Bantam Draft Thread…

1st Round – #1 overall: Derrick Pouliot, D, Weyburn, SK- 5’11, 165

08-09: Weyburn Wings (SSMHL AA bantam) — 26gp-25g-38a-63pts-24pim
08-09: Moose Jaw Warriors (SMHL AAA midget) — 5gp-1g-1a-2pts-0pim
08-09: Moose Jaw Warriors (Macs Midget Tournament) — 4gp-3g-2a-5pts-2pim
08-09: Weyburn Wings (Saskatoon bantam tournament) — 3gp-3g-3a-6pts-2pim
08-09: Weyburn Wings (Western Bantam Championships) — 4gp-2g-2a-4pts-6pim
07-08: Weyburn Wings (SSMHL AA bantam) — 26gp-6g-24a-30pts-18pim

The Hawks young d-corps grows with the selection of Pouliot, who will be eligible for the 2010-11 season when players like Troy Rutkowski, Joe Morrow and Daniel Johnston will be 18 year olds and Tyler Wotherspoon will be 17.  Right now, that d-corps looks pretty strong to me.

Pouliot is described as very poised, offensively gifted and a pure skater.

2nd Round – #24 overall:  Taylor Leier, RW, Saskatoon, SK – 5’10, 155

08-09: Saskatoon Outlaws (SMHA AA bantam) — 62gp-69g-68a-137pts-82pim
08-09: Saskatoon Contacts (SMHL AAA midget) — 2gp-2g-0a-2pts-0pim
08-09: Saskatoon Outlaws (Saskatoon bantam tournament) — 3gp-3g-5a-8pts-4pim

Obviously, great offensive numbers…has really grown in two years – listed at 5’4, 110 for the 2007-08 season.

This marks just the second time in Winter Hawks Bantam Draft history that the first two selections come from Saskatchewan (previous time – 2000 – Braydon Coburn {#1 overall} and Brett Novak {#19 overall}).  We know about Coburn, but Novak was dealt to Prince Albert in a deal for Garrett Prosofsky.

3rd Round – #59 overall:  Reece Wilcox, D, Surrey, BC

09 BC Cup – 4gp-0g-1a-1pt

08-09: Surrey Thunder (KIBIHT) — 5gp-2g-4a-6pts-0pim
08-09: Surrey Thunder (PoCo bantam AAA tournament) — 6gp-1g-3a-4pts-0pim
08-09: Surrey Thunder (South Delta AAA bantam tournament) — 3gp-0g-0a-0pts-0pim

4th Round – #68 overall:  A.J. Michaelson, C, Apple Valley, MN – 5’10, 160

08-09:  Apple Valley HS (MNHS) — 21gp-9g-10a-19pts-6pim

08-09:  Apple Valley HS (Playoffs) — 3gp- 3g-2a-5pts-0pim

Michaelson is the third selection for the Hawks from the state of Minnesota…the other two were Vince Nash (9th rd 2007) and Michael Sauer (5th rd 2003).

6th Round – #112 overall:  Brendan Leipsic, LW, Winnipeg, MB – 5’6, 124

08-09: Winnipeg Monarchs (WMHA AAA bantam) — 29gp-16g-20a-36pts-38pim
08-09: Winnipeg Monarchs (WMHA AA midget) — 1gp-0g-0a-0pts-4pim
08-09: Winnipeg Monarchs (St. Albert AAA bantam tournament) — 5gp-2g-2a-4pts-14pim
08-09: Winnipeg Monarchs (Western Bantam Championships) — 4gp-4g-3a-7pts-10pim
07-08: Winnipeg Monarchs (WMHA AAA bantam) — 2gp-0g-0a-0pts-2pim
07-08: Winnipeg Monarchs (WMHA AA bantam) — 28gp-20g-15a-35pts-62pim

Leading scorer in the Bantam 1 Division of the Winnipeg City AAA Bantam League.  Just the 13th player from Manitoba ever selected by Portland in the Bantam Draft (Tri City may have had 13 players from Manitoba on their roster last year!).  The only Manitoba born players drafted higher have been Luke Molotowsky (#18 ’98), Frazer McLaren (#32 ’02), Cody McLeod (#60 ’99), Rick Lecuyer (#70 ’02), Travis Mealy (#109 ’00) and Aaron Lewadniuk (#110 ’04).

Also, of note…just the second time in 19 years that Portland had not had a selection from Alberta in their Top 5…the other year was 2005 (Thomas Frazee – BC, Ty Ariss – SK, Colin Reddin – CA, Devon Marshall – BC, Tayler Jordan – SK).  They have never had six picks without one being from Alberta (6th pick in 2005 was goaltender Julien Laplante from Edmonton).

7th Round – #134 overall:  Brayden Low, C, Richmond, BC

09 BC Cup – 4gp-1g-0a-1pt

08-09:  Richmond AAA Blues (BC AAA Bantam) – 71gp-23g-36a-59pts-70pim

7th Round – #149 overall:  Troy Stecher, D, Richmond, BC

09 BC Cup – 4gp-0g-1a-1pt

08-09:  Richmond AAA Blues (BC AAA Bantam) – 71gp-17g-51a-68pts-30pim

The pick acquired from Spokane…in exchange for a 6th rounder in 2010…

Stecher was Richmond’s Bantam Rep Player Of the Year for 2008-09…

8th Round – #156 overall:  Josh Hanson, D, Anchorage, AK – 6’1, 175

08-09: Alaska All-Stars (USA AAA bantam) — 36gp-9g-16a-25pts-34pim
08-09: Alaska All-Stars (Alaska AAA bantam state championships) — 5gp-1g-0a-1pts-2pim

Just the second Alaskan ever taken in the Bantam Draft by Portland…the other was Brandon Dubinsky in the 5th round of 2002.

9th Round – #178 overall:  Adam Smith, C, Nanaimo, BC

09 BC Cup – 4gp-0g-4a-4pts

10th Round – #200 overall:  Adam de Champlain, C, Sherwood Park, AB – 5’8, 125

08-09: Sherwood Park Flyers (AMBHL AAA bantam) — no stats
08-09: Sherwood Park Flyers (AMBHL AAA bantam – PLF) — 2gp-0g-0a-0pts-0pim
08-09: Sherwood Park Flyers (Edmonton AAA bantam tournament) — 5gp-2g-2a-4pts-8pim
08-09: Sherwood Park Flyers (KIBIHT) — 6gp-1g-0a-1pts-8pim
08-09: Northeast Flyers (Alberta Cup) — 5gp-0g-1a-1pts-10pim

11th Round – #222 overall:  Jake Montgomery, LW, Oakdale, MN – 6’1, 185

08-09: Shattuck-St. Mary’s (USA AAA bantam) — 41gp-30g-24a-54pts-45pim

(Many thanks to Alan Caldwell for the vast majority of these stats!)

New PWH Blog…

The staff of the Portland Winter Hawks have put together a new blog regarding the team and it can be found at:

http://portlandwinterhawks.wordpress.com

From there you can find links to their new Twitter and Flickr sites…

This blog will continue as well…and I’ll have updates on Thursday regarding the 2009 Bantam Draft that starts at 7:15 AM Portland time…

Bantam Draft History…

I thought it would be interesting to see what notable names of WHL history were selected at the picks that Portland has this year in the 2009 Bantam Draft.

I already gave you the 1st rounders…here are some notable names that were picked where the Hawks will select this year:

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#24 overall — Notables – Ty Wishart (PG ’03); Jason Beeman (TC ’01); Shaun Norrie (CAL ’97); Portland has selected three players at #24 – Shon Jones-Parry (’95); Tyler Grover (’98); Kyzen Loo (’07).

#59 overall — Notable – Cam Paddock (KEL ’98)

#68 overall — Notables – Brad Priestlay (EDM ’98); Gord Baldwin (MH ’02); Taylor Peters (POR ’07)

#112 overall — Notable – Mike Lee (TC ’96)

#134 overall — Notables – Tristan Grant (LET ’98); Jonathan Blum (VAN ’04)

#156 overall — Notable – Keith Voytechek (SAS ’02)

#178 overall — Notables – Cullen Morin (MJ ’04); Lee Morrow (MH ’05)

#200 overall — Notables – None

#222 overall — Notables – None

#231 overall — Notable – Scott Wasden (REG ’03)

—

Stay tuned to www.whl.ca, www.winterhawks.com and this site for Bantam Draft updates on Thursday…

Bantam Draft on Thursday…

I’m back from a week on the East Coast…with the Bantam Draft coming up on Thursday in Edmonton, I thought that I would post where the Hawks will select for each round:

1st Round – #1 overall

Thanks to the victory in the WHL Bantam Draft Lottery, the Hawks will pick 1st overall.  I’m sure they are getting offers for this pick, so it will be interesting to see if a deal is made like they did two years ago, when they moved the pick to Moose Jaw (who selected Quinton Howden) and the Hawks took Brad Ross at #5.  Here is the complete list of who has gone #1 overall in the WHL since the start of the Bantam Draft:

1990 – Darcy Mattersdorfer – Victoria

1991 – Adam Smith – Tacoma

1992 – Mike McBain – Red Deer

1993 – Martin Hohenberger – Victoria

1994 – Jarret Smith – Prince George

1995 – Chris Nielsen – Calgary

1996 – Steve McCarthy – Edmonton

1997 – Jarret Stoll – Edmonton

1998 – Jay Bouwmeester – Medicine Hat

1999 – Ryan Hollweg – Medicine Hat

2000 – Braydon Coburn – Portland

2001 – Kyle Chipchura – Prince Albert

2002 – Gilbert Brule – Vancouver

2003 – Jonathan Toews – Tri City

2004 – Ryan Kerr – Prince George

2005 – Colten Teubert – Regina

2006 – Jared Cowen – Spokane

2007 – Quinton Howden – Moose Jaw

2008 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Red Deer

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2nd Round – #24 overall (Portland’s pick)

3rd Round – Portland traded their pick (#46 overall) to Tri City in exchange for Brock Cornish.  Portland has the #59 pick (from Swift Current) for the Mark Guggenberger trade.  The trade involving Guggenberger was originally a 6th rounder, but there was a stipulation that if Guggenberger was still on a WHL roster in October of 2008, the pick would become a 3rd rounder.

4th Round – #68 overall (Portland’s pick)

5th Round – No selection – pick #90 traded to Vancouver for Phil Gervais.

6th Round – #112 overall (Portland’s pick)

7th Round – #134 overall (Portland’s pick)

8th Round – #156 overall (Portland’s pick)

9th Round – #178 overall (Portland’s pick)

10th Round – #200 overall (Portland’s pick)

11th Round – #222 overall (Portland’s pick) and #231 overall (from Lethbridge – acquired in a trade that sent an 11th round pick to Lethbridge in 2008)

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I doubt the Hawks will take that many picks…but you never know.

You have to make space for all of the 1994 born players on your 50 player protected list at the draft, so there will be some player movement on the protected list that day.  Portland will have seven open spots on the list as the 1988 born players (Brandl – graduated) and the 1989 born players (Mucha, Ehrhardt, Francis, Valchar, Schneider, Kerr) are all put on a special “overage” list and they won’t count toward the 50 man total on the day of the draft.  (Brock Cornish is already on an extended injury list and he doesn’t count toward the 50 man protected list as well.)

If the Hawks select more than seven players, that means that they have dropped other players from the protected list.

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For Head Coach and GM Mike Johnston’s comments on the upcoming draft and other topics, visit www.winterhawks.com.

—

To answer another question, the Hawks will host a prospect camp in Calgary in June, and I believe it will be the weekend of the 12-14th.

That’s it for now…

Canada to play for Bronze…

From www.hockeycanada.ca…

Canada 1 – United States 2 (Game Complete)

U.S. EDGES CANADA 2-1 IN WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY SEMIFINAL FARGO, N.D. – The United States scored two third-period power-play goals and defeated Canada 2-1 in Friday’s semifinal action at the world under-18 hockey championship. Jerry D’Amigo scored the winner with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation for the Americans after Jeremy Morin had tied the game with just over 10 minutes left. IIHF Stats | Team Canada Photo Gallery Both goals came on the power play as Canada took four minor penalties in the third. “In the third I thought (the Americans) were skating,” Canadian head coach Mike Johnston said. “They carried good speed they had some quick forwards, and as a result you sometimes take some penalties against speed like that.” Dylan Olsen had given Canada a 1-0 lead on a two-man advantage in the second period. The game featured excellent goaltending at both ends of the ice. Oshawa Generals netminder Michael Zador played a strong game in goal for Canada, making 42 saves. Jack Campbell stopped 32 shots for the U.S. “Both goaltenders played well,” Johnston said. “(Campbell) held them in the game in the first period, when I thought we really dominated. Zador came up big in the second and into the third and held us in the game when they were really pressuring us.” Russia beat Finland 4-0 in Friday’s other semifinal and will meet the Americans in the gold-medal game on Sunday. Evgeni Kuznetsov had two goals and two assists for Russia. Johnston said he anticipates a close final. “It’s such a close tournament between the top teams that special teams are a big big factor,” Johnston said. “Whoever can be disciplined and whoever can take advantage of their power play will probably win that game.” Canada and Finland will play for bronze in Sunday’s early game. “We played Finland once in exhibition once in exhibition play. They’ve got a very good team,” Johnston said. “We know how they’re team plays and we’ll be prepared for them like we have for the other opponents.” In relegation round action at Moorhead, Minn., Germany gave up a 4-1 lead against Slovakia, but rebounded to win 5-4 in double overtime. Both teams wrap up relegation round play on Saturday.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Fargo, ND
Date	Fri. Apr. 17, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Urban Plains Center
Time/Heure	19:30 CEN	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Semi-Final	Game #	26

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	Final
CAN	0	1	0	1
USA	0	0	2	2

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts : None/Aucun Penalties/Pénalités : 07:23 USA Jerry D’Amigo (Illegal Equipment/Équipement non réglementaire) 13:38 USA Kevin Lynch (Tripping/Faire trébucher)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts : 18:18 CAN Dylan Olsen (Calvin de Haan, Joey Hishon) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 06:46 CAN Taylor Doherty (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 13:04 CAN Brett Connolly (High-sticking/Bâton élevé) 16:17 USA Chris Brown (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 16:17 CAN Peter Holland (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 17:16 USA Jerry D’Amigo (Interference/Obstruction) 17:50 USA Kevin Lynch (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 19:43 USA Ryan Bourque (Interference/Obstruction)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts : 09:27 USA Jeremy Morin (Cam Fowler, Jerry D’Amigo) PP/AN 13:06 USA Jerry D’Amigo (Cam Fowler) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 02:53 CAN Kyle Clifford (Interference/Obstruction) 03:53 USA Drew Shore (Hooking/Accrocher) 08:24 CAN John McFarland (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 10:21 CAN Byron Froese (Hooking/Accrocher) 12:26 CAN Garrett Mitchell (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 20:00 CAN Kyle Clifford (Misconduct/Inconduite)

Goaltenders	CAN	Michael Zador
Gardiens de but	USA	Jack Campbell
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CAN	14	12	7	33
Tirs au but	USA	5	18	21	44
Referee/Arbitre	Owe Luthcke (NOR), Milan Minar (CZE)
Linesmen/Juges des lignes	Andreas Kowert (GER), Sakari Suominen (FIN)

Johnston/Canada U18 Remain Unbeaten…Advance to Medal Round…

From www.hockeycanada.ca…

Canada 4 – Sweden 2

CANADA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINAL AT WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP FARGO, N.D. – Tuesday’s win was worth plenty to Canada at the world under-18 hockey championship. Joey Hishon of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack scored twice, including the game winner, as the Canadians earned a berth in the semifinal with a 4-2 win over Sweden. The victory cemented top spot in Pool A for Canada (4-0), while the Swedes (3-1) finished second. Canadian head coach Mike Johnston said the victory was a significant one. “It’s certainly important in a tournament like this,” said Johnston, who coaches the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. “This gives us an extra day off, which means extra time to practise. IIHF Stats | Team Canada Photo Gallery “You look at the other side, too, and we would have had to play Finland, the U.S. or Russia in the quarters. That’s a tough matchup for anybody.” Byron Froese of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips had a first-period goal and Brett Connolly of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars added an empty-netter as the Canadians put together a solid effort against a star-studded Swedish team. John McFarland of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves added a pair of assists. Johnston credited his players with executing the team’s game plan to perfection. “We really did,” said Johnston. “We had set matchups we wanted, and we got them. Our players responded – we knew the Swedes would come out strong, and we played well against them.” Despite the spotless record, Johnston knows his team has some work to do – particularly on special teams, an area of concern for the Canadian team the past two games. “I think the key thing is special teams,” said Johnston. “We’re going to continue to work on that. Our power play will be better … with any new group, special teams is about building cohesion and getting in sync.” Canada broke a scoreless deadlock late in the first period, with Froese and Hishon scoring 36 seconds apart to build a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes. Gabriel Landeskog cut the lead in half just 3:30 into the second period, but Hishon restored the two-goal cushion a minute-and-a-half later. “I have to give all the credit to (McFarland) on that one,” said Hishon. “He did all the work on that play, I just had to tap the puck into the net. It was definitely a big goal.” Tim Erixon moved Sweden to within one midway through the second period, but Canada held on from there, led by Michael Zador’s 16 third-period saves. The Oshawa Generals netminder stopped 36 shots to preserve the win. “I felt like (the Swedes) were more desperate with their plays in the third period,” said Zador. “Our team really focused on blocking shots, and that helped us hold on to our lead.” Swedish goalie Robin Lehner stopped 40 shots in defeat. The other Pool A game saw Switzerland (1-3) roll to an 8-3 win over Germany (1-3) at Moorhead, Minn. The German defeat means the Czech Republic (1-2-1) finishes third in the pool, and will face the second-place finisher in Pool B in a quarter-final game Thursday. The Swedes will take on the third-place team in Pool B in Thursday’s other quarter-final. In Pool B action Tuesday night, Slovakia (1-2) faced Finland (2-1) and the U.S. (3-0) tangled with Russia (2-1).

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Fargo, ND
Date	Tue. Apr. 14, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Urban Plains Center
Time/Heure	16:00 CEN	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Preliminary	Game #	18

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	Final
CAN	2	1	1	4
SWE	0	2	0	2

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts : 17:13 CAN Byron Froese (Brett Connolly, Curtis Hamilton) 17:49 CAN Joey Hishon (John McFarland) Penalties/Pénalités : 01:03 CAN Simon Déspres (Delay of Game/Retarder le match) 05:09 SWE Tim Erixon (Holding/Retenir) 09:44 SWE Gabriel Landeskog (Interference/Obstruction) 19:27 CAN Brett Connolly (Slashing/Coup de bâton)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts : 03:30 SWE Gabriel Landeskog (Anton Lander, Tim Erixon) PP/AN 05:00 CAN Joey Hishon (Peter Holland, John McFarland) 11:40 SWE Tim Erixon (Calle Jarnkrok) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 02:23 CAN Bench (Too Many Players/Trop de joueuses) 11:04 CAN John McFarland (Elbowing/Donner du coude) 13:03 SWE Peter Andersson (Interference/Obstruction) 13:32 SWE Simon Bertilsson (Boarding/Donner de la bande)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts : 19:44 CAN Brett Connolly (Calvin de Haan) Penalties/Pénalités : 01:13 SWE Gabriel Landeskog (Holding/Retenir) 04:01 CAN Simon Déspres (Delay of Game/Retarder le match) 12:49 CAN Curtis Hamilton (High-sticking/Bâton élevé) 13:54 SWE Calle Jarnkrok (Slashing/Coup de bâton)

Goaltenders	CAN	Michael Zador
Gardiens de but	SWE	Robin Lehner
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CAN	14	16	13	43
Tirs au but	SWE	13	9	16	38
Referee/Arbitre	Keith Kaval (USA), Travis Smith (USA)
Linesmen/Juges des lignes	Andreas Kowert (GER), Jonathan Morrison (USA)

Ponich Ranked By CSB…

For the first time, Winter Hawks defenseman Brett Ponich has cracked the Central Scouting NHL Draft Rankings.  He is ranked 151st among North American skaters.

The list can be found at:  http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=31411.

Canada Rallies For OT Win Over Czech…

From www.hockeycanada.ca…

Czech Republic 3 – Canada 4 (OT)

CANADA ESCAPES WITH OT WIN OVER CZECH REPUBLIC AT WORLD UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP FARGO, N.D. – Canada faced its stiffest test Monday at the world under-18 hockey championship – and needed some late-game heroics to pull out the win. Brett Connolly of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars scored 1:23 into overtime as the Canadians remained unbeaten with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Czech Republic. The victory earns Canada a berth in the playoff round, and keeps alive their hopes of a first-round bye. After erasing a 3-0 deficit with a dominant third period, Canada kept the pressure on in overtime. IIHF Stats | Team Canada Photo Gallery It paid off, after Byron Froese carried the puck into the Czech zone and fired a shot that was stopped by Czech netminder Filip Novotny. Simon Déspres of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs scooped the rebound into Novotny, who lost the puck in his equipment. Connolly found the loose puck and chipped it over a prone Novotny to complete the spirited comeback. Canadian head coach Mike Johnston said he expected a serious challenge from the Czechs. “We knew coming in the Czechs were desperate,” said Johnston, the head coach of the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. “They played well … they had good legs, good skating, and they played a very solid game all-around. “Early on we weren’t sharp. Our puck movement wasn’t good, and we didn’t have our legs.” Johnston said this game was by far the toughest Canada (3-0) has played so far. “For sure,” said Johnston. “We had a really tough exhibition game against Finland, but that was early on.” By earning just two points for the overtime win rather than three points for a regulation victory, Canada trails Sweden (3-0) by a single point atop the Pool A standings. The two teams face off Tuesday, with the winner earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The losing team will face the third-place finisher in Pool B in a quarter-final on Thursday. Trailing 3-0 entering the third period, Canada erupted for three goals and could have had a fourth. John McFarland of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves trimmed the lead at 2:06 of the third, and Ryan O’Reilly of the OHL’s Erie Otters made it 3-2 just 10 seconds later. Novotny was handed a delay of game penalty at 5:04, and the Canadians completed the comeback just four seconds later on a goal by Kingston Frontenacs blue-liner Eric Gudbranson. Canada thought it had taken the lead at the eight-minute mark after Novotny gloved a shot dangerously close to the goal-line. Officials ruled the puck didn’t cross the line, and the score remained tied. Novotny single-handedly kept the Czechs alive, stopping 20 shots in the third period and 47 in the game. Despite the bloated saves total, Johnston was really only impressed with Novotny’s third-period effort. “I was disappointed in the lack of quality shots we were getting early,” said Johnston. “He was outstanding in the third period, but other than that, I thought we should have done more against him.” Needing a win to keep their second-place chances alive, the Czechs seized the upper hand at 15:35 of the first period on a goal by Antonin Honejsek. They extended their lead at 12:27 of the second period, with Michal Poletin beating Canada netminder Michael Zador. Roman Horak made it 3-0 just over four minutes later. The other Pool A game saw the Swedes crush Switzerland 11-0 at Moorhead, Minn. In Pool B action Monday night, Finland (1-1) faced Norway (0-3) and the U.S. (2-0) battled Slovakia (1-1).

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Fargo, ND
Date	Mon. Apr. 13, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Urban Plains Center
Time/Heure	16:00 CEN	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Preliminary	Game #	14

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	OT	Final
CZE	1	2	0	0	3
CAN	0	0	3	1	4

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts: 15:35 CZE Antonin Honejsek (Michal Poletin) Penalties/Punitions: 02:17 CAN Curtis Hamilton (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 06:41 CAN Kyle Clifford (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 10:20 CAN Ethan Werek (Interference/Obstruction) 15:59 CZE Jakub Jerabek (Checking to the Head/Mise en échec à la tête) 15:59 CZE Jakub Jerabek (Misconduct/Inconduite)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts: 12:27 CZE Michal Poletin (Antonin Honejsek, Robin Soudek) 16:44 CZE Roman Horak (Daniel Krejci) Penalties/Punitions: 19:00 CZE Adam Polasek (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 20:00 CZE Radim Herman (Checking to the Head/Mise en échec à la tête) 20:00 CZE Radim Herman (Misconduct/Inconduite)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts: 02:06 CAN John McFarland (Byron Froese) 02:16 CAN Ryan O’Reilly (Peter Holland, Erik Gudbranson) 05:08 CAN Erik Gudbranson (Brett Connolly) PP Penalties/Punitions: 05:04 CZE Filip Novotny (Delay of Game/Retarder le match) 05:40 CAN Dylan Olsen (Interference/Obstruction) 05:40 CAN Dylan Olsen (Misconduct/Inconduite) 09:55 CZE Oldrich Horak (Cross-checking/Double-échec)

Overtime – Prolongation

Goals/Buts: 01:23 CAN Brett Connolly (Simon Déspres, Byron Froese) Penalties/Punitions: NONE / AUCUN

Goaltenders	CZE	Filip Novotny
Gardiens de but	CAN	Michael Zador
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CZE	10	19	4	33
Tirs au but	CAN	11	13	23	51
Referee/Arbitre	Aleksi Rantala (FIN), Alexei Ravodin (RUS)
Linesmen/Juges des lignes	Paul Carnathan (USA), Shinichi Takizawa (JPN)

Canada 2-0 at U-18’s…

From www.hockeycanada.ca…

Canada 8 – Switzerland 1 (Final)

CANADA’S POWER PLAY ERUPTS AGAIN IN 8-1 WIN OVER SWISS AT WORLD UNDER 18S FARGO, N.D. – Canada had plenty to work on heading into the world under-18 hockey championship. It looks like the power play is functioning just fine. IIHF Stats | Team Canada Photo Gallery Ethan Werek and Joey Hishon each scored twice, and the Canadians once again took advantage of an opponent’s lack of discipline in an 8-1 win over Switzerland on Saturday. Werek, who plays for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, and Hishon, of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, combined to score three of Canada’s five man-advantage goals against the Swiss. Canada had four goals in five power-play chances in its tournament-opening 11-2 rout of Germany on Thursday. Canadian head coach Mike Johnston applauded his team’s special teams. “We focused on (special teams) from day one of our camp and it’s something our guys feel comfortable with,” said Johnston, the head coach of the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. “We had a good start tonight and their goaltender was solid in the first period,” he added. “We built momentum as the game went along and our finishers had their chance and put them away.” Ryan O’Reilly of the OHL’s Erie Otters, Landon Ferraro of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, John McFarland of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves and Zach Kassian of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes had the other goals for Canada (2-0), while Michael Zador of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds earned the win in goal. Nino Niederreiter had the lone goal for Switzerland (0-2). Johnston said prior to the tournament that it would be difficult to get his team to mesh on short notice. But two games in, it’s hard to see any weaknesses. As they did in Thursday’s tournament-opening win over Germany, the Canadians overcame a so-so first period by dominating thoroughly in the second. And for the second straight game, it was the power play that led the way. With Nicholas Steiner serving a holding penalty, O’Reilly beat Swiss netminder Sebastien Conz to extend Canada’s lead to 3-1. Ferraro, the son of longtime NHL forward Ray Ferraro, made it 4-1 at 9:34 with Tristan Scherwey in the box for tripping. Hishon’s first of the tournament at 19:33 was the first even-strength goal of the game. He added a man-advantage goal 6:03 into the third period to make it 6-1. McFarland and Kassian completed the scoring in the final four minutes. The games will get tougher for Canada, beginning with Monday’s showdown against the Czech Republic (1-1). The Canadians finish Pool A play against Sweden (2-0) on Tuesday. “The Czechs are one of the top countries in the world, in this tournament they don’t have as many players high-end players that are getting looked at by NHL teams, but I like their lineup,” said Johnston. “They’re going to be the strong opponents we’ve faced up to this point.” Switzerland opened the game with a parade to the penalty box – taking three minors in the first nine-and-a-half minutes – and Canada took advantage at 10:11, as Werek beat Conz. Swiss forward Thomas Mettler was given a slashing minor less than two minutes later, and Werek extended Canada’s lead with another power-play goal at 13:46. Switzerland halved the deficit on their only man advantage of the period. With Brayden McNabb of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice serving a tripping minor, Niederreiter fired a shot past Zador with 47 seconds left in the period. In other Pool A action, the Swedes held on for a 5-4 win over Germany (0-2) at Moorhead, N.D. Pool B games later Saturday featured the host Americans (1-0) taking on Finland (1-0) and Russia (0-1) taking on Slovakia (1-0).

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Fargo, ND
Date	Sat. Apr. 11, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Urban Plains Center
Time/Heure	4:00 pm CEN	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Preliminary	Game #	08

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	Final
CAN	2	3	3	8
SUI	1	0	–	1

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts : 10:11 CAN Ethan Werek (Stefan Elliott, Ryan O’Reilly) PP/AN 13:46 CAN Ethan Werek (Erik Gudbranson) PP/AN 19:13 SUI Nino Niederreiter (Thomas Mettler, Reto Schappi) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 05:09 SUI Ryan McGregor (Holding/Retenir) 06:35 SUI Tristan Scherwey (Delay of Game/Retarder le match) 09:27 SUI Romain Loffel (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 11:55 SUI Thomas Mettler (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 18:05 CAN Brayden McNabb (Tripping/Faire trébucher)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts : 07:55 CAN Ryan O’Reilly (Dylan Olsen, Calvin de Haan) PP/AN 09:34 CAN Joey Hishon (John McFarland) PP/AN 19:33 CAN Joey Hishon (John McFarland) Penalties/Pénalités : 03:36 CAN Taylor Doherty (Roughing/Rudesse) 06:45 SUI Nicholas Steiner (Holding/Retenir) 08:51 SUI Tristan Scherwey (Boarding/Donner de la bande) 14:08 CAN Simon Després (Interference/Obstruction) 16:23 CAN Peter Holland (Hooking/Accrocher)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts : 06:03 CAN Joey Hishon (John McFarland, Dylan Olsen) PP/AN 16:34 CAN John McFarland (Landon Ferraro) 19:17 CAN Zack Kassian (Peter Holland) Penalties/Pénalités : 00:56 CAN Landon Ferraro (Hooking/Accrocher) 14:32 CAN Ethan Werek (Roughing/Rudesse) 14:32 SUI Romain Loffel (Roughing/Rudesse) 15:02 SUI Samuel Erni (Holding/Retenir) 16:47 CAN Garrett Mitchell (Cross-checking/Double-échec)

Goaltenders	CAN	Michael Zador
Gardiens de but	SUI	Benjamin Konz
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CAN	22	10	12	44
Tirs au but	SUI	8	5	0	13
Referee/Arbitre	Georgij Jablukow, Travis Smith
Linesmen/Juges des lignes	Andreas Kowert, Johnathan Morrison

Canada/Johnston Rout Germany 11-2

From http://www.hockeycanada.ca: Germany 2 – Canada 11 (A side note…Thomas Brandl for Germany is the younger brother of Max Brandl.)

CANADA OPENS UNDER-18 WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 11-2 ROUT OF GERMANY FARGO, N.D. – Canada only needed one dominant period to set the tone Thursday at the world under-18 hockey championship. Bryan Froese of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips scored three goals, two of those coming in a seven-goal second period that propelled the defending-champion Canadians to a tournament-opening 11-2 rout of Germany. Canada overcame a shaky first period against the Germans, taking the lead for good when Froese and Sudbury Wolves phenom John McFarland scored 48 seconds apart early in the second. Ethan Werek of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs made it 4-1 shortly after, and the Canadians added four more goals in a 7 1/2-minute stretch in the second half of the period against a shell-shocked German team. Canadian head coach Mike Johnston applauded his team for turning it on after struggling through a first period that saw the teams tied 1-1. RELATED LINKS » IIHF Stats » Sign Up and view live Web Streams “We were pushed really hard in the first period,” said Johnston, the head coach of the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. “I was really pleased with how we responded to what was happening. “This is when lines and defence pairs are starting to jell. Everything is new, and players are trying to get used to each other. I was happy with what I saw tonight.” Froese, who had 57 points in 72 games with the Silvertips this season, opened the scoring on a power-play midway through the first period. With Tobias Reider in the penalty box for tripping, Froese beat German netminder Dustin Haloschan at 9:55. The Germans took advantage of their own power play opportunity less than four minutes later, as Matthias Plachta beat Canadian goalie Michael Zador with Kyle Clifford of the OHL’s Barrie Colts serving a high-sticking minor. Any momentum the Germans had built through 20 minutes evaporated when Froese and MacFarland scored quick goals in the second. Werek added a power-play goal, and Landon Ferraro of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels – the son of former NHL forward Ray Ferraro – extended the lead to 5-1 at 11:44. Werek scored his second of the night at 14:10, Cody Eakin of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos gave Canada a 7-1 advantage at 15:05 and Froese completed his hat trick at 19:07. The Canadians finished the period with seven goals on just nine shots. “We talked a lot before the game about respecting our opponent, and I thought we did that,” said Johnston. “Give them credit for how they came out – they pressed hard on the forecheck. “I think the key thing was that we scored early and started building momentum from there. They were sort of hesitant to play the same style they had in the first period, and if they had stayed with it longer, it would have been better for them and more difficult for us.” Lukas Steinhauer took over goaltending duties in the third period after Haloschan surrendered eight goals on 20 shots. Steinhauer finished with seven saves, allowing goals to Eakin, Curtis Hamilton of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Brett Connolly of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. Marcel Ohmann added a third-period goal for Germany. The other Pool B game saw Sweden trounce the Czech Republic 7-0. Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi led the way with two goals and an assist for the Swedes, while Calle Jarnkrok, Jacob Josefson, Tim Erixon, Fredrik Styrman and Carl Klingberg added singles. Later Thursday, Finland took on Russia and the host Americans faced Norway in Pool B action. » Click here for live results and statistics from IIHF.com Game Information/Reseignements sur le match Event/Événement 2009 World U-18 Champ. Location/Emplacement Fargo, ND Date Thu. Apr. 9, 2009 Arena/Aréna Urban Plains Center Time/Heure 4:30 pm CT Attendance/Assistance -,— Round/Ronde Preliminary Game # 02 Box Score/Compte 1 2 3 Final GER 1 0 1 2 CAN 1 7 3 11 Goals/Penalties First Period/Première période Goals/Buts: 09:55 CAN Byron Froese (Stefan Elliott, Simon Déspres) PP/AN 13:50 GER Matthias Plachta (Marc El-Sayed) PP/AN Penalties/Punitions: 02:08 CAN Byron Froese (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 03:46 GER Jari Pietsch (Holding/Retenir) 09:32 GER Tobias Rieder (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 12:43 CAN Kyle Clifford (High-sticking/Bâton élevé) Second Period/Deuxième période Goals/Buts: 01:49 CAN John McFarland (Erik Gudbranson, Joey Hishon) 02:37 CAN Byron Froese (Curtis Hamilton) 06:59 CAN Ethan Werek (Erik Gudbranson, Zack Kassian) PP/AN 11:44 CAN Landon Ferraro (Joey Hishon) 14:10 CAN Ethan Werek (Ryan O’Reilly, Zack Kassian) 15:05 CAN Cody Eakin (Garrett Mitchell, Calvin de Haan) 19:07 CAN Byron Froese (Curtis Hamilton) Penalties/Punitions: 05:07 GER Maximilian Waitl (Hoocking/Accrocher) 19:42 CAN Peter Holland (Slashing/Coup de bâton) Third Period/Troisième période Goals/Buts: 01:40 GER Marcel Ohmann (Benjamin Hufner, Thomas Brandl) PP/AN 05:27 CAN Brett Connolly (Curtis Hamilton) 09:42 CAN Cody Eakin (Zack Kassian, Ethan Werek) PP/AN 14:06 CAN Curts Hamilton (Byron Froese, Brett Connolly) PP/AN Penalties/Punitions: 07:08 GER Thomas Brandl (High-sticking/Bâton élevé) 13:57 GER Thomas Brandl (Hooking/Accrocher) Goaltenders GER Michael Zador Gardiens de but CAN Dustin Haloschan Lukas Steinhauer (in 3rd/00:00) Shots on Goal Team 1 p 2 p 3 p Ttl Shots on Goal GER 8 8 4 20 Tirs au but CAN 11 16 10 37 Referee/Arbitre Martin Frano, Jozef Kubus Linesmen/Juges des lignes Paul Carnathan, Miroslav Valach