Co-Eds That Can Score!

[Arachnid]

Here are some options that our lord und saviour GMJB had mentioned.

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-top-colleg ... -279491788

A couple of D. One homegrown and another bigger one.

Troy Stecher, D, North Dakota: The junior alternate captain was a key component to the back end for the Fighting Hawks. Born in Richmond, British Columbia, Stecher (5-11, 192) spent three seasons with Penticton in the British Columbia Hockey League, where he totaled 18 goals and 109 points in 159 games. He has 12 goals and 49 points in three seasons with North Dakota. He offers a two-way game with excellent vision and playmaking ability. It's a possibility Stecher will take a similar path as Caggiula and return for his season year, but if North Dakota wins an NCAA championship it might push him to take his game to the next level.

Casey Nelson, D, Minnesota State: The tremendously gifted 6-2, 183-pound defenseman from Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., had four goals, 20 points, a plus-15 rating and 37 blocked shots in 35 games as a junior this season. The 23-year-old was the leading scorer among defensemen for the Mavericks as a sophomore with 33 points. Nelson had plenty of options but chose Minnesota State in order to play with his brother, Josh, a 2014 graduate. He has since perfected his craft learning from the veterans and has made a smooth transition to the college game. He seems like the type of player who wears his heart on his sleeve, but NHL teams will be inquiring about his services because big right-handed defensemen are tough to find.

Maybe Booser can talk to Stecher and convince him to come along..

[Blob Mckenzie]

This thread is off the hook.

[Arachnid]

This thread is off the hook.

Thank you for your contribution to this hockey thread. I would expect nothing less from a Hockey IQless poster such as yourself. Please take your empties and rinse and return them to the liquor store and repeat your incoherent gurgling on CC.

[Blob Mckenzie]

I complimented you on a wonderful thread and then you insult me.

[Arachnid]

I complimented you on a wonderful thread and then you insult me.

So you're saying my idea to draft a great forward but get a college D prospect is brilliant.

You might just be turning a corner from a crotchety broke back mountaineer divorcee to a true champion of YOUR Vancouver Canucks and GMJB groupie extraordinaire.

[Arachnid]

Good to see another of our Collegiates is thriving...from PitB

Adam Gaudette

Like Boeser, Adam Gaudette was also selected out of the USHL in the 2015 NHL draft but understandably gets significantly less attention. It didn’t help that he got off to a slow start in his freshman season for Northeastern, scoring just five points in his first 18 games.

Then 2016 hit and Gaudette seemed to flip a switch. Since the new year, Gaudette has 8 goals and 24 points in 21 games.........a wide range of...... offensive capabilities.

Now, Gaudette and Northeastern have eliminated the next Canucks prospect from the Hockey East playoffs, tallying a goal and an assist to beat Thatcher Demko and Boston College to head to the Hockey East Championship.

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bu ... my43p.dpuf

[Lancer]

Nice to see the kid turn it around. Late pick, but you never know.

Time will tell, but at least this kid shows more promise than Joe Labate. Who remembers that guy anymore???

[SKYO]

ha so that's what this thread is about, college players?

anyways - https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/free-a ... --nhl.html

VANCOUVER - Troy Stecher wouldn't mind coming home.

The defenceman for the University of North Dakota is getting ready for the NCAA Frozen Four tournament this week in Tampa, Fla., but win or lose will soon have to make a big decision.

A junior with the Fighting Hawks, Stecher is on of U.S. college hockey's most sought-after undrafted free agents and could sign with an NHL team once North Dakota's season ends.

He also has the option to return to school for his senior year, but if Stecher decides to ink a professional contract, the native of nearby Richmond, B.C., says the Vancouver Canucks are on his list of potential suitors.

"My dad used to have season tickets to the Canucks with his old company," Stecher said in a phone interview Monday. "When I was a little kid I dreamed about playing for the Canucks."

Stecher, who will turn 22 on Thursday when North Dakota meets the University of Denver Pioneers in one of two national semifinals, has eight goals and 20 assists in 41 games this season.

At five foot 11 and 191 pounds, he was passed over in three straight NHL drafts from 2012 to 2014, but started to turn heads as a sophomore while helping North Dakota to a second straight Frozen Four appearance.

A smooth-skating defender who can jump into the rush, Stecher is finally getting noticed after being overlooked numerous times in his career.

"You're not drafted (to the NHL) so you're pretty disappointed," he said. "Now you're finally starting to get a lot of interest from different teams, so you feel excited.

"It can be distracting, but at the same time I'm trying to live in the moment. We're in a great place right now."

Stecher was a late-round pick of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks in 2009, but chose instead to play three seasons with the Penticton Vees of the second-tier BCHL to get stronger and hone his game before eventually committing to North Dakota.

In his three years with the Fighting Hawks, Stecher has 13 goals and 39 assists in 117 games and was named an assistant captain for the 2015-16 campaign.

The Canucks — who selected Brock Boeser, a winger with North Dakota, 23rd overall at last June's draft — are a club in rebuild mode that is thin on defence prospects.

But Stecher said that, while tempting, the chance to play in front of family and friends in Vancouver won't impact his decision.

"At the end of the day it's a business and you kind of have to look past that factor of it being your hometown," he said. "It's a place I'm interested in and at the end of the season I'm going to have a tough decision whether I want to sign with one of the teams or if I want to come back (to North Dakota)."

[Arachnid]

ha so that's what this thread is about, college players?

anyways - https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/free-a ... --nhl.html

VANCOUVER - Troy Stecher wouldn't mind coming home.

The defenceman for the University of North Dakota is getting ready for the NCAA Frozen Four tournament this week in Tampa, Fla., but win or lose will soon have to make a big decision.

A junior with the Fighting Hawks, Stecher is on of U.S. college hockey's most sought-after undrafted free agents and could sign with an NHL team once North Dakota's season ends.

He also has the option to return to school for his senior year, but if Stecher decides to ink a professional contract, the native of nearby Richmond, B.C., says the Vancouver Canucks are on his list of potential suitors.

"My dad used to have season tickets to the Canucks with his old company," Stecher said in a phone interview Monday. "When I was a little kid I dreamed about playing for the Canucks."

Stecher, who will turn 22 on Thursday when North Dakota meets the University of Denver Pioneers in one of two national semifinals, has eight goals and 20 assists in 41 games this season.

At five foot 11 and 191 pounds, he was passed over in three straight NHL drafts from 2012 to 2014, but started to turn heads as a sophomore while helping North Dakota to a second straight Frozen Four appearance.

A smooth-skating defender who can jump into the rush, Stecher is finally getting noticed after being overlooked numerous times in his career.

"You're not drafted (to the NHL) so you're pretty disappointed," he said. "Now you're finally starting to get a lot of interest from different teams, so you feel excited.

"It can be distracting, but at the same time I'm trying to live in the moment. We're in a great place right now."

Stecher was a late-round pick of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks in 2009, but chose instead to play three seasons with the Penticton Vees of the second-tier BCHL to get stronger and hone his game before eventually committing to North Dakota.

In his three years with the Fighting Hawks, Stecher has 13 goals and 39 assists in 117 games and was named an assistant captain for the 2015-16 campaign.

The Canucks — who selected Brock Boeser, a winger with North Dakota, 23rd overall at last June's draft — are a club in rebuild mode that is thin on defence prospects.

But Stecher said that, while tempting, the chance to play in front of family and friends in Vancouver won't impact his decision.

"At the end of the day it's a business and you kind of have to look past that factor of it being your hometown," he said. "It's a place I'm interested in and at the end of the season I'm going to have a tough decision whether I want to sign with one of the teams or if I want to come back (to North Dakota)."

Sign with us Troy...I know you are reading this! Sign with the winning culture!



Would be great way to add at our D prospect depth...I really hope GMJB can convince the kid...

[Lancer]

The prospect depth at D is like a puddle, but if Benning is looking to sign a UND alum, I'd rather he take a look at Drake Caggiula. Older than Boeser, but one guy who was quite noticeable in the two UND games I saw (for what that's worth). Kid has some skills, not the biggest, but has good work ethic. I'd take a flyer on him over Vey.

[SKYO]

VANCOUVER - Troy Stecher wouldn't mind coming home.

Sign with us Troy...I know you are reading this! Sign with the winning culture!

Would be great way to add at our D prospect depth...I really hope GMJB can convince the kid...

It's the only thing all these recent wins have for me to take solace in.

A healthy team, fixed up defense, a key UFA signing, some more trades, team could rip it up next season onwards if those things happen.

[Hockey Widow]

That's the thing Skyo. We have great goaltending and when healthy a good mix of vets. It's trying to get the D right and then the right mix up front. 1-2 key signings, win a trade or two and we will be a playoff team next year. Still a few years from being a contender like we were before but not too far from competing. Unlike the Oilers, leaves or Flames. They don't have goaltending and they don't have a good mix of vets. A lot of young potential talent but IMHO not a good mix yet. Calgary was propped up by years of great goaltending from Kipper.

Buffalo did it right by adding/keeping some vets,meet Lehner and shoring up their D. They will climb quicker than the other three. Florida is another example. Patient with the kids, good vets to support them and then getting Luongo back.

Bring on the off season so we can begin the Benning debate anew.

[Madcombinepilot]

Benning is at the frozen four tourney, doing what he does best.. scouting.

Also puts him in a position to talk to undrafted kids and sign the hell out of them as soon as they are eliminated!!

[Arachnid]

So one down and 2 (or 3 ) to go.

I think Caligula should be targeted too. I know he has ties to Buffalo and even the Laughs are in the hunt but he may be enticed if 2 of his ND buddies are here too. They seem to really like playing together and are close on the team.

An outside chance of Casey Nelson too, another BIGGER RHS D.

First Brock then Demko and we will have some solid prospects.

Go Jimbo Go!

(I am so hockey intelligent it hurtz ).

[Strangelove]

(I am so hockey intelligent it hurtz ).

I feel your pain!

*high-fives Spidey whilst shooting a glance in Blubby's direction*