Anderson spending weekend at OHA camp

I stumbled across this today. It's a camp for the aspiring Daultan Leveilles of the world -- junior A and B players in Ontario. John Anderson's son Spencer spent two years in the OPJHL, which I'm sure is how he got involved with the camp.

Former Toronto Maple Leaf star and head coach of the AHL Chicago Wolves returning to the OHAHP this June.

John Anderson will attend the 2008 OHA High Performance Hockey Program that is set to take place in London, from June 27th to June 29th at the Western Fair Sports Centre. This is the third year of the program and will once again provide players, parents, and coaches education regarding opportunities on and off the ice in hockey.

John Anderson will be available for all players and parents through out the course of the weekend, while also serving as the keynote speaker at the on Friday evening. He will also offer participating OHA coaches an opportunity to discuss tactics, drills and other aspects beneficial to successfully leading a team.

Wednesday tidbits

This first one I'll include because a fair number of people will be interested. Nashville did not give John Vigilante, brother of Mike, a qualifying offer:

The Predators have decided not to make qualifying offers to three players in the organization — forwards Brandon Bochenski and John Vigilante, as well as goalie Dov Grumet-Morris. All will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

I think little Vig is quite a good player. Not that he'll necessarily ever make the NHL, but he's better than most people think.

Another player who is now a free agent who is worthwhile is goaltender Ryan Munce. He got a raw deal in LA and then Tampa's system with all of their drama. But he has talent and is a down to earth guy. I hope he catches on somewhere.

Angelo Esposito was not invited to Team Canada camp for the World Junior team. Given that he's been cut three times from it, it's not surprising.

Meanwhile, as was mentioned as a possibility months ago, former Thrashers fan favorite Denny Lambert was named head coach of the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds thanks to Craig Hartsburg's departure for the NHL. Here's the story. This second one has a photo.

I can't remember where I saw it now, but there was speculation that Trent Yawney would join the Sharks coaching staff. That's just one more name to cross off the possibilities for Atlanta.

Albert, Bogosian, Saponari invited to Team USA camp

A little late on the pickup here due to the draft, but 2007 Thrashers draftee John Albert has been invited to Lake Placid for the World Junior team tryouts, along with 2008 picks Zach Bogosian and Vinny Saponari.

COLUMBUS, Ohio –John Albert, a rising sophomore forward on the Ohio State men’s hockey team, is one 53 players invited to attend the 2008 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Aug. 1-9 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Participating players are candidates for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior (Under-20) Championship Dec. 26, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009
in Ottawa, Ontario.

Here's the rest of the list because it's so incredibly hard to find on the USA Hockey website.

2008 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp

GOALTENDERS (5)
Name Ht (cm) Wt (kg) Birthdate S/C Hometown 2007-08 Team (League)
Mike Lee 6-1 (185) 185 (84) 10/5/90 L Roseau, Minn. Roseau (Minn.) High School
Brandon Maxwell 6-0 (183) 190 (86) 3/22/91 L Winter Park, Fla. U.S. National Under-17 Team
Thomas McCollum* 6-1 (185) 196 (89) 12/7/89 L Sanborn, N.Y. Guelph (OHL)
Jeremy Smith^* 6-0 (183) 175 (80) 4/13/89 L Brownstown, Mich. Plymouth (OHL)
Josh Unice* 5-11 (185) 185 (84) 6/24/89 L Holland, Ohio Kitchener (OHL)

DEFENSEMEN (18)
Jonathon Blum^* 6-1 (185) 185 (84) 1/30/89 R Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Vancouver (WHL)
Zach Bogosian 6-2 (188) 200 (91) 7/15/90 R Massena, N.Y. Peterborough (OHL)
John Carlson 6-2 (188) 215 (98) 1/10/90 R Colonia, N.J. Indiana (USHL)
Colby Cohen 6-3 (190) 210 (95) 4/25/89 R Villanova, Pa. Boston University (HEA)
Ian Cole^* 6-1 (185) 217 (98) 2/21/89 L Ann Arbor, Mich. University of Notre Dame (CCHA)
Adam Comrie 6-4 (194) 201 (92) 7/31/90 R Ashburn, Va. Saginaw (OHL)
Tommy Cross 6-3 (190) 195 (88) 9/12/89 L Simsbury, Conn. Westminster School (Conn.)
Cade Fairchild^* 5-10 (178) 184 (83) 1/15/89 L Duluth, Minn. University of Minnesota (WCHA)
Cam Fowler 6-1 (185) 185 (84) 12/5/91 L Farmington Hills, Mich. U.S. National Under-17 Team
Jake Gardiner 6-2 (188) 175 (80) 7/4/90 L Deephaven, Minn. Minnetonka (Minn.) High School
Blake Kessel 6-2 (188) 204 (92) 4/13/89 R Madison, Wis. Waterloo (USHL)
Ryan McDonagh* 6-1 (185) 208 (94) 6/13/89 L Arden Hills, Minn. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
Aaron Ness 5-10 (178) 170 (77) 5/18/90 L Roseau, Minn. Roseau (Minn.) High School
Nick Petrecki 6-3 (190) 215 (98) 7/11/89 L Clifton Park, N.Y. Boston College (HEA)
Teddy Ruth* 6-0 (183) 201 (91) 2/14/89 R Naperville, Ill. University of Notre Dame (CCHA)
Kevin Shattenkirk* 5-11 (180) 193 (87) 1/29/89 R New Rochelle, N.Y. Boston University (HEA)
Scooter Vaughan 6-0 (183) 195 (88) 4/8/89 R Placentia, Calif. University of Michigan (CCHA)
David Warsofsky 5-8 (172) 170 (77) 5/30/90 L Marshfield, Mass. U.S. National Under-18 Team

FORWARDS (30)
John Albert 5-11 (180) 180 (82) 1/19/89 L Concord, Ohio The Ohio State University (CCHA)
Ryan Bourque 5-7 (170) 170 (77) 1/3/91 L Boxford, Mass. U.S. National Under-17 Team
Drayson Bowman 6-1 (185) 195 (88) 3/8/89 L Littleton, Colo. Spokane (WHL)
Jack Connolly 5-8 (172) 165 (75) 8/15/89 L Duluth, Minn. Sioux Falls (USHL)
Robbie Czarnik 6-0 (183) 185 (84) 1/25/90 R Washington, Mich. U.S. National Under-18 Team
Justin Florek 6-4 (194) 195 (88) 5/18/90 L Marquette, Mich. U.S. National Under-18 Team
Jake Hansen 6-1 (185) 185 (84) 8/21/89 R White Bear Lake, Minn. Sioux Falls (USHL)
Jimmy Hayes* 6-3 (190) 205 (93) 11/21/89 R Dorchester, Mass. Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Mike Hoeffel 6-2 (188) 195 (88) 4/9/89 L North Oaks, Minn. University of Minnesota (WCHA)
AJ Jenks 6-2 (188) 210 (95) 6/27/90 L Wolverine Lake, Mich. Plymouth (OHL)
Tyler Johnson 5-9 (175) 175 (80) 7/29/90 L Spokane, Wash. Spokane (WHL)
Danny Kristo 5-11 (180) 175 (80) 6/18/90 R Eden Prairie, Minn. U.S. National Under-18 Team
Drew LeBlanc 5-11 (180) 185 (84) 6/29/89 L Hermantown, Minn. Chicago (USHL)
Colin Long 5-11 (180) 180 (82) 6/19/89 R Santa Ana, Calif. Kelowna (WHL)
Philip McRae 6-2 (188) 189 (86) 3/15/90 L Chesterfield, Mo. London (OHL)
Jeremy Morin 6-0 (183) 185 (84) 4/16/91 R Auburn, N.Y. U.S. National Under-17 Team
James O’Brien 6-2 (188) 190 (86) 1/29/89 R Maplewood, Minn. Seattle (WHL)
Kyle Palmieri 5-10 (178) 185 (84) 2/1/91 R Montvale, N.J. U.S. National Under-17 Team
Nick Palmieri 6-2 (188) 212 (96) 7/12/89 R Clinton, N.Y. Erie (OHL)
Aaron Palushaj* 6-0 (183) 185 (84) 9/7/89 R Northville, Mich. University of Michigan (CCHA)
Matt Rust^* 5-10 (178) 188 (85) 3/23/89 L Bloomfield Hills, Mich. University of Michigan (CCHA)
Vinny Saponari 6-0 (183) 185 (84) 2/15/90 R Powder Springs, Ga. U.S. National Under-18 Team
Jordan Schroeder^* 5-8 (172) 180 (82) 9/29/90 R Lakeville, Minn. U.S. National Under-18 Team
Eric Tangradi* 6-3 (191) 214 (97) 2/10/89 L Philadelphia, Pa. Belleville (OHL)
Corey Tropp 6-0 (183) 185 (84) 7/25/89 R Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. Michigan State University (CCHA)
James vanRiemsdyk^*%& 6-3 (191) 211 (95) 5/4/89 L Middletown, N.J. University of New Hampshire (HEA)
Mitch Wahl 6-0 (183) 190 (86) 1/22/90 R Seal Beach, Calif. Spokane (WHL)
Patrick White* 6-1 (185) 190 (86) 1/20/89 R Grand Rapids, Minn. University of Minnesota (WCHA)
Colin Wilson^* 6-1 (185) 210 (95) 10/20/89 L Greenwich, Conn. Boston University (HEA)
David Wohlberg 6-0 (183) 180 (82) 7/18/90 L South Lyon, Mich. U.S. National Under-18 Team


^2008 U.S. National Junior Team Member
*2007 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Participant
%2007 U.S. National Junior Team Member
&2006 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Participant

Prospect camp dates

I've gotten emails asking me when Thrashers prospect camp is this year. As near as I can tell, it's July 7-13 at the IceForum. Yes it's open to the public.

If you can't wait that long, Nashville's gets underway (on-ice) on Thursday. The Rangers are underway too, but that one I think is closed.

The IceForum is very cold, so remember to bring a jacket. If you wear a t-shirt and shorts, you'll likely be very uncomfortable. Personally I bring a scarf, gloves and earmuffs, because there's no stopping by -- if I drive out there, I'm there for the duration.

Possible small moves

Rumors often start by someone adding 2 and 2 together. Sometimes they add and get 4, sometimes they get 5. Here are a couple things I've added up in the last couple days. Maybe I added correctly, maybe not. I wouldn't post them if I didn't think there was something to it though.

1. Peter Mannino, a free agent goaltender out of DU, signed, or at the very least, invited to prospects camp. There's lots of info out there about Mannino, so Google to your heart's content (basic stats here). This makes a lot of sense. Right now the Thrashers goaltending depth chart is Lehtonen, Hedberg, Pavelec, Turple. If there are two injuries, as it stands right now the team would have to call up Turple, who has played only a handful of games in the AHL. That's a scary proposition. More depth is needed, and Mannino is a good choice. He's 24, he's played in pressure situations. The signing would be reminiscent of when they traded for and then signed Adam Berkhoel a few years ago, who was also a DU goalie. Other teams may be interested in Mannino as well.

2. Chad Painchaud being available. This isn't too surprising given what happened at the end of last year (sent home early from the Gladiators). His name is out there right now, but he could be traded or just reassigned to another team until his contract expires.

3. This last item isn't a rumor, since Jeff Pyle himself told it to me. He's looking at a couple goaltenders for the Gladiators next season: Morgan Cey (Brad Schell's cousin, and someone he looked into last summer too), and Charlie Effinger out of Miami of Ohio.
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Pyle will throw his name to the Wolves

It's June, but Gladiators coach Jeff Pyle is on a road trip. This time it's not yet another jaunt to Columbia, but rather the Grand Canyon with his wife and kids. But he took his cell phone with him, which he'll use after the weekend is over to call Chicago Wolves GM Kevin Chevaldayoff and express his interest in the coaching opening with that club -- the one created when John Anderson was hired by the Thrashers.

"I think the world of the organization," he said of the Wolves. Leaving Gwinnett for Chicago is not an issue, as a coach often has to move around to further his career (how about Germany to Mobile, Alabama?). "I've moved my whole life," he said. Pyle has two sisters and a brother who live in Minnesota and his wife's family lives in California. His two children are young, grade school aged. This being June, there wouldn't be any pulling them out of school.

Pyle wanted to talk about Anderson as much as himself. He said he was happy for him and Anderson deserved a chance. "Johnny knows those kids," he said. "He can get them to respond." He said for Anderson it's not about ego. Then he gave what must be the ultimate compliment among coaches: "I'd play for him."

He pointed out that he and Anderson think a lot alike, which led into me asking if he'd be willing to play Atlanta's (new) system if asked. He said he wasn't tied to one system, that if things aren't working, you change them. "If that's what Atlanta wanted to do, we'd do it." He pointed out that a lot of organizations are starting to do that from the top down, like the Islanders. He said that in Gwinnett, neither Atlanta nor Chicago had ever asked him to play a certain way. He said he tried some of their things anyway though, like trapping for a bit last year. It worked for a while, he said. "Yeah, we'd give it a shot," he said of using a playbook from above. "But if it's wrong I'd have no problem telling them." He gave the example of the long-debated question of whether Chad Denny should be a defenseman or forward. Pyle thought he developed as a defenseman over the course of the year. "Let him focus on it," he said.

Regarding Gwinnett, he said he loved the organization, "but it's hard in this league." There are so many directions he gets pulled in, so many hats to wear, that he doesn't get to focus on coaching as much as he'd like. Teams are short-handed a lot, the road trips are long. In the A, you can be more focused on the coaching part.

Then came the part of the conversation where Pyle starts to tell stories from the past. You get him talking long enough, it always happens.

I asked how long he had known Chevy. He said he met him when he was just starting out as a coach in Grand Rapids. Pyle was like the third assistant there, "and not qualified for the job," he said. He bumped into Chevy, who was looking for Bob McNamara, in the hallway. Pyle knew who Chevy was so he struck up a conversation. Years later, when Pyle was coaching the ECHL Mobile Mysticks, he had a player named Dave Craievich, who had played a few games for the Wolves. Chevy wanted to call him up. With about 10-15 games left in the season, the Mysticks were struggling to make the playoffs, and being the kind of team guy he was, Craievich wanted to stay and help the team. "Chevy got pissed at me," Pyle said. "I told him that I had offered for Craievich to go, and he didn't want to. I told Chevy, 'I can't make him go.'" That year, the team did squeak into the playoffs, but lost miserably in the first round, as Pyle recounted in clear detail.

Obviously Chevy got over the Craievich matter as time passed. Pyle said he's always treated him great, and treated Gwinnett great. He said the Wolves were a perfect affiliate, and that he wasn't saying that just to be a kiss-ass.

Regading Todd Nelson, currently an assistant with the Wolves, Pyle has commented in the past during the Traverse City tournament (where they coach together) how well they get along and see things the same way. He had a story about Nelly too. Again it was from the same period in Grand Rapids, and Nelly was a player. Over the course of that year, Pyle went from being and eye in the sky and making game tape to coaching the power play and penalty kills. Nelly credited Pyle with turning his season around, but Pyle didn't agree. "He told me, 'I had no confidence and you patted me on the back,'" Pyle recalled. "I don't think I had anything to do with it, but that's the way he remembers it."

Pyle sounded ready to work in any capacity, assistant coach or lead. He said he wouldn't be too worried about it. "It's all about winning and finding a way to support each other."
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2008 draft: Brothers available on Day 2

Bloodlines not only make good human interest stories, they also add some certainty to what kind of player someone is. There are several younger brothers of NHL players or former top picks still available in the 2008 entry draft.

David Toews, brother of Jonathan (CHI).
Joonas Rask, brother of Tuukka (BOS).
Jared Staal, brother of Eric, Marc, and Jordan.
Mark Olver, brother of Darin (formerly NYR)
Nik Pokulok, brother of Sasha (WAS)
Ian Schultz, brother of Jeff (WAS)
Michael Pelech, brother of Matt (Calgary first rounder)
Brian Lashoff, brother of Matt (BOS)

Thomas Frazee is not related to Jeff as far as I can tell, which actually raises his stock in my book.

If Brian Lashoff is anything like his brother, who is also a defenseman, he'd be a good pickup. Here's an article on him from November. Matt Lashoff played with Boris Valabik in Kitchener back in the day.

David Carle, brother of Matt (SJ) was just discovered to have a heart condition and will have to retire from hockey.
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