together, improve and compete every night," said the coach.

Photo by RJ Meyer/NAHL

Saginaw and Niagara exchange picks

The Saginaw Spirit completed a trade with the Niagara IceDogs today, exchanging its third round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection and their second round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection in return for Niagara’s first round pick in the 2010 CHL Import Draft.

The 2010 OHL trade deadline wrapped up at noon today, thus concluding the trade season for the Spirit.

Spits deal Ann Arbor native to Petes

The Windsor Spitfires announced Sunday that the team has acquired right wing and Windsor native Zack Kassian from the Peterborough Petes.

In 33 games with the Petes this season, Kassian scored eight goals and 27 points to go along with 58 penalty minutes. Kassian, listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the team’s first round pick, 13th overall, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

In exchange, the Spitfires have sent left wing Austin Watson (Ann Arbor) and Windsor’s second round picks in the 2012 and 2014 OHL Priority Selections to the Petes.

“Today’s deal was a difficult one for us, as we traded an excellent two-way player in Austin Watson," Windsor GM Warren Rychel said. "Watson has been great for our team both on and off the ice, and we wish him the very best of luck in Peterborough and also later this year at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. As an organization, we are also thrilled to add a player of Kassian’s caliber to our lineup. He’s a hard nosed player and local boy who will bring a special element to our team, as he is a highly skilled and tough player."

Watson photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Plymouth acquires Blues pick McRae

The Plymouth Whalers continued to be busy on Sunday, making two more deals after acquiring James Livingston early in the day.

The team announced the acquisition of 19-year-old center Phil McRae from the London Knights in exchange for 18-year-old left wing Tyler J. Brown, third and fourth round picks in 2010 and fifth and eighth round picks in 2012.

McRae – who is 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds – was selected by the Knights in the first round (20th overall) of the 2006 OHL draft and was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. In three and a half seasons with the Knights, McRae has 60 goals with 93 assists for 153 points and 185 penalty over 221 games.

McRae recently won a gold medal with Whalers forward AJ Jenks and Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championship. He tallied a goal and four assists in seven games.

"We had an opportunity to pick up a world class player coming off a gold medal win," Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci said. "We feel that the additions of Phil and James Livingston give us two additional top six scorers."

Vellucci also announced that the team had traded right wing JR Marsden to Guelph for future considerations.

Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Whalers deal McCauley for Livingston

With the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline just a day away, the Plymouth Whalers looked to add some offense and completed another trade after acquiring defenseman Jay Gilbert last week.

The Whalers today announced the acquisition of 19-year-old right wing James Livingston from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in exchange for 18-year-old right wing Myles McCauley.

Livingston – who is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds – was selected by the Soo in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2006 OHL draft and was drafted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues in the third round (70th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. In three and a half seasons with the Greyhounds, Livingston has 57 goals with 57 assists for 114 points and 375 penalty minutes over 230 games.

"Livingston is a power forward that plays hard at both ends of the ice and will contribute offensively for us," said Whalers associate coach Joe Stefan.

Livingston is expected to report to Plymouth on Monday and will make his Whalers debut on Friday when Plymouth hosts the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Barrie Colts, at 7:05 p.m.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images