USHL Fall Classic: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have consistently been one of the top teams in the USHL over the bulk of their existence, which started during the 1999-2000 season. The RoughRiders got off to a good start during the pre-season by going 3-0 at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic and winning the tournament, beating out the Des Moines Buccaneers by goal differential. Helping lead the charge were second-year veteran and New York Islanders draft pick Matt Donovan, Dallas Stars prospect Scott Winkler, and Washington Capitals selection Greg Burke, all of whom look poised to be major contributors to the team in 2008-09. In addition, second-year defenseman Paul Phillips, physical left-winger Jeff Costello, and agile right-winger Cody Murphy also look to make solid contributions to the Cedar Rapids line-up and are players to watch in their first year of NHL Entry Draft eligibility. McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese both had the opportunity to watch the RoughRiders at the Fall Classic and enter notes on several players, including New York Islanders draft pick Matt Donovan.

Matt Donovan (NYI), D, Cedar Rapids

Appears even more confident than during the 2007-08 season and looks poised to be one of the top defensemen in the USHL in 2008-09 .. backwards skating form is still good, keeping a low and wide stance and not relying on crossovers .. still involved offensively and pinches low to join the play and create chances and finish his chances .. has a quick release on his wristshot, which can create rebound chances for teammates .. demonstrates patience with the puck despite pressure .. in 2007-08, he scored 12 goals and 18 assists to lead Cedar Rapids in defense scoring, finished seventh overall amongst USHL defensemen in scoring, and led Cedar Rapids with a plus-19 rating .. drafted by the New York Islanders in the fourth round with the 96th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to Denver University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 2-1-1-2

Additional comments from Max Giese

A heady two-way defenseman that moves the puck efficiently .. has good feet and maneuverability in all-directions .. there are no issues with his skating technique, but added power to his stride would benefit and lengthen his mobility .. his poise with the puck under fire bellies his age, as he's impossible to rattle even with a ferocious forecheck .. makes sound decisions with the puck and does a fine job distributing from the point .. consistently finds the net with his quick and accurate pointshot .. maintains a tight gap while defending and properly angles his man off .. still a smallish defenseman, although he looks stronger this year and playing with a bit more tenacity during puck battles .. next year in the NCAA will be a good test for him.

Scott Winkler (Dal), C/RW, Cedar Rapids

Plays a mature game, far beyond what would expect from a player that played Midget AAA the year before, but the Canadian-Norwegian does have experience in the Norwegian junior elite league and Norwegian First Division with the Frisk Asker organization .. appears mature physically at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds .. has excellent explosiveness to get to loose pucks and does so with exceptional power in his first few strides, instead of a lot of quick strides, which helps him stay in complete control .. also knows how to position his body to ensure he wins puck battles without expending excessive energy .. displays confidence stickhandling and is able to make crisp passes on the tape .. has a crisp, hard wristshot .. has good two-way awareness in knowing where to be both defensively and offensively and in intelligently winning small battles .. in 2007-08, he scored 40 goals and 52 assists in 72 games with Russell Stover .. played for Team Norway at the 2008 Group B World U18 Championships and scored 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 games to finish second in tournament scoring and helped Norway win the tournament and promoted to the elite pool in 2009 .. drafted by the Dallas Stars in the third round with the 89th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to Colorado College .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 2-1-2-3 0

Additional comments from Max Giese

A strong two-way player with no glaring weaknesses, Winkler is a promising combination of size and mobility from the wing .. skates well with the puck, as he's swift in his turns and has a surprising burst of speed to the outside .. blessed with soft hands and rangy puck skills, Winkler also possesses the size to retain possession in traffic areas and bull right through guys .. flourishing on the wing and appears to be more physical here in the USHL than he was a year ago with Russell Stover .. can hit hard already and there is still plenty of strength yet to be added .. a mature player at both sides of the rink, Winkler is a promising prospect that is reminiscent to Jannik Hansen of the Vancouver Canucks.

Greg Burke (Wsh), C, Cedar Rapids

Likely candidate to be Cedar Rapids' first line center in 2008-09 .. displays good offensive vision and is very dangerous coming off the boards or out of the corners, both as a shooter and a playmaker .. has good cruising speed to drive the net and has the size at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds to do it consistently and with relative ease .. consistently able to buy time for teammates by circling the offensive zone and maintaining puck possession .. has a crisp, hard wristshot that he can snipe with .. makes crisp passes on the tape and can connect on long-distance passes to spring teammates for breakaways .. displays confidence with the puck and good stickhandling prowess .. wins his fair share of draws in the faceoff circle .. in 2007-08, he scored 21 goals and 25 assists in 40 games with the New Hampshire Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) .. drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round with the 174th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to the University of New Hampshire .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 3-4-1-5

Additional comments from Max Giese

Looks to make a difference offensively every shift .. his mobility is adequate, although he's a hunched-over skater that overly relies on crossovers to gain momentum .. like a snake, Burke utilizes S patterns to accelerate through the natural zone .. likes to attack the slot area with the puck on his blade when he gains the offensive zone, although he will need to correct his balance issues and cover the puck better because he's stripped off it too easily .. however, he does a fine job rolling off checks and maintaining a strong stick while possessing the puck along the wall .. has decent hands and size with the ability to maneuver the puck quickly in tight around his body .. can finish or create equally well, and he activates himself well in space .. will need to make further upgrades to his defensive play.

Paul Phillips (2009), D, Cedar Rapids

Played as a defensive defenseman for Cedar Rapids in 2007-08 and excelled in that role, but will be a two-way defenseman in 2008-09 and appears to be the RoughRiders' top draft-eligible prospect .. played a much bigger offensive role for Cedar Rapids in the preseason than the prior season, showed confidence skating and handling the puck and did not panic with the puck .. demonstrated good speed and a smooth stride while skating the puck .. joining the offensive play more, but hustles back to defensive assignment if the puck is turned over .. defensively, still shows his excellent low and wide stance backwards with no crossovers, which gives him a low center of gravity for stopping opponents or moving laterally quickly .. communicates in the defensive zone with teammates .. appeared less physical than last season, but this was likely due to him not playing in a purely defensive role .. has a sturdy 6-foot-0, 200-pound frame .. played for the USA U18 Select Team at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August .. in 2007-08 scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 43 games for Cedar Rapids .. committed to Denver University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 3-0-1-1

Additional comments from Max Giese

An offensive defenseman in midget hockey that wanted to go end-to-end at all times, Phillips' defensive game has matured thanks to the year he spent last season in the USHL, however his offensive game has gone in the reverse direction .. defends well against the rush, as his strong backwards mobility allows him to maintain tight gaps .. difficult to beat one-on-one in space because he maintains stick-on-stick and locks on the body with his eyes .. more assertive this year offensively, although he is still inefficient in utilizing his skill-set to manufacture offense because he seems unsure of himself and second guesses his instincts .. doesn't get pushed around, but he doesn't have the prototypical size and isn't much of a physical presence .. hopefully his offense comes back around.

Jeff Costello (2009), LW, Cedar Rapids

Stout 5-11, 195-pound left winger is an exceptionally hard hitter .. low center of gravity allows him to explode into checks and level opponents and absorb the hits of opponents .. has a fairly powerful stride and good speed, which he uses to charge the net .. plays with a lot of intensity and aggressiveness .. demonstrates some offensive awareness, stick skills, and playmaking abilities .. an effective, shorter power forward .. took an unwise penalty in coming off the bench for a scrum in Cedar Rapids' second game of the Fall Classic and was given a roughing minor, a major penalty, and a game misconduct .. in 2007-08, he scored 18 goals and 18 assists for Team Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest Elite League prior to scoring 31 goals and 17 assists in 22 games for Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School in the Wisconsin High School Hockey League .. committed to the University of Notre Dame .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 2-0-1-1 … 19 pim.

Additional comments from Max Giese

An energetic and physical two-way forward .. owns a compact stride with sharp feet and fluent acceleration .. short but thick with deceptive strength .. has a lot of sandpaper to his game, as he's a physical presence that can jolt larger opponents with heavy bodychecks .. stocky and plays like a wrecking ball on the ice .. never quits on the puck in the defensive zone and is tenacious on the puckcarrier, although he is still late in his defensive reads at times .. needs to show more ability with the puck at this level, but is definitely worth monitoring this year as a draft-eligible prospect.

Cody Murphy (2009), RW, Cedar Rapids

Small forward (5-10, 179) that skates well, has good speed and who puts in a good effort .. does not have blazing speed, but his speed is certainly above average and he uses it with the puck to beat opponents wide .. able to use his speed and hustle to steer the play on the forecheck .. has very good agility and can make tight switchbacks with the puck or to keep with opponents defensively .. able to maintain control of the puck along the boards and in the corners .. not a punishing physical player at the USHL level yet, but willing to engage physically .. in 2007-08, he led Team Illinois in MWEHL scoring with 14 goals and 8 assists in 24 games .. committed to Miami University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 3-1-1-2 … 2 pim.

Additional comments from Max Giese

The ultimate competitor that makes things happen through his hard work .. very sharp on his edges with passable speed, adequate quickness and agility .. mildly skilled with decent offensive instincts, Murphy gets most of his points through sheer hard work and because of his willingness to go to the net .. the puck seems to find him around the net in traffic, and his compact release allows him to get the puck off his stick quickly .. hands are decent and he receives the puck leisurely .. goes into traffic areas without fear and can suffocate the opponent's breakout with his relentless forecheck .. simply outworks defenders while cycling the puck low and wins a lot of pucks for his teammates through his work in the corners .. competes hard at both ends of the ice and is a smart two-way player that can kill penalties .. needs to get up to USHL conditioning standards.

Brett Gensler (2009), RW, Cedar Rapids

A small, 5-foot-9, 165-pound right-winger with decent speed and good agility .. has the stickhandling to make some nice moves, but must adjust to the caliber of USHL play and know when he can make moves and when he should just make sure he gains the next zone .. has the hand-eye coordination to make some nice deflections while on the move .. shows a good effort on the forecheck and is often buzzing around, looking to create turnovers .. first-year, draft-eligible prospect is an extreme long shot to be drafted, and appears to be on par with 2007-08 RoughRider Vince Mihalek .. in 2007-08, he played for Chaminade Prep (a St. Louis area prep school) and scored 44 goals and 29 assists in 28 games and also played for the St. Louis Jr. Blues midget AAA team .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-0-2 - notes by Kevin Wey

Brock Carlston (2009), D, Cedar Rapids

Smaller defenseman (6-0, 175), appears to be of the offensive defenseman mold .. displays good agility with the puck, but loses handle of the puck too often .. forward strides are short, and he could afford to lengthen his stride .. has a decent slapshot from the point that he keeps low .. first-year draft-eligible prospect is an extreme long shot to be drafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he played Michigan high school hockey for Mona Shores High School .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0 … 2 pim - notes by Kevin Wey

Nick Oddo (2009), F, Cedar Rapids

Ranked by CSS in their final rankings before the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Oddo went unselected .. still appears to be a long shot the second time around .. showed a little more speed than in 2007-08 and a little more strength, but still needs considerably more size on his 6-foot-0, 175-pound frame .. displayed more confidence handling the puck than he did most of last season, and is a goal-scoring threat because of his two-way effort, tenacity, and positioning .. in 2007-08, he scored 14 goals and 9 assists in 57 games for Cedar Rapids .. committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 1-2-0-2 - notes by Kevin Wey

Matthew Tennyson (2009), D, Cedar Rapids

Rookie USHL defenseman has one year of Tier II junior hockey under his belt .. 6-foot-2, 185-pound defenseman is a tad slow backwards, but maintains a fairly low stance backwards and does not rely on crossovers .. passing game lacks polish .. typically makes simple passes and can connect with crisp passes, but also misses his desired target too often .. appears to read the play slowly at times or second-guess himself.. must improve at keeping difficult pucks in at the point .. has a decent slapshot and wristshot from the point, as well as a decent snapshot .. not a dominating physical presence every shift, but can connect on some big hits .. a long shot to go in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tennyson does appear poised to be Cedar Rapids' third or fourth defenseman .. in 2007-08, scored 4 goals and 10 assists in 58 games for the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League .. committed to Western Michigan University .. 2008 Fall Classic stats: 3-0-2-2 … 2 pim - notes by Kevin Wey