Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

[mtu_huskies]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

If Mel leaves for MI, I would think it means Tech's had some actual success and not just on paper. So I agree with Shirtless, it would've been nice to see Red retire this year as it'd be hard for them to hire Mel without the actual success on the ice as part of his head coaching resume.


Pheonix played last night for the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays in relief of an injured goaltender.

http://www.stingrayshockey.com/news/teamnews/?article_id=2793

Estero, FL – Forward Wayne Simpson recorded his first professional hat trick and goaltender Pheonix Copley earned his first professional win to help the South Carolina Stingrays (40-22-2-4) clinch a berth in the 2014 Kelly Cup Playoffs with a 6-5 shootout victory over the Florida Everblades (33-26-3-5) at Germain Arena Wednesday night.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Pheonix played last night for the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays in relief of an injured goaltender.

Sad to say, but if you turn pro and you're a back-up in the ECHL... there's your sign you should have stayed at least another year.
Ryan J

 

[davyd83]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Sad to say, but if you turn pro and you're a back-up in the ECHL... there's your sign you should have stayed at least another year.
Ryan J

Teams at the AHL and ECHL levels generally are pretty well set in their personnel at this point in the year. If he's still an ECHL backup next year, that will tell the story. He wasn't expected to see any playing time in Hershey this year, but to work with the Caps goalie coaches. The Caps primary ECHL affiliate (Reading) was solid with their two keepers, so when South Carolina needed another goalie, they found him a home there.

 

[redwing61]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Teams at the AHL and ECHL levels generally are pretty well set in their personnel at this point in the year.

I don't know, dozens of graduating college players manage to get signed to try-outs by AHL and ECHL teams every spring. If they're good enough, they get ice time.

 

[davyd83]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

I don't know, dozens of graduating college players manage to get signed to try-outs by AHL and ECHL teams every spring. If they're good enough, they get ice time.

If four dozen sign, that's still fewer than an average of one per team in the AHL and ECHL, and there aren't near four dozen, so the statement is accurate. The plan for Copley was to work with Caps orgainzarion goalie coaches for the rest of the year in Hershey, but there was no way he was going to displace either goaltender at Hershey or with the Caps primary ECHL affiliate, Reading. The Caps have had a very good relationship with South Carolina for many years and when SC needed a backup keeper, the Caps were happy to oblige. If Jeff Jakaitis is available, it's not likely that Copley will be on the Rays playoff roster.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

If four dozen sign, that's still fewer than an average of one per team in the AHL and ECHL, and there aren't near four dozen, so the statement is accurate. The plan for Copley was to work with Caps orgainzarion goalie coaches for the rest of the year in Hershey, but there was no way he was going to displace either goaltender at Hershey or with the Caps primary ECHL affiliate, Reading. The Caps have had a very good relationship with South Carolina for many years and when SC needed a backup keeper, the Caps were happy to oblige. If Jeff Jakaitis is available, it's not likely that Copley will be on the Rays playoff roster.

So the goalie coaches are in Hershey, but copley is in south carolina.? I got it.

 

[davyd83]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

So the goalie coaches are in Hershey, but copley is in south carolina.? I got it.

You do have it. Especially when you read the sentence that says "The Caps have had a very good relationship with South Carolina for many years and when SC needed a backup keeper, the Caps were happy to oblige." They found an opportunity to maybe get him some playing time, which they didnt have at this point in Hershey or Reading.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Why any of you take this guy seriously at this point, I have no clue.

 

[RapidsCity]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Why any of you take this guy seriously at this point, I have no clue.

Up late and bored...rolling thru threads catching up on offseason news around the league. Thought I'd throw in two cents worth...

The theory seems pretty plausible. Hershey's in a tight battle for the last playoff spot and has two goalies who've played there all season and done fairly well. They're not throwing a rookie in. Reading is the top team in the league with the best goaltending tandem in the league. No spot there. Washington and South Carolina used to be affiliated and there's a Washington scout who used to coach for South Carolina. So there's a connection. It actually makes a lot of sense if they wanted to get him a game or two. He looked very ordinary when we played at Tech, and didn't look good when he replaced Phillips in the Soo. But I've seen him play on TV and he's been unbeatable. Hope he does well. It's always good to see kids from the UP schools move up.

On another note, has anyone at MTU heard if Damon Whitten is applying for the LSSU job? There has hardly been a peep here about candidates other than people talking about former Lakers and assuming that since Whitten went after the UAA job, that he may be interested at Lake State.

 

[redwing61]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

If four dozen sign, that's still fewer than an average of one per team in the AHL and ECHL, and there aren't near four dozen, so the statement is accurate.

So far there have been 90 (NHL/AHL/ECHL contracts) if you don't count guys who left early.

http://collegehockeyinc.com/page/pro-signings-ncaa-nhl-contracts-undrafted-free-agent

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

On another note, has anyone at MTU heard if Damon Whitten is applying for the LSSU job? There has hardly been a peep here about candidates other than people talking about former Lakers and assuming that since Whitten went after the UAA job, that he may be interested at Lake State.

A couple of Soo news sources have said he's expressed interest.

 

[davyd83]

So far there have been 90 (NHL/AHL/ECHL contracts) if you don't count guys who left early.

http://collegehockeyinc.com/page/pro-signings-ncaa-nhl-contracts-undrafted-free-agent

Thanks for the updated list. Looks like around 40-45 total have signed in the last week or so. I also should have been more specific about undrafted FA. Hope your guy does well. He's flashed tremendous potential at times. His Washington goalie coach Olie Kolzig knows all about being in the ECHL and working your way up (Hampton Roads had both Kolzig & Byron Dafoe in 91-92). So does Pheonix's former goalie coach Steve Shields, who spent much of his rookie year with South Carolina and had then Buffalo (now Nashville) goalie coach Mitch Korn spend a lot of time in Charleston and on the Stingrays bus working with him. The goalie Shields split time with in SC was that Washington scout Rapids mentioned, Jason Fitzsimmons.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

NHL Central Scouting released their Final Rankings. A surprised showed up this time for Michigan Tech as Evan Anderson who currently plays for Salmon Arm (BCHL) made the list at 179. He was the only future Husky to make the list after having three players on the midterm list (Alex Gillies, Mason Blacklock, Demico Hannoun).

 

[redwing61]

NHL Central Scouting released their Final Rankings. A surprised showed up this time for Michigan Tech as Evan Anderson who currently plays for Salmon Arm (BCHL) made the list at 179. He was the only future Husky to make the list after having three players on the midterm list (Alex Gillies, Mason Blacklock, Demico Hannoun).

Any idea why Gillies fell off? I thought he was tearing up the BCHL.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Any idea why Gillies fell off? I thought he was tearing up the BCHL.

I'm not really sure...I thought NHL Central Scouting would look past things like injuries or whatever...Gillies had better numbers than Anderson but for some reason dropped off.

Alex Gillies was the 2nd highest player to drop complete off the rankings.

 

[redwing61]

I'm not really sure...I thought NHL Central Scouting would look past things like injuries or whatever...Gillies had better numbers than Anderson but for some reason dropped off.

Gillies is a year younger, too. Weird.

Which recruits do you think will be coming in next year now that it looks like (looks like!) no one else is leaving early?

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Gillies is a year younger, too. Weird.

Which recruits do you think will be coming in next year now that it looks like (looks like!) no one else is leaving early?

Well, I wouldn't count on that yet...Jujhar Khaira signed in August.

I have the following right now:
Forwards: Joel L'Esperance, Evan Anderson, Dylan Steman, Alex Gillies, Mason Blacklock
Defensemen: Joe Schuldt, Dane Birks, Mark Auk
Goaltenders: Devin Kero

I don't know who on that list would be pushed back if they don't have room.

 

[redwing61]

Well, I wouldn't count on that yet...Jujhar Khaira signed in August.

I have the following right now:
Forwards: Joel L'Esperance, Evan Anderson, Dylan Steman, Alex Gillies, Mason Blacklock
Defensemen: Joe Schuldt, Dane Birks, Mark Auk
Goaltenders: Devin Kero

I don't know who on that list would be pushed back if they don't have room.

Khaira's situation was unique. I don't think any of our draft picks are young enough to hop over to major juniors (and take the signing bonus with them). If New Jersey had been ready to grab Pietila, wouldn't they have done it when his season ended? And if Johnstone wanted to leave, wouldn't he have done it then, too? But I don't know, minds can certainly change...

I suppose there's also the possibility that Anderson or Fillion, etc., transfer.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech Offseason 2014: Nothing To Say

Khaira's situation was unique. I don't think any of our draft picks are young enough to hop over to major juniors (and take the signing bonus with them). If New Jersey had been ready to grab Pietila, wouldn't they have done it when his season ended? And if Johnstone wanted to leave, wouldn't he have done it then, too? But I don't know, minds can certainly change...

I suppose there's also the possibility that Anderson or Fillion, etc., transfer.

New Jersey has no real incentive to burn a year of Pietila's entry level contract right now. By waiting they control him one more year if he signs this summer.

Johnstone, I don't know.

 

[Back check]

Teams at the AHL and ECHL levels generally are pretty well set in their personnel at this point in the year. If he's still an ECHL backup next year, that will tell the story. He wasn't expected to see any playing time in Hershey this year, but to work with the Caps goalie coaches. The Caps primary ECHL affiliate (Reading) was solid with their two keepers, so when South Carolina needed another goalie, they found him a home there.

As it turns out, Reading now needs a goalie as Riley Gill has a concussion.