Rockford/Chicago Badgers . . . & Dan Plante!

As previously mentioned, nubeetle and I hopped down to Chicago on Sunday to see Jake Dowell and Jack Skille with the Rockford Icehogs and Alex Brooks and Don Granato (head coach) with the Chicago Wolves. The Wolves won 4-1. Skille had the lone goal for the Icehogs. Dowell started on LW for the Hogs. Alex Brooks did not play.

Rockford has been a bit streaky this season -- they started the season really well (7-1), then had a 5-game losing streak (the last being a SO loss that nubeetle and I attended), then won 9 of their next 13 games, and now have lost their last 3 games. As a whole, the team just didn't look very good on Sunday. Jack Skille had a decent game, scoring a nice goal and generating a couple of nice chances. He had 4 SOG and finished -1. Dowell had a decent game as well -- did some nice work on the PK (had a nice blocked shot and some nice clears). He had 2 SOG and we think he might've clanged the pipe on a shot as well. He finished -1, but I gotta tell ya, that goal he was on the ice for had nothing to do with him -- defenseman Mike Brennan made a stupid pass in front of the net, defenseman Jordan Hendry mishandled the puck and turned it over, and not surprisingly the Wolves capitalized. (Hendry, in particular, had a brutal game for the Hogs.)

While we were there, nubeetle and I had the pleasure of chatting briefly with Dan Plante before the game. Plante played 3 seasons at forward for the Badgers ('90-'93) and served as an alternate captain his last year. He had just 3 points in his 33 games as a freshman, but he really stepped things up the next 2 years, scoring 15 G and 16 A in 40 games as a sophomore and 26 G and 31 A in 42 games as a junior. Nice! As a sophomore he was a member of the Final Five All-Tourney Team, and he received the Badgers Most-Improved Player Award. And let's not forget that his 26 goals as a junior tied him with Jason Zent for most goals that season!

A 3rd round draft pick of the New York Islanders, Plante went on to play 5 seasons in the Islanders' organization, including 2 seasons ('95-'96, '96-'97) in which he played exclusively in NY. He then went on to play 4 seasons ('98-'02) for the Chicago Wolves, helping the Wolves win a Turner Cup in 2000 and a Calder Cup in 2002. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention (gasp) that Plante played for Team USA in 1996 and 1997, winning a bronze medal in the '96 World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna.

Plante is now the president of Northwest Sports, a sports agency based out of Woodbury, MN.

Nubeetle and I also had the pleasure of chatting with Don Granato after the game. Don Granato, of course, was a member of my beloved 1990 Championship Team. I regret that I don't have time to tell you more about him right now (hopefully I'll get a lengthier Granato post up sometime in the near future), but let me point out that he was recently named head coach of the PlanetUSA Team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic in Worcester, MA on January 26. Congratualations, Don!

Monday evening linkorama

• A couple more articles on the Badger Women's sweep of Syracuse:
  Storlie (Daily Cardinal): Ammerman scores 5 goals as Badgers pitch two shutouts
  Donohue (Badger Herald): Women's hockey sweeps Syracuse
  


• The Badger Men are #14 in the USCHO/CSTV Preseason Poll. Todd Milewski ranked the Badgers 10th in his vote. If you remember, the Badgers ranked #13 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Preseaon Poll released 2 weeks ago.


• Mike Eaves gave a press conference today. The transcript isn't available yet, but here's the video.
  


• Hockey's Future has released #s 1-10 of its Top 50 Prospects, and Kyle Turris checks in at #3.
  

  3. Kyle Turris, C – Phoenix Coyotes
  
  As the Coyotes top prospect, big things are expected from first-year pivot Turris. A clear frontrunner in the Calder chase, the former 2007 Entry Draft pick is ready to take-on a top six role in the desert. The 19-year-old spent just one year at the University of Wisconsin before turning pro. Turris possesses good speed and great stick-handling abilities, which will be crucial on a team that wants its players to be light on their feet and ferocious on the puck. After getting a brief taste of the NHL last year and spending the summer in Phoenix, Turris should hit the ground running.
  

• Hockey's Future has released it's WCHA preview.


• The Chicago Blackhawks have cut 4 players, including Troy Brouwer, with whom Jack Skille was competing for a spot on the 3rd line. The press release indicates that the Hawks now have 15 forwards, but looking at the roster I count 14. Looks like the Hawks still need to cut a few defenseman and a goalie, but it looks like Skille has earned a forward spot on the opening day roster.


• Hockey's Future has released its preview of the AHL's Chicago Wolves. The Wolves are coached this season by Badger alumnus Don Granato. I can't find a 2008-09 roster for the Wolves, but last season Badger Brian Fahey played for them, and it looks like Badger Alex Brooks might be playing for them this season.
  

Alex Brooks, Pelicans Lahti

Puckembucky, not surprisingly, is once again on top of things and has found that Alex Brooks will be playing in Finland this next season with Pelicans Lahti.

Fellow Badgers Kyle Klubertanz (TPS Turku) and Bernd Bruckler (Blues Espoo) will also be playing in Finland.

Good luck Alex!