Michigan Hockey michiganhockeyonline.com V.21:I.5 | October 04, 2010 FIRST CLASS
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LCAHL 2010-11 Season Calendar see lcahl.org for more info
August 2010
September continued
January 2011
16
Registration Opens for Travel and House
17
House Registration Closes
9
League Play Ends
18
Travel League Play Begins
25
Travel Registration Closes
10-13
Make-up Days
21
Initial House Alignments Posted
28-29
Travel Alignment Meetings
14
Post Playoff Pools and Schedules
22-23
House Alignment Appeals
18
24
Final House Alignments & Schedules Posted
Start of League Playoffs First Round Robin
25
House Scheduling Begins
February 2011
26
Face-Off Meeting at Motor City Casino & Conference Center
18
Playoff First Round Ends
26-27
Playoff Quarters and Semis
30
House League Play Begins
September 2010 3
Initial Travel Alignments Posted
8-9
Travel Alignment Appeals
10-12
LCAHL Faceoff Festival
13
Final Travel Alignments & Schedules Posted
14
Begin Scheduling Travel Games
g n i t e e M ff O e Fac s s e c c u s g i b a
March 2011 5-6
Playoff Quarters, Semi’s and Finals
11-19
Playoff Finals
PHOTOS BY BOB BEGUELIN/LCAHL
Over 500 coaches and team managers attended the 2010 LCAHL Face-Off Meeting on September 26 at the Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit.
Also thank you to Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (with from left Communications Director Lisa Zarzycki and League Secretary Carrie Camrat) who took time out from his busy schedule to be the event’s guest speaker.
Thank you to all the LCAHL Directors and Volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly, the vendors who attended and the Breakout Session presenters’ Brian Secord, Laura Ramus and Bob Mancini. Travel Director Laurie Golden Birchler (left) watches as Jeff Anderson fills out a raffle ticket.
Table of Contents October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5 AMATEUR HOCKEY REPORT
Honeybaked ‘99s win at Compuware/Honeybaked Invitational Four other champs crowned and Michigan Hockey Day at Perani’s
SPEAKING OF HOCKEY
What do you love most about the game?
MH BEAT
Marian Ilitch and Peter Karmanos, Jr. inducted into Michigan HOF
GET BETTER
Get to the net
STATE OF THE GAME
13
ARENA GUIDE
MIDGET MAJOR PREVIEW ‘10
Thirteen teams get ready for new season Tier I Elite League has top players and veteran coaches
JUNIOR HOCKEY
Former pro Jason Cirone leads CSHL’s Metro Jets Whalers’ Alex Aleardi starts season red hot Saginaw’s Barry Sanderson ready to return to Spirit lineup NAHL Showcase a big hit again Muskegon and U.S. National Teams have Michigan players
RED WINGS AND NHL INSIDERS
Dave Waddell: Jimmy Howard expects no sophomore jinx Kevin Allen: Ten reasons why Red Wings can win the Stanley Cup
COMING IN OUR NEXT ISSUE
COLLEGE PREVIEW
Arena Guide Geothermal energy helps cut utility usage and new junior teams drive rink renovations
4
Michigan Hockey
PAGES 26-33 Junior Hockey Cirone leads Metro Jets; NAHL Showcase a big hit
PAGE 34
Our annual College Preview will include looks at the Division I Wayne State women’s team, CCHA teams and Michigan Tech (WCHA), along with previews of Division III Adrian and Finlandia squads and the ACHA club level. Look for it on arena stands, on michiganhockeyonline.com and in your e-mail In Box on October 15.
NHL Insider Ten reasons the Red Wings can win the Cup
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
11
REEBOK TOURNAMENT CALENDAR
Geothermal energy and other ways rinks are trying to cut utility usage New junior teams drive rink renovations in Flint and Muskegon
PAGES 20-22
10
12
HOMETOWN HERO
Midget Major Preview ‘10 Thirteen Midget Major teams get ready for a run at the state title.
8
By Lyle Phair Where do you fit?
Livonia’s Mark Mitera
PAGES 24-25
6 6
Advertising copy for the next issue of MH is due on October 6. Contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or lucia@ michiganhockeyonline.com or Philip Colvin at (248) 479-1136 or phil@michiganhockeyonline.com for more information.
16
20 22
24 25
26 28 30 30 33
34 34
From the Editor Editor-in-Chief Philip D. Colvin
phil@michiganhockeyonline.com
Advertising Lucia Zuzga
FROM THE EDITOR
ONLY ON THE WEB
lucia@michiganhockeyonline.com
Enjoy the season
Database Manager Josh Curmi
jcurmi@michiganhockeyonline.com
While most teams have been on the ice since August and early September, there is something different about walking into a rink this time of year. The weather has turned cooler, arenas are hopping and there’s the buzz that comes with the season up and running. Players, coaches and parents can feel it. After weeks of getting to know each other off the ice and spending time on the ice practicing passing, shooting and stickhandling and working on breakouts, defensive zone coverage and moving the puck on the powerplay, the first real game of the season is when everything finally really matters. I love the smells of fresh popcorn and coffee brewing and watching how hard the players work and the look of exhilarated exhaustion on their faces when they come off the ice. And I enjoy all the sounds at the rink – the echo of the puck hitting the boards, the player’s voices calling for the puck on a 2-on-1 and the crowd cheering a great play or a big save. So I urge you to sit back, watch your player have some fun with his or her friends and enjoy all the ups and downs that come with a new season. This issue of MH includes a look at what arenas are doing to lower their utility usage (page 20) and how new junior teams in Flint and Muskegon have spurred renovations at Perani’s Arena and L.C. Walker Arena, respectively (page 22). On page 24 is a preview of the Midget Major teams in the state (see the rest of the preview at “Only on the Web� at michiganhockeyonline.com) and a feature on how top players and veteran coaches have helped build theTier I Elite Hockey League into a national circuit (page 25). If you have any ideas for future stories, things you liked (or didn’t like) in Michigan Hockey or just want to talk hockey, send me an e-mail (phil@michiganhockeyonline.com) or give me call (248-479-1136).
Design Chuck Stevens Contributing Editor Kevin Allen Rob Murphy Distribution Lucia Zuzga
EDITORIAL BOARD: Bob DeSpirt, Christine Szarek, Derek Blair, James Jenkins, Julie Pardoski, Kirk Vickers, Linda Holland Lisa Zarzycki, Mark Vansaw, Nyron Fauconier, Randy Paquette Rob Mattina, Susan Bottrell, Tim Wilson, Todd Krygier LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: MICHIGAN HOCKEYŽ welcomes Letters to the Editor. They must be signed and include the writer's full home address and day and evening telephone numbers. MICHIGAN HOCKEY is published by SUBURBAN SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MICHIGAN HOCKEYŽ, 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 483352829. Š2010 by Suburban Sports Communications. All Rights Reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of MICHIGAN HOCKEY or its advertisers. All editorial copy, photographs and advertising materials remain the property of MICHIGAN HOCKEY.
MICHIGAN HOCKEY 23995 Freeway Park Drive • Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829 (248) 478-2500 • FAX: (248) 478-1601 EMAIL: mh@michiganhockeyonline.com WEBSITE: www.michiganhockeyonline.com
Cover: Little Caesars Midget Major’s Matt Vermillion by Paige Baker/aframeintime.com Photos page 4 (from top, L to R): Little Caesars and Belle Tire Midget Major teams by Dave Reginek/DIG Photo; Perani’s Arena in Flint courtesy Zak Walsh/Tanner Friedman; Jason Cirone courtesy Italian Olympic Team and Nick Lidstrom by Andrew Knapik/Michigan Hockey.
Cover reprints available email: mh@michiganhockeyonline.com
Michiganhockeyonline.com
Administrative Director Amy Jones
Have fun this season,
More Midget Major Preview ‘10
CATCH THE FEVER! MIT110124
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Bandits Goalie School’s Joe Messina: Keep a game log
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Amateur Hockey Report
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Michigan Hockey
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FAMILY CLASSIC MEATLOAF Honeybaked Honeybaked ’99 ’99 squad squad wins wins at at Compuware Compuware Honeybaked Honeybaked Invitational Invitational The ’99 Honeybaked squad won the Pee Wee Minor Division of the Compuware Honeybaked Invitational Tournament with a 5-4 shootout win over the Compuware ‘99s on September 19 at Compuware Sports Arena. Compuware’s Gino Carabelli scored twice and Honeybaked’s Jon Sanderson and Travis Mitchell notched goals as the two squads traded first period goals. In the middle period Compuware’s Adam Pitter scored to give his team a 3-2 lead. But Sanderson scored his second goal of the game to tie it with just over four minutes left in the period. After a scoreless third period and overtime session the game went into a shootout where Honeybaked’s Connor Fredrick and Hugh Larkin scored, and goaltender Marcus Morton stopped four of five Compuware shooters for the win. Fredrick and Jack Robbins also added assists in the victory
and Jed Pietila was the tournament MVP. “I am really happy with how our team is coming together, we have a lot of new faces and a group of kids that continue to improve and work hard,� said Honeybaked ’99 head coach Jeff Mitchell. “Our coaching staff is very happy with the effort from our players and this team will only continue to get stronger.� The Honeybaked ’99 team is: Logan Neaton, Jack Sargent, Connor Fredrick, Jack Robbins, Jon Sanderson, Carter Eiden, Tommy Miller, Hugh Larkin, Jed Pietila, Travis Mitchell, Scott Granzotto, Cameron Babiak, Marcus Morton, Paul Cotter, Reagan Wortz, Jacob Behnke and Justin Alton. In addition to Mitchell, the Honeybaked ’99 coaching staff includes assistant coaches Hugh Larkin, Mark Miller, Pat Neaton and Dan Robbins.
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Compuware Compuware Honeybaked Honeybaked Invitational Invitational has has big big weekend weekend of of action action In addition to the Honeybaked ‘99s, four other champions were crowned at the 76-team 2010 Compuware Honeybaked Invitational. The ’96 St. Louis Caps went 6-0 and beat Compuware in the finals; the ’97 Compuware squad won their division with a 1-0 shutout of St. Louis; the ’98 Honeybaked team went 5-0 at the tournament and won the title with a 9-2 win over
Windsor and the ’00 Honeybaked squad also beat Windsor, 8-2, to win their division. Members of the ’97 TPH Thunder squad (above) took a break from the tournament to play mini-sticks, enjoy free pizza and check out the newest equipment at Michigan Hockey Day at Perani’s Hockey World in Livonia on Sept. 18.
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
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WINTER Nov. 2nd – Dec. 18th
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Speaking of Hockey
What do you love about hockey? “Just the feeling you have gliding around on the ice. I love the competition and I am looking forward to playing as many top teams as we can and beating them and going to nationals.” Zach Goberis, 13, Colorado Thunderbirds
“I like body checking the most and I am looking forward to playing Compuware again and beating them this time.” Matt Goodman, 13, TPS Thunder
“My teammates, the friendships, how fast it is and winning games. Matthew Rickard, 15, Westland Midgets
“The best part of hockey is the physical play – I love the skill part of the game but I also love hitting people. I am looking forward to playing AAA and high school and see how they compare.” Ryan Mezera, 14, Team Wisconsin
“I love the intensity of the game, scoring goals and helping my team win.” Grant Wellinger, 13, Tampa, Florida
“I like how it’s cold and you don’t have to play outside and how you can hit people. I can’t wait to play good teams up north.” Russell Morris, 12, Nashville, Tennessee
“I like everything about the game, but I love hitting and the competition the most.” Davis Van Gemerden, 13, Pensacola, Florida
8
Michigan Hockey
“The speed of the game, playing with my friends and scoring goals. I am looking forward to winning games and being ranked high.” Brendan Walkom, 12, Team Pittsburgh
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
“I just love playing. I want to make it to the NHL, just like most kids. I like passing, shooting and hitting. It’s an exciting game. I just switched to defense and I am looking forward to playing against top players and getting better.” Philip Berger, 12, TPS Thunder
MH Beat
COME SKATE IT’S GREAT
USA Hockey Coaching Education Checklist for Coaches
October 28 to December 20 Classes offered for ages 3 through Adult
LEARN TO PLAY HOCKEY PROGRAM
Do these by December 31, 2010
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• Plan in advance. USA Hockey Coaching Clinics end in midDecember. Our volunteer staff does not do clinics during the holiday season. If you need to renew Level 3, don’t plan to do it on December 31, you won’t make it. • Visit the Michigan Amateur Hockey web site, www.maha.org – Choose the Coaches tab, and click the Coach Requirements link in the menu. Check now, before it’s too late, that your coaching level and expiration date are good for this entire season. • There will be clinics each week through mid-December. Check the USA Hockey web site – there is a link to clinics on the home page. You can enroll online. • If you can’t meet the USA Hockey and Michigan requirements on the MAHA web site, apply for a Temporary Coaching Card. The application is printable from the Coaching Forms menu in the Coaches section of www.maha.org. IMPORTANT – Temporary cards are processed by USA Hockey and are mailed from Colorado. They take two weeks or longer, especially after the first of the new year. Get ahead of the game – apply now if you need one! • If you procrastinate and do not meet the coaching requirements, you may not be able to coach after 12/31/2010. The Coaching Education Program does not have the authority to grant you any kind of exception. It would also be a disservice to the thousands of coaches who follow the rules to grant exceptions to those who don’t.
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Looking ahead to 2011
Level 4 Symposium - Michigan’s Coaching Education Program is already preparing for our annual Level 4 Symposium, held during the CCHA Championship weekend (March 18-20) in downtown Detroit. Registration will open in December, 2010. New National Coaching Education Requirements –
will take effect 9/1/2011. Watch for emails from USA Hockey concerning this as 2011 approaches. The new requirements can already be seen in the MAHA guidebook (download from www.maha.org).
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Michigan Hockey
9
Michigan HOF inducts Ilitch and Karmanos BY PHILIP COLVIN
It would be difficult to imagine what the youth hockey landscape in Michigan would be like without Marian Ilitch and Peter Karmanos, Jr. The pair was recognized for their contributions and inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony on September 13 at Rock Financial Place in Novi. Also enshrined in the Hall during it’s 54th Induction Event were the Grand Rapids Press’ Bob Becker, Detroit Pistons and Michigan State football announced George
Blaha, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling gold medalist Steve Fraser, TV broadcaster Bill Fleming, former Michigan quarterback and Detroit Tigers outfielder Rick Leach, former pro golfer Meg Mallon, former Detroit Lions wide receiver Herman Moore, former Lions kicker Eddie Murray, Roush Racing owner Jack Roush and former Michigan swimming coach Jon Urbanchek. Along with her husband Mike Ilitch, Marian Ilitch helped start the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League in 1979 to get more young players on the ice. The couple bought the Detroit Red Wings in 1982 and the team has won four Stanley Cups during their ownership. Marian co-owns the Detroit Tigers with her husband, who was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. She has also been a longtime supporter of various youth sports, community outreach and educational programs through organizations like the Ilitch Charities, Detroit Red Wings Foundation and Detroit Tigers Foundation. “When I heard of the honor my first thought was, why me?” said Ilitch, a native of Dearborn. “But my family reminded me that I have devoted 50 years to amateur and professional sports. What a wonderful journey it has been.” Karmanos grew up in Detroit and started the Compuware hockey organization in the mid-1970s, owned the Compuware Ambassadors in the Junior A North American Hockey League in the 1980s and ‘90s and the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Compuware Spitfires in the late 1980’s. Karmanos brought the OHL to Michigan when his Detroit Compuware Ambassadors began play at Detroit’s Cobo Arena in 1990. The Ambassadors, which eventually became the Detroit Jr. Red Wings and Detroit Whalers, is now known as the Plymouth Whalers and have won two OHL titles (1995, 2007). Karmanos purchased the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in 1994, moved the franchise to North Carolina as the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997 and won the Stanley Cup in 2006. “My mother was a pretty good athlete, she was a pro bowler and played field hockey,” said Karmanos. “She loved hockey and I used to beg her to let me stay up to watch.” The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is comprised of 270 former champions, medalists, and great contributors to the world of sports and is dedicated to preserving, interpreting, honoring and displaying the amateur and professional history of sports in the State of Michigan.
The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inducted youth hockey pioneers Marian Ilitch (left, with Bill Gadsby and HOF chairman Scott Lesher) and Peter Karmanos, Jr. (above) at a ceremony on September 13 at Rock Financial Place in Novi.
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October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
PHOTOS BY WILLIAM E. DWYER
MH Beat
Get Better
Advanced
Tournaments
Get to the net While offensive play can start in any zone, the final objective of every skater is to score a goal. And most goals are scored within 10 feet of the net so players have to go to that area either with or without the puck. And most goals are “ugly” and result from players driving to the net with the puck or skating to the net to screen the goaltender for rebounds and deflections. As the old hockey adage goes – “they don’t ask how, they just ask how many.”
DRIVING THE NET At the blueline the puckcarrier should drive around the defender and to the net whenever possible. Driving to the net forces a defensive player to stay with the puckcarrier which creates traffic in front of the goaltender and makes it more difficult for the goalie to see the shot or move in the crease. The puckcarrier’s teammates then can score on loose pucks and rebounds created by the puckcarrier driving to the net. When driving to the crease from behind the net, the puckcarrier should be prepared for body contact and must be willing to pay the price to bring the puck into this scoring area. The puckcarrier will draw defenders to that area which can result in penalties and opens up opportunities for offensive players away from the puck to score on rebounds.
REBOUNDS To score on a rebound a player must move into proper position in front of the net, withstand checking pressure, get his stick prepared and shoot quickly. The area where shots on net rebound is determined by the angle from which the shot is taken, the velocity and height of the shot and the ability of the goalie to control rebounds. Players have to anticipate and move to these areas to score. Many rebounds go directly in front of the net and the area is rigorously defended so players have to be prepared to be checked. The offensive player must fight for position and keep his stick free of defenders. Once establishing position, the offensive player can lean on his stick so a defender can’t lift it as a rebound approaches. Know where the shot is coming from and spin
Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI
PHOTO BY ANDREW KNAPIK/MICHIGAN HOCKEY
Most goals are scored from 10 feet in front of the net by getting to the net for rebounds and deflections.
off a check to get open. Once you’re in position, shoot quickly and accurately. Shot selection depends on the goalie’s position and how much time is available to the puckcarrier. If the goalie is out of position, use a one-timer; if the goalie is down, use a flip shot. A shooter might have to move the puck laterally and then shoot to the upper portions of the net.
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DEFLECTIONS A puck that hits a player’s body or stick and changes direction is difficult for a goalie to stop. The best way to deflect a shot is to move directly in front of the goaltender and use your stickblade to redirect it at the net. This area is rigorously defended so to keep your balance and position, a player should form a tripod with his two skates and his stick on the ice and face the shooter. This allows the player to see the shot coming and lift the stick to deflect the shot to either side. A tip-in deflection is when a player moves toward the net or to the side of the goaltender and deflects shots that are wide back towards the net. For a tip-in to work the shooter has to have his head up, see his teammate open and shoot wide so it can be tipped toward the net.
All Tournaments Four Game Minimum October 22-24, 2010
January 14-16. 2011
Squirt AA, Pee Wee B, Midget B
Mite B, Pee Wee B, Bantam AA
October 29-31, 2010
January 21-23, 2011
Pee wee A, Bantam B Midget AA, Girls U16 November 5-7, 2010
Mite B, Squirt B, Bantam A, Girls U19 November 12-14, 2010
Source: Kevin Constantine/Michigan Level 4 Coach’s Clinic Presentation
Mite A, Pee Wee B, Midget B November 19-21, 2010
Mite AA, Squirt A, Bantam B
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December 3-5, 2010
Squirt B, Pee Wee A, Girls U12, Midget A December 10-12, 2010
Pee Wee B, Pee Wee AA, Bantam B January 7-9, 2011
Mite AA, Squirt B, Bantam B
Mite A, Squirt B, Bantam B January 28-30, 2011
Squirt A, Pee Wee B, Bantam A, Girls U14 February 4-6, 2011
Squirt B, Squirt AA, Midget B February 11-13, 2011
Pee Wee B Pee Wee AA, Bantam AA, Girls U16 February 18-20, 2011
Mite B, Squirt B, Bantam B February 25-27, 2011
Pee Wee B, Pee Wee A, Midget B March 4-6, 2011
Mite AA, Squirt B, Bantam B
Stop, Start and Shoot Drill
Source: weisshockey.com
Purpose Practice stopping and starting with puck control, driving to the net and shooting. Setup Players start in the corner with a puck and skate to the blueline and stop, skate back to the hash marks and stop facing the same direction, skate out of the zone and make a hard turn around the cone and drive the net and shoot.
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
Tournament Locations: Chicago, IL Rochester, NY Washington, DC Nashville, TN Pittsburgh, PA Riverside, CA For More Information: www.advancedtournaments.com 847-277-7343
Michigan Hockey
11
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12
Michigan Hockey
WHERE DO YOU FIT? Tier I, Tier II, AAA, AA, A, BB, B, A, House, Travel, TOEHL, Adray, LCAHL, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Howe, Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam, Midgets, Minor, Major. So many classifications and so many monikers. What does it all mean? And more importantly where do you fit into the equation? Where should you be? Where should you aspire to be? How do you know when you are ready? How do you know when you aren’t? Those are some very tough questions. And they apply both to individuals and to teams. For individual players and their families it can often be very difficult to navigate their way through the hockey world. Especially for those who are new to a sport that has its own unique culture and language. But it can also be very confusing for those who grew up playing the game because so much changes over time. What once was might no longer be. House hockey? At one time “house league hockey� was a description for teams that played their league games at one facility, in-house. Players in each age group were divided up evenly onto teams so that there was parity within the league and opportunity for all of the teams and players to have success. A wonderful concept, if you really think about it, when it comes to youth sports. Travel hockey? Those teams were formed by tryouts and because the better players in a given age group were on the team, those teams would “travel� to play similar teams from other areas. Another wonderful concept, if you really think about it, because it allowed for the better players to play at a higher competitive level. They had to travel to find that competitive level, but it provided that opportunity for those players and teams, and it also provided more opportunity for the players and teams in the house league because those games were no longer dominated by the better players.
SHADES OF GRAY What started out as black and white as house and travel has now morphed into gray. A lot of different shades of gray. There are very few facilities or associations that actually have true“house� hockey anymore. Most places don’t have enough teams at a given age group to have their own in-house league. So those teams end up traveling to other facilities to play what is still called house hockey by many. Confused yet? There are also some places that do have enough teams to have their own in-house league at their facility, but still choose to play in a league with teams from other facilities because they don’t want to just play “house hockey�. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
Playing house hockey, I mean. While it still is “house level� hockey, with teams formed by a draft, I really do think that there is a perception that because teams actually have to (or get to) travel to play games, that the hockey is somehow better. It might be. But it just as easily might not. It also appears to be that the farther that a team travels to play a game that the level of play will be that much better. Again, it might be. But just as easily it might not.
MULTIPLE LEVELS In theory, “all house hockey teams are created equally.� Well at least with equality, or parity, in mind. But that is not necessarily the case. Player pools in each area are very much different. While one association or arena might have enough players for ten 10 & under teams, another place might only have enough for one. Some of them might be very good players. Good enough to play travel hockey, but for one reason or another (can’t afford to, don’t have the time, there is no team at that level in their area) they do not. So is that team really the same level as a team from an arena or association that divides up the players to form ten equal teams? Definitely not. In essence, there are multiple levels of house or B hockey. And travel hockey is no different. There are multiple levels there as well, but for a different reason. Travel teams are formed by tryouts with minimal restrictions on where the players can come from. The better the team, the more players who will want to play on that team. Some teams get close to 100 players trying out. Others barely get enough to field a team. Yet these teams might end up playing each other. Does that seem right? Definitely not. So to resolve that issue we create multiple levels of play, Tier I, Tier II (also known as AAA and A/AA) and even within the A/AA or “regular travel� category leagues have created various levels to try to create a more competitive environment. Also a wonderful concept. The problem is that there is often more competition created off the ice (for players) than there is on the ice when the teams play each other. Do the teams fit into the level or does the level define the team and their ability to attract players? Ultimately the level of play very much defines how good a team will be or won’t be and how big its potential player pool will be.
HOW TO DECIDE? So how do families and players decide what level is best for them to play? How do teams decide what is the best competitive level? Where do you fit? The good news is that there are a multitude of choices. The bad news is that many people have no idea what the consequences of those choices might or might not be. In theory you would think that the principles of supply and demand would help guide people to their level. Players that don’t make a Tier I team would then attempt to make a Tier II team and failing to make that would play B or house hockey. The problem with that is there are multiple levels of all of those levels of teams. Some house teams are better than some A or AA teams. Some Tier II teams (A/AA) are better than some Tier I (AAA) teams in the same age group. If a player wants (or his or her parents want) to play at a certain level of play, it can be achieved. There are always teams looking for players. It just depends on how far you want to travel and how much you want to pay. Somehow within this system, the majority of teams and players actually do find the right competitive level to play. But some don’t. And for them, the season can be long and miserable. There is nothing worse for a team than not being competitive with the teams it plays against. There is nothing worse for individual players than not being able to contribute as part of a team. There has to be a balance of success and failure throughout the year. Too much of either is never a good thing. The beauty of competition is that, if you pay attention at all, it will let you know where you fit.
TOURNAMENT CALENDAR Advanced Tournaments October 1-3, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Mite AA, Squirt AA, Midget Minor & Girls 12U Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Arenamaps.com Earlybird Tournament October 1-3, 2010 Kalamazoo, MI Squirt-Midget A & AA mstommen@arenamaps.com www.tournaments.arenamaps.com/ series Action Tournaments Battle at the Border Cup Brownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MI October 1-3, 2010 Squirt & Pee Wee A & AA 734-751-9105 actiontournamentscentral.com Advanced Tournaments October 8-10, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Pee Wee House, Pee Wee AA, Midget Major/HS & Girls 14U Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Action Tournaments Battle at the Border Cup Brownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MI October 8-10, 2010 Bantam A & AA, Girls U-14 734-751-9105 actiontournamentscentral.com Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI October 8-10, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions K-Zoo Cup Tournament Series Kalamazoo, MI October 8-10, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Advanced Tournaments October 15-17, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Squirt House, Squirt A, Bantam House Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
COMPLETE and UP-TO-DATE TOURNAMENT LISTING ON WEBSITE
www.michiganhockeyonline.com
Action Tournaments Battle at the Border Cup Brownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MI October 15-17, 2010 Girls U-12 & Girls U-16 734-751-9105 actiontournamentscentral.com
Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI November 5-7, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
advancedtournaments.com Las Vegas Old-Timers Classic Las Vegas, Nevada October 22 - 24, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+: A/B,C,D,E 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com http:// www.canlanclassictournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments October 22-24, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Squirt AA, Pee Wee House, Midget House Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
Manon Rheaume International Girls Tournament November 12-14, 2010 Farmington Hills, MI 19UAAA, 16UAAA, 14UAAA and 12UAAA 248-479-1139 jjones@suburbanice.com
Grand Traverse Hockey Association Tournament Series Fall Color Tournament Traverse City, MI October 22-24, 2010 Pee Wee A & AA 231-933-4842 gthatournaments@yahoo.com
Advanced Tournaments November 12-14, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Mite A, Pee Wee House, Midget House Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments October 22-24, 2010 Chicago, IL CHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Chicago Fall ClassicMite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www. advancedtournaments.com
Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI October 22-24, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Advanced Tournaments October 29-31, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Pee Wee A, Bantam House, Midget Major/HS & Girls 16U Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI October 29-31, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com USA Wild Flowers Halloween Weekend Tournament Detroit, MI October 29-31 Girls 12-U & 14-U Tier II molsoncosmo@prodigy.net 248-496-1744 Advanced Tournaments November 5-7, 2010 Holland, MI Great Lakes Tournament Series Mite House, Squirt House, Bantam A & Girls 19U Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
West Shore Tournament Series Scottville, MI October 15-17, 2010 JV Preseason I 231-843-9712 www.westshoreice.com
Dirty 30 Women’s over 30 Tournament November 5-7 Kensington Valley Ice House 3-Game Guarantee $675 per team Registration Deadline: October 8 810-494-5555 www.kensingtonvalleyicehouse.com
Grand Traverse Hockey Association Tournament Series Fall Color Tournament Traverse City, MI October 15-17, 2010 Squirt A & AA 231-933-4842 gthatournaments@yahoo.com
Grand Traverse Hockey Association Tournament Series Traverse City Challenge Cup Traverse City, MI November 5-7, 2010 Bantam A & AA 231-933-4842 gthatournaments@yahoo.com
Big Rapids Hockey Association Squirt B Weekend Big Rapids, MI November 12-14, 2010 Squirt B 231-591-2881 www.bigrapidshockey.org Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI November 12-14, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
OUT OF STATE Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH October 8-10, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Hoosier Cup Tournament Series Ft. Wayne, IN October 8-10, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Three Rivers Cup Tournament Series Pittsburgh, PA October 8-10, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
Las Vegas Hockey Classic III Las Vegas, Nevada November 19 - 21, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com http:// www.canlanclassictournaments.com
Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH November 26-28, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
Chicago Wolves Windy City Challenge Series Wishbone Challenge West Dundee, IL November 25-30, 2010 Mite-Midget B, A & AA 847-844-8700 Ext. 224 glapato@clubsportconsulting.com www.leafsicecentre.com
Hockey Time Productions Three Rivers Cup Tournament Series Pittsburgh, PA November 26-28, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
Advanced Tournaments October 22-24, 2010 Pittsburgh, PA Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Fall ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
New Jersey Thanksgiving Classic Vineland, New Jersey November 26 – 28, 2010 BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, AAA 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com http:// www.canlanclassictournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments October 22-24, 2010 Rochester, NY Empire State Tournament Series: Empire State Showdown Mite through Midget: B, A, AA Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
Fort Wayne Thanksgiving Blast Fort Wayne, Indiana November 26-28, 2010 BOYS - 2002/2001, 2000, 1999/1998, 1997/1996, 1995/1994/1993,1992/1991 Tier II - B, A, AA 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com http:// www.canlanclassictournaments.
Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH October 22-24, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
Advanced Tournaments November 26-28, 2010 Chicago, IL CHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Chicago Thanksgiving Classic Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments November 5-7, 2010 Pittsburgh, PA Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Veterans CupMite through Midget: B, A, AA Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH November 5-7, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Hoosier Cup Tournament Series Ft. Wayne, IN November 5-7, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com
Niagra Sports Tournament Niagra Falls Columbus Day Early Bird Niagra Falls, NY October 9-11, 2010 Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, Bantams, and Midgets B, A & AA available. 716-791-4068 www.niagratournaments.com
Las Vegas Youth Blast Las Vegas, Nevada November 5 - 7, 2010 BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993,1992,1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, AAA 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@ icesports.com http://www. canlanclassictournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments October 15-17, 2010 Nashville, TN Music City Tournament Series: Nashville Fall Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, and AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.
Hockey for Heroes / Armed Services Las Vegas, Nevada November 11-14, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@ icesports.com http://www. canlanclassictournaments.com
Advanced Tournaments November 26-28, 2010 Pittsburgh, PA Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Thanksgiving Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, AA Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced Tournaments November 26-28, 2010 Rochester, NY Empire State Tournament Series: Rochester Thanksgiving Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced Tournaments November 26-28, 2010 Washington, DC Congressional Cup Tournament Series: Congressional Thanksgiving Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced Tournaments November 26-28, 2010 Riverside, CA Golden State Tournament Series: Golden State Thanksgiving Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19 Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com
Niagra Sports Tournament Festival of Lights Niagra Falls, NY November 26-28, 2010 Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, Bantams, and Midgets B, A & AA available. 716-791-4068 www.niagratournaments.com Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH December 3-5, 2010 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Gene Harrington Invitational Shootout Classic Niagra Falls, NY December 3-5, 2010 781-710-6560 www.nahockey.com New Jersey Christmas Classic Vineland, New Jersey December 27-29, 2010 BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993,1992,1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, AAA 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com
CANADA October Classic Oshawa, Ontario October 15-17, 2010 Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com November Classic Oshawa , Ontario November 19 - 21, 2010 Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com New Years Ultimate - 2011 Oshawa, Ontario Dec 31 - Jan 1 - 2011 Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@ icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com Winter Whiteout - 2011 Oshawa, Ontario Feb 11 – 13, 2011 Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@ icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com
McCANN ICE ARENA 7th ANNUAL
5th ANNUAL
THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT
CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT
USA Sanction # MIT110172
USA Sanction # MIT110173
House ‘B” and Travel Teams
**Nov. 26-28, 2010***
***Dec. 26-29, 2010**
TOTAL COST for EACH of the 4 TOURNAMENTS NO gate fees / refs and timekeepers included
MITES
3 (10) minute stop time periods TOTAL COST: $395 per team
SQUIRTS 3 (12) MINUTE STOP TIME PER RIODS TOTAL COST: $415 PER TEAM
PEEWEES
3 (13) minute stop time periods TOTAL COST: $450 per team
BANTAMS and MIDGETS 3 (14) minute stop time per riods BANTAM COST: $495 per team Midget Cost: $595 per team
3 GAME GUARANTEE for All TOURNAMENTS 8th ANNUAL
Travel Tune-Up Tournament USA Sanction # MIT110175
8th ANNUAL
Travel Springfest Tournament USA Sanction # MIT110176
Travel Teams Only
**Apr. 14-17, 2011***
***May 12-15, 2011**
**************************************************** McCANN ICE ARENA (313) 343-0947 FAX (313) 647-0041 1045 COOK RD. GROSSE POINTE WOODS, MI. 48236
Visit Michigan and save at participating Choice Hotels.
Michigan. Conveniently located all around our hotels.
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A physical, shutdown-type defenseman, Mitera is good skater and is a good passer coming out of the defensive zone… Played for Honeybaked and Little Caesars growing up and won the 2003 Midget AAA state championship with Little Caesars…. SSpent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Te ea Development Program (NTDP) and graduated from frro Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in 2005… Won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2005 Under-18 World Championship… Was a member of Team USA that finished fourth in the 2006 World Junior Championship… Played four seasons at the University of Michigan… Made the All-CCHA second U Un team t am te m after his junior season with the Wolverines… Was named naame m captain his senior season at Michigan, but suffered a knee knee injury in his first shift of the first game of the season kn and for last eight games of the regular season… a d returned an ret Was by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, 19th Was drafted Wa dra overall over e all in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft… Signed a three-year entry-level entry-le eve v l ccontract with the Ducks in March 2009 and made his h s pro debut hi d but with de w the Iowa Chops (AHL) that month… Worked outt at CORE Sports o ou a C ORE Sp port Fitness in Troy with Sean Collins and Matt Elich all summer… Participated Participat in the Ducks rookie tournament in September and Anaheim’s training camp. an nd is i currently attending atten n
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Arena Guide PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF PLYMOUTH RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Plymouth Cultural Center Ice Arena facility operations manager Ron Baase stands next to the rink’s new geothermal energy system.
Geothermal energy is one way that rinks are lowering utility use BY LARRY O’CONNOR
When it comes to ice arena energy conservation, there are several shades of green and all have a goal of saving a mint. Traditionally, ice arenas have been energy hogs. The soaring costs of heating, lighting and freezing ice are the biggest drains on facility operating budgets, which has spurred many operators into action. No where is that more evident than the Plymouth Cultural Center and Ice Arena where a new $1 million geothermal energy system was installed this summer by Sylvan Lake-based Thermal Force. The system, which taps into the earth’s natural heat, replaced the nearly 40-year facility’s three compressors and 6.5 million BTU boiler. The facility’s utility bills averaged $230,000 year with the old machinery. Those chores for the 62,000-square foot civic center are now handled by six four-by-four-by-four foot “Ice Kubes.” The two-month project was finished in July and instantly produced an excellent sheet of ice. “Our ice quality has improved immensely,” says Ron Baase, Plymouth Cultural Center operations manager. “They don’t think it can freeze ice, but I’m here to tell you it can freeze ice.” The green system also allows for the recapture of waste heat, which can be used to heat water for the rink’s showers and restrooms. Officials anticipate saving $100,000 annually in energy costs, which will repay the $1 million outlay in 10 years. The major investment is one of three degrees of strategy rink managers are employing to combat rising energy costs, says Cory Portner, membership director of the industry’s national trade association Serving The American Rinks. Other operators are using moderate approaches - ranging from a lighting system overhaul to installing motion sensors - to curb energy use. Minor adjustments, or “no
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Michigan Hockey
brainers”as Portner terms them, might involve simply turning up the ice temperature when building is empty.
AGING FACILITIES For facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s, the day of reckoning is near. “We’re looking at 30- and 40-year-old structures. It’s just time,” says Portner, who educates rink operators on ways to reduce energy consumption. “So you’re going to see this huge trend of renovations happening or a lot of decisions happening at the city level where it’s ‘Do we tear down and rebuild’ or ‘Do we renovate,’ because some of those systems that were put in 30 years ago are not designed to last that long.” Minor and moderate adjustments can yield bang for the buck, Portner says. At the Arctic Pond and Arctic Edge facilities, traditional metal Halide lamps were swapped out for fluorescent models. New T8 fluorescent lights cost $13,000 at the Plymouth-based Arctic Pond and another $32,000 at Canton’s Arctic Edge. However, the rinks received rebates of more than $16,000 from DTE for the switch. Additionally, the monthly electrical bills have dipped $1,300 at the Arctic Edge and another $700 at the Arctic Pond, says John Stanzik, who operates both facilities. Motion detectors that were installed also contributed to the savings. “You don’t see the ice price going up, so you have to find a way to cut it on the back end,” Stanzik says. “Cost reduction is huge.” Novi Ice Arena also exchanged 120 Halide metal lights for more energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs above both ice surfaces and replaced another 35 fixtures in the lobby. The project also qualified for a DTE rebate, says Kris Barnes, Novi Ice Arena general manager.
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Early next year, rink officials plan to analyze energy costs to measure the new lights effectiveness, Barnes says. “I think the light quality is a lot better,” he says. “The old metal Halide lights we had took a while to heat up and come on. “With fluorescent lights, it’s instant on and instant off. They also don’t give off as much heat as the Halide lights, so we’ve reduced the heat load on the ice.” New T8 fluorescent lights were also added at Suburban Ice Farmington Hills along with motion sensors and programmable thermostats. Sensors automatically shut off lights when people leave the facility’s restrooms, locker rooms and storage areas while timed thermostats reduce the building’s energy consumption during off hours. Staff also fiddles with the ice temperature. “Throughout the course of the evening, we will turn the temperature up in degrees so we’re not burning our compressors at night when no one is in the building,” says Geoff Bennetts, Suburban Ice Farmington Hills general manager. The latter is an example of a no-cost investment that can still yield savings, STAR’s Portner says. Optimum ice temperature for hockey is 21 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 25 to 27 degrees for figure skating. While unoccupied, those temps can be bumped up to 28 to 30 degrees to save energy. Rink operators are not tone deaf about the need to conserve, Portner says. “They understand the equipment process and they probably agree it would be better to replace old equipment,” Portner says. “It’s the adage of ‘Can we afford to do it and are we willing to make the investment?’ “Whether it is a quick return or a lengthy return, it is still an investment. Somebody has to be there to write the check initially.”
FIRST IN THE STATE By that standard, Plymouth Cultural Center’s geothermal undertaking is a bold move. The venerable ice arena and community center is believed to be first in the state to go with such a system. “So everyone is sort of watching us,” Baase says. Installation involved drilling forty five 400-foot deep wells that are five inches in diameter to draw from the earth’s natural heat. The six small refrigerator-sized “Ice Kubes” take up far less space than the boiler and compressors, freeing up ample room at the civic center. Another benefit of a geothermal system is lower maintenance costs. Plymouth officials visited a Goderich, Ontario, rink, which has a 10-year old geothermal system in place that has required very little maintenance, Baase says. The city was spending $15,000 annually to maintain and repair the Cultural Center’s boiler and compressors. “If something does break down, the other (units) pick up the slack,” Baase says. “You never lose a beat.” Project contractor Thermal Force plans to use the Plymouth Cultural Center as a model for other rinks to see. “By implementing this at Plymouth, it now gives us the opportunity to approach a lot more rinks,” say Ryan Jahnke, Thermal Force commercial and industrial services manager. “I know there has definitely been some interest in the project.”
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Arena Guide
October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
New junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and Muskegon The Michigan Warriors got a new, expanded locker room (left) at Perani’s Arena in Flint (center), while improvements at Muskegon’s L.C. Walker Arena included a new weight room for the Lumberjacks. BY PHILIP COLVIN
New junior teams in Flint and Muskegon have helped spur renovations to the cities respective arenas. In Flint, the North American Hockey League’s Michigan Warriors have started the season at a Perani’s Arena and Event Center that has undergone nearly $1 million in improvements. Originally built in 1969 as the Flint IMA, Perani’s has a new computer controlled heating, cooling and dehumidification system, along with a new roof, new ceiling tiles, a brighter, repainted lobby and new parking lot and arena lighting. “It was just time to rehabilitate the place,� said Firland Management CEO Jim Cain, who oversees operations of the facility. “Safety and security are very important to our customers and we have a much more appealing building than we had even three months ago. In addition, concession stands were gutted and rebuilt and feature new food and beverage equipment, countertops, display menu boards and point of sale stations. Video screens allow fans to watch the game while they are waiting for their food. “The goal was to improve customer service and be more efficient,� said Cain. “We will continue to work to restore Perani Arena and Event Center to a point of pride for the Flint community.� The Warriors’ players’ areas were also expanded and improved. The team’s locker room, players’ lounge and training room have been gutted and repainted bright red and white. A wall was knocked out to expand the locker room, new carpet was installed and large dry erase board was added.
Shower areas and coach Moe Mantha’s office were redone, and a new storage and skate sharpening room were built. “Everything is bigger, more open and rivals anything at almost any level,� said Mantha.
L.C. WALKER GETS IT TOO Near the shores of Lake Michigan on the state’s west side, the Muskegon Lumberjacks are beginning their first season of Tier I junior hockey in the United States Hockey League. Lumberjacks’ owner Josh Mervis is committed to putting the best team possible on the ice and he also wanted to give fans a great place to watch the USHL’s newest team. To that end he upgraded the team’s home rink, L.C. Walker Arena, in downtown Muskegon that was originally built in 1960 and last improved in 1997 under a public improvement bond issue that redid the seating and concession areas. As part of a reported $700,000 renovation the Lumberjacks dressing room was repainted and air flow was improved. Muskegon head coach Kevin Patrick’s office was expanded, repainted and got new furniture. The team store and pro shop is now twice the size. Office space was reconfigured and redone and a new player’s lounge – complete with tables, chairs and internet access - and a state-of-art weight room were constructed. Inside the arena a new scoreboard with video panels for replays was installed at center ice and the lighting was repositioned. “I believe in this market and it was time for an update of this building,�said Mervis.
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GEORGETOWN ADDS NEW TEAM AND LOCKER ROOM Hudsonville’s Georgetown Community Ice Center added a new tenant and a new locker room this summer, all without having to knock down any walls. The arena built a locker room for the Grandville high school team in an area that was previously used as a pro shop. The pro shop was moved to the former skate rental area and the skate rental moved to an area that had previously been used as a video arcade. Grandville signed a long term contract to play at Georgetown, and the additional ice rental revenue generated should payback the cost of the locker room in three years. “We were able to use existing space and move some tenants,� said the facility’s general manager Mike Forbes. “And we’re happy to have Grandville play here.�
S2 BECOMES WINGS WEST Kalamazoo’s Stadium Management Company (SMG) added two more NHL sized sheets of ice after purchasing the S2 Arena in July. SMG owns the K-Wings of the ECHL and the three-arena Wings Stadium Complex. The company has made upgrades to the facility’s paint and sports bar and restaurant and renamed the arena “Wings West.� The arena is expected to host the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association, the three-team West Michigan Hounds AAA program, Southwest Michigan Skating Club, Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League, Kalamazoo Curling Club, Kalamazoo Figure Skating Club, and Western Michigan men’s and women’s club teams.
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Midget Major Preview
Thirteen Midget Major squads will compete for state championship
Capital Centre is out to show that last year’s 15-4-1 league record was no fluke. The Pride was the top pick by NLHL coaches in the annual pre-season coach’s poll, taking five first-place votes and 35 off a possible 36 points. Needless to say, head coach Ron Gay has his team going in the right direction. Last season, the Pride finished two points behind Shattuck St. Mary’s for the regular season title and finished the same way in the NLHL tournament. This season, Capital Centre jumped out to a 4-0 record, led by forward Ryan DeClerq’s 12 points on six goals and a six assists. Brandon Flood, Trevor McSween and Brad Pung each had five goals and Nathan Phillips and Blake Hayes have each
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Michigan Hockey
DETROIT FALCONS (NAPHL) The Falcons, coached by former pro Brian Felsner of Mount Clemens, want nothing more than to make significant strides as the season wears on. “We expect to continually get better on a day-to-day basis,” said assistant coach Jason Deskins, a Warren native and alumnus of the Compuware junior team and the Miami RedHawks.“Each and every day, we expect our players to compete – competing to us is winning one-on-one battles, blocking shots, winning faceoffs, taking hits to make plays and finishing hits at the appropriate time.” Deskins said his team’s deep lineup should be an asset. “We have a great team with solid depth,”Deskins said.“Our kids will pay attention to detail and will compete every shift. We have many talented individuals that will have opportunities to play at a higher level.”
HONEYBAKED (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE) New head coach Steve Dickinson has been an assistant the past three years, but now assumes the reins of a team he said “will have some growing pains early, but will hopefully be a force to be reckoned with as the season goes on.” Captain Drew Mayer is a returning forward and one of six USHL draft picks on the team this year. Alex Blankenburg will see a battle in goal with Japanese import Yoshihiro Kuroiwa, one of the top three goalies in Japan in his age group. “Skill-wise, we are very strong,” said Dickinson. “We are a young team and once the maturity level catches up with the skill will determine how quickly we can be a very good team. “We don’t want to peak too early, but we need to be consistent on a day-to-day basis and put out a tremendous product.”
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ONLY ON THE WEB ga
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CAPITAL CENTRE PRIDE (NLHL)
Compuware will have one of the most promising forwards in all of midget hockey this season in Joe Cox. A future Michigan State Spartan, Cox committed to MSU over the summer and will play next season (and up to six games this season) with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks after being taken in the USHL Futures Draft in May. He’ll arrive in East Lansing in the fall of 2012 or 2013. “(Compuware) coach (George) Daniel is a demanding coach who prepares his players well for future success at the junior hockey level and beyond,” Muskegon coach Kevin Patrick said. In net, when he’s not playing in the OHL for the two-time defending Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires, Josh Malecki should lead from the crease for Compuware.
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Head coach Chris Coury has his team primed for another run at the state championship. “I never like to be the underdog,” said Coury. “I think the pressure makes the kids better and from a coaching standpoint, I relish the challenge of teams coming to play us hard.” Coury has had to replace 16 players on his squad the past two seasons, but feels he has some decent talent this year with returning defenseman Jake Strzalkowski and veteran forwards Andrew Holder, Darren McCormick and Omar Mullan. Joe Moza and Jordan Uhelski will share time in net. “Our focus is always on the state tournament,” added Coury. “We have kids from here, there and everywhere this season, but they are blending together.”
COMPUWARE (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE)
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BELLE TIRE (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE)
earnedd two wins bbetween the h pipes.
PHOTO BY AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES
With 13 top-level midget major teams in three different leagues calling Michigan home this season, even a casual observer can see that this is further proof that the state definitely excels at producing players ready to move on to higher levels. This year, five teams will play in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, another five in the Northern Lakes Hockey League and three more in the North American Prospects Hockey League. NAPHL director Denny Scanlon perhaps said it best when he assessed the midget hockey landscape in Michigan. “There are some great midget programs in and around Michigan and our league is lucky to have some of the finest,” said Scanlon. “All of them are competitive and want nothing but the best for their players in terms of development and exposure, which is what we’re all about.” Each year at this time, optimism is peaking and all teams are playing towards one goal – winning a Michigan Amateur Hockey Association state championship. Here is an alphabetical look at the 13 Midget Major squads in Michigan:
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BY MATT MACKINDER
Compuware’sJoeCoxhasbeendrafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) and has made a verbal commitment to attend Michigan State.
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THE REST OF THE DGET MAJOR MID PREVIEW
LANSING CAPITALS (NAPHL) Head coach Dean Dixon says the name of the game in Lansing is player advancement. “Our expectations are to keep moving players on to the next level,”said Dixon.“Last season, we had six players tendered and three drafted to the NAHL. With that, we did have a lot of quality players, as well as quality young men, come to us this year.” The Capitals have seven 1994 birth years on the squad this season, as well as several older players. “We are young, but have a great mix of different types of players,” added Dixon. “Every year is a learning process for the players. The key for them is to understand the compete level and to be consistent each time they step on the ice.” Check out “Only on the Web” at: michiganhockeyonline.com to read the previews of Little Caesars (Tier 1 Elite League), Marquette Electricians (NLHL), Motor City Metal Jackets (NAPHL), Ojibwa Eagles (NLHL), Soo Indians (NLHL), Victory Honda (Tier 1 Elite League) and West Michigan Hounds (NLHL).
Tier I Elite League
October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
Top players and veteran coaches fuel Tier 1 Elite League
GET YOUR FIT ON The New CCM U+ Crazy Light
BY MATT MACKINDER
The Mid-West Elite Hockey League had always been known as the top Midget AAA program in the Great Lakes region. Two years ago the MWEHL expanded from the West Coast to the East Coast, and the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League was born. The growth has proved to be a worthy way to enhance player development and exposure. “We are the best league in the country,” said Tier 1 commissioner Larry Johnson. “I talk to people from other leagues and they tell me they have a great league, but then they play teams from our league at tournaments and they don’t match up to our teams.” With five 5-team divisions, and teams as far east as Boston and as far west as Los Angeles, the Tier 1 Elite league really is a nationwide circuit. “I think there is something like 128 Midget Major teams in the United States and if you looked at the rankings of the top 30 in the country last year, 25 of them are the 25 teams from our league,” Little Caesars head coach Bill Ciraulo (above) said. “These are the top kids in the U.S. and it’s the most recruited league by college and junior scouts in the country.”
TOP COACHES Belle Tire’s Chris Coury, a longtime coach at the Midget AAA level, believes a big part of the Tier I Elite League’s success comes from the stability of the league’s coaches. “We have some of the best coaches in the country and a lot of them have been here a long time, guys like Coury and Ciraulo,” agreed Johnson. “And a lot of them don’t have a kid on the team. The continuity is good for the league and I think it helps the kids know what to expect. We just had one coach move up to a college team, so even our coaches advance once in a while. “I laugh because the coaches of Compuware (George Daniel) and Honeybaked (Steve Dickinson) used to play for Coury. So guys that play here want to come back and support this league. I imagine, too, that games with Belle Tire against Compuware and Honeybaked might be a little bit more intense, too.”
MORE TEAMS, LESS TRAVEL The five Michigan organizations – Belle Tire, Compuware, Honeybaked, Little Caesars and Victory Honda – make up the Detroit Division in the league. In past years, it wasn’t uncommon for a midget roster to resemble a junior roster as a slew of players weren’t from Michigan and moved to the Detroit area to play midget hockey. That still happens, but with top-level teams in places like Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Colorado, many high-end players are instead staying home. “You used to see a lot more kids moving to come here to play midget hockey, but now, not so much,” Dickinson said. “Every team still has a few, but the numbers are nowhere near what they used to be.” A perfect example of a player leaving town for midgets was when Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane left Buffalo at 15 to play for Honeybaked. He lived with assistant coach Pat Verbeek that season and now, well, did you happen to notice who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in June? “The league is so spread out that players don’t need to leave home at 15 or 16,” Johnson said. “I know when my son was 16, I didn’t want him leaving home to play hockey. Detroit and Chicago have always attracted the kids from out of the state and even out of the country at times. Even now, tryouts start as soon as the previous season ends and we pick our teams pretty early. The competition is outstanding and
we really do get the best players in the country playing in our league. “When we picked the teams for this league, we didn’t just pick organizations with good midget teams. We picked organizations that have AAA from squirts on up. You might have a barn-burner of a midget team one year, but move those guys up and what’s left? We don’t want that to happen.”
MOVING UP And speaking of the NHL, during each summer’s draft, more and more Americans that played in the Tier 1 league (or MWEHL) are drafted by NHL teams. This past summer, Cam Fowler (Anaheim) and Austin Watson (Nashville) were taken in the first round. Fowler last played for Honeybaked, while Watson is a Compuware grad. In the USHL and NAHL junior drafts, Tier 1 players populate the draft lists at a rapid pace. In addition a good amount of players also wind up in Ann Arbor playing for the U.S. NTDP. “Every year, we move so many players on and I know at the last USHL draft, something like 50 percent of the kids drafted were from the Tier 1 Elite league,” said Johnson.“The next closest league was like 10 or 15 players behind that. We also had a big percentage drafted by NAHL teams. We also move kids on to the OHL and it’s almost unheard of, but we have also had players drafted by NHL team’s right out of midget.”
COST CONTAINMENT With more teams spread out farther from each other, containing costs is important. The league has addressed the issue by cutting down the amount of games teams play at their showcase events over the course of the season to four in three days, instead of five. “We found that teams were getting home late, players were more susceptible to injuries and quite frankly, the kids were tired and the last games weren’t that worthwhile to watch,” said Johnson. “The showcase format is a big thing for scouts, as they can come to one rink and see really as many high-level games as they want. If you go to a tournament, only two or three games might be worthwhile. You come to one of our showcases and every game is worthwhile.” Fraser’s Great Lakes Sports City will host all 25 Midget Minor teams Halloween weekend and then all 25 Midget Major teams at the end of December. While the current state of the Tier 1 Elite league seems to be improving and gaining respect by the day, is there expansion on the horizon? “At this point, we do not have any plans to expand,” Johnson said. “If we do, it would have to be with teams that wouldn’t weaken the league. Also, maybe down the road, and we’ve talked about this, we could divide the teams up into two conferences, east and west. “Anything we can do to improve the league, make it cheaper, but still maintain the high level of competition, we’ll certainly look into.”
PHOTOS BY DAVE REGINEK / DIG PHOTOS
MichiganHockeyOnline.com
Michigan Hockey
25
Junior Hockey
October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Jets into new CSHL season After his Italian national team was eliminated from the 1998 World Championships by France, Jason Cirone wasn’t upset about the season coming to a close. “That’s when I knew it was time,” said Cirone, now the Central States Hockey League’s Metro Jets head coach. “Nobody had ever said anything about retiring, but as I sat there in Quebec City, I had a sense of accomplishment. I had been asked to play another year in Flint (with the since-folded Generals of the International Hockey League), but my family had given enough of themselves to me that it was time to give back. When I told my wife, Kristen, that it was over, we argued back and forth and even now, my son (10-year old Mason) asks me every summer when I’m going to start training.” Now behind the bench as a rookie head coach, the 39-year-old Toronto native has brought his no-nonsense style of coaching to the team and hopes to turn around Metro’s fortunes. Cirone started coaching the season after he retired and has brought valuable experience to Waterford’s Lakeland Arena. “The Motor City Machine (now Metal Jackets of the North American Hockey League) had a coaching change in the middle of the season and the assistant there, Sean Clark (also a former Metro assistant coach), gave me a call and asked if I wanted to be his new assistant,” explained Cirone. “Then when the team changed ownership last year and brought in David Cole, I was fortunate enough to be retained for that following season. I wouldn’t have had the chances I’ve had if certain people wouldn’t have given me the chance – guys like Sean and (Metro owner-GM) Butch (Wolfe) here. I’ve just been very fortunate. Hockey has done so much for me that now, it’s time for me to give back to hockey.” Cirone is one of several CSHL head coaches that has professional hockey on his resume. He’s also the only coach with more than 1,000 pro games to his credit, including three games in the National Hockey League. “I literally went all over the world to so many places that I never would have
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Michigan Hockey
PHOTO COURTESY FLINT GENERALS
BY MATT MACKINDER
gone, and I owe all those experiences to hockey. I mean, I went on vacation to Egypt and Africa and also went to Moscow, Latvia, Poland, all over Europe. Going all those places was so amazing.” Cirone played in the International Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, West Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. During his second-to-last season in 2006-07 with the CHL’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, he was a player-assistant coach. That primed him for an assistant coaching job the past two years with Motor City. Cirone’s crowning achievement, though, came during the 1991-92 season when he earned two different recalls to the Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes) of the NHL. Winnipeg had drafted Cirone in the third round (46th overall) in the 1989 NHL draft. “Getting to the NHL was all I ever thought about growing up,” Cirone said. “My father and mother supported me so much and I was your typical Canadian kid skating in the backyard rink. I’d get up at five in the morning and skate, then go to school, come home and skate until dinner. I’d be at the dinner table with my skates on and then I’d go back out until it got dark.” And while he didn’t record a point in his brief NHL career, Cirone did record 338 pro goals and more than 700 assists. Those totals also include six seasons in Italy, a country where he holds a passport, and he also played for the Italian national team in the 2006 Olympics on its home turf in Torino. “To play for Italy, you have to play in the country for two calendar years and I did that,” explained Cirone. “Besides the hockey, it was a great experience being over there. My daughter (12-year old Brooke) speaks and writes Italian extremely well and my wife (Kristen) actually has a job now as an Italian translator. It’s more my dad’s country, but I was still very proud to play for Italy.” Coaching has been a natural progression for Cirone. “It’s been quite a lifestyle change since I retired, but it’s better for all of us. In hockey, you tend to be selfish a lot, your family is always there to give you endless love. I can honestly say that I have no regrets.” “I’m very happy with what I accomplished and am excited to see where this season takes us.” New Metro Jets head coach Jason Cirone played 17 seasons of pro hockey, including one with the Flint Generals.
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Junior Hockey PHOTO BY RENA LAVERTY/PLYMOUTH WHALERS
nce Finding the right insura . program just got easier
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Farmington Hills native and Compuware midget major alumnus Alex Aleardi has started the season red hot in Plymouth.
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Aleardi on early tear for Whalers BY MATT MACKINDER
866-223-2112 866 223 2112 Contact: Jim Campbell jimcampbell@hartlandinsurance.com
or Doug Fairbanks dougfairbanks@hartlandinsurance.com
When the Plymouth Whalers made a late summer trade to acquire Alex Aleardi, the initial response from most observers was that it was a move to bring a talented local player closer to home for his third season in the Ontario Hockey League. Whalers general manager and head coach Mike Vellucci gave up two future second round draft picks to get the 18-year-old native of Farmington Hills from Belleville, and the move looks pretty good so far. In Plymouth’s first three games – a 5-4 shootout loss to Windsor, a 6-2 win over Barrie and a 3-2 loss to London - Aleardi scored seven goals, including two hat tricks. He was the Star of the Game twice, was a +4 and was named the OHL’s first player of the week. To put those numbers in perspective, Aleardi had tallied just 21 goals in 129 games over the past two seasons in Belleville and Kitchener. In one pre-season game on Sept. 12, eight days before the trade to Plymouth, Aleardi popped all five goals for Belleville in a 5-4 win over Oshawa. Where is all the offense coming from all of a sudden? Aleardi showed his humble side when approached with that question. “I’ve always been an offensive-type player and once I adjusted to the pace of the OHL, I actually had some good numbers last year (16 goals, 41 points),” Aleardi said. “I played a little bit more in Belleville than I did in Kitchener and learned to read the play better. So far this year, I just give credit to my linemates (overager Tyler Brown and second-year forward Garrett Meurs), who have been just phenomenal. (Coach Vellucci) put us together my first practice and we clicked. It seemed like we had known each other forever. It’s my third year in the league and I’ve put it on myself to score more.”
CLOSER TO HOME Aleardi was originally Kitchener’s third round pick in 2008 and was dealt to Belleville last season at the trade deadline. Getting traded again wasn’t something Aleardi was hoping for, but when the proposition was made to him, it was an offer he couldn’t turn down. “In Belleville, we were really deep at the center position and had some really good talent,” said Aleardi. “(Belleville head coach and general manager) George (Burnett) called me into his office and said he was trading me back to my hometown. He said Plymouth was in need of some offense. It’s a good situation for me because now there are no six-hour drives to come see me play or anything like that. I can have my friends and family in the stands watching me. “The players here in Plymouth are great, too. When I got here, I didn’t know anyone and they each came up to me and introduced themselves.” It’s not as though playing at Compuware Arena is a new scenario, however. Aleardi grew up playing in the Compuware youth system and during his OHL draft year of
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2007-08 he played on the Compuware Midget Minor squad that also featured London forward and Boston prospect Jared Knight (Battle Creek), Peterborough forward Austin Watson (Ann Arbor), Nashville’s top pick last summer, and current Plymouth defenseman and Carolina draft pick Austin Levi (Farmington Hills) “That 1992 age group was one of the best and deepest in the U.S. and Canada,” remembered Aleardi. “That year, I really didn’t know what I was going to do the year after that. I had no clue. I was dabbling in going to college, but after I visited Kitchener, I really liked the city and then they took me in the third round. I never thought I’d play in Plymouth, but now that I’m here, I am very happy to be here. I just want to get a couple more wins on the board.” Plymouth lost their season opener in Windsor, then lost in a shootout in London before beating Barrie at home. Aleardi said while his individual statistics have been great, they are not the most important numbers to him. “I would trade all those goals for more wins,” Aleardi said. “My dad always used to say that team success equals individual success. We could win 6-1 and I could have no points, but I’d be happy that we won.” Points or no points, it appears more notches in the win column may be on the horizon for the Whalers.
WHALERS NOTEBOOK Defenseman Leo Jenner and forward Joe Gaynor, two overage players from last season who played five years in Plymouth, will both play for Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, this season … The third OA from last year, forward Ryan Hayes, has signed with the ECHL’s Trenton Devils … If the Whalers raise $10,000 before their third annual Pink Out! game for breast cancer awareness on Oct. 16 against Windsor, Vellucci and associate coach Joe Stefan will join the players in dyeing their hair pink … Chelsea native Joe Cox, a 10th-round pick of the Whalers in May’s draft, has committed to Michigan State for either 2012 or 2013 … Veteran defenseman Beau Schmitz (Howell) wore the ‘C’ for the season-opening trifecta of games for the Whalers, while Brown, Meurs and veteran defenseman Jay Gilbert were the alternate captains.
HE SAID IT “Last year was definitely a learning experience. It helped me learn the speed of the game and how if you’re not big and strong, guys keep up with you pretty easily. Last year, (coach) Mike (Vellucci) put me in as a penalty killer. Every chance I got, I tried to block shots and play well. This year, I’m trying to do the exact same thing. I’ll play any role I’m given this year and try to play well.” – second-year forward Stefan Noesen, on PlymouthWhalers.com
Presented by
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Whalers v. Windsor
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We are hoping to make it the best one yet! If we raise $10,0 $10,000 000 before the game, not only will the entire team dye their hair pink, but head coach Mike Vellucci & Assistant coach Joe Stefan will dye their hair too! All proceeds will go to the Karmanos Cancer Institute. See plymouthwhalers.com for details!
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FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL (734) 453-8400
Now Registering for Winter Session 1 plymouthwhalers.com • compuwarearena.com 14900 Beck Road • North of M-14 Plymouth • (734) 453-6400
November 2 - December 18 All ages and Levels, Beginner - Adult Call 734-453-8400 to register!
BY CARL CHIMENTI
Since injuring his knee in the playoffs last March, veteran Saginaw forward Barry Sanderson has been chomping at the bit to get back on the ice. The Dearborn native suffered a torn ACL, spent the spring and summer doing rehab and has been cleared to return to the Spirit lineup. “I tried to stay positive,” said Sanderson, who is set to compete in his fifth season in the OHL. “I said let’s get the swelling down and get the surgery started so I can get back to playing as soon as possible.” Sanderson skated during training camp with no contact. “My main focus has been my game conditioning and speed,”said Sanderson, who was acquired in 2008 from the Niagara IceDogs. “Everything feels really good and I am very excited to start the year.” After enjoying the last four years playing in front of his family and friends, Sanderson is intent on impressing scouts in his final season of junior hockey. “It’s been a blast,” he said. if I have a good year, you just don’t know what might happen.”
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT Saginaw assistant general manager and director of scouting Jim Paliafito is pleased with the 2010 draft and free agent classes. “The young guys got a small taste of life in the OHL,” said Paliafito. “It’s going to take a bit of adjustment but everyone fared really well.” Big center Justin Kea, the Spirit’s first round pick, picked up steam as the pre-season wrapped up and scored a highlight goal against Sarnia in the next to last exhibition game. He most likely will center Saginaw’s fourth line. Saginaw’s first of two second round picks, goalie Jake Paterson, looked solid in his only pre-season appearance, also against the Sting, turning in two excellent periods. Defenseman and second rounder Jacob Ringuette missed most of training camp with an injury.
October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
“Justin is a big strong, skilled forward that can really skate, Paterson played a good first game and Ringuette is a little behind the eight ball, but he is coming around,” said Paliafito. In addition the two free agent invites, forwards Alex Racino and defensemen Dalton Young (Marysville) turned in solid performances and Brandon Saad, the team’s 2008 first round draft pick, has been dominant since day one, collecting three points in his first game against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. “Both Racino and Young are going to have to adjust to the speed of the game and Saad is a projected top NHL draft pick who should do very well in this league,” continued Paliafito. “It will take about a month or two for everyone to adjust and we will bring them up slowly and by the second half of the season they will be able to give us some positive energy.”
SPIRIT NOTEBOOK Saginaw opened season play on the road with a 5-2 loss in Kitchener on Sept. 24 and then beat Erie, 3-2, the following night. Tied 2-2 tie through 40 minutes, the Rangers tallied three times in the final period, including the game winner from Tyler Randell at 8:58. Mavric Parks got the start and stopped 40 of 45 shots… Saginaw rebounded with a gritty effort against the Otters as Vincent Trocheck scored his second of two goals with less then three minutes to play and Parks stopped 34 of 36 shots to even Saginaw’s record at 1-1. Brandon Saad netted his first career OHL goal and also had an assist and Ryan O’Connor added a pair of assists in the win… Saginaw was minus Anthony Camara and head coach Todd Watson during the weekend. Camara was handed a four-game suspension for a post game skirmish last on Sept. 17 in Sarnia which carried an automatic two-game suspension for the head coach. “There was no intent for trouble to come up,”Watson told the team’s website. “It just transpired after the game and the rule states that the coach is suspended if a player gets involved that wasn’t on the ice.”
PHOTO BY TERRY WILSON/OHL IMAGES
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GET OFF THE BENCH! ADULT HOCKEY Skills and Conditioning Series Professional coaching for men & women of all ability levels
18TH SEASON! Fall Session
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3FYNTSFQ 9JFR )J[JQTURJSY 5WTLWFR Upcoming Games Doubleheader Weekend Hockey fans, come check out some of the brightest young stars of the game for the lowest prices around at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube! be) l games at Ann Arbor Ice Cu 2010-11 Home Schedule (al p.m. 7 hting Saints Under-18 Under-17 Under-18 Under-17 Under-17 Under-17
Dubuque Fig Dubuque Fighting Saints Muskegon Lumberjacks Chicago Steel Indiana Ice Green Bay Gamblers
Fri., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 20 Sun., Nov. 21
Under-17 Under-18 Under-18
Muskegon Lumberjacks Omaha Lancers Indiana Ice
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 9 Fri., Dec. 10 Sat., Dec. 11 Sun., Dec. 12
Under-17 Under-18 Under-18 Under-17
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Chicago Steel Indiana Ice
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 8 Sun., Jan. 9 Fri., Jan. 14 Sat., Jan. 15 Sat., Jan. 22
Under-17 Under-17 Under-18 Under-18 Under-17
Sioux City Musketeers Youngstown Phantoms Green Bay Gamblers Youngstown Phantoms Sioux Falls Stampede
7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 9 Sat., Oct. 9 Sun., Oct. 10 Fri., Oct. 29 Sat., Oct. 30
Tri-City Storm Muskegon Lumberjacks Chicago Steel
3 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 3 Fri., Feb. 18 Sat., Feb. 19
Under-18 Under-17 Under-17
Wed., Mar. 2 Fri., Mar. 4 Sat., Mar. 5 Sun., Mar. 6 Tue., Mar. 8 Tue., Mar. 22 Fri., Mar. 25 Sun., Mar. 27
Under-17 Under-18 Under-18 Under-17 Under-17 Under-17 Under-18 Under-17
Waterloo Black Hawks Waterloo Black Hawks Des Moines Buccaneers Fargo Force Indiana Ice Chicago Steel Lincoln Stars Des Moines Buccaneers
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m.
Under-17
Youngstown Phantoms
7 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 2
For NTDP tickets and group rate information, call 734-327-9251 or visit usahockey.com/usantdp
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 Under-18 Team vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints - 7 p.m. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 Under-17 Team vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints - 3 p.m. Under-18 Team vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks - 7 p.m. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10 Under-17 Team vs. Chicago Steel - 3 p.m. Special Promotions Magnet Schedule Giveaway T first 100 fans at each of the four games The will receive a NTDP Magnet Schedule
General Admission Tickets ² $GXOWV ² 6WXGHQWV 6HQLRUV Children under 5 are FREE! Youth players get in for a buck!
NTDP Equipment Sale
An equipment sale will be held all weekend at each game (or until ssupplies last). Equipment available will include sticks, gloves, helmets, ppants, weight training equipment, trunks and other great hockey gear!
Youth hockey players can get into the NTDP games for just $1 when they wear their jersey! Bring your whole team out to see the future stars of college and pro hockey and meet them after the game!
NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE 2010-11 NAHL Standings (as of Sept. 27) CENTRAL Coulee Region Alexandria Bismarck Owatonna Austin Aberdeen
GP 6 5 6 4 4 5
W 5 3 3 1 1 0
L 0 1 2 3 3 5
OTL PTS 1 11 1 7 1 7 0 2 0 2 0 0
PCT 0.917 0.700 0.583 0.250 0.250 0.000
GF 23 20 19 14 8 13
GA 13 13 16 18 16 31
PIM 99 85 101 64 69 68
NORTH St. Louis Janesville Traverse City Motor City Springfield Michigan Chicago Port Huron
GP 8 8 5 6 9 7 9 4
W 6 5 4 4 3 2 1 0
L 2 1 1 2 6 4 7 4
OTL PTS 0 12 2 12 0 8 0 8 0 6 1 5 1 3 0 0
PCT 0.750 0.750 0.800 0.667 0.333 0.357 0.167 0.000
GF 29 26 16 20 25 22 23 8
GA 20 15 8 20 31 22 47 20
PIM 116 163 87 194 146 109 225 174
SOUTH Wichita Falls Amarillo Topeka Corpus Christi Texas New Mexico
GP 6 7 6 7 7 6
W 6 5 5 3 2 3
L 0 1 1 3 2 3
OTL PTS 0 12 1 11 0 10 1 7 3 7 0 6
PCT 1.000 0.786 0.833 0.500 0.500 0.500
GF 24 26 20 26 25 18
GA 11 19 13 26 29 24
PIM 120 193 141 262 164 146
WEST Fairbanks Wenatchee Alaska Kenai River Fresno Dawson Creek
GP 7 6 9 8 4 7
W 5 5 4 3 2 2
L 0 1 5 5 1 4
OTL PTS 2 12 0 10 0 8 0 6 1 5 1 5
PCT 0.857 0.833 0.444 0.375 0.625 0.357
GF 35 24 25 21 13 11
GA 21 15 26 26 16 18
PIM 128 107 278 164 82 318
PTS 13 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
PIM 10 11 4 6 4 0 2 0 10 13 0 8 4 4 8 8 2 21 20 18 0
PPG 2 2 3 3 0 2 1 0 2 1 0 3 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 2 2
SHG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1
TOP SCORERS TEAM POS GP Einersen, Rock TEX F 7 Nauman, Ethan SPR F 9 Osborn, JT FAI F 7 Nagtzaam, Nardo ALX F 5 Walker, Beau COR F 7 Wydo, Cody MCM F 6 Albrecht, James CHI F 9 Vierling, Zach FAI F 7 Hill, Michael TOP F 6 Gaarder, Connor COU F 6 Mauermann, Ross JNE F 8 Stouffer, Ryan STL F 8 Pearson, Andy ALA F 9 Lubanski, Brett KNR F 8 Jacobson, Derek JNE F 8 Educate, Louis CHI F 8 Linnell, Jared FAI F 7 Cheraso, Sam COR F 7 Frye, Zach WEN D 6 Klecha, Dakota WFS F 6 Amin, Ryan TVC F 5 TOP GOALIES Meyers, Jacob Hamby, Jimmy Marble, Tyler Jacobson, David Garavaglia, Eric Szczerba, Nikifor Dyson, Edward Tirronen, Rasmus Moberg, Paul Jaeger, Brandon Green, Tyler Ceasar, Gordon Perry, Steve Benton, Josh Madore, Matt
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Michigan Hockey
G 7 4 10 6 4 6 3 2 4 3 2 6 3 3 4 3 3 5 1 5 5
A 6 8 2 6 7 5 7 8 6 7 7 3 5 5 4 5 5 3 7 3 3
TEAM GP MIN SO ALX 2 125:00:00 0 STL 5 243:32:00 0 TVC 5 299:54:00 2 JNE 8 486:22:00 2 WFS 3 184:44:00 1 AMA 6 326:04:00 1 DAW 3 190:00:00 0 TOP 4 220:00:00 1 COU 5 310:55:00 0 WEN 3 180:00:00 0 WFS 2 120:00:00 0 MCM 3 143:49:00 1 FAI 4 219:15:00 1 KNR 5 205:22:00 1 NME 2 120:00:00 0
GA 2 5 7 13 5 9 6 7 10 6 4 5 8 8 5
GAA 0.96 1.23 1.40 1.60 1.62 1.66 1.89 1.91 1.93 2.00 2.00 2.09 2.19 2.34 2.50
SV 23 85 144 181 98 159 100 88 174 66 68 62 96 82 64
SV% 0.920 0.944 0.954 0.933 0.951 0.946 0.943 0.926 0.946 0.917 0.944 0.925 0.923 0.911 0.928
Showcase Tournament kicks off season in style Already positioned as one of the largest and most prestigious fall festivals in all of has 11 former NAHL players on its WCHA roster. “The games were very competitive North America, the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Showcase Tournament, and enjoyable to watch, and there were many players who left a good impression.” sponsored by SBK Hockey, held true to form once again this year. Celebrated in mid-September at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. for the LOTS OF SCOUTS eighth straight year, the event set new highs for attendance and scout presence Mark Catron, head coach of the Indiana Jr. Ice’s 18U team which leads its division while ushering in hundreds of the world’s best after opening its NAPHL season with a 5-0 record young prospects. (there is a three-way tie between Thunder AAA, “From fans to parents to scouts to coaches, I Omaha AAA and the California Titans in the 16U heard nothing but glowing reviews and I think division; the Rocky Mountain Roughriders lead that speaks volumes about the reputation of the the 14U bracket), was wowed by all of the scouts Showcase and everyone involved,” said NAHL in the building the entire week. commissioner Mark Frankenfeld.“This event has “What an awesome event,” he said. “Scouts really taken on a life of its own and we can’t wait were visible at every game and, as a coach, I was to bring it to an even higher level next season.” extremely pleased with how much they watched All 26 NAHL teams played four regular-season all of the teams.” games at the tournament, which was highlighted “The event was first class in every sense of the by a visit from six-time Stanley Cup winner Mark word,” added Omaha AAA 16U head coach David Messier, who was in attendance to announce Wilkie.“The scouting presence was unparalleled.” The Messier Project’s new partnership with the The tournament doesn’t come close to reaching NAHL as the league’s Official Helmet Supplier. its prestige without the Super Rink, the largest The event also included the first tournament facility of its kind in the world. From its eight sheets of the second North American Prospects Hockey of ice to its accommodating and experienced League (NAPHL) season, in which 38 Midget staff, no other building matches what the Super Major (18U), Midget Minor (16U) and Bantam Rink delivers. Major (14U) teams competed at the Tier I level. “We couldn’t host an event like this anywhere Texas Rock Einerson leads the NAHL in scoring with And the hockey didn’t end there. Twenty-two else, and the reason it evolves year after year is seven goals and 13 points in seven games. teams also made up the NAHL Future Prospects because of the great people at the Super Rink,” Tournament, which included clubs at the 18U and said Frankenfeld. “They do an outstanding job 16U levels. The Minnesota Blades won the Future’s Midget Major championship. The from head to toe and we can’t thank them enough for their efforts.” North Jersey Avalanche took home the Midget Minor title. “The Showcase is always a great event and we look forward to hosting it every year,” Super Rink ice arena operations and program director Pete Carlson said. “The NAHL and its staff does a phenomenal job and it’s a treat to work with them.” WALL-TO-WALL ACTION All of it equated to wall-to-wall hockey at the Super Rink, which drew plenty of praise from college and NHL scouts alike. A GREAT WEEK “The talent level in the NAHL is pretty impressive. It’s amazing how many good In addition to the abundance of talent, scouts were also impressed with how young players are out there,” said Derek Plante, an assistant coach at the University well the tournament was run. of Minnesota Duluth of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). “And “I’ve always been pleased with the Showcase,” said Belisle. “Considering the the talent at the Midget and Bantam levels was also high. There were some elite amount of teams and games played, it always amazes me how smooth the event athletes, which made it beneficial to watch for our program.” runs, and that speaks to the organization and level of professionalism of those “It’s a great opportunity for these young men to showcase their talents in front involved with the NAHL.” of scouts from all across the country,” said Tony Gasparini, an amateur scout for the “It’s a great venue to watch a lot of hockey in one place, and it’s mind-boggling at NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. “Having an event like this at this time of year allows every times because there’s so much hockey going on at one time,”added Plante.“I thought team to get a first look and feel for the league and the players, which is beneficial the Showcase was very well organized and the staff was very accommodating to for everybody.” the scouting community.” In the end, it was the Wichita Falls Wildcats, who went a perfect 4-0 at the Gasparini, who’s attended the Showcase the last four years, agrees. event, laying claim to the Showcase Tournament championship after besting the “Once again, I was very impressed with the level of organization involved with both also-undefeated Topeka RoadRunners in the tiebreaker. NAHL events,” he said. “I thought they were well organized and very scout-friendly.” “There was high-end talent, as well as developing players, which makes for a And, for many of the participating players, the experience will pay off in short time. good evaluation for college recruiters,” noted Tom Newton, an assistant coach with “Our mission as a league is to maximize the exposure of all of our players and Michigan State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).“The ability to see prospective players, and there’s no better forum to do that than at the Showcase,” that many prospects in one spot in a well-organized setting was just outstanding.” said Frankenfeld. “It’s a special event and one we’re very proud of and look forward “I thought the overall talent showcased was very good at both the NAHL and to every fall.” NAPHL levels,”added Bemidji State University assistant coach Ted Belisle, whose team
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October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5
We have it covered from Mini-Mites to the Pros
Muskegon ready to begin first USHL season
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PHOTO BY TERRY SABO/MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS
BY PHILIP COLVIN
After wrapping up the pre-season with four straight wins, the Muskegon Lumberjacks are chomping at the bit to get their first United States Hockey League (USHL) season started. Muskegon opened the pre-season with a 4-3 win over Chicago on September 10 at Joe Louis Arena, split games with Indianapolis and then beat the Fargo Force (4-2), Dubuque Fighting Saints (4-1) and Sioux City, 8-3, at the USHL’s Fall Classic on September 22-25 in Sioux City, Iowa. The Lumberjacks got solid goaltending from Paul Berrafato (four wins) and Joel Vienneau, who returned from off-season surgery to backstop the Lumberjacks’ win against Dubuque. Muskegon featured a balanced scoring attack that included two goal games from forwards Charlie Taft (against Dubuque) and Canton’s Matt Berry (against Sioux City and pictured above) and John Parker scored in three straight games. “They played hard and they played for 60 minutes,” said Lumberjacks Head Coach Kevin Patrick. “They got a lot of pucks to the net and good things happen when you do that. I’m very proud of how the guys played in these three games and we’ve got a lot to build off.” Muskegon’s roster has eight players from Michigan, including defensemen Kevin Albers (Lake Orion), Carter Foguth (Fenton), Micki Mihailovich (Westland), Travis Walsh (Lansing), Mark Yanis (Grosse Pointe Woods) and forwards Matt DeBlouw (Chesterfield), Matt Berry (Canton) and Michael Moran (Ann Arbor) The Lumberjacks open their inaugural regular season in the USHL on Saturday, Oct. 2, against the Indiana Ice at the L.C. Walker Arena at 7:15 p.m. “I can’t wait for the home opener,” Berry said.
ON THE RADIO Muskegon broadcaster Christopher Heimerman will host the “Breaking Out the Lumberjacks” weekly radio program from 6-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM, The Champ, at Racquets Downtown Grill across the street from the L.C. Walker Arena. The show will feature Lumberjacks Head Coach Kevin Patrick and two Jacks players and will be rebroadcast on The Champ every Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m.
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EVERYONE BACK IN ANN ARBOR FOR U.S. NATIONAL UNDER 18 TEAM All twenty-two players on the U.S. National Under 18 are returning for their second season with the NTDP, having spent last season with the U.S. National Under-17 Team. The Under 18 Team roster includes three players from Michigan, defenseman Andy Ryan (Brighton), forwards Reid Boucher (Grand Ledge), Blake Pietila (Brighton) and Rocco Grimaldi, a California native that played for Little Caesars Midget Major. The 22 players on the U.S. roster represent 11 different states. Minnesota leads the way with four natives on the roster, while
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Ohio also has three. Fifteen members of Team USA have verbally committed to NCAA Division I schools. Flint native Ron Rolston, the most successful coach in NTDP history, will guide the Under-18 squad in his seventh season, after serving behind the bench for the Under-17 team last season. Chadd Cassidy will enter his fifth season as assistant coach, while Matt Curley will serve as intern coach. The U.S. National Under-18 Team will play a 16-game schedule against NCAA opponents, including four teams that finished the 2009-10 season ranked in the top 10 of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll, including No. 4 University of Denver (Oct. 2), No. 7 University of North Dakota (Dec. 18), No. 8 University of Michigan (Oct. 12) and No. 9 Cornell University (Oct. 23). The U.S. will also compete internationally, at the 2010 Under-18 Four Nations Cup Nov. 8-14 in Sweden and the 2011 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament Feb. 7-13 in the Czech Republic. The season then culminates with Team USA looking to capture its eighth straight medal and third consecutive gold at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Germany, April 5-25. Grimaldi scored a goal in all four of the squad’s pre-season games, including two in a 5-4 win over Waterloo (USHL) on Sept. 25 at the USHL Fall Classic. Pietila scored the game-winner in the third period.
UNDER-17 TEAM ALSO HAS MICHIGAN CONNECTION Calumet’s Ben Johnson scored twice to help the U.S. National Under 17 Team to a 7-4 victory over Traverse City (NAHL) on Sept. 24 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. The win was Pontiac native Danton Cole’s first as head coach of the team, part of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP). Cole’s Under 17 squad also includes two defenseman from Michigan in Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor) and Jacob Trouba (Compuware Midget Major) and Connor Carrick of Orland Park, Illinois who has made a verbal commitment to play at the University of Michigan. The team, whose assistant coach is Matt Greason and intern coach is Tyler Eaves, look to defend its titles at both the 2010 Under-17 Four Nations Cup, Nov. 7-14, in Woodridge, Ill. and the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Dec. 28, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, in Winnipeg, Man. Additionally, the U.S. will travel to Piestany, Slovakia, Feb. 6-13, for the 2011 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament. The 23 players on the U.S. roster represent 10 different states. Illinois leads the way with six natives on the roster, while Massachusetts boasts four and California and Minnesota each boast three. Twelve members of Team USA have verbally committed to NCAA Division I schools.
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NHL & Red Wing Insiders
July 12, 2010, Volume 20 : Issue 21
Howard ready for good second season Having established himself as the starter in the Detroit net, goalie Jimmy Howard is looking forward to a season heavy with action. However, there just won’t be any mind games included on his schedule. “I’m not too worried about a sophomore slump,”said Howard, who posted a record of 37-15-10 with a 2.26 GAA and a .924 save percentage in his first full NHL season. “I’ve never really had one before. I never had one in college and I thought I played better the second year around in the AHL.” It’s not that Howard doesn’t feel any pressure or fails to realize the enormous expectations in Detroit this season. Retooled, rested and healthy, the Wings are once again looked upon as Stanley Cup contenders provided Howard avoids the kind of struggles that Columbus’ Steve Mason suffered through in his second season last winter. “I set the bar pretty high for myself last year,” Howard concedes. “I’m excited to meet that challenge, try to better myself.” “It’s just a different situation, Columbus-Detroit. I’ve got a phenomenal team in front of me. If I just stay back there and not try to overdo anything and stay within myself, I should be fine.” Howard said there are a number of reasons why players fall victim to the infamous sophomore jinx. Most of them have to do with not being able to isolate what happens in each game. “If you have the one bad game and then you start listening to people, it can wear on you,” Howard said. “The one thing I’ve learned is to let everything go after each game. “There’s nothing you can do about it, move on and get ready for the next day. “It’s just learning a lot from watching this guy (Chris Osgood). You see how things flow off his back. You’ve got to learn how to do that to be successful in the NHL.” Howard added he’s not concerned that the shooters will have the book on what he likes to do after seeing him for a season. In his opinion, to try and add new wrinkles to his game is a recipe for disaster. “As a goalie, it’s almost less is more,” Howard said. “When you try to do too much out there, that’s when holes start to open up and your mind starts wandering. “I don’t want to get out there and try to change my game just so guys don’t know where to shoot on me. After 10 games into the season, everyone has got the book on you anyway.”
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For the 26-year-old Howard, finding a comfort level has been paramount to his success. Entering this season with more certainty in his life, Howard was very sharp in training camp. “This year it was a different situation,” said Howard, who got married in the summer of 2009 and passed on taking his honeymoon until later as to not disrupt his preparations for last season. “Last year, I had different things to take care of away from the arena. It seems like there was a lot going on. “We were going over to Sweden. You were trying to get everything done with your house to move in. “It drove me a little bit nuts. This was nice to just come back here and have my house already set up, just relax and get focused for the season.” Wings coach Mike Babcock also doesn’t fear Howard will fall victim to the sophomore jinx. His confidence in that assessment stems from Howard being older and having served an apprenticeship in the AHL. “Mason came in at 19 or 20 and was a superstar his first year,” Babcock said. “That wasn’t Howie. He had five years in the minors to catch on.” During that time, Howard learned what is required of the craft at the professional level. Last season, under the tutelage of Wings’goalie coach Jim Bedard, he refined it further to achieve success at the highest level in the sport. “Just be patient out there,” said Howard of the most important lesson he learned last season. “When I first started out in the season, I was really busy in the net. I was over pushing. Instead of letting the play come to me, I was trying to make saves instead of letting the puck hit me. “This year, I’m a lot more confident in the net and a lot more calm.” What Howard has focused on improving this summer is helping out his defensemen more. He admits he played a very conservative game last season when it came to handling the puck. “Playing the puck, I think I can do a lot better job at that,” Howard said.“I think last year I almost took the guys for granted back there and how good they are in coming back. “They’re so good at making first passes out of the zone, I felt like if I got back there I was just in the way. “This year I need to get out there and just play it a little more. Not be a Marty Brodeur, just help out a little more.”
Top 10 reasons why Red Wings can win the Cup It seems almost trendy in the hockey world to suggest the Detroit Red Wings are a franchise on the decline. People point to the ages of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, or the Red Wings’ lack of offensive might last season as indications that the fall of Detroit’s hockey empire is upon us. Cleary, there are knowledgeable hockey people who believe Detroit’s long run is over. I am not among them. The truth is I believe the Red Wings are the best team in the Western Conference, because of the depth they have up and down their line-up. As long as Jimmy Howard plays as well as he did last season in net, I believe Detroit is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Here are some reasons why I rank Detroit No. 1 in the West:
PHOTO BY ANDREW KNAPIK/MICHIGAN HOCKEY
PHOTO BY ANDREW KNAPIK/MICHIGAN HOCKEY
Detroit’s Jimmy Howard isn’t worried about having a sophomore slump in the Red Wings’ net.
Kevin Allen covers pro and college hockey for USA Today
1. Scoring firepower - Once the Red Wings worked through their bushel of injuries last season, they were 16-3-2 over the last quarter of the season. Anticipating fewer injuries this season, the Red Wings might score 30 more goals and be among the NHL’s top-scoring teams again. 2. The Blackhawks’ depth was lost because of cap issues and San Jose lost Rob Blake to retirement and allowed Evgeni Nabokov to walk away through free agency. The Sharks goalie will be Antero Niitttymaki or Antti Niemi. It’s certainly not unthinkable that Niittymaki will turn out to be a true bargain. He has played sharply in stretches, but you wouldn’t have to go far in the hockey world to find folks who view him as an exceptional back-up goalie or a 1A goalie rather than a true No. 1. Niemi also has his critics, even though he helped Chicago win a Stanley Cup. Remember last year at this time it wasn’t even a lock that he would make Chicago’s team. There are those around the hockey world who haven’t decided whether he was “hot” last season or whether he is an elite-level goalie. The San Jose Sharks had to spend their money on keeping their talent, and couldn’t make any significant improvements. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks still have Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews up front and their defense is essentially intact, but history tells us how difficult it is to repeat. It’s challenging to maintain the hunger. 3. Deeper - While other teams have lost depth, the Red Wings have regained Jiri Hudler from the Kontinental Hockey League and signed Mike Modano to play on the third line. Modano still skates magnificently and Detroit has a history of squeezing the last bit of impact out of older players. 4. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is expected to play much better than he did last season when he seemed to lose his confidence. If he comes even close to how he played when he first arrived in the league, the Red Wings’ defense could be far stingier than it was last season. 5. Nick Lidstrom, 40, is still among the top five or six defensemen in the NHL. He’s first rate on the power play, and
he’s still wickedly efficient in one-on-one defensive situations. No defenseman is a better first passer than Lidstrom. 6. Star power - The Red Wings still have Pavel Datsyuk (pictured above) and Henrik Zetterberg. Recently, I surveyed 14 of the NHL’s top players. I asked each of them to pick the league’s best player not named Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, and both Datsyuk and Zetterberg received votes. 7. Ruslan Salei will give the Red Wings more bite on the blue line. He’s excited about playing in Detroit’s puck possession system 8. Mike Babcock is the NHL’s top coach. Is there any doubt in that after the Olympic results? His level of preparation is second to none, and his ability to adjust his lineup to fix problems or give his team a boost seems to be a Scotty Bowman-quality. Players may not always enjoy his intensity, but it’s hard not to respect the job he does. When the injuries piled up last season, Babcock’s coaching kept the Red Wings in the hunt. 9. When Johan Franzen stays healthy, he is among the NHL’s most gifted players. He’s bull-like in his ability to charge the net and he has world-class skill. If he could play 80 games this season, he could score 40 goals. 10. High expectations - There’s not a more confident team in the NHL. The Red Wings are the New York Yankees of the NHL. They expect to succeed. They expect to win. The Red Wings winning tradition has carried this team for a very long time. There is a reason why the area is called Hockeytown.
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