Michael Neal

Hometown:

Whitby Ontario

Currently Playing In:

Pro

Birthday:

1989-04-03
Position:

LW
Eligible for draft:

2007
Shoots:

Left
Drafted:

2007
Height:

6-2
Acquired:

5th round (149th overall), 2007
Weight:

187 lbs.
Prospect Talent Score
3.0

About Prospect Talent Score and Probability of Success»

Probability of Success
  • B

History

The younger brother of Stars prospect James Neal, Michael Neal possesses some of the same attributes as his older brother.

2006-07: He did not post great numbers in his second OHL season, scoring only four goals on his way to eight points in 52 games played. Part of the lack of production by Neal is a result of playing on a very talented and deep Belleville Bulls team.

2007-08: Missed the entire regular season with a knee injury.  Returned for the playoffs, but went pointless in seven games.

2008-09: Neal split time between the Belleville Bulls(OHL) and Sarnia Sting(OHL). He went pointless in 3 games with the Bulls, but scored 9 goals and added 12 assists in 63 games with Sarnia.

2009-10: Neal turned pro, splitting time with the Idaho Steelheads(ECHL) and Texas Stars(AHL). In 6 games with the Stars, Neal went pointless. In 57 games with Idaho, Neal scored 5 goals and added 10 assists.

2010-11: For the second straight season, Neal spent most of his time in the ECHL.  He tied his previous year’s total of 15 points in 2010-11.  He did notch his first career AHL point during his 16 games in the AHL – totaling three goals in all.  He was held scoreless in eight ECHL postseason games.

 

Talent Analysis

Neal is a physically imposing forward like his older brother, James.  His skating is above average for a player his size and he does his best work along the boards.  Plays a clean and fairly industrious game.  Craves physical play.  Has a tremendous off-ice work ethic and keeps himself in tiptop shape.  Doesn’t possess any sort of mesmerizing talent and is still very raw.  Lost a crucial year of development due to a knee injury that sidelined him for an entire season.  Will have to overcome a lot to be considered a legitimate NHL prospect.  Needs to find a niche and become exceptional at it in order to become a valuable asset to his team.

 

Future

Appears to be a fringe AHL player at this point and may spend another year in the ECHL while competing for AHL call-ups.

 

Flyers top 10

by pbadmin
on

It is Time for the Flyers to Produce from Within
A HF’s look at the prospects in Philadelphia by John A. D’Amico

Losing in the first round of the NHL playoffs in consecutive years is bad enough. But doing it while spending enough money to dwarf the gross national product of a small European country makes it that much worse. Flyers GM Bobby Clarke has tried to build a winner by buying the priciest free agents that the sport had to offer. Unfortunately for Clarke, a bloated price tag does not assure success. And unfortunately for the Flyers season ticketholders, (after taking the gaspipe in back to back playoff years), all they have to show for their ticket buying dollar is a rather substantial price hike for their seats.

A concerted effort to build from within is now a priority for Clarke and it looks as though he does have some nice talent on the way up. This crop of prospects could be the best group that the Flyers have had stabled since the early eighties when Hextall, Tocchet, Zezel and Smith danced their way on to Broad Street to carry the team to two NHL Finals later in the decade.
Read more»

Rangers Training Camp notes

by pbadmin
on

1999 New York Rangers Training Camp Roster and Reserve Roster has been announced. This list is as of September 8,1999. Some changes have already been made and squads split into groups run by Coach John Muckler(NYR), Bob Crocker(NYR Scout) and John Paddock(Hartford-AHL). Rangers training camp roster/reserve list:

Goaltenders
Derek Doson-Oshawa(OHL)
Jeff Heil-Charlotte(ECHL)
Milan Hnilicka-Sparta Praha (Czech)
Jason Labarbera-Portland(WHL)
Jean-Francois Labbe-Hartford (AHL)
Kirk McLean-Florida (NHL)
Mike Richter- N.Y. Rangers (NHL)
Alexander Korobolin-Mechel (Russia)
Johan Asplund- Gavle (Sweden)

NOTES: Jeff Heil and Jason Labarbera have been assigned to John Paddock and look to start the season in Hartford(AHL). Also it is expected that J.F.Labbe and Milan Hnilinka will join Paddock`s Hartford Wolf Pack.

DEFENSE:
Terry Virtue- Providence (AHL)
Brian Leetch- N.Y. Rangers (NHL)
Patrick Aufiero-Boston Univ. (HE)
Arto Laatikainen-Espoo (Finland)
Alexei Vasiliev- Hartford (AHL)
Mathieu Schneider- N.Y. Rangers (NHL)
Tomas Kloucek-Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Stephane Quintal-Montreal (NHL)
Mario Joly Hull- (QMJHL)
Dale Purinton-Hartord(AHL)
Kim Johnsson-Malmo(Sweden)
Wes Jarvis-Kitchener(OHL)
Peter Popovic-NY.Rangers(NHL)
Rumun Ndur-NY.Rangers(NHL)**NOT IN CAMP**
Burke Henry-Brandon(WHL)
Jeff Brown-Charlotte (ECHL)
Sylvain Lefebvre-Colorado (NHL)
Jason Doig-Springfield-Hartford (AHL) Read more»

Red Wings’ September 7 Training Camp Notes

by pbadmin
on

Thank you to our correspondent Sarah Lindenau, who is attending camp in Traverse City and continues to provide us with valuable prospect information.

Team B vs. Team C
Final Score: 5-2 for Team C

Team B Notes

Team B features regulars Kozlov, Holmstrom, Maltby and Dandenault.
Team B features prospects Jesse Wallin, Ryan Barnes, John Wikstrom and Jake McCracken.
Scoring: Wikstrom and Brett Harkins. Wikstrom also added an assist.
The top line featured Harkins centering Maltby and Holmstrom.
Sean Avery centered Kozlov and Marc Rogers.
Wikstrom was paired with Dandenault on the blue line. Although he requires improvement in several areas he played well defensively and chipped in with a goal and an assist. Wallin and Rogers also made an impression. Wallin is making a strong bid to begin the season in Detroit.
McCracken looked weak in net, allowing several weak goals and had difficulty in 1-on-1 situations.
Legace was solid – although he seemed to commit himself too early on several occasions.
Team C Notes

Team C features regulars Lidstrom, Osgood, Shanahan, Larionov and Lapointe.
Team C features prized prospect Jiri Fischer along with Yuri Butsayev, Maxim Kuznetsov, Toivo Suursoo, Alexandre Jacques, and contract hopeful Mike Hurley.
Scoring: Jacques (2g and 1a), Hurley (1g and 2a), Suursoo and Shanahan.
The top line featured Larionov centering Shanahan on the left and Lapointe on the right.
Fischer again looked strong paired with Lidstrom. Read more»

Rookie Camp Successful for Canes

by pbadmin
on

The Carolina Hurricanes hosted twenty-nine players at their rookie camp in Detroit last week. Twelve players were given tryouts. Out of the remaining seventeen, all but one had been drafted by the Canes. The camp, and ensuing rookie tournament, was a chance to get an invitation to the Hurricanes Training camp in Ft. Myers, Florida.

On September 1, the rookies moved to Kitchener, to participate in the Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament. Here the Canes, Leafs, Sabres, and Rangers rookies played in a round robin tournament. The Director of Amateur Scouting for Carolina, Sheldon Ferguson, told The Kitchener Waterloo Record, “The good thing with this tournament is they’re playing against kids their own age, so you get to accurately see how your own guys stackup.”

Game one saw the Leafs youngsters top the Canes 5-3. The Leafs offense poured it on in the third to break a 3-3 tie, before the Canes gave up an empty net goal. Jeff Ulmer, Brett Lysak, and Jaraslav Svoboda notched goals for the Canes. As with most training camp games, play was physical, with Greg Kuznik and Michal Dvorak showing off for the scouts.
Read more»

History Repeats in the Biggest Crap Shoot of All?

by Michael Theodore
on

It has been called a crap shoot, it has been called a game, but the one thing it has never been called was easy. The NHL entry draft is a sport onto itself. Unlike other sports where many kids come out of college as more mature 21 year olds (and sometimes older), the NHL draft features baby faced 18 year olds. It has been a subject of controversy for year and is now begining to stir up media attention as the NHL ponders raising the draft age. Each and every draft we see “blue chippers” and “risks” and despite their draft day labels we only discover the draft day winners and losers years later. The Rangers are a team that took a huge gamble this past year and, rightfully so, there was a lot of controversy over it. In the end the
Rangers got two blue chip prospectes, but the real questin is “Will they ever make it?” The answer to that question is probably a lot more
interesting than you think.

Read more»
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