Wes McLeod Named to WJAC Canada West Team

UAA Seawolves 2010/11 recruit, 19 year old defenseman Wes McLeod of the BCHL's Prince George Spruce Kings was named to the Canada West roster for the World Junior A Championships to be held November 1st - 8th in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

The six team Junior A championship tournament features Canada West along with teams from Canada East, Russia, Sweden, Belarus and the United States.

11 players from the BCHL made the squad with just 4 named from the AJHL.

Congratulations to Wes on this nice accomplishment. McLeod has 5 goals and 9 assists in 15 games so far this season for Prince George and is 3rd overall on his team in points and is the 2nd leading blueline scorer in the BCHL.

Baldwin on INCH Recruit Rankings

Seawolf freshman defenseman Lee Baldwin (#7, 6'4" 203lbs) was listed today in the top 20 recruits for the 09-10 season as compiled by Inside College Hockey. Lee was the BCHL's leading scoring defenseman last season playing on the Victoria Grizzlies.

He scored 13 goals and added 41 assists. Lee was favorably compared in style to NHL'r Rob Blake. His tool set includes a reported bruising physical game, heavy shot and good skating.

Lee should see a high amount of ice time throughout the season. His maturity will likely serve him well in the competitive WCHA. Lee joins an experienced group of blueliners at UAA that includes 4 upperclassmen (Sr. Nils Backstrom, Sr. Trevor Hunt, Jr. Kane Lafranchise, Jr. Luka Vidmar), sophomore phenom Curtis Leinweber and freshman classmate NAHL Defensive Player of the Year Drew Darwitz.

This lineup comprises one of the most experienced and talented group of defenseman to skate for the Seawolves in any single season. They will be expected to again continue last year's 2nd lowest WCHA opposition shot total as well as generate an increase in the 18 goals tallied by last years defensive squad.

Congratulations to Lee on being named to this (subjective) list. I of course would have placed him higher than the #20 ranking he garnered.

Polls Should Be Motivation For Seawolves

Pretty much just as I predicted on September 20th, below are the two main WCHA polls. These polls mean only one general thing to me. That UAA players ought to play every single minute of this season with a massive chip on their shoulder. They should take offense at it and play harder than they've ever played the game before. It's the best motivation their competitors could give them. They should remember it as being disrespected. They should manufacture a double-hulled super-tanker load of "I told ya so" each and every time they hit the ice. Let it piss you off fellas. And let that motivate you. You DO have something to prove. And this is your opportunity.

Here's what I predicted the WCHA Coaches poll would look like:
1. DU, 2. UND, 3. UW, 4. UofM, 5. SCSU, 6. UMD, 7. MSUM, 8. CC, 9. UAA, 10. MTU

Here's how I would have voted if I'd been asked to fill one out:
1. DU, 2. UW, 3. UND, 4. UAA, 5. UofM, 6. UMD, 7. SCSU, 8. MSUM, 9. CC, 10. MTU

Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams in the Coaches Poll. So clearly every coach picked MTU last. If every coach had picked UAA 9th then the total would have been 18 (even though I lack any algebraic skills, I can do that much math). It looks to me that 8 of them picked UAA 9th and one picked them 7th.

The two media representatives from Alaska (out of a total of 25 voters) who voted in the Media Poll are Kurt Haider and Doyle Woody. I can't easily come up with a clear combination of votes to get to the number of points listed. I suppose several variations would put it at those numbers. Any math whiz willing to do the analysis and comment is welcome.

Aiken Not On Roster

One of the truths of college hockey is that you can't be 100% sure about the roster until after school starts. Yesterday I noticed that August Aiken appears to not be returning for his sophomore season. My short investigation turned up no obvious explanation. Best of luck to August regardless of the story behind this. He could have grown into a pretty nice offensive contributor. His absence shouldn't be hurtful to the squad. There are still 15 forwards on the roster with an additional 2 players listed as F/D.

UAA Release Details Freshman Class

In a move reflecting the presence of syzygy in our little corner of the college hockey universe, the University of Alaska Anchorage has released a statement from Head Coach Dave Shyiak which details the addition of each of the players I welcomed here yesterday. Here are some quotes from the release:

Lee Baldwin (6'4" 203lbs):
Victoria Grizzlies general manager Jackson Penney said,

"Lee worked very hard this summer to become a complete player. He's a great skater for his size and has both good shooting and passing abilities. Lee is very good in the locker room and leads by example."

Mitch Bruijsten (6'4" 195lbs):
Sioux City Musketeers coach Todd Knott said,

"I am very happy for Mitch and his family right now. Two years ago he took a chance and moved a long way from home in hopes of this opportunity. He will be playing for a well respected program at UAA while working towards a college degree. It's just another great example of what junior hockey can do for a young man."

Chris Crowell (6'2" 205lbs):
Jason Williamson, head coach of the Vernon Vipers said,

"Chris is a great teammate and will do what it takes to win. Crowell is a strong skater with good size and plays a punishing role. He can also chip in offensively."

Alex Gellert (6'1" 170lbs):
Cowichan head coach Scott Robinson said,

"Gellert is a very dynamic player who moves the puck well. He has great feet and a lot of potential."

Daniel Naslund (6'4" 205lbs):
Vasteras coach Jorgen Holmberg said,

"Daniel has very good size and play-making ability. He's a smart player that understands both ends of the ice. He goes to the net hard and is difficult to knock off the puck. Daniel is a talented player with a good attitude that was able to produce offense for us."

Mickey Spencer (6'0" 189lbs):
Cowichan Capitals coach Robinson said,

"Spencer is a pure finisher with a great shot and release, who will score when he has the opportunity. He is a great kid to have on your team.

Drew Darwitz (5'8" 165lbs):
Josh Hauge Ice Dogs coach said,

"Our organization is very happy for Drew to be getting an opportunity at a great program like the University of Alaska Anchorage. Drew has been a big part of our success the past two seasons. His hard work paid off this season as Drew led all defensemen in scoring this past season and was voted the NAHL Defenseman of the Year."

Tyler Currier (6'1" 198lbs):
Dave Boitz, the head coach of the Avalanche

"We are excited for Tyler as this is a dream come true for him. He has always wanted to play for UAA and this is a great opportunity for him. Tyler will bring a good skill set with very good skating ability and size. He will do what it takes to win."

Transfer Brad Gorham will be eligible to play in January. Scott Warner will be sitting out his transfer year and hit the ice next fall. Finally, Dave Shyiak said,

"I think this class addresses a lot of our needs and will give us depth at every position. We've brought in a good blend of size, skill and speed. The transition to college hockey is a big step and we will need our new players to contribute to our success this year. Our staff and players are excited to get things started and feel we are ready to move ahead in the WCHA."