Kootenay selected a left-shooting defenseman in today's draft. Petr Senkerik - a 6'180lb Czech rearguard - that gives them five 1991-born defenseman potentially on the roster.
Brayden McNabb, Cason Machacek, Hayden Rintoul, James Martin and Senkerik - if he sticks. There once was a time where it was an automatic that they Euros would get a roster spot but those days are no more. (Ales Frieb anyone?)
With the loss of Barteaux and Frere - the latter who will attend the Unversity of Calgary this fall and play for the Dinos - the club doesn't have a 19 or 20-year-old defenseman on the roster. Look for the club's compliment of 20-year-olds to be filled with at least one 20-year-old.
If you concede that first four will be the club's top four, at least for the time being, Joey Leach, 17, Tyler Vanscourt, 17, and possibly Micheal King, 16, will compete for the other spots, at least until help arrives via the trade route.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Buffalo takes McNabb
For the News-Advertiser....
McNabb a Sabre
by Jeff Bromley
After every Kootenay Ice practice in the bowels of the Cranbrook Rec Plex you’ll find defenseman Brayden McNabb leaping side-to-side, back-and-forth and up and down a string ladder spread out on the floor in an exercise designed to increase his foot-speed on the ice. The sometimes grueling drill paid-off on June 27 as the Davidson, Saskatchewan product took another leap in his hockey career when the Buffalo Sabres called his name in the third round of the NHL Draft in Montreal, 66th overall. McNabb got the call from his agent and then from the Sabres about five minutes after he’d seen his name on the NHL draft-day website. “It was great,” said McNabb from his home in Davidson. “Watching the first round and not getting drafted. Then watching the whole second round and not getting drafted and then finally going early in the third round was a great feeling.”
The dreaded pit in his stomach formed after the second round came and went for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defender after Central Scouting had him ranked 51st among North American skaters. “There was a little bit,” said McNabb of the forming anxiety. “But just getting drafted is an amazing achievement and I’m really excited about it.”
During the NHL scouting combine in late May where prospects were put through a battery of physical tests, interviewed by prospective teams and then tested some more McNabb sat through 21 interviews by NHL clubs, including the Sabres. Two in particular – Montreal and Toronto – expressed the most interest, with the Habs and Leafs actually flying him out for even more interviews and testing. McNabb finished first among all prospects on the fatigue index with a score of 37.1, an indication of why the rangy d-man can log the minutes he does with the Ice. “Those were the two teams with the most interest, I thought,” said McNabb. “But it was really hard to tell with the interviews because they’re all the same.”
McNabb, who will participate the Sabres prospect camp July 6-11, will join another tower in the Sabres stable in Kelowna Rocket defenseman Tyler Myers. Myers, at 6-foot-7, 211 lbs and arguably the best defenseman in the WHL last season, and McNabb went to school together at Athol Murray College in Notre Dame Saskatchewan three years ago when McNabb was on the Bantam squad and Myers on the Midget team. Myers, 19, is expected to challenge for a spot on the Sabres roster this season.
Size was a theme for the Sabres during the NHL Draft as before their second selection in McNabb the club used the 13th overall pick to take 6-foot-3, 210 lb Peterborough Pete forward Zack Kassian, thought by many to be the toughest player in the draft. “I want to go there next week and make a good first impression and hopefully move up on the depth charts for now," added McNabb.
Quick Hits – Two former Ice players – one a roster player and the other a list player – heard their names on draft day. Forward Kris Foucault, who was cut last September after being acquired from the Swift Current Broncos the season prior and subsequently dealt to the Calgary Hitmen for forward Ryan Fox, 18, just before the trade deadline last season. Foucault was with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles at the time and went on to score 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 playoff games with the Hitmen who lost to the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL final in six games. Foucault went 103rd overall to the Minnesota Wild. D Kevin Connauton, an Edmonton product who was listed by the Ice two seasons ago, was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks 83rd overall out of Western Michigan University of the NCAA. Connauton was dropped by the Ice and subsequently listed by the Vancouver Giants, prompting speculation that he may leave the NCAA and join the Giants next season… McNabb, an accomplished pitcher who lead the Davidson Midget AA squad to the Saskatchewan Provincials last season, won’t be playing this summer citing a demanding workout schedule on top of the Sabres prospects camp… The CHL Import draft took place June 30 with the Ice picking 38th overall. The Ice were expected to make only one selection as Czech forward Dominik Pacovsky is expected to return in September... Two other ranked players - goaltender Nathan Lieuwen and defenseman Hayden Rintoul - went undrafted Saturday.
McNabb a Sabre
by Jeff Bromley
After every Kootenay Ice practice in the bowels of the Cranbrook Rec Plex you’ll find defenseman Brayden McNabb leaping side-to-side, back-and-forth and up and down a string ladder spread out on the floor in an exercise designed to increase his foot-speed on the ice. The sometimes grueling drill paid-off on June 27 as the Davidson, Saskatchewan product took another leap in his hockey career when the Buffalo Sabres called his name in the third round of the NHL Draft in Montreal, 66th overall. McNabb got the call from his agent and then from the Sabres about five minutes after he’d seen his name on the NHL draft-day website. “It was great,” said McNabb from his home in Davidson. “Watching the first round and not getting drafted. Then watching the whole second round and not getting drafted and then finally going early in the third round was a great feeling.”
The dreaded pit in his stomach formed after the second round came and went for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defender after Central Scouting had him ranked 51st among North American skaters. “There was a little bit,” said McNabb of the forming anxiety. “But just getting drafted is an amazing achievement and I’m really excited about it.”
During the NHL scouting combine in late May where prospects were put through a battery of physical tests, interviewed by prospective teams and then tested some more McNabb sat through 21 interviews by NHL clubs, including the Sabres. Two in particular – Montreal and Toronto – expressed the most interest, with the Habs and Leafs actually flying him out for even more interviews and testing. McNabb finished first among all prospects on the fatigue index with a score of 37.1, an indication of why the rangy d-man can log the minutes he does with the Ice. “Those were the two teams with the most interest, I thought,” said McNabb. “But it was really hard to tell with the interviews because they’re all the same.”
McNabb, who will participate the Sabres prospect camp July 6-11, will join another tower in the Sabres stable in Kelowna Rocket defenseman Tyler Myers. Myers, at 6-foot-7, 211 lbs and arguably the best defenseman in the WHL last season, and McNabb went to school together at Athol Murray College in Notre Dame Saskatchewan three years ago when McNabb was on the Bantam squad and Myers on the Midget team. Myers, 19, is expected to challenge for a spot on the Sabres roster this season.
Size was a theme for the Sabres during the NHL Draft as before their second selection in McNabb the club used the 13th overall pick to take 6-foot-3, 210 lb Peterborough Pete forward Zack Kassian, thought by many to be the toughest player in the draft. “I want to go there next week and make a good first impression and hopefully move up on the depth charts for now," added McNabb.
Quick Hits – Two former Ice players – one a roster player and the other a list player – heard their names on draft day. Forward Kris Foucault, who was cut last September after being acquired from the Swift Current Broncos the season prior and subsequently dealt to the Calgary Hitmen for forward Ryan Fox, 18, just before the trade deadline last season. Foucault was with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles at the time and went on to score 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 playoff games with the Hitmen who lost to the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL final in six games. Foucault went 103rd overall to the Minnesota Wild. D Kevin Connauton, an Edmonton product who was listed by the Ice two seasons ago, was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks 83rd overall out of Western Michigan University of the NCAA. Connauton was dropped by the Ice and subsequently listed by the Vancouver Giants, prompting speculation that he may leave the NCAA and join the Giants next season… McNabb, an accomplished pitcher who lead the Davidson Midget AA squad to the Saskatchewan Provincials last season, won’t be playing this summer citing a demanding workout schedule on top of the Sabres prospects camp… The CHL Import draft took place June 30 with the Ice picking 38th overall. The Ice were expected to make only one selection as Czech forward Dominik Pacovsky is expected to return in September... Two other ranked players - goaltender Nathan Lieuwen and defenseman Hayden Rintoul - went undrafted Saturday.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
McNabb to Sabres...
D Brayden McNabb - pegged to go anywhere from the 2nd to the 4th round was selected in the third round, 66th overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
McNabb was the only member of the Ice to hear their name called as prospects like G Nathan Lieuwen (ranked 11th among North American goalies by CSB) and D Hayden Rintoul weren't drafted.
Interesting to note that two former Ice players - one a list player and the other a former player - were drafted today. F Kris Foucault when 103rd overall to the Minnesota Wild and D Kevin Connaughton - a former list player who went the NCAA route to Western Michigan - went 83rd overall to the Vancouver Canucks.
McNabb was the only member of the Ice to hear their name called as prospects like G Nathan Lieuwen (ranked 11th among North American goalies by CSB) and D Hayden Rintoul weren't drafted.
Interesting to note that two former Ice players - one a list player and the other a former player - were drafted today. F Kris Foucault when 103rd overall to the Minnesota Wild and D Kevin Connaughton - a former list player who went the NCAA route to Western Michigan - went 83rd overall to the Vancouver Canucks.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Schedule, draft etc....
Perhaps the earliest release of the Kootenay Ice schedule happened today as the club released a tentative schedule of the 2009-10 season. It's almost an exact template of years gone by with the one exception that I can see being the club will host only one exhibition game, Wednesday September 9 against the Hurricanes. The other three will be held in the Crowsnest Pass (Lethbridge and Calgary) and Innisfail (Red Deer).
I like the idea that the Eastern Conference of the WHL gets their scheduling done early and at least tentatively released. With the T-Birds in their own building in Kent (and the Supersonics in Oklahoma City) the only stumbling block I see to the West doing their schedule earlier than the August date it's usually released is the dates the Portland Winterhawks will play at the Rose Garden this season as they share with the NBA's Trailblazers. I doubt it'll happen though with the uncertainity of the Memorial Coliseum where the Hawks play the bulk of their games.
Some other thoughts: Kootenay's 20-year-olds this season could be wide-open with the uncertainity surrounding the return of C Tylan Stephens. The Calgary product could forgo his last year of WHL eligibility and start school in Calgary. He wants to be a pilot and that goal could supercede any he might score in Kootenay this season. I'll be checking in with Ty later in the month... The only other 20-year-old on the roster is C Dustin Sylvester, though as a free-agent he could be offered a pro contract and turn pro this season, leaving the club with no 20-year-olds. Although the latter is a distinct possibility the ankle-injury Sylvester suffered at Christmas and sidelined him for the rest of the season likely dictates that another year of junior seasoning would be in order.
The NHL Draft goes Friday in Montreal with D Brayden McNabb, D Hayden Rintoul and G Nathan Lieuwen ranked by Central Scouting for the draft. The CHL Import Draft goes June 30.
Former Ice head coach Ryan McGill got his shot at the show this week when he was named an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames along with Hitmen coach Dave Lowry. The pair will serve under Brent Sutter as the hockey world's worst-kept secret was confirmed when Sutter accepted the Flames position. The annoucement of Lowry's promotion to the Flames forced HockeyCanada to name a new coach of the U-18 team for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia in August. Memorial Cup-winning coach Bob Boughner, of the Windsor Spitfires, will take Lowry's place. Ice head coach Mark Holick, along with Oshawa's Chris DePiero, remain the assistants.
Will have a couple of stories coming on this stuff later....
I like the idea that the Eastern Conference of the WHL gets their scheduling done early and at least tentatively released. With the T-Birds in their own building in Kent (and the Supersonics in Oklahoma City) the only stumbling block I see to the West doing their schedule earlier than the August date it's usually released is the dates the Portland Winterhawks will play at the Rose Garden this season as they share with the NBA's Trailblazers. I doubt it'll happen though with the uncertainity of the Memorial Coliseum where the Hawks play the bulk of their games.
Some other thoughts: Kootenay's 20-year-olds this season could be wide-open with the uncertainity surrounding the return of C Tylan Stephens. The Calgary product could forgo his last year of WHL eligibility and start school in Calgary. He wants to be a pilot and that goal could supercede any he might score in Kootenay this season. I'll be checking in with Ty later in the month... The only other 20-year-old on the roster is C Dustin Sylvester, though as a free-agent he could be offered a pro contract and turn pro this season, leaving the club with no 20-year-olds. Although the latter is a distinct possibility the ankle-injury Sylvester suffered at Christmas and sidelined him for the rest of the season likely dictates that another year of junior seasoning would be in order.
The NHL Draft goes Friday in Montreal with D Brayden McNabb, D Hayden Rintoul and G Nathan Lieuwen ranked by Central Scouting for the draft. The CHL Import Draft goes June 30.
Former Ice head coach Ryan McGill got his shot at the show this week when he was named an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames along with Hitmen coach Dave Lowry. The pair will serve under Brent Sutter as the hockey world's worst-kept secret was confirmed when Sutter accepted the Flames position. The annoucement of Lowry's promotion to the Flames forced HockeyCanada to name a new coach of the U-18 team for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia in August. Memorial Cup-winning coach Bob Boughner, of the Windsor Spitfires, will take Lowry's place. Ice head coach Mark Holick, along with Oshawa's Chris DePiero, remain the assistants.
Will have a couple of stories coming on this stuff later....
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