USHL: Indiana Ice Age - The Meltdown

The Indiana Ice suffered a disappointing defeat in the first round of the USHL playoffs after being upset by the Chicago Steel 3-1. Defenseman John Carlson currently No. 15 on McKeen's Midterm Rankings is the toast of the USHL's 2008 draft class and he did not disappoint with a dominant two-way performance. Teammate and Czech-native Stepan Novotny also emerged as a promising prospect eligible for the 2009 draft.

John Carlson (2008), D, Indiana Ice

A legit first-round talent that dominated the USHL this season with his ability to launch the offensive attack from his own end .. never left the ice for Indiana, as he was their number one defenseman playing loads of minutes five-on-five and on both first string special team units .. decent skater that will need to quicken his feet for the next level however, that does not prevent him from being dangerous jumping into the offensive rush .. owns a superb skill set and is a tremendous puck distributor that can stretch the ice with the home run pass .. exceptional powerplay quarterback that instinctively sneaks into the open seams of the oppositions defenses to get open to unload his shot that is an absolute bomb .. solidified his defensive positioning as the year progressed and is now much more assertive utilizing his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame to take the opposition out with a stiff bodycheck .. displayed leadership qualities in the playoffs by barking out orders on the ice and being vocal with his teammates between whistles .. committed to U-Massachusetts, Carlson has pro written all over him.

Stepan Novotny (2009), RW, Indiana Ice

One of the more purely talented players in the USHL and should be a highly sought after player by NHL scouts for the 2009 draft .. can really exploit the open ice for a big man thanks to his tremendous jets .. looks to have substantially grown physically this year and looks bigger than his listed size (6-1, 190 ) would suggest .. playing a more robust game now and is beginning to initiate the body contact .. this Denver recruit and Czech native developed well thanks to challenging himself at a higher level of play and all of the tools are here necessary to develop into a good player.

Ben Blood (Ott), D, Indiana Ice

Savvy and steady two-way defenseman that enjoyed exponential gains in his development this season .. much more mobile now and is beginning to further his physical edge by utilizing his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame .. comfortable breaking the puck out of his own end where he displays his impressive vision and skill in making a tape-to-tape, first pass consistently .. heady defenseman that properly positions himself all over the ice and he's very difficult to beat one-on-one thanks to his size and recently upgraded mobility .. makes strong defensive reads and knows when to attack and when to hang back .. a skillful shot blocker that does many of the little things it takes to excel at the next level .. fully prepared to play for North Dakota next season and is emerging as a promising prospect in the Senators system.

Paul Carey (Col), LW, Indiana Ice

Materialized as one of the most feared goal scorers in the USHL this season and should become an impact freshman next year for Boston College .. Carey owns a great shot, although he failed to hit the net in the playoffs and only scored once in four games after scoring 34 in the regular season .. utilized on the point during the powerplay where his finesse skill is instantly evident, as he saucers beautiful passes to the streaking wingers .. has developed the ability to separate from defenders when coming down the wing thanks to his more influential stride .. defensively hit and miss but has a knack for using his quick stick to strip the puck away from the opposition when on the backcheck .. good find by the Colorado Avalanche and will be an impact collegiate athlete.

Brent Gwidt (Wsh), RW, Indiana Ice

One of the few players on the Indiana Ice that was willing to get his nose dirty and go to the front of the net .. can't rely on his speed or finesse to burn anyone but he's combative on the puck, which makes it difficult for the opposition to prevent him from getting to the net when he gets full use out of his 6-foot-3, 203-pound frame .. an effective penalty killer that can also land some heavy bodychecks in all three zones .. committed to Nebraska-Omaha, Gwidt has taken the proper steps in his development to give him a chance to excel at the next level by focusing on gritty two-way play, instead of the lazy finesse game he tried to get away with in the past.

Scott Darling (Phx), G, Indiana Ice

This towering 6-foot-5, 198-pound behemoth in net was terrible in the playoffs and made every shot on net an adventure .. his rebound control is atrocious and he seems completely off balance when making routine movements in his crease .. flops like a fish out of water if a scrum near his crease area pursues .. does a decent job taking away the lower portion of the net because he is so big .. plays small in one-on-one situations despite his tremendous size, as he can be easily sucked deep into his crease by incoming attackers .. goes down too early and will be exposed by more talented shooters at the next level .. committed to Maine, Darling does have some intriguing raw tools to work with but he has a long ways to go.