GWMHL

Archive for the ‘GLP’ Category

Draft Day: The Big Winners

In BAL, GLP, PIT, SCA, Special Features on October 23, 2011 at 3:08 pm

It’ll take a few years until there’s really a “win” or a “loss” from today’s GWMHL Rookie Draft (when we promise to mercilessly mock the losers) and really, every team made some smart choices and picked up intriguing young talent. But some teams stand out for us as having made the most of their picks – or lack thereof. Here’s our top four.

4) South Carolina Fire Ants

The Ants dealt away their final two picks, but they shored up an injury-prone defense. Travis Hamonic (15th overall) could well blossom into a key on this injury-prone defense, someone who could play with Zdeno Chara while Sami Salo is on IR. The acquisition of veteran blueline Filip Kuba also helps in the short run.

3) Baltimore Crab

They traded away one of the game’s best in Evgeni Malkin, but they got what they wanted: picks, picks, picks. Never shy about making a splash, the Crab came away with a lot of long-term talent, including potential impact forward Nino Niederreiter (10th overall) and goalie Jacob Markstrom (30th). Ryan McDonagh (8th) and Michael Sauer (48th) give them an instant defense pairing – and they need one.

2) Pittsburgh Hornets

It seems impossible that a team with no picks in a draft could walk away a winner. But the Hornets made a bold move in sacrificing all their selections and came out of it with their deepest roster in years. Malkin is still young, if injury-prone, and may well end up on Brad Richards’ wing, while both Bryan McCabe and Cal O’Reilly should be able to contribute this season.

1) Great Lakes Pilots

The Pilots were the big winners at the draft lottery, moving up from 6th to 2nd, so it’s no big leap to say that they won the draft, too. Defenseman Nick Leddy will help shore up the back end, but the addition of Taylor Hall finally gives them a left-winger to play with Martin St. Louis. The team still has some big holes to fill up front, but the future’s looking a lot brighter than it was yesterday.

2011 Rookie Draft: Skinner Takes Top Spot

In BAL, GLP, NAS, News, PIT, Transactions on October 23, 2011 at 1:50 pm

The biggest question of the 2011 Rookie Draft was answered in mere moments – Skinner or Hall? The Nashville Knights went with Jeff Skinner, adding to an already deep corps of young forwards. The Great Lakes Pilots would make Taylor Hall the latest addition to the list of high-level draft-day bridesmaids.

Forwards Tyler Seguin (Winnipeg), Jordan Eberle (Ice Harbor), and Derek Stepan (Delta) rounded out the top 5. The first defensemen went sixth – Cam Fowler to the San Francisco Seals. Nashville took the first second goaltender at #21, sparking a run that resulted in netminders drafted in 7 of 20 second rounders.

The Baltimore Crab kicked the day off in a big way, dealing Evgeni Malkin (himself acquired on draft day last year), along with Cal O’Reilly and Bryan McCabe, to the Pittsburgh Hornets in exchange for all four of Pittsburgh’s picks in the draft. It meant that the Crab ended up making 7 selections on the day.

Other minor trades included Ice Harbor dealing its 3rd and 4th rounders to Denver for a 3rd rounder in 2012, and the Night Train shipping blueliner Filip Kuba to South Carolina for a 3rd and 4th.

Complete 2011 Rookie Draft Results

Round 1

1. Nashville F Jeff Skinner
2. Great Lakes F Taylor Hall
3. Winnipeg F Tyler Seguin
4. Ice Harbor F Jordan Eberle
5. Delta F Derek Stepan
6. San Francisco D Cam Fowler
7. Vancouver D Oliver Ekman-Larsson
8. Baltimore D Ryan McDonagh
9. Boston F Marcus Johansson
10. Baltimore (from Pittsburgh) F Nino Niederreiter
11. Denver D Kevin Shattenkirk
12. Sterling F Magnus Paajarvi
13. El Dorado F Alexander Burmistrov
14. Farmington F Cody Hodgson
15. South Carolina D Travis Hamonic
16. Charleston F Luke Adam
17. Saint Louis F Jacob Josefson
18. West Virginia F Nick Palmieri
19. Portland G James Reimer
20. Salem D Jonathon Blum

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Cows Escape Barn, Take Flight

In GLP on August 15, 2011 at 8:56 am

After entering the league in 1999, the South Park Cows are no more. The franchise’s new ownership, which signed on this summer, has announced the team’s rebirth as the Great Lakes Pilots.

The Pilots will adopt new team colors for the 2011-2012 season and play out of the Solar Palace.

Checkers, Veterans Head List of Off-Season Player Releases

In BOS, DEL, GLP, NAS, News, SAL, SCA, SFS, STE, STL, Transactions, VAN, WIN on July 1, 2011 at 6:42 pm

The GWMHL has officially announced the list of player releases due to under-use, effective immediately. The list is headlined by veterans like Mike Modano, Adam Foote, and Chris Osgood, as well as two surprises – utility winger Tomas Kopecky, formerly of Delta, and center Darren Helm, who recently helped the Salem Wannabees to its second straight Gump Cup Finals.

All players who are now free agents who, if eligible, will be available in the pre-season Free Agent Draft.

The full list:

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What Got Us Here: 5 Trades That Shaped Today’s GWMHL

In GLP, SAL, SCA, Special Features, WIN, WVR on June 29, 2011 at 6:16 pm

With trading set to reopen once the finals are done and back-room talks already ramping up, it’s a good time to look back at some of the bigger deals in recent years – the moves that shook the GWMHL, shifted the balance of power, and got us where we are today.

GMs haven’t exactly been shy about moving marquee names, but these five game-changing trades are different: their effect is still being felt in the GWMHL today.

5. South Carolina trades Dany Heatley, Braydon Coburn, and Rich Peverley to Salem for Loui Eriksson, Jeff Carter, and Tomas Kaberle (2010)

Why? Heatley, Peverley and Coburn are all producers for the Fire Ants, there’s no question. Heatley, in particular has scored 38 and 40 goals as a Fire Ant, and the trade is pretty equal when you consider each team’s needs at the time.

But the move came at a time when the Wannabees were turning into serious contenders. If there’s a move that made its current run to the Gump Cup Finals possible, it’s this one. Eriksson has already had two 40-goal years for the Wannabees, and tallied 119 points this season. Carter had a down year behind Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Backstrom but is only a season removed from 54 goals. And Kaberle took a deep defense corps and made it ridiculous.

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Draft Lottery 2011: Nashville Grabs Top Pick; South Park Moves Up

In DEL, GLP, IHS, NAS, News, WIN on June 25, 2011 at 12:46 pm

The 2011 GWMHL Draft Lottery, which determines the order of the first twelve picks in the first round of the 2011 Rookie Draft, was held today with several GMs were in attendance for the real-time announcement, waiting to see win big – and hoping their teams didn’t tumble.

The Nashville Knights took the number one overall pick. No surprise, since the Knights finished dead last in the 2010-2011 regular season. That gave them the best shot at the top choice and the hockey gods delivered.

The second pick was a surprise. The South Park Cows‘ new ownership will have a chance to make a major stamp on the team with the number two pick. The Cows moved all the way up from sixth.

The Altoona Railroaders, who were second-to-last in the regular season and are currently vacant, slotted in at third overall.

The draft order for the first round of the 2011 Rookie Draft will be as follows:

1. Nashville
2. South Park
3. Altoona
4. Ice Harbor
5. Delta
6. Oregon
7. Vancouver
8. Baltimore
9. Boston
10. San Diego
11. Midland
12. Sterling
13. El Dorado
14. Farmington
15. South Carolina
16. Charleston
17. Saint Louis
18. West Virginia
19. Portland
20. Salem

2010-2011 Milestone Roundup

In GLP, PWH, SFS, Special Features, WVR on June 16, 2011 at 5:34 pm

Today we wrap up our look at some of the individual milestones reached in 2010-2011.

Of course, Portland’s Jarome Iginla hit 500 goals and teammate Martin Brodeur became the all-time leader in career wins. But Iginla was, in fact, one of four players – along with fellow Winterhawk Joe Thornton, South Park’s Nicklas Lidstrom, and Oregon’s Mike Modano – to crack 1000 career points this year.

In Lidstrom’s case, it’s especially noteworthy: he’s the all-time points leader for defensemen and is the first blueliner in league history to break 1000. He now sits at 1006 in his career and shows few signs of slowing down.

Meanwhile, it was a watershed moment when Ice Harbor’s Keith Tkachuk, the league’s leader in career goals and points, hung them up. He wasn’t the only retiree of note. The season also saw the swan song of West Virginia defenseman – and one-time Tkachuk teammate – Scott Niedermayer, who is second all-time in points for a defensemen with 885.

Recent Midland release Bill Guerin (446 career goals, 11th all-time), Delta’s Slava Kozlov (830 points, 20th all-time), and free agent Rod Brind’amour (952 points, 15th all-time) also announced their retirement. The Boston Banshees’ Paul Kariya – 10th all-time with 449 goals – is also likely going to hang them up.

Lots more all-time leaders, from the very best to disasters of Kent Mandervillian proportions, can be found here.