Saginaw drafts high-end talent today

The Saginaw Spirit wrapped up their participation in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, capping off the event with a total of 15 new prospects added to their system.

The team had four picks in the first 50 of the draft, selecting center Justin Kea 13th overall, goalie Jake Paterson 32nd overall, defenseman Jacob Ringuette 33rd overall and winger Terry Trafford 42nd overall.

The new prospects are scheduled to join the Spirit for their rookie mini-camp starting Friday, May 15 in Saginaw.

Spirit coach-GM Todd Watson thought the draft was a success.

“We had a great draft and accomplished a major goal of ours entering Saturday, which was to add depth to our roster as well as some size and skill to the team," Watson said. "We also took care of our goaltending position with the addition of two great goalie prospects.”

For the fourth consecutive season, the Spirit added to the offensive corps with their first round selection in Kea. The Woodville, Ont., native tallied 22 goals and 22 assists in 51 games with the minor midget Central Ontario Wolves.

“Justin is a big, strong, skilled forward that can skate,” said Spirit director of scouting Jim Paliafito. “He reminds me of a Joe Thornton type.”

According to OHL Central Scouting, Kea is a forward that has all the tools to develop into a very good player at the next level. He has legitimate size, a very good touch and hands for a bigger man and he has better than average feet. When he is really moving his feet he displays a long, powerful stride that can generate some real speed and quickness. Kea has the potential to really fill out as he matures. He prefers to play more of a finesse game, jumping into holes, always looking for the open ice and circling away from the puck.

The Spirit drafted additional forwards in the third and fifth rounds, selecting Trafford 42nd overall and center Ray Huether 84th overall. Trafford posted 24 goals and 29 assists in 64 games with the minor midget Mississauga Reps, while Huether earned 45 goals and 35 assists in 69 games with the Huron-Perth Lakers.

“Terry is one of the fastest skaters in draft and a hard-nosed competitor," added Paliafito. "Ray is a highly skilled goal scorer. We are excited to get both of these guys.”

Saginaw’s blueline was further strengthened with the addition of Ringuette, who was selected by the Spirit in the second round. The Goderich, Ont., native tallied 12 goals and 53 assists in 70 games with the Lakers, joining former teammate Huether as one of the newest Spirit prospects.

Spirit scout Frank Robinson spent a lot of time prospecting Ringuette.

“He is a poised, strong defenseman with great character," Robinson said. "One of his best assets is a hard first pass, and he is very hard for opposing teams to beat when coming down on the rush.”

According to OHL Central Scouting, Ringuette is a very mobile, high risk/high reward styled defender who likes to get involved and is very active in the offensive side of the game. He possesses very good feet, displays excellent overall mobility, a smooth stride, speed and quickness, and has the ability to cover a lot of geography while taking away time and space efficiently. He uses his speed and quickness when playing away from the puck, and he keeps his stick very active in attempting to take away shooting and passing lanes. He also shows a willingness to take the body and finish his checks.

The Spirit continued to build on the future, drafting a pair of what Saginaw ’s coaching and scouting staff consider two elite, top tier goaltending prospects in Paterson and Jared Rutledge.

Paterson , selected 32nd overall in the draft, allowed only 70 goals in 50 games while playing for the minor midget Toronto Marlboros, for a 1.41 goals-against average. Paterson posted 15 shutouts last season. The Spirit tabbed Rutledge in the fifth round with the 93rd overall pick, a puck stopper who earned a 2.86 goals-against average and three shutouts in 30 games with the minor midget Chicago Young Americans U16’s.

“We were very fortunate to get these two kids,” stated Spirit goaltending coach Randy Wilson. “Both of these kids have great character, attitude and work ethic. Jake is your atypical butterfly goalie with decent size and good net discipline. He doesn’t face a lot of shots, but he maintains his focus throughout the game to shutdown the opponent. Jacob is very athletic and he competes very hard. He is always focused on the action and battles to stop the puck.”

Saginaw Spirit Order of Selection

13th Overall – Center Justin Kea, Central Ontario Wolves
32nd Overall – Goalie Jake Paterson, Toronto Marlboros
33rd Overall – Defenseman Jacob Ringuette, Huron-Perth Lakers
42nd Overall – Winger Terry Trafford, Mississauga Reps
84th Overall – Center Ray Huether, Huron-Perth Lakers
93rd Overall – Goalie Jared Rutledge, Chicago Young Americans U16s
113th Overall – Center Matt LeMasurier, York Simcoe Express
173rd Overall – Winger Alex Morgan, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs
193rd Overall – Center Max Farrill, Toronto City Blues
213th Overall – Center Luke Nogard, Mississauga Reps
233rd Overall – Defenseman Brett Seldon, Jr. Canadiens
253rd Overall – Winger Taylor Chick, York Simcoe Express
265th Overall – Defenseman Wayland Williams, Detroit Compuware U16s
273rd Overall – Winger Ryan Tuffin, London Knights-Gold
293rd Overall – Center Andrew Copp, Detroit Compuware U16s

Kea photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

NTDP adds Sieloff to Under-17 Team

USA Hockey today announced that 13 players have been added to the 2010-11 roster for its National Team Development Program.

The group of 13, which includes eight forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender, will be part of the U.S. National Under-17 Team next year.

“We’re pleased to announce this next group of players that will surely benefit from being part of the National Team Development Program,” said Ryan Rezmierski, director of player personnel for the NTDP. “We’re very excited about the talent level of this group. Our scouting staff, especially Peter Ward, Eric Silverman, Mike Kesler and Louis Pacella, has done an outstanding job evaluating these players and helping bring them into the mix.”

The eight forwards added for next season include Cameron Darcy (South Boston, Mass.), Thomas Di Pauli (Woodridge, Ill.), Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.), Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill.), Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.), Brendan Silk (Melrose, Mass.), Henrik Samuelsson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Frankie Vatrano (E. Longmeadow, Mass.).

The four defensemen joining Team USA in 2010-11 include Connor Carrick (Oak Lawn, Ill.), Dakota Mermis (Alton, Ill.), Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor) and Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.).

Jared Rutledge (Skokie, Ill.) is the goaltender signed on for next season.

The latest additions join Seth Jones (Plano, Texas), Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.), Niklas Olsson (Escondido, Calif.) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester), who were already announced as part of next year’s team.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Motor City had 'special group' this year

The season-long journey has come to an end for the Motor City Metal Jackets.

A team that won just 11 games the previous year earned their way to the NAHL Robertson Cup playoffs this season and had relative success, sweeping the Marquette Rangers in the opening round. The team's post-season drive came to a stop however, as the Traverse City North Stars defeated the Jackets in Game 3 of the North Division finals (pictured above) and secured a series sweep with a 5-3 final score.

“I thought our team worked hard in Game 3, but we didn't seem to get any bounces to go our way," Motor City coach David Cole said. "A disallowed goal and one that was a judgment call could have been a factor.

“When it is all said and done, my guys can hold their heads high. This has been a very special group and I can truly say that I have enjoyed this group the most in my coaching career. It has been a great experience seeing them evolve as a team and this group will ultimately have a positive long-term effect on our organization.”

The team has definitely set the table for the future by establishing an incredible work ethic and a never-say-die attitude. Their demeanor on and off the ice has helped increase the visibility of exciting junior hockey within the Downriver community and beyond.

“I am extremely proud of our kids and what they accomplished," said Metal Jackets assistant coach Jason Cirone. "They have all set the tone for future Metal Jacket teams and they should be very proud if how close-knit of a group they are.”

With committed ownership, strong management and experienced coaches, the Metal Jackets are poised for success in the coming seasons.

“The initial goal was to make the playoffs and be competitive - reaching the division finals was a great accomplishment,” said Cole. “It leaves the core group of returning players hungry for greater accomplishments. It is tough to believe our first season has come to an end, but we've already started planning the 2010-11 season at our new home in Trenton.”

With an ever-growing fan base, the Metal Jackets are already excited to provide fast-paced hockey again at Kennedy Recreation Center next winter. With an outstanding turnaround this past year, the team looks to build upon what they have learned and stride head-first into a new season ready for another successful run.

Photo by John Castine/HockeyWeekly.com

Metal Jackets announce tryout camps

The Motor City Metal Jackets have announced their next round of tryouts for prospective players for the 2010-2011 season.

May 14-16
Kennedy Recreation Center
3101 West Rd.
Trenton, MI
Check-In/Registration
FRIDAY, May 14 @ 4:00-5:30pm

Pre-register at MetalJacketsHockey.com

Additional Locations
Denver, CO June 18-20
Los Angeles June 25-27
Philadelphia, PA July 9-11
Trenton, MI July 16-18
Tokyo, Japan July 23-25

Seguin, Hackett named OHL All-Stars

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the All-Star teams for the 2009-10 OHL regular season.

The OHL All-Star Teams were selected by the OHL’s General Managers. Players were voted on by position and received five points for a first place vote, three for a second place vote, and one for a third.

2009-10 OHL All-Star Teams (voting points in brackets):

First Team:

Centre – Tyler Seguin, Plymouth Whalers (85)

Left Wing – Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires (93)

Right Wing – Bryan Cameron, Barrie Colts (67)

Defence – Jacob Muzzin, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (79)

Defence – Nick Crawford, Barrie Colts (63) - ex-Saginaw defenseman

Goaltender – Chris Carrozzi, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (59)

Coach – Dale Hunter, London Knights (47)

Second Team:

Centre – Nazem Kadri, London Knights (39)

Left Wing – Jeremy Morin, Kitchener Rangers (40) - ex-NTDP forward

Right Wing – Taylor Beck, Guelph Storm (41)

Defence – Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (51)

Defence – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires (47)

Goaltender – Matt Hackett, Plymouth Whalers (48)

Coach – Dave Cameron, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (39)

Third Team:

Centre – Luke Pither, Barrie Colts (33)

Left Wing – Chris MacKinnon, Kitchener Rangers (19)

Right Wing – Greg Nemisz, Windsor Spitfires (28)

Defence – Alex Pietrangelo, Barrie Colts (23)

Defence – Shawn Lalonde, Belleville Bulls (21)

Goaltender – Patrick Killeen, Brampton Battalion (27)

Coach – Marty Williamson, Barrie Colts (36)

Kero named to NAHL All-Rookie Team

The North American Hockey League has announced its All-Rookie Team for the 2009-10 season, as selected by the league’s coaches and general managers.

NAHL All-Rookie Team
Forward: Bryce Johnson, Topeka RoadRunners
Forward: Tanner Kero, Marquette Rangers
Forward: Shawn Pauly, Wenatchee Wild
Defenseman: Alex McLean, Wenatchee Wild
Defenseman: Sam Rendle, Bismarck Bobcats
Goaltender: Brandon Jaeger, Wenatchee Wild

Johnson, a 19-year-old St. Cloud State University (WCHA) recruit from Grimes, Iowa, tallied 19 goals for 54 points in 58 regular-season games to finish tied for 13th in league scoring.

A 17-year-old from Hancock, Kero, a Michigan Tech University (WCHA) recruit, notched 51 points on a league-leading 32 goals in 57 games.

Pauly, a 17-year-old Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) recruit from Bellingham, Wash., struck for 17 goals and 36 points in 50 games for the regular-season champion Wild.

McLean, a 19-year-old from Duluth, Minn., who will also play his college hockey at Air Force, registered four goals and 20 points in 51 games. He was also a plus-19.

Rendle, a 19-year-old Bemidji State University (WCHA) recruit from Grand Rapids, Minn., tied for the league-lead in scoring among defensemen with 47 points on 10 goals and 37 assists in 57 games. He was also a plus-22.

Jaeger, a 19-year-old from Champlin, Minn., fashioned a 22-3-1 record in 29 appearances to compliment a NAHL-best goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.928).

NAHL players in their first year of Junior A hockey are considered rookies.

The Rookie of the Year, along with the Most Valuable Player, All-NAHL Team, Forward of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Goaltender of the Year and the NAHL’s nominee for the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year will be announced Robertson Cup Championship Tournament banquet on Monday, May 3, in Wenatchee, Wash.

The Academic Achievement Award, Community Service Award, Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year and Organization of the Year will also be announced at the banquet.

Plymouth captain Jenks inks with Florida

Florida Panthers GM Randy Sexton announced today the club has agreed to an entry level contract with center AJ Jenks.

Jenks, 19, played in 52 games with the Plymouth Whalers this season, placing second on the team in goals (23), assists (40) and points (63), finishing behind the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting No. 1 prospect Tyler Seguin.

Jenks, who served as Plymouth’s team captain played in nine playoffs games this year with the Whalers, scoring four goals with eight assists.

The Wolverine Lake native won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan, recording five points (3-2-5) in seven games.

Jenks was drafted by Florida with their fourth choice (100th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Photo by Walt Dmoch

Seguin named OHL's best player

The Ontario Hockey League announced that Plymouth Whalers center Tyler Seguin has been named the recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s Most Outstanding Player during the regular season.

Seguin beat out fellow finalists Taylor Hall of Windsor and Nazem Kadri of London in voting conducted by OHL media and broadcasters.

“It’s not about just being a player, it’s also about being a total person,” OHL commissioner David Branch (pictured above) said about Seguin. “Tyler’s clearly a champion, both on and of the ice.”

Seguin is the top-rated North American prospect listed by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Bureau for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft, held June 25-26 in Los Angeles.

Seguin, 18, scored 48 goals with 58 assists 106 points in 63 games and shared the OHL’s scoring title with Hall. In Seguin’s 63 games played, he contributed directly to over 46 percent of the Whalers offense.

“Tyler’s off-ice work has been exceptional this season,” said Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci. “He’s a very mature player and mature person and that’s a credit to his parents (Jackie and Paul Seguin). He’s always willing to help out anyone on the team or anyone that’s part of the franchise. In terms of his conditioning, he’s one of the most committed players I’ve ever seen. He strives to be the best player he can possibly be and not just in games.

“It all started from the first time we practiced at the start of the year. He worked extremely hard in practice. (In games) he was committed to scoring goals, or beating an opponent one-on-one, or improving his defensive play. One of the best things I can say is that Tyler is a hockey player – he’s not just a player who happens to play hockey. He’s an ultimate professional.”

Seguin was named the Whalers' Regular Season Most Valuable Player and Regular Season Leading Scorer and was named Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, second best Stickhandler, and second (tie) Most Dangerous in the Goal Area in the OHL’s Western Conference Coaches Poll.

“I’m very proud and humble to be accepting this award today,” said Seguin. “It’s a very exciting day for me and my family.”

Seguin was named the OHL Player of the Month for both December and January. He also was named Canadian Hockey League Player of the Week and OHL Player of the Week for the period of January 18-24 and OHL Player of the Week for the period of October 5-11.

Seguin participated in a number of all-star competitions for the Canadian Hockey League during the season. He played for the OHL All-Stars in November against Russia in the Canada/Russia Subway Super Series. He was captain for Team Orr in the 2010 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game in Windsor in January and also represented the Western Conference in the OHL All-Star game in Kingston in February.

Besides the CHL events, Seguin represented Canada while leading the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in scoring with four goals and six assists in four games to capture a gold medal in August. He also attended Canada's World Junior selection camp for the World Junior Championships in December.

In two seasons with Plymouth, Seguin has scored 69 goals with 104 assists for 173 points in 124 games and is 18th on the Whalers all-time scoring list.

Seguin is the third player in franchise history to win the Red Tilson Trophy, joining Pat Peake (1992-93) and David Legwand (1997-98).

The Red Tilson Trophy is voted by sports writers and broadcasters in the OHL. The award is in honor of Albert “Red” Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals.

In voting, players received five points for a first-place selection, three points for a second-place selection and one point for a third-place selection.

Last season, Cody Hodgson of Brampton received 161 points in the voting process ahead of John Tavares of London, who received 115 points as runner-up.

Seguin will be formally presented with the Red Tilson Trophy, along with the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the co-winner of the league's Top Scorer, at the 2009-10 OHL Awards Ceremony set for Wednesday June 9 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He will also be the OHL’s nominee for Most Outstanding Player at the Canadian Hockey Leauge Annual Awards.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

McAuliffe cleans up at EMHA awards

Joe McAuliffe of the Flint Jr. Generals was the big winner last weekend at the Eastern Michigan Hockey Association awards ceremony.

McAuliffe recieved the "Gale Cronk Award" as junior player of the year, was one of six $1000 Bob Landall Academic Scholarship honorees and also won the EMHA Academic Award for overall academic excellence (3.7 grade-point average at Goodrich High School) for the fifth time.

McAuliffe, a 17-year-old (turns 18 July 6) forward from Goodrich, put up eight goals, including three game-winners, and 14 points in 45 games last season for Flint.

"Joe is one of those hard-working players that never gives up," said Flint GM Kelly Cronk.

Photo - Flint head scout Doug Bailey, McAuliffe and GM Kelly Cronk

Robertson Cup schedule announced

In their first-ever trip to the Robertson Cup, the Traverse City North Stars will kick off the tournament against a pair of teams who dueled in last year’s Cup finals.

The Stars open the NAHL’s championship tournament on Tuesday, May 4 against host Wenatchee, then take on three-time defending Robertson Cup champion St. Louis the following afternoon. The league announced yesterday the five-team round-robin schedule, which will yield this year’s two finalists for the championship game on Sunday, May 9.

Wenatchee was the top team in the NAHL during the regular season. The Wild finished 45-10-3, while St. Louis was 44-11-3, but Wenatchee breezed through its two playoff series with 3-0 sweeps. The Bandits, on the other hand, went to a decisive fifth game in the first round against Texas and the South Division finals against Topeka.

The North Stars will square off against Bismarck on Thursday, May 6 before closing out the round-robin portion of the tourney on the next day against Fairbanks. All Robertson Cup games are available live via webcast on the b2 Network. Links to the webcast can be found at the team’s website.

There will be a coffee-and-cake send-off for the team on Sunday, May 2 at Centre ICE arena. The team practices at 10 a.m., followed by refreshments, photos and autographs, and NAHL North Division Playoff Champion t-shirts. The team bus is slated to depart Centre ICE at noon.

The Robertson Cup champion represents the NAHL’s playoff champion and USA Hockey’s Tier II Junior A national champion. The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan. Robertson was the owner of the Paddock Pools Saints when they won a record seven straight NAHL championships from 1976-83. For more information on the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament, visit RobertsonCup.com.

2010 ROBERTSON CUP SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 4
Bismarck vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY vs. Wenatchee, 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET

Wednesday, May 5
TRAVERSE CITY vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
Fairbanks vs. Wenatchee, 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET

Thursday, May 6
Fairbanks vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY vs. Bismarck, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 p.m. ET

Friday, May 7
Fairbanks vs. TRAVERSE CITY, 2:35 p.m. PT/5:35 p.m. ET
Bismarck vs. Wenatchee, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 ET

Saturday, May 8
Fairbanks vs. Bismarck, 2:35 p.m./5:35 p.m. ET
St. Louis vs. Wenatchee, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 p.m. ET

Sunday, May 9
Championship Game, 5:05 p.m. PT/8:05 p.m. ET

OHL Priority Selection goes Saturday

Courtesy Michigan Hockey

The Ontario Hockey League draft is slated for Saturday and many Michigan players are being looked at as future stars in the league.

The only glitch is the choice these players will have to make: stay out of major juniors and keep their NCAA eligibility, or play in the OHL.

One such player is forward Brady Vail, a Northville native who just turned 16 years old on March 11 and played Tier I Junior A hockey in the United States Hockey League with the Waterloo Black Hawks this season.

As of now, Vail is on the fence about which route to take to further his career.

“For the most part, I’ve always wanted to play college hockey,” said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Vail, who moved to Michigan two years ago to play for the Compuware organization. “But as far as the OHL is concerned, never say never.”

Vail was born in North Carolina and then lived in Florida before the move to Michigan. Last summer, he traveled out to Waterloo to get some experience playing with Junior A players at an open tryout, but wound up making the Black Hawks.

Vail wasn’t the only player on the Waterloo roster to start the season as a 15-year-old as he was joined by New Jersey-born defenseman Nick Ebert. Both are considered first-round material for the OHL draft, should they totally commit to the league and both are the only 1994 birthdates in the USHL.

Ebert is a player Red Line Junior, an independent scouting website that identifies players eligible for the OHL draft, says “has all the tools to be a superstar and at worst, he’s safe and smart.”

Playing in the USHL was difficult at first for Vail, but those struggles dissipated as the season went on. He said he’s been improving his assets – hands, shot and vision – and his weakness – footwork.

“I think I fit in pretty well,” Vail said. “I think for my age, I got a lot of ice time. Once I made the team after tryouts, I realized that playing here would be the best option for me. It’s a great situation.”

Vail played for the Compuware ‘93s (a year ‘up’) and ‘94s his two years in Plymouth and said he’s been seeing the past year or so that hockey may eventually be something he can do for as long as he wants.

“I’ve been told for a while now that I can make hockey a career if I want,” Vail said. “But there are a lot of other ‘94s out there that have the same skill level as I do, so we’ll just see what happens from here on out.”

Other 1994 birthdates that will be considered for the OHL draft, with comments from Red Line Junior:

Riley Barber, C, Compuware: At 5-foot-10, he is the most skilled forward in metro-Detroit. Can finish, scores big goals and is good playmaker. Not big now, but has growth potential. His dad played pro.

Brett D’Andrea, C, Belle Tire: Not there yet, but could be a good player in the long haul.

Troy Donnay, D, Belle Tire: Older brother, Cody, was a Peterborough pick (in 2008), but never reported and is in Marquette (NAHL) now. Troy is already 6-foot-6, has a long reach, good mobility and a mean streak.

Josh Henke, C, Belle Tire: Has been a big scorer all along and may have peaked.

Brandon Hope, G, Honeybaked U18: Quick, athletic and a good skater, he
has some longterm upside.

Max Iafrate, D, Belle Tire: Just like his father, Al – go, go, go all the time.
Takes a lot of chances but is tremendous skater with big upside.

Kerby Rychel, LW/LC, Belle Tire: Son of former NHLer Warren Rychel struggled with injuries this season but competes and has goal-scoring touch.

Patrick Sieloff, D, Compuware: Good all-round game. Plays a safe, smart game and could develop into shutdown defender.

Jacob Trouba, D, Compuware: Powerful skater with good size and likes to hit. Has signed with the U.S. NTDP.

Grant Webermin, D, Honeybaked: Not a sexy pick, but a solid defensive defenseman.

Mitch Wedding, D, Honeybaked: Has worked on his conditioning and has good skill. Is willing to get down and dirty.

Connor Wood, C, Honeybaked: Small in size, but a goal scorer with great hands.

Others to watch: Garrett Cockerill, D, Compuware; Sheldon Dries, C, Honeybaked; Alex Kile, RW, Honeybaked; Jordan Masters, RW, Little Caesar’s; Nick Schilkey, C, Honeybaked; Mark Yanis, D, Belle Tire.

The top U.S. forward is Cristoval (Boo) Nieves of the Syracuse Jr. Nationals. Nieves “has tremendous acceleration, makes slick moves at top speed and can turn on a dime,” said Red Line Junior.

The consensus top overall pick in the entire draft at this point is winger Matia Marcantuoni of the Toronto Marlies, a player Red Line Junior said is “a dominating power winger with skill.”

2010 OHL Priority Selection
Saturday, May 1 - 9:00 a.m.
Follow online at: http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/
Eligible birthdates: Jan. 1, 1991 - Dec. 31, 1994
First overall pick: Sarnia Sting
Plymouth/Saginaw: Whalers pick 15th; Spirit 13th

Ladd, Higby up for top NAHL award

The North American Hockey League has announced its final four nominees - one per division - for the 2010 Junior Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually by USA Hockey to the outstanding American-born player in junior hockey.

Out of the four players, listed by division below, one will be chosen by the NAHL’s Junior Player of the Year Selection Committee as the league’s final nominee, which will be announced at the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament banquet on Monday, May 3, and submitted to USA Hockey’s blue-ribbon coaches and administrators for consideration, along with candidates from every other USA Hockey-sanctioned junior league.

Central Division
Jason Fabian, Forward, Bismarck Bobcats
In his second season with the Bobcats, Fabian finished ninth overall in league scoring with 58 points (24 goals) in 57 games for the Central Division regular-season champions. The 20-year-old from Roseau, Minn., has committed to the Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) for next season.

North Division
Garrett Ladd, Forward, Marquette Rangers - pictured
In his third year with Marquette, Ladd finished fifth overall in league scoring with 63 points on 23 goals in 55 games. The 20-year-old from Fenton has committed to Bemidji State University (WCHA) for next season.

South Division
Erik Higby, Forward, Topeka RoadRunners
A 20-year-old from Shellby Township, Higby, in his second NAHL season, won the league’s regular-season scoring title with 80 points on 27 goals for the South Division regular-season champions. He has committed to Northern Michigan University (CCHA) for next year.

West Division
Brandon Jaeger, Goaltender, Wenatchee Wild
In 29 appearances with the NAHL regular-season champion Wild, Jaeger, a 19-year-old from Champlin, Minn., fashioned a 22-3-1 record to compliment a league-leading goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.928).

TC's White, Thompson honored by NAHL

The Traverse City North Stars are busy chasing the ultimate team prize – the NAHL’s Robertson Cup – but have picked up some individual accolades along the way.

Defenseman Travis White was Traverse City’s lone representative on the All-North Division squad, while winger Garrett Thompson was among eight league finalists for USA Hockey’s annual Junior Player of the Year award.

White, who has spent the past two seasons with Traverse City after winning the Robertson Cup with St. Louis in 2008, scored a goal and assisted on 15 others in 45 games this season. His +23 plus-minus rating was ninth among defensemen and 14th among all NAHL skaters. White has a pair of assists and is +7 through six postseason contests.

The Stars’ captain has amassed six goals and 36 assists in 149 career regular season NAHL outings and was an All-North pick in 2008-09 as well. He was joined on the All-North team by former TC blue-liner Mike Schenfeld and a trio of Marquette forwards – Tanner Kero, Andrew Kolb and Garrett Ladd. Rangers goalie Kevin Kissaw was the all-division backstop.

Thompson, who recently committed to Ferris State, led the North Stars with 24 goals and helped stage 26 others. He was fourth in the league at +30 during the regular season and has eight points with a team-best five goals so far in the playoffs.

Thompson and seven other NAHL players – two from each division, including Ladd – will be pared to a group of four finalists before the league’s top player is selected. The league’s final nominee will then be submitted to USA Hockey’s blue-ribbon coaches and administrators for consideration, along with candidates from every other USA Hockey-sanctioned junior league.

White, Thompson, and the rest of the North Stars will be heading to Wenatchee, Wash., for the Robertson Cup next week after first- and second-round playoff sweeps of Janesville and Motor City. The five-team event’s schedule has not yet been finalized as one divisional final series has yet to yield a fifth finalist: St. Louis-Topeka. The decisive fifth game in that series is slated for tonight.

Traverse City advances to Robertson Cup

The Traverse City North Stars made history on Friday night at the Kennedy Recreation Center in Trenton, knocking off the Motor City Metal Jackets by a 5-3 margin to sweep the best-of-five NAHL North Division Finals and advance to the Robertson Cup for the first time in the team's five-year run.

Tim Opie and Doug Clifford had a goal and an assist each and Drew Strandberg made 27 saves to spark the North Stars in their series finale, and sending them to Wenatchee, Wash., for a shot at the Tier II national championship.

“It was a pretty good team win – we got goals from a lot of different places and very good goaltending again,” said Traverse City head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “We’re absolutely very happy to be on our way to the Robertson Cup. We’re going to enjoy it. It’s a huge victory, but at the same time, like I reminded the guys after (Friday’s game), we don’t want this to be our biggest win. We don’t want to be happy just to go out there. We want to go out there and try to win some more games.”

Chris Salomone got things started for the visitors on Friday, sticking a backhander past Metal Jackets goalie Phil Graveline with 7:08 left in the first period. Just over a minute later, Opie snapped off a precision wrister from the left face-off circle to make it 2-0. Strandberg kept the advantage intact heading into the first intermission with a pair of point-blank saves in the waning seconds of the period.

Clifford opened the second period with a power play goal 4:34 in, taking a drop pass at the blue line, skating in on Graveline, and fitting the puck just under the crossbar for a three-goal bulge.

Motor City got on the scoreboard a little more than two minutes later, but Kyle Jean intercepted a pass deep in the Jackets’ zone, drew Graveline from the crease, and found the back of the net with a forehanded wrist shot. A power play goal for the hosts cut the deficit to 4-2 with 2:19 left in the middle frame, but Garrett Thompson issued a response a scant 32 seconds later to restore the cushion.

Motor City offered a last-gasp marker with 5:20 to play in the game, but Strandberg and the Stars defensive unit applied the clamps down the stretch to seal the conquest.

Traverse City won a sixth consecutive postseason contest on Friday in claiming a second straight postseason sweep, and outscored their first- and second-round foes by a combined 27-6.

“It’s a group of guys who are really playing well right now,” Palumbo explained. “They’re playing a team game, and really seem to love each other. They wanted something and they’ve been able to achieve part of that so far. We’ve enjoyed it, and it should be a pretty awesome experience for the guys.”

The five-team Robertson Cup tournament gets underway at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee on May 4. After a four-day round-robin, the top two teams will play for the Cup on May 9.

“We don’t know who we’ll play or when we’ll play yet, some of that should come together by Sunday,” Palumbo said. “We’ll have some film to watch.”

Photo by John L. Russell/Great Lakes Images

Marquette Rangers sale made official

The Marquette Rangers of the North American Hockey League have announced the team has been sold and will relocate within Michigan for the 2010-11 season.

"Since the introduction of the Marquette Rangers to the central Upper Peninsula back in 2006, we have kept our promise in terms of bringing entertaining hockey to Marquette, providing local U.P. kids the opportunity to play closer to home, and moving players onto college rosters", said Rangers president David Saint-Onge. "Unfortunately, we could not successfully combat the negative effects of the economy and that is very unfortunate given the success of our organization."

This season, the Rangers won their first North Division regular-season title in the team's four-year history. The organization also moved over 30 of its players onto NCAA and professional hockey during its time in the NAHL, including forward Jake Hauswirth, who signed with the NHL's Washington Capitals last year.

"David's enthusiasm for the NAHL and the Marquette community, along with his commitment to the success of every one of his players, will be sorely missed," Mark Frankenfeld, NAHL commissioner, said of Saint-Onge. "He's brought a lot to our league over the years and we can't thank him and the entire Rangers' ownership group enough for helping make the NAHL the best junior league in North America."

Pending business matters associated with the sale and relocation of the team dictate that details of the team's new ownership and home will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are committed to helping the new ownership group and the NAHL with a smooth transition," said Saint-Onge. "We understand this is a surprise to many, especially our players and recruits, but we will do all we can to ensure the team remains successful."

The team's try-out schedule has been modified to reflect the re-location. As such, the first try out date has been scheduled for May 14 at the Flint Iceland Arena.

The open try-out scheduled for Suburban Ice in Farmington Hills May 21-23 will remain, while the two try-outs scheduled for Marquette in July have been cancelled.

New information on the team will be posted on the NAHL website as it becomes available.

Team USA wins World Under-18 title

Jack Campbell made 33 saves as the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team captured its second consecutive gold medal at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Under-18 Championship after downing Sweden, 3-1, here tonight at Minsk Arena in Belarus.

Team USA closed out tournament play with a 6-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record while outscoring its opponents, 33-7.

"This has been one of the neatest experiences I've had as a coach and one of the better groups I've ever had the chance to work with," said Kurt Kleinendorst, head coach of Team USA. "I had heard so many things about [USA Hockey's National Team Development Program] prior, with regard to how special it was and how good this group was to work with. I think winning the gold medal is just the perfect ending to a great season."

The U.S. got the start it wanted when Luke Moffatt deflected Derek Forbort's shot past netminder Johan Gustafsson just 2:10 into the game. Campbell stopped all nine first-period shots he faced, many of which came on a five-minute power play for Sweden.

Team USA kept the pressure on when Nick Shore dug the puck out of the corner and fed Austin Czarnik, who then slid the puck to a charging Justin Faulk, who flipped it over Gustafsson at the 7:31 mark of the middle frame. Rocco Grimaldi made it 3-0 when he redirected Adam Clendening's wrist shot just inside the left post at 13:47 of the second period.

Despite a goal from Ludvig Rensfeldt at 6:54 of the third period, Team USA held off the relentless Swedish attack. Campbell stopped eight shots in the final frame to shut the door.

NOTES: Campbell received the directorate award as the tournament's best goaltender and was also named Team USA's Player of the Game today. Campbell finishes his Under-18 career with a 0.80 goals-against average and .966 save percentage, to go along with five shutouts in 10 games played. He had not allowed a goal in 274:12 minutes of action until Sweden's goal at 6:54 of the third period ... Campbell and Clendening received tournament media all-star honors and, along with Jon Merrill, were named Team USA's best three players ... Campbell and Jason Zucker became the first two American men at any level to capture three IIHF gold medals after winning the top prize at the 2009 World Men's Under-18 Championship, the 2010 World Junior Championship and the 2010 World Under-18 Championship ... Clendening (3-7--10), Shore (3-7--10) and Grimaldi (2-8--10) tied for the U.S. lead with 10 points each ... The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team became the first U.S. National Team to earn a gold medal in a former Soviet Socialist State at any level ... The U.S. has earned an unprecedented seven consecutive medals at the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship, which includes four gold (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010), two silver (2004, 2007) and one bronze (2008). Team USA also captured the gold medal in 2002. Team USA's eight overall medals are tied with Russia for the most ever at the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship ... The United States owns the title in each of the IIHF amateur championships with gold medals at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2010 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship. Additionally, the U.S. is the defending champion at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and World Junior A Challenge, giving it four international titles at the Under-20 level.

Rangers sold, on the way to Flint?

The Marquette Rangers have been entertaining hockey fans at Lakeview Arena for four seasons now, and Thursday, the team held a press conference to discuss its plans for the future.

"The Rangers team has been sold to a new North American Hockey League member, based in Michigan," explained Rangers GM David Saint-Onge.

More from ConnectMidMichigan.com HERE.

*** UPDATE ***

The Flint Journal is reporting that the Rangers, not the Alpena IceDiggers, will be the new team in town next fall.

Former Jets goalie a USHL prospect

Former Metro Jets goaltender Colin Greeley has been invited to the USHL Prospect Combine at the Arctic Ice Arena in Orland Park, Ill.

This weekend, players with 1992 and 1993 birth years will be on display in front of coaches, general managers, and scouts from around the USHL.

Greeley, a 17-year-old from Howell, played for the Jets during the 2008-2009 season and posted a team-best four victories between the pipes and was also eighth among CSHL goalies with 698 saves.

For more information on the USHL Prospect Combine, click here.

Photo by Matt Mackinder

Marquette dominates All-North Team

The North American Hockey League has announced its All-Central, -North, -South and -West Division Teams for the 2009-10 season, as selected by the league’s coaches and general managers.

All-North Division Team
Forward: Tanner Kero, Marquette Rangers
Forward: Andrew Kolb, Marquette Rangers
Forward: Garrett Ladd, Marquette Rangers
Defenseman: Mike Schenfeld, Janesville Jets (formerly of Traverse City)
Defenseman: Travis White, Traverse City North Stars
Goaltender: Kevin Kissaw, Marquette Rangers

North Stars hope to close out Jackets

If there’s a decisive fifth game in the NAHL North Division Finals between the Traverse City North Stars and Motor City Metal Jackets, it’ll be played next Monday at Centre ICE arena.

But the Stars hope it won’t come to that. With two chances to lay claim to the best-of-five finals, and with two victories already in the coffers, Traverse City can book its first-ever trip to the Robertson Cup Finals with a triumph in either contest this weekend in Motown. The first chance comes on Friday evening at Taylor’s Kennedy Ice Arena in the third game of the set.

“We have an opportunity, but we haven’t won anything yet,” Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo pointed out. “Until you get that third win, there’s really nothing ahead but the next shift. Nobody over here is taking anything for granted.”

The North Stars protected their home ice advantage last weekend, sweeping a pair of contests at Centre ICE with a 4-1 triumph on Friday and a 5-1 win the following night. Palumbo says the Jackets will be eager to do the same this time around.

“They’ve played well against us at home,” said Palumbo, whose Stars have dropped four of seven contests in metropolitan Detroit during the regular season. “They’re playing at a different arena now in Trenton, but it’ll be their home ice, their fans, their energy. We have to be ready to win that first shift, win that first period, and do all those little things it takes to be successful this time of year.”

John Scorcia (four goals) and Steve Brancheau (four points) continue to lead the Jackets offense, while all-star selection RJ Kleiman has scored thrice in his five postseason outings. Philip Graveline and Jason Torf split the series in TC last weekend.

For the North Stars, who have outscored their playoff opponents by a 22-3 margin, Garrett Thompson leads the charge with four goals and assists on three more. Doug Clifford is sixth among all NAHL skaters with six postseason assists, while Dan Radke (four goals) and Nick Shkreli (four assists) chipping in.

Statistically speaking, Drew Strandberg’s postseason numbers are otherworldly. He’s given up a trio of goals in 300 minutes – five full games – of action for a diminutive 0.60 goals-against average and .973 save percentage.

“We’ve tried to make it hard for teams to get a lot of shots on Drew,” Palumbo said. “But when he’s been called upon, he’s come up big.”