News roundup 1/9

The state hockey news roundup for the day

Fort Wayne Komets

• N-S: The Komets acquired two players in a trade with Elmira, forwards Matt Carter and Christian Ouellet.
• J-G: Komets surging with a new outlook, new players.
• N-S: Blake Sebring's notebook, ex-Komet Brett Smith wants one more chance to play

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

• Coach Jeff Jackson didn't care much for playing outdoors at Fenway Park last weekend.  The BC blog takes him to task a bit. 

Indiana Ice

• The Edmonton Oilers' Future Watch profiles Ice forward (and Oilers draftee) Aidan Muir. 
• New USHL team the Madison Capitols have launched their website.

Indiana Ice 2013-14 schedule & Fall Classic schedule

The USHL has announced its 2013-14 schedule and the Fall Classic schedule. Here is the Indiana Ice's schedule.

Link to the Fall Classic schedule. Games begin at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 at Pan Am Pavilion, then a quadruple header on Sept. 14 with the Ice playing Green Bay at 8 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Back to Pan Am for a doubleheader Sunday, games at 12:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., the latter is a tilt between the Ice and Muskegon Lumberjacks. 

The Ice will formally announce the schedule later, as they'll be once again splitting games between the Pan Am Pavilion and Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The schedule returns to a 60-game length, after being 64 games last year. The Ice will play Youngstown nine times, Team USA and Muskegon eight, Cedar Rapids seven, and the other Eastern Division foes (Green Bay, Chicago, Dubuque) four times. They will play two games against all of the Western Division teams. The Ice will not host Fargo or Lincoln this year, not travel to Sioux City or Tri-City, and play home-and-homes with the other four teams.

The 2013-14 Ice schedule (times local to INDIANAPOLIS)
Sa 9/21: at Team USA, 7 p.m.
F 9/27: SIOUX FALLS, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 9/28: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
Th 10/3: at Team USA, 7 p.m.
F 10/4: at Team USA, 7 p.m.
Sa 10/12: YOUNGSTOWN, 7:05 p.m.
F 10/18: at Youngstown, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 10/19: OMAHA, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 10/26: DUBUQUE, 7:05 p.m.
Su 10/27: DES MOINES, 3:05 p.m.
F 11/1: CEDAR RAPIDS, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 11/9: CHICAGO, 7:05 p.m.
F 11/15: SIOUX CITY, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 11/16: SIOUX CITY, 7:05 p.m.
F 11/22: at Sioux Falls, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 11/23: at Omaha, 8:05 p.m.
W 11/27: YOUNGSTOWN, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 11/30: at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Su 12/1: CEDAR RAPIDS, 3:05 p.m.
Th 12/5: GREEN BAY, 7:05 p.m.
F 12/6: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
F 12/13: MUSKEGON, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 12/14: at Cedar Rapids, 8:05 p.m.
F 12/27: at Youngstown, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 12/28: MUSKEGON, 7:05 p.m.
F 1/3: CEDAR RAPIDS, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 1/4: CEDAR RAPIDS, 7:05 p.m.
F 1/10: TEAM USA, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 1/11: MUSKEGON, 7:05 p.m.
F 1/17: at Fargo, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 1/18: at Fargo, 8:05 p.m.
W 1/22: at Youngstown, 10 a.m.
F 1/24: at Des Moines, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 1/25: at Cedar Rapids, 8:05 p.m.
Th 1/30: TEAM USA, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 2/1: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
F 2/7: at Cedar Rapids, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 2/8: YOUNGSTOWN, 7:05 p.m.
Su 2/9: at Youngstown, 4:05 p.m.
F 2/14: TRI-CITY, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 2/15: TRI-CITY, 7:05 p.m.
Su 2/16: at Team USA, 3:30 p.m.
Sa 2/22: TEAM USA, 7:05 p.m.
Su 2/23: TEAM USA, 3:05 p.m.
F 2/28: WATERLOO, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 3/1: CHICAGO, 7:05 p.m.
Th 3/6: at Waterloo, 8:05 p.m.
F 3/7: at Lincoln, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 3/8: at Lincoln, 8:05 p.m.
F 3/14: at Green Bay, 8:05 p.m.
Sa 3/15: at Green Bay, 8:05 p.m.
F 3/21: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
Sa 3/22: at Youngstown, 7:05 p.m.
Su 3/23: MUSKEGON, 3:05 p.m.
Th 3/27: YOUNGSTOWN, 7:05 p.m.
F 3/28: at Dubuque, 8:35 p.m.
Sa 3/29: at Dubuque, 8:05 p.m.
W 4/2: DUBUQUE, 7:05 p.m.
F 4/4: GREEN BAY, 7:05 p.m.
Sa 4/5: at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Home games by day of week
Wednesday (2), Thursday (3), Friday (9), Saturday (12), Sunday (4)
Road games by day of week
Wednesday (1), Thursday (2), Friday (12), Saturday (13), Sunday (2)

Games by opponent
West Division (16 games, 8 home/8 away)
Des Moines (2). Home-10/27, Away 1/24
Fargo (2). Away-1/17, 1/18
Lincoln (2). Away-3/7, 3/8
Omaha (2). Home-10/19, Away-11/23
Sioux City (2). Home-11/15, 11/16
Sioux Falls (2). Home-9/27, Away-11/22
Tri-City (2). Home-2/14, 2/15
Waterloo (2). Home-2/28, Away-3/6

East Division (44 games, 22 home/22 away).
Cedar Rapids (7). Home 11/1, 12/1, 1/3, 1/4; Away 12/14, 1/25, 2/7
Chicago (4). Home 11/9, 3/1. Away 11/30, 4/5
Dubuque (4). Home 10/26, 4/2; Away 3/28, 3/29
Green Bay (4). Home 12/5, 4/4; Away 3/14, 3/15
Muskegon (8). Home 12/13, 12/28, 1/11, 3/23. Away 9/28, 12/6, 2/1, 3/21

Team USA (8). Home 1/10, 1/30, 2/22, 2/23; Away 9/21, 10/3, 10/4, 2/16

Youngstown (9). Home 10/12, 11/27, 2/8, 3/27. Away 10/18, 12/27/ 1/22, 2/9, 3/22

Ice main camp this weekend

The Indiana Ice are hosting their main tryout camp this weekend at the Fishers Forum.

Play begins at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, and runs all day Friday and Saturday. The All-Star Game play-in games will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday. The All-Star Game is at 10 a.m. Sunday, with the team roster to be posted shortly thereafter.

Eight teams of hopefuls -- draftees in the Phase I and Phase II USHL draft, returnees from last season and free agents -- will compete for 30 roster spots -- which will eventually be cut down to 23.

Ice: Draft release

The official team release from the Indiana Ice regarding the 2013 USHL Draft.

ICE BULK UP ROSTER IN 2013 USHL ENTRY DRAFT

TEAM PICKS 18 FORWARDS, FIVE DEFENSEMEN AND FIVE GOALTENDERS IN DRAFT

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Ice capitalized on five first-round draft picks and six of the first 20 selections to reload the squad for the 2013-2014 season and beyond.  Indy had 28 total picks in the seven-hour event, acquiring 18 forwards, five defensemen and five goaltenders.

 

The Ice selected forward Aiden Muir from the Victory Honda (MI) program with the first overall pick.  Muir recorded 40 points (17G, 23A) in 37 games with Victory Honda while earning a scholarship to Western Michigan University.  He is also listed as the 108^th ranked skater on the Final Scouting Rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft on June 30.

 

Back-to-back picks with the sixth and seventh selections saw Indy pick up Brian Pinho (St. John’s Prep-MA) and Scott Conway (Texas-NAHL) to further boost the Ice offense.  Pinho immediately follows Muir on the Central Scouting list at the 109^th spot while Conway was the top-scoring 1995 forward for the Tornado with 54 points (18G, 36A).

 

Indy rounded out their first group of picks with Brett Beauvais (Kalamazoo-NAHL), a 6-0 defenseman from Summerside, P.E.I. and Jason Pawloski (Austin-NAHL), a 6-0 goaltender from Omaha, NE.  Beauvais finished the season tied for fourth among NAHL blueliners in assists (27) while Pawloski recorded 17 wins and two shutouts in 24 contests.  The Ice also had some local flavor as the Ice selected captain Joe Chitwood from the Indiana Jr. Ice U18 program.

 

“I thought the draft went extremely well for the Indiana Ice,” said head coach and general manager Jeff Brown.  “We’re excited about the players we were able to acquire and we can’t wait for camp and the next hockey season.  It’s going to be a very competitive.  The talent level is extremely good and we hope to turn things around next season.”

 

2013 USHL ENTRY DRAFT SELECTIONS

Aiden Muir-F, Victory Honda U18	Brian Pinho-F, St. John’s Prep (MA)
Scott Conway-F, Texas (NAHL)	Brett Beauvais-D, Kalamazoo (NAHL)
Jason Pawloski-G, Austin (NAHL)	Tyler Andrew-F, Topeka (NAHL)
Jacob Pritchard-F, Victory Honda U18	Timothy Shoup-D, Pittsburgh Penguins U18
Samu Perhonen-G, Akatemia (Finland)	Karl El-Mir-F, Selects Academy U16
Nick Kunin-F, St. Louis Blues U18	Roy Radke-F, Culver U16
Michael Ederer-F, Nichols School (NY)	Christopher Forney-D, Thief River Falls (MN)
Nathan Churchill-G, Omaha AAA U16	Alex Alger-F, Cranbrook (MI)
Nick Azar-D, Belle Tire U16	Vaughan Ahrens-G, Wayzata (MN)
Ryan Collins-C, Ottawa (CCHL)	Michael Turner-F, Cushing (MA)
Tyler Boston-C, York Simcoe Express	Tyler Augustinsen-F, Selects Academy U16
Joe Chitwood-F, Indiana Jr. Ice U18	Andrew Debrincat-D, Cumberland (CCHL)
Mitch Slattery-F, Hill Murray (MN)	Drew Best-F, South Surrey (BCHL)
Nick Vilardo-G, WBS Knights	Logan Brown-F, St. Louis Blues 98’s

 

The Indiana Ice is now taking deposits for 2013-2014 season ticket packages.  Call the Ice office at 317-925-4423 or visit www.indianaice.com.

 

The Indiana Ice is a member of the United States Hockey League, America’s only Tier One League.

Ice: USHL Entry Draft

The Indiana Ice continued to stock their team with the USHL Entry Draft (or, what is now known as the Phase II draft). These players are of any birth year, while the Futures Draft is primarily '97 birth year players. The Ice did draft multiple '97s in this year's Phase II draft, but also a '98 and a handful of 198 and 19-year-olds who should be ready to jump in.

The Ice had five first-round picks, including the No. 1 overall pick. They also had the top pick of the second round, giving them six of the first 16 selections to re-stock the roster. Several of the top picks are from the North American Hockey League, so they already have junior experience. One is an NHL draftee, and a handful of others are ranked in the NHL CSB rankings.

The full list below the jump.

Ice: USHL Futures Draft selections

The Indiana Ice began steps toward their 10th season in the USHL this week with the two USHL drafts.
The first day is the so-called Phase I draft (formerly known as the Futures Draft), in which teams select underage players who are longer-term projects. Some are immediate prospects, too.
On Tuesday, the Phase II draft (the Entry Draft) takes place. The Ice have four first-round picks in the Entry Draft. (note that all ht/wt/DOB data is from eliteprospects.com)

Here is the official team release

Quoting Ice coach Jeff Brown: “Our organization is ecstatic about the talent level of our selections tonight,” said head coach Jeff Brown.  “So many different things fell into place for us in this draft.  All these selection will be future stars on the Indiana Ice roster. 

The full list below the jump.