USA Junior Hockey Magazine

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Captain Conover never fails to impress coach

2011-12-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

Some hockey players believe they can only play their bestwith specific linemates alongside them.

Then, you’ve got a guy like Bradley Conover. He wants to be that player that can be inserted onany line and give it an offensive shot in the arm. It’s what a captain does,and he does it well for the Boston Jr. Bulldogs, of the Atlantic Junior HockeyLeague.

“I’m going to help everyone on my line to play the best theycan play, so I’m always playing well on a good line,” said the 1991-born CastleRock, Colo., resident. “I want to help everyone know everything they need toknow.”

His qualities of extending himself to his teammates haveendeared Conover to Bulldogs head coach MikeAddesa.

“He’s one of the greatest young men I’ve ever coached,” saidAddesa. “I can’t say enough positive enough about him and the impact he’s made.We sent 21 of 25 players to college a year ago, and this was supposed to be arebuilding year. The fact we’re in the hunt is attributed to Bradley and whathe brings to our team.”

Conover was the third-leading scorer on the team at thebreak, scoring 12 goals and 31 points in 30 AJHL games. Just ahead of him are Chris Mastropietro (43 points) and Andrew Bucci (34 points).

Conover is versatile, enjoying whichever position Addesahappens to put him in for any given game.

“He has filled a lot of voids for us. He is a right-handedcenter, but in times of need, he has played some right wing for us this year,and he’s filled in a game or two at left wing,” said Addesa. “When [defenseman]Tyler Bishop was out with an injury, he filled in as right point on thepower play.

“He is highly predictable in that you give him a task andyou know what you’re going to get,” Addesa added. “He will work up to whateverresponsibility and role you give him, and he has done so beyond my greatestexpectations.”

Conover is not about to call himself the fastest or mostskilled player on the ice, but he likes to believe he has a good handle on thegame of hockey.

“I think I’m a smart player. I can think the game well. It’snot that I don’t have talent, but I have less than others,” he said. Being ableto play every position comes from knowing the game and knowing what to do ateach position.”

Merry Christmas to all from Hockey Media Group!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

'May your days be merry and bright...'

New Jersey Jr. Titans: Third-year forward Deatrick scores when needed

2011-12-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

When Chris Deatricklooks back on his time with the New Jersey Jr. Titans, he realizes how much hehas grown up.

“I went from Bantam Minor to Bantam Major to Junior B, and Iwas always intimidated with the thought of going into the corners with a21-year-old and getting crushed, but it never happened,” said Deatrick, now a17-year-old three-year veteran with the Titans. “I held my own pretty well andmade a difference on my team.”

That is exactly what the ’94-born Brielle, N.J., residenthas been doing so well this year – making a difference, whether the game countsin the standings or to their pride.

“We had an exhibition game against the Jersey Hitmen’sEmpire League team and [the Hitmen] tied it 4-4 with 49 seconds left,” saidTitans head coach Dustin DePalma.“He won two faceoffs, skated down, and scored twice to give us the 6-4 win.”

“I’ve noticed since last year that my hands definitelyimproved a lot,” Deatrick added. “Having good linemates like [David] Ramos and [Kevin] Fitch helps a lot, as they give me thepuck where I can get some good shots.”

DePalma said that the 5-foot-9-inch, 160-pound Deatrick isin great shape, his foot speed is among the best in the league and he is an AP(advanced placement) student in high school.

On top of all this, to make him even further attractive acollege hockey prospect, he’s also the team’s assistant captain.

Illustrating Deatrick’s ability to lead by example, hescored a shorthanded goal in a 5-on-3 situation for the Titans’ opponent.

“I’m really trying to improve my hands and put more pointstogether so I can move on somewhere, like a higher-level junior program or acollege might give me a look,” said Deatrick, who had 85 points through 88 MetLeague games, all well before he turns 18 this October.

His brother, former Titan Bobby Deatrick, played for the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. Chrissaid he has talked to the Monarchs’ head coach Sean Tremblay, and has alsoattended Jersey Hitmen tryouts for their Eastern Junior Hockey Leagueteam.

“I’d like to play for one of those teams, or maybe a UnitedStates Hockey League team, doesn’t matter which one,” he said.

If he keeps doing what he’s been doing, he will likely havehis choice of where he ends up for the 2012-13 season.

Portland Jr. Pirates: AJHL squad looking for new energy in New Year

2011-12-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

If you find the Portland Jr. Pirates’ energy, please forwardit to MHG Ice Centre in Saco, Maine.

Head coach Brad Church would be thrilled to receive it bythe time the Pirates get back to Atlantic Junior League play on Jan. 21, 2012.In December, they won just two of their eight league games.

“We’ve hit a bit of a funk here,” said Church, going intothe extended holiday break. “We’re just trying to get away for a couple weeks.

“We’re just not playing well,” he added. “I think thebiggest flaw to our game is prioritizing. We’re not thinking defense first. Wecoach to ‘defend first’ in all three zones, and they’ve been getting away fromthat a little bit. They’re not paying attention to detail, either.”

Special teams especially suffered in the last month of 2011,with the team giving up 14 power play goals and scored eight of their own.

“The penalty kill has not been good,” said Church, “and ourgoaltending has seen better days.”

Frustration is the key word, according to Church, whose ownfrustration level boiled over to the point where he was ejected from a Dec. 14game against the New York Jr. Bobcats.

“We’ve built a culture here where we don’t accept losing, soit is a frustrating time for the guys and the coaching staff,” said Church.“So, I told them before the break to go home and get away from hockey for aweek or two. It’s a lot of stress – the guys are going non-stop from mid-Augustto mid-December, with practices, games, school, showcases.”

The team is going to have to find its collective mojo rightfrom the start when it gets back on Jan. 21. The Pirates travel to CyclonesArena in Hudson, N.H., to face the Northern Cyclones, who sat at third placewith a 21-3-1-1 record at the break.

“We’re obviously looking for success. We need to get back towinning some hockey games and improve on those things we’re not doing a reallygood job on,” said Church. “We’re losing one-goal and two-goal games because ofthose things. We just need to get a little better all over the ice and thosethings will come.”

Helping hands: The Metropolitan Junior League Piratessquad assisted in repairing the Veterans Home in Biddeford, Maine, as a showingof holiday spirit over the Dec. 17-18 weekend. A link to a YouTube video of their effortsis available at www.portlandjuniorpirates.com.

Coming Soon

2011-12-22T13:59:00.001-08:00

On Monday, Dec. 26th, we will be transitioning to an all-new exciting re-designed web site. Come back and check us out!

New England Jr. Huskies: Young Hochman holding down fort in goal

2011-12-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

In a league loaded with 19-and 20-year-olds, a shutout by a17-year-old is always something to be noted.

They don’t happen often, because there aren’t a lot of17-year-old goalies in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

“It’s was an unbelievable feeling,” said New England Jr.Huskies 1994-born goalie Michael Hochman.He shut out the Rochester Stars at The Sports Centre at Monroe CommunityCollege in Rochester, N.Y., 4-0, on Dec. 18. “We were two games below .500going into the weekend, so it was huge [to win two games]. We won the firstgame, and I wanted to give my teammates a chance to win going into the secondnight.”

Hochman, a resident of Worcester, Mass., said it was reallya team effort. His teammate Jimmy Berger,after all, blocked a hard shot with 30 seconds remaining to preserve theblanking.

“He’s a very young, talented goaltender. He’s doing a goodjob. He’s not the biggest kid – he’s still growing – but he’s one of the bettertechnical goalies,” said Huskies head coach Paul Jenkins. “His movement is good, he’s square to the puck, andhe’s more patient with the puck this year.”

Hochman works privately with Brian Daccord (a private goalie coach whose NHL clientele includes Cory Schneider and Brian Boucher), as well as the Huskies’ goalie coach Mike Doneghey.

Hochman has previous experience with the Huskiesorganization, having backstopped the Empire team the last two years, includinga regular starting role in 2010-11.

“One of my best friends,Pat Trainor, who I played youth hockey with, decided he’d try out for ajunior team,” said Jenkins. “I called their assistant coach and he told me theyhad two goalies and were maybe looking for a third goalie. I got into ninegames that first year, but last year was a really successful year, bothindividually and as a team.”

The 2010-11 Empire League Huskies finished 26-13-1, andHochman went 14-11-1 individually and finished with the best save percentage inthat league (.935).

“He’s a quality goalie, and he’ll get better. He has achance to become one of the better players in the league,” said Jenkins, ofHochman who stood at 3-1 at the break.

Hochman expects to return for another year in the EJ in2012-13, at the very least.

“I want to finish this year off strong,” she said. “I likewhat the Huskies are doing, with the new locker rooms and with Coach Jenkins’great track record of placing kids in college.”

Suffolk Juniors: Met League team getting 'stronger and stronger'

2011-12-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

At the holiday break, Jim Wright liked what he wasseeing from the Suffolk Juniors team in the Metropolitan Junior League.

The Juniors went 2-3 through the month of December in MJHLplay, but the very young squad was getting “stronger and stronger each week,from a standpoint of our conditioning,” said Wright, the associate head coachof the team, working alongside head coach Aleksey Nikiforov.

“We’ve been competitive in every one of our games,” saidWright. “However, mental mistakes are costing us some wins. We’re working onfixing those and making sure the guys understand rules, as far as defensiveplay goes.”

The defense was dealt a bit of a blow early on with the lossof Alex Soviero to injury, but Santino Ragone moved back from theforward position and has filled the defenseman role well.

Ragone, a 1994-born Babylon, N.Y., resident, had 13 pointsthrough 23 games this season and will play in his 50th career Met League gamewhen he returns from the break, having also played for the Suffolk Juniors lastyear.

“He has good puck skills and a very, very good shot,” saidWright. “We thought of using him on the point earlier in the season on thepower play. He didn’t miss a step [in going back to defense].”

Wright is happy to have been able to coach not one, but two,members of the Ragone family. Former forward Anthony Ragone (2010-11) isnow with the Springfield Pics of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

“I’m very pleased with the progress [Santino] has made thelast few weekends. He has a good first pass to whomever is breaking,” saidWright. “Dzmitry Daniliuk [a ’94 from Hauppauge, N.Y.] pairs with Ragoneand is a strong lefty at the right point with Santino a right shot playing theleft side.”

Wright also praised the consistency shown these last twoseasons by ’93 St. James, N.Y., resident Brian Boser. With 23 points in24 games this season and 33 in 30 last year, Boser has operated at a betterthan point-per-game pace for his MJHL career.

“He has particularly improved his play. I have him playingon a line with Ryan McCarthy and Brian Gillespie,” said Wright. “We’regetting ourselves set for this second half of the year. We want to end on areally high note. I’ve been happy with the pace and intensity of the practices.The players are showing more determination and commitment.”

United Front

2011-12-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Bobcats, Gulls join forces to develop Long Island’s best hockey talent

By Joshua Boyd

In just about every Long Island Gulls’ or New York Bobcats’ coach’s or executive’s office, there hangs the same picture.

Two New Jersey Devils goalies stand together, watching an NHL game from the bench. On the left is a goalie with the number 30 and name “Brodeur” stitched across his back, while to his right is another with the number 35 and the name “Kinkaid.”

That photo represents the pinnacle of a young career for current Albany Devils goalie and former Gulls and Bobcats goalie Keith Kinkaid. There he was, sharing a roster spot with his hero, Martin Brodeur, who holds most of the major NHL goaltending records.

“It’s kind of unreal to think about, it’s a dream come true, him being my idol growing up,” said Kinkaid. “There’s so much you can learn from him. He helped me out during the time I was up.

I’m waiting my turn in line and anytime the [New Jersey] Devils need me, I’ll be ready.” Although Kinkaid has made “The Big Show,” he still has plenty of compliments for the minor and junior hockey programs that helped make him the player he is today.

“I played for both programs [Gulls and Bobcats]. I think it’s great that the two programs work together to help kids go in the right direction,” he said. “Eddie Galiani was my Gulls coach from Peewee up to Midget and then with the Bobcats. He’s a great coach and I like everything he’s done. That program is the best for developing kids and getting them to the next level.”

“It doesn’t shock me,” added Galiani, about Kinkaid’s first call-up to the NHL this fall. “I told people he’d probably be my first NHL guy. He’s on his way.”

Kinkaid’s elevation through youth, junior and college (Union) to the pro game is just one of many success stories for the Gulls and Bobcats organizations. After all, the Gulls especially have a long history of training players on Long Island.

The Town of Oyster Bay Recreation Program’s hockey offerings morphed into the Oyster Bay Gulls Youth Hockey Association in 1966. By 1978, the Gulls were a private organization bearing the name they still bear today, the Long Island Gulls.

The Gulls are a national presence, having won the Peewee National Championship in 1980 and the Bantam national crown in 1996. A Gulls junior team won the USA Hockey Tier-2 championship in 1985.

More recently, the 2011 Bantam team made the national semifinals, as did the 2009 Midget Minor Gulls.

Out of all these highlights over the years, Gulls president Gil Valdes points to one pivotal moment that helped make the Gulls one of the most important destinations in New York hockey.

“One of the key moments for us was when we decided to join forces with the New York Bobcats back in 2004,” he said.

The Bobcats have been taking Gulls players and turning them into college and pro regulars since the founding of that junior program in the mid-1990s. Current AHL players Kinkaid, James Marcou, Pat Cannone and Tony Romano all donned the Bobcats’ colors over the years, along with Division 1 National Champion Tim Filangieri (whose former Boston College Eagles teammate Tim Kunes is, like Filangieri, a Gulls alum).

“The philosophy that we built our program on was the ability to recognize that, with the many quality hockey players coming out of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League, you could build a junior program that could serve the local hockey player and advance him to college without the need to send the player to other areas of the country either in the Northeast or Midwest,” said Valdes.

“That way, they can develop academically and athletically in an environment that would enable them to stay at home.”

Streamlined operation

The Gulls are the Tier-1 youth organization, with the Green Machine Ice Cats being the organization’s Tier-2 team.

“We have a pyramid system set up,” said Valdes. “We actually had C teams as well, but that just became too big.”

Currently, the Gulls have 18 teams, which is actually down from the 24 teams the Gulls had last year. It’s a lot to manage, said Valdes, especially when the team is essentially always playing “away” games.

“We are in a very unique situation,” he said. “We don’t own our own rink. We run our team out of all the local rinks – Iceland in New Hyde Park, Syosset Ice Works and Newbridge Arena in Bellemore. We also have some games out of the Aviator Ice Arena in Brooklyn.” The Gulls and Green Machine work together to bring players from one level to another, regardless of their previous level.

“We do the best job that we possibly can to focus on player development and skill development to allow them to play at the highest level,” said Valdes. “They may not be AAA Gulls players to start out. There may be Green Machine B players who can move up to the Gulls AAA system.” Several coaches in the system are professionals.

“We try as best we can to have the best coaches,” said Valdes. “We have always been proponents of having practice time that is equivalent or more to game time. Parents want to see their kids play, so teams book a lot of games, but we offer additional clinics for lower levels, exclusively concentrating on skating and skill development.

“There are also organized off-ice practices for Peewee Minor levels and up. Bantam levels and up go twice a week, and that’s significant for a player who’s only 13 years old,” Valdes added.

Six current Bobcats players suited up for the Gulls at one time or another – goalie David Lynch, defensemen Dylan Corcoran and James Mazza, and forwards Christopher Wallace, Patrick Schule and Michael O’Shaughnessy.

The Gulls coaches prepare them for the intense, development-rich coaching Galiani provides.

“Eddie Galiani is recognized as one of the best coaches in the league and in the Northeast,” said Bobcats president Fred Schoenhut. “He’s in the New England College Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s toured with the U.S. Olympic teams and he has vast experience in college and post-collegiate hockey abroad. And he knows the game as well as anybody and he knows the hockey community as well as anybody.”

Galiani skated for seven years overseas (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland) and he was a member of Team USA three times.

“We feel that, if you combine a coach like Eddie Galiani in your program with someone who has the tools like Gil Valdes to speak and advocate for the kids to the colleges, you have a great program,” Schoenhut added. “Add in great assistant coaches like Mark Dubeau and Mike Coppola, a former Bobcat and UConn player, and goalie coach Frank DeMayo invigorating the staff, these are all things that we feel are compelling for the young and aspiring junior and college hockey player.”

Bobcats of the present

By Dec. 1, the Bobcats were situated near the top of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League standings with a 17-5-0-0 record.

The team’s leading scorer William Pascalli was third in the league (10 goals, 41 points in 22 games) and Tommy Telesca (33 points in 23 games) was also in the top 10 overall. Goalies Jake Soffer and David Lynch, who had essentially split the first 22 games down the middle, were fifth and sixth in save percentage (.939 and .935, respectively).

“We’re happy with what we have,” said Galiani. “We didn’t know what we were going to get after we moved so many players after last year. We were scratching and clawing at putting this team together, but the players have come around and been pretty good so far.” Up front, along with Pascalli and Telesca, there has been good depth this season.

“We just picked A.J. Sgaraglio back up [after the last two seasons with the Bobcats]. I expect him and Pascalli and Telesca to play well, and they have,” Galiani said. “We’ve had pleasant surprises out of all of our ‘94’s – former Gulls Pat Schule [25 points] and Chris Wallace [24 points] as well as Matthew McMorrow [23 points] and Matthew Crockett [15 points]. They’ve all come in and played really well and are getting better every day.”

The defense has helped Soffer and Lynch to post a plus-48 goal differential (93-45) and a team goals against average of a hair over 2.00.

“I like all my D. Brad Campagna, Diorio and Mazza are all returning guys and we picked up J.D. Rassett over the summer,” said Galiani. “Dylan Corcoran, Joe Cashman and a local kid Mike Iacono have all come in and done really well. I play them all pretty much evenly.” He certainly has plenty of confidence in the ’92-born Soffer and ’93-born Lynch to carry the team through the rest of the season with a winning record.

“They’re both young and doing well. Some games, I would’ve liked to see [them play] a little better – they’re making rookie mistakes – but for the most part, they’re doing pretty well,”
Galiani added.

He’ll likely have to bring another whole new group in for the 2012-13 season, based on the interest he’s received so far.

“We’ve had a lot of inquiries about our players [from college coaches], specifically about the older guys, but there’s been a lot of buzz generated about our ’94’s. They’re all good students, so a lot of those ‘94’s are being watched now,” he said. Perhaps somewhere in the Bobcats’ and/or Gulls’ present or future, there’s another story like that of Keith Kinkaid just waiting to be told.

Washington Jr. Nationals: Wins, losses secondary to advancement goals

2011-12-04T06:14:00.000-08:00

By Steve Stein

Even though they won’t win many games this season – they hadonly one victory by late November – the Washington Jr. Nationals will send fourplayers off to college hockey.

The latter prediction is courtesy of Junior Nationals coach TroyGovig, who considers the Atlantic Junior Hockey League a great stage forcollege recruiters.

Captain Nathanael Rojas and assistant captain MelvinNichols are two of the Junior Nationals’ potentially college-bound players.They’re both forwards, and in their second season with the team.

Govig thinks the world of Rojas and Nichols. That’s why henamed them to the team leadership positions.

“They work hard, they’re dedicated, they’re good teammates,and their skills on and off the ice filter down to the rest of the guys,” hesaid.

One of the off-ice skills is doing well in the classroom.

“Nathanael and Melvin are great students,” Govig said. “GoodGPAs, high SAT scores.”

Rojas is a 5-11, 180-pounder from Elkridge, Md. Nichols is5-8, 175 pounds from Alexandria, Va.

The other 1991-born players who are on their way to collegehockey, according to their coach, are defenseman John Buckley andforward Joe Harvey. They’re former Connecticut Jr. Wolfpack players fromthat organization’s Metropolitan Junior League team.

Buckley is the biggest of the four-player bunch at 6-3, 205pounds. He’s from Kansas City, Mo. Harvey, from Southington, Conn., is 5-10,175 pounds.

Even though the Junior Nationals were 1-23 through theirfirst 24 games this season, Govig is convinced they could have won nine times,even against some of the AJHL’s elite teams.

Eighteen of the Junior Nationals’ 20 players had neverplayed Junior A hockey before this year, so inexperience often plays a big rolein a defeat.

Govig makes the comparison of a four-cylinder car competingagainst an eight-cylinder car in a race. The four-cylinder car may be in frontfor a while, but eventually the eight-cylinder car will take over.

“We can’t seem to hold a lead, and we’ve had somethird-period meltdowns,” Govig said. “But we’re looking at the building of ourprogram as a marathon. We want to keep improving day by day, and we’re doingthat. You can’t build something from the roof down.”

The Junior Nationals’ first victory was a 5-2 decision Nov.6 over the host Philadelphia Little Flyers. Garrett Stephenson scoredthree goals and assisted on a goal by Max Smith. Anthony Cuomoalso had a goal in support of goalie Mitch Collum (27 saves).

Portland Jr. Pirates: Searles still celebrating great year in 2011

2011-12-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Consistency is the name of the game for Portland Jr. Piratesforward Timothy Searles.

Starting around Christmas of 2010 and still going strong inearly December, Searles was the player the Pirates could count on most, scoring31 points through 23 games.

“He’s been doing really well for us, he’s really come on,”said Pirates head coach Brad Church. “He had a great finish to the season lastyear, then he worked extremely hard over the summer on his strength.

“He’s off to a tremendous start and is carrying the load forus, offensively,” Church added.

The ’92-born Searles, who played for three seasons with theHampton Roads Jr. Whalers near his hometown of Chesapeake, Va., does feel likea different player.

“I had a good weekend just before Christmas, and since then,I’ve had a lot more confidence,” he said. “I’m playing better every week. Ithasn’t really stopped.”

Searles had seven points in his last four games of November.He’s had two other streaks this year of 15 points in eight October and earlyNovember games, and an earlier streak of nine points in six September games.

From Dec. 19, 2010, through Feb. 27, 2011, Searles scored 22of his 26 points in his last 18 games.

“He came to us last year and made the team out of tryouts,”Church said. “The first half was a real learning experience for him. He stuckwith it, he allowed himself to be coached and he’s just had a drive sincethen.”

He took on a greater understanding of the game under Churchand assistant coaches Jeff Libby and Kent Hulst, a staff withextensive NCAA Division 1 and American Hockey League playing experience.

“It was key to be good on both sides of the puck, not justoffensively,” said Searles. “They were focusing on that with me – defense, andspecial teams.”

“He’s got unbelievable vision, he anticipates well and he’sa strong skater so he can get to places within our system that helps him createa lot of turnovers and possess the puck a lot,” Church added.

So far, a number of Division 3 schools have expressedinterest, but Searles is focusing on the season. He may even pursue anotherjunior season.

“I’ve talked to a couple schools, but I’m not set on what Iwant to do,” he said.

“With his rate of improvement, if he keeps going like thisafter Christmas, we’ll make a big Division 1 push for him,” Church added.

New Jersey Jr. Titans: Hometown product Armenti tendered by Fairbanks

2011-12-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

From one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the UnitedStates to the smallest. That is going to be the journey next year for NewJersey Jr. Titans player Matthew Armenti.

The ’93-born Howell, N.J., resident will complete this thirdseason with his hometown junior team and then make the long trip across acontinent to Fairbanks, Alaska, where he will join the current defending Tier-2National Champion Ice Dogs.

The return of Armenti, tendered by the Ice Dogs on Nov. 16,is a big reason why the Titans went 9-2 through the month of November, buildingon a 6-3 start in September and October.

“He’s a big, lefty defenseman with a lot of range who movesthe puck well and jumps in the play,” said Titans head coach Dustin DePalma.“He’s got a little edge to him, too [22 PIM in 17 games]. He’s a top defensemanon the power play. He gets a lot of minutes up there. He does the whole nineyards for us.”

Armenti played for the Titans U18 team at the NorthAmerican Prospects Hockey League Showcase in Blaine, Minn., in September.That’s where a number of NAHL teams took interest in his services, but it wasFairbanks that pursued him most vigorously. Armenti couldn’t be happier.

“I talked to Jack Callahan [former New Jersey Rocketnow on roster at Division 1 Quinnipiac University], as he played for the IceDogs and said it was a really good place to go,” said Armenti, who scored 18points through his first 17 games this year. “Any team in the NAHL is great,but Jack said they have a solid group of guys returning this year and they sendplayers to Division 1 and Division 3. They have good connections – and themwinning the title last year played a big part in my decision, too.”

All the success Armenti’s enjoyed on and off the ice hasbeen a pleasant return from an injury-shortened 2010-11 season, when he missedmore than half the season with a back injury.

“He was named to the MJHL All-Star game, but couldn’t play,”said DePalma.

“My first time on skates after the injury, Ifelt like my legs were bending all over the place,” Armenti added. “It took mea couple weeks, but I got back into it. Running and working out helped and nowI’m back to 100 percent.”

Northern Cyclones: Popp goes scorer on torrid streak

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Zach Popp knows a thing or two about dedication.

He is dedicated to his Northern Cyclones teammates, as hereturned for a second season to help his team seek the championship they justbarely missed out on last year.

He is also dedicated to his family, preparing to studyBusiness Management when he heads to the State University of New York atPlattsburgh next year. He wants to take over the family business when hisparents retired from Savemore Discount Beverages, a chain of beverage stores inthe Capital District.

Popp, a 1991-born Schenectady, N.Y., resident, is alsodedicated to the idea of scoring. He registered at least one point in every oneof the Cyclones’ first 20 Atlantic Junior League games this season in which heskated, save for the Sept. 23 opener against the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers.

Through 18 games this year, he scored 21 goals and 30points.

“I would say things are going well, that the bounces aregoing my way,” said Popp. “My linemates, Joey Bruckler and DerekFreeman, help me out a lot. I’m more of a finisher, Joey would be ourset-up man and Freeman would be our grinder.”

Popp said that this year, greater confidence has helped hisgame.

“My poise on the ice is better, thanks to Coach [Bill]Flanagan,” he added. “I’ve grown in every aspect of the game.”

“Zach is a tremendous character kid,” Flanagan said. “Hisdecision to return this season and achieve a roster spot on a nationallycompetitive college hockey program was a great one. He is proof that if youwant something bad enough, and are willing to work to achieve it, you canattain any goal.

“We are proud to have had Zach Popp wearing the CyclonesRed, and in the future the Plattsburgh State Red,” he added.

Prior to joining the Cyclones last year (when he scored 32points in 43 games), Popp played for the Northwood School in Lake Placid, N.Y.

“Northwood and the Cyclones ended up playing each other twoyears ago. The two head coaches know each other,” said Popp.

After he graduated, he signed on with Flanagan’s squad andhas not looked back. Now, he’s looking ahead after this season to what he hopeswill be a productive college career.

“[Plattsburgh] is an in-state school for me,” Popp said, “andwith it being one of the top Division 3 programs in the country and being closeto home, I’m excited about everything.”

Capital District Selects: Young team beginning to get gist of league

2011-11-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Capital District Selects havefigured out how to stay in games in the tough Eastern Junior Hockey League. Thenext step is to start turning those close games into wins.

The Selects’ 1-17-3record overshadows the fact that they earned two of their three overtime pointsbetween Oct. 22 and Nov. 6. You have to take a closer look at their results tosee other evidence of progress made by the young Selects squad.

After three games inrow of losing by eight, nine and 10 points in succession in mid-October, theSelects lost their next nine games by an average of 3.6 goals per game. They’regetting closer.

This stretch included aNov. 5-6 weekend that saw them lose to the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, 9-1, onthe first night and then fall to them in overtime, 4-3, the next afternoon.

“We’re young andinexperienced,” said general manager/head coach Jim Salfi. “We’regetting better. We had a tight game against the Monarchs. The guys didn’t knowwhat to expect in those first games. They were not ready, but they’ve executedpretty well and had some tough games.”

Salfi’s Selects havenot had a winning record in almost 10 years, but as much as Salfi wants to becompetitive in games, he’d rather his team focus on the real goal – preparingtheir minds and bodies for college hockey.

“Our success is basedon how many kids we put into the colleges,” said Salfi. “I’m as competitive asanyone, I want to win games, but I’d rather have six or seven kids going on tocollege in the end.”

The Selects bring in ayoung team each year, because Salfi wants to develop former high school andprep school stars into more well-rounded hockey players who can move up theladder as a top collegiate prospect.

There are three 1994-and1995-born players on the Selects’ roster, compared with one ’94 on theleague-leading Boston Junior Bruins’ roster and two ‘94’s on the Monarchs’roster.

The single ’95 is aplayer that Salfi believes will be a hot college prospect very soon, Joe Widmar¸of Northbrook, Ill.

“He’s a junior in highschool and he stands 6-feet-2-inches and weighs 210 pounds,” said Salfi. “He’llbe a hell of a player. Academically, he’s taking 14 college credit courses. Hislowest grade was a 98 [out of 100]. A lot of western U.S. schools are lookingat him right now.”

Widmar scored 10 pointsthrough the Selects’ first 21 games. J.C. Tellez is another smartstudent, with a 4.0 grade point average and a 34 score (out of a maximum 36) inhis ACT college entrance exam. In 18 games this season, the ’91-bornColleyville, Texas, resident has four points.

The team’s leadingscorer (as of Nov. 29), Alex O’Dea, had a 3.0 grade point average and a27 ACT score.

On the ice, the’92-born Lake Orion, Mich., resident put up 12 points in 19 games with theSelects. He broke a six-game scoreless streak with five points in his lastseven.

“Our kids are prettyfocused. They’re not all hung up on Division 1 like a lot of kids are. Theyknow the better their grades are, the more opportunities will be there forthem,” said Salfi. “The academic bar is getting raised every year for college.”

Then, there’s the pointof not just preparing the players to get into college and onto a team, but tomake sure when they go to their first tryout in freshman year, they’re preparedto compete for playing time.

“It’s a whole new ballgame. You’ve got to compete when you get there,” said Salfi. “Just because youget recruited doesn’t mean you’re in the starting lineup.

“I talk to a lot ofcollege coaches and everyone agrees – the skill level of the younger kids isjust not there, so you have to work on that when you get them at the juniorlevel,” Salfi added. “Kids have too many distractions – video games, texting –they’re not playing pond hockey or street hockey, people aren’t buildingoutdoor rinks. That’s where you get the stick skills. I never had to tell[former Select, current AHL player] Nick Petrecki to shoot 100-150 pucks in thedriveway, he just loved to do it. That’s just not there with a lot of kids.”

That said, Salfi doesbelieve his group has a good work ethic and collectively wants to improve eachday.

“I’ve got a good bunchof kids, they’re working hard and getting better,” he said. “We’re going to getkids placed into college.”

Boston Jr. Blackhawks: November’s always friendly to Super Elite squad

2011-11-29T09:20:00.001-08:00

Call it Thanksgiving luck or whatever, but Novembers havebeen very kind to the Blackhawks as they had a 5-0-1 record in Novemberthis year and a 5-0-2 record in November 2010.

General manager/head coach Rich Salsman believes itis no coincidence. It simply stems from the Blackhawks’ hard-working approach.

“The system calls for daily ice practices and gymworkouts in a very structured, well-designed program,” he said.

After a 1-7-1 start as the seventh-place member of theNew England Division, the young Hawks soared to third place at 10-8-3,going 9-1-2 in their last 12 games.

“The youngest team in the division has to play very solidthree-zone hockey or they cannot compete with the older teams,” said Salsman.“Any miscues are magnified by losing the close games.”

Just after Thanksgiving, the Blackhawks sported theInternational Junior Hockey League Super Elite Division’s top two scorers.

Yari Sanzharevskii and Alexander Lysyuk bothplayed last year in Omsk, Russia. Sanzharevskii had 54 points through 19 leaguegames, while Lysyuk scored 50 points through the same span.

On defense, Nova Scotians Andy Taylor and JonnyBarkhouse have been leaders in more ways than their on-ice performances.They serve as two of the four alternate captains (along with forward EvgenySchedgolev and Sergey Voronin).

In net, Vladislav U had appeared in 15 games and helda 5-2-2 record and a 3.73 goals against average. That was good for seventh inthe league among goalies who played at least 500 minutes for their teams.

“The Omsk, Russia, native [U] has been playing solid,” saidSalsman. “The team works very hard and has a truly ‘International’ mix ofRussian, Ukrainian, Belarussian, Canadian and American players on the roster.

“The Hawks have set their goals very high, but with everyteam in the tough New England Division, points come hard and any mistakes ormomentum swings result in losses very quickly,” Salsman added. “But the parityand skill sets of the teams in the IJHL are tremendous.”

Where are they now?: Alexander Klochkov(Blackhawks 2010-11) is playing professional hockey for Cergy in France’sSecond Division. He had three assists in nine games as a defenseman.

Klochkov’s former Blackhawks teammate Alexei Mitrofanovis now playing in the rather new MolodezhnayaKhokkeinaya Liga (English translation: Minor Hockey League), a majorjunior league founded in Russia in 2009. Many teams in that league areaffiliates of teams in the pro Kontinental Hockey League.

Bay State Breakers: Abramson, Halford make NHL scouting watch list

2011-11-28T11:09:00.001-08:00

What a November for Ori Abramson.

In the same month that he was named as one of the NHLCentral Scouting Bureau’s “Players to Watch,” along with teammate andgoaltender Ben Halford, he also committed to Providence College.

Although they’re listed with C ratings (i.e. a player thatCentral Scouting is tracking who could end up as a late-round draft pick), itis always a privilege to be on the NHL Central Scouting list.

The Breakers are one of the four EJHL teams with at leasttwo players on the list. New Hampshire, South Shore and Jersey all lead withthree apiece. The Junior Bruins and Springfield Pics each have one.

Abramson, a 1993-born Toronto native, stands 6-feet-4-inchesand weighs in at 215 pounds. He had six points through 15 EJHL games thisseason.

In net, Halford joined the team from the South Shore Kingsand now has a personal 8-3-1-1 record, a 2.89 goals against average and a .905save percentage. He is also a ’93 and hails from Lenox, Mass.

“Both players are great kids,” said Breakers generalmanager/head coach David McCauley. “They are both hard-working players whoare coachable and willing to do what it takes to get to the next level.”

The NHL Entry Draft will be held from June 22-23 at theCONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

As for Abramson, he’s punched his ticket to the Division 1college world with a late-November commitment to Providence College, beginninghis career there next fall.

“Ori is a committed player on the ice and in the weight room.His work ethic is what will make him successful,” McCauley said.

“I was fortunate enough to have received offers from a fewschools but I had been in contact with [Providence head coach Nate] Leaman forover a year, and have been impressed with the success he brought in hisprevious head coaching job,” said Abramson, in a team release. “I know that hewill enjoy the same success with Providence and its great hockey history andtradition. I look forward to the opportunity to learn from him and to play inHockey East,” he said.

“I have to give a great thank you to Coach David McCauley ofBay State, who has been an invaluable source of knowledge and inspiration to meas I try to achieve my hockey goals,” Abramson added.

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Program boosts reputation for developing coaches

2011-11-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Mike Addesa lovesseeing his former Boston Jr. Bulldogs players advance into college. However, hetakes special joy when those players graduate from college and return to thegame behind the bench.

He can now take credit for having coached four differentDivision 3 head coaches. Before this season, R.J. Tolan (Wentworth Institute of Technology) and Bob Miele (Westfield State) were twosuch Bulldogs alumni.

This past off-season, the Bulldogs immediately doubled theirnumber of alumni running Division 3 programs, as Matthew Greason was named as head coach of Trinity College and Pat Leahy was named as head coach ofStonehill College.

“It is tremendous that this legacy is continuing and growing,and I’d like to think it comes from the influence on how we coach the players,”said Addesa, the 16-year owner/head coach of the Bulldogs and a former NCAADivision 1 championship-winning coach (1985, RPI). “It kind of heightens theinterest in these young guys. There’s a real need for quality coaches inhockey, and I’m just so proud of all these guys.”

Greason played for the Bulldogs in the late 1990s and tookseveral lessons from his old bench boss. He joined Trinity after previouslybeing an assistant there (2007-09) and then being an assistant with the USAHockey National Team Development Program.

“I learned the importance of being in strong mental andphysical condition to perform your best,” said Greason. “Coach Addesa taught methat passion for the game of ice hockey is imperative for success in thisprofession.”

Leahy actually preceded Greason (and most other Bulldogs),as he was on the inaugural team in 1995-96 and stayed another year until 1997.His previous coaching stops were at The Winchendon School and King Philip Regional,both in Massachusetts.

“I came back to Massachusetts to concentrate on takingcollege classes and I was looking for a solid program to play for. I found it with Coach Addesa and theBulldogs. He challenged and gave me the confidence to make the best of theopportunities presented to me,” Leahy said.

“At the time I did not fully understand Coach’s way of doingthings. What Coach was doing was instilling that, to be successful in life, youhad to be able to balance your priorities. Family, education and hockey wereour three priorities in that order,” he added.

“I have long since understood his methods of getting throughto us as young men. There are many small things that I use in my everydaycoaching that lead me back to what I learned with the Bulldogs.”

Eastern States Hockey League: Junior Bruins put together older team to contend for title

2011-11-25T11:19:00.001-08:00

While several Eastern States Hockey League teams advertise agreat introduction to junior hockey for the youngest players eligible for thatlevel, the Boston Junior Bruins take a different tack.

The Junior Bruins’ roster is dotted with several 1992-,1993-and 1994-born players who in many cases are seeking to move right on to alower-level college hockey team, or to a higher level of junior hockey.

The Junior Bruins’ youngest players can typically be foundon their Empire Junior League roster, as those players are being developed forthe organization’s top team in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

“In terms of player movement, unlike some franchises, we donot aim to move our players to the Empire League,” said the ESHL Junior Bruins’head coach Mike Anderson. “We are a17-to 20-year-old group with a focus on bridging the gap to college hockey orcreating opportunities at the junior level moving forward.”

The older character of the team has been reflected in theteam’s Eastern Conference-leading 12-1-0-2 record the day before Thanksgiving.Their 26 points was seven behind the league-leading Suffolk Juniors’ 33 at thatpoint, and they were also tied at second with the Brewster Bulldogs andMassachusetts Maple Leafs.

“We’re excited aboutkey league matchups coming up next weekend,” said Anderson, referring to gamesagainst the Leafs and New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (24 points). “[We’re alsoexcited about] continuing our team goal of winning an ESHL championship andadvancing to compete in USA Hockey’s Tier-3 National Championships.”

The team’s maturity and experience in hockey overall hashelped the Junior Bruins win some close games. In October, they beat theMonarchs (4-2), the Brewster Bulldogs (4-3) and the New England Jr. Huskies(3-2) by one or two goals.

After losing their only regulation game before Nov. 23 tothe Monarchs (5-2 on Nov. 16), the Junior Bruins responded with a pair of 6-0shutout wins over the Bay State Breakers and Springfield Pics.

“We've won a lot of close games which speaks to thecharacter of our group,” said Anderson. “They’ve been great to work with allyear and I look forward to the second half.”

Also during the first half of the season, the team has enjoyedsuccess away from the ESHL. Overall, the team is 18-4-1-2, with wins overWalpole, Hartford and Cranston, all out of the Metropolitan Junior League. Theyhave also defeated Bridgton Academy and the National Sports Academy prep teamsand they held a 2-1-1 record against EJHL South teams.

Of course, team and individual success are oftenintermingled, and goalie Shane Benjaminwas enjoying the top spot in the league in both goals against average and savepercentage this season, among goalies with at least seven appearances. At5-1-0-1, the ’93-born Coventry, R.I., resident, held a 1.85 GAA and a savepercentage of .932.

Fellow ’93 Joe Aucoinis not far behind Benjamin in save percentage, at .928, and he also holds alower GAA (1.65) and has two shutouts to Benjamin’s one through six games. Nomatter whom the Junior Bruins go with, they’re set in net.

The team may not have a top 10 league scorer, but what theJunior Bruins do get is scoring by committee.

Trevor Cimino andZach Sandonato both have over 20 pointson the season, with Cimino leading the squad. The ’94-born Cimino was the onlyone at the 10-goal mark as of Thanksgiving, with 10 goals and 22 points.

Thanks to a healthy eight-game point streak, with 12 pointsduring that span, Sandonato (’91) was close to Crimmins with 20 points (and ateam-leading 16 assists).

The ’93-born HaydenVoss, from the Junior Bruins’ hometown of Marlboro, Mass., is third with 17points and was on a four-game point streak. New Jersey product Dan Pirovano (’93) had put together 13points in 14 games, including four during the middle weekend of November.

“Trevor, Zach, Hayden and Dan have been leaders for us,offensively,” said Anderson.

On the blue line, Anderson has also been impressed withdefensemen Alex Duplessie (’92, 13points in 13 games) and Zealin Cronk(’93, eight points in 11 games).

Opening Up the West

2011-11-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Northern Pacific Hockey League celebrates parity, offers diverse opportunities for advancement

By Joshua Boyd

“Great joy in camp we are in view of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we been So long anxious to see.”

Ever since William Clark wrote those words in 1805, Americans have flocked across rivers, plains and mountains to experience the drastic natural characteristics of the Pacific Northwest,
and to make their home in the region.

It is a home to be proud of, and there may be no group more proud of the Pacific Northwest than the eight teams that call the Northern Pacific Hockey League their home.

The area encompassing Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon has never been synonymous with hockey, which is a shame. After all, the first-ever American team to win a Stanley Cup were the Seattle Metropolitans, back in 1917.

The Northern Pacific League, affectionately referred to as the NORPAC, has created a competitive environment for teenaged hockey players over an area ranging from the gateway to Yellowstone National Park all the way to Puget Sound in Washington and the Coast Range of Oregon.

This season, for example, five teams were separated by eight points as of Halloween Night. It’s truly frightening, and exciting, to imagine the intensity when the playoff race heats up in February.

Gord Whitaker, named Commissioner of the NORPAC last spring, takes delight in seeing players bring every ounce of sweat and determination to the rink every night – and there are still five months until Nationals.

“We’ve established a pretty solid ground,” said Whitaker. “There is a lot of parity in the league, which is nice to see. Everyone is excited about the wideopen opportunity to go and compete for a Junior Nationals berth this year.”

The NORPAC was founded 11 years ago, with its inaugural season in 2000-01 seeing teams situated in Washington, Yukon Territory and Alaska. It grew to include 13 teams from 2007 through 2009 with a footprint ranging from Helena, Mont., to Seattle, Wash.

Although the creation of the American West Hockey League saw the NORPAC numbers at eight for this season, Whitaker is excited about the opportunities for growth in the four-state area.

“As far as the future goes, there’s quite a bit of interest expressed for our local footprint. We are currently exploring those markets for 2012-13,” Whitaker said.

“Now, we’ve got good new ownership groups, such as the Vancouver (Wash.) Victory. They’ve done a great job, and West Sound transferred its ownership and now they’re highly competitive.”

“I see our league taking the steps necessary to ensure that all of our member teams are successful in all facets and raising the bar of expectation to new levels,” said Derek Donald, the West Sound Warriors’ general manager. “All of our member teams will share in a high level of standard to ensure that the caliber of play and the quality of experience for our players, fans and communities is among the best in the country.”

The Yellowstone Quake have an interesting situation in which the team is community-owned (in Cody, Wyoming) and operates as a non-profit organization.

“We’re just starting our sixth year, so to me, that’s pretty new in this kind of thing. There are some good people in the league. If I have questions or concerns, I get quality advice,” said Quake general manager Bob Bole. “The mileage we’re having to travel is not exciting. I’d love to see us get some teams in this area that will work better for us.”

Southern Oregon Spartans owner Forest Sexton is glad to be in a group that will listen to concerns such as Bole’s and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.

“I truly appreciate the harmony of working with the other teams’ management,” said Sexton.

“There is almost no disagreement about the goals and direction of the league. Every ownership group has the exact same goal in mind – creating a sustainable, competitive league that advances the players. This focus on the players as a primary motivation by all of the teams makes it much easier to problem-solve issues that arise.

On the national stage

Aside of former league member the Helena Bighorns, the reigning Tier-3 Jr. A National Champions, another team has made its mark on the national scene, the Seattle Totems.

The Totems made four straight Junior Nationals appearances, from 2008 through 2011. They struggled in some years, but in 2011, they earned an impressive tie over eventual semifinalist the Idaho Jr. Steelheads (of the Western States Hockey League). Their first-ever Nationals game saw their first win, that coming against the Atlantic Junior Hockey League’s New Jersey Rockets in 2008.

Whitaker just so happens to be the general manager of that Totems team.

“I’m very proud of my organization,” he said. “I love the high standard of excellence and achievement, and I’m very proud over the last few years to not only have featured a vast majority of local area kids, but we also attracted kids from outside of the region who have been excellent contributors to the Totems program.”

Although they moved on to another circuit, he also had praise for the Bighorns and their achievement.

“Last year, with the Bighorns winning Nationals, that established a great deal of credibility in the league,” said Whitaker.

What has also helped the league, in his opinion, was the various ownerships’ dedication to utilizing technology that will provide greater exposure for the players.

“The last few years, we’ve seen a very significant effort on the part of our member organizations to update their technology to facilitate the use of FASThockey or other live broadcasts,” said Whitaker. “East Coast and Midwest colleges now have access to our teams on a game-to-game basis.”

It’s all part of a grand plan, said Eugene Generals general manager/owner Ken Evans.

“NORPAC looks forward to future seasons as it establishes a solid league foundation that will result in strong memberships that are highly competitive and, most importantly, supportive of the player in development, academic achievement and increased placement in higher level hockey whether in the junior programs or to Division 3 or Division 1 colleges,” Evans said.

Advancement is king

Although the majority of colleges many players are trying to advance to are in Colorado and points east, there are several higher-level teams right in the area for the NORPAC to work with for the benefit of its players.

The North American Hockey League’s Wenatchee Wild are in the middle of the NORPAC footprint, and there are other NAHL teams farther north in Alaska, including the Tier-2 Jr. A National Champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

Additionally, the British Columbia Hockey League is close at hand and the Western Hockey League (major junior) has a number of teams in the vicinity.

“We’ve had varying degrees of working relationships with Wenatchee and some of the Alaska teams,” said Whitaker. “We have also had varying degrees of success with teams in the BCHL, but that gets a little complicated with import rules.

There have been some success stories of players moving to teams there and then moving on to college.”

Possibly the best relationship is with the Everett Silvertips, who have had a number of players at their development camps.

“There were two players out of our Seattle program and two other players who made the leap from NORPAC to the WHL,” said Whitaker. “Whenever the Silvertips hold their camps, they’re quick to give us a call and have some of our younger players get out there and be seen.”

“We’re just going to keep emphasizing development, doing everything we can to increase scouting and our contact base and move more people along,” said Bole.

What also helps the players in the NORPAC is the day-to-day time management that is so important for college hockey players.

“Our players are provided with a daily structure and seasonal regimen that places a priority on them as student athletes,” said Donald. “[In this way], they are prepared to be successful once they leave the junior ranks and move on to a higher level of education. We are creating well rounded individuals that have the tools on and off the ice to succeed at the next level.”

Sexton is proud to look at the Spartans and see 13 players who moved on from last year’s team to various avenues.

“The exposure is tremendous. Although we are not in the hub of college activity for hockey, the coaches follow our league closely,” Sexton said.

“I am continuously amazed by the level of awareness that recruiters have of our roster. We field calls weekly from various institutions about specific players.” Like the early explorers, everyone wants to know what treasures they can find at the doorstep of the wide Pacific Ocean.

Northern Cyclones: New defense coach Jay a huge help

2011-11-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

In the middle of October, Northern Cyclones players hit theice to find a new individual standing in the Red, White and Black of their teamcolors.

One of co-owner/head coach Bill Flanagan’s oldest friends from their old stomping grounds inBurlington, Mass., Bobby Jay washired as an assistant coach, with a focus on the Cyclones’ defense.

“He’s been here the last three weeks,” said Flanagan,towards the end of October. “We just ran into each other around the rinks. Hewas previously an assistant coach at Harvard University.”

Jay was with Harvard from 2004-07 and again from 2009-11. Healso has a pro coaching background as an assistant coach with the ManchesterMonarchs, the top minor pro affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. He was therefrom 2001-03.

“It’s been good” coaching with the Cyclones, said Jay.“After coaching at Harvard, I was looking for pro opportunities, but wanted tostay local for family reasons. I was a finalist for the assistant job with the

Providence Bruins and I also interviewed and was a final cut with the PortlandPirates.

“Steve Leach and I ran a hockey camp at Cyclones Arena and Itold Billy where I was at and he said if you ever want to do something with us,give me a call,” Jay added. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the kids’level of play, their focus and their drive to get better.”

While with the Monarchs, he was a player-assistant coach,before retiring after the 2002-03 season and becoming a full-time coach withthe San Antonio Rampage, then the Florida Panthers’ top minor league affiliate.

“As a player, he played in the NHL [with the Kings] andbefore that, at Merrimack College,” said Flanagan. “He was a little bit olderthan me, but we played on some summer teams together growing up.”

Jay remembers playing Burlington Midget hockey for EdFlanagan, Bill’s father, in the 1980s.

“Bill and his brother Joe’s dad was a good hockey guy andcoach,” said Jay. “I went to Canterbury School and then Billy and Joe followedthere after me.”

Flanagan really likes what Jay has brought to practices andbehind the bench in games.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “We share the same philosophies, sothat’s terrific. He’s a really good teacher. So far, I think our guys have beenlike sponges with him, spending extra time on defense. We have basically a newcorps of defensemen, so his insight will be beneficial to these guys.”

Texas Jr. Brahmas: Second long break presents new challenges

2011-10-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t long ago that the Texas Brahmas were wondering howthey were going to deal with an extended break at the beginning of the season.

The Brahmas did find a way to survive it, and they had sixwins in their first nine games of the season.

But the opportunity to build on the strong start will haveto wait. Texas isn’t going to play hockey again until Nov. 11 when it battlesthe Boulder Bison on the road.

Texas hasn’t played a game since beating the Dallas Ice Jets4-3 on Oct. 18.

“Unlike the first break, this one was actually planned,”assistant head coach Cliff Cooksaid. “The problem is we already had the one break and so it makes it tough tohave another one. We haven’t really had a chance to get into a good flow, butwe’ll find a way to deal with it.”

Cook admits it’s not easy getting young players to flip intoa long-term practice mode again. The players want to be on the ice in gamesthat count.

Once again, though, the coaching staff will focus on keepingthe players busy during the extended break.

“We’ll have some more team-building activities planned, butwe’re running out of ideas for that,” Cook said. “We have a few things plannedwith the team and we’ll try to keep the players as sharp as possible on theice. The break will give us a chance to work more on getting our systems down.”

The Brahmas have also had a chance to work with theprofessional team that uses the arena they play in.

“One advantage to sharing our building with a professionalteam is that we’ve had some of those players come over and teach us some newthings about the game,” Cook said. “It’s really been a big benefit to us.”

Texas won its first five games, including a three-game sweepof the Phoenix Knights. The Brahmas had their streak halted in a series againstunbeaten Fresno. The Monsters won all three games against Texas.

“Fresno has proven it is the best team in the league rightnow,” Cook said. “They swept us, but I think we learned that we have thepotential to compete with anyone in our league. We can always be better, but weare in a pretty good spot right now. We’ll be even better off once we startplaying again.”

Forward Grady Grahamhas emerged as one of the go-to players for the Brahmas. He scored seven goalsand tallied four assists in the first nine games. Forward Kevin Filthaut struck for six goals and two assists while forward Albert Bolush has tallied five goalsand six assists.

Kyler McCloud hasplayed in four games in goal and has racked up 105 saves. Joakim Moritz has come through with 142 saves in four games. Thetwo goalies have combined to give up 26 goals. Texas scored 35 goals in itsfirst nine games.

While Cook said he and head coach Jeremy Law are pleased with what the team has done so far, he saidit’s tough to figure out for certain what the strengths and weaknesses of theteam are at this point in the season.

“We haven’t played enough to really see what we are missingas a team,” Cook said. “We’ve done a pretty good job of getting our systems inplace, but we will continue to work on them.”

One thing is for certain so far, however, and that is theBrahmas have continued to work hard.

“We never have to worry about questioning our work ethic,”Cook said. “Our guys always give a great effort and they don’t mind workinghard in practice and in games.”

While having a couple of breaks early in the year can keepthe bodies of the players fresh for the grind of a long junior hockey season,Cook is glad there will be no extended breaks after this one ends in earlyNovember.

“We had too many breaks between games late in the seasonlast year and I think that hurt us for the playoffs,” Cook said. “Once this oneis over, we will be able to get into a rhythm and that should be an advantagefor us late in the season. We hope we will be playing our best hockey at thattime of the year.”

Eastern States Hockey League: Apple Core hit reset button after big advancement year

2011-10-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Tom Carroll doesn’t look at his young New York AppleCore squad and think “rookies and inexperience.”

He looks at it and thinks “mission accomplished.”

After all, every time there is a new crew of Apple Coreplayers, that means that the bulk of the previous year’s team has moved on togreener pastures, and that was certainly the case for the 2010-11 team.

“The Apple Core Young Guns team is once again starting almostas a completely new team as most of the 2010-11 team has moved on to the nextlevel,” said Carroll.

The team moved 14 players on from last year’s team, withhalf of that number moving on to the Empire Junior League, the next step toplaying for the Apple Core’s top team in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

Last year’s Young Guns leading scorer Nolan Pues isnow the second leading scorer on the Empire League team. Ex-Young Guns MarkDeVaughn, Edward Shinnik and Liam Pues have also beensuccessful pickups for the Empire team’s defense.

Forwards Jonathan Kaszuba, Benjamin Sorkin andKeegan Travers are regulars up front for Empire coach Henry Lazar.

Other players from last year’s team can now be found in theEJHL South, the Atlantic Junior League and the Metropolitan League. Goalie JimmyGeorgas moved on to the Stony Brook University team in the American CollegeHockey Association (ACHA), and defenseman Sean Duffy is with theUniversity of Albany ACHA squad.

All that movement set the stage for a whole new squad tocome in and be the next group to advance in future years.

The team has started out a respectable 5-3-0, playing in thesecond-fewest games (eight) as of Oct. 30.

“We are young but coming together as the players have gainedconfidence as the season has progressed,” said Carroll. “The coaching staff isvery pleased with the mix of returning players and the rookies.”

He and assistant coach Ron Scall certainly see potential forplayers from this year to move up to the Empire and EJHL teams in the future.

Newcomer Derek Caruso is a 1995-born Port Washington,N.Y., resident and is leading the team with 10 points through eight games.

Just behind him, veteran Jon Novak (’91) has seven points onthe same line.

“The two have really clicked, playing on the power play andpenalty kill,” said Carroll.

On the defense, Scall “has some real talent to work withmoreso this year than last year, again young but very talented and coachable,”Carroll added.

Californian product Cameron Giertych, fellow ’94 MikeRodriquez (of Bronxville, N.Y.) have joined ’95-born rookie JamesLoglisci (Seaford, N.Y.) and returning defensemen Eric Krupka and BrianHurley in solidifying the back line.

Up front, along with Caruso and Novak, is a group that is“very skilled and hungry.”

Rob DeLury, a ’95 from Long Beach, N.Y., had fourgoals and nine points through eight games. Other contributors to the Core causeup front include rookies Joseph Quinn, Bennett O’Donnell, ShaneHiggins and Tarou Duffy and veterans Matt Cohen, Patrick Donahue,Arthur Aymong and Charlie Fosso.

Carroll is also looking forward to a strong season from thethree rookie goaltenders they have in the locker room, again all new to thejunior ranks. Mark Zapson and Brian August have seen the bulk ofthe time, recently.

“Even though the team had a rocky start playing up in theNew England area at the start of the season, I feel that may have really helpedthe staff prepare the team for what is ahead,” Carroll said.

“The Apple Core Young Guns are off to a great start and Ifeel that we have a real good chance at making the playoffs and a possiblechance at a Junior Nationals berth,” he added.

Portland Jr. Pirates: Defenseman Barrio huge addition to AJHL squad

2011-10-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Portland Jr. Pirates have found a good project to workon.

They have brought in a 1991-born defenseman who previouslyplayed in the Continental Hockey Association (now Eastern States Hockey League),and entered this season with nagging injuries.

Plymouth, Mass., resident Matt Barrio has been “a very pleasant surprise” for the AtlanticJunior League Pirates, according to head coach Brad Church.

“He’s really surprised us since he walked in through thedoor for tryouts,” said Church, whose team was 6-5-2-1 as of Oct. 28. “He is avery skilled, very poised defenseman who skates really well. Once he gets 100percent and gets his conditioning back to where it needs to be, he will be avery effective defenseman.”

When Barrio looked at the coaching staff that the Piratesput behind the bench, featuring Church, JeffLibby and Kent Hulst, he knew itwas time to go north from Massachusetts to Maine.

“It’s a great organization. They move a lot of kids intocollege, and they have a great coaching staff,” Barrio said. “It’s a nice area,the MHG Ice Centre is a nice facility. I went to tryouts looking to play for atop team, that really appealed to me.”

Barrio especially liked working with Libby, the formerUniversity of Maine player who suffered a career-ending eye injury in his sixthprofessional game.

“Coach Libby really works with you on stick positioning,teaching you to keep your stick on the right side of the guy so he doesn’t comeup into the middle of the ice,” said Barrio.

Being a 1991-born player, Barrio knows that it’s now ornever to make his college hockey dreams come true.

“There’s pretty much just a little interest now. Later inthe year, I’ll probably start talking to more schools,” said Barrio, who had agoal and three points in 13 games.

“I suspect that [college interest] as he gets healthier andcontinues to play well,” said Church. “I really think he’s a diamond in therough. I think he has big-time ability.”

Church also praised the defensive work of 1993-born MattLee and 1992-born Mike Morrison.

“Lee is showing improvement early,” Church said. “He’s comea long way in a very short time. When Mike Morrison is steady for us, he’seffective.”

Morrison is a second-year Pirates player, havingplayed 43 games for the Atlantic League team last year and three for theMetropolitan League squad. Through 14 games this year, he had three assists.

North American Hockey League: Curtale can take sole possession of U.S. junior wins record

2011-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Since taking the reins of the Texas Tornado in 1999, TonyCurtale has put the Lone Star State on the junior hockey map. His three NAHLchampionships between 2003-04 and 2005-06 are legend in the league, and now hislegend status is cemented, as well.

Curtale tied longtime Omaha Lancers coach Mike Hastings (nowan associate head coach for the University of Nebraska-Omaha men’s team) at thetop of the all-time wins leaderboard with 529 apiece going into an Oct. 28game.

Hehas a chance to take sole leadership beginning Friday night when the Tornado playhost to the struggling New Mexico Mustangs for a weekend series.

In classic Curtale fashion, he diverted the credit for therecord to the guys who put on the skates each game.

“I think this record is more a reflection of the playersthat I have had a chance to coach both in Springfield [with the Jr. Blues] andTexas. There have been some really good ones,” said Curtale, who was 529-198-7as of the morning of Oct. 28. “You remember those who make it to the NHL, but you also rememberthe ones that go onto become doctors, Wall Street bankers, or help run thefamily business.

“I don’t really consider it a personal achievement as muchas I do a team achievement,” he added. “I was fortunate to be in two situationswith both teams where it was new to the community and exciting for everyoneinvolved. I think that accentuated our ability to recruit and have some reallygood teams that won a lot of games.”

Current NHL players who suited up for Curtale in Texasinclude Ottawa’s Stephane Da Costa and the New York Islanders’ Al Montoya.

In the late 1990s, Curtale gave the Canadian major juniorcoaching world a shot, running the Windsor Spitfires’ bench for a year and ahalf. However, he returned to junior hockey way below the northern border andnot too far from the southern one, and hundreds of players over the last 13years are better for it.

In the league office, commissioner Mark Frankenfeld haswitnessed Curtale’s bench skills and leadership of both his players and amonghis coaching colleagues for 18 years.

“We feel like Tony’s knowledge and passion of coaching andhockey is an asset to the league, and that his future in coaching looks verybright after already accomplishing so much,” said Frankenfeld.

“Tony certainly understands how to teach the game of hockeyas well an any in the business and we believe his accomplishments make him afixture in the history books of the NAHL,” the commissioner added.

Curtale is responsible for developing nearly 100 players whomoved on to NCAA college and professional ranks.

Current top collegiateperformers who’ve played for the Tornado include forwards Dane Walters (WesternMichigan), Brian Sheehan (Sacred Heart) and John Kruse (Air Force), defensemanMatt Tennyson (Western Michigan) and goalie Dan Sullivan (Maine).

The Tornado players aren’t the only ones looking for successat the next level. Curtale would like someday to coach at a college or for aprofessional team.

“I do have a desire to get to the next level,” he said. “Ifelt like coaching in Texas the past 13 years came at a time that was right forme and my family, but as they have grown older, I think my goals have changedas well. I have always had a desire to coach at the higher levels, so that issomething I strive for in the future.

“I think my time spent coaching junior hockey in the NAHLhas prepared me,” he added. “Junior hockey is the purest form of coachingbecause of the impact you make on the players. They are in the learning processand I enjoy the teaching aspect.”

Curtale is always learning as well. Anyone who has seen himwatch a football, basketball or some other game knows he is studying hard andwatching those bench bosses.

“I like to watch other sports to try and pick up things anddifferent philosophies,” he said. “Coaching can make you second guess a lot andI have always prided myself on sticking to my guns and my beliefs. I thinkcharacter and mental toughness are two of the things I believe in the most andhave tried to pass along to my players.”

NA3HL: Teams inthe North American Tier-3 Hockey League were happy to see a couple of theiralums doing well at higher levels in October. Former Dubuque Thunderbirdsplayer Casey Kleisinger was the fourth-leading scorer on the Air Force AcademyFalcons roster as a sophomore in his home state of Colorado.

Former St. Louis Jr. Blues player Joe Vitale was a lineupregular for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring three points in his first 11games.

Additionally, 16-year-old Metro Jets goaltender DevinWilliams signed with the OHL’s Erie Otters and will try for a spot on the majorjunior roster next year.

NAPHL: Thedevelopment ladder was working well for a couple former PHL players. ColinStaub, who has 12 points in nine games for the Pikes Peak Miners 18U team, gota two-game look with Wichita Falls (NAHL). He earned an assist and was a plus-2in his first game on Sept. 16.

Quebec native Jordan Boucher-Gould played all of last yearfor the Omaha Lancers 16U AAA team, spent seven games this season with theNAHL’s New Mexico Mustangs, and then got called up by the USHL’s Sioux CityMusketeers. He scored his first USHL goal in his first game on Oct. 22.Colleges, the line forms to the left.

Florida Jr. Blades: Still undefeated, team is confident all around

2011-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

As of Oct. 26, the Florida Jr. Blades were still undefeatedas a first-year team in the Empire Junior Hockey League.

Every player and coach in the organization can take creditfor the team’s 10-0-1 record, but head coach Tad O’Had was especiallyhappy with the play of goaltender Eric Sugrue.

Sugrue was 5-0-0 with one shutout and he was fifth in goalsagainst average (1.71) and save percentage (.928). He earned his shutout in a4-0 win over Palm Beach on Oct. 9, helping him earn Empire League player of theweek honors.

“After spending the last two seasons playing prep hockey inConnecticut, Eric has found his niche in southwest Florida,” said O’Had. “As anorganization, we are thrilled to have him return home and be a part of the Jr.Blades family.”

Florida’s affiliation with the Athletic Republic trainingfacility, which O’Had also runs, has paid great dividends for Sugrue’sdevelopment.

“I’ve been trying to play my game to the best of my ability,”he says. “I’ve been training with the Nike Vapor Strobes and working on off-iceconditioning. I think you’ve been able to see the results in my save percentageand the training is really paying off.”

The team is experimenting with the Vapor Strobes, which areglasses that reduce the vision in one or the other eye, to force the player(usually a goalie) to focus on the puck better.

“Once you take them off, you can track the puck way better,”said Sugrue.

Also undefeated, Joseph Keyser has enjoyed successwith the new technology, going 5-0-1 with a 1.16 GAA and a .937 savepercentage.

Along with Sugrue, Josh Koerner (29 points in 11games) was named forward of the week earlier in October and James Hyatt(14 points in 11 games) was honored as defenseman of the week in the samemonth.

Killing time: The Blades are ranked No. 1 out of 30teams in penalty killing, shutting down 44 of 45 power plays so far this yearfor a 97.78 percentage. Meantime, the team has scored five shorthanded goals,courtesy of three from Koerner and one each from Eryn Siracusa anddefenseman Daniel Thompson.

“Our players operate with speed at all time,” said O’Had.“They’re defensive-minded to make the right decisions.”

Hot streak: D.J. Thomas, a 1992-born resident ofGreensboro, N.C., was on a six-game point streak that saw him score seven goalsand 12 points, all of those points coming in October.

Buffalo Jr. Stars: Young squad learning way through Empire league

2011-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Stars general manager Pete Preteroti refers to his Empire Junior Hockey League Starssquad as “almost a U16 team.”

“We have a lot of 1995-born players,” said Preteroti. “We’veonly played nine games, so we’re still learning. It takes the first couple ofmonths, especially with only one Empire League veteran and three veterans fromthe ESHL [formerly CHA]. That makes it a little tough.”

The Stars were 1-5-3 as of Oct. 25, though three of thoselosses were by one goal.

Several players were listed in the “coming along well”category, getting into the flow of the Empire League quickly. One player forall higher-level junior teams and college squads to keep an eye on is 1996-bornZach Stamates.

He only has a goal and an assist, but at 15, he’s gotten alot of minutes against some of the best teams in the league.

“He’s got good skill and a really good presence. He has agood senses of the game,” said Preteroti. “He knows where to be on the ice,knows how to read plays well. He has a really good future.”

Another potential upper-level junior/college prospect is Brian Ruff. This 1995-born Clarence,N.Y., resident brings more than just a set of skills to the ice. Sometimes, hebrings his father, longtime Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff.

“He’s a pretty skilled player [six points in nine games],”said Preteroti. “He’ll probably end up playing for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres [ofthe Ontario Junior Hockey League], with all the pro Sabres alumni involvedthere. He has really good hands, really good skating skills and he’s really anup-and-coming player.”

Due to the Stars’ recent goal-scoring issues (only 17 innine games), Lindy Ruff showed up at practice on Oct. 24 to help the team breakdown film and Preteroti said the NHL coach was expected to join the Stars foran on-ice practice on Oct. 26.

“It’s not often you can have an NHL coach come out and run apractice for your junior team,” said Preteroti.

One of the graduates from last year’s CHA Stars team, TomLeistner has been a fine two-way player on defense as a 6-foot-4-inch 1994-bornplayer.

“He’s still growing, he has a long reach and a great shot,”Preteroti said. “He’s really matured from last year. As a rookie, he’s stillfeeling his way around, but he looks like he belongs.”

New England Jr. Huskies: Conlin a steadying, veteran influence in net

2011-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Tommy Conlin wentwest (he is, after all, a young man), but after some sunshine and high-level hockey in Fresno, he’s back in an eastern U.S. net.

The Huskies picked up Conlin, who is talking with a numberof New England-based Division 3 schools, after he decided to move back towardshis hometown of Norwood, Mass., after 27 games in the North American Leaguelast year.

“I thought it would be a better situation for me to comeback and be able to have those schools right at the back door and able to takea look at me on a week-to-week basis, rather than have them trying to watchfilm,” said Conlin, a 1991-born player who started last season with the ValleyJr. Warriors, also in the EJHL.

“He used to be with the Boston Advantage [Midget 18 team]and he’s worked with our goaltending coach Mike Doneghy before,” said PaulJenkins, the Huskies’ general manager and head coach. “He handles the puckas well as anyone I’ve seen in years. He can pass it, handle it, dump pucksout. He’s outstanding.

“In his journey back to the Huskies, he’s given us a nice,solid, veteran goaltender,” Jenkins added. “That gave our young guys a chanceto grow and allows our program another chance to take a step forward.”

Conlin, who played in nine games for a 4-5-0 record throughOct. 23, worked with Doneghy while he was a freshman and sophomore with thestoried Catholic Memorial High School program in West Roxbury, Mass.

“He knows a lot about the game and I really get a lot out ofthe practices when he’s there,” said Conlin.

He also spoke about his decision to choose the Huskies overother eastern programs.

“I really liked what the Huskies had to offer. They have agreat coaching staff and a bunch of guys on the team who really want to workhard to succeed,” said Conlin.

Conlin has taken some college courses in government, andwould probably pursue that and/or economics as a major or double major. Goodprograms in those departments, and a determined hockey team, would be thecharacteristics of his dream school.

“I want to get the best possible school that, year in, yearout likes to compete,” said Conlin, about his college search. “It might not bethe highest-ranked school now, but if I can get them on the map, that would bethe best possible school I could play for.”

Suffolk Juniors: Young team comes from different backgrounds

2011-10-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Long Island is a busy circuit for hockey. Severalnationally-known youth organizations are simultaneously running on the island,including the New York Apple Core, Long Island Gulls, Long Island Royals and,of course, the Suffolk Juniors and their P.A.L. youth affiliate.

“A lot of young guys came from different teams, withdifferent concepts,” said longtime head coach Aleksey Nikiforov, of histeam that went 6-3 in the Metropolitan League through Oct. 20. “Plus, a lot ofgood local area kids go away to prep schools, into the city for the MetroMoose. It’s tough to collect good players and work with them.”

Somehow, Nikiforov and Suffolk bring in a strong group yearafter year (including the strongest in team history, the 2009 USA Hockey Jr. Bchampions).

As he said, it is a young group, with the 1994 birth yearsdominating the roster (10 of the 25 are ’94’s) and six more born in either 1995or 1996.

The areas that need improvement most, in Nikiforov’sestimation, are physical play, defense and crashing the net.

“We’re trying to get these kids to use the body. They haveto understand that part of the game,” he said. “It is a young defense [all’94-born or younger], so they need to learn the options they have, and gettheir first pass better, make it do something.

“Offensively, we need our players to drive the net and forcethe play,” he added. “Those are the things we need to do now. If theyunderstand our weaknesses, and know our good sides, we’ll get much better. We’llbe a different team in a month.”

A fellow countryman of his, Nikita Sokolov, is one ofthe many ’94’s who has gotten the grasp of Met League play after also playinglast year. He had 10 points through his first seven games this season.

“He has good size [6-1, 185 pounds] and he has picked up onthe North American style,” Nikiforov said.

Another youngster to watch is 1996-born forward JamesAnderson, who has a long youth history with the Royals, Gulls and Suffolk.

“He has natural offensive skills [six points in nine games].He is a talented kid, playing second line center and doing very well,”Nikiforov said.

Leading the team in scoring is a 1991-born newcomer, KeithBuzzar. He had 14 points through nine games.

“He didn’t play last year, so he’s going through a littlebit of an adjustment to junior hockey. He has good hands and a good shot,”Nikiforov said.

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Speedster Bucci a great asset on young team

2011-10-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Andrew Bucci is scoring better than a point per gamein the Atlantic Junior Hockey League this year. This is mostly due to the factnot many players can keep up with him.

“I’ve been coaching for 47 years in hockey, and he is one ofthe finest pure skaters I have ever coached,” said Boston Jr. Bulldogs headcoach Mike Addesa. “He has a tremendous natural stride, he uses hisedges, he has great foot quickness and great explosiveness in his first threesteps.

“He can skate better than I can walk, and I’ve been walkingsince I was a year old,” Addesa added.

The 1991-born Peabody, Mass., native had 13 points throughhis first 12 games in this, his third season with the Bulldogs. He joined theteam for the first half of the 2009-10 season, before finishing his career withPeabody High School. With the Bulldogs, he rang up 48 points in 74 gamesthrough mid-October of this season.

“Coach Addesa is an unbelievable coach. The player I amtoday is because of him,” said Bucci, one of four returning players from lastseason. “In practice, he really pushes and teaches me. He always tells me Ihave speed and shows me how to get to the net using my speed.

“He also helps me defensively,” Bucci added. “My whole gamehas just improved.”

Bucci and Addesa met at the end of last season, and Addesaasked him to bulk up, get a little bigger and stronger. That’s all Bucci neededto hear before spending his summer in the weight room, and his coach hasnoticed the changes.

“He’s really gotten very serious with a strength and fitnessprogram. He was going four days a week to Mike Boyle Strength andConditioning,” Addesa said. “He is so much stronger physically and that’s addeda lot to his game.”

This past summer, Bucci skated on a line with former NewYork Bobcat and current Mercyhurst College forward Daniel O’Donoghue atthe Hockey Night In Boston Elite Showcase, playing against a Russian prospectsteam.

“Dan raved to me saying ‘I’d like to take him back toMercyhurst with me,’” said Addesa. “Dan called Andrew ‘Johnny Jets’ – ‘I’d loveto have Johnny Jets on my wing,’ he told me.”

Bucci has no college commitment in hand yet, and is simply waitingfor the right match.

“I’m keeping my options open to whichever schoolgives me the best chance to succeed on the ice and in the classroom,” saidBucci.

Bay State Breakers: Veterans lead charge with star goalie out

2011-10-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

It is during those close games, especially the close losses,when Bay State Breakers head coach David McCauley wishes KyleMacDonald was healthy.

The 1991-born goaltender was injured during the JuniorBruins Shootout in late September in a game against the Valley Jr. Warriors.MacDonald went 2-1-1 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.59 goals againstaverage in September, winning his first two games, and taking two one-goallosses in the Junior Bruins Shootout before he was hurt.

Since those games, the team has gone 3-5-1, with three ofthose five losses being one-goal decisions.

“With our starting goalie [MacDonald] getting hurt, it putus back on our heals for a couple of weeks, but I think we have emerged astronger team knowing that Kyle will be OK,” said McCauley. “Kyle is expectedto return sometime late January or early February.”

On the positive side, Bay State has been outscoring its opponentsby a 51-45 margin, so they are able to make up some of the defensive ground byadding offense.

McCauley has been especially proud of his returning playersfor stepping up offensively to help keep the team competitive. They scoredplenty against the Jersey Hitmen in mid-October, for instance, but fell in 4-3 and8-7 games. Jersey just scored a little more.

“The team has been making strides over the last couple ofweeks, as our veteran players have begun to produce points,” added McCauley.

T.J. O’Brien, a second-year Breaker born in 1991, hasreally turned it up since October began with 10 points in seven games afterstarting out with three points in his six September games. In those sevenOctober games, O’Brien registered a point in six of them and in five straight.

James Murphy had multi-point games in every othergame from Oct. 1 through Oct. 16, giving him 10 points in seven games. Murphy(’91) is a third-year Breaker, having put up 64 points in his first 82 gamesunder McCauley the last two seasons.

The list goes on as second-year Breaker and ’92-born ZacLynch was a point-per-game player in October with seven points throughseven games. Third-year forward Matt Vidal (’91) had eight pointsthrough seven games.

Defenseman Nate Brown, a ’91-born third-year Breaker, was a stalwart on the defense for all of the team's first 13 games this season.

Goaltender Ben Halford, a’93-born Lenox, Mass.,resident, was acquired from the South Shore Kings and went 2-2-1 for theBreakers through Oct. 16

Boston Jr. Blackhawks: Goalie U stops bleeding for young team

2011-10-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare asked “What’s in a name?”

The answer to that question, if it’s related to the surname of the BostonJr. Blackhawks’ new Russian goaltender, is one letter: U.

Vladimir U may have an unusual one-letter last name(and no, it’s not an initial – we asked), but he’s certainly mixed right inwith the speed and flow of the International Junior Hockey League game, going2-0-2 in his first four league games.

Through that same span, U also put up a 3.74 goals againstaverage, giving up just 21 through nine games.

Blackhawks scout Tim MacIntosh saw U at a tryout campin Russia. U hails from the city of Omsk, Russia.

The IJHL’s October Showcase in Exeter, N.H., saw U pick upwins against the Long Island Wolfpack and the Syracuse Stampede. He played halfthe game against the Northern New York Gamblers and yielded two goals before hewas lifted. The relief goalie took the loss in that game.

“Goalies Ian Freeman and Andrew Underwood havehad to deal with injuries, but both have improved recently,” said Salsman.

The Hawks have stumbled to the bottom of the IJHL SuperElite New England Division, due to a 2-7-2 record overall. Despite U’s efforts,this young team is going through learning efforts every time out, according togeneral manager/head coach Rich Salsman.

“Playing with only one returning player and arguably theyoungest team in the league, you will experience some growing pains,” saidSalsman. “Throw in the young Hawks, who won 33 games last season, play in [oneof the strongest junior] divisions in the country, and it spells adversity.Hard work will cure that quickly.”

Everything just has to come together and Salsman believeshis group will start picking up plenty more wins as the season goes on.

“The defense of Jonny Barkhouse, Jordan Jones,Andy Taylor, Christian Sarrazin, Vladimir Ananin, MakaKitsurashvili, Igor Boyaskiy and Josh Pascoe have beengreat,” said Salsman.

“The forwards are starting to click, especially the ‘White Line’of Evgeny Schegolev, Alexander Lysyuk and Yari Sanzharevskii,”he added. The three have combined for 50 points in 11 games.

Also playing well in Salsman’s estimation are Cody Cesarz,Craig Neilsen, J.P. Bouchard, Ryan Drizen, Chris Kelly,Pavel Bocharov, Yegor Volkov and Artem Kostiuk.

The Blackhawks’ Elite team has also seen its share ofstruggles in its half-season schedule, falling to a 2-6-1 overall record. Everett,Mass., will be the home site for the IJHL Elite Championship series betweenNov. 17-20.

Strength in Numbers

2011-10-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Atlantic, Metropolitan Leagues team with youth organization to offer streamlined developmental path

By Joshua Boyd

From Virginia to Maine, one can find the greatest concentration of Americans by population.

Among these millions are more than 150,000 hockey players registered with USA Hockey. That is the group the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and Metropolitan Junior Hockey Leagues exist to serve.

Both leagues point to a long history of serving youth and junior hockey players for more than 50 years.

The Metropolitan Junior Hockey Association came first, created back in 1966 by New York Rangers general manager Emile Francis and team president Bill Jennings.

“Nick Fotiu was one of the Met League’s first NHLers,” said Glenn Hefferan, president of both junior leagues. “Then Brian and Joe Mullen, Mike Richter, Jim Dowd, Mark Eaton, Rob Scuderi, Mike Komisarek and many others.”

The forerunner of the Atlantic and Metropolitan junior leagues was the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League. When the Metropolitan League was created, that name was kept for the junior teams and the Atlantic Youth Hockey League was the name for the many youth levels the organization operated in the region stretching from Pennsylvania to Connecticut. The AYHL still provides a feeder system for the MJHL and AJHL.

“About 10 years ago, a group of owners in the Metropolitan League said.

‘We’re not doing enough. We need to continue what we’re doing in the Met League, but create a product that is purely about college development,’” Hefferan said.

The Metropolitan League was created to move Mid-Atlantic region players on to prep schools and other junior leagues and, to a lesser extent, directly to college hockey. The Atlantic League, however, was set up to promote players who are 18 to 20 years old directly to colleges.

“When I look back and look at our ownership group, I am amazed at the quality of ownership we put together,” said Hefferan. “Go down the roster of coaches, too, and it’s an impressive group.”

“All you have to do is look at the history,” said Cliff Graziano, head coach and owner of the Metropolitan League’s New Jersey Renegades. “Players come through the league and move on to prep schools, colleges, and all forms of professional hockey. I think the histories of the AJHL and MJHL speak for themselves.”

Regarding the ownership, most of the teams in both leagues are rink-owned and operated. For instance, the owners of the Portland Jr. Pirates are the Maine Hockey Group, which in turn own the MHG Ice Centre in Saco, Maine.

The owners of the Northern Cyclones Atlantic and Met League teams also own Cyclones Arena in Hudson, N.H.

Wait, weren’t we just talking about the New Jersey-New York area?

In Year 1 of the Atlantic League, the teams were the North Jersey Avalanche, the New York Bobcats and New Jersey Titans, the Connecticut Jr. Wolfpack, Philadelphia Little Flyers and Washington Jr. Nationals.

“The leagues have gone younger and more skilled which has really helped our teams bring in some top inspiring athletes,” said Wolfpack head coach.

Chris Cerrella, who also worked in the past with the Walpole Express. “I like the parity of both leagues. Every game is a tough game and that brings the scouts. We have come a long way and it is great to see.”

The Boston Jr. Bulldogs were the brainchild of, and are still run by, Mike Addesa. He led Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to the Division 1 college hockey national championship in 1985.

The Bulldogs, then operating out of Billerica, Mass., were “a storied independent team for many years,” said Hefferan, but Addesa signed on for Year 2 with the AJHL and the Bulldogs have been a league contender ever since.

Also joining that year, along with the Troy (N.Y.) Eagles and the Bulldogs, were the Northern Cyclones (then known as the Northern Mass. Cyclones), a program run by Bill and Joe Flanagan.

Bill played on that 1984-85 RPI team coached by Addesa. The Cyclones have been a staple of both the AJ and MJ since joining in 2003. Times have changed, and while some teams such as the Avalanche left the junior picture, the league added strong organizations such as the Laconia Leafs, Walpole Express, Portland Jr. Pirates and Philadelphia Jr. Flyers. Steve Washkalavitch, head coach of the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, likes the proximity of the league to college recruiters.

“With the majority of NCAA programs located in the Northeastern U.S., there isn’t a better place to play junior hockey,” said Washkalavitch.

“The cumulative quality of the teams, coaches, and players in these leagues is
second to none.” An ownership change saw the Binghamton Jr. Senators shut their doors, but current two-league member Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Knights start up. The Knights hosted the Met League Season Kick-Off Showcase in mid-September 2011. The Washington Jr. Nationals also saw their ownership change over the last year.

The Metropolitan League picture has also changed a lot since its inception, including a year that saw 25 teams at one point.

Great minds behind benches

Along with Addesa and Flanagan, the resumes of coaches in the leagues, especially in the AJHL, are long and impressive.

Brad Church, head coach of the Portland Jr. Pirates, was a first round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 1995, eventually suiting up for the Capitals in 1997-98. He had a long and distinguished career with the American Hockey League’s Portland Pirates, who were at the time Washington’s top farm team. He started his coaching career with the Phoenix Roadrunners and joined the Jr. Pirates in 2009.

Mark Kumpel, head coach of the Walpole Express, played in 288 NHL games and later was an assistant coach for the Portland Pirates while Church was a player.

Cerrella scored more than 200 points for Quinnipiac University, which he attended on scholarship. Washington Jr. Nationals head coach Justin Lyle was also a D-1 scholarship player, for the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

New Jersey Rockets head coach Bob Thornton had a long major junior and minor pro playing career.

“You look at our coaches and realize that you have to be a good coach to be successful in our league,” said Hefferan.

At the same time, the two-team junior system attracts a lot of top coaching talent because of the benefits of developing your top team’s players in-house.

“Both the AJHL and Met Leagues work hand-in-hand for the Rockets,” said Thornton. “We use the Met team as our primary feeder to our AJHL team every year. This makes recruiting a lot easier because these young, top players in our program are promoted quickly, either that same year or after one season.”

R.C. Lyke was a player in the Metropolitan League and is now a coach there, as well, running the bench for the new Richmond Generals squad.

“As a player, the Met League was an excellent development league that helped start my junior career and put me on my path to playing Division 1 college hockey and pro hockey,” said Lyke, who played for Mercyhurst College and in three different minor pro leagues. “It is good to see all the former players who have had extensive junior, college, and pro careers giving back to the league and developing the young talent for the future.”

Steve Plancey, a former New Jersey Rocket (MJHL) and Boston Jr. Bulldog (AJHL), is also back in the league as a coach for the Bulldogs’ new Met League team.

“These leagues have been very beneficial to me in so many ways as both a player and coach,” said Plancey.

“Some of the important values that I have learned is about putting others before yourself and putting the personal accolades aside for the overall good and success of the team. I owe great appreciation to the Del Mauro and Vanderbeek family in the Rocket organization as well as Mike Addesa with the Bulldogs for helping me shape and grow to the man I have become.” Washkalvitch also spoke to the preparation and development referred to by Plancey and Lyke.

“Member programs offer a college hockey experience with regard to equipment, travel, billeting, ice time, coaches. They provide true college preparation through hands-on experience,” Washkalavitch said.

Moving forward in a new environment

After USA Hockey decided to move away from sub-lettering of Tier-3 (A, B and C), it forced all Tier-3 leagues to are so many choices for players. I think we need, across all the leagues, to get some territories marked out. Others share that opinion, that we shouldn’t have all this overlapping.”

All AJHL teams now have an affiliate in the Metropolitan League, and some of the Met League teams without AJ affiliates may add a team on the higherlevel circuit.

“Everyone in our league has done a great job of putting the players first, but that can always be better,” Hefferan added.

“I often tell Chris Cerrella that he should consider himself a leaguewinner, even though the Wolfpack didn’t even make the semifinals last year. Last year, they put 18 players into college, and he had 180 players show up to tryouts. Many players during their exit interview said they came because of the Wolfpack’s college placement record and that is the experience for most of the teams. They are building on the success of their college placements.”

Whatever the Richmond Generals can do for teams in the AJHL, regarding player development, Lyke is just happy to be part of the system.

“I look forward to helping our league in continuing the focus and reputation of developing our players and moving them on to the next level,” he said. “I am truly excited about the opportunity the Met League provides our players, coaches, and refs.”

“I feel very, very proud, fortunate and blessed, to work with all of the people in both of these leagues,” added Hefferan.

“When you have that combination of good people around you who are passionate, it makes doing this job much easier.”

Eastern States Hockey League: New season already better for Suffolk

2011-10-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Suffolk Juniors general manager Ron Kinnear already likes 2011-12 so much better than last season.

Finishing one point out of the playoffs last year, Suffolkchalked up a 14-21-2-1 record, good for a .408 record. This year, they are 5-1with an .808 record (cue the chorus: “it’s still early!”).

“As a team, we learned a lot from this experience,” saidKinnear. “In 2010, we lost in the finals of the Jr. C National Championship. Asa coaching staff, we decided to go out and find younger and more skilledplayers. The players who we kept were good on and off the ice.”

Four players that Kinnear pointed to as great leaders thusfar are Kyle McEvaddy, Chris Vita, Brian Kesler and BrianTumolo. Each one of those players suited up for the Jr. C NationalRunners-Up in 2010.

Kesler, who got a late start with the squad (not startinguntil Oct. 1), scored two points in the two games over the first Octoberweekend. Vita, who just turned 18 on Sept. 29, also put in two points, but overthe course of six games on the blueline. His fellow blueliner Thomas Gallo had four points throughsix games.

McEvaddy had one point through four games, and Tumolo hadnot yet registered a point in four games.

“Our veterans provide on-and off-ice leadership,” saidKinnear.

He also saw some offensive sparks from a number of newcomersto the PAL (Pride in Athletics for Life) organization.

Suffolk forwards were second, third and (tied for) fourth inleague scoring, thanks to ChristopherSeeback, Matthew Gault and Chris Stemke.

Seeback was on fire, scoring eight goals and 15 points inSuffolk’s first six games. He will gain a ton of scout attention this season,being just a 1996-born player.

Gault, a ’94-born forward, was on a goal-per-game pace,adding eight assists for 14 points. Stemke (’95) also had six goals in sixgames, adding six more assists for 12 points.

Cameron Smith isalso a ’96 like Seeback, and has put up three points on the blue line. Not ashy one, he also led the team in PIM (41). DanielMonahan (six games, three points) and NicholasAmbery (five games) were also keeping busy on defense.

Hunter Tetreault(1993) and Anthony Pupplo (1995)have split the first six games. Organization newcomer Tetreault got into fourof those, going 4-0-0 early on, while Pupplo moved up from the Suffolk Midgetsquad and put up an early .900 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against-average.

Kinnear believes that these players and all the rest on the2011-12 Suffolk Juniors are in great hands.

“One of the reason why we have a long and successful juniorprogram is our coaching staff, back behind the bench is head coach John Agiato (over 12 years with PAL)and is assisted by Bobby Wilkins (fourthyear),” said Kinnear. “Our goal is to win the ESHL Championship and get anotherchance to win a national championship.”

Bay State Breakers: EJHL squad sees high-level performances early on

2011-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Early on, no one was matching the South Shore Kings’performance in the Southeast Division, as they stood at 5-0 in Eastern JuniorHockey League play.

Only the Jersey Hitmen, at 2-1 in league games, held awinning record as of the morning of Oct. 1. The Bay State Breakers were hopingto at least even things out in the first weekend of October, standing at 2-3-1on the first day of the 10th month.

Bay State was tied with the Junior Bruins as having playedthe most games in September, with six apiece.

In those six September games, the Breakers saw someimpressive performances from Harry Quastand Matt Lison, who werepoint-per-game players. Lison, with four goals in that span, was tied for sixthin league goals.

Lison comes out of the acclaimed Pittsburgh Hornets U18Midget team that played in the Midwest Elite Hockey League. Through 33 games,the 1993-born Peters Township, Pa., resident scored 27 points for the Hornets.

“[Through the first four games], Matt has scored in everygame that we have had, both exhibition and league play,” said head coach David McCauley.

While Lison is an 18-year-old junior rookie, Quast is a20-year-old junior veteran in his final year of eligibility.

Quast, a 1991-born resident of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, playedfor Gilmour Academy before being recruited to play in the North American HockeyLeague in 2009. In 2009-10, he split the season between three NAHL teams(Topeka, Janesville and Albert Lea), scoring five points in 33 NAHL games.

He got some stability when he joined the Breakers, stayingwith McCauley’s crew for a full 42 games in 2010-11. He scored six points thatseason, a benchmark he reached this season in September. He may have surpassedthat already by Oct. 2.

“Harry played for us last season, and he has been excellentthis year,” said McCauley.

Defensively speaking, second-year Breaker Kyle MacDonald has held the fort earlyon. Out of the six games played in September, MacDonald appeared in five ofthose, posting a .912 save percentage, 2.71 goals-against average and a 2-2-1record.

“Kyle has won the starting job this season and has lookedsharp,” McCauley added.

MacDonald, who turns 20 on Dec. 2, played in 20 games lastseason for the Breakers (sporting .927 and 2.63 numbers). Prior to joining theBreakers, he guarded the crease for Xaverian Brothers High School, a Division1A (elite level) high school team that is a Super 8 Tournament regular.

Capital District Selects: Bright lights shine at Junior Bruins Shootout

2011-09-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Jim Salfi’s Capital District Selects team left theNew England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass., with just one win in three games,but also with an abundance of faith in his young squad.

At the Junior Bruins Shootout, held during the Sept. 23-25weekend at the six-sheet facility, the Selects went 1-2 overall. However, oneof those losses was by one goal against last year’s Eastern Junior Leaguechampion the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs.

In their first weekend, a pair of lopsided home lossesagainst South Shore, the players were nervous in their home debut. However, thenerves seemed to vanish and the adrenaline of being among all of their fellowleague members took over.

The Philadelphia Revolution beat the Selects, 6-3, in theirfirst game of the Shootout. The next morning, the team was right back out thereand fell a goal short (3-2) of defeating New Hampshire.

On Sept. 25, the team its first league game of the season, a6-5 victory over the New York Apple Core. Returning forward Matt Batis,a 1992-born resident of Jamestown, N.Y., put in the game-winner at the 1:48mark.

“We got up on them and, with our lack of experience, wealmost gave it away at the end,” Salfi said. “We gave up a few goals in thelast minute or so.

“We have so many new players and only three guys back fromlast year – forwards Batis and Nick Coppola and defenseman Ryan Gay,”said Salfi. “A lot of these kids came from Midget teams, so they’re totallyinexperienced in junior hockey. They’ve got to get better and better, and it’snot going to happen overnight.”

Batis had a great first five games, even notching assists ineach of the nightmares against South Shore. He added three points at theShootout, only being held pointless by Philadelphia.

“Batis was our third leading scorer last year and he playedpretty well,” said Salfi. “I think he’s a late bloomer.”

Coppola, who had one point in all but the second South Shoregame, is in his sixth season with the Selects organization, starting out as aJr. B player in 2006-07.

“He is a product of our program, all the way through sincehe was a high school freshman,” said Salfi. “He’s just stronger this year, andhe’s not 6-feet [5-10], but he’s filling out and he’s also more confident. He’smore of a take-charge guy this year. Nicky is a good kid and I’m so nicelysurprised with how he’s played so far. There are schools interested in him.”

Let’s put it this way: going into the Selects’ Oct. 1-2series against Rochester, Coppola’s four points were close to the seven pointshe’s registered the last two seasons combined in the EJHL. He’s a rising forceand one to watch as a 1992 birth year.

The scouts were numerous at the Junior Bruins Shootout, andSalfi received many inquiries about his players. For instance, they liked how AlexO’Dea came off a summertime injury and scored three points in his firstthree games back, including goals against the Monarchs and Apple Core.

“One of the kids we were counting on this season, [O’Dea]just started playing,” said Salfi, about the 1992-born Lake Orion, Mich.,resident. “He hadn’t played in 10 weeks before this past weekend. I’m reallysurprised at how well he played, having just one week on the ice before theshootout.”

The skating and overall speed shown by newcomer PeterKapelanski also impressed scouts.

“He has tremendous potential,” said Salfi.

Kapelanski is a Canadian import for the Selects, born threedays short of 1993 and living in Beaconsfield, Que. However, he honed his gamein Connecticut at the Pomfret School, a prep institution.

If colleges are looking for a younger player for an earlyverbal commitment, they may want to take a look at 1995-born Joe Widmar, aNorthbrook, Ill., resident who stands 6-feet, 205 pounds at age 16.

“Joe played in the Select Festival for the Midwest District,out of the Chicago area,” said Salfi. “That is tough to make, as there are alot of good players around there.

“We are a lot stronger than we were five weeks ago,” Salfiadded, “We’re just trying to get better every 30 days.”

Northern Cyclones: Depth is early strength after Kick-Off Showcase

2011-09-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

The 2011-12 Northern Cyclones are still getting to know eachother, but one thing general manager/head coach Bill Flanagan knowsabout all of them is they are willing to work.

Each one of them showed off their work ethic, and of coursetheir skills, in winning two games in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League’sKick-Off Showcase in Simsbury, Conn. Their other game ended in an overtimeloss.

They were undefeated in regulation through three games, andthey did so as a team. Each of their three goaltenders won a league game, but14 of the 23 skaters who suited up at the Showcase registered at least onepoint. Eight of those 14 registered two or more points.

“I think we do have depth, and a lot of guys are going tocontribute, so that’s definitely a good thing,” said Flanagan. “Last year, wehad a couple guys with 70 and 60 points, and then we were unbalanced, but thisyear, it’ll be nice to have a three-or four-line team. It is still early,though.”

The Cyclones were one of only three teams to skate asmany as 23 players through Sept. 26, as the Connecticut Jr. Wolfpack alsoskated as many through three games and the Washington Jr. Nationals skated 23through five league contests.

For the Cyclones, that equates to 16 forwards and sevendefensemen. The Kick-Off Showcase was also a good stage to test the Cyclones’goalies.

“The goalie position is still in an evaluation process,”Flanagan said.

He certainly liked the looks of Swedish import Hugo Oftedal,who registered a shutout over the New York Bobcats, last year’s South Divisionchampion, in his first-ever AJHL action.

“He came highly regarded and shut out a tough Bobcats team,”Flanagan added.

Among all the forwards, third-year AJHL Cyclones player JaredHenderson led the charge with three goals and four points.

“He has to be a leader. He’s been around, he knows theleague, he knows what to expect. He has to be one of the best players everynight,” said Flanagan. “Colleges are interested in him. He’s taking collegecourses now, really putting in the effort.”

The two-sheet Cyclones Arena, in Hudson, N.H., will playhost to the next AJHL Showcase from Oct. 8-10.

“We’re getting geared up for that. It’s great for the rink,great for the community,” said Flanagan. “It’s a really special event, and theplayers love it.”

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Mastropietro working towards Division 1 goal

2011-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Chris Mastropietro is just the type of project MikeAddesa loves to take on.

Mastropietro, a 1991-born Revere, Mass., native, hasboundless potential and determination to play NCAA Division 1 college hockey,but he is obviously just not there yet.

After playing for his hometown public high school team andthen Northwoods School in Lake Placid, N.Y., Mastropietro has turned to Addesato make him a top college hockey prospect.

“Coach Addesa talks about his former players, and how theBulldogs transformed them into the players they are today,” said Mastropietro.“He’s a really nice coach, he knows what he’s talking about and he always makessure we know what we’re doing out there.”

Mastropietro has a good handle on the game in the AtlanticJunior Hockey League, leading the circuit in scoring after the last weekend inSeptember. Through five league games, he scored five goals and added threeassists for eight points.

He was, for many of his years with Revere High School andNorthwoods, a defenseman converted from forward. Addesa returned him toforward, and put him at center.

“He was recruited by a number of schools as a defenseman,but he still needed more academic remediation,” Addesa said. “A former playerof mine, R.J. Tolan, who is head coach at Wentworth Institute ofTechnology, said ‘I think this kid has D-1 hockey ability, but he needs toimprove in this subject and that subject.’”

Mastropietro has his plate full, for sure. He is playing forthe Bulldogs and attending Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Mass. He mayalso be the only junior hockey player in the U.S. with a child of his own, ababy girl born earlier this year.

“It is hard because I’m going through a lot,” saidMastropietro. “I’m doing everything to concentrate on school, hockey and takingcare of my child.”

Addesa believes that Mastropietro can fulfill all of hisresponsibilities and goals, because of the person he is.

“He is, and I can’t state it emphatically enough, a wonderfulhuman being. I love him like he’s my son,” said Addesa. “He’s a very hardworker, very talented, and I’m hoping that his pursuits academically will leadhim to a [Division 1 hockey] career.”

“When I was playing D, [Addesa] saw something in me,” saidMastropietro. “Centers always have to be back with the defensemen, so I havethat defensive instinct. I want to work on my defensive zone play a little bit,but Coach Addesa is doing everything he can to help me there. I also try toimprove my shot every day.”

Boston Jr. Shamrocks: Team welcomes talent from across the country

2011-09-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

With the start of the 2011-12 regular season in the JuniorWomen’s Hockey League coming soon, the Boston Shamrocks U19 women’s team wasready for redemption.

It was indeed a tough campaign for the Shamrocks in 2010-11,as they were only able to earn a point off a tie during the season in a leaguechock-full of Division 1 recruits. With players joining the Shamrocks from allover the United States, head coach Josh Hechter likes the depth of his2011-12 team just fine.

“We are extremely excited about the upcoming season,” saidHechter. “There have been significant changes with a roster of 18 kids from 12different states, including Nevada, Georgia, Alaska and Florida.”

To get these new players ready for the challenges they faceahead in the JWHL, the Shamrocks took part in the first annual Harvard Showcasein Cambridge, Mass. They were right back in action a week later (Oct. 7-9) forthe start of the JWHL season with games played at Northeastern, Harvard,UMass-Boston and Ristuccia Arena, the training camp rink for the Stanley CupChampion Boston Bruins.

Bob Rotondo, owner of the Shamrocks, is also owner ofRistuccia Arena.

The Shamrocks sent four girls to the USA Hockey Select 16and 17 National Camp in St. Cloud, Minn. Two of those made the All-Star gamefor their camp, being considered among the Top 40 in their age group. Carlisle,Mass., resident and 2011-12 team captain Dakota Woodworth, andgoaltender Madison Litchfield, of Williston Vt., bring their top-flightskills back to the Shamrocks again this season.

Joining Woodworth and Litchfield as players expected to leadthe Shamrocks this year are post-grad forward Emily Auerbacher, seniorforward Heather Schwarz and junior defensemen Rachel Ade and KaylaDion.

Katelin Kohl, still just a sophomore in high school,is a player the Shamrocks brought in as a freshman last year and she led theteam in JWHL game scoring with five points.

“She is coming off a great [2010-11] season playing both defenseand forward,” said Hechter. “She has been working extremely hard and is readyfor a breakout season.”

The Shamrocks will give whole new meaning to the term “fullhouse.” This year, the team-owned rooming house will have double the amount ofplayers living there as last year.

Teaching life lessons, as well as lessons on the ice, are live-inassistant coaches Hannah Milan, who just graduated from Colgate after ahockey career she ended as senior captain, and former Clarksonforward/defenseman Caitlin Oleska.

Boston Jr. Blackhawks: Defense shines with natural blueliners

2011-09-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Boston Jr. Blackhawks got a late start with multipleEuropeans and Canadians settling in, but they have found bright play from theirdefense corps.

“We’ve have never had such a talented group of defensemen inour history, as we have this season,” said general manager Rich Salsman.“One season, we skated six converted forwards.”

Ohio’s Jordan Jones and Halifax, N.S., product JonnyBarkhouse assist captain and fellow D-man Cody Cesarz as alternatecaptains on daily leadership chores.

“Jones is a fluid rearguard with an offensive style who is apower play anchor. Barkhouse is more of a stay-at-home guy who can also shoothard,” said Salsman. “Will Parlon has played well as has Josh Pascoe,Maka Kutzenvilli, Christian Sarrazin and Halifax’s other blueline whiz Andrew Taylor.”

Taylor was the leading offensive contributor among thisgroup, putting up a couple of assists in the first four IJHL games.

Salsman added that youngsters Igor Boyarskiy and VladimirAnanin “are works in progress and are ready when needed.” They’ve eachplayed in three of the four league games.

After tying the Massachusetts Mariners in Game 1 on Sept. 11(5-5), the team took losses in its next three games against the expansionNational Sports Academy.

“The ’Hawks have been slow out of the gate, but we’ve had toreplace a talented group of forwards who moved on from last year,” saidSalsman.

The Hawks scored 10 goals in those first four games, lead byRussian import Yari Sanzharevskii had four of those and another assist.Three came in the Sept. 11 opener, his IJHL debut.

Also helping out offensively early on were forwards PavelBocharov and Alexander Lysyuk (four points), Evgeny Shchegolev(three points) and Jean-Phillipe Bouchard and Ryan Drizen (goalapiece).

“A trio of goalies have all played well, but are waiting forthe offense to get jumpstarted,” added Salsman. “All in all, the Hawks havehandled the sluggish start and look forward to games against the defending champion Cape Cod Islandersand rival Eastern Kodiaks, who started out 3-0-0.”

The New England Division has started out quite topsy-turvywith the Islanders also going winless at 0-3 in their first trio of games.

“The landscape is changing quickly. You will be hard pressedto see a division like the IJHL’s New England Division, with expansion teamsNSA (3-0-0) and the Albany Americans (2-0-0) starting undefeated. How strong adivision is that?” he said.

Western States Hockey League: Expansion Park City Moose foster talent quickly

2011-09-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

By Brian Lester

It’s never easy being the new team on the block.

Park City Moose head coach Eddie Samuels has learnedthat first hand in preparation for the Moose’s first season in the WesternStates Hockey League.

“It’s been a process, especially with recruiting being sucha battle because kids have so many options to look at. Being a relative unknownhas brought a bit more of a challenge,” Samuels said. “But we have been able toput together a strong core of both veteran and new players.”

Goaltending is expected to be a strength for the Moose. AlexBurdekin out of Trinity-Pawling Prep, is the frontrunner for the startingjob. However, Ryan Rivera, who played for the El Paso Rhinos last year,will push for playing time as well. Jeff Duncan is the other goalie competingfor time.

“Our goaltending has looked strong since the start of camp.All three goaltenders have looked very sharp,” Samuels said. “To be successfulin this league, you need a strong foundation in goal and we seem to have one.”

Samuels is also confident that his team will be strong upfront. The presence of players such as Ville Rantanen, Devin Holmesand Devin Beck will give the Moose a chance to be successfuloffensively.

Samuels said Rantanen, a native of Finland, could end up asone of the top forwards in the league this year.

“We have a good mix of skill and grit up front,” Samuelssaid. “I think we will be able to match a lot of teams in the league from askill standpoint.”

Samuels knows nothing will come easy in the first season,and yet, he believes his team has a chance to be one of the more competitiveteams in the league if it works hard as a team.

Western States Hockey League: Valencia Flyers hope to rejoin postseason pack

2011-09-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

By Brian Lester

Joceyln Langloisis in his first season as the head coach of the Valencia Flyers.

He brings withhim 10 years of professional hockey experience, including four years in the CentralHockey League, and is excited about the opportunity in front of him.

"I love the game and I’m looking forward to the season,” Langlois said. “Myfocus in the off-season was to familiarize myself with the league and thecaliber of play, so that I could recruit the right players and form a team thatcould be competitive in this league. I want my team to be the hardest-workingand most intense team in the league.”

One of the biggest challenges Langlois will face in his first season is gettingthe Flyers back into postseason contention. He believes it is a realistic goalif the Flyers use teamwork every time they are on the ice.

“The key is going to be working together as a team and following the teamsystems,” Langlois said. “We also have to work hard day in and day out. It’sbeen awhile since Valencia has been to the playoffs. Our goal is to get therethis year.”

Langlois has also stressed to his team the importance of playing smart andplaying within a role.

“We have to be able to play disciplined hockey and do the little things right,”Langlois said. “Everyone in our system has to play a role. If we do that, we’llhave success.”

Langloisbelieves his team has good speed and should be able to move the puck well upand down the ice.
Aside from wins and losses, Langlois also wants to make sure his players arealways taking steps forward in the game of hockey.

“My goal is to teach these young men what it takes to advance in this game,”Langlois said. “I want them to keep developing and I want to promote them asmuch as possible.”

A Great and powerful venture

2011-09-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Great Lakes Junior Hockey League re-brands with new direction in Tier-3 market

By Joshua Boyd

Waves crash against sheer cliffs. Lighthouse beacons flash their reassuring light. An endless horizon of blue water.

Add in the Great Lakes’ sheer size and importance to commerce and you’d think you were talking about the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. The lakes and the states and provinces surrounding them are like a sovereign nation in and of themselves, and the people are similarly independent minded folk not afraid to express their opinions. Gerry Lullove, a native of the Great Lakes region who has spent all of his life in Michigan, has some strong opinions about the Tier-3 junior league that calls this region home, the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League.

"In 2008, I had a Tier-3 Jr. A team in the Central States Hockey League [now the NA3HL] and I wanted to start a feeder system for these CSHL teams," said Lullove, owner of the Motor City Chiefs. "Nine of the 12 teams weren’t interested. So, myself, Mark Hammersmith, owner of the Chicago Hitmen at the time, and Terry Kucharski, owner of the Michigan Ice Dogs moved on."

The GLJHL, of which Lullove is also commissioner, has recently seen its Jr. B classification fall away with USA Hockey’s cancellation of the "sub-classification" of the three tiers. Now, the league carries the same classification as longtime leagues such as the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL), Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and Western States Hockey League (WSHL).

With this new identity as simply Tier-3, the GLJHL has rolled out a new look logo and wants to start over. At the same time, the league also wants to promote the experience in junior (and even pro) hockey its Board of Directors can offer to a hockey player looking to move up in his career.

"The great advantage of the GLJHL is the proximity of teams available for players," said Mark Vichorek, coach of the Central Wisconsin Saints. "A lot of good players have been overlooked by the USHL and the NAHL and this gives them an opportunity for greater exposure. Several Division 1 schools, as well as Division 3 schools, now have a greater opportunity to see these kids play and it is close to their campuses."

The league actually started out as a Jr. C circuit, jumping out with seven teams in Year 1, the 2008-09 season. That was also the first season four former Jr. B leagues across the country (WSHL, CSHL, Minnesota Junior League and Northern Pacific League) became Tier-3 Jr. A circuits.

The GLJHL made sure not to get lost in the junior hockey shuffle, as one of its member teams, the Chicago Huskies, went out and won the USA Hockey Jr. C National Championship right off the bat in 2009.

USA Hockey had seen enough. In January of that first season, before the Huskies even went to Nationals, the Junior Council recognized that these teams were operating at a much higher level than Jr. C. The GLJHL was granted Tier-3 Jr. B status well ahead of the 2009-10 season and, Lullove points out, was exempted from the usual waiting period of two years at the Jr. C level.

For that second year and its first as a Jr. B league, the GLJHL added two more teams and stood at nine. Two of its teams, the Chicago Huskies and the Lakes Cup (league playoff) champion Michigan Mountain Cats, made their Jr. B Nationals debut. The Huskies were able to tie Maksymum Hockey for the first Jr. B Nationals point by a GLJHL team, not to mention putting forth a great showing for the infant league against a team from the well-established Empire Junior Hockey League.

More teams wanted what the GLJHL had to offer, leaving other leagues to join the circuit and bring the membership to 11 teams for 2010-11. The Michigan Ice Dogs and Lakes Cup winner Chicago Hitmen (now known as the Bulldogs) made the trip to Marlboro, Mass., for the Jr. B Nationals. There, the Hitmen earned the league’s first Jr. B Nationals win, an 8-2 defeat of the Walpole Express, a team from another well-established Jr. B circuit, the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League.

New look, same ideals

Approaching the 2011-12 season, the league welcomed its 12th team, the Kalkaska Roughnecks.

As evidence of its junior hockey “cred,” one of the Roughnecks owners who was attracted to the league is Reid Simpson. Simpson played 301 NHL games, including 91 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Also carrying NHL experience, Indianapolis Inferno head coach Rocky Trottier played two seasons with the New Jersey Devils. Their pro hockey acumen should help to show prospective junior players this league is serious about player development and advancement by the hundreds.

The league is also committed to not taking players and their parents for a financial ride down a slippery slope.

“We’re doing this for a lot less. We control costs by controlling travel, only allowing teams in states bordering the Great Lakes,” said Lullove. “We use our scouting showcases as crossover games between the divisions. The average price for a season is anywhere between $4,500 and $6,000 per year. There are teams out there charging $9,000 or more – for what?”

Lullove projects that the league will stay at 12 teams, allowing the league to pick up more quality players and enhance its reputation among the junior hockey leagues.

Chicago Jr. Bulldogs owner Ken Kestas likes the number of squads in the league.

“The mere fact that there are 12 teams in the GLJHL this year is a great reason. Some of the older, established leagues only have four or five teams in their division which means, in a 44 game schedule, these teams would play each other 10 times,” said Kestas. “The greater number of teams in your league and divisions establishes a greater diversity of talent and coaching philosophy.”

No more “alphabet soup” in Tier- 3 will be a big help toward that end, Lullove said.

“We’re very happy the letter labels are off,” Lullove added. “This new format puts the burden back on the leagues to sell what they do. We’ve been very successful the last three years selling what we do and backing up what we say we will do.”

With the new letter-less format, the league decided to move forward with a new logo. The Board of Directors felt the league is now strong enough it doesn’t need to “put the Great Lakes states logo in people’s faces anymore.”

Taking out the states image, the league also shows it is welcoming players from all across the country, not just the upper Midwest.

“We’re letting people know in other parts of the country, this is what we do – we’re cost effective and we’re still teaching the game,” said Lullove. “We’re lucky to have former NHL players who are either owners or coaches, as well as former NCAA Division 1 players as coaches.”

“We’ll brand ourselves and people will know what to expect, just like they see a soft drink logo and they know what that taste is by the brand,” he added.

The GLJHL has recently added a Director of Canadian Scouting to bring some players from north of the border into a system that could eventually deliver them to U.S. college hockey.

“There are 730 [amateur] American players in Canada and only something like 275 Canadians playing in the U.S.

There’s something wrong with that,” Lullove said.

The GLJHL is also, for now, staying independent of any direct affiliations with other leagues. Individual teams may have affiliations, but the GLJHL is not a feeder for any one league.

“We felt that an affiliation restricts the players in their movement,” said Lullove.

“We’ll promote players to any league they want to go to.” In an area of North America that was once the frontier for two countries, the GLJHL sees itself as a pioneer in manufacturing its own success on its name, and no longer on “alphabet soup.”

A team-by-team introduction to the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League

St. LouisFrontenacs

The Frontenacs were founded by current general manager and former head coach Kory Haywood and his coaching staff.

The first-year team, then known as the Illinois Frontenacs, won the inaugural Lakes Cup in 2009 and finished third that year in the Jr. C Nationals.

Currently, the Frontenacs have advanced more than two-dozen players on to higher-level junior hockey or the college level, including Tyler Parks of the Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL).

Head coach Roger Lewis, a former St. Louis Jr. Blues (NA3HL) player, joins the Frontenacs after 10 years behind the bench of Triad High School, in Troy, Ill. He is focused on a return to Junior Nationals.

Central Wisconsin Saints

Joe Zuniga, along with his wife Diane (both co-owners of the Saints), got into hockey along with their sons when they started playing in White Bear Lake, Minn. Since then, they have helped build rinks in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Behind the bench for the Saints is Mark Vichorek, also a Minnesota native. Vichorek has played in the USHL, Division 1 college (Lake Superior State) and pro experience, winning a Turner Cup in the old IHL. Since retiring, he has coached at the NCAA, minor pro, junior and high school levels. The Saints have helped 13 Saints players move on to college and Canadian Jr. A.

Chicago Bulldogs

Formerly known as the Chicago Hitmen, the Bulldogs come into this season as technically the reigning champions of the GLJHL, as the Hitmen won the 2010-11 title. That earned the team its second straight trip to the Jr. B Nationals.

Back in 2009, as the Chicago Huskies, the organization won the Jr. C National Championship, so the squad has an impressive banner collection in a short time.

Head coach Tom Clarke has 15 years of experience in amateur hockey, including the above Lakes Cup, Illinois High School Coach of the Year honors and a top four finish at the Peewee AA National Championships.

Fort Wayne Federals

Kevin Shupenia jokes in his bio that he started hockey "late" in Canada, at the age of 8. After playing juniors in the Edmonton area, he later moved to the Chicago area in the mid-1980s.

Shupenia has coached at youth levels from squirt through midget and now enters his fourth junior coaching season and second with the Federals.

Shupenia led the Chicago Huskies to the Jr. C title in 2009 and, after a return trip in 2010, he was given the opportunity to lead the new Fort Wayne franchise.

He will lead the Federals alongside former pro and Olympic player Konstantin Shafranov, of Kazakhstan.

Indianapolis Inferno

While coaching club hockey at Purdue University, Inferno co-owner Cameron Estes was involved in a Dec. 1, 2008 van accident in which student-athlete Andrew Jackson died, prompting Cameron towards a path in which he could lead players to higher levels of college hockey.

"Over three full seasons, the Inferno have moved more than 30 players to higher levels of hockey so they can follow their dreams," said Estes, who co-owns the team with Jamie Estes.

"A.J. is the reason we started this program and he is the reason we continue today and in the future."

Head coach Rocky Trottier offers the voice of NHL experience behind the Inferno bench.

Kalkaska Roughnecks

The Roughnecks, founded in 2010, looked to the top for experience in hockey to help lead the new team. Reid Simpson played 301 NHL games between 1992 and 2004, and he joined with former Canadian major junior player Dino Vulpitta and former player agent Deveri Del Core for the new Tier-3 junior squad.

"When we got together to do this, we wanted this team to be everything we wanted when Dino
and I played junior hockey," said Simpson.

The team has already entered into development agreements with teams in the Northern Ontario and North American junior leagues, showing the new team’s dedication to advancement.

Michigan Ice Dogs

For over a decade, the Michigan Ice Dogs have called the Wayne (Mich.) Community Center home.

However, the organization itself goes back 25 years under names such as the Royal Oak Royals, Belle Tire Jr. B’s and the Wayne Wheels, as they were first known at the WCC.

Tony Graham has been the coach for the Ice Dogs since 2008-09, and led the team to the USA Hockey Jr. B Nationals in 2011.

Current Bowling Green State University player Ted Pletsch once suited up for the Ice Dogs, and is among their most illustrious alumni.

Motor City Chiefs

The Chiefs have been owned by Gerry Lullove for 12 of the 27 years the team has been in operation.

On the bench for the Chiefs are head coach Jeff Bond and assistants Dan Vasquez and Pete Flynn. Bond has coached Team USA at the World Junior In-Line Championships the last four years, winning two golds and two silvers.

Vasquez has coached and scouted for various junior teams, while Flynn has experience at the Midget AAA and high school.

"Jeff believes that teaching the game and making a player better is more important than winning the game," said Lullove.

Mountain Cats

The Mountain Cats, one of the GLJHL’s representatives at the 2010 Jr. B Nationals, are led by a longtime contributor to travel hockey in Michigan, Travis Williams.

Williams, who spent 19 years at that level, has won two state championships with the Midland Northstars Midget team, with both of those teams making National Championship tournament appearances.

Owner/general manager Travis Brayan feels fortunate to be part of such a driven league.

"We treat our players with respect and loyalty so that they have good role models for the years ahead. We have expanded every year of our existence because of our motivation to make players and people better," he said.

Tri-City Icehawks

Up in Bay City, Mich., Art and Colleen Dore founded the Icehawks after seeing many of the top talent in the area move east to play junior hockey.

In order to further develop that talent, the team brought in a very accomplished coach in Stirling Wright.

Wright has coached in leagues as widespread as the Northern Pacific Hockey League, the WCHL (minor pro), and the English Premier League. He coached the Scottish National Team at one point in his long career.

"In order to be competitive, we need to have a full-time coach who does nothing but develop and train players," said Colleen Dore.

Wisconsin Rampage

John and Dawn Blankenship started the Rampage four years ago. John brings 16 years of coaching experience to the Rampage. He considers the Rex Plex facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., to be "a coach’s dream, with 26,000 square feet worth of a training facility under the same roof as the rink."

Assistant coach George Bessett doubles as a scout for the NAHL’s Fresno Monsters and the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Joining Blankenship and Bessett is Phill Ryan, also the team’s goalie coach.

"We want everything we possibly can have for our players, a world-class facility, a well-respected coaching staff and a quality league to play in," Blankenship said.

Wooster Oilers

The Oilers have five years of history, but are hoping they’ve finally found a consistent home after playing in several leagues before last year’s inaugural season in the GLJHL.

General manager and head coach Hart Duddy has been with the team for most of its existence.
Duddy started his junior coaching career with the East Coast Eagles, taking them to the USA Hockey Junior Nationals twice. Most recently, Duddy was named the Director of USA Scouting for the Port Hope Predators, a Jr. A team in Ontario.

Berney, a former Port Hope Predators assistant coach, has been Duddy’s assistant with the Oilers since 2008.

Stealing Thunder

2011-09-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Bandits fight Irene to get early start for training camp

Todd Stirling, head coach of the Boston Jr. Bandits, scrambled all day on Aug. 29, but was able to find ice for his team to begin its training camp.

Everyone not living on the moon has heard about Hurricane Irene and the damage it has done to most of New England let alone southern and western Massachusetts. Stirling, a Massachusetts native his whole life, has dealt with hurricanes in the past, but never has he endured the stress that Irene caused, simply because he wanted to start the Bandits off on the right foot.

Last season, Stirling took over the head coaching duties of the Bandits the day before the season started, so clearly he wanted things to start a little smoother this time around. As the ownership and Bandits coaching staff contemplated the team options, Kenny Andrade (the Boston Bandits’ new strength trainer) took the players through an off-ice training session at the Bridgewater Ice Arena.

The Boston Bandits are thrilled to have a former NHL trainer in Andrade with the organization as he worked previously with the Florida Panthers. He has also worked with the Florida Jr. Panthers and served honorably in the United States Army. It is somewhat of a homecoming for Andrade, as he graduated from Bridgewater State College.

After making a few calls, Stirling was able to secure a two-hour block of ice at the Canton Sports Complex for Aug. 29- 30. He had to dodge a few calls from other Eastern Junior Hockey League teams also trying to find ice in Bridgewater. The Bridgewater Ice Arena’s power was down for nearly two days and owner Ben Ewing was beginning to worry about losing the ice. At one point, the staff in Bridgewater was told they may not have power for a week. So Ewing decided that the only thing to do was to find a generator at all costs.

He was able to call a friend in Raynham that had a Kohler generator with a Detroit diesel engine just sitting on his farm. So Bridgewater Ice Arena staff hurried and assembled the generator to get the power back going and save the ice.

Although it did start the compressors and help keep the ice frozen, the lights didn’t come on until two days after the storm. Things were starting to get back to normal after unwanted guest Hurricane Irene had come through the Arena. Stirling ran extremely up-tempo practices while in Canton on Aug. 29- 30.

“I just wanted to get some flow going and see who could possibly play with whom, but at the same time get these kids in shape.” Stirling said. “We are bigger, stronger and especially faster this year and once our players get into game shape, we will be ready for the opener Sept. 8 against the Bay State Breakers, one of our top division rivals.” Fortunately, the Bandits were back on their home ice on Sept. 1, working on more flow drills and off-ice team building activities with Andrade.

Tomorrow, the Bandits will have a split team scrimmage, just a simple strategy for the kids to compete against each other.

“We are fortunate to have five lines and eight defensemen this year, so there will be non-stop on-ice competing to get into the lineup,” said coach Bryan Ewing.

New movement

The Boston Bandits return only six players so clearly the coaching staff wanted a fresh start. Although there are only six second-year Bandits, the team consists of 15 veteran Jr. A players from various leagues.

The Bandits this year brought in four former NAHL players, in Michael Cox (Fresno), Nick Indelicato (Owatonna), Zach Capozza (Kenai River) and Joe Horak (Janesville).

These weren’t just a bunch of scrubs either, as Cox led the way with 11 goals and 19 assists and Horak also had a solid year with four goals and 16 assists.

The Bandits are very excited about the experience this group brings to playing in such a high-paced league such as the Eastern Junior Hockey league.

Also, Stirling was able to bring in a couple players with EJHL experience. Peter Macintyre scored 15 goals and added 19 assists while playing in just 33 games with the South Shore Kings.

Former Valley Jr. Warrior Mike Miller will also be joining the Bandits. He brings along with him 14 points in just 22 games played. The Bandits are very excited about a player out of Oakland, Calif., named Louie Reed. He played for Taft School and it’s usually quite the project coming out of prep school and being thrown into high-level junior hockey. The coaching staff as a whole, however, feels that Reed is more than up to the task of patrolling the blue line on a regular basis.

Jake Picking, standing at 6-feet- 1-inch, is also out of the prep league coming from Governor’s Academy and he too will need to get used to the speed and physical play of junior hockey, but the staff feels he could be more than capable as well.

New Jersey Jr. Titans: Met League team flees Irene aftermath for Canada

2011-09-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dustin DePalma wanted to give the players on his Tier-3 junior hockey team a taste of what playing Junior A hockey in Canada is like.

So the coach took the New Jersey Junior Titans north of the border into Ontario early this month to play three exhibition games against Canadian junior teams and, as a bonus, watch a training camp session of the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League.

The bus trip took place a few days after preparations for Hurricane Irene and the storm itself cut the Junior Titans’ training camp in half from six to three days and caused the cancellation of the Red and Black intrasquad game.

All 23 players and two coaches – DePalma and assistant coach Randy Walker – went to Canada even though some players' homes still were without power when they left New Jersey.

“We thought briefly about cancelling the trip, but once the hurricane went through and everyone was all right, we went ahead with it,” DePalma said. “There was a lot of flooding, blocked roads and downed trees in our area (Howell, N.J.), but our new rink came through the storm just fine.”

After they arrived in Canada, the Junior Titans faced the Brockville Braves and Cornwall Colts of the Central Junior Hockey League in between a game against the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

They practiced on the Petes’ practice rink and watched the Petes work out at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

There’s a strong connection between the Junior Titans and Petes. Junior Titans alum Jack Walchessen just finished a five-year stint with the Petes that concluded with him serving as team captain last season.

All told, the Junior Titans spent nearly 24 hours on the bus during their six-day journey.

The Junior Titans will open their Metropolitan Junior Hockey League season over the Sept. 17-18 weekend when they participate in the Met Kickoff Showcase at the Revolution Ice Center in Pittston, Pa., hosted by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.

They’ll face the Washington Jr. Nationals on Sept. 17 and the new Richmond Generals on Sept. 18. Their home opener at the Howell Ice World is Sept. 30 against the Central Penn Panthers.

DePalma was the Met North Coach of the Year last season.

Capital District Selects: Getting down to business in wake of Irene

2011-08-31T12:50:00.001-07:00

After the last weekend of August, it was tough for Jim Salfi to think about hockey. However, he knew he had to get his mind on ice with a set of scrimmages in Providence, R.I., on Aug. 31 for his Capital District Selects team.

The Selects’ general manager and head coach of the Eastern Junior Hockey League squad was leaving the Albany area just days after heavy damage to properties and trees and high flooding beset the district.

“Some of the houses at the water level are completely flooded, restaurants on the waterfront are flooded,” said Salfi. “It was just awful to think a [tropical storm] could come in this far. There are some people stranded north in the state, who have all the roads to their town washed out.”

Salfi said the Selects are planning on an event to help raise money for relief efforts in New York State. While they work out the details on that, there’s a season to get underway and players to develop and promote to colleges.

After their scrimmages in Providence, the team heads up to Burlington, Vt. for the Woodchuck Classic, where they will play Canadian Jr. A teams the Wellington Dukes, the Vaughn Vipers and the Aurora Tigers. The Dukes won the 2011 Ontario Junior League championship.

It is going to be quite the “warm-up” for a very young and inexperienced Selects team, one returning only three players from last year’s tough 6-36-2-1 campaign in the EJHL.

Defenseman Ryan Gay, a 1991-born Nesconset, N.Y., resident, is in his third year with the Selects after originally playing for the Suffolk PAL squad that won the Jr. B National Championship in 2009. He is one committed player, having also played three years with Suffolk.

Through 81 EJHL games, he has 26 points, 19 of which came in 45 games last year.

Additionally, Nick Coppola, a 1992-born Malta, N.Y., resident, has been with the Selects organization since 2006, spending regular time with the Empire League Selects starting out. He split the 2009-10 season between the Empire and EJHL Selects before becoming a full-timer with the EJHL squad last season, scoring five points in 26 games.

Matt Batis, a 1992-born from Latrobe, Pa., was a first-year player for the Selects last year, but brings back a scoring touch, putting up 30 points in 45 games last season for Salfi’s crew. Salfi hopes Batis adds to those totals in Year 2 for Capital District.

“Batis had a really good last year, and was a 1992, which was young by the standards of the EJHL,” said Salfi.

From there, it’s a young crew mostly of kids from Midget AAA, former Jr. B teams and Tier-3 teams in Midwestern U.S. leagues.

“You don’t just step in and dominate in this league. These kids will see it is a big jump,” said Salfi. “We’ve got to be patient with these young guys, but there are potentially some good players there.”

Gay will be the leader of a defensive corps that Salfi hopes can improve upon the Selects’ league-worst 251 goals against.

“We’re trying to shore up our defense, that’s what we were concentrating on [in the recruiting season],” said Salfi said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, nothing prepares you for the offensive onslaught of a team like the Monarchs, with so much talent and great coaching. You can tell them and tell them, but they don’t believe it until they see the Monarchs face to face.”

With players from all over the country, it was tough to bring anyone in for the off-season EJHL Spring and Summer Showcases, where they might have gotten a glimpse of the top teams’ speed and offensive prowess.

“We’ve got kids from all over the country. We’ve finally got them all settled, and we’re still short a couple players,” said Salfi. “All you can do is work hard in practice and get better, and that’s what we’ve always done.”

The team will need a lot of practice, as there are some young players in the 1994 and 1995 birth years, along with “lots of” 1993’s. He has some older 1992-and 1991-born players “for physical strength and balance, but not a lot of them.”

The 2011-12 season officially begins on Sept. 17 when they play host to the South Shore Kings in a two-game set.

Suffolk PAL: Met League team ready to flex muscles

2011-08-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Suffolk PAL Ice Hockey squad is a staple in the top end of the standings in the Metropolitan League each year.

Assistant general manager/assistant coach Jim Wright sees no reason that will change here in 2011-12.

The last three years, the PAL (Pride in Athletics for Life) squad have won 37, 32 and 28 games, respectively, and Wright hopes the team will move the numbers back upwards.

“We’re always going to be consistent in our league. The junior hockey climate changes every year, and the ages have gone down for the players. We are starting off younger this year,” said Wright. “We do have good returning players to anchor the team this year.”

Russian imports Dzmitry Daniliuk and Nikita Sokolov are two 1994-born skaters returning for another season at defense and forward, respectively. They will continue to soak up the valuable hockey lessons of their fellow countryman, PAL head coach Aleksey Nikiforov.

“We’re hoping to move those guys up maybe even halfway through the season. They both want to play at Tier-1 [United States League],” said Wright.

Christopher Makowski is another younger player (1995-born) who had a great impact on the 2010-11 PAL, with 26 points in 30 games, and is back for another go-round with Nikiforov’s squad.

The 1994-born Santino Ragone got a taste of Met League hockey last year and will be expected to be a leader as a forward this time around.

Brian Boser and Ryan McCarthy are two older players (1993 and 1991, respectively) who are also returning to the fold this year.

Incoming for this season is Jay Arbour, grandson of Al Arbour, head coach of the New York Islanders’ early-1980s Stanley Cup dynasty.

“He’s an up-and-coming player we’re looking at as a 1994-born,” said Wright.

The team lineup has not been close to finalized yet, as the New Jersey Titans Junior Showcase over the Sept. 9-11 weekend will help the team to make further decisions for both the PAL’s Met and CHA squads.

The PAL’s squad in the Met League typically gets off to a slow start, as the team has to learn to play together and learn to play in Nikiforov’s demanding system.

“We play a little more open style, so we start out and our goals against are five or six a game,” said Wright. “Then we hunker down more. Our training camp [in August and September] is a little bit like cramming for an exam, but we’ve found that to be the best strategy for us.”

Florida Jr. Blades: Team returns firepower from Nationals squad

2011-08-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Not too many teams get to go to a National Championship in their first season, but the Florida Junior Blades proved it’s definitely possible.

The Blades not only reached the USA Hockey Jr. B Nationals last year, they went undefeated at the tournament, missing out on the final four by one tie. The Blades beat the Empire League’s Syracuse Jr. Stars and tied both the Empire’s Junior Bruins and the CHA’s Metro Moose.

“We’ve upgraded and added a lot of depth to our defense. At Nationals, we found we needed to get stronger on D. Of our eight defensemen, all four can compete for top four spots,” said Blades general manager and head coach Tad O’Had.

Last year, the Blades scored plenty, finishing in the top five for goal scoring in the Met League last year, and players and fans can expect more offensive fireworks. The coaching staff just wants to add more diversity to what the team has to offer.

“When the season ended, and it was a great inaugural season, one of the promises we made to those guys was we’ll be even better than last year,” said O’Had. “We have fourth and fifth lines that could compete for second line minutes and we’ve loaded up on D and added to our goaltending corps.”

There are a total of 11 players returning to the team from last year’s Blades team.

“We’re stocked with a great deal of talent,” said O’Had.

Josh Koerner, a 1993-born Montgomery, N.Y. resident, returns after a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010-11. He joins West Palm Beach, Fla., resident J.T. Larmoyeux, who scored 18 goals and 49 points last season, and fellow Floridians Jonathan Davidson and Troy Degler as returning forwards.

Joining this group will be several new players, including D.J. Thomas from the Tampa Bay Juniors and Eryn Siracusa from the Space Coast Hurricanes.

At defense, Met League All-Star James Hyatt, a 1992-born Coral Springs, Fla., resident, will return to lead on the blue line, along with newcomer Ty Lasker, out of Pembroke Pines, Fla., who played for the Bay State Breakers in the Empire League last year.

In goal, Joe Keyser was the No. 1 in net last year, playing in 24 of 36 Met League games and registering a .923 save percentage. He’s back, and will fight to keep the top spot with newcomers Bryan Canter, from Maryland, and Eric Sugrue, from Naples, Fla.

New England Jr. Huskies: Jenkins, Lafrenier take Huskies hockey to Russia

2011-08-25T09:49:00.001-07:00

“It’s a mix of being excited and freaking out, making sure I have everything.”

These were the words of an excited Mikael Lafrenier the night before he joined his new coach Paul Jenkins and 21 other players, New Hampshire Monarchs coach Sean Tremblay and other staff en route to Russia.

Lafrenier was the Huskies’ player representative on the EJHL Selects team heading to a tournament in Omsk, Russia, beginning Aug. 30 and ending Sept. 3.

“I was surprised that I got selected for it. I thought the tryout was really good and I was glad I got the chance to play,” Lafrenier added.

Tremblay is the head coach of the Selects, with Jenkins as assistant coach, the Boston Bandits’ Eric Elder as trainer. EJHL commissioner Bob Mainhardt also made the trip.

“It’s a tough time of year,” said Jenkins. “It’s right when we are all starting our preseason camps, so not everyone was enthralled with going or sending the best players. I do think it’s a great experience.”

Lafrenier, an Addison, Ill., resident who played last season for the New Mexico Mustangs in the NAHL.

“I wanted to come east because there’s so much college exposure out here,” said Lafrenier. “I have a good friend who coaches in the CHA [Tony DeSilva, of the Massachusetts Maple Leafs] and he introduced me to Coach Jenkins. I’ve done summer tournaments with Tony’s teams.”

Jenkins is glad that now Lafrenier will also have exposure to NHL teams, who will surely send Russian-based scouts to the 2011 Junior World Cup.

“He’s a good defenseman, he moves the puck extremely well. He’s going to be a really good player,” said Jenkins. “He’s going to love the exposure. There are already people talking to me about him.”

Lafrenier sees himself as an offensive defenseman, but he didn’t get as much of a chance to show those skills on an offensively challenged Mustangs team last year.

“I make good, hard passes, I like moving the puck up and I have a good shot from the point,” said Lafrenier. “When I was younger, I played forward. I only moved back to D about three years ago, so I still tend more towards offense.”

As for his next stop after the Huskies, he’s really open to any opportunity that presents itself.

“I’m just looking for a good, solid Division 1 school. Whatever will be the best hockey and academic situation for me, that is what I will take,” he added.

Northern Jr. Cyclones: Experience a defining trait for new season

2011-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Bill Flanagan likes to live in the moment.

The general manager and head coach of the Northern Cyclones’ two teams in the Atlantic and Metropolitan Junior Leagues isn’t one for predicting on what’s to come in the new season.

He’ll reserve judgment once pucks are sliding on the ice and time is ticking away on scoreboards, with the season fully underway.

All he could say for an indication of what one might expect from the Atlantic Junior squad is that the team is loaded with experienced players who will benefit from a full 2010-11 season and a trip to the Tier-3 Jr. A Nationals.

This group of veterans includes forwards Zach Popp, Sean Swansen, Max Balaban, Patrick Lebeau, Joey Bruckler and Charles Bando, defensemen Jared Henderson and Shaughn Shields and goalie J.J. Solloway.

“We’ve got a good core of guys coming back, guys who enjoyed success last year,” said Flanagan. “Going through all of last season and playing significant minutes and then playing in Nationals, that should be huge.”

Looking at the forwards, Balaban, a 1991-born forward from San Diego, Calif., was a point-per-game producer during the regular season last year, putting up 44 points in as many contests. Popp, a 1991-born Schenectady, N.Y., resident, also came in handy on many occasions, putting in 32 points

Swansen, a 1991-born out of Salem, N.H., has played in 110 games already in a Cyclones sweater, between the AJHL and MJHL since 2008-09. His experience will constantly be called upon this season.

“The offense will be committee this year. The Cyclones have always scored a lot of goals and this year should be no different,” said Flanagan.

Henderson is also from Salem and also carries three years of experience with the Cyclones organization. He will be a leader on the blue line. This will be his third full season with the AJHL squad after scoring 46 points in 44 games as a defenseman last year.

Shields joined the Cyclones from the Washington Jr. Nationals last year and contributed four points and stand-up defensive work through 20 games.

Solloway, a 1992-born goalie from Derry, N.H., played in five games for the Cyclones last year, but will be called upon for more this season.

“He’ll see significant playing time,” said Flanagan. “Coming out of high school, it was a humungous jump, a year of adjustment for him. He’s already looked good in the preseason and he should be one of our top guys.”

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Waterville Valley is garden to grow new teams

2011-08-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

To prepare Boston Junior Bulldogs players for the long seven months ahead, and to give them a reminder of what summer felt like, Mike Addesa has long utilized both the man-made and natural resources of Waterville Valley in New Hampshire.

The general manager of the Bulldogs, who will ice two teams in each of the Atlantic and Metropolitan Junior Hockey Leagues, always loves the weeks either in late August or early September when the organization congregates in the White Mountain resort town.

“There are beautiful mountains and streams, a lake, it’s all very countrified,” said Addesa. “There’s a quaint little arena near the town square. It’s a great place to begin again. Players from both our teams will be together up there, so it’s great for team bonding. We always have great feedback from our alumni, who unanimously mention Waterville Valley in their recollections of playing for the Bulldogs.”

The Bulldogs’ Waterville Valley training camp will take place from Sept. 4-9.

“This is like when the starter shoots the gun to begin the race. It puts you in a great frame of mind to help nurture the excitement of something that will be a great challenge,” Addesa added.

On the schedule for this year’s camp, besides the traditional on-and off-ice training and chalk talk, are activities such as mountain climbing, water polo in a spring-fed lake in the town, a 9-hole golf tournament and a 22-mile mountain biking ride.

“They’ll be busy, but they’ll be relaxed,” said Addesa. “Hopefully, by the time we head down from Waterville Valley to the ICEnter in Salem, N.H., we’ll be ready to truly jump into the start of the AJHL and MJHL seasons.”

It will be an almost entirely new group of players making the trip up Interstate 93 to Waterville this month, as the 2010-11 AJHL Bulldogs moved 21 players on to colleges. Steve Buco (UMass-Lowell) and Keaton Cashin (Merrimack) led this group that also included Division 3 NCAA and American College Hockey Association advancements.

The team also has some new coaches helping Addesa with the two teams. Steve Plancey is a former Bulldog who recently graduated from Westfield State University, while Rich DeCaprio is a former D-1 player with Niagara who played in the NCAA tournament.

They will help with a new cast of MJHL players, as well as a reloaded AJHL team with the only returners being Chris Mastropietro, Andrew Bucci, Brad Conover and sole returning blueliner Tyler Bishop.

Portland Jr. Pirates: Defensive depth should power AJHL team

2011-08-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

Before you know it, it’ll be Sept. 17 and the Portland Jr. Pirates’ 2011-12 season will be underway. It’s coming fast.

Just short of a month earlier, Pirates general manager and Atlantic Junior League team head coach Brad Church wasn’t worried. He looked at his roster on paper and saw a team with plenty of experience at the junior level that should pick up where the Pirates left off last year, when they went 16-4 over their final 20 games.

“We’re excited about the team,” said Church, speaking for his coaching staff. “We’ve got about a dozen returning players from last year, so we’re looking forward to starting off where we finished. We had a great second half, so our players know what our expectations are.”

With “a handful of” players moving up from the Met League Pirates to join the 12 returning Atlantic League players, Church likes the fact a majority of this year’s team will be familiar with the way the organization works and its mandates.

Depth and overall team speed were cited as strengths, and a strong defensive corps will exhibit both of those qualities.

The 1992-born Mike Morrison is returning and will be looked to for leadership on the blue line. Cody Gamble, a 1993-born Texan, saw most of last season with the Met League Pirates (and four games in the AJHL), so his junior experience will be valued, as will the experience of Jake Horst, a regular with Laconia’s AJHL team last year.

Mike Barrio, who played in the Bay State Breakers’ organization, is also joining the D group, along with top high school player Matt Lee, from Waterville, Maine.

The forward group is looking pretty deep, as well, with plenty of experience returning in that area. Returning AJHL players Nick Luce (two years already under his blades), Tom Gildersleeve, Trevor Fleurent, Matt Wilkins and Brandon Reclusado, a San Jose, Calif., native born around the same time as the NHL’s Sharks, in 1991.

Up from the Met League are Zac Manning (37 points in 35 games) and Brendan Garvey. Other new forwards to watch are former Atlanta Knight Michael Farino, and junior rookies Nick Haggerty and Charlie Widmar.

In net, Patrick Salkind and Shane Robichaud are both back for the Pirates.

“They really solidified the net for us in the second half of last season,” said Church. “There’s a good, healthy competition between them and they’re both good, hard-working kids.”

The goal for 2011-12 is simple.

“Get a little better every day,” said Church. “If we maintain that goal throughout the season, we’ll do very well.”

Bay State Breakers: Squad amped up for 2011-12 season opener

2011-08-19T13:41:00.001-07:00

They used to simply knock on the door, but now it’s an all-out bang with clenched fists.

The Bay State Breakers have made the Eastern Junior League semifinals two of the last three seasons, so their intentions are clear.

This year’s team is put together to not only win a league championship, but also to give each player his best chance for college advancement.

“Overall, I think our team will compete everyday,” said Breakers general manager/head coach David McCauley, who open at home Sept. 15 vs. the Boston Junior Bruins. “We have a number of players returning from last year’s team which should help with leadership this year.”

The team had one big hole to fill on defense, as Brendan Corcoran moved on to Colgate University.

“That will be a big hit, but I think with the guys we have returning, and the addition of Ori Abramson, we should be fine,” said McCauley.

Abramson is a 1993-born resident of Toronto, Ont., who has spent the past two seasons in his home country playing for the Brampton Capitals of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

There, Abramson enjoyed some success, playing 94 games from 2009 through 2011, and scoring 30 points. He scored 24 of those in the 2010-11 season.

Only one goalie behind this defensive corps is returning, and that is Kyle MacDonald.

“He is the returner and he had some very good moments,” said McCauley, referring to the 1991-born goaltender.

Out of the renowned Xaverian Brothers High School program in Westwood, Mass., MacDonald put up a 2.63 goals-against-average in 20 EJHL games for the Breakers.

Working with him will be Jamie Murray and Matt LaParde. Murray “is a very capable goalie,” a 1991-born Scituate, Mass., resident who backstopped the Breakers’ Empire League team last year.

LaParde, standing 6-feet-4-inches, played for the Colorado Rampage Midget AAA team last year, so he’ll be a junior rookie in 2011-12.

Up front, the team has some nice depth with five returning players.

“They all will be counted on in big situations as some of the newcomers will add both depth and scoring,” said McCauley.

Bay State will be out to break the hold of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, winners of the last two EJHL playoffs. Every team loaded up to try to knock off the king of the hill, however, so there is no easy path to the finals.

“I like the league a lot,” said McCauley. “I think the footprint makes for a competitive league where any team any night can beat you if you do not show up.”

Boston Jr. Blackhawks: England's Pascoe will be 'D' leader

2011-08-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

The International Junior Hockey League always lives up to its name, and the Boston Jr. Blackhawks like it just fine that way.

Especially when it allows them to bring in a player like Josh Pascoe, who is likely to be one of the new leaders of the Blackhawks’ defense here in 2011-12.

When Blackhawks general manager Rich Salsman met with Pascoe, the youngster from the United Kingdom remembered a trip to the Boston area three years earlier. Wanting to go back, and knowing how many Division 1 and 3 colleges are in the region, it was a no-brainer for Pascoe to make the trip overseas this September to play for the Blackhawks.

Pascoe, a 6-foot-1-inch, 175-pound defenseman, was heavily recruited. On a Blackhawks team “loaded with talent,” Salsman said, Pascoe will lead the D corps and help in front of three new goalies, Ian Freeman, Vladimir U and Andrew Underwood.

“'I loved Boston and was destined to come and play there,” Pascoe said.

Last year’s All-IJHL defensemen Marek Kepals and Mike Hoy moved on to the NAHL, so there was plenty of room on the blue line. Along with Pascoe are newcomers Andrew Taylor, Christian Sarrzin, Jordan Jones, Pavel Bocharov, Will Parlon and IJHL veteran Johnny Barkhouse (formerly of the Maine Moose).

Salsman was wondering, three weeks before the Hawks’ Sept. 11 opener, how to make up the 66 goals scored last year by Vadim Kravchenko, expected to play with the NAHL’s Texas Tornado.

“The first issue with the 2011-2012 Blackhawks is firepower,” said Salsman, referring to Kravchenko’s empty shoes.

Luckily for the Hawks, Salsman runs what he calls “high octane offensive systems,” so there’s a good chance this team will still be all over the opposition.

Returning Blackhawk Ryan Drizen will help to lead a group that also includes Jean-Phillipe Bouchard, Craig Nielsen and Cody Cesarz.

There is a whole crew of Russian forwards ready to carry that nation’s flag for the Hawks, including Alexander Lysyuk, Vladimir Ananin, Egor Volkov, Victor Borskiiy, Sergey Kutzenvilli, Konstantin Ambramovich, Yaroslav Sanzharveskaya and returning Hawk Evgeny Schegolev.

“The 19 promoted players from last year, including All-Star Sergey Voronin, who is pursuing pro options, will be hard to replace,” said Salsman. “Playing in the IJHL’s New England Division leaves no nights off, as our 33-13-9 record last season was only good for third place. Every team brings in a wagon of talent to battle against night after night.”

Southern Rock

2011-08-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

New EJHL South league created to improve player pool in Southeast U.S.

By Joshua Boyd

How about some sweet tea and barbecue as refreshments for a hockey game?

Attendees going to games played by teams in the new EJHL South junior league might just see those items on the refreshment stand menu. Why not celebrate hockey as a truly southern thing?

After all, according to USA Hockey’s Annual Guide from 2010-11, the Southeast District of USA Hockey saw the largest player increase since 2004-05 (33,451) to 2009-10 (39,807), a year over year increase of 6,356 players. During the same span, more “traditional” hockey districts like Michigan and Massachusetts saw decreases of over 4,000 and 1,000 players, respectively.

With that in mind, members of both the Eastern Junior Hockey League and the defunct Southeast Junior Hockey League (SEJHL) decided to create a league in the Southeast district that will aim to function at what was formerly known as the Tier-3 Jr. A level.

The main goal: keep the best southern hockey players in the South, allowing them to develop there towards a college hockey career.

“Players in the south typically follow three routes – they lose interest in hockey, they move out of town at 15 or 16 and go to prep school, or they leave at 15 or 16 to go play junior hockey in another district,” said David Falkenstein, a member of the Board of Directors of the EJHL South and president of league member Atlanta Jr. Knights.

“The whole idea of junior hockey is to give those kids a chance to play near home,” he added. “Every footprint of junior hockey had a Jr. A-level product, except the Southeast. If you look at player registration numbers, this was a district that was so underserved.”

With the single-letter classifications taken out of junior hockey after the 2010- 11 season, leagues will have to promote themselves on the strength of their product alone. The Eastern Junior Hockey League’s product is one that has sent hundreds of players on to Division 1 college hockey, and hundreds more to the Division 3 level, the Tier-2 North American Hockey League and the Tier-1 United States Hockey League.

To be clear, the seven teams that make up the EJHL South – the Knights, Florida Eels, Tampa Bay Juniors, Palm Beach Hawks, Junior Hurricanes, East Coast Eagles and Hampton Roads Whalers – are not members of the EJHL, but rather affiliated members that are gaining the EJHL infrastructure to build the brand in the South.

The EJHL has extended its reputable brand to help the new league gain some attention in the junior hockey world as its own Tier-3 circuit. The Northeast U.S.-based EJHL will also include the EJHL South teams in its showcases, and schedule games against EJHL South teams (exhibitions for EJHL teams, league games for EJHL South teams).

EJHL South teams also entered their developmental teams as members of the Empire Junior Hockey League, which has long been the “farm league” for EJHL teams.

The EJHL perspective

“With the creation of the EJHL South, we saw an opportunity for the EJHL to use its brand, experience, and structure to help further develop a non-traditional market, giving more young people the opportunity to play this great game of hockey,” said EJHL commissioner Bob Mainhardt. “We were very impressed with the motivation and unity of the members of the EJHL South. The respect demonstrated by this group towards the EJHL, coupled with their commitment to follow the blueprint developed by our league, was a big plus.

“The EJ South approached us looking for nothing more than guidance and direction to help develop their home region, and from their inquiry grew a great partnership,” Mainhardt added. Falkenstein added that most of this year’s EJHL South teams will include returning players from these organizations’ teams in last year’s South Conference of the Metropolitan Junior League. The Empire teams will consist of returning players from the former SEJHL squads.

Last year, the Met League Palm Beach Hawks were in the final four of the Tier 3 Jr. B National Championships and the Met League Atlanta Knights went 2-2 in that tournament.

“The jump is not that significant, from the Met League to some of the Tier-3 [former Jr. A] leagues in the country,” Falkenstein said. “The jump from the Met to the EJ is a big jump, but I think we can compete at a lower level of the EJ.”

“There will be some skepticism behind any move like this and I feel like other leagues are now scrambling to keep up with us, as opposed to the way it has previously been,” added Hampton Roads Jr. Whalers head coach Erik Blasé. “We can now offer our players the benefit of playing in front of the top college programs in the country.”

Thinking bigger

Prior to the formation of the EJHL South, the existing teams did not have any delusions of grandeur. They were originally content to remain at what was the Jr. B level for the 2011-12 season.

“I was trying to find a partner for the SEJHL, but I knew it would be difficult,” said Falkenstein.

“I contacted Don Kirnan [Empire League commissioner] and Henry Lazar [New York Apple Core GM/coach] about whether they might be willing to partner with us in the Empire League or Continental Hockey Association.

“I got a conference call one night from the two of them and they said ‘Your teams have shown they can compete with the Alevel teams. You’re setting your sights too low,’” Falkenstein said. “Henry and Don brought it to Bob Mainhardt and he had the vision to say ‘This can be done.’”

There were conditions, however, but they were all designed to make the EJHL South one of the best Tier-3 leagues in the country.

“Bob told us, ‘If you raise the level of play in the league and raise the level of your infrastructure, you’ll be successful.

We’ll partner with you and make you a member of our organization,’” said Falkenstein.

The showcase and exhibition games between EJHL South and EJHL teams are expected to serve as a measuring stick for the EJ South squads, showing both the owners and players what it takes to operate and perform at the highest level in Tier-3. The EJHL is right up there every year with the NAHL in terms of college commitments, so there’s a high peak to climb toward.

“Obviously, some EJHL South teams will be more competitive than others in their first year,” said Mainhardt. “We want players from the Southeast to know that they can stay home to develop, and this will take time and hard work to develop this across the league. We have a handful of top-notch talent coming from this region playing for the EJHL, U.S. NTDP, USHL and other top leagues.”

Falkenstein is hoping his Knights and the other EJHL South teams can get “one or two” players who could easily play on a top EJHL team like the New Hampshire Monarchs or Boston Junior Bruins.

“What we have is an aspiring group of players whose whole purpose in being associated with these organizations is the opportunity to play in the EJHL showcases and be seen,” said Falkenstein.

“We’re getting the 19-and 20-year-olds who have their sights set on playing college hockey.”

East Coast Eagles general manager/ head coach Lincoln Flagg has EJHL experience, having held the same positions with the New England Jr. Coyotes (now known as the Springfield Jr. Pics).

“Having spent 14 seasons as a GM and coach in the EJHL, I know the caliber of talent needed to compete at that level,” said Flagg. “We have had to go out and find a higher level of skilled player, an older group of players and players that have strong hockey sense.” Brett Strot, owner, GM and head coach of the Tampa Bay Juniors, said he has put on the miles in preparation for Year 1 of his team’s membership in the EJHL South.

“Scouting has definitely brought us to different showcases and NAHL and USHL camps to find the higher quality of players so we can get to that EJHL level,” said Strot. “Our goal in the future is to use primarily Florida and Tampa kids, but until then, it’ll take time to develop that talent closer to home.”

For now, it’s all about greater exposure for the EJHL South players, added Palm Beach GM/head coach John Ambrefe.

“Being from the Boston area, I understand the importance of exposing the kids to the colleges, the northern [EJHL] teams, the USHL,” he said. ”Exposure is the main reason we decided to join these other teams in this unanimous decision.”

A bright future

Part of the deal of the EJHL South teams using the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s brand is to live up to that name, and potentially someday, be part of the EJHL proper.

“Our long term plan is to continue to strengthen this affiliation into a full partnership as we continue to work together to improve hockey opportunities for our youth,” said Mainhardt. “We will certainly walk before we run by taking intelligent, calculated steps forward in our relationship. Some of these steps may include increased games versus EJHL opponents, EJ South participation in EJHL playoffs, and ultimately, full membership in the EJHL.”

The relationship will be evaluated by the EJHL Board of Directors after each
season.

“We are not sure how long it will take to make any of these steps forward, but we are confident that, with the full commitment and cooperation from our friends in the EJHL South, we are doing a service for hockey as a whole and the future looks bright for young hockey players in the Southeast,” Mainhardt added.

“It’s got to be proven on the ice and off the ice,” Falkenstein reiterated. “It’s not just a matter of winning, you need the results of your players moving on to college [to be considered for EJHL membership]. That is why the EJHL is so successful. In Atlanta, we have a dozen kids in NCAA and another 20 or so in Division 1 of the American College Hockey Association.

“We don’t have the targeted results right now, but we want to get there – that is the commitment of these seven teams, to not just compete in the EJHL, but also compete in that league in terms of player advancement,” Falkenstein added.

The proving ground will definitely be up north, and Florida Eels GM/head coach Frank Scarpaci understands that.

“I think, in time, the EJHL teams will be willing to come to Florida to play in some tournaments and, eventually, games,” said Scarpaci. “The EJHL model calls for closer proximity to venues. It was the SEJHL that made this move and it is on our dime to make the investment.

Here and now, the EJHL teams will play us in northern showcases and, as the years advance, greater interest will evolve to migrate south for some games.” Shawn Ray, the GM and head coach of the Junior Hurricanes, joins Flagg in having EJHL coaching experience (with the Apple Core) and he has a long-term plan to give those EJHL teams a fight as soon as he gets the players in place to do so.

“I am trying to build a team where I can compete with the teams up north,” he said. “There is a three-year plan for a lot of our [EJHL South] teams. I want to be recognized as having one of the top programs, and get back to where I was when I was with the Apple Core.”

The stage is set, the players are in place and now it’s time to see how this epic undertaking unfolds. Cut a slice of sweet potato pie and sit tight – it’s going to be a good ol’ time.

Getting to know the teams of the EJHL South

2011-08-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Jr. Knights

Head on down to the Marietta Ice Center in Georgia, and you’ll see a pretty impressive banner collection. The Knights have won a Jr. C National Championship (2010), they were runners-up in 2009 and they were semifinalists in 2008. At the Jr. B level, they were runners-up to the champion New York Apple Core in 2010, the best year for the organization.

“For the Knights, the EJHL South is a continuation of trying to create the EJHL model in Atlanta these last three years,” said GM David Falkenstein. “There was always that nagging question – will colleges take our kids seriously, playing Junior B? Every kid we’ve sent to the NCAA has started for his team as a freshman.”

Falkenstein believes that the Knights landed “80 percent of the top players in the Atlanta market” for his team this year, thanks to the added recruitment strength of the EJHL South brand name.

East Coast Eagles

The Eagles call the Factory Ice House in Wake Forest, N.C. home, nestled in the “Research Triangle” that includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

The Eagles’ proudest years included 2007 through 2009, when they made three straight appearances at the Jr. C Nationals. Two Eagles teams competed
in the ’08 tournament. The EJHL South is a sort of homecoming for Eagles coach Lincoln Flagg, who coached in the EJHL for 14 years.

“The ownership of the [EJHL] has done a great job of providing a venue for junior players to play at a high level, with tremendous coaches, in front of college and pro scouts,” said Flagg. “Our opinion is we have begun a marriage with the EJHL and the EJHL South, which by the way has the same characteristics as far as infrastructure, ownership and coaches, as the EJHL. That will continue to grow and get stronger over the years.”

Palm Beach Hawks

On the East Coast of Florida, Boston transplant John Ambrefe has built a hockey empire in a short time. The Hawks (formerly the Predators) rose up from a non-playoff team in Year 1 of their Met League existence to winning the Met South Division championship in 2010-11 and reaching the final four at the Jr. B Nationals back in March. Ambrefe hopes the EJHL South era brings even more success, both in titles and in player advancement.

“We have everything here in Palm Beach to build a top-notch program,” said Ambrefe. “We’ve recruited from California to Vermont, and we also have two very good Russian boys on our EJHL South team and a Canadian and a Finnish boy on the Empire team. I think we’ll compete against the middle to bottom half of the EJHL teams.” Ambrefe likes to treat all prospects that come through the Palm Beach program equally.

“D-3 prospects are equally as important as D-1 prospects in our system,” he said.

Junior Hurricanes

Located in Rockledge, Fla., 15 miles from Cape Canaveral, the Hurricanes brought home the Jr. C National Championship in 2006-07. Shawn Ray and his staff have been beating the bushes for the best players to help the ’Canes back to the national tournament. Having the initials EJHL in the name of the team’s new home league has helped in the recruiting process.

“I think many leagues and other organizations would love to have the opportunity to be affiliated with a league like the EJHL,” he added. “Having coached with the EJHL’s New York Apple Core, I miss that level, I miss the top players and recruiting them. Now I’m getting the opportunity to recruit top players again, so that’s why the ’Canes are on board.

“The EJHL has a great name and has carried itself well over 15 years, so we have to live up to that name,” he added.

Florida Eels

The Eels’ junior teams in the EJHL South and Empire Leagues are at the top of a very accomplished youth program in Fort Myers – its Midget 16 team was runner-up at the USA Hockey Tier-2 Nationals in 2004.

From this program basis, the team even saw R.J. Boyd drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010. Boyd is slated to skate with the USHL’s Indiana Ice this year. GM/head coach Frank Scarpaci would love to see more success stories like Boyd’s.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for players to gain enormous visibility and exposure at these EJHL showcase venues,” said Scarpaci, of the EJHL South’s inclusion in Eastern Junior Hockey League showcases. We thought 62 Eels alumni going to college were great numbers, and they are. However, with the new affiliation and showcases we expect to see the Eels, and all of our member teams, realize a greater recruitment of our Southeast players.”

Tampa Bay Juniors

The team from Tampa Bay, formerly known as the Jacksonville Ice Dogs in its previous home, has an illustrious history of its own featuring Nationals appearances and a NHL draft pick. The latter was Jacksonville native Brian Ferlin, who was selected by Boston just a couple of years removed from lighting up the Metropolitan Junior League.

The Ice Dogs made back-to-back appearances at the Jr. B Nationals in 2009 and 2010, going 2-1 in 2010. Tampa Bay’s founder, Brett Strot, is also the owner of Hockey International and its developmental training and testing programs. Ferlin is an obvious success story to the hard work Strot and his Florida staff has put in over the years. “The EJHL South will be a great opportunity for our players, providing a level of hockey we’ve been striving for,” he said. “This will have a trickledown effect through our youth programs, as young players will see what it takes to play at the top levels throughout the Southeast.”

Hampton Roads Jr. Whalers

Founded in 1998, the Whalers organization has made its name known at the Junior Nationals since playing at that level since 2006, out of the state-of-theart Chilled Ponds facility.

The Whalers won the CHA Jr. B title in 2008, reaching the Nationals at that level, and that squad’s developmental team played in the 2009 Jr. C Nationals, where the Whalers earned the tournament’s Team Sportsmanship Award. The Jr. C Whalers from the Southeast Junior League also made a Nationals run in 2010.

Erik Blasé, the organization’s SEJHL coach last year, is hoping to lead the Whalers into their EJHL South era with harpoon guns blazing.

“The amenities that we provide each player in our program such as Bon Secours InMotion Off Ice Strength and Conditioning Program, private weight rooms and individualized player academic profiling are second to none and will, without a doubt, help each and every player in our program reach their goals,” Blasé said.

Portland Jr. Pirates: Both squads feature wealth of net experience

2011-08-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

The experience is there, abilities are developing and now it’s time for a Portland Jr. Pirates goalie to take the starting job and run with it.

Pirates general manager and Atlantic Junior League head coach Brad Church feels extremely fortunate to have two experienced goalies coming back to the top squad in 2011-12, along with another experienced goalie returning to the Pirates’ Metropolitan League team.

Shane Robichaud and Patrick Salkind were staples with last year’s AJHL squad and they’ll be expected to lead the team this year. As to who gets the starts, it’s up to them.

“My intent this next year is to make them earn the net,” said Church. “If they’re both playing well, they’ll both earn the net. They have a healthy competition. They’re good friends and they help each other out during goalie sessions, but they know the net is there to compete for.”

Robichaud is a 1992-born resident of Rensselaer, N.Y. He saw scant action with both the New York Apple Core and the Green Mountain Glades of the Eastern Junior League, but it wasn’t until landing with the Pirates that he found his right situation.

He didn’t join full-time until January, as he was injured in an early-season practice and missed more than four weeks right from the beginning of the season.

“He’s a competitor. He works extremely hard in practice and in games. He never gives up on the puck in any situation,” said Church. “He’s a good, quality kid in the dressing room. The other players want to play hard in front of him.”

The Pirates picked up Salkind, a 1994-born Springfield, Va., resident, from the Washington Jr. Nationals. He played 15 games in 2010-11 behind Robichaud and Marcus Brodersson, the latter aging out of juniors after last season.

“Patrick is returning to us, he’s also a good goalie,” said Church. “He’s a little different from Shane. He’s not quite as big in stature, but he has quick feet, quick hands and he relies a little more on his reflexes and the key to him is his compete level.”

Tyler Tracy is returning for another season in the Metropolitan League Pirates’ net. Tracy, a 1994-born resident of Naples, Fla., put up a .922 save percentage in 14 games last year for the Met League Pirates.

“He was a pleasant surprise for us. We played him more than we intended to, but he improved tremendously over the course of the season,” said Church. “A lot of his success was due to his commitment to conditioning off the ice.”

Boston Shamrocks: Girls get opportunity to meet Mr. Stanley

2011-07-29T14:22:00.001-07:00

It may be the boys who play to win it, but the Stanley Cup is still held in the highest regard by female hockey players.

Members of the Boston Shamrocks U19 women’s team felt honored to have the greatest trophy in sports in their midst, thanks to Boston Bruins equipment manager Keith Robinson.

The Shamrocks share Ristuccia Arena, in Wilmington, Mass., with the Stanley Cup champion Bruins, who use Ristuccia as their practice facility. Thus, Robinson spends a lot of time at the rink and has gotten to know the Shamrocks staff and players fairly well.

"Everyone on the team and in the Bruins organization gets the Cup for themselves for a day and the schedule gets crazy,” said Robinson, in a story on the Shamrocks’ website. “[Rink owner and Shamrocks GM Bob Rotondo] and his staff do a lot to make sure that everything goes smoothly for us when we are here to practice and I wanted to make sure he, the staff, and the Shamrocks got a chance to see the Stanley Cup here at Ristuccia, where our championship season began.”

Since most of the Shamrocks are scattered across the continent during the summer, only a few members of the team were available to take part in the festivities. Those members included newly-hired assistant coach Hannah Milan, and players Kelsey MacIsaac, Colleen Shouldice and Dakota Woodworth.

“It was awesome,” said Woodworth, who lives in Carlisle, Mass. “It was a really cool experience, actually. I know Bob is always closely associated with the Bruins at Ristuccia. He told us the day that it was happening.”

Woodworth was certainly caught up in the excitement that swept Boston in June when the Bruins buried 39 years of history by lifting the Stanley Cup.

“It makes me so happy to be from here. The city was just ecstatic,” she added. “Unfortunately, I didn’t go to the parade, because I was out of town that day.”

The Shamrocks living in the Boston area continue to work out at Ristuccia, taking part in mini-camps three days a week with Milan and head coach Josh Hechter.

“We’re on the ice at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Bob also has synthetic ice we can use to shoot,” Woodworth said. “There’s just five or six of us. It’s nice. It’s really relaxing.”

She knows, however, that it will be another tough and exciting season in the international Junior Women’s Hockey League in 2011-12.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “Josh has been working really hard to recruit and get a good team together and everyone wants to get going with the season.”

Check out the Shamrocks' website to see a photo of the girls with the Cup.

Capital District Selects: Weller ready to Jet off to St. John’s

2011-07-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Shawn Weller couldn’t wait for a name, just some other information to tell people other than the simple fact he’ll be playing in St. John’s, Newfoundland, this next season.

As late as July 28, the top minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets still had not announced a name, though it was expected to be announced the next day. The hockey world saw a lot of changes over the summer of 2011, the biggest of which was the relocation of the defunct Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg, where they will carry the name of the old WHA and NHL team that played in the Manitoba city from 1972-96.

“During the last year, there’s been a lot of buzz that the NHL would be coming back to Winnipeg,” said Weller, a former Capital District Selects player who suited up for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last year. “I can’t wait to at least go to Winnipeg’s training camp and see the excitement there.”

In terms of continuing his NHL career, Weller had only heard from Winnipeg’s equipment crew that the St. John’s equipment will be the of same dark blue, red and silver color scheme as the Jets. Other than that, he’s just doing what the organization asks him to do.

Weller, a third round NHL draft pick of Ottawa in 2004, played for head coach Jim Salfi and the Selects for two seasons (2002-04).

“I would say those years were very instrumental,” said Weller. “Jim does a great job with guys down at Capital District. He told me if I played for him he could get me a scholarship at a Division 1 college – he did everything he said he would do. Those years were pretty crucial to my development.”

Salfi is happy to see on of his former protégés is still in the mix to make it to the NHL.

“Shawn called me and told me he signed [with St. John’s]. I kidded him and told him that they cancel games out there because they get fogged in,” Salfi said. “He’s still a young guy, just 25, and he’s had some great years in the AHL so far. It took [former Selects] Ben Guite and Jay Leach a while before they got their shot, but they got [to the NHL].”

Weller not only committed to play for Clarkson University while with the Selects, but he was drafted right out of the EJHL.

“It was awesome. Every kid who plays hockey wants the opportunity to be drafted,” Weller said.

He also got the scholarship he was looking for, joining Clarkson for the 2004-05 season. He played three seasons for head coach George Roll, scoring 79 points in 109 games and helping Clarkson to an ECAC Hockey title in 2006-07.

“Each year I play, it takes some time to develop, but Coach Roll gave me all the opportunity in the world. I played a lot on the power play and developed defensively a little more,” said Weller. “I still keep in contact with the guys I played with. Every summer, I play in the Clarkson Alumni Golf Tournament.”

Weller also represented the country, playing for Team USA in the World Junior Championship in 2004-05.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know much about the WJC, but now I know how big it is to Canadians,” he said. “That was one of my best hockey highlights.”

In 2007, he began a pro career that’s taken him all over North America, from Binghamton and Elmira in New York to Bakersfield, Calif., to the Canadian cities of Abbotsford and Winnipeg, and now it’s off to St. John’s.

However, he has not yet stepped on to the ice for an NHL game, and he is still hungry for that opportunity.

“I’m happy with my career, but I can’t be satisfied, because my ultimate goal is still the NHL,” said Weller.

He’s in a great situation, where the Winnipeg Jets’ coach is Claude Noel, his former head coach with Manitoba. His head coach in St. John’s is Keith McCambridge, an assistant for Manitoba last year.

“They know what he can do, so that’s a good situation for him,” Salfi said.

“I think Keith will do an awesome job. It’s nice, because I don’t have to try to impress any new coaches,” Weller added. “I just have to work hard and hope for the best opportunities.”

Continental Hockey Association: Patriots will showcase ’96-born talent

2011-07-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

Come on, September, get here!

That’s what the Potomac Patriots are thinking, having seen how impressive their Continental Hockey Association team looks on paper. General manager R.J. Zeigler can’t wait to see them on the ice.

A driving force behind this excitement was the off-season signings of seven players from the Washington Little Capitals Bantam team, including some of the best 1996-born talent Zeigler has seen yet.

“We landed essentially every kid from the Little Caps that we went after. They only had 12 last year and we ended up with seven of them,” said Zeigler.

Joe Pouliot comes in having scored 20 points in 29 Atlantic Youth Hockey League games last year. He is considered one of the true gems of the “Class of ‘96” by Zeigler, joining the team as a 6-feet-2-inch, 200-pound 15-year-old.

Logan Nasr is another big kid, and he was also a 20-point scorer but in 26 games. Back on the D are Ian Edgington and Isaiah Olschewske and goalie Larry Hollen Jr.

“For the first time, the D.C. hockey market is very competitive, and we were pretty successful with the recruiting process of the younger kids,” said Zeigler. “We believe those five will be immediate contributors. We went to a showcase in Oshawa, Ont., right before Independence Day and those guys didn’t look out of place, especially Isaiah – he has a really bright future ahead of him.”

This group that will anchor the Patriots’ CHA team will do so in a new and improved facility, Prince William Ice Center in Woodbridge, Va. The Ice Center was severely damaged in a 2010 blizzard, which caused the roof to cave in. Since then, the rink and its organizations have come together to develop one of the foremost facilities in the Washington, D.C., region. It is still under construction this month.

“These kids are moving into a new facility with all the new perks, including an opportunity to be on the ice every day if they want, from our practices during the week to individual skills time,” said Zeigler. “We have a $60,000 weight room that is going to be just incredible. Our locker rooms are going to be 800 square feet for each of our [CHA and Empire League] teams.”

As talented as some of the players will be, it is still going to be a very young Patriots team that will have to learn as it goes, with most players being junior hockey rookies.

“We’re nearly a U16 team, and our Empire is a little bit older. We know that we’ll be losing quite a few kids after next year,” said Zeigler. “These kids will be helped by a good returning coaching staff in head coach Matt Little and assistant coach Steve Sherman.”

Zeigler and the coaching staff interviewed every single player who will appear on the roster. They want team players, student-athletes with goals and with the work ethic to attain those goals.

“Every kid on this team is a good kid. Not here for a social experience, they’re here to play hockey,” said Zeigler. “When we have ice time around here, our players aren’t the ones just practicing stupid breakaway moves. They’re focused on playing hockey, knowing that this year, they’ll have to think faster, react quicker and move the puck more than hold on to it.”

Zeigler said that the CHA and Empire teams see quite a bit of player movement. Last year, no less than five players moved up and those same players will be back this season, hoping for another promotion to the Empire team.

A number of last year’s CHA contributors will start with the Empire Patriots – Brad Kostrzebski, Kyle Smiley, Dillon Roach, Trevor Herrinton and Andrew Leich. Drew Cohen is ticketed to play for the Empire Patriots, but he had made the final camp for the North Bay Trappers (of the Northern Ontario Junior League).

“A couple of kids might float back and forth,” Zeigler added, “and I can guarantee those new 96’s will see some Empire time.”

Bay State Breakers: Alum Flanigan skates with Rangers prospects

2011-07-22T12:19:00.001-07:00

At least he knows they’re interested.

Prior to starting his senior season as an alternate captain of the Merrimack College hockey team, former Breaker Ryan Flanigan was invited by the New York Rangers to their early-summer Prospects Camp.

“I got a phone call from a scout and their Director of Player Personnel [Gordie Clark],” said Flanigan, a resident of Rochester, N,Y. “I was excited to talk with him and get down to the city for the camp. It was a good phone call.”

Flanigan, who skated with the Breakers from 2006 through 2008, scoring 58 points in 81 games. After scoring 16 points in his first two seasons at Merrimack, he scored 34 in his junior season (2010-11) and earned the respect of his teammates and head coach Mark Dennehy to the point where he was named an alternate captain.

Flanigan said that he had heard from Coach Dennehy that there was some interest from NHL teams, so it wasn’t a total surprise that the Rangers called him down to the camp.

The five-day camp (June 27 through July 1) involved different drills on different days to test the athletes, some of whom were Rangers draft picks and others free agents like Flanigan.

“It was a lot of the same each day, but the first day focused on skating testing, which was kind of tough, but a good challenge,” said Flanigan. “Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday featured a workout, practice and scrimmage each day. I also did power skating practice on Thursday.”

Watching over the proceedings were Rangers brass, including 1994 Stanley Cup champs Adam Graves (Director of Hockey and Business Operations) and Hall of Famer Mark Messier (Assistant to the President).

“I didn’t not fit in,” Flanigan said. “There was a very different element on the table. Some of their big prospects were there and they’re really offensive guys. I bring some of the physical side, but from where I was in the five days, I thought I did fine.”

Flanigan is skating with NHL regulars and fellow Rochester residents such as Brian Gionta and Ryan Callahan. Flanigan also worked out at Merrimack, meeting with incoming freshmen and helping them with the off-season strength and conditioning program.

“Everyone’s excited for this season,” said Flanigan, who helped the Warriors to their first NCAA tournament game since 1988.

Meet the Members of the American West Hockey League

2011-07-14T08:58:00.001-07:00

Helena Bighorns

The Bighorns were founded in 2001. They have played in the AWHL, NAHL and NORPAC. In their seven years in the NORPAC, they won the Cascade Cup six times.

The peak for the Bighorns came just a few months back when they captured the USA Hockey Tier-3 Jr. A National Championship tournament, winning the Silver Cup.

“We have had great success in the AWHL, NAHL and NORPAC in the past and we want to be a part of the group that builds the reformed AWHL. We take great pride in that,” said Butters.

This season’s Bighorns team taking the ice in the American West Hockey League will feature several new faces that weren’t on the National Championship team.

“We usually only get about five or six guys back,” said head coach Scott Cunnigham. “Four of our top six scorers have committed to Canadian Tier-2 junior teams. We start new every year, but we have commitments from solid first-year players.”

All in all, Butters can’t wait for Game 1 in a season full of opponents who are also friends.

“We have spoken as a unified group for the past three or four years about reforming the AWHL, and not just as owners. I know these guys personally. I know their wives and kids. They know mine,” said Butters. “It is because of these people committing
to harmony in a commitment to this league that we will likely be around for years to come.”

There will be an open tryout held Aug. 25-28. To register, contact head coach Scott
Cunningham at knsham21@hotmail.com.

Billings Bulls

The Bulls have the longest history of any team in the AWHL, having been part of the American Frontier Hockey League (a precursor to the original AWHL) in 1993.

Teams don’t last for almost 20 years in a volatile junior hockey world without doing the right thing.

“We’ve operated under high standards all along,” said Al Bloomer, director of hockey operations. Bloomer expects the Billings teams going forward to be younger than the past several years.

“Our idea at the Tier-3 level is to find kids who still have the spark in their eye to go on to a higher level,” he added.

The Bulls have moved hundreds of players to higher levels of hockey over the past 18 seasons. Second-year head coach Chris Hartly is committed to pushing players forward in their careers.

The team will begin its season at Centennial Arena, but will play some December games at their old home, Rimrock Arena at Metra Park. On June 20, 2010, a tornado heavily damaged Metra Park’s arena.

It is at Metra Park that the Bulls set the Junior A, Tier-3 single game attendance record of 2,887 fans in 2008.

The Bulls’ annual main camp will be held at Centennial Ice Arena in Billings, Mont., from Aug. 12-14. Go online to http://www.billingsbulls.com/ and fill out a prospective player form if interested in being invited to tryouts.

Bozeman Icedogs

Bill Zaniboni is one excited head coach. The Icedogs have three of their top six scorers returning to try to win the inaugural AWHL championship. He believes there will be even greater talent to join them, due to Bozeman’s adherence to the Standards of Excellence.

“I feel the decision to move leagues was smart for the Icedogs,” said Zaniboni. “We are about making Bozeman the best possible place for players to use as a stepping stone to the next level.

We feel that the AWHL was going to do just that. The clubs that are in the AWHL all have the same goals and want to set a high standard for our players, coaches and clubs.” Zaniboni recently retired from a minor pro career, a career that also saw him play three years of Division 1 hockey for Northern Michigan University.

Founded in 1996, the Icedogs (in their Tier-2 and Tier-3 incarnations) have made 10 playoff appearances, three trips to the national tournament and won two Borne Cup (NAHL) championships.

“I don’t know what we will see in this league, I can only tell you what our club will do and that is to pursue excellence in every possible way,” said Zaniboni.

Interested in playing for the Bozeman Icedogs? Contact Head Coach Bill Zaniboni at billzaniboni@bozemanicedogs.com or call him at 906-250-0101 for more information.

Missoula Maulers

The Maulers are celebrating their fifth anniversary by playing their first year in the new American West Hockey League.

Owner and president Michael Burks is looking forward to see the parity that develops between six teams that all have the same mandated Standards of Excellence.

“Parity will be a huge benefit for this new league,” said Burks. “This will, in turn increase crowds and also keep them at the games longer as the teams will have the same talent levels. The higher caliber the talent, the more progress each player will make while playing in the league.

“This will, in turn, give our players that much more of an advantage to move to the next level,” Burks added.

Leading the charge on the bench is head coach Marcus Baxter, who was named the NORPAC Coach of the Year in 2010-11. A former Bozeman Icedog from the old

AWHL, Baxter played Division 1 hockey for the University of Connecticut.

He grew up around players at the highest level of the game, as his father is former NHL player Paul Baxter.

A reflection of the commitment to their players is the fact the Maulers own a fully decked-out team bus, from which they’ll see a lot of Montana and Wyoming.

Go online to www.missoulamaulers.com/team/tryouts to fill out a player profile
and register for either the Maulers’ July 8-10 tryout in St. Clair Shores, Mich., or the
tryout in Spokane, Wash., from July 29-31. See their ad on page 16.

Great Falls Americans

What was old is new again. The name “Great Falls Americans” is one that just about everyone in the Montana city will know, from one of the team’s past incarnations.

The first Great Falls Americans team played in the major junior Western Hockey League in 1979-80. Fifteen years later, the former Kings Americans were renamed as the Great Falls

Americans team that played in the American Frontier and then America West Hockey League through 2003.

Carolina Hurricanes forward and Great Falls native Patrick Dwyer suited up for the Americans before starting his D-1 college career at Western Michigan.

Matt Frank, a former Bozeman Icedog (AWHL) and Division 1 Ferris State University player, is the man Americans owner Jim Keough tapped to be the first head coach of the new Americans team.

“The AWHL has done an excellent job of setting high standards for the players,” said Frank. “Individuals that develop on the ice, in the weight room and, most importantly, in the classroom will become very attractive to Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams, along with college programs.

“Moving players on to higher levels of competition and education is the ultimate goal of junior hockey and the AWHL has put the proper pieces in place to fulfill this goal for their athletes,” he added.

To register for the Americans’ July 15-17 tryouts in Glen Ellyn, Ill., go online to
gfamericans.com/tryouts and fill out the player profile.

Gillette Wild

It’s tough to call any team an “expansion team” when the league they’re in is brand new, but the Wild saw what the AWHL was offering and decided to begin its existence on the Montana-Wyoming Tier-3 circuit.

“We liked the part about the standards, including guaranteed number of hours of practice, guaranteed player tutoring, dryland training,” said Dwayne Dillinger, managing general partner for the Wild. “If you’re a parent and sending your child away to play hockey, you like to have some things in place to know he’s going to get good training and his education will be watched closely. Those were all things that appealed to us.”

Though the Wild are an expansion team at the junior level, the Wild is well known to folks around Gillette as the name of the local youth hockey organization. Head coach Tom Winkler joins the team with a long resume that includes work in the pro American Hockey League, as well as being a former Icedogs coach in the old AWHL and NAHL.

“Our coach is out on the road and he’s got some connections from some other things he’s been involved in from the past,” said Dillinger. Winkler is a former coach with the Metropolitan League’s Hampton Roads Jr. Whalers. “He’s bringing in some good, quality kids that will fit into his system.”

The Gillette Wild will hold their main tryout camp on Aug. 6-7 at Big Bear Ice Arena in Denver, Col. To inquire or register for the camp, send an e-mail to gillettewild@gmail.com.

Building a New Frontier

2011-07-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

American West Hockey League poised to make immediate mark on junior hockey map

By Joshua Boyd

The winds of change are blowing, howling out of Big Sky Country, down from the Elkhorn Mountains, through the ponderosa pines, and out across the wide, open plains of Montana and Wyoming.

The change is in the junior hockey landscape of USA Hockey’s Great Plains District. This change has brought forth USA Hockey’s newest junior league, one that is also a paean to the past.

The American West Hockey League is an entity in Tier-3 junior hockey, sharing some league members with a league known as the America West Hockey League that merged with the Tier-2 North American Hockey League in 2003.

“It was once a great league which many of us were a part of, and we wanted to bring it back with the enthusiasm and standards that were a part of the America West Hockey League since 1992,” said American West Hockey League commissioner Mike Butters, also the owner of league member Helena Bighorns. The Bighorns are the defending Tier-3 Jr. A champion, though all of Tier-3 is now united with no letter certifications going forward.

The AWHL will, in its first year, include former members of the original AWHL, the Bighorns, the Billings Bulls, the Bozeman Ice Dogs and the Great Falls Americans (who were forced into dormancy when the city closed its only ice arena in 2003).

Additional members will include the Missoula Maulers and the expansion Gillette Wild, the only Wyoming member.

“The Northern Plains District of USA Hockey is comprised of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas, and the teams in that district wanted to have some regional identity,” said Al Bloomer, director of hockey operations for the Bulls.

Four of the teams – the Bighorns, Bulls, Ice Dogs and Maulers – were previously members of the Northern Pacific Hockey League, most commonly referred to as the NORPAC.

This past spring, the AWHL member teams met to put the finishing touches on what they are naming the “Standards of Excellence” package (see page 6).

“Every AWHL team will operate under a set of standards that have been created to separate our league from some of the others who simply cannot provide what we have mapped out,” said Butters. “Some of these standards include four days of on-ice practice, 3.5 hours each week of off-ice strength and conditioning, a nutrition program, education preparation and other details having to do with hockey operations. There will be certain staffing that every team will have to have.

“We have put a great deal of time into these standards and it is our hope that our peers in the various Tier-3 leagues, such as the EJHL and NA3HL will follow suit in illustrating to their players how good their programs currently are and can be,” he added. “All of this will create an environment that fully promotes the development of our student-athletes holistically, physically and mentally.”

Butters also commented on the decision to split off from the NORPAC.

“There were some differences in opinion as to operational focus and criteria between the teams in the Pacific Division and the [former] America West Division,” he said. “These required both a financial commitment and an overall commitment to providing more detail and depth into what teams could offer to players, to which many of the other [NORPAC] teams could not or did not want to commit.”

The AWHL also got USA Hockey’s certification as a Tier-3 junior league at these meetings, the most important step towards operation.

“We basically took everything that we said we wanted to do and presented it to USA Hockey. We needed their approval and they approved it,” said Butters. “It’s always tough when you leave a league, but hopefully [the NORPAC] will understand in time why it was necessary to leave and they look at what we have created and follow suit.”

There will obviously be a lot of notes taken from Year 1, and any issues will be applied towards changes for a better future.

“We have a two-year plan, a fiveyear plan, a seven-year plan for where we take this league,” said Butters. “Skip Prince, commissioner of the United States Hockey League, has been overly complimentary to what we’re doing.

“The USHL is the top junior league in the USA and the No. 1 league for NCAA college placement in North America,” Butters added. “We constantly look at what they are doing and try to emulate the positive platforms they roll out. By setting these standards and complying with them, we hope they will see what we are building and will complement the ladder of movement upwards to them.”

To Butters and the other league principals, Opening Night can’t come soon enough – when that will be is uncertain as the league is still finalizing its 2011-12 schedule.

“We all equally share the excitement of this project,” said Butters. “We have a nice, tight, small group of guys and every owner is vested into making this league the best it can be at this level.”

Prince, Vance drafted by NHL teams; Prince joins Coyle at World Junior selection camp

2011-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

By Mike Klein

The Eastern Junior Hockey League was proud to see two of its alumni selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Shane Prince, an alum of the Rochester Stars, was selected by the Ottawa Senators, while troy Vance, a former Philadelphia Revolution player, was taken by the Dallas Stars.

Vance became the first NHL Draft Pick from the Philadelphia Revolution when the Stars called his name in the fifth round (135th overall). An unknown when the season began, Vance played nine games for the Revolution’s Empire team before joining the Revs’ Eastern Junior League squad.

In 18 games, the defenseman posted a goal and two assists before being traded to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Victoriaville Tigres. With a birth date of Aug. 2, 1993, the Goshen, N.Y., native was one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class.

“I think I make a good first pass, always heads-up,” Vance told the media, as seen in a video on the Stars’ website, stars.nhl.com. “I try to play like [the Buffalo Stars’] tyler Myers. He can skate, he’s a good, twoway player, he’s got really good hands for his size and sees the ice well. [Having played forward] helps make me more of a two-way defenseman rather than the steady, shutdown guy back there. You can be both.”

Prince was drafted by the Ottawa Senators with the 61st overall pick. The Spencerport, N.Y., native played for the Rochester Stars back in the 2007-08 season (when they were the Syracuse Stars) as a 14- year-old.

He then made the jump to the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, where he played for one and a half years before being traded to the Ottawa 67’s. He posted 26 goals and 63 assists in 59 games this past year and was one of 40 skaters invited to try out for Team USA’s entry into the 2012 World Junior Championships (read below).

“[Ottawa]’s unbelievable, I love the fans there, they really support the game. It’s a great hockey city and I couldn’t be happier,” Prince said to the media, in a video on the Senators’ website (senators.nhl.com).

He also commented about his EJHL roots in the press scrum.

“Growing up in Rochester, I did play an hour and a half over in Syracuse. My coach there scott Montagna was unbelievable and my dad as well in helping to [make] me the player I am today,” he said.

Coyle, Prince invited to national selection Camp: USA Hockey announced the 40 players invited to take part in the 2011 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp this summer in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The invited players will be auditioning for a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team that will take part in the 2012 IIHF World Junior (Under-20) Championships from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, 2012, in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.

Among the invitees are Eastern Junior Hockey League alumni Charlie Coyle (South Shore Kings) and shane Prince (Rochester Stars).

Coyle, a native of East Weymouth, Mass. was a member of last year’s bronze medal-winning team. He was named the 2010 EJHL Rookie of the Year and recently completed his freshman year at Boston University, winning 2011 Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors.

Coyle was drafted 28th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2010.

Prince played in 11 games for the Stars in the 2007- 08, scoring three goals and four assists as a 14-yearold in his short time under Montagna. As mentioned above, Prince was selected 61st overall in this year’s NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators.

Italian finds home at hobart: Former Bay State Breaker tommaso traversa has committed to Hobart College for the 2011-12 season.

Traversa is an import player from Italy, a 1990- born forward hailing from Torino, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Under coach david McCauley, Traversa scored 24 points in 41 EJHL regular season games, and he scored a goal in the playoffs.

Traversa has represented Italy in international competition on four different occasions, playing for the country’s U18 team once and the U20 team three times in Divisions 1 and 2 in the World Junior Championships. He helped Italy win the Division 2 Pool A gold medal, which earned Italy an automatic promotion to Division 1, one step below where the U.S. and Canada play, the next year. He played in Division 1 twice (2009 and 2010), earning bronze in 2010.

Besides playing in Italian leagues, he also cut his
teeth in Slovakia a couple years before taking the ice
with the Breakers.

Capital District Selects: Leggio thrilled to be re-signed by Sabres

2011-07-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

David Leggio was like a sponge, first watching the likes of Daren Puppa and Grant Fuhr, and later it was Dominik “The Dominator” Hasek, and then Ryan Miller joined the party.

Leggio, a Buffalo native, grew up watching these Buffalo Sabres goalies all through his life, and now he may just find himself sharing the ice with Miller next year.

The Sabres extended Leggio’s contract by a year on June 26, giving the former Capital District Selects goalie another chance to make the “big show.” Last year, he played a full season with the Portland Jr. Pirates, then the Sabres’ top affiliate. He will have a chance to win the back-up spot behind Miller, or he will work up to a Sabres spot with the Rochester Americans.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a Buffalo Sabre and now, with new ownership, there’s a new buzz around the city,” said Leggio. “It’s a really exciting time to be a part of the organization.”

As excited as Leggio is, longtime Selects head coach Jim Salfi is not surprised an NHL team like the Sabres would want his services for another year.

“Dave was a really hard worker all time, so it doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Salfi, who had Leggio in the net with the Selects from 2002 through 2004. “When I first saw him, he played in the Select 16 Festival on Team New York. The other goalie was [Detroit Red Wings goalie] Jimmy Howard, and Leggio ended that festival with a lower goals-against average and a higher save percentage than Howard.”

When Salfi, who was on the board for the Select 16 Festival that year, approached Leggio, the 1984-born goalie didn’t know about the opportunities for development that the Eastern Junior Hockey League presented.

“Jim gave me a great opportunity. I wasn’t all that aware of the EJHL or the Selects. He gave me a great platform to show what I could do to the colleges,” said Leggio. “From there, I was able to go to Clarkson as a walk-on. They didn’t need a goalie, but [former Selects and Clarkson teammate] Shawn Weller and Coach Salfi lobbied for Clarkson to take me.”

At Clarkson, Leggio became the Golden Knights’ starter as a sophomore and had one of the best senior seasons for any college hockey goalie. He helped Clarkson to the ECAC title, was named a First Team All-Star and won the Ken Dryden Award as the ECAC’s Goaltender of the Year.

Out of school, he played one partial game for the Binghamton Senators and also played a full game for the Albany River Rats the next year before heading to play a full season with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

From there, it was off to a different pro opportunity altogether, when he became the starter for TPS Turku in the Finnish Elite League. It was there where he met and studied with the famous Finnish goaltending coach Urpo Ylonen, who also had a hand in the careers of NHL goalies Mikka Kiprusoff and Antero Niittymaki.

“I’ve had some very good goalie coaches, including Urpo Ylonen, as well as Sudarshan Maharaj, the goaltending consultant with the New York Islanders, and obviously the great Sabres goaltending coach Jim Corsi,” said Leggio.

“I would say I’m aggressive, faster, a butterfly or hybrid goalie,” he added. “I’m not huge (5-feet-11-inches, 179 pounds), so pucks don’t just hit me. I use my hands quite a bit.”

Salfi favorably compares Leggio with another goalie who was able to find his Division 1 destination with the Selects, Brian Robbins, bound for UMass-Lowell in the fall.

“Their work ethic is impeccable, and No. 1, Dave hated to lose. He worked hard in practice, so guys always played hard in front of him,” said Salfi. “He was kind of like Robbins, but more vocal. He wasn’t screaming at the D or the forwards, he was a good guy in the locker room, very boisterous.”

For now, Leggio expects to start the season in Rochester, unless he can beat Jhonas Enroth in camp for the backup job to Miller.

“If I get a chance to get called up, my goal is to get to the NHL and take advantage of it,” said Leggio. “I’m just trying to do my best and be ready to help the team win."

Boston Jr. Bulldogs: Alliance College and Draft Preview turns 21

2011-06-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Alliance College and Draft Preview is an event that Mike Addesa looks forward to every summer.

He’s never been disappointed. He certainly shouldn’t be, considering he is the main organizer of the off-season tournament, which celebrated its 21st year in 2011.

The 2011 running of the showcase involved 14 teams over the June 24-26 weekend at the ICEnter in Salem, N.H. The teams were all put together essentially for this tournament, or in some cases, for the summer.

The players came from far and wide to get some good ice and good looks from scouts at the center of New England.

“We had players from everywhere,” said Addesa, also the general manager and head coach of the Boston Jr. Bulldogs. “We had a lot of Arizona players, and players from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and all over the Eastern Seaboard and New England.”

Coach Rich DiCaprio put together a team called the Seacoast Saints, with players from “all over” and that was the team that came out on top in the end, defeating the Northeast Mustangs in the final. The Northeast Mustangs were coached by Steve Plancey and Addesa’s son, Mike Addesa III.

Former Bulldogs coach Frank Golden brought in a team called Downeast, which lost in the semifinals, along with another team that impressed the elder Addessa, the Eastern Eskimos.

“The Eskimos, coached by Mike Bertoni, lost in a tough game,” said Addesa. “They thought they scored a goal, but it was just after the final buzzer.”

A group of NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 coaches took in the games as well, and they got to see players from the Eastern U.S. and many other parts of the U.S. and Canada as well as some European players.

“I talked to one goalie from Sweden, and another guy from the Czech Republic,” said Addesa.

While it was certainly a good chance for college coaches to take a look at players who will be suiting up for junior and prep teams in the fall, it was also a good chance for Addesa to scout for his 2011-12 Bulldogs team.

“We had guys I was looking at on a few teams,” said Addesa. “Gary Bishop, the veteran coach of Bishop Guertin High School, had a team that went 2-1 called Northern New England with some players I was looking at. Mike Smith’s team, the Boston Blizzard [also 2-1] was very good and competitive, as well.”

Northern Jr. Cyclones: Big events planned for 2011-12 season

2011-06-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Northern Cyclones will hold two major events during the 2011-12 hockey season.

One will be a top-flight junior tournament in December and the other will be the second annual Bella Tucker Benefit Game, which will take place Nov. 18 against the Walpole Express at Cyclones Arena.

The story of Bella Tucker is heartbreaking, but certainly uplifting. On Easter Sunday of 2010, then 8-year-old Bella was diagnosed with Streptococcus Pneumonia Sepsis with DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation). This resulted in the amputation of all four of her limbs, ending a promising young gymnastics career for the Londonderry, N.H., native.

After seven months at Children’s Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Bella returned home and has been learning to live life to its fullest, despite the challenges she faces as a quadruple amputee.

Last November, the Cyclones held the first Bella Tucker Benefit Game. That event raised over $5,000 for the Bella Tucker Fund, which helps the Tucker family with medical and other expenses related to Tucker’s condition.

“I personally committed to doing a second game for her,” said Cyclones co-owner, general manager and Jr. A head coach Bill Flanagan. “Her story just struck me. The courage she shows to continue on and live is inspirational. She sent a ‘Thank You’ card, with a picture of her and she wrote ‘Thanks for all your love and support.’ I don’t know she did it. She’s amazing.”

Flanagan relishes the opportunity to teach his players about the rewards of reaching out to someone in need.

“We’re trying to teach the guys the community service aspect of life, about doing things for others,” he added.

Learn more about Bella Tucker and donate to the Bella Tucker Fund at bellatucker.org.

Early Christmas present: The Northern Cyclones are hoping to play Santa for some junior hockey players hoping to connect with a college hockey program this December.

The Cyclones are in the planning stages of a tournament to be held at Cyclones Arena over the Dec. 16-18 weekend, ending one week before Christmas Day.

“This will be a tournament for the top-tier teams in organizations. We’ve invited some Canadian Jr. A teams, we’re trying to get some prep schools and we’ve sent out an invitation to the Belarus Under-18 National Team,” said Flanagan. “Our Next Level Tournament in July [14-17] is more for junior prospects and summer teams, but this tournament would be for teams that play in leagues.”

If you’re interested in entering a full-time junior hockey team in the December 16-18 tournament, contact Bill Flanagan at bflanagan@northerncyclones.com.

It's Good To Be Kings

2011-06-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

South Shore does footwork to stay among Eastern Junior Hockey League elite in 2011-12

By Joshua Boyd

Call them the “Harlow Bunch.”

There is a small number of South Shore Kings players on the organization’s Eastern Junior
Hockey League team that have played for no other coach than Scott Harlow over a majority of their young hockey careers.

At least two returning members from the 2010-11 team that went 25-13-5-2 for third place in the EJHL’s Southern Division will return for another year with Harlow after originally playing for him at the youth level.

“Coach Harlow is pretty wellknown with a bunch of college coaches around,” said defenseman Derek Henderson. “I felt like I should be loyal to him and a bunch of my teammates.

Also, Brian McDonough [with Edge Performance Systems] is second to none as a strength and conditioning coach. He’s the best around, and that had a lot to do with returning, as well as one more shot to chase my childhood dream of playing college hockey.”

Henderson was on teams coached by Harlow with the Bridgewater Bandits and the South Shore Dynamos youth teams with teammate Robbie Davis. Davis committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2012-13 season and will return for another year under Harlow’s watchful eye with the Kings. It will be Henderson’s and Davis’ third year with the team, as well as Harlow’s third.

“I’ve had Coach Harlow on the bench for at least eight years,” said Davis, the Kings’ second leading scorer in 2010-11 with 56 points in 40 EJHL games. “He’s helped me along the way. This was a very good year for me – I improved in the areas of seeing the ice and making plays, I had better on-ice awareness.”

For Harlow, coaching the Kings is actually a return to an organization he helped to start. In the first year of the Eastern Junior Hockey League, 1993, he was head coach and Executive Director of the New England College Development League (NECDL) Classics. Later, the Classics became the Walpole Stars, had a short stint as the Foxboro Stars, and in 2007, Rich Touzos turned the organization into the South Shore Kings.

“I think that the Kings organization is one of the top youth organizations, all the way up to juniors,” said Harlow. “We’re one of the only organizations that have really stuck to the model of having high-level teams at each tier.” Harlow points to the success of the Jr. B Kings that participate in the Empire Junior Hockey League as an example of the strengthening of the program from the youngest levels up. After two losing seasons in a row in 2008-09 and 2009-10, head coach John Gurskis helped to turn the ship around for a 31- 7-2 record in 2010-11, along with a trip to the Tier-3 Jr. B Nationals.

“John has done an unbelievable job with our Empire League team, which is now enabling me to take kids from that team for the EJHL squad,” Harlow added.

Mike Rockwell and Bobby Sugrue will be on the starting roster for the 2011-12 Kings in the EJHL, after Rockwell was a 20-goal scorer in the Empire League and Sugrue was close to a point-per-game producer (22 points in 26 games).

“Now, I can take a couple kids off that team and honestly, I expect to double that amount the year after,” said Harlow. “We’ve always had a little gap between our Bantam Minor team and our Empire squad because the majority of our kids over the years have gone to prep schools. By providing a very good Empire League team, we’re hoping that a lot of kids don’t leave the organization, but stay and play for the Empire team with hopes of making the Eastern Junior League team.”

Looking ahead

After his second season, Harlow saw his Eastern Junior League team fall off by a few wins (from 33 to 25), and what he found was some of his players lacked the “compete level” he was looking for.

This weakness was exposed when the Kings took a 2-1 series loss against the Bay State Breakers in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 playoffs.

“We had a lot of kids who were good hockey players, but I thought the Breakers had kids who wanted it a little more than our kids. We had a lot of kids who were really young and it took them a little longer to make the transition to the EJHL level of hockey,” said Harlow.

“I think [in 2011-12], we’ll be a more experienced team, but also one that will be harder to play against.”

The Kings will return 10 players from that squad, so he has the experience and skills from those players added to a high skill set shared by the players coming in.

With Davis, Harlow has three of his top 10 scorers from 2010-11 returning to the fold. After Davis, Nick Cruice scored 18 goals and 52 points in all 44 EJHL regular season games and added five points in five playoff games.

Additionally, Dean Niezgoda (25 points in 35 games) and Derek Colucci (20 points in 40 games) will suit up again.

“I think it should be a good season. Hopefully, we’ll come out on top and maybe win a championship,” said Davis.

Harlow wouldn’t mind adding a banner to the Foxboro Sports Center, but he added that is not his No. 1 priority with his players.

“As a junior coach, I have 26 different jobs and not one of those is to win a championship,” said Harlow. “I try to get 26 players to a college where they’re going to be successful. To win an EJHL championship would be a great feather in everyone’s cap, but I don’t base my success on a championship.”

So, with the dual missions of player promotion and winning games along the way, Harlow is excited with the defensive corps he has coming back.

He returns five of his six starting blueliners for 2011-12.

Along with Henderson, Connor Fallon, Eddie Nolan, John Mleczko and Tyler Cooke are back on defense for the Kings this next season. Henderson is looking forward to continuing to chase his college hockey dreams.

“Since I was younger, I’ve always wanted to play for a Division 1 college,” said Henderson, a 1992-born Smithfield, R.I., resident. “When I heard that Robbie was coming back, it made my decision a lot easier. Coach

Harlow had helped me get into Tabor Academy, and I believe he’ll help me get into a good college. Being loyal to Caoch Harlow had a lot to do with [my decision to return].” The Kings have also added what Harlow believes will be a crew of players with an immense upside that they’ll bring to the ice in September.

Belmont Hill forward Jimmy Vesey was ranked 150th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings for this month’s draft. He’ll suit up for the Kings, along with St. Sebastian’s School star Joe Prescott (191st in the final rankings).

Defensemen Mike Reardon (Nobles and Greenough), Jared Weidemann (Dexter) and Greg Brown (Deerfield Academy) are three top prep blueliners making the jump up to EJHL hockey with the Kings.

Harlow is also excited about the team’s three new backstops, which means that the goaltender position is the only one with complete turnover from 2011-12. Ben Halford (Albany Academy), Derek Roy (St. Paul’s School) and Robert Levin (Lake Forest Academy) will all get their EJHL baptisms by fire this fall.

Farewell, on to college ice

Davis’ story, involving committing to UConn, is one that Harlow is especially proud of, especially since he’s coached the forward for so long.

“To me, that is a success story,” said Harlow. “That is why I keep on coming back to this job, to see kids like that who succeed and the organization can have a hand in getting them to where they want to go.”

Thirteen players are moving on to college hockey, including two to Brown University – Scott’s son Matt Harlow (23 points in 17 games) and Greg Tang (28 points in 31 games).

Goalie Brad Barone is off to Boston College. He will face off in the Hockey East Association against his former teammate Shane Walsh (who played in the United States League this year), who committed this year to UMass-Amherst.

Josh Richards (35 points) moves on to the U.S. Military Academy and he will face Kings teammates Hugo Turcotte (Niagara) and Davis in the Atlantic Hockey Association. Turcotte was the second leading scorer for the 2010-11 Kings (52 points), just behind leading scorer Jake Friedman (61 points). Friedman will skate for the Penn State club team this year, but the Nittany Lions will become a Division 1 team in 2012-13. Additional commitments to Division 3 institutions came from P.J. McCadden (Stonehill College), Terrence O’Neill (Hobart College) and Chris Rettig and Tim Sprague (both to Suffolk University).

You’ll hear Harlow and other Kings officials speaking as highly of these players as their Division 1- bound players.

“I think the biggest thing to me is that it isn’t all about Division 1 all the time, it’s where the kids are going to be successful,” said Harlow. “The right fit academically, athletically, socially, and where the kids will be able to play. These kids have played hockey since they were 5, so they want to go where they can play, where they can get ice time.”

The South Shore Kings organization is where elite hockey players can get the ice time they need to turn college coaches’ eyes in their direction.

Alumni Butler, Cannone capture American League’s Calder Cup

2011-06-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

The 75th edition of the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Finals recently came to a close, a tournament in which Eastern Junior League alumni Bobby Butler and Pat Cannone led their Binghamton Senators past another alum Jon DiSalvatore and the Houston Aeros.

In the end, Binghamton defeated the Aeros, four games to two, to lift the cup on June 7.

Butler, who played three years with the Boston Junior Bruins, ended his first complete professional season. He led the Junior Bruins to the EJHL’s Dineen Cup Finals in each of his three seasons (2004, 2005 and 2006), winning the Dineen Cup in 2005.

He then played four years for University of New Hampshire, where he was named a First Team All-American and Hobey Baker “Hat Trick” finalist as a senior in 2010. Immediately following his career at UNH, he signed with the Ottawa Senators and made his NHL debut last April. This past season, he was named the AHL All-Star Game MVP and racked up 13 goals in the Calder Cup playoffs, more than any other rookie.

Cannone played for the New England Jr. Falcons (now Springfield Pics) during the 2005-06 season and recently completed his senior season with Miami University.

He competed in the 2009 and 2010 NCAA Frozen Fours and signed with Ottawa at the conclusion of the RedHawks’ 2010-11 season. In two AHL games, he posted one goal and one assist.

DiSalvatore has been an AHL mainstay for the past six seasons. After playing for the New England Jr. Coyotes (now Springfield Pics), he became a Providence College Friar, graduating in 2003.

He played five games for the St. Louis Blues during the 2005-06 season. This year, he played in 80 games for Houston as the team’s captain, scoring 28 goals and 33 assists. In the Aeros’ 24 playoff games, he posted seven goals and 12 points and scored the gamewinner against the Hamilton Bulldogs with 1:13 remaining to give the Aeros the Western Conference title.

Through three final games, Butler scored three times, and DiSalvatore had a goal and an assist in Game 3 to become that game’s First Star, and a goal in Game 6, in which he earned the Third Star.

Thompson signs with Penguins: The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to terms with New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs alum Paul Thompson, signing him to a two-year entry level contract.

Thompson attended the Penguins’ development camp in 2010 and completed his senior season at New Hampshire in March. He was awarded the Hockey East Player of the Year Award after posting 52 points this past season and was a finalist for the 2011 Hobey Baker Award.

Prior to enrolling at UNH, the Derry, N.H., native played for the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs from 2005-2007, where he played an integral role in the team’s back-to-back Dineen Cup Championships.

He was named the 2007 EJHL Most Valuable Player and his 83 points in the 2006- 07 season still holds as the EJHL singleseason scoring record.

Thompson reported to the team’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre and made his debut on April 1, recording an assist in his first professional game. He played in six contests, recording a goal and two assists, a +1 rating, two shots on goal, and two penalty minutes. He registered an assist in four Calder Cup playoff games.

Spring showcase a hit once again: The EJHL Spring Showcase came to the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass., in May.

In the A Division final, the Junior Bruins defeated the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs to add another chapter to their storied rivalry. The B Division final saw the Laconia Leafs down the Connecticut Wolfpack.

This year’s Spring Showcase featured the largest number of teams since the tournament’s inception in 2006. The EJHL extends gratitude to all attendees, many of whom have been sending teams to the Showcase since the beginning, for helping the tournament continue to grow and achieve the status of New England’s premier scouting tournament.

Ice Dogs celebrate bringing first-ever Robertson Cup championship to Alaska

2011-06-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

By Joshua Boyd

Rob Proffitt knew that his Fairbanks Ice Dogs had really “made it,” when he heard the comments around the central Alaskan city after the Ice Dogs won the Robertson Cup in early May.

“My favorite part was hearing ‘We finally got one,’ ‘We have a championship team,’” said Proffitt, the Ice Dogs’ general manager. “The community is taking ownership of the team, and everyone’s excited that the Robertson Cup will be on display all year at the Big Dipper Ice Arena.”

The Ice Dogs joined the runner-up Michigan Warriors, the Amarillo Bulls and the host Topeka Roadrunners in the Robertson Cup championship series. Fairbanks went 3-0 to automatically advance to the final, while Michigan and Amarillo (each 2-1) played in a semifinal match on May 6. Michigan won that game, 6-2.

The next night, head coach Josh hauge’s Fairbanks squad found itself down 2-1 after two periods. However, while eventual Robertson Cup MVP Joe Phillipi came up huge in net, the Ice Dogs got three unanswered third period goals from Pete spratte, alexander Jensen and alec hajdukovich for the win.

“It’s a great culmination of 13 years of hard work by the players, coaches, many volunteers, sponsors, fans, the Board of Directors – everybody makes this happen,” said Proffitt.

He added that a turning point in the season may have been the March 12 outdoor game in Fairbanks. Although Fairbanks lost that home game, they showed playoff-style character by coming back from being down 5-0 to score three unanswered third period goals (sound familiar?) for a 5-3 final.

“To reminisce, that was the triggering point when the guys believed in what they could do,” said Proffitt, whose team went 19-2 in their final 21 games (including playoffs). “Very seldom did we have a lead. We always seemed to be down one or two and came back in every ball game. The guys believed and we had good leadership, and different guys produced on a nightly basis, and those are two things that give you the best chance to win a championship.”

Phillippi certainly earned his MVP award, putting up a .939 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average. Phillippi, a Shoreview, Minn., resident, closed out his third season with Fairbanks.

“You look at his history and he won the most coveted Minnesota hockey tournament with Hill-Murray,” Proffitt said. “He came in his first year, working behind Phil Cook [now at Minnesota State-Mankato] and then last year, took over for Phil and led us to the finals, and comes back this year and helps us win in the finals. We’re waiting on a couple of college opportunities for him.”

NA3HL: In early May, the NA3HL accepted the applications of four new teams entering the league for 2011-12. On May 5, the Granite City Lumberjacks (of Sauk Rapids, Minn.), the Minnesota Flying Aces (of Little Falls, Minn.) and an unnamed team in Vadnais Heights, Minn., were accepted.

The very next day, the NA3HL accepted the application of an unnamed team in Mason City, Iowa.

Mason City was the home of the North Iowa Huskies of the United States Hockey League from 1983-99, followed by the NAHL’s North Iowa Outlaws from 2005-10.

NAPHL: The May drafts for both the Tier-1 USHL and Tier-2 NAHL were huge for the North American Prospects Hockey League.

Nine players were selected from the PHL in the USHL draft, including the highest selected player from the league, sam anas. The DC Capitals 18U star was selected in the second round by the Youngstown Phantoms. Anas has already committed to Quinnipiac University for a future season.

The partnership between the PHL and the NAHL was on full display when 10 PHL players were drafted in the NAHL draft. No less than 51 others signed tenders to NAHL teams during the 2010-11 season.

Anas’ teammate with the Capitals, goaltender Paul Bourbeau, was the first PHL player selected in the NAHL draft, as he was chosen by the Kenai River Brown Bears with the 12th overall pick.

New England Jr. Huskies: Washington a building block for 2011-12

2011-06-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

While the insides of their home Skate 3 facility in Tyngsboro, Mass., takes on the identity of a construction site more than a hockey rink, the New England Huskies are also hammering away at next season’s team.

One of the cornerstones of the Huskies institution this next year will be returning defenseman Michael Washington, a 1991-born Denver, Colo., resident.

Washington is the ultimate defensive defenseman, and not just because he’s still seeking out his first Eastern Junior Hockey League goal (he did have 12 assists last season).

He’s big (6-feet-4-inches, 210 pounds), he’s physical and he was a steadying force in the Huskies’ own end in the 41 league games he played in 2010-11.

“He’s a very good skater, a good defensive defenseman who can get up the ice quick, and he’s also got a very good temperament – he can play with anyone,” said general manager/head coach Paul Jenkins. “He’s drawing some Division 1 interest. He’s going to be a nice player for someone.”

Well, not too nice. Washington was known as a strong fighter during a stint in the Western States Hockey League before he surfaced with the Huskies. He didn’t fight with the Huskies, but he has proven he can take care of himself and his teammates on the ice.

The Huskies were scouting former Huskies forward Davis Haug, who pointed the team in the direction of his former Midget AAA Colorado Thunderbirds teammate Washington.

With the Huskies, he was able to improve on his quickness and defensive presence and awareness and his decision-making.

“I just became a smarter hockey player all around,” said Washington, who has some specific goals in mind for 2011-12, besides earning a D-1 college commitment. “I’d like to use my strengths in the offensive zone more. I have a good shot that I didn’t use much last year.”

Washington has his eyes on the National Hockey League after playing in college. He has already talked to some D-1 college coaches, and had high praise for Jenkins.

“I want to thank Coach Jenkins for giving me the opportunity to showcase my abilities,” he said.

“What I think he has to do [next season] is be himself and be consistent,” Jenkins added. “He’s going to be a very good hockey player. He just has to stay in shape and do the little things. I think [a D-1 college commitment] is sitting right there waiting for him.”

Capital District Selects: Goalie Robbins off to UMass-Lowell in fall

2011-06-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

The old saying goes that “you can’t keep a good man down.”

That proved to be true when not even food poisoning and IV treatment could keep Capital District Selects goalie Brian Robbins off the ice for the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s Spring Showcase in May.

Robbins and some friends and Selects teammates got to Marlboro, Mass., site of the Showcase a day before the tournament started. After checking into their hotel, they went to a local restaurant to get something to eat.

Around 2 a.m., hours after his meal, Robbins awoke nauseated and vomited repeatedly, the victim of food poisoning. He was in such weak condition, his teammates drove him to a nearby hospital, where it took three bags of fluids to repair his dehydrated body.

Selects coach Jim Salfi had left Albany that morning and talked to Robbins along the way around 9 a.m. while the goalie was still laid up in the hospital. Salfi figured he may not get Robbins into a game at least that day, never mind the Selects’ 11:40 a.m. opener.

When Salfi pulled into the New England Sports Center parking lot, there was Robbins walking into the rink with his bag.

“He looked like death warmed over,” said Salfi. “He agreed to play only 25 minutes, and he played so well, he only gave up one goal.”

“I just want to get out there and play. I didn’t want to let my team down,” said Robbins, a 1991-born resident of Scotrun, Pa. “I just want to be in the net. I knew I could play and I wanted to play.”

It is this desire to just keep playing every available minute that attracted new UMass-Lowell head coach Norm Bazin to what Robbins had to offer. Robbins has played the last two years for young Selects teams that have struggled in the win-loss column, but has stood out to the point where he is a two-time EJHL All-Star, a heady accomplishment in a league loaded with Division 1 college prospects.

“It’s what I worked for my whole life, to play Division 1 college hockey,” said Robbins. “It’s exciting for me and for my family, and I’m just really appreciative of everything Coach Salfi has done for me.”

As UMass-Lowell was making a personnel change in its hockey program and Bazin knew he was a candidate, the coach got out to scout Robbins toward the end of the EJHL season.

“I went on a visit, I liked the campus, I liked the school and the fact the hockey program is on its way up, and the fact it’s in the Hockey East Association,” said Robbins. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Salfi is happy to see Robbins settled on a future destination, as there was a lot of interest in him, including from other junior teams.

“Everyone and his brother was trying to get him – the British Columbia Hockey League, the United States Hockey League, the Ontario Junior League,” said Salfi. “He’s probably one of the best kids I’ve ever coached. He has a tremendous work ethic, he never wants to take a day off.”

He never really did, as he played in 44 of the Selects’ 45 EJHL games this past season, posting an .892 save percentage, after posting a .920 in 33 games in 2009-10.

Give him ice time, and he’ll give you his best effort, regardless of the circumstances.

“Earlier this year, against Rochester, he took a slapshot on the mask that cracked his two front teeth right off,” said Salfi. “I was out there with the trainer, obviously concerned, but he wanted to stay in the game. He stopped the bleeding and stayed in there.”

Robbins is happy to be moving on, but recognizes how important his two years with Capital District were to his development.

“They were the best two years of my life,” he said. “I may have not had the best win percentages, or been on one of the top teams in the league, but I grew so much as a player and I thank Coach Salfi for the opportunity to play as many games as I have.”

Robbins is living in Albany, N.Y., close to the Selects’ home in Rensselaer, preparing for the start of his college career.

“I just want to get better in Albany, working out and skating every day,” said Robbins. “You can never be good enough, there’s always going to be someone who will be better. You can’t stop working hard at it.”

Food poisoning, broken teeth – nothing gets in the way of Brian Robbins achieving his goals.

Continental Hockey Association: New Hampshire Monarchs continue to grow in three-tier system

2011-06-06T19:54:00.001-07:00

For the players on the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs’ team in the Continental Hockey Association, playing in the 2011 Jr. B Nationals was a life’s work in hockey coming to fruition.

“From Peewees on, there’s always a chance that you could get to a National Tournament. You go through your States and Regionals, and the top two from Regionals move on,” said Monarchs head coach Kevin Purdy. “The Jr. B Nationals are pretty much their last shot to get to something similar to that effect. They were excited about it.”

The Jr. Monarchs, one of two teams from their organization to make it to Jr. B Nationals (along with the Monarchs of the Empire League), went 1-2 at Nationals. Purdy saw that as a great stepping-stone for his young crew.

“I thought we did well. We played well against the Jersey Hitmen in a 4-2 loss, we beat the Metropolitan Junior League’s Walpole Express and we lost to the Met League’s Central Penn Panthers,” Purdy added.

That’s certainly a good showing for a team that finished seventh in the regular season CHA standings. The Monarchs needed to upset the No. 2 seed Boston Junior Bruins and then the No. 4 seed Bay State Breakers in the semifinals to earn their Nationals bid. They took a tough 7-0 loss to the Metro Fighting Moose in the league championship game.

However, they did what neither the mighty Moose, nor the CHA’s Nationals competitor the Junior Bruins, could do at Nationals – win a game.

It’s the sure sign of a program that’s growing from top to bottom. The top level is one most in junior hockey know – the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s Monarchs, a team that has yielded dozens of Division 1 prospects and a number of minor pro players.

The Empire League is the top feeder program for the EJHL’s Monarchs squad and the CHA team has become a feeder for the Empire squad, though both are technically at the same level (and both were at the Junior Nationals).

“This team is slowly but surely starting to be more of a feeder. Our Empire team took four or five of our guys for this upcoming season and we have quite a few guys that the Empire coaches are looking at for the following year,” said Purdy. “We have a couple of guys on our roster [for 2011-12] who have EJHL potential.”

Newcomer Chris Moquin is one of these players, according to the coach. He joins two other newcomers, Joe Libby and Connor Merrick, as players who formerly suited up for Trinity High School in New Hampshire and will now take their game to the next level.

Moquin is a 1995-born player who has a long history of making Team New England in the USA Hockey festivals, though he missed that honor this year due to illness.

“Moquin is one to watch. I think he has EJHL and Division 1 potential,” Purdy added.

Daniel Moynihan also fits into this category, and he is one of those players who suited up for the CHA squad and now moves on to the Empire team for next season.

“Moynihan went from being a practice player to being a player who played all the time to being a top player in the CHA playoffs and Nationals,” said Purdy.

Moynihan, a 1995-born forward who had 14 goals in 37 games, joins 1992-born forward Kevin Miner (23 points in 27 games) and 1993-born Tyler Clark (22 points in 37 games) as being en route to the Empire League’s Monarchs.

“Tyler decided he wanted to play one more year in juniors. He has a lot of Division 3 college interest,” said Purdy. “He went from no one knowing who he was in high school and now he might get some opportunities playing with the Empire team, as long as he progresses the way he has.”

Bay State Breakers: Team returns some top talent in 2011-12

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

As good as the Bay State Breakers were in 2010-11, they may very well be better next year.

The Eastern Junior Hockey League team featured some of the most prolific scorers and a number of players with Division 1 college commitments, each of whom helped the team to a 26-13-3-3 record and the EJHL semifinals.

“We had a very good group of players last season that was committed to playing hard every night,” said Breakers head coach David McCauley. “This season, we have several returning who were big parts of our team.”

Any team that returns its leading scorer always has a leg up on the competition, especially at this level with so much turnover. Matt Vidal is ticketed to play for the College of the Holy Cross in 2012, but until then, he’s back to try to lead the Breakers to a Dineen Cup. Vidal scored 14 goals and 48 points in 43 EJHL games, and another four points in six games.

Zac Lynch, bound for Robert Morris University in 2012, was also able to fill the nets quite a bit, putting in 10 goals and another 11 assists in his 41 regular season games. He added five points in six playoff games.

The list certainly doesn’t end there, with no less than eight others putting on the Green and Black again next year.

Returning captain Nate Brown was the only Breaker to play in all 45 regular season games last year as a blueliner, adding 19 points as well.

Defensemen Tyler Lovejoy and Harry Quast will also be back after playing 39 and 42 games, respectively.

Four more forwards are also back with the squad, including Mark Lucatra, power forward T.J. O’Brien, James Murphy and Ryan Coffey.

“Murphy is always dangerous, just like physical forward Lucatra and O’Brien,” said McCauley. “Ryan should continue his offense from last season.”

Murphy was a point-per-game player (43 in 43), while O’Brien put up 26 in 33 games. Coffey was also very offensively adept, with 13 points in 18 games.

They’ll even have some good experience in net, with Kyle MacDonald coming back. In 20 games, MacDonald put up a 10-7-1 record and he had a .927 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average.

“Our guys are looking forward to putting themselves in the situation to be one of the teams who have a chance to win a championship,” said McCauley.