Badgers Land 2013 Goalie Recruit

According to Andy Baggot from the Wisconsin State Journal the Badgers have picked up a verbal commitment from Totonto goalie Gabe Grunwald for 2013.

Grunwald is a 6'3, 185 pound netminder from the Ajax Pickering Midget Program.

His bio on the teams website: "Gabe brings a very comptitive spirit to his game and always knows how to get the job done when we need it most. Consistently strong positionally some of his best qualities lie in his agility, reflexes, speed and flexability. This young man continues to grow and impress all that have an opportunity to play with or against him."

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If You Offer, He Will Come

While Monday's news of Jordy Murray's early departure still stings in the hearts of many Badger fans, looking towards the future can be the distraction needed to ease the pain. Turning our attention to Murray's replacement has delivered us to two possible scenarios.

Scenario number one involves bringing in Waupaca high school senior forward Brad Navin who originally had made a verbal commitment for either the 2012 or 2013 season depending on development and departures. Scenario number two would be to offer a scholarship to Alberta Junior Hockey League forward Reed Linaker from the St. Albert Steel.

The Sixty Minutes blog caught up with Linaker on Tuesday night in hopes of clearing up the murky water that is the current forward opening on the UW roster. Linaker noted that he has not yet received an offer from the UW coaching staff but would jump at the chance to come to Wisconsin. "I'd love to be a Badger and I'd do it in a heartbeat but I guess its kind of a wait and see process."

Linaker, 5'9, 165 pound forward who was on campus late in the season fell in love with Madison on his visit, "Loved the University. It was a beautiful campus and the electricity and atmosphere was unbelievable in the arena. Was definitely better then anywhere I've been and exceeded my expectations."

As a rookie in the AJHL Linaker put up 39 points in 47 games. Last year he registered 81 points in 54 games. And this year saw him net 52 points in 34 games before a knee injury ended his season early. Linaker sounded confident he would be able to rebound from the injury. "My knee is doing well. I had a tear of the MCL an partial tear of the ACL so its been a long road. I've just begun workouts and light skating."

Ironically, Navin who will likely be brought in if the staff doesn't make an offer to Linaker is also coming off a knee injury. Navin was sidelined early in the high school season with an MCL injury and made his return to the ice a few weekends ago for the Minnesota NIT senior tournament. By all indications, Navin has made a full recovery and is at or near 100%.

Both Navin and Linaker can play center which after losing Sean Dolan and Podge Turnbull is a possible position of need for the upcoming season. No matter what direction the coaching staff goes in it looks like they have some solid options.

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Ryan Dau commits to the Air Force Academy

Another feather in the cap for Team Wisconsin.

After an in home visit late last week from Air Force head Coach Frank Serratore, the coaching staff checked in with Hudson, WI forward Ryan Dau Monday afternoon. After mulling over his full ride offer over the weekend, he felt confident in making his pledge to the Falcons hockey program.

Dau, a 6'1, 178 pound forward led his high school team in scoring with 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points in 20 games this past season. A key member of the Team Wisconsin program, Dau registered 15 points in 21 games in the Upper Mid-West High School Elite League. Dau capped his season with the Team Wisconsin senior squad when he led TW and the entire Minnesota NIT tournament in scoring with 6 points in 3 games.

A phenomenal skater, Dau is at his best when playing higher levels of competition. He has an exceptional ability to avoid contact and has a knack for setting up teammates in the offensive zone. Known as an extremely intelligent player, Dau reports a 3.88 grade point average.

Dau's commitment to Air Force marks the fourth verbal commitment by a member of this past seasons Team Wisconsin squad. Notre Dame Academy defenseman Tim Davison and Waupaca forward Brad Navin are both locked up to head to Wisconsin and Appleton defenseman Cliff Watson has given his verbal pledge to Mark Osiecki and the Ohio State University.

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Kerdiles talks about match up vs Canada

2012 Wisconsin recruit Nic Kerdiles sits down briefly and talks about Team USA's match up with Canada in the semi-finals at the IIHF U18 World Championships which is coming up on Saturday. PS...how sick does that rink look with the trees in the background? Absolutely beautiful.

USHL Futures Draft Results

Tuesday morning the United States Hockey League, the premier junior hockey league in the states completed it's annual futures draft. This years draft consisted of selecting only players that were born in 1995. The Waterloo Black Hawks who owned the #1 pick selected Taylor Cammarata, a forward from Plymouth, MN who plays at Shattuck St. Mary's.

Only one player from the state of Wisconsin was selected on Tuesday and it was Jason Reynolds from DePere. The Notre Dame Academy forward was selected by the Youngstown Phantoms in the fifth round, #63 overall.

Reynolds, a junior to be with Notre Dame Academy registered 44 points in 28 games this season for the Tritons. Reynolds did some of his best work in the playoffs, recording 6 points in 5 games including a goal in the state semi-finals, a game that Notre Dame would eventually lose to Middleton.

The 5'11, 165 pound forward also participated with the Team Wisconsin minor squad this season. Reynolds recorded 8 points in 12 league games for Team Wisconsin.

One of the biggest omissions on Tuesday was Hudson defenseman Travis Wood. There have been strong indications that Wood, who plays his high school hockey at Hill Murray in the twin cities is planning on eventually making the move to the Ontario Hockey League, giving up his college eligibility. USHL squads must feel the same way because that's the only reason that Wood could have been passed over.

Two players from the 1995 birth class from the state of Wisconsin who are already spoken for in the USHL are Hudson defenseman Ian McCoshen and Sun Prairie defenseman Will Butcher. McCoshen already made the move to the United States Hockey League last season as a high school sophomore with the Waterloo Black Hawks. Butcher has already accepted a spot with next seasons USA NTDP U-17 squad. Both are expected to be premium targets for the Badgers.

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New recruit on the horizon?

With Justin Schultz and Craig Smith emphatically announcing their intentions to return to the Wisconsin hockey team next season, the only question mark remaining this off-season is the status of senior to be Jordy Murray.

Andy Baggot updated us last week with Murray's situation. If you're not aware, he started playing hockey in Switzerland when his father was coaching over there. Under the current rules, Murray doesn't have to be classified as an import player (Swiss pro teams can only have 4), so he's due to make substantially more money this way. But the rules are possibly changing and if they take away this loophole, he stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars if he doesn't sign soon.

Speculation has already begun about possible replacements for Murray's roster spot should he make the move to professional hockey. Currently Waupaca senior Brad Navin is the only committed player who could be brought in but it's likely the coaching staff would prefer he play at least one full season in the USHL if not two. The Badgers don't NEED to bring in another player if Murray leaves as they will still have 15 forwards but freeing up Murray's scholarship money allows UW head coach Mike Eaves the flexibility to add a premier offensive threat.

Baggot identified a potential player that fits that description in St. Albert Steel (Alberta Junior Hockey League) forward Reed Linaker. Baggot notes that Linaker was in Madison on campus for a visit last month. To add more fuel to the fire, Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Shuchuk is currently in Canada recruiting and tweeted today that he's in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta which just so happens to be the same hometown of Mr. Linaker.

Linaker who saw his third season in the AJHL come to an early end when he tore his MCL has put up impressive numbers for St. Albert. As a rookie Linaker put up 39 points in 47 games. Last year he registered 81 points in 54 games. And this year saw him net 52 points in 34 games before the MCL injury.

The 19 year old 5'9, 165 pound forward can return to junior hockey next season so it's possible that even if Murray returns to the Badgers they may still pursue him for the 2012 season. 2012 will see the Badgers lose Murray to graduation, and most likely Craig Smith as an early departure. They bring elite forward recruits Nic Kerdiles from the USA NTDP and Morgan Zulinick from Salmon Arm in the BCHL as well as possibly Corbin McGuire and Brad Navin.

Stay tuned...

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Team USA U18 World Championship Update

2011 Wisconsin defense recruit Jake McCabe from Eau Claire has agreed to do a correspondence piece with us while he is in Crimmitschau, Germany representing the United States for the 2011 IIHF U18 World Championships. Jake will be updating us as the red, white, and blue chase their third straight U18 World Championship gold medal.

The Americans just kicked off the tournament yesterday with their first real game after going 1-1 in pre-tournament exhibition play. Jake was kind enough to check in after the American squad played Switzerland in their opener yesterday. Thanks again Jake.

Editors note: Jake actually sent this in yesterday after their game, I apologize for not posting it sooner.

Jake McCabe, Team USA U18, IIHF U18 World Championships 4/14/2011

"It wasn't pretty but we snuck by the Swiss with a 2-1 win tonight. We definitely had opening game jitters but we found a way to win. This whole year we've been told that the games here are going to be one goal hockey games and we need to find a way which we did tonight.

Once again we had way too many penalties and we weren't committed to our defensive play. When we showed up to the game and the Russians were playing the Slovaks the place was completely packed which was really cool to see. We didn't get quite the turn out they did but it's still good to see the popularity of hockey in Crimmitschau.

Tomorrow we play the Slovaks in the afternoon game and are looking to be much better. Coach is always preaching how the team that improves the most throughout the tournament is going to be the team to win it so that's our goal."

Team USA's Next Game: Friday vs Slovakia

Editors Note: Remember to check back often for updates from Jake. Also, FastHockey.com will be web casting all of Team USA's games while they are in Germany (for a small fee). Also, remember that McCabe isn't the only future Badger on the squad, 2012 forward recruit Nic Kerdiles is also on the roster.

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McCabe World Championship Update

2011 Wisconsin defense recruit Jake McCabe from Eau Claire has agreed to do a correspondence piece with us while he is in Crimmitschau, Germany representing the United States for the 2011 IIHF U18 World Championships. Jake will be updating us as the red, white, and blue chase their third straight U18 World Championship gold medal.

The Americans just wrapped up their pre-tournament exhibition portion of their schedule on Monday. Jake was kind enough to check in after the American squad played Finland in their final exhibition game. Thanks again Jake.

Jake McCabe, Team USA U18, IIHF U18 World Championships 4/12/2011

"Well we finally got that W we needed with a 4-2 win over the Fins last night. We've played them a few times over the past two years and they had some different guys and definitely were the best they've been. They scored their 2nd goal with about a minute left with an extra attacker and we had our 4th with one second left in the game.

We definitely played better today than against Canada but still had way too many penalties. We have an off day today and are going to do some bowling and have dinner in town. Tomorrow we go back to work with practice and getting ready to open up the tournament on Thursday against the Swiss."

Team USA's Next Game: Thursday vs Switzerland 12:30 PM CST

Editors Note: Remember to check back often for updates from Jake. Also, FastHockey.com will be web casting all of Team USA's games while they are in Germany (for a small fee). Also, remember that McCabe isn't the only future Badger on the squad, 2012 forward recruit Nic Kerdiles is also on the roster.

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Jake McCabe checks in from Germany

2011 Wisconsin defensive recruit Jake McCabe has agreed to do a correspondence piece with us daily while he is in Germany for the IIHF U18 World Championships. Jake will be updating us as they go through the tournament when he gets some free time.

Right now the Americans are in the pre-tournament exhibition portion of their schedule. Jake was kind enough to check in after the American squad played Canada in their first exhibition game. Thanks again Jake.

Jake McCabe, Team USA U18, IIHF U18 World Championships 4/09/2011

"Hey guys, we got all settled in to Crimmitschau around noon on Thursday and we've been really happy with the accommodations we've gotten. The hotel and food has probably been the best we've had in our 2 years with the program which will make the 2 and a half weeks much easier.

We had our first exhibition match up against Canada today and lost 2-1. It was in Dresden which is about an hour away from where we're staying. It was tied up 1-1 after two and they took the lead in the 3rd with a PP goal. We played good but had too many penalties which ended up costing us.

We have another exhibition game on Monday against the Fins who have given us tough games all year. This loss is our 5th in a row so that's a big game for us to go into the tournament with confidence."

Team USA's Next Game: Monday vs Finland 12:30 PM CST (Exhibition)

Editors Note: Remember to check back for daily updates from Jake. Also, FastHockey.com will be web casting all of Team USA's games while they are in Germany (for a small fee). Also, remember that McCabe isn't the only future Badger on the squad, 2012 forward recruit Nic Kerdiles is also on the roster.

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Has The WCHA Changed Its Recruiting?

In reviewing Wisconsin's current committed recruits recently it's been noteworthy that the Badgers do not have a player currently committed past 2012. Defenseman Tim Davison from Notre Dame Academy and Brad Navin from Waupaca are 2012 or 2013 depending on development and departures but they are juniors (Davison) and seniors (Navin) in high school.

Since Eaves has taken over the Wisconsin program it's become the norm for him to stockpile some early commits. Guys like Jack Skille, Kyle Turris, Nick Pryor, Brock Montpetit, Jordan Schmaltz, Corbin McGuire, Nicolas Kerdiles, and Morgan Zulinick all committed as high school Sophomores or earlier in some cases.

But as you can see from that list, the early commit isn't all it's cracked up to be. Skille probably turned out the best with two solid years. Turris was good but was only here for a season. Pryor never could get into school. Montpetit refused to sign his LOI when it was sent to him. And Schmaltz de-committed after Badger assistant coach Mark Osiecki left for the Ohio State head coaching job. McGuire, Zulinick, and Kerdiles are all 2012 recruits who still have time to write their own chapter.

In the past the idea of not recruiting players until they are a senior in high school has been discussed but quickly dismissed with the consistent threat of the best players spurning NCAA hockey for Major Juniors. But it almost seems like the WCHA coaches are taking a new approach to recruiting young talent.

A quick view of Chris Heisenberg's recruiting website shows among all WCHA programs, only 6 high school sophomores or younger committed to WCHA schools. Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, who are traditionally among the heavyweights when it comes to recruiting in the league have only two combined, with North Dakota receiving a commitment from North Carolina defenseman Charlie Pelnik and Denver a verbal from Lincoln Stars forward Brad Hawkinson. UMD (2), Colorado College, and Bemidji State are the other WCHA schools to have an early commit.

But the trend doesn't continue when you look around the country. Let's take a peek at Hockey East. Boston College has 5 by themselves! Boston University has 2, Maine has 3, Merrimack has 1, UNH has 2, Northeastern has 3, and Vermont has 1. That's 17 players committed as sophomores or freshmen compared to the WCHA's 6.

In the CCHA Bowling Green has 1, Miami has 3, Michigan, like BC has 5! Michigan State has 1, and Northern Michigan has 1. So in the three major conferences, Hockey East has 17, CCHA 11, and the WCHA 6.

Does this mean anything? Hard to say, but I think this might be a conscious effort on the part of WCHA coaches who have been burned in the past on early commitments. It will be interesting to see if the trend continues.

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McCabe to blog for 60 Minutes in Germany

With great pleasure I'm pleased to announce that Wisconsin recruit Jake McCabe, who Wednesday afternoon was named to the United States Under 18 team that will participate in the U18 World Championships in Germany April 14-24th has agreed to blog for us while he's overseas.

McCabe will be giving us a brief daily update on how the team is doing, what they are doing, and some different insights that you can't get from simply following the box score from the IIHF website.

The 17 year old defenseman from Eau Claire, Wisconsin will be the third Badger recruit to blog for us while participating in the U18 World Championships. Two seasons ago, current Badger sophomore defenseman John Ramage gave us daily updates on their way to a gold medal in Fargo, North Dakota. Three seasons ago former recruit Nick Pryor did the same from Russia.

After a standout freshman season at Eau Claire Memorial high school, McCabe made the move to Ann Arbor to join the National Team Development Program. Currently a member of the U18 NTDP squad, McCabe has been a top defenseman for that club since returning from injury earlier in the season.

Over the past two years McCabe has been accelerating his studies to graduate high school in three years so he can join the Badgers next fall. Current Wisconsin freshman Michael Mersch, another graduate of the NTDP program in Ann Arbor did the same.

Team USA is expected to go overseas about a week before the tournament is set to begin so Jake may begin giving updates as soon as April 6th so continue to check here often for what's going on with the best under 18 players our great country has to offer.

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Kerdiles, McCabe Named To USA U-18 World Championship Roster

Wednesday afternoon USA Hockey released the official roster that will represent the United States for the 2011 U-18 World Championships that will take place in Germany April 14-24th.

A pair of future Badgers were selected to represent the red, white, and blue overseas as they look to win their third straight gold medal in the event.

Jake McCabe (pictured, far left), a 2011 Wisconsin defense recruit was no surprise to make the roster. McCabe, who has been accelerating his studies to graduate early and enroll at Madison in the fall has been a regular top 4 defenseman for the NTDP U-18 squad since returning from a back injury that kept him out the first month or two of the season. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native has 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) this season in 38 games for the NTDP this season.

Nicolas Kerdiles, a 2012 forward recruit was more of a surprise to make the roster. Kerdiles has spent the majority of this season playing with the NTDP U-17 squad where he has 27 points (17 goals, 10 assists) in 40 games. Kerdiles was promoted to the U-18 squad mid-season and continued to score with 8 points in 12 games. But the Irvine, California native was sent back down to the U-17 squad for the past month and his invite to the U-18 World Championships was up in the air. Kerdiles handled the demotion well and played well since returning to the U-17's, well enough to get invited to Germany.

Update: Here is what United States of Hockey writer Chris Peters had to say about Kerdiles being included on the roster-"Kerdiles is an interesting pick for this team. He actually got called up to the U18s in late January and earned a spot at the U18 Five Nations Cup and performed admirably. However, he was sent back to the U17s. Instead of pouting, all Kerdiles did was up his game. In his last four games with the U17s, he posted five points against USHL competition. Sure enough, he was called back for this tournament and will play as one of four under-agers on the U.S. roster. Kerdiles has great size and strength for a kid his age. His offensive talent is there and he can skate. His style of game lends itself well to the U.S. team."

Team USA will play two exhibition games in Dresden, Germany against Canada and Finland before starting the tournament on April 14th in Crimmitschau, Germany vs. Switzerland. All games will be streamed live by FastHockey.com for a fee.

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Recruiting: Zulinick vs Rumpel in BCHL Showdown

I've been severely lacking on recruiting posts lately so as some recruits are wrapping up their seasons and others are starting playoffs and things I thought I would give an update on everyone briefly.

Remember to check out the recruiting statistics website that I try to keep updated which can be found here or on the side bar of our site. I've also updated the potential recruits as well. If you know of anyone that should be added, feel free to send me an e-mail.

Patrick Daly (Benilde-St. Margarets high school)-2011 recruit: Daly's season was completed recently when his BSM squad was defeated by Wayzata in the section playoffs. Daly, who will be coming to Madison straight out of high school finished his senior season with 40 points. He is a finalist for the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award which will be announced on Sunday.

Tim Davison (Notre Dame Academy high school/Team Wisconsin)-2012 or 2013 recruit: Davison recently wrapped up his high school season with NDA where they were ousted in the State semi-finals by Middleton. Davison finished the high school season with 47 points in 27 games for the Tritons. Davison's season is not over however. Tim will be back in action this weekend with Team Wisconsin as they play in the WAHA state tournament at Cap ice in Middleton.

Nic Kerdiles (USA NTDP U17 and U18)-2012 recruit: Kerdiles has had a phenomenal season with the NTDP and was promoted from the U17 team to the U18 team for a few weeks. Between the two clubs this season Kerdiles had 30 points in 47 games for the red, white, and blue. Kerdiles is hopeful that he will be invited to the U18 world championships in Germany this spring.

Joseph LaBate (Academy of Holy Angels high school)-2011 recruit: LaBate, who committed to Wisconsin over the weekend is an intriguing prospect. Considered a bit of a project, LaBate put up 66 points in 34 games between his high school club and the Upper Mid-West High School Elite League. LaBates season is over as his Holy Angels squad lost to Prior Lake in the Minnesota High School playoffs. LaBate is expected to be a second or third round NHL draft selection. Like Daly, LaBate is a Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist.

Tyler Lapic (Chicago Steel, USHL)-2011 recruit: Lapic has had an up and down career in the USHL so far and has yet to find the consistency that you would like. Currently Lapic is stuck in a bad situation in Chicago with a bad team. Lapic brings size and skill to the table so once he's in Eaves system hopefully his game will evolve. Lapic has 15 points this season for the Steel.

Jake McCabe (USA NTDP U18)-2011 recruit: The Eau Claire native has had an impressive season for the U18 squad and has started to gain national recognition. His play for Team USA this season has garnered attention among NHL scouts and he's considered a mid-round pick for the 2012 NHL Draft. McCabe, who will be expected to contribute immediately for the Badgers next season has 15 points in 34 games from the blueline for Team USA. McCabe will be a top 4 defenseman when the USA U18's go to Germany for the U18 World Championships.

Corbin McGuire (Fargo Force, USHL/Springfield Pics, EJHL)-2012 recruit: Consider this a lost season for McGuire. The young 1993 born forward who is only a junior in high school made the move to the USHL this season and struggled with the transition before suffering a concussion that forced him on the 45 day IR. Upon his return he was loaned to Springfield of the EJHL where he could be closer to home. Expect a bounce back season for McGuire in 2011.

Brad Navin (Waupaca high school/Team Wisconsin)-2012 or 2013 recruit: Navin was on pace to virtually unanimously win the Wisconsin Mr. Hockey award before a sprained MCL forced Navin to the sidelines. The 6'2 forward put up a ridiculous 52 points in 14 high school games this season with Waupaca before he was injured. Like Davison, Navin is joining Team Wisconsin for the spring season. No word yet on if Navin's knee has recovered enough for him to play at this point.

Matt Paape (Sioux City, USHL)-2011 recruit: Paape came out of the gates hot last season putting points on the board but his pace has slowed considerably. Playing a more responsible two way game, Pappe will be more than ready to play for the Badgers next season. Paape has 11 points for the Musketeers this season.

Brendan Woods (Muskegon, USHL)-2011 recruit: Like I mentioned yesterday in my post, Woods is finally starting to heat up. The 2011 recruit has 5 goals in his past 5 games and is taking a proactive approach to his game. Son of Washington Capitals assistant coach Bob Woods, Brendan's game is progressing to a level where he could be in line to put a few points on the board for the Badgers next season.

Morgan Zulinick (Salmon Arm Silverbacks, BCHL)-2012 recruit: Like the headline indicates, Zulinick and his Salmon Arm squad are in the playoffs and taking on Joel Rumpel and his Penticton Vees. Zulinick missed a few games in the first round of the playoffs due to the flu but he's back and healthy. A junior in high school, Zulinick is having a fine rookie season for the Silverbacks. Zulinick has 32 points in 41 games (including playoffs). He will be one of the top recruits for the 2012 season.

Joel Rumpel (Penticton Vees, BCHL)-2011 recuit: Rumpel, (pictured) is the rock between the pipes for the Vees. Already tabbed as the starting goalie next season for the Badgers, Rumpel has started 51 games this season for the Vees and has very respectable numbers (especially for the high scoring BCHL) with a 2.48 GAA and .910 Save Percentage. Zulinick and his Salmon Arm Silverbacks hold a 2-0 advantage in their second round match up but Rumpel and the Vees aren't backing down.

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Cody Strang to Bemidji State

It looks like Madison native Cody Strang's dream of playing in the WCHA still has legs. The Sixty Minutes blog was able to speak with Strang Tuesday night and he indicated to us that the rumors of him heading to Bemidji State next year were true. Strang told us that he will have to sit out one season and will join the Beavers for 2012.

Strang, who plays for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League was originally committed to the University of Wisconsin, his hometown team for the 2011 hockey season. Due to academics, Strang didn't qualify academically for the 2011 season, virtually ending his career with the Badgers before it started.

A standout at Madison Edgewood in high school, Strang won the 2009 Mr. Hockey Award. Currently one of the top forwards in the USHL, Strang was named to the 2011 USHL mid-season All-Star team. Strang's 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 47 games rank him second on the Phantoms in points this season. His +19 plus/minus rating is tied for sixth in the USHL.

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Badgers Land Elite Twin-Cities Recruit For 2011

News has just broke that the Badgers have received a verbal commitment from Joseph LaBate for the 2011-12 hockey season.

LaBate, a centerman from the Academy of Holy Angels, a private school from the twin-cities is one of the last remaining elite forwards in the class of 2011.

The 6'4 lefty is a skilled pivot who is expected to hear his name called in the upcoming 2011 NHL Draft which is being held in his home state of Minnesota. LaBate was ranked as the #60 North American skater by the NHL's Central Scouting staff during it's mid-term rankings. According to The Hockey News, LaBate is expected to go somewhere between the second and third round of the draft.

A spot for LaBate in the 2011 class recently opened up when this blog broke the news that Madison native Cody Strang would not qualify academically to be eligible for the 2011-2012 hockey season. LaBate joins a freshman class that includes USHL forwards Brendan Woods (Muskegon), Tyler Lapic (Chicago), and Matt Pappe (Sioux City) in addition to NTDP defeseman Jake McCabe, Minnesota high school defenseman Patrick Daly, and BCHL goalie Joel Rumpel from Penticton.

LaBate, who is arguably the best forward in Minnesota high school hockey is a finalist for this years Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award. LaBate and Minnesota Gopher recruit Kyle Rau are expected to be the front runners in this years class. Past Mr. Hockey winners that have attended Wisconsin include Tom Gorowsky and Ryan McDonagh. Badger recruit Patrick Daly is also a finalist this year.

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Badgers lose another recruit due to academics

Forward recruit Cody Strang, who had signed a letter of intent to play hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers starting in the fall of 2011 informed the Sixty Minutes blog tonight that he will not be joining the team next season as he did not meet the requirements set by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

It had been known for weeks in the inner circles around the program that Strang's eligibility was in question and tonight Strang gave us the unfortunate news. Disappointing news for Strang, the program, as well as the fans who are getting cheated out of watching a very talented player suit up for the Badgers.

Strang was very up front about the situation and he indicated to me that it was a GPA issue that caused him to not pass the clearinghouse. Looking at the NCAA Clearinghouse website, they have a sliding scale that incorporates GPA and the test scores (ACT or SAT) to determine your eligibility.

Strang also talked about his future plans, "I can't play next season. Not sure if I'm going to enroll at UW or not. I might end up playing Division 3." Strang would not be eligible to return to the USHL next season as he was born in 1990 and will be too old next season. Strang later indicated to me that he's looking at UW-Stevens Point as a possible destination next year.

Strang, who is having a bounce back season was named to the USHL All-Star team this season. The former Madison Edgewood standout is second on the Youngstown Phantoms in scoring and has developed into a great two way forward in the USHL.

Strang is the second Wisconsin recruit who was scheduled to join the program for 2011 that will not due to academics. A few months ago news broke that Troy Hesketh, a defensmean from Minnetonka, Minnesota would not be admitted to the University. Hesketh has not yet committed to another school.

The Badgers currently have three other forward recruits lined up for for next fall. Brendan Woods (Muskegon, USHL), Matt Paape (Sioux City, USHL), and Tyler Lapic (Chicago, USHL) are set to join defensemen Patrick Daly (Benilde-St. Margarets, MN HS) and Jake McCabe (NTDP), as well as goaltender Joel Rumpel (Penticton, BCHL) next season.

The Badgers lose 3 senior forwards, Podge Turnbull, Sean Dolan, and Patrick Johnson and there is obviously the potential to lose more due to early departures. There is no word yet on if Wisconsin will recruit another forward for 2011 or go with the bodies they have. The only other committed forward who could be brought in is Waupaca senior forward Brad Navin. Navin is currently coming off of an MCL injury and it's unlikely at this point that the Badgers would bring him in straight out of Wisconsin high school.

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UW Recruiting: Strang named USHL All-Star

The United States Hockey League has announced it's mid-season All-Stars and it features a future Badger. 2011 Wisconsin forward recruit Cody Strang has been honored by the league as one of the top forwards in the Eastern Conference.

Strang, a native of Madison, Wisconsin is in his second season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. Injured most of his rookie season, Strang has bounced back with the Phantoms this season to post a solid 13-18-31 line through 42 games this season. Strang's 31 points this season leave him second on the team in scoring.

According to the release: "The USHL's CCM All-Star Awards represent one of the most prestigious midseason honors a junior-age player in North America can receive," said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. "These rising stars exemplify what's special about the USHL and USA Hockey's development model."

The former Wisconsin Mr. Hockey Award winner looks like he'll be a two way threat in a Badger sweater. Despite playing on an under .500 Youngstown squad, Strang has managed to be a plus/minus +18 this season. Normally I don't think much about the stat due to it's flaws, but the next highest plus/minus on Youngstown is a +6 and only six of the Phantoms players even own a positive plus/minus. Strang's +18 rating ranks him fifth in the USHL in the category.

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UW Recruiting: Davison prepares for playoffs

The Wisconsin high school hockey playoffs officially kicked off on Tuesday but for most of the top seeds, Thursday is opening night. That includes Wisconsin defense recruit Tim Davison, who's Notre Dame Academy Tritons open up regional play at home against the Oshkosh Ice Hawks at Cornerstone Arena.

I had an opportunity to talk with Davison, who is a projected 2012 or 2013 recruit about the playoffs tonight.

Notre Dame Academy, winners of their last eight games including three against top 10 teams are just coming into their own. "We had some ups and downs in the middle of our season, and as of late we have been playing well."

Davison was a part of the Tritons squad who made it to the State tournament last season and he gave us little insight on what his team needs to do to make a return trip to the coliseum. "The only way we will be able to make it to Madison this year is if our entire team buys into what our coaches have been teaching us all season. It's a team effort."

Davison, who tied for the team lead in scoring in the regular season with 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 23 games wasn't shy about singling out the favorites this season. "Eau Claire Memorial is the team to beat."

Memorial got the best of Notre Dame Academy 3-2 about a month ago at the Resch center but Davison notes things could change in the playoffs. "If we are fortunate enough to make it to state, I believe anything could happen there."

Notre Dame Academy and Eau Claire Memorial are on opposite sides of the bracket and would only meet should the two teams reach the State Championship game. A rematch between the two would certainly be must see TV.

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2011 Recruit Patrick Daly Named Mr. Hockey Finalist

The Wisconsin Badgers have a history with the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award. Two recent winners have gone on to have great success with the Badgers. In 2004, Centennial forward Tom Gorowsky would take home the award before moving on to a nice career at Wisconsin. In 2007 it was former Badger, and current New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh who was presented with the hardware.

This year 2011 Badger recruit Patrick Daly of Benilde-St. Margarets has been named a top 10 finalist for the award.

According to the Minnesota Minutemen website: "The Mr. Hockey Award is given to the outstanding senior high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota and is selected by a panel of National Hockey League Scouts, Division One coaches and selected media members from around the state. Three other awards will be presented at the banquet: The Frank Brimsek Award, The John Mariucci Award, given to the Class A and Class AA high school coaches of the year and The Cliff Thompson Award, presented to the “Old Timer Coach” of the year."

Daly, who committed to the Badgers on January 10th is having an outstanding senior season for Benilde. Daly had 34 points in 21 games for the Red Knights including an incredible 31 assists.

Daly, who will join Jake McCabe from the NTDP as recruited 2011 defensemen has gotten rave reviews from people around the state. I was able to speak with Fargo Force beat writer Ryan Clark who managed to see him when Benilde was in Moorehead and gave a glowing review, "A-freaking-mazing. He's ungodly fast and his only weak spot, to this point, is he does not shoot. You guys got a good one. He's always checking, he's active with his stick, gets in the passing lane and can take a shot. Best HS d-man I've seen (this year)."

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Hesketh no longer coming to Wisconsin

Sources familiar to the situation have informed the Sixty Mintues blog that defenseman Troy Hesketh, originally slated to be a 2011 Wisconsin recruit is no longer in the plans for the Badgers.

Hesketh, who hails from Minnetonka, Minnesota has been traded twice so far in this USHL season. He was set to start the year with Fargo but they traded him to Chicago just days before the season opener. Last week Hesketh was moved to Sioux City.

According to people with knowledge of the situation, Hesketh will not be admitted to the University academically. It's rumored that he doesn't currently posses an ACT score high enough for enrollment at the University of Wisconsin.

To say that Hesketh's USHL career has been a rocky one is an understatement. The former Edmonton Oiler draft pick has not yet registered a point in 22 USHL games, is a -12 in the plus/minus category, and has 30 penalty minutes.

Many people got suspicious when Wisconsin did not sign Hesketh in the early signing period this fall. When rumors of his ACT score being low started getting out late last week I knew it was only a matter of time before Wisconsin looked in another direction. That direction we found out late last night was Benilde-St. Margaret's defenseman Patick Daly.

Hesketh's WHL rights are owned by the Edmonton Oil Kings and I've been told that he's considering going that route. Hesketh was traded to Sioux City of the USHL early last week but didn't play for the Musketeers last weekend. I have no word on if he reported to Sioux City or not.

I'll keep you updated if any new information comes to light.
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Update: Andy Baggot is also hearing that Hesketh is out.

Update: Evans from the Daily Cardinal has an article up. He talked with someone close to the situation who talked about how Hesketh hasn't improved since his junior year of high school.

Update: Baggot has another piece out where he says he's hearing academics were an issue. Confirming what my sources said was the main issue.

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