Showing posts with label world junior championships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world junior championships. Show all posts

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Kassian grabs late goal as White doubles up Red

Zack Kassian scored a third period goal Friday as Team Red lost the opening scrimmage of Canada's U20 Evaluation Camp to Team White, 6-3.

With the bulk of his time spent on the right wing of a line with Curtis Hamilton and Riley Sheahan, the 6'3 Kassian elevated his physical presence and forechecking ability in a strong third period. Bringing good energy to keep the puck low, Kassian's spark earned time on the Tyler Seguin line (in place of Tyler Toffoli) in the final twenty while at one point also getting double shifted to skate with Ryan Johnasen's unit. His goal, a backhand finish of a rebound to the left side of the net, was as much a typical Kassian play as the poke in the back of the knee on Erik Gudbrandson that led to each receiving minor roughing penalties. Minutes before, Kassian set a tone for Saturday's intrasquad match-up by advancing the puck and finishing a hit on projected 2011 top dog Sean Couturier. Kassian is playing his aggressive game in highly skilled setting.

Couturier (1G, 1A) helped lead Team White along with linemates Louis Leblanc (2G), and Quinton Howden. Kings prospect Brayden Schenn also added a pair of goals for the winning side. I expect all to receive a few bumps from Kassian on Saturday as players start to separate themselves on the Canadian depth chart.

Kassian is one of four Sabres properties skating in the evaluation camp in St. John's, Newfoundland, joining WHL defensemen Mark Pysyk and Brayden McNabb and QMJHLer Jerome Gauthier-Leduc.

Team Red played poorly through the first forty minutes, making too many casual plays with the puck and not communicating well enough in all three zones. 2010 first rounder Mark Pysysk was one of the Red defenders who put forth an "ok" performance. Paired with Pens prospect Simon Despres, Pysyk made a good play in the early third when he followed his sharp pass to a breaking winger by sliding into a shooting lane to register a clean shot on goal. I expect the Pysyk-Despres pair to tighten things up on Saturday as Red bounces back from a listless effort.

On the White blueline, #23 McNabb played steady and conservative while #6 Gauthier-Leduc also looked to keep things simple. At times it appeared as if Gauthier-Leduc wasn't focusing on the body as much as he was the puck. He was mainly looking to clear his zone throughout, once coughing it up near his net as Red applied pressure late in the game. In the shootout round to end the game, he showed great hands by roofing a backhand to the delight of the fans.

On Saturday, expect to see McNabb continue his sound defensive play while making good looks up-ice and supporting the offense with keeps at the blueline. Gauthier-Leduc's game will be angles and awareness in his own end to help get the puck out and make plays when it crosses into the opposing end of the ice. He's not overly physical, but his footwork should be used a little more to cancel out his man to allow others to fish for the loose puck.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Kassian, McNabb selected for Canadian camp

Buffalo Sabres 2009 draft picks Zack Kassian (13th) and Brayden McNabb (66th) have been selected to attend Hockey Canada's 2011 U20 Development Camp. The 19-year old duo will be two of 41 skaters convening this August in St. John's, NL as reigning silver medalist Team Canada begins construction for their entry in the World Junior Championships. The tournament will be played this winter in Buffalo, and the pair of future Sabres should be considered solid candidates to take the international stage on a familiar sheet. Both played with Team Canada's 2009 U18 entry that finished in 4th place.

The 6'3, 215-pound Kassian will participate for the second year in a row after helping the Windsor Spitfires win their second straight Memorial Cup. Last summer in Saskatoon, the physical forward did not register a point in the camp's two scrimmages before uncorking 19 goals and 47 points in 57 OHL contests including the playoffs. Kassian has the body and style to play in the NHL as early as next season, and his chances will only be enhanced with a strong summer beginning with the Sabres post-draft conditioning camp.

McNabb, 19, will prepare for camp on the heels of an excellent season in Kootenay that saw him log huge minutes en route to being named a WHL Eastern Conference First Team All-Star. In 64 games, the 6'4 blueliner scored 17 goals and 57 points to finish fifth in scoring among league defensemen. The Saskatchewan native is expected to get into a few preseason games for the Sabres this fall before returning to the Ice for the 2010-11 season.

The complete roster can be viewed here.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

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.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Ennis stays on sheet in win over Germans; Canada-USA next

Tyler Ennis had an assist and three shots on goal as Canada cruised to a 5-1 win over Germany on Monday. Ennis was in on Zach Boychuk's power play tally to open scoring at 7:21 of the first period. The bigger German club played physical and kept a good pace in both ends while holding Canada to a 2-1 lead after 40:00. Tyler Myers played well for Canada despite being on the ice when David Wolf's tip from the slot resulted in the only German goal. He had a few good outs, protected his crease after the whistle, and showed some aggression after Denis Reul checked Angelo Esposito from behind with a little over 7:00 to go. Statistically, he was even with a shot on goal. The win sets the stage for Wednesday's prime time match-up between Canada and The United States. Both teams are 3-0 with the U.S. coming off a 12-0 blanking of Kazakhstan on Tuesday. Meanwhile, is anyone wondering if P.K. Subban (MTL) should have been called for goalie interference on his end-to-end run when Evander Kane ('09) made it 3-1?

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Pair scores as Nats roll; Lazorenko says size doesn't matter

Tyler Ennis scored his second goal of the tournament to go along with two assists as Canada destroyed Kazakhstan at the World Junior Championships, 15-0. Ennis' linemate Jamie Benn notched a hat trick to lead all scorers. Canada scored eight times on the power play, helping push their two-game goal total to 23. Defenseman Tyler Myers scored Canada's final goal on the power play, and is sure to take some heat for getting dumped in a corner by Kazakh stumper, Mikhail Lazorenko. Carrying the puck beneath his goal line to his goalie's left, the 6'7 Myers went to spin back towards his net and was met by a thundering check of the 5'4 forechecker that not only sent him down on his duff, but also knocked him clean off the puck.
Hey, hits happen. Worth noting is the inspired early effort by exhausted Kazakhstan netminder Andrei Yankov, who showed good reflexes and a sharp glove while stopping 35 of 44 shots over two periods of play. Canada moves on to face Germany on Monday.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Ennis, Myers discuss dream gig

Below are a few quick reactions from Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers regarding their earning of roster spots on Team Canada for the 2009 World Junior Championships. Ennis quote
“I woke up at 6 a.m. and couldn’t fall back asleep,” recounted Ennis. “When the phone rang I was pretty nervous.” The voice on the other end asked for Ennis’s roommate, defenceman Tyler Cuma who had injured his knee during an intra-squad game at the four-day tryout camp. Ennis, who later heard the knock at the door, will join 21 other members of the national junior team that now moves base camp to Canadian Forces Base Petawawa for a two-day team bonding session. After a proper on-ice training camp in Orangeville, Ont., the squad will play Sweden on Friday at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in preparation for the start of the IIHF under-20 world championship tournament on Boxing Day. “I’m really excited and can’t wait for things to get underway,” said Ennis. “In Ottawa, in Canada. There’s going to be a lot of things going on and it will be a lot of fun. “It was nerve-racking, fun and exciting all at the same time.” Ennis becomes the first Tiger since Kris Russell and Darren Helm two years ago to compete for Canada, and the slippery forward has a stellar outing at the selection camp to thank. “He performed well,” said Medicine Hat Tigers coach Willie Desjardins, an assistant with Team Canada. “It’s a tough camp coming in to; you have to perform well. I think he was first or second in scoring (during the intra-squad games), that’s important because they were looking for offence from him.
I can see Ennis skating on a second line centered by Cody Hodgson, but we shall see. Myers quote
“I think I slept maybe two hours at most,” Myers says. “A bunch of us ordered pizza and watched TSN really late, then my roommate and I (goalie Dustin Tokarski, who also made the team) stayed up until 4:30, just waiting and wondering. We woke up again around seven, and just hoped we’d get the knock on the door instead of the phone call. At about 7:45, we got the knock. It was (captain) Thomas Hickey. He had our suitcases. It was an amazing feeling. It’s just a dream to be part of this team.”
Myers is one of eight Canadian defenseman, forcing the team to only keep 12 forwards. The bucking of the usual 7-13 breakdown is the result of 17-year old Ryan Ellis being kept as a power play specialist.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Tylers in, Byron draws short straw

The Sabres pair of 2008 first round picks, Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers, have been chosen to skate in Team Canada's World Junior selection camp. Starting December 11th, the CHLers will toil in the five-day session in hopes of earning a chance to play for Canada's fifth-straight gold medal on home ice in Ottawa at the end of the month. Gatineau's Paul Byron, an Ottawa native, participated in the Canadian summer evaluation camp, but did not get a second look as only five QMJHLers will contribute to the 38-man camp roster. Prior to the roster release, the slick center had potted points in 12 straight games along with a goal in each ADT Canada-Russia Challenge contest, but it wasn't enough to move Pat Quinn's pencil. It's not a huge surprise, as the coach hinted late last week that the roster would be dominated by WHL talent (18). Byron's coach in Gatineau last season, Benoit Groulx, was originally tabbed to man the Canadian bench, but had to step away in August was he left the Q for Rochester of the AHL. Again, another possible tick working against the 5'10 playmaker. And so the chip on Byron's shoulder will only get bigger as the Q season wears. Getting hot with the QMJHL trade period still a few weeks away, look for the talented stick to get moved to a contender like Shawinigan, giving him the opportunity to dominate offensively while being reunited with ex-Pique linemate, Matthew Pistilli. Here is the complete roster: Goaltenders Player Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown 2008-09 Team Pro Status Jake Allen 6'1 180 08/07/90 New Maryland, NB Montreal (QMJHL) STL Chet Pickard 6'1 216 11/29/89 Winnipeg, MB Tri-City (WHL) NSH Tyson Sexsmith 5'11 211 03/19/89 Priddis, AB Vancouver (WHL) SJ Dustin Tokarski 5'11 189 09/16/89 Watson, SK Spokane (WHL) TB Defence Player Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown 2007-08 Team Pro Status Keith Aulie 6'6 215 06/11/89 Rouleau, SK Brandon (WHL) CGY Tyler Cuma 6'1 189 01/19/90 Bowmanville, ON Ottawa (OHL) MIN Ryan Ellis 5'9 176 01/03/91 Freelton, ON Windsor (OHL) 2009 Cody Goloubef 6'1 194 11/30/89 Oakville, ON Wisconsin (WCHA) CBJ Travis Hamonic 6'0 202 08/16/90 St. Malo, MB Moose Jaw (WHL) NYI Thomas Hickey 5'11 194 02/08/89 Calgary, AB Seattle (WHL) LA Kevin Marshall 6'0 203 03/10/89 Boucherville, QC Quebec (QMJHL) PHI Tyler Myers 6'7 213 02/01/90 Calgary, AB Kelowna (WHL) BUF Alex Pietrangelo 6'2 204 01/18/90 King City, ON Niagara (OHL) STL Brendan Smith 6'1 181 02/08/89 Mimico, ON Wisconsin (WCHA) DET Jared Spurgeon 5'8 167 11/29/89 Edmonton, AB Spokane (WHL) NYI P.K. Subban 5'11 206 05/13/89 Rexdale, ON Belleville (OHL) MTL Colten Teubert 6'3 189 03/08/90 White Rock, BC Regina (WHL) LA Patrick Wiercioh 6'4 185 09/12/90 Maple Ridge, BC Denver (WCHA) OTT Forwards Player Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown 2007-08 Team Pro Status Jamie Arniel 5'10 183 11/16/89 Kingston, ON Sarnia (OHL) BOS Jamie Benn 6'1 202 07/18/89 Victoria, BC Kelowna (WHL) DAL Zach Boychuk 5'10 175 10/04/89 Airdrie, AB Lethbridge (WHL) CAR Matt Calvert 5'10 175 12/24/89 Brandon, MB Brandon (WHL) CBJ Patrice Cormier 6'1 201 06/14/90 Cap-Pele, NB Rimouski (QMJHL) NJ Stefan Della Rovere 5'11 200 02/25/90 Maple, ON Barrie (OHL) WSH Chris DiDomenico 5'11 170 02/20/89 Woodbridge, ON Saint John (QMJHL) TOR Matt Duchene 5'11 201 01/16/91 Haliburton, ON Brampton (OHL) 2009 Jordan Eberle 5'10 181 05/15/90 Calgary, AB Regina (WHL) EDM Tyler Ennis 5'8 165 10/06/89 Edmonton, AB Medicine Hat (WHL) BUF Angelo Esposito 6'1 180 02/20/89 Montreal, QC Montreal (QMJHL) ATL Taylor Hall 6'0 181 11/14/91 Kingston, ON Windsor (OHL) 2010 Cody Hodgson 5'11 189 02/18/90 Markham, ON Brampton (OHL) VAN Nazem Kadri 5'11 174 10/06/90 London, ON London (OHL) 2009 Evander Kane 6'1 180 08/02/91 Vancouver, BC Vancouver (WHL) 2009 Riley Nash 6'0 176 05/09/89 Kamloops, BC Cornell (ECAC) EDM Brayden Schenn 6'0 199 08/22/91 Saskatoon, SK Brandon (WHL) 2009 Brett Sonne 6'0 187 05/16/89 Maple Ridge, BC Calgary (WHL) STL John Tavares 6'0 203 09/20/90 Oakville, ON Oshawa (OHL) 2009 Dana Tyrell 5'9 182 04/23/89 Airdrie, AB Prince George (WHL) TB

Friday, October 24, 2008

Buffalo to host World Juniors

The media advisory was very bland to not steal the thunder of Monday's 2:00 PM presser, but all signs indicate that USA Hockey will be announcing Buffalo as host of the 2011 World Junior Championships. There's no rush to go any deeper right now. We'll wait until next week. However, SabresProspects would like to offer congratulations and thanks to the Sabres organization for earning the event and allowing Buffalo's support of junior hockey to be displayed on a prestigious international stage.