As promised, back with part 2 of the podcasts, bringing you the outlook on the pro players in the Boston Bruins organization.
It’s a pretty solid group from top to bottom, with a couple of forwards and a goaltender at the top, along with a mix of all positions in between.
Hope you enjoy the rundown- as always- we appreciate the support for the blog!
TSP did this last year, so bringing it back for the 2017 version of the New England Hockey Journal’s Boston Bruins organizational prospect rankings.
You can read the full article at http://www.hockeyjournal.com; a top-20 is broken into a pair of pro and amateur lists. This podcast covers the non-pro futures, plus the HM 11th player who didn’t get an in-print capsule, but is a very good prospect for the B’s down the road.
Want to know who we’re talking about to the tune of about a 45-minute breakdown? Just click on the audio file to listen…
Trent Frederic was Boston’s 2nd choice, 29th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft
Was it little friendly banter from the three gents that bring you the 3 Amigos Podcast? Or was it all out war?
It began yesterday after we recorded a podcast with Bruins prospect Zane McIntyre when Kirk Luedeke (an American and founder of TSP) ended a chat among the three of us with the famous U-S-A, U-S-A chant. Reed Duthie and myself, both Canadians, didn’t have a response as we Canadians don’t have such a chant.
Howdy, all- the 3 Amigos ride again with our seventh (or is it eighth?- We don’t know- we have so much fun with these that we’ve lost count) episode of our podcast. Dom, Reed and myself are especially pleased with this latest effort and hope you are as well…
Today’s offering- the final one of 2016- features 4th Amigo and Bruins goaltending prospect of note Zane McIntyre. For those of you who might be living under a rock, McIntyre is the top AHL goalie, currently sporting a 9-0-0 record with 1.35 GAA and .953 save percentage in leading the P-Bruins to an excellent start under first year head coach Kevin Dean.
The 2017 World Junior (Under-20) Championship started on Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal for Groups A & B in the round robin portion of the annual NHL prospect extravaganza that will run into the first week of January.
The Boston Bruins have five players (four defensemen and one goaltender) currently competing in the tourney: USA’s Charlie McAvoy and Ryan Lindgren; Jeremy Lauzon on Team Canada, Czech Republic D Jakub Zboril and goaltender Daniel Vladar round out the group. Guys who did not make the cut for their respective countries: Zach Senyshyn (Canada) and Oskar Steen (Sweden). Trent Frederic was not invited to the USA evaluation camp portion, but he was coming off of a hand injury that might have influenced USA Hockey’s decision to have him return to school. We don’t know for sure, but watch for Frederic to be solidly in the mix for the 2018 USA WJC squad. Canada did not even invite Jesse Gabrielle to the eval camp, which is probably more of a reflection of his not being part of the Canada Program of Excellence than anything else- you would think that a gritty power forward who can score and affect game flow with his physicality would be of value, but apparently not enough in Canada’s eyes. With both Canada and USA winning their opening games, the rosters look fine for now.
Editor’s note- Dominc Tiano is back with another piece for TSP. This time, he takes a look at the NHL’s current point system and how a modification might better reflect in the league standings. If any general managers are reading, we absolutely would welcome this idea being introduced at the summer GM meetings…just saying!
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I have long been an opponent of the current point system used in hockey leagues around North America and have been a proponent of the 3-2-1-point system throughout that period. (3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime or shootout win, and 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss).
Brandon Carlo- 2nd-round, 37th overall in 2015 (Kirk Luedeke photo)
Don’t be misled by the title- Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Brandon Carlo has been anything but “bad” in the first quarter of his introduction to the NHL. We use the word “bad” in the best sense to describe Carlo as a player who has rapidly carved a niche for himself with the B’s, infusing the blue line with the kind of shutdown consistency that was so lacking a year ago.
The Colorado Springs-area native and 37th overall selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft is the youngest defenseman to break into the NHL full-time alongside a future Hall of Fame partner since 19-year-old Dougie Hamilton arrived at the start of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
Editor’s Note- The Scouting Post is pleased to publish friend and fellow 3 Amigo Dominic Tiano’s first column on this blog. He’s had the rare opportunity to visit all of the Original Six arenas/venues for hockey and is treating us with his own observations about those old, grand barns. Enjoy. – K.L.
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Having spent most of my life in Stratford, Ontario Canada, I grew fond of the William Allman Arena in Stratford, one of the oldest continuously operated hockey rinks in the World. There is some suggestion that it is actually the oldest, but that’s an argument for another day.
And that got me thinking about some of the old barns I have been lucky enough to visit. Now, giving away my age isn’t something I normally do, but when I tell you I was lucky enough to visit all original six franchise arenas, I guess I can’t keep it a secret.
Today, when it comes to the Detroit Red Wings, fans of this day automatically think of the Joe Louis Arena, the place the Wings call home for this season. But before “The Joe” there was the Olympia, the first NHL arena I had the opportunity to visit. That was in 1969 and I was just a young lad of 8 years at the time.
My parents had immigrated from Italy just 11 short years earlier and my father became an instant fan of hockey. My only knowledge of the game was from watching on Hockey Night in Canada and a few Ontario Hockey Association games here in Stratford.
I was in awe from the moment I walked into the arena. Just the sheer size of it and the number of people took my breath away. (The Allman arena in Stratford sits 2800 people). But the thing that has stuck with me the most from that visit is the Legendary Gordie Howe. We were lucky enough to have ice level seats in the corner. Howe came charging into that corner to throw a hit. The fear that ran through my body on that play has remained entrenched in my mind since. But I also knew then that I wanted to play hockey and shortly after asked my dad to buy me skates and the rest as they say, was history.
In 1971, I had the pleasure of going to the old Boston Garden, an arena like no other. The first thing I noticed was that the ice surface was smaller, much like the Allman here in Stratford. The ice surfaces have similar dimensions and they were cozier than other arenas I had been too.
Unlucky for me, our seats were in the first row in the upper level. You see, I have a terrible fear of heights. Even climbing a step ladder causes me to panic. But I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything. Even sitting “up high” I couldn’t believe how close we were to the ice. The fans showed a passion for the game that I had not yet seen anywhere else.
I got to see Bobby Orr. I got to see Phil Esposito. And I got to see Gerry Cheevers, three of my favorites. But the player I was most excited to see was Don Awrey. You see, his brother just happened to be my Physical Education teacher in school. “Mr. Awrey” had made arrangements for me to meet Don prior to the game, which I did. I still have his autograph. But my biggest regret was when he asked me if I’d like to meet Bobby Orr. I politely declined as I was already in awe just by being in the arena of the team I loved so much. Don’t worry though, I had other opportunities to meet Mr. Orr.
Shortly thereafter, we visited Chicago Stadium. If Boston Garden was the hockey Mecca to date, Chicago Stadium was Heaven to me. Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony-O are three players I truly enjoyed, especially Espo, since he was Phil’s brother. But Hawks fans took the Bruins’ fans passion to another level in that old barn. I couldn’t believe how loud it was. On several occasions, I found myself covering my ears. I couldn’t believe how kind and friendly the fans were, although I had never experienced otherwise to date in my short life. I, a Bruins fan, my dad a Leafs fan (later to become a Sabres fan) at a Hawks-Canadiens game. The clock in the old Chicago Stadium was the center piece for me. I had seen it on TV previously and couldn’t figure it out. I spent more time watching the clock than I did the game. I believe it was the last analog clock used in an NHL game. For newer fans of the game, I suggest looking at old pictures.
The following season we visited the Montreal Forum. And when they talk about the aura of an arena, Montreal had it. You could feel it much more than you could in Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Toronto. The history and the tradition of the team had a lot to do with that. But when they talk about the “ghosts of the Forum”, it’s like you could feel their presence the moment you stepped foot inside.
The Forum had this mystique about it that you couldn’t quite place your finger on. Maybe it was the greatness that had skated or was still skating on that ice surface. But to me, the Forum was the most awe-inspiring arena I had the chance to visit.
I wish I had been there in person, it would have been the best hockey experience ever, but I did get to watch it on TV: the best hockey game ever in my opinion was played at the Montreal Forum on New Years Eve, 1975 between the Canadiens and the Soviet Red Army. It ended in a three-three draw. It was the first and last time I had cheered for the Canadiens, but it doesn’t take away from the Forum being the top arena in my book.
The following season was my first of many, many visits to Maple Leaf Gardens. While the Gardens had history and tradition, it didn’t have the same feel for me as the Olympia, the Forum, the Garden or the Stadium in Chicago. Many of great players had skated up and down the ice at the Garden. And while Leaf fans were among some of the most knowledgeable in the game, they hadn’t made the atmosphere the same as their Original Six rivals. It was to me, for a lack of a better term, like walking into any old barn.
I can’t count how many times I was at Maple Leaf Gardens and the Air Canada Center. But given the choice, I would take the Gardens over the ACC any day of the week.
Finally, it wasn’t until 1983 that I had the chance to visit Madison Square Gardens in New York. Now, it wasn’t the same MSG that the Rangers played in during their Original Six days, but being only one season away was close enough for me. MSG is what it is, the greatest sports arena in the world. But that wasn’t because of hockey – it played just a small role in it. Basketball, Boxing, Wrestling, you name it, you haven’t made it on the big stage until you’ve been at MSG.
That over and above hockey, is what made MSG worth a visit. That, and it is after all, New York City. It’s a tough choice, but if I had to rank them in order of having the biggest impact on me in terms of hockey and giving me that awe-inspiring moment, I would have to say: Montreal, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Toronto and New York.
I’ll take the traditions, history and aura of the old barns any day of the week.
The boys are back with another 3 Amigos podcast- Reed Duthie, Dominic Tiano and me bring you our sixth episode since we started doing these before the 2016 NHL Entry Draft last June.
This time, Bruins prospect Jesse Gabrielle joins us fresh off of signing his entry-level contract with Boston over the weekend. The Prince George Cougars winger scored 40 goals a year ago and is on pace for more with a surging team that already has 24 wins on the season.
We also talk Bruins prospects and the upcoming World Junior Tournament. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon made the final roster for Team Canada, announced last night, while Zachary Senyshyn was the last forward cut. That disappointment will probably provide some extra motivation for Senyshyn, but we can’t help but question Canada’s decision here. His speed and scoring prowess seems like a no-brainer, but they have their reasons. If at the end of the tourney, Canada is not skating around with gold medals around their necks, the decision not to include the player with the second most goals scored in the OHL since the 2015 draft will likely be revisited.
We also have a discussion about the Bruins’ poor home record over the past several seasons, which goes in several different directions before revisiting Boston’s memorable 1988 playoff series win over the Montreal Canadiens and cult hero (former Ottawa 67’s star) Maurice “Moe” Lemay.
It’s a jam-packed 1.5 hours, so we hope you’ll stay with it. We eschew the normal 3 Amigos theme to go all Christmas on you, as well. The Waitresses classic “Christmas Wrapping” is a great way to close it out.
Thanks for listening!
It’s no secret- TSP has long been high on goaltender Zane McIntyre going back to his draft year when we had intel from a Minnesota-based scouting source that had a lot time for him when he was winning that state’s top goaltending award with Thief River Falls High.
McIntyre, the artist formerly known as Zane Gothberg, legally changed his name a few years ago in honor of his late grandmother, Susan “Grandma Susie” McIntyre, who passed away in 2011. The retired University of North Dakota educator was a major influence in his life, and he’s come up aces for the most part since the Bruins chose him in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Susie McIntyre got to see her grandson begin his journey to the NHL in the Bruins organization and was no doubt with him in spirit when he made his big league debut this season.
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