Thursday Night News and Notes

-Former Badger Brendan Smith (pictured), who is having an outstanding first season as a professional has been named to the AHL All-Rookie team. A former first round draft selection of the Detroit Red Wings, Smith has recorded 32 points in 57 games from the blueline for the Grand Rapids Griffins. With only four defensemen currently under contract for next season for Detroit, I would be surprised if Smith is not a regular in Mo-Town next fall.

-Two other members of last seasons Frozen Four Wisconsin squad were also recently honored. Andy Bohmbach of the Toledo Walleye and Ben Street from the Wheeling Nailers were both named to the ECHL All-Rookie team. Bohmbach leads all ECHL rookies in points with 68. Street is fifth amogst rookies with 51 points despite only playing 38 games. Street was called up to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on February 3rd.

-Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves recently met with all the players on the roster for post season evaluations and sophomore's Justin Schultz and Craig Smith reiterated their plans to stay in Madison and play at least one more season for the Badgers. The biggest concern at this point right now is junior forward Jordy Murray who is still weighing his options of leaving to play pro hockey overseas next season.

-The New York Rangers blog "Blueshirt Banter" has a fantastic article up about former Wisconsin defenseman Ryan McDonagh who is making waves in the big apple. The article hits on what McDonagh brings to the team with his maturity, which is rare for a 21 year old playing in the NHL.

-Another link courtesy of the Wisconsin Men's Hockey facebook page...Andrew Joudrey, a member of the 2006 Wisconsin National Championship team has been named Hershey's "Man of the Year." Joudrey, a forward for the AHL's Hershey Bears is being honored for his outstanding work in the Hershey community this season. Read the article, they have some very, very kind words for Mr. Joudrey. Makes you proud that he was a Badger.

-Justin Schultz, who had been named a top 10 finalist for the 2011 Hobey Baker Memorial Award did not advance to the next round. The top 10 were narrowed to 3 as the Hobey Hat Trick was announced yesterday. North Dakota forward Matt Frattin, Miami Forward Andy Meile, and Boston College forward Cam Atkinson are your finalists.

-Denver University was the latest WCHA school to lose an underclassmen to the NHL this off-season. Sophomore defenseman Matt Donovan signed an entry level contract with the New York Islanders this week. The former 4th round NHL draft pick was a second team All-WCHA defenseman this season. Donovan is the fourth WCHA underclassmen to sign, he joins Wisconsin's Jake Gardiner, Minnesota's Aaron Ness, and St. Cloud's Oliver Lauridsen.

-Odds have been released for the 2011 Frozen Four. According to Bodog.com, North Dakota is the favorite to win the title at even money, Michigan is a +275, Minnesota-Duluth is a +375, and Notre Dame is +425.

-Yesterday when I was talking about the U18 World Championships I shared with you Chris Peters from the United States of Hockey blog's view on Nic Kerdiles. Today he profiled the defensmen including 2011 Wisconsin recruit Jake McCabe. It's a good read and an outstanding blog.

-Believe it or not, Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Shuchuk is now on twitter. Follow him @gshuchuk. Additionally, Craig Smith (@Csmith1515), Chase Drake (@1Cdrake5), Frankie Simonelli (@FSimonelli27), and Jefferson Dahl (@JDahl14) are now on twitter. 2011 goalie recruit Joel Rumpel (@Rumpz91), and 2012 forward recruit Morgan Zulinick (@mzuli15) are also now in the twit game.

Current players Eric Sprigner (@eSprings4), Mark Zengerle (@Zengerle9), and Justin Schultz (@6Schultz6), as well as former players Scott Gudmandson (@ScottGudmandson), John Mitchell (@JohnMitchell24), Sean Dolan (@SeanDolan16), Michael Davies (@MikeGDavies), Ryan Jeffery (@RyanCJeffery), Shane Connelly (@ShaneConnelly), Brett Bennett (@BjBennett88), Zach Bearson (@zbearson), Blake Geoffrion (@BlakeGeoffrion), Brad Winchester (@bradwinchester), Kyle Turris (@kyleturris), Joe Piskula (@skoolz43), Jake Gardiner (@jGardiner272), Cody Goloubef (@cgoloubef27), Brendan Smith (@bssmith7), and Sean Hill (@seanrhill) have been on twitter for a while.

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What if they all finished their careers at Wisconsin?

Last week during Wisconsin's bye week I started to think about the players that the Badgers had lost at various times to the pros and started thinking about all the guys who had stepped up this season for Wisconsin to fill the roles of those departures.

But what I really thought would be fun to look at was what the Badger lineup would look like this season if all the players that had originally committed to the Badgers ended up as four year players in Madison like it used to be done in the old days.

There are currently 5 players who played for the Badgers that have left early to sign pro contracts, and 3 of them are in the NHL and two in the AHL. Another player who was supposed to come to Wisconsin ended up in the OHL and and is now in the NHL.

Derek Stepan who left the Badgers last year would be a junior on this seasons club. The Hastings native has been in the NHL all season with the Rangers and is currently the third leading scorer on the team with 31 points in 56 games trailing only Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik.

Kyle Turris, who was one of, if not the most highly touted freshmen ever to step on campus is enjoying his third professional season of hockey. Turris, who would be a senior for the Badgers this season left the Badgers after leading the team in scoring as a freshman at the urging of former Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky. Turris, who has struggled at times as a pro has 18 points in 45 games this season.

Ryan McDonagh, who most thought was the most pro ready of the Wisconsin departures over the summer has made a smooth transition to the NHL with the Rangers after spending the first half of the season in the AHL. Easing him into the lineup the blueshirts were playing McDonagh 10 or 12 minutes a night but recently he's been playing between 18 and 22 minutes.

One player who never made it to Wisconsin but could have been a senior this season is Sam Gangner from the Edmonton Oilers. I haven't told many people this but there hasn't been a prospect that committed to Wisconsin that I was more excited about. I obviously want Wisconsin to land every player but I wanted Gagner the most. When he committed it felt like Christmas. When word started leaking out a year or so later that he was thinking about going to the OHL it was devastating. The London Knights pulled one of the shadiest moves in the book hiring his father as an assistant coach and Sam went with. Currently Gagner has 33 points in 53 games which is good enough for second on the last place Edmonton Oilers in scoring.

Soon after Gagner committed to Wisconsin, two of his former teammates from the Toronto Marlboros Hockey Club Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef followed suit. Goloubef who would be a senior on the Badgers this season is spending his first professional season in the American League with the Springfield Falcons, the top farm club of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cody has been in and out of the lineup so far this year with Springfield and has registered 12 points in 30 games.

The third member of the Toronto trio, Brendan Smith has enjoyed his first season as a pro. Another player who would be a senior at Wisconsin, Smith was named to the American Hockey League All-Star game as a rookie which is an unusual feat. The Red Wings prospect has played great in Grand Rapids but was unable to play in the All-Star game due to a shoulder injury. Reports out of Grand Rapids today say that Smith is back to practice and is expected to play this weekend. Smith currently has 22 points in 40 games.

So what would that Badger lineup look like this season if these players all stayed for their four years of eligibility? It's really tough to say because who knows if some of the current players on our team would even still have ended up Badgers. The d-pairings are pretty easy because I would set it up exactly like last year but it would be interesting to see how Eaves would have inserted Gagner, Turris, and Stepan into the lineup. Here is my best guess as to what the lineup would look like.

Sam Gagner-Kyle Turris-Mark Zengerle
Jordy Murray-Derek Stepan-Craig Smith
Michael Mersch-Podge Turnbull-Tyler Barnes
Patrick Johnson-Sean Dolan-Ryan Little

Ryan McDonagh-Jake Gardiner
Brendan Smith-John Ramage
Cody Goloubef-Justin Schultz

I only can think of one word to describe that lineup. Sick.

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Stepan makes NHL Skills Comp; Smith AHL All-Star

Things just keep getting better for the kid. Former Badger Derek Stepan, in his first professional season has been named as one of 12 rookies who will participate in the Honda NHL SuperSkills® competition.

Stepan, a 20 year old center from Hastings, Minnesota surprised many when he signed with the New York Rangers in the off-season after only two years at Wisconsin.

Stepan has more than earned his keep for the blue shirt's so far this season. He's currently second on the club in scoring with 24 points (12 g, 12 a) in 44 games. Stepan is currently third in rookie scoring.
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Another former Badger who has made a swift transition to the pro game has been Brendan Smith. It was announced Tuesday that Smith has been named to the AHL All-Star game. Smith is the only player from the Grand Rapids Griffins to be named to the team.

Smith had a huge junior season for the Badgers in 09-10 which resulted in him being named a Hobey Baker finalist. Currently Smith has 8 goals and 13 assists in 36 games for the Griffins.

The 21 year old defenseman from Mimico, Ontario is making Griffins history. With his appearance in the AHL All-Star game, he will become the first rookie defenseman in Griffins history to appear in the game.

Brendan Smith Wears the Winged Wheel

A few days after other Badgers played their first NHL preseason games, Brendan Smith made his unofficial debut as a Red Wing last night, which resulted in a 3-2 preseason victory for Detroit over the Chicago Blackhawks. By most accounts, Smith had a solid if unspectacular game, with only one turnover and four hits in 19:47 of ice time, almost as much as perennial ice-time leader Nicklas Lidstrom and good for third-most in the game for Detroit. Smith was paired with veteran AHL defenseman Doug Janik. Wings coach Mike Babcock, in an interview seen here, said that he thought Smith was "a little bit nervous, but that's life." Photos from the game are here, and skip ahead to picture 17 to see Smith. Also worth mentioning, he's wearing number 2 in Detroit, as the #7 he wore in Madison has been retired for Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay.

Other former Badgers Jack Skille and Jake Dowell did not play for Chicago.

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Brendan Smith Makes Red Wings Signing Official

Back in late April we were able to bring you the news that Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef had informed the coaching staff at Wisconsin that they would be signing NHL contracts.

Goloubef made it official two days later, inking a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it took a bit longer for Smith's deal to be finalized. But it was announced today by the Red Wings that Smith has made it official.

From the Red Wings press release, “Brendan improved tremendously in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. “He was a dominant player at the collegiate level, in particular at his position, and we feel he is ready to take the next step in his career at the professional level. We look forward to having him at training camp in Traverse City in September.”

Smith enjoyed a stellar junior season at Wisconsin, leading the nation in scoring among defensemen with 15 goals and 52 points. He was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate hockey player.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman was named to the All-WCHA First Team and also took home honors as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Smith became the first Badgers defenseman to record 50 points in a season since 1989-90 and the first to post at least 10 power-play goals in a season since 1979-80.

I would personally like to thank Brendan for three great seasons in the Cardinal and White. This past season was one of the best seasons for a defenseman that I've personally ever witnessed. It was truly a blessing to be able to be able to watch Brendan's offensive brilliance from the blue line.

On behalf of all Wisconsin fans, good luck with the Detroit Red Wings and may you have a long, healthy, prosperous career.

Sources: Goloubef, Smith Leaving Early; UPDATE **Goloubef Confirms He's Signing**

*****THURSDAY UPDATE-Just spoke to Cody Goloubef and he has confirmed to me that he is indeed leaving.

In what should come as a shock to no one around these parts, sources have confirmed to me that junior defensemen Cody Goloubef and Brendan Smith will forgo their final season of eligibility at the University of Wisconsin and turn pro.

Goloubef, a native of Oakville, Ontario has been a solid defenseman since he stepped on campus as a 17 year old freshman three years ago. The 2008 second round draft selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets (37th overall) was as calm and collected on the ice as they come.

Overshadowed for much of his time with Wisconsin, Goloubef was selected for the 2009 Canada World Junior team which went on to win the gold medal in Ottawa. Goloubef amassed 37 points in 118 career games during his three seasons in Madison. Known more for his ability to keep the puck out of the net than put it in, Goloubef will surely be missed.

Smith, a native of Mimico, Ontario has turned himself into an elite offensive defenseman. The 2007 first round selection of the Detroit Red Wings (27th overall) came to Madison as a bit of a liability and left school as the WCHA defenseman of the year.

The accolades poured in for Smith this season as he burst onto the map by putting up 52 points in 42 games for the Badgers. Smith was especially lethal on the power play netting 11 tallies on the man advantage, second only to Hobey Baker winner Blake Geoffrion. Speaking of the Hobey Baker, Smith was announced as a top 10 finalist for the award after his fine season. He was also named First Team All-WCHA and was a First Team All-American.

Both players will be surely missed by the Wisconsin hockey program. Both players have made big improvements since coming to Wisconsin, and both will some day play in the NHL, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Photo Credit: RedHeat15

Link-o-rama

Time to catch up on a few stories:

Madison.com
Loss aside, Badgers back where they should be (Tom Oates) Essentially: this shouldn't be a once-every-four-years phenomenon.
Davies, Badgers had their opportunities (Andy Baggott) Okay, I won't post too many "recaps", but I figure at least one was necessary.
Dayne's Heisman helps Alvarez appreciate Geoffrion's Hobey (Baggott) As you might guess, this one sort of confirms how little Alvarez knows about this program. I mean, it's one thing when Neal Broten didn't know that no Badger had won the award (you know... since he's never worked for UW and was a hero for our bitter enemy) quite another when the AD doesn't know it until the day of the ceremony. But, like certain types of Badger fans, Barry sometimes needs to filter his feelings through UW's other, less successful programs before he can truly appreciate what an excellent hockey program we have.
Alvarez on new hockey rink: "We'll get it done" (Baggott) A little bit of damage control on the reaction to postponing the practice facility earlier this year. Not sure we learn anything new here, but it's still a good reminder that it ain't over til it's over.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
Blake Geoffrion Quasi-Update (Eric Kent) Bamm Bamm's road to Milwaukee/Nashville could go a few different ways.
UW-Madison ends apparel deal with Nike (Sharif Durhams) Not surprising, what with our Adidas sponsorhips on our equipment and all...

Other Places
Frozen Four Notebook: Brendan Smith talks future (Michael Spath, CollegeHockey247.com) Remember when Robbie Earl was put on the spot and claimed he'd be coming back in 2006-07? Yeah, this feels like that. Also some other post-Frozen Four stuff in there, including a false claim that we won the Broadmoor this year.
Preds will look to sign Geoffrion soon (John Glennon, The Tennessean) Self-explainatory.
Loss Aside, Hockey Season a Success (Adam Holt, Badger Herald)
Game Recap, Nashville vs. St. Louis, 4-10-10 (NHL.com) Evidently, Captain Kickass was given a huge ovation when his Hobey victory was announced during a stoppage in play on Saturday.

Early Departures are coming

First, I'd like to thank Chuck for all of his hard work over the past 2 years here on the blog. Best of luck in your future endeavors! 60, vacation over, we have to pick up the slack now.

Today in the WSJ Andy Baggot discusses early departures, and so why not talk about it; the season is over and it is going to happen whether as fans we foolishly wish everyone would return.

From Baggot's article:

In addition to the seven seniors - all forwards - it's expected Smith and junior defenseman Cody Goloubef will bypass their senior seasons and turn pro. Smith is a first-round NHL draft pick of Detroit and the top-scoring defenseman in the nation who appears anxious to get to the next level. Goloubef is a second-round pick of Columbus, a NHL organization known for wanting its top talent in the system as soon as possible.

The biggest wild card is junior defenseman and tri-captain Ryan McDonagh, a former first-round pick of the New York Rangers. He was a dominant physical force - arguably the best all-around blue-liner in the nation - but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him follow Geoffrion's decorated path and return to the Badgers in search of an NCAA title.

Sophomore center Derek Stepan led UW in scoring - 12 goals, 42 assists, 54 points - and earned rave reviews as captain of the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships. But the second-round draft pick of the Rangers has consistently maintained he plans to return.

No one is surprised that Smith is a lock to leave for the pros and join Detroit's system. Cody Goloubef is a surprise to me, but not as much as talk that McDonagh might actually return. To be blunt, holy shit it would be something special of McD returned for a senior season. Baggot makes good points on why one might leave (Goloubef) and why one might stay (McD).

I have to ask though, how is Ryan McDonagh not ready for the next level? There isn't a dman in the country as physical and pro ready as this young man. He doesn't have anything left to prove at this level, but if he returns I certainly won't be complaining!

Cody Goloubef on the other hand could easily step up to the pros, but I think he'd have plenty to gain by returning to Madison for another year (besides the obvious of a large paycheck, etc). Assuming McDonagh leaves still, he'd be the leader on the blue line, likely an alternate captain, and probably see a ton of ice time, bigger offensive role, etc.

It will be interesting to see what happens. I'd be surprised to the Ducks call for either Jake Gardiner or Justin Schultz. The latter did have a great freshman year, but he still has a lot to learn. If Gardiner returns he'll likely take Brendan Smith's spot on the PP and could be the next Badger blue line All American.

I think Stepan stays, and there aren't really any other flight risks at forward, though you never know what will happen. Brett Bennett could leave too if the Coyotes come calling, as Goody certainly asserted himself as the top tender, but the spot will be up for grabs again in the Fall.

Last season the team hit the jackpot getting McDonagh and Geoffrion back, this season will be a matter of how many leave. I think the team can survive 3 departures, but more than that could make things tough. Should be an interesting few months coming up.

List of All-Americans Grows

Wisconsin has a long history of All-American players and that list just got two members longer.

On the same day that Blake Geoffrion was named the winner of the 2010 Hobey Baker, he was also named 1st Team All-American along w/ teammate Brendan Smith. Both were obvious choices, and joined three Denver players in an almost clean WCHA sweep of the West 1st Team.

Brendan Smith followed in the footsteps of his former PP unit teammate Jamie McBain who was a 1st Teamer last season. I think there is a good chance someone in the Cardinal and White continues that tradition next season. Jake Gardiner, Justin Schultz, who wants to step up?

Captain Asskicker becomes the first Badger forward since Olympian Joe Pavelski was a 2nd Teamer in 2006.

Congrats to both Blake and Brendan on the much deserved recognition and bring home #7 tonight!!!

GO RED!!!!!

INCH Player of the Year: Captain AssKicker

I know, I know, it's just INCH, but it's still cool. Even INCH can recognize the awesomeness of our fearless captain.

But then again, how could anyone not recognize the awesomeness of our Captain AssKicker? Going into the regionals, I had a feeling about the Badgers, and it hinged off my belief in 2 players -- Blake Geoffrion and Mike Davies. They've really been clutch for the Badgers, especially in the latter half of the season, and as far as I'm concerned, if you can't believe in Geoffrion and Davies, I honestly don't know what you could believe in. I'll admit that I might be slightly unbalanced when it comes to Badger Hockey, lol, and so feel free to call me crazy, but it seems to me there's an air of destiny around Captain Asskicker.

Now before my new friend IHateRedWings has a stroke, let me state that under no circumstances am I going to predict the outcome of Saturday's game. Having the guy next to me (not Mr 60, just some random hockey fan sitting on the other side of me) say something about a shutout last night was bad enough, gah, if IHRW was there I think he would've had a serious talking-to with that guy.

Anyway, getting back to INCH, they also named Brendan Smith their Defenseman of the Year. NICE!

Speaking of stellar defenseman, I'd like to digress a bit and take this opportunity to give some love to Ryan McDonagh. After the West Regionals, I meant to post about his being named to the all-tourney team, but I never got around to it. Which is terrible on my part (my apologies to Ryan McDonagh fans everywhere), because I was quite pleased to see McD recognized. With all the hype around Brendan Smith, it's a bit unfortunate that McD hasn't gotten more recognition. From a pure defensive standpoint, he's probably the best defenseman on the team; he's just plain rock solid.

ON WISCONSIN!

Upset With Hobey Snub, Smith Signs With Wings

Needless to say I don't think anyone saw this coming. Earlier tonight I had heard rumors that Wisconsin junior defenseman Brendan Smith has been considering leaving the Badgers to jump to the NHL immediately.

My worst fears came true when I got a hold of Brendan only a few minutes ago on his cell. He had nothing but the utmost respect for Coach Eaves and the Badger program, but there was a number of reasons why he's leaving.

First of all, the Wings have signed him to an NHL rookie max contract and have promised to play him exclusively in the NHL during his 3 year entry level contract. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall has a broken wrist that is going to require surgery and he will be done for the season.

With the Wings in the heart of a playoff race, they had no choice but make the call to Smith. Smith is expected to step right into one of the power play units for the RedWings and should provide a youthful lift to the aging squad.

Another huge reason for Smith to sign now is that all rookies are required to sign a 3 year deal if they are drafted like Smith is. If Smith plays in the NHL now, this season counts as one of the 3 years. Therefore, Smith will reach free agency a year earlier than he would have if he finished out the season with the Badgers.

In talking with Smith, it was very apparent that he was upset over the Hobey snub. "Even with all the backing from writers like yourself, and the phenomenal season I had, the American writers snubbed me," said Smith, "If I was an American, there is no way I'm not a finalist. Let's face it, the voters hate Canada."

I can't say that I disagree with the man. It is a HUGE loss for the Badgers as they prepare for the Frozen Four to be played a week from Thursday in ironically Detroit, Michigan. Junior defenseman Craig Johnson who has played limited minutes this season but has played extensive minutes last season is expected to step into the lineup.

The RedWings next play on Thursday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Smith was in Detroit tonight for practice (see picture top left) and is expected to be in the lineup.

Smith was classy when I talked to him and also had this note for Badger fans, "I loved my time at Wisconsin and I appreciate your support. By the way, don't believe everything you read today, it is April 1st after all."

My Vote For The Hobey: Brendan Smith

First of all, my apologies to Blake Geoffrion. A very deserving player and a great Badger captain.

With that said, in my opinion, Brendan Smith is the choice for this seasons Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The Junior defenseman has put together one of the best years for any defenseman in recent memory. Smith is the first Badger defenseman since Barry Richter in 1993 to eclipse the 40 point plateau.

The Mimico, Ontario native has put together a line of 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points in 38 games. That's 1.18 points per game from the blueline. He's first in scoring among all defensemen in the country and 10th in the country in assists. His over-all point totals are good enough for 19th in the nation among all skaters.

There can be a case made for a lot of the other 9 finalist for this years Hobey, and that's the problem. All the players are great, but other than Smith, no one stands out at their position.

Looking at the goalies, there is a strong case for all three goaltenders Marc Cheverie from Denver, Ben Scrivens from Cornell, and Cody Reichard from Miami. But you can't honestly tell me that one of them is hands down better than the other. So you can basically eliminate the goalies from consideration.

When you look at the forwards, how do you differentiate between Bobby Butler from UNH, Blake Geoffrion from Wisconsin, Gustav Nyquist from Maine, Mark Olver from Northern Michigan, Chase Polacek from RPI, and Rhett Rahkshani from Denver? You really can't. It's a pretty blah group overall.

Looking at the defensemen, you have a clear cut, hands down favorite in Brendan Smith. There isn't even a defenseman in consideration this season. Currently there isn't even another defenseman in the top 50 in scoring in the country. Smith's next closest competitor nationally is 10 ponits back. In the WCHA, the next closest defenseman is an insaine 17 points back of Smith. Last year, when Boston University defenseman Matt Gilroy won the Hobey, he finished the season with 37 points, only .822 per game. And here sits Smith with 45 points, 1.18 per game.

You want another incredible statistic? No defenseman besides Smith has scored more than 42 points since Matt Carle had 53 in 2006. And yes, Carle won the Hobey that season, over Wisconsin goaltender Brian Elliott.

Smith has taken great strides in his defensive game as well. When he came to Wisconsin he was a flat out liability in his own end. He's worked his ass off and he plays considerable minutes, including time on the penalty kill. The unit of Smith and freshman John Ramage has actually been one of our most consistent units all season long.

On the power play Smith has become an absolute assassin. His 11 power play goals are good enough for sixth overall in the country. The WCHA defenseman of the year has found a niche spotting up on the the top of the circles and unleashing one of the best cannons around. His two power play goals in the last 5 minutes of the game against Michigan in the Camp Randall Hockey Classic clinched a clutch, must needed victory for the Badgers.

In my honest opinion there isn't a clear cut decision for the Hobey or even a clear cut top 3 besides Smith. Nyquist is the leading scorer in the country but his team didn't even make the NCAA tournament and the Hobey voters tend to favor players in the tournament. So that's my two cents. Commence the ripping in the comment section.

Photo by RedHeat15

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Geoffrion, Smith Named Hobey Baker Finalists

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation have announced their top ten finalists for the 2010 Hobey Baker. I'm happy to let you guys know that Blake Geoffrion (aka Bamm Bamm, aka Captain Kickass, aka Captain Asskicker) and Brendan Smith (aka Smitty, aka I Don't Have Blake's Cool Nicknames) are among the ten. Both are absolutely deserving of the honor, and I could picture either one of them taking it home. For all the intangibles he's brought to UW this year, I'd have to side with my fellow bloggers and say that my vote would be for Geoffrion.

Either way, a huge congratulations to both Badgers, as they have represented themselves, their school and their fans with pride this season. Way to go, fellas!

The Hobey Top Ten (alphabetically):

Bobby Butler (New Hampshire, F, Sr)
Marc Cheverie (Denver, G, Jr)
Blake Geoffrion (Wisconsin, F, Sr)
Gustav Nyquist (Maine, F, So)
Mark Olver (Northern Michigan, F, Jr)
Chase Polacek (RPI, F, Jr)
Rhett Rakhshani (Denver, F, Sr)
Cody Reichard (Miami, G, So)
Ben Scrivens (Cornell, G, Sr)
Brendan Smith (Wisconsin, D, Jr)

The blurbs on the Badgers from the official release:

Blake Geoffrion – University of Wisconsin, Senior, Forward, Brentwood, Tennessee
The second-year captain has been especially strong in WCHA play. Geoffrion leads the conference in goals with 19, power play goals with 11 and is second in points with 34, all good enough to garner First Team all-star honors. He has an amazing 23% shooting percentage and is a great penalty killer. He’s a Consumer Science major.
• His dad Danny, granddad Bernie “Boom Boom” and great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for Montreal Canadiens – Boomer and Howie are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and have 9 Stanley Cups between them
• Has 23 goals and 18 assists for 41 points in 34 games – Nashville draft pick

Brendan Smith – University of Wisconsin, Junior, Defenseman, Mimico, Ontario
The lone defenseman in the top ten happens to be 19th overall in the nation in scoring while topping all defensemen in college hockey. He helped lead the high-scoring Badgers to number two in the nation in offense and earned Smith First Team WCHA and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Has 15 goals and 29 assists for 44 points in 36 games – 11 power play goals
• Detroit draft pick – Sociology major
• Topped the WCHA in points, goals and assists by a defensemen

Wisconsin All-Decade Team

Lot of talk at different blogs and websites about different All-Decades teams from conferences and things like that. I eventually plan on doing an All-Decade team for the WCHA but for today we'll settle for the Wisconsin All-Decade team.

Something like this is very tough to do because your basically creating your own criteria here. Do you go for the best career? Do you go with each players best individual season? It's really a tough thing. I wrestled with a lot of ideas and players and decided to take each players best individual season into account when making the list. Also, since I'm making the rules, I included the 1999-2000 season in here because I simply could not leave Rhino off the list. He may have gotten screwed for the Hobey but he's not getting screwed here.

Wisconsin All-Decade First Team
F-Steve Reinprecht (99-00)
F-Dany Heatley (00-01)
F-Joe Pavelski (05-06)
D-Jamie McBain (08-09)
D-Tom Gilbert (05-06)
G-Brian Elliott (05-06)

Wisconsin All-Decade Second Team
F-Rene Bourque (03-04)
F-Blake Geoffrion (09-10)
F-Robbie Earl (05-06)
D-Brendan Smith (09-10)
D-Jeff Dessner (99-01)
G-Bernd Bruckler (03-04)

Wisconsin All-Decade Third Team
F-Michael Davies (09-10)
F-Adam Burish (05-06)
F-Derek Stepan (09-10)
D-Davis Drewiske (07-08)
D-Dan Boeser (01-02)
G-Scott Kabatoff (01-02)

Wisconsin All-Decade Rookie Team
F-Dany Heatley (99-01)
F-Joe Pavelski (04-05)
F-Kyle Turris (07-08)
D-Ryan Suter (03-04)
D-Jake Gardiner (08-09)
G-Bernd Bruckler (01-02)

Wisconsin Player of the decade: Goaltender Brian Elliott

Flat out, Brian Elliott won Wisconsin the 2006 National Championship. There were pieces on that team that could be replaced and we still would have won, but not Elliott. Elliott had the best season I've personally ever had a chance to be around for a goaltender. His stats were flat out sick that season. A 1.55 GAA and .938 Save percentage is absolutely ridiculous. The team was 27-5-3 when he was in goal, and 3-5 when he wasn't. 2 of those losses for Elliott were immediately after he came back from a knee injury on the road. In my opinion, this was a simple decision.

Leave comments and let me know what you think. There are about 1,000 different ways this thing could have been sliced.

Chucks All-WCHA Teams

Ok, so I don't get an official vote...yet, but here is how I would have voted if the WCHA would let me. I can honestly say that I took this seriously and showed no bias towards Wisconsin or against it's rivals. Keep in mind that this is not a prediction of what will be announced, but this is how I would have voted.

First Team All-WCHA

F-Blake Geoffrion (Wisconsin)-Senior
F-Rhett Rakhshani (Denver)-Senior
F-Justin Fontaine (Minnesota-Duluth)-Junior
D-Brendan Smith (Wisconsin)-Junior
D-Patrick Wiercoich (Denver)-Sophomore
G-Marc Cheverie (Denver)-Junior

Second Team All-WCHA

F-Michael Davies (Wisconsin)-Senior
F-Jack Connolly (Minnesota-Duluth)-Sophomore
F-Ryan Lasch (St. Cloud State)-Senior
D-Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin)-Junior
D-Nate Prosser (Colorado College)-Senior
G-Brad Eidsness (North Dakota)-Sophomore

Third Team All-WCHA

F-Mike Connolly (Minnesota-Duluth)-Sophomore
F-Kevin Clark (Alaska Anchorage)-Senior
F-Garrett Roe (St. Cloud State)-Junior
D-Kurt Davis (Minnesota State)-Junior
D-Garrett Raboin (St. Cloud State)-Senior
G-Alex Kangas (Minnesota)-Junior

WCHA All-Freshman Team

F-Craig Smith (Wisconsin)
F-Danny Kristo (North Dakota)
F-Rylan Schwartz (Colorado College)
D-Matt Donovan (Denver)
D-Nick Leddy (Minnesota)
G-Mike Lee (St. Cloud State)

Awards

WCHA Player of the Year: Marc Cheverie, Goalie (Denver)
WCHA Rookie of the Year: Craig Smith, Forward (Wisconsin)
WCHA Defenseman of the Year: Brendan Smith, Defense (Wisconsin)

UW Nominates Smith Over Geoffrion For WCHA MVP

Well, I guess you could say I'm a bit surprised, but I learned tonight that Wisconsin has nominated Brendan Smith over Blake Geoffrion for the WCHA Player of the Year.

First of all, I'm surprised at the stupidity of the voting process. Why on earth would you have to nominate a player, and at that, only one player. I think it's fair to say that Wisconsin, as well as a couple of other schools like Duluth and Denver, have more than one candidate worthy of consideration.

In my opinion, the voters should simply write in their selection and not have to chose from a list. Granted, there is a write in possibility for the MVP, but if your own team didn't nominate you, do you honestly think the voters are going to? I doubt it.

Through twitter tonight I had communication with a few of the voters of the award. Brad Elliott Schlossman from the Grand Forks Herald said that his vote came down to Geoffrion and Denver goaltender Marc Cheverie. In the end he chose Cheverie. Bruce Ciske, Minnesota-Duluth radio announcer said that he would have to seriously consider Geoffrion if he was on the ballot. That alone proves that teams only being able to nominate one person is a joke.

For reference, each team gets 1 head coach, 2 asst coaches, 2 captains, 2 media and 1 SID to vote for all WCHA teams.

I honestly would be shocked if Blake does not get at least some write in votes for player of the year. But him not being on the ballot has absolutely killed his chances of winning the award.

I don't think that Brendan is a terrible choice, in fact I think he would be a good choice, I just think that Blake would have had a better chance at winning the award. Geoffrion is the captain and emotional leader of the Badgers, he's our first line centerman, plays on our top power play, plays on the penalty kill, and he's the WCHA's leading scorer.

Here are the official candidates for the WCHA Player of the Year:

Marc Cheverie (G)-Denver
Brendan Smith (D)-Wisconsin
Bill Sweatt (F)-Colorado College
Jack Connolly (F)-Minnesota-Duluth
Ryan Lasch (F)-St. Cloud State
Chris VandeVelde (F)-North Dakota

Here are the official candidates for the WCHA Rookie of the Year:

Nick Leddy (D)-Minnesota
Craig Smith (F)-Wisconsin
Matt Donovan (D)-Denver
Steven Seigo (D)-Michigan Tech
Dylan Olsen (D)-Minnesota-Duluth
Danny Kristo (F)-North Dakota
Rylan Schwartz (F)-Colorado College

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Brendan Smith For Hobey?

Wow.

That is the only word I can use to describe Brendan Smith's third period yesterday afternoon. I know I said before that I didn't think Brendan deserved the Hobey. He's doing a really good job right now of making me second guess that statement.

This guy has established himself as THE premier offensive defenseman in the entire country. His 33 points lead all defensemen. He's 14th overall among all skaters in points per game at 1.27 points per game.

Will it be enough? We shall see. But I think he officially submitted his name for consideration last night.

Photo by RedHeat15

Hockeys Future NCAA Prospects Update (Part 2)

Hockey's Future is doing a series of updates on NHL teams college hockey prospects. Hockey's Future is one of the best resources on the net for following NHL prospects. Last week we were able to link you to profiles of 6 Badgers. Today we bring you the rest of the drafted Badgers.

Jason Menard has recently profiled the Montreal Canadiens who own the rights of Badgers Junior forward Patrick Johnson.

"The Badgers are fourth in the WCHA, but the pollsters have a whole lot more respect for Wisconsin than what the standings indicate, as the club finished second in the latest USCHO/USA Today poll, behind only Miami of Ohio. However, Johnson's contribution to the cause has been minimal at best and perplexing at worst.

As a freshman in 2007-08, Johnson made a huge impact on the Badgers, playing in 40 games and scoring 21 points (including eight goals). He looked poised to step up as a sophomore and play a key role on this traditional powerhouse.

Then something happened. It's not an injury -- at least physically. For some reason or another, Johnson's play slipped. Actually, slipped is too kind -- it plummeted. Last year as a sophomore, he ended up with seven points (three goals) in 35 games. Sure, he continued his aggressive, feisty play, but his nose for the net suddenly lost its sense.

As a junior, Johnson's had the chance to redeem himself. Unfortunately, instead of reclaiming his freshman promise, he's sunk deeper into his morass. The forward finds himself clinging to a spot on the fourth line. He's matched his goal-scoring totals from last year (three) in 10 fewer games to date, but he's yet to even match his meager assists totals. In 25 games so far, he's scored three goals and three assists.

Johnson's a bubble player who is always playing for a contract. However, it's safe to say he's not doing anything that's going to appeal to the Habs brass."
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Leslie Treff has recently profiled the New York Rangers who own the rights of Badgers junior defenseman Ryan McDonagh and sophomore forward Derek Stepan.

"On the top pairing for the University of Wisconsin with an Anaheim Ducks top prospect Jake Gardiner, junior blueliner McDonagh is a two-way defenseman who is not afraid to take the body and protect teammates. Named a tri-captain for the season, McDonagh has an excellent competitive fire and knows how to lead. In what is widely thought to be his final season as a Badger, McDonagh is second among defensemen in total points on the team with 12 (3 goals, 9 assists).

McDonagh is expected to compete for a Rangers roster spot out of camp next season, however, is more likely to spend the campaign in Hartford."
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"Stepan has become well known over the past few weeks, as he was captain of the US U-20 World Junior Championship team that won gold in Saskatchewan earlier this month. Named to the media all-star team for the tournament, as well as one of the three best USA players by the coaches. Stepan was the scoring leader of the entire tournament (14 points in seven games, with a +9).

The Rangers second round pick from 2008 did not, however, have a very good start to his season at Wisconsin. The sophomore was expected to do great things and play in all situations, just as he had last spring, but his early games in the 2009-10 campaign were somewhat lackluster. He was not scoring, nor creating the plays that made him so exciting to watch last year. Things began to turn around when Stepan picked up his physical game, and currently, he is a more than a point-a-game pace. In 22 games, Stepan has recorded 29 points (6 goals, 23 assists), with a +6 plus/minus rating. This is made even more impressive by the fact that Stepan has been playing on the third line.

Not too long ago, it was almost certain that Stepan would return to Wisconsin for the 2010-11 season. Since his fine performance in the World Juniors, questions have arisen. Stepan still needs to get bigger and faster to be ready for professional play. Much will depend on the Minnesota native's performance over the next two months on the ice. If he has nothing left to prove at this level, Stepan will move on, but it is more likely that he will spend one more year as a Badger."

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Chris Shafer has recently profiled the Detroit Red Wings who own the rights of Badgers Junior defenseman Brendan Smith.

"The University of Wisconsin has treated junior defenseman Brendan Smith very well. He has been surrounded by talent, especially on the blue line. Anaheim's Jake Gardiner is one of a talented core of blueliners that make Wisconsin one of the hardest teams to score against year in and year out.

Smith has found his way to the top of Wisconsin scoring from the blue line with 31 points off of 10 goals and 21 assists through 25 games this season. His +16 rating is tied for second on a team where many blueliners are sharing similar success.

Not lost in his steady offensive improvement each season are all the skills necessary for any mobile, new-era defenseman to make it in the NHL. What was an asset to Smith even before he was drafted, his skating, vision, and stickhandling, has steadily gotten better over the course of three years as well."
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Josh Deitell has recently profiled the LA Kings who own the rights of Badgers Junior forward Podge Turnbull.

"Once a promising two-way prospect, Turnbull was drafted by the Kings as a fifth rounder after putting up 54 points in 60 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the 2006-07 USHL season. However, Turnbull has been unable to translate his game to the NCAA level, and his games played total has been trending downward because of it. Though he suited up for a respectable 37 games in his freshman season, he only saw the ice in 24 last year, a little more than half of the Badgers' total games. His role has diminished even further this year: Of the 26 games the Badgers have played this year, Turnbull has only suited up for six. Barring a miraculous turnaround, Turnbull's time as a legitimate prospect is over. "

Wisconsins's Hobey Baker Chances

As the season progresses, the more and more talk there will be about the prospective 2010 Hobey Baker candidates. In my opinion the Hobey is a bit harder to judge than it's counterpart the Heisman trophy. The lack of television and publicity in the sport makes voting a very in-exact science.

Outstanding college hockey writer Elliot Olshansky has a piece out briefly identifying some of the favorites to contend for this seasons Hobey Baker. His focus in the piece is how many of the candidates are also flanked by another candidate from their own team.

Olshansky spends a good amount of time in the article talking about the chances a Wisconsin Badger could win the award.

"Perhaps the only easy group to pick a player out of is the crew from Wiscsonsin. Yes, (Derek) Stepan has been on a roll since returning from the World Junior Championship, with seven points in four games, to say nothing of (Michael) Davies, whose seven-game point streak has seen him score six goals and notch nine assists. (Brendan) Smith, however, remains the most remarkable of the bunch. His 1.30 points per game average is just a hair off of Matt Carle’s 1.36 clip during his Hobey Baker season, and that was accomplished on a team that didn’t make the NCAA tournament. Think Smith can make a run at the Hobey on a team that’s currently No. 2 in the nation? Also, he’s the only of the Badgers’ potential Hobey candidates whose goal total wouldn’t be an issue."

So basically Olshansky has identified Brendan Smith, Derek Stepan, and Michael Davies as the three Badger candidates for the Hobey, with Smith having the best shot out of the bunch.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the players he has identified, but to name those three and leave off senior captain Blake Geoffrion is a severe injustice in my humble opinion. Geoffrion is not far off of the other three in point totals and he has the added duties of being the leader of the number two team in the country. He is also third in the country in goals scored.

I think the biggest thing that makes me shake my head is the fact that national media outlets are pegging Brendan Smith as one of, if not the favorite to win the award. Inside College Hockey last week released their first installment of the Hobey Tracker and list Smith as one of the top 3 current candidates. Olshansky pegged Smith as his favorite to win the award, "Overall, while his scoring has faded a tad in recent weeks, Smith has the look of a Hobey winner more than anyone else in the race at the moment."

Really? The problem I have is that Smith is not the best player at his position on his own team, let alone the top player in the entire country. And this is no knock on Smith. He absolutely deserves the recognition and deserves to be talked about in the race, but Ryan McDonagh is a much more sound hockey player at this point. And that is the current problem with the Hobey Baker. Columnists and voters simply base voting on point totals without ever seeing a player play.

To be honest, I don't see any Badger winning the award this season. We have four outstanding candidates but we don't have the one outstanding player like we did when Elliott and Reinprecht were finalists. But I think if you ask any of the players I've mentioned, they would all agree that the goal is the National Title, not the Hobey Baker. The gentlemen that we have in our locker room have their eyes on the real prize.

09/10 Men's Previews: #7 Brendan Smith

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Junior
Shoots Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Hometown: Mimico, Ontario
Major: Undeclared
Previous Team: St. Michael’s (OPJHL) in 06/07

NHL Considerations: 1st round draft pick of Detroit (27th overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft.

08/09 Stats: 31 games, 9-14-23, +3, 75 PIM
07/08 Stats: 22 games, 2-10-12, -5, 26 PIM

09/10 Role: 2nd pairing, 1st PP unit

08/09 Recap: Brendan rebounded in a big way from a freshman year shortened by injury and riddled w/ defensive mistakes. As a sophomore, his defensive game definitely improved, while his offensive game exploded in the 1st half of the season. W/ All-American Jamie McBain running the 1st PP unit, Brendan flourished, scoring all nine of his goals on the PP. Unfortunately, his season was again marred by injury early in 2009 when a cheap slash by a N. Michigan player broke his wrist. Earlier in that game he had scored two PP goals. Brendan came back later in the season, but the chemistry w/ McBain was largely gone as Jake Gardiner had jumped into that void. Overall, it was a step in the right direction for Brendan.

Biggest Strength: Offense, offense, offense. As a converted forward, Brendan showed last season that he can be a force in the offensive zone especially on the PP. His slap shot is a rocket, and should continue to translate into goals this season.

Biggest Weakness: Brendan’s defensive game still has a lot of room for improvement. He plays a good defensive stick, and that saved his ass a few times last season, but overall he needs to get better. The difference between his freshman and sophomore seasons was huge in his own end. Also, almost every interview I’ve ever seen or read w/ this kid is always about when he is going to join the Red Wings organization. How about you worry about the business at hand first, if your game does the proper talking, there will be no need to worry about when the Red Wings call.

09/10 Thoughts: Brendan should be a key component of the Badger offense this season, especially on the PP. It will be interesting to see who Eaves pairs together, but I liked Chuck’s idea of pairing Brendan w/ Cody Goloubef. They played together in the past, and Cody is nothing but solid in all aspects of the game, to compliment Brendan’s offensive upside and occasional defensive shortcomings. Injury is still a big deal for Brendan, he needs to prove he can play a whole season, and the Badgers need him on the ice for his offensive upside. It’s hard to put a prediction on Brendan’s season (I went conservative), if he finds the right chemistry and the PP units click he could have a HUGE season.

Prediction: 29 games, 10-16-26*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com