Southorn stays in PEI as peers gear up

The CHL pre-season is coming to a close, and the bulk of prospects are in Buffalo for early work before the opening of main camp later in the week. However, one Sabres property will be wearing his junior colors when the QMJHL kicks off its regular season. The Sabres this week informed PEI Rocket defenseman Jordon Southorn that they were rescinding his 2009 training camp invitation due to his second team-imposed suspension in as many seasons. Southorn, who was suspended by the Rocket for an alleged curfew violation, will be in uniform when the club opens their QMJHL regular season this week instead of competing in Buffalo.

The group, including Southorn’s agent Don Meehan, sat down (with input from the Buffalo Sabres which nabbed Southorn in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL draft) to decide his fate. Savard helped make last year’s docking call and the recent suspension. He said Southorn’s back in the fold, but what happens next is up to him. “The kid knows what to expect. He’s getting another chance,” said Savard, who selected the blue-liner 17th overall in the first round in the 2006 QMJHL draft. “That’s the way it’s going to be. He knows things have to change as we move forward (and) the season begins.” The greater damage might be Buffalo reneging Southorn’s invitation to its training camp next week. He had been scheduled to leave P.E.I. for New York, Sept. 7. He might get another chance later in the camp, said Southorn, but for now the NHL squad has cooled his jets. “They don’t want me in Buffalo breaking curfew or getting into trouble,” he said. “They don’t want me there in that state of mind.”

At this point, Southorn will have to be lights out this season to be considered for an NHL contract. Harvard's Alex Biega and Saginaw's Nick Crawford are also up for a blueline look after this season, while T.J. Brennan and Drew Schiestel have already joined Mike Weber, Mike Kostka, Dennis Persson, and Matt Generous in the minor league mix. Add in top clubbers Chris Butler, 22, and Andrej Sekera, 23, and the already-inked Tyler Myers, 19, and it's easy to think that only one of the three could be signed next offseason. Speaking of Myers, the 6'8 defenseman arrived in Buffalo on Saturday for his second NHL camp.

“Having one year and one camp under my belt, I’m going in with some confidence,” Myers said. “I’m very excited to go in there, do the best I can and just keep things simple. Whatever they have planned for me I’ll accept. “I’d love to play with Buffalo this year, but I know there’s a possibility I may get sent back. If that happens, Kelowna’s not a bad place to come play hockey and I don’t think another year of development would hurt me at all.”

Meanwhile Buffalo News reporter John Vogl spoke with GM Darcy Regier, who confirmed that Tyler Ennis will be signed and done shortly.

"He’ll come to camp and we’ll work on his contract, but the expectation is that he’ll turn pro and not return to junior this year," Regier said.

The same article mentioned that RFA Mark Mancari would like a chance to play elsewhere. Four years into his pro career, the big wing has essentially graduated from this space. Cruising the other CHL training camps for updates on those heading to Buffalo this week... Luke Adam saw his first pre-season action for Cape Breton on Wednesday, posting two goals and an assist as the Eagles hammered Halifax, 9-2. The 6'2 forward, who also led the Eagles with five shots on goal and five blocks, departed for Buffalo the following day. On Friday, Jacob Lagacé had two shots on goal as Chicoutimi lost 4-2 to Shawinigan. Cataractes forward Maxime Legault did not play. Lagacé played again the following night, getting into a fight with 6'1, 194-pound Maxime Lamarche in the Sags 6-1 loss at Victoriaville. The 17-year old Lamarche got the better of Lagacé, who rarely drops the mitts. Portland forward Felix Schutz was seen skating in Saint John on Friday as his former junior club, the Sea Dogs, broke camp for a week before the start of the regular season. In the OHL, Marcus Foligno was tossed from Sudbury's loss to Barrie on Thursday. The big forward earned a five-minute major and a game misconduct after a slew foot in the second period. On Friday, Foligno tipped a shot in from his belly for his second goal of the pre-season in Sudbury's 5-2 loss to Oshawa. Saginaw rearguard Nick Crawford had an assist in Friday's 5-3 loss to Sault Ste. Marie, and did not play as the Spirit lost a Saturday rematch, 4-2. After sitting out the pre-season opener, Zack Kassian had two assists in Peterborough's 6-4 win over Oshawa on Wednesday. Kassian arrived in Buffalo Monday morning. In the WHL, Brayden McNabb did not play in either of Kootenay's pre-season losses before heading to Buffalo over the weekend. The OHL and WHL will drop the puck for regular season play on the 17th. 2009 pick Mark Adams started his USHL career this week as Chicago opened up with a holiday weekend of practices. The New England high school product will hone his skills for a season under the guidance of former NHLer Steve Poapst before entering Providence College next fall. The USHL regular season doesn't get underway until October 2nd.

A hit on ice, Kassian owns bench as well

The Sabres set a proper tone for their future by selecting bruising forward Zack Kassian at #13 last June, and it appears the prized pupil is primed to produce. The 6'3 ox arrived in Peterborough this week, giving every young player a lesson in fitness training by pressing 155 pounds a whopping 38 times. His performance, a new Petes record, is an extension of his impressive 16-rep output of 150 pounds back at May's NHL combine. Last season, the intimidating Kassian scored 24 goals while spending over two-and-a half hours in the Petes penalty box. His demeanor and ability in tight fills a dire need in the upper ranks of the Sabres prospect stable. A productive start this fall will better his candidacy to crack the Canadian World Jr. roster, but for now consider him on track. The Petes open their 2009 pre-season on Sunday against Oshawa. Also from the OHL, Sudbury's Marcus Foligno scored a goal and an assist as Team Blue lost the annual Blue/White scrimmage, 3-2. The gritty Foligno, expected to contribute among names like Eric O'Dell (STL), John McFarland ('10), and Jared Staal (PHX), showed some offensive flair by flashing a no-look, behind-the-back pass to set-up his club's second goal. Foligno has come out flying in a week when his father and former Sabre, Mike, announced that he is stepping down from the Wolves bench. The elder Foligno will remain GM, but will be attending to family duties a months after losing his wife Janis to cancer. Nick Crawford sat out as Saginaw lost their pre-season opener to Plymouth, 7-2. The veteran scored a goal in the first Blue/White scrimmage on Thursday. In the QMJHL, Maxime Legault saw his first pre-season action on Friday as Shawinigan lost a 4-1 decision to Lewiston. The 6'2 right wing dropped the gloves with Eric Bonawitz in the bumpy second period, earning the extra misconduct along the way. Cape Breton forward Luke Adam has yet to see exhibition ice with his new team, while Chicoutimi's Jacob Lagacé did not dress in any games last week. In the WHL, Tyler Ennis is not on the Medicine Hat's training camp roster. While he is eligible to return to the Dub, the Tigers don't expect him back. Turning 20 in October, Ennis should be signed and lined for Portland by the start of training camp. Kelowna's Tyler Myers continues to practice as he readies himself for a second pro run. He did not play in either of Kelowna's weekend losses to Chilliwack. Kootenay defenseman Brayden McNabb will skate in the club's annual Intrasquad game for charity Sunday at 3:00. The Ice won't engage with another club until Friday (vs. Calgary).

Knapp to miss start; Nats wrap up

Miami RedHawks netminder Connor Knapp will miss his turn in the starting rotation as Team USA closes its four-game exhibition with Russia on Saturday at the U20 Evaluation. Knapp, the Sabres 6th round pick this past June, injured his right knee on the opening day of camp and was deemed 'not ready' by coach Dean Blais after seeing light work 0n Thursday. Each of the four goaltenders in camp were expected to see a full 60-minute contest. The circumstances are undoubtedly disappointing for the 6'5 sophomore, as a sharp start could have made for a strong closing impression just one night after Brandon Maxwell (COL) allowed six goals on 17 shots in a 6-4 loss. The injury and poor showing by Maxwell seem to have created some space for the other two camp goalies, Mike Lee (PHX) and Jack Campbell, heading into the 2009-10 season. St. Cloud bound Lee manned the 8-1 opening night victory, while Michigan recruit Campbell played well in Wednesday's 6-1 win. It is unclear who will assume Knapp's slot in the finale. When things were heating up for the Americans in Lake Placid, teams Red and White split a pair of games in Saskatoon as Canada wrapped up their U20 camp last weekend. Throughout the two games, White's Luke Adam did what he does best by producing offense. The 6'2 forward deftly backhanded a pass to a streaking Louis Leblanc to set up a goal in Saturday's 5-2 win. The next night, he awed those in attendance by freezing a defender and roofing a quick wrister over Matt Hackett's shoulder. Adam gave it his best amongst a talented group of forwards and is no doubt better from the experience. Returning blueliner Tyler Myers was controlling in both ends for Team White and is essentially a lock to be part of Canada's leadership core if not on the Sabres roster. The 6'8 defenseman pointed in Sunday's 5-3 loss when a rebound of his power-play point shot was buried by Ryan O'Reilly (COL) to open scoring. Sabres' 2009 blue-chipper Zack Kassian did not register a point all weekend for the Reds, but was a tone-setter with his physical style and willingness to battle. Canada brought lots of beef to camp, and Kassian did not disappoint. After previously lining up with Philippe Cornet (EDM) and Adam Henrique (NJ), the 6'3 Kassian skated third-line minutes with 6'4 Josh Brittain (ANA) and 6'5 Joe Colborne (BOS) in Sunday's win. The Pete's banger made a solid impression, teeing up fellow OHLer Matt Clark with attitude while seeming to be in general disagreement with young gun Evander Kane (ATL) as the game progressed. Kassian did have a role in the biggest camp dust up, as it was his feed to Jordan Caron (BOS) on Saturday that gave Colten Tuebert (LA) the space to knock the QMJHL forward out of commission for 6-8 weeks with a blindside open-ice hit. Per the video, Kassian opted for discipline over natural instinct when considering a retort.

Sabres trio enjoys summer 'Toon up

Three Sabres prospects are in Saskatoon this week for Canada's U20 Summer Development Camp. A group of 45 players will showcase their talents for Hockey Canada brass, highlighted by the annual Red/White scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday. 6'8 blueliner Tyler Myers will skate for Team White, getting paired with fellow Albertan Dylan Olsen. One of two Junior A players in camp, the Duluth-bound Olsen is like Myers in that he was born in the United States (Salt Lake City, UT), but represents Canada in international competition. Meanwhile, Myers remains humble despite the possibility that the camp may be null and void if he sticks with the Sabres this fall.

“Having played last year, I have a pretty good idea what to expect at camp, but I’m not looking at it as though I’ve got it made and I’m a shoo-in,” said Myers, 19, who scored a goal and posted a plus-5 rating at last year’s WJC. “It’s going to be an intense camp again. The experience last year was nice, but I still want to go make sure the coaches know I deserve to be there.”

Cape Breton left wing Luke Adam, 19, joins Myers on the White roster. The 6'2 left wing will team with center Ryan O'Reilly of the Erie Otters, and Quebec Remparts speedster Kelsey Tessier. Adam was the Sabres 2nd round pick (44th overall) in 2008. Zack Kassian, 18, will bang his drum as a Team Red right wing. One month removed from a turf toe injury that the kept him off the ice at Niagara U, the Windsor, Ontario product skated opposite Philippe Cornet (Rimouski) and center Adam Henrique (Windsor) in Wednesday's opening practice. Kassian, 6'3, 215 pounds, had two goals and three assists for Canada at the U18s back in April.

Mid-summer heats up as 2009-10 looms

With the summer season hitting its second phase, national evaluation camps are hitting the radar as players ramp-up for the 2009-10 season. Miami University sophomore Connor Knapp will be one of four goaltenders and 43 players overall in Lake Placid, NY for USA Hockey's U20 Evaluation Camp running from August 8th-17th. The Americans will play three intra-squad scrimmages before a four-game set ensues against a team of Russian hopefuls. Dmitri Kugryshev (WAS), Kirill Petrov (NYI), and Andrei Loktionov (LAK) will be among the Russian shooters testing Knapp. Drafted players Nikita Filatov (CBS), Dmitry Kulikov (FLA), and Igor Bobkov (ANA) will not participate, nor will top '10 eligibles Kirill Kabanov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. A reader recently questioned Knapp's inclusion on the USA invite list, suggesting that he can't be a serious contender since another freshman ended the year as Miami's starting goaltender. I'm not sure that's a valid argument. While that was the case in Oxford, Cody Reichard was definitely more experienced as a 22-year old freshman compared to the 18-year old Knapp, and thus got the call for Miami down the stretch. A 6'5 EJHL product and former Rochester high school standout, Knapp went 13-5-3 with a 2.09 GAA to earn CCHA All-Rookie honors as a "true" freshman and recently performed well at the Sabres Development Camp. The invite is warranted when looking at it from that angle. Over the border, Tyler Myers, Zack Kassian, and Luke Adam will be in Saskatoon for Canada's National Junior Team Development Camp from August 5th-10th. The camp roster consists of 41 forwards and defensemen, and four goaltenders. Red/White scrimmages will be held on August 8th and 9th. A veteran of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, Myers returns after he and Keith Aulie (CAL) performed as the top shutdown combo for the 2009 gold medal winners. The 6'8 Calgarian struck gold a year earlier at the U18's in Kazan, Russia. Kassian, 18, played with Brayden McNabb on Canada's 4th place entry at U18's in Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN this past April. Last summer, he was an U18 gold medalist at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. The camp will be the first world junior invite for Adam. The 19-year old forward serves as the sole representative from Hockey Newfoundland & Labrador. A week prior to the U20 activities, Bob Boughner and his U18 Summer Team staff will host 38 2010 drafts eligibles and a pair of 2011's in Calgary for Canada's Hlinka selection camp. Team USA has already finalized their U18 Select Team roster for the tourney that will be held in Slovakia and the Czech Republic from August 11th-15th. In Europe, German hockey association DEB concluded their summer camp in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. In a competitive setback, bench boss Uwe Krupp was without the luxury of any NHL players in his five-day gathering.

The candidates from the National Hockey League – Robert Dietrich, Christian Ehrhoff, Marcel Goc, Philipp Gogulla, Thomas Greiss, Jochen Hecht, Christoph Schubert, Felix Schütz and Marco Sturm – will not join the camp due to insurance reasons after discussions between DEB and the players.

Back on North American soil, the Sabres selection of Marcus Foligno continues to draw positive press. A blue-collar, Buffalo-born player getting drafted by the same team that his father once wore the "C" for makes for a story worth following.

Mike, who is also the head coach and general manager of the Sudbury Wolves, said it was his son’s physical play and competitive spirit that made him stand out on the ice this year. “Everybody knows he’s a physical player,” the coach said. “He’s the type of guy who wants to win, he cares about his teammates, and he knows the physical game is his strength.” Marcus said he will be bringing his energy and strong work ethic to the Sabres organization. “Knowing you have your teammates looking at you to make something happen, to just spark them up and give the energy back to the team,” he said. “There’s nothing better than trying to put up points in the NHL and it’s one thing I’m capable of. I just need to keep working hard as the off-season goes on ... to develop into an NHL player.” Marcus said his goal for the remainder of the off-season is to continue getting bigger and stronger. “This is a player that has worked very hard to accomplish this first step of making it to the NHL, and he’s paid the price both on and off the ice,” the Wolves’ head coach said. “I think Marcus is really motivated right now to accomplish the dream of playing in the NHL.”

Mid-July also saw the annual Stanley Keg tournament play out in Montreal.

Held in the vibrant city of Montreal, the Montreal Stanley Keg is a summer hockey tournament that features eight teams of professional players from across North America. The trophy is an actual beer keg with a cup (similar to the Stanley Cup) mounted on the top, and the winning team gets its members’ names engraved on the trophy. The tournament is held at the beautiful 4 Glaces Sportplexe Pierrefonds facility and runs from July 17th – 19th, 2009.

NHLers Jason Pominville, Alex Burrows, and Guillaume Latendresse skated for the same side in the no-contact 5-5 summer staple. Other notables in the shinny included 2008-09 Portland Pirates Mathieu Darche and Kenny MacAulay, and Harvard's Danny and Michael Biega, brother of current Sabres defensive prospect, Alex. Marc-Andre Gragnani was a member of the winning side last season. Another summer happening of Quebecois flavor involves former Sabres property, Benjamin Breault (2006, 7th round). After completing five years of QMJHL service, the 5'10 offensive forward has signed on with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

Adam to join Myers at U20 camp

Luke Adam of the Montreal Juniors and returning defenseman Tyler Myers of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to the roster for Hockey Canada's 2010 National Junior Team Development Camp. The preliminary evaluation of Canada's 2010 World Junior entry will take place August 5th through 10th in the host city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Back to skating after rupturing his spleen in a game on February 8th, the camp will follow Adam's expected participation in the Sabres prospects camp shortly after the draft. The 6'1, 201-pound forward scored 22 goals and 27 assists for the Juniors before missing the final month and a half of the season.

Rockets fall to Windsor; Myers named All-Tourney

Congratulations to the Windsor Spitfires for winning the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup thanks to their 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Sunday. The Spits found net on their first three shots before the first TV timeout, and held on over the final 53:00 to bring the Cup to Windsor for the first time in team history. With junior hockey's final game of the season in the books, so too is the busiest 14 months in the career of Rockets dman Tyler Myers. The 6'8 defenseman scored the first goal of the tournament and added three assists in three round robin games before finishing -1 in the final. Steady with the puck and tough to get around throughout, Myers, who was also named WHL Playoff MVP, was named to the tournament all-star team in a nice ramp-up for NHL duty in 2009-10. But first the dust must settle on what was a long 2008-09 for Myers. First round exit from the 2008 WHL playoffs last March... Off to Russia two weeks later to skate for Canada at the U18s... To Toronto for NHL Combine in late May... Drafted by Buffalo in June... Prospect camp at Niagara U in July... Team Canada Development Camp a couple weeks after... Off to Kelowna's camp in August... Then to his first Sabres training camp and preseason appearance... Back to Kelowna for the season grind... Off to Ottawa to tryout for Team Canada... Wins U20 World Junior Gold... January comes, and Myers the prospect becomes Myers the more confident beast as a result of his one goal, +5 outing at the WJC's. Still 18 years old, he had played 27 WHL games leading up to IIHF tourney, racking up a respectable four goals, 16 assists, and a +9 rating. In his next 53 games including the WHL playoffs, the right-side anchor kept pace with 10 goals and 32 assists, all the while improving his even strength effectiveness with a remarkable +35 rating. In all, the exhausted Myers played a total of 90 games that counted in the standings in 2008-09. There may never be another calendar year as grueling as this one. May Myers enjoy his accomplishments and get some well-deserved rest.

Memorial Cup showdown on tap

It's a gorgeous, peaceful Sunday in Buffalo, but the mood on the ice for the Memorial Cup title in Rimouski could get nasty as Tyler Myers and WHL champion Kelowna Rockets do battle with OHL powerhouse Windsor Spitfires today at 4:30 EST. Here's a quick drive-by on what should be a fantastic championship showdown. Myers has been an absolute man-amongst-boys for the Rockets this postseason. With a high-level of confidence gained from his World Junior experience under veteran NHL man Pat Quinn, the months of January through May have seen the 6'8 rearguard's assessment morph from 'solid developing prospect' into 'surefire, shutdown blueliner by the time he's 23'. While the quick Windsor attack may keep Myers' focus on his end, look for the fleet-footed right-hander to gallop up ice when the space permits. After losing their first two games of the tournament, the Spits stayed alive with a 2-1 regulation win over the Rockets on Tuesday (not reported here. Myers was -2 with an assist. looked fatigued). With his team rested, Myers and main offensive weapon Jamie Benn (DAL) should be ready to enact revenge in the game that matters most. Players To Watch Windsor's line of LW Taylor Hall ('10), C Adam Henrique (NJ), and RW Greg Nemisz (CAL) have dictated a lightning pace since the Spits opening losses. With the speedy Hall leading the charge, the trio is quick to penetrate the zone where Nemisz's big body and Henrique's craftiness keep it there. Windsor LW Lane MacDermid is an undrafted 19-year old who could be a prime target for any club looking to address team toughness. The hard-skating 6'3, 200+ disturber exhibited his authoritative ability to finish checks in the semifinal when he absolutely leveled Drummondville's Ryan McKiernan into the boards. There's a lot to like about his game. Prized secondary option Andrei Loktionov (LA) has kept up with the top line, using slick stickhandling and sniping to score two goals and four assists through the tournament thus far. Highly touted puck mover Ryan Ellis is a name that many will see going to Buffalo on NHL mock draft sights. A generous 5'11, Ellis is cool and smart with the puck, but is not what the Sabres need in the first round of the draft. Along with WHL playoff MVP Myers and Mem Cup leading scorer Benn (3 GP 5-3-8), the Rockets offense is fueled by Mikael Backlund (CAL), Cody Almond (MIN), and Colin Long (PHX). Backlund remained in North America after skating for Sweden in the World Juniors, and gave Kelowna a much-needed playmaker to keep the opponent off balance. A potential 2nd-3rd round pick next month, undersized defenseman Tyson Barrie moves the puck very well and brings excellent vision to the power play, but is still prone to the occasional 5-5 mistake. He essentially is Kelowna's version of Windsor QB Ellis. Shunning a commitment to Denver of the WCHA, RW Stepan Novotny had a strong regular season in his draft year for Kelowna with 19 goals and 41 points, but has tapered off with just seven points in 25 post-season games. Collin Bowman is another 2009 eligible who is more of a stay-at-home type. At 6'2, 200 pounds, his decision making has improved enough to earn a look from teams in the 4th-5th round neighborhood come draft time.

Myers continues cruise as Dubbers dump Drummondville

Tyler Myers feathered an assist and sparkled defensively as Kelowna closed well in a 6-4 win over QMJHL champion Drummondville. Winning their first two round robin games with one left to play against 0-2 Windsor, the Rockets are guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup final on Sunday. Dallas prospect Jamie Benn paced the victors with four goals and an assist, while Cody Almond (OTT) scored the other pair including a beautiful insurance marker that went through a defenseman's wickets before beating Marco Cousineau five-hole. The steady Myers finished +3 for the second straight game while seeing nearly 28:00 of work. A mobile 6'8 workhorse whose beautiful pass started the Rockets third scoring play, Myers' physical dominance remains a major storyline for the WHL champs. He consistently sealed forecheckers from the puck, and leaned into a couple of strong finishes on the evening. In the middle third period, the 6'8 defender dished a crunching hit in the corner that resulted in a short shift for the shaken recipient. It's easy to see that big game experience has made him more of a confident initiator. Myers later embraced the role of crease protector (albeit via non-traditional means) when he dragged Yannick Riendeau out of the Rockets net by the scruff of his jersey as the forward took his time removing himself after a collision with goaltender Mark Guggenberger. Staying behind the play to do so, the defenseman illustrated a keen understanding that his role as a primary shutdown player doesn't always involve a play on the puck. Another point of physical dominance arrived horizontally, as the length that is usually employed vertically in the form of a pokecheck proved handy on a few occasions to block shots and passes to the front. Quick to react, Myers' 6'8 frame becomes an impermeable 10-foot glacier real fast when he drops to the ice. It's also worth mentioning that while Myers has a great stride, he hasn't had to chase much due to sound positioning. He's engaged in the play, giving his goalie room to see around him.. Myers and his mates will close their round robin on Tuesday against a Windsor club needing a win to stay alive. Puck drops at 7:00.