The USHL is remodeling and rebranding their scouting system with their new Player Development Division, which looks like it will not only identify potential players for the league, but also work to draw more talented players to the league.

This probably comes as no surprise, but NHL players are getting bigger, and I would have guess the same is true for college hockey. Anecdotally, I remember marveling growing up at goalie Steve Shields, who was the only player on Michigan's roster to weigh 200+ lbs. Today, the Wolverines have six players above that mark and a number of others that could probably get there with a couple trips to Blimpy's.

Meanwhile in that link, The Boss asks if we've hit the limit on player growth or if players could get bigger, to which I answer: Perhaps the NHL could continue getting bigger, faster athletes if it keeps drawing from a wider, largely untapped pool of talent, rather than trying to suck every last bit of marrow out of the Golden Horseshoe market.

A nice scouting report on Lucas Lessio(Michigan) and Chad Sumison(Bowling Green) as well as a couple eastern prospects.

I decided against making this story about hockey being exempted from a new rule allowing amateurs that have played with pros into its own post because it's basically a rehash of something I've said a couple times already on here. The benefits are far outweighed by the headaches of getting involved with the CHL. Nobody wants to see a kid that alledgedly got $500,000 under the table playing NCAA hockey. Sidenote: Whatever happened to Kitchener and Windsor's big libel suit against Jeff Jackson?

North Dakota's Aaron Dell could his first career start this weekend against Alaska, which would end Brad Eidsness long string of consecutive starts.