tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74516707519859051582023-11-16T12:26:22.195-05:002011 OHL Draft eligible playersDominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.comBlogger600125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-36290917106230361012011-07-03T08:57:00.000-04:002011-07-03T08:57:06.588-04:00A look at 2012We have already begun work on the 2012 blog and a look at players available for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. You'll notice some changes to an expanded blog and hope you will take a look at it.<br />
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A big thank you to all of you that followed throughout the year and hope that you will come back for 2012.<br />
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You can follow all the blogs from <a href="http://ohldrafteligibleplayers.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">here</span></a>.<br />
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Be sure to bookmark the page !<br />
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Thanks again to all of you for making 2011 a successful one.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-12457882602719864642011-06-30T23:32:00.000-04:002011-06-30T23:32:00.388-04:00Winner of the Dougie Hamilton Signed JerseyMany thanks to the over 8100 entries in the win a signed jersey contest on draft day. The Boston Bruins drafted Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara Ice Dogs with their first pick so one lucky contestant won the Hamilton jersey.<br />
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The lucky winner is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Walter Joseph Chrzanowski III of Belchertown MA. Congratulations to "Joe" and enjoy the jersey !</span>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-12679171840881387052011-06-25T23:53:00.000-04:002011-06-25T23:53:57.517-04:00A Dougie Hamilton Signed Niagara JerseySince the Bruins did not draft any of the players I had confirmed Jerseys from for my contest, I worked at getting a jersey from their first round pick Dougie Hamilton.<br />
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It has been confirmed that there will be a Hamilton Jersey. The winner will be contacted via email and the winner will be announced here later next week!<br />
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Thanks to all of the over 8000 entries.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-33278340611131609222011-06-24T10:23:00.000-04:002011-06-24T10:23:43.641-04:00An Autographed Jared Knight Jersey Is Now Up For GrabsIn addition to the contest mentioned yesterday, Jared Knight of the London Knights (Boston Bruins) has offered to autograph a jersey should one of his Knights teammates be drafted by the Bruins in any round of this weekends NHL Entry Draft.<br />
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Get your entries in before round 7 begins Saturday. Details on how to enter are below.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-33929756371733697252011-06-23T17:41:00.000-04:002011-06-23T17:41:44.514-04:00Enter for your chance to win an autographed jerseyWith the help of some great OHL players, I have a little contest to win an autographed Junior Team Jersey from the players listed below. It is mainly directed at Bruins fans, but is open to anyone.<br />
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As you know, we will be conducting a live chat here on the blog one hour before the draft begins on both Friday and Saturday.<br />
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If the Bruins draft any of the players below (most of which should be available around their picking range with an added on in case they move up), one lucky entrant will win an autographed jersey from that player. <br />
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You do not have to join the chat to be eligible. To enter, simply send an email to <a href="mailto:winajersey@gmail.com">winajersey@gmail.com</a> with simply your email. One winner for each pick will be selected at random and will be contacted via email for their name and shipping address. <br />
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The players jerseys available are:<br />
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Gabriel Landeskog<br />
Ryan Murphy<br />
Vladislav Namestnikov<br />
Seth Griffith<br />
Shane Prince<br />
Michael Houser<br />
Mike Morrison<br />
Scott Harrington<br />
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Contestants are allowed to enter once only. <br />
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* Note, some Jerseys may not be available until SeptemberDominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-59682134952985253002011-06-22T10:13:00.000-04:002011-06-22T10:13:29.601-04:00Red Line Report Reveals Mock Draft<em>The following mock draft has a number of significant differences from </em><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Red+Line" title="More news, photos about Red Line"><span style="color: #00529b;"><em>Red Line</em></span></a><em> Report's value board. Red Line is designed to be a pure scouting service, and rank prospects in the order we would select the available players if we lived in a vacuum where needs and other outside forces never entered the equation. This mock draft merely represents a fun exercise in scenarios that we think might actually play out on draft day:</em><br />
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Read it <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/woodlief/2011-06-22-red-line-report-mock-nhl-draft_n.htm">here</a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-45469008425422895672011-06-22T08:20:00.001-04:002011-06-22T08:22:08.617-04:00A Prince of a pick<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Prince+pick+Last+fall+even+Shane+Prince+thought+himself+third+round/4983131/story.html"><span style="color: red;">A Prince of a pick</span></a> A very good read on Shane Prince.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-30320305788866171112011-06-21T21:14:00.000-04:002011-06-21T21:14:26.225-04:00Faceoff skills one of Jenner's many talents<em>"The best way I'll describe <span style="color: white;">Boone Jenner</span> is he's a player," DePierro, the Generals' coach and general manager, told NHL.com. "I use that as a compliment in every way. The way he conducts himself on the ice, off the ice, his character, his ability to play the game -- everything about him is a hockey player."<br />
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Jenner had 25 goals and 41 assists in 63 regular-season games for the Generals this past season, and added 7 goals and 5 assists in 10 playoff games. However, the statistics alone aren't the reason Jenner is No. 18 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2011 Entry Draft.</em><br />
Full story click <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566594"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-51834232329167584682011-06-21T21:12:00.000-04:002011-06-21T21:12:21.830-04:00Two top GMs differ in opinion on draft's evaluation<em>"Really, though, if you're going to give away picks, this is the year to do it," McPhee said. "I don't have any regrets about that. If something happens and we pick up a pick or two, that's OK, but I'm not that concerned not having picks in this particular draft. There are some drafts that are great drafts and you sure don't want to give away picks in that kind of draft. But this isn't that kind of draft."</em><br />
Full story click <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566565"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-17906326304493091592011-06-18T09:31:00.000-04:002011-06-18T09:31:29.498-04:00CANADA NAMES 46-MAN WORLD JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTERHockey Canada released the names of the invitees to the Team Canada development camp for the 2012 World Junior Championships.<br />
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A total of 21 OHL players were selected to join the camp including nine that are eligible for next weekends NHL entry draft.<br />
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For the complete list click <a href="http://tsn.ca/world_jrs/feature/?id=45328"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-1964494241242043342011-06-17T08:10:00.000-04:002011-06-17T08:10:01.812-04:00OHL'ers On NHL Live<object width="500" height="383" id="embed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=0&id=111645&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="383" quality="high" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=0&id=111645&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/"></embed></object>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-21275366216029118822011-06-17T08:08:00.000-04:002011-06-17T08:08:10.764-04:00OHL'ers On NHL Live<object width="500" height="383" id="embed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=0&id=118361&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="383" quality="high" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=0&id=118361&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/"></embed></object>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-54472928953319733442011-06-17T08:04:00.002-04:002011-06-17T08:06:49.215-04:00OHL'ers On NHL Live<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="383" id="embed" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=0&id=115722&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="383" quality="high" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=0&id=115722&server=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/"></embed></object>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-20851540627969263642011-06-13T12:08:00.000-04:002011-06-13T12:08:16.082-04:00Hamilton smart enough to know what sport's for him<em>It's certain Dougie, a 6-foot-4, 187-pound star defenseman with the Niagara IceDogs, won't be available in the fifth round of the 2011 Entry Draft. He's No. 4 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for this month's Draft, and its top-rated domestic defenseman. He led his team in playoff scoring and was third among Ontario Hockey League defensemen with 16 points in 14 games. That followed a regular season that saw him score 12 goals and finish with 58 points, fourth among OHL blueliners</em>.<br />
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Full story <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=565628"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-20931247406715333872011-06-13T12:06:00.000-04:002011-06-13T12:06:46.475-04:00Injuries didn't affect draft status for Puempel, Murphy<em>Puempel, who underwent surgery to repair a bone chip on his hip in March, wasn't able to participate in all the fitness tests but did endure the grip strength, bench press, push-ups and push/pull strength exercises. He also was interviewed by 28 NHL teams and given the mandatory medical examination.</em><br />
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Full story <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=565631"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><br />
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</em>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-59335660589418919162011-06-13T12:05:00.001-04:002011-06-13T12:09:08.771-04:00Ritchie's success a family affair<em>No. 36th in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, </em><em><span style="color: white;">Brett Ritchie</span></em><em>, a right wing with the Sarnia Sting, has an off-ice supporting cast that is second to none. In the early 1980s his father, Paul, played in the Ontario Hockey League, while his mother, Tammy, was a three-sport athlete, excelling in volleyball, softball, and basketball. Paul and Tammy each attended Brock University, where sports brought them together and seemingly have linked them ever since. Brett's younger brother, Nicholas, will become the third family member to play in the OHL; the 15-year-old forward was selected by the Peterborough Petes with the second choice of last month's OHL draft.</em><br />
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Full story <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=565633"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><br />
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</em>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-51010668068327029072011-06-13T09:02:00.000-04:002011-06-13T09:02:45.284-04:00Rakell learned fast he had to get dirty to score<em>It didn't take Plymouth Whalers forward <span style="color: white;">Rickard Rakell</span> very long to understand the battle required to score goals in North America.<br />
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"Getting dirty is what it takes to score a goal here," Rakell told NHL.com. "You can't get too fancy. You have to play a smart game and I really like that."<br />
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Let's put it this way. If Rakell were a baseball player, his uniform would be caked in dirt and covered in grass stains because he'd probably be the one diving for fly balls in the outfield or dropping to one knee to control a grounder. As a hockey player, his jersey usually is the one with all the colorful scuff marks.</em><br />
Full story <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=565553"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-61712296233500050352011-06-13T08:58:00.000-04:002011-06-13T08:58:03.608-04:00Catenacci credited with helping both his 'sons'<em>Kitchener Rangers defenseman </em><em><span style="color: white;">Ryan Murphy</span></em><em> might be the most offensively skilled blueliner in the 2011 Entry Draft, while Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds center </em><em><span style="color: white;">Daniel Catenacci</span></em><em> easily is among the draft's best skaters.<br />
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For those two gifts, they have their minor hockey coach to thank.</em><br />
Full story <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=565526"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-80877950623255886902011-06-12T09:19:00.001-04:002011-06-12T09:25:23.140-04:00Brandon Saad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMBZVb3Ex-z6QBSeSTF9XRS98f2KWvAerJiB7kckHyU9uzasH_PI1FnYNf9kBxlh5qJMWas-Wy-wiI7wfHA6A5sij6dLsUjvrHpNjRTaZ95JZeahs5Lg-if-DVqEiXyWqYbSM8t8N0a0/s1600/Brandon+Saad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMBZVb3Ex-z6QBSeSTF9XRS98f2KWvAerJiB7kckHyU9uzasH_PI1FnYNf9kBxlh5qJMWas-Wy-wiI7wfHA6A5sij6dLsUjvrHpNjRTaZ95JZeahs5Lg-if-DVqEiXyWqYbSM8t8N0a0/s1600/Brandon+Saad.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>Brandon Saad is quite possibly the biggest enigma of the entire draft. <br />
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He came into the season as a possible top 10 pick in many circles. In my preseason survey of OHL general Managers, he was ranked second behind Matt Puempel as the top forward eligible from the OHL (North American). <br />
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Here are our preseason comments on Saad :<br />
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<em>Big, agility, 3 zone player, physically dominating, goal scorer, play maker. These are all words used to describe Saad. One would think of a player with his natural ability to be a centerman, but the left shooting Saad plays either wing. He's as productive on his off wing as he is on his strong side.</em><br />
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Saad had a good start to the OHL season. By the end of December he had 20 goals and 17 assists in 32 games. Saad then missed the cut for Team USA at the World Junior Championships and things started heading south. He finished his remaining 27 games with just 7 goals and 11 assists. <br />
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Saad came back to life in the playoffs however. In a 4 game sweep of the Guelph Storm he notched 4 goals and 4 assists. In a seven game heartbreaking loss to the Windsor Spitfires he added another 3 goals and 5 assists to finish third on his squad in scoring.<br />
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Maybe it was the length of the OHL season that had an effect on Saad. Maybe it was that he missed 9 games. But you can't help but be intrigued by the potential that he has. Even with the bad second half that he had, he was almost a point per game player in the regular season, and accomplished just that in the playoffs.<br />
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We had Saad ranked high on our list, but he began to drop with us just like he had with everyone. He could go in the 21 to 30 range in the NHL Entry Draft, but it won't come as a surprise if someone takes a chance just based on his potential in the middle range of the first round.<br />
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Saad was again invited to Team USA's evaluation camp for the 2012 World Junior Championships.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-49963536918536415222011-06-12T08:23:00.000-04:002011-06-12T08:23:55.160-04:00Ranking The Complete 7 RoundsI took part in a lengthy and well debated ranking of the complete 7 rounds for the NHL Entry Draft. The process was enjoyable and informative, getting perspective on players from a wide range of people that follow these players daily.<br />
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I will admit that there are a couple of players that I would personally rank differently but when you are trying to come up with a consensus, sometimes the majority wins. It's all part of the process. <br />
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Two things you should note when viewing the rankings:<br />
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1) Round two has 31 picks. The Montreal Canadiens were awarded a bonus pick (number 50) for not being able to sign 2006 first rounder David Fischer, which was traded to the Islanders.<br />
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2) Round three only has 29 picks. New Jersey Devils pick (number 69) was forfeited in the Ilya Kovalchuk fine/saga.<br />
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You can find the full rankings <a href="http://ohlinsider.com/consensus.html"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-88961655355508809452011-06-12T07:59:00.000-04:002011-06-12T07:59:00.178-04:00Stefan Noesen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSWN6Wr8yxoBUuIw9U1GiKRUrygFjP-sdB-wZoCUUt0NNEfLIaJkC5r_4BGnCo7GRAgpf1G5fzCCeXslCqHgpBla2yJjHPsoV8bpqhhphkGtWr8FI7h5HeFtBesGDC65xoMlhUXUCzFs/s1600/Stefan+Noesen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSWN6Wr8yxoBUuIw9U1GiKRUrygFjP-sdB-wZoCUUt0NNEfLIaJkC5r_4BGnCo7GRAgpf1G5fzCCeXslCqHgpBla2yJjHPsoV8bpqhhphkGtWr8FI7h5HeFtBesGDC65xoMlhUXUCzFs/s200/Stefan+Noesen.jpg" t8="true" width="160px" /></a></div>Everything about Stefan Noesen led you to believe that this would be his breakout year. He has good size, is a deceptive skater, possesses a good shot, and will drive to the net.<br />
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But it was his excellent work ethic that led us to believe he would be able to put up points in his second OHL season. <br />
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His 34 regular season goals were second to only Gabriel Landeskog's 36 by draft eligible players, tying him with Alex Khokhlachev and Matt Puempel. His 77 points were fourth among draft eligible players behind Ryan Strome, Shane Prince and Ryan Murphy.<br />
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But Noesen doesn't get mentioned with the upper class of the draft. In fact, there are many that see him as a mid second rounder. So Noesen would need a strong playoff performance to possibly move up in some rankings.<br />
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His Plymouth Whalers got off to a great start upsetting the heavily favoured Kitchener Rangers in 7 games in the opening round. Noesen was a stud for the Whalers in that series scoring 4 goals and adding 5 assists in those 7 games.<br />
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In round two, the Whalers were swept by the eventual champion Owen Sound Attack. Noesen scored twice in that series to finish the playoffs with 6 goals and 5 assists in 11 games. His 6 goals were by far the best on his squad while his points were second on the squad.<br />
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Noesen was also recently invited to Team USA'a evaluation camp for the World Junior Championships, one of 4 OHL Draft Eligibles to be invited and with Jared Knight of the London Knights also invited, he is one of only five OHL'ers invited.<br />
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Noesen was also picked as one of the top 10 right wingers available for the NHL Entry Draft. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=563225"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><br />
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It is our view that Noesen has proven all that he could prove and should be a very early second round pick.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-46575746503093720862011-06-11T11:58:00.003-04:002011-06-11T12:04:38.056-04:00Joshua Leivo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt1LN1bbpabco3pkIFnKBGzHxu5wTOg-nrZw8atMiDtcx7VV1xvhJKFjb3xPDS3xSylASd1jLFqrpYEmvfSZOL0d36_2BofOSj7xxjVbXl1sgua5KFVuFJcGajB7Ldlm1XvBTBXhQj3M/s1600/Josh+Leivo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt1LN1bbpabco3pkIFnKBGzHxu5wTOg-nrZw8atMiDtcx7VV1xvhJKFjb3xPDS3xSylASd1jLFqrpYEmvfSZOL0d36_2BofOSj7xxjVbXl1sgua5KFVuFJcGajB7Ldlm1XvBTBXhQj3M/s1600/Josh+Leivo.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>This was my preseason comment on Leivo : <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><em>The 11th round pick in the 2009 OHL priority draft is a smooth skating forward with some offensive flair. Leivo was so far off the map that the Wolves didn't actually sign him until after the start of this years training camp.</em><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>With his size and work ethic, he should be fun to watch this coming season and to see if he can carry that through an entire OHL season. If he can do that, and continue to find his offensive ability, he could garner some attention from scouts. He has ability, he just needs to put it all together.</em><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Wolves head coach Trent Cull had this to say about Leivo: "Josh has been outstanding, He has been one of the best offensive players at camp. He drives the net hard and shows creativity with the puck. He has scored some nice goals in scrimmage, works very hard in practice and certainly deserves to be here." </em><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rookie however, got off to a slow start in the regular season. He finished the year with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points. But he picked it up midway through the season with 22 of his points coming in January, February and March (30 games). <br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is no question that Leivo has some talent and ability. Most importantly, he has heart and the desire to work hard in practices and games. To Leivo, success is the only option.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But then came the playoffs. And what a playoff it was for Leivo. In a stunning four game sweep against the Ottawa 67's, Leivo stood out more than anyone. He finished the series with 4 goals and 6 assists including a 3 goal 2 assist effort in game 1. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In round 2, the Wolves were swept by the Mississauga St Mikes Majors. Although Leivo's production slipped he still managed 2 goals and an assist in the 4 games. He finished the playoffs with 6 goals and 7 assists in 8 games, only being held off the scoresheet twice.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So what does this all mean? Well, there was never any doubt that he had some ability. He certainly has good size and is a good skater. Being able to put it all together was the only doubt with Leivo. And since the 39 game mark of the regular season, he was almost a point per game player. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leivo definitely has garnered some attention. But where that will place him on June 24 and 25 is anyone's guess. I place him at a very early fourth round pick, maybe top five in the round. But if teams believe he is more of what we seen in the last half of the season and the playoffs, he could move up into a late third rounder.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-30262773028577240262011-06-11T09:17:00.001-04:002011-06-11T09:18:16.557-04:00Stuart Percy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-xYMEmqFG4fa94833HUXXjvq-BISLWX4vnOgupGdfnbJ_61gPLhqK2x33eua9gxi9BfadIUvofmd-2exYkWzvoY-u-QrI2i0OV0suS5R7Emjzny6NiQPLF5DaN714Mdm3Q2tIw90p_c/s1600/Stuart+Percy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-xYMEmqFG4fa94833HUXXjvq-BISLWX4vnOgupGdfnbJ_61gPLhqK2x33eua9gxi9BfadIUvofmd-2exYkWzvoY-u-QrI2i0OV0suS5R7Emjzny6NiQPLF5DaN714Mdm3Q2tIw90p_c/s200/Stuart+Percy.jpg" t8="true" width="160px" /></a></div>Stuart Percy came into the season already known for his solid defensive game. The former 15th overall pick in the Priority Draft scored 3 goals and 15 assists in 52 games in his rookie season and needed to show his offensive upside this season. In this, his second year, he improved his totals to 4 goals and 30 assists in 64 games.<br />
<br />
Percy is a good skater but doesn't have explosive speed. He's able to carry the puck but tends to use his vision and smarts in making very good outlet passes or the safe play. In my opinion, that is do more to Coach Dave Cameron's system than it is Percy's abilities.<br />
<br />
He can be used in every situation imaginable: powerplay, penalty kill, up or down by a goal in the last minute, you name it, Percy does it.<br />
<br />
Percy started the season in the top 20 prospects from the OHL in <a href="http://2011ohldrafteligiblepalyers.blogspot.com/2011/04/final-rankings-before-nhl-entry-draft.html"><span style="color: red;">my rankings</span></a> and moving just outside the top 20 or right back in throughout the season, which is a compliment to his consistency. <br />
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His Mississauga St Mikes Majors went into the playoffs on a tear, losing just once en route to the Eastern Conference Championship. It was their only loss in 20 games going back to the regular season. A heartbreaking game 7 loss to the Owen Sound Attack cost them the OHL Championship but were still heading to the Memorial Cup as the host city.<br />
<br />
But the Majors couldn't beat the might St John Sea Dogs, losing in the final in yet another heartbreaker. <br />
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Percy remained on his regular season pace through the OHL playoffs scoring twice and adding 10 assists in 20 games. <br />
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It is my belief that Percy's stock actually increased because of the playoffs. But it wasn't for his offensive abilities but for his defence. Getting plenty of ice time against the opposition's top lines, Percy showed he can shut down the best of them at times.<br />
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I expect Percy to be a mid to late second round pick.Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-86404747828071115392011-06-09T20:56:00.000-04:002011-06-09T20:56:43.071-04:0011 CHL Players Invited to Team USA CampEleven CHL players have been invited to Team USA's evaluation camp for the World Junior Championships. Nine of the eleven are from the OHL with four of them eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. <br />
<br />
Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat Tigers<br />
Jared Knight, London Knights<br />
Phil Lane, Brampton Battalion<br />
Austin Levi, Plymouth Whalers<br />
Shane McColgan, Kelowna Rockets<br />
<strong><em>Stefan Noesen, Plymouth Whalers</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Shane Prince, Ottawa 67’s</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Brandon Saad, Saginaw Spirit</em></strong><br />
Jarred Tinordi, London Knights<br />
<strong><em>Vincent Trocheck, Saginaw Spirit</em></strong><br />
Austin Watson, Peterborough Petes<br />
<br />
For the full list of players check <a href="http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_04_01_06&ID=304892"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451670751985905158.post-65574304732810239702011-06-09T20:39:00.001-04:002011-06-11T09:27:56.703-04:00Shane Prince<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XZ3AHVxdGGMoa5xfrJv547A4ujGyVFRRmGP3FR5Ag0jUJsj_n-dehJQQixMg6i8LpSY8g2J4d9bPIDMsc7vsfO0JKkzRyH9yii7djQLBqVx-mAOBj2_uCr09kuFD4fcLAX7TXJIUMPs/s1600/Shane+Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XZ3AHVxdGGMoa5xfrJv547A4ujGyVFRRmGP3FR5Ag0jUJsj_n-dehJQQixMg6i8LpSY8g2J4d9bPIDMsc7vsfO0JKkzRyH9yii7djQLBqVx-mAOBj2_uCr09kuFD4fcLAX7TXJIUMPs/s1600/Shane+Prince.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>The Ottawa 67's speedster Shane Prince opened eyes and turned heads this season that had him race up draft charts.<br />
<br />
Prince was even in the hunt for a scoring championship throughout much of the season until injuries left him out of the lineup.<br />
<br />
Prince finished the season with 25 goals and 63 assists and a plus 43 despite missing 9 games to finish second on the squad behind Tyler Toffoli who tied Jason Akeson of the Kitchener Rangers for the OHL scoring lead.<br />
<br />
Prince was also our run away leader in our three stars of the week rankings where we pick the 3 stars from the OHL draft eligible players.<br />
<br />
Prince wasn't originally invited to participate in the CHL Top Prospects Game where he could showcase his talents but was later added as an injury replacement. Here's what Red Line Report had to say about Prince in that game:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><em>"Was easily, far and away, the best forward on Team Cherry all night and was flying around with great jump and energy – plays an up-tempo game at all times. Uses speed to create turnovers off a pressure forecheck, then turns them into dangerous chances. Always first on the puck. Scored their only goal of the game on a sneaky wrister and created most of their serious chances. Backchecks hard and comes back to help in his own end. Always puts the puck in the right areas. Cycles and distributes the puck well and will go to the net without the puck. Good hand/eye coordination."</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The 67's were upset in round one of the OHL playoffs in a sweep at the hands of the Sudbury Wolves. Prince made his appearance in game two, returning from injury, and scored 1 goal in the final 3 games. To call it a disappointment for Prince and his team mates in an understatement. But for Prince, coming back from a concussion and whiplash is somewhat of an excuse for his own personal play.</span><br />
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My own personal belief is that Prince could be a late first round pick or very early second rounder. If you are looking for live updates on Prince on draft day, may I suggest following his sister Olivia on twitter, who will be updating us live from Minnesota. You can follow her - @OliviaPrince10Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com0