DU has Marc Cherverie and Rhett Rakhshani, while Wisconsin has Blake Geffrion and Brendan Smith. Click here for the story.
DU has Marc Cherverie and Rhett Rakhshani, while Wisconsin has Blake Geffrion and Brendan Smith. Click here for the story.
Former Colorado College player Brian McMillin signed with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings Friday. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed. McMillin recorded 28 points (15 goals) in 135 career games. The Rouseau, Minn. native became one of the Tigers most reliable penalty killers and defensive forward.
Former captain Mike Testwuide , 23, confirmed that he has signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers organization Thursday afternoon, capping a hectic week for one of the top college free agents available.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wing was coming off a career year with 31 points (21 goals) and his size made him attractive to the Avalanche, Capitals and Rangers organizations. The Flyers first contacted his advisor, now agent, Dan Plante, midway through the season.
“They showed interest and were pretty consistent,” Testwuide said. “I liked the organization and the style of play. I think I will fit in well.”
Tuesday was spent all day on the phone fielding calls from the four teams’ general managers, personnel directors and his agent. Now, Testwuide can fell some relief knowing he has a team, and a deal worth $640,000.
“It was a pretty good deal,’ he said. ”I have a goal now and a team now. I can’t lay off the gas pedal because pushing myself is what’s got me to this point. I’m proud and excited.”
Testwuide will not report to the Flyers now. Instead he will rest and allow his upper body injury to heal to get ready for offseason training and training camp this summer and fall.
Also, Colorado Springs native Ben Holmstrom signed a contract with the Philadelphia Wednesday. The deal for the 6-foot-1, 202-pound UMass-Lowell forward begins at the start of the 2010-11 season, according to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. Terms were not disclosed.
Holmstrom, 22, recorded 23 points (14 assists) and 69 penalty minutes in 39 games. He was recently named best defensive forward by Hockey East.
From collegehockey247.com …
Vying for a No. 1 seed, North Dakota could boost its resume with a WCHA Tournament title. The Fighting Sioux’s quest begins tonight (7:07 p.m. Central) in a matchup with Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs are fighting for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. For the rest, click here.
From the CBC …
Colorado College senior Mike Testwuide is on the verge of signing a free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right wing from Vail, Colo., enjoyed a strong final season with Colorado College, recording 21 goals in 39 games.
Several NHL teams were vying to sign the 23-year-old Testwuide, but he narrowed down his interests to a shortlist that included the Flyers, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche.
Testwuide may see action for the Flyers this season.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2010/03/18/sp-nhl-flyers-testwuide.html#ixzz0iZF7SScz
Here’s info from the Minnesota Wild and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune …
Prosser’s contract is one year (mandatory because of his age) at $810,000 (prorated to about 97K). His contract expires at the end of the season and he’ll have to be re-signed after July 1.
So why sign him if his contract’s going to expire anyway? Now the Wild owns his rights to re-sign. The plan is for him to stay with Minnesota the rest of the season — not Houston. But unless there’s a ton of injuries, it’s doubtful he’ll play. Regardless, he’s not eligible to be sent to Houston because of some confusing loophole.
He’ll fly to Nashville this morning, attend tonight’s game and be on the charter afterward aimed for Columbus.
Former Colorado College defenseman Nate Prosser, now with the Minnesota Wild, led the Tigers by being named to the all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association second team, it was announced Thursday at the league’s annual awards banquet.
Freshman goalie Joe Howe and freshman center Rylan Schwartz were both named to the all-rookie team. No other Tigers were honored.
Prosser was tied for second in league play in defenseman scoring with 28 points (24 assists) in 39 games. Schwartz (20, 14assists) was third in freshman scoring in league play. Howe led the league with 1,612 minutes. His 743 saves in league play led the WCHA. His 2.90 goals against average led the rookies.
Denver, the MacNaughton Cup champs, dominated the major awards. Denver junior goaltender Marc Cheverie was named the WCHA player of the year, Michigan Tech senior defenseman Eli Vlaisavljevich is the outstanding student-athlete of the year, Wisconsin junior blueliner Brendan Smith was the head coaches’ choice as defensive player of the year, North Dakota forward Danny Kristo was the rookie of the year, Denver forward Rhett Rakhshani was honored as the scoring champion, DU’s Cheverie was recorgnized as the goaltending champ, and Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky was named the coach of the year.
The award were chosen by league coaches and media.
Full list follows:
WCHA Player of the Year
Marc Cheverie, Jr., G, Denver
WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
Eli Vlaisavljevich, Sr., D, Michigan Tech
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Brendan Smith, Jr., D, Wisconsin
WCHA Rookie of the Year
Danny Kristo, Fr., F, North Dakota
WCHA Scoring Champion
Rhett Rakhshani, Sr., F, Denver
WCHA Goaltending Champion
Marc Cheverie, Jr., G, Denver
WCHA Coach of the Year
George Gwozdecky, Denver
2009-10 All-WCHA First Team
Pos Name Team Ht Wt Yr Hometown Pts
F Rhett Rakhshani Denver 5-10 180 Sr Huntington Beach, CA 358
F Blake Geoffrion Wisconsin 6-2 188 Sr Brentwood, TN 333
F Jack Connolly Minnesota-Duluth 5-8 160 So Duluth, MN 256
D Brendan Smith Wisconsin 6-2 190 Jr Mimico, ON 372
D Patrick Wiercioch Denver 6-4 185 So Maple Grove, BC 243
G Marc Cheverie Denver 6-3 180 Jr Cole Harbour, NS 364
All-WCHA Second Team
Pos Name Team Ht Wt Yr Hometown Pts
F Justin Fontaine Minnesota-Duluth 5-11 175 Jr Bonnyville, AB 173
F Ryan Lasch St. Cloud State 5-7 175 Sr Lake Forest, CA 140
F Tyler Ruegsegger Denver 6-0 185 Sr Lakewood, CO 138
D Ryan McDonagh Wisconsin 6-1 216 Jr Arden Hills, MN 149
D Nate Prosser Colorado College 6-2 210 Sr Elk River, MN 144
G Brad Eidsness North Dakota 6-0 175 So Chestermere, AB 143
All-WCHA Third Team
Pos Name Team Ht Wt Yr Hometown Pts
F Michael Davies Wisconsin 5-8 175 Sr St. Louis, MO 109
F Joe Colborne Denver 6-5 195 So Calgary, AB 100
F Garrett Roe St. Cloud State 5-9 175 Jr Vienna, VA 78
D Garrett Raboin St. Cloud State 5-11 175 Sr Detroit Lakes, MN 111
D Chay Genoway North Dakota 5-9 175 Sr Morden, MB 83
G Dan Dunn St. Cloud State 6-5 200 Jr Oshawa, ON 88
All-WCHA Rookie Team
Pos Name Team Ht Wt Yr Hometown Votes
F Danny Kristo North Dakota 5-11 180 Fr Eden Prairie, MN 77
F Craig Smith Wisconsin 6-0 195 Fr Madison, WI 52
F Rylan Schwartz Colorado College 5-10 182 Fr Wilcox, SK 50
D Matt Donovan Denver 6-0 190 Fr Edmond, OK 65
D Justin Schultz Wisconsin 6-1 185 Fr West Kelowna, BC 29
G Joe Howe Colorado College 5-11 190 Fr Plymouth, MN 55
Former Colorado College defenseman Nate Prosser signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild Wednesday and will join the team in Nashville Thursday.
The Elk River, Minn., senior was pleased at the opportunity to sign with his home team.
“That’s huge,” he said. “The possibility of playing in front of my family and friends is exciting. I just want to thank the Lord for the opportunity and the doors he opened.”
He is unsure when he will make his NHL debut.
The contract, not yet announced by the Wild (34-29-6), was “close to the max for a rookie,” said Prosser, who turns 24 in May. For NHL rookies under 25, the maximum is a little more than $1 million in salary with 50 percent in signing, reporting and roster bonuses. He would be paid less if he plays with Houston, Minnesota’s American Hockey League affiliate, next season. He will be on the Wild’s roster for all 13 remaining regular-season games.
The Wild did not approach his agent, Neil K. Sheehy, until after CC was eliminated in the league playoffs. Prosser stayed in Minnesota to compare organizations’ depth charts with Sheehy Hockey LLC, which represents former CC players Brian Connelly, Mark Cullen, Jack Hillen, Marty Sertich and Toby Petersen, according to its Web site.
Mike Testwuide responded to my text saying things were really hectic, which sounds like a good sign to me.
Bill Sweatt (Chicago), Kris Fredheim (Vancouver) are draft picks so their talks have surely begun. Vancouver has been quite busy, signing Minnesota’s Jordan Schroeder and siginign and sending Anchorage winger Kevin Clark off to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose earlier today. Anchorage’s Trevor Hunt signed an amateur tryout with the Stockton Thunder, an Edmonton affiliate.
Addison DeBoer and Brian McMillin may also get some hard looks. Matt Overman’s shoulder will likely keep him from drawing much attention along with Dan Quilico (one career point).
The Edmonton Journal on Mike Testwuide …
The Edmonton Oilers are looking at several U.S. college free agents, hoping to sign some. They’re likely going for big forwards. Here are three names to consider: Forward Brayden Irwin, who’s been at two Buffalo Sabres development camps (U of Vermont), Mike Testwuide (RW, Colorado College) and Cam MacIntyre (winger, Princeton). They’re all at least six-foot-three and 220 pounds. There are several hotshot forwards lighting it up — Stephane Da Costa and Chris Barton at Merrimack College, and Bobby Butler at U of New Hampshire — but they’re all on the smallish side, and the Oilers have enough pygmy forwards.
From Kevin Pates of the Duluth News-Tribune …
As much as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association likes to blow its horn about superiority, the statistics almost always agree.
And the numbers have never been more flattering than this week entering the WCHA Final Five at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.
The five entries are in the top 11 of the PairWise Rankings, which mimic the NCAA Division I men’s tournament selection process. That alone makes the event more appealing than any conference tournament.
Click here for the rest.