North American Hockey Classic - Day 1

Evening Updates- 98 Age Group
Red Army (Manitoba) 4 - Notre Dame Prospects 2
Noah Cousineau, Kyley Fender and Nathan Wall were amongst the scorers for Red Army while Brandon Klatt and Jared Legien replied for Notre Dame Prospects.  Colby Entz played goal for Notre Dame and it was Josh Petersen for Red Army.


DHI Octane Elite 6 - Manitoba Predators 1
Patrick Harper scored 2 goals and Adam Mascherin had 1-3-4 in leading the Keith Primeau led Ontario based squad to a convincing win.  Josh Curtis scored the lone goal for the Predators who started Jeremy Link in net tonight.

Saskatoon Jr. Blades 6 - Southern Alberta Selects Fusion 2
The Saskatoon Jr. Blades were led by Kole Lind and his 3 goals.  Lind was a stand out first year player with the SBAAHL's Swift Current Kabos Raiders last year.  Kolby Johnson, Gage Ramsay and Jordan Borstmayer also scored for the Jr. Blades.  Dman Ben Abrook and forward Kaden Elder each had 2 helpers for the Jr. Blades.  Parker Smyth and Sean Montgomery each scored for the Selects Fusion and they also got 2 assists from Jake Bean.  Declan Hobbs for the Jr. Blades and Caiden Kreitz got the starts in goal tonight.

Team Traktor Minnesota 6 - Jr. Steelers 4
Kiefer Bellows, the son of former NHL star Brian Bellows scored 3 times and added 1 assist as his team beat co-tournament favourite Jr. Steelers 6-4.  Joey Anderson, the WEHP #1 ranked USA prospect scored 2 goals as well and added 2 assists for a 4 point game.  D - Ryan Lindgren, who is ranked in our top 5 USA born players also scored.  The Jr. Steelers got goals from 4 different players; Dawson Martin, Garrett Kuklica, Braden Binda and Tanner Kaspick all scored.  Vince Loschaivo had 2 assists, as did Brett Howden, the younger brother of former WHL 1st overall pick Brett Howden.  Nolan Patrick was held pointless.

Vancouver Vipers 3 - Calgary Jr. Hitmen 0
The Jaeger Whiteless Vancouver Vipers shutout the Calgary Jr. Hitmen 3-0 powered from some good goaltending from Tyler Shugrue who continues his tremendous spring.  Robbie Johnson led the way for the Vipers with 2 goals while Quinn Benjafield from NSWC added a single.  Josh Belisle got the start for the Jr. Hitmen tonight.

Evening Updaes -99 Age Group
Alberta Alliance 7 - North American Stars 2
Cameron Lockard scored 3 times in leading one of the favourites in the '99 age group to a tournament opening victory.  Ryan Anderson from Edmonton had 4 assists as well to go with a goal.    One of our highest ranked '99 born players Trey Fix-Wolansky had 1-3-4.  Dylan Burton scored once again for the North American Stars as did Brett Namaka.


Minnesota Blades 4 - BC Pirates 1
The Minnesota Blades avenge their opening loss to the favourite Vancouver Selects by beating the Pirates 4-1.  The Blades had goals from 4 different players including highly touted Ty Madden, Mitch Machlitt and Isaac Johnson.  Scott Mahovlich replied for the Pirates, who are now 1-1-0.


Minnesota Icemen 2 - Minnesota Machine 1
Luke Manning and Roman Ahcan scored to lead the all Minnesota matchup to a win for  the Icemen.  Scoring for the Machine tonight it was Sammy Walker.  Bob Paranteau was in net once again for the Iceman and it was Vinny Capezza for the Machine.  The Iceman have now won a pair of 2-1 hard fought victories today.


Western Canada Selects 3 - Manitoba Falcons 2
In what can be deemed as a minor upset, the Western Canada Selects defeat one of the pre tournament favourties Falcons 3-2.  Riley Sawchuk picked up his 2nd consecutive 2 assist game and Austin Nault scored once again for the Selects.  Logan Christiansen and Connor Gutenberg scored for the Falcons.  Dalton Dosch was in net once again for the Selects and this time, got the win while the Falcons went with Braeden Benoit.

1998 Age Group
Edmonton Mercurys 11 - Vancouver Selects Blue 3
The star studded Edmonton Mercurys have no problems with a decent team in the opening game for the 1998 age group with an 11-3 shredding of the Selects Blue.  Leading the way for the Mercurys was Tyler Benson and Alex Rotundo each with 2 goals and 1 assist, Ryan Jevne also had 2 goals.  Benson and Rotundo we have projected as first rounders with Benson a good shot at 1st overall.  First round rated prospect Sam Steel had 3 assists.  Jost, Volcan, Mcdonald, Quenneville and Taupert also scored for the Mercurys.  Leading the way for the Selects Blue was Michigan prospect Nick Pastujov with 3 assists and scoring for the Selects Blue were; Jesse Lansdell, Hank Crone from Texas and dman Darren Rizzolo picking up 3 assists.  Carter Hart started for the Mercurys in game one while Jeremy Kelleway started for the Selects and allowed 9 goals before giving way to Brody Willms.


1999 Age Group
Minnesota Machine 7 - North American Stars 5
The Machine get 4 goals and 1 assist from Austin Pratt in the opening victory.  Pratt was named to the all-state allstar team for his age group.  Logan Foster, who has a chance to go in the first round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft scored 2 goal in leading the way for North American Stars.  Dylan Burton and Hunter Mcdonald each had 1-1-2 for the Stars.  Justin Klassen was in net for the Stars while the Machine went with Vinny Capezza.


BC Pirates 5 - Western Canada Selects 4
Nick Wilson scored twice in leading the Pirates to an opening victory.  Issac Sandomirsky and Brett Didyk were amongst the goal scorers as well for the Pirates.  Austin Naulta had 1-1-2 for Western Canada Selects while Riley Sawchuk, one of our projected first rounders in the 99 age group had a pair of helpers.  Tyson Lin, a scoring star from Vancouver also scored.  2000 born, Jordan Naylor got the win in goal for the Pirates while Dalton Dosch took the loss.

Minnesota Icemen 2 - Vancouver Vipers 1
In somewhat of an early surprise, the high powered Vipers squad lose their opener and score just once.  The lone goal scorer for the Vipers was Baker Shore, who they added from Colorado.  Baker is the youngest of the talented Shore family from Colorado.  Matt Anderson and Ethan Sievek scored for Minnesota.  David Tendeck was in goal for the Vipers and Bob Paranteau for Minnesota.

Vancouver Selects 4 - Minnesota Blades 3
One of the pre-tournament favourites have started the tournament at 1-0-0 as the Selects get 1-1-2 from Chilliwacks Nolan Jackson to lead the way.  Top 10 rated prospect James Malm scored as well for the Selects Blue along with Parm Dhaliwahl and Brendan Semchuk.  Minnesota Blades got 1-1-2 from Isaac Johnson and singles from Mitch Machlitt and Ty Madden.  One of the top ranked goalies in the 99 age group, Jordan Hollett earned the victory for the Selects Blue.

North American Hockey Classic Preview -98 Super Elite

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

Pool Black

Team Traktor Minnesota
Sask Jr Blades
SA Selects Fusion
Jr Steelers

Pool Blue

DHI Octane Elite
Edmonton Mercurys
Manitoba Predators
Vancouver Selects

Pool Red

Calgary Jr Hitmen
Red Army
Vancouver Vipers
Notre Dame Prospects

North American Hockey Classic Preview

The North American Hockey Classic is set to begin on Thursday.  Later today or tomorrow, we should have our preview up and some predictions as it pertains to the tournament.

Also, we are set to launch our "1998 Prospect Diary" and this year will be the first year we try this out.  Our selected prospect this season is BWC Bruins Forward Jaeger White.  The first entry should be available either today or tomorrow.  Some of the entries will be available here on the website but the bigger interviews will be in the newsletter.

Have a great day!

North American Hockey Classic - AAA Division

The North American Hockey Classic began this weekend with action in the AAA division this weekend in Winnipeg.  The main tournament in the AAA Elite Division will take place next weekend of course with all the top teams in the 98 and 99 age groups minus a few top players.

1998 AAA Division

The 1998 born group this weekend was comprised of 4 Manitoba teams, a team from Thunder Bay as well as a team from Minnesota.  The big favourites heading in were the Jr. Steelers who are comprised of many potential first rounders such as Nolan Patrick, Brett Howden, Tanner Kaspick and G - Ryan Kubic.  In the end it was the Jr. Steelers who would walk away with the title going a perfect 6-0-0, scoring 34 goals and allowing just 8. 

In the final it was the Jr. Steelers defeating the squad from Minnesota 10-3.  Nolan Patrick, who we currently have in our top 10 rankings had a huge game with 3-3-6 to lead the way.  Tanner Kaspick, another first round ranked prospect had 3 goals as well and added an assist.  Brett Howden, another first round ranked prospect had 2-1-3.  Kevin Fellows had 2 goals for the Minnesota Team Exceed.  Ryan Kubic was in net for the Jr. Steelers for the win.  Kubic is currently our highest ranked goalie for the bantam draft.

Scoring Leaders -1998 Born

Nolan Patrick should be a high 1st rounder

1.   Nolan Patrick  6GP 10-6-16  Jr. Steelers
2.   Brett Howden  6GP  4-7-11  Jr. Steelers
3.   Curtis Hansen  6GP  6-3-9  Minnesota
4.   Linden McCorrister  6GP  4-5-9  Jr. Steelers
5.   Nolan Libbrecht  5GP  3-6-9  MB  Predators
6.   Tanner Kaspick  6GP  3-5-8  Jr. Steelers
7.   Kevin Fellows  6GP  3-5-8  Minnesota
8.   Connor Clemons  6GP  4-4-8  Minnesota
9.   Adam Touchette  5GP  3-4-7  Red Army
10. Conner Barley  6GP  3-3-6  Jr. Steelers

Goalies
1.   Ryan Kubic  6GP  1.33GAA  Jr. Steelers
2.   Jeremy Link  3GP  2.00 GAA  MB Predators

1999 Male Open Division

As expected in the Male Open 1999 born division, it was the Jr. Steelers taking the championship with a 2-1 victory over Sask Can in OT.  Austin Nault and Brandon Marques scored the goals for the Jr. Steelers while Cody Kalyn scored for Sask Can.  Dylan Myskiw, one of our highest ranked '99 born goalies earned the win. 


Scoring Leaders - 1999 Born
Dan Gauer  5GP  7-7-14  Southeast 99's
Connor Gutenberg  5GP  4-9-13  Manitoba Storm
Brennan Zastre  5GP  6-5-11 Southeast 99's
Blake Stalmaschuk  5GP  5-6-11 Jr. Steelers
Cody Bealieu  5GP  5-5-10  Southeast 99's
Cole Shrimpton  5GP  6-3-9  Sask Can
Tyler Szun 5GP  6-3-9  Jr. Steelers
Dawson Braun 5GP  6-3-9  Manitoba Icecaps
Wyatt Bear  5GP  6-3-9  Ninety Nine Stars
Ryan Nivon  5GP  2-7-9  Sask Can
Austin Nault  5GP  4-5-9  Jr. Steelers

Top Goalies
Dylan Myskiw  5GP  1.35  Jr. Steelers
Kerigan Dowhy  3GP  2.00  Sask Can
Riley Rutherford  3GP  2.00  Manitoba Storm

Proud to announce a new sponsor

Western Elite Hockey Prospects are proud to announce our newest sponsor this morning.  CHM Global Player Representation is a professional hockey division provided by the law offices of Stuart J. Oberman.  It provides services to which cater to the needs of professional hockey players, including contract negotiations, endorsements and hockey opportunities.

PLAYER REPRESENTATION
CHM Global represents athletes  who are on the cutting edge of their sport.   Representation includes:

-Maximizing income potential with hands-on, strategic career management
-Extensive resources and expertise to generate value in all facets and stages of a career
-Recurring revenue streams via endorsements, appearances and licensing
-Global media exposure through a tailored public relations program
-"Franchise approach" to brand management with explicit focus on long-term goals

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Also stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow on a new feature we are adding this season to the website and newsletter.  It will involve our first year following a top prospect in their draft year and various entries from that prospect on his thoughts, game play and other information.

Getting to know 98 born defenseman - Dawson Davidson

Dawson Davidson

Melville Millionaires (SBAAHL)
5’7 145lb Defence
2011-2012 Stats: 22GP 3-38-41 20PIM

First off, where did you play your minor hockey and what were some of your favourite personal and team memories up to this point in your hockey career?
I played my minor hockey in Moosomin, Sask. For a house league team we were pretty good. We would do very well in AA tournaments. One of my favorite personal highlights would have to be when I was a first year atom, and I played provincials with the peewees. One of my favorite team memories would be winning the south Saskatchewan hockey league when I was a first year peewee with the Moose Mountain Wild.

Last season you were one of the leading scorers in the South Saskatchewan Peewee league. How have you found the transition in going from scoring loads of goals to being a first year defenseman in the league with Melville?
Well, it was a huge change. I played defence for my entire life before last year. After I knew I was a defenseman, I was really looking forward to playing bantam. I didn't know what to expect. I just try to play a role on my team and contribute to the best of my ability.

Describe some of your main strengths as a defenseman that you feel help separate you from some of the others in the 98 age group? Conversely, which weaknesses in your game do you feel could use some work moving forward?
I find I move the puck pretty good and see the ice well. I try to use my speed as much as possible. Moving forward, I need to work on my shot. As a defenseman, you need to have a good shot. I also need to work on my toughness in the corners and in front of the net.

List some of your personal and team goals you have set for next year - leading up towards the bantam draft? How will you go about obtaining those goals?
A personal goal next year is to get drafted into the WHL. That is almost every AA or AAA bantam players dream. I will continue to work hard as I'm an offensive defenseman and help lead Melville far next season.
After the season is complete, what do you plan on doing over the summer in regards to hockey related activity? Which summer hockey team are you going to play for if any?
In the summer I am planning on working out a lot to get prepared for the big year. I want to stay on the ice as much as possible. I hope to play for the Saskatoon Jr. Blades this summer.

Who have been some of the biggest hockey influences so far for you? List some players or coaches who have helped you along the way?
My dad was a big influence on me - he always encouraged me along the way. My coaches have really helped me. They are always supportive. My team-mates have also helped me; we are like a family and always have each of our backs.

Finally, who is your favourite hockey player and which player would you like to model your game after if you had to select one player?
My favorite hockey player would be Sidney Crosby. He is so smart with and without the puck. A player I would model my game after would be Nick Lidstrom. He is a great passer and leader. Someday I hope to end up just like him.

June 1, 2012 Newsletter is now ready

Rankings
In this edition of the newsletter, we have now increased the number of 1998 ranked players from 150 to 170 due to various reports we have received back and viewings through the spring thus far. Adjustments have been made to reflect the Challenge Cup tournament, Brandon AAA Challenge Tournament and other various tournaments which have taken place in the past two weeks.

Also included is the preliminary list of the top 110 1999 born prospects. The group will be followed through major tournaments throughout the spring and summer and the list will be work on as we progress through the off season. We have increased this list from 100 to 110 and it has seen some major movement due to our reports received from western Canada through tournament play. Once again, several tournaments have been played which have resulted in addition, deletions and adjustments in the rankings.

We also introduce you to the top 30 USA born prospects once again. We will introduce you to them through interview and various tournament reports this summer as well.

Interviews
I had a chance to speak with one of the top 1998 born players in western Canada who led a below .500 team in scoring as a first year bantam player. We think he will make major noise this season.

I also had a chance to interview an American born player who is small in stature but could become one of the the top offensive players to watch this coming season.

Lastly, I speak with a top 99 born player who we should be hearing lots about in the coming years prior to the 2014 draft. He is looking to take a darkhorse team next year to the final four in British Columbia!

Tournaments
There have been numerous tournament over the past couple of weeks and we have had our scouts there. The Challenge Cup is reviewed and the allstars, leading scorers and summary is included. Also the Brandon Source for Sports AAA Tournament took place featuring mostly Saskatchewan and Manitoba team. We were there and allstars, scoring leaders and summary is included as well. Several other smaller tournaments are re-capped as well in the newsletter.