Kevin Patrick Interviews in Alaska & Potential Replacements

UW Assistant Coach Kevin Patrick interviewed today for the Alaska Fairbanks Head Coaching position. He is one of four finalists.

Andy Baggot mentions that the short list of replacement candidates include Wil Nichol, who was just named the UW-Stevens Point Men's Hockey Head Coach, former UW Captain & AHL Coach Don Granato, as well as Mike Eaves' son Ben.

Jake Hauswirth to Michigan Tech?

It's being rumored that Jake Hauswirth of Merrill has committed to Michigan Tech for the 2008 season. It makes sense as there are family ties to MTU. Hauswirth played this season for Marquette of the NAHL and was just drafted by Omaha in the USHL draft.

UW Recruits on USHL Protected Lists

Here are the UW recruits currently on USHL protected lists:

Nick Pryor-Des Moines' Affiliated List
Ryan Little-Green Bay
Travis Erstad-Lincoln
Jordan Murray-Ohio
Matt Thurber-Omaha
Chris Hickey-Tri-City
Craig Smith-Waterloo
Brock Montpetit-Waterloo's Affiliated List

Derek Stepan does not appear to be on any of the teams' protected lists.

Wisconsin Players on USHL Protected Lists

The USHL Blog has compiled the protected list for 2007-2008 for each USHL team. I took a look at all of the lists, and have broken out the Wisconsin players on each:

Cedar Rapids-Michael Johnson, Madison Capitals
-Eric Springer, Team Illinois
Chicago-Aaron Schmit, Culver
Des Moines-Jefferson Dahl, Eau Claire Memorial
Green Bay-Nick Graves, Green Bay Jr. Gamblers
-Ryan Little, Fond du Lac HS
-Seth Soley, Eau Claire Memorial
Indiana-Brent Gwidt, Lakeland HS
Lincoln-Travis Erstad, SPASH
-Ross Henry, Team Illinois
Affiliated List for Lincoln-Taylor Kuypers, Madison Edgewood
Ohio-Justin Cseter, Menomonie HS
-Niko Kapetanovic, Wisconsin AAA
Omaha-Jake Hauswirth, Marquette Rangers NAHL
-Justin Johnson, Eau Claire North
-Matt Thurber, Madison Capitals
Sioux City-Kyle Lundey, Middleton
Sioux Falls-Tedd Falk, Homestead HS
-Sam Zabkowicz, Culver
Tri-City-Kyle Ensign, New Richmond HS
-Sean Wiles, Beloit
Waterloo-Blake Kessel, Madison Capitals
-Keegan Meuer, Madison Capitals/Memorial HS
-Brett Olson, Superior HS
-Craig Smith, Madison Capitals
Affiliated List for Waterloo-Brock Montpetit

Note that Sioux Falls did not protect Jake Drewiske.

In 2006-2007 there were 22 Wisconsinites on USHL rosters. There are currently 24 Wisconsinites on USHL protected lists and 2 Wisconsinites on USHL affiliated lists.

Toronto Prospects Tournament Recap

I had posted about the Women's portion of the Toronto Prospects Tournament back on April 29th, and the boy's 1992's, but did not manage to keep up with the rest of the boy's side of the tournament. Here's a look at which Wisconsin players were in attendance:

1994's
Parker Olson-Wisconsin AAA Fire
Zach Stepan-Wisconsin AAA Fire
Andy Herlosky-Wisconsin AAA Fire
Cal Peterson-Wisconsin AAA Fire

All 4 players were on the Jr. Blackhawks which did not make the playoffs.


1993's
Trevor Morbeck-Wisconsin AAA
Lane King-Wisconsin AAA
JD Cotroneo-Wisconsin AAA Fire
Joseph Labate-Wisconsin AAA Fire

Morbeck and King played on the Bauer Selects who lost in the first round of the playoffs while Cotroneo and Labate played on the Minnesota Blades Gray and did not make the playoffs.

1992's
Dean Shaughn-Madison Capitals
Anthony Soo Hoo-SHAW Bantam A
Tyler Jacobson-Madison Capitals

These three players were on the Culver Prospects team which did not make the playoffs.

Team Five Alarm (1992's)
Eric Smith Madison Capitals
Tony Kujava Green Bay Jr Gamblers
MattLarsen SPASH
Chris Bishop Superior
Joey Fiala Wisconsin AAA
Danny Barktowiak Madison Capitals
Matan Nadler Chicago
Jose Delgaddillo Wisconsin AAA
Garrett Allen Wisconsin AAA
Matt Lennon Madison Capitals
Jarred Rabey Wisconsin AAA
Gage Mauer Madison Capitals
CJ Eick Green Bay Jr Gamblers
Kevin Salinas Wisconsin AAA
Lane King Wisconsin AAA
Truamn Landowski Wisconsin AAA
Kyle Komplin Madison Capitals
Shayne McLaughlin Eau Claire Memorial
Kamen Klasinski Green Bay Jr Gamblers

Team Five Alarm advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

1991's
No Wisconsin players

1988-1990
Eric Krezman-Wisconsin AAA
Zach Lewis-Wisconsin AAA
Corey Morbeck-Wisconsin AAA
Corey Fienhage-Minnesota Blades Black
Brice Geoffrion-Culver Varsity B
Sebastian Geoffrion-Culver Varsity A

Krezman played for Hockey Smart which advanced to the Semi-Finals. Lewis and Morbeck played for Honeybaked Black which lost in the first round of the playoffs. Fienhage is a potential UW recruit I mentioned last week-he played for Minnesota Blades Black which did not make the playoffs. Brice and Sebastian Geoffrion are UW player Blake Geoffrion's brothers. They played for the Culver Prospects and did not make the playoffs.

All Things Turris...

Another Badgerhawk?
The Chicago Blackhawks have the first selection in this year's NHL Draft and have apparently narrowed down their choices to James Van Riemsdyk, Pat Kane or Kyle Turris. Turris could potentially join a host of recent Badgers in being selected by Chicago including Adam Burish, Jake Dowell, Matt Ford and Jack Skille.

Turris Blogs
"Turris-mania" is in full effect as the draft draws closer. Kyle is even keeping a blog of his experiences complete with a video clip.

The Combine is Underway
The NHL Combine got underway today for European players while the North American players arrived today. Here's a piece on how the combine works which even has a few examples of interview questions teams may ask players. The piece features a nice big picture of Kyle Turris, of course.

Turris Still #3 Forward in Draft Per RLR

Red Line Report continues to have Kyle Turris ranked as the #3 forward in the NHL per the latest installment from Kyle Woodlief.

Turnbull Video

The USHL has posted a video clip on Josh Turnbull's overtime game-winner in the Clark Cup Semi-Finals.

Wil Nichol Article

USCHO put out a nice article on the hiring of Wil Nichol at UW-Stevens Point.

Ryan McDonagh NHL Draft Profile

Western College Hockey is doing NHL Draft profiles on various players, including incoming UW Freshman Ryan McDonagh.

Turris Video

Markwojo was kind enough to point out this new Kyle Turris video with action clips and an interview. There are other NHL prospective draftee videos below Turris'.

Minnesota 4 on 4 Pro Hockey League

There's a few players with Wisconsin ties participating in the Minnesota 4 on 4 Pro Hockey League. You can find the complete rosters here, and can see that the hockey talent in this summer league is unparalleled.

Phil Kessel is on Team #2, Ryan Peterson of North St. Paul plays for St. Norbert's and is on Team #8, while UW's Tom Gorowsky, who is from Lino Lakes, MN, is on Team #10. Hudson native and current UW player Andy Bohmbach had been listed on an earlier version of the roster, but either dropped off or was pushed off due to the number of NHL players registering.

Wisconsin Players Selected in the CSHL Draft

Here's a list of players from Wisconsin recently selected in the CSHL Draft:

Chicago
Steve Campagna 10/08/89 Menomonee Falls, WI Brookfield County HS
Jacob Ransom 02/05/90 West Allis, WI Wisconsin AAA

Cleveland
Rick Wozniak 01/16/89 Hartland, WI Arrowhead HS
Peter Janecko 09/30/88 Hartland, WI Arrowhead HS
Tyler Gross 05/04/89 Fond du Lac, WI Fond du Lac HS
Erik Smit 08/01/89 Brandon, WI Laconia HS
Zach Kohn 11/30/88 Hartland, WI Arrowhead HS

Dubuque
Andrew Ian 09/09/88 Sheyboygan, WI Sheyboygan HS
Evan Jeszka 05/04/89 Muskego, WI Mukwanago HS
Alex West 12/29/88 Cedarburg, WI Cedarburg HS
Ryan Smet 11/05/88 Fond du Lac, WI Fond du Lac HS
Dan Olszewski 07/27/89 Janesville, WI Madison Capitals AAA
Chris Ruasch 06/01/89 Mequon, WI Homestead HS
Chris Kein 08/26/88 Hudson, WI Hudson HS
Alex Gerke 10/16/88 Tomah, WI Toman HS
Nic Belonger 03/18/89 Green Bay, WI Green Bay Gamblers AAA
Nathan Brunk 01/08/90 Lake Mills, WI Madison Capitals AAA

Grand Rapids
Seth Johnson 11/13/90 Minocqua, WI Team Wisconsin AAA
Ryan Roeming 10/30/88 Verona, WI Edgewood HS

Peoria
George Batcha 09/18/88 Fredonia, WI Wisco AAA
Tom Glomski 06/03/89 Waupun, WI Wisco AAA

Quad City
Brandon Busse 06/29/88 Stevens Point, WI Madison Capitals
Brady Zehner 04/29/89 Stoughton, WI Stoughton HS
Nik Haley 02/28/89 Sun Prairie, WI Sun Prairie HS
Sean Graskey 07/21/89 Superior, WI Superior HS
Keith Clawson 10/12/88 Stephens Point, WI Stevens Point Area HS
Andy Schroeder 03/16/90 Antigo, WI Antigo HS
Brian Pierpont 03/22/89 Superior, Wi Superior HS
Spencer King 09/29/88 Mequon, WI Homestead HS

Wisconsinites on Model Camp Rosters

Some of the rosters for Don Lucia's Model Camps have been posted on various message boards. At this point, here's the Wisconsin players I have found that will be in attendance:

Team #5
D Nolan Kirley (Hayward) Will be a Soph. next year
F Nate Condon (Wausau West) Will be a Sr. next year
F Casey Kirley (Hayward) Will be a Sr. next year

Team #8
F Trent Frey (River Falls) Will be a Sr. next year

Team #10
F Andy Singerhouse (Hill-Murray-is from Hudson) Will be a Sr. next year

Robbie Earl Blurb

Hockey's Future has a blurb on Robbie Earl in the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL/ECHL Prospects Review.

From Panthers to Pointers

As rumored, Wil Nichol has accepted the job as Head Coach of the UW-Stevens Point Men's Hockey Team.

Kevin Patrick Sets Interview

Kevin Patrick will apparently be the final of four candidates to interview for the Alaska Head Coaching position next week on May 31st and June 1st.

NAHL Draft

The NAHL Draft was held today, and the only Wisconsinite selected was Jacob Drewiske, who was selected by Fargo-Moorhead. Drewiske is currently a forward for Sioux Falls in the USHL.

Fienhage Draws Interest of UW

Chuck Schwartz was kind enough to let me know that the Badgers have been in contact with Eastview HS (Apple Valley, MN) defenseman Corey Fienhage. He was drafted in the 13th round #120 overall by Waterloo in the 2007 USHL entry draft. He was also selected from the Minnesota region to play in the USA Select 17 Festival this summer.

2007 WAHA Bantam Camp Selectees

The players have been selected for the 2007 Bantam Camp and posted at the WAHA website. Congratulations to them all:


GOALIES
Baldwin, Michael
Perlick, Dillon
McLaughlin, Aarin
Parda, Mike
Platz, Tyler
Purmal, Norman
Soley, Saxton
Turney, Zach


DEFENSEMAN
Bubacy, Nathan
Arnold, Tyler
Bevilacqua, Austin
Bishop, Chris
Byrne, Paul
Cleereman, Dylan
Delgadillo, Jose
Dixon, Cody
Dutter, Jake
Grosenick, Sean
Pandow, Lucas
Hoagland, Isaac
Klasinski, Kamen
Kier, Zachary
Knetter, Derek
Dean, Shaughn
Lindgren, Ron
Luck, John
McCabe, Jacob
Munger, Mark
Nelson, Casey
Soo Hoo, Anthony
Stunkel, Preston
Wise, Brett


FORWARDS
Allen, Garrett
Bartkowiak, Danny
Dern, Jacob
Benson, Mitchel
Billings, Rob
Johnston, Connor
Bybee, Nick
Colbert, Cody
Condon, Ryan
Dahl, Alexander
Dau, Ryan
Drawbert, Hans
Hanzlik, Tyler
Andersen, Karl
King, Lane
Klingensmith, Neil
Komplin, Kyle
Koritzinsky, Todd
Landowski, Truman
Leahy, Simon
Lennon, Matther
Maric, Peter
McLaughlin, Shane
Mershon, Dillon
Morbeck , Trevor
Navin, Brad
Nelson, Noah
Olson, Nick
Pavek, Ross
Racino, Alex
Sherer, Danny
Slogar , James
Strauss, Derek
Tryggestad, Tanner
Urhammer, Mikal
Yeska, Andrew

Rumor Has It....

I know how rumors get everyone in a tizzy, but I personally think they're one of the reasons message boards exist. It's being rumored online that Wil Nichol, the current coach of Stevens Point High School has accepted the Head Coaching job for the UW-Stevens Point Men's Team. Nichol is a former Coach and GM in the USHL for the Chicago Steel, and was named Coach of the Year in 2003-2004.

There will apparently be a press conference tomorrow (Wednesday) to announce Nichol's hiring.

Ryan Little Fight Video

I found a fight video involving 2008 UW defensive recruit Ryan Little. Little, who is playing for the Green Bay Gamblers, supposedly goes 5'11" and 168 pounds. He is fighting David Brownschidle from Tri-City who is listed at 5'10" and 175 pounds. At least one of the two is bleeding quite a bit from the fight, but the camera never gets close enough to tell which one it is.

This fight gave me much more confidence in UW's incoming players' fighting skills than the one I found last year that involved Aaron Bendickson getting clobbered by 5'7" Kevin Deeth...

Elliot Olshansky Ranks Wisconsin Fans #1

Elliott Olshansky keeps a blog for CSTV during his travels, and has a whole slew of his own post-season awards that he hands out. This year, he ranks the Wisconsin Men's Hockey Team's fans as the best in the country based upon the game he saw on Halloween against Boston College. He also gave Wisconsin the top spot for Best Press Meal and placed Bobbi-Jo Slusar on his 2006-2007 Women's All-Rink Rat Team (don't worry about that title...Elliot calls himself the rink rat).

Turnbull & Solway Game Action Video Clips

The USHL keeps a half a dozen video links on their site, and right now there are a couple of videos involving players from Wisconsin.

The first clip is of Josh Turnbull of the Waterloo Blackhawks scoring on a breakaway against Cedar Rapids. Hopefully UW fans will get to see that early and often next season.

The second clip is of David Solway of Sioux Falls lighting the lamp against Lincoln.

Red Line Report Bumps McDonagh into Top 10

Apparently Ryan McDonagh's performance at the U-18 World Championship against the best competition his age group had to offer showed Red Line Report that he belongs in the top 10 of their latest rankings. Red Line Report still has Kyle Turris at #3 and now has McDonagh at #10 and listed as rising.

Updates Completed on Wisconsin Hockey Players Division 1 Watch

I've completed some updates on Wisconsin Hockey Players Division 1 Watch including adding some 2010 recruits in the "2006-2007-Other Players to Watch List" post.

Brendan Smith & the New England Pro-Am Hockey Pre-Draft Tournament Update

I didn't have a chance to provide an update this past weekend on Brendan Smith and Team Can Am, who advanced all the way to the Championship Game in the New England Pro-Am Hockey Pre-Draft Tournament. In the Championship Game, they lost to Team Canada West by a score of 3-2. Smith finished with a goal and 4 assists in 7 games.

Rhinelander Native Sets a Record...Sort of...

Western College Hockey has a great post on Rhinelander native Patrick Tiesling setting an unofficial new record for the longest consecutive time spent wearing all of your hockey equipment after the season has concluded.

Thanks for over 100,000 Visits

Hockey in Wisconsin went over 100,000 total visits since inception today, thanks to all the great visitors to the site who take some time to check up on happenings in the world of Wisconsin hockey.

Hockey in Wisconsin began on March 31st of 2006, so it took just over a year to reach 100,000 visits.

Falling Number of Wisconsinites in the USHL for Next Season?

I got comments from one or two anonymous posters worrying about the number of Wisconsinites in the USHL since they felt 7 Wisconsin players drafted was not enough. When I mentioned the situation looks a little different if you consider that there were 5 Wisconsinites taken in the USHL Futures Draft in October, 2006 and that two high school players joined USHL teams at the end of their high school season this year, I was still told Wisconsin's performance in terms of getting kids into the USHL for next season was lacking. So, let's take a closer look.

Here's the list of Wisconsin kids that played the entire season (or close to it) in the USHL:

Green Bay
Defenseman Derrick La Point-Committed to North Dakota for 2007
Defenseman Ryan Little-Committed to Wisconsin for 2008
Forward Mike Sislo-Committed to New Hampshire for 2007
Goaltender Nick Graves

Indiana
Forward Brent Gwidt

Lincoln
Defenseman Ross Henry
Forward Patrick Johnson-Committed to UW for 2007

Omaha
Forward Matt Thurber-Committed to Wisconsin for 2008
Defenseman Garrett Suter (out for season w/shoulder injury)

Ohio
Forward Justin Cseter

Sioux Falls
Defenseman Sam Zabkowicz-Committed to St. Cloud State for 2007
Forward David Solway-Committed to Bowling Green for 2007
Forward Jacob Drewiske
Forward Patrick Tiesling-Committed to Bolwing Green for 2007

Tri-City
Defenseman Kyle Ensign-Committed to Nebraska Omaha for 2008
Defenseman Luke Lucyk
Forward Sean Wiles

Waterloo
Defenseman Blake Kessel-Committed to New Hampshire for 2008
Forward Brett Olson
Forward Josh Turnbull-Committed to Wisconsin for 2007
Forward Craig Smith-Committed to Wisconsin for 2008 or 2009
Forward Keegan Meuer

Seven of these players are moving on to Division 1 schools. Luke Lucyk appears to be the only player who runs out of eligibility due to age. That brings the total number of Wisconsin players leaving the USHL to at least eight.

Travis Erstad and Justin Johnson will become full-time members of their USHL squads next season, while there were seven Wisconsinites drafted in the regular draft as well as Brock Montpetit, Taylor Kuypers, Eric Springer and Seth Soley who were all selected in the USHL Futures draft in October of 2006 (Pat Johnson was also selected, but will be a Badger next season). On top of that, you've got to account for players that make teams via tryouts that were not drafted. Just two examples, both from this past season, are Blake Kessel and Cole Holmes who both made teams after neither were drafted.

I think that based on the numbers and examples I've provided, Wisconsin has a pretty good shot at replacing the 8 guys expected to be exiting the USHL this offseason.

Karl Burns to Colby College

Karl Burns of University School of Milwaukee - Forward ( USM Captain, First Team All State and WI Player of the Year Finalist) has committed to play the 2007-2008 season for Coach Jim Tortorella at Division III Colby College in the NESCAC conference: http://www.collegehockeyrecruits.com/?page=2

Thanks to hockeydoc for the heads up.

Metro Lynx Add Coach With NHL Experience

The Madison Metro Lynx have been reconfigured now that there are three coop programs in Madison, rather than just one. They have also changed coaches hiring Peter Johnson, a former Scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs, son of Badger Bob Johnson and brother to current UW Head Women's Coach Mark Johnson.

Players with Wisconsin Ties Taken in the USHL Draft

Here's a list of players with ties to Wisconsin who were selected in the USHL draft today:

Round 1:
Chicago-D Aaron Schmit - Culver Academy (Former WI AAA)

Round 5:
Omaha-G-Jake Hauswirth - Marquette - NAHL

Round 11:
Ohio-F-Jordan Murray - Shattuck St. Mary's (UW Recruit)

Round 11:
Sioux Falls-F-Tedd Falk - Homestead HS

Round 12:
Des Moines-F-Jefferson Dahl - Eau Claire Memorial HS

Round 14:
Sioux City-F-Kyle Lundey - Dubuque Thunderbirds(Former Madison Capitols)

Round 15:
Cedar Rapids-G-Michael Johnson - Madison Capitols

Round 16:
Ohio-F-Niko Kapetanovic - Wisconsin AAA

By clicking here, you can find a post listing all of the players with Wisconsin ties that were selected in the October, 2006 USHL Futures Draft (it will show up below this post).

USHL Draft Begins Tomorrow Morning

The USHL Draft begins Tuesday, March 15th at 9 AM Central Time. Here is a link to the draft site. The draft order is as follows:


1. Chicago Steel
2. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
3. Green Bay Gamblers
4. Indiana Ice
5. Des Moines Buccaneers
6. Sioux City Musketeers
7. Sioux Falls Stampede
8. Lincoln Stars
9. Tri-City Storm
10. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
11. Omaha Lancers
12. Waterloo Black Hawks

Here's a list of the players from Wisconsin on the 1989-1990 USHL Showcase rosters:

Brett Bower-LW-Team Wisconsin-Team Cedar Rapids
Jeff Burke-D-Team Wisconsin-Team Des Moines
Michael Johnson-G-Madison Capitols-Team Des Moines
Jake Suter-F-Madison Capitols-Team Green Bay
Andrew "AJ" Mueller-D-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Jeff Grignon-RC-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Jacob Ransom-LW-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Joseph Scheib-G-Team Wisconsin-Team Harvard (typo? Must be Andy Scheib)
Logan Maly-LD-Madison Capitols-Team Lincoln
Mike Lennon-F-Team Wisconsin-Team Tri-City
Zachary Lewis-F-Wisconsin AAA-Team Vermont
Marty O'Grady-F-Wisconsin AAA-Team Vermont

Here's the list of players from Wisconsin that were on the 1991 USHL Showcase rosters:

Sean Little-RC-Fondy High/Team Wisconsin Minor-Team Des Moines
Sam Frank-D-Kettle Moraine-Team Green Bay
Alex Hockett-D-Madison Capitols-Team Michigan
Corey Morbeck-G-Team Wisconsin AAA-Team Michigan
Eric Johnson-LD-Madison Capitols-Team Omaha
Jonathan Roessler-LW-Madison Capitals-Team Omaha
Austin King-F-Madison Capitols-Team Omaha
Sydney Kroll-D-Madison Capitols-Team Sioux Falls

Here's the list of players from Wisconsin that are on the 1992 USHL Showcase rosters (which is coming up at the end of the month):

Team Cedar Rapids-Marcus Zelzer-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Chicago-Ryan Belonger-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Chicago-Gage Maurer (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Des Moines-Matt Lennon (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Des Moines-Kyle Komplin (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Green Bay-Shaughn Dean (D)-Madison Capitols
Team Green Bay-Kamen Klasinski-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Green Bay-Joey Haydock-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Sioux City-Tyler Menucci-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Sioux City-Danny Bartkowiak (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Sioux Falls-Christopher Eick-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Waterloo-Tyler Jacobson (D)-Madison Capitols

Stampede Charges to Victory

Wisconsinites David Solway and Jacob Drewiske recorded assists as the Sioux Falls Stampede claimed the USHL Title over Waterloo by a score of 3-0.

Turnbull's OT Goal Propels Blackhawks to USHL Finals

UW recruit Josh Turnbull netted a powerplay overtime game-winner which propelled Waterloo past Des Moines 1-0 and into the USHL Finals. They will face Sioux Falls who edged Indiana in overtime 3-2. David Solway scored the first goal for the Stampede. The Championship Game is today at 7:05 PM.

Badger Recruiting Class Ranked #1 for 2007-2008

On December 20, 2006 Red Line Report declared that the Badgers had the best recruiting class for 2007-2008. A lot can change in 6 months, but in this case, nothing has changed. Red Line Report still has the Badgers on top of their recruiting class rankings, specifically citing the additions on Kyle Turris, Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith.

UW Assistant Patrick Finalist for Alaska Job

UW Men's Assistant Hockey Coach Kevin Patrick had a phone interview this week for the vacant Head Coach's position at Alaska. It has been announced that he is a finalist for the position, and will have a face to face interview in the next two weeks.

The Alaska Nanooks play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Ryan McDonagh Article

Greyeagle was kind enough to point out this article on Ryan McDonagh from the Pioneer Press Gazette.

Brendan Smith Playing in Pre-Draft Tournament

UW defensive recruit Brendan Smith is currently playing at the New England Pro-Am Hockey Pre-Draft Tournament on Team Can Am. Team Can Am won their first game of the tournament 8-0 yesterday, with Brendan Smith picking up an assist.

Badger Men's 2007-2008 Schedule Released

The Badger Men's 2007-2008 schedule has been released. This article has more on the schedule as well as Mike Eaves' plan to attend the NHL Draft to support incoming Freshmen Kyle Turris, Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith.

Badger Men's 2007-2008 Schedule

Lefty McFadden Tournament (Dayton, ohio)
Friday Oct. 12 (Notre Dame/Ohio State/Mercyhurst) 3/6 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 13 (Notre Dame/Ohio State/Mercyhurst) 3/6 p.m.
FRIDAY OCT. 19 ROBERT MORRIS 7 P.M.
SATURDAY OCT. 20 ROBERT MORRIS 7 P.M.
FRIDAY NOV. 2 MICHIGAN TECH 7 P.M.
SATURDAY NOV. 3 MICHIGAN TECH 7 P.M.
FRIDAY NOV. 9 NORTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.
SATURDAY NOV. 10 NORTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.
Friday Nov. 16 at Colorado College 8:30 p.m.
Saturday Nov. 17 at Colorado College 8 p.m.
COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
Friday Nov. 23 at Michigan 6:30 p.m.
Saturday Nov. 24 at Michigan State 6 p.m.
FRIDAY NOV. 30 ST. CLOUD STATE 7 P.M.
SATURDAY DEC. 1 ST. CLOUD STATE 7 P.M.
Friday Dec. 7 at Minnesota State 7:30 p.m.
Saturday Dec. 8 at Minnesota State 7 p.m.
BADGER HOCKEY SHOWDOWN
FRIDAY DEC. 28 Bowling Green vs. Northeastern 4 P.M.
WISCONSIN vs. COLGATE 7 P.M.
SATURDAY DEC. 29 Colgate vs. Bowling Green/Northeastern 4 P.M.
WISCONSIN vs. BOWLING GREEN/NORTHEASTERN 7 P.M.
FRIDAY JAN. 4 COLORADO COLLEGE 7 P.M.
SATURDAY JAN. 5 COLORADO COLLEGE 7 P.M.
Friday Jan. 11 at Denver 8:30 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 12 at Denver 8 p.m.
Friday Jan. 18 at Alaska Anchorage 10:30 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 19 at Alaska Anchorage 10 p.m.
FRIDAY JAN. 25 MINNESOTA 7 P.M.
SATURDAY JAN. 26 MINNESOTA 7 P.M.
FRIDAY FEB. 1 MINNESOTA DULUTH 7 P.M.
SATURDAY FEB. 2 MINNESOTA DULUTH 7 P.M.
Friday Feb. 8 at Michigan Tech 6 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 9 at Michigan Tech 6 p.m.
FRIDAY FEB. 15 MINNESOTA STATE 7 P.M.
SATURDAY FEB. 16 MINNESOTA STATE 7 P.M.
Friday Feb. 22 at Minnesota 7 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 23 at Minnesota 7 p.m.
Friday Feb. 29 at St. Cloud State 7 p.m.
Saturday March 1 at St. Cloud State 7 p.m.
Fri.-Sun. March 14-16 WCHA Playoffs (Campus Sites)
Thur.-Sat. March 20-22 WCHA Final Five (St. Paul, Minn.)
Fri.-Sat. March 28-29 NCAA Northeast and West Regionals
(Worcester, Mass., and Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Sat.-Sun. March 29-30 NCAA East and Midwest Regionals
(Albany, N.Y., and Madison, Wis.)
Thur.-Sat. April 10-12 NCAA Frozen Four
(Denver)
Home games listed in CAPS.

Wisconsin 2007 Boys National Development Camp Participants

The 2007 Boys National Development Camp participants have been named for the 1990, 1991 and 1992 birthdates Central District teams. Here are the Wisconsin players that have been selected:

1990
D-Ross Henry-Franklin
D-Tim Smith-Superior
F-Brock Montpetit-Somerset
F-Nate Condon-Wausau
F-Charlie Strauss-Eagle River
F-Andy Singerhouse-Hudson
F-Brett Bower-Madison

Here are the Wisconsin participants for this age group last year: D Ross Henry, D Taylor Kuypers, F Brock Montpetit, F Brett Bower, F Alex Van Campen, F Nate Condon, F Andy Singerhouse, F Jeff Grignon and D Nick Pryor

1991
G-Kyle Miller-Waupun
D-Eric Johnson-Verona
F-Cody Johnson-Hudson
F-Nick Widing-Somerset
F-Sean Little-Fond du Lac

These were the Wisconsin participants for this age group last year: F-Matt Johnson, F-Sean Little, F-Kord Miller, F-Nick Widing and G-Corey Morbeck

1992
D-Nolan Kirley-Hayward
F-Garrett Allen-Delafield
F-Danny Scherer-Nashotah
F-Dillon Mershon-Deer Park
F-Shayne McLaughlin-Eau Claire
F-Ryan Belonger-Ashwaubenon
F-Noah Nelson-Oconomowoc

Here were the Wisconsin participants for this age group last year: F Ryan Belonger, G Tony Kujava, F Noah Nelson, F Matt Lennon, D Tyler Jacobson, D Nolan Kirley, F Dan Sherer, Anthony SooHoo and F Shayne McLaughlin

Turris at #3; McDonagh at #19 in Latest ISS Ranking

International Scouting Services just released their May ranking for the 2007 NHL Draft. It combines both North American and European skaters, but still lists goalies separately. These rankings take into account performances at the U-18 World Championship. UW recruit Kyle Turris is ranked third while UW recruit Ryan McDonagh is ranked #19.

ISS will release one more ranking list prior to the NHL Draft.

Kessel & Turris Videos

International Scouting Services has videos posted online of some of the top young hockey players. Included in their list are both Madison native Phil Kessel and UW recruit Kyle Turris. Kessel's video is the seventh on the list while Turris is the third from the bottom.

Thanks to Markwojo for pointing out the link.

Johnson & Dolan Sign Letters of Intent

Forwards Patrick Johnson and Sean Dolan have now signed letters of intent to play for the Badger Men's Hockey team this coming season, as was expected. They join forwards Josh Turnbull and Kyle Turris, Defensemen Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef as well as goaltender Scott Gudmandson as having signed a letter of intent and attending UW in the Fall.

Defenseman Craig Johnson apparently has not signed a letter of intent, but is likely considered a walk-on and therefore a letter of intent would not be necessary.

UW-Stevens Point Women's Head Coach Selected

Interim Head Coach Ann Ninnemann has had "Interim" removed from her title and has been named as the UW-Stevens Point Women's Hockey Head Coach.

No word yet on a Head Coach for the Men's Team at Stevens Point.

Wisconsin AAA Goaltender Selected in OHL Draft

Goaltender Corey Morbeck of Wisconsin AAA was selected in this weekend's OHL Draft. He was taken in the 6th round by the Oshawa Generals.

Vinny Saponari, who is a potential UW recruit and currently plays for the U-17 USNTDP, was selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the twelfth round. As it is a fifteen round draft and he was selected relatively late, I'd surmise he is still likely to go the college route rather than Major Junior.

Thanks to a reader for the heads up on Morbeck's selection.

USHL Playoff Update

I wanted to do a USHL Playoff update a few days ago, but the USHL website was down. At any rate, here's what happened in the second round of the USHL Playoffs:

Indiana snuck past Waterloo 4-3 in overtime. Blake Kessel had two assists for Waterloo and teammate Josh Turnbull had a goal. Neither Craig Smith nor Keegan Meuer were active for the game.

Des Moines blanked Tri-City 3-0. Sean Wiles was -1 for Tri-City while teammate Luke Lucyk was even.

Des Moines edged Sioux Falls 3-2. David Solway had a goal for Tri-City in the losing effort.

Indiana slid past Cedar Rapids 4-3. Brent Gwidt was even for Indiana in the game.

Waterloo blasted Cedar Rapids 6-0. Blake Kessel and Josh Turnbull both scored goals in the game while Kessel and Craig Smith had assists in the game. Keegan Meuer was not active for Waterloo.

Sioux Falls edged Tri-City 4-3. David Solway had two assists for Sioux Falls in the victory.

The end result of the round robin second round of the playoffs is that Waterloo, Indiana, Des Moines and Sioux Falls advance to the Final Four this Saturday and Sunday. Indiana will face Sioux Falls in one semifinal while Waterloo takes on Des Moines in the other. Here's the USHL guide to the playoffs. Brett Olson managed to get a nice photo and blurb on the page about Waterloo.

Girls 2007 National Development Camp Selectees

Congratulations to the following Wisconsin Girls who have been selected to play at the 2007 National Development Camp:

1989-90
Goalie
Rachel Weber (WI)

Defense
Brittany Carlson (WI)
Maggie Mickelson (WI)

Forwards
Dawson Bancroft-Short (WI)
Brookley Rogers (WI)

1991
Goalie
None from WI

Defense
Ashley Hietpas
Corinne Imobersteg

Forwards
Brianna Decker
Jamie Kenyon
Lauren Unser

1992
Goalie
Alex Rigsby (WI)

Defense
Kelly Jaminski
Madison Kolls

Forwards
None from WI

1993
Goalie
None from WI

Defense
Gabrielle Grandin
Jordyn Tremain

Forwards
Morgan Pope

Pat Kane, Sam Gagner and Kyle Turris Have Lunch

I just found this video highlight reel of Pat Kane's season with the London Knights. Kane was at one time a potential UW recruit. You will also see plenty of Sam Gagner, the UW recruit who instead chose to play Major Junior. Kane is number 88 and Gagner is number 89.

Interestingly enough, Todd Milewski had a post on his blog yesterday indicating that Kane and Gagner, along with UW recruit Kyle Turris and James vanRiemsdyk, Keaton Ellerby and Karl Alzner have all been invited to a media luncheon at the Stanley Cup Finals for six of the top prospects in this year's NHL draft.

2nd Round of the USHL Playoffs

Three games have been completed in the second round of the USHL Playoffs thus far:

Indiana edged Waterloo in overtime 4-3. Josh Turnbull had a goal for Waterloo and teammate Blake Kessel had two assists in the loss. Neither Craig Smith nor Keegan Meuer were suited up for this game.

Des Moines blanked Tri-City 3-0. Luke Lucyk finished even for Tri-City while teammate Sean Wiles was -1.

Des Moines squeaked past Sioux Falls 3-2. David Solway had a goal for Sioux Falls and was +1. Teammates Jacob Drewiske and Patrick Tiesling were held off the score sheet and finished even for Sioux Falls.

Players Named for WAHA Girls Development Camp

Here is the list of players that have been named to the WAHA Girls Development Camp being held June 24th-29th in Stevens Point:

FORWARDS:

Karissa Anderson
Mallory Andrews
Emily Bauer
Macauly Bauer
Shauna Bollinger
Megan Cox
Alice Cranston
Lily Cranston
Brianna Decker
Kellie Dineen
Kim Drake
Michelle Greenway
Abbie Hawthorne
Emily Heckendorf
Tiffany Hladovack
Kaytee Holtz
Kacey Iwen
Ashley Johnson
Jamie Kenyon
Kyanna Kiley
Jessica Lakin
Melina Lamer
Aislinn Leonard
Holly Lesperance
Matiah Matthys
Bonnie Meyer
Morgan Miller
Kaitlyn Milner
Bailey Otis
Morgan Pope
Stephandie Slinde
Erin Stenseth
Lauren Unser
Zoe Verkerke
Ellen Waneke
Megan Waneke


DEFENSE:

Maxine Blohowiak
Brittany Christman
Ellie Dietzen
Alex Ehlert
Emily Groth
Ashley Hietpas
Deneil Hotson
Corinne Imobersteg
Lisa Ingels
Kelly Jaminski
Josie Johnson
Jami Klagos
Tanis Klinger
Madison Kolls
Nikki Maier
Suzanne McGann
Kate Moorehouse
Keela Patterson
Nicole Plunkett
Sarah Sullivan
Kaitlin Traverse
Jordyn Tremain
Erin Tress
Angela Zevnik


GOALIES:

Jennifer DeGeorge
Hillary Drake
Emily Engel
Lauren Hopps
Kelly O’Brien
Alise Riedel
Sarah Schuchardt
Kassie Vaness

Team Wisconsin U-18/U-16 Boys Tryouts Scheduled

The Team Wisconsin U-18 & U-16 Boys tryouts have been scheduled. Click here for more information on the tryouts.

USHL Playoffs First Round Complete

On Friday, Des Moines finished off their series against Omaha with a 3-2 victory in overtime. Matt Thurber was -2 for Omaha and Justin Johnson was -1. Des Moines won the series 4 games to 1 game.

Sioux City went into their game with Tri-City Friday up 3 games to 2. Tri-City managed to claim the win on Friday by a score of 4-3. Sean Wiles had an assist for Tri-City.

On Saturday, with the series tied 3 games a piece, Sioux City and Tri-City played a one goal game with Tri-City completing the comeback win in the series with a 3-2 victory. Luke Lucyk had a goal for Tri-City.

The next round of the USHL Playoffs is a "divisional round robin format" (no....seriously!). For more info on the matchups click here.

Does anyone out there like the way the USHL has structured the playoffs this year? In the first round everyone qualifies (making the regular season nearly pointless except for home ice in your first series), and the second round is a round robin....