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RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

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Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Ralph Baer said:
Ed Weaver article stating that Jacob Laliberté may or may not come, but we shouldn't panic - yet. http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/01/20/sports/doc4b57e02ea273c437540733.txt.
Click to expand...

Good article, Not going to go crazy over Jake. If he comes and has not grown up yet, he won't play anyway.
Much more concerned about Helfrich. His game was not good against Q and Princeton, but I have to wonder if his ankle is still not a problem. especially when they say he might not play again on Friday but will play on Saturday.
Just makes me think that they are trying to protect an injury.
I really like his game when he is healthy.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

engineerhockeyfan said:
Good article, Not going to go crazy over Jake.
Click to expand...
I have never met him, but I have been trying to make sense out of everything that has occurred since he first came to our attention. it does sound like he is immature. That would explain lots of things, like why he didn't want to play in Pembroke last season. I guess the question is how immature is he. I think that I read that he is not living at home while playing in Cornwall -- that should help. It's hard to believe that yet another season in Cornwall next year would do him any good at all. Even the USHL won't help much. On the ice, he is ready to play in college hockey.

I think that hockeywise, he is the piece of the puzzle that will return RPI to the NCAA tourney.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Ralph Baer said:
I have never met him, but I have been trying to make sense out of everything that has occurred since he first came to our attention. it does sound like he is immature. That would explain lots of things, like why he didn't want to play in Pembroke last season. I guess the question is how immature is he. I think that I read that he is not living at home while playing in Cornwall -- that should help. It's hard to believe that yet another season in Cornwall next year would do him any good at all. Even the USHL won't help much. On the ice, he is ready to play in college hockey.

I think that hcokeywise, he is the piece of the puzzle that will return RPI to the NCAA tourney.
Click to expand...

Well, if he wants to even go to Major Juniors, he will have to begin to take these responsibilities in a mature manner. Sure, there might exist a cover-up story now in order to wipe his rear (as it were), but the further up he goes, he won't get that. I don't think that NHL squads take players on talent alone, and if that is his ultimate goal, perhaps a wake-up call is necessary.

Not living at home definitely will help, and I hope that if he did miss a few games in order to visit his g/f, she slapped him up one for putting her over showing up to his job. I'm sure that unless there was an illness, bereavement, maternity, or something of that sort, every last one of us would get sacked for putting our significant other over our job.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Ralph Baer said:
I think that hockeywise, he is the piece of the puzzle that will return RPI to the NCAA tourney.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt that hockeywise, he will put us in the NCAAs, but if he doesn't get on the ice until he is a sophomore, we may have already lost the other pieces of the puzzle.
I think he should just grow up and put his skill to use in Troy ASAP.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

FlagDUDE08 said:
Not living at home definitely will help, and I hope that if he did miss a few games in order to visit his g/f, she slapped him up one for putting her over showing up to his job.
Click to expand...

Odds of this having actually happened: 0%
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

engineerhockeyfan said:
I have no doubt that hockeywise, he will put us in the NCAAs, but if he doesn't get on the ice until he is a sophomore, we may have already lost the other pieces of the puzzle.
I think he should just grow up and put his skill to use in Troy ASAP.
Click to expand...

Amen to this. If he has to do it sooner or later, might as well make it sooner and come down to Troy. If anything, Coach will help him to enstill a good work ethic; I know he has done that for all of his players. Look at some of the improvements we've seen, like John Kennedy, or Joel Malchuk.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

FlagDUDE08 said:
Well, if he wants to even go to Major Juniors, he will have to begin to take these responsibilities in a mature manner. Sure, there might exist a cover-up story now in order to wipe his rear (as it were), but the further up he goes, he won't get that. I don't think that NHL squads take players on talent alone, and if that is his ultimate goal, perhaps a wake-up call is necessary.

Not living at home definitely will help, and I hope that if he did miss a few games in order to visit his g/f, she slapped him up one for putting her over showing up to his job. I'm sure that unless there was an illness, bereavement, maternity, or something of that sort, every last one of us would get sacked for putting our significant other over our job.
Click to expand...

There's not much reason to go to MJ, if he even would have the opportunity at all. He'd be an over-age player which is very restrictive on teams' rosters; he'd only be able to play one year of MJ which would not make him a particularly attractive target.

Not that MJ is impossible, but there's not going to be teams beating down his door like Gatineau did last year.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

knsmith said:
There's not much reason to go to MJ, if he even would have the opportunity at all. He'd be an over-age player which is very restrictive on teams' rosters; he'd only be able to play one year of MJ which would not make him a particularly attractive target.

Not that MJ is impossible, but there's not going to be teams beating down his door like Gatineau did last year.
Click to expand...

He's good enough to make a difference for a MJ team. I would think that someone would be interested, but I agree that it isn't likely at this point.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

knsmith said:
There's not much reason to go to MJ, if he even would have the opportunity at all. He'd be an over-age player which is very restrictive on teams' rosters; he'd only be able to play one year of MJ which would not make him a particularly attractive target.

Not that MJ is impossible, but there's not going to be teams beating down his door like Gatineau did last year.
Click to expand...

Given age restrictions, you are correct that it isn't likely at this point. But let's replace MJ with a minor-league club (AHL, ECHL, or some equivalent), given his age. I still stand by the point I had made earlier.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

FlagDUDE08 said:
Given age restrictions, you are correct that it isn't likely at this point. But let's replace MJ with a minor-league club (AHL, ECHL, or some equivalent), given his age. I still stand by the point I had made earlier.
Click to expand...

One would hope that he would realize that a college education is valuable, especially if Weaver is correct that he is a good student.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

I mean if he's thinking rationally from solely a hockey perspective, college is just so obviously the logical choice. He's not going to be given a chance to break into the ECHL or AHL as a 20-year-old severely undersized player. He goes to college he gets 4 years of guaranteed playing time for a coach he likes and a chance to show that despite being undersized makes him a viable prospect.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

knsmith said:
I mean if he's thinking rationally from solely a hockey perspective, college is just so obviously the logical choice. He's not going to be given a chance to break into the ECHL or AHL as a 20-year-old severely undersized player. He goes to college he gets 4 years of guaranteed playing time for a coach he likes and a chance to show that despite being undersized makes him a viable prospect.
Click to expand...

I agree, it has worked for many severely undersized players. I don't know if anyone complied the stats, but I suspect that the percentage of severely undersized players in the NHL who went the college route is greater than the percentage of NHL players who went the college route overall. (I hope that made sense.)
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Ralph Baer said:
I agree, it has worked for many severely undersized players. I don't know if anyone complied the stats, but I suspect that the percentage of severely undersized players in the NHL who went the college route is greater than the percentage of NHL players who went the college route overall. (I hope that made sense.)
Click to expand...

The ones that immediately come to mind, to me, are Martin St. Louis and Brian Gionta. IIRC, neither was supposed to have anything resembling a pro career due to their size, but they lit up the college ranks and practically forced their way into the NHL. St. Cloud's Ryan Lasch is another potential member of that group - he obliterated the OPJHL when he was playing there but even a lot of college recruiters said no due to his size. SCSU took a chance on him and he's lit up the WCHA for four years.

Major junior teams are really pretty quick to dismiss smaller players - I suspect RPI fans in general are more keen on Jacob than, for instance, Olympiques fans were last summer. Given his size (and his good grades, apparently), if he wants the best shot at playing at the next level, I think RPI makes the most sense for him.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

RC - Lasch played for Pembroke in the CJHL.

Different player than Laliberté.

I would guess RPI staff very disappointed that JL would leave his team for a holiday.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

engineerhockeyfan said:
Good article, Not going to go crazy over Jake. If he comes and has not grown up yet, he won't play anyway.
Much more concerned about Helfrich. His game was not good against Q and Princeton, but I have to wonder if his ankle is still not a problem. especially when they say he might not play again on Friday but will play on Saturday.
Just makes me think that they are trying to protect an injury.
I really like his game when he is healthy.
Click to expand...

Good article? In what respect? The Helfrich and Pirri sections are pretty good, especially the Helfrich quotes about why he is not playing and producing. The lead section about Laliberte is all speculation, except for the remark about him maybe not coming next year that the writer attributes to Appert. Immature? Who says? His coaches? His parents? Appert? Let's just wait and see if he shows up. Then size him up.

Every RPI fan should hope that Laliberte comes next year, because if D'Amigo's stock continues to rise he may be convinced to sign a professional contract this summer or next. He probably is not ready for the NHL yet; and Toronto is certainly not ready to challenge for a Stanley Cup, but it is clear that he opened some eyes in that organization with his play in Saskatoon last month.

Next year may be the best chance RPI has to get to the NCAAs in the near future. Polacek and Helfrich will be seniors and D'Amigo and Pirri could be enticed to leave for the pros, so they need to make some noise this year and next to keep the quality recruits coming here.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Red Cloud said:
The ones that immediately come to mind, to me, are Martin St. Louis and Brian Gionta. IIRC, neither was supposed to have anything resembling a pro career due to their size, but they lit up the college ranks and practically forced their way into the NHL. St. Cloud's Ryan Lasch is another potential member of that group - he obliterated the OPJHL when he was playing there but even a lot of college recruiters said no due to his size. SCSU took a chance on him and he's lit up the WCHA for four years.
Click to expand...

Other small players who did well in college:

Nathan Gerbe at BC and Brad Zancanaro at BU.

They don't have to move on to the NHL for them to be of optimal use at RPI although that adds quite a bit of gloss to everything. The size thing is a bit overblown for college purposes, just so long as they're quick and smart skaters.
 
Re: RPI Recruiting II: Knowlton's Rangers (enlistments open)

Ralph Baer said:
Ed Weaver article stating that Jacob Laliberté may or may not come, but we shouldn't panic - yet. http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/01/20/sports/doc4b57e02ea273c437540733.txt.
Click to expand...

I regret to say it but yet another piece of garbage from Weaver re: Laliberte. My high school Journalism teacher would've thrown me out if I handed something like that in to him. Maybe he'll come, maybe he won't, maybe the sun will come up tomorrow, maybe. UGGH.

Not a single piece of new information or insight...I regret wasting two minutes of my life reading it. :mad:
 
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