NCAA Pushing Canadian Juniors for Top Prospects

A decade ago, the following comments would be considered blasphemy in Hockey Country: The Canadian Junior Leagues may soon have a high-quality American peer.

College hockey is sky-rocketing towards being a strong competitor and alternative option to playing in one of the three leagues within the CHL. The one major difference - and the one that will likely continue to keep the NCAA away from topping the CHL - is the fact that college hockey players are older than their CHL counterparts. Phenom Jonathan Tavares is playing at 16 in the Ontario Hockey League when his application would be chucked into the burn pile at any hockey program in the United States.

However, should American players feel that their talents are better served while acquiring a post-secondary education, it is quickly becoming evident that the NCAA offers a premier program.

While the 2004 and 2005 drafts were dominated by the impact of non-collegians like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin, last years top five draftees included three collegians - Erik Johnson, Jonathan Toews, and Phil Kessel.

CSTV explains more, and includes a partial list of players taken in the first two rounds in recent drafts: Simon Danis-Pepin, Paul Stastny, Tom Fritsche, Dan Bertram, Nate Hagemo, Al Montoya, Drew Stafford, Grant Lewis, Adam Pineault, David Booth, Hugh Jessiman, Zach Parise, Mark Stuart, Ryan Kessler, Jeff Tambellini, Patrick Eaves, Danny Richmond and Jimmy Howard.

As for the 2007 draft beginning Friday night? Faceoff Factor's own Jesse Marshall listed his top prospects and it obviously includes some interesting collegiate players. Besides Colorado College's Bill Sweatt, USCHO.com lists several incoming freshmen that could be selected relatively early on draft day.

Following the draft, check back here for a list of all college players selected.

Flyers Make a Steal of a Deal

tsn.ca is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defensman Kimo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell from Nashville in exchange for a first-round pick that originally belonged to the Predators. That is quite simply a steal for the Flyers, who then probably overpaid the going rate to sign both players.

Timonen signed a 6-year, $37.8 mil contract, while Hartnell inked a 6-year deal worth $25.2 mil. This takes two significant players out of the free agent pool, and likely ups the ante for the remaining unrestricted free agents like Sheldon Souray.

Since March, Flyer GM Paul Holmgren has been like a thief in the night, preying on David Poile in Nashville. He has essentially stolen four players (the aformentioned two, plus Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent) from the unsuspecting Poile, while giving up only a third round draft choice.

From Nashville's perspective, the deal is eerily reminiscent of the Jaromir Jagr salary dump by the Penguins in 2001. They basically got nothing in return for two guys they were going to lose anyway due to the messy ownership situation. It sure looks like the Preds have thrown in the towel and are really going to let the team stink this season so no fans will come out and then Jim Balsillie can move them to Hamilton. Sad to see.

Robert Morris Sets Men's and Women's Schedules

The Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase has moved from January to November, a Friday night showdown with Ohio State highlighting the Robert Morris Colonials 2007-2008 schedule. Both RMU hockey teams announced their schedules, featuring marquee matchups and difficult roadtrips.

First, for the men: The Colonials will be one of the favorites to win the CHA this year, but they'll do it with four tremendously tough opening games. RMU makes their first trip to Alaska for the Nye Frontier Classic October 12th and 13th. As was previously announced, RMU plays Boston University on Friday October 12th and conference rival Wayne State on October 13th. RMU will follow that up with a two-game series at Wisconsin on October 19th and 20th.

A slate of conference games takes the Colonials to Mid-November, when Ohio State comes into town for the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase Friday, November 16th at the Mellon Arena. The puck drops at 8:00 and there will likely be a club hockey game prior to the D-1 matchup.

The Colonials will then travel to Ohio State on Nov. 18th, Colgate Dec. 1/2, and host Quinnipiac on Dec. 8/9. After more conference games and a celebration of the New Year, RMU is at American International Jan 4/5 and hosts Princeton Jan 29th, as well as the usual conference matchups. The Colonials will host an exhibition game against the US National Under-18 team on Feb 23rd. The CHA Tournament will be March14-16 at a location that will be announced in the near future.

Check out the full schedule here.

Meanwhile, the ladies open their season with a home game versus conference rival and powerhouse Mercyhurst on October 2nd. The out of conference slate includes matchups at Wisconsin Oct 5/6, hosting Clarkson on Oct 19/20 and St. Cloud State the following weekend, and hosting Sacred Heart Nov. 2/3.

The Lady Colonials then embark on a brutal road trip the rest of November, featuring stops in Maine (9th/10th), Bemidji State (18th/19th), Brown (23rd), and Providence (25th). They return home for a stint versus Rochester Institute of Technology December 7th/8th and Minnesota State on the 29th and 30th of December.

The New Year brings road trips to Quinnipiac on the 3rd/4th and Rennsaeler Polytechnic Institute on the 18th/19th. Conference games wrap up the rest of the schedule prior to the CHA Tournament March 7-9.

Check out the full schedule here.

Hey, Lefty! McFadden Tourney Set

Another Midwestern "D" city has temporarily stolen Detroit's title as "Hockeytown, USA".

Dayton, Ohio will host four of the best teams in college hockey in mid-October for the annual Lefty McFadden Invitational. The Dayton Hockey Foundation announced the schedule and participants this afternoon. All games will be held at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton.

Friday the 13th features some very scary matchups...ugh. I'll stop.

Anyways, Wisconsin and Notre Dame face off at 5:05 EST on the 13th, followed by a Mercyhurst College (Erie, PA) matchup with Ohio State. The two losers will play on the 14th at 4:35 and the winners will face off at 7:35.

The annual tournament began in 2002 as a tribute to Dayton icon and the so-called "Father of Dayton Hockey"Ed Lefty McFadden.

Past teams include a veritable who's who of college hockey powers: Boston University, Air Force, University of Michigan, North Dakota, Bowling Green, Michigan State, University of Denver, and Miami University (OH).

News and Notes From The College Circuit

Some ice shavings from around the college hockey circuit:

• After some tense moments, it looks like the hockey program at the University of Massachussetts-Lowell will be staying for at least one more year. According to College Hockey News, the program was in danger because of a lack of funding and the belief by a new leader of the board of directors that the program may not belong in the Hockey East conference. We'll keep tabs on this issue, as UMass-Lowell's future could align with the five-team College Hockey America conference.

• Meanwhile, CHN is also reporting that the University of Vermont is strengthening its program, complete with a new arena. While the Gutterson Fieldhouse is a beloved building on campus, it does not mesh with the needs of a top D-I program.

• University of Alabama-Huntsville, the defending CHA champions, hired a new assistant to go along with new head coach Danton Cole. Dennis Williams, previously head coach at Neumann College, returns to D-I to join the Chargers.

• Finally, Syracuse University is cutting four programs and starting a women's ice hockey program for 2008-2009, and that may include joining the CHA. Men's and women's swimming and diving are being cut for the program. There is not a men's hockey program right now at Syracuse.
  

On the Sens and the Refs

When this series started, I was really torn as to who I would root for. I certainly have no special allegiances to either team. I decided to (as Penguin broadcaster Mike Lange would say) sit back, relax, and enjoy, and let the play on the ice guide my heart. Well, it took about 10 seconds for my heart to head down the freeway to Anaheim, and there it has stayed. And after last night’s despicable display by the Senators, I am more convinced than ever that I made the right call.

Heading into the series, part of me wanted Ottawa to win for two reasons. First, I picked them to win it in five games (oops). Second, as a Penguin fan, every game Ottawa won took just a little bit of the sting off the Pens’ first-round domination by the Senators. I also was impressed by Daniel Alfredsson’s seeming transformation from a Choking Dog into a legitimate Stanley Cup playoff force.

As for Anaheim, well, I hadn’t followed them all that closely. I knew I liked Scott Neidermayer and hated Chris Pronger. I thought J.S. Giguere was overrated. But they did have former Pen Randy Carlyle behind the bench.

In the end, I found it just too difficult to root for Ottawa. I hate Chris Neil more than I hate Pronger. I couldn’t simply erase Christoph Schubert’s dirty play against the Pens from my memory. I have yet to gain any respect for Ray Emery. So, almost from the drop of the puck, it was, Go Ducks!!!

And boy, am I glad I came to that conclusion. Last night, I would have been ashamed to say I was rooting for the Senators. On three separate occasions, they embarrassed themselves, the NHL, and the great game they are privileged to play.

The ugliness started early. Less than a minute in, the aforementioned Neil took a run at Francois Beauchemin behind the Ducks’ net. As the players skated back up the ice, Beauchemin nudged Neil with his stick. Neil, regarded as one of those “tough Canadian boys,” fell to the ice as if he had been pole-axed. He lay there dying for a minute or so, then went to the bench in “obvious discomfort.” Yet somehow, he managed not to miss a single shift. Apparently, the Sens have holy water from Lourdes in their squirt bottles on the bench. It was a disgusting display of diving, and both incompetent referees just ignored it (more on them later). Strike one.

But Ottawa was not done with the Greg Louganis stuff. Late in the first period, Ryan Getzlaf bumped into Ray Emery, who was far out of his crease. Replays would show that Emery initiated the contact as much as Getzlaf did. But Emery suddenly “falls” backwards, arms and legs flailing as if he had been shot. Again, the clueless striped buffoons bought his act and gave Ottawa a power play. Strike two.

But the best was yet to come. As the second period came to a close, Choking Dog Alfredsson, obviously frustrated by his return to playoff form of past seasons, was carrying the puck through the neutral zone. He was going to fire it toward the net, but changed his mind at the last moment, re-aimed, and shot it right at Scott Neidermayer. He managed to hit the Duck defenseman, but fortunately, not injure him. But make no mistake, that was his intent. It was one of the most classless things you will ever see. Just a despicable act from a pathetic loser frustrated by his choke in this series. To add insult to injury, he then cold-cocked a Duck in the ensuing scrum. Once again, both blind striped buffoons ignored this and called no penalty, when he should have had both an unsportsmanlike and roughing. Strike three.

Seeing these actions made me cheer all the harder for the Ducks. I almost felt as if I was rooting for my beloved Penguins, so hard was I rooting for the Anaheim boys. When the final horn sounded, I celebrated. I celebrated the victory of good old-fashioned hockey over the diving, whining choking dog hockey played in Canada’s capital. I sincerely hope that Anaheim vanquishes Ottawa on Wednesday in front of their home crowd. It will be so fun to listen to all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from north of the border when, for the third straight year, a sun belt team from the US topples a beloved team from the great white north in the finals.

And now, as promised, commentary on the officiating. Is it just me, or has the performance of the officials in this series been absolutely deplorable? It really does tell you the sad state of affairs in this garage league when the best refs they can trot out there are Bill McCreary, Brad Watson, Paul Devorski, and Dan O’Halloran. You have one guy in Watson who doesn’t even know the rules. Yet he’s allowed to ref the Cup finals? You have Devorski, who turns a blind eye to everything until the game turns ugly. Then there’s McCreary, a respected veteran, but another guy who “lets them play.” Who knows, maybe O’Halloran is half decent, since I can’t think of too much bad to say about him.

McCreary and Watson should be mothballed for their performance last night. To not penalize what were two blatant dives and then to let Alfredsson get away with his silliness at the end of the second period is unforgivable. We fans always wonder why so few “outsiders” understand the game. Well, you watch last night’s game and it becomes obvious. Every game, you see refs like Watson either making up things as they go or willfully choosing to ignore obvious penalties. The casual fan has no way to learn the rules, because the rules change from game to game. Until the NHL solves this problem, the garage league will remain just that.

Pittsburgh Penguins Roster Evaluation--Forwards

Last week, I evaluated the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defensemen. Today, I look at the forwards. I rate each player on two scales. The first is my opinion on whether they should be back in the organization next season. The second is my guess as to whether they will be. Both are on a scale of one to five, with one being the least likely and five being the most. They are listed in alphabetical order. Only players on the playoff roster are discussed.

Colby Armstrong: 5/4. This is just the type of guy championship teams need. While his offensive output was disappointing, his value lies in his other attributes. He plays tough, and laid some of the season’s biggest hits. He is probably what most thought him to be prior to his rookie season, a gritty checking line type of player who can occasionally step into a top line role. He’s also great in the room.

Erik Christensen: 2/3. Tough call on him. He was the master of the shootout, which likely hurt the Pens’ chances of making it out of the first round. Had they ended up with fewer shootout wins, they might have drawn Atlanta or New Jersey in round 1. Anyway, he is maddeningly inconsistent due to his lack of confidence. As a center, there is no place for him, and he really didn’t distinguish himself at wing. This is exactly the type of guy I envision being used as trade bait, because he certainly has potential. But there just doesn’t seem to be a spot for him.

Sidney Crosby: 5,000,000/5,000,000. A special scale for a special player. Nothing more need be said about the likely Hart Trophy winner.

Nils Ekman: 1/1. Nils, we barely knew ye. Played poorly, then got hurt, then never got back in the lineup. Since you can replace his productivity with a guy making the minimum, there is zero chance he will be back, nor should he be.

Georges Laraque: 5/2. I am among those who sees value in him, in the regular season. Many people’s judgments are being clouded by his poor performance in the playoffs. But enforcers have no value in the playoffs (see Andrew Peters, Brian McGrattan, George Parros, etc.). This does not mean they don’t have value in the regular season, though. They do, and even moreso if the instigator rule is changed. But he is on Therrien’s bad side, making it likely he’ll be dealt. Bad move.

Evgeni Malkin: 5/5. A disappointing last quarter of the regular season and a dismal playoff performance took some of the luster off what was a great rookie campaign. Hopefully, that can be attributed to fatigue. But there is no doubt that if he adds some strength, he will among the league’s elite players for years.

Ryan Malone: 1/2. He has worn out his welcome. After a promising rookie season in 2003/04, he simply has not progressed at all. He proved he is not capable of being a front-line player, yet his sometimes lackadaisical attitude makes him ill-suited for a checking role. Aside from two hat-trick games against the Islanders, he was not effective offensively. He did kill penalties well, though. I would like to see his spot taken by Jonathan Filewich or Ryan Stone.

Michel Ouellet: 3/4. This seeming favorite of Michel Therrien was actually not as bad as some make him out to be. Given a limited role, he was moderately productive. His problem is that he’s a “tweener.” That is, he isn’t quite skilled enough to play on a top line, but isn’t quite gritty enough to play on a defensive line. This relegates him to a role as a power play specialist. But given their dearth of scoring from the wings, I highly doubt he gets dealt.

Ronald Petrovicky: 3/1. He is a decent energy guy, but those guys are a dime a dozen. Because of his injury problems, I don’t see him being brought back. But I would be okay with it if he was.

Mark Recchi: 3/4. I want him back only if he is willing to play a reduced role. Otherwise, the first number becomes a 1. His play declined precipitously the second half, and only their appalling lack of forward depth kept him on the top line. He is probably a good third-liner at this point in his career, but if he thinks and expects to be paid otherwise, then he should be shown the door.

Gary Roberts: 5/2. Gary Roberts = hockey god. He was valuable beyond belief after they acquired him. He is a leader by his actions on and off the ice, and gained the respect of everyone on this team in a short time. He still has something left in the tank, though his ice time would have to be managed. I just have serious doubts whether he will return, though, especially if the Leafs come a-callin’. Shero should take some of the money being offered to Recchi and sweeten the pot for Roberts.

Jarkko Ruutu: 4/4. While he was a bit of a disappointment and was probably a bit overpaid, he still played a valuable role. He just didn’t really take a step up as Shero had hoped. But you need this type of agitator in the mix. He can also kill penalties, which might be important if they jettison Malone.

Jordan Staal: 5/5. While his exact role has yet to be determined, he will be a fixture for years after an amazing rookie campaign. He is a superb penalty killer for a veteran, let alone a rookie. He showed an unexpected scoring touch. With Crosby and Malkin in the fold, his likely role will be as a left wing for one of them.

Maxime Talbot: 5/4. A valuable checking line player, but he must improve on faceoffs if he is going to survive in this role. Will pot a few goals here and there, and brings a great attitude to the job.

Chris Thorburn: 5/3. Could well be a younger, healthier version of Petrovicky. While he might not score as much, he is tougher, and he impressed with his ability to stand up for his teammates. He should be given a regular spot next season. Can also fill in at center in a pinch, which enhances his value.