John Ramage World Junior Championship Evaluation

While his teammates were busy sweeping the University of Massachusets, over the past 2 weeks Wisconsin sophomore defenseman John Ramage has been in Buffalo representing his country as the captain of the United States World Junior team.

While Ramage and team USA didn't win the ultimate prize of a gold medal, they didn't leave New York without hardware. After a devastating loss against Canada in the semi-finals, Team USA bounced back and beat a good Sweden team for the Bronze.

Chris Peters, a fantastic writer who used to work exclusively for USA hockey has a great blog called "The United States of Hockey." Today Mr. Peters evaluates the play of all the defenseman for team USA during the WJC. Here is what he had to say about John Ramage.

"John Ramage — 6 GP, 0-0–0, 4 PIM, +2 — I think for most of this tournament, John Ramage was everything you wanted him to be and more. He was, by all accounts, a good captain. You can never, ever fault John Ramage for a lack of effort. I’ve never seen him get outworked and I didn’t see it during this tournament. He plays hard, smart hockey. I think he and Merrill struggled as a pair against Canada, but when the going got tough in that game, Ramage kept playing hard. I didn’t see any let down from him, despite the utter shock of how thoroughly outplayed the U.S. was. Ramage made some brilliant defensive plays throughout the tournament, especially that sliding break up of a 2-on-1 against Finland. He doesn’t have great foot speed, but he’s smart, he’s physical and he’s steady. I’m sure Ramage was crushed after the Canada game, but he and his team showed no signs of let down against Sweden. In games like that, you have to give some credit to the captain. He’ll have a few more years to sharpen at Wisconsin. I think he has a bright future."

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John Ramage Named Team USA Captain

For the second consecutive season a Wisconsin Badger will be wearing the captain "C" for the United States World Junior Team.

Today, USA Hockey announced that Badger sophomore defenseman John Ramage will captain the United States in the upcoming tournament.

Last year, former Badger and current New York Ranger forward Derek Stepan was named captain of the US squad and led the tournament in scoring en route to a gold medal for the Americans.

Rochester IceHogs/Chicago Blackhawks forward Jeremy Morin and Quebec Remparts forward Ryan Bourque were named alternate captains.

Ramage, Morin, and Bourque were all members of last years gold medal squad. Last year, it took an upset to take home the top prize. According to most media members, this year the United States are looked upon as the favorites.

Team USA opens up pool play on Sunday night vs Finland. Game can be seen on the NHL Network.

Team USA Schedule (Central Time):
Sunday (12/26) vs Finland 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Tuesday (12/28) vs Slovakia 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Thursday (12/30) vs Germany 6:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Friday (12/31) vs Switzerland 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network

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Ramage officially named to team USA

USA Hockey this morning announced the names of 22 players who will be representing the United States in the World Junior Championships starting the day after Christmas in Buffalo, NY.

Wisconsin Sophomore defenseman John Ramage has been named to the team for the second consecutive year. It is the ninth consecutive season that the Wisconsin Badgers have had a representative on Team USA.

Last season as a member of the USA WJC, Ramage and his American teammates were able to capture the gold on Canadian soil.

Looking for it's first repeat gold medal in this country's history, the United States will be led by eight returning players. No doubt most importantly, goaltender Jack Campbell who has been nothing short of brilliant in international competitions in his career will be looked upon as the back bone for the team.

Ramage, the only returning defenseman is also going to be counted upon for significant minutes for the red, white, and blue. A surprise selection last season, it was Ramage who assisted on the game winning goal in overtime vs Canada in one of, if not the best hockey game that I've ever witnessed.

Offensively team USA brings back 6 forwards including three pro players in Jeremy Morin, Jerry D'Amigo and Kyle Palmieri. Ryan Bourque, Chris Kreider, and Jason Zucker also return for the stars and stripes.

Wisconsin once again will be represented in on the coaching staff and in management. Former Badger player and assistant coach Mark Osiecki is an assistant coach for the second year in a row and former Badger Jim Johannson is the Team GM, also for the second consecutive season.

Team USA wraps up it's exhibition schedule on Thursday against Norway. They open up pool play on Sunday night vs Finland. All team USA games can be seen live on the NHL Network.

Seven WCHA players have been named team USA. Denver (Drew Shore, Jason Zucker) and North Dakota (Derek Forbort, Brock Nelson) have two players each, Wisconsin (Ramage), Minnesota (Nick Bjugstad), Minnesota-Duluth (Justin Faulk) all have one. Colorado College forward Jaden Schwartz and Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Dylan Olsen have been named to Team Canada. Also, Minnesota forward Erick Haula is playing for Finland.

Team USA Schedule (Central Time):
Sunday (12/26) vs Finland 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Tuesday (12/28) vs Slovakia 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Thursday (12/30) vs Germany 6:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network
Friday (12/31) vs Switzerland 7:00 PM HBC Arena-NHL Network

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As expected, Ramage named to USA prelim roster

There were no major surprises Tuesday morning when USA Hockey announced the names of 29 players who are being invited to it's pre-tournament camp.

Like the headline says, Wisconsin defenseman John Ramage, who was projected as a lock, was named to the preliminary roster. The "lock" status for John Ramage comes a year after he was a shocking selection by Dean Blais and company for last seasons USA World Junior Championship squad.

Last year Ramage wasn't even invited to the USA Hockey summer evaluation camp but at the urging of former Badger assistant coach Mark Osiecki, was added to the roster. Ramage would go on to play a phenomenal tournament en route to a gold medal for the United States.

The 29 players invited by USA hockey will go up to New York from December 17-23 and play in some exhibition contests. The roster will be narrowed down from 29 to 22 prior to the teams final exhibition contest against Norway.

This years World Junior Championship is being held in Buffalo, NY and will run from December 26th through January 5th.

Ramage is only expected to miss one weekend of games for the Badgers. Unlike in the past, where key players have missed key WCHA series, this year Ramage will only be gone for the home series against UMass over New Years thanks to a 2 weekend scheduling break after this weekends home series vs Bemidji State.

Former Wisconsin defenseman and assistant coach Mark Osiecki will be an assistant for the second year in a row for team USA. Also former Badger Jim Johannson will once again serve as General Manager for the US squad.

Preliminary Roster

Goalies
Jack Campbell-Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Andy Isles-Cornell

Defense
Adam Clendening-Boston University
Brian Dumoulin-Boston College
Justin Faulk-Minnesota-Duluth
John Ramage-Wisconsin
Nick Leddy-Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Derek Forbort-North Dakota
Jon Merril-Michigan
Jamie Oleksiak-Northeastern
Philip Samuelsson-Boston College
Patrick Wey-Boston College

Forwards
Nick Bjugstad-Minnesota
Ryan Bourque-Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Connor Brickley-Vermont
Chris Brown-Michigan
Mitch Callahan-Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Charlie Coyle-Boston University
Jerry D'Amigo-Toronto Marlies (AHL)
Emerson Etem-Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Rocco Grimaldi-USA NTDP U18
Chris Kreider-Boston College
Jeremy Morin-Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Brock Nelson-North Dakota
Matt Neito-Boston University
Kyle Palmieri-Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
Brandon Saad-Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Drew Shore-Denver
Jason Zucker-Denver

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Ode To John Ramage, Schfifty Five

NHL Draft: Clark Taken In Third, Ramage Fourth

In a draft that provided little in the way of surprises, two Wisconsin Badgers heard their names called right around where they expected.

Jason Clark (pictured), a rangy six foot two forward from the Shattuck St. Marys program was selected in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft being held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The incoming freshman went off the board with the #82 pick overall to the New York Islanders.

Clark, a skilled big man is expected to be an immediate contributor to the Badgers offense. After losing multiple regulars off last seasons roster, Clark will be looked upon to play big minutes next season.
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A player who may be a little more familiar to the average Badger fan, Johnny Ramage heard his name called in the fourth round. The 6'1, 184 lb defenseman from St. Louis was taken 103rd overall by the Calgary Flames.

Ramage, who was passed over in the NHL Draft last season had a breakout year for the Badgers as a freshman. Paired up with All-American and Hobey Baker finalist Brendan Smith, Ramage was one of the most consistent players on the roster. Ramage saw his stock skyrocket with a Gold Medal performance at the World Junior Championships that saw him play huge minutes in huge spots.

John's father, Rob, who played 16 seasons in the NHL spent parts of two NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames. The elder Ramage recorded 23 points in 80 games while playing in Calgary. Rob finished his NHL career with 564 points in 1044 career NHL games.
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I got this video off of UWBadgers.com and it's a nice interview with Jason Clark after he was drafted by New York. Very nice interview. Also, the UWBadgers.com article had this interesting anecdote which is pretty impressive, "The selections of Ramage and Clark extend Wisconsin's streak to 13 consecutive years during which it had at least one student-athlete selected in the NHL draft. Since Jeff Rotsch was drafted in 1970, only during 1983 and 1997 were the Badgers shutout at the draft."

NHL Draft Linkorama

The NHL Draft starts tomorrow night from L.A. The first round will be shown on Versus, and I believe it starts at 6 PM CDT. A few Badgers could hear their names called this weekend, but it would be shocking to hear any of their names tomorrow night.

Baggot has a post about the Badgers w/ a good chance to be picked:

Winger Jason Clark, an incoming freshman, is projected as high as the third round. Defenseman John Ramage, a sophomore-to-be at UW, is projected between the third and fifth rounds. Winger Brendan Woods, a committed recruit for 2011-12, is projected between the third and fifth rounds as well. Center Mark Zengerle, an incoming freshman, is projected to be a late-round pick.

I didn’t know that Zengerle was eligible; I thought he was too old, since he turned 21 last month already. Anyway, Saturday should be fun to see where the Badgers fall and to whom (if they get picked by the Rangers…). Baggot also comments on the WCHA’s chances in the first round and gives a good summary of the potential players who could hear their name called tomorrow night:

North Dakota (defenseman Derek Forbort and center Brock Nelson) and Denver (wingers Beau Bennett and Jason Zucker) have two, while Coloardo College (center Jaden Schwartz), Minnesota (center Nick Bjugstad) and Minnesota-Duluth (defenseman Justin Faulk) have one each in the first-round discussion.

Forbort and Bjugstad are locks, while Nelson and Bennett have seen their value rise as the draft approaches. If you want to check out more on these future WCHA opponents or a host of other kids who will be picked this weekend, Western College Hockey has a great post of links on the draft.

I haven’t really seen anything on Woods or Clark, but there are quite a few links out there to information on John Ramage. Hockey’s Future lists Ramage as their #4 NCAA prospect (incoming freshman are not included). Inside College Hockey also has him on their list. From HF:

Ramage is a defensive defenseman who plays with an edge. He thrives on the physical side of the game, and with some added size and strength, could become a more dominating player for opponents to contend with. Like the rest of Wisconsin’s defensive unit, Ramage possesses great puck-moving ability. He displays good poise, patience and makes very good outlet passes. Although he may never post many points, Ramage does have some offensive upside to his game. He has an excellent shot and can get pucks to the net. Ramage is a powerful skater with nice strides but will need to improve moving his feet more consistently, particularly in one-on-one situations. He was a key cog on the Badgers penalty-killing unit this season, displaying some terrific shot-blocking and smart defensive zone play.

From INCH:

Scout's Take: "You know what you're gonna get with John—a defensive defenseman in every sense of the word. The first time I saw him, I couldn't believe how physical he was, and he always plays hard. He was good [with the U.S. team] at the World Junior Championship. He might not make the long-bomb pass to a forward, but he'll make a good first pass out of the zone.

"The thing I worry about with John is his skating. If he can lengthen out his stride, he's got a chance to go places. I see him getting taken somewhere between the late third round and the end of the fifth round."

I also found, through WCH, a great link from an Anaheim Ducks blog about Ramage. In case you forget, two summers ago, the Ducks picked Jake Gardiner and Justin Schultz in the 1st and 2nd round of the 2008 draft. The Ducks and their fans have to be happy w/ the way their prospects are developing, and this blogger thinks the Ducks should look to grab Ramage in the 3rd round to add to the collection. It sounds like they’ve watched a few Badger games and had this to say:

Upside?

Perfect Attendance - Ramage is incredibly consistent with a high compete level. His basement value above the shoulders is very high

Movable Part - Despite being the team's rookie stay-at-home defenseman, Ramage did play in multiple situations for the Badgers, showing off an impressive shot and some puck confidence in addition to his defensive skills.

Downside?

Sizable Disadvantage - While not small, Ramage is not the prototypical big stay-at-home defenseman. Martin Madden and Bob Murray were comfortable taking a chance on a diminutive offensive defenseman (Sami Vatanen) in the 4th Round last year, and there may be defensemen with more upside, even in the 4th Round, drawing attention away from Ramage.

A Different Tune - He was still fine tuning his one-on-one skills, and he will have to finish his career at Wisconsin without Osiecki. It's hard to project how his amateur development will proceed.

Lastly, INCH actually has a cool article about the NHL's best and worst NCAA picks since 2003. No surprise, several Badgers net honors as the best for their respective teams:

Carolina: Jamie McBain, D, Wisconsin (2/63, 2006)
Based on a terrific AHL rookie year and a fantastic 14-game stint in the NHL, it looks like the 'Canes got a steal late in Round 2.

Nashville: Ryan Suter, D, Wisconsin (1/7, 2003)
The Preds guaranteed themselves a dozen years of steady play on the blue line by taking Suter and Shea Weber in '03.

Ottawa: Brian Elliott, G, Wisconsin (9/291, 2003)
The second-to-last pick in the 2003 draft has a 46-26-7 record for the Sens, including a 29-18-4 mark this past season.

San Jose: Joe Pavelski, F, Wisconsin (7/205, 2003)
The Polish Prince could never score another NHL goal and still rank as one of the biggest draft steals over the past seven seasons.

One player is listed as worst:

Chicago: Jack Skille, F, Wisconsin (1/7, 2005)
Solid AHL performer can't crack the big club. He went one pick before Devin Setoguchi, who has 51 goals in his last two seasons in San Jose.

To be fair to Jack, the salary cap has been what has been holding him back from cracking the ‘Hawks roster, which INCH obviously doesn’t point out. W/ Buff and others getting traded to Atlanta the other day, I think Skille’s time will start in Chicago next season, he better be ready!

INCH also lists a few other Badgers who recently signed including Brendan Smith and Blake Geoffrion. I think both will acquit themselves well at the next level. INCH must not have gotten the news last summer, since they still list Ryan McDonagh as a Montreal prospect. Newsflash INCH, he was traded to the Rangers a year ago and there has been hoopla about him signing for the past month!

Ramage Invited To USA National Junior Eval Camp

Yesterday USA Hockey announced the names of 44 players who will be participating in the 2010 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY. The evaluation camp is the major tool that USA Hockey uses to evaluate players for the selection of the 2010 World Junior Championship team. Although USA Hockey does make exceptions for players who stand out during the early part of the college season.

One of those exceptions last season was Wisconsin defenseman John Ramage. Rammer wasn't invited to the eval camp but had an outstanding first half of the season and was named to last years Gold Medal winning squad. USA Hockey didn't make the same mistake this season and invited him to camp.

Ramage, one of fourteen defenseman at camp should be looked at as a virtual lock to make this years team. There are exceptions obviously, but for the most part, returning players usually locks to make the team the next season.

Ramage is the only Badger to be invited this season. He continues in a long line of players to wear a Badger sweater to compete in the prestigious World Junior Championship. Former Badger player and asssitant coach Mark Osiecki is back for his second season as assistant coach. Former Badger player Jim Johannson is the General Manager.

Badgers who have played in the World Junior Championship:
2010: USA-Derek Stepan, John Ramage, Jake Gardiner, Mark Osiecki (Ass. Coach) (GOLD)
2009: USA-Ryan McDonagh; Canada-Cody Goloubef (GOLD)
2008: USA-Jamie McBain, Blake Geoffrion; Canada-Kyle Turris (GOLD)
2007: USA-Jack Skille, Jamie McBain, Blake Geoffrion (BRONZE)
2006: USA-Jack Skille
2005: USA-Jake Dowell, Jeff Likens, Ryan Suter
2004: USA-Jake Dowell, Jeff Likens, Ryan Suter, Mike Eaves (Head Coach), Jim Johannson (Team Leader) (GOLD)
2003: USA-Ryan Suter, Jeff Sauer (Ass. Coach) Jim Johannson (Team Leader)
2002: USA-Jim Johannson (Team Manager)
2001: Canada-Dany Heatley (BRONZE)
2000: USA-Brad Winchester; Canada-Dany Heatley (BRONZE)
1999: USA-Matt Doman, David Tanabe
1998: USA-Dustin Kuk
1995: USA-Dan Thompkins
1993: USA-Jim Carey, Brian Rafalski, Mark Strobel
1992: USA-Brian Rafalski, Chris Tucker (BRONZE)
1990: USA-Barry Richter, Sean Hill, Jason Zent
1989: USA-Barry Richter, Rodger Sykes
1988: USA-Rob Mendel
1986: USA-Paul Ranheim, Mike Richter (BRONZE); Canada-Scott Mellanby (SILVER)
1985: USA-Mike Richter
1984: USA-Tony Granato, Jim Johannson, Gary Suter, Marty Wiitala
1983: USA-Tony Granato, Jim Johannson, Tim Thomas, Ernie Vargas; Canada-Pat Flatley (BRONZE)
1982: USA-Chris Chelios, Charlie Lundeen, Tim Thomas
1981: USA-Pat Ethier, John Johannson, Brian Mullen
1980: USA-Pat Ethier, Lexi Doner, Todd Lecy, Brian Mullen
1979: USA-Peter Johnson
1978: USA-Ron Griffin, Scott Lecy

NHL Mock Draft (Woods, Clark, Ramage)

Just saw my first full 7 round NHL mock draft of the off season and it included a few incoming/current Wisconsin Badgers. While the 2010 Draft isn't expected to be significant in terms of high end draft picks for the Badgers, it is expected that Brendan Woods (Muskegon, USHL), Jason Clark (Incoming Freshman), and John Ramage (Current Badger) will be drafted anywhere from rounds three through seven.

The guy putting together the mock draft in this case used some mathematical calculations to try and determine his selections. I'm not going to go out and tell you to use this mock draft as gospel because Taylor Hall will not be drafted third, and Cam Fowler at 20 is an absolute joke. However, it does give us a pretty good idea of where our Badgers will be selected.

First off the board according to this guy is going to be Brendan Woods. Woods is an interesting case because he missed half of his draft year with a pretty severe leg injury. Once Woods came back to his Chicago (USHL) squad, it took him a while to get used to the pace of play in the USHL as it was his rookie year. Woods turned it on at the end of the season recording 6 of his 10 points this season in the last 10 games. This guy has Woods going in the fourth round to Montreal. Woods was selected in the USHL Expansion Draft and will spend next season with Muskegon before coming to Wisconsin in 2011.

The next Badger off the board in this Mock Draft comes just 20 picks later when the Sharks use their 5th round pick to take Shattuck St. Mary's forward and incoming Badger recruit Jason Clark. Clark's size/skill package is going to be intriguing to a lot of NHL teams and it would not surprise me at all to see Clark go higher than the fifth round.

The last Badger player taken in this mock is sophomore to be defenseman John Ramage. Rammer really burst on to the scene with his performance at the World Junior Championships where team USA won gold. Ramage also had a great freshman season for the Badgers playing rock solid defense being paired up with Brendan Smith and also chipping in a few points. This mock draft has him going in the 6th round to Calgary, but I personally think that there will be a team that will step up and draft him higher. Ramage proved at the WJC that he can be a shut down defender against the top players in the world in his age group.

As a point of reference, keep in mind that incoming recruits Frankie Simonelli and Michael Mersch are NOT eligible for the 2010 draft. A player needs to turn 18 by September 15th and neither one of them will turn 18 until October so they will be in the 2011 Draft next summer. Also, incoming recruit Mark Zengerle is not eligible for the Draft because he already turned 21.

NHL Releases Final Central Scouting Rankings

NHL Central Scouting released it's final Draft rankings literally minutes ago and there is a handful of Badgers/future Badgers listed. The 2010 NHL Draft will be in held in Los Angeles, California this summer.

The highest ranked Badger is 2010 incoming recruit Jason Clark who is currently playing at Shattuck St. Marys High School in Fairbult, MN. Clark, a 6'2, 180 lb forward is listed by Central Scouting as the #81 ranked North American prospect. Clark had a solid season for Shattuck recording a line of 23-23-46 in 54 games.

The next future Badger listed is 2011 recruit Brendan Woods who is playing for the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Woods, a 6'2, 188 lb forward is listed by Central Scouting as the #83 ranked North American prospect. Woods, who has had to overcome a pre-season broken leg, has recorded 10 points in 34 games for the Steel this season. Woods, who's father is Washington Capitals assistant coach Bob Woods looks like a real nice pick up for the 2011 class.

Current Badger defenseman John Ramage is the next player listed by Central Scouting. The 6'1, 184 lb defenseman from St. Louis has had an outstanding freshman season for the Badgers far exceeding expectations. Ramage, who went un-drafted in his first year of eligibility is listed by Central Scouting as the #131 best available North American player. He was ranked #187 during the mid-term rankings. Ramage has put up some numbers, 12 points in 39 games, but the best part of his game is being a lock down defenseman. He's as good or better than advertised.

Also of note, former Stevens Point defenseman and current Green Bay Gamblers defenseman Aaron Harstad checks in at #94 on the latest Central Scouting Rankings. Harstad, a Colorado College recruit is a really, really nice player. He would have looked very good in cardinal and white but it's always great to see Wisconsin born players advancing to the next level, except when they go to Minnesota.

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: #55 John Ramage

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Major: Undeclared
Previous Team: US NTDP last season

NHL Considerations: I was surprised he wasn’t drafted this summer. His dad Rob was the #1 overall pick in the 1974 NHL Draft, he has the bloodlines, and now has the best blue line coach in the NCAA’s.

08/09 Stats: 54 games, 2-10-12

09/10 Role: fighting for the 6th dman spot

08/09 Recap: Skated w/ the US National Team Development Program last season on their U-18 team after winning the Robertson Cup w/ the St. Louis Bandits the previous season in the NAHL. The U18 team won gold at the 2008 World U18 Championships.

Biggest Strength: All scouting reports say that he is a solid stay at home defenseman, something the Badger roster could really use. I heard he has a booming slap shot too.

Biggest Weakness: Having never seen John play, he’ll have a big transition to make to the WCHA especially fighting for PT against a group of future NHL blue liners.

09/10 Thoughts: W/ five top NHL draft picks in front of him, John will be battling w/ three other defensemen for playing time, and based on how well Craig Johnson was playing last season, it will be an uphill battle. I think he’ll see some PT, Eaves will want to get him out there to get experience and see what he can do, but w/ the depth on the blue line and at forward there won’t be many openings. I’m looking forward to seeing John play, I think the Badgers landed another recruiting steal as he was sitting out there uncommitted during the middle of last season.

John will be the first player in modern history to wear a non-traditional #, traditionalist need to get over it.

Prediction: 8 games, 1-2-3*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Players who slipped through the cracks in the NHL draft

A think a bunch of us were a bit surprised to John Ramage slip through this year's draft while Craig Smith and Troy Hesketh were selected. Now, Ramage could be drafted next year, so he hasn't really slipped through the draft yet, but while I was pondering Ramage's so-far undrafted status, I coincidentally stumbled up this article about other players who slipped through the cracks in the NHL draft. And low-and-behold, there was a Badger on the list:

8. Curtis Joseph

It's no surprise that 18 games with the King City Dukes of the Ontario Junior B League wasn't enough to get Joseph drafted as an 18-year-old goalie.

In fact, it wasn't until he turned in a stellar season at the University of Wisconsin four years later that the St. Louis Blues signed him as a free agent.

Nobody could have predicted Joseph would play 943 NHL games, win 454 of them, fourth on the all-time list, post a career 2.79 goals against average and make two Olympic teams.

Take a bow, Cujo.

Another undrafted Badger, Brian Rafalski, didn't receive mention in this article. But don't worry, he's listed in another Top 10 Undrafted list, as is Rene Bourque.

2. Brian Rafalski
After being ignored in the Draft, Rafalski went to Finland and tore up the SM-liiga, eventually leading to The Sporting News calling him the best hockey player in the world not currently in he NHL. Second only to Mike Green in points by a defenseman this year so far (and leading the league in assists by a D-man), Rafalski has put up tremendous numbers the past two seasons as a member of the offensely-minded Detroit Red Wings.

8. Rene Bourque
Bourque is having a career year, scoring over 20 goals and leading the Flames in plus/minus. He's also second only to Curtis Glencross in hits by a Calgary forward, fitting beautifully into that mold of gritty but talented players that Flames fans and management seem to love.

Ramage ready for the Draft

The Draft is underway in Montreal. John Tavares went #1 to the Islanders.

Tomorrow, likely the highest Badger to be drafted will be John Ramage and a St Louis paper caught up w/ him (thanks to Dplaya for the link). John is a talented stay at home defenseman w/ a booming slap shot, who has a lot of room to grow under coach Oz.

My favorite part of the article: The physical defenseman said he'll be watching the draft at his new home in Madison, Wisc., and would be honored to be selected by any of the league's 30 franchises. But for now, he plans on staying at Wisconsin for four years, and taking it "step-by-step".

Always nice to see that. John should be a nice compliment to the corp of offensive dmen on the blue line this coming season. It will be interesting to see how much PT he gets as competition should be stiff at all positions this coming season. I think the blue line will only have one spot open, w/ four young men looking to fill that role.

John Ramage Final Wrap Up From U18's

2009 Wisconsin defensive recruit John Ramage has agreed to do a little correspondence piece with us while he is in Fargo, ND for the IIHF U18 World Championships. John has been updating us as they go through the tournament when he gets some free time. Right now the Americans are on their way home after going 6-1 in the tournament. John was kind enough to check in after the American squad played Russia in the Gold Medal game. Thanks again John!

John Ramage, Team USA U18, IIHF U18 World Championships 4/20/2009

We won the gold medal. We ended up beating the Russians 5-0. I think our team was confident going into the game because we knew what we had to do to be successful. We beat them earlier in the year at a 5 nations tournament. We came out with a bang and were all over them from the start. The crowd was awesome and really gave our team a lot of energy. We just got back to Ann Arbor and we are all pretty happy to get back after being gone for 2 1/2 weeks.-John Ramage

Ramage finished the tournament with 1 point, an assist to go along with 2 PIM and a plus/minus rating of +6.

Other scores from the tournament Sunday:
Finland 5, Canada 4

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Photo by Melissa Wade (hockeyphotography.com)


Thanks again John!

Ramage, USA Win GOLD at U18 World's

Two years. One Dream. Whatever it takes.

That was the theme for Team USA this season. Besides training to move on to the next level, players at the NTDP have one common goal, win the U18 World Championship. This season, 2009 Badger recruit John Ramage and his teammates accomplished their goal last night when they defeated Russia in convincing 5-0 fashion to win the gold.

Haven't gotten a chance to talk with John since the win but I'm sure he and the rest of his USA teammates are getting some much needed rest after the biggest week of their lives.

Over the past week and a half, Team USA went 6-1 with their lone loss coming to Russia in pool play. John Ramage finished the tournament with 1 assist to go along with 2 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +6.


Photo: Matthew Manor/IIHF-HHOF Images.

USA To Play Ruskies For GOLD Tonight

2009 Wisconsin defensive recruit John Ramage has agreed to do a little correspondence piece with us while he is in Fargo, ND for the IIHF U18 World Championships. John will be updating us as they go through the tournament when he gets some free time. Right now the Americans are 5-1 in the tournament. Late Friday night John was kind enough to check in after the American squad played in a semi final game against Canada. Thanks again John!

John Ramage, Team USA U18, IIHF U18 World Championships 4/17/2009

We beat the Canadians tonight. It was a huge win for us the rink was sold out and it was an unbelievable atmosphere. The guys really battled hard and gave it their all to win this game. We were down 1-0 going into the third period and we really dug deep to get this victory. Sunday we play the Russians for the gold medal. This one means a lot to our team and its our turn to get a little revenge from earlier in the tournament.-John Ramage

In case you were wondering, so far in the tournament Ramage has 1 point, an assist to go along with 2 PIM and a plus/minus rating of +5.

Other scores from the tournament Friday:
Finland 0, Russia 4

Check back in for updates, especially on days after games. Thanks again John for doing this. GO USA!

Team USA's next game: Sunday, 7:00 PM vs Russia

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Photo by Melissa Wade (hockeyphotography.com)

Update: The game tonight will be broadcast live on the internet for FREE by fasthockey.com at 7 PM