1998 Super Elite
The 1998 Super Elite group promises to be very competitive, highlighted by a few very strong squads. On paper, the Edmonton Mercurys look to be the favourites with the Jr. Steelers, Saskatoon Jr. Blades, Team Traktor (Minnesota), Vancouver Vipers and the Calgary Jr. Hitmen all fielding strong teams.
The Edmonton Mercurys feature as many as 6 potential 2013 WHL Bantam Draft first round talents. Kale Clague, who is ranked #1 currently in our latest rankings will anchor the defense core and he will be joined by AMBHL North Defenseman of the year, David Quenneville. Up front, Sam Steel, Tyler Benson, Jordan Taupert, Tyson Jost and Alex Rotundo give the Mercury's ample fire power. Carter Hart from Fort Saskatchewan will handle the goaltending duties for the most part. Carter is one goalie we'll be watching very closely next season.
The Jr. Steelers squad have a great chance to knock off the star studded Mercurys. The high end talent in Manitoba for the 1998 age group is the strongest it has been in recent memory and the Jr. Steelers feature most of the top players in the province. They will feature up 5 potential WHL Bantam Draft first round talents. Leading the way is Nolan Patrick, who is coming off an injury plagued rookie bantam year last season but has shown very strong so far in spring hockey and led the tournament last weekend in Winnipeg with 16 points in just 6 games. Brett Howden, the brother of former WHL 1st overall bantam draft pick Quinton Howden is another highly skilled forward who is amongst the best in western Canada. The offence doesn't stop there though, Dylan Thiessen has played aged advanced hockey in Manitoba for several years and has held his own and will add big time offence if he has healed from his injury in time. Tanner Kapstick who played aged advanced as well is a big time talent. The team also features perhaps the top goalie in the 98 age group in Ryan Kubic. Garrett Kuklica is a defenseman who will be closely watched and will be one of the first defenseman taken in the bantam draft.
Team Traktor from Minnesota is another team that will challenge for the championship as well. They are led by our #1 ranked prospect from south of the border in Joey Anderson. Anderson is a big time offensive talent who has a chance to lead the tournament in scoring. Kiefer Bellows, the son of former NHL star Brian Bellows, is a big time offensive talent who with Joey Anderson could really put up huge numbers in the tournament. Ryan Lindgren is one of the top defensive prospects in the 98 age group from the USA and will be one to watch.
The Saskatoon Jr. Blades have most of all the top 98 born players from the province of Saskatchewan. Traditionally the Jr. Blades are one of the favourites and are led by one of the top defenseman in the 98 age group in Nolan Reid. Reid played last season with the Balgonie Prairie Storm and held his own amongst the top dmen in the league as a first year player. Nolan is likely headed to Notre Dame for next season. Abrook, Reeve and Malainey are just a few of the other defenseman who will lead the Jr. Blades in what will be a defense first mentality. The offence is to be led by several good not great prospects led by Kolby Johnson, Elder, Ross, Lind and Borstmayer.
The Calgary Jr. Flames are loaded with most of the top Calgary and area prospects for next season. They are always a team to be taken very serious and this year will be no different. Defensively, Carter Cziakowksi, Ryely McKinstry and Kyle Yewchuk are the top three and we expect that they all have a chance at being top 2 round picks. Up front, Parker Aucoin and Matthew Phillips have really had a great spring and have led the squad in scoring at various tournaments. Kyle Dumba, the younger brother of Matthew Dumba is the go-to goalie and will be one of the top goalies to watch heading in to next season. Watch for '99 born Kyle Olson on the Jr. Flames as well as he continues to play aged advanced hockey.
The Vancouver Vipers are another team who has had a tremendous spring, winning most of the BC and area spring hockey tournaments. They are led defensively by a pair of BWC defenseman who should be 1st round selections in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft in Dante Fabbro and Matt Barberis. However, the team will be missing star forward Jaeger White due to injury so Dante Hannoun, Luke Gingras, Jake Kryski and Michael Regush will have to carry the load offensively. In goal, they are very solid with Tyler Shugrue who at this point is one of our top ranked goalies and has been stellar this spring.
The Vancouver Selects Blue are usually one of the favourites to win every tournament in the spring but they have to be considered a bit of an underdog in this one. They are led by several smallish, speedy forwards in Taylor Ward, Davis Koch and Kohen Olischefski. However the main go-to player has to be Beck Malentsyn who has really taken his game to the next level and keeps getting better and better. The defense is led by Wickman, Rizzolo and Khaira while Wilms and Kelleway will look to establish themselves as top goalies.
The rest of the 1998 Super Elite group will feature the Notre Dame Prospects, Red Army(Manitoba), Southern Alberta Selects Fusion, Manitoba Predators and DHI Octane Elite. We believe that these five teams would be considered long shots to win the tournament. The Notre Dame Prospects, SA Selects Fusion and the Manitoba Predators have some top prospects but not enough depth to compete with the big boys. It should be noted that we have not viewed the Ontario based DHI Octane Elite so they could finish anywhere really.
Tournament Rankings
1. Edmonton Mercurys
2. Jr. Steelers
3. Team Traktor (Minnesota)
4. Vancouver Vipers
5. Calgary Jr. Flames
6. Saskatoon Jr. Blades
7. Vancouver Selects Blue
8. Notre Dame Prospects
9. Southern Alberta Selects Fusion
10. Manitoba Predators
11. Red Army
Not Ranked due to limited viewed....DHI Octane Elite
What to watch for?
Can Kale Clague cement himself as the top ranked defenseman heading in to the 2012-2013 season? Will Tyler Benson dominate the tournament scoring board, or will someone knock him off his perch? Who will emerge as a top prospect from this tournament and make scouts take notice? Can the Mercurys be knocked out by the Jr. Steelers, Team Traktor or the Vipers or will they roll through the tournament?
Pools
28 comments:
is Mercury's not the 98 Wolverines team. Seems all the same key or most players from before with out Berlin who was a great goalie.
Almost the same team but have made some changes, and yes Berlin was let go and they have brought in a weaker goalie in Lorenson to backup Hart
correction, it's the Calgary Jr. "Hitmen" not Flames
The Jr.Steelers beat the Vipers last year in a great final. The Wolverines were knocked out in the semi finals. Clague will help them a lot. Jr. Steelers returned almost the whole team so should be considered as the favoutite. It will be outstanding hockey. A lot of great players.
The two Poe kids , jost , mcdonald will be a huge help to them this , McDonald is a big strong kid that can skate and as lots of skill , the same but not as big , but very good
good mention that Regush is playing with the Vipers instead of his Vancouver Selects team, seems to me like a parent making a kid move to make his kid play on a winning team? too bad playing on winning teams dont automatically make winning players
good article and thanks for the input Gingras , a great Viper
the Selects are falling apart, many players not wanting to be coached there.
i sense regush will now join the BWC forces because he wont be able to lead
2:04 - I wouldn't say Selects are falling apart. Most of the kids have been there for multiple years and really, this year is about having that final spring with your friends. Some parents will have issues regardless of who/where they play, as you note. The core group of boys have had a great run, and built good friendships. Even though everyone develops differently, I am glad that the team has stuck together for the most part.
Winnipeg should be a great tourney - I see a great deal of talent and many capable teams. Enjoy the hockey folks - and let the boys enjoy it too.
Clague, Jost, McDonald, Benson, Johnson, Freadrich all added to an already potent roster. This team should be the favourite to win. Every kid on this roster has exceptional talent, the only drawback being ... they have not played a game together yet. Going to have to gel quickly.
Benson played for them last year. Didn't do anything
99 division?
Benson played only in Vancouver last year, he was not part of the team that went to Winnipeg.
If you think Benson will not do anything then you are about to be educated. He may have been the best Bantam player in Alberta period last year. Check out his stats in the AMBHL and especially in the John Reid Memorial. His numbers are crazy especially for a first year. No one has put up those kind of numbers at the John Reid since Johnathan Toews. This kid is the real thing!
You mentioned that the Selects added all of these players from the States, Maybe I am wrong ,but don't they have a feeder program (VS Blacks) for just this such a occasion. Kinda shows whats written is not always the case.
The Blacks must have good players if the Blues had to go to OT to beat them????
We'll see how the vipers do without White. He's been there leading goal scorer in every tournament for the past 2 years.
Benson was riding on estaphan coattails. Well let's see now what happens.
Who was riding whos coattails? Not sure if thats the way I saw it? In any case they were a hell of a combo and complemented each other! I wonder who you think had a better year last year. Give me a name, where they played and who with. Are there stats anything like Bensons... Come on! Those stats are nuts. Here are some of his stats:
Reg season 33Gm 34g 50a 84p
Playoffs 11Gm 11g 19a 31p
John Reid 5Gm 10g 11a 21p
total 49Gm 55g 80a 136p
Thats 2.8 points per game as a 1st year Bantam playing against the best competion in Alberta and at the John Reid the best players in western Canada. Tell me someone that has done better. No first year bantam even comes close. Im done!
Seto in his year at BWC had more points plus was part of the Western Champs in 2011.
What were Seto's points? They are not on the John Reid website. I Im sure Seto put up big numbers but I do not see them published. He is a great player and good for him but I don't see those numbers anywhere. Easy to claim he had more points.... He and Barzel were a fantastic combo and are both very good players. Did you mention something about coattails?
SETO made the all-star team. Benson did not.
Benson put up points, his best effort was the 5 goals against Semiahmoo. His team lead 8 to 3 in the 3rd period and were up 4 goals with less than 8 minutes to go and lost. 9 to 8. Benson was on the ice alot the last 8 minutes
Good for Seto. Benson led the tournament in scoring. This must be the 1st time the leading scorer of a tournament did not make the allstar team so you might ask who picks the allstars??? Can you tell me another 98 that scored 5 goals against Semiamoo... I still dont see any stats for Seto. What are you saying about Benson? You seem to want to discredit him. As I said Seto and others are fantastic players and time will tell who is better. Just my opinion but Benson will likely be top 5 pick next year and most likely 1st overall. Not saying that Seto is not a great player but..........
I am from BC and must agree Benson is an offensive threat.
This young man puts up big points on a regular basis,
Alberta has many great players and itbwill be great to watch these kids play on their regular
What happened to the Vancouver Selects Blue team ? looks like a complete meltdown in the first game
3 of the kids drove all night from Calgary (no flights), one had to fly in few hours before game, Malenstyn broke wrist in first. Still, the Edmonton team is loaded and the end result still would have likely been a W.
Seto time has come.Did nothing on a stacked team at Challenge cup.Needs to get over the me me hurdle very fast.He played with his brother his first year bantam which was good for him.Next year will tell the story.i believe it was the POE team that won chall cup over the stacked team.
Poe also is a stacked team. Every one of their D was drafted as were many of the forwards. They practice and play together all year where this team was put together for one weekend Poe brings in players all year. They have no boundaries and many top players play there. Correct me if Im mistaken but POE defeated the so called stacked team 3-2. Thats a good win by far from domination. POE is not allowed to play provincials because they are a stacked team that recruits players from all parts of Canada and the US. Big deal they won the challenge cup. I guess thats westerns for them.
It was the only thing the stacked POE team won all year
Knocked out in semi at Chilliwack , Medicine Hat, LA Selects XMas, St Albert.
Also won kiibit
Heard this Quenneville kid from SSAC is Faboulous , I'm assuming hes going to be a Top 5 pick considering he was the Top Dman in westerns this year which featured 1st round pick Ty Schultz
Quenville is good...Clauge is awesome....Conner Deighton is big and tough Defenseman and can move the puck well, keep him in mind, Steeneebergen is a real talent....but Benson is a machine....Alberta hockey is in great shape....thanks to all the coaches for helping these boys excel!!!!! Good job fellas.
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