Buffalo vs. Detroit: Day 3 at the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament

 

The final contest on Tuesday of the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament between the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings was essentially played as a formality. Buffalo entered the day 2-0 after victories over defending tourney champ Minnesota and Columbus, and had already earned a place in the championship tilt (with the other half of that card being the New York Rangers, despite losing in double OT to Carolina earlier in the day). On the other hand, Detroit would be relegated to the 7th place game following losses to the Blue Jackets and Wild to start the tourney. Their sloppy play - especially versus Columbus – was quite uncharacteristic for a team wearing the winged wheel, and they sought to amend their game plan and please the very pro-Red Wing crowd at Centre ICE.

Diamonds in the Rough: Who To Watch at the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament

Each year at the NHL Prospects Tournament, there are several talented young players who aim to impress the hundreds of scouts and NHL brass in attendance, all in the hope of cracking the roster of their parent NHL club, seeking to avoid a demotion to the minors or being sent back to juniors (FYI, NCAA players are not eligible to participate in NHL training camps and rookie tournaments until they complete their four years in college or relinquish their collegiate eligibility by turning pro). This year is no different, and there are a number of skaters and netminders looking to make the grade.


I’m going to give a run-down of some of the big names I’ll be watching closely in the games I’ll be working. Bear in mind, by no means is this a ranking (the order in which I discuss these players is entirely random), nor is it intended to act as a comprehensive biography. But of all the players coming to Traverse City, their will be a handful of players who will have an impact playing with their NHL teams in 2011-12.

Some may turn out to be a pleasant surprise (such as last year’s Calder winner, Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, and Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers), others merely a flash-in-the-pan (Fabian Brunnstrom for Dallas in 2008). But whether or not these kids break into the big time this season depends on a number of factors, most of which involve the positional needs of each team. A prospect will have a much easier time carving his niche on a cellar dweller such as Columbus than he will getting ice time on a perennial powerhouse like Detroit. But injuries, ineffective play by incumbent veterans, or a coaching change might make the need for a mid-season call-up necessary for some of these teams. Like I said before, I’d expect about 4-6 players here at Centre ICE this week will play most – if not all – of this season at the highest level in the world.

Without further ado, here’s some of the top names at the tourney this year who’ll be high on everyone’s “must see” list.

Ryan Johansen, F, Columbus:  The 4th overall draft pick in 2010 stand a good chance to stick with the Blue Jackets this year. Johansen led a stacked Portland Winterhawks (WHL) team with 93 points (40 / 52) in 62 games last year.

Jack Campbell, G, Dallas:  “Captain America” had his share of growing pains last year – his first in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires – but regained his composure to help lead the Spits to the conference final. The 11th overall pick in 2010 went 24-14-4 / 3.80 / .884 / no SO.

Jamie Oleksiak, D. Dallas:  The hulking stay-at-home blueliner (6’7”, 240) was taken 14th overall in this June’s draft. He’ll be taking his physical play to the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit after departing Northeastern University after his freshman season.

J.T. Miller, F. NY Rangers:  After two seasons with the U.S. National Developmental Team Program in Ann Arbor, Miller will make a short drive up M-14 to play with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, spurning a scholarship to the U. of North Dakota. Miller tallied 37 points (11 / 26) in 48 games with the USNTDP’s U-18 squad (3rd on the team), and was chosen 15th overall by the Rangers this June.

Jake Allen, G, St. Louis:  Originally taken 34th overall in 2008, Allen returns for his 4th visit to the T.C. tourney. Allen went 25-19-3 / 2.52 / .917 / 6 SO in his first pro season with the Peoria Rivermen (AHL), displacing Ben Bishop as the Blues’ top goaltending prospect in the process.

Stefan Della Rovere and Phil McRae, F, St. Louis Blues:  These two agitating grinders spent most of last season with the Blues’ top farm club in Peoria, but each had brief call-ups to St. Louis. No doubt they’ll be looking to impress the Blues’ coaching staff for more ice time at the NHL level this year.

Matt Hackett and Darcy Kuemper, G, Minnesota:  Hackett and Kuemper were two major reasons why the Wild won the NHL Prospects Tournament last year. In his first pro season last year, Hackett – chosen 77th overall in 2009 – helped lead the Houston Aeros (AHL) to the Calder Cup Final with a 23-16-4 record / 2.37 / .916 / 2 SO. Meanwhile, Kuemper was named the WHL’s Top Goaltender and Player of the Year in 2010-11, going 45-12-5 / 1.86 / .933 / and a staggering 13 SO with the Red Deer Rebels.

Zack Phillips, F, Minnesota:  The pick used to select Phillips (at 28th overall this past June) was part of the package sent to the Wild from the Sharks, landing Brett Burns in San Jose. Phillips tallied 95 points (38 / 57) in 67 games for the Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL).

Chay Genoway, D, Minnesota:  The diminutive defenseman (5’8”, 165) was a Hobey Baker finalist as a senior with the U. of North Dakota, notching 37 points (6 / 31) in 36 games. Genoway was signed by the Wild as an undrafted free agent.

Ryan Murphy, D, Carolina:  Another pint-sized puck mover from the blueline (5’11”, 176), Murphy put up big numbers with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). His 79 points (26 / 53) in 63 games was 2nd best on the Rangers, and helped him get selected 12th overall by the Hurricanes in 2011.

Brendan Smith, D, Detroit:  Considered the Red Wings’ top prospect in a deep talent pool, Smith stand a good chance to see some significant ice time on Detroit’s blue line. The 27th overall pick in 2007 had a steady rookie season in Grand Rapids (AHL) last year with 32 points (12 / 20) and 124 PIM in 63 games.

Gustav Nyquist, F, Detroit:  This crafty Swede – taken 121st overall in 2008 – enters his first professional season after completing three seasons at the University of Maine. A two-time Hobey Baker finalist, Nyquist had an impressive rookie camp in July.

Tomas Jurco, F. Detroit:  Another stellar puck-handler, Jurco was the Wings’ top pick (35th overall) this past June. While Jurco notched 56 points (31 / 25) in 60 games in helping Saint John (QMJHL) to the Memorial Cup crown last year, the slick Slovak made more of a name for himself thanks to YouTube with some sweet dangling.

Zack Kassian, F. Buffalo:  This bruising power forward (6’3”, 215) can punish you on the scoresheet, finishing with 77 points (26 / 51) last year with the Windsor Spitfires (OHL). But his chippy physicality can cross the line between tough and dirty from time to time – as evidenced by his cross-check to the face of Barrie’s Matt Kennedy (now a Carolina prospect) back in 2010, earning Kassian a 20-game suspension. The Sabres’ 1st rounder from 2009 (13th overall) was also suspended for 2 games at this year’s World Juniors for – you guessed it – a hit to the head.

Brayden McNabb, D. Buffalo:  Chosen 66th overall in 2009 by the Sabres, the rock-solid McNabb (6’4”, 210) helped the Kootenay Ice capture the WHL title last season, garnering 72 points (22 / 50) in 59 games.

Luke Adam, F. Buffalo:  The former St. John’s Fog Devil (QMJHL) had a great opening campaign in the AHL last year, scoring 62 points (29 / 33) in 57 games with the Portland Pirates. A second-rounder in 2008 (44th overall), Adam also potted 3 goals and an assist in 19 games in limited minutes with the Sabres in his NHL debut last season.

Feel free to mention any players you’ll be paying close attention to at the tournament in the comments below. Here’s where you can find all eight rosters (just click on each team's name for the link to their respective roster.

The Icemen Returneth: Your 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament Primer

We’re less than 48 hours from start of the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, and while most of the rest of the Western world is focused on the return of football, my mind is right where it belongs – on hockey. Nothing like the return of the NHL’s best and brightest young stars to cure an 7 ½ - month case of writer’s block….

(Frankly, I wouldn’t have minded if the NFL remained locked out forever, but I digress.  That's a rant for another day.)

A few changes to the tournament this year have been made. Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning brought their prospects back to Northern Michigan after a one-year hiatus, replacing the Atlanta Thrashers. For this year, Tampa will host their own three-team rookie tourney with Nashville and Florida (word on the street was the Thrashers would’ve been a part of this tournament as well, but they apparently moved north or something like that). In the place of the Lightning are the Buffalo Sabres, who will make their debut at Centre ICE in the tourney’s first game, taking on the defending champion Minnesota Wild. The remaining seven teams return for the tourney’s 14th edition: Detroit (the host team), Minnesota, Dallas, Columbus, St. Louis, Carolina, and the New York Rangers.

Speaking of the Blueshirts, their local TV affiliate, the MSG Network, will be coming to Traverse City to telecast the games featuring the Rangers’ prospects. These games will be broadcast live, and will also be simulcast on the NHL Network (along with multiple repeat showings if you can’t catch the live broadcast). This will be the first time since 2008 that any of the tourney’s games on be shown on TV, and hopefully the presence of the MSG Network will bring other broadcast teams to cover these games (the Red Wings fans I see on a daily basis are befuddled at the opportunity Fox Sports Detroit is missing by opting not to telecast these games).

For those of you familiar with my work here at Spittin’ Chiclets, you know the drill with how I operate, but here’s a primer for all you newcomers to the blog: I work as one of the public address announcers for these games, so I have an ice level view of the action from the scorer’s box. I’ll be providing coverage of the games I’m scheduled to work, plus I’ll include snippets of the games I won’t be working, which I’ll be catching bits and pieces of during intermissions of the games I do work (Centre ICE has two adjacent sheet of ice, and games will occur simultaneously, staggered by ½ hour delays for the start of each game.) The luck of the draw would have it this year that I’ll get to see all eight teams play at least one game during the round robin portion of the tournament (which hasn’t been the case in years past).

The schedule for the tournament is below (with the games I’ll be working and covering in bold and italics):

Saturday, September 10
3:30 pm Minnesota / Buffalo (David’s Rink)
4:00 pm Dallas / Carolina (Huntington Rink)
7:00 pm NY Rangers / St. Louis (David’s Rink)
7:30 pm Detroit / Columbus (Huntington Rink)

Sunday, September 11
2:30 pm Columbus / Buffalo (David’s)
3:00 pm St. Louis / Carolina (Huntington)
6:00 pm NY Rangers / Dallas (David’s)
6:30 pm Detroit / Minnesota (Huntington)

Monday, September 12
No games scheduled - Day off for practice

Tuesday, September 13
3:00 pm NY Rangers / Carolina (David’s)
3:30 pm Dallas / St. Louis (Huntington)
6:30 pm Columbus / Minnesota (David’s)
7:00 pm Detroit / Buffalo (Huntington)

Wednesday, September 14 (my work schedule is still to be determined for the final day)

3:00 pm 7th place - 4th Place Howe Division / 4th Place Gretzky Division (David’s)
3:30 pm 5th place - 3rd Place Howe / 3rd Place Gretzky (Huntington)
6:30 pm 3rd place - 2nd Place Howe / 2nd Place Gretzky (David’s)
7:00 pm Championship - 1st Place Howe / 1st Place Gretzky (Huntington)

Howe Division
Detroit, Minnesota, Buffalo, Columbus

Gretzky Division
NY Rangers, St. Louis, Dallas, Carolina

I'm always happy to plug the fine work of others, so I'm more than willing to direct you good folks towards Sarah at The Left Wing Lock (not to be confused with the Left Wing Lock site which reports starting goaltenders for you fantasy hockey players out there).  She's been covering the tournament and Red Wings training camp for much linger than I have, and she does a fine job.  There's also standings, rosters, stats, and boxscores of every game from the good folks at Pointstreak.

Certainly some of these young men will make an impact with their respective clubs this season. So tomorrow, I give a brief rundown on the young stars to watch in this tournament (or at least who I’ll have a close eye on). Perhaps this year’s Calder Trophy winner will be playing in this event, much like last year when Jeff Skinner made his debut in a Carolina Hurricanes sweater.

2010 NHL Prospects Tournament: Championship Game - Detroit vs. Minnesota

In the 13-year history of the NHL Prospects Tournament, one somewhat surprising fact seemed to loom on a lot of people’s minds. The Detroit Red Wings, hosts of the tourney since its inception in 1998, have never won the championship. 8 other NHL teams have claimed the crown in that timeframe (led by St. Louis’ 4 trophies – 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004). In fact, the Wings have been very gracious hosts, only reaching the title match in the inaugural year, losing to Nashville. But the buzz around Centre ICE was palpable as the home crowd anticipated victory heading into the 2010 NHL Prospects Tournament championship game versus the undefeated Minnesota Wild.

Detroit stormed the net early, making Wild netminder Matt Hackett (Plymouth – OHL) work early with a handful of chances in close. But Hackett stood his ground and the Wild worked hard to regain momentum, with captain Cody Almond (Houston – AHL) forechecking along the boards behind the net of Detroit goaltender Thomas McCollum (Grand Rapids – AHL). Defenseman Jared Spurgeon (Spokane – WHL) and stud forward Casey Wellman (UMass-Amherst – Hockey East) played dump-and-chase, and Jarod Palmer (Miami – CCHA) showed some speedy wheels as he deftly maneuvered into the Detroit zone. The Wild had a golden opportunity when Chad Rau (Houston –AHL) pick-pocketed a Detroit player to set up what would’ve been a 2-on-1 chance, but Red Wing FA tryout Trevor Parkes (Montreal – QMJHL) showed great hustle by backchecking to thwart the would-be scoring opportunity. Despite the back-and-forth tempo, only a handful of shots landed on net (Detroit finished the first a 9-6 edge) as both teams headed to the lockerroom in a scoreless tie.

Minnesota showed more of its defensive tendencies, as Joel Broda (Calgary – WHL) was able to force a turnover early in the second, especially showing his hard work in the neutral zone throughout the game. Almond tried to set up shop in front of McCollum to screen blasts from the point from the smooth puck-handling blueline pair of Nate Prosser (Colorado College – WCHA) and Tyler Cuma (Ottawa – OHL). Detroit looked to regain their edge by trying to draw penalties (as they were uncharacteristically called for 4 minors in the middle period), but Brent Raedeke (Edmonton/Brandon – WHL) as not convincing enough to the officials after taking an errant Minnesota elbow to the chops.

The pace of the contest picked up towards the middle of the second, as the teams exchanged a handful of frantic end-to-end rushes. The Wings’ persistence paid off as Sebastien Piche (Toledo – ECHL) unwound a one-timer from Landon Ferraro (Red Deer – WHL, but bound for Everett this year) that beat Hackett to crack the scoreless tie. But Minnesota came close to tying the contest soon after when Kris Foucault (Calgary – WHL) dangled a nifty backhander that McCollum was able to swat away. Minnesota had the edge in shots at 9-7 in the second, but trailed 1-0 heading into the third.

The Wild attacked the Detroit zone in search of an equalizing marker. Winger Brandon Buck (Florida – ECHL/Houston – AHL) showed great speed circling around the net, forechecking tenaciously to keep the puck deep in the Detroit zone. Finally, with 9 minutes to play, Almond took an entry feed from big blueliner Marco Scandella (Val D’Or – QMJHL), skated along the left boards, and fired a shot from the faceoff circle to McCollum’s right that tickled the twine to tie the contest. The Wings attempted to counter, but Hackett was up for the challenge, making 15 saves in the final frame and 30 for the game. J.T. Barnett (Vancouver – WHL) notched the game winner with 4:31 to go by potting a loose puck after a big scramble in front of McCollum. Scandella added an insurance goal on cannon of a shot from the left point off a Wellman feed with 1:32 left, leaving the home crowd somewhat deflated, but very appreciative for the phenomenal hockey acumen displayed over the last five days.

FINAL SCORE: Minnesota 3, Detroit 1

With the victory, Minnesota claimed its second NHL Prospects Tournament title (their first was in 2003). Cody Almond accepted the trophy at center ice as the team celebrated to a polite round of applause and “We Are The Champions” in the background.

Meanwhile, in the 3rd place game next door, fans were treated to an equally exciting contest, as Jeff Skinner (Kitchener – OHL) scored 3:36 into the second overtime frame (played with 3 skaters aside) to give the Carolina Hurricanes (last year’s defending champions) a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carolina received tallies from Matt Kennedy (Guelph/Barrie – OHL), Justin Shugg (Windsor – OHL, bound for Memorial Cup host Mississauga via an off-season trade), and Jared Staal (Sudbury – OHL), while Tampa’s James Wright (Vancouver – WHL) forced overtime with 7 ½ left in regulation. The Lightning also received a pair of goals from emergency addition Matt Butcher (Northern Michigan – CCHA).


NHL PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

2010 – Minnesota Wild
2009 – Carolina Hurricanes
2008 – Dallas Stars
2007 – New York Rangers
2006 – Columbus Blue Jackets
2005 – Columbus Blue Jackets
2004 – St. Louis Blues
2003 – Minnesota Wild
2002 – Washington Capitals
2001 – St. Louis Blues
2000 – St. Louis Blues
1999 – St. Louis Blues
1998 – Nashville Predators

Day 3 at the 2010 NHL Prospects Tournament: Detroit vs. St. Louis

The "Howe Division" was quite congested as we entered the final day of round robin play.  All four teams - Detroit, Tampa Bay, Dallas, and St. Louis - had each won one game and had lost one game.  However, Detroit's defeat came in a shootout vs. the Lightning, which gave them an extra point in the standings.  The formula for the Red Wings was simple:  win and they are in to the championship game against the Minnesota Wild, who had beaten the New York Rangers earlier in the day to earn their chance at the title.

Day 2 at the 2010 NHL Prospects Tournament: Tampa Bay vs. Detroit (A Marathon Recap)

OPENING DISCLAIMER: Apologies to all who’ve been patiently waiting for the write-up to last night’s Tampa Bay-Detroit game. Unfortunately, pulling 10 hours at my actual job today loomed on the horizon heading into today. With that, enough with the excuses, and on with the game….

Day 1 at the 2010 NHL Prospects Tournament: Dallas vs. Detroit

The second half of the day in Traverse City featured the team most everyone in the stands were here to see, the Detroit Red Wings. After all, they are the hosts of the tournament, and Wing-nuts everywhere are getting quite excited about Detroit’s training camp here in T.C. next week. The Wings faced off against the Dallas Stars in the evening tilt on the Huntington Bank Rink at Centre ICE.

2010 NHL Prospects Tournament News: Tampa in, Atlanta out

We're less than a month away from training camp opening up for NHL teams, which surely has hockey fans foaming at the mouth.  But from my particular locale, today means I'm three weeks away from standing front and center at the NHL Prospects Tournament here in lovely Traverse City.  The 13th annual edition of the tournament is set to begin September 11th, and the complete schedule of games, rosters, and historical information can be found at RedWingsCentral.com. 

I'm slated to work the P.A. for the third straight year, and I will call the games at the Huntington Bank Rink side of the Centre ICE complex for the tourney.  As it stands right now, I'll get to see all 8 teams play at least one game with the exception of Carolina (just happened to be the luck of the draw with the schedule set-up), but I will get to see the 'Canes play should they make the 5th place or 1st place games (both of those contests will be at Huntington on Wednesday the 15th). 

A couple changes to the tourney this year:  the Atlanta Thrashers opted out of the tournament this year, and in their place, the Tampa Bay Lightning return after a one-year absence.  Apparently from what I was told, Atlanta decided against returning to T.C. for financial reasons, which opened up a spot which Tampa (with new GM Steve Yzerman) was more than happy to fill.  A look at the Lightning's rookie roster - combined with the newly refurbished ownership and management overhaul of the off-season, and the general sense of needing to prove themselves (Tampa had gone winless in T.C. in three straight tournaments from 2006 to 2008) - have the Lightning amongst the pre-tournament favorites in this writer's eyes.

While the Lightning will be a welcome addition to the 2010 tourney lineup, I must state I am a bit disappointed that Atlanta will not make the trek up north.  This can mainly be summed up in two words: Patrice Cormier.

Cormier would have been by far the most compelling player at the NHL Prospects Tournament had Atlanta decided to participate this year.  To give some context to the uniformed, Cormier is a bruising power forward who was drafted in the 2nd round (54th overall) back in 2008 by the New Jersey Devils.  Cormier represented Team Canada at the 2009 and 2010 World Junior Championships (where he earned a gold and silver medal, respectively), and also played in the 2009 Memorial Cup for the Rimouski Oceanic for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He was part of Atlanta's haul in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade prior to this year's Olympic break and NHL trade deadline.  But Cormier is most famous (or infamous) for his forearm shiver/elbow to the head to Mikael Tam of the Quebec Remparts, which earned him a suspension for the remainder of the QMJHL season including the duration of the playoffs.  (Of Note:  Cormier's hit occurred in only his third game with his new team, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, after Rimouski traded him after following the World Jrs. in January.)

Cormier would've been playing his first meaningful hockey (aside from the Thrashers rookie camp following the NHL Draft in June) since the World Jrs., and I'm sure I'm not the only one interested to see how he would've responded on the ice following his abrupt end to his season.  And considering Cormier is gunning to crack Atlanta's roster this year - and has some speculating that he may indeed do so - he was easily tops on my list of "must-see" prospects.

Instead, I'll get to see Brett Connolly and James "Killer" Wright (amongst others) for Tampa Bay.  I think I'll survive just fine.

Another notable change is the eight teams have been shuffled around into two new groups.  Gone are the East and West "Divisions", and in come the "Howe Division" (Detroit, Dallas, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay) and the "Gretzky Division" (NY Rangers, Minnesota, Columbus, and Carolina).  Each team will continue to play a round-robin style format against each of their three "divisional" foes.  The two first-place teams square off against one another for the championship, the two second-place teams play for third place, and so on.  All NHL standings rules apply (two points for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, no points for a regulation loss), with tiebreakers being head-to-head matchup and goal differential.

One final note regarding the tourney is that the attention given to this event has not gone unnoticed.  The off-season at Centre ICE has been consumed by renovations to the facility, including additional locker rooms and showers, a mezzanine section for additional standing-room and handicapped-accessible viewing at the north end of the Huntington Rink, and a "scout's lounge" adjacent to the press box which overlooks the ice.  The construction is due to be completed prior to the start of the NHL Prospects Tournament, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for September 8th.  The funds for the renovations came directly from the Detroit Red Wings, who hold their training camp following the Prospects Tournament (and have done so in Traverse City since 1997).  The Wings have donated all the proceeds from their annual charity golf tournament to Centre ICE for the last several years, and will do so for the next 6 years as Detroit has recently committed to continue holding training camp in T.C. for that timeframe.  Additionally, the renovations at the rink will help in taking the steps needed to make the NHL Prospects Tournament "the premiere scouting event in the hockey world".  If all goes according to plan, the NHL Prospects Tournament will expand to 12 teams by 2012.

I'll be blogging about the games I'll be calling - as I have the past 2 tourneys - but will do so at this blog site.  I'd blogged on NHL.com's social website in 2008 and 2009.  Once all eight teams post their official rosters (Columbus, this means you!), I'll post my list of "must-watch"players.