UW recruiting: And the sign said non-blue chippahs need not apply!

[Eric Hybert]

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge is sure to draw a ton of scouts in the coming week. Skille, Kessel, Lawrence, Bertram, Bradford and many others will be playing in this tournament.

Ironically, the first game of the tourney is between the US (Skille, Kessel, Lawrence) and Pacific (Bertram, Bradford) on December 28th. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. That's a lot of future Badgers on the ice at one time!:-))

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/championships/u17/2004/sked.html

Wisconsin Hockey: WJC's, Viking Cup, U-17 Challenge..WOW!!!

[sagissoor]

Detailed profile of Ryan Suter:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=3778

Detailed profile of Joe Pavelski

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=3583

Detailed profile of Bernd Bruckler

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=2274

[TRITT22]

Originally posted by Eric Hybert
He's a LW, plays on a line with UND recruit Rylan Kaip. I believe he's in the 5'10, 185 range. Had 20-27-47 last year in 58 games as a rookie with ND. I don't see him amongst the league leaders yet this year but he's playing on the youngest team in the SJHL..a team that went through a 7 game winless streak this month so it's really not fair to judge his talent on stats alone, I'd assume. Hope that helps..I know Notre Dame's website does a HORRIBLE job promoting their players!

Wisconsin Hockey: Badger reject, da, da, da, da, da!:-))

Thanks - appreciate the info! If Gordon is anything like Joudrey he will be a good recruit for SCSU.

SCSU HOCKEY: Now accepting both Gopher AND Badger rejects!

[markwojo]

Joe Pa & Kyle Kub got on the score sheet in the first game for the USA vs Germany (10-2 USA win). Joe Pa had a goal and Kyle Kub had 3 assists.

[markwojo]

Future Badger teammates connected on a goal for the USA in the Viking cup vs Slovakia in a 6-3 win.

[Eric Hybert]

Great results all across the board for US squads whether it be at the WJC's, the Viking Cup or at the U-17 Challenge. Nathan Lawrence was the star of the game last night in a 10-3 at the U-17 Challenge. Lawrence is a Stoughton, WI native.

http://www.usahockey.com/usa_hockey/main/home/u17chall_usaatl//

Pavelski is the captain of the US Viking Cup team. I believe Kluby's 2nd on the team in scoring with 4 points.

In listening to bits and pieces of their games so far, it sounds like Trevor Ludwig, while a defensive-defenseman, is a very good skater. While you'd always like to add some offense on the blueline, it's pretty clear the Badgers could use another guy who's sound in his own end. Eaves has stated publically that he'd like to add a left-handed defensemen to next years recruiting class. Ludwig and Motherwell appear to be solid candidates.

A good WJC tourney for Eaves and crew would be a nice recruiting tool, no doubt.

Wisconsin Hockey: The PACKER Cup!

[sagissoor]

Hybs -

I've got to say, you've brought up Motherwell quite a few times. Drewiske's stats are almost identical to his. I have not seen either play, but if all things are equal (not saying they are), I have to hope that the in-stater gets the blueline schollie.

Wisconsin Hockey - Davis Drewiske (leading D scorer) Des Moines

[MadCityRich]

It's great to see the Madison kids doing well. Happy as heck for "Nate" Lawrence. It would be great to see him, Kessel, and Eric Lampe along with committed players Klubertanz and Skille all playing with the Badgers.
Plus, they're all personal friends of mine = TICKETS!!
You guys would look good in RED..........

[Eric Hybert]

Originally posted by sagissoor
Hybs -

I've got to say, you've brought up Motherwell quite a few times. Drewiske's stats are almost identical to his. I have not seen either play, but if all things are equal (not saying they are), I have to hope that the in-stater gets the blueline schollie.

Wisconsin Hockey - Davis Drewiske (leading D scorer) Des Moines

Sags-

You're right, Drewiske does fall into the lefty category, too, and seems to be having a decent rookie year in the USHL. Motherwell does have only one more point than Drewiske but Motherwell's played in 10 fewer games (broken foot) and is nearly two years younger than Drewiske. In talking to someone from River City, Motherwell has a ton of college options and could be the best unsigned player left in the USHL. Drewiske could be a candidate for that half scholarship, though. I understand Davis is an outstanding student, too, FWIW. We'll see..

Have you seen much HS hockey this year? I'd like to see a Memorial game this year. Sauer and both of Mark Johnson's boys seem to be good players. Is the frosh, Patrick, a decent prospect? Have you seen New Richmond at all? I was impressed with Calleja (sp?) and their goaltender from what I saw last year.

Wisconsin Hockey: 2 more D for '04?

[markwojo]

From WSJ:
Recruiting update
In search of a left-handed shooting defenseman for next season, UW coaches recently had 19-year-old Rice Lake High School athlete Josh Engel in for an official visit. Engel, 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, plays in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. Visiting UW at the same time was Jimmy Kilpatrick, an 18-year-old forward from New Prague, Minn., who leads the Gamblers in scoring. Kilpatrick, 5-11 and 170 pounds, is projected as 2005-06 recruit.

[Eric Hybert]

Very interesting...I wonder if both of them have offers.

Perhaps some of our MN friends can help with more info but from what I've read of Kilpatrick he sounds like a good all-around player..very good skater with good hands and a wicked shot. Didn't he win the hardest shot at the skills competition the MN Wild held?

He currently has more points than some of his already-committed classmates including future SCSU players, Nate Dey (Mr Hockey) and Sean Garrity and future Gophers Brent Borgen and Ben Gordon (who has been injured). He's been in on 21 of GB's lowly 68 goals so far this season..not too shabby.

You'd have to think Engel would be a candidate for that half scholarship. Over a guy like Drewiske, though? Maybe our guy from GB can give us a scouting report on Engel.

Wisconsin Hockey: More Gamblers???

[sagissoor]

Engel is a very big kid that Osiecki thinks will play in the NHL someday. I would bet he is a guy we would like to offer not for next year, but for 05-06.

Hybs - I actually coach high school hockey here. I have seen Memorial. Sauer really sticks out. The Johnson's are very good high school players. Not sure Chris, the senior, is a junior A caliber player. Pat is only a Sophmore so there is time for him as he progresses. For my money, Travis Davenport is the best player in the big eight. Kerns and Bates are leading Stoughton it seems, and both should get lots of attention from USHL teams.

I too think Drewiske is a better player than Engel now, but long term, maybe Engel is the guy.

[Hammy]

Kilpatrick has good skills. Good skater. Not overly fast but he skates well. He is a right handed shot. I think he is sometimes guilty of trying to be "too pretty" out on the ice (and gets sloppy with the puck when he does it) but maybe a full year of junior hockey will get him out of that habit. I sort of expected him to do better than he has so far but it could be the players he is with. I think GB has been disappointing.

I don't recall if he was the best shot in the Wild competition a few years ago or not. He may have been but that doesn't mean a lot since I believe they only have 4 HS kids participating against each other in that competition. I guess I didn't think his shot was anything special when I watched him play for Holy Angels but maybe I didn't get to see him unleash it enough.

Holy Angels has had a good amount of future D-1 level talent in recent years. They came within a whisker of beating the Sidney Crosby led Shattuck team last year. In fact, without Crosby, Shattuck would have probably lost that game. I'd like the Holy Angels program more if it wasn't one of those pukey private schools I tend to dislike. :D ;)

[Slap Shot]

Yeah, Holy Angels has become the Hill Murray of the new millenium.

[tb2]

If Kilpatrick and Engel were in for "official" visits does that mean that reality has sunk in with respect to the "higher end" talent?
(Bradford,Bertram,Filangieri,.....) We can't have that many scholarships left----can we?

Wouldn't it be nice to get 2 Dmen and a Forward with the 1.5 scholarships left (Engel,Drewiske,Kilpatrick). Just dreaming.....

[solovsfett]

I must have missed something. Who are Bradford and Filangieri?

Who do they currently play for?

I also haven't heard news on where Bertram is heading.

I'm not sold on the state kids just yet. I would much rather see Eaves go after Canada heavily. Perhaps Wisconsin is beginning to play decent hs hockey and I've just missed it the past few years????

[tb2]

Bradford plays in the BCHL and is considered by many so-called recruiting experts as the next best to Bertram. Filangieri plays in the USHL(I believe with Pavelski) and I have seen some of the same experts claim he is as good as any of the Dmen on U17 NDTP. As always, who cares until they show it when and where it counts.......

If you believe all of the expert analysis, the guys brought in on official visits would appear to be a level below, but who knows. Have to trust Eaves and his staff.

[Eric Hybert]

Originally posted by tb2
If Kilpatrick and Engel were in for "official" visits does that mean that reality has sunk in with respect to the "higher end" talent?
(Bradford,Bertram,Filangieri,.....) We can't have that many scholarships left----can we?

Wouldn't it be nice to get 2 Dmen and a Forward with the 1.5 scholarships left (Engel,Drewiske,Kilpatrick). Just dreaming.....

There have been a ton of great forward prospects this year and for '05, but the simple fact is, Wisconsin is stacked at forward to the point where I don't even see room for Kilpatrick in '05:

jr Earl-jr Joudrey-sr MacMurchy
so Auffrey-so Pavelski-fr Skille
sr Licari-jr Dowell-sr Degenhardt
jr Heatley-sr Burish-jr Brandt
jr Rowe-sr Gibson?-jr Carlson
sr Funk

I know Bradford, Bertram, Kilpatrick etc. are good and could probably crack the lineup, but from a #'s standpoint I don't know where they'd fit.

Gilbert sr
Sawatske sr
Likens jr
Olinger jr
Klubertanz so

The last 1.5 left in scholarship money for '04 will have to be spent on defensemen. Rumor has it that Julka (a walk-on) will also be graduating this year and likely leaving the team meaning Boeser, Krall, Woz, Julka and possibly Suter will be gone. To make matters even more complex, you can bet that Likens and Klubertanz will both make the WJC team next year which leaves just 3 returning dmen during that stretch. So, you're looking at still bringing in at least 3 defensemen (scholarship and walkon) for next year alone. Engel a walk-on, perhaps?

So for '05, I'm guessing the Badgers will likely offer at least one more forward in addition to Skille, one defenseman (since Morin apparently has an offer) and another goaltender, obviously. All that could change with early departures.

Hammy, thanks for the scouting report, I appreciate it. There was an article posted on the GB site from January '03 about Kilpatrick winning the hardest shot contest at the Wild skills competition. I guess Garrity won fastest skater, FWIW.

Wisconsin Hockey: Agree or disagree???

[GB Puck Fan]

In late November, Engel led the Gamblers with a +5. Overall, though the Gamblers have had trouble scoring of late and I think only three kids have on the plus side of the +/-.

He's a solid defensemen, nice size as noted, with good puck skills. For example, he had 2 assists on New Year's Eve on a night when the team only had 5 of its regular D dressed.

I've heard he's gotten interest from some others, but not sure of all the details. And I can't answer if Madison would want him in 04-05 or 05-06... I suppose what happens with Suter and others plays a role in that. He's young enough he could come back to the USHL for another year.

[jk]

Eric, FWIW, I understand that Bertram basically steps onto the first or second line wherever he chooses to go. Cracking the lineup isn't a question for him. Then again, I guess the same was probably said for Pineault, so who knows.

And now with his knee injury, it's probably more in doubt. ... never mind.