As a big fan of Jaromir Jagr growing up, I’ve always been intrigued by all the skilled players that seems to come out of the Czech Republic and find their way to the NHL. This season, two more high-end talents have made their way into the scouting spotlight, and are among the Top 30 on numerous lists of draft eligble skaters for 2012. Those being the Kitchener Rangers Radek Faksa, and Tomáš Hertl of HC Slavia Praha. For scouts who caught the aforementioned Hertl at the World Junior Championships a few weeks back, they had to be impressed by what he brought to the Czech lineup that played with a ton of emotion, passion and as Brian Burke would say…pugnacity. In fact, the 18-year-old embodied all three of those traits while scoring 3 goals and 5 points in 6 tournament games en route to being named Top 3 player on Read more »
After watching the Edmonton Oilers struggle the last few weeks I have come to realize a few things. One, never before have I seen a club more reliant on their first and second year players to carry the load. Two, there is a glaring need to add a couple premier defenseman. And three, it seems like a deflated and frustrated group all the way from the top down.
It’s a club that has lost it’s confidence. It’s swagger that was there when they went an impressive 8-4 to start the season is all but a distant memory. And, while that start was maybe a glimpse into a sign of things to come for the young Oilers, in no way does it reflect how the fans should have expected their season to play out. Read more »
I was going to wait before dropping a new Top 50 prospects list on my site, as I will be taking in the CHL’s Top Prospect Game in Kelowna, BC in the coming weeks. Actually, I wasn’t even planning on doing a draft eligible list, but didn’t want to disappoint my loyal fan. Being that I have been busy with the Indiana Ice, most my weekends have been spent catching Major Midget games out West, but I have still found time for the occasional junior games as well. And, despite not really working on my site anymore, I still like to keep in tune with the upcoming prospects for the NHL Entry Draft.
If the 2012 version of the NHL Entry Draft was a movie, than the working title may just be “Year of the D-Man” as there are an abundance of stud defenseman Read more »
I was first told about Cody Ceci two years ago by Zack Kassian, he said the kid was going to be a beauty, and he was bang on. So if Kass ever decides to get into the hockey scouting gig, I’m sure it would be an easy transition for the hulking Sabres forward. Ceci has all the tools to be a dominant NHL defenseman, which has many scouts drooling with anticipation for the 2012 Draft. He is smooth-skating, and very agile for his size, has a big shot, makes smart decisions with the puck, never panics, uses his long reach and big body to perfection when defending, and has the hockey IQ of a seasoned veteran. Currently the 18-year-old sits second overall in scoring by OHL blueliners with 38 points (8G,30A) in 41 games, behind only the Niagara IceDogs bluechip d-man Dougie Hamilton, who Ceci has very similar intangibles to. The Read more »
The New York Rangers scouts hit the jackpot when they selected 6-foot-3, 200-pound power forward Steven Fogarty in the third round (72nd overall) of last years NHL Entry Draft. So far the native of Edina, Minnesota has been a force in his rookie BCHL season, racking up 16 goals, 23 assists, and 16 penalty minutes in 32 games for the Penticton Vees. Those totals sit the 18-year-old 10th overall in league scoring, and has helped the Vees to a remarkable 26-3-0-2 record thus far. Fogarty amassed 44 goals, 36 assists, and 80 points in 55 games the previous two seasons with his Edina High Hornets before bringing his game North of the Border, so we shouldn’t be surprised by any of his on ice accomplishments. He can simply terrorize opponents when he is on his game, with his size, speed, vision and hockey IQ. Fogarty has Read more »
The name Forsberg is synonymous with winning and greatness in hockey, as Swedish centre Peter Forsberg terrified opponents for the better part of 20 pro seasons. So, with Filip Forsberg (no relation) quickly making a name for himself for the upcoming 2012 NHL Entry Draft, it’s easy to see why fans eagerly anticipate the youngsters arrival to North America. The fact is, Filip has many of the same qualities as the aforementioned ‘Foppa’ as he can simply carry a game on his stick, like we seen him do at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, while leading Team Sweden to a silver medal. He has tremendous hands, excellent vision and hockey IQ, a strong, powerful stride, an NHL calibre shot, and at 6′2″, 180-pounds, the young 17-year-old is also a physically imposing figure. Last season, Forsberg lit the lamp 21 times in 36 games for his Read more »
Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years is a lyric that may be suited for not only Victoria’s return to the WHL, but also for centre Logan Nelson, who is enjoying a rise to fame after a sub-par rookie season in the USHL last year. So far the Royals rookie blue blood has netted 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 30 games, a big improvement from the 9 points in 41 games he had last season with the Des Moines Buccaneers. The 6-foot-2, 182 pound forward is the type of kid you win with, as he has a grinding ege to his game, as well as some scoring prowess. He is an all-round athlete, that also played lacrosse, baseball, competed in track and field, and was the quaterback for his high school football team in Rogers, Minn. Nelson skates well for a big guy, has decent hands, excellent vision and hockey sense, and loves getting Read more »
It’s easy to write a positive article about a hockey organization that has given me an opportunity, but putting all bias aside, the Indiana Ice have had an impressive proven track record of success since their inaugural season in the USHL back in 2004.
The team has made the playoffs in each of their first six seasons in the league, and hoisted a Clark Cup Championship in 2008-09. They’ve also developed a plethora of NHL Draft picks, highlighted by Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson, and this season boasted three picks in Blake Coleman (3rd, New Jersey), Brian Ferlin (4th, Boston), and Sean Kuraly (5th, San Jose). Take the US Development Program out of the mix (12 players selected), and only the Read more »
By all accounts, Nail Yakupov’s rookie season in the OHL this year was a huge success. In fact, no other first year player made more of an impact for his team than the dynamic Russian ‘Pocket Rocket,’ scoring an incredible 101 points, on 49 goals and 52 assists in 65 games for his Sarnia Sting squad. Those totals sat him third overall in the entire league in scoring, and first overall on his team, en route to capturing both the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year awards. He was also lights out at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18’s this past April, scoring 6 goals and 13 points in 7 games for Team Russia, while helping them capture a bronze medal. The 2nd overall pick in the 2010 CHL Import Draft, has tremendous wheels to go with a sick array of offensive weaponry that makes him almost impossible to stop. He seems to be able to score at will, has tremendous puck skills, excellent vision Read more »
It’s not like Mikhail Grigorenko needs anymore hype, I mean let’s face it, the 17-year-old phenom has already been compared to Joe Thornton and seems destined to be the next great NHL playmaker. That being said, it is hard not to marvel at his talents, as he can simply take over games, and at times looks eerily like a young Mario Lemiuex. At 6-foot-2, 191-pounds, he is a lumbering giant, that makes the game look easy every time he sets foot on the ice. This season, Grigorenko racked up 35 points, on 17 goals and 18 in assists in 43 games against men for CSKA-Krasnaja Armija Moskva, while helping them capture the MHL Championship. He simply dominated the 2011 IIHF World Under-18’s and helped Russia win the bronze, with 4 goals and 18 points in 7 games, and was also incredible during Read more »
