michigan hockey october 4, 2010

Michigan Hockeymichiganhockeyonline.com

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August 201016 Registration Opens for Travel and House

25 Travel Registration Closes

28-29 Travel Alignment Meetings

September 20103 Initial Travel Alignments Posted

8-9 Travel Alignment Appeals

10-12 LCAHL Faceoff Festival

13 Final Travel Alignments & Schedules Posted

14 Begin Scheduling Travel Games

September continued17 House Registration Closes

18 Travel League Play Begins

21 Initial House Alignments Posted

22-23 House Alignment Appeals

24 Final House Alignments & Schedules Posted

25 House Scheduling Begins

26 Face-Off Meeting at Motor City Casino & Conference Center

30 House League Play Begins

January 20119 League Play Ends

10-13 Make-up Days

14 Post Playoff Pools and Schedules

18 Start of League Playoffs First Round Robin

February 201118 Playoff First Round Ends

26-27 Playoff Quarters and Semis

March 20115-6 Playoff Quarters, Semi’s and Finals

11-19 Playoff Finals

LCAHL 2010-11 Season CalendarLCAHL 2010-11 Season CalendarLCAHL 2010-11 Season Calendarsee lcahl.org for more info

Thank you to all the LCAHL Directors and Volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly, the vendors w h o a t t e n d e d a n d the Breakout Session presenters’ Brian Secord, Laura Ramus and Bob Mancini. Travel Director Laurie Golden Birchler (left) watches as Jeff Anderson fi lls out a raffl e ticket.

Over 500 coaches and team managers attended the 2010 LCAHL Face-Off Meeting on September 26 at the Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit.

Face-Off MeetingFace-Off Meeting

a big successa big successFace-Off Meeting

a big success

Also thank you to Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (with from left Communications Director Lisa Zarzycki and League Secretary Carrie Camrat) who took time out from his busy schedule to be the event’s guest speaker.

PHOTOS BY BOB BEGUELIN/LCAHL

4 Michigan Hockey MichiganHockeyOnline.com

PAGES 26-33 PAGE 34PAGES 20-22

Arena GuideGeothermal energy helps cut utility usage and new junior teams drive rink renovations

Junior HockeyCirone leads Metro Jets;

NAHL Showcase a big hit

NHL InsiderTen reasons the Red Wings can

win the Cup

AMATEUR HOCKEY REPORTHoneybaked ‘99s win at Compuware/Honeybaked Invitational 6Four other champs crowned and Michigan Hockey Day at Perani’s 6

SPEAKING OF HOCKEYWhat do you love most about the game? 8

MH BEATMarian Ilitch and Peter Karmanos, Jr. inducted into Michigan HOF 10

GET BETTER Get to the net 11

STATE OF THE GAME By Lyle Phair Where do you fi t? 12

REEBOK TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 13

HOMETOWN HERO Livonia’s Mark Mitera 16

ARENA GUIDEGeothermal energy and other ways rinks are trying to cut utility usage 20New junior teams drive rink renovations in Flint and Muskegon 22

MIDGET MAJOR PREVIEW ‘10Thirteen teams get ready for new season 24Tier I Elite League has top players and veteran coaches 25

JUNIOR HOCKEYFormer pro Jason Cirone leads CSHL’s Metro Jets 26Whalers’ Alex Aleardi starts season red hot 28Saginaw’s Barry Sanderson ready to return to Spirit lineup 30NAHL Showcase a big hit again 30Muskegon and U.S. National Teams have Michigan players 33

RED WINGS AND NHL INSIDERSDave Waddell: Jimmy Howard expects no sophomore jinx 34Kevin Allen: Ten reasons why Red Wings can win the Stanley Cup 34

PAGES 24-25PAGES 24-25

Table of Contents

October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5

PAGES 24-25PAGES 24-25

Our annual College Preview will include looks at the Division I Wayne State women’s team, CCHA teams and Michigan

Tech (WCHA), along with previews of Division III Adrian and Finlandia squads and the ACHA club level.

Look for it on arena stands, on michiganhockeyonline.com and in your e-mail In Box on October 15.

Advertising copy for the next issue of MH is due on October 6.

Contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or [email protected] or Philip Colvin at (248) 479-1136

or [email protected] for more information.

COMING IN OUR NEXT ISSUECOLLEGE PREVIEWCOLLEGE PREVIEWCOLLEGE PREVIEWCOLLEGE PREVIEW

Midget Major Preview ‘10Thirteen Midget Major teams get ready

for a run at the state title.

5Michigan HockeyMichiganHockeyOnline.com

Enjoy the season

FROM THE EDITOR

While most teams have been on the ice since August and early September, there is something diff erent about walking into a rink this time of year. The weather has turned cooler, arenas are hopping and there’s the buzz that comes with the season up and running.

Players, coaches and parents can feel it. After weeks of getting to know each other off the ice and spending time on the ice practicing passing, shooting and stickhandling and working on breakouts, defensive zone coverage and moving the puck on the powerplay, the fi rst real game of the season is when everything fi nally really matters.

I love the smells of fresh popcorn and coff ee brewing and watching how hard the players work and the look of exhilarated exhaustion on their faces when they come off the ice.

And I enjoy all the sounds at the rink – the echo of the puck hitting the boards, the player’s voices calling for the puck on a 2-on-1 and the crowd cheering a great play or a big save.

So I urge you to sit back, watch your player have some fun with his or her friends and enjoy all the ups and downs that come with a new season.

This issue of MH includes a look at what arenas are doing to lower their utility usage (page 20) and how new junior teams in Flint and Muskegon have spurred renovations at Perani’s Arena and L.C. Walker Arena, respectively (page 22).

On page 24 is a preview of the Midget Major teams in the state (see the rest of the preview at “Only on the Web” at michiganhockeyonline.com) and a feature on how top players and veteran coaches have helped build the Tier I Elite Hockey League into a national circuit (page 25).

If you have any ideas for future stories, things you liked (or didn’t like) in Michigan Hockey or just want to talk hockey, send me an e-mail ([email protected]) or give me call (248-479-1136).

Have fun this season,


Cover: Little Caesars Midget Major’s Matt Vermillion by Paige Baker/aframeintime.comPhotos page 4 (from top, L to R): Little Caesars and Belle Tire Midget Major teams by Dave Reginek/DIG Photo; Perani’s Arena in Flint courtesy Zak Walsh/Tanner Friedman; Jason Cirone courtesy Italian Olympic Team and Nick Lidstrom by Andrew Knapik/Michigan Hockey.

Cover reprints availableemail: [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARD: Bob DeSpirt, Christine Szarek, Derek Blair, James Jenkins, Julie Pardoski, Kirk Vickers, Linda HollandLisa Zarzycki, Mark Vansaw, Nyron Fauconier, Randy PaquetteRob Mattina, Susan Bottrell, Tim Wilson, Todd Krygier

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: MICHIGAN HOCKEY® welcomes Letters to the Editor. They must be signed and include the writer's full home address and day and evening telephone numbers.

MICHIGAN HOCKEY is published by SUBURBAN SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MICHIGAN HOCKEY®, 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829. ©2010 by Suburban Sports Communications. All Rights Reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of MICHIGAN HOCKEY or its advertisers. All editorial copy, photographs and advertising materials remain the property of MICHIGAN HOCKEY.

Editor-in-Chief Philip D. [email protected]

Advertising Lucia [email protected]

Database Manager Josh [email protected]

Design Chuck Stevens

Contributing Editor Kevin Allen

Rob Murphy

Distribution Lucia Zuzga

Administrative Director Amy Jones

From the Editor

MICHIGAN HOCKEY23995 Freeway Park Drive • Suite 200

Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829(248) 478-2500 • FAX: (248) 478-1601

EMAIL: [email protected]: www.michiganhockeyonline.com

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Red Wings training camp photos from

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Bandits Goalie School’s Joe Messina:

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Honeybaked ’99 squad wins at Honeybaked ’99 squad wins at Compuware Honeybaked InvitationalCompuware Honeybaked Invitational

Compuware Honeybaked Invitational Compuware Honeybaked Invitational has big weekend of actionhas big weekend of action

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The ’99 Honeybaked squad won the Pee Wee Minor Division of the Compuware Honeybaked Invitational Tournament with a 5-4 shootout win over the Compuware ‘99s on September 19 at Compuware Sports Arena.

Compuware’s Gino Carabelli scored twice and Honeybaked’s Jon Sanderson and Travis Mitchell notched goals as the two squads traded fi rst period goals.

In the middle period Compuware’s Adam Pitter scored to give his team a 3-2 lead. But Sanderson scored his second goal of the game to tie it with just over four minutes left in the period.

After a scoreless third period and overtime session the game went into a shootout where Honeybaked’s Connor Fredrick and Hugh Larkin scored, and goaltender Marcus Morton stopped four of fi ve Compuware shooters for the win.

Fredrick and Jack Robbins also added assists in the victory

and Jed Pietila was the tournament MVP.“I am really happy with how our team is coming together,

we have a lot of new faces and a group of kids that continue to improve and work hard,” said Honeybaked ’99 head coach Jeff Mitchell. “Our coaching staff is very happy with the eff ort from our players and this team will only continue to get stronger.”

The Honeybaked ’99 team is: Logan Neaton, Jack Sargent, Connor Fredrick, Jack Robbins, Jon Sanderson, Carter Eiden, Tommy Miller, Hugh Larkin, Jed Pietila, Travis Mitchell, Scott Granzotto, Cameron Babiak, Marcus Morton, Paul Cotter, Reagan Wortz, Jacob Behnke and Justin Alton.

In addition to Mitchell, the Honeybaked ’99 coaching staff includes assistant coaches Hugh Larkin, Mark Miller, Pat Neaton and Dan Robbins.

In addition to the Honeybaked ‘99s, four other champions were crowned at the 76-team 2010 Compuware Honeybaked Invitational.

The ’96 St. Louis Caps went 6-0 and beat Compuware in the fi nals; the ’97 Compuware squad won their division with a 1-0 shutout of St. Louis; the ’98 Honeybaked team went 5-0 at the tournament and won the title with a 9-2 win over

Windsor and the ’00 Honeybaked squad also beat Windsor, 8-2, to win their division.

Members of the ’97 TPH Thunder squad (above) took a break from the tournament to play mini-sticks, enjoy free pizza and check out the newest equipment at Michigan Hockey Day at Perani’s Hockey World in Livonia on Sept. 18.

Amateur Hockey Report

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Speaking of Hockey

What do you love about hockey?What do you love about hockey?

“My teammates, the friendships, how fast it is and winning games. Matthew Rickard, 15, Westland Midgets

“I like how it’s cold and you don’t have to play outside and how you can hit people. I can’t wait to play good teams up north.”Russell Morris, 12, Nashville, Tennessee

“The best part of hockey is the physical play – I love the skill part of the game but I also love hitting people. I am looking forward to playing AAA and high school and see how they compare.”Ryan Mezera, 14,Team Wisconsin

“The speed of the game, playing with my friends and scoring goals. I am looking forward to winning games and being ranked high.”Brendan Walkom, 12, Team Pittsburgh

“Just the feeling you have gliding around on the ice. I love the competition and I am looking forward to playing as many top teams as we can and beating them and going to nationals.”Zach Goberis, 13, Colorado Thunderbirds

“I like body checking the most and I am looking forward to playing Compuware again and beating them this time.”Matt Goodman, 13, TPS Thunder

“I just love playing. I want to make it to the NHL, just like most kids. I like passing, shooting and hitting. It’s an exciting game. I just switched to defense and I am looking forward to playing against top players and getting better.”Philip Berger, 12, TPS Thunder

“I like everything about the game, but I love hitting and the competition the most.”Davis Van Gemerden, 13, Pensacola, Florida

“I love the intensity of the game, scoring goals and helping my team win.”Grant Wellinger, 13, Tampa, Florida


MH Beat

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USA Hockey Coaching Education USA Hockey Coaching Education Checklist for CoachesChecklist for Coaches

Do these by December 31, 2010• Plan in advance. USA Hockey Coaching Clinics end in mid-December. Our volunteer staff does not do clinics during the holiday season. If you need to renew Level 3, don’t plan to do it on December 31, you won’t make it.

• Visit the Michigan Amateur Hockey web site, www.maha.org – Choose the Coaches tab, and click the Coach Requirements link in the menu. Check now, before it’s too late, that your coaching level and expiration date are good for this entire season.

• There will be clinics each week through mid-December. Check the USA Hockey web site – there is a link to clinics on the home page. You can enroll online.

• If you can’t meet the USA Hockey and Michigan requirements on the MAHA web site, apply for a Temporary Coaching Card. The application is printable from the Coaching Forms menu in the Coaches section of www.maha.org. IMPORTANT – Temporary cards are processed by USA Hockey and are mailed from Colorado. They take two weeks or longer, especially after the first of the new year. Get ahead of the game – apply now if you need one!

• If you procrastinate and do not meet the coaching requirements, you may not be able to coach after 12/31/2010. The Coaching Education Program does not have the authority to grant you any kind of exception. It would also be a disservice to the thousands of coaches who follow the rules to grant exceptions to those who don’t.

Looking ahead to 2011Level 4 Symposium - Michigan’s Coaching Education Program is already preparing for our annual Level 4 Symposium, held during the CCHA Championship weekend (March 18-20) in downtown Detroit. Registration will open in December, 2010.

New National Coaching Education Requirements – will take effect 9/1/2011. Watch for emails from USA Hockey concerning this as 2011 approaches. The new requirements can already be seen in the MAHA guidebook (download from www.maha.org).


MH Beat

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Michigan HOF inducts Ilitch and KarmanosBY PHILIP COLVIN

It would be diffi cult to imagine what the youth hockey landscape in Michigan would be like without Marian Ilitch and Peter Karmanos, Jr.

The pair was recognized for their contributions and inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony on September 13 at Rock Financial Place in Novi.

Also enshrined in the Hall during it’s 54th Induction Event were the Grand Rapids Press’ Bob Becker, Detroit Pistons and Michigan State football announced George

Blaha, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling gold medalist Steve Fraser, TV broadcaster Bill Fleming, former Michigan quarterback and Detroit Tigers outfi elder Rick Leach, former pro golfer Meg Mallon, former Detroit Lions wide receiver Herman Moore, former Lions kicker Eddie Murray, Roush Racing owner Jack Roush and former Michigan swimming coach Jon Urbanchek.

Along with her husband Mike Ilitch, Marian Ilitch helped start the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League in 1979 to get more young players on the ice. The couple bought the Detroit Red Wings in 1982 and the team has won four Stanley Cups during their ownership. Marian co-owns the Detroit Tigers with her husband, who was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. She has also been a longtime supporter of various youth sports, community outreach and educational programs through organizations like the Ilitch Charities, Detroit Red Wings Foundation and Detroit Tigers Foundation.

“When I heard of the honor my fi rst thought was, why me?” said Ilitch, a native of Dearborn. “But my family reminded me that I have devoted 50 years to amateur and professional sports. What a wonderful journey it has been.”

Karmanos grew up in Detroit and started the Compuware hockey organization in the mid-1970s, owned the Compuware Ambassadors in the Junior A North American Hockey League in the 1980s and ‘90s and the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Compuware Spitfi res in the late 1980’s. Karmanos brought the OHL to Michigan when his Detroit Compuware Ambassadors began play at Detroit’s Cobo Arena in 1990. The Ambassadors, which eventually became the Detroit Jr. Red Wings and Detroit Whalers, is now known as the Plymouth Whalers and have won two OHL titles (1995, 2007).

Karmanos purchased the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in 1994, moved the franchise to North Carolina as the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997 and won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

“My mother was a pretty good athlete, she was a pro bowler and played fi eld hockey,” said Karmanos. “She loved hockey and I used to beg her to let me stay up to watch.”

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is comprised of 270 former champions, medalists, and great contributors to the world of sports and is dedicated to preserving, interpreting, honoring and displaying the amateur and professional history of sports in the State of Michigan.

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The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inducted youth hockey pioneers Marian Ilitch (left, with Bill Gadsby and HOF chairman Scott Lesher) and Peter Karmanos, Jr. (above) at a ceremony on September 13 at Rock Financial Place in Novi.



Get Better

Get to the netWhile off ensive play can start in any zone, the fi nal objective of every skater is

to score a goal.And most goals are scored within 10 feet of the net so players have to go to that

area either with or without the puck. And most goals are “ugly” and result from players driving to the net with the puck or skating to the net to screen the goaltender for rebounds and defl ections.

As the old hockey adage goes – “they don’t ask how, they just ask how many.”

DRIVING THE NETAt the blueline the puckcarrier should drive around the defender and to the net

whenever possible. Driving to the net forces a defensive player to stay with the puckcarrier which creates traffi c in front of the goaltender and makes it more diffi cult for the goalie to see the shot or move in the crease. The puckcarrier’s teammates then can score on loose pucks and rebounds created by the puckcarrier driving to the net.

When driving to the crease from behind the net, the puckcarrier should be prepared for body contact and must be willing to pay the price to bring the puck into this scoring area. The puckcarrier will draw defenders to that area which can result in penalties and opens up opportunities for off ensive players away from the puck to score on rebounds.

REBOUNDSTo score on a rebound a player must move into proper position in front of the net,

withstand checking pressure, get his stick prepared and shoot quickly.The area where shots on net rebound is determined by the angle from which

the shot is taken, the velocity and height of the shot and the ability of the goalie to control rebounds. Players have to anticipate and move to these areas to score.

Many rebounds go directly in front of the net and the area is rigorously defended so players have to be prepared to be checked.

The off ensive player must fi ght for position and keep his stick free of defenders. Once establishing position, the off ensive player can lean on his stick so a defender can’t lift it as a rebound approaches. Know where the shot is coming from and spin

off a check to get open. Once you’re in position, shoot quickly and accurately. Shot selection depends on

the goalie’s position and how much time is available to the puckcarrier. If the goalie is out of position, use a one-timer; if the goalie is down, use a fl ip shot. A shooter might have to move the puck laterally and then shoot to the upper portions of the net.

DEFLECTIONSA puck that hits a player’s body or stick and changes direction is diffi cult for a

goalie to stop. The best way to defl ect a shot is to move directly in front of the goaltender and

use your stickblade to redirect it at the net. This area is rigorously defended so to keep your balance and position, a player should form a tripod with his two skates and his stick on the ice and face the shooter. This allows the player to see the shot coming and lift the stick to defl ect the shot to either side.

A tip-in defl ection is when a player moves toward the net or to the side of the goaltender and defl ects shots that are wide back towards the net. For a tip-in to work the shooter has to have his head up, see his teammate open and shoot wide so it can be tipped toward the net.

Source: Kevin Constantine/Michigan Level 4 Coach’s Clinic Presentation

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PHOTO BY ANDREW KNAPIK/MICHIGAN HOCKEY

Source: weisshockey.comStop, Start and Shoot DrillPurposePractice stopping and starting with puck control, driving to the net and shooting.

SetupPlayers start in the corner with a puck and skate to the blueline and stop, skate back to the hash marks and stop facing the same direction, skate out of the zone and make a hard turn around the cone and drive the net and shoot.


State of the Game

Stateof the

Gameby Lyle Phair

Tier I, Tier II, AAA, AA, A, BB, B, A, House, Travel, TOEHL, Adray, LCAHL, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Howe, Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam, Midgets, Minor, Major.

So many classifi cations and so many monikers. What does it all mean? And more importantly where do you fi t into the equation? Where should you be? Where should you aspire to be? How do you know when you are ready? How do you know when you aren’t?

Those are some very tough questions. And they apply both to individuals and to teams.

For individual players and their families it can often be very diffi cult to navigate their way through the hockey world. Especially for those who are new to a sport that has its own unique culture and language. But it can also be very confusing for those who grew up playing the game because so much changes over time. What once was might no longer be.

House hockey? At one time “house league hockey” was a description for teams that played their league games at one facility, in-house. Players in each age group were divided up evenly onto teams so that there was parity within the league and opportunity for all of the teams and players to have success. A wonderful concept, if you really think about it, when it comes to youth sports.

Travel hockey? Those teams were formed by tryouts and because the better players in a given age group were on the team, those teams would “travel” to play similar teams from other areas. Another wonderful concept, if you really think about it, because it allowed for the better players to play at a higher competitive level. They had to travel to fi nd that competitive level, but it provided that opportunity for those players and teams, and it also provided more opportunity for the players and teams in the house league because those games were no longer dominated by the better players.

SHADES OF GRAYWhat started out as black and white as house and travel has now morphed

into gray. A lot of diff erent shades of gray.There are very few facilities or associations that actually have true “house”

hockey anymore. Most places don’t have enough teams at a given age group to have their own in-house league. So those teams end up traveling to other facilities to play what is still called house hockey by many. Confused yet? There are also some places that do have enough teams to have their own in-house league at their facility, but still choose to play in a league with teams from other facilities because they don’t want to just play “house hockey”. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Playing house hockey, I mean. While it still is “house level” hockey, with teams formed by a draft, I really do think that there is a perception that because teams actually have to (or get to) travel to play games, that the hockey is somehow better. It might be. But it just as easily might not. It also appears to be that the farther that a team travels to play a game that the level of play will be that much better. Again, it might be. But just as easily it might not.

MULTIPLE LEVELSIn theory, “all house hockey teams are created equally.” Well at least

with equality, or parity, in mind. But that is not necessarily the case. Player pools in each area are very much diff erent. While one association or arena might have enough players for ten 10 & under teams, another place might only have enough for one.

Some of them might be very good players. Good enough to play travel hockey, but for one reason or another (can’t aff ord to, don’t have the time, there is no team at that level in their area) they do not. So is that team really the same level as a team from an arena or association that divides up the players to form ten equal teams? Defi nitely not. In essence, there are multiple levels of house or B hockey.

And travel hockey is no diff erent. There are multiple levels there as well, but for a diff erent reason. Travel teams are formed by tryouts with minimal restrictions on where the players can come from. The better the team, the more players who will want to play on that team. Some teams get close to 100 players trying out. Others barely get enough to fi eld a team. Yet these teams might end up playing each other. Does that seem right? Defi nitely not.

So to resolve that issue we create multiple levels of play, Tier I, Tier II (also known as AAA and A/AA) and even within the A/AA or “regular travel” category leagues have created various levels to try to create a more competitive environment. Also a wonderful concept.

The problem is that there is often more competition created off the ice (for players) than there is on the ice when the teams play each other. Do the teams fi t into the level or does the level defi ne the team and their ability to attract players? Ultimately the level of play very much defi nes how good a team will be or won’t be and how big its potential player pool will be.

HOW TO DECIDE?So how do families and players decide what level is best for them to play?

How do teams decide what is the best competitive level? Where do you fi t?The good news is that there are a multitude of choices. The bad news

is that many people have no idea what the consequences of those choices might or might not be.

In theory you would think that the principles of supply and demand would help guide people to their level. Players that don’t make a Tier I team would then attempt to make a Tier II team and failing to make that would play B or house hockey. The problem with that is there are multiple levels of all of those levels of teams. Some house teams are better than some A or AA teams. Some Tier II teams (A/AA) are better than some Tier I (AAA) teams in the same age group.

If a player wants (or his or her parents want) to play at a certain level of play, it can be achieved. There are always teams looking for players. It just depends on how far you want to travel and how much you want to pay.

Somehow within this system, the majority of teams and players actually do fi nd the right competitive level to play. But some don’t. And for them, the season can be long and miserable.

There is nothing worse for a team than not being competitive with the teams it plays against. There is nothing worse for individual players than not being able to contribute as part of a team.

There has to be a balance of success and failure throughout the year. Too much of either is never a good thing. The beauty of competition is that, if you pay attention at all, it will let you know where you fi t.

WHERE DO WHERE DO YOU FIT?YOU FIT?

WHERE DO YOU FIT?

Grand Traverse Hockey Association

TOURNAMENT SERIES

TOURNAMENT CALENDARAdvanced TournamentsOctober 1-3, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesMite AA, Squirt AA, Midget Minor & Girls 12UContact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Arenamaps.com Earlybird TournamentOctober 1-3, 2010Kalamazoo, MISquirt-Midget A & [email protected]/series Action TournamentsBattle at the Border CupBrownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MIOctober 1-3, 2010Squirt & Pee Wee A & AA734-751-9105actiontournamentscentral.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 8-10, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesPee Wee House, Pee Wee AA, Midget Major/HS & Girls 14UContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Action TournamentsBattle at the Border CupBrownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MIOctober 8-10, 2010Bantam A & AA, Girls U-14734-751-9105actiontournamentscentral.com Hockey Time ProductionsMotown Cup Tournament SeriesDetroit, MIOctober 8-10, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time ProductionsK-Zoo Cup Tournament SeriesKalamazoo, MIOctober 8-10, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 15-17, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesSquirt House, Squirt A, Bantam HouseContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com West Shore Tournament SeriesScottville, MIOctober 15-17, 2010JV Preseason I231-843-9712www.westshoreice.com Grand Traverse Hockey AssociationTournament SeriesFall Color TournamentTraverse City, MIOctober 15-17, 2010Squirt A & [email protected]

Action TournamentsBattle at the Border CupBrownstown, Dearborn, Garden City, Melvindale, Westland, MIOctober 15-17, 2010Girls U-12 & Girls U-16734-751-9105actiontournamentscentral.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 22-24, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesSquirt AA, Pee Wee House, Midget House Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Grand Traverse Hockey AssociationTournament SeriesFall Color TournamentTraverse City, MIOctober 22-24, 2010Pee Wee A & [email protected] Hockey Time ProductionsMotown Cup Tournament SeriesDetroit, MIOctober 22-24, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 29-31, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesPee Wee A, Bantam House, Midget Major/HS & Girls 16UContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time ProductionsMotown Cup Tournament SeriesDetroit, MIOctober 29-31, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com USA Wild FlowersHalloween Weekend TournamentDetroit, MIOctober 29-31Girls 12-U & 14-U Tier [email protected] Advanced TournamentsNovember 5-7, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesMite House, Squirt House, Bantam A & Girls 19UContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Dirty 30 Women’s over 30 TournamentNovember 5-7Kensington Valley Ice House3-Game Guarantee$675 per teamRegistration Deadline: October 8810-494-5555www.kensingtonvalleyicehouse.com Grand Traverse Hockey AssociationTournament SeriesTraverse City Challenge CupTraverse City, MINovember 5-7, 2010Bantam A & [email protected]

Hockey Time ProductionsMotown Cup Tournament SeriesDetroit, MINovember 5-7, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Manon Rheaume International Girls TournamentNovember 12-14, 2010Farmington Hills, MI19UAAA, 16UAAA, 14UAAA and [email protected] Advanced TournamentsNovember 12-14, 2010Holland, MIGreat Lakes Tournament SeriesMite A, Pee Wee House, Midget HouseContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Big Rapids Hockey AssociationSquirt B WeekendBig Rapids, MINovember 12-14, 2010Squirt B231-591-2881www.bigrapidshockey.org Hockey Time ProductionsMotown Cup Tournament SeriesDetroit, MINovember 12-14, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com

Hockey Time ProductionsRock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament SeriesCleveland, OHOctober 8-10, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time ProductionsHoosier Cup Tournament SeriesFt. Wayne, INOctober 8-10, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time ProductionsThree Rivers Cup Tournament SeriesPittsburgh, PAOctober 8-10, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Niagra Sports TournamentNiagra Falls Columbus Day Early BirdNiagra Falls, NYOctober 9-11, 2010Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, Bantams, and Midgets B, A & AA available.716-791-4068www.niagratournaments.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 15-17, 2010Nashville, TN Music City Tournament Series: Nashville Fall Classic Mite through Midget: B, A, and AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343 www.

advancedtournaments.comLas Vegas Old-Timers ClassicLas Vegas, Nevada October 22 - 24, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+: A/B,C,D,[email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 22-24, 2010Chicago, IL CHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Chicago Fall ClassicMite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343 www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 22-24, 2010Pittsburgh, PA Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Fall ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsOctober 22-24, 2010Rochester, NY Empire State Tournament Series: Empire State Showdown Mite through Midget: B, A, AAContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time ProductionsRock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament SeriesCleveland, OHOctober 22-24, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Advanced TournamentsNovember 5-7, 2010Pittsburgh, PA Steel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Veterans CupMite through Midget: B, A, AAContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time ProductionsRock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament SeriesCleveland, OHNovember 5-7, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time ProductionsHoosier Cup Tournament SeriesFt. Wayne, INNovember 5-7, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Las Vegas Youth BlastLas Vegas, NevadaNovember 5 - 7, 2010BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993,1992,1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, AAA1-888-422-6526 [email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments.com Hockey for Heroes / Armed Services Las Vegas, NevadaNovember 11-14, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E1-888-422-6526 [email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments.com

Las Vegas Hockey Classic IIILas Vegas, NevadaNovember 19 - 21, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,[email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments.com Chicago WolvesWindy City Challenge SeriesWishbone ChallengeWest Dundee, ILNovember 25-30, 2010Mite-Midget B, A & AA847-844-8700 Ext. [email protected] New Jersey Thanksgiving ClassicVineland, New JerseyNovember 26 – 28, 2010BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, [email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments.com Fort Wayne Thanksgiving BlastFort Wayne, IndianaNovember 26-28, 2010 BOYS - 2002/2001, 2000, 1999/1998, 1997/1996, 1995/1994/1993,1992/1991 Tier II - B, A, AA [email protected] http://www.canlanclassictournaments. Advanced TournamentsNovember 26-28, 2010Chicago, ILCHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Chicago Thanksgiving ClassicMite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JVContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsNovember 26-28, 2010Pittsburgh, PASteel City Tournament Series: Pittsburgh Thanksgiving ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AAContact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsNovember 26-28, 2010Rochester, NYEmpire State Tournament Series: Rochester Thanksgiving ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsNovember 26-28, 2010Washington, DCCongressional Cup Tournament Series: Congressional Thanksgiving ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com Advanced TournamentsNovember 26-28, 2010Riverside, CAGolden State Tournament Series: Golden State Thanksgiving ClassicMite through Midget: B, A, AA, Girls U12, U14, U16 & U19Contact Advanced Tournaments847-277-7343www.advancedtournaments.com

Hockey Time ProductionsRock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament SeriesCleveland, OHNovember 26-28, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Hockey Time ProductionsThree Rivers Cup Tournament SeriesPittsburgh, PANovember 26-28, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Niagra Sports TournamentFestival of LightsNiagra Falls, NYNovember 26-28, 2010Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, Bantams, and Midgets B, A & AA available.716-791-4068www.niagratournaments.com Hockey Time ProductionsRock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament SeriesCleveland, OHDecember 3-5, 2010Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV216-325-0567www.itshockeytime.com Gene Harrington InvitationalShootout ClassicNiagra Falls, NYDecember 3-5, 2010781-710-6560www.nahockey.com New Jersey Christmas ClassicVineland, New JerseyDecember 27-29, 2010BOYS - 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996,1995, 1994, 1993,1992,1991 (Travel B,Select, AE), A, AA, AAA888-422-6526tournaments@icesports.comcanlanclassictournaments.com

October ClassicOshawa, OntarioOctober 15-17, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E888-422-6526tournaments@icesports.comcanlanclassictournaments.com November ClassicOshawa , OntarioNovember 19 - 21, 2010Men’s, Women’s, COED18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E1-888-422-6526tournaments@icesports.comcanlanclassictournaments.com New Years Ultimate - 2011Oshawa, OntarioDec 31 - Jan 1 - 2011Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E1-888-422-6526 [email protected] Winter Whiteout - 2011Oshawa, OntarioFeb 11 – 13, 2011Men’s, Women’s, COED 18+, 30+, 40+:A/B,C,D,E1-888-422-6526 [email protected]

COMPLETE and UP-TO-DATE TOURNAMENT LISTING ON WEBSITEwww.michiganhockeyonline.com

OUT OF STATEOUT OF STATEOUT OF STATE

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McCANN ICE ARENA

7th ANNUAL 5th ANNUAL

THANKSGIVING CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT TOURNAMENT

USA Sanction # MIT110172 USA Sanction # MIT110173

House ‘B” and Travel Teams **Nov. 26-28, 2010*** ***Dec. 26-29, 2010**

TOTAL COST for EACH of the 4 TOURNAMENTS NO gate fees / refs and timekeepers included

MITES3 (10) minute stop time periods

TOTAL COST: $395 per team

SQUIRTS 3 (12) MINUTE STOP TIME PERRIODS

TOTAL COST: $415 PER TEAM PEEWEES

3 (13) minute stop time periods TOTAL COST: $450 per team

BANTAMS and MIDGETS 3 (14) minute stop time perriods

BANTAM COST: $495 per team MMidget Cost: $595 per team

3 GAME GUARANTEE for All TOURNAMENTS

8th ANNUAL 8th ANNUAL

Travel Tune-Up Travel SpringfestTournament Tournament

USA Sanction # MIT110175 USA Sanction # MIT110176

Travel Teams Only **Apr. 14-17, 2011*** ***May 12-15, 2011**

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(313) 343-0947 FAX (313) 647-0041 1045 COOK RD. GROSSE POINTE WOODS, MI. 48236

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DefensemanBorn: October 22, 1987 Hometown: Royal Oak Height/Weight: 6-3/202 Shoots: L

Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM2003-04 U.S. National U17 NAHL 43 2 13 15 69

2004-05 U.S. National U18 NAHL 16 2 6 8 32

2005-06 Michigan Wolverines CCHA 39 0 10 10 59




2008-09 Iowa Chops AHL 5 0 2 2 2

2009-10 San Antonio Rampage AHL 5 0 0 0 6

2009-10 Bakersfi eld Condors ECHL 36 3 11 14 62

2009-10 Abbotsford Heat AHL 27 0 3 3 12

A physical, shutdown-type defenseman, Mitera is good skater and is a good passer coming out of the defensive zone… Played for Honeybaked and

Little Caesars growing up and won the 2003 Midget AAA state championship with Little Caesars….

Spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) and graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in 2005…

Won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2005 Under-18 World Championship… Was a member of Team USA that fi nished fourth in the 2006 World

Junior Championship… Played four seasons at the University of Michigan… Made the All-CCHA second

team after his junior season with the Wolverines… Was named captain his senior season at Michigan, but suff ered a knee injury in his fi rst shift of the fi rst game of the season and returned for last eight games of the regular season…

Was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fi rst round, 19th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft… Signed a three-year

entry-level contract with the Ducks in March 2009 and made his pro debut with the Iowa Chops (AHL) that month… Worked

out at CORE Sports Fitness in Troy with Sean Collins and Matt Elich all summer… Participated in the Ducks rookie tournament in September and is currently attending Anaheim’s training camp.

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To register, or for more information please contact Gina LaPato at 847-844-8700 ext. 224 or email [email protected]

Hosted by

Located on Route 72 just west of Randall Road at 801 Wesemann Drive, West Dundee, IL 60118

www.leafsicecentre.com • 847-844-8700

Nov. 25-30, 2010Register before October 25

Apr. 28-May 1, 2011Register before March 28

Dec. 27-30, 2010Register before November 26

May 19-22, 2011Register before April 19

Register today for the Windy City Challenge Series!

Four game minimum guarantee. Skills competition in the Wishbone Challenge–winners receive free Chicago Wolves tickets for entire team!!

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Mite through Midget: AA,A and BAge Level Period Length Tournament Cost

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Arena Guide

Geothermal energy is one way Geothermal energy is one way that rinks are lowering utility usethat rinks are lowering utility useBY LARRY O’CONNOR

When it comes to ice arena energy conservation, there are several shades of green and all have a goal of saving a mint.

Traditionally, ice arenas have been energy hogs. The soaring costs of heating, lighting and freezing ice are the biggest drains on facility operating budgets, which has spurred many operators into action.

No where is that more evident than the Plymouth Cultural Center and Ice Arena where a new $1 million geothermal energy system was installed this summer by Sylvan Lake-based Thermal Force.

The system, which taps into the earth’s natural heat, replaced the nearly 40-year facility’s three compressors and 6.5 million BTU boiler. The facility’s utility bills averaged $230,000 year with the old machinery.

Those chores for the 62,000-square foot civic center are now handled by six four-by-four-by-four foot “Ice Kubes.” The two-month project was fi nished in July and instantly produced an excellent sheet of ice.

“Our ice quality has improved immensely,” says Ron Baase, Plymouth Cultural Center operations manager. “They don’t think it can freeze ice, but I’m here to tell you it can freeze ice.”

The green system also allows for the recapture of waste heat, which can be used to heat water for the rink’s showers and restrooms. Offi cials anticipate saving $100,000 annually in energy costs, which will repay the $1 million outlay in 10 years.

The major investment is one of three degrees of strategy rink managers are employing to combat rising energy costs, says Cory Portner, membership director of the industry’s national trade association Serving The American Rinks.

Other operators are using moderate approaches - ranging from a lighting system overhaul to installing motion sensors - to curb energy use. Minor adjustments, or “no

brainers” as Portner terms them, might involve simply turning up the ice temperature when building is empty.

AGING FACILITIESFor facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s, the day of reckoning is near.“We’re looking at 30- and 40-year-old structures. It’s just time,” says Portner, who

educates rink operators on ways to reduce energy consumption.“So you’re going to see this huge trend of renovations happening or a lot of

decisions happening at the city level where it’s ‘Do we tear down and rebuild’ or ‘Do we renovate,’ because some of those systems that were put in 30 years ago are not designed to last that long.”

Minor and moderate adjustments can yield bang for the buck, Portner says.At the Arctic Pond and Arctic Edge facilities, traditional metal Halide lamps were

swapped out for fl uorescent models. New T8 fl uorescent lights cost $13,000 at the Plymouth-based Arctic Pond and another $32,000 at Canton’s Arctic Edge. However, the rinks received rebates of more than $16,000 from DTE for the switch.

Additionally, the monthly electrical bills have dipped $1,300 at the Arctic Edge and another $700 at the Arctic Pond, says John Stanzik, who operates both facilities. Motion detectors that were installed also contributed to the savings.

“You don’t see the ice price going up, so you have to fi nd a way to cut it on the back end,” Stanzik says. “Cost reduction is huge.”

Novi Ice Arena also exchanged 120 Halide metal lights for more energy-effi cient fl uorescent bulbs above both ice surfaces and replaced another 35 fi xtures in the lobby. The project also qualifi ed for a DTE rebate, says Kris Barnes, Novi Ice Arena general manager.

Early next year, rink offi cials plan to analyze energy costs to measure the new lights eff ectiveness, Barnes says.

“I think the light quality is a lot better,” he says. “The old metal Halide lights we had took a while to heat up and come on.

“With fl uorescent lights, it’s instant on and instant off . They also don’t give off as much heat as the Halide lights, so we’ve reduced the heat load on the ice.”

New T8 fl uorescent lights were also added at Suburban Ice Farmington Hills along with motion sensors and programmable thermostats.

Sensors automatically shut off lights when people leave the facility’s restrooms, locker rooms and storage areas while timed thermostats reduce the building’s energy consumption during off hours. Staff also fi ddles with the ice temperature.

“Throughout the course of the evening, we will turn the temperature up in degrees so we’re not burning our compressors at night when no one is in the building,” says Geoff Bennetts, Suburban Ice Farmington Hills general manager.

The latter is an example of a no-cost investment that can still yield savings, STAR’s Portner says.

Optimum ice temperature for hockey is 21 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 25 to 27 degrees for fi gure skating. While unoccupied, those temps can be bumped up to 28 to 30 degrees to save energy.

Rink operators are not tone deaf about the need to conserve, Portner says.“They understand the equipment process and they probably agree it would be

better to replace old equipment,” Portner says. “It’s the adage of ‘Can we aff ord to do it and are we willing to make the investment?’

“Whether it is a quick return or a lengthy return, it is still an investment. Somebody has to be there to write the check initially.”

FIRST IN THE STATEBy that standard, Plymouth Cultural Center’s geothermal undertaking is a bold

move. The venerable ice arena and community center is believed to be fi rst in the state to go with such a system.

“So everyone is sort of watching us,” Baase says.Installation involved drilling forty fi ve 400-foot deep wells that are fi ve inches

in diameter to draw from the earth’s natural heat. The six small refrigerator-sized “Ice Kubes” take up far less space than the boiler and compressors, freeing up ample room at the civic center.

Another benefi t of a geothermal system is lower maintenance costs. Plymouth offi cials visited a Goderich, Ontario, rink, which has a 10-year old geothermal system in place that has required very little maintenance, Baase says. The city was spending $15,000 annually to maintain and repair the Cultural Center’s boiler and compressors.

“If something does break down, the other (units) pick up the slack,” Baase says. “You never lose a beat.”

Project contractor Thermal Force plans to use the Plymouth Cultural Center as a model for other rinks to see.

“By implementing this at Plymouth, it now gives us the opportunity to approach a lot more rinks,” say Ryan Jahnke, Thermal Force commercial and industrial services manager. “I know there has defi nitely been some interest in the project.”

Geothermal energy is one way Geothermal energy is one way that rinks are lowering utility usethat rinks are lowering utility useGeothermal energy is one way that rinks are lowering utility use

Plymouth Cultural Center Ice Arena facility operations manager Ron Baase stands next to the rink’s new geothermal energy system.

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF PLYMOUTH RECREATION DEPARTMENT

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BY PHILIP COLVINNew junior teams in Flint and Muskegon have helped spur renovations to the

cities respective arenas.In Flint, the North American Hockey League’s Michigan Warriors have started the

season at a Perani’s Arena and Event Center that has undergone nearly $1 million in improvements.

Originally built in 1969 as the Flint IMA, Perani’s has a new computer controlled heating, cooling and dehumidifi cation system, along with a new roof, new ceiling tiles, a brighter, repainted lobby and new parking lot and arena lighting.

“It was just time to rehabilitate the place,” said Firland Management CEO Jim Cain, who oversees operations of the facility. “Safety and security are very important to our customers and we have a much more appealing building than we had even three months ago.

In addition, concession stands were gutted and rebuilt and feature new food and beverage equipment, countertops, display menu boards and point of sale stations. Video screens allow fans to watch the game while they are waiting for their food.

“The goal was to improve customer service and be more effi cient,” said Cain. “We will continue to work to restore Perani Arena and Event Center to a point of pride for the Flint community.”

The Warriors’ players’ areas were also expanded and improved. The team’s locker room, players’ lounge and training room have been gutted and repainted bright red and white. A wall was knocked out to expand the locker room, new carpet was installed and large dry erase board was added.

Shower areas and coach Moe Mantha’s offi ce were redone, and a new storage and skate sharpening room were built.

“Everything is bigger, more open and rivals anything at almost any level,” said Mantha.

L.C. WALKER GETS IT TOONear the shores of Lake Michigan on the state’s west side, the Muskegon

Lumberjacks are beginning their fi rst season of Tier I junior hockey in the United States Hockey League.

Lumberjacks’ owner Josh Mervis is committed to putting the best team possible on the ice and he also wanted to give fans a great place to watch the USHL’s newest team. To that end he upgraded the team’s home rink, L.C. Walker Arena, in downtown Muskegon that was originally built in 1960 and last improved in 1997 under a public improvement bond issue that redid the seating and concession areas.

As part of a reported $700,000 renovation the Lumberjacks dressing room was repainted and air fl ow was improved. Muskegon head coach Kevin Patrick’s offi ce was expanded, repainted and got new furniture. The team store and pro shop is now twice the size. Offi ce space was reconfi gured and redone and a new player’s lounge – complete with tables, chairs and internet access - and a state-of-art weight room were constructed.

Inside the arena a new scoreboard with video panels for replays was installed at center ice and the lighting was repositioned.

“I believe in this market and it was time for an update of this building,” said Mervis.

GEORGETOWN ADDS NEW TEAM AND LOCKER ROOM Hudsonville’s Georgetown Community Ice Center added a new tenant and a new

locker room this summer, all without having to knock down any walls.The arena built a locker room for the Grandville high school team in an area that

was previously used as a pro shop. The pro shop was moved to the former skate rental area and the skate rental moved to an area that had previously been used as a video arcade.

Grandville signed a long term contract to play at Georgetown, and the additional ice rental revenue generated should payback the cost of the locker room in three years.

“We were able to use existing space and move some tenants,” said the facility’s general manager Mike Forbes. “And we’re happy to have Grandville play here.”

S2 BECOMES WINGS WESTKalamazoo’s Stadium Management Company (SMG) added two more NHL sized

sheets of ice after purchasing the S2 Arena in July. SMG owns the K-Wings of the ECHL and the three-arena Wings Stadium Complex.

The company has made upgrades to the facility’s paint and sports bar and restaurant and renamed the arena “Wings West.” The arena is expected to host the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association, the three-team West Michigan Hounds AAA program, Southwest Michigan Skating Club, Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League, Kalamazoo Curling Club, Kalamazoo Figure Skating Club, and Western Michigan men’s and women’s club teams.

New junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and MuskegonNew junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and MuskegonNew junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and MuskegonNew junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and Muskegon

The Michigan Warriors got a new, expanded locker room (left) at Perani’s Arena in Flint (center), while improvements at Muskegon’s L.C. Walker Arena included a new weight room for the Lumberjacks.

New junior teams drive arena renovations in Flint and Muskegon


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earned two wins between the pipes.

COMPUWARE (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE)Compuware will have one of the most promising forwards in all of midget hockey

this season in Joe Cox.A future Michigan State Spartan, Cox committed to MSU over the summer and

will play next season (and up to six games this season) with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks after being taken in the USHL Futures Draft in May. He’ll arrive in East Lansing in the fall of 2012 or 2013.

“(Compuware) coach (George) Daniel is a demanding coach who prepares his players well for future success at the junior hockey level and beyond,” Muskegon coach Kevin Patrick said.

In net, when he’s not playing in the OHL for the two-time defending Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfi res, Josh Malecki should lead from the crease for Compuware.

DETROIT FALCONS (NAPHL)The Falcons, coached by former pro Brian Felsner of Mount Clemens, want nothing

more than to make signifi cant strides as the season wears on.“We expect to continually get better on a day-to-day basis,” said assistant coach

Jason Deskins, a Warren native and alumnus of the Compuware junior team and the Miami RedHawks. “Each and every day, we expect our players to compete – competing to us is winning one-on-one battles, blocking shots, winning faceoff s, taking hits to make plays and fi nishing hits at the appropriate time.”

Deskins said his team’s deep lineup should be an asset.“We have a great team with solid depth,” Deskins said. “Our kids will pay attention

to detail and will compete every shift. We have many talented individuals that will have opportunities to play at a higher level.”

HONEYBAKED (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE)New head coach Steve Dickinson has been an assistant the past three years, but

now assumes the reins of a team he said “will have some growing pains early, but will hopefully be a force to be reckoned with as the season goes on.”

Captain Drew Mayer is a returning forward and one of six USHL draft picks on the team this year. Alex Blankenburg will see a battle in goal with Japanese import Yoshihiro Kuroiwa, one of the top three goalies in Japan in his age group.

“Skill-wise, we are very strong,” said Dickinson. “We are a young team and once the maturity level catches up with the skill will determine how quickly we can be a very good team.

“We don’t want to peak too early, but we need to be consistent on a day-to-day basis and put out a tremendous product.”

LANSING CAPITALS (NAPHL)Head coach Dean Dixon says the name of the game in Lansing is player

advancement.“Our expectations are to keep moving players on to the next level,” said Dixon. “Last

season, we had six players tendered and three drafted to the NAHL. With that, we did have a lot of quality players, as well as quality young men, come to us this year.”

The Capitals have seven 1994 birth years on the squad this season, as well as several older players.

“We are young, but have a great mix of diff erent types of players,” added Dixon. “Every year is a learning process for the players. The key for them is to understand the compete level and to be consistent each time they step on the ice.”

Check out “Only on the Web” at: michiganhockeyonline.com to read the previews of Little Caesars (Tier 1 Elite League), Marquette Electricians (NLHL), Motor City Metal Jackets (NAPHL), Ojibwa Eagles (NLHL), Soo Indians (NLHL), Victory Honda (Tier 1 Elite League) and West Michigan Hounds (NLHL).

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Thirteen Midget Major squads will Thirteen Midget Major squads will compete for state championshipcompete for state championshipThirteen Midget Major squads will compete for state championship

BY MATT MACKINDERWith 13 top-level midget major teams in three diff erent leagues calling Michigan

home this season, even a casual observer can see that this is further proof that the state defi nitely excels at producing players ready to move on to higher levels.

This year, fi ve teams will play in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, another fi ve in the Northern Lakes Hockey League and three more in the North American Prospects Hockey League.

NAPHL director Denny Scanlon perhaps said it best when he assessed the midget hockey landscape in Michigan.

“There are some great midget programs in and around Michigan and our league is lucky to have some of the fi nest,” said Scanlon. “All of them are competitive and want nothing but the best for their players in terms of development and exposure, which is what we’re all about.”

Each year at this time, optimism is peaking and all teams are playing towards one goal – winning a Michigan Amateur Hockey Association state championship.

Here is an alphabetical look at the 13 Midget Major squads in Michigan:

BELLE TIRE (TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE)Head coach Chris Coury has his team primed for another run at the state

championship.“I never like to be the underdog,” said Coury. “I think the pressure makes the

kids better and from a coaching standpoint, I relish the challenge of teams coming to play us hard.”

Coury has had to replace 16 players on his squad the past two seasons, but feels he has some decent talent this year with returning defenseman Jake Strzalkowski and veteran forwards Andrew Holder, Darren McCormick and Omar Mullan.

Joe Moza and Jordan Uhelski will share time in net.“Our focus is always on the state tournament,” added Coury. “We have kids from

here, there and everywhere this season, but they are blending together.”

CAPITAL CENTRE PRIDE (NLHL)Capital Centre is out to show that last year’s 15-4-1 league record was no fl uke.The Pride was the top pick by NLHL coaches in the annual pre-season coach’s poll,

taking fi ve fi rst-place votes and 35 off a possible 36 points.Needless to say, head coach Ron Gay has his team going in the right direction.Last season, the Pride fi nished two points behind Shattuck St. Mary’s for the

regular season title and fi nished the same way in the NLHL tournament.This season, Capital Centre jumped out to a 4-0 record, led by forward Ryan

DeClerq’s 12 points on six goals and a six assists. Brandon Flood, Trevor McSween and Brad Pung each had fi ve goals and Nathan Phillips and Blake Hayes have each

Compuware’s Joe Cox has been drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) and has made a verbal commitment to attend Michigan State.

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Tier I Elite LeagueOctober 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5

BY MATT MACKINDERThe Mid-West Elite Hockey League had always been known as the top Midget

AAA program in the Great Lakes region.Two years ago the MWEHL expanded from the West Coast to the East Coast, and

the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League was born. The growth has proved to be a worthy way to enhance player development and exposure.

“We are the best league in the country,” said Tier 1 commissioner Larry Johnson. “I talk to people from other leagues and they tell me they have a great league, but then they play teams from our league at tournaments and they don’t match up to our teams.”

With fi ve 5-team divisions, and teams as far east as Boston and as far west as Los Angeles, the Tier 1 Elite league really is a nationwide circuit.

“I think there is something like 128 Midget Major teams in the United States and if you looked at the rankings of the top 30 in the country last year, 25 of them are the 25 teams from our league,” Little Caesars head coach Bill Ciraulo (above) said. “These are the top kids in the U.S. and it’s the most recruited league by college and junior scouts in the country.”

TOP COACHESBelle Tire’s Chris Coury, a longtime coach at the Midget AAA level, believes a big

part of the Tier I Elite League’s success comes from the stability of the league’s coaches.“We have some of the best coaches in the country and a lot of them have been

here a long time, guys like Coury and Ciraulo,” agreed Johnson. “And a lot of them don’t have a kid on the team. The continuity is good for the league and I think it helps the kids know what to expect. We just had one coach move up to a college team, so even our coaches advance once in a while.

“I laugh because the coaches of Compuware (George Daniel) and Honeybaked (Steve Dickinson) used to play for Coury. So guys that play here want to come back and support this league. I imagine, too, that games with Belle Tire against Compuware and Honeybaked might be a little bit more intense, too.”

MORE TEAMS, LESS TRAVELThe fi ve Michigan organizations – Belle Tire, Compuware, Honeybaked, Little

Caesars and Victory Honda – make up the Detroit Division in the league. In past years, it wasn’t uncommon for a midget roster to resemble a junior roster as a slew of players weren’t from Michigan and moved to the Detroit area to play midget hockey.

That still happens, but with top-level teams in places like Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Colorado, many high-end players are instead staying home.

“You used to see a lot more kids moving to come here to play midget hockey, but now, not so much,” Dickinson said. “Every team still has a few, but the numbers are nowhere near what they used to be.”

A perfect example of a player leaving town for midgets was when Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane left Buff alo at 15 to play for Honeybaked. He lived with assistant coach Pat Verbeek that season and now, well, did you happen to notice who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in June?

“The league is so spread out that players don’t need to leave home at 15 or 16,” Johnson said. “I know when my son was 16, I didn’t want him leaving home to play hockey. Detroit and Chicago have always attracted the kids from out of the state and even out of the country at times. Even now, tryouts start as soon as the previous season ends and we pick our teams pretty early. The competition is outstanding and

we really do get the best players in the country playing in our league. “When we picked the teams for this league, we didn’t just pick organizations

with good midget teams. We picked organizations that have AAA from squirts on up. You might have a barn-burner of a midget team one year, but move those guys up and what’s left? We don’t want that to happen.”

MOVING UPAnd speaking of the NHL, during each summer’s draft, more and more Americans

that played in the Tier 1 league (or MWEHL) are drafted by NHL teams. This past summer, Cam Fowler (Anaheim) and Austin Watson (Nashville) were taken in the fi rst round. Fowler last played for Honeybaked, while Watson is a Compuware grad.

In the USHL and NAHL junior drafts, Tier 1 players populate the draft lists at a rapid pace. In addition a good amount of players also wind up in Ann Arbor playing for the U.S. NTDP.

“Every year, we move so many players on and I know at the last USHL draft, something like 50 percent of the kids drafted were from the Tier 1 Elite league,” said Johnson. “The next closest league was like 10 or 15 players behind that. We also had a big percentage drafted by NAHL teams. We also move kids on to the OHL and it’s almost unheard of, but we have also had players drafted by NHL team’s right out of midget.”

COST CONTAINMENTWith more teams spread out farther from each other, containing costs is important.

The league has addressed the issue by cutting down the amount of games teams play at their showcase events over the course of the season to four in three days, instead of fi ve.

“We found that teams were getting home late, players were more susceptible to injuries and quite frankly, the kids were tired and the last games weren’t that worthwhile to watch,” said Johnson. “The showcase format is a big thing for scouts, as they can come to one rink and see really as many high-level games as they want. If you go to a tournament, only two or three games might be worthwhile. You come to one of our showcases and every game is worthwhile.”

Fraser’s Great Lakes Sports City will host all 25 Midget Minor teams Halloween weekend and then all 25 Midget Major teams at the end of December.

While the current state of the Tier 1 Elite league seems to be improving and gaining respect by the day, is there expansion on the horizon?

“At this point, we do not have any plans to expand,” Johnson said. “If we do, it would have to be with teams that wouldn’t weaken the league. Also, maybe down the road, and we’ve talked about this, we could divide the teams up into two conferences, east and west.

“Anything we can do to improve the league, make it cheaper, but still maintain the high level of competition, we’ll certainly look into.”

BY MATT MACKINDER

Top players and veteran Top players and veteran coaches fuel Tier 1 Elite Leaguecoaches fuel Tier 1 Elite LeagueTop players and veteran coaches fuel Tier 1 Elite League

PHOTOS BY DAVE REGINEK / DIG PHOTOS


New Metro Jets head coach Jason Cirone played 17 seasons of pro hockey, including one with the Flint Generals.

BY MATT MACKINDERAfter his Italian national team was eliminated from the 1998 World Championships

by France, Jason Cirone wasn’t upset about the season coming to a close. “That’s when I knew it was time,” said Cirone, now the Central States Hockey

League’s Metro Jets head coach. “Nobody had ever said anything about retiring, but as I sat there in Quebec City, I had a sense of accomplishment. I had been asked to play another year in Flint (with the since-folded Generals of the International Hockey League), but my family had given enough of themselves to me that it was time to give back. When I told my wife, Kristen, that it was over, we argued back and forth and even now, my son (10-year old Mason) asks me every summer when I’m going to start training.”

Now behind the bench as a rookie head coach, the 39-year-old Toronto native has brought his no-nonsense style of coaching to the team and hopes to turn around Metro’s fortunes. Cirone started coaching the season after he retired and has brought valuable experience to Waterford’s Lakeland Arena.

“The Motor City Machine (now Metal Jackets of the North American Hockey League) had a coaching change in the middle of the season and the assistant there, Sean Clark (also a former Metro assistant coach), gave me a call and asked if I wanted to be his new assistant,” explained Cirone. “Then when the team changed ownership last year and brought in David Cole, I was fortunate enough to be retained for that following season. I wouldn’t have had the chances I’ve had if certain people wouldn’t have given me the chance – guys like Sean and (Metro owner-GM) Butch (Wolfe) here. I’ve just been very fortunate. Hockey has done so much for me that now, it’s time for me to give back to hockey.”

Cirone is one of several CSHL head coaches that has professional hockey on his resume. He’s also the only coach with more than 1,000 pro games to his credit, including three games in the National Hockey League.

“I literally went all over the world to so many places that I never would have

gone, and I owe all those experiences to hockey. I mean, I went on vacation to Egypt and Africa and also went to Moscow, Latvia, Poland, all over Europe. Going all those places was so amazing.”

Cirone played in the International Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, West Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. During his second-to-last season in 2006-07 with the CHL’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, he was a player-assistant coach. That primed him for an assistant coaching job the past two years with Motor City.

Cirone’s crowning achievement, though, came during the 1991-92 season when he earned two diff erent recalls to the Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes) of the NHL. Winnipeg had drafted Cirone in the third round (46th overall) in the 1989 NHL draft.

“Getting to the NHL was all I ever thought about growing up,” Cirone said. “My father and mother supported me so much and I was your typical Canadian kid skating in the backyard rink. I’d get up at fi ve in the morning and skate, then go to school, come home and skate until dinner. I’d be at the dinner table with my skates on and then I’d go back out until it got dark.”

And while he didn’t record a point in his brief NHL career, Cirone did record 338 pro goals and more than 700 assists. Those totals also include six seasons in Italy, a country where he holds a passport, and he also played for the Italian national team in the 2006 Olympics on its home turf in Torino.

“To play for Italy, you have to play in the country for two calendar years and I did that,” explained Cirone. “Besides the hockey, it was a great experience being over there. My daughter (12-year old Brooke) speaks and writes Italian extremely well and my wife (Kristen) actually has a job now as an Italian translator. It’s more my dad’s country, but I was still very proud to play for Italy.”

Coaching has been a natural progression for Cirone.“It’s been quite a lifestyle change since I retired, but it’s better for all of us. In

hockey, you tend to be selfi sh a lot, your family is always there to give you endless love. I can honestly say that I have no regrets.”

“I’m very happy with what I accomplished and am excited to see where this season takes us.”

Junior Hockey October 4, 2010, Volume 21 : Issue 5

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Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Jets into new CSHL seasonJets into new CSHL season

Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Jets into new CSHL seasonJets into new CSHL season

Globetrotter Cirone leads Metro Jets into new CSHL season


Junior Hockey

BY MATT MACKINDERWhen the Plymouth Whalers made a late summer trade to acquire Alex Aleardi,

the initial response from most observers was that it was a move to bring a talented local player closer to home for his third season in the Ontario Hockey League.

Whalers general manager and head coach Mike Vellucci gave up two future second round draft picks to get the 18-year-old native of Farmington Hills from Belleville, and the move looks pretty good so far. In Plymouth’s fi rst three games – a 5-4 shootout loss to Windsor, a 6-2 win over Barrie and a 3-2 loss to London - Aleardi scored seven goals, including two hat tricks. He was the Star of the Game twice, was a +4 and was named the OHL’s fi rst player of the week.

To put those numbers in perspective, Aleardi had tallied just 21 goals in 129 games over the past two seasons in Belleville and Kitchener. In one pre-season game on Sept. 12, eight days before the trade to Plymouth, Aleardi popped all fi ve goals for Belleville in a 5-4 win over Oshawa.

Where is all the off ense coming from all of a sudden? Aleardi showed his humble side when approached with that question.

“I’ve always been an off ensive-type player and once I adjusted to the pace of the OHL, I actually had some good numbers last year (16 goals, 41 points),” Aleardi said. “I played a little bit more in Belleville than I did in Kitchener and learned to read the play better. So far this year, I just give credit to my linemates (overager Tyler Brown and second-year forward Garrett Meurs), who have been just phenomenal. (Coach Vellucci) put us together my fi rst practice and we clicked. It seemed like we had known each other forever. It’s my third year in the league and I’ve put it on myself to score more.”

CLOSER TO HOMEAleardi was originally Kitchener’s third round pick in 2008 and was dealt to

Belleville last season at the trade deadline. Getting traded again wasn’t something Aleardi was hoping for, but when the proposition was made to him, it was an off er he couldn’t turn down.

“In Belleville, we were really deep at the center position and had some really good talent,” said Aleardi. “(Belleville head coach and general manager) George (Burnett) called me into his offi ce and said he was trading me back to my hometown. He said Plymouth was in need of some off ense. It’s a good situation for me because now there are no six-hour drives to come see me play or anything like that. I can have my friends and family in the stands watching me.

“The players here in Plymouth are great, too. When I got here, I didn’t know anyone and they each came up to me and introduced themselves.”

It’s not as though playing at Compuware Arena is a new scenario, however. Aleardi grew up playing in the Compuware youth system and during his OHL draft year of

2007-08 he played on the Compuware Midget Minor squad that also featured London forward and Boston prospect Jared Knight (Battle Creek), Peterborough forward Austin Watson (Ann Arbor), Nashville’s top pick last summer, and current Plymouth defenseman and Carolina draft pick Austin Levi (Farmington Hills)

“That 1992 age group was one of the best and deepest in the U.S. and Canada,” remembered Aleardi. “That year, I really didn’t know what I was going to do the year after that. I had no clue. I was dabbling in going to college, but after I visited Kitchener, I really liked the city and then they took me in the third round. I never thought I’d play in Plymouth, but now that I’m here, I am very happy to be here. I just want to get a couple more wins on the board.”

Plymouth lost their season opener in Windsor, then lost in a shootout in London before beating Barrie at home. Aleardi said while his individual statistics have been great, they are not the most important numbers to him.

“I would trade all those goals for more wins,” Aleardi said. “My dad always used to say that team success equals individual success. We could win 6-1 and I could have no points, but I’d be happy that we won.”

Points or no points, it appears more notches in the win column may be on the horizon for the Whalers.

WHALERS NOTEBOOKDefenseman Leo Jenner and forward Joe Gaynor, two overage players from last

season who played fi ve years in Plymouth, will both play for Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, this season … The third OA from last year, forward Ryan Hayes, has signed with the ECHL’s Trenton Devils … If the Whalers raise $10,000 before their third annual Pink Out! game for breast cancer awareness on Oct. 16 against Windsor, Vellucci and associate coach Joe Stefan will join the players in dyeing their hair pink … Chelsea native Joe Cox, a 10th-round pick of the Whalers in May’s draft, has committed to Michigan State for either 2012 or 2013 … Veteran defenseman Beau Schmitz (Howell) wore the ‘C’ for the season-opening trifecta of games for the Whalers, while Brown, Meurs and veteran defenseman Jay Gilbert were the alternate captains.

HE SAID IT“Last year was defi nitely a learning experience. It helped me learn the speed of

the game and how if you’re not big and strong, guys keep up with you pretty easily. Last year, (coach) Mike (Vellucci) put me in as a penalty killer. Every chance I got, I tried to block shots and play well. This year, I’m trying to do the exact same thing. I’ll play any role I’m given this year and try to play well.” – second-year forward Stefan Noesen, on PlymouthWhalers.com

Farmington Hills native and Compuware midget major alumnus Alex Aleardi has started the season red hot in Plymouth.

PHOTO BY RENA LAVERTY/PLYMOUTH WHALERS

Ice RinksIce Skating RinksSports Complexes

HockeyFigure SkatingAdult LeaguesYouth LeaguesSpecial EventsCivic CentersExhibitions

Directors & Offi cers CoverageDesigned for Hockey Associations/

Leagues, prep and other non-profi ts.

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[email protected]

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We are hoping to make it the best one yet! If we raise $10,000 before the game, not only will the entire team dye their hair pink, but head coach Mike Vellucci & Assistant coach Joe Stefanwill dye their hair too!All proceeds will go to the Karmanos Cancer Institute.See plymouthwhalers.com for details!

FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL (734) 453-8400

Now Registering for Winter Session 1

November 2 - December 18All ages and Levels, Beginner - Adult

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ADULT HOCKEY Skills and Conditioning SeriesGET OFF THE BENCH!

Fall Session October 13th - December 16

10 Weeks10 Classes

Winter Session January 12th - March 17

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BY CARL CHIMENTISince injuring his knee in the playoff s last March, veteran Saginaw forward Barry

Sanderson has been chomping at the bit to get back on the ice.The Dearborn native suff ered a torn ACL, spent the spring and summer doing

rehab and has been cleared to return to the Spirit lineup. “I tried to stay positive,” said Sanderson, who is set to compete in his fi fth season

in the OHL. “I said let’s get the swelling down and get the surgery started so I can get back to playing as soon as possible.”

Sanderson skated during training camp with no contact. “My main focus has been my game conditioning and speed,” said Sanderson, who

was acquired in 2008 from the Niagara IceDogs. “Everything feels really good and I am very excited to start the year.”

After enjoying the last four years playing in front of his family and friends, Sanderson is intent on impressing scouts in his fi nal season of junior hockey.

“It’s been a blast,” he said. if I have a good year, you just don’t know what might happen.”

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHTSaginaw assistant general manager and director of scouting Jim Paliafi to is

pleased with the 2010 draft and free agent classes. “The young guys got a small taste of life in the OHL,” said Paliafi to. “It’s going to

take a bit of adjustment but everyone fared really well.” Big center Justin Kea, the Spirit’s fi rst round pick, picked up steam as the pre-season

wrapped up and scored a highlight goal against Sarnia in the next to last exhibition game. He most likely will center Saginaw’s fourth line.

Saginaw’s fi rst of two second round picks, goalie Jake Paterson, looked solid in his only pre-season appearance, also against the Sting, turning in two excellent periods. Defenseman and second rounder Jacob Ringuette missed most of training camp with an injury.

“Justin is a big strong, skilled forward that can really skate, Paterson played a good fi rst game and Ringuette is a little behind the eight ball, but he is coming around,” said Paliafi to.

In addition the two free agent invites, forwards Alex Racino and defensemen Dalton Young (Marysville) turned in solid performances and Brandon Saad, the team’s 2008 fi rst round draft pick, has been dominant since day one, collecting three points in his fi rst game against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

“Both Racino and Young are going to have to adjust to the speed of the game and Saad is a projected top NHL draft pick who should do very well in this league,” continued Paliafi to. “It will take about a month or two for everyone to adjust and we will bring them up slowly and by the second half of the season they will be able to give us some positive energy.”

SPIRIT NOTEBOOKSaginaw opened season play on the road with a 5-2 loss in Kitchener on Sept. 24

and then beat Erie, 3-2, the following night. Tied 2-2 tie through 40 minutes, the Rangers tallied three times in the fi nal period, including the game winner from Tyler Randell at 8:58. Mavric Parks got the start and stopped 40 of 45 shots… Saginaw rebounded with a gritty eff ort against the Otters as Vincent Trocheck scored his second of two goals with less then three minutes to play and Parks stopped 34 of 36 shots to even Saginaw’s record at 1-1. Brandon Saad netted his fi rst career OHL goal and also had an assist and Ryan O’Connor added a pair of assists in the win… Saginaw was minus Anthony Camara and head coach Todd Watson during the weekend. Camara was handed a four-game suspension for a post game skirmish last on Sept. 17 in Sarnia which carried an automatic two-game suspension for the head coach. “There was no intent for trouble to come up,” Watson told the team’s website. “It just transpired after the game and the rule states that the coach is suspended if a player gets involved that wasn’t on the ice.”

Junior Hockey

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Upcoming GamesDoubleheader Weekend

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8Under-18 Team vs.

Dubuque Fighting Saints - 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9Under-17 Team vs.

Dubuque Fighting Saints - 3 p.m.Under-18 Team vs.

Muskegon Lumberjacks - 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10Under-17 Team vs.

Chicago Steel - 3 p.m.

Special PromotionsMagnet Schedule Giveaway

The first 100 fans at each of the four games will receive a NTDP Magnet Schedule

General Admission Tickets

Children under 5 are FREE!Youth players get in for a buck!

NTDP Equipment SaleAn equipment sale will be held all weekend at each game (or until

supplies last). Equipment available will include sticks, gloves, helmets, pants, weight training equipment, trunks and other great hockey gear!

For NTDP tickets and group rate information, call 734-327-9251 or visit

usahockey.com/usantdp

Hockey fans, come check out some of the brightest young stars of the game for the lowest prices

around at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube!

Youth hockey players can get into the NTDP games for just $1 when they wear their jersey! Bring your whole team out to see the

future stars of college and pro hockey and meet them after the game!

T

sp

Fri., Oct. 8 Under-18 Dubuque Fighting Saints 7 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 9 Under-17 Dubuque Fighting Saints 3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 9 Under-18 Muskegon Lumberjacks 7 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 10 Under-17 Chicago Steel 3 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 29 Under-17 Indiana Ice 7 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 30 Under-17 Green Bay Gamblers 7 p.m.

Fri., Nov. 5 Under-17 Muskegon Lumberjacks 7 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 20 Under-18 Omaha Lancers 7 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 21 Under-18 Indiana Ice 3 p.m.

Thurs., Dec. 9 Under-17 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 7 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 10 Under-18 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 7 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 11 Under-18 Chicago Steel 7 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 12 Under-17 Indiana Ice 3 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 8 Under-17 Sioux City Musketeers 7 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 9 Under-17 Youngstown Phantoms 3 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 14 Under-18 Green Bay Gamblers 7 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 15 Under-18 Youngstown Phantoms 4 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 22 Under-17 Sioux Falls Stampede 7 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 3 Under-18 Tri-City Storm 7 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 18 Under-17 Muskegon Lumberjacks 7 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 19 Under-17 Chicago Steel 7 p.m.

Wed., Mar. 2 Under-17 Waterloo Black Hawks 7 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 4 Under-18 Waterloo Black Hawks 7 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 5 Under-18 Des Moines Buccaneers 7 p.m.

Sun., Mar. 6 Under-17 Fargo Force 3 p.m.

Tue., Mar. 8 Under-17 Indiana Ice 7 p.m.

Tue., Mar. 22 Under-17 Chicago Steel 7 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 25 Under-18 Lincoln Stars 7 p.m.

Sun., Mar. 27 Under-17 Des Moines Buccaneers 3 p.m.

Sat., Apr. 2 Under-17 Youngstown Phantoms 7 p.m.

2010-11 Home Schedule (all games at Ann Arbor Ice Cube)


2010-11 NAHL Standings (as of Sept. 27)CENTRAL GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIMCoulee Region 6 5 0 1 11 0.917 23 13 99Alexandria 5 3 1 1 7 0.700 20 13 85Bismarck 6 3 2 1 7 0.583 19 16 101Owatonna 4 1 3 0 2 0.250 14 18 64Austin 4 1 3 0 2 0.250 8 16 69Aberdeen 5 0 5 0 0 0.000 13 31 68

NORTH GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIMSt. Louis 8 6 2 0 12 0.750 29 20 116Janesville 8 5 1 2 12 0.750 26 15 163Traverse City 5 4 1 0 8 0.800 16 8 87Motor City 6 4 2 0 8 0.667 20 20 194Springfield 9 3 6 0 6 0.333 25 31 146Michigan 7 2 4 1 5 0.357 22 22 109Chicago 9 1 7 1 3 0.167 23 47 225Port Huron 4 0 4 0 0 0.000 8 20 174

SOUTH GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIMWichita Falls 6 6 0 0 12 1.000 24 11 120Amarillo 7 5 1 1 11 0.786 26 19 193Topeka 6 5 1 0 10 0.833 20 13 141Corpus Christi 7 3 3 1 7 0.500 26 26 262Texas 7 2 2 3 7 0.500 25 29 164New Mexico 6 3 3 0 6 0.500 18 24 146

WEST GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIMFairbanks 7 5 0 2 12 0.857 35 21 128Wenatchee 6 5 1 0 10 0.833 24 15 107Alaska 9 4 5 0 8 0.444 25 26 278Kenai River 8 3 5 0 6 0.375 21 26 164Fresno 4 2 1 1 5 0.625 13 16 82Dawson Creek 7 2 4 1 5 0.357 11 18 318

TOP SCORERS TEAM POS GP G A PTS PIM PPG SHGEinersen, Rock TEX F 7 7 6 13 10 2 0Nauman, Ethan SPR F 9 4 8 12 11 2 0Osborn, JT FAI F 7 10 2 12 4 3 0Nagtzaam, Nardo ALX F 5 6 6 12 6 3 0Walker, Beau COR F 7 4 7 11 4 0 0Wydo, Cody MCM F 6 6 5 11 0 2 0Albrecht, James CHI F 9 3 7 10 2 1 0Vierling, Zach FAI F 7 2 8 10 0 0 0Hill, Michael TOP F 6 4 6 10 10 2 0Gaarder, Connor COU F 6 3 7 10 13 1 0Mauermann, Ross JNE F 8 2 7 9 0 0 0Stouffer, Ryan STL F 8 6 3 9 8 3 0Pearson, Andy ALA F 9 3 5 8 4 1 0Lubanski, Brett KNR F 8 3 5 8 4 1 0Jacobson, Derek JNE F 8 4 4 8 8 2 1Educate, Louis CHI F 8 3 5 8 8 2 0Linnell, Jared FAI F 7 3 5 8 2 0 1Cheraso, Sam COR F 7 5 3 8 21 1 1Frye, Zach WEN D 6 1 7 8 20 0 1Klecha, Dakota WFS F 6 5 3 8 18 2 0Amin, Ryan TVC F 5 5 3 8 0 2 1

TOP GOALIES TEAM GP MIN SO GA GAA SV SV%Meyers, Jacob ALX 2 125:00:00 0 2 0.96 23 0.920 Hamby, Jimmy STL 5 243:32:00 0 5 1.23 85 0.944 Marble, Tyler TVC 5 299:54:00 2 7 1.40 144 0.954 Jacobson, David JNE 8 486:22:00 2 13 1.60 181 0.933 Garavaglia, Eric WFS 3 184:44:00 1 5 1.62 98 0.951 Szczerba, Nikifor AMA 6 326:04:00 1 9 1.66 159 0.946 Dyson, Edward DAW 3 190:00:00 0 6 1.89 100 0.943 Tirronen, Rasmus TOP 4 220:00:00 1 7 1.91 88 0.926 Moberg, Paul COU 5 310:55:00 0 10 1.93 174 0.946 Jaeger, Brandon WEN 3 180:00:00 0 6 2.00 66 0.917 Green, Tyler WFS 2 120:00:00 0 4 2.00 68 0.944 Ceasar, Gordon MCM 3 143:49:00 1 5 2.09 62 0.925 Perry, Steve FAI 4 219:15:00 1 8 2.19 96 0.923 Benton, Josh KNR 5 205:22:00 1 8 2.34 82 0.911 Madore, Matt NME 2 120:00:00 0 5 2.50 64 0.928

CHECK IT OUT LATEST HEADLINES TEAM CONTACT INFO

FULL SCHEDULE & MORE.COM

Showcase Tournament kicks off season in styleAlready positioned as one of the largest and most prestigious fall festivals in all of

North America, the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Showcase Tournament, sponsored by SBK Hockey, held true to form once again this year.

Celebrated in mid-September at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. for the eighth straight year, the event set new highs for attendance and scout presence while ushering in hundreds of the world’s best young prospects.

“From fans to parents to scouts to coaches, I heard nothing but glowing reviews and I think that speaks volumes about the reputation of the Showcase and everyone involved,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. “This event has really taken on a life of its own and we can’t wait to bring it to an even higher level next season.”

All 26 NAHL teams played four regular-season games at the tournament, which was highlighted by a visit from six-time Stanley Cup winner Mark Messier, who was in attendance to announce The Messier Project’s new partnership with the NAHL as the league’s Offi cial Helmet Supplier.

The event also included the fi rst tournament of the second North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) season, in which 38 Midget Major (18U), Midget Minor (16U) and Bantam Major (14U) teams competed at the Tier I level.

And the hockey didn’t end there. Twenty-two teams also made up the NAHL Future Prospects Tournament, which included clubs at the 18U and 16U levels. The Minnesota Blades won the Future’s Midget Major championship. The North Jersey Avalanche took home the Midget Minor title.

WALL-TO-WALL ACTIONAll of it equated to wall-to-wall hockey at the Super Rink, which drew plenty of

praise from college and NHL scouts alike.“The talent level in the NAHL is pretty impressive. It’s amazing how many good

young players are out there,” said Derek Plante, an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). “And the talent at the Midget and Bantam levels was also high. There were some elite athletes, which made it benefi cial to watch for our program.”

“It’s a great opportunity for these young men to showcase their talents in front of scouts from all across the country,” said Tony Gasparini, an amateur scout for the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. “Having an event like this at this time of year allows every team to get a fi rst look and feel for the league and the players, which is benefi cial for everybody.”

In the end, it was the Wichita Falls Wildcats, who went a perfect 4-0 at the event, laying claim to the Showcase Tournament championship after besting the also-undefeated Topeka RoadRunners in the tiebreaker.

“There was high-end talent, as well as developing players, which makes for a good evaluation for college recruiters,” noted Tom Newton, an assistant coach with Michigan State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). “The ability to see that many prospects in one spot in a well-organized setting was just outstanding.”

“I thought the overall talent showcased was very good at both the NAHL and NAPHL levels,” added Bemidji State University assistant coach Ted Belisle, whose team

has 11 former NAHL players on its WCHA roster. “The games were very competitive and enjoyable to watch, and there were many players who left a good impression.”

LOTS OF SCOUTSMark Catron, head coach of the Indiana Jr. Ice’s 18U team which leads its division

after opening its NAPHL season with a 5-0 record (there is a three-way tie between Thunder AAA, Omaha AAA and the California Titans in the 16U division; the Rocky Mountain Roughriders lead the 14U bracket), was wowed by all of the scouts in the building the entire week.

“What an awesome event,” he said. “Scouts were visible at every game and, as a coach, I was extremely pleased with how much they watched all of the teams.”

“The event was fi rst class in every sense of the word,” added Omaha AAA 16U head coach David Wilkie. “The scouting presence was unparalleled.”

The tournament doesn’t come close to reaching its prestige without the Super Rink, the largest facility of its kind in the world. From its eight sheets of ice to its accommodating and experienced staff , no other building matches what the Super Rink delivers.

“We couldn’t host an event like this anywhere else, and the reason it evolves year after year is because of the great people at the Super Rink,” said Frankenfeld. “They do an outstanding job

from head to toe and we can’t thank them enough for their eff orts.”“The Showcase is always a great event and we look forward to hosting it every

year,” Super Rink ice arena operations and program director Pete Carlson said. “The NAHL and its staff does a phenomenal job and it’s a treat to work with them.”

A GREAT WEEKIn addition to the abundance of talent, scouts were also impressed with how

well the tournament was run.“I’ve always been pleased with the Showcase,” said Belisle. “Considering the

amount of teams and games played, it always amazes me how smooth the event runs, and that speaks to the organization and level of professionalism of those involved with the NAHL.”

“It’s a great venue to watch a lot of hockey in one place, and it’s mind-boggling at times because there’s so much hockey going on at one time,” added Plante. “I thought the Showcase was very well organized and the staff was very accommodating to the scouting community.”

Gasparini, who’s attended the Showcase the last four years, agrees.“Once again, I was very impressed with the level of organization involved with both

NAHL events,” he said. “I thought they were well organized and very scout-friendly.”And, for many of the participating players, the experience will pay off in short time.“Our mission as a league is to maximize the exposure of all of our players and

prospective players, and there’s no better forum to do that than at the Showcase,” said Frankenfeld. “It’s a special event and one we’re very proud of and look forward to every fall.”

NORTH AMERICANNORTH AMERICANHOCKEY LEAGUEHOCKEY LEAGUENORTH AMERICANHOCKEY LEAGUE

Texas Rock Einerson leads the NAHL in scoring with seven goals and 13 points in seven games.


NORTH AMERICANHOCKEY LEAGUE

800-667-5141www.coachmate.com

To recognize and promote the commitment of youth coaches in the state, Michigan Hockey would like youth coaches to tell us a few things about

yourself and why you coach youth hockey.

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Junior Hockey

Muskegon ready to begin Muskegon ready to begin fi rst USHL seasonfi rst USHL season

Muskegon ready to begin Muskegon ready to begin fi rst USHL seasonfi rst USHL season

Muskegon ready to begin fi rst USHL season

BY PHILIP COLVINAfter wrapping up the pre-season with four straight wins,

the Muskegon Lumberjacks are chomping at the bit to get their fi rst United States Hockey League (USHL) season started.

Muskegon opened the pre-season with a 4-3 win over Chicago on September 10 at Joe Louis Arena, split games with Indianapolis and then beat the Fargo Force (4-2), Dubuque Fighting Saints (4-1) and Sioux City, 8-3, at the USHL’s Fall Classic on September 22-25 in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Lumberjacks got solid goaltending from Paul Berrafato (four wins) and Joel Vienneau, who returned from off -season surgery to backstop the Lumberjacks’ win against Dubuque. Muskegon featured a balanced scoring attack that included two goal games from forwards Charlie Taft (against Dubuque) and Canton’s Matt Berry (against Sioux City and pictured above) and John Parker scored in three straight games.

“They played hard and they played for 60 minutes,” said Lumberjacks Head Coach Kevin Patrick. “They got a lot of pucks to the net and good things happen when you do that. I’m very proud of how the guys played in these three games and we’ve got a lot to build off .”

Muskegon’s roster has eight players from Michigan, including defensemen Kevin Albers (Lake Orion), Carter Foguth (Fenton), Micki Mihailovich (Westland), Travis Walsh (Lansing), Mark Yanis (Grosse Pointe Woods) and forwards Matt DeBlouw (Chesterfi eld), Matt Berry (Canton) and Michael Moran (Ann Arbor)

The Lumberjacks open their inaugural regular season in the USHL on Saturday, Oct. 2, against the Indiana Ice at the L.C. Walker Arena at 7:15 p.m.

“I can’t wait for the home opener,” Berry said.

ON THE RADIOMuskegon broadcaster Christopher Heimerman will host the

“Breaking Out the Lumberjacks” weekly radio program from 6-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM, The Champ, at Racquets Downtown Grill across the street from the L.C. Walker Arena. The show will feature Lumberjacks Head Coach Kevin Patrick and two Jacks players and will be rebroadcast on The Champ every Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m.

EVERYONE BACK IN ANN ARBOR FOR U.S. NATIONAL UNDER 18 TEAM

All twenty-two players on the U.S. National Under 18 are returning for their second season with the NTDP, having spent last season with the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

The Under 18 Team roster includes three players from Michigan, defenseman Andy Ryan (Brighton), forwards Reid Boucher (Grand Ledge), Blake Pietila (Brighton) and Rocco Grimaldi, a California native that played for Little Caesars Midget Major.

The 22 players on the U.S. roster represent 11 diff erent states. Minnesota leads the way with four natives on the roster, while

Ohio also has three.Fifteen members of Team USA have verbally committed to

NCAA Division I schools.Flint native Ron Rolston, the most successful coach in NTDP

history, will guide the Under-18 squad in his seventh season, after serving behind the bench for the Under-17 team last season. Chadd Cassidy will enter his fi fth season as assistant coach, while Matt Curley will serve as intern coach.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team will play a 16-game schedule against NCAA opponents, including four teams that fi nished the 2009-10 season ranked in the top 10 of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll, including No. 4 University of Denver (Oct. 2), No. 7 University of North Dakota (Dec. 18), No. 8 University of Michigan (Oct. 12) and No. 9 Cornell University (Oct. 23).

The U.S. will also compete internationally, at the 2010 Under-18 Four Nations Cup Nov. 8-14 in Sweden and the 2011 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament Feb. 7-13 in the Czech Republic. The season then culminates with Team USA looking to capture its eighth straight medal and third consecutive gold at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Germany, April 5-25.

Grimaldi scored a goal in all four of the squad’s pre-season games, including two in a 5-4 win over Waterloo (USHL) on Sept. 25 at the USHL Fall Classic. Pietila scored the game-winner in the third period.

UNDER-17 TEAM ALSO HAS MICHIGAN CONNECTION

Calumet’s Ben Johnson scored twice to help the U.S. National Under 17 Team to a 7-4 victory over Traverse City (NAHL) on Sept. 24 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

The win was Pontiac native Danton Cole’s fi rst as head coach of the team, part of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP).

Cole’s Under 17 squad also includes two defenseman from Michigan in Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor) and Jacob Trouba (Compuware Midget Major) and Connor Carrick of Orland Park, Illinois who has made a verbal commitment to play at the University of Michigan.

The team, whose assistant coach is Matt Greason and intern coach is Tyler Eaves, look to defend its titles at both the 2010 Under-17 Four Nations Cup, Nov. 7-14, in Woodridge, Ill. and the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Dec. 28, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, in Winnipeg, Man. Additionally, the U.S. will travel to Piestany, Slovakia, Feb. 6-13, for the 2011 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament.

The 23 players on the U.S. roster represent 10 diff erent states. Illinois leads the way with six natives on the roster, while Massachusetts boasts four and California and Minnesota each boast three.

Twelve members of Team USA have verbally committed to NCAA Division I schools.

PHOTO BY TERRY SABO/MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS



NHL & Red Wing Insiders July 12, 2010, Volume 20 : Issue 21

Kevin Allen covers pro and college hockey for USA Today

Top 10 reasons why Red Wings can win the Cup

Having established himself as the starter in the Detroit net, goalie Jimmy Howard is looking forward to a season heavy with action.

However, there just won’t be any mind games included on his schedule.

“I’m not too worried about a sophomore slump,” said Howard, who posted a record of 37-15-10 with a 2.26 GAA and a .924 save percentage in his fi rst full NHL season.

“I’ve never really had one before. I never had one in college and I thought I played better the second year around in the AHL.”

It’s not that Howard doesn’t feel any pressure or fails to realize the enormous expectations in Detroit this season.

Retooled, rested and healthy, the Wings are once again looked upon as Stanley Cup contenders provided Howard avoids the kind of struggles that Columbus’ Steve Mason suff ered through in his second season last winter.

“I set the bar pretty high for myself last year,” Howard concedes. “I’m excited to meet that challenge, try to better myself.”

“It’s just a diff erent situation, Columbus-Detroit. I’ve got a phenomenal team in front of me. If I just stay back there and not try to overdo anything and stay within myself, I should be fi ne.”

Howard said there are a number of reasons why players fall victim to the infamous sophomore jinx. Most of them have to do with not being able to isolate what happens in each game.

“If you have the one bad game and then you start listening to people, it can wear on you,” Howard said. “The one thing I’ve learned is to let everything go after each game.

“There’s nothing you can do about it, move on and get ready for the next day.

“It’s just learning a lot from watching this guy (Chris Osgood). You see how things fl ow off his back. You’ve got to learn how to do that to be successful in the NHL.”

Howard added he’s not concerned that the shooters will have the book on what he likes to do after seeing him for a season.

In his opinion, to try and add new wrinkles to his game is a recipe for disaster.

“As a goalie, it’s almost less is more,” Howard said. “When you try to do too much out there, that’s when holes start to open up and your mind starts wandering.

“I don’t want to get out there and try to change my game just so guys don’t know where to shoot on me. After 10 games into the season, everyone has got the book on you anyway.”

For the 26-year-old Howard, fi nding a comfort level has been paramount to his success. Entering this season with more certainty in his life, Howard was very sharp in training camp.

“This year it was a diff erent situation,” said Howard, who got married in the summer of 2009 and passed on taking his honeymoon until later as to not disrupt his preparations for last season.

“Last year, I had diff erent things to take care of away from the arena. It seems like there was a lot going on.

“We were going over to Sweden. You were trying to get everything done with your house to move in.

“It drove me a little bit nuts. This was nice to just come back here and have my house already set up, just relax and get focused for the season.”

Wings coach Mike Babcock also doesn’t fear Howard will fall victim to the sophomore jinx.

His confi dence in that assessment stems from Howard being older and having served an apprenticeship in the AHL.

“Mason came in at 19 or 20 and was a superstar his fi rst year,” Babcock said. “That wasn’t Howie. He had fi ve years in the minors to catch on.”

During that time, Howard learned what is required of the craft at the professional level. Last season, under the tutelage of Wings’ goalie coach Jim Bedard, he refi ned it further to achieve success at the highest level in the sport.

“Just be patient out there,” said Howard of the most important lesson he learned last season. “When I fi rst started out in the season, I was really busy in the net. I was over pushing. Instead of letting the play come to me, I was trying to make saves instead of letting the puck hit me.

“This year, I’m a lot more confi dent in the net and a lot more calm.”

What Howard has focused on improving this summer is helping out his defensemen more. He admits he played a very conservative game last season when it came to handling the puck.

“Playing the puck, I think I can do a lot better job at that,” Howard said. “I think last year I almost took the guys for granted back there and how good they are in coming back.

“They’re so good at making fi rst passes out of the zone, I felt like if I got back there I was just in the way.

“This year I need to get out there and just play it a little more. Not be a Marty Brodeur, just help out a little more.”

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard isn’t worried about having a sophomore slump in the Red Wings’ net.

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Howard ready for good second seasonHoward ready for good second seasonHoward ready for good second season

OPEN 24HRS for your feature articles and columnistsmichiganhockeyonline.com

It seems almost trendy in the hockey world to suggest the Detroit Red Wings are a franchise on the decline. People point to the ages of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, or the Red Wings’ lack of off ensive might last season as indications that the fall of Detroit’s hockey empire is upon us.

Cleary, there are knowledgeable hockey people who believe Detroit’s long run is over.

I am not among them.The truth is I believe the Red Wings are the best team in

the Western Conference, because of the depth they have up and down their line-up. As long as Jimmy Howard plays as well as he did last season in net, I believe Detroit is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Here are some reasons why I rank Detroit No. 1 in the West:

1. Scoring fi repower - Once the Red Wings worked through their bushel of injuries last season, they were 16-3-2 over the last quarter of the season. Anticipating fewer injuries this season, the Red Wings might score 30 more goals and be among the NHL’s top-scoring teams again.

2. The Blackhawks’ depth was lost because of cap issues and San Jose lost Rob Blake to retirement and allowed Evgeni Nabokov to walk away through free agency. The Sharks goalie will be Antero Niitttymaki or Antti Niemi. It’s certainly not unthinkable that Niittymaki will turn out to be a true bargain. He has played sharply in stretches, but you wouldn’t have to go far in the hockey world to fi nd folks who view him as an exceptional back-up goalie or a 1A goalie rather than a true No. 1. Niemi also has his critics, even though he helped Chicago win a Stanley Cup. Remember last year at this time it wasn’t even a lock that he would make Chicago’s team. There are those around the hockey world who haven’t decided whether he was “hot” last season or whether he is an elite-level goalie.

The San Jose Sharks had to spend their money on keeping their talent, and couldn’t make any signifi cant improvements. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks still have Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews up front and their defense is essentially intact, but history tells us how diffi cult it is to repeat. It’s challenging to maintain the hunger.

3. Deeper - While other teams have lost depth, the Red

Wings have regained Jiri Hudler from the Kontinental Hockey League and signed Mike Modano to play on the third line. Modano still skates magnifi cently and Detroit has a history of squeezing the last bit of impact out of older players.

4. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is expected to play much better than he did last season when he seemed to lose his confi dence. If he comes even close to how he played when he fi rst arrived in the league, the Red Wings’ defense could be far stingier than it was last season.

5. Nick Lidstrom, 40, is still among the top fi ve or six defensemen in the NHL. He’s fi rst rate on the power play, and

he’s still wickedly effi cient in one-on-one defensive situations. No defenseman is a better fi rst passer than Lidstrom.

6. Star power - The Red Wings still have Pavel Datsyuk (pictured above) and Henrik Zetterberg. Recently, I surveyed 14 of the NHL’s top players. I asked each of them to pick the league’s best player not named Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, and both Datsyuk and Zetterberg received votes.

7. Ruslan Salei will give the Red Wings more bite on the blue line. He’s excited about playing in Detroit’s puck possession system

8. Mike Babcock is the NHL’s top coach. Is there any doubt in that after the Olympic results? His level of preparation is second to none, and his ability to adjust his lineup to fi x problems or give his team a boost seems to be a Scotty Bowman-quality. Players may not always enjoy his intensity, but it’s hard not to respect the job he does. When the injuries piled up last season, Babcock’s coaching kept the Red Wings in the hunt.

9. When Johan Franzen stays healthy, he is among the NHL’s most gifted players. He’s bull-like in his ability to charge the net and he has world-class skill. If he could play 80 games this season, he could score 40 goals.

10. High expectations - There’s not a more confi dent team in the NHL. The Red Wings are the New York Yankees of the NHL. They expect to succeed. They expect to win. The Red Wings winning tradition has carried this team for a very long time. There is a reason why the area is called Hockeytown.

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michigan hockey october 4, 2010

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