Here's an article from the Austin Daily Herald about new Express defenseman John Kirby:
http://www.austindailyherald.com/news/2009/jun/15/austins-john-kirby-looking-make-splash-hockey-care/
For those fans new to the Express organization, John's older brother Tim played two seasons on the blueline for the Express. Tim's performance led to a Division 1 commitment with the Air Force Academy. John was first introduced to Express fans at tryout camp in the summer of 2008, as an underclassman out of Austin High School. After spending last season with the Russell Stover AAA program in Kansas City, John signed a tender with the Express for the upcoming season.
I'll do a full player profile of John in the next few weeks.
Tidbits:
- Former Express defenseman Anthony Orange is back in the NAHL with the St Louis Bandits. Anthony played a few games at the beginning of last year with the Express, and then spent some time at Illinois State. Anthony was a good kid, and one of the strongest guys on the team last year. We should get to see him play against the Express on day 2 of the Showcase.
- Former Mahoning Valley Phantoms radio announcer Paul Teeple, who is a sporadic contributor to the blog, is taking over the announcer position with the Bismarck Bobcats. You might remember some lively discussion last season about the relative strength amongst the four NAHL divisions. It will be interesting to hear Paul's opinion now that he is in the Central Division. Welcome to the upper midwest Paul.
- Keep an eye out for the newly redesigned Owatonna Express website, which should be launching in the next week. I have heard it will be very cool, and it just might include an opinion column written by a certain guy you might be familiar with.
The dog days of summer are quickly ticking away, and hockey season is on the horizon. Less than one month from today, our favorite junior hockey team will be settling into their billet houses, and getting down to business on the ice. Only 43 days until the regular season opener in Albert Lea.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Showcase Schedule Released
The NAHL finally released the schedule for the 2009 NAHL Showcase. The 4 day event takes place September 16-19 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.
September 16 - The Express begin play at the Showcase with a 12:45pm matchup with the NAHL's newest franchise, the Janesville Jets. While Janesville is an expansion franchise, they will have 2 games under their belt, versus 1 for the Express, going into the game.
September 17 - Day 2 of the Showcase has the Express tangling with an old rival, the St Louis Bandits. Actually I don't know if you can call it a rivalry, as the Bandits have had their way with the Express over the years. This game will be an early test for our favorite junior hockey team.
September 18 - Day 3 brings a matchup with the reborn Texas Tornado. The Tornado were dormant last season, and will be starting this season from scratch, but this will be a tough game. The Tornado will be coached by Tony Curtale, who was the coach when they rattled off 3 straight Robertson Cup Championships a few years ago.
September 19 - The Express wrap up the Showcase with a game against the Alaska Avalanche, and former North Iowa Outlaw coach Dave Boitz who is the head coach of the Avalanche. Coach Cullen owned Boitz when he was coaching the Outlaws.
See you at the rink.
--BK
September 16 - The Express begin play at the Showcase with a 12:45pm matchup with the NAHL's newest franchise, the Janesville Jets. While Janesville is an expansion franchise, they will have 2 games under their belt, versus 1 for the Express, going into the game.
September 17 - Day 2 of the Showcase has the Express tangling with an old rival, the St Louis Bandits. Actually I don't know if you can call it a rivalry, as the Bandits have had their way with the Express over the years. This game will be an early test for our favorite junior hockey team.
September 18 - Day 3 brings a matchup with the reborn Texas Tornado. The Tornado were dormant last season, and will be starting this season from scratch, but this will be a tough game. The Tornado will be coached by Tony Curtale, who was the coach when they rattled off 3 straight Robertson Cup Championships a few years ago.
September 19 - The Express wrap up the Showcase with a game against the Alaska Avalanche, and former North Iowa Outlaw coach Dave Boitz who is the head coach of the Avalanche. Coach Cullen owned Boitz when he was coaching the Outlaws.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Members of the 2009/10 Express Roster are....
....going to be released some time in September.
The Owatonna Express Main Tryout Camp concluded today with a final all-star game. All 40 all-stars went through an exit interview following the game. The guys that made the initial roster then met with the billet coordinator and were fitted for their hockey gear. Next up for your 2009/10 Owatonna Express is training camp towards the end of August.
The roster includes a large group of veterans mixed with some exciting young players entering their first year of junior hockey. There are some very definitive trends pertaining to this year's roster, and I will go into much more detail once the roster is made public.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, July 17, 2009
Main Camp Day 1
Day 1 of Express Main Tryout Camp is in the books. It's been a long day, so I'm going to keep this brief.
- University of Minnesota recruit and USHL veteran Jake Youso is in camp. In fact he was playing on the same line as Express veteran Chris Bournazos and fellow draft pick Blake Matejcek.
- Other Express veterans in attendance are Brian McGinty, Nick Carson, and Grant Fahnhorst.
- Draft picks in attendance in addition to Youso and Matejcek are John Haeg, Andy Miller, and Ben Montgomery.
- Former Express defenseman Tim Kirby's brother John is playing on the Black team. Former Express forward Matt Lipinski's brother Sean is playing on the Green Team.
- Mankato West and Rochester Ice Hawk alum Ricky Litchfield is playing on the Gold Team, and looks to be having a good camp thus far.
I'll have plenty more to say on this later. Saturday's agenda includes a pair of games in the morning, starting at 10:00am, followed by a round of cuts to get down to a pair of all-star teams who will face off Saturday evening.
See you at the rink.
--BK
- University of Minnesota recruit and USHL veteran Jake Youso is in camp. In fact he was playing on the same line as Express veteran Chris Bournazos and fellow draft pick Blake Matejcek.
- Other Express veterans in attendance are Brian McGinty, Nick Carson, and Grant Fahnhorst.
- Draft picks in attendance in addition to Youso and Matejcek are John Haeg, Andy Miller, and Ben Montgomery.
- Former Express defenseman Tim Kirby's brother John is playing on the Black team. Former Express forward Matt Lipinski's brother Sean is playing on the Green Team.
- Mankato West and Rochester Ice Hawk alum Ricky Litchfield is playing on the Gold Team, and looks to be having a good camp thus far.
I'll have plenty more to say on this later. Saturday's agenda includes a pair of games in the morning, starting at 10:00am, followed by a round of cuts to get down to a pair of all-star teams who will face off Saturday evening.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tryout Camp Preview
First of all, here's the People's Press article about Coach Fink leaving for the USHL: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=108085 . Make sure you read the whole thing, as there is some good stuff towards the end. Namely:
- Coach Cullen claims he does not have anyone lined up for the assistant coach position yet.
- All-Big 9 Conference forward Devon Grossell, from Winona, is scheduled to be at camp this weekend
- Express forward Cory Thorson apparently confirmed to the OPP that he will be returning to the Express for the upcoming season. Pretty much everybody paying attention already knew this, so it's not necessarily breaking news.
On to new business
Tryout camp starts Friday morning at the 4 Seasons Centre in lovely Owatonna, Minnesota (The 97th best small town to live in in America, according to Money Magazine. Read that article here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2749300.html .
Around 80 prospective players will check in Friday morning and be divided into 4 teams. Those teams will each play twice on Friday, and once Saturday morning, before the first round of cuts. The remaining players will then play two All-Star games, one Saturday evening and one Sunday morning. One more round of cuts will give us the final 25-man Owatonna Express roster. Although don't count on seeing that list until September.
The players trying out this weekend are from several groups. There will be a handful of returning veterans from last year, the Express draft picks from May's NAHL Entry Draft, the 7 guys that signed tenders with the Express, and the 30-40 guys that were invited based on their performance at Open Camp back in June. I would guess that there will also be some guys that don't fit into any of those groups, but were invited to camp nonetheless. We'll find out a great deal about the 2009/2010 Express this weekend, just by seeing who shows up for camp.
- Returning veterans - Just because you don't see a guy from last year's team this weekend doesn't mean he won't be back this year. Conversely, just because you see a guy here this weekend, doesn't necessarily mean you will see him this fall in an Express sweater. Some veterans need to earn their spot on the roster, while some earned their roster spot by their performance last season and might be in camp just for the ice-time. Check in tomorrow for more details.
- Draft Picks - Brown, Dolan, Haeg, Matejcek, Miller, Montgomery, O'Leary, Olson, Sarig, Yanis, Youso. I wouldn't expect to see all of these guys, but a majority should be in camp. Olson and O'Leary are currently on 25-Man USHL rosters so will they bother to attend?? The guys I am most interested to see are the 2 guys who were in the USHL last season: Youso and Dolan. They have the potential to play huge roles with the Express this season, and their attendance at tryout camp would tell me they might be hopping aboard the Express train.
- Tendered players - I know the identities of the 7 tendered guys, but am not at liberty to divulge that information at this time. It is a tremendously talented group of hockey players, including a couple of names you will recognize. I would expect most if not all 7 guys will be in attendance this weekend. This group will play a key role in the ultimate success of the 2009/10 season.
- Invitees from Open Camp - If you attended Open Camp back in June, you can probably guess a bunch of the guys that fall into this group. I haven't seen the list that was invited to Main Camp, but we'll find out Friday morning.
- Others - This category is speculation on my part. There have been a lot of tryout camps for a lot of teams, in a lot of different leagues this summer, and sometimes those camps overlap on the same weekend. So maybe guys are interested in playing here, but were tied up during Open Camp. Guys plan on making a USHL team, but fall short. Guys who played in the USHL last season and planned on that again, get cut and now have to look at finding a spot in the NAHL. This could be a very interesting category. I'll let you know if there is anything to it.
No matter who shows up this weekend, there will be a lot of talent on the ice. I realize the weather is absolutely beautiful, but take some time this weekend to stop in and see some hockey. FYI to anyone coming down from the metro area or areas north of Owatonna: I-35 is down to one-lane through Faribault due to construction. This area tends to be very congested on weekends. Plan accordingly.
See you at the rink.
--BK
- Coach Cullen claims he does not have anyone lined up for the assistant coach position yet.
- All-Big 9 Conference forward Devon Grossell, from Winona, is scheduled to be at camp this weekend
- Express forward Cory Thorson apparently confirmed to the OPP that he will be returning to the Express for the upcoming season. Pretty much everybody paying attention already knew this, so it's not necessarily breaking news.
On to new business
Tryout camp starts Friday morning at the 4 Seasons Centre in lovely Owatonna, Minnesota (The 97th best small town to live in in America, according to Money Magazine. Read that article here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2749300.html .
Around 80 prospective players will check in Friday morning and be divided into 4 teams. Those teams will each play twice on Friday, and once Saturday morning, before the first round of cuts. The remaining players will then play two All-Star games, one Saturday evening and one Sunday morning. One more round of cuts will give us the final 25-man Owatonna Express roster. Although don't count on seeing that list until September.
The players trying out this weekend are from several groups. There will be a handful of returning veterans from last year, the Express draft picks from May's NAHL Entry Draft, the 7 guys that signed tenders with the Express, and the 30-40 guys that were invited based on their performance at Open Camp back in June. I would guess that there will also be some guys that don't fit into any of those groups, but were invited to camp nonetheless. We'll find out a great deal about the 2009/2010 Express this weekend, just by seeing who shows up for camp.
- Returning veterans - Just because you don't see a guy from last year's team this weekend doesn't mean he won't be back this year. Conversely, just because you see a guy here this weekend, doesn't necessarily mean you will see him this fall in an Express sweater. Some veterans need to earn their spot on the roster, while some earned their roster spot by their performance last season and might be in camp just for the ice-time. Check in tomorrow for more details.
- Draft Picks - Brown, Dolan, Haeg, Matejcek, Miller, Montgomery, O'Leary, Olson, Sarig, Yanis, Youso. I wouldn't expect to see all of these guys, but a majority should be in camp. Olson and O'Leary are currently on 25-Man USHL rosters so will they bother to attend?? The guys I am most interested to see are the 2 guys who were in the USHL last season: Youso and Dolan. They have the potential to play huge roles with the Express this season, and their attendance at tryout camp would tell me they might be hopping aboard the Express train.
- Tendered players - I know the identities of the 7 tendered guys, but am not at liberty to divulge that information at this time. It is a tremendously talented group of hockey players, including a couple of names you will recognize. I would expect most if not all 7 guys will be in attendance this weekend. This group will play a key role in the ultimate success of the 2009/10 season.
- Invitees from Open Camp - If you attended Open Camp back in June, you can probably guess a bunch of the guys that fall into this group. I haven't seen the list that was invited to Main Camp, but we'll find out Friday morning.
- Others - This category is speculation on my part. There have been a lot of tryout camps for a lot of teams, in a lot of different leagues this summer, and sometimes those camps overlap on the same weekend. So maybe guys are interested in playing here, but were tied up during Open Camp. Guys plan on making a USHL team, but fall short. Guys who played in the USHL last season and planned on that again, get cut and now have to look at finding a spot in the NAHL. This could be a very interesting category. I'll let you know if there is anything to it.
No matter who shows up this weekend, there will be a lot of talent on the ice. I realize the weather is absolutely beautiful, but take some time this weekend to stop in and see some hockey. FYI to anyone coming down from the metro area or areas north of Owatonna: I-35 is down to one-lane through Faribault due to construction. This area tends to be very congested on weekends. Plan accordingly.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cecka, Cecka, Cecka......Silence
It looks the chances of hearing the Cecka, Cecka, Cecka chant this season took a hit today, with the release of the Omaha Lancers 25-man roster. One of the 16 forwards on the list was Owatonna Express forward Dan Cecka. He is one of three 1989 birth year players on their roster.
There are still a few reasons to be optimistic about him returning to our favorite junior hockey team at some point this season. Most importantly, the fact that the USHL teams only carry 23 players during the regular season. You can assume that of the 23, 2 will be goalies, and probably 7 will be defensemen. That leaves room for 14 forwards, and the Lancers currently have 16 forwards on the 25-man roster. This means that two guys(more than likely forwards) on the Lancer's 25-man roster will be cut after the Fall Classic (formerly the Buc Bowl). In addition to that, the Lancers could add some free agents, or place one of their affiliated players on the main roster. Stay tuned as we ramp up for the 2009/10 season.
My take: Cecka was a great addition last season, and added some much needed scoring when the Express were struggling to light the lamp, as he tallied 30 points in his 26 games with the team. In a way it's disappointing that he won't be back, but it's a better opportunity for him. If circumstances bring him back at some point, it will just be a complete bonus for the Express.
Congratulations Dan and good luck in Omaha.
See you at the rink.
--BK
There are still a few reasons to be optimistic about him returning to our favorite junior hockey team at some point this season. Most importantly, the fact that the USHL teams only carry 23 players during the regular season. You can assume that of the 23, 2 will be goalies, and probably 7 will be defensemen. That leaves room for 14 forwards, and the Lancers currently have 16 forwards on the 25-man roster. This means that two guys(more than likely forwards) on the Lancer's 25-man roster will be cut after the Fall Classic (formerly the Buc Bowl). In addition to that, the Lancers could add some free agents, or place one of their affiliated players on the main roster. Stay tuned as we ramp up for the 2009/10 season.
My take: Cecka was a great addition last season, and added some much needed scoring when the Express were struggling to light the lamp, as he tallied 30 points in his 26 games with the team. In a way it's disappointing that he won't be back, but it's a better opportunity for him. If circumstances bring him back at some point, it will just be a complete bonus for the Express.
Congratulations Dan and good luck in Omaha.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Monday, July 13, 2009
Coach Fink Leaving for the USHL
Owatonna Express Assistant Coach Eric Fink has taken a position as assistant coach of the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Read the story here: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3863181
I have to admit I was a little blind-sided by this announcement. I figured that eventually Eric would move on to a different coaching position somewhere, I just didn't figure it would be this summer, or this late in the offseason. Coaches come and coaches go, as that is the nature of junior hockey. This is a step up the proverbial corporate ladder for him, and I wish him well.
It remains to be seen what effect this will have on the Express down the road. It was good for the program to have such an experienced guy as the assistant coach. A lot of what he did was behind the scenes, with recruiting and whatnot, and Coach Cullen will have to find a guy that can help find those diamonds in the rough. That being said, make no mistake, this is Coach Cullen's team, and he will have things well under control.
Total speculation on my part here: I would guess Coach Cullen knew this was a possibility, and had already thought up his short list of replacements. Will we see the new assistant coach this weekend at the main tryout camp?? My guess is yes, we will.
See you at the rink.
--BK
I have to admit I was a little blind-sided by this announcement. I figured that eventually Eric would move on to a different coaching position somewhere, I just didn't figure it would be this summer, or this late in the offseason. Coaches come and coaches go, as that is the nature of junior hockey. This is a step up the proverbial corporate ladder for him, and I wish him well.
It remains to be seen what effect this will have on the Express down the road. It was good for the program to have such an experienced guy as the assistant coach. A lot of what he did was behind the scenes, with recruiting and whatnot, and Coach Cullen will have to find a guy that can help find those diamonds in the rough. That being said, make no mistake, this is Coach Cullen's team, and he will have things well under control.
Total speculation on my part here: I would guess Coach Cullen knew this was a possibility, and had already thought up his short list of replacements. Will we see the new assistant coach this weekend at the main tryout camp?? My guess is yes, we will.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Welcome to the Official, Unofficial Express Blog
I want to take a minute and welcome all the new folks who have been visiting the blog recently. I would also like to thank the hundreds of folks who have been reading and contributing over the last 13 months. It has been a fun and rewarding experience for me, and I hope you guys are enjoying our favorite junior hockey team's one and only blog.
To the new folks, I extend an invitation to join in the conversation by using the "comments" feature at the bottom of each post. This is a relatively open forum for discussion, and I welcome your opinions. If you disagree with me, have a question, or heard some juicy rumor, please feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to contact me without it going on the blog, you can always drop me an email at owatonnaexpress@yahoo.com. The more people that participate, the more fun we all have.
For the last year, I have had a counter installed on the blog to log how many folks are visiting on a daily basis. The counter I chose was not always functioning correctly, so I decided to switch to different hit counter software. The software I chose provides me a great deal more information than the previous one did. When people log onto the site, I get a record of where they are, where they came from, what they looked at, and the like. I have had the new counter up for just a week so far, and have had visitors from: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Texas, Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Alaska, and Kansas. Along with Canada, Germany, Australia, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Japan.
--Main Tryout Camp is almost here. It kicks off this Friday and wraps up Sunday. Less than 1 week from right now, the 2009/10 Owatonna Express team will have been chosen. The draft picks, tenders, the invitees from Open Camp, and some of the veterans from last season, will make up the 4 teams. There will be plenty of talent on the ice, so make plans to stop in and see some action this weekend. The schedule is:
Friday, July 17th:
Green vs. Black 10:00am-11:30am
White vs. Gold 11:45am-1:15pm
Green vs. White 4:30pm-6:00pm
Black vs. Gold 6:15pm-7:45pm
Saturday, July 18th:
Green vs. Gold 10:00am-11:30am
Black vs. White 11:45am-1:15pm
All-Star Game #1 5:30pm-7:00pm
Sunday, July 19th:
All-Star Game #2 11:00am-1:00pm
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
To the new folks, I extend an invitation to join in the conversation by using the "comments" feature at the bottom of each post. This is a relatively open forum for discussion, and I welcome your opinions. If you disagree with me, have a question, or heard some juicy rumor, please feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to contact me without it going on the blog, you can always drop me an email at owatonnaexpress@yahoo.com. The more people that participate, the more fun we all have.
For the last year, I have had a counter installed on the blog to log how many folks are visiting on a daily basis. The counter I chose was not always functioning correctly, so I decided to switch to different hit counter software. The software I chose provides me a great deal more information than the previous one did. When people log onto the site, I get a record of where they are, where they came from, what they looked at, and the like. I have had the new counter up for just a week so far, and have had visitors from: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Texas, Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Alaska, and Kansas. Along with Canada, Germany, Australia, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Japan.
--Main Tryout Camp is almost here. It kicks off this Friday and wraps up Sunday. Less than 1 week from right now, the 2009/10 Owatonna Express team will have been chosen. The draft picks, tenders, the invitees from Open Camp, and some of the veterans from last season, will make up the 4 teams. There will be plenty of talent on the ice, so make plans to stop in and see some action this weekend. The schedule is:
Friday, July 17th:
Green vs. Black 10:00am-11:30am
White vs. Gold 11:45am-1:15pm
Green vs. White 4:30pm-6:00pm
Black vs. Gold 6:15pm-7:45pm
Saturday, July 18th:
Green vs. Gold 10:00am-11:30am
Black vs. White 11:45am-1:15pm
All-Star Game #1 5:30pm-7:00pm
Sunday, July 19th:
All-Star Game #2 11:00am-1:00pm
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Express Draft Pick - Nate Brown
Player Profile - Nate Brown - 5'10"/170lbs - Defenseman
1991 birth year from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh which is also the same hometown of current Express forward Brian McGinty. He was a teammate of Express forward Josh Daley while playing mites in the Pittsburgh area. Nate played in the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major AAA program before leaving for more competitive hockey in the Detroit area. In 06/07 he played on the Honeybaked U16 team, tallying 4 goals, 8 assists, and 45 penalty minutes in 30 games. He moved up to the Team nXi U18 program for the 07/08 season, playing in 26 games, and scoring 2 goals, with 3 assists and 49 penalty minutes. Last season he played with the S2 U18 program (same as nXi, but the name was changed), scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, with 106 penalty minutes in 45 games.
Nate was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the 2nd round (24th overall) of the 2008 USHL Futures Draft, and spent the 2008/09 season on the Musketeers' affiliate list. He was also drafted by the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft, but did not play any games with the Phantoms last season.
My take: As with most non-Minnesota kids, I don't know a whole lot about Mr. Brown. One source I talked to, who had seen Nate play a couple of years ago stated he was a "rugged, stay-at-home defenseman". However, when I looked at his stats from last season, it appears he has found a scoring touch, as he tallied 30 points last season in the very tough MWEHL. The College Hockey Recruit Exchange Blog rated Nate as the MWEHL's #2 Offensive-Defensman prospect, in their April 17, 2009 rankings which you can peruse here: http://collegehockeyrecruitexchange.blogspot.com/2009/04/mwehl-midget-major-prospect-rankings.html .
It will be interesting to watch Nate at tryout camp in 10 days. How will a good defenseman from a Midget Major program stack up against a good defenseman from the Minnesota State High School League?? The competition for the few open defenseman spots on the 2009/10 Express roster will be fierce, and Nate should definitely be in the mix.
Welcome to Owatonna Nate Brown.
See you at the rink.
--BK
1991 birth year from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh which is also the same hometown of current Express forward Brian McGinty. He was a teammate of Express forward Josh Daley while playing mites in the Pittsburgh area. Nate played in the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major AAA program before leaving for more competitive hockey in the Detroit area. In 06/07 he played on the Honeybaked U16 team, tallying 4 goals, 8 assists, and 45 penalty minutes in 30 games. He moved up to the Team nXi U18 program for the 07/08 season, playing in 26 games, and scoring 2 goals, with 3 assists and 49 penalty minutes. Last season he played with the S2 U18 program (same as nXi, but the name was changed), scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, with 106 penalty minutes in 45 games.
Nate was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the 2nd round (24th overall) of the 2008 USHL Futures Draft, and spent the 2008/09 season on the Musketeers' affiliate list. He was also drafted by the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft, but did not play any games with the Phantoms last season.
My take: As with most non-Minnesota kids, I don't know a whole lot about Mr. Brown. One source I talked to, who had seen Nate play a couple of years ago stated he was a "rugged, stay-at-home defenseman". However, when I looked at his stats from last season, it appears he has found a scoring touch, as he tallied 30 points last season in the very tough MWEHL. The College Hockey Recruit Exchange Blog rated Nate as the MWEHL's #2 Offensive-Defensman prospect, in their April 17, 2009 rankings which you can peruse here: http://collegehockeyrecruitexchange.blogspot.com/2009/04/mwehl-midget-major-prospect-rankings.html .
It will be interesting to watch Nate at tryout camp in 10 days. How will a good defenseman from a Midget Major program stack up against a good defenseman from the Minnesota State High School League?? The competition for the few open defenseman spots on the 2009/10 Express roster will be fierce, and Nate should definitely be in the mix.
Welcome to Owatonna Nate Brown.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Express Draft Pick - John Haeg
Player Profile - John Haeg - 6'1"/175lbs - Forward
A 1990 birth year, Haeg played his high school hockey at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. While centering the Stars' top line during the 2008/2009 season, he tallied 25 goals and 31 assists in 25 regular season games. In Holy Angels Section 2AA quarterfinals win over Bloomington Kennedy, Haeg suffered a broken collarbone, and was out of the lineup as the Edina Hornets ended the Stars' season in the semifinals. He was named to the All-Missota Conference team following both his junior and senior hockey seasons, and also played in the Fall Elite League as a member of Team SE. In addition to excelling on the ice, he was also an All-State soccer player his senior year at Holy Angels.
My take: Holy Angels has produced some very high-end talent in recent years, with alumni such as Jay Barribal, Mike Carman, and Erik Johnson, along with several other Division 1 players. As good a player as Haeg was during his high school career, he wasn't even the best player on the team. That honor would have to go to his linemate, and University of North Dakota recruit Danny Mattson. The experience of playing on a really talented team, with one of the best players in Minnesota would pay off as a member of the Express. I can't wait to see what he can do at Main Tryout Camp in two weeks.
Welcome to Owatonna John Haeg.
See you at the rink.
--BK
A 1990 birth year, Haeg played his high school hockey at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. While centering the Stars' top line during the 2008/2009 season, he tallied 25 goals and 31 assists in 25 regular season games. In Holy Angels Section 2AA quarterfinals win over Bloomington Kennedy, Haeg suffered a broken collarbone, and was out of the lineup as the Edina Hornets ended the Stars' season in the semifinals. He was named to the All-Missota Conference team following both his junior and senior hockey seasons, and also played in the Fall Elite League as a member of Team SE. In addition to excelling on the ice, he was also an All-State soccer player his senior year at Holy Angels.
My take: Holy Angels has produced some very high-end talent in recent years, with alumni such as Jay Barribal, Mike Carman, and Erik Johnson, along with several other Division 1 players. As good a player as Haeg was during his high school career, he wasn't even the best player on the team. That honor would have to go to his linemate, and University of North Dakota recruit Danny Mattson. The experience of playing on a really talented team, with one of the best players in Minnesota would pay off as a member of the Express. I can't wait to see what he can do at Main Tryout Camp in two weeks.
Welcome to Owatonna John Haeg.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, July 3, 2009
There's a New Sheriff in Town
The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman "Sheriff" Shane Hnidy to a 1 year contract today.
My take: For some reason, Hnidy has been a favorite NHL player of mine. I love the way he plays the game, and I think this is a great pickup by the Wild. I won't miss Mary-Ann Gaborik, with Martin Havlat basically replacing him in the Wild line-up for less money. The Hnidy signing, along with signing of Greg Zanon hopefully means we've seen the last of Martin Skoula in a Wild sweater. It might take a year or two to retool the Wild, but so far I'm happy with the new regime.
--Nothing new on the Express front in the past few days. I've seen maybe a third of the USHL 25-man rosters, and the only player with Express ties that made one of those teams was 2009 draft pick Mac Olson.
--Two weeks from today we'll be watching the 2009/10 Express team taking shape at the Main Tryout Camp.
See you at the rink.
--BK
My take: For some reason, Hnidy has been a favorite NHL player of mine. I love the way he plays the game, and I think this is a great pickup by the Wild. I won't miss Mary-Ann Gaborik, with Martin Havlat basically replacing him in the Wild line-up for less money. The Hnidy signing, along with signing of Greg Zanon hopefully means we've seen the last of Martin Skoula in a Wild sweater. It might take a year or two to retool the Wild, but so far I'm happy with the new regime.
--Nothing new on the Express front in the past few days. I've seen maybe a third of the USHL 25-man rosters, and the only player with Express ties that made one of those teams was 2009 draft pick Mac Olson.
--Two weeks from today we'll be watching the 2009/10 Express team taking shape at the Main Tryout Camp.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
USHL Cut-Down Day
As of today (July 1), the 14 members of the USHL had to whittle their rosters down to 25 players. This is an important day for our favorite junior hockey team as well, as the USHL cuts will shed some light on who may or may not be a part of the Express roster this fall. The next few days could be very exciting, or very depressing, as the rosters are released for public consumption.
Players with Express ties to watch for on USHL rosters:
Dan Cecka - reportedly made the Omaha Lancers 30-Man roster following their tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??
Zach Vierling - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - His appearance at Express Open Tryout Camp makes me think he'll be back in Owatonna.
Chris Bournazos - Attended camp with the Green Bay Gamblers.
Bo Dolan - attended Fargo Force tryout camp.
Blake Matejcek - attended Lincoln Stars camp. He was not on the camp all-star game roster, so I like the chances of seeing him in 2 weeks at the Express Main Camp.
Andrew Miller - attended tryout camp with the Des Moines Bucs, but did not make their 25 man roster.
Ben Montgomery - attended camp with the Tri-City Storm, but did not make their camp all-star roster.
Andrew O'Leary - Made the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 30 man roster after tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??
Mac Olson - Made the Chicago Steel's initial roster, hurting our chances of ever seeing him in an Express sweater.
Zach Sarig - Went to Youngstown's tryout camp, but did not make their 25 man roster.
Mike Yanis - Made the Sioux Falls Stampede's tryout all-star game.
Disclaimer: The information was culled from a multitude of websites and other sources, and is by no means can I guarantee it is complete nor 100% accurate. In addition, several of the USHL teams did not publish who attended their tryout camps, or announce who made their camp all-star rosters. I also did not include the tendered players on the list, as the names of those 7 players haven't been officially announced.
Next up for the Express is the Main Tryout Camp in 2 weeks. Several of last year's guys, plus the tendered guys, the draft picks, and the cream of the crop from Open Camp last month will battle it out for the 25 spots that will comprise the 2009/2010 Owatonna Express.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Players with Express ties to watch for on USHL rosters:
Dan Cecka - reportedly made the Omaha Lancers 30-Man roster following their tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??
Zach Vierling - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - His appearance at Express Open Tryout Camp makes me think he'll be back in Owatonna.
Chris Bournazos - Attended camp with the Green Bay Gamblers.
Bo Dolan - attended Fargo Force tryout camp.
Blake Matejcek - attended Lincoln Stars camp. He was not on the camp all-star game roster, so I like the chances of seeing him in 2 weeks at the Express Main Camp.
Andrew Miller - attended tryout camp with the Des Moines Bucs, but did not make their 25 man roster.
Ben Montgomery - attended camp with the Tri-City Storm, but did not make their camp all-star roster.
Andrew O'Leary - Made the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 30 man roster after tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??
Mac Olson - Made the Chicago Steel's initial roster, hurting our chances of ever seeing him in an Express sweater.
Zach Sarig - Went to Youngstown's tryout camp, but did not make their 25 man roster.
Mike Yanis - Made the Sioux Falls Stampede's tryout all-star game.
Disclaimer: The information was culled from a multitude of websites and other sources, and is by no means can I guarantee it is complete nor 100% accurate. In addition, several of the USHL teams did not publish who attended their tryout camps, or announce who made their camp all-star rosters. I also did not include the tendered players on the list, as the names of those 7 players haven't been officially announced.
Next up for the Express is the Main Tryout Camp in 2 weeks. Several of last year's guys, plus the tendered guys, the draft picks, and the cream of the crop from Open Camp last month will battle it out for the 25 spots that will comprise the 2009/2010 Owatonna Express.
See you at the rink.
--BK
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