Its been a pretty good summer for the CHL when it comes to the recruiting battle with the NCAA for some top prospects. Specifically, it has been a very good summer for the OHL and the QMJHL; not much happening in the WHL, unfortunately for us 'dub fans. But hopefully there will be a trickle-down effect at some point, with WHL-territory kids seeing the exodus of players from the NCAA to the OHL/QMJHL and deciding to join.
There were four NCAA or NCAA-committed kids drafted in the first round of the 2011 NHL draft. Just over a month later, two of those players have already jumped ship to the OHL and there are rumors that a third one may be about to join them. Gone to the OHL are Jamie Oleksiak (14th overall by Dallas, leaves Northeastern University after one season to join the Saginaw Spirit) and J.T. Miller (15th overall by the NY Rangers, de-committed from attending North Dakota this fall to instead join the Plymouth Whalers).
Now there are rumors that Connor Murphy (20th overall by Phoenix) may be about to ditch his scholarship to Miami-Ohio and instead play for the OHL's Sarnia Sting. If Murphy does join the OHL, that would leave only Tyler Biggs (22nd overall by Toronto) as NCAA or NCAA-bound players from the 2011 first round.
Topping things off there, a high 2nd round pick, John Gibson (39th overall by Anaheim - and the first North American goaltender picked in the draft) has just de-committed from University of Michigan and will instead play for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers.
The QMJHL hasn't scooped any high 2011 NHL picks, but three of the top 22 picks in the recent QMJHL midget draft - who were all previously thought to be headed to the NCAA - have now all either signed with QMJHL teams or are said to be leaning that way. That list includes #1 overall pick Nathan MacKinnon, who was going to skip the QMJHL route after being picked #1 by Baie-Comeau. After his rights were traded to Halifax, MacKinnon has now decided to play in the QMJHL after all. #22 overall pick Adam Erne has committed to the Quebec Remparts, and #13 pick Brandon Shea is supposedly leaning towards picking Moncton over the NCAA route.
Meanwhile, in the WHL.....nothing. It would be nice to see the WHL enjoy some OHL-like successes by convincing a Rocco Grimaldi or a Jaden Schwartz that this is the best route for them to take to the NHL.
It does seem likely that the Tri-City Americans will land former University of Minnesota forward Max Gardiner (2010 3rd rounder by the St. Louis Blues), who left the Gophers in May "to play junior hockey". But, no signing by the Americans has been announced there.
4 comments:
I read somewhere Gardiner is going to Dubuque to play in the USHL. Hopefully Bob can work his magic but it didn't sound like he was headed to TC.
If Gardiner is headed for the USHL then I would presume that he still has his heart set on school and will use a year in the USHL to try and get a scholarship somewhere else. And if an NCAA education is what the kid really wants, then none of us can fault him for that.
Otherwise though, it makes no sense why he would play in the lower calibre USHL instead of the WHL. If you're soured on the college experience and want to play junior, why not play at the highest possible level?
I would say it was a pretty good year for the WHL. Guys like Eric Williams, Eric Comrie, Chase Deleo, and Madison Bowey all chose the dub over the NCAA. They are some of the best American prospects this league has seen in quite some time.
I would say it was a pretty good year for the WHL. Guys like Eric Williams, Eric Comrie, Chase Deleo, and Madison Bowey all chose the dub over the NCAA. They are some of the best American prospects this league has seen in quite some time.
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