Wow. It seems like forever since I've been back into the Carlson Center. As the Carlson staff get back to their routine to get the ice and facility ready for game time, the players get to their pre-game rituals, I get to mine...
The coaches luncheon went well today. Again, kind of an odd feeling since I haven't been to one in over a month... But nonetheless, it was still a good time as always. Coach Blashill made some good comments about the team, the season, and his history as a coach and a player. Coach Ferguson confirmed that Kevin Petovello would be ready to go, and indeed he is. He's wearing a monster brace on his right knee though. Rumors have circulated that Kevin may be playing on a torn knee ligament, but that is unconfirmed.
Had a chance to talk with coach Ferguson before the game about the series, as well as an inquiry on defensive depth. Rather than type the responses, feel free to have a listen. Download
That said, lets move on to the lines for tonight. Dallas has once again shaken things up, so we'll see how the guys work.
Alaska
F1 Kevin Petovello - Cody Kunyk - Nik Yaremchuk
F2 Carlo Finucci - Jarret Granberg - Andy Taranto
F3 Chad Gehon - Derek Klassen - Ronnie Meyers
F4 Colton Beck - Justin Filzen - Erik Slemp
D1 Joe Sova - Aaron Gens
D2 Bryant Molle - Michael Quinn
D3 Kaare Odegard - Scott Enders
G1 Scott Greenham
G2 Colin Rundelll
G3 Steve Thompson
Just as I suspected, Jerry Kuhn will get the start in net for the Broncos. Pisellini isn't even on the line chart for tonight, so it will be interesting to see how things go, since I haven't seen him play...
Western Michigan
F1 Trevor Elias - Max Campbell - Greg Squires
F2 Shane Berschbach - Chase Balisy - Dane Walters
F3 Ryan Watson - Ian Slater - Mike Leone
F4 Derek Roehl - Ben Warda - Kyle O'Kane
D1 Danny Dekeyser - Luke Witkowski
D2 Dennis Brown - Matt Tennyson
D3 Mike Levendusky - Ross Henry
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Nanooks Ink CJHL Forward Max Dumond
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| Photo courtesy of Terry Halpenny |
Hailing from the CJHL, the same junior league that's produced NHL legends, such as Steve Yzerman, and Max has been identified as a very high energy two way player that can play in any aspect of the game. He plays physical, and gets to the dirty areas. Sounds like a perfect fit to me.
Admittedly, I don't follow the CJHL as much as I follow the Western leagues (AJHL, BCHL), as that's generally where most of our recruits come from.
International Scouting Services listed Max as one of the 5 players to watch from Canada East's WJC team. Saying some pretty positive things, some of which I've touched on.
high-energy player ... competes every shift ... loves to play physical ... good offensive abilities ... plays a good, honest two-way game ... can play power play or penalty kill ... good skater ... hard to knock off the puck ... solid on his feetIn other words, "physical, but fundamentally sound" I think would be a good way to put it...
Max is currently tied for 23rd in the league in scoring, second on his team with 35 points in 34 games. But its the 47 penalty minutes that draws your eye. He's 18 years old now, about to turn 19 in March. With that, I suspect we'll see him in a Nanooks uniform next season. His commitment announcement didn't specify a year of entry, but he is still eligible for this years NHL entry draft as well, meaning it may be best for him to move up sooner rather than later if he'd like more visibility.
Other notes from his stats page.
Last Season: Max had a career year, scoring 28 goals and assisting on 27 for a remarkable 57 point season in his sophomore year. Max played in all situations PK, PP, regular strength, you name it. Dumond plays with an edge, fearless and will go deep into the trenches to relentlessly retrieve pucks. He is Holmstrom- like in front of the net and an absolute talent. The Braves staff and fans can’t wait to see what the 2010-2011 Dumond will bring to the City. Max also participated in the Team Canada East Try-Out/Evaluation Camp in Renfrew, Ontario in August of 2009. He represented Team East in the Top Prospects Game in Winkler, Manitoba in December of 2009 and represented the CJHL in the Battle of Ontario Prospect game in Pembroke, Ontario. Max was also named Captain of the team.
More on Dumond: Registered 31 points and 43 penalty minutes – 11 goals and 20 assist in 58 regular-season games playing as a 16 year-old rookie for the Brockville Braves Jr. A hockey club in 2008-2009 finishing second in overall points for 16 year-olds. Registered 10 points and 6 penalty minutes – 6 goals and 4 assists in 12 playoff games that season. Played minor hockey for the Cumberland Barons (OEMHL) and Notre Dame Hounds (minor midget, SMAAAHL).......Played with the Brockville Braves of the Central Junior Hockey League since August of 2008.......Currently enrolled in Grade 12 at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville, Ontario.... Was selected by the Ottawa 67’s in the 12th round (236th overall) in the 2009 OHL priority selection draft. Registered 13 points and 62 penalty minutes - 6 goals and 7 assists in 42 regular-season games playing for the Notre Dame Hounds Minor Midget AAA team. Saskatchewan provincial champions in 2007-08 in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA hockey league....
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A Rebuilding Western Michigan Team Treks North
The Nanooks finally get back on the ice in a series after what will be a 26 day hiatus against a Western Michigan team that is being overhauled by incoming head coach Jeff Blashill. Don't be fooled, this is not the same team you saw last March. This series will be a fight for six points between two pretty evenly matched teams.
Statistics aside, the Broncos do have a slight edge coming into this series in terms of momentum, coming off a huge two game sweep against then 12th-ranked Union. Nanook fans should be quite familiar with the Dutchmen and their defensive play, but the Broncos ground it out taking both games by a collective score of 5-2. In addition, Western Michigan's break is a full week shorter, if that matters.
The Broncos are lead in scoring by senior center Max Campbell (9-9-18) and two dynamic freshmen in Chase Balisy and Shane Berschbach, each with 14 points. Their offense takes care of the puck in the offensive zone and put a lot of shots on net. Their offense is averaging 31.8 shots on goal per game, but its not the first shot they get you with, its the second, and the third. Rebound control will be a key to this series for Scott Greenham and the Nanooks defense.
Speaking of defense, Western's got a pretty good one, too; backstopped by a solid goaltender in Nick Pisellini, a sophomore who played his juniors with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Nick sat behind Riley Gill list year and studied the position and the college game, and with the defense now built around him, the Broncos have given up just 2.45 goals per game this season, that's a pretty solid improvement from last year at 2.89. But, there is a twist. The 'Nooks may not even see Pisellini this weekend, as backup Jerry Kuhn has been hot as of late. The senior netminder received kudos from the CCHA head office as an honorable mention for player of the month for keeping the Union Dutchmen in check in their last series, allowing two goals in 43 shots during the sweep, good for a .953 save percentage against a top 3 scoring offense averaging 4.06 goals per game coming into that series. Kuhn is 3-1 as a starter, and has played rather solidly in relief of Pisellini, who has had some rough games coupled with an injury as of late. Blashill has gone on record to say that Pisellini would return after the break, but that was before Kuhn's role in the "Dutchmen Domination". Who will get the start? I suppose we'll find out Friday.
Stepping back from this weekend's series a bit, let's take a look at what incoming head coach Jeff Blashill has done. After departing a dominant program in Miami under Enrico Blasi, Jeff has come to the Broncos' rescue. In just his first season, he's already surpassed the win total from a year ago, with the other half of the season yet to be played. With largely the same roster, it all comes down to schemes and strategies. Now I haven't had a chance to see a full game of theirs yet, just a few highlights of their goals, but I can tell you that they play a lot tighter against the opposing defense and like I said before, get pucks and bodies on the net and try to punch it in. Blashill has indubitably improved their defense, but how his strategy differs from the mid zone collapsing defense from a year ago, I don't know. If I ask him, I wonder what kind of answer I would get... But anyway, another point of improvement worth noting is their power play. 34.6% of Western's total goal production has come with a man advantage, and they're fairly efficient at converting their opportunities, too.
This is going to be at least 120 minutes of solid hockey, battling for 6 points. Both teams are pretty evenly matched, statistically. But I'll give the advantage to the 'Nooks on home ice. Last season, the 'Nooks went 0-1-1-1 in Kalamazoo and will be looking to take more than just 2 out of 6 points this time around.
All said and done, the 'Nooks will take care of business. In a three way tie for fourth, and four points removed from third-place Miami, the guys need to hit the ground running out of the gate to start the second half.
Nanooks sweep, 2-0 & 3-1 respectively.
Statistics aside, the Broncos do have a slight edge coming into this series in terms of momentum, coming off a huge two game sweep against then 12th-ranked Union. Nanook fans should be quite familiar with the Dutchmen and their defensive play, but the Broncos ground it out taking both games by a collective score of 5-2. In addition, Western Michigan's break is a full week shorter, if that matters.
The Broncos are lead in scoring by senior center Max Campbell (9-9-18) and two dynamic freshmen in Chase Balisy and Shane Berschbach, each with 14 points. Their offense takes care of the puck in the offensive zone and put a lot of shots on net. Their offense is averaging 31.8 shots on goal per game, but its not the first shot they get you with, its the second, and the third. Rebound control will be a key to this series for Scott Greenham and the Nanooks defense.
Speaking of defense, Western's got a pretty good one, too; backstopped by a solid goaltender in Nick Pisellini, a sophomore who played his juniors with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Nick sat behind Riley Gill list year and studied the position and the college game, and with the defense now built around him, the Broncos have given up just 2.45 goals per game this season, that's a pretty solid improvement from last year at 2.89. But, there is a twist. The 'Nooks may not even see Pisellini this weekend, as backup Jerry Kuhn has been hot as of late. The senior netminder received kudos from the CCHA head office as an honorable mention for player of the month for keeping the Union Dutchmen in check in their last series, allowing two goals in 43 shots during the sweep, good for a .953 save percentage against a top 3 scoring offense averaging 4.06 goals per game coming into that series. Kuhn is 3-1 as a starter, and has played rather solidly in relief of Pisellini, who has had some rough games coupled with an injury as of late. Blashill has gone on record to say that Pisellini would return after the break, but that was before Kuhn's role in the "Dutchmen Domination". Who will get the start? I suppose we'll find out Friday.
Stepping back from this weekend's series a bit, let's take a look at what incoming head coach Jeff Blashill has done. After departing a dominant program in Miami under Enrico Blasi, Jeff has come to the Broncos' rescue. In just his first season, he's already surpassed the win total from a year ago, with the other half of the season yet to be played. With largely the same roster, it all comes down to schemes and strategies. Now I haven't had a chance to see a full game of theirs yet, just a few highlights of their goals, but I can tell you that they play a lot tighter against the opposing defense and like I said before, get pucks and bodies on the net and try to punch it in. Blashill has indubitably improved their defense, but how his strategy differs from the mid zone collapsing defense from a year ago, I don't know. If I ask him, I wonder what kind of answer I would get... But anyway, another point of improvement worth noting is their power play. 34.6% of Western's total goal production has come with a man advantage, and they're fairly efficient at converting their opportunities, too.
This is going to be at least 120 minutes of solid hockey, battling for 6 points. Both teams are pretty evenly matched, statistically. But I'll give the advantage to the 'Nooks on home ice. Last season, the 'Nooks went 0-1-1-1 in Kalamazoo and will be looking to take more than just 2 out of 6 points this time around.
All said and done, the 'Nooks will take care of business. In a three way tie for fourth, and four points removed from third-place Miami, the guys need to hit the ground running out of the gate to start the second half.
Nanooks sweep, 2-0 & 3-1 respectively.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Where Are They Now?
Happy New Year, everyone. With the new year ringing in, a lot of us are thinking about where we are going in the next year, and what we are doing with our lives. While that's all fine and good, I'll take the time to find out where some of the players we used to watch every week have gone with their lives.
While the current 'Nooks get back to practice and start prepping for the second half of the season, here is a bit of an update on some of the past players who have moved on to other leagues around the world. But first, since we are talking about former Nanooks, a bit of unfortunate news.
Sophomore blueliner Justin Daigle has been formally dismissed from the team due to a violation of team rules earlier this week. Justin had been battling an injury after an unfortunate spill in practice earlier this season. Losing Daigle shortens the defensive bench to 7 players. With Bryant Molle serving his senior season, and 2 freshmen defensemen in Justin Tateson and Nolan Kaiser slated to suit up next year, the 'Nooks will continue with 7 defensemen on the roster, 4 of them being seniors.
No details will publicly surface about Justin's dismissal due to student privacy rules, but if there was a lesson to be learned, hopefully he learned it. With the dismissal, Justin will forfeit the remainder of this year's NCAA eligibility. Now, he could sign with another school, but he would have to sit out from competition for an academic year, and be a full-time student at his new school during that time. So the earliest that he could make an active roster is the second half of next season. That is, if another school decides to pick him up, and he goes to school there for this upcoming semester.
But anyhow, on to some more players who once donned the Nanooks jersey. In no particular order...
Dion Knelsen, Forward
Sparta Warriors (Sarpsborg, Norway), GET-Ligaen
In Dion's first season with Sparta, he's already among the league leaders in point totals witha 18-21-39 scoring line in 28 games played. He is second among North American players in the league, trailing 27 year old USA native, and former Minnesota Gopher star Gino Guyer. Of Dion's 18 goals, 3 of them were scored last night in a 6-1 victory over the Rosenborg Elite, put the Warriors at 23-0-5 so far this season, and number one in the league. Oh yeah, remember that sick shootout goal to win the Goal Rush against RPI? Apparently that backhand toe drag works in Europe, too...
Tyler Eckford, Defense
New Jersey Devils, NHL
Tyler took a second stint in the show this year, logging four games with the New Jersey Devils in relief to from October 29th-November 3rd before returning to New Jersey's AHL affiliate Albany. The former Nanook All-American has logged 28 games with the Albany Devils thus far, with a 2-10-12 scoring line, 6th best on the Devils roster, 1st among defensemen. Tyler's last goal came in a 4-3 OT win over the Norfolk Admirals on December 17th.
Jordan Hendry, Defense
Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
Stanley Cup winner Jordan Hendry is still rolling with the Blackhawks. After some off-season moves that sent some of his former teammates out of Chicago, Jordan's contract was renewed for another year. Despite success at the defensive position, the Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville has rotated Hendry in on the Blackhawks' fourth offensive line, plugging him at right wing on numerous occasions. Jordan was a +1 in last nights 3-5 loss to San Jose. Jordan has logged one goal this season, in a tilt also with San Jose back on December 11th.
Aaron Lee, Forward
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, CHL
After graduation, Aaron Lee departed for the Central Hockey League and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Over the past three seasons, the Killer Bees alternate captain has logged 159 career games, with a 46-55-101 point total and a +7 overall rating. During his time there, he has played with other former Nanooks, such as Darcy Campbell, Ryan McLeod, and Wylie Rogers.
Chad Johnson, Goalie
Connecticut Whale, AHL
Chad has done as well as anyone could have hoped in the pros. Since my last update, "Dos Nueve" has helped lead the Connecticut Whale (formerly the Hartford Wolf Pack) back among the top of their conference. Chad has posted great numbers this season, with a .907 save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average, along with a shutout. While his stats aren't the best in the league, they are quite impressive considering the style of offensive strategy they use with their defensemen. They take a lot of chances, which results in more odd-man rushes the other way. Chad has had to make 30+ saves in 10 games so far this season. Fortunately, they score more goals than they allow, which is kind of the point, right?
Kyle Greentree, Forward
Hershey Bears, AHL
Electing to forego his senior year at UAF, Kyle left after the 2006-2007 season signing an entry level free agent contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, being assigned to their AHL affilliate club, the Philadelphia Phantoms for the remainder of the 06-07 season. The following year, he would go on to score 24 goals and 48 points in 72 games played for the Phantoms. During which, he would get the call up to the show, playing two games with the Flyers for his NHL debut, however, he would remain absent from the stat sheet. After a season each at Quad City and Rockford, Kyle finds himself in Hershey, the Capitals AHL affiliate. Kyle sits second on the team in points, with a 15-16-31 scoring line in 31 games played, good for 18th best in the league. Number 37 also scored his 200th career AHL point this past week with his second goal in a 2 goal and 1 assist game against Binghamton on December 28th. And on an unrelated note, he still likes to make his presence known...
Yes, I know this isn't all the major players we've ever had, but its just a few that I've been following as of late. Want an update on someone else? Tell me who in the comments...
While the current 'Nooks get back to practice and start prepping for the second half of the season, here is a bit of an update on some of the past players who have moved on to other leagues around the world. But first, since we are talking about former Nanooks, a bit of unfortunate news.
Sophomore blueliner Justin Daigle has been formally dismissed from the team due to a violation of team rules earlier this week. Justin had been battling an injury after an unfortunate spill in practice earlier this season. Losing Daigle shortens the defensive bench to 7 players. With Bryant Molle serving his senior season, and 2 freshmen defensemen in Justin Tateson and Nolan Kaiser slated to suit up next year, the 'Nooks will continue with 7 defensemen on the roster, 4 of them being seniors.
No details will publicly surface about Justin's dismissal due to student privacy rules, but if there was a lesson to be learned, hopefully he learned it. With the dismissal, Justin will forfeit the remainder of this year's NCAA eligibility. Now, he could sign with another school, but he would have to sit out from competition for an academic year, and be a full-time student at his new school during that time. So the earliest that he could make an active roster is the second half of next season. That is, if another school decides to pick him up, and he goes to school there for this upcoming semester.
But anyhow, on to some more players who once donned the Nanooks jersey. In no particular order...
Dion Knelsen, Forward
Sparta Warriors (Sarpsborg, Norway), GET-Ligaen
In Dion's first season with Sparta, he's already among the league leaders in point totals witha 18-21-39 scoring line in 28 games played. He is second among North American players in the league, trailing 27 year old USA native, and former Minnesota Gopher star Gino Guyer. Of Dion's 18 goals, 3 of them were scored last night in a 6-1 victory over the Rosenborg Elite, put the Warriors at 23-0-5 so far this season, and number one in the league. Oh yeah, remember that sick shootout goal to win the Goal Rush against RPI? Apparently that backhand toe drag works in Europe, too...
Tyler Eckford, Defense
New Jersey Devils, NHL
Tyler took a second stint in the show this year, logging four games with the New Jersey Devils in relief to from October 29th-November 3rd before returning to New Jersey's AHL affiliate Albany. The former Nanook All-American has logged 28 games with the Albany Devils thus far, with a 2-10-12 scoring line, 6th best on the Devils roster, 1st among defensemen. Tyler's last goal came in a 4-3 OT win over the Norfolk Admirals on December 17th.
Jordan Hendry, Defense
Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
Stanley Cup winner Jordan Hendry is still rolling with the Blackhawks. After some off-season moves that sent some of his former teammates out of Chicago, Jordan's contract was renewed for another year. Despite success at the defensive position, the Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville has rotated Hendry in on the Blackhawks' fourth offensive line, plugging him at right wing on numerous occasions. Jordan was a +1 in last nights 3-5 loss to San Jose. Jordan has logged one goal this season, in a tilt also with San Jose back on December 11th.
Aaron Lee, Forward
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, CHL
After graduation, Aaron Lee departed for the Central Hockey League and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Over the past three seasons, the Killer Bees alternate captain has logged 159 career games, with a 46-55-101 point total and a +7 overall rating. During his time there, he has played with other former Nanooks, such as Darcy Campbell, Ryan McLeod, and Wylie Rogers.
Chad Johnson, Goalie
Connecticut Whale, AHL
Chad has done as well as anyone could have hoped in the pros. Since my last update, "Dos Nueve" has helped lead the Connecticut Whale (formerly the Hartford Wolf Pack) back among the top of their conference. Chad has posted great numbers this season, with a .907 save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average, along with a shutout. While his stats aren't the best in the league, they are quite impressive considering the style of offensive strategy they use with their defensemen. They take a lot of chances, which results in more odd-man rushes the other way. Chad has had to make 30+ saves in 10 games so far this season. Fortunately, they score more goals than they allow, which is kind of the point, right?
Kyle Greentree, Forward
Hershey Bears, AHL
Electing to forego his senior year at UAF, Kyle left after the 2006-2007 season signing an entry level free agent contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, being assigned to their AHL affilliate club, the Philadelphia Phantoms for the remainder of the 06-07 season. The following year, he would go on to score 24 goals and 48 points in 72 games played for the Phantoms. During which, he would get the call up to the show, playing two games with the Flyers for his NHL debut, however, he would remain absent from the stat sheet. After a season each at Quad City and Rockford, Kyle finds himself in Hershey, the Capitals AHL affiliate. Kyle sits second on the team in points, with a 15-16-31 scoring line in 31 games played, good for 18th best in the league. Number 37 also scored his 200th career AHL point this past week with his second goal in a 2 goal and 1 assist game against Binghamton on December 28th. And on an unrelated note, he still likes to make his presence known...
Yes, I know this isn't all the major players we've ever had, but its just a few that I've been following as of late. Want an update on someone else? Tell me who in the comments...
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