GWMHL

Archive for the ‘SAL’ Category

The 4 Most Hilarious Top-5 Picks of All Time

In SAL, SCA, Special Features, VAN on August 22, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Hindsight is nature’s best talent scout.

Sure, some consensus picks fail to live up to expectations. Others have careers derailed by injuries. But not everyone can turn to those excuses when they look back at their wacky, off-the-board picks. Today we look at four spectacular examples of teams who took a flyer on a player in a coveted top-five slot… and lost in a way that leaves you shaking your head.

4. Kristian Huselius, drafted 3rd overall by Vancouver, 2002

Kristian Huselius is still playing and still contributing offense. As a matter of fact, he broke the 100-point barrier in ’07-’08 – though not for the team who drafted him – and is enjoyed a strong 2011 postseason with Salem, with 20 points in 16 games.

But Huselius stands out as a hilarious draft pick because of the company he kept in his draft class. In 2002, the Vancouver Sea Otters had the third overall pick. Drafted immediately before their turn at the podium? Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. At 4th? Pavel Datsyuk. The city of Vancouver would like that one back.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
02-03  Vancouver Sea Otters       79   21   14   35  -10   28
03-04  Vancouver Sea Otters       78   28   21   49    7   20
04-06  Vancouver Sea Otters       44    1    2    3   -4   18
04-06  Montreal Smashers           9    1    1    2   -3    0
06-07  Salem Wannbees             78   22   20   42  -12   26
07-08  Salem Wannabees            81   50   51  101   63   24
08-09  Salem Wannabees            80   20   17   37    0   14
09-10  Salem Wannabees            37    8   12   20    7   18
10-11  Salem Wannabees            68   17   33   50   14   38
                  Totals         554  168  171  339   62  186

3. Vladimir Malakhov, drafted 4th overall by New York Islanders, 1993

Like Huselius, Vladimir Malakhov had a few years as a solid player, but he never came close to the career-high 64 points he racked up in his rookie season. His career numbers are pretty good… for a second rounder.

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The GWMHL Wants You!

In BOS, News, PWH, SAL, WIN on August 17, 2011 at 12:55 pm

The Gump Worsley Memorial Hockey League is looking to fill some ownership vacancies as we head into the 2011-2012 regular season! Read on to find out more…

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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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West Virginia Wins It All! River Rats Sweep Salem to Lift the 2011 Gump Cup!

In News, SAL, WVR on June 30, 2011 at 5:35 pm

The West Virginia River Rats, headed by original GWMHL member Jim Connell, have won their first-ever Gump Cup!

After shocking the Salem Wannabees – who were in the finals for the second straight year – at home in games 1 and 2, the River Rats took it to West Virginia and sealed the sweep in front of the home crowd. They won game 3 by the score of 5-2, then took the Gump Cup with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory that saw Alex Semin score the cup-winning goal. Semin finished tied for the playoff scoring lead with linemate Sidney Crosby. Each had 24 points in 17 games.

We’d like to congratulate Jim – you won’t find a finer GM and better guy! Congrats! And thank you to all our members on another great GWMHL season!

You can catch up on all the action from the 2010-2011 Gump Cup Playoffs right here.

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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Sidney Crosby Captures Scoring Crown

In News, SAL, WVR on May 24, 2011 at 11:21 am

It took until the final days of the regular season, but West Virginia River Rat Sidney Crosby has captured the GWMHL scoring title for 2010-2011.

Crosby edged out the Salem Wannabees‘ Patrick Marleau in the fourth quarter, finishing with 136 points to Marleau’s 134. Not only is it Crosby’s first scoring title – it’s the first time the star centre has led his own team in scoring. His 84 assists lead the league.

It’s no surprise that Marleau couldn’t match his record-setting early-season pace. But he still finishes with an incredible league-leading 77 goals – matching the totals of last year’s leader, Midland‘s Zach Parise.

Marleau Breaks Single-Game Goal Record

In News, SAL on January 13, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Salem Wannabees forward Patrick Marleau etched his name in the GWMHL record books in a big way to open the season – scoring 8 goals in a single game. Marleau led the way in a 12-6 rout of El Dorado in a first-quarter matchup with a herculean performance that broke the long-standing GWMHL record of 7 once held by Eric Lindros. Marleau now leads the league in scoring with 21 goals and 36 points in 20 games.