Friday Morning Post

• UND senior captain Dillon Simpson was named one of twenty candidates for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award.
• Freshman Gage Ausmus has settled into the role of the physical, stay-at-home defenseman early on in his UND career.
• The Dakota Student says sophomore forward Drake Caggiula bounced back nicely from the neck injury he sustained in the exhibition win over the NTDP U-18 team.
• After a one year hiatus, North Dakota and Wisconsin will resume their long-standing rivalry next season with a weekend series in Madison.
• Those who are unable to make it to Omaha for this weekend's series against Nebraska-Omaha can watch UNO's webcast of the games through a UND Insider subscription.
• TJ Oshie is off to the best start of his NHL career, and part of his success may be the result of him becoming more of a student of the game.
• Drew Stafford and Buffalo have struggled out of the gates this season, but the Sabres winger hopes to reverse the slow start.
• The achievments Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews have made a big impression on President Obama.
• Sioux alum Travis Zajac is off to a bit of a slow start this season for the New Jersey Devils and on Halloween a trick-or-treater told him as much.
• The voting for the AJHL's All-Time Top 50 players continues, and up for vote this go-round are Sioux alums Dixon Ward, Garry Valk, Geoff Smith, Teeder Wynne and UND head coach Dave Hakstol.
• The Sioux City Journal published a great feature on recruit Trevor Olson (Sioux City-USHL), detailing the hip injury he's played through this season. Following this weekend's games he will undergo surgery in order to be fully prepared for his freshman season at UND next fall. The Musketeer captain is well-respected amongst his teammates and he sounds like quite the gamer. In a best-case scenario Sioux City, which is 9-0 with Olson in the lineup and 1-2 without him, could get their captain back towards the end of the season.
• Women's Four Nations Cup: The Lamoureux twins and Team USA will wrap up pool play tonight when they face Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani's Finland squad at 6:00 CST. The Americans are 1-1 after their 4-2 defeat at the hands of arch-rival Canada. Finland is also 1-1 in pool play. Johanna Fallman and Team Sweden will be looking to pick up their first victory of the tournament when they play Canada this afternoon at 2:30 CST.
• World Junior A Challenge: UND's recruits playing in the World Junior A Challenge will resume play today when the semifinals get underway. Rhett Gardner and Canada West will take on Russia at 2:00 CST while Team USA, featuring recruits Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha, and Austin Poganski, will take on Switzerland at 6:00 CST. Through two games, Schmaltz is tied for the tournament lead with six points (2G, 4A) and has earned the praise of NHL Central Scouting's Carl Edwards. Gardner, meanwhile, has yet to find the scoresheet, but his defensive efforts on the penalty kill have helped thrust Canada West into the semifinals.

Wednesday Morning Post

• UND forward Colten St. Clair suffered a leg injury this past weekend against St. Cloud State and is expected to be out at least until the semester break. St. Clair's game contains an element of gritty hustle and his presence will be missed as an energy guy who plays a big role on the team's penalty killing unit.
• Drake Caggiula's slick first period goal against SCSU Friday night was chosen as NCAA hockey's top goal of the weekend.
• Sioux alum Dave Tippett became the all-time winningest coach in Phoenix Coyote franchise history last weekend.
• Chris Porter became the ninth Sioux alum to skate in the NHL this season when he made his season debut for St. Louis this past Saturday.
• The Hartford Courant says Danny Kristo has emerged as the Hartford Wolf Pack's most productive forward this season.
• Through 13 games Corban Knight leads Abbotsford (AHL) in points (12), assists (8), and +/- (+6).
• Mike Commodore recently did a good deed for a British Columbia charity. 
• Women's Four Nations Cup: Team USA defeated Sweden yesterday 10-0 with Sioux alums Jocelyne Lamoureux (1G, 1A) and Monique Lamoureux (0G, 2A) each posting a multi-point game for the Americans. Team USA's next action comes today against arch-rival Canada at 6:00 CST while UND defenseman Johanna Fallman and Sweden will take on Finland today at 2:30. Finland, featuring current UND forwards Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani, dropped a tight 3-1 decision to Canada yesterday.
• World Junior A Challenge: Canada West and UND recruit Rhett Gardner earned the top seed out of Group B by going 2-0 in group play. They have advanced to Friday's semifinals where they will take on Group A's second seed. Team USA, featuring UND recruits Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, and Ryan Mantha, opened group play last night with an 8-3 thrashing of Russia. Schmaltz scored two goals and assisted on two others and now has 12 points (7G, 5A) in his last five games of international competition dating back to August's Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Team USA's next game comes today at 6:00 CST against Canada East.
• NTDP Four Nations Tournaments: Recruits Shane Gersich and Christian Evers will be participating in a pair of Four Nations tournaments this week. Gersich and the NTDP Under-18 team will be in Finland while Evers and the Under-17 team will be in Slovakia. Both teams will play pre-tournament games today with regulation action beginning Friday. Check out USA Hockey's Four Nations info page for full schedules and notes for both teams.

Thursday Morning Post

• Senior forward Michelle Karvinen was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week following her strong performance in UND's road sweep of St. Cloud State. Karvinen picked up five points (4G, 1A) on the weekend and her seven goals on the season lead the nation.
• Karvinen will not be in the lineup when UND travels to Bemidji State this weekend. UND will also be without freshman forward Susanna Tapani and junior defenseman Johanna Fallman as all three will be preparing to compete in the women's Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, NY, November 5-9. Tapani and Karvinen will represent Finland, while Fallman will skate for Sweden. Also competing at the Four Nations will be Sioux alums and Team USA standouts Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux.
• The UND men's hockey Twitter account Tweeted yesterday that sophomore forward Drake Caggiula practiced without limitation. This is most certainly a positive sign for Caggiula, who took a nasty head-over-heels spill during Saturday's exhibition game against Team USA. Hopefully we will see him in the lineup this weekend against St. Cloud State.
• UND freshman defenseman Keaton Thompson was featured in his hometown newspaper yesterday.
• The coaching staff of the BCHL's Penticton Vees will be in Grand Forks this weekend to watch a number of their former players take to the ice at Engelstad Arena.
• Danny Kristo continues his strong play to start the AHL season. Last night he picked up a goal and two assists in Hartford's 5-3 win over Bridgeport, giving him twelve points (7G, 5A) in ten games. While Kristo's performance thus far is impressive, Blue Seat Blogs stresses the importance of patience in letting prospects develop at the proper level.
• Corban Knight notched a goal and an assist, including the overtime game winner, in Abbotsford's 5-4 win over Utica last night. He now has nine points (4G, 5A) in ten games, putting him right up there with Kristo among the AHL's top rookie scorers.
• The Ottawa Sun says Hockey Canada would do right in naming Jonathan Toews captain for the 2014 Winter Olympics, going so far as to call him "the best all-around player in the world."
• TJ Oshie is off to the best start of his career for the St. Louis Blues, having notched ten points (2G, 8A) in ten games with a +8 rating. The creative and relentless Oshie has helped drive the Blues towards the top of the Central Division with a refreshing dose of class.
• North Dakota recruit Rhett Gardner (Okotoks-AJHL) was named to Canada West's roster for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge. Gardner, part of UND's excellent class of 1996 birth-year commitments, was one of 13 forwards selected out of the 36 invited to camp.

Thursday Morning Coffee

• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA casts its spotlight on North Dakota captain Andrew MacWilliam, who head coach Dave Hakstol calls "a true throwback."
• Goon's World put together a feature on UND freshman Drake Caggiula, who had a big three goal series against Colorado College last weekend.
• The Hockey Writers have released their NCAA Women's Hockey Week 10 Recap, and they have North Dakota ranked No. 4 in the nation. UND junior Michelle Karvinen was also named the week's 2nd Star after her two goal, five assist weekend against RIT.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs' official website took a look at Matt Frattin's torrid goal scoring pace. As of this morning Frattin was the Maple Leaf website's lead story.
• The Edmonton Oilers' weekly notebook feature's former Sioux centerman Chris VandeVelde and the newest member of his family.
• Aeros.com did a short video interview with Houston Aeros defenseman Chay Genoway.
• TSN has an updated "Craig's List," which is scout Craig Button's player rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. The initial list included Button's top 30 draft-eligible players, but the update has been expanded to the top 75. North Dakota recruit Keaton Thompson maintained his No. 24 ranking, while Luke Johnson made his debut on the list at No. 74.

Wednesday Morning Coffee

• The USOH is keeping a close eye on Team USA's top candidates for the World Junior Championships, and yesterday North Dakota freshman forward Rocco Grimaldi was in the spotlight. Grimaldi leads the team with four points (2G, 2A) in four games, and he has a six game point streak (3G, 3A) dating back to last season.
• Through four games, North Dakota has a four-way tie for the team lead in +/- rating, and all four leaders are freshmen. Grimaldi, Colten St. Clair, Jordan Schmaltz, and Drake Caggiula are all +4.
• North Dakota forward Brendan O'Donnell is one of several Tampa Bay Lightning prospects looking to have an impact season in the NCAA. Tampa Bay selected O'Donnell in the 6th Round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
• Jonathan Toews participated in Chicago's successful "Champs for Charity" game, which was played before nearly 12,000 fans, while Minnesota's Defending the Blueline charity game, which included Zach Parise and Chris Porter, was also deemed a success. As NHLers remain locked out, star-studded charity games are one way for players to remain active. Matt Greene is scheduled to take part in a charity game in California while Travis Zajac will do the same in Winnipeg.
• Zajac and his agent are evaluating several opportunities for the former Sioux centerman to play overseas and he might be headed to Europe within a few weeks (Zajac info at the very end of the post).
• Former Sioux captain Adam Calder suffered a fractured hip last Sunday in an English Premier League game. He underwent surgery Monday, and no further details have been released.
• Matt Frattin returned to Toronto Marlies practice last week, and he is no longer wearing a no-contact practice jersey. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins said earlier this week that Frattin is about two weeks away from returning to game action.
• North Dakota recruits Adam Tambellini and Wade Murphy are currently at the Canada West World Junior A Challenge Selection Camp, where they are teammates on Team Blue. They played their first game last night, with Murphy scoring his team's lone goal in a 2-1 loss. The camp concludes tonight when Team Blue takes on Team White. Luke Johnson will participate for Team USA in the WJAC, which begins next Monday in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. All tournament games can be viewed online at no charge through Fast Hockey. 

Weekend Musings

A few thoughts on this past weekend's hockey action at REA. First for the men (to be taken with one, maybe two grains of salt considering it was an exhibition game):

• Danny Kristo and Corban Knight have developed some great chemistry. The top line is going to be really tough to stop considering what those two bring to the table, and it will be interesting to see who becomes the regular left winger. Freshman Drake Caggiula performed admirably in flanking Knight’s left-side against Manitoba, but my guess is that we will see someone else get that assignment Friday night against Team USA.
• Kristo was the best player on the ice Saturday night and he appears poised for a monster season. He is electric and he seems to have gotten stronger over the summer as Manitoba was unable to move him off the puck. He is going to be very difficult for opposing teams to contain this year.
• This weekend marked the much anticipated return to the lineup for Rocco Grimaldi, and he did not disappoint. He had the crowd buzzing on numerous occasions with his playmaking and creativity, and it didn’t take long to realize that he is a very special talent. Just how good will he be this year? My guess is that he is going to have the most productive offensive season by a North Dakota freshman since Zach Parise.
• The RPM Line was in effect for the exhibition opener. I'm a big fan of keeping this line together considering how they played down the stretch last season. Of course, the enthusiasm was dampened when Michael Parks left the ice with an apparent lower body injury, but Mark MacMillan, Carter Rowney, and Parks all looked really good.
• As expected, defenseman Joe Gleason returned to his natural position. He did a very nice job filling in upfront last season for a shorthanded team, but he is more of a difference maker on the backend.

Now for the women, who bounced back from Friday's heartbreaking loss with a solid overall performance Saturday afternoon:

• In addition to what the top line will be expected to create, North Dakota should have some good offensive depth this season. They will be able to roll out three lines capable of regularly generating offensive opportunities.
• Shelby Amsley-Benzie looked confident in net and played good all weekend.
• Leah Jensen did a nice job playing right-wing with the Lamoureux sisters, picking up her first career goal Saturday by getting to the net and knocking home a rebound.
• It didn’t take too long to realize that freshman winger Becca Kohler has a fantastic shot. She can really unwind on the puck.
• Meghan Dufault is a dynamic player and though she didn’t find her way onto the scoresheet, she created some nice opportunities and was hard to knock off the puck.

Friday Morning Coffee

• As I’m sure everyone has heard, Danny Kristo announced his intentions to return to North Dakota for his senior year, and the Montreal Gazette says that he feels he has some unfinished business at the collegiate level.
• The Fighting Sioux received a commitment from Weyburn Red Wing (SJHL) captain Coltyn Sanderson for the 2012-13 season. Learn a bit more about the latest Sioux recruit via his Recruit Profile.
• After playing this past season with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, former Sioux Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Duncan will head back to Europe next season in order to rejoin EC Salzburg (Austria Tier 1). Duncan spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with Salzburg, producing 111 pts (43G, 68A) in 99 regular season games. Duncan, who registered 36 points (14G, 22A) in 64 games with Portland, feels his “style of play is better suited for the European game.”
• Speaking of Austria’s tier 1 league, former Sioux All-American defenseman Curtis Murphy and EHC Linz  recently won the league’s play-off championship. EHC Linz went 12-5 in winning three best-of-seven playoff series, eliminating former Sioux netminder JP Lamoureux’s Olimpija Ljubljana squad in the semifinals. Murphy led all league defensemen in scoring during both the regular season and playoffs by producing 44 points (16G, 28A) in 50 regular season games and 13 points (2G, 11A) in 17 playoff games.
• Lee Goren's Skelleftea squad fell to Brynas in the finals of the Swedish Elite League, losing out four games to two. Goren missed the last several games of the championship series due to a concussion, but he was able to produce 13 points (5G, 8A) in 14 games prior to his injury.
• After a 17 -year professional career, former Sioux Darcy Mitani has decided to retire. He spent the majority of his pro career playing in Asia, and he retires as the all-time leading scorer in the Asia Hockey League with 372 points (131G, 242A). He is also the tenth all-time leading scorer the Asia League's predecessor, the Japan Ice Hockey League, with 331 points (145G, 186A). He discusses his career and retirement in this interview from Winnipeg's 4th Line Hockey Show:

NHL Playoff Updates:

• TJ Oshie and Chris Porter were the first former Sioux to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The St Louis Blues dispatched the San Jose Sharks in five games, with Oshie pitching in three assists during the first round. Oshie has thrived under the guidance of head coach Ken Hitchcock, while  Porter, who has yet to play this postseason, was recently featured in the USHL’s Alumni Voices series.
• The Blues’ second round opponent will be Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings, who advanced after eliminating the Playoff’s top seeded Vancouver Canucks in five games. Greene is  a +1 but has yet to make his way onto the scoresheet. The Kings were able to eliminate the Cauncks despite knowing full well how difficult winning that fourth game can be.
• Jonathan Toews, who had four points (2G, 2A) in six playoff games, and the Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated by Dave Tippett’s Phoenix Coyotes. Tippett and the Coyotes will take on the Nashville Predators in the second round.
• Travis Zajac, Zach Parise, and the New Jersey Devils advanced to the second round of the playoffs by winning a game seven double-OT thriller against the Florida Panthers last night. The Devils won back-to-back OT games to win the series after trailing three games to two, with Zajac scoring the winner in game six. Zajac leads New Jersey with six points (3G, 3A) in seven playoff games, and TSN’s Bob McKenzie says New Jersey is a much better team with him in the lineup. Parise contributed four points (2G, 2A) in the first round, and the Devils will take on Philadelphia in the second round.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Frattin and the Toronto Marlies swept Joe Finley and the Rochester Americans in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Frattin had a goal and two assists in the three-game sweep, while Joe Finley did not figure into any of Rochester’s scoring. Former Sioux Corey Fienhage was also on Rochester’s postseason roster but did not dress for any of the games.
• Oklahoma City eliminated the Houston Aeros three games to one, meaning Barons Chris VandeVelde and Taylor Chorney will move on to the second round while Chay Genoway will have to wait until next season for his next action. Neither VandeVelde nor Genoway recorded any points in the four games, and Chorney did not play due to a knee injury suffered in the regular season.  The good news for  OKC and Chorney, however, is that he is expected to return to the lineup for their second round series.
• Brock Nelson and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers were swept out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Whalers. Nelson appeared in two of the three games and did not record any points.
• The St. John’s IceCaps (Jason Gregoire, Jake Marto) lead the Syracuse Crunch (Matt Smaby) two games to one in their first round series. None of the former Sioux have played during the series.

Recruit Updates:

• Paul LaDue (1G, 1A in three games) and Luke Johnson (0G, 0A in three  games) of the Lincoln Stars have a two game to one lead in their USHL second round playoff series against the Fargo Force and Zane Gothberg (1.57 GAA, .943 Sv % in five games) & Bryn Chyzyk (0G, 1A in five games). Gothberg’s postseason 1.57 GAA and .943 Sv % lead all USHL goaltenders. The Force will try to extend the series to a fifth and deciding game when the two teams meet for game four Friday night in Fargo.
• Jordan Schmaltz and the Green Bay Gamblers have advanced to the USHL’s Eastern Conference Finals (vs. Indiana) after knocking off Youngstown three games to one. Schmaltz has one goal, two assists, and a +6 rating through four playoff games. His +6 rating during the playoffs leads all defensemen.
• Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit saw their run to the RBC Cup fall one victory short as they fell to the Soo Thunderbirds in the championship game of the Dudley Hewitt Cup. Caggiula finished the tournament with two goals and three assists in five games.

Friday Morning Coffee

A handful of stories for your Friday morning...

• Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol signed a six year contract yesterday to remain at UND through 2018. Brad Schlossman got in touch with CBS Sports Network's college hockey analyst Dave Starman to get his thoughts on Hakstol and the UND program.
• Travis Zajac (1G, 1A) was instrumental in the New Jersey Devils evening their series with Florida at two games apiece last night, but it was captain Zach Parise (1G) who provided the tonic to the Devils' hangover following Tuesday night's squandered opportunity. Earlier in the week, the Zajacs were dubbed as Manitoba's First Family of Hockey, while Parise is featured in the NHL's "Beacuse It's The Cup" series:

• The Chicago Blackhawks fell into a 3-1 hole last night as they suffered their third overtime loss of the series to Dave Tippett's Phoenix Coyotes. It will be tough sledding, but don't count the 'Hawks out, particularly with Captain Consistency Jonathan Toews leading the way. Last season they stretched eventual Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver to an overtime game seven after trailing the series three games to none, and expect Toews to continue to get better for as long as Chicago can prolong this series. On a sidenote, the Blackhawks' penchant for overtime action made some NHL history last night.
• Matt Watkins was called up by Phoenix Wednesday while Brett Hextall was part of a massive recall yesterday. Portland, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, did not qualify for the playoffs, making those Pirate players with NHL deals available for an NHL call-up. Phoenix also has several players battling injuries, while forward Raffi Torres is facing what could be a lengthy suspension. 
• Drew Stafford and the Buffalo Sabres had a disappointing season amid high expectations, but Stafford says he will continue working hard to find the consistency that will help get the Sabres back into the playoffs.
• The AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs kicked off last night, and Matt Frattin scored a goal in helping the Toronto Marlies defeat the Rochester Americans (Joe Finley, Corey Fienhage) 4-3. According to this game story from the Rochester Democrat and Journal, Frattin earned the game's 3rd Star. In other action, the Oklahoma City Barons (Chris VandeVelde, Taylor Chorney) defeated the Houston Aeros (Chay Genoway) while Connecticut upended the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Brock Nelson).
• Adam Calder and the Slough Jets won the English Premier League's playoff championship over the weekend. Here you will find a story from the championship game.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit sit in first place following round robin play at the Dudley Hewitt Cup, thus earning themselves a bye into Saturday's championship game. With a win Saturday, they would advance to the RBC Cup playoffs, which determine Canada's Junior A national champion. Caggiula, who has four points (1G, 3A) in three tournament games, was featured in this article after earning OJHL Playoff MVP honors.
• Sioux recruits Zane Gothberg and Bryn Chyzyk helped the Fargo Force advance to the second round of the USHL's Clark Cup Playoffs with a two-game sweep of Sioux City earlier this week. Gothberg posted a 0.98 GAA and .964 Save Percentage while Chyzyk pitched in with an assist. The Force begin the second round of the playoffs tonight against Lincoln, which features recruits Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson, while Jordan Schmaltz and Green Bay begin their series with Youngstown Saturday. Team USA (Miles Koules and Keaton Thompson) and Cedar Rapids (Jack Rowe) were eliminated from the playoffs following first round defeats.

Friday Morning Post

Here are a few quick links for your Friday morning:

• Ben Blood has a couple of games under his belt with the AHL's Binghamton Senators, and he recently had some glowing remarks concerning why he chose to utilize all four years of his collegiate eligibility at North Dakota (click on the excerpt for the full article):

"There's a number of reasons," Blood said as to why he stayed in school. "One, to get an education. Two, because North Dakota is such a special place. There's nothing like playing in Ralph Engelstad Arena. We have a coaching staff that's second to none there, and they certainly know what they're doing when it comes to developing hockey players and moving them on to the next level."

• Jonathan Toews returned to Chicago's lineup last night for game one of their opening round playoff series against Phoenix. After missing over a quarter of the season due to a concussion, the Blackhawk captain quickly registered a goal and later added an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to Dave Tippett's Coyotes.
• A united New Jersey team opens its postseason tonight, and centerman Travis Zajac's return to full health makes the Devils a stronger playoff team. Zach Parise has delivered in his first year as team captain, but he knows legacies are defined by postseason success. And should the Devils make a deep postseason run, will that help ensure Parise's future in New Jersey?
• Matt Frattin has rejoined the Toronto Marlies for their AHL playoff run, but according to Mike Brophy, the Maple Leaf rookie graded out nicely during his first full professional season.  
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit are one win away from winning the Buckland Trophy as Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff champions. They lead their series against Whitby 3-2, with game 6 scheduled to take place tonight. Caggiula leads the OJHL in playoff scoring with 34 points (16G, 18A) in 22 games, including a three goal, one assist performance in Wednesday's 7-1 victory. Whitby's Devin Shore is currently second in playoff scoring, and he and Caggiula are lifelong friends turned current foes.
• Sioux recruit Chris Wilkie has accepted an invitation to join the USA Hockey NTDP Under-17 team next season. Wilkie spent this past season with the Omaha AAA U-16 Lancers, where he led the NAPHL in scoring during both the regular season and postseason. He was also recently named to the All-NAPHL 1st Team and All-Academic Team. 
• Recruits Nick Schmaltz and Brendan Lemieux were both selected in the 4th round of the Ontario Hockey League's Priority Selection last Saturday. Both players have committed to playing with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers next season, but Schmaltz is at least keeping Windsor in his thoughts, and the Spitfires would surely love to lure Nick and older brother Jordan away from their USHL/NCAA commitments. Gambler head coach Derek Lalonde, however, feels that first round talents such as Schmaltz and Lemieux being selected in the fourth round is an indication they will both be in Green Bay this fall.
• Recruits Jordan Schmaltz (#34), Drake Caggiula (#185), and Miles Koules (#201) all found their way into the NHL Central Scouting's 2012 NHL Draft Final Rankings.
• A number of Sioux recruits will be in Fargo Saturday night when the Lincoln Stars head to Scheels Arena to take on the Fargo Force on the final day of the USHL regular season. Bryn Chyzyk and Zane Gothberg (Fargo) & Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson (Lincoln) have all committed to attending North Dakota.
• Gothberg is making a very strong case to be named the USHL's Goaltender of the Year. He currently leads the league in shutouts (seven), Goals Against Average (2.20), and Save Percentage (.922). 
• And for what it's worth, Boston College's Chris Kreider recently signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers. It's been 25 years since anyone has won the NCAA championship and played in the NHL playoffs during the same season. The last to do it? North Dakota's Tony Hrkac. You can read about that in this article.

Sunday Afternoon Post, Part 2

And serving number two:

• Danny Kristo's play this season has reminded Montreal Canadien fans of why the team selected him with the 56th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Kristo and Mark MacMillan were also part of The Montreal Gazette's look at the Canadien prospects participating in the NCAA Tournament.
• Former Sioux All-American John Marks says his current job as head coach of the USHL's Fargo Force is the best gig he's had in awhile.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg posted his USHL-leading sixth shutout of the season Friday night as the Fargo Force beat Des Moines 2-0. He is also second in the league in GAA (2.29) and Save Percentage (.919), and he had been riding a scoreless streak that ended at 154:49 when Des Moines scored a first period goal last night in a 4-2 Force win.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit continue their strong run in the OJHL playoffs. They've won their first two series, and currently lead Georgetown 2-1 in the Northwest Conference Finals, with game four of the the best-of-7 series scheduled for tonight. Individually, Caggiula has had very nice postseason thus far, ranking third among OJHL playoff scorers with 20 points (9G, 11A) in 13 games.
• Adam Tambellini was recently named the Vernon Vipers' Rookie of the Year. The Sioux recruit finished the BCHL season as the Vipers' third leading scorer, averaging more than a point-per-game with 56 points (27G, 29A) in 55 contests. Tambellini and fellow North Dakota recruit Geoff Crisfield are part of a strong core expected to return to Vernon next season.
• Defenseman recruit and potential first-round 2012 NHL Draft pick Jordan Schmaltz was recently profiled by The Hockey Writers, who had a lot of nice things to say about the current Green Bay Gambler.
• Recruit Chris Wilkie was an invitee of the 2012 US National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp, which took place in Ann Arbor, MI last week. The evaluation camp is a major part of the process of building the USA Hockey Under-17 team roster. Results and reports from the evaluation camp will be passed along as they become available.

Here are a few links that have recently trickled in related to items covered in the post from earlier today:

• Travis Zajac says he is excited to be making his return to the New Jersey lineup.
• Jonathan Toews says his recovery from a concussion is "probably the most frustrating thing" he's had to go through.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned a pair of forwards to their AHL affiliate today, likely signaling a return to the lineup for Matt Frattin Tuesday night when the Leafs take on Carolina.
• Chris VandeVelde made his NHL season debut this afternoon, and in the midst of Edmonton's five-goal, second period onslaught, he scored his first career NHL goal. He is the 16th former Sioux to play for an NHL club this season. Here's the goal:

Wednesday Evening Post

It is time to disperse some links prior to hitting the Road to the Final Five:

• Fighting Sioux associate head coach Cary Eades was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame last weekend during the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament. It's a very high honor for the former three-time state champion head coach of the Warroad Warriors, and congratulations are in order.
• Inside College Hockey recently named Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol its WCHA Coach of the Year in its year end awards. Brock Nelson was also named the WCHA Breakthrough Player of the Year.
• According to one blog, Corban Knight and Rocco Grimaldi are among the Florida Panthers top prospects.
• Jocelyne Lamoureux was named one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is awarded annually to the top player in women's college hockey. The winner will be announced this weekend during the Frozen Four in Duluth.
• Brad Schlossman's Weekly Wednesday Update is full of good stuff today.
• Travis Zajac has been cleared to resume hard skating, and New Jersey Devil GM Lou Lamoriello says their top centerman should return sooner rather than later.
• The Hockey News recently conducted a poll of NHL players in order to determine the league's Top 50 players. Zach Parise came in at #29 (too low in my opinion, should be in the top 15) while Jonathan Toews is ranked #5. 
• Toews remains sidelined with concussion symptoms as he's learning to cope with the complexity of his head injury. There is a possibility that he could return by the weekend, but if there is any certainty when it comes to dealing with concussions, it is that there are no certainties.
• As for Parise, he recently moved into eighth place on New Jersey's all-time scoring list by registering his 400th career point, while there is more speculation that he could return home to Minnesota should he become a free agent this summer.
• Mike Commodore is looking to revitalize his career in Tampa Bay, and he says he likes Florida so much that if Tampa Bay does not re-sign him this offseason, he might just stick around anyway.
• Commodore's new Lightning teammate, Brian Lee, is also making an impact for the Bolts.
• Matt Greene and a few of his Los Angeles King teammates discuss some of the more common hockey player problems.
• TJ Oshie has taken over St. Louis' team scoring lead, and he looks to be due a nice pay raise this offseason.
• ESPN recently ran an outstanding feature on Phoenix Coyote head coach Dave Tippett and his unique situation out in the desert. Tippett currently sits on 398 career victories.
• Hockey Wilderness says Chay Genoway is the Houston Aero that has shown the most improvement over the course of the season.
• The Edmonton Oilers' Future Watch recently profiled Chris VandeVelde.
• Kyle Radke of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL) was recently placed on season-ending Injured Reserve.
• Fighting Sioux recruit Chris Wilkie was invited to USA Hockey's NTDP tryout camp.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) tied their Divisional Final playoff series with Newmarket at two games apiece tonight. Caggiula has been outstanding in the postseason, registering 14 points (5G, 9A) in seven playoff games. He has had multiple points in six of the seven games.
• Being the Final Five is upon us, we'll leave you with a nice little interview of final Five superstar and current Bakersfield Condor (ECHL) Evan Trupp:

Monday Evening Post

It's been about a week and a half since the last Sioux hockey update, so some of these items are a bit dated. Nonetheless...

• The NHL trade deadline came and went today without any blockbuster transactions taking place, but two former Sioux defensemen were involved in deals that have them packing their bags for The Sunshine State. The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Brian Lee from the Ottawa Senators for former Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy. It's interesting to note that since December 30th Ottawa was 12-0-1 with Lee in the lineup, and just 4-8-2 when he sat out. Tampa Bay also picked up defenseman Mike Commodore from Detroit for a seventh round draft pick. Commodore appeared in just 17 games this season for the Red Wings, so the trade could prove to be the best scenario for him. He wishes things would have worked out in Detroit, but at the same time he's looking forward to the opportunity in Tampa Bay.
• Matt Frattin was recently called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and head coach Ron Wilson thinks the former Sioux star is a good fit for the second line.
• Late last week New Jersey Devils' center Travis Zajac resumed light skating as he continues to work towards a return from his nagging Achilles tendon injury. He was back on the ice this morning, but there is no timetable set for his potential return.
• Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews has missed his last handful of games due to an upper-body injury. He was also involved in a single car accident last week, but he reportedly suffered no injuries as a result of the crash.
• The results of the 2011-12 Hockey Night in Canada/National Hockey League Player's Association Player Poll were recently released and former Sioux Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, and Dave Tippett all garnered some attention.
• Matt Watkins was recently called up by the Phoenix Coyotes. He became the 15th former Sioux to skate in the NHL this season when he made his big league debut last Tuesday against Los Angeles. The Coyotes, of course, are coached by former Sioux Dave Tippett and he has his squad on a heck of a roll. Phoenix has not lost a game in regulation during the month of February and in one month's time they've climbed from 12th place in the Western Conference to sitting atop the Pacific Division.
• Former North Dakota defenseman Aaron Schneekloth recently recorded his 300th career point as a member of the ECHL's Colorado Eagles. Schneekloth has been particularly hot during the month of February. He's played 12 games this month and has produced multiple point efforts in nine of them. During that span he has registered 19 points (6G, 13A) as he continues to lead the league's defensemen in both goals and assists. His 52 points (18G, 34A) are also 12 more than any other defenseman in the league. His Colorado teammate Michael Forney has also been putting up some nice numbers as of late. The former Sioux forward has 15 points (7G, 8A) in his last 11 games, including a five point effort Friday night in which he put up a hat trick and two assists.
• Jason Gregoire has been out of the St. John's IceCaps' lineup recently due to a shoulder injury, but that didn't prevent the St. John's Telegram from getting to know him.
• Concordia University of Wisconsin has parted ways with men's hockey coach Tony Hrkac.
• Fighting Sioux junior center Corban Knight was named last week's WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after his strong performance against Michigan Tech.
• With UND's Connor Gaarder and others making their marks on the college hockey landscape, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is starting to get noticed as a pipeline to the NCAA.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula has had multi-point efforts in all three of Stouffville's (OJHL) Divisional Semifinal games. Caggiula has four goals and two assists as the Spirit leads Aurora 2-1 in their best of seven series.

Super Sunday Evening Post

• Dillon Simpson recently came in at #17 on Copper and Blue's list of the top 25 Edmonton Oiler prospects under the age of 25. Simpson was drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round (92nd overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. 
• The latest Sioux recruits, Adam Tambellini and Bryn Chyzyk, had big weekends on the ice. Chyzyk recorded one goal and three assists to help the Fargo Force (USHL) earn three out of four league points, while Tambellini produced two goals and three assists in two Vernon Viper (BCHL) wins. Tambellini was also the subject of a Dan Sallows profile, who had a number of nice things to say about the Viper forward, including, "Fighting Sioux fans are in for a treat come the 2013-2014 season, because the kid is going to be an absolute stud." Here is a nice highlight/interview video of Tambellini:

• Recruit Drake Caggiula returned from injury Thursday night and had two goals and an assist in three weekend games that saw his Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) take four out of a possible six points.
• The Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman wrote a column for today's paper that examines the possible solutions to the NCAA losing committed recruits to the CHL.
• Matt Frattin scored two goals last night in the Toronto Marlies' 5-2 win over Abbotsford. Last season's NCAA goal scoring leader now has five goals in his last five games.
• Zach Parise had a goal and an assist today to extend his point streak to five games (5G, 2A) as New Jersey defeated Pittsburgh 5-2. The Devils have now won four straight and are well within striking distance of a top four finish in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, The Minneapolis Star Tribune offers up their take on the scenarios that could lead to Parise playing for the Wild. Another feature on New Jersey's captain cuts right to the chase: He just wants to win.
• Jonathan Toews is currently second in the NHL in Faceoff Percentage, trailing former Wisconsin Badger and current San Jose Shark Joe Pavelski by just 0.5%. He's also taken over the league lead in Takeaways, and it's how well he does the little things all over the ice that make him one of the best all-around players in the world. He's also advanced to the final round of Real GM's Be the GM contest, where he is matched up against Sidney Crosby. So go ahead and cast your vote.
• Brandon Bochenski continues to have a superb year for Barys Astana (KHL). The former Sioux All-American currently leads the league in goals with 23 and is tied for third in points with 52 (23G, 29A). While he is tempted to take another shot at sticking with an NHL team, he has found himself a comfortable life overseas.
• Kyle Radke continues to be sidelined by injury for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL).
• The Dallas Stars inducted former Sioux goaltender Ed Belfour into their Walk of Fame last night, and the Dallas crowd welcomed him with the classic "Eddie! Eddie!" chant. Here's a video of the pregame ceremony:

• Belfour says he is enjoying the retired life, but doesn't rule out the possibility of returning to the game as a coach.
• For those of you who read Swedish, Lee Goren recently stated he'd like to stay in Sweden to finish up his career. For those of you as fluent in Swedish as I, here's the article text translated via Google Translate and then edited by yours truly:

Goren Would Like To End His Career in Sweden
Kana Dicken talks to Lee Goren about playing time, his thoughts on the sport, and what the rest of his career holds.

     He had to skip practice on Wednesday, but expect Lee Goren, who would happily play out the remainder of his career with Skellefteå, to be on the ice tonight. After all, the more playing time he gets, the better. He logged a significant amount of ice time against Färjestad, 22:56 to be exact, so it's no wonder that Goren was not on the ice Wednesday.

     "It was Anders (Forsberg) who told me that I was cycling today. And I couldn't argue," says a smiling Goren. "There has nevertheless been a lot of minutes on the ice recently." But does he enjoy it that way? "Absolutely. All players want to play as much as possible. They want to be involved and contribute, make a difference on the ice."

     And it's not just playing time that drives Goren. The Tunge forward radiates energy off the ice. He simply likes the hockey life. "It has reached a certain point, where you are getting a little bit older and you realize that you need to enjoy it. You have no idea how many years you have left as a hockey player. Plus, there's a good group of guys here and a good team of leaders that I enjoy."

     Goren has also enjoyed some of his better seasons with Skellefteå, including this season, as he is not far off from matching his career-best numbers. "I feel really good here. Last time I left Skellefteå was to win a championship, and I did. Now I have come back to win one here." And the Canadian definitely wants to stay in Skelleftea for additional seasons. "This is where I want to finish my career," he observes. "I feel I have a few more years to play."

     Have you started to talk with Skelleftea about your future plans? "I don't know what my agent has done. But the team knows that I want to come back for another season, so it's up to them."

     But let's not jump the gun just yet, as it is time to think about tonight's game against Stockholm.
"They are difficult to play against and they have a really good goalie. It becomes even more challenging for us now that we are the league leaders, we are always the team to beat. It is important that we are ready to play."

Wednesday Evening Post

• On the Fighting Sioux injury front, Brendan O'Donnell is out for this weekend's series against Wisconsin, while Derek Forbort is listed as questionable. O'Donnell suffered his upper-body injury against Minnesota, while Forbort is still ailing from an injury he sustained at the World Junior Championships.
• The first-ever NHL/USHL Top Prospects Game took place yesterday in Muskegon, MI. Team East defeated Team West by a score of 5-3 with over 100 NHL scouts in attendance. Sioux recruit Luke Johnson, one of just three 2013 draft-eligible prospects invited to participate, recorded two assists for Team West, while fellow Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz played for Team East.
• For the second consecutive week, Fargo Force goalkeeper Zane Gothberg was named the USHL Goaltender of the Week after helping the Force pick up three wins, including his third shutout of the season. He has been in net for the duration of Fargo's current nine game win streak, having posted a .943 save percentage and 1.43 GAA during that span. For the season, Gothberg leads USHL netminders in shutouts (3), is second in GAA (2.34) and save percentage (.918) and is third in wins (15).
• Reel Hockey Scouting has compiled scouting reports for future Sioux defensemen Charlie Pelnik and Jordan Schmaltz. The reports are rather unique in that they feature complete game iso videos of each player. Charlie Pelnik Scouting Report and Jordan Schmaltz Scouting Report
• Recruit Drake Caggiula, who was nicked up and had to sit out a couple games last weekend, is expected to be back in the Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) lineup this week. Caggiula has recorded 27 points (8G, 19A) in 19 games for the second place Spirit.
• David Toews has been placed on the Toledo Walleye's (ECHL) IR list with concussion symptoms.
• With the NHL All-Star break upon us, a few former Sioux have been reassigned to their AHL squads. Joe Finley (Buffalo Sabres) was assigned to Rochester, Taylor Chorney (Edmonton Oilers) to Oklahoma City, and Chris Porter (St. Louis Blues) was sent to Peoria. Porter's stint is officially a two game conditioning assignment, meaning he does not need to clear waivers in order to rejoin the Blues.
• Mike Commodore was on 590 The Fan's Brady and Lang in the Morning Show, and he discussed what it's been like to play for the Red Wings after coming over from the Columbus Blue Jackets. And while it wasn't discussed on the radio show, Commodore did Tweet his thoughts on the newest Detroit Tiger, Prince Fielder: "Cheli's Chili might want to change those glass windows to plexiglass before opening day. They might be within Fielder's range." Well, Google Earth says Chris Chelios' restaurant is 735 feet from home plate at Comerica Park, so he may not be that far off.
• A feature published by The Hockey Writers asks whether the New Jersey Devils should trade Zach Parise.
• Jonathan Toews was placed on IR yesterday, enabling Chicago to call up an extra player from Rockford, their AHL affiliate. Toews also will not be participating in the All-Star Game as he looks to recover from the wrist injury that forced him to miss Tuesday's game against Nashville. Due to the long All-Star break, the IR assignment will not force Toews to miss any additional action if he is ready to go once the NHL resumes regular season play.
• A Los Angeles Kings blog says the play of assistant captain Matt Greene is often overlooked.

Monday Evening Post

• As a result of Saturday night's handshake altercation, UND defenseman Ben Blood has been stripped of his assistant captaincy, and head coach Dave Hakstol said the possibility remains that additional disciplinary measures could be handed out. Blood said he "understands and respects the punishment." Corban Knight and Andrew MacWilliam will continue to serve as North Dakota's assistant captains. Danny Kristo, meanwhile, apologized for his Friday night actions via Twitter.
• In another blow to UND's depth, freshman forward Brendan O'Donnell's upper-body injury appears to be significant and he will be re-evaluated within the next couple of days. Michael Parks was also injured in last weekend's series against Minnesota and will be evaluated later this week. Derek Rodwell is already out for the season, Rocco Grimaldi and Derek Forbort were held out of the lineup last weekend, while Corban Knight and Mario Lamoureux played despite being banged-up.
• Freshman Connor Gaarder was recently featured in this UND Sports Profile:

• Recruit Zane Gothberg was named the USHL's Goaltender of the Week for his stellar play with the Fargo Force over the weekend. Gothberg won both of his starts and is currently riding a 6-0-0 streak during which he has posted a 1.65 GAA and .937 Save %. 
• In more USHL news, the league announced today that its Top Prospects Game will be webcast live and free on Fast Hockey. Sioux recruits Jordan Schmaltz and Luke Johnson are scheduled to participate in the event that takes place January 24 in Muskegon, MI.
• After notching two assists in Friday's 5-3 win over Chicago, Jordan Schmaltz sat out Green Bay's Saturday game due to the flu, while Stouffville Spirit forward Drake Caggiula suffered a lower-body injury in yesterday's contest and is listed as day-to-day.

Nick Schmaltz Battles Against Canada's Eric Cornel - Getty Images

• Recruit Nick Schmaltz (above) and Team USA had the day off today following yesterday's 5-1 loss to Canada at the Youth Olympic Games. The loss dropped the Americans to 1-1-0 in preliminary play, which they will wrap up by taking on Finland tomorrow and Russia on Wednesday. Schmaltz has two assists thus far during the tournament.
• Anaheim Duck forward Jason Blake continues to impress since returning from his lacerated wrist tendon injury, scoring twice and adding an assist in last night's 4-2 win over Vancouver. Blake has been playing on the Ducks' third as he works his way back into game condition, and last night that line gave the Canucks fits.
• Jonathan Toews had a strong weekend, helping Chicago earn three out of a possible four points. He had a goal in Saturday's OT loss to Detroit, while his goal and assist led the Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over San Jose last night. 
• Battling it out with Chicago and Detroit for Central Division supremecy is resurgent St. Louis, and Blues' star TJ Oshie's career-best year is a big reason why.
• Matt Greene scored the game-winning goal Saturday night in the Los Angeles Kings' 4-1 victory over Calgary. It was the third goal of the season for the big defenseman, who had never scored more than two in a season prior to Saturday. The Mayor's Manor touched on Greene's accomplishment in its The Good, The Bad, and The Something feature.
• Zach Parise could become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and that prospect already has a number of teams drooling over the New Jersey star. One of the things that makes Parise such a coveted player is his ability to play in all situations, and those abilities have been on full display this season as he and the Devils have been the league's best penalty killers. New Jersey is the only team in the league with a kill percentage greater than 90%, and both Parise and Devils' rookie Adam Henrique have more shorthanded points than they do on the power play.
• Joe Finley received his third call up of the season when Buffalo summoned the big blue liner for Saturday's tilt with the New York Islanders. The Sabres dropped a 4-2 decision.
• Former Sioux All-American Brandon Bochenski was recently named to the KHL All-Star Game. He will play for the East All-Stars, whose forward group also includes one of the all-time great Russians in Sergei Federov, along with recent World Junior Championship standout Evgeny Kuznetsov. Bochenski currently plays for Barys Astana, for whom he has recorded 40 points (18G, 22A) in 36 games.
• Former Sioux goaltender Anthony Grieco and HC Asiago recently wrapped up play in the 2012 Continental Cup Super Finals in Rouen, France. Asiago had a rough go of it, dropping all three of its Super Finals contests, including both of Grieco's starts.

NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Prospect Rankings

The NHL's Central Scouting Service released its mid-term rankings today and several Sioux recruits made the cut among North American skaters:

#35 - Jordan Schmaltz
#151 - Miles Koules
#197 - Drake Caggiula

The recently de-committed Stefan Matteau came in at #13.

International and All-Star Tournament Updates

There are several international/all-star competitions that are either ongoing or have recently wrapped up. Here's a quick rundown of those events:

• Yesterday afternoon Team USA again ran into some hot goaltending at the World Junior Championship and moved to 1-2-0 for the tournament after getting dropped by the Czech Republic 5-2. UND sophomore defenseman Derek Forbort was injured after being checked into the boards by a Czech player and was unable to return to action after heading to the locker room. Opportunistic opponents, average goaltending, lack of offensive execution, and stellar play by opposing netminders have all spelled doom for what America thought might be another golden WJC experience. Tonight's matchup with Canada was supposed to be the biggest preliminary round game of the event but instead the Americans will be playing for pride as they are headed for next week's relegation round. Forbort will not dress for tonight's game against Canada, which is set to begin at 7:00 PM CST.
• Robbie Bina's EHC Wolfsburg squad was eliminated from the Spengler Cup yesterday after losing to to Dinamo Riga 4-1 in the tournament semifinals. The host team, HC Davos, claimed the tournament championship earlier today by defeating Dinamo Riga 3-2. 
• Team USA dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to Russia yesterday in preliminary round play at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Windsor, Ontario. Team USA, whose record is now 1-1-0, has today off before returning to action tomorrow at 6:00 CST against Canada West. Keaton Thompson has one assist and Luke Voltin is pointless thru the first two games, and if you care to watch these Sioux recruits and their Team USA teammates, all tournament games are being streamed live at Fast Hockey. You need to register in order to log-in, but the games cost nothing to watch.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the OJHL North All-Stars came up just short in the Central Canada Cup Challenge. The Quebec League All-Stars won the tournament with Thursday night's 5-1 victory over OJHL North, with Caggiula notching his team's only goal. For the tournament Caggiula had three points (2G, 1A) in five games and converted both of his shootout attempts, including the semifinal game winner. In OJHL regular season play, he entered the holiday break on a five game point streak that saw him put up nine points (4G, 5A) in helping the Stouffville Spirit to a 4-0-1 record.
• On the women's side, two Sioux recruits are taking part in the 2012 Women's Under-18 Championship. Samantha LaShomb is representing Team USA, which opened their tournament with an 8-0 victory over Russia this morning, while Meghan Dufault and Team Canada hammered Switzerland 13-1. Team USA has won three of the last four gold medals in this event, and the Americans and Canadians have met for the gold all four years. Team USA and Canada each resume play tomorrow at Noon CST, with the US taking on Sweden and Canada facing Germany.

Post Holiday Break Update, Part 1

Following the holiday break and a pleasant road trip to western North Dakota, the blog is now back to active status. There's been a decent amount of noteworthy activity in the land of Sioux hockey, and we'll look to tackle it all over the course of the next several days. There are a few recruit profiles left to complete, there are two significant international tournaments going on, and with a big nonconference series coming up against Harvard, the posting should become pretty regular during the next week or so. Hopefully everyone had a great holiday season, and here's the first round of updates and links:

• Derrick LaPoint scored his first professional goal last Friday in the Reading Royals' (ECHL) 6-4 victory over Greenville. LaPoint currently has five points (1G, 4A) in 24 games with Reading. He's also played in five AHL games this season-four with the Syracuse Crunch and one with the Peoria Rivermen.
• Brady Murray recently returned from injury to make his season debut with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League. He has registered seven points (3G, 4A) in eight games and recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Lugano through the 2013/14 season with an option for an additional year.
• Michael Forney of the Colorado Eagles has been as hot as anyone in the ECHL lately, recently being named the league's Player of the Week. Forney produced six points (3G, 3A) and was a +7 in helping the Eagles to a 3-0 record over the course of the week. He is currently riding a nine game point streak during which he has recorded 14 points (8G, 6A) to go along with a +11 rating. For the season Forney has 27 points (12G, 15A) and a +9. Also helping Colorado earn at least one point in 11 of its last 12 games has been Aaron Schneekloth, who leads all ECHL defensemen with 28 points (11G, 17A) in 30 games. Jake Marto, meanwhile, has rejoined Colorado after a 12 game run with St. John's (AHL).
• The 2011 Spengler Cup, one of the oldest invitation-only hockey tournaments in the world, is currently taking place in Davos, Switzerland. Former Sioux defenseman Robbie Bina is taking part with his EHC Wolfsburg (Germany Tier I) squad, and earlier today they eliminated Team Canada 3-2 (SO) to advance to the semifinals. Travis Roche was originally chosen to participate for Team Canada, but was forced to back out due to injury.
• Derek Forbort is currently in Alberta representing Team USA in the 2012 World Junior Championships. In their tournament opener Team USA trounced Denmark 11-3, with Forbort notching two assists. The Americans were upset 4-1 Wednesday afternoon by an offensively gifted Finland team, despite outshooting the Fins 38-24. Team USA has an off day today before concluding preliminary round play against the Czech Republic Friday (2:30 CST) and Canada Saturday (7:00 CST).
• Recruits Luke Voltin and Keaton Thompson will be taking part in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge beginning today in Windsor, Ontario. The United States of Hockey put together a very nice preview of Team USA, including brief scouting reports of all players. Team USA kicks off their tournament today at 6:00 CST, and all games can be viewed live over the internet at Fast Hockey. This has become a high-profile showcase event for players still two to three years out of their draft year, and among those taking part will be highly-regarded prospects Nathan MacKinnon and Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad is just the second player ever to be granted exceptional player status by the OHL (John Tavares was the first), which allowed him to play in the league at the age of 15.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula is currently participating in the Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Smith Falls, Ontario. The tournament, which consists of all-star teams from several Canadian junior A leagues, concludes tonight at 6:00 CST when Caggiula and his OJHL North teammates take on Quebec for the tournament championship. Caggiula has a goal and an assist in four tournament games. He's also gone two-for-two in shootouts, including the game winner in the semifinal game earlier today. The game can be viewed live via Neulion.