WCHA season starts in 10 weeks

Ten weeks from tomorrow another season of College Hockey kicks off, but not for the Badgers since they start a week behind everyone else.

Over the next ten weeks I'm going to preview one WCHA team each week for your enjoyment or what not in reverse order of how I think the league will finish come next March. Later tonight you can read about Michigan Tech, who should comfortably hold down the WCHA cellar again this season.

Also in September, Badger player previews will move into full swing as almost every day I'll be previewing both a Men's and Women's player based on their number. Obviously there aren't 55 days in September (or 35) so I'll squeeze John Ramage in there on an open day. Feel free to leave comments about players and teams, it's time to start getting excited about the 2009/10 season of Badger Hockey (or more excited than you currently are).

Daily Cardinal previews…albeit a tad early

The Daily Cardinal has been busy getting ready for the Men’s and Women’s Hockey teams 2009/10 campaigns. Why not? It might be June, but it’s never too early to start thinking Badger Hockey again. I never actually took a break.

First, I found a few things from my Women’s Update post from a few days back. Here are some links to Female POY: Jessie Vetter and Top Women’s Team: Women’s Hockey.

The Cardinal gives a good breakdown of the upcoming Men’s season. They pose a few legitimate questions: Can the glut of talented skaters finally play up to their potential, and how will the team replace several key contributors whose Badger careers just finished? The first question is much harder to answer than the second. I thought all the talent the team had last season was going to translate into success, and we all remember how that ended in countless 3rd periods throughout winter.

Replacing Shane Connelly, Tom Gorowsky and Jamie McBain hopefully won’t be that difficult. Its certainly hard to say losing a Hobey Finalist, WCHA POY and All-American is no big deal, but when the team currently projects to return the most talented blue line in NCAA hockey, along w/ stud freshman Justin Schultz, and likely NHL pick John Ramage, the Badgers should be in good shape. Seven senior forwards (along w/ Derek Stepan), and All-USHL 1st Teamer Brett Bennett should help lift anxiety.

The defending National Champion Women’s team was also previewed. The best team in school history likely gives way to another talented team that will have to overcome two big hurdles to repeat and take home NC #4. A very successful senior class graduated, especially the losses of Erika Lawler and Jessie Vetter will be tough to replace. On top of that its Olympics time and Mark Johnson will be coaching Team USA, w/ Hilary Knight and Meghan Duggan likely joining him in Vancouver.

There is always good news though. The Freshman Sensation Brooke Ammerman is back after posting 27-27-54 as a frosh, Jasmine Giles and Kyla Sanders both had their best seasons as Badgers, and Malory Deluce and Carolyne Prevost are both talented forwards who are back. The blue line is still solid despite the loss of Alicia Matthews. Coming in is arguably the best recruit in the country in Dousman, WI’s own Brianna Decker. She is joined by some talented Canadians including Breann Frykas and Saige Pacholok, and possibly Jessie’s replacement in goal, Rebecca Ruegseggar.

Lastly, the Daily Cardinal previewed three Badgers to watch and two of them happen to me hockey players! Derek Stepan is ready to go Joe Pavelski on the rest of the WCHA. After a slow start, he brought it in the 2nd half, including a most memorial moment when he scored two SH goals during the same PP against the Fighting Sioux. While the dynamics of the team were different, his presence toward the end of last season was what I was hoping Kyle Turris was going to bring to the Badgers by the end of his freshman year. I think a 50 point season is w/ in his grasp.

I already mentioned her, but Brooke Ammerman is another Badger to watch. She was 5th on the team in scoring last season, but assuming Duggan & Knight are going for gold, she’ll be the top returning scorer. Last season she anchored the 3rd line, which was arguably better than most first lines in the country. This year she’ll have to pull a lot more shifts against their opponent’s top players, as her role on the team will expand. She still has a talented supporting cast, but I agree w/ the Daily Cardinal, I think its Ammerman’s team to lead, at least in making the opposing goalie look like a sieve.

Wait until 2010/11 when the forward corp features Ammerman^2 (both Brooke and her sister Brittany), Decker, Knight, Duggan, Deluce, Prevost and recruit Madison Packer. I just hope there are enough goals to go around for that group.

More Badger Men, Badger Women, & Alumni news . . .

• Todd Milewski has been a very Busy Badger: He poses and answers 5 questions for the season, and he breaks down the Badgers' lineup. Really good stuff, and he's got me all-fired up for tonight's scrimmage!

• The folks on uwbadgers.com have been Busy Badgers as well.
  
  On the men's side, they have the 2008-09 media guide available online now, and they have a round-up on preseason polls and awards. (Ummm, yeah, we beat out the Roller Derby for Madison’s Best Indoor Spectator Sport. Fantastic.)
  
  On the women's side, they note that Hilary Knight and Brooke Ammerman received WCHA Offensive Player of the Week and WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. This is the 1st week the WCHA named players of the week, and it appears they considered the last 2 weeks of play.

• And here's a Dany Heatley article from 2 days ago that I stumbled upon today: Hockey fans, meet the new Dany Heatley

Badger Women polls and other items

• The Badger Women were ranked 2nd in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and the USCHO polls. (Both polls rank UMD 1st.) Additionally, the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll points out that the Badgers' upcoming series @ #9 Ohio State is one of the 3 match-ups this weekend between top-10 teams.


• Our friends at Beyond the Dashers have the Badgers tied for 1st with Harvard this week. (They have UMD 3rd.)


• We previously reported on the U22 Series between Team USA and Team Canada, and now the Badger Herald has a nice article on the 4 Badgers who played in the series. Erika Lawler, Meghan Duggan, and Hilary Knight played for Team USA, and Brittany Haverstock played for Team Canada.


• If you can't wait until the "It's Almost Friday Linkorama" tomorrow or "It's Friday I'm in Love", here's the uwbadgers.com preview of this weekend's series @ OSU.
  

Around the WCHA/NCAA

• College Hockey News has released it's 2008-09 Preseason All-CHN Teams. Badger Defenseman Jamie McBain made their 1st Team. No Badgers on their 2nd Team, and no Badgers on their list of players to watch.
  

  D - Jamie McBain, Jr., Wisconsin
  Special offensive ability for a defenseman, this is most likely his last season with the Badgers. Has great ice vision, and a strong shot that gets on net.

  The WCHA is pretty well-represented, with 4 players on the 1st Team and 1 player on the 2nd Team.

• Denver University has suspended 4 players. Senior and captain JP Testwuide, sophomore Jon Cook, and sophomore Dustin Jackson served 1-game suspensions last night, sitting out DU's exhibition game v. the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Junior Cody Brookwell was issued a 4-game suspension and will next be available for the Oct 24-25 series v. Ohio State. So the Badgers won't be seeing Mr. Brookwell when visiting on Oct 17-18.
  
  No official word, of course, regarding the reason for the suspensions. I would think that whatever Brookwell did was pretty serious, having to sit out 4 games, including 1 game against Notre Dame and 2 games against Wisconsin.

• In an exhibition game last night, Denver defeated an always strong University of Alberta. Despite missing the services of 4 players, Denver won 5-4. It's worth noting that UofA has already played 5 preseason games (the only loss was to the Edmonton Oilers Rookie Team) and that they have won the last 3 CIS championships. (Thanks to Puck Swami for the info!)
  


• In an exhibition game last night, Michigan Tech lost 3-1 to the University of Toronto. Ouch. I don't know much/anything about Toronto, but a quick glance at last year's CIS standings indicates they're a middle-of-the-pack CIS team, finishing with a .500 recored last season.
  

• There's a new hockey blog that Badger Fans and WCHA fans should find interesting. (I edited this into a previous post, but I thought I might as well mention it here for those that missed it.) Puck Swami has started a blog called "Know Your Foe" that previews DU opponents. Should be interesting to see what he what he has to say about Wisconsin in 2 weeks, as well as what he has to say about other WCHA teams.


• Hockey's Future has released #s 11-25 of it's Top 50 prospects. No Badgers on this part of the list, although if you remember Ryan McDonagh was #27. I imagine that we'll see Kyle Turris on the list for #s 1-10 when that is released.
  

Men's Player Previews: #30 Ryan Jeffery

Vitals:

Position: Goalie
Year in School: Senior
Catches Right
Height: 6-1
Weight: 182
Hometown: Madison, WI
Previous Team: Madison Memorial HS in 04/05

NHL Considerations: None at this time.

07/08 Stats: DNP
06/07 Stats: DNP

08/09 Role: walk-on goalie


07/08 Recap: Ryan did not play in a game last season, though he did dress as the backup in several games his freshman season.

08/09 Thoughts: Similar to yesterday's preview Jeff Henderson, I'm hoping Ryan sees a little action yet this season. The same holds true for Ryan as it did for Jeff, their role in practice is important to the team's development, and he'll leave Wisconsin w/ a top notch education while getting to play hockey w/ some of the top players in the NCAAs.

Prediction: 20 minutes of action 2 GA

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #29 Jeff Henderson

Vitals:

Position: Goalie
Year in School: Senior
Catches Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182
Hometown: Menomonie, WI
Previous Team: Menomonie HS in 04/05

NHL Considerations: None at this time.

07/08 Stats: DNP
06/07 Stats: DNP

08/09 Role: walk-on goalie

07/08 Recap: Jeff didn't see any game action again last season, after suiting up for a few games as the backup his freshman year.

08/09 Thoughts: I doubt Jeff will see any action his senior year, but you never know what might happen, prehaps during the Badger Hockey Showdown. Regardless, the role that Jeff plays is invaluable to the development of the team in practice. In the end, Jeff will leave Madison w/ an education, and some great memories being part of the greatest College Hockey program in the country.

Prediction: 20 minutes of action 1 GA

Photo from uwbadgers.com

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

Men's Player Previews: #27 Cody Goloubef

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Right
Height: 6-1
Weight: 188
Hometown: Oakville, ON
Previous Team: Oakville Blades (OPJHL) in 06/07

NHL Considerations: 2nd round pick (2008) of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 4-6-10, E, 36 PIM
06/07 Stats: 19 games, 7-15-22

08/09 Role: 2nd EV pairing, PP & PK

07/08 Recap: Cody had a great freshman season for Wisconsin. He started slow being paired w/ Captain Davis Drewiske, but as the season went on, he got better and better. Cody didn't get much of a chance to show what he can do on the PP, but was solid on both ends on EV. By the end of the season, he joined McBain and McDonagh as the three defensemen I was confident in on the ice. That is saying a lot for two freshman and a sophomore. Cody's draft stock soared and he landed early in the 2nd round to Columbus.

08/09 Thoughts: Cody should be ready for a great year w/ Wisconsin. W/ the McB/McD pairing likely set in stone, Cody will be looked upon to head the 2nd pairing w/ old friend Brendan Smith or freshman Jake Gardiner. I think Cody is ready for the leadership role on the blue line. He should also get a chance to show off more offense this season on the PP. Cody is solid right now in many areas and its time to being progressing to prepare for the next level, but not too quickly, I would like to see Cody back in the Fall of 09.

Prediction: 36 games, 6-14-20

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #25 Chris Hickey

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 6-1
Weight: 202
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Previous Team: Tri-City (USHL) last season

NHL Considerations: 7th round pick (2006) of the Minnesota Wild.

07/08 Stats: 55 games, 15-16-31, -24, 34 PIM
05/06 Stats: ? games, 37-26-63

08/09 Role: 4th line EV

07/08 Recap: Chris skated w/ the Tri-City Storm last season in the USHL after playing 4 years at Cretim-Durham Hall w/ Ryan McDonagh winning a state title in 2006. Chris had a pretty good season w/ the Storm as he adjusted to the USHL's higher level of play. If you recall, Chris was a late addition to the freshman class after issues arose w/ his draft rights. If Chris wouldn't have started school this fall, the Wild either would have had to sign him to a contract, or give up his draft rights.

08/09 Thoughts: I'm not really sure how much playing time Chris will get on the team this season, my prediction is pretty low, but he could easily surpass that. I don't think he is as ready for the WCHA as his fellow freshman forwards. He'll probably be fighting for playing time on the 4th line w/ a bunch of other guys. Overall, I'm pretty happy Chris has joined the team. He is a solid two way player who has the potential to be a top scorer for Wisconsin in the future.

Prediction: 14 games, 2-4-6

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #24 John MItchell

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Junior
Shoots Left
Height: 6-5
Weight: 222
Hometown: Neenah, WI
Previous Team: Indiana (USHL) in 05/06

NHL Considerations: John received interest from a few teams in the off season to sign as a free agent. He attended the Minnesota Wild prospect camp over the summer.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 8-5-13, +4, 49 PIM
06/07 Stats: 18 games, 1-2-3, E, 21 PIM

08/09 Role: Grind Line, PP

07/08 Recap: John was by far the most improved player on the team last season, and was voted so by the team following the season. He went from a awkward looking forward lost on the ice, to an important part of the "grind line" and scorer for the Badgers. You can't teach size, the one thing John definately has, but he definately make huge progress learning the things the coaching taught him. John's best highlight was the out of no where breakaway speed he showed against Denver in the regional when he used his long strides to pull away and score on Mannino. One season a part time player, the next season he is receiving interest from NHL franchises.

08/09 Thoughts: Where can John take his game this season? I'm still hoping Eaves leaves the "grind line" of Mitchell/Dolan/Grotting together. Depsite their obvious ability to play as a checking/disruption line, I think they can notch more goals this season too. Leading the way in that effort could be Big John. John needs to use his body a little more too this season. One article labeled his as a wrecking ball, while I haven't seen that yet, I would like to.

Prediction: 34 games, 10-4-14

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #22 Ben Street

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Senior
Shoots Left
Height: 5-11
Weight: 203
Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C.
Previous Team: Salmon Arm (BCHL) in 04/05

NHL Considerations: I would expect Ben to sign a minor league contract following the season.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 13-17-30, -3, 36 PIM
06/07 Stats: 41 games, 10-7-17, -2, 16 PIM

08/09 Role: 1st or 2nd EV line, PP & PK

07/08 Recap: Ben had another strong year for the Cardinal and White last year, tied for the team lead in goals and 2nd in points. His point production took a big jump. He served the team as assistant captain. Ben started the season on LW w/ Kyle Turris at center, but after trying to find the right RW to go w/ the two BC natives, Eaves moved him to the 2nd line center, where I thought he did the most good for the Badgers. Along w/ Blake Geoffrion, Ben was one of the most versatile players logging minutes on the PP and PK. Ben brought a great effort every night and did his leading w/ his play on the ice.

08/09 Thoughts: Ben is one of three scholarship seniors to return this season, and he has by far seen the most game action totalling 124 games in 3 seasons. I don't think he has missed a single game in his entire Badger career. There was some talk he might sign if the right deal came along in the off season, but 60 assured me that Ben's mother was adamant about him getting a degree. Ben will split the captain's duties w/ Blake Geoffrion, and that is a well deserved honor for such a hardworking leader. I think Ben fits in best as a C instead of LW. It will be interesting to see how the lines shake out to start the season. I'm looking forward to a great conclusion to Ben's career, he does everything for the Badgers, and that should translate into another fine season.

Prediction: 36 games, 12-18-30

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #21 Derek Stepan

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 6-0
Weight: 176
Hometown: Hastings, MN
Previous Team: Shattuck St. Mary's

NHL Considerations: 2nd round pick (2008) of the NY Rangers. His dad was drafted by the Rangers back in the day.

07/08 Stats: 60 games, 42-62-104, 16 PIM
06/07 Stats: 63 games, 38-32-70, 22 PIM

08/09 Role: 1st or 2nd EV line, PP

07/08 Recap: Derek helped lead Shattuck St. Mary's to back to back titles the past two seasons. Both seasons he was second in the team in scoring. Reports say he was the dominate player on the ice during the national tournament. His stock really rose in the NHL Draft in June, he was projected as a 3rd round pick, but went later in the 2nd round to the NY Rangers.

08/09 Thoughts: Derek is right up there w/ Jake Gardiner as the most highly touted freshman to join the Badgers this season. Derek will be expected to step in right off the bat and contribute to the offense. It sounded like he played rather well at the NY Rangers prospect camp this summer, which bodes well since he was facing older competition. I've never heard anything but positive things about Derek. I think he'll pick almost all the goal scoring that Kyle Turris left w/ his departure.

Prediction: 34 games, 10-9-19

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #20 Ryan Little

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Left
Height: 5-11
Weight: 178
Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI (grew up in Jackson Hole, WY)
Previous Team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

NHL Considerations: None at this time.

07/08 Stats: 58 games, 2-13-15, -21, 100 PIM
06/07 Stats: 59 games, 4-9-13, +4, 76 PIM

08/09 Role: 3rd EV pairing, 2nd PK Pairing

07/08 Recap: Ryan finished a successful stint w/ the Green Bay Gamblers by serving as team Captain, being named to the USHL All-Star team and being named the team's hardest worker. I wouldn't let his stats last season fool you, Ryan played for a very poor Gamblers team. I was fortunate enough to see him play one game last season. He doesn't do anything flashy, but he is a solid player who does a good job in his own end. He does take a lot of penalty, which is something he'll have to work on as he grows as a Badger.

08/09 Thoughts: Ryan joins a crowded blue line who has a lot of early draft picks who are going to eat up a good portion of the playing time. One advantage that Ryan would have over Craig Johnson or Eric Springer for playing time, is that he is more of a defensive defensman, something this team is in short supply of. While he might not play a big role in this season's team, down the road he will be one of the foundations one the blue line, as there is a good chance Ryan sees all four years in Madison. I wouldn't be surprised to see him wear captain's letter at some point too, but I'm getting ahead of myself and right now Ryan will spend his freshman season getting use to the WCHA. Having played the better part of three seasons in the USHL should help his transition.

Prediction: 20 games, 1-3-4

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #19 Jake Gardiner

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182
Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
Previous Team: Minnetonka HS

NHL Considerations: 1st Round pick (2008) of the Anaheim Ducks.

07/08 Stats: 25 games, 20-28-48
06/07 Stats: ? games, 10-22-32

08/09 Role: 2nd or 3rd EV pairing, 1st PP pairing

07/08 Recap: Last season Jake switched to defenseman and his game went to a new level, while his stock in the NHL draft skyrocketed. Jake was considered one of the best skaters in the entire draft. During his final season in HS, Jake led Minnetonka HS to the sectional finals and was named All-Metro POY, along w/ being a finalist for the 2008 Mr. Hockey award. His rising draft stock landed him w/ the Anaheim Ducks w/ the #16 overall pick. During the summer of 2007 Jake skated w/the U18 team at the Ivan Hlinka tourney in the Czech Republic and he attending the World Junior development camp this past summer.

08/09 Thoughts: W/ Jake's addition to the Badger blue line, there are now three 1st round picks and two 2nd round picks who be taking regular shifts for the Cardinal and White on defense. Before his switch to defensman, he was a pretty good forward, but he brings a ton of offensive upside to his new position. That same upside is also his biggest weakness. He should be solid in helping to run and improve the powerplay, but I think its safe to say Jake has some room to grow in the defensive end of the ice. His progression on that side of the rink will go a long way to determine how successful his season will be. Luckily, Coach Osiecki will be mentoring him and honing that part of his game.

Prediction: 30 games, 4-12-16

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #18 Jordy Murray

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Left
Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
Hometown: Fairbault, MN
Previous Team: Shattuck St. Mary's

NHL Considerations: Went undrafted in June, which was a surprise. Father Andy is the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, and brother Brady (North Dakota) plays for the LA Kings.

07/08 Stats: 60 games, 38-57-95, 68 PIM
06/07 Stats: 63 games, 26-42-68, 71 PIM

08/09 Role: 2nd or 4th line LW, he'll fit in somewhere on special teams

07/08 Recap: Jordy had another great year for Shattuck St. Mary's, helping lead them to back to back National Championships. Jordy was 3rd on the team behind current teammate Derek Stepan and North Dakota recruit David Toews. Jordy and Derek have played on a line together the past two seasons, and that chemistry will hopefully carry over to their freshman season at Wisconsin. Jordy captained the US Under-18 team at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer, where he was teammate w/ fellow freshman Jake Gardiner.

08/09 Thoughts: Given Jordy background, he should be ready to step in and contribute every night for the Badgers. One additional advantage Jordy has is that he is left handed on a team chalked full of forwards who are right handed. Though Jordy is a smaller forward, I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually finds similar success to other forwards his size like Ryan Lasch at St. Cloud State. I'm not really sure what role Jordy will play out of the gate, but he is a hard worker and is going to give Wisconsin his best no matter what position he is asked to play. Definately a great addition to the Cardinal and White.

Prediction: 30 games, 3-8-11

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #17 Ryan McDonagh

Vitals:

Position: Defenseman
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Left
Height: 6-1
Weight: 212
Hometown: Arden Hills, MN
Previous Team: Cretin-Derham Hall HS in 06/07

NHL Considerations: 1st Round pick (2007) of the Montreal Canadiens.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 5-7-12, +7, 52 PIM
06/07 Stats: ? games, 14-26-40

08/09 Role: 1st EV Pairing, 1st PK Pairing, should see some PP time

07/08 Recap: Following a Mr. Hockey worthy season in Minnesota, Ryan was promptly drafted by Montreal and then continued through what would be a WCHA All-Rookie team season. Ryan played well right out of the gates, which was a surprise considering he came right from the high school ranks w/ out playing any junior hockey in the USHL. The coaching staff paired each of the freshman w/ a non-freshman, and Ryan pulled the long straw and paired w/ Jamie McBain. By the end of the season, they were hands down the best pairing for Wisconsin. Ryan didn't do anything great, he just did everything well above average. His last second empty net goal against Michigan Tech saved my buddy from having to buy his Tech co-worker lunch, nice work Ryan!

08/09 Thoughts: During the off-season there were rumblings that Ryan might sign w/ Montreal, luckily for us Badger fans he didn't. Don't know if we'll be that lucky next Spring, so enjoy his play in the Cardinal and White while it lasts. Ryan should be paired again w/ McBain this season, giving the Badger argubly the best pairing not only in the WCHA, but in the NCAA's. One thing I really like about Ryan is that he is very solid on the defensive side of the ice, the best among our current blue liners. This should continue this season, along w/ a few ass kicking hits to weary WCHA foes. While I think his offensive numbers could go up a ton, I'm not sure how much PP time he will get w/ McBain, Gardiner, Smith and Goloubef in the mix w/ him. None the less, Ryan's defensive play is a joy to watch, and he should be our top blue liner on the PK.

Prediction: 5-12-17, 2nd team All-WCHA, possible All-American if he tops my prediction

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #16 Sean Dolan

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Right
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
Hometown: Chesterfield, MO
Previous Team: Chicago Steel (USHL) in 06/07

NHL Considerations: None at this time, but I could see Sean at some level of the pros following his time at UW.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 4-4-8, +1, 32 PIM
06/07 Stats: 59 games, 22-18-40, -18, 76 PIM

08/09 Role: Grind Line, PK

07/08 Recap: Sean played in all 40 games for the Badgers last year. Why is that important, you might ask? Sean was a late pick up for the Badgers and going into the season I figured he was going to be a guy who found a little ice time during the WJC or because of injury. Instead, Sean comes out as the center of what would become the "grind line" and never looked back, even notching his first goal as a Badger in his first game in Dayton, OH. I remember hearing a few weeks into the season that he was even pushing Blake Geoffrion for 2nd line center, before Blake took off in his own right. Sean played well all season, which is consistent w/ the line he played on. It didn't take long for Sean to pass Kyle Turris as my favorite Badger. I like his style of play and the fact that he stepped in as a last minute signing and played well beyond expectations.

08/09 Thoughts: I expect more of the same from Sean this season. Similar to my Ben Grotting post, I hope the coaches leave Mitchell-Dolan-Grotting together to start the year. I don't think Sean will have a big impact on scoring this season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him bury 10+ pucks in his upperclassmen seasons. That said, I think this line can cash in a few more goals, and contribute beyond the "checking"/"disruption" line they currently play. Sean is a solid player who brings his best every shift, and I for one am glad he is a Badger.

Prediction: 36 games, 6-6-12

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #15 Tom Gorowsky

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Senior
Shoots Right
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Hometown: Lino Lakes, MN
Previous Team: Sioux Falls (USHL) in 04/05

NHL Considerations: None at this time.

07/08 Stats: 17 games, 2-2-4, +1, 4 PIM
06/07 Stats: 33 games, 5-7-12, +3, 28 PIM

08/09 Role: 4th EV Line

07/08 Recap: Last season had to be a real disappointment for Tom. He came off a solid showing in 06/07, only to lose ice time to the sophomores and freshman. Tom saw most of his playing time during the 1st half of the season, but following the WJC I don't think Tom saw the ice again. I thought when he played, he played pretty decent on the 4th line. Fans expected a lot out of Tom following his Mr. Hockey season in 2004 and a strong season in the USHL in 04/05.

08/09 Thoughts: Tom returns for his senior season where he will be one of only 3 scholarship seniors on the team. It's one last chance for Tom to make a difference for the Badgers on the ice. Unfornately, I don't know how much additional ice time he will see this year. Last year Eaves made a point of playing Josh Engel because of his "senior leadership" benching several other forwards in the process, will the same occur this year? Or will Tom's play earn himself the ice time and be a regular in the lineup regardless?

Prediction: 12 games 2-2-4

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Men's Player Previews: #14 Ben Grotting

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Junior
Shoots Right
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Previous Team: Lincoln Stars (USHL) in 05/06

NHL Considerations: None at this time.

07/08 Stats: 39 games, 2-7-9, +1, 18 PIM
06/07 Stats: 32 games, 2-1-3, -4, 43 PIM

08/09 Role: Grind Line

07/08 Recap: Ben was 1/3 of what someone out there termed the "grind line" w/ John Mitchell and Sean Dolan. No doubt that this was the most consistent line for the Badgers all season. When the team needed a momentum shift or a change of pace Coach Eaves sent these three young men out there to do it. Ben likes to check people, and he does a pretty good job of it. Similar to Blake Geoffrion, he toned his game down a notch this season, which led to less dumb penalties and better overall season.

08/09 Thoughts: I'm really hoping that the coaching staff leaves the "grind line" together again this season. Ben worked well w/ Dolan and Mitchell and I think while they will remain a "checking" line of sorts, they can score a few more goals for the team as well. I expect Ben's game to continue to improve and apparently the readers of this blog think so as well. He did receive the most votes during the which junior would have the biggest impact in 08/09. While I don't see him having more of an impact than Michael Davies or John Mitchell, if it happened I wouldn't be complaining either. I like surprises, especially ones that benefit the Cardinal and White.

Prediction: 34 games, 1-6-7

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