MiHockeyMag - April 23, 2012

mihockeynow.com V.22 : I.20 | April 23, 2012 FIRST CLASS

MIHOCKEY’SMIHOCKEY’S 20th 20th BANQUET OF CHAMPIONSBANQUET OF CHAMPIONS

APRIL 23, 2012 VOLUME 22: ISSUE 20

BANQUET OF CHAMPIONS

Whalers draft “The One” in fi rst-round pick Zach Bratina

Dave Waddell shares the Red Wings’ thoughts on a suspension-fi lled fi rst round of the NHL playoff s

Darren Eliot talks about what’s went right for the Blues, and wrong for the Red Wings

To advertise in MiHockey please contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or [email protected] or Michael

Caples at (248) 479-1136 or [email protected]

LOOK FOR OUR NEXT ISSUEMAY 21, 2012

22-23

30 36 38

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE LOCKER ROOM Talking hockey on Facebook and Twitter

6

SLIDESHOW Photos from across the Mitten

8

SPEAKING OF HOCKEY What are your hockey superstitions?

10

GET BETTERHold the blue line

12

YOU SHOULD KNOWGrand Rapids Griffi ns’ Mitch Callahan

14

HOMETOWN HERO The Ferris State Bulldogs

20

AMATEUR HOCKEYCatching you up on Michigan’s youth hockey teams

16

TOURNAMENT CALENDARThe latest tournament listings

19

NAHLCorpus Christi’s goalie has a busy summer ahead

26

MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKSMatt DeBlouw is ready for the NHL Draft

28

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINSRiley Sheahan is fi tting right in

34

SAGINAW SPIRIT Saginaw adds talent, depth, and speed at draft

29

PLYMOUTHWHALERS

RED WINGS INSIDER LAST LINE

We celebrate the top youth hockey teams in the state

4 MIHOCKEYMAG APRIL 23, 2012 V.22 : I.20MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

PHOTOS AT LEFT: Members of a Belle Tire youth team fl ip through our magazine (Bob Bruce/MiHockey), Zach Bratina (photo courtesy of the Plymouth Whalers), Johan Franzen and Mike Fisher (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)

COVER: Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

Cover reprints availablee-mail: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

MICHIGAN HOCKEY is published by SUBURBAN SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829. 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.

EDITORMichael [email protected]

MIHOCKEYMAG

ADVERTISINGLucia [email protected]

DESIGNEmily HustonChuck Stevens

MICHIGAN HOCKEY STAFFBrian [email protected]

DISTRIBUTIONLucia Zuzga

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTORAmy Jones

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & PROGRAMMING

Darren Eliot

BY MICHAEL CAPLESIt’s good to be back.We had a few weeks between issues for the fi rst time

in a while; though it certainly didn’t mean break time. We hosted our 20th annual Banquet of Champions on April 9, where we celebrated all the MAHA youth state champions at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. It was my fi rst time experiencing the event – none of the teams I played for growing up were able to make it that far. I enjoyed the festivities, and appreciated the fact that so many people turned out to join in honoring not only their own team, but other teams as well. It was also my fi rst true public speaking experience; hopefully I made emcee Fred Pletsch look and sound even better in his hour-plus of speaking compared to my fi ve minutes. See photos from the banquet on Pages 22-23.

As usual, we cover everything from youth hockey all the way up through the NHL in the next 35 pages. We celebrate the accomplishments of the Ferris State Bulldogs, we share some USA Hockey news, and we feature all the teams you love to follow. We also have

some great stuff from Dave Waddell on the Red Wings’ opinions of what the fi rst round of the NHL playoff s have been like, outside of their own series.

In my opinion, it’s time for the NHL players to start policing themselves. Sure, people around here aren’t too happy with Brendan Shanahan’s decision to only fi ne Shea Weber. But it really comes back to the players respecting one another on the ice. Hockey can be a physical game - obviously that’s one of the reasons we love it – but what we have seen in this fi rst round of the playoff s has been unnecessary roughness. Play tough, play hard, but don’t play to injure someone else. It’s hard to enjoy our sport at its highest level if its stars are being carted off night in and night out.

Enjoy the rest of the NHL season, everyone. Hopefully the games can be cleaned up a bit, and we can have fun watching the playoff s unfold.

See you at a rink soon,

@michaelcaples

FROM THE EDITOR

MICHIGAN HOCKEY23995 Freeway Park Drive�•�Suite 200Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829(248) 478-2500 • FAX: (248) 478-1601E-MAIL: [email protected]: mihockeynow.com T H E N E X T I S S U E

OUR ANNUAL TRAINING AND FITNESS GUIDE

TRAINING TIPS - WORK-OUT PLANS - SKILLS TO WORK ON(BOTH ON AND OFF THE ICE)

Interested in being a part of this summer’s guide to staying in hockey shape? Contact Lucia Zuzga (contact info on the left side of this page)

APRIL 23, 2012 V.22 : I.20 5MIHOCKEYMAGMIHOCKEYNOW.COM

THE LOCKER ROOM

On the eve of the Red Wings’ Game 4 match-up with the Predators, we asked our Facebook fans if they thought the Detroit could still beat Nashville and advance to the second round. Here are their responses:

Yes – 87%

No – 12%

Not sure – 1% Pure As Pond Ice, a non-profi t organization trying to help build hockey and support kids in Detroit at the same time, shared this photo on our Facebook page. Check out what they’re doing to help people at PureAsPondIce.org.

LOCKER ROOM POLL ON THE FLY

Check out how one of our Twitter followers decorated an Easter egg.

PuPuPuPPPPP rereeee AAAAAsssss PoPooondndndndd IIIIceceecee aaaa nononooonnnn prprprprp ofiofiofiofiofittttt oooorgrgrgrgaanananna izizzizatatatta ioiooionnnn trtrtrtrrt yiyyiyiyingngngngn ttttttooo hehehhellllplpll bbbbb iiuiildlddlddldd hhhoccccckkekekekeyyyy anananannndddd

Congrats to Aaron Sagraves, who was the only person to tell us on Twitter that Johan Franzen would have a big night in Game 2. “The Mule” ended up with the game-winning goal.

CC AAAA SSSS hh hh llll ll TT i hhhh

Twitter was buzzing after Shea Weber’s attack on Henrik Zetterberg at the end of Game 1.TwTwTwwwitittteteeerr wawawaaw ss bububububb zzzzz inininingggg afafafftetettterr ShShShShSheaeeaeaa WWWWW bebebebeberererrr’s’’’s’ aattttttttttacacaaa kkkk onononon HHHHenenene iriririkkkkk Zeeeettttttt ererbebbergg aaat thtththeeeee

Are you staying up to date with our state’s only USHL team? We feature them in every issue of the magazine.

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IN STORES NOW

SLIDESHOW

MICHIGAN HOCKEY IN PICTURES:

SLIDESHOW

Mike Fisher and Johan Franzen collide during Game 3. (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)

Shea Weber celebrates his Game 3 goal with Alexander Radulov and Detroit native David Legwand. (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)

Fans fi le into Joe Louis Arena before Game 4 of the Red Wings’ quarterfi nals series with the Nashville Predators. (Michael Caples/MiHockey)

Pekka Rinne routinely frustrated the Red Wings’ off ense in both games. (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)

Pavel Datsyuk tries to escape coverage during Game 4. (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)

Ian White battles Paul Gaustad for positioning in front of the Red Wings’ net during Game 4. (Tom Turrill/MiHockey)


SPEAKING OF HOCKEY

As the NHL playoff s got underway, we asked...

“What are your hockey superstitions?”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!

The “Playoff Beard” is the standard good luck charm. Andrew Stewart

I don’t communicate with one of my friends over the phone because every time we talk or text on game day they lose. Zach Russell

WIN

NE

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

I can only park on the left side of the parking lot; have to have a cup of coff ee with me; have to sit on my MLB All Star game

cushion; and when the Wings are in the playoff s I have to get my nails airbrushed with the Wings logo. — Karen Smith Strachan

Gotta wear the colors game day and Facebook photo turns upside down if they win. Laura Mysliwiec Hoskins

Wear the colors and watch all the games! Lynn Marie Vittetoe

I name all of my sticks, and have to switch between them constantly to avoid jealousy. Avrumi Lorkis

Before each game I ref, I always start with lacing the left skate then the right skate. At the beginning of each game, I have to fl ip the

puck before I drop it for the opening face-off . Norm Bona

When hockey season starts so does my beard, and I don’t shave ‘til the Cup is hoisted. Then I start alllll over again. Tony’s Pics

Wear two diff erent shoes to the rink and eat only hot dogs 48 hours before game time. Jordan Peerbolte


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YOU SHOULD KNOW

FAVORITE SPORTING EVENT:NHL Playoff s

FAVORITE BREAKFAST FOOD:Chocolate Chip Pancakes

FIRST CONCERT:Blink 182 back in Los Angeles

when I was 9

MUST-SEE TV:Jersey Shore

FAVORITE MEAL:Mongolian BBQ

IF YOU WERE GIVEN $1 MILLION, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT:

Buy a sweet house on the beach

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE WISH GRANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE:

To retire in Huntington Beach and surf every morning

FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY:Making the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets as

a walk-on

THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH:Emilie Hirsh, my favorite actor. Miley

Cyrus, I’d like to take her out for a dinner date. Mila Kunis, Because she’s

a really cool girl

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE:

Fly. I’d love to fl y

ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT:

My iPhone

WHO WAS MOST INFLUENTIAL ON YOUR HOCKEY CAREER:

My dad

Mitch CallahanGrand Rapids Griffi nsforwardWhen the Red Wings drafted Mitch Callahan in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft, they weren’t looking for the next Pavel Datsyuk. While Callahan can fi nd the back of the net, there’s a better chance that you will fi nd his name in the penalties column of the score sheet. The Whittier, Calif., native picked up 440 penalty minutes in three seasons with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League, and 103 in his fi rst season with the Griffi ns. It’s safe to say that the Wings will love to add Callahan’s grit and toughness to their line-up sometime soon.


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The 12U Michigan Icebreakers couldn’t ask for a better fi nish to their season, as they won the Tier II Little Caesars Adams Division title with a 3-2 double overtime win over the Kensington Valley Ravens on March 18 at Farmington Hills Ice Arena.

The Suburban Ice Farmington Hills-based Icebreakers posted a 16-0-2 record in the regular season, a 6-1 LCAHL tournament record and a 4-2 state tournament record.

“This was my 14th year coaching youth hockey, including nine years as a head coach and fi ve as an assistant, and it was the fi rst time we did not cut one single player that came to tryouts,” said Icebreakers head coach Rob Murphy.

“We were blessed to have some really strong defensemen with Julia Barrett, Sophia Colvin, Shannon Murphy and Sarah Chase (“The Fantastic Four”) that were dominant blueliners that ensured our team nearly always outshot our opponents,” Murphy said. “Additionally second-year

forwards Mackenzie Kamm, Courtney Wright and Mikayla Pearson provided solid leadership and strong off ense when it counted most this year.

“First-year forwards Jena Cruz, Peri Darmofal, Ruby Kolender, Sadie Storm, Kenzie Dascenzo and Maggie Convery grew as players and people and ensured the locker room was both loud and fun throughout the season. Emily Chen played both forward and defense and utilized her speed and grit to contribute at both ends of the ice. The goaltending duties fell on the reliable shoulders of Natalie Miller and Elizabeth Langley, who teamed up as good friends and great goaltenders for the Icebreakers this year.”

In addition to Murphy and Storm, the Icebreakers coaching staff included assistant coaches Philip Colvin, Tricia MacLeod and Tom Langley. Kristin Barrett and Bobbie Murphy managed the fi nancial and scheduling duties, respectively.

Congrats to the 2012 Royal Oak Flyers who won the Royal Oak Hockey Association’s bantam regular season and playoff championships.

The Flyers pulled off a 3-2 victory in overtime to capture the title. You will notice in the team picture that an octopus was thrown on the ice at the start of the game and returned to join in the victory celebration.

Michigan Icebreakers win Little Caesars title

Flyers win ROHA’s bantam title, complete with octopi

East Lansing Spartans Squirt A win South Bend Tournament

The Bantam “A” Grosse Pointe Bulldogs continued their unbelievable year-end run with a 6-5 overtime victory over the nation’s top-ranked Plymouth Stingrays in the Little Caesars’ Norris Division Championship game. The Bulldogs also defeated the Stingrays just seven days earlier in the MAHA state championship game.

Coaches Robb McIntyre, Geoff Welsher and Mark Brooks were eff usive about the team win, and the 20-game unbeaten streak (18-0-2) with which the Bulldogs

ended their season. The ’98 Bulldogs are: kneeling, L-R:

Alex Grimm, Jack Flynn, Mac Welsher, CJ Ramsdell, Andrew Tomasi, Griffi n Brooks and Harrison Griffi n. Standing, L-R: JP Navetta, Zack Pearson, Mac Cimmarrusti, Zack Kaiser, Jonathan Theros, Sam Knoblauch, Logan Jenuwine, Marshall Vyletel and Harrison Wujek. Coaches are L, Geoff Welsher and Mark Brooks; R, Head Coach Robb McIntyre.

For more information on the Bulldogs, visit www.98bulldogs.org.

The East Lansing based 02 Spartans won the South Bend Tournament held February17th-19th.

The tournament featured teams from Michigan, Chicago and 2 from Ohio.

The Spartans started at Culver Military Academy with a 4-0 win over Chicago Bruins on Friday.

On Saturday morning at Norte Dame University, the Spartans came back twice from a 2 goal defi cit to beat Elyria Panthers 5-4. Saturday night, the Spartans beat Jaguars Squirt 1 team 5-4.

Sunday morning in the Championship Game against Elyria, the Spartans once again came back from a two goal defi cit to win 40 seconds into overtime with the score 3-2 to claim their 1st ever championship.

The team consists of Coaches: Dave M, Heather D, Andrew S, and Dave D.

Players: Jackson M, Isabelle G, Jonathon L, Cooper D, Riley D, William B, Carter S,

Liam M, Lucus W, Connor G, Carson F, Evan B, Ethan B, Ryan K, Anabelle S.

Bantam A Bulldogs win Norris Division Little Caesars championship


AMATEUR HOCKEY

MiHockey remembers the founder of “The Toy Store for the Hockey Player” Bob Perani.

Thanks for all you did for our game.

The O’Leary Hawks won the Women’s Sr. B State Championship on March 4th at the Taylor Sportsplex beating their rival Team Ices 3-2 in the championship game.

The Hawks started off the tournament beating Mission 10-3. The Hawks jumped out to 7-0 lead after 1 period, and never looked back. Vicki Crimmins and Carrie Sirola scored hat-tricks, while Suzy Pocock got 2 goals, and Sammy Irvin and Sara Sharp each got a goal each.

Game 2 for the Hawks was against Belle Tire, and the Hawks jumped out early in the fi rst with 2 goals by Kelly Cahill and Marcie Walker. They scored 2 more in the 2nd by Amy Pattie and Suzy Pocock, and then put the game away in the 3rd with 4 more goals (2 from Irvin, and 1 from Sirola and Cahill), to take the 8-0 victory. Hawks goalie Lilly Pritula got the shutout.

The Hawks jumped out to an early 3-1 lead with 2 goals from Pocock, and 1 from Cahill. Team Ices never quit though and scored 2 goals to tie the game at three and send it into overtime. A little over a minute into OT, Kelly Gittleman scored the winner.

The Hawks were determined not to let

Saturday’s results ruin their fi nal game, and started off with the fi rst goal by Pocock 3 minutes into the game. Ices would answer back with a goal by Glenn a minute later. The Hawks fi nally scored a PP goal (by Cahill), with 1 minute left in the second period. The Hawks (Pocock) then scored an unassisted goal with 8 minutes left for a 3-1 lead. Team Ices still didn’t quit and scored with 6 minutes left to bring it back to a 1 goal game. In the fi nal minutes of the game, the Hawks kept the pressure on Team Ices, so that they couldn’t even pull their goalie.

The O’Leary Hawks team is : Crystal Miotke, Kim Kelemen, Dori Borden, Sara Sharp, Amy Pattie, Vicki Crimmins, Sammy Irvin, Wendy Stibitz, Melanie Beaulieu, Kelly Cahill, Marcie Walker, Carrie Sirola, Kelly Hamilton, Tonya Hazzard, Nicole Falardeau, Michelle Saunders, Suzy Pocock, Kristina Lince, Melanie Hamilton, Lilly Pritula, & Rhonda Carveth. The Hawks are coached by Andrea Layman, and their team sponsor is John O’Leary’s State Farm Insurance.

The U.S. Women’s National Team fell to Canada 5-4 in overtime of the gold medal game in the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship on April 15. That meant a silver medal for a U.S. squad that posted an impressive 4-0-1-0 record throughout the tournament, held in Burlington, Vt.

“I’m extremely proud of how our kids

battled out of a major hole that we were in against a really good team,” Katey Stone, head coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, told USAHockey.com after the game. “We got ourselves in a position to win the game, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

Taylor Wasylk (Port Huron) was the lone Michigan-born player on the team.

The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team was able to successfully defend their world title when they won the 2012 International Paralympic Committee Ice

Sledge Hockey World Championship in Hamar, Norway. After topping Canada 2-1 in the semifi nals, Team USA beat Korea 5-1 in the gold medal game.

The U.S. squad competing in the IIHF Men’s World Under-18 championship in the Czech Republic has plenty of Michigan representatives. Defensemen Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester), along with forwards Riley Barber (Livonia) and Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor), have led the

American team to a 4-0 record in their fi rst three contests. The U.S. team has outscored opponents Finland, Czech Republic, Denmark and Canada by a combined score of 18-3. They earned a bye to the semifi nals with their blemish-free preliminaries.

O’Leary Hawks win Women’s O’Leary Hawks win Women’s Senior B State ChampionshipSenior B State Championship

United States Women’s National Team captures silver in Vermont

USA HOCKEY UPDATES

National Sled Hockey Team defends world title

Men’s U18s off to strong start

O’Leary Hawks win Women’s Senior B State Championship

COMMENTS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PAGE:“A great man that made unbelievable contributions to the development of the game. He will be missed.”- Sparky Nitchman

“This is sad. He helped me pick out my fi rst pair of goalie skates and glove and blocker about 20 years ago.”- Brandon Dutcher

“The Michigan Hockey Equipment Guru, RIP Mr. Perani.”- John A. Ulicne

“Mr. Perani was a innovator, creator and leader in the world of hockey retailing. He and his terrifi c team created a better model with great customer care and super sized “wow” stores that attract customers from throughout North America and beyond. Thanks for all the support, passion and fuel that have helped grow the game. RIP.”- Rob Murphy


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OCTOBER 2012Otsego County SportsplexGaylord, MIAAA Early Bird TournamentOctober 5 – 7, 20124 game guaranteeLevel: 20008 team limitJim Driver 989-858-3400Email: [email protected]

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

COMPLETE AND UP-TO-DATETOURNAMENT LISTINGS AT

MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

APRIL 2012Oakland Edge Adult Hockey TournamentRochester, MIApril 20-22, 2012Men’s A-D & 50+; Women’s Open age 21&U; Sled Division co-ed – age 15&[email protected] www.oaklandedge.com

Ferris State University’s 3 on 3 Hockey TournamentsBig Rapids, MIApril 20-22, 2012Squirt & Pee Wee House; Squirt A-AA, Pee Wee A-AA; Girls 10&U, 14&U, Girls High School and Midget AA-AAA231-591-2881

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HOMETOWN HEROES

20 MIHOCKEYMAG

FERRIS STATEThe Michigan-born players on the Bulldogs roster

APRIL 23, 2012 V.22 : I.20 21MIHOCKEYNOW.COM

2012 BANQUET OF CHAMPIONS2012 BANQUET OF


2012 BANQUET OF CHAMPIONSF CHAMPIONS SEE MORE PHOTOS ATMiHockeyNow.com


PLAYER: AJ MARTINELLI

POSITION: DEFENSE

Congratulations AJ!!

won it in 2012! Congrats to you and your teammates and the entire Grizzly family!

You are a true champion in every sense of the word!

The Martinelli family

99 OAKLAND JR. GRIZZLIES

Congratulations

Christopher!We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished!

You continue to do amazing things.

Love, your family

LIVONIA 12U KNIGHTSALYSSA MASSA #5

Congratulations Alyssa!We are proud of you.

Love, Mom, Dad, and Chris

Congratulations Daniel! We

are very proud of you and your

accomplishments this season. You will

remember this for the rest of your life

and it is a great reward for all of your

hard work and perseverance. Keep

working hard and don’t ever give up!

Love, Dad, Mom and Rachel

Grosse Ile Islanders Pee Wee A

State Champions

DANIEL BAJADANIEL BAJA

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CONGRATULATIONS WARRIORS2012 MIDGET B STATE CHAMPIONS

Warriors thank you for giving me the opportunity to coach such a great

— Coach Dan

— Mike & Christy Wheeler

Mom, Dad & Jess

The Kolbiczs

The Fords

The Hodges

— The Noels

that you are. — Love you guys Rob & Jen Otte

everyone for a fantastic season. — Pam Pilver

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Love Mom and Dad

— Mike Pilver

Mike

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the league of opportunity

Corpus Christi goalie Stolarz has ‘busy summer ahead’

NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

BY MATT MACKINDER

Not only does Corpus Christi IceRays’ goalie Anthony Stolarz have a chance to get drafted by an NHL team in June, odds are he may hear his name called pretty early – some scouts suggest as early as late in the second round.

Stolarz had a fast start to the season and saw his name on the “Hot List” of potential future NHL prospects. His stellar play continued and he later committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The best came in early April when Stolarz was ranked fourth among all North American draft-eligible goalies by NHL Central Scouting. He is the only NAHL player ranked for the draft.

“Although these rankings are still not 100 percent indicative of the draft, Anthony is in a class of elite goaltenders and this makes for an exciting couple months leading up to the NHL Entry Draft in June,” said Corpus Christi coach Justin Quenneville.

In January, NHL Central Scouting ranked Stolarz 21st among North American goaltenders.

“It is an honor to be on the list,” said Stolarz. “I am so happy I can represent the IceRays organization, as well as the NAHL, but I’d also like to thank them for giving me the opportunity to be seen by such prestigious scouts. Now, I must continue to work hard and just wait and see what happens when draft day comes around.”

In February, the NAHL selected Stolarz to play between the pipes at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Troy, a place he shined as part of the NAHL 18U Selects team. Stolarz put in two memorable performances to vault himself up the Central Scouting rankings

“Anthony has been on nearly every NHL team’s radar throughout the season,” Quenneville added. “He has a very busy summer ahead of him.”

NAHL SHATTERS ATTENDANCE RECORDSDuring the 2011-12 season, the NAHL welcomed a record

1,128,098 fans to see a total of 840 regular-season league games in 28 cities and at the NAHL Showcase to start the season in Blaine, Minn.

The NAHL had a record number of teams (28) this past season, but the league average of 1,342 fans per game was also an NAHL record.

“Our teams have done a tremendous job of promoting our game and the players play with an exuberance and passion that translates into a competitive atmosphere on the ice,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. “I think fans enjoy the family fun entertainment and the ability to be up close and part of clubs and players with their community-based initiatives. Not only does the NAHL provide players with an opportunity to develop their hockey careers and advance to the next level, but it

THE LATEST HEADLINES, CONTACT INFO, FULL SCHDULE & MORENAHL.COM

also provides fans in the respective NAHL communities a very exciting and entertaining product to watch.”

The Fresno Monsters ranked No. 1 in team attendance with 106,718 fans, an average of 3,557 fans per game – a better attendance average than some NCAA Division I programs.

GRANITE CITY WINS NA3HL CHAMPIONSHIPThe Granite City Lumberjacks were crowned champions

of the North American 3 Hockey League on April 2 at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in suburban Chicago as they defeated the St. Louis Jr. Blues 2-1 to win the inaugural 3HL Silver Cup.

“I think the team had tremendous focus today and pulled together all tournament long to get the job done,” said Lumberjacks’ coach Brad Willner. “Their injured teammate Ezra McPhail was in the back of their mind and in the end, I knew they wanted to win it for him.”

Lumberjacks goaltender Matt Grove, also the NA3HL MVP and goaltender of the year, fi nished with 19 saves in the win, while Mitch Fernsler made 32 stops for St. Louis.

Kyle Castle and Trevor Ness scored for Granite City and Trace Jablin tallied the lone marker for St. Louis.

Other NA3HL award winners included Granite City’s Peter Lindblad (forward of the year), Cleveland forward and Howell native Cameron Dimmitt (rookie of the year), Cleveland defenseman Steve Lecey (defenseman of the year), Jablin (academic achievement), Chicago forward Jeremy Edwards (community service), North Iowa’s Todd Sanden (coach of the year), Willner (GM of the year) and Granite City (organization of the year).

All-3HL First TeamForwards Cameron Dimmitt, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks

Forward: Peter Lindblad, Granite City Lumberjacks

Forward: Steve Klisz, Metro Jets

Defense: Steve Lecey, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks

Defense: Nick Zierden, Granite City Lumberjacks

Goaltender: Matt Grove, Granite City Lumberjacks

All-3HL Second TeamForward: Matt Kroska, North Iowa Bulls

Forward: Michael Mikulan, Peoria Mustangs

Forward: Nico Vecchio, Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins

Defense: Nikolas Sakellaropoulos, Peoria Mustangs

Defense: Joe Bowler, St. Louis Jr. Blues

Goaltender: Ben Myers, Flint Jr. Generals

MORE NAPHL PLAYERS ON THE MOVEA pair of North American Prospects Hockey League

players have signed tenders to play in the NAHL next season.

Connor Webb (South Lyon), a goaltender for the Lansing Capitals 18U team, has signed with the Michigan Warriors, while Detroit Falcons 18U defenseman Kurt Gosselin (Brighton) has inked with the Soo Eagles.

To date, 43 PHL players have signed 2011-12 NAHL tenders.

Omaha Lancers 16U forward Chris Wilkie has committed to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the 2012-13 season and will compete with the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

Wilkie accumulated 22 goals and 48 points in 18 NAPHL games. He led the NAPHL in points and power-play goals (10). He also skated in four playoff games with the Lancers, netting three goals and adding 10 assists.

Anothony Stolarz

Granite City Lumberjacks


“It can be tough to play hockey and balance your academics, but in the

end you are rewarded with a college degree and you get to pursue your

hockey career.”

JUSTIN ABDELKADERMichigan State University

Play It Smart. Play College Hockey.www.collegehockeyinc.com

Detroit Red Wings

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MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS

MUSKEGON, Mich. – The United States Hockey League had 40 players chosen in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., a new high for America’s premier junior circuit.

This June, the venue will switch to Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center, but the USHL’s yield of drafted players fi gures to challenge last year’s impressive total, if not surpass it.

According to NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings, which were released April 9, 45 young men who played in the USHL this season are on track to have their names called in western Pennsylvania June 22-23.

Among those top prospects was Muskegon Lumberjacks second-year center Matt DeBlouw, who was listed at No. 51 among skaters from North American leagues. The impressive ranking put the Chesterfi eld, Mich., native 11th among his USHL peers, including 16 from the Ann Arbor-based National Team Development Program and representatives from 10 other league clubs.

“It’s a tremendous feeling to be recognized with some great players,” said DeBlouw, who battled back from a ruptured spleen last year to be the team’s No. 2 scorer this season, netting 34 points in 58 games. “I’m planning on attending the draft and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Skating ability is critically important in the modern NHL, and the 6-foot-1 DeBlouw’s seemingly eff ortless strides stand out immediately upon fi rst glance. His explosive speed is in the same category as Dubuque Fighting Saints star Zemgus Girgensons, a Latvian native who is projected to go in the fi rst round this June.

“I just like [DeBlouw’s] presence on the ice, the way he competes and presents himself,” NHL Central Scouting’s Dave Gregory told NHL.com last fall. DeBlouw’s quick release of his surprisingly heavy shot has also earned raves.

DeBlouw certainly presented himself well last spring, when as a rookie he led the Lumberjacks in playoff scoring,

picking up eight points (three goals) in six postseason tilts. This year, he started briskly – eight points in his fi rst nine games – and polished the season off with fi ve multipoint eff orts in the last two months.

But as a returner from Muskegon’s inaugural USHL entry, DeBlouw certainly wasn’t pleased with the Lumberjacks’ eighth-place fi nish in the Eastern Conference this season. Despite that disappointment though, he looks at the stalled campaign as a growth experience.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs,” DeBlouw said during the fi nal week of the season. “But I think the downs have made me a better player.”

DeBlouw, who will head to Michigan State University in the fall to play for head coach Tom Anastos, totaled 13 goals and 27 assists in 91 career USHL games. After his nearly catastrophic injury in 2010-11, he used this season to round out his game in preparation for NCAA competition.

“I think I’ve improved as an overall player,” said the former Little Caesars midget major standout. “My main focus this year has been playing a team game and working well with my teammates. I have to give a lot of credit to my linemates and the Lumberjacks organization for helping me improve and get stronger.”

Combine last season’s medical concerns with this season’s lack of team success, and DeBlouw has developed a much more resilient mindset than what he had when he was taken in the second round of the 2010 USHL Entry Draft.

“When it gets tough, you’ve got to go harder,” he said. “You can’t focus at the adversity. Just keep playing your hardest.”

It’s an admirable attitude that has gotten him noticed by NHL scouts, and now DeBlouw waits to see where his athletic aspirations may ultimately take him. It’ll be diffi cult until then, but he’s certainly been through worse.

Matt Gajtka is the Communications Director and Broadcaster for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Reach him at [email protected].

BY MATT GAJTKA

MATT DEBLOUWMATT DEBLOUW

is ready for the NHL Draftis ready for the NHL Draft


SAGINAW SPIRIT

Jim Paliatifo said he kept things pretty simple during his fi rst Ontario Hockey League draft as GM of the Saginaw Spirit – he picked whatever talent he could fi nd.

It still worked out to be a pretty balanced draft for the Spirit, who selected nine forwards, six defensemen, and one goaltender in the online draft, held on April 7.

“We just went with the best player as we continued to move from round to round,” Paliafi to said.

With their fi rst pick (12th overall), Saginaw selected Jeremiah Addison, a left winger from the Toronto Marlboros, one of the top midget minor teams in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. Addison was one of twelve players selected from the team during the 15-round draft that lasted well over seven hours to complete. The 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pound forward scored 28 goals and 46 points last season. Addison is expected to bring both speed and pure scoring abilities to the Spirit roster next season.

“Jeremiah has a real good compete level and along with his off ensive talent he also has a great shot,” said Paliafi to. “He is someone we had targeted and we are really happy to have him on our team.”

Saginaw got bigger on the back-end after selecting 6-foot-3-inch, 211-pound defenseman Brandon Prophet with the fi rst of their two second round picks (32nd overall). For all his size, Prophet has both an off ensive upside and a mean streak, scoring eight goals and 24 points in 30 games last season for the Upper Canada Cyclones, along with 50 penalty minutes.

“We felt we needed to add size to the blue line and Prophet addresses that need,” said Paliafi to. “Brandon is a very mature kid with leadership qualities. He is a shut-down defenseman who has off ensive skills. Just a good character kid and we are very excited in what he will bring

to the Spirit.” Dylan Sadowy, a 6-foot, 160-pound left winger, was

also selected in the second round (37th overall). He is a graduate of the Vaughn Kings Minor Midget program, another GTHL team. Sadowy should add some scoring punch to the Spirit forwards, as they look to replace their top scoring line of Michael Fine, Josh Shalla and Brandon Saad who will all move on to the professional ranks next season.

“He is a great skater and one of the smartest players on the ice,” said Paliafi to. “A great playmaker but again it was his hockey sense that attracted us to draft him.”

Saginaw also had two picks in the third round, where they selected another left winger, Kris Bennett from the North York Rangers (50th overall), and defenseman Trevor Abbott from the London Knights Gold minor midget team (62nd overall). Bennett is small in size (5-foot-9, 145-pounds), but that did not stop his off ensive production, as he averaged a point a game this past season.

“Kris is a skilled player and a great skater,” said Paliafi to. “As he fi lls out and gets a little stronger he has a great chance to be a goal scorer and a consistent point producer in the Ontario Hockey League.”

Abbott is an off ensive defenseman with good size (6-foot, 178-pounds), who posted 8 goals and 45 points in 41 games last season.

“Trevor is a player that we had rated very high and for some reason slipped to the third round and we’re very happy that he was still available,” said Paliafi to. “He is a kid who physically has the ability to be able to play in the league next year.”

Overall, Paliafi to was quite pleased with the draft. “We expect three of our kids from this year’s priority

draft to make our team next year as we continue to go with the youth as they develop like we have done in past.”

A complete list of the Spirit draft selections:1st round, Jeremiah Addison, LW, Toronto Marlboros 2nd round, Brandon Prophet, LD, Upper Canada Cyclones2nd round, Dylan Sadowy, LW, Vaughan Kings3rd round, Kris Bennett, LW, North York Rangers3rd round, Trevor Abbott, LD, London Knights Gold5th round, Brandon Lindberg, LC, Waterloo Wolves5th round, Brandon Lukezic, RD, Vaughan Kings6th round, Connor Graham, LW, Toronto Marlboros7th round, Lucas Martellacci, LW, Toronto Marlies7th round, Mark Jankowski, LC, Stanstead9th round, Boyd Diclemente, G, Peterborough Petes10th round, Michael Prapavessis, LD, Mississauga Rebels12th round, T.J. Melancon, RD, Oshawa13th round, Quinn Syrydiuk, RW, Jr. Canadiens14th round, Kyle Connor, LW, Detroit Belle Tire U16’s15th round, Carter Landry, RD, Whitby Wildcats

Greg Gilbert – recently named OHL Coach of the Year – will have some new talent to work with next season. (Photo courtesy OHL Images)

BY CARL CHIMENTI


PLYMOUTH WHALERS

Zach Bratina is sure to become a household name around the Ontario Hockey League in short order.

The Plymouth Whalers’ fi rst-round pick (19th overall) during the OHL draft on April 7, Bratina was tabbed “The One” last summer after scoring the highest SPARQ rating in physical combines conducted in Ontario last summer.

SPARQ is an acronym that stands for speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness.

Bratina is equally as good on the ice, as the 16-year-old from Lindsay, Ont., scored 22 goals and added 21 assists with 60 penalty minutes in 30 games with the Central Ontario Wolves minor midget team this past season.

Even OHL Central Scouting thinks Plymouth got a steal at pick No. 19.

“Zach’s a very smart hockey player,” said OHL director of central scouting Darrell Woodley. “The puck really follows him around the ice. He has good vision and the ability to score, coming out of the corners or in tight around the net.”

Bratina, who trains with former NHL star Gary Roberts, was in Plymouth last week with his parents to visit Compuware Arena, meet the team and tour the city.

“I’m defi nitely excited to be a Whaler now and the arena seems to be looking nice,” Bratina told PlymouthWhalers.com. “The room and the guys have been very welcoming so far.”

Bratina described his game as that of a playmaker and a two-way player – something that should help him fi t in with Plymouth next season and not miss a beat.

“I fi nd that I’m good at fi nding open ice up in the front of the ice,” added the 6-foot-1, 165-pound Bratina.

In the second round, Plymouth went for a family aff air as the Whalers chose 6-foot-4 defenseman Alex Peters from the Huron Perth Lakers minor midgets. Peters is the younger brother of former Whalers goaltender Justin Peters (2005-06), who is now in the Carolina Hurricanes’ system.

Peters scored 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points in 58 games this past season for the Lakers.

Plymouth took another member of its extended family with current forward Tom Wilson’s brother, defenseman James Wilson, in the tenth round.

The Whalers went with another player they know in the fourth round, taking high-scoring forward Sonny Milano from the Cleveland Barons U16 team. Milano scored 63 goals and 57 points for 120 points in 64 games. Plymouth director of scouting Don Harkins is an assistant coach with the team. Milano is committed to playing for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program next season, as is fi fth-round pick Josh Wesley from the Carolina Hurricanes U16 outfi t. Wesley is the son of former NHL defenseman and current Hurricanes director of defensive development Glen Wesley.

Plymouth selected its fi rst and only goaltender of the draft in the sixth round in Belle Tire midget minor’s Alex

Nedeljkovic, who registered a 1.88 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in 18 games last season.

The rest of the draft was spent on mid-level players and late-round fl yers that may or may not turn into OHL players. With one of their eighth round picks, the Whalers grabbed off ensive defenseman Daniel Willett from the New Jersey Rockets of the Metro Junior Hockey League. Willett, who scored 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 68 games, verbally committed to Northeastern University last September for either 2014 or 2015.

Defenseman Jake Linhart and forward Seamus Malone from the Chicago Mission U16 team were drafted by the Whalers in the ninth and 14th round, respectively, to round out their American draft picks. Both players have committed to the University of Wisconsin.

PLYMOUTH 2012 OHL DRAFT PICKS1st round, Zach Bratina, LW, Central Ontario Wolves

2nd round, Alex Peters, LD, Huron-Perth Lakers

4th round, Sonny Milano, LC, Cleveland Barons U16

5th round, Joshua Wesley, LD, Carolina Hurricanes U16

6th round, Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Belle Tire U16

7th round, Mathieu Henderson, LD, Brantford 99ers

7th round, Liam Grande, RW, Whitby Wildcats

8th round, Daniel Willett, RD, New Jersey Rockets

8th round, Mitchell Smith, LW, Toronto Young Nationals

9th round, Jake Linhart, RD, Chicago Mission U16

10th round, James Wilson, LD, Jr. Canadiens

11th round, Patrick Kudla, LW, Guelph

12th round, Kyler Challis, RD, Whitby Wildcats

14th round, Seamus Malone, LC, Chicago Mission U16

15th round, Camden VanBrocklin, LD, NPI Leafs

Whalers draft “THE ONE” BY MATT MACKINDER

in fi rst-round pick Bratina

Zach Bratina

Sonny Milano

Kyler Challis


March 23rd thru End of April2012 OHL PLAYOFFSJOIN THE PARTY!

Visit plymouthwhalers.com for game schedule and more details!

Be part of the most exciting hockey of the year!

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POWER SKATING FOCUS: Forward & Backward Stride

CORE SKILLS FOCUS: Forehand/Backhand

Instructional Scrimmage

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CORE SKILLS FOCUS: Deceptive Dekes

OFF-ICE FOCUS:

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AGES 11-14


NHL PREVIEW

BY KYLE KUJAWA

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

It’s easy to forget that at 21 years old, Tomas Tatar is one of the most veteran players on the Grand Rapids Griffi ns, having just completed his third season with the team.

In his three seasons, Tatar has experienced his fair share of ups and downs. Aside from the opponents he faces each week in the AHL, this year the Ilava, Slovakia, native found himself battling a new rival at every turn – Lady Luck.

“I think I played great, but I didn’t produce like I should,” said Tatar. “It’s hockey – you can’t expect every season to be really good.”

As the Griffi ns’ 16th season ended on March 15, Tatar found himself winning the battle. He was a big part of the team’s playoff push, recording 12 points (7-5-12) over the team’s fi nal 10 games and ending the season on a seven-game point streak (5-4-9). He was held pointless in just four of the team’s last 17 games, and he enjoyed two-goal games on three diff erent occasions during that stretch.

“Right now, it seems that my luck has turned, and I’ve started to produce,” he said. “The puck’s just coming to me and starting to chase me around the ice now. I feel lucky.”

While the skilled winger maintains that he had an off

year, he still tied for the team lead in scoring with 58 points (24-34—58) in 76 games and led the team with 224 shots. He tied his career-high in goals and set new bests in assists and points. He was one of just three Griffi ns (along with Jamie Johnson and Brian Lashoff ) to play in all 76 games.

“My season was up and down,” he said. “I expected a little more. I’m not really happy that we didn’t make the playoff s.”

Tatar played well enough to earn two call-ups to Detroit. In both instances, he was slated to be the replacement for a regular who was considered a game-time decision, and both times, he sat in the press box. Having played nine NHL games in 2010-11, Tatar admitted that his game was thrown off after not getting another shot in the big league, but he knows that the organization still thinks highly of him.

“It might stay in your head, you wonder what’s happening,” said Tatar. “If you think about it on the ice, you start making some mistakes. The whole season, I just missed a little luck.”

The 5-foot-10-inch, 186-pound forward is hoping that luck stays with him, as his season won’t be ending with Grand Rapids. He’ll take in a few playoff games and practice with Detroit as a “Black Ace” – a spare who doesn’t play – but he doesn’t intend to stick around for the entire playoff run.

“It would be nice to play in some games, but I don’t wish anybody an injury,” Tatar said. “I like all the guys up there. I’ll be staying in Detroit for about one week, but after I will join Slovakia and go to Sweden for the World Championships.”

Tatar has found a lot of success playing internationally. He burst onto the stage at the 2009 World Junior Championship, helping his country to a fourth-place fi nish by leading the team with 11 points (7-4—11) in seven games, while boosting his draft stock high enough to be selected in the second round (60th overall) by Detroit the following June.

He debuted for the men’s team following his AHL rookie season at the 2010 World Championships, potting two

goals in six games. Now more adjusted to the pro game, Tatar is looking forward to gaining more experience against NHL competition at this year’s tournament.

“It’s a really good experience,” said Tatar, who will be skating alongside NHLers like Buff alo’s Andrej Sekera and the NY Islanders’ Milan Jurcina. “I saw a couple rosters from Team Canada and Team USA, and they look really good. There’s a lot of guys who are experienced in the NHL, so it will be really interesting.”

Tatar hopes to parlay a strong tournament into a full-time NHL job come September. However, due to his young age and early start to his professional career, he will still have the option of playing in Grand Rapids for a fourth season without having to pass through waivers. Should that happen, Tatar will continue to cement himself as one of the best off ensive players the Griffi ns have ever had, as he fi nished the 2011-12 season sitting eighth in franchise history with 147 points with 64 goals (8th) and 83 assists (10th).

“It’s kind of funny, since I came here so young I’ve played in lots of games for the Griffi ns,” he said. “If I stay a couple more years, I could get pretty high with the stats. I’m not really trying to do anything to get to the top, but I’m just going to try to produce for the team. If it comes, then that’s good.”

Just as Tatar was discussing his place in Griffi ns’ history, Francis Pare, who sits second all-time with 80 goals, walked past and saw an opportunity to razz his teammate.

“He’s trying to catch Frankie Pare,” said Pare. “That’s why he doesn’t want to pass me the puck in the last two weeks.”

“It’s totally true, I’m trying to catch up,” joked Tatar.Much like his role on the ice, Tatar’s off -ice role has

expanded as he’s grown more comfortable with the North American game. If he does crack Detroit’s lineup next season, the Griffi ns locker room will feel much diff erent without the energetic Tatar’s familiar personality.

“I think it comes natural to me,” he said. “I hate it when it’s quiet in the locker room, it’s a little awkward. I love to make people laugh, so I think it’s my job to make a good atmosphere in the locker room.”

TOMAS TATAR BATTLES

WITH LUCK


Squirt A 2003 Tuesday May 29 6:00-7:00 pm PIC/NHLWednesday May 30 6:00-7:00 pm PIC/NHL Head Coach: Scott Jeffreys [email protected] Squirt AA 2002 EliteTuesday May 29 7:00-8:00 pm PIC/NHL Wednesday May 30 7:00-8:00 pm PIC/NHL Head Coach: Mark Beaufait [email protected] Pee Wee A 2001 Tuesday May 29 6:00-7:00 pm Griffs Wednesday May 30 6:00-7:00 pm GriffsFriday June 1 6:00-7:00 pm Griffs Head Coach: Mike Kaminski [email protected] Pee Wee AA 2000 Tuesday May 29 6:00-7:00 pm PIC/OLY Thursday May 31 6:00-7:00 pm PIC/OLY Head coach: Bill Brewer 616-540-4860 [email protected] Bantam A 1999 Elite Tuesday May 29 7:00-8:00 pm Griffs Wednesday May 30 5:00-6:00 pm PIC/NHL Head Coach: Robert Nilsson 616-240-3243 [email protected]

Bantam A 1999 Thursday May 31 7:00-8:00 pm PIC/NHLMonday June 4 7:00-8:00 pm PIC/NHL Head Coach: Dave Clay 616-450-6623 [email protected]

Bantam AA 1998 EliteTuesday May 29 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/NHLWednesday May 30 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/NHLThursday May 31 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/OLY Head Coach: Shawn Zimmerman 616-583-2262 [email protected] Midget 16U-LCAHL 1996-1997Tuesday May 29 8:30-9:30 pm PIC/OLYWednesday May 30 8:30-9:30 pm PIC/OLYFriday June 1 9:00-10:00 pm PIC/OLY Head Coach: Darrel Newman 616-893-3634 [email protected] Midget A/JV 1996-1997Thursday May 31 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/NHLFriday June 1 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/NHL Monday June 4 8:00-9:00 pm PIC/NHL Head Coach: Greg Lankfer 616-890-2135 [email protected]

Girls Travel Teams LCAHL Girls 12U LCAHL Tier 2Wednesday May 30 6:00-7:00 pm GriffsThursday May 31 6:00-7:00 pm GriffsSaturday June 2 3:00-4:00 pm Griffs Head Coach: Kenzie Homer [email protected] Girls 14 & 16U LCAHLWednesday May 30 7:00-8:00 pm GriffsThursday May 31 7:00-8:00 pm GriffsSaturday June 2 4:00-5:00 pm Griffs Head Coach 14U: Joe Conners [email protected] Coach 16U: Katie O'Brien [email protected]

GRAHA

Travel Tryouts 2012

Tryout Fee $30 per player per team | Final skate is invitation only if offered!

Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association | 616-285-4600 | www.graha.org

JUNIORS PREVIEWRED WINGS INSIDER

BY DAVE WADDELL

It may have started out with the ugly scene of Predators’ defenseman Shea Weber slamming Red Wing forward Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass in Game 1, but the Nashville-Detroit series is looking absolutely tame compared

to several of the other NHL fi rst-round encounters.Even players who have been through the NHL’s playoff wars

for a decade are surprised how quickly some series have become littered with ugly, cheap-shots and head hunting.

“I feel a little bit embarrassed at times when it goes back and forth,” Nashville forward Mike Fisher said.

“To me that’s not hockey. I don’t like to see it. “I don’t mind fi ghting and intensity, but the cheap shots are

going too far.“The league has to take charge. I know emotions are higher in

playoff s and there’s more on the line, but you got to play within the rules.”

However, Detroit’s Brad Stuart and Drew Miller admitted they noticed the dwindling number of, and length of, suspensions handed down by the league as the season wore on. The waters were further muddied by NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan’s comments on the changing standards of enforcement just before the playoff s began.

“I did read a comment right from Shanahan that mentioned discipline in the playoff s might be diff erent than it was during the regular season because playoff games are more important to guys,” Stuart said.

“They might take a one-game suspension in the playoff s that might be worth three or four during the regular season, which kind of sends mixed signals.

“If you can go after a superstar and get one game for it, knock him out for three or four games, whose got the advantage there?

“It does send a mixed message.”Stuart said the only way the league is going to get a handle on

this problem is by consistent enforcement. “As players, I think consistency is something that would be

more eff ective,” Stuart said. Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall was more forgiving on

what he’s seen on the highlights. He’s willing to give players the benefi t of the doubt about their moments of madness.

“I think there are a lot of emotions out there,” Kronwall said. “Everyone wants to win. It’s the playoff s and you’re doing

everything you can and sometimes emotions get the best of you and you do things that you don’t necessarily mean to do.

“I also think some teams don’t seem to like each other.”While that’s certainly the case in Philadelphia-Pittsburgh

series, it doesn’t provide any reason for the incidents between New York-Ottawa, Chicago-Phoenix or San Jose-St. Louis.

None of those teams has any recent playoff history between them to account for lingering bad blood.

“Some of the hits, the respect level just doesn’t seem to be out there,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said.

“The way some guys are head-hunting, it seems the way we’re going right now it’s like we’re back in the old days. [Goalie] pretty much is the safest place on the ice surface right now.”

Nashville color analyst Terry Crisp, who played for Philadelphia’s Broad Street Bullies in the 1970s, said what he saw over the weekend bears no resemblance to his playing days.

“If you delivered a cheap-shot back in my day, when you went into the dressing room you’d get crap from your teammates,” Crisp said. “They’d chew you out. They knew because of what you did, one of them probably would have to answer for it.

“You didn’t have this stuff because your own teammates policed it.”

Crisp added guys would just drop the gloves and settle the score immediately rather than hunt for a chance to run a guy.

“What I’m seeing is dangerous crap,” Crisp said.“Yes, we fought but it was face-to-face and the worst you’d

normally get was a stitch or two or a bloody nose. There was more respect.

“These guys are such great athletes in the NHL. There’s no excuse that they can’t stop or turn to avoid these things like (James) Neal on (Sean) Couturier.

“The way they can skate, they can turn on a dime and give you nine cents change.”

Stuart paused as he searched for words to describe how he felt watching some of his peers’ antics over the weekend.

“I don’t know if it’s embarrassing, but it’s probably not the way we want to get ourselves on ESPN,” Stuart said.

“I’m watching ESPN and they showed one goal from the Philly game and then three or four fi ghts and all the other hits and (cheap-shot) stuff .

“That’s probably not what we want as a league.”Regardless of why it’s happening, Wings’ coach Mike Babcock

admits to enjoying watching it. “I just think it’s a bunch of guys having a good time,” Babcock

said. “Looks to me like it’s competitive. It looks like fun to me.”Of course, Babcock isn’t on the ice either. Though players

don’t express fear over what they’ve seen, they do fear the inevitable career-ending injury if this trend isn’t curtailed.

“In the end, we’re all in this thing together as players,” Stuart said.

“Guys are so much faster and stronger. Those things you’ve seen in the past are devastating.

“The game is so fast, if you don’t have respect for a guy, you can really injure him.”

Stuart added it’s too easy to blame the league for this ongoing issue and players have to start really pondering what they’re doing on the ice.

“We as players have to decide are we going to keep that level of respect for each other or are we going to throw it out the window and let the guys upstairs try to fi gure out what to do?” Stuart said.

“We, as players, have to take responsibility as well. Let’s not blame the guy making the decisions because he’s a little bit unsure of what to do.

“Let’s take it upon ourselves to have that respect for each other. Those incidents wouldn’t happen and nobody would be talking about it.”

A FIRST ROUND FULL OF FISTICUFFS

RED WINGS-PREDATORS SERIES TAME COMPARED TO REST OF NHL PLAYOFFS


Most everyone said that this would be a close series. On many levels it has been through the fi rst four games, featuring three one-goal games and Game 4 last Tuesday in Detroit ending 3-1 Predators. Yet, the series tally wasn’t close, as the Predators held a commanding 3-1 lead. The easy answer is that goaltender Pekka Rinne has been the diff erence with his dominant, athletic goaltending each and every game. Take Game 4 for instance: The Red Wings outshot the Preds 41-17, yet only managed a lone power-play goal by Jiri Hudler on a waist-high defl ection.

Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock commented afterwards that he doubted the Predators strategy was to sit back and defend so close to their goal, adding, and “It’s hard to imagine controlling the puck as much as we have and things not going diff erently.” That’s one view, but Babcock’s remarks had a perplexed tone to them – not as in “we should have won,” but as in “we can’t do much more off ensively.” In that sense, he is probably right. Rinne is winning the battle in goal, with Jimmy Howard failing to make that crucial, must-have save in the past two home games – both losses.

To me, though, this series right from the outset was about the Predators knowing who they are versus a Red Wings’ squad struggling to remember who they were – not that long ago, even, as they led the NHL while setting an all-time home win-streak mark. The Preds’ identity on the ice has long been one of defensive discipline and puck pursuit more than puck control. Off the ice, GM David Poile has used many of the Red Wings’ tenets to build his organization, holding them up as the model to strive for. They’ve built from within, focused on the blue line and added necessary parts along the way. Where they diff er right now is that they are bigger and younger up front, with more skill than at any time in their history.

Do they have a Pavel Datsyuk, or Henrik Zetterberg? No. They do have Mike Fisher and David Legwand to match up against the two Red Wings’ pivotal pivots, with both players making it diffi cult on the Wings’ key cogs each and every shift. As if to summarize the individual battle and maybe even the series overall, there was a small but telling play late in Game 4, as Fisher and Datsyuk took fl ight in a half-ice footrace on an icing. With both men straining with equal determination, Fisher found a way to get there fi rst and nullify the icing, forcing the Red Wings to expend extra energy and go 200 feet yet again. As has been the case throughout, the Red Wings regrouped and got bogged down in the neutral zone, with the Predators forcing another dump in.

Mike Babcock is right. The Predators didn’t want to spend as much time in their own zone as they did. But, they were willing to do so. They had confi dence in their defensive posture and ability to keep the puck mostly to the outside. What the Predators have taken away is the Red Wings’ speed on the attack through the neutral zone – the off ensive M.O. that made them the best fi ve-on-fi ve outfi t in the NHL. Through Game 4, the Predators held the Wings to a goal a game at even strength. The Wings second wave on the rush that netted 44 goals from defensemen –tied for second

in the NHL during the regular season – had produced but one lone tally…in the only win of the series. The Predators led the NHL in goals from their rearguards with 47 and again have stayed true to form with four markers in the four games thus far – most in the playoff s.

So, there you have it. The Predators neutralized - literally and fi guratively - the strengths of the Red Wings and stayed true to their identity. They received better goaltending and scored fi rst in all three of the wins - an area that has plagued the Red Wings for two months,

having blinked fi rst in 17 of 21 tilts heading to Nashville for a must-win Game 5. It’s tough playing from behind, especially when the team standing in front of you knows your strengths and senses your vulnerability. The Predators stood on the precipice of passing the team they’ve been chasing, on so many levels, for over a decade. They got their fi rst opportunity Friday to prove they’ve truly arrived and turn this piece into a post mortem.

BY DARREN ELIOT

RED WINGS VS. PREDATORS: A CASE OF IDENTITIES

@Darren_Eliot

JUNIORS PREVIEWTHE LAST LINE


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MiHockeyMag - April 23, 2012

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