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Chicago Blackhawks goalie prospect Adam Berkhoel made 24 saves in a goaltender duel as the Denver Pioneers shut out and upset the Maine Black Bears 1-0 in the NCAA Championship game Saturday. Detroit Red Wings prospect Jim Howard shut out the Pioneers for two periods, but one goal was all that the Pioneers needed. It was the first National Championship for the Pioneers since 1969, when former Blackhawks captain Keith Magnuson was playing for them. 

Berkhoel, an eighth round selection of the Blackhawks in 2000 (240^th overall), was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA playoffs. Berkhoel had to fight through a two-man advantage as the game drew to a close, but Berkhoel stopped everything Maine could shoot at him.  Berkhoel had two shutouts in his last three games. It was only the third Championship game shutout ever for the NCAA, and the first since 1972. 

During the regular season, the 22-year-old was 23-11-4 with 2.52 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Berkhoel is making his case for the Chicago Blackhawks, who already have goaltenders Michael Leighton, Craig Anderson, and Adam Munro in the big leagues already, last year’s collegiate goaltender of the year Mike Ayers waiting for a contract, and CHL prospects Mike Brodeur and Corey Crawford a few years away from the Blackhawks. It will be a very fierce battle in the next few years to see who will make it as the two Blackhawks goaltenders. 

PROSPECT NOTES

Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for the month of March. Ruutu had eight goals and eight assists for sixteen points in the month. He beat out Columbus forward Nikolai Zherdev to win the honor. After a nightmarish first half of the season, where he only collected 5 points, played on an injured knee, and played on the fourth line, Ruutu turned his game around, and finished the season with 23 goals and 21 assists for 44 points. The 21-year-old first rounder of the Blackhawks in 2001 (9^th overall) seems to be the power forward that the Blackhawks had been lacking. After the trades sending Steve Sullivan to the Predators and Alexei Zhamnov to the Flyers, Ruutu moved up to the first line, where he found chemistry with left wing Eric Daze and center Tyler Arnason. He led the Blackhawks in goals (23) this past year (2003-04), though will probably receive no consideration for the Calder Trophy due to his slow start, but he may find Selke trophies as consolidation in a few years. 

The Chicago Blackhawks did not win the 2004 NHL Entry Draft Lottery on April 6. A win by the Blackhawks would have given them the first pick overall, and a win by Pittsburgh would have given them the second pick overall.  However, luck was not on the side of the Blackhawks, and the lottery was won by the Washington Capitals.  This dropped the Blackhawks down to the third pick in the draft.

In the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinals, Colin Fraser’s Red Deer Rebels leads Mike Brodeur’s Moose Jaw Warriors three games to two in a seven game series. So far in the series, Fraser, a third round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2003 (69^th overall), has three assists, is a +1, and has eleven PIM. The 19-year-old was part of the deal that sent center Alexei Zhamnov to the Flyers. Brodeur has stopped 136 of 148 shots, and was named the first star on Wednesday and was named second star on Friday. Brodeur, 21, was a seventh round pick of the Blackhawks in 2003 (211^th overall). 

Corey Crawford and the Moncton Wildcats lead the PEI Rockets three games to one in the QMJHL semifinals in a seven game series. Crawford was named the first star in both of his last two games, stopping 141 of 150 shots so far in the series. Crawford was recently named the QMJHL Defensive Player of the Year, and is one of the top candidates so far in the Blackhawks race for starting goalie when Jocelyn Thibault leaves. Crawford, 19, was a second round pick of the Blackhawks in 2003.

In the SM-Liiga Finals, center Jari Viuhkola and Kärpät Oulu lead TPS Turku in the SM-Liiga Finals two games to one in a best of five series. Viuhkola, a sixth round selection (158^th overall) of the Blackhawks in 1998, has one assist for Kärpät so far in the series with two PIM. The 25-year-old lead Kärpät in points during the regular season, and has seen his stock go up dramatically as a result. The Blackhawks’ management will definitely keep an eye on him during the Blackhawks training camp next year. 

The Norfolk Admirals’ playoff bid is in peril. Having lost to the Hershey Bears in their season finale on Saturday, the Norfolk Admirals can only make the American Hockey League playoffs if the Bears lose to the Philadelphia Phantoms on Sunday.