(above) BC practices at the Pepsi Center yesterdayThursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
DU Recruit Is Excelling On Ice & In Classroom
Joe Colborne is every hockey parent's dream.
Touted as a first-round pick in this year's NHL draft, the Camrose Kodiaks forward is loaded with talent and potential. In fact, when the Kodiaks battle the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons tonight in the third game of the AJHL league final, Colborne could easily take over the tilt and score the winner.
But as good as the 18-year-old centre can be on the ice, he's arguably a better student.
"Anything less than 95 (per cent) is a disappointment for him," said Camrose assistant coach Miles Walsh, who is also the club's educational liaison.
"Nobody (in Kodiaks' history) will have ever touched those (high school) marks."
And as the kicker to this story, Colborne comes from a remarkable family - in athletics and business.
But you would never know it.
Humble. Polite. Respectful. Talented. Brilliant.
All of those words describe this rare teenager.
THE PLAYER
Rated 30th among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Rankings in January, Colborne's stock has climbed ever since.
After finishing with 90 points in 55 games in the AJHL regular season - good for second in league scoring - the six-foot-four and 195-pound forward has NHL scouts drooling.
"He's big, skilled and smart - something NHL teams need and want," said one NHL scout before Game 2 in the AJHL playoff final on Sunday night in Camrose.
"He's probably as close to a Joe Thornton clone (as you can be) at this level. His upside is phenomenal.
"He wins a lot of board battles and can turn on a dime and make a great pass."
Tied for second in league playoff scoring with 15 points, Colborne plays in every situation - centres the top line, kills penalties and is on the power play.
There were an estimated 20 NHL scouts to watch Game 1 of the AJHL final last weekend and there are scouts that have been religiously following this phenom for weeks.
Granted, there are some naysayers. Some scouts question his skating ability.
"His downside is the league he plays in - that's the perception of some scouts," said a scout, referring to the fact the Calgary native dominates Junior A, but is not in the WHL.
But the latest projections from multiple sources on where Colborne could be taken in this NHL draft range from 8th-20th overall to anywhere from 11th spot downward.
THE STUDENT
It's not uncommon for this quiet blond-haired youngster to get home from a road game at 1:30 a.m. and be in school the next morning by 9 a.m.
"He does phenomenally well in all areas (of school)," said Camrose trainer Brent Sawchuk, who's also an instructor at Colborne's unique school.
"He is a model student. He sets a fine example of what it takes to be successful in this busy world. He is a terrific writer, but the sciences and maths are stronger."
Colborne is a student at Battle River Online high school - an institution housed within Camrose Composite High School.
He takes Math 31 - essentially a university-level calculus class - by video conferencing.
The Grade 12 chemistry class he's mastering is taken through correspondence using print material.
A 90-to-95% student, Colborne had college hockey recruiters salivating.
"He could have chosen any school in the United States (for college)," added Walsh.
Harvard and Yale made offers to the power forward.
But the University of Denver won the sweepstakes because of a strong hockey team and top-10 business program.
Colborne will be off to college next fall with dreams of the NHL - first as a player and ultimately as a general manager.
THE PERSON
"(He's) the kind of kid that if you had a daughter, you'd want her to bring him home - plain and simple," stated Walsh of Colborne.
Is there a better endorsement from your billet and the vice principal of the Camrose junior high school?
No.
"My wife is going to be teary-eyed when the time comes (for him to leave), there is no doubt about it," Walsh continued.
As a human being, Colborne actually seems to be too good to be true. There is no ego. There is no arrogance.
"Right from when I was little my parents always taught me to try to be the best at everything you do," said Colborne. "You have to go to school - you might as well do your best.
"I try to get 100 (per cent) every time."
As parents, Janice and Paul have raised four athletic children.
Lauren played basketball for the U of A.
Melissa is a star bball player at Yale.
And Claire might be the most gifted of the sisters, just winning the 3A provincial high school basketball title in Calgary.
But Joe gets the headlines.
"We're very proud of Joe," said Paul, a lawyer and owner of his own oil/gas company.
"But I'm most proud of the team (in Camrose) and how Boris (Rybalka, the head coach) has moulded them.
"And Boris has made Joe a much more complete player."
According to Colborne, there are lots of areas to improve on. First and foremost, he needs to put weight on his lanky frame.
"It's not like I'm a hall-of-famer - pretty much every aspect of my game could be improved quite a bit," he remarked.
"My parents always taught that you have to improve all the time and when you start thinking you are pretty good you'll fall."
Nobody is betting that Colborne will fall on his face.
"He's going to be in the NHL," said a scout.
The only question is which team is going to be so fortunate to draft him.
Touted as a first-round pick in this year's NHL draft, the Camrose Kodiaks forward is loaded with talent and potential. In fact, when the Kodiaks battle the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons tonight in the third game of the AJHL league final, Colborne could easily take over the tilt and score the winner.
But as good as the 18-year-old centre can be on the ice, he's arguably a better student.
"Anything less than 95 (per cent) is a disappointment for him," said Camrose assistant coach Miles Walsh, who is also the club's educational liaison.
"Nobody (in Kodiaks' history) will have ever touched those (high school) marks."
And as the kicker to this story, Colborne comes from a remarkable family - in athletics and business.
But you would never know it.
Humble. Polite. Respectful. Talented. Brilliant.
All of those words describe this rare teenager.
THE PLAYER
Rated 30th among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Rankings in January, Colborne's stock has climbed ever since.
After finishing with 90 points in 55 games in the AJHL regular season - good for second in league scoring - the six-foot-four and 195-pound forward has NHL scouts drooling.
"He's big, skilled and smart - something NHL teams need and want," said one NHL scout before Game 2 in the AJHL playoff final on Sunday night in Camrose.
"He's probably as close to a Joe Thornton clone (as you can be) at this level. His upside is phenomenal.
"He wins a lot of board battles and can turn on a dime and make a great pass."
Tied for second in league playoff scoring with 15 points, Colborne plays in every situation - centres the top line, kills penalties and is on the power play.
There were an estimated 20 NHL scouts to watch Game 1 of the AJHL final last weekend and there are scouts that have been religiously following this phenom for weeks.
Granted, there are some naysayers. Some scouts question his skating ability.
"His downside is the league he plays in - that's the perception of some scouts," said a scout, referring to the fact the Calgary native dominates Junior A, but is not in the WHL.
But the latest projections from multiple sources on where Colborne could be taken in this NHL draft range from 8th-20th overall to anywhere from 11th spot downward.
THE STUDENT
It's not uncommon for this quiet blond-haired youngster to get home from a road game at 1:30 a.m. and be in school the next morning by 9 a.m.
"He does phenomenally well in all areas (of school)," said Camrose trainer Brent Sawchuk, who's also an instructor at Colborne's unique school.
"He is a model student. He sets a fine example of what it takes to be successful in this busy world. He is a terrific writer, but the sciences and maths are stronger."
Colborne is a student at Battle River Online high school - an institution housed within Camrose Composite High School.
He takes Math 31 - essentially a university-level calculus class - by video conferencing.
The Grade 12 chemistry class he's mastering is taken through correspondence using print material.
A 90-to-95% student, Colborne had college hockey recruiters salivating.
"He could have chosen any school in the United States (for college)," added Walsh.
Harvard and Yale made offers to the power forward.
But the University of Denver won the sweepstakes because of a strong hockey team and top-10 business program.
Colborne will be off to college next fall with dreams of the NHL - first as a player and ultimately as a general manager.
THE PERSON
"(He's) the kind of kid that if you had a daughter, you'd want her to bring him home - plain and simple," stated Walsh of Colborne.
Is there a better endorsement from your billet and the vice principal of the Camrose junior high school?
No.
"My wife is going to be teary-eyed when the time comes (for him to leave), there is no doubt about it," Walsh continued.
As a human being, Colborne actually seems to be too good to be true. There is no ego. There is no arrogance.
"Right from when I was little my parents always taught me to try to be the best at everything you do," said Colborne. "You have to go to school - you might as well do your best.
"I try to get 100 (per cent) every time."
As parents, Janice and Paul have raised four athletic children.
Lauren played basketball for the U of A.
Melissa is a star bball player at Yale.
And Claire might be the most gifted of the sisters, just winning the 3A provincial high school basketball title in Calgary.
But Joe gets the headlines.
"We're very proud of Joe," said Paul, a lawyer and owner of his own oil/gas company.
"But I'm most proud of the team (in Camrose) and how Boris (Rybalka, the head coach) has moulded them.
"And Boris has made Joe a much more complete player."
According to Colborne, there are lots of areas to improve on. First and foremost, he needs to put weight on his lanky frame.
"It's not like I'm a hall-of-famer - pretty much every aspect of my game could be improved quite a bit," he remarked.
"My parents always taught that you have to improve all the time and when you start thinking you are pretty good you'll fall."
Nobody is betting that Colborne will fall on his face.
"He's going to be in the NHL," said a scout.
The only question is which team is going to be so fortunate to draft him.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Brookwell Finally Has A Puck For "The Plaque"
(above) DU's Cody Brookwell (#12) takes down UND's Matt Watkins earlier this seasonFrom: Mike Chamber's Blog
When a son scores his first career goal, sometimes it creates enough emotion for a proud father to weep.
Just reading this story might create tears in your eyes.
DU sophomore Cody Brookwell scored his first goal March 14 in a 6-3 playoff-series-opening victory over Minnesota-Duluth. Brookwell, the Pioneers’ biggest player at 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, is a proud defensive-defenseman whose complete focus is protecting his own net.
And he does it well. But with every hockey player, scoring a goal is the fun part, and it had taken Brookwell far too long to get his first.
Fittingly, his big opportunity came when being released from the penalty box and accepting a breakaway pass, with a clear route to the opponent’s net.
So what did he do? He looked like a true sniper, firing a hard backhander that landed top-shelf to rattle the goalie’s water bottle.
So what did Kevin Brookwell, Cody’s father, do after hearing about the goal in his Calgary home?
“I was jumping around the house like an idiot and didn’t know what to do,” Kevin said. “I, like Cody, have been waiting two years for this and I enjoyed every moment with my boy.”
Kevin and Cody enjoy each other’s company before every DU game. It’s a ritual that every father would cherish and every son would appreciate. It’s true love, father-son style.
It’s the bagel talk.
“Prior to every game Cody gives me a call. It’s part of his pre-game routine. We call it the “bagel call” and he goes up into the stands, home or away, and has a pre-game coffee and either a bagel or banana,” Kevin said. “Sometimes we chat about nothing, sometimes we chat about the game, but he hasn’t missed a call since starting with Denver. I’ve excused myself from some pretty important meetings to take that call and I’ll never miss it.”
So what do they talk about?
“We joke about the nice plaque I have for his first NCAA goal. Every call I tell him I’m taking the plaque out of his room and putting in on the coffee table for the game. Every game I ask him if he’s getting me that goal so I can mount the puck on the plaque.
“Of course, every game he says he will and after every game, when he calls home, I sadly, but jokingly, tell him I’m putting the plaque back in his room. He knew how big this was for me and he was so proud to make the call (after the goal).”
Cody’s teammates know about his bond with his father. They know about the pregame phone call, and that Kevin is Cody’s No. 1 fan.
“He must have passed the story on to his teammates at some point, because they were telling him how happy Mr. B was going to be and that Cody should call home to make sure I wasn’t lying on the floor with a stroke,” Kevin said.
“No stroke . . . just a really proud mom and dad.”
Just reading this story might create tears in your eyes.
DU sophomore Cody Brookwell scored his first goal March 14 in a 6-3 playoff-series-opening victory over Minnesota-Duluth. Brookwell, the Pioneers’ biggest player at 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, is a proud defensive-defenseman whose complete focus is protecting his own net.
And he does it well. But with every hockey player, scoring a goal is the fun part, and it had taken Brookwell far too long to get his first.
Fittingly, his big opportunity came when being released from the penalty box and accepting a breakaway pass, with a clear route to the opponent’s net.
So what did he do? He looked like a true sniper, firing a hard backhander that landed top-shelf to rattle the goalie’s water bottle.
So what did Kevin Brookwell, Cody’s father, do after hearing about the goal in his Calgary home?
“I was jumping around the house like an idiot and didn’t know what to do,” Kevin said. “I, like Cody, have been waiting two years for this and I enjoyed every moment with my boy.”
Kevin and Cody enjoy each other’s company before every DU game. It’s a ritual that every father would cherish and every son would appreciate. It’s true love, father-son style.
It’s the bagel talk.
“Prior to every game Cody gives me a call. It’s part of his pre-game routine. We call it the “bagel call” and he goes up into the stands, home or away, and has a pre-game coffee and either a bagel or banana,” Kevin said. “Sometimes we chat about nothing, sometimes we chat about the game, but he hasn’t missed a call since starting with Denver. I’ve excused myself from some pretty important meetings to take that call and I’ll never miss it.”
So what do they talk about?
“We joke about the nice plaque I have for his first NCAA goal. Every call I tell him I’m taking the plaque out of his room and putting in on the coffee table for the game. Every game I ask him if he’s getting me that goal so I can mount the puck on the plaque.
“Of course, every game he says he will and after every game, when he calls home, I sadly, but jokingly, tell him I’m putting the plaque back in his room. He knew how big this was for me and he was so proud to make the call (after the goal).”
Cody’s teammates know about his bond with his father. They know about the pregame phone call, and that Kevin is Cody’s No. 1 fan.
“He must have passed the story on to his teammates at some point, because they were telling him how happy Mr. B was going to be and that Cody should call home to make sure I wasn’t lying on the floor with a stroke,” Kevin said.
“No stroke . . . just a really proud mom and dad.”
Saturday, March 22, 2008
DU Wins Final Five Over Minnesota
(above) Senior Tom May scored the game winner Saturday nightby Mike Chambers
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When hockey's NCAA Tournament pairings are revealed this morning, the University of Denver Pioneers will be flying high, loaded with confidence no matter where they play or who they face.
The Pioneers, who will take a four-game winning streak into the national tournament, are playoff champions of America's toughest amateur conference. DU captured its record 15th WCHA Final Five championship Saturday night, defeating Minnesota 2-1 in the Broadmoor Trophy game before 17,907 partisan fans at the Xcel Energy Center.
An NCAA-record six teams from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are pegged to make today's 16- team field.
DU coach George Gwozdecky said the victory proved his team can be a factor in the NCAA Tournament. The win proves "our ability to play big games on the big stage," he said. "It doesn't get any bigger than this."
Nothing seems to rattle senior goalie Peter Mannino, who as a freshman was named 2005 Frozen Four MVP. He has allowed just five goals in DU's four conference playoff games, all victories.
Mannino was brilliant Saturday, making 34 saves. Senior Tom May, from nearby Eagan, Minn., scored the winner on a semi-breakaway late in the second period.
In January, DU began a 5-9-1 slide. Now, the Pioneers appear as good as any team in the NCAA.
"We've faced a heck of a lot of adversity since the middle of the season, with injuries and departures and stuff like that, but hopefully we're hitting our stride," DU captain Andrew Thomas said.
The Pioneers (26-13-1) always play well in the Final Five since it moved to the Xcel Energy Center in 2001. And they have won the Broadmoor Trophy in four of the past nine years.
"We've had different type of teams that have won it different ways," said Gwozdecky, who previously guided DU to the 1999, 2002 and 2005 playoff crowns. "It's one of the events in every student-athlete's career that he remembers for a lifetime."
"Different guys, same hardware," Mannino said. "It's just as nice."
Minnesota, which was playing in its sixth playoff game in nine nights, was trying to become the first team to win the Final Five from the Thursday play-in game.
"Almost all weekend, we were running on adrenaline," Gophers forward Ben Gordon said.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
DU's Newest Recruit Is A Classic Late Bloomer
(above) Wichita forward Luke Salazar (10) skates into the offensive zonePhoto Credit: Jason Palmer/Times Record
From: Wichita Falls Time-Record by Zach Duncan
DU's newest recruit Luke Salazar wasn't considered by many to be a legitimate Division I prospect. Before the season began, even Salazar would have considered you crazy for even suggesting it.
The Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL) forward willingly admits no one could have forecasted the kind of season he’s enjoying right now.
“If someone told me I would score 30 goals all year, I would have thought I was dreaming,” the NAHL’s second-leading goal scorer said. “And 50 points all year? I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Salazar has turned heads across the junior hockey landscape, blossoming into one of the league’s most dangerous sharpshooters in his second season with the Wildcats. His 32 goals trail only St. Louis’ Kyle O’Kane (34) for the league lead, and Salazar is also third in points.
“I knew he had it in him,” said Wildcats captain Adam Cardwell, who centers a line with Grant Everett and Salazar. “He just needed the confidence and another year under his belt, and he’d take off.”
Cardwell and Wichita Falls coach John Bowkus both agreed the biggest difference in Salazar’s game this season isn’t any drastic improvement in skill, but more self-assurance in his ability.
A year ago, he played in all but one game with the Wildcats, scoring 10 goals and amassing 23 points while showing flashes of brilliance.
But that’s nothing compared to the 2007-08 season, as the 19-year-old has already tripled his production with 14 games to spare.
“He’s got a lot more confidence,” Cardwell said. “He makes good decisions, and he’s looking to shoot and score more goals.”
Bowkus adds that Salazar uses his quickness and speed well, and that his vision and puck-handling abilities are superb.
While his growth on the ice is one reason for his breakout campaign, the Thornton, Colo., native also acknowledges that his success stems from his linemates, who form the most potent trio in the NAHL.
Initially, Cardwell and Everett were paired together with another forward, but Bowkus added Salazar to the top line in the preseason after watching the three develop on the power-play unit.
Salazar had played with Everett on a line together last year before Everett was injured, which hastened the transition.
“That definitely helped because you know what type of player Everett is,” said Salazar, who also calls Cardwell one of, if not the best player in the league. “Grant’s so good in the corners with the puck. I knew that beforehand, so I could take risks.”
Salazar is the smallest guy on the Wildcats, weighing in at 155 pounds and standing 5-7. But that hasn’t stopped him from getting to the right places to score goals.
“His stature hasn’t hindered him whatsoever,” Bowkus said. “I’m sure he’d like to be taller, but he’s a legitimate Division I talent.”
From fourth line winger to top league prospect — not so unbelievable after all.
The Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL) forward willingly admits no one could have forecasted the kind of season he’s enjoying right now.
“If someone told me I would score 30 goals all year, I would have thought I was dreaming,” the NAHL’s second-leading goal scorer said. “And 50 points all year? I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Salazar has turned heads across the junior hockey landscape, blossoming into one of the league’s most dangerous sharpshooters in his second season with the Wildcats. His 32 goals trail only St. Louis’ Kyle O’Kane (34) for the league lead, and Salazar is also third in points.
“I knew he had it in him,” said Wildcats captain Adam Cardwell, who centers a line with Grant Everett and Salazar. “He just needed the confidence and another year under his belt, and he’d take off.”
Cardwell and Wichita Falls coach John Bowkus both agreed the biggest difference in Salazar’s game this season isn’t any drastic improvement in skill, but more self-assurance in his ability.
A year ago, he played in all but one game with the Wildcats, scoring 10 goals and amassing 23 points while showing flashes of brilliance.
But that’s nothing compared to the 2007-08 season, as the 19-year-old has already tripled his production with 14 games to spare.
“He’s got a lot more confidence,” Cardwell said. “He makes good decisions, and he’s looking to shoot and score more goals.”
Bowkus adds that Salazar uses his quickness and speed well, and that his vision and puck-handling abilities are superb.
While his growth on the ice is one reason for his breakout campaign, the Thornton, Colo., native also acknowledges that his success stems from his linemates, who form the most potent trio in the NAHL.
Initially, Cardwell and Everett were paired together with another forward, but Bowkus added Salazar to the top line in the preseason after watching the three develop on the power-play unit.
Salazar had played with Everett on a line together last year before Everett was injured, which hastened the transition.
“That definitely helped because you know what type of player Everett is,” said Salazar, who also calls Cardwell one of, if not the best player in the league. “Grant’s so good in the corners with the puck. I knew that beforehand, so I could take risks.”
Salazar is the smallest guy on the Wildcats, weighing in at 155 pounds and standing 5-7. But that hasn’t stopped him from getting to the right places to score goals.
“His stature hasn’t hindered him whatsoever,” Bowkus said. “I’m sure he’d like to be taller, but he’s a legitimate Division I talent.”
From fourth line winger to top league prospect — not so unbelievable after all.
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Escalating College Hockey Arms Race
From: USCHO.comby Gerald Skoning
The rosters of Division I college hockey teams consist almost entirely of players who have spent a year or two playing for “junior” hockey clubs. Only a very few players on these Division I clubs have entered college directly out of high school. As a result, the quality of college hockey has been enhanced, but this improvement has had a negative impact on the “student” part of the vaunted student-athlete experience.
The mother of a freshman hockey star for an ECAC team candidly expressed her dismay after watching her son’s team lose to another perennial ECAC powerhouse by a score of 3-2. Her concern wasn’t over the team’s loss on the ice, but rather over her son’s academic difficulties.
I had asked her how he was doing in the classroom his first term in college. She sighed, “Unfortunately, he’s really struggling. He was an ‘A’ student in high school, graduating near the top his class. We were so proud of his academic success. But, then he was away from the classroom for a whole year while he played 75 games in Juniors for the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He’s a better hockey player for it, but he is really rusty with the books.”
It’s a familiar story for many families of kids who aspire to Division I hockey. The rosters of most every Division I hockey program are filled with kids who played in Alberta (AJHL), Ontario (CJHL), Sioux City, Iowa (USHL), or British Columbia (BCHL). They range from 20- or 21-year-old freshmen to 24-year-old seniors who are stronger, faster, smarter and much older hockey players than those who just graduated from high school.
They play a year or two in juniors in the hopes of improving their recruitment opportunities and perhaps landing full-ride scholarships at one of the traditional college hockey powerhouses like North Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. Most likely, their dreams also include a high NHL draft position, based in part on their experience in juniors.
Junior programs are a Canadian tradition as iconic as the Mounties or the Maple Leaf. Long before college hockey teams in the U.S. began recruiting heavily out of juniors, those programs attracted Canadian players with NHL aspirations. Juniors rivalries provided a live hockey entertainment alternative to the infamous “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcasts on CBC on long winter nights in small towns dotting the frozen tundra of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Today, college hockey coaches love the junior programs. They recruit players who are battle-tested, and whose skills have been polished beyond the rough-edged talent seen in high school hockey. To college coaches, it’s like having a farm team system from which to draw a talented roster. College coaches regularly tell talented high school recruits to defer admission for a year or two for some seasoning and development in the juniors. A ready-made farm system.
Also, the pervasive junior program makes recruiting college hockey players much easier for coaches. Instead of screening hockey recruits from hundreds of high schools scattered across the United States and Canada, college hockey coaches have a ready-made, pre-screened pool of candidates. This cuts down on recruiting travel and expense … one-stop shopping in the USHL, AJHL, BCHL, and so on.
On so many levels this system is hard to argue with. Of course, parents love the juniors as well. To them, it may save the family a staggering tuition bill of up to $45 thousand per year. For them, delaying college for a year or even two is well worth the personal sacrifice their kids make in playing a 70- to 80-game season (or two) in remote regions of the Canadian wilderness.
The number of players on a college hockey roster who have come directly from high school has dwindled to a precious few. The two or three who do play varsity Division I hockey have become mere tokens, for all intents and purposes. But they are players for whom the academic challenges of higher education will be less daunting since they were enrolled in school the entire year before entering college.
How did we get to this point? When did this new, higher level of professionalism creep into the wonderful game of college hockey? Other major college sports like football, basketball and baseball have no such junior programs to groom their athletes. There are no “junior” football or basketball programs to develop and burnish young talent (although some may claim junior colleges occasionally serve that purpose). Yet the quality of play on college gridirons and basketball courts in the United States is remarkably strong. Why is ice hockey different?
Maybe it relates to the NHL aspirations of the hockey player or the hockey parents, or both. Or, perhaps it’s the lure of full-ride athletic scholarships that motivates the kids to make this enormous personal sacrifice.
One wonders if it is possible to “unring the bell” and return to recruitment of student-athletes for college hockey directly out of high school. Of course, no college hockey coach is likely to be the first unilaterally to spurn recruiting those hot junior hockey prospects. Such a move would be wildly unpopular with alumni, fans, current players looking for talented freshmen to bolster championship prospects, and students who long for a national championship.
A coach refusing to recruit junior hockey prospects would be as unpopular as a U.S. president deciding unilaterally to eliminate our country’s nuclear arsenal. The coach who unilaterally decides it’s important to the student-athlete to return to recruiting directly out of high school would be summarily fired and ridden out of town on a rail.
The issue is worthy of attention by the entire college hockey community. Colleges and universities that recruit predominantly from various junior hockey programs should recognize the academic sacrifices their recruiting practices perpetuate.
The NCAA should study the issue of the increasing dominance of junior hockey recruiting to determine whether it would be feasible to impose a uniform nationwide stand-down in this increasingly competitive juniors arms race, and return to recruiting athletes directly out of high school. This might go a long way toward putting the “student” back in the student-athlete equation.
Mr. Skoning is a Chicago attorney who specializes in labor and employment law. He was captain of the 1964 Princeton University hockey team (which did not win the Ivy League championship, as this year’s team did for the first time in 55 years). While attending the University of Michigan Law School, he was assistant captain of a team sponsored by Jiffy Mix Company, consisting of several Michigan players from their 1963 NCAA championship team. The Jiffy team, which played in the International Metro League based in Southern Ontario, won the Michigan State Amateur Championship in 1966 and the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1967. After service as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he played for 10 years with the Chicago Cardinals of the Continental Hockey League.
The mother of a freshman hockey star for an ECAC team candidly expressed her dismay after watching her son’s team lose to another perennial ECAC powerhouse by a score of 3-2. Her concern wasn’t over the team’s loss on the ice, but rather over her son’s academic difficulties.
I had asked her how he was doing in the classroom his first term in college. She sighed, “Unfortunately, he’s really struggling. He was an ‘A’ student in high school, graduating near the top his class. We were so proud of his academic success. But, then he was away from the classroom for a whole year while he played 75 games in Juniors for the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He’s a better hockey player for it, but he is really rusty with the books.”
It’s a familiar story for many families of kids who aspire to Division I hockey. The rosters of most every Division I hockey program are filled with kids who played in Alberta (AJHL), Ontario (CJHL), Sioux City, Iowa (USHL), or British Columbia (BCHL). They range from 20- or 21-year-old freshmen to 24-year-old seniors who are stronger, faster, smarter and much older hockey players than those who just graduated from high school.
They play a year or two in juniors in the hopes of improving their recruitment opportunities and perhaps landing full-ride scholarships at one of the traditional college hockey powerhouses like North Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. Most likely, their dreams also include a high NHL draft position, based in part on their experience in juniors.
Junior programs are a Canadian tradition as iconic as the Mounties or the Maple Leaf. Long before college hockey teams in the U.S. began recruiting heavily out of juniors, those programs attracted Canadian players with NHL aspirations. Juniors rivalries provided a live hockey entertainment alternative to the infamous “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcasts on CBC on long winter nights in small towns dotting the frozen tundra of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Today, college hockey coaches love the junior programs. They recruit players who are battle-tested, and whose skills have been polished beyond the rough-edged talent seen in high school hockey. To college coaches, it’s like having a farm team system from which to draw a talented roster. College coaches regularly tell talented high school recruits to defer admission for a year or two for some seasoning and development in the juniors. A ready-made farm system.
Also, the pervasive junior program makes recruiting college hockey players much easier for coaches. Instead of screening hockey recruits from hundreds of high schools scattered across the United States and Canada, college hockey coaches have a ready-made, pre-screened pool of candidates. This cuts down on recruiting travel and expense … one-stop shopping in the USHL, AJHL, BCHL, and so on.
On so many levels this system is hard to argue with. Of course, parents love the juniors as well. To them, it may save the family a staggering tuition bill of up to $45 thousand per year. For them, delaying college for a year or even two is well worth the personal sacrifice their kids make in playing a 70- to 80-game season (or two) in remote regions of the Canadian wilderness.
The number of players on a college hockey roster who have come directly from high school has dwindled to a precious few. The two or three who do play varsity Division I hockey have become mere tokens, for all intents and purposes. But they are players for whom the academic challenges of higher education will be less daunting since they were enrolled in school the entire year before entering college.
How did we get to this point? When did this new, higher level of professionalism creep into the wonderful game of college hockey? Other major college sports like football, basketball and baseball have no such junior programs to groom their athletes. There are no “junior” football or basketball programs to develop and burnish young talent (although some may claim junior colleges occasionally serve that purpose). Yet the quality of play on college gridirons and basketball courts in the United States is remarkably strong. Why is ice hockey different?
Maybe it relates to the NHL aspirations of the hockey player or the hockey parents, or both. Or, perhaps it’s the lure of full-ride athletic scholarships that motivates the kids to make this enormous personal sacrifice.
One wonders if it is possible to “unring the bell” and return to recruitment of student-athletes for college hockey directly out of high school. Of course, no college hockey coach is likely to be the first unilaterally to spurn recruiting those hot junior hockey prospects. Such a move would be wildly unpopular with alumni, fans, current players looking for talented freshmen to bolster championship prospects, and students who long for a national championship.
A coach refusing to recruit junior hockey prospects would be as unpopular as a U.S. president deciding unilaterally to eliminate our country’s nuclear arsenal. The coach who unilaterally decides it’s important to the student-athlete to return to recruiting directly out of high school would be summarily fired and ridden out of town on a rail.
The issue is worthy of attention by the entire college hockey community. Colleges and universities that recruit predominantly from various junior hockey programs should recognize the academic sacrifices their recruiting practices perpetuate.
The NCAA should study the issue of the increasing dominance of junior hockey recruiting to determine whether it would be feasible to impose a uniform nationwide stand-down in this increasingly competitive juniors arms race, and return to recruiting athletes directly out of high school. This might go a long way toward putting the “student” back in the student-athlete equation.
Mr. Skoning is a Chicago attorney who specializes in labor and employment law. He was captain of the 1964 Princeton University hockey team (which did not win the Ivy League championship, as this year’s team did for the first time in 55 years). While attending the University of Michigan Law School, he was assistant captain of a team sponsored by Jiffy Mix Company, consisting of several Michigan players from their 1963 NCAA championship team. The Jiffy team, which played in the International Metro League based in Southern Ontario, won the Michigan State Amateur Championship in 1966 and the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1967. After service as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he played for 10 years with the Chicago Cardinals of the Continental Hockey League.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Good Olde Daze
(left) You'd think that one DU student would be able to figure out how to throw a rubber chicken on the ice without getting caught this weekend for old times sakeFrom: Colorado Springs Gazette
by David Ramsey
Once, not so long ago, players who battled in the Colorado College-University of Denver hockey series dodged animals, dead and alive.
These were good times, at least in the view of Cal Sandbeck.
He was blessed with a great view of the insane era of the CC-DU hockey series. He served as a tough defenseman for DU from 1974 to 1978.
On one visit to The Broadmoor Arena, Sandbeck swears he saw a black swan, greased pigs and rats tossed on the ice. All were alive. Three fights broke out, and a referee was knocked groggy trying to restore peace.
All in one night. And, yes, CC and DU somehow managed to play a hockey game amid the anarchy.
The Tigers and Pioneers tangle Friday night at DU and travel to World Arena for Saturday’s regular-season finale. Friday marks the 266th meeting in a wild, wonderful series that stretches back to 1950.
The ridiculous, borderline criminal flavor of the series is gone. Fans still shout mean, at times obscene, words, but decline to toss beasts on the ice.
“I don’t think the rivalry is quite the same,” Sandbeck said, regret in his voice.
He now enjoys a peaceful life as owner of the Dog Bar and Grill in Cuchara, nestled two hours south of Colorado Springs in the Spanish Peaks.
Yet he enjoys returning to the nights when students didn’t travel to the arena to watch a game. They came to party.
“It wasn’t so much about the hockey, but the atmosphere,” Sandbeck said. “But, oh, I loved it. The more fans were involved, the more fun it was as a player. It was just part of having fun.”
CC coach Scott Owens isn’t quite as nostalgic as Sandbeck, which makes sense. Getting hit in the shoulder by a frozen chicken can leave a mental tattoo on any man.
During the 1978-79 season, CC goaltender Owens stood in front of the net at the old DU Arena, which closely resembled a barn.
He was minding his own business, when some bright light in the DU student section tossed a chicken that crashed into Owens’ shoulder.
Owens looked around, saw a chicken with its head, another without its head and a fish with a beady eye that kept staring at him. He wasn’t even surprised by the carnage.
Just another mad night in the CC-DU series.
“It wasn’t a deal that you would throw your stick in the air and start howling,” Owens said. “There was a lot of that stuff going on.”
Owens wants to make one thing clear. He doesn’t want to see animals, dead or alive, on the ice this weekend. Still, he’s not sure he would change the past.
“Sure, it was borderline idiotic,” he said from his office at World Arena, “but, ah, I don’t know. It’s a fine line between borderline idiotic and humorous.”
Owens insists he no longer seethes with hatred for all things DU. He takes care to mention his “respect” for the Pioneers.
This word inspires laughter from Dave Delich, CC’s all-time leading scorer. Delich roomed with Owens at CC and remains a close friend. They eat lunch several times a month.
“Respect?” Delich said, chuckling. “Oh, sure. I’m sure Scott has a distant respect for them.” He placed heavy emphasis on the word “distant.”
He clearly remembers a moment from the 1975-76 season. CC goaltender Eddie Mio was briefly knocked silly at DU by — what else? — a frozen chicken tossed from the student bleachers.
Delich helped carry a mumbling Mio to the CC bench. He skated along, dodging dead animals, listening to jeers from the crowd that supported his enemy.
He hasn’t forgotten. He never will.
“It’s that one special place,” Delich said. “I will never feel comfortable on that campus.”
Delich looks forward to watching Saturday’s game at World Arena.
Friday night at DU?
For some reason, he can’t quite bring himself to make the trip.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Stastny Featured In ESPN Magazine Article
From: ESPN The Magazineby Jeff Bradley
The old man is tough, but he could have been a lot tougher.
You think you have it bad? You grew up in big houses in St. Louis and the New Jersey suburbs; I shared a one-bedroom apartment with four brothers and a sister. You gripe about cell phone reception; I worried about my phone calls being wiretapped! You complain, period. I wasn't allowed to complain until I escaped Czechoslovakia 27 years ago!
Paul Stastny, budding NHL star, hasn't heard these exact words from his dad, but that doesn't mean that Peter Stastny, legendary NHL star, isn't paying attention. Peter, after all, is a Hall of Fame forward renowned as much for focus and attention to detail over 15 NHL seasons as for his 450 goals, 789 assists and daring 1980 defection. In many ways, Peter's decision to leave home and country cleared the ice for an era of Eastern European stars in the NHL. But his escape also allowed his talented son to grow up playing the game as it should be played—for fun. Turns out, that may be the way to set up Gen Next for a shot at greatness.
Twenty-two sons of NHL Hall of Famers have gone on to skate in the bigs, but only a handful developed into stars. In fact, most sons of greatness are more Pete Rose Jr. than Sr.
Maybe it's those famous names on their backs (and, in Paul's case, the same number). Maybe it's a lack of talent or drive. Maybe it's the unrealistic expectations. Or maybe it's just the heckling from fans jealous of the multiply blessed. "You've got to try to block it out," says Paul, a laid-back 22-year-old. "But it's not always easy."
Paul learned early how to filter out taunts and other harsh comments, which served him nicely while he learned the game under the pointed guidance of his father—who still calls when he sees the kid lose the puck or spectate on the penalty kill—and later when he first skated into an NHL arena. And just as Paul can block out the tone of Peter's voice so he can concentrate on the wisdom, so too can he laugh off a coach's tirade and trust his own talent.
Yes, that talent. Paul does not possess jaw-dropping moves or blazing speed, but he's preternaturally economical when he traverses the ice. Somehow he gets there, before fans or foes think he will. That efficiency earned him serious time on the Avs penalty kill and man advantage. The game's movements, the split-second decisions about where to be and when to get there, are second nature to him. (Avs coach Joel Quenneville marvels at how "the puck just finds him.") And those who saw Peter watch Paul and say, "We know where that came from."
Joe Sakic, who called himself "officially old" when he became the first to play with both Peter (on the 1988-89 Nordiques) and Paul, is amazed at the similarities. "They're built the same," the Avs captain says. "Both are powerful skaters. And they look the same. Paul wears the same type of skates his dad wore, all beat-up and old-school, and uses the same old wood stick."
Peter says the resemblance goes deeper, that the game is in his son's blood. He sees instinct in Paul's effortless ability to ghost himself into the play, in the angles of his passes and the paths he takes when he plays without the puck. Says Dad: "I don't like to boast, but when I watch Paul, it's like watching myself." Peter also believes his son was born to be a center. "You have to have those instincts and qualities to anticipate and to know how to react," he says. "You cannot teach what he has." Will Paul ever be as good as his father? "I think he will be better," says Peter.
He's definitely different, at least in one key way: Paul says he'll never match Peter's intensity, and that may be another reason he's succeeded where other sons have failed. "My dad is the kind of guy who can't live with mistakes," says Paul. "He'll beat himself up over the smallest error. I can't play well unless I'm having fun. My dad loved to play hockey, but it became a job for him at a young age. For me, there's more to life than hockey."
These days, that goes for the father as well as the son. Peter is out of hockey now. Since 2004 he has represented Slovakia in the European Parliament and lives in his hometown of Bratislava. Some 18 years after communism's fall, Peter is trying to help the country he left—and never stopped loving—find its democratic footing. He's got a lot going on in his life, and a lot of stories to tell. About how he, his wife and his brother sneaked out a side door of the Innsbruck Holiday Inn in the middle of the night, hopped into a Mercedes driven by a representative of the Nordiques and sped toward Vienna and the Canadian embassy. About how he taught himself to speak French (the language of Quebec City) and English (the language of the locker room) within a couple of years of arriving in the NHL. About how he responded to any player who dared call him a "commie" without a ref's seeing the payback. The man who scored more points in the 1980s than any other player not named Gretzky can tell how he was asked to carry Slovakia's flag at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and could not contain his tears, then scored five goals in eight games for his country.
Still, the best story is what's happening on the ice in Denver (and St. Louis, where 25-year-old Yan Stastny just got a call-up to the Blues). The Avs are fighting for a playoff spot, and Paul leads the team in scoring with 50 points in 47 games. The kid has been benched recently by an emergency surgery (appendix) and a groin pull, but Peter likes the direction the boy's career is heading. "Leaving Czechoslovakia was the best decision in my life," he says. "The hardest, but also the best. And the biggest beneficiaries are my children. Watching them is my greatest thrill."
Paul smiles when told that, exposing a gaping hole where a tooth once lived. "Believe me," the son says. "He's not too thrilled when I play like garbage. He can be tough."
But he could have been a lot tougher.
You think you have it bad? You grew up in big houses in St. Louis and the New Jersey suburbs; I shared a one-bedroom apartment with four brothers and a sister. You gripe about cell phone reception; I worried about my phone calls being wiretapped! You complain, period. I wasn't allowed to complain until I escaped Czechoslovakia 27 years ago!
Paul Stastny, budding NHL star, hasn't heard these exact words from his dad, but that doesn't mean that Peter Stastny, legendary NHL star, isn't paying attention. Peter, after all, is a Hall of Fame forward renowned as much for focus and attention to detail over 15 NHL seasons as for his 450 goals, 789 assists and daring 1980 defection. In many ways, Peter's decision to leave home and country cleared the ice for an era of Eastern European stars in the NHL. But his escape also allowed his talented son to grow up playing the game as it should be played—for fun. Turns out, that may be the way to set up Gen Next for a shot at greatness.
Twenty-two sons of NHL Hall of Famers have gone on to skate in the bigs, but only a handful developed into stars. In fact, most sons of greatness are more Pete Rose Jr. than Sr.
Maybe it's those famous names on their backs (and, in Paul's case, the same number). Maybe it's a lack of talent or drive. Maybe it's the unrealistic expectations. Or maybe it's just the heckling from fans jealous of the multiply blessed. "You've got to try to block it out," says Paul, a laid-back 22-year-old. "But it's not always easy."
Paul learned early how to filter out taunts and other harsh comments, which served him nicely while he learned the game under the pointed guidance of his father—who still calls when he sees the kid lose the puck or spectate on the penalty kill—and later when he first skated into an NHL arena. And just as Paul can block out the tone of Peter's voice so he can concentrate on the wisdom, so too can he laugh off a coach's tirade and trust his own talent.
Yes, that talent. Paul does not possess jaw-dropping moves or blazing speed, but he's preternaturally economical when he traverses the ice. Somehow he gets there, before fans or foes think he will. That efficiency earned him serious time on the Avs penalty kill and man advantage. The game's movements, the split-second decisions about where to be and when to get there, are second nature to him. (Avs coach Joel Quenneville marvels at how "the puck just finds him.") And those who saw Peter watch Paul and say, "We know where that came from."
Joe Sakic, who called himself "officially old" when he became the first to play with both Peter (on the 1988-89 Nordiques) and Paul, is amazed at the similarities. "They're built the same," the Avs captain says. "Both are powerful skaters. And they look the same. Paul wears the same type of skates his dad wore, all beat-up and old-school, and uses the same old wood stick."
Peter says the resemblance goes deeper, that the game is in his son's blood. He sees instinct in Paul's effortless ability to ghost himself into the play, in the angles of his passes and the paths he takes when he plays without the puck. Says Dad: "I don't like to boast, but when I watch Paul, it's like watching myself." Peter also believes his son was born to be a center. "You have to have those instincts and qualities to anticipate and to know how to react," he says. "You cannot teach what he has." Will Paul ever be as good as his father? "I think he will be better," says Peter.
He's definitely different, at least in one key way: Paul says he'll never match Peter's intensity, and that may be another reason he's succeeded where other sons have failed. "My dad is the kind of guy who can't live with mistakes," says Paul. "He'll beat himself up over the smallest error. I can't play well unless I'm having fun. My dad loved to play hockey, but it became a job for him at a young age. For me, there's more to life than hockey."
These days, that goes for the father as well as the son. Peter is out of hockey now. Since 2004 he has represented Slovakia in the European Parliament and lives in his hometown of Bratislava. Some 18 years after communism's fall, Peter is trying to help the country he left—and never stopped loving—find its democratic footing. He's got a lot going on in his life, and a lot of stories to tell. About how he, his wife and his brother sneaked out a side door of the Innsbruck Holiday Inn in the middle of the night, hopped into a Mercedes driven by a representative of the Nordiques and sped toward Vienna and the Canadian embassy. About how he taught himself to speak French (the language of Quebec City) and English (the language of the locker room) within a couple of years of arriving in the NHL. About how he responded to any player who dared call him a "commie" without a ref's seeing the payback. The man who scored more points in the 1980s than any other player not named Gretzky can tell how he was asked to carry Slovakia's flag at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and could not contain his tears, then scored five goals in eight games for his country.
Still, the best story is what's happening on the ice in Denver (and St. Louis, where 25-year-old Yan Stastny just got a call-up to the Blues). The Avs are fighting for a playoff spot, and Paul leads the team in scoring with 50 points in 47 games. The kid has been benched recently by an emergency surgery (appendix) and a groin pull, but Peter likes the direction the boy's career is heading. "Leaving Czechoslovakia was the best decision in my life," he says. "The hardest, but also the best. And the biggest beneficiaries are my children. Watching them is my greatest thrill."
Paul smiles when told that, exposing a gaping hole where a tooth once lived. "Believe me," the son says. "He's not too thrilled when I play like garbage. He can be tough."
But he could have been a lot tougher.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
DU Alum Goes From The Supermarket To The NHL
(above) DU Alum Connor James is congratulated by teammates after scoring his first NHL goalVideo of Connor's First NHL Goal
From: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
by Dave Molinari
DU Alum Connor James scored his first NHL goal last night for the Pittsburgh Penguins after being called up from the AHL earlier in the day. His goal made it 4-1 Pittsburgh, with 3:02 left in the game.
The Penguins had summoned forwards Connor James and Nathan Smith from their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre so they could field a 20-man lineup, but those two did not arrive until the middle of the second period.
Mind you, it was worth the trip for James, who scored his first career NHL goal just hours after getting his promotion to the NHL over a supermarket intercom.
Turns out his cell phone had broken earlier in the day and James, just back in northeast Pennsylvania after a brief stint with the Penguins, was grocery shopping when the team got word he was being recalled.
He was checking out steaks when Baby Penguins coach Todd Richards contacted the store and had James paged on the public-address system so he could tell him that he had 20 minutes to get ready for a trip to Long Island.
"It was kind of weird," James said.
Yeah, just a bit.
James and Smith were driven to the game by Baby Penguins executive Jeff Barrett but, because of heavy traffic and foul weather, didn't reach the arena until the first intermission, and did not make it onto the ice until the game was half over.
The Penguins defeated the New York Islanders, 4-2.
The Penguins had summoned forwards Connor James and Nathan Smith from their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre so they could field a 20-man lineup, but those two did not arrive until the middle of the second period.
Mind you, it was worth the trip for James, who scored his first career NHL goal just hours after getting his promotion to the NHL over a supermarket intercom.
Turns out his cell phone had broken earlier in the day and James, just back in northeast Pennsylvania after a brief stint with the Penguins, was grocery shopping when the team got word he was being recalled.
He was checking out steaks when Baby Penguins coach Todd Richards contacted the store and had James paged on the public-address system so he could tell him that he had 20 minutes to get ready for a trip to Long Island.
"It was kind of weird," James said.
Yeah, just a bit.
James and Smith were driven to the game by Baby Penguins executive Jeff Barrett but, because of heavy traffic and foul weather, didn't reach the arena until the first intermission, and did not make it onto the ice until the game was half over.
The Penguins defeated the New York Islanders, 4-2.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
DU Alum Recalls Hockey Streaker in '70s
From: DU Today by Doug McPherson(left) DU Alum Jay Frank is the president of the Corpus Christi Rayz in the CHL
Sometimes a college student’s career path can take a slippery turn. Take Doug Frank (BA ’76), for example.
He chose the University of Denver back in the 1970s planning to attend the DU law school after his undergraduate work.
He didn’t know it then, but there was something outside of law and his bachelor’s degree that would influence his future career: DU hockey.
“I had some interest in ice skating and in hockey before I came to DU, but that interest took a huge jump once I came to Denver,” Frank says. “The student body was an important component of the Pioneer games then, and I was swept up in the excitement.”
Swept so hard that hockey ultimately took a front and center role in his life. Today he’s president of the Corpus Christi Rayz, a minor league professional hockey team in the Texas town.
“I love the physicality of the game, and the athletic skill it takes to play at the professional level is amazing,” he explains.
Frank says his DU education prepared him perfectly for the job because of the different kinds of people he met from around the country and the globe.
“I felt engaged academically at DU, and I grew tremendously as a result of interaction with the diverse student body,” he says.
His memories of DU are fond, he says. One sticks out: “I even remember the errant streaker who made it across the ice between periods one night.”
He says he’s very impressed with today’s DU hockey program. “Just like the school … it has continued to grow in strength since my time in the ’70s.”
He says several players he’s coached in youth hockey have gone on to attend DU and that he has at least three more who are hoping to be admitted later this year.
“We have more professional hockey teams in Texas than any other state in the country, and at least with regards to Corpus Christi, our community has DU to thank for that.”
He chose the University of Denver back in the 1970s planning to attend the DU law school after his undergraduate work.
He didn’t know it then, but there was something outside of law and his bachelor’s degree that would influence his future career: DU hockey.
“I had some interest in ice skating and in hockey before I came to DU, but that interest took a huge jump once I came to Denver,” Frank says. “The student body was an important component of the Pioneer games then, and I was swept up in the excitement.”
Swept so hard that hockey ultimately took a front and center role in his life. Today he’s president of the Corpus Christi Rayz, a minor league professional hockey team in the Texas town.
“I love the physicality of the game, and the athletic skill it takes to play at the professional level is amazing,” he explains.
Frank says his DU education prepared him perfectly for the job because of the different kinds of people he met from around the country and the globe.
“I felt engaged academically at DU, and I grew tremendously as a result of interaction with the diverse student body,” he says.
His memories of DU are fond, he says. One sticks out: “I even remember the errant streaker who made it across the ice between periods one night.”
He says he’s very impressed with today’s DU hockey program. “Just like the school … it has continued to grow in strength since my time in the ’70s.”
He says several players he’s coached in youth hockey have gone on to attend DU and that he has at least three more who are hoping to be admitted later this year.
“We have more professional hockey teams in Texas than any other state in the country, and at least with regards to Corpus Christi, our community has DU to thank for that.”
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Woody Paige "Denver Deserves Outdoor Hockey"
From: Denver Postby Woody Paige
(left) Denver Post & ESPN funnyman Woody Paige in on board for outdoor hockey games at Mile High Stadium
The Mile High Icextravaganza & Winter Festival ought to become a reality for New Year's Eve, 2008 or '09.
Denver could set the record for the biggest hockey crowd in the world and establish a terrific annual holiday event.
"It's an intriguing possibility," says Jon Schmieder, executive director of the Metro Denver Sports Commission.
The Buffalo Sabres-Pittsburgh Penguins game Jan. 1 — outdoors in the Bills' football stadium — attracted 71,217, an NHL record, and was the highest-rated network game for the league in more than a decade. The largest percentage of viewers resides, obviously, in Buffalo and Pittsburgh, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Denver, surprisingly, was fourth.
There is serious hockey interest here. The Avalanche produced the longest sellout streak in NHL history — and owns two Stanley Cup titles — and the DU Pioneers have won seven national championships, the last in 2004-05, and are ranked in the top five again this season.
The Frozen Four, the NCAA's Division I men's hockey finals, will be held at The Can on April 10-12, and all tickets are long gone. This is Denver's first college hockey championship since 1976 (when it was held at the old DU Arena).
Denver was the host of the rare and well-done 2001 NHL All-Star Game, and junior and high school hockey programs are growing in Colorado. The Detroit Red Red Wings alumni participated again last weekend in the annual Rocky Mountain Pond Championships in the Vail Valley.
So, why not a big-time "pond" game in Denver?
The Metro Denver Sports Commission, management of the Avalanche and DU coach George Gwozdecky discussed the idea of an outdoor game years ago after a Michigan State-Michigan game at Spartan Stadium brought out a (still-standing) hockey record audience of 74,544 on Oct. 6, 2001.
But the plan melted away because of cost and a variety of other issues. "We just didn't have the assets and the commitment to do it at the time," Schmieder said.
The success and popularity of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh game renewed fascination with the outdoor game here and elsewhere. The NHL, which puts on its All-Star Game in Atlanta this weekend, is pondering more stadium games in other "winter" locales.
(Miami and Phoenix don't seem logical, although Las Vegas was the site once for an outdoor NHL exhibition.)
The Post's Terry Frei wrote about the Sabres-Penguins game in Orchard Park, N.Y., and raised the question: "Why not an Avs-Red Wings game outdoors in Denver?"
So, again, why not?
The Broncos have put as many as 76,775 bodies in their stadium. An audience of 75,000 would break the world record.
"A lot of pieces would be involved," said Schmieder, whose organization has originated and overseen myriad sports events in Denver, including the most prominent, the Rocky Mountain Showdown between the Colorado and Colorado State football teams. "Our board has asked me where we stand (on an outdoor game). The genesis started with the Avs when we first talked about it, and it's really up to the Avs. If they and the NHL wanted to back it and get it going, it would be worth investigating."
Schmieder said the earlier brainstorming discussions a few years back "brought out a range of" suggestions — games involving the Avs, the Pioneers and the U.S. and Canadian women's hockey teams, figure skating competition and a national junior hockey tournament.
All are excellent proposals.
Conceivably, an entire winter festival, somewhat in the tradition of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, could be staged up to the New Year, with the games at the football stadium, the New Year's Eve celebration downtown, ice sculptures, skating clinics, an international ice show, a parade, shops, markets, food bonanzas and a mini-Olympics (figure skating, speedskating, curling, sled racing, etc., etc.) in cooperation with the USOC in Colorado Springs.
As long as Dick Lamm doesn't try to fight it and John Hickenlooper climbs on board.
"Of course, the Avs and the Pioneers would be the big ticket," Schmieder said.
I'm envisioning a nationally televised doubleheader extravaganza featuring the University of Denver and Colorado College in the first game, followed by the Avalanche against the Red Wings. Ice, Nice, Baby.
The Avs and the Wings would get a monetary bonanza (and the league the attention it continues to crave), and both college athletic programs would receive major financial assistance. Plus, with ticket sales and corporate sponsorships (with a title sponsor) the Sports Commission and local charities would be beneficiaries.
What about the Broncos? Schmieder said the setup of the ice-making equipment, which is very expensive, and the rink would take seven to 10 days before Dec. 31 (a Wednesday this year). The Broncos could schedule a road game on the 28th. Or the hockey games could be played at the baseball park (no record, but 50,000 and a LoDo bash).
If we can invite the Democrats to town for a few days, we can endure the Puckheads, too.
And the temperature (Monday notwithstanding) on Dec. 31 probably would be 70 — a perfect night for a hockey game. Let's play two.
ECHL All-Star Adrian Veideman Talks About DU
(above) DU alum Adrian Veideman will play in the ECHL All-Star game tonight. It will be televised on Comcast Sports Southeast at 8:30 MSTQ & A with Adrian Veideman
D.J. Powers of Hockey's Future.com caught up with former Pioneer Adrian Veideman at the ECHL All-Star game in Stockton, California. She has written articles for LetsGoDU in the past including the outstanding series about the 1960's era DU hockey alums that compete in the Snoopy Old Timers Hockey Tournament in California every summer. We can't thank D.J. enough, and make sure to check out Hockey Future's Website for the best coverage of tomorrow's NHL stars.
Special to Let’s Go DU
By DJ Powers
The former University of Denver Pioneer is off to a strong start to his pro career as a member of the ECHL’s Augusta Lynx. In 35 appearances this season, Veideman has posted 23 points (four goals, 19 assists). He recently was called up by the Portland Pirates and during his brief stint helped guide the Pirates to their fourth straight win.
I caught up with Adrian Veideman after the Skills Competition portion of the ECHL All-Game festivities on Tuesday in Stockton to chat about both the pros and his days at the University of Denver.
Q: So how does it feel to be here at the ECHL All-Star Game?
AV: It’s definitely an honor to be here. I’m just happy to be representing the Augusta Lynx and the ECHL at this awesome event.
Q: You scored a goal in the rapid fire competition against Daniel Manzato from the Las Vegas Wranglers. Take me through how it happened.
AV: It’s definitely a new thing for me. I’d never done anything like that before. (Laughs) It’s definitely a fun experience out there. It was kind of cool just to be out there with another guy (Tomas Kudelka of the Elmira Jackals) that I don’t even know, but we’re teammates for now and tomorrow. I just closed my eyes, took a shot and it went into the net.
Q: You recently had a stint with the Portland Pirates (AHL). What was the experience like there for you?
AV: It’s a great experience as a hockey player to get the call to go to the next level. The players at the next level are definitely bigger, stronger and faster. It’s one of the best leagues in the world. I’m just happy to get the opportunity to be up there and show them what I have to offer.
Q: When you played up in Portland, you actually had one of your former Denver teammates, Matt Laatsch, as one of your coaches. So what was that like for you?
AV: Well Matt and I are great friends and we’ve always been great friends from our Denver days. It’s great seeing him progressing his coaching career up in Portland. Our relationship up there is strictly professional, obviously. He helps me tremendously. In the summertime we hang out quite a bit. It’s definitely a neat experience to play for somebody that you’ve played with and just knowing where he came from.
Q: With Portland being the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have you had any contact with them and have they been watching you to perhaps offer you a contract or maybe Portland offering you a contract?
AV: I’m currently under contract with Portland. I went to Anaheim’s rookie camp this summer, so they know what I offer and hopefully the future is strong.
Q: Hopefully we’ll be seeing you back up in Portland again in the near future.
AV: Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back up there and they’ll give me the call soon. But they wanted me here and I wanted to represent the Augusta Lynx for having a strong first half of the season.
Q: What are some of the specific areas, skill-wise, have you been working on since playing with Augusta?
AV: Just coming from the confidence factor. In college, I wasn’t the go-to guy. Now that I’m a professional, I’m looked to being a leader and be a go-to guy on the ice. It’s just maintaining my confidence out there as well as to continue to progress my skills.
Q: One of the things that I noticed that you did when you played at the University of Denver, was that you had played at both the forward and defense positions. In the ECHL media guide, they list you as a defenseman. Have you played up front at all this season with either Augusta or Portland?
AV: It’s interesting that you’d ask that question because usually two or three times in a game (with Augusta), I’ll go for a shift at forward, depending on how we’re doing. Up in Portland, I played a game at forward. Being a versatile player is definitely something that I think teams like. I’ll continue to maintain both aspects of the game.
Q: Do you have a preference of which position that you like playing better?
AV: Right now, I think I’m more comfortable playing back on defense. I’m still a young defenseman and I’ve only been playing defense for two years. It’s definitely something that I need to keep working at as well as maintaining my forward skills.
Q: Obviously, you came from a great program at the University of Denver. What were some of the adjustments that you had to make going from the college game to the pro game?
AV: I think the biggest adjustment that anyone has to make from the college game to the pro game is just the lifestyle within the rink. You don’t have to go to school. You don’t have to worry about studying, preparing for tests or things like that. With the pro game, you definitely play more games and you have to be mentally more ready. As far as college, it was a great experience and the pro game is too.
Q: If there were one or two things that Coach Gwozdecky has taught you that really prepared you for the pro game, what would they be and why?
AV: I think the main thing that Coach Gwozdecky has taught me was to be a leader in all aspects, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. He has taught me to just always be helping people and to make sure that you’re seen in the community as a guy that is good on and off the ice.
Q: With your pro schedule the way it is, I realize that it’s difficult, but do you keep up with the Pioneers?
AV: I think I keep track of the Pioneers more than I do myself sometimes. Those are my roots and they gave me great opportunities there, so I’ll definitely be a Pioneer for life.
Q: What do you feel are some of the greatest memories that you have of your time with the Denver Pioneers, would say winning the national championships?
AV: Well, those are always the best and obvious memories. I think the most profound personal memory that I have of Denver is getting my degree. They gave me that opportunity and it’s something that nobody can take away from me as well the rings that I got for the national championships. Along, with those good memories, there were some bad memories. The last couple of years we fell short. Those are things that make you a stronger person and a stronger hockey player.
Q: With the Pioneers doing so well this season, that has to feel pretty good to you.
AV: It does feel great. The guys that I’ve played with the last couple of years that haven’t had as much success in their college careers as I have, it’s good to see them having some success and it makes me feel good that maybe there was something along the way that I did to help them progress and become better players and better persons.
Q: Do you miss it?
AV: Of course, I miss it. College was a very unique experience and I think every hockey player should have to go through that. Just the schooling aspect and getting that degree is something that I think everybody needs to go through. It’s definitely true.
Q: Finally, something that is very unique to Denver Pioneers hockey that I have to ask you. In your career, how many oranges and how many lemons did you win?
AV: ooh. I’m pretty sure that I only had three or four max in the orange department, but lemon-wise, I had a stint in my sophomore year where I had it for four weeks straight, but that was only because we had a bye week in there. It’s kind of neat that you would ask that question. So I definitely had more lemons than oranges.
----------
by D.J. Powers of Hockey's Future.com
I caught up with Adrian Veideman after the Skills Competition portion of the ECHL All-Game festivities on Tuesday in Stockton to chat about both the pros and his days at the University of Denver.
Q: So how does it feel to be here at the ECHL All-Star Game?
AV: It’s definitely an honor to be here. I’m just happy to be representing the Augusta Lynx and the ECHL at this awesome event.
Q: You scored a goal in the rapid fire competition against Daniel Manzato from the Las Vegas Wranglers. Take me through how it happened.
AV: It’s definitely a new thing for me. I’d never done anything like that before. (Laughs) It’s definitely a fun experience out there. It was kind of cool just to be out there with another guy (Tomas Kudelka of the Elmira Jackals) that I don’t even know, but we’re teammates for now and tomorrow. I just closed my eyes, took a shot and it went into the net.
Q: You recently had a stint with the Portland Pirates (AHL). What was the experience like there for you?
AV: It’s a great experience as a hockey player to get the call to go to the next level. The players at the next level are definitely bigger, stronger and faster. It’s one of the best leagues in the world. I’m just happy to get the opportunity to be up there and show them what I have to offer.
Q: When you played up in Portland, you actually had one of your former Denver teammates, Matt Laatsch, as one of your coaches. So what was that like for you?
AV: Well Matt and I are great friends and we’ve always been great friends from our Denver days. It’s great seeing him progressing his coaching career up in Portland. Our relationship up there is strictly professional, obviously. He helps me tremendously. In the summertime we hang out quite a bit. It’s definitely a neat experience to play for somebody that you’ve played with and just knowing where he came from.
Q: With Portland being the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have you had any contact with them and have they been watching you to perhaps offer you a contract or maybe Portland offering you a contract?
AV: I’m currently under contract with Portland. I went to Anaheim’s rookie camp this summer, so they know what I offer and hopefully the future is strong.
Q: Hopefully we’ll be seeing you back up in Portland again in the near future.
AV: Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back up there and they’ll give me the call soon. But they wanted me here and I wanted to represent the Augusta Lynx for having a strong first half of the season.
Q: What are some of the specific areas, skill-wise, have you been working on since playing with Augusta?
AV: Just coming from the confidence factor. In college, I wasn’t the go-to guy. Now that I’m a professional, I’m looked to being a leader and be a go-to guy on the ice. It’s just maintaining my confidence out there as well as to continue to progress my skills.
Q: One of the things that I noticed that you did when you played at the University of Denver, was that you had played at both the forward and defense positions. In the ECHL media guide, they list you as a defenseman. Have you played up front at all this season with either Augusta or Portland?
AV: It’s interesting that you’d ask that question because usually two or three times in a game (with Augusta), I’ll go for a shift at forward, depending on how we’re doing. Up in Portland, I played a game at forward. Being a versatile player is definitely something that I think teams like. I’ll continue to maintain both aspects of the game.
Q: Do you have a preference of which position that you like playing better?
AV: Right now, I think I’m more comfortable playing back on defense. I’m still a young defenseman and I’ve only been playing defense for two years. It’s definitely something that I need to keep working at as well as maintaining my forward skills.
Q: Obviously, you came from a great program at the University of Denver. What were some of the adjustments that you had to make going from the college game to the pro game?
AV: I think the biggest adjustment that anyone has to make from the college game to the pro game is just the lifestyle within the rink. You don’t have to go to school. You don’t have to worry about studying, preparing for tests or things like that. With the pro game, you definitely play more games and you have to be mentally more ready. As far as college, it was a great experience and the pro game is too.
Q: If there were one or two things that Coach Gwozdecky has taught you that really prepared you for the pro game, what would they be and why?
AV: I think the main thing that Coach Gwozdecky has taught me was to be a leader in all aspects, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. He has taught me to just always be helping people and to make sure that you’re seen in the community as a guy that is good on and off the ice.
Q: With your pro schedule the way it is, I realize that it’s difficult, but do you keep up with the Pioneers?
AV: I think I keep track of the Pioneers more than I do myself sometimes. Those are my roots and they gave me great opportunities there, so I’ll definitely be a Pioneer for life.
Q: What do you feel are some of the greatest memories that you have of your time with the Denver Pioneers, would say winning the national championships?
AV: Well, those are always the best and obvious memories. I think the most profound personal memory that I have of Denver is getting my degree. They gave me that opportunity and it’s something that nobody can take away from me as well the rings that I got for the national championships. Along, with those good memories, there were some bad memories. The last couple of years we fell short. Those are things that make you a stronger person and a stronger hockey player.
Q: With the Pioneers doing so well this season, that has to feel pretty good to you.
AV: It does feel great. The guys that I’ve played with the last couple of years that haven’t had as much success in their college careers as I have, it’s good to see them having some success and it makes me feel good that maybe there was something along the way that I did to help them progress and become better players and better persons.
Q: Do you miss it?
AV: Of course, I miss it. College was a very unique experience and I think every hockey player should have to go through that. Just the schooling aspect and getting that degree is something that I think everybody needs to go through. It’s definitely true.
Q: Finally, something that is very unique to Denver Pioneers hockey that I have to ask you. In your career, how many oranges and how many lemons did you win?
AV: ooh. I’m pretty sure that I only had three or four max in the orange department, but lemon-wise, I had a stint in my sophomore year where I had it for four weeks straight, but that was only because we had a bye week in there. It’s kind of neat that you would ask that question. So I definitely had more lemons than oranges.
----------
by D.J. Powers of Hockey's Future.com
Friday, January 18, 2008
DU Alum Answers Long Awaited Call To NHL
From: Gwinnett Daily Post by Christine Troyke
ATLANTA - DU Alum Kevin Doell stowed his elbow pads and stripped off his Atlanta Thrashers practice jersey last Thursday.
His stall in the locker room at Philips Arena is at the far end of the horseshoe, with one empty one to the right.
"You look good in blue," he's told.
"It feels pretty good," Doell answers with a grin.
Doell, who was named the ECHL Rookie of the Year while playing with the Gwinnett Gladiators on 2003-04, finally got the call on Jan. 3. It's the call every hockey player waits for. Doell got it while he was sitting on his couch in Chicago, watching his roommates - Guillaume Desbiens and Joey Crabb - play a video game.
It was just two weeks ago, but Doell has a clear memory of the details that day. These are things a player doesn't forget because it means a lifetime dream has finally coalesced into reality.
At 4 p.m. on Jan. 3, Thrashers' assistant general manager Larry Simmons phoned Doell.
Desbiens and Crabb were engrossed in a college football game on the PlayStation.
"Larry called me and said they were calling me up and had a flight for me in a couple of hours, so pack up and get to the airport," he said.
Doell, who is under Atlanta contract and has played the last three seasons with the Thrashers' American Hockey League affiliate in Chicago, had little time to get out the door. The fleet-footed forward called his parents in Saskatchewan, threw some clothes together and headed for the airport.
"A couple of suits and couple of shirts, pair of jeans and that was about it," Doell said. "I don't have a whole lot with me. But that's all right."
A massive understatement for a guy who played his first NHL game at the age of 28.
Doell arrived in Atlanta around 10 p.m. on Jan. 3 and got checked into his Buckhead hotel. He called his parents again to let them know he had arrived.
"I just pretty much tried going to sleep," Doell said with a laugh. "But it was hard that night. We had a game the next day. I wasn't sure if I was playing or not, but it was still pretty exciting."
Doell did play. He won four of six faceoffs and had one shot on goal in 9 minutes and 37 seconds of action in his pro debut against Carolina on Jan. 4.
Those stats do not reflect the full experience.
"My first shift, my legs were going 100 miles an hour," Doell said. "It didn't last too long, maybe 30 seconds. But I was skating as hard as I could, going everywhere just following the puck. I was just going wherever.
"But I settled down a little bit. You do that (chase the puck) at this level, you're going to play yourself out position and play a lot of catch-up."
It got easier as the game wore on and he adjusted to the speed of the NHL.
"I was pretty nervous," Doell said. "But I got the jitters out and tried to play my game."
To get to the NHL, Doell had to change his game. A go-to goal scorer in college and with the Gladiators as a rookie, Doell did what few players would.
According to Gwinnett head coach Jeff Pyle, Doell did what no other player would.
"He's a goal scorer that has adapted to a role that will get him to the NHL," Pyle said. "I don't know one person, I do not know one person that would do that - other than Kevin Doell.
"He's given up offense to be in the NHL."
Pyle, who has long sung Doell's praises to those at the AHL and NHL levels, watched his former player in a game against Philadelphia last week.
"It was the first time I got to see him play, but he was finishing every check," Pyle said. "He was around the net giving guys shots to start (stuff). It was typical Doeller. And I'm proud for him because he's one of the kids that understands. He works so hard."
Doell scored 62 goals and had 74 assists in four years at the University of Denver. Signed by AHL Chicago as a rookie and sent to the Gladiators, Doell had 74 points in 63 regular season games and helped Gwinnett to the conference finals. He was named the ECHL's top rookie and on June 30, 2004, the Thrashers signed him to a contract.
The center spent the majority of the 2004-05 season in Chicago. In 45 games with the Wolves, Doell had 12 points and 69 penalty minutes. In the 11 games Doell played for the Gladiators, he had 15 points and 14 penalty minutes.
"In Chicago and coming to (Thrashers training) camp here, talking to the coaches and stuff, pretty much everybody at this level can score goals," Doell said. "It's not what every team needs, a goal scorer. Some teams need a fourth-line energy guy or a third-line checker. That's the way I fit in Chicago and pretty much up here it's the same role."
Doell is fine with that - whatever gets him to the NHL.
"I don't mind it at all, not one bit," he said.
Doell, who has still accumulated a fair number points in the AHL, said he's a better player for it.
"Being in Chicago the last three years, killing penalties, made my game that much better all around," he said.
Doell has played in five games with the Thrashers and is averaging about 10 minutes of ice time. He's primarily played on the fourth line with Brad Larsen and Chris Thorburn. But Doell has also seen some time centering a line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Mark Recchi.
Reality is most certainly living up to the dream.
"It's pretty cool seeing the guys around and the actual realization that you're here," said Doell, sitting in his stall at Philips Arena, just a few hours before playing the Florida Panthers last week.
"I don't think it's really going to hit me until my playing days are done. I'll look back and think, 'Yeah, that was pretty cool.' Right now I'm kind of just in player mode, trying to do what I can to help the team."
How much longer Doell remains in Atlanta isn't certain. He was called up after left wing Eric Boulton sustained a knee injury. Boulton is back, but due to a string of injuries to other forwards, Doell was still with the team and playing in Detroit on Tuesday night.
Whatever the situation, there's no question Doell will work as hard as he can to stay. He's a 28-year-old rookie and the waiting, the wondering about when or if he would get a chance wasn't easy.
"There are definitely those thoughts that creep in," Doell said. "But once you get up here and get a little taste, you just think I want to play again, I want to play every game. You give it your all so that hopefully you make it and it's not your last one. You do your job and hopefully they like it."
His stall in the locker room at Philips Arena is at the far end of the horseshoe, with one empty one to the right.
"You look good in blue," he's told.
"It feels pretty good," Doell answers with a grin.
Doell, who was named the ECHL Rookie of the Year while playing with the Gwinnett Gladiators on 2003-04, finally got the call on Jan. 3. It's the call every hockey player waits for. Doell got it while he was sitting on his couch in Chicago, watching his roommates - Guillaume Desbiens and Joey Crabb - play a video game.
It was just two weeks ago, but Doell has a clear memory of the details that day. These are things a player doesn't forget because it means a lifetime dream has finally coalesced into reality.
At 4 p.m. on Jan. 3, Thrashers' assistant general manager Larry Simmons phoned Doell.
Desbiens and Crabb were engrossed in a college football game on the PlayStation.
"Larry called me and said they were calling me up and had a flight for me in a couple of hours, so pack up and get to the airport," he said.
Doell, who is under Atlanta contract and has played the last three seasons with the Thrashers' American Hockey League affiliate in Chicago, had little time to get out the door. The fleet-footed forward called his parents in Saskatchewan, threw some clothes together and headed for the airport.
"A couple of suits and couple of shirts, pair of jeans and that was about it," Doell said. "I don't have a whole lot with me. But that's all right."
A massive understatement for a guy who played his first NHL game at the age of 28.
Doell arrived in Atlanta around 10 p.m. on Jan. 3 and got checked into his Buckhead hotel. He called his parents again to let them know he had arrived.
"I just pretty much tried going to sleep," Doell said with a laugh. "But it was hard that night. We had a game the next day. I wasn't sure if I was playing or not, but it was still pretty exciting."
Doell did play. He won four of six faceoffs and had one shot on goal in 9 minutes and 37 seconds of action in his pro debut against Carolina on Jan. 4.
Those stats do not reflect the full experience.
"My first shift, my legs were going 100 miles an hour," Doell said. "It didn't last too long, maybe 30 seconds. But I was skating as hard as I could, going everywhere just following the puck. I was just going wherever.
"But I settled down a little bit. You do that (chase the puck) at this level, you're going to play yourself out position and play a lot of catch-up."
It got easier as the game wore on and he adjusted to the speed of the NHL.
"I was pretty nervous," Doell said. "But I got the jitters out and tried to play my game."
To get to the NHL, Doell had to change his game. A go-to goal scorer in college and with the Gladiators as a rookie, Doell did what few players would.
According to Gwinnett head coach Jeff Pyle, Doell did what no other player would.
"He's a goal scorer that has adapted to a role that will get him to the NHL," Pyle said. "I don't know one person, I do not know one person that would do that - other than Kevin Doell.
"He's given up offense to be in the NHL."
Pyle, who has long sung Doell's praises to those at the AHL and NHL levels, watched his former player in a game against Philadelphia last week.
"It was the first time I got to see him play, but he was finishing every check," Pyle said. "He was around the net giving guys shots to start (stuff). It was typical Doeller. And I'm proud for him because he's one of the kids that understands. He works so hard."
Doell scored 62 goals and had 74 assists in four years at the University of Denver. Signed by AHL Chicago as a rookie and sent to the Gladiators, Doell had 74 points in 63 regular season games and helped Gwinnett to the conference finals. He was named the ECHL's top rookie and on June 30, 2004, the Thrashers signed him to a contract.
The center spent the majority of the 2004-05 season in Chicago. In 45 games with the Wolves, Doell had 12 points and 69 penalty minutes. In the 11 games Doell played for the Gladiators, he had 15 points and 14 penalty minutes.
"In Chicago and coming to (Thrashers training) camp here, talking to the coaches and stuff, pretty much everybody at this level can score goals," Doell said. "It's not what every team needs, a goal scorer. Some teams need a fourth-line energy guy or a third-line checker. That's the way I fit in Chicago and pretty much up here it's the same role."
Doell is fine with that - whatever gets him to the NHL.
"I don't mind it at all, not one bit," he said.
Doell, who has still accumulated a fair number points in the AHL, said he's a better player for it.
"Being in Chicago the last three years, killing penalties, made my game that much better all around," he said.
Doell has played in five games with the Thrashers and is averaging about 10 minutes of ice time. He's primarily played on the fourth line with Brad Larsen and Chris Thorburn. But Doell has also seen some time centering a line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Mark Recchi.
Reality is most certainly living up to the dream.
"It's pretty cool seeing the guys around and the actual realization that you're here," said Doell, sitting in his stall at Philips Arena, just a few hours before playing the Florida Panthers last week.
"I don't think it's really going to hit me until my playing days are done. I'll look back and think, 'Yeah, that was pretty cool.' Right now I'm kind of just in player mode, trying to do what I can to help the team."
How much longer Doell remains in Atlanta isn't certain. He was called up after left wing Eric Boulton sustained a knee injury. Boulton is back, but due to a string of injuries to other forwards, Doell was still with the team and playing in Detroit on Tuesday night.
Whatever the situation, there's no question Doell will work as hard as he can to stay. He's a 28-year-old rookie and the waiting, the wondering about when or if he would get a chance wasn't easy.
"There are definitely those thoughts that creep in," Doell said. "But once you get up here and get a little taste, you just think I want to play again, I want to play every game. You give it your all so that hopefully you make it and it's not your last one. You do your job and hopefully they like it."
Monday, January 14, 2008
Bill Masterton's Death Changed Hockey Forever
(above) Bill Masterton with family
(above) Bill Masterton led the University of Denver Pioneers to NCAA titles in 1960 and '61From: Dallas Morning News
by Bill Heika
The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. And it changed hockey forever.
Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game.
Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29-year-old rookie center for the Minnesota North Stars – now the Dallas Stars – fell to the ice during the first period of a game against the Oakland Seals and suffered significant damage to his brain stem. Masterton, like virtually every other player in the NHL at the time, wasn't wearing a helmet.He'd worn one at every other level of the sport – growing up in Manitoba; at the University of Denver, where he starred in the early 1960s; playing for the U.S. national team after he gained dual citizenship; and in the minors before he retired from hockey in 1967 to settle near the Twin Cities.
An 11th-hour NHL career became possible when the league doubled from six teams to 12 that season, including a team in Minnesota. But helmets in that NHL were considered a sign of weakness.
He had played in only 38 games with the North Stars and was barely known by the league that now honors him. His memory lives on in an annual NHL award, a Stars team award and in the knowledge for players that it's never a bad idea to be safe.
Even Masterton's shocking death only began to slowly push forward the movement toward mandatory helmet use that finally was adopted in 1979 – only for incoming players. The era of bareheaded players finally ended in 1997 with the retirement of the last grandfathered holdout, Craig MacTavish.
"It's ridiculous that we thought that way back then, but we did," Ray Cullen, one of Masterton's good friends on the 1967-68 North Stars, said recently from London, Ontario. "It took Bill dying for all of us to start thinking, 'What are we doing?' "
Masterton's retired uniform number is among those on a banner that hangs from the ceiling at American Airlines Center, like it did at Reunion Arena, though Masterton never played for Dallas' Stars.
Mike Modano, who played four seasons in Minnesota, fears most Dallas fans – and probably some Stars players – don't know why Masterton's number is retired or why the NHL has a Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
"If people knew his story, I think they would better understand what he meant to the organization and to the sport," Modano said.
Lou Nanne, a longtime figure in Minnesota hockey, talked Masterton into playing for the U.S. national team.
"People in the NHL didn't get to see what Bill could do," Nanne said, "but he was a special player."
Success on, off the ice
Masterton was, in some ways, ahead of his time. College players weren't vogue in the NHL of the early '60s when he led the University of Denver Pioneers to NCAA championships in 1960 and '61.
His performance in 1961 was the stuff of legends. He tallied 80 points in 32 games – an NCAA record then – and led the way to a 12-2 victory in the national final over St. Lawrence for the biggest blowout in title game history. In 1997, Masterton was one of 21 players named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team.
After graduation, Masterton played in the minors for a few years and also obtained a master's degree from the University of Denver. That led to a job with Honeywell in Minneapolis, and Masterton was on the fast track in business.
"There weren't a lot of guys who were educated in hockey, but Billy was a smart man," Cullen said. "It got to the point where he didn't need to play hockey."
But Masterton still wanted to play, so he rode it out for two years with St. Paul of the USHL and spent a year on the U.S. national team (playing fewer than 28 games in each of those seasons).
Many believed Masterton, at age 28, was done with hockey. But the NHL doubled in size in 1967, and that was too good a deal to pass up.
"We were all trying to catch on, and it was really hard to do back then," said Cesare Maniago, a fringe NHL goalie in the early '60s who then played regularly for nine seasons with the North Stars. "When they doubled the amount of teams, doubled the amount of jobs, you had a lot of guys who got interested again."
And Masterton, living in the Twin Cities when the North Stars were founded, was front and center. On opening night in St. Louis, he scored the first goal in franchise history.
"It was the perfect setup for him," Nanne said.
Differing accounts
There's believed to be no existing video of the Minnesota-Oakland game played on Saturday night, Jan. 13, 1968, at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minn., and there are differing accounts of the events that involved Masterton.
He liked to carry the puck through the middle of the neutral zone, then veer left or right after crossing the opponent's blue line. He would then wait for his wingers and feed one as they came speeding into the offensive zone.
Masterton made his typical play, but Seals defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris read Masterton and tried to force him to give up the puck. Masterton fell backward, and the back of his bare head struck the ice.
"Cahan was a big, barrel-chested defenseman, and he just stood Bill up and ran into him with his chest," said Maniago, in net at the other end of the rink. "It was a clean hit, and Bill just went over backward. You see the hit and you see him fall, and you realize he might be hurt."
Al Shaver, the Hall of Fame announcer who called all North Stars games, said he felt Masterton's head might have landed on someone's skate. Shaver said one fan insisted for years that she saw blood coming from Masterton's head before he hit the ice.
Maniago's wife swears Masterton was out cold, as well.
"She thinks the whiplash of the hit maybe snapped his neck and his brain, and that's why he hit the ice so hard," said Maniago, who has retired to British Columbia. "She thinks he was unconscious while he was falling."
Maniago said Masterton had complained of headaches a week earlier following a hard hit. Still another report stated Masterton was awake when teammates first rushed to him and that he said, "Never again. Never again," before he lost consciousness.
Those words could be construed as Masterton second-guessing either his return to hockey or his decision not to wear a helmet.
The NHL's macho code at the time was only beginning to break down when it came to goalie masks, first introduced by Jacques Plante in 1959. Maniago said he was discouraged even in 1967-68 from wearing one.
"After Bill died, I said to heck with it," Maniago said. "I finally was able to put a mask on."
The North Stars traveled late that Saturday night to Boston for a game on Sunday. They took the better part of the day to get there and then played that night.
North Stars officials were informed of Masterton's passing in the wee hours of Monday, Jan. 15, a few hours after he died. Cullen said he was shocked the news.
"I compare it to the death of Dale Earnhardt," he said. "You never in the world think he is going to be dead. It just seemed like something you've seen a bunch before ... and then ... it just hit you really hard. He was dead."
The 1968 NHL All-Star Game was played one day after Masterton's death despite urging from North Stars personnel to at least postpone the game. The topic of helmets was paramount among the players at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.
Chicago's Stan Mikita, the league's reigning MVP, began wearing a helmet for good soon after the Masterton tragedy. More players followed suit.
"Management was definitely against it," Mikita said of the general practice. "If you put on a helmet and your game dipped the littlest bit, then management would be telling you it was the helmet's fault."
Mikita repeated as MVP in 1967-68.
Honoring the man
Scott Masterton has fuzzy visions of his father, who died when he was only 4 years old. There are memories of eating graham crackers and honey or freezing the backyard patio to turn it into a rink, but he has actually gotten to know his father best through the stories that he has been told over the years.
"What has been great for me is that my mom was able to maintain contact with some of the players or people in management with the North Stars, and we were invited to a lot of team functions," Scott said in an interview last summer in Bloomington. "Everywhere you went, people would have great stories to tell about Dad."
Scott and his younger sister Sally were both adopted. Their mother, Carol, moved back to her native Winnipeg, Manitoba, for about six months after their father died.
"But she always told us it just didn't feel right," Scott said. "We loved it up there and we visited up there every summer, but she felt we had our home down here." Carol died in 2004.
Scott and Sally grew up in the Twin Cities area and are rearing their children there. They said the references to their father are fading, especially since the North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993. But they both work hard to maintain his memory.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association began distributing an award in his name in 1968, and it is seen as one of the most revered in the sport. It's given annually to the player who best exemplifies the characteristics of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
"I really like what the award is based on because I think that is what my dad stood for," Scott said. "There's a lot of pride in that.
Nanne calls Masterton one of the most elegant and gentlemanly people whom he ever met. Cullen said he was smart, quiet and a fierce competitor. Scott Masterton said those stories have helped shape his own life, though he spent only a short time with his adoptive father.Scott grew up and competed in kick-boxing, winning several championships before a knee injury ended his career at, coincidentally, age 29. He said the stories of his father, and how well he treated everyone, have formed a very strong base for what has become a spiritual life.
Scott has spent much of his time teaching martial arts and studying forms of discipline and meditation. He said he is at peace with his father's role in the universe and why Bill returned to hockey only to be the victim of such a tragedy.
"If that choice hadn't been made, would so many people know about him?" Scott said. "Would he have touched people in the way that he has since he died?
"To me, it's really a story about choices. If someone had said, 'You know, there's a small chance that you would die if you do this,' I still think he would have taken the chance. You have to do what you're supposed to do, and I think he was supposed to play hockey."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Mannino & Powers Share Shutout Record
(above) Peter Mannino and Gerry Powers pose between the pipes at Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus. Powers, a real estate broker who lives in Thornton, says he's surprised it took almost 40 years for someone to tie his career record for shutoutsPhoto Credit: Ken Papaleo
(below) Photo of Mannino's stick. “I just simply said I’d like to share a piece of history as a Denver Pioneer and thanks for the support,” Mannino said before practice Wednesday. [click on photo to enlarge]
From: Rocky Mountain Newsby: Pat Rooney
As anyone involved with sports knows, records are made to be broken.
Gerry Powers is quite accepting of this fact. The only thing that makes him wonder is why it took so long for one of his most enduring marks to come under assault.
Powers, a goaltender who helped the University of Denver to national championships in 1968 and 1969, has watched the success of his alma mater this decade slowly erase his accomplishments from the DU record book.
First, former goaltender Adam Berkhoel pulled into a tie with Powers for the most shutouts in a season (seven) when he led DU to the 2004 national championship, the program's first since Powers' 1969 team.
Now, one of Berkhoel's successors, senior Peter Mannino, is on the brink of eclipsing Powers' career record of 13 shutouts.
"Quite honestly, it has blown me away that the record has lasted as long as it did," Powers said.
"Records are meant to be broken, and I think this (DU) team can go all the way. One of the professors at DU recently told me about how Pete is just so well-respected and such a nice kid. It is nice to see it passed along. Hopefully, his mark will last almost 40 years, too."
Mannino matched Powers' career mark of 13 with a 5-0 win against Sacred Heart on Dec. 28, his fourth shutout of the season. Both goaltenders seem to be unlikely candidates to share such a prestigious record for a perennially successful program such as DU.
Powers played in an era when freshmen were ineligible for varsity play and compiled his 13 shutouts in three seasons. Mannino helped DU to the 2005 national championship as a freshman but pretty much split time with Glenn Fisher during his first three seasons, finally taking over full-time duty this season.
While Mannino has played one more season than Powers, he still has logged 12 fewer games than Powers.
"I've been fortunate to play on some really good teams," said Mannino, who will aim to take over the all-time shutout record when DU hosts league rival Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday.
"You practice to be perfect. You try to be as perfect as you can in the games. That's kind of my mind-set when I get out on the ice. Sometimes you just get in that rhythm in a game, and you've got the guys in front doing everything they need to make the game easier for the goaltender. And I've had some great players in front of me to help me out."
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
DU Fans Escape From St. Cloud Alive...Barely
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(above) The Boyz were yelling "Let's Go DU" this past weekend in St. Cloud
(above) The Boyz were yelling "Let's Go DU" this past weekend in St. CloudThe Traveling Wrecking Crew Goes to St. Cloud
Thursday 12/06/2007
The key members of the Traveling Wrecking Crew, CO14ers, KScant and Mike met at DIA for the flight to Minneapolis. Even though this was a fairly short trip, we all checked bags since we were bringing extra clothing for the cold weather we would be facing during the trip. The previous day’s low temp was -17ยบ and the forecast called for snow today.
After the thankfully uneventful flight, we made the 70+ mile trek to St. Stephen, MN which is about 10 miles outside of St. Cloud where Mike’s father, Larry, lives and where we stayed. We went to Trobec’s bar for some suds and met some of Mike’s uncles (including Uncle Ray who owns the bar) and make our plans for Friday.
Friday 12/07/2007 – St. Cloud Invasion
We had decided on Thursday night that we would do the touristy stuff on Friday including touring around St. Cloud and running some essential errands such as going to a St. Cloud State bookstore. We left Larry’s house somewhere around 11 AM and began our invasion of St. Cloud. We hit the bookstore, we explored the National Hockey Center and surrounding athletic facilities and we toured a warehouse operation run by one of Mike’s cousins. We even drove over a new bridge over the Mississippi River that had opened about a month ago! Then we realized there was nothing else to do in St. Cloud and it was only 2:30 in the afternoon. Game time was 7:07 PM. So, off to the bar we went.
We decided to go to a bar called M.C.’s Dugout in downtown St. Cloud. This is where we would meet another DU season ticket holder and St. Cloud State graduate, Tim (Tim cheers for DU most games, but is a die hard Cloudy when the two schools play). Needless to say, we were the first people of the day in the bar. We staked our claim at a table in the back where there were some electronic dart boards, ordered some hydraulic sandwiches and began an epic round of darts. During this time, Tim showed up and we made a bet – the loser of the game has to wear the sweater of the winner’s team to the Saturday game.
After the 3 ½ hour dart exposition, we headed out for the free shuttle bus to take us to the arena. The temp must have been around zero by this time. We got to the arena and picked up our tickets at will call. On this night we were to sit in the DU fan section at one far end of the ice.
It was an entertaining game with DU winning 3-2. We made several people laugh when it was announced that DU was back at full strength with our “And CC Still Sucks” chants. We also found it funny that after the announcement of every SCSU goal, the Cloudy announcer would end his call with a “Woooooooooooooooooooo”. We took note of that for Saturday.
After the win, we took the bus back to M.C.’s Dugout and went over to a bar called the Red Carpet. This place is actually a conglomeration of 9 different bars under one roof. We ended up in one called the Red Room where we waited to meet up with Jay Stickney, the DU radio announcer. Well, Stickney was slow and we decided to bail and go back to Trobec’s bar in St. Stephen so our designated driver could throw a few back.
Saturday 12/08/2007 – Hockey Day in Minnesota
We had decided the night before to make this the “Hockey Day in Minnesota”. We started out the day with a noon time girls’ high school hockey game pitting the Sartell/Sauk Rapids Stormin’ Sabres against Northern Wright County. Mike’s niece Kayla plays for the Stormin’ Sabres. It was a fun game to watch, but the good girls suffered a 5-1 defeat.
Next on the agenda was to immediately drive over to the National Cement Center to see a Division III game between the St. John’s Johnnies and Bethel College Royals. This turned out to be a great game and Bethel scored a goal with 8.8 seconds left to tie it at 3 which is also how it ended. We found out during this game that Kayla was disappointed because she thought should here us saying “And CC still sucks” during her game. Oh, well, opportunity missed.
We then drove back to M.C.’s Dugout for another marathon round of darts. Much to my and KScant’s chagrin, our throwing arms were pretty sore from the day before (yeah, that’s pretty sad). We met up with Tim again and I presented him the Paukovich sweater that he would be wearing to the game. We again caught the bus and went over to the National Hockey Center for the main event. For this game, we had seats 4 rows above the ice right across from the DU bench.
The game was pretty frustrating for 50+ minutes for us DU fans (the only highlight I had was meeting and getting my picture taken with former Huskies coach Craig Dahl). We certainly looked doomed with about 6 minutes remaining with DU losing 2-0 and Ruegs going to the box for a slashing penalty. Then things changed! Rakhshani scored a short handed goal 10 seconds into the power play. After the scoring was announced, KScant and I said, “Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Then with just over 2 minutes left in the game, Rakhshani tied it with a shot from behind the net that appeared to deflect off of the goaltender. “Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”. Then with 27 seconds left, Rakhshani completed his natural hat trick with the game winner. “Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”! After some debate with KScant, I decided to chuck my DU Hockey ball cap down on the ice. This proved to be unpopular in the building. Immediately fans started booing me. Next, the whole student section started chanting “Asshole” and pointing at me. Then, I look behind me and Blizzard, the SCSU Husky mascot, is standing behind me with its arms crossed shaking its head. However, I looked up in the media area, and Stickney was going nuts pointing at us and giving the thumbs up. All was good, plus all the Husky fans were rushing toward the exits. It turns out that Mike’s dad and retrieved my hat from the St. Cloud announcer whom he of course knows – he seemed to know everybody throughout our trip.
Well, we went back to catch our bus, but evidently they didn’t like DU fans anymore and the bus took off without us. No big deal, it was only like 10 below and the bar a couple of miles away. Mike used his cell and some of his relatives who had been to the game came back and got us and drove us back to MC’s. I got my Pauko sweater back from Tim and we all went back to St. Stephen for a mellow rest of the night.
Sunday 12/09/2007 – Back to Denver
We had an early flight out of Minneapolis, so we headed out at 6:30 AM to catch our plane. The travel was fairly uneventful except that WCHA referee Don Adam sat right next to KScant and I. We told him how great a referee DU fans and players thought he was and how much we despised the CC fans who constantly insist that he’s a life form below plankton. When getting our bags, I ran into WCHA commissioner Bruce McCloud who was talking to Don Adam. I wonder if Bruce was headed to DU to “collect some funds” for the officiating on Friday Night…
All in all, a great trip with great friends.
NOTE: Upon arriving back home, I listened to Stickney’s radio call of when I through the hat on the ice. He acknowledged the Traveling Wrecking crew was responsible for said hat on the ice and was the source of the student’s “booing”.
GO DU!
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