REGINA PATS - WHL BANTAM DRAFT

Follow The Draft Here

2010 Regina Pats Picks:

The Regina Pats completed the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft and selected 10 players in total. There are players from all over Western Canada and the US, with 4 from BC, 3 from Saskatchewan, and one each from Alberta, Manitoba and California

The Pats selected 5 defencemen, 4 forwards and one goaltender.

1st Round - 5th Overall
C – Morgan Klimchuk
5’10” 155lbs.
Born: March 02/05
Calgary, Alberta
09-10 Calgary Bisons (AMBHL)
GP – 28 G – 33 A – 19 Pts. – 52 PIM – 44 (Captain)

Regina Pats General Manager, Brent Parker, “We are very excited to have Morgan joining our organization, he is gifted goal scorer and as good a skater as there was in the draft. We believe that if he continues to develop he has a chance to be a very good offensive player in our league. He was the captain of the Calgary Bisons this past season as he helped lead them to the league and provincial championships. His family has ties to the city and I know he is thrilled to be a Pat”

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Played great at the Western Canadian Bantam Championships, he was dominant and showed great hands. He combines great feet, and is a good skater; Klimchuk will be a stud in this league.”

Klimchuk had his heart set on Regina despite the fact his parents moved to Calgary when he was a baby. Although he doesn't remember living here, he has maintained strong ties to the city and often comes back to visit family — be it for summer holidays, Christmas or Thanksgiving.

"It's my second home," he said. "We go there for everything. That's where we celebrate together as a family. Everyone is there."

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Pats+first+pick+Morgan+Klimchuk+hoping+head+Regina/2968187/story.html#ixzz0mYnmuxD6

3rd Round - 47th Overall
RD – Kyle Burroughs
5’10” 155lbs.
Born – July 12/95
Hometown – Langley, B.C.
Team: Langley Eagles

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “We are ecstatic to welcome Kyle to the Hockey Club, he is an all-around great puck handling defenceman, who is very smart and physical. With his skills and pucks sense, we had him pegged as a first rounder.”

4th Round - 67th Overall
RD – Colby Williams
5’10” 157lbs.
Born – Jan. 26/95
Hometown – Regina, Saskatchewan
Team: Regina Oilers (SSMHL)
GP – 22 G – 12 A – 15 Pts – 27 Pim – 27

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Colby is a high energy/high compete player that is very physical and is fearless. He is also a very smart player that should make an impact on the hockey club.”

5th Round - 91st Overall
LW – Ty McLean
5’8” 150lbs.
Born – Apr 14/95
Hometown – Redvers, Saskatchewan
Team: Carlyle/Moose Mountain (SSMHL)
GP – 25 G – 57 A – 33 Pts – 90 Pim – 28

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Ty is a dynamic offensive player that has fantastic hands, he’s smart, competes scores and is just fun to watch. He was more of an impact player than Jordan Weal was at this age.”

5th Round - 102nd Overall
C – Brett Harris
5’10” 160lbs.
Born – Jan 14/95
Hometown – 100 Mile House, B.C.
Team: Notre Dame Hounds (SSMHL)
GP – 16 G – 20 A – 17 Pts – 37 Pim – 10

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Brett works hard every shift and is good around the net. He is also a great character player who is a diligent forechecker.”

6th Round - 115th Overall
G – Tanner Burghardt
6’00” 170lbs.
Born – Jun 10/95
Hometown – Kerrobert, Saskatchewan
Team: West Centre G’Macs Klippers (Centre Four League)
12-11-1-2 GP – 24 GA – 97 GAA – 4.04

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Tanner has good feet and is very smooth between the pipes. He is composed, makes the big saves and has great rebound control.”

7th Round - 137th Overall
D – Nolan De Jong
6’01” 160lbs.
Born – Apr 25/95
Hometown – Victoria B.C.
Team: Saanich Bantam

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Nolan is very skilled who skates well and has a great stride. He is a character player who handles himself very well on the ice”

8th Round - 159th Overall
D – Nolan Parrington
6’02” 180lbs.
Born – June 02/95
Shoots: Left
Hometown – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Team: Winnipeg Warriors (Winnipeg AAA)
GP – 29 G – 2 A – 14 Pts – 16 PIM - 51

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Nolan is a very solid leader who looks after his own end first. He has a take charge character that is always looking to battle and is intense”.

9th Round - 181st Overall
RW – Demico Hannoun
5’10” 150lbs.
Born – Oct 04/95
Shoots: Right
Hometown – Delta, B.C.
Team: North Delta Devils

Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Todd Ripplinger, “Demico has great speed, good skill and is solid down low, he combines all of those tools with a good hockey sense. He also battle hard and has a hard shot with a quick release.”

10th Round - 203rd Overall
RD – Alec McCrea
6’02” 170 Lbs.
Born – Jan 12/95
Hometown – El Cajon, California
Team: San Diego Gulls

2010 - U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - CANADA FINISHES SEVENTH

TSN.ca

Full Story.

BOBRUISK, Belarus - Canada wrapped up a disappointing run at the IIHF World U18 Championship with a 4-2 victory over Slovakia on Thursday.

The win gave Canada a seventh-place finish, its worst result at the tournament since its debut in 2002.

The Canadians found themselves in the relegation round for the first time at this event after losing three of their first four games. Canada needed a victory over Latvia on Wednesday to ensure it will stay in the A pool.

"I thought everybody was disappointed at the work that we did here at the start of the tournament," said head coach Guy Carbonneau. "Obviously we got better as the tournament went but we ran out of time."

Canada started strong against Latvia, with Steven Shipley opening the scoring 61 seconds into the game at the Bobruisk Arena. Quinton Howden, Ryan Spooner and Christian Thomas also scored in the first period for Canada.

Martin Marincin and Martin Kalinac scored for Slovakia.

Canadian goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 17 of 19 shots. Canada fired 42 shots at Slovak goalie Dominik Riecicky.

Sweden and the United States will play for gold on Friday while Finland and Russia will face off for the bronze.

Canada is often hamstrung at the U-18 event because top players may be unavailable due to the major junior league playoffs. As a result, elite NHL prospects like Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers and Moncton Wildcats defenceman Brandon Gormley could not play.

"If Seguin or guys like that would have been here -- I don't know if we would have won -- but it would probably be a little bit easier," Carbonneau said. "But that wasn't the case. It's no excuse though. We had 22 players here capable of winning."

Carbonneau thought the players had trouble becoming a cohesive unit because they only had one exhibition game before the start of the event.

"Looking back I would have loved a three- or four-day training camp in Toronto to get the guys going a little bit earlier," Carbonneau said. "And instead of having one exhibition game, have maybe two. I think our preparation would have been a lot better."

All of the Canadian players were born in 1992 except defenceman Ryan Murray, who was born in 1993. Murray, Howden and forward Freddie Hamilton were named the top players on the Canadian squad.

Carbonneau, a former head coach with the Montreal Canadiens, said those three players impressed him.

Players and staff with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team will return to Canada on Saturday, April 24.

***************************************

Regina Pats - centre Jordan Weal, had one assist in the game and he finished with three goals and six assists in six games. His nine points led Canada and was fourth best in the tournament.
Canada has never finished worse than sixth in its eight previous appearances at the world under-18s.

2010 - U18 WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP - CANADA WINS OVER LATIVA 5-1 - REGINA PATS JORDAN WEAL - 2 GOALS, 1 ASSIST

TSN.ca

Full Story.

BOBRUISK, Belarus -- Guy Carbonneau finally caught a glimpse of the Canadian team he envisioned coaching at the IIHF World U18 Championship.

Jordan Weal had two goals (at the 12:36 mark of the first period and 15:28 of the 3rd period) and an assist, (8:47 of the 3rd period), Wednesday as Canada avoided relegation with a 5-1 victory over Latvia.

The Canadian team found itself in the relegation round for the first time ever at this event after losing three of its first four games. The win over Latvia ensures Canada will stay in the A Pool because it can finish no lower than eighth overall.

The ninth- and 10th-place teams will be sent down.

The Canadian team was slow to come together at this event, but everything began to click against Latvia.

"For the first time really in the tournament, we started to play like the team we wanted to be at the start," said Carbonneau. "It's good for Hockey Canada. It would have been fun to go to Minsk and battle for a medal, but at least we're not going to the B Pool.

"We'll live to fight another day."

Michael Sgarbossa, Michael Bournival and John McFarland had the other goals for Canada while Calvin Pickard made 15 saves.

Edgars Siksna replied for Latvia.

The Canadians built a comfortable lead midway through the game before having to face a small amount of adversity. Carbonneau was thrilled with how his players responded.

"We were leading 3-0 and again, we took a really bad penalty and they scored," he said. "I thought in the third period we really didn't panic. We started to play our game.

"That's probably the best game we played the whole tournament."

The Canadian roster is comprised of 13 players from the OHL, seven from the WHL and two the QMJHL. Carbonneau thinks the players had trouble becoming a cohesive unit because they only had one exhibition game before the start of the event.

Canada wraps up the tournament with a game against Slovakia on Thursday.

"Our goal coming into this relegation was to win every period," said Carbonneau. "I know we have the team to dominate the two teams that we're playing. We just want to finish on a good note.

"If we win tomorrow, we'll finish with a .500 record, which is good. You always want to find positives and that's what we're trying to tell the kids."

EX-REGINA PAT DEFENSEMAN LOGAN PYETT CALLED UPTO NHL DETROIT RED WINGS

(Photo: Logan Pyett, Grand Rapids (GR) - # 3)

Regina Pats - Web Site - Story

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday recalled goaltender Thomas McCollum and defenseman Logan Pyett from the Grand Rapids Griffins.

McCollum, 20, was the first-round pick of the Red Wings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The youngest goalie to ever play for the Griffins, he posted a 10-16-2 record with a 3.48 GAA and a 0.881 save percentage in 32 games during his rookie season. In addition, he spent four games with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, earning a 2-1-0 record with a 4.48 GAA and a 0.864 save percentage.

Pyett, 21, was the lone Griffin to appear in all 80 games this season, making him one of just 18 players in franchise history to play in every regular season game during a campaign. While his 30 points (9-21—30) marked career highs in each scoring category, he also led Grand Rapids’ defensemen in goals and ranked third among team blueliners in points.

Both McCollum and Pyett will serve as “black aces” during their time with the Red Wings, who will host Phoenix on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Game 4 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series.

EX-REGINA PATS - JORDAN EBERLE - INVITED TO TEAM CANADA PRE-COMPETITION CAMP IN GERMANY AT THE START OF MAY

Calgary, Alberta - Mark Messier, Team Canada general manager for the 2010 IIHF World Championship, has announced a first group of 15 players that will represent Canada at the world championship, which runs May 7-23 in Cologne and Mannheim, Germany.

Messier announced that forward Jordan Eberle (Regina, Sask./Regina, WHL) has been invited to attend the team’s pre-competition camp from May 2-6 in Hamburg, Germany. Eberle played for Canada at the two past IIHF World Junior Championships, and just completed his season with Springfield, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Canada can register up to 25 players on its final roster at the world championship, but only 22 players, including two goaltenders, can be dressed for each game.

Canada’s coaching staff is comprised of head coach Craig MacTavish (London, Ont.), associate coach Peter DeBoer (Dunnville, Ont./Florida Panthers, NHL) and assistant coach Billy Moores (Edmonton, Alta./Edmonton Oilers, NHL).

The team will convene in Hamburg, Germany on May 2 for a four-day pre-competition camp that will include one exhibition game, on May 4 against Germany. Canada’s first game at the 2010 IIHF World Championship is on May 8 vs. Norway in Mannheim. An official roster does not have to be submitted to the IIHF by Hockey Canada until May 7, and players can be added after the preliminary round up to a maximum of 25 players.

2010 - IIHF WORLD U18 - SWEDEN HOLDS OFF CANADA'S COME BACK

Sweden's Victor Bergund heade in to cellebrate a goal with his teammates -

(Photo: Pekka Mononen/HHOF-IIHF imagees)

2010 IIHF World U18 WebSite

Sweden wins...

BOBRUISK – Sweden finished its U18 preliminary round group with a perfect record after skating to a straight forward 5-4 win against Canada.

There was nothing on the line in today’s game as Sweden already had the top spot from the group, and the berth to the semi-finals, already secured while the Canadians knew they were relegation round bound. Both teams’ number-two goaltenders got the start in net.

The Swedes had the win well in hand when Canada decided to start challenging them for the three points in the last 10 minutes of the game. Canada scored four goals in the final stanza, but fell just shy of tying the game as Sweden hung on for the 5-4 win.

The game started with little drama as the squads stuck to the basics and approached the game with little flare. Sweden held a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period. Victor Rask scored the 1-0 goal just over four minutes into action and John Vestin doubled the lead mid-period when he capitalized on Sweden’s first power-play chance of the game.

A mid-game marker from Ludvig Rensfeldt put the Swedes up 3-0 and was the end of the game for Canadian goaltender Kent Simpson, who was replaced by traditional starter Calvin Pickard. The main excitement of the game came towards the end of the period when 10-minute misconducts were handed out like candy as the Canadian frustration surfaced. In total 34 penalty minutes were doled out in two separate scrums, resulting in a Swedish power-play which they used to score the 4-0 goal going into the 3rd period.

Ryan O’Connor launched the Canadian comeback with a power-play goal in the opening of the third period. Christian Thomas quickly followed with the 4-2 goal for Canada, but Matthias Granlund put in his second goal, which proved to be the key goal of the game as the five goals were just enough to stave off two late-period goals from Freddie Hamilton and (Quinton Howden at the 58:13 mark, (assisted by Freddie Hamilton and Regina Pats Jordan Weal).

All teams have a day off tomorrow before play resumes on Tuesday when Canada takes on Latvia in its first relegation game. With the quarterfinal bye, Sweden does not skate again until Wednesday in the semi-finals.

LANG WOULD CONSIDER JOINING THE REGINA PATS

By: Greg Harder,
Regina Leader-Post

April 16, 2010

Lang would consider joining Pats

Former Moose Jaw Warriors General Manager Chad Lang is ready to get back into the WHL -- provided it's "the right situation."

Do the Regina Pats qualify?

"There's no question I have a good relationship with (current Pats GM Brent Parker) but at the end of the day it has to be a fit for everyone," said Lang, a Regina native who recently moved back to town. "I think you have to look at everything that's involved, the players that are there, how the organization is structured, all those things. It's no different than when I was in the league trading for players, you have to sit back and listen. If the right thing came across my desk, you make decisions at the time."

If Parker decides to shuffle his responsibilities more towards the business side -- or even walk away completely -- Lang would be a leading candidate to fill his shoes in the capacity of GM or director of hockey operations. However, the Pats could have some competition for his services, with recent scuttlebutt suggesting that other WHL clubs have approached Lang about supplementing their front offices as well.

From Lang's point of view, Regina has obvious appeal as his hometown team.

"That's one aspect," he said. "You grow up watching them. There's no doubt that would be a real good opportunity just because of the history there and the fact that I do have a good relationship with (Parker). But I think everything is premature. I would have to see what his future plans are, what the organization's plans are. If something came about, then I would look at it."

Lang pointed out that if a WHL club offered him a support role -- like assistant GM -- he would be following the guidelines set by someone else. However, if he were to take a job as the head guy, it would need to be with the understanding that he has the power to implement his own blueprint.

"There would have to be a comfort zone there, whether it would be here (in Regina) or anywhere else in the league," he said. "There's no question I would want to be in a position to be able to make my stance. If you look at what went on in Moose Jaw, it took me a while to get to where it was but I think that team is set up pretty good for the next few years."

Lang was relieved of his duties in Moose Jaw last summer after 41/2 seasons at the helm. He left behind a 50-player protected list that's regarded to be among the strongest in the league. He was the chief architect of a massive rebuilding project that saw the Warriors go from the worst record in the WHL last season to a 33-27-5-7 mark this year, nearly upsetting the top-seeded Calgary Hitmen in the first round of the playoffs. All but three players in Moose Jaw's post-season lineup were either drafted or acquired by Lang.

"It was really good to see how those players came together after all the adversity they faced the year prior," he said. "We set out a plan that we would have a team that could compete and get to the league final when we moved into the new rink (next year). As long as they stay the course, they're going to be able to put themselves in a situation like that."

Lang, whose contract with Moose Jaw expired this spring, has recently been "helping out" the CHL in a hockey operations role for the 2010 Memorial Cup in Brandon. Those duties are ongoing until the end of the tournament, but they won't interfere with his pursuit of another full-time job.

"I think there's a perception in the league that maybe I'm more involved with Brandon than what I'm doing, but that's just for the Memorial Cup," added Lang. "I've had some people call and some people inquire on what my plans are but as far as actually getting into the nuts and bolts of things, no. I'm kind of waiting to see what happens in the league."

EX-REGINA PATS - MATT STRUEBY COMMITS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF REGINA

REGINA, Saskatchewan – University of Regina men's hockey head coach Blaine Sautner announced Saturday that former Regina Pats centre Matt Strueby has committed to the Cougars.

Strueby, who finished second on the Pats as a 20-year-old last season with 37 goals, is expected to fill an offensive role with the University of Regina next season as the team moves into its new home at the Co-Operators Centre.

"We're a team that will benefit from his offence, and he'll bring size and skill up the middle for us," Sautner said. "It's a great conference and always tough to come in as a rookie, but he has the skill and competitiveness needed to have success at this level."

U.S.A. BLANKS CANADA AT U-18 WORLD CHAMPION 5-0

TSN.ca

BOBRUISK, Belarus - Jack Campbell stopped all 30 shots he faced Friday as the U.S. beat Canada 5-0 at the IIHF World U18 Championship.

The American goaltender was ranked No. 2 by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau behind Canada's Calvin Pickard, who made 33 saves.

Bryan Rust and Jason Zucker each scored twice for the U.S. while Austin Watson added a single.
It was the second loss of the tournament for Canada (1-2), which wraps up the round robin against Sweden on Sunday.

The Canadians won the tournament in 2003 and 2008 and took the silver medal in 2005. They were fourth last year.

CANADIAN FEMALE MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP - HELD AT REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN

REGINA, Saskatchewan – The top female Midget teams from across the country will be in Regina, Sask. starting Sunday to compete for the second annual Esso Cup. Canada’s National Female Midget Championship runs from April 18-24 at the newly constructed Co-operators Centre, a state-of-the-art facility at Evraz Place.

The host Regina Rebels of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League will be joined by five regional champions: the Edmonton Thunder (Pacific), Moncton Rockets (Atlantic), Notre Dame Hounds (West), Remparts du Richelieu (Quebec) and Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario).

The Thunder is the only team to return to the Esso Cup for a second year in a row, while Richelieu is the first team from Quebec to play in the tournament. The Westman Wildcats won the inaugural Esso Cup last year in Calgary, Alta., defeating the Scarborough Sharks 5-2 in the gold medal game.

This year’s gold medal game begins at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 24 and will be broadcast live on TSN2, while all other games will be available online through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com. Access Communications Co-operative Limited, a local cable television provider, will also broadcast all Regina Rebels games.

“The existence of the Esso Cup, now in its second year, is proof positive that women’s hockey is growing across the country,” says Julie Healy, director of female hockey for Hockey Canada. “Fans will be in for a real treat when many of the top up-and-coming female hockey players from across the country take to the ice in Regina starting this Sunday.”

“The Saskatchewan Hockey Association is proud to host the second Esso Cup,” says general manager Kelly McClintock. “This event provides a national platform for Midget girls to display their abilities on the ice.”

REGINA PATS JORDAN EBERLE NAMED WHL EASTERN CONFERENCE - PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WHL.ca

April 15, 2010

Calgary, Alberta - The Western Hockey League today announced the WHL Eastern Conference finalist for the 2009-10 WHL Player of the Year. The two finalists for WHL Player of the Year are determined through voting by General Managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL Member Clubs.

In the WHL's Eastern Conference, which includes the East and Central Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is forward Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats.



Eberle enjoyed an outstanding 2009-10 WHL season, despite his Regina Pats not qualifying for the WHL playoffs. The 19-year-old from Regina, SK, scored 50 goals and added 56 assists for 106 points in just 57 regular-season games for his hometown team to finish second in WHL scoring. Eberle’s 1.86 points-per-game average marked the highest points-per-game average for any WHL player since the 1998-99 season.

The 5’11”, 184-lb forward finished tied for second among all WHL players with 19 power play goals, and also tied for second in shorthanded goals with six on the season. In addition, Eberle was selected among the 3 Stars in 26 of 57 games he played, earning the 1st Star selection 13 times. The leading goal-scorer in the history of Canada’s National Junior team, Eberle recorded at least one point in 50 of 57 games he played for Regina this season, and was held pointless in consecutive games on only two occasions all season.

Drafted in the first round (22nd overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Eberle has piled up 155 goals and 155 assists for 310 points in 254 games through his four years with the Pats. He was selected by the Pats in the seventh round (126th overall) in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft.

The recipients of all WHL individual awards will be announced at the 2010 WHL Awards Luncheon, which will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, at the Fantasyland Hotel on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010. For ticketing information please visit the Edmonton Oil Kings website,http://www.oilkings.ca/ .

WHL Rookie of the Year, Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy:

Eastern Conference – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Burnaby, BC), Red Deer Rebels
Western Conference – Shane McColgan (Manhattan, CA), Kelowna Rockets

WHL Goaltender of the Year, Del Wilson Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Martin Jones (North Vancouver, BC), Calgary Hitmen
Western Conference – Calvin Pickard (Winnipeg, MB), Seattle Thunderbirds

WHL Defenceman of the Year, Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Michael Stone (Winnipeg, MB), Calgary Hitmen
Western Conference – Tyson Barrie (Victoria, BC), Kelowna Rockets

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, Brad Hornung Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Jason Bast (Moose Jaw, SK) Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference – Jared Spurgeon (Edmonton, AB), Spokane Chiefs


WHL Scholastic Player of the Year, Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Adam Lowry (Calgary, AB) Swift Current Broncos
Western Conference – Spencer Main (North Vancouver, BC) Kelowna Rockets


WHL Coach of the Year, Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Mark Holick, Kootenay Ice
Western Conference – Craig Hartsburg, Everett Silvertips

WHL Executive of the Year, Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Kelly McCrimmon, Brandon Wheat Kings
Western Conference – Bob Tory, Tri-City Americans


WHL Humanitarian of the Year, Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy:


Eastern Conference – Matt Fraser (Red Deer, AB) Kootenay Ice
Western Conference – Zack Dailey (Healy, AK) Everett Silvertips


WHL Marketing / Public Relations Award:


Eastern Conference – Brandon Wheat Kings, Rick Dillabough
Western Conference – Everett Silvertips, Zoran Rajcic

WHL Regular Season Champions, Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy:


Calgary Hitmen: GP – 72 W – 52 L – 17 OTL – 1 SL – 2 Pts – 107

WHL Top Scorer – Bob Clarke Trophy:


Brandon Kozun – (Calgary, AB) Calgary Hitmen
GP – 65 G – 32 A – 75 Pts – 107 PIM - 50

CANADA IN WIN COLUMN AFTER ROUT OF BELARUS AT U-18 TOURNEY

TSN.ca

BOBRUISK, Belarus - Canada is in the win column at the world under-18 hockey championships. John McFarland scored a hat trick and Ryan O'Connor had a pair of goals as Canada thumped host Belarus 11-3 in a preliminary round game.

Quinton Howden, Brett Connolly, Michael Bournival, Greg McKegg, Ryan Spooner and Jordan Weal, (Regina Pats) all chipped in with singles.

Artem Levsha, Nikita Kardashev and Dmitri Zhevlochenko scored for Belarus.

Canada improves to 1-1-0-0 in Pool A while Belarus drops to 0-2-0-0. In Pool B play in Minsk, Finland beat Slovakia 5-2.

The Canadians opened the tournament Tuesday with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Switzerland.
The Canadians won the tournament in 2003 and 2008 and took the silver medal in 2005. They were fourth last year.

Next Game: Friday, April 16 - USA va. Canada

2010 NHL ENTRY DRAFT - EDMONTON OILERS GET FIRST PICK -

TSN.ca

2010 NHL Entry Draft Order

TORONTO, Ontario - The biggest win of the year for the Edmonton Oilers came two days after the regular season ended.

The NHL's 30th-place team retained the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery Tuesday night, giving GM Steve Tambellini an opportunity that none of his predecessors has ever enjoyed, and the timing couldn't be better.

"This is a huge opportunity for this organization going forward," said Tambellini. "I think it perfectly fits the moment of where we are as a hockey team, as an organization. We're in a rebuild type of phase with this group. This is a huge building block."

Barring an unlikely trade, the Oilers will have the final say in the debate between Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin when the draft kicks off June 25th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The two OHL stars have gone back-and-forth in the eyes of scouts all season, with Seguin getting the No. 1 nod from the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau in its final rankings last week. The Oilers haven't made up their mind.

"That question has not been answered yet," said Tambellini.

Edmonton entered the draft lottery with a 48.2 per cent chance of earning the No. 1 pick and Tambellini admitted to feeling some nerves while awaiting his team's fate. He and executives from the four other teams with a shot at landing the top pick gathered at the TSN studios in Toronto.

It played out exactly as the odds dictated: Boston received the No. 2 selection (acquired from Toronto in the Phil Kessel trade) and was followed by Florida, Columbus and the New York Islanders.

The Bruins' pick will be the highest for the franchise since it made Joe Thornton the No. 1 overall selection in 1997. When GM Peter Chiarelli sent Kessel to Toronto in September, he never imagined he'd find himself in position to land either Hall or Seguin.

"No, not really," said Chiarelli. "We had a range in mind, we had to choose between the Leafs and a couple other teams, and we kind of had a range in mind. But not this high, no."

The high picks are especially important this year because Hall and Seguin are considered can't-miss-prospects and the talent level drops off from there. Seguin is a gifted playmaker whose value is increased by being a centre with a right-hand shot; Hall is a big, fast winger.

They tied for the OHL's scoring lead this season with 106 points and will likely be given the chance to leap straight into the NHL next season. The offensive flair certainly appeals to the Bruins, who went from being the NHL's second-highest scoring team last season to its lowest-scoring squad this year.

"First and foremost, it'll give us some more goals, which is nice," said Chiarelli. "It adds youthful energy, youthful enthusiasm. It adds to our forward group."

The Bruins GM says he already knows which player he'd like to end up with -- something he wouldn't share publically -- and will likely call Tambellini to inquire about potentially moving up to the No. 1 spot via a trade. It probably won't be a long conversation.

Edmonton finished with a league-worst 62 points this season and Tambellini is eager to right the ship quickly. He was beaming after winning the draft lottery.

"It's such an important step for us to have the ability to take the first overall pick, especially where we are with our cycle of development," said Tambellini. "We're more into a reshaping, a rebuilding mode right now. Everybody's clear about that. This will be a wonderful building block to add on to some of the other draft choices we have in place now.

"(I'm) very, very excited for us and the city of Edmonton."

Who can blame him?

With the NHL playoffs about to begin, several recent No. 1 picks will be playing starring roles: Alex Ovechkin (2004) in Washington; Sidney Crosby (2005) and Marc-Andre Fleury (2003) in Pittsburgh; and Patrick Kane (2007) in Chicago, to name a few.

"Where else can you attain those high impact players?" said Tambellini. "If you look historically at the top end of the draft, those are players (where) you can argue who's better from year to year, but most of them are impact players that play in the NHL for a long time.

"You know you're going to get a good player and it's very important in this (salary-cap) system."

2010 - WORLD U-18 - CANADA UPSET BY SWITZERLAND 3-1, JORDAN WEAL GETS ASSIST

TSN.ca

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

- www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=317873 -

BOBRUISK, Belarus - Guy Carbonneau is hoping to turn a disappointing loss to Switzerland into a motivational tool for his Canadian team at IIHF World U18 Championship.

The Canadians were upset 3-1 by the Swiss on Tuesday in their first preliminary round game of the annual hockey tournament.

"It's a bump in the road and hopefully we can find a way to get back," said Carbonneau, the Canadian head coach. "Sometimes that's what you need -- a good ass-kicking to get you going."


In the other early game Tuesday, Finland hammered Latvia 7-2. In the late games, the Czech Republic faced Russia and the U.S. played Sweden.

Gregor Hoffman and Samuel Guerra scored in the first period to give the Swiss a 2-0 lead.

"We knew they were going to work for 60 minutes," said Carbonneau. "That's the kind of team that they have."

Quinton Howden of Oakbank, Manitoba, cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the second period (at 9:41, assisted by Regina Pats Jordan Weal), but Joel Vermin secured the victory with an empty-net goal with five seconds to go in the third.

"It took us a period to really find our legs," Carbonneau said. "We played a little bit better at the end but I don't think it was the effort that we wanted to have in the first game."

Canada played just one exhibition game prior to the start of the tournament, a 5-4 loss to Finland. With several players on the roster coming off long layoffs following the end of the major junior regular season, Carbonneau said he did the best he could to prepare.

"We have to remember that most of these guys haven't played a game in over a month, maybe a month and a half," he said. "To get into a tournament like this with the best players in the world, it's not easy."

"But I think we prepared ourselves the right way," he added. "We had a bunch of good practices."

Winnipeg's Calvin Pickard made 31 saves for Canada while Lukas Meili stopped 33 shots in the Swiss net.

"Today we tried to play on our skills instead of just a lot of hard work and we got caught," Carbonneau said.

He'll be hoping to see a better effort Thursday when Canada faces host Belarus.

Canada is trying to improve on a fourth-place finish last year. The Canadians won the tournament in 2003 and 2008 and took the silver medal in 2005.

EX-REGINA PATS - JORDAN EBERLE RETURNS HOME TO REGINA

Monday, April 12, 2010

Ex-Regina Pats Jordan Eberle returns to Regina today. While playing for Springfield Falcons he had 14 points in 11 games, 6 goals 8 assists with the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons.

In his last game yesterday, (Sunday, April 11th), home town Springfield defeated Manchester Monarchs 7-3. Jordan scored his 5th and 6th goals in the second period and picked-up an assist in the third period. He was held scoreless the night before in a 7-5 loss to Hartford Wolf Pack.

Where will be his next stop; the NHL. Or maybe the World championships.

Springfield is the chief minor-league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.

2010 - WORLD U-18 - CANADA LOST TO FINLAND 5-4 IN ONLY EXHIBITION GAME.

TSN.ca


Friday, April 9, 2010

MINSK, Belarus -- Canada dropped a 5-4 decision to Finland on Friday in its lone exhibition game ahead of the IIHF world under-18 hockey championship.

John McFarland scored his third goal of the game with five minutes left but Canada could not put the equalizer past Finland goalie Jonathan Iilhati.

"We'll have a couple more days to come together as a team," McFarland said. "I think we learned from our mistakes tonight."

McFarland, who plays for the Ontario Hockey League's Sudbury Wolves, is one of three returning Canadians from the 2008 under-18 squad. Ryan Spooner of the OHL's Peterborough Petes had Canada's other goal.

Canada coach Guy Carbonneau thought it was a decent showing since his players had just two practices together before the game.

"I think it was a little sloppy at the start because of our execution but I think the effort was there," he said. "We've got to give credit to Finland."

Petteri Halinen scored twice for the Finns while Joonas Donskoi, Teemu Pulkkinen and Mikael Salmivirta added singles.

Calvin Pickard of the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds and Kent Simpson of the WHL's Everett Silvertips split the goaltending duties for Canada, which outshot Finland 37-34.
Canada finished fourth at this tournament last year. Canada last won the U18 event in 2008.

WORLD U-18 HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

TSN.ca

Canada's U-18 roster loaded with top draft prospects

Top NHL draft prospect Tyler Seguin won't be there, but Canada still expects to ice a gold-medal contending team at the IIHF world under-18 hockey championship.

The same problem arises every year for Canada at the spring under-18 event -- top players like Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers and Moncton Wildcats defenceman Brandon Gormley being unavailable because of the major junior league playoffs. Seguin's Whalers were eliminated after the under-18 team was unveiled.

But head scout Al Murray says Canada has plenty left over to shoot for gold at the 10-team tournament that begins April 13 in Belarus, with former Montreal Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau behind the bench.

"You don't get all the players you want, but we've got terrific depth," said Murray. "It's hard to win without your best, but we feel we have a team that can compete."

Seguin and Windsor's 18-year-old Taylor Hall are vying to be picked first overall in the NHL draft while Gormley is expected to go in the top 10.

But plenty of other top prospects are on the team, including Prince George forward Brent Connolly and Kingston defenceman Erik Gudbranson, ranked third and fourth respectively among North American skaters for the draft by NHL Central Scouting.

Sudbury forward John McFarland (ranked 15th), Moose Jaw's Quinton Howden (18th) and Regina's Jordan Weal (30th) are other potential first-round picks, as well as six-foot-five Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds, the top-ranked goaltender.

Weal was third in Western Hockey league scoring this season with 35 goals and 67 assists in 72 games and Greg McKegg was 11th in the Ontario Hockey League with 85 points for the Erie Otters.

Gudbranson, Connolly and McFarland are back from the team that finished fourth at last year's tournament.

Pickard is in a race with American Jack Campbell to be the first goaltender picked in the draft. The two are likely to face one another in a round robin game on April 16.

"If they go head-to-head, there'll be a lot of scouts watching," said Murray.

There are also three sons of former NHL players -- Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenceman Brock Beukeboom, whose father Jeff was an Edmonton Oilers rearguard, Kootenay Ice forward Max Reinhart, whose father Paul was a long-time Calgary Flames defenceman, and Oshawa Generals forward Christian Thomas, whose dad Steve once played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Canada won the tournament in 2003 and 2008 and took the silver medal in 2005.

Murray said that while the players come from junior teams that either missed the playoffs or saw their clubs eliminated in the first round, they are still among the most gifted for their age in their leagues.

"A lot of the best players don't play for strong teams because they're rebuilding," he said. "It's a situation where they have a chance to be successful that they didn't have with their club teams."
Most of them have international experience.

Eleven were on the team that won the Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament last summer in the Czech Republic and 19 played in the 2009 world under-17 event in Port Alberni, B.C.

All the players were born in 1992 except defenceman Ryan Murray, a 1993 product who played in this year's under-17 event in Timmins, Ont.

Carbonneau, who was fired by Montreal midway through last season, has been working as an analyst on Hockey Night In Canada, but wanted to get back behind a bench.

He said he knows little about his players going into the job, but will rely on the knowledge of his assistants George Burnett and Rob Sumner, both veteran junior coaches.

"It will be a challenge," said Carbonneau. "But the people at Hockey Canada have a lot of experience in this type of tournament that I can draw on."

Murray said bringing in Carbonneau, one of the NHL's top two-way centres in his day, will "bring credibility to the dressing room. They know he's an NHL coach and player and that's good to have."

The team's second goalie is Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips.


Of the seven defencemen, only Murray of White City, Sask. is not from Ontario. The others are Gudbranson, Beukeboom, Geoffrey Schemitsch, Nathan Chiarlitti, Stephen Silas and Ryan O'Connor.

The only players from Quebec on the team are forwards Gabriel Desjardins and Michael Bournival.

Other forwards include Steven Shipley, Michael Sgarbossa, Ryan Spooner and Freddie Hamilton.

Canada plays in a round robin group with Belarus, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S. Their first game is April 13 against the Swiss. The other group has the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Russia and Slovakia.

***************************************************

Prior to the World Championship, Canada will play one exhibition game on April 9, vs. Finland in Minsk, Belarus at 5 p.m. (Local time) 10 a.m. (Eastern).

***************************************************

EX-REGINA PATS - JORDAN EBERLE - SPRINGFIELD FALCONS - 2010 - 10 GAME SUMMARY

(Photo: Springfield - The Republican Newspaper - by Dan Hickling)

THIS - STARTED - Friday, March 19th. - WILL KEEP UPDATING

Springfield, Massachussets, rookie Jordan Eberle swats in his second goal in two games since joining the Falcons this week, Saturday, at the XL Center in Hartford. At left is Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Chad Johnson.

Friday, March 19th, Game: His first game with them this season.

Springfield - 4 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penquins - 5 - (OT)

Jordan was involved in the first two goals by Springfield as the Falcons took a 2-0 lead. He scored at the 1:00 mark, assisted by Chad Wiseman and Charles Linglet. Got an assist on a power play by Colten Fretter, also assisted by Jean-Francois David.

# 17 - Jordan EBERLE - 1 goal and 1 assist

***********************************************************

Saturday, March 20th, Game: His second game -

Springfield - 4 vs. Hartford - 3

Eberle had - 1 goal, plus 2 assists - tonight (Saturday, March 20th). In the 1st. period, Springfields 2nd goal, it was Arsene at 1933, assisted by Linglet and Jordan Eberle. In the second period, Springfields 3rd. goal, it was Jordan Eberle scoring at 6:12, assisted by Linglet. Springfields 4th goal scored by Wiseman, assisted by Eberle and David at 12:42. Jordan was selected first star of the game.

Jordan EBERLE - 1 goal and 2 assists.

- In two games: 2 goals and 3 assists -

***********************************************************

Sunday afternoon, March 21, game - His 3rd. game

Springfield 1 vs. Bridgepoint 2 (OT)

Jordan Eberle scored Springfield's only goal in the 3rd period at 4:42, assisted by Minard.

- In three games: 3 goals and 3 assists -

***********************************************************

Friday, March 26th, game - His 4th. game

Springfield 3 vs. Lowell 4 (SO)

Jordan Eberle picked up an assist in the 3rd. period. It was Minard scoring at 16:06, assisted by Eberle. Jordan also scored in the shut out.

- In four games: 3 goals and 4 assists -

***********************************************************

Saturday, March 27th, game - His 5th. game

Springfield 1 vs. Portland Pirates - 2

Jordan was scoreless

************************************************************

Sunday, March 28th, game - His 6th. game

Albany River Rats - 5 vs. Springfield Falcons - 1

Jordan picked up an assist in the 2nd period. Minard scored 15, 13:59, assisted by Wiseman and Eberle.

In 6 games: 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points

************************************************************

Friday, April 2nd, game - His 7th. game

Portland - 6 vs. Springfield Falcons - 3

Jordan was scoreless

In 7 games: 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points

************************************************************

Saturday, April 3rd - His 8th game

Hartford - 5 vs. Springfield Falcons - 1

Jordan Eberle, scored his 4th goal in the 2nd period at 6:52 (Power Play), assisted by Chad Wiseman.

In 8 games: 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points

***********************************************************

Friday, April 9th - His 9th. game

Springfield Falcons - 2 vs. Providence - 3 (OT)

Jordan Eberle picked up an assist in the 1st. period. Minard scored (19), at 11:46, (Eberle, Wiseman) PPG.

In 9 games: 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points

***********************************************************

Saturday, April 10th - His 10th. game -

Springfield Falcons - 5 vs. Hartford Wolf Pack - 7

Jordan Eberle - Held Scoreless

10 Games: 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points

***********************************************************

NHL's CSS RANKING FOR NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS - FINAL REPORT

It has been a meteoric rise for a pair of Pat players. Jordan Weal was 45 in the NHL's CSS mid-term ranking for North American Skaters. With the final report that was released today, Weal has moved up 15 spots to the 30th ranked skater in North America.

It's been a quicker rise for defenceman Brandon Davidson. He was off everyone's radars when the 2009-10 season began, but the rookie climed to 57th in the mid-term rankings. As he heads to the scouting combine in May and the NHL Draft this June in Los Angeles, Davidson is now the 48 ranked skater in North America.

Here is a list of the top 50 ranked North American skaters:

1 - SEGUIN, Tyler, Center, Plymouth, OHL
2 - HALL, Taylor, Left Wing, Windsor, OHL
3 - CONNOLLY, Brett, Right Wing, Prince George, WHL
4 - GUDBRANSON, Erik, Defenseman, Kingston, OHL
5 - FOWLER, Cam, Defenseman, Windsor, OHL
6 - GORMELY, Brandon, Defenseman, Moncton, QMJHL
7 - PYSYK, Mark, Defenseman, Edmonton, WHL
8 - ETEM, Emerson, Right Wing, Medicine Hat, WHL
10 - JOHANSEN, Ryan, Center, Portland, WHL
11 - BURMISTROV, Alexander, Center, Barrie, OHL
12 - NIEDERREITER, Nino, Right Wing, Portland, WHL
14 - WATSON, Austin, Left Wing, Peterborough, OHL
15 - McFARLAND, John, Left Wing, Sudbury, OHL
16 - TOFFOLI, Tyler, Center, Ottawa, OHL
17 - McILRATH, Dylan, Defenseman, Moose Jaw, WHL
19 - HOWDEN, Quinton, Center, Moose Jaw, WHL
20 - GAILIEV, Stanislav, Right Wing, Saint John, QMJHL
23 - STRKA, Petr, Right Wing, Rimouski, QMJHL
27 - MARTINDALE, Ryan, Center, Ottawa, OHL
29 - PETROVIC, Alexander, Defenseman, Red Deer, WHL
30 - WEAL, Jordan, Center, Regina, WHL
31 - KABANOV, Kirill, Left Wing, Moncton, QMJHL
33 - TELEGIN, Ivan, Left Wing, Saginaw, OHL
34 - SKINNER, Jeff, Right Wing, Kitchener, OHL
39 - SPOONER, Ryan, Center, Peterborough, OHL
41 - BEUKEBOOM, Brock, Defenseman, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL
42 - HAMILTON, Curtis, Left Wing, Saskatoon, WHL
43 - SHIPLEY, Steven, Center, Owen Sound, OHL
44 - RUTKOWSKI, Troy, Defenseman, Portland, WHL
48 - DAVIDSON, Brandon, Defenseman, Regina, WHL
50 - GAUTHIER-LEDUC, Jerome, Defenseman, Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL

REGINA PATS - JORDAN WEAL TO PLAY FOR CANADA IN THE U-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

Regina Pats WebSite - http://www.reginapats.com/ -

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats are proud to announce that Jordan Weal will play for Canada at the upcoming World U-18 Hockey Championships from April 13-23 in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus.

The roster is comprised of players born in 1992 or earlier whose teams are no longer competing in the CHL playoffs with their respective club teams. Many of Canada’s players named today will be among the top selections at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, Calif. in June.

The Pats have a great history with Canada at this event:

2009 - Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota - Garrett Mitchell

2008 – Kazan, Russia - Colten Teubert, Jordan Eberle

2006 – Angelholm-Halmsted, Sweden - Craig Schira, Logan Pyett

2005 – Ceske Budejovice-Plzen, Czech Republic - Curtis Hunt (Asst. Coach)

2003 – Jaroslavl, Russia - Brennan Chapman

2002 – Piestany, Slovakia and Trnava, Czech Republic - Chris Schlenker, Josh Harding, Bob Lowes (Asst. Coach)

Canada is a two-time champion at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, earning gold in 2003 and 2008. It finished fourth at the 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Fargo, N.D. and Moorhead, Minn.

The team will convene in Toronto, Ont. on Monday, April 5, before flying to Europe on April 6. There will not be any on-ice sessions prior to arriving in Europe.

Prior to the World Championship, Canada will play one exhibition game on April 9, v/ Finland in Minsk, Belarus at 5 pm (Local time)/ 10 am (Eastern).

The 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship opens for Canada on April 13 in Bobruisk when it takes on Switzerland. The Canadians will also face Belarus, Sweden and the United States in the preliminary round.