Tuesday, May 11, 2010

USHL Draft Coverage- Goalies

I have been contacted by sbnation.com to write up some profiles on players that may be drafted into the USHL this year in the USHL Entry Draft. I will be writing a profile almost every day leading up to the draft beginning with forwards, then on to defensemen, and finishing with goaltenders. These are in no particular order, as the Entry Draft is hard to predict. I haven't seen these players play either, so if you have seen them play and have something to add, please do. Enjoy!

In an effort to save time and feature players to be drafted in the USHL Futures Draft, I've decided to lump the goalies into one post.

Hunter Leisner (Chicago Fury U18) is one of the goalies who made it to the All-Star Game of the USHL '92 and '93 Combine. In midget majors this year, he didn't have the best year statistically, having a record of 13-23-4 for the Fury, who finished last in the Chicago Division. Leisner played in 40 games for the Fury U18 squad this year, posting a 3.20 GAA and .860 save percentage, average numbers for a midget major goalie. It would be very tough to compare these AAA goalies to USHL goalies because you really can't tell their play styles based on their stats.

Noah Klag (Team Comcast U18) is another goalie who played on a last place team and was just average speaking statistically. Team Comcast finished in last place in the Tier 1 Elite League East Division with 25 points on the season. For Team Comcast, Klag had a record of 6-21-5. Klag posted a 3.73 GAA and a .869 save percentage which again, is a little underwhelming for a guy who very well could be playing in the USHL next year, maybe he ends up on a better team, and post some good stats in the USHL.



Colin Greeley (Victory Honda U18) continues the trend of goalies that have average stats but made the All-Star Game at the Combine. Greeley played midget major hockey for Victory Honda, who finished last in the Detroit Division of the Tier 1 Elite League. He appeared in 25 games this past season posting a 6-14-2 record in those appearances. Greeley ended up with a 3.80 GAA and .863 SV%. You don't have to much about hockey to know that those aren't exactly great stats, but obviously he performed well at the Combine to be picked to play in the All-Star Game. That makes me believe that we will be seeing Colin Greeley in the USHL next year.

Charlie Millen (Huntsville Otters) is the first goalie on this post not from the Tier 1 Elite League. But like the others, he did not put up great numbers this past year, and he impressed the scouts at the Combine enough that he was selected to play in the All-Star Game of the Combine. Playing the OJHL, or Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League with the Huntsville Otters and Pickering Panthers, Millen posted a 3-7 record in 15 appearances last season. In those 15 games, Millen ended up with a 5.13 GAA and .852 SV%. To be fair to Millen, he had a 4.63 GAA with Huntsville, where he played 13 games and a 8.72 GAA in Pickering where he only played one full game. Obviously he was impressive at the Combine, and we should see him on a roster next year.

Please leave comments, I would love to hear them!

5 comments:

  1. I would guess you saw the combine, and said these are the draftable goalies in USHL? My guess is there were goalies who said NO to the combine that will get drafted much higher than these kids?

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  2. I was not in attendance at the combine, but these are the guys who made the All-Star Game. You have to remember that a bad statistical year doesn't define your future.

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  3. I believe the teams need to start and look past all the AAA hoopla and start giving a look down other avenues. There are many goalies out there overlooked because of where they play and not how they can play. HS hockey in the midwest is full of talent and needs to be investigated. Mn, WI, MI and IL all have a lot of talent at the HS level.

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  4. Looks like USHL teams looked past Midwest AAA some extent and also to IL,WI,MI HS goalies selected. Even looked past the goalies in blog.

    Lots of MN HS 3 in Futures. Steel took one of each from MN HS in futues and entry. DM was busy taking IN HS in entry and then a 93 from T1 mn, and a 94 from LA.

    Weird picks across board, and a weak year for the goalies in USHL.

    Scouting went deep into Canada and MN HS for those unknowns. I think a 95 was even taken?

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  5. I was at the combine and a few of these goalies were impressive. Klag had something like 2 goals scored on him across 4 games in the round robin and an impressive shut out in the all star game where he faced a lot of rubber. I saw him at beantown a few weeks before and he was hands down the best goalie there in the pre-draft division. I was surprised he wasn't drafted but as a 93, perhaps we'll see him the following year. Millen also looked good although not with quite as good numbers at the combine.

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Keep it clean, and don't attack individual players.