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.

UND Recruits in USHL Summer Camps

A number of USHL tryout camps have already taken place this summer, and a few North Dakota recruits have been involved:

• Lincoln Star veterans Luke Johnson and Paul LaDue both particpated in the Stars' Minneapolis tryout camp a couple of weekends ago. The Black and Blue blog covered the event about as thoroughly as possible, posting an array of previews, individual game recaps, and camp reviews. Check it out for some detailed information. The Western College Hockey Blog also posted this camp review.
• Luke Voltin had a solid Des Moines Buccaneers tryout camp last weekend, highlighted by a two goal and one assist performance in the Saturday All-Star game.
• Brendan Lemieux took part in this week's Green Bay Gambler tryout camp, recording a goal and an assist in Wednesday's All-Star game. The Green Bay Press-Gazette ran a feature on Lemieux, who will play a significant role for the Gamblers this coming season. Lemieux's fellow NoDak recruit Nick Schmaltz was not at camp.
• While UND recruit Charlie Pelnik (injury) did not take part in the Fargo Force tryout camp held three weeks ago, potential North Dakota recruit Mason Morelli did. Morelli's UND lineage is strong as both his father and grandfather are former Sioux, and the Western College Hockey Blog analyzed the Minot youngster's situation in its Force tryout camp review.
• The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders held their tryout camp a couple of weeks ago, but UND recruit Jack Rowe did not participate due to injury. Rowe has had a tough run of luck healthwise as he was injured at both the start and end of last season, so a healthy 2012-13 will be instrumental in preparing him for his arrival at North Dakota.

Monday Evening Post

• North Dakota received a verbal commitment from Fargo Force forward Bryn Chyzyk today. Chyzyk, who visited UND last Friday during the Wisconsin series, chose North Dakota over future NCHC foes Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth, and Western Michigan. Northern Michigan was also said to be in the mix for a player who has burst onto the USHL scene this season. Chyzyk is currently the second leading scorer for Fargo with 31 points (20G, 11A) in 37 games, and his 20 goals rank as the sixth best in the USHL. For a quick introduction to the latest North Dakota recruit, here is Chyzyk's Force in a Minute feature (CAUTION: Video contains Justin Bieber reference 1 of 2):

• Luke Johnson and Jack Rowe each had big games this past weekend in USHL action. Johnson had a three point game (1G, 2A) Friday night to help Lincoln to a 5-2 victory over Des Moines, while Rowe had a five assist night Saturday in Cedar Rapids' 6-5 shootout loss to Waterloo. Johnson now has 30 points (10G, 20A) in 32 games this season, while Rowe, after missing the first month of the season due to injury, has 14 points (2G, 12A) in 25 games. He's been playing particularly well as of late, recording 12 points (2G, 10A) and a +8 rating in his last 14 games after recording just two assists and a -5 in his first 11.
• Luke Voltin returned to the ice last weekend for the first time since leaving the USNTDP, going scoreless in two games with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Voltin was initially claimed off of USHL waivers by the Chicago Steel, who then moved the forward to Des Moines via trade.
• Jordan Schmaltz took part in an interview on The Pipeline Show last week following the NHL/USHL Top Prospects Game.
• Fighting Sioux centerman Corban Knight was recently interviewed by Litter Box Cats.  
• According to a leading Toronto Maple Leaf blog, former Sioux and current Toronto Marlie Matt Frattin is considered one of the top prospects in the Maple Leaf system. Frattin has three goals and an assist in his last four games, including a two goal performance against former linemate Brad Malone's Lake Erie Monsters last Thursday. Malone also had a goal in the 6-2 Marlie win.
• Chris Porter has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues following a two-game conditioning stint in Peoria (AHL), while Jake Marto is back with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL).
• Oilers Nation recently caught up with Oklahoma City Baron (AHL) head coach Todd Nelson in order to see how things are going for Edmonton's top farm team, and Nelson gave a glowing report on former Sioux standout Chris VandeVelde: 

Chris VandeVelde has made excellent gains this year. He's a lot better player than he was last year. He's a pretty dominant centerman at this level. And what I mean by dominant is just his play; his all-around game. If you look at his numbers, they're nothing to get all excited about, but what he does for us is he plays a very good defensive role. He does excellent penalty killing for us, and he's strong on draws. He's a big strong centerman, and he has improved drastically from last year.

• New Jersey Devils' center Travis Zajac has yet to resume skating since being shutdown earlier this month, but GM Lou Lamariello expects Zajac to be back with New Jersey at some point this season. As the article also points out, Zajac's wife gave birth to a baby boy last week, Zenon Nathan Zajac. Meanwhile, In Lou We Trust says New Jersey would be stupid to trade star winger Zach Parise.
• Jonathan Toews is expected to return to action tomorrow night in Vancouver. The All-Star Break came at a great time for the Chicago center, allowing him some extra time to recuperate from a wrist injury suffered a week and a half ago.
• ESPN's John Buccigross recently released his list of the Top 100 players in the NHL. North Dakota had two of the top 14, with Toews coming in at number two and Parise at number 14.
• Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings have been playing some very good hockey recently, but perhaps they've been overshadowed a bit by the NBA's Clippers and Lakers. The Fame Makers are looking to change that (CAUTION: Video contains Justin Bieber reference 2 of 2):

The Fame Makers with the Los Angeles Kings from Anze Kopitar

Luke Voltin To Join USHL's Chicago Steel

Recruit Luke Voltin tweeted this afternoon that he will not pursue the WHL option but will instead begin playing in the USHL as soon as he can so that he can honor his commitment to North Dakota. As Slightly Chilled's Ryan S. Clark details in this post concerning Voltin, there is a bit of an involved process for Voltin to transition from the USNTDP to another USHL team. Nothing specific has been released in terms of what led to his dismissal from the Under-17 team.

Update:
Ryan S. Clark has tweeted that Voltin will be joining the USHL's Chicago Steel.

Tuesday Evening Post

• TJ Oshie scored a dynamite goal last night to put the streaking St. Louis Blues atop the NHL's Western Conference. The play started with a face-off win deep inside their own zone, and some slick passing and great spacing gave Oshie the opportunity to receive and bury a beautiful pass from David Perron. It was going to take a special play to beat either Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak or his Stars counterpart Kari Lehtonen, and Oshie and his linemates were able to get it done and provide what turned out to be the only goal in a 1-0 thriller. The St. Louis Game Time blog calls it the Blues' Goal of the Year (So Far) and goes so far as to say that last night's win could be a turning point for the franchise. It's been quite the in-season turnaround for St. Louis. In the thirteen games with Davis Payne behind the bench, the Blues went 6-7-0. Since Payne was replaced with Ken Hitchcock, the Blues have soared to the top of the West by going 21-5-6 Oshie is currently tied for the team lead in goals with 14 and is second on the team in points with 30. Here's the goal from Monday night:

• Detroit defenseman Mike Commodore returned to the Red Wings' lineup tonight against the Dallas Stars. It's the first action for Commodore since taking a shot to his right foot Sunday, January 8.
• The emerging play of Chicago Blackhawk winger Viktor Stalberg is meshing nicely with superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
• Though the New Jersey Devils continue their strong play and are now threatening to move into the top four of the Eastern Conference, trade rumors continue to swirl around captain Zach Parise, and they will only intensify as we approach the February 27 trade deadline. In Lou We Trust speculates what it would take for other teams to land Parise, while St. Louis might have the necessary components to make Parise a Blue. The situation has the cash-strapped Devils in a bit of a tough situation as it's awfully hard to imagine that they'd deal Parise in the heat of a playoff race. On the other hand, they certainly don't want to see him walk as an unrestriceted free agent this summer. Whatever happens, it will be one of the top NHL story lines over the course of the next several months.
• Last weekend's North Dakota-Minnesota series was featured in the NY Times.
• Zane Gothberg had another outstanding game last night for the Fargo Force, posting his third shutout of the season and the second in his last five games. The reigning USHL Goaltender of the Week stopped all 27 shots he faced in leading the Force to a 4-0 win against Sioux Falls. Gothberg and the Force are riding a seven game win streak, during which time the future Sioux netminder has a 1.41 GAA and .946 Save %.
• Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist to lead Team USA to a 5-4 win over Finland in the Youth Olympic Games. The Americans, who now sit at 2-1-0, will close out preliminary round play Wednesday against Russia.
• There has been no substantiation at this point, but it is being rumored that North Dakota recruit Luke Voltin has been dismissed from the USNTDP Under-17 team. Chris Dilks of the Western College Hockey Blog first reported the news, and Voltin no longer appears on the team's official roster. He has played in 25 games with the U-17 team, producing five goals and seven assists. Updates will be posted as information is made available.

USHL Prospects Game, Rodwell Done For Season, Etc,

A quick Thursday night update:

• Sioux recruits Luke Johnson and Jordan Schmaltz were both selected to take part in the inaugural USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game January 24th in Muskegon, MI. The game will feature 40 of the USHL's top players yet to be drafted by NHL teams. Schmaltz, who started the season with Sioux City but was later traded to the Green Bay Gamblers, has 16 points (8G, 8A) in 24 games and has twice been named the league's Defensive Player of the Week. Johnson, who has 22 points (7G, 15A) in 24 games  for the Lincoln Stars, is one of only three players chosen who are not NHL Draft-eligible until 2013. As a side note, players from the USNTDP teams were not chosen to play in this showcase event.
• It was announced today that Fighting Sioux winger Derek Rodwell will miss the rest of the season in order to have surgery on his injured shoulder. He hurt the shoulder in last weekend's series against Harvard and his absence will make an already short bench even shorter as the team heads into the second half of the season. Rodwell has played in nineteen games, producing two points (1G, 1A).
• Jason Blake made his return from injury last night in the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 loss to San Jose. Blake played on a line with Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, and the heavy second line minutes caused him to "run out of gas" down the stretch.
• Matt Smaby, who is also looking to get on the ice for Anaheim, was placed on waivers today in the hope that he clears and can thus be assigned to Syracuse (AHL) for a conditioning assignment. Smaby has not played all year after suffering a torn thumb ligament in the preseason, and he says he's ready to do whatever it takes to return to action.
• Team USA was defeated by Russia 7-4 yesterday in the gold medal game of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Windsor, Ontario. Sioux recruit Keaton Thompson had an assist in the gold medal game and finished the tournament with four assists in six games. Fellow recruit Luke Voltin also played in all six tournament games and produced a goal and an assist.

Wednesday Evening Wind-down

Here are some updates from the world of Fighting Sioux hockey:

• Team USA ended play at the World Junior Championship today, defeating Switzerland 2-1 in the 7th Place game. Derek Forbort has not played since the preliminary round game against the Czech Republic, and he is doubtful to play Saturday against Clarkson. Forbort played in three games and had two assists prior to his injury.
• The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge concludes tonight, and Sioux recruits Luke Voltin and Keaton Thompson are part of the USA squad that will be playing for the gold. Team USA will be looking for payback in the rematch with Russia, which served the Americans with the only blemish on their record, a 3-2 loss in preliminary play. Gametime is 6:00 CST. For the tournament, Thompson has three assists while Voltin has a goal and an assist in five games.
• Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz, whose season is really beginning to take off with Green Bay, was named the USHL's Defensive Player of the Week yesterday. It is the second time he's received the honor this year, and the seventh time in his one and a half-year USHL career. He was also recently featured in a very nice prospect Q&A done by McKeen's Hockey.
• Sioux recruit Luke Johnson and his Lincoln teammate Jared Hanson each finished the Stars' 7-6 win (SO) over Des Moines Friday with a +5 rating. It ties the highest +/- rating in the league this season.
• For a brief, one-minute scouting report on recruit Stefan Matteau, go to the 48:55 mark of Sports Radio NY's January 1st clip.
• UND freshman forward Connor Gaarder continued his breakout season by being named the WCHA Rookie of the Week today. Gaarder had two goals and two assists in last weekend's series against Harvard, and it is the fourth consecutive regular season weekend of action that a UND player has earned weekly conference honors.
• The Fighting Sioux will have to deal with the injury bug yet again this weekend, as both Rocco Grimaldi and Derek Rodwell have been ruled out for the Clarkson game. Corban Knight and Derek Forbort are also unlikely to play, while Mario Lamoureux is questionable.
• The New Jersey Devils and Travis Zajac were prepared to deal with his comeback from an achilles tendon injury throughout the season, and they are holding him out of the lineup tonight against Boston to help him recover. Zajac's teammate Zach Parise, meanwhile, cracked a list of the Ten Best Players in Devils History.
• Because several members of the Colorado Avalanche have recently returned from injury, Brad Malone has been a healthy scratch over the past few games. They've therefore decided to send him down to Lake Erie (AHL) so he can get more playing time, but he "did plenty of good things during his stay with the Avalanche."
• Matt Greene recently had some New Year's Resolution suggestions for his teammates.
• Jason Blake, who has been itching to return to game action, will be in the lineup tonight when the Anaheim Ducks take on the San Jose Sharks. It will be the first action for Blake since October 14 when he suffered a lacerated wrist tendon when he was stepped on by Shark's defenseman Brent Burns in the third game of the season. Duck teammate Matt Smaby is also nearing his return from injury. Smaby, who has not played this season after suffering a torn thumb ligament in a preseason game, has begun practicing with the team and should be available to play soon.
• Mike Commodore said he is "starting to actually feel like a hockey player again" after appearing in several consecutive games for the Detroit Red Wings.
• Drew Stafford has been mired in a season-long slump, but he took a big step toward busting out with a one goal, two assist performance last night against Edmonton.
• Matt Frattin celebrated his birthday in style last night by producing a goal and an assist in Toronto's 7-3 win over Tampa Bay.

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.

Recruit Profile: Luke Voltin

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team:  Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2014/15
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  April 13, 1995
Hometown:  Blaine, MN
Height:  6'1"
Weight:  198
Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2013-14 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• USA Hockey: Voltin Still Happy He Chose To Play Hockey

2013-14:

• He will play for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.

2012-13:

• With the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) he produced 26 points (7G, 19A) in 60 games.
• In January he participated in the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, which featured 40 of the USHL's top NHL draft eligible players. He was a teammate of fellow UND recruits Tucker Poolman and Luke Johnson on the victorious Team West.

2011-12:

• He began the season playing for the US National Team Development Program Under-17 team prior to joining the Des Moines Buccaneers in January. He produced 12 points (5G, 7A) in 25 games with Team USA and eight points (4G, 4A) in 24 games with Des Moines.
• Was a member of Team USA's silver medal-winning entry at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded one goal and one assist in five games.
• Played on Team USA's undefeated gold medal winning team at the 2011 Under-17 Four Nations Cup and had two assists in four games.
• In June of 2011 he attended USA Hockey's Select 16 Development Camp and finished tenth in points with 7 (4G, 3A) in 5 games. The US Hockey Report ranked him as the #3 forward at camp after earning All-Star honors: From Hill-Murray (Minn.) HS; going to NTDP. Good hands. Good feet. Extremely athletic.

2010-11:

• Played 28 games for Hill-Murray (MN-HS), registering 31 points (13G, 18A) as a sophomore.
• Performed well at USA Hockey's Select 15 Development Camp during the summer of 2010, leading US Hockey Report to rank him #8 among camp forwards after tying for 9th in scoring with 8 points (4G, 4A) in 5 games: Played mostly JV at Hill-Murray last season. A lot of power and energy to his game. Can score, can finish. Well-rounded -- comes up with high marks in all areas. Good upside.

2009-10:

• As a freshman, played 6 games for Hill-Murray and produced 2 points (1G, 1A).

Running Down the Sioux Recruits

Here's the latest news in the world of Sioux recruits:

• The most recent recruit added to the fold is Drake Caggiula, a forward with the Ontario Junior Hockey League's Stouffville Spirit (I'm not positive on the pronunciation, but I've heard play-by-play announcers go with kuh-JU-lee-uh). Caggiula began this season playing four games with Des Moines (USHL) but has since moved back to Stouffville, which is where he played last season. He earned a silver medal with Canada East at the recently completed World Junior A Challenge, and since his return from the tournament, he has produced 8 points (3G, 5A) in 3 Stouffville games.
• Former Grand Forks Central defenseman Paul LaDue also recently committed to the Sioux. LaDue spent last season with the Alexandria Blizzard (NAHL) and currently plays with his cousin/fellow Sioux recruit/former GFC Knight teammate Luke Johnson and the Lincoln Stars (USHL). LaDue has produced 10 points (2G, 8A) in 15 games this season, his +10 rating leads the team, and his 10 points are sixth best among USHL defensemen. A couple weeks ago he was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week, and he hasn't wasted any time making an impact in Lincoln.
• Luke Johnson is also continuing his strong start to the USHL season. The Lincoln Star rookie ranks second on the team with 16 points (6G, 10A) in 14 games, and he is coming off a Thanksgiving weekend that saw him score two goals in three games.
• Jack Rowe of Cedar Rapids (USHL) has played in six games this season after returning from injury, but has yet to find the scoresheet as he works his way back into game shape.
• Charlie Pelnik leads Shattuck-St. Mary's U-16 defensemen with 3 goals.
• Jordan Schmaltz is feeling at home with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), where he has scored two goals in 5 games since his trade from Sioux City. He currently leads all USHL defensemen with 3 power play goals, and his 5 total goals are second best among league blueliners. His younger brother Nick has also played four games with Green Bay after beginning the year with the Chicago Mission Under-16 team. He has yet to produce any points for the Gamblers, but he does have a +2 rating.
• Luke Voltin is fifth on the USNTDP Under-17 team with 9 points (3G, 6A) in 14 games. Fellow Sioux recruit Keaton Thompson has 6 points (3G, 3A) in 14 games with the Under-17ers.
• Stefan Matteau continues to have a strong season for the Under-18 team. He leads the team with 17 points (7G, 10A) in 22 games, and his 3 PPG and 2 GWG are also tops on the team. Under-18 teammate Miles Koules, who has been working hard to develop his strength, is fifth on the team with 11 points (2G, 9A) in 22 games.
• Earlier this month a number of Sioux players/recruits were involved in an array of international tournaments. Brad Schlossman broke down the results quite nicely.
• Vernon Viper (BCHL) defenseman Geoff Crisfield has been earning solid reviews as of late for his rugged, stay-at-home defensive play. Below is an interview after he recently earned Viper Star of the Game honors (if you want to skip the game highlights, the actual interview starts at about the 1:30 mark):

Commodore to Debut Tonight, Recruit Scouting Reports, Toews Best NHL Leader, Etc.

Mike Commodore was cleared to return to game action last week after sitting out for a month while recovering from a preseason knee injury, but the big defenseman has been a healthy scratch during the recent Red Wings' swoon. That all changes tonight as Commodore will make his Red Wings regular season debut against the Calgary Flames at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. Commodore says he'll surely have some nerves, but he'll try to keep it simple. Commodore played in 18 games for the Flames from 2002-2004, and he will be the tenth Sioux hockey alumni to play in the NHL this season.

That number might grow to eleven pretty quickly, as indications are that Taylor Chorney could be in the St. Louis Blues' lineup tomorrow night against Vancouver. Since being waived by Edmonton and eventually claimed by St. Louis, Chorney has waited patiently for an opportunity to get on the ice in what he says is the longest stretch of non-injury imposed inactivity of his career.

Yesterday it was announced that recruit Nick Schmaltz will be representing Team USA at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in January. Much of the scouting and evaluation for selecting the players for the team occured at USA Hockey's summer select player development camp. US Hockey Report ranks the top performers, and here's what they had to say about the Sioux recruits that took part in this past summer's camps:

Select 15 Camp:
Forwards:
4. Nick Schmaltz (#10 Grey) 5-10/155 – 3-9-12 – Center has soft hands, sees the ice very well. Gets open, and finds the open man. He’s the brother of North Dakota recruit Jordan Schmaltz. From Verona, Wisc. and Chicago Mission U16.

Select 16 Camp: 
Forwards:
3. Luke Voltin (#15 Kelly Green) 6-1/185 – 4-3-7 -- From Hill-Murray (Minn.) HS; going to NTDP. Good hands. Good feet. Extremely athletic.

Note: Voltin's performance was ranked ahead of the likes of Hudson Fasching (#4, uncommitted), Michael McCarron (#5, Michigan St recruit), and Vinni Lettieri (#21, Minnesota recruit). Minot's Alex Schoenborn (uncommitted, potential Sioux recruit) also attended the camp:

12. Alex Schoenborn (#18 Grey) 6-1/190 – 3-2-5 -- 12/12/95 DOB from Minot HS. Lincoln first round pick. A very late ’95, but already a big strong kid.

Defensemen:
6. Keaton Thompson (#6 Red) 6-1/170 – 0-2-2 -- From Devils Lake HS. Joining NTDP. Good defensively, nice outlet passes, and judiciously picks his spots to join the rush.

13. Charlie Pelnik (#7 Forest Green) 6-4/190 – 0-0-0 -- From Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. North Dakota recruit. Quite raw, didn’t have a great week, but there’s a lot to work with here. Fargo’s top pick. Also picked by Plymouth in OHL draft.

Also, former East Grand Forks and current USNTDP U-17 defenseman Gage Ausmus (Denver recruit) was the 16th ranked blueliner.

And here are a few odds and ends:

• Hockey Futures' October College Prospects Notebook
• It's been reported that Michael Hulsizer and his investment group have signed a deal to purchase the St. Louis Blues. Hulsizer had previously shown interest in buying the NHL's redheaded stepchild franchise, the Phoenix Coyotes. Among those in Hulsizer's investment group is former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules, the father of Sioux recruit Miles Koules.
• The Hockey Writers recently examined the age old and often heated topic of the CHL vs. NCAA. While discussing the CIS (Canada's NCAA equivalent) the author states, "The talent at the CIS level is smack dab in the middle of the CHL and NCAA." I'm not sure what he meant by that, but I found it odd considering the CIS currently has just four active alumni in the NHL.
• The Hockey News recently counted the votes for its The Best of Everything in Hockey edition, and Jonathan Toews was named the league's Best Leader (click the quote for the full Best of summary article): “Jonathan Toews as the best leader, which again isn’t a shock, but it’s interesting for such a young guy to be given so much respect at that age. You’ve got some other veteran leaders like Jarome Iginla and Nicklas Lidstrom, who have been around a lot longer. But Toews obviously has that something special.” 
• The Ottawa Senators recently revealed the inspiration for their jersey numbers. Brian Lee, who wears #5 for Ottawa, wore #22 for the Fighting Sioux.

Nick Schmaltz an Elite U-16er & Other International News

There's a fair amount of international play coming up for current, future, and former Sioux. Below is a summary of those events:

• Today Sioux recruit Nick Schmaltz was named to USA Hockey's U-16 Boys' Select Team that will be participating in the 2012 (and inaugural) Winter Youth Olympic Games January 13-22 in Innsbruck, Austria. 
• Stefan Matteau, Miles Koules and their Team USA U-18 teammates will be traveling to Monthey, Switzerland to take part in the Four Nations Cup November 9-13. Team USA has not lost a game at the Four Nations since 1997.
• Keaton Thompson and Luke Voltin will head to Balashinkha, Russia with their Team USA teammates for the Under-17 Four Nations Cup November 9-13. Team USA will be looking to defend their gold medal.
• Jordan Schmaltz (Sioux City-USHL) and Zane Gothberg (Fargo-USHL) are members of the Team USA squad that will take part in the World Junior A Challenge November 7-13 in Langley, BC, Canada. Team USA is the three-time defending champion.
• Former Sioux Brandon Bochenski will take part in the Deutschland Cup November 11-13 in Munich, Germany.
• Current Sioux Rocco Grimaldi and Derek Forbort will be looking to work their way onto Team USA's World Junior Championship roster. Team USA's selection camp will take place in December, just ahead of the 2012 World Juniors, which begin December 26 and run through January 5 in Calgary and Edmonton, AB, Canada. Team USA is coached by former Sioux/current Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais, and he's assisted by former Sioux player/assistant coach and current Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin.

Week 2 Recap

Here's my Week 2 Recap of Fighting Sioux men's hockey:

North Dakota vs. Maine:
The Fighting Sioux came away from their non-conference match-up with Hockey East rival Maine with a win and a tie. The Sioux were able to escape with a 3-1 victory Friday night after Maine had been the better team most of the night. Backed by stellar goalkeeping from senior Brad Eidsness the Sioux were able to survive a slow start and a 1-0 deficit to earn the victory. Saturday also saw the Sioux fall behind early as the Black Bears went up 2-0 early in the second period, but North Dakota battled back and eventually settled for a 3-3 tie. Here are my thoughts on the Sioux-Maine weekend:

• Coming into the season, most assumed the backend would be the strength of this team, enabling a young roster to endure some growing pains as it navigates through the early portion of its schedule. That was very much the case Friday night when Brad Eidsness turned back 24 of 25 shots through the first two periods to keep the Sioux in the game despite a very slow start. He was rock solid all night, playing a great positional game, smothering shots and severely limiting opportunistic rebounds. Aaron Dell also had a strong start in net Saturday to help the team earn a tie.
• The defense, while still not playing at the level I think most of us expected, was much better this weekend. Sticks were more active, the shot blocking was better, and they did a much better job of occupying the Black Bears around the goal. 
• Andrew MacWilliam could very well be dubbed The Eraser. Anytime he's physically engaged in a one-on-one play, his strength and brute force almost always render his counterpart irrelevant. This is true both defensively and when he has the puck. And man, can he lay the wood when it comes to checking.
• Danny Kristo was an absolute blast to watch this weekend. His skating and stickhandling were scintillating, and he and Nick Mattson were outstanding on the point for the top power play unit. Not to be overlooked is the immense progress he's made defensively. He was very effective in using his speed and quickness to take away time and space. He's very quickly becoming a dominant player.
• Brock Nelson didn't fill up the stat sheet, but all weekend he was making great hockey plays that sometimes go unappreciated but often affect game outcomes.
• Corban Knight was ridiculous at the dots, winning 16 of 22 faceoffs Friday and 21 of 26 Saturday. How significant was Knight on the draw? Maine won 56% of the faceoffs Knight didn't take, but only 23% of those he did. That's crucial in terms of puck possession.
• Nick Mattson and Michael Parks were the most consistent freshman. Mattson is playing with a lot of confidence and there is no doubt he's going to be a difference maker all season. Parks continues to impress me with his motor and speed. He's always buzzing out there, usually making good things happen. Mark MacMillan also seems to be finding a bit of a comfort zone as he's been looking stronger and stronger as the young season has progressed.
• Freshman Rocco Grimaldi was out of the lineup both games. Hopefully the extra weekend will allow him to be ready to roll this coming weekend when the Sioux open conference play at Wisconsin. Colten St. Clair has yet to receive the go-ahead from the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• The Sioux moved up a spot to #5 in the USCHO poll and held steady at #6 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll. 

Sioux in the Pros:

• The Portland Pirates lost once in regulation and once in a shootout, but all three former Sioux on their roster registered a point this weekend. Brett Hextall notched an assist in Saturday's loss to Manchester, while Ryan Duncan and Matt Watkins each scored a goal in yesterday's shoot out loss in Providence.
• On Friday night the Colorado Eagles won their first regular season game as a member of the ECHL, with Michael Forney leading the way with a goal and an assist. Aaron Schneekloth assisted on the only goal as the Eagles dropped the Saturday portion of the back-to-back. Jake Marto played in both games but did not register any points.
• Chris Vande Velde had a goal and two assists in Oklahoma City's 10-1 victory over the Texas Stars.
• Anaheim Duck Jason Blake suffered a lacerated tendon Friday night against the San Jose Sharks. He is expected to be out of the line-up for three months.
• Detroit Red Wing Mike Commodore took part in his first regular season practice today, and while he's hoping to be available by Friday, he and the Wings staff are taking the patient approach.
• Drew Stafford has picked up where he left off last season. He is tied for the team lead in goals (3) and has four points in four games for the Buffalo Sabres. Watch him snipe the game winner from the faceoff circle during last Friday's victory over Pittsburgh, with one of the best play-by-play guys of all time Rick Jeannerete on the call:

Sioux Recruits:

• Luke Johnson had an assist in Lincoln's 4-1 victory over Sioux City Saturday. Johnson has now registered at least one point in all four of Lincoln's games, and he is tied for the team lead in points (5) with one goal and four assists.
• Both the USNTDP Under-17 & Under-18 teams are led in scoring by Sioux recruits. Luke Voltin is tied for the U-17 team lead (7 points) with three goals and four assists in eight games, while Stefan Matteau leads the U-18ers (6 points) with two goals and four assists in nine games. Voltin scored the only goal for the U-17ers in their 4-1 loss to Indiana (USHL) Saturday night. Matteau scored a goal and Miles Koules had an assist in the U-18ers 2-1 victory over Vermont (NCAA). Koules continued his breakthrough weekend by recording a goal and an assist in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Plattsburgh State (NCAA Div. III).
• I asked Chris Peters of the outstanding United States of Hockey blog about the USNTDP's Sioux recruits, and here's what he had to offer: "I haven’t seen Matteau play this year, yet, but I did speak to someone at the NTDP who said he looks vastly improved this season. Apparently Matteau put in some serious work over the summer and has come back in terrific shape for this season. That could be a big factor in his improvement. I haven’t seen Thompson or Koules yet this season either, but Thompson got some fair reports from the person I talked to regarding the first U17 USHL game. With his previous USHL experience, he’ll need less time to adjust than his teammates. Koules is a very gifted offensive player and sees the ice very well. He got hurt last season, which may have slowed him down a bit, but I’d expect him to be a big factor this season for the u18s."
• Zane Gothberg stopped 42 of 43 shots in a 1-0 Fargo Force loss to Omaha Saturday night, and Slightly Chilled detailed the meaning of his goalie mask artwork.

Misc. News:

• The USHL features Nick Mattson as one of its alumni to watch throughout the college season.
• Brock Nelson is #12 on the list of New York Islanders Top 25 Prospects Under 25.

Exhibition Game, Recruit News, NHL Preseason News

On the night the 2010-11 WCHA championship banner was raised to the Ralph Engelstad Arena rafters, the Fighting Sioux men's hockey team came out with guns blazing, defeating the University of Regina Cougars 8-1. Here are some of my observations from the game, for what they're worth:

• Scoring came from up and down the lineup, and several freshmen made their presence felt immediately. With Rocco Grimaldi (injury) and Colten St Clair (NCAA Clearinghouse) out of the lineup, the freshman class accounted for a goal and six assists and generally looked very solid throughout the evening. It'll be interesting to see how the lines are shuffled when everyone's available to play.
• The defense was very solid and active all night, regularly jumping into the play and tilting the ice towards the Cougar goal. Joe Gleason was very noticeable, as was freshman Nick Mattson.
• The top line of Brock Nelson-Corban Knight-Danny Kristo looked really, really good. They dictated the action anytime they stepped onto the ice. Kristo, at times, played at a level higher than anyone else out there and Nelson easily could have had a hat trick or more as he clanged a couple off the iron in addition to the two pucks he buried. Knight is just a smart, heady player that is downright fun to watch.
• Even though he didn't make it into the scoring column, freshman Mike Parks played with a motor that wouldn't quit. He's fast, he's a puckhound, and he was good on the backcheck.

Next weekend the games will begin to count in the standings as North Dakota will host the 2011 Ice Breaker Tournament. The Air Force Academy, Michigan State, and Boston College will all descend upon The Ralph for what should be a tremendous weekend of college hockey.

In Fighting Sioux recruit news:

• Luke Johnson notched an assist in his first game with the Lincoln Stars, a USHL franchise he is plenty familiar with.
• Keaton Thompson opened his USHL season this weekend, and had he not chose to play for the USNTDP Under-17 team, Thompson might otherwise have found himself on the gridiron. Fellow Sioux recruit and Under-17 teammate Luke Voltin  scored two goals and had an assist in two games over the weekend.
• Jordan Schmaltz will serve as an alternate captain for the Sioux City Musketeers.
• Stefan Matteau is off to a strong start for the USNTDP Under-18 team (the info on Matteau is about halfway down the page). Matteau, Miles Koules, and the rest of the U-18 team kick off their schedule October 3 when they take on the University of Michigan. They also travel to the University of Denver, Colorado College, and the University of Vermont before beginning USHL play.

NHL preseason news:

• Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Commodore could miss up to three weeks with a knee injury.
• The Anaheim Ducks will be without the services of Matt Smaby for 2-3 months due to a thumb injury.
• The Winnipeg Jets reassigned Jason Gregoire to the St Johns Ice Caps of the AHL. Former Sioux Jake Marto and Michael Forney are also at St Johns training camp.
• Brad Malone was reassigned from the Colorado Avalanche to the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters.