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Anaheim's college prospect update

Written by: Kevin Forbes on 03/07/2004

Through the years, Anaheim's draft forays into the college ranks have run hot and cold. There are success stories such as Paul Kariya and Jordan Leopold (although Leopold's success has been with another organization, in Calgary). There have also been a more-than-equal number of players who have never made the grade, such as Bill Cass and Brendan Buckley. The Ducks current stable of college prospects all look to be coming along fairly nicely, however. Here, then, is a closer look at Anaheim's NCAA prospects.

Brandon Rogers, Defense, University of Michigan
Rogers is a junior at Michigan, with the young rearguard possibly being Anaheim's best hope on the blueline after Mark Popovic. Hockey's Future NCAA correspondent DJ Powers calls him "an excellent two-way defenseman" with "good size and (a) terrific pair of hands...his puck handling skills are outstanding". The 22-year-old is used in all game situations and is tied for the team lead in power play points. He also leads all Woverine blueliners in points. Although a good skater, Rogers could use his size better.

Shane Hynes, Right Wing, Cornell
Hynes is developing into exactly what Anaheim needs: a power forward. He has the size, skill and grit to excel. "He makes tremendous use of his large frame, particularly along the boards...he possesses some great hands, as well," says HF's DJ Powers. Hynes is susceptible to injuries, however, due to his rough style of play, and he's not an exceptional skater. The 20-year-old sophomore is second on his team in penalty minutes, as well as fifth in scoring. He's also tied for the team lead in power play goals with six. Hynes needs to work on finishing plays and shooting the puck to succeed further.

Dirk Southern, Center, Northern Michigan
Southern is one of the top offensive weapons for NMU. He plays mainly on the top line as well as on special teams. Powers calls him "a skater with speed who possesses great hands" and notes that "arguably his best attribute is on faceoffs, where he excels, beating opponents by a wide margin on many nights". Southern is third on his team in scoring and is also the owner of the second lowest plus/minus with a -6. The 20-year-old sophomore needs to bulk up and play a stronger, more physical game if he hopes to withstand the rigors of the NHL.

Drew Miller, Left Wing, Michigan State
Miller comes from a long line of Millers playing at Michigan State (including Ryan Miller, Kelly Miller and Kip Miller). He's a grinder, who despite his slight build doesn't give up. DJ Powers notes "He’s not an exceptionally skilled player, but he’s fiery, intense and plays with a lot of passion and aggressiveness". He may not be a top line player, but he plays a hard game night in and night out. The 20-year-old freshman is tied for the second worst plus/minus on his team (-5), and sometimes takes bad penalties.

Other Notes:
-Brian Gornick was demoted to San Diego (ECHL) from Cincinnati (AHL) on February 14th, 2004. The mammoth center made the most of it, recording two goals and two assists in five games before returning to Cincinnati on February 22nd. In 24 games with Cincinnati, the 23-year-old has one goal and one assist to go along with 12 penalty minutes.

-Goaltender Eddie Ferhi was demoted to San Diego (ECHL) from Cincinnati (AHL) on March 5th, 2004. The 24-year-old Charenton, France native wasn't getting much playing time behind Ilya Bryzgalov, posing a dismal 2-10-2 record with Cincinnati in his limited appearances. Trevor Koening, the 29-year-old starting goalie in San Diego, was called up to Cincinnati to back up Bryzgalov. In his first game with the Gulls, Ferhi notched a win, stopping 33 shots.

-Rookie Chris Kunitz was returned to Cincinnati from Anaheim after playing in 21 games in the NHL. Kunitz was the AHL's leading rookie scorer when he was called up on January 13th, 2004. The return of Mike Leclerc, Rob Niedermayer and Mikael Holmqvist from injury spelled the end of Kunitz's stint. One of the highlights of his time in the NHL was garnering five assists in five games, including having two assists versus Edmonton on February 25th. The 24-year-old left-winger immediately returned to the top six in Cincinnati and scored in his first game back with the Baby Ducks.

-Ducks prospects Ryan Getzlaf, Tim Brent and Corey Perry were all ranked within the top 25 players in the Canadian Hockey League by a league publication. Getzlaf was ranked third overall in the WHL, and he is the top-ranked forward in that league. Brent was ranked fifth in the OHL, while Perry was ranked 10th in that league.

Special Thanks to DJ Powers for her help with this article

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