UW Frosh Kerdiles Faces Eligibility Issues, Social Media to Blame? [Updated]

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Chris Peters

Just prior to the University of Wisconsin’s season-opening exhibition against the U.S. National Under-18 Team, the school announced that prized freshman Nic Kerdiles would not be able to play due to eligibility issues with the NCAA.

UW Athletics

This from Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal:

A media release said school officials “are working with the NCAA toward a resolution of the situation” with Kerdiles, a second-round NHL draft pick of Anaheim and a strong student who was projected to be a top-line forward for the Badgers.

…UW coach Mike Eaves would say only the NCAA has been looking into a specific matter “for a while” and he didn’t know when Kerdiles’ status for the season would be known.

“It’s not in my hands right now,” he said.

United States of Hockey has learned through a source with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that the ongoing NCAA investigation stems from potential violations as discovered through social media.

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Posted in American Prospects, NCAA | 3 Comments

USHL 2012-13 Season Outlook: Eastern Conference

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Chris Peters

Tuesday, we took a look at the United States Hockey League’s Western Conference, so naturally, today provides a look at the East. On paper, the 2012-13 season looks a little more balanced between the two conferences in terms of overall talent.

The Eastern Conference boasts each of the last four Clark Cup champions, while the Anderson Cup, the league’s regular-season title, has resided in the east since 2008-09. All six of the players with USHL ties that went in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft last year also came from Eastern Conference teams. So, yeah, the East has been pretty dominant.

Things could be a little different this year with Waterloo as the consensus favorite to take the league. Regular powerhouse and defending champ Green Bay has a decidedly younger, less experienced lineup than in years past. Dubuque is looking to replace two first-round NHL Draft picks including Zemgus Girgensons who immediately signed with the Buffalo Sabres and Indiana will be without offensive dynamos Daniil Tarasov and Sean Kuraly. The door is open for other teams to compete for an Eastern Conference title.

Coming up after the jump, an in-depth look at the eight teams that make up the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

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USofH’s College Hockey Freshman 15 — First-Year Players to Watch

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Chris Peters

The college hockey season for many teams is just days away now, with the first round of exhibitions and even a few non-conference games starting Saturday. One of the more intriguing storylines to follow over the course of the 2012-13 season is the depth of talent among the freshman class across the country.

Several high-profile NHL Draft picks will dot college hockey lineups throughout the nation, with many jumping into impact roles for their teams immediately. With many of the top prospects sticking in college for at most three years, how these players perform as freshman will go a long way in determining just how long they’ll stay in school. We’ve seen freshmen leave after just one year as well, so that warrants watching as well. There are likely a few freshmen playing college hockey that could be one-and-dones this year.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled the United States of Hockey Freshman 15, highlighting the top freshmen to watch across college hockey this season.

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Posted in NCAA, NHL | 8 Comments

USHL 2012-13 Season Outlook: Western Conference

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Chris Peters

The United States Hockey League has been growing. Each year it seems the league takes another step forward in the number of players it sends to the NHL Draft, the quality of player it sends to college hockey and the depth of talent overall. Part of that is a credit to the American development system overall, but you can’t deny the opportunity the league is providing those top-tier players to further their development.

After a year in which six players with USHL ties heard their names called on Day 1 of the NHL Entry Draft, expectations remain high for the nation’s only Tier 1 Junior A league. The NHL lockout is a chance to seize more ink nationally and some more exposure overall. Perhaps ticket sales will be on the rise as well.

The USHL is a good, entertaining brand of hockey. After opening the regular-season last weekend to good-sized crowds across the league, there’s reason for optimism for another outstanding year.

Coming up after the jump, an in-depth look at the eight teams that make up the USHL’s Western Conference.

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Recapping the All-American Prospects, Which Players Stood Out Most

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Chris Peters

Prospect games are typically more pomp and circumstance than substance, but the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game offered at least a little more than your average showcase game. It was a mismatch at times, but the game remained moderately fun to watch with a higher intensity and a solid pace all game long.

What happened on Saturday night is not going to make or break any prospect participating. It’s merely another sample to pull from for scouts and really it’s just another game for the players themselves. Still, when there’s 150-plus NHL scouts and numerous general managers in attendance, the desire to make an impression remains and it was evident in Buffalo Saturday.

Team McClanahan was victorious, downing Team Housley 5-2, dominating at certain stages of the contest.

Goals were scored by Hudson Fasching, Seth Jones, Jacob Montgomery, Dakota Mermis and Quentin Shore for Team McClanahan, while Evan Allen had both of Team Housley’s goals.

Ryan Fitzgerald, with three assists on the night, was named the game’s most valuable player.

Coming up after a jump, a look at who stood out and who (surprisingly) didn’t in the first edition of the All-American Prospects Game.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL Draft, USA Hockey | 2 Comments

CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game Preview

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Chris Peters

Saturday night, 38 of the top American players eligible for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft will converge on Buffalo’s First Niagara Center for the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. As such a new event, it’s hard to pick out just a few things to watch for, but United States of Hockey will attempt to give you a comprehensive preview.

First off, if you’re not in Buffalo for the game, which starts at 7 p.m. EDT, you can watch it live on FASTHockey.com. Normally a pay-per-view site, FASTHockey is carrying the game free for viewers. Kevin Sylvester, host of Sabres Hockey Hotline and occasional fill-in for legendary Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jenneret, will handle play-by-play duties for the Prospects Game. Former Sabre Ric Seiling will provide the color commentary. Additionally, the webcast will include integrated stats, which should be a nice feature to help follow along. Here’s the link to the live feed.

The most successful coach in NHL history will also be on hand, as Scotty Bowman will drop the puck in an opening ceremonial faceoff. He might not be American, but the former Sabres head coach has had a profound impact on that team’s growth and the growth of the game locally in Western New York.

So that’s a few of the peripheral items, but this thing is all about the players, coming up after the jump a look at which prospects you should be watching closely.

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Posted in American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NHL Draft, USA Hockey | 2 Comments

More Party-Related Suspensions at North Dakota

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Chris Peters

The University of North Dakota, which announced last week that it was suspending all four of its team captains stemming from a Sept. 15 party, unveiled additional one-game suspensions for more players on Friday.

Connor Gaarder, Andrew Panzarella and Stephane Pattyn will all be suspended for UND’s game against the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 20, for reasons related to the same party. Additionally, Danny Kristo, one of the already-suspended captains, will also miss the Oct. 20 game with an additional suspension for a violation of team rules not related to the team party. Brendan O’Donnell, a sophomore forward, also received a one-game suspension for the same reasons. He will serve his during the Oct. 19 game.

Got all that?

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Posted in NCAA | 2 Comments

NTDP Goalies Get Patriotic With Masks

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Chris Peters

I don’t know if you guys know this, but I kind of like America. If you’re reading this blog and you’re from America, you probably like it too. One of the best things about covering the national teams is seeing how the goalies get creative with the American imagery for their masks.

There was Jack Campbell’s beautiful, if unlucky, Captain America mask. Ryan Miller’s Olympic bucket got a lot of attention. Rick Dipietro’s 2006 Olympic mask was stunning. Mike Richter didn’t even have to change his Rangers lid when representing the U.S., because it doesn’t get much better than his iconic Lady Liberty design.

The young goaltenders at the National Team Development Program have the fortune to get a USA-themed design that will last all season long. USA Hockey recently shared the designs for two of its three goalies for the U.S. National Under-18 Team and they’re both pretty great.

Photos after the jump.

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Living with the Lockout — Northwest Division

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Chris Peters

The players are already playing games in Europe. The preseason through Sept. 30 has been canceled. This is what a lockout feels like. It appears there will be a void to fill, at least until November, maybe December, hopefully not all year.

No one is going to be happy about the lockout, but there are ways to live with it. Hockey has grown significantly in the United States, and along with it, so have the outlets from which fans can get their regular dose of this game. While there isn’t a single one of them that can replace the NHL, they’re at least effective in providing that fix.

Just because the NHL owners are locking out the players, it doesn’t mean they have to lock you out from the sport you love. Protests are all well and good, but they probably won’t solve anything. The best thing you can do in the lockout is serve yourself a heaping dose of ice hockey.

To help you out, United States of Hockey presents the “Living With the Lockout” series. Going through each division, we’ll provide every fan base of the American NHL teams three nearby options to fill the void. Some are well known, others are well off the beaten path, but that’s the beauty of hockey in the U.S. There’s a lot of it. Even if the NHL comes back sooner than later, you owe it to yourself to experience as much of the great hockey in this country as you can.

Coming up after the jump, Living with the Lockout Part V, featuring the two American teams in the Northwest Division

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Posted in Grow the Game, High School Hockey, Junior Hockey, Living with the Lockout, Minor League Hockey, NCAA, NHL | Comments Off on Living with the Lockout — Northwest Division

OHL, USHL Putting Emphasis on Player Safety with New Initiatives

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Chris Peters

Wednesday, two of the top junior hockey leagues in the world made significant announcements regarding player safety. The Ontario Hockey League unveiled new rules in an effort to curtail “needless” fighting by allowing a player 10 fighting majors before suspensions start getting handed down. The USHL, mere hours later, announced that it has created a new pilot program that will put an added focus on player safety and injury prevention.

Both maneuvers could prove significant going forward as Junior hockey has not been immune to the same concerns regarding concussions and other head injuries the NHL has experienced in recent years. The big difference is that these kids, while granted the benefits of team-funded medical care, don’t get paid despite the high risks involved in the game.

There’s very little safety net for the players in these crucial developmental seasons. All are playing to attract the eyes of scouts in the hopes of being drafted. An injury for a player at any time could derail development, prematurely end a career with very little fall back plan or worse, have long-lasting effects on his health.

With that in mind, it is up to the league leaders to protect the players it is profiting off of for next to nothing more than a roster spot and opportunity in return. These steps taken by league leadership in both the OHL and USHL could prove revolutionary in the end, making their players safer and their product even better.

Coming up at the jump, a look at the specifics of each new initiative and more on why each is important.

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