Future Captain Scott Hartnell

by Trenton Allen
on

I recently had a chance to speak with future top draft choice Scott Hartnell of the Prince Albert Raiders. He’s a good kid with a smart head on his shoulders. You know this kid is going far in the league just by talking to him.

To watch this kid play is what it must have been like to watch Trevor Linden, Dale Hunter, or even Rod Brind’amour play at this age. He’s got the skills, desire, and the leadership to be just as dominating as those three. It is obvious that what ever team drafts him in Calgary, on June 24, is going to be in for a real treat. This is the interview with Scott Hartnell.
HF: How has the pressure of the upcoming entry draft affected your play?

Scott: I don’t really try to think about it when I’m on the ice. You just go out and play your game the way you’ve been playing it for the past 10-15 years. Don’t try to change anything, just go out and play your style of hockey and that’s all you can ask for.

HF: Some people say that you are a good potential power forward, but they say your offensive upside isn’t as good as some of the other top ranked prospects. How would you comment on that?

Scott: I don’t really try and think about it. I just try to block it out of my head and do the best I can out there. I’m not very offensive like some of the other draft prospects, that’s pretty obvious through my numbers. I just go out there and score if I can and just do what I can do out there.

HF: So would you say that’s an unfair statement?
Read more»

The Second Season

by Jeff Bromley
on

After each of the WHL’s 18 member teams have finished their grueling 72-game schedule, a league total of 648 contests to eliminate four teams
from playoff contention, the fourteen remaining teams start a playoff odyssey that will culminate in one of them making the trip to Halifax for the
Memorial Cup some ten weeks from now. That being said it is now time for all pucksters, pundits and fans alike to enjoy what has become an
annual event by the ‘Fan – Playoff Predictions.
Starting in the Western Conference where there’s an opinion that there is not only a noticeable drop off in the quality of teams seeded one
through six but also a sizeable discrepancy in caliber in comparison to the Eastern Conference clubs. In theory that should make predicting the
winners of the first round of series’ that much easy right? Yeah, just as easy as picking the ‘Lotto’ numbers every week.

Spokane vs. Tri-Cities. If you were looking for a first round upset in the West then this series won’t be it. Most of the season I have thought
that Spokane has been somewhat overrated (against the Eastern conference teams) but in the Wild West the WHL’s most improved team over
last season (53 point improvement) has settled in to become the favorite to the win the West. The Americans sold their soul at the trading
deadline last year and are paying for it now. Give the Americans one game. Chiefs in Five.

Read more»

A look at Ryan Craig

by Glen Crichton
on

I had an oportunity recently to ask Brandon Wheat Kings forward Ryan Craig a few questions. This is the jist of what I got out of this interview.

The season has been for Ryan Craig, like most of his fellow Wheat King teammates, a dissapointment. Due to injuries and an overall poor team talent wise to play with, Craig has seen his stock for the June NHL entry draft fall. An enlarged spleen (brought on by a case of mononucleosis) forced him to miss the under-18 tournament in August and a shoulder injury sustained after the Top Prospects game forced him out for another three weeks. At the beginning of the season, Craig was being touted as a potential first-round pick. However the injuries, combined with lower then expected numbers on the score sheets this year, has led to Craig’s drop in the rankings.
Read more»

WHL West Division: At The Half

by Glen Crichton
on
Here are the standings for the Western Hockey Leagues West Division just past
the half way point on the schedule.


                          GP     W    L   T   RT    GF   GA   Pts
 
Spokane Chiefs            37    25   10   2    1   139  101    53
Prince George Cougars     39    18   17   4    4   141  132    44
Seattle Thunderbirds      36    16   16   4    2   125  112    38
Kamloops Blazers          37    17   16   4    0   125  119    38
Kelowna Rockets           39    17   21   1    2   109  114    37
Tri-City Americans        39    14   20   5    1   135  156    34
Portland Winterhawks      39     9   25   5    0    94  147    23

The Spokane Chiefs are a surprise to me and many others to be leading the division with a nine point bulge, however, they are starting to make
believers out of many as they’ve maintained their strong start and continue to make progress and pull away from the pack. A solid trade to pick up
twenty year old offensive defenceman Scott Roles from the Kootenay Ice along with the addition of another overager, sparkplug Brent McDonald who
was picked up after he became a casualty of the twenty year old numbers crunch in Prince George, have added offence and experience to a solid young
nucleus of players. Eighteen year old Tim Smith has led the charge offensively for the Chiefs, amassing 48 points in thirty-six games, thirty four of Read more»

Hawks Nest

by pbadmin
on

Late Midterm grades

Yes the grades come after the Christmas break and midway point of the
season, but better late than never. So without further adieu:

Goaltending: Overall grade: A-

Jason LaBarbera has all but stood on his head for the Hawks this
season. Despite a relatively high GAA (3.69 now, about where its been
all season), its the save percentage statistic that is more telling
for Jason. His save percentage is .903 now. He faces a lot of rubber
most nights, and has kept Portland in many a game. His saves have
ranged from ordinary looking from solid positioning, to spectacular
make up for defense mistakes or not clearing a rebound type. Jason
recently recorded his sixth career shutout, shutting out the Moose Jaw
Warriors, breaking a Winterhawk’s record. He was also named to the
West Conference all star team recently. Currently, trade rumors swirl
around Jason, guess we’ll all know on the tenth if he’s still a
Winterhawk or not.

Lanny Ramage has shown that he has the “stuff” to be a solid WHL
goalie, if not a excellent one. The rookie has posted a .915 save
percentage and a 3.33 GAA. He works hard in practices, and seems to be
filling the role of backup well, although with his talents, he
certainly won’t be a backup for long.

Defense: Overall Grade: C- (that might be generous)

Read more»

Top Prospects

  1. Seth Jones
  2. Hunter Shinkaruk
  3. Mirco Mueller
  4. Shea Theodore
  5. Ryan Pulock
  6. Curtis Lazar
  7. Morgan Klimchuk
  8. Josh Morrissey
  9. Dillon Heatherington
  10. Madison Bowey
  1. Nicolas Petan
  2. Oliver Bjorkstrand
  3. Eric Comrie
  4. Eric Roy
  5. Tristan Jarry
  6. Myles Bell
  7. Patrik Bartosak
  8. Austin Lotz
  9. Ashton Sautner
  10. Philip Tot
  11. Luke Lockhart
HF Boards