Connelly signs with Elmira, and other alumni links

• Shane Connelly has signed with the Elmira Jackals, the Ottawa Senators' ECHL affiliate.
  Uwbadgers announcement
  

  Former Wisconsin goaltender Shane Connelly (Cheltenham, Pa.) has signed a professional contract with the Elmira Jackels of the ECHL. Elmira is the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators.

  Completing his Badger career last season, Connelly finished among the school's top five all-time in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. He went 19-14-4 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and three shutouts during the 2008-09 campaign. For his career, Connelly posted a 41-36-11 record with a 2.39 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and eight shutouts.

  A back-up at Wisconsin during his first two seasons behind All-American Brian Elliott, Connelly joins the same organization for whom Elliott currently plays.

  Connelly will attend the Ottawa Senators rookie camp in Kitchener, Ontario in September, which will also feature players from the organizations of the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs.
  

  Elmira Jackals announcement (thanks to Capo for the link)
  

  The Elmira Jackals, ECHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators and Binghamton Senators, continue to add on to their roster, signing three more players for the 2009-2010 season. Center Chris Korchinski returns for another season with the Jackals, while goaltender Shane Connelly and winger Brett Gallant will make their first professional appearances in Elmira.
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  Goaltender Shane Connelly comes to Elmira by way of the University of Wisconsin of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), where he started two seasons for the Badgers after backing up current Ottawa Senators goaltender Brian Elliott for two seasons. In his career at Wisconsin, Connelly posted a .913 save percentage while recording a goals against average of 2.39. As a freshman, Connelly backstopped the Badgers to a 4-2 win over Ohio State in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. The Cheltenham, PA native had eight shutouts at Wisconsin, including a 43 save effort against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux in November of 2007. Connelly will attend the Ottawa Senators rookie camp in Kitchener, ON in September which will also feature players from the organizations of the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
  
  "Shane had a very strong career at the University of Wisconsin and he'll be part of a solid tandem in Elmira," Martinson said.

• Jackie MacMillan is featured in uwbadgers.com's latest "Where are they now?" spot. You might remember that she was named head coach of CSS's new women's hockey program earlier this summer.

• If you happen to be in the LA area this Saturday, you can go say "hi" to Davis Drewiske, as he'll be signing autographs from 1 to 2 pm as part of the 3-day LA Kings Hockey Fest (Aug 28-30). Don't forget to tell him "Thanks for being a Badger!"

Badger alumni updates

• uwbadgers14 on uscho has posted that Shane Connelly has signed a tryout contract with the Senators organization and will try for a spot in Binghamton. I can't find any links, though. He also indicates that if Cons doesn't make the cut, he'll head to Europe to ply his trade.
  

• Andy Baggot had a really nice article over a week ago about the Badger alumni who are training this offseason in Madison, including Tom Gilbert, Adam Burish, Jake Dowell, Brian Elliott, Davis Drewiske, Jeff Likens, and Kyle Klubertanz.

• Speaking of Badger alums in Madison, DPlaya shared a story emailed to him about the Badger alumni and current players skating @ the KC after the Badger Youth Development Hockey Camp. My favorite part: "Burish and Gilbert both play at another speed on the ice. Their experience in the NHL is very telling even in a session of pond hockey. When those two want to they played at a speed the others (even Engel and Drewiske) struggled to keep pace with and the fact it was evident even in a game of pond hockey tells me why those two are where they are considering the D1 talent that was on the ice with them at the time."

• This is an old video that I missed it when it was originally posted (11/4/08), but Paul Capobianco recently posted it on twitter. If you remember a ways back, the Oilers had a Guitar Hero contest in which winning players would get to play in the finals against Tom Gilbert, and this is the video of Tom Gilbert at the Guitar Hero finals. I think TG is funny.

• In his most recent blog post, Tom Gilbert writes about his summer travels, summer training, and his new house. I know I'm easily amused, but I thought his comments about Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano not knowing what to do since he moved out were amusing.
  

• CHED's Dan Tencer has an audio interview with Tom Gilbert. In the 13-min interview, he talks about his new house, Andrew Cogliano's involvement in the Dany Heatley trade rumor, the Oilers' new coaching staff, his offseason training and conditioning, and the upcoming US Olympic orientation camp (Aug 17-19, Woodridge, IL).
  

• Jim Matheson reports that the Oilers may be looking at moving one of their top defenseman, one of which is Tom Gilbert, in order to get a good forward. Jonathan Willis of the Copper and Blue isn't buying that the Oilers have enough depth at D to make this move advisable.
  

Actual vs Predicted: Goalies

Before the season started, I did a preview for every player on the Men’s Hockey team. In that preview, I included a prediction on the regular season production, and now w/ the season over I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the team.

Also, I thought it would be fun to include a grade for each player. The grade I’m going to give will be a combination of how successful I think a player’s season was, and how well they exceeded, met or left fans wanting based on expectations coming into the season. Players like Tom Gorowsky and Andy Bohmbach will score higher for example, while Michael Davies would score lower based on expectations. Grades will be the regular A thru F w/ I (for incomplete) for a handful who didn’t see much action. This isn’t a new age grading scale where everyone gets an A to avoid any hard feelings, though I don’t plan to hand out any really bad grades.

Obviously these grades are my opinion and a reminder all stats are regular season only, so if you see the total stats for the season elsewhere they won’t be the same for most players.

So let’s start w/ the goaltenders.

Jeff Henderson & Ryan Jeffery – Grade: I (incomplete)

Neither player saw any game action in their final season in Madison, but their role in practice helping to make the rest of the team better should not be understated. I was hoping they would each see a little action in a game that was in hand, but when were any games this season in hand before the final buzzer? GL to both young men in their future endeavors.

Scott Gudmandson – Grade: I
Actual stats: 3 starts, 1-2-0, 3.83 GAA, 0.881 save %
Predicted stats: 8 starts, 4-3-1, 2.52 GAA

Gudmandson didn’t get enough games IMO to get a grade. He started a few games early in the season, was horrible in the first two, and shut out Tech in the third. Down the stretch he didn’t see much action at all, though he looked decent Saturday night at home against Denver when Connelly was pulled after the 1st period. Tough spot to come into, the team was reeling w/ no heart left to play the game. Gudmandson needs to step it up next season if he wants to be the starter. Brett Bennett is having a great season in the USHL and will be thirsty to make up for lost time in college hockey.

Shane Connelly – Grade: B
Actual stats: 33 starts, 16-13-4, 2.60 GAA, 0.910 save % (those are both close for the regular season)
Predicted stats: 28 starts, 17-7-4, 2.25 GAA

I’m not going to beat around the bush, I think Connelly had a pretty good season. There are a lot of Badger fans out there that like to lump the Badgers lack of success on his shoulders and say that he isn’t a “championship” level goaltender. Is he Brian Elliott? No, who is? As fans, we were spoiled by Elliott and unfortunately for Connelly he was the next goalie in line, so the expectations were high, though I think unfairly high. Let’s take a look at how he compared to other WCHA goalies. The only goalies that really stick out from the group are Alex Stalock and Marc Cheverie. In save % during conferences games, there is a log jam between .913 and .909%. Where does Connelly fall into that group? Right behind Richard Bachman, and right ahead of Jase Weslosky and Brad Eidsness, all who are NHL draft picks (w/ Bachman having signed a contract already w/ Dallas). Way behind is Alex Kangas. His GAA is 4th overall as well.

Could Connelly have made a few more timely saves and the team in turn won a few more games? No doubt, the Saturday N. Michigan and Friday Denver game stick out in my head. Could the team have actually finished on some of the goal scoring opportunities to lift the team to victory when Connelly put them into position to win? You better believe they could have, this team had a problem not only finishing games this season, but finishing around the net. There were several nights in the 2nd half of the season where the Badgers were the better team, but that didn’t translate onto the scoreboard.

This season the team never bailed Connelly out when he had an off night, and what goalie isn’t going to have an off night? On the flip side, Connelly put the team in position to win several games, but the team didn’t do its part to win. A few examples would be Saturday night against Colorado College and Duluth (especially this game), against Lake State in the showdown and Friday night at home against North Dakota. If the team’s offensive has some timely goal scoring in ONE of these games, or if there isn’t a huge blunder by one of the skaters, the team dances in the NCAA tourney. Pretty hard to just blame Connelly for the team’s struggles.

Would the team have swept their hated rival the gophers on the road if not for big save after big save by Shane Connelly? Did we not all enjoy this series?

Lastly, after starting 0-6-1, by Christmas the team had turned things around to 9-7-2. During the 9-1-1 stretch, Connelly had a roughly 1.90 GAA. Would the team have turned things around w/ out him backstopping them? There might not have been any hope at an NCAA tourney berth after Christmas if not for Connelly’s great play during that stretch. He struggled down the stretch on a few nights, but the overall body of work this season was pretty good, and fans seem to quickly forget the successes after a few stinging disappointments.

I have no problem being on record saying Shane Connelly was a good goaltender and I would like to thank him for his efforts during his Badger career helping to put the team in position to be successful and wish him the best in the future whether that is in a hockey rink or in the “exciting” working world. I’m not saying he is an all-time great and he definitely could have been more consistent at times, but he had a fine Badger career and we should thank him for this.

I feel better now; this has bothered me for a few weeks. When the team won, Connelly is great, when the team lost it was all his fault and the dissenters came out of the woodwork to disappear again after the next win. I now rest my case.

Men's Player Previews: #35 Shane Connelly

Vitals:

Position: Goalie
Year in School: Senior
Catches Left
Height: 5-9
Weight: 184
Hometown: Cheltenham, PA
Previous Team: Chicago (USHL) in 04/05

NHL Considerations: Never know what will happen following the season for a Howie prodigee.

07/08 Stats: 37 games, 15-16-5, 2.44 GAA
06/07 Stats: 7 games, 4-1-2, 1.11 GAA

08/09 Role: Starting Goalie

07/08 Recap: Following in the footsteps of the legend Brian Elliott, Shane took over the full time duties in net last season. I'm of the opinion that Shane had a pretty good season. His stats were middle of the pack for the WCHA, but he did his job keeping the Badgers in almost every game. What more can you ask for from your netminder? I was surprised that Shane didn't have more than one shutout, considering he had several the season before in limited action. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in athletism. The highlight of the season for Shane came earlier in the season against North Dakota where they threw the kitchen sink at him, but nothing snuck by.

08/09 Thoughts: The net duties are sitll in the hands of Shane heading into the season, and while he will be pushed by Scott Gudmandson, I think that will be good to take his game to a higher level. The big question mark looms w/ the resignation of Coach Bill Howard from the staff last month, and what effect that will have on the goalies. Shane had a full three seasons of the tuteledge, his habits should be set in stone. If Shane can do a little better than last season, Wisconsin should have no worries about making the NCAA tourney. Of course the offense needs to wake up and do their part too. I don't see All-American honors in Shane's future, but he should have a chance at All-WCHA.

Prediction: 28 games, 17-7-4, 2.25 GAA

Photo from uwbadgers.com

This is the WCHA...previews Wisconsin

One of the newer WCHA blogs posted their Wisconsin preview yesterday. Its worth a read, I agree w/ his assessment of our forward and blue line situation. We definately need to find some guys to step up and score goals, and I think that will happen this season w/ the juniors leading the way. The blue line is solid, and Smith, Goloubef and Gardiner will easily replace what we lost at defenseman to graduation.

I don't agree w/ his takes on our goaltending situation.

IN GOAL: One of this season's more intriguing stories (one that will likely get mentioned during the season, especially if Badger goaltender struggle) is the departure of legendary goalie coach Bill Howard. The 36-year veteran was a part of all six of Wisconsin's national championship teams, and helped develop the likes of Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph, Jim Carey and Brian Elliott.After being spoiled by Elliott for two seasons, Wisconsin goalie Shane Connelly was a step or two back last season. Although his statistics aren't terrible, Connelly was just not on the same level as other goaltenders around the conference. His 2.44 goals against isn't bad in historical terms, but it ranked ninth among his conference counterparts last season. And Wisconsin, despite its lack of a top-flight goal scorer, finished fourth in the conference in scoring offense. Scott Gudmandson, like Connelly, lacks ideal size but is quick. He played in parts of six different games last season, going 1-1-2 in those efforts. His goals against of 2.63 and save percentage of .880 were both substantially worse than Connelly's. Because he will be counted on more next season, Gudmandson will likely see a few more starts this season, but Connelly will again see a bulk of the time.

I left a comment on his post refuting the bolded parts, because I think his evaluation of Shane Connelly is just plain bullsh*t. When you compare Shane to the rest of the WCHA during conference games he is 6th in GAA and 7th in save %. Sure not great, but basically outside of Richard Bachman, Shane is in the same class as Weslosky, Wangas, Zacharias and Stalock in returning goalies. They are all quite close in GAA and save %. Wangas had a better GAA than the rest, while Weslosky's save % was better. Stalock's GAA was worse than all of them in conference games. So to say that Connelly wasn't on the same level w/ the rest of the goaltenders in the WCHA is absurd. The only returning goalie who was significantly better is Bachman, the rest are all about equal statisically. Shane wasn't the reason we did poorly last year, it was our horrible PP and lack of timely goal scoring.

Step or two back indeed. Brian Elliott was something special no doubt about it, but Shane was far from a step or two back for Wisconsin goaltenders last season, and as the stats present themselves he was just as good as every other returning goalie in the WCHA except Bachman.

Season Preview: Seniors

Still a tad over 2 months til the season starts out east at Boston College, but its time to slowly work our way back into the swing of things w/ some season previews. I plan to start this month by taking a look each week at each of the respective classes compromising the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey team this season. Today I'll start w/ the seniors. I'm just going to preview the Men's team at this point. I just started following the Women last season, shame on me, so I honestly don't know enough to thoroughly cover them.

The senior class of any college program is usually seen as the backbone of the team due to experience and the additional development a player should receive being in the system for 3 years. In the landscape of college hockey, few if any of the top players across the country make it to their seniors seasons. For example, Jack Skille would have been a senior this season had he stayed in school. Small senior classes will probably be the norm moving forward.

Wisconsin will have 5 seniors on the roster for the 2008/2009 season, but only two of those seniors played a large role on the team last season. Shane Connelly will return in goal, and forward Ben Street will co-captain the Badgers. They are joined by forward Tom Gorowsky, and walk-on goalies Ryan Jeffery and Jeff Henderson. Its notable that their are no defensemen in the senior class. These young men were freshman when Wisconsin won their 6th National Championship, and are the last link to that team.

Shane Connelly is coming off a pretty good season. I've seen a handful of people on message boards saying the opposite, but its few and far between. While Shane's numbers were middle of the pack in the WCHA, Shane wasn't the reason that Wisconsin almost missed the post season for a second consecutive season. The team didn't score enough goals plain and simple. While not spectacular, Shane kept the team in position to win almost every night, what more can you ask? One series in particular against CC at home really sticks in my head to support my argument. Shane did his part, but scoring one goal on the weekend (nice work Sean Dolan) isn't going to translate into wins (WJC departures are not a good enough excuse), even w/ Brian Elliott or Curtis Joseph in net.

I expect much of the same out of Shane this coming season, and I except him to improve. Shane should be pushed by sophomore Scott Gudmandson, hopefully bringing out his best during his last season in Madison.

Ryan Jeffery and Jeff Henderson will be completing their careers at Wisconsin as well. Though neither have seen any ice time in net during a game, their role on the team is critical during practices. I really hope they both find their way into a game this season, possibly during the Badger Hockey Showdown. If not, they still walk away w/ an unforgettable experience and a top notch college education.

As mentioned earlier, Ben Street will co-captain the Badgers along w/ Blake Geoffrion. Ben has been a very consistent producer during his first 3 seasons as a Badger and one of the top forwards on the team. Similar to Connelly, Ben's role on the team this season is very important, not only from a leadership stand point, but as a point producer. Ben can play on the PP and the PK, making him one of the most versitile forwards (along w/ Geoffrion) on the team. Street's play will do the captain's C on this chest justice all season long.

The final senior on the team is Tom Gorowsky. Over the past few weeks, 60 and I have both expressed our thoughts about Tom's situation for the coming season. Tom didn't play much last season especially in the 2008 portion. It could be just as hard for him to crack the lineup this season even w/ the departures of Matt Ford and Kyle Turris; Wisconsin has added a solid freshman class who will all be looking for significant playing time. Hopefully Tom's last season in Madison ends on a high note.

All in all, while the senior class is not huge, Ben Street and Shane Connelly will both be important pieces of the puzzle during the 2008/2009 season. As fans, I think those are two players we can count on game in and game out. Tom Gorowsky is the wild card of the senior class.

Next week, I'll take a look at the juniors. While the senior class is pretty cut and dry, the junior class is chalked full of forwards and question marks, and I'm of the opinion that their play will be one of the keys in whether the ship that is the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey team sinks or sails toward the horizon w/ National Title #7.