2009 December | OHL Hockey News

Archive for December, 2009

Wednesday notes

December 23rd, 2009 | Author: admin

Team USA made their final two cuts for their World Junior team, and those cuts were forward Chris Brown (Calgary Hitmen listee) and defenceman Max Nicastro (Everett Silvertips listee). The final cuts mean that two WHLers – Spokane’s Tyler Johnson and Portland’s Luke Walker – have made Team USA this year. Seven other players on the team are property of WHL clubs although they are currently playing in the NCAA. See my post from December 2nd for those names, if you’re interested.

Also, the B-pool World Junior tournaments wrapped up the other day, and Germany and Norway have won promotion to the 2011 A-pool tournament in Buffalo with the big boys. Germany was relegated last year and have now won their way back, while Norway will be returning to the A-pool for the first time since 2006.

The two weakest teams from this year’s A-pool will of course be relegated to the B-pools for next year….I’m betting on them being Austria and Latvia.

Lastly, there will be no posts here for the next few days at least, as I spend some holiday family time with the “three terrors”, who are bouncing off the walls with anticipation. Then the World Juniors and the Macs midget tournament start on Saturday, the U-17 Challenge starts next Tuesday, and the WHL’s 2nd half starts on Sunday. Is this a great time of year or what?

Safe and happy holidays to everyone….

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2010 World Junior Hockey Championship Schedule

December 22nd, 2009 | Author: admin

Team Canada and World Junior Hockey Championship Update

Team Canada Hockey Juniors seeks its sixth straight gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Regina and Saskatoon, Dec. 26 – Jan. 5.

Schedule and Results | Standings | Scoring Leaders

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TEAM CANADA 2010 SIGNED OLYMPIC HOCKEY JERSEY, RARE
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1994 TEAM CANADA WORLD HOCKEY (ITALY) CHAMPIONSHIP RING
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U-17 Challenge info

December 22nd, 2009 | Author: admin

If you’re interested in following the World U-17 Challenge this year after Christmas, you can do so through Hockey Canada’s website for the tournament. Rosters are available for all the teams there now, although only Team Pacific and Team Western have any current WHLers on them.

The European teams almost certainly have a few players who will play in the WHL in the future, perhaps as early as next season, but of course there is no way to know who those players will be….

The USA team is almost 100% the USNTDP U-17 squad, with no CHLers brought in….which I think is unfortunate since a player like Kelowna’s Shane McColgan deserves to play in a tournament like this and would be a lock to play in it if he were Canadian. Perhaps a guy like Seattle’s Colin Jacobs deserves some consideration as well….I just don’t get how they can bring in some high school and midget players but won’t bring in CHLers.

Anyways, if you’re interested in following the tournament, here’s the WHL affiliations of the kids in the tournament who do not currently play in the WHL:

Team Pacific:

Brock Balson (F) – Prince Albert Raiders

Laurent Brossoit (G) – Edmonton Oil Kings

Spencer Grabowski (F) – Kelowna Rockets

Aaron Hadley (F) – Vancouver Giants

Liam Liston (G) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Team Western:

Wilson Dumais (F) – Prince George Cougars

Todd Fiddler (F) – Medicine Hat Tigers

Zach Franko (F) – Kelowna Rockets

Jordan Fransoo (D) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Rene Hunter (D) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Boston Leier (F) – Medicine Hat Tigers

Austin Lewis (F) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Jens Meilleur (F) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Evan Morden (D) – Everett Silvertips

Colin Mospanchuk (F) – Medicine Hat Tigers

Tyler Oswald (G) – Saskatoon Blades

Zach Rakochy (G) – Red Deer Rebels

Chad Robinson (F) – Red Deer Rebels

Michael Sofillas (F) – Lethbridge Hurricanes

Mitch Vanteeling (F) – Kamloops Blazers

Team USA:

Rocco Grimaldi (F) – Vancouver Giants

Zac Larraza (F) – Prince George Cougars

Matt McNeely (G) – Portland Winterhawks

Adam Reid (F) – Lethbridge Hurricanes

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The Russians are coming

December 21st, 2009 | Author: admin

Or one of them, anyway.

It’s halfway through the season but it looks like Tri-City is apparently about to land their Russian goaltender, 19 year old Alex Pechursky. Pechursky is going to play for the Russians at the World Juniors and then – reportedly, anyway – will join the Americans.

Which creates a goaltending situation for the Ams. They’re surely not bringing in a 19 year old import who’s good enough to play for Russia at the WJCs, just to sit on the bench. So he’s probably coming in to be the starter – or at least to compete with Drew Owsley for the starters job. All of which doesn’t leave current backup Brett Martyniuk’s roster spot in the “sure thing” category.

My guess is that assuming Pechursky shows up, Martyniuk gets traded or reassigned to Jr A.

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