With the USHL teams cutting their rosters down to 23 guys, some good players became available, and the Express snapped up at least 2 of them. Forward Gehrett Sargis attended the Express tryout camp, and made the initial roster. He also attended the Fargo Force's (USHL)tryout camp, and made their pre-season roster. He played a few games with the Force, but was cut from the Force roster yesterday, so he is back in Owatonna to play for our favorite team. Defenseman Jake Sloat is a USHL veteran, playing 29 games with the Omaha Lancers last season, and was drafted by the Express in the NAHL draft in May. He also was with the Fargo Force for the pre-season, before ending up with the Express.
In another roster move today, current Express forward Sean Randall is no longer with the team. Good luck chasing the dream Sean, wherever you end up.
My take: This was a big move, and the Express are a better team than they were 24 hours ago with these additions. Sargis looked good at tryout camp, and Sloat won a USHL championship last year with the Lancers. These guys were 2 of the top 25 guys that the Force saw this summer out of the hundreds of kids that attended their 2 tryout camps. Both of these guys should contribute right away, and provide an immediate upgrade at their respective postions.
I am also hearing some rumors that the Express might not quite be done with roster moves. There might be one more USHL kid on his way to Owatonna. The down side to this is we will have to say goodbye to 1 or 2 guys that are currently on the roster. Stay tuned for more news as it comes.
See you at the rink Friday night.
--BK
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 9/29/2008
Here's the first edition of Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings. This will be a weekly feature on the blog for the remainder of the regular season. I didn't compute these from some fancy formula, it is simply my opinion. You are more than welcome to voice your opinion via the comment section, if you see it differently than I do.
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 9/29/2008
****I did power rankings for last week, but never got around to posting them. The number in parenthesis is how many spots they moved up or down from last week, followed by how they did last weekend****
1. Topeka Roadrunners (0) - Swept Springfield
2. Wichita Falls Wildcats (0) - Didn't play
3. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (0) - Didn't play
4. USNTDP (0) - Didn't play
5. St. Louis Bandits (+3) - Swept Motor City
6. Traverse City North Stars (-1) - Split with Marquette
7. Bismarck Bobcats (+2) - Impressive sweep of Alexandria
8. Alaska Avalanche (-2) - Didn't play
9. Springfield Jr Blues (+1) - Swept by Topeka
10. Alexandria Blizzard (-3) - Swept by Bismarck
11. North Iowa Outlaws (0) - Beat the Express on Friday
12. Marquette Rangers (+3) - Split with Traverse City
13. Motor City Machine (-1) - Swept by St. Louis
14. Owatonna Express (0) - Lost to NI, beat Albert Lea
15. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (-2) - Didn't play
16. Alpena Ice Diggers (0) - Didn't play
17. Kenai River Brown Bears (0) - Didn't play
18. Wenatchee Wild (0) - Didn't play
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0) - Lost to Express
St Louis and Bismarck each jumped up a couple of spots this week after sweeping their opponents, and Alexandria fell down a few spots after getting swept. I think I had Marquette a little low last week, so I corrected that this week. The Express stayed at #14 this week after splitting two games last weekend. I honestly thought they should be a few spots higher, but then I remembered Friday's performance in Mason City. A strong performance in this Friday's home opener with Alexandria, will vault our guys up in the rankings.
--BK
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 9/29/2008
****I did power rankings for last week, but never got around to posting them. The number in parenthesis is how many spots they moved up or down from last week, followed by how they did last weekend****
1. Topeka Roadrunners (0) - Swept Springfield
2. Wichita Falls Wildcats (0) - Didn't play
3. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (0) - Didn't play
4. USNTDP (0) - Didn't play
5. St. Louis Bandits (+3) - Swept Motor City
6. Traverse City North Stars (-1) - Split with Marquette
7. Bismarck Bobcats (+2) - Impressive sweep of Alexandria
8. Alaska Avalanche (-2) - Didn't play
9. Springfield Jr Blues (+1) - Swept by Topeka
10. Alexandria Blizzard (-3) - Swept by Bismarck
11. North Iowa Outlaws (0) - Beat the Express on Friday
12. Marquette Rangers (+3) - Split with Traverse City
13. Motor City Machine (-1) - Swept by St. Louis
14. Owatonna Express (0) - Lost to NI, beat Albert Lea
15. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (-2) - Didn't play
16. Alpena Ice Diggers (0) - Didn't play
17. Kenai River Brown Bears (0) - Didn't play
18. Wenatchee Wild (0) - Didn't play
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0) - Lost to Express
St Louis and Bismarck each jumped up a couple of spots this week after sweeping their opponents, and Alexandria fell down a few spots after getting swept. I think I had Marquette a little low last week, so I corrected that this week. The Express stayed at #14 this week after splitting two games last weekend. I honestly thought they should be a few spots higher, but then I remembered Friday's performance in Mason City. A strong performance in this Friday's home opener with Alexandria, will vault our guys up in the rankings.
--BK
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Roster Recap
After a long, slow summer of waiting for the draft, waiting for tryout camp, waiting for training camp to begin, then waiting for the regular season begin, we've had a whirlwind first couple weeks. I thought I would take the opportunity to recap the moves that have been made since the initial 23 man roster was decided at tryout camp.
Players that are no longer on the roster:
Gehrett Sargis - Forward - Made the pre-season roster of the Fargo Force in the USHL. The USHL teams still have some cuts to make before October 1st, but from what I've read it sounds like he is will be with the Force for the season.
Carson Curran - Defenseman that made the roster out of tryout camp. I believe he left the team sometime right before the scrimmage with Fairbanks.
Cam Stowers - Forward - Made the team out of tryout camp, but was not on the initial roster released by the Express. I heard he is going back to the Russell Stover program for another year.
Player X - Defenseman - I won't release his name, but he left the team for personal reasons late last week. Could possibly return.
Players that have been added since tryout camp:
Stephen Carew - Forward - The Express acquired him from the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, where he played last season. Great pickup by the Express. He had a had-trick versus Kenai River, and is currently tied with Tony McDonald for the team lead in scoring.
Michael Palmiscno - Forward - Another nice pickup by the Express. Quick feet and scoring touch.
David Starr - Defenseman - He was on the Topeka Roadrunners initial roster released before the Showcase. I'm not sure how he ended up with the Express, but I am happy is. He's a solid defenseman, who plays a physical game.
Grant Fahnhorst - Defenseman - Joined the Express shortly before the Fairbanks weekend. I don't believe he has played yet, and I don't know why, but I look forward to seeing what he can do on the ice. He's the tallest guy on the roster, and his size is needed on our blueline.
Dmitry Lugin - Forward - Came to the Express from the Fargo Force of the USHL the middle of last week, and has immediately made an impact. He had a goal and two assists in the Express victory over the Thunder Saturday night.
Player XX - I won't release his name until I can confirm his status. I'm not sure what position he plays, or even if he is a member of the Express. There was a blond kid of the correct age for junior hockey that was wearing an Express player jacket, hanging out with the healthy scratches during the Thunder game on Saturday.
My take: I was looking forward to seeing Sargis and Stowers, as both made an impression at tryout camp, and Curran would have added some size and strength to the defensive corp. I thought Player X was a having a good season so far, and I hope he succeeds in whatever he ends up doing.
However, the additions have more than made up for the subtractions. Carew has the makings of a star, Lugin is off to a great start, and Palmiscno might be the most dynamic player on the team.
Overall, as we have gotten used to with Coach Cullen, the team is adding guys that will make an impact. The USHL teams have to get their rosters down to 23 by October 1st, so there is the possibility that there could be a few more new faces in Express jerseys this week. With almost a month of practice and a few games in the books, Coach Cullen should have a pretty good idea what he's got, and what he might need.
See you at the rink in 5 days for the home opener!!
--BK
Players that are no longer on the roster:
Gehrett Sargis - Forward - Made the pre-season roster of the Fargo Force in the USHL. The USHL teams still have some cuts to make before October 1st, but from what I've read it sounds like he is will be with the Force for the season.
Carson Curran - Defenseman that made the roster out of tryout camp. I believe he left the team sometime right before the scrimmage with Fairbanks.
Cam Stowers - Forward - Made the team out of tryout camp, but was not on the initial roster released by the Express. I heard he is going back to the Russell Stover program for another year.
Player X - Defenseman - I won't release his name, but he left the team for personal reasons late last week. Could possibly return.
Players that have been added since tryout camp:
Stephen Carew - Forward - The Express acquired him from the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, where he played last season. Great pickup by the Express. He had a had-trick versus Kenai River, and is currently tied with Tony McDonald for the team lead in scoring.
Michael Palmiscno - Forward - Another nice pickup by the Express. Quick feet and scoring touch.
David Starr - Defenseman - He was on the Topeka Roadrunners initial roster released before the Showcase. I'm not sure how he ended up with the Express, but I am happy is. He's a solid defenseman, who plays a physical game.
Grant Fahnhorst - Defenseman - Joined the Express shortly before the Fairbanks weekend. I don't believe he has played yet, and I don't know why, but I look forward to seeing what he can do on the ice. He's the tallest guy on the roster, and his size is needed on our blueline.
Dmitry Lugin - Forward - Came to the Express from the Fargo Force of the USHL the middle of last week, and has immediately made an impact. He had a goal and two assists in the Express victory over the Thunder Saturday night.
Player XX - I won't release his name until I can confirm his status. I'm not sure what position he plays, or even if he is a member of the Express. There was a blond kid of the correct age for junior hockey that was wearing an Express player jacket, hanging out with the healthy scratches during the Thunder game on Saturday.
My take: I was looking forward to seeing Sargis and Stowers, as both made an impression at tryout camp, and Curran would have added some size and strength to the defensive corp. I thought Player X was a having a good season so far, and I hope he succeeds in whatever he ends up doing.
However, the additions have more than made up for the subtractions. Carew has the makings of a star, Lugin is off to a great start, and Palmiscno might be the most dynamic player on the team.
Overall, as we have gotten used to with Coach Cullen, the team is adding guys that will make an impact. The USHL teams have to get their rosters down to 23 by October 1st, so there is the possibility that there could be a few more new faces in Express jerseys this week. With almost a month of practice and a few games in the books, Coach Cullen should have a pretty good idea what he's got, and what he might need.
See you at the rink in 5 days for the home opener!!
--BK
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Postgame Report: Express Win 5-2
Nice effort by the guys tonight. Pat Arnason started in goal tonight for the Express, and got his first NAHL win. Coach Cullen shuffled the defensive pairings tonight, and the group as a whole played a solid game. Offensively, the Express dictated a majority of the action, and looked a lot more settled than last night. The Express played their game, and didn't let the Thunder turn the game into a gong show. Contrary to last night, the Express played smart, and forced the Thunder into taking a bunch of penalties. The game got heated a few times, with the Thunder taking some cheap shots at our favorite team. Crisp passing, and heads-up hockey created several odd-man rushes, and the Express turned a couple of them into goals.
The Thunder had a nice crowd tonight for their home opener, although they didn't have many opportunities to cheer. A decent amount of Express fans made the drive down I-35, and were rewarded with a nice victory.
A new feature I'll debut tonight, and do from here on out, is Big Kahuna's Stars of the Game. This will be a different from the official 3 stars that are awarded each game. I want to recognize a couple of players that stood out for doing the little things. It will vary through the year, and could be just one guy, or a bunch of guys.
Big Kahuna's Stars of the Game for tonight:
1. John Kruse - In the 2nd period, he took a couple of cheap shots from Thunder players in front of the net, but instead of retaliating, he just smiled and skated away. I believe the Express ended up with a power play out of the deal. It was a big play at a critical time of the game. Nice job John, way to play smart.
2. Mike Palmiscno - One of the shortest guys on the ice, he played a big game tonight. He scored a nice goal, and created several chances for his teammates with his speed and gritty play.
3. Pat Arnason - Had a rough outing in his one appearance at the Showcase, but shook that off with a nice effort in goal tonight.
Prediction results:
With the final score 5-2, I was very close with my Express prediction of 5-1. I was 4-1 on my predictions tonight, after a 2-3 showing last night. For the year I'm 31-19. I was way off on my "Thunderstruck" prediction, as I only heard it played twice all evening.
Next up for the Express is the home opener this Friday evening at 6pm versus the Alexandria Blizzard. Alexandria lost a pair of games this weekend to Bismarck, and should be hungry to get back on the winning track, while the Express finally get their first chance to play on the big rink in front of their own fans. Tickets are still available, so get yours soon. Let's give the guys a big, loud welcome to Owatonna with a packed house at the 4 Seasons Centre.
--BK
The Thunder had a nice crowd tonight for their home opener, although they didn't have many opportunities to cheer. A decent amount of Express fans made the drive down I-35, and were rewarded with a nice victory.
A new feature I'll debut tonight, and do from here on out, is Big Kahuna's Stars of the Game. This will be a different from the official 3 stars that are awarded each game. I want to recognize a couple of players that stood out for doing the little things. It will vary through the year, and could be just one guy, or a bunch of guys.
Big Kahuna's Stars of the Game for tonight:
1. John Kruse - In the 2nd period, he took a couple of cheap shots from Thunder players in front of the net, but instead of retaliating, he just smiled and skated away. I believe the Express ended up with a power play out of the deal. It was a big play at a critical time of the game. Nice job John, way to play smart.
2. Mike Palmiscno - One of the shortest guys on the ice, he played a big game tonight. He scored a nice goal, and created several chances for his teammates with his speed and gritty play.
3. Pat Arnason - Had a rough outing in his one appearance at the Showcase, but shook that off with a nice effort in goal tonight.
Prediction results:
With the final score 5-2, I was very close with my Express prediction of 5-1. I was 4-1 on my predictions tonight, after a 2-3 showing last night. For the year I'm 31-19. I was way off on my "Thunderstruck" prediction, as I only heard it played twice all evening.
Next up for the Express is the home opener this Friday evening at 6pm versus the Alexandria Blizzard. Alexandria lost a pair of games this weekend to Bismarck, and should be hungry to get back on the winning track, while the Express finally get their first chance to play on the big rink in front of their own fans. Tickets are still available, so get yours soon. Let's give the guys a big, loud welcome to Owatonna with a packed house at the 4 Seasons Centre.
--BK
Albert Lea Thunder Preview & Tonight's Predictions
Despite entering the NAHL as an expansion team just this year, the Thunder have already had their share of drama. They are basically on their 3rd coach already, their #1 tendered kid walked away from the team after the first practice, and they have yet to win a game. Short of going into all the gory details, let's just say the Thunder organization and fans are experiencing some of the "fun" that the Southern Minnesota Express went through last year.
I can't do an that in-depth preview of the Thunder, as there just isn't much information out there on this team. They are a very young team with 14 - 1990 birth years on the roster. They built their team with primarily kids from AAA/Midget Major programs, and the roster has a decidely Chicago flavor to it. They do have a couple of kids Express fans might recognize. Tom Glomski was drafted by the Express earlier this summer, but did not make the team out of tryout camp. Niko Kapetanovic attended the Express tryout camp in July, and played in the camp all-star game, but did not make the final roster. The Thunder went 0-4 at the Showcase, scoring only 5 total goals in the 4 games. On the bright side (for them), they lost 3 of those games by only 1 goal, and gave up only 13 total goals.
Tonight's game versus the Express is the home opener for the Thunder, and the first of 12 games between the two teams this season. The Thunder will be looking for the franchise's first ever victory, and the Express will be looking to rebound from last night's horrible performance against North Iowa.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Express 5 - Thunder 1
The Express have a little bit more experience than the Thunder, and that will be the deciding factor in tonight's game.
Big Kahuna's Secondary Prediction: Fans in attendance tonight will hear "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC at least 12 times during the game
Predictions for the other NAHL games tonight:
Traverse City over Marquette
St Louis over Motor City
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Springfield
See you at the rink.
--BK
I can't do an that in-depth preview of the Thunder, as there just isn't much information out there on this team. They are a very young team with 14 - 1990 birth years on the roster. They built their team with primarily kids from AAA/Midget Major programs, and the roster has a decidely Chicago flavor to it. They do have a couple of kids Express fans might recognize. Tom Glomski was drafted by the Express earlier this summer, but did not make the team out of tryout camp. Niko Kapetanovic attended the Express tryout camp in July, and played in the camp all-star game, but did not make the final roster. The Thunder went 0-4 at the Showcase, scoring only 5 total goals in the 4 games. On the bright side (for them), they lost 3 of those games by only 1 goal, and gave up only 13 total goals.
Tonight's game versus the Express is the home opener for the Thunder, and the first of 12 games between the two teams this season. The Thunder will be looking for the franchise's first ever victory, and the Express will be looking to rebound from last night's horrible performance against North Iowa.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Express 5 - Thunder 1
The Express have a little bit more experience than the Thunder, and that will be the deciding factor in tonight's game.
Big Kahuna's Secondary Prediction: Fans in attendance tonight will hear "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC at least 12 times during the game
Predictions for the other NAHL games tonight:
Traverse City over Marquette
St Louis over Motor City
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Springfield
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, September 26, 2008
Predictions for Tonight and the Playoffs
This post will be in 2 parts. First, I will make my predictions for all the NAHL games tonight, including the Express vs. Outlaws. Secondly, I will make my season-long predictions for finishing order within all 4 Divisions, playoff qualifiers, Robertson Cup particpants, and the eventual champion.
Tonight's Predictions:
Owatonna 5 - North Iowa 3
I look for the Express to build off the victory over Kenai River last weekend, and beat the Outlaws on their home ice tonight. The line changes that Coach Cullen made going into the Kenai River game seemed to spark the offense, and now those guys have had a full week of practice together playing with each other. Goalie Adam Buegler has been solid, and that should continue tonight, although he will need the Express defense to play like they did against Kenai River, and not the way they played against Marquette & Team USA. Look for a couple of goals from the Carew/McDonald/Kruse line, and a couple of assists from Troy Puente. Go get 'em guys!!
Predictions for the other NAHL games tonight:
St. Louis over Motor City
Traverse City over Marquette
Topeka over Springfield
Alexandria over Bismarck
Season Long Predictions:
North Division -
1. Mahoning Valley - Veteran team will be the class of the division
2. USNTDP - Bit of an unknown, but plenty of talent
3. Traverse City - An up and coming team
4. Marquette - Coach Kenny Miller is too good to miss the playoffs
5. Motor City - I'm waiting for the inevitable implosion
6. Alpena - Don't know much about them
South Division -
1. Topeka - Veteran team with a great goaltender
2. Wichita Falls - Should give Topeka a run for their money
3. St. Louis - New coach and revamped roster
4. Springfield - Not a bad team, but still 4th in the division
West Division -
1. Alaska - Boitz is a good coach, and their #1 line is impressive
2. Fairbanks - Will definitely challenge Alaska for the title
3. Kenai River - Just good enough to stay out of the cellar
4. Wenatchee - Horrible travel schedule will take its toll on the Wild
Central Division -
1. Alexandria - Veteran presence will lead them to the title
2. Owatonna - Will overcome slow start and be a force by the end of the season
3. North Iowa - Will be nipping at the Express's heals
4. Bismarck - In the mix with the Express and Outlaws
5. Albert Lea - Too many question marks
The Express will follow a similar path to the Express teams of years 1 & 2. Start slowly, but through hard work, and some strategic player acquisitions, be a dangerous team come playoff time. I think the Express will finish in the top 5 in team scoring, and Buegler will be a top 7 or 8 goalie.
If the Express can split with Alexandria & North Iowa, win 2 out of every 3 from Bismarck, and dominate the Thunder, they can finish 2nd, and secure home-ice for the first round of the playoffs.
Playoffs Predictions:
Round 1 - Mahoning Valley over Marquette, Traverse City over USNTDP, Topeka over Springfield, Wichita Falls over St. Louis, Alaska over Wenatchee, Fairbanks over Kenai River, Alexandria over Bismarck, Owatonna over North Iowa
Round 2 - Mahoning Valley over Traverse City, Topeka over Wichita Falls, Fairbanks over Alaska, Owatonna over Alexandria
Robertson Cup Finish-
1. Topeka
2. Mahoning Valley
3. Owatonna
4. North Iowa
5. Fairbanks
Okay, some of you are probably calling me a homer right now, but how could I look at myself in the mirror if I didn't pick the Express to make it back to the Robertson Cup. All kidding aside, I truly believe that Coaches Cullen and Fink will have the Express playing their best hockey when it matters most, in the playoffs.
Just remember that these predictions are just my opinions. Players get hurt, players move up/down to the USHL, coaches get fired, and any other number of things will happen that will blow my predictions out of the water. It's actually kind of foolish to even attempt this kind of prognostication with what little we know at this point..........but I did it anyway.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Tonight's Predictions:
Owatonna 5 - North Iowa 3
I look for the Express to build off the victory over Kenai River last weekend, and beat the Outlaws on their home ice tonight. The line changes that Coach Cullen made going into the Kenai River game seemed to spark the offense, and now those guys have had a full week of practice together playing with each other. Goalie Adam Buegler has been solid, and that should continue tonight, although he will need the Express defense to play like they did against Kenai River, and not the way they played against Marquette & Team USA. Look for a couple of goals from the Carew/McDonald/Kruse line, and a couple of assists from Troy Puente. Go get 'em guys!!
Predictions for the other NAHL games tonight:
St. Louis over Motor City
Traverse City over Marquette
Topeka over Springfield
Alexandria over Bismarck
Season Long Predictions:
North Division -
1. Mahoning Valley - Veteran team will be the class of the division
2. USNTDP - Bit of an unknown, but plenty of talent
3. Traverse City - An up and coming team
4. Marquette - Coach Kenny Miller is too good to miss the playoffs
5. Motor City - I'm waiting for the inevitable implosion
6. Alpena - Don't know much about them
South Division -
1. Topeka - Veteran team with a great goaltender
2. Wichita Falls - Should give Topeka a run for their money
3. St. Louis - New coach and revamped roster
4. Springfield - Not a bad team, but still 4th in the division
West Division -
1. Alaska - Boitz is a good coach, and their #1 line is impressive
2. Fairbanks - Will definitely challenge Alaska for the title
3. Kenai River - Just good enough to stay out of the cellar
4. Wenatchee - Horrible travel schedule will take its toll on the Wild
Central Division -
1. Alexandria - Veteran presence will lead them to the title
2. Owatonna - Will overcome slow start and be a force by the end of the season
3. North Iowa - Will be nipping at the Express's heals
4. Bismarck - In the mix with the Express and Outlaws
5. Albert Lea - Too many question marks
The Express will follow a similar path to the Express teams of years 1 & 2. Start slowly, but through hard work, and some strategic player acquisitions, be a dangerous team come playoff time. I think the Express will finish in the top 5 in team scoring, and Buegler will be a top 7 or 8 goalie.
If the Express can split with Alexandria & North Iowa, win 2 out of every 3 from Bismarck, and dominate the Thunder, they can finish 2nd, and secure home-ice for the first round of the playoffs.
Playoffs Predictions:
Round 1 - Mahoning Valley over Marquette, Traverse City over USNTDP, Topeka over Springfield, Wichita Falls over St. Louis, Alaska over Wenatchee, Fairbanks over Kenai River, Alexandria over Bismarck, Owatonna over North Iowa
Round 2 - Mahoning Valley over Traverse City, Topeka over Wichita Falls, Fairbanks over Alaska, Owatonna over Alexandria
Robertson Cup Finish-
1. Topeka
2. Mahoning Valley
3. Owatonna
4. North Iowa
5. Fairbanks
Okay, some of you are probably calling me a homer right now, but how could I look at myself in the mirror if I didn't pick the Express to make it back to the Robertson Cup. All kidding aside, I truly believe that Coaches Cullen and Fink will have the Express playing their best hockey when it matters most, in the playoffs.
Just remember that these predictions are just my opinions. Players get hurt, players move up/down to the USHL, coaches get fired, and any other number of things will happen that will blow my predictions out of the water. It's actually kind of foolish to even attempt this kind of prognostication with what little we know at this point..........but I did it anyway.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Thursday, September 25, 2008
North Iowa Outlaws Preview
North Iowa Outlaws:
Read a more in-depth preview of the Outlaws here: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2008/09/17/sports/local/doc48d086993b4a6328264156.txt
- The only coach in Outlaws history, Dave Boitz, left Mason City this summer to take over as coach of the Alaska Avalanche. First year head coach Jeff Crouse, who served as Boitz's assistant, hopes to lead the Outlaws to a 2nd straight Central Division Championship.
- The Outlaws had the best goalie in the NAHL last year in Robby Moss, but he is off to college this year. His replacement will be Tom Callahan who was with the Texas Tornado last year.
- The top 10 scorers from last year's Outlaw's team have will be playing elsewhere this season. Their leading returning scorer is Alex Carlson with 23 points last season.
- The Outlaws picked up former Express forward Brandon Brodhag in a trade with the Motor City Machine this summer. He will help offset some of the scoring lost from last season.
- The Outlaws went 1-3 at the Showcase, and are currently tied with the Express for 3rd place in the Central Division. They won their opener against Marquette, and then lost 3 straight to Mahoning Valley, Topeka, and the USNTDP -U18 team.
- Former Express forward Scott Barrera is also on the Outlaw's roster.
- The Outlaws and Express will play 13 times during the regular season, with 6 home games for the Express and 7 in Mason City.
My take: Any team that loses its top 10 scorers the NAHL's best goalie, and their coach is going to take a step back, and the Outlaws will be no different. How far a step back they take will play out over the next 54 games.
I think they are going to have trouble scoring goals this year, a trend which already played out at the Showcase where they only scored 10 goals in 4 games. The lack of scoring will put more pressure on a a defensive corp (with only 2 NAHL experienced players), and Callahan who posted a 17-23 record last year in goal for the Texas Tornado.
That being said, the Outlaws surprised everybody with their success last year, and who's to say they couldn't do it again. They must have a bitter taste in their mouth after their season ended prematurely with the upset loss to Springfield in the playoffs, and will be looking to prove themselves.
Last season, for the first time in the 3 year history of the rivalry, North Iowa was competetive with the Express. With what I've seen so far this season, I would expect that to continue. This is going to be a series of very exciting matchups.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Read a more in-depth preview of the Outlaws here: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2008/09/17/sports/local/doc48d086993b4a6328264156.txt
- The only coach in Outlaws history, Dave Boitz, left Mason City this summer to take over as coach of the Alaska Avalanche. First year head coach Jeff Crouse, who served as Boitz's assistant, hopes to lead the Outlaws to a 2nd straight Central Division Championship.
- The Outlaws had the best goalie in the NAHL last year in Robby Moss, but he is off to college this year. His replacement will be Tom Callahan who was with the Texas Tornado last year.
- The top 10 scorers from last year's Outlaw's team have will be playing elsewhere this season. Their leading returning scorer is Alex Carlson with 23 points last season.
- The Outlaws picked up former Express forward Brandon Brodhag in a trade with the Motor City Machine this summer. He will help offset some of the scoring lost from last season.
- The Outlaws went 1-3 at the Showcase, and are currently tied with the Express for 3rd place in the Central Division. They won their opener against Marquette, and then lost 3 straight to Mahoning Valley, Topeka, and the USNTDP -U18 team.
- Former Express forward Scott Barrera is also on the Outlaw's roster.
- The Outlaws and Express will play 13 times during the regular season, with 6 home games for the Express and 7 in Mason City.
My take: Any team that loses its top 10 scorers the NAHL's best goalie, and their coach is going to take a step back, and the Outlaws will be no different. How far a step back they take will play out over the next 54 games.
I think they are going to have trouble scoring goals this year, a trend which already played out at the Showcase where they only scored 10 goals in 4 games. The lack of scoring will put more pressure on a a defensive corp (with only 2 NAHL experienced players), and Callahan who posted a 17-23 record last year in goal for the Texas Tornado.
That being said, the Outlaws surprised everybody with their success last year, and who's to say they couldn't do it again. They must have a bitter taste in their mouth after their season ended prematurely with the upset loss to Springfield in the playoffs, and will be looking to prove themselves.
Last season, for the first time in the 3 year history of the rivalry, North Iowa was competetive with the Express. With what I've seen so far this season, I would expect that to continue. This is going to be a series of very exciting matchups.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Express Related Article in Today's Paper
There's a short Express related article in today's Owatonna People's Press.
Read it here: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=29379
--BK
Read it here: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=29379
--BK
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New Player Acquired Today
The Express acquired a forward today from the Fargo Force of the USHL. His name is Dmitry Lugin. He is a 1990 birth year from Moscow, Russia. He was listed at 5'11"/165lbs, and was #20 on the Russian Players list on the NHL Central Scouting Report for the 2008 draft.
Read the article from the Fargo Force Website here:
http://www.fargoforce.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=57
I don't know what (if anything) the Express gave up to acquire him.
--BK
Read the article from the Fargo Force Website here:
http://www.fargoforce.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=57
I don't know what (if anything) the Express gave up to acquire him.
--BK
Bismarck Bobcats Preview
Bismarck Bobcats:
- This will be the first full year led by Coach Byron Pool who took over part way through last season.
- The Bobcats finished last in the Central Division standings last season.
- The Bobcats scored the 2nd fewest goals in the NAHL in 2007/08 with 148. Only the Kenai River Brown Bears scored fewer with 144.
- Important pieces gone from last year's Bobcat team: Goalie Jake Kremer (University of Minnesota), Kyle Maggard (43 points), Joel Whited (37 points), Tye Lewis (27 points/Omaha-USHL), Nick & Nate Taurence (traded to Motor City Machine)
- The Bobcats have a total of 9 guys with previous NAHL experience on the roster.
- Former Express forward Jordan Singer is a member of the Bobcats this season. He was traded with former Express defenseman Chris Slavik from Motor City to Bismarck for the Taurence twins.
- Other former Express players with the Bobcats include Devin Schmitt and Derek Kohles.
- The Bobcats finished 1-2-1 at the Showcase last weekend. They beat Motor City 4-1, lost to Traverse City 3-2 in a shootout, lost to Mahoning Valley 5-1, and lost 5-1 to the USNTDP U17 team. They are currently in 2nd place in the division, 1 point ahead of the Express.
- The Express and Bobcats will play 12 times during the regular season with each team hosting 6 games.
My take: It's hard to get a read on this year's Bobcats. They had a problem scoring goals last season. Despite their last place finish in the division, they were competitive in most of their games last year, mostly due to outstanding goaltending from Jake Kremer. Kremer will be a member of the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team this season. So, you have trouble scoring goals to begin with, lose your top 2 scorers, and lose your excellent goalie. Not exactly a recipe for success. That being said, you can't write this team off. Jordan Singer and Cody Keefer are going to score some goals for the Bobcats, and the Bosner kid in goal should give them at least a chance every night. It's too hard to tell what their batch of rookies will be able to accomplish. With 4 out of 5 teams qualifying for the playoffs, the Bobcats will be a factor.
--BK
- This will be the first full year led by Coach Byron Pool who took over part way through last season.
- The Bobcats finished last in the Central Division standings last season.
- The Bobcats scored the 2nd fewest goals in the NAHL in 2007/08 with 148. Only the Kenai River Brown Bears scored fewer with 144.
- Important pieces gone from last year's Bobcat team: Goalie Jake Kremer (University of Minnesota), Kyle Maggard (43 points), Joel Whited (37 points), Tye Lewis (27 points/Omaha-USHL), Nick & Nate Taurence (traded to Motor City Machine)
- The Bobcats have a total of 9 guys with previous NAHL experience on the roster.
- Former Express forward Jordan Singer is a member of the Bobcats this season. He was traded with former Express defenseman Chris Slavik from Motor City to Bismarck for the Taurence twins.
- Other former Express players with the Bobcats include Devin Schmitt and Derek Kohles.
- The Bobcats finished 1-2-1 at the Showcase last weekend. They beat Motor City 4-1, lost to Traverse City 3-2 in a shootout, lost to Mahoning Valley 5-1, and lost 5-1 to the USNTDP U17 team. They are currently in 2nd place in the division, 1 point ahead of the Express.
- The Express and Bobcats will play 12 times during the regular season with each team hosting 6 games.
My take: It's hard to get a read on this year's Bobcats. They had a problem scoring goals last season. Despite their last place finish in the division, they were competitive in most of their games last year, mostly due to outstanding goaltending from Jake Kremer. Kremer will be a member of the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team this season. So, you have trouble scoring goals to begin with, lose your top 2 scorers, and lose your excellent goalie. Not exactly a recipe for success. That being said, you can't write this team off. Jordan Singer and Cody Keefer are going to score some goals for the Bobcats, and the Bosner kid in goal should give them at least a chance every night. It's too hard to tell what their batch of rookies will be able to accomplish. With 4 out of 5 teams qualifying for the playoffs, the Bobcats will be a factor.
--BK
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Alexandria Blizzard Preview
Instead of wasting a bunch of my time researching, I decided to go straight to the source. So, if you want a real in-depth preview of the Blizzard, read this article: http://www.alexandriablizzard.com/page/show_article/17122/15285
My take on the Blizzard:
After a horrible start last year they went on an incredible run to qualify for the playoffs, then they beat the Express in 5 games in the first round, and ultimately made the trip to St. Louis for the Robertson Cup Championship. The taste of success they had last year, will make them hungry to get another crack at the cup. They return a bunch of veterans from last year, and picked up 3 former Fargo-Moorhead Jets, which on paper, make them the early favorite to win the Central Division.
However, the main story here is not so much who is coming back, but who is not coming back. The Blizzard lost their top 2 scorers from last year in Luke Nesper and Michael Lickteig. Both of those guys were in the top 5 in the entire NAHL in scoring, and obviously the Blizzard will feel that loss. The Blizzard as a team were the 4th highest scoring team in the league, but they also gave up the 4th highest amount of goals against. They lost their two highest scorers, and kept both goalies and half of last year's defensemen. Of all the veteran Blizzard players returning for this year (12??) only 4 finished last season with a positive plus/minus.
Tidbits:
- Ryan Leets their #1 goalie entering this season, finished last year rated the 19th best goalie in the league, just 1 spot better than former Express goalie Scott Pederson.
- Forward Jerry Freismuth is the real deal. He finished last year with 55 points, and was a +32. He is off to a good start this season with 8 points in the Showcase. He should be near the top of the league in scoring, and is a guy the Express will have to keep in check if they hope to compete with the Blizzard.
- The Express will play the Blizzard 9 times during the regular season. 4 games in Alexandria, and 5 games in Owatonna, including the home opener October 3rd. It will be an early opportunity to see how we stack up against them, and maybe send a message that the Express will be a team to be reckoned with this season.
- The Blizzard went 2-1-1 at the Showcase. They beat the Alaska Avalanche and the USNTDP - U18 team, and lost to St Louis and Wichita Falls (in overtime).
- Other Blizzard players to watch: Brandon Bahnemann (former Express player), Joe Knoepke (spent last season in the USHL), and Taylor Vichorek (6'7" and physical).
Check back Friday to see my season-long prediction for the Blizzard.
See you at the rink.
--BK
My take on the Blizzard:
After a horrible start last year they went on an incredible run to qualify for the playoffs, then they beat the Express in 5 games in the first round, and ultimately made the trip to St. Louis for the Robertson Cup Championship. The taste of success they had last year, will make them hungry to get another crack at the cup. They return a bunch of veterans from last year, and picked up 3 former Fargo-Moorhead Jets, which on paper, make them the early favorite to win the Central Division.
However, the main story here is not so much who is coming back, but who is not coming back. The Blizzard lost their top 2 scorers from last year in Luke Nesper and Michael Lickteig. Both of those guys were in the top 5 in the entire NAHL in scoring, and obviously the Blizzard will feel that loss. The Blizzard as a team were the 4th highest scoring team in the league, but they also gave up the 4th highest amount of goals against. They lost their two highest scorers, and kept both goalies and half of last year's defensemen. Of all the veteran Blizzard players returning for this year (12??) only 4 finished last season with a positive plus/minus.
Tidbits:
- Ryan Leets their #1 goalie entering this season, finished last year rated the 19th best goalie in the league, just 1 spot better than former Express goalie Scott Pederson.
- Forward Jerry Freismuth is the real deal. He finished last year with 55 points, and was a +32. He is off to a good start this season with 8 points in the Showcase. He should be near the top of the league in scoring, and is a guy the Express will have to keep in check if they hope to compete with the Blizzard.
- The Express will play the Blizzard 9 times during the regular season. 4 games in Alexandria, and 5 games in Owatonna, including the home opener October 3rd. It will be an early opportunity to see how we stack up against them, and maybe send a message that the Express will be a team to be reckoned with this season.
- The Blizzard went 2-1-1 at the Showcase. They beat the Alaska Avalanche and the USNTDP - U18 team, and lost to St Louis and Wichita Falls (in overtime).
- Other Blizzard players to watch: Brandon Bahnemann (former Express player), Joe Knoepke (spent last season in the USHL), and Taylor Vichorek (6'7" and physical).
Check back Friday to see my season-long prediction for the Blizzard.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Monday, September 22, 2008
Coaches Show Tidbits
Here's a few things from the Express Coaches Show tonight:
- Coach Cullen explained how they only had 4 days to sign the tenders once the Owatonna franchise was made official. Coach Cullen said and I'm paraphrasing here: The short time frame didn't help, but it's not an excuse.
- The "Voice of the Express" Roy Koenig asked Coach Cullen about the differences between this year and the first expansion year in 2005. Cullen's response was that there are more similarities than differences from the first year.
- Roy asked Coach Cullen about the team's performance at the Showcase last week, and Cullen brought up some interesting points: The system the Express play isn't conducive to the bigger(Olympic size) ice sheet up in Blaine. Cullen also mentioned that way he asks the guys to play requires them to think more, which takes some time to adjust to.
- Roy's first player interview was with Defenseman Troy Puente. Troy talked about what it was like to play for the Texas Tornado the last two years, and about Cullen calling and asking him to play in Owatonna this year. The second player interview was with forward Tony McDonald. Tony talked about living in Alaska and playing for the Kenai River Brown Bears last season.
- Coach Cullen talked a little about the North Iowa Outlaws. He mentioned that their blueline guys are young, they have good forwards, and they picked up former Texas Tornado goalie Tom Callahan to play goalie.
- Cullen mentioned how the new Albert Lea franchise is in the same situation as the Express, trying to find their own identity, and that their best hockey (like the Express) is still ahead of them.
- Cullen said that the Alexandria Blizzard is the favorite to win the division, and how making a deep playoff run like they did last year (and the Express did in '06 & '07) can really help the cause.
- Cullen likes the way the schedule worked out for this season. The Express only have 5 overnight trips, and the schedule has a lot to say with the eventual success of a season. It is nice to sleep in your own bed.
Overall, it was an informative hour of radio. It was nice to hear what Coach Cullen's take is on the season so far, and Puente & McDonald are well-spoken young men. We are really lucky to have Roy Koenig back as the "Voice of the Express". He is one of, if not the best play-by-play guys in the NAHL, and does a fantastic job with the Coaches Show. Thanks Roy, and I'll see you at the rink.
--BK
- Coach Cullen explained how they only had 4 days to sign the tenders once the Owatonna franchise was made official. Coach Cullen said and I'm paraphrasing here: The short time frame didn't help, but it's not an excuse.
- The "Voice of the Express" Roy Koenig asked Coach Cullen about the differences between this year and the first expansion year in 2005. Cullen's response was that there are more similarities than differences from the first year.
- Roy asked Coach Cullen about the team's performance at the Showcase last week, and Cullen brought up some interesting points: The system the Express play isn't conducive to the bigger(Olympic size) ice sheet up in Blaine. Cullen also mentioned that way he asks the guys to play requires them to think more, which takes some time to adjust to.
- Roy's first player interview was with Defenseman Troy Puente. Troy talked about what it was like to play for the Texas Tornado the last two years, and about Cullen calling and asking him to play in Owatonna this year. The second player interview was with forward Tony McDonald. Tony talked about living in Alaska and playing for the Kenai River Brown Bears last season.
- Coach Cullen talked a little about the North Iowa Outlaws. He mentioned that their blueline guys are young, they have good forwards, and they picked up former Texas Tornado goalie Tom Callahan to play goalie.
- Cullen mentioned how the new Albert Lea franchise is in the same situation as the Express, trying to find their own identity, and that their best hockey (like the Express) is still ahead of them.
- Cullen said that the Alexandria Blizzard is the favorite to win the division, and how making a deep playoff run like they did last year (and the Express did in '06 & '07) can really help the cause.
- Cullen likes the way the schedule worked out for this season. The Express only have 5 overnight trips, and the schedule has a lot to say with the eventual success of a season. It is nice to sleep in your own bed.
Overall, it was an informative hour of radio. It was nice to hear what Coach Cullen's take is on the season so far, and Puente & McDonald are well-spoken young men. We are really lucky to have Roy Koenig back as the "Voice of the Express". He is one of, if not the best play-by-play guys in the NAHL, and does a fantastic job with the Coaches Show. Thanks Roy, and I'll see you at the rink.
--BK
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Showcase Wrap-Up
The NAHL Showcase is in the books, now it's on to the Central Division schedule. We won't have to wait long to find out how we stack up against our 2 biggest rivals. The Express play this Friday in Mason City for the Outlaw's home opener, and Saturday night in Albert Lea for the Thunder's home opener. The Express then open their home schedule with a game against the Alexandria Blizzard on October 3rd.
Here's what I think I know at this point:
- The Express have a pretty solid goaltender in Adam Buegler.
- The defense played much better Saturday, but I'm a still a little worried. I think the talent level is probably there, but the execution needs to continue to improve. They need some time to adapt to Coach Cullen's system, and just more time on the ice together. It's early, they'll come around.
- The offense has a lot of individual talent, and we saw Saturday that when they play together as a team, they can light up the scoreboard. We also saw it for a stretch against Mahoning Valley on Wednesday. As with the defense, they need some time to adjust to the speed of the NAHL, and fully grasp Coach Cullen's system. This will be the strength of the team this year, and will be well worth the price of admission.
- Regarding my last two points: In an interview with KRFO Radio's Roy Koenig, Coach Cullen commented that, and I'm paraphrasing here: It takes longer to teach the system that Cullen wants this team to play, and the effort was there but the execution wasn't. That's a great point by my favorite junior hockey coach, and bodes well for the future.
- I tried to watch as many of the other games at the Showcase as I could, and one of things I noticed was that the talent level across the league seems more even than in past years. This puts more emphasis on effort level and coaching. The guys will need to bring "it" every night.
- The South Division is going to be huge dogfight this season. Wichita Falls and Topeka both went undefeated at the showcase, and Springfield looks better than I expected. St Louis lost a ton of guys and the coach from last year's championship team, but they always seem to be at the top of the standings at the end of the year. The Express will play home-and-home series against both Springfield and St. Louis this season.
- I was 7-3 on my predictions for Saturday's games, and finished 25-15 overall.
Don't forget the first "Express Coaches Show" will be Monday night at 6:05pm on KRFO radio with Roy Koenig, Coach Cullen, and some players. To listen online, you can follow the link on the official Express website.
Coming up this week, I'll do previews of our Central Division rivals, make my overall NAHL predictions, and debut the Big Kahuna NAHL Power Rankings.
Thanks for reading, see you at the rink!
--BK
Here's what I think I know at this point:
- The Express have a pretty solid goaltender in Adam Buegler.
- The defense played much better Saturday, but I'm a still a little worried. I think the talent level is probably there, but the execution needs to continue to improve. They need some time to adapt to Coach Cullen's system, and just more time on the ice together. It's early, they'll come around.
- The offense has a lot of individual talent, and we saw Saturday that when they play together as a team, they can light up the scoreboard. We also saw it for a stretch against Mahoning Valley on Wednesday. As with the defense, they need some time to adjust to the speed of the NAHL, and fully grasp Coach Cullen's system. This will be the strength of the team this year, and will be well worth the price of admission.
- Regarding my last two points: In an interview with KRFO Radio's Roy Koenig, Coach Cullen commented that, and I'm paraphrasing here: It takes longer to teach the system that Cullen wants this team to play, and the effort was there but the execution wasn't. That's a great point by my favorite junior hockey coach, and bodes well for the future.
- I tried to watch as many of the other games at the Showcase as I could, and one of things I noticed was that the talent level across the league seems more even than in past years. This puts more emphasis on effort level and coaching. The guys will need to bring "it" every night.
- The South Division is going to be huge dogfight this season. Wichita Falls and Topeka both went undefeated at the showcase, and Springfield looks better than I expected. St Louis lost a ton of guys and the coach from last year's championship team, but they always seem to be at the top of the standings at the end of the year. The Express will play home-and-home series against both Springfield and St. Louis this season.
- I was 7-3 on my predictions for Saturday's games, and finished 25-15 overall.
Don't forget the first "Express Coaches Show" will be Monday night at 6:05pm on KRFO radio with Roy Koenig, Coach Cullen, and some players. To listen online, you can follow the link on the official Express website.
Coming up this week, I'll do previews of our Central Division rivals, make my overall NAHL predictions, and debut the Big Kahuna NAHL Power Rankings.
Thanks for reading, see you at the rink!
--BK
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Stu Bickel Fight Video - NHL Camp
I came across a short video of former Express player and current Anaheim Duck prospect Stu Bickel in a fight during an exhibition game against the San Jose Sharks prospects. There is a good chance that Stu will be playing in Des Moines this year for the Iowa Chops, Anaheim's AHL affiliate.
FYI, Stu is #79 in the black jersey.
-BK
FYI, Stu is #79 in the black jersey.
-BK
Just What The Doctor Ordered
The Owatonna Express got there first win of the young season today with a 12-1 hammering of the Kenai River Brown Bears. Express forwards Stephen Carew and Sean Randall both scored hat tricks, Tony McDonald scored a goal and 3 assists, and Alex Niestrom tallied 4 assists. Goalie Adam Buegler with the help of a greatly improved defensive effort, held the Brown Bears to just 1 goal, and the Express broke their 3 game losing streak in a big way.
My take: Not to toot my own horn, or hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back, but I predicted an Express win today. Memo to all the folks who were screaming for a refund on their donations, or going to boycott the home opener: There's plenty of room left on the bandwagon, welcome back aboard.
Really nice win for the Express today, and it confirms what I've been telling you since tryout camp: There is a lot of talent on this team, and when they start playing together and executing on the ice, they are capable of scoring a lot of goals. I hope the guys take the rest of the weekend to enjoy today's victory, and then get back to work on Monday preparing for a couple of rivalry games next weekend against North Iowa and Albert Lea.
See the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763837
--Big Kahuna
My take: Not to toot my own horn, or hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back, but I predicted an Express win today. Memo to all the folks who were screaming for a refund on their donations, or going to boycott the home opener: There's plenty of room left on the bandwagon, welcome back aboard.
Really nice win for the Express today, and it confirms what I've been telling you since tryout camp: There is a lot of talent on this team, and when they start playing together and executing on the ice, they are capable of scoring a lot of goals. I hope the guys take the rest of the weekend to enjoy today's victory, and then get back to work on Monday preparing for a couple of rivalry games next weekend against North Iowa and Albert Lea.
See the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763837
--Big Kahuna
Game #4 - Kenai River Brown Bears
I didn't feel like posting anything last night when I got home from Blaine. There really isn't much more to say at this point. It's been a tough week to be a fan, I can't imagine how bad the players and coaches feel about the performance thus far.
However, today is another day, and the opponent today is the Kenai River Brown Bears. The Brown Bears are 2-1 so far at the Showcase with wins over Albert Lea and St. Louis and a loss to Alpena yesterday. Based on the first 3 games, Kenai River looks to have improved some after last year's team had the worst record in the NAHL.
Big Kahuna's Prediction - Owatonna Express 3 - Kenai River 2
The Express have taken a hit to their pride the first 3 games, and will come out hungry today to avoid an 0-4 start to the year. Look for a another strong performance by Adam Buegler in the net, an improved effort on defense, and a couple of goals from the Beaudette/Carew/McDonald line.
Predictions for the other games: (I was 4-6 yesterday, 18-12 overall)
WF over Marquette
Fairbanks over Traverse City
Topeka over USNTDP
Alex over St Louis
MVP over Bizzy
USNTDP over NI
Springy over Alaska
Alpena over Wenatchee
MCM over AL
Just in case I am bad luck, I am staying home and watching on the B2 Network, so maybe I'll post some updates as the game progresses.
--BK
However, today is another day, and the opponent today is the Kenai River Brown Bears. The Brown Bears are 2-1 so far at the Showcase with wins over Albert Lea and St. Louis and a loss to Alpena yesterday. Based on the first 3 games, Kenai River looks to have improved some after last year's team had the worst record in the NAHL.
Big Kahuna's Prediction - Owatonna Express 3 - Kenai River 2
The Express have taken a hit to their pride the first 3 games, and will come out hungry today to avoid an 0-4 start to the year. Look for a another strong performance by Adam Buegler in the net, an improved effort on defense, and a couple of goals from the Beaudette/Carew/McDonald line.
Predictions for the other games: (I was 4-6 yesterday, 18-12 overall)
WF over Marquette
Fairbanks over Traverse City
Topeka over USNTDP
Alex over St Louis
MVP over Bizzy
USNTDP over NI
Springy over Alaska
Alpena over Wenatchee
MCM over AL
Just in case I am bad luck, I am staying home and watching on the B2 Network, so maybe I'll post some updates as the game progresses.
--BK
Friday, September 19, 2008
Step Away From The Ledge!!!
Everybody needs to calm down, and step away from the ledge. Is this the ideal way to start the season?? Of course not, but let's take a closer look at the 0-2 start.
Loss #1 was to Mahoning Valley, a team that finished 2nd at the Robertson Cup in April, and has 14 guys on the roster with at least 1 year of junior hockey experience. Mahoning Valley could be the best team in the league this season with all the veterans on the roster. Loss #2 was to Team USA, a team comprised of 20 of the best 16 year old hockey players in the entire country. The Express held leads at one point in both games, and have shown some signs of being able to compete in this league.
Most importantly, these first two games were against the 2 best teams the Express will face all year long. Let me repeat that so it sinks in: Mahoning Valley and Team USA are the 2 best teams the Express will play this year. Yes, that is just my opinion, but look at the rest of the schedule. From what I've seen this far, and granted it's a small sample size, nobody in the Central Division scares me. Once the showcase is done, the only non division games are against St. Louis and Springfield, who both are rebuilding this year.
Lastly, look at the past performances for the Express at the NAHL Showcase. All-time in Blaine, the Express have a record of 3 wins and 9 losses, with one of the wins being an easy victory over a cobbled together NAHL At-Large team 2 years ago. The Express have historically struggled out of the gate, and then gotten better as the season progresses.
Basically what I'm saying is this, it is way to early to hit the panic button. There is nothing to worry about until there is something to worry about. Don't jump off the bandwagon based on two losses to two really good teams. This team has plenty of talent, and good coaching. Give them some time to put it all together. The Alexandria Blizzard started the 2007/08 season with a record of 3-16, and look where they ended up by the end of the year.
Friday's Game Preview:
6:30pm face-off versus the Marquette Rangers. Marquette is 0-2 so far, losing 5-4 to North Iowa, and getting spanked yesterday by Topeka 8-2. Marquette finished in last place in the North Division last year, but brought in a good coach in the offseason in Kenny Miller.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Owatonna Express 4 - Marquette Rangers 3
Yes, that's right, I'm predicting a win for the Express today. I think the guys will come out with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove today after yesterday's blowout loss. The rookies have a couple of games under their belt, and the lines should be starting to work better together. There are no easy games or easy opponents, but Marquette is not the daunting opponent that Mahoning Valley and Team USA were. The Express should be able to put a little more together on offense today. Go get 'em guys.
Predictions for the other games today: (I was 6-4 on yesterday's picks, 14-6 overall)
St. Louis over Wenatchee
USNTDP over Alaska
Kenai River over Alpena
Mahoning Valley over Springfield
Traverse City over Bismarck
Wichita Falls over Albert Lea
Topeka over North Iowa
Fairbanks over Motor City
USNTDP over Alexandria
See you at the rink.
--BK
Loss #1 was to Mahoning Valley, a team that finished 2nd at the Robertson Cup in April, and has 14 guys on the roster with at least 1 year of junior hockey experience. Mahoning Valley could be the best team in the league this season with all the veterans on the roster. Loss #2 was to Team USA, a team comprised of 20 of the best 16 year old hockey players in the entire country. The Express held leads at one point in both games, and have shown some signs of being able to compete in this league.
Most importantly, these first two games were against the 2 best teams the Express will face all year long. Let me repeat that so it sinks in: Mahoning Valley and Team USA are the 2 best teams the Express will play this year. Yes, that is just my opinion, but look at the rest of the schedule. From what I've seen this far, and granted it's a small sample size, nobody in the Central Division scares me. Once the showcase is done, the only non division games are against St. Louis and Springfield, who both are rebuilding this year.
Lastly, look at the past performances for the Express at the NAHL Showcase. All-time in Blaine, the Express have a record of 3 wins and 9 losses, with one of the wins being an easy victory over a cobbled together NAHL At-Large team 2 years ago. The Express have historically struggled out of the gate, and then gotten better as the season progresses.
Basically what I'm saying is this, it is way to early to hit the panic button. There is nothing to worry about until there is something to worry about. Don't jump off the bandwagon based on two losses to two really good teams. This team has plenty of talent, and good coaching. Give them some time to put it all together. The Alexandria Blizzard started the 2007/08 season with a record of 3-16, and look where they ended up by the end of the year.
Friday's Game Preview:
6:30pm face-off versus the Marquette Rangers. Marquette is 0-2 so far, losing 5-4 to North Iowa, and getting spanked yesterday by Topeka 8-2. Marquette finished in last place in the North Division last year, but brought in a good coach in the offseason in Kenny Miller.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Owatonna Express 4 - Marquette Rangers 3
Yes, that's right, I'm predicting a win for the Express today. I think the guys will come out with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove today after yesterday's blowout loss. The rookies have a couple of games under their belt, and the lines should be starting to work better together. There are no easy games or easy opponents, but Marquette is not the daunting opponent that Mahoning Valley and Team USA were. The Express should be able to put a little more together on offense today. Go get 'em guys.
Predictions for the other games today: (I was 6-4 on yesterday's picks, 14-6 overall)
St. Louis over Wenatchee
USNTDP over Alaska
Kenai River over Alpena
Mahoning Valley over Springfield
Traverse City over Bismarck
Wichita Falls over Albert Lea
Topeka over North Iowa
Fairbanks over Motor City
USNTDP over Alexandria
See you at the rink.
--BK
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Game #2 - Postgame Report - Ouch!!
Bad day for the Express, although it wasn't quite as a bad as the score looks. Final score was 7-1. Team USA was just a much better team in all facets of the game except for goaltending. I give the edge to Express goalie Adam Buegler over the Team USA goalie. Buegler was tested today, and made several great saves, while the Team USA goalie probably didn't even break a sweat as the Express only managed 18 shots on goal.
Observations from today:
- Forward lines were basically the same today as yesterday, with Sean Randall playing in place of Josh Daley.
- The Express dressed a new defenseman today who was wearing jersey #7. His name is David Starr and he is from California. He administered a couple of big hits, and made a really smart play. With the Express on the powerplay, a delayed penalty was called on Team USA, and Starr immediately passed the puck off a Team USA player to get the whistle and maximize the 5 on 3 time. I'll do a profile on this guy when I get a chance. He was paired with Nick Carson. The other defensive pairings were Fiala/Puente, and Orange/Smith.
- The lone Express goal was pretty. Cory Thorson took a pass from Troy Puente in the left circle, then skated into the slot, beating the Team USA goalie with a wrister to the top corner. The Express actually led the game at that point.
Plenty more I could talk about, but I'm trying to erase this from my memory, so I'm going to quit talking about it. I hope they take tonight to regroup, and come out strong tomorrow against Marquette.
--BK
Observations from today:
- Forward lines were basically the same today as yesterday, with Sean Randall playing in place of Josh Daley.
- The Express dressed a new defenseman today who was wearing jersey #7. His name is David Starr and he is from California. He administered a couple of big hits, and made a really smart play. With the Express on the powerplay, a delayed penalty was called on Team USA, and Starr immediately passed the puck off a Team USA player to get the whistle and maximize the 5 on 3 time. I'll do a profile on this guy when I get a chance. He was paired with Nick Carson. The other defensive pairings were Fiala/Puente, and Orange/Smith.
- The lone Express goal was pretty. Cory Thorson took a pass from Troy Puente in the left circle, then skated into the slot, beating the Team USA goalie with a wrister to the top corner. The Express actually led the game at that point.
Plenty more I could talk about, but I'm trying to erase this from my memory, so I'm going to quit talking about it. I hope they take tonight to regroup, and come out strong tomorrow against Marquette.
--BK
Game Day #2 - Pregame Express vs. USNTDP
Game #2 of 58 is today vs. the USNTDP U17 team. Face-off is 4:15 at the SuperRink in Blaine.
This will be another tough test for the Express. The U17 team beat Bismarck 5-1 yesterday, scoring 4 goals in the 1st period, and never looking back. The Express absolutely must start strong today. If they come out slow and unorganized they will quickly find themselves behind a couple of goals. This is a winnable game for the Express, but they will have to play like they did the second half of the first period yesterday, for all 60 minutes.
What I hope to see from the Express today:
- A vast improvement in defensive zone puck possession. Too many turnovers in our zone yesterday, and too much trouble clearing the zone.
- A more organized offensive attack. The 4 goals scored yesterday were mostly due to great individual effort. Move the puck up the ice, gain the offensive zone, and look for an opportunity. This should lead to more shots on goal, and hopefully more goals.
- Cut down the penalties. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: USNTDP 4 - Owatonna Express 3
I look for this game to go down to the wire, maybe even an overtime or shootout situation.
Predictions for the other games today: (I was 8-2 on yesterday's picks)
Motor City over Bismarck
Traverse City over Alaska
Topeka over Marquette
Alpena over Springfield
St. Louis over Kenai River
Mahoning Valley over North Iowa
Wichita Falls over Alexandria
Wenatchee over Albert Lea
USNTDP U18 over Fairbanks
See you at the rink!
--Big Kahuna
This will be another tough test for the Express. The U17 team beat Bismarck 5-1 yesterday, scoring 4 goals in the 1st period, and never looking back. The Express absolutely must start strong today. If they come out slow and unorganized they will quickly find themselves behind a couple of goals. This is a winnable game for the Express, but they will have to play like they did the second half of the first period yesterday, for all 60 minutes.
What I hope to see from the Express today:
- A vast improvement in defensive zone puck possession. Too many turnovers in our zone yesterday, and too much trouble clearing the zone.
- A more organized offensive attack. The 4 goals scored yesterday were mostly due to great individual effort. Move the puck up the ice, gain the offensive zone, and look for an opportunity. This should lead to more shots on goal, and hopefully more goals.
- Cut down the penalties. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: USNTDP 4 - Owatonna Express 3
I look for this game to go down to the wire, maybe even an overtime or shootout situation.
Predictions for the other games today: (I was 8-2 on yesterday's picks)
Motor City over Bismarck
Traverse City over Alaska
Topeka over Marquette
Alpena over Springfield
St. Louis over Kenai River
Mahoning Valley over North Iowa
Wichita Falls over Alexandria
Wenatchee over Albert Lea
USNTDP U18 over Fairbanks
See you at the rink!
--Big Kahuna
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Game #1 - Postgame Report
See the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763802
Read game recap from Phantom point of view here: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3718919
Tough loss for the Express today. They were down 2-0, and rattled off 4 straight goals to take the lead, but couldn't hold off the Phantoms as they scored 3 unanswered goals to catch and pass the Express. Final score was 5-4 in the Phantoms favor.
Things did not start off well for the Express as they gave up a bad goal to the Phantoms less than 3 minutes into the first period. Express goalie Adam Buegler made the initial save, but the Express defenseman whiffed on the puck trying to clear it out of the crease, and Erik Higby of the Phantoms knocked it in for the first goal. The Phantoms spent most of the first 10 minutes of the game in the Express defensive zone, and scored their second goal at 9:03 of the 1st period. At that point something clicked with the Express, and the offense started creating chances. Rookie forward Josh Daley created a couple of nice scoring chances in short order, and Tony McDonald knocked home one of his passes for the first Express goal of the season. Just over a minute later Express forward Cory Thorson tied the game at two with his first NAHL goal. The rest of the first period was some good back and forth hockey with several chances for both teams.
The 2nd period started where the 1st left off. The Express took the lead on a beautiful play by one of the newest Express players, Michael Palmiscno. Palmiscno was driving to the net, when John Kruse found him with a great pass that Palmiscno deflected past the Phantom goaltender. A couple of minutes later the Express expanded their lead on a powerplay goal by Stephen Carew. However, from there it was all downhill for the Express. The Phantoms seemed to shift into a different gear, and the Express just couldn't match the faster tempo. The Phantoms scored the eventual game-winner early in the 3rd period. The Express fought hard, but just couldn't generate anything offensively. 3 Express penalties in the last 10 minutes hampered efforts to tie the game, and the Express lost a winnable game against a good opponent.
Observations from Wednesday:
- Forward lines: Beaudette/Carew/McDonald, Niestrom/Thorson/Bournazos, Kruse/Palmiscno/Vierling, Daley/Porter/Erickson
- Defensive pairings: Fiala/Puente, Tolkinen/Smith, Carson/Orange
- Scratches: Percy, Randall, New Guy #1(Fahnhorst), New Guy #2(????)
- The Express took some dumb penalties, and twice found themselves on the wrong end of a 5 on 3 situation. On a positive note, they killed off both of the 5 on 3 situations without a giving up a goal. They did allow 1 powerplay goal in 8 chances today, but I think they have played really well on the penalty kill so far this year.
- Express defenseman Tim Smith took one of the hardest hits I have ever seen early in the game. He was absolutely leveled by a forechecking Phantom player, but to his credit, he shook it off and played a good game today. He made some nice defensive plays late in the game to keep the Express within 1 goal.
- Kruse and Orange were dressed and played normal shifts today after sitting out Saturday's exhibition game against Fairbanks with injuries.
- In my pregame post this morning, I listed off some things I wanted to see from the Express today. #1 was take a step in the right direction today....verdict: Definitive yes. #2 was to work through the first game jitters quick, and settle into the speed of the game...verdict: needs improvement. They adjusted mid way through the 1st period, but then lost it midway through the 2nd. #3 was no stupid penalties....verdict: some were bad, some were questionable calls, but they still ended up in the sin-bin. #4 was more cohesiveness with the line combinations....verdict: achieved. They looked much better in that respect today.
Even though this was a loss for the Express, I think you have to chalk it up as the old cliched "moral victory". The Express proved today that they will be able to compete on a nightly basis in the NAHL. For a 20 minute stretch, the Express showed that this is a team that will be able to score some goals. The rookies scored some goals today, and as a group are making an impact. I know I have said this before, but this is going to be a very fun and exciting team to watch.
--BK
Read game recap from Phantom point of view here: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3718919
Tough loss for the Express today. They were down 2-0, and rattled off 4 straight goals to take the lead, but couldn't hold off the Phantoms as they scored 3 unanswered goals to catch and pass the Express. Final score was 5-4 in the Phantoms favor.
Things did not start off well for the Express as they gave up a bad goal to the Phantoms less than 3 minutes into the first period. Express goalie Adam Buegler made the initial save, but the Express defenseman whiffed on the puck trying to clear it out of the crease, and Erik Higby of the Phantoms knocked it in for the first goal. The Phantoms spent most of the first 10 minutes of the game in the Express defensive zone, and scored their second goal at 9:03 of the 1st period. At that point something clicked with the Express, and the offense started creating chances. Rookie forward Josh Daley created a couple of nice scoring chances in short order, and Tony McDonald knocked home one of his passes for the first Express goal of the season. Just over a minute later Express forward Cory Thorson tied the game at two with his first NAHL goal. The rest of the first period was some good back and forth hockey with several chances for both teams.
The 2nd period started where the 1st left off. The Express took the lead on a beautiful play by one of the newest Express players, Michael Palmiscno. Palmiscno was driving to the net, when John Kruse found him with a great pass that Palmiscno deflected past the Phantom goaltender. A couple of minutes later the Express expanded their lead on a powerplay goal by Stephen Carew. However, from there it was all downhill for the Express. The Phantoms seemed to shift into a different gear, and the Express just couldn't match the faster tempo. The Phantoms scored the eventual game-winner early in the 3rd period. The Express fought hard, but just couldn't generate anything offensively. 3 Express penalties in the last 10 minutes hampered efforts to tie the game, and the Express lost a winnable game against a good opponent.
Observations from Wednesday:
- Forward lines: Beaudette/Carew/McDonald, Niestrom/Thorson/Bournazos, Kruse/Palmiscno/Vierling, Daley/Porter/Erickson
- Defensive pairings: Fiala/Puente, Tolkinen/Smith, Carson/Orange
- Scratches: Percy, Randall, New Guy #1(Fahnhorst), New Guy #2(????)
- The Express took some dumb penalties, and twice found themselves on the wrong end of a 5 on 3 situation. On a positive note, they killed off both of the 5 on 3 situations without a giving up a goal. They did allow 1 powerplay goal in 8 chances today, but I think they have played really well on the penalty kill so far this year.
- Express defenseman Tim Smith took one of the hardest hits I have ever seen early in the game. He was absolutely leveled by a forechecking Phantom player, but to his credit, he shook it off and played a good game today. He made some nice defensive plays late in the game to keep the Express within 1 goal.
- Kruse and Orange were dressed and played normal shifts today after sitting out Saturday's exhibition game against Fairbanks with injuries.
- In my pregame post this morning, I listed off some things I wanted to see from the Express today. #1 was take a step in the right direction today....verdict: Definitive yes. #2 was to work through the first game jitters quick, and settle into the speed of the game...verdict: needs improvement. They adjusted mid way through the 1st period, but then lost it midway through the 2nd. #3 was no stupid penalties....verdict: some were bad, some were questionable calls, but they still ended up in the sin-bin. #4 was more cohesiveness with the line combinations....verdict: achieved. They looked much better in that respect today.
Even though this was a loss for the Express, I think you have to chalk it up as the old cliched "moral victory". The Express proved today that they will be able to compete on a nightly basis in the NAHL. For a 20 minute stretch, the Express showed that this is a team that will be able to score some goals. The rookies scored some goals today, and as a group are making an impact. I know I have said this before, but this is going to be a very fun and exciting team to watch.
--BK
Game Day
The 58 game regular season starts today versus the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. Face-off time is 3:15pm at the SuperRink in Blaine.
This will be a tough test for the Express. The Phantoms have 11 guys back from last year's team that finished runner-up at the Robertson Cup, including both goalies, 3 defensemen, and 6 forwards. They also picked up a former Wichita Falls Wildcat, a former Fargo-Moorhead Jet, and a former Des Moines Buc. By the way the former Fargo Jet is Jordy Trottier, a name most Express fans will recognize as he played many times in Owatonna. The rest of their roster is primarily guys from AAA/Midget Major programs. There are no Minnesota kids on their roster.
What I hope to see from the Express in today's game:
- The Express played much better overall last Saturday than they did last Friday. I want to see them take another step in the right direction today. Take what you learned against Fairbanks, and improve on it against the Phantoms.
- Work through the first game jitters quick. Get settled into the speed of the game faster than we did against Fairbanks.
- No stupid penalties. The Express cannot afford to spend alot of time on penalty kill. So play smart.
- More cohesiveness with the line combinations. Start playing off of their teammates. In high school, a lot of guys can dominate individually, that won't work in the NAHL.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Mahoning Valley Phantoms 4 - Owatonna Express 2
Even with a solid effort today, I just don't think we have the firepower to stay with the Phantoms today. We are an expansion team with all new players, and we haven't proved anything yet, while the Phantoms are a veteran team, that should probably win the North Division this year. I'm hoping to be proved wrong. Go get 'em guys.
Predictions for the other games today:
Fairbanks over Springfield
Topeka over Alpena
St Louis over Traverse City
Motor City over Wenatchee
USNDTP U17 - over Bismarck
Alexandria over Alaska
Kenai River over Albert Lea
North Iowa over Marquette
USNDTP U18 over Wichita Falls
See you at the rink
--BK
This will be a tough test for the Express. The Phantoms have 11 guys back from last year's team that finished runner-up at the Robertson Cup, including both goalies, 3 defensemen, and 6 forwards. They also picked up a former Wichita Falls Wildcat, a former Fargo-Moorhead Jet, and a former Des Moines Buc. By the way the former Fargo Jet is Jordy Trottier, a name most Express fans will recognize as he played many times in Owatonna. The rest of their roster is primarily guys from AAA/Midget Major programs. There are no Minnesota kids on their roster.
What I hope to see from the Express in today's game:
- The Express played much better overall last Saturday than they did last Friday. I want to see them take another step in the right direction today. Take what you learned against Fairbanks, and improve on it against the Phantoms.
- Work through the first game jitters quick. Get settled into the speed of the game faster than we did against Fairbanks.
- No stupid penalties. The Express cannot afford to spend alot of time on penalty kill. So play smart.
- More cohesiveness with the line combinations. Start playing off of their teammates. In high school, a lot of guys can dominate individually, that won't work in the NAHL.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Mahoning Valley Phantoms 4 - Owatonna Express 2
Even with a solid effort today, I just don't think we have the firepower to stay with the Phantoms today. We are an expansion team with all new players, and we haven't proved anything yet, while the Phantoms are a veteran team, that should probably win the North Division this year. I'm hoping to be proved wrong. Go get 'em guys.
Predictions for the other games today:
Fairbanks over Springfield
Topeka over Alpena
St Louis over Traverse City
Motor City over Wenatchee
USNDTP U17 - over Bismarck
Alexandria over Alaska
Kenai River over Albert Lea
North Iowa over Marquette
USNDTP U18 over Wichita Falls
See you at the rink
--BK
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Express Player Profiles - Percy & Thorson
-Express Player Profile - Nate Percy - Jersey #8 - Forward - 5'9"/165lbs
1989 birth year from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Played his high school hockey at Rosemount HS. 2006/07 - scored 16 goals and 22 assists. 2007/08 - scored 19 goals and 24 assists. He was teammates and linemates with Express teammate Dylan Porter last year for the Irish. Played in the 2007 Fall Elite League, and the Great 8 Tournament.
-Express Player profile - Cory Thorson - Jersey # 16 - Forward - 6'1"/190lbs
1990 birth year from Crystal, Minnesota. Played his high school hockey for Robbinsdale Armstrong HS. 2007/08 - Led the Classic Lake Conference in scoring with 31 goals and 31 assists. Was Honorable Mention All-State, and played in the Fall Elite League and Great 8 Tournaments. Was listed on the NHL Central Scouting Player to Watch List for 2008. Was drafted by the Fargo Force in the 18th round of the USHL Entry Draft.
My take: I don't know much about Percy. He had a goal against Fairbanks in the Saturday game last weekend, and has looked okay from what little I've seen him play thus far.
I really like Thorson and think he could be one of the shining stars for the Express this year. We saw a lot of scoring the last 3 years from the guy wearing jersey #16 for the Express (CJ Willms), and that trend should continue this year with Thorson. He's a different kind of player than CJ was though, and reminds me more of former Express player and current North Iowa Outlaw, Brandon Brodhag. Keep an eye out for this guy, he will be fun to watch.
- That's the last of the player profiles, at least of the guys we know for sure are on the roster. As new guys arrive during the season, I'll continue to profile them. Once the Express hit the ice Wednesday in Blaine, then the rostered guys are officially property of the Express. We'll find out if the 2 new guys from last weekend made the team, and what their names are.
--BK
1989 birth year from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Played his high school hockey at Rosemount HS. 2006/07 - scored 16 goals and 22 assists. 2007/08 - scored 19 goals and 24 assists. He was teammates and linemates with Express teammate Dylan Porter last year for the Irish. Played in the 2007 Fall Elite League, and the Great 8 Tournament.
-Express Player profile - Cory Thorson - Jersey # 16 - Forward - 6'1"/190lbs
1990 birth year from Crystal, Minnesota. Played his high school hockey for Robbinsdale Armstrong HS. 2007/08 - Led the Classic Lake Conference in scoring with 31 goals and 31 assists. Was Honorable Mention All-State, and played in the Fall Elite League and Great 8 Tournaments. Was listed on the NHL Central Scouting Player to Watch List for 2008. Was drafted by the Fargo Force in the 18th round of the USHL Entry Draft.
My take: I don't know much about Percy. He had a goal against Fairbanks in the Saturday game last weekend, and has looked okay from what little I've seen him play thus far.
I really like Thorson and think he could be one of the shining stars for the Express this year. We saw a lot of scoring the last 3 years from the guy wearing jersey #16 for the Express (CJ Willms), and that trend should continue this year with Thorson. He's a different kind of player than CJ was though, and reminds me more of former Express player and current North Iowa Outlaw, Brandon Brodhag. Keep an eye out for this guy, he will be fun to watch.
- That's the last of the player profiles, at least of the guys we know for sure are on the roster. As new guys arrive during the season, I'll continue to profile them. Once the Express hit the ice Wednesday in Blaine, then the rostered guys are officially property of the Express. We'll find out if the 2 new guys from last weekend made the team, and what their names are.
--BK
Monday, September 15, 2008
Express Player Profiles - Erickson & Randall
-Express Player Profile - Dane Erickson - Forward - 6'0"/182lbs - Jersey #18
Somebody else put together a nice profile of him you can read it here: http://starzofminnesota.com/profiles2/Erickson.pdf
-Express Player Profile - Sean Randall - Forward - 6'1"/194lbs - Jersey #24
1989 birth year from Coon Rapids, Minnesota. 2007/08 scored 24 goals and 34 assists for Coon Rapids High School. His 58 points was 2nd most in the tough Northwest Suburban Conference, behind fellow Coon Rapids and Express teammate Zach Vierling. Was also named Honorable Mention All-State his senior year. Played in the Minnesota Elite League on the same team as Nick Carson and Cory Thorson.
My take: A couple of nice forwards with some scoring ability. Both are over 6' tall, and both look to be strong skaters. Erickson had a pretty backhand goal against Fairbanks Saturday night, on an opportunity he basically created himself. I look for these guys to get better as the season progresses, as they get use to the speed and physicality of the NAHL game.
--BK
Somebody else put together a nice profile of him you can read it here: http://starzofminnesota.com/profiles2/Erickson.pdf
-Express Player Profile - Sean Randall - Forward - 6'1"/194lbs - Jersey #24
1989 birth year from Coon Rapids, Minnesota. 2007/08 scored 24 goals and 34 assists for Coon Rapids High School. His 58 points was 2nd most in the tough Northwest Suburban Conference, behind fellow Coon Rapids and Express teammate Zach Vierling. Was also named Honorable Mention All-State his senior year. Played in the Minnesota Elite League on the same team as Nick Carson and Cory Thorson.
My take: A couple of nice forwards with some scoring ability. Both are over 6' tall, and both look to be strong skaters. Erickson had a pretty backhand goal against Fairbanks Saturday night, on an opportunity he basically created himself. I look for these guys to get better as the season progresses, as they get use to the speed and physicality of the NAHL game.
--BK
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Express Player Profiles - Arnason & Tolkinen
Express Player Profile - Pat Arnason - Goalie - 6'3"/200lbs - Express Jersey #30
1990 birth year from Grand Forks, North Dakota. Played his high school hockey for the Red River HS Roughriders, a perennial powerhouse in North Dakota (appeared in 10 of the last 12 title games). In 2007/08 he played in 24 games posting a 20-3-1 record with a 1.78 goals against average, and a .915 save percentage. He was named to the 2008 North Dakota All-Senior Team, and played for Team North Dakota in the Chicago Showcase Tournament.
My take: Now before you comment that this was just North Dakota hockey and doesn't prove much about his ability, he was in goal in a win over Warroad, a tie against Bloomington Jefferson, and a 2-1 loss to Roseau. He is the tallest goalie to ever play for the Express at 6'3". He's entering his first year of juniors, so it might take a little time to adjust to the speed of play in the NAHL.
Express Player Profile - Zach Tolkinen - Defenseman - 6'2"/184lbs - Express Jersey #22
1989 birth year from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Played high school hockey at Centennial HS. Won the Hobey Baker High School Character Award, and was named to the All-Northwest Suburban Conference Team his senior year. 2007/08 - Scored 4 goals and 6 assists. 2006/07 - Scored 1 goal and 7 assists and was teammates with former Express player Jordan Singer. Played on the section 5 team in the Great 8 Tournament, and attended the Tri-City Storm(USHL) tryout camp this summer. Was also an All-Conference tennis player at Centennial.
My take: I don't know much about him, but I like what I've seen of his game at the Friday scrimmage, and Saturday's game. His defensive partner was fellow NAHL rookie Tim Smith.
--BK
1990 birth year from Grand Forks, North Dakota. Played his high school hockey for the Red River HS Roughriders, a perennial powerhouse in North Dakota (appeared in 10 of the last 12 title games). In 2007/08 he played in 24 games posting a 20-3-1 record with a 1.78 goals against average, and a .915 save percentage. He was named to the 2008 North Dakota All-Senior Team, and played for Team North Dakota in the Chicago Showcase Tournament.
My take: Now before you comment that this was just North Dakota hockey and doesn't prove much about his ability, he was in goal in a win over Warroad, a tie against Bloomington Jefferson, and a 2-1 loss to Roseau. He is the tallest goalie to ever play for the Express at 6'3". He's entering his first year of juniors, so it might take a little time to adjust to the speed of play in the NAHL.
Express Player Profile - Zach Tolkinen - Defenseman - 6'2"/184lbs - Express Jersey #22
1989 birth year from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Played high school hockey at Centennial HS. Won the Hobey Baker High School Character Award, and was named to the All-Northwest Suburban Conference Team his senior year. 2007/08 - Scored 4 goals and 6 assists. 2006/07 - Scored 1 goal and 7 assists and was teammates with former Express player Jordan Singer. Played on the section 5 team in the Great 8 Tournament, and attended the Tri-City Storm(USHL) tryout camp this summer. Was also an All-Conference tennis player at Centennial.
My take: I don't know much about him, but I like what I've seen of his game at the Friday scrimmage, and Saturday's game. His defensive partner was fellow NAHL rookie Tim Smith.
--BK
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Saturday Preseason Game Report
Final Score: Fairbanks 6 - Express 4
Tonight the Express gave a much better perfromance than Friday's scrimmage. The Express jumped out to an early lead with a goal by Joe Beaudette assisted by Tim Smith. Shortly after that, the Express took a couple of penalties and Fairbanks tied it up at 1 goal apiece with the 5 on 3 advantage. Fairbanks came out firing in the second period getting 2 goals to make the score 3-1, before Express forward Cory Thorson answered with a goal for the Express. In the third period, the two teams traded goals with the Express getting goals from Nate Percy and Dane Erickson, and the final score ended up 6-4 Fairbanks.
Observations:
- Forward lines: Niestrom/Bournazos/Thorson, Beaudette/McDonald/Carew, Percy/Vierling/New Kid, Erickson/Porter/Daley with Randall switching in.
- Defensive pairings: Puente/Fiala, Smith/Tolkinen, Carson/Fahnhorst with Kozelka switching in
- Penalty kill unit looked solid again tonight
- Power play took some time to get going, although Dane Erickson scored a very pretty goal on a backhand shot during an Express power play in the third period
- Shot totals: Express - 10-10-14=34, Ice Dogs - 12-16-12=40
- Forward John Kruse did not play with a wrist injury, and Defenseman Anthony Orange did not play with an ankle injury
- Defenseman Carson Curran is apparently no longer with the team
- The Express had 2 newer guys on the ice tonight that weren't listed on the initial roster. The new forward played in Canada, and is short and quick. The other new guy's last name is Fahnhorst (spelling??), and he is a big tall defenseman. Possibly Grant Fahnhorst from Wayzata??
- Albert Lea Thunder head coach Brad Zangs was in attendance.
That ends the preseason festivities for the Express. Next up is the first game of the regular season Wednesday at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine. The Express open with a tough opponent in the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, who lost in the Robertson Cup final this spring. We'll finally get a look at what the new Express uniforms will look like, and the roster should be more or less finalized.
--BK
Tonight the Express gave a much better perfromance than Friday's scrimmage. The Express jumped out to an early lead with a goal by Joe Beaudette assisted by Tim Smith. Shortly after that, the Express took a couple of penalties and Fairbanks tied it up at 1 goal apiece with the 5 on 3 advantage. Fairbanks came out firing in the second period getting 2 goals to make the score 3-1, before Express forward Cory Thorson answered with a goal for the Express. In the third period, the two teams traded goals with the Express getting goals from Nate Percy and Dane Erickson, and the final score ended up 6-4 Fairbanks.
Observations:
- Forward lines: Niestrom/Bournazos/Thorson, Beaudette/McDonald/Carew, Percy/Vierling/New Kid, Erickson/Porter/Daley with Randall switching in.
- Defensive pairings: Puente/Fiala, Smith/Tolkinen, Carson/Fahnhorst with Kozelka switching in
- Penalty kill unit looked solid again tonight
- Power play took some time to get going, although Dane Erickson scored a very pretty goal on a backhand shot during an Express power play in the third period
- Shot totals: Express - 10-10-14=34, Ice Dogs - 12-16-12=40
- Forward John Kruse did not play with a wrist injury, and Defenseman Anthony Orange did not play with an ankle injury
- Defenseman Carson Curran is apparently no longer with the team
- The Express had 2 newer guys on the ice tonight that weren't listed on the initial roster. The new forward played in Canada, and is short and quick. The other new guy's last name is Fahnhorst (spelling??), and he is a big tall defenseman. Possibly Grant Fahnhorst from Wayzata??
- Albert Lea Thunder head coach Brad Zangs was in attendance.
That ends the preseason festivities for the Express. Next up is the first game of the regular season Wednesday at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine. The Express open with a tough opponent in the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, who lost in the Robertson Cup final this spring. We'll finally get a look at what the new Express uniforms will look like, and the roster should be more or less finalized.
--BK
Friday, September 12, 2008
Scrimmage Report
For those who didn't make it to tonight's scrimmage with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, let me just say this: It sure was nice to see a team on the ice with "Owatonna" printed on their jerseys, and Coach Cullen behind the bench.
I estimate the crowd was close to 200, which I thought wasn't a bad turnout for a Friday night scrimmage in September, given that there was a Huskies football game tonight as well. As is typical with Express games, the scrimmage was well organized, and went off without any hitches. A big Big Kahuna thank you to the volunteers, off-ice officials, and Express staff.
The game itself was about what I expected, being the first time the guys took the ice other than for practice. Both the Express and the Ice Dogs were pretty sloppy. The first 2 periods were each 30 minutes long with the clock running. By my count, the Ice Dogs scored twice (one on each Express goalie) and the Express scored once. The last period was alternating 5 on 4 power play opportunites for each team, and then 5 on 3 power plays. The Ice Dogs scored once during a 5 on 4 advantage, and the Express scored once on a 5 on 3 advantage. The Express took a while to get going on the power play, while the penalty kill looked decent.
Both Express goalies were solid in goal. Buegler looks like he will be the number one goalie entering the regular season, and Arnason made a couple of really nice saves when Fairbanks was on the power play. The defensive corp didn't give up much as far as breakaways. A few times they had trouble clearing the zone, but that should come as the guys learn to play with each other. The Express struggled to generate offensive chances for most of the game, but again, it's the first time on the ice against real competition. The Ice Dogs have some veterans back, and they didn't look much (if any) better offensively than the Express.
In a perfect world, the Express would have come out tonight and looked sharp in all facets of the game. This isn't a perfect world, it's a preseason scrimmage. There are plenty of things for the team to work on, but nothing that raised a huge red flag in my mind. There seems to be plenty of individual talent on the team, they just need some time to put that together into a strong team-wide effort on the ice, and we've got the guy calling the shots that will make that happen. Now that the guys have got a taste of game action tonight, look for a much stronger performance Saturday night in Rosemount.
Odds & Ends from the scrimmage:
- Forward John Kruse was in street clothes with a soft cast on his right wrist. Hopefully it's nothing serious.
- Former Express defenseman Rob Spalding was at the game. Apparently he will be playing for the Odessa Jackalopes in the CHL this season.
- I heard that CJ Willms, the all-time leading scorer in Express history, will not be attending Wisconsin-River Falls this season.
- Former Express/Alaska Avalanche/North Iowa Outlaw player Kevin Anger was in attendance.
--BK
I estimate the crowd was close to 200, which I thought wasn't a bad turnout for a Friday night scrimmage in September, given that there was a Huskies football game tonight as well. As is typical with Express games, the scrimmage was well organized, and went off without any hitches. A big Big Kahuna thank you to the volunteers, off-ice officials, and Express staff.
The game itself was about what I expected, being the first time the guys took the ice other than for practice. Both the Express and the Ice Dogs were pretty sloppy. The first 2 periods were each 30 minutes long with the clock running. By my count, the Ice Dogs scored twice (one on each Express goalie) and the Express scored once. The last period was alternating 5 on 4 power play opportunites for each team, and then 5 on 3 power plays. The Ice Dogs scored once during a 5 on 4 advantage, and the Express scored once on a 5 on 3 advantage. The Express took a while to get going on the power play, while the penalty kill looked decent.
Both Express goalies were solid in goal. Buegler looks like he will be the number one goalie entering the regular season, and Arnason made a couple of really nice saves when Fairbanks was on the power play. The defensive corp didn't give up much as far as breakaways. A few times they had trouble clearing the zone, but that should come as the guys learn to play with each other. The Express struggled to generate offensive chances for most of the game, but again, it's the first time on the ice against real competition. The Ice Dogs have some veterans back, and they didn't look much (if any) better offensively than the Express.
In a perfect world, the Express would have come out tonight and looked sharp in all facets of the game. This isn't a perfect world, it's a preseason scrimmage. There are plenty of things for the team to work on, but nothing that raised a huge red flag in my mind. There seems to be plenty of individual talent on the team, they just need some time to put that together into a strong team-wide effort on the ice, and we've got the guy calling the shots that will make that happen. Now that the guys have got a taste of game action tonight, look for a much stronger performance Saturday night in Rosemount.
Odds & Ends from the scrimmage:
- Forward John Kruse was in street clothes with a soft cast on his right wrist. Hopefully it's nothing serious.
- Former Express defenseman Rob Spalding was at the game. Apparently he will be playing for the Odessa Jackalopes in the CHL this season.
- I heard that CJ Willms, the all-time leading scorer in Express history, will not be attending Wisconsin-River Falls this season.
- Former Express/Alaska Avalanche/North Iowa Outlaw player Kevin Anger was in attendance.
--BK
Scrimmage Tonight vs. Fairbanks
6:00pm tonight at the 4 Seasons Centre in Owatonna on the west rink. It will consist of two 30 minute running time periods, and then some alternating special teams work: Express power play vs. Ice Dogs penalty kill then vice versa. Overall, it should be a couple of hours of action.
The concession stand will be open, but it doesn't sound there will be beer sales.
I'm sure the guys are looking forward to finally hitting somebody other than their own teammates.
Don't forget you can also catch the Express in action Saturday night in Rosemount against these same Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Here's a preview from the Fairbanks newspaper: http://newsminer.com/news/2008/sep/12/ice-dogs-getting-tuned-minnesota-exhibition/
See you at the rink tonight!!
--BK
The concession stand will be open, but it doesn't sound there will be beer sales.
I'm sure the guys are looking forward to finally hitting somebody other than their own teammates.
Don't forget you can also catch the Express in action Saturday night in Rosemount against these same Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Here's a preview from the Fairbanks newspaper: http://newsminer.com/news/2008/sep/12/ice-dogs-getting-tuned-minnesota-exhibition/
See you at the rink tonight!!
--BK
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Express Player Profile - Joe Beaudette
Joe Beaudette - Forward - 6'2"/185lbs - Forward
1988 birth year from Blaine, Minnesota who will wear jersey #10 with the Express this season. Was high school teammates with fellow current Express player Nick Carson, and former Express player Danny Sinn. Joe was listed on the NHL's Central Scouting Players to Watch List in 2007. In 2006/07, he played 18 games including playoffs with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL. He then spent the early part of 2007/08 with the Indiana Ice in the USHL, before landing with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the NAHL. In 34 games with the Jets last season he score 8 goals and 8 assists, including 5 power play goals. Joe found his way to the Express for his last season of junior hockey, after Fargo-Moorhead went dormant for this season.
My take: There was a rumor going around last season that the FM Jets might relocate to Owatonna. Well as we know, that didn't happen, but the Express did pick up a couple of former Jet players in Beaudette and goalie Adam Buegler. Both should play big roles with the Express this season. Joe is a tall forward, with a some experience in both the USHL and NAHL. His experience should pay dividends given the amount of NAHL rookies on the team. I can't wait to see him and the rest of the guys on the ice tomorrow night at the 4 Seasons Centre.
Welcome to Owatonna Joe Beaudette.
--BK
1988 birth year from Blaine, Minnesota who will wear jersey #10 with the Express this season. Was high school teammates with fellow current Express player Nick Carson, and former Express player Danny Sinn. Joe was listed on the NHL's Central Scouting Players to Watch List in 2007. In 2006/07, he played 18 games including playoffs with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL. He then spent the early part of 2007/08 with the Indiana Ice in the USHL, before landing with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the NAHL. In 34 games with the Jets last season he score 8 goals and 8 assists, including 5 power play goals. Joe found his way to the Express for his last season of junior hockey, after Fargo-Moorhead went dormant for this season.
My take: There was a rumor going around last season that the FM Jets might relocate to Owatonna. Well as we know, that didn't happen, but the Express did pick up a couple of former Jet players in Beaudette and goalie Adam Buegler. Both should play big roles with the Express this season. Joe is a tall forward, with a some experience in both the USHL and NAHL. His experience should pay dividends given the amount of NAHL rookies on the team. I can't wait to see him and the rest of the guys on the ice tomorrow night at the 4 Seasons Centre.
Welcome to Owatonna Joe Beaudette.
--BK
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Official Express Roster Released by the NAHL!!!
Finally we have an official Express roster. The NAHL released the current rosters for all 18 NAHL teams. You can see them all here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=573
Here is the current 2008/2009 roster for the Owatonna Express:
G - Adam Buegler
G - Pat Arnason
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D - Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
D - Zach Tolkinen
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
F - Dane Erickson
F - Joe Beaudette
F - Nate Percy
F - Sean Randall
F - Cory Thorson
F - Stephen Carew
- 22 Total guys rostered
- Only 3 changes from the roster I posted a few days ago, and 2 of them we already knew. Gehritt Sargis is on the Fargo Force's (USHL) roster, and won't be playing with the Express. Stephen Carew is on the roster. He was drafted by the Express, and for most of the summer it looked like he would be playing for the Green bay Gamblers in the USHL. However he did not make the final Gambler's roster, which is great news for us. The only thing that surprised me, was the absence of forward Cameron Stowers. I'm not sure why he is not on the roster.
- The league's release also included the jersey numbers, height, weight, age, etc...
- The Express have 12 guys listed at 6'0" or taller, but only 2 guys listed at 200 lbs or higher.
- 13 guys from Minnesota, 3 from Illinois, and 1 each from Slovakia, Wisconsin, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota
- 2 goalies, 7 defensemen, and 13 forwards
- 5 1988 birth years, 9 1989 birth years, and 8 1990 birth years
I'm a little bit surprised they only have 22 guys rostered. Hopefully that means they are leaving room for a couple of guys from the USHL when those teams make their final cuts.
Welcome to Owatonna guys, make us proud!
--Big Kahuna
Here is the current 2008/2009 roster for the Owatonna Express:
G - Adam Buegler
G - Pat Arnason
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D - Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
D - Zach Tolkinen
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
F - Dane Erickson
F - Joe Beaudette
F - Nate Percy
F - Sean Randall
F - Cory Thorson
F - Stephen Carew
- 22 Total guys rostered
- Only 3 changes from the roster I posted a few days ago, and 2 of them we already knew. Gehritt Sargis is on the Fargo Force's (USHL) roster, and won't be playing with the Express. Stephen Carew is on the roster. He was drafted by the Express, and for most of the summer it looked like he would be playing for the Green bay Gamblers in the USHL. However he did not make the final Gambler's roster, which is great news for us. The only thing that surprised me, was the absence of forward Cameron Stowers. I'm not sure why he is not on the roster.
- The league's release also included the jersey numbers, height, weight, age, etc...
- The Express have 12 guys listed at 6'0" or taller, but only 2 guys listed at 200 lbs or higher.
- 13 guys from Minnesota, 3 from Illinois, and 1 each from Slovakia, Wisconsin, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota
- 2 goalies, 7 defensemen, and 13 forwards
- 5 1988 birth years, 9 1989 birth years, and 8 1990 birth years
I'm a little bit surprised they only have 22 guys rostered. Hopefully that means they are leaving room for a couple of guys from the USHL when those teams make their final cuts.
Welcome to Owatonna guys, make us proud!
--Big Kahuna
North Iowa Outlaws Roster Released
The defending Central Division Champion North Iowa Outlaws have released their roster for the upcoming season.
See it here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/roster.php
Points of interest:
- Former Express player Brandon Brodhag is on the roster. He was acquired this summer in a trade with the Motor City Machine.
- Former Express player Scott Barrera is also on the roster. He spent the second half of last season with the Outlaws after leaving the Express.
- By my quick count, they have 11 guys with NAHL experience on the team
- They picked up former Texas Tornado goalie Tom Callaghan to replace their stud goalie from last year, Robby Moss.
My take: It looks like the Outlaws did a nice job of rebuilding after losing a lot of the key guys from their team last year. I will do a more in-depth preview of the Outlaws in the coming weeks.
--BK
See it here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/roster.php
Points of interest:
- Former Express player Brandon Brodhag is on the roster. He was acquired this summer in a trade with the Motor City Machine.
- Former Express player Scott Barrera is also on the roster. He spent the second half of last season with the Outlaws after leaving the Express.
- By my quick count, they have 11 guys with NAHL experience on the team
- They picked up former Texas Tornado goalie Tom Callaghan to replace their stud goalie from last year, Robby Moss.
My take: It looks like the Outlaws did a nice job of rebuilding after losing a lot of the key guys from their team last year. I will do a more in-depth preview of the Outlaws in the coming weeks.
--BK
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Big Kahuna All-Time Express Team
With nothing newsworthy happening today, I want to wrap up this loose end. So, without further ado, here's the Big Kahuna All-Time Express Team:
G - Nick Hopper
G - Lars Paulgaard
D - Chris Barth
D - Stu Bickel
D - Jeff Carlson
D - Tim Kirby
D - Brian Schack
D - Rob Spalding
F - Brian Arrigoni
F - Ben Beaudoin
F - Alex Coles
F - James Gaulrapp
F - Joel Gaulrapp
F - Ryan Guentzel
F - Dusty Jackson
F - Mike Montgomery
F - Sean Murphy
F - Jamie Ruff
F - Jason Wiley
F - CJ Willms
Starting Lineup:
- Goalie: Nick Hopper - I gave Hopper the nod over Paulgaard due to his 31-8 record after coming to the Express., and he was 17 years old when he did it.
- Defensemen: Jeff Carlson & Chris Barth - Carlson was an easy choice, he had a great 2 year stint with the Express. Barth was a little more difficult choice as a starter, but I chose him for the way he affected the game when he was on the ice. His presence opened up the ice for the bevy of talented scoring threats the first year.
- Forwards: Dusty Jackson, Sean Murphy, and Jamie Ruff - Obviously it's hard to narrow it down as they are all outstanding choices. I really liked Jackson's overall game, and Murphy and Ruff were electric on the ice.
Well I'm, guessing you might have your own opinion, so if you disagree, let's hear what you have to say. If you don't like one of my picks, tell me who you would replace him with.
Also, don't forget the preseason game this Friday night against Fairbanks at 6:00pm at the 4 Seasons Centre. See you at the rink.
--BK
G - Nick Hopper
G - Lars Paulgaard
D - Chris Barth
D - Stu Bickel
D - Jeff Carlson
D - Tim Kirby
D - Brian Schack
D - Rob Spalding
F - Brian Arrigoni
F - Ben Beaudoin
F - Alex Coles
F - James Gaulrapp
F - Joel Gaulrapp
F - Ryan Guentzel
F - Dusty Jackson
F - Mike Montgomery
F - Sean Murphy
F - Jamie Ruff
F - Jason Wiley
F - CJ Willms
Starting Lineup:
- Goalie: Nick Hopper - I gave Hopper the nod over Paulgaard due to his 31-8 record after coming to the Express., and he was 17 years old when he did it.
- Defensemen: Jeff Carlson & Chris Barth - Carlson was an easy choice, he had a great 2 year stint with the Express. Barth was a little more difficult choice as a starter, but I chose him for the way he affected the game when he was on the ice. His presence opened up the ice for the bevy of talented scoring threats the first year.
- Forwards: Dusty Jackson, Sean Murphy, and Jamie Ruff - Obviously it's hard to narrow it down as they are all outstanding choices. I really liked Jackson's overall game, and Murphy and Ruff were electric on the ice.
Well I'm, guessing you might have your own opinion, so if you disagree, let's hear what you have to say. If you don't like one of my picks, tell me who you would replace him with.
Also, don't forget the preseason game this Friday night against Fairbanks at 6:00pm at the 4 Seasons Centre. See you at the rink.
--BK
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Saturday Stuff (Including Preseason Schedule)
- The Express are going to play 2 preseason games next weekend against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The first game will be at the 4 Seasons Centre in Owatonna on Friday September 12th, at 6:00pm. There will be no admission charge. The second game will be the next day, Saturday September 13th at 7:00pm. I haven't been able to confirm the location for the 2nd game, but it will be out of town, I believe in Rosemount. I'll post more information as I receive it.
*****UPDATE*****
The Saturday game is 7:05pm at Rosemount Ice Arena. This is a "home" game for Fairbanks, and they will be selling tickets at the door. ($6 for adults/$5 kids).
- Former Owatonna High School player Korby Anderson is playing with the Rochester Ice Hawks this fall. Rumor at Express tryout camp was he had a roster spot with the North Iowa Outlaws. Read about him in the following article: http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=359735
- Austin Minnesota's John Kirby is giving up his senior year with the Packers to play with the Russell Stover AAA program in Kansas City. He is the younger brother of former Express player Tim Kirby, and attended the Express tryout camp back in July. I think very highly of the Russell Stover program, and I think this is a great move for him. He should get more ice time, and better competition which will further his game more than another season at Austin. He could even play his way into a tender from the Express next season.
--Big Kahuna
*****UPDATE*****
The Saturday game is 7:05pm at Rosemount Ice Arena. This is a "home" game for Fairbanks, and they will be selling tickets at the door. ($6 for adults/$5 kids).
- Former Owatonna High School player Korby Anderson is playing with the Rochester Ice Hawks this fall. Rumor at Express tryout camp was he had a roster spot with the North Iowa Outlaws. Read about him in the following article: http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=359735
- Austin Minnesota's John Kirby is giving up his senior year with the Packers to play with the Russell Stover AAA program in Kansas City. He is the younger brother of former Express player Tim Kirby, and attended the Express tryout camp back in July. I think very highly of the Russell Stover program, and I think this is a great move for him. He should get more ice time, and better competition which will further his game more than another season at Austin. He could even play his way into a tender from the Express next season.
--Big Kahuna
Friday, September 5, 2008
Trouble Down ThUnder (It's a play on words)
In my blogpost from Monday, I mentioned that something didn't smell right with the circumstances surrounding Adam Royce walking away from the Albert Lea Thunder. Well as it turns out, there is more to that story. From today's Albert Lea Tribune: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/sep/05/royce-left-amid-roster-concerns/
My take: My initial thought was: Great, whatever hurts one of our rivals, is good for the Express. Furthermore, it gives me a greater appreciation for how far the Express have come since April, given the fact that we survived similar issues last season. However, the reality is the Express and Thunder need each other. Growing the interest in junior hockey in Southern Minnesota is good for both teams. If there is a strong rivalry between the teams, more tickets will be sold no matter which team is hosting the other. Can we still have a healthy dislike of the Thunder?? Absolutely, but we need them to be at least mildly successful. Imagine how big a crowd there could be in a late season matchup between the two teams with a playoff birth on the line, or how intense the games would be in a playoff series with a trip to the Robertson Cup on the line.
I hope that the Thunder puts this behind them, and moves on as quickly as possible. I also hope Adam Royce can find a place to play that he feels more comfortable with. By the way, the Thunder host the Express in their home opener in just 3 weeks on September 27th. I will be there, and I hope a strong contingent of Express fans are there with me.
--BK
My take: My initial thought was: Great, whatever hurts one of our rivals, is good for the Express. Furthermore, it gives me a greater appreciation for how far the Express have come since April, given the fact that we survived similar issues last season. However, the reality is the Express and Thunder need each other. Growing the interest in junior hockey in Southern Minnesota is good for both teams. If there is a strong rivalry between the teams, more tickets will be sold no matter which team is hosting the other. Can we still have a healthy dislike of the Thunder?? Absolutely, but we need them to be at least mildly successful. Imagine how big a crowd there could be in a late season matchup between the two teams with a playoff birth on the line, or how intense the games would be in a playoff series with a trip to the Robertson Cup on the line.
I hope that the Thunder puts this behind them, and moves on as quickly as possible. I also hope Adam Royce can find a place to play that he feels more comfortable with. By the way, the Thunder host the Express in their home opener in just 3 weeks on September 27th. I will be there, and I hope a strong contingent of Express fans are there with me.
--BK
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday Tidbits
- There have been a couple of comments submitted in the last 24 hours pertaining to the Express home opener and the Lamont Cranston concert afterwards. I purposely did not post the comments to the blog to avoid spreading mis-information. I contacted the organization to clarify the issue, and this is the official word: Regular tickets are available at the regular prices for the home opener, separate from the package that includes admission to the Lamont Cranston concert following the game. In the future, instead of flying off the handle, take a deep breath, count to 10, and quit assuming the worse.
- The Bismarck Bobcats have released their training camp roster. Included on the roster are former Express players Jordan Singer, Devin Schmitt, and Derek Kohles. In the coming weeks, I'll do a preview of the Bobcats along with the other Central Division teams.
- Mike Guentzel, former assistant coach with the Gophers and father of former Express players Gabe and Ryan, will reportedly take an assistant coach position with Colorado College. Gabe Guentzel is entering his freshman year at CC, and Ryan is playing at Notre Dame. Read the article here: http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com/2008/09/02/guentzel-to-join-cc-coaching-staff/
- The Motor City Machine have also released their roster which includes former Express players Ben Danford and Andy Inderieden amongst others.
- From the official Express website: The new/redesigned website is scheduled to launch the week of the NAHL Showcase.
--Big Kahuna
- The Bismarck Bobcats have released their training camp roster. Included on the roster are former Express players Jordan Singer, Devin Schmitt, and Derek Kohles. In the coming weeks, I'll do a preview of the Bobcats along with the other Central Division teams.
- Mike Guentzel, former assistant coach with the Gophers and father of former Express players Gabe and Ryan, will reportedly take an assistant coach position with Colorado College. Gabe Guentzel is entering his freshman year at CC, and Ryan is playing at Notre Dame. Read the article here: http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com/2008/09/02/guentzel-to-join-cc-coaching-staff/
- The Motor City Machine have also released their roster which includes former Express players Ben Danford and Andy Inderieden amongst others.
- From the official Express website: The new/redesigned website is scheduled to launch the week of the NAHL Showcase.
--Big Kahuna
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Express Article In Today's Paper
There is an article about the Express in today's Owatonna People's Press. Read it here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=28711
Highlights from the article:
- The 25 guys on the ice included Jake Pence, Kyle Kozelka, and Grant Paulson who according to the article will not play with the Express this year. Pence is just getting some ice time before reporting back to his professional team (Ft. Wayne Komets of the IHL), and Kozelka/Paulson are just getting their skates under them before the high school season.
- Cullen said the complete roster will be released tomorrow.
- Players on the ice: G-Pat Arnason, G-Adam Buegler, D-Troy Puente, D-Tim Smith, F-Joe Beaudette, F-Nate Percy, F-Zach Vierling, and F-John Kruse.
My take: I knew that Pence and Kozelka were practicing with the team, and hadn't heard that Paulson was. Jake Pence is a great guy, and I love the idea of the guys having him on the ice. Hopefully some his work ethic and attitude rub off on the Express.
I had heard rumors that Joe Beaudette had made the Fargo Force of the USHL, even though he wasn't listed on their roster that was released last week. So this is good news for us that he is in camp.
--Big Kahuna
Highlights from the article:
- The 25 guys on the ice included Jake Pence, Kyle Kozelka, and Grant Paulson who according to the article will not play with the Express this year. Pence is just getting some ice time before reporting back to his professional team (Ft. Wayne Komets of the IHL), and Kozelka/Paulson are just getting their skates under them before the high school season.
- Cullen said the complete roster will be released tomorrow.
- Players on the ice: G-Pat Arnason, G-Adam Buegler, D-Troy Puente, D-Tim Smith, F-Joe Beaudette, F-Nate Percy, F-Zach Vierling, and F-John Kruse.
My take: I knew that Pence and Kozelka were practicing with the team, and hadn't heard that Paulson was. Jake Pence is a great guy, and I love the idea of the guys having him on the ice. Hopefully some his work ethic and attitude rub off on the Express.
I had heard rumors that Joe Beaudette had made the Fargo Force of the USHL, even though he wasn't listed on their roster that was released last week. So this is good news for us that he is in camp.
--Big Kahuna
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Last of the Player Announcements
Here's the last 8 guys that were rostered by the Express at the end of tryout camp back in July. I will do in-depth profiles of these guys in the coming days, so keep reading the blog.
G - Pat Arnsason - Red River HS - Grand Forks, ND, D - Zach Tolkinen - Centennial HS, F - Dane Erickson - Woodbury HS, F - Sean Randall - Coon Rapids HS, F - Cory Thorson - Robbinsdale Armstrong HS, F - Nate Percy - Rosemount HS, F - Joe Beaudette - Fargo-Moorhead Jets (NAHL), F - Gehrett Sargis - Seguin Bruins (OPJHL)
Sargis is currently on the 25 man Fargo Force (USHL) roster. USHL rosters will be cut to 23 players after the Buc Bowl, so there is still a chance he could end up in Owatonna, but don't hold your breath.
So here is all 23 guys that made the team coming out of tryout camp:
G - Adam Buegler
G - Pat Arnason
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D- Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
D - Zach Tolkinen
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Cam Stowers
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
F - Dane Erickson
F - Joe Beaudette
F - Nate Percy
F - Sean Randall
F - Cory Thorson
F - Gehrett Sargis
- We know one probably won't be here (Sargis), and we gained one (kid from the Green Bay Gamblers). Hopefully everybody else reported for camp. If you can confirm the presence or absence of any of these guys, post a quick note in the comments section, or send me an email at owatonnaexpress@yahoo.com , I promise I'll keep it confidential.
- NAHL rosters are limited to 25 players, and I would expect the Express to carry the full 25, at least at the beginning of the season. Look for the Express to add a couple of guys when the USHL teams cut down to 25 at the end of September.
--BK
G - Pat Arnsason - Red River HS - Grand Forks, ND, D - Zach Tolkinen - Centennial HS, F - Dane Erickson - Woodbury HS, F - Sean Randall - Coon Rapids HS, F - Cory Thorson - Robbinsdale Armstrong HS, F - Nate Percy - Rosemount HS, F - Joe Beaudette - Fargo-Moorhead Jets (NAHL), F - Gehrett Sargis - Seguin Bruins (OPJHL)
Sargis is currently on the 25 man Fargo Force (USHL) roster. USHL rosters will be cut to 23 players after the Buc Bowl, so there is still a chance he could end up in Owatonna, but don't hold your breath.
So here is all 23 guys that made the team coming out of tryout camp:
G - Adam Buegler
G - Pat Arnason
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D- Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
D - Zach Tolkinen
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Cam Stowers
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
F - Dane Erickson
F - Joe Beaudette
F - Nate Percy
F - Sean Randall
F - Cory Thorson
F - Gehrett Sargis
- We know one probably won't be here (Sargis), and we gained one (kid from the Green Bay Gamblers). Hopefully everybody else reported for camp. If you can confirm the presence or absence of any of these guys, post a quick note in the comments section, or send me an email at owatonnaexpress@yahoo.com , I promise I'll keep it confidential.
- NAHL rosters are limited to 25 players, and I would expect the Express to carry the full 25, at least at the beginning of the season. Look for the Express to add a couple of guys when the USHL teams cut down to 25 at the end of September.
--BK
Monday, September 1, 2008
Albert Lea Thunder Roster Released
Our rivals to the south the Albert Lea Thunder, have released their training camp roster. Read it here: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/sep/01/thunder-release-roster/
A couple of things that stood out upon first perusal:
- 2 guys that played in the Express tryout camp all-star game, but didn't make the final Express roster are members of the Thunder, Tom Glomski and Niko Kapetanovic. Glomski was an Express draft pick, but looked pretty average at our camp. I liked Kapetanovic from what I saw of him at our camp, and will be interested to see how he pans out for them.
- The absence of Albert Lea native Adam Royce who was the first tender signed by the Thunder. Now this isn't breaking news, as it was announced last week that he was leaving the team. Read the article here: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/aug/29/royce-leaves-thunder/ Royce was an all-state honorable mention player for Albert Lea High School last year, and according to the article was generating interest from D-1 schools. After only one day of practice with the Thunder he walked away. Something doesn't smell right with the way that unfolded. Nonetheless, it's a huge loss for the Thunder, both from a talent standpoint, and as a marketing tool (hometown boy does good).
- About half of their roster is CSHL kids from the Chicago area. They also have 7 kids coming from Midget Major programs, 1 from the NAHL, 1 from the OPJHL, and only 4 Minnesota high schools kids. Very interesting indeed.
There should be a very intense rivalry between the Express and the Thunder, which should really help sell tickets for their games no matter who is the home team, although they seem to be gearing up to play a different style of hockey than the Express.
--BK
A couple of things that stood out upon first perusal:
- 2 guys that played in the Express tryout camp all-star game, but didn't make the final Express roster are members of the Thunder, Tom Glomski and Niko Kapetanovic. Glomski was an Express draft pick, but looked pretty average at our camp. I liked Kapetanovic from what I saw of him at our camp, and will be interested to see how he pans out for them.
- The absence of Albert Lea native Adam Royce who was the first tender signed by the Thunder. Now this isn't breaking news, as it was announced last week that he was leaving the team. Read the article here: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/aug/29/royce-leaves-thunder/ Royce was an all-state honorable mention player for Albert Lea High School last year, and according to the article was generating interest from D-1 schools. After only one day of practice with the Thunder he walked away. Something doesn't smell right with the way that unfolded. Nonetheless, it's a huge loss for the Thunder, both from a talent standpoint, and as a marketing tool (hometown boy does good).
- About half of their roster is CSHL kids from the Chicago area. They also have 7 kids coming from Midget Major programs, 1 from the NAHL, 1 from the OPJHL, and only 4 Minnesota high schools kids. Very interesting indeed.
There should be a very intense rivalry between the Express and the Thunder, which should really help sell tickets for their games no matter who is the home team, although they seem to be gearing up to play a different style of hockey than the Express.
--BK
Labor Day Update - 4 Roster Announcements
Today is the day we have been waiting for, the first day of practice. Now that things have officially started it should start to get a little busier around here. A week from Friday is the first exhibition game, so we won't have to wait much longer to see what the guys look like on the ice.
Today's player announcements were all draft picks of the Express at the NAHL Draft in May, and you can find the original profiles in the June archive. These 4 guys will have a huge impact on the success of the Express this season. All 4 are young guys with no prior junior experience, but all have major talent upside. 2 of them are on USHL affiliate rosters, 1 is coming from a great AAA program, and the 4th guy might be the best overall athlete on the roster.
- Express Player Profile - Dylan Porter - 5'9"/170lbs - Forward
Attended Rosemount High School. Scored 17 goals and 28 assists his senior year as captain of the Irish hockey team. Played in the 2007 Elite league, and for Section 3 in the Great 8 tournament. Is also a very good baseball player. Was a centerfielder and captain of the Irish team that qualified for the state tournament. He was also featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press as a member of their All-State Baseball Team.
- Express Player Profile - Cam Stowers - Forward
****The following profile was submitted by an anonymous reader****
Cam Stowers (6'2", 200lbs) is a 1990 birthyear originally from Houston, TX, but played the last 3 years with Russell Stover AAA Midget program in Kansas City. Also played with Little Caesars in Detroit his Bantam year. He is a power forward with a good forecheck when he uses it. Very good playmaker who can also score. Selected to play in USA Hockey Select 15s, 16s and 17s camp. Was last player cut at Cedar Rapids camp last summer and actually made the Texas Tornado roster last year as a 17 yr. old but chose to return to RS under Coach Pat Ferschweiler and Jason Herter. Suffered injury to knee and was sidelined for most of second half of last season. Helped lead his team to a 3rd place finish at USA Hockey U18 Nat'ls the year before. Was a future draft pick of expansion Fargo Force last fall. Had a very good showing at initial Fargo camp in June and was invited back to their second camp.
- Express Player Profile - Tim Smith - 5'11"/190lbs - Defenseman
Drafted by the Express in the 1st round of the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft out of traditional powerhouse Superior HS in Superior, Wisconsin. Was first team all-state selection in 2007 (Teddy Falk was also on that list) & 2008. Finalist for 2008 Wisconsin Mr. Hockey. Member of the "Outstate" Minnesota team that beat Shattuck on the way to winning the prestigious Nike/Bauer National Invitation Tournament. Drafted by the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede in the 8th round of the 2007 draft, but decided to finish his high school career at Superior. Is listed on the NHL's Central Scouting "Players to Watch" for the 2008 NHL Draft. Is on Sioux Falls affiliate list entering the 2008/09 season.
My take: This guy is an absolute stud. With some help from Coach Cullen, he is a definite division 1 prospect despite being a little undersized at 5'11". Scored 14 goals and 13 assists his senior year playing on a very good team in high school that didn't shy away from competition, beating Duluth Marshall, Cloquet, and Hermantown amongst others.
- Express Player Profile - Zach Vierling - 5'9"/165lbs - Forward
2nd round draft pick of the Express out of Coon Rapids HS in Minnesota. Led the Northwest Suburban Conference in scoring with 63 points in 23 games his senior year, centering the top line at CR. Was named All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State in 2008. Awarded the 2008 Hobey Baker High School Character Award (Pete Kalan's son Ryan also won this award). Played in the Great 8 for section 5. 16th round pick of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL). Is currently on Cedar Rapids' affiliate list entering the 2008/09 season.
My take: As with a lot of kids going to juniors, he needs to bulk up some. Appears to be a finesse type of player with good puck-handling skills and a scoring touch. Played in the RoughRiders tryout camp all-star game.
Here is what we know of the roster as of today:
G - Adam Buegler
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D- Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Cam Stowers
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
I will repeat myself for the 100th time here: Remember, this might not be 100% accurate. Nothing is official until we see them in uniform. This was the roster I ascertained back in July at the close of tryout camp, and changes could have been made since then. Not to mention that I have only 23 guys on my roster, one of which will be playing in the USHL this season, and I'm sure our roster will be at the maximum 25 guys. Hopefully, the complete roster will be published this week, and all the speculation and guessing can end.
I have 7 more guys that haven't been revealed. They consist of 1 goalie, 1 defenseman, and 5 forwards, and I will probably post them tomorrow.
--BK
Today's player announcements were all draft picks of the Express at the NAHL Draft in May, and you can find the original profiles in the June archive. These 4 guys will have a huge impact on the success of the Express this season. All 4 are young guys with no prior junior experience, but all have major talent upside. 2 of them are on USHL affiliate rosters, 1 is coming from a great AAA program, and the 4th guy might be the best overall athlete on the roster.
- Express Player Profile - Dylan Porter - 5'9"/170lbs - Forward
Attended Rosemount High School. Scored 17 goals and 28 assists his senior year as captain of the Irish hockey team. Played in the 2007 Elite league, and for Section 3 in the Great 8 tournament. Is also a very good baseball player. Was a centerfielder and captain of the Irish team that qualified for the state tournament. He was also featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press as a member of their All-State Baseball Team.
- Express Player Profile - Cam Stowers - Forward
****The following profile was submitted by an anonymous reader****
Cam Stowers (6'2", 200lbs) is a 1990 birthyear originally from Houston, TX, but played the last 3 years with Russell Stover AAA Midget program in Kansas City. Also played with Little Caesars in Detroit his Bantam year. He is a power forward with a good forecheck when he uses it. Very good playmaker who can also score. Selected to play in USA Hockey Select 15s, 16s and 17s camp. Was last player cut at Cedar Rapids camp last summer and actually made the Texas Tornado roster last year as a 17 yr. old but chose to return to RS under Coach Pat Ferschweiler and Jason Herter. Suffered injury to knee and was sidelined for most of second half of last season. Helped lead his team to a 3rd place finish at USA Hockey U18 Nat'ls the year before. Was a future draft pick of expansion Fargo Force last fall. Had a very good showing at initial Fargo camp in June and was invited back to their second camp.
- Express Player Profile - Tim Smith - 5'11"/190lbs - Defenseman
Drafted by the Express in the 1st round of the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft out of traditional powerhouse Superior HS in Superior, Wisconsin. Was first team all-state selection in 2007 (Teddy Falk was also on that list) & 2008. Finalist for 2008 Wisconsin Mr. Hockey. Member of the "Outstate" Minnesota team that beat Shattuck on the way to winning the prestigious Nike/Bauer National Invitation Tournament. Drafted by the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede in the 8th round of the 2007 draft, but decided to finish his high school career at Superior. Is listed on the NHL's Central Scouting "Players to Watch" for the 2008 NHL Draft. Is on Sioux Falls affiliate list entering the 2008/09 season.
My take: This guy is an absolute stud. With some help from Coach Cullen, he is a definite division 1 prospect despite being a little undersized at 5'11". Scored 14 goals and 13 assists his senior year playing on a very good team in high school that didn't shy away from competition, beating Duluth Marshall, Cloquet, and Hermantown amongst others.
- Express Player Profile - Zach Vierling - 5'9"/165lbs - Forward
2nd round draft pick of the Express out of Coon Rapids HS in Minnesota. Led the Northwest Suburban Conference in scoring with 63 points in 23 games his senior year, centering the top line at CR. Was named All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State in 2008. Awarded the 2008 Hobey Baker High School Character Award (Pete Kalan's son Ryan also won this award). Played in the Great 8 for section 5. 16th round pick of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL). Is currently on Cedar Rapids' affiliate list entering the 2008/09 season.
My take: As with a lot of kids going to juniors, he needs to bulk up some. Appears to be a finesse type of player with good puck-handling skills and a scoring touch. Played in the RoughRiders tryout camp all-star game.
Here is what we know of the roster as of today:
G - Adam Buegler
D - Troy Puente
D - Nick Carson
D - Carson Curran
D - Anthony Orange
D- Marian Fiala
D - Tim Smith
F - Josh Daley
F - John Kruse
F - Troy McDonald
F - Alex Niestrom
F- Chris Bournazos
F - Cam Stowers
F - Zach Vierling
F - Dylan Porter
I will repeat myself for the 100th time here: Remember, this might not be 100% accurate. Nothing is official until we see them in uniform. This was the roster I ascertained back in July at the close of tryout camp, and changes could have been made since then. Not to mention that I have only 23 guys on my roster, one of which will be playing in the USHL this season, and I'm sure our roster will be at the maximum 25 guys. Hopefully, the complete roster will be published this week, and all the speculation and guessing can end.
I have 7 more guys that haven't been revealed. They consist of 1 goalie, 1 defenseman, and 5 forwards, and I will probably post them tomorrow.
--BK
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