Top Shelf: News from the World of Prospects

What kind of exhibition game garners over 200 minutes in penalties including 126 in the final period? Apparently when the US Under-18 National Team Development Program plays an exhibition against the Canisius College Golden Griffins. In a game that featured six ejections, you wonder if the referees really had control of the contest from the outset. Lost in the shuffle of the NTDP's 7-1 victory was a five-point performance by Phil Kessel.

The CHL Top Prospects Game is anything but your average everyday exhibition. Just ask Bobby Ryan of the Owen Sound Attack, who could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury suffered at the hands of hard-hitting Alex Bourret of the Lewiston MAINEiacs.

Some called the hit dirty, but it was more just an inopportune time for Ryan to reach back for a lost puck.

Also on the Top Prospects, Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo was very critical of Sidney Crosby pulling out of the game citing fatigue and an undisclosed injury. There has yet to be anyone in hockey circles to lend Toigo a sympathetic ear, as the game was a huge success with the top-rated WHLer and hometown hero Gilbert Brule capturing player-of-the-game honours.

GUARDED OPINION

I was personally a big supporter of Kelly Guard and his play last season for the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. There were those that told me that much of Guard's success was based on the stifling defensive system that the Rockets played.

Well, today Guard is in the ECHL with an .894 save percentage (55th in the league) and a 3.10 goals-against average (52nd). Conversely, Derek Yeomans, Guard's replacement in Kelowna, sits third in the WHL with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Draw your own conclusions.

The NHL for many years as most hockey fans know are biased towards big players. This could be the only explanation for 6-foot-6, 240-pound Devereaux Heshmatpour's stock in the upcoming draft. Aside from his hulking frame and big shot, the Oshawa Generals' blueliner needs an awful lot of work.

LONDON CALLING

So the London Knights felt they were lacking something and had to go and add center Danny Fritsche from the Sarnia Sting and goaltender Adam Dennis from the Guelph Storm (note sarcasm). Not that they needed the help but Fritsche is a first class player. He played through the World Juniors with bronchitis and was arguably the USA's best performer.

Czech winger Lukas Kaspar, who plies his trade for the Ottawa 67s, was impressive to watch at the World Juniors in North Dakota because of his hulking size and terrific skating ability. Too bad the book seems to be accurate about him having no hands.

Rumours abound that Philadelphia Flyers goalie Robert Esche has a deal in place to join the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League if the NHL season is cancelled. That can't sit too well with the Wolves' parent club the Atlanta Thrashers.

Top prospect Kari Lehtonen is toiling in the AHL waiting for the lockout to end and management would probably prefer not to have their young star splitting time with an NHLer, however, the Wolves are independently owned and free to fill out their own roster.

Earlier in the month EJ Hradek of ESPN.com wrote a scathing article about USA Hockey because of their performance at the World Junior Championships. Hradek suggests that not only was the player selection flawed by inviting such a large group, but there was even in-fighting between the assistant coaches. Not really a winning environment.

WJC WWF

I guess the shine is off the World Junior Canadian squad. During a recent game, former teammates Dion Phaneuf of the Red Deer Rebels and Andrew Ladd of the Calgary Hitmen dropped the gloves just two seconds into the match. No sooner were they in the penalty box when Ryan Getzlaf (Calgary) and Colin Fraser (Red Deer) tested their pugilist skills. This was a planned event by the four gold medalists in order to show WHL fans where their allegiances lay.

What is going through the head of Mississauga Ice Dogs forward Daniel Carcillo? Pittsburgh's third-round pick in 2003 has been suspended for the rest of the regular season for his third stick infraction of the year, this time for crosschecking a Sudbury Wolves player in the face. Players want to show they're tough, but need to understand that tough and stupid does not an NHL career make.

Our thoughts are with the Windsor Wildcats women's junior hockey team from southern Ontario. Four people were killed and several people critically injured in a bus crash on Saturday January 29, including at least three players.

If you have any questions or interesting tidbits from the hockey prospect world, please email me at bach432@gmail.com