2013 Draft Blog: Eamon McAdam Pt.4

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The Pipeline Show's annual series of blogs written by draft eligible players continues again with another chapter from one of the key goaltenders available in the Class of 2013. 

The first chapter of Eamon McAdam's blog series this season arrived back on October 7th. Part 2 was posted at the tail end of November after striking gold at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge in Nova Scotia which you can read about HERE. Part 3, which recapped the months around the USHL Top Prospects Game,  came out on February 8th.

The Pipeline Show is pleased to be able to present the fourth blog entry from Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Eamon McAdam.

2013 ISS Draft Rankings: May

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their May rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. 

Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

Hawks Swoop into Edmonton and Take Commanding Lead of WHL Final

Will this be the year Portland hoists
the Ed Chynoweth Cup?

The Portland Winterhawks have been the the WHL final 3 straight years, but they haven't been in the position they're in now.  The regular season champions can finally hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a win on Friday after escaping Rexall Place with a 2-1 win Wednesday night.

Alberta Rules the Bantam Draft

E.E.C.C

I'll be honest for me the best hockey province is Manitoba, but that's because I'm was born and raised in Brandon, learned to skate on the ice of the East End Community Centre and used to play in a barn during a Christmas coaches tournament every year.  But having lived in Alberta for more then 10 years, it's hard not to think that this is the best province for producing players when you consider the population.  If that was ever in doubt, today's WHL bantam draft cleared that up.

WHL draft from the scouts

Each year we try and put together some kind of list regarding the first round of the WHL bantam draft.  In past year's we've been able to get some in depth information about different players and have various lists. However the WHL Bantam draft is now big business, much like the NHL draft and it's getting harder and harder to convince scouts to share this precious information. We were however able to compile a top 22 list, so enjoy!!!  

Oilers Sign Yale Captain

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It's been a pretty remarkable month for Andrew Miller and his teammates at Yale. First they just squeak into the NCAA national tournament, then upsetting some of the marquee programs in college hockey to get to the title game and beating the top ranked team in the country to win it. 

So if you're the senior captain of the new champions, what do you do for an encore? Sign a pro contract of course and that's what Miller did on Wednesday when he agreed to a 1-year deal with Edmonton.   

Some more information and highlights after the jump.

2013 ISS Draft Rankings: April

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their April rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. 

Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

Edmonton vs Medicine Hat Offers Storylines Galore

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The second round of the WHL playoffs will be a treat for hockey fans. The top 4 regular season teams in the West all advanced through round one and in the East, the top three are joined by a perennial threat thus setting up four outstanding series. 

On paper, #1 Edmonton against #7 Medicine Hat might not appear to be that intriguing. However, the sidebar storylines in this series provide plenty or reasons why fans should be paying attention. 

2013 ISS Draft Rankings - March

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their March rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. 

Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

Drouin raises 'WOW' factor, will it help him in June?

If you haven't seen Jonathan Drouin's remarkable shift from Sunday night, prepare to have your jaw dropped.

As the title of the video states, it is the best shift of the year, an incredible domination of one team by one player.

Drouin has been the biggest pleasant surprise of the draft year. He was playing midget at one point last year and was as high as 3 in the January ISS rankings.  He dropped to 4th on February's list but other scouts I have talked to love him as high as 2.

The question is, does a single shift like this impress the hockey scouts enough when it comes down to crunch time on draft day?  Does this play come up in conversation at the draft table when debating Drouin/MacKinnon/Barkov/Nichushkin?

We'll discuss this tonight on a TPS, special Monday edition.  7-9 on the TEAM 1260.  Email us your thoughts here.

Fargo Raises the Video Bar

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We've seen several hockey teams produce very entertaining videos before but the one I stumbled across today takes it to another level. 

In a time when it seems like everyone is either doing a "Gangnam Style parody", a Christmas video or this new Harlem Shake thing, it's refreshing to see a team step out and do something completely original. 

Check out what the Fargo Force have put together to as part of their 2013-14 season ticket drive. It's very well done.

Suspension coming for broken jaw in QMJHL

First saw the video over at Buzzing the Net courtesy of Neate Sager and it's below as well

The word 'control' will be used a lot in this situation.  How many games with Ross Johnstone get?  Like Neate points out, it would be a lengthy ban in the OHL.  How many games should it get?  Do you think he should be suspended?  We'll discuss this plenty tonight on TPS with our CHL insider Sam Cosentino of Rogers Sportsnet.

Drop us a line pipeup@theteam1260.com and share your thoughts.  Tonight 7-9 pm mst on the TEAM 1260. 

2013 ISS Draft Rankings: February

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their February rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. 

Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

2013 Draft Blog: Eamon McAdam Pt.3

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The Pipeline Show's annual series of blogs written by draft eligible players continues again with another chapter from one of the key goalies available in 2013. 

The first chapter of Eamon McAdam's blog series this season arrived back on October 7th. Part 2 was posted at the tail end of November after striking gold at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge in Nova Scotia which you can read about HERE. 

Recapping the last two months and the USHL Top Prospects Game, The Pipeline Show is pleased to be able to present the third blog entry from Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Eamon McAdam.

2013 Draft Blog - Curtis Lazar Pt.3

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The first entry from Edmonton Oil Kings forward Curtis Lazar came to us back in September. If you missed it you can find it HERE. Chapter 2 included his experiences in the early part of the 2012-13 WHL season and the Subway Super Series.  Part 2 is available HERE.

Offering his thoughts on the last couple of months including the CHL Top Prospects Game, The Pipeline Show is pleased to be able to bring you the third chapter in the 2013 Draft Blog by Curtis Lazar of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

2013 ISS Draft Rankings - January

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their January rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

2013 ISS Draft Rankings - December

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their December rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

World Junior Championship Podium Prediction

Time for you to step up and put your prognostication skills on the line when it comes to the World Junior Championship.  Will this be the year Canada ends it's 3 year drought?  Will Russia win on home ice?  Can Sweden defend?  Will Finland get a medal?  

If you think you can pick the gold, silver and bronze then email us here.  On the line is a $100 prize package from our good friends at Evolution Golf.  They are the perfect holiday party spot for your group, and they have gift certificates which will take care of some of your Christmas Shopping.  Ask them about their upcoming Spring league.

So there you go, send us your predictions of Gold, Silver, Bronze and you could be hitting the indoor links in Edmonton.  Remember in case of a tie, the earliest entry wins.  Only one entry per email. 

Good luck.  

Nervous nights for Hockey Canada

The architect of Canada's World Junior team should get double pay, after all he's put together 2 different teams.  Not entirely different but 6 or 7 players are missing from one of them.  Kevin Prendergast will tell you it's worth it if he gets to take the best in Canada to Russia in two weeks, but until then he'll have a few sleepless nights. 

Canada U20 Roster (Guy)

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Yesterday Dean threw caution to the wind and offered up his final roster for Hockey Canada heading into the 2013 WJC. Today it's my turn. Three goaltenders, seven defencemen and thirteen forwards who will head to Russia on a quest to capture Canada's first gold medal since 2009.

And as Dean pointed out yesterday, a lot can change between now and the end of camp including injuries - just ask Ty Rattie and Dana Tyrell. 

My pre camp roster for team Canada

Now that we know who will be trying out we can start to narrow our look at the team that will be charged with ending Canada's gold medal drought.  The Canadian national anthem hasn't been heard following the final game since Jordan Eberle's heroics in 2009.  Eberle, now an Oiler will watch a current teammate lead the way this year.

4 Countries Unveil WJC Camp Rosters

December is World Junior Championship month on The Pipeline Show. As one of our four "Majors" on our seasonal calendar, you can expect a lot of talk focusing on the 2013 WJC. 

Today the preliminary and camp rosters of four different countries were named. A quick rundown follows after the jump.

WHL Hammers Portland for Violations

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The WHL has announced massive penalties against the Portland Winterhawks today for violations which will result in the loss of 9 draft picks, a $200 thousand dollar fine and the suspension of GM and Head Coach Mike Johnston for the remained of the 2012-13 season and playoffs. 

As first reported by Dean Millard of The Pipeline Show and Global Sports back on November 13th, the league has been investigating the Winterhawks for several weeks.

After the jump, our reaction.

2013 Draft Blog: Eamon McAdam Pt.2

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The first chapter of Eamon McAdam's blog series this season arrived back on October 7th. If you missed that introduction you'll definitely want to check it out HERE. 

Since then, the USHL season has begun and the World Junior A Challenge also took place in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia with McAdam backstopping TEAM USA in the event. 

Sharing his thoughts and experiences of the last two months, The Pipeline Show is pleased to be able to present the second blog entry from Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Eamon McAdam.

2013 Draft Blog: Curtis Lazar Pt.2

Back on September 17th Edmonton Oil Kings forward Curtis Lazar contributed his first blog post of the season. If you missed it you can find it HERE. Since then the WHL season began and the team has played 23 games. The Subway Super Series has come and gone and NHL Central Scouting's preliminary rankings have been released. 

Offering his thoughts on the last two months, The Pipeline Show is pleased to be able to bring you the second chapter in the 2013 Draft Blog by Curtis Lazar of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

2013 Draft: The Year of the Goalie

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No question that with 8 of the top 10 picks going to defencemen, 2012 was the Year of the Blueliner for the NHL Draft. It's starting to look like the Class of 2013 has an abnormal amount of high-end netminders.

Nowadays, it seems like many teams have taken a policy of not drafting goalies until the later rounds. In 2012 only two netminders went in the 1st round and that's the most since 2006 when four pipemen were selected early. Half the drafts since that year have seen no goaltender taken in the opening round. 

The reason most often given is that goalies mature so much later that it makes more sense to basically let someone else draft, develop and groom a netminder and then acquire him via trade when he's ready to contribute. It's a reasonable strategy considering the multitude of examples in the NHL of goalies draft in the 5th, 6th or 7th rounds.

But there are examples of teams who identify a goalie they think can be an exception to the rule; someone who could potentially play at the NHL during his entry level contract this making him worth using a 1st or 2nd round pick on.  Drafting such a goalie means not having to spend future assets to get him down the road. Harder to do but better asset management for those teams that have been able to pull it off.

I believe that with the 2013 crop there are already 5 goalies that fit that description. 

Blazers Gamble on Inglis

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With two of their 20-year-old stars on the sideline and only one of them expected to return this year, the Kamloops Blazers have added another vet to the their first place team. The move is not without risk however as the new Blazer is Charles Inglis, a player with baggage now joining his fourth WHL team. 

The official release from both teams is found here on the WHL website.

Saturday morning hockey talk

Now that the Subway Super Series is wrapped up and games are being played once again it was time get back in action.  Today we profiled a highly touted goaltender for the 2013 draft, or what Guy is calling, the year of the masked men.  Ok I just made that up, but he does think there could be 3 in the first round, and we spoke with one and about one today. 

Ewanyk out for a while

Early on in Wednesday's game between Russian and Team WHL, Travis Ewanyk was a one man wrecking crew.  Knocking down Russians like Walter Sobchak does pins...unless it's Shabbas. Unfortunately, the Russians caught up with Ewanyk in the second period and he was sent for a ride courtesy of Mikhail Naumenkov. You can see the video here.

10hDustin Nielson ‏@nielson1260

From Laxdal this morning. Travis Ewanyk will have an MRI on a lower body injury on Friday here in Edmonton.

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Word from out west has Ewanyk needing an MRI on his knee or quad as soon as he returns to Edmonton.  As for how long he'll be out, TPS is hearing that this isn't a day to day thing and could keep the Oilers prospect sidelined for a while.

Unfortunately it's deja vu for Ewanyk who sat out most of last year with a shoulder injury.  He ended up playing more playoff games then regular season games, but was key for Kings in their quest for the Cup.

2013 ISS Draft Rankings - November

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International Scouting Services (ISS) has released their November rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. Head scout Ross MacLean can be heard every second Saturday on The Pipeline Show in our regular and ongoing ISS Draft Countdown segment. Ross spotlights five different members of the Class of 2013 and offers listeners his opinion on why a player should or should not be considered strongly for the draft next June.

After the jump, the top 30 skaters and top 10 goaltenders according to ISS.

Sutter back behind bench in Red Deer, adding Truitt

Last night on The Pipeline Show Guy and I discussed a possible coaching change in the WHL.  However we were discussing Saskatoon and how Jeff Truitt might be surfacing with the Memorial Cup hosts.  We were in the right conference, but wrong division. 

TPS learned this morning that Truitt will join the Red Deer Rebels staff along with  Brent Sutter who will return to the bench of the team he coached to a Memorial Cup championship in 2001. 

Shortly after TPS broke the story, the Rebels released the their statement.

Winterhawks about to be clipped?

This past August the Windsor Spitfires were handed a $400,000 fine for recruiting violations.  A month later it was reduced to a $250,000 fine, as well as, some draft pick relief.

TPS has learned from multiple sources in the WHL that the Portland Winterhawks could be the next CHL club to face sanctions for player recruitment.

The Rant

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Friday night's game between Air Force and Penn State ended in a 5-1 win for the visiting Falcons. But don't try and tell head coach Frank Serratore that his team deserved the win let alone that it was an easy one. After the game he went on an extended rant about his team's horrible performance, the only reason why they were even in the game and how no one should take the Nittany Lions for granted.

Coach Serratore was a guest on TPS a few years ago and was very generous in the praise of our show, we've highlighted a few of his comments on the right side of the blog since then. After the jump is the video of the soon-to-be-legendary rant and for me, it's not just what he says but the way he says it; the mannerisms, the facial expressions... CLASSIC.

Open Letter: CHL & NCAA

During all the CHLPA hoopla last week there was one chapter in the series I wrote which touched on the possibility of CHL players retaining their NCAA eligibility. While that may in the end prove to be nothing more than a pipe dream, the conversation about whether it would be a good idea or not was definitely interesting. 

I received a letter from an owner of a USHL franchise which outlined his opinion on the subject and I found it intriguing. Here is the owner of a team from a league largely considered to be a gateway to the NCAA and, to some extent, in competition for players with the CHL. 

I asked the owner for his permission to post the letter and he agreed. After the jump, an open letter from Josh Mervis, owner of the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks on whether allowing CHL players into the NCAA hockey should be considered.

CHLPA: Curtains?

"Could the last person out of the CHLPA please turn off the lights?" - Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury

72 days, give or take a few hours. That was the public life span of the Canadian Hockey League Players Association. What became a story back on August 20th ended in a spectacular, controversial fashion on November 1st. 

In the wake of scandalous accusations, the abandonment of legal representation and the inevitable resigning of its Executive Director, the CHLPA is as good as dead. 

An Oiler becomes an Oil King

photo by Jon Howe

Edmonton Oil Kings G.M. Bob Green pulled off his biggest and toughest trade since becoming G.M when the team re-entered the WHL 6 years ago.  Green picked up a massive minute muncher who is also and Edmonton Oilers draft pick, which should make the parent club smile.

CHLPA: Seriously... WTF!?

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This was not the intended next chapter on the CHLPA series here at Coming Down the Pipe but I can't possibly ignore the breaking news on Halloween. According to reports from TSN's Dave Naylor (which has to be seen to be believed) , Joe Warmington of QMI Agency and Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, the very identity of CHLPA spokesperson and board advisor Derek Clarke is up for debate. 

Apparently Clarke, who has not yet returned a text message from a couple of hours ago, will appear on TSN Thursday to prove he is not who some claim him to be - a noted con-man named Randy Gumbley. The stories above detail the crimes committed in the past by Gumbley.

The air of mystery is palpable and all will be revealed. It's like wondering what the members of KISS looked like during the height of their popularity in the 1970's. Or the secret identity of Spiderman. Maybe it will be more like the unmasking of a villain in an episode of Scooby-Doo. 

Whatever, it definitely sets up an incredibly important day for the fledgling CHLPA. If the "union" hopes to hold onto any sense of credibility it may have, and there are many who suggest they never had any to begin with, Clarke's TV appearance tomorrow has the potential to end the "union" before it really begins.

CHLPA: The World of Tomorrow

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In the future, hockey will be played by robots thus eliminating concerns over injuries and the escalating salary costs associated with the sport. Fans will have an unobstructed view of the game because the boards will be replaced by a force field. Players, or Robo-Skaters, will be controlled by remote control not unlike the boxers in the 2011 movie Real Steel (which I highly recommend).

But if it sounds like you won't recognize hockey in the 22nd century, don't worry. We'll still have the trapezoid, touch icing and a clone of Don Cherry. 

OK, I just wanted to have a bit of fun before today's write up turns more serious. The above might sound crazy but I'm sure there will be plenty of readers today who feel the same way with what comes next. Of course I'm referring to how the hockey world could change if the CHLPA has their way. 

The artwork above is by Cloister.deviantart.com

CHLPA: NCAA Eligibility

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"I just wanted to tell you that the biggest hurdle for the NCAA eligibility was squashed by Hockey Canada, the CHL and USA Hockey." - Derek Clarke, CHLPA Advisor by phone on October 27th, 2012.

The primary objective of the CHLPA, according to Executive Director Georges Laraque and Spokesperson/Advisor Derek Clarke, is to ensure that players in the CHL have their education needs taken care of. 

As explained in the last part of this series, even the legal actions taken by the CHLPA over the last few days in the OHL and QMJHL (which will continue this week I'm told) are actually about forcing the CHL and Hockey Canada to meet with them. The talk about suing for minimum wage, etc. is all Plan B should Plan A, a new CHL education package including a funding model designed by the CHLPA, not come about. 

A large part of the CHLPA's argument stems from the ongoing debate as to whether the CHL is a professional or an amateur league. 

If it's a pro league, then the "union' suggests that the players, as employees, should be paid a salary which would be enough for them to pay for their own education should they not go on to higher levels of the game. If it's an amateur league, then the "union" sees things much differently and that's where the NCAA comes in. 

Oh dear Lord. Settle in for a long read because this will take a while.

CHLPA: The Endgame

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On Thursday the CHLPA circulated a letter to the OHL clubs, CHL President David Branch and Hockey Canada President Bob Nicholson. Yesterday I shared insight into that scenario after I had an opportunity to speak with CHLPA spokesman Derek Clarke. 

Today I continue the story by focusing on the actual motive behind Thursday's move. According to the CHLPA, it's not about the money at all.