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
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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
- 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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
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
Friday, May 15, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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
- 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
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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
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
Saturday, May 9, 2009
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
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
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