Saturday Morning Link Roundup

-The best Wisconsin high school seniors are across the border in Minnesota this weekend playing in the Minnesota National Invitational Tournament with the best seniors in the country. Badger recruit Brad Navin (pictured) led Team Wisconsin to a 5-3 victory over Minnesota in the tourney opener Thursday night.

TW took one on the chin Friday night at the hands of Michigan 5-4. Navin chipped in another goal and assist. With 5 points in his first two games back, Navin is showing no ill affects from the MCL injury that cost him the majority of his senior season.

-The WCHA early departures continue to mount and NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth took two major blows this week as Mike Connolly signed a free agent deal with the San Jose Sharks and Justin Faulk signed with the Carolina Hurricanes who had drafted him in the second round. Connolly and Faulk are the fifth and sixth early departures for the WCHA this off-season.

-One team that has yet to be hit with departures but most definitely will is North Dakota. UND beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman notes that defenseman Ben Blood (Ottawa), and forwards Jason Gregoire (New York Islanders) and Brett Hextall (Phoenix) are all being pursued by their respective NHL clubs.

-USCHO.com has been releasing their post season awards this week and named their All-USCHO teams today. Wisconsin junior defenseman Jake Gardiner was named to the first team and in an absolutely ridiculous decision Justin Schultz was only named to the second team.

-There is a ton of buzz on the interwebs today that Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson will be named the head coach at Michigan Tech soon. I don't personally understand the move as many have speculated that Pearson would step in at Michigan when Red Berenson retires but I guess the allure of being the head man now was too much to pass up.

-Paul Capobianco from UWBadgers.com talks about the success former Badgers had the first two days of the NHL Playoffs. Capobiano notes former Badgers account for 14.8 percent of the goals, 20 percent of the first goals and 20 percent of the game-winning goals so far in the early going.

-Andy Baggot has a breakdown of all WCHA players or recruits listed in the top 200 players for the upcoming NHL by the Red Line Report. RLR ranks Michael Mersch (50), Joseph LaBate (64), and Frankie Simonelli (127). Eddie Wittchow, an emerging recruit from Burnsville who is said to favor the Badgers is ranked #72 according to Baggot.

-WAHA has released the names of the players that it has chosen to represent the state at the Central District tryouts. You can find the names of the 1994's, 1995's, 1996's, and 1997's at their respective links. The 94's, 95's, and 96's will tryout in Fond du Lac May 6-8 and the 97's in Ames, Iowa June 19-24.

-Gary Peterson from the Bay Area News Group has a fantastic article up about Joe Pavelski and his success in the playoffs for the San Jose Sharks. I'm not a big fan of using the word clutch when it comes to athletics but the Polish Prince sure seems to come up big in important spots. With championships in high school, junior, and college, it's only a matter of time before he's hoisting the cup with the Sharks.

-It looks like North Dakota will continue to use the Fighting Sioux nickname for another year. The UND Chancellor announced that they will renew merchandising licenses for another year and keep the nickname through 2012. The biggest issue next season may be that UND would have to use different jerseys during the NCAA tournament that don't have Fighting Sioux logo's.

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Skille, Smith, Gardiner to represent USA at IIHF Men's World Championships

The United States squad that will compete in the 2011 IIHF Men's World Championships April 29 - May 15, in Kosice and Bratislava, Slovakia will have a major Wisconsin presence as two former Badgers (Jack Skille, Jake Gardiner) and one current member (Craig Smith) have been named to the roster.

Florida Panthers forward Jack Skille was named to the roster earlier in the week. The Madison native is no stranger to international competitions as he won a bronze medal with the United States World Junior team in 2007 and a gold medal with the USA U18 squad at the World Championships in 2005. A product of Verona high school and the United States National Team Development Program, Skille recorded 19 points in 62 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and after a mid-season trade, the Florida Panthers.

Looking for another puck moving defenseman that can skate, the United States added Toronto Marlies defenseman Jake Gardiner to the roster today. Gardiner recently finished up his junior season with the Wisconsin Badgers before signing a pro contract with Toronto. The Minnetonka, Minnesota native recorded 41 points in 41 games for the Badgers during his junior season and was named a second team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Gardiner won a gold medal for the United States during the 2010 World Junior Championships.

In somewhat of an eyebrow raising move, the team USA brass has also added current Wisconsin forward Craig Smith to the roster. The Madison native paced all Badger forwards in scoring this season with 43 points in 41 games including a team leading 19 goals. The Madison La Follette product is only one of two players not currently playing pro hockey to be named to the roster. Boston College forward Chris Kreider is the other. Smith represented his country in the World Junior A challenge in 2007 and 2008, winning a gold medal with the 08 squad when was named to the all tournament team.

Skille, Gardiner, and Smith will begin play on Saturday, April 30th when they kick off the tournament against Austria at 9:15 AM CST. The United States will also play Norway and Sweden in first round action.

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Gardiner, Schultz Named All-Americans

Thirty-Five former Wisconsin men's hockey players carry the honor of being named an All-American during their time in Madison. Friday it was announced that Justin Schultz (First Team) and Jake Gardiner (Second Team) would become the 36th and 37th members of that group as they were named to the American Hockey Coaches Association West All-American team.

Schultz, a sophomore defenseman led all blueliners in scoring this season with 47 points in 41 games for the Badgers. The West Kelowna, British Columbia natives 18 goals this season were the most for a blueliner since the 2002-2003 season. Schultz, who has already announced his intentions to return to the Badgers for another season becomes the 26th First Team All-American for UW. He's the 12th defenseman in Wisconsin history to be named to the First Team.

Gardiner, a junior defenseman had another strong season for the Badgers. His 41 points in 41 games this season was second to only teammate and defensive partner Justin Schultz among all blueliners. The Minnetonka, Minnesota native was once again one of the Badgers best in his own end. Gardiner was second on the club, and led all Badger blueliners in plus/minus with a +22 rating this season and +50 for his career. Gardiner recently signed a contract with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, forgoing his final season of eligibility at Wisconsin.

AHCA First Team West All-America

F-Matt Frattin-North Dakota
F-Jack Connolly-Minnesota Duluth
F-Andy Miele-Miami
D-Justin Schultz-Wisconsin
D-Chay Genoway-North Dakota
G-Pat Nagle-Ferris State

AHCA Second Team West All-America

F-Mike Connolly-Minnesota Duluth
F-Carl Hagelin-Michigan
F-Carter Camper-Miami
D-Jake Gardiner-Wisconsin
D-Zach Redmond-Ferris State
G-Aaron Dell-North Dakota

University of Wisconsin All-Americans (First team unless noted)
John Jagger-1970
Jeff Rotsch-1972
Brian Engblom-1975
Craig Norwich-1976, 1977
Julian Baretta-1977
Mike Eaves-1977, 1978
Mark Johnson-1978, 1979
Theren Welsch-1980
Roy Schultz-1980
Bruce Driver-1982
John Newberry-1982
Patrick Flatley-1983
Tony Granato-1985 (2nd), 1987 (2nd)
Tim Thomas-1985 (2nd)
Paul Ranheim-1988
Paul Stanton-1988
Dean Anderson-1988 (2nd)
Steve Tuttle-1988 (2nd)
Curtis Joseph-1989 (2nd)
Gary Shuchuk-1990
Sean Hill-1991 (2nd)
Duane Derksen-1992 (2nd)
Barry Richter-1993
Brian Rafalski-1995
Kirk Daubenspeck-1997 (2nd)
Jeff Dessner-2000
Steve Reinprecht-2000
Dany Heatley-2000 (2nd), 2001
Bernd Bruckler-2004
Brian Elliott-2006
Joe Pavelski-2006 (2nd)
Tom Gilbert-2006 (2nd)
Jamie McBain-2009
Brendan Smith-2010
Blake Geoffrion-2010
Jake Gardiner-2011 (2nd)
Justin Schultz-2011

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Jake Gardiner Signs With Toronto

Looks like we aren't going to have to play the waiting game in terms of early departures this season. Michael Russo from the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweeted tonight that according to sources, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Wisconsin junior defenseman Jake Gardiner to an entry level contract.

Gardiner, who hails from Minnetonka, Minnesota was originally a first round draft selection of the Anaheim Ducks. A recent trade at the NHL trade deadline saw his rights exchanged from the Ducks to the Leafs.

Gardiner has had an impressive career at Wisconsin and was named a second team All-WCHA performer this past season when he registered 40 points in 41 games for the Badgers. His 40 points this season were third in the country for defensemen. For his career at Wisconsin, Gardiner finished with 74 points.

After an offseason that saw the Badgers lose four underclassmen to NHL contracts including three defenseman, Gardiner is the only expected departure this summer. Sophomore defenseman Justin Schultz has told the media that he is 100% coming back and sophomore forward Craig Smith looks to be coming back as well.

No word on where Gardiner will start his professional career yet but it's more than a safe bet that he will finish the rest of the season with the Maple Leafs's AHL team the Marlies, who are also based in Toronto. The Marlies are in second place in the North Division. Their next game is on Friday vs the Syracuse Crunch. Former Wisconsin defenseman Josh Engel is also currently a member of the Marlies.

Congratulations on a fine career at Wisconsin Jake. Hope to see you in the NHL soon. You will be missed.

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Gardiner not a sure thing to sign after the season?

Wednesday afternoon reports started to surface that Wisconsin junior defenseman Jake Gardiner had told the Badger coaching staff that he planned to sign a pro contract at the outset of the 2010-2011 season.

Gardiner, an original first round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks was traded last week to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto GM Brian Burke was on the local radio station 590 The Fan and made the claim about Gardiner signing after the season.

The exact quote from Burke was, "His plan I think is, what he's told the coaches at Wisconsin would be to come out after the season, and then we think he'd need, ya know our hope is a half a year in the American league or a Keith Aulie progression and then he'd be ready to play."

WSJ reporter Andy Baggot was able to speak with Gardiner Thursday afternoon and Gardiner refuted the reports saying simply, "I never said that." According to Baggot's report, Eaves also confirmed that no conversation ever took place.

It would have been no surprise to anyone if Gardiner did intend to turn pro after the season. An elite player like himself would certainly be given the max rookie contract or close to it by the Maple Leafs.

What is interesting is that Burke would make such a claim with the media if in fact Gardiner had not indicated to the coaches at Wisconsin that he planned to leave. In Baggots piece he asked Gardiner why Burke would make such a statement and Gardiner said, "I'm sure he just wants me to sign."

Does this leave an opening for Gardiner, who is an alternate captain this season for the Badgers to return for his senior season? Absolutely it does.

For now, let's just enjoy his talents while he's in cardinal and white.

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No shock, Gardiner expects to sign after season

Word has broke today that University of Wisconsin defenseman Jake Gardiner, who was recently traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Anaheim Ducks has informed the coaching staff at Wisconsin that he intends to sign a pro contract at the end of the Badgers season.

According to Ryan Cardinal, a writer for the Gopher Puck Live website, Toronto general manager Brian Burke was on the Toronto radio station the FAN 590 today and said that Gardiner has told the coaching staff that he won't be back.

The news is hardly shocking to anyone who has followed the program. Gardiner has had 2 solid seasons in cardinal and white and is having an All-American type season in his junior campaign.

It's also rare that a first round draft pick, and a player of Gardiners caliber use all four years of eligibility. Gardiner will fall in line with what has seemed to be a trend for high end Wisconsin defenseman signing after their junior seasons. Jamie McBain (Carolina Hurricanes), Brendan Smith (Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL), Cody Goloubef (Springfield Falcons, AHL), and Ryan McDonagh (New York Rangers) all singed pro contracts with a year of eligibility remaining.

Whenever the Badgers finish up their run in the NCAA tournament, it's expected that Gardiner will turn pro immediately to get in some pro games with either Toronto's AHL team, the Toronto Marlies or even possibly with the big club.

A native of Minnetonaka, Minnesota, Gardiner is having his best statistical season as a Badger. The former 17th overall pick has 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points in 32 games for Wisconsin. Gardiner's brother Max, who plays for Minnesota will be in town this weekend to face Jake and the Badgers.

Photo courtesy of BHockey10

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Jake Gardiner Traded to Maple Leafs

If it seems too good to be true it usually is. I, along with many Wisconsin fans became enamored with the possibility of Jake Gardiner and Justin Schultz, two draft picks of the Anaheim Ducks playing together in the National Hockey League.

That dream was (at least for now) demolished with the news that Gardiner's rights had been traded from Anaheim to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Anaheim selected Gardiner with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The Ducks General Manager during the 2008 draft? Brian Burke. The Leafs GM that just traded for Jake Gardiner? Brian Burke. Coincidence?

Burke has always been a strong advocate of the college hockey game. And it has shown in his transition as GM of the Leafs.

Gardiner, a Minnetonka, Minnesota native is having his best season as a Badger during his junior campaign. The speedy defenseman had 30 points in 30 games for Wisconsin, which makes him the third highest scoring defenseman in college hockey.

Gardiner, who recently signed up for a twitter account started the day at 75 followers. Since the trade to Toronto was announced, he's shot up to near 1,500 and the number continues to skyrocket.

Gardiner, who seemed genuinely excited left this note on his twitter page this afternoon, "It's a great feeling to be a part of the leafs organization! Thanks for your support everybody."

Photo by Melody Hasse

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Gardiner, Schultz honored by WCHA

Press Release from WCHA.com

Red Baron® WCHA
Defensive Player of the Week
Justin Schultz - Sophomore, Defenseman
University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz, who contributed five points and earned a +3 plus/minus rating while helping the host Badgers to a win and tie in the College Hockey Showcase last weekend, is the Red Baron® WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 30, 2010.

A 6-3,185-pounder from West Kelowna, B.C., Schultz's five-point series included a three-goal hat trick and nine shots on goal.The Anaheim Ducks' (NHL) draftee opened the weekend with a goal and an assist last Friday as the Badgers overcame 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 deficits for a 4-4 tie against then-No. 8 Michigan. Schultz scored Wisconsin's first goal of the game on a power-play to make it a 2-1 game. He then had the primary assist on UW's third goal, which made it 3-3 at the time. Then on Saturday, Schultz became just the fifth UW defenseman and the first in exactly 18 years to post a hat trick, scoring the first, third and fourth Badger goals in a 4-1 victory over Michigan State. He also fired a game-high eight shots on goal and finished +2 in the game. Schultz leads the nation's defensemen with 19 points and has nine goals on the season, four more than the next closest defenseman in the country.

Also nominated: Dan Bakala, G, BSU; David Makowski, D, DU; Alex Kangas, G, UM; Aaron Dell, G, UND.

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Red Baron® WCHA
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Jake Gardiner - Junior, Defenseman, Wisconsin
Drew Shore - Sophomore, Forward, Denver

A pair of six-point producers – defenseman Jake Gardiner of the University of Wisconsin and forward Drew Shore of the University of Denver – have been tabbed Red Baron® WCHA co-Offensive Players of the Week for Nov. 30, 2010.

Gardiner, a 6-3, 193-pound junior from Minnetonka, Minn., and a draft choice of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, collected six points as Wisconsin logged a 4-4 (ot) tie against Michigan and 4-1 victory over Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase last weekend in Madison. He scored two power-play goals, including the game-tying goal in the third period, added an assist, recorded a game-high five shots on goal and was +1 against then-No. 8 Michigan last Friday. Last Saturday, Gardiner came back with three assists and four shots on goal while earning a +2 rating in the victory over the visiting Spartans. Gardiner, who now has a five-game scoring streak with nine points (2g, 7a), ranks second in the nation in scoring among defensemen with 18 points (4g, 14a), trailing only blueline partner Justin Schultz.

Shore, a 6-3, 190-pound sophomore from Denver, Colo., and draftee of the Florida Panthers (NHL), was named the MVP of the Denver Cup Classic tournament over Thanksgiving weekend after leading the Pioneers to their second straight Denver Cup title and 15th overall. He led the tourney with six points on four goals and two assists, including his first collegiate three-goal hat trick and a career-best four points in a 6-3 win over Lake Superior State on Nov. 26. Shore then added the game-winning goal and another assist in the championship game on Nov. 27 as Denver clinched a 3-1 win over Air Force. In addition to his six points in the two games, Shore had 10 hits, two blocked shots and a +1 rating. He currently has a four-game point streak, has at least one point in nine of the last 10 games and is tied for first in the WCHA in scoring overall with a career-best 22 points (12g, 10a).

Also nominated: Matt Bailey, F, UAA; Emil Billberg, F, BSU; Justin Jokinen, F, MSU; Jason Gregoire, F, UND.

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Who will be the Badger’s Captains?

Jake Gardiner? Jordy Murry? Sean Dolan?

Badger fans who voted on the poll I posted last week think Jake Gardiner is the best candidate for Captain. I can’t say I disagree. He returns as the most experienced blue liner on the team having played in 80 games the last 2 seasons (Craig Johnson & Justin Schultz both have 43 games of experience). He is also the team’s best player (arguably) and will be a key component in the team’s success this season, as he gets a chance to flex some of his offensive ability that was hidden last season playing the hard minutes w/ Ryan McDonagh, and having Brendan Smith and Blake Geoffrion lighting the lamp often on the PP before he could even get out there w/ the second unit.

In the last week, another player has grown on me as a possible Captain: Sean Dolan. I’ve been a fan of Dolan since his freshman year, he is a hardworker who in his three seasons has done a lot of the little things on the 3rd and 4th line to help the team succeed. Along w/ Patrick Johnson, Dolan is the only other Badger player to have played in over 100 NCAA games coming into this season, at 102, Ratty has played in 112. Last season, the Badgers had 7 forwards very close to or well over 100 games played. Experience matters, and even if Sean doesn’t get the “C” I think an “A” would look good on his #16 jersey.

The other large vote getter in the poll was Jordy Murray. Another hard worker and goal scorer who after the above mentioned senior forwards, sits 3rd on the Badger forward list w/ 79 games played. The scouting report on Murray is that he is a kind of a goof ball, but its impossible to ignore his hard work and dedication on the ice. If Eaves is going to assemble a trio or so of players to lead this year’s squad, having someone lighten the moment(s) might be good for an inexperienced team. Of course there is the rumor that Murray might leave for a contract in Europe. I sure hope he doesn’t, he will get HUGE minutes this season in all situations, and will help a young team that could surprise some people by the end of the season.

If I were Eaves, I’d have to agree w/ the readers of our blog, and put some letters on these guy’s chests, and give them a chance to lead the Badgers next season. I also think Patrick Johnson and Craig Smith would be good choices too as an alternate captain. Johnson has played in more games than any returning Badger, and Craig Smith will need to step up this season and be a key part of the inexperienced forward group for the team to succeed. Smith was also the captain of the Waterloo Black Hawks before joining the Badgers last season.

I’d guess this decision would come one of these days, and I’m sure Eaves has people watching how the above mentioned players are interacting and leading during summer practices and workouts.

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.

Hockeys Future NCAA Prospects Update

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. We're still waiting on the profiles for five other players. When they become available we'll post them as well.

Cody Goloubef:

Chris Roberts has recently profiled the Columbus Blue Jackets who own the rights of Badgers Junior defenseman Cody Goloubef.

"Known primarily as a quiet defenseman possessing a sound defensive game in his first two seasons of collegiate hockey, Goloubef has been involving himself on the offensive side of the ice more frequently this season. He recorded a career high of 13 points in 36 games last season, and in just 22 games this season he’s almost matched that total with 12 points. His ability to move the puck up the ice and jump in on the rush has improved, and he already has a career high in assists with nine.

Goloubef is seeing top minutes on defense on a team that boasts a trio of first round picks on the blue line in Brendan Smith (DET), Ryan McDonagh (NYR) and Jake Gardiner (ANA). Add in John Ramage, an important piece to the United States’ blue line at the WJC, and Goloubef has been an important part of one of the top defense corps in the nation. He is currently tied for the team lead with a +16 rating as his defensive game continues to flourish as well."

Jake Gardiner:

Kyle Kujawa has recently profiled the Anaheim Ducks who own the rights of Badgers Sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner and freshman defenseman Justin Schultz.

"After a promising rookie season, Gardiner’s game has taken a step back this season. He’s produced only three points in 20 games on the season after 21 as a freshman. A big part of the lack of production has to do with Gardiner being slotted into more of a defensive role. Brendan Smith (DET) receives most of the power-play minutes, so Gardiner is focused more on the defensive end of the ice.

The smooth-skating defenseman will likely step into that role if Smith turns professional after the season, as expected. From a development standpoint, it’s a move that could pay off for Gardiner, as he converted to defense from forward while in high school.

Gardiner won gold at the World Junior Championship with the United States. Gardiner started the tournament as one of the three defensemen rotated in and out of the last pairing, but gradually earned more ice time as the tournament progressed. His +9 rating was tied for the best on the team. He also added three assists in seven games."

Justin Schultz:

"One of the more pleasant surprises in the system is the play of the Schultz. Playing on a Wisconsin defense that is one of the deepest in the country, Schultz has been able to step in as a freshman and make a contribution. He’s put up nine points in 22 games so far, even logging some power-play minutes.

Schultz is a superb skater who excels at moving the puck. So far his defensive play has been acceptable. He still needs to put on considerable weight until he turns pro, as he’s still listed at 185, though he doesn’t look it. The former second-round pick has a lot of time to work on that though, and he’s in a system that has produced a few very good offensive defensemen in recent years."

Brett Bennett:

Andrew Sykes has recently profiled the Phoenix Coyotes who own the rights of Badgers Junior goaltender Brett Bennett.

"Bennett, a fifth-round pick in 2006, has gotten off to a nice start with the Wisconsin Badgers. After starting his college career at Boston University, Bennett decided to leave the school and play a year in the USHL before returning to the collegiate level. That decision has turned out to be a good one as Bennett has been solid in goal for the fourth-ranked Badgers. The 21-year-old has appeared in nine games, posting a 6-3 record with a solid 2.12 goals against average and a save percentage of .904. Bennett has split the goaltending duties with fellow junior Scott Gudmandson and that formula has worked well all season, and has the Badgers very much in the mix for the national title."

Blake Geoffrion:

Connor Jennings has recently profiled the Nashville Predators who own the rights of Badgers Senior forward Blake Geoffrion and Freshman forward Craig Smith.

"Geoffrion is a tri-captain at the University of Wisconsin. The 21-year-old is a strong two-way winger with professional physical attributes.

The senior has progressed in the goal column every year at Wisconsin, and has continued that trend this season. Geoffrion leads the team with 15 goals, and has 21 points in 21 games, which is good for fourth on the team. He has also shown great ability on the power play, with nine of his goals coming when up a man. Geoffrion projects as a second or third-line forward."

Craig Smith:

"Smith has been having a solid season as a freshman for the Badgers. He has not shown much of a scoring touch, but has flashed significant playmaking ability in his short time with Wisconsin.

The fourth-round pick has 3 goals and 14 assists in 20 games. Smith is fifth on the team in scoring, only four points behind Geoffrion. The 20-year-old has a long time to develop, but could be a potential top-six forward in the NHL."

World Junior Championship: Tonights Lineup vs Finland

Just wanted to send out a reminder that Team USA will be taking on Team Finland tonight at 8PM Central time. This is a quarter final game. The winner of the USA/Finland game will take on Sweden tomorrow night, also at 8PM Central time.

Here is the lineup that Team USA will be sending out against the Fin's. The top line of D'Amigo, Stepan, and Kristo that was great in the Canada game stays the same. Team USA is breaking the rotation in goal and sticking with U18 goalie Jack Campbell.

The game can be seen live on NHL Network. You can also possibly stream the game live on your computer through this link.

29 Jerry D'Amigo-21 Derek Stepan (C)-8 Danny Kristo
16 Jason Zucker-17 Ryan Bourque-19 Jordan Schroeder (A)
20 Chris Kreider-22 A.J. Jenks-26 Jeremy Morin
23 Kyle Palmieri-9 Philip McRae-10 Tyler Johnson
14 Luke Walker

18 Brian Lashoff-11 John Carlson
5 David Warsofsky (A)-24 Cam Fowler
28 Jake Gardiner-2 John Ramage
4 Matt Donovan

1 Jack Campbell
30 Mike Lee

Big Night For Badgers At World Juniors

Stop me if you've heard this before, Derek Stepan had a huge night. The sophomore pivot and captain of team USA had 4 points in a big 12-1 win for Team USA yesterday over Latvia. (Team USA also beat Switzerland 3-0 on Sunday)

Stepan has absolutely blown up in this tournament and is really making it less and less likely every time I see him play that he will be in a Badger uniform next season. The Hastings, MN native is not only leading Team USA in scoring so far in the tournament with eight points in three games, but he's also tied with four other players for first overall in the tournament in scoring.

Defensive partners John Ramage and Jake Gardiner (pictured) also found themselves on the score sheet in the blowout against Latvia. Both collected a pair of assists for their first points of the tournament.

Here is the lineup from the Latvia game for Team USA:

29 Jerry D'Amigo - 21 Derek Stepan (C) - 10 Tyler Johnson
16 Jason Zucker - 17 Ryan Bourque - 19 Jordan Schroeder (A)
20 Chris Kreider - 22 A.J. Jenks - 26 Jeremy Morin
23 Kyle Palmieri - 9 Philip McRae - 8 Danny Kristo
14 Luke Walker

Defense
5 David Warsofsky (A) - 11 John Carlson
4 Matt Donovan - 24 Cam Fowler
18 Brian Lashoff - 2 John Ramage
28 Jake Gardiner

Goaltenders
30 Mike Lee
1 Jack Campbell

Team USA takes on Team Canada in the (so far) biggest match up of the tournament on New Years Eve at 7 PM Central Time. Canada is also 3-0 and looks to be playing very well. You can catch the game live on the NHL Network.

By the way, hey Canada, neck guards are for douche bags.

USA Hockey names WJC Roster

After yesterdays 2-2 tie 3-2 shootout loss in an exhibition with the Czech Republic, the final roster has been announced for the 2010 World Junior Championships. All three Badgers (Jake Gardiner, John Ramage and Derek Stepan) made the cut. Way to go, fellas! USA! USA! USA!

The full roster

The announcement on USAHockey.com

USA Hockey Trims WJC Roster

Today, USA Hockey released their latest 24-man roster for the World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan (official IIHF website here).

Of pertinent use to us Badger fans, John Ramage, Jake Gardiner and Derek Stepan have all made the cut. Gardiner and Stepan are sure bets to make the final squad, and there's hardly more to add on them, but seeing John Ramage's name on the list was a pleasant surprise. His presence has come at the expense of two U-18 defensemen (Justin Faulk and Jon Merrill) and a Major Junior blueliner (John Moore of the Kitchner Rangers). It'd be interesting to hear more about what it was that caused Moore to be cut, as he is a first round NHL pick (21st overall in 2009 to Columbus) and has had a pretty good season for the OHL Rangers (3-17-20, +4 in 20 games). However, it should be noted that this is the same John Moore who backed out on Colorado College for the OHL.

Is this USA Hockey's way of giving the finger to the CHL? Probably not, since there are still 8 current CHL players on the roster, and you can't imagine a team being run on such petty principles and making it very far in Saskatchewan. Dean Blais, Jim Johannson, Coach Oz and company may be college guys at heart, but they've got bigger fish to fry than to punish Moore for his defection. Either way, I'm secretly glad to see him off the team. What can I say? I love college hockey, and Karma is a bee-otch.

USA Hockey put together a little video with Dean Blais not really saying anything at all about the roster cuts themselves, but he does seem to hint that he's looking for strong puck security (ie, no turnovers and strong puck movement), which just might go a long way towards explaining why John Ramage is still around. Ram(p)age is having a very solid season for the Badgers, and his abilities with the puck have been one of his stronger suits, if you ask me. Seems like his talents are suiting him well.

Per the USA Hockey release, the final two cuts that will bring the team to its final 22-man roster will be made Wednesday, with an exhibition game against the Czech Republic to precede it on Tuesday. Best of luck, Badgers, and Go USA!

09/10 Men's Previews: #19 Jake Gardiner

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 184
Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
Major: Business
Previous Team: Minnetonka (MN HS) in 07/08

NHL Considerations: 1st round pick of Anaheim (17th overall) in the 2008 draft.

08/09 Stats: 39 games, 3-18-21, +4, 16 PIM
07/08 Stats: 25 games, 20-28-48

09/10 Role: 2nd Pairing, PP & PK

08/09 Recap: Jake burst on to the scene in the Cardinal and White and never looked back. He had a few issues on defense at times, but overall he looked more like a returning player instead of a freshman. He made an impact on offense early in the season and saw that role expand when Brendan Smith went down w/ injury and he stepped up to the top pairing w/ Jamie McBain and they barely missed a beat. I was worried he'd struggle on defense like Smith did as a freshman, but he blew me away at times at how quickly he transitioned from HS to the WCHA. For his outstanding freshman season, he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.

Biggest Strength: He is the best skater on the ice regardless of position. Sometimes the wind stops to applaud he is moving so fast, yet it looks effortless. His offensive skills from all those years at forward don’t hurt either.

Biggest Weakness: Still a little rough around the edges on defense, but for a kid who played forward 3 seasons ago, he is improving by leaps and bounds.

09/10 Thoughts: Jake should be given every opportunity to step up and contribute in all situations this season as a sophomore. It will be interesting to see how he progressed over the summer, defenseman has a bigger learning curve at the NCAA level, and other blue liners on the roster were noticeably improved their sophomore years. McBain really took off, while Cody Goloubef and Ryan McDonagh really asserted themselves on the Badger blue line. If Jake follows this progression, he could be in for a stellar year. He’ll likely miss a few games at mid-season as he should be part of Team USA at the WJC’s along w/ Derek Stepan.

Prediction: 33 games, 5-25-30*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Thursday Night Odds & Ends

• The WSJ discusses the Badger Women's 2009-2010 schedule.

• Alev and Derya Kelter are going to be part of "Faces of the Big Ten" commercial series.
  

• Jake Gardiner gets some love: Gardiner adapting fine to new position. (Thanks to anon for the link.) Lots of good quotes in this article -- too many to post -- so you'll just have to read it yourself.

• Bernd Bruckler is featured in the latest Uwbadgers "Where are they Now?". And nubeetle was kind enough to send me the link to this short video interview w/ Bernd in which he talks about going to the KHL next season and what he's working on this summer. Thanks, nu!
  

• Continuing their Fall 2009 Top 20 Prospects series, HF looks at the Montreal Canadiens. Patrick Johnson is an "Other Notable".

• Dany Heatley is finally going to talk to the media, participating in a confence call and a follow-up press conference in Kelowna on Friday. Heatley had been asked by Hockey Canada to clear the air before next week's Olympic orientation camp so that the "Dany Heatley Predicament" wouldn't overshadow the camp.

• This has been reported EVERYWHERE, so you probably already know that UND's Matt Frattin was arrested for DUI early Wednesday morning and was subsequently dismissed from the team. If he hadn't been dismissed, he would've already faced a minimum 2-game suspension, reduced scholarship money, and mandatory counseling due to some lawnmower-throwing shenanigans with Joe Finley. Hakstol is leaving the door open for Frattin to return to the team after this season.
  
  UND is expected to quickly add another forward to the team, and Schlossman thinks it will be Corban Knight.

• Kevin Pates has a bit on the DUMP expansion.

• I posted this before, but it was tacked onto the end of the Badger Women's Outlook Video post, so you may have missed it: The Duluth Foreign Legion has extended Shannon Miller's contract through the 2012-13 season.

• USCHO's Paula Weston reports on the CCHA's denial of UAH's application and then gives her take. I don't know though -- I'm not buying the whole "the CCHA needs to maintain the strongest possible CCHA to keep the Big Ten wolf at bay" argument. Because you can't tell me that, if the BTHC came calling, the CCHA-sans-UAH would be any more successful than the CCHA+UAH at stopping the creation of the BTHC. I mean, come on, REALLY?
  
  By the way, you might be interested in this article about UAH's fate from the front page of Sunday's Huntsville Times. The same edition also has an article about the importance of UAH Hockey in the community and an article that refutes the CCHA's reasons for denial.
  

• For what it's worth, I like Team Canada's new Olympic jerseys. At the same link, you can also take a look at Team Canada jerseys over the years, going all the way back to the 1920's.

• Well, this is probably the most impressive location for an outdoor hockey game. Dean Millard of Coming Down the Pipe tells us that the Norfolk Admirals are planning on playing a game on the deck of the USS Eisenhower.
  

HF's Top 20 Prospects, Fall 2009

Hockey's Future is releasing their Fall 2009 top 20 prospects for each NHL team, and here are the teams so far with Badgers in the top 20. Nice to see previously unranked guys like Drewiske and Dowell make the jump into the top 20.

Anaheim Ducks

2. Jake Gardiner, D - 8.0C
6'1, 173 pounds
1st round, 17th overall, 2008

As a late convert to the blueline, Gardiner displays everything a team could want in a puck-moving defenseman. He has all of the size, as well as vision, hands, and a quickness on his feet that allows him to play strong positional defense. Now that he's at the back of the play most of the time, he has the opportunity to display his vision and awareness by developing plays. Most forwards that transition to defense have issues in their own end, but Gardiner is developing into the kind of defenseman that a team would want on the ice for all situations.

In 2008-09, Gardiner joined an already solid defensive unit at the University of Wisconsin. By the end of the season, he finished third in points among defensemen with three goals and 18 assists in 39 games and tied for fourth in plus/minus among all skaters with a plus four. He will return to the Badgers.

20. Justin Schultz, D - 6.0C
6'2, 162 pounds
2nd round, 43rd overall, 2008

After his stint as top defenseman in his conference in the BCHL, Schultz is ready to move on to the Wisconsin Badgers for the 2009-10 season. His offensive potential is high, with extraordinary puck-moving abilities and the skills to develop plays from the back end which is sought after in all power-play quarterbacks. At 6'2, but just 162 pounds, he needs to put on some muscle in order to play professional hockey. With Wisconsin, he will look to prove he can handle bigger competition.

LA Kings

16. (NR) Davis Drewiske, D
Signed as free agent, 2007

On the other end of the spectrum in terms of potential is Drewiske, who is never going to be an offensive player and not one to physically dominate an opposing forward. The 24-year-old has good feet and positioning to keep himself between the forward and the goaltender and subsequently the puck out of the net. While he has been penciled in as a possible starter on the third defensive pairing for Los Angeles to start the season, he has likely leveled off in terms of his potential. The Kings are not likely to get much more than a third-pairing defenseman out of Drewiske, which is fine for an organization looking for a “bridge” player to fill the gap between the now and when one of the more talented defensemen are ready to step in. While Drewiske is an important piece for an organization to have, his long-term contribution to the Kings will be limited and so is kept in the bottom half of these rankings.

Joe Piskula and Podge Turnbull are among the "Other Notables".




Chicago Blackhawks

7. (8) Jack Skille, RW - 22, 7.0C
6'1 208 lbs
Drafted first round, 7th overall, 2005

After opening the year on the Blackhawks’ roster, Skille spent a majority of the year with the IceHogs. He managed just one goal in his eight NHL games but fared much better in the American league. In 58 matches, he scored 20 goals and 25 assists to finish fourth on the team in scoring with 45 points. Skille’s speed fits well on Rockford’s top line and he’ll likely remain one of the first offensive options for the ‘Hogs. While he may be ready for another shot at the NHL, both the number of forwards already signed by the Blackhawks and Skille’s substantial cap hit may keep him in the minors.

16. (NR) Jake Dowell, C - 24, 6.0C
6'0 197 lbs
Drafted fifth round, 140th overall, 2004

Dowell has 20 games of NHL experience under his belt from his first two pro seasons. He spent 75 games in Rockford last season and scored six goals, added 14 assists, and earned 128 PIMs. A strong defensive forward, Dowell was generally used to center one of the bottom lines for the IceHogs. Though his role will likely remain the same, he remains a strong candidate for a call-up in the right situation. He is capable in both zones and especially strong in the faceoff circle providing some defensive depth at the center position.

Columbus Blue Jackets

4. (3) Cody Goloubef, D
Grade 7.5C Projection: Top-three defenseman
Age: 19 Height/weight: 6'0, 195
Drafted 37th overall, 2008

Goloubef plays a solid, unspectacular game, but is highly regarded. Goloubef has shown the ability to chip in offensively, but doesn’t have the power play potential that Moore displays. Instead, Goloubef has ample potential to become a top defender on the penalty kill.

He will enter his third season with the University of Wisconsin next season, after posting five goals and eight assists in 36 games last season.

US goes 3-1 v. Russia @ NJEC

The NJEC is over, and the US defeated Russia in games 1, 2, and 4 (8-1, 6-1, 6-0) while losing game 3 (4-6). Given their domination in the other games, I was surprised to see they lost game 3, but Coach Blais said they gave up a couple of soft goals, so there ya go.

Badger forward Derek Stepan finished the camp 7th on the team in scoring with 8 points (1G 7 A) in 7 games. Badger defenseman Jake Gardiner played in 5 games but was held off the scoresheet.

Update from the NJEC

Photos clockwise from top left: a.) #8 Jake Gardiner on D during the Aug 7 Blue/White scrimmage, b.) #22 Derek Stepan in front of the net during the Aug 9 Blue/White scrimmage, c.) #22 Derek Stepan at center ice during the Aug 12 USA/RUS game, and d.) #22 Derek Stepan on the draw during the Aug 11 USA/RUS game. All photos from usahockey.com.

The roster at the National Junior Evaluation Camp has been cut down from 42 to 29 players, and Badgers Derek Stepan and Jake Gardiner have made it past this cut. The camp started with 2 teams -- Blue and White -- and was cut down to a single team (5 defensive pairs, 5 forward lines, 4 goaltenders) prior to the games v. Russia. USA Hockey says they'll continue to evaluate all original camp participants, including those recently sent home.

In their first 2 games v. Russia, the US has won 8-1 and 6-1. There are 2 games remaining. You can find all game results, photos, and highlight videos here.

There are also a couple of videos of the coaching staff that you might find interesting. In this video, head coach Dean Blais and assistant coach Mark Osiecki talk about evaluating kids that have played for them previously. Oz indicates that rather than having a bias for those plays, they're more likely to have a reverse bias. But he does have some nice things to say about Jake Gardiner. And in this video, John Hynes, Mark Osiecki, and Dean Blais discuss speech strategies.

By the way, I'm not sure if I mentioned this previously, but Badger alum Tony Granato is a camp coach, recently departed Badger equipment manager Steve Castelletti is camp equiment manager, and Badger alum Jim Johannson is team GM.