USHL Fall Classic: Indiana Ice Prospects

The Indiana Ice finished first in the USHL's East Division in 2007-08 on the strength of scorers like Colorado Avalanche draft pick Paul Carey, veteran USHLers John Kemp and Gregory Squires, and a core of gigantic defensemen that included John Carlson (Wsh), Corey Fienhage (Buf), and Ben Blood (Ott). Entering 2008-09, the Ice do not appear to have that same level of dynamic talent nor the hulking defense they sported last season, but Indiana does, however, have some talent to watch, especially amongst its talent eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in center John Parker and left winger Stanislav Galiev.

McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese both had the opportunity to study the Indiana Ice at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic and enter notes on several Ice prospects.

Brett Bennett (Phx), G, Indiana

Phoenix Coyotes draft pick was released by Boston University and is now slated to be Indiana's No. 1 goalie .. has some size (6-1, 185) and takes up a fair amount of net when he goes into the butterfly .. generally keeps his angles, lets the puck hit him in the chest, and is able to go down and up quickly, but it begins to fall apart after that .. rebound control is inconsistent .. can appear as if he were taught by Francois Allaire at times, and then at other times, his rebound control collapses and he can end up facing any number of directions and in any number of positions if things get hectic around the crease .. lateral movement is slow at times .. needs to improve crease awareness and make sure he knows where the puck is around him and to have the confidence to not lose proper goaltending technique .. in 2007-08, he played for Boston University and played 31 games, for 1780 minutes, and compiled a 16-10-3 record, 3 shutouts, a .888 save percentage, and a 2.63 goals-against average .. released by Boston University and seeking to transfer .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 89:49 min, 1-1-0, .886 save percentage, and 2.67 goals-against average.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

A positional goaltender with a compact butterfly .. has air-tight fundamentals and is difficult to beat down low thanks to his superb pad control .. isn't afraid to use his quick poke-check that surprises shooters .. keeps in-close holes shut and effectively squeezes his body in-tight during all of his movements .. controls rebounds adequately and uses glove hand well to wring in shots that are up high .. guilty of being vacuumed deep into his crease if the opponent gets him moving or if shooters get a scoring opportunity in tight, leaving him prone to being beaten up-stairs .. sluggish moving side-to-side, doesn't track the puck well, and needs to upgrade his reactionary quickness.

Zach Golembiewski (2009), C, Indiana

Decent all-around hockey player but is not spectacular in any one area .. has good speed and agility, which he uses on the forecheck .. has some speed and acceleration with the puck, but not overwhelming .. hustles into corners, battles, and finishes his checks .. decent backwards skater, when needed .. played on the penalty kill .. hockey sense is probably his strength, as his defensive awareness creates some opportunities and feeds into adequate offensive awareness .. a heads-up stickhandler who can assess his options and does not panic with the puck, even though he's not a gifted stickhandler .. communicates with teammates on the ice .. makes crisp passes .. listed at 6-foot-1 and 177 pounds, his two way game could make him a late-round pick if he puts up respectable numbers .. in 2007-08, he scored 13 goals and 19 assists in 57 games for U.S. National Under-17 Team .. committed to Michigan State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1

Additional Comments by Max Giese

A gritty, defensive forward .. has fairly quick feet with a decent second gear of acceleration, however he lacks explosiveness and his first-few strides are slippery .. vision is adequate and he's a consistent set-up man that efficiently moves the puck up-ice to his teammates .. lacks puck skills and looks very uncomfortable having the puck on his blade .. does a commendable job in the defensive zone where he marks his defensive assignments quickly and comes deep into his own zone to aide in coverage .. a valued penalty killer that was the first forward over the boards during 5-on-3 situations .. anticipates the play adequately and displayed a knack for intercepting errant passes .. gritty with plenty of battle inside and is an effective forechecker, however he lacks strength and is too easily pushed around.

Shane Berschbach (2009), LW, Indiana

Has the weight of a bantam player, but the game of a USHLer .. 5-foot-9, 133-pound winger has decent speed and is active on the forecheck to create chances, but not breakaway speed .. shows good hustle off faceoffs and on forecheck .. not afraid to engage physically and battles hard along the boards to get the puck and will venture toward the net and take punishment .. showed a little playmaking ability coming off the boards, but must still adjust to the speed and strength of the USHL .. has fairly soft hands .. able to finish his chances .. has low chances of being drafted, as he does not have the speed or physicality of undrafted former Waterloo Black Hawk James Marcou, who also lacked size .. played for United States Under-18 Select Team at 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and scored 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 games .. in 2007-08, he played Midget AAA for Little Caesar's and scored 11 goals and 15 assists in 25 MWEHL regular season games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-2-4, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Nimble on his feet and is a decent skater with the puck, although he lacks dynamic speed and coasts too much away from the puck .. skilled with a deft touch around the net, as he is a pure finisher .. an astute offensive player that is especially effective at creating chances on the powerplay .. does a poor job defensively and is overmatched physically .. too small and is prone to lapses of invisibility because he's such a one-dimensional player

Torey Krug (2009), D, Indiana

Diminutive defenseman with quick feet and that moves the puck well .. 5-foot-8, 168-pound defenseman has very quick feet and good all-compass mobility, but might be better served to add more power to his strides to cover more ground .. mobility makes him decent defensively despite lack of size, as he angles opponents correctly and can execute leg drags well .. does play the body despite size .. adept passer with an accurate breakout pass .. makes crisp passes and can execute saucer and one-touch passes well .. has a cannon from the point, especially if he unleashes on a one-timer .. a certainty to see powerplay time with Indiana and should put up some points .. because of his size, he has almost no chance of being taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he played Midget AAA for Compuware picking up 5 assists in 25 MWEHL regular season games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-0-1, 6 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Likely too small to play in the NHL, Krug is a skilled offensive defenseman with a huge point shot that should be able to provide an offensive punch from the back-end in the NCAA.

Max Cook (2009), LW/C, Green Bay (now with Indiana)

Played for Green Bay at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic but was traded to the Indiana Ice Sept. 30 .. ranked 190th amongst North American skaters by CSS entering the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected .. 6-foot-1, 175-pound forward still needs additional lower body strength, but Cook has made some improvement .. still fairly upright in his skating and turns are a bit shaky at times, but starting to show good speed and some agility with the puck .. was a playmaker on the powerplay and made crisp, accurate passes and showed a penchant for connecting on cross-zone passes .. a long shot to be taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Cook is worth monitoring to see if he plays a top-six role for Green Bay and if he can improve his skating and strength during the season .. in 2007-08, he scored 5 goals and 11 assists in 56 games for Green Bay .. committed to Miami University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-1-1-2, 4 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Still rail thin and the major concern here is will he ever add weight to his gangly frame .. skating better with the puck and is handling it with more composure .. his deft-passing game is beginning to shine through more this season.

Joe Hartman (2009), D, Indiana

Big 6-foot-4, 199-pound defenseman was already team captain at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic in his rookie USHL season .. has average speed and hunches over a bit skating .. has quick feet when necessary, but gets a little vertical in his pivots from backward to forward and takes too many steps to do so .. even with his average skating, he gets the job done .. plays with some physicality and does get fairly low skating backwards and can rub opponents out along the boards or stand them up .. moves the puck well .. makes crisp, accurate passes and is adept at connecting saucer passes .. has a strong slapshot from the point and normally has a decent wristshot from the point .. even when his wristshot isn't at its best, he generally gets it on net and creates rebound opportunities .. in his third year of eligibility for the NHL Entry Draft and has an outside chance at selection, because he could be the leader on Indy's blueline this season .. in 2007-08, he scored 10 goals and 21 assists in 55 games for the Alexandria Blizzard of the NAHL .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-2-2 2 pim.

Dan Cecka (2009), RW, Indiana

Probably off most people's radar entering the weekend, but he put up good numbers in Minnesota high school hockey last season and put in a good showing at the 2008 Fall Classic .. has good speed and stays low for notable power .. has quick first three steps to the puck, but certainly does not rely only on quick feet for his peed .. uses his speed in combination with a good effort defensively on the forecheck and backcheck .. also plays with some physicality .. has a nice set of hands to stickhandle wide, or draw it in, or to catch difficult passes .. makes crisp passes and can execute a textbook saucer .. possesses a quick wristshot, a hard slapshot and can snipe with his shot .. has the skill to warrant draft consideration as a second-year eligible player and has the size at 6-foot-0 and198 pounds to make sure no scouts write him off before the game begins .. in 2007-08, he scored 33 goals and 36 assists in 31 games for Hill Murray of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-3-1-4, 2 pim.

Chris Stafne (2009), C, Indiana

Beware of Stafne's shot, as he can snipe .. possesses a quick shot for scoring from the perimeter, but he also puts himself in position around the net to hammer home rebounds and other errant pucks or to connect from the backdoor if opponents unwisely ignore him or lose sight.. has good speed with the puck and also uses it on the forecheck and the backcheck, creating some of his own chances .. second-year eligible prospect still a long shot to be taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but is worth monitoring .. at 5-foot-11 and 157 pounds, he does need to gain additional size, although he does not play small .. in 2007-08, he scored 47 goals and 30 assists in 28 games for Duluth Denfield of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. committed to University of Minnesota-Duluth .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-1-3, 2 pim.

Ben Albertson (2009), LW, Indiana

Indian's biggest forward at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds .. shows some hustle on the forecheck and finishes his checks, which he can do with some force, but his speed is average at best .. possesses a decent wristshot, but must improve his accuracy in game conditions at this level to make sure he's hitting the net and not scuffing the glass .. in third year of draft eligibility and is still a long shot to be selected, but his size is intriguing .. in 2007-08, he played for St. Paul's Prep .. committed to University of Vermont .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-0-0-0, 2 pim.

Stanislav Galiev (2010), LW, Indiana

Highly talented winger has some habits that he must break .. displays smooth stickhandling and can build some speed and stickhandle right around the opposition, but he reduces his own angle too much .. the 6-foot-1, 182-pound forward is also knocked off the puck way too easily or pushed out of the slot too easily, often by opponents who are not particularly big .. has a quick wristshot .. Russian has some wheels and a nice set of hands, but must become stronger on the puck in order to become a real force at this caliber of hockey .. in 2007-08, he played in the Moscow Dynamo organization .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-1-2, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

A swift skater that is quick and light on his feet .. an electrifying dangler that can mesmerize defenders and lift you out of your seat with his flashy one-on-one moves .. has a tricky release and can execute slick, touch passes through heavy traffic .. has a thirst to entertain, but he's selfish and guilty of over handling the puck .. must adopt a more team oriented offensive game .. defensively, he is non-existent and has miles to go in terms of his play away from the puck .. started the Fall Classic as a soft player, but he got more assertive in traffic as the weekend progressed and was eventually attacking the net .. the skill set is here, however he needs to add strength, work on his defensive play, and involve his linemates more offensively.

John Parker (2010), C, Indiana

An exceptional skater .. has good speed and smooth stickhandling, which is made easier by the fact that his skating form is nearly perfect .. 5-foot-11, 174-pound center has some power in his strides, good extension, and brings his legs back in fully after extension for maximum efficiency .. skating technique is even correct in his upper body, as he brings his arms backward and forward in conjunction with his legs as a well-taught track athlete would, instead of bringing his arms across his body as many players do .. combination of skating and stickhandling often allows him to go right around defenders .. also has good offensive vision and can connect on long-distance passes .. selected by the Saginaw Spirit in the second round with the 37th overall pick of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection .. in 2007-08, he played for the New Jersey Rockets of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League .. committed to UMass-Amherst .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-0-0-0

Additional Comments by Max Giese

A pure skater that is elegant and powerful on his blades .. has the skill to dangle through guys, as he skates well with the puck and can handle it at top speeds .. displayed incredible composure for a player of his age by quarterbacking the powerplay from the half wall .. instinctively identifies when to push the pace with his speed and when to employ a methodical approach by trailing the play just enough to be a part of it .. blessed with an innate sense of timing in the offensive zone, as he has a knack for arriving at the net at the same moment the puck does .. sees the ice well and distributes it cleanly .. showed a nice motor on the forecheck and was able to generate a few turnovers through his defensive game .. too easily knocked off the puck and will need to add strength.

Ian Ruel (2009), D, Indiana (traded to Omaha)

Despite playing only 23 games for Indiana last season, he looks significantly better at this time this year than last season .. traded to Omaha after the 2008 USHL Fall Classic .. 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman has good size and uses it to step-up on opponents, rub them out along the boards with a hip check, or in battling along the boards .. demonstrated some mobility, as he executed switchbacks with the puck and had good acceleration with the puck ..displayed good lateral mobility down low and still stayed low skating backwards, with a fairly wide base, and few crossovers .. pivots are fairly quick, although he appears slightly unsteady at times .. overall, looking like a confident defensive defenseman .. more involved offensively, but passing game lacks polish .. takes a look when skating back for the puck, as he should, but still passes to no one at times and also loses control of the puck stickhandling at times .. could be Omaha's version of Kyle McLaren (in his prime) this season, and could warrant late-round selection if his puckmoving game becomes more consistent .. in 2007-08, he had 1 assist in 23 games for Indiana after missing the first half of season with a broken hand suffered in a titanic fight at the 2007 USHL Fall Classic against Donnie Hallmark .. committed to Bowling Green State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0, 2 pim.