NCAA: Frozen Four Recap

Led by Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Duncan and top prospect Jonathan Toews, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux advanced to the Frozen Four of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Boston College in the semifinals. The University of Maine Black Bears, led by goalie Ben Bishop also reached the semifinals before losing to Michigan State. McKeen's reviews several players from both teams that had an impact this season.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux

North Dakota got hot late in the season, as Jonathan Toews was strong down the stretch after an impressive effort for Canada at the World Junior Championships. Taylor Chorney saw his stock rise and other prospects improved their games late in the year to lead the Fighting Sioux to a trip to the Frozen Four.

Jonathan Toews (Chi), C, North Dakota

Complete player that makes all the correct plays at both ends of the ice and is an asset to both the penalty kill and powerplay .. for a top-end prospect, his play in his own zone is special .. owns a quick release and accurate shot with a special one-timer .. skating has come a long way over the years, as his stride is more compact and swift, giving him better acceleration than he possessed a year ago .. hands are soft and he sees the play happening in front of him exceptionally well, allowing him to skate the puck up the ice .. crafty set up man with good vision .. not an explosive or dynamic end-to-end type, but a player that does it all for a team and is NHL ready.

T.J. Oshie (StL), RW, North Dakota

Deceptively explosive skater with a powerful first step and a great lateral burst .. does not possess a great top gear, but it is the way he changes gears to get around the opposition that makes him dynamic .. possesses great hands with some electric one-on-one moves .. owns a heavy shot and is a natural finisher from close range and from both sides of his stick .. good two-way player that anticipates well and generates turnovers .. threat to score shorthanded and is an asset to the penalty kill.

Joe Finley (Wsh), D, North Dakota

Improved his decision-making while making the outlet pass and is more poised now in the face of pressure .. not an offensive defenseman, but shows adequate skill for a stay-at-home type .. can be a strong one-on-one defender and can neutralize his man along the boards if he remains focused, as at times he is caught chasing the puck instead of picking up his man while covering the crease area .. good skater for a player his size and his lateral and backwards mobility are much more fluid and swift now than it was a year ago .. shows good gap control and uses his long reach along with a blossoming mean streak but at times, can also get caught watching the puck, allowing his man to beat him with a deke .. progressed nicely and just needs some fine-tuning.

Taylor Chorney (Edm), D, North Dakota

His development has been outstanding this season and may have surpassed Brian Lee as the better prospect .. legitimate two-way, second-pairing defenseman in the making.. has NHL-caliber puck movement .. possesses exceptional vision and makes a great first pass .. has the creativity to be a powerplay quarterback .. passes are crisp and tape-to-tape .. poised and senses danger superbly .. underrated skating ability, as he owns a fluid and powerful stride along with exceptional agility, as he can change directions without losing any speed .. owns a quick release and does a good job getting his shot through .. possesses soft hands with impressive escape ability and shows good hand/eye coordination holding the zone .. savvy player at both ends .. short but very strong with great leg strength .. does a good job one-on-one and does a good job getting physical with his man .. competes hard .. one of the more underrated prospects in college hockey and is reminiscent to Mike Green.

Brian Lee (Ott), D, North Dakota

Has not progressed much since his impressive sophomore campaign, as his offensive game has actually taken a step backward .. more physical this season but he still can be soft on his man .. mobility and puck movement are top-notch and his calm demeanor serves him well, as he never panics .. possesses soft hands, an impressive skill set and good instincts, but he never combines them into being the premiere offensive talent that he is capable of .. needs to be more proactive on the ice and take a few risks jumping up in the play offensively .. reliable and steady player in all situations but is not a dominant player in any one aspect either.

Ryan Duncan (FA), F, North Dakota

Finished fourth in the NCAA in points and second in goals en route to winning the 2007 Hobey Baker Award .. small and can disappear in physical games despite the willingness to take a hit to make a play .. possesses magnetic hands with an impressive arsenal of creative one-on-one moves .. swift skater with great lateral mobility that makes him appear like a shifty water bug at times .. sees the ice well and is a good playmaker and goal-scorer.

Rylan Kaip (Atl), F, North Dakota

At his best on the defensive side of the puck, as he is well aware of his defensive assignments and executes them well .. plays a gritty and mature two-way game .. strong along the boards and handles traffic adequately .. strong penalty killer, but brings little to the table in terms offensive upside.

Chris VandeVelde (Edm), C, North Dakota

Saw his stock rise as a legitimate two-way center .. plays a similar role compared with other drafted Sioux players, but does it much better and at a younger age, which speaks of his decent upside .. does an exceptional job in the faceoff circle .. third-line type, as he has mild offensive abilities and does a good job bearing down in close near the net, but his best attribute is his play away from the puck .. gritty and savvy defense-first-type-of center .. handles traffic well and does a good job on the cycle .. continued improving as the year progressed.

Chris Porter (Chi), F, North Dakota

Has a lot of sand paper to his game and owns a mean streak .. spark plug that uses ferocious body checks to set the tempo for his team .. finishes every check but at times, is carried away and will take an undisciplined penalty .. goes to the net hard and is an above-average finisher .. hungry for the puck on the forecheck and shows good anticipation on where the puck is going .. strong on his feet and cycles the puck well down low .. senior captain will be a valuable depth player for Chicago and might make the NHL as a fourth-liner.

Andrew Kozek (Atl), F, North Dakota

Buzz saw on the ice with exceptional speed, as he is nimble on his feet with a strong and quick stride .. displays a great on-ice work ethic with a non-stop motor .. gritty kid that is surprisingly physical despite his average size .. owns a good snapshot that he is still learning how to harness to be a consistent offensive threat .. uses his speed well on the defensive side of the puck and does a fine job pressuring the point men and getting in shooting lanes while killing penalties.

Matt Watkins (Dal), F, North Dakota

Honest two-way player that works hard in all three zones .. savvy player with good hockey sense .. sees the ice adequately and is a mature passer with decent poise .. strong along the boards and shows good leadership qualities.

Maine Black Bears

Top-goaltending prospect Ben Bishop was healthy just in time for the NCAA Tournament to carry the Maine Black Bears to the Frozen Four. Two senior free agents shined while Bishop showed why he is one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Mike Hamilton (Atl), RW, Maine

Depends on his linemates to create open ice for him, as he tends to disappear for long durations of time .. has a wide-legged stride that allows him to be sturdy on his feet but he lacks explosiveness .. finds the quiet areas in the offensive zone well .. displayed a decent but not great shot .. completed his collegiate career but he appears to lack the tools to play in the NHL.

Rob Bellamy (Phi), F, Maine

Did not score his first goal of the season until the NCAA playoffs despite possessing a fine release .. strong north-and-south skater .. possesses a stocky frame that he likes to throw around, as he finishes every check .. comes back hard to help defensively .. offensive upside is his downside although he should assume more of an offensive role next season, where scouts can determine if he possesses the tools to score as he did in high school.

Billy Ryan (NYR), F, Maine

His silky hands are his best attribute .. can finish adequately from both sides of his stick, although the release on his wristshot needs to be quicker .. over handles the puck despite possessing the vision to be and adequate playmaker .. an opportunist who waits in the weeds for his chances .. a small frame, poor defensive play, and a sluggish first step are detriments to his game that he will need to overcome, if he hopes to play in the NHL.

Ben Bishop (StL), G, Maine

Tremendous athlete in goal with superb dexterity at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds.. aggressively plays on the top of his crease to challenge the shooter at every opportunity .. shows good footwork and is an impressive skater .. moves well laterally, although he can over extend himself leaving him prone to being out of position if there is a rebound .. displays quick reflexes in all of his extremities, as he takes away the lower half the net well and possesses a lively glove along with a reliable blocker .. plays the puck well with the ability to send it far up the ice and does so at every opportunity .. has ice water in his veins, as he is not shy to take risks while moving the puck in the face of pressure, although he can turn the puck over at times .. tremendous athlete with a strong mental makeup .. needs to refine mechanics and minimize movements before taking the next step .. what he has you cannot coach and what he does not you can.

Josh Soares (StL), F, Maine

Signed as an UFA with the St. Louis Blues .. sees the ice well and is an instinctive passer ..possesses adequate hands with impressive in-close skills .. finishes his chances with an adequate release and accurate shot .. competes sufficiently and has some grit to his game .. strong on his feet and is well balanced despite being a bit undersized, which allows him to handle the trenches .. for a scorer at this level he also did the dirty work down low and showed good puck pursuit .. back checks hard.

Ted Purcell (FA), RW, Maine

Despite being a freshman, Purcell is too old to be drafted but he has come a long way this season and it is doubtful he will play all four years of college before leaving for the pro game .. tall with a long reach and supple hands .. has a dynamite release and is a creative offensive catalyst .. skating is the key, as if he can add some explosiveness to his adequate stride, he would be a dynamic offensive threat .. play away from the puck has come along nicely this season .. think a poor man's Thomas Vanek.

Michel Leveille (FA), C, Maine

Plays on the point during the powerplay where he displays his superb vision of the ice and the ability to create distributing the puck .. possesses a quick release and an underrated shooting arsenal and his booming slapshot is especially dangerous .. owns a good one-timer .. attempted to drive the net on a few occasions.. slippery one-on-one with soft hands and the ability to read the play in front of him .. a decent but not great skater .. fluid and agile but not explosive .. finishes his checks and competes well .. could be a decent depth acquisition by any NHL team for his crafty offensive game and good locker-room presence.

Matt Duffy (Fla), D, Maine

Is not a flashy player, as he is often hard to find on the ice, which is a good and bad thing .. the good is that he plays a mistake-free game and is reliable at both ends .. the bad is that he does not possess the natural talent to stand out and dictate the game .. smart and poised-player in all situations.

Simon Danis-Pepin (Chi), D, Maine

Distributes the puck soundly while in the offensive zone with crisp passes .. when trying to break the puck out of the zone however, he brain cramps and takes much too long deciding where to move the puck, often leading to a turnover .. possesses a good, low, and heavy point shot .. has smooth mobility for a player of his size with fluid pivots, although his first step could be improved, as speedy opponents can catch him flat-footed defensively .. not a mean spirited player but plays the body well .. owns a great reach .. he is tough to figure out because he is more than adequate in the offensive zone but his play in his own end is very suspect despite his mammoth stature.