Su Blog Frozen

In 2007-08, la lega del Hockey degli Stati Uniti accoglierà favorevolmente la relativa tredicesima concessione nel gioco della lega: Fargo, il Dakota del Nord (a partire da questa scrittura unmascoted) farà parte della lega digenerazione di sviluppo, pattinante in un rink brand-new delle 5.000 sedi. La squadra sarà condotta dall'ex decano Blais di leggenda della sporgenza del banco del Sioux di combattimento, che servirà da vettura e GM. UND condotto Blais ai campionati nazionali in 1997 ed in 2000. Non un resume difettoso per una vettura di USHL.

Il USHL è stato stabilito in 1961 e brevemente ha ospitato i giocatori professionali del hockey. Ha rinviato alla relativa condizione completamente dilettante del presente in 1979. In virtù della relativa condizione dilettante ha un piedino in su sull'attrarre il talento giovane principale attualmente, come i giocatori possono pattinare là un anno o due e mantenere la loro eleggibilità di NCAA. CHLers, naturalmente, è privata della loro eleggibilità di NCAA.

Il USHL languished nel obscurity fino a circa 2000, où la partecipazione americana di tempo al hockey ha cominciato a estendersi bene oltre i relativi locales geografici tradizionali. Oggi il USHL non è abbastanza un esperto rivale come lega di sviluppo per il CHL - ma non è indietro lontano come potreste immaginare. Il decano Blais' che unisce il partito suggerisce tanto. Ma non prenderle la mia parola per; verificare il collegamento della lega alla lista lunga dei giocatori disegnati dai randelli di NHL appena questa decade.

La lega è concentrata in modo compatto in piccoli avamposti delle regioni inverno-sport-sfidate del Midwest superiore: basicamente, il Nebraska e lo Iowa, più le concessioni a Chicago, baia verde, Indianapolis e Columbus. I relativi ruoli stanno alimentandi sempre più da Sunbelt States che l'esposizione al hockey di NHL sta conducendo ai punti drammatici e senza precedente nella partecipazione del hockey della gioventù. Ma non prenderle la mia parola per; del controllo Hockey dell'università della parte interna fuori in linea “dichiarare che ripartizione di gioco„ dall'ultima stagione sulle origini degli Stati Uniti dei giocatori del hockey dei DI. Trenta due Californians hanno pattinato sulle squadre dei DI ultima stagione. Sempre più il USHL è serving come apprendistato fruttuoso fra minuscolo e hockey intercollegiate di alto livello in dichiara.

La conduttura per il talento minore principale del hockey in dichiara irrefutably sta promettendo e sulla espansione. Ed attualmente, nel relativo porto geografico molto piccolo, il USHL sta stipando virtualmente annualmente, della brutta copia dell'entrata di NHL superiore pochi tondi, conducenti la gente molto nel hockey americano circonda oggi per fare questo problema: che cosa accadrebbe se il USHL continuasse a espandersi. particolarmente se andasse al unconquered, est comparativamente hockey-pazzo?

Fargo, incidentalmente, si vanta una popolazione di 74.000. Washington naturalmente non è da nessuna parte vicino come hockey-fatto impazzire (a meno che nel relativo per capita riscontro dei bloggers del disco di gomma); , per esempio, non ha ospitato un tourney del mondo Under-20. Ma presto esso è ospitare i quattro Frozen e con una popolazione di GMA eccedere 5 milioni, CC realmente deve essere disco di gomma pazzesco sostenere un'altra squadra del hockey? Ciò è una regione che, con successo ragionevole, è stata ospitata una concessione di AHL (a Baltimora) nel passato. Notevole, penso, che la presenza era forte sia alle arene di Landover che de Baltimora durante i molti di quegli anni.

Il mio teoria-sogno qui è premesso su molto più di un interesse egoista nell'espansione dei miei punti di accesso a hockey in tensione. Penso che sia interesse nei capitali' vedere più radice dell'introito del hockey di alto-calibro nella regione. Appena come i giocatori del hockey hanno bisogno delle leghe di sviluppo, così anche fare i ventilatori: milioni di disco di gomma-uninitiated in queste parti hanno bisogno di un punto di accesso acquistabile al veloce-percorso a e scarso-copr-da--premono il gioco su ghiaccio. Troppe famiglie oggi non possono permettersi semplicemente il hockey di NHL. Ancora lo desidero nei rinks del hockey; ottenerli là ed otterranno agganciati ed i ventilatori agganciati del hockey riusciranno a penetrare finalmente loro il centro di Verizon.

Philly sostiene spettacolarmente sia le alette di filatoio che i fantasmi ed il mio wager è che se il USHL disponesse una concessione là esso' d prosperare pure. Una squadra di USHL, con il relativo unsalaried i ruoli, non deve riempire altretante sedi come randelli di CHL per raccogliere i profitti. E come il CHL, il USHL contesta sproporzionatamente i relativi giochi sulle fine settimane. La qualità hockey di notte in tensione di sabato e di venerdì di vendita di prova in intimate la regolazione in queste parti e carica un'ammissione di per esempio $15 e di $20 e vede chi esce e la saluta.

Questa ipotesi diventa più intrigante quando considerate la condizione veloce-aumentante de Washington più grande come regione disco di gomma-talento-producente. Vienna, la Virginia. ' la s, uovo di pesce del Garrett ha pattinato ultima stagione per il ghiaccio dell'Indiana del USHL (63 punti in 57 giochi). Marylander Phil Axtell, ora fornente la sua stagione del sophomore alla tecnologia del Michigan, ha pattinato per cedro Rapids. Se avesse avuto l'occasione rimanere nel paese e pattino per una squadra de hometown nel USHL, Luke Lynes avrebbe migrato tutto il senso fino al Brampton Batallion del OHL?

Sì Washington è nella relativa infanzia come hockey che gioca il capitale, ma i relativi successi in un periodo di tempo corto sono niente bruscamente di notevole. Una delle storia che più intriganti mi sono sentito ai rinks di zona questa estate si riferisce all'emersione del DeMatha come forza di reclutamento del hockey. Ci è senso delle squadre della High School sul nord, il cliente va, che oggi non desidera niente fare con i maschi.

Avendo una squadra minore competere qui ed il profilo generale del hockey del sostegno, è lo sviluppo logico del nostro gioco che è a crescita rapida fra famiglie atletiche di s di CC'.

Illuminare stasera una candela per il benessere ed il recupero di un giocatore invecchiato del hockey. Ho avuto cinque giorni da prepararmi per il mio arrivo sul ghiaccio di estate fra e contro una fascia dei giocatori collegiali contemporanei del hockey, come leaguer della birra che è letteralmente doppio le loro età. L'obiettivo è semplice: sopravvivere.

Ci è hockey professionale di estate di qualità che avviene ai capitali di Kettler questa settimana ed attraverso il Potomac, al Rink del ghiaccio del John della baracca nella contea de Montgomery, ci è hockey dilettante di qualità anche che avviene, sullied una punta dalla mia presenza (un blogger la doppia età dei collegians). Questo misadventure è una parte di curiosità morbosa (posso appendo affatto?) ed una parte di vanità momentanea (possiedo ancora tutti i movimenti che potrebbero trarre dai miei compagni youthful del ghiaccio cheallontanano l'elogio?). Inoltre ho pensato che potrebbe essere divertimento da chronicle.

Ogni estate a virtualmente ogni rink là è accampamenti di estate per le gioventù del hockey. Questa settimana alla baracca John, l'accademia internazionale del Hockey di sport sta guidando le gioventù de Montgomery con i loro passi del disco di gomma. “40 ore di hockey diretto„ per le età 6-17 è come l'accampamento fa pubblicità alla relativa settimana. I counselors dell'accampamento sono contenuti i flatbellies di D-III e di D-II dalle università di nordest; Tenterò stasera all'ultimo un le due ore pure nella loro azienda.

Spendendo le loro mattine e pomeriggi con la caviglia-biters e molti debuttanti pattinanti, i counselors starved naturalmente per un certo tempo serio del ghiaccio vengono sera. Inoltre desiderano rimanere nella figura. Quello è dove vengo poll. Prendo uno spostamento di domenica a CJ sullo Zamboni e sono autorizzato con le chiavi alla funzione. Le sere di giorno della settimana là di estate sono molto guasto grazioso da 8:00. Vedere che dove questo sta andando?

Ho accennato il vantaggio della gioventù che questi collegians avranno su me?

Fino a questa settimana non ero stato sul ghiaccio tutta l'estate. Più difettoso, il mio regime di addestramento di estate dell'ufficio è stato costituito in gran parte dalla brutta copia di sollevamento Vogels. Ho Tkachuk andato. Ultima fine settimana ho reso a due viaggi al gym a jumpstart le mie qualificazioni aerobiche per stasera. Ma quello è come cambiare l'olio su un `78 Chrysler Town&Country per una crociera che attraversa il paese a Cali.

Sulla notte di lunedì, ho ripartito il rink dell'studio di minature del John della baracca con un compagno di squadra della lega della birra, dove abbiamo gettato il biscotto intorno ad una punta ed abbiamo ottenuto i nostri piedi usati ancora ad essere in pattini. Una punta “winded„ noi era, nella fase iniziale, su quella piccola superficie.

Colpire ancora il gym la notte scorsa. Non ci è piccola vittoria in questi bursts di attività rinnovata di idoneità che già non hanno prodotto la ferita. Inoltre ho gettato giù l'un po'di un guantone di protezione nutrizionale questa settimana: nessuna regina della latteria e tortiglii del frumento con i miei burritos. Ultima notte di venerdì ho provato la luce della roccia di Rolling con la mia osservazione domestica di film. L'orrore nella bottiglia era più terrificante di ShowtimeBeyond. (Sotto la categoria forse di nozze re-gifting, ancora ho cinque bottiglie da donare a tutto il lettore di OFB.)

Le probabilità stanno soprafacendo, io pensano, quello circa 20 minuti nel pattino che della stasera sarò UpTkachuking.

Ma non ci è parte posteriore di rotazione. Sto trattando stasera come momento seminale nella mia carriera del hockey. Questo autunno trasporta uno di quei disastrosi, conclusione--zero nei compleanni per me, una strada trasversale ampiamente riconosciuta fra attuabilità atletica diregolazione e il fuori--pascolo, impieghi del tempo libero bene-oltre-principali che sono deplorati tranquillamente dai giovani in rinks. Stasera imparerò dove la vita della vettura sta scanalandolo sulle mie variazioni in 2007-' 08: macinando sulla linea di quarto con altri grigio-capelli-eds o ancora hopping i bordi per la seconda potenza dell'unità del gioco di alimentazione.

Defenseman Keith Seabrook, disegnato dalle protezioni in 2006 (cinquantaduesimo camice), ha deciso lasciare i pionieri de Denver per unire Calgary Hitmen del Kisio dell'asta quadra di collegamento. Il blueliner offensivo unirà il primo selezionamento rotondo Karl Alzner delle protezioni' 2007 in corpo difensivo de Calgary.

Seabrook, il fratello più giovane del Brent Seabrook del Chicago Blackhawks, aveva completato la sua stagione di matricola per Denver, notante 2 obiettivi per andare con 11 aiuto in 37 giochi per Denver. Ha previsto che annotasse i minuti grandi per il Hitmen e sarà contato sopra per funzionare il tempo significativo sul gioco di alimentazione.

Che cosa ha richiamato questo titolo dispari? Wyatt Russell, figlio di Kurt “ruscelli dell'erba nel miracolo„ Russell e Goldie Hawn, ha impegnato in gioco per l'università di programma di divisione I di NCAA deAlabama-Huntsville anno successivo.

21 anno Russell, un goaltender per i capitali di Brampton questa stagione passata nella lega minore provinciale di Ontario, avvertirà abbastanza il cambiamento di clima l'anno prossimo nel sud profondo. Mentre niente supererà Ashley Judd per il cachet di celebrity del hockey dell'università, Kurt & Goldie certamente gireranno alcune teste ai giochi di UAH.

I ventilatori Astute dei capitali possono ricordarsi di che Russell era accampamento inerente allo sviluppo alle protezioni' tre anni fa. Il Glen Hanlon della vettura ha invitato il netminder giovane a accamparsi come favore al suo compagno golfing Kurt Russell (e perché le protezioni hanno avute allora soltanto tre prospetti del goalie ed ha avuto bisogno di un quarto).

Kudos a Russell per la continuazione della sua carriera del hockey e formazione, a UAH.

Tutti noi ha avuto impegni di corsa ultimo venerdì e copie su carta mancate dei giornali del giorno. Una copia dei tempi de Washington del venerdì, tuttavia, è rimasto per i pucksandbooks nel suo ufficio il lunedì e la parte anteriore della sezione di sport del venerdì da esso lo ha battuto dalla sua sedia. Prendere un gander all'amore del hockey illustrato drammaticamente entro redattori di tempi' per la caratteristica fabulous di Corey Masisak sull'alto dichiarano di hockey americano attualmente:

Quello non è un blowup della storia, quella è la relativa disposizione reale. Presunto ci sono altre due storia su C1 dai tempi il venerdì - non potete trovarli appena! La carta de hometown del Patrick Kane, le notizie della Buffalo, non può abbinare questa festività di giornalismo del hockey.

Ma oltre il formato e lo splendor puri della parte, Corey Masisak ha trasportato oggi una descrizione del grado A dell'aumento del razzo di sviluppo americano del hockey. “Guadagni che voluminosi„ il hockey americano sta godendo, Masisak ha scritto. Hockey smazziamo a Washington guadagnato in maniera massiccia dalla dal suoi carta e lui sulla brutta copia venerdì dell'entrata.  

Realmente lo odio quando BigMedia prende un'idea formidabile di storia e dilue il relativo divertimento con l'ideologia inutile e distracting/commento sociale. La maggior parte di noi patronize gli sport per fuoriuscire le imperfezioni del nell'ambiente, dopo tutti. Jim Caple della pagina 2 del ESPN oggi ha preso un divertimento e un soggetto affascinante - 101 i ventilatori di sport' dov-vedono gli eventi di sport - e lo ha dato che cosa denomino il trattamento di ESPN: una quantità decent di pensiero e persuasiveness, un certo cleverness, ma re-engineering anche di quella presa di caratteristica politicamente/insufferable corretto/sociale, haughty, elitista e conferenza-posturing condescending. Che cosa dovrebbe essere interamente un divertimento ed in gran parte frivolous, l'estate diprovocazione colta decade occasionalmente in un parody non intenzionale dei valori di MSM. quei che siano ripartiti raramente da un collegio elettorale importante - i relativi lettori/visori.

Bene, almeno Caple ha uscito del cancello cominciante di modo GIUSTO. Suo principale 5 dov-vede che mettere in mostra gli eventi è come segue:

• Olimpiadi di estate
• Tazza del mondo
• Olimpiadi di inverno
• Serie di mondo
• NCAA Subregional

Confession: no 5, l'università “Subregional,„ non ho idea che cosa quello è. Ma l'altri, bene, sopportano la forza della popolarità totale dietro loro. Potete avere la tazza del mondo, per quanto riguarda me il calcio è scacchi giocati fuori su erba e patronized tutti troppo frequentemente dai hooligans. (Sollevarsi oltre 2 ore dello scorelessness è comprensibile, ma non per i motivi gli Europei e i Terzi-Worlders.) realmente sono stato sorprendo all'alto posto per le Olimpiadi di inverno, vedente come come piccolo “la diversità„ là è fra i relativi atleti. Snuck uno di Caple passato il suo redattore.

Caple allora ha i padroni nei suoi 10 principali (no 8, che è benissimo); Approvazione del Wimbledon (9) anche, a condizione che siate messi al gioco della corte e della Maria Sharapova del centro. Il suo primo errore realmente grande è con il Michigan-Ohio dichiara, a no 17. Sono spiacente, ma quella è icona americana, quasi certamente l'evento più grande ogni anno nel Midwest (che spiega BigMedia lo svaluta-ing). I 10 principali er per sicuro.   

Il Hockey fa la relativa apparenza iniziale nella lista del Caple a no 20: Gli spareggi della tazza dello Stanley. APPROVAZIONE. Voi ed io la avreste su, naturalmente, ma ricordarsi di, questo è la stessa presa che ditched il NHL ed il relativo dopo la stagione, per la mazza teletrasmessa. E concorsi cheerleading della High School. (Continuato)

Nei giorni subito dopo della voce 2006 disegnare le protezioni comunemente ha guadagnato le valutazioni particolarmente alte per il loro lavoro a Vancouver. La gamma del grado si è allontanata generalmente da `A+' a `A.' il successo della loro brutta copia 2007, tuttavia, si collega inestricabilmente a 2008's, alla luce della preferenza del George McPhee per rinviare la selezione occasionalmente la notte di venerdì e de sabato per l'acquisizione dei selezionamenti per giugno prossimo.

Stava costringendo i motivi affinchè le protezioni acquisti i selezionamenti supplementari per la brutta copia 2008. Per uno, è più meglio light-years in termini di qualità high-end e profondità generale. Ma appena come d'importanza, ci è un po'di una sovrabbondanza dei prospetti forti che ammucchiano organizzazione delle protezioni' attualmente. Dal 2002, le protezioni hanno disegnato 12 giocatori nel primo tondo. Dodici. Hanno aggiunto il secondo-rounders otto in quel tempo, anche. Questa mattina, è difficile da indicare a singola di questi 20 alti-enders e da pronunciarlo “busto.„

Quella è le buone notizie. Ma l'amministrazione delle protezioni stesse d'inizio di questa fine settimana' ha alcune decisioni difficili da fare in termini di stagione prossima commettente ai simili di Jacub Klepis e di Tomas Fleischmann. Le offerte di qualificazione allora vengono debito e mentre hanno effetto su 2002 selezionamenti, è quella parte del prom quando la fascia colpisce sulla canzone lenta. Per ballare o non ballare?

O potreste denominarli che il di cinque anni itch.  

Alcuni dei questi alta-enders volontà rendono alle protezioni questa caduta. Il bisogno di resto un posto nell'organizzazione a gioco. (Soltanto una coppia, pensereste, potreste e sareste impaccati in un commercio o in due.)

Le coppie passate degli anni, ho pensato a quanti prospetti dell'europeo le protezioni hanno chi' ve ancora per fare un impegno al gioco in America del Nord. (Ci sono alcuni buono un là, anche.) ma uniforme che sta cambiando; presto in questo offseason le protezioni hanno inchiostrato Josef Boumedienne e Sami Lepisto.

Con gli accampamenti di addestramento in 2005 e in 2006 le protezioni portate in un numero cospicuo di file II ed III agenti liberi richiamare la mancanza dell'organizzazione di profondità di qualità. Ma questo settembre, ci sarà una qualità molto più organica ai 60 o 70 skaters ai capitali di Kettler, i simili di cui ricopre' ventilatori non hanno visto mai.

Possiamo scaturire vediamo tutti e 20 le di quei primo e secondo-rounders dalle cinque brutte copie passate allora. Probabilmente vedremo tutti gli agenti liberi collegiali le protezioni inchiostrare le coppie passate delle molle. Vedremo alcune facce fresche da Europa. Ed il più emozionante, dal mio avvantaggioso, essere l'apparenza delle gemme in ritardo-rotonde della brutta copia come Andrew Gordon, Travis Morin, Viktor Dovgan, Mathieu Perreault ed Andrew Joudrey, tutto di chi possiedono le pro aspirazioni possibili del hockey.

Una previsione di questo aura del nostro-tipo-su--ghiaccio arriva in due settimane' tempo a Kettler, con accampamento di sviluppo di burba di luglio delle protezioni'. I ventilatori sono preoccupati naturalmente con i risultati del estremità-gioco l'inizio da ottobre con aprile, ma il fondamento per una ricostruzione durevole richiede attendibilmente la progettazione e lo sviluppo riusciti. Il lavoro di progettazione sembra funzionare bene; la funzione di sviluppo è più in questione, come le protezioni, comincianti questa caduta, deve vedere alcuni orsi di Hershey laurearsi ed avere un effetto positivo sul ruolo del genitore - tipi come Dave Steckel, verde di Mike, Klepis ed o il flash.

Le protezioni hanno lasciato Columbus con i beni più d'alto valore - tre dai primi due tondi. Si, benchè (Alzner), possa fare un passo nella lega grande presto ed un altro (Ted Ruth) possono stashed su una città universitaria dell'università, se necessario, per quattro anni. Era una manipolazione savvy e prudente del suo modello di sviluppo dell'organizzazione da George McPhee.   

In the middle of this past hockey season consensus was that the 2007 NHL Entry Draft would offer up another strong showing by American prospects — seven or eight of them were likely to be tabbed in the first round. This would follow by a year an Entry Draft in which fully 10 Americans went in round one. These kind of tallies are bettered only by the Canadians.

As we near the 11th hour of the Columbus draft that forecast is being widely revised . . . upward. TSN’s superb draft primer forecasts 10 Yanks as first-rounders; The Hockey News’ Hot 100 list, a ranking compendium comprising the blended prognostications of 10 NHL scouts, also has 10 Americans going in round one. There are a litany of highly thoughtful and well-respected reader-generated draft forecasts to be found at Hockeysfuture this week, and again Americans litter those lists.

No two Americans have ever gone 1-2 in round one. It almost happened last year. It well could tomorrow night in Columbus.

If 10 Americans again have their names called on Versus tomorrow night the implications are beyond clear: in consecutive years the broad pipeline of American development — from the USNTDP to U.S. college hockey to the USHL to American high school hockey — will have claimed fully one-third of the NHL draft’s first round. And by the way, one of the Americans likely to go in round one tomorrow night is a Californian.

As player development goes, this is called trending upward.

But what might perhaps be even more impressive than the sheer tally of American talent is its breadth across positions. Looking over the haul of first-round U.S. talent in recent drafts, and with an eye toward this year’s, one notices sleek snipers (Kane, Kessel, Oshie), bruising blueliners (the Johnsons, Joe Finley, Nick Petrecki, Colby Cohen), power forwards aplenty (Okposo, Bobby Ryan, Skille, van Riemsdyk, Pacioretty), and especially an abundance of two-way rearguards.

Interestingly, if there’s one area of positional weakness relative to the Canadians and Europeans in recent drafts for the Americans, it’s an area of previous strength: in goal. Since Rick DiPietro went first overall in 2000, we really haven’t seen USAHockey or anyone else produce high-end talent between the American pipes. That 2000 draft is the more intriguing in light of the modest American skating talent that followed DiPietro in the first round: Ron Hainsey, Brooks Orpik, David Hale, and Jeff Taffe.

This decade, it seems, the U.S. feasts in first-round skating talent and famines in net, and vice versa.

While the best is yet to come for U.S. national teams in international competition because of this embarassment of young talent riches, over at the World Championships this spring it was abundantly evident to us that the new generation of warp-speed, wicked skill set is already primed to make an impact. That U.S. squad coached by Mike Sullivan was one overtime, struck goalpost away from taking down gold-medal finalist Finland. And it was a conspicuously young squad.

Her WRC colleagues last evening were startled by the segment, occurring as it did in late May, with the Redskins mere weeks away from the start of training camp, but OFB Queen of Local Sports Media Lindsay Czarniak remained undaunted and committed to her puck calling, devoting 56 minutes of last evening’s 60-minute 5:00 WRC newscast to a profile of local college hockey player James “Bubba” Sixsmith. (OK, the segment wasn’t quite that long, but it seemed so to our puck-starved eyes and ears in Washington this spring.) We’d embed the segment for you if we could. But check out the WRC video link.

Sixsmith, a native of Alexandria, Va., recently graduated from Holy Cross College and captained the hockey team there the past two seasons. He was also a Hobey Baker finalist this past season.

Dave Fay may not be the only local hockey beat reporter fated for Hall of Fame enshrinement as a hockey media standout.

And Nate Ewell, you’re not allowed to play.

The whole Frozen Four weekend was one of surprises. North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan took home the Hobey Baker on Friday.

Let’s dispense with the obvious from the outset: Olie Kolzig enjoyed his first shutout since the winter of 2004 with all four members of OFB monitoring the feat from press row. Should the organization, in 2007-08, respond by setting aside four leather recliners for us up there? Seems mildly excessive.

I really enjoy being around members of the Caps’ organization on a day when an exciting prospect has been inked. And last night there was no denying the Caps’ enthusiasm about Andrew Gordon joining the organization. Nate Ewell made a point of coming over to us during the first intermission and letting us know the organization’s expectations of him: of all the signings this spring, he told us, Gordon is the guy with a real chance to make a difference at the NHL level.

Before the game I had a chance to stop George McPhee for a brief chat about the signing. He told me that in the short term, Gordon, now sidelined with a sprained ankle, will remain on campus, but that he will eventually make his way to Hershey, and should the Bears make another lengthy postseason run, Gordon would likely compete for playoff playing time. I’m aware of the general patience the Caps have in developing their draft picks, and so I wondered if the organization would have been all that bothered had Gordon opted to remain at St. Cloud for his senior year. The Caps, McPhee made clear to me, wanted him playing pro right now.

He will start next season in Hershey, the GM told me, but — and this I found startling — he doesn’t necessarily expect Gordon to remain there all year.

“We think there’s a real chance that he can help us out here next season,” McPhee said.

Next season isn’t about more shuffling of youth in and out of the lineup, like piecing together and pulling apart a puzzle; it’s about making a big move up in the East’s standings, so it’s clear the Caps believe they have something special in Gordon, and that his development timeline should be briefer than normal. No slouch of a seventh round pick, this one.

We kept an eye on the game 7 proceedings between Acadie Bathurst and PEI, and we passed along updates to Caps’ communications guys. PEI is an hour ahead of us in the Maritimes, and so as we settled into our seats early last night we learned that Mathieu Perreault had already potted a goal and an assist midway through the second period. Bathurst prevailed 4-3 on the road in what must have been an OT thriller. Perreault finished the series with five goals and three assists. Next up for the Titan is Cape Breton in round 2.

I really enjoy chatting with the out-of-town reporters between periods, and last night I was surprised by the size of the Florida press contingent in attendance. There was a Palm Beach Post scribe, a Miami Herald fella, and one or two others from sunshine state dailies. All this southern media interest in a Tuesday night, playing-out-the-string Southeast showdown? Then I realized: the Florida Marlins were in D.C. opening their baseball season, and a bunch of these guys were pressed into double coverage duty.

Anyway, I wanted to pick their brains about the full-season impact of the Roberto Luongo deal, as it’s increasingly acquiring the rotting aroma of worst-trade-in-NHL-history status. You recall the particulars of that one. The classic butterfly French Canadian uber talent, still south of reaching his prime splendor, with likely at least 10 game-changing seasons still ahead of him, dealt by Mike Keenan just days before last June’s Entry Draft, for like three bloggers to be named later.

I began my inquiry by noting that the Panthers were an above-.500 hockey club (in the NHL’s quirky three-column standings), and I wondered where these writers thought the club would be had it held on to Luongo. For a more dramatic cup-a-joe Wednesday morning file I wanted all of them to shout in unison “20 . . . maybe 25 games over .500, and Cup contenders.”

But their answers surprised me. For starters, while none of them waxed euphoric over Alex Auld, the Cats’ blueline has improved dramatically this season. A healthy chunk of that is attributable to Jay Boumeester’s no. 1 guy blossoming, but all their press guys agreed that both Ruslan Salei and Bryan Allen had played important and durable roles all season long. Last night was the 80th game of the season for both of them. They also pointed out the adverse impact of Joe Nieuwendyk’s injuries. I appreciated their nuance, and I didn’t dispute them, but I raised the analogy of Patty Roy being thrown out of Montreal in his prime, and they all nodded. Then the Miami Herald guy told me, “The deal cost Keenan his job, no doubt.”

Today’s St. Cloud Times reports that yesterday the Caps inked forward prospect Andrew Gordon of the WCHA’s St. Cloud State Huskies to a three-year deal. The account is one hockey fans would do well to peruse, as it’s distinctive in empahsizing Gordon’s intense struggle to choose between starting his pro career and leaving an ascendent program and teammates he cherished:

“As recent as Friday, Gordon was convinced he wasn’t going to change history. Early last week, after conversations with Steve Richmond, the Capitals’ director of player personnel, Gordon thought he was staying.

“He asked me straight-up ‘Do you want to leave?’” said Gordon, then only a couple of days removed from a 4-1 loss to Maine in SCSU’s first NCAA Tournament bid in four years.

“I said I was comfortable staying here. I love the school and being with the guys. It would be good for my development to play more than 20 minutes a night and be on the power play. Their offer wasn’t near what we thought it would have to be, so I thought that was it.”

“Late last week, however, Gordon got a call from George McPhee, the Caps’ vice president and general manager. Their conversation lasted nearly an hour.

“It meant a lot to hear right from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, where they see me in their plans,” Gordon said.

Gordon was selected by the Caps in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He leaves St. Cloud as just the 9th player in school history to amass 100 points, which he accomplished in just three seasons, and he was named First Team All WCHA this season.

[The following continues a conversation with NHL Scout started Thursday, March 29, 2007]

In Part II of my dialogue with NHLScout, I examine the contemporary American hockey development landscape, particularly with respect to college hockey, as this is his primary scouting territory. I sought to get a portrait of the college game’s increasing infusion of talent from very non-traditional outposts, like California and the lower Midwest. I also wanted his thoughts on Ann Arbor’s USNDTP, now in its 10th year of existence.

pucksandbooks: What is the “offseason” like for you? Late spring or summer, what are your principal tasks for your NHL club?

NHLScout: The “offseason” really depends on where you are. The draft is in late June, and every team has meetings in early June. Come summer, there are tournaments in different parts of the world — Europe, Boston, Michigan, different areas of Canada. It just depends on your role on your team, and where the good players are. If you are a trusted, veteran scout, and a top kid is playing in the Slovakian tournament in July, you’re on that plane. For the most part, summer is pretty low key. From Mid-May (or so) to late August (or so) you have meetings, the draft, and maybe two or three tournaments. A lot of guys will work hockey schools to bring in some extra cash.

pucksandbooks: The 10th birthday of the United States National Development Team Program (USNDTP) is occasioning its share of overview from the American hockey journalism community. What is your sense of where it is today?

NHLScout: I think the successes of the U.S. Development Program are clear — top draft picks, numerous college players. On the one hand, it’s too bad that leagues such as the Minnesota High School league or the New England Prep Schools are losing their top players. On the other, the U.S. is finally producing elite level players such as Jack Johnson, Eric Johnson, Phil Kessell, etc. on a consistent basis thanks to better coaching, better preparation, and better competition. It’s helped the college game by giving them more ready-made prospects. And it’s given players such as those previously mentioned the chance to play against good competition.

Is it a perfect system? No. Is it worthwhile, and better than not having the team? Definitely.

pucksandbooks: I’m a strong believer that scholarships in college hockey ought to be given to as many American hockey players as possible. There are far more Americans there today than there were 15 or 20 years ago. Looking ahead, will the college game, do you think, be able to maintain its basically North American identity, or will more international players comprise those rosters much as they have in recent years with Canadian Juniors (which is capped, of course)? Or, is it simply too difficult in terms of resources for college coaching staffs to scout European players?

NHLScout: I have no real preference where college hockey gives the scholarships. To me, I want the best players in college hockey. I would hope that U.S. youth hockey will continue producing enough top players that the majority of the players will be American, just as Canadian Junior Hockey should remain predominantly Canadian. However, if it means raising the quality of play, I will happily embrace Europeans and Canadians in the college game. In fact, with pro teams now strip-mining the college game (thanks to a CBA change, college players now cost less to sign, so teams are taking more and more players who are not quite ready because there’s less cash at risk), college hockey is going to need to find new sources of talent to even maintain the current level of play.

pucksandbooks: InsideCollegeHockey.com earlier this year published what I thought was an under- appreciated report titled “States of the Game,” about where college hockey players come from, by state and province. The thing that stood out to me was California’s emergence. More than 30 Californians were on D-I college rosters this season. What the heck is going on out there, and with places like Texas and Missouri, too?

NHLScout: What’s going on in the warm weather states is very simple — NHL expansion worked. In 1991, the San Jose Sharks arrived in California, expanding the NHL’s presence beyond LA. It’s now 16 years later. Those college kids from California were roughly 3-5 when the NHL got there. Now they’re hockey players. That’s not an accident.

Others will look at the Gretzky trade — 1988, hockey hits the big time in LA. That was 19 years ago. Guess how old these college kids are? 1992, Tampa Bay. 1993, Florida, Anaheim, Dallas. The kids who picked up hockey because they were finally being exposed to it are just now hitting the age where they are hitting the national scene.

California, Texas, and Florida are widely considered (among) the best states for athletes in football and baseball. To make my math easy, let’s say that in 1993 there were 5 million 5-year-old boys in those three states. 2.5 million played football, 2.5 played baseball. Now, let’s say 500,000 of those kids picked up hockey. All of a sudden, you’re talking about some of the best young athletes in America lacing up the skates instead of playing other sports. An extra half million athletes for leagues to pick through to find talent. While the vast majority of those athletes will fail (as is the case with all athletes), the USHL, NAHL, New England Prep Schools, NCAA, and, eventually, the NHL now have a deeper talent pool to utilize.

I forget where I heard this, but I’m sure one of your readers can find it: look back at the recent U.S. Bantam/Midget National Champions. I’m fairly certain many of them have been from California. The number of rinks in these states has exploded, meaning that ice time becomes cheaper and parents don’t have to drive three hours to get their kids on the ice. The kids who used to be centerfielders are now centres, and that’s vitally important for the future of the NHL. While intelligent people can disagree on the merits of expansion and how it immediately affected the NHL talent pool, we’re just now beginning to reap the benefits of exposing young athletes to the game.

pucksandbooks: My last question for you: who will get — and who should get — the Hobey Baker this year?

NHLScout: If I had a vote for the Hobey Baker, I would vote for David Brown from Notre Dame. Frankly, no player had a better season than Brown. He was the most outstanding player in college hockey. The other nominees all had great seasons — Bagnall was an amazing defenseman, Curry carried BU at times, Hensick and Duncan are two of the best offensive threats in college hockey, etc. — but I have questions about the merits of all of them.

For example, Brown had better numbers than Curry, and on a worse team. Duncan plays on a line with Oshie and Toews, making him the third best player on his own line. Hensick, like Curry, is surrounded by an impressive supporting cast. Frankly, for their talent level, ND was barely a Top 25 team. It was only because of coaching and David Brown that they were ranked #1. That said, I expect Hensick and Brown to split the Midwest/Western vote and Curry to carry the entire East Coast, so he’ll bring it home. For me, it would have gone (1) Brown, (2) Hensick, (3) Curry, (4) Bagnall, (5) Duncan.

By the way, I’ve had a couple of days to check out your site, and count me as a future regular reader. You guys have done a terrific job.

I’d like to first thank you for this opportunity, and the readers of this blog for their support of the greatest sport in the world. And if you see a scout at a game, buy him a coffee. He works his ass off to put the product you see out there on the ice, and he’ll appreciate it.

pucksandbooks: The Frozen Four is coming to Washington in 2009, and I expect to see you there. You won’t be paying for your coffee or your beer that week. Thanks for giving my readers and me so much of your time and such thought-provoking insight.

Notre Dame’s David Brown, Air Force’s Eric Ehn, and North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan today were announced as finalists for this year’s Hobey Baker award. The award will be made next Friday in St. Louis at the Frozen Four.

If you were to compile a list of the most intriguing and alluring professions (outside of being a highly paid pro athlete), what might be called “dream jobs,” you might include a ski instructor at Vail, a photographer for Hugh Heffner, perhaps a road test driver for Porsche. My list would include being paid to travel around the world to watch hockey, with rinks as my office, as a scout. On conference calls I’d be asked to discuss slick-skating Slovaks and mischief-makers from Moose Jaw.

In this role I could envision myself shamelessly dropping the names of athletes and locales, annoying my fellow air travelers in their comparatively mundane business comings and goings with “Once I land in Stockholm I’ll race over to national team headquarters to obtain a progress report on Jergen . . . for I understand he’s tearing up the Elite League.” This likely explains why I am not a hockey scout; at times I lack subtlety.

Of course, our perceptions of these professions are premised on myth and an outsider’s necessarily flawed vantage. When you actually get a chance to talk to someone in them, markedly different realities are detailed for you. This was my experience recently in an entirely unplanned and altogether fortuitous exchange I had with a full-time NHL scout. From the moment I confirmed his identity I knew I wanted to pick his hockey head clean of its “a season in the life of” experiences and analyses, for his is a line of work long shrouded behind the scenes, in mystery even, by design.

In this scout I had not only a fertile and fruitful information source but an emblem of hockey’s most impassioned: you don’t go into hockey scouting because the loading gig at Home Depot didn’t come through, you scout — necessarily making unfathomable sacrifices on your personal life — because you possess in inexhaustable fire for life on ice, he told me. He didn’t merely answer my questions in rich detail but created compositions with my readers’ perceived curiosity foremost in mind. He asked of me only that I preserve his anonymity and that of his NHL employer. I happily obliged.

He is based in the U.S. He covers a major region of the country — its colleges and prominent high school programs. He is responsible for all of the teams and players in one of college hockey’s power conferences. And at times he is also tasked with scouting junior hockey and the occasional professional game.

pucksandbooks: Most hockey fans have an impression that the life of an NHL scout has to be pretty much the closest thing to Heaven on Earth as far as careers go. I mean, what could be better than getting paid to watch terrific hockey! Jet planes, morning skates, and hotels with embroidered bathrobes. Firstly, how accurate are our general impressions of this career, and would you identify for OFB readers both your favorite and least favorite aspects of it?

NHLScout: I love when people talk about the glamour of this job. Let me make it clear from the start that I love my job. There is literally nothing I would rather be doing in the world. As you said, I get paid to watch hockey — what could be better? I’m sure people will skip this disclaimer and read what follows as me complaining, but that’s not my intention. I just want to strip the “glamour” idea from the job. Scouting is a grind. The glamour is for athletes, GMs, and some coaches. The scouts are the faceless drones who do the grunt work without the public recognition.

I’m one of the younger scouts, and single. On a “home” week for me, I’ll spend Tuesday through Sunday driving to games, watching games, and sitting at home filing game reports. I frequently drive 5 hours to see a game, then drive 5 back (through snow, rain, ice, whatever else) when the game ends. That means I’ll leave my house around noon on Friday, and get home around 3 a.m. Saturday. I haven’t had a Friday or Saturday night off since the last weekend in August. When I’m on the road, it’s long drives, small towns, and hotel rooms. Ever been to Medicine Hat, Alberta? Or Sioux City, Iowa? Or some random town I can’t spell in Latvia? NHL scouts have.

And this isn’t NHL hockey we get to watch every night. I’ve seen high school games where one player is a borderline 7th round pick, and the rest of the kids can’t even skate. It’s painful to watch and hard to focus — you end up trying to find attractive women in the crowd, or staring at the clock as the minutes count down. Scouting is a time consuming, exhausting job, especially for wives and children. I’m incredibly lucky to not be married at this point — I don’t know how the wives are able to do it. Their husbands are gone for weeks at a time, work strange hours, and have very little time off. Honestly, the toughest people in hockey are the wives and children. It’s amazing what they have to deal with.

My favorite part of the job is hard to choose. I love the community. Scouts are a tight-knit group of men who do their best to look out for each other. Older scouts helping rookies with things like hotels, directions, back doors to rinks, etc. Rookies driving the older guys while they catch up on some rest. Going and talking to the athletes and coaches and finding out information. Hearing the stories of guys who have scouted for 50 years (”I remember seeing Bobby Orr back in juniors. One game . . . “) never ceases to entertain me. I love the first moment of every day when I walk into a rink, and feel the cold, and smell the sweat, and just feel at home. I love those infrequent games where you see something special — a player you just know will be a star, or a goal you’ve never seen before, or a great fight. I love that my job changes every day.

My least favorite part of the job is just the travel and lack of free time, which gets old pretty fast. For every trip to a great city like New York or Boston or Madison, Wis., there’s the trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, or some small town in Western Canada, or a place in Russia where no one else speaks English. I don’t really have time for a social life because I’m working every night. I also wouldn’t mind if women were more impressed by the job title. When I get a rare night off and go out to a bar, I usually end up surrounded by male hockey fans who are asking me questions, while the girls of the group walk off to find a doctor or a cop. (Continued)

If like us you greatly appreciated MASN’s stellar coverage of the NCAA puck postseason this past weekend — the outlet ended up televising fully five games in their entirety Friday through Sunday — drop management there a kind word of appreciation, and urge them to make the tourney a staple of their broadcast future.

Ours was a Billy Packer-less weekend, and we loved every hour of it.

As best as I can tell, English has no word for the ubiquitous wish hockey fans harbor for prolonged and momentum-shifting sudden death overtime drama, be it contested in the NCAA or NHL postseasons. As we settle in for this gunslinger’s showdown that in drama has no rival anywhere in sports, and assuming we have no dog in the fight, it seems to me the last thing we expect and long for is a swift resolution, while the ice sheet is still shimmering. We want, perhaps, at least a half-period’s worth of white-knuckled back and forth, with goalposts clanked and odd-man rushes raising us out of our seats. Ideally, we’d be treated to two or three extra 20-minute sessions that obliterate the rest of the day or evening’s plans and empty our fridges. It’s when hockey fans become drama junkies.

The NCAA’s marquee postseason weekend kicked off last Friday afternoon with successive sudden death sessions, and so it was fitting that its final game last night so ended, and the moreso with it being contested in one of college hockey’s fiercest rivalries, Minnesota and North Dakota.

I watched it and luxuriated in a splendid spring Sunday afternoon turn first into early evening and then deep darkness with the game’s outcome still undecided. Every North American with a single thought about the sport of hockey has a prescription to improve its overall appeal, but here, in this extra session exhilaration, hockey has it perfect. Extra innings in the World Series are superb, but even they’ve got nothing on hockey’s sudden death.

While we’d like the game’s referees to slide back a bit from their whistle-happy whims and allow rugged heroism to determine sudden death’s outcome, we also savor I think the high alerts from manpower advantages, monitoring every power play pass and head-first dive to clear the zone with a laser focus and relish we don’t during the regular season. Whether we’re in the stands or seated before a TV screen, our sensory scope is at its widest during this action. We are attuned even to the footwork of the puck-carrying, backpedaling blueliner, knowing any error in agility could end his team’s season. I call this the Lesson of Gonchar.

It seems to me that most often a hockey team’s true character is revealed in these showdown sessions, and that most often the deserving team prevails. As the college hockey regular season concluded more and more observers pointed out Minnesota’s seeming lack of cohesion and chemistry — a trait that is becoming a bit of a staple in that superstar-laden program. And sure enough, last night it was North Dakota that carried the play in OT. And whereas the Gophers are perhaps a program increasingly of one- and two-year high profile pitstops en route to the pros, note that Sioux senior Chris Porter won UND’s entry to the Frozen Four last night.

I think if I were building a hockey team designed to prosper in sudden death, I’d seek leadership and experience. Is it any wonder that at the NHL’s trade deadline every year we see GMs across the league pony up high value assets for grizzled greybeards?

Special hockey teams seem to rise to the remarkable challenge of sudden death. The 1998 Capitals went 5-1 in overtime in the East’s playoffs en route to their only appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Last season’s Hurricanes went 4-1 in extra time in their postseason run. We may never again see the likes of the 1993 Montreal Canadians, who won ten straight postseason overtime games. Doubtless there are dozens more testionials to champion fortitude forged in this frenzy, and it seems doubtful that a team involved in at least a handful of OT games has won a Cup while amassing a losing record in them.

Let’s invent a word for our yearning for this marvelous mayhem.

The 2007 Frozen Four is now set. Here is the updated bracket:

After a break next weekend, St. Louis, Missouri, will host North Dakota vs. Boston College and Maine vs. Michigan State in semifinal games on April 5th. Both games will be aired on ESPN2. The championship game will be on the 7th of April on ESPN.