PROHYBRID TRAINING USHL PROSPECTS TOUR SCHEDULE

• 800-900 am: Breakfast at Hotel
• 900 am: Depart for Arena
• 1000-1130 am:
  • On Ice Group #1
  • Off Ice Testing Group #2
• 1145-115 pm:
  • On Ice Group #2
  • Off Ice Testing Group #1
• 115-200 pm: Lunch at the Rink
• 200-215 pm: Q & A with Green Bay Gamblers Head Coach / GM Derek LaLonde
• 245-345 pm:
  • On Ice Group #1
  • Off Ice Circuit Training #2
• 400-500 pm:
  • On Ice Group #2
  • Off Ice Circuit Training Group #1
• 515-545 pm: Catered Dinner at the Rink
• 600 pm: Depart for Minneapolis
• 1130 pm: Arrive at Eagan Civic Center for Pick Up

This camp is an actual bus tour that includes stops in three different USHL rinks — the home rink for the new Minnesota Magicians NAHL team in Richfield, MN, the Sioux Falls Stampede, the Des Moines Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Gamblers. Goalies will be evaluated and scouted by the respective USHL teams on each day of the camp, and they will also get a chance to learn more about the USHL playing experience.

Every goalie participating in this prospect camp will also receive an independent scouting profile and evaluation from The Goalie Guild founder Justin Goldman. Goalies invited to attend any USHL Training Camp will have their scouting reports posted on McKeen’s Hockey for added exposure.

During each day of the USHL Prospects Goalie Tour, the general manager, head coach, and assistant coach from each USHL team will be involved in the camp.

ProHybrid Training is run by goalie coach Zach Sikich, who recently suited up as an emergency backup for the Anaheim Ducks. Click here to learn more about his coaching experience and his work with various hockey programs in Minnesota.

The Goalie Guild’s Camp Evaluation Program allows goalie camps from across North America and Europe to hire an independent goalie scout to provide evaluations and scouting reports for their students. Each student not only receives a digital copy of their report in order to use for recruiting purposes, but the reports are posted on both The Goalie Guild and McKeen’s Hockey websites for added exposure.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @TheGoalieGuild for scouting notes, action photos, and general updates on all of the goalies participating in this prospects camp.

Hosted by Todd Lewis from Hockey Unfiltered on NHL Network Radio, episode #6 focuses on Jonathan Quick and his emotional outburst at the end of Game 3, the stellar play of Tuukka Rask in the series against New York, plus the play of Tomas Vokoun. Click the podcast icon below to download the MP3, or click above for the direct stream.

We kicked off the podcast by discussing Justin’s experience hanging out with his buddy — ECHL goalie Josh Robinson — over the weekend. Josh’s season ended last week after Idaho lost a tough series to Stockton in the third round of the Kelly Cup playoffs, but it was a very successful rookie pro season for the former Michigan Tech Huskies standout. It was a great chance for Justin to catch up on Josh’s first experience as a pro goalie, including how he handled in-season training, nutrition, the travel, and more.

We then shifted gears to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and started by discussing Quick and his legitimate beef with the referee at the end of Game 3, but how that emotional outburst may have had a negative impact on his play, and possibly on the entire series. We have seen emotional outbursts from Quick before, which makes his ability to avoid distractions from referees a key heading into Games 5, 6, and possibly 7.

After we discussed Quick, we jumped over to the Eastern Conference and did a mini-preview of Game 4 between the Pens and Sens. Craig Anderson bounced back after being pulled in Game 2 and had a fantastic Game 3 win in double overtime, so he will surely be ready to go tonight. But what about Vokoun? Todd still doesn’t have a ton of confidence in him, but Justin points out that the team surely has more confidence in him than the alternative option, so the Pens will go as Vokoun goes. He then compares Vokoun to Chris Osgood’s Stanley Cup run in 2008.

Finally, we discuss the excellent play of Rask, and how his improved technique and increasing experience has helped him stay in the zone in a series where Henrik Lundqvist is doing everything he can to give the Rangers a chance. And yes, we urge you to Google the term “optimal arousal level” and learn how important it is for goaltending. Just make sure you spell it the right way .

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToddLewisSports and @TheGoalieGuild) and feel free to send us any of your goalie questions for future podcasts. Thanks to everyone who is downloading the show, and feel free to leave feedback or comments below. Enjoy this episode and have a good rest of the week!

Click here to download the segment, or click above to stream it!

In this week’s School of Block segment, we discussed the four goaltenders in the 2013 Memorial Cup Tournament. Zach Fucale was flawless leading Halifax to the QMJHL title. Mac Carruth did extremely well behind the powerhouse known as the Portland Winterhawks. Anthony Stolarz struggled in the OHL Finals against Barrie, but Jake Patterson was there to bail them out. Finally, Russian phenom Andrey Makarov seemed to be the odd man out since he hadn’t played in over 50 days for Saskatoon, but his big-game experience will surely help his cause over the next week.

Goldman took some time to discuss the dynamics these goalies may face heading into such a key tournament in front of many fans and scouts, and how the teams from different CHL leagues propose some unique situations in terms of team play and overall style.

Goldman also dropped some insight on this week’s “Performer of the Week”, which once again belongs to John Gibson, Anaheim’s top-flight prospect. His performance in the 2013 World Championships for Team USA was remarkable, as he was one of the very few goalies to represent his country in both the World Juniors and World Championships in the same season. He straight up stole Ben Bishop’s starting job halfway through the tournament and played a major role in helping Team USA earn a Bronze Medal in a win over Finland.

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Ever wonder about the next wave of young superstars ready to burst onto the NHL scene? You might know their names but nothing about who they are, where they come from and where their careers are going. That’s where we come in. Join Dean Millard & Guy Flaming twice each week for an in-depth examination of the top prospects ‘coming down the pipe’ on The Pipeline Show!

Hosted by Todd Lewis from Hockey Unfiltered on NHL Network Radio, episode #5 focuses on James Reimer’s performance in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, plus a look at the goalie matchups in Round 2. Click the podcast icon below to download the MP3, or click above for the direct stream. You can also listen to Justin and Todd on the latest episode of Hockey Unfiltered, as Justin was a guest over the weekend.

We kicked off the podcast by discussing the amazing finish to Game 7 of the Leafs-Bruins series. It’s the heartbreaker of all hearbreakers for Leafs fans, but once you look past the devastating loss, you have to admire the improvement James Reimer made over the course of the season. As Goldman points out, tough losses develop tough skin, and while the sting from the loss is still lingering, he’s a better goalie because of it.

Next we discussed Braden Holtby’s solid play in the series loss to New York. Even though Game 7 was a big letdown, overall, he was solid and pushed the Rangers to the brink. Like Reimer, Holtby has also improved in many areas of his game, something that bodes well for the Caps moving forward.

From there we jumped around to the Eastern Conference Semifinals series. We started with Pittsburgh and Ottawa, where the discussion focused on Tomas Vokoun and Marc-Andre Fleury. Justin likes the decision to go with Vokoun in Game 1, but Todd seems to be unsure of how long Vokoun can go before he loses a game and Fleury gets back in the net.

Then we looked at what the Bruins would need to accomplish in order to have success against the Rangers. Justin points to Boston’s banged-up blueline for offensive support, but will that be enough for them to dethrone Henrik Lundqvist? Probably not.

Finally, we jump over to the Western Conference and discuss just how good Jimmy Howard will have to be in order to give the Red Wings a chance to beat Chicago. Then we close by discussing the differences between Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick, but how both goalies are at the top of their game at the right time.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToddLewisSports and @TheGoalieGuild) and feel free to send us any of your goalie questions for future podcasts. Thanks to everyone who is downloading the show, and feel free to leave feedback or comments below. Enjoy this episode and have a good weekend!

Hosted by Todd Lewis from Hockey Unfiltered on NHL Network Radio, episode #4 focuses on a handful of goalies in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Click the podcast icon below to download the MP3, or click above for the direct stream!

We kicked off the podcast by discussing the tremendous play of Antti Niemi, who is likely one of the three Vezina Trophy finalists. He has picked up right where he left off in the regular season, and that has helped to put the Canucks in a 3-0 hole. We also briefly touched on the Canucks goalie conundrum, as we both agree the Roberto Luongo deserves to be the starter in Game 4.

Next we discussed the Minnesota-Chicago series, and the tremendous play of Josh Harding, who was tossed into the fire in Game 1 when Niklas Backstrom was injured in warmups. It’s a great story of being mentally prepared for the unknown, and his play is inspiring a legion of young and old goalies across the globe.

We also give our fair share of love to Corey Crawford, who faced a ton of pressure heading into the series due to the fact Chicago was such an offensively dominant team. Their only question mark was focused on goal, but so far, he has answered the critics with a 1.81 GAA and .935 SV% in three games.

Then we discussed the dramatic Montreal-Ottawa series, which has everyone talking. Craig Anderson hasn’t missed a beat since returning from his ankle injury, which has put all of the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Carey Price. How Montreal’s goaltender responds after getting beat down by the Senators in Game 3 will be the main storyline heading into Tuesday’s playoff action.

Last but certainly not least, we look back at some of the best goalie fights in NHL history and choose our ideal tandem (past or current) if we could see one more goalie fight. Who would you choose?

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToddLewisSports and @TheGoalieGuild) and feel free to send us any of your goalie questions for future podcasts. Thanks to everyone who is downloading the show, and feel free to leave feedback or comments below. Enjoy this episode and have a good weekend!

Click here to download the segment, or click above to stream it!

In this week’s School of Block segment, we discussed the top goalies eligible in the 2013 NHL Draft. Zach Fucale is running away from the rest of the pack with his perfect 8-0 start in the QMJHL playoffs, while Eric Comrie is working hard to get back on the ice with stronger hips and more flexibility. Spencer Martin struggled to the finish line for Mississauga, while Tristan Jarry’s value has held firm while backing up Laurent Brossoit in Edmonton.

Goldman also discussed the maturity and development of Evan Cowley, who appeared in 50 games for the NAHL’s Witchita Falls Wildcats. Cowley is one of the better mid-round selections in this summer’s draft, and is looking to nail down an NCAA D-I scholarship.

Goldman also dropped some insight on his favorite sleeper for this year’s draft, Frolunda J20 goalie Fredrik Bergvik, while also reinforcing the dynamic of size (or the lack thereof). There are a lot of 6-foot-0 and 6-foot-1 goalies, but the guys standing 6-foot-2 and above are at a premium, and that may shift the scales of balance in every round.

This week’s “Performer of the Week” belongs to Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary’s legendary goalie that may be playing his final games as an NHL goaltender. Goldman, Millard, and Flaming pay their respects to his elite status by discussing what makes him so special.

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Ever wonder about the next wave of young superstars ready to burst onto the NHL scene? You might know their names but nothing about who they are, where they come from and where their careers are going. That’s where we come in. Join Dean Millard & Guy Flaming twice each week for an in-depth examination of the top prospects ‘coming down the pipe’ on The Pipeline Show!

CLICK HERE FOR HEALING THE HUSKY: PART I

I woke up from surgery in a disoriented, pain-filled haze. The nurse must have been keeping an eye on me because as I tried to figure out where I was and why the pain coming from my knee was so much worse than it was a few hours earlier, she was immediately by my side.

“Scale of one to ten, where is the pain, hun?” She asked.

“Pretty bad,” I groaned. Numbers never were my strong point.

Rather than pointing out my inability to quantify pain with the number scale, the nurse simply responded by shooting what I can only describe as a ‘magical’ pain-killing agent of Demerol into my IV. Within minutes the pain had subsided and all was well in the world again. At least as well as it could be with an IV jammed in my right arm and bulging mass of ace bandage and bracing on my left leg.

Once the knee pain was under control I was briefed on how the next few days would progress. I was to take two Vicodin every four hours for pain, and a Naproxen every six hours for swelling. The nerve block I got before surgery would wear off in about eight hours, at which point the pain would probably worsen.  I would have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible, and was only allowed to take off the brace and compression sleeve to ice my knee. Other than that, both should stay on until my trainer, doctor, or surgeon told me differently.

The ride back to the bed and breakfast was easy. The trek up the stairs was not. I was still somewhat out of sorts, so trying to traverse the stairs on crutches was ruled out. Instead I sat down on my butt, with both my parents spotting me, and scooted all the way up the 100-year-old, extra creaky stairs of the historic house.

At any rate, my journey to the second floor was so harrowing, or perhaps the pain meds so formidable, that I fell asleep soon after arriving at our bedroom.

I awoke four hours and twelve minutes after falling asleep and realized why the nurses had told me to take the Vicodin every four hours. I was extremely pale and nauseous. I almost passed out from the same pain that had just awoken me. From that point forward I set a recurring alarm and made sure not to miss another dosage.

The day after my surgery I began rehab. This was another indicator as to how incredibly blessed I was to have the UConn training staff supporting me.  The day after surgery I began my progress towards getting better. As far as seizing the moment and turning things around goes, it doesn’t get much better than that.

I also learned, on that first day, that the road leading back onto the ice and into my blue painted crease would be a long and arduous one. As my trainer unwrapped my heavily bandaged leg I realized how much muscle I had already lost. Even with the swelling, my left leg was much smaller than my right. Once the ace bandage came off and my stitches were cleaned my trainer gave me a simple task. All I had to do was lift my leg off the table. Simple right? I’m a finely tuned athlete. No problem.

And here came the first of many humbling moments.

I couldn’t lift my leg off the table. I stared incredulously at my stubborn appendage. I glared at my knee as if shooting it disapproving looks would encourage it to do what was asked. It didn’t work. I was already considered an underdog at the Division I level. And now I couldn’t even pick my leg up two inches off of a table, let alone prove myself on the ice.

My trainer reassured me that this was normal, and I would be able to lift my leg off of the table in the next few days. She also explained that I was actually better off than a lot of people, because while my leg didn’t move upwards, she did notice my quad muscle twitch.

This was the part where I learned about small victories.

As athletes we often take for granted all of the little things that have to go right in order to perform at a high level. When we try to make sprint times, we overlook all of the individual muscles it takes to run. When we let in a rebound goal, we overlook all the things we did right in order to stay square to the shooter, follow the puck, and make the first save.

Athletes who perform at a high level are constantly focused on getting better. We are constantly striving to do more. And while that’s a necessary trait to be competitive, when you’re rehabbing from an injury, oftentimes you have to start from the beginning. You have to re-master the individual processes that you once took for granted, in order to regain the form you once had. They say you have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. In my case my quad muscle had to fire before I could lift my leg off the table.  This lesson would be repeated a thousand times over throughout my rehab.

The next few days were full of more small victories. I had my surgery on a Friday. On Sunday I went to a concert with my teammates, albeit in a wheel chair. I hated being in a wheel chair, but we did get better seats as a result, so I guess you could say I took one for the team there. On Monday I went back to class, still on crutches. After one day of crutching up and down the hills of Storrs, I decided I hated crutches.

I never did like the idea of something else having to hold me up.

So Monday night I practiced walking around the dorms, still in a 90 degree locked out brace, but without the crutches. On Tuesday I showed my new trick to my trainer, and she agreed that as long as I kept the brace on at all times, and kept my leg elevated when I wasn’t walking, that I was allowed to ditch my crutches. By Wednesday I walked to class with a noticeable limp and a massive brace, but I walked. Like I said, small victories.

Everything was going incredibly well. My incision was small and was healing up beautifully. The swelling in my leg had decreased, and I was mostly off the painkillers one week after surgery.

Almost my entire leg was covered in massive blue and purple bruises, however this too meant that everything was going well and right on schedule. When I asked why it looked like someone had beaten my left side with a baseball bat, my surgeon explained that I had gone through some pretty serious trauma during surgery. Specifically, a third of my patellar tendon was cut out and removed from its original position, holes were drilled in my shin and thigh bones, and screws were put into those holes to turn what was once a portion of tendon into my new ACL. So yes, bruising was to be expected. I was told not to worry, and to carry on with everything I was doing, multicolored limb and all.

As my rehab continued I occasionally caught myself watching longingly at my teammates as they skated on the ice each day. I tried to focus on making progress of my own so that I could skate with them as soon as possible. While the work was hard and the gains were usually small, each day was another step towards being able to fulfill my dreams of playing college hockey.

And the best part? I had yet to hit any serious roadblocks.

Unfortunately, that was all about to change.

Hosted by Todd Lewis from Hockey Unfiltered on NHL Network Radio, episode #3 focused on the race for the Vezina Trophy. Click the podcast icon below to download the MP3, or click above for the direct stream!

We spent this week’s entire podcast discussing the three projected Vezina Trophy finalists, as adjudged by Goldman in his weekly article for NHL Fantasy: Sergei Bobrovsky, Antti Niemi, and Craig Anderson. Who do you feel is the most deserving of the Trophy?

Remember, the Vezina Trophy is voted on to determine the NHL goaltender “adjudged to be the best at this position,” which means it may not be about who puts his team into the playoffs, but who is the most talented. In that regard, how much does experience play in determining the goalie that is the best at his position? Does Niemi gain an edge due to his consistency and experience, or does that belong to the King, Henrik Lundqvist?

We also close up shop discussing the terrific tandem in Chicago, and how Corey Crawford is well-rested heading into the playoffs, while Ray Emery is now dealing with a potential lower-body injury. You could also make an argument for both of those guys as potential Vezina Trophy finalists, making the race even more exciting heading down the final stretch of the regular season.

Since Justin will be in Colorado next week running Quest for the Crown VI charity hockey tournament, our next podcast will be posted on the following Tuesday, as we preview the goalie matchups in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToddLewisSports and @TheGoalieGuild) and feel free to send us any of your goalie questions for future podcasts. Thanks to everyone who is tuning in to our podcasts, and feel free to leave feedback or comments below. Enjoy this episode and have a good weekend!

Overall workload always plays a key role in which goaltenders earn consideration for the Vezina Trophy, but due to the 48-game schedule, determining three finalists will be a tricky endeavor for the National Hockey League.

IN THE CAGE: SELECTING THE VEZINA FINALISTS

With so many injuries suffered by the goalie union this season, a solid argument could be made for nearly eight or nine goalies. And while you can point to save percentages and win totals to validate those arguments, it ultimately comes down to the individual votes of 30 general managers.

We’ve held our own internal discussions here at NHL Fantasy, and with 10 days left in the regular season, we feel the Vezina Trophy is still up for grabs. So with that in mind, we’ve gone ahead and presented our case for three goalies we feel are the most-deserving — with a fantasy slant, of course!

Click here to read the full article on NHL Fantasy!

Hosted by Todd Lewis from Hockey Unfiltered on NHL Network Radio, episode #002 focused on Jimmy Howard, J-S Giguere and the importance of quality backups, and the curse of Ilya Bryzgalov. Click the podcast icon below to download the MP3, or click above for the direct stream!

We kicked off this podcast by discussing Howard’s new six-year contract, which is ironic considering one of last week’s topic was the danger of long-term deals for goalies. But even without the same strong blueline in front of him, Howard has proven he can still win some big games for the Red Wings.

Then we shifted gears and discussed the presence and leadership traits of J-S Giguere, who recently made headlines after some candid remarks to a few members of the press following a weak loss. Giguere has seen it all in his career, so we both had some respect for Giguere’s ability to vocalize some things and get his team working harder.

That led us to discuss the importance of backup goaltenders, and how crucial their performances would be down the stretch in this condensed season. Michal Neuvirth, Richard Bachman, and Brian Elliott are just a few of the goalies being asked to win big games for playoff-bubble teams.

Finally, we couldn’t avoid the silly drama surrounding Ilya Bryzgalov and the Flyers. From possibly falling asleep during a team meeting to telling reporters he doesn’t care if he’s bought out, there’s never a dull moment when Bryzgalov is the topic. We also discussed some of Philly’s recent issues when it comes to goalie development.

As we continue to tweak things and make the listening experience better, be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToddLewisSports and @TheGoalieGuild) and feel free to send us any of your goalie questions for future podcasts! Our plan is to do this at least once a week throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the summer, so we hope you’ll tune in and give us some feedback. Thanks for listening, and enjoy!