Floridian Guertler making his mark in hockey country Photo: Fargo Force forward and 2013 NHL Draft prospect Gabe Guertler will begin his NCAA career in the fall of this year at the University of Minnesota (courtesy of Mitch Highman/mJoy Photography) Gabe Guertler is the first Floridian hockey player to commit to the University of Minnesota. Born and raised in Plantation, he grew up in South Florida near the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, home of the Florida Panthers, but says he spent most of his time underneath the sun. Laganiere, DeKeyser among ten NCAA free agents that could be NHL-bound Photo: University of Nebraska-Omaha forward Ryan Walters has turned a strong junior campaign into potential interest from NHL teams (courtesy of Brace Hemmelgarn/Icon SMI) With the 2012-13 NCAA season winding down, NHL teams will soon be descending on the college hockey community in hopes of adding free agents to their organizations. This year, there are many outstanding available free agents for the taking. Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie Brandon Saad remains organization’s top prospect Photo: Brandon Saad's third period shorthanded goal sealed a 2-1 victory over San Jose on February 22nd, marking the Blackhawks' record-setting 17th straight game without a regulation loss to open the season. (courtesy of Robin Alam/Icon SMI) HF Prospect of the Month for February, 2013 Photo: Goaltender Andrey Makarov went 15-0 in the month of February. Makarov was signed by the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent in 2012. (Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) Saskatoon Blades goaltender Andrey Makarov (BUF) is the Hockey's Future Prospect of the Month for February. The undrafted Russian goaltender rocked the WHL last month, posting a 15-0 record, a 1.72 goals-against average, a .948 save percentage, and two shutouts. Next wave of Nashville Predators forward prospects move up mid-season Top 20 ranking Photo: Defenseman Ryan Ellis is part of a young group of Nashville blueliners trying to help the team recover from the loss of Ryan Suter. (courtesy of Danny Murphy/Icon SMI) NCAA college prospects notebook for February, 2013 Photo: Providence College goaltender and Calgary Flames prospect Jon Gillies turned in a strong February performance to cement his place as a top freshman goaltender in 2012-13 (courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI) With the final full month of the 2012-13 regular season drawn to a close and the conference standings slowly coming into focus, February saw many great NHL prospect performances. Hockey’s Future takes a look back at some of those feats, along with other newsworthy items from around college hockey. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are current as of Feb. 28. Nicklas Jensen keeps top spot in Vancouver Canucks mid-season Top 20 Photo: Nicklas Jensen, shown here skating for Team Denmark, is expected to return to North America after his season ends in the Swedish Elite League. (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) St. Louis Blues continue to reap benefits of 2008 NHL Draft Photo: Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues' fourth overall pick in 2008, has developed into the team's top blueliner, leading the team with over 25 minutes of ice time per game this season. (courtesy of Scott Kane/Icon SMI) While some teams experience a lack of draft picks, or reliable prospects, the St. Louis Blues had an abundance of both in 2008. Headlining the list of 2008 draft picks was Alex Pietrangelo, a soon-to-be superstar in the NHL. Along with Pietrangelo, nine other selections were made by the Blues in 2008. Prospects for Tampa Bay Lightning now working their way onto NHL roster Photo: Forward Cory Conacher has been one of the top rookie forwards in the NHL this season. Conacher was a free agent signing by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011. (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI) The Tampa Bay Lightning have a deep and talented affiliate in their AHL squad, the Syracuse Crunch. Several players have filtered through the Crunch recently to make it on the NHL ice with the Lightning, including: Cory Conacher, Alex Killorn, and Richard Panik. Currently, their offensive talent at the professional level is deeper than their defensive talent. MacMillan brothers enjoying time together at North Dakota Photo: University of North Dakota forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Mark MacMillan and his brother Mitch have been reunited in Grand Forks after having played together in the BCHL (courtesy of Scott A. Schneider/Getty Images) Mitch MacMillan found himself in a predicament around this time last year. He was not getting playing time at St. Cloud State and had left the school right before Christmas Break, roughly halfway through the 2011-12 season. |
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