Express Draft Pick - Jake Youso

Player Profile - Jake Youso - 6'0"/185lbs - Forward

1990 birth year. Drafted by the Express last week in the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft. Is committed to play college hockey for the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. He played in international tournaments for Team USA in 2007 (U18), and 2006 (U16). He was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 2008, playing for International Falls High School. While serving as captain, he scored 33 goals with 36 assists his senior year for a total of 69 points in only 27 games, and was named Minnesota 2nd team all-state. Following the 2008 high school season, he played 15 games for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL where he was teammates with former Express player Stephen Carew. On the day of the 2008 USHL Entry draft, he was traded from the Gamblers to the Des Moines Buccaneers. He played 54 games during the 2008/09 season for Des Moines tallying 1 goal, 4 assists, and 32 penalty minutes. His grandfather played professional football for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and Oakland Raiders.

Read a Q & A with Jake from last summer here: http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=960&CID=820083

Read a player feature from last season on USHL.com here: http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=2227

Check out high school highlights of Jake on YouTube (he's wearing #22):

My take: You don't get recruited by the Gophers just by being a good hockey player, so obviously this guy is an outstandingly good hockey player. His biggest strength is his speed, so it's not a huge surprise that Coach Cullen targeted him in the draft. He should immediately be one of the best players to ever don an Express sweater, and would fill the scoring void left by the departed Stephen Carew...........if he ever comes to Owatonna.

At this point in the summer, it appears to be a long shot that he would end up with the Express. He is still listed as a member of the Bucs on their official website, although that doesn't necessarily mean he was on their protected list going into the USHL draft a few weeks ago. Also, when he committed to the U of Minnesota, it was for this coming season (2009/10). However, if that was a sure thing, why would the Express have wasted a draft pick on him. My hunch is Coach Cullen knows something we don't in regards to Mr. Youso's availability. Who was Youso's coach last year in Des Moines??: J.P. Parise. Where was J.P. Parise before last season??: Shattuck-St Mary's in Faribault. Where was Coach Cullen before last season?? That's correct, Shattuck-St Mary's in Faribault. As the Common Man says on KFAN, I'm either onto something, or I'm on something.

As the summer progresses, we should get a better idea if he will be joining our favorite junior hockey team. Eventually, Des Moines's protected list will be revealed, and the incoming freshman class at the U of M will be announced. If his name is not on either of those two lists, or we see him at other USHL team's tryout camps, then at least we will stand a chance of seeing him in blue and white this fall.

Welcome to Owatonna Jake Youso, and I'll see you at the rink.

--BK

Thursday Morning Draft Tidbit

Something to ponder while you are bored at work today:

Of the 20 guys who dressed for the Game 5 loss to Bismarck in the Central Division Championship series, 6 guys where 6'0" or taller. Of the 11 guys the Express drafted in the NAHL Entry Draft, 7 guys where 6'0" or taller.

My take: The 2008/09 Express struggled all season against the Bismarck Bobcats, and one of the glaring differences between the two teams was the Bobcats height advantage. It looks like Coach Cullen might be trying to level that playing field.

More later.

--BK

Express Add 11 Players Through Entry Draft

The Express drafted 11 guys today in the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft. They are:


- Nate Brown, D, S2 Hockey
- Bo Dolan, D, Tri-City Storm USHL
- John Haeg, F, Holy Angels HS
- Blake Matejcek, F, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Andrew Miller, F, Chicago Mission
- Ben Montgomery, D, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Andrew O'Leary, F, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Mac Olson, F, University Detroit Jesuit HS
- Zach Sarig, D, Philly Jr. Flyers
- Mike Yanis, D, University Detroit Jesuit HS
- Jake Youso, F, Des Moines Buccaneers USHL

My take: I wasn't expecting this big of a draft class, but nonetheless I am excited about it. There are a few names I recognize, but most of these guys will require some googling to prepare their profiles. The name I am most excited about is Jake Youso. He's a 1990 birth year, a USHL veteran, and is committed to play for Don Lucia at the University of Minnesota. I love the fact that we drafted 3 guys from Shattuck-St Mary's. We have one of the best hockey player factories in the USA just 15 miles up the road (not to mention the fact that we played our playoff games on their rink), and Coach Cullen should know exactly what he is getting with those players. Bo Dolan is another USHL veteran, and looks like a nice replacement for Tim Smith on the blueline.

There will be plenty more discussion on the draft over the next month., including in-depth player profiles of our newest 11 Express players. Also, don't forget that one month from today we will be watching open tryout camp at the 4 Seasons Centre.

See you at the rink.

--BK

What Will the Draft Tell Us??

With the NAHL entry draft taking place tomorrow, we should find out a little bit about what is going on with the Express roster. While we won't get anything concrete regarding this fall's 25 man roster, the draft will give us some topics to discuss as we move through the off-season.

Going into the draft, each team has a protected list of players. This list is comprised of returning veteran players (that have been protected by the team), and any players that have signed a tender with the organization. The total of those two numbers is subtracted from the number 30, and that is the amount of players that each team can draft. For example, if the Express have 15 returning players from last year, and have signed 10 tenders for this season, they will draft 5 players on Wednesday (15+10+5=30). Last year the Express were an expansion team with no returning veteran players. This lead to a large draft class, which you will see from the Texas and Janesville teams in this year's draft.

So what will the amount of Express draft picks tell us about the 2009/10 roster?? Basically, a small draft class will tell us that there is a large amount of last year's team coming back to Owatonna this fall. By my last count, there is 16 players from 2008/09 that could potentially return this season. While I would love to have all 16 back in Express sweaters this fall, it probably isn't a realistic expectation. It's possible that some might choose not to return, and it's equally possible that some were not placed on the protected list. That's the nature of junior hockey. I put my faith in Coach Cullen and Coach Fink, that the absolute best 25 guys (veteran, tendered, drafted, or through tryout camp) will make the final roster.

Another way we can glean some information from the draft, is by looking at what positions were drafted. For argument's sake, say the Express spend all of their draft picks on defensemen. Could that clue us in on which veterans might not be coming back?? Say the Express have 12 draft picks, and none of them is a goalie. Could that tell us that maybe Bergman and Horstman are returning?? The short answer to both of those questions is maybe. The long answer is we will probably not know until the Express take the ice in Blaine at the Showcase tournament.

Anyway you slice it, the draft gets us one step closer to hockey season, and another year of rooting for our favorite junior hockey team. Check back tomorrow for my analysis of the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Player Profile - Jordan Tredinnick

Express Player Profile - Jordan Tredinnick - Forward

The 6'1"/190lbs forward is a 1990 birth year from Onalaska, Wisconsin. Was the leading scorer in the state of Wisconsin his senior year, tallying 36 goals and 33 assists for a 69 point total. In his junior year, he scored 27 goals and 30 assists for a 57 point total. He was named to the All-State first team by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association, and was a finalist for Wisconsin Mr Hockey. Played for Team Wisconsin in the 2008 Fall Elite league and at the Chicago Showcase Tournament.

Read an article on his signing here: http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2009/05/15/sports/02tred.txt

My take: A very nice pick-up by the Express, and while he isn't the first tender to sign with the team, he is the first that we have heard announced officially. With his size and scoring ability, coupled with the tutelage of Coach Cullen, Jordan will be on a lot of Division 1 scout's radar. Jordan is the same height and weight as returning Express forward Cory Thorson, and his scoring numbers from high school are just as impressive as Cory's were his senior year. Let's hope he has the same success as Cory did with the Express in his first year of junior hockey.

Welcome to Owatonna Jordan Tredinnick!!

Tidbits:

- Former Bismarck Bobcat Head Coach Dane Litke was announced as the new Head Coach/GM of the Janesville, Wisconsin expansion franchise.

- The NAHL has approved the sale of the Motor City Machine to a Japanese group. This should come as no surprise, as the former owners have been putting the "fun" in dysfunctional since they bought that franchise two years ago.

- Cory Thorson was selected by the Indiana Ice with the 11th pick in the 6 round (76th overall) of the USHL Entry Draft on Wednesday. He had a great first year of junior hockey, and is worthy of a shot at the next level, but this doesn't necessarily mean that he won't be back in Owatonna this fall.

Only 5 days until the draft, and the rink boards are up on the west rink of the 4 Seasons.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Silly Season

As I was driving back from the metro today, I was thinking of potential topics for today's blogpost. Nothing was really standing out, and that got me wondering why it was so quiet out there in NAHL-land right now. The draft is one week from Wednesday, and we don't even know who is in the league and who isn't. I was about to start a writing a "no news is potentially bad news" column when I started trolling through vast regions of the interwebs, and it looks like silly season might be picking up.

- The Janesville, Wisconsin team is a definite go. The NAHL approved their membership for the 2009/10 season. No announcement was made as to which division they will play in, but it would make sense to put them in the North as a replacement for the USNTDP and Mahoning Valley. Janesville is just south of Madison on I-90, a trip of 285 miles/4.5 hours from Owatonna.

- Still no word on the Dawson Creek (British Columbia) team.

- Hearing rumblings that the North Division might be losing one more team this off-season. More on this when I can get some more information.

- Former North Iowa Outlaws head coach Jeff Crouse is not happy with the way his employment was ended by the Outlaw organization. Read the article here: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/05/12/sports/local/doc4a0903da47b85381288020.txt


If new teams aren't in by the draft, it doesn't necessarily mean they won't still join the league. There have been some teams that have entered the league without participating in the draft (I think the Alexandria Blizzard did that). However, it's more likely than not that all the teams that will play in the NAHL this winter will take part in the draft next Wednesday. So expect some more news in the near future.

With what I know right now, this is what I would guess the divisions will look like:

Central: Owatonna, Bismarck, Alexandria, Albert Lea, North Iowa
North: Traverse City, Alpena, Marquette, Janesville, Motor City
West: Kenai River, Alaska, Wenatchee, Fairbanks, (Dawson Creek would go here)
South: Topeka, Texas, Wichita Falls, St Louis, Springfield


See you at the rink.

--BK

Alexandria Blizzard Changing Coaches Too

This isn't exactly breaking news, but Alexandria Blizzard General Manager/Head Coach Brad Willner is stepping down and will assume the same two positions with the Granite City Lumberjacks of the MnJHL. Read the story here: http://www.alexandriablizzard.com/page/show_article/17126/26732

I really liked Coach Willner the few times I had a chance to chat with him when the Blizzard were in town to play the Express. He was the architect of the Blizzard's phenomenal run to the 2008 Robertson Cup, which included a series victory over the Southern Minnesota Express in the first round. The article mentioned that he was commuting to Alexandria everyday from his home near St Cloud, and the opportunity to eliminate that drive everyday must have been appealing enough to drop down to a lower level of competition. Look out Rochester, the Lumberjacks are bound to be a good team with Willner at the helm.

So Coach Willner steps down in Alexandria, and Coach Crouse is leaving the North Iowa Outlaws. I believe Crouse is originally from Alexandria. Coincidence, or might we see Crouse behind the home team bench in Alexandria this fall??

By the way, Crouse played college hockey at Hamline University in St Paul. Who was his coach at Hamline?? A 1993 graduate of Bemidji State University by the name of Patrick Cullen.

See you at the rink.

--BK

North Iowa Changing Coaches

Speaking of goodbyes, the North Iowa Outlaws official website is reporting that Jeff Crouse will not be returning as coach of the Outlaws for the 2009/10 season. Read the brief article here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/item.asp?display=news

My take: This comes as a bit of a surprise to me, as this past season was Crouse's first year as head coach and the Outlaws had a decent season. It will be interesting to hear exactly what happened that lead to them parting ways.

Whomever the new coach is will have is hands full, as the cupboard is pretty bare for the Outlaws going into the 2009/10 season. The Outlaws top 12 scorers from 08/09 are aging out or heading to college this fall. The leading returning scorer for the Outlaws is former Southern Minnesota Express defenseman Ben Danford with 16 points. There will be plenty more discussion on the Outlaws and the rest of the Central Division as the summer goes on.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Goodbyes

With the 2009 NAHL draft coming in only 12 days, I want to wrap up a few things regarding this past season. First and foremost, we need to say goodbye to the Express players that we know will not be returning this fall.

A Big Kahuna farewell to:

-- Tim Smith - Was a first round draft pick of the Express, and lived up to that billing. Turned his 1 year of junior hockey into a Division 1 spot with Providence College. Congratulations Timmy.

-- Troy Puente - Completed his final year of junior hockey eligibility with the Express after a couple of seasons with the Texas Tornado. We came to know Troy quite early in training camp as he was sporting that great Fu Manchu goatee. Coach Cullen brought him in to provide some veteran leadership to this young expansion team, and he played that roll very well. Thanks Troy, and good luck with whatever is next for you.

-- David Kurbatsky - Came to the Express in November. He seemed to really step his game up in the playoffs. Thank you and good luck in the future.

-- Michael Palmiscno - Decided to play out his final year of junior hockey in Owatonna, after playing in Canada previously. Was one of the most exciting players to watch in the history of junior hockey in Owatonna. I look for Palmo to make a college choice in the coming weeks. Thanks Mike.

-- Joe Beaudette - Aged out. Made the switch from forward to defenseman this season. Destroyed my woodshed with an accurately placed medicine ball throw last fall. Thanks Joe and good luck down the line.

-- John Kruse - Committed to the Air Force Academy. Good luck John.

-- Tony McDonald - Aged out. Tony came to the Express in a draft-day trade with Kenai River. One of the fastest players on the ice, and one of the nicest guys off the ice. Thanks Tony, it was a pleasure getting to know you this last year.

-- Stephen Carew - Aged out/committed to Air Force Academy. Captain Kanga-Carew was the leading scorer for the expansion Express. Was a great leader on and off the ice. Thanks Stevie and good luck in Colorado Springs.


It's sort of depressing to think of these 8 guys not being around any more, but like everything in life, we move on. The exciting part is that there are 16 other guys from last year's roster that are eligible to return for another season with the Express. Now I realize that it's unlikely that all 16 will return, as that's the nature of junior hockey. However, anyway you slice it there will be plenty of junior hockey experienced guys wearing blue and white this fall in Owatonna.

After the hectic offseason last year, it's nice to know we are not starting from scratch this year. Coaches Cullen and Fink have had an entire year of scouting and preparing for camps this summer. They don't have to go out and find 25 guys to fill the roster, they just need to find the right 10-12 guys to fill the holes left by the guys leaving.

Rest assured, there are some tenders already signed for this fall, and I am sure Cullen has some gems identified in the draft later this month. There should be plenty of talented players attending the Express tryout camps in June and July.

Hey, in only 2 months, the roster will be chosen, and in only 4 months, your favorite junior hockey team will be taking the ice at the Showcase in Blaine.

I can't wait.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Offseason Update #1

- The NAHL and Poinstreak announced an agreement wherein Pointstreak will design and host all of the NAHL team's websites. It will interesting to see if this is a good thing or not.

- The St. Louis Bandits won their third consecutive Robertson Cup championship last Sunday in Mason City, with an overtime victory over the Wenatchee Wild. The pivotal game for the Wild was their match up with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Wild came storming back and eventually beat MVP in overtime. Had that outcome been reversed, it would have been the Bandits and Phantoms in the championship game for the third straight year.

- The Texas Tornado are officially back in the NAHL for the 2009/2010 season. The Tornado were dormant for the past season, and there was much uncertainty regarding their future in the NAHL.

- Former Owatonna Huskie hockey player Jake Pence is one win away from a second consecutive IHL Turner Cup Championship. His Fort Wayne Komets team is up 3 games to none in a best of seven series versus the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

- In the USHL, the Fargo Force and the Indiana Ice are tied 1 game apiece in the Championship series.

- The NAHL has announced that the Wenatchee Wild will be hosting the 2010 Robertson Cup tournament in Washington next spring. You'll get the best deal on plane tickets if you book them today. It will be nice to have a large contingent of Express fans watching them win the championship next year.

- The Topeka Roadrunners franchise appears to be changing hands. It looked bleak for the 'Runners this spring, but a new ownership group has stepped up and is going to keep the team in Topeka.


Next up for the Express is the NAHL draft on May 20th, followed by the first of two tryout camps next month. It takes place June 19-21 and is an open camp. The best players from this camp will be invited to the final camp in July.

See you at the rink.

--BK