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Gophers Hockey: Minnesota hands out end-of-season awards

2013-06-19T13:30:06Z

MINNEAPOLIS- Nate Schmidt and Adam Wilcox were among several University of Minnesota men's hockey players recognized Tuesday night during the team's annual year-end banquet at TCF Bank Stadium.

The Gophers finished the 2012-2013 season, their final in the WCHA, with a 26-9-5 record and won a share of the WCHA regular season title (with St. Cloud State). While the team entered the NCAA Tournament as the #2 overall seed, Minnesota was upset in overtime by eventual national champion Yale.

Schmidt, a Second Team All-American and First Team All-WCHA defenseman, was honored with the John Mariucci Most Valuable Player. The St. Cloud, MN native was third in the nation among defensemen with 32 points (9G-23A) as a junior. He also led a blue line that was first in the WCHA in total defense and penalty kill by being on the top pairing, penalty kill and power play.

Following the season, Schmidt signed a professional contract with the Washington Capitals.

Wilcox was honored with three separate awards. Besides the Donald M. Clark Community Service Award, the freshman goaltender received this year's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award and Tom Mohr Playoff Most Valuable Player Award. Wilcox, a 2011 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, set a school record for goals against average in a season with 1.88 per game. That led the WCHA and was sixth-best in the nation. He also finished tied with Kellen Briggs in 2003-2004 for the most wins (25) as a freshman in Minnesota history.

Other award winners include sophomore forward Kyle Rau, who was recognized with the Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award. Rau, finished second behind Erik Haula with 40 points (15G-25A). The 2011 draft pick by the Florida Panthers served as a barometer for the Gophers last season. Minnesota went 23-2-1 when Rau scored a point and 3-7-4 when he did not.

Forward Nate Condon (Colorado Avalanche) was given the John Mayasich Outstanding Student-Athlete Award. Fellow junior Justin Holl (Chicago Blackhawks) was honored with the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero after tallying three goals and seven points for the Gophers. Holl split the 2012-13 season between forward and defense following two years of being a defenseman.

Minnesota redshirt junior Zach Budish took home this year's Elwin "Doc" Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award as the captain of the 2012-2013 Gophers. Budish, who set new career highs with 36 points and 14 goals, was also honored with the team's alternate captains Seth Helgeson, Nick Bjugstad and Erik Haula for their contributions this year.

Each of the four players signed a professional contract after the season and will not return next year. Budish signed with the Nashville Predators. Helgeson, the lone senior on the 2012-13 Gophers, signed with the Albany Devils. Bjugstad, a 2010 first round pick, signed with the Florida Panthers and appeared in (#) games. Haula, who led Minnesota with 51 points (16G-35A), came to terms with the Minnesota Wild.

In addition to the team awards, Minnesota also recognized its four All-WCHA honorees (Schmidt, Haula, Bjugstad, Wilcox), its four WCHA Scholar-Athletes (Michael Shibrowski, Condon, Rau, Budish) and first-time letterwinners (A.J. Michaelson, Mike Reilly, Ryan Reilly, Brady Skjei, Shibrowski, Wilcox).

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Evan Cowley Commits to Denver

2013-06-19T00:53:41Z

Wichita Falls(NAHL) goalie Evan Cowley announced via Twitter today that he has committed to play college hockey for Denver:

I'm honored to have officially committed to the University of Denver! Very excited to be apart of the Pioneer family!
— Evan Cowley (@ECtendy1) June 18, 2013

Cowley was a relative unknown heading into this season, having tended goal for Ralston Valley High School in Colorado, but this past season, he made the move to Wichita Falls and became one of the hottest goal tending prospects in the US for his age group. He finished the year with a 2.90 goals against average and .900 save percentage, and was named to the NAHL's all-rookie team. The 6'4" 190 lbs. goalie is also expected to be selected in this summer's NHL Draft, somewhere between rounds 2 and 5 of the draft.

It's not yet clear on when Cowley will join the Pioneers. He was recently selected in the 2nd round of the USHL Entry Draft by the Sioux City Musketeers. The Pioneers do have a vacancy in goal, however, after Jussi Olkinuora signed a pro contract earlier this offseason. Regardless of his start date, new head coach Jim Montgomery landed an outstanding goal tending prospect to start his tenure at DU.

Alaska-Anchorage names Matt Thomas head hockey coach

2013-06-18T19:51:14Z

Our long national nightmare is over. Alaska-Anchorage has finally hired their new men's hockey head coach.

Matt Thomas of the Stockton Thunder (ECHL) has been hired by the school to be the fifth head coach in Seawolves history. He replaces Dave Shyiak, who was fired in March after compiling an 80-177-33 (.333) record in eight seasons.

Most recently, UAA went 4-27-5 and finished last in the WCHA for the second straight season.

"I would like to thank (UAA vice chancellor) Dr. Spindle, the search committee, (interim athletic director) Tim McDiffett and the entire UAA Athletics staff for this tremendous opportunity to lead the Seawolf Hockey program," Thomas said in a statement released by the school. "This is an exciting challenge as we try to take UAA hockey to the next level in a year full of change. The new look of the WCHA and college hockey landscape offers a unique opportunity for our student-athletes. I am committed to the individual success of our players and want to let them know they will be an integral part of restoring a winning tradition."

One of six finalists for the job, Thomas comes to Alaska-Anchorage after nine seasons as a head coach/GM in the ECHL. Those includes stops in Stockton (2009-2013) - where he led the Thunder to the Kelly Cup this past season - Fresno (2005-2008) and Atlantic City (2004). He has the fifth-most wins in league history with 342; including a 163-127-39 record with Stockton.

Prior to coaching in the ECHL, Thomas, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, played four seasons (1994-1998) at RIT (then a D-III school). He captained the Tigers to an NCAA berth and No. 1 ranking as a senior while capturing all-star honors.

He then spent three years as an assistant coach in NCAA. Thomas was an assistant for two seasons in Maine (2000-2002) following one at RIT (1998-1999). His time with the Black Bears included being a part of the 2002 Maine team who were the national runner-up that season.

"We're very excited that Matt Thomas will be joining Seawolf Athletics as our new head hockey coach," said Dr. Spindle. "Matt's extensive experience as a head coach, coupled with his incredible enthusiasm for rolling up his sleeves and facing UAA's program challenges head-on, make him the right choice to led the Seawolves as we head into a new league and a new season this fall."

Thomas' hire ends a long and tumultuous coaching search. An initial coaching search produced four finalists for the job but upset Alaska-Anchorage hockey supporters who criticized the lack of any "hockey person" on the committee. The search was re-opened with two of the four finalists being joined by four new coaching candidates; including Thomas.

Additionally, allegations of Shyiak hitting a player in practice and the handling of it coupled with the hockey coaching search - both the Alaska State Hockey Association and UAA Hockey Alumni Association had given a non-binding vote of no confidence - ended with UAA athletic director Dr. Steve Cobb resigning.

"I have always admired the sense of community and pride that is associated with Anchorage and the entire state of Alaska, and our entire family is excited about the move," Thomas said. "It truly is a ‘hockey state.' My goal is to bring back the passion for UAA hockey and produce a winner for the community, alumni and our fan base."

Alaska-Anchorage will play in the new-look WCHA next season. Along with holdovers Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State-Mankato, the Seawolves will be joined by former members of the now-defunct CCHA Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan. Alabama-Huntsville, who spent the last three seasons as an independent, will be the conference's tenth member.

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Follow Nate on Twitter @gopherstate.

Calgary Acquires Rights to North Dakota's Corban Knight

2013-06-18T17:11:19Z

Earlier this week, it was reported that outgoing North Dakota senior Corban Knight would not be signing with the Florida Panthers, who drafted him in the 5th round of the 2009, choosing instead to potentially exercise his option to become a free agent later this summer.

Today, Florida traded Knight's rights to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 4th round draft pick in this month's upcoming NHL Draft, giving the Flames exclusive negotiating rights to Knight until August 15th, at which point he could become a free agent.

Knight was outstanding as a senior this season for North Dakota, scoring 49 points in 41 games, which was good for 8th best in the country. Knight is a native of Alberta, and with the Flames trying to rebuild their roster with young talent, it would seem to be a good opportunity for him to break into the league, giving the Flames a pretty good shot at signing him before he would become a free agent.

2013 NHL Draft Prospect: Gabe Guertler

2013-06-18T15:13:06Z

Fargo Force forward Gabe Guertler, a native of Plantation, Florida, represents a new generation of hockey players coming from non-traditional areas like Florida. In 2010, Andrew Yogan became the highest drafted Floridian ever when he was selected 100th overall by the New York Rangers. Two years later, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere set the record again when he was selected 78th overall by Philadelphia. Guertler has an outside shot of raising that bar even higher for prospects from Florida later this month if he is selected in the first three rounds of the draft.

Guertler grew up playing his youth hockey in Florida for programs like the Florida Jr. Panthers. In an effort to gain a little more exposure and play better competition, he moved to Chicago for his Midget Minor season where he played with Team Illinois alongside probable first-round draft pick JT Compher. His stellar play that year helped him become the second overall pick in the USHL Futures Draft to the Fargo Force, where he has played for the past two years. He is scheduled to begin his college career next fall at the University of Minnesota, and should step in as a regular in their lineup from day one.

Guertler has largely been overlooked as a serious NHL Draft prospect because of a lack of size. He's listed at 5-9 178 lbs., but plays a style of game where that lack of size shouldn't hinder him too much. He's got a thick build, and is a strong skater with an incredible sense of balance which allows him to take on physical contact and still makes plays. Guertler can also play with a nasty physical edge, which allows him to dish out as much punishment as he takes.

In his second year in the USHL, Guertler showed he could be more than just a good skater, developing into one of the better goal-scorers in the league. He finished the year with 31 goals and 20 assists for 51 points in 60 regular season games. His 31 goals was good for 9th overall in the league, and second behind only Taylor Cammarata among first-time draft eligibles in the USHL this year.

Opinions on Guertler's pro potential are likely to be all over the board. NHL Central Scouting wasn't very high on Guertler, sticking him in the third-to-last spot on their final rankings. Central Scouting tends to lean away from smaller prospects, especially those that don't set the world on fire with scoring, perhaps rightfully. Guertler is a bit different from your average 5'9" player though. He plays a lot bigger than numerous players ranked ahead of him with the coveted 6'+ height. Even if he doesn't develop into a big-time scorer at the pro level, he could still be a very solid contributor at the pro level, bringing speed and a tough physical edge that could create match-up problems on a second or third line.

That makes it tough to peg where Guertler will go in the draft. It seems likely that many teams will follow Central Scouting's lead and have Guertler off their list entirely. But the old adage of it only taking one team to really like a player for him to be drafted may come into play here. The first two rounds probably aren't realistic, but anything after that might be a slight stretch, but that not that bad of a gamble for a team to draft him.

2013 NHL Draft Prospect: Vinni Lettieri

2013-06-17T20:05:09Z

Lincoln Stars(USHL) forward Vinni Lettieri comes from great bloodlines. His father, Tino Lettieri, was a pro soccer player that represented Canada's national soccer team 24 times throughout his career. His grandfather is former Minnesota Stars player and general manager Lou Nanne. Vinni has carved out a nice name for himself, however, in the hockey world, that has him on the cusp of being drafted this summer.

Lettieri has always been known as a very gifted scorer, coming up through the youth ranks, but concerns about his lack of size--Lincoln listed him at 5-8 170 lbs. last season-- have kept him from being more strongly considered as a pro prospect. Perhaps in part to start answering those questions about whether he could continue to score against bigger, faster competition, Lettieri left Minnetonka High School in Minnesota after his junior year to play his draft year with the Lincoln Stars.

Lettieri got off to a painfully slow start with the Stars, scoring just a single assist in his first six games. But once Lettieri netted his first goal of the season in his seventh game of the season, it kicked off a seven-game point scoring streak, and helped Lettieri finish the season averaging exactly a point per game over the final 55 games of the regular season. Lettieri also played one weekend with the US NTDP U18, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in games against the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas.

Despite his small stature, Lettieri isn't necessarily a blazing skater, but is deceptively fast because he has very quick feet, and has an above average shot for a player his size, which makes him a dangerous scoring threat. His offensive instincts and positioning are exceptional as well. Off the ice, Lettieri has a reputation of a very outgoing, well-liked teammate, and would make a valuable addition to any locker room. His ability to play at the pro level will likely hinge on his ability to keep scoring, because he's highly unlikely to fit a lower-line grinder type of role. The type of year he had in Lincoln, averaging nearly a point per game--23rd overall in the league, 5th among first-year draft eligibles--was good enough that he won't be discounted completely, but also not eye-popping enough that it is a guarantee he will be selected.

Lettieri has committed to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota, and he will suit up for the Gophers next fall, as a part of a very talented incoming class, so any team drafting him will have up to four years to let him develop before having to make a decision on him. If Lettieri is selected, it will likely be in the fifth round or later. Last year, the Minnesota Wild drafted Lettieri's cousin Lou Nanne in the 7th round, despite Nanne's credentials as a draft prospect being highly questionable at best, which many speculated was a favor to Nanne's grandfather, still a legend in Minnesota hockey circles. This year, the Wild have a second 7th round draft pick they acquired via trade, that they may use in a similar manner should Lettieri fall that far in the draft.

2013 NHL Draft Prospect: New Hampshire Defenseman Brett Pesce

2013-06-14T13:00:08Z

Brett Pesce may not have had the biggest impact on the box score, but he made a significant first impression on NHL scouts during his freshman season at New Hampshire.

The former Jersey Hitmen and North Jersey Avalanche prospect is expected to hear his name called in the first two rounds of the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Pesce got a taste of international competition when he played for the United States in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.

The Tarrytown, NJ native saw his stock drop slightly in the second half of the season, but he may have regained some momentum at the recent NHL Draft Combine in Toronto.

Pesce is a very good player who has tremendous gap control and does an outstanding job of bodying opposing forwards to the outside. Another strength is his stick control as he is adept at getting his stick into passing lanes. Pesce will most likely be more of a shutdown defender than a scoring blue liner at the next level, but his offensive potential is there.

Pesce's offensive numbers were not terrific in his first year at UNH, but that should not cause alarm. Wildcats head coach Dick Umile is old school. He doesn't rush freshmen into the lineup and tends to lean on his upperclassmen. Pesce was also behind offensive defensemen such as Trevor van Riemsdyk, the brother of Maple Leafs star James, and Eric Knodel, a Toronto draft pick.

As it was, Pesce played in 38 games this past season, which is more than most freshman usually play at the Durham, NH school. Most observers believe that Pesce will return to UNH for his sophomore campaign and possibly beyond. Pesce has indicated it is important to him and his family for him to graduate.

Jeff Cox covers hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

Former Minutemen K.J. Tiefenwerth transfers to Quinnipiac

2013-06-14T02:30:52Z

According to a former teammate, K.J. Tiefenwerth has transferred to Quinnipiac from UMass-Amherst. The Bellmore, NY native tallied two goals and four assists for the Minutemen in his freshman campaign.

The former Jr. Bruins skater will have to sit out the 2013-14 season at the Hamden, Conn. school before having three years of eligibility left. Tiefenwerth was once a hot prospect, committing to Boston College. The Eagles coaching staff felt he wasn't ready and the two sides parted ways.

Tiefenwerth was one of four Minutemen players who were asked to not return by head coach John Micheletto back in April. The former Vermont assistant is trying to put his mark on the UMass program.

Tiefenwerth put up big numbers with the Jr. Bruins and it is possible he could be an asset to Quinnipiac down the road. The Bobcats are coming off the school's first appearance in the Frozen Four.

The school announced earlier this week a new high definition jumbotron at the TD Bank Sports Center. The arena opened in 2007 and has certainly helped Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold and his staff on the recruiting trails. The new arena along with the coaching staff's hard work has already helped land players such as Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Matthew Peca.

Jeff Cox covers college hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.