Let Selects Sports Tours send you to Europe for 6 nights to watch 2 pre-season games and experience a new culture and city.  With four star hotel accommodation, two meals a day, game tickets, and transportation, you will only need to enjoy yourself.

Click HERE for details.

1999 Boys WSI—April 27-May 1—Riga, Latvia

1998 Boys WSI—April 27-May 1—Riga, Latvia

1997 Boys WSI—April 20-24—Prague, Czech Rep

1996 Boys WSI—April 20-24—Helsinki, Finland

These world class events will see many of the best players in the World play in one of the most ex-citing Super Elite tournaments ever created. All players will participate in many special events designed around the tournaments and the individual locations. Each age group will take part in the Opening Ceremony Dinner, meet the Ambassador of their home country, and have the oppor-tunity to play in the AllStar game with and against the best players on the Planet. Parents and Coaches will also participate in Receptions and Events designed with their needs in mind.

Please contact Jamie Hale jhale@selectshockey.com for more information.

The newly-selected National Women’s Under-18 Team will travel south of the border for games against the United States’ Women’s Under-18 Select Team on August 18, 19 and 21 at the Lake Placid Olympic Center.

Following the series, Hockey Canada scouts and coaching staff for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will continue to evaluate players when they return to their club teams for the 2010-11 season, in order to decide who will represent Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship next spring in Sweden.

Click for full story

The cream of the crop for the 2011 Entry Draft will get their first taste of life in the NHL when they report to the Toronto Maple Leafs' training facility in Etobicoke, Ont., to take part in the 2010 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp Fueled by G Series on Aug. 18-19.



The purpose of the camp is for team officials to get a look at possible rules changes -- with the extra benefit that 33 of the top 2011 Draft-eligible prospects will show off their skills while bringing those changes to life.  Below are the bio's of all alumni participating.  Click for Full Story

SCOTT HARRINGTON

London • OHL

6'1" 195 lbs. Defense, shoots left

Born: March 10, 1993 in Kingston, Ontario



· An assistant captain of Team Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial, Harrington also won a silver medal with Team Ontario at the 2010 World Under-17 Challenge and was named a tournament all-star.



PHILIPPE HUDON

Choate • HIGH-CT

6'1" 172 lbs. Right wing, shoots right

Born: April 19, 1993 in Hudson, Quebec



· In 2009-10, he helped lead Choate to the New England Large Prep Championship with a 21-6-1 record and has committed to attend Cornell University in either the fall of 2011 or 2012.



GABRIEL LANDESKOG (Elite Camp Participant only)

Kitchener • OHL

6'0" 200 lbs. Left wing, shoots left

Born: Nov. 23, 1992 in Stockholm, Sweden



· Played for Kitchener in the OHL last season and was named the team's Rookie of the Year as well as to the OHL All-Rookie First Team.



SHANE MCCOLGAN

Kelowna • WHL

5'8" 170 lbs. Right wing, shoots right

Born: Jan. 1, 1993 in Manhattan Beach, California



· The only U.S.-born player selected in the first round of the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, McColgan played his first full season with Kelowna in 2009-10 joining fellow California-born teammates: Colin Long (Santa Ana), Mitchell Callahan (Whittier) and Adam Brown (Yorba Linda). Prior to joining the WHL, McColgan played for the Los Angeles Junior Kings organization.



MATTHEW NIETO

Boston University • H-EAST

5'11" 180 lbs. Left wing, shoots left

Born: Nov. 5, 1992 in Long Beach, California



· Won back-to-back gold medals at the Under-18 World Championship (2009 and 2010) and recently participated in Team USA's National Junior Evaluation Camp for the 2011 World Junior Championships. In 2009, he was the youngest member to make the World Championship team, making the jump to the Under-18 team alongside teammate Jason Zucker - both were leading scorers for the Under-17 team and played youth hockey for the LA Selects.



ALAN QUINE

Kingston • OHL

5'10" 168 lbs. Center, shoots left

Born: Feb. 25, 1993 Belleville, Ontario



· He represented Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial and won a silver medal with Team Ontario at the 2010 World Under-17 Challenge.

Congratulations to all alumni participating in the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament.

Team Canada

Pos # Name                 S/C   Ht. Wt.     Born      Hometown     Club Team         Pro Status

D  6  Scott Harrington L/G 6’1” 209 03/10/93 Kingston, Ont. London (OHL) 2011 Dft/Rep.

F  10 Jonathan Huberdeau L/G 6’1” 166 06/04/93 Prévost, Que./Qc Saint John (QMJHL) 2011 Dft/Rep

F  21 Alan Quine           L/G 5’11” 179 02/25/93 Belleville, Ont. Kingston (OHL) 2011 Dft/Rep.

Team Sweden

# PP Name            Club        Coun     Born     Place of Birth Ht Wt L/R

1 GK Due-Boje Marcus Djurgårdens IF SWE 02.03.93 Stockholm 181 83 L

30 GK Steen Stefan Leksands IF SWE 06.01.93 Sunne 186 75 L

18 F Rask Victor Leksands IF SWE 01.03.93 Leksand 186 88 L

23 F Åberg Pontus Djurgårdens IF SWE 23.09.93 Stockholm 181 83 R

Team USA

No.  Name                 Ht (cm)  Wt (kg) Birthdate   S/C  Hometown       2009-10 Team

1   Steven Michalek  6-2 (188)  185(84)   8/6/93   L  Glastonbury, CT     Loomis Chaffee

16 Cason Hohmann  5-8 (172) 163 (74)  1/10/93  R  Plymouth, MI  Cedar Rapids Roughriders(USHL)

Palmieri, 19 (2/1/91), completed his freshman season at the University of Notre Dame of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in 2009-10, scoring 9-8=17 points in 33 contests. He ranked tied for first in club rookie scoring and tied for 10th in CCHA rookie scoring. The 5-10, 191-pound winger was also a member of Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship. Palmieri scored 1-8=9 points in seven games during the tournament, ranking third on the team in scoring and second in assists.

Click for story

Bring your skills to the NA Frozen Cup Invitational in Phildelphia, Pennsylvania, USA this December.  Compete against the best of North America, enjoy local tourism, and attend a National Hockey League game.    Click HERE for details.

For more information, please contact Jamie Hale at jhale@selectshockey.com. 

The Wave Jr. Cougars team went to Munich, Germany and Prague Czech Republic for some cultural learning, and to compete in the 96 World Selects Invitational.  Not only did they see some of the most beautiful sights in Prague, they went on to take the championship in the tournament, facing off against the best of Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and North America.  The boys had the time of their life, and will treasure this unforgettable experience.

Other schools in the picture for Paliotta were Michigan, Harvard, and BC.



A 4/16/93 birthdate, Paliotta played 50 games with the Under-17 Team last year and had a 2-12-14 line with 53 penalty minutes

Tours of Munich and Prague, in the beautiful summer weather, were created for these kids and their parents.  They saw the impressive Prague and Neuschwanstein Castles, and learned about history from a tour of Dachau concentration camp and old town Prague.  A cultural experience that also builds their team and hockey skills, this was an experience they are sure to remember.  Having just returned, it was a blow out end to their summer vacations.  The boys said they really enjoyed being able to play hockey with new international friends, from Spain, Iceland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Norway.

During the 2009-10 season, Grimaldi posted 20 points (11g, 9a) in 32 USHL games for Team USA's U17 squad while serving as team captain.  The 17-year-old native of Auburn Hills, Michigan tied for the lead on Team USA with six power play goals.

Grimaldi, who for a long time had his choices narrowed down to North Dakota, Denver, and Notre Dame (though no one was ruling out the OHL), is a little offensive dynamo -- small, gritty, shifty, with a nose for the net -- who will make a high-end college player in the Nathan Gerbe mold. (USHR.com)

The Sewell, NJ native is a 10/24/95 born Right Defenseman listed at 5'11", 160 lbs.   His "late" birthdate means he will be going into the ninth grade this fall and has 4 years before he is NHL Draft eligible.  

He is a slick offensive-minded defenseman who glides effortlessly across the ice with rare vision and poise. He posesses a rare ability to anticipate and see plays before they develop on the ice.

Anthony DeAngelo participated with the '95 East Coast Selects-O team over the past three springs and was an integral part of multiple championships.

2000 Cougars Players Excel at Brick Invitational.

Zach Dubinsky (Chicago) Tyler Coffey (Philadelphia) and Kaleb Ergang (Edmonton) pose for a photo at the closing ceremonies of The Brick Super Novice Invitational. Since 1989, Brick has hosted the most prestigious event for 10 year olds and provided a venue for hundreds of future professionals to showcase their skills at ten.

NAPS Tournament Website

Click for Results and Standings

Congratulations to all West Coast Selects 96 players and families!

NAPS Schedule and Results

Congratulations to all players on a terrific weekend of hockey.  This was the team's 8th championship over the past 3 spring seasons!

Both teams finished 6-1 on the weeked, congratulations to both teams on an excellent tournament and exciting final!

The tournament is made of some or Western Canada top teams, which were teams in last years Brick tournament.  The Cougars Selects, made of players from the Western Canadian Cougars branches, had to beat all the top teams in the tournament on their way to winning the championship

Biega (5’11”, 195 lbs., shoots right, 4/4/1988) recently completed his senior season as team captain at Harvard, picking up 10 points (2+8) in 33 games for the Crimson. For his efforts he was named Team MVP for the second consecutive season. Biega did not miss a game during his four seasons on the team and skated on Harvard’s top defensive pair throughout much of his career.

Read Story on Gocrimson.com

Read Story on Sabres.NHL.com

 Congratulations to all alumni drafted below! 

Below is a complete listing of Selects Hockey alumni taken in the 2010 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft.  Congratulations to all players chosen!

Congratulations to alumni Kevin Clare, Rocco Grimaldi, Andy Iles, Jon Merrill, Luke Moffatt, Matt Nieto, Bryan Rust, Brandon Saad and Austin Watson on their 2010 U18 World Championship gold medals.

Team Sweden alumni Gabriel Landeskog, Patrick Nemeth and Victor Rask received silver medals and turned in a terrific performance but fell short to the US squad which captured it's 3rd straight Under 18 Championship.

Congratulations to all our alumni representing their country below.  For full team rosters and tournament statistics and schedule, click here

Canada

#   Name                              P   S/C   HT        WT            Born                      Hometown                         2009-10 Team

1   Calvin Pickard               G   L/G   6’0.5” 200            04/15/92              Winnipeg, Man.                Seattle (WHL)

10 Ryan O’Connor            D   R/D   5’9”    179            01/12/92             Hamilton, Ont.                  Saginaw (OHL)

Latvia

#   Name                              P   S/C   HT        WT            Born                      2009-10 Team

27 GIRGENSONS Zemgus F  L      6'0''        172         1/5/94                   Green Mountain Glades

Sweden

#   Name                              P   S/C   HT        WT            Born                      2009-10 Team

*11 LANDESKOG Gabriel               F     L       6'0''  201               11/23/92              Kitchener Rangers

*7 NEMETH Patrik            D L          6'4''  212               2/8/92                  AIK Stockholm

18 RASK Victor                   F L           6'1''  194               3/1/93                  Leksands IF

#   Name                              P   S/C   HT    WT                Born                      2009-10 Team

97 CLARE Kevin                                 D L          6'1''  203               13 MAR 1992      US National U18

21 GRIMALDI Rocco        F              5'6''  157               8 FEB 1993           US National U17

*29 ILES Andy                    GK L       5'8''  179               30 JAN 1992        US National U18

15 MERRILL Jon                 D L          6'3''  201               3 FEB 1992           US National U18

7 MOFFATT Luke              F              6'0''  181               11 JUN 1992        US National U18

19 NIETO Matt                   F L           5'11'' 183              5 NOV 1992         US National U18

12 RUST Bryan                   F R          5'11'' 192              11 MAY 1992      US National U18

22 SAAD Brandon             F L           6'1''   196              27 OCT 1992        US National U18

14 WATSON Austin          F R          6'3''    187             13 JAN 1992        Peterborough Petes

*Denotes a Selects Hockey Elite Camp alumni only

Atkinson was named to the All Tournament Team.  He scored 2 goals in the final game and led the Frozen Four in scoring.  Read More

 
DENVER - The Colorado Avalanche have signed the two defencemen who teamed up to score the winning goal in the 2009 NCAA championship.

The team announced Saturday that it had signed Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen to entry-level contracts. Both will play with Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

Shattenkirk assisted in Cohen's overtime goal when Boston University defeated Miami to capture the national championship last April. Both had been picked by the Avalanche in the 2007 draft.  Read More

Calvin Pickard was extremely busy for Seattle this season, averaging 32.5 saves per game while finishing 16-34-12 with a 3.09 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.  Read more

The Grade 8 student at Whitchurch Highlands Public School helped the Vaughan Kings minor bantams to the tournament title with a 5-3 victory over the host Marlies.

Burrows, 13, scored a goal and earned one assist in the final.  In the Kings' eight games during the tournament, Burrows had eight goals and 10 assists

"It was special to be given that award," Burrows said. "But winning the team championship was far more important."

The Kings reached the final by downing the Markham Waxers 5-1, Boston Junior Terriers 7-0, Rochester Alliance 7-0, Ottawa Senators 6-0, Sun County Panthers 7-1, Green Bay Gamblers 5-0 in a quarter-final game and Mississauga Rebels 3-0 in their semifinal.

Good Luck to all our alumni at the tryout!

Click for full list  provided by USA Hockey

Forwards:



Alexander Galchenyuk (Chicago, Ill. / Chicago Young Americans Midget Minor)

Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill. / Chicago Mission Midget Minor)

Bradley Hawkinson (Aurora, Colo. / Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor)

Nicolas Kerdiles (Lewisville, Texas /LA Selects Midget Minor)

Cristoval "Boo" Nieves (Syracuse, N.Y. / Syracuse Stars Midget Minor)

Cody Payne (Weston, Fla. / Missassauga Reps Minor)

Ray Pigozzi (Evanston, Ill. / Chicago Mission Midget Minor)

Henrik Samuelsson (Pittsburgh, Pa. / P.F. Chang's Midget Major)

Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo. / Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor)



Defensemen:



Connor Carrick (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Chicago Fury Midget Minor)

Matias Cleland (Boulder, Colo. / Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor)

Max Iafrate (Baltimore, Md. / Belle Tire Midget Minor)

Seth Jones (Plano, Texas / Dallas Stars Midget Major)

Dakota Mermis (Alton, Ill. / St. Louis Blues Midget Major)

Mark Yanis (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Belle Tire Midget Minor)

Goaltenders:



Dalton Izyk (Syracuse, N.Y. / Syracuse Stars Midget Minor)

Jared Rutledge (Skokie, Ill. / Chicago Young Americans Midget Minor)

Deschamps helped the Moncton Wildcats win 9 games in Feb, registering eight goals,

including three game-winners, and added fourteen assi...sts. Moreover, he

posted a +7 rating.

Jake Allen gets the nod on defense after

recording eleven wins in twelve starts, including two by shutout. The

Fredericton native posted a 1.59 goals-against-average and .945 save

percentage during that span.

Europe Selects Elite Camp

July 18-23, 2010

Nykoping, Sweden

It’s our intent to provide the best coaching available to our camp participants. Players will learn from coaches and guest players with experience from NHL, Swedish Elite league, Swedish J20 SuperElite, Russian League (Before KHL) and Finnish League.  Players will practice different kinds of technique, game situations, have lectures, play 3 full games, review film, and will also get a 1 on 1 review with an instructor.

For more information, and to apply, click HERE

For information on turning the camp into a complete package tour, click HERE

Ryan O’Connor of the Saginaw Spirit led all OHL defencemen and also led his club with nine goals in January adding six assists for 15 points in 14 games played with a plus-minus rating of plus-2.  Five of his goals were scored on the power play and he recorded points in 10 games including five multi-point games.  He was named second star of the game twice this month including January 2 with a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over the Kitchener Rangers, and again on January 29 when he scored two goals, both with the man advantage, as part of a 7-2 victory over the Sarnia Sting in one if the Spirit’s seven wins this month.  Read More

He came stateside through the East Coast Selects program, playing at last summer's Junior Chowder Cup, where he finished as the tournament's second-leading scorer. He knows future Catamounts - defenseman Ian Spencer, for one - through the Selects Hockey program, and that, plus living in Burlington, made Vermont a good choice for him.  

Girgensons chose Vermont after receiving offers from several other Hockey East schools. 

It’s fun to think of Prep Watch as an exclusive club, but who knew those members actually network?



When informed he would be the focus of this week’s edition, Toronto Marlboros center Matia (Mah-Tee-uh) Marcantuoni noted he had already played with a fellow Prep Watch star, Luca Ciampini.



The odd thing, of course, is while Marcantuoni calls Ontario home, Ciampini plays in Quebec for Les Patriotes de Chateauguay.



“We played together in the summer for the East Coast Selects team,” Marcantuoni said. “We were on the same line.”

Read More

Register Today!

His play helped the Terriers post a 5-2 mark in the month. He had a pair of two-goal games, including a career-high four-point (2g, 2a) performance against UMass on Jan. 3. Cohen also tallied the game-winning goal in three of BU’s five wins.

Read More

Pictured L to R are Niko Ristic, Blake Wareham and Gregory Aliotta who were chosen Jan 1 to participate on the West Coast Selects '97 team

Congratulations to Niko, Gregory, Blake and the following Cougars players on their accomplishment:

Liam McCann (Chicago)  - West Coast Selects '97

Luke Opilka (St. Louis)  - West Coast Selects '97

Charlie Raith (Chicago)- West Coast Selects '97

Anthony Tzveyn (Chicago) - West Coast Selects '97

Louis DeNaples (WBS) - East Coast Selects-O '97

Cam Smith (Philadelphia) - East Coast Selects-O '97

Troy Henley (Philadelphia) - East Coast Selects-O '97

The “2010 Ontario Winter Games” have a very strong women’s East Coast Selects presence.  Twenty- four of our highly talented East Coast Select girls from across the province were chosen to participate in the Ontario Winter Games.  The tournament will be held in Baysville Ontario on March 5^th, 6^th and 7^th 2010. 

Congratulations go out to our East Coast Selects girls;  Kaila Pinkney, Amanda Periera, Hayley Masters, Amanda Titus, Audrey Potts, Taylor Phillip, Madison Badeau, Hayley Noronha, Rachel Bierbrier, Krista Yip-Chuck, Tori Bugg, Lauren Wildfang, Jessica Dodds, Katelyn Fournier, Kirsten Miller, Hilary Lloyd, Lauren Miller, Madison Robertson, Victoria Bach, Morgan Sly, Megan Quinn, Emma Korbs, Coco Sultana, Hannah Rastrick, Hanna Bunton and Brooke Stoddart.

Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Ontario Winter Games will take place on March 4, 2010 at the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst. Placed against a backdrop of Canadian Shield granite and picturesque Lake Muskoka. The event will be memorable, exciting, motivating and inspiring.

The evening will begin with a parade of athletes descending upon the special event field from 3 different directions. Upon arrival at the Wharf Special Event field, participants will be welcomed by a high-profile event MC. After the national anthem, the Stereos, a well established, up and coming Canadian band will perform for the athletes.

The event will be broadcast via video to Sudbury so the athletes there will be partaking in the festivities from their simulcast location. Large monitors will be fixed on both sides of the stage so athletes will see footage of the crowd, Sudbury participants and presenters.

The event will also be webcast to the 2010ontariowintergames.ca website so fans and families of our East Coast Select girls will have the opportunity to watch the ceremonies as well.

F  Jeremy Morin, Kitchener Rangers

F  Greg Nemisz, Windsor Spitfires

F  Jeff Skinner, Kitchener Rangers

 Congratulations to all alumni selected for the 2010 Home Hardware Top Prospects game held Jan 20.

Don Cherry was on hand to select and present the MVP awards to Team Flatley's Robert Polesello and Team Clark’s Matia Marcantuoni.  Each player received a glass trophy and gifts from Bauer Hockey and Pro Hockey Life.

Marcantuoni plays on the Minor Midget Toronto Marlies and is expected by many to be a top 5 pick in the upcoming 2010 OHL Draft.

Polesello (below) is finishing out his final year with the Toronto Junior Canadians.  He made headlines this past August when he announced his verbal commitment to attend Boston University for the Fall of 2012.

Tours are being planned for the World Selects Invitational, Selects Hockey's very own exclusive tournament. Tournaments will be played all over Europe in April, 2010. We are proud to sponsor these events and bring the best players from the US and Canada to international play!

Click on the links to find out more about the tournament and tours!

95 age group - Helsinki, Finland

96 age group - Prague, Czech Republic

97 age group - Riga, Latvia

SST is currently booking tours for the following exclusive tournaments. Teams from all over the world will participate in these memorable events. Play high level hockey and tour the local area with Selects Sports Tours! Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, Gretsky's Restaurant, and Niagara Falls! Click on the links to view a sample itinerary for each tournament.

Cougars Classic in Chicago, IL on May 14-16

NAPS in Buffalo, NY on June 25-27. 

The U.S. squad got some revenge for a 5-4 shootout loss against Canada on New Year's Eve that gave the hosts a bye to the semifinals. The Americans also led that game by two goals before allowing Canada to send it to overtime.  Nemisz scored for Canada in front of a sellout crowd of 15,171 at Credit Union Centre.

Jacob Josefson received a Bronze medal as Sweden won easily over Switzerland by a score of 11-4.

Congratulations to all six of our alumni! 

Tournament Results and Statistics

Three Selects alumni captured the silver for Canada-Ontario including Alan Quine, who was named player of the game for Canada-Ontario, Scott Harrington, Ben Thomson and Ryan Strome.

Congratulations to all our alumni on their achievement!

Congratulations to Pontus, Marcus, Oskar, Victor, Stefan and their teammates.

2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Results & Statistics

Nieves is finishing out his Midget Minor year with the Syracuse Nationals U-16 team.  He is also expected to receive a hard look by the USA National Team Development program for their Top 40 camp in March.  Congratulations Boo!

The Montreal native also enjoyed a career-high seven-game winning streak during that span. He faced an average of 28 shots per contest. The Tigres are only one point behind the TELUS Central Division-leading Voltigeurs. 

Poulin is property of the New York Islanders who drafted him in the 5th round of the 2008 NHL Draft.

Poulin's QMJHL Statistics

Duchene tallied six points (4-2--6), including multiple goals in consecutive games, as the Avalanche (16-9-6) earned five points in four road games. The 18-year-old Haliburton, Ontario native began the week by recording his first multiple-goal game and first game-winning goal in the NHL as the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 on Nov. 30. He scored twice more and added an assist in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers Dec. 2 and closed the week with one assist in a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Dec. 5. Colorado’s first choice, third overall, in the 2009 Entry Draft, Duchene ranks fourth on the Avalanche and among NHL rookies in scoring with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 31 games.

Read More

Hudon was also recently named to the Quebec roster for the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge to be held in Timmins, ON  December 29 - January 4.

A native of Palatine, IL Hartman leads the #1 ranked Chicago Mission Under-16 Team in scoring through 14 games in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League with 11 Goals and 9 assists.  Ryan is a power forward that plays hard through all three zones. Hartman was part of the inaugural West Coast Selects 94 Team the captured the 1^st Championship at the 2007 North American AAA Prospects Showcase.

Congratulations to our 5 Selects players above and their Toronto Marlie teammates on another championship for the '94 team!

Tournament Results

Dal Colle plays with the Vaughn Kings during the Fall/Winter and for the East Coast Selects-O '96 team for the Spring season.  He was also named the 2009 East Coast Selects-O '96 Player of the Year.

Matt Duchene (Left) and Jacob Josefson (Right) are expected to be 1st round selections in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft as NHL Central Scouting releases their preliminary rankings. 

Selects Hockey Alumni rankings for 2009 Draft as rated by NHL Central Scouting below.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RANKINGS ON NHL.COM

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE -SKATERS

RANK   PLAYER           TEAM                HT             WT       POS     SHOOTS

2          Matt Duchene    Brampton           5-11           196       C            L

8          Ryan O'Reilly     Erie                    5-11.5        205       C            L

10        Micheal Fine      Sault Ste. Marie  5-11.25       188       C            L

13        Tyler Randell      Belleville            6-0.75         191       RW        R

17        Taylor Doherty    Kingston             6-6.5         217       D           R

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE - SKATERS

RANK   PLAYER                    TEAM                   HT        WT      POS   SHOOTS

12         Phillipe Lefebvre        Drummondville  5-11          175       LW       L

14         Guillaume Goulet        Baie-Comeau    5-9            163       RW       R

15         Hubert Labrie             Gatineau           5-11           165       D          L

16         Gleason Fournier        Rimouski           6-             176       D          L

21         Gabriel Bourque         Baie-Comeau    5-9            183       LW       L

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE - GOALIES

RANK   PLAYER           TEAM             HT              WT       POS      CATCHES

4          Sean Coulton    Chicoutimi         6-0.25       180       G          L

SWEDEN SKATERS

RANK   PLAYER                  TEAM               HT         WT       POS     SHOOTS

2          Josefson, Jacob      Djurgarden        6          187       C          L

13         Cehlin, Patrick         Djurgarden         5-10      161       W         R

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League announced that 20 OHL players have been named to the 22-man roster for Ontario’s Under-17 Team that will compete in the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge being held in Timmins, ON, December 29, 2009 through January 4, 2010.  The official announcement was made by Hockey Development Centre Ontario and Team Ontario Director of Operations Robert Kitamura earlier today.

Congratulations to the following Selects Hockey Alumni who were chosen to represent Ontario at the 2010 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.

 “After evaluating these high performance athletes during the last 2 months, I am pleased and proud to announce this year’s men’s Under-17 Team that will represent Ontario at the upcoming 2009/2010 World Hockey Challenge being held in Timmins Ontario said Team Ontario Director of Operations Rob Kitamura. Selecting a team from the available talent pool in Ontario is always a difficult task; however, I believe that the coaching staff and I have selected the 22 best players that will represent Ontario with pride and class both on and off the ice at this high performance event. We are confident that this group of athletes are committed and prepared to compete for the Gold medal at the upcoming World Hockey Challenge, stated Kitamura.”

This international event features five regional teams competing from across Canada and five international teams from Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Russia and USA.  Click for Full Story

Don't think for one minute that the Subway Super Series is a bunch of meaningless exhibition games.

The annual showcase event that pits teams from each of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League against a touring team of Russian nationals is one of the final steps in Hockey Canada's selection process for their final camp before the World Junior Championships in December.

Each of the three CHL member leagues (WHL, OHL & QMJHL) assembled a selection committee, which worked closely with Hockey Canada’s Chief Scout, Al Murray, to select the players for this year’s series.

“The SUBWAY® Super Series is a terrific opportunity for our coaching staffs to get to know the players who will attend the World Junior Selection Camp in December” said Al Murray, Head Scout for Team Canada’s Men’s National Teams.  “This event is a very effective tool for us to evaluate players and make decisions about the players that will represent Team Canada in Saskatoon this winter.”

Below is a list of Selects Hockey Alumni chosen to represent their respective league in the 2009 Subway Series.  www.subwaysuperseries.com

For a young hockey player, it would be hard to top this for a scrapbook moment: You've just scored your first NHL goal, your team came back to win partly because of it and now you're getting your picture taken with Gordie Howe?

Such was the life of Matt Duchene on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena. A few photos with Mr. Hockey put quite a capper on his and the Avalanche's memorable night at the Joe.  Click For Full Story

Matt Duchene poses with Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, Joe Templin, Travis Howe and Matt Barth of Selects Hockey following the game on Saturday night in Detroit

Merrill (Brighton, MI) and Watson () shared the ice with the East Coast Selects team, so it was fitting that both players are in the spotlight as the two top rated '92 Born USA Prospects for the upcoming NHL draft.

Merrill is finishing his second and final year with the USA National Team Development program in Ann Arbor, MI.  His next stop will be a short move across town as he is committed to the University of Michigan for 2010.

Austin Watson is in his second year with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. 

2010 ISS Top 30 List (updated Oct 15, 2009)

5’11”, 182 lb. LW Matt Nieto of the U.S. Under-18 Team has committed to Boston University and will be at Agganis Arena in the fall of ’10.



Nieto is a big catch for BU – and college hockey. A year ago, even though he had taken an unofficial visit to Boston, it was still assumed by many in the hockey world that the native of Long Beach, California would be playing major junior (Tri-Cities holds his  rights).

A native of Los Angeles, CA, Nieto led the USA NTDP Under 17 team last season with 67 pts  Nieto was a centerman for the East Coast Selects '92 team during the Spring.

Biega, a two-time selection to the All-ECAC Hockey third team, received his fourth and fifth preseason all-conference honors. It was his third straight selection to the media's all-league squad and his second straight to the coaches' team. He led Harvard with 16 assists last season and placed second on the squad with 20 points. Biega was also a key part of ECAC Hockey's top power play in league games (19.2 percent).

The Crimson captain was one of four players named preseason all-league by both the ECAC coaches and media. Click here for story

The Colorado Avalanche will have a pair of 18-year-old forwards on its opening night roster. Matt Duchene (the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft) and Ryan O’Reilly (33rd overall in 2009) are among the 14 forwards remaining in Colorado.



Prior to the start of camp, many outsiders believed Duchene had a good chance of cracking Colorado’s opening night roster. Not quite as many eyes were on O’Reilly, the first of the Avalanche’s two second-round picks this past June.



Bringing a strong work ethic and maturity beyond his years, both on and off the ice, O’Reilly always believed there was a chance he would be in Denver on October 1.  Read Full Story 

We are pleased to have Ryan under contract,” said Avalanche General Manager Greg Sherman. “He’s had a solid camp and we’re very excited about his future.”



Colorado’s second selection (second round, 33rd overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft, O’Reilly has appeared in two games with the Avalanche so far this preseason (0g/0a, +1).  The 6-0, 200-pound center has spent the past two seasons with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.....

Click for Full Story on ColoradoAvalanche.com

Michalke is set to begin his second season with the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) after scoring 15 points (8g, 7a) in 44 games during the 2008-09 season.  He registered a plus-11 rating which ranked third on the team.  The forward recorded a four-game point streak from February 7-18 scoring four points (3g, 1a) during that span.

Click For Full Story on USHL.com

The Selects Hockey Player of the Year award is given out annually to one top prospect from each respective team whom best exemplifies outstanding leadership, character and determination while making a significant contribution to the Selects Hockey 2009 Spring season.

Congratulations to our 2009 Selects Hockey Players of the Year on their achievement!  Click Here for Player of Year Page with Photos

Kevin Clare, Jon Merrill, Luke Moffatt, Matthew Nieto and Bryan Rust are headed to Ann Arbor to play for the USA National Team Development program for the '08-09 season.  Click Here to see the official announcement by USA Hockey.

Selects Hockey Alumni chosen:

Player            Pos    Hometown                Previous Team

Kevin Clare      LD      New Rochelle, NY       NJ Hitmen       

Jon Merrill       LD       Brighton, MI               Little Caesars

Luke Moffatt    RC       Paradise Valley, AZ    Detroit Compuware

Matthew Nieto RC      Long Beach, CA         Salisbury School

Bryan Rust     RW     Bloomfield Hills,MI     Detroit Honeybaked

Selects Hockey finished its 7th season of Spring hockey in style, winning 21 Championships, 17 alumni taken in the NHL Draft, 13 NCAA commitment, 44 players drafted into the CHL and 6 players selected for the USA U17 National Team Development Program.

We would like to thank all our families for an exceptional 2009.   Wishing everyone continued success in their '09 - 10 Winter season, we will be seeing you around the rinks!

Below are some links highlighting this past year's achievements:

2009 TOURNAMENT RESULTS PAGE

2009 PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

ALL TIME DRAFT DATA and TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Ten Selects Hockey alumni have been selected for Team USA (5) , Canada (3) and Sweden (2) in the Under 18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial held August 11 - 15.

Follow results here - http://www.hockeycanada.com/index.php/ci_id/63407/la_id/1.htm

Team USA - http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_04_02_05&id=235608

Pos      Name                            Hometown                                2008-09 Team

G          Cody Campbell             Colorado Springs, Colo.            Fargo Force (USHL)

D          Brandon Archibald         Port Huron, Mich.                      Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

D          Jamieson Oleksiak         Toronto, Ont.                            Chicago Steel (USHL)/Detroit Little Caesars

F          Colten St. Clair              Gilbert, Ariz.                              Fargo Force (USHL)

F          Austin Watson               Ypsilanti, Mich.                         Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Team Canada - http://www.hockeycanada.com/index.php/ci_id/64991/la_id/1.htm

Pos      Name                            Hometown                    2008-09 Team

G          Calvin Pickard               Winnipeg, Man.             Seattle (WHL)

D          Ryan O'Connor             Hamilton, Ont.               Barrie (OHL)

F          Tyler Toffoli                  Scarborough, Ont.         Ottawa (OHL)

Team Sweden - http://www.swehockey.se/templates/NewsPage.aspx?id=2392

Pos      Name                Hometown                    '09-10 Team

G          Stefan Steen     Sunne, SWE                 Leksands IF     

F          Victor Rask       Leksands, SWE             Leksands IF

ECS-Q 96's won the Mini Chowder Cup on July 19 beating the Boston Jr Bruins 5-0 in the finals.  Nick Magyar was named tourney MVP while Jean-Phillipe Brais, Travis Dermott and Alexis Pepin were named to the all tournament team.

Kenny Gillespie (above), Cason Hohmann and Shane McColgan were selected for the 2009 U.S. Under-17 Select Team that will compete at the 2009 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament from Aug. 18-22, in Fussen, Germany. http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_04_03_05&id=264822

The WCS 96 team finished the Spring in dramatic fashion going 7-0 and winning the NAPS Championship!  Team honors went to Brycen Martin, Nick Magyar, Aaron Haydon and Cam Hackett who were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Congratulations to all alumni below selected in the 2009 NHL Draft!

 Jean-Francois Plante (pictured above) and 4 other alumni were chosen in the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft held on June 6.  Complete listing below

Rnd.     No.       Player Name     QMHL Team      Team Name       Pos.

1          4          Jean Francois Leblanc   VDO     Coll. Antoine-Girouard   C

1          5          Raphaël Bussières         MON     Coll. Charles-Lemoyne   W

1          7          Jimmy Oligny    PEI       Coll. Charles-Lemoyne   D

1          11         Jean Francois Plante     LEW     Magog Cantonniers       C

1          18         Jonathan Huberdeau      SNB     Saint-Eustache  C

4          62         Cole Hawes       SHA     Darmouth Subways       W

5          80         Carl-Philippe Ouimet      VDO     Lac St-Louis Lions         D

12         209       Jean-Philipp Chiasson   BAC     Coll. Charles-Lemoyne   W

The 95 East Coast Selects - O team won the WCS Invitational in Detroit this past weekend with a 3-1 victory over Pro Hockey in the finals. 

The team is 4 for 4 so far this Spring, with championships at Toronto Prospects, World Selects Invitational (Prague), Pro Hockey Shootout and the West Coast Selects Invitational (Detroit).

The East Coast Selects 94 team went 8-0 on the weekend to capture the 94 Prospects championship.  The team was dominant on Sunday, beating the Bauer Selects 4-1 in the finals and gave Selects Hockey a second consecutive Prospects championship of 2009!

Click Here for Prospects Story

Thirty five alumni were taken in the CHL drafts last week, highlighted by Derrick Pouliot going #1 overall in the WHL and Alan Quine #2 overall in the OHL draft.  Below is a complete listing of Selects Hockey Alumni taken in the 2009 Canadian Hockey League drafts.  (QMJHL draft to be held in June)

Ontario Hockey League Draft

Rnd.     No.       Player Name     OHL Team         Team Name       Pos.

1          2          Alan Quine        Kingston Frontenacs     Jr. Canadiens    LC 

1          8          Ryan Strome     Barrie Colts       Toronto Marlboros         RC 

1          19         Scott Harrington            London Knights Greater Kingston           LD 

2          13         Matt Mahalak     Plymouth Whalers         Culver Academy            G 

3          13         Julian Ciocco    Guelph Storm    Cushing Academy         LD 

4          4          Stefan Noesen  Plymouth Whalers         Detroit Compuware U16's          RC 

4          8          Clint Windsor    Barrie Colts       Hamilton Reps  G 

4          14         Paxton Leroux   Saginaw Spirit   Peterborough Petes      LW 

5          13         Jonathon Miller  Plymouth Whalers         Pittsburgh Hornets Maj. Midget  LC 

6          3          Barrett Kaib       Kitchener Rangers         Culver Academy            RD 

6          19         Danny Elser      London Knights Shattuck St. Mary's Prep           LC 

7          15         Eric Diodati       St. Michael's Majors      Jr. Canadiens    LD 

7          20         Jacob MacDonald         Guelph Storm    Detroit Compuware U16's          LD 

8          3          Ben Thomson    Kitchener Rangers         Mississauga Reps         LC 

9          7          Riley Bourbonnais         Niagara IceDogs           Rochester Alliance         LC 

9          13         Adam Nanji       Plymouth Whalers         Mississauga Senators   RC 

9          17         Mark Luzar        Brampton Battalion        Mississauga Reps         LD 

10         13         Peter Hand        Plymouth Whalers         Detroit Compuware U16's          RD 

11         7          Mackenzie Braid            Niagara IceDogs           Mississauga Rebels      LD 

12         8          Keenan Hodgson          Saginaw Spirit   Mississauga Reps         LW        

12         13         Kenny Gillespie             Plymouth Whalers         Shattuck St. Mary's Prep           RW 

13         1          Connor Hale      Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds      Whitby Wildcats            RD 

14         12         Reid Boucher    Sarnia Sting      Lansing Capitals            LC 

15         2          Jordan Bolibruck           London Knights Welland Tigers  LW 

15         5          Paul Berrafato   Sudbury Wolves            Detroit Compuware U16's          G 

Western Hockey League Draft

Rnd      No.       Player Name     WHL Team        Hometown        Pos

1          1          Derrick Pouliot  Portland            Weyburn, SK     D

1          11         Seth Jones       Lethbridge        Dallas, TX         D

1          14         Hunter Shinkaruk            Medicine Hat     Calgary, AB      C

2          28         Taylor Balog     Regina  Weyburn, SK     LW

3          53         Cole Martin       Prince Albert     Arlington, TX     D

7          152       Matias Cleland  Saskatoon        Longmont, CO  D

8          156       Josh Hanson     Portland            Anchorage, AK  D

8          171       Nicolas Kerdiles            Kelowna            Irvine, CA          LW

9          179       Austin Carroll    Chilliwack          Scottsdale, AZ  C

9          187       Austin Ho          Lethbridge        Chino Hill, CA    D

The 95 East Coast Selects - O team continues to roll this Spring winning the Toronto Prospects tournament this past weekend.  The team went 7-0 over the weekend and beat the Regional Express Gold by a score of 6-2 in the Championship game.

Click Here for Story

The 96 East Coast Selects - O team won the first of what should be many '96 championships when they captured Gold in Stockholm at the 1891 Tournament.  Read on for statistics and more

1891 Tournament Results

1891 Tournament Statistics

Philip Samuelsson, Jon Merrill, Matt Nieto and Jeremy Morin all won gold medals at the U18 World Championships in Fargo, MN as Team USA trounced Russia 5-0 in the finals. 

Samuelsson and Morin are both draft eligible for the June 2009 NHL Entry draft.  Merrill and Nieto will have another crack at consecutive U18 World Championships with their NHL draft year not until 2010.

The 95 East Coast Selects - O team won the first ever World Selects Invitational in Prague, Czech Republic, beating AK Bars by a score of 4-2.  Twelve clubs competed in the event, including all star teams from Sweden, USA/Canada, Finland, Slovakia, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Best For Last: Boston University Rallies To National Title

Terriers' Colby Cohen Nets OT Winner After Furious Comeback

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 11) — The team of destiny fulfilled it on Saturday night. But boy, it wasn’t easy.

In one of the most incredible comebacks in NCAA tournament history, Boston University defeated Miami 4-3 on a Colby Cohen goal at 11:47 of overtime to capture the school’s fifth national title and first since 1995.

Cohen’s shot from above the left faceoff circle deflected off Miami’s Kevin Roeder, popped in the air and looped over goaltender Cody Reichard (28 saves) to send the BU faithful who were part of the capacity crowd of 18,512 at the Verizon Center into pandemonium.

Boston University won its fifth national title Saturday night (photo: Jim Rosvold).

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling,� said Cohen, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. “I’ve been close to scoring a couple of goals this weekend and hit a couple of [cross] bars. I just let it go and I saw it deflect and go up over the goalie’s glove and saw it went in. I don’t remember anything after that.�

“I didn’t even see it go in,� said defenseman Matt Gilroy. “But the bench just erupted. It was just unbelievable.�

“Unbelievable� might be the best way to describe how the game got to overtime. If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, you might not believe it.

After Miami broke a 1-1 deadlock on a Tommy Wingels goal with 7:29 remaining in the third period and Trent Vogelhuber buried an insurance marker with 4:08 left, the RedHawks looked to be headed to their first-ever national title.

That was until BU scored two extra-attacker goals in the final minute of regulation.

BU coach Jack Parker pulled goaltender Kieran Millan with 3:32 remaining in regulation and Zach Cohen banged a rebound home at the left post with 59.5 seconds remaining to draw the Terriers within a goal. That set up Nick Bonino, who one-timed a pass at the right faceoff dot past Reichard with 17.4 seconds to play to force the extra session.

Boston University scored two goals in the final minute of regulation to force overtime (photo: Jim Rosvold).

“I got the puck and saw Nick sitting wide open,� said Gilroy of the tying goal. “You put the puck on Nick’s stick and he’s going to put it away.�

The ending to regulation and the ultimate game winner in overtime spoiled an incredible effort by Miami, a Cinderella team that entered the tournament as the 13th overall seed but gave BU all it could handle throughout the title game.

Miami was the more physical of the two teams, pressured the Terrier defense and until the final minute limited BU to just 19 shots. It’s that that made this pill extremely difficult for the RedHawks to swallow.

“It wasn’t meant to be,� said Miami coach Enrico Blasi, who has coached his team over the last four years to the best overall winning percentage in college hockey. “BU played great and executed in the end. It was a great college hockey game and I’m extremely proud of my guys.�

While what is talked about in this game will be its ending, one of the major factors was the play of the Boston University penalty killers. BU gave Miami seven chances on the power play but the penalty killers were strong all night, limiting Miami’s grade ‘A’ attempts and holding the power play off the scoreboard.

“One of the real Achilles’ heels of this team has been the penalty taking, and we took some stupid penalties tonight,� said Parker. “But our penalty killers bailed out their teammates. It wasn’t anything technical. They just played a little bit harder and a little bit smarter.�

BU took an early lead on a first-period Chris Connolly goal at 15:15. Defenseman David Warsofsky sent a puck on net from the left point that hit Miami’s Alden Hirschfeld and deflected towards Reichard. Before Reichard could cover the puck, Connolly got enough of it to push it into the net.

Miami had plenty of chances of its own in the first, particularly on three power plays, but was unable to solve Millan (29 saves).

Through 20 minutes, Miami held a 10-9 advantage in shots.

Miami penalty late in the first put the Terriers on the power play to start the second. BU’s Chris Higgins had two point-blank opportunities at open nets, fanning on one and redirecting another off the side of the net.

The early action Saturday was fast-paced and hard-hitting (photo: Melissa Wade).

Once the RedHawks killed the BU power play, they used the momentum to draw even at 2:01. Gary Steffes buried a loose puck in a scrum in front of Millan for his 11th goal of the season, sending the Miami faithful into a frenzy.

Both clubs had quality chances throughout the remainder of the period. Miami’s Justin Mercier was stopped by Millan on a 2-on-0 at 10:45. Colby Cohen then rang a blast from the left point off the post with six minutes remaining to send the game to the third tied.

That was when Miami was at its best.

Wingels’ goal came after Carter Camper made a dangling move at the blueline and fired a low shot on Millan. Wingels was Johnny-on-the-spot, burying the rebound with 7:29 left.

After Miami failed on the power play for the seventh time in the game, Vogelhuber picked the perfect time to score his second goal of the season, firing a hard wrist shot inside the right post.

That, though, only set up BU’s last-minute heroics that forced the overtime.

The national title is the fifth for Boston University and the third for head coach Jack Parker (1978, 1995). It also marks the end to the greatest season in BU history, as the club set the all-time mark for wins with 35 and won every championship for which it competed all year.

All of which might be why the late comeback and the ultimate victory were not so surprising. Simply put, this was a team of destiny.

Ten Selects alumni (listed below) from Canada, Sweden and the USA made their country's national team for the U18 World Championships held in Fargo, Minnesota April 9-19.  Click Here for Coverage

Team Canada

DOHERTY Taylor D R 2.03 / 6'8'' 99 / 218 2 MAR 1991 Kingston Frontenacs

O REILLY Ryan F L 1.83 / 6'0'' 93 / 205 7 FEB 1991 Erie Otters

Team USA

MERRILL Jon D L 1.93 / 6'4'' 86 / 190 3 FEB 1992 US National U17

MORIN Jeremy F R 1.85 / 6'1'' 87 / 192 16 APR 1991 US National U18

NIETO Matt F L 1.80 / 5'11'' 78 / 172 5 NOV 1992 US National U17

SAMUELSSON Phillip D L 1.88 / 6'2'' 88 / 194 26 JUL 1991 Chicago Steel

Team Sweden

CEHLIN Patrick F R 1.79 / 5'10'' 78 / 172 27 JUL 1991 Djurgardens IF Stockholm

LANDESKOG Gabriel F L 1.83 / 6'0'' 89 / 196 23 NOV 1992 Djurgardens IF Stockholm

WALLEN William F R 1.73 / 5'8'' 79 / 174 16 AUG 1991 Missisauga St. Michaels Majors

JOSEFSON Jacob F L 1.83 / 6'0'' 85 / 187 2 MAR 1991 Djurgardens IF Stockholm

Patrick Wey (ECS '91 alumnus) committed to Boston College for the Fall of 2009.  Wey played the last two seasons with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL.  He will join fellow alumnus Philip Samuelsson with the Eagles next season. 

Click Here for Story

Click here for the complete story

Eight players on the Selects Hockey 94 teams captured gold when the Toronto Marlboros (94) won the All-Ontario Bantam Championships this past weekend.  Players listed within.

Matia Marcantuoni, Christopher Marchese, Matthew Finn, Scott Kosmachuk, Peter Angelopoulos, Myles McGurty, Denny Dubblestyne and Scott Laughton have all participated with the Selects Hockey program during the Spring.  Congratulations on winning gold!

Click Here for Story

Seven players from the Europe Selects 93 and 94 teams won gold as the Djurgarden J16 team won the Sweden National Championship. Players listed within

Congratulations to ES '93s Victor Bjorkung, Christian Hagg, Rasmus Holmén, Marcus Due-boje, Pontus Aberg and Pontus Lillieqvist and Henrik Nyberg from the ES 94 team on their accomplishment!

Nick Petrecki's dream of professional hockey was realized yesterday when he signed a 3 year contract with the San Jose Sharks.  The Clifton Park (NY) native was on the inaugural ECS 89 team that launched the program.  Petrecki will forgo the final two years at Boston College to play for the Sharks, who drafted Petrecki in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft. He was the 28th pick overall.

Click Here for story

Thirteen alumni from the Selects Hockey program are invited to the USA Under-17 team tryouts held March 26-29 in Ann Arbor, MI.  Player names listed in full article (from USHR)

Good Luck to all players at the tryout!

Goaltenders:
Matt Mahalak -- Monroe, Mich./Culver Academy

Defensemen:

Barrett Kaib -- Upper St. Clair, Pa/Culver Academy
Jacob MacDonald -- Brighton, Mich./Compuware Midget Minor
Michael Paliotta -- Westport, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall
Colin Sullivan -- Milford, Conn./Fairfield Prep

Forwards:
Jack Barre -- Fairfield, Conn./Salisbury School
Reid Boucher -- Grand Ledge, Mich./Lansing Capitals Midget Major
Danny Elser -- Hopewell Jct., N.Y./Shattuck-St. Mary's U16
Rocco Grimaldi -- Rossmor, Calif./Little Caesars Midget Major
Ryan Haggerty  -- Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic
Cason Hohmann -- Arlington, Texas/Compuware Midget Minor
Corbin McGuire -- Ridgefield, Conn./Taft School
J.T. Miller -- Epalestine, Ohio/Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major

Michael Paliotta recently made an early committment to the USA Hockey NTDP in Ann Arbor, MI.  Paliotta, a 93 Dman from Westport, CT, played on the ECS 93 team the past 3 Springs.  He was one of several early commitments the National Team Development Program made to the '93 birth class.  Mike currently plays for and attend Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut.

The final roster for the USA NTDP U17 team for 2009 will be chosen at the Top 40 camp, held in Ann Arbor March 26-29.

Ian Spencer made a verbal commitment to coach Kevin Sneddon of the University of Vermont for the Fall of 2012. 

Spencer, a 94 defenseman from Hawthorne, NJ, plays on the East Coast Selects team during the Spring and with the New Jersey Avalanche during his winter season.  Click to read more

Ian had the following to say about his commitment to University of Vermont, "I am so grateful to my Avalanche coaches for making me the player I am today and to East Coast Selects for giving me exposure to various college coaches at the Selects camp.  I  also want to thank Joe Templin and my other Selects' coaches for teaching me that the most important thing is that hockey stays fun.  After meeting coach Micheletto at Selects' Elite camp last June,  I knew it was a school that I wanted to visit.  Once I visited the campus and spent time with the coaching staff I felt so comfortable and I knew that UVM is where I wanted to go to school!  I owe all  of my success to God who gave me my abilities and surrounded me with such great parents, players and coaches. "

There is no mistaking the impact that Dallas native Cason Hohmann (ECS 93) had on Compuware's U16 team this season.  Hohmann is having a great year, leading the U16 Midwest Elite Hockey League in scoring, totaling 24 goals and 56 points in 31 games and helping Compuware to a first-place record of 23-5-3, heading into the Michigan state championship.

Hohmann recently caught the attention of the Hockey News in their Prep Watch weekly feature.

Click here for Full Story

Colleen Howe, the wife of hockey great Gordie Howe and one of the first female sports agents, died Friday. She was 76.  Married to the hockey legend for 56 years, Colleen, also known as "Mrs. Hockey," had suffered since 2002 from Pick's Disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that causes severe dementia. Click Here for Full story on NHL.com

In Lieu of sending flowers, the Howe family respectfully requests that a donation be made to the Howe Foundation which was established by Colleen Howe.  

The foundation's goal is to help those in need and allow them to be able to enjoy, participate and learn about the great sport of hockey.  The game of hockey has been so much a part of every member of the Howe family ever since Gordie put on his first pair of skates back in Saskatoon many years ago. The Howe Foundation is committed to enriching the lives of those who would otherwise not be able to share and experience this great sport.

Donations can should be payable to the "Howe Foundation" and sent to:

Power Play International
4935 Fernlee
Royal Oak, MI  48073 

Please make sure to also include your mailing address. 

Selects Hockey

In a span of three seasons, Kyle Palmieri has gone from New Jersey prep school prodigy to potential first-round NHL draft pick this June.

And while it may seem Palmieri took the road less traveled to the national spotlight, the 5-foot-10, 191-pound forward certainly did enough to earn his fiery reputation at both ends of the ice.

Click Here for Story on NHL.com

Duchene's pass first, shoot second mentality has established him as one of the best playmaking centers in the 2009 NHL Draft, yet he feels he needs improvement being more selfish to take his game to the next level.

Click Here for Story on NHL.com

Selects Hockey was well represented at the 2009 OHL All Star Classic with 6 alumni participating.  Team East captured a 11-6 victory over Team West in the game. Alumni listed below

Eastern Conference

F  Matt Duchene    5.11  196  1/16/1991  Haliburton, ON  Brampton Battalion 

F  Bryan Cameron  5.10 183   2/25/1989  Brampton, ON  Belleville Bulls

F  Logan Couture   6.00 191   3/28/1989  London, ON     Ottawa 67's

D Shawn Lalonde   6.00 190   3/10/1990  Orleans, ON     Belleville Bulls

Western Conference

F Ryan O'Reilly     6.00 205     2/7/1991   Varna, ON        Erie Otters 

F Greg Nemisz     6.04 201    6/5/1990    Courtice, ON    Windsor Spitfires

Click Here for Story

Philip Samuelsson (ECS '91 Alumnus) made a verbal commitment in February to Boston College.  He currently plays for the Chicago Steel in the USHL.  

Philip, who also played for Team Sweden in the U18 Four Nations tournament this Winter, is the son of former NHL defenseman and Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson.

5/1/09 - Brett Hargrave - (The Nugget)

4/6/09 - R.J.
Gicewicz, Austin Bianchi and Matt Goss - (The Buffalo News)

href="http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1507697">4/2/09
- Jared McCann, Jacob Middleton, and Kent Taylor - (The Beacon Herald)

3/24/09 - Rachel
Paul - (News Durham Region)

href="http://www.hometownweekly.net/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=84&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=2483&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1744&hn=hometownweekly&he=.net">3/19/09
- Molly Slowe - (Hometown Weekly)

3/5/09 -
Brent Beaudoin - (Derry News)

href="http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20090303/SPORTS/903030302">3/3/09 -
Damian Chrcek - (The Times Herald)

href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090215/SPORTS/902150337/1007">2/15/09
- Madelynn Edwards - (Democrat and Chronicle)

href="http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/westisland/story.html?id=4595e927-4ab8-4156-afe7-49619c24aacf">2/12/09
- Matthew Cusson - (The Gazette)

href="http://zip06.theday.com/blogs/north_haven_courier/archive/2009/02/05/goalkeeper-rogers-earns-slot-on-prestigious-east-coast-team.aspx">2/5/09
- Albert Rogers - (North Have Courier)

href="http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/sports/200902/04/01-824134-deja-une-premiere-experience-internationale-pour-alexis-daoust.php">2/4/09
- Alexis D'Aoust - (Le Nouvelliste)

1/31/09 -
Matthew Cusson - (West End Times - page 9)

1/29/09 - Brent
Beaudoin - (The Hippo & Londonderry Times)

href="http://www.cleveland.com/recreation/index.ssf/2009/01/shaker_heights_kasidy_anderson.html">1/28/09
- Kasidy Anderson - (The Plain Dealer)

href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090125/SPORTS/901250355/1007">1/25/09
- Anthony Petrella - (Democrat and Chronicle)

1/22/09 - Daniel De Sousa
(The Mississauga News)

1/20/09 -
Hannah Baker - (Trentonian)

href="http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Columnists/LynneBermel/2009/01/17/pf-8060236.html">1/18/09
- Alyssa Baker - (Ottawa Sun)

1/13/09 - Brett
Hargrave - (The Nugget)

Selects Hockey alumnus Maxime Clermont was named the QMJHL defensive player of the week for the week of Jan 18. 

The Gatineau Olympique's goalie was stellar in two wins against the League’s top two offences: Drummondville and Shawinigan. The Montreal native made an average of 33 stops per game to finish the week with a 1.97 goals-against-average and .940 save percentage. The Olympiques are only two points away from first place in the TELUS Western division standings.

Click here for story.

Selects alumni Alex Noel (92), Jessyko Bernard (91) and Sean Coulton (91) recently won RDS mid-season rookie excellence awards. Each award-winner was selected by his team’s club.

CLICK HERE for story

Selects alumni Tyler Toffoli, Cody McNauton and Ryan O'Connor all won gold on Sunday when Team Ontario won the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in a decisive 5-1 victory over the Pacific Canada team.

Brandon Saad, Luke Moffatt, Kevin Clare, Brian Rust and Matthew Nieto also medalled, capturing bronze for team USA in a 4-2 win over the Team West - Canada.

CLICK HERE for Results

Selects alumnus Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY - '89) was named the CCHA rookie of the week for December 22.  In a weekend series versus Clarkson, Bailen earned an assist each night, including one on Friday's winning goal, and helped the Falcons to a 14-for-14 weekend on the penalty kill.   Bailen  is currently a freshman at Bowling Green State University.  Click here for Story.

Selects alumni Kevin Shattenkirk (89) and Jacob Josefson (91) will represent Team USA and Team Sweden respectively in the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships Dec 26 - Jan 2 in Ottawa, Ontario.

Shattenkirk currently plays for the Boston University Terriers and was a 1st round selection by Colorado in the 2007 NHL Draft.

Josefson currently plays for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Elite League and is ranked to go in the 1st round of the 2009 NHL Draft by NHL Central Scouting.

CLICK HERE for 2009 World Junior Championship Coverage.

ECS 91 alumni Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and Taylor Dougherty were selected to participate in the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.  The event showcases 40 of the top CHL players eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft beginning with a thrilling skills competition on Tuesday January 13, 2009, with the game taking place Wednesday January 14, 2009, at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario.

The rosters were chosen by a panel consisting of the 30 NHL General Managers and NHL Central Scouting.

CLICK HERE for Story

Mark Luzar announced his verbal commitment to Harvard University today, marking the 2nd Selects player to do so in the past week.  Luzar will join the Crimson in the Fall of 2011.

Luzar will join fellow Selects alumni Ryan Grimshaw and Danny Biega (both Defenseman) who will be in their Senior and Junior years respectively (in 2011).

Selects swedish alumni Jacob Josefson (91) and Alexander Fallstrom(90) were recently featured on NHL.com as Central Scouting is eyeing their stock for the 2009 Draft. Both players played with the East Coast Selects teams in North American and overseas tournament play. 

Josefson is currently ranked as the #2 Swedish Skater by NHL Central Scouting and likely a 1st Round Selection.  Fallstrom is expected to go in the later rounds

Jacob Josefson Article on NHL.com

Alexander Fallstrom Article on NHL.com

Danny Biega (ECS 91 Alumnus) was accepted to Harvard University for the Fall of 2009.  Biega will join his brothers, and fellow Selects alumni, Alex ('88) and Michael Biega ('89) on the 2009-10 Crimson lineup.

Danny is eligible for the 2010 NHL draft as a late '91 birth date.  The '09-10 Harvard lineup will include four Selects alumni with Ryan Grimshaw (90) also in his freshman season this year.

Luke Moffatt (ECS 92 alumnus) non-traditional hockey background helped him develop the skills that earned him a spot on the USA National Team Development Program.

CLICK HERE for Story on THN.com

ECS '92 alumnus Kevin Clare committed to U of Michigan over the weekend.  He had offers from several other top CCHA and Hockey East schools, but ultimately had his heart set on playing in Michigan.

Kevin currently plays for the USA National Team Development Under 17 team in Ann Arbor, MI.  He will join fellow Selects alumni Jon Merrill and Luke Moffatt, playing for the Wolverines in 2010.

CLICK HERE to see '92 Selects Hockey Alumni List

ECS 93 Goalie Matt Mahalak featured in The Hockey News - Prep Watch section.  Mahalak, who maintains a 4.0 GPA at Culver Academy, is expected to be an early pick in the 2009 OHL draft.

CLICK HERE for THN.COM Story

The world's top Under-17 players will meet in the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge held in Port Alberni, British Columbia from December 29th, 2008 through January 4th, 2009.  This international event features five regional teams competing from across Canada and five international teams from Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia and USA.

Note: Michael Chaput (Lewiston Maineiacs was also selected for the Team Quebec roster but cannot play due to injury)

Team Atlantic Canada                                                               

F          19         Alex Noel          5'9        165       Dieppe, NB       Val-d'Or Foreurs /QMJHL

Team Quebec                                                               

D          2          Jeremie Blain    6'1        188       Longueil, QC     Victoriaville Tigres /QMJHL

D          4          Dylan Capstick 6'1        203       Verdun, QC       Chateauguay Patriotes /LHMAAAQ

F          8          Cedric Henley    6'3        179       Val d'Or, QC     Val-d'Or Foreurs /QMJHL

F          15         Maximilien Le Sieur        6'0        173       Westmount, QC Chateauguay Patriotes /LHMAAAQ

F          23         Matthew Bissonnette     6'3        174       Beaconsfield, QC          Moncton Wildcats /QMJHL

Team Ontario                                                               

D          3          Ryan O'Connor 5'8        175       Hamilton, ON    Barrie Colts/OHL

F          10         Cody McNaughton        5'9        166       Petawawa, ON   Guelph Storm/OHL

F          16         Tyler Toffoli      6'0        181       Scarborough, ON          Ottawa 67's/OHL

Team West Canada                                                            

G          1          Calvin Pickard   6'0        200       Winnipeg, MB   Seattle Thunderbirds /WHL

F          14         Mark Stone       6'2        180       Winnipeg, MB   Brandon Wheat Kings /WHL

United States                                                               

D          47         Kevin Clare       6'0        185       New Rochelle, NY          USA NTDP

D          49         Jonathan Merrill 6'4        185       Brighton, MI      USA NTDP

F          67         Bryan Rust        5'11      195       Bloomfield Hills, MI       USA NTDP

F          73         Luke Moffatt     5'11      185       Paradise Valley, AZ       USA NTDP

F          91         Matthew Nieto   5'11      160       Long Beach, CA            USA NTDP

ECS 93 Defenseman Scott Harrington received press in THN.com's new weekly feature focusing on minor hockey prospects destined to become big names in major junior or the NCAA - and hopefully one day, the NHL.  He is off fast start this season tallying 12 goals and 24 points through his first 16 games with the Greater Kingston Jr. Frontenacs and was even called up to play a few exhibitions with the local Jr. A Voyageurs.

The 15 year old defenseman is expected to go high in the upcoming 2009 OHL draft, but is still keeping his NCAA options open.   Harrington's future looks bright, whichever route he chooses.

CLICK HERE FOR THN.COM STORY

Thirteen alumni from the East Coast Selects program will participate in the 6th annual ADT Canada-Russia Challenge to be held at the end of November.  Each of the three CHL member leagues assembled a selection committee, which worked closely with Hockey Canada's Chief Scout, Al Murray, to select the players for this year's ADT Challenge.  The ADT Canada-Russia Challenge plays a key role in the selection process of Canada's World Junior Hockey Championship and Under-18 Championship teams. 

Also of note is that Selects Hockey Elite Camp instructor Mario Durocher of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles was selected as one of the coaches for the ADT Challenge QMJHL team.  Mario is in his 1st year as head coach of the Screaming Eagles, he has participated as a head coach at the Selects Hockey camps over the past 3 years.

Selects Alumni on the OHL Team

F Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion - ECS '91 Alumnus)
F Greg Nemisz (Windsor Spitfires - ECS '90)
F Dale Mitchell (Windsor Spitfires - ECS '89)
F Logan Couture (Ottawa 67's - ECS '89)

F Andrew Agozzino (Niagara IceDogs - ECS '91)
F Bryan Cameron (Belleville Bulls - ECS '89)
D Shawn Lalonde (Belleville Bulls - ECS '90)

FULL OHL ROSTER/STORY

Selects Alumni Named to QMJHL Team

G Jake Allen (Montreal Juniors - ECS '90)
G Maxime Clermont (Gatineau Olympiques - '91)
F Nicolas Deschamps (Chicoutimi Sagueneens - ECS '90)

D Alex Grant (Saint John Sea Dogs - ECS '89)
D Hubert Labrie (Gatineau Olympiques - ECS '91)
D Yann Sauve (Saint John Sea Dogs - ECS '90)

FULL QMJHL ROSTER/STORY

After helping the Boston University men's ice hockey team open its 2008-09 season by claiming the Ice Breaker Invitational title, ECS '89 Alumnus Kevin Shattenkirk was named the CCM/RBK Hockey East Player of the Week for

The sophmore defenseman scored a goal in each of the Terriers' wins over No. 5 North Dakota and No. 11 Michigan State.

Shattenkirk was instrumental in leading the Terriers to their second Ice Breaker title, scoring two goals -including the game-winner against Michigan State - and bolstering a defense that held both the Spartans and the Fighting Sioux to one goal each. He was named to the All-Ice Breaker Team and posted a plus-4 rating for the tournament.

CLICK HERE FOR STORY

Samson Mahbod and Nicolas Riopel were named the offensive and defensive players of the month in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) respectively.  Mahbod and Riopel are fellow alumni of the East Coast Selects 89 team.  

Mahbod registered six goals, including two game-winners, and seven assists to go along with a +5 rating in the month of September for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He is currently tied for second place with two other players in the scoring standings with 13 points.

Riopel has been nothing short of spectacular so far this season for the Moncton Wildcats. He has won all six of his starts to help Moncton remain the only undefeated team in the QMJHL thanks to a 1.48 goals-against-average and .942 save percentage.  Click Here for Story

The former ECS '89 defenseman looks to build upon an impressive freshman season in which he notched 16 points (3g/13a) for the Boston University Terriers.

Cohen was a member of the inaugural East Coast Selects team back in 2003.  He continues to give back to the current players of the Selects Hockey program, volunteering as a camp counselor and bench coach over the past three Springs.

Click Here for Full Article

 ECS Alumnus Alex Biega of the Harvard Crimson was named to the ECAC Preseason All-League team for a second consecutive year.  Alex enters his Junior season with Harvard alongside former ECS Alumni Michael Biega ('89) and Ryan Grimshaw ('90).

Harvard is currently ranked No. 20 in the Nation by USCHO.com.

Click Here for Story

ECS Alumni Taylor Dougherty, Matt Duchene, Hubert Labrie and Ryan O'Reilly won Gold as Canada defeated Russia 6-3 in the Final at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in Slovakia. Click here for Story

Patrick Cehlin, Jacob Josefson and William Wallen were other ECS alumni to medal at the event, bringing home the Bronze for Sweden in a 3-2 victory over Finland. 

The players above will all be eligible for what should be an exciting 2009 NHL Draft!

ECS '91 Alumni Jacob Josefson, William Wallén and Patrick Cehlin all played for the Sweden U18 at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Click Here for Sweden U18 Roster

Matthew Duchene was recently chosen as the captain of Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Click Here for TSN Story

Also Related:

DUCHENE LIFTS CANADA PAST SWISS AT U-18 TOURNAMENT

Click Here for Story

Selects Hockey Player of the Year Award is given out annually to one top prospect from each respective Selects team whom best exemplifies the Character, Determination and Discipline that Selects Hockey was founded upon.

Congratulations to our 2008 Selects Hockey Players of the Year on their achievement!  Click here for Player Photos

'95 ECS Q - Neil Maietta (South Portland, ME)

'95 ES - Victor Crus-Rydberg (Tingsryd, SWE)

'95 WCS - Alex Talcott (Grand Rapids, MI)

'95 ECS O - Gabe Guertler (Plantation, FL)

'94 ECS Q - Dalen Hedges (Ottawa, ON)

'94 ES - Sebastian Collberg (Mariestad, SWE)

'94 WCS - Ryne Sandler (St Louis, MO)

'94 ECS O - Robert Polesello (Bolton, ON)

'93 ECS - Alan Quine (Ottawa, ON)

'93 ES - Victor Rask (Leksand, SWE)

'93 ECS NE - Evan Schultz (Durham, NH)

'92 ECS - Jared Knight (Battle Creek, MI)

'96 ECS Girls - Lauren Wildfang (Waterdown, ON)

'95 ECS Girls - Jessica Dodds (London, ON)

U14 ECS Girls - Erin Ambrose (Keswick, ON)

The Cougars Selects had another great tournament weekend at Lobster Fest in Portland, ME. The Cougars Selects entered nine teams into the tournament ranging from 2000s-1995s. At the end of the tournament, the Cougars had won three championships 00s, 99s, 96s and had a forth team in the finals, 98s, finishing as the runner-up.

In addition to the playing in the tournament, players and families ( a lot of players made family vacations out of the trip) went site seeing in along the New England coast visiting light houses, zoo's, boats, Downtown Portland and many other Colonial Historic places. Players attended the Cougars team party one night, they met players form other Cougars teams and made friends with players from all over North America.

This was the finial tournament for this Cougar season, a great time was had by all! Congratulations to all the teams and players who won their divisions! Thank you to everyone who participated in the program this year. Good luck in the upcoming season and we look forward to seeing everyone next year, for another great Cougars Selects season!

Thank You,
Cougars Selects, Howe Hockey and Selects Hockey Staff

Young fans meet hockey legend Howe Kevin Oklobzija � Staff writer � June 27, 2008 VICTOR �

The knees of Mr. Hockey, both already rebuilt long ago, make more noise than a 20-year-old car that was never rustproofed. "But that's a good thing," Gordie Howe said. "If they don't make a noise, it's bad." Depending on his movements, pain stabs like a knife in three different spots in his left shoulder. Arthritis has made it difficult for him to tightly grip a golf club � or a hockey stick for that matter. His elbows are just fine, though. So the golfers in Thursday's Gordie Howe Golf Classic learned. Rather than swat a ball around the Ravenwood Golf Club layout, Mr. Hockey did a meet-and-greet at the 10th tee. He chatted with the golfers, posed for pictures � and showed that his once razor-sharp left elbow is still quick and still sharp. As he posed with players, Howe threw an occasional playful elbow to the ribs. "You haven't been elbowed until you've been elbowed by Gordie Howe," Ed Douesnard of Cardinal, Ontario, said proudly. Douesnard, like all the golfers, was caught off guard. No one ever suspected this 80-year-old man would be jabbing them with the same elbow he threw 60 years ago while making space for himself and his linemates on the ice.

"It was a cheap shot," laughed Curran O'Brien, 14, of Greece after he was poked. Could there be a better way to spend a summer afternoon than on the golf course and talking hockey at the 10th tee with Mr. Hockey? "When I saw this tournament was coming, I said, 'I have to go.' Where else am I going to meet Gordie Howe?" said Ryan Welch, 25, of Rochester, a Detroit Red Wings fan who appropriately wore a Red Wings golf shirt.

After their picture was taken, golfers had to prove they could hit the ball. Patrick Kane, the NHL rookie of the year from the Chicago Blackhawks, failed miserably under the pressure of Mr. Hockey's eyes. His tee shot may have killed a dozen earth worms. "Not good," Gordie said. But Brian Bailey and Nick Ventura, both 16-year-olds from Fairport, were great off the tee. And much better than their fathers, Kevin Bailey and Dennis Ventura. "My heart was pounding," Nick Ventura admitted after a drive worthy of television. Bailey, sporting his Fairport High School Golf Team shirt, did the program proud with a bomb of a drive that virtually split the fairway in half.

Pressure? What pressure? "I've been in more nerve-racking situations, I guess," Bailey said, referring to tiebreaking shootouts at hockey tournaments.

Howe seemed to be enjoying every minute of the interaction. He doesn't do many of these outings anymore. He is slowing down a little, and he also doesn't want to be away from his wife, Colleen. Mrs. Hockey suffers from Pick's disease and is for the most part bedridden at their home near Detroit. Gordie's connections to hockey usually come at night, on television, "after I tuck her in at 8 o'clock." He came to Rochester to help with fund-raising for Howe Hockey Development, a worldwide program for elite players ages 13 to 16 that is co-owned by his grandson, Travis.

Howe Hockey Development helps with funding for underprivileged players. "There may be a great hockey talent whose parents can afford skates but can't afford to send him to Rochester for our camp," said John St. Pierre, another of the co-founders. "We're using this to raise money for that fund." The fundraising continues today when Howe signs autographs at the ESL Sports Centre from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

When Howe was a teenager growing up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he didn't spend many summer days on the golf course. "You gotta be strong," Howe recalls his father telling him. "Take the garbage out." Albert Howe was a foreman on the city street crew and got Gordie a job helping to build curbing and gutters when he was 15. "They told me if you can't stay with the men, they'd give me a different job," Howe said. "Those bags of cement weighed 95.6 pounds," he said. "I had no problem lifting them.

All I was after was the strength it gave me." That might be why Howe was never afraid on the ice. Not even when he was 45 and playing against the notorious Hanson Brothers of Slap Shot fame � in real life they were the Carlson brothers playing for the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints. "I tripped one of them," Howe recalls of his days with the Houston Aeros, "and he told me, 'Hey, don't do that. I have a hard enough time skating.'" KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com

ECS 90 - Greg Nemisz was selected in the 1st Round of the NHL Entry Draft. 11 of his ECS teammates were drafed in rounds 2-7.

Round 1 25 Greg Nemisz (RW) Canada Calgary Flames (from Montreal) Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Round 2 34 Jake Allen (G) Canada St. Louis Blues St. John's Fog Devils (QMJHL) 35[3] Nicolas Deschamps (C) Canada Anaheim Ducks (from Phoenix (compensatory)) Chicoutimi Saguen�ens (QMJHL) 36 Corey Trivino (C) Canada New York Islanders Stouffville Spirit (OPJHL) 41 Yann Sauve (D) Canada Vancouver Canucks Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

Round 3 63 Robert Czarnik (C) United States Los Angeles Kings US National Team Development Program U-18 64 Danick Hudon-Paquette (RW) Canada Atlanta Thrashers Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL) 68 Shawn Lalonde (D) Canada Chicago Blackhawks (from Toronto via NY Islanders) Belleville Bulls (OHL)

Round 5 126 Kevin Poulin (G) Canada New York Islanders Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) 129 Joel Champagne (C) Canada Toronto Maple Leafs (from Phoenix) Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

Round 6 152 Mark Barberio (D) Canada Tampa Bay Lightning Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) 157 Cameron Atkinson (RW) United States Columbus Blue Jackets Avon Old Farms (HS-Connecticut)