Topeka’s Peter Traber commits to Harvard

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Topeka goaltender Peter Traber will attend and play NCAA Division I hockey for Harvard next season.

The Topeka RoadRunners, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are proud to announce goaltender Peter Traber has committed to play for the Division I Harvard Crimson of the ECAC beginning in the Fall of 2012.

Traber, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but moved to Houston, Texas at the age of 10 had already found his calling. “I played forward for two years and was terrible”, Traber recalled about his early foray into youth hockey.  “I was by far the worst player on my mite team, but I didn’t love hockey until I switched to goalie at age 7.” The presence of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers certainly had an effect on his early development. “Growing up in Philly I loved watching the Flyers. I fell in love going to Flyers games and watching them on TV. Ron Hextall was my favorite player and I mimicked him all the time.”

Traber played youth hockey in the Houston area until 8th grade when he moved to Minnesota to live and play at the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School, where he would go on to win a National Championship in his senior year, something he lists as his greatest hockey thrill to date.

The 2011-12 season began with Traber at Cedar Rapids in the USHL, but was dealt to Topeka without playing a single game. RoadRunners Head Coach / GM Scott Langer knew Traber had the skills to succeed, and together with Associate Coach Harry Mahood helped guide him to revitalizing his career. “The coaches and teammates here (in Topeka) were amazing and helped me turn my game around. After struggling at first, I finally started to get into a groove in late November and we haven’t looked back since.” Traber’s “groove” allowed him to set a franchise record with three consecutive shutouts and a scoreless streak of 217:59. He was named the Brian’s Custom Sports NAHL Goaltender of the Month for December 2011 when he went 7-1-0 with a save percentage of 95.2% and a brilliant goals against average of just 1.18.

Traber’s accomplishments attracted the attention of a few different schools, and for Traber, the choice was relatively easy. “Harvard is a beautiful place”, he said. “The school is so historic and so dedicated to their sports, specifically hockey, that it just caught me.” He went on to add, “Academics has always been very important to my family and me, so the academics were a major part of the decision. The history and tradition were the major factors in my decision. And the hockey situation worked perfectly.” As far as his chosen course of study, he hasn’t specifically nailed it down but knows his interests. “I’m still undecided, but I’m interested in economics, engineering, and the life sciences.”

Before heading off to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Traber still sees an important task before him. “My personal goal is to put our team in a position to win every game and play for my team every day. Our team goal is to win a national championship, and for now, that’s my focus.” He takes a moment to reflect on those who have helped him along the way. “I want to thank all my teammates here (in Topeka). Special thanks go to Hoody (Harry Mahood) and Coach (Scott) Langer for sticking with me and having confidence in me. Also thanks to (owner) Don Stone and the RoadRunner organization. Finally, thanks to Shattuck St. Mary’s and specifically coaches Cale Politoski, Tom Ward, and Des Christopher.” Not wanting to leave anyone out, he adds, “And of course my parents for giving me these great opportunities.”

The Harvard Crimson play in the Division I ECAC and are led by Head Coach Ted Donato, an NHL veteran of nearly 800 games and also a Harvard grad himself. The team skates in the 2,850 seat Bright Hockey Center.  Traber is the fifth RoadRunner with his college plans secured, joining Andrew O’Leary (Army), Brian Christie (Merrimack), Robbie Davis (Connecticut) and Chris Bond (Connecticut).

Thank you to www.nahl.com for this article

CANADA BEATS USA FOR GOLD

ZLIN, Czech Republic _ Canada won gold at the under-18 women’s hockey championship on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over the United States.

Alexis Crossley of Cole Harbour, N.S., Sarah Lefort of Ormstown, Que., and Cydney Roesler of Stittsville, Ont., scored and Emerance Maschmeyer of Bruderheim, Alta., made 28 saves for the shutout.

“I like shutouts a lot,” said head coach Pierre Alain. “So 3-0 was like the cherry on the cake.”

Crossley scored on a rebound at 9:04 of the first period and Lefort tallied on the power play at 14:03. Roesler’s insurance goal in the third period also came with the man advantage.

Alain said he was also pleased with his team’s play in the defensive end.

“We knew today we’d have to work in our end,” Alain said. “We came through. It was a great team effort.”

Defenceman Erin Ambrose of Keswick, Ont., said it was an amazing feeling to beat the defending champions.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen a group of girls so happy,” she said. “There are tears and smiles, there are hugs everywhere right now _ it’s incredible.”

American goalie Brianna Laing made 13 saves. Her coach, Heather Linstad, called it a disappointing result.

“I thought our team had great team chemistry,” Linstad said. “We worked really hard and created many scoring opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net.”

Canada and the United States have dominated this event, meeting in the final at all four previous championships.

The Americans won gold on three occasions while Canada’s other title came in 2010.

Teodors Blugers interview at World Junior Hockey Championships 2012

Teodors Blugers interview at World Junior Hockey Championships 2012

Lativia’s #21 Teodors (Teddy) Blugers is a potential latter round 2012 NHL entry draft pick. The centreman  plays for Shattuck St. Mary’s, a high school in Minnesota, for which he has scored 33 points in 20 games so far this season.

The school has some obvious high-end alumni including Sidney Crosby,Zach Parise, Jack Johnson, Drew Stafford and Jonathan Toews.

He is a solid two-way player with a strong work ethic. I had the opportunity to talk with him after they lost 14-0 to Russia in round robin play at the 2012 World Junior Championship.

While he has just 1 assist in 4 games thus far at this year’s tournament, keep in mind just how difficult it is for a first year draft eligible prospect to make an impact at this level. Fellow Shattuck alumni Toews, for instance, had just 2 assists in 6 games in this first championship.

Shattuck-St. Mary’s School – Center of Hockey Excellence

Back in July of 2010, The Hockey Writers took a closer look at the hockey factory that is Shattuck-St. Mary’s:

In 1993, seeing the possibility of growing the school population through an accelerated hockey program, Director of Hockey Craig Norwich convinced the powers-that-be to leave the Minnesota High School Hockey League and strike out on its own.  All high school hockey in Minnesota is community based; if you live in Edina, you play in Edina.  The uniqueness of SSM’s program (the boarding school aspect, players from across the world, 50-70 game schedule) allows Shattuck to register with USA Hockey as the only non-community-based Minnesota team and consequently to represent the state in the USA Nationals playoffs every year.

The program looks for specific types of individuals when evaluating which hockey prospects are right for their school. This certainly speaks to the character of Teddy Blugers.

Tom Ward was named Director of Hockey four years ago. Asked what he looks for in a young prospect, Ward had some very straight advice:

“A candidate for our program must first be a person of good character; have a passion for the game; and understand that the environment here is unique.  He has to be willing to put in the effort it takes to be the best he can be.  It is a full day here.  His chemistry teacher will expect him to be fully present when he is in class and we will expect the same when he hits the ice.  Our expectations are very high.  We have high standards for a kid entering the school and once he has arrived in the program, we like to create an atmosphere here for him to grow that talent, to reach his potential as an athlete and as a member of the community.”

The well-spoken Blugers attended English schools in Latvia growing up.

Interview

Chris Ralph: What  path did you take to get to Shattuck St. Mary’s?

Teddy Blugers: I was looking for somewhere in North America and I went and toured a bunch of East Coast prep schools and also toured Shattuck. I liked Shattuck the best and so glad I made the decision to go there. I love it there. I thought it was the best fit for me to work on and develop my game. They also have some pretty good alumni!”

CR: It was a pretty tough loss tonight, but you and your team have had some impressive moments in the tournament so far, such as battling Slovakia until the very end. The local fans have also taken a liking to your team. What positives have you taken from the tournament at this point?

Blugers: It’s a great experience and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Obviously it was a disappointing performance tonight, but hopefully we can learn from our mistakes moving forward. It’s been unbelievable.  Hockey is such a huge deal here. To get be treated very well,  it’s been a great experience so far.

CR: I couldn’t help but notice your prowess in the face-off circle. (I later discovered Blugers won the award for best face-off percentage (68.75%) at the 2010-11 WJC U18s D1A tournament. For round-robin play in this WJC, Teddy finished 20th overall for best face-off percentage; definitely a strong showing for a 17 year-old.)

Blugers: No, not really. I try to work on it when I get a chance. I guess I’ve played centre all my life so I’ve naturally taken a lot of face-offs and therefore have the experience which helps.

CR: Any significance to your jersey number “21″?

Blugers: Yeah – I’ve always worn it growing up because I idolized Peter Forsberg.

CR: That answers another question. Any current NHLer you pattern your game after?

Blugers: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings). He’s one of the best players in the NHL obviously. He’s unbelievable. His skill level and the way he plays the game is fantastic.

CR: Do you have any particular post-game activities?

Blugers: Soccer is a good way to get worked up and to cool down before and after practices and games.

CR: What’s your plans for next year – still NCAA?

Blugers: Next year I’m heading to Minnesota State University (Mankato) in the NCAA?

CR: Any thoughts on playing in the CHL?

Blugers: No, I haven’t really thought about that at this point.

CR: You were drafted in the second round in the KHL. I consider you a sleeper for the 2012 draft? Does the NHL entry draft enter into your thoughts as all?

Blugers: Not really – I have to keep playing well. Hopefully, it all works out, but it’s really up to me on how my game develops.

One-Timers:

Dean Millard of Coming Down The Pipe dubbed Blugers a wild card for Team Latvia:

Teodor Blugers is a 17 year old centre who was born in Riga, Latvia but developed in North America. He’s currently in his 3rd season with Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school where he’s torching things up with 33 points in 20 games. Next year he’s set to join Minnesota State University (Mankato)at the 2010-11 WJC U18s D1A tournament. Blugers is also 2012 draft eligible.

Alessandro Seren Rosso of Hockey’s Future in his preview of Team Latvia noted:

Forward Teodors Blugers is having a very solid season in the USHS with Shattuck St. Mary’s as he scored 33 points in the 20 games played so far. Blugers pretty much fell behind the radar until now. It wouldn’t be much surprise if a team uses a late round pick on him in the 2012 Draft, considering his skills level and the very good season he is having this year.

Shots From The Slot:

• Teodors had 5 points (4 G, 1A) in 4 games for Latvia at the 2010-11 WJC U18s D1A tournament and was tied for most goals in the gold medal winning performance by Latvia.
• Blugers was drafted 39th overall in the 2011 KHL draft.

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Check out our World Junior Championships Viewers Guide 2012 Edition as more articles will be added highlighting team previews, players to watch, predictions and other unique and exclusive coverage. (Home Page Link)

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Follow on Twitter for plenty of updates leading up to and during the tournament: @ChrisRalphTHW

Submitted by Faribault Daily… on Mon, 01/02/2012 – 22:41

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Willie Raskob scored a hat trick as the Shattuck-St. Mary’s boys prep hockey team avenged an earlier loss to Finland to capture the inaugural gold medal at the World Sport School Challenge in Calgary, Alberta.

Just two days after losing 4-3 to the Fins, the Sabres (32-4-1) came back with a 5-3 win in the gold medal game on Saturday, their third-straight win in an elimination game. Despite going just 1-2 in pool play, the Sabres got hot at the right time and rode a wave of goal-scoring to win the first-year tournament.

“We were on the puck all week from game one to game six,” said SSM assistant coach Des Christopher, who was coaching for Tom Ward. “The guys played very, very hard and worked together as a group. We played very well offensively in this tournament.”

Finals SSM 5, Finland 3

The Sabres fell behind 1-0 in the first period before Raskob, a defenseman, scored his natural hat trick, including goals just 57 seconds apart spanning the first and second periods. All three of Raskob’s goals came on the power play.

“Willie is a very skilled player,” Christopher said. “He understands the offensive side of the game. We activate our defensemen and give them the opportunity to jump in on the rush when it’s available and he was able to do that.”

Zach Stepan put SSM up 4-1 before Finland scored two goals to pull within one with 16 minutes to play. Hunter Fejes added an empty netter in the final seconds.

“They’re a very good hockey team and it was going to be close either way,” Christopher said. “I think we got a couple of bounces and a couple of breaks. Our power play was clicking very well.”

The Fins had come into the game 4-0 in the tournament and had out-scored their opponents 36-7. The Sabres had success in mixing up their penalty kill.
“We haven’t seen that team before and we noticed they were doing some different puck movement and we decided it was better to change our rotation in the box,” Christopher said.

Semifinals SSM 7, Slovakia 5

For the second time at the WSSC the Sabres took down Slovakia. Thanks to seven different players scoring — and two other notching assists — SSM built a 7-3 lead with 20 minutes to play behind four second-period goals.

The Sabres scored twice in the opening five minutes, then after Slovakia tied it at 2-2 the Sabres scored five straight times. Hunter Fejes had a goal and two assists and Noah Henry, Tyler Vesel and Stepan each had a goal and an assist. Anthony Brodeur made 21 saves as SSM out-shot Slovakia 68-26.

Quarterfinals SSM 12, POE 0

There wasn’t much excellence from the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy as Shattuck peppered the net with 71 shots and 12 goals, including a hat trick from Fejes.

SSM scored four times in the first period, five in the second and three in the third. They scored eight times on 10 power plays. Noah Henry had two goals and an assist and Carter Lukenda had three assists. Brodeur had an 18-save shutout.

Pool play

The Sabres opened pool play on Dec. 26 with a tough 7-5 loss to Okanagan Hockey Academy. After SSM jumped out to a 3-0 lead, Okanagan tied it up with three second-period goals. Fejes tied the game at 5-5 with 2:54 to play, but Okanagan’s Joseph Hicketts scored the game winner with 1:36 to play.

“We probably played one of our best games in the first game,” Christopher said. “We just didn’t get the outcome. It was a really fluky game. It was odd.”
Hayton finished with 28 saves and Raskob, Vesel, Fejes, Truman Reed and Sabastian Lemm all scored.

The next day, SSM beat Slovakia 9-3 behind Stepan’s four goals. The Sabres led 6-2 after a second period that saw the two teams combine for seven goals. Brodeur finished with 25 saves.

In their final pool play game, the Sabres lost a lead to Finland and fell to 1-2.

Up 2-0, SSM led Finland score three straight goals before Jake Montgomery tied it in the second period. But Finland scored short-handed with eight minutes to go. Hayton had 17 saves and Fejes and Stepan scored.

The Sabres are off until they travel to Chicago for an HPHL Showcase on Jan. 13.

— Sports editor Brendan Burnett-Kurie may be reached at 333-3129.

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November 9, 2011

Ricardo Cooney
SpartanMag.com Staff Writer

EAST LANSING – As promised by Tom Anastosupon his introduction as Michigan State’s new hockey coach, the Spartans program has not only turned up the heat on recruiting but recruiting top level talent.

The latest to join the fold, John Draeger, a defenseman out of the storied prep school program at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Fairbault, Minnesota.

Draeger, a 6-foot-2, 186 senior for the Sabres from Morristown, Minn., is considered a top-level defenseman that played in an elite level prep school program that has sent many players to Division I college hockey and eventually the National Hockey League.

“I know Coach Anastos and Coach (Kelly) Miller, (from) back in the day, when they were part of the rebuilding of the program and they said they want me to be a key part in bringing back the Spartans to a national championship,” Draeger said. “That really was appealing to me because I think that’s a great challenge and I’d love to be able to help out with that.”

MSU outdueled schools like defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth, New Hampshire, Mankato State and Holy Cross to get Draeger, who comes from a boarding school program known for developing future pro talent.

Some present NHL and past Shattuck standouts that Draeger hopes to someday follow to the big time includes Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby, Chicago Blackhawk Jonathan Toews, New Jersey Devil Zach Parise, Los Angeles King Jack Johnson, Detroit Red Wing Ty Conklin, Buffalo Sabre Drew Stafford, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Malone and New York Islander Kyle Okposo.

In 18 games so far this season, Draeger, a right-handed shot, has five goals and 11 assists for a Sabres’ team that won a U-18 national title. Last season, the former Shattuck teammate of first-year Spartan winger Tanner Sorenson, had just 3 goals and 8 assists in 54 games.

His coach and Shattuck’s director of hockey Tom Ward said Draeger’s development has been evident over the past few seasons.

“His skating, for a long and lanky kid, is really good and so is his vision of the game. He’s a very good reader of the game. He plays with his head up and he sees things. His read and react skills are really good,” Ward said “I think as he develops he’s going to be a big horse of a kid. He comes from a big family. He’s one of these kids that’s a young boy in a big man’s body. When he’s done at MSU, he’ll have a legitimate chance. I mean, no one can guarantee anything but he’s got a legitimate chance to play (in the NHL) after his time at Michigan State.”

Draeger, who was also chosen as the 57th overall pick of the United States Hockey League’s Draft by the Indiana Ice, is listed on NHL.com’s 2012 Entry Draft Players to Watch List from Minnesota.

Luckily for MSU, Draeger, who plans to major in either marketing, business or advertising, won’t be taking the USHL route and will be in a Spartan uniform next season.

“Some knowledgeable hockey specialists think it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion (that) Shattuck St. Mary’s d-man John Draeger will go places in the game of hockey,” said an analyst from thescoutingnews.com.

His coach says Draeger is a late bloomer who will only get better under the tutelage of MSU’s new coaching staff. Ward also compared Draeger to North Dakota senior defenseman and captain Ben Blood, another former Shattuck standout who was drafted by the Ottawa Senators and is expected to earn All-America honors this season.

“He’s a kid who’s grown into being a good athlete here the last five, six years of his life,” Ward said. “The past couple of years he’s played on our top team here and he’s turned himself into a fine hockey player. He’s still got a lot to go. I mean when he’s 25 he’s going to be significantly better than he is right now as an 18-year old but with regards to youth athletics, and hockey specifically, the last three or four years, he’s made a real nice jump in his game. Just about every school in the country has been looking at him, all of your big schools, because in the last 18 months, John has really turned his game into something special, plus you can’t coach being 6-2 as a hockey player. And I would imagine that he’s going to be a little bit taller than 6-2, I don’t know how much taller, and about a 215, 220-pound type of kid when he’s done at MSU.

Ward added that some of the other schools that showed interest in Draeger included Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin but it seems that MSU’s case to lure Draeger to East Lansing was also aided by the fact that present MSU director of hockey operations Adam Nightingale coached Draeger on the Midget AA level for a year at Shattuck.

“I know Coach Nightingale and I know Tanner Sorenson that was on my team last year and it was just the best fit for me,” said Draeger, whom MSU started recruiting heavily during the summer.

While it is still going to take some time for MSU to return to the high level program it was two decades ago, Anastos and his staff are already showing that they have spent many sleepless nights traveling, watching, evaluating and luring top end talent back to the fold at MSU.

The newest recruits expected to join the program in the next two to three years are defenseman Josh Jacobs, who could be in Spartan uniform in 2014, winger Michael Ferrantino, and goalie Jake Hildebrand. The Spartans have also added Ryan Keller, a forward with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. Keller, a Farmington Hills native, who played high school hockey at Detroit Catholic Central before going to Sioux Falls, is expected to join MSU in 2012 or 2013.

In addition to Draeger’s arrival next season – the Spartans could lose as many as 11 players after the season – MSU is still expected to add previous commitments, defensemen Travis Walsh and Rhett Holland, wingers Mike McCarron and Joseph Cox and center Matt DeBlouw.

Walsh, a grandson of former Spartan hockey coach Ron Mason, Cox and DeBlouw are all members of the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.

In addition to the future recruits and R.J. Boyd, a transfer from Sacred Heart – who was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010 and will join the Spartans next season as a sophomore after playing with the Indiana Ice of the USHL – the Spartans are expected to offer, if they haven’t already, Zachary Werenski, a 9th grader from Grosse Pointe, who plays for 16-under Belle Tire Team. The 14-year old is already 6-2 and 195 pounds and is eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft.

“A truly talented and dominant player. Is the youngest member of his team (born in ’97) but plays beyond his years. Possesses outstanding hockey sense and the game, on occasion, seems effortless for him,” said reelhockeyscouting.com analyst Ikerhodes of Werenski. “An offensive defenseman with fluid footwork and a great deal of athleticism. Sees the ice extremely well. Holds a lethal touch and patience with the puck and can hit his mark with it. Fires a quick and accurate shot. Has pro size and uses it well to smother the play and grind players off of the puck. Shows ‘flashes’ of an appetite for the big hit and has been known to absolutely devastate bodies in open ice.”

Brianna Decker knows time is running short, so the junior center for the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team is trying to make every nanosecond count.

Decker only has another eight weeks or so to alternately observe and pick the fertile brain of Meghan Duggan before the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award winner graduates from UW in December with a degree in biology.

Duggan, the all-time leading scorer in program history who led the Badgers to the NCAA title last season, intends to return to the Boston area where she grew up and where she’ll continue to train toward another berth on the U.S. Olympic Team for 2014.

Between now and then, Duggan is a fixture at UW practices, attacking every drill and conditioning session. Decker is never very far away.

“I’ve taken so much from her already and she’s continuously helping me,” Decker said of her former linemate. “I’m trying to soak up everything as quick as possible here the next couple months.”

Decker, from Dousman, has a world-class skill set that could reunite her with Duggan on Team USA for the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

In 70 career games, Decker has 54 goals, 60 assists and 114 points. She’s coming off a sophomore season in which she totaled 80 points (34 goals, 46 assists) and teamed with Duggan and current senior winger, captain and Olympian Hilary Knight to guide the Badgers to their fourth national title in six years.

Decker became a protégé of sorts for Duggan. Whatever drill Duggan did, Decker wanted to see if she could do it better. Whenever Duggan stayed after practice to work on her game, Decker was right there, too.

But this goes beyond the game. Duggan was an exceptional captain. Teammates respectfully referred to her as “Alpha.” When Decker picks her brain, the subjects aren’t limited to on-ice tactics.

“I ask her little things about leadership and how to control certain situations on the team,” said Decker, one of three assistant captains along with senior wingers Brooke Ammerman and Carolyn Prevost. “And I know she studies her butt off all the time. I want to pick up on those things, too.

“I want to be an all-around good person and that’s what she is. She’s a great example for every one of us in that (dressing) room.”

The top-ranked Badgers are about to get a good measure of their collective character. They open a daunting month of matchups at 2 p.m. Saturday when they host North Dakota in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at the Kohl Center.

The Sioux are loaded with talent and seem primed for a breakthrough season. That series is followed by two more against rivals Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth before Boston University comes to Madison for a rematch of March’s NCAA title game.

“We’re playing solid teams this month,” Decker said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but we need to focus on ourselves.”

In the midst of carrying 17 credits this semester, Duggan kept close tabs on Decker. Duggan likes what she sees.

“She has developed into probably, I’d say, one of the best players in the world,” Duggan said. “Just in the last year the strides that she’s made in her game are unbelievable. I think everyone has noticed them.

“I’m really excited to see where she’s going to go this year. Her eagerness to learn and get better every single day I think is what’s made her into an elite player. She’s only going to get better because of that.”

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Jordy Murray wearing #28 playing in the Swiss National League A for Rapperwil Lakers.

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Click here for article written by Shattuck Alumni Al Daniel.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/842308-nhl-20-best-shattuck-st-marys-hockey-alumni#/articles/842308-nhl-20-best-shattuck-st-marys-hockey-alumni

The New Jersey Devils have signed star forward Zach Parise to a one-year deal for $6 million, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

That deal assures that Parise, making his way back from a serious knee injury, is in the fold for the upcoming 2011-12 season and GM Lou Lamoriello told the Bergen Record that the sides will continue to endeavor to get the first-line winger signed to a long-term deal.

Parise earned $5 million last season, a year in which he was limited to 13 games and 3 goals by a knee injury that required surgery. He had been the catalyst of the Devils’ offense the previous four seasons, scoring 146 goals.

According to the rules of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, Parise can not sign another deal with the Devils until Jan. 1, 2012. The parties can negotiate a deal at any time and agree to terms, but it can not become official until Jan. 1.

Even with Friday’s one-year deal in place, Parise remains on schedule to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1

“Once you go to arbitration, you can only get a one-year situation in this case,” Lamoriello told The Record’s Tom Gulitti. “So, really what we have done is avoid arbitration by settling on one year with the understanding and intent to take whatever time is necessary to get a long-term deal.”

Parise told NHL.com on Wednesday that he wanted a long-term deal and had mixed emotions about Wednesday’s arbitration hearing in Toronto.

Both sides agree that the one-year deal signed Friday not only avoids the potential for hard feelings that sometimes arises from the naturally contentious arbitration hearing, but also buys both sides time to iron a long-term deal for the 27-year-old Parise.

“It’s a one-year deal and it’s deal that currently make sense for both the player and the club,” Parise’s agent, Wade Arnott told The Record. “That’s how I’d characterize it.”

It was the Devils who filed for team-elected arbitration back on June 17 to prevent Parise from being able to field offer sheets from other teams when he became a restricted free agent July 1.

Parise was the final free agent on the Devils’ docket and Lamoriello had a bit more financial leeway with which to negotiate this deal after trading Brian Rolston to the Islanders on Thursday, in exchange for Trent Hunter, and clearing almost $3 million of his 2012-13 cap hit.

At 5-foot-9, 177 pounds, Chay Genoway doesn’t look like your prototypical NHL defensemen.
But looks are often deceiving.

At the Minnesota Wild Development Camp, the recent free agent signee out of the University of North Dakota is doing what he can to show that height is just a number, and strength knows no limits.

Genoway’s off-ice strength testing has been as impressive as his coast-to-coast goal in Saturday’s scrimmage. Word has it that after piling up the most consecutive pushups among the prospects, he immediately started his pull ups and tallied the highest number of those.

“He is quite strong physically,” said Kirk Olson, the Wild’s recently hired strength and conditioning coach, whose first order of business was working out the prospects this week. “He has a low center of gravity and is hard to knock off his feet.”

If anyone knows size isn’t always relative to strength, it’s Genoway. The former UND captain is showing that he arrived at camp ready to make a run at a professional career.

“I’ve been doing the normal summer time stuff, like lifting weights and conditioning,” Genoway said. “But I also tried to get on the ice more than usual this summer so it wouldn’t be too strenuous on things like the groin or hip-flexors, like the ice can be when you jump right to it.”

In his first camp, at 23 years old, Genoway was one of the elder statesmen. His development as a player is advanced compared to his younger counterparts, and he knows the importance of making a good first impression.

“You’re here to develop, but people are always watching, so you never know and you want to be prepared as much as possible,” said the Swan River, Manitoba native said.

“Guys are trying to make a name for themselves,” Olson added. “Not only with coaches, trying to make a roster spot, but with teammates. The guys were trying to pull whatever they could out of each other, and Chay did a great job of that.”

Working with Genoway for less than a week, Olson noticed his off-ice habits.

“Chay works his butt off,” Olson said. “You can see that he takes pride his work ethic.”

For an undersized defenseman, self-determination and motivation is a necessity to excel in a game populated by behemoths. Genoway has been training at UND this summer and credits his time in college for helping groom him to make the leap to pro hockey.

“That place prepares you for the next level,” the four-time All Academic team member said. “I’ve been training there for the last five years and there’s always guys there that are pushing you everyday. It was a wake up call.”

Often, the most eye-opening challenge for college hockey players is adjusting to the higher speed of the pro game.

“It has been a really good pace; especially, considering it is the summer time,” Genoway said. “There are better players you’re playing with. You have to work a little bit harder to be in position.”
In addition to the boost in tempo, he also is trying to adapt to the subtle differences in style between the college and pro game. The camp is his first taste of what it will take to succeed at the next level.

“It’s a little more positional and structured than in college,” Genoway said. “So, I really have focused on positioning, being sound defensively and making a good first pass. And if that goes well, getting up in the play a little bit.”

Getting up in the play, as a blueliner, is something Genoway did better than most while at UND. In his senior season, he racked up 37 points in 36 games, leading the Sioux to the Broadmoor Trophy, awarded to the WCHA playoff championship, and a Frozen Four appearance. He also led the team as a two-year captain, something that was immediately evident to Olson.

“There are two types of leaders: The Ra-Ra types, and the lead by example types,” Olson said. “With Chay, you get the best of both worlds. He always leads by example, but can step-up and say something when it’s needed.  He is the type of leader other guys gravitate toward.”
      
At Development Camp, Genoway led by example at the off-ice workouts and said the team building exercises during outdoor training along with the more traditional work out routines were ways to show other methods of staying fit.

“We’ve done a little bit of everything – running, weight training and conditioning – we’ve also done some off-ice training that I’ve never done; things meant to push you out of your comfort zone. I think it helps the guys grow because you might see some of these guys on your team at some time.”

Genoway is hoping that team will soon be the Minnesota Wild

Four Shattuck Alumni are competing in the 2011 IIHF World Championships in Slovakia.  Follow Goaltender Ty Conklin, Defenceman Jack Johnson and Forwards Derek Stepan and Chris Porter.

http://www.iihf.com/channels-11/iihf-world-championship-wc11/homeiihf.html

UND captain Chay Genoway has signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild, but won’t report until next season.

Genoway, a two-time All-American defenseman for the Sioux, will finish up his degree in business management before starting his professional career near home.

Genoway bounced back strong from a concussion that sidelined him for the final five months of the 2009-10 season to finish his career with 37 points in 36 games. He’s the first point-per game defenseman for the Sioux since Travis Roche, who also signed a free agent contract with the Wild.

Genoway earned first-team all-WCHA honors and first-team All-American honors. He is the third senior to sign an NHL contract. Previously, Matt Frattin signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Malone signed with the Colorado Avalanche.

April 10, 2011

By Carl Chimenti
Special to USAHockey.com

It was a dominating performance from start to finish for Shattuck-St. Mary’s. The end result was a 4-2 win over Little Caesars that gave Shattuck the USA Hockey 19-Under Tier I National Championship on Sunday in Rochester, Mich.

Shattuck played a strong defensive game and chalked up several blocked shots to lend a hand to goaltender Erin Krichiver.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about and working on our defensive zone coverage,” Shattuck coach Gordie Stafford said after the game. “You can always play good defense even when you’re not scoring, and chances are good things will happen.”

Little Caesars coach Matt Berger tipped his hat to Shattuck.

“They did a good job of taking away what they gave us,” Berger said. “Also, I don’t think we played our best game.”

There were a couple of would-be turning points in the second period. Trailing 2-0, Little Caesars managed to score at the 4:25 mark to slice the lead in half on a goal by Nicole Renault, who deposited an assist from Alyssa West. But Shattuck scored what turned out to be the game-winner only 35 seconds later. Little Caesars later came up short on a breakaway.

“It’s a game of emotion and you have to try to get it when you don’t have it,” Berger said. “They have a pretty strong defensive core.”

Stafford felt Little Caesars make a charge in the second period.

“I thought they were really coming on, but we were to blame as well,” Stafford said. “We had a couple of bad line changes and a couple of dropped passes that were uncharacteristic of us.”

Krichiver got just enough of the shot on the breakaway to send it awry.

“Erin got a piece of that shot,” Stafford said. “She has been fantastic for us all year and she came up big for us at the right time.”

Shattuck scored twice within 25 seconds in the first period as Kayla Sullivan deposited the puck into the net from in front at 9:46 on an unassisted goal. Kathleen Turnbull made it 2-0 as she found herself parked at the side of netminder Taylor Fairchild to score the goal. Kimberly Drake and Brook Garzone had the assists.

Shattuck increased its lead to 4-1 in the third period on a pretty passing play. Courtney Burke dished out a perfect pass to Ellen Williams for a tap-in and a 4-1 lead. Little Caesars matched that in the waning seconds of the game on a goal by Caitlyn Post, with an assist from Casey Dockus during a 5-on-3 advantage.

Stafford says his team, which has nine seniors off to play Division I college hockey next season, peaked at the right time.

“We really came together at the end of the year,” Stafford said. “The core group of this team won the U-16 National title last year and the seniors bought into the system and they know how to win.”

Krichiver gave credit to her teammates following the post game hoopla.

“They have been amazing at blocking shots all year,” Krichiver said. “I think as a whole we have been solid all the way around. We have been scoring but at the same time we have been shutting down teams as well.”

April 3, 2011

By Lindsay Fetzner
Special to USAHockey.com

After a two-year hiatus, Shattuck-St. Mary’s is back on top in the boys 18-U Tier I division. The Minnesota-based prep school, home to the USA Hockey national champions in 2007 and ’08, pulled out a 3-1 victory over the Mid Fairfield Blues on Sunday at the 2011 USA Hockey National Championships in Simsbury, Conn.

“It is a thrill for us,” Shattuck coach Tom Ward said.

Shattuck earned its spot in the final by defeating the DC Capitals 3-0 in the quarterfinals. They went on to top the Greater Boston Junior Bruins 4-3 in overtime in the semifinals.

Ward said the championship win was a great way to end the long hockey season.

“We’re in hockey country in Minnesota,” Ward said.

Ward said he was proud of the seniors on the team for stepping up during the tournament and being leaders among the other, younger players.

“We had some really good leadership from the group of seniors,” he said.

And, with the added pressure of several scouts keeping a close eye on all of the games, Ward concluded, “This national tournament environment is great for these kids.”

Although the first two periods of the final game went scoreless, there was stiff competition from both teams during the third period. The teams combined for one minor penalty in the game.

Forward Zach Stepan gave Shattuck a 1-0 lead with 16:33 to play in the third period. Ted Blueger had the assist.

Mere seconds later, forward Nick Finn answered for the Blues. His goal with 16:25 to play was assisted by Jack Barre and Matt Caito.

With 5:56 left, Shattuck defenseman Bryan Sinz scored the game-winning goal on an assist by Nicholas Weberg. Defenseman John Draeger

Although it appeared the third period would draw to a close with Shattuck St. Mary’s one point lead, the team scored yet again with only 25 seconds left in the game.

Defenseman John Draeger scored an empty-net goal to give Shattuck the final 3-1 score.

Shattuck goaltender Peter Traber made 42 saves, while Mid Fairfield Blues counterpart Gryphon Richardson had 32. Traber had a .966 save percentage for the tournament, and Richardson ended at .932.

Mid Fairfield coach Doug Messier said he thought his team had played terrific during the tournament. The Blues defeated the St. Louis AAA Blues 4-2 in the quarterfinals and the Colorado Thunderbirds 3-1 in the semifinals.

“We’re in a unique situation where we don’t spend a lot of time together as a team,” Messier said. It’s the result of many of the Mid Fairfield Blues’ players attending prep schools in the area. “In today’s game, we were right there. It was a good game.”

Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

In a joint effort to build Faribault into an “epicenter” for hockey in the state, Shattuck-St. Mary’s plans to construct a new “studio” hockey facility in time for the 2011-12 school year.

The new sheet of ice, which will be 85’x95’ (a normal rink is 85’x200’), will not only be used by SSM players to work on their skill sets, but a 10-year agreement has been reached with the Faribault Hockey Association to give the Mini-Mites, Mites and Squirt teams use of the ice for two hours each evening and one hour each weekend day for no charge.

“The focus is on the young kids and growing hockey in Faribault,” FHA President Jason Johannsen said. “One way to facilitate that is to have this program get more ice time to develop the kids. Faribault youth hockey and Shattuck have strong relations that have been building over the last three, four years. This further cements that. They really support the youth hockey.”

“One of our real aspirations for Faribault is that we can become an epicenter for hockey in Minnesota,” SSM Head of School Nick Stoneman said. “I don’t mean Shattuck-St. Mary’s, but Faribault hockey. We would love to see Faribault High School winning state championships. We know that is a long-term goal that starts with a 4-5 year old getting the start he or she needs to develop.”

Johannsen said the new facility would mean youth teams will now get three or four nights of skating each week, and teams won’t have to share ice during practices.

“It gives more ice to the younger skaters, giving them more time to be on their skates working on skills and development,” he said. “It allows us to schedule more ice without increasing the cost or charging more.”

Trevor Putrah, a Squirts coach, added that the smaller dimensions will be especially beneficial to the youngest participants.

“These kids don’t need as much space,” he said. “The key to these kids is ice time. The key to development is ice time. That’s what this really does, it allows incremental ice time to be given to the Faribault kids to keep up with South Metro and other teams they will compete against some day.”

The funding for the facility was made possible by the Putrah family, as well as numerous other SS-M alums. The Putrah family has long been involved in local hockey. Dale and Kathleen Putrah served on the FHA board, while their sons — Trevor, Tim and Rick — played in the association. Tim and Rick played at Faribault High School, while Trevor is a 1993 graduate of SS-M. Between the three brothers and sister Megan, they have 12 children who have played, or are playing, in the FHA.

“Between my family’s involvement with Faribault hockey and my phenomenal experience at Shattuck, it made sense,” Trevor Putrah said. “The fact is, we have the best program in North America, from a hockey standpoint, in our town. It’s Nick’s vision, and the school’s vision, to build this rink. It’s a combination of helping a school we’re very passionate about and believe in and giving back to the Faribault Hockey Association.”

“The Putrah family has had a long association with the school and Faribault,” Stoneman said. “They are equally as committed to this vision as Shattuck-St. Mary’s is. Trevor played a pivotal role in creating support for this.”

The completely-enclosed facility will be built south of the old ice arena on a set of tennis courts that have been used as a shooting gallery by SS-M players. Since the building will be constructed of steel, the school has worked closely with the City of Faribault to ensure it works aesthetically within the school’s architecture.

“I can’t overstate how helpful the city has been,” Stoneman said. “They have offered great counsel in developing this in a way that can be an asset to the school and the city.”

The rink, of course, will also aid in developing SS-M’s storied hockey program.

“It gives our student-athletes a chance to develop the creative side of the game,” Stoneman said. “(They can) try new things and not worry about whether it works or not and explore aspects of their game that they can bring to the team. This is a wonderful facility for them to do that.”

The rink will have four radius corners, meaning goals can be placed along all four walls. There is no checking allowed in the rink, and its smaller confines give players, both youth and high school, more touches on the puck.

“It’s a wonderful place to get lots of shots and the kids to get lots of ability to stick-handle, to work with their passing game and try some different moves,” Stoneman said.

The tenative schedule is to have the building ready by August or September, Stoneman said. A groundbreaking will be determined in conjuction with city leadership, he added.

— Sports editor Brendan Burnett-Kurie may be reached at 333-3129.

As 240 hockey players descend on the Shattuck-St. Mary’s ice rinks this weekend, around 80 junior and college scouts and coaches will be watching and taking diligent notes.

After all, that’s what the Xposure Tournament is all about: Exposure.

“That’s the reason they’re coming,” said Murray Eaves, coach of SSM’s Midget AAA team, who will coach one of 12 teams at this weekend’s tournament.

According to Larry Horstman, who helps coordinate the tournament along with SSM boys prep coach Tom Ward, players will come to Faribault from nearby states such as Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as New York and Canada.

The majority of the players, however, are from Minnesota, said Ward.

“It’s a chance to measure up where you are against different parts of the state and beyond,” Horstman said.

“It kind of has a life of its own,” Ward said of the event. “It’s been a good thing for our kids.”

Ward said the Xposure Tournament was started around five years ago in a similar style as the Prospects Camp in Toronto an the Global Camp in Vancouver. The advantage of SSM’s camp, however, is that it gives hockey players in Minnesota and surrounding states a closer alternative to showcase their talents.

Not everyone who wants to attend will get a chance, however. Ward said players must submit profile, and then a committee chooses whether to accept or deny each player.

“It’s not just a cattle call,” Ward said. “There’s a certain aptitude you have to have to get into the camp.”

Eaves’ AAA squad is one of two Sabres teams taking part in the tournament, along with the Midget AA team. Eaves said about 15 of his players will be among the 240 on the ice this weekend.

He’ll be joined by fellow SSM coaches Mike Dietsch, John LaFontaine, Cale Politoski and Christian Bragnalo. The remaining teams will be led by coaches from the Minnesota High School Elite League.

This weekend’s camp is held earlier in the year than any previous camp at SSM. Horstman said a big reason was to have the tournament run closer to the end of the high school hockey season, which in Minnesota finished last weekend. That not only means the players will be in better hockey shape, but it will give scouts and coaches a better chance to attend.

“We always try to avoid the Minnesota select USA Hockey tryouts,” Ward said. “This is the weekend this year that’s worked for us and stay away from our national tournament.”

Each team will play five games — two on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday, with two 25-minute halves per contest. Games will run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. After the first four games, the teams will be matched up based on wins, losses and goals scored.

The teams don’t get a chance to practice prior to their opening games, making things interesting for Eaves and the rest of the coaches. And given that the purpose is to showcase the individual talents, that makes the coaches’ juggling act even more challenging.

“It’s amazing how quickly you can kind of see the strengths and weaknesses of players and hopefully get them into the right line,” Eaves said. “It’s not a weekend of only certain guys play. Everybody’s got to play. … You want to make sure they’re showing what they can do.”

— Sports reporter Tyler Mason may be reached at 333-3119

Canada Games

Hockey’s next Sid the kid?

OLIVER MOORE

Halifax— From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Feb. 14, 2011 8:52PM EST

Last updated Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 10:09AM EST

Nathan MacKinnon is getting more comfortable playing in the crush of traffic. But once off the ice, the pack of national media descending on a routine Canada Games practice is still a lot for a 15-year-old to deal with.

The hot young forward is the most-watched player on the Nova Scotia squad playing here. He’s probably the most-watched athlete in the whole Games. That’s what happens when you grow up in minutes from Sidney Crosby’s home in Cole Harbour, show great on-ice potential and then go off to shine at the same U.S. school Crosby attended.

Video

Following Sidney Crosby’s footsteps  

In 50 games as an atom player, he totalled 200 points. Playing bantam AAA for two seasons, he put up 110 and then 145 points. At Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota, he is second in scoring among the under-16s.

And there is growing speculation MacKinnon will be chosen first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.

Parallels with the Pittsburgh Penguins star are unavoidable, and the storyline has proved irresistible. But people close to the teenager say it’s too much pressure for a young player to bear.

“It’s totally unfair to put a kid in that situation,” said Chris Donnelly, who is coaching the Nova Scotia squad at these Games.

“I’m sure if you went back a few years and asked Sidney Crosby if he was the next Wayne Gretzky, he wouldn’t have felt too comfortable with that either. I mean, you’re talking about one of the most dynamic hockey players in the game. And you’re talking about a 15-year-old kid that’s still trying to find his way and discover what kind of player he’s going to become and what kind of person he’s going to be become.”

MacKinnon himself sighs a bit when the question comes up. But he’s learned to expect it as part of the off-ice attention. And he handles the media attention well, sitting for interviews and stick-handling the inevitable comparisons.

“It’s never fun to be compared to the best player in the world, but I guess I take it as a compliment,” he said after a recent practice, a Penguins hat jammed backward on his head. “I know I’ll never be Sidney Crosby. I just want to play my own game and not his. I don’t like to compare myself to him too much, because you can’t, he’s too good.”

He knows that sports history is littered with the stillborn careers of athletes once touted as future superstars. For now he wants to focus on these Games and then go back to school and continue laying the foundation for a professional career.

“He’s not afraid to go to dirty areas and that’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed in the growth of his game,” said Darren Sutherland, general manager of Team Nova Scotia, who has watched MacKinnon play for years.

“He’s a pretty explosive skater and his vision on the ice is very, very good. And also … for being a highly skilled player he’s not afraid to play on the boards, not afraid of traffic.”

MacKinnon started in a Tim Hortons-sponsored house league and rose steadily through the system in Cole Harbour, a suburb of Halifax.

“He did take to it very quickly,” said his mother, Kathy MacKinnon. “He could’ve [played] seven days a week and not blinked an eye.”

Soon enough he was putting up eye-catching numbers.

Tom Ward, the Shattuck-St.Mary’s director of hockey, said that MacKinnon has “outstanding” physical skills. But he stressed that the youth is still developing and mustn’t let hype turn his head.

“He needs to go sweat a few more buckets of sweat,” Ward said. “As long as he stays hard-working and humble and keeps his nose in the dirt and doesn’t read the paper, he can be a good player.”

Family first

Sidney spent only one year at Shattuck. In 57 games, he scored 162 points.

Since coming to the NHL in 2005 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sid the Kid has seen his profile continue to rise. In addition to his numerous awards and accolades, he starred in HBO’s recent documentary “24/7″ that gave viewers a rare look into the life of a professional hockey player.

Taylor watched, of course. But to her, the guy with the scoring-streak mustache playing video games on a late-night team flight was only her big brother.

“I don’t think of him as the Pittsburgh Penguins captain like he is,” she said. “People don’t really get that. But how you think of your sibling is how I think of him. And that’s great.”

The rigors for Taylor at Shattuck and Sidney in the NHL mean that face time between the two is rare. But they remain close.

“He was a great big brother and he still is,” Taylor said.

Growing up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Sidney, 23, was often the babysitter when he wasn’t on the ice. To this day he remains protective.

“She’s really enjoying her time [at Shattuck] and I’m happy to hear that,” Sidney said. “Obviously being away from home at a young age, the most important thing is that she’s comfortable and having fun. And she is.”

Carving a niche

Teammates on her U16 squad and fellow students quickly figured out she was there to make her own mark as a goaltender – even if her brother’s jersey does hang prominently in the arena lobby.

“People took it really cool,” said fellow freshman Kourtney Menches, a forward from South Carolina. “They gave her space. We realized that if we were in her position, we’d want to be treated just like a regular old teammate.”

That was welcome news for a girl still finding her niche. Remember, she’s not only Crosby’s sister, but she’s also been a goalie for a scant few years – a decision cemented when her parents, Troy and Trina, decided the small investment in a set of pads couldn’t hurt.

“She had her ups and downs, like anyone,” said Troy Crosby, a former goaltender himself who was a 1984 draft pick by Montreal but never played in the NHL. “But she worked hard at it and loved it. That’s the main thing: she enjoys it. That’s the best way to get better.”

Shattuck-St. Mary’s brings in one girls’ goalie each year to fill out its roster: two on the U16 team and two on the prep team. Seven or eight tried out last spring, and Taylor stood out not because of her last name but her talent.

“She definitely earned it,” U16 coach Dan Koch said. “We realized she hadn’t been playing a long time. But she had the skills. There is room for improvement, but you throw in good, strong work habits and you get a good goalie out of it.”

Part of a trend

The girls’ program at Shattuck has risen to the level of its counterpart. The boys’ prep team at Shattuck won its first Tier I U18 national championship in 1999 and has added four titles since then. The girls’ prep team won in 2005-07 and again in ’09. Last year, the girls’ U16 team won its first national championship. The U16 team is 27-15-6 this year, with Crosby’s mark at 9-6-4. Six of her victories are by shutout.

For more than 100 years, Shattuck-St. Mary’s was a renowned military school. It continues to be an academic challenge, with a 63-page academic course guide that rivals many colleges.

In the 1990s, it blossomed into a hot spot for hockey – and more recently for soccer and figure skating. It comes with a price.

Tuition for boarding students is nearly $40,000 per year, with an extra $4,000 tacked on annually to play varsity hockey.

The rewards, though, can be enormous. The past two Stanley Cup-winning captains – Crosby and the Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews – went to Shattuck. So did five other Olympians – three men and two women – from last year’s U.S. and Canada hockey rosters in Vancouver.

The surnames that have called Faribault home read like an inscription on the Stanley Cup. Gretzky’s son played at Shattuck, as did Mario Lemieux’s daughter. Anthony Brodeur, son of Martin, is a sophomore goaltender on the U16 boys’ team.

The long haul

Though only a freshman with a world of opportunities ahead, Taylor Crosby plans to spend her entire prep career in Faribault. From there, she has college and international aspirations.

“It was so motivating to watch [Sidney] win in the Olympics,” she said. “And I saw the Canadian girls win the day before. I was like, ‘Wow. One day I could do that if I work hard.’”

In a nod to her current situation and future dreams, Sidney surprised Taylor with a new goalie mask last month when the family celebrated Christmas. The entrance arch to Shattuck-St. Mary’s campus and a maple leaf with the flag of Nova Scotia in the middle are painted brightly on it.

Taylor cried when she received the gift.

“Knowing that he’s been here, too, it’s comforting to know that he gets what it’s like and how hard you have to work to get here,” she said. “Through everything, I’m still his little sister.”

But after the speedsters had zipped around the ice in the Oilers annual skills competition at Rexall Place on Saturday, it was Chorney who had bragging rights. He stopped the clock in 13.942, followed by Liam Reddox (14.077), Hall (14.112), Linus Omark (14.270), Paajarvi (14.742) and Cogliano, the perennial runner-up, who slipped up on the second corner. He stayed on his feet, but pulled in last at 15.850.

“A couple of guys did bet on him, but (Chorney) was a dark horse,” said defenceman Kurtis Foster, who took the hardest shot event with a slapper clocked at 103.4 m.p.h. “I actually took Hallsie and he kind of let me down. I thought those young legs would be flying.”

More than 10,000 fans filed into Rexall Place for the competition, which featured a team on its way to 30th place in the NHL with just two wins in its last 15 games. That did not matter to the those in attendance, particularly the youngsters. They got to see the Oilers cut loose for a couple of hours — and there was some skill on display.

Paarjarvi, for one, stole the show with his footwork and stick handling. Omark, too, dazzled in the shootout competition, which, ironically, was won by Cogliano.

Tom Gilbert topped the competition in the shooting accuracy.

“No one would have picked me for the king of the shootout,” said Cogliano, who was the fastest skater at the NHL’s Young Stars event in 2009, but has yet to win it in Edmonton. “The fastest skater? I just can’t win it here. I must be cursed.”

Chorney, meanwhile, took the title, then received a plane ticket back to Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. With Jim Vandermeer ready to return from an ankle injury, the Oilers needed to free up a roster spot.

The 23-year-old Chorney played six games during his stay.

“I don’t think many people thought I’d do as well as I did,” he said before he got the ticket back to the AHL, “but I knew I could wheel a little bit if I could get a chance to wind it up like that.

“It was pretty stiff competition. We could go do it again right now and maybe I’d finish last.”

Cogliano wasn’t so sure about that. He was somewhat taken aback by how quick Chorney was. As for Foster, he just revelled in the proceedings — and, of course, his victory.

Foster, Chorney and Colin Fraser were all new to the phenomenon that is the skills event in Edmonton. It is not a competition staged in all NHL rinks in the United States.

“I haven’t done that in so long, maybe nine, 10 years, so it was good when I looked up and saw that it was 103,” said Foster, who beat Steve MacIntyre (100.7 m.p.h.) and Dustin Penner (100.1). He takes over for Sheldon Souray, who held bragging rights for hardest shot the previous two years.

Souray was gone, but not forgotten. He had left some of his sticks in a backroom when he went off on the management and ended up in the AHL. In an attempt to bolster his chances, J.F. Jacques elected to dust off one of the defenceman’s old sticks.

“He brought out Souray’s 120, which is one of the stiffest sticks you can find and (the blade) hooks like a nine-iron,” said Foster. “He missed the (net) on the first one. MacIntyre used it, too.

“This was just great. I’ve never been part of anything like this before and it was fun to see that many fans, especially that many kids.”

OIL DROPS: Frederic Chabot went from tutor to target when the goaltending coach put on his gear and manned one of the nets for the skills competition. Nikolai Khabibulin, Ladislav Smid, Ales Hemsky, Jordan Eberle and Gilbert Brule were all kept out of the event. Khabibulin said he just needed some down time, but he will back up Devan Dubnyk against the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. Smid practised and will likely be in the lineup.

The New York Islanders were forced to play the first 44 games of the 2010-11 season without alternate captain Kyle Okposo. They won’t have to play No. 45 without him, though.

Okposo, who suffered a freakish shoulder injury during training camp in September, will make his season debut tomorrow night when the Isles host the Washington Capitals at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

“There’s been a big smile from ear to ear all week,” said Okposo, who learned on Sunday that he’d be cleared to play against the Caps. “I’m just excited to get going.”

A lot has changed since Okposo went down in training camp — the biggest being that Scott Gordon is no longer Okposo’s coach. Gordon was fired in November and replaced by Jack Capuano after the team suffered 10 consecutive losses. A helpless Okposo could do nothing more than watch as his teammates would go on to lose 20 of 21 contests, all but eliminating the club from playoff contention before Christmas.

“I missed being in here with the guys,” Okposo said. “Just hanging out, talking after the game, before the game and just going to war out there and being on the ice and being able to help the guys. I was probably off the ice for two months. That was tough — not being able to be on the ice. It was a lot of riding the bike, a lot of working out. I had never had anything like this in my whole life.

“I was bored a lot. I watched a lot of hockey. Anything I could to pass the time, really. It’s just a lot of strengthening work. You’ve got to get your range of motion back first, and that takes about a month. Everything from there on out is strengthening. There’s a lot of shoulder exercises that I didn’t know existed that I’ve been doing for the last four months.”

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By James MacDonald

Hastings native Derek Stepan off to stellar start in New York

Seen from one perspective — say, that of a casual New York Rangers fan — Derek Stepan became an overnight sensation on Oct. 9, 2010. From another perspective, as is the case with so many “overnight sensations,” Stepan earned every step he took on the long and challenging road to the National Hockey League. Even at the young age of 20, Stepan, who burst on the Broadway stage with a hat trick in his first NHL game, has a long history of long hours and hard work on and off the ice. It all started in Hastings, where Stepan grew up as a hockey nut. In the summer, Stepan would strap on his roller blades and head over to a buddy’s house, where a gang gathered near a cul-de-sac for five-on-five street hockey games with a goalie in each end. In the winter, Stepan was logging hours and hours on a friend’s backyard rink. They’d wind up skat-ing well past dark and into the next day, much to the consternation of his friend’s mom, who had to pull them off the ice in the wee hours. “There were days when his mom would wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning and we were still out there shooting pucks against the boards,” Stepan said. “Then, in the morning, we’d go right back out there.” Stepan also grew up playing base-ball and football in Hastings, but by ninth grade had left both to concentrate on hockey. And by his junior season, he was playing for Tom Ward at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Ward recalls a “lanky, gangly” player, who was very skilled but not always engaged. “He was a typical Bantam kind of player,” said Ward. “Didn’t hound the puck much. Kind of was happy to stickhandle and shoot, that kind of game.” Stepan rounded out the corners of his game in Faribault. He was training, pushing himself, working with his coaches and starting to play with an edge. He was making friends, earning respect and leaving impressions almost everywhere he went. “[He] was a good player when we got him, and he just kind of blos-somed,” Ward said. “He did all the work. He was a guy who was lifting weights and shooting pucks and practicing hard and learning to be a leader. He’s a coach’s dream kind of a kid. He’s willing to keep pushing and turning over stones to try to get better. He has a ton of friends around here.” For Stepan’s next challenge, after scoring more than 80 goals in two seasons, he chose the University of Wisconsin. Playing for Mike Eaves, who charges his players with an honest defensive effort, isn’t always the easy choice. Stepan saw it as another learning opportunity to take yet another step. “The coaching staff, what they were saying to me, those were exactly the things I needed in my game,” Stepan said. “Obviously, being an offensive guy, you always want to be able to work on defense.”

By the winter of 2009, he’d been drafted by the Rangers and had a yearand-a-half of college hockey behind him. He was also being considered by USA Hockey for the U.S. National Junior Team. Though he privately worried he wouldn’t even earn a spot, he was named the team’s captain. From there, he started to feel a pretty good tournament coming to him.

Stepan wears leadership rather naturally.

“I’ve always had that in me, from Day 1,” he said. “I’ve always been one of those guys to say something to someone, to say, ‘Knock that off, that’s not right.’ Or the guy that organized a group of guys to make sure we got up and got something done during the day instead of being lazy.”

Stepan turned the World Junior

Championship into his national coming out party, leading the tournament with 14 points on four goals and 10 assists.

“I had a hot stick, as some hockey guys like to say,” he said.

Team USA went on to win its second-ever gold medal, beating rival Canada with a storybook overtime win in Saskatoon. Stepan

returned to Wisconsin, finishing the 2009-10 season with every expectation of returning for a third season in Madison.

Then he got the call.

He’d just come back from a workout in Hastings. The Rangers wanted to talk. They thought Stepan might be ready. A 90-minute conference call later and Stepan was ticketed to the big city. “Throughout my career, I’ve gone on instinct,” he said. “From choosing Shattuck, choosing Wisconsin, it was something that felt right, and this just felt right.” He went to camp with no guaran-tees and without any idea about where he’d live or how he’d get around. Still, he impressed the team’s brass. As the regular season neared, the Rangers told Stepan to look for a place to live in New York. Stepan saw it as an invitation to tackle a challenge.

“OK, I made it, but now the work begins because it’s twice as hard to stay here,” Stepan said.

Stepan could hardly have made a better case on opening night. Earlier in the day, he was told to treat it as another game on the schedule.

“Just relax and play,” he was told. “Who would have thought I’d have a horseshoe strapped around my neck before the game?” Horseshoe or not, Stepan was credited with goals at 10:53 of the first, 15:08 of the second and 18:20 of the second. And while not all of them will last on his per-sonal highlight reel, the question “How many?” has always been more important than “How?” Stepan became only the fourth NHL player — and the first in Rangers history — to record a hat trick in his first game. In addition to immediately becom-ing a trending topic at Shattuck, Stepan led stories in The New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News and New York Magazine, though he says he didn’t look at the papers. “He’s just a humble, hardworking kid from Hastings, Minnesota,” Ward said. “I think he’s significantly more worried about being a contributing member to a good team and helping his team win games than he is about any notoriety he might get.” Stepan is also settling into life as a professional hockey player. “I’ve worked very hard and I feel like this is something that I have to continue to work at,” he said, “but it’s not something that knocks me com-pletely off my feet.” Still, no matter where Stepan’s career carries him, his perspective will remain that of a Minnesotan. “I’m still a Minnesota guy, for sure. That won’t change.” MHJ

A Night Of Firsts • Stepan is the first player in the 85-year history of the Rangers organization to score three goals in his NHL debut. • He became one of only three players to score a hat trick in his first NHL game, and the first-ever American.

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It’s safe to say he’s the only player in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge who has been featured in ESPN The Magazine.

He is also the only player in the event who gets compared to Sidney Crosby, although there are a few more connections to Sid the Kid than only hockey.

Meet Nathan MacKinnon, the Team Atlantic centre whom some are calling the next Crosby.

“We talked to his coach before the selection of the World Under-17, and his coach told us — and he’d be the best judge — that he’s the best player he’s had since Sidney at Shattuck-St. Mary’s,” Team Atlantic coach Greg Leland said. “So I guess that speaks to his ability.”

MacKinnon draws many parallels to Crosby simply because of geography, but that’s nowhere near the whole story. MacKinnon hails from Dartmouth, N.S., which neighbours Crosby’s hometown of Cole Harbour. MacKinnon’s house is five minutes from Crosby’s childhood home, and they both played in the same minor hockey system.

Throw in the fact MacKinnon has speed to burn, soft hands and a shot that is better than those of kids a year or two older than him, and the comparisons with the Pittsburgh Penguins centre are easy.

“It’s flattering, but it puts a lot of pressure on me and at times it can be a little overwhelming,” said MacKinnon, who naturally worships Crosby. “But I guess I’ll just take it as a compliment.”

MacKinnon, who turned 15 in September, is the second-youngest player in the Under-17 tournament, but he was third in scoring with five goals and three assists in four games going into Sunday night’s action.

MacKinnon, who had 200 points in 50 games as an atom, played at the AAA bantam level in Cole Harbour when he was 12 years old — against boys who were more than two years his senior — and said he piled up 110 points.

“I was about 5-feet playing against 6-footers,” MacKinnon said. “But I was on a great team. We won everything in our region. I had great linemates, so I just contributed and did my role.”

After registering 145 points in 35 games as a 13-year-old, MacKinnon, like Crosby, moved on to Faribault, Minn., to play for Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where he had 101 points in 58 games with its top bantam team last winter. This season he is averaging more than two points a game for its under-16 squad — the second-best mark on the team despite being its second-youngest player.

The World Under-17 in Winnipeg, meanwhile, is MacKinnon’s first real international competition, so he was kind of curious to see how he would stack up over the last week. He has proven that the hype was legitimate.

“This is his coming out party, for sure,” Leland said.

Local hockey fans who have yet to see MacKinnon in action can do so on Monday night in Portage when Team Atlantic meets Team West in the fifth-place game at 7:30.

Then again, if you miss him this time around, it’s a good bet he’ll be back next year when the tournament is held in Manitoba once again. Just don’t expect to see the second coming of Crosby.

“It’s nice to be compared to him,” MacKinnon said, “but I just want to play my own game — not Sidney Crosby’s.”

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Rangers drop three to Shattuck
Posted: Tuesday, Dec 7th, 2010

FARIBAULT, Minn. After a 4-0 start in the Rooster Cup, the Brookings Rangers dropped their first game of the season, 4-2 , on Friday to Shattuck St. Mary’s .

Saturday wasn’t any better for Brookings as Shattuck won two more games 9-2 and 5-2 to complete the weekend sweep.

“It was a phenomenal e x p e r i e n c e for the kids to see how the game should be played and basically where the game kind of comes from, so to speak,” said Brookings head coach Jesse Rounds of his team’s weekend. “It’s the best of the best at Shattuck and playing in that facility where Sidney Crosby and some of the NHL greats have played is just an experience in itself. “Being able to see kids that have opportunities already to play college and they are 15-and 16-year olds, is kind of neat for our kids to be around that and be surrounded by that atmosphere.”

The Rangers gave up four first-period goals in Friday night’s 4-2 loss before coming back and scoring single goals in the second and third periods. Brookings was outshot 34-24 on the night, but 21 of Shattuck’s shots came in the first period as Hunter Rowbotham finished with 30 saves in goal. “I thought we would have taken a game from them the way we were playing the last two periods of that first game,” Rounds said. “We won the last two periods we gave up four goals right away. Our legs weren’t quite there in the first period and we missed a couple of breakaway chances and a couple of 2-on-1 situations where we could have capitalized but didn’t . “So we definitely could have taken that first game.”

Brookings got on the board first in Saturday morning’s game, but Shattuck came back with two goals to take the lead and the Rangers had to answer late in the first period for a 2-2 tie after 17 minutes.

Shattuck went on to score six goals in the second period and added another in the third for the 9-2 win.

“We were ready to play the game at the start of the game, but to play a full three periods is what got us,” said Rounds. “It was a tough loss for our kids and they kind of got down on themselves.

“That third game, we were kind of tired and didn’t have our game legs under us. Shattuck had already played 25 games this season and if we had had our game legs, I think we could have taken one from them.”

The third game was tied at 2-all early in the second period before Shattuck scored three unanswered goals for the 5-2 win.

The Rangers’ next action is at the Fargo Tournament on Friday. Friday’s Game

SHATTUCK 4, BROOKINGS 2 Brookings 0 1 1 2 Shattuck 4 0 0 4 First Period 1, Shattuck, Brett Boeing (Rudolfs Kalritis), 10:13. 2, S, Liam Biard (Jon Ellis, Jake Vitta), 8:08. 3, S, Carter Horwitz (Broydon Stufko), 6:40. 4, S, Arthur Raersky (Ellis, Reid Brown), 0:58. Penalties Cody Kuster, S (Slashing), 16:26; Andrew Behshid, S (Slashing), 0:26. Second Period 1, Brookings, Logan Newman (Matt Eng, TJ Theodosopoulos), 2:42. Penalties Zac Larson, B (Hooking), 13:30; Kuster, S (Hooking), 12:22; Biard, S (Slashing), 0:14. Third Period 2, B, Ryen Zerfas (Aaron Held, Joey Texley), 5:49. Penalties Brett Gauer, B (Tripping), 9:51; Brown, S (Roughing), 6:42. Saturday’s Games

SHATTUCK 9, BROOKINGS 2 Brookings 2 0 2 2 Shattuck 2 6 1 9 First Period 1, Brookings, TJ Theodosopoulos (Logan Newman), 8:07. 1, Shattuck, Liam Biard (unassisted ), 5:22. 2, S, Brett Boeing (Broyden Stufko), 3:08. 2, B, Matt Eng (Newman), 1:14. Penalties Andrew Behshid, S (Slashing), 5:57. Second Period 3, S, Michael Rodriguez (unassisted ), 15:25. 4, S, Nik Rados (Dante Hahn, Thom Haas), 15:03. 5, S, Stufko (Jon Ellis), 6:30. 6, S, Rodriguez (Reid Brown, Doc Gentzler), 6:17. 7, S, Biard (Rodriguez, Gentzler), 1:39. 8, S, Rodriguez (Gentzler), 1:27. Penalties 2, Will Steck, S (Head Contact), 13:20. Third Period 9, S, Biard (unassisted), 13:28. Penalties Andrew Farney, S (Interference), 12:10; Riley Bullington, B (Tripping), 6:20. SHATTUCK 5, BROOKINGS 2 Brookings 1 1 0 2 Shattuck 2 1 2 5 First Period 1, Shattuck, Cody Kuster (Dante Hahn), 13:23. 1, Brookings, Zach VanLiere (Logan Newman), 11:10. 2, S, Doc Gentzler (Liam Biard), 0:24. Penalties Carter Horwitz, S (Cross Checking), 11:56; Garrett Gerstner, B (Hooking), 6:48. Second Period 2, B, TJ Theodosopoulos (unassisted ), 12:34. 3, S, Reid Brown (unassisted), 6:55. Penalties Cole VanLiere, B (Holding), 13:38; Brett Gauer, B (Tripping), 8:17; Michael Rodriguez, S (Roughing), 8:04; Riley Bullington, B (Roughing), 8:04; Biard, S (Roughing), 7:17; Andrew Behshid, S (Holding), 1:35. Third Period 4, S, Biard (Thom Haas), 7:46. 5, S, Jake Vitta (unassisted), 3:08. Penalties Rodriguez, S (Unsportsmanlike), 7:14; Ryen Zerfas, B (Too Many Men), 6:05; Rudolfs Kalritis, S (Interference), 1:09.

In the fall of 2005, Phil Kessel arrived at the University of Minnesota for a career that lasted just 39 games before being halted by Holy Cross and the lure of the NHL. Now, five years later, a second progeny of Phil Sr. and Kathy Kessel of Madison, Wis., is poised to make an even greater impact on Gophers athletics.

In street clothes, 5-foot-6-inch Amanda Kessel’s appearance doesn’t suggest a phenom on the ice.

“Whenever I meet friends’ parents, they’re always like, ‘You’re a hockey player?,’ kind of in disbelief,” she said.

Amanda Kessel of Minnesota. Photo by Jim Rosvold.

Kessel resembles countless other blonde-haired, blue-eyed teens one sees at a Midwest mall or cinema on a weekend. Not that her schedule leaves much time for shopping or movies.

“You don’t really get any breaks; especially during the season, you may have one off weekend or so,” Kessel said. “Sometimes you wonder what it would be like to be a normal college student, but then all of the perks that come with it, I wouldn’t trade it.”

Upon seeing Kessel take the ice, any doubts about her playing hockey vanish.

Teammate Jen Schoullis, who first got to know her at Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep in Faribault, Minn., when Kessel was a 15-year-old freshman, marvels at her skating.

“I always tell her, ‘What is in your legs; how do some people get to skate that fast?’ She just smiles.”

Hockey coaches like to encourage their pupils to pass the puck, because the puck can travel faster than the skater; if true in Kessel’s case, it would be a close race. In a recent game versus Harvard, she swung back into her own zone to collect the puck near the goal line, accelerated as she turned, and beat the entire Crimson team down the ice. The last defenseman committed a penalty trying to stop her, and Minnesota scored the game-winning goal on the resulting power play. Gophers fans had seen a rush like that before, but only because they had the luxury of watching current assistant coach Natalie Darwitz in maroon and gold for three seasons.

“Her speed just sets her apart and is what makes her dynamic,” Darwitz said of Kessel. “I think people in the stands have gotten a glimpse of that.”

Kessel guesses that her velocity on the ice results from a couple of factors.

Amanda Kessel. Photo by Jim Rosvold.

“I think genetics, and hard work mixed in there,” she said. “Both my parents are good athletes.”

While Kessel may be working hard as she skates, she makes it look effortless.

“She just floats,” said Minnesota head coach Brad Frost. “She’s so smooth and so deceptive.”

Schoullis, who started the season playing on a line centered by Kessel, says that her wings have to always be ready for a pass.

“She’s definitely extremely creative, and sees the ice probably better than anybody I’ve ever played with. Every time she’s out there, she’s making plays and creating chances from opportunities that not many players can create chances from.”

Darwitz, recognized as one of the best at reading the action as it unfolds on the ice, sees similar abilities in No. 8 for Minnesota.

“Amanda has great vision,” she said. “You can’t teach that stuff. You can teach raw speed, and skill, and shooting, but to teach a vision and to see a play create is a gift of Amanda’s.”

Kessel believes that in her case, at least, that talent was taught.

“I think some of it is natural, but also growing up I had great coaches,” she said. “Since I was young, I’ve been taught the game, the right systems. I think that definitely helps; coaching has a big part to do with it.”

Following older brothers Phil and Blake, now a junior defenseman at New Hampshire, Kessel began skating when she was three, and joined her first team when she was five or six. She starred on boys’ teams through bantams, winning state and regional championships with the Madison Capitols. In 2006, she enrolled at Shattuck and made the switch to the girls’ game.

“I loved playing with guys, because it pushed you, like the pace,” Kessel said. “I think that’s helped me in girls’ hockey. There’s an extra level of pace with boys. They’re obviously just stronger. When they started to get bigger, I couldn’t really handle it anymore.”

At Shattuck, opponents couldn’t really handle Kessel. She tallied 102 points her first year, progressing to a senior season where she accounted for 122 points in 46 games. Her Sabres won national U-19 titles in 2007 and 2009.

Kessel said it takes a lot of mental toughness to emerge on top.

“That’s always so tough in tournaments, because it’s like who can last that long, who can win that many games in a row. Not always the best teams win in those tournaments, but I think we always had good teams and people just stuck with it in those.”

Events didn’t always unfold perfectly for Shattuck, as their favored team was knocked out in a national quarterfinal in 2008.

“We had some really good players, a lot of top-notch players, and it was just like a heartbreaker, but we learned not to take anything for granted,” Kessel said. “We kind of came on slowly in that game and learned, I guess.”

Kessel also got a taste of international competition during her prep days, helping the United States to U-18 gold medals in 2008 and 2009. She’s now advanced to more senior national teams, competing with the U-22 team in a series versus Canada over the summer, and being named to the roster for Four Nations Cup before having to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.

“That level, it keeps getting better and better,” Kessel said. “U-18, that was a good experience, but then to get to play with the top girls in the nation, it helps me. Every camp, I think I get better after going to it.”

“She’s very college ready,” Frost said. “I thought she had a great chance to make that Olympic team last year.”

Darwitz, who captained the 2010 US Olympic team, thinks Kessel is on the right path to an Olympic dream.

“I just think getting her feet wet in the U.S. program, and getting experience against Canada and the top teams and the top players, and knowing what it’s like to go against them,” Darwitz said. “I think that’s going to help her out.

“With Amanda, you can pull her aside and work on a little more advanced things than you would with some average players. That I find a lot of joy in, because as you say, we kind of have the same vision, so it’s kind of like teaching myself. What did I want to do better, what can I do better, and translating that to Amanda.”

Kessel can identify a couple of areas where she’d like to see improvement.

“I think my shot could get a little bit better,” she said. “And then, I guess I just need to stay healthy. It’s kind of been impairing my play a bit.”

Despite missing three games and most of a fourth due to injury, Kessel is tied for second in points for Minnesota and leads in points per game, but her play thus far only hints at what she can do.

“She’s been banged up since before she even got here; most of the stuff, people don’t even know,” Frost said. “The shoulder is more public knowledge, but she’s been dealing with other things all year. Hopefully, by the time she comes back in January, she’s healthy enough to really play 100 percent for her.”

Her physical ailments led to some changes when she returned to face Harvard.

“Partially because of her injuries and partially because of trying to find some units that gel together, we’ve changed our lines up quite a bit, but Amanda is someone that can play with anybody,” Frost said. “As you saw last weekend, we had her on the wing for the first time, and it’s not because she can’t play center; she’s done a really good job there, just to kind of keep her out of the corners with her shoulder injury. We saw some really great things about playing her on wing, and that’s just her speed and the ability to attack off the rush. She’s a really flexible kid and will play anywhere that we need her to. I appreciate her attitude that way.”

That’s refreshing, given the word “attitude” often comes up in a negative context in sports.

“She’s definitely shy at first, but once you get to know her, she’s kind of like the new prankster on the team,” Schoullis said. “She has a good sense of humor, and she’s just an all-around good kid.”

And when it comes to hockey, more than just “good”.

“More than anybody, she wants to be the best player on the ice every night, and you want that from your top players,” Darwitz said.

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Shattuck U16’s Win Can Am Series in Rochester, NY

Beating the Toronto Aeros 3-1 in the Championship

Heather Mottau was tournament MVP scoring 4 goals and 4 assists in the 5 games.

It wasn’t until this summer that Taylor Crosby put on her goalie pads and stood between the pipes as her brother fired shots at her.

So as Sidney, an Olympic gold medalist and Stanley Cup winner, sent hockey pucks flying at his younger sister, Taylor stood tough.

“I was so nervous,” she said. “We didn’t keep count, but I did stop a couple. I was happy with that.”

Perhaps her big brother was preparing her for life at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Taylor is now a freshman goaltender on the SSM girls U16 team. Sidney attended Shattuck for a year, leading the boys prep team to a national title in 2002-03.

Just over a month into the season, Taylor Crosby is already loving her time at SSM.

“It’s been amazing here,” said Crosby, a native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. “It’s a great atmosphere. The hockey’s amazing. Just overall really fun.”

Crosby was just six years old when her brother attended SSM, so she admitted she didn’t know a whole lot about the school before attending. But like many other students who leave home to attend Shattuck, she and her family felt it was the best fit.

“I wanted to pursue hockey, so we just said that after looking at all the choices, Shattuck was probably the best hockey-wise,” Crosby said.

While her brother receives national attention as an elite center for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Taylor decided to instead follow in her father’s footsteps and put on the goalie pads. Troy Crosby played goaltender and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1987. While he never played in the National Hockey League, he passed on his love of goaltending to his daughter.

“It just kind of happened one day. I was like, ‘I want to play goalie,’” Taylor Crosby said. “It was just kind of a spur of the moment kind of thing.”

Crosby isn’t the first SSM student with a strong hockey lineage. New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur’s son, Anthony, is a goalie on the boys U16 team. Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux’s daughter, Stephanie, played at Shattuck last year.

Much like those two, Taylor Crosby has found SSM to be a place where she can be just like any other high school student.

“Obviously that’s going to happen everywhere,” she said about being asked about her brother. “But it’s probably the best place so far. Just going and meeting people is really easy, just to get around and be bothered very much.”

 “She can come here and create her own identity,” said Dan Koch, coach of the U16 girls team. “It’s probably a lot more difficult to be in Nova Scotia and be a Crosby. Here she can come and be herself.”

While she’s seen limited action through the Sabres’ first 15 games — Taylor has played just 170 minutes this season while splitting time with sophomore Mia Becker — she has thrived when she’s been on the ice. Crosby has already recorded three shutouts and allowed three goals on 49 shots faced.

“She’s brought a lot of talent to our goaltending position,” Koch said. “She’s given us a chance to win every game she’s been in.”

“I think she’s got a very good skill set,” SSM goalie coach Des Christopher said. “She’s big and athletic. She covers a lot of the net.”

Sidney Crosby was one-and-done at SSM, playing for just a single season before moving on to play junior hockey in Canada. His sister plans to stick around a little longer.

“I plan to graduate here,” Taylor Crosby said. “I’m going to stay a little bit longer than he did.”

— Sports reporter Tyler Mason may be reached at 333-3119.

Rookie, leading scorer and fledgling superhero are just a few of the things that could be used to describe Jimmy Mullin.

September 17, 2010

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced the 22-player U.S. Women’s Select Team, which will compete in the 2010 Women’s Four Nations Cup from Nov. 9-13 in St. John’s, N.L. Four-time Olympian Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) will serve as captain of the team.

Potter, who was selected as USA Hockey’s Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year for the 2009-10 season after leading Team USA to the Olympic silver medal with a team-best 11 points (6-5), will be competing in her ninth Four Nations Cup. The forward is one of 12 Olympians on the U.S. roster.

Forward and three-time Olympian Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) and two-time Olympic defensemen Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.) and Molly Engstrom (Siren, Wis.) join Potter as the most veteran members of the team.

Team USA returns eight additional players from the 2010 Olympics, including defenseman Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.); forwards Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.); and goaltenders Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.) and Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.).

Defenseman Anne Schleper (St. Cloud, Minn.) and forward Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) return to the Four Nations Cup after having played at the event in 2008. The pair most recently competed in the 2010 Under-22 Series along with seven other members of the U.S. Women’s Select Team. Among those seven are four newcomers to the senior-level team – defenseman Josephine Pucci (Pearl River, N.Y.) and forwards Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.), Sarah Erickson (LaPorte, Minn.) and Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.).

In addition, defenseman Michelle Picard (Taunton, Mass.) and forward Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.), both of whom recently played for the U.S. Women’s Under-18 Select Team, will play in the Four Nations Cup as the youngest members of Team USA.

Rounding out the U.S. roster for the tournament are defenseman Meagan Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.), a three-time member of the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team, and forward Allie Thunstrom (Maplewood, Minn.), who previously competed at the 2007 Under-22 Series.

Prior to the start of the Four Nations Cup, 22 players will participate in a training camp at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, from Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

The camp will include 11 Olympians, 10 members of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Under-18 Select Team and two additional skaters. The camp squad will play Sweden on Nov. 5, before 11 of the camp participants continue on to St. John’s on Nov. 7, where they will meet the 11 NCAA players who complete the U.S. roster for the Four Nations Cup.

Team USA opens play at the Four Nations Cup with an Olympic gold-medal rematch against Canada on Nov. 9 at Mile One Centre in St. John’s.

NOTES: Members of the U.S. Women’s Select Team hail from nine states, with five players coming from Massachusetts; four each from Minnesota and Wisconsin; two each from Connecticut, New York and North Dakota; and one each from Idaho, Illinois and Maryland … The Four Nations Cup is an annual tournament featuring the top four women’s hockey teams in the world – the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden.

Positive reviews for Stepan after top-line performance

Stepan, a native of Hastings, Minn., captained the U.S. team that shocked Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championship. He had 4 goals and 10 assists in seven games during the tournament, including a third-period goal in the gold-medal game against Canada. Stepan, taken in the second round of the 2008 Entry Draft by the Rangers, signed his first professional contract in July. 

“It’s much faster, for sure — bigger, stronger guys,” said Stepan, who was comparing his World Junior experience to his first preseason contest. “You just got to learn what you can and can’t get away with and play your game.” 

The Rangers appear to have two locks at center right now — Christensen and Artem Anisimov. That leaves Stepan battling with Brian Boyle, who had a goal and played a terrific overall game Thursday, Todd White and Tim Kennedy for the final two spots. White is just getting back from offseason shoulder surgery, while Boyle’s game is more suited for fourth-line minutes. Kennedy has played primarily on the wing during his career. 

Rangers captain Chris Drury will miss four weeks with a broken hand, which could give Stepan time early in the regular season to show he belongs. If Stepan plays well, Tortorella could move Drury to the wing, a position he’s capable of playing. 

The door is open for Stepan, who has five more preseason games to show he can walk through it. He just wants to see himself improve in one area that’s pretty important for an NHL center. 

“Faceoff circle. I have to get better at that,” said Stepan, who was 5-of-10 on draws Thursday. “I think it’s just the first-game jitters. It’s something I have to work on.” 

Follow Dave Lozo on Twitter: @DaveLozo

The Arch

“Sure, a little bit of heaven fell from out the sky one day” - from an old Irish ballad

“Entering Paradise” is the feeling you get as you drive through the Arch at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minnesota.   Framed in its arc are the limestone school buildings; the Chapel of the Good Shepherd with its rare, all-stone spire; and the lush green playing field inviting you to come kick a soccer ball around.  This fairy-tale campus, sitting on the bluffs above the Straight River, sparkles in the sunlight like a precious jewel beckoning to all who come its way.

Founded in 1858, the same year Minnesota became a state, the school’s reputation for hockey excellence far exceeds its modest size.  A writer in Sports Illustrated summed up its importance in the world of hockey: “Shattuck-St. Mary’s School is to high school hockey what Harvard is to law schools.”

The school fields eight hockey teams with each playing a seven-month season of 50-70 games: two Girls’ teams (U-16, U-19) two Bantam teams (Tier I, A) and four Midget teams (Bots Prep, AAA, AA, U-16).  One hundred sixty student-athletes participate in the program with a high percentage going on to play at Division I, Division III colleges or for junior hockey organizations.  The success of the program can be seen by the accomplishments of its alumni.

Jonathan Toews

Zach Parise

Sidney Crosby

The last two Stanley Cup winning captains, Blackhawk Jonathan Toews and Penguin Sidney Crosby, honed their skills here.  Seven 2010 Olympians, five men and two women, are among the alumni.  Zach Parise, Jack Johnson, Ryan Malone, the Lamoureux twins (Jocelyne and Monique), and the Cup captains all plied their trade in recent years in the SSM uniform.  Fifteen NHL jerseys currently hang proudly in the Arena lobby.  Three Shattuck players were chosen in the 2009 NHL draft.  Surely these results are not by divine intervention; they must be the product of human design.

Let’s look at the evolution of this unique community.

The school moved to its current location in 1864 with the completion of Seabury Hall and became a boarding school for young men and boys.  It owes its impressive campus buildings to the generosity of its early patrons.

Bishop Whipple

Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck of Boston funded the building of Shattuck Hall.  Soon after, the grammar school became known as Shattuck School.  Henry Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota opened a girls’ school, St. Mary’s School, in his home in Faribault.  In 1872, through the grace of Augusta Shumway of Chicago, the chapel was erected.  Dr. James Dobbin, rector of the school from 1866 to 1914, commissioned many of the limestone buildings still in evidence throughout the campus.  In 1972 the two entities were merged into what is now known as Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.

Although its first hockey team was formed in 1925, a serious approach to the game was not taken until 1990.  Over time, the program had deteriorated to the point of barely existing.  To strengthen its teams a recruitment program was launched to attract new player talent to the school.  In 1993, seeing the possibility of growing the school population through an accelerated hockey program, Director of Hockey Craig Norwich convinced the powers-that-be to leave the Minnesota High School Hockey League and strike out on its own.  All high school hockey in Minnesota is community based; if you live in Edina, you play in Edina.  The uniqueness of SSM’s program (the boarding school aspect, players from across the world, 50-70 game schedule) allows Shattuck to register with USA Hockey as the only non-community-based Minnesota team and consequently to represent the state in the USA Nationals playoffs every year.

Before moving on in 1996, Norwich suggested hiring ex-NHL star, Jean-Paul Parise, to run the hockey program and the road to excellence was paved.  A strong believer in nose-to-the-grindstone hard work and integrity of character, Parise ran the program for ten years and established the philosophy that exists till this day.

In 1999 the Boys Prep Team won its first Tier One U-18 National Championship.  Since then it has won four more titles (2001/3/5/7). The Girls Prep Team has won four National U-19 titles (2005/6/7/9).  This year the U-16 team won its National title as well.

Tom Ward was named Director of Hockey four years ago.

Tom Ward

Asked what he looks for in a young prospect, Ward had some very straight advice:

“A candidate for our program must first be a person of good character; have a passion for the game; and understand that the environment here is unique.  He has to be willing to put in the effort it takes to be the best he can be.  It is a full day here.  His chemistry teacher will expect him to be fully present when he is in class and we will expect the same when he hits the ice.  Our expectations are very high.  We have high standards for a kid entering the school and once he has arrived in the program, we like to create an atmosphere here for him to grow that talent, to reach his potential as an athlete and as a member of the community.”

Asked what common mistakes hockey parents make, Ward had this to say:

“Sometimes parental love blinds them to the reality of their child’s talent level.  That’s why we invite them to come skate with our teams, so they can see how they match up, what they have to work on, and what level they have to reach.  At some point you have to let your kid go.  Let him or her swim.  Parents have to trust that there are hockey people out there who can teach their kids to improve.  At the same time, young players need to know the parents are there for them – to comfort them and to listen to their needs.  It’s a fine line to walk.  We do a lot of nurturing here.  You have to know whether a kid needs a pat on the back or a kick in the ass, words of encouragement or some tough love.  We do a lot of that here, especially in the first year.

Parents who can’t let go, who never let go, have a tug-of-war going on.  They have every intention of helping their child but it is actually hurting them, holding them back.  What happens when the parents finally get comfortable and let go is that the kid evolves.  He takes ownership of his own career.  Then the fear disappears. They are no longer afraid.  They are not scared of tryouts, of putting it all on the line when they have to.  They walk into new situations with their heads high, full of confidence.  They understand that there is no free lunch, that hard work is what it is all about.  They go from boy to man.

Outdoor Hockey – The Early Years

What makes me most proud is that whatever they go on to do in life they have developed into solid people.   When pros like Pierre Maguire talk about NHLers who have gone through our program they always talk about their character, that they are outstanding citizens, well mannered, well behaved.  Their teammates appreciate that; their coaches appreciate that.  That is what we want to achieve with our program.  Wherever they go, whatever they do, they will be good fathers and good contributing members of the community cause they are willing to roll up their sleeves and work things out.  At the end of the day, that is what is unique about our program, about our school.”

There is no doubt that the core mission of the school has been in place for a long time.  Leadership, integrity, focus are the basic tenets of the school.  During the Korean War and World War II, a graduate of SSM could join the Army as a Second Lieutenant.   What worked for the U.S. Army then, works for Jonathan Toews today.  A new chapter in the Shattuck-St. Mary’s story is being written by its current administration.

Nick Stoneman, hired as Head of School nine years ago, was given a mandate to grow the school’s population and to increase its revenue and endowments.  He began by ordering a case study of the hockey program to determine why it had evolved so successfully.

Nick Stoneman Head of School

The vast majority of the best American prep schools are in the Northeast.  The first question to be answered was:  how do you offset that?  How do you attract students from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York to a prep school on the great plains of Minnesota?  What had created the influx of hockey players from across the globe? The answer was simple: to attract elite players, pursuit of their passion had to be a top priority.  An immersive environment that fosters daily practice and high-level training must be created without losing sight of the academic goals needed to enter the University level.  This was a simple solution but difficult to execute.  Could this hockey paradigm be used to attract elite talent to other disciplines?

In his tenure at SSM, Stoneman has tackled this execution with the creation of Centers of Excellence in the Arts, Athletics, Bioscience and Academics. The Arts add cultural, economic and global diversity.  Nurturing the passionate pursuit of excellence attracts students from all parts of the globe..

Expansion was vital.   Twelve million dollars were poured into new facilities to house these Centers.  A new arena, a new soccer Dome, two Arts and two academic Centers sprung up on the campus.  Soccer and figure skating coaches were hired.  The vocal, dance and orchestra faculties were revamped.  Each Center focused on the individual path to excellence.  Nine years ago, out of 260 students 160 were hockey players.  In the fall of 2010, there will be a student body of 480 with kids from 25 countries and 35 states.

Elite soccer players and figure skaters are drawn to their own Centers of Excellence.

The Center for Academic Achievement provides support, resources and instruction for students with mild learning disabilities.  An English as a Second Language program helps foreign students to become fluent in the language of their adopted country.

Fayfield Hall

The Bioscience Center for Medicine and Research and Science will open Fayfield Hall, its new building, in January of 2011.  Students in the Bioscience program will have state-of-the-art laboratory classrooms, lab space dedicated to independent student research, and an engineering lab providing opportunities to develop programming, design, and problem solving skills critical to medical engineering.  This new venture takes advantage of the unique location of the school in the “medical alley” mid-way between The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and the great hospitals in Minneapolis.  By partnering with the great medical minds of these world-renown institutions, the school will introduce its students at an early stage in their chosen careers to cutting-edge ideas and research.

The Vocal Performance Program has partnered with the Minnesota Opera where students can attend Master classes; participate in the Saturday program for aspiring vocalists, etc. – all within the context of a college preparatory academic program.

Similarly, the Pre-Conservatory Music Program for violinists and pianists is partnered with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra – again within the framework of the academic curriculum.

Stoneman sums it up like this:  “When the entire school attends a performance of the Minnesota Symphony because one of our students is a solo pianist that night, it is not only an amazing thing for our kids to see but for that kid to be seen as a rock star in their school because of it is a life’s lesson in itself.  This is all made possible because the school fosters the pursuit of excellence.  All our students appreciate that fact and take great pride in each other’s achievements.  What our environment creates and thrives on is focus.”

The mission statement reads:  “As a school community, Shattuck-St. Mary’s guides young people to be strong in character, mind, body and spirit for a life of learning and service. “

Whether they aspire to play in the NHL, to sing on the great opera stage of La Scala, to win figure skating gold in the Olympics, to discover a cure for a life-threatening disease or to eventually become CEO of a Fortune 500 company, each individual student will find the focus and the life’s lessons they will need at this jewel of a school in the heart of Minnesota.

Photos:  Paul Swenson, Michelle Phillips,  and Public Domain/Author Unknown.

Special Thanks:  Amy Grant, Mary Hart and Michelle Phillips.

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