USA! USA! USA! - Hlinka update

As we discussed earlier,  this tournament features 3 guys that most 'Hawks fans are pretty excited have on our team.  Also, its a really hard tournament to follow.  There is no video feed, no audio PXP, and only bits and pieces of game summaries.  Here's what I found:

There was one per-tournament exhibition game.  Turgeon scored the only goal - summary here.

 

 

  

 Once this tourney got going, it was time for our boys to turn it up.  The first game was against Finland, and Paul Bittner scored the games first goal.  Unfortunately, the Finns got a PPG in OT - but USA got a point.  This is format where all games are 3 point games, and an OT / shootout game splits 2 for the winner / 1 for the loser, whereas a regulation win is worth 3 points.

The 2nd game was a 4-2 victory over Russia, although none of our guys scored in this game.  This Nick Schmaltz kid has 6 points in 3 games, which is pretty good.  He was good in this game.

  

Going into the final game, a win puts you squarely in the medal round - and 4 goals in the 1st period against Slovakia did the trick.  Bittner had a goal + 2 assists, and Iverson also scored.  5-2 final, and USA wins their pool.

I misunderstood the format, until today.  Winner of each pool plays the 2nd place team from the other pool - in this case, its Czech Republic VS USA - as well as Russia VS Canada.  The winners of those matchups meet for the gold medal.  Those games are on 8/9 & 8/10.  

The worst the US team can do is 4th place.  Last year they came in 7th, and have never won this tournament.  Of course, they've never had 3 Winterhawks on the team, either.  Should be interesting to see how it shakes out - I like these odds.

USA Hockey coverage here

 

Open letter to Gustav Olofsson

First off, congratulations for being drafted #46 overall by the Minnesota Wild!

I'm sure that it was a pretty special experience:




I'm sure that your hockey journey has been a pretty fun ride to this point - from your native Sweden, as well as Northern California & Colorado.  As a guy who grew up in USHL country, I'm sure that your season in Green Bay was great for your development, and the Wild appear to feel the same way.

Folks in Colorado Springs are pretty excited about the prospect of seeing you suit up for Colorado College this season, and I can't blame 'em.  Defenseman like yourself with good size & a knack for moving the puck well are really valuable to a hockey team.

Being able to play the game at a high level coupled with a quality education is a great position to be in, which is what playing for the Tigers represents.  Earning a 4 year college degree is a great move, especially with life after hockey.  Of course, the Wild most likely have you penciled in to go pro around 2 years from now - being a high draft pick and all.

Some would make the argument that if a player like yourself is probably going pro in 2 years, that you would be better off playing in a pro-style league, like major junior.  Playing in the WHL means a 72 game regular season, as well as 4 rounds of 7 game series for their playoff format.  William Wrenn, also a defenseman & 2nd round pick, played 1 1/2 seasons for Denver University, as well as 1 1/2 seasons in Portland.  Ultimately he played more playoff games in the WHL than total games in his NCAA career.  That workload did wonders for his development.

Players in the WHL are required to take classes in addition to their game schedule, so they have a head start if they choose to pursue a degree later.  They also have a year of school paid for every year played, although signing a pro contract voids this benefit.

My advice to you would be to reach out to some of your new Wild family.  Nino Niederreiter would be a good one to ask about playing in Portland, how Coach Johnston runs his bench, what a long playoff run is like.  Jared Spurgeon would be a good guy to touch base with, as a D man who played in the US Division of the 'dub.  I've got to guess that you know Dominic Turgeon from both being Denver kids - ask him some questions next time you see him around town.

There are a lot of Winterhawks fans who have been excited about the idea of your brother Fredrik playing in Portland - when he visited our barn it looked like a nice fit.  For a guy who likes to play an up-tempo style, there's not a better place to play than Portland:  they love to push the pace.  A guy who makes a good first pass out of his own zone is going to rack up assists on a team like the 'Hawks.  There are tons of quality forwards to go up against in this league, which can only help you grow.

Portland is bringing back 5 of their top 6 forwards, including the top two scorers in the league.  This is a team defending a championship, and we expect them to do some damage again in the playoffs this year. They just need you to get 'em the puck.

A player like yourself is in a great position, and there is no wrong answer between playing in the NCAA and the WHL.  You would be wise to look very closely at both options, and things will work out well in the end.

Sincerely,

Chad Balcom
twitter.com/hawkeyblog