Blue & white scrimmage will stream live

If you want to watch former Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson play tonight during the Blue and white scrimmage the New York Islanders are going to stream it live. There are a few other names that you might recognize as well; Scott Mayfield, Matt Donovan and Aaron Ness. Just to name a few.

Courtesy of the SoundTigers.com ---- The New York Islanders announced today that tickets for their intrasquad Blue & White Scrimmage on Thursday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Islanders Iceworks are on sale now. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and warm-ups begin at 6 p.m.

The 2012 Blue & White Scrimmage at Islanders Iceworks has sold out of all available tickets for the game, raising over $5,000 for the Islanders Children’s Foundation. For fans not attending the event, IslandersTV will broadcast a live stream on NewYorkIslanders.com Thursday night, beginning with warm-ups at 6 p.m. for a 6:30 puck drop.

This year’s contest features prospects from this past weekend’s Draft, players from junior hockey, college/university, Europe and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Blue team members include Kirill Kabanov, Scott Mayfield, Brock Nelson, Griffin Reinhart, Ryan Strome and Johan Sundstrom, while some of the top prospects suiting up in white jerseys this year are Casey Cizikas, Nino Niederreiter, John Persson, Mike Halmo and Ville Pokka.

The annual prospect scrimmage gives fans a glimpse of the Islanders future stars. This year’s contest features top prospects Ryan Strome (5th overall in 2011), Nino Niederreiter (5th overall in 2010), Brock Nelson (30th overall in 2010) and Johan Sundstrom (50th overall in 2011), among others. Also set to take the ice are several prospects who saw time with the Islanders last season, including Casey Cizikas, Calvin de Haan, Matt Donovan and Aaron Ness.

Monday Links - hockey almost over for the summer.

There are a few stories of interest today on the internet about Stanley Cup Finals.

There is one thing that we know – the Stanley Cup Playoffs are going to last one or two more games and then the NHL will be in full summer mode. This season Stanley Cup Finals has been one of the most uneventful playoff series in a very long time. There has been nothing in the way of big hits that need extra scrutiny or villains like the Canucks Alex Burrows that need to be vilified.

Can Devils captain Zach Parise heat up?

After checking in with seven goals and 14 points in the first 17 games of this postseason, the production has dropped off for Parise. He doesn't have a point in five games and has a plus-minus rating of minus-five in this stretch.

"Zach's game is so much more than the stat line," Devils coach Peter DeBoer. "He's the heartbeat of our team. He's the identity of our team. He forechecks, he back-checks, he kills penalties, plays in all situations. He really is our barometer. He's the guy that makes us go, whether he's scoring or not. "Again, I don't measure his game on goals and assists. He's creating opportunities. They're eventually going to go in. He's had these type of situations before. It's tough out there right now for anybody to score. But I'm not concerned about his game. I know it's going to come." Parise twisted his left ankle in the third period of Game 4 and briefly missed some time. But he practiced on Friday and will play. DeBoer will not make any changes to his lineup. That means veteran defenceman Henrik Tallinder and forward Petr Sykora will suit up again. [Tim Wharnsby,CBC.CA]

With the win on Saturday night the Devils All-World goalie and future hall of famer added to his already
impressive total. In my opinion Martin Brodeur is one of the best goalie in my lifetime.

Brodeur has won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, four Vezina Trophies and a Calder Trophy. He is the only goalie to put together eight 40-win seasons and no netminder has played in more games (1,191), won more (656) and recorded more shutouts (163).

With his victory on Saturday, Brodeur recorded his 17th win in a Stanley Cup final to move into a tie with New York Islanders great Billy Smith on the all-time final wins list.

25 - Jacques Plante, Montreal
24 - Ken Dryden, Montreal
21 - Turk Broda, Toronto
19 - Terry Sawchuk, Detroit (17), Toronto (2)
18 - Patrick Roy, Montreal (10), Colorado (8)
17 - Martin Brodeur, New Jersey; Billy Smith, N.Y. Islanders [Tim Wharnsby,CBC.CA]

Here is a good article by Mark Spector - Kings a distracted team

It would appear that the Phoenix Coyotes are going to be staying in Glendale, Arizona. I know, I know, we have heard this one before – it will be interesting to see how this story plays out and if the Yotes are finally going to stay in Phoenix area.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes' long wait for an owner might finally be over.

Glendale's City Council approved a 20-year lease agreement for Jobing.com Arena on Friday, clearing the last major hurdle in the sale of the Coyotes to a group led by former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison.

The council ratified the 20-year, nearly $325 million agreement by a 4-2 vote after a sometimes-contentious six-hour meeting attended by Jamison, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

"We've been doing this a long time," Bettman said. "We believe this team, the Coyotes, can be here with a new ownership in place and should be here."

One of the questions facing the Kings and Devils is fatigue - Kings Fighting Fatigue, as Well as Devils

Apparently Jaromir Jagr is coming back for another season in the NHL and is close to resigning with the Flyers...

The New Jersey Devils Power Less Play went 0-15 before Parise scored on Saturday night for the Devils to give them a 1-0 lead in game 5.

Stanley Cup finals hot topic: Give 3 reasons why Devils will win Game 6

The New Jersey Devils are still in a tough spot being down three games to two.

Tom Gulitti, Fire and Ice --- “I don’t see any reason why we should be overconfident or satisfied,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We’re still down 3-2. We’re still in the same spot we were. One loss and we’re done. I think just having gotten a couple wins, we’re playing with more confidence, but I don’t think that’s making us feel overconfident.

We still know how great of a team they are and how much better we need to play to make this thing even go further.

Brock Nelson named Inside College Hockey All-American

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athletic logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Official Press Release

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota sophomore forward Brock Nelson has been named to Inside College Hockey’s 2011-12 All-America Third Team. Nelson enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2011-12, leading the Fighting Sioux in points (47) and goals (28) in 42 games and becoming the program’s youngest 20-goal scorer since Jonathan Toews scored 22 in 2005-06.

A native of Warroad, Minn., Nelson led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in goals and was the WCHA’s only player to score 20 goals during league play. He ranked third nationally in goals, tied for third in game-winning goals (6) and tied for sixth in power-play goals (10). His six GWG tied him for the 10th-best single-season total in school history.

Earlier this month, Nelson was also named to the All-College Hockey News Second Team, as well as the Red Baron WCHA Final Five and NCAA West Region All-Tournament teams. He helped guide the Sioux to their league-record third straight Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional. Following the season, Nelson signed with the New York Islanders and is currently playing for their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound Nelson was a first-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2010, when he was selected 30th overall. Nelson finished his collegiate career with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 84 games.

Comparing Brock Nelson and Chris Kreider's deals

Chris Kreider's Cap Geek page  

 I was perusing the Cap Geek numbers for former Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson and for former Boston College Eagles Chris Kreider and I was a bit shocked at the difference in numbers. It will be interesting to see how these two players’ careers play out.

 Brock Nelson's Cap Geek Page 

 

Related articles

• Nelson takes home some hardware (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Nelson signs with Islanders and Big Mac to return. (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Islanders won't pressure Nelson (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Islanders won't pressure Nelson

This is the worst time of the year when fans of college hockey teams have to worry if they are going lose their favorite college hockey players. According to Chris Botta, who is a writer for the New York Times and the New York Islanders had this to say about Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson on his twitter feed. 

This past week, DU lost  blue chippers Jason Zucker and Drew Shore in a matter of couple of days. So you never know what will happen and fans always seem to worry up until the puck drops in October.

Evander Kane runs over Al Montoya

This happened in last night's game. Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane ran over Islanders starting goalie Al Montoya, Montoya would leave the game with an apparent upper body injury. If I had to guess if there was a suspension coming to Evander Kane. I would say I have no clue. 

UND’s Nelson, O’Donnell garner WCHA weekly honors

Image via WikipediaGRAND FORKS, N.D. – Outstanding performances by Brock Nelson and Brendan O’Donnell in a sweep at Alaska Anchorage have netted the North Dakota forwards Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) weekly honors, announced today by the conference office.

Nelson was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, while O’Donnell garnered WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. It was the second straight week in which Nelson captured at least a share of the award after being named WCHA co-Offensive Player of the Week one week earlier. A sophomore from Warroad, Minn., Nelson collected four goals and an assist in UND’s two wins at UAA last weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, Nelson potted a pair of power-play goals and led all players with eight shots on goal. In Saturday’s 4-1 win, Nelson had two more goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist.

Nelson leads the WCHA with 12 goals during league games and has a team-leading 14 goals overall. His nine power-play goals lead the nation and are more than halfway to the UND single-season record of 17, shared by Ryan Duncan (2006-07) and Doug Smail (1979-80). A first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2010, Nelson has 11 points (7g, 4a) during a current 4-game point streak and has four 2-goal games in his last six outings.

O’Donnell scored a pair of goals on Friday and was a +2, helping spark the eventual UND win. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native scored twice in the game’s opening minutes, with the second goal holding up as the game-winner. A sixth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2010, O’Donnell now has three goals in six games since returning from a six-game injury absence.

Bemidji State senior defenseman Brad Hunt was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

Nelson, O’Donnell and the 19th-ranked Fighting Sioux (8-7-1, 6-6-0 WCHA) host Nebraska Omaha on Friday and Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

MEN’S HOCKEY – DECEMBER 6, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NHL re-alignment, NHL opts for four conferences

According to the USA Today this is the  NHL is going to look like next season. The good news is that everyone will play everyone twice a season. 

East 1: New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Carolina and Washington

East II: Florida, Tampa, Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Ottawa and Boston.

Central: Columbus, Detroit, Winnipeg, Nashville, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis and Chicago

West: Phoenix, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary

Here are a few more detail from Darren Dreger of TSN.

  

He's back... Sid blows the door off of the Islanders

The face of the NHL is back and what a start for the Penguins Sidney Crosby; talk about coming back with a vengeance, two goals and two assists and eight shots on goal and Crosby logged 15:54 of ice time.

I think most of us will realize that the game of hockey is better off with Sidney Crosby in the line up. Crosby had been out of the lineup since January 5th, 2011 when he suffered a concussion after being driven hard into the boards by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

.

Ryan Strome shootout goal.

Check out this sick goal by New York Islanders prospect Ryan Strome, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. The video was taken at the New York Islanders development camp at the Nassau Coliseum over the weekend. Ryan Strome is known for highlight goals [click to view].

Related articles

• Strome Trying To Enjoy His New Home (freenhlpicks.wordpress.com)
• You: New York Islanders: Thoughts and Observations from Mini-Camp (bleacherreport.com)
• NHL: Predicting How Well the Top 10 NHL Draft Picks of 2011 Will Do (bleacherreport.com)
• Taste of NHL Leaves Niederreiter Wanting More (freenhlpicks.wordpress.com)
• NHL Draft 2011 Results: New York Islanders Select Ryan Strome With 5th Pick (sbnation.com)

Jason Gregoire: Snow Has Been “First-class” College draft picks weighing all of their options

Image via WikipediaChriss Botta an Islanders blogger has an interesting blog post about former Fighting Sioux Forward Jason Gregoire and former UNH defenseman Blake Kessel. It would appear that some hockey prospects aren't too keen on playing for the New York Islanders. My question to Jason Gregoire is why didn't you just stay and play another year for the Fighting Sioux hockey team?

Chris Botta; NYI Point Blank ---- For Jason Gregoire and Blake Kessel, it’s nothing personal with the Islanders. Four years after being drafted by the Islanders, three years into their college hockey careers, Gregoire and Kessel appear to be simply utilizing their Collective Bargaining Agreement rights to consider offers from the other 29 teams in the NHL. They hope you’d understand.

“The ideal for me would be to sign with the Islanders,” Gregoire told Point Blank in a phone conversation last night. “They are the team that drafted me and, from the beginning, I’ve had a great relationship with the team. I was at three prospect camps, got to know the area and the staff and come through the ranks with the guys. I have nothing but great things to say about the organization and I’m happy that no doors are being closed.”

It’s not difficult to read between the lines. Gregoire left North Dakota last week, Kessel withdrew from New Hampshire earlier this week. Unable to come to terms with the Islanders on Entry Level contracts to this point, Gregoire is taking advantage of a clause in the CBA that allows college players to become free agents four years after they were drafted. Kessel is said to be considering the same. Both Gregoire and Kessel played a year in the United States Hockey League before starting college.

Here is a link to a story that was also in the New York Times Slap Shot blog that was written by Chris Botta as well. [Slap Shot Blog]

Ness signs contract with N.Y. Islanders

This is one of those moves I would classify as being a head scratcher of the silly season, the underperforming Aaron Ness has decided to fore go his final year of eligibility to sign with the hapless New York Islanders.

Roman Augustoviz, Goal Gophers - Junior defenseman Aaron Ness on Wednesday signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the New York Islanders.

The Islanders took him in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft. The 5-10, 177-pound Ness scored two goals and had 12 assists for 14 points this past season with the Gophers.

Ness, 20, will join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' AHL affiliate for the rest of their hockey season.

In his three-year career, Ness played in 111 games and had six goals and 37 assists for 43 points.

Ness said he was ready to take the next step in his hockey career. "I've still got to make improvements in a lot of areas," Ness said, "But my dream it to play in the NHL and this is best opportunity to keep progressing."

He was it was his decision to leave the university, not the Islanders' pressing him. "After three years, I had a lot of fun and got a lot better," Ness said. "But I asked around to see what I had to do.

"I had a great three years," Ness said. "And realistically, if I had to do it all over again," Ness said, "I would do the same thing. I had great coaches, great fans. Everything is put on a platter for you to succeed. I would have wanted to do better in the playoffs, to go further, but it happens."