Matt Thurber Released From Team

Andy Baggot is reporting the news that I had feared. Matt Thurber has been released from the Wisconsin Hockey team effective immediately. His scholarship will continue through the rest of this season.

Thurber, a sophomore forward from Beaver Dam has played in nine games this season for the Badgers registering three assists. Last season as a freshman, Thurber played in 33 games while putting up 8 points.

From the article: Eaves said he met last Friday with Thurber and his father, Ray. UW officials reviewed details of the case last week, but the decision to release Thurber fell to Eaves. "That was my choice,'' he said.

Thurber has generally been looked at as an undervalued player on the UW roster by many Badger fans including yours truly. A gritty centerman with skill is how I viewed him. He was considered a prospect to center one of the top three lines next season.

Before Thurber came to Wisconsin he played three productive seasons in the USHL with Omaha. In his last season he as an alternate captain for the Lancers. That season he registered 53 points in 58 games.

According to an early Andy Baggot story, "Thurber was charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct after an alleged domestic dispute early Monday morning."

There have been rumors floating around about the details. I'm going to refrain from posting them due to respect for the Thurber family during this troubling time.

Thurber will have two seasons of eligibility left if he wishes to transfer to another D-1 program. He will have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer guidelines. Best of luck in future endeavors Matt.

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Thurber Suspended

Andy Baggot reports that sophomore forward Matt Thurber has been suspended indefinitely.

From his post: Reasons for the punishment weren't immediately known. The policy (school's student-athlete discipline policy) calls for immediate suspension of a UW student-athlete if he or she has violated laws related to drugs, violence or gambling.

He is still a member of the team, but cannot practice or play in any games.

This isn't cool. I really like Thurber on the ice, and while the team is deep, the bench just got a little shorter at forward.

Honestly I don't care what the reason was either, but hopefully Matt pulls himself together and can find his way back on the roster at some point in the future.

09/10 Men's Previews: #12 Matt Thurber

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Right
Height: 5-9
Weight: 190
Hometown: Beaver Dam, WI
Major: Business
Previous Team: Omaha (USHL) in 07/08

NHL Considerations: He is just starting his hockey career.

08/09 Stats: 33 games, 2-6-8, -3, 24 PIM
07/08 Stats: 58 games, 14-41-55 +23, 71 PIM

09/10 Role: 4th line and PK (as a fan hoping for more)

08/09 Recap: After a high scoring season in the USHL, I had big hopes for Matt last season, and really he didn’t disappoint me. He was boxed into a 4th line grinder role (due to depth), while not a weakness, I think misses his game’s strength. He has some bright flashes between Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially the night against Michigan State where his line w/ Ben Grotting and John Mitchell accounted for all the offense. While his faceoff % needs to improve, Matt did something no one else was close to doing, which was almost scoring directly from the faceoff circle on a few occasions. Not a bad freshman season overall.

Biggest Strength: Playmaking, we haven’t seen a lot of it yet, but I’ve seen flashes. Hopefully as a sophomore Matt puts it together and shows off his skills. Strong on the PK as well.

Biggest Weakness: Nothing glaring sticks out at me, it appeared he adjusted slowly to the WCHA like most frosh. I won’t pass judgment until I see more of him this season.

09/10 Thoughts: W/ the immense depth at forward this season, Matt is going to have to fight for PT. As the season gets close to starting, I’m eager to hear who’s improved over the summer, who hasn’t and how that translates into an opening night lineup based on a few weeks of practice in October. I again have high hopes for Matt and would like to see him regularly in the lineup, and when he is in there Eaves using some of his playmaking ability instead of miring him as a PK/grinder/checking line role. Not that there is anything wrong w/ the PK, I tip my hat to those who perform that thankless job. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, Matt works hard through this season, he’ll be a big part of the 10/11 team’s offense.

Prediction: 30 games, 6-15-21*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #12 Matt Thurber

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 5-9
Weight: 190
Hometown: Beaver Dam, WI
Previous Team: Omaha Lancers (USHL)

NHL Considerations: 30 teams made the mistake of not picking Matt in the later rounds.

07/08 Stats: 58 games, 14-41-55, +23, 71 PIM
06/07 Stats: 58 games, 11-32-43, +16, 55 PIM

08/09 Role: 1st or 2nd EV line, definately PK, should see some PP time too

07/08 Recap: What a year in the USHL for Matt. His team won both the Anderson Cup (best regular season record) and Clark Cup (Playoff Champs), and he was a huge part of both of those successes. As I stated in my freshman class preview, it was a real breakout year for Matt, and he was near of the top of the USHL in several different categories. He was tied for 14th in scoring, 4th in assists, 5th in +/-, and 1st in short handed goals league wide. Looks like the Badgers have playmaker and top PK guy to add to the mix. I went up to Green Bay specifically to see Matt play against the Gamblers, but unfortunately he had the flu that night. Guess I'll have to be patient a few more weeks.

08/09 Thoughts: Of all the freshman coming in, I think Matt's three seasons in the USHL have him ready to jump right in and make a contribution from the first drop of the puck in Boston. He is the player I'm most looking forward to seeing play, and I think along w/ freshman teammates Derek Stepan and Jordy Murray is going to have a big impact on the team this season. The Badgers really lack playmaking on the team, and that is one of Matt's specialties along w/ top notch defense. I expect Matt to instantly become a fan favorite (growing up 40 minutes from Madison always adds to the cheers), and I think Badger fans will be very happy #12 is in the lineup.

Prediction: 32 games, 4-14-18

Season Preview: Freshman

So far I’ve looked at all the returning Badgers in the senior, junior and sophomore classes. Now its time to tackle the freshmen, the biggest unknown on the team. When looking at this group, I ponder two main things:

1) How quickly will they adjust to the rigors of the WCHA from the level they previously played? For some it might be mid-season, for others it might take until Fall 2009 before they are adjusted. 4 of these young men spent last season (2 of them multiple seasons) in the USHL. One came directly from high school and two teammates come from Shattuck St. Mary’s, which I would consider a step above HS hockey, but below the USHL.

2) Will this group be able to make up a significant portion of the scoring that departed from last season? This may be a function of #1. Of those who moved on, they tallied 27-66-93 last season. That is a lot to make up. Most of that came from Kyle Turris and the scoring from the blue line by Davis Drewiske and Kyle Klubertanz. The returning players should also improve, but a good chunk of that lost production will be on the shoulders of the freshman.

Last season, Wisconsin had the #1 ranked class in the nation, and overall they made large contributions to the team. Kyle Turris, Ryan McDonagh and Cody Goloubef arguably met expectations last year, while Patrick Johnson and Sean Dolan exceeded them. Only Brendan Smith could be labeled a disappointment. The freshman class of 2006 (the current juniors) were highly ranked as well, yet their contributions were not on par w/ their expectations. While Jamie McBain did his part, Blake Geoffrion and Michael Davies did not, and Nigel Williams left the team after a few weekends. How will this year’s freshman do?

The freshman class of 2008 should be ranked pretty high as well, featuring 3 NHL draft picks. In 2006, forward Chris Hickey was a 7th round pick of the Minnesota Wild. This past summer, forward Derek Stepan was a 2nd round pick of the NY Rangers, while classmate Jake Gardiner was the 1st round selection of the Anaheim Ducks. Joining Stepan and Hickey at forward are Matt Thurber and Jordan Murray. Joining Gardiner on the blue line are Ryan Little and Eric Springer. There is a strong Wisconsin connection to this class. Thurber is from Beaver Dam, Little is from Fond du Lac and Springer grew up in Wrightstown.

Starting w/ the blue liners, Jake Gardiner comes to Wisconsin w/ high expectations. Before the start of last season w/ Minnetonka HS, Gardiner switched from forward to defenseman. The move vaulted him up the draft board. Gardiner was considered one of the best skating blue liners, if not the best, in this summer’s NHL draft. W/ his background as a forward, he adds to Wisconsin’s list of offensive dmen, and should see time on the PP this season. Gardiner’s recent switch to the blue line is also his biggest weakness. Coach Oz will definitely have Gardiner under his wing for the next few seasons as he attempts to mold him into a solid defensive force. Gardiner is a high risk high reward player for the Badgers, who as a freshman is likely to make his share of mistakes in his own end. Fans should be patient, w/ some hard work Gardiner should be a star in the coming seasons. Stats last season: 28G, 20-28-48

Though not as heralded, Ryan Little will join Gardiner on the blue line this Fall. Little played the last few seasons for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Last season he served as team Captain, bringing leadership to the Badgers, and was an USHL All-Star. He is solid in his own end, which on a team of offensive dmen, should earn him some playing time. He does take a lot of penalties, and needs to learn to stay out of the box. Little should be a solid four year player for Wisconsin. Stats last season: 58G, 2-11-13, -21, 100 PIM

Another USHL All-Star joining the Badgers is Eric Springer. Springer had a very successful season w/ Sioux Falls of the USHL last year. Springer was a later addition to the class. I don’t know much more about Springer, though I think based on his play during his only season in the USHL, the Badgers landed themselves a steal. Springer is another offensive defenseman, which could limit his playing time this season, but he should be here for 4 years and do some good things. Stats last season: 60G, 8-23-31, +21, 94 PIM

Headlining the talented group of incoming forwards is Derek Stepan. Stepan spent the last two seasons w/ Shattuck St. Mary’s where he was 2nd on the team in scoring (both seasons) and a huge factor in their back to back National Championships. Stepan should add some much needed offense to the team and help fill the void made by Turris’ departure. His draft stock rose throughout the season, and I remember reading that he was the most dominant player on the ice during Shattuck’s playoff run. Stats last season: 60G, 42-62-104, 16 PIM

Joining Stepan is his teammate Jordy Murray. Murray is the veteran of three seasons on Shattuck’s varsity squad and was 3rd in scoring the last two seasons. Murray’s dad Andy is the current coach of the St. Louis Blues, and his brother Brady played for North Dakota. Some pretty good hockey bloodlines. Murray is a small player, but should hopefully remind Badger fans of Ryan Lasch or Garrett Roe, both smaller forwards who have had a lot of success at St. Cloud. Last season stats: 60G, 38-57-95, 68 PIM

The Badgers also welcome one of the top forwards in the USHL from last season in Matt Thurber. Thurber won a championship of his own helping the Omaha Lancers to the Clark Cup. An All-Star last year, Thurber was near the top of many different statistical categories. He was tied for 14th in scoring, 4th in assists, 5th in +/-, and 1st in short handed goals league wide. Thurber averaged about 3 assists per goal, and should provide much needed playmaking for the Badgers. Stats last season: 58G, 14-41-55, +23, 71 PIM

Rounding out the freshman class is forward Chris Hickey. Hickey was a late addition to the class after issues arose about his draft status w/ the Wild. If he would not have entered Wisconsin, the Wild would have had to sign him, or give up his draft rights. Regardless, Hickey is a nice addition to the team. Hickey spent last season w/ Tri-City of the USHL, and before that played out his senior HS season as teammates w/ Ryan McDonagh. Not sure how much room there will be for playing time for Hickey, but he should provide Wisconsin w/ a solid two way forward. Stats last season: 55G, 15-16-31, -24, 34 PIM

The main thing w/ the freshman class is that there are a lot of unknowns. I have high hopes for all of these kids, but I don’t want to get them too high. Last year I thought Kyle Turris could have a 20-30-50 season, and when he “only” produced a 11-24-35 season, I was disappointed most of the time. Really in retrospect, a 35 point season for a WCHA rookie is pretty darn good. The switch from the BCHL is a huge jump, and while I thought KT should have buried a few more goals, his season should be considered a success.

As high draft picks, Gardiner and Stepan should produce a lot, but I think their seasons will be considered a success if they improve from day one and are markedly better by season’s end, same for their teammates. Personally, I think Matt Thurber is going to have the best season of all the frosh, and I can’t wait to see him play. He has been playing against older competition in the USHL for three years, and I think he is ready to make NHL teams wish they had drafted him this past June.

6 weeks to go until the first puck drops out in Boston and some of these question marks started producing answers.

Post-Draft Wrap-Up

• In his post-draft wrap-up on HIW, DPlaya includes (among other things) links to articles with quotes from Chase Drake (who wasn't drafted) and Patrick Wiercioch (who was drafted by the Sens). He also mentions that the Sens will be buying out Ray Emery's contract, perhaps opening the door for top goaltending prospect Brian Elliott.
  
  
• Uwbadgers.com can't comment on the recruits who haven't signed LOIs yet, so they indicate that 4 Badgers were chosen in the draft. Milewski has the complete list of the 7 Badgers who were selected, and he wasn't kidding when he said it was a long wait between the 2nd and 7th rounds.

• With 5 picks in the top 2 rounds (picks 17, 37, 42, 43, 51) and 4 defensemen chosen in the top 2 rounds (picks 17,37,42,43), Milewski argues that this might be the best draft ever for the Badgers. Baggot takes it a step further and argues that this might be the best draft ever for a college program, as no school has ever had 5 players taken with the top 51 picks. The UW record for number of Badgers chosen in a single draft is 8 (1982: Eric Faust, Patrick Flatley, Tony Granato, Jim Johannson, Dave Maley, Ted Pearson, Ernie Vargas, Marty Wiitala), but only two those players went in the top 2 rounds.



• Overall, the 2008 draft was the "Year of the Defensemen" and that seems to hold for the Badgers this year as well. Baggot points out that in the last 3 drafts the Badgers had 8 defensemen taken in the first 2 rounds, to which Mike Eaves says ,"It's a growing reputation. The proof is in the pudding." And Anaheim GM Brian Burke (who selected 3 Badger defensemen in this year's draft) says, "The thing that sold it for us is that Wisconsin is a top program for developing players." (So, does this mean they'll let the 3 players they picked stick around for a bit?)
  


• In the above Baggot post, Baggot expresses suprise that Thurber was not selected as the RLR listed him 84th and called him and "underrated gem". And apparently Baggot lost a friendly wager with Ray Thurber when he guaranteed Ray that Matt would be selected.

Homegrown Talent

Andy Baggot has an article today about the number of recent Badger recruits who are from our great state of Wisconsin.

Dplaya shares his thoughts about this on HIW.

DPlaya also found this McKeen's interview with Beaver Dam native Matt Thurber. Like DP says, it's a pretty good read.

USHL Recruit Wrap Part II

Ok, I'm finally getting around to finishing this. Here is Part I, and the USHL Playoff stats.

First, the Unofficial USHL Blog has finished their 2008/2009 Previews w/ the Omaha Lancers. New coach, but the defending Clark Cup champs should be quarterbacked rather effectly by Badger recruit Patrick Wiercioch nextseason.

Matt Thurber, Beaver Dam native, spent the last 3 seasons with Omaha Lancers and was a large part of their Clark Cup victory this season.

Stats: 58 game, 14-41-55, +23, 71 PIM, 1 PPG, 12 PPA, 6 SHG, 1 GWG & 10.1% shooting

Career
Regular season: 169 games, 36-85-121, +53, 188 PIM, 2 PPG, 17 PPA, 7 SHG, 4 GWG & 10.1% shooting
Playoffs: 24 games, 4-5-9, -2, 20 PIM, 7% shooting

By all accounts Matt had a breakout year in the USHL. He was tied for 14th in scoring, 4th in assists, 5th in +/-, and 1st in SHG league wide. He should provide some much needed playmaking for the Badgers, along w/ solid work on both sides of the special teams. I have no doubts that Matt will be able to step in right away and contribute. Also of note, 5 of Matt's penalty minutes were from a fight w/ future teammate Ryan Little. Apparently, Matt can get under other player's skin (kinda like Ratty Johnson), and Ryan was sick of it and it was time to drop the gloves.

Patrick Wiercioch spent last season as Matt's teammate on the Omaha Lancers.

Stats: 40 games, 3-18-21, +12, 24 PIM, 3 PPG, 12 PPG & 8.3% shooting

Patrick sat out a portion of the season due to a thumb injury. From his stats, its obvious he was a large part of Omaha's success on the Power Play, and should be a great PP quarterback for the Badgers starting in 2009. Patrick is originally from Poland and moved to Canada when he was young. Being Polish already makes him one of my favorite players; the fact that he has great talent is a bonus. He is also friends w/ Kyle Turris.

Eric Springer, the Wrightstown native, played last season w/ the Sioux Falls Stampede.

Stats: 60 games, 8-23-31, +21, 94 PIM, 5 PPG, 12 PPA, 2 GWG & 6.3% shooting

Eric finished tied for 8th in the USHL in +/- and is more of an offensive defenseman. He was a late pickup for the Badgers, but based on his All-Star season in the USHL, Wisconsin might have gotten themselves a steal here, and a nice 4 year player.

Craig Smith, the Madison native, has played the last few season w/ the Waterloo Blackhawks.

Stats: 59 games, 13-10-23, -3, 90 PIM, 2 PPG, 3 PPA, 3 GWG, 5.7% shooting

I don't know much about Craig, though I'm looking forward to seeing him play in the USHL next season. Based on stats alone, Craig was struggling to start the season, but had a stronger second half, and a good playoff.

Brock Montpetit, from Somerset, played last season w/ Craig Smith and the Waterloo Blackhawks.

Stats: 55 games, 12-18-30, +14, 34 PIM, 2 PPG, 8 PPA, 12.4% shooting

In 2006/2007, Brock played w/ Jordy Murray and Derek Stepan at Shattuck St. Mary's. I was a little surprised that Brock wasn't part of the 2008 recruiting class, and I think he is prime for a breakout season in the USHL next year.

Great Matt Thurber Article

Thanks to HIW for the link to a very nice article about Matt Thurber in a local Omaha paper.

I won't lie that out of all 6 freshmen coming in next season that Matt is definately the player I'm most excited to see play. That is taking nothing away from his future teammates in the class, but its just a gut feeling I have about Matt.

Right before the NCAA Regional I met another Badger Hockey fan (the famous DCB) up in Green Bay to catch the Gamblers versus the Omaha Lancers. I was going to see 4 future recruits play, besides Matt, I wanted to see Patrick Wiercioch, Ryan Little and Aaron Crandall, but really I was going to see this future Badger playmaker foremost. Well Crandall was not in net for the Gamblers and Matt was out w/ the flu for Omaha. Still glad I was able to see a preview of two future blue liners though.

I was disappointed, but illness happens, and now the suspense is building for me for next season. Reading this article has me excited, the transition between seasons for the Badgers might be in full swing, but I can't wait for next season already.

I think Matt is going to be a special player for the Badgers, maybe not out of the gates, but once he gets the feel for the WCHA, I think he will a consistent playmaker who plays a pivotal role in the Cardinal and White for the next several seasons.