For the News-Advertiser
Kootenay mines forward in WHL Draft
by Jeff Bromley
The Kootenay Ice would’ve looked in one if they had to but selecting 13th overall in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, they found one staring right in front of them nonetheless. Colby Cave, a five-foot-eleven 155-pound forward from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, was the club’s first round pick in Thursday’s draft for players born in 1994. “Colby was on our radar for a long time,” said Kootenay Ice Director of Scouting Garnett Kazuik of the lanky forward. “We liked what he did in all three zones – neutral, defensive and obviously the offensive zone. Colby has a very nice scoring touch that he’s developing and he has fairly good size for his late birthday.”
Cave, who scored 69 goals and 59 assists in 50 games for the Battleford AA Barons according to the Battlefords Minor Hockey Association website, lead his club to the Saskatchewan Bantam A provincial finals, losing to Weyburn in two games. “I thought I’d go second or third round, if I was lucky,” Cave told Darren Zary of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, surprised at being taken so early. “Anywhere would have been good, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about Kootenay.”
Cave is a bit of rarity in that his birthdate – December 26, 1994 – puts him only five days short of being eligible for next year’s Bantam Draft when the norm for players taken are ones born in the first half of the year. “We like his ability to compete and he does have a finishing touch that he’s continuing to develop," continued Kazuik.
In the second round Kazuik went to St Albert, Alberta and called five-foot-ten 175-pound defenseman Matt Benning with the 35th overall pick. Benning is the son of former NHL defensemen Brian Benning, a former Portland Winter Hawk and Kamloops Blazer who spent ten seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, LA Kings, Philadelphia, Edmonton and Florida. “One thing that was very appealing in Matt is that he’s very physical and very smart,” said Kaziuk. “He’s got 360-degree vision and his awareness in his zone is second-to-none in his age group.”
In the third round the club went to a familiar program in the BC Bantam Champion Abbotsford Hawks and took goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, the same club goaltender Nathan Lieuwen won a championship with in 2006.
It was in the later rounds however that the club thinks it might have a sleeper pick in sixth-rounder Jared Iron from Canoe Narrows, Saskatchewan. Iron, who played with the Meadow Lake Stampeders scoring 28 goals and 19 assists in 19 league games, showed the kind of dedication Kazuik likes in that the First Nations player traveled from the tiny reserve of Canoe Narrows in Northern Saskatchewan down the highway a three-hour drive to Meadow Lake just to play hockey. “That just goes to show the commitment of players from Saskatchewan, driving three hours, twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays to practice, just to play hockey,” said Kazuik of Iron, who has committed to play AAA Midget with Beardy’s Blackhawks located south of Prince Albert for next season. “On top of that you can look at his numbers and they were very strong throughout the season with a very strong commitment. He’s highly skilled and we had him rated much higher in our draft.”
Quick Hits – Portland had the first overall pick Thursday and selected D Derek Pouliot of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Moose Jaw took Morgan Reilly of West Vancouver who played for the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Saskatchewan while another West Vancouver product, D Griffin Reinhart – younger brother of Ice forward Max Reinhart was selected by the Edmonton Oil Kings third overall. The Oil Kings traded up to get Reinhart by dealing 19-year-old forward Shayne Neigum, the Oil Kings first round pick in the CHL Import Draft (21st overall) and their first round pick (9th – used by the Bruins to take forward Steven Hodges)… Once again it wasn’t a good year for draft-eligible players in the Kootenays as both the East and West Kootenay was shutout but for one player – D Bradon Seyl from Revelstoke. Interesting enough that Seyl, taken in the fourth round, 83rd overall by the Kelowna Rockets, was a pick that could’ve been Kootenay’s at the Rockets’ option in the Kris Lazaruk trade. Kelowna decided to take the pick so their 4th round pick in 2010 goes to the Ice… All players taken - Kootenay selected nine - in the 2009 Draft aren’t eligible for full-time play until the 2010-11 season.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
WHL Bantam Draft - Kootenay Picks
I'm in and out today checking in on the draft much like fans of the WHL. For a more indepth look at each pick of the draft, stats and all, swing over to Small thoughts at large with Alan Caldwell who has the draft covered from every angle. Also, the stats from the first two picks and the 9th and 10th round picks are courtesy Mr. Caldwell. Also, with some picks from Saskatchewan I've identified them as AA picks, as opposed to the AAA associations in Alberta and BC. Turns out AA is the top level in Saskatchewan, so naturally any picks out of Sask would be AA.
So far the Kootenay Picks, which I'll update round-to-round and then file a story on later this evening:
1st Round - 13th overall: Forward Colby Cave
Vitals: 5'10" 155lbs - North Battleford, Saskatchewan
08-09: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA bantam) -- 20gp-24g-21a-45pts-18pim
08-09: Battlefords Stars (SMHL AAA midget) -- 3gp-0g-1a-1pts-2pim
07-08: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA bantam) -- 16gp-10g-9a-19pts-16pim
06-07: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA pee wee) -- 20gp-14g-21a-35pts-24pim
A player not on any of my radar or any scout that I talked to. A late born (Dec 26) forward five days short of being a pick next year that played AA.
2nd Round - 35th overall: D Matt Benning
Vitals: 5'10" 175lbs; St. Albert, AB
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam) -- no stats
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam - PLF) -- 5gp-0g-3a-3pts-12pim
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (St. Albert AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-0g-4a-4pts-8pim
08-09: Northwest Sharks (Alberta Cup) -- 5gp-1g-1a-2pts-6pim
07-08: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam) -- 2gp-0g-1a-1pts-0pim
07-08: St. Albert Blues (EMHA AA bantam) -- 28gp-8g-7a-15pts-26pim
07-08: St. Albert Blues (Edmonton AA bantam tournament) -- 4gp-1g-1a-2pts-4pim
3rd Round - 57th overall: Goaltender MacKenzie Skapski
Vitals: June 15, 1994 Abbotsford, B.C.
No stats except the Western Canadian Bantam Championships. Skapski was a member of the BC champion Abbotsford Hawks who finished second to the Airdrie Extreme at the Western Canada Championships. Same program that Nathan Lieuwen came out of.
4th Round - 79th overall: D Jeff Hubic
Vitals: No size yet but I have him as a forward (from a Regina Leader-Post story in March but that could be wrong) with 13 goals, 8 assists and 55 PIM's in 25 games. Numbers reflect a D-man. Another AA player.
Either Kootenay or Kelowna - I suspect the former - had the option on Kelowna's 4th round pick, 83rd overall in the Kris Lazaruk trade but didn't excersise it. Kootenay will have Kelowna's 4th round pick next year. FYI - with the pick Kelowna took D Bradon Seyl from single A Revelstoke. A big d-men that caught scouts attention late in the year. Could be a sleeper pick and I'm told was mulling over either Kelowna's Pursuit of Excellence hockey academy or Notre Dame. Wonder if he'll lean to the former being a pick of the Rockets?
5th Round - 101st overall: RW Kurt Johnas
Vitals: May 21, 1994 Winnipeg, MB
Directors Cup (Like BC's U-16) Stats - GP 3 One goals, one asist.
6th Round - 123rd overall: D Mike Simpson
Vitals: March 30, 1994 - Semiahoo, BC (White Rock)
7th Round - 145th overall - traded to Edmonton who took goaltender Wade Moyls out of Kamloops. The pick went to Edmonton when Lethbridge acquired Brent Henke, a former Ice draft pick, who went Edmonton in the expansion draft. The Hurricanes and Ice swapped that picks for Todd Mathews.
8th Round - 167th overall - C Jared Iron from Canoe Narrows, Saskatchewan, which is way north. Canoe Narrows is a northern reserve near Canoe Lake.
08-09: Meadow Lake Stampeders (CFHL AA bantam) -- 19gp-28g-19a-47pts-16pim
08-09: Meadow Lake Stampeders (Saskatoon bantam tournament) -- 3gp-4g-10a-14pts-2pim
07-08: Meadow Lake Stampeders (CFHL AA bantam) -- 17gp-27g-18a-45pts-2pim
06-07: Meadow Lake North Stars (CFHL AA pee wee) -- 19gp-19g-12a-31pts-6pim
9th Round - 189th overall - RW Mitchell Fyffe
Vitals: 5'7" 130lbs Born: February 17, 1994
08-09: Kelowna Pursuit of Excellence (KIBIHT) -- 7gp-2g-6a-8pts-4pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (Nike/Bauer AAA bantam tournament) -- 4gp-2g-2a-4pts-0pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (St. Albert AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-2g-0a-2pts-10pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (Victoria AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-3g-0a-3pts-2pim
One of those players from a very good POE squad. A hockey factor out of Kelowna
10th Round - 211th overall - G Steven Myland Born: February 10, 1994
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (BCAHA AAA bantam) -- 5gp-2w-0l-0t-1.47gaa-.893sv%
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (KIBIHT) -- 6gp-2w-4l-0t-2.83gaa
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (PoCo bantam AAA tournament) -- 2gp-2.00gaa
Another goaltender that unofficially ends the draft for the Ice and includes yet another fruitless draft for the Kootenay-based kids. Not one from the East Kootenays and, unbelievably, not one from the West Kootenays either. For a region that used to be a steady pipeline to the WHL and on a smaller scale, the NHL, we've sure fallen on hard times when it comes to drafting. Though, to be fair, players like Dustin Donaghy (Spokane Chiefs) and Jace Coyle (Medicine Hat) were never drafted.
So far the Kootenay Picks, which I'll update round-to-round and then file a story on later this evening:
1st Round - 13th overall: Forward Colby Cave
Vitals: 5'10" 155lbs - North Battleford, Saskatchewan
08-09: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA bantam) -- 20gp-24g-21a-45pts-18pim
08-09: Battlefords Stars (SMHL AAA midget) -- 3gp-0g-1a-1pts-2pim
07-08: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA bantam) -- 16gp-10g-9a-19pts-16pim
06-07: Battlefords Barons (CFHL AA pee wee) -- 20gp-14g-21a-35pts-24pim
A player not on any of my radar or any scout that I talked to. A late born (Dec 26) forward five days short of being a pick next year that played AA.
2nd Round - 35th overall: D Matt Benning
Vitals: 5'10" 175lbs; St. Albert, AB
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam) -- no stats
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam - PLF) -- 5gp-0g-3a-3pts-12pim
08-09: St. Albert Sabres (St. Albert AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-0g-4a-4pts-8pim
08-09: Northwest Sharks (Alberta Cup) -- 5gp-1g-1a-2pts-6pim
07-08: St. Albert Sabres (AMBHL AAA bantam) -- 2gp-0g-1a-1pts-0pim
07-08: St. Albert Blues (EMHA AA bantam) -- 28gp-8g-7a-15pts-26pim
07-08: St. Albert Blues (Edmonton AA bantam tournament) -- 4gp-1g-1a-2pts-4pim
3rd Round - 57th overall: Goaltender MacKenzie Skapski
Vitals: June 15, 1994 Abbotsford, B.C.
No stats except the Western Canadian Bantam Championships. Skapski was a member of the BC champion Abbotsford Hawks who finished second to the Airdrie Extreme at the Western Canada Championships. Same program that Nathan Lieuwen came out of.
4th Round - 79th overall: D Jeff Hubic
Vitals: No size yet but I have him as a forward (from a Regina Leader-Post story in March but that could be wrong) with 13 goals, 8 assists and 55 PIM's in 25 games. Numbers reflect a D-man. Another AA player.
Either Kootenay or Kelowna - I suspect the former - had the option on Kelowna's 4th round pick, 83rd overall in the Kris Lazaruk trade but didn't excersise it. Kootenay will have Kelowna's 4th round pick next year. FYI - with the pick Kelowna took D Bradon Seyl from single A Revelstoke. A big d-men that caught scouts attention late in the year. Could be a sleeper pick and I'm told was mulling over either Kelowna's Pursuit of Excellence hockey academy or Notre Dame. Wonder if he'll lean to the former being a pick of the Rockets?
5th Round - 101st overall: RW Kurt Johnas
Vitals: May 21, 1994 Winnipeg, MB
Directors Cup (Like BC's U-16) Stats - GP 3 One goals, one asist.
6th Round - 123rd overall: D Mike Simpson
Vitals: March 30, 1994 - Semiahoo, BC (White Rock)
7th Round - 145th overall - traded to Edmonton who took goaltender Wade Moyls out of Kamloops. The pick went to Edmonton when Lethbridge acquired Brent Henke, a former Ice draft pick, who went Edmonton in the expansion draft. The Hurricanes and Ice swapped that picks for Todd Mathews.
8th Round - 167th overall - C Jared Iron from Canoe Narrows, Saskatchewan, which is way north. Canoe Narrows is a northern reserve near Canoe Lake.
08-09: Meadow Lake Stampeders (CFHL AA bantam) -- 19gp-28g-19a-47pts-16pim
08-09: Meadow Lake Stampeders (Saskatoon bantam tournament) -- 3gp-4g-10a-14pts-2pim
07-08: Meadow Lake Stampeders (CFHL AA bantam) -- 17gp-27g-18a-45pts-2pim
06-07: Meadow Lake North Stars (CFHL AA pee wee) -- 19gp-19g-12a-31pts-6pim
9th Round - 189th overall - RW Mitchell Fyffe
Vitals: 5'7" 130lbs Born: February 17, 1994
08-09: Kelowna Pursuit of Excellence (KIBIHT) -- 7gp-2g-6a-8pts-4pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (Nike/Bauer AAA bantam tournament) -- 4gp-2g-2a-4pts-0pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (St. Albert AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-2g-0a-2pts-10pim
08-09: Kelowna POE (Victoria AAA bantam tournament) -- 5gp-3g-0a-3pts-2pim
One of those players from a very good POE squad. A hockey factor out of Kelowna
10th Round - 211th overall - G Steven Myland Born: February 10, 1994
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (BCAHA AAA bantam) -- 5gp-2w-0l-0t-1.47gaa-.893sv%
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (KIBIHT) -- 6gp-2w-4l-0t-2.83gaa
08-09: Cloverdale Colts (PoCo bantam AAA tournament) -- 2gp-2.00gaa
Another goaltender that unofficially ends the draft for the Ice and includes yet another fruitless draft for the Kootenay-based kids. Not one from the East Kootenays and, unbelievably, not one from the West Kootenays either. For a region that used to be a steady pipeline to the WHL and on a smaller scale, the NHL, we've sure fallen on hard times when it comes to drafting. Though, to be fair, players like Dustin Donaghy (Spokane Chiefs) and Jace Coyle (Medicine Hat) were never drafted.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Mock first round....
Here's a mock first round courtesy of Tyler Neisz of Prince Albert. This list was compiled before some of the major provincial tournaments. An updated list will be in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix Thursday morning. The WHL Draft goes Thursday in Edmonton.
1. Portland Winter Hawks- D Morgan Reilly, Notre Dame
2. Moose Jaw Warriors- D Derrick Poulliot, Weyburn
3. Chilliwack Bruins- F Mike Winther, Airdrie
4. Red Deer Rebels- D Matt Dumba, Calgary Bronks
5. Regina Pats- D Griffin Reinhart, Hollyburn, Vancouver
6. Prince Albert- F Taylor Balog, Weyburn
7. Prince George-F Connor Rankin, North Shore Winter Club
8. Everett Silvertips- F Chandler Stephenson, Saskatoon
9. Edmonton Oil Kings- D Nicolas Walters, St. Albert
10. Kamloops Blazers-D Kade Pilton, Pursuit of Excellance BC
11. Everett Silvertips-D Dane Phaneuf, South Side Athletic Club, EDM
12. Seattle Thunderbirds- D Seth Jones, Texas
13. Kootenay Ice- F Trent Geiger, Calgary
14. Medicine Hat Tigers- F Tristan Sieben, Maple Leaf Ath Club, EDM
15. Swift Current Broncos-F Steve Hodges, South Delta, BC
16. Spokane Chiefs-D Shayne Gwinner, Airdrie, AB
17. Kelowna Rockets-D Josh Smith, Red Deer, AB
18. Brandon Wheat Kings-D Dylan Kuczek, MB
19. Tri City Americans-D Mattias Cleland, Colorado
20. Saskatoon Blades-F Brandon Magee, South Side Ath Club, EDM
21. Vancouver Giants-F Shea Howorko, Notre Dame
22. Calgary Hitmen-F Brandon Troock, CAC, EDM
1. Portland Winter Hawks- D Morgan Reilly, Notre Dame
2. Moose Jaw Warriors- D Derrick Poulliot, Weyburn
3. Chilliwack Bruins- F Mike Winther, Airdrie
4. Red Deer Rebels- D Matt Dumba, Calgary Bronks
5. Regina Pats- D Griffin Reinhart, Hollyburn, Vancouver
6. Prince Albert- F Taylor Balog, Weyburn
7. Prince George-F Connor Rankin, North Shore Winter Club
8. Everett Silvertips- F Chandler Stephenson, Saskatoon
9. Edmonton Oil Kings- D Nicolas Walters, St. Albert
10. Kamloops Blazers-D Kade Pilton, Pursuit of Excellance BC
11. Everett Silvertips-D Dane Phaneuf, South Side Athletic Club, EDM
12. Seattle Thunderbirds- D Seth Jones, Texas
13. Kootenay Ice- F Trent Geiger, Calgary
14. Medicine Hat Tigers- F Tristan Sieben, Maple Leaf Ath Club, EDM
15. Swift Current Broncos-F Steve Hodges, South Delta, BC
16. Spokane Chiefs-D Shayne Gwinner, Airdrie, AB
17. Kelowna Rockets-D Josh Smith, Red Deer, AB
18. Brandon Wheat Kings-D Dylan Kuczek, MB
19. Tri City Americans-D Mattias Cleland, Colorado
20. Saskatoon Blades-F Brandon Magee, South Side Ath Club, EDM
21. Vancouver Giants-F Shea Howorko, Notre Dame
22. Calgary Hitmen-F Brandon Troock, CAC, EDM
Friday, April 24, 2009
California Dreamin...
California dreamin for WHL hopefuls
by Jeff Bromley
Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick would rather be coaching in the WHL playoff right now but you'll forgive him if he found the next best thing; running a training camp for WHL hopefuls in the sunny climes of Southern California.
Two weeks ago the WHL hosted a jamboree-style mini-camp in Anaheim, California for U.S.-born players born in 1993 - one year later than Western Canadian players eligible for the upcoming WHL Draft April 30. The reality of a 22-team WHL dictates that if you have to scour every nook and cranny of Western North America for players Southern California is a good place to start. "It's a tough job and I'd rather be still playing in the playoffs but it's a bit of a consolation," said Holick, en route to a spring hockey tournament in Spokane where he'll coach the Kootenay '96 Selects of which his son Cooper plays. "We've done a few of them before during my Junior A career with Surry (BCHL) so I've been familiar with the kids coming in from the southern U.S."
The Sun Belt has been a boon to the WHL in terms of talent with 39 U.S.-born players playing regularly in the league in 2008 while two Ice players - defenseman Tyler Vanscourt from Corona and goaltender Todd Mathews, from Covina - both hail from the Golden State. Holick, along with WHL coaches Travis Green (assistant coach - Portland), Dave Hunchak (head coach - Moose Jaw) and Jesse Wallin (head coach - Red Deer) ran the jamboree-style camp that attracted 84 players split up into four squads, with each coach being responsible for a team. "I don't get to watch that age group a lot as I'm not scouting for our club but there were some players that caught some attention. Would there be a few guys drafted out of that camp? I think so."
"There's some talent there and in talking to (WHL Vice-President) Rick Doerksen, the talent there was better than he thought. We'll see what happens in a week at the draft but there's some kids down there that caught my eye, for sure."
Around the Horn - Former Kootenay Ice head coach Cory Clouston is also headed to Spokane for the tournament as interim coach of the 1997-born Kootenay Selects of which his stepson Marco plays for... International Scouting Services released their Top Ten list for the WHL draft this week in Edmonton. Topping the list is Matt Dumba, a five-foot-eleven, 165-pound defenseman from Calgary. Speaking of U.S.-born prospects, checking in at number ten on that list is Seth Jones, a six-foot-two, 170-pound rearguard from Dallas, Texas. Jones is the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, a six-foot-eight, 250-pound former Dallas Maverick and Toronto Raptor... Three locals eligible for the WHL draft next week took part in HockeyBC's U-16 tournament last weekend in Salmon Arm. In jamboree-style tournament where players were split up and did not play for their individual regions D Bryce Perpelitz with the Flyers took home the gold with a win over the silver-medal winning Canucks, which included forward Derek Georgeopoulos. Forward Jordan Revie was on the Avalanche club that took home the Bronze. All three Cranbrook players, along with Bantam Ice leading scorer Jared Jarome who was invited but couldn't take part due to a broken wrist suffered in the SCAHL Finals, could hear their names called on Draft day or receive training camp invites to WHL and/or BCHL squads. Dylan Robertson of the Elk Valley and goaltender Jay Leroy of Golden also took part... I was remiss in my list of Cranbrook Minor Hockey award winners last week when I missed Novice Most Improved Player Tyson Cristales... Alberni Valley Bulldog D-man Kevin Ross was announced by HockeyCanada this week as the 2009 RBC Junior A national scholarship winner. The Cranbrook product and former Kimberley Dynamiter will be presented with his $5000 award at the RBC Junior A Championship in Victoria May 2-9. The 18-year-old, who will play one more year of junior hockey in the BCHL next season is committed to Ivy League school Princeton for 2010... On a sadder note the last surviving member of the 1937 World Champions Kimberley Dynamiters, Gordon 'Shifty' Wilson, passed away Tuesday in Kimberley. He was 92.
by Jeff Bromley
Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick would rather be coaching in the WHL playoff right now but you'll forgive him if he found the next best thing; running a training camp for WHL hopefuls in the sunny climes of Southern California.
Two weeks ago the WHL hosted a jamboree-style mini-camp in Anaheim, California for U.S.-born players born in 1993 - one year later than Western Canadian players eligible for the upcoming WHL Draft April 30. The reality of a 22-team WHL dictates that if you have to scour every nook and cranny of Western North America for players Southern California is a good place to start. "It's a tough job and I'd rather be still playing in the playoffs but it's a bit of a consolation," said Holick, en route to a spring hockey tournament in Spokane where he'll coach the Kootenay '96 Selects of which his son Cooper plays. "We've done a few of them before during my Junior A career with Surry (BCHL) so I've been familiar with the kids coming in from the southern U.S."
The Sun Belt has been a boon to the WHL in terms of talent with 39 U.S.-born players playing regularly in the league in 2008 while two Ice players - defenseman Tyler Vanscourt from Corona and goaltender Todd Mathews, from Covina - both hail from the Golden State. Holick, along with WHL coaches Travis Green (assistant coach - Portland), Dave Hunchak (head coach - Moose Jaw) and Jesse Wallin (head coach - Red Deer) ran the jamboree-style camp that attracted 84 players split up into four squads, with each coach being responsible for a team. "I don't get to watch that age group a lot as I'm not scouting for our club but there were some players that caught some attention. Would there be a few guys drafted out of that camp? I think so."
"There's some talent there and in talking to (WHL Vice-President) Rick Doerksen, the talent there was better than he thought. We'll see what happens in a week at the draft but there's some kids down there that caught my eye, for sure."
Around the Horn - Former Kootenay Ice head coach Cory Clouston is also headed to Spokane for the tournament as interim coach of the 1997-born Kootenay Selects of which his stepson Marco plays for... International Scouting Services released their Top Ten list for the WHL draft this week in Edmonton. Topping the list is Matt Dumba, a five-foot-eleven, 165-pound defenseman from Calgary. Speaking of U.S.-born prospects, checking in at number ten on that list is Seth Jones, a six-foot-two, 170-pound rearguard from Dallas, Texas. Jones is the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, a six-foot-eight, 250-pound former Dallas Maverick and Toronto Raptor... Three locals eligible for the WHL draft next week took part in HockeyBC's U-16 tournament last weekend in Salmon Arm. In jamboree-style tournament where players were split up and did not play for their individual regions D Bryce Perpelitz with the Flyers took home the gold with a win over the silver-medal winning Canucks, which included forward Derek Georgeopoulos. Forward Jordan Revie was on the Avalanche club that took home the Bronze. All three Cranbrook players, along with Bantam Ice leading scorer Jared Jarome who was invited but couldn't take part due to a broken wrist suffered in the SCAHL Finals, could hear their names called on Draft day or receive training camp invites to WHL and/or BCHL squads. Dylan Robertson of the Elk Valley and goaltender Jay Leroy of Golden also took part... I was remiss in my list of Cranbrook Minor Hockey award winners last week when I missed Novice Most Improved Player Tyson Cristales... Alberni Valley Bulldog D-man Kevin Ross was announced by HockeyCanada this week as the 2009 RBC Junior A national scholarship winner. The Cranbrook product and former Kimberley Dynamiter will be presented with his $5000 award at the RBC Junior A Championship in Victoria May 2-9. The 18-year-old, who will play one more year of junior hockey in the BCHL next season is committed to Ivy League school Princeton for 2010... On a sadder note the last surviving member of the 1937 World Champions Kimberley Dynamiters, Gordon 'Shifty' Wilson, passed away Tuesday in Kimberley. He was 92.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Top Ten in 2009....
International Scouting Services has their draft rankings out - you can buy the Top 50for $50 here - but the Top Ten is available for free and is as follows:
Name Pos Birth Date Ht. Wgt. Team League
1 Dumba, Matt RD 7/25/1994 5.11 165 Bronks AMBHL
2 Rankin, Connor F 11/30/1994 6.00 185 NSWC A1-T1 PCBHL
3 Winther, Mike C 1/9/1994 5.09 155 Airdrie AMBHL
4 Rielly, Morgan LD 3/9/1994 5.11 168 NDBantam SSBHL
5 Walters, Nicolas LD 4/11/1994 6.00 160 St. Albert AMBHL
6 Balog, Tayler C 4/21/1994 5.11.5 176 Weyburn SSBHL
7 Smith, Joshua RW 10/2/1994 5.10 180 Red Deer Black AMBHL
8 Geiger, Trent RW 8/23/1994 5.09 150 Royal Gold AMBHL
9 Pouliot, Derrick D 1/16/1994 5.10 165 Weyburn SSBHL
10 Jones, Seth RD 10/3/1994 6.02 170 Dallas TexB
An interesting list and yet another example of how there's not really a clear cut group in the top five never mind a clear cut number one. No Reinhart in there - could the younger brother of Max fall to the number 13 spot - Kootenay's on April 30in Edmonton? There's also a new name there at the bottom. Seth Jones from, all of places, Dallas Texas.
I'll more on Draft day next week with Kootenay's picks and, with any luck, a couple of locals that should see their name on the list Thursday.
Oh and for those who are still keeping score the Calgary Hitmen pushed their playoff record to 12-0 last night, pushing the Brandon Wheat Kings out of the playoffs in four straight games. And yes, though he was pointless in the series clincher, forward Kris Foucault was named the Eastern Conference Playoff MVP.
Name Pos Birth Date Ht. Wgt. Team League
1 Dumba, Matt RD 7/25/1994 5.11 165 Bronks AMBHL
2 Rankin, Connor F 11/30/1994 6.00 185 NSWC A1-T1 PCBHL
3 Winther, Mike C 1/9/1994 5.09 155 Airdrie AMBHL
4 Rielly, Morgan LD 3/9/1994 5.11 168 NDBantam SSBHL
5 Walters, Nicolas LD 4/11/1994 6.00 160 St. Albert AMBHL
6 Balog, Tayler C 4/21/1994 5.11.5 176 Weyburn SSBHL
7 Smith, Joshua RW 10/2/1994 5.10 180 Red Deer Black AMBHL
8 Geiger, Trent RW 8/23/1994 5.09 150 Royal Gold AMBHL
9 Pouliot, Derrick D 1/16/1994 5.10 165 Weyburn SSBHL
10 Jones, Seth RD 10/3/1994 6.02 170 Dallas TexB
An interesting list and yet another example of how there's not really a clear cut group in the top five never mind a clear cut number one. No Reinhart in there - could the younger brother of Max fall to the number 13 spot - Kootenay's on April 30in Edmonton? There's also a new name there at the bottom. Seth Jones from, all of places, Dallas Texas.
I'll more on Draft day next week with Kootenay's picks and, with any luck, a couple of locals that should see their name on the list Thursday.
Oh and for those who are still keeping score the Calgary Hitmen pushed their playoff record to 12-0 last night, pushing the Brandon Wheat Kings out of the playoffs in four straight games. And yes, though he was pointless in the series clincher, forward Kris Foucault was named the Eastern Conference Playoff MVP.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Barteaux Humanitarian
Some updates from around the blogosphere today:
- Graduated Ice D Ian Barteaux was named the Eastern Conference finalist for WHL's Humanitarian of the Year. Ironic how respected off the ice Ian is and how hated he is on it. Barteaux was only passed in Bruce Luebke's (voice of the Wheat Kings)Best of the East poll as the conference's most irritating player by Kyle Beach, who was dealt to the Hurricanes at the deadline from the West's Silvertips, and rookie Blade Charles Inglis - who will assumed the role for the next few seasons to come.
- Courtesy Shawn Mullin over at the Smokies' blog Kimberley Dynamiter forward Matt Wilkins is headed three hours west rather than the three hours east the Lethbridge Hurricanes had hoped. The Nitro sniper, a list player of the 'Canes, was committed to by the Smokies last week. He's been mulling over his NCAA options for some time now and looks to be headed in that direction.
- Graduated Ice D Ian Barteaux was named the Eastern Conference finalist for WHL's Humanitarian of the Year. Ironic how respected off the ice Ian is and how hated he is on it. Barteaux was only passed in Bruce Luebke's (voice of the Wheat Kings)Best of the East poll as the conference's most irritating player by Kyle Beach, who was dealt to the Hurricanes at the deadline from the West's Silvertips, and rookie Blade Charles Inglis - who will assumed the role for the next few seasons to come.
- Courtesy Shawn Mullin over at the Smokies' blog Kimberley Dynamiter forward Matt Wilkins is headed three hours west rather than the three hours east the Lethbridge Hurricanes had hoped. The Nitro sniper, a list player of the 'Canes, was committed to by the Smokies last week. He's been mulling over his NCAA options for some time now and looks to be headed in that direction.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Round Three.....
I'll take a 3-1 result in the second round after a disapointing 6-2 first round into round three.
Off Nick Ross' point-shot - OT again - the Vancouver Giants ended an epic series the other night against the defending champs. Do they have the gas left to tangle with the Rockets? In a word, no. Had the Giants dispatched the Chiefs earlier I might've sided with the G-men in the upcoming Western Conference final against the Rockets but two things have emerged for me: a)Vancouver seemed to offensively challenged against the Chiefs - who had five healthy d-man in round two. Sure Pierro-Zabotel and Kane - the latter being much-more effective than the former against the Chiefs - but Jon Blum is the club's leading scorer. Against the high-flying Rockets that could spell trouble. and b) though they enjoyed a territorial advantage over the Chiefs for a lot of the series the G-men had difficulty with Spokane's speed, something the Rockets have more of... Then again one could argue that Tokarski was the reason the series went seven in the first place... The Rockets are deep and just as physical as the G-men and the seven-game marathon will wear on the Giants...I thought that Mark Guggenberger could be the weak link against the Americans but that proved wrong. If he holds up it'll be the Rockets in six
In the Eastern Final it's the irresistible force against the immovable object as the 8-0 Hitmen take on the 8-0 Wheat Kings. It would be easy to surmise that the regular season champs will get by the younger Wheaties who are built for next season as host of the Memorial Cup but it's never that simple. Both club's are offensively deep, boasting three lines that can score and both club's are deep on the blueline, with the Wheaties even matching the Hitmen on the scoring side of things from back-end with the Colby Robak show in the Wheaties series-clincher over the Tigers. I still think that Calgary is deeper on the back-end but I'm still not sold on the goaltending of the Wheat Kings. Martin Jones, who many thought wasn't the guy to take the Hitmen deep, is the real deal. Minuscule numbers and arguably the Rodney Dangerfield of WHL goalies - taking the title away from Tyson Sexsmith - will be the difference as the Hitmen roll into the WHL Final. Calgary in six.
Off Nick Ross' point-shot - OT again - the Vancouver Giants ended an epic series the other night against the defending champs. Do they have the gas left to tangle with the Rockets? In a word, no. Had the Giants dispatched the Chiefs earlier I might've sided with the G-men in the upcoming Western Conference final against the Rockets but two things have emerged for me: a)Vancouver seemed to offensively challenged against the Chiefs - who had five healthy d-man in round two. Sure Pierro-Zabotel and Kane - the latter being much-more effective than the former against the Chiefs - but Jon Blum is the club's leading scorer. Against the high-flying Rockets that could spell trouble. and b) though they enjoyed a territorial advantage over the Chiefs for a lot of the series the G-men had difficulty with Spokane's speed, something the Rockets have more of... Then again one could argue that Tokarski was the reason the series went seven in the first place... The Rockets are deep and just as physical as the G-men and the seven-game marathon will wear on the Giants...I thought that Mark Guggenberger could be the weak link against the Americans but that proved wrong. If he holds up it'll be the Rockets in six
In the Eastern Final it's the irresistible force against the immovable object as the 8-0 Hitmen take on the 8-0 Wheat Kings. It would be easy to surmise that the regular season champs will get by the younger Wheaties who are built for next season as host of the Memorial Cup but it's never that simple. Both club's are offensively deep, boasting three lines that can score and both club's are deep on the blueline, with the Wheaties even matching the Hitmen on the scoring side of things from back-end with the Colby Robak show in the Wheaties series-clincher over the Tigers. I still think that Calgary is deeper on the back-end but I'm still not sold on the goaltending of the Wheat Kings. Martin Jones, who many thought wasn't the guy to take the Hitmen deep, is the real deal. Minuscule numbers and arguably the Rodney Dangerfield of WHL goalies - taking the title away from Tyson Sexsmith - will be the difference as the Hitmen roll into the WHL Final. Calgary in six.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Central Scouting rankings out....
NHL Central Scouting released their final rankings today and as expected Ice d-man Brayden McNabb rocketed up the list into the second round, though the list does not include Europeans, sitting in the 51st spot, up 22 from 73 at the mid-term rankings. McNabb is currently with the U-18 team at the World Championships in Fargo where Canada is 3-0 after an overtime win over the Czech Republic yesterday.
Blueline partner Hayden Rintoul also climbed up the list, clocking in at 111 after just making the mid-terms at 181.
And goaltender Nathan Lieuwen actually rose one spot to 11 on the North American goaltender rankings, though he missed 20 games with a concussion through the latter part of the season. The goaltender rankings can be seen here.
And also interesting to note that forward Kris Foucault is listed in the same round as Rintoul at number 96. Is the 18-year-old officially now one that got away?
Blueline partner Hayden Rintoul also climbed up the list, clocking in at 111 after just making the mid-terms at 181.
And goaltender Nathan Lieuwen actually rose one spot to 11 on the North American goaltender rankings, though he missed 20 games with a concussion through the latter part of the season. The goaltender rankings can be seen here.
And also interesting to note that forward Kris Foucault is listed in the same round as Rintoul at number 96. Is the 18-year-old officially now one that got away?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
McNabb in big role at U-18/Clouston signs...
Former Ice head coach Cory Clouston signed a two-year deal with the Ottawa Senators this morning, removing the 'interim' tag from his title. Since replacing Craig Hartsburg Clouston is 19-10-3 for the 11th place Senators who will miss the playoffs...
For the NewsAdvertiser...
McNabb finds bigger role with Team Canada
by Jeff Bromley
When the final buzzer sounded March 25 in a 4-3 loss the Brandon Wheat Kings to end their season, like most of his team-mates, Kootenay Ice defenseman Brayden McNabb wished otherwise.
Less than 24 hours later his wish was granted.
The 18-year-old Davidson, Saskatchewan product was named the Canadian entry into the 2009 U-18 World Championships going on in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota on April 2 but knew he was going to be named to the team following Kootenay’s exit from the WHL playoffs. “No, I couldn’t tell anybody but I guess I didn’t really want to go around town telling everybody but the day after we lost out (Hockey Canada) called me,” said the Ice d-man from Minneapolis, Minnesota shortly after Canada had dumped Slovakia 5-2 in Canada’s last warm-up before opening the tournament Thursday night against Germany in Fargo. “It was disappointing to go out four straight (to Brandon) but now it’ll be exciting to come over here and try and win another gold medal.”
Canada are the defending champions this season after winning just its second gold medal in the ten-year history of the tournament – for players born in 1991 or earlier - last year under the guidance of Pat Quinn. Unlike the U-20 World Junior Championships held over the Christmas holidays Hockey Canada only has the luxury to select players whose junior season has ended.
For McNabb, who seen a meteoric rise in his NHL Draft stock after playing a key role this season with the Ice, this will be his second crack at an international gold medal after winning gold at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament last summer. His role then was a seventh defenseman/role player. In Fargo that role has changed considerably and his blueline partner is six-foot-eight Taylor Doherty on the club’s number one defensive pairing. “No, it’s a little bit different this time,” said McNabb. “I’ve been playing on the first tier penalty-killing and that’s what they told me that I’d be used as PK shutdown guy, a rough and tough defenseman that guys don’t want to play against.”
The tournament exposure for the six-foot-four blueliner is yet another notch in the belt as McNabb prepares for the NHL Draft come June. Besides playing in front of family and friends the stands will be packed with NHL scouts. How he plays will go a long way to determining how far up the line both his NHL Central Scouting final ranking comes in at and where he’ll actually go in the draft. “You try not to think about it but the draft is always in the back of your head,” said McNabb, who clocked in at the number the 73 spot in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings. “It’s your draft year and right from the beginning of the season you’re thinking about it but you try and not let the pressure go to you. I just want to go game-by-game, event-by-event and just finish up the year with a good tournament.”
Team Canada has got their work cut for them as their opponent nations have all wrapped their league play, freeing up their top U-18 players. “I know most of the guys we’re playing against but it’s going to be tougher with this tournament because all the European teams have been preparing for this tournament. The others are more of a prep for this one and this is where they really want to cash-in. It’s going to be a tough one"
Quick Hits - Ice prospect Brendan O'Donnell of the Winnipeg Midget Wild, a 9th round pick in the 2007 Bantam Draft, led all scorers at the Western Midget Regionals with 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points in 4 games. The Wild fell to the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Midget league 8-2 in the four-team tournament final. O'Donnell has verbally committed to the NCAA's Univertisy of North Dakota... Ice second round pick from the same draft, forward Elgin Pearce, was in Cranbrook during the club's first round sweep at the hands of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Pearce, 16, played with the BCHL's Langley Chiefs this season notching five goals and five assists in 40 games. It's hoped the Port Coquitlam product will be in Kootenay's training camp in September.
For the NewsAdvertiser...
McNabb finds bigger role with Team Canada
by Jeff Bromley
When the final buzzer sounded March 25 in a 4-3 loss the Brandon Wheat Kings to end their season, like most of his team-mates, Kootenay Ice defenseman Brayden McNabb wished otherwise.
Less than 24 hours later his wish was granted.
The 18-year-old Davidson, Saskatchewan product was named the Canadian entry into the 2009 U-18 World Championships going on in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota on April 2 but knew he was going to be named to the team following Kootenay’s exit from the WHL playoffs. “No, I couldn’t tell anybody but I guess I didn’t really want to go around town telling everybody but the day after we lost out (Hockey Canada) called me,” said the Ice d-man from Minneapolis, Minnesota shortly after Canada had dumped Slovakia 5-2 in Canada’s last warm-up before opening the tournament Thursday night against Germany in Fargo. “It was disappointing to go out four straight (to Brandon) but now it’ll be exciting to come over here and try and win another gold medal.”
Canada are the defending champions this season after winning just its second gold medal in the ten-year history of the tournament – for players born in 1991 or earlier - last year under the guidance of Pat Quinn. Unlike the U-20 World Junior Championships held over the Christmas holidays Hockey Canada only has the luxury to select players whose junior season has ended.
For McNabb, who seen a meteoric rise in his NHL Draft stock after playing a key role this season with the Ice, this will be his second crack at an international gold medal after winning gold at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament last summer. His role then was a seventh defenseman/role player. In Fargo that role has changed considerably and his blueline partner is six-foot-eight Taylor Doherty on the club’s number one defensive pairing. “No, it’s a little bit different this time,” said McNabb. “I’ve been playing on the first tier penalty-killing and that’s what they told me that I’d be used as PK shutdown guy, a rough and tough defenseman that guys don’t want to play against.”
The tournament exposure for the six-foot-four blueliner is yet another notch in the belt as McNabb prepares for the NHL Draft come June. Besides playing in front of family and friends the stands will be packed with NHL scouts. How he plays will go a long way to determining how far up the line both his NHL Central Scouting final ranking comes in at and where he’ll actually go in the draft. “You try not to think about it but the draft is always in the back of your head,” said McNabb, who clocked in at the number the 73 spot in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings. “It’s your draft year and right from the beginning of the season you’re thinking about it but you try and not let the pressure go to you. I just want to go game-by-game, event-by-event and just finish up the year with a good tournament.”
Team Canada has got their work cut for them as their opponent nations have all wrapped their league play, freeing up their top U-18 players. “I know most of the guys we’re playing against but it’s going to be tougher with this tournament because all the European teams have been preparing for this tournament. The others are more of a prep for this one and this is where they really want to cash-in. It’s going to be a tough one"
Quick Hits - Ice prospect Brendan O'Donnell of the Winnipeg Midget Wild, a 9th round pick in the 2007 Bantam Draft, led all scorers at the Western Midget Regionals with 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points in 4 games. The Wild fell to the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Midget league 8-2 in the four-team tournament final. O'Donnell has verbally committed to the NCAA's Univertisy of North Dakota... Ice second round pick from the same draft, forward Elgin Pearce, was in Cranbrook during the club's first round sweep at the hands of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Pearce, 16, played with the BCHL's Langley Chiefs this season notching five goals and five assists in 40 games. It's hoped the Port Coquitlam product will be in Kootenay's training camp in September.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Negrin called up; Holick interviewing....
A funny thing happened on the way to Molina, Illinois for former Ice d-man John Negrin, he had to make a minor pit-stopp in Minneapolis after being called up by the Calgary Flames to make his NHL debut tonight against the Minnesota Wild. The Flames, in a bit of freefall going 5-8-0 in their last thirteen games that enabled the Vancouver Canucks to make up a ten point deficit in the Northwest/Western Conference standings, lost D Robyn Regehr and Adrian Aucoin to injury against Dallas the other night that will likely force the two to miss tonight's game. Also called up from Quad Cities was D Matt Pelech...
The Everett Silvertips are taking applications for a new head coach today after John Becanic was fired today by the club after six seasons, the last two as head coach after Kevin Constatine left to coach in the AHL. Here's the release:
Silvertips, John Becanic Part Ways
Everett Silvertips Press Release
Everett, WA - Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Friday that John Becanic has been dismissed from his position as Head Coach of the Everett Silvertips.
Becanic spent six years with the Silvertips, including four years as Associate Head Coach, prior to his promotion on May 31st, 2007. In his two seasons as Head Coach, he compiled a record of 66-66-7-5.
"I would like to thank John for his commitment and the contributions he has made over the last six years," Soetaert added. "Everyone within the organization wishes him the absolute best in the future."
Finally, HockeyCanada - as they prepare for the U-18 World Championships in Fargo, North Dakota - is conducting interviews for the position of head coach and assistant coach for the U-18 entry into the Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 tournament in August. On the interview list is Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick who will be interviewed in Toronto this week. Holick was supposed to be an assistant coach to Team West's entry into the inaugural World Junior A Challenge in Trail in the fall of 2007 but obviously had to step aside when he was named the head coach of the Ice that summer.
The Everett Silvertips are taking applications for a new head coach today after John Becanic was fired today by the club after six seasons, the last two as head coach after Kevin Constatine left to coach in the AHL. Here's the release:
Silvertips, John Becanic Part Ways
Everett Silvertips Press Release
Everett, WA - Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Friday that John Becanic has been dismissed from his position as Head Coach of the Everett Silvertips.
Becanic spent six years with the Silvertips, including four years as Associate Head Coach, prior to his promotion on May 31st, 2007. In his two seasons as Head Coach, he compiled a record of 66-66-7-5.
"I would like to thank John for his commitment and the contributions he has made over the last six years," Soetaert added. "Everyone within the organization wishes him the absolute best in the future."
Finally, HockeyCanada - as they prepare for the U-18 World Championships in Fargo, North Dakota - is conducting interviews for the position of head coach and assistant coach for the U-18 entry into the Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 tournament in August. On the interview list is Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick who will be interviewed in Toronto this week. Holick was supposed to be an assistant coach to Team West's entry into the inaugural World Junior A Challenge in Trail in the fall of 2007 but obviously had to step aside when he was named the head coach of the Ice that summer.
Some interesting stuff on Morrow
Due to time contraints I'll have a story on McNabb later in the weekend but Gregg Drinnan has posted some interesting stuff on former Kamloops Blazer/Kootenay Ice d-man Josh Morrow. Morrow, you might remember, was acquired in November of 2003 from the Blazers to fill one of the club's 20-year-old spots. He'd been traded from the Blazers due to a major conflict with the club's trainer Mikki Lanuk, who is now the Athletic Therapist with the Medicine Hat Tigers. So much so that Morrow threatened Lanuk, leading to the trade. I remember writing about Morrow being cut suddenly before the playoffs that season - a sweep at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets - but could never dig up why.
New information has come to light in a court decision that can be viewed here. There's a few notes in paragraphs 90-93 about his issues in Cranbrook. Ultimately the judge awarded Morrow $1.4 million in damages after a botched shoulder surgery by a doctor Outerbridge who 'left metal anchors and screws sticking up from the bone in his shoulder' from the surgery in February of 2003. It's a long read but it does provide a revealing look into the life of a player that's rarely seen on a public level. Players entertain us on a night-in and night-out basis but we never get to see what goes on behind the scenes and how their lives are affected by the strenuous life that is the sport of hockey.
Digging through the archives below is the story I wrote for the NewsAdvertiser just before the playoffs in 2004.
Maxwell arrives, Morrow released
by Jeff Bromley
In a strange case of addition by subtraction, the Kootenay Ice welcomed their future over the weekend in 15-yr-old forward Ben Maxwell, but not before making 20-yr-old defenseman Josh Morrow a sudden part of their past. G.M. Jeff Chynoweth announced that the club had released the much-maligned blueliner with only three games left in the regular season. “He has missed the last eight games and his roster spot has been filled with younger players who management feels will develop more by playing regularly,” said Chynoweth in a release.
The smooth-skating defenseman from Sherwood Park, Alberta was obtained from the Kamloops Blazers November 18, 2003 along with 18-yr-old forward Casey Lee in exchange for 20-yr-old forward Kyle Sheen. Lee opted not to report and played this season with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Kindersley Klippers.
The release was a culmination of both on-ice play and some off-ice issues, said Kootenay head coach Cory Clouston. “There’s a few issues that I’m not going to bring up,” said Clouston Thursday. “We just felt that what was best for the team was that Josh was released. As far as the on-ice situation was concerned I didn’t feel that Josh was contributing on the ice in a positive way.”
In his fifth season in the WHL, Kootenay was Morrow fourth WHL club. Starting with Medicine Hat in 1999 for three seasons Morrows was traded to the Tri-City Americans in 2002 before being dealt to the Blazers in 2003. Always a breathtaking skater to watch, as offensively exciting he was his defensive game left something to be desired, said Clouston. “He was a minus player for us and for every exciting and positive thing he did offensively with the puck he probably did one or two things to put ourselves in jeopardy. In the eight games he missed we showed that we were equally as strong without him. Guys like Price, Cole and Lloyd were filling in his absence.”
That being said, Clouston affirmed that is was more off-ice behavior than on-ice that contributed to his release. “I would say more the off-ice stuff but I’m not going to go into detail,” offered Clouston. “Basically the games he missed were shown to be a distraction and with the situation created off the ice, it wasn’t warranted keeping him here.”
Finishing the season with 5 goals and 21 assists along with 114 penalty minutes Morrow, who was drafted in the 7th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators, was an offensive player on a club sorely in need of scoring. His absence won’t shake up a blueline corps that has already played without him for the past eight games and that had trouble gelling with the 20-yr-old in the first place. “Not really,” said Clouston. “We played the eight or nine games without him anyway. Our power play didn’t pick with him coming in because he was so difficult to read (on the ice). People who watch the games would see that he was on his own page, he wasn’t within the structure. Our power play has struggled for the most of the year and while he was with us the number didn’t improve at all. It was frustrating and a little disappointing but we were his fourth team for a reason. We knew we were getting player that had some issues and some other things that had to be dealt with.”
“We made some strides with our younger players in his absence and we felt going into the playoffs that it would be a better experience to give our younger defenseman.”
Meanwhile Kootenay’s immediate future in Ben Maxwell was expected to fit into the club’s fourth line, making his debut Friday against the Chiefs. “He’ll play on the fourth line,” said Clouston. “How much ice-time he gets will be determined by the time of the game and the score. We’re not going to put him situations where he’s not going to succeed or not going to feel comfortable.”
New information has come to light in a court decision that can be viewed here. There's a few notes in paragraphs 90-93 about his issues in Cranbrook. Ultimately the judge awarded Morrow $1.4 million in damages after a botched shoulder surgery by a doctor Outerbridge who 'left metal anchors and screws sticking up from the bone in his shoulder' from the surgery in February of 2003. It's a long read but it does provide a revealing look into the life of a player that's rarely seen on a public level. Players entertain us on a night-in and night-out basis but we never get to see what goes on behind the scenes and how their lives are affected by the strenuous life that is the sport of hockey.
Digging through the archives below is the story I wrote for the NewsAdvertiser just before the playoffs in 2004.
Maxwell arrives, Morrow released
by Jeff Bromley
In a strange case of addition by subtraction, the Kootenay Ice welcomed their future over the weekend in 15-yr-old forward Ben Maxwell, but not before making 20-yr-old defenseman Josh Morrow a sudden part of their past. G.M. Jeff Chynoweth announced that the club had released the much-maligned blueliner with only three games left in the regular season. “He has missed the last eight games and his roster spot has been filled with younger players who management feels will develop more by playing regularly,” said Chynoweth in a release.
The smooth-skating defenseman from Sherwood Park, Alberta was obtained from the Kamloops Blazers November 18, 2003 along with 18-yr-old forward Casey Lee in exchange for 20-yr-old forward Kyle Sheen. Lee opted not to report and played this season with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Kindersley Klippers.
The release was a culmination of both on-ice play and some off-ice issues, said Kootenay head coach Cory Clouston. “There’s a few issues that I’m not going to bring up,” said Clouston Thursday. “We just felt that what was best for the team was that Josh was released. As far as the on-ice situation was concerned I didn’t feel that Josh was contributing on the ice in a positive way.”
In his fifth season in the WHL, Kootenay was Morrow fourth WHL club. Starting with Medicine Hat in 1999 for three seasons Morrows was traded to the Tri-City Americans in 2002 before being dealt to the Blazers in 2003. Always a breathtaking skater to watch, as offensively exciting he was his defensive game left something to be desired, said Clouston. “He was a minus player for us and for every exciting and positive thing he did offensively with the puck he probably did one or two things to put ourselves in jeopardy. In the eight games he missed we showed that we were equally as strong without him. Guys like Price, Cole and Lloyd were filling in his absence.”
That being said, Clouston affirmed that is was more off-ice behavior than on-ice that contributed to his release. “I would say more the off-ice stuff but I’m not going to go into detail,” offered Clouston. “Basically the games he missed were shown to be a distraction and with the situation created off the ice, it wasn’t warranted keeping him here.”
Finishing the season with 5 goals and 21 assists along with 114 penalty minutes Morrow, who was drafted in the 7th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators, was an offensive player on a club sorely in need of scoring. His absence won’t shake up a blueline corps that has already played without him for the past eight games and that had trouble gelling with the 20-yr-old in the first place. “Not really,” said Clouston. “We played the eight or nine games without him anyway. Our power play didn’t pick with him coming in because he was so difficult to read (on the ice). People who watch the games would see that he was on his own page, he wasn’t within the structure. Our power play has struggled for the most of the year and while he was with us the number didn’t improve at all. It was frustrating and a little disappointing but we were his fourth team for a reason. We knew we were getting player that had some issues and some other things that had to be dealt with.”
“We made some strides with our younger players in his absence and we felt going into the playoffs that it would be a better experience to give our younger defenseman.”
Meanwhile Kootenay’s immediate future in Ben Maxwell was expected to fit into the club’s fourth line, making his debut Friday against the Chiefs. “He’ll play on the fourth line,” said Clouston. “How much ice-time he gets will be determined by the time of the game and the score. We’re not going to put him situations where he’s not going to succeed or not going to feel comfortable.”
Thursday, April 2, 2009
McNabb to U-18
Kootenay Ice d-man Brayden McNabb has been named to Team Canada's entry into the U-18World Championships in Fargo, ND April 9-19, Hockey Canada announced twenty minutes ago. I'll have the story later this evening.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Negrin called up
Former Ice D John Negrin was awarded the Swift Current Broncos Playoff MVP today and at the same time it was announced that he was headed to Quad Cities of the AHL, the farm club of the Calgary Flames. Quad City, currently 7th in the West Division of the Western conference, are coached by former Ice coach Ryan McGill and have three former Ice players on their roster: Brett Sutter, Adam Cracknell and Brad Cole. The Baby Flames are five points out of the playoff spot with six games to play. The parent Calgary Flames have applied to have the AHL club moved to Abbotsford next season.
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