On The Rise |
Zdenek
Bahensky
2GP 2-1-3 4 PIM |
Drafted
first overall in the CHL import draft, the Blades are looking to Bahensky to help turn around their fortunes.
The 18 year old forward has started well with goals in each of his first two games in North America |
Ryan
Callahan
2GP 1-1-2 6 PIM |
Callahan
finished up at the US junior training camp and returned to Guelph where he was awarded the captaincy of the
Storm. Callahan followed up the honor with a first star performance in his second game of the season, scoring
the game tying goal with 26 seconds left in regulation. |
Nigel
Dawes
4GP 2-2-4 0 PIM |
Another
Ranger prospect who received the captaincy honors from his team (Kootenay), Dawes also signed a pro contract with New
York prior to the lockout. Though not selected to attend the Wolf Pack training camp, Dawes has started the
season solidly with four points in four games and a first star performance in his third game of the season. |
Bruce
Graham
5GP 3-2-5 8 PIM |
As a
second round pick and a forward in the high scoring QMJHL, he will be expected to put in a lot of goals this
season. The 6'5" centerman has started the year well, centering the second line and putting up three goals
in his first five games. |
Mike
Green
4GP 2-2-4 10 PIM |
The
Rangers couldn't get Green signed, but they did make the appropriate qualifying offer before he headed to Europe to
play in the German league. Green appears to have favored the move, picking up a point a game in the early going
and managed a misconduct in his last game...for what, we're not sure. |
Sven
Helfenstein
5GP 3-2-5 6 PIM |
Chances of
Helfenstein ever playing in the NHL remain pretty slim, but the Swiss native and 7th round pick from 2000 appears to
suddenly have found his offensive touch. With a career high of just 5 goals and 12 points (2003), Helfenstein
has exploded to a point a game pace through the first five games of the season for ZSC. |
Jarkko
Immonen
6GP 2-6-8 0 PIM |
Immonen
has been centering the second line at JYP for the most part, playing second fiddle to NHL veteran Steve
Martins. After an indifferent preseason, Immonen has exploded out of the gate and is among the offensive
leaders in the SM-Liiga. |
Marcus
Jonasen
1GP 0-0-0 0 PIM |
Jonasen
was made captain of the Tri-City Americans late this summer and received high praise for his leadership from the
Americans' coach. Invited to the Hartford Wolf Pack training camp, Jonasen has added two goals in the daily
scrimmages, but will likely return to Tri-City this weekend. |
Lauri
Korpikoski
6GP 0-2-2 2 PIM |
As an 18
year old, there was some question as to whether Korpikoski would manage to secure a spot on the TPS roster. He
not only made the team, but he has been playing on the third line and even has had some second line duty. |
Henrik
Lundqvist
3GP 2-1-0 .946 1.69 |
After
impressing last year with a breakout season, Lundqvist has started his 2004-05 campaign equally hot. Despite
the influx of NHL talent to the SEL, Lundqvist has managed to turn away 87 of his first 92 shots, picking up two wins
in the process. |
Jonathan
Paiement
3GP 1-5-6 12 PIM |
Like
Graham, Paiement will be expected to put up some big numbers this year in the "Q". As a 19 year old
veteran on the Maineiacs, Paiement gets plenty of ice time and has started the year with 6 points in his first 3
games |
Jakub
Petruzalek
2GP 0-3-3 0 PIM |
The Ottawa
67s wanted Lukas Kaspar on their team and were told that Petruzalek would have to come as part of the deal.
Paired together on the first line for Ottawa, Petruzalek has already taken advantage of playing with his more
heralded linemate...getting two of his three assists on a Kaspar hattrick. |
| |
Holding Steady |
Ivan
Baranka
2GP 1-0-1 8 PIM |
The
last player signed to a pro contract by the Rangers before the season started, Baranka is looking to make some noise
this season and get a spot on the Wolf Pack roster next season. He started the campaign with a power play goal
in the Silvertips opener. |
Dane
Byers
3GP 0-0-0 13 PIM |
Byers may
not have scored, but he's certainly been well represented on the penalty sheet in his first three games of the
season. |
Brandon
Dubinsky
2GP 0-0-0 13 PIM |
Seen my
many as one of the better prospects coming out of this draft, Dubinsky will be looking to improve on his career high
78 points last season to go along with his 137 penalty minutes. |
Philippe
Furrer
5GP 0-0-0 2 PIM |
Furrer
missed the entire season with injury last year, so the fact that he's even playing this season is a bonus.
Still Furrer has had a slow start to the season in terms of offense for SC Bern and so we consider him to be
"Holding Steady" |
Ilya
Gorokhov
10GP 2-3-5 8 PIM |
Ilya
who? Yes, this 1995 pick is still technically in the system and is playing for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. The
27 year old defenseman is almost certainly not going to come to North America, but we figured we'd include for the
sake of being thorough. |
Jan
Marek
5GP 0-3-3 2 PIM |
Both Marek
and Prucha negotiated late into the summer with the Rangers over the possibility of coming to North America.
The prospect of playing in the AHL proved to be the financial stumbling block for Marek. The 24 year old 8th
round pick (2003) has a lot to live up to after breaking out with Sparta Praha last season. |
Ales
Pisa
5GP 2-1-3 4 PIM |
Pisa is
now playing for Cherepovets Severstal in the Russian Super League and appears to be at least making an offensive
impression in his second year of his stint in Russia. |
Roman
Psurny
2GP 0-1-1 2 PIM |
An
unheralded start to the season for Psurny should allow the Czech to ease himself into play in North America. |
Martin
Richter
6GP 0-0-0 4 PIM |
Managed to
make it onto the starting roster for Sparta Praha so perhaps still has something to offer. |
| |
On The Decline |
Ivan
Dornic
1GP 0-0-0 0 PIM |
There
was some question as to whether Dornic would return to the CHL this year, but last minute negotiations with the Czech
club that held his rights secured his position on the Winterhawks. Dornic however, was a healthy scratch in
Portland's last game. |
Kim
Hirschovits
6GP 0-1-1 2 PIM |
This is
probably a make or break year for the young Finnish pivot, after doing little since being drafted in 2002.
Despite centering the second line for HIFK, Hirschovits has made little impression through the first two weeks of the
season |
Matt
Kinch
3GP 0-0-0 0 PIM |
The
Rangers qualified the former Calgary Hitman defender, but with a crowded blueline in Hartford this season Kinch
elected to go to Austria and try his hand with Salzburg. Unable to find his offensive touch in the AHL, Kinch
has continued to struggle in what should be a much easier league. |
Aarto
Laatikainen
6GP 0-0-0 4 PIM |
Another
prospect probably unlikely to ever make it to North America, Laatikainen has been unable to follow up his moderately
successful season last year with Espoo Blues of the SM-Liiga in Finland. |
Petr
Prucha
6GP 0-1-1 0 PIM |
After
impressing at the World Championships earlier in the year, it seemed as if Prucha was ready to break out.
Unfortunately for him the NHL lockout happened and Prucha has found himself relegated to 4th line duty. |
| |
Injured |
Dan
Blackburn
Injured in 2003 |
More
bad news for Blackburn who continues to make his way back from nerve damage in his shoulder. The next
evaluation will be done on Blackburn around Christmas this year, meaning he won't return this calendar year and may
have the season in jeopardy once again. |
Garth
Murray
In training camp |
Murray has
had a string of injuries since turning pro in 2002, his bad luck continued this week with a broken thumb that will
keep him out 4-6 weeks and is likely to cause him to miss 4-6 AHL regular season games |
Richard
Scott
Injured in 2003 |
Remains
out of action with concussion like symptoms |
| |
Suspended |
Rick
Kozak
2GP 0-0-0 6 PIM |
A
run-in with the Everett Silvertips trainer cost Kozak a 15 game suspension this week and continues a run of less than
stellar incidents for the young winger. |
| |
Other Notes |
| Jozef
Balej |
Appears
to have almost slipped away to Skalica of the Slovak league, but somehow the Rangers have stepped in and convinced
Balej to remain in North America...at least for the time being |
| Blair
Betts |
Signed a
contract with the Wolf Pack to get around the NHL lockout |
| Lee
Falardeau |
Signed a
pro contract, leaving Michigan State a year early. Will try to win a job on the Hartford Wolf Pack to begin the
season |
| Jordan
Foote |
Joined
Michigan Tech a year early |
| Alexandre
Giroux |
Leads all
players in scoring during the Wolf Pack training camp with 3 goals and an additional 2 shootout goals |
| Nate
Guenin |
Rugged
defenseman received one of the A's for Ohio State and was given an honorable mention in the CCHA preseason polls. |
| Hugh
Jessiman |
Was
elected to the ECAC preseason first team by the media |
| Dwight
Helminen |
Signed a
pro contract, leaving Michigan a year early. Will try to win a job on the Hartford Wolf Pack to begin the
season |
| Maxim
Kondratiev |
Is
attending training camp in Hartford, but has the option to return to Russia 30 days into the regular season |
| Jason
Labarbera |
Signed a
contract with the Wolf Pack to get around the NHL lockout |
| Al
Montoya |
Declined
the option to sign a pro contract and leave Michigan two years early, in return the Wolverines have made Montoya an
alternate for the team. Was also selected to the CCHA preseason first team |
| Darin
Olver |
Selected
to the CCHA preseason first team |
| Jed
Ortmeyer |
Signed a
contract with the Wolf Pack to get around the NHL lockout |
| Billy
Ryan |
Will join
Maine this season and will be eligible for games December 28th |
| Jake
Taylor |
Signed a
pro contract, leaving Minnesota three years early. Will try to win a job on the Hartford Wolf Pack to begin the
season |
| Mike
Walsh |
Also
received an A for Notre Dame and figures to be the offensive leader on the Fighting Irish this season. |
