Kaleniecki named U-M alternate captain

Michigan senior forward Brandon Kaleniecki has been tabbed by head coach Red Berenson as an alternate captain for the upcoming 2005-06 campaign. He will assist senior co-captains Andrew Ebbett and Jeff Tambellini with their leadership duties, which include bringing 11 freshmen into the fold.

"Brandon is an obvious choice as a captain since we lost Al Montoya," Berenson said of the 23-year-old Livonia native. "Brandon is a senior, he works hard and sets a good example. He plays with a lot of intensity and passion and he leads by example. As an older senior, I think the younger players will look to him."

Kaleniecki has been a key contributor up front for the Wolverines and has tallied eight game-winning goals and 14 power-play goals in his three-year career. He has two career hat tricks and in both instances he tallied the game-winner when the score was tied in the third period.

In his sophomore campaign in 2003-04, Kaleniecki scored a career-high 20 goals to lead the team while also notching career highs in assists (11) and points (31).

Sauer completes U-M freshman class

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Steel)

Billy Sauer is now, officially, a Michigan Wolverine.

The 17-year-old Buffalo-area native signed a National Letter of Intent today to play at Michigan this fall and probably assume the No. 1 goaltender's job. Sauer fast-tracked through his senior year of high school to become college-eligible and will do what outgoing goalie Al Montoya did three years ago in being a 17-year-old frosh.

Had Montoya came back for his senior year, Sauer would have stepped in as the 2006 starter.

Sauer, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, played for the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel in 2004-05. In 30 games, he compiled a record of 12-12-0 and had two overtime losses. His 3.05 goals against average was ninth best in the USHL and his .904 save percentage was also good for ninth among his peers. As the youngest player on the Steel's roster and one of the youngest in the entire USHL, Sauer recorded two shutouts and earned two USHL Defensive Player of the Week awards.

Prior to coming to Michigan in September, Sauer will represent Team USA at the 2005 Under-18 Junior World Cup from Aug. 9-14 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In 2004 he skated in the Five Nations Tournament for the U.S. Under-17 select team and earned a 1-1 record while stopping 56 of the 59 shots he faced.

He is also being touted as a potential first-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Sauer joins 10 other freshmen who will help compose the roster for the 2005-06 campaign. His classmates will be defensemen Jack Johnson and Mark Mitera and forwards Jason Bailey, Andrew Cogliano, Zac MacVoy, Tim Miller, Brandon Naurato, Tyler Swystun, another 17-year-old, and Travis Turnbull. Forward Danny Fardig will also be on the roster as a recruited walk-on.

Off to Camp

Former MSU goalie Ryan Miller

The state of Michigan will be well represented at the 2005 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Orientation Camp to be held in Colorado Springs.

Ferris State alum Andy Roach, Michigan State Spartans John-Michael Liles and Ryan Miller, and Lake Superior State’s Doug Weight and Brian Rolston will be at camp in Colorado on Sept. 5-8.

A total of 39 players were selected to attend the camp which is designed to assist in the preparation of the 2006 United States Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team that will compete at the XX Olympic Winter Games to be held Feb. 10-26 in Torino, Italy.

Roach and Liles are among 14 defenseman chosen for the prestigious camp.

Roach skated for Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League last year and is expected to play the 2005-06 season for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.

Liles played with the Iserlohn Roosters of the German Elite League in 2004-05. He was also member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2003-04 where he was selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Miller is one of four goaltenders chosen. He won the Baz Bastien Trophy as the American Hockey League's outstanding goaltender and was a first team All-Star in 2004-05 after compiling a record of 41-17-4 with the Rochester Americans. He'll contend for a spot with the Buffalo Sabres this season.

Weight has spent 13 seasons in the NHL, scoring 224 goals and 604 assists. He spent the NHL lockout in Germany with the Frankfort Lions.

Rolston is a ten-year vet who signed with his fourth NHL club, the Minnesota Wild, last July. The Flint native played for the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in 1994-95, is a two-time Olympian, and also scored the game-winning goal for LSSU Lakers in the 1992 NCAA Championship game.

NHL veterans and Michigan natives Mike Modano (Livonia/Dallas Stars), Ryan Kesler (Livonia/Vancouver Canucks), Bryan Rafalski (Dearborn/New Jersey Devils), Derian Hatcher (Sterling Heights/Philadelphia Flyers), and Tim Gleason (Clawson/Los Angeles Kings) will also head west for camp.

Click here for the full 2005 U.S. Men's Olympic Orientation Camp story.

Two future Wolverines taken in 1st round

Incoming U-M forward Andrew Cogliano taken by Edmonton.

Michigan saw two important pieces of their immediate future drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft today in Ottawa.

Incoming defenseman Jack Johnson went third overall to the Carolina Hurricanes while incoming forward Andrew Cogliano was taken by the Edmonton Oilers 25th overall.

"I had a sense that I'd be somewhere around there (in the first round), but I knew that it was all up to the teams," said Johnson. "It was out of my control. I really had no idea what was going to happen. I'm just happy it happened and happy to be a part of the Carolina Hurricanes organization."

Oilers' vice-president of hockey operations Kevin Prendergast said he's ecstatic Cogliano is now Edmonton property.

"Andrew Cogliano is a tremendous skater with great speed and agility," said Prendergast. "We were pleased to see he was still available because we had him ranked very high on our list."

Michigan State recruit Justin Abdelkader, a Muskegon native and power forward, went 42nd overall in the second round to the Detroit Red Wings.

"Justin is a kid who plays a real strong two-way game," Detroit assistant general manager Jim Nill said in the Detroit News. "He's extremely competitive, he's in your face and he's a guy we feel fortunate to have."

Abdelkader was chosen Mr. Hockey in 2004 by the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association after he led Mona Shores to the Division 2 state final.

Forward Jason Bailey, yet another incoming Wolverine, heard his name called by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the third round, 63rd overall.

Current Michigan forward T.J. Hensick, from Howell, was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round as well, 88th overall.

With the first pick in the fifth round, 126th overall, the Pittsburgh Penguins took incoming Spartans forward Tim Crowder. Crowder's future teammate in East Lansing, Tim Kennedy, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round, 181st overall.

Northern Michigan was not to be left out as 2006 recruit, forward Matt Butcher, was taken in the fifth round, 138th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks.

Incoming Western Michigan forward Matt Clackson was the last of the Michigan college picks as he went in the final and seventh round, 215th overall, to the Philadelphia Flyers.