Player profile: Thomas McCarthy - 6'0"/205 lbs Defensemen
Drafted by the Express in the 1st round of the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft. Played high school hockey at Benilde St. Margarets in the Twin Cities (3rd place at 2008 state tournament). 3 year letter winner in both football and hockey. Captain of football and hockey teams his senior year. Was also drafted by the expansion Fargo Force of the USHL in the 9th round of the USHL draft. Played with fellow Express draft pick Stephen Carew at Benilde.
My take: He is a tough defender with a big shot. Scored 33 points in 31 games last year, including 7 power play goals. I would figure he would play a role very similar to what Robby Spaulding played with lots of shifts on the PP and the PK. I like the fact that Cullen drafted a pair of defensemen in the first round of the entry draft. It was painful last year to watch our defensive struggles.
Welcome to Owatonna, Tom McCarthy.
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12 comments:
Great to see a new blog. Hopefully, it can be a good, back and forth, discussion about the new Express
Playing in high school is nothing like jrs.
I thought the team did well last year. I was a happy fan and had fun and got to know the guys. That being said, hope this year follows suit.
I had a great time being a Billet Parent last season. We enjoyed the team and their families and we are big supporters. We felt that last year as well as the previous year before last year were the two best so far. Lets go Express!
Hopefully the players that come here stay here. I thought it was a shame that many of the players Pat traded ended up in the all-star game 1-2 years later.
Well Pat can piss off a few now and then.
The same thing happens in the NHL and other leagues. Sometimes, certian players end up not fitting in with the team's system. Kavaya was a perfect example. He caused a lot of trouble off the ice and the coach had to do something for the team. It was great for him that he found a place to fit in and it worked out for him.
PJ has been in town for the last few weeks and came over for a bonfire Saturday night. He was our billet kid when he left. We talked about how you may not see things at the time but getting a wake up call is not a bad thing. We both agreed it was the best thing that happened to him. Sometimes there's more to this Junior thing than Hockey.
Pete,
You are right, quite a few players from previous Express teams got traded, or asked to be traded, and it worked out fine for their hockey and for them personally.
Another good example of this is Art Bidwill. He lived with us the very first year, asked to be traded, went to Traverse City then on to Fairbanks and now he will be with Colorado College next season after three junior seasons. Just because a player doesn't work out here doesn't mean he won't fit well somewhere else.
Players will come in this fall and some won't stay. That is the reality of junior hockey. All we can do is support them and help them see their potential as a player and a person.
Dave Swenson
Well I know some kids do not like their billets either. Some are better than others and actually feed the kid.
I believe Thomas will do very well with this team, he did a amazing job for BSM. He defends strong and doesn't back down for anyone. He will work hard trive to do his best. I enjoyed watching him the past few years.
Good Luck T Mac
"I believe Thomas will do very well with this team, he did a amazing job for BSM. He defends strong and doesn't back down for anyone. He will work hard trive to do his best. I enjoyed watching him the past few years.
Good Luck T Mac" - From what I've seen, he made the Fargo Force roster for the upcoming season. He would have been a huge addition to the Express if he had somehow found his way to Owatonna. Good luck Tom.
--BK
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