NCAA: WCHA Final Five

Minnesota Duluth became the first WCHA play in winner to win the Final Five Championship. The Bulldogs used three consecutive upsets over conference rivals North Dakota, Denver, and the Minnesota Gophers to win the WCHA title. Alex Stalock, the WCHA goaltender of the year and senior centerman MacGregor Sharp were heroic in the Bulldogs' efforts. McKeen's director of scouting Max Giese filed this report on the event.

Alex Stalock (SJ), G, Minnesota Duluth

Talk about a decorated prospect, Stalock was the WCHA goaltender of the year, first team All-WCHA, awarded the top goaltender of the tournament, and was named the tournament's MVP .. displayed his ability to steal a game on his own by stopping 39 out of 40 shots in a win against the Minnesota Gophers .. then followed that performance with a 31 save shutout against the No. 1-seeded Fighting Sioux and then another shutout against Denver in the Championship game .. probably the hottest goaltender in the NCAA right now and is nearly a clone of Marty Turco with the leadership qualities of Martin Brodeur .. a brilliant skater and puckhandler that is blessed with high-end athleticism .. his puckhandling ability forces the opposition to readjust their forechecking game .. a natural-born leader and this translates to the ice where he always has his teammates fighting hard for him .. his rebound control was inconsistent and he got lucky a few times while out of position, but overall there is no goaltender more feared and respected by his opponents in the NCAA than Alex Stalock.

MacGregor Sharp (UFA), C, Minnesota Duluth

Emerged as a clutch goal scorer for the Bulldogs late in the season and had five goals at the Final Five including a hat-trick in the championship game over Denver .. he's a smart two-way player that has really developed nicely into a valued penalty-killer .. his anticipation is uncanny, as he is blessed with that rare knack for always arriving to the right place at the right time for a scoring opportunity .. was strong in the faceoff circle .. a leader on the ice that plays his best in the big moments of the big games .. his skating is still a major flaw and he lacks quickness, but his hockey sense and character keeps him as an NHL prospect.

Patrick Mullen (UFA), D, Denver Pioneers

A small, skilled offensive defenseman .. the classic case of scouts going to watch one player and coming away liking another, as he has formed a dynamic duo with Ottawa Senators draft-pick Patrick Wiercioch on the Pioneers' top defensive pairing .. undersized at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, but he's fairly strong on his feet and competes .. however, his size limits his effectiveness in defending around his crease area .. a creative passer with outstanding vision that disguises his intentions before dishing off the puck .. a natural at working the puck on the point and quarterbacks the powerplay .. can thread the needle by passing the puck through lanes most can't identify .. very skilled with the puck and is a threat to take it all on his own, as he loves to challenge defenders and the goaltender.

Brett Hextall (Phx), RW, North Dakota

The son of former NHL goaltender Ron Hextall, Brett impressed here with his ability to get under the oppositions skin .. he's a nasty player to play against and has a mean streak .. despite his smallish frame, Hextall can grind the puck along the wall and is fearless going to the net .. shoots the puck well from both sides of his stick .. could be a pest in the making.

Chay Genoway (UFA), D, North Dakota

An interesting prospect that was named the WCHA's defensive player of the year .. it's too bad he's terribly small (5-9, 171) because the rest of his game is quite good .. the only true quarterback on the backend for the Fighting Sioux, Genoway is always active offensively and has the skating ability to recover .. one of the best pure skaters in the NCAA, Genoway has terrific all-compass mobility .. plays an in-your-face-style-of defense and his toughness often makes you forget how small he is.

Brendan Smith (Det), D, Wisconsin Badgers

A gifted offensive defenseman, Smith is one of the most skilled players at skating the puck in the WCHA .. equally dangerous shooting, carrying, and passing the puck .. is also beginning to develop a physical side to his game .. he's big, strong, and is beginning to utilize his size to punish unsuspecting offenders .. yet, he remains enigmatic defensively and got beat around his own net by much smaller opponents .. still a gambler that is bad defensively and he needs to get his head on a swivel in his own end.