Avalanche Prospect updates

Just a quick update on the fellas sent back to their junior clubs:

Richardson started off very poorly for the Attack with no points in his first game and even getting called for an illegal stick putting the other team on a two man powerplay in overtime (they didn't score). But Brad came back last night against the Bulls and had a hat trick midway through the second period. He's tied with the team lead with three points.

Johansson has two points (goal and assist) in two games. Christensen isn't back from the Pittsburg camp as of yet (if at all) to play on his line.

Svagrovsky in a suprise is named one of the alternate captains of the Thunderbirds in his second season. He has two point (goal and assist) in two games.

Liffiton hasn't played a game yet for Plymoth so I'm not sure if he's hurt. Hard to tell what Yacboski is doing as it is with all stay-at-home defensemen when stat watching.

Anyway, they seem to be settling in. A lot of these guys flew in to town only to play a preseason game that very night. But the regular season is underway and there's no rest for the weary.

Also, Linus Videll has four points in three games but didn't play in the last game for reasons I do not know.

Mikko Kalteva has a hurt knee and hasn't played yet.

Shemetov is a total mystery as usual. I'll try to hunt him down.

Liffiton wasn't hurt. Served a two game suspension. It can only be from the 12 fight brawl Plymoth had in the preseason, likely coming off the bench. Just fyi.

Maybe one of the mods here should create a prospect "sticky" thread so we can post updates on the players at the AHL, junior, NCAA level etc throughout the season.

done :)

Thanks Belgian :)

Tim Wedderburn has been traded to Dallas/Utah

http://www.hersheypa.com/events/hershey_bears/detail.asp?ID=532

Tim Wedderburn has been traded to Dallas/Utah

http://www.hersheypa.com/events/hershey_bears/detail.asp?ID=532


that doesnt mean the avs can call up gavin right?

that doesnt mean the avs can call up gavin right?

No, he's still the property of the Stars. It's something like that Brigley / Clarke 'trade' last season.

Here's an article (http://ydr.com/story/bears/13602/)

As written from Penlive.com:

Sergei Klyazmin still hasn't been sent to Hershey after two major reassignment waves from the Colorado Avalanche. It raises a red flag about Klyazmin's health status, but Colorado hasn't made any announcement about him. The left winger underwent his second reconstructive knee surgery early last season....

Cazzy might be able to confirm if Klyazmin played during training camp but he did limp off the ice during rookie camp and wasn't putting weight on his right leg :(

No, I didn't see him after rookie camp at all

Congradulations to Linus Videll for getting a taste of the SEL today in Sweden. He played on the 4th line for Södertälje SK against MODO Hockey. Södertälje SK won the contest 4-1. It's difficult to say if Linus got much, if any ice time. He did score any goals, assists I don't know of as of yet.

A little more dissapointing detail. Vindell was on a fouth line that didn't get a shift during the game. Hopefully that does not continue or Vindell gets sent back down to the J-20s so he can get some ice time.

Richardson had a two point game and is on pace for over a point per game average. Johansson had a two point game is on pace to do the same.

Videll played another SEL game today. He did not have any goals/assist and was +/-0. I suspect, like the other day he simply did not play on the fourth line. This brings up an interesting question. Johansson got called up to the SEL and only played 6 games with the same results. I'm wondering if Avalanche management and scouts see this type of behavior of the SEL towards young prospects detrimental. Perhaps a reason Johansson came over to the WHL instead of playing another year in Sweden?

Good job Jori for picking up this story on Lanny Gare. (Scroll down to the bottom)
http://ydr.com/story/bears/13835/?PHPSESSID=ce2eeea3ccfd3b60d1bb857462a3829e

Jori posted this on the NCAA board. And good job for the Avs/Bears on this heads up signing. Lanny Gare was often listed as one of the “players to watch” when discussing graduating NCAA players that have not been drafted. If I remember correctly he’s a good leader and is thought of as a defensive forward. He was injured through the NCAA playoffs and I think this was a big factor in the poor showing of New Hampshire in the championship game. This could turn into nothing or it might be another impressive pick up for the organization.

Good job Jori for picking up this story on Lanny Gare. (Scroll down to the bottom)
http://ydr.com/story/bears/13835/?PHPSESSID=ce2eeea3ccfd3b60d1bb857462a3829e

Jori posted this on the NCAA board. And good job for the Avs/Bears on this heads up signing. Lanny Gare was often listed as one of the “players to watch” when discussing graduating NCAA players that have not been drafted. If I remember correctly he’s a good leader and is thought of as a defensive forward. He was injured through the NCAA playoffs and I think this was a big factor in the poor showing of New Hampshire in the championship game. This could turn into nothing or it might be another impressive pick up for the organization.

Was he signed on a two-way contract with the Avs, or just a minor league deal with Hershey?

Was he signed on a two-way contract with the Avs, or just a minor league deal with Hershey?

It appears to be a two way AHL/UHL deal. So the Avalanche shouldn't own his rights.

We can close the book on Chris Bahen, he has signed to play in Germany this year. I haven't found anything on Fahey to this point.

Good catch. It's kind of a shame he didn't get a pro tryout.

Great article on Lawson. A ton of insight in how he got picked up by the Avalanche. Also, it's interesting to note that Colorado wasn't the only team.....

http://ydr.com/story/bears/13947/

The Brian Fahey mystery has been solved. He signed a contract with Atlantic City of the ECHL.

Fahey, 22, also comes to the Bullies from a college powerhouse in the University of Wisconsin, which produced NHL star Danny Heatly. A native of Glenview, IL, Fahey was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fourth round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft following his freshman season with the Badgers. A rugged defenseman at 6’1, 210lbs, Fahey netted 14 goals and 28 assists in 156 collegiate games. Prior to Wisconsin, he spent two years with the U.S. Junior National Team.

http://www.boardwalkbullies.com/story.php?display=27

Something Cazzy will appreciate (if she didn't already know this), Atlantic City is where former Pioneer Chris Paradise played last season.

Speaking of the Pioneers, they won the Lefty McFadden Invitational tonight beating OSU yesterday, 5-2, and beating St Lawrence in the championship game this evening 3-0. Blackhawks fans should be happy, Adam Berkhoel has played extremely well in this early college hockey season.

The tournament featured Ohio State University, University of Denver, Miami (Ohio), and St Lawrence (who will be visiting Denver later in the season). Interesting thing about Miami (OH), one of the starting goaltenders is Steve Hartley, son of former Avalanche coach Bob Hartley.

We can close the book on Chris Bahen, he has signed to play in Germany this year. I haven't found anything on Fahey to this point.
where did he sign??? :dunno:

where did he sign??? :dunno:

I'm still working on that.

i've found him :D

http://www.la-cannibals.de/

the Landshut Cannibals,so far 7 games,1 assist and 18 pm :joker:

i've found him :D

http://www.la-cannibals.de/

the Landshut Cannibals,so far 7 games,1 assist and 18 pm :joker:

Thanks Deader

I was at the Kamloops/Medicine Hat game last night and watched Jonas Johansson play, this was only the 5th WHL game I've seen him in, but here's a scouting report:

The good: Loads of offensive flair, great wrist shot to go along with good size and a nose for the net. He's not afraid to drive to the net with speed and likes to shoot. Fiesty, does not get pushed around. Deadly on the PP for Kamloops.

The bad: His awareness needs to get better, if he was playing in the NHL he would have been crushed a few times, didn't see linemates Erik Christensen and Jarrod Lukin wide open a few times. Took 2 dumb penalties in the last game I saw, undesciplined and downright lazy penalties.

Scored a pretty PP goal in the game (his 2nd of the season) and I beleive he assisted on an Erik Christensen marker in the 1st. Had a good game, was probably the 2nd star of the game. Should be a top six guy in the NHL. A lot less soft than I would have given him credit for.

Thank you for the update Nateo. If you are able to chip in any info on Jonas periodically the folks here would certainly appreciate it.

It looks as if Jeff Finger has been assigned to Reading (ECHL).

If you look at the newly designed Avs website and find yourself "In the System," you'll notice the Avs have separated their prospects in to categories (by league). Chris Bahen is still listed as a prospect, but the Avs hold his rights up to one year after he graduates. I'm assuming Brian Fahey asked to be out right released by the team :dunno:

I'll be keeping a close eye on Ballard and Gilbert as I will be able to follow several WCHA (NCAA) games.

http://www.coloradoavalanche.com/team/InTheSystem.asp

where is our "big boy" Will Magnuson :dunno: ,he is no longer listed as a player in the system

where is our "big boy" Will Magnuson :dunno: ,he is no longer listed as a player in the system

It's past his year from graduating from college, he's a free agent and the Avalanche do not hold his rights, ala Will Magnuson. The REAL question is how do the Avalanche still hold rights to Kotary after he left college early? I thought Lindstrom, Kotary and Kovac were gone.

Also, no Petr Franek :eek: He will be missed.

A good piece on Budaj.

http://www.pennlive.com/bears/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1065778298207540.xml

He may prove to be one of the Avalanche's top prospects after this year considering how well he did in training camp and rookie camp the year before. Will make things interesting for the Avs if he keeps it up and Abby / Sauve perform well.

Some info on Hershey's opening game against the Syracuse Crunch. Hershey came down from a three goal deficit to force a 4-4 tie.

Prospects of note:

Budaj 31-35
Stephens 1G 1A
Slovak 1A
Krestanovich 1A

Some of the college prospects are in some game action this weekend. I'm still following one game between Wisconsin and Maine, which Gilbert has scored a goal. Minnesota who was shutout by Maine yesterday beat Nebraska-Omaha tonight 7-3. Ballard scored one of the Gopher goals. I'll post more info later this evening.

Skladany recorded an assist as BU beat Rensselaer 5-2 tonight.

Okay here are some final statistics for four collegiate prospects in this weekends games:

Skladany 1A (against Rensselaer) 5-2 win
Collins 1G (SH) (against Vermont) 3-0 win
Gilbert 1G 1A (against Maine) 6-2 loss
Ballard 1A (against Nebraska-Omaha) 7-3 win

Darryl Yacboski was traded from Regina to Calgary today.

http://www.whl.ca/headlines/?id=1451

This will be a short update in terms of offensive statistics for the collegiate prospects this weekend.

Skladany recorded an assist in BU's tie with Vermont tonight.

Couple of quick hits from tonight's (10/24/03) collegiate action:

Skladany recorded a couple of assists in BU's 6-4 win over Providence.

Keith Ballard had two assists in a 4-3 OT loss to Minnesota-Duluth. The bad news is that Ballard sprained his knee during the game and will be out 2-4 weeks.

Tom Lawson with an impressive 40 saves shutout against Norfolk :handclap: :bow: ,way to go Tom :yo:

update on Bahen, 14 games, 3 helpers and 28 pm :joker:

I was at the UNH - Niagara game yesterday at HSBC Arena to watch one of my friends, Daniel Winnik, play for the Wildcats. Sean Collins was brutal out there, skating on the left side of the top line. He was very dirty out there, had no defensive effort whatsoever and turtled when a Niagara defenseman tried to fight him after Collins speared him with his stick.

Talking to some of the UNH parents during the game, they said Collins has a *major* attitude problem and has missed several optional practices this year.

Dang! And here I was all-proud of him because he didn’t get suspended unlike our other Wildcat prospect. (Hemingway)
http://www.unhwildcats.com/hockeym/20032004/102103.html
I guess there are worse things you could get suspended for.

RIAL
Even with 8 players suspended they should have beat Niagara. What’s you opinion on what happened at that game? Bad team chemistry? Home ice advantage for Niagara?

I happened to get home in time to catch some of the Minnesota vs. Duluth game on cable before Ballard went down. He looked good from what I saw. He was doing a great job QB-ing the power play. It was a pretty nasty knee on knee hit. After he left the Gophers gave up the game tying goal and then the game winning goal in OT. The next night Duluth beat Minnesota 4-2.

The series between DU and Minnesota should be interesting this weekend.

Dang! And here I was all-proud of him because he didn’t get suspended unlike our other Wildcat prospect. (Hemingway)
http://www.unhwildcats.com/hockeym/20032004/102103.html
I guess there are worse things you could get suspended for.

RIAL
Even with 8 players suspended they should have beat Niagara. What’s you opinion on what happened at that game? Bad team chemistry? Home ice advantage for Niagara?

Yeah, I agree they should've won. I was sitting with the eight players from UNH that were suspended from the football game riot, and we were all disappointed in UNH's performance. One of their players got a 5 minute major and game misconduct for spearing late in the first period when they were up 1-0, and Niagara's late first period goal basically took all the momentum away.

Ayers wasn't the greatest in goal, and the Wildcats, aside from #22, #19, #21 and #27, were not physical whatsoever.

Keep in mind that Niagara upsets a big team every single year. Next year, they travel to Michigan and that will be a huge test in October of '04. They somehow knock off a quality team every year. Also, 80% of the arena were Niagara fans.

Mr. Roy is a legend does not tell the truth. He might have been at the UNH/Niagra game but he tells tall tales.. UNH did not bring the 8 suspended players with them. They stayed in Durham. All of them. Do you think UNH would suspend them and then pay hotel costs and feed them with no chance of playing. As for Collins he led the team with a plus 4 and scored a goal and two assists for the weekend. He hit 2 posts,killed penalties and played on the pp. He got nasty in the end so what. By the way if you fight in College you get susspended. By the way I was there. Mr Roy is a flat out liar and i would not believe anything he posts in the future.

Both Tommy Lawson and Peter Budaj are doing very well this year, both have one shutout so far. They can make the hard saves when needed to and get what needs to be done, done.

All the Avs prospects are doing very well in Hershey. Charlie Stephens has 7 points, Larsen and Brigley had 6 before they were called up. Everyone's looking pretty good so far this season

Svagrovsky injured his shoulder and will be out for 3 to 4 weeks.

Svagrovsky injured his shoulder and will be out for 3 to 4 weeks.

My prediction now: a new shoulder strengthening program within the organization.

Mr. Roy is a legend does not tell the truth. He might have been at the UNH/Niagra game but he tells tall tales.. UNH did not bring the 8 suspended players with them. They stayed in Durham. All of them. Do you think UNH would suspend them and then pay hotel costs and feed them with no chance of playing. As for Collins he led the team with a plus 4 and scored a goal and two assists for the weekend. He hit 2 posts,killed penalties and played on the pp. He got nasty in the end so what. By the way if you fight in College you get susspended. By the way I was there. Mr Roy is a flat out liar and i would not believe anything he posts in the future.

Three of those players were at the game.

Collins did nothing in that particular game, not talking about his overall weekend. I am only discussing the loss to Niagara.

I never said there were any fights, did I? I know about the suspension for fighting.

UNH was beaten physically, and had a general lack of communication. Example, second period killing off the remainder of the 5 minute major, #5 on defense, probably UNH's best overall D, didn't even give Ayers his stick when the goalie lost it. On several occasions both defensemen were caught out of position defensively and left players alone in front.

Lay off the attitude, buddy.

Hi guys, I drafted Avs 5th round pick Mark McCutcheon for my fantasy team this summer, and have asked a fellow poster at CalgaryPuck.com who attends Cornell about him. Here's what he said:

"I actually know him pretty well. We were in middle school together and now college together. I see him relatively frequently here. I have seen him on the ice quite a bit as well. His skating stance is a bit awkward and that is the only downside to his game. His offensive instincts are top notch. He will likely start on the third line as a freshman with sophomores Chris and Cam Abbot. This line will generate a great deal of offense. McCutcheon is about 6'1 so his size is not overwhelming. I would say he has a 50/50 shot at making the National Hockey League. I would be surprised if he left Cornell early though. Therefore, the earliest you could expect him in the National Hockey League is 2007. It of course all depends on how he develops in the next four years. Very few can make the jump from college directly to the National Hockey League so I would expect McCutcheon to make the NHL in 2009 or 2010 if he makes it at all."

And more after this weekend:

"He really struggled this weekend in his first two NCAA games. He played on the second line with two pretty dynamic offensive players in Daniel Pegoraro and Shane Hynes (Anaheim) but did not ever look overly comfortable. With a lot of powerplays on the weekend, McCutcheon saw a lot of ice time as he plays one of the points on the second unit. There, he really struggled. He failed to make quick and good decisions with the puck and made a giveaway that led to a short handed goal. I am sure he will get better, but I thought I would keep you updated."

Hi guys, I drafted Avs 5th round pick Mark McCutcheon for my fantasy team this summer, and have asked a fellow poster at CalgaryPuck.com who attends Cornell about him. Here's what he said:

"I actually know him pretty well. We were in middle school together and now college together. I see him relatively frequently here. I have seen him on the ice quite a bit as well. His skating stance is a bit awkward and that is the only downside to his game. His offensive instincts are top notch. He will likely start on the third line as a freshman with sophomores Chris and Cam Abbot. This line will generate a great deal of offense. McCutcheon is about 6'1 so his size is not overwhelming. I would say he has a 50/50 shot at making the National Hockey League. I would be surprised if he left Cornell early though. Therefore, the earliest you could expect him in the National Hockey League is 2007. It of course all depends on how he develops in the next four years. Very few can make the jump from college directly to the National Hockey League so I would expect McCutcheon to make the NHL in 2009 or 2010 if he makes it at all."

And more after this weekend:

"He really struggled this weekend in his first two NCAA games. He played on the second line with two pretty dynamic offensive players in Daniel Pegoraro and Shane Hynes (Anaheim) but did not ever look overly comfortable. With a lot of powerplays on the weekend, McCutcheon saw a lot of ice time as he plays one of the points on the second unit. There, he really struggled. He failed to make quick and good decisions with the puck and made a giveaway that led to a short handed goal. I am sure he will get better, but I thought I would keep you updated."

Fortunately, he is only a freshman, and he is supposed to be adapting right now to a higher level of competition and a new game plan. Don't read to much into this yet. About mid-season is when alarm-bells should start going off.

Couple of quick hits from tonight's (10/24/03) collegiate action:

Skladany recorded a couple of assists in BU's 6-4 win over Providence.

Keith Ballard had two assists in a 4-3 OT loss to Minnesota-Duluth. The bad news is that Ballard sprained his knee during the game and will be out 2-4 weeks.

I hadn't seen this before - nice Avatar!! Maybe they can get him to smile next time!

Big night for our Hershey players:

Krestanovich, Slovak and Viitanen got their first goals of the season.

Lawson is now 3-0-0 after making 33 saves last night.

Finger called recalled from the ECHL.

Brad Richardson of the Owen Sound attack is injured with a shoulder injury, I don't know anymore. I was at the St. Mikes Majors/ Owen Sound game and I saw him in the stands with a sling. He's also been replaced for the Canada/ Russia junior series which also isn't a good thing. Hopefully Avs players and prospects can stop hurting their shoulders. :shakehead

Sean Collins scored a goal and 2 assists as the UNH Wildcats beat Maine 6 to 3 on Sat. night. Collins ended the game with a plus 4. For the season he has 3g and 6a and is a plus 10 for the #3 Wildcats. Brett Hemingway looks good but he dnp against Maine. Big Game against Boston College on Wednesday night.

Two point game for Linus Vindell today in the J20s, including the overtime winning goal and a game tieing assist. He has 13 points in 11 games. His call ups to the Elites consisted of a lot of bench warming, he's at least getting shifts with the J20s.

Boychuk so far in 18 Games 4 Goals und 6 Assists for the Moose Jaw Warriors :)

Brett Hemingway scored his first college goal last night in UNHs win over Northeastern last night. Sean Collins assisted on the winning goal with a sweet cross ice pass for a tap in goal for Jacob Mcflicker. Teams play again tonight.

Keith Ballard is back!

He had 1 goal and 1 assist over the weekend and his team looks to be back on track after getting pushed around by everyone in the NCAA for the past month or so. (Granted, it was just Michigan Tech but let me have my moment here)

I’m sure this major turn around by the Gophers is all completely due to his return but I’m not a homer or anything. ;) :p

It would be nice if DU could get turned around...ouch :cry:

It would be nice if DU could get turned around...ouch :cry:

CC > DU

Bwahaha... ;)

Sat. night Brett Hemmingway scored a goal and added an assist in New Hampshires 5-2 win over Northeastern. Sean Collins scored the first goal of the game for UNH. Next game is on 112503 against lowell.

Sat. night Brett Hemmingway scored a goal and added an assist in New Hampshires 5-2 win over Northeastern. Sean Collins scored the first goal of the game for UNH. Next game is on 112503 against lowell.

Sounds like Hemmingway is starting to heat up, that's fantastic news in light of losing Johansson and out lack of skilled forward depth.

CC > DU

Bwahaha... ;)

That's just plain evil :joker:

According to THN Kristian Kovac is the 4th leading scorer in the Slovakian League with 19 points after 21 games. He was picked in 1999 122nd overall by the Avs.

According to THN Kristian Kovac is the 4th leading scorer in the Slovakian League with 19 points after 21 games. He was picked in 1999 122nd overall by the Avs.


is he still our property?

is he still our property?
and if so, is he any good?

is he still our property?
According to Pavel Barta of THN he is.

Sounds like Hemmingway is starting to heat up, that's fantastic news in light of losing Johansson and out lack of skilled forward depth.Hemmingway was named HockeyEast rookie of the week. On Tuesday hight he scored again in UNhS loss to lowell. Sean Collins added an assist in the game. For the season Brett has 3g and 2assists and Collins has 5g and 8assists.

Got an update for you all on one of your NCAA prospects: Yale's Ryan Steeves. I had a chance to see the BU/Yale game tonight. While it was a very one-sided affair in BU's favour, Steeves was one of the few bright spots of the night for Yale. The two things that stood out most about his play tonight was his speed and his aggressive play around the BU net. He potted both Yale goals tonight.

If you want to read about Steeves and how the game went, please check out my Game Notes (11/30): Boston University vs. Yale (http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=32340) over on the NCAA board.

Got an update for you all on one of your NCAA prospects: Yale's Ryan Steeves. I had a chance to see the BU/Yale game tonight. While it was a very one-sided affair in BU's favour, Steeves was one of the few bright spots of the night for Yale. The two things that stood out most about his play tonight was his speed and his aggressive play around the BU net. He potted both Yale goals tonight.

If you want to read about Steeves and how the game went, please check out my Game Notes (11/30): Boston University vs. Yale (http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=32340) over on the NCAA board.

I read your game updates all the time OC. Thanks for the update!

Jus tread in the hockey news that Sean Collins is, and I quote:

"...one of the conference's most dynamic forwards as well as being a smart, two-way player. He had four goals, 10 points and was a team-best plus 10 through nine games this season while playing on the top line with Steve Saviano and Nathan Martz."

If everything goes alright, I'll be at one of the DU/Wisconsin games this weekend so I'll hope to have a report on Tom Gilbert. I'll be submitting a report on the Avs college prospects within a week or two. I have finals coming up so I have to prioritize my time.

If everything goes alright, I'll be at one of the DU/Wisconsin games this weekend so I'll hope to have a report on Tom Gilbert. I'll be submitting a report on the Avs college prospects within a week or two. I have finals coming up so I have to prioritize my time.

And hockey comes first, RIGHT???? ;)

You guys aren't going to believe this one:

RICHARDSON TO UNDERGO SHOULDER SURGERY
11/26/2003
The Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League announces that Center Brad Richardson will undergo shoulder surgery and will be out for the remainder of the 2003-2004 season. With the proper rest and rehabilitation he will be at 100% and ready for the 2004-2005 season.

He had 16 points in 15 games this year.

Get well soon Brad.

You guys aren't going to believe this one:

RICHARDSON TO UNDERGO SHOULDER SURGERY
11/26/2003
The Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League announces that Center Brad Richardson will undergo shoulder surgery and will be out for the remainder of the 2003-2004 season. With the proper rest and rehabilitation he will be at 100% and ready for the 2004-2005 season.

He had 16 points in 15 games this year.

Get well soon Brad.

Somebody posted that on the prospects board about a week ago. Sucks for the guy.

I'll be attending the DU/Wisconsin game on Saturday night. I wanted to go to tonight's game instead, but I couldn't change my plans for this evening. I'll post a small blurb here on Sunday.

I'll be attending the DU/Wisconsin game on Saturday night. I wanted to go to tonight's game instead, but I couldn't change my plans for this evening. I'll post a small blurb here on Sunday.

Go Gilbert!

If everything goes alright, I'll be at one of the DU/Wisconsin games this weekend so I'll hope to have a report on Tom Gilbert. I'll be submitting a report on the Avs college prospects within a week or two. I have finals coming up so I have to prioritize my time.

You lucky dog! :p

If you haven't seen Gilbert yet, you'll be in for a real treat. He and his Badgers teammates have been one of the pleasant surprises thus far into the NCAA season.

Jori -

While your there, can you look up on Ryan Suter for me as well? I've heard he is playing great.

Thanks ;)

anyone think gilbert could make the leap to the nhl next year or is he a ahl'er first. how much longer does he have in college?

anyone think gilbert could make the leap to the nhl next year or is he a ahl'er first. how much longer does he have in college?

He'd be AHL-bound first if he left Wisconsin after this season.

Gilbert is currently in his sophomore year at Wisconsin.

Coming from a DU perspective, that game sucked last night.

What a turn around for Wisconsin considering how utterly pathetic they were last season. That had to be one of the most defensively sound teams I have ever seen in college hockey. You look at the potential of their blueline and you can see why they are so good.

Gilbert had a nice game, as did most of the Wisconsin defenders. He has a very nice wrist shot which he used to score the first goal of the game in the second period from the slot. He is tall, but he is lanky, he will definately have to ad some lbs. Good skater, very solid positionally, not too much of a physical game (at least not last night). Wisconsin uses him on the first PK and PP units (at least in last night's game). He definately isn't ready for the NHL and as OC mentioned, he probably will see some time in the AHL first. I can see him staying there through his junior season at least.

As for Suter, lets just say he reminds you of his uncle quite a bit :D

Dany Heatley's brother also plays for the Badgers.

For some of the fans at the game last night...Rene Bourque isn't Ray Bourque's son ;)

Coming from a DU perspective, that game sucked last night.

What a turn around for Wisconsin considering how utterly pathetic they were last season. That had to be one of the most defensively sound teams I have ever seen in college hockey. You look at the potential of their blueline and you can see why they are so good.

Gilbert had a nice game, as did most of the Wisconsin defenders. He has a very nice wrist shot which he used to score the first goal of the game in the second period from the slot. He is tall, but he is lanky, he will definately have to ad some lbs. Good skater, very solid positionally, not too much of a physical game (at least not last night). Wisconsin uses him on the first PK and PP units (at least in last night's game). He definately isn't ready for the NHL and as OC mentioned, he probably will see some time in the AHL first. I can see him staying there through his junior season at least.

As for Suter, lets just say he reminds you of his uncle quite a bit :D

Dany Heatley's brother also plays for the Badgers.

For some of the fans at the game last night...Rene Bourque isn't Ray Bourque's son ;)

Thanks for the report Jori. I agree with pretty much of all it.

Rene Bourque isn't Ray Bourque's son LMAO!!!! :joker: :joker: :joker:

When I stop laughing, I must remember that line. That's the funniest line I've read here at HF. A classic in my book!

I happened to catch the game on Friday. My first impression of Gilbert was the fact that out of the blue he’ll forget he ‘s a defenseman and lead the charge up the ice or at the very least he’ll make sure that the puck is cleared out of his zone quickly with a smart outlet pass. He seems to have solid skills all around but I agree that I don’t think he’s ready for the NHL yet. He’ll have to get past Ballard for a job anyways. ;)
The game on Friday was pretty painful to watch also but it was a little more exciting in the end. The Badgers style is not fun to watch.
Looking WAY up at the alumni level on Friday I happen to notice that all the Avs big wigs were hanging out. PL, PL jr. Granato, Toch, Michel Goulet, Jason Grahame, even THE Agent. What is Blasey (?) the agent doing at a college hockey game? Most of them were just smoozing but PL jr (Eric), Goulet and Grahame were definitely doing some scouting of some kind. Either just watching Gilbert or checking out other prospects.
:dunno:
My impression of Suter is that he seems kind of bored and needs a challenge but my observation of him was pretty brief so take it for what it’s worth.

I happened to catch the game on Friday. My first impression of Gilbert was the fact that out of the blue he’ll forget he ‘s a defenseman and lead the charge up the ice or at the very least he’ll make sure that the puck is cleared out of his zone quickly with a smart outlet pass. He seems to have solid skills all around but I agree that I don’t think he’s ready for the NHL yet. He’ll have to get past Ballard for a job anyways. ;)
The game on Friday was pretty painful to watch also but it was a little more exciting in the end. The Badgers style is not fun to watch.
Looking WAY up at the alumni level on Friday I happen to notice that all the Avs big wigs were hanging out. PL, PL jr. Granato, Toch, Michel Goulet, Jason Grahame, even THE Agent. What is Blasey (?) the agent doing at a college hockey game? Most of them were just smoozing but PL jr (Eric), Goulet and Grahame were definitely doing some scouting of some kind. Either just watching Gilbert or checking out other prospects.
:dunno:
My impression of Suter is that he seems kind of bored and needs a challenge but my observation of him was pretty brief so take it for what it’s worth.

Good report cazzy! As far as the scouts are concerned my guess is that these are SOME of the players they were looking at: J. D. Corbin, Jeff Likens, Jake Dowell, and Robbie Earl.

Just curious.....how did Matt Carle and Jeff Likens look? Two youngsters I've been very impressed with thus far.

Bears Update:

http://ydr.com/story/bears/16323/

Hershey beat the crunch in OT, with D.J Smith ( :handclap: ) converting the OT with 54 secs left. Smith got that one point. Keefe and Larsen assisted on that goal.

Sheldon Keefe had a goal and two assists, with a key goal with 2:58 in the 2nd. He has a 5 game point streak (4g , 3a -> 7p). Brule got a goal. Clark and Trepanier both got one assist.

Lawson had a great game. Stopped 35 of 37 shots. He is having a quite big amount of shots lately. He is 6-2-0.

Hershey outshot Syracuse 43 - 37. Finger was scratched by Fixter.

Finally, on Wednesday, we play Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Anyone seen any Gopher games lately? Ballard is back in action and is back at his point-per-game clip (3+6 in 9 GP) for a Gophers club that doesn't seem to be the powerhouse it was the past couple of seasons.

I was interested in comparing Keith's numbers to a couple of other young, former Gopher defensemen who were much ballyhooed.

Jordan Leopold...18 years-old as a freshman:
Freshman - 23 points in 39 games
Sophomore - 24 points in 39 games
Junior - 49 points in 42 games
Senior - 48 points in 48 games

Paul Martin...19 years-old as a freshman:
Freshman - 20 points in 38 games
Sophomore - 38 points in 44 games
Junior - 39 points in 45 games

Keith Ballard...19 years-old as a freshman:
Freshman - 23 points in 41 games
Sophomore - 41 points in 45 games
Junior - 9 points in 9 games so far

Point not to say that he is better/worse than Leopold or Martin, but he seems to comparable offensive skills. He also racks up a ton more PIMs than either Martin or Leopold.

Anyways, he appears ready to continue the recent trend of excellent Gophers defensemen in the NHL. Maybe OilersChick can answer this or any of you who have seen the Gophers in action the past few years...how does Ballard compare at the collegiate level with Martin and Leopold, and how do you think he will adjust to the NHL?

Holy crud...never realized you did such in-depth game reports on the NCAA board, Oilers Chick. Those answer a lot of my questions...great work.

Ballard certainly does appear to be a force when he's on the ice but seems to still make some mistakes and misplays now and then from what I can glean.

Should be interesting to see if he makes the jump next year or if he needs more seasoning.

For those who never venture to the college board...

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=32115&highlight=ballard

I really am beginning to like Ballard's style more and more.

I happened to catch the game on Friday. My first impression of Gilbert was the fact that out of the blue he’ll forget he ‘s a defenseman and lead the charge up the ice or at the very least he’ll make sure that the puck is cleared out of his zone quickly with a smart outlet pass. He seems to have solid skills all around but I agree that I don’t think he’s ready for the NHL yet. He’ll have to get past Ballard for a job anyways. ;)
The game on Friday was pretty painful to watch also but it was a little more exciting in the end. The Badgers style is not fun to watch.
Looking WAY up at the alumni level on Friday I happen to notice that all the Avs big wigs were hanging out. PL, PL jr. Granato, Toch, Michel Goulet, Jason Grahame, even THE Agent. What is Blasey (?) the agent doing at a college hockey game? Most of them were just smoozing but PL jr (Eric), Goulet and Grahame were definitely doing some scouting of some kind. Either just watching Gilbert or checking out other prospects.
:dunno:
My impression of Suter is that he seems kind of bored and needs a challenge but my observation of him was pretty brief so take it for what it’s worth.


Jason Grahame? Talk about nepotism... for a guy that played about 20 games total in 4 years (because of dad) without finishing his degree and then got a asst. "scouting" job with the Avs (because of mom), he's making quite a name for himself, it seems.

Not to knock Jason too much, who was a former Team Colorado teammate, as well as a fellow OHS grad, but he'll be the first to tell you about his underachieving at DU. He's a nice guy, but I always hoped he would pick it up a bit in college, but instead we can now find Jason surfing the web (including HF!) all day from his office at "Da Can", and personally "rating" the Av's NCAA prospects that make it to Magness on weekends.

Speaking of former DU players... I hear Paul Comrie may be coming back to DU next season to asst. coach and recruit. Great to hear, as he's a nice guy.

Jason Grahame? Talk about nepotism... for a guy that played about 20 games total in 4 years (because of dad) without finishing his degree and then got a asst. "scouting" job with the Avs (because of mom), he's making quite a name for himself, it seems.

Not to knock Jason too much, who was a former Team Colorado teammate, as well as a fellow OHS grad, but he'll be the first to tell you about his underachieving at DU. He's a nice guy, but I always hoped he would pick it up a bit in college, but instead we can now find Jason surfing the web (including HF!) all day from his office at "Da Can", and personally "rating" the Av's NCAA prospects that make it to Magness on weekends.

Speaking of former DU players... I hear Paul Comrie may be coming back to DU next season to asst. coach and recruit. Great to hear, as he's a nice guy.

Color me a tad confused with the Jason surfing HF and rating Avs NCAA prospects comment.

And as you likely know, great or even good players are not the litmus test of a quality scout or even coach. So give your buddy Jason a break :)

Slovak has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last four games at Hershey, that's nice to hear. You folks who saw him at camp thought he looked pretty good, right?

Slovak has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last four games at Hershey, that's nice to hear. You folks who saw him at camp thought he looked pretty good, right?

Yeah, he was a standout during camp for sure. I saw his increased production with Hershey since his call up but was just waiting to see if he stayed consistant.

I still contend that Viitanen has NHL talent as well. Start putting that together with the abilities of Ballard, Boychuk, Gilbert, Kalteva, Liffiton and maybe even some guys like Christie or Lundberg and you got a very good group of defenders. That's why Skoula and McAllister are so expendable. Honestly, I did not think Lilles was going to make the NHL transition as well as he has because of his reach and size. I was not shy to tout his ability at camp but he's really won me over. He won't the last quality defenseman to come out of the system. Plus we got a few more draft years before Foote and Blake hang up their skates. I think with the depth at D, the Avs start to focus on forward drafting or packaging for some top forward prospects. Then again we got kids like Collins coming up too :)

I got a chance to see Ryan Steeves from Yale in action last Sunday against DU. I don’t know much about Yale but he was playing on what looks to be the Bulldogs top line. Still I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody in more need of better linemates. (No offence to the rest of Yale’s team) He looked really good out there on his own, he had 8 shots on goal and finally on the 8th one he just took the puck with him into the back of the net. He seems to have all the skills and like I say I think he’s got a lot of potential once he gets some skilled players to play with. Could just be me being a homer again. I got a chance to do a Q&A with him. I hope it turns out on paper as well as it did in person. He’s a pretty interesting guy. It should be posted on Foxsports next week if all goes well. I’ll post the link when it is.
Looking at the scores from this weekend it looks like he had a short-handed goal in an upset over New Hampshire.
Jori….. did you get a chance to see the Denver Cup? If so what did you think of him?
Cant’ wait to see him in camp… if there is a camp :(

On a side note… Tom Gilbert had two goals and an assist in the game against Mankato on Saturday.

Liffiton is down with an undisclosed injury. It's rumored he's out up to six weeks after falling down on some ice at home (Windsor). That's all I could find out for now. On the positive side of things here's a good story that highlights some of Liffiton's play this year:

http://www.hockeyweekly.com/Nov-12/ohlbeat.htm

Floating under the radar.....

Our 9th round pick of 2003, David Jones.

Leads the Express in scoring with 74 points in 40 games. He's now listed at 6'3" and 220 lbs. Was just selected to the BCHL allstar game and is 3rd in the league in scoring, tied for the league lead with 4 short handed goals. So basically the kid is smoking his numbers from last year and is playing well. He STILL has to go to college so we may not see him for a while but so far he's doing very well.

Here is a BCHL video highlighting David, look to the bottom of the page...

http://bchl.bc.ca/inside_videos.cfm?leagueID=2393&clientID=0&link=bchl

a little update on Boychuk

Games:39 Goals:11 Assists:12 Points:23 pim41

Ballard scored the GWG against the CC last night. Good to see him doing well and against the Tigers ain't too shabby :D

Cody McCormick scored his first AHL goal in a 5-0 win over the Rats; Jeff Finger also scored his first AHL goal in the game.

Ballard scored the GWG against the CC last night. Good to see him doing well and against the Tigers ain't too shabby :D


Hmmm...thats 17 points in 14 games for Ballard. What are his Hobey chances this year? Obviously, missing a large chunk of games didn't help, but if he had been healthy, it seems he'd certainly be one of the front runners. His points per game are tops on the Gophers, ahead of high scoring senior Troy Riddle and sophomore phenom Thomas Vanek.

Along with that, what are the chances he skips his senior year to make a bid to make the Avs?

Don't want to get too excited at this point perhaps, given that guys like Nedorost and Johansson have yet to leave any real kind of mark and were once hyped as well. But he certainly is the star of the show in terms of the Colorado farm system...and he's one prospect I would not want to see dangled out at the trade deadline.

Ballard scored the GWG against the CC last night. Good to see him doing well and against the Tigers ain't too shabby :D

Cody McCormick scored his first AHL goal in a 5-0 win over the Rats; Jeff Finger also scored his first AHL goal in the game.

Ballard was pretty good tonight as well. You can read all about the game in my
Game Notes (1/10): Minnesota vs. Colorado College (http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?postid=695573) thread over on the NCAA boards.

Ballard had two goals and an assist as Minnesota beat Minnesota State 10-3 tonight; so that makes 20 points in 16 games.

Collins and Hemingway each recording a point in New Hampshire's 3-0 win over Brown.

Linus Videll is on fire with the J20s. He had a hat trick on the 18th and now has 26 points in 22 games to lead the club.

Budaj was very solid tonight against the Baby Pens, even though he gave up 4 goals. I think you guys have got a pretty good goalie in Budaj. He seems to be very good at controlling his rebounds.

Ballard is named Inside College Hockey Player of the week

Click here for article (http://www.gophersports.com/sportsNews/press_release.asp?news_id=8506&sport_id=mhock)

I bought my ticket for the Minnesota/DU game next Saturday night; so I'll be checking out our boy Ballard. Those of you who have FSRM, I believe they will be broadcasting the Minnesota/DU game next Friday; check it out if you have a chance.

i have a question for y'all. most avs fans focus on ballard, boychuk, and slovak as the team's top prospects. as sad as that sounds, i honestly think there could be some hidden gems in the avs organization. the player that comes to my mind is kuleshov. as bad as he has been, he still has great potential and he's only 22. i say the avs give him another 2 years before they should cut him loose.

here's his scouting report from TSN.ca:

Assets

Has good size and scoring potential. Can shoot from anywhere and is very creative with the puck.

Potential

Second-line winger.

I also think Krestanovich is rated too highly as a prospect. IMO, Kuleshove should be ahead of him just based on talent/potential.

I would think Lawson has also been a surprise lately.

budaj is actually having a good season in hershey: 15-16-6 with .917 save %. but lawson does have a better win and save %. i assume he must play against the really bad AHL teams. man, i wish the bears would come to winnipeg every so often.

If one focusses on only the bright side, one notices only what he wants to. TSN listed the following as the flaws of Kuleshov's game:
"Needs work on the defensive aspects of the game. Doesn't use his size at all and can be intimidated by physical play."
Also, he's done next-to-nothing in Hershey, so what makes one think he'll do much better in the NHL?

~Crazed.

He was called up because the only other available Colorado forward was Jordan Krestanovich and he is injured. The other Hershey forwards have already been recalled and well most of them are injured as well :joker:

Avs impressed with Ballard. This is from Adrian Dater's mailbag this week:

"Adrian - I understand that the Avalanche scouted Keith Ballard at the recent Minnesota/Colorado College series. What were their impressions? Thanks.
-- Todd Bergstrom, Saint Paul, Minn.

Todd - The word is that they think Ballard is their best defensive prospect since Adam Foote. He can play at both ends of the rink, has good leadership qualities and is a good skater. He'll be playing at the University of Denver in the coming days for Minnesota, so I'm sure there will be more Avalanche personnel there.

But the Avs brass is very excited about having him, and I'm sure he'll be a regular member of the team at some point soon. He's a junior this year, so the Avs might have a wait another couple years."

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~11807~1942457,00.html

I remember going to DU games and seeing Avs personnel and players there before (i.e. Bob Hartley). I will be at the game this Saturday against Minnesota:yo:

Ballard rocks! :yo:

Stay healthy Marek, the Avs will need you in the years to come.


http://ydr.com/story/bears/19367/

Notes: Colorado RW Marek Svatos, who turned pro with Hershey last year before undergoing season-ending surgery, could wind up with the Bears again soon. Svatos has been sidelined since suffering another shoulder injury while playing for the Avs against the St. Louis Blues back on Oct. 12. But following surgery and another lengthy rehab period, he’s back skating again and figures to be headed to Hershey for a conditioning assignment in the next few weeks. …

With the 9th round pick in 2003 the Avalanche picked up the unknown forward by the name of David Jones (Born '84). A kid that was on no one's radar.

The Qoquitlam Express have finished their regular season. David Jones has been named MVP and best forward for the BCHL club. Their playoffs start tonight 3/5/04.

Jone's regular season statistics are:

53 games played, 33 goals and 60 assists for 93 points. He finishes 6th in scoring for the BCHL with 5 to 7 fewer games played than all forwards above him. Of all the forwards in the top 10 he shows some of the best 5 on 5 production with only 9 goals and 5 assists gained on the power play.

He will attend Dartmoth in the Fall so if he spends all four years there we will see him around the developmental stage of a Liles or slightly older.

So... keep an eye out.

hey good call, did some research on the kid could be a sleeper :handclap:

did you see his page on his team website, fave team is the avs, just like lilles, what we actually need people who give a crap about the team....

also i think i read somewhere that the reps from the avs highfived each other after drafting brad richardson so should also be an interesting one to watch

Tom Lawson was sent to Reading with Sauve returning to Hershey.

The Brian Fahey mystery has been solved. He signed a contract with Atlantic City of the ECHL.Fahey is now a Hershey Bear!!

Sauve gets a shutout in his return to the AHL. 37 saves against the Norfolk Admirals.

Sauve gets a shutout in his return to the AHL. 37 saves against the Norfolk Admirals.
Good to see that his confidence hasn't hit rock bottom after being shelled in his past few NHL outings.

I was just reading the ahlboards Bears page. Apparently Dave Sottile, who covers the Hershey Bears for the York Daily Record, didn't have kind words for the Avalanche during a second intermission interview with John Walton (radio play-by-play man for the Bears) in last night's Bears game. He basically said that the parent club doesn't care about the Bears. Keep in mind that this is second hand information, I didn't hear the interview myself, but I visit that Bears forum alot so I find the folks there to be reliable.

I'm wondering if SilverSkate or somebody else heard the interview. I can't say I'm surprised by his comments. I don't know, I just found it to be interesting.

I might be wrong but I believe that Hershey's contract as the Avs primary farm club ends this season. I've heard rumblings about the AHL wanting to expand west and the success (I'm referring to the success at the gate moreso than on the ice) of the CHL Colorado Eagles in Loveland this year has me thinking of of the possibility of having the Avs farm team in the same state. Just some speculation on my part here...don't take these last few sentences too seriously :p

This will unfortunately be the only update concerning Avalanche college prospects in the NCAA tournament. New Hampshire just lost 4-1 to Michigan in their opening game. So both Avs prospects (Hemingway and Collins) are shut out. I will be releasing an update on the college prospects after the Frozen Four. This will be a summary on their seasons. After that there wont be anything until after the entry draft. PL's trade deadline moves obviously make my job easier :joker:

I was just reading the ahlboards Bears page. Apparently Dave Sottile, who covers the Hershey Bears for the York Daily Record, didn't have kind words for the Avalanche during a second intermission interview with John Walton (radio play-by-play man for the Bears) in last night's Bears game. He basically said that the parent club doesn't care about the Bears. Keep in mind that this is second hand information, I didn't hear the interview myself, but I visit that Bears forum alot so I find the folks there to be reliable.

I'm wondering if SilverSkate or somebody else heard the interview. I can't say I'm surprised by his comments. I don't know, I just found it to be interesting.

I might be wrong but I believe that Hershey's contract as the Avs primary farm club ends this season. I've heard rumblings about the AHL wanting to expand west and the success (I'm referring to the success at the gate moreso than on the ice) of the CHL Colorado Eagles in Loveland this year has me thinking of of the possibility of having the Avs farm team in the same state. Just some speculation on my part here...don't take these last few sentences too seriously :pThat would be awesome if the Colorado Eagles moved up to the AHL and became the Avs primary farm club. It makes too much sense. The Colorado Rockies highest farm club is in Colorado Springs. It's so much easier for a guy like Brigley to travel from Loveland to Denver rather than Hershey, with no international airport (I'm guessing here), to Denver. He's been up and down, what, 9 times this year?

Plus, I think it would be successful from a fan standpoint as well. People in Ft. Collins, Loveland, and Greeley would have a legitimate minor league team that hosts their favorite NHL teams' prospects. If I was still in Colorado (I'll be back soon :rolly: ) I would travel from the Denver Metro area to Loveland to watch a few games, if there were any interesting prospects.

Hopefully this isn't too good to be true.

PS, why did they pick Eagles as a name? It’s so generic, I’m sure there’s something more Colorado related that could have been chosen. I’m thinking something we’ve never heard of, like Colorado Grizzlies, Colorado Gold, Colorado Spurs, Colorado Flames, etc. etc. Just kidding :p .

I was just reading the ahlboards Bears page. Apparently Dave Sottile, who covers the Hershey Bears for the York Daily Record, didn't have kind words for the Avalanche during a second intermission interview with John Walton (radio play-by-play man for the Bears) in last night's Bears game. He basically said that the parent club doesn't care about the Bears. Keep in mind that this is second hand information, I didn't hear the interview myself, but I visit that Bears forum alot so I find the folks there to be reliable.

I'm wondering if SilverSkate or somebody else heard the interview. I can't say I'm surprised by his comments. I don't know, I just found it to be interesting.

I might be wrong but I believe that Hershey's contract as the Avs primary farm club ends this season. I've heard rumblings about the AHL wanting to expand west and the success (I'm referring to the success at the gate moreso than on the ice) of the CHL Colorado Eagles in Loveland this year has me thinking of of the possibility of having the Avs farm team in the same state. Just some speculation on my part here...don't take these last few sentences too seriously :p

Sorry, guys, I rarely come to this thread! I was actually coming here to let you know that Frantisek Skladany was signed to a PTO by Hershey. It will interesting to watch his game.

Yes, I heard the interview. He didn't go too far with his comments because the radio announcer cut him off with other questions. He mentioned a potential article about it. It would be an interesting read. I don't always agree with the guy's opinion, but he does have the knowledge about the business side of things.

Most fans here understand an affiliation and that we’re basically here to develop players (we’re thrilled when our guys get called up), but we like to win too. People here probable wouldn't be so upset if we were winning. We spent the first half of the season in first place & now we may not make the playoffs. So people are always pointing fingers - the players, the coach, Colorado. We have the talent to do it, but the guys are so uptight now, they’re gripping their sticks too tight.

There is one more year to the contract. If I have the facts straight, the contract obligates Colorado to supply us with 10 players and 2 goalies. As it is now we only have 7 players & 2 goalies. (I don’t know if injured players, like DJ, count). And for a good part of the season we only had 3 or 4. Yes, that’s life. But, again, it’s hard to take when we might miss the playoffs. I think the other major complaint is we lost several players to waivers – Willsie, Aubin, Larsen. Colorado is monetarily compensated for these players, but PL doesn’t seem to use that money to find a replacement for us. I’m sure there were plenty of good players he could have gotten off of waivers, but PL apparently refuses to use waivers. And then PL trades any future hope when he trades away prospects.

It’s also bothersome that Colorado consistently uses the dump-and-chase method, which seems to create so many injuries. Colorado has so much skill, why not use it to move the puck into the zone. And it’s Colorado’s injuries that just kill us. I would love to see injury stats of teams the use the dump-and-chase vs teams that skate the puck in.

Thanks SilverSkate, that was the perspective I was looking for. Even though I can't necessarily relate, I can definately understand the frustration that you and many other Bears fans have.

If you could post anything about Frantisek's performance I would appreciate it. Now that his college career is over, I'm waiting to see if the Avs plan on signing him. Thanks again.

Thanks SilverSkate, that was the perspective I was looking for. Even though I can't necessarily relate, I can definately understand the frustration that you and many other Bears fans have.

If you could post anything about Frantisek's performance I would appreciate it. Now that his college career is over, I'm waiting to see if the Avs plan on signing him. Thanks again.

I think the Bears will use him. They could use the speed/skating with Perrin out as McCormick, Kuleshov and co. don't seem to be picking up any production slack. Skladany never met a shot on goal he didn't like, very Vrbata like from what I've seen of him.


CHL playoff update:
OHL:
With Liffiton gone, all we have in the league is Brad Richardson. He's out for the season with the shoulder injury so I have no update. Owen Sound was eliminated in game 7 in the first round.

WHL:
Boychuk is tied for the lead in scoring for Moose Jaw with 5pts in 4 games. Leads the team with a +7. MJ eliminated the Pats 4-0 in the first round. He's having a good playoff run to date.

Seattle didn't make the playoffs, so no Svagrovsky update.

Yackboski in 6 games has 0 points which isn't unusual for his game. He's -2 on a team that's a total +7. Calgary and Red Deer are all tied up at 3 games a piece in the first round.

Weiman had a decent season with Tri City however he lost the starting job in the playoffs to the rookie Price and isn't playing..


For those that are curious Jonas Johansson tied the Blazers squad for the lead in scoring with 4pts in 5 games in a losing effort as the Giants beat the Blazers 4 games to 1. Johansson did stick out in the forward crowd with a -3 on his team.

http://ydr.com/story/bears/20737/

Into the fire: Although he hadn’t completely made up his mind, Fixter appears to be leaning toward giving rookie left wing Frantisek Skladany his first taste of pro action against the Phantoms tonight.

“I like what I see,” Fixter said of the former Boston University forward who joined the team Tuesday. “He’s skating well and sometimes fresh blood is good. (The Phantoms) don’t know about him.”

Asked whether it was wise letting a finesse player — fresh from a college campus — debut in wild-and-woolly Philadelphia — Fixter said he had no problem with the idea.

“I think he’s probably oblivious to all that history and past stuff that’s happened” in the Spectrum, Fixter said.

If Skladany plays, either center Ryan Craig or left wing Mikhail Kuleshov would come out of the lineup.

Thanks SilverSkate, that was the perspective I was looking for. Even though I can't necessarily relate, I can definately understand the frustration that you and many other Bears fans have.

If you could post anything about Frantisek's performance I would appreciate it. Now that his college career is over, I'm waiting to see if the Avs plan on signing him. Thanks again.
I went to one of the Bears practice last week to watch him. He had some interesting stick moves during the 3 on3 & 5 on 5 drills. At the end of the team practice, several players stay longer to practice specific skills - Skladany particiapte in the skating drills. I think the 'higher ups' wanted to evaluate his skill level. He had no problems. Finally got to see him play in a game last night - the Bears haven't played a home game in almost 2 weeks. He only played 3 shifts the whole game, so it's hard to say. He wasn't in any physical situations along the boards, so I can't comment about that. But the kid did manage to get on 2 different break-aways. He does have speed. I hope they sign him.

The Bears have been knocked out of the playoffs (story about final game) (http://ydr.com/story/bears/21417/) so some players should be coming to Denver. I'm guessing Sauve & Clark for sure, don't know about anyone else. I'm assuming something more official will come on Tuesday.

The Bears have been knocked out of the playoffs (story about final game) (http://ydr.com/story/bears/21417/) so some players should be coming to Denver. I'm guessing Sauve & Clark for sure, don't know about anyone else. I'm assuming something more official will come on Tuesday.

Ouch, what a big time game to lose.

i listened to the game last night,holy **** it was a good one but an absolutely tragic end,200 ft in his own Net from Willis :banghead: :banghead: :shakehead

Season reviews for the Bears players from YDR:

http://ydr.com/files/db/454.pdf

Don’t know if anyone knows this – Peter Budaj is on the Slovakian team for the Worlds, starting this weekend. He was part of the team last year, but was one of 4 goalies and didn’t see any competition. This year, he’s one of 3 goalies. The others are Jan Lasak (most likely the #1 goalie) and Karol Križan (a goalie from their top league). Can’t tell if Budaj is suppose to be #2. The Slovakian team had an exhibition game yesterday against the Swiss, and lost 3 –0. I can’t read Slovak, and can’t seem to find any online text translators (expect a few dictionaries, doing one word at a time!), so I don’t know anything about the game. Did Budaj play poorly or did the whole team play poorly? Anyone read Slovak?? In one of the chat areas, an English comment seemed to indicate that Budaj is a good goalie and the whole team was uncoordinated. Which makes sense since a lot of the top Slovak guys arrived in the country in the last couple of days after elimination from NHL games.

Here’s some links if you’re curious & want to try to translate:
Budaj joing the team (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29110)
comments about the game (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29151)
comments from players, including Budaj (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29157)

If you’re interested in Video – here’s some more links:
Markiza TV (http://archiv.markiza.sk/?||bpuF5662R-T-6-Q-N-T-U-P5FMF-UC-7-Y-cuJ2GQ-sonka)
Scroll past the movie screen, you’ll see 3 columns. You want the middle column, where videos are labeled Sportove noviny. The one dated 21.04.04 has some highlights from the game. The video dated 19.04.04 has interviews of players, including Budaj

OR

stv. (http://www.stv.sk/archiv.php?prog=NOVINY)
Click on Sportove Spravy for the sports archive
21.04.04 has some game highlights
20.04.04 has a Budaj interview


For you computer guru’s – how do you save these videos?

Don’t know if anyone knows this – Peter Budaj is on the Slovakian team for the Worlds, starting this weekend. He was part of the team last year, but was one of 4 goalies and didn’t see any competition. This year, he’s one of 3 goalies. The others are Jan Lasak (most likely the #1 goalie) and Karol Križan (a goalie from their top league). Can’t tell if Budaj is suppose to be #2. The Slovakian team had an exhibition game yesterday against the Swiss, and lost 3 –0. I can’t read Slovak, and can’t seem to find any online text translators (expect a few dictionaries, doing one word at a time!), so I don’t know anything about the game. Did Budaj play poorly or did the whole team play poorly? Anyone read Slovak?? In one of the chat areas, an English comment seemed to indicate that Budaj is a good goalie and the whole team was uncoordinated. Which makes sense since a lot of the top Slovak guys arrived in the country in the last couple of days after elimination from NHL games.

Here’s some links if you’re curious & want to try to translate:
Budaj joing the team (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29110)
comments about the game (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29151)
comments from players, including Budaj (http://hokej.point.sk/reprezentacia/index.php?clanok=29157)

If you’re interested in Video – here’s some more links:
Markiza TV (http://archiv.markiza.sk/?||bpuF5662R-T-6-Q-N-T-U-P5FMF-UC-7-Y-cuJ2GQ-sonka)
Scroll past the movie screen, you’ll see 3 columns. You want the middle column, where videos are labeled Sportove noviny. The one dated 21.04.04 has some highlights from the game. The video dated 19.04.04 has interviews of players, including Budaj

OR

stv. (http://www.stv.sk/archiv.php?prog=NOVINY)
Click on Sportove Spravy for the sports archive
21.04.04 has some game highlights
20.04.04 has a Budaj interview


For you computer guru’s – how do you save these videos?

I can't get it translated for the life of me, I looked a lot of places too.

You can right click on the file and choose "save as" to save them.

Season reviews for the Bears players from YDR:

http://ydr.com/files/db/454.pdf


Man the Avs prospect grades were brutal. I got a laugh out of the Krestanovich comment that he was addition by subtraction. I'm not sure what that meant but it couldn't have been good. All in all it didn't paint a rosy picture of the Avs prospects this year. I was surprised by how poorly McCormick was graded and obviously Suave was a disappointment

I can't get it translated for the life of me, I looked a lot of places too.

You can right click on the file and choose "save as" to save them.Using Right click doesn't seem to work for me. It doesn't save the video, it just saves a gif image of the file or a short cut to the video. If you were able to save the video, can you send it to me?

I still haven't been able to translate anything, but I did get some kind people from Slovakia to write to me! Both of them thought Budaj looked solid in goal, that the defense made serious mistakes. In one of those videos you can see the turn-over right in front of the goal.

Remember Ballard? Our ex-prospect from the Minn Gophers. He's been one of the last-minute additions to the USA roster for the Worlds.


And Agie Saviels is playing for Latvia!

Skoula is playing for the Czech Republic.

Ballard interview for Team USA. I wish this guy was still with us

Click!! (http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/qa/index.ihwc?&artId=1676)


Budaj was cut from the team roster, but is still a part of the national team as a back-up

Wonder how the goaltending issue will work in next year (if there is a next year :shakehead )

feature article on Wolski at NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/futures/2004draft/wolski063004.html

feature article on Wolski at NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/futures/2004draft/wolski063004.html

Hmmm...a playmaking winger with tremendous vision and creativity who could be more physical...

Sounds like another left winger on the team that turned out pretty darn good.

Of course, I'm simplifying things too much...but still, we can only hope.

Another Wolski article:

First is a Toronto Sun piece on him before the draft with some interesting background: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1088115012023&call_pageid=1044442959412&col=1044442957278

Interesting quote in a pre draft chat regarding Parshin...

Frank, Philadelphia: It seems like the players drafted outside the top 5 or 10 that make it big in the NHL, especially forwards, are the ones with lots of hockey sense. Who jumps out at you this year as some guys with lots of hockey sense?

Kyle Woodlief: Little Denis Parshin, a left winger who plays frequently with Malkin on the Russian U-18 team, is at the head of the class for me. He plays like a chess grandmaster, always visualising where the pieces are going to be three or four moves down the road. He's so imaginative his passes usually surprise even his own linemates. Of the North American forwards, I really love Dave Bolland's instincts and anticipation.

Here is interview with Parshin just after draft it’s sad that I didn’t notice it before.
http://www.russianprospects.com/public/article.php?link_id=218

Some notes about Parshin from preseason games:
CSKA participated in 2 preseason tournaments which were held in Finland and in Slovakia. Team has new head coach - Bykov and CSKA top line center Razin gone from team therefore Denis was dropped from top line where he finished last season to fourth/third line. On the first tournament in Finland where played only teams from RSL Bykov rolled lines and used different line combos. Parshin played in all 5 games and played with different partners so he registered only 1 Assist but most part of time he spent with the third line.
The second tournament was Zabotnikov memorial in Slovakia where Parshin played pretty well. Probably Bykov find right combination using Parshin with Upper and Anshakov. He registered 1G+1A (CSKA won 7:3) in the first game against Zvolen. In the second game (CSKA won 3:1) against Vitkovice Parshin was scoreless but after each game - regardless of the result - teams made five penalty shots and Denis scored (where CSKA won 2:0). In the third game against Dubnice (CSKA won 6:0) Parshin scored power play goal, but I don’t know anything about assistants only who scored. According to report from this game Dubnice played dirty game especially against Parshin (I don’t know why. May be he was very good for them ? ;) ) but he was OK . Last game CSKA played against Zlin today and win it 2:0 I haven’t any info on assistants only who scored but it was guys from other lines.
According to report Parshin played with Anshakov and Upper and found some chemistry with them. Despite it’s only fourth line nominal it looks like a good scoring line to me.

Also I’ve noticed some very interesting info that haven’t noticed before. According to stats from CSKA official site ( here it is http://www.cska-hockey.ru/?archiv/scores2003-2004 ) Parshin had the 4th best “+/-” in whole team. “+2” in 27 games looks good for me while for example Kostitsyn had “-6” in only 12 games. I know there is very simple explanation of this (he played on top line with Razin and it corrected his stats very well in right direction) but looks very nice.

Thanks for this info Kaizer !

:)

I found interview with U-18 Team Russia Coach Valeri Bragin that's what he said about Denis Parshin:
HF: At this tournament forward Denis Parshin is playing well. How good is he?
VB: He plays in the Russian senior league with men and plays well. He needs to be stronger and I think that he will be good in that area. Sergey Makarov and Vladimir Krutov weren’t big guys but they played very well and were the leaders of Team USSR. He is some years away from being that kind of player but he’s talented enough. He has great speed and soft hands. He has good potential.

Here it is http://www.hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=6868

Some news about Linus Videll.

He made Team Sweden U20-roster for 4-nation tournament http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=951 while Richard Demén-Willaume didn't.

They already played in exhibition game against 3rd-tier league team Tingsryd
http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=980. Linus played this game on lite with The top center of the Swedish team Calle Söderberg and David Fredriksson but was pointless that night.
According to report from this game
F – Linus Videll
Was gritty and delivered a few nice hits. Looked a bit slow though and wasn’t among those that stood out the most

Thanks Kaizer, we appreciate all your updates from across the pond. Keep 'em coming!

http://usahockey.com/usa_hockey/international/main/home/04eval_day1_swe_blue/
2004 Evaluation Camp - Day 1 (SWE 3, USA Blue 0)

Videll's line (Videll - Soderberg - Fredrikssen) scored 2 of 3 goals, while Vinus made 1 A. Waiting to report from game.

Linus Videll scored three goals against USA White in the last game of the Evaluation Camp.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=991

Wolski with 1 goal tonight in a 5-2 win for Brampton.

Brad Richardson has 4 point in 2 games for the Attack this year. He is playing on a line with Bobby Ryan and Mike Angelidis. He should lead the team in points.

Brad Richardson was just named OHL player of the week.

Its too bad Richardson lost a year because he's really fallen off most people's radars. I thought he was a steal when we got him and he's my favorite Avs prospect. He won't be a star in the NHL, but even though he isn't a big guy, I think he's got the skill, maturity, and all around soild smarts to be a great 3rd line player someday.

Its too bad Richardson lost a year because he's really fallen off most people's radars. I thought he was a steal when we got him and he's my favorite Avs prospect. He won't be a star in the NHL, but even though he isn't a big guy, I think he's got the skill, maturity, and all around soild smarts to be a great 3rd line player someday.

As do I, when he was picked, the Avalanche scouts and brass all got up and were high-fiving each other and whatnot. Very rare for a 5th round pick.

No points for JD Corbin in the Denver/Minnesota US Hockey Hall of Fame game; a 5-2 win for the Gophers. Derek Peltier did have the primary assist for the second Minnesota goal. Can't offer much of an evaluation as I was unable to watch the game on TV. Denver plays BC and Northeastern next weekend.

As for the UNH/OSU game, the losing goaltender is also an Avs draft pick--Ian Keserich.

Tyler Weiman got a shutout in his first game with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL

He was sent to Quad City, but instead is now back in Slovakia and should be playing for his hometown - Kosice

Tyler Weiman got a shutout in his first game with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL

The Colorado Eagles are in the CHL (Central Hockey League), not the ECHL

http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=1155
F – Denis Parshin
Was much deservingly named best Russian player of the game. Parshin created 5-6 quality scoring chances all by himself as he stick handled smoothly through the Finnish defense. No prospect has so far in the tournament displayed better technical skills and speed than Parshin.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=1147
Denis Parshins
The most entertaining Russian forward. Parshins had very quick feet and stickhandled very smoothly through traffic.

He was sent to Quad City, but instead is now back in Slovakia and should be playing for his hometown - Kosice

I thought he was forsure AHL bound.... What happened? Is he still a legit prospect?

http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=1161
Denis Parshin was named team Russia MVP at U-20 tournament in Sweden.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/news.php?news=1161
Denis Parshin was named team Russia MVP U-20 tournament in Sweden.

:handclap:

I thought he was forsure AHL bound.... What happened? Is he still a legit prospect?I don't know for sure, but I assume 'they' told him he would not be back to the AHL (we had 8 other defenseman at the time) so he asked if he could play at home in the top league instead of playing in the UHL.

Richardson scored a goal in last night's Russian Selects vs OHL All Stars. Wolski looked alright. He has a nice shot.

i was curious to know how the following players are doing:

-sean collins
-Linus videll
-Mikko Kalteva

thanks

Sean Collins has 5 goals and 11 assists in 14 games for the seventh ranked UNH Wildcats. UNH has a 9-3-2 record. Brett Hemingway has 10 goals and 6 assists in 14 games. They are playing on line togeather. Brett had 2 goals land Sean had a goal and 2 assists in a 3 to 1 win over Clarkson last night. They play ST. Lawrence tonight.

Tomas Slovak IIRC is AV's property. I watched a game where he played for Kosice.
He played on the PP, PK and a lot of time he was on the ice. He has had so far 6 points in 7 games here, which is almost PPG. He's arguably the best D on the team. He impressed me with his play.

Tomas Slovak IIRC is AV's property. I watched a game where he played for Kosice.
He played on the PP, PK and a lot of time he was on the ice. He has had so far 6 points in 7 games here, which is almost PPG. He's arguably the best D on the team. He impressed me with his play.
Good to hear. He's been a question mark of a prospect this past season or so.

forecaster made prospect reviews

http://www.forecaster.ca/denverpost/hockey/extras.cgi?northwestprospects

Tomas Slovak IIRC is AV's property. I watched a game where he played for Kosice.
He played on the PP, PK and a lot of time he was on the ice. He has had so far 6 points in 7 games here, which is almost PPG. He's arguably the best D on the team. He impressed me with his play.
Thanks for the info. To me, that just shows the poor decision-making capabilities of the Hershey coaching staff. If Tomas can do that well in a league that I consider better than the AHL, then he should be doing great over here. And to think the Hershey staff wanted to send him to the UHL! Tomas should be commended for standing-up for himself & refusing to go.

Thanks for the info. To me, that just shows the poor decision-making capabilities of the Hershey coaching staff. If Tomas can do that well in a league that I consider better than the AHL, then he should be doing great over here. And to think the Hershey staff wanted to send him to the UHL! Tomas should be commended for standing-up for himself & refusing to go.
Maybe Slovak plays better on bigger ice rather than on the small sized rinks in NA. :dunno:

Wolski named OHL player of the week.

http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/news/?id=1108

Heres' an article about Kristián Kovác . Click (http://hokej.point.sk/liga_svk1/index.php?clanok=32518) I have no idea what it says! It seems like he's not playing in the top league, but the 2nd league

Heres' an article about Kristián Kovác . Click (http://hokej.point.sk/liga_svk1/index.php?clanok=32518) I have no idea what it says! It seems like he's not playing in the top league, but the 2nd league
He is playing in the 2nd SVK League right now.

Sean Collins has 5 goals and 11 assists in 14 games for the seventh ranked UNH Wildcats. UNH has a 9-3-2 record. Brett Hemingway has 10 goals and 6 assists in 14 games. They are playing on line togeather. Brett had 2 goals land Sean had a goal and 2 assists in a 3 to 1 win over Clarkson last night. They play ST. Lawrence tonight.
Brett Hemingway had 2 goals and sean Collins had 2 assists in New Hampshires 6-2 win over St. Lawrence on Sat. night.

Linus Videll made the swedish WJC roster and will probably play with one of the best players of the team, Calle Söderberg, and David Fredriksson, were both of the two last are Blues prospects. It'll be a huge line were every player are 6'3" or taller, and they have shown great chemistry earlier this season.

Linus Videll made the swedish WJC roster and will probably play with one of the best players of the team, Calle Söderberg, and David Fredriksson, were both of the two last are Blues prospects. It'll be a huge line were every player are 6'3" or taller, and they have shown great chemistry earlier this season.
Hopefully he makes some noise in the WJC. He's been rather quiet in the SEL II thus far.

UNH beat UMASS 4 to 0 on thursday night. Sean Collins had 2 goals and an assist. This gives him 7 goals and 14 assists in 16 games. Brett Hemingway had 2 assists in the game. This gives Brett 12 goals and 8 assists. UNH is now 11-3-2 for the season.

Does anyone know the Central Hockey League's web address?

Does anyone know the Central Hockey League's web address?

Nevermind I found it and Colorado AValanche goalie prospect Tyler Weiman has played 16 games and 951 minutes. He also has a 11-1-4 record with a 1.70 GAA and .938 Save Percentage.

Does anyone know the Central Hockey League's web address?
http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/

Jori, I watched parts of DU's game against He seems to be a speedy utility player with some skill. Maybe in the same mold as Brian Gionta?

Nevermind I found it and Colorado AValanche goalie prospect Tyler Weiman has played 16 games and 951 minutes. He also has a 11-1-4 record with a 1.70 GAA and .938 Save Percentage.

I've watched Tyler play 3 or 4 times this season, and he's been very impressive for such a young kid.

I watched Derek Peltier play for Minnesota GG against BU. It was a close game which was decided by the PP with a 2-1 score in favour of the number one ranked gophers. Peltier got limited ice time but played on both special teams. He's a smooth skater that plays smart defensively and isn't afraid to join the rush. He appears to have a decent set of hands. As well, he's a bit small for a defenseman. On the whole, he reminds me a whole lot of JM Liles, but is only in his freshman year at Minnesota.

Heading into the season, he was considered one of the top recruited defenseman available. He currently has a solid 11 points in 19 games, which is more than Kris Chucko's total points, who is a more highly regarded power forward prospect for the Calgary Flames.

All in all, a good find for the Avs who selected him in the 6th round of the 2004 draft.

Just a quick update on Sean Collins and Brett Hemingway. Last night UNH beat Providence 4-1. Hemmingway had a goal and 3 assists, Collins had 3 assists. This gives Hemmingway 14 goals and 12 assists and Collins 7 goals and 19 assists for the 7th ranked UNH Wildcats who have a 14-4-2 record. Next up Dartmouth College on Wednesday..

http://ontariohockeyleague.com/news/?id=1140
Brad Richardson was named OHL player of the month.

http://ontariohockeyleague.com/news/?id=1140
Brad Richardson was named OHL player of the month.

Second time this season to boot. And he earned rave reviews in the OHL vs Russia series as well. Now ranked 5th in the OHL in scoring (Wolski checks in at #8 :yo: ), with 57 points in 39 games. Consider that although this is technically his fourth year in the OHL, Brad basically missed the entirety of last year due to injury. Quite impressive...this kid sounds like a winner with an all-around game and if he's not one of the Avs' top 3-4 prospects right now I will eat my shorts.

Also, Hemmingway and Collins are now tied for 11th in NCAA Division 1 overall scoring. Svatos seems to be warming up a tad in the AHL and when you add wild cards like WJC'ers Parshin and Videll, I think as usual the Avs are going to cultivate some fine offensive forwards from the later round or unhyped picks within their system well into the near future.

Second time this season to boot. And he earned rave reviews in the OHL vs Russia series as well. Now ranked 5th in the OHL in scoring (Wolski checks in at #8 :yo: ), with 57 points in 39 games.
BTW, Brad ranked first in GWG with 8 goals.

Collins had a goal and assist and Hemmingway had one assist in UNHS dissapointing
loss to Dartmouth last night. Collins is now tied for 5th in the country in scoring while Hemmingway is tied for 11th.

Sean Collins had a goal and 2 assists while Brett Hemingway had a goal and an assist in UNH is 8-2 win over Yale Collins has 9 goals and 22 assists while Hemingway has 15 Goals and 14 Assists.

Second time this season to boot. And he earned rave reviews in the OHL vs Russia series as well. Now ranked 5th in the OHL in scoring (Wolski checks in at #8 :yo: ), with 57 points in 39 games. Consider that although this is technically his fourth year in the OHL, Brad basically missed the entirety of last year due to injury. Quite impressive...this kid sounds like a winner with an all-around game and if he's not one of the Avs' top 3-4 prospects right now I will eat my shorts.

Also, Hemmingway and Collins are now tied for 11th in NCAA Division 1 overall scoring. Svatos seems to be warming up a tad in the AHL and when you add wild cards like WJC'ers Parshin and Videll, I think as usual the Avs are going to cultivate some fine offensive forwards from the later round or unhyped picks within their system well into the near future.

how far is he away from the NHL?

Second time this season to boot. And he earned rave reviews in the OHL vs Russia series as well. Now ranked 5th in the OHL in scoring (Wolski checks in at #8 :yo: ), with 57 points in 39 games. Consider that although this is technically his fourth year in the OHL, Brad basically missed the entirety of last year due to injury. Quite impressive...this kid sounds like a winner with an all-around game and if he's not one of the Avs' top 3-4 prospects right now I will eat my shorts.


He's been OHL Player of the Week once, and OHL Player of the Month once. He has not been Player of the Month twice.

He's been OHL Player of the Week once, and OHL Player of the Month once. He has not been Player of the Month twice.

My bad. Still think he is one of our better prospects by far at the moment.

My bad. Still think he is one of our better prospects by far at the moment.

No problem, both are very nice honours. It's good to see Brad finally getting some more attention. It's been a pleasure watching him play this season, and I believe he would be rated a lot higher had it not been for his injury last season.

I watched Tyler Weiman play in the CHL all-star game today on NHLTV. He's a classic butterfly goalie with quick reflexes and decent anticipation. Appears to have good lateral movement. He made one spectacular save where he reached back with his stick to steal a goal away from the South Conference. However, he seems to be weak on rebound control and tends to go down early like most goalies of his style. Overall, I'd say he's a good, young prospect for Colorado that has potential to be a backup to David Aebischer.

Budaj has been stellar in the nets of late. He was on a 9 game win streak until last week. Won again last night, stopping 13 of 15 shots in the shoot out that followed the game. His main problem of late is trusting his defense to do their job. You know, on those 2 on 1 break outs, where the defense is suppose to take away the pass allowing the goalie to concentrate on the shooter. Apparently our defense seems to have forgotten how to do that!

More Brad Richardson news... on thrusday night he tore it up scoring 4 goals and 2 assists and is now tied for 2nd in OHL scoring!

Sean Collins had 2 goals last night in UNHS win over Umass. Hemingway also scored a goal. For the season Hemingway has 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points. Collins
has 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points.

Just a quick note for Avs fans, your boy Brad Richardson became the OHL's first fourty goal scorer on Wednesday night, and obviously is now the OHL's top goal scorer. He's now one goal ahead of Corey Perry, who has played five less games.

Brad is perhaps one of the most under-rated players in the OHL. He's strung together an outstanding season.

I think the Av's should take a good look on Sanny Lindström in Timråt in the SEL to the next season. He has developed a lot this season and could be a possible 5-7th d-man! He might hit the swedish roster for the WC.

Update on Colorados UNH draft picks. Brett Hemingway has 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. Sean Collins has 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points. As of today Collins is tied for 4th in the country in scoring with TJ hensink of Michigan. The team is 24-9-5 and is ranked 10th in the nation. Next game is at the Flett Center on Friday, The opponent is yet to be determined. An NCAA bid is a sure thing.

Just a quick note for Avs fans, your boy Brad Richardson became the OHL's first fourty goal scorer on Wednesday night, and obviously is now the OHL's top goal scorer. He's now one goal ahead of Corey Perry, who has played five less games.

Brad is perhaps one of the most under-rated players in the OHL. He's strung together an outstanding season.

like i've said before... HE IS GOOD

Richardson next year to AVS? :)
any chance?

uh, lets give him a season or two in Her.....

...yeah he might be on the Avs next season

Don't know if he is counted as a prospect anymore, but Avalanche property Sanny Lindström will make his debut tonight for Sweden vs Canada. He'll replace Thomas Rhodin 'cause Rhodin aint 100% fit and Lindström provides a lot more pysichal play. He has developed nice the last couple of seasons and was selected to the swedish squad due to many injuries on and non-playing NHL vets such as Lidström, Öhlund, Johnsson, Ragnarsson, Tjärnqvist, Tärnström and Niclas Wallin. Although he won't get that big amount of icetime tonight, he might get a couple of shifts.

Don't know if he is counted as a prospect anymore, but Avalanche property Sanny Lindström will make his debut tonight for Sweden vs Canada. He'll replace Thomas Rhodin 'cause Rhodin aint 100% fit and Lindström provides a lot more pysichal play. He has developed nice the last couple of seasons and was selected to the swedish squad due to many injuries on and non-playing NHL vets such as Lidström, Öhlund, Johnsson, Ragnarsson, Tjärnqvist, Tärnström and Niclas Wallin. Although he won't get that big amount of icetime tonight, he might get a couple of shifts.


hey thanks for information ;)
i have to watch that game then :)

hey thanks for information ;)
i have to watch that game then :)

Lindström had great problems and only played 8 shifts, and was on the ice on two canadian goals. On the first Joe Thornton held him away behind the crease and walked in alone and beat Lundqvist. Not good at all, but of course, it aint easy to go in and play well vs Canada in your first WC game.

Joe Thornton owned him.

That was embarassing stuff.

I noticed Sammy Lindstrom _twice_ in the entire game, and once was when Thornton left him down and out behind the net for the Canada goal and the second occasion when he was destroyed by Robyn Regehr along the boards in the 2nd period.

Lindstrom sucks.

yes i saw Thornton too. He didn't play well :shakehead

Brad Richardson got a bizarely good notice on ESPN.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=2062921&num=2)
One particularly contentious scenario would have a 2003 draftee, without a draft to re-enter, challenging the expired CBA clause in court in order to be declared a free agent.

Said one agent: "There aren't any rumbles out there now about who might do that, but it's not likely to be one of the first or second-rounders [from 2003]. If there's a challenge, it would be more likely to come from the later rounds, [from] a player who probably played better than projected ... and would be hurt most by a crowded draft."

One player who fits that profile is Brad Richardson, a forward with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL and a fifth-round draft choice (163rd overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in 2003.

"Richardson played like a first-rounder this year," one Western Conference scout said. "He might be hurt in the draft by the numbers of players re-entering – if he's not taken as high up, that would hurt him as far as a bonus and salary and it would affect what he could make for a good chunk of his career. I'm not saying that [Richardson] would go to court but he's the type of player who'd really be hurt with the scenario we're looking at."

Find few videos with T.J. Hensick:

Nothing special. Just a goal (http://www.michiganhockey.net/videos/032505wis/032505wis-hensick3rd.wmv)

Sweet goal by Hensick. (http://www.michiganhockey.net/videos/120304notredame/120304hensick.wmv)

Nice stickhandling (http://www.michiganhockey.net/videos/010805wmu/010805wmu-gajic1st.wmv)

Sweet assist by T.J. in PP (http://www.michiganhockey.net/videos/010805wmu/010805wmu-kaleniecki6th.wmv)

Another sweet wrist shot by T.J. A-la Svatos (mms://a1804.v91928.c9192.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1804/9192/v0001/cstv.download.akamai.com/9192/cstv_videos/Hockey/1104/mich-michst-111804.wmv)
Hensick with a nice shot (http://www.michiganhockey.net/videos/010805wmu/010705-highlights.wmv)

Nice little article about Fritsche (with Keserich mentioned)

http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-hockey/uwire/080405aaa.html

USA 2005 National Junior Evaluation Camp is on

We have T. Fritsche and I. Keserich for Team Blue USA and Richard Demen-Willaume for Team Sweden.

First results are out. Team Blue vs. Team Finland 5-3. Fritsche with assist for Schrem's ENG. Keserich stoped 16 of 17 shots.
Demen-Willaume with 2 PIMs. Couldn't find "+/-" stats.

Hey Kaizer, is Parshin going to be with CSKA again this season?

Yes. He has good preseason ... better than last year.

Yes. He has good preseason ... better than last year.

Is he getting involved in the physical play and not shying away, though?

I haven't seen any exhibition games :( He has good stats ... something like point per game . If I see him I'll report :)

If I see him I'll report :)

Great, thanks!

Hensick will be an alternate captain for Michigan this year.

http://mgoblue.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=18823

Wolski acquitted (http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/09/01/1197529-sun.html)

Wolski acquitted (http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/09/01/1197529-sun.html)

Great news, sounds like his story panned out and those that passed on him in the draft got scared off for nothing.

InsideCollegeHockey's A to Z previews are up. Paul Stastny's profile (http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/az/05/stastny_0350.htm)

Wolski will leave for Avalanche training camp next week but is ready to take charge when he returns to Brampton. Among his goals is a coveted spot on Canada's roster at the world junior championship in Vancouver.

"I have to dominate after the average year I had," Wolski said.


That's what I like to hear. Hopefully the acquittal allows him to focus completely on hockey and will set him up for a big season with Brampton.

INCH names Stoa as the 13th best incoming forward.

http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/recruitsfor_0352.htm

Kalteva did his first point in sm-league. 2 games 0 + 1 = 1 -2 and 2 penalty minutes so far.

Durand seeks redemption (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/hockey/2002514325_birds23.html)

Preseason has started in the AHL. In the first game against Falcons (7-2 Monsters) :
- Boychuk had 3PPA
- Slovak had 2A (1PPA)
- Vitanen had 1G(SHG) + 1A (PPA)
- Richardson had 2A (1PPA+1SHA)
- DaSilva and Svagrovski had 1G
- Skladny had 1A.
BoxScore (http://www.lockmonsters.com/fullstory.php?id=261)

Very good start :clap:

FoxSports.com previews about NCAA and CHL are out. They had good press about our prospects.
WHL preview (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/4908120)

Player to watch: Raymond Macias: This unbelievably talented blueliner will be needed to produce a lion's share of offense and quarterback the power play.

They have a nice balanced top six with Chris Durand and Aaron Gagnon leading the way

CCHA preview (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/4911402)

The newcomers join a talented bunch of returnees, highlighted by Hobey Baker finalist T.J. Hensick.
Player to watch: Hensick. After finishing second on the team in goals (23) assists (32) and points (55), Hensick looks poised at a run for the Hobey Baker hardware this season.

On the offensive side of the ice, sophomore Tom Fritsche will be the No. 1 option. As a freshman, Fritsche led the squad with 34 assists and 45 points.

WCHA preview (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/4911404)
Player to watch: Paul Stastny. After scoring 17 goals and adding 28 assists last year, the sky is the limit for the sophomore.

How is Parshin doing? :dunno:

How is Parshin doing? :dunno:

no points in six games for CSKA

Richardson with two goals, one assist tonight for Lowell in a preseason win over Hartford.

http://www.lockmonsters.com/fullstory.php?id=268

Just checked WHL boxscores and as I understand Jason Lynch (He scored his first goal today) is wearing "A" for Spokane Chiefs and Chris Durand is wearing "C" for Seattle T-Birds.
BTW, Durand has awful start : 4 Games - 0 Points - "-3" :(

Stastny is now listed as 6-0,210 (http://denverpioneers.collegesports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/stastny_paul00.html)

College Hockey News Preseason All-America Team (http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2005/09/30_chnpreseason.php)
T.J. Hensick made the first team, while Stastny is a player to watch.

Demйn-Willaume, Richard has played 3 games for Team Frцlunda HC. His stats line so far is : 1 SOG, 2PIM, "+2" (2:0)

Videll, Linus has played 3 games for Team Sцdertдlje SK. His stast line sof far is : "-1" (0:1).

Stastny is now listed as 6-0,210 (http://denverpioneers.collegesports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/stastny_paul00.html)



heh, hell yeah

Just remembered that Brandon Yip will play for BU this season. He listed (http://www.bu.edu/athletics/icehockey/men/roster.html) as 6-1,186 -It's 16 lbs. more than when he was drafted.

http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/news-cms/news/?dept=38&id=36598
First impressions by Yip in BU were made :
In individual competitions, freshman Brandon Yip earned "fastest shot" with a 94 mph blast into the net

College Hockey preseason has started. Michigan has won first game 3-2 against Toronot (MIC).

http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0506/boxes/mmictor1.o02
Hensick with 1G+2A, 4SOG, "+2", 13FW - 9FL and first star of the game.

Miami vs. Windsor - 4:1. Justin Mercier didn't play.

Durand's pointless streak is over. Despite Seattle T-Birds couldn't win (1-4 L) Durand scored lonely SH (unassisted) goal for T-Birds.
http://whl.ca/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1001102

Linus Videll with one assist (first point in season) tonight for Sodertalje in tied 1-1 game vs Brynas

Richard Demen-Willaume - no points, only 2 penalty minutes for tripping, Frolunda won 2-1 over Djurgardens

Denis Parshin - no points, CSKA defeated Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4-3

Yacboski was a real good stay at home junior, I believe he was still part of the avs organization, even if I don't see him on the Avs board, but his carreer looks over right now.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/10/05/1249849-cp.html

Yacboski was a real good stay at home junior, I believe he was still part of the avs organization, even if I don't see him on the Avs board, but his carreer looks over right now.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/10/05/1249849-cp.html
Avs didn't sign him, so he's no longer apart of the organization. Sorry to hear about his injury though :(

Weiman, Lawson, Slovak, Skladany and Svagrovsky assigned to San Diego (ECHL).

http://www.sandiegogulls.com/news-curentArticles-44-Avalanche~Assign~Five~To~Gulls.gulls

Lowell's current roster:

http://www.lockmonsters.com/roster.php

Inside College Hockey has named their preseason All-Americans teams in the article 'INCH Preseason All-Americans'.
http://insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/preaa_0403.htm

Tom Fritsche, a sophmore now playing for the Ohio State University Buckeye's, made the third team.
2004-05 Statistics (42 gp, 11-34-- 45).

Vityaz - CSKA 3-2.. but Parshin had an assist (first point in season)

Alberta at Minnesota (preseason) 3 : 4 (http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0506/boxes/malbmin1.o06) Stoa with GWG. It looks like that he played with Irmen and Kessel.

Vityaz - CSKA 3-2.. but Parshin had an assist (first point in season)

:handclap:

I have been waiting for this for a while now. Finally! :clap:

Alberta at Minnesota (preseason) 3 : 4 (http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0506/boxes/malbmin1.o06) Stoa with GWG. It looks like that he played with Irmen and Kessel.

Derek Peltier with no points and 3 shots in this game

Stoa also had 5 shots on goal and threw his weight around out there. He did play with Kessel and Irmen. Lucia likes to flip lines so i doubt he will have a consistant pairing to start the season. Stoa is also supposed to get some time at center this year too.

Tom Fritsche with 2+2 in a Ohio's preseason win
Ohio vs. Western Ontario 6:1 (http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0506/boxes/mosuwon1.o07) Keserich was in the net too.

T.J. Hensick with 2A in Michingan's preseason win
Michigan vs. Quinnipac 3:1 (http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0506/boxes/mmicqui1.o07)

Brandon Yip was pointless in BU win.

SEL: Timra lost 3-4 to Frolunda. Sanny Lindstrom had no points, Richard Demen-Willaume did not play.

MODO - Sodertalje 3-0, Linus Videll had no points

Swiss League: Kloten-Flyers defeated HC Davos 2-1, Riku Hahl - no points

Sm Liiga: Jokerit lost to HPK Hameenlinna 0-1 after penalty shots.
Mikko Kalteva - no points

Some of the college scores are coming in...

Hensick with two assists tonight as Michigan beats Quinnipiac 5-3.

No points for Mercier tonight as NoDak shuts out Miami (Ohio) 3-0.

Two assists for Hemingway as UNH gets a 6-1 exhibition win over New Brunswick.

I had the opportunity to watch T.J. Hensick the last two nights and I was very unimpressed. He may be the most selfish hockey player I have watched in a long time. He trys the same move every time up the ice and rarely looks to use any of his teammates. I was really looking to foward to watching him but left very disapointed.