Small Man, Big Stick

Blake Gallagher, perhaps the purest goal scorer among the Canadian players this season, has committed to Cornell. Gallagher's pedigre is strong, having been named MVP of the Nova Scotia midget league for the Dartmouth Subways (Sidney Crosby's alma matter), and then moving on to the famed Notre Dame Hounds. There he has not missed a beat, scoring 5 points in his first exhibition game, and scoring once in his regular season debut. He also finished in the top five in scoring with seven goals and an assist in six games at the World Under-17 tourney last January.

Update:

Today's Halifax Daily News has additional information about Gallagher's commitment"

Gallagher, who fielded offers from 17 U.S. colleges, plans to study business at the Ivy League school. He said Cornell offers the perfect mix of academics and hockey. “To be able to get an Ivy League education and play for somebody who could contend for a national championship … I don’t think I could find that good of a mix of both anywhere else,” said Gallagher, whose father, Paul, is a National Hockey League scout for the St. Louis Blues. “That just kind of sold it for me.” Gallagher became interested in Cornell two years ago, when he attended a Big Red game. “I’ve never been to a game with that kind of atmosphere,” said the 17-year-old. “The students who go to the game all stand up and chant. It’s kind of an unwritten rule not to sit down. It’s just unbelievable.”

Josh Gillam

Thanks to the comments section on the blog, I've located the following article on Ontario prospect Josh Gillam. Gillam was named his division's top rookie in the Ontario Provincial Junior League, and projects to be a very good scorer. As the article states, he is equally gifted in lacrosse, and therefore has drawn scholarship offers in that sport from Dartmouth, Yale, Johns Hopkins and Duke.

"Gillam, 17, has offers from Yale and Dartmouth universities for field lacrosse scholarships. There is a possibility he could play hockey at both schools, as well, but Gillam said the coaches want to see him play for the Stars this season.

In addition, Duke and Johns Hopkins universities have expressed interest in Gillam, an A student, for field lacrosse. Neither school has a hockey program.

'The schools haven’t had the opportunity, yet, to come up and watch me play hockey,' Gillam said. 'In all fairness to them, I should give them the opportunity to do that over the next two months. I want to still keep the door open for a hockey scholarship as well as lacrosse. All the schools coming up have shown interest in lacrosse and they need to see the hockey part now.' "

'07 prospect Travis Oleksuk also is a two-sport star: one as a playmaking centerman and one pitching and playing shortstop on a travelling team. Considered one of the more talented players in the OHL draft, he fell to the 6th round because of his interest in pursuing a college scholarship (he's already been recruited by WCHA teams.) This past week he was chosen by the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL's future's draft (he was one of several top Ontario players to attend their tryout camp this August.) He's since returned to play for his Thunder Bay midget team.

Kief Orsini, the top scorer at the Beantown Classic tourney (see August 31st entry) has accepted a scholarship to Union, where he follows former Tabor teammates Chris Potts and Matt Cook.

Dartmouth nabs two from Alberta

88 center T.J. Galiardi from the Calgary Royals committed to Dartmouth over the weekend, followed a day later by 87 center Andrew Owsiak from the expansion Okotoks Oilers.
Galiardi is a top-end prospect who ranks with Nick Johnson as one of the best Alberta products to head down to Dartmouth. Even though he is one of the younger players in the league, Galiardi has not missed a step in his rookie campaign, scoring 4 goals in 3 pre-season games, and then netting one and assisting on another in the regular season opener. He looks to make an immediate impact once he steps onto campus next season.
Owsiak centered the top line for the famed Notre Dame (Sask) midget hounds, finishing second in the league scoring race with 80 points in 44 games. This season he moved on to the Alberta league, where he will be relied upon by the new franchise.

Update on Red Deer

In yesterday's notes, I linked an article from the Red Deer Advocate in which Red Deer's coach, Brent Sutter, commented on the status of Tri-City (USHL) forward Mario Lamoureux. The main focus of the article, however, was on Coach Sutter's disdain for the new WHL rules (which mirror those being adopted by the NHL). To those who remember Coach Sutter's hard-nosed playing style, his views on permissible obstruction and physical play vs. wide-open play is not surprising. Apparently, however, Coach Sutter's comments did not sit well with the WHL hierarchy, and today he was fined $1,000 for the comments.

Returning to roots:
Yesterday's news brought word that defenseman Pat Cullity from the Berkshire School would be playing for the University of Vermont, not Boston University, as was originally thought. According to the Burlington Free Press, BU and Cullity came to an agreement over the summer to release him from his commitment. On the hockey end, Cullity decided to return to Bershire rather than trying out for a spot on the deep Omaha Lancers blueline.

Pre-Season All-Rookie Picks

As the new freshmen step on campus last week, I thought I'd take a crack at predicting the league All-Rookie teams.

AHA
Rookie of Year: Chris Trafford, Mercyhurst

F-Trafford, Mercyhurst
F-Trapp, Sacred Heart
F-Robinson, Mercyhurst
D-McAdam, Holy Cross
D-Hostetler, RIT
G-Giffin, Canisius

CHA
Rookie of Year: Grabarek, Wayne State

F-Reaney, Niagara University
F-Grabarek, Wayne State
F-Jackman, Robert Morris
D-Bostock, Bemidji State
D-Kalinchuk, Alabama-Huntsville
G-Pagliero, Niagara Universtiy

CCHA
Rookie of Year: Andrew Cogliano, Mich

F-Cogliano, Mich
F-Abdelkader, Mich St.
F-Condra, Notre Dame
D-Johnson, Mich
D-Eckford, Fairbanks
G-Spratt, Bowling Green


ECAC
Rookie of Year: St.Pierre, Colgate

F-D'Alvise, Clarkson
F-Bellows, Dartmouth
F-Vokes, Brown
D-St.Pierre, Colgate
D-Fensel, St.Lawrence
G-Lange, RPI

HE
Rookie of Year: Gerbe, BC

F-Bradford, BC
F-Lawrence, BU
F-Gerbe, BC
D-Motherwell, BC
D-Wild, PC
G-Quick, U.Mass


WCHA
Rookie of Year: Phil Kessel, Minn

F-Kessel, Minn
F-Toews, N.Dakota
F-Gergen, Minn-Duluth
D-Lee, N.Dakota
D-Niskanen, Minn-Duluth
G-Nolan, Mich. Tech


Recruiting updates: Defenseman Barry Goers, who made the All-star team at the Beantown Classic, secured a scholarship from Lowell for the '06 season, where he will join his Green Mountain (EJHL) teammate, forward Paul Worthington. Lowell will be graduating its huge senior class, and already has put a big dent in replenishing the ranks by securing commitments from five forwards, two defensemen and goalie Neven Hamilton, who will become eligible in '06. Previously a member of the '06 class slated to play for Nanaimo (BCHL), Mark Roebothan has moved his commitment to this year to take the spot vacated when Ben Walter signed with the Bruins.

Red Deer Awaits: Red Deer Coach Brian Sutter continues to be vexed by Mario Lamoureux's indecision. As noted in the Red Deer Advocate Sutter still hopes the youngest Lamoureux will chose the WHL route, where his brother plays.

The 17-year-old American forward talked to Sutter on Sunday from his home in Grand Forks, N.D., and admitted he still hasn't decided whether he'll play a second season with Tri-Cities of the United States Hockey League or join the Rebels.
"He says he can't make up his mind, so how long do we go on like this as an organization?" said Sutter, who feels Lamoureux could play a regular shift with his team this season.
Lamoureux, who has dual American/Canadian citizenship, is hedging on committing to the Rebels because he has already been offered a hockey scholarship for the start of the 2007-08 season at the University of North Dakota.
"If he can't make up his mind we have to move in a different direction and he might over time find the one option is taking away from him," said Sutter.
"Here's a kid who as a 17-year-old would be one of our four centres, and yet he's chosen to stay and play at a lower level, which is junior A hockey. He does have a scholarship in place, but it won't take affect until he's 19 so for the next two years he'll play at a lower level. Is that what's good for him?

Ryan Flynn

US National Team winger Ryan Flynn, is visiting Boston College campus today, according to the Minnesota Gopher Puck Live message board. This comes on the heels of Flynn's visit last week to Wisconsin, and several unofficial visits to the hometown U. As that board speculates, BC would seem to have the inside track on Flynn, and certainly can use his size (6'2 212) to supplement the existing '06 class of Matt Price (5'10) and Ben Smith (5'11) and the '07 class of Ryan Gibbons (5'6) and Joe Whitney (5'7). By my guess, BC looks to have two more forward spots available in '06, and a spot on D. They have had interst in Phillips Andover winger Chris Cahill, although it is more likely that they will go out of the region to fill the remaining forward spots.

Bobby Butler, who was mentioned in the August 31st entry, committed to UNH on Friday. Butler is an intersting prospect who is the subject of divergent views in the scouting community. Against top competition he has played very well, and Butler's strong play at the recent Beantown Classic solidified UNH's interest, and well as drawing offers from Northeastern, Merrimack and U.Mass-Lowell. Butler's ties to UNH freshmen Kevin Kapstad and Jerry Pollastrone ultimately swayed him to join UNH in '06.

Gryba to USHL

The Nanaimo Daily News reports that Hockey Canada has denied the appeal of Saskatchewan-born Eric Gryba (see my August 25th entry), who was hoping to play in Nanaimo, BC this season. With the denial, Gryba is heading to the USHL to play with Green Bay. Gryba was named the top defensman at the Canadian national midget tourney, and is a good student, so will have many college options.

Year	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PM	League
2003-04	Saskatoon Contacts	39	1	10	11	89	SMHL
2004-05	Saskatoon Contacts	32	11	29	40	83	SMHL
2004-05	Melfort Mustangs	2	0	0	0	4	SJHL