Top 100 Skaters (Parise 6th)

From Sports Illustrated, Sean Allen's top 100 forwards, former UND forward Zach Parise is ranked 6th and Jonathan Toews is ranked 26th. The WCHA is well represented.


1. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Was (1)
2. Sidney Crosby, C, Pit (2)
3. Dany Heatley, RW, SJ (3)UW
4. Marian Gaborik, RW, NYR (4)
5. Evgeni Malkin, C, Pit (5)
6. Zach Parise, LW, NJ (6) UND
7. Mike Richards, C, Phi (7)
8. Patrick Marleau, C, SJ (8)
9. Joe Thornton, C, SJ (9)
10. Anze Kopitar, C, LA (11)
11. Henrik Sedin, C, Van (18)
12. Rick Nash, LW, Cls (10)
13. Nicklas Backstrom, C, Was (13)
14. Corey Perry, RW, Anh (14)
15. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, Atl (15)
16. Jarome Iginla, RW, Cgy (12)
17. Steven Stamkos, C, TB (16)
18. Bobby Ryan, RW, Anh (17)
19. Daniel Sedin, LW, Van (20)
20. Ryan Getzlaf, C, Anh (19)
21. Ryan Malone, LW, TB (21) SCSU
22. Alexander Semin, LW, Was (22)
23. Jeff Carter, C, Phi (23)
24. Patrick Kane, RW, Chi (26)
25. Eric Staal, C, Car (25)
26. Jonathan Toews, C, Chi (31) UND
27. Dustin Penner, LW, Edm (27)
28. Nathan Horton, RW, Fla (29)
29. Brenden Morrow, LW, Dal (30)
30. Pavel Datsyuk, C, Det (24)
31. Marian Hossa, RW, Chi (33)
32. Mike Cammalleri, LW, Mon (32)
33. Brad Richards, C, Dal (35)
34. Scott Hartnell, RW, Phi (34)
35. Ryan Smyth, LW, LA (37)
36. Alexandre Burrows, C, Van (42)
37. Loui Eriksson, LW, Dal (39)
38. Paul Stastny, C, Col (38)DU
39. Mikko Koivu, C, Min (40)
40. Vincent Lecavalier, C, TB (41)
41. Henrik Zetterberg, C, Det (36)
42. John Tavares, C, NYI (43)
43. Brooks Laich, C, Was (44)
44. Olli Jokinen, C, Cgy (45)
45. Martin St. Louis, RW, TB (46)
46. Patrick Sharp, C, Chi (48)
47. Tomas Plekanec, C, Mon (49)
48. Mike Knuble, RW, Was (50)
49. Teemu Selanne, RW, Anh (58)
50. Patrik Elias, LW, NJ (52)
51. Ryan Kesler, C, Van (53)
52. Shane Doan, RW, Pho (54)
53. Tim Connolly, C, Buf (69)
54. Stephen Weiss, C, Fla (64)
55. Milan Hejduk, RW, Col (57)
56. Marc Savard, C, Boston Bruins (28)
57. Travis Zajac, C, NJ (59) UND
59. Phil Kessel, RW, Tor (55)UMN
60. Andrew Brunette, LW, Minnesota Wild (56)
61. Maxim Afinogenov, RW, Atl (62)
62. Martin Havlat, LW, Minnnesota Wild (74)
63. Bill Guerin, RW, Pit (63)
64. Wojtek Wolski, LW, Col (51)
65. Mason Raymond, LW, Van (73)
66. Jason Arnott, C, Nsh (65)
67. Ryane Clowe, RW, SJ (66)
68. Mike Fisher, C, Ott (67)
69. Daniel Alfredsson, RW, Ott (60)
70. Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI (68)UMN
71. Rich Peverley, C, Atl (61)
72. Vaclav Prospal, C, NYR (70)
73. Brian Gionta, RW, Mon (71)
74. James Neal, LW, Dal (72)
75. Steve Downie, RW, TB (86)
76. Mikael Samuelsson, RW, Van (77)
77. Joe Pavelski, C, SJ (78)UW
78. Chris Stewart, RW, Col (83)
79. Niclas Bergfors, RW, NJ (79)
80. Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, Tor (80)
81. Jamie Langenbrunner, RW, NJ (92)
82. Milan Lucic, LW, Boston Bruins (82)
83. Thomas Vanek, LW, Buf (76)UMN
84. David Backes, C, StL (98)MSU-M
85. Danny Briere, C, Phi (85)
86. Kris Versteeg, RW, Chi (88)
87. Michael Frolik, C, Fla (89)
88. Matt Moulson, LW, NYI (84)
89. Nik Antropov, RW, Atl (91)
90. Rene Bourque, LW, Cgy (95)
91. Brendan Morrison, C, Was (93)
92. Dustin Brown, RW, LA (94)
93. Jarret Stoll, C, LA (96)
94. Derek Roy, C, Buf (97)
95. Troy Brouwer, RW, Chi (99)
96. Todd Bertuzzi, RW, Det (100)
97. Patric Hornqvist, RW, Nsh (NR)
98. Simon Gagne, LW, Phi (NR)
99. Scott Gomez, C, Mon (NR)
100. Jakub Voracek, RW, Cls (NR)

Teen's death hits Blake hard.

Former Fighting Sioux hockey player and current Maple Leaf Jason Blake apparently knew the 13-year-old hockey player Evan Frustaglio that died from H1N1 last week. This young kid was healthy and yet this virus took his life, it breaks your heart. I think this really puts things in perspective. I just hope that we can beat back this damn virus.

The death of 13-year-old Evan Frustaglio from the H1N1 flu virus hit hard for one Toronto Maple Leafs player.

Two years ago, Leafs forward Jason Blake was new to the team and the city and struggling to deal with the news he had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer. However, the little boy next door who loved hockey always made him smile.

“‘I can’t imagine what they are going through,” Blake said Wednesday morning of his former Etobicoke neighbors, the Frustaglio family, two days after Evan died from the flu. “They are a great family with great kids. Evan was a hell of a hockey player.

“It’s tough. My prayers and thoughts go with them.”

Blake, his wife Sara and their three children lived in the house next door to the Frustaglios for the 2007-08 season, his first in Toronto after signing a five-year $20-million (U.S.) contract with the NHL team. It was a difficult year for Blake, as his illness weighed heavily on his play. While the disease was treatable with regular medication, Blake went from 40 goals the season before with the New York Islanders to 15 with the Leafs.

Things were a little better at home, though, as Paul and Ann-Marie Frustaglio welcomed the Blake family to the neighbourhood.

“We became good friends with them,” Blake recalled as the Leafs got ready to play the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. “They showed us the ropes when we got to town. They were our next-door neighbours, their kids came over and played driveway hockey. We had dinners together.
[Globe and Mail]