Image courtesy of SportsNet.ca
It was another week of intriguing news in regards to the prospects of the Philadelphia Flyers, as one of the biggest prospects Philly has on defense signed an entry-level contract this week. On top of that, another big-name d-man prospect is in the running for the Hobey Baker Award, while several others helped their team in the CHL or NCAA postseason.
The Orange and Black agreed to terms on a deal with Robert Hagg, as it looks as though an entry-level contract with the player will begin in the 2014-2015. The 6’2” 207-pound blue liner was picked 41st overall by the Flyers in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and was expected to grow as a player quickly. Between MODO HK in the SHL and MODO J20 in the SuperElit this season, Hagg has two goals, 11 assists, and 53 PIMs in 58 games. Since the entry-level deal starts next season, Hagg has come to North America and will play with the Adirondack Phantoms for the remainder of the season.
As for another prospect that many Flyers’ fans are hoping pans out, Shayne Gostisbehere has been named one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given out each year to the NCAA’s best ice hockey player. A well-respected prospect across the NHL, Gostisbehere has eight goals and 21 assists in 38 games with Union College this season. He is also plus-25 this season with just 24 PIMs. Although he may not win the award, it still says something that the d-man has been nominated.
Gostisbehere also took part in the NCAA postseason this week, as he helped Union College beat Reece Willcox and Cornell University on Friday before beating Colgate University the next day. In Friday’s match between the pair of Flyers’ prospects, Gostisbehere came out on the winning side of the ECAC Hockey Semifinal, as Union College won 5-2. Gostisbehere didn’t record a point in the win, while Willcox recorded a primary assist in defeat. In their ECAC Hockey Championship the next day, Gostisbehere and his teammates beat Colgate University by the same score. The blue liner nicknamed “Ghost” had an assist in the win over Colgate.
Union College will take on Nick Luukko and the University of Vermont on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament East Regional. Luukko and his teammates will conclude a 12-day break when they play Union College on Friday, as the team lost their best-of-three Hockey East Quarterfinals series with UMass Lowell that finished on March 16th.
Another Flyers’ prospect taking part in the NCAA postseason is forward Michael Parks, who will help the University of North Dakota take on Wisconsin on Friday after they beat Western Michigan in the third-place game of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. After the Fighting Sioux were shut out by the Miami RedHawks 3-0 on Friday, Parks and company proceeded to beat Western Michigan 5-0 on Saturday, as Parks didn’t record a point in the five-goal victory. If the University of North Dakota beats Wisconsin on Friday they will advance to the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game on Saturday.
In the CHL, both Scott Laughton and Anthony Stolarz are on teams in the OHL that are currently leading their playoff series 2-0.
Laughton and the Oshawa Generals own a 2-0 advantage as the top seed in the Eastern Conference over the eighth-seeded Mississauga Steelheads. After Laughton recorded an assist and plus-2 rating in Oshawa’s 6-0 decision on Friday, the Generals edged out the Steelheads 3-2 in overtime on Sunday. In the team’s Game 2 victory, Laughton was plus-1 with a pair of assists and four PIMs. The series now goes to Mississauga, as Game 3 takes place tonight and Game 4 will be played on Thursday.
As for Stolarz, the London Knights lead the Windsor Spitfires 2-0 in their 4-5 battle in the OHL’s Western Conference. After stopping 26 of 27 in London’s 6-1 win on Friday, Stolarz allowed three goals against on 36 shots in the team’s 6-3 decision on Saturday. The series shifts to Windsor for Games 3 and 4, which will take place tonight and Thursday.
In the WHL, both Tyrell Goulbourne’s team and Taylor Leier’s team have a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
Goulbourne and the top-seeded Kelowna Rockets are up 2-0 over the Tri-City Americans. The Rockets beat the Americans by the score of 3-1 in both Game 1 and Game 2 of the series. Goulbourne was plus-1 with an assist in the team’s Game 1 win, while he posted a plus-1 rating in the Game 2 victory. The teams will now engage in battle in Tri-City for Game 3 tonight and Game 4 tomorrow.
In the QMJHL, Samuel Morin and Rimouski Oceanic own a 2-0 advantage in their first-round series against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Morin had a goal, three hits, and four PIMs in the team’s 5-3 Game 1 win, while he had two goals, two hits, and a plus-1 rating in the team’s 6-1 Game 2 victory. The series will now shift to Chicoutimi, where Game 3 will be played tonight and Game 4 will be played tomorrow.
Aside from the Hagg signing, as well as the CHL and NCAA postseason, Andrew Johnston made his Phantoms’ season debut over the weekend. After taking part in 50 games with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL this season, Johnston joined Adirondack for all three of their games this past weekend. Johnston failed to record a point and posted an even plus/minus rating overall, as he had three shots on goal in his first stretch of games with Adirondack this season. All three of his shots on goal came in the Phantoms’ 3-0 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday.
- Scott Laughton (Oshawa Generals, OHL) – 90 points (40 goals and 50 assists), plus-15, and 76 PIMs in 56 games.
- Taylor Leier (Portland Winterhawks, WHL) – 83 points (38 goals and 45 assists), plus-50, and 44 PIMs in 64 games.
- Jason Akeson (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 57 points (20 goals and 37 assists), minus-19, and 42 PIMs in 64 games.
- Tye McGinn (Philadelphia Flyers and Adirondack Phantoms) – 38 points (23 goals and 15 assists), minus-20, and 66 PIMs in 63 games.
- Tyrell Goulbourne (Kelowna Rockets, WHL) – 38 points (17 goals and 21 assists), plus-28, and 114 PIMs in 70 games.
- Michael Parks (University of North Dakota, NCAA) – 28 points (11 goals and 17 assists), plus-9, and 26 PIMs in 39 games.
- Ben Holmstrom (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 27 points (11 goals and 16 assists), minus-9, and 137 PIMs in 63 games.
- Petr Straka (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 22 points (Seven goals and 15 assists), minus-4, and 18 PIMs in 48 games.
- Nick Cousins (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 20 points (Eight goals and 12 assists), minus-11 ,and 39 PIMs in 62 games.
- Kyle Flanagan (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 19 points (Five goals and 14 assists), minus-10, and 10 PIMs in 51 games.
- Andrew Johnston (Adirondack Phantoms and Orlando Solar Bears) – 19 points (Four goals and 15 assists) and 42 PIMs in 53 games.
- Brandon Alderson (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL ) – 15 points (Eight goals and Seven assists), minus-15, and 30 PIMs in 59 games.
- Marcel Noebels (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Nine points (Two goals and Seven assists), minus-3, and 27 PIMs in 43 games.
- Tyler Brown (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Seven points (Two goals and Five assists), minus-1, and 10 PIMs in 44 games.
- Derek Mathers (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Two goals, minus-2, and 105 PIMs in 34 games.
- Petr Placek (Harvard University, NCAA) – Zero points, minus-1, and two PIMs in one game.
- Samuel Morin (Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL) – 34 points (10 goals and 24 assists), plus-13, and 125 PIMs in 56 games.
- Shayne Gostisbehere (Union College, NCAA) – 29 points (Eight goals and 21 assists), plus-25, and 24 PIMs in 38 games.
- Brandon Manning (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 26 points (Six goals and 20 assists), minus-21, and 217 PIMs in 62 games.
- Mark Alt (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 21 points (Three goals and 18 assists), minus-14, and 27 PIMs in 63 games.
- Robert Hagg (MODO HK and MODO J20) – 13 points (Two goals and 11 assists), plus-2, and 53 PIMs in 58 games.
- Terrance Amorosa (Sioux City Musketeers, USHL) – 10 points (Two goals and Eight assists), plus-17, and 10 PIMs in 45 games.
- Oliver Lauridsen (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Nine points (One goal and Eight assists), plus-2, and 137 PIMs in 57 games.
- Nick Luukko (University of Vermont, NCAA) – Eight points (Three goals and Five assists) and 26 PIMs in 36 games.
- Maxim Lamarche (Adirondack Phantoms and Elmira Jackals) – Eight points (Three goals and Five assists), minus-1, and 38 PIMs in 57 games.
- Reece Willcox (Cornell University, NCAA) – Seven points (Two goals and Five assists), plus-3, and 10 PIMs in 32 games.
- Tyler Hostetter (Wichita Thunder, CHL) – Six points (Two goals and Four assists), minus-1, and 15 PIMs in 19 games.
- Fredric Larsson (Tri-City Storm and Youngstown Phantoms) – Six points (One goal and Five assists), minus-8, and 79 PIMs in 40 games.
- Cullen Eddy (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Four points (One goal and Three assists), plus-4, and 57 PIMs in 35 games.
- David Drake (Des Moines Buccaneers, USHL) – Four assists, minus-17, and 22 PIMs in 46 games.
- Marc-Andre Bourdon (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Three assists, minus-2, and 12 PIMs in seven games.
- Valeri Vasiliev (Spartak Moscow, KHL) – Three assists, minus-9, and 14 PIMs in 36 games.
- Matt Konan (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – Two assists, minus-7, and 22 PIMs in 26 games.
- Anthony Stolarz (London Knights, OHL) – 25-5-2, .926 save percentage, and 2.52 GAA in regular season. 2-0-0, .937 save percentage, and 2.00 GAA in playoffs.
- Jakub Kovar (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, KHL) – 20-18-10, .931 save percentage, and 2.01 GAA in regular season. 0-4-0, .893 save percentage, and 2.61 GAA in postseason.
- Cal Heeter (Adirondack Phantoms, AHL) – 15-22-0, .914 save percentage, and 2.58 GAA.
- Merrick Madsen (Minot Minotauros, NAHL) – 9-15-0, .906 save percentage, and 2.70 GAA.
