Eidsness named MVP

SabresProspects would like to congratulate Brad Eidsness, who yesterday was named the 2007-08 AJHL Most Valuable Player. From ajhl.ca:

Most Valuable Player - Alberta Old Time Hockey Players Trophy Goaltender Brad Eidsness of the Okotoks Oilers has been named the Most Valuable Player in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Eidsness completed the season with a 2.12 GAA (2nd overall) and .933 Save Percentage (1st overall). Eidsness posted an impressive regular season record of 29-4-4. The award marks the first time that an Okotoks Oilers player has won the MVP honour. Eidsness represented Canada and captured the Gold Medal at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge in November as a member of Team Canada West. Eidsness also represented the Oilers on the South Division All-Star Team in the 2008 Rogers AJHL All-Star Game. Eidsness was recently named to the 2008 AJHL All-League Team. Eidsness was selected in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. Bradley Eidsness has committed to the University of North Dakota (Fighting Sioux) of the WCHA in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for the 2008 season. Eidsness was awarded the inaugural Enerflex AJHL Scholarship on February 25th, 2008 in recognition of his leadership, sportsmanship, dedication and academic performance. Dustin Sather of the Grande Prairie Storm was the League’s Most Valuable Player in 2006-2007. AJHL Alumni Darryl Sutter, Brent Sutter, Mike Comrie, and Lanny McDonald were all winners of the Alberta Old Time Hockey Players Trophy during their time in the League.

Tonight, Eidsness will continue on for Okotoks as their first-round playoff matchup with the Calgary Canucks gets underway.

2/29 Recap: Byron extends; Breault and Kennedy keep going

In the Q, Paul Byron ran his point-streak to ten games with an assist in Gatineau's 7-0 dismantling of Shawinigan. Byron has 18 points during the tear, and is averaging 1.26 points per game this season. The Ottawa native was given a game misconduct after a second period incident that reportedly involved him "going after a player from behind". We'll try to grab more details. Baie-Comeau center Benjamin Breault continued a recent spike with his second straight two-goal, one assist performance in the Drakkar's 7-3 win over Drummondville. Breault also dominated in the faceoff circle, taking 16 of 21 draws. The top-line center now has seven goals and seven assists in his last five games, and sits with an even 70 points on the year. T.J. Brennan scored a goal, his third in his past five games, and added an assist in St. John's 6-0 trouncing of Cape Breton. For a player who was -20 entering play, it should be noted that he finished the night +3. Brennan's second period tally was his of 13th the year, and with the assist now has 36 points on the season. J.S. Allard pitched in an assist and was +1 for the Fog Devils. However, he won only two of 16 faceoffs. In the NCAA, Tim Kennedy scored his 17th goal of the year and was +4, and freshman Corey Tropp had two assists as Michigan State defeated Bowling Green on Senior night at Munn, 6-3. With the game tied at three with under three minutes to go, MSU blew up it open with goals by Justin Abdelkader (DET) and Kennedy to seal the deal. Tropp, who saw points come off a Jeff Prety wrister and a Matt Schepke follow up, raised his season total to 17. 2007 seventh rounder Nick Eno made 30 saves for the Falcons in the loss. St. Lawrence defensive anchor Matt Generous had a pair of power play assists in the Saints 4-1 win over Quinnipiac. The swift-skating Connecticut native now has 14 points in 29 games this season. Alex Biega scored his third goal of the year as Harvard played to a 3-3 tie with Colgate. Off a second period faceoff win, Biega blasted a slapper past Mark Dekanich (NSH) from the right point. Andrew Orpik scored his sixth goal of the season as #8 Boston College's continued their late-season struggle in a 3-2 loss to Providence. Nathan Gerbe added an assist for the Eagles to push his league-leading total to 45. The shifty pivot also posted a game-high nine shots on goal, with all of them coming in the first two periods. Gerbe's best chance was a first period breakaway that was thwarted by Friar's keeper, Tyler Sims. Orpik, a 7th round pick in 2005, notched his goal by burying a second period rebound. He later left the game with an upper-body injury. Chris Butler had two shots on goal and a roughing minor as Denver won a goaltender's duel with Michigan Tech, 1-0. Vermont-bound Drew MacKenzie was +1 in Waterloo's 3-2 shootout win over Cedar Rapids. In Germany, Philip Gogulla displayed a nice individual effort, but was unable to generate much in Cologne's 6-2 loss to Hannover. Gogulla finished the night with four shots on goal and six minutes in the box. Sweden's Dennis Persson went pointless in Nykoping's 4-3 overtime loss to Almtuna.

Spartan recruit Perlini on radar?

The early reports are in. Steve Bernier was an outstanding deadline pick-up by the Buffalo Sabres. The 22-year old wing is viewed as a big ticket item to most, as he's the only immediate return on the deal that sent Brian Campbell to San Jose. Here at SabresProspects, the focus instead lays on that sparkling 2008 first-round nugget that also arrived with "Big Bear". The NHL draft is our Super Bowl, and the 2008 selection meeting is currently seen as being on the good side of the "weak/deep" forecasting scuttlebut that fans hear about every year. One name that Sabres fans need to scratch in their mid-round notebooks is that of 17-year old, Brett Perlini. The 6'2, 180-pound center recently left Ohio (USHL) for his hometown Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL, where he has posted 16 goals and 27 points in 15 games. Over the past two seasons in the NOJHL, Perlini has scored 54 goals in 63 contests. Here's an interesting breakdown of his participation in roughly 30% of the Thunderbirds season: 27 points (7th) 16 goals (5th) 6 PP points (t-4th) 4 GWG (t-2nd) 2 SHG (t-2nd) Set to join 2007 third-round pick Corey Tropp at Michigan State in the fall, Perlini's scoring knack has been on the scouting radar for quite some time now. The Sabres have already deployed a set of eyes out to the Soo for a viewing, with the press box line also including reps from New Jersey, Detroit, Carolina, and Vancouver. Those who have an opinion on the Sabres use of video as an integral scouting platform can read this two ways. One, they do indeed have evaluators abroad, sipping coffee while taking notes on players. And two, if video is considered a primary viewing mechanism, one could suggest the low-league visit is indicative of the organization's interest level in the swift skating center. Buffalo would gladly welcome more scoring weaponry in the cupboards. Perlini moves well down the middle, packs an excellent set of hands, and doesn't mind hitting high-traffic areas to get his points. With his purely offensive skill set attractive at any level, the question of where he would play out his teenage years - the NCAA or with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds - became a widely debated topic until his May commitment to the Spartans. MSU coach Rick Comley preferred that Perlini jump to the Tier I level of the USHL, where he complied by scoring a goal and four assists in 19 games with the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets. As the club struggled, various issues allowed the talented prospect to head back to the NOJHL in January. Since then, his gross production speaks for itself regardless of the tier II competition. Don't expect Perlini to actually be chosen with the packaged pick from San Jose. The "Campbell for Bernier + ______" equation will likely be completed with a more well-known player from a bigger league. As it is, the six-team NOJHL rarely produces NCAA talent, let alone an NHL first-round draft pick. After the first two rounds though, draft position is anyone's guess.

2/28 recap: Byron looks to hang 10

Paul Byron's 33rd goal of the season capped off a five-goal first period in Gatineau's 5-1 win over Saint John. The nifty Byron is always an exciting player to watch. Tonight, he was buzzing from the first drop, using his speed to find seams with and without the puck. In the process, his smallish frame often initiates contact. Byron has become more effective on faceoffs as the season has progressed. Entering tonight's contest with a 49.3% success rate at the dot, Byron went on to win 10 of 14 draws in the Olympiques victory. With the goal, Byron's hand stays hot as he extends his season best point-streak to nine games (12-5-17). He'll look to hit double digits on his run tomorrow night at Shawinigan. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel picked up an assist as Niagara fell to Brampton, 4-2. The assist was Schiestel's 25th of the year, and 31st point overall, for the playoff-bound IceDogs. Niagara returns to action Saturday night at Sudbury.

2/28 Recap: Shutout shoutout to Enroth

The Sabres European prospects have completed their day's work, while a few others are getting ready to strap it on back on North American sheets. In a key match-up, SSK netminder Jhonas Enroth made 33 saves to pitch an important 2-0 blanking of Lulea. The shutout was the second of the year for the 2006 second-round pick. Enroth also assisted on SSK's empty-netter in the game's final minute. Enroth's shutout keeps SSK in the hunt for the SEL's final playoff spot. Winners over Brynas tonight, Skelleftea is still two points in front of Enroth's club with just four games remaining for both teams. In Germany, Felix Schutz was active with three shots on goal, but he was unable to connect as Ingolstadt was shut out by second-place Berlin, 2-0.

2/27 Recap: Breault heating up at right time

With the QMJHL playoffs arriving in three weeks, Baie-Comeau's Benjamin Breault is stepping up his play in what should be his final season of junior hockey. Riding a three-game point streak into tonight's action, the 5'11 center scored two goals and added a pair of assists in the Drakkar's 8-3 rout of Shawinigan. Breault's goals, one short-handed at the mid-point of the first period and a third-period tally on the power play, raise his season total to 30 on the year. The 2006 seventh-rounder now has five goals and six assists in his last four games, and is leading the charge for the first-place Drakkar with just seven games left to play in the regular season. In HockeyAllsvenskan, Dennis Persson was whistled for a pair of minor penalties, including one for roughing, as Nykopings defeated Bofors, 5-1.

2/26 Recap: MacKenzie makes the Donuts...

In the only game on the Tuesday night slate, Drew MacKenzie went 0-0-0 0 0 0 in Waterloo's 2-1 win over Chicago. With the win, the Black Hawks now have a three point cushion over the Steel for third place in the USHL's East Division. On a slow day on the sheet, let's shine on a light on a positive off of it. Reader response to this interview suggested that Brad Eidsness was a well-spoken young man with a good head on his shoulders. It appears the dedication that he brings to the rink transfers to the textbooks, as Eidsness was named the recipient of the 2008 Enerflex AJHL Scholarship.

The $1,500 scholarship is awarded to the player deemed most deserving among the sixteen applicants (one per AJHL team). Applicants were required to submit an essay describing what they have learned from playing hockey and how they can apply this in their lives after hockey. A Selection Committee composed of representatives from Enerflex has determined the recipient based on the required essay, academic performance, and the quality of reference letters from the applicant’s coaches and educators.

SabresProspects would like to congratulate Brad on his stellar season, both in the crease and the classroom. May you spend that $1500 wisely....on books and perhaps a shiny new laptop battery.

2/25 Recap: Quiet night before the deadline

In the QMJHL, T.J. Brennan had a game high seven hits, but neither he nor Sabres 2007 fifth-round pick, J.S. Allard, were able to earn points as St. John's defeated Quebec, 2-1. Allard has gone without a point in his last three games. With SSK alternating starts, Jhonas Enroth got a rest as his troops fell to Brynas in overtime, 4-3. Skelleftea also lost, so they remain one point in front of SSK for the final SEL playoff spot. Bjorn Bjurling (EDM) made 29 saves in place of the Sabres 2006 pick.

Amerks can't find net in loss

The Rochester Americans, playing with just 16 skaters, were shutout for the second straight home game in a 4-0 loss to Houston. Scoreless after one, the Aeros broke the game open with a three-goal second period. Much like the Amerks loss last Sunday, two of the Aeros goals came on power plays stemming from penalties called on Mike Weber. Weber totaled eight minutes in the box on the night. The Rundown: Sekera - even Funk - even Zagrapan - even Weber - 8 PIM, -1 Mancari - -1 Hunter - -1, 2 PIM Dennis - DNP Rochester will get a five-day break before hitting the ice against Syracuse on Saturday. By then, perhaps the likes of Clarke MacArthur, Marc-Andre Gragnani, and Patrick Kaleta will be back in the red, white, and blue sweaters of the Sabres AHL affiliate.

2/24 Recap: A new Lord Byron?

Paul Byron scored a pair of even-strength goals in Gatineau's 6-2 win over Chicoutimi. And so the streak rolls on for Byron, who has now hit the scoresheet in eight straight contests. During the impressive stretch, Byron has 11 goals and five assists for the surging Olympiques. Philip Gogulla was +2 as Cologne continued their playoff tune-up with a 4-0 shutout of Hannover. Despite not factoring into any of the Sharks goals, Gogulla still has 13 points in his last eight games with just three to go in the regular season. Also in the DEL, Felix Schutz was pointless with a single shot on goal in Ingolstadt's 5-4 overtime defeat of Iserlohn. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel was +1 as Niagara dominated Sudbury, 4-1. T.J. Brennan and J.S. Allard were both held scoreless as St. John's lost in the shootout to Shawinigan, 3-1. Both Sabres prospects were chosen as Foggies shooters, but were stopped by Cataractes goaltender, Kevin Maletto. Brad Eidsness got a rest today as his Okotoks Oilers played to a 2-2 tie with Drumheller. We'll be back shortly with an update on the Amerks game against the Houston Aeros. The teams are scoreless after one. Rochester is playing with just sixteen skaters tonight - including 10 forwards.