Featured Article
Ducks Top Prospects mid-season report
Written by: Kevin Forbes on 01/23/2004 
1. Ryan Getzlaf, C, Calgary Hitmen
Getzlaf's season keeps getting better and better. He lined up as the right
wing on the "Goof Troop" line for silver-medal
winning Team Canada at the World Juniors with Philadelphia Flyers prospect
Jeff Carter and Minnesota Wild forward Brent
Burns. They were regarded as Canada's top line and were responsible for
tough, physical two-way play. Although at times
Getzlaf appeared snake-bitten at the WJCs, he tallied 3 goals and 3 assists
for 6 points in 6 games, good enough to tie for
third in team scoring. Meanwhile, back in the WHL for the Calgary Hitmen,
Getzlaf is third in scoring for the team, despite
missing time.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Calgary |
WHL |
25 |
13 |
26 |
39 |
56 |
2. Ilya Bryzgalov, G, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Although Bryzgalov has cooled a bit since his hot start in Cincinnati, the
Ducks top netminder prospect looks like he finally
is having the consistent dominant season in the AHL that the team has been
waiting for. With a young team in front of him,
Bryzgalov isn't getting much scoring help. However, he is tied for third in
the AHL in shutouts (4), as well as fifth in the
league in saves (831) and third in the league in minutes played
(1941:02)
| Year |
Team |
League |
GPI |
W |
L |
T |
GAA |
Sv% |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
32 |
15 |
13 |
4 |
2.26 |
.919 |
3. Mark Popovic, D, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Although Popovic hasn't provided an offensive output to the Cincinnati
Mighty Ducks, he has put in a gold medal performance
so far this season. In December, he was loaned to Team Canada for
competition in the Spengler Cup. Popovic returned with his
gold medal (Canada's second consecutive championship), in time to be called
up to Anaheim to make his NHL debut.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
35 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
30 |
| 2003-04 |
Anaheim |
NHL |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4. Tim Brent, C, St. Michael's Majors
Brent also picked up a silver medal at the World Juniors with Team Canada.
An alternate captain, he lined up with fellow
alternate captain, Maxime Talbot and Team Canada team captain, Dan Paille to
form a shutdown line that also proved capable of
providing clutch offensive play. In 6 games at the WJCs, Brent had a goal
and 2 assists for 3 games. In the gold medal game,
Brent was the recipient of an extremely hard hit. He finished the game but
later missed some games at St. Mike's while he
recuperated. Brent has just recently returned to playing, but that means he
will be ready to play in the OHL All-Star Game on
January 27th after he was named to the team earlier this month.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
St. Michael's |
OHL |
31 |
15 |
19 |
34 |
65 |
5. Corey Perry, RW, London Knights
From OHL scoring leader to Mike Comrie trade rumors to Team Canada rejection,
Perry has definitely had one of the more
interesting seasons so far. Perry's hot start in the OHL had some tabbing
him as a sure thing to make Team Canada, but at the
selection camp, he played soft and lost the puck easily. It didn't help that
his name was being thrown around as going to
Edmonton's organization in return for holdout center, Mike Comrie. After
Comrie was traded to Philadelphia, the Ducks had
Perry meet up with the team for a day, to reassure him of his place in the
organization. Perry is currently battling for the
scoring title in the OHL and at this time, is second in league scoring by 1
point. He was also named to the OHL All Star Team.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
London |
OHL |
42 |
28 |
49 |
77 |
74 |
6. Chris Kunitz, LW, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Kunitz has definitely turned his season around since Anaheim's training
camp. Kunitz went white-hot in December and January
in the AHL to rocket to the top of Cincinnati team scoring and AHL rookie
scoring. This strong play opened some eyes in
Anaheim and he earned a call up. He currently is playing for Anaheim, while
still leading Cincinnati and all AHL rookies in
scoring. Before his call up, he tied a Cincinnati franchise record with 5
assists in one game.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
38 |
15 |
16 |
31 |
69 |
| 2003-04 |
Anaheim |
NHL |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7. Tony Martensson, C, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Once again, Martensson looks poised to lead the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in
scoring. He has been getting spot duty in Anaheim
as the Ducks try to find something that works. Martensson's vision and
puckmoving skills are a plus at whatever level he is
playing. His most impressive stat could be that he is leading the Cincy
Ducks in plus/minus with a +14.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
35 |
6 |
23 |
29 |
14 |
| 2003-04 |
Anaheim |
NHL |
6 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
8. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, RW, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Parenteau started slow with Cincinnati, but he has picked it up since then.
He is another one of the large number of rookies
playing in Cincinnati. Parenteau has been passing the puck well, but only
has 1 goal in his last 20 games.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
35 |
4 |
10 |
14 |
8 |
9. Cory Pecker, RW, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Pecker really knows his role well in Cincinnati. He can chip in offensively
but is more valuable playing as a pest and
throwing opponents off their game. He hasn't been scoring as much as he was
last year though, and needs to pick his play
up.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
37 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
22 |
10. Joel Perreault, C, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Perreault has slowed down considerably since being one of the early season
scoring leaders in Cincinnati. Another one of the
rookies down on the farm team, he isn't shooting as much as he was at the
beginning of the season.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
30 |
6 |
6 |
12 |
18 |
11. Joel Stepp, LW, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Yet another rookie for Cincinnati, Stepp started the season strongly and had
a few multi-point games, but he has since cooled
off considerably. He is now being counted on for two-way play.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
33 |
5 |
4 |
9 |
20 |
12. Brandon Rogers, D, Michigan
Definitely a dark horse on the blueline for the Ducks. An alternate captain
in Michigan, he moves the puck well and is a
leader on and off the ice. A player to watch for in the future, and he could
be valuable addition to the Ducks weak defensive
prospect depth.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Michigan |
NCAA |
22 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
28 |
13. Shane Hynes, RW, Cornell
No sophomore slump for this power forward type. Hynes is providing plenty of
offense and physical play for the Big Red in
Cornell. He has good skills and plenty of size, and is only getting
better.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cornell |
NCAA |
17 |
7 |
5 |
12 |
26 |
14. Brian Lee, D, Erie Otters
Showing some offensive flash that was previously not seen, Lee is fifth at
Erie in scoring and has already demolished his
previous career totals. Lee was a candidate to play for the World Junior
champion Team USA, but he never got the call to
play.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Erie |
OHL |
44 |
6 |
23 |
29 |
77 |
15. Vladimir Korsunov, D, Spartek Moscow
Korsunov's team dropped down from the Russian Super League to the Russian
Upper League. The most notable stat of Korsunov's
is his +24 rating in plus/minus. Last season, he ended the season with a -5
rating.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Spartek Moscow |
RUS |
30 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
44 |
16. Nathan Saunders, D, Moncton Wildcats
Leading the Moncton Wildcats in penalty minutes, Saunders is providing
plenty of grit from the blueline. He also hasn't been
a slouch offensively, already surpassing his previous career highs.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Moncton |
QMJHL |
45 |
2 |
21 |
23 |
193 |
17. Shane O'Brien, D, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Another solid physical defender, O'Brien is making AHL forwards' lives
miserable as they come across the blueline in
Cincinnati. Yet another rookie in Cincy, he missed part of the beginning of
the season ensuring a contract could be signed
with Anaheim.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
24 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
77 |
18. Igor Pohanka, C, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
It was thought that the demotion to San Diego of the ECHL would refocus
Pohanka on his play, but it doesn't seem to have
helped much. His play has picked up a little, but there have been few
flashes of the sniper who dominated in the WHL last
season. Yet another rookie in Cincinnati, Pohanka needs to play better or
risk being leap-frogged by other players.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
23 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
| 2003-04 |
San Diego |
ECHL |
11 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
19. Brian Gornick, LW, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Gornick helped the US National Selects win the 2003 Deutschland Cup and then
returned to America to begin his season in
Cincinnati. His Air Force commitments prevented him from playing earlier in
the season.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
17 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
20. Juha Alen, D, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Alen left Northern Michigan University after one year to sign with Anaheim and
join Cincinnati. A rookie in the AHL, so far it
looks like he would of been better served staying in university. The
puck-moving skills that were strong in NMU haven't been
as visible in Cincy.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003-04 |
Cincinnati |
AHL |
24 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
27 |
Copyright 2004 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
HF Quick Navigation
