Armchair Scout
Madden NHL
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Aug 30, 2010 4:00 AM PDT
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ARTHUR:
Note: I just want to remind everyone that I will not be updating the AC prospects list until after training camp. I did it earlier last year, but it makes much more sense to wait until the players perform and the organization executes its cuts.
When news broke in June that Stefan Warg signed, with Anaheim's blessing, to play for the Örebro Vipers of Hockey Allsvenskan in Sweden, it marked the end of an era for me. The tough 6'2" defenseman was the last of former Ducks Director of Amateur Scouting Alain Chainey's late round picks, his last attempt to steal a player in a 12 year stint running the Anaheim Draft boards.
In describing Warg after the 2008 Draft, Chainey was clear that the young Swede was a diamond in the rough, noting his toughness and his eagerness to come to America were both uncommon for the sons of Mother Svea. Warg had a great showing in camp last year, and when Anaheim Calling caught up with him in January, he emphasized that he and Chainey spoke often. Ultimately, however, when the time came to sign him, he didn't fit into the Ducks' plans.
Chainey has stayed on the staff as the Director of Player Development, but his replacement, Martin Madden, has put his stamp on two consecutive drafts. And as a scout who was poached from Carolina for his ability to spot late round talent while assigned to the QMJHL, one would expect an era of 'steals' under the Madden regime. The Ducks' chief scout certainly hasn't shied away from the words "homerun pick" to describe his draft selections for Anaheim, but we'll take a closer look at his handiwork after the jump.
DWCPC 2010 - Recap
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 29, 2010 3:38 PM PDT
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If you haven't been following our coverage of the 4th Annual Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp, maybe you should go back and take a look. Two California players were drafted in the First Round at this year's Draft, when the Ducks took Emerson Etem and the Penguins took the highest drafted California born and trained player ever in Beau Bennett, a former participant of the Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp.
Some of the best players in California gathered at Anaheim Ice to be scouted by over 20 next level programs, including USA Hockey, six College Division I coaches and five CHL teams. Our full recap after the jump...
DWCPC 2010: Denver Head Coach George Gwozdecky
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 28, 2010 3:12 PM PDT
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From high in the stands at Anaheim Ice, donning his school's crimson colors, the focused gaze of University of Denver Head Coach George Gwozdecky is unmistakable. This was the coach's first trip to the Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp, though members of his staff have attended two of the previous three, and if anyone knows the value of a strong California player, it's the University of Denver.
"We've had Rhett Rakhshani, we've had Gabe Gauthier, and we're going to have Beau Bennett," Coach Gwozdecky says of the steady stream of California impact players coming through his program, "Gauthier scored the game winning goal for us in the 2004 National Championship game. He wore number 9, and when he graduated, he passed it on to Rhett, who just left us. And now, Beau's going to wear the number 9, so our 'California Connection' [even] maintains the same number."
The same number and the same stall in the locker room, it turns out. Denver has become a place where a California prospect can not only make an impact but become part of a tradition. And Coach Gwozdecky is happy to seek out players looking to join that tradition, because he finds that California players have an abundance of skill and commitment, both born, perhaps, of the unique process of pursuing hockey in the Golden State.
DWCPC 2010: '93 Frasier Haber
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 24, 2010 11:57 AM PDT
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On the ice, he seems like any other kid who's well on his way to the next level. A complete player, he is just as capable of throwing the big hit as sniping the puck past the goaltender, as adept at maintaining body position on his check as finding his teammate with a crisp and accurate pass. And perhaps it says the most about Frasier Haber that his game on the ice offers no indication of the adversity he's faced in the past year.
DWCPC 2010: '95 Tyler Moy
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 23, 2010 4:07 PM PDT
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Tyler Moy's seven goals led all '95 players at this year's Camp, his twelve points were tied for second in overall scoring, and honestly, with how much offense he was creating, he could've had a lot more. A confident stickhandler and goal-scorer, Moy also displays incredible vision and passing ability. He creates space for his teammates, and he can find them, whether he's working the puck down low or carrying it on the rush.
"I try and make others look good, too," Moy says of his game, "I carry the puck when I have to. I carry the puck, and I look for options. I don't think of it as me versus one player on their team. I think of it as us, as a team, against their players. I play more of a team game rather than try to do it by myself."
DWCPC 2010: Coaches Forum and College Hockey Inc. Presentation
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 22, 2010 12:26 PM PDT
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The Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp serves the dual purposes of showcasing the best young talent Southern California has to offer on their home ice, while also educating that talent about their options at the next level. To that end, the Camp invited College Hockey Inc. to give a presentation to its invitees about their NCAA opportunities and the rules for NCAA recruiting and remaining an amateur in the organization's eyes. Afterwards, four Division I coaches spoke briefly about their College Hockey experiences.
At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to our audio recording of that presentation. The speakers are as follows:
- Jeff Dwyer, Director of Education and Recruitment for College Hockey Inc.
- George Gwozdecky, Head Coach of the University of Denver
- Mike Gibbons, Assistant Coach St. Cloud State University
- Brett Larson, Assistant Coach University of Minnesota-Duluth
- Tim Army, Head Coach Providence
- Brett Henning, former hockey player turned hockey author
DWCPC 2010: '94 Nic Kerdiles
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 22, 2010 12:30 AM PDT
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I mean, [Nic Kerdiles] just jumps-- he just LEAPS out at you...He's stunning. He's stunningly good. - David McNab on Nic Kerdiles
ARTHUR:
The leading scorer at this year's Camp, Nic Kerdiles potted 12 goals and 5 assists in his four games with Team Orange, including two gamewinners and one in overtime. When he wasn't finding the back of the net, he was using his 6'1" 189 lb. frame to staple the opposition to the boards.
"I like to say I'm a power forward," Kerdiles says while describing his game, "I love hitting guys, and I think I have some skill to make some fancy moves and just drive the net. [My game]'s between a gritty and fancy kind of play, but more of a power forward. I'm a bigger guy, and I like to throw the body."
DWCPC 2010: David McNab
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 21, 2010 12:17 PM PDT
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You might have missed him. It was a 7:45AM start for Day 2 of the Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp, and he was sitting quietly in the far upper corner of the stands, poring through his scouting guide. Still, for the skaters on the ice who noticed, it must have been a thrill to see Anaheim Ducks Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations David McNab watching them play.
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