USA Hockey

I don't expect this years team to be championship worthy either. I realize it's a ways off, but I would say that 2010-2011 is shaping up to be a much better team. To win a championship there needs to be a mix of skill and experience and I would say that 2010-2011 looks to be that way.

You're absolutely right with the Birkholz-Cichy comparison. Just because a player may be good at the junior and college level doesn't mean that he fits an NHL style player. Like I said, I like Cichy but he doesn't have much size and speed which is what is needed at the NHL level. I think you're right in terms of what we might see in the future with the Sioux teams in the sense that these teams won't have the blue chip prospects on them.

The interest in Mike Lee was lukewarm, we already had Eidsness committed and he didn't want to sit the bench for three years. I find it interesting that Dell didn't seem to care about this since he was recruited by some other top schools, maybe he just likes the idea of competing for the goalie spot a little more As with Hanowski, we're loaded at foward and I don't see any room. Also, with Danny Mattson the NHL scouts may have questioned his size and strength coming out of high school which he can develop in juniors as he will be eligible for the draft again next year.

Keep in mind that the majority of the incoming class was drafted last year (Kristo, MacWilliam, Bruneteau, and Gleason). Knight and Mattson are 2010 players and are still developing so their draft stock won't be as high. I was told by a good source that Cichy doesn't really fit the type of player that NHL scouts are looking for (not very big and not very fast) so he isn't being drafted high either.

If anyone doesn't have the NHL Network, here is the link to watch it online, http://www.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=6...vidchn-livewire

He's eligible but not ranked.

Here is western college hockey blog's preview on Knight, http://www.westerncollegehockeyblog.com/20...t-corban-knight

The USA Hockey Select 16 Festival is this weekend, you can follow it here, http://www.usahockey.com/Tournament/Tourna...DivisionID=1574

Another article on Knight, http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/1130..._corban_knight/ Also, if anyone wants to try and help me find them, I'm looking for the NHL Central Scouting videos of the players which have been posted the last few years. I'm not talking about the nhl.com prospect profile interviews but the ones where they have footage of random shifts during a game so you can get a feel of the players skating ability and hockey sense. I haven't seen them posted anywhere, but if anyone has a link to them that would be great.

I think the coaches will probably wait another year to see how he develops and then make a decision. I think Fink made the jump from high school to juniors to early after only playing one year of high school. Although I tend to favor juniors over high school, I still think it's best for a player to wait until senior year to make the jump if they so please. I think a 16 year old playing in the USHL is just to young and can hurt his development, but that's just my opinion.

I think he probably could've cracked the lineup, but maybe the coaches think he wouldn't be an impact player. You have to be careful in rushing a players development. Put it this way, I would rather have a really good player for 2-3 years than a mediocore player for 4.

I'm not sure on the draft rules either, I just heard that those four are also eligible through a source.

Rodwell, Rowney, Fink, and Dell are all eligible but not rated so any of those guys have a chance at going.

I figured we could start a draft thread, there are only three sioux players that are ranked this year, here are their profiles on NHL.com, Danny Mattson http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail...;sort=finalRank Corban Knight http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail...;sort=finalRank Mike Cichy http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail...;sort=finalRank

Here are the final stats from the Model Camp, http://www.luciacamps.com/statistics.php

As reported by Brad, Danny Kristo and Mike Cichy will be invited to the World Junior Evaluation Camp in August. Kristo comes at no surpise. Cichy may come as a surprise to some but remember that three years ago he was playing for the NTDP and was considered one of the best U.S. fowards in his age group, he just took a bit of a set back when he dropped out of the NTDP and went back to Boston. After having a great year in the USHL and at the World Junior A Challenge, he finally gets the recognition he deserves.

The U of M Model Camp starts tommorow and runs through the 16th. It takes place at Mariucci and Ridder Arenas. There aren't any committed UND recruits in it but some committed WCHA recruits and many prospective recruits including Travis Boyd from Hopkins. Here are the rosters, http://www.luciacamps.com/rosters.php There are certain times when instruction is taking place and certain times when games are taking place. Iceburg on GPL posted the game times, Game Times for Model Camp Games 6/12 2:30-8:15 pm 6/13 3:00-9:30 pm 6/14 2:30-8:15 pm 6/15 9:00-3:30 pm 6/16 9:00-3:30 pm

Fienhage has to be in on a regular basis for him to develop. Gleason would be the most likely to sit after having a bad year in the USHL, don't be surprised if he doesn't play much or at all

Forney was the 15th foward not Rowney, it's for sure that Kristo, Cichy, Bruneteau, and Rowney will be here and there is no official report that Forney is coming in. In your originall post you assumed that Forney comes back and those are the 15 fowards, I put up the situation that it might make sense not to bring him in. Obviously there is some risk that guys could leave early, but as of right now I don't see Gregoire as a two year player or Malone and Frattin as three year players because they haven't proven that they're capable of playing at an NHL level, but that's my opinion.

The only problem having 15 fowards this year comes into play in 2010-2011, because the only guarantees to leave would be this years seniors Vande and Zajac. The team would bring back 13 fowards and have to bring in a minimum of four (Knight, Mattson, Fink, and Rodwell). That's already 17 fowards not counting Matt White whose listed as a 2010. I know it's a ways off and I understand that there can be early signees, but I don't see any of this years sophmores or juniors signing early. If Forney comes in, there is going to be an issue of roster space for some of these players that are committed a ways out.

I think Rowney is coming in for sure. As with Forney, if he doesn't come in they may just roll with 14 fowards, they did a few years ago.

I think he was just on the roster because the camp was last weekend and Mattson should've been at the NHL Combine.

The Fargo Force have their camp at Dakota Sports in Prior Lake, the team didn't post any rosters or a schedule on their website, does anyone have info on it?

The NHL Draft Combine is this weekend, Corban Knight and Danny Mattson are the only sioux recruits that were invited, you can follow TSN's live blog of the combine here, http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=280255

Iceburg on GPL posted the rosters for the Sioux Falls camp. Here they are for anyone that is looking at attending, Royal G Paul Moberg (Forest Lake) D Shayne McLaughlin (Eau Claire Memorial) D Trent Johnson (Alexandria-NAHL) Out of Duluth Denfeld D Marcus Perrier (SIOUX FALLS) D Mike Yanis (University of Detroit Jesuit H.S.) D Connor Allen (St. Louis-NAHL) F Anthony Greco (Shattuck U-16) From Long Island, New York F Brent Darnell (Detroit Catholic Central) Michigan State recruit F Sam Coatta (Minnetonka) F Tyler Voigt (Rochester Lourdes) F Michael Voran (Wenatchee-NAHL) F Christian Isackson (St. Thomas Academy) GOPHER RECRUIT F Danny Bahntge (Cleveland Barons midgets) F George Michalke (SIOUX FALLS) F Matt Lindblad (Chicago-USHL) F Cody Hotchkin (Duluth Denfeld) Gold G Clay Witt (SIOUX FALLS) G Lino Chimienti (Lac-St. Louis Lions) D Zack Kamrass (Springfield-NAHL) D Ryan Seibolt (Cleveland Barons midgets) D Jake McCabe (Eau Claire Memorial) D Luke Jenkins (River Falls) D Chad Ruhwedel (SIOUX FALLS) F Grant Huttel (Hermantown) F Tommy Westmark (Appleton United H.S.) F Kyle Rau (Eden Prairie) F Dominic Zombo (St. Louis Jr. Blues midgets) F Chris Cimoch (St. Rita H.S.) F Cole Wilson (Flin Flon-SJHL) F Ryan Misiak (Motor City-NAHL) F Kyle Gallegos (Pikes Peak midgets) F Anthony Day (St. Francis Prep) F Sam Cheraso (Alpena-NAHL) Red G C.J. Motte (Traverse City-NAHL) D Sean Escobedo (SIOUX FALLS) Boston University recruit D Tyler Briola (Pikes Peak midgets) D Sam Windle (Osseo) D Mike Reilly (Holy Angels) D Clark Cristofoli (Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets midgets) D Tyler Swanson (Alexandria-NAHL) D Max Vallis (P.F. Changs midgets) F Matt Farris (SIOUX FALLS) F Colton Warner (Apple Valley) F Ryan Reilly (Holy Angels) F Connor Reilly (Holy Angels) F Trent Frey (Springfield-NAHL) Mercyhurst recruit F Andrew Wiebe (Thunder Bay Kings midgets) F Nick Curry (Springfield-NAHL) F Rob Dongara (Springfield-NAHL) F Fredrick Cedergren (HV71-Sweden) White G Alex Fons (Hopkins) G Michael Taffe (Providence Academy) D Chris Rumble (SIOUX FALLS) D Tony Larson (Blaine) D Randy Cure (Springfield-NAHL) Out of Holy Angels D Richard Coyne (P.F. Changs midgets) D Dan Furlong (SIOUX FALLS) F Josh Holmstrom (SIOUX FALLS) F Travis Belohrad (Puget Sound-NorPac) F Charlie O'Connor (Lake Forest Academy) F Jacob Johnstone (Green Bay-USHL) F Adam Knochenmus (Roseau) F Mitch Torrel (Wenatchee-NAHL) From Monticello. Air Force recruit F Gage Christianson (Alaska All-Stars midgets) F Zach Frischmon (Blaine) F Jason Clark (Shattuck) From Eden Prairie F Brett Pinder (Calgary Buffaloes midgets) F Kyle Politz (Alexandria-NAHL) From Apple Valley