The Boston University Terriers and the Boston College Eagles will meet in the Beanpot tournament finals for the fourth time in the past seven years when the two squads hook up next Monday at the TD Garden.  Both teams secured their spot in next week’s championship game with victories over Harvard and Northeastern.

In the first match-up of the day it was the heavily favored BU Terriers who would flex their muscle by way of a 3-1 victory over former Bruin Ted Donato’s Harvard Crimson. Backstopped by 29 saves from netminder Kieran Millan (Colorado Avalanche), the Terriers received offensive contributions from Matt Nieto (San Jose Sharks) and budding power forward Wade Megan (Florida Panthers).

Nieto’s goal opened the scoring at the 8:14 mark of the first frame and Megan followed by adding two tallies in the second period to take over the team lead in goals (10) , and build a 3-0 lead for BU. Harvard would answer on a power-play late in the second when Tampa Bay Lightning draftee Alex Killorn solved Millan with a top-shelf wrister. However, it would be too little, too late for a Crimson squad that couldn’t muster much offense in the third period. The 3-1 loss would put the Harvard Crimson into the Beanpot consolation game for the fourth consecutive year.

One player who particularly stood out during the early game, despite being on the losing end of the contest, was Harvard blueliner and captain Ryan Grimshaw. He seemed to be in the right position all the time and made quite a few fantastic defensive plays throughout the duration of the game.

In the nightcap, the Boston College Eagles proved why they are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the nation. Jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Paul Carey (Colorado Avalanche) and Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames) the Eagles looked to be in complete control. The Huskies were able to get one back midway through the period when Anthony Bitetto (Nashville Predators) blasted a slapshot past BC netminder Parker Milner during a 5-on-3 Northeastern power-play.

It was in the second period that the Eagles would assert their dominance, tilting the ice completely in their favor, firing 13 shots on Husky goaltender Chris Rawlings. Short-handed tallies from Stevan Whitney would sandwich Johnny Gaudreau’s second of the night as Boston College entered the second intermission with a commanding 5-1 lead.

Senior forward Barry Almeida would add another midway through the third period and Paul Carey would notch his second of the night soon after to seal a 6-1 blowout victory for the Boston College Eagles.

The results of Monday’s action sets up what should be a riveting final day of the tournament next week when we are treated to two more exciting college hockey contests. Harvard and Northastern will meet in the consolation game, beginning at 4:30 PM, and of course (#5) Boston College and (#1) Boston University will meet for the Beanpot Title at 7:30. Both games will be broadcast on NESN and the championship game will also be broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This will mark the fourth time these two cross-town rivals have met this season, with the Terriers taking two of the previous three match-ups.

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5.) Tommy Cross (D) #4 Boston College (Boston Bruins)

 – The captain of the Boston College Eagles, senior defenseman Tommy Cross will be playing in his final BeanPot tournament this month after spending four seasons under legendary coach Jerry York in Chestnut Hill. Taken in the second round of the 2007 Entry draft by the Boston Bruins, Cross is a card-carrying veteran of the B’s summer development camp. The 6’3″ blueliner is strong in his own end and often shows great puck-handling abilities. If he can avoid the injury bug, it wouldn’t be farfetched to suggest that Cross could project as a Dan Girardi-type player in the NHL.

4.) Alex Killorn (F) #19 Harvard (Tampa Bay Lightning)

– Also taken in the 2007 Entry Draft, Killorn was selected 77th overall (3rd Round) by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 6’2″ senior has always been skilled with the puck and been able to put the puck in the net, but he biggest knock against the Montreal native has been his deficiencies in his own end of the ice. From all reports, Killorn has done nothing but impress during their annual summer development camps and is expected to compete for a roster spot with the big club next season.

3.) Kevin Hayes (C) #12 Boston College (Chicago Blackhawks)

 – Spending much of his freshman season on the shelf after suffering an early-season knee injury, Hayes has truly emerged as an offensive force this season, contributing 19 points (5G/14A) in 27 games played thus far. Hayes was taken in the first round of the 2010 draft because of his rare combination of size and speed. The Dorchester, MA native plays more of a finesse type game and his best asset is his uncanny awareness in the offensive zone.

2.) Adam Clendening (D) #5 Boston University (Chicago Blackhawks)

– The undersized, offensive defenseman from Niagara Falls, NY may be the most exciting player to watch in this entire tournament. Leading the charge on the Terrier blueline, Clendening has posted two goals and added twenty assists in only 23 games this season. Taken early in the second round of the 2011 Entry Draft, Clendening has proven that he has the talent to make a serious bid for a roster spot in Chicago sooner rather than later.

1.) Chris Kreider (F) #19 Boston College (New York Rangers)

– Taken with the 19th overall selection in the 2009 draft, the offensively gifted Kreider has done it all at Boston College and could be playing in his final BeanPot tournament this year. A prototypical power forward with speed, Kreider has reportedly contemplated forgoing his senior season for a chance to go pro with the Rangers next fall. The 6’3″ Boxford, MA native has scored 16 goals and added 14 assists in 27 games this year.

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5.) —–> To Chicago: Hal Gill, Travis Moen, 5th Round Pick

—–> To Montreal: Kyle Beach, Brandon Saad, 2nd Round Pick

– Seemingly going nowhere this season it may be time for the Habs and GM Pierre Gauthier to start thinking about unloading some pieces in an attempt to build for the future. Both Gill and Moen are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer and could provide a Cup-hunting Blackhawks team with some added depth and grit for a playoff run this spring. Neither Moen nor Gill give you much in the way of flash or skill, but both are very durable players who have a Stanley Cup on their resume. For Montreal, both Beach and Saad fit the mold of what the Habs need the most: big, strong power forwards who can put the puck in the net. While neither will give Montreal much in the way of immediate assistance, they both have the potential to become cogs in the Canadiens’ lineup for years to come.

4.) —–> To Boston: Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Allen

—–> To Carolina: Jordan Caron, Matt Bartkowski, 2nd Round Pick

– For a team that has simply run roughshod on the Eastern Conference since the start of November there really aren’t many glaring holes on a roster full of Stanley Cup winners. However, like we saw last February, GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t afraid to tinker with his team in order to add the necessary depth to make another run at Lord Stanley. This trade makes perfect sense for a Boston team that still relies on an inexperienced Steven Kampfer as it’s seventh defenseman. The hard-nosed Bryan Allen isn’t known much for his offense (0G/7A in 51 games this season) but can provide a solid defensive presence in his end of the ice, as well as log some valuable time on the penalty kill. Like Allen, the 28-year-old Ruutu will be a free agent on July 1. The Finland native seems to have been cut from the same mold as Boston winger Rich Peverley in the way that he can be trusted in any situation. Ruutu has posted fifteen goals and added eleven assists in 51 games this season while being shuffled up and down the Carolina lineup.

3.) —–> To Philadelphia: Ryan Suter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Nashville: James Van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn, Andrej Meszaros, Jody Shelley, 1st Round Pick

– Now, I’d put this trade as the least likely to happen, at least not until this summer. A deal like this makes perfect sense for a Flyers team that will be without captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season. Ryan Suter is perhaps the most underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Often overshadowed by Shea Weber, Suter has quietly stacked together one all-star season after another and is slated to finally cash in this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The question still remains as to if the cash-strapped Predators can re-sign Suter to a long term deal to keep him in Nashville. However, if GM David Poile comes to the realization that he will not be resigning with the Preds, he would be better served to deal him now than let him walk for nothing this July. The package I’ve presented seems like quite a hefty price for one player but keep in mind, true number one defensemen simply do not grow on trees. While I really can’t see this one happening before the deadline, if Suter is adamant about not re-upping in Nashville, I can’t see any better scenario for the Predators’ franchise both now and into the future.

2.) —–> To Toronto: Jeff Carter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Columbus: Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin, 2nd Round Pick

– There’s no question that Jeff Carter’s brief stay in Ohio’s capital is coming to an early end. Reportedly frustrated by the entire situation, the former Flyers star has put up only seventeen points (10G/7A) in 30 games this season while playing for the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets. While many teams would be skeptical of accepting any player with ten years left on his contract, the Leafs have been on a league-wide search for a true number one center since Brian Burke took the helm in November of 2008. It’s my belief that if Carter is surrounded by a talented team (like he was in Philadelphia) he will once again be able to return to his elite form. While many could think of this as an overpayment for Carter, I would argue that while Schenn still looks like a future all-star, he seems to be the odd man out on a Leafs’ blueline already manned by Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek and John-Michael Liles — all of whom are signed to lucrative contracts. Kulemin is a young player with loads of skill and potential who seems to be struggling under the hockey-crazed pressure cooker that is Toronto. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good. In Toronto, Maple Leafs’ fans may be foaming at the mouth with the thoughts of putting an elite pivot in between all-star wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.

1.)  —–> To Minnesota: Zach Parise

—–> To New Jersey: Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, 2nd Round Pick

– This trade simply makes too much sense. With Parise still unsigned and the Devils’ ownership situation still uncertain, it’s easy to suggest that New Jersey will be unable to retain Parise at year’s end. Recent speculation has suggested that the 5’11″ Minneapolis would like nothing better than to return to his home state to continue his career, making him a perfect fit for the Wild. However, a former 40-goal scorer with extensive leadership qualities simply does not come cheap. With this package the Devils pick up a solid return for a guy who will likely be gone for nothing on July 1. Devin Setoguchi is a solid young winger who can play top-six minutes and provide some pop playing across from Ilya Kovalchuk. In Coyle and Brodin New Jersey receives two former first round selections who look to be sure bet NHL contributors in the near future. Parise should provide the right type of boost for a Wild team trying to work themselves off of the playoff fringe.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

Not only do I enjoy watching the NHL, I’m a fan of international hockey and I love seeing the best taking on the best.  As a puckhead, I’ve gone to see the games in the Canada Cup and the World Cup of Hockey. Not only do you get to see the best players represent their country, but watching the fans soak it all in is just as special.

Over the next few days, the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, along with neighboring cities Lasalle and Tecumseh, are hosts to the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.  For those who are not familiar with this event, it is a 10-team round-robin tournament that features the best hockey players under the age of 17 displaying their talents on an international stage. Next to the World Junior Championships, this is second biggest international tournament. These kids are two to three years from being drafted by NHL clubs.

Players from the United States, Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Germany take part, along with five regional Canadian teams, which are Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic (the provinces east of Quebec), West (New Brunswick and Manitoba) and Pacific (Alberta and British Columbia).

The game that I went to today was between Team Germany and Team Ontario and the Canadian colors of red and white were well represented.   Here’s how I can tell: A few rows in front of me, there was a family of seven wearing Team Canada #87 Sidney Crosby jerseys. How’s that for commitment?

Team Ontario has won three of the last four gold medals and they pretty much have the home-ice advantage. I wanted to see Team Ontario play just because of the fact that I’m an OHL fan and I wanted to see these future OHL stars. They are to the U-17 Tournament what Team Canada is to the World Junior Championships. They are a well-oiled machine and they are an example of why the OHL are the best at producing young talent.

Here’s a small sample size of the future Hall-of-Famers who have taken part in this tournament: Joe Sakic (Pacific) and Brendan Shanahan (Ontario) took the first step to Canada’s Program of Excellence by playing in what was formally known as the Quebec Esso Cup.

The NHL stars of today who have participated in the World U-17 include Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Vincent Lecavalier.

The stars of tomorrow took part in this tournament not too long ago.  The “Young Guns” such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, Ryan Strome, John Tavares (all have represented Ontario) and Jonathan Heberdeau (Quebec) got their feet wet before representing Canada in the World Junior Championship.  Being among the best players in this tournament doesn’t mean that they can cut it in the next level of international play—Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Pacific) excelled in the U-17, but didn’t make the cut for Team Canada in the 2011 WJC.

There some NHL bloodlines involved in the tournament, especially coming from the Canadian teams. Max Domi, who is currently on loan from the London Knights (OHL), is the son of former NHLer Tie, but they are complete opposites.  While Tie was known for being an agitator and for his fights with Bob Probert, Max is a player that’s gifted offensively and has a burst of speed that reminds me of Pavel Bure.  While PK Subban currently stars for the Montreal Canadiens, his younger brother, Jordan is on leave from the Belleville Bulls to help shore up the defense for Ontario.  Cole Cassels was taken in the first round of the OHL draft by the Oshawa Generals and is the son of former NHLer, Andrew.

Bo Horvat and Aaron Ekblad are two that you’ve probably never heard of before, but you probably will very soon.  Ekblad was the first overall pick of the Barrie Colts this summer.  The kid is a 6 foot 3 inch defenseman and, just like any teenager, is still growing. He reminds me a lot of a young Chris Pronger.  Horvat, who is property of the Knights, scored one of the goals in Ontario’s 5-0 shutout of Germany. He, like his teammate Max Domi, is another offensively-gifted player, but he looks like the type of player who will do whatever it takes to win.  Maybe he can bring back the phrase “Bo Knows Hockey,” but time will tell.

Going to an event like this was neat.  I was surrounded by mostly Canadian fans and they were really into it. Being at an international sporting event doesn’t happen that often and I wanted to take advantage of it. I’ll be going to another U-17 game tomorrow as Russia will take on USA in another matinee affair.  Who knows if I’ll see the next Alex Ovechkin or the next Phil Kessel, but it will be exciting to watch.

Pavel Datsyuk continues to lead the team in scoring with 35 points (10 goals and team leading 25 assists), while Johan Franzen leads the team in goals with 14.  Nicklas Lidstrom leads the defense corp with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) with Ian White leading the club with a plus minus rating of +22.

Jimmy Howard leads all NHL netminders with 20 wins and is also sporting a 1.99 goals against average and .925 save percentage with three shutouts.

Game 32:  Detroit Red Wings 3  Edmonton Oilers 2

The Red Wings kicked off their road trip in Oil Country with a 3-2 win in Edmonton thanks to Drew Miller’s game-winning goal late in the third period.  Jimmy Howard became the first NHL goalie to reach 20 wins.  The best line combination on the ice were the threesome of Miller, Danny Cleary and Darren Helm. They kicked their game to top gear and grinded it out.

Game 33:  Detroit Red Wings 2  Vancouver Canucks 4

Roberto Luongo led the Canucks with 39 saves, including 13 in the third period and out-dueled Jimmy Howard.  Even though the Red Wings made mistakes on their part, this game didn’t go without controversy. Ryan Kesler got “Kronwalled” as he got rocked with a clean hit by Niklas Kronwall and retaliated which lead to a penalty for roughing.  Despite the Red Wings being on the power-play, the momentum didn’t go their way thanks to Jannik Hansen crashing into Jimmy Howard and Alexander Edler scored the short-handed goal during that play.  Howard, who was rightfully upset, got into it with Hansen after the goal.  Mark February 2, 2012 on your calendars, because that’s the next time that the two teamsCur will face each other.

Game 34:  Detroit Red Wings 2  Calgary Flames 3

Curtis Glencross led the way by scoring twice for the Flames sending the Red Wings to their second consecutive loss on the road.  Jimmy Howard got the night off and gave way to backup Ty Conklin who took the loss.  The Red Wings did step up in the third period with goals by Jiri Hudler and Ian White, but it was too late as the Flames buckled down and got solid goaltending from Mikka Kiprusoff.

Team Transactions: None

Waiting In The Wings:  Five of the Red Wings’ prospects will take part in the 2012 World Junior Championships which will take place in the province of Alberta, with Edmonton and Calgary co-hosting the event.  Petr Mrazek (Czech Republic), Mattias Backman (Sweden), Teemu Pulkkinen (Finland), Tomas Jurco (Slovakia) and Marek Tvrdon (Slovakia) will represent their countries as they go for the Gold Medal.  The tournament runs from December 26 thru January 5.

This week’s games:

The Red Wings hope to end their road trip on a winning note as they head to Nashville and face the Predators.  Tuesday night, they return home to face the St. Louis Blues.  Friday, the Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks will meet  for the first time this season at the United Center and they return to the JLA on Saturday for their traditional New Year’s Eve game by hosting the St. Louis Blues.

My second piece, today, is on Isles 2008 2nd round draft pick Corey Trivino who was arrested and charged with a few things, including attempted rape. Please give it a read. We go into a bevy of issues that surround a young man…not as an excuse for him, but to understand what are some elements that might have led him to such a shocking arrest and dismissal from BU.

Please give them a read.

- BD

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Last season, Kuhnhackl made his North American major junior debut with the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and he made a smooth transition, finishing fourth on his team with 68 points while leading the club in goals (39).  During the OHL playoffs, Kuhnhackl was even better, leading the team in goals (11), points (23), power play goals (4) and +/- (+11) and he finished as the third-best point scorer in the post-season among all OHL players.

In Game 7 of the first round, he scored a tiebreaking goal, his second of the contest, with under three minutes left in the third period to give Windsor the series over Erie.  While Windsor, shooting for its third straight Memorial Cup, eventually fell to the eventual OHL champions, Owen Sound in the Western Conference Final, Kuhnhackl scored 4 goals and 7 points in the five-game series loss.

For the second straight year, he earned an invitation to the Rookie Tournament held earlier in September in Oshawa, Ontario where prospects from the Penguins played one game each against teams of prospects from the Maple Leafs, Senators and Blackhawks.  A pre-draft scouting report described Kuhnhackl as “a surprisingly mobile, good skater for a player of his size.  He has a very good understanding of the game and has good offensive instincts.”

At the Rookie Tournament, Kuhnhackl also noted that he tries to “be an offensive player, a two-way player, trying to create scoring chances, bringing pucks to the net, using my legs and speed.”

He admitted that he had some jitters last September.  ”I played in the [Rookie] Tournament last year and I was really nervous.  I had no idea what everyone expected from me.  This year, I’m just trying to play my game to help the Penguins,” and pointed out that he gained valuable insight by skating on a line with two prospects who had already played in the NHL.

“Last year, with [Dustin] Jeffrey and [Eric] Tangradi – those are excellent players.   Both played a couple games for the Penguins so they know what they’re talking about.  They tell me what to do so I just listen to them because they know what they’re doing.”

Kuhnhackl also credited a prospect with major junior and AHL experience with helping him along.  ”Nick Petersen, he’s my roommate.   He was playing in the ‘A’ last year so he’s been giving me advice, what the coaches expect from me and what I can do to help the team.”

When the Pens played Toronto in the Tournament, Kuhnhackl occasionally was assigned point duties on the power play, a role he tried last season.  ”When I was playing in Windsor, I was playing on the point with [defenceman] Ryan Ellis for half the season, so I’m used to it now. [Penguins' coach John] Hynes asked me if I wanted to try it, so I said ‘Sure, why not?’”.  But Kuhnhackl, playing just his fifth game in a Penguins’ sweater, quickly added, “Of course I was nervous!  The level here is way higher than in the OHL.   I’ll need a couple of games to get used to it but I liked playing on the point.”

He complimented his power play blue line partner Simon Despres, Pittsburgh’s first-round choice in 2009.  ”Simon is a really skilled defenceman so it was really nice to play with him.  Before the game, we had a meeting with the coaches.   They told us which play we should run, what we should try.”

Pittsburgh Penguin Tom Kuhnhackl (#14, second from right) warms up prior to a Rookie Tournament game against Toronto on September 11, 2011 in Oshawa, Ontario.

As for his former teammate Ellis, who was analyzed last week by Hockey Independent, Kuhnhackl effusively praised the 2011 CHL Player of the Year.  ”Ryan Ellis is the best defenceman in the OHL at his age.  I don’t know how to explain it.  He’s just the best.  If you play with him on the point, you have way more confidence.

“He gives you the puck, I give him the puck,” Kuhnhackl excitedly explained, using his hands to diagram a typical game situation.  ”He can run plays; he can play passes he never expected from someone.  He always helps you; he is a leader and he helped me a lot.”

When the subject of Germany’s continuing struggle to become a respectable global hockey nation was broached, Kuhnhackl turned more serious, nodding his head at the immense mountain his homeland still must climb.

“When you look at the hockey in Germany, when you look at the first-league especially, every team has eleven imports … so what about the German hockey?” he asked rhetorically.  ”Eleven imports – that’s like the first two and a half lines.  Then the third and fourth lines might be a couple of young German players that don’t see a lot of ice time and they sit in the stands.   Maybe we should reduce [the quota] to seven imports or six so that German hockey can improve and maybe we can beat Canada for once.”

On Kuhnhackl’s 2009-10 Augsburg club, the top eleven scorers were all either Canadian or American.

“I played a couple games [for Augsburg] but when you look at the level there … eleven imports,” he said, shaking his head, ”it’s just … I don’t know.  If you want to improve German hockey, the German players need to get ice time.”

In 2010, Hockey Independent talked to German national team coach Uwe Krupp who played over 800 games in the NHL, about the state of hockey in his country.  Krupp was optimistic about the future after looking at the past and present.  ”German hockey has a number of good players.  We haven’t created a Dirk Nowitzki like we have in basketball but we have Marco Sturm and Christian Ehrhoff – two guys who are representing German hockey at a very high level.  Jochan Hecht, Dennis Seidenberg, Olaf Kolzig … we’ve had some players who’ve had good careers in the NHL.”

“Tom Kuhnhackl is a good young player that is as good as any player you’ll find in the Czech Republic or in Slovakia within those age groups.”

Kuhnhackl was returned to Windsor last Thursday from the Penguins’ pre-season training camp without appearing in any exhibition games. Unfortunately, he suffered a severe injury to the MCL of his right knee during Windsor’s 4-3 loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Friday night that may require surgery meaning he will be out indefinitely.  The collision and the sight of a player falling on his knee was eerily reminiscent of the injury suffered by Pittsburgh centre Evgeni Malkin in February that ended the star centre’s season.

In time, Kuhnhackl will heal and the journey from Augsburg to Pittsburgh will continue.

“I took a week and a bit off after playing in the ‘A’ (AHL),” Ellis said this past May at the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Awards Ceremony. “Just kind of relaxed, went up to the cottage and I just started my training regimen in the summer and I’m looking forward to a little time off as well as off-season training.”

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The 2009 first-round draft choice reached new personal summits in 2010-11 with the Windsor Spitfires when he was named the OHL Mickey Renaud Captain’s Award winner, top defenceman in the OHL, CHL and World Junior Championship, player of the year in both the OHL and CHL, and an OHL and World Junior Championship All Star.  He finished with 313 career points, third highest among all OHL defencemen in history.  He also captained Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in Buffalo, winning a second consecutive silver medal to go with the gold he won in 2009.

Ellis paused to consider his accomplishments and place in major junior history.

“I talked to my old coach Bob Boughner yesterday.  I think it’s just icing on the cake.   We had a great season this year and we went a lot further than a lot of people expected.   I think, just personally for myself, after four years in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, these two awards are just something on the top and I’m very honoured to get them.”

He was humbled to have his name etched on the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award noting “the pretty big names on that list. I think to be in the company of not just those defencemen but the other players that have won it in previous years is very exciting.   I think going on to pro hockey next year, it’s kind of, like I said, just icing on the cake to sum it all up.”

Ellis gave credit to his first high school hockey coach, Paul Hanley, of the Waterdown District High School Warriors, for motivating him to always give his best effort.

“It’s to always care and to always have the drive to win.   Obviously high school hockey at the time was just kind of more fun for me than anything serious but he always promoted everyone coming with their ‘A’ game and wanting to win, no matter if it was high school, house league, OHL, NHL.  I think that was the biggest thing – always wanting to win, just having that drive at every aspect of any level is key.”

After Windsor’s drive for three straight Memorial Cups ended in the third round of the OHL playoffs in late April, Ellis signed an amateur try-out contract with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate.  In his first seven professional playoff games, Ellis scored a goal and an assist.

“It was a great experience.  I had a lot of fun there and I did pretty well for myself.  It was a different experience.  I wasn’t used to joining a team at the end of a year.  It was definitely a big step there.   I think going there in the thick of the playoffs and getting used to playoff speed was a great start for me in pro hockey,” Ellis reflected, reviewing his cup of coffee in Milwaukee.  ”Everyone treated me very well. I played a lot more than I expected to.   I played some key spots which I think was pretty exciting,” he continued, perhaps referring to his goal on the power play in Game 6 of the West Division Final against Houston.

Ellis stated that the biggest lesson he learned in Milwaukee was “just the fact that you must get bigger and stronger for the jump to the AHL or the NHL.”  Just 5’10″ and 179 lbs., scouts have often been skeptical about his viability as an NHL-calibre defenceman.  He chuckled when the topic of his small size came up again.  ”No, I think I’m over that.  I still get those questions once in a while but I’m so far past anything like that.  I’m more confident and things like that aren’t even in my rear view anymore.”

In his third pre-season camp with Nashville, Ellis has hopes of joining Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the Preds’ blue line but remains even-keeled and would not view a return trip to Milwaukee as a disappointment.  ”I think the AHL is a great way to earn your way to an NHL team. I think if that’s in the cards for me, then I’ll relish in that role and go there, try to do my best and hopefully work my way to pro hockey.”

It’s time for the return of the Yooper.

Ray Kaunisto, a 6-foot-4 left wing, played 57 games for Manchester last season, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. He had 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) and finished with a minus-6 rating. Not exactly numbers that will shoot him past Brandon Kozun or Tyler Toffoli on the depth chart.

“To be realistic, I’m not a top-two liner,” Kaunisto says.

He knows his role and he’s sticking to it – “I like to be a defensive forward and I think I’m getting better at that as a pro – after being good at it in college.”

With four years at Northern Michigan under his belt, he signed with the Kings as a free agent in March 2010.

Even though the odds may be stacked against him flying to Europe with the Kings to start the season, he’s had a straight forward approach to training camp this week.

“How I look at it is, I come to camp and I do what I can,” said the 24-year old, who hails from the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. “I’m going to go out there and play rough, I’m going to hit and try not to turn the puck over. I want to be good in my own zone. I’ll try to put in a couple of goals and be there for my teammates. If it doesn’t work out here – I hope to make the team here, that’s what everyone hopes here – but, I know that may not be the most realistic thing right now. The step after that is, go to the AHL and be a top player there.”

Right before camp opened though, he had to ship something back home – his wife. Married over the summer, the Mrs. was in town for a few days.

“She took a flight back to Vancouver for the next couple of weeks though.”

Earlier this summer, he also told us she was a big Ducks fan. So, how does he know she didn’t just head down the I-5 towards Anaheim to go check out their training camp?

“She might have snuck off that plane. You never know,” replied Kaunisto.

Although it didn’t make his bucket list, one of his stated goals this summer was to convert her to a Kings fan. Any luck?

“I think she’s a lost cause,” he quipped. “She likes goalies in the first place. So, we’re just on a totally different page there. She’s a fan of goalies and the Ducks, so I just don’t know what to do. I just won’t talk hockey with her anymore.”

With her out of SoCal now – supposedly – he’s taken to rooming with Rich Clune. Has there been any chirping going on back at the hotel?

“If you chip Cluner, he might give you the People’s Elbow from the other bed. Kozy’s (Kozun) always a good target because I know he’s not going to hit me with anything.”

Kaunisto saves most of his hits for ice these days, even though he’s rather do it as a center than his current wing position.

“I feel more comfortable at center,” explained Kaunisto. “In college it’s a little bit of a different system. It’s more guys running around like crazy. Just learning the pro game, everyone isn’t always in the right spot. It’s a lot harder to defend guys who are this good and this patient with the puck.”

Back in college, his point total also was much different as a center.
“I think it’s because I have a lot of speed coming through the neutral zone, coming through the middle. I want the puck all the time. So, when I’m at center, I can just curl low, get the puck from either the ‘D’ or the winger on the breakout. I like to carry the puck and I think that carries to a lot of points because I can just dish to the side, take a shot or go to the net. I’m always a guy who goes to the net when I play center.”

It’s not just the offense he can display at center, he thinks he’s a better defender from that position as well.

“The hardest part about playing wing is not seeing what’s coming from your back,” Kaunisto said. “When you’re getting a breakout pass to the d-man, you don’t know where that d-man is behind you, stepping down at the blueline. At center, when I get the puck, my head is already up – looking up ice. So, I know where everyone is at. A downfall of my game is I don’t have the best vision out there. When I’m at center, I’m looking up, my toes are pointed up ice and I can see everything in front of me. At wing, there’s always guys coming at your back that you can’t see. So, a lot of times I’ll get the puck poked off my stick or I’ll try to through a pass through the middle to a centerman and it will get picked off by their F3.”

Putting it simply – “I need to learn a few more things in the d-zone at center. Then, hopefully I’ll get my chance there again.”

With Corey Elkins and Oscar Moller not returning to Manchester this season, he plans on lobbying Monarchs coach Mark Morris to move back to center.

He’ll leave that for a face to face conversation.  Most of his other thoughts these days end up on twitter.

“Sometimes I cross the line. I think it’s funny to cross the line. I like doing that,” admits Kaunisto. “It’s fun and I just say whatever I feel like.”

Occasionally, people can take offense to things written on twitter. Has he had to block anybody yet?

“No, not yet. I’ve probably been blocked a few times though.”

His approach on twitter mirrors his approach when playing – “If somebody chrips me, I chirp back.”

The first round of roster cuts took place yesterday and he’s still here. Now, if he gets to play on Sunday against the Ducks – that could be interesting.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Kaunisto talks Kozun, Clune and LA Kings Development Camp

Ray Kaunisto submits his bucket list – just a small taste of what goes on inside his head

Rich Clune says prospect Brandon Kozun ‘has a fire inside him’

HOCKEY LEGENDS PAT LAFONTAINE AND STEVE WEBB TO RIDE 550 MILES FOR W20
FOUNDATION AND COMPANIONS IN COURAGE FOUNDATION

NEW YORK (September 19, 2011) –NHL alumnus Steve Webb and Hockey Hall
of Fame inductee Pat LaFontaine began a 550-mile bike ride this morning
from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in route to the NHL Powered by
Reebok Store in New York City in support of their respective charitable
efforts, the W20 Foundation and the Companions in Courage Foundation. Both
are expected to complete their historic ride on Wednesday, September 21 at
12:00 p.m. ET with a special celebration at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store
in midtown Manhattan.

“The NHL is proud to support these two hockey legends as they embark
on this epic charitable ride. On behalf of the NHL family we proudly salute
Pat and Steve, and wish them the best of luck” said Ken Martin, Jr., NHL
Vice President of Community Affairs.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation is an official
philanthropic partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helps to
create “Lion’s Den/NHL Legacy Classrooms” featuring Cisco System’s online
conferencing system, WebEx, which allows young patients to connect to
family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a
hospital stay.

The Foundation has now opened 12 Lion’s Den rooms throughout North
America, including two with the NHL in Boston, Calgary and Montreal. The
NHL unveiled the first fully functional “NHL Legacy Classroom” at North
Carolina Children’s Hospital to commemorate the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend.
Plans for an “NHL Legacy Classroom” in Pittsburgh were unveiled during the
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic to commemorate the outdoor game.

Webb’s W20 Foundation provides young student ice hockey players with
partial academic scholarships to continue the pursuit of their hockey
dreams. Now the organization also highlights athletes as influential agents
of change and creates opportunities for athletes to give back in their
communities. Webb will also commit a portion of the ride’s proceeds to fund
Alzheimer and dementia research in Ontario.

The riders will be joined by a support team that includes Graham
Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling, host of North America’s premier
series of distance bicycling events.

For more information on how you can support this please visit
www.CiC16.org
or www.w20Foundation.org.  To follow the progress of the ride, fans are
encouraged to visit www.W20Foundation.blogspot.com. ]]> http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/bdgallof/38698/feed/ 0 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/penguinsmarch/38506/ http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/penguinsmarch/38506/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:03:14 +0000 Adrian Fung http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=38506 The Pittsburgh Penguins lost all three games of the 2011 NHL Rookie Tournament in Oshawa, Ontario, falling by a lopsided composite score of 13-2 in three games over four days.  Today, the Penguins’ prospects fell 4-1 to Chicago’s prospect squad in a game that turned near the end of the second period when after Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 power plays, Chicago scored two quick goals to go up 3-0 at second intermission.  Of course, cogent followers of these types of fast-paced mini tournaments will know that the wins and losses mean as little as wins and losses in pro camp exhibition games.  Only evaluation of individual performances, skill development or skill regression matters.

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Staging rookie tournaments is simply a method for teams to analyze, in game action, its top minor league, collegiate or major junior talent, many of whom are years away from seriously contending for an NHL roster spot.  If a team rests some top prospects or starts a lower-on-the-depth-chart goaltender, the chances of winning the game decrease if the opposition ices its best players.  In Saturday’s opener, the Penguins dressed top prospect Eric Tangradi and one of their best goaltending prospects, Patrick Killeen but rested prized young blueliner Simon Despres.  On Sunday night and this afternoon, Despres and amateur tryout netminder Maxime Lagace played but Tangradi and Killeen rested.

Despite the 0-fer, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who specializes in mentoring the defencemen, was positive about what he saw from some of the young Penguins’ blueliners immediately after Sunday’s loss against the Maple Leafs.

“I just actually talked to all the ‘D’.  I’m pretty proud of what they did.  It’s not an easy task.  They want to make an impression in camp, to work hard and compete and that’s what they did in the full sixty [minutes] with 5 ‘D’,” referring to the quintet of defencemen who had to soldier on after Robert Bortuzzo left the game in the first period with an injury.  “There were some penalties that we had to kill.  They battled all the way through.  They were tired but they battled and competed and that’s all we ask.  Starting the game with six [defencemen] and ending the game with five, especially going down early with Bortz [Bortuzzo], they really did a good job.”

The five blueliners Nasreddine commended were QMJHL defenceman of the year Simon Despres, 2011 first round pick Joe Morrow, 2011 second round pick Scott Harrington, Alex Grant and Philip Samuelsson.

Nasreddine gave a wry smile when recalling a severe injury suffered by Grant in the first game of the 2010 Rookie Tournament.  “Last year we got used to it as it happened with [Alex] Grant … Sure, we didn’t like it but like I said, they want to make an impression, they want to play good, they want to play well and I think they all did a pretty good job tonight.”

Nasreddine said he tries to keep set defence pairings but knows he must quickly adapt to in-game changes.

“There’s a pattern you try to establish, so we try to stick with it so that everyone gets equal time but you’re going to get penalties, you’re going to get power plays, penalty kills so it often changes but in general they all get a lot of ice time so they had a good opportunity to show what they can do and I thought they did a good job.”

“I thought Morrow had a really strong game, he showed a lot of skill.  I think you could tell it was his second game and he was a lot more comfortable out there.  Harrington was solid and Grant and Samuelsson too.”

For his part, Samuelsson, a 2009 second round choice of Pittsburgh who played the last two seasons at Boston College, was unfazed by the losses.

“I think the games are moving pretty fast.  The ice has been pretty good.  I think we’re coming together as a team.  A couple of bounces here and there and we’re right back in it.  I think we had a good game today.  We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances and unfortunately, we had some lapses on defence that they were able to capitalize on so if we tighten up in the D zone, and bury our chances, I think we should give Chicago a run for their money on Tuesday.”

He reflected on the difference between college hockey and the competitive nature of this quick tournament, playing with and against top prospects.

“It’s huge.  It’s good to see what the pace is at now and kind of know you have to ramp it up a level to keep up and to play at your game.  It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of this.  You always want to win games – it doesn’t matter if it’s a pick-up game in the summer or rookie camp here.  You’re always going to go your hardest and that’s what I have to do to be successful as a player.”

No matter where he ends up this season, Samuelsson is working as hard as he can to make a positive statement with Pittsburgh scouts and front office.

“Definitely, I want to make a good impression on the Penguins and hopefully, one day be able to crack that roster.  I don’t know if that’s going to be this year or a few years down the road but I’ll try my hardest at this camp and see where it goes from there.”

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Pittsburgh opened the game with a quick goal 13 seconds after the opening faceoff when centre Zach Sill who sat out the first game yesterday afternoon, dumped the puck in.  Linemate Brandon DeFazio found it near the net and rammed it into the goal past Toronto netminder Garret Sparks for the abrupt 1-0 lead.

It was classic Penguins’ hockey in the opening third of the first period as the Pens effectively maintained consistent offensive zone time through hard forechecking and their puck possession system.  Momentum started to swing when rugged Jamie Devane found Josh Leivo behind the Pittsburgh defence.  Leivo unleashed a hard wrist shot but Pittsburgh goaltender Maxime Lagace was able to blocker the puck away.

About one minute later, the Leafs raced 2-on-2 into the Pens’ zone.  As defenceman Joe Morrow fell down at the left of the net, his partner Philip Samuelsson had his pocket picked by McKegg who whipped the puck in front to Josh Nicholls whose goal tied the game at 7:47.  McKegg earned a second assist midway through the period when he fired a cross-crease laser to Mitchell Heard during a 4-on-3 power play.  Heard waited patiently, then fired the puck to the far corner behind Lagace to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.  Toronto was successful at controlling the tempo of the second half of the period and was successful at winning puck battles below the Pittsburgh goal line.

The second period was frustrating for the Pens but not for lack of effort.  They continued to establish a good forecheck and cycled the puck well, winning many battles in the corners but could not solve Sparks.  Toronto increased its lead to 3-1 when David Broll passed to Sam Carrick who cut across the crease from the left boards and flipped the puck by Lagace’s left pad.  Three minutes later, Pittsburgh had two good chances to score when Tom Kuhnhackl and Joe Morrow skated into the Leafs’ zone 2-on-1.  Kuhnhackl elected to shoot but Sparks kept the puck out.  Moments later, Paul Thompson got the puck alone in the slot but his backhand attempt was stopped.

Later Brian Gibbons was absolutely robbed on a toe save by Sparks when a tap-in attempt looked like a sure goal.  With two minutes left in the period, Morrow’s centre-point shot was deflected high by Sparks’ trapper.

The Leafs iced it in the third period when McKegg scored his third point and first goal of the night after receiving a stretch pass.  He sped by Pittsburgh defenceman Joe Morrow then deked Lagace and tucked a low backhand into the net to make it 4-1.  With about 2 1/2 minutes left, Tyler Brenner scored a gift goal when the puck skipped through Morrow’s legs at the Pens’ blue line.  Brenner scooped up the puck and slipped it under Lagace to complete the victory.

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Earlier in the contest, a Blackhawks’ prospect who ended up earning second star honours, looked like he might be the game’s hero. Left wing Brandon Saad, a native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, assisted on Chicago’s first goal then with a burst of speed, powered to the net and flipped the puck in for the go-ahead goal that gave the Hawks a short-lived 2-1 lead.  This afternoon, he scored two goals, one on the power play but the Hawks fell 6-5 to Ottawa.

Hockey Independent talked to Saad when he appeared in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition and Game back in the winter at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. At the time, Saad was considered one of the top draft-eligible players, ranking #8 among all North American skaters in the NHL-Central Scounting Service rankings released in January.

Saad was enjoying a hot start in his initial OHL campaign, scoring 23 goals and 20 assists for the front-running Saginaw Spirit when he appeared in the invitation-only event in Toronto. Unfortunately, Saad suffered a nagging groin injury that hampered his production and his pre-draft stock fell considerably to the point where he was no longer considered first round material anymore.

As for his general impressions of the first Rookie Tournament game for the Blackhawks, Saad said, “I thought it was pretty good. It was high-tempo out there. Everyone’s trying to make the team. It was a good first game.”

While many are already concluding that Saad, 18, will return to Saginaw for his second year of major junior action, Saad is trying not to think about his ultimate destination this weekend.

Brandon Saad (43) grew up in Pittsburgh studying Jaromir Jagr's game. Saad, 18, has already scored 3 goals in 2 Rookie Tournament games this weekend in Oshawa.

“Everyone’s trying to make the team. It’s a tryout. We just come and work hard and learn from our experiences here with older guys and things like that.”

He noted the Chicago coaching staff have not written down set lineups for the final two games of this brief tournament meaning he did not know absolutely if he would suit up against the Senators this afternoon (he did) or the Penguins on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure, really. It’s going to be day-to-day with that. I’ll know further, obviously, in the [near] future.”

“I want to keep the consistency and work hard out there,” Saad continued, identifying areas of his game he wanted to improve. “Obviously we want to get two wins here, so I’ll do what I can to help the team win.”

Recently-repatriated former Penguins’ star Jaromir Jagr was Saad’s favourite player as a youth growing up near Pittsburgh and Saad tried to model his game after the Czech winger.

“It’s going to be exciting definitely,” Saad remarked, smiling at the thought of the long-time Penguin suiting up for arch-rival Philadelphia this autumn. “Hopefully, I’ll get to play against him. It’s definitely nice to get him back in the league.”

Saad had time to return to Gibsonia in the summer and got to rest “a little bit after the season, but after that you just get back to working at it. It’s a lot of hard work to get in game shape,” and he admitted that the groin injury “lingered a little bit. I worked on strengthening it – things like that over the summer so that definitely helped and I’m feeling back at 100%.”

Whether Saad beats heavy odds to earn a roster spot in Chicago or returns to Saginaw for a second season, he knows hard work and steady improvement will be expected at all times now that he is property of an NHL organization.

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“I thought it was a very competitive game – both sides,” said Pittsburgh (and Wilkes/Barre-Scranton) head coach John Hynes.  ”That first period, I thought both teams were very fast and physical.  There wasn’t a lot of time or space on the ice.  We wound up down 2-0 after the first period but I thought it was good and as the game went on, it was kind of back and forth.  There was a lot of energy; we could have used a little bit better execution but there was definitely work ethic and passion out there.”

Penguins’ 2011 first round draft choice Joe Morrow, a defenceman who played for the WHL Portland Winterhawks last year said the opening game was “a good experience to get out there.  The guys are twice as big and twice as strong and everything’s really fast.  It was exciting to go from junior to that.  Slowly as the game went on, I was able to adapt a little better and I should continue to get better throughout the week.”

He said that Hynes told the prospects post-game “to be more consistent throughout the entire game.  There were spurts where we felt we played well and the team kind of clicked but you can’t play in spurts in a sixty minute hockey game.”

Hynes noted that Morrow and fellow 2011 draft choice Scott Harrington acquitted themselves well in their first games as Pittsburgh Penguins.  ”Early in the game there was a little bit of an adjustment period for them just as far as physical presence and the lack of time and space on the ice.  As the game went on, both of those guys started to make more plays and feel more comfortable.  For two young guys to be in their first professional game, I thought they did very good.”

The two teams opened the game with a fair balance of scoring chances with Pittsburgh earning the first power play at 6:36 when Cowick went off for boarding.  The Penguins were unable to convert and a little over a minute after the penalty expired, Cowick connected with centre Derek Grant on a 2-on-1 play.  Grant lifted a shot over the blocker of Pittsburgh netminder Patrick Killeen to give Ottawa the opening goal at 9:54.  Late in the period, Grant returned the favour when he found the puck behind the Pittsburgh net after a dump in and quickly passed to Cowick standing to the left of Kileen.  Cowick buried the pass to put the Sens up 2-0 at first intermission.  Winger Shane Prince, a 2011 draft pick of Ottawa nearly made it 3-0 with half a minute left when he whistled a sharp-angle shot at Killeen that was deflected into the netting above the glass.

The second period produced the season’s first two fights, in rapid succession.  At 2:04, a pair of defencemen squared off – Alex Grant of the Penguins who was quickly taken down by Ottawa blueliner Mark Borowiecki.  Two and a half minutes later, Pens’ winger Jessey Astles, on an amateur tryout with Pittsburgh and who incurred 129 penalty minutes in 59 games with the WHL Kelowna Rockets last season skated from blue line to blue line to drop the gloves with Ottawa’s Darren Kramer.

Pittsburgh’s Nick Petersen generated a number of scoring opportunities for Pittsburgh.  Ninety seconds into the period, he skated down the left wing and rang an open shot off the glass behind Senators’ netminder Robin Lehner.  Six minutes later, he almost connected with Scott Harrington inside the Ottawa zone but Harrington could not get a full shot off at the side of the net.  Petersen was thwarted by Lehner again on a partial breakaway when Petersen’s shot was trapped in between the Swedish goaltender’s pads.  Petersen was a 2009 fourth round selection by Pittsburgh and scored 71 points in 65 combined games at the ECHL and AHL levels.  Moments later, Lehner was sharp again stopping a one-time shot by Ben Street off a pass from behind the net by Paul Thompson.

Hynes agreed that Petersen played a solid game this afternoon.  ”I thought Nick Petersen and Ben Street played well as the game went on, particularly in the second and third periods.  Those guys had some offensive chances and showed what they can do.”

“I thought that Dominik Uher played well.  For a younger, first-year guy, he came in and had a very good work ethic and played well,” Hynes continued.  ”Brian Strait – on D for us, I thought he was very good – played solid, defended well, moved the puck very solidly.”  Hynes commented that Strait who was shaken up early in the third period, “just took a puck in the chin and got a couple of stitches; he’s good; he’s fine.”

Pittsburgh pressed in the third period but was unable to solve Lehner.  At the other end of the ice, Killeen continued to look sharp stopping Ottawa’s top 2011 draft choice Mika Zibanejad and Jakub Culek from in close early in the frame.  At 9:39, Cowick scored his second goal of the game to give Ottawa a 3-0 bulge and Andre Petersson finished off the Pens with a high backhand at 18:16 moments after Pens’ defenceman Alex Grant slid across the crease to break up an Ottawa pass.

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Such is the case with various NHL Rookie Tournaments across North America over the next week.  The fun of summer is in the past and now, it is time for young hockey prospects to get to work.  Typically bringing together 3 or 4 clubs’ top prospects, Rookie Tournaments give young players a chance to make a positive statement to scouts, coaches and general managers in the ultimate quest to land a spot on an NHL roster.

Of course not all prospects are at Rookie Tournaments looking to join the parent club right away.  Many know they are destined for another season with their major junior or AHL team.  Some players have exhausted their major junior eligibility and will be attempting to make the rare jump straight to the NHL or more likely, will use the Rookie Tournament as a primer on the level of competition they are about to face when they turn pro in the AHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will send a roster of 26 players (two goaltenders, ten defencemen, fourteen forwards) to General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario to compete against fellow prospects from the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.  The schedule for Pittsburgh will be identical to last year’s Rookie Tournament: a Saturday afternoon game against Ottawa, a Sunday night contest against the Leafs and a Tuesday matinee against Chicago.

Last year, the Pens sent seven blueliners: Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, Alex Grant, Joe Rogalski, Reid McNeill, Carl Sneep and Brian Strait, to the Rookie Tournament in London, Ontario and all seven will suit up again in Oshawa.  They will be joined by Philip Samuelsson and the Penguins’ first two picks in the 2011 Entry Draft, Joe Morrow and Scott Harrington.  Despres is the most heralded of Pittsburgh defence prospects after winning silver at the World Junior Championship last winter with Team Canada while individually earning top defenceman honours in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He was an integral part of the MasterCard Memorial Cup-winning Saint John Sea Dogs, opening the scoring in the championship final game by sniping a shorthanded goal.

Goaltender Patrick Killeen returns for another Rookie Tournament after splitting last season between the AHL and ECHL and he will be accompanied by Maxime Lagace.

Wingers Eric Tangradi, Keven Veilleux, Nick Petersen, Tom Kuhnhackl and centre Zach Sill were members of last season’s tournament squad.  Tangradi is the only Penguin with NHL experience after making his debut in the final regular season game of 2009-10 followed by 15 games last season, a campaign marred by a concussion received during the infamous Long Island Brawl in February.  Kuhnhackl played on a line with Tangradi and Dustin Jeffrey in the opening Rookie Tournament game last year –  a win over Ottawa, and was praised by coach John Hynes for his “good hockey sense and compete level”.  The German born forward then jumped from the German Elite League into his first OHL season and broke out in a big way, scoring 68 points in 63 games for the two-time defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champions, Windsor Spitfires, before adding a team-leading 23 points in 18 playoff games.

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Forty-three human beings perished yesterday in a plane crash moments after takeoff from Yaroslavl, Russia. Seven were crew members of the airplane.  The remaining thirty-six were hockey players and coaches constituting almost the entire roster of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) club that reached the semifinals last season.  The team was destined for the capital city of Belarus where they were scheduled to play Dinamo Minsk in the 2011-12 season opening game for both clubs.  That game will now be indefinitely postponed because of this unspeakable tragedy in what must surely be hockey’s darkest year ever in North America and now Russia.

The death of New York Rangers’ enforcer Derek Boogaard from overdosing on painkillers in May … The reprehensible conduct of depraved, heart-hardened inciters and opportunists, rioting and looting in Vancouver hours after the Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in June … The premature death of Winnipeg Jet scrapper Rick Rypien who suffered from depression in mid-August followed just two weeks later by the death of enforcer Wade Belak who also suffered from depression.

Now this.

Now another cold, cruel slash through the soul of the global hockey community.

“A catastrophic loss to the hockey world.” – NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

“The darkest day in the history of our sport.” – IIHF President Rene Fasel

There have been and will be more retrospectives on those who died in Yaroslavl.  Most will recount the statistical record and notable accomplishments of certain players.  For NHL followers, some names on the list of people lost in the plane crash are familiar: New Lokomotiv head coach Brad McCrimmon and assistants Igor Korolev and Alexander Karpovtsev.  Players Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins, Josef Vasicek and Pavol Demitra.

We remember Salei representing Belarus in three Winter Olympics including 2002 when his country stunningly upset Sweden in a quarterfinal game.

We remember the dazzlingly consistent Demitra who once scored 20+ goals in nine straight NHL seasons, mostly with St. Louis.  As late as last year in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Demitra led all players with 10 points in 7 games in what would be his swan song season as an NHL player with the city’s Canucks.

Yet in the context of this horrible event, the real tragedy is not that Salei, Demitra and their teammates will never again skate for Lokomotiv or any other club, but that simply, their lives have been lost and those closest to the 36 hockey team members and 7 air crew have lost a grandson, granddaughter, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, aunt, husband, wife, teammate or close friend.  Hockey in Yaroslavl may one day rise again, but in the present moment, it is a time of sheer agony for mourning lives lost.  It will be doubly agonizing for Yaroslavl citizens to know that Lokomotiv members who passed away yesterday will never again grace their community.

We try to cope or console at these times by offering kind, sincere words but often, only platitudes emerge from our lips.  Therefore, this post will be brief.  The accompanying photograph of mourners in Minsk speaks more powerfully than any further extraneous words.  May God, with His sovereign power to bestow common grace on all peoples, grant wisdom and comfort to Russia, especially Yaroslavl, as they mourn and rebuild.

One of the things that the Red Wings preach is that patience is a virtue. For almost 20 years they haven’t had to rush their top prospects.  The last time they played their number 1 pick months after being drafted was way back in 1990 with Keith Primeau.  Primeau had to deal with a typical learning curve in his first couple of seasons as he split time between Detroit and Adirondack (Red Wings’ former minor league affiliate) but he transitioned himself as a solid NHL player until concussions derailed his career.

Since he was drafted by the Red Wings four summers ago, Smith got to hone his skills by playing three seasons of college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers.  In 95 total games for the Badgers, Smith notched 87 points and collected 177 penalty minutes. Those numbers are decent, but look at his stats from his days with Wisconsin and you’ll see he consistently improved in almost every category. His last season with the Badgers was his best as he was nominated for the 2010 Hobey Baker Award which goes to the best collegiate hockey player in the nation.

Last season, which was his first pro season, Smith played in 63 games for the Red Wings’ minor league affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had a decent year, especially for a rookie.  He led all rookies in team scoring with 12 goals and 20 assists.  Besides his puck moving abilities, Smth showed a bit of his rough side by spending 124 minutes in the sin bin, which ranked him third on the team.

One thing that Smith will have to work on, like all rookies, is try not to do everything himself.  He’s not going to be Bobby Orr (who is?).  Will he make mistakes?  Sure, but his teammates will be in his ear and tell him what to do and what not to do.  Being on a veteran squad like the Red Wings will be a huge bonus for Smith.

In the next few days, he will be involved in the NHL Prospects tournament held in Traverse City.  This will be a precursor for him because he will be on the Red Wings’ training camp roster, needing to beat out some competition for a spot on the team’s roster.  If he were to be sent back to Grand Rapids, it will probably be the last time that he’ll be taking the ride from East I-94 to Joe Louis Arena.

The next couple of years will be very crucial to the Red Wings as far as Smith’s contract goes.  He will be entering the second year of a three-year entry level contract.  This season could be Lidstrom’s last and Kronwall is entering the final year of his contract.  There will be vultures lurking outside the Red Wings organization and trying to sway soon-to-be free agents.  In five years, the blueliners on the  power play could very well be the tandem of Brendan Smith and Niklas Kronwall.  To Red Wing fans, does that sound enticing, or what?

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What if the NHL, NHLPA, KHL and other European leagues negotiated a compensation fee scale that resembles fair market value for talented prospects?  Like the salary cap, the midpoint between the minimum and maximum level of this compensation range should be at the level that would allow all NHL teams to make an affordable offer.  Each subsequent season, the range, minimum and maximum would be adjusted based on statistics such as operating income of the NHL, KHL and other European leagues plus general economic conditions, much like the determination of the salary cap and floor.

Then, to prevent large market NHL clubs from always offering compensation fees at the maximum level, how about implementing a “luxury tax” threshold at, for example, 65% of the compensation fee range, beyond which the excess would be subject to a luxury tax tacked on to the NHL club’s salary cap in the player’s first season.

Example: Compensation minimum and maximum are $250,000 and $2-million, respectively.  65% level = $1.3875-million. Luxury tax set at 130% of excess compensation over the 65% level. Drafting NHL club negotiates $1.8-million compensation fee to KHL club for immensely-talented Russian player ‘X’.  The excess of $412,500 would result in a $536,250 luxury tax (130% x $412,500) added into the NHL club’s total salaries for salary cap purposes in the year that player ‘X’ debuts.

That hypothetical $536,250 may not seem like much but it would be the equivalent of a replacement level player – an enforcer, a journeyman checking line forward or a frequently recalled injury fill-in from the AHL – that most teams need to have on standby to fill out a roster.  From another perspective, that $536,250 might be the pro-rated salary of a potential trade deadline acquisition.

Thus a lot of the decision-making on whether to draft Russian and other European prospects would have to be done well before the actual Entry Draft.  Capologists on each NHL team would have to reason not only if their club should draft a certain player based on scouting reports and projecting his skills to the NHL but they would have to analyse affordability.  If player ‘X’ is drafted, can the club reasonably go all out and pay what the KHL or European club is demanding for compensation given the maximum limit on compensation and the possible luxury tax penalty against a future season’s salary cap?

Nashville right wing Alexander Radulov abruptly signed a contract with Russian KHL club Salavat Yulayev Ufa in the summer of 2008 even though he had one year remaining on his entry-level NHL deal.

Note that presently, many consistent contenders have already tied up some franchise players to long-term contracts and attempts to stockpile more talent via drafting Europeans and paying compensation fees would be a more difficult task if the excess of the compensation fee affects future cap hits.  Therefore, this would allow rebuliding or small market teams with fewer long-term contracts to have a more fair chance at European talent in the Entry Draft.  Since inferior teams tend to draft earlier in the first round, they could select boldly knowing they might be able to offer maximum compensation fee money and not worry about future cap hits as they may presently be near the salary floor and thus could go “all-in” when negotiating with the European or KHL club.

Natural factors would discourage KHL or European clubs from being overly demanding or staunchly asking for the upper limit of the compensation scale.  If the drafting NHL club refuses to meet the asking price and the player returns to play in the KHL or other European league, there is a risk to his incumbent club that his skills will decline or he will suffer a serious injury, thus decreasing the potential compensation fee his club could reasonably expect during a second round of post-Entry Draft negotiations.

Clearly, this modest proposal is a very, very basic framework that seeks to introduce fairness to the currently flawed system. It would give European clubs currently bound by Player Transfer Agreements a shot at receiving more than a flat amount of $225,000 while acknowledging the correct logic of the KHL that obvious budding superstars should yield their clubs a fair market price, unlike the mere $150,000 that brought the exceptionally-gifted Russian centre Pavel Datsyuk to Detroit.

For the NHL, teams would have to continue to be prudent and mindful of the salary cap from the implications of offering compensation fees that would trigger luxury tax in future years.  Small market clubs would have a reasonable chance at garnering top European talent in such a system that would simply not be there in a totally open market.

Ultimately, any player transfer agreement in the future between the NHL, Russia and other European nations must specify fair compensation for selling clubs while giving all NHL teams, regardless of market size, an even shot at acquiring these players.  By doing so, hockey’s leaders will be able to reduce the international turf wars, multiple contracts and mistrust that damage worldwide promotion of the sport.

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Thus player transfer agreements help to reduce or eliminate trans-Atlantic contract disputes, threats of legal action, strained international hockey relations and anxiety for players.  Compensation funds have the effect of softening the blow to the club losing a player, allowing it to recoup and reinvest money into training new players (assuming the selling club is the original team who trained the departing player).

Yet controversy exists in this area because Russia has continued to refuse to enter into a player transfer agreement with the NHL arguing that flat fees grossly undervalue potential superstars,.  With no formal framework for compensation amounts, it is unsurprising that Russia and the NHL have wrangled over contracts and rights to several high-profile players.  Pittsburgh centre Evgeni Malkin joined the Penguins five summers ago only after weeks of brinksmanship which saw him sign a contract extension with Russian Super League club Metallurg Magnitogorsk under pressure, file for annulment of the contract under Russian labour law before fleeing to the United States via Finland.  The enraged Magnitogorsk owners sued the Penguins and the NHL on the grounds that Malkin was already under contract but the lawsuit was eventually dismissed.  Significantly, the Magnitogorsk club received no compensation after originally demanding $2-million for Malkin’s rights.

The chronology of star centre Evgeni Malkin's departure from Russia and arrival in the United States in 2006 to play in the NHL was filled with acrimony partly due to the lack of a binding Player Transfer Agreement between the NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation.

The man who was drafted thirteen spots after Malkin, right wing Alexander Radulov, played two seasons for Nashville before abruptly signing a second contract with Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the new Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2008 despite one year remaining on his NHL entry-level deal.  Days later, with rumours swirling that some KHL teams were looking to lure Malkin back to Russia, the NHL and KHL came to a loose agreement on “respecting everyone’s contracts” – not a formal player transfer agreement, but an informal burying of the poaching hatchet.

But despite this “Respect Accord”, the May 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the updated MOU enacted this July which calls for mutual recognition of contracts, contract information sharing, exchange of free agent lists and conflict resolution procedures, there is still no comprehensive NHL – KHL Player Transfer Agreement on monetary compensation.  What will happen when the next Evgeni Malkin, under contract to a KHL team, wishes to join the NHL team who drafts him?

The relatively low compensation amounts typically paid by NHL clubs to European teams has always puzzled me.  Does it really make sense that first-round calibre players trained in Europe can be purchased for $225,000 when the annual compensation on an NHL entry-level deal is $925,000?  It begs the question: isn’t Russia correct in advocating for a full free market system with compensation based on supply and demand?  Perhaps Sweden and other countries bound by player transfer agreements are being swindled by arbitrary fixed compensation fees.

Unfortunately, if a truly unrestricted open market existed, in other words, if Russian and other European players were no longer subject to the annual NHL Entry Draft, then bidding for services of these players would become like the posting system in Major League Baseball (MLB) where teams must pay ”negotiating” fees to Japanese clubs to earn the right to talk to a player.  In the non-salary capped world of MLB, wealthy teams always win out or dissuade small-market teams from even bidding on Japanese players.  Similarly, rich MLB teams generally have the inside track on signing young Latin American stars who like the Japanese, are also not subject to the MLB Draft.

Applied to the salary-capped NHL, tiny Winnipeg, Minnesota or Carolina for example, would not even bother drafting a talented Russian or European as they know they would not be able to afford an exorbitant posting fee.

In part 2 of this article, a new Player Transfer Agreement between the NHL and KHL and all European leagues is proposed to promote fairness for all parties and international hockey peace.

We are in the dog days of summer. There is nothing worse for an Isles fan than an August where so much is left up in the air. Its been a long long month. The venue effort failed. Free agency was with minor solid piece on the bottom 6, which I warned long ago. The second move to bolster the bottom 6 came via trade.

So there you go. Weight retired and now works in-house. The Isles re-signed others, and basically most is all to be seen and assessed at training camp. So many questions remain in the air, it is almost thick and noxious.

For those still trying to play armchair GM, IF and when the Isles sign Bailey they will be at the cap floor with his contract plus players bonuses/incentives. Add in Nino likely making team and should eradicate cap floor wonder. So might want to retire the calculator and pen.

Samsonov rumors hit the feeder the other day, and it is likely a strong warning shot at Bailey and his agent who seems to be making a habit of contract standoffs. It is fair warning that time is running out and Bailey is in danger of missing the season due to Charles Wang’s directive of all being signed before training camp. Bailey might want to talk to Bergenheim to see how that went. After August 1st, Charles is even more set, so it’s not good scenario for Bailey, nor will help his development.

Isles want to roll three lines of scoring. Rolston or even Reasoner can sub, but Isles have a spot for either another kid or a vet to take if Bailey and his agent fail in this game of chicken. As a penciled 3rd line center, not much leverage for Bailey, though he’s still a part of the rebuild plan.

Speaking of Question Marks….

DP is still the starter till camp begins. Montoya, for all the lauds, there are just way too many fans thinking that Al is guaranteed to be the saving grace. Many a goalie have had hot hands, consistency is about doing it a full season or at least taking it into the new one. Too many are anointing him savior without a shred of indication that he is besides just hope. Let’s see how it continues, shall we?

In all honestly, even the Isles are unsure on how things will transpire. DPs knees and quality of play have caused more fan alarm than Hurricane Irene. Poulin, Koskinen, Nilsson all are in system. Nabokov is a wild card. An elder who has been a starter, who didn’t want to report, yet is here all the same. His future is in his hands… Whether it be for the Isles or dealt elsewhere later on.

Despite the Isles desire to upgrade the defense, something they attempted with the Ehrhoff attempt, and something they still desire. This all falls back to my statement back  in late April. The Isles wanted to place more than just bandaids on D like the year before. Sadly, it did not happen as they intended and things are still just not where they want it to be. But now that August 1st has passed, there has been a change in that rush to deal. Though the rebuild and vision for Garth remains, the ability to spend or try to has diminished.

There is no trade on the fire. No sudden next move everyone is waiting on with bated breath. All gone, kind of like Mangano’s venue referendum. The Isles no longer are in the mood to spend, and will measure what they have in-house unless something low cost falls into their lap.

What nobody is simply willing to say is that for the first time since Charles Wang took ownership of the team there is a change from ownership on spending. More indicators of this will peer out as the season begins, unless there is a change of mind from the top. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

They made minor yet solid improvements on the offense. But it is in so many places that improvements need to be made to reach the playoffs. It remains to be seen if someone can make a jump or growth to offset the deficiencies that remain on the Islanders. And if those things happen, can a Nabokov or Comeau be dealt to get what is needed down line? Who knows for sure anymore. Certainly not the Isles who will need camp to see what they are dealt, and then the season for development.

You can have all the experts in the world predict, but in the end, it’s hard to gauge how so many elements will come together. It will take continued hot play from Montoya, the development of Nino and the not mentioned de Haan who the Isles feel is a projected top two dman… To really make things solid. All this and the continued development of the kids, plus some steady leadership and some depth by those like Reasoner and Rolston will be key.

A lot has to happen and come together to make playoffs a reality, but Chef Garth has a lot of smart ingredients in this pot that can make it happen. Hope you brought your appetite. Might want to pack some TUMS just in case, as well.

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Before I begin, I would like to thank Mr. BD Gallof for this wonderful opportunity to showcase my talents, here at Hockey Independent. To tell you a little bit about myself, my name is Benjamin Woodward, born and raised just outside of Boston, and have been a Bruins follower for as long as I can remember. I am a Journalism student at Salem State University, in Salem, Massachusetts, and have been writing about the B’s for a little over a year now.  I also run my own all-Bruins website, which I will have linked up to my profile shortly, over at bruinshockey365.weebly.com. I look forward to chatting with you all about the B’s , and all things hockey. Now, on to the story….

In sports, it’s often said that competition breeds urgency.  It has also been noted that complacency can be a team’s ultimate un-doing.  There is little doubt that the Stanley Cup, is the hardest trophy to win in all of sports. It is even harder to defend it.  It has not been successfully defended since Scotty Bowman’s Detroit Red Wings won 8 straight Stanley Cup Finals games, in 1997 and 1998, sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, in consecutive years.  A mere 10 years later, it was again the Red Wings who were one game away from repeating as Champs, when they fell in Game 7 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in June of 2009.

With all but one or two spots on the Bruins roster currently in question, and coming off the franchise’s first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years, complacency could be an issue for the 2011-’12 Boston Bruins. The retirement of Mark Recchi, and the departure of Michael Ryder, to  Dallas has opened up two spots in Boston’s top 12 forward group. However, one of those two open spots will presumably be given to 19-year old phenom, Tyler Seguin. Let’s take a look at who could possibly  fill that open position.

While many believe that a number of different promising B’s youngsters will make a hard push for a spot on the big club this September, it is not entirely clear that any of them are ready for a full-time NHL job.  The most likely candidate to stick around with the B’s in 2011 is none other than the 6’2″ Quebec Native, Jordan Caron. Caron played in 23 games for Boston last season, scoring 3 goals and adding 4 assists while eating up some valuable minutes on the penalty-kill. Caron is undoubtedly the most NHL-ready of Boston’s young prospects but it is unclear what Caron’s true offensive potential is.

The next candidate is a man from some high quality NHL lineage: French center Maxime Sauve. While Sauve lacks the size and strength to play a real physical brand of hockey, he  never stops working hard and is almost always the first man in, during any battle for the puck. Personally, Sauve reminds me a lot of former B’s pivot, Vladimir Sobotka, only with a bit of a higher ceiling, in the offensive end of the ice.

Ryan Spooner, taken with the B’s second pick of the second round in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, is without doubt, the most offensively gifted forward, in the Bruins’ system. Coming off a strong training camp in 2010, which saw him become the final forward cut from the B’s roster, prior to Opening Night, Spooner will look to build off that strong performance, and lock down a spot in Boston, for 2011-12. Spooner registered 81 points in 64 games, split between the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs and Peterborough Petes, in 2o10-11. Spooner does not have a very desirable frame, at only 5’10″/175lbs  but his on-ice intelligence, and desire to compete is what sets him above the rest. Don’t be surprised to see Ryan Spooner still around, when October 6 , and opening night comes rolling around.

Taken 32nd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Jared Knight, of the OHL’s London Knights looks to be the most well-rounded of all of the Bruins’ youngsters. Standing at only 5’11″/186lbs , Knight tallied 25 goals and 45 assists for London in 2010-11. Like Spooner, Knight does not have desirable strength or size, but is equally competitive, and also holds a fairly high Hockey IQ. What sets Knight and Spooner apart, is Ryan is a more offensively gifted player with a lot of speed and passing ability, where as Jared is more of a nose-to-the-grindstone type of player that works hard in the dirty areas to provide offense.

The final option the Bruins have, in regards to filling their final forward spot, would be to plug in freshly-signed Benoit Pouliot. However, it is likely that Pouliot was brought on board as the 13th forward, and will travel with the team, and fill-in when needed.  The B’s have a plethora of options up-front, moving forward. Which player(s) would you like to see on the roster on Opening Night against the Flyers?

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Tomas Jurco getting ready for action. Photo by Greg Hickman.

He has been a sensation on You Tube.  He has drawn comparisons to Pavel Datsyuk.  In the not-too-distant future, he will be donning the winged wheel and playing alongside Datsyuk.  Imagine if they were to be on the same line—they could cause nightmares for the opposition.  Hockeytown, if you haven’t heard of Tomas Jurco, you will very soon.

On June 25th, Jurco’s dream of playing in the NHL was closer as he was selected by the Red Wings in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft.  Jurco has spent the past two seasons honing his skills for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL, or just simply the ‘Q’).  During the regular season, he netted 31 goals and 25 assists in 60 games for the Sea Dogs, and in the playoffs he was a key contributor for the Memorial Cup Champions by scoring six goals and added 12 assists in 19 games.   He also represented his country by playing for Slovakia in the 2011 World Junior Championships and found the back of the net one time in six games.

For the past several days, Jurco is getting a taste of what the NHL will be like.  He is taking part in the Red Wings’ Prospects Camp, which is being held in Traverse City, Michigan and has drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff.

Just like all the Red Wing draftees, he won’t be rushed into the NHL so he will likely spend next season with Saint John.   That also means he will play another year for Sea Dogs’ head coach Gerard Gallant.  Gallant spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons playing in Detroit and was Steve Yzerman’s linemate.  If there’s someone who can prepare Jurco for what it’s like to play in Detroit, it’s Gallant.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Huberdeau, Adam Larsson and Ryan Strome also gained a lot of attention in this year’s NHL Draft as they were the first five players selected and they could possibly see NHL duty in October.  The advantage that Jurco has is that he was selected by a team that is among the NHL’s best and is led by Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom.  The Red Wings organization is also among the elite when it comes to their farm system so there is no rush for Jurco to play in Detroit immediately.  When it’s all said and done, Jurco could be the best player in the draft.  In the meantime, it’s up to him to turn potential into production.

What are your thoughts on this future Red Wing?