WHL forwards by the numbers

And now, the look at the WHL forward corps. As with the defencemen and the goaltenders, the games and points numbers are combined regular season and playoff totals.

Chart is sorted descending on career games played. The number in brackets is the team's rank league-wide in that category.

	#	Rookies	Ht (in.)	Wt (lb)	Age	Games	Points
Saskatoon Blades	14	3	71.93 (10)	192.86 (2)	18.36 (1)	1969 (1)	1111 (1)
Kamloops Blazers	14	3	71.71 (16)	181.21 (17)	18.14 (6)	1629 (2)	1046 (2)
Edmonton Oil Kings	14	4	71.86 (11)	185.71 (8)	18.14 (6)	1518 (3)	936 (3)
Seattle Thunderbirds	14	4	73.14 (1)	193.43 (1)	18.36 (1)	1441 (4)	414 (18)
Kelowna Rockets	15	4	71.80 (12)	181.73 (16)	18.00 (11)	1400 (5)	585 (7)
Medicine Hat Tigers	16	7	71.06 (22)	178.75 (20)	17.88 (16)	1400 (5)	579 (8)
Spokane Chiefs	15	5	72.07 (7)	188.33 (4)	18.33 (3)	1352 (7)	622 (5)
Calgary Hitmen	14	5	72.07 (6)	188.64 (3)	17.93 (14)	1320 (8)	657 (4)
Red Deer Rebels	15	5	71.73 (15)	178.33 (21)	18.07 (10)	1263 (9)	509 (12)
Prince George Cougars	14	3	71.14 (21)	182.50 (14)	17.86 (17)	1248 (10)	474 (15)
Swift Current Broncos	14	4	72.79 (2)	187.21 (5)	18.21 (5)	1245 (11)	416 (17)
Moose Jaw Warriors	15	6	71.60 (18)	180.93 (18)	17.67 (19)	1221 (12)	555 (10)
Tri-City Americans	14	3	71.79 (13)	177.86 (22)	18.14 (6)	1205 (13)	574 (9)
Everett Silvertips	14	5	72.00 (9)	184.29 (12)	18.07 (9)	1196 (14)	476 (14)
Portland Winterhawks	15	8	72.40 (3)	184.87 (10)	17.53 (22)	1103 (15)	622 (5)
Prince Albert Raiders	13	4	71.77 (14)	185.77 (7)	17.92 (15)	1055 (16)	508 (13)
Victoria Royals	13	3	72.31 (4)	184.38 (11)	18.23 (4)	1041 (17)	513 (11)
Vancouver Giants	15	3	72.07 (7)	180.60 (19)	17.93 (12)	996 (18)	446 (16)
Regina Pats	15	7	71.67 (17)	182.00 (15)	17.93 (12)	961 (19)	342 (20)
Kootenay Ice	12	3	72.08 (5)	183.67 (13)	17.75 (18)	934 (20)	348 (19)
Lethbridge Hurricanes	14	5	71.21 (20)	185.00 (9)	17.64 (20)	913 (21)	335 (21)
Brandon Wheat Kings	15	8	71.53 (19)	186.33 (6)	17.60 (21)	800 (22)	309 (22)

So Saskatoon is the league's most experienced offence, and the highest career point total. Kamloops is right there with them, 2nd in experience and in points.

I admit I was surprised to see a team like Portland, who have played so many playoff games in the last 2 years, be so far down the chart experience-wise. But it does make sense since the Hawks have lost a number of forwards from last year, as evidenced by the fact they are breaking in eight rookies up front this year.

As with the goaltenders and defencemen, Seattle is the biggest group of forwards in the league, and also tied for the oldest. Tri-City is the smallest; I don't have these numbers for past years handy but I feel confident in saying the Americans have had one of the smaller groups of forwards in the WHL for many years now.

Brandon's forward group is the youngest, least experienced, have the fewest career points, and are also the 5th-smallest. There are nine rookies in the Brandon forward ranks right now. Assessing all that, it seems logical to suggest that the Wheat Kings are going to struggle a little bit to score goals this year.

Anyway, enjoy...

WHL defences by the numbers

Next up, the team-by-team bluelines. I've added up the total career (regular season and playoffs both) games played and point totals for all the defencemen listed on league rosters.

As with the goalies, the number in brackets is that team's rank across the league in that category. Below list is sorted by total games played, descending:

	#	Rookies	Ht (in.)	Wt (lb)	Age	Games	Points
Saskatoon Blades	8	2	73.38 (13)	196.63 (6)	18.50 (1)	1033 (1)	390 (1)
Prince Albert Raiders	10	1	73.30 (15)	198.00 (4)	18.50 (1)	931 (2)	233 (7)
Portland Winterhawks	7	2	73.57 (11)	200.43 (3)	18.14 (6)	922 (3)	366 (2)
Kelowna Rockets	9	2	73.11 (17)	195.89 (8)	17.89 (15)	905 (4)	261 (5)
Brandon Wheat Kings	8	2	73.50 (12)	194.63 (12)	18.13 (8)	891 (5)	295 (3)
Medicine Hat Tigers	8	3	74.75 (2)	190.50 (18)	18.25 (3)	839 (6)	173 (14)
Kootenay Ice	8	2	74.38 (4)	195.00 (11)	18.13 (8)	775 (7)	196 (11)
Tri-City Americans	8	3	72.88 (21)	182.50 (22)	18.25 (3)	770 (8)	195 (12)
Moose Jaw Warriors	8	2	73.25 (16)	193.13 (16)	18.13 (8)	760 (9)	221 (8)
Swift Current Broncos	7	2	74.00 (7)	195.43 (9)	18.14 (6)	743 (10)	202 (10)
Spokane Chiefs	8	2	73.00 (18)	186.25 (21)	17.88 (17)	742 (11)	287 (4)
Kamloops Blazers	9	3	73.00 (18)	190.11 (20)	17.89 (15)	732 (12)	161 (15)
Calgary Hitmen	8	3	74.75 (2)	201.88 (2)	18.25 (3)	697 (13)	186 (13)
Vancouver Giants	8	3	73.88 (8)	190.25 (19)	18.13 (8)	668 (14)	161 (15)
Edmonton Oil Kings	8	2	73.88 (8)	192.88 (17)	18.00 (12)	632 (15)	253 (6)
Victoria Royals	9	4	73.00 (18)	197.89 (5)	17.56 (21)	577 (16)	93 (20)
Red Deer Rebels	10	4	73.70 (10)	196.00 (7)	18.00 (12)	571 (17)	141 (17)
Everett Silvertips	8	4	74.13 (6)	193.75 (13)	17.88 (17)	556 (18)	215 (9)
Regina Pats	8	3	73.38 (13)	193.50 (14)	18.00 (12)	508 (19)	107 (19)
Prince George Cougars	8	4	74.25 (5)	193.50 (14)	17.88 (17)	462 (20)	70 (22)
Lethbridge Hurricanes	8	4	72.50 (22)	195.25 (10)	17.88 (17)	418 (21)	108 (18)
Seattle Thunderbirds	7	3	76.00 (1)	202.86 (1)	17.29 (22)	340 (22)	89 (21)

So Portland has the league's most veteran defence group, while their I-5 rivals in Seattle have the least experienced. For some perspective there, Hawks defenceman Troy Rutkowski has 335 games of career experience, which is 5 games less than the entire Seattle defence.

Seattle does have the biggest average defence, checking in at a huge 6'4" and almost 203 pounds, the largest in the league in both height and weight. But can their big men play? Lethbridge has the smallest average defence, at 6'0.5". Lethbridge is also 4th-youngest (tied) and 2nd-least experienced (and half their experience is in Dan Johnston's body), so we'll see how a small, young, inexperienced defence can do.

Saskatoon's defence is the oldest and also has the most career points, with 390 - and that's 320 more points than the Prince George Cougars, the least offensively-successful team on the blueline.

WHL goalies by the numbers

The WHL regular season starts tonight, and so to mark the occasion I have put together a few charts, breaking down the current roster of all the teams in the league to show the average height, weight, age, and relevant experience numbers of each team by position.

First up, goaltenders. This is descending by total minutes played (regular season plus playoffs). The number in brackets after each value is their league-wide rank in that category:

	#	Ht	Wt	Age	Minutes
Portland Winterhawks	3	75.00 (3)	186.67 (8)	19.00 (1)	17278 (1)
Edmonton Oil Kings	2	74.50 (5)	190.50 (6)	18.00 (9)	7400 (2)
Lethbridge Hurricanes	2	71.00 (20)	177.50 (15)	18.50 (4)	6433 (3)
Prince Albert Raiders	2	73.00 (9)	182.50 (10)	19.00 (1)	5452 (4)
Seattle Thunderbirds	2	75.50 (2)	161.00 (22)	18.50 (4)	5402 (5)
Spokane Chiefs	2	72.50 (15)	180.00 (13)	18.00 (9)	5396 (6)
Regina Pats	2	71.00 (20)	165.00 (21)	19.00 (1)	5360 (7)
Brandon Wheat Kings	2	73.00 (9)	194.00 (3)	18.50 (4)	5205 (8)
Saskatoon Blades	2	73.00 (9)	182.50 (10)	18.00 (9)	4075 (9)
Everett Silvertips	3	73.67 (8)	184.67 (9)	18.00 (9)	3948 (10)
Vancouver Giants	2	73.00 (9)	176.00 (18)	18.00 (9)	3666 (11)
Kamloops Blazers	2	71.00 (20)	169.00 (20)	18.50 (4)	3507 (12)
Calgary Hitmen	2	75.00 (3)	191.50 (5)	17.50 (18)	3353 (13)
Kelowna Rockets	2	71.50 (18)	177.50 (15)	18.00 (9)	3149 (14)
Red Deer Rebels	2	73.00 (9)	180.50 (12)	18.50 (4)	2395 (15)
Tri-City Americans	2	73.00 (9)	177.50 (15)	17.50 (18)	1701 (16)
Kootenay Ice	2	74.00 (6)	192.00 (4)	17.50 (18)	1267 (17)
Victoria Royals	3	72.33 (17)	169.67 (19)	17.67 (17)	1095 (18)
Prince George Cougars	2	72.50 (15)	195.00 (2)	17.50 (18)	697 (19)
Moose Jaw Warriors	2	71.50 (18)	179.00 (14)	17.00 (22)	177 (20)
Medicine Hat Tigers	2	76.00 (1)	196.50 (1)	18.00 (9)	19 (21)
Swift Current Broncos	2	74.00 (6)	189.00 (7)	18.00 (9)	0 (22)

Portland's goalies have over seventeen thousand minutes played in the league. At the other end of the spectrum, Swift Current's tandem has never played a minute in the league before this season

Height/weight probably aren't as important for goalies as they are for skaters, but Medicine Hat has the biggest goaltenders on average, while Lethbridge, Regina and Kamloops have the smallest. 

Rebels/Pats deal

An interesting overage transaction in the WHL this afternoon as Regina sends 20 year old defenceman Brandon Underwood to Red Deer for a 2013 4th round bantam pick. The move helps relieve Regina's surplus of overagers - they had five but are now down to four.

The interesting part though is the trickle-down effect this will have in Red Deer, where the Rebels already had three good overage forwards - Turner Elson, Charles Inglis, and Adam Kambeitz. If we go on the (seemingly safe) assumption that Red Deer didn't acquire Underwood just to flip him to somebody else, then this move means that one of that pretty good trio of Red Deer overage forwards is going to be on the move somewhere else in the next two weeks.

Edmonton and Vancouver both have openings for overage players yet - but Calgary, Kootenay, Spokane, and Tri-City join Regina and Red Deer as teams who all have one extra overager still. It's a buyers market.....

Roster notes

The start of the new WHL season is just 6 days away - the first "game that counts" goes next Thursday when  Kootenay visits their old locale, Edmonton. The final preseason games take place this weekend, mostly tonight and Saturday although Kootenay and Calgary play the last exhibition game on Sunday.

Following this weekend's games, I suspect we'll see a whole bunch of cuts and trades starting on Sunday/Monday as teams (many of whom still have close to 30 or more players in camp) start getting down to something approaching their regular season roster of 24 or 25 players. So with that in mind, a quick rundown of some team rosters and what we'll probably be seeing from them in the next week or two as far as roster moves....

Brandon Wheat Kings: Brandon still has 31 players on their roster, most in the league (along with Tri-City). So they have about 7 cuts to make, which will include at least one of their four overagers still on the roster. They also need to cut a goaltender and at least 3, maybe 4 other forwards. They still have 11 rookies up front in the 16/17 year old age groups so probably 4 of those are going to be off to midget/Jr A in the next little while.

Calgary Hitmen: Calgary has 28 players but that includes two overagers too many, so once they subtract two overagers there's probably only 1 or 2 more cuts to come. The overager situation is one to watch though as all five of their 20 year olds should have jobs in the league by the time the game of overage musical chairs ends. Complicating the situation, the Hitmen also have three imports on their roster as well, as overage forward Alex Gogolev counts as a two-spot player. Look for Gogolev and his 25 goals last year to be traded to a team with overage and import spots open, or at least looking to upgrade. (Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Prince George, Regina, and Victoria have openings for an import, at least at the moment).

Edmonton Oil Kings: Edmonton has only 1 or 2 cuts to make, so they're close to ready. They also have an opening for an overager but with their stacked roster, I'm not sure they will be in a hurry to fill that spot right away. That might be a spot they could look at filling via trade closer to the trade deadline when some weaker teams start selling off quality players.

Everett Silvertips: Everett has 12 defencemen and 3 goaltenders on their roster still, so they're going to need to cut or trade probably four of those defencemen and one of the goalies.

Kamloops Blazers: with Austin Madaisky leaving for the AHL today, the Blazers are down to three overagers. 26 players on the roster, so probably one more forward and one more defenceman to go.

Kelowna Rockets: added two overagers yesterday to get up to 3 O/As and 29 players total. 4-5 cuts to come - two forwards and two defencemen at least.

Kootenay Ice: 27 players, including one overager too many. Once they solve the overage situation, probably only one or maybe two more cuts to make.

Lethbridge Hurricanes: 25 players, but that includes three goalies so that's probably the one remaining cut there. Will be missing Adam Henry until January, when he returns they'll probably shed a defenceman but that's too long off to worry about right now.

Medicine Hat Tigers: 27 players, so 2 or 3 more cuts to come. Toughest decision is probably which of the three remaining goalies to move out. Released import defenceman Daniel Hansen today, so they have an open import spot. Overage defenceman Alex Theriau is out for a while with injury, so he probably shouldn't count in that 27 players although I am indeed counting him. Tigers could bring in another overager in Theriau's absence too since he is probably on the injured list.

Moose Jaw Warriors: 27 players here too, so likely 2 or 3 more cuts as well. They also have three goalies so one of the cuts is at that position. 1 or 2 more forwards likely to go as well. Have an open import spot if they want to pursue that.

Portland Winterhawks: 26 players including four overagers and four goaltenders (two of whom are in the overage count as well). Once the O/A and goalie situations are sorted out, the rest of the roster probably doesn't need to change.

Prince Albert Raiders: 26 players left, including three goaltenders. So one goalie left to cut, plus perhaps one more of the forwards - they still have three 16 year old forwards which is probably one too many on a team with a lot of veterans eating up ice time.

Prince George Cougars: at 25 players right now, they might not have any cuts coming. I think they potentially have the worst group of overagers in the WHL though so don't be surprised if something changes there. Also have an open import spot if they see something they like.

Red Deer Rebels: down to 25 players already, not much to change here anytime soon I don't think. Maybe one forward or one defenceman but that might be a few weeks away.

Regina Pats: still have 29 players including 16 forwards, 10 defencemen, 3 goaltenders, and five overagers.  So, a whole bunch of moves still to come here - 1 goalie, 1 forward, 2 defencemen for sure. This is also one of the oldest groups of defencemen remaining in the WHL and yet also one of the least experienced (even moreso if they lose Colton Jobke to the pros) so I'm not sure the moves on defence are done here yet.

Saskatoon Blades: already down to 25 players, including a league-high twelve 19 year olds (and the average # of 19 year olds on rosters right now is 6 per team). They do need to cut/move a goalie (they have 3) but otherwise they look set.

Seattle Thunderbirds: 27 players, including four goalies and four overagers. Need to shed two goalies and one of the overagers, which gets them down to 24 and that's probably enough.

Spokane Chiefs: 28 players left, including three goalies and four overagers. Need to move out a goalie plus an overager, probably one of their surplus of forwards as well.

Swift Current Broncos: still at 30 players so a number of cuts still needed here. They have three goalies and four overagers so that's two cuts there. A few too many forwards left as well, so another 2-3 cuts up front I think.

Tri-City Americans: their roster still lists 31 players, including five overagers, three goaltenders, and a 15 year old. That's four cuts there, plus they have 19 forwards so there's still a couple more to come off of that list yet.

Vancouver Giants: 26 players remaining, so only one or two cuts remaining. They have nine defencemen on the roster so I'm thinking at least one of those guys is going to go.

Victoria Royals: 26 players including three goalies. Cut one of the goalies and they might be done. They do have only one import and only two overagers though so they have room to fill those openings if they wish. Would Alex Gogolev look good on the Island?

Road Warriors, 2012-13 Edition

Been a while since I posted here - had a little vacation, the usual summer things, etc. But now training camps are coming up quick and it's been too long since my last post. So to make up for it, here's a regular blog feature that most everyone enjoys every year....the Road Warriors post.

For those who haven't seen it before, basically I have taken the schedule for every team in the WHL and figured out the distance, arena-to-arena, between each of their games. I've tried to take into consideration situations where a team would come home when they have a few days between road games, so that mileage is added in there as well. Add it all up, put it in this nice little chart, convert distances to both metric and Imperial measurement for the benefit of fans on both sides of the border, and you have an idea of how many miles (kilometers, eh?) each team in the WHL will put on their bus this upcoming season.

For the third year in a row, the WHL's travel champions are......the Prince George Cougars. And also for the third year in a row, Brandon comes second:

Rank	Team	km	miles	change (km)	2011-12	2010-11
1	Prince George	31450	19546	1931	29519 / 18342 (1)	29816 / 18531 (1)
2	Brandon	29834	18542	607	29227 / 18161 (2)	28548 / 17743 (2)
3	Edmonton	28235	17548	2355	25880 / 16081 (6)	26931 / 16738 (4)
4	Kootenay	28011	17409	-235	28246 / 17551 (3)	28124 / 17479 (3)
5	Prince Albert	26946	16747	1662	25284 / 15711 (7)	26785 / 16647 (6)
6	Spokane	25829	16053	1806	24023 / 14927 (10)	26856 / 16691 (5)
7	Medicine Hat	25709	15978	1614	24095 / 14972 (9)	24825 / 15429 (12)
8	Tri-City	24634	15310	-2269	26903 / 16717 (4)	25602 / 15912 (8)
9	Portland	24550	15258	1804	22746 / 14134 (12)	25451 / 15818 (9)
10	Swift Current	24367	15144	1617	22750 / 14136 (11)	25757 / 16008 (7)
11	Saskatoon	24175	15025	2610	21565 / 13400 (18)	24441 / 15190 (14)
12	Red Deer	23816	14802	-495	24311 / 15106 (8)	24465 / 15205 (13)
13	Kamloops	23607	14672	-2292	25899 / 16093 (5)	25393 / 15782 (10)
14	Lethbridge	23234	14440	536	22698 / 14104 (13)	24957 / 15511 (11)
15	Regina	22833	14191	952	21881 / 13596 (17)	24111 / 14985 (15)
16	Kelowna	22703	14110	634	22069 / 13713 (15)	22346 / 13888 (20)
17	Victoria	22410	13928	499	21911 / 13615 (16)	19231 / 11952 (22)
18	Everett	22283	13849	3000	19283 / 11982 (22)	22447 / 13951 (18)
19	Vancouver	21778	13535	-497	22275 / 13841 (14)	23096 / 14354 (16)
20	Seattle	21693	13482	1436	20257 / 12587 (21)	21913 / 13619 (21)
21	Calgary	21358	13274	185	21173 / 13156 (20)	22941 / 14258 (17)
22	Moose Jaw	21108	13119	-90	21198 / 13172 (19)	22425 / 13937 (19)

As you can see, for the most part there isn't a lot of movement year-over-year; simple geography dictates that isolated teams like Prince George and Brandon are going to have to travel a lot more distance than teams that are fairly close to one or two frequent opponents - the proximity of Seattle/Everett and Moose Jaw/Regina to one another helps keep those teams near the bottom of this chart every year, for example.

One thing that does stand out is the giant swings in distance traveled - many teams have increases or decreases from last year of over 2000+ km. But then, if you compare their distance this year to that of two years ago, in many cases it looks more similar. So at least a good chunk of these swings in distance can probably be explained by the WHL's alternating schedule for when the Central & Eastern divisions visit the U.S. division, and vice versa. Edmonton's distance is up 2300 km from last year, for example, but then last year they didn't make a trip to the U.S. teams - which are the furthest teams in the league from them - and this year they do.

Does all this mean anything, other than just being a "fun fact" kinda thing? Well, who knows. Common sense would tell us that a team that travels more will be more fatigued and might see a downturn in their play. Prince George travels the most, for example, and they have struggled on the ice far more years than they have been successful. But on the other hand, Brandon travels almost as much and they are perpetually one of the more competitive teams in the league. So I'm gonna state the obvious and say that while travel might be a factor, the strength of your roster is still far, far more important.

Anyway, enjoy....

2012-13 Overagers

Time for another thing I do annually around these parts: take a shot at figuring out each team's overage situation for the upcoming season.

This is done without taking into consideration the possibility of an NHL lockout which could change which players are returned to the WHL from the NHL. In general I assumed that any players who have signed pro contracts are gone from the WHL, and did not consider them for overage spots.

Comments, etc are welcome - this is just one person's opinion so feel free to disagree in the comments section.


Brandon Wheat Kings:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brandon Anderson (G), Dominick Favreau (F), Michael Ferland (F), Ryley Miller (D), Mark Stone (F), Kevin Sundher (F)


Thoughts: Anderson, Ferland, Stone, and Sundher have signed NHL contracts and will be considered gone although Anderson's struggles over the last two years could open the door to him being returned to junior. If Anderson isn't back, they have Favreau, Miller, and an opening for a third player. Although I'm thinking Favreau is ripe for upgrading if the Wheaties have the opportunity - he's not a top-six forward like you'd like your overagers to be.




Calgary Hitmen:
Last year's 19 year olds: Trevor Cheek (F), Danny Gayle (F), Alex Gogolev (F), Spencer Humphries (D), Brooks Macek (F), Cody Sylvester (F)

Thoughts: no pro contracts here so they all could/should be back, although Gogolev's status as a two-spot player makes it less likely for him in my view. He could very well find pro work in the Russian league. Humphries was Calgary's best defenceman some nights last year and Sylvester is the probable team captain so they're both likely back for sure. Leaves them to pick one of Cheek, Gayle, and Macek for the third spot, with the other two likely being traded, as they're good enough to play in the league. Cheek or Macek is probably the third guy they keep if you ask me.




Edmonton Oil Kings:
Last year's 19 year olds: Ryan Aasman (D), T.J. Foster (F), Kristians Pelss (F), Mark Pysyk (D), Dylan Wruck (F)

Thoughts: Pelss and Pysyk have signed NHL deals and are gone. Aasman was a short-term fill-in from  Jr A last year and I don't think he's in the plans for 2012-13. That leaves Foster and Wruck with spots (solid players, both) and the team has one vacancy they can fill.



Everett Silvertips:
Last year's 19 year olds: J.T. Barnett (F), Dominik Bittner (D), Cody Fowlie (F), Ryan Harrison (F), Kent Simpson (G)

Thoughts: Simpson has signed an NHL deal and Bittner has signed in Germany, so they are both gone. That leaves forwards Barnett, Fowlie, and Harrison as Everett's overage trio. They can use veteran experience on the blueline (if they lose Ryan Murray) and in net though so don't be surprised if they swap one of the forwards for an O/A at another position.



Kamloops Blazers:
Last year's 19 year olds: Jordan Depape (F), Ryan Hanes (F), Cam Lanigan (G), Austin Madaisky (D), Brendon Ranford (F), Dylan Willick (F)

Thoughts: Madaisky has signed an NHL contract so he's gone. Lanigan I think is out simply because he lost his starting job to Cole Chevaldave and nobody keeps overage backup goalies. I'm not sure Lanigan gets much interest around the league, he had one decent season in Edmonton in 09-10 but has really struggled in 1.5 years in Kamloops. Of the remaining four forwards, I think Ranford, DePape, and Willick are the obvious three to keep. Hanes might have a chance if one of those guys (Ranford) gets himself an NHL free agent deal before the season starts. On the other hand, Kamloops is pretty loaded at forward and don't really need three overage forwards so maybe they'll be looking to deal one of Ranford/DePape/Willick for a veteran overage defenceman. Just speculating.




Kelowna Rockets:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brett Bulmer (F), Mitchell Chapman (D), Spencer Main (F)

Thoughts: Bulmer has signed an NHL deal so he's gone. Chapman should have a spot, although the Rockets are deep in veteran defencemen and might decide they don't need an overage defenceman as much as they need more veteran forwards, so who knows. Main is a tough call, he missed almost all of last year with injury and even before the injury hadn't really developed into the kind of player the Rockets probably expected when they used a high bantam pick on him in 2007. Does he get a chance to earn an overage spot in camp? I'd give him at least that much.



Kootenay Ice:
Last year's 19 year olds: Drew Czerwonka (F), Joey Leach (D), Dylan McKinlay (F), Brock Montgomery (F), Luke Paulsen (D), Elgin Pearce (F), Max Reinhart (F)

Thoughts: Reinhart is gone pro with his NHL deal. All the others could/should be back though, so the Ice have a logjam here with six guys competing for three spots. Explains why they traded John Niebrandt to Vancouver this summer already. I don't envy the Ice the job of trying to pick three of the other six though. But let's take a shot at this.....looking at their roster, I'm going to guess that the Ice go with 1D and 2F for their overagers. So for the defenceman, it's Leach vs Paulsen. I gotta take Leach there. Paulsen can play in the league somewhere though. Then for forwards, it's pick two of Czerwonka, McKinlay, Montgomery, and Pearce. I think Czerwonka is the team captain next year so he stays. But the choice of one of the other three is a tough, tough pick. All three of them probably play in the league somewhere. I'm going to keep.....McKinlay. But it could be Montgomery or Pearce just as easily too. The Ice should be able to stock up some nice 2013 bantam picks for trading all these guys they can't keep.


Lethbridge Hurricanes:
Last year's 19 year olds: Nick Buonassisi (F), Graham Hood (F), Daniel Johnston (D), Tyler Kizuik (D), Landon Oslanski (D), Ty Rimmer (G)

Thoughts: All six should be back, so the Hurricanes are going to have some good battles for their three overage spots. It seems safe to say that Rimmer has a spot since they paid a high price for him and also traded their only other veteran goaltender two weeks back. Buonassisi should have a spot, and I would pick Johnston from the group of three defencemen to complete their overage trio. I think Hood and Oslanski should have a chance to find jobs somewhere else in the league.



Medicine Hat Tigers:
Last year's 19 year olds: Tyler Bunz (G), Emerson Etem (F), Kale Kessy (F), Scott McKay (F), Alex Theriau (D)

Thoughts: Bunz and Etem are off to the NHL. That leaves them with Kessy, McKay, and Theriau. That could be their three there, unless they want to upgrade one of those guys (McKay?).



Moose Jaw Warriors:
Last year's 19 year olds: Eric Arnold (F), Cody Beach (F), Quinton Howden (F), Justin Kirsch (F), Kendall McFaull (D), Dylan McIlrath (D)

Thoughts: Arnold (Europe), Beach, Howden, and McIlrath are all gone to the pros. That leaves them with Kirsch and McFaull, plus one opening to add another guy.



Portland Winterhawks:
Last year's 19 year olds: Sven Bartschi (F), Mac Carruth (G), Cody Castro (D), Pearce Eviston (F), Joe Morrow (D), Marcel Noebels (F), Taylor Peters (F), Brad Ross (F), Troy Rutkowski (D), Jason Trott (F)

Thoughts: Bartschi, Carruth, Morrow, Noebels, and Ross are signed in the NHL and will be gone. Castro, Eviston, and Trott probably aren't even in the conversation for overage spots as they aren't top-6 forwards or top-4 defencemen candidates. That leaves Peters and Rutkowski, who are no doubt both welcomed back enthusiastically by the Hawks. The team would have one vacancy they can fill....or they could keep one of the aforementioned Castro, Eviston, or Trott, but I don't see it.




Prince Albert Raiders:
Last year's 19 year olds: Anthony Bardaro (F), Austin Bourhis (F), Antoine Corbin (D), Tyler Hart (D), Luke Siemens (G), Tyler Yaworski (D)

Thoughts: All six of these guys are eligible to be back, since none of them has a pro contract. They traded for Siemens so you have to think he has a spot locked up. Bardaro is the leading returning scorer so he likely has a spot secured as well. The third spot has to be between Corbin and Yaworski......Bourhis and Hart aren't going to fall among the 66 best '92s in the league. I think I'm taking Yaworski if I had to pick between the two.....but I can see the case for Corbin too.



Prince George Cougars:
Last year's 19 year olds: Ricard Blidstrand (D), Dallas Ehrhardt (D), Campbell Elynuik (F), Greg Fraser (F), Dan Gibb (D), Brock Hirsche (F)

Thoughts: Blidstrand has signed in Sweden so he's gone. The others are all eligible to return. Hirsche missed most of last season with a shoulder injury but I assume he is going to be healthy enough to play this coming season. So to figure this out: I think Elynuik is out as he doesn't fit the mold of a top-six forward. Fraser is a keeper. Ehrhardt probably is too. That leaves Gibb and Hirsche for the third spot. I think it's possible they don't keep either one of those guys and instead trade for a third guy...maybe a defenceman.


Red Deer Rebels:
Last year's 19 year olds: Turner Elson (F), Charles Inglis (F), Adam Kambeitz (F), John Persson (F), Alex Petrovic (D)

Thoughts: Elson, Persson and Petrovic have signed NHL contracts and should be gone. That leaves Inglis and Kambeitz, which is a good duo. The Rebels could really use some more experience on the blueline (Matt Dumba is their only returning d-man with more than 55 games experience in the league) so it wouldn't surprise me to see them use the open spot for an overage defender.



Regina Pats:
Last year's 19 year olds: Matt Hewitt (G), Colton Jobke (D), Martin Marincin (D), Tanner Olstad (F), Andrew Rieder (F), Lane Scheidl (F), Brandon Underwood (D), Jordan Weal (F)

Thoughts: Jobke, Marincin, and Weal have all signed NHL deals and should be considered gone. Hewitt was Mr. Everything for the Pats last year and is a lock to have a spot. Underwood probably has a spot too since the Pats will once again need all the veteran defencemen they can find - after losing Jobke and Marincin they're going to have exactly two defencemen with more than 55 games in the league, and Underwood is one of those two. And I think Scheidl easily takes the forward spot over Olstad and Rieder, who I suspect end up in Jr. A.



Saskatoon Blades:
Last year's 19 year olds: Chris Collins (F), Connor Cox (D), Josh Nicholls (F), Brenden Walker (F)

Thoughts: Only four guys to choose from but these are four pretty good players who should all be in the league somewhere this year. I think Collins is probably the odd man out of this group, assuming none of the other three (Nicholls?) signs an NHL free agent deal.



Seattle Thunderbirds:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brad Deagle (D), Brandon Glover (G), Braeden Laroque (D), Luke Lockhart (F), Chance Lund (F), Calvin Pickard (G), Brendan Rouse (F), Dave Sutter (D)

Thoughts: Pickard is off to the AHL and Sutter has signed in Switzerland, so they are gone. They traded for Glover so from that I would assume he'll be getting a spot and be the #1 goalie. This probably means they will take 1D and 1F as their other two overagers. So, Deagle vs Laroque for the "D" spot; I'm taking Deagle. Lockhart/Lund/Rouse for the forward spot; I think I have to go with Lockhart. Lund and maybe  Rouse might get some interest around the league.


Spokane Chiefs:
Last year's 19 year olds: Blake Gal (F), Brenden Kichton (D), Dominik Uher (F), Davis Vandane (D), Dylan Walchuk (F)

Thoughts: Uher is off to the pros, while the Chiefs will no doubt be waiting to see whether the NY Islanders decide to sign Kichton come training camp time. Gal and Walchuk should have spots; whether Vandane has one probably depends on whether Kichton comes back.....or who else is available.


Swift Current Broncos:
Last year's 19 year olds: Andy Blanke (F), Jordan Evans (D), Erik Fleming (D), Christian Magnus (F), Ryon Moser (F), Dalton Reum (D)

Thoughts: None of these guys have pro contracts so they all could be back to compete for spots. I suspect Moser will have a spot, plus one of the other forwards - likely Magnus. That leaves one spot for a defenceman; Evans missed almost all of last season with a concussion; I have not heard whether he'll be able to return. If he can, does he get the spot over Fleming and Reum? I'm going with Yes.



Tri-City Americans:
Last year's 19 year olds: Drydn Dow (D), Justin Feser (F), Patrick Holland (F), Nathan MacMaster (F), Jordan Messier (F), Jesse Mychan (F), MacKenzie Royer (F), Derek Ryckman (D)

Thoughts: Holland has signed in the NHL and is gone. MacMaster was released already this summer so he is gone too. Royer missed almost all of last season with injury; I don't see him being in the team's plans even if he is healthy, since he's not a top-six kind of guy. That leaves five guys (Dow, Feser, Messier, Mychan, Ryckman) for three spots. Feser is a no-brainer for a spot. And I think Messier gets one too. That leaves probably Dow for the third spot - but Ryckman can play in the league too and Mychan sure looked good for the Americans after coming over from Everett so it's tempting to see what more he can do with a chance. I have to go with Messier as the 2nd forward though....somebody might give Mychan another look.



Vancouver Giants:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brendan Gallagher (F), Taylor Makin (F), Jordan Martinook (F), John Neibrandt (D), Wes Vannieuwenhuizen (D), Tyler Vanscourt (D)

Thoughts: Gallagher has signed a pro deal and is gone. Martinook was a 2nd round pick in the June NHL draft so there is a good chance that he will sign and will also be gone. They traded for Niebrandt so usually that means he'll have one of the spots, which leaves Makin, Vannieuwenhuizen, and Vanscourt for the other two spots. Nobody plays three overage defencemen so that probably means the lone forward, Makin, has a spot and then either Vannieuwenhuizen or Vanscourt has the third spot. One brings offence, one brings size and toughness. I'm keeping Vannieuwenhuizen if I'm them.


Victoria Royals:
Last year's 19 year olds: Jamie Crooks (F), Michael Forsyth (F), Zach Habscheid (D), Keith Hamilton (G), Tyler Stahl (D)

Thoughts: Habscheid has said he won't be back as an overager. None of the rest of the guys are signed and so they should all be back to compete for spots. I think Crooks and Stahl are good picks for two spots. As returning #1 goalie I would have thought Hamilton would have a spot, but the Royals' selection of a goalie in the Import draft sure puts Hamilton's job in jeopardy since neither overagers nor imports tend to be used as backup goaltenders. So if Hamilton is out, then who is in? Forsyth doesn't fit the bill as a top six guy. Off to the trade market then? 

2012-13 Prospects: Saskatoon

Now the Saskatoon kids: Sebastian Barrette -- Acquired: listed player
Left Wing, 5'10", 171 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Okanagan Hockey Academy Prep (OMAHA AAA midget)	42	10	9	19	54
Okanagan Hockey Academy (CSSHL Prep)	11	1	2	3	36
Penticton Lakers (KIJHL Jr B)	2	0	2	2	0

Drake Bodie -- Acquired: 2010 7th round bantam pick
Center, 5'11", 166 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Norman Northstars (MMHL AAA midget)	35	17	22	39	71
Norman Northstars (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	6	1	5	6	10
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	2	0	0	0	0

Derek Davies -- Acquired: listed player
Goaltender, 6'0", 160 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Interlake Lightning (MMHL AAA midget)	26	3.39	14	7	0	0.902
Interlake Lightning (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	2	3.33	1	0	0	0.914

Mackenzie Dwyer -- Acquired: 2012 11th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'11", 143 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Winnipeg Sharks (WMHA AAA bantam)	29	2	9	11	75
Team Gold (Manitoba U-16 P.O.E.)	3	0	0	0	1
Winnipeg Sharks (WMHA minor midget AAA)	1	0	0	0	2

Nicolais Gomerich -- Acquired: 2011 6th round bantam pick
Center, 5'11", 170 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
North Island Silvertips (Richmond Midget Trmnt)	7	1	1	2	4
North Island Silvertips (BCMMHL AAA midget)	40	1	9	10	28

Ryan Graham -- Acquired: 2011 5th round bantam pick
Left Wing, 5'11", 168 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Calgary Royals Gold (AMMHL minor midget AAA)	25	28	15	43	36
Calgary Royals (AMHL AAA midget)	2	0	0	0	0
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	5	1	0	1	0

Cameron Hebig -- Acquired: 2012 3rd round bantam pick
Center, 5'8", 135 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Saskatoon Frostbite (GSHL AA bantam)	19	20	15	35	n/a
Saskatoon Frostbite (GSHL bantam AA trmnt)	4	2	4	6	6
Zone 6 (SaskFirst)	- Statistics Not Available -

Landyn Hickmott -- Acquired: 2011 3rd round bantam pick
Center, 5'10", 155 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Fraser Valley Bruins (BCMMHL AAA midget)	37	5	8	13	10
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	4	0	0	0	0

Sean Higgins -- Acquired: listed player
Right Wing, 6'0", 182 lb, 2012-13 age: 18
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget)	44	33	26	59	40
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	9	4	4	8	6
Steinbach Pistons (MJHL Jr A)	1	0	1	1	0

Wyatt Hinson -- Acquired: 2011 10th round bantam pick
Center, 5'10", 180 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Tisdale Trojans (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	9	0	2	2	16
Tisdale Trojans (SMAAAHL AAA midget - PLF)	5	1	0	1	0

Ross Hnidy -- Acquired: 2011 6th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'11", 206 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	43	7	16	23	162
Saskatoon Contacts (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	1	1	2	14
Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL AAA midget - PLF)	11	1	0	1	35
Saskatoon Contacts (Telus Cup)	7	0	4	4	8
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	2	0	0	0	0

Haydn Hopkins -- Acquired: 2012 12th round bantam pick
Center, 5'7", 148 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Victoria Racquet Club (VIBHL AAA bantam)	- Statistics Not Available -
Bruins (B.C. U-16 Cup)	4	2	1	3	n/a
South Island Thunderbirds (BCMMHL AAA midget)	2	0	0	0	0

Brandon Kegler -- Acquired: 2012 4th round bantam pick
Goaltender, 6'1", 182 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Leduc Oil Kings (AMBHL AAA bantam)	17	3.25	7	5	4	0.910
Edmonton South Bruins (Alberta Cup)	3	3.02	0	0	0	0.901

Clayton Kirichenko -- Acquired: 2011 7th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'11", 190 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Sherwood Park Kings (AMHL AAA midget)	29	2	4	6	40
Sherwood Park Kings (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	0	0	0	12

Dexter Kuczek -- Acquired: 2012 11th round bantam pick
Left Wing, 5'11", 189 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Winnipeg Sharks (WMHA AAA bantam)	29	11	15	26	66
Team Black (Manitoba U-16 P.O.E.)	3	2	1	3	1
Winnipeg Sharks (WMHA minor midget AAA)	1	0	0	0	0

Brett Lernout -- Acquired: listed player
Defense, 6'4", 181 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget)	44	8	27	35	62
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	9	1	4	5	16
Steinbach Pistons (MJHL Jr A)	6	0	1	1	0
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	2	0	0	0	0

Graham Millar -- Acquired: listed player
Right Wing, 6'0", 160 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Okanagan Hockey Academy Prep (OMAHA AAA midget)	50	29	25	54	28
Okanagan Hockey Academy (CSSHL Prep)	12	11	6	17	6
Penticton Vees (BCHL Jr A)	1	0	0	0	0

Alex Moodie -- Acquired: 2010 5th round bantam pick
Goaltender, 6'1", 161 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget)	20	1.79	18	1	1	0.917
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	5	2.07	4	0	0	0.894
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	13	3.42	9	3	0	0.895

Mitch Newsome -- Acquired: 2012 12th round bantam pick
Right Wing, 5'10", 160 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Semiahmoo Ravens (PCBHL AAA bantam)	- Statistics Not Available -
Semiahmoo Ravens (St. Albert bantam AAA trnmt)	5	2	4	6	10
Leafs (B.C. U-16 Cup)	4	2	2	4	n/a

Nelson Nogier -- Acquired: 2011 4th round bantam pick
Defense, 6'1", 154 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	43	3	10	13	42
Saskatoon Contacts (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	0	1	1	4
Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL AAA midget - PLF)	13	0	3	3	4
Saskatoon Contacts (Telus Cup)	7	0	0	0	2
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	4	0	0	0	0

Connor Odelein -- Acquired: 2012 9th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'10", 160 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Humboldt Broncos (SBAAHL AA bantam)	24	7	7	14	52
Humboldt Broncos (SBAAHL AA bantam - PLF)	3	4	1	5	2
Zone 5 (SaskFirst)	- Statistics Not Available -
Yorkton Harvest (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	3	0	0	0	0

Turner Ottenbreit -- Acquired: 2012 12th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'11", 150 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Yorkton Terriers (SBAAHL AA bantam)	24	10	9	19	38
Yorkton Terriers (GSHL bantam AA trmnt)	5	4	1	5	4
Yorkton Terriers (SBAAHL AA bantam - PLF)	3	0	0	0	8
Zone 4 (SaskFirst)	- Statistics Not Available -
Yorkton Harvest (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	2	0	0	0	0

Linden Penner -- Acquired: 2010 10th round bantam pick
Left Wing, 6'3", 185 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Sherwood Park Kings (AMHL AAA midget)	34	10	6	16	34
Sherwood Park Kings (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	0	0	0	2
Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL Jr A)	7	0	0	0	0

- Penner has signed WHL education contract or otherwise committed to WHL by playing preseason games

Jayden Piattelli -- Acquired: listed player
Defense, 6'2", 195 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Calgary Royals (AMHL AAA midget)	34	2	9	11	42
Calgary Royals (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	1	1	2	0

Macklin Pichonsky -- Acquired: listed player
Defense, 5'11", 189 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Leduc Oil Kings (AMHL AAA midget)	34	3	16	19	40
Leduc Oil Kings (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	0	1	1	2
Leduc Oil Kings (Telus Cup)	7	0	2	2	16
Saskatoon Blades (WHL)	2	0	0	0	0

Evan Polei -- Acquired: 2011 11th round bantam pick
Center, 6'0", 180 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Leduc Oil Kings (AMHL AAA midget)	33	7	8	15	44
Leduc Oil Kings (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	1	1	2	0
Leduc Oil Kings  (AMHL AAA midget - PLF)	9	3	2	5	n/a
Leduc Oil Kings (Telus Cup)	7	1	0	1	8
Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL Jr A)	4	0	0	0	0

Ryan Pruden -- Acquired: 2011 13th round bantam pick
Right Wing, 5'11", 155 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Winnipeg Sharks (WMHA minor midget AAA)	35	18	28	46	78

Matt Revel -- Acquired: listed player
Center, 5'10", 155 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Fraser Valley Bruins (BCMMHL AAA midget)	40	25	26	51	28
Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL Jr A)	2	0	1	1	2

Josh Sinatynski -- Acquired: listed player
Left Wing, 6'0", 170 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (AMHL AAA midget)	32	6	5	11	123
Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	4	2	2	4	20
Drayton Valley Thunder (AJHL Jr A)	1	0	0	0	0

- Sinatynski has signed WHL education contract

Quinn Sobus -- Acquired: 2012 5th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'11", 140 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Lloydminster Heat (AMBHL AAA bantam)	33	1	9	10	32
Lloydminster Heat (St. Albert bantam AAA trnmt)	5	0	1	1	2

Christian Stockl -- Acquired: 2010 4th round bantam pick
Right Wing, 6'0", 165 lb, 2012-13 age: 17
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget)	38	36	32	68	30
Winnipeg Wild (MMHL AAA midget - PLF)	9	6	9	15	4
Western (World U-17 Challenge)	5	0	1	1	0

- Stockl has signed WHL education contract or otherwise committed to WHL by playing preseason games

Kaelan Wall -- Acquired: 2011 9th round bantam pick
Defense, 6'1", 179 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Martenville Marauders (GSHL midget AA)	- Statistics Not Available -
Saskatoon Blazers (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	3	0	0	0	4

Cole Williams -- Acquired: 2012 12th round bantam pick
Defense, 5'10", 164 lb, 2012-13 age: 15
Kelowna Rockets (OMAHA AAA bantam)	- Statistics Not Available -
Notre Dame Hounds (St. Albert bantam AAA trnmt)	5	0	0	0	8
Notre Dame Hounds (KIBIHT AAA bantam)	5	1	2	3	6
Notre Dame Bantam Hounds (SSMHL AA midget)	35	4	11	15	73
Notre Dame Argos (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	4	0	0	0	0

Cody Young -- Acquired: 2011 12th round bantam pick
Center, 5'10", 162 lb, 2012-13 age: 16
Prince Albert Mintos (SMAAAHL AAA midget)	44	12	11	23	18
Prince Albert Mintos (Macs AAA Midget Trnmt)	6	3	1	4	0
Prince Albert Mintos (SMAAAHL AAA midget - PLF)	12	0	2	2	4