Showing posts with label henley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label henley. Show all posts

Friday, June 1, 2012

Trio goes unsigned

The Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that three prospects from the 2010 draft - Steven Shipley, Gregg Sutch, and Cedrick Henley - have gone unsigned by the June 1st deadline and will now enter the 2012 draft held later this month in Pittsburgh.

After skating in the CHL Top Prospects Game and piling 63 points in his draft year, Shipley slipped to the fourth round where the Sabres snagged him with the 98th pick. The Ilderton, ON native requested a trade out of Owen Sound following his selection, ultimately ending up with the Niagara IceDogs where he scored 40 goals and 99 points over the past two seasons. A player with a nice frame and playmaking ability, the 6'3, 212-pounder was unable to consistently show the compete level to earn a tender. With a contract already awarded to Phil Varone, a center who ironically went unsigned by San Jose, the writing seemed to be on the wall despite a more passionate effort in the IceDogs run to the OHL final.

For Sutch, the Sabres fifth-rounder in 2010, the past two seasons have been marked by hard-nosed play and some entertaining scraps. On the down side was a smattering of injuries ranging from multiple concussions and a broken wrist suffered at the 2011 Memorial Cup as a member of the Mississauga-St. Michael's Majors. Going to Barrie for the 2011-12 year, the 6'2 grinder was able to score a career-best nine goals but was forced down the lineup with the Colts boasting a talented forward attack.

Projected as a power forward project, the 6'5 Henley captained the Val-d'Or Foreurs this past season, scoring career highs of 13 goals and 39 points in 53 games. The former 4th overall pick in QMJHL draft (2008), the Sabres invested in his potential with a sixth-round pick but unfortunately saw his development stall when most of his first post-draft year was washed out due to wrist surgery.

The trio become the first Sabres prospects to be released back to the draft since Jordon Southorn was cut loose in the spring of 2010. Three others, North Dakota goaltender Brad Eidsness (2007, 5th round), Vermont defender Drew MacKenzie (2007, 7th round), and Minnesota State forward Justin Jokinen (2008, 4th round), recently completed their senior NCAA seasons and do not appear to be in the team's go-forward strategy.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

3/27 Recap: Armia goes down with knee

So perhaps Joel Armia wasn't refilling his sport drink after all.

The second-year Assat forward has been ruled out of action for roughly six weeks after an examination Tuesday revealed stress to his knee suffered in Saturday's loss to JYP.

The 18-year wing finished Saturday's game after getting stung in a collision, and also went ahead and collected two assists in over 19-minutes of work on Monday before finally being shut down.

The injury will not require surgery but will cause him to miss the rest of the playoffs and likely take him out of consideration for the World Championships, which take place in Scandanavia in early May.

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (+3) scored his third goal of the playoffs as Rimouski edged Val-d’Or 3-2 in overtime. Foreurs captain Cedrick Henley finished -1 with a game-best eight hits in defeat. The Oceanic hold a 3-0 series lead and will look to use the brooms Wednesday night in Val-d’Or.

In the WHL, Kevin Sundher did not factor into the scoring as Brandon defeated Calgary 3-1 in game #4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal. With a 3-1 series lead, the Wheat Kings will look to eliminate the Hitmen Thursday on home ice.

Gregg Sutch and Alex Lepkowski were each a -1 as Barrie lost at Mississauga, 3-2. With the series evened at two games apiece, game #5 will take place Saturday in Barrie.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

3/24 Recap: Leduc leads way; Varone keys win

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc scored a goal and three assists Saturday as Rimouski got out to a commanding 2-0 series lead with an 8-5 win over Val-d'Or. The four-point night was the third of Leduc's 2011-12 year and first since early December. Cedrick Henley scored a goal and an assist for the Foreurs, who battled back from a 6-2 deficit to within one before the Nics closed it out with a pair of goals (including an empty netter) in the final two minutes of regulation. Game #3 is set for Tuesday in Val-d'Or.



Joel Armia (-1) sent five shots on goal as Assat was defeated for the second straight game by JYP, 2-1. The 6'3 wing competed hard after a disappointing effort in Thursday's opener, upping the physical ante early in hopes of setting a different tone. At one point he left the game after a collision with Sami Vatanen (below) but claimed during a second intermission interview that it was only to refill his sport drink. Assat now trails the series 2-0 with game #3 set for Monday in Jyvaskyla.



Dan Catenacci posted an assist as Owen Sound was defeated by Kitchener, 3-2. The defending OHL champion Attack, who played most of the game with just nine forwards, fall into a 2-0 series hole with game #3 coming Monday at Kitchener.

In the NCAA West Region semifinal, Brad Eidsness served as backup as #1 North Dakota defeated #4 Western Michigan, 3-1. The Sioux move on to a Sunday meeting with rival Minnesota, who advanced with a 7-3 win over Boston University. Gopher freshman Christian Isackson was a healthy scratch for the 10th straight game. UND defeated Minnesota last weekend for the right to play for the WCHA's automatic bid.

In AHL play, Phil Varone scored a goal and an assist in regulation and then secured the victory with the only marker in the shootout as Rochester earned a 4-3 win over Syracuse to get back into the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Vets Evan Rankin and Paul Szczechura netted the other Amerks goals, while David Leggio made 31 stops and another five in the shootout for his 24th win of the year.

The Rundown:
Varone: G, A, +1
Biega: 2A, +2
Brennan: A, +2
Lagace: -1
Adam: 4 SOG
McNabb: -2
Persson: -2
Szydlowski: -1

The Amerks will next play at Albany on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Prospects set for second season

It’s the first day of Spring, meaning things are about to get a little more interesting for some Sabres prospects. The CHL playoffs kick off on Thursday while the puck drops on the NCAA tourney a day later. And hey, that Armia kid will be looking to put together a playoff run, too.

***

The Sabres pair of QMJHL prospects, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc of the Rimouski Oceanic and Cedrick Henley of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, will square off in the first round beginning Friday. Leduc, a finalist for the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, led all Canadian junior defensemen this season with 28 goals while tying for the CHL lead with 74 points. Henley captained the Foreurs to a second place finish in the Telus East Division.

The Niagara IceDogs earned the top seed in the OHL’s Eastern Conference, creating a matchup with 8th place Oshawa. Dogs forward Steven Shipley, who was a point-per-game player over the final 20 games, will look to continue his late season pace on a line with David Pacan and Mitchell Theoret.

Dan Catenacci will be front-and-center for the defending OHL champion Owen Sound Attack as they travel to Kitchener for Friday’s game #1. The Attack will be playing without captain and leading scorer Mike Halmo, who was suspended 10 games in the final week of the regular season after lambasting Nail Yakupov with an open-ice headshot.

With star forward Tanner Pearson out with a broken leg suffered in the final game of the regular season, grinding wing Gregg Sutch, who was bumped down the lineup for most of the year, could see an elevated role for the Barrie Colts in their first round battle with Mississauga. West Seneca native Alex Lepkowski will be counted on to set a physical tone while earning big minutes on the Barrie blueline.

Out west, Edmonton captain and World Junior participant Mark Pysyk will lead the #1 seed Oil Kings into battle against the defending league champs, the Kootenay ICE. The ICE won’t have Brayden McNabb playing 30 minutes a night this go-round, but will again be backstopped by reigning playoff MVP Nathan Lieuwen, who enters the postseason with just three wins in his last 13 starts.

The Brandon Wheat Kings are hoping to have their key deadline acquisition, Kevin Sundher, back in the lineup when they begin their first round series with Calgary on Thursday. The speedy six-footer accumulated 64 points in 40 games with Victoria prior to being dealt, but has played just once after suffering a concussion on Valentine’s Day.

In other Thursday action, Joel Armia and Assat will begin their best-of-seven first round series with JYP. The 18-year old scored 18 goals for the second consecutive season, including a impressive 10 goals and 20 points in 21 games upon returning from the World Junior Championship.

After leading the NCAA with a 1.59 goals against average, Connor Knapp will lead Miami (#2 seed in the East Region) into Friday's NCAA tourney matchup with #3 Lowell. Knapp has been the most dominant netminder in all of college hockey since January 1st, compiling an 11-3 mark while allowing three or more goals just twice along the way.

In the West bracket, Brad Eidsness is expected to serve as back-up when #1 seed North Dakota battles #4 Western Michigan. On the other side, #2 Minnesota will take on Boston University. Gophers forward Christian Isackson will likely be a scratch as he has been for the last nine games.

***

Colin Jacobs and the Seattle Thunderbirds missed the WHL playoffs by two points but on Wednesday were awarded the first overall pick in the WHL bantam draft lottery. Justin Jokinen (Minnesota St.), Drew MacKenzie (Vermont), Brad Navin (Wisconsin), and Mark Adams (Providence) all saw their seasons end with losses in their respective conference tourneys.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

3/17 Recap: Shipley tunes up as Dogs eye run

Steven Shipley scored a goal and two assists Saturday as Niagara hammered Ottawa, 7-3. The 6'3 center is coming on of late on a line with Mitchell Theoret and David Pacan, scoring six goal and 10 points in his last seven games. After finishing the regular season on Sunday with a trip to Mississauga, the top-seeded IceDogs will open the 2012 playoffs on Thursday versus Oshawa.



Dan Catenacci snapped a five-game funk with a faceoff win assist as Owen Sound lost to Guelph, 3-1. With the pair of weekend losses to the Storm, the Attack slip to a 6th place finish in the OHL Western Conference. Owen Sound will be without leading scorer Mike Halmo (suspension) for the entire first round playoff match-up with Kitchener, meaning that Catenacci, who finished the regular season with 33 goals and 72 points, will need to step it up if the Attack is to defend their league crown.



Cedrick Henley recorded an assist as Val-d'Or defeated Baie-Comeau, 7-4. The 6'5 power forward finishes the regular season as Val-d'Or's seventh leading scorer, posting a career-best 13 goals and 39 points in 53 games. The Foreurs will wait for the outcome of Sunday action to learn where they'll be traveling for the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.

Gregg Sutch and Alex Lepkowski did not factor as Barrie was rolled by Brampton, 5-2. Sutch was stung late when he blocked a shot but should be good to go next week when the Colts begin the playoffs at home versus Mississauga.

Colin Jacobs logged a -1 as Seattle lost to Everett, 6-4. The Thunderbirds will now face a must-win situation on Sunday when they battle Portland in the final game of the regular season. Currently two points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, a Seattle victory will force a one-game tiebreaker with Everett on Tuesday.

Mark Pysyk finished +1 as Edmonton finished the regular season with a 7-3 win over Red Deer. The Oil Kings, who enter the WHL playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, will face defending league champion Kootenay in the first round. The first two games will be played at Rexall on Friday and Sunday.

Nathan Lieuwen made 14 saves as Kootenay was blanked by Calgary, 3-0. The ICE 2011-12 co-MVP, Lieuwen finishes the regular season with 27 wins (11th in WHL), a 2.50 goals against average (3rd) and .914 save percentage (5th).

Brad Eidsness backed up as North Dakota reeled off their seventh straight win to claim the WCHA Final Five Championship with a 4-0 shutout win over Denver. The Sioux victory gives them the automatic bid into the NCAA brackets. Their opponent will be announced Sunday at noon.

Kevin Sundher did not play as Brandon closed out the regular season with a 7-2 win over Regina. The Wheat Kings, who finish as the #6 seed in the WHL Eastern Conference, will hope to have the speedy center back on Thursday when they begin their opening round playoff series at Calgary.

***

In AHL play, blueliners T.J. Brennan (14th) and Nick Crawford (4th) added regulation goals and Paul Szczechura scored in overtime as Rochester edged Binghamton, 4-3.

Travis Turnbull also scored for the Amerks while David Leggio made 33 stops for his fifth win in his last six starts.

The Rundown:
Brennan: G, +1, 6 SOG
Crawford: G, +1, 2 SOG
Lagace: 2 SOG
Adam: -1, 4 SOG
Biega: +1, 2 SOG
Szydlowski: +1

On Friday, Orchard Park native Nick Schaus scored a late power play goal to give Syracuse a 4-3 win over the Amerks. Szczechura and fellow vets Colin Stuart and Evan Rankin provided the Rochester marks, while Phil Varone added two assists.

The Rundown:
Brennan: A, -3, 5 PIM
Biega: A,
Adam: A, 4 SOG
Lagace: 2 PIM
Crawford: +1
Szydlowski: even

Winners of eight of their last 10, the Amerks welcome Syracuse to the BCA for mid-week tilt on Wednesday.

***

In Texas, Drew Schiestel recorded an assist as Texas dropped both ends of a Friday/Saturday set to Oklahoma City. Schiestel has four assists and a +1 rating in six games since being re-assigned to the Stars top affiliate.

***

In the Coast League, Corey Fienhage picked up a pair of assists and Jonathan Parker chipped in a helper as Gwinnett held on for a 4-3 win over Greenville. Riley Boychuk recorded two shots on net in the win.

Since we haven't fed the savages in a while, here's a clip of Boychuk refining his pugilistic skills last weekend against the Road Warriors.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

3/16 Recap: Knapp's run ends; Pysyk finds net

Mark Pysyk scored his sixth goal of the year Friday as Edmonton earned their 10th straight victory over Medicine Hat, 4-2. Pysyk now has points in four of his last five games. With a win Sunday, the Oil Kings will clinch the top overall spot in the WHL.

Connor Knapp allowed four goals on 19 shots before getting pulled midway through the second period as Miami was defeated by Western Michigan 6-2 in the CCHA semifinal. Knapp, who was named Best Goaltender at Thursday's CCHA Awards, had allowed four total goals in his previous eight games entering the matchup. The RedHawks will now wait for Sunday's NCAA Tourney Selection Show to learn where and when they'll continue their year.

Gregg Sutch assisted on the game's first goal as Barrie lost to Mississauga in overtime, 4-3. The helper was Sutch's first point since February 9th, ending a 14-game drought for the grinding forward. Alex Lepkowski logged a -3 in defeat.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc snagged a late power play assist as Rimouski skated to a 7-4 win over Chicoutimi. The mobile defender has collected points in three straight to raise his season total to 74 (28+46).

Brad Eidsness watched from the bench as North Dakota scored six unanswered goals en route to a stunning 6-3 win over Minnesota. The Sioux, who tied a WCHA record with their 12 straight playoff victory, will square off with Denver for the automatic NCAA tourney bid. 

Cedrick Henley finished -1 with a game-high five hits as Baie-Comeau was doubled by Chicoutimi, 8-4. Raphael Bussieres ('12) scored a goal and an assist for the winning side.

Dan Catenacci failed to get a point for the fifth straight game as Owen Sound was blanked by Guelph, 5-0. Storm forward Scott Kosmachuk ('12) scored a goal and an assist.

Nathan Lieuwen allowed two goals in the final minute of regulation and then another in the overtime as Kootenay stumbled to a 6-5 home loss to Calgary. The hottest goaltender in junior hockey at this point a season ago, Lieuwen has won just three of his last dozen starts.

Colin Jacobs tied the game with his ninth goal of the year then set-up former d-camp invite Burke Gallimore for the game winner as Seattle edged Spokane, 4-3. Jacobs' tally snapped an 11-game goal drought.

Kevin Sundher did not play in Brandon's 2-1 win over Regina. Sundher (concussion) has played in just one of the Wheat Kings last 13 games.

Mark Adams watched as Providence saw their season come to an end with a 4-2 loss to #1 Boston College in the Hockey East semifinal. The 6'3 sophomore missed the final nine games after suffering a concussion in a game against Northeastern back on 2/17.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

3/13 Recap: Calm before playoff storm

Colin Jacobs recorded an assist Tuesday as Seattle earned a win over Spokane. The 6'1 center has no goals and two assists in his last 11 games. The 11-game goalless drought is the second longest of his WHL career. He went 23 games without a tally as a rookie back in 2009-10.

In Finland, Joel Armia punched four shots on goal in 18:12 of work as Assat lost to Karpat, 3-2. The Aces will wrap up the regular season on Thursday at home versus TPS. Talented 2012 draft prospect Ville Pokka skated over 23-minutes on the Karpat blueline.

Alex Lepkowski tied a career high with a +3 rating as Barrie defeated Sudbury 5-4 in a shootout. Gregg Sutch missed his second game in a row for maintenance purposes.

On Sunday, Steven Shipley was +1 in Niagara's 5-2 win over Kingston. The #1 team in the OHL's Eastern Conference, the IceDogs have won eight of their last 10 with their final three games set for Thursday through Sunday.

Cedrick Henley was +2 with an assist as Val-d'Or came up short against Rouyn-Noranda, 3-2. The 6'5 project has 13 goals, 38 points, and 86 PIM this season - all career highs.

Dan Catenacci was whistled for a slashing minor as Owen Sound was beaten by Plymouth, 4-3. After ripping off 23 points in 16 games, Catenacci has come away empty in his last four.

Jacobs was -1 in Seattle's 3-2 overtime win over Everett. Branden Troock ('12) notched his 13th of the year in the win.

Brad Navin contributed two shots on goal as Wisconsin was eliminated from the WCHA tourney with a 3-2 overtime loss at Denver. Navin ends his freshman campaign with three goals and three assists in 36 games while spending the majority of his time on the Badgers' fourth forward unit.

Mark Adams did not play (concussion) as Providence advanced to the Hockey East semis with a 1-0 win over Lowell. The Friars will take on #1 Boston College on Friday.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

3/9 Recap: Knapp sets mark; Armia chips in

Connor Knapp made 27 saves Friday for his fifth shutout of the year and third in his last five starts as #11 Miami cruised to a 6-0 win over #15 Michigan State. The 6'6 senior improves to 14-6 on the year with a 1.45 goals against average (1st in nation) and .942 save percentage (2nd). The shutout, Knapp's 13th of his career, sets a new record for the storied RedHawks program. Miami will look to sweep the Spartans when they play game #2 of their CCHA quarterfinal matchup on Saturday.

In Finland, Joel Armia continued his strong season finish with a one goal, one assist performance to help Assat to a 4-0 victory over Jokerit. The 6'3 wing earned 21:33 of ice time (his second 20+ minute performance in the past two weeks) en route to posting his eighth multi-point game of the year. Armia has now collected 10 goals and 10 assists in 20 games since returning from the World Junior Championship. His 18 goals equals his output from a season ago.



In Quebec league play, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc gathered a goal and an assist as Rimouski downed Shawinigan, 5-3. The power play points give the defender 27-45-72 with just three games to go.

Nathan Lieuwen stopped everything thrown at him for 55-minutes before allowing three goals in the final five as Kootenay was toppled by Medicine Hat, 3-1. The ICE remain locked in the 5th spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference with four games left to play.

Mark Pysyk recorded an assist for the second straight game as Edmonton took out Eastern Division leader Red Deer, 5-2. With the win, the Oil Kings clinched the first overall spot in the Eastern Conference.

Dan Catenacci (-1) went without a point for the second straight game as Owen Sound edged Saginaw, 4-3. Attack forward Gemel Smith ('12) posted three assists to earn the game's #1 star.

Steven Shipley was held off the scoresheet as Niagara defeated Ottawa, 5-1. The victory gives the IceDogs their first Central Division title since moving to St. Catherines.

Cedrick Henley (-2) contributed six shots on goal as Val-d'Or earned an exciting 6-5 win over Gatineau. Foreurs forward Anthony Mantha ('13), whose 9/16 birth date misses the cutoff for the 2012 draft by one day, continued to impress with two goals and two assists.

Kevin Sundher remained out of the lineup as Brandon was hammered by Saskatoon, 6-2. The center has played in just one game since getting his bell rung back on Valentine's Day.

Brad Navin was even as Wisconsin took a 1-0 decision at #9 Denver. A win over the Pioneers on Saturday would thrust the Badgers into next weekend's WCHA Final Five.

Justin Jokinen posted a shot on goal as Mankato lost to #3 Duluth, 4-2. The Mavericks will look to stave off elimination on Saturday when they rematch with the defending national champs.

Brad Eidsness served as backup in #12 North Dakota's 4-1 win over Bemidji State. The Sioux will go for their 10th consecutive WCHA playoff victory on Saturday.

Mark Adams missed his seventh game with a concussion as Providence dropped a 3-2 overtime decision at #7 Lowell. With the Friars taking Thursday's opener by a 5-3 count, the two clubs will play a rubber match on Sunday afternoon to decide the first round playoff series.

Christian Isackson was scratched for the seventh straight game as #5 Minnesota defeated Alaska-Anchorage, 2-1.

***

In the AHL, Luke Adam scored the game-winning goal late in the middle frame as Rochester earned a 3-1 win over Binghamton. The marker gives Adam two goals and seven points in 11 games since being sent down by the Sabres.

Matt MacKenzie assisted on the winner, while veterans Paul Szczechura and Derek Whitmore supplied the other Amerks goals. David Leggio made 35 stops for his 21st win of the year.

The Rundown:
Adam: GWG, +1, 5 SOG
MacKenzie: A, +1
Crawford: A, +1
Brennan: +1, 2 SOG
Biega: 2 SOG
McNabb: SOG
Szydlowski: even

Saturday, March 3, 2012

3/2 Recap: Leduc takes advantage; Sundher returns

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc picked up a pair of power play assists Friday as Rimouski delivered a 4-1 loss to Cape Breton. The productive defender, who now has 2+2 in his last two outings, now ranks 17th in QMJHL scoring with 69 points (26+43) with a half dozen games remaining.



Cedrick Henley earned an assist and a game-high eight hits as Val-d'Or defeated Victoriaville 3-2 in a shootout. The 6'5 forward has nine points in his last eight games.

In WHL play, Kevin Sundher notched a power play assist in his return from a six-game absence as Brandon rolled past Lethbridge, 6-2. The Wheat Kings have now won seven straight.



Colin Jacobs finished -1 as Seattle was blanked by Everett, 4-0. The 6'1 center has skated without a point in five straight games.

In NCAA action, Drew MacKenzie was -2 in Vermont's 5-1 loss at #1 Boston College. The senior defenseman will play his final game for the Catamounts on Saturday.

Brad Navin recorded a shot on goal as Wisconsin downed rival #4 Minnesota, 4-1. The Badgers will go for their fifth straight win when the teams conclude the WCHA set on Saturday. Gopher freshman Christian Isackson was scratched for the fifth straight game.

Justin Jokinen finished +1 as Minnesota State dropped a 4-2 decision at North Dakota. Brad Eidsness served as backup for the Sioux. The two clubs will rematch on Saturday to finish the WCHA regular season.

Mark Adams remained sidelined as Providence was defeated by Lowell, 5-1. Despite the loss, the Friars clinch their first Hockey East Tournament spot since 2008. The two clubs will conclude the regular season slate on Saturday.