Pacioretty goes 22nd overall to Montreal

Just one player with Michigan college connections went in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft Friday night in Columbus, Ohio.

Incoming Michigan forward Max Pacioretty was selected 22nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens after playing this past season in the United States Hockey League with the Sioux City Musketeers.

Saturday's selections with Michigan connections
(all are incoming freshmen with the exception of Michigan defenseman Steven Kampfer, who will be a sophomore this fall):

SECOND ROUND
St. Louis - 44th overall, Aaron Palushaj, forward, Michigan

THIRD ROUND
Pittsburgh - 80th overall, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, forward, Michigan Tech
Buffalo - 89th overall, Corey Tropp, forward, Michigan State
Ottawa - 90th overall, Louie Caporusso, forward, Michigan

FOURTH ROUND
Anaheim - 93rd overall, Steven Kampfer, defenseman, Michigan
Florida - 101st overall, Matt Rust, forward, Michigan
Toronto - 104th overall, Ben Winnett, Michigan

FIFTH ROUND
NY Rangers - 138th overall, Max Campbell, forward, Western Michigan

SIXTH ROUND
Philadelphia - 161st overall, Pat Maroon, forward, Ferris State
NY Rangers - 168th overall, Carl Hagelin, forward, Michigan

SEVENTH ROUND
St. Louis - 190th overall, Trevor Nill, forward, Michigan State ('08)
Florida - 191st overall, Ryan Watson, forward, Western Michigan

Duchene opts for OHL over Spartans

Centre Matt Duchene has agreed to terms on an education contract with the Brampton Battalion, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Wednesday.

Duchene, the fifth overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection on May 5, scored 69 goals and earned 37 assists for 106 points in 52 games last season for the Central Ontario Wolves minor midgets.

“I’m so excited about coming to the Battalion,” Duchene, a 16-year-old resident of Haliburton, Ont. “It’s a great organization to be a part of, with great ownership and great coaching.”

Said Stan Butler, Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach: “This is big for our team. We had to make sure his post-secondary schooling needs were met. That was important for Matt and his family. It was also important for them to come down and get familiar with our organization and city.”

Just before the Battalion’s minicamp in early June, Duchene and his parents visited Toronto’s Humber College, which offers a bachelor of applied technology degree with a major in industrial design. A strong student, Duchene said the availability of that program was a major factor in his decision to enlist with the Troops.

“Humber has the program I want, and it’s the best place in Ontario to go for it. We had a great meeting with them.” Duchene, who had considered eventually attending Michigan State University, informed the school Monday of his decision. “It was really tough. It’s an outstanding school with a great hockey program. But they were good about it.”

Said Battalion owner Scott Abbott: “The OHL is the right place for a player of Matt’s stature, and we’re delighted that he’s decided to join the Battalion. We owe a debt of gratitude to Joe Birch of the OHL office for having helped him and his family reach the decision they did.”

At Butler’s invitation, Birch, the OHL’s director of recruitment and education services, attended a luncheon during the Battalion minicamp and met with the Duchene family afterwards. It was Birch’s first visit to an individual club’s minicamp. Duchene, who scored six goals in four minicamp games, said he looks forward to playing with Battalion veterans in 2007-08.

“The veterans were very welcoming and they seemed very excited about the upcoming season. They were great with all the new guys. I was a little unsure of how we would be received, but they gave some great advice.” Duchene acknowledged speaking to longtime friend Cody Hodgson, the Battalion’s first-round choice as a centre in 2006, who had 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 63 games as a rookie. “I talked to him a little bit and asked about what I could expect at minicamp. He told me and helped me prepare for it. He had a great season, and I’d love to have the kind of success he had in my first season.”

Butler said Duchene is the kind of player who can contribute right away.

“I’ve always felt that Matt would be a good player at our level,” noted Butler. “At minicamp all he did was just reaffirm what I’d already known about him.

“I don’t like to put high expectations on players because, while they might have a good year, it might fall short of the expectations and people get down on them. But I think he’s as good as any of the 16-year-old players who’ll be coming into the league this season. I think he’ll show that once the season starts.”

Up next for Duchene is the Ontario under-17 team evaluation camp, which will run for four days starting next Tuesday at York University in Toronto. He’ll be joined by five other players chosen by the Battalion in May, numbering centre Craig Moore, left winger Josh Shalla, defencemen Kyle Pereira and David Pratt and goaltender Brandon Foote. A sixth player, right winger Chris Beauchamp, was invited but is recovering from knee surgery. The camp plays a part in identifying those who will represent Ontario at the 2008 World Under-17 Challenge at London, Ont., from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4.

“It’s great to have so many Battalion prospects at that camp,” said Duchene. “It’s an honour to be invited, and hopefully I’ll be able to impress the people there. It’s a big goal of mine to make that team.”

Duchene, 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, said he has a busy time ahead in preparing for his first OHL season.

“The way I played at minicamp gave me some confidence to know I can fit in at the OHL level," he said. "There’s still plenty of work to be done, and I’ll be working on that over the summer. I’ll be skating a couple of times a week to stay in shape and I’ll be working out with a trainer four or five times a week too.”

Taken from the official Brampton Battalion website.

Axtell dismissed from Huskies' squad

According to Inside College Hockey.com, forward Phil Axtell will not return for a second season at Michigan Tech after being dismissed from the team at the end of his freshman season.

The native of New Windsor, Md., was suspended prior to the Huskies' appearance in the WCHA playoffs and later was dismissed from the team for violations of team rules.

"It's unfortunate, but we wish him the best of luck," Huskies coach Jamie Russell told INCH.

Russell declined to elaborate on Axtell’s actions, citing student privacy concerns.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, the 20-year-old Axtell was one of the WCHA's bigger players last season, and notched a pair of goals and seven assists in his 27 collegiate games.

Chris Heisenberg's online hockey recruit page has Axtell listed as an incoming transfer at Northern Michigan, meaning he would be eligible to skate for the Wildcats starting with the 2008-09 season.

NOTE: Photo of Axtell is from the 2005-06 season with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Spartans visit the White House Monday

The national champion Michigan State Spartans traveled to Washington on Monday for NCAA Championship Day at the White House.

The Spartans, along with NCAA champs from several other sports, were greeted by United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as President George W. Bush.

Click here to see photos from the trip.

Ferris recruit excited for NHL Entry Draft

-- Taken from NAHL.com --

Over its 31 years of operation, the North American Hockey League has seen a number current and former players taken in the NHL Entry Draft, and this year shouldn’t be any different.

Two players in particular - Texas forward Brad McCabe and St. Louis forward Pat Maroon - are eagerly anticipating the proceedings staged for this coming Friday and Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Both were recognized by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau on its final rankings for 2007 draft-eligibles released in April, with McCabe listed at No. 199 overall among North American skaters and Maroon at No. 208.

“I’m trying not to think about it too much and trying not to get nervous,” McCabe said of the draft. “Obviously it’s a dream to even get listed or hope to get drafted, but I’m just trying to work out and stay on the ice.”

“I’m excited. I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” said Maroon, who, according to some NHL scouts, could go anywhere from the third to sixth round. “I guess it’s all up for grabs if I get taken, though.”

Maroon took the NAHL by storm this past season. He won the league’s scoring title with 95 points, including 40 goals, in 57 games en route to MVP honors and a spot on the All-NAHL First Team while leading the Bandits to a Robertson Cup national championship.

“Pat has everything you can’t teach in a player,” said Bandits coach Jon Cooper. “He has size, hands and the innate ability to see things happen on the ice before everybody else. He’s a special player.”

A St. Louis native, Maroon, who just wrapped up his second season with the Bandits, was draft eligible last year but wasn’t selected.

“I know I wasn’t ready to get drafted and I had to work a little bit harder,” said the Ferris State University recruit.

While Maroon plans on following the NHL draft on TV and on the Internet, McCabe is still contemplating how he’s going to spend what could be one the most memorable days of his hockey career.

“I haven’t decided if I’m actually going to watch, or if I’m just going to go do something and wait until one of my friends tell me,” he said. “I think I’ll probably not watch.”

McCabe, who is bound for the University of Alaska-Anchorage this fall, started the season with the Alaska Avalanche before being dealt to Texas midseason. He finished the regular season with 21 goals for 36 points in 42 games.

Being taken in the draft would be a dream come true for the Oregon native.

“Every kid growing up wants to get drafted and this opportunity is flattering. It’s really exciting,” said McCabe. “If I got drafted, it would definitely be something for me to use as a steppingstone to get more confidence and stuff like that. I’m hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”

Ditto for Maroon.

“It would mean a lot to me if I got drafted, because it’s one step closer to my goal of playing in the NHL,” he said.

Both players have been contacted by NHL teams regarding their draft potential and both credit the NAHL for affording them exposure to the highest level.

“Last season, I played Junior B and probably wasn’t going anywhere,” said McCabe. “Luckily I got a shot with the Alaska team and I made the best of it. I loved every second and I tell everyone I know to go play in the league.

“It’s done everything for me and I owe everything so far I’ve accomplished to it, because I wouldn’t be where I am now for it wasn’t for the league.”

“It’s developed me a lot,” said Maroon. “Last year (2005-06), especially, because I played with a lot of older guys; I was the young kid (as a junior in high school). It was a good experience for me. It’s a really good league.”

Though McCabe and Maroon were the only ones recognized by Central Scouting, other players have been in contact with NHL teams leading up to the draft, including Tornado defenseman Jake Newton and St. Louis defenseman Scooter Vaughan, a University of Michigan recruit.

“Scooter has as good of feet for a defenseman I’ve ever seen,” said Cooper of the All-NAHL Second Team and Rookie Team selection. “Couple that with his skill and a mean streak and you have a hockey player.”

NHL scouts have also been keeping tabs on Alexandria forward Stephen Sperry and defenseman Joe Hartman.

Former NAHL players ranked by NHL Central Scouting include forward Andrew Conboy (Wichita Falls), who is listed at No. 149, and Carter Camper (Cleveland Jr. Barons), who is at No. 200.

NHL Entry Draft on tap this weekend

The 29th overall pick Chris Summers (left, now a sophomore at Michigan), head coach Wayne Gretzky, and eighth overall pick Peter Mueller, all of the Phoenix Coyotes, pose together during the 2006 NHL Draft held at General Motors Place on June 24, 2006 in Vancouver.

The 2007 NHL Draft will be held on Friday and Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Several incoming Michigan college players are ranked and will become NHL property this weekend.

North American Skaters
North American Goalies

(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images for NHL)