Andrew MacWilliam Impressing Toronto Maples Leafs at Rookie Tournament

"...he's a guy who is full of character." RT @SchlossmanGF: Andrew MacWilliam impressing Toronto so far http://t.co/t92UwnTuce
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDMHockey) September 9, 2013

Former Fighting Sioux defenseman Andrew MacWilliam is making an impression on the Toronto Maples Leafs. It also sounds like he has been throwing some punishing checks as well. The Toronto Maple Leafs wrapped up their rookie tournament last night with a 6-2 loss. The Leafs finished the tournament with 2-1 record.

Big Mac

If you want to make Spott smile, just mention the name Andrew MacWilliam.

"Oh boy, he's big, strong and powerful," the Marlies coach said. "He's going to be one of our alternate captains and he's a guy who is full of character. He's probably going to catch somebody early with their head down in this tournament.

"He's just a big, strong man that has an edge. He's going to relish the physicality. I don't think a lot of people know him so he's going to open some eyes here this week."

MacWilliam was a physical force in Toronto's game against Chicago rookies Thursday night. He lambasted Chicago's Chris DeSousa late in the second period with the hardest check of the game. DeSousa left the contest.

MacWilliam, 23, scored two goals and 13 points in 41 games with North Dakota last season to go with a team-high 116 penalty minutes. It is his penalty total - 327 minutes in four seasons - that is the best indicator of what to expect from the six-foot-two, 230-pound Calgary, Alta., native.

In the previous two seasons with the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, MacWilliam totalled 350 PIM in 111 games. You get the picture

Toronto Marlies goalie Drew MacIntyre makes a 10 bell save

Absolutely amazing 10 bell save by Toronto Marlies goalie Drew MacIntyre, the Marlies would go on to win the game 6-3 and take a 1-0 lead in their series against the Rochester Americans.

Matt Frattin's slick goal against the Islanders

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Frattin didn't make the Maple Leafs roster out of camp but was the first one called up with the injury to Joffrey Lupul. Frattin was called up and dressed for tonight's game. One could say that Frattin made the most of his 2013 NHL season debut scoring(1g-2a--3tps).

Matt Frattin Ties it With 9.5 Seconds Left

Former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin scores this goal for the Toronto Marlies against the Rochester Americans with under 10 seconds to go to tie the game. The Marlies would go on to be the Rochester Americans 4-3 in a shootout. Frattin would also score a goal in the shootout for the Marlies.

Frattin missed 12 games to start the season recovering from knee surgery and has come back with a vengeance;  Frattin has 12 points in 12 games (8g-a--12pts)

Holzer Lays A Huge Hit McNabb

Since there isn't any NHL hockey, I thought I would put up this hit by the Toronto Marlies defenseman Korbinian Holzer lays the wood to Rochester American's defenseman Brayden McNabb during the third period of Saturday's game.

Matt Frattin goal against Binghamton Senators

Former UND hockey player Matt Frattin scores for the Toronto Marlies in the closing minute of today’s game against the Binghamton Senators. That’s four goals in three games for the former UND forward. Frattin missed the first 13 games of the season with a knee injury. The Marlies lost the game 3-2 to the Senators.

Winter Classic to be cancelled soon...

RT @csnne: #BruinsTalk Reports are saying the Winter Classic could be canceled very soon. ow.ly/eRrBN #lockouttalk
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 29, 2012

If you have been following your twitter feed or glancing at your favorite NHL and college hockey sites, you will see that the NHL is close to cancelling the Winter Classic, actually it sounded like the Hurricane Sandy might have actually postponed the cancelling of the Winter Classic.

@drewc_78 @csnne Yes. They also reported last week that it would be today. So there's that
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 29, 2012

Since rejecting the union's trio of proposals, the league has made two rounds of game cancellations. The latest, announced on Friday, wiped out the regular-season schedule for November. A source familiar with the league's plan told ESPNNewYork.com that the league is expected to cancel the Winter Classic on Thursday, the source said.[Katie Strang, ESPN.COM]

So if the NHL cancels the Winter Classic, that would mean all the other events that were supposed to take place during that time frame will also be cancelled or moved to other venues as well.

The bigger loss to the city of Detroit is the Winter Festival, a two-week event set to start in late December at Comerica Park and featuring a slew of hockey games ranging from high school to juniors to college to a Wings' alumni doubleheader.

While it may seem like that could still be held regardless of the state of the NHL, it is the NHL that would be building and funding an ice rink at Comerica, a trade-off the Wings agreed to in exchange for having the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor rather than Detroit.

So here is the schedule of everything that is supposed to take place during the Winter Classic. There is a full slate of game from the NCAA, OHL, AHL and the NHL scheduled. That is set to be cancelled on Thursday if no agreement is reached.


DEC. 15-26: Celebration of Hockey featuring amateur games, corporate outings and open skates. Information on booking ice time can be obtained by visiting DetroitRedWings.com/icetime.

DEC. 27-31: Outdoor Festival featuring interactive games, autograph signings, face painting and ice sculpture exhibits as well as musical performances and entertainment.

DEC. 27-28: Great Lakes Invitational featuring the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Western Michigan Broncos and Michigan Tech Huskies all competing for the 2012 MacInnes Cup.

DEC. 29: Ontario Hockey League doubleheader featuring the Windsor Spitfires taking on the Saginaw Spirit, and the Plymouth Whalers battling the J. Ross Robertson Cup champion London Knights.

DEC. 30: American Hockey League Game featuring the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliates of the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, respectively.

DEC. 31: Red Wings-Maple Leafs Alumni Showdown featuring legendary players from two of the National Hockey League’s most storied franchises going head-to-head.

Related articles

• Report: Winter Classic will be canceled Thursday (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• NHL will reportedly cancel Winter Classic (boston.sbnation.com)
• NHL's Winter Classic could be cancelled Thursday: report (cbc.ca)
• Source: NHL to cancel Winter Classic Thursday (espn.go.com)

Admirals were offsides for game winning goal by Kostka

There seems to be a bit of a controversy surrounding Norfolk Admirals forward Mike Kostka's goal, the on-ice officials missed the Admirals being offside and the game winning goal against the Marlies shouldn't have counted.

According to the Marlies, Norfolk forward Brandon Segal was six to eight feet inside the blueline when Kostka shot the puck into the corner causing the linesman to call delayed offsides.
 You can watch the video again on this link [ click to open].

Here is the official statement by the AHL

“We have spoken with Toronto Marlies management and confirmed that a rules interpretation error by the on-ice officials occurred on the Norfolk Admirals’ overtime goal during Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals.

“On the play, a dump-in from center ice by a Norfolk player caromed off a stanchion and into the Toronto net. The correct application of AHL Rule 83.4 would have negated the Norfolk goal due to a delayed offside call.

“As AHL By-Laws do not allow for any change to the final result of a game based on an incorrect rule interpretation, the result of the game stands.”

This is what the Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins had to say about the goal that cost his team the game.

I saw it and it’s a real interesting one for the referees,” Eakins said. “The puck comes out, the puck’s rimmed in, there’s a guy that’s offside by about eight to 10 feet, the puck hits the stanchion, but now he is onside and it goes in your net. It’s a fairly grey area. Once again, something that I’ve never seen. I’m sure the referees have never seen anything like that either.”

(Video) Admirals lead Calder Cup Series against Marlies 3-0

Last night the Norfolk Admirals took a strangle hold lead in the series against the Toronto Marlies three games to none after this fluky goal in overtime.

The reaction by the Marlies players after the game is very telling after the goal was scored the Marlies players returned to the player’s bench and watched the replay of the goal in disbelief. I don’t know if you can fault the Marlies goalie Ben Scrivens on this goal or not.

Admirals forward Mike Kostka (University of Massachusetts Amherst)scored what we could only classify as a fluky goal that bounced off the glass at the 9:09 mark of the first overtime to give Norfolk Admirals a 1-0 win over the Toronto Marlies.

Frattin done for the season

The Toronto Marlies got some bad news today when they learned that former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin has suffered a knee injury and will need surgery. That's a big loss for the Marlies because Frattin is tied for the lead in scoring for the Toronto Marlies with (10g-3a-13 pts). Frattin is a restricted free agent and will need to be signed in the off-season.

Lance Hornby,Toronto Sun --- Winger Matt Frattin, who was a force physically and on the scoresheet, will be lost for the rest of the American Hockey League playoffs with a knee injury that will require surgery.

Frattin, who has a league post-season best 10 goals and shares the team lead with 13 points, was hurt in Game 5 of the Western Final in a bold play to score an empty netter to eliminate the Oklahoma City Barons. Frattin crashed into the net in a race for the puck.

Related articles

• Frattin Scores two as Marlies win

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• Frattin's goal against OKC

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• Marlies injury situation

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• Marlies move on to the Calder Cup finals

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Marlies injury situation



Toronto Star

 Here is the latest on the Toronto Marlies injury situation. Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like this year’s version of the UND Fighting Sioux – major injury problems – as it stands now, it looks like it could be all in for Marlies as well. Those that can dress could end up playing for the Marlies. The Marlies won their series with the OKC Barons, but it looks like the series victory came with a high cost.

TORONTO -- Forwards Mike Zigomanis, Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin and defencemen Jesse Blacker, Korbinian Holzer and Mark Fraser all skipped practice with various injuries while wingers Marcel Mueller and Carter Ashton skated, but not on the team's top four lines.

Though Eakins said it was a good sign to have Ashton and Mueller at the rink, he wouldn't give details of the injuries or a timeline for when anyone would return to the lineup.

"Right now, anybody that wasn't on the ice is hurt and they'll play when they're healed," he said.

Despite missing some of their top-six forwards, and their top shut-down defensive pair, an optimistic Eakins believes things could be a lot worse for Toronto.

"We've probably got four or five guys who are playing extremely hurt and for those guys not to pack it in is huge," he said. "I don't know what we would do right now without the guys that are totally hurt, and off the ice, and the guys that are just hanging in there."

Bad news for the Marlies?

If forward Matt Frattin is hurt it could be a big hit for the Toronto Marlies.

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• Frattin's goal against OKC

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• Marlies move on to the Calder Cup finals

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• Frattin Scores two as Marlies win

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• Oklahoma City Barons bury Toronto Marlies 5-1

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• Frattin scores twice as Marlies take series lead against Baron

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Marlies move on to the Calder Cup finals

Seems like your typical Matt Frattin goal, hard working and doesn't give up on the effort, you can also see Frattin's other goal here by watching the Marlies game six in six minutes highlights.

Beast Mode - as he has been all series long against OKC Barons - Frattin was again a monster in game six against the Oklahoma City Barons. Frattin scored his  ninth and 10 goals of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. Frattin's is tied for the team lead in points with Jerry D'Amigo and Philippe Dupuis - ten goals leads the Calder Cup Playoffs as well.

The Toronto Marlies now face off against the Norfolk Admirals, who like the Marlies have quite a few ex-college hockey players on their team. Some of the college flavor of the Norfolk Admirals includes: Cory Conacher (Canisus College), Evan Oberg (Minnesota-Duluth),  Mike Kostka (UMass-Amherst),  Jonathon Kalinski (Minnesota State University-Mankato), Trevor Smith (University of New Hampshire),  Alex Killorn (Harvard), Richard Petiot (Colorado College),  Jeff Dimmen (University of Maine).

Frattin Scores two as Marlies win

Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward Matt Frattin has been in beast mode during the Toronto Marlies run through the Western Conference Finals series against the Oklahoma City Barons. In today's game, Frattin scored his seventh and eighth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs that leads the AHL.

Frattin's second goal of the game was the game winning goal for the Marlies  and I would classify that goal as  a thing of beauty - your classic toe drag goal that was shot from the top of the face-off circles that blew by the Barons goalie Yann Danis.

 Former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde has a goal in the losing effort for the Oklahoma City Barons, VandeVelde now has five goals during the Calder Cup playoffs.

Oklahoma City Barons bury Toronto Marlies 5-1

The OKC Barons and the Toronto Marlies is a series of interest for college hockey fans as well as Fighting Sioux Hockey fans. Last night, former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde scored the fourth goal of the game for the Oklahoma City Barons as they evened their series in the Western Conference Finals against the Toronto Marlies with a 5-1 victory. The next three games of this series are in Toronto.

This series features three ex-Fighting Sioux hockey players (TOR) Matt Frattin (OKC) Taylor Chorney and Chris VandeVelde. There will be a least one former Fighting Sioux hockey players in the Calder Cup Finals and there is a "slight" possibility that three former Fighting Sioux players could face off against each other - if Jason Gregoire and Jake Marto's team the St. John's Ice Caps make the Calder Cup Finals, the are currently down 1-0 against the Milwaukee Admirals - Gregoire and Marto have yet to play for the Ice Caps in the Calder Cup Playoffs and both players have been a healthy scratch according to Chad from A Tradition of Excellence.

Just a few points of interest - only 2621 fans attended last night's game, that seems kind of low for a playoff hockey game in any league. After looking at this attendance figures I went back and looked at the OKC Barons attendance figures for the season and they averaged 3684 fans per game, there are 19 Division I college hockey teams that have have better attendance than the OKC Barons.

For the season, the Toronto Marlies draw better than the Oklahoma City Barons as they averaged 5,480 fans per game. There are 10 Division I hockey teams that draw better than the Marlies.

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Frattin's goal against OKC

s/t to @BrittsLyfe for posting this on Twitter... Check out this goal by Toronto Marlies forward Matt Frattin. Frattin's team the Toronto Marlies ended up beating  former Fighting Sioux alumni Chris Vandevelde and Taylor Chorney's team the Oklahoma City Barons.

I am sure this goal by Frattin looks familiar to Fighting Sioux hockey fans who watched the power forward  score a bunch of goals that looked a lot like this one. Notice the goalie also didn't see the puck until it was past him and in the net.

College Hockey well represented

The more I looked around the Leafs official web sight, the more I realized college hockey's contribution to this game and the Toronto Marlies. If you look at the box score from this game you will see that college hockey was well represented - three former WCHA players scored three of the five goals for the Marlies in tonight's game, Jake Gardiner (UW), Matt Frattin (UND) and Joe Colborne (DU).

Also, former RPI forward Jerry D'Amigo leads the Marlies in points for the Calder Cup playoffs.

The starting goalie for the Marlies is former Cornell Star Ben Scrivens who has started every games for the Marlies during the playoffs and was up for a while with the Maple Leafs during the regular season.

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Joel Colborne Sega hockey goal

Back in the 1990's Sega Hockey was popular and you could score almost every time using this type of a goal. Check out this dipsy doodle goal by former DU Pioneer and Providence Bruin Joel Colborne. Joel Colborne was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Tomas Kaberle and a first and second round pick. This is Colborne playing for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.