Wednesday Morning Post

• Last Saturday's matchup with the NTDP Under-18 team might not have counted in the standings, but it was certainly more than just an exhibition game for UND.
• Mario Lamoureux has signed a Professional Try-Out contract with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL). Lamoureux began the season with the ECHL's Ontario Reign, where he produced three goals in four games.
• Jonathan Toews notched his third career hat trick last night in helping lead Chicago to a come from behind victory against Ottawa. Here are the goals:

• Sioux alum Ryan Johnson was named Player Development Consultant for the Vancouver Canucks.
• Rangers Unlimited checks in to see how top NYR prospect Danny Kristo is faring in Hartford, with video of all six of Kristo's goals this season. Kristo has nine points (6G, 3A) in nine games thus far, second most among AHL rookies.
• Fox Sports West produced a really nice video featuring LA King winger Matt Frattin. Frattin discusses his move to southern California, his locker room banter with former Cornell goaltender Ben Scrivens, and his line dancing abilities. Check it out: 

• UND recruit Trevor Olson scored a pair of goals this past weekend as he's making the most of what's left of his USHL career. Olson, who will suit up for North Dakota next fall, is set to undergo season ending surgery in mid-November.
• Defenseman recruit Tucker Poolman scored his first goal of the season Sunday afternoon in the second period of Omaha's 6-5 win over Muskegon. He added two more in the third period for his first career USHL hat trick.
• A pair of exhibition games will get The World Junior A Challenge rolling this weekend, with pool play commencing next Monday. Team USA's entry will feature three North Dakota recruits in Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Nick Schmaltz while Rhett Gardner is currently battling for a roster spot at Canada West's selection camp.

UND Recruit Update

Here are a few notes on how some of UND's recruits are performing thus far this season:

• After playing Minnesota high school hockey the past few seasons, Shane Gersich has hit the ground running with the NTDP Under-18 team. Through ten games he has produced nine points (4G, 5A), including a team high two game winning goals. Gersich and the Under-18ers will be spending this weekend in North Dakota as Friday night they are scheduled to take on Fargo in a USHL matchup followed by Saturday night's exhibition game against UND. For those of you who have yet to see Gersich play, I expect you will like his game. He's a really good skater in that he's quick, fast, has good explosiveness, and is strong on his skates. He plays well in all three zones as a defensively responsible forward who hounds the opposition with his skating and quick, active stick. He has a very strong shot, he's strong on the puck, and he isn't afraid to go to the net. He's a fun player to watch.
• After missing the first two games of the season due to injury, Jack Rowe has scored three goals in three games for Cedar Rapids (USHL).
• Nick Schmaltz produced four points (1G, 3A) in two games this past weekend. He leads Green Bay (USHL) in scoring with ten points (4G, 6A) in nine games.
• After going pointless during the first five games of the season, Rhett Gardner has produced nine points (3G, 6A) in his last ten games with the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL).
• The Fargo Force (USHL) have struggled offensively this season having scored just eight goals in their seven games, but 16 year-old Christian Cakebread has scored three of them (38% of the team total).
• Christian Evers missed a handful of games due to injury earlier in the season, but the NTDP Under-17 team defenseman has produced four assists in the six games he has played.
• Austin Poganski leads Tri-City (USHL) with four points (4G, 0A) in six games. Right behind him is Chris Wilkie with three points (1G, 2A) in seven games.
• Sioux City (USHL) forward Trevor Olson has produced three points (1G, 2A) in three games since his return from injury. Teammate Ryan Mantha has chipped in with a goal and two assists in seven games on the blueline, despite his self-admitted troubles in the kitchen.

Wednesday Morning Post

• Brock Nelson scored his first career NHL goal last night in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime loss to Vancouver. Nelson has appeared in five games for the Islanders this season, registering one goal and one assist.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs look at rookie Andrew MacWilliam as their future physical shutdown defenseman.
• TJ Oshie says he got his competitive drive from his parents.
• Colorado Rubber Magazine recently published features on Sioux alums Aaron Schneekloth and Ashley Furia. Schneekloth retired from his playing days this summer and is now serving as an assistant coach for the ECHL's Colorado Eagles while Furia is playing professionally in Sweden. The Schneekloth piece can be found on page 10, while Furia's feature is on page 14.
• Russ Bitely listed his top American born players eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft. UND recruits Shane Gersich, Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, and Chris Wilkie all made the list, with Schmaltz and Gersich making his top five.
• USA Hockey announced its roster for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, and making the team are North Dakota recruits Schmaltz, Poganski, and Ryan Mantha. Schmaltz is prominently featured in this piece as one of three Green Bay (USHL) players named to the team.
• Canada West also announced its WJAC evaluation camp roster, and Rhett Gardner has earned an invite. Gardner's season got off to a bit of a slow start with Okotoks (AJHL) but he has since produced eight points in his last nine games. He says he hopes to parlay that momentum into a strong performance at camp. The World Junior A Challenge runs from November 4 through November 10 and all games will be streamed by FastHockey.
• The Scouting Report recently released its top 30 prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and Schmaltz came in at number 17.
• A number of Sioux alums are off to strong starts this season, both in North America and overseas. A post detailing some of those starts is forthcoming. Update: The Sioux in the Pros Update has been posted.

Wednesday Morning Post

• The big news that broke yesterday was Ryan Gropp foregoing his commitment to UND in order to sign with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. It sounds as though this was a decision made primarily by Gropp without much pressure from Seattle, and perhaps initially against the wishes of his parents. While the decommitment of a very talented player certainly stings, this isn't nearly as crucial as JT Miller's decision to sign with New York and go to Plymouth a month before he was expected to start classes at UND. When I put together this recruit matrix last month, I anticipated Gropp's arrival in Grand Forks to come in the fall of 2015. I'm not sure when the North Dakota staff planned on him arriving, but there is time to replace him with some of the outstanding talent that is currently uncommitted. 
• International Scouting Services released its updated top 30 prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and two UND recruits made the list. Nick Schmaltz is ranked number 25 while Austin Poganski is ranked number 30.
• Despite a nagging lower body injury that was anticipated to keep him out of the lineup long-term, recruit Trevor Olson saw his health improve enough that he was upgraded to questionable to return to action. Sioux City's captain eventually did return to the lineup, recording an assist and a +1 rating in his first action of the season last Friday.
• While TJ Oshie's rugged & physical style of play might make him more susceptible to injury, he doesn't plan on changing anything about his game any time soon.
• David Toews has been released by the ECHL's Reading Royals.
• Rocco Grimaldi's slick second period goal from Friday night's 5-3 victory over Vermont is among the top 5 plays of the week. 

Wednesday Morning Post

• The College Hockey News released its preseason All-CHN Teams and UND senior Dillon Simpson was named to the second team.
• USCHO published its WCHA women's preview and they have North Dakota finishing second. They also released a more in-depth team preview of UND.
• The Chicago Tribune examines the professional accomplishments of Jonathan Toews and says he compares more than favorably to the likes of Jordan, Gretzky, and Lemieux. (Note: Link to article did not work in Internet Explorer or Chrome, but it did in Firefox and mobile browser)
• Motivated by what he calls just an average season, Zach Parise is looking to help lead the Minnesota Wild to the next level.
• The NCHC listed the alums of member programs to make NHL opening day rosters and North Dakota leads the way with nine.
• TJ Oshie says his ankle finally feels 100% for the first time in years.
• Hockey This Week explores Brock Nelson's famous bloodlines.
• Future Considerations released its October rankings of the top 30 NHL Draft prospects and UND commit Nick Schmaltz came in at number 19. Schmaltz made quite a jump as he did not appear on FC's preliminary rankings back in July, when Austin Poganski was ranked number 26.
• The Scouting Report says Schmaltz's performance at last week's All-American Prospects Game helped bump up his draft stock, and they also had high praise for the performance of Shane Gersich.
• Due to a lower body injury, recruit Trevor Olson has yet to play a game for Sioux City this season after being named team captain. He was scheduled to have an MRI earlier this week and based on this Tweet the results do not seem to have been favorable.  Olson, an over-ager who is in his last season of junior eligibility, really saw his USHL career take off last season following his trade to Sioux City from Green Bay.

Friday Morning Post

• Senior defenseman Dillon Simpson was named team captain for the 2013-14 season, with junior forwards Michael Parks and Stephane Pattyn serving as assistant captains. Simpson was also tabbed as a player to watch in the NCHC this year in CBS Sports Network analyst/College Hockey New columnist Dave Starman's NCHC overview.
• The Hockey Writers' Gabriella Fundaro does a great job covering women's hockey and in her WCHA preview she says that despite their losses to graduation, North Dakota still has plenty of talent to make a run at the top of the WCHA standings.
• Corban Knight's bid to make Calgary's opening night roster ended yesterday when he was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Away from the rink Knight has been forced to deal with a natural disaster and CBC Sports took a look at his family's recovery from this past summer's devastating Alberta flooding.
• NHL rookie Brock Nelson remains at New York Islanders' training camp, where he is fighting for a spot on the Isle.
• Buffalo Sabres winger Drew Stafford is looking forward to the upcoming season with a refreshed optimism as he looks to put Buffalo's disappointing 2012-13 season behind him.
• After signing the first one-way NHL contract of his career, Chris Porter finds himself in the middle of a logjam in terms of earning playing time in St. Louis. 
• Mike Commodore will reportedly be joining Vladivostok (KHL) for the 2013-14 season, joining Brandon Bochenski and Rastislav Spirko as Sioux alums playing in Russia's "super league." Bochenski, by the way, is currently T-8th in points with 10 (4G, 6A) while Spirko is T-18th with 8 (5G, 3A).
• Tony Hrkac will be inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.
• Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Mantha were part of the victorious Team Johnson at last night's All-American Prospects Game in Pittsburgh, defeating Team Mullen and Shane Gersich 5-2. Schmaltz picked up an assist and was very good throughout the game while Gersich may have been the best player on the ice for the first period plus. Overall he played a fine game and was very noticeable in all three zones while Mantha played a solid defensive game. The United States of Hockey offers a nice recap of the event.
• UND recruits Austin Poganski and Chris Wilkie are hoping to form a dynamic duo for Tri-City (USHL) this season as the past, present, and future teammates look to help kickstart the Storm's offense. A highlight of the article is the North Dakota recruiting pitch Wilkie gave to Poganski while the two were playing in the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament. It worked.

Thursday Morning Post

• Cousins Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson are set to make a big impact on UND during their collegiate careers.
• UND junior forward Andrea Dalen has been awarded Norway's Gold Puck for 2013.
• UND freshman defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak is preparing for her first season of college hockey.
• Johanna Fallman is a part of North Dakota's strong group of European talent.

Former Player Updates:

• Matt Frattin has had a strong preseason debut for the Los Angeles Kings' second line left wing spot. The style of play and the skill set Frattin possesses are exactly what the Kings are looking for in that spot, and that could have the Sioux alum primed for a breakout NHL season.
• Already having racked up a career's worth of accomplishments at the age of 25, the Chicago Sun-Times asks what's next for Chicago captain Jonathan Toews? Toews was recently ranked as the third best player in the NHL by a panel of NHL GM's and head coaches, while Zach Parise came in at number 23.
• Brock Nelson has made a strong push to make the New York Islander roster out of training camp, having earned enough trust of the Isles' staff along the way to have been spending time on the top penalty killing unit as an NHL rookie.
• Brad Malone is another former Sioux looking to make an opening night roster as he has had an impressive preseason thus far for the Colorado Avalanche.
• Former UND standout goaltender Jordan Parise has decided to call it a career as he is retiring from professional hockey.
• A healthy TJ Oshie could be what St. Louis needs to get them over the hump in the postseason.
• In what came as a bit of a surprise, the New York Rangers sent Danny Kristo down to their AHL affiliate in Hartford. By most accounts Kristo appeared to be having a strong preseason, and with the Rangers facing some injury and contract issues up front he appeared to be in line to take the battle for a roster spot down to the wire. Regardless, he showed several promising flashes during the preseason, so don't be surprised if he gets called up at some point during the season. 
• Travis Zajac is looking forward to putting a frustrating 2012-13 season behind him.
• Chris VandeVelde was invited to Philadelphia's training camp after signing an AHL deal with Adirondack, and he is now part of a trio trying to crack the Flyers' opening night roster.
• Andrew MacWilliam was re-assigned to the Toronto Marlies, but not before he left a positive impression on the Maple Leafs' staff.
• Quick Hits: Evan Trupp re-signed with the Alaska Aces (ECHL)...Aaron Dell signed with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)...Ryan Hill signed with the Mississippi RiverKings (SPHL)...Derek Forbort, one of the top players under the age of 25 within the LA King organization, was assigned to Manchester (AHL) after a solid preseason camp in LA...Darcy Zajac is lending a veteran presence to the Albany Devils (AHL)...Carter Rowney is attending Wilkes-Barre (AHL) training camp...Joe Gleason is attending Rockford (AHL) training camp...Updated Sioux in the Pros roster for 2013-14...

Recruit Updates:

• UND received a big verbal commitment this week from Christian Cakebread of the Fargo Force, a 1997-born forward who comes out of the Arizona Bobcat AAA program.
• Recruits Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha, and Shane Gersich are all set to take part in tonight's All-American Prospects game in Pittsburgh (6:00 PM CDT start). Austin Poganski was originally scheduled to participate as well, but a minor injury will keep him out of the lineup. The United States of Hockey has a preview of the event, which can be viewed free of charge via FastHockey.
• The NHL's Central Scouting Service released its Preliminary Watch List for the 2014 NHL Draft, and a handful of North Dakota recruits are on the NHL's radar. Nick Schmaltz is listed as an A Skater (potential first round pick), Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Chris Wilkie are listed as B Skaters (potential second to third round picks), and Rhett Gardner and Shane Gersich are C Skaters (potential fourth round and later picks).
• Schmaltz came in at number 13 on Bob McKenzie's 2014 NHL Draft Preseason Report.
• Charlie Pelnik is expected spend the next couple of seasons playing for the Langley Rivermen (BCHL).

Tuesday Morning Post

• The 2013-14 roster for the UND men's team was released yesterday and the only real surprise was the absence of junior-to-be Dan Senkbeil. Senkbeil is transferring to Vermont and will be eligible to play in 2014-15 after sitting out this season to satisfy the NCAA's transfer rules. In 49 career games at North Dakota, he produced a goal and four assists.
• NHL.com continues its "30 in 30" series, with Brock Nelson being ranked third among New York Islanders prospects and Danny Kristo and Adam Tambellini coming in at one and nine, respectively, among New York Rangers prospects.
• Surly & Scribe took a look at the top candidates to fill the LA Kings' second line LW position, and they say Matt Frattin would be a good choice. 
• The roster for the 2013 All-American Prospects Game was released yesterday and four North Dakota recruits earned invitations. Ryan Mantha, Shane Gersich, Nick Schmaltz and Austin Poganski are all scheduled to take part in the American-born 2014 NHL Draft eligible showcase September 26 in Pittsburgh. An interesting omission was UND recruit and Tri-City Storm (USHL) forward Chris Wilkie. Wilkie was one of the NTDP U-17 team's top performers last season, including a very strong showing at last season's World U-17 Challenge. The United States of Hockey briefly highlighted a few of the players to watch during the event, and Schmaltz and Poganski were included. Schmaltz was also included in the latest edition of The Hockey News' Hot List.

Sunday Afternoon Post

• As NHL.com's "30 in 30" series continues, a pair of UND sophomores found their way into their respective organization's Top 10 prospect lists. Jordan Schmaltz came in at number 6 among St. Louis' prospects, while Rocco Grimaldi sits at number 8 in Florida's deep prospect pool.
• The New England Hockey Journal published an outstanding feature on North Dakota sophomore goaltender Zane Gothberg, the Boston Bruins' 6th round draft choice in 2010. Gothberg says the goal for 2013-14 "is to win our last game, with that one coming in the national championship." 
• The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are already very much on the mind of Sioux alum Jonathan Toews, who is a candidate to wear the C for Team Canada.
• SportsNet NY put together a quick little profile on New York Ranger prospect Danny Kristo.
• UND recruit Rhett Gardner, who will suit up for the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers this season, says the current plan is for him to spend two years playing juniors before heading to UND one year out of high school.
• USA Hockey's Under-18 Select team, featuring North Dakota recruits Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Nick Schmaltz, fell one victory short of earning the gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Despite dropping a 4-0 decision to Canada in the gold medal game, it was a strong showing for a hard-working Team USA, and a great individual tournament for Schmaltz. He led Team USA in scoring with eight points (5G, 3A) in five games, and his five goals were the most of any player in the tournament. Poganski and Mantha each picked up one assist in five games played.

Top Shelf Prospects has been running through each NHL team's top prospects this offseason, and a few Sioux alums have been featured:

• Corban Knight (Calgary Flames) 
• Brock Nelson (New York Islanders)
• Danny Kristo (New York Rangers)

Saturday Morning Post

• Curious to where your favorite Sioux alum will be playing in 2013-14? The Sioux in the Pros page has been updated to reflect this offseason's signings. If I've missed a signing or have errors in the roster, please leave a comment.
• All current recruit profiles have been updated to reflect last season's stats, awards, etc. and a fresh 2013-14 stat page has been added to The Recruit page. Again, if you see any errors or omissions, please let me know.
• Jeff Ulmer has signed with Olimpija Ljubljana (Austrian elite league) for the 2013-14 season.
• Team USA, featuring recruits Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Nick Schmaltz, advanced to the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup championship game yesterday by way of a 5-3 victory over the Czech Republic. Team USA takes on Canada for the gold this morning. Schmaltz continued his elite play, notching two more goals in the win while earning Team USA Player of the Game honors. He now has eight points (5G, 3A) in his last three games, and Hockey's Future did an interview following his three point performance against Russia during pool play (full post):

Friday Morning Post

• The UND men will play a pair of exhibition games in British Columbia this coming season in what will be the team's second trip north of the border in the past three seasons. In a Brad Schlossman blog post, head coach Dave Hakstol commented on the BC trip.
• At the Ivan Hlinka Cup Team USA defeated Slovakia 5-2 Wednesday to win their pool and advance to play the Czech Republic in today's semifinals (Noon CDT). Nick Schmaltz had his second consecutive three point game by notching two goals and an assist against Slovakia, and he leads the tournament in goals (3), assists (3), and points (6). Austin Poganski also picked up an assist Wednesday while Ryan Mantha was held off the scoresheet. If you want to follow along with today's semifinal, the tournament's website offers real-time in-game updates. 
• The USA Hockey NTDP made its 2013-14 rosters official this week, and as expected, UND will have two recruits playing in the program this season. Shane Gersich will make the jump from Holy Family (MN-HS) to the Under-18 team, while Christian Evers transitions from the Omaha AAA U-16 team to the Under-17ers. 
• Committed recruit Rhett Gardner will spend the 2013-14 season with the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers. Gardner spent last season with the SMHL's Moose Jaw Generals and got a taste of the USHL with a one game stint with the Green Bay Gamblers. UND has picked up some nice talent from Okotoks over the past handful of years with Derek Rodwell, Brad Eidsness, and Corban Knight having played junior hockey with the Oilers.
• Drew Stafford and Ben Blood returned to their alma mater to take part in last night's Shattuck-St. Mary's vs. The World celebrity hockey game in Faribault, MN.
• Single game hockey tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 15th, and here's the athletic department's promo video:

Wednesday Morning Post

• Junior forward Mark MacMillan is set to take on a significant leadership and scoring role for UND this season, an opportunity he is relishing.
• Senior defenseman Dillon Simpson came in at number 13 on the Copper and Blue blog's "Top 25 Oilers Under 25" rankings.
• The Ontario Reign (ECHL) caught up with the recently re-signed Mario Lamoureux, who is looking to build on last season's outstanding All-Rookie performance.
• Michael Forney had a terrific summer playing hockey Down Under. He now goes from Australia to Austria, as he will join former Sioux teammate JP Lamoureux on Villacher of the Austrian elite league.
• UND recruits Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha and the rest of Team USA pulled out a clutch win yesterday at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, beating Russia 4-2 in pool play. Schmaltz scored a goal and added two assists in the victory, which put the Americans in solid position to advance to the tournament semifinals. They take on Slovakia later this morning (10:30 AM CDT), and a win would vault them into Friday's semifinal round. The UND contingent, by the way, has factored in on five of the six goals Team USA has scored in pool play and Schmaltz is tied for the tournament lead with three points (1G, 2A) in two games.
• McKeen's Hockey has released its Top 30 Prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft, and Schmaltz comes in at number 14. Future Considerations, meanwhile, has Poganski (number 26) in its preliminary rankings. Poganski is also the main feature of The Hockey News' most recent edition of The Hot List, and he says his "hardcore, blue collar" game will fit right in with UND's style of play.

NHL.com's "30 in 30" series is underway and a few Sioux alums have been featured thus far:

• Corban Knight is ranked as a top 5 prospect for the Calgary Flames.
• Derek Forbort came in at number five among Los Angeles' top prospects.
• Where does the newly acquired Matt Frattin fit in with the Los Angeles Kings?

Tuesday Morning Post

• Jason Gregoire has signed a one year deal with Södertälje of the Allsvenskan (Sweden Tier 2). He will be reunited with former Sioux and St. John's IceCap teammate Jake Marto, who signed with Södertälje earlier this summer.
• Brent Davidson has signed with Valpellice of Italy's elite league after spending last season with Herning (Denmark).
• The Hockey News featured former UND standout goaltender Darren Jensen in the print edition of its Backchecking segment several months ago, and it has recently found its way into the digital realm.
• Tony Hrkac will be inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame next month, joining fellow Sioux alum Greg Johnson, who was inducted in 2010.
• North Dakota goalie Zane Gothberg continues to impress Boston Bruins management.
• UND forward Rocco Grimaldi is on his way to building a big NHL future.
• UND sophomore forward Rebecca Kohler and incoming freshman defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak have been invited to Hockey Canada's National Women's Team Development Camp.
• A trio of UND commits are currently representing USA Hockey in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Nick Schmaltz was named USA's Player of the Game in a 1-0 exhibition game victory over the Czech Republic Saturday while Austin Poganski and Ryan Mantha each picked up assists in yesterdays 3-2 OT loss to Finland. They resume play this morning at 7:00 AM CDT against Russia. Below are recent features on each UND commit:
• Nick Schmaltz
• Ryan Mantha
• Austin Poganski
• The Scouting Report is taking a look at some of the top USHL prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and aside from the above feature on Schmaltz, Poganski and fellow UND commit Chris Wilkie were also recently highlighted.
• Incoming UND freshman defensemen Gage Ausmus and Keaton Thompson were invited to USA Hockey's National Junior Evaluation Camp, but they were both among the first round of cuts. They could potentially play themselves back into consideration with strong first halves to the NCAA season, and they will both be eligible for next year's World Junior Championship team as well.

Camping Season

Summer is the season for camping. Here's a rundown:
 
NHL Prospect Development Camps
A number of current, future, and past UND players will be taking part in NHL prospect development camps this summer. Below is a rundown of UND's attendees (a fun one to keep an eye on is the New York Islanders' Orange vs. Blue prospect scrimmage, which they stream live on their website):

Team	Player	Camp Roster
Anaheim	Keaton Thompson
Boston	Zane Gothberg
Calgary	Corban Knight
Chicago	Nick Mattson	Roster
	Luke Johnson	Roster 2
Edmonton	Dillon Simpson
Florida	Rocco Grimaldi	Roster
Los Angeles	Derek Forbort
	Paul LaDue
Montreal	Mark MacMillan
Nashville	Wade Murphy	Roster
New York Islanders	Brock Nelson
San Jose	Gage Ausmus
Tampa Bay	Brendan O'Donnell
Toronto	Andrew MacWilliam
Winnipeg	Tucker Poolman

New York Rangers                Adam Tambellini              Roster
                                                     Carter Rowney

USA Hockey Select 17 Development Camp
A few future Sioux took part in USA Hockey's recent Select 17 player development camp, which features many of the top 1996 birth year players in the US. Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Mantha were named camp All-Stars following their five games of pool play and Austin Poganski was a key component of Team Royal, which won the camp championship. Here are the stat lines from the UND commitments:

Player	Gm	G	A	Pts
Ryan Mantha	6	0	1	1
Austin Poganski	6	1	4	5
Nick Schmaltz	6	1	2	3

This camp is the basis for building USA Hockey's Select Under-18 team, which will compete in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August. All three were named to the team and will don the red, white, and blue next month in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Check out USA Hockey's release for more information on the Ivan Hlinka Tournament, and here is the full roster (Word doc).
 
USA Hockey Select 16 Development Camp
This week, USA Hockey's Select 16 development camp kicks off, featuring some of the top 1997 birth year talent in the United States. UND currently has just one 1997 commitment in Christian Evers, and he will be attending the camp. There are several other players of UND/local interest taking part in the camp as well:

Player	Hometown	Team	Notes
Tye Ausmus	East Grand Forks, MN	Red	Defenseman, EGF HS
Tarek Baker	Verona, WI	Royal	Rumblings of UND interest
Matt Christian	Grand Forks, ND	Forest	Forward, Red River HS
Charlie Churchill	Grand Forks, ND	Red	Goaltender, Red River HS
Christian Evers	Waukee, IA	Orange	UND D commit, NTDP U-17
Spencer Kuhlman	Gand Forks, ND	Gold	Played last two years at SSM
Tanner Tweten	East Grand Forks, MN	Grey	Forward, EGF HS

A Few Recruit Notes...

• UND commit Troy Stecher of the Penticton Vees was named the BCHL Interior Conference's Best Defenseman for 2012-13. The Vees captain produced 47 points (8G, 39A) in 52 games in helping his team earn the Interior Conference's number one seed for the BCHL playoffs. Stecher, fellow UND commit Wade Murphy, and the rest of the Vees begin their defense of the RBC Cup tomorrow against Salmon Arm. 
• Stecher and Murphy were also named to the All-BCHL Interior Conference First Team last week. Murphy finished the season T-5th in scoring with 70 points (23G, 47A) in 50 games played. Meanwhile, Surrey's Adam Tambellini earned Coastal Conference Second Team honors following his 65 point (36G, 29A) campaign. Surrey's acquisition of Tambellini, whose 36 goals tied for the third most in the league, paid big dividends for the Eagles down the stretch. Surrey captured the Ron Boileau Trophy after finishing the regular season with the league's best record and they will begin postseason play tomorrow night as the number one overall seed.
• Junior Austin Poganski was named the St. Cloud Times' All-Area High School Player of the Year following his outstanding season for St. Cloud Cathedral. Poganski led the Crusaders with 66 points (35G, 31A) in 26 games, falling one game short of a state tournament berth. He has also appeared in a pair of Tri-City Storm (USHL) games as an affiliate player, during which he has picked up a goal and an assist. Here is a profile video on the UND commit:

• Shane Gersich has appeared in three USHL games with the Omaha Lancers as an affiliate player.  
• Christian Evers earned an invitation to the USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp, which will take place later this month. A strong performance by Evers could very well earn him an offer to join the NTDP Under-17 team for next season. Evers and his Omaha U-16 squad recently earned the Midwest Tier 1 championship, and this weekend they will be taking part in the Central District Regional Championships where they will by competing for a spot in USA Hockey's U-16 National Championships.

Recruit Roundup

• North Dakota defense recruit and Grand Forks native Paul LaDue recently became the top point producing defenseman in Lincoln Star (USHL) history. His goal last Thursday night gave him 70 points in a Stars uniform, surpassing former Michigan Tech Husky Eli Vlaisavljevich on the franchise's all-time list. Other names of note on Lincoln's all-time defenseman point list are Sioux alums Andy Schneider (53), Chad Mazurak (49), Lee Marvin (48), and Nick Fuher (43). LaDue, who will be joining North Dakota for the 2013-14 season, leads all USHL defensemen in points (36) and assists (25), is second in goals (11), and is T-7th with a +17 rating. To note his remarkable consistency, he has yet to go more than two consecutive games this season without registering a point, and that has happened on just three occasions. 
• Defense recruit Christian Evers and the Omaha AAA Under-16 team blazed through the NAPHL Playoffs this past weekend, going 5-0 while outscoring their opponents 28-9. Evers scored two goals in today's championship game, giving him a team-leading six for the tournament. His nine points (6G, 3A) led all tournament defensemen and were the second most on the team.
• UND's most recent commit, Rhett Gardner (Moose Jaw Generals-SMAAAHL), is averaging one goal per game over his last 20 contests. His 27 goals lead the Generals and are the fifth most in the league.
• Adam Tambellini (Surrey Eagles-BCHL) has produced 17 points during his last 11 games, including a five point game (3G, 2A) last month. His 29 goals are T-4th in the league while his 55 points (29G, 26A) are tenth most.
• Also in the BCHL, Penticton Vee Wade Murphy has been producing at a torrid clip. Over his last 10 games Murphy has put up 21 points (6G, 15A), including seven point (2G, 5A) and five point (0G, 5A) efforts. On the season he leads the Vees in points (66) and assists (44), totals which rank fourth and second among all BCHL players.
• In the Minnesota high school ranks, St. Cloud Cathedral junior forward Austin Poganski ended the regular season as his team's leading goal scorer (25) and point producer (47). Poganski and the second seeded Crusaders begin postseason play this Thursday in St. Cloud when they will face either Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson or North Branch in the Section 5A quarterfinals.
• Holy Family sophomore forward Shane Gersich has had a terrific month of February thus far, producing multi-point efforts in each of his last seven games. He has tallied 24 points (13G, 11A) this month, including back-to-back four goal performances in helping lead the Fire to their first-ever conference title in boy's hockey. For the season, Gersich leads the team with 62 points and 28 goals in 24 games played. Holy Family, which earned the fifth seed in what is a loaded Section 6AA field, opens the playoffs Thursday night against Eden Prairie.
• Hockeytube.net put together a great video profile/interview of UND defense recruit Geoff Crisfield (Vernon Vipers-BCHL). Crisfield discusses his decision to commit to North Dakota, as well as stating that, at least as of now, he appears headed back to Vernon for one more season prior to joining UND:

Wednesday Evening Post

• Team USA and Rocco Grimaldi have advanced to the semifinal round of the World Junior Championship where they will take on Canada at 3:00 CST Thursday morning for the right to play for WJC gold. Sweden and Russia will play in Thursday's second semifinal matchup. Grimaldi, who was benched for Monday's preliminary round game against Slovakia, returned to action this morning in the quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic and it will be interesting to see what role he plays in the big rematch with Canada. His combination of speed and puck skill is as good as anyone playing in this tournament, making him an instant offensive threat that could be a difference maker in a big game. 
• The Team USA U-17 team rolled through World Under-17 Challenge preliminary play, going 4-0 while outscoring its opponents 23-11. UND recruit Chris Wilkie is tied for fourth in tournament scoring with seven points (1G, 6A), and his six assists are tied for the tournament lead. Fellow recruit Austin Poganski scored a pair of goals in prelim play, but his level of play is not reflected in his stat line. His strong play has earned him increased ice time as the tournament has progressed, and he is now seeing time on the second powerplay unit. Team USA will take on Russia tomorrow evening at 6:30 CST in the semifinal round, with the medal games scheduled for Friday. All tournament games can be streamed live and free via FastHockey.
• Both Team USA and Team Canada rolled through preliminary round play at the Under-18 Women's World Championship. Team USA, featuring North Dakota recruits Amy Menke, Gracen Hirschy, and Alexis Shaw, went 3-0 during the preliminary round and outscored its opponents 25-0. Canada, with recruit Halli Krzyzaniak, also went 3-0, and they outscored their opposition 15-1. Krzyzaniak, a defenseman, is Canada's leading point producer and she is tied for fourth in tournament scoring with six points (2G, 4A) while Menke is tied for 11th with four points (2G, 2A). Hirschy has recorded two assists while Shaw posted a shutout in her one appearance thus far. Team USA next takes to the ice in a semifinal tilt with the Czech Republic Friday, while Canada will face Sweden in Friday's other semifinal. The gold medal game will take place Saturday, and anything outside of a USA-Canada final would be a major, major surprise. For realtime stats and a full schedule, checkout the official tournament website.
• Former Sioux defenseman Travis Roche and Team Canada defeated Davos (Switzerland) to win the 2012 Spengler Cup. Roche recorded two assists during Canada's four tournament games.
• Andy Johnson of Bucky's Fifth Quarter issued his WCHA First Half Awards, and his Player of the Year is UND centerman Corban Knight. Danny Kristo, Derek Forbort, Clarke Saunders, and Rocco Grimaldi also received recognition.
• Brock Nelson of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) is expected to miss the next two weeks after suffering a broken jaw.
• The second annual USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is scheduled to take place January 23 in Muskegon, Michigan, and a trio of North Dakota recruits received invitations today. Luke Johnson (Lincoln) will take part for the second consecutive season, and he will be joined by Luke Voltin (Des Moines) and Tucker Poolman (Omaha).
• Recruit Nick Schmaltz sent 2012 out in style by notching a hat trick in Green Bay's (USHL) 6-5 (OT) win over Muskegon on New Year's Eve. He completed the hatty by scoring the overtime game-winner.