Travis Zajac's Return On Schedule, Malone Called Up, Etc.

There's been a lot of activity in the world of Fighting Sioux hockey recently. Enjoy the nuggets:

• Travis Zajac returned to practice with the New Jersey Devils Wednesday, and he appears on track to return to game action in two weeks. Zajac, who has yet to play this year due to an offseason Achilles tendon injury, said he is pain free and that his legs feel good. The Devils will surely welcome him back to the lineup with open arms as they currently hover near the .500 mark. Zajac was unable to play in his hometown of Winnipeg during the Devils' recent road trip, but teammate Zach Parise was in action against his hometown team, the Minnesota Wild. And due to Parise's impending free agency status, speculation has begun on whether Parise might return to the Twin Cities for good.
• Brad Malone had an impressive training camp this fall with the Colorado Avalanche and has been streaking for the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) as of late. This afternoon his solid play was rewarded as he was called up by the Avs. He is expected to meet the team in Edmonton Friday, where he could be making his NHL debut. If he does crack the lineup, he will be the 13th Fighting Sioux alumni to see NHL action this season.
• The most recent Fighting Sioux alum to make his NHL debut was the Buffalo Sabres' Joe Finley, who debuted last Friday. Finley has appeared in three games, going scoreless with a -1 rating. His ice time was limited in the two games he played last weekend, but Wednesday night against Philadelphia his shifts came more regularly and he played a solid game.
• Matt Frattin had what was probably his best game as a Maple Leaf this week against New Jersey, scoring a goal on a powerful drive to the net during a game in which he was a force all over the ice. He recently discussed his collegiate and Frozen Four experiences and made a radio appearance with 590 The Fan.
• Jake Marto started the year in the ECHL with the Colorado Eagles prior to being called up by St. John's (AHL). He began as the IceCaps' number 6/7 defenseman, but has since worked his way onto the team's top pairing.
• TJ Oshie continues his outstanding play. In a recent game St. Louis Blues color analyst Darren Pang named Oshie the player of the game and stated that even if Oshie hadn't scored a goal, he still would have been the best player on the ice. He's been all over the ice and has been an integral part of the Blues surge under new head coach Ken Hitchcock.
• Jonathan Toews' tremendous November recently earned him the NHL's Second Star of the Month, and it has pushed him to the forefront of the early Hart Trophy speculation. Toews, who might very well become the greatest captain in Blackhawk history, was recently named a finalist for Manitoba's Male Athlete of the Year. Steve Yzerman, one of hockey's all-time greatest captains, recently profiled Toews as a part of Chicago's 85 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Cheers series. Former Sioux goaltender and recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Ed Belfour was also featured in the series.
• David Toews, meanwhile, is making his own mark in the professional ranks. He has been a consistent presence for the ECHL's Toledo Walleye.
• Brock Nelson has been on quite a tear recently, earning back-to-back WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors. The New York Islander draft pick's productivity was recently analyzed by the Isles' statistician, while Nelson and a host of other collegians are faring well in Copper and Blue's NHL Equivalency ratings.
• Sioux recruit Drake Caggiula was named to Team North, which will compete in the Central Canada Cup Challenge.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg says he is enjoying being the Fargo Force's number one goaltender.
• One note on the Recruit Profiles: They are being posted in reverse order of the commitments, but they will also be updated as the recruits' pre-Sioux careers progress. Any individual honors, achievements, scouting reports, etc. will be added throughout their time as recruits. So if you're interested, check The Recruits page from time to time to see how things are developing for the future of Fighting Sioux hockey. Also, if anyone has additional information on any of the recruits, pass it along and I will include it in the profiles.

Recruit Profile: Luke Johnson

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Arrival at UND:  Fall 2013
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  September 19th, 1994
Hometown:  Grand Forks, ND
Height:  5' 11"
Weight:  178
Shoots:  Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Black & Blue: Commitment Story
• Hockey's Future: Johnson Has Strong Family Ties in USHL, NCAA (Jan 2013)
• NHL.com: Hockey, Family Blend Nicely For Lincoln's Johnson (Oct 2012)
• Lincoln Journal-Star: Like Old Times-Luke Johnson Playing For Team He Grew Up With
• His father, Steve, is a former Fighting Sioux 1st-Team All-American who played at North Dakota from 1984-88.
• His uncle Chad Johnson, who is currently his head coach at Lincoln, played for the Fighting Sioux from 1990-93.
• He is the cousin of fellow Sioux recruit and Lincoln Star teammate Paul LaDue.
• He was ranked as a 2013 A-List player (potential first round NHL Draft pick) by NHL Central Scouting.
• 2013 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

2012-13

• Played for the Lincoln Stars (USHL), recording 46 points (19G, 27A) and a +17 rating in 57 regular season games. He went pointless in five postseason games.
• He was named the USHL Co-Forward of the Week for Week 18.
• Ended the season ranked #96 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's 2013 Draft Prospect Rankings.
• 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 Voltin on the victorious Team West, for whom he served as a team captain.
• He was a member of the gold-medal winning Team USA at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge, where he recorded four assists in four tournament games.
• Along with fellow UND recruit Keaton Thompson, he participated in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game September 29 in Buffalo, NY.

2011-12

• He was a point-per-game performer for the Lincoln Stars, registering 55 points (20G, 35A) and a +22 rating in 55 games.
• Was a member of the Team USA Under-18 Select team that participated in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He played in 5 games, scoring one goal and adding as assist.
• Participated in USA Hockey's Select 17 Development Camp in July of 2011, playing in 5 games and producing 2 points (1G, 1A) en route to earning a roster spot for the camp All-Star game.

2010-11

• Played his sophomore season with Grand Forks Central (ND-HS), registering 42 points (17G, 25A) in 25 games on his way to earning All-East Region and All-State honors.
• Fall 2010: Played for Great Plains in the Upper Midwest Elite League, producing 21 points (9G, 12A) in 20 games.

2009-10

• As a freshman, he produced 46 points (17G, 29A) in 27 games for the North Dakota state championship winning Grand Forks Central team and earned All-East Region honors.
• Took part in the USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, playing in 5 games and recording one goal and two assists.

2008-09

• Played for Grand Forks Red River's North Dakota state championship team as an 8th grader and notched 26 points (9G, 17A) in 27 games.

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).

Week 9 Recap: Sioux Take Two From UAA

One week after its offensive coming out party, the Fighting Sioux men's hockey team traveled to the far north to take on the University of Alaska-Anchorage. In what is always a very difficult road trip, the Sioux were able to return to the lower 48 with a second consecutive 4 point sweep, a sweep that has propelled them into a fourth place tie in the WCHA standings. Friday night saw North Dakota jump on the Seawolves early and often, busting out to a 3-0 lead within the game's first 10 minutes en route to a 5-2 win. The Sioux were unable to replicate the explosive first period Saturday night, opting instead for a three goal second period that keyed a 4-1 victory. Some observations:

• This was obviously a significant sweep, as the team was focused on avoiding a let-down following a raucous and wildly entertaining sweep against Colorado College the weekend prior. The mantra of "no more steps back" was certainly adhered to in Anchorage.
• Even though the team sits in a tie for fourth in the conference standings, both CC and Denver have two games in hand on the Sioux. That being said, the consecutive sweeps have brought North Dakota back into the top 6, thus positioning itself for home-ice in the 1st round of the WCHA playoffs.
• I feel like I'm repeating myself (and I promise I'm not just doing the old cut and paste from previous recaps), but the top line was outstanding yet again. Brock Nelson continues to rack up the goals at a pace even quicker than Matt Frattin did a year ago, and Danny Kristo demonstrated how to effectively turn a 2-on-5 rush into a goal for the good guys. Also, the New York Islanders' statistician took a closer look at Nelson's productivity this season.
• Freshmen Mark MacMillan, Brendan O'Donnell, and Michael Parks were on the same line again this weekend, and they accounted for two of Friday's five goals. Even strength goals from lines two through four will be a very significant factor in the team's success this season, and consistent production from the freshman line would be invaluable. 
• Brad Eidsness and Aaron Dell split the goaltending duties, and both responded with solid performances. Dell appeared to be a bit sharper than Eidsness, but by no means is that a knock on Eidsness' performance; Dell was just really, really good Saturday.
• The defensive corps, led by a dominant Ben Blood, is really coming into its own. It is quickly becoming the unit everyone thought it would be heading into the season.
• Mario Lamoureux is about as tough as they come. His ability to play through pain is definitely part of the reason he wears the C.
• And last but not least, how about that power play unit? The Sioux converted five of their eleven man-advantage opportunities, good for a sizzling 45% clip.

Other Tidbits:

• Derek Forbort was named to Team USA's World Junior Championship preliminary roster. Team USA's camp will run from December 16-22 in Camrose, Alberta, while the tournament itself runs from December 26 through January 5 in Calgary and Edmonton. Forbort was a member of last year's bronze medal winning team, and that experience makes him a likely candidate to make the final roster again this year. A healthy Rocco Grimaldi would have been a virtual shoe-in to make the team, but he is still several weeks away from returning to action.
• I have started posting recruit profiles under The Recruits page. Drake Caggiula, Paul LaDue, and Geoff Crisfield have been profiled thus far, and I will continue posting the profiles in reverse chronological order of their commitments, as time allows. There are ten more recruits to go, with USNTDP Under-17er Luke Voltin next on the list.

Recruit Profile: Geoff Crisfield

Photo-BCHL.com

Current Team:  Vernon Vipers (British Columbia Hockey League)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2013
Position:  Defense
Birthday:  February 19th, 1993
Hometown:  Calgary, AB, Canada
Height:  6'1"
Weight:  200
Shoots:  Left


*Re-opened his recruitment in the spring of 2013.

Profiles & Press Clippings:

• BCHL 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• BCHL Commitment Press Release
• Vernon Morning Star: Crisfield Profile
• Vernon Morning Star: Crisfield Displays Talent and Character

2012-13

• He will be returning to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL.

2011-12

• Playing for Vernon of the BCHL, he registered 10 points (1G, 9A) in 59 games played.
• Participated in Canada West's 2011 World Junior A Challenge Evaluation Camp.
• Vernon Central had this to say about Crisfield following a recent game against the Penticton Vees: 
One indication of the Viper effort was their hit total of 52, the most in any game this season by the Vipers. Leading the way was Geoff Crisfield, who laid hellacious hits on two of the Reilly brothers, Mike and Connor. Troy Stecher jumped Crisfield after the hit on Stecher’s defence partner, Mike Reilly. Crisfield won a decision in that bout, in perhaps his most emotional and most physical game as a Viper.

2010-11

• Captained the Calgary Royals (Alberta Midget Hockey League-AAA) and recorded 27 points (5G, 22A) and 152 penalty minutes in 34 games. He earned the Brian Benning Trophy as the league's Top Defenseman, an honor that in 1995-96 was awarded to former Fighting Sioux standout Travis Roche. He was named the Chrysler Division's December Player of the Month en route to earning an invitation to the league's All-Star game, where he was named Captain of the Chrysler Division All-Stars. He also recorded 2 assists and 30 penalty minutes while playing 6 games with the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Calgary Mustangs.

2009-10

• Played for Calgary's highly-regarded Edge School, where he tallied 16 points (1G, 15A) and 62 penalty minutes in 25 games. He also played in 6 games with the Calgary Royals (AJHL), notching 1 assist and 8 penalty minutes.

Recruit Profile: Paul LaDue

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Arrival at UND:  Fall 2013
Position:  Defense
Birthday:  September 6th, 1992
Hometown:  Grand Forks, ND
Height:  6'1"
Weight:  193
Shoots:  Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Hockey's Future: LaDue Climbing the Ladder Towards NHL Career (Oct 2012)
• Fan vs. Fan: Kings Select Paul LaDue
• TOE Feature: LaDue Continues to Improve
• USHL Commitment Press Release
• Lincoln Journal-Star: Good Start Earns LaDue Chance With Hometown Program
• Lincoln Journal-Star: Defenseman LaDue Making Quick Impact With Lincoln Stars
• Alexandria Blizzard: LaDue's Tough Decision Paying Off
• Cousin of fellow Sioux recruit and Lincoln Star teammate Luke Johnson.
• Also had offers from WCHA programs St. Cloud State, Bemidji State, and Minnesota State.
• He was selected in the 6th Round (181st overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

2012-13

• He played for the Linclon Stars (USHL), producing 49 points (12G, 37A) and a +27 rating in 62 regular season games to go along with a goal and an assist in five postseason contests. His 49 points and 37 assists led all USHL defensemen, helping him earn All-USHL First Team and USHL Defenseman of the Year honors.
• He was named the USHL Defenseman of the Week for Week 18.
• Wrapped up his stellar USHL career as Lincoln's all-time leading point producing defenseman with 83 points (21G, 62A) in 118 games.

2011-12

• Playing for the USHL's Lincoln Stars, he produced 34 points (9G, 25A) in 56 games to go along with a +36 rating. His +36 rating led all USHL defensemen and was the second best amongst all players. His 34 points were the seventh best among league blueliners, and he earned USHL Week 7 Defensive Player of the Week  honors. In the postseason, he recorded three points (1G, 2A) and a +2 rating in eight games in helping the Stars reach the Western Conference Final.

2010-11

• Played for the Alexandria Blizzard (NAHL), recording 22 points (3G, 19A) in 56 games and a +22 rating on his way to earning NAHL All-Rookie 2nd Team honors.

2009-10

• As a high school junior he played for the North Dakota state championship winning Grand Forks Central Knights, producing 35 points (10 G, 25A) in 27 games. He also earned regular season All-East Region, All-State, and All-State Tournament team honors.

2008-09

• Played in 27 games for Grand Forks Central, recording 11 points (1G, 10A) as a high school sophomore.

Recruit Profile: Drake Caggiula

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  Stouffville Spirit (Ontario Junior Hockey League)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2012
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  June 20, 1994
Hometown:  Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Height:  5' 11"
Weight:  180 Lbs.
Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• Stouffville Spirit 2011-12 Profile/Stat Page
• Canada East 2011 World Junior A Challenge Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile Page
• OJHL Commitment Press Release
• York Region Commitment Article
• Durham Region: Drake Caggiula Looks To Continue Playoff Run at Dudley Hewitt Cup
• Durham Region: Life-long Durham Friends Are Current Foes
• NHL Entry Draft eligible in 2012
• He ranked #185 among North American skaters in Central Scouting's 2012 Final Rankings

2011-12:

• He registered five points (2G, 3A) in four games at the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
• Playing for the Stouffville Spirit (OJHL), he recorded 34 points (10G, 24A) in 25 regular season games while earning 1st Team All-Prospect honors for the second consecutive season. In the playoffs, he helped lead Stouffville to the Buckland Trophy as OJHL playoff champions, producing 37 points (17G, 20A) in 23 games en route to winning OJHL Playoff MVP honors. He also played in four games with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers, recording a goal and an assist.
• He played for tournament runner-up Team North during the inaugural Central Canada Cup Challenge, recording two goals and an assist in five games while also converting two-of-two shootout attempts.
• Earned a silver medal with Canada East at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge in Langley, BC

2010-11:

• OJHL 2010-11 Northwest Conference All-Prospect 1st Team
• The Scouting News: Drake Caggiula (F-1994–Stouffville–OJHL): Not yet committed to a NCAA school but is a high end prospect with big time upside that is already on numerous watch lists.
• During the 2010-11 regular season, he registered 45 points (22G, 23A) in 48 OJHL games for Stouffville. In the playoffs, he had 8 points (2G, 6A) in 8 games.
• For a little perspective, he was recently ranked as the Erie Otters' (OHL) 7th best prospect, one spot behind Minnesota-Duluth's Joe Basaraba and one spot ahead of Wisconsin's Michael Mersch, both of whom are NHL draft picks.

Fighting Sioux vs. Alaska-Anchorage: Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Alaska-Anchorage - Series Notes & Links:

• Gametime: Friday & Saturday 10:07 CST
• As always, the games will be broadcast over the radio airwaves via the Fighting Sioux Radio Network. As a bonus, the Fighting Sioux Sports Network will be picking up Anchorage's GCI Cable broadcast. The game will not, however, be carried by Fox College Sports, but the UND athletics website has more detailed information on the local TV coverage. For those of us who overpay for our DirecTV, and for those of you outside the reach of the FSSN, there is a free webcast available of this weekend's action.
• Series notes in PDF: North Dakota and Alaska-Anchorage
• The past several years, Jake Marto was North Dakota's do-it-all guy. This year, junior Joe Gleason is bouncing back and forth between defense and wing, and he has handled the role with aplomb. 
• North Dakota is looking to avoid the pitfalls of the tricky Alaska-Anchorage road trip.
• With several experienced forwards sidelined with injury, Seawolf freshman Eric Scheid has been picking up the slack. 
• Defenseman Nick Mattson has had the most immediate impact among the freshman class. He recently sat down to talk about his early season experiences as a member of the Fighting Sioux:

• Fighting Sioux sophomore Brock Nelson was named last week's WCHA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after his 6 point (3G, 3A) weekend against Colorado College. Nelson shared the honor with the Tigers' Rylan Schwartz, who notched back-to-back hat tricks against the Sioux.
• North Dakota is the College Hockey News' Team of the Week.
• Seawolve senior forward Curtis Leinweber is the cousin of former Fighting Sioux defenseman Chris Leinweber, who played for UND from 1999-2003. 
• Seawolves Wes McLeod, Brett Cameron, and Scott Allen were all teammates of Sioux defenseman Dillon Simpson on the 2009-10 Enerflex Cup winning Spruce Grove Saints (awarded to the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoff champions).
• UND Athletic Dept. Travel Blog
• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• CHN's Tale of the Tape
• WCHA Weekly Press Release
• Inside Hockey Series Preview

Joe Finley Will Make His NHL Debut Friday

The Buffalo News is reporting that former Sioux defenseman Joe Finley will be making his NHL debut tomorrow night when the Sabres host the streaking Detroit Red Wings. Finley began the year on a training camp tryout basis, earned an AHL contract with Rochester, and eventually worked his way onto the Amerks' top defensive pairing. While in Rochester he led the team with a +10 plus/minus rating while registering 2 points (1G, 1A) in 18 games.

Buffalo signed Finley to a two-way AHL-NHL contract Monday, and he received the call-up to the big club Wednesday after Sabre defenseman Jordan Leopold suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday night.

Finley and Sabre head coach Lindy Ruff both had a few comments on the promotion today after practice, and when he takes to the ice tomorrow he will become the 12th Fighting Sioux to skate in the NHL this season.

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):