30 August, 2008

Category Archives: Karl Alzner

Capitals Prospects Profiles on NHL.com

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

We’re all waiting, patiently but impatiently, for the start of rookie camp in less than three weeks. NHL.com whets our appetites with these profiles of the Washington Capitals‘ impressive stable of youngsters chomping at the proverbial bit, including Karl Alzner (perhaps the most likely addition to the October roster), Semen Varlamov, and Oskar Osala:

Osala, who signed a three-year entry level contract with the Capitals in June, played for the Espoo Blues in Finland last year, scoring 18 goals and 17 assists in 53 games, while earning 62 penalty minutes and was named Finland’s Rookie of the Year. He finished second on the team in goals, fifth in assists and points and was tied for third in penalty minutes.

The Vaasa, Finland, native was the Capitals’ fourth-round choice (No. 97 ) in 2006. From 2005 through 2007, he played with the Mississauga Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League, collecting 87 points (39 goals) in 122 games over two seasons. Osala shared the tournament lead with four other players after notching five goals for Finland at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships.

“(Coach) Bruce Boudreau really liked him in training camp last season and was very impressed and wanted to make sure we got him signed, so he got his wish,” McPhee said.

Filed in Karl Alzner, Oskar Osala, Simeon Varlamov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (3)

A Thank You Postcard from Development Camp

By Gustafsson
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Karl,

You could not have known that it was a blogger’s son that enthusiastically waved to you and the others during the Development Camp Scrimmage Pre-Game Warmup. Heck, that little boy doesn’t even know what a blog is … much less that his dad blogs about the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin with “the eight by itself”. He was disappointed at first when I told him he would not see Ovechkin, Green, or Semin and quickly forgot when we arrived at Kettler.

I told him how you had a great shot at playing with the Caps this year and he was looking out for number “four seven”. He spotted your number and immediately started waving. When you turned and smiled at him, he quickly turned to me and said “He looked at me!” with a wide smile.

Then you skated over with a puck and tossed it over the glass to him. The puck has been well used with many nicks and gashes. That well used puck is now well loved as he was extremely excited about his gift from Karl Alzner. It’s fun with a small child experiencing so much joy from such small actions or things.

He has been to a Hershey Bears game and countless Capitals games. He told me that Saturday was the “best ever”. The moonbounce outside helped that declaration as well.

As a father, fan, and hockey blogger, thank you for brightening a boy’s day, showing us your skills on the ice, and being a great player to blog about. Number “eight by itself” may always be his favourite, but he is looking out for number “four seven” now, too.

Warmest regards,

-g
Karl Alzner
c/o Washington Capitals
627 N Glebe Rd
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
USA
Filed in Development Camp, Karl Alzner, Morning cup-a-joe, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (21)

2008 Development Camp Final Scrimmage Live Blog

By The OFB Team
Saturday, July 12, 2008

Join us at 10:00am today when we will join Eric McErlain of the Sporting News and the AOL Fanhouse and Chris Poisal, Public Relations Assistant for the Hershey Bears, for some live blogging of the action. If you cannot make it out to Kettler, join us right here with your Saturday morning cup-a-joe.

Filed in Blogs, Development Camp, Francois Bouchard, Hershey Bears, Internet, John Carlson, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Keith Seabrook, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, OFB, Oskar Osala, Sasha Pokulok, Simeon Varlamov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (7)

Caps Camp Candids

By The OFB Team
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Official OFB spouse and unofficial OFB photographer Chanuck was at Kettler on Monday and Tuesday to check things out. Here are some of the highlights.

Alzner's version of Blue Steel
Gabby demonstrates how he got his nickname
Varlamov contemplates his future with the Caps

Continue reading ›

Filed in Bruce Boudreau, Development Camp, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (3)

Ten Top Storylines for Development Camp 2008

By pucksandbooks
Monday, July 7, 2008

This morning the Capitals welcome 21 skaters and 4 goaltenders to their 2008 Development Camp. Almost all of the campers are recent Caps’ draft picks, and first-rounders from each of the the team’s past four drafts are present (Alzner, Varlamov, Carlson, Pokulok).

Camp will culminate with a 10:00 scrimmage on Saturday. Hockey is back! Herewith, 10 top storylines to follow at this July’s camp:

(10) All Eyes on Alzner. 2007 first round pick Karl Alzner impressed observers of Development Camp last July, and then he went on to captain the gold medal winning Canadians at the World Junior Championships in December and earn WHL Defenseman of the Year and Player of the Year honors with the Calgary Hitmen. Not a bad season, huh? As soon as his season in Calgary was completed he was called up by Hershey, but the Bears didn’t advance out of the American League postseason’s first round, so he’s yet to get a taste of pro hockey. He’ll get a chance at training camp in September to crack the Caps’ opening night roster, but he can make a real strong impression on and off the ice this week.

(9) Souring on Sasha? No team got screwed more by Gary Bettman’s inane Entry Draft scheme during the summer lockout of 2005 than the Caps. The league all but came out and said that by virtue of having had the first pick in 2004, the Caps shouldn’t have a reasonable shot at it again. But outside the top 10? A pre-lockout cellar dwellar, the Caps drew the 14th pick in the first round in the ‘05 draft. A lot of quality was already off the table by then, including Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Anze Kopitar, and Jack Johnson. The Caps took a gamble on Cornell defenseman Sasha Pokulok. He hasn’t impressed. This could be a make-or-break year for him. He’d do well to have a solid week.

(8) College Hockey’s Biggest Weekend Isn’t that Far Away. Washington will host its first-ever Frozen Four next spring, and the Frozen Four Organizing Committee will visit Kettler on Wednesday, conduct a meeting there, and take in that day’s scrimmage. I have plenty of questions I’d like to put to them.

(7) The Big Finn with the Big Game. Oskar Osala had a big year in 2007-08 with 18 goals and 35 points in 53 games with the Espoo Blues in Finland’s top pro league. The 6 ‘4, 217-lb. left wing was named the Finnish League’s Rookie of the Year. He also shined at the 2007 World Junior Championships, where he shared the lead in goal scoring with 5 goals in 6 games. A lot of folks from Hershey are excited to see him.

(6) Not that Carlson, but John’s Big and Physical Too. No relation to Jack, but John Carlson may well make a name for himself in pro hockey, too. The Caps may have landed another late first-round blueline gem last month with Carlson, who’s already blessed with a pro physique. His coach with the Indiana Ice of the USHL said of his defenseman, “without a doubt, he’s going to be a star in the NHL.”

(5) Media Matters. All of HockeyWashington was stunned by the breadth, depth, and overall quality of media coverage of the Caps this past spring. This week at Kettler — where there will be stories to tell — is an opportunity to see if that was anomalous. After all, the Redskins don’t report to training camp for another two weeks. Bloggers will be out at Kettler covering, and we hope to reprise our coalition from Entry Draft Friday and live blog this Saturday’s camp-concluding scrimmage.

(4) Where’s Big Joe? Joe Finley, Hurting Force, isn’t in town this week. The 2005 first-rounder showed a lot of promise at last summer’s Development Camp, and he also shook a lot of plexiglass with his corner work. The Capitals are going to great lengths to make this week appealing to Washington youths, and Finley’s instincts for violence may not have been a good fit for that agenda. He’ll be returning to North Dakota for his senior season with the Fighting Sioux this fall.

(3) They Harken from a Scorer’s League. The leading scorers from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League each of the past two seasons, Francois Bouchard and Mathieu Perreault, will be present. Perreault in particular, with his dazzling stickwork-in-a-phone-booth and world-class agility and hockey sense, ought to be a fan favorite this week.

(2) Prior a Priority. Capitals’ Goaltender Coach Dave Prior has spent 11 seasons in Washington. He may not have a more important one than the one ahead. He will break in yet another no. 1 goalie in Jose Theodore — the team’s third in just the last six months — and perhaps just as importantly, in Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth tutor two of the organization’s finest goaltending prospects in 15 years. That work begins this week.

(1) Speaking of Goalies . . . It would be comforting for Capitals’ fans to see both Varlamov and Neuvirth stop every shot that each faces the entirety of this week.

Filed in American Hockey League, College Hockey, Development Camp, Francois Bouchard, Frozen Four, Hardcore Hockey Fans, Hershey Bears, Hockey Rituals, Joe Finley, John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, Prospects, Sasha Pokulok, Simeon Varlamov, WJC, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (10)

Prospects, Like Fine Red Wine, Take Time

By pucksandbooks
Thursday, June 26, 2008

We’re in this interim between the draft and the Capitals’ July Development Camp (mercifully, a period lasting little more than two weeks), and with the arrival in town soon of so many recently drafted prospects, it seems an appropriate time to map out what I regard as a fair and accurate timetable for hockey fans to await the arrival of promising youth to the parent club.

I do this because, as is the case with every draft season, a fair swath of fans get a case of the vapors when they take stock of a draft asset three or four years removed from his selection, and still in development; and swept up in message board madness, are therefore inclined to judge him “a bust.”

Let’s start out by stating the obvious: it ain’t easy projecting the NHL bona fides of 18-year-olds. More on that, as it relates to one Vincent Lecavalier, in a minute.

But let’s first address what I call the One-Tenth of One Percent Club. Your Ovechkins. Your Lemieuxs. Your Stamkoses. They don’t arrive every year, but when they do they seriously outclass their draft class. As 18-year-olds, they’re going straight to the NHL, to shine on a first line. They are very rare — the drafting exception. Here’s how rare a specimen Ovie was: a majority of NHL scouts, taking stock of his 18-point performance at the World Under-20s in 2001, thought him easily capable of taking regular — and impact — shifts in the NHL as a 16-year-old then. Again, though, this is the uber-exception, the cream of the elite crop. Most often at the very top of NHL drafts are really nice hockey players who need more CHL or European pro league seasoning.

So what happens with your more typical top-of-the-class blue-chippers, rest-of-the-first-round fellas, year in and year out? A few will require only a single additional year or two of competition in the Canadian Major Juniors. Think Karl Alzner (who likely would have earned a Caps’ sweater for a round two of the NHL playoffs this spring had the Caps prevailed in game 7 against Philly). If he’s a Euro lottery gem like Nicklas Backstrom, an additional year in his country’s top professional league before coming over. But again, we’re still discussing the cream of every draft crop and the odd exception to the general rule: even really terrific hockey prospects take time to develop. Ninety-plus percent of NHL first-rounders will require marinating in juniors and minor pro leagues, or on campus and then the minors, for years.

I mentioned Vinny Lecavalier earlier. He was drafted first overall in 1998. Tampa, then a league doormat, needed some star-buzz-Mojo in its lineup, and fairly forced the young Québécois into the NHL at 18. He scored a grand total of 13 goals during 1998-99. It’s almost beyond dispute that Vinny would have been better served with an additional year (or two) of development before hitting the bigs.

The next three seasons, Lecavalier notched between 23-25 goals; talk of “draft bust” necessarily followed, widely and loudly.

Then in 2002-03 Vinny hit 33 goals. He followed that with 32 in the ‘03-’04 campaign, which culminated with Tampa winning the Cup. Vinny played an important role in the Cup win, but he certainly wasn’t regarded as a stud. Some no. 1 overall, huh?

But a funny thing happened when Lecavalier returned from the lockout, some seven years after his drafting: he was still developing as a big-leaguer! In 2006-07 Lecavalier recorded his break-through, superstar season: 52 goals — nearly 10 years after he was drafted. These days, Lightning ownership is discussing inking Vinny to a lifetime contract.

How’s that for patience? Anybody talking about Vinny being a bust of a no. 1 now?

So with non-lottery picks, almost always, years and years of development are commonly required. Let’s cite Eric Fehr, since he’s a bit of a flashpoint for the with-vapors crowd. When Fehr was drafted in 2003, both Director of Amateur Scouting Ross Mahoney and GM George McPhee swiftly, publicly, established his requiring years more development just in Canadian Major Juniors. And Fehr rewarded the Caps’ plan of patience. He notched consecutive 50-plus-goal campaigns with Brandon of the WHL.

It’s instructive at this point to note that even a veteran bluechipper of a WHLer doesn’t waltz into the American Hockey League and command a first-line perch. The ‘A’ is a pro league of men, and at 20 or 21, CHL graduates — even distinguished ones — are raw meat for the grizzled grist of the last-chance-or-bust bus league. I know this doesn’t conform with message boards’ demand of immediate gratification, but it’s a reality of real-world hockey life.

So Fehr acquitted himself modestly well in 2005-06, his rookie season in pro hockey, potting 25 goals. In ‘06-’07 Fehr was hampered by injuries, but still he managed 22 goals in just 40 games with the Bears. He was, in just his second year of pro hockey, a point-per-game player. At the age of 22.

How about Brooks Laich, an ‘01 draftee? After he was drafted by Ottawa in ‘01 he spent an additional two full years in the CHL. Then he apprenticed in the ‘A’ for more than 120 games. He put up a grand total of 15 goals in more than 140 games with the Capitals between 2005-07. Some return for Peter Bondra, right? Well let’s see if the Caps regard him as a bust, seven summers removed from his draft year, during new contract negotiations this summer.

Brooks Laich is the norm in NHL development. Mike Green is not.

In 2004 the Caps drafted Minnesota prospect Travis Morin in the ninth round. He enjoyed an All American-caliber career at Minnesota State before signing with the Caps. His name was even discussed in association with the Hobey Baker award his final two seasons with the Mavericks. It’s irrelevant to me if Morin sees a single day of NHL duty in his pro hockey career. Finding that quality that late in any draft is a sure sign of scouting deftness. If the Caps’ scouts are going to uncover Hobey Baker candidate prospects once in a blue moon in a seventh or ninth round of the draft, I say (1) keep the scouts and (2) give them raises. It isn’t the job of your NHL scouts to develop Matt Pettinger into a consistent 20-goal scorer; that’s Matt Pettinger’s job.

So what is a general development formula for draft picks? I’d offer two years of additional CHL development after draft selection, a stint of at least two years, on average, in the ‘A,’ and then, potentially, graduation to 4th line minutes with the big club — and that’s if you’re a bluechipper. Not a stud, but a bluechipper. And no development-impairing injuries like we saw with Fehr or Nolan Yonkman, or else the timetable gets adjusted outward.

If you’re a U.S. collegian, 3-4 years on campus and at least 1-3 years in minor pros. That’s the norm. Joe Finley’s getting at least a full season in Hershey after having spent four years at one of the premier college hockey programs in America, and likely one season plus with the Bears. And he was a first-rounder. Guys like Phil Kessel (a serious bluechipper) who shortcut it just don’t seem to have made wise choices.

For Euros, well, there’s wide variance in the caliber of competition from league to league, but with a good prospect like Anton Gustafsson we ought to expect another year sub-Swedish Elite League season and at least one year in the Elite before we see him. He’d also have to stay healthy for those two years. A year in Hershey afterward probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

Filed in Brooks Laich, DraftGeek, Entry Draft, Eric Fehr, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Travis Morin, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (10)

Alzner Done with the Hitmen

By Gustafsson
Friday, May 23, 2008

Yesterday, I was able to participate in the conference call with newly signed Karl Alzner and General Manager George McPhee. It was a call short on time, but not on content.

I asked Karl if the team had expressed their expectations of where he might play this fall — Calgary, Hershey, or Washington. He told us that conversation had not taken place. He plans to arrive at camp in the best shape of his life and give it everything he has. We wants to make a good impression and stay with the Caps.

When asked about what part of his game needs work, he replied that it would be his offensive game. He doesn’t think he’s good enough on the offensive blue line. He mentioned Mike Green’s play and how he wants to be more like Mike and less like Karl.

George McPhee spoke for the second half and put one question to rest. Karl will not return to juniors. George said he has nothing left to prove at that level. I asked George if a spot on the Caps is Karl’s to loose or if he has to have an outstanding camp to make the team.

“I don’t know how to characterize it properly other than to say if he comes to camp and if he is good enough to play here and make us a better team, then he will play. If he is a month away or three months away, then he’ll play in Hershey until he is ready to make us better. We’re completely open-minded. This is a good team now and we like where we are going, but we’ll make room for someone who will make us better. We expect that he can make us better.”

George was asked about the health of several Caps. Brian Pothier is still showing symptoms, but improving. They will keep an eye on his condition and come September, “if he can play, he’ll play and if he can’t, he won’t but it will be his decision.” Michael Nylander was cleared to play on the 5th of May and considered playing in the World Championships, but decided to skip the tournament and return healthy next year. Chris Clark has made good progress and expected to be ready to go in time for camp.

A transcript was not available, but Corey Masisak typed up his notes that captured the majority of the call. His notes were much better than mine, but that’s why he’s a pro.

Filed in Chris Clark, George McPhee, Karl Alzner, Michael Nylander, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Alzner Signed — Next Stop?

By The OFB Team
Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Washington Capitals have announced the signing of defeceman Karl Alzer to a 3 year entry-level contract. As with all signings, the terms of the deal were not made public.

The fifth overall pick in the 2007 Entry Draft, Alzer will most likely start next season in Hershey, though it is possible he may make the Capitals with a strong training camp. He will participate in the team’s summer development camp July 7-12 at Kettler.

From the Capitals press release:

A two-time gold medalist at the IIHF World Junior Championship with Canada, Alzner captained the Canadian team in 2007-08 and was named one of the team’s top three players by the coaching staff. Alzner also represented Canada in the 2007 Canada/Russia Super Series and played for the WHL team in the 2006 Canada-Russia Challenge.

Alzner is rated as Washington’s top prospect by The Hockey News and Hockey’s Future. Those publications rank him as the NHL’s No. 9 and No. 12 prospect, respectively.

Filed in Development Camp, Karl Alzner, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (7)

Washington Capitals’ Top Prospects, Spring 2008

By pucksandbooks
Monday, May 5, 2008

Continuing an OFB tradition, we present our rankings of the Capitals’ prospects at the conclusion of the hockey season. Many of the names below you’ll have a chance to see at Kettler Capitals Iceplex this July, for Development Camp (July 7-12). What’s the lead storyline among the futures holdings? Gotta be the arrival of one of the best young hockey players in Western Canada, Karl Alzner — one of the best young players in Canada or anywhere else, for that matter. If he has a strong training camp come September he’ll bypass the American League this fall and begin his NHL career fresh from an awards-rich CHL career.

Another gleaning: that a Q-league scoring champ and MVP can’t crack the top 10 of an organization’s prospect rankings. That tells us that Ross Mahoney and his stable of scouts the globe over are getting it done.

Name Draft Class ‘07-’08 Club The skinny
Karl Alzner, D ‘07, 1st Rd. Calgary (WHL) WHL Player of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, CHL MVP Finalist. Any questions?
Simeon Varlamov, G ‘06, 1st Rd. Lokomotiv (RSL) Excellent RSL regular season stats, then, in the postseason, sublime: 16 games, 1.56 GA, five shutouts. Welcome to North American professional hockey, Simeon.
Sami Lepisto, D ‘04, 3rd Rd. Hershey Bears So much for struggle in a rookie pro season in North America: 45 pts. in 55 Bears’ games, and a +29. A Tier I candidate for promotion to the parent club in the fall.
Andrew Gordon, RW ‘04, 7th Rd. South Carolina (ECHL); Hershey Fought through early-season demotion, matured into reliable two-way, impact forward. Two hat tricks in his American League rookie season. Bright, bright future.
Chris Bourque, LW ‘04, 2nd Rd. Hershey Bears Bears’ MVP; became a top performer in the American League the final month of the season; ready to stake his claim to a lasting promotion.
Josef Boumedienne, D acquired from Ottawa, Dec. 2002 Hershey Bears Injury-marred ‘07-’08 campaign, but still posted 7 & 35 in 52 games, and a +18; less a prospect and more a quality depth signee; draft day trade bait?
Kyle Wilson, C Signed as a free agent, July 2007 Hershey Bears Only Bear to play in every regular season game; nearly a point-per-game performer through two American League seasons.
Jay Beagle, C Signed with Washington in March 2008 Hershey Bears Diamond in the rough? Big-bodied, mobile, and fancies the contact game; one goal shy of 20 in his freshman AHL campaign.
Francois Bouchard, RW ‘06, 2nd Rd. Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) Strong but unspectacular ‘07-’08 campaign; much improved skater; needs AHL seasoning.
Joe Finley, D ‘05, 1st Rd. North Dakota (WCHA) Enjoyed third straight season of statistical improvement — and ‘07-’08’s numbers included a conspicuous spike in offensive production; a team-leading +24; still magnificently mean and nasty.
Josh Godfrey, D ‘07, 2nd Rd. Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 17 & 34 , +31, in 60 Greyhound games; Western Conference All Star; Team Canada WJC selection; time for pro hockey.
Michal Neuvirth, G ‘06, 2nd Rd. Windsor, Oshawa (OHL) More prime-time performing: 7-2 for the Generals with a 2.48 GA, .932 SP this postseason; led Plymouth to the Memorial Cup last spring; time for pro hockey — South Carolina or Hershey?
Mathieu Perreault, C ‘06, 6th Rd. Acadie Bathurst 2007 Q MVP, 2008 Q scoring champ; nothing left to dominate in major juniors; time for pro hockey.
Oskar Osala, LW ‘06, 4th Rd. Espoo Blues (Fin) Returning to Europe to advance his development, Osala put up impressive numbers in Finland’s top pro league: 18 & 17 and a + 12 in 53 games; will be interesting to see what’s in store for him in ‘08-’09.
Daren Machesney, G ‘05, 5th Rd. Hershey Bears Exceeding expectations — everyone’s — was the story of “Cheese’s” season. He got in 38 games with Hershey and went 22-10 with a 2.55 goals-against. He’s on track to be an elite goaltender in the American League; question is, with what Washington has arriving this summer in goal, is there room in the organization for Cheese?
Andrew Joudrey, C ‘03, 8th Rd. Hershey Bears Solid first full pro season, often centering another prized Caps’ NCAA prospect, Andrew Gordon; strong on his skates, superb hockey sense, makes smart plays.
Stephen Werner ‘03, 3rd Rd. South Carolina, Hershey Remains a longshot to see anything but a cup of coffee in the bigs. But his game matured in ‘07-’08. Skated a +4 for the Bears in just 8 games. Does have a pro stride.
Travis Morin, C ‘04, 9th Rd. South Carolina Big, big numbers for the Stingray pivot: 34 & 50 in 68 games, including 14 power play markers; still has issues with skating and strength at the pro level.
Patrick McNeill, D ‘05, 4th Rd. South Carolina, Hershey Split time between Carolina and Hershey this season; he’s undersized but not physically overmatched in the A; should enjoy a full year with the Bears in ‘08-’09.
Oscar Hedman, D ‘04, 5th Rd. Modo (Swe.) A top-4 pairing blueliner who by the age of 22 had completed five seasons in the Swedish Elite League. Though I’ve seen only glimpses of him in WJC play, I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to have two Oscars in my table. Should Osala and he connect on a scoring play in a game with the Caps, it’d be the first Oskar-from-Oscar feat in NHL history. I really want that.
Filed in American Hockey League, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Daren Machesney, Francois Bouchard, Hershey Bears, Jay Beagle, Joe Finley, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, Prospects, Russia, Sami Lepisto, Simeon Varlamov, Travis Morin, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (17)

Cavalcade of Accolades Continues for Capitals

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)
Thursday, May 1, 2008

Awards and nominations keep coming for the Washington Capitals–and not just to those with the parent club. The Capitals’ 2007 first-round draft pick Karl Alzner has just earned some hardware as a member of the WHL Calgary Hitmen, named both the Western Hockey League’s player of the year and top defenseman:

[Alzner] earned the WHL’s highest individual honour in winning the Four Broncos Trophy, given annually by the WHL to its top player in memory of four Swift Current Broncos who died in a bus crash in 1986.

Alzner also [won] the Bill Hunter Trophy as top defenceman.

Read more about it at TSN and Mike Vogel’s blog.

Filed in Karl Alzner, Mike Vogel, Prospects, TSN, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Reinforcements for the Farm

By pucksandbooks
Friday, April 25, 2008

Word out of Hershey: both Josh Godfrey and Karl Alzner have joined the Bears. Alzner will not play in tonight’s game 5 at Wilkes Barre-Scranton, as he’s sidelined by the flu, but he could dress in game 6 tomorrow back at Giant Center if Hershey can get a win tonight.

The Bears trail the Penguins three games to one but earned their first victory in overtime on Wednesday night.

Filed in American Hockey League, Hershey Bears, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (3)

Languishing in the Learning Curve

By pucksandbooks
Friday, April 18, 2008

If you watched Game 4’s broadcast last night likely you saw Comcast illustrate the dramatic discrepancy in playoff experience between the Caps and Flyers: last night 14 Capitals were making their NHL playoff series debuts, just 6 for Philadelphia. The way the game was contested you’d never have known.

Small solace this morning.

But I think I am going to enjoy watching Eric Fehr compete in playoffs hence. Through nearly 90 minutes of game clock I kept seeing Fehr impose his physical will down low and along the boards and carry off the simple and smart decision under pressure and in traffic. Next season I suspect we’ll begin seeing him score more regularly and then take that scorer’s touch and add it to his already impressive physical drive.

And I think Alexander Ovechkin has, four games into his NHL postseason career, found a prescription for making his mark at this time of year: first hit everything that moves, helping to dictate a game’s tempo and feel, instead of waiting for the play to come to you — and the scoring will follow. The Capitals last night followed Ovechkin’s physical lead: four games in, and likely three games too late, they finally got physical, winning the hits ledger 38 to 29.

And I’ll take six or eight more springs like this from Dave Stecklel, too, and, if I can, at least a dozen more of this caliber from Alexander Semin.

Semin, for me, is the storyline of success in what is fast beginning to look like an abbreviated first trip to the postseason by the rebuilt Caps. I’ve enjoyed watching him in all four games, but last night was perhaps the most impressive hockey game he’s played in his young NHL career. The playoffs have a way of maturing, of rounding out and of broadening the skill set of previously one-dimensional hockey players. I’m not suggesting that Semin was altogether one dimensional prior to April 11, 2008, but watching him make quality Flyer defenders look foolish along the boards, watching him dish out as good and at times better than he got, watching him be the first Cap in at a scrum to aid a victimized teammate, watching him get bloodied and battered and thereby only more resolved to win, well, how can you not be excited about what future seasons — and especially springs — likely hold for him?

Viewers last night also saw a rebound performance from Milan Jurcina. He got real physical after playing comparatively passive in previous games. He also didn’t much attempt passes up the middle of the ice from behind his own net. He, like many of his young teammates, is learning.

There’s no other way to get to where the Caps ultimately want to get except through trial and costly error in the cauldron of the NHL postseason. That cauldron includes grotesque gaffes — at times wild in their imbalance — by game officials.

I read Mike Vogel’s commendably restrained litany of lousy officiating, but I’m glad that as grievously bad as it’s been at times — and referee Mike Hasenfratz should be chemically castrated for what he did with 3 minutes left last night (was that as commendably restrained?) — that it’s occurring in this series, so early in the postseason careers of so many Caps. It needs to be filed away among the very hard lessons learned.

One of the toughest lessons a young hockey team has to learn about the postseason is that victory isn’t always awarded to the deserving. There’s about a baker’s dozen of those in Capitals’ playoff history. Add Thursday night to the tally. When Bruce Boudreau was asked about changes his club would need to make for Saturday’s game 5, he replied, “None. I thought we outplayed them. I thought we deserved to win.” Me, too. But that and a $5 bill will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Hockey clubs that come up short get tinkered with and tweaked in offseasons, and as exciting and rewarding and even inspiring as the 2007-08 Capitals have been, there are missing parts among them, and I’m going to enjoying monitoring how General Manager McPhee works his home improvements this summer. Debates about names and signings are fit for another day. But help is on the near horizon.

More youth will be served. And it will need to be led just as this spring’s has been by the likes of Sergei Fedorov, Matt Cooke, and Cristobal Huet. Here’s hoping the 2008 Young Guns are taking good notes.

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Dave Steckel, Eric Fehr, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Mike Vogel, Milan Jurcina, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, Philadelphia Flyers, Prospects, Sami Lepisto, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (30)

Young Guns to the North Are Golden Again

By pucksandbooks
Sunday, January 6, 2008

9eba7a1f63.jpgFor the fourth consecutive year, Canada’s Under-20s claimed gold at the World Junior Championships. Two of them — Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey — are Caps’ prospects. Ten players from Canada’s roster this year will be eligible for the next WJC, to be contested this December on Canadian soil.

Godfrey finished third in scoring among all defensemen with 5 points (all assists). Alzner had a goal and an assist in his seven games. Both blueliners finished a +2.

Canada’s Steve Mason was named not only the tournament’s best goalie — a .951 save percentage will often fetch that — but the Most Valuable Player as well. He’ll return to North America today to a new home, too: on Friday he was dealt by the London Knights to the Kitchener Rangers. Michal Neuvirth of the Czech Republic, also Caps’ property, had the 4th-best save percentage (.910); he stopped 101 of the 111 shots he faced, and four that got by him came on the oppositions’ power play.

American James vanRiemsdyk led all scorers in the tourney with 11 points. Teammate Colin Wilson also finished in the top 10 in scoring, with 7 points. But as feared heading in, American goaltending wasn’t elite. Jeremy Smith played well in the preliminary round but less so when it was most needed. Neither American goalie finished with a .900 save percentage.

A lot of attention heading into the tourney was directed at the Czech Republic’s Jacub Voracek, who was obliterating the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season (50 pts. in 25 games) in Halifax. But Voracek managed to finish just 29th in scoring and wasn’t even identified as one of his team’s three best players by the tournament’s coaches.

Filed in IIHF, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Michal Neuvirth, Prospects, WJC, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

High Praise for Alzner

By DC Sports Chick
Monday, December 17, 2007

Karl Alzner- THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike SturkCapitals prospects Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey were named to the Canadian junior team on Friday. The Canadian Press profiled Alzner, and Alzner showed that he’s already thinking ahead to his duties as captain:

Alzner was preparing a few one-liners to break pre-game tension. “Maybe a couple movie quotes,” he said. “That always cracks guys up a bit. You want to save some of those for just before game time so guys can relax a little bit. I’ve heard some stories of some pretty good leaders in the NHL doing it.”

What about the legacy left behind by former junior team captains such as Michael Richards, Jarret Stoll, Eric Lindros, and Theo Fleury?

“I’m in great company now and I want to make sure I don’t disappoint,” Alzner said. “I want to be known as not only as a guy who helped out in this tournament, but one of the better leaders and I think I have a great opportunity with the young team to help do that.”

Coach Craig Hartsburg feels comfortable with Alzner and his capabilities, calling him a “a good level-headed kid who will really give us good leadership.”

Four alternate captains were designated, and Hartsburg had this to say about the team leadership:

“(On) every team the captains are important but the leadership on this team will be very important if they can, in the dressing room, sift through some of the things that are going to happen to us,” Hartsburg said. “In this tournament, with referees and the emotion in the building, or maybe some nights no emotion in the building, it’s very important we have a group to help us fight through that stuff. They’ve been through it with the Russian series and Karl was there last year, so we feel comfortable they’ll keep us on the right path in the dressing room.”

With four alternate captains, it’s an honor for Alzner to be chosen as the leader. There’s no doubt that he’ll excel in the role. I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs with the Caps, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. Alzner is precisely the kind of player any hockey team would love to have.

Filed in Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Woe Is US: A Rebuilding Team U.S.A at the World Juniors

By pucksandbooks
Friday, December 14, 2007

December offers a particularly terrific gift for hockey fans — the World Junior Championships, or what many in hockey regard as the greatest of hockey tournaments. This year’s Worlds will be contested in the Czech Republic, with the U.S. opening on December 26 against Kasakhstan. The Canadians this week conducted their determinative evaluation camp, and the results are in: Caps’ property Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey will represent the three-time defending champions. In fact, Alzner is a candidate to captain the team. Mathieu Perreault, another invitee, was returned to Acadie Bathurst. The Canadians, as ever, will be strong and pre-tourney favorites. They will lack the elite starpower of championship years past, but they will have no rivals in roster depth.

The United States, however, is confronting a hard reality with this year’s tournament: they are victims of their own development success. Typically, even the highest of NHL draft picks rarely makes his drafting team’s roster in his draft year, but that’s precisely what’s happened with Patrick Kane (Chicago), whose dominant performance in last year’s WJC launched him toward elite status for this past June’s draft. Additionally, 2006 no. 1 overall pick Erik Johnson, eligible for this year’s Worlds, is busy patrolling the St. Louis Blues’ blueline. And another 2006 American draft gem and WJC eligible, Peter Mueller, is having a solid rookie season for Wayne Gretzky’s Phoenix Coyotes.

I had a chance this week to chat a bit with an NHL scout I interviewed here last year, one whose coverage is with the U.S. college ranks, and the impact of Johnson’s and Kane’s absenses to the Americans this month was, to him, crystal clear. The Americans are lunchpalers without them and gold medal gamers with them.

USA Hockey LogoThe Americans won’t be devoid of talent, but heavy burdens will fall principally on James Van Riemsdyk (New Hampshire; Philadelphia) and Kyle Okposo (Minnesota; NY Islanders). They have decent skill on the blueline, but then there’s perhaps the team’s biggest concern — in goal. That’s where things may get ugly for the U.S.

pucksandbooks: To the layman’s eye, this looks to be as weak a team as the U.S. has fielded at the World Jrs. in years. Fair impression?

NHL Scout: Team USA is severely hampered this year by guys like Johnson and Kane being in the NHL and unable to play. Add those two and you’ve got a completely different team. Overall, this is a team that lacks high end skill outside of Van Riemsdyk and possibly Okposo (who I see often here in Minnesota) and Schroeder. For some perspective, I don’t think anyone but Van Riemsdyk would crack Canada’s Top 6 forwards. Teams are going to be able to focus their best checking line exclusively on Van Riemsdyk. Add Kane, and you could break the two up and make teams pick their poison. If Okposo and Van Riemsdyk don’t play together, there will be a lot of pressure on Okposo to take the heat off of Van Riemsdyk.

pucksandbooks: A reasonably likely U.S. lineup would look like . . . ?

NHL Scout:

Jordan Schroeder-Colin Wilson-James Van Riemsdyk
Rhett Rakshani-Kyle Okposo-Max Pacioretty
Tyler Ruegsegger-Mike Carman-Bill Sweatt
Ryan Flynn-Matt Rust-Blake Geoffrion

Bobby Sanguinetti-Ian Cole
Jonathon Blum-Jamie McBain
Kevin Montgomery-Bill Strait

Jeremy Smith
Joe Palmer

Doing the power play and penalty kills would be difficult, because it depends on the coach’s thoughts. If they want a big guy in front to take up space, Flynn might be a PP guy. If they go all skill, Flynn might not see a minute of PP time the entire tournament. Watch for some combination of Sanguinetti, Blum, Montgomery, and Schroeder to run the point on the PP. Strait, Cole, and McBain will see a great deal of penalty kill time.

pucksandbooks: A followup — Looking at the team, are there any of the fringe players that you felt could have been replaced by other players?

NHL Scout: Team USA will probably be judged by how some of these fringe players play. They took Ryan Flynn over Eric Tangradi. Most scouts I’ve talked to were shocked by that, as Tangradi gives you the same size and same physical play, but with better skating and hands. Flynn is just a fourth liner, Tangradi could fit in on the second line.

They took Cade Fairchild, Chris Summers and Kevin Montgomery over Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan McDonagh, Zach Bogosian, and Mike Ratchuk. Fairchild probably will not end up playing much. He’s a very good college defenseman and his inclusion is probably more about preparing him for next year, when he should make the team. But the other three college defensemen named are pretty good themselves. I’ve heard Shattenkirk has been up and down this year, but he was a high first round pick, comes from the [USNDTP] program, and possesses great offensive abilities. McDonagh is similar, although he’s a little more of a two-way guy than Fairchild, with a little less offense. Ratchuk and Fairchild are very similar, except for the fact that Ratchuk’s older, bigger, more developed, and won a National Championship this year. I haven’t seen much of Montgomery since he left Michigan, but I know he was a fringe pick that many Canadian scouts aren’t that high on.

Summers is Team USA getting a little cute. He spends some time at forward and some at defense, although I’ve been told that Phoenix will make him a full time forward when he gets out. I’m not sure I understand the pick — it’s not like you’re building for a long season and the versatility is nice. There are better defensemen than him, and better forwards than him . . . why not take one of them? Now they have 8 D and only 12 forwards . . . what are the odds of having to use 8 D?

They took a forward in Carman who hasn’t played a game this year. Now, I really like Carman as a player and I know he’s been there before. But he’s going to be rusty at first. Is there someone I would have taken over him? I don’t know for sure, but they better hope he’s in playing shape.

pucksandbooks: How bad in the goaltending situation?

NHL Scout: Smith is a very solid, if unspectacular goalie. I was surprised they took Palmer over Unice. Palmer has an .880 save percentage in the NCAA. One scout who does exclusively college hockey told me he thought Palmer was one of the worst goalies in the college game. I don’t see as much college as he does, but the game I saw Ohio State play Palmer cost him the game. Team USA pretty clearly went with a college goalie because they want to encourage kids to play college hockey instead of going to Canada. They took a college kid who came up through the NTDP, so they’re comfortable with him and his personality. I would say Team USA better hope Smith stays healthy.

pucksandbooks: Who if anyone lurks as a sleeper American prospect as we’ve seen with the likes of Kane and VanRiemsdyk and Kessel in years past?

NHL Scout: Colin Wilson is the only draft eligible player on the roster. He is a smart, developed, tough player, but he isn’t flashy like the guys you listed. Schroeder is available in 2009. Pacioretty was a high pick, but I think he’ll really come into his own in this tournament. I would keep an eye on him.

pucksandbooks: Is it Canada’s tournament to lose?

NHL Scout: Probably, yes. Canada is deep enough that they can afford to lose guys like Toews and Gagner. The U.S. is not as talented. That said, it’s an emotional, pressure-filled tournament. I think Team USA thinks they have hard working, character kids who will work hard and not concede anything. I don’t think this is a team that will get blown out much, but they won’t blow anyone out either. They’ll need second line scoring to emerge, and they’ll have to hope Smith can make big saves when it matters.

Filed in American Hockey, CHL, College Hockey, IIHF, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, WJC, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

3 Prospects Headed to Camp

By DC Sports Chick
Monday, December 3, 2007

Good news from the Caps’ PR staff today:

Three Capitals Draft Picks Invited to Canadian National Junior Team Selection Camp

WASHINGTON– Defensemen Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey and center Mathieu Perreault have been invited to attend the 2008 Canadian National Junior Team Selection Camp, Hockey Canada announced today. Alzner, Godfrey and Perreault are three of the 37 players who will attend the camp that runs from Dec. 10-14, 2007, at the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary.

Washington is one of four NHL teams with three prospects invited to the camp, joined by Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The camp will help determine the team to represent Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championship to be held in the Czech Republic Dec. 26, 2007, to Jan. 5, 2007.

Alzner and Perreault both attended the camp last year, while Alzner is one of three players in camp who was a member of the 2007 Canadian National Junior Team. Alzner and Godfrey are two of the 22 camp participants who were members of the Canadian team at this fall’s Canada/Russia Super Series.

Alzner, 19, was the Capitals’ first choice, fifth overall, in the 2007 Entry Draft. The Burnaby, British Columbia, native is the captain of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. Alzner leads Hitmen defensemen with 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) and a +10 rating in 31 games.

Godfrey, 19, was Washington’s second-round choice, 34th overall, in the 2007 Entry Draft. A native of Collingwood, Ontario, he is the top defensive scorer for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 29 games. Godfrey ranks third among OHL defensemen in goals after leading league blueliners in goals last season (24).

Perreault, 19, was the Capitals’ sixth-round choice, 177th overall, in the 2006 Entry Draft. The Drummondville, Quebec, native is in his third season with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and ranks tied for fourth among QMJHL scorers with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 26 games. The league’s offensive player of the week in the first week of November, he is tied for third in the QMJHL with a +18 rating. Perreault was the QMJHL player of the year and a first-team all-star in 2006-07.

Filed in Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, OHL, Super Series, WJC, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (3)

Leafs TV? How About Caps’ TV?

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Cup'pa JoeApprised of Comcast’s commitment to the Caps this week, I turned on Comcast SportsNet the moment I arrived home from work Monday night, and left it there. What I watched over the next four hours stunned me.

I saw new Comcast Caps’ beat reporter Lisa Hillary studio host a season preview alongside Joe Reekie. I saw just about all of Alexander Ovechkin’s first-ever NHL game (I’d forgotten that he was a flubbed breakaway from a hat trick that night). Then I saw JoeB and Craig host another studio half hour, “Caps Speak,” for another team preview. Promos for Comcast’s “SportsNight” that followed promised even more Caps’ coverage.

It was “Monday Night Hockey in Washington,” of course.

Head Coach Glen Hanlon was interviewed in depth by Hillary. GMGM was thoughtfully interviewed, at length, and he provided his customary thoughtful replies. Key personnel — Chris Clark, Olie Kolzig, Tom Poti, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Nylander — all took turns before Comcast’s cameras. Tarik El Bashir’s segment with Joe and Craig I thought was a highlight of the entire night. (Tarik, true to form, offered a sober and fair assessment amid the rampant optimism engulfing the organization early this autumn. The Caps, he said, could finish anywhere “from sixth to tenth” in the Eastern conference.)

Broadcast Buzz about pro hockey in D.C. these days? Umm, yes — only if you regard all-consuming, single-topic devotion by the local sports television outlet to the city’s red-headed stepchild of pro teams “buzz”-indicating. Apparently it’s going to be like this the remainder of the week each evening on Comcast.

At one point during the prime time proceedings I saw Joe and Craig flash on the screen multiple-screen listings of Caps’ prospects. I saw the names Michal Neuvirth, Simeon Varlamov, Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, Mathieu Perreault, Francois Bouchard, Dave Steckel, and Chris Bourque, all broadcast on an outlet that never in its life held an office fantasy hockey pool. Briefly, it was like a breakout from hockeysfuture, and two DraftGeeks renting out the Comcast studio and making like Wayne and Garth on local cable access.

Wayne, er, JoeB: “Look at all this talent in the pipeline, Dude!”

Garth, er, Craig (head cocked): “Excellent!”

This is what importing one Canuck can do to an outlet!

More seriously, Hillary was hired to bring her NHL coverage experience to Comcast. The in-house hockey talent was significant, if under-appreciated and grossly under-utilized, but had the outlet ever boasted a dedicated reporter on the beat? Next I’m going to allege that coverage decisions like Comcast’s for this week haven’t occurred in a vacuum, and that they’re a harbinger of better coverage to come, print and broadcast, traditional and alternative. To an extent, it’s fashionable, of course: the Caps may not make it to the postseason this year, but they will not be dull.

But of course I’m a subscriber to the theory that a media revolution for this team and its sport is well underway these days, in these parts.

I’m also, at week’s end, when this trial run on Comcast terminates, planning on becoming a subscriber to CapsTV.

Filed in Chris Bourque, Comcast SportsNet, Craig Laughlin, Francois Bouchard, George McPhee, Glen Hanlon, Joe Beninati, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Lisa Hillary, Mathieu Perreault, Media, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Simeon Varlamov, TV, Tarik El-Bashir, Training Camp, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (7)

The Summer Shift - Karl Alzner

By The OFB Team
Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Perhaps you’ve already come across this video.  If not, we wanted to share this Karl Alzner Nike commercial with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr-9MVzxHTQ

Filed in Karl Alzner, Video Clips, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

Uniform System Update: Fur Helmets

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)
Monday, August 27, 2007

Actually this splendid chapeau is the Most Valuable Player hat, worn by 2007 Capitals draftee Karl Alzner after Game 1 of the Canada-Russia Super Series hockey tournament.

Karl Alzner and his Fur Hat - photo by Paul Chaisson/CP
Filed in Karl Alzner, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Summer State of the Team - The Defensemen

By OFB
Monday, August 6, 2007

Washington Captials - secondary logo“Offense sells tickets, but defense wins games” is how the old adage goes, and in our on-going offseason look at the organization, we examine a blueline corps with a new face, an old face returning, and a bunch of fresh faces looking to make some noise.

Competition for the 7 projected defensive spots should be fierce, and even a few bad practices or scrimmages may be the difference between suiting up for an NHL club or returning to Juniors or Europe.

Karl Alzner — Washington’s first-round pick in June’s 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Alzner plays a surprisingly mature game, with high panic threshold and excellent on-ice awareness. Not a big banger, nor prone to unleash a slap shot from the point too often, Alzner plays a reliable, steady game that will eventually eat up big minutes in the NHL. For now, it seems, he’s slated to return to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, though there is speculation that he may get a taste of NHL duty at the start of the season before being returned to his junior club.

Continue reading ›

Filed in Jamie Hunt, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Milan Jurcina, Sami Lepisto, Shaone Morrisonn, Steve Eminger, Tom Poti, Training Camp, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (0)

Seabrook leaves Pioneers, becomes a Hitman

By OFB
Monday, July 30, 2007

Keith SeabrookDefenseman Keith Seabrook, drafted by the Caps in 2006 (52nd overall), has decided to leave the Denver Pioneers to join Kelly Kisio’s Calgary Hitmen. The offensive blueliner will join Caps’ 2007 first round pick Karl Alzner in Calgary’s defensive corps.

Seabrook, the younger brother of the Chicago Blackhawks Brent Seabrook, had completed his freshman season for Denver, scoring 2 goals to go with 11 assists in 37 games for Denver. It’s expected that he will log big minutes for the Hitmen, and will be counted on to work significant time on the power play.

Filed in CHL, College Hockey, Karl Alzner, Keith Seabrook, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (7)
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