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Thrashers CHL prospects update
Written by: Holly Gunning on 11/06/2005 
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Ondrej Pavelec, G - Cape Breton - 2nd round, 41st overall, 2005Czech netminder Ondrej Pavelec is third in the QMJHL in save percentage as a rookie at .925, behind Alexandre Vincent (VAN) and Bobby Nadeau. His 2.58 goals against is seventh in the league playing for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who are 13-8-0, sixth in the league. He was named defensive player of the week for Oct. 17-23, posting two wins, a .962 save percentage and 1.50 GAA.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GAA |
SO |
PCT |
| 2005-06 |
Cape Breton |
QMJHL |
21 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 2.58 | 1 | .925 |
Alex Bourret, RW - Shawinigan - 1st round, 16th overall, 2005
Bourret's production with his new team, Shawinigan, is virtually identical to last season, with 1.33 points per game, compared with 1.32 with Lewiston. Three players on Shawinigan are packed tightly at the top of the scoring, with Francis Pare at 25 and Benoit Mondou (BOS) at 24 alongside Bourret, who has been named to Team QMJHL for the upcoming Canada-Russia Challenge.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 |
Lewiston |
QMJHL |
65 | 21 | 55 | 86 | 1.32 | 172 | |
| 2005-06 | Shawinigan | QMJHL | 18 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 1.33 | 23 | +6 |
Jordan LaVallee, LW - Quebec Remparts - 4th round, 116th overall, 2005
LaVallee has been nursing a back injury suffered during Thrashers rookie tournament in September, and as a result, has only played in two games thus far. He'll need to get on track quickly to claim his spot on the US WJC team. Quebec is 9-7-0-0, for tenth in the league.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Quebec |
QMJHL |
64 | 40 | 26 | 66 | 1.03 | 108 | |
| 2005-06 | Quebec | QMJHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 0 | -1 |
Chad Denny, D - Lewiston - 2nd round, 49th overall, 2005
Denny, a defensive defenseman, is currently the fifth leading scorer on his team, and second among team blueliners. He has increased his scoring from .49 points per game last season, to .81 points per game in 2005-06. But this scoring has not come at the expense of his defensive responsibilities; his +3 places him second on the team, and first amongst defensemen. Denny has been named to Team QMJHL for the Canada-Russia Challenge. Lewiston is 6-9-0-4, for 13th in the league of 18 teams.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Lewiston |
QMJHL |
58 | 8 | 18 | 26 | .49 | 98 | |
| 2005-06 | Lewiston | QMJHL | 16 | 8 | 5 | 13 | .81 | 40 | +3 |
Ontario Hockey League
Chad Painchaud, RW - Sarnia - 4th round, 106th overall, 2004Painchaud has turned it up this season, scoring at a 1.53 point per game clip, compared to .72 points per game in 2004-05. He leads Sarnia in scoring, and his 10 goals put him second on the team, behind only Tomas Pospisil, also a Thrashers draftee. His +8 leads the team.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Mississauga |
OHL |
8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | - | 11 | |
| Sarnia | OHL | 49 | 18 | 17 | 35 | .72 | 22 | ||
| 2005-06 | Sarnia | OHL | 17 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 1.53 | 27 | +8 |
Tomas Pospisil, RW - Sarnia - 5th round, 135h overall, 2005
Pospisil leads the Sarnia Sting in goals with 12, and is third in scoring behind Painchaud and Jamie Fraser. He has made a very easy transition from the Czech leagues, scoring a point per game. Pospisil had a hat trick on Sept. 30.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Trinec Ocelari HC | Czech | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005-06 | Sarnia | OHL | 17 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 1.00 | 24 | +3 |
Boris Valabik, D - Kitchener - 1st round, 10th overall, 2004
Valabik's former defense partner with Kitchener, Andre Benoit is doing well with the Hamilton Bulldogs, with 11 points in 11 games. Valabik is now the most senior defenseman on the team at 19.5 years old. Matt Lashoff, a first round pick of the Boston Bruins in last summer's NHL Entry Draft, has been out much of the season with a shoulder injury. Valabik is even on a generally minus team, and leads in penalty minutes with 73. The goal he scored this season was his first in 75 regular-season games, and came on the power play.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Kitchener |
OHL |
43 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5.37 | 231 | |
| 2005-06 | Kitchener | OHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5.61 | 73 | 0 |
Dan Turple, G - Kitchener - 6th round, 186th overall, 2004
Amazingly, Turple has outscored Valabik for Kitchener, with three assists in 14 games. But his play has been very inconsistent, pulled from the net on Oct. 9 after allowing four goals on 15 shots, but a week later stopping 53 of 54. His partner Mark Packwood, 17, has gotten into four games, with a 3.82 GAA compared to 3.04 for Turple.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GAA |
PCT |
| 2004-05 |
Oshawa |
OHL |
10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3.71 | .872 |
| Kitchener | OHL | 40 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 2.36 | .924 | |
| 2005-06 | Kitchener | OHL | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3.04 | - |
Scott Lehman, D - Toronto - 3rd round, 76th overall, 2004
Since returning from Thrashers main camp, Lehman has increased his point production from .36 points per game last season, to .66 points per game in 2005-06. He is -4 on a generally plus team. His penalty minute rate has decreased from 3.32 PIMs per game to 2.11 this season. Lehman has been selected for the OHL team for the Canada-Russia challenge, along with his goaltender, Justin Peters (CAR).
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Toronto |
OHL |
57 | 2 | 19 | 21 | .36 | 189 | |
| 2005-06 | Toronto | OHL | 18 | 2 | 10 | 12 | .66 | 38 | -4 |
Western Hockey League
Juraj Gracik, RW - Tri-City - 5th round, 142th overall, 2004Gracik has nearly quadrupled his production this season as a sophomore in North America over 2004-05, going from .18 points per game to .71. His 10 points rank him third on a team very lacking in talent. He's been playing on a line with Jason Beeman and Ian McDonald.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Tri-City Americans |
WHL |
33 | 4 | 2 | 6 | .18 | 18 | |
| 2005-06 | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 14 | 5 | 5 | 10 | .71 | 4 | -9 |
Myles Stoesz, D - Spokane - 7th round, 207th overall, 2005
Stoesz leads Spokane with 72 PIMs, having increased his PIM rate from 3.55 to 4.50 per game. He has been scratched from the line-up on one occasion.
| Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM/GP |
PIM |
+/- |
| 2004-05 | Spokane | WHL | 67 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 3.55 | 238 | |
| 2005-06 | Spokane | WHL | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4.50 | 72 | -2 |
Copyright 2005 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
Copyright 2005 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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