College Hockey Recruit Exchange

More to Come

2012-01-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

Good news everybody! I'm going to be updating this blog again, bigger and better than before. I have some people helping with the technical and editorial duties now, so I'm going to see if I can make this blog worthy of visiting for something other than the link to the recruit list.

I'm not sure of the timetable yet, so check back often for updates.

I Haven't Died

2011-09-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

...but I have updated the stat links on the right for the 2011-2012 regular season. You're welcome.

NHL Central Scouting USHL Players to Watch for the 2011 Draft

2010-11-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the uncommited USHL players on the list...

F - Logan Nelson - Des Moines
F - Dan Carlson - NTDP U-18
F - Zach Saar - Chicago
F - Austin Wuthrich - NTDP U-18
G - Jackson Teichroeb - Dubuque
G - Jake Hildebrand - Sioux City
G - John Keeney - Omaha

Junior A Challenge

2010-10-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the uncommitted eligible players participating in the 2010 World Junior A Challenge in Penticton, BC. The tournament runs November 8-14.

USA
Brian Cooper (D/93) - Fargo (USHL)

Canada West
Jameson Shortreed (G/93) - Fort Frances (SIJHL)
Craig Bokenfohr (D/92) - Camrose (AJHL)
Rhett Holland (D/93) - Okotoks (AJHL)
Sean Flanagan (D/92) - Kindersley (SJHL)
Reed Linaker (F/91) - St. Albert (AJHL)
Ryan Marshall (F/91) - Swan Valley (MJHL)
Drew George (F/91) - Weyburn (SJHL)
Mitchell VanTeeling (F/93) - Dauphin (MJHL)

Canada East
Justin Gilbert (G/91) - Brockville (CHL)
Jordan Ruby (G/91) - Wellington (OJHL)
Tyler McCarthy (D/92) - Georgetown (OJHL)
Matt Chiarantano (D/91) - Georgetown (OJHL)
Brennan Serville (D/93) - Stouffville (OJHL)
Phil Hampton (D/92) - Oakville (OJHL)
Tyson Spink (F/92) - Cornwall (CHL)
Tylor Spink (F/92) - Cornwall (CHL)
Evan Rodrigues (F/93) - Georgetown (OJHL)
Maxime Dumond (F/92) - Brockville (CHL)
Kyle Baun (F/92) - Cornwall (CHL)
Jason Lacroix (F/93) - Sudbury (NOJHL)

NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch for the 2011 Draft

2010-10-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the A and B rated uncommitted players...

"A Rated"
STRAIGHT, DESTRY / COQUITLAM-BCHL / 3-22-93 6' 1.0" 170 lbs. C L
LUCIA, MARIO / WAYZATA HS / 8-25-93 6' 2.0" 183 lbs. * LW L
LABATE, JOSEPH / HOLY ANGELS HS / 4-16-93 6' 4.0" 180 lbs. * C L

"B Rated"
KING, MICHAEL / WESTSIDE-BCHL / 1-22-93 6' 4.0" 170 lbs. D R
BUNNETT, BRIAN / WELLINGTON-OJHL / 4-21-93 6' 3.0" 180 lbs. C R
ROSENTHAL, RYAN / KENT SCHOOL / 4-30-93 5' 11.25" 168 lbs. * RW R
O'GARA, ROB / MILTON ACADEMY / 6-6-93 6' 2.5" 185 lbs. * D L
EVERSON, MAX / EDINA HS / 2-22-93 6' 0.5" 184 lbs. * D L
FOGARTY, STEVEN / EDINA HS / 4-19-93 6' 1.5" 194 lbs. * C R
SIIRO, RYAN / BLOOMINGTON-JEFF. HS / 2-12-93 6' 2.0" 232 lbs. * RW R
TRABER, PETER / SHAT.ST.MARY'S / 5-1-93 6' 1.25" 184 lbs. * G L
NAVIN, BRAD / WAUPACA HS / 6-5-92 6' 2.0" 183 lbs. * C L

Stat Links

2010-10-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

...have been updated.

BCHL and NAHL Early Stat Leaders

2010-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some players who are statistically intriguing to me early on...

NAHL
Rock Einerson (F/90) - Texas
• Currently the league leader in points with 17 in only nine games. Last season, he tallied 29 points in 51 games. That's quite an improvement and probably won't go unnoticed by collgiate coaches.

Beau Walker (F/92) - Corpus Christi
• Another player with limited points last season, Beau still has youth on his side

Nardo Nagtzaam (F/90) - Alexandria
• He better be scoring a lot of points, he's been in the league for a while now. Plus, what a great name!

Zach Vierling (F/90) - Fairbanks
• A smaller player with a a decent amount of points. The thing that sticks out to me is the +12 rating only 10 games into the season!

Cody Freeman (F/91) - Amarillo
• Cody didn't tally a ton of points in the OJHL last season, but his size (6'2"/215) is going to be appealing to somebody if he keeps the scoring up.

BCHL
Mitch Jones (D/91) - Surrey
• Mitch contributed to the scoresheet fairly well last season, but has now stepped it up another notch. He's leading the BCHL in defensive scoring. That, and his size (6'3"/185) makes him interesting to me.

Desty Straight (F/93) - Coquitlam
• Nice size (6'1"/170), young, and lots of scoring... this guy is going to get multiple offers and will probably be in 2011 draft consideration.

Jujhar Khaira (F/94) - Prince George
• Leading the league in rookie scoring, this youngster is already 6'1" and won't be eligible for the NHL draft until 2012!

USA Select U18 Team

2010-07-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

These are the uncommitted 1993 born players selected to represent the USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic and Poestany, Slovakia. The tournament starts August 10th.

F - Alex Racino - Madison Capitols
F - Alexander Broadhurst - Chicago Mission
F - Kevin Irwin - Cleveland Barons
F - Theo Di Pauli - Chicago Steel-USHL
D - Max Everson - Edina HS
D - Brian Cooper - Fargo Force-USHL
D - Chris Bradley - Buffalo Regals
G - Stephen Michalek - Loomis Chaffee

If last year was any indication, all but one of the players from the above list will be committed twelve months from now.

USA Select U17 Team

2010-07-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

These are the uncommitted 1994 born players selected to represent the USA at the 2010 Five Nations Tournament in Huttwil, Switzerland. The tournament starts August 18th. Most will NOT be with the NTDP next season, but some will.

G - Brandon Hope - Honeybaked
G - James Howe - Little Caesars
D - Grant Webermin - Honeybaked
D - Tim Davison - Team Wisconsin
D - Teddy Doherty - Shattuck St. Mary’s
D - Sam Piazza - Chicago Mission
D - Justin Wade - Chicago Mission
D - Troy Donnay - Belle Tire
F - Nicholas Schilkey - Honeybaked
F - Kyle Osterberg - Lakeville South Varsity
F - A.J. Michaelson - Apple Valley Varsity
F - Riley Barber - Compuware
F - Zach Stepan - Shattuck St. Mary’s
F - Joseph Cox - Compuware
F - Miles Koules - Shattuck St. Mary’s
F - Sheldon Dries - Honeybaked
F - Jack Rowe - Team Illinois

It should be noted that Webberman, Donnay, Hope, and Barber are all expected to play Major Junior. Also, if last year was any indication, three of the defensemen and none of the forwards or goaltenders from the above list will be committed twelve months from now.

2010 NHL Draft

2010-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Technically, there was only one non-committed skater selected in the draft... forward Tanner Lane from Detroit Lakes HS in Minnesota. Tanner was said to be interested in the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State University, and the University of Nebraska-Omaha (the latter of which he committed to the day after I initially entered this post).

EDIT: It turns out there WAS another uncommitted skater taken in the draft besides Tanner Lane. Bloomington-Jefferson HS defenseman Joe Faust recently committed to Wisconsin. He was originally committed to Princeton, but for whatever reason, he recinded that commitment and ended up committing to the Badgers.

Hot 8

2010-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

1. Nick Ebert (D/94) - Waterloo-USHL
2. AJ Michaelson (F/94) - Apple Valley HS
3. Austin Czarnik (F/92) - Green Bay-USHL
4. Henrik Samuelson (F/94) - USNTDP U17
5. JT Miller (F/93) - USNTDP U18
6. Sam Jardine (D/93) - Camrose-AJHL
7. Aaron Pearce (F/92) - Georgetown - OJHL
8. Dan Molenaar (D/93) - Eden Prarie HS

NCAA Rules Committee

2010-06-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I'll try to find time to post a Hot 10 list in the near future. In the meantime, I think this is an important enough issue for me to join the chorus. Please let the NCAA Rules Committee know how you feel about calling icing on the shorthanded team. The emails of the committee can be found at the first link below...

http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/2010/06/putt-face-on-ice-hockey-rules-committee.html
http://www.westerncollegehockeyblog.com/2010/6/11/1513342/ncaa-proposed-rule-changes
https://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/schott/2010/jun/11/my-opinion-on-proposed-ncaa-hockey-rules-changes/
http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/06/12/proposed-ncaa-hockey-rules-changes-not-good-for-sport/
http://www.areavoices.com/rinkandrun/?page=listing&tag=ncaa%20ice%20hockey%20rules%20committee
http://michiganhockey.net/?p=1386
http://cnati.com/blogs/miami-hockey/2010/06/ncaa-rules-proposals-bad-for-hockey.php
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/account:login/desturl/event/article/id/100019581/
http://www.areavoices.com/undhockey/?blog=80646
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/164981/group/Sports/

NTDP Commitments

2010-04-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

Per request, via USHR, Heisenberg, and a couple of other places, here are the UNCOMMITTED NTDP players for next season's U17 team thus far...

D - Brady Skjei - Lakeville HS
D - Jacob Trouba - Compuware
D - Seth Jones - Texas AAA
F - Quentin Shore - Colorado Thunderbirds (whom I hesitate to list because everybody knows he's going to play for Denver)
F - Stefan Matteau - Notre Dame-SJHL (dual citizenship)
F - Nikolas Olsson - LA Selects
G - Jared Rutledge - Chicago Young Americans

P.S. Ryan Hartman (forward, Chicago Mission, Miami commitment) will also be on next year's NTDP U17 squad... in response to a posted comment.

NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings

2010-04-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here are your uncommitted North American skaters ranked by Central Scouting for the 2010 NHL Draft...

100 Hrabarenka, Raman - D - Philadelphia - EJHL
135 MacMillan, Mark - F - Alberni Valley - BCHL
140 Roe, Logan - D - Kent School - HIGH-CT
150 Zalewski, Mike - F - Syracuse - EJHL
152 Heller, Thane - F - Junior Bruins - EJHL
155 McNally, Brandon - F - Belmont Hill - HIGH-MA
170 Dumond, Maxime - F - Brockville - CJHL
199 Beyers, Steven - F - Orangeville - CCHL
206 Reardon, Michael - D - Nobles - HIGH-MA
209 Hudson, Woodruff - F - Milton Academy - HIGH-MA

Get'em while they last!!

Links

2010-03-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know I don't post as often as I should, but at the least I'd like for my page to be a useful resource for recruiting links. I think I've done pretty well with the scouting services and stat links, but I wouldn't mind a few more suggestions for good recruiting blogs. Thoughts?

NTDP Tryout Camp Invitees

2010-03-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

All of these uncommitted players were born in 1994...

F - Nate Arentz - Lakeville North H.S.
F - Riley Barber - Compuware (Mich.) Midget Minor
F - A.J. Coleman - Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Minor
F - Alexander Galchenyuk - Chicago Young Americans Midget Minor
F - Bradley Hawkinson - Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor
F - Matthew Lane - Missassauga (Ont.) Reps Minor
F - Stephane Matteau - Notre Dame (Sask.) Hounds
F - A.J. Michaelson - Apple Valley H.S.
F - Nickolas Olsson - L.A. Selects Midget Minor
F - Cody Payne - Missassauga (Ont.) Reps Minor
F - Ray Pigozzi - Chicago Mission Midget Minor
F - Henrik Samuelsson - P.F. Changs (Ariz.) Midget Minor
F - Quentin Shore - Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor
F - Zach Stepan - Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) U-16
F - Gavin Stoik - Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor
F - Gage Torrel - Monticello/Annandale/Maple H.S.
D - Dylan Blujus - Buffalo Regals Midget Minor
D - Matias Cleland - Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor
D - Troy Donnay - Belle Tire (Mich.) Midget Minor
D - Nick Ebert - Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
D - Max Iafrate - Belle Tire (Mich.) Midget Minor
D - Seth Jones - Dallas Stars Midget Minor
D - Sam Piazza - Chicago Mission Midget Minor
D - Patrick Sieloff - Compuware (Mich.) Midget Minor
D - Brady Skjei - Lakeville North H.S.
D - Jacob Trouba - Compuware (Mich.) Midget Minor
D - Justin Wade - Chicago Mission Midget Minor
D - Grant Webermin - Honeybaked (Mich.) Midget Minor
D - Mark Yanis - Belle Tire (Mich.) Midget Minor
G - Brandon Hope - Honeybaked (Mich.) Midget Minor
G - Dalton Izyk - Syracuse Stars Midget Minor
G - Jake Moore - Buffalo Regals Midget Minor
G - Jared Rutledge - Chicago Young American Midget Minor

10 Prospects from the USHL

2010-01-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

In alphabetical order, here's who I feel are ten of the hottest prospects from the USHL...

Austin Coldwell - D/90 - Des Moines
Austin Czarnik - F/92 - USNTDP
Nick Ebert - D/94 - Waterloo
Connor Frick - D/92 - Des Moines
Dan Furlong - D/91 - Sioux Falls
Rocco Grimaldi - F/93 - USNTDP
Marek Hrbas - D/93 - Fargo
Michael Paliotta - D/93 - USNTDP

Matt Stewart - D/91 - Green Bay

NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings - 2010 Draft

2010-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest and greatest! If you like your college recruiting prospects to be drafted into the NHL, this is the list you want to focus on...

81 - HRABARENKA, RAMAN - D - PHILADELPHIA - EJHL
103 - ROE, LOGAN - D - KENT SCHOOL
105 - BOSTROM, ELLIOTT - D - TAFT SCHOOL
127 - HELLER, THANE - LW - JUNIOR BRUINS - EJHL
135 - AMIES, NICK - D - COWICHAN VALLEY - BCHL
139 - DUMOND, MAXIME - LW - BROCKVILLE - CJHL
140 - REARDON, MIKE - D - NOBLES
161 - WIEDEMANN, JARED - D - DEXTER SCHOOL
182 - BEYERS, STEVEN - RW - ORANGEVILLE - CCHL
186 - MCINTYRE, PETER - LW - SOUTH SHORE - EJHL
190 - HICKEY, STEPHEN - RW - OAKVILLE - OJAHL
192 - MCNALLY, BRANDON - LW - BELMONT HILL
204 - CALDWELL, JOHN - D - BELMONT HILL
207 - CZINDER, NICK - RW - YOUNGSTOWN - USHL

Hot 10

2009-11-25T14:12:00.000-08:00

Many of these players (not surprisingly) are on the early stat leaders list.

1. Brandon Saad (F/92) - USNTDP U18 (99.9999% probability he's going to the OHL)
2. Luke Juha (D/93) - Burlington-CCHL (defensive scoring machine, if Lessio bails on the NCAA route, so will this kid...IMHO)
3. Rocco Grimaldi (F/93) - USNTDP U17 (the 93's seem more reluctanct to commit than previous birthyears, but this waterbug should be getting attention)
4. Nick Ebert (D/94) - Waterloo-USHL (yes he's very young, but he's also a nice sized defensemen holding his own in the USHL)
5. Matt Esposito (F/92) - Green Mountain-EJHL (sure it's a weaker league, but this kid has 10 points more than his closest teammate!)
6. Michael Voran (F/90) - Sioux Falls-USHL (yes he was passed over for the draft twice, but his success in the USHL is going to make him very popular)

So who did I miss?

Central Scouting 2010 Draft Rankings - USHL

2009-11-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Strangely missing is Sahir Gill, but otherwise, here are the uncommitted 2010 eligible USHL players that made Central Scouting's preliminary list...

F – BRENDAN WOODS - CHICAGO
F – NICK CZINDER - YOUNGSTOWN
G – ERIC MIHALIK - DES MOINES

Early Season Stats

2009-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

These are all youngsters that are off to quick starts on the stat sheets. None of these players are old enough to have been passed over for the draft yet.

Alex Micallef (D/92) – Villanova-OJAHL
Brandon Saad (F/92) – USNTDP U18
Danny Federico (F/92) – Bruins-EJHL
Dylan Smith (F/92) – Estevan-SJHL
Eric Coulombe (F/92) – Steinbach-MJHL
Luke Juha (D/93) – Burlington-CCHL
*Matt Esposito (F/92) – Green Mountain-EJHL
Matt VanVoorhis (D/93) – USNTDP U17
Ryan Haggerty (F/93) – USNTDP U17
Shane Walsh (F/91) – South Shore-EJHL
Shawn Pauly (F/92) – Wenatchee-NAHL
Tony Calderone (F/94) – Victory Honda U16
Walker Hyland (D/91) – Woodbury HS
Will Suter (F/92) – Russell Stovers U18

*Not to be confused with the goalie who played Major Juniors a couple of years ago.

Central Scouting Players to Watch List for the 2010 Draft

2009-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

These are the A & B rated players who are eligible for college yet uncommited. There are also many C rated players, more than I cared to list. The list of USHL players to watch has not yet been released...

A Rated Players
F – JASON CLARK, SHAT.ST.MARY'S
G – SAM BRITTAIN, CANMORE (AJHL)

B Rated Players
F – BEAU BENNETT, PENTICTON (BCHL)
F – TYSON FULTON, BRECK HS
F – SETH HAMILTON, BUFFALO REGALS
F – GARNET HATHAWAY, ANDOVER PREP
F – GARRETT HENDRICKSON, VIRGINIA HS
F – J.P. LAFONTAINE, SHAT.ST.MARY'S
F – BRANDON MCNALLY, BELMONT HILL
F – SHAWN PAULY, WENATCHEE (NAHL)
F – AARON PEARCE, GEORGETOWN (OJAHL)
F – JAMES POLK, SHAT.ST.MARY'S
F – DAVID ROY, BROCKVILLE (CJHL)
D – JOEL BENSON, ALPENA (NAHL)
D – CRAIG BOKENFOHR, CAMROSE (AJHL)
D – ELIOTT BOSTROM, TAFT SCHOOL
D – JOHN CALDWELL, BELMONT HILL
D – DUSTIN DAROU, SMITHS FALLS (CJHL)
D – SCOTT DAWSON, NEPEAN (CJHL)
D – CARTER FOGUTH, MARQUETTE (NAHL)
D – SEBASTIEN GINGRAS, BROCKVILLE (CJHL)
D – NICHOLAS LUUKKO, THE GUNNERY
D – MIKE REARDON, NOBLES PREP
D – BRETT STERN, CENTENNIAL HS
G – MARTIN OUELLETTE, KIMBALL UNION

USNTDP - 1993's

2009-09-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the names and previous teams of the uncommited members of the new NTDP U17 team...

Forwards
Cole Bardreau - Rochester Allaince Midget Minor
Tyler Biggs - Toronto Jr. Canadians
Dan Carlson - Maple Grove H.S.
Rocco Grimaldi - Little Caesars Midget Major
Ryan Haggerty - Trinity Catholic H.S.
Zac Larraza - P.F. Chang's Midget Major
JT Miller - Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major
Blake Pietila - Detroit Compuware Midget Minor
Adam Reid - LA Selects Midget Minor

Defensemen
Barrett Kaib - Culver Academy
Jake McCabe - Eau Claire Memorial H.S./Team Wisconsin
Connor Murphy - Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets Midget Minor
Michael Paliotta - Choate Rosemary Hall
Alexx Privitera - New Jersey Avalance Midget Minor
Matt Van Voorhis - Edina H.S.

Top Prospects You've Never Heard Of

2009-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

...and you might never hear of again. Playing for the USA, trying out for the NTDP, and scoring points in a top junior league are among the easiest ways to get attention from college hockey fans looking for their favorite team's next potential recruit. However, any diehard fan won't have difficulty coming up with an example of a future college stud who didn't take any of the afformentioned routes. Here are a few players I think could potentially fit the bill, or not.

Seth Ronsberg - (F/91) - Winkler Flyers-MJHL
Why? Seth played Tier III junior hockey in the MnJHL instead of high school because his dad was the coach. Though the level of hockey is low, he was named POTY even though he was a 17-year-old playing against 20-year-olds. Seth could have played for North Iowa of the NAHL next season, but has decided to move north of the border to Winkler instead.

Wally Cossette - (D/90) - Waterloo-USHL
Another player known a little in Minnesota, he's a nice sized defensive defensman playing for Waterloo next season. He looks better in person than on the stat sheet, though the USHL's habit of tracking +/- rating can only help his stock.

Drew Brown - (F/92) - Chelsea HS
In Michigan he's well known, but prospectors outside the state tend to focus on the midget players. He earned the Michigan HS POTY award as a junior last season.

Brandon McNally - (F/92) - Bellmont Hill
You may have heard of him from scouting services, this blog, or because he was drafted in the 11th round of the QMJHL draft... but you didn't see him at the Select 17 Camp. However, that doesn't mean the big name schools aren't interested.

Kyle O'Brien - (D/93) - Cushing Academy
Another Select Camp no show.

USA U18 Select Team for Ivan Hlinka Tournament

2009-07-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

These would be your eligible 1992 born players. Just to give you an idea of how hot these prospect are, last year there were nine uncommitted players selected to play in the Ivan Hlinka. Seven have since committed to play D1 college hockey or have gone to major juniors. The best performers on this list will not only receive multiple scholarship offers, they'll gain valuable exposure for the 2010 or 2011 NHL drafts. Like last year, expect that some commitments will come immediately after the August 11th-15th event, or possibly just before.

Forwards
Kyle Rau

Defensemen
Jamieson Oleksiak

USA U17 Select Team for Five Nations Tournament

2009-07-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here we go! Outside of the NTDP players, these are the hottest uncommited Americans born in 1993...

Forwards
Ben Bahe - Hill Murray HS
Kevin Becker - Hill Murray HS
Kenneth Gillespie - East Coast Eagles
Anthony Greco - Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 Midget
Christian Horn - Benilde-St. Margaret's HS
Alex Racino - Team Wisconsin
Lukas Sutter - Lethbridge Titans
Austin Wuthrich - Alaska All Stars

Defensemen
Brian Cooper - Alaska All Stars
Garrett Haar - LA Selects
Jake McCabe - Team Wisconsin/Eau Claire Memorial
Dan Molenaar - Eden Prairie HS
Connor Murphy - Ohio Blue Jackets

Goaltenders
Brendan Jensen - LA Selects
Jay Williams - TPH Thunder/Hotchkiss Prep

Select 17 Camp All-Star Roster

2009-07-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

The All-Star selections for the final day of camp could probably be considered a preview of candidates for the Ivan Hlinka Tournement.

Forwards
Brian Ferlin
Garrett Allen
John McCarron
Kyle Rau
Max Edson
Terrance Wallin
Vahe Zakaryan

Defensemen
Brandon Carlson
Jamieson Oleksiak
Jordan Young
William Eiserman

Goaltenders
Cody Campbell
Matt Braun
Ryan McKay

Select 17 Camp Round-Up

2009-07-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Like before, the statistical sample is too small and the nature of the event is too different to draw any conclusions from the stat leaders list, but here it is anyway. Again, the team selected to participate in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament will be more telling. All of these players were born in 1992 and are uncommitted...

Forwards
1. Max Edson - Salisbury Prep
2. Terrence Wallin - Gunnery Prep
3. Mark Naclerio - Avon Old Farms Prep
4. Vahe Zakaryan - California Wave
5. John McCarron - Little Caesar's
6. Garrett Allen - Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
7. Gunnar Hughes - Salisbury Prep
8. AJ Reid - St. Thomas Academy
9. William Kessel - Honeybaked
10. Andrew Huff - Honeybaked
11. Kyle Rau - Eden Prarie HS
12. Brian Ferlin - Jacksonville Ice Dogs
13. Adrean Copeland - Buffalo Jr. Sabres
14. Kenneth Babinski - Midland
15. Tyler Hope - Dallas Penguins
16. Garret Hendrickson - Virginia HS
17. Nick Lappin - Chicago Mission

Offensive Defensemen
1. Clay Scott - Shady Side Academy
2. Jonathan Mleczko - Milton Academy
3. Eric Robinson - Berkshire Prep
4. Zack Rall - Alaska All-Stars
5. Brandon Carlson - Chicago Mission
6. Dominic Racobaldo - Shattuck Prep
7. Craig Wyszomirski - Jersey Hitmen-EmpireJHL
8. Jose Delgadillo - Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
9. Jide Idowu - Walpole-MetropolitanJHL

Select 16 Camp Round-Up

2009-07-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

The stats don't mean a whole lot because of the extremely small sample size, but I'm not about to list all of the participants. All of these players are D1 prospects based on the rigorous tryouts they went through to get to this point. There will be a follow up post to this one listing the uncommitted players who were selected to represent the USA in the Five Nations Tournament. Meanwhile, these are all 1993 born players...

Forwards
1. Cason Hohmann - Cedar Rapids - USHL
2. Christian Horn - Benilde St. Margaret's HS
3. Ben Foster -
4. Ben Bahe - Hill-Murray HS
5. Travis Boyd - NTDP
6. Joseph Prescott - St. Sebastian's
7. Kyle Gattelaro - Florida Everblades
8. Tyler Poulsen - Eugene Generals
9. Austin Wuthrich - Alaska All-Stars
10. Alex Racino - Merrill HS
11. Brendan Burke - St. Sebastian's
12. Kenneth Gillespie - East Coast - SEJHL
13. Seth Swenson - Colorado Thunderbirds
14. Brian Hart - Greely HS
15. Evan Schultz - Portland - EmpireJHL

Offensive Defensemen
1. Dan Molenaar - Eden Prarie HS
2. Tyler Rostenkowski - Culver Academy
3. Alexx Privitera - NTDP
4. Garrett Haar - LA Selects AAA
5. Travis Walsh - Capital Center Pride
6. Joakim Ryan - NJ Devils - AtlanticJHL
7. Brian Cooper - Alaska All-Stars
8. Jake McCabe - NTDP

Uncommitted NHL Draft Picks

2009-06-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

Just one left!!

204. New Jersey Devils - Curtis Gedig - (D/91) - Cowichan Valley

NHL Draft This Weekend

2009-06-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder (though it's posted below)...

76. Thompson, Blake - D - Sioux Falls
115. Gedig, Curtis - D - Cowichan Valley
117. Kane, Cory - F - Vernon
125. Scott, Berkley - F - Anoka High School
126. Hughes, Kyle - F - Salisbury
133. Duprey, Luke - D - Andover
143. Carrabino, Joe - D - Millbrook
145. Goldberg, Jacob - F - Berkshire
156. Lee, Oleg - F - Fargo
160. Taft, Charlie - F - Edina High
161. Hourihan, Mark - F - Nobles
196. Boyd, Ronald (R.J.) - D - Cushing Academy
199. Gurianov, Georgiy - F - Walpole
201. Berkle, Adam - F - Northwood School
203. Krushelnyski, Alexander - F - Chicago
205. Knodel, Eric - D - Philadelphia Jr. B
210. O'Donoghue, Dan - F - Ny Bobcats

...these are the CSB NA ranked skaters who are eligible to play NCAA hockey, yet have not committed to play anywhere. There were no uncommitted players drafted in 2008.

EJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-06-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

I failed. I admit that, as a Minnesotan, I don't pay as much attention to the east as I should. My apologies. Hopefully, the prospect rankings for the EJHL should help make up for my errors.

The EJHL is really a league pretty much on par with the NAHL, despite the fact that the NAHL is technicallyTier II and the EJHL is Tier III. Like the NAHL, many of these players have secured their college commitments already. Some of the more talented players will go straight to D1, others will transition to the USHL. Due to the lack of youth on this list, I don't think any are considered hot commodities. For the most part, those players have made their college choices already.

Forwards
1. Geraci, Nick (89) - Jersey Hitmen
2. Morra, Steve (89) - Junior Bruins
3. Mitchell, Adam (90) - Baystate Breakers
4. Cantor, Alex (90) - Jersey Hitmen
5. Budnick, Joe (91) - Bridgewater
6. DiFruscio, Mark (90) - Apple Core
7. Ors, Dennis (89) - Junior Bruins

Offensive Defensemen
1. Descoteaux, Nolan (89) - South Shore Kings
2. Merrill, Greg (90) - Baystate Breakers
3. Kimmel, Sabastion (88) - Junior Huskies
4. Grace, Mike (89) - Capital District Selects
5. Barbieri, Dylan (89) - Bridgewater Bandits

Brandon Saad

2009-05-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is the first post I've ever made about an individual prospect, but considering he's #3 on my Hot 15 and I mentioned he's going the OHL route, I thought it merits attention. Anybody who's got a subscription to the fourth resource down (over on the right) will have noticed that Brandon Saad is going to play with the NTDP next season rather than join the OHL team that chose him 10th overall in their draft last year. Now, that doesn't mean that he won't end up there eventually, but it gives all NCAA D1 programs a good opportunity to convince him otherwise.

Brandon's brother George will be given an opportunity to play for Youngstown of the USHL next season after being selected in the recent Entry Draft. If George makes the final roster, keep an eye out for what opportunites become available to him. That could potentially be a factor, as part of the reason Brandon was in the NAHL last season was so he could play with his brother. This could get interesting.

USHL Entry Draft

2009-05-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the first two rounds of uncommitted players selected in the May 13th USHL Entry Draft. Though some of these players project better as junior players than college players, odds are that 95% of them will earn a D1 scholarship. Also, you can assume that some of these players improved their draft stock because they're likely to report to the USHL team that drafted them.

Forwards
Michael Voran - (90) - Wenatchee-NAHL
Blake Coleman - (91) - Dallas Stars AAA
DJ Vandercook - (90) - Wenatchee-NAHL
Brendan Woods - (92) - Williston Prep
Evan Kovacs - (91) - Grosse Point North HS

Defense
Austin Coldwell - (90) - Springfield-NAHL
Brandon Carlson - (92) - Chicago Mission
Dan Senkbeil - (91) - San Jose AAA
Tyler Amburgey - (91) - NTDP
Taylor Aronson - (91) - LA Jr. Kings
Nolan Zajac - (92) - Winnipeg Thrashers
JD Carrabino - (91) - Millbrook Prep

Goaltenders
Zane Gothberg - (92) - Thief River Falls HS
CJ Motte - (91) - Traverse City-NAHL
Ryan McKay - (92) - Chicago Young Americans

Hot 15 Prospects

2009-04-24T11:26:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I created a Hot 15 list. However, pretty much all of them would be listed on my previous ten or so posts. It occurs to me that a few more of these players than normal are likely to play Major Juniors, but as usual, I'll list them anyhow.

1. Matt Nieto (92/F) - NTDP (not sure, but the leading scorer without a commitment does not look good)
2. Brandon Saad (92/F) - NTDP (OHL possible, but the NTDP committment is a new wrinkle)
3. Adam Clendening (92/D) - NTDP (another goner)
4. Sahir Gill (92/F) - Vernon-BCHL
5. Rocco Grimaldi (93/F) - NTDP
6. Brendan Walker (92/F) - Portage-MJHL
7. Brendon Algeo (91/D) - Olds-AJHL
8. Sean Blunden (90/D) - Gloucester-CJHL
9. Daniel Carr (91/F) - St. Albert-AJHL
10. Andrew Ryan (93/D) - NTDP

Others to consider
Alexx Privitera (93/D) - NTDP
Andy Welinski (93/D) - Duluth East
Barrett Kaib (93/D) - NTDP
Brady Vail (94/F) - Compuware
Cole Bardreau (93/D) - NTDP
Dan Carlson - (93/F) - NTDP
Frankie Vatrano (94/F) - EmpireJHL
Jacob MacDonald (93/D) - Compuware
JT Miller (93/F) - NTDP
Kyle Rau (92/F) - Eden Prarie HS
Mat Bodie (90/D) - BCHL
Matt Van Voorhis (93/D) - NTDP
Michael Paliotta (93/D) - NTDP
Ryan Haggerty (93/F) - NTDP
Shane Sooth (92/F) - NTDP
Tyler Biggs (93/F) - NTDP
Zac Lazzara (93/F) - NTDP

Chicago Showcase

2009-04-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

The data set is too small to draw any conclusions, but here are some players who had some statistically good individual performances at the Chicago Showcase that concluded April 19th...

Forwards
Schulz, Matt (Sr) - Team Northwest
Plutowski, Jake (Sr) - North Dakota
Vidal, Matthew (Sr) - New York
Malamud, Peter (Jr) - Philadelphia
Cimoch, Christopher J (Sr) - Illinois
Ziegler, JJ (Sr) - Team Northwest
Mcdonald, Chase (Sr) - Team Northwest
Crawford, Taylor (Sr) - Team Northwest
Petito, Jesse P (Sr) - New York
Dobrzeniecki, Alex J (Sr) - Indiana
Scully, John P (Jr) - Illinois
Cummings, Brandon R (Jr) - Arizona-New Mexico
Platt, Brandon (Jr) - Kentucky-West Virginia
Chase, Mike (Sr) - Northern New England

Defense
Carrabino, Joseph D (Jr) - New York
Linder, Christoffer (Jr) - Northern New England
Cornick, Kinsey Arthur (Jr) - Team Midwest
Stephens, Kyle (Sr) - North Dakota
Williams, Oliver J (Sr) - New York

Some, but not all, of these players will have the opportunity to continue their hockey careers in juniors. Some, but not many, of those players will be able to move on to D1 hockey. Funny thing is, the championship team from Minnesota had solid performances from several players, but didn't lean on any one player enough to put him on the list above. The D1 chances of players like Schyler Adams, Zach May, Andy Pearson, Tyler Voigt, and Sam Rendle are, in reality, better than the chances for most of the players listed above. Anyway, kudos to the Minnesota team and to the players who made the most of their opportunities.

MWEHL Midget Minor Prospect Rankings

2009-04-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Most people assume Hohman will play Major Juniors, but he's listed as long as he's eligible. There's some overlap amongst the best Midget Minors and their similarly aged Midget Major counterparts, so don't assume these players have any less potential. Also, notice Brady Vail on the list. He's the first '94 I've listed anywhere other than the all '94 list.

Forwards
1. Cason Hohman (93) - Compuware
2. Chris Sitler (92) - Belle Tire
3. Matt Berry (92) - Belle Tire
4. Omar Mullan (93) - Belle Tire
5. Michael Vilardo (92) - Team Illinois
6. A.J. Jarosz (93) - Team Illinois
7. Cory Czarnik (93) - Belle Tire
8. Nico Ruggeri (93) - Belle Tire
9. Brady Vail (94) - Compuware
10. Matthew Deblouw (93) - Belle Tire
11. Austin Farley (93) - Team Illinois

Offensive Defensemen
1. Jacob Macdonald (93) - Compuware
2. Craig Duininck (93) - Compuware
3. Dalton Young (93) - Belle Tire
4. Nick Muller (93) - Team Illinois
5. Jordan Oesterle (92) - Belle Tire

MWEHL Midget Major Prospect Rankings

2009-04-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

The data on this league is full of holes, and I debated putting this together at all. However, as far as leagues are concerned, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and this league are where the future phenoms of college hockey are found, which is why I decided it was worth the effort. Many youngsters in this league are picked out for service in the NTDP, including players on this list. The 17 and 18 year olds will most likely move on to junior hockey next year (USHL or NAHL for the college bound). I'll put the Midget Minor players on a different post.

Forwards
1. Rocco Grimaldi (93) - Little Caesars
2. Kyle Gibbons (91) - Cleveland
3. Jimmy Murray (92) - Chicago Mission
4. Danny Bahntge (91) - Cleveland
5. Tucker Long (92) - St. Louis Amateur Blues
6. JT Miller (93) - Pittsburgh Hornets
7. Beau Bennett (91) - LA Kings
8. Anthony Hamburg (91) - Dallas Stars

Offensive Defensemen
1. Jason Binkley (92) - Cleveland
2. Nate Brown (91) - S2
3. Zach Schrotenboer (91) - Team Illinois
4. Cory Ramsey (91) - Dallas Stars
5. Brandon Carlson (92) - Chicago Mission
6. Brandon Lubin (91) - Little Caesars
7. Taylor Aronson (91) - LA Kings

CSB Final Rankings

2009-04-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

76. Thompson, Blake - D - Sioux Falls
115. Gedig, Curtis - D - Cowichan Valley
117. Kane, Cory - F - Vernon
125. Scott, Berkley - F - Anoka High School
126. Hughes, Kyle - F - Salisbury
133. Duprey, Luke - D - Andover
143. Carrabino, Joe - D - Millbrook
145. Goldberg, Jacob - F - Berkshire
156. Lee, Oleg - F - Fargo
160. Taft, Charlie - F - Edina High
161. Hourihan, Mark - F - Nobles
196. Boyd, Ronald (R.J.) - D - Cushing Academy
199. Gurianov, Georgiy - F - Walpole
201. Berkle, Adam - F - Northwood School
203. Krushelnyski, Alexander - F - Chicago
205. Knodel, Eric - D - Philadelphia Jr. B
210. O'Donoghue, Dan - F - Ny Bobcats

USHL Prospect Rankings

2009-04-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Again, the USHL ranks are extremely picked through. Many of the top players come in with commitments in hand.

Forwards
1. Chartier, Brett (91) - Lincoln
2. Montpetit, Brock (90) - Waterloo
3. Illo, Radoslav (90) - Tri-City
4. Wolfe, Greg (90) - Chicago

Offensive Defensemen
1. Franks, Chris (89) - Fargo

Defensive Defensemen (straight +/- rating)
1. Albers, Kevin (91) - Green Bay
2. Ruhwedel, Chad (90) - Sioux Falls
3. Boldt, Taylor (90) - Indiana

NAHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo!! The NAHL is down, only the USHL is left. Funny thing is, the USHL is more picked over than the NAHL, so a couple of these guys could be better than a couple of those guys. The NTDP guys are extremely likely to be recruited by Major Juniors, but as of now, are still college eligible.

Forwards
1. Saad, Brandon (92) - Mahoning Valley
2. Nieto, Matthew (92) - NTDP U17
3. Etem, Emerson (92) - NTDP U17
4. Voran, Michael (90) - Wenatchee
5. Juola, Michael (89) - Fairbanks
6. Cecka, Dan (89) - Owatonna
7. Hudson, Chad (90) - Wichita Falls
8. Vandercook, DJ (90) - Wenatchee
9. Curry, Nick (89) - Springfield

Offensive Defensemen
1. Burrell, Brandon (90) - Wenatchee
2. Coldwell, Austin (90) - Springfield
3. Nelson, Josh (89) - Fairbanks
4. Sloat, Jacob (90) - Owatonna

OJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is the last (and the biggest) Junior A league from Canada I'm going to do. Justin Baker is right at the top of my rankings for available Canadian junior players. I also like Blunden, Algeo, and Gill. DePape and Walker would also be favorites if they weren't likely to go Major Junior.

Forwards
1. McCarty, Jeremy (90) - Port Hope
2. Boddy, Blake (90) - Ajax
3. Tresham, Connor (91) - North York
4. Campbell, Colin (91) - Vaughan
5. Basso, Justin (90) - Milton
6. Peca, Dorian (89) - Vaughan
7. Carey, Greg (90) - Burlington
8. Ruberto, Anthony (89) - Hamilton
9. Cousineau, Josh (89) -Couchiching

Offensive Defensemen
1. Lamontagne, Micael (91) - Seguin
2. Campbell, Jim (90) - Newmarket

NTDP Tryout Roster

2009-03-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

All were born in 1993. Committed recruits have been omitted.

Forwards
Adam Reid - LA Selects
Blake Pietila - Compuware Midget Minor
Cason Hohman - Compuware Midget Minor
Christian Horn - Benilde-St. Margaret's H.S.
Cole Bardreau - Rochester Midget Minor
Dan Carlson - Maple Grove H.S.
Dan Elser - Shattuck-St. Mary's U16
J.C. Campagna - Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
J.T. Miller - Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major
Jack Barre - Salisbury School
Kevin Irwin - Cleavland Barons Midget Major
Max Birkinbine - White Bear Lake H.S.
Michael Sit - Edina H.S.
Rocco Grimaldi - Little Caesars Midget Major
Ryan Haggerty - Trinity Catholic
Tanner Sorenson - Shattuck-St. Mary's U16
Thomas Schutt - Minnetonka H.S.
Travis Boyd - Hopkins H.S.
Tyler Biggs - Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget Minor
Vince Trocheck - Little Caesars Midget Major
Zac Larazza - P.F. Changs Midget Major

Defensemen
Alex Lepkowski - St. Francis High School, NY
Alexx Privitera - New Jersey Avalanche Midget Minor
Andy Welinski - Duluth East H.S.
Barrett Kaib - Culver Academy
Colin Suellentrop - Compuware Midget Minor
Dan Molenaar -Eden Prairie H.S.
J.D. Cotroneo - Hill-Murray H.S.
Jacob MacDonald - Compuware Midget Minor
Jake Worrad - Elgin-Middlesex Midget
Joakim Ryan - NJ Devils Midget Minor
Keegan Lowe Shattuck-St. Mary's U16
Matt Van Voorhis - Edina H.S.
Michael Paliotta - Choate Rosemary Hall

Goaltenders
Daniel Liesman - Capital Center Midget
Garrett Sparks - Team Illinois Midget MinorTeam Red
John Gibson - Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Minor
Kevin Ventroso - Bridgewater Bandits
Matt Mahalak - Culver Prep

CJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Forwards
1. Stockton, Shayne (89) - Brockville
2. Cross, Damian (89) - Pembroke
3. Byrd, Mike (88) - Brockville
4. Creppin, Andrew (90) - Gloucester
5. Milley, Jonathan (91) - Smiths Falls
6. Just, Kyle (91) - Pembroke
7. Pandurevic, Dario (90) - Smiths Falls
8. Roy, David (92) - Brockville
9. Ouellette, Mathieu (89) - Cumberland
10. Barron, Max (90) - Nepean

Offensive Defensemen
1. Blunden, Sean (90) - Gloucester
2. Poirier, Sebastien (90) - Pembroke
3. Carriveau, Zachary (90) - Nepean
4. Darou, Dustin (91) - Smiths Falls
5. Clark, Jacob (91) - Smiths Falls

MJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

All signs point to DePape going to the WHL like his older brother, but official his eligibility isn't shot yet.

Forwards
1. Jordan DePape (92) - Winnipeg Saints
2. Brenden Walker (92) - Portage
3. Blake Chartier (89) - Winnipeg Saints
4. Shane Luke (90) - Dauphin
5. Nick Lazorko (89) - Winkler
6. Zeanan Buternowski (89) - OCN
7. Russ Payne (88) - Selkirk
8. Michael Wilgosh (90) - Winkler
9. Adam Pleskach (88) - Selkirk
10. Craig Simchuk (89) - Winnipeg Saints

Offensive Defensemen
1. Troy Kliever (90) - Winkler
2. Caleb Suderman (89) - Winkler
3. Steven Shamanski (89) - Dauphin
4. Dylan Heide (91) - Selkirk
5. Kevin Falloon (88) - Dauphin

SJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

Forwards
1. Cole Wilson (90) - Flin Flon
2. Brett Leedahl (88) - Kindersley
3. Logan Herauf (90) - Melville
4. Deven Stillar (90) - Melfort
5. Chad Filteau (89) - Esteven
6. Dane Muench (92) - Battlefords
7. Brody Haygarth (90) - Esteven
8. Alex Lamontagne (89) - Flin Flon
9. Spencer Braaten (90) - Humboldt

Offensive Defensemen
1. Tanner Vandesype (88) - Humboldt
2. Rhys Thomas (90) - Weyburn
3. Taylor Thiessen (89) - Nipawin
4. Justin Favreau (88) - Weyburn

AJHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

These forwards range from 4th to 25th in the overall player rankings. The offensive defensemen range from 1st through 9th.

Forwards
1. Daniel Carr (91) St. Albert
2. John Dunbar (91) Calgary Canucks
3. Bryce Williamson (89) St. Albert
4. Reed Linaker (91) St. Albert
5. Chris Duszynski (89) Okotoks
6. James Bannister (89) Okotoks
7. Mitchell Maxwell (90) Olds
8. Scott Hudson (88) Sherwood Park

Offensive Defensemen
1. Brendon Algeo (91) Olds
2. Ryan Wilkinson (91) St. Albert
3. Nicholas Bell (90) Okotoks

BCHL Prospect Rankings

2009-03-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Applying the same principles to the BCHL as I did for the Minnesota High Schools, here are the prospect rankings I got back...

FORWARDS
1. Sahir Gill (92) Vernon
2. Trever Hertz (89) Victoria
3. Trevor Bailey (89) Westside
4. Chad Niddery (90) Powell River
5. Chris Santiago (89) Surrey
6. Mitch MacMillan (89)Alberni Valley
7. Jordan Grant (90) Powell River
8. Ryan Viselli (89) Penticton
9. Garrick Perry (90) Burnaby

OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMEN
1. Ashford McMaster (88) Salmon Arm
2. Brad Bourke (89) Merritt
3. Steve Koshey (91) Trail

With the exception of Gill, I don't see a lot of blockbuster potential amongst the forwards here. All the of blue chippers are already taken. What you see here are ten forwards that rank between 16 and 46 in my rankings. All of the rest rated above them were already committed or ineligible.

As for the defensemen, all five are amongst the top 11 in my prospect rankings for offensive defensemen.

Minnesota High School Prospect Rankings

2009-03-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

These are my Player Rankings adjusted by class.

Forwards
1. Boyd, Travis - Hopkins HS - Fr
2. Rau, Kyle - Eden Prairie HS - So
3. May, Zach - Burnsville HS - Sr
4. Reilly, Connor - Holy Angels HS - Sr
5. Nelson, Brock - Warroad HS - Jr
6. Gaarder, Connor - Edina HS - Sr
7. Reid, AJ - St Thomas Academy - So
8. Hendrickson, Garrett - Virginia HS - So
9. Pearson, Andy - Burnsville HS - Sr
10. Miller, Eric - Red Wing HS - So
11. Hebel, Brett - Warroad HS - Jr
12. Crandall, Justin - St Thomas Academy - Jr
13. Anderson, Mike - St Paul Saints HS - Fr
14. Skalbeck, Archie - Hopkins HS - Jr
15. Horn, Christian - Benilde St Margarets HS - Fr
16. Adams, Charlie - Mahtomedi HS - Jr
17. Lapic, Darren - New Prague HS - So
18. Krause, Adam - Hermantown HS - Jr
19. Useldinger, Jake - East Grand Forks HS - Jr
20. Lovick, Jordan - Centennial HS - Jr

Offensive Defensemen
1. Prochno, Andrew - Minnetonka HS - Jr
2. Reilly, Mike - Holy Angels HS - Fr
3. J.Faust, Joe - Bloomington Jefferson HS - Jr
4. Prow, Ethan - Sauk Rapids HS - So
5. Berglund, Izaak - Little Falls HS - Sr
6. Pauluk, Jeffrey - Bloomington Jefferson HS - Jr
7. Fleming, Taylor - St Thomas Academy - So
8. Rendle, Sam - Grand Rapids HS - Sr
9. Paczynski, Jeff - Hermantown HS - Jr
10. Corrin, Willie - International Falls HS - Jr
11. Brevig, Drew - Lakeville South HS - So
12. Molenaar, Dan - Eden Prairie HS - So
13. Palmquist, Zach - South St Paul HS - Sr
14. Krebsbach, Jordan - Virginia HS - Jr
15. Jaremko, Ryan - Elk River HS - So

How accurate are they? Well, that's for you to ultimately decide, but five of the top six forwards were already committed and thus are removed from the list. Likewise for three of the top eight offensive defensemen.

American Development Model

2009-02-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

For a while I've been trying to come up with a visual way to describe the American Development Model (ADM) as proposed by USA Hockey. I think I've come pretty close, though all input (well, most anyway) is appreciated.

First, a little background on the proposal. The biggest change would be the creation of the High Performance Club League (HPC). There would be 36 teams in six regions. Each club would have a team for each birthyear from the Midget Major level down to the Pee Wee level (except the U17 birth year, those players would be forced into the Midget Major level or seek other options). The league will start no earlier than the 2010-2011 season. I think the purpose of the ADM from the NHL perspective (NHL donated money to help fund this effort) is to create and better identify more NHL prospects. From the USA Hockey perspective, it's to create more options for American players who would otherwise play Major Junior hockey .

As for how to read my chart... I tried to include the approximate number of players in each level. If it has a 9999 in it, it means there are either A LOT of players or too many to count. You can assume the NAHL is representative of most second level junior leagues.

Now, for the main reason why I created this chart. I think a lot of causal prospect fans want to know how players in different leagues stack up. The chart was designed to show equivelancies. For example, an elite player really has two options: Play at the elite level for your age group; Or, play with older players. Look at 16 year old Brandon Saad who turned down a spot with the NTDP and is instead playing on an NAHL team... same level. An elite 18 year old like Jake Gardiner, as you'd suspect, would be in the NCAA playing as a true freshman and not in the USHL. In fact, the USHL is never an elite option for an 18 year old, but it certainly would be for a 17 year old (like a Paul Phillips). An elite 20 year old, unless he's really dedicated to getting his degree, is probably ready to move on to pro hockey.

There are two types of players that aren't playing in the right spot on this chart. First, you can probably think of several players who are playing at a lower level because of choice. Many Minnesota High School players turn down offers to go to the USHL and/or NTDP in order to stay closer to home and/or win a state championship. The second type of player is the "Super Elite" player, of which there are usually no more than one or two for any give birthyear. 1993 born Seth Ambroz would normally play no higher than Midget Major for a team like Little Caesar's. Instead, he's thriving in the USHL... quite impressive. Last year, 1991 born Jeremy Morin played with the 1990 born players on the NTDP U18 team. This type of player is rare, and they don't always stay ahead of players in their age groups.

Also, keep in mind that the quality of teams in each league can overlap the quality of teams in other leagues, but I think that I have the leagues as a whole on the appropriate levels.

Anyway, I hope this has been of assistance. Again (some of your) feedback is welcome.

EDIT: Reports are now saying that the HPC proposal as it currently stands is DOA. I don't know what any sort of compromise would look like, but I'm going to leave the graphic of the original proposal up top. Below is how US Hockey looks right now...

As you can see, the options for Elite and Tier 1 players in the current setup are still there, but limited. For example, a Tier 1 U18 player (1991 birthdate right now) either has to play down in Midget Major or Prep, or he can slide over to a second level junior league to play at a more challenging level.

EDIT: In another twist, it looks like the NTDP U17 team is moving up a league from the NAHL to the USHL. I have issues with this for several reasons, the least of which is that the NTDP has only the 8th best winning percentage in the league. Why do they feel the team isn't getting challenged? I think I know why USA Hockey and the NHL have conspired to do this, and I have my opinions on who the winners and losers are in this regard. However, I try to keep biased opinions off this blog as much as I can. Trying to represent this new situation in graphical form could be a challenge. I think I'll wait until I see how next season shakes out. My guess is that the U17 team (without the help of the U18 team) will struggle to win many games at all.

Minnesota High School Player Rankings

2009-02-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

By special request, here are the latest player rankings, committed players omitted. At the end of the season I'll add the grade they're currently in. After that, it'll be easier to pinpoint the younger players, who you would assume have the higher potential to be elite D1 prospects.

Forwards
1. May, Zach - Burnsville HS
2. Reilly, Connor - Holy Angels HS
3. Horgan, Riley - Mound Westonka HS
4. Pearson, Andy - Burnsville HS
5. Nelson, Brock - Warroad HS
6. King, Zack - Burnsville HS
7. Gaarder, Connor - Edina HS
8. Adams, Schyler - New Prague HS
9. Haeg, John - Holy Angels HS
10. Westin, Chris - Virginia HS
11. Boyd, Travis - Hopkins HS
12. Rau, Kyle - Eden Prairie HS
13. Adams, Charlie - Mahtomedi HS
14. Krause, Adam - Hermantown HS
15. Alexander, Tom - Rochester Mayo HS

Offensive Defensemen
1. Berglund, Izaak - Little Falls HS
2. Rendle, Sam - Grand Rapids HS
3. Faust, Joe - Bloomington Jefferson HS
4. Prochno, Andrew - Minnetonka HS
5. Miller, Gus - St Cloud Tech HS
6. Corrin, Willie - International Falls HS
7. Pauluk, Jeffrey - Bloomington Jefferson HS
8. Paczynski, Jeff - Hermantown HS
9. Bradley, Eric - Mounds View HS
10. Prow, Ethan - Sauk Rapids HS

Midterm Rankings

2009-01-12T10:05:00.001-08:00

76. VALEK, DAVID (F) USA U-18 USDP
81. THOMPSON, BLAKE (D) SIOUX FALLS USHL
93. BENNETT, SPENCER SURREY (F) BCHL
94. SCOTT, BERKLEY (F) ANOKA HIGH SCHOOL HIGH-MN
109. LEE, OLEG (F) FARGO USHL
110. DUPREY, LUKE (F) ANDOVER HIGH-MA
118. GOTOVETS, KIRILL (D) SHAT.ST.MARY'S HIGH-MN
120. YOUNG, GUS (D) NOBLES HIGH-MA
140. RAYNER, WILLIAM (F) SOUTH KENT SCHOOL HIGH-CT
142. HOURIHAN, MARK (F) NOBLES HIGH-MA
145. GURIANOV, GEORGIY (F) WALPOLE JR 'B' USMAAA
148. BEAUCHEMIN, JEAN (D) RUSSELL STOVER MWEHL
155. AMBURGEY, TYLER (D) USA U-18 USDP
162. KANE, CORY (F) VERNON BCHL
163. TAFT, CHARLIE (F) EDINA HIGH HIGH-MN
165. GEDIG, CURTIS (F) MERRITT BCHL
166. WEY, PATRICK (D) WATERLOO USHL
172. O'DONOGHUE, DAN (F) NY BOBCATS ATLH
180. GILBERT, SAM (F) CHOATE-ROSEMARY HIGH-CT
184. SCHMITZ, JOE (D) CENTENNIAL HIGH-MN
187. LOGUE, SEAN (F) SOUTH SHORE EJHL
188. KRUSHELNYSKI, ALEXA (F) CHICAGO USHL
193. HERRINGTON, BROOKS (F) JR. MONARCHS EJHL
198. HUGHES, KYLE (F) SALISBURY HIGH-CT
202. GOLDBERG, JACOB (F) BERKSHIRE HIGH-MA
207. HUSEK, JAKUB (F) WYOMING SEMINARY PR HIGH-PA
209. KELLEY, STEPHEN (F) DEERFIELD HIGH-MA

Minnesota High School Player Rankings

2009-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since my last post... sorry about that. You're all due for a new Hot 15, but instead you're going to get a player ranking based on a formula I'm still trying to tweak. Minnesota High School hockey is the most frustrating league to prospect from just looking at stats. The strength of schedule varies greatly from one team to the next. My thought was to create a formula to account for this, and I think I'm starting to get close. Since the +/- stat is missing too much data to help compare "defensive responisibility", you're going to get my top 15 uncommitted forwards and my top 10 uncommitted (offensive) defensemen. Now, this isn't going to include my thoughts on who's a better college prospect, it's just the players doing well (sometimes just because they're a senior on the top PP unit).

Forwards
1. Reilly, Connor - Holy Angels HS
2. Westin, Chris - Virginia HS
3. Gaarder, Connor - Edina HS
4. Gaede, Max - Woodbury HS
5. Jamnick, Aaron - Hibbing HS
6. McKee, Jake - Tartan HS
7. Haeg, John - Holy Angels HS
8. Skalbeck, Archie - Hopkins HS
9. Siiro, A.J. - Bloomington Jefferson HS
10. Horgan, Riley - Mound Westonka HS
11. Gross, Josh - Maple Grove HS
12. Persian, Ben - Orono HS
13. Christen, Dustin - St Cloud Apollo HS
14. Hendrickson, Garrett - Virginia HS
15. May, Zach - Burnsville HS
16. Worzala, Andy - Sartell HS
17. Lovick, Jordan - Centennial HS

Offensive Defensemen
1. Berglund, Izaak - Little Falls HS
2. Rendle, Sam - Grand Rapids HS
3. Krebsbach, Jordan - Virginia HS
4. J.Faust, Joe - Bloomington Jefferson HS
5. Prow, Ethan - Sauk Rapids HS
6. Peratelo, Spenser - Hibbing HS
7. Johnstone, Michael - Moorhead HS
8. Pauluk, Jeffrey - Bloomington Jefferson HS
9. Palmquist, Zach - South St Paul HS
10. Schmitz, Joe - Centennial HS
11. Prochno, Andrew - Minnetonka HS

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-11-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

No prep players in this edition. Their seasons haven't really kicked into gear yet and there are just too many hot junior players available right now. There's a lot of foreign players in this list, so you can be assured that not all will retain their NCAA eligibility.

Hot 15
2. Stanislav Galiev (F/92) - Indiana-USHL
3. Matt Nieto (F/92) - USNTDP
5. Justin Baker (D/91) - Streetsville-OJHL
6. Brett Chartier (F/91) - Lincoln-USHL
7. Brandon Saad (F/92) - Mahoning Valley-NAHL
9. Beau Bennett (F/91) - LA Kings AAA
11. Jordan Depape (F/92) - Winnepeg Saints-MJHL
12. Rocco Grimaldi (F/93) - Little Caesar's
13. Kirill Gotovets (D/91) - Shattuck
14. Joe Wilson (F/92) - Syracuse-EJHL
15. James Polk (F/92) - Shattuck

1994's

2008-11-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's the post I promised on 1994's. Again, please don't assume that this list means I agree or disagree with the practice of recruiting kids this age. My goal with this post is really to identify some players of this birthyear that are the most likely candidates to be recruited first. Keeping that in mind, I'm going to miss A LOT of fantastic rural players and incredible players not involved with traveling bantam/midget/junior teams. I'm just going to list the players alphabetically, because ranking 14-year-olds against eachother is an effort in futility. However, I am going to put an asterisk* by a few players who simply stand out amongst the competition... just because I can.

Riley Barber (F) - Compuware
*Grant Besse (F) - Breck HS
*Connor Carrick (D) - Chicago Fury
Mackenzie Cook (F) - Reading HS/Boston Little Bruins
Andrew Doane (F) - Nobles Prep
*Nick Ebert (D) - North Jersey Avalanche
Adam Gilmour (F) - Thayer Academy
Matt Halverson (D) - Wayzata HS

*Seth Jones (D) - Dallas Stars AAA

Dennis Kravchenko (F) - California Wave
Kristian Manthey (D) - Anoka HS
AJ Michaeson (F) - Apple Valley HS
Brian Morgan (F) - Boston Jr. Bruins-EmpireJHL
Josh Nenadal (F) - Cleveland Barons
Drew Newmeyer (D) -Phoenix Firebirds
Ryan Papa (F) -Chicago Young Americans

Alex Roos (F) - Team Illinois

Jack Rowe (F) - Chicago Mission

Kyle Ruggles (F) - Little Caesars

Zane Schartz (F) - Chicago Fury
*Ian Spencer (D) - North Jersey Avalanche

*Brady Vail (F) - Compuware
Alec Vanko (D) -Madison Capitols
*Frankie Vatrano (F) - Boston Jr. Bruins-EmpireJHL

There you have it... a random list of good, young, and soon to be over-hyped players that could potentially be the first of their birthyear to be recruited... unless of course Michigan decides to snipe some player out of Ontario first.

Upper Midwest High School Elite League

2008-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

With a handful of exceptions, this league is where the best Minnesota high schoolers get to test themselves against the other best Minnesota high schoolers. I didn't get a chance to personally scout any of these games, but here are my favorite prospects based on stats and other peoples' scouting reports.

1. Anders Lee (Sr/F) - Edina HS
2. Adam Knochenmus (Jr/F) - Roseau HS
3. Garrett Henderickson (So/F) - Virginia HS
4. Schyler Adams (Sr/F) - New Prague HS
5. Joe Schmitz (Sr/D) - Centennial HS
6. Caleb Herbert (Jr/F) - Bloomington-Jefferson HS
7. Justin Crandall (Jr/F) - St. Thomas Academy
8. Bill Simon (Sr/F) - Lakeville South
9. Cal Decowski (Jr/F) - Andover
10. Andrew Prochno (Jr/D) - Minnetonka HS

Others to consider
Tommy Westmark (Sr/F) - Appleton HS
Connor Reilly (Jr/F) - Holy Angels HS
Jeff Pauluk (Jr/D) - Bloomington-Jefferson HS
Wes Wauters (Sr/F) - Ashwaubenon HS
Troy Hekseth (Jr/D) - Minnetonka HS
Willie Hess (Sr/F) - Centennial HS
Chris Casto (Jr/D) - Hill-Murray HS
Joseph LaBate (So/F) - Holy Angels
Walker Hyland (Jr/D) - Woodbury HS
Joey Rehkamp (Sr/F) - Breck
Brett Stern (Jr/D) - Centennial HS
Nick Widing (Sr/F) - Hill-Murray HS
Brian Kemp (Jr/D) - Fond du Lac HS
Zach Mausolf (Sr/F) - Duluth-Marshall HS
Cody Hotchkin (Sr/F) - Duluth-Denfield HS
Tyler Landman (Sr/F) - Roseau HS

Central Scouting Players to Watch

2008-10-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

A Rating - A must see player who is predicted to be a potential First or Second Round Draft selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft

Dylan Olsen (D) - Camrose-AJHL
Ryan Daugherty (F) - Omaha-USHL
Philip Samuelsson (D) - Chicago-USHL
Erik Haula (F) - Shattuck
Jeremy Morin (F) - USNTDP
Blake Thompson (D) - Sioux Falls-USHL

B Rating -- A player to note if you are in the area, a potential selection in theThird to Fifth Round Draft Selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft

Corban Knight (F) - Okotoks-AJHL
Matt MacKay (F) - Calgary-AJHL
Rodger Graig (F) - Okotoks-AJHL
Zac Ashdown (F) - Nanaimo-BCHL
Wes McLeod (D) - Prince George-BCHL
David Pacan (F) - Cumberland-CJHL
Brooks Herrington (F) - Jr. Monarchs-EJHL
Nick Jensen (D) - Green Bay-USHL
Alexander Krushelnyski (F) - Chicago-USHL
Jeff Teglia (G) - Omaha-USHL
Derek Deblois (F) - Hotchkiss Prep
William Rayner (D) - Kent School
Charles Vasaturo (D) - Avon Old Farms
Cab Morris (G) - Hotchkiss Prep
Steven Racine (G) - Taft School
Kirill Gotovets (D) - Shattuck
Anders Lee (F) - Edina HS
Ben Montgomery (D) - Shattuck
Joe Schmitz (D) - Centennial HS
Berkley Scott (F) - Anoka HS
Tyler Amburgey (D) - USNTDP
John Ramage (D) - USNTDP
David Valek (F) - USNTDP

C Rating - A player that Central Scouting is tracking, a potential late round selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft

Too many to list... I'll wait until the midterm rankings.

USHL Leaderboard

2008-10-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the top nine scoring, college elligible, uncommitted forwards and the top eight scoring, college elligible, uncommitted defensemen from the USHL so far this season. Make of the stats what you will...

Forward
1. Brett Chartier (91) - Lincoln
2. Shane Berschbach (91) - Indiana
3. Donnie Hallmark (88) - Sioux City
4. Michael Forney (88) - Green Bay
5. William Rapuzzi (90) - Green Bay
6. Mike Seidel (88) - Cedar Rapids
7. Reed Seckel (89) - Green Bay
8. Richard Manley (89) - Lincoln
9. Troy Power (90) - Omaha

Defense
1. Michael Keenan (89) - Sioux City
2. Dennis Brown (89) - Omaha
3. Alex Stuart (88) - Sioux City
4. Torey Krug (91) - Indiana
5. Alex Gerke (88) - Tri-CIty
6. David Chaney (90) - Tri-City
7. Eriah Hayes (88) - Waterloo
8. Nick Jensen (90) - Green Bay

Junior A Challenge Canadiens

2008-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here are the uncommitted, college eligible players who'll be representing Canada in the Junior A Challenge November 2nd through November 9th. The ones in italics will first be eligible for the NHL draft in 2009 or later.

TEAM EAST

Goaltender
Shawn Sirman (90) - Kingston Voyageurs-OPJHL

Defense
Jeremy Price (90) Nepean Raiders-CJHL 2009
Scott Dawson (91) - Nepean Raiders-CJHL 2010
Mike Wills (90) Lindsay Muskies-OPJHL 2009
Dustin Darou (91) Smiths Falls Bears-CJHL 2010

Forward
Pierre-Luc Lacombe (89) Inouk de Granby-LHJAAAQ
Marty O'Grady (89) Wellington Dukes-OPJHL
Greg Miller (89) St. Michael's Buzzers-OPJHL
Stephen Horyl (90) Truro Bearcats-MJAHL
David Pacan (91) Cumberland Grads-CJHL 2009

TEAM WEST

Goaltender
Aaron Dell (89) - Calgary Canucks-AJHL
Andrew Bodnarchuk (90) - Humboldt Broncos-SJHL
Kevin Genoe (90) - Prince George Spruce Kings-BCHL

Defence
Scott Macaulay (90) - Winnipeg Saints-MJHL 2009
Dylan Olsen (91) - Camrose Kodiaks-AJHL 2009
Matt Grassi (89) - Salmon Arm Silverbacks-BCHL
Michael Young (89) - Flin Flon Bombers-SJHL

Forward
Matt Mackay (90) - Calgary Canucks-AJHL 2009
Tim Hayduk (90) - Winnipeg Saints-MJHL
Cole Wilson (90) - Flin Flon Bombers-SJHL
Michael MacDonald (91) - Ft. William North Stars-SIJHL 2009
Derek Rodwell (90) - Okotoks Oilers-AJHL
Travis Statchuk (90) - Salmon Arm Silverbacks-BCHL

1994's

2008-10-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Technically, a player born in 1994 could have committed to a college hockey program back in August and NOT have been the youngest such commitment in history. That honor (correct me if I’m wrong) belongs to Jon Merrill. Jon committed to the Wolverines two years ago this week. He’s scheduled to begin play at Michigan two years from last week.

Wisconsin recruit Jordan Schmaltz is currently the youngest player committed to a college program. He turned 15 eight days ago. Without agreeing or disagreeing with recent trends in recruiting younger players, I’ll release my list of 1994’s on November 11th, 2008. If a player born on January 1st, 1994 was to commit to a college on the day I release my list, they’d be a day older than Schmaltz was when he committed.

Again, I don’t want to argue the merits or deficits of recruiting so young, I would just like you to know why your team just offered a scholarship to somebody who hasn’t yet played a minute of high school or midget minor hockey, and whom those players might be.

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-10-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Special to CHRE from... me!

1. Jeremy Morin (91/F) - USNTDP
2. Brandon Saad (92/F) - Mahoning Valley-NAHL
3. Matt Nieto (92/F) - USNTDP
4. Vince Trocheck (93/F) - Little Caesar's
5. Emerson Etem (92/F) - USNTDP
6. Shane McColgan (93/F) - LA Kings
7. Erik Haula (91/F) - Shattuck
8. Michael Paliotta (93/D) - Choate Prep
9. Jake Goldberg (91/F) - Berkshire
10. John Ramage (91/D) - USNTDP
11. Rocco Grimaldi (93/F) - Little Caesar's
12. Stephen Johns (92/D) - USNTDP
13. Joe Wilson (92/F) - Syracuse-EJHL
14. Chase Balisy (92/F) - USNTDP
15. Matt MacKay (90/F) - Calgary-AJHL

Others to consider
Colin Jacobs (93/F) - Dallas Alliance
Kyle Quick (91/D) - St. Louis-NAHL
Daniel Carr (91/F) - St. Albert-AJHL
Brett Cameron (90/F) - Spruce Grove-AJHL
Soren Jonzzon (91/F) - St. Louis-NAHL
Dylan Olsen (91/D) - Camrose-AJHL
Sam Alfieri (91/F) - Shattuck
Anders Lee (90/F) - Edina HS
Jason Clarke (92/F) - Shattuck
Greg Miller (89/F) - St. Mike's-OPJHL
Garrett Milan (91/F) - Penticton-BCHL
Andrew O'Leary (91/F) - Shattuck
Alex Gacek (93/F) - Governor's Academy
Adam Knochenmus (92/F) - Roseau HS
Danny Biega (91/F) - Salisbury
Travis Boyd (93/F) - Hopkins HS

My list is based on opinions from the experts (like the previous three contributors) plus stats from previous seasons and early stats from the current season.

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-10-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Special to CHRE from Max Giese of McKeens Hockey Prospect Magazine...

1. Jeremy Morin (91/F) -- USNTDP
2. Rocco Grimaldi (93/F) – Detroit Little Caesars
3. Brandon Saad (92/F) – Mahoning Valley Phantoms-NAHL
4. Stephen Johns (92/D) - USNTDP
5. Chase Balisy (92/F) – USNTDP
6. Emerson Etem (92/F) -- USNTDP
7. John Ramage (91/D) – USNTDP
8. Aaron Harstad (92/D) – Team Wisconsin
9. Alexx Privitera (93/D) – New Jersey Avalanche-AtlanticJHL
10. Nolan Kirley (92/D) – Team Wisconsin
11. Matt Nieto (92/F) – USNTDP
12. A.J. Jarosz (93/F) – Team Illinois
13. Ryan Belonger (92/F) – Green Bay Jr. Gamblers

Max scouts primarily in the upper midwest, and like Chris and Vince, has stuck with players he's watched personally. Thanks Max! More to come tomorrow.

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Special to CHRE from Vincent Montabalo of McKeen's Hockey Prospect Magazine

1990's
1. Tim Schaller (F) - NE Huskies-EJHL
2. Sean Logue (F) - South Shore Kings-EJHL
3. Eric Robinson (F) - Cedar Rapids-USHL
4. Kyle Hughes (F) - Salisbury
5. Duncan McKellar (F) - Lincoln-USHL
6. Adam Berkle (F) - Northwood Prep
7. Kyle Hunchberger (F) - Milton Academy
8. Chris Brown (F) - St. Sebastian’s
9. Billy Fitzgerald (D) - Salisbury
10. Patrick MacGregor (D) - Avon Old Farms
11. Doug Marshall (D) - Sioux Falls-USHL
12. Torin Snydman (F) - Tri-City-USHL
13. Joe Penenza (F) - Jr. Bruins-EJHL
14. Christian Cowles (F) - Kent
15. Steven Rogers (F) - St. Sebastian’s

Others to consider
Tyler Pistone (F) - Nanaimo-BCHL
Josh Watson (G) - Jr. Falcons-EJHL
Petter Aronsson (F) - Cushing Academy
Cory Kane (F) - Vernon-BCHL
Alex Davidson (F) - St. Paul’s

1991's
1. Jeremy Morin (F) - USNTDP
2. Jake Goldberg (F) - Berkshire
3. Danny Biega (F) - Salisbury
4. Richie Crowley (D) - USNTDP
5. Dan Furlong (D) - Sioux Falls-USHL
6. Stefan Demopolous (F) - Avon Old Farms
7. Mike Pereria (F) - South Kent
8. Kyle Beattie (F) - Jr. Monarchs-EJHL
9. Gus Young (D) - Governor’s Academy
10. Derek DeBlois (F) - Hotchkiss
11. Brendan McCarron (F) - NE Huskies-EJHL
12. Max Capuano (F) - Bridgewater-EJHL
13. Casey DeSmith (F) - Deerfield Academy
14. Mike Conderman (F) - Cushing Academy
15. Eric Ferber (G) - Bay State Breakers-EJHL

Others to consider
Mark Hourihan (F) - Nobles
Michael Chiasson (D) - Omaha-USHL

1992's
1. Kevin Clare (D) - USNTDP
2. Shane Sooth (F) - USNTDP
3. Matt Nieto (F) - USNTDP
4. Jarred Tinordi (D) - USNTDP
5. Stephen Johns (D) - USNTDP
6. Kevin Hayes (F) - Nobles
7. Brandon Russo (D) - Salisbury
8. Brandon McNally (F) - Belmont Hill
9. Colin Markinson (F) - Jersey Hitmen-EJHL
10. Connor Brickley (F) - Belmont Hill
11. Danny Federico (D) - Jr. Bruins-EJHL
12. Terrence Wallin (F) - Gunnery
13. Quinn Smith (F) - Avon Old Farms
14. Michael Reardon (D) - Nobles
15. Jonathan Mleczko (F/D) - Milton Academy

Others to consider
Thane Heller (F) - Gunnery
Peter Michailidis (F) - Westminster
Andy Iles (G) - Salisbury
Tyler Cooke (D) - Bridgewater-EmpireJHL
Brendan McLeskey (F) - Motor City Jr. B
Zack Phillips (F) - Lawrence Academy
David Bondra (F) - Washington Jr. Nationals-AtlanticJHL
Kody Orr (F) - Amherst Ramblers-MJAHL
Craig Wyszomirski (D) - Jersey Hitmen-EmpireJHL

1993's
1. Colin Jacobs (F) - Texas Attack
2. Michael Paliotta (D) - Choate
3. Alex Gacek (F) - Governor’s Academy
4. Kevin Emmerling (F) - South Kent
5. Alexx Privitera (D) - North Jersey Avalanche
6. Connor Fallon (D) - Thayer Academy
7. Ryan Haggarty (F) - Mid-Fairfield
8. Joey Yeadon (F) - Burlington HS
9. Julian Ciocco (D) - Cushing Academy
10. Jack Barre (F) - Salisbury
11. Joe D'Agostino (D) - Buffalo Saints
12. Dylan Pike (D) - Belmont Hill
13. Zach Todd (D) - Jr. Bruins-EmpireJHL
14. Nick D'Agostino (F) - Buffalo Saints
15. Kyle O’Brien (D) - Eaglebrook

Others to consider
Jeff Smolens (D) - Mid-Fairfield
Corbin McGuire (F) - Taft School
Derek Stahl (D) - Jr. Bruins-EmpireJHL
Nik Lakaris (F) - Green Mountain-EmpireJHL
JT Miller (F) - Pittsburgh Hornets
Zachary White (D) - Syracuse Stars-EmpireJHL
Joakim Ryan (D) - NJ Devils
Christian Rossetti (F) - Eaglebrook
Ben Thomson (F) - Mississauga Reps
Brent Andrews (F) - Cornwall
Justin Thomas (F) - Jr. Canadiens
Michael Greenberg (D) - Jr. Canadiens
Michael Nishi (G) - Jr. Canadiens

Vince went the extra mile and gave me a Hot 15 list by birthyear. Like Chris's western focus, Vince focused on the players that he's scouted out east. Thanks Vince! More to come tomorrow.

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-10-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Special to CHRE from Chris Dilks of the Western College Hockey Blog...

1. Kevin Clare (D/92) - NTDP
2. Anders Lee (F/90) - Edina High School
3. Colin Jacobs (F/93) -Texas Attack
4. Emerson Etem (F/92) - NTDP
5. Tucker Long (F/92) - St. Louis Jr. Blues
6. Travis Boyd (F/93) - Hopkins High School
7. Cole Gunner (F/90) - Fargo Force
8. John Ramage (D/91) - NTDP
9. Rocco Grimaldi (F/93) - Little Caesar's
10. Kevin Lind (D/92) - Chicago Mission
11. Stephen Johns (D/92) - NTDP
12. Ben Arnt (F/89) - Omaha Lancers
13. Kevin Gravel (D/92) - Marquette Rangers

Chris prefaced his list by stating that he's sticking with kids he's seen, and kids that he thinks will actually play college hockey. Thanks Chris! More to come tomorrow.

Special Edition Posts Coming Soon!!

2008-09-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

Starting on Monday, October 6th, through Thursday, October 9th, I will be releasing one entirely new Hot 15 list per day. The first three lists will be created by guest bloggers who are amongst the most knowledgable concerning college hockey prospects. The fourth list will be my own. The perspectives vary greatly, so personally, I'm very interested to see how they all compare. Stay tuned!

Early Season Stats

2008-09-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Many of the pre and regular season games have started for the Canadian Junior A leagues, and a few players jump out at me statistically. I haven't seen any of these guys play, so if anybody who has would like to post a comment, I'd much appreciate it...

Ontario Provincial
Alex Guptill (F/92) - Brampton
The kid is already nice sized at 6'2" and 165. Not only should he fill out, he may even get a bit taller, as young as he is. As a rookie in the league, he's put up six points in his first three games and is the third highest scoring player on his team. If he can remain in that position, he could potentially bolt to the MJ team that owns his rights (the other Brampton) before the completion of the season. Of course, he was only a sixth round pick, so there's a chance a college could capture his attention before pressure from Bramption is really applied.

Justin DaSilva (D/90) - Brampton
Very tall, probably a bit lanky at 6'5 and 205. A half point per game defensman last year, he's started this year with five assists in three games. Three of those assists were on the power play, which would indicate that 1) He's been promoted, and 2) He probably is better, but not THAT much better, than last season. His size makes him appealing though.

Riley Smith (F/91) - St. Michaels
He put up a handful of points in a handful of games last season, but started this season with a goal and five assists in his first two games, good for second on his team in points. He's got respectable size too, at 6'0" and 160.

Robert Visca (F/91) - Orangeville
Probably a stocky, strong kid at 5'11" and 190, Robert led his team in goals last season.

Alberta
Brett Cameron (F/90) - Spruce Grove
Brett was passed over in the last draft, but he's always had decent size and stats. He's started this regular season off right with seven points in his first two games

Corban Knight (F/90) - Okotoks
Another good sized player passed over in the '08 draft, but he's a rookie leading his team in goals (3) and points (4) in his first two games.

Matt MacKay (F/90) - Calgary
Matt is '09 eligible and has been on my Hot 15 list for a while. It's no surprise that this average sized forward has come out with guns a blazin'. He has three goals and an assist in his first two games.

British Columbia
Konrad Sander (F/90) - Langley
Experience is dominating after the first weekend of BCHL action, but this '09 eligible rookie with good size has team leading two goals in his first two games.

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-08-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Select Camps are over, the international tournaments have been played, some of the spring NTDP offers have been extended, and preliminary 2009 draft rankings are starting to roll out. Here's how they've affected the Hot 15...

1. Jeremy Morin (F/91) - NTDP Until he says otherwise
2. Dylan Olsen (D/91) - Camrose-AJHL
3. Nick Shore (F/92) - NTDP
4. Erik Haula (F/91) - Shattuck St. Mary's
5. Jacob Fallon (F/92) - NTDP
6. Christian Isackson (F/92) - St. Thomas Academy HS
7. Chasen Balisy (F/92) - NTDP
8. Michael Paliotta (D/93) - Choate Prep
9. Brendan Rempel (D/91) - NTDP
10. Ben Marshall (F/92) - Mahtomedi HS
11. Jared Tinordi (D/92) - NTDP
12. Yasin Cisse (F/92) - Des Moines-USHL
13. Kevin Clare (D/92) - NTDP
14. Matt MacKay (F/90) - Calgary-AJHL
15. Emerson Etem (F/92) - NTDP

Others to consider
Matt Nieto (F/92) - NTDP
Matt Leitner (F/90) - Fargo-USHL
Stephen Johns (D/92) - NTDP
Rocco Grimaldi (F/93) - Little Caesar's
David Valek (F/91) - NTDP
Vincent Trocheck (F/93) - Little Caesar's
Collin Jacobs (F/93) - Dallas Alliance
Shane Sooth (F/92) - NTDP
Brandon Saad (F/92) - Mahoning Valley-NAHL
John Ramage (D/91) - NTDP

2008-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

USA Select 17 Team

2008-07-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

Unlike the Select 18 Team, some of these kids will be participating in the NTDP program this coming season. All of these players participated in the Select 16 camp and are 1992 birthyears...

G - Andrew Iles - Salisbury Prep
G - Ryan McKay - Team Illinois
D - Derek Forbort - Duluth East HS
D - Aaron Harstad - Stevens Point HS
D - Eric Preston - Little Caesar's
D - Zach Rall - Alaska All Stars
D - Trace Stralhe - Alaska North Stars
F - Austin Czarnik - Belle Tire
F - Brent Darnell - Detroit Catholic Central HS
F - Max Edson - LA Selects
F - Christian Isackson - St. Thomas Academy
F - Colin Markinson - New Jersey Devils AAA
F - Michael Parks - St. Louis Blues AAA
F - Brendan Woods - Hershey Bears AAA

USA Select 18 Team

2008-07-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Considering all of the players (save one) from last year's Select 18 team have either committed to college or gone to Major Juniors, there's a good chance these players will be receiving some increase recruiting attention. All players participated in the Select 17 camp and are 1991 birth years...

G - John Cullen - Maksymum
G - Casey DeSmith - Berwick Academy
D - Brian Dumoulin - NH Jr. Monarchs (EJHL)
D - Eamonn McDermott - Cleveland Barons AAA
D - Brendan Rempel - Avon Old Farms
F - Shane Berschbach - Little Caesar's
F - Caleb Herbert - Bloomington-Jefferson HS
F - Sean Little - Madison Capitals AAA
F - Christopher McCarthy - Berkshire Prep

Select 17 Player Development Camp

2008-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Displayed in decending order based on points, here are the top 20 uncommitted forwards and top 8 uncommitted defensemen from the 2008 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. All players were born in 1991.

Forwards
1. Josef Pontasch - Belle Tire
2. Beau Bennett - LA Kings AAA
3. Christopher McCarthy - Berkshire Prep
4. Blake Coleman - Dallas Jr. Stars
6. Stephen Obarzanek - Little Caesar's
7. Tyler Brikler - Lincoln (USHL)
8. Jake Goldberg - Berkshire Prep
9. Brad Robbins - Shattuck St. Mary's Prep
10. Kyle Beattie - PF Chang's
11. Shane Berschbach - Little Caesar's
12. Michael Borge - Hotchkiss Prep
13. Michael Pereira - South Kent
14. Sean Little - Fond du Lac HS
15. Kit Sitterley - Culver Academy
16. Stefan Demopolous - Avon Old Farms
17. Joel Kern - TPH Thunder
18. Tyler Voigt - Rochester Lourdes HS
19. Soren Jonzzon - San Jose Sharks AAA
20. David Valek - USNTDP

Defensemen
1. Dan Furlong - Governor's Academy

2. Brendan Rempel - Avon Old Farms
3. Nathan Baumbick - Cleveland Barons
4. Lane Mahoney -
5. Colin Shea - Boston Jr. Bruins
6. Max Hartner - Colorado Thunderbirds
7. J.R. Lafferty - New Jersey Rockets

8. Aaron Ave - PF Chang's

No Uncommitted Players Drafted

2008-06-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Though five ranked North American players from the Final CSS Rankings were college eligible yet uncommitted, none were drafted. Anders Lee was the highest ranked skater on that list, but the fact that he hasn't committed to a college yet may have scared away some NHL clubs who may be under the impression that Lee would rather pursue a carreer in football.

2008 Draft Eligible Prospects (CSS Final)

2008-04-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Draft Eligible Prospects
1. Anders Lee (90/F) - Edina HS - MSHSL (112)
2. Richard Manley (89/F) - Burnaby - BCHL (163)
3. Jeff Ryan (89/F) - St. George's School (210)

Goaltenders
1. Joe Howe (90) - Waterloo - USHL (25)

USHL

2008-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Many of the top players in the USHL were committed before they played a league game. The ones who were uncommitted and excelled in the USHL were quickly snatched up. Here's a few players left who could at best star and at worst service in D1.

USHL
1. Matt Leitner (90/F) - Ohio
2. Ross Henry (90/D) - Lincoln
3. Chris Knowlton (89/F) - Des Moines
4. Chris Forfar (88/F) - Lincoln
5. Ben Arnt (89/F) - Omaha
6. Mike Seidel (F/88) - Cedar Rapids
7. Danny Wurden (D/89) - Sioux City
8. Mitch Bruijsten (F/89) - Sioux City
9. Jake Sloat (90/D) - Omaha

Others to consider
Josh Berge (90/F) - Tri City
Robbie Vrolyk (89/F - Sioux Falls
Elias Bianchi (89/F) - Ohio
Keegan Meuer (89/F) - Waterloo
Ben Lynch (89/F) - Cedar Rapids
Corey Chakeen (89/F) - Chicago
Patrick Divjak (89/F) - Sioux Falls
Dean Chelios (89/F) - Cedar Rapids
Dominic Morrone (89/F) - Chicago
Ryan McKiernan (89/D) - Des Moines
Mike Dalhuisen ( 89/D) - Lincoln
Mike Walsh (89/D) - Chicago
Doug Leaverton ( 89/D) - Cedar Rapids
Mac Watts (89/D) - Sioux City
Robin Bergman (88/F) - Cedar Rapids
Justin Cseter (88/F) - Ohio
Donnie Hallmark (88/F) - Sioux City
Nielsson Arcibal (88/F) - Des Moines
Terry Broadhurst (88/F) - Sioux Falls
Siim Liivik (88/F) - Waterloo
Tom Janosz (88/D) - Ohio
Stephen Carew (88/F) - Green Bay
Alex Stuart (88/D) - Sioux City
Tyler Elbrecht (88/D) - Omaha
Clark MacLean (87/F) - Ohio

Best Prospects East of the Great Lakes

2008-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

For you BC and Providence fans out there, here's a list heavy with prep school players. The eastern prep schools, while no doubt proud of their athletic programs, do a lousy job of boasting their top players. I imagine it's to keep their academic image more prominent than their athletic reputation, and I can't say I'd fault them for that philosophy.

A good portion of these kids will play in the QMJHL, but most should opt for the D1 hockey route, if lucky enough to have the opportunity.

Eastern Prospects
1. Kevin Clare (92/D) - Jersey Hitmen - EJHL
2. Danny Biega (91/D) - Salisbury Prep
3. Shane Sooth (92/F) - Salisbury Prep
4. Brandon Saad (92/F) - Pittsburgh
5. Stephen Johns (92/D) - Pittsburgh
6. Matt Nieto (F/92) - Salisbury Prep
7. Brandon Russo (92/D) - Salisbury Prep
8. Connor Brickley (92/F) - Belmont Hill
9. Michael Reardon (92/D) - Nobles Prep

Others to consider
Daniel Furlong (91/D) - Governor's Academy
Danny Federico (92/D) - Jr. Bruins - Empire JHL
Brandon McNally (92/F) - Belmont Hill
Quinn Smith (92/F) - Avon Old Farms
Thane Heller (92/F) - Gunnery Prep
Kyle Hughes (91/F) - Salisbury Prep
Shane Prince (92/F) - Syracuse - EJHL
Cody Ferriero (91/F) - Governor's Academy
Colin Shea (91/D) - Jr. Bruins - Empire JHL
Jake Goldberg (91/F) - Berkshire
Brendan McCarron (91/F) - Jr. Huskies - EJHL
Doug Marhsall (90/D) - Syracuse - EJHL
Gus Young (91/D) - Nobles Prep
Eric Robinson (90/F) - South Shore Kings - EJHL
Kyle Quick (91/D) - Salisbury Prep
Alex Chiasson (90/F) - Northwood Prep
Brendan Rempel (91/D) - Avon Old Farms
Steve Rogers (90/F) - St. Sebastian's
Zack Phillips (92/F) - Eaglebrook
Kody Orr (92/F) - Dartmouth Midget
John Knisley (92/F) - Rochester Alliance
Adam DeSanctis (92/D) - Gunnery Prep
Zach Sandonato (91/F) - Jr. Bruins - Empire JHL
Michael Pereira (91/F) - South Kent
Kevin Hayes (92/F) - Nobles Prep
David Bondra (92/F) - Team Maryland
David Mead (92/F) - Jr. Senators - Atlantic JHL
Stefan Demopoulos (91/F) - Avon Old Farms
Sean Logue (90/F) - South Shore Kings - EJHL
Mike Conderman (91/F) - Cushing Academy
Derek DeBlois (91/F) - Hotchkiss Prep
Paul Dimitruk (90/D) - Jr. Warriors - EJHL
Kyle Hunchberger (90/F) - Milton Academy

Hot 15 Prospects

2008-02-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

The USHL has been picked pretty clean by this point in the season. The prospects ready to play in ’08 compare favorably to other leagues, but for youth, look for our neighbors to the north. The Canadians leaning towards the NCAA route have three of the top five spots.

Morin’s future status remains in question, but as perhaps the top American ’91, he’s staying on the list until it’s confirmed that he signed a contract.

Hot 15 Prospects
1. Jeremy Morin (91/F) – USNTDP
2. Chris Kreider (91/F) -- Phillips Andover
3. Kevin Clare (92/D) – Jersey Hitmen -- EJHL
4. Matt Mackay (90/F) – Calgary Canucks – AJHL
5. Danny Biega (91/D) – Salisbury Prep
6. Shane Sooth (92/F) – Salisbury Prep
7. Anthony Hamburg (91/F) – Dallas Stars
8. Brandon Saad (92/F) – Pittsburgh
9. Emerson Etem (92/F) – Shattuck
10. Chris Bournazos (90/F) – Team Illinois
11. David Valek (91/F) – USNTDP
12. Matt Leitner (90/F) -- Ohio - USHL
13. Chris Knowlton (89/F) -- Des Moines - USHL
14. Dylan Olsen (91/D) -- Camrose Kodiaks -- AJHL
15. Anders Lee (90/F) -- Edina -- MSHSL

Others to Consider
Steven Johns (92/D) – Pittsburgh
Ross Henry (90/D) – Lincoln – USHL
Tyler Landman (90/F) – Roseau – MSHSL
Sam Alfieri (91/F) – Shattuck
James Werner (90/F) – Team Illinois
John Ramage (91/D) -- St. Louis -- NAHL

1993's

2008-02-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here's my list of 93's. I'm fairly solid on the top eight, so don't bother trying to change my mind. All of the top eight are simply playing at a completely different level than other kids their age. The rest of the names are primarily good players on traditionally good teams in traditionally good leagues. Obviously, a handful of these USA players will be persuaded to play in the CHL leagues, but I think most will try to go the college route. I didn't even bother trying to find Canadians for this list for the same reasons. However, I'll consider adding any standout Canadian kids who've had parents or siblings play college hockey. I'm open to suggestions.

1993’s
1. Rocco Grimaldi (F) – Little Caesar’s
2. Shane McColgan (F) – LA Jr. Kings
3. Colin Jacobs (F) – Texas Attack
4. Travis Boyd (F) – Hopkins HS
5. Seth Ambroz (F) – New Prague HS
6. Trevor Morbeck (F) – Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
7. Andrew Ryan (D) – Victory Honda
8. Vincent Trocheck (F) – Little Caesar’s
9. Kyle Plageman (F) – Cleveland Barons
10. Cason Hohman (F) -- Texas Attack

Others to Consider
Jack Barre (F) – Mid-Fairfield
Alex Broadhurst (F) – Chicago Fury
John Doherty (F) – Chicago Fury
Danny Elser (F) -- Shattuck
Kevin Emmerling (F) -- Boston Advantage
Max Everson (D) – Edina HS
Alex Gacek (F) -- Governer Academy
Kacper Guzic (F) – Little Caesar’s
Kevin Irwin (F) -- Cleveland Barons
Adam Krause (F) -- Hermantown HS
Jacob MacDonald (D) – Compuware
Michael Paliotta (D) -- Choate Prep
Duke Pieper (D) -- Shattuck
Tyler Rostenkowski (F) -- Culver Academy
Luke Sandler (F) – Culver Academy
Zach Todd (D) – Boston Jr. Bruins
Ben Torchia (F) – Victory Honda
Joe Yeadon (F) -- Burlington

1992's

2008-01-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

There are currently eleven ‘92s already committed to D1 colleges, and Michigan has four of them. I’m putting them on their own list at the moment, because it’s ridiculous to even try and compare 15 year olds to college ready players. I’ll make an honest attempt to intermingle the ‘92s with the Hot 15 list in the coming weeks.

1992's
1. Kevin Clare (D) – Jersey Hitmen - EJHL
2. Shane Sooth (F) – Salisbury Prep
3. Brandon Saad (F) – Pittsburgh - MWEHL
4. Emerson Etem (F) – Shattuck
5. Steven Johns (D) – Pittsburgh - MWEHL
6. Matt Nieto (F) – Salisbury Prep
7. Nick Bjugstad (F) – Blaine - MSHSL
8. Chasen Balisy (F) -- Toronto Jr. Canadiens
9. Jacob Fallon (F) – Texas Attack

Others to consider
Adam Clendening (D) -- Toronto Marlies
Adam Knochenmus (F) -- Roseau - MSHSL
Alex Aleardi (F) – Compuware - MWEHL
Austin Czarnik (F) -- Belle Tire - MWEHL
Ben Marshall (D) -- Mahtomedi - MSHSL
Brandon McNally (F) -- Belmont Hill
Brandon Russo (D) – Mid-Fairfield
Brent Darnell (F) -- Detroit Catholic Central HS
Brett Hebel (F) – Warroad - MSHSL
Carter Foguth (D) -- Compuware - MWEHL
Casey Purpur (F) -- Grand Forks Central HS
Christian Isackson (F) -- St. Thomas Academy - MSHSL
Cody Van Rueden (D) -- Chicago Young Americans - MWEHL
Colton Hargrove (F) -- Texas Attack
Connor Brickley (F) -- Belmont Hill
David Jarrett (D) -- Edina HS - MSHSL
Derek Forbort (F) -- Duluth East - MSHSL
Even Accettura (D) -- Victory Honda - MWEHL
Garrett Hendrickson (F) -- Virginia - MSHSL
Garrett Ross (F) -- Belle Tire - MWEHL
Guan Wang (F) – Shattuck
Jake Erickson (F) -- Chaska HS - MSHSL
Jason Binkley (D) – Cleveland - MWEHL
Jeff McMinimy (F) -- Texas Attack
Jeff Pauluk (D) -- Bloomington Jefferson HS
Joe Rubbelke (D) -- St. Paul Johnson - MSHSL
Joey Benik (F) -- St. Francis - MSHSL
Kevin Gravel (D) -- Marquette
Kevin Lind (D) -- Chicago Mission - MWEHL
Kevin Liss (D) -- Pittsburgh - MWEHL
Kevin McMorrow (D) -- Park Rapids HS
Max Gardiner (F) -- Minnetonka HS - MSHSL
Michael Reardon (D) -- Noble Prep
Nick Shore (F) -- Colorado Thunderbirds
Phil Lane (F) -- Rochester Alliance
Ryan Belonger (F) -- Green Bay Jr Gamblers
Ryan Wolter (F) -- White Bear Lake - MSHSL

2008 Draft Eligible Prospects (CSS Midterm)

2008-01-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

2008 Draft Eligible Prospects
1. Mitch Bruijsten (F) - Sioux City - USHL (152)
2. Rich Manley (F) - Burnaby - BCHL (170)
3. Anders Lee (F) - Edina - MSHSL (174)
4. Cory Thorson (F) - Armstrong - MSHSL (177)
5. Nick Nagel (F) - Totino-Grace - MSHSL (179)
6. Ryan Furne (F) - Hill-Murray - MSHSL (193)
7. CJ Ludwig (D) - Dallas Stars (194)
8. Keegan Flaherty (F) - Green Bay - USHL (209)

Goaltenders
1. Joe Howe - Waterloo - USHL (26)

Hot 15 Prospects

2007-12-26T12:48:00.001-08:00

See newer post above.

Minnesota High School '91s

2007-12-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

This crop of juniors and sophmores is probably the most intently watched at the moment. The depth is thin though, as some of these will no doubt make my upcoming "Top 15 Hotest Commodities" list, while the ones at the bottom will fight for D1 opportunities.

MSHSL '91s
2. Sam Alfieri (F) - Shattuck
4. Jared Maetche (D) - St. Cloud Tech
5. Tyler Zepeda (F) - Hill-Murray
6. Joey Rehkamp (F) - Breck
7. Connor Gaarder (F) - Edina
8. Blake Thompson (D) - Eden Prairie
9. Chad Hennum (F) - Elk River
10. Jordan Johnson (D) - Hill-Murray

Others to consider
Brendan Baker (D) - Edina
Isaac Kohls (F) - Hill-Murray
Ryan Weston (D) - Roseau
Matt Johnson (F) - Stillwater
Mark Alt (D) - Cretin
Izaak Berglund (D) - Little Falls
Jordan Lovick (F) - Cenntenial

Goaltenders

2007-12-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

Goalies are even less accurate to judge by a stat sheet than skaters are. However, here are some that have made names for themselves in previous years or are doing well this season. To limit the number of candidates, I tried to stick with goalies that have a chance of playing next season.

Goaltenders (‘89s & Older)
1. Kent Patterson – Cedar Rapids – USHL
2. Chris Rawlings – Powell River – BCHL
3. Paul Beckwith – Pembroke – CJHL
4. Matt Weninger – Kindersly – SJHL
5. Cody Reichard – Fairbanks - NAHL
6. Kal Saimbhi – Sherwood – AJHL
7. Scott Greenham – Oakville – OPJHL
8. Robbie Moss – North Iowa – NAHL
9. Shane Madolora – Omaha – USHL
10. Pasquale Terrazzano – Ohio – USHL

Others to consider
Mathieu LaRochelle – Camrose - AJHL

Minnesota High School '90s

2007-12-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

As juniors and seniors, some of the remaining players from this birth year could be making their college choices very soon. Others might play in the junior leagues to procure more/better offers.

MSHSL ‘90s
1. Zach Lehrke (F) – Park Rapids
2. Tyler Landman (F) – Roseau
3. Cory Thorson (F) – Armstrong
4. Nick Jensen (D) – Rogers
5. Ben Nelson (F) – Roseau
6. Dano Jacques (D) – Duluth-Marshall
7. JT Brown (F) – Rosemount
8. Alexander Fallstrom (F) – Shattuck

Others to consider
Andy Singerhouse (F) – Hill-Murray
Ben Ammerman (D) – Moorhead
Daniel Sova (D) – Hill-Murray

REMOVED

2007-12-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to College Hockey Recruit Exchange!!

2007-12-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Following the ins & outs of college hockey recruiting has become a little hobby of mine. But I'll be the first to admit; I'm no scout. I don't get out to see too much junior, high school, or midget hockey, so I'm relegated to checking the message board buzz and stat sheets. That's where I need your help in making this blog relevant. I'll come up with various recruit rankings, and you, my knowledgeable readers, can give me your feedback as to how you would rank them differently. The process to do so will be simple: If my recruit rankings were stock prices, and based on where I've ranked them, would you buy a recruit because he's undervalued, sell a recruit because he's overvalued, or hold the recruit because he's valued correctly? Basically, in your comments, just write the recruits' names and if you would buy them, sell them, or hold them. The next edition of the rankings will take into account your feedback, as well as the recruits' performances in the interim. I know this blog will get it's share of critics, naysayers, and ballot box stuffers, but I'm hoping it'll get it's fair share of fans and regular contributors too. At the very least, I hope you don't regard reading this first post as a waste of your valuable time. Enjoy!