Michigan Hockey - Jan. 23, 2012

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V.22 : I.12 | January 23, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

MICHIGAN JANUARY 23, 2012 VOLUME 22: ISSUE 12 6 THE LOCKER ROOM Talking hockey on Facebook and Twitter

7 SLIDESHOW Hockey happenings from across the Mitten

10 SPEAKING OF HOCKEY What’s the best hockey celebration you have ever seen?

12 GET BETTER How to shut down the opposition’s power-play unit

14 YOU SHOULD KNOW Muskegon Lumberjacks’ Matt DeBlouw

18 YOUTH HOCKEY John Vanbiesbrouck takes new job with USA Hockey

22 HOMETOWN HERO Muskegon’s Justin Abdelkader

24 TOURNAMENT CALENDAR The latest tournament listings

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Frozen Diamond Faceoff Miss the big game in Cleveland?

We’ve got you covered

28 MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS Bringing in Major Junior talent

29 NAHL Best of the NAHL coming to Troy next month

32 SPIRIT Trades improve roster now and later

34 GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS Second year a relief for Lashoff

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30 Whalers

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Can they replicate their 2007 championship run?

Handing out mid-season report cards

Michigan Hockey

Red Wings insider

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LOOK FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE Last Line

Darren Eliot shares his thoughts on outdoor hockey events

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

To advertise in Michigan Hockey please contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or lucia@mihockeynow.com or Michael Caples at (248) 479-1136 or mcaples@mihockeynow.com

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

FROM THE EDITOR MICHIGAN HOCKEY EDITOR Michael Caples

mcaples@mihockeynow.com

ADVERTISING Lucia Zuzga

lucia@mihockeynow.com

DESIGN Chuck Stevens MICHIGAN HOCKEY STAFF Brian Kalisher bkalisher@mihockeynow.com

DISTRIBUTION Lucia Zuzga ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Amy Jones DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & PROGRAMMING Darren Eliot

EDITORIAL BOARD: Bob DeSpirt, Christine Knight, Derek Blair, James Jenkins, Julie Pardoski, Kirk Vickers, Linda Holland, Lisa Zarzycki, Mark Vansaw, Nyron Fauconier, Randy Paquette, Rob Mattina, Susan Bottrell, Tim Wilson, Todd Krygier LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: MICHIGAN HOCKEY® welcomes Letters to the Editor.

E-mail mcaples@mihockeynow.com

MICHIGAN HOCKEY is published by SUBURBAN SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 483352829.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MICHIGAN HOCKEY®, 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829. ©2011

by Suburban Sports Communications. All Rights Reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of MICHIGAN HOCKEY or its advertisers. All editorial copy, photographs and advertising materials remain the property of MICHIGAN HOCKEY.

BY MICHAEL CAPLES I have to be honest with you – I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when I made the decision to cover the Frozen Diamond Faceoff. Knowing it was on a Sunday evening, a few days before this issue of the magazine needed to get to the printers, and roughly three hours away from our office was having an impact on the morale department.

Yet all of that changed when we showed up at the rink baseball stadium. Walking through the corridors of a foreign place and all of a sudden seeing a regulationsize hockey rink where a pitcher’s mound is supposed to be is an exciting feeling. You get fired up for hockey. You appreciate the cold. You don’t want to go home.

The notion of “hasn’t this been done before?” wore off as soon as I saw the set-up three hours before puck drop. I experienced the Cold War, and I covered both the Winter Classic and the Big Chill. The opinion that another outdoor event could not compare to the others was almost forgotten upon puck drop. While it’s hard to top a match-up of the Spartans and Wolverines in front of massive crowds, or the Wings taking on an Original 6 rival outdoors, the game in Cleveland certainly was no ordinary hockey game.

It was exciting, it was captivating, and it was a worthwhile experience.

@michaelcaples Hopefully we capture that experience in our cover of the event on Pages 26-27. We also have more features from the Frozen Diamond Faceoff coming to our website, www.

MiHockeyNow.com, soon. Oh yes, and be sure to read Darren Eliot’s column about this same exact topic at the back of the magazine.

And clearly no letter from the editor talking about outdoor hockey wouldn’t be complete without acknowledgement of the breaking news that the Winter Classic is coming to Ann Arbor. If this is true, and it sounds like it is, it will be terrific not only for hockey in Michigan, but for hockey everywhere. We know how to properly stage a game of that magnitude within our state’s borders, and we will enjoy every minute of the process, the build-up, and the event itself. And I can promise you this much – we’ll be all over the coverage of the entire event, whether it be at the Big House, or at Comerica Park, or both.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Michigan Hockey Magazine.

Don’t forget to visit MiHockeyNow for daily coverage of hockey in the Mitten. See you around the rinks – both indoor and out.

MICHIGAN HOCKEY 23995 Freeway Park Drive • Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829 (248) 478-2500 • FAX: (248) 478-1601 E-MAIL: mcaples@mihockeynow.com WEBSITE: mihockeynow.com

Photos at left: (from L to R): Michal Neuvirth (Aaron Bell/OHL Images), Todd Bertuzzi (Tom Turrill/ Michigan Hockey) Cover: Photo by Michael Caples/Michigan Hockey, design by Chuck Stevens/Michigan Hockey

VISIT MIHOCKEYNOW.COM FOR DAILY COVERAGE OF HOCKEY IN MICHIGAN

Cover reprints available e-mail: mcaples@mihockeynow.com January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

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THE LOCKER ROOM

THE

LOCKERROOM THE SCORESHEET

ON THE FLY

Q:

Of all the outdoor hockey games featuring Michigan teams, which has been your favorite?

A: The Big Chill at the Big House – 57% The Winter Classic (Detroit vs. Chicago) – 26% The Cold War – 15% The Frozen Diamond Faceoff – 2%

TWO FOR TWEETING TSN’ TSN’s T TS SN’s N’s Bob N’ Bob McKenzie McKe Mc Ke enz nzie ie reports rep epor o ts that or th ha at Ro Roch Rochester ches ch este es terr native te nati na tive ti ve JJacob acob ac o T ob Trouba r u ro ub ba iss rranked an nke ed No. 9 out of all NHL draft-eligible prospects.

Read more about the Wolverines’ big win at the Frozen Diamond Faceoff on Pages 26-27.

The Spartans posted a 2-1 win over Northern Michigan on Saturday night. Check out MiHockeyNow.com for game coverage.

Erica Treais sent us this photo she took of her brother, University of Michigan forward A.J., after he scored against the Buckeyes in Columbus. We thought it was awesome.

Want sneak peeks about the magazine (or anything else hockey-related)?

Follow us on Twitter - @MiHockeyNow

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January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

SLIDESHOW

MICHIGAN HOCKEY IN PICTURES: AROUND THE MITTEN 1

2

3 1. The Michigan State Spartans celebrate their tradition of standing around center ice during “MSU Shadows”, the school’s Alma Mater song, after their 6-5 shootout win over the Wildcats Friday night.

2. The Red Wings and Blackhawks wait for the opening face-off in the Saturday afternoon game at Joe Louis Arena.

3. The Wolverines and Buckeyes stand at their respective blue lines during the national anthem at the start of the Frozen Diamond Faceoff.

4. Behind the scenes with Darren Eliot, who was preparing for a Fox Sports Detroit broadcast of the Spartans vs. Wildcats game Saturday night.

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5. Michigan State’s Jake Chelios helps with the “Teddy Bear Toss” clean-up. The Spartans collected teddy bears after their first goal Saturday night, to be donated to a local hospital.

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HOCKEY DAY IN MICHIGAN HOCKEY DAY IN MICHIGAN SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (MORE TO COME SOON)

Follow Hockey Day in Michigan on Facebook!

See the latest news and a list of HDIM events at MiHockeyNow.com

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January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

Celebrate Warrior Hockey Day In Mich Michigan higan Saturday Saturday, February 18th Invite a Friend to Skate • Attend a Learn to Play Clinic • Watch a Game Nominate a Local Hockey Hero • Skate, Shoot, Pass, Score • Have Fun!

For a complete list of Hockey Day in Michigan Activities, Events, Contests, Updates and to Get Involved please visit www.MiHockeyNow.ccom

“Like” Us on Facebook

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SPEAKING OF HOCKEY

WHAT’S THE BEST HOCKEY CELEBRATION YOU HAVE EVER SEEN/ BEEN A PART OF? For each issue of the magazine, we will post a question on Facebook, and one randomly selected answer will win a Warrior prize pack: hoodie, hat, and T-shirt. Good luck!

“ “ “ “ “ “ “

2002 watching the Wings win the Cup with pops. Matt Kyte

Teemu Selanne when he was on the Jets vs. Quebec, set the record for most goals by a rookie and it was a goal to complete the hat trick - the duck hunt celly. David Defever

” ” ” ” ” ” ”

Scoring a tournament-clinching goal in overtime was probably my most memorable one ever back in pee-wee, personally. All-time NHL favorite is easily the Lightning’s ‘04 Cup win. Seeing Dave Andreychuk finally lift it after such an illustrious career was awe-inspiring. Stefan Kubus

Winning a National Championship with Plattsburgh State University as a freshman! and making the NCAA tournaments! Kristen Bond

WINNER

Seeing McCarty fly down the left wing and make the Flyers look silly on the way to the Cup. One of my all-time favorite goals and the celly after was amazing. Dave Bluhm

May 2010 when my son’s Mite team won their first tournament....I still remember how huge those smiles were! Lynn Marie Vittetoe

Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan having a charity game to raise money for wounded veterans. Mike St John

Visit our Facebook page to try and win our next Warrior prize pack, facebook.com/mihockeynow 10

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January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

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YOU SHOULD KNOW

you should know FAVORITE SPORTING EVENT: The Winter Classic FAVORITE BREAKFAST FOOD: Fruit Loops FIRST CONCERT: *NSYNC MUST-SEE TV: Criminal Minds FAVORITE MOVIE: Hangover WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE AN HOUR OF FREE TIME: Sleep or watch some TV IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE WISH GRANTED, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT: That every kid has the chances and opportunities that everyone has PRE-GAME ROUTINE: Olive Garden WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE: 2009 Ford Explorer WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME: DeBlouw THREE PEOPLE WOULD YOU PICK TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Pavel Datsyuk, Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman

Matt DeBlouw

muskegon lumberjacks forward DeBlouw, a Chesterfield native, will be eligible for the 2012 NHL Draft, and according to NHL.com he’s one of the top prospects in the USHL. Before seeing any NHL time, however, DeBlouw will suit up for Michigan State. The Spartans will be getting one tough freshman – DeBlouw missed three months of hockey because of a lacerated spleen, and returned in time to lead the Lumberjacks in postseason scoring.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL: Chicken Alfredo

Photos courtesy Fingercandymedia.com (eggs and bacon), AMC (Walking Dead), E Online (Morgan Freeman), Foodnetwork (lasagna), CCHA-Lockwood (pond hockey)

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raveling from rink to rink and working with teams of all ages and skill levels I get the opportunity to see hundreds of practices throughout the year. It has become really frustrating to see coaches going through drill after drill with zero emphasis on teaching a skill. I know too many coaches now a days that get so consumed with running the most elaborate drill because it looks good to mommy and daddy up in the bleachers but the players are getting nothing out of it besides confusion and maybe even bad habits. This goes for both forwards and goaltenders.

Approaching a practice or training session, as coaches we MUST have a plan! If a coach shows up unprepared and attempts to “wing-it” the kids will see right through you.

Each time I step onto the ice with a goaltender I have a plan set with certain skills I want to work on and I always have my “back pocket” drills incase he or she is having an off day and I need to improvise. My back pocket drills are basic drills that we may have done in the past and I feel the goaltender is comfortable with, but teaching and skill progression will still take place.

When a coach is teaching a skill we need to remember that these young goaltenders want to learn, but what does it take to learn? Learning takes determination and the will to work; it also takes dissection of skill and hours of

repetition. With that said every player is different and may learn in different ways. The Learning Pyramid below is an example of the multiple ways each individual may learn a certain skill.

While training a goalie I include as many points of the Learning Pyramid as possible to ensure that the skill being taught is understood. I want to touch on the final two parts of the Learning Pyramid, Practice by Doing 75% and Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 90%.

Practice by Doing 75% - This would be our on ice sessions with our goaltenders. Be sure while going through drills to slow it down if needed, dissect the skill and teach. Make sure the goaltender understands what the drill is and why they are working on it. After that its repetition, repetition, repetition.

Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 90% - Working with goaltenders of all ages I have found that it can be very beneficial to bring out an older goalie to assist on the ice with a younger student. I don’t just bring them out to shoot “cheddar bombs” at these little guys, they are on the ice teaching and learning as well. Now the student has become the teacher to a certain extent. When an older more advanced goaltender is physically teaching key points to a certain skill they are getting a better understanding of set skill. The older goalies love to help and the little guys love working with the big kids that they can look up to.

THE LEARNING PYRAMID *Lecture 5% **Reading**10% ***Audio-Visual***20% *****Demonstration*****30% **********Discussion Group**********50% ****************Practice by Doing***************75% ***Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning***90%

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YOUTH HOCKEY

GRAHA Griffins Bantam A win regional Silver Sticks

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n Dec. 16-18, the GRAHA Griffins Bantam A team competed in the Regional Silver Stick Tournament in Midland. They beat Victory Honda, Belle Tire and Saginaw in roundrobin play. They met Suburban in the semifinals Sunday morning, and managed to beat them 4-1. The final game was played against Redford, with the Griffins prevailing 3-1.

They now play in Canada in January in the International Silver Stick Tournament.

Livonia 12U girls team wins Canadian tournament

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he Livonia Knights 12u girls team won the Chatham Outlaws tournament held on Dec. 3-5, 2011, in Chatham, Ontario. The Knights won all five games they played, scoring 16 total goals, and only allowing one goal against to win the championship.

Katie Hayward was the Knights’ leading scorer with 10 goals. Katie Chevoor scored three goals, and Sarah Gibboney and Cia Singelyn both tallied one goal each. The leading playmakers for the Knights were Cara Hodgins (five assists) and Vivian Kowalske (three assists), while Lauren Pearce, Jessica Carpenter, Paige Peterson, Julia Seychel, and Nicole Stefanick each had one assist.

In the round-robin portion of the tournament, the Knights defeated the

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Michigan Hockey

Grosse Pointe Bulldogs (3-1), the BAD Blazers (2-0), the St. Clair Storm (6-0), and the East Lambton Eagles (2-0). With their 4-0 record, the Knights took on the BAD Blazers, and defeated them 3-0 to win the championship. Knights goalies Victoria Audette and Maddie Marciw both played strong in net, while defensive players Paige Peterson, Colleen Lynch, Julia Seychel, Lauren Pearce, Nicole Stefanick & Brianna Waggoner did a great job in shutting down the opponents’ scoring chances.

Other members of the Knights 12u team are: Alyssa Massa, Gabby Genaw, and Sydney Pilut. The Knights are coach

by Joel Massa, Carrie Sirola, Kellen Lynch, Jeff Peterson, and Rich Hayward, and their manager is Linda Kowalske.

Wolves 16U girls team wins Pittsburgh tournament

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ongratulations to the Mt Clemens Wolves 16U Girls, who won the 2011 Pittsburgh Thanksgiving Classic Girls Ice Hockey Tournament.

This is the fourth year in a row that the 16U Wolves have attended this tournament, and their second time coming home champions.

The Wolves had a 3-1-1 record. In pool play, the Wolves had a 7-1 win against the St. Catharines Chaos, a 1-0 loss against West Northumberland, and 1-1 tie against the North Halton Twisters. In the semifinals, the Wolves took advantage of their second chance with West Northumberland, winning

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2-1. In the finals, the Wolves played the North Halton Twisters again, and earned a 4-0 victory to be crowned champions.

The 2011 16U Wolves consist of: Jenay DeCraussin, Kayla Nowicki, Frankie Wojtylo, Karen Harper, Kelsey Weyland, Alyssa Genette, Alli Bianchini, Alex Brinkman, Katelyn Tomlian, Leigh Farquhar, Kristin Doxen, Devin Tomlinson, Emily Ellis, Jessica Wahby, Andrea Hutchinson, Olivia Lord, Tayler Losee and Mackenzie Dennis. Head coach is Cassandra Jaeckle, assistant coach’s are Tim VanEckoute, Rick VanderHagen, Garret Dennis and Ken Lord and Team Manager Ann Tomlinson.

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YOUTH HOCKEY

Vanbiesbrouck to serve as VP of juniors for USA Hockey

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he big news coming out of the USA Hockey meetings, which took place Jan. 12-15 in Florida, was that former NHL goaltender and Detroit native John Vanbiesbrouck stepping in as Vice President of Juniors for the national governing body. The position encompasses all teams and leagues from Tier-1 through Tier-3.

One beneficial aspect of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer being named to this post is that he still resides in Michigan and is in touch with the youth hockey game.

“He’s heavily involved still, he’s got a son that is about a Peewee age or so that plays,” Atkinson said. “He’s still around here from the Michigan area. I think he’s going to do a great job on the junior council.”

The meetings also yielded a few changes to the program.

In the area of coaching, discussions took place about tweaking the coaching module program and certification guidelines, along with adding additional training for instructors this summer.

“The first year [a player] goes to Level 1, then the next year he’s got to go to a Level 2, the next year he’s got to go to a Level 3,” MAHA director of coaches Gordon Bowman said. “By the time a guy is coaching eight-and-under he’s coaching Level 3, and he’s got to redo it. So what they’re looking at is to kind of make this a little bit more practical.

“So a guy coaching Mites, he takes a Level 1, and he’s good to go until he gets into Squirt.”

Also discussed and passed was a $10 increase in

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

membership fees – just barely.

On the docket for USA Hockey’s June meeting is a rules proposal making the standard of play for Mite hockey cross-ice, rather than using the full ice surface.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a requirement,” Atkinson said. “But that’s the standard going forward.

That would be something everybody would work toward to implement that.”

Detroit native John Vanbiesbrouck will be the new VP of Juniors for USA Hockey. (Michigan Hockey archives)

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2012 MAHA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT (SELECT ) CAMP TRYOUTS

AWARDS 2012

For BOYS

REGIONAL TRYOUT DATES Districts 2, 3 & 4

Hockey Person of the Year

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Coach of the Year

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Districts 8 & Upper 7

(Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinaw City, Charlevoix & Petoskey)

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Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

REGIONAL TRYOUT DATES

This award is presented annually “to a female student-athlete born in 1993 -1996 who has achieved a high level both in the classroom and on the ice during the past hockey season.�

Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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To register and for more information on the Player Development Tryout process, visit our website at

maha.org

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

Please include name of nominee, reason for nominating him/her, biographical information about your nominee, your name and your daytime and evening telephone numbers.

Would you like to become a sponsor of this unique event?

Please contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or lucia@mihockeynow.com.

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HOMETOWN HEROES

JUSTIN ABDELKADER 22

Michigan Hockey

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January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12 .12

NHL TOTALS (AS OF JAN. 18)

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2 23

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JANUARY 2012 Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI January 27-29 Squirt B, Pee Wee AA and Bantam B Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Get Into the Cold Tournament Mt. Pleasant, MI January 27-29, 2012 Midget House B 989-772-9623 info@mpicearena.org Grand Traverse Hockey Association Tournament Traverse City, MI January 27-29, 2012 JV & Midget A 231-649-1226 gthatournaments@yahoo. com Lake Fenton Winter Classic (Pure Pond Hockey) Fenton, MI January 27-29, 2012 18+ 810-620-PUCK (7825) sean@ lakefentonwinterclassic.com lakefentonwinterclassic.com 2012 Michigan Senior Olympics Hockey Tournament January 28 – February 1, 2012 Rochester, MI Seniors 800-400-8161 Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association Big Rapids, MI January 28-29, 2012 Mini-Mite & IP ADM 231-591-2881 bigrapidshockey.org or ferris.edu/icearena West Shore Community Ice Arena Tournament Scottville, MI January 27-29, 2012 Bantam B 231-843-9712 westshoreice.com Tip Up Town USA- 3on3 Winter Blast

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Houghton Lake, MI January 28th, 2012, 8:00am-6:00pm Competitive 18+, Recreational 18+ 989-366-5644 houghtonlakechamber.net FEBRUARY 2012 Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI February 3-5 Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree, Mite B and Pee Wee B Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI February 10-12 Mite AA, Squirt B and Midget B Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association Big Rapids, MI February 10-12, 2012 Mite ADM – Studio Rink 231-591-2881 bigrapidshockey.org or ferris.edu/icearena Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI February 17-19 Pee Wee B, Pee Wee A and Bantam B Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI February 17-20, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Girls Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI

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goldcoasttournaments.com Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association Big Rapids, MI February 24-26, 2012 Midget B/BB 231-591-2881 bigrapidshockey.org or ferris.edu/icearena Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association Big Rapids, MI February 24-26, 2012 Mini-Mite & IP ADM 231-591-2881 bigrapidshockey.org or ferris.edu/icearena Get Into the Cold Tournament Mt. Pleasant, MI February 25, 2012 ADM Jamboree 989-772-9623 info@mpicearena.org U.P. Youth Pond Hockey Championship St. Ignace, MI February 25-26, 2012 Mite Minors – Midget – House & Travel 906-643-8676 lbe@cityofstignace.net littlebeararena.com MARCH 2012 Great Lakes Tournament Series Holland, MI March 2-4, 2012 Mite B, Pee Wee B and Midget B Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Get Into the Cold Tournament Mt. Pleasant, MI March 2-4, 2012 Squirt House B 989-772-9623 info@mpicearena.org Hockey Cares - House B Tournament Kalamazoo, MI March 2-4, 2012 Squirt House B through Midget House B Contact: Mike Stommen E-Mail mstommen@ arenamaps.com

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Phone 269-345-5369 http://tournaments. arenamaps.com/series/ Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI March 9-11, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Girls Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI March 9-11, 2012 8U-19U House, B, A, AA 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Great Lakes Tournaments Series Holland, MI March 9-11, 2012 Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree, Squirt B and Bantam A Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com 14th Annual Puck ‘o the Irish Tournament Bay City, MI March 9-11, 2012 Mite – Midget B, JV Prep 989-671-1000 x105 baycounty-mi.gov/civicarena

Kalamazoo, MI March 16-18, 2012 Pee Wes/Bantams/Girls U14/ Girls U16 Midgets/ Girls U19/ Adult Women/ Adult Men Contact: Jeff Weber 269345-1125 Email: jweber@ wingsstadium.com Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI March 23-25, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com APRIL 2012 Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI April 13-15, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Tournament Series Detroit, MI April 27-29, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com

Shamrock Shootout Muskegon, MI March 9-11, 2012 Squirt – Bantam A & AA & House - Mite - Bantam 231-747-7266 goldcoasttournaments.com

MAY 2012 Hockey Time Productions Motown Cup Spring Edition Detroit, MI May 18-20, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com

28th Annual Mite Spring Tournament Flint, MI March 9-11, 2012 Cross Ice Division, house and Mite AA 810-694-7310 jmbdcard@comcast.net; gchockey2007@aol.com

The Elite Tournament Group Warrior Spring Shootout Troy, MI May 25-27, 2012 AAA and Select teams- ’05‘99’s elitetournamentgroup.com

St. Paddy’s Tournament Mt. Pleasant, MI March 9-12, 2012 Pee Wee & Squirt House B 989-772-9623 info@mpicearena.org Kalo’ mazoo Classic

OUT OF STATE TOURNAMENTS JANUARY 2012 American Cup Lake Placid, NY January 26-29, 2012

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

Atom, Peewee, Bantam AA, A, - Minor/Major/Mixed divisions Canadian Hockey Enterprises 1-800-461-2161 chehockey.com Gene Harrington Invitational Niagara Falls, NY January 27-29, 2012 Contact: Bob Harrington 781-710-6560 bh@nahockey.com Website: nahockey.com FEBRUARY 2012 American Cup Lake Placid, NY February 9-12, 2012 Atom, Peewee, Bantam AA, A, B, House Select Minor/Major/Mixed divisions Canadian Hockey Enterprises 1-800-461-2161 chehockey.com Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Series Cleveland, OH February 17-20, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Three Rivers Cup Tournament Series Pittsburgh, PA February 17-20, 2012 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Hockey Time Productions Girls Three Rivers Cup Tournament Series Pittsburgh, PA February 17-20, 2012 8U-19U House, B, A, AA 216-325-0567 itshockeytime.com Congressional Cup Tournament Series: The Congressional Cup Washington, DC February 17-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Chicago Cup Tournament Series: Chicago Presidents’ Cup Chicago, IL February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Presidents’ Cup Pittsburgh, PA February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Music City Tournament Series: Nashville Presidents’ Cup Nashville, TN February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Empire State Tournament Series: Presidential Power Play Rochester, NY February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Buckeye State Tournament Series: Cincinnati Presidents’ Cup Cincinnati, OH February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Carolina Cup Tournament Series: Charlotte Presidents’ Cup Charlotte, NC February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree

Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 myhockeytournaments.com Liberty Cup Tournament Series: Philadelphia Presidential Power Play Hatfield, PA February 18-20, 2012 Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Mite Cross-Ice Jamboree Contact MYHockey Tournaments Toll Free US and Canada 855-898-4040 www. myhockeytournaments.com

FEBRUARY 2012 “Escape the Blues” A and AA Pre-Playoff Tournament Chesswood Arenas.

Toronto, Ontario Feb.3-5th, 2012 Minor Pee Wee to Minor Midget age divisions, 3 game minimum – 5 game maximum Contact: Rick Heinz 905-854-3435 or email: rick.heinz@gmail.com torontocityblues.com

2012 SCHEDULE North American Holiday Hockey Adult & Youth 1-800-322-NAHH nahhtours.com Email: NAHHTOURS@ aol.com Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas Ice Center March 21 – 26, 2012 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Saveology.com Iceplex (Panthers’ Practice Facility) March 28 – April 2, 2012 Montreal, Quebec Complexe Sportif Bell (Canadiens’ Practice Facility) April 13 – 15, 2012 Toronto, Ontario Canlan Ice Sports April 20 – 22, 2012 Hartford, Connecticut International Skating Center of Connecticut April 27 – 29, 2012 Atlantic City, New Jersey Flyers’ Skate Zone (Flyers’ Facility) May 4 – 6, 2012

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JUNIORS PREVIEW FACEOFF FROZEN DIAMOND A majority of the seats were plastered with fans wearing scarlet and grey OSU gear, but groups of brave Maize and Blue-wearing fans could be spotted. The Michigan players entered the ice surface to boos from the not-so-welcoming Ohio State faithful.

The fact that the boards were mic’d up made the goals – and every other aspect of the game – all the more entertaining for the fans in attendance. Each slap of the puck, tape-to-tape pass or body check echoed throughout the stadium. And when a shot on net was deflected hard enough out of play, it was launched not into protective netting, but down the first or third base line into a packed crowd. It looked as if fans were waiting to catch a foul ball instead of a freezing puck. Unfortunately for baseball fans, it will be another few months until the Indians use this stadium again.

theGAME the GAM ARTICLE BY BRIAN KALISHER PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CAPLES

C

LEVELAND - Another outdoor game, another big win for the University of Michigan.

A year after the Wolverines topped in-state rival Michigan State 5-0 at the Big Chill at the Big House, they posted a 4-1 win over one of their other rivals – Ohio State – at the Frozen Diamond Faceoff Sunday night.

The Wolverines posted their second win of the weekend over the Buckeyes, beating them in front of 25,864 at Progressive Field in Cleveland – home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians. The Wolverines posted a shutout over the Buckeyes in Columbus on Friday.

“It was a good game for Michigan to win in the CCHA standings,” coach Red Berenson said. “We’re quite a ways behind Ohio State so that was an important victory.

“On the big picture it was a great spectacle, and everyone that put that together and did a lot of work for it, I think it came off really well.”

The Wolverines’ Chris Brown opened scoring at 7:31 of the first period, rebounding on a point shot from teammate Kevin Clare to beat OSU goaltender Cal Heeter.

Six minutes later, at 13:33, Michigan struck again when left wing Alex Guptill fired one over the shoulder of Heeter to make it 2-0 for the Wolverines.

The Buckeyes lone goal came 50 seconds into the second frame – with two seconds remaining on their power play – Ohio State’s Chris Crane netted a goal for the Buckeyes, beating Hunwick and putting his team on the board, courtesy of Max McCormick and Brandon Martell.

Michigan got two more chances on the power play backto-back immediately after the goal due to minors on OSU’s Ben Gallacher and Danny Dries. U of M had no luck on either power play but defenseman Greg Pateryn made a diving poke check to stop an oncoming OSU rush as soon

26

Michigan Hockey

theBASEBALL

as the first power play expired.

At 9:47 of the second, the flood gates opened for Michigan as Derek DuBlois beat Heeter when teammate David Wohlberg fed it to him out of the left corner. Just 28 seconds after the goal, at 10:15, Wohlberg found the score sheet again, putting the puck past Heeter, making it 4-1 for the Wolverines. After letting in his fourth goal of the evening, Heeter was pulled in favor of junior Brady Hjelle.

“The first one, the puck just came around the boards and I heard Derek [DuBlois] call for it so I just threw it to where I heard his voice,” Wohlberg said. “We got a lucky tip and it went in.

“The second one, on Friday I tried to cut to the middle and it didn’t work out, but tonight I tried to put it off the pad and it snuck right under there, just using my outside speed, and it worked out.”

The Wolverines entered the second intermission up by a three goal margin and leading in shots 32-21.

The third frame proved mostly uneventful. Michigan played with their lead in mind while Ohio State tried to find the scoreboard. After 20 minutes of back and forth hockey and a missed 5-on-3 opportunity for the Buckeyes within the last minute, the game ended with Michigan beating their rivals 4-1.

“Our team knows what it takes to play in a game like this,” Berenson said. “We’re coming off a good game on Friday. But this was not only an important hockey game, it’s an outdoor game that you can easily be distracted, and I really liked the way our team came out and just worked hard and we got the bounces because of it.”

When asked if they had played any baseball in their past, Berenson remembered his days as a student-athlete at the University of Michigan.

“Actually, I was a pretty good catcher when I went to Michigan,” Berenson said. “When I was trying out for the team, and the coach wasn’t giving me the time of day, and I asked around why, they said ‘oh, they’ve got a pretty good catcher – Bill Freehan – who was hitting over .400 then. So I stuck to hockey.”

Defenseman Greg Pateryn and forward David Wohlberg chimed in with some baseball experiences of their own.

“I’ve always been a Tigers fan, I still go to Tigers games every once in a while, “Pateryn said. “I played baseball a couple years growing up, nothing special, nothing serious, just having a good time.

“I think the extent of my baseball career was tee-ball,” Wohlberg said.

theATMOSPHERE The spectacle at Progressive Field was something out of every hockey fan’s dream. A sheet of ice donning both teams’ logos and a Frozen Diamond Faceoff emblem glared as the sun went down and fans found their seats for the 5:05 p.m. puck drop.

MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

Fans threw snowballs at this Wolverines fan in the front row.

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

WEIVERPFACEOFF SROINUJ FROZEN DIAMOND

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

Michigan Hockey

27

JUNIORS PREVIEW MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS

Former Major Junior players head to Muskegon

BY MATT GAJTKA

M

USKEGON, Mich. – The expressed goals of the United States Hockey League (USHL) are twofold: (1) prepare elite players for higherlevel play and (2) maintain their NCAA eligibility in the process.

But even though the main selling point of America’s premier junior league lies in that duality, that doesn’t mean players who have already “gone pro” in the eyes of the NCAA can’t benefit greatly from a stint in the USHL. That concept is currently playing out on the Lake Michigan shoreline, where the Muskegon Lumberjacks are nurturing three junior-age skaters who moved on from the major junior ranks for various reasons. ”Muskegon is the place of opportunity,” said Lumberjacks CEO/General Manager Josh Mervis. “For the player that can’t play NCAA hockey, we offer an opportunity that most USHL teams cannot. Our team president Tim Taylor worked in professional hockey for 10 years so he can open doors for them after they leave here.”

John Padulo, Rudy Sulmonte and Dean Pawlaczyk have all found a new home with the Lumberjacks organization, now in its second year in the USHL. All three are forwards, but their individual paths to Muskegon were as varied as their skill sets.

Padulo, a 19-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., started his junior career in the Ontario Hockey League with Oshawa, as he was a third-round pick of the Generals in 2008. He played two seasons there in a checking-line role, scoring 28 points along the way over the course of more than 100 games.

Last winter the Barrie Colts picked up Padulo, and he skated in 64 contests there. But when training camp ended this fall and he wasn’t in the Colts’ plans, the Lumberjacks were happy to add a player of his experience and grit.

“The guys have welcomed me so the transition has been pretty easy,” Padulo said. “My role in the OHL was as a third-line guy, but I knew I had some offensive upside that I could show. I’ve been working a lot on puckhandling and running the half-wall on the power play. It’s an adjustment but I think it’s going well so far.”

The Lumberjacks have been pleasantly surprised by Padulo’s blossoming into a true offensive threat; as of Jan. 16, the 6-foot, 183-pound winger leads Muskegon with 20 points and has seen the ice regularly in “must-score” situations. He has earned a top-line role but he hasn’t left his physical play behind in the OHL, as he is one of the team’s most punishing body checkers.

“One thing I brought in the OHL was roughing it up in the corners and if a fight happened I didn’t mind,” Padulo said. “Not that I haven’t done that so far this season, but it’s something I want to continue to focus on in the second half.”

Padulo’s younger brother often played with second-year Lumberjacks forward Jordan Masters in Rochester youth leagues, so he had a connection to Muskegon prior to his arrival. Sulmonte is also an Empire State resident, but unlike western New Yorkers Padulo and Masters he hails

28

Michigan Hockey

from Long Island.

The 19-year-old Sulmonte was quite productive during his rookie year in the OHL, dressing for 49 games last winter while contributing energy and 20 total points. He moved on to Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to start this season, but was unsatisfied with the situation on and off the ice and began searching for a more palatable alternative.

“I heard that the Lumberjacks were interested in me and it wasn’t a tough decision to make the move,” said Sulmonte soon after arriving as a free agent in early December. “It’s more of an open-ice game here and I like it. Plus, the top guys in this league are as good as the top guys in the other leagues.”

Sulmonte fits in with Muskegon’s preferred high-tempo style of play, with his skating speed being his best asset.

That being said, he recorded assists in back-to-back games in Youngstown Jan. 5-6 and scored his first USHL goal Jan. 14 against Green Bay. Also, his plus-2 rating since joining the team is Muskegon’s best mark during that time period.

“I’m just trying to get the puck deep, work hard and keep my feet moving,” Sulmonte said. “I’m trying to be proactive and make opportunities happen. Simple hockey wins games and that’s what I like to stick to.”

The Lumberjacks’ most recent Major Junior acquisition is Pawlaczyk. Like nine of his new teammates, he grew up in the eastern half of Michigan, which has made his transition from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit easier on a personal level.

“Since I play with a physical aspect, the guys may not have liked me when I played against them growing up,” said the Madison Heights product. “But I knew our captain Carter Foguth and the rest of the guys have taken me in. I appreciate it. My heart is in the [USHL] now.”

For Pawlaczyk, 19, this is his fourth year in junior hockey, as he suited up for the North American Hockey League’s Traverse City club in 2008-09 before spending the last two seasons in the OHL for Barrie, Sarnia and Saginaw.

Traditional stats are secondary for the lively winger, as his punishing style and explosive stride opens up space for his linemates.

“The first couple shifts of the game I like to make a couple hard hits to get the guys going,” Pawlaczyk said.

“It’s a huge part of my game and I look to be physical, but at the same time I’m only going to take the hit if it’s there.”

Pawlaczyk’s unbridled intensity has gotten him into trouble in the past; he had to sit out a Dec. 10 Lumberjacks game to honor a suspension levied by the OHL before he left Saginaw. Since he played in his first USHL game a week later, he’s found the league’s officiating standards allow him to be more effective than he was in the OHL. “I feel like the USHL is definitely more aggressive and more my style of play,” he said. “The OHL is getting a bit softer I think. I make the same hits here that I did in the [OHL] and I don’t get penalized for them.”

Padulo has had similar observations about the more physical nature of the USHL, even if his success on the scoresheet this season has opened as many eyes as his pugnaciousness.

“They let the guys play a little bit more [in the USHL],”

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Padulo said.

But no matter what skills Padulo, Sulmonte and Pawlaczyk are displaying this year, the bottom line is they’ve carved out spots in a league rapidly on the rise in the eyes of NHL scouts and decision-makers. While you won’t see these three at the Jan. 24 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Muskegon or skating for an American college squad, the USHL has given them an opportunity to improve their games and open doors for their hockey futures.

They aren’t the league’s poster boys, but the Lumberjacks’ former major junior skaters have found the USHL to be a welcoming new home.

Matt Gajtka is the Communications Director and Broadcaster for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. You can reach him at mgajtka@muskegonlumberjacks.com.

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Best of NAHL coming to Troy next month

BY MATT MACKINDER

T

he annual NAHL Top Prospects Tournament invades Troy next month and it will literally be not only a who’s who of the league’s top players, but dozens of NCAA scouts and coaches are sure to be in attendance.

The tournament, presented by Combat Hockey, will be held from Feb. 20-22, 2012 at the Troy Sports Center where 120 total players from the NAHL will be spread among six teams that will play in three games each during the event.

The event will feature teams from the Central, Midwest, North, South and West Divisions of the NAHL, along with an NAHL 18U Selects team comprised of some of the top players currently playing in the NAHL that were born in 1993 or later.

All NAHL players are eligible to participate in the Top Prospects Tournament, regardless if they’ve committed to an NCAA school or not. Each of the teams will consist of a 20-man roster (12 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goaltenders), with minor player divisional crossover amongst the six teams.

“The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament continues to be one of our signature events as the league of opportunity,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. “Not only do we get a chance to return to the founding roots of the NAHL in the great hockey state of Michigan, but we get to showcase our top prospects to college and professional scouts from all over the hockey world. This field for this year’s Top Prospects Tournament provides options for every scout and coach to get a close look at our league’s best talent competing against one another, and combined with the 3HL East Showcase and PHL Championship series, it should make for a great week of hockey.”

Teams will be ranked from first to last within each division based on winning percentage as of Jan. 16.

2012 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament Schedule Monday, Feb. 20: 1 p.m. - North vs. Midwest 4 p.m. - South vs. Central 7 p.m. - West vs. NAHL 18U Selects Tuesday, Feb. 21: 1 p.m. - Central vs. NAHL 18U Selects 4 p.m. - West vs. North 7 p.m. - Midwest vs. South Wednesday, Feb. 22: 9 a.m. - South vs. West 12 p.m. - NAHL 18U Selects vs. Midwest 3 p.m. - North vs. Central

3HL, PHL TO ALSO GAIN EXPOSURE

NAHL.COM January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

In conjunction with the Top Prospects Tournament, all North American Prospects Hockey League teams - Midget Major, Midget Minor and Bantam Major - will compete in the PHL Championship Tournament Series for the right to be crowned league champions. That event will run from Feb. 17-20, also at the Troy Sports Center.

The North American 3 Hockey League will also have representation at the Top Prospects Tournament, as eight of the league’s 16 teams (Battle Creek, Cleveland, Flint, Metro, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Queen City and Toledo) will play four regular-season games from Feb. 19-22.

2011-12 NAHL/NA3HL Tenders (as of Jan. 16) Austin Bruins Zac Sikich, F, Granite City Lumberjacks Jamestown Ironmen Josh Beleski, F, Metro Jets Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings Will Shier, D, Metro Jets Kenai River Brown Bears Trace Jablin, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues New Mexico Mustangs Adam Reid, D, Metro Jets Port Huron Fighting Falcons Lawrence Dvorak, Jr., G, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks St. Louis Bandits Daniel Rosse, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues Beleski and Shier signed their tender agreements this past weekend, with Beleski signing his immediately after a three-goal, one-assist game last Sunday against the Michigan Mountain Cats.

“Josh could have played in this league last season, but made the decision to play high school hockey instead and we were patient and didn’t push him,” said Jets coach Jason Cirone. “He’s dedicated himself to being a junior hockey player.”

Shier played a handful of games with Port Huron earlier this season and has been Metro’s top defenseman all season long.

“We picked Will up last year and he had several small things to work on,” Cirone said. “He came back this year bigger and stronger and that’s all his doing. All I did was tweak a few things and now he’s shown he can play in the NAHL and I believe he’ll be an impact guy with Kalamazoo next year.”

James LaDouce, D, Lansing Capitals (18U) Corpus Christi IceRays Trevor Heuser, D, New Jersey Jr. Titans (16U) Jalen Schulz, D, Omaha AAA (16U) Fairbanks Ice Dogs Matthew Armenti, D, New Jersey Jr. Titans (18U) Jacob Hetz, F, Pittsburgh Viper Stars (18U) Jamestown Ironmen Bob Tritschler, F, Pittsburgh Viper Stars (18U) Janesville Jets Matthieu Audet, D, San Jose Jr. Sharks (18U) Kyle Halladay, D, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (18U) Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings Brennan Sanford, F, Lansing Capitals (18U) Kyle Ware, D, West Michigan Hounds (18U) Kenai River Brown Bears Alec Butcher, F, Pikes Peak Miners (18U) Minot Minotauros Jake Pilewicz, D, Pittsburgh Viper Stars (18U) Port Huron Fighting Falcons Austin Heakins, F, Pittsburgh Viper Stars (18U) Texas Tornado Jon Carkeek, D, Phoenix Firebirds (18U) Hector Majul, F, Phoenix Firebirds (18U) Topeka RoadRunners Josh Haverstrom, F, Pikes Peak Miners (18U) Kirk Van Arkel, F, Pikes Peak Miners (18U) Wenatchee Wild Brad LeLievre, F, Wenatchee Wild (18U) Wichita Falls Wildcats Henry Hardarson, F, Phoenix Firebirds (18U) Colin Staub, F, Pikes Peak Miners (18U) Jake Townsend, D, Pikes Peak Miners (18U)

2011-12 NAHL/NAPHL Tenders (as of Jan. 16) Aberdeen Wings Heinz Koster, F, Pittsburgh Viper Stars (18U) Alaska Avalanche Thomas Kaddatz, F, Phoenix Firebirds (18U) Alexandria Blizzard Brandon Anderson, F, California Titans (18U) Amarillo Bulls Jasen Fernsler, F, Lansing Capitals (18U) Brett Lubanski (courtesy NAHL)

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Michigan Hockey

29

PLYMOUTH WHALERS

Looking back on Plymouth’s ’07 title run

BY MATT MACKINDER

Neuvirth was taken in the CHL import draft in June 2006 and also by Washington in the NHL draft that same month.

He came to the Whalers with people guessing at how to say his name (it’s pronounced NOY-vair), but at the end of the year, that didn’t matter. Heck, even Plymouth captain Steve Ward called him “New-virth” at the team banquet that spring. Smith was a local kid (Brownstown) going into his NHL draft year and wound up going to Nashville in the second round. The two rotated pretty much all season, giving coach Mike Vellucci a wonderful situation-slashproblem.

This year, Wedgewood is clearly the No. 1 and even made the Canadian World Junior team, but when Mahalak, a Monroe native, plays, he hardly looks like a back-up. Both current goalies are NHL property (Wedgewood with New Jersey and Mahalak with Carolina) and Vellucci will be the first to say that he’s comfortable with either goalie playing a pressure-filled game – just like in 2007.

DEFENSE

T

his May, it will be five years since the Plymouth Whalers won their last Ontario Hockey League championship.

Based on how the Whalers have fared to this point of the season has led to some wonder if this May will again see the J. Ross Robertson Cup come back to Plymouth.

Leading the West Division and within an eyelash of the entire OHL, if Plymouth’s momentum can continue into the post-season, anything is certainly possible.

That 2006-07 team had a little bit of everything – skill, grit, two capable goaltenders, a solid defensive unit, intense coaching and a slew of NHL draft picks – all ingredients that the 2011-12 team seems to have.

Is it destiny? Hard to say. Is it possible? You bet.

To compare the 2006-07 to this season’s squad may be apples and oranges, but the similarities are present, for sure.

GOALTENDING ’06-07: Michal Neuvirth and Jeremy Smith ’11-12: Scott Wedgewood and Matt Mahalak

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’06-07: Captain Steve Ward, Leo Jenner, Wes Cunningham, Ryan McGinnis, Brett Bellemore, Zack Shepley, Steven Whitely, Jozef Sladok, Jordon O’Neill ’11-12: Captain Beau Schmitz, Austin Levi, Dario Trutmann, Colin MacDonald, Nick Malysa, Curtis Crombeen, Chris Albertini, Dylan MacDonald Ward came to the Whalers as a little-known talent from Sarnia in 2004 in a trade for tough guy Jordan Grant. Not the biggest in stature, but he oozed leadership from the start and evolved in a talented offensive defenseman, a la Schmitz. The ’06-07 blue line had great chemistry and would stop scoring plays or block shots in front of Neuvirth and Smith that nothing ever got through to the net. That’s what the ’11-12 team is all about.

Cunningham was the prototypical shutdown defender five years ago and this season, Levi fills that role and it nearly got him picked to play for Team USA at the World Juniors. Colin MacDonald, much like Bellemore, rarely gets noticed and if that’s the case, odds are he’s doing his job.

Crombeen and Shepley play a similar style, while Malysa and McGinnis are near-mirror images.

UP FRONT ’06-07: James Neal, Jared Boll, Tom Sestito, Evan Brophey, Dan Collins, Chris Terry, Andrew Fournier, Daniel Ryder, AJ Jenks, Sean O’Connor, Joe McCann, Vern Cooper, Kaine Geldart, Joe Gaynor, Brett Valliquette ’11-12: Stefan Noesen, Alex Aleardi, Rickard Rakell, JT Miller, Garrett Meurs, Andy Bathgate, Mitchell Heard, Jamie Devane, Cody Payne, Tom Wilson, Michael Whaley, Mitchell Dempsey, Danny Vanderwiel, Matthew Mistele Talk about two nearly-identical groups of forwards.

Neal, Boll and Sestito are all in the NHL now and were the beef of that ’07 championship. Neal’s overtime goal in Game 6 of the finals sent Plymouth to the Memorial Cup

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where it ultimately lost in the semi-finals.

This year, Noesen, Rakell and Miller is where the scoring is, but not to be left out of that group is Aleardi, Devane and Heard. It’s really hard to say this season’s Whalers have a second and third line because any of the team’s four lines could unquestionably be a top line on any other team in the OHL, also a trait many observers will agree with from 2007.

Wilson and Payne like to play the physical side of the game, but also have their share of offensive skill and the intangibles. Fournier and Jenks were those guys in ’07 and Jenks wound up getting drafted in the fourth round by Florida and is on the cusp of seeing his first NHL game.

Basically, scoring wasn’t an issue then and it’s not an issue now.

COACHING Mike Vellucci has been the head coach since the 2001-02 season, save for a stretch where he stepped down in 2007 and into 2008, and his Whalers teams have never missed the playoffs and don’t figure to this season.

Going into the stretch drives, he’s always been big on getting as many points as possible to gain home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Crowds at Compuware Arena when the weather starts to warm up can be downright intimidating to opponents.

Vellucci is a coach that gets two things – respect and results. Both are earned from dedication and hard work and past, present and future players will agree to that without thinking twice.

Can he guide the Whalers to another title this spring?

That’s the $64,000 question, but if the comparisons and similarities to 2007 continue to ring true, get ready to cash that check for $64,000.

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

PM Special Olympics SAT 7:05

Whalers v. S.S. Marie

Jan 21

#23 Jamie Devane 2009 NHL 3rd Round Pick Toronto Maple Leafs

Join us in recognizing the passionate, committed individuals who participate in the Special Olympics.

GO RED!

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Whalers v. Windsor

SAT 7:05 PM

Feb 4

Celebrate good heart health with the American Heart Association! Check out the free charity hockey game between the Providence Hospital doctors before the game!

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Come out for a night of hockey fun and enjoy some cool Pepsi prizes, too!

Feb 11

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Bring a group to this exciting event and receive a discounted rate! Plus, stay after for a FREE concert after the game featuring a Detroit-based Christian Rock Band!

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SAGINAW SPIRIT

Saginaw alters team at OHL trade deadline

BY CARL CHIMENTI

T

he Saginaw Spirit were major movers in the days prior to the OHL trade deadline which officially on ended on Jan. 10.

General Manager Jim Paliafito was a busy man as he completed four separate trades that brought in players that could help this season as well as the next few years. In addition he acquired a boat load of draft picks that could turn out to be valuable prospects in the coming years, or assets for future trades.

“We are very pleased with what we got,” Paliafito said the day after the deadline. “We made a few moves, while still maintaining a competitive hockey team. We picked up some draft picks and a few young players so we were real happy as to how things went.”

To get younger, Saginaw dealt four prominent players that included forwards John McFarland and Anthony Camara and defensemen Ryan O’Connor and Jamie Oleksiak.

In Paliafito’s first trade since taking over as GM, O’Connor and Camara went to the Barrie Colts in exchange

for forward Eric Locke and goaltender Clint Windsor, both 1993 birth years.

Locke burst onto the OHL scene with the Windsor Spitfires as a rookie in 2010-11, scoring 19 goals and 33 points in 38 games before he was traded to the Colts, where he posted seven goals and 14 assists in 27 games.

Windsor’s rookie season (2010-11) is one he would rather like to forget, winning only five games for a Colts team that placed last overall in the OHL. This season has been much better, with Windsor appearing in 12 games before the trade and posting six wins, along with a 3.79 goals-against average.

Head coach Greg Gilbert believes both players will be a good fit in Saginaw.

“Eric has good skills and is a good skater. He is young and very versatile and can play in any situation,” said Gilbert, who replaced Todd Watson just before Christmas.

“Clint will give us some stability in net. He is a good, hard working, character kid.”

Windsor likes the fact that he might get more playing time.

“I am certainly glad to be here and excited about the

opportunity to play,” Windsor said. “I was sort of surprised by the trade, but Barrie was looking to improve in other areas and Saginaw was looking for some more goaltending, so this works out for both teams.”

The Spirit obtained Ottawa’s 2011 first-round OHL pick in forward David Perklin (1995 birth year), along with a fourth-round draft pick in 2014, for McFarland.

“David is a big strong kid who was not getting much ice time due to a veteran laden team,” said Gilbert. “He likes to compete and he needs to play.”

Perklin is also a player that Paliafito knows well. “I saw him in his Midget Minor season last year,” said Paliafito. “He led the OHL Cup tournament in scoring with 12 points in seven games.”

Saginaw went local for the third deal, acquiring Novi native Grant Webermin (1994 birth year), a defenseman from the Windsor Spitfires, for a pair of draft picks. The Detroit Honeybaked product is currently suffering from concussion-like symptoms and his return to the ice is unknown. He had appeared in 32 games for the Spits before the injury, scoring three goals and three assists.

“His upside made sense to us,” Paliafito said. “He adds another young talent on our back end that will help us as we move forward.”

Saginaw shipped Oleksiak to the Niagara Ice Dogs for former Spirit defensemen Frank Schumacher (1993 birth year), two prospects, forward Cristoval Nieves and goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos, along with five draft picks. Nieves is currently playing high school hockey and is committed to attend the University of Michigan next fall. Sakellaropoulos is in his first season with the Chicago Steel, of the USHL. Saginaw will have to go the route of both Saad and Oleksiak, in convincing them that the OHL is their best option. Paliafito sees strong potential in both prospects.

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Michigan Hockey

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January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

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33

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

Second year a relief for Lashoff

BY KYLE KUJAWA

G

rand Rapids Griffins fans know two versions of defenseman Brian Lashoff. The first is a freshfaced 18-year-old who jumped from his junior team in to the Griffins’ top power-play unit, chipping in five points in the final six regular season games, and five more in eight playoff contests. The second was the oft-injured edition that went goalless in 37 regular season games in his first full professional season.

Many were wondering which version was the one who would patrol the blue line in the 2010-11 season. Luckily for fans, after a rocky start, Lashoff adjusted his game and is starting to regain the form that made him a top player in the 2008-09 season.

“This year’s gone much better than last year,” said Lashoff. “Last year I dealt with some injuries. It’s tough not being in the lineup.”

Lashoff sat out two separate stretches of the season with ankle and shoulder injuries. He missed 21 games due to injury over the season, and he was never fully recovered.

The lingering effects of those injuries, coupled with the games missed throwing off his game speed, meant that Lashoff was often a healthy scratch down the stretch, when the Griffins were making a late push for the playoffs.

“Mentally, it was pretty tough to deal with,” said the 21-year-old defenseman. “I think at the end of the year, I came out stronger mentally as a person and as a hockey player.”

While some young players might get impatient and rush for a return a little too quickly, Lashoff made sure he rehabbed his injuries properly before the 2011-12 season, starting with his first stint as a “black ace” with the Detroit Red Wings during the playoffs.

“I wanted to get that out of the way with and be ready to work out everything all summer long,” the Albany, N.Y., native said. “And it was great to be a black ace at the end of the year, so I got to work out with [Chris] Chelios and [Aaron] Downey. That really kick-started my training.

“By the time I got back home and worked out in Connecticut with my brother (Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matt Lashoff), I was ready to work out right away.

It was good having a full summer to work out and prepare myself for a healthy year.”

Lashoff was healthy for the first stretch of the season, but his offense was nowhere to be found. He didn’t record his first point of the season until the Griffins’ 13th game.

It was around then that he sat down with assistant coach Jim Paek, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and veteran of 954 professional games, and made a slight adjustment to his game.

Lashoff has set a goal two get at least two shots per game, a number he achieved in eight straight games, while recording at least one shot 16 straight contests since making the adjustment. It’s a stat that sheds some light onto Lashoff ’s recent three-game goal streak and fourgame point streak.

“I want to be a guy who’s solid defensively and plays physical, but can contribute offensively every once in a

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Michigan Hockey

while,” said Lashoff. “I’ve been given a great chance this year to come and play every night and get opportunities on the power play. The goals will come if I keep shooting the puck.”

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JUNIORS PREVIEW RED WINGS INSIDER

WINGS’ REPORT CARD so far, so good

BY DAVE WADDELL

T

he Detroit Red Wings experienced a serious changing of the guard last summer with the retirement of four veterans, but the first half of the NHL season indicates little has changed in the standings.

The Wings enter the second half of their NHL season finding themselves in contention for top spot in the Western Conference and on track for their 21st consecutive playoff berth.

“We lost Brian Rafalski, Mike Modano, Chris Osgood, Kris Draper, a lot of veteran leadership, but with it there was opportunity on the ice and off the ice,” Wings’ general manager Ken Holland said.

“If we’re going to grow as an organization we needed the 20-somethings to take another step. Our 20-somethings, Jimmy Howard, Ian White, [Jiri] Hudler, [Valtteri] Filppula, [Jakub] Kindl, [Jonathan] Ericsson, [Justin] Abdelkader, [Darren] Helm, [Drew] Miller, they’ve all taken a bit of a step forward. Both statistically, but also they’ve become more important to the success of our team.

“So as I look back on the first half, we’re in the hunt with the top teams, we’ve had a lot of our 20-somethings step up and the other thing is we’ve developed better depth.

“All in all after 41 games, if you’d told me this is where we’d be coming out of training camp, we’d be pretty happy.”

The Wings have maintained their place in the NHL’s pecking order by lowering their goals against while at the same time slicing 1.3 years off the team’s average age from a year ago to bring it under 30 for the first time in more than a decade.

“When we started in the summer, the area we wanted to improve were goals against,” Holland said. “That’s really been our goal, to be a top-five team in goals against.

“Coaches implemented a new defensive scheme and I think our players have been more committed than they were a year ago.”

As of Jan. 16, Detroit was sixth in the league in goalsagainst average (2.34) compared to 23rd a year ago (2.89).

Of course a good portion of the credit for that goes to the superb play of goalie Jimmy Howard.

The 27-year-old is having a career year. He leads the league in wins and is among the leaders in goals against average (2.04) and save percentage (.924).

“I know I have the ability to put up numbers like this,” Howard said.

“Last year was a bit of a struggle. Whether it was the contract negotiations going on or putting too much pressure on myself trying to duplicate my rookie season, I can’t put my finger on it.

“I’m just going out there and being patient and stopping pucks.”

The Wings have also benefited from continued growth from forwards Darren Helm, Drew Miller and Justin

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Michigan Hockey

Abdelkader.

However, it’s the return to form of Jiri Hudler and Johan Franzen along with Valtteri Filppula having a breakout season that has helped keep the Wings among the NHL’s most potent teams.

Both Hudler and Filppula are already closing in on last year’s totals for the season.

“I wasn’t really worried about Mule (Franzen), he’ll always be up there scoring big goals for us,” Henrik Zetterberg said.

“I think both Huds and Fil really got the opportunity to play this year. A lot more ice time, more power play, so it’s fun to see them take advantage of it and play well and put some points up there.”

The most significant flaws in the Wings’ game to this point have been their erratic play on the road and a penalty kill that languishes around 81 percent.

In their first 24 road games, Detroit is 11-13-0. In contrast, the Wings have the NHL’s best winning percentage at home with a 17-2-1 mark. As of Jan. 16, the Wings had tied the club record with 15 straight home victories.

“We’ve played great at home, not too great on the road,” Dan Cleary said.

“We should be better (on the road). We believe we’re a good road team. We just haven’t really put a string together.

“In order to win our division we have to get better on the road.”

The Wings are also in the unusual position of having cap space should they choose to try and bolster their line-up by the Feb. 27 trade deadline.

Detroit ranks 19th in the league in payroll and has $5.79-million US in available cap space, according to capgeek.com.

“This year we’re well under the cap,” said Holland, who can take on more salary than virtually all of his playoff rivals. “We got lots of options as we head toward the trade deadline and hopefully we continue to win and stay up there and we can look if there’s an opportunity to make a move to make us a little deeper.”

FIRST HALF GRADES FORWARDS Pavel Datsyuk (A+): After a slow start, he’s top-10 in league scoring. He’s been simply brilliant the last couple of months and heads to his fifth All-Star Game.

Todd Bertuzzi: (B): A solid first half, but has really come on strong in the last 20 games since joining Datysuk’s line.

Johan Franzen; (B+): Back on pace to score 30-plus goals. Less streaky than last season Henrik Zetterberg (B-): A very slow start, but overall game has been slowly improving. He’s got only 8 goals and hadn’t scored in a month as of Jan. 15, but his 24 assists is second on the team.

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Valtteri Filppula (A+): Finally achieving the breakout season the Wings envisioned. Has basically matched last season’s totals in the first half.

Jiri Hudler (B): Making people forget his dreadful campaign last season. Once again an important offensive component.

Dan Cleary (B-): Terrible start, but much better in the last 20 games. Should crack 20 goals again and his versatility is invaluable.

Darren Helm (B-): Hasn’t taken the next step offensively as expected this season. However, he’s been strong in other areas and centers Detroit’s very useful third line.

Drew Miller (B+): Very solid first half has taken him out of the rotation of healthy scratches. Another versatile performer.

Tomas Holmstrom (B): Has been very effective as a fourth-line winger most of the first half. Remains the gold standard in the NHL for front net presence on the power play.

Justin Abdelkader: ( B-): Needs to contribute more offensively, but is a physical presence who leads the team in hits.

Cory Emmerton (C+): Getting his feet wet in his rookie season. Has been solid on the fourth line.

Patrick Eaves (Inc.): A healthy scratch early on and now a broken jaw has limited him to 10 games.

DEFENSEMEN Nick Lidstrom (A+): The ageless captain has been his typical self at age 41. Superb play expected and delivered.

Would’ve been an All-Star if he wanted to play in the game.

Ian White (A): One of the shrewdest pick-ups of the off season. Has made everyone forget about Brian Rafalski’s retirement.

Niklas Kronwall (B): Nine goals is great production for the half, but a minus-four drags his grade down.

Brad Stuart (B+): A physical presence every night and among the team leaders in shot blocks. A plus-10 testament to the steady play of perhaps the team’s most underrated player.

Jonathan Ericsson: (B): Will always have his critics because he’s not as physical as fans would like, but the 6-foot-4 defenseman has been consistently solid. He’s a plus-14 and has only been a minus player in five of 44 games.

Jakub Kindl (B-): Still battling with Mike Commodore for the sixth spot, Kindl has proven he can handle the load.

Kindl is a plus-7 and has formed a solid pair with Ericsson.

Mike Commodore (C+): A knee injury made him the odd-man out to start the season, but he’s worked his was back into the line-up. Has provided a gritty alternative to Kindl on the backend.

GOALTENDERS Jimmy Howard (A+): Detroit’s most important player in the first half. He leads the NHL in wins and, along with Datysuk, will represent the Wings at the All-Star Game Jan. 29 in Ottawa.

Ty Conklin (C-): Has a 3.28 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage in getting only seven starts. Played largely on the road where the team hasn’t performed as well, but hasn’t been able to steal games either.

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

JUNIORS THE LASTPREVIEW LINE

I

had the chance to be part of the Frozen Diamond Faceoff in Cleveland as the Michigan Wolverines beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 4-1. I was there covering the game for Fox Sports Detroit and it was my first opportunity to witness firsthand the phenomena that has grown over the past decade since the original outdoor event in 2001 -- dubbed the Cold War -- at Spartan Stadium between Michigan State and the University of Michigan.

The event in Cleveland intrigued me because the city is devoid of either a college team, or an NHL franchise. In fact, the city added the game as part of its Snow Days program, which began last year, where the Cleveland Indians open up Progressive Field from Thanksgiving on, building a skating track, mini-rink for toddlers and an impressive bobsled-style hill called the “Batterhorn” where kids zoom to the bottom on oversized inner tubes. The OSU vs. U of M rivalry fit the Snow Days schedule and MLB’s Indians reached out to the CCHA to see if they could make it work.

Mission accomplished. The game drew 26,000 fans and Snow Days will draw an additional 40,000-plus to Progressive Field this winter in downtown Cleveland. As I look at the proliferation of these outdoor events, the ancillary is what intrigues me. In Cleveland, youth teams, prep teams and girls’ teams all played games on the outdoor rink. It’s not quite the “if you build it, they will come” mantra, but it’s along those lines. These outdoor events become a reason to let more and more players connect with the roots of the game. In the moment, it is the time of their lives. Long-term, it ingrains a little bit of history and a touch of perspective.

Look, I get the economics of all of this. Retro sells. It’s no different than fashion recycling – look no further than skinny ties and narrow lapels, currently all the rage - hardly new, but cool as always. Just like playing hockey outdoors.

Why? Because that part of the hockey playing experience isn’t nearly as prevalent as it once was. Believe me, when I was a kid the “neat” thing to do was to play a game indoors where the big kids played Jr. A at Windsor Arena.

Now, youth players routinely face-off both there and at Compuware Arena in Plymouth where the OHL’s Whalers call home. Heck, even Mini-Mites get the opportunity to skate at intermission at the Joe as part of intermission entertainment!

So, indoors becomes commonplace, outdoors unique. Is it trendy? Sure. But it is much more than a gimmick because the exhilaration of what it is like to chase the puck around the ice in an open air environment lasts forever. Sure, some folks won’t get it. Next year’s game will take place in Ann Arbor between the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the surrounding events – including the Great Lakes Invitational – hosted downtown at Comerica Park.

The critics’ thoughts? Boring. Uncomfortable. Poor sight lines.

Talk about short-sighted. The reason the complimentary events continue to grow around the games themselves is that by staging events there is a chance to bring communities together through shared experience and interaction. Hopefully, Mr. Ilitch and the Tigers will open up the venue at Thanksgiving like the Indians do in Cleveland so everyone can be a part of what used to be common: Heading outdoors to have some winter fun. Teams from all over – on both sides of the border – would have a chance

38

Michigan Hockey

ENOUGH WITH THE CRITICS OUTDOOR HOCKEY IS GREAT FOR THE GAME

BY DARREN ELIOT

@Darren_Eliot

Darren Eliot covered the Frozen Diamond Faceoff as a TV analyst for FSD. (Michael Caples/Michigan Hockey)

to experience competing outdoors and families could enjoy a variety of outdoor winter activities.

And here’s an idea: Maybe a media game could be part of the proceedings so naysayers can participate and

MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

replace their hot air cynicism with the fresh air sensation of playing hockey outdoors.

Like the Spartans’ first notion to take the game outside in Lansing, it’s definitely worth a try… on many, many levels.

January 23, 2012 V.22 : I.12

North American Hockey League

The league of opportunity Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oldest and Largest Junior Hockey League NHL Conn Smythe and Vezina trophy winner Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins played in the NAHL

The NAHL placed over 150 players in the NCAA in 2011 28 NAHL grads par participated in the 2011 NCAA Frozen 4, starting goalies and the player that scored including both star the Game-Winning goal

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The NAHL is one of only two non-play-to-play junior leagues in the U.S., with no cost to the player.

28 teams in 14 states and British Columbia.

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