Musketeers Sold

It is being reported that the Sioux City Musketeers have been sold and the organization has called a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. Here is an article from a local radio station in Sioux City.

The Sioux City Musketeers have called a press conference for Friday afternoon at 2:00 at the Tyson Events Center. It was not disclosed what the purpose of this press conference is.

However, KSCJ has learned that the Musketeers hockey organization will be sold to a group outside of Sioux City. Anonymous sources have told KSCJ that Siouxland Sports will sell the team to a group that has never owned a sports franchise before. It should be emphasized that there is no indication that the team will leave Sioux City and the Tyson Events Center.

Numerous calls have been placed to Team President Jim Kronschnabel but have not been returned. A representative of the USHL did not have any comment on the story.

Kronshnabel is part of Siouxland Sports, which owns the team and has operated the Muskies franchise since 2002, 2 years before the Tyson Events Center was completed.

It is widely known that Kronschnabel has family in poor health but there is no indication whether that is a reason for the sale.

An update as the Musketeers have released a press release on their web site. I'm glad to see the first order of business was extending the lease to keep the team in Sioux City. I had also heard from a source that Quad City was interested in the league and was told the only way they could was to buy a franchise. I hope that the Musketeers organization stays in Sioux City for many years to come.

The United States Hockey League and Jim Kronschnabel, the principal owner of Siouxland Sports and the Sioux City Musketeers, today announced approval for the transfer of ownership of the Musketeers to a new ownership group headed by Donn Lux, Chairman and CEO of St. Louis-based Luxco, Inc.

A first order for new ownership was extension of the current lease agreement with the Tyson Events Center, which has hosted home games for the Sioux City Musketeers since it opened in 2003, for at least three future seasons. The organization will also host the USHL Fall Classic in September through at least 2011, having been awarded that extension by the USHL during its All-Star meetings. This coming September will mark the fourth straight season the "most scouted event in hockey" comes to Sioux City.

Muskegon Names Head Coach

Despite being announced as a new team after Dubuque, the Muskegon Lumberjacks have already announced their head coach for their inaugural campaign. They tabbed Kevin Patrick, who was/is an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Here are a few articles talking about the hiring.

Sixty Minutes. No Alibis. No Regrets.

Western College Hockey Blog

UWBadgers.com

Wisconsin Radio Network

USHL

News and Notes

Prospect Report: Jaden Schwartz

Musketeers in must win situation as playoffs near.

Countdown to puck drop.

Two RoughRiders make college choices.

Hayes a more physical player at Minnesota State.

Not focused on solely the USHL, but a good read about more prep players leaving early.

New Lightning Forward A Student of the Game.

Q & A with Anthony Hamburg.

An article on Justin Abdelkader.

Former Indiana Ice forward, Travis Winter, is named assistant coach for Cedar Rapids.

A peek at some of the names you may see next season on the USNTDP U17 squad.

Cedar Rapids is honoring Yankee great, Lou Gehrig, and here is a picture of their jerseys for the event.

News and Notes

Tri-City's coach has an interesting offer for a WHL team.

Looking Forward.

Cedar Rapids' Beers out for remainder of regular season.

P.K. O'Handley earns 400th USHL victory.

Assistant Coach Dwyer Leaves RoughRiders.

USHL Alumni Voices: Michael Sdao.

Phantoms will roll the dice with two youngsters.

USHL alumni named to All-CCHA teams.

Pair of Stars make college choices.

Recent recruit for Denver might come with bonus.

Simpson commits to Dartmouth.

Hoffmann makes power play for spot on Yankees roster.

Kolosov adds Olympics to impressive resume.

CHN released their All-Decade team.

News and Notes

Karlsson commits to Northeastern.

NTDP's Derek Forbort tops THN's Hot List.

Rall commits to Alaska-Anchorage.

A little delayed, but still a nice read on a former USHLer.

NY Yankees outfielder, Jamie Hoffmann, hoping for US gold.

Serratore commits to Minnesota.

Just a little comment on Serratore's commitment. This couldn't have happened to a better kid. He is always on the ice giving 150% and does what is asked of him. He's not a huge kid or a real flashy player, but he is one of those players with all the intangibles. Great job, Tom, and good luck in the maroon and gold. Here's a nice quote that sums up Tom:

"After his first couple weeks [in Youngstown], I was very impressed with Tom as an individual and as a leader," Carr said. "Everything you hear about Tom is in relation to his work ethic and how he does the little things: block shots, go to the net and be physical. He sometimes plays with a complete and utter disregard to his own body and safety, but that's the stuff guys feed off of."

Recently Committed:
Brendan Woods (Chicago) - University of Wisconsin
Tom Serratore (Youngstown) - University of Minnesota
Ludwig Karlsson (Green Bay) - Northeastern University
Daniel Doremus (played a few games with Tri-City) - University of Denver
Jake Sloat (former Omaha defenseman) - Bowling Green University
Zack Rall (Chicago) - University of Alaska-Anchorage
Ryan Kesti (Sioux City) - Northern Michigan University
Dax Lauwers (Lincoln) - Army

Brief News and Notes

Black Hawks stunned by Youngstown.

Yale freshman makes immediate impact.

Mayfield on fast track to pro career.

Former USHLer, Matt White, committed to Vermont.



Latest College Commitments:
Andrej Sustr (Youngstown) - University of Nebraska-Omaha
Jon Swavely (former Sioux City forward) - University of Maine
Matt Van Voorhis (USNTDP) - University of Denver
Taylor Holstrom (Youngstown) - Mercyhurst College
Brett Gensler (Youngstown) - Bentley College
Jimmy Siers (Waterloo) - Brown University
Stu Wilson (Cedar Rapids) - Yale University
Tyler Pistone (Tri-City) - Army

New Teams in 2010-2011

Yes, I know this news is a little old, but I wanted to post some thoughts about the expansion into Muskegon and Dubuque for next season. I'm hoping (key word) to get the blog rolling a little more for the rest of the season.

First, it was announced that Dubuque would be returning to the league for next season. This is great for the league, as it's not a 14 hour bus ride for West teams and right in the heart of the USHL. I think Dubuque will do very well attendance wise, especially with Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Des Moines being so close. They also announced that Boston Bruins GM, Peter Chiarelli, will become part of the ownership in Dubuque. It's great that Peter is getting involved and hopefully it will make others notice the USHL is a top notch league for pro prospects to take in order to achieve their dreams. It was also announced that they will remain the Fighting Saints and unveiled some nice looking logos.

Next was one of the worst kept secrets in the hockey world. Muskegon, Michigan will also join the league next season, after having professional hockey for 50 years. They will be the Muskegon Lumberjacks, same as their current IHL team. This could potentially be a great market to jump in, if the fans in Muskegon give the USHL a chance. I'm always very cautious and optimistic when the USHL goes into a city that is used to having pro hockey. I know the fans in Muskegon are very educated with the game and I'm sure most will at least give the USHL a chance. Below are a few clips from Youtube regarding the press conference about Muskegon joining the USHL and a Q & A video with owner, Josh Mervis. You can also follow along with some chatter on the Finish Your Check board.

News and Notes

NHL First Round Pick Leblanc Harvard Bound.

Forbort headed for bigger and better things.

Hope skates on.

UMASS hockey team staying close to home this season.

A little old, but I found this a little interesting. It's a grade for each Canadian NHL team following the NHL Entry Draft.

Breakdown: The host city was buzzing with rumours that the Canadiens would swing a trade for Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier. Instead, the team took another local boy in Leblanc — despite scouts ranking him much lower. The Point-Claire, Que., forward has committed to Harvard for at least the next two years, which might not be a smartest move for his development.
Seidel Says: “The concern began at 18 when they caved to public pressure and selected the hometown francophone Louis Leblanc, who played this past season in the weak United States Hockey League. The Harvard-bound Leblanc is an offensive player but needs a lot of work and time before he is ever expected to compete for a spot on the Habs."

Lee's untraditional chase of NHL dream.

Q & A with Nick Oliver.

Blais Resigns from Force; Takes UNO Head Coaching Job

Just received word and read some articles that have confirmed that Fargo has lost their head coach, Dean Blais, to the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks hockey program. The Mavs previous head coach took a different position within the team, and that opened up the head coaching spot. The Mavs were able to land Blais and should help them immensely.

Fargo will now look for a new head coach themselves.

USHL to West Virginia?

Is it too far east or would it possibly work for a USHL far east division?

They may want to check to see where the teams actually play, though. Here is the article and a link.

Huntington, WV (HNN) – Prior to the Tuesday, May 26 Huntington City Council meeting, Big Sandy Superstore Arena Director A.J. Boleski has requested to make a presentation regarding the United States Hockey League.

Huntington has had several experiences with professional minor league hockey, which at its best with the team winning saw an increase in downtown traffic and good attendance to the lower echelons when the team was near the cellar. The same with Arena Football and variations thereof. Even, graduated MU football players couldn’t turn several of those teams into financial survivors.

Although nothing has been made public about the proposal, the United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey leave in the U.S. It’s a strictly amateur league with players 20 years and under. Since the league is amateur, the players do not lose NCAA playing status.

Currently, the league has twelve teams from mostly the Midwest, including Minneapolis, Minn., Dubuque, Iowa, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, and Fargo, N.D.

Jerseys4Jackie

Patty Alexander, the mother of Lincoln Stars forward Eric Alexander, has created a Facebook group to help support Jackie Teague. She has a rare form of cancer and Patty has decided to gather some jerseys and auction them on ebay to help raise money. I'll let Patty explain it a little better. Above is a picture that shows some of the jerseys collected so far. I believe they are all signed except for the Alaska jersey and it looked like the Michigan State jersey was signed by head coach Rick Comley.

This group is started to bring awareness to a cause to raise money to help Jackie Teague battle CUP cancer.

Jackie is a 20 year old student at Michigan State University who is battling a rare form of cancer. She is not only a student, but she also works to pay for her own college while facing this battle. She is amazing! Jackie graduated from East Kentwood High School.

Jerseys4Jackie was started by challenging the CCHA Hockey Teams to donate an autographed jersey to auction off for Jackie's medical expenses. We will begin to do that soon on Ebay. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Jackie.

We'd like to challenge other teams and individuals to donate Jerseys for Jackie to keep the awareness going of CUP and to support Jackie's medical expenses.

We'd like to bring awareness to the type of rare cancer that Jackie has because we found that it impacts 30,000 people in a variety of forms. This will give people an opportunity to share information and understand it a bit more. Jackie has what is referred to as "CUP" and it basically means that the origin is unknown, which makes it difficult to treat. Although she is one of the youngest to battle CUP, she is not alone.

Jackie is currently in her third round of Chemo, a total of 6 months. Two months after that they will reevaluate her next option.

SUPPORT Jackie by spreading the word. We'll update as the Jerseys go on Ebay for Auction. If you have an Autographed Jersey you would like to donate, please contact us at Jerseys4Jackie@gmail.com

OHL Draft

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) held their Priority Selection Draft today. Nothing really too surprising, except the Kitchener Rangers are trying to pull a London Knights. What I mean is they chose a highly rated USHL defensemen in round 2 in hopes of luring them to the OHL and walk away from a college commitment.

Moore is currently committed to Colorado College, and I think they are a little more known for pro prospects than the University of Massachusetts, where John Carlson had been committed to. The drafting of Moore had been rumored for awhile, and I figured it would be London doing it again, but Kitchener beat them to it.

For more on the OHL Draft, check with the Western College Hockey Blog later on.

Report Card: Tri-City Storm

Team Record: 11-48-1

Total Points: 23

Goal Leader: Radoslav Illo - 21

Assist Leader: Anthony DeCenzo - 26

Points Leader: Anthony DeCenzo - 44

PIM Leader: Bo Dolan - 62

+/- Leader: Danny Heath - +1

Wins Leader: T.J. Massie - 5


Tri-City had some funds cut and that left Coach Tom Rudrud with a difficult season ahead of him. He was forced to recruit off the internet and could never really find quality players. The Storm went through a few goalies before hanging onto T.J. Massie, who had left U-Mass. Massie struggled a bit once he first joined the Storm, but despite the team being bad, Massie played pretty well. Matt Margitan went 0-12 for the Storm and didn't post very good numbers. Massie could be a solid goalie and post some better numbers if he had some help in front of him. If he stays with the Storm next season, I'd expect a much improved T.J. Massie.


The defense, like the rest of the team, really struggled. There were a few bright spots in Rick Pinkston and Charlie Carkin. Pinkston was a draft pick and was a very reliable player for the Storm. Carkin was added after the season had started, and he proved to be a very good addition. Though both were a -29 on the season, it didn't reflect on their play at all. Another defensemen I enjoyed watching was St. Paul native Bo Dolan. He made the Stampede roster as a futures pick and was eventually traded in a deal that sent him and David Donnellan to the Storm in exchange for Sean Escobedo. Dolan is a smaller guy, but throws his body around and isn't afraid to scrap. He's a player that will be even more fun to watch come next season.


The forwards were led by Mike Cichy to start the season, and then he was traded to Indiana. Cichy continued his success out East, but the Storm offense really struggled without him in the lineup. Anthony DeCenzo picked up as much slack as possible and led the team in points with 44. Not bad for a guy who was originally unprotected by the Storm prior to last May's entry draft. Josh Berge put up some decent numbers, but was hampered by injuries to conclude the season. He's a 2010 Minnesota State recruit, so keep an eye on him next season. The Zarbo's, Matt and Joe, played very well together and put up some solid seasons for rookies. Matt Bailey was another rookie to post a solid campaign and should be a key forward come next season. And lastly, the biggest surprise for me was the import, Radoslav Illo. Illo made the team as a free agent and was scorching hot to end the season, though he battled some injuries as well. I believe Illo is still uncommitted, so he may return and he could be one of the better forwards in the entire league come next season.



Team Grade: D-

Report Card: Sioux City Musketeers

Team Record: 24-30-6

Total Points: 54

Goal Leader: Stephane Da Costa - 31

Assist Leader: Stephane Da Costa - 36

Points Leader: Stephane Da Costa - 67

PIM Leader: Mike Keenan - 129

+/- Leader: Drew Daniels - +8

Wins Leader: Steve Thompson - 16


Sioux City had some promise in net coming into the season, but the veteran under-performed and the rookie couldn't match his tryout camp results. Thompson still played well and earned a scholarship, but couldn't keep his record above .500 on the season. Thompson was one of only four goalies to see over 1000 shots (1040) and he played in the least amount of games of those four. Adam Janecyk had a tremendous tryout camp, but he didn't appear to adapt to the USHL level as quickly as hoped. I feel Janecyk has a bright future in front of him at this level and beyond. The team never seemed like they got going, but never seemed to give up, either.


The Musketeer defense was the team's achilles heal this season. Mike Keenan was the Musketeers' anchor on the blue line and was on the ice for every situation. He was very solid in his own zone and was also able to contribute on the offensive side as well. Also a fixture on the blue line was projected NHL draft pick, Seth Helgeson. Helgeson has a laser from the point, but always seemed reluctant to use it. He is big and physical, so he will most likely get drafted before suiting up for Minnesota next fall.


The Musketeers offense was led by the import line of Stephane Da Costa, Stephan Vigier, and Mitch Bruijsten. Da Costa was one of the biggest threats on the ice and one of the better forwards this season. Da Costa was used in all situations and was successful wherever he was playing. He could stick handle around the defense to drive in or he could take a blast from the outside. Da Costa was extremely tough to defend. Another player I enjoyed watching this season was Austin Mattson. He was never the biggest guy on the ice, but threw his body around and would do all he could to get a puck. Clarkson recruit, Adam Pawlick, ended the season with 20 goals. He had a great shot and used it effectively.



Team Grade: D

Report Card: Sioux Falls Stampede

Team Record: 28-28-4

Total Points: 60

Goal Leader: Terry Broadhurst - 27

Assist Leader: David Eddy - 35

Points Leader: Terry Broadhurst - 58

PIM Leader: Marcus Perrier - 128

+/- Leader: Max Grover - +23

Wins Leader: Eric Hartzell - 20


Sioux Falls was very inconsistent this season. They would lose a handful of games and roar back to win a bunch in a row. Coach Hartzell kept going to his son, Eric, in almost every situation. Young rookie, Clay Witt, saw action in only 18 games, yet posted better stats than Hartzell. Assuming Witt returns, the Stampede have a solid goalie to build around for next season. Witt played well in his limited action and helped the Stampede win a game in Lincoln during the playoffs. Witt lost the following game, and despite many fans wanting Clay in net for Game 4, the Stampede went back to Hartzell. Eric just didn't seem to have it in the playoffs and that game was no different.


The Stampede defense was anchored by veteran Max Grover. Outside of Grover, the Stampede didn't really have any standout defensemen. Sean Escobedo, a BU recruit, is a highly regarded player, but hasn't quite reached that potential though. Chad Ruhwedal and Dan Furlong turned in solid rookie campaigns and should anchor the blueline next season. Another defensemen that is intriguing to me is Marcus Perrier. Following tryout camp, some fans were raving about this kid and he was a physical presence in the games he appeared in this season. Coach Hartzell had claimed he was going to have a team built around old time hockey. Perrier seems to be the only one who really fits the profile. He is still pretty young, but should be able to be a force on the blue line for the Stampede.


The Stampede had some talent up front and were led by Terry Broadhurst. Broadhurst led the team in goals and points. He was always a threat when on the ice, along with rookie David Eddy. Eddy is the type of player you can't help but enjoy and be a fan of. He gives 110% on every shift and isn't afraid to take a hit. He's gotten the bad end of a couple of hits a few times this season, but he was able to continue. One incident, he collided with Max Grover and ended up with a bloddy mouth. He was able to come back and finish the game after some repairs and a jersey change. Third year veteran, Robbie Vrolyk, posted 24 goals. With those 24, he eclipsed his goal total in his previous two seasons in Sioux Falls. The Stampede could return some key players in Patrick Divjak, Josh Holmstrom, and Dane Walters. Walters may not return and that's good news for the rest of the players in the league. Dane is one of the hardest hitters in the league, and he's a small guy to boot.



Team Grade: C

USHL appears close to deal with Chevy Centre

It sounds like the USHL and Youngstown are very close to finalizing a deal for the USHL to open up shop in Ohio for next season. Likely owner, Bruce Zoldan, seems excited about bringing Tier I hockey to Youngstown.

“The city and [Zoldan] have reached a preliminary understanding and are moving forward,” Prince said today.

“Protocol” calls for the announcement of a deal to wait until the Phantoms’ season is finished, Zoldan and Prince said. If the Phantoms keep on winning, the team’s season could end as late as May 3.

That’s probably too long to wait to make an announcement of a final deal, Prince said.

Zoldan said Thursday that he hopes a deal can be finalized and announced in the next five to eight business days.

News and Notes

I'm going to apologize now, some of these articles are a little old. Just cleaning out my inbox.


Kings ink Mullen.

Jundt playing in Frozen Four.

Flyers scramble for defensive help.

Q & A with Jeff Blashill.

Samuelsson Jr. Lands with USA.

Gamblers are wary of Waterloo.


Bucs endure dismal season, but coach eager for draft.

More BGSU players skate away.

Tri-City Storm announces new head coach.

RoughRiders hope this MJ can come up big in playoffs, too.

Though far from flashy, Broadhurst produces.

Q & A with defending league champions.

A chat with USHL commissioner.

Q & A with Patrick Wey.

Brighton's Kennedy will suit up for Miami.

Making the stars shine.

USNTDP: A Parent's Response.

2nd Annual Unofficial USHL Blog Awards

Today, the USHL announced their award winners, so it's time for my award winners. These will all be different from the official award winners. Last season's Unofficial Awards can be found here.



Defensive Forward of the Year: Brent Gwidt - Indiana Ice
A repeat winner, Gwidt is still one of the best defensive forwards the USHL has to offer. Gwidt enjoyed three successful seasons in Indiana and will now move on to UNO to help the Mavericks next season.



Defensive Defenseman of the Year: Ross Henry - Lincoln Stars
Ross shared the award last season, but locks it down as his own this season. Ross is the type that is very reliable in the defensive end, but it's going to crack the scoresheet repeatedly. He takes care of things in the defensive zone and makes very few mistakes.



Tim Ferguson Most Points Award: Andrew Miller - Chicago Steel
Miller started the season off on fire, and never let up. Although the gap closed at the end of the season, Miller had been atop the scoring race for most of the season.



Rod Taylor Trophy (Most Goals): Mike Cichy - Indiana Ice and Andy Taranto - Fargo Force
Cichy exploded ever since he arrived in Indiana from Tri-City. In 30 games with the Ice, Cichy recorded a whopping 47 points. Taranto is in his 3rd year in the league, and hadn't scored more than 7 goals in a season. Andy finished the season scorching, as he had 11 points in his last 5 games.



Tim Ferguson Trophy (Most Assists): Andrew Miller - Chicago Steel
Miller picks up another award, as he notched 50 assists. Craig Smith was a very close 2nd with 48 helpers, but just missed out on his first Unofficial Award.



Ryan Ronkowski Trophy (Most PIM): Sebastian Geoffrion - Indiana Ice
In his rookie season, Geoffrion amassed 182 PIM for the Ice. Geoffrion appeared in only 45 games, but still led the league in this category. He outdid Des Moines' Andrew Panzarella by 11 PIM.



Dan Ellis Trophy (Most Shutouts): Brett Bennett - Indiana Ice
Bennett appeared in a remarkable 54 games this season for the Ice. The next most was 48 appearances and 3 shutouts. There were 9 less shutouts this season from last, so you should feel lucky if you were able to witness one.



Jeff Lerg Trophy (Most Goalie Wins): Brett Bennett - Indiana Ice
Bennett recorded 35 wins, which is 9 more than Mike Lee. Very impressive season for Bennett, and that should continue through the playoffs and into next season with Wisconsin.



Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog Most Underrated Player: Anthony DeCenzo - Tri-City Storm
DeCenzo had a very good year, but was on a bad team. DeCenzo came to play every night and was almost constantly a factor in Storm games. Despite being -41, DeCenzo posted 44 points.



Black and Blue: The Unofficial Lincoln Stars Blog Most Improved Player Award: Dean Chelios - Chicago Steel
Chelios posted 18 points last season in Cedar Rapids and only 1 this season before being traded to Chicago. Since the trade, Chelios has amassed 53 points in 49 games for the Steel. Chelios was even able to sneak into the top 20 in scoring after a slow start in Cedar Rapids. Another factor that probably helped Dean this season was being reunited with former high school linemate, Andrew Miller.



Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog Player of the Year: Mike Seidel - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Seidel has been a consistent force all season, but seems to go unrecognized most of the time. Seidel is the franchise leader in points and, I believe, goals as well. He has had an outstanding career with Cedar Rapids.



Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog All-First Team:
G - Mike Johnson - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
D - Ross Henry - Lincoln Stars
D - Lee Moffie - Waterloo Black Hawks
F - Danny Kristo - Omaha Lancers
F - Brandon Richardson - Indiana Ice
F - Kirt Hill - Lincoln Stars

Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog All-Second Team:
G - Reid Ellingson - Green Bay Gamblers
D - Michael Keenan - Sioux City Musketeers
D - Joe Lavin - Omaha Lancers
F - Michael Forney - Green Bay Gamblers
F - Terry Broadhurst - Sioux Falls Stampede
F - Pat Mullane - Omaha Lancers

Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog All-Third Team:
G - Anthony Borelli - Lincoln Stars
D - Patrick Wey - Waterloo Black Hawks
D - Mike Dalhuisen - Lincoln Stars
F - Kyle Flanagan - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
F - Jordan Samuels-Thomas - Waterloo Black Hawks
F - Dean Chelios - Chicago Steel

Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog All-Rookie Team:
G - Parker Milner - Waterloo Black Hawks
D - Dan Sova - Waterloo Black Hawks
D - Philip Samuelsson - Chicago Steel
F - Ben Miller - Waterloo Black Hawks
F - Stephan Vigier - Sioux City Musketeers
F - William Rapuzzi - Green Bay Gamblers
F - Josh Birkholz - Fargo Force

USHL Announces Award Winners

Congrats to all those who have been honored this season. I will be posting the Unofficial USHL Hockey Blog Awards shortly. Here are the award winners.

Andrew Miller – Chicago Steel
B2 Networks USHL Player of the Year
CCM USHL Forward of the Year

Louis Leblanc – Omaha Lancers
The Collegian Group USHL Rookie of the Year

John Moore – Chicago Steel
ProGuard USHL Defenseman of the Year

Mike Lee – Fargo Force
Stauber’s Goalcrease USHL Goaltender of the Year

Mike Walsh – Chicago Steel
USHL Curt Hammer Award

Jeff Teglia – Omaha Lancers
USHL Scholar-Athlete Award

Dean Blais – Fargo Force
KwikRink USHL Coach of the Year

Jon Cooper – Green Bay Gamblers
JLG Architects USHL General Manager of the Year

Jim Pflug – Lincoln Stars
Dave Tyler Executive of the Year

Fargo Force
Highwood Rings USHL Organization of the Year

RBK First-Team All-USHL
Goalie: Brett Bennett – Indiana Ice
Defense: John Moore – Chicago Steel
Defense: Matt Donovan – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Forward: Andrew Miller – Chicago Steel
Forward: Mike Cichy – Indiana Ice
Forward: Craig Smith – Waterloo Black Hawks

Second Team All-USHL
Goalie: Kevin Murdock – Lincoln Stars
Defense: David Makowski – Green Bay Gamblers
Defense: Jake Newton – Lincoln Stars
Forward: Mike Seidel – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Forward: Stephane Da Costa – Sioux City Musketeers
Forward: Andy Taranto – Fargo Force

Center Trophy USHL All-Rookie Team
Goalie: Mike Lee – Fargo Force
Defense: Torey Krug – Indiana Ice
Defense: Brett Kostolansky – Chicago Steel
Forward: Louis Leblanc – Omaha Lancers
Forward: David Eddy – Sioux Falls Stampede
Forward: Stanislav Galiev – Indiana Ice
Forward: Alex Chiasson – Des Moines Buccaneers

Storm Fire Rudrud

The Tri-City Storm have fired head coach Tom Rudrud.

Following Saturday's 5-2 season-ending loss to Sioux Falls, Rudrud said he was told on Thursday by new team owner Kirk Brooks that he would not be retained.

This is surprising to me. Despite the bad season, Rudrud seemed like a good coach. Former owner, Joel Wiens, didn't really believe in scouting and reportedly fired scouts. So, the coach was left to find players off the internet.

It does sound like Kirk Brooks has some money to throw around, so perhaps he has something up his sleeve. I just hope that the Storm organization picks a head coach a little earlier than they did last season as well.

Anderson Cup Race

This has been an exciting race to crown the Anderson Cup champion for this season. It turned into a four team battle between Cedar Rapids, Green Bay, Indiana, and Lincoln. After tonight, Lincoln and Indiana have been eliminated and Cedar Rapids and Green Bay are left. The Gamblers control their own destiny, as they and Des Moines have a game remaining tomorrow, while Cedar Rapids is done. Des Moines only suited up 13 skaters tonight, so it will likely take some sort of miracle for the Buccaneers to upset the Gamblers. Also on the line is home ice for the entire playoffs, and it looks like home ice would help the Gamblers much more than the Riders. The Riders are an outstanding 18-8-4 away from the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, while the Gamblers are 16-12-2. Very good, but still not Cedar Rapids-like.

Cedar Rapids could be hoping for a Gamblers OT loss so they would have a share of the Cup. Last time there was a share of Andy, the Riders went on to win the Clark Cup as well.

Here is a rundown of playoff matchups:

East:
1 - Green Bay vs 4 - Waterloo
2 - Cedar Rapids vs 3 - Indiana

OR

East:
1 - Cedar Rapids vs 4 - Waterloo (How great would that be?)
2 - Green Bay vs 3 - Indiana

What we know? Indiana is locked in as the 3rd seed and Waterloo the 4th.
What we don't? Who will be the 1st and 2nd seeds.


West:
1 - Lincoln vs 4 - Sioux Falls
2 - Omaha vs 3 - Fargo

Tri-City Storm SOLD

Great news for Storm fans and USHL fans in general. Hopefully the new owner can bring some excitement back to Stormland and get attendance numbers up. Previous owner, Joel Wiens, had helped save hockey in Kearney, but had recently been cutting back on lots of things.

"We're privileged to have someone of Kirk Brooks' experience, integrity, and intelligence join the USHL. His presence will be a real boon to the Tri-City Storm," said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. "Kirk also brings a commitment to youth hockey that is second to none, and he will continue that effort in the Tri-City area. We extend thanks and best wishes to outgoing owner Joel Wiens as well for his able stewardship of the team and the FirsTier Event Center over the past several years. Without Joel's investment of time, effort, and capital, this USHL membership might no longer be in Nebraska."

Stampede Unhappy with Playoff Schedule

The #4 seed Sioux Falls Stampede is unhappy about the playoff scheduling.

First off, the Stampede announce the schedule.

Stampede CEO, Gary Weckworth, is apparently extremely unhappy about the scheduling.

"There's a reason they stretch the first round out over two weeks," Weckwerth told the Argus Leader on Wednesday. "The intent is that everyone should have an equal opportunity to host weekend dates to allow everyone to generate as much revenue as possible. I challenged Lincoln to be 'league guys' and do right by all the teams, but they just care about Lincoln. We always have problems with them, and I'm tired of it. It's disappointing."

I think a couple years back, Lincoln had helped SF out and gave them game 1, even though the Stars were the higher seed. Lincoln ended up losing that series, so I don't blame them one bit for not wanting to budge. If they had, it could very well have given SF the advantage that Lincoln played so hard for. I am glad the league sided with Lincoln here, as the 1-1-1-1-1 format just doesn't seem like it would work very well. If Sioux Falls and Lincoln was about an hour apart, it might make more sense, but they're not. Lincoln can't help that the Stampede have to compete with other entities for dates at their arena. They had been nice to SF previously, and it backfired.

News and Notes

Race for playoff positioning heats up.

Brian O'Neill makes a name for himself.

USHL chief cites league's top quality.

Rider cashing in goal opportunities.

Getting to know Jimmy Hayes.

Pierre native enjoying 2nd season with Stampede.

What it's like spending time in the penalty box.

Chiasson's future home could be the NHL.

Attitude adjustment puts Kristo on right track.

Young blood gives boost to Northeastern.

P.K. O'Handley loses his cool

Waterloo Black Hawks coach, P.K. O'Handley, decides he's had enough of Tim Mayer and hops off the bench to chase after Mayer.