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Darryl’s Dispatch

2011-12 Top 300 NHL Prospects

By Darryl Houston Smith
NHL Prospect Analyst

Each of these elite prospects is considered by industry consensus to be the best of the best, the order is my own.  Think of it as a very early post-draft snapshot of an emerging talent pool.  But realistically, almost all of these players are several years away from being effective NHL regulars and only a few will ever reach true NHL stardom.   A list of this sort is by nature very fluid and one that is perpetually in motion. Complicating matters further are the recent additions of those players selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.  Thus is the imperfect nature of talent evaluation and development.

Prospect Criteria: Players under 26 years old who have appeared in no more than 25 NHL games are considered prospects. A player’s current ranking combines two grades; the first is his current state of NHL preparedness and the second measures his long-term potential.

Top 300

This summer a  number of elite prospects have recently decided to forgo playing in the NCAA in order to join the ranks of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

John Gibson spent last season with USA’s Under-18 development team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He appeared in 17 games and had a record of 9-4-3 with a 2.38 GAA and a .926 SV%.

Gibson was also the starting goaltender for the Gold medal winning Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World U-18 Championship held in Germany this past April. He won all six of his starts and had a 2.34 GAA and a .926 SV% and was named ‘Best Goaltender’ of the tournament.

He was selected in the 2nd round (39th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft by Anaheim.  Gibson was headed to the University of Michigan but decided to join Kitchener (OHL) instead. Gibson was originally drafted by Kitchener in the 11^th round of the 2009 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Kitchener Rangers Head Scout Murray Hiebert said, “John plays with confidence and has the unique ability to control his rebounds. He has a pedigree of success.  His combination of size and athleticism allow him to be a great prospect  for the Anaheim Ducks and we look forward to having John with us in Kitchener.”

Jamie Oleksiak spent the 2010-11 regular season with Northeastern University (Hockey East). He appeared in 38 games and had four goals and nine assists to go along with 57 penalty minutes as a freshman.

He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft by Dallas.  Oleksiak has decided to join the Saginaw Spirit (OHL). Oleksiak was originally drafted by Saginaw as the 138^th overall pick in the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

At the 2011 NHL entry draft Oleksiak said, “Northeastern has been phenomenal for me and has really helped in my development, but as for what’s happening next year, it’s all up in the air,” Oleksiak went on to state. “My goal is to play professional hockey one day, and I really want to go where it’s going to continue my development and get to my goal and help me achieve the most.”  He also declined an invitation to try out for Team USA and has decided instead to try out for Canada’s World Junior team.  Oleksiak holds dual-citizenship.

Making the jump to the OHL might prove to be challenging for the mammoth Oleksiak (6’7 and 240 lbs) as he will be relied on to play a lot of minutes and in many different situations. Todd Watson, head coach and GM of Saginaw, said that he expects Oleksiak to “play on the power play, he’ll kill penalties. He’ll play five-on-five, he’ll play four-on-four.” When asked about Oleksiak adjusting to the OHL Watson went on to state that “Do I expect an adjustment?  Yeah,  do I think it’s going to be a huge one? You never know, but I think it’ll be fluid. I think there will be some bumps, a lot of ups. I think he’ll make a contribution in a lot of ways right away.”

“This is an important signing that helps to strengthen our defense and we look forward to him coming into camp, adjusting to the caliber of OHL hockey and contributing in the 2011-2012 season.” Said Watson

Like John Gibson, Connor Murphy spent last season with USA’s Under-18 development team in the USHL. Due to injuries he appeared in just nine games but Murphy still managed to score three goals and a assist.  A healthier Murphy had an outstanding 2011 IIHF World U-18 Championship for Team USA where he had three goals in six games, including the game-winning overtime goal against Sweden in the gold medal game.

He was selected in the 1st round (20th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft by Phoenix.  Murphy was headed to the University of Miami-Ohio but decided to join Sarnia (OHL) instead. Murphy was originally drafted by Sarnia in the 15^th round of the 2009 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.  Murphy’s dad Gord played 14 seasons in the NHL.

Sarnia Sting Head Coach and GM Jacques Beaulieu said “This is a very special day for the Sarnia Sting organization.  To be able to recruit a player of Connor’s stature to commit to our program and choose to sign a OHL Contract and Scholarship package speaks volumes for the direction we are headed.”   Beaulieu went on to say that, “This was a very tough decision for Connor and his family (parents Gord and Nicole).  We appreciate the due diligence that was done by the Murphy family and we are thrilled they have chosen to further Connor’s hockey career with the Sarnia Sting and playing in the Ontario Hockey League.  Connor will step in right away and be a big part of our hockey club.  He certainly proved himself at the World Under-18 Championships to be a big game player and we can’t wait to see him in a Sting jersey next season.”

In a related turn of events Reid Boucher, has de-committed to Michigan State and is now expected to join the Sarnia Sting (OHL) as well.  Boucher was the leading goal scorer for the gold medal winning Team USA at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship with eight goals and two assists in six games.  Boucher was expected to head back to the United States Hockey League for another season before joining Michigan State in time for the 2012-13 season.

During the regular season Boucher led the U.S. NTDP (USHL) with 32 goals  and 54 points in 57 games. Boucher was also the  New Jersey Devils fourth round pick in the  2011 NHL Entry Draft (99^th overall).  If Boucher signs with Sarnia he will be joining a real powerhouse team as the Sting already have Connor Murphy, Nail Yakupov, Alex Galchenyuk, Brett Ritchie, Taylor Carnevale and Brandon Maxwell on their roster.  Talk about star power with Boucher the Sting would certainly enter this season as one of the favorites for the OHL title and a strong contender for the Memorial Cup as well.

It is important to note that breaking commitments made to these NCAA schools  does not necessarily mean that Gibson , Oleksiak, and Murphy are turning their backs on a higher education.   In fact each player has signed on for an education package that provides one year of free tuition at any post secondary institution for every year they play in the OHL.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Western Hockey League, the Kelowna Rockets Hockey Club, and Home Hardware Stores Limited, today announced that the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be held at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, home of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday February 1, 2012.
“The Canadian Hockey League is very excited to bring the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game to Kelowna,” said CHL President David Branch. “This event is highly anticipated by our players who have the opportunity to showcase their skills for Kelowna Rockets’ fans and before the eyes of all 30 NHL teams in attendance and CHL fans nationwide watching live on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS.”
The 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will mark the 17th annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players featuring talent from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The two-day event also features an exciting skills competition and three-on-three challenge taking place on Tuesday January 31, 2012.
“On behalf of more than 1,080 Home Hardware Dealers across Canada, we look forward to heading west to the Okanagan Valley for the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” said Paul Straus, President and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Limited. “As title partner of this event for 13 straight years we continue to enjoy watching these players bring excitement to hockey fans across the country as they prepare for careers in the NHL.”
This marks the second time the event will be held in British Columbia following 2005 when it was played in Vancouver. It is also the sixth time it will be hosted in Western Canada and the first since 2008 when it was played in Edmonton, AB.
“The Kelowna Rockets are thrilled to host the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Prospera Place,” said Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton. “This event provides our fans the chance to see the next wave of NHL talent from across the CHL while we have the opportunity to showcase our community to the hundreds of NHL personnel in attendance.”
The Rockets have had four players participate in this event in the last four seasons including 2008 first round picks Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres selected fourth overall, and Luke Schenn of the Toronto Maple Leafs chosen one pick later at fifth overall. 2010 WHL Defenceman of the Year Tyson Barrie also competed in the 2009 event in Oshawa, ON, before being selected in the third round by the Colorado Avalanche.    Most recently, Shane McColgan participated last season in Toronto, ON, before being selected in the fifth round by the New York Rangers. Notable Rockets graduate and Olympic Gold Medalist Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators also competed in the 2003 event held in Kitchener, ON, before being selected in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Since the event was first introduced in 1996 the game has featured 10 players that were selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft including Chris Phillips, Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash, Marc-Andre Fleury, Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who was named Player of the Game for Team Orr following a 7-1 win over Team Cherry at the 2011 event in Toronto before being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in June.
Nugent-Hopkins was one of 19 CHL players from the 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game that were selected among the record 21 CHL players chosen in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft along with Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs who was selected third overall, and Ryan Strome of the Niagara IceDogs who was selected fifth overall..
Associate sponsors for the event include Bank of Montreal, Subway, and CCM. The game will be broadcast nationally by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS.
About Home Hardware Stores Limited
100% Canadian owned and operated, Home Hardware Stores Limited has a presence in every Canadian province and territory and is the country’s largest independent, Dealer-owned hardware, lumber, building materials and furniture cooperative. Founded on January 1, 1964 by 122 independent hardware Dealers, the cooperative now includes more than 1,080 stores, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture banners, with annual collective retail sales of more than $5 billion. Home Hardware’s independent Dealer-Owners, recognized by the North American Retail Hardware Association as Canada’s best-trained Dealer group, have access to 100,000 quality brand name and private label products, a world-class distribution system and draw upon the power of Home Hardware’s network to provide their local communities with top quality products and services at competitive prices.
For more information please visit http://homehardwaretopprospectsgame.com

NHL Hosts Camp August 17 & 18 at MasterCard Centre in Toronto

NEW YORK/TORONTO (July 21, 2011) – Thirty-six of the top-rated players eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft have accepted invitations to participate in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp, August 17 and 18, the National Hockey League announced today.

Participating players were selected by NHL Central Scouting and rank high on the 2012 Futures Lists. The talented group of skaters and goaltenders from the Canadian Hockey League, United States Hockey League, United States colleges and Canadian Provincial League will show off their playing skills to general managers and talent evaluators from around the League in a unique best-on-best setting that commences their Draft-eligible seasons.

Dan Byslma, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Dave Tippett head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, along with NHL Hockey Operations staff will lead the players over the course of two days as they test a number of proposed rules changes, rink markings and strategies.

The following players have confirmed their participation:

Name Pos. Club (League) Height, Weight
ALTSHULLER, DANIEL G NEPEAN (CCHL) 6′ 2′, 194 lbs
ATHANASIOU, ANDREAS C LONDON (OHL) 5′ 11′, 157 lbs
BEAUVILLIER, FRANCIS LW RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 6′ 1′, 170 lbs
BUSSIERES, RAPHAEL LW BAIE-COMEAU (QMJHL) 6′ 1′, 183 lbs
CAMPAGNA, MATTHEW C SUDBURY (OHL) 5′ 10′, 170 lbs
CECI, CODY D OTTAWA (OHL) 6′ 2′, 203 lbs
CURCURUTO, GIANLUCA D SAULT STE. MARIE (OHL) 6′ 1′, 191 lbs
DARCY, CAMERON C U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL) 6′ 0′, 185 lbs
DI GIUSEPPE, PHILLIP LW U OF MICHIGAN (CCHA) 6′ 0′, 185 lbs
DRIEDGER, CHRIS G CALGARY (WHL) 6′ 2′, 172 lbs
DUMBA, MATHEW D RED DEER (WHL) 5′ 11′, 171 lbs
EBERT, NICK D WINDSOR (OHL) 6′ 0′, 195 lbs
FRASER, JEREMIE D ACADIE-BATHURST (QMJHL) 6′ 1′, 200 lbs
FRK, MARTIN RW HALIFAX (QMJHL) 6′ 0′, 192 lbs
GALCHENYUK, ALEX C/LW SARNIA (OHL) 6′ 0′, 185 lbs
GAUNCE, BRENDAN C BELLEVILLE (OHL) 6′ 2′, 205 lbs
GIRGENSONS, ZEMGUS C DUBUQUE (USHL) 6′ 1′, 182 lbs
GUDBRANSON, ALEX D KINGSTON (OHL) 6′ 1′, 200 lbs
KERDILES, NICOLAS LW U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL) 6′ 1’, 183 lbs
KOSMACHUK, SCOTT RW GUELPH (OHL) 6’ 0’, 182 lbs
LAUGHTON, SCOTT C OSHAWA (OHL) 6′ 0′, 174 lbs
MAIDENS, JARROD C OWEN SOUND (OHL) 6′ 1′, 169 lbs
MATHESON, MICHAEL D DUBUQUE (USHL) 6′ 0′, 170 lbs
MARCANTUONI, MATIA C KITCHENER (OHL) 5′ 11′, 185 lbs
MURRAY, RYAN D EVERETT (WHL) 6′ 0′, 182 lbs
OLSON, COLLIN G U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL) 6′ 3’, 189 lbs
POULIOT, DERRICK D PORTLAND (WHL) 5′ 11′, 185 lbs
RIELLY, MORGAN D MOOSE JAW (WHL) 5′ 11′, 189 lbs
RYAN, ANDREW LW HALIFAX (QMJHL) 6′ 3’, 193 lbs
SCHMALTZ, JORDAN D SIOUX CITY (USHL) 6′ 2′, 175 lbs
SISSONS, COLTON RW KELOWNA (WHL) 6′ 1′, 182 lbs
SIWAK, DAULTON C RED DEER (WHL) 5′ 11′, 190 lbs
SUBBAN, MALCOLM G BELLEVILLE (OHL) 6′ 1′, 178 lbs
TIERNEY, CHRIS LW LONDON (OHL) 6′ 0′, 170 lbs
TROUBA, JACOB D U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL) 6′ 1′, 175 lbs
YAKUPOV, NAIL RW SARNIA (OHL) 5′ 11′, 180 lbs

Number 4 joins Howard Berger to discuss fighting colon cancer and Kaberle’s lackluster playoff performance thus far.

For more information please call 1-888-571-8547 or visit your doctor. Thanks to our friends at Colon Cancer Canada, Anne Murray, Rogers Sports and of course Bobby Orr.
Bobby-Orr-hb-20110517

Q. Marty, needless to say, University of Vermont fans are buzzing. Can you talk about the fact that 15 years after you and Tim made a Frozen Four, now you’re on the opposite sides here?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Well, I think it’s been talked about a lot this week. I’m proud of where Timmy has gone with his career obviously, what he did, battled to be where he is today. He’s earned every ounce of recognition he’s getting. Obviously he’s on the other side right now. We’re both trying to get to the same place.
We’ve talked about it a lot this week, the University of Vermont connection, whatnot. But the bottom line is we’re both here to do our job and to play the best we can to help our team win.
I haven’t talked to Timmy or anything. We’ll probably talk when we shake hands.

Q. After you did graduate, you didn’t have a chance to talk too much. When you caught up, did you ever envision a day where the two of you would be in this position?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: No, I mean, you’re just trying to find your own way in the NHL. I think we’re at that point. We’re both fighting for a job in the NHL. I think as you move along in your career, you get to this level, there’s always a possibility. But it’s not something you really focus on. You wish each other success and health. You happen to play against each other, it’s game time.

Q. Dwayne, earlier today, Tim Thomas was talking about nine or ten years ago when he was struggling to make it to the NHL, he looked to a guy like yourself as a source of inspiration. Just wanted to get your take on hearing that and knowing maybe Tim Thomas used you as a source of inspiration to get to the National Hockey League.
DWYANE ROLOSON: It’s great that he did. We crossed paths — we played against each other when Marty was a freshman. Timmy was up in Vermont. During the lockout we played against each other. It’s great to see what he’s done. He’s done a great job. The battle through all the adversities that he’s had to get here, he’s done a great job. Probably dealt with a lot of other adversities that he didn’t account for getting to this step. Probably made it a lot easier for him to deal with.

Q. Looking back at your entire career, what was the biggest win you’ve been personally a part of?
DWYANE ROLOSON: I don’t know. They’re all big, if you ask me. It doesn’t really matter which one it is, they’re all big. I look back at all the wins we had, even minor hockey. We had a good minor hockey team. Rob Blake was on our team. We won five championships. Then junior and college. Every win is big. Every time you’re in a playoff and you win a game, it’s always big.
I think every win’s a big win.

Q. When you look back at 2006 when you were with the Oilers, does it really bug you now that you got injured in that final?
DWYANE ROLOSON: It was out of my control. Still is out of my control, how it happened, what happened. For me to dwell on it and focus on it is just wasting my energy and my focus.
For me, our team didn’t win. It’s unfortunate we didn’t win. But at the same time you got to forget about it and go on.

Q. Dwayne, after such a long layoff, how anxious are you to get back on the ice and in a game situation?
DWYANE ROLOSON: I think everyone’s feeling the same way. I’m sure they’re feeling the same way as us. It is a long time to be off, but at the same time, it’s what happens. It’s playoff time, so you got to deal with all the adverse advertise thrown at you.
We’ve done pretty well being able to get away, to be able to relax, but also at the same time come back and focus and refocus, prepare ourselves to play a big hockey game tomorrow night.
I think our coaching staff, management, ownership, have done a great job to prepare us, get us ready to go.

Q. Marty, how do you go after a guy like Tim Thomas? Such an unorthodox style. Is there a particular way to focus in on him?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: I mean, there’s so many good goalies in this league. If you don’t battle and work at the net, it’s going to be hard to beat ‘em. We know that. He’s a competitor. We have to compete. If you just think you’re going to throw shots from the outside with nobody at the net, hope it goes in, you’re mistaken. We got to have people there.
We’ve watched enough playoff hockey, been part of playoff hockey, a lot of goals happen because pucks are thrown at net with people there. We just have to battle. We know he’s a battler and we’re going to have to battle him.

Q. Dwayne, Tim Thomas and Coach Julien touched on this. Experience, age, how does that help you as a goaltender at this level?
DWYANE ROLOSON: I think it’s very valuable. You can be thrown into almost any situation and can look back and say, Yeah, I can relate to this, or, Yeah, I’ve been through this before.
I think when you are going through adversity, especially during playoff time, you can look back and say, Yeah, okay, don’t worry about it, this is how it’s going to happen, play out. You can deal with it and understand what’s going to happen, not lose focus on your task at hand, and that’s winning hockey games.

Q. Marty, was there any part of the season where you thought, You know what, maybe this is something special because from Yzerman, Boucher, to get where you are now, did you think it could be this special?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: I don’t think it’s something overnight that makes you realize you have something special in the locker room. I think it’s gradual. Obviously, all the changes that have been made from the top to the bottom, from Mr. Vinik, Mr. Yzerman, Coach Boucher, all the way down to the players.
Training camp, early on, I realized, We’re going to turn this thing around. Did I know at that time I’d be talking to you guys in a conference final? No, I didn’t know.
But as we went along, we fought through some adversities, injuries, get wins with key guys missing, we get Rolly, get rolling again, adversity after the All-Star break, then finish strong. When we finished the season strong, I thought, You know what, we’re going to carry this into the playoffs.
When you start in the playoffs, 16 teams are battling for the same thing. People expect who has a better chance than the other. But in reality it’s anybody’s game.
I liked our chances when we got in the playoffs. Just leave it out there and see what happens.
But we got something in our locker room for a long time now. It’s been a great bunch of guys to be around. The additions they made with Rolly and Brewer, guys that are playing key roles on our team, we didn’t just add great players, we added great people. The really added to the great group we had.

Q. Marty, back to ’04, you were structured like the great Western Conference teams, dominant center icemen. You were a Hart Trophy guy. Vinny just said it’s about the importance of everybody’s role, no matter who they are on the team, what number they wear, that’s been the special aspect of this club. When you frame in your mind that you could be a championship team, how do you think of your team, what makes you guys that good?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: You know, I think we’re a well-prepared team. I think it starts with the preparation. When we go into a game, we feel we’re ready to play that game. Everybody has a role on the team. That was clear-cut early on, what your role was going to be on that team.
In the playoffs, you got to play your role and more. You can’t just be satisfied in playing your role. You have to bring more than just your role. We’re seeing that in our team. Every line is contributing. Our so-called third line with Moorsy, Down, and Bergy, they played some dominant minutes for us. You can’t rely on one or two lines in the playoffs. You want to go far, you need everybody, and we’ve had that. That’s why we’re here today.

Q. When it comes to age, you talk about the experience factor, how that helps. At this point in your career, how different is this for you in terms of knowing you don’t know how many more chances you’re going to get to do this? Tim Thomas talked this morning, too. He said when he was younger, guys used to say, Cherish these moments.
DWYANE ROLOSON: Well, I don’t think for me personally it’s any different than our ’06 run in Edmonton because, like Tim said, everyone alludes to it, Marty and I talked about it with our team before playoffs started, you never know when this is going to happen for me.
Last time for me was ’06. For Marty it was six or seven years ago.
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Four years ago.
DWYANE ROLOSON: So you never know. You got to cherish and relish every moment of every situation. So for me, nothing’s changed. You have to enjoy it, have fun with it, do whatever you got to do to help your team win. The bottom line, if you can do that, you’re going to have success.

Q. Dwayne, being back in Boston, not far from where you went to college in Lowell, what kind of memories do you take out of that experience? What did that experience mean for your development and your career?
DWYANE ROLOSON: It meant a lot to me. I was 20 years old, nowhere to go really. Had an offer, a couple offers, to play college hockey. Getting an opportunity to play at Lowell was huge for me. It allowed me to develop as a person, as a goalie and as a student.
I look back at the memories I have of university, still to this day, my friends at university are still my close, personal friends. You grow up together. You learn a lot together. We had a lot of fun together.
I think we were well-coached with Bill Riley and Bruce Crowder at the time. When Bruce came in, there was a lot of changes, but at the same time we learned a lot about pro hockey with Bruce playing pro. He was preparing each and every individual how to play pro hockey if they had that opportunity.
I remember looking back after my junior year sitting in the coach’s office with Coach Crowder discussing my future, whether I should leave or come back. He said, For me, I don’t want you to leave, but for you, you probably want to leave. I’m going to give you the resources to make that decision.
He helped me make the decision to come back. To this day when I look back, it’s the best decision I ever made.

Q. Are you aware of the story that Tim was close to coming to Lowell, but knew he wouldn’t be able to play because you were coming back?
DWYANE ROLOSON: Yeah, Marty told me that a couple times.
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Thanks for that.
DWYANE ROLOSON: I heard that through Marty and Stammer this week, through some of the media resources. I don’t really look at the media or watch the media.
You know, it’s great for Tim. He had a lot of success in college. They had a lot of fun up there, I’m sure. I know when we played them, they were a heck of a hockey team up there. I think they spanked us 8-1. They had a great program and they still do. It’s great to see.

Q. Marty, as much as Eric Brewer has brought to your team on the ice, the leadership he’s shown, how do you feel he handled the balance of asserting himself?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: No, he’s a veteran in this league. The way he plays the game, you respect that. I think he leaves it out there every night.
You know, obviously he comes to a new team, there’s always going to be a feeling-out period. I feel that the guys on our team, Vinny, Ohlund, myself, we’re easy-to-approach kind of guys. We’re not trying to run things a certain way. Everybody has input.
Obviously the younger guys look up to us in key moments. (Indiscernible) is one of the guys we look up to. He’s played at international level, Olympics. He’s played a fair amount of games in this league. He was a captain in St. Louis. You have to grab the resources you can have, and he’s one of those guys that we like to know what he thinks about things, what his feelings are on a few things because he’s lived it.

Special Thanks: ASAP Sports

Q. Both of you, if you could explain how you go after a goaltender who has such an unorthodox style and unpredictable in his technique?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: Well, we know he’s good. I mean, we’re just going to do like we did the first two series. It all comes down to shooting the puck at him and getting the rebounds.
Especially him, he’s going to make that first save. He’s a great goaltender. So we’ll definitely try to get those rebounds. I think that’s what their team is going to try to do to Rolly. He’s unorthodox, but he definitely got it done this year. He’s been playing very well.
STEVEN STAMKOS: I think we just can’t overthink out there on the ice. We know he’s a good goalie. He’s really aggressive. He’s played really well for them. He’s going to make some pretty good saves. We can’t let that get to us, get down and think that we aren’t going to beat them.
You look at both the goalies in this series, they played unbelievable, but they haven’t stopped every single puck. We know we got to get lots of pucks to the net, like Vinny said, just don’t give up.

Q. What about your own goalie, can you tell us what kind of difference he’s made since coming to your team?
STEVEN STAMKOS: You know, I had a chance to play with Rolly before. I think the guys who played against him maybe didn’t realize how good he is till he got here, then he stole some hockey games for us.
I think the thing that separates him is his leadership abilities. You don’t see that. We see that in the room every day before practice, he’s stepping up, always talking. He’s obviously a veteran guy in this league who has been to the finals before.
He notes how to react in every single situation. We know how good he is on the ice, but it’s his leadership abilities that have helped us to get here.
VINCENT LECAVALIER: That’s what I was going to say, so same answer (laughter).

Q. Can you maybe talk about the week, how it’s gone, how you’ve managed the long layoff?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: Yeah, it was great. I mean, I remember in ’04, after the first round, we had nine days off. Then after the second round against Montréal, we had 10 days off. I mean, I think it’s great just to kind of get away.
The playoffs are so tough mentally and physically, especially for us going against Pittsburgh, then right after, two days later, playing a Washington team. Even though we won in four, I mean, it was a tough series. We were playing a great team.
Coach gave us three days off. It was nice just to get away. I’m not going to say not think about it. You do think about it, but just to get away with your families, don’t skate, don’t think about anything.
This week I thought we practiced well. We came back on Sunday and we had kind of a short little practice, just to get back into it.
I think overall it was a great week for us to kind of relax, but slowly getting our tempo back to obviously playoff hockey.

Q. Now that you’re up to this point, can you sense the anxiousness on your team to get this thing started?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: Oh, definitely. I mean, we all want to play the game. It was nice to get a few days off. It’s nice to get back at it. It’s a great challenge, a great team. But we’re excited to start.

Q. Vinny, going back to ’04 for a second, you emulated the great Western Conference powers of the ’90s, two number one lines, just like Colorado, Detroit, Dallas. When you look at the team now, you try to envision that you could be a championship club, how do you frame it in your mind? What makes your team special right now?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: I think what makes our team special, I’ve said that often, but what’s different about this team than any other team I’ve played on is that everybody has a big role on a team. You don’t just look at the guys that are scoring goals, the offensive guys. I mean, you see guys like Bergenheim, Moore, Hall, Nate Thomson playing great on the PK. Those are guys that made a huge difference against Washington.
Everybody has a big role, defensive core and our goaltending. That’s what made our team successful so far. Everybody feels part of it. Everybody wants to win for each other because they are such a big part of the team.

Q. You’re both offensively skilled players. The challenge of facing Chara for seven consecutive games, do you look forward to that challenge?
STEVEN STAMKOS: I don’t know if you look forward going against Chara every night. It’s going to be a challenge, and I think we’re ready for it. He’s obviously a great defenseman in this league. He’s a great shut-down guy. What makes him good other than his obvious size and physicality is his long stick. You think you have a step on him, then comes that seven-foot stick knocking the puck out of the way.
It’s going to be a challenge. We have to adjust our game, get in front of the net, keep the puck away from him. He makes great passes as well.
It’s not going to be easy. But you’re going to have to go against defensemen like that. We’ve gone through multiple different guys. We had Letang and Orpik, Mike Green, Carlson. Now you have a different monster in Chara. You have to adjust your game and hopefully it will work out for us.
VINCENT LECAVALIER: A little bit like what Steve is saying here. He’s a huge defenseman. Strong, long stick. It’s tough to play against him. We’re going to try to definitely put the puck behind him as much as we can.
He’s got offensive skill, defensive skill, he’s got everything about him. A great defenseman. We’re going to have to try to tire him out as much as we can, try to make him skate because we know he definitely plays a lot of minutes.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN STAMKOS: The same rink as any other rink. Obviously Tampa hasn’t had success in this rink before, but that doesn’t really matter now.
It was nice to fly out this morning and be able to get a chance to skate after the flight. Usually we practice in the morning, then fly. So it was nice to switch it up, get a good skate in.
I think it was our best practice of the week. Guys were crisp, passes were good. It’s been a fun layoff. It’s great for guys to get rested and recovered. Everyone goes through bumps and bruises in the playoffs, but definitely nice to get back to the rink and start getting the legs going, feeling the puck. At the end of the day, we have to play a game, that game is tomorrow, I think it’s good they got some time off as well, so both teams are in the same boat. Nice to get back to hockey, anxious, guys are looking good.

Q. Bruins took three of four from you in the regular season, pretty good games. What were you able to pinpoint that they were able to have so much effectiveness? What areas do you need to improve upon against that team now?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: I just think regular season, playoffs, is two different things. They played well against us in the regular season. They came out hard. They’re a physical team. They got a good offense.
But we don’t want to really put too much emphasis on the regular season. This is a new season. We’re going to be ready to play tomorrow, so…
STEVEN STAMKOS: Yeah, I mean, you look at all the teams that have had success against the other teams in the regular season, then you come playoff time, totally different story. Pittsburgh played us pretty good; Washington dominated us a couple times. These guys dominated us in an 8-1 game. There’s different people in the lineup now for both teams.
I don’t think Rolly played against these guys. He’s been a big factor for us this year. It’s totally different.
We’re not worrying about the regular season now. We’re focused. We’ve got this far and want to keep going.

Q. You mentioned Roloson’s leadership ability this year. You referred to the fact that Brewer had a similar type of impact. What kind of impact has he had off the ice as much as on the ice?
STEVEN STAMKOS: He was the captain in St. Louis. We knew about the leadership qualities. I personally had never played with him, so didn’t know what to expect. I think day one, he was kind of cracking jokes, calling guys out in a good way. We knew from there he was going to be a real vocal guy for us on the ice. You can hear him from the offensive zone when he’s in the defensive zone.
That’s a thing he really brought to our team, lighten the mood up, especially with the defensive core, really communicating on the ice. Rolly is a good communicator, too. I think this that’s a good leadership quality. There’s types of leaders. He’s a guy that leads vocally, then he backs it up on the ice.

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Pre-Game One

Q. Your thoughts on getting off to the right start. Both teams talked through the course of the week how to approach this game given the long layoff. Right off the bat, what do you tell the guys? How do you position the guys to be ready for tonight?
COACH BOUCHER: Well, we don’t want to fall into the trap of being over-emotional. I think it will be a shock for both teams to go back to playoff intensity. I mean, everybody’s going to be ready to go. I’m sure they’re like us: it’s about time it starts.
But I think it’s important that we stick to what we do best in the first period rather than come out and rely on our emotions to lead us. I think it’s the opposite: we want to stay poised. We’re expecting to come out of the gates real hard and strong and their fans to elevate them quick to another level. That, we need to be aware of right off the bat, yeah.

Q. Guy, how much will you pay attention to line matching, specifically trying to get some of your stars away from Chara in this series?
COACH BOUCHER: You know, I think I’ve found over the years is you have to watch for line matches and pair matches. Sometimes you lose momentum because of that. Your player is sitting on the bench instead of playing. Whether it’s Chara or Orpik or any other Washington guys that we’ve met. The idea is that your top players need ice time. I don’t want my top players to sit on the bench just because of the matchups.
In the end, your top players have to be able to play against their top players.
There will be some matchups. We don’t have much control over it here in Boston. Therefore, everybody has to be ready to play against Chara or anybody else.

Q. With Simon coming back in the lineup, what is your inclination of the split between forwards and defensemen? When you’re coming off a successful lineup, is it difficult to take someone out?
COACH BOUCHER: It’s a not hard to put Simon back in, that’s for sure. What we’ve been doing is most of the year we’ve played with seven defensemen and 11 forwards. I do have a tendency to go that way. Blair Jones from the American League was playing as the 11th forward the last games. Therefore, I think it’s only fitting that Simon takes his spot back.
We’re going to keep the same defensive core for tonight, so go with 11 and seven again.

Q. Guy, Dana Tyrell skated the last couple days. Can you give us an update on where he stands.
COACH BOUCHER: He’s getting closer. Obviously next week was the target. It’s still the target for Dana being available. It will just give us one more body that’s able.
He played the entire year with us. He was terrific on the penalty kill. If he’s able to play, it’s obviously one more tool for us to be able to put on the ice. He’s got the speed, the heart and physicality to play at this level in the playoffs. Certainly wouldn’t hesitate to make him play.
I think right now there’s still at least one more week for him to get ready for.

Q. What immediate impact are you expecting from Gagne being back in the lineup tonight?
COACH BOUCHER: Well, I think all our players, including Gagne, right now for us it’s that first period. The first five minutes are going to be really important, whether it’s him or anybody else. The impact that we want is we want to make sure we don’t come out and start running around everywhere. So he’s the same as everybody.
But I think in the long run, Simon, he’s had a terrific last two months of the season. If you look at his stats, he was one of our top, top guys. In the playoffs he certainly made a big difference against Pittsburgh. It was too bad we were missing him against Washington basically the entire series.
But he’s a pressure guy. He’s lived it with Team Canada in the Olympics, he’s lived it in Philly. He’s been in pressure situations in the NHL so many years, and he’s come up with big goals. He’s one of those guys that’s a clutch player. Certainly has and will be playing a huge part in our team.

Q. Guy, you mentioned Montréal as a good comparison for you guys. When you’re doing your pre-scouting, what struck you about the Canadiens and the way they gave the Bruins a dogfight?
COACH BOUCHER: I think throughout the entire year, obviously Canadiens I think won three, had the upper hand against Boston. Same as Buffalo, for instance. I think they’re smaller guys, really fast skating.
That’s why I said we were a similar team to Montréal. We got very good goaltending, we’ve got a lot of speed with the forwards on all four lines, we’ve got guys who block shots, and we have defensemen who are strong down low. It’s a similar outlook, I think, than Montréal that we’ve got.
We’re not Montréal, though. We’re our own team. But somebody asked me back then what kind of style we have compared to the other teams that the Bruins have played. I think we’re closer to Montréal than Philly. But obviously we’re ourselves.

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Q. Tim, I wanted to ask you, how big was it for the team’s confidence to overcome the deficit in the first round against Montreal and then to beat Philly the way you did after what happened last year?

TIM THOMAS: I think we had the confidence before we went into the playoffs that we could win against those teams, specifically, that we played. But it took us a little while before we got engaged in that first series for whatever reason. I don’t know exactly what those reasons were. That includes myself, too.

But beating Montreal in Montreal the first time in overtime there in Game 3 really did help our confidence. But our confidence was good going into the playoffs, but I just think it’s grown, obviously, with the success that we’ve had.

Q. Marty St. Louis – do you look at your careers as paralleled? He was a small player and then had to go to Europe to play, and now you’re playing against one another in the Eastern Conference Final. And can you just rehash the story why you didn’t go to UMASS Lowell because Dwayne Roloson was there?

TIM THOMAS: Yeah, well, first, I don’t think we’ve had exactly parallel careers, but we’ve had similarities. The similarities were that for different reasons, Marty because of his size, and me because of my style – early on in our careers we kind of got labeled as people that would never be able to do it at the NHL level because of those two things.

But we both took long roads to get to the NHL. It branches off a little bit because Marty broke through first, and he got his first opportunities in the NHL at an earlier time than I did and obviously went on to great success at an earlier stage than I did. So there are similarities, but differences. Now I think we’re having similar type careers again as far as the fact that we’re both in the Eastern Conference Final, we’re both doing very well. We’re both very, very competitive and leave everything on the ice.

I know it’s not going to be easy playing against Marty St. Louis, so I have to be ready for that.

As far as the Dwayne Roloson thing, originally, when I graduated from high school, I wasn’t recruited by any college. I had to go down to juniors, and I made that team as the third goalie. I won’t even get into that. But the next summer I was recruited by UMASS Lowell and Michigan Tech. Both those teams had juniors that were returning as seniors. Jamie Ramm at Michigan Tech and Dwayne Roloson at UMASS Lowell. Basically both coaches were upfront. They told me they wanted me to go to their schools, but if I did, I’d play three games max.

So when Vermont called, they were the only school that at the told me if I went there I had a chance to play right away. I’d have to earn it. They weren’t promising it or guaranteeing it. It would be a trial between me and the two goalies they had that were juniors. But I had the opportunity. So I chose not to go to UMASS Lowell because of Dwayne Roloson, basically. It changed everything.

Q. Did you guys use last year’s collapse in the playoffs as any kind of motivation or was it talked about at all either before the season or before the playoffs like hey, we can get past this or hey, we can still do good things here?

TIM THOMAS: No, it was more one of those topics that really certainly wasn’t touched upon early in the season. When we got down in when we got to the playoffs, maybe it was mentioned a couple of times, but more especially when we were down 2-0 to Montreal. More on the reference of “we know how playoffs are, it doesn’t mean anything. We just have to turn it around and win one game and win one more game, and win one more game.”

So that’s the first time the subject was really broached. Then, obviously, it was brought up mostly in the media questioning and during that Philadelphia series. So it was, if anything, we probably used it as motivation to really want to get that fourth win against Philadelphia so it didn’t snow ball out of control.

Because look at what Detroit’s done in the San Jose series, and they’re talking about a possible comeback and stuff. But if that was Boston right now, if it was Philadelphia winning Game 4, 5 and 6, I think you guys use your imaginations and realize how crazy it would have gotten, and how difficult it would have been as a player to actually win that 7th game because negative thoughts get in your mind all the time.

So we were very happy to win that fourth game against Philadelphia to kind of put that behind us. Hopefully it’s a topic that never has to be thought of, at least in the same way, again.

Q. In saying that, when teams are down 3-0, they never say we’re done, we’re out of it. They always say like you did, just one game and then another. Now what happened with Philadelphia last year with Chicago and now Detroit, do those 3-0 deficits seem that now they can be overcome?

TIM THOMAS: Well, we knew they could be overcome before last year, because that three, maybe it was four years ago, we were down 3-0 in a series against the Canadiens. That’s when they were the number 1 seed and we were the number 8 seed. We took it to a Game 7.

We won 4, 5 and 6 and took it to a Game 7. If I’m remembering correctly, which I believe I am. But you might want to fact check that on Google or something first. So we knew it could happen. But having said that, winning that and coming back is hard. Winning that 7th game is very difficult. Even when Philly did it, they had to overcome a 3-0 deficit in that Game 7.

So speaking of Detroit, I don’t know. I don’t have a clue which way it’s going to go tonight. But if you happen to be the team with the lead, you really have to bear down.

But it’s dangerous. The playoffs are the playoffs. Part of the reason you’re up 3-0 in the series is probably because you worked harder and gave more energy than the other team. So if you don’t win that deciding game in games 4 or 5, it gets more and more difficult to get that fourth win because you’ve used more energy early in the series.

That’s part of what the momentum swing is. The team that’s winning earlier in the series is using more energy. That’s probably part of what happened in the Detroit series. Then at that time when it gets near the end of the series it becomes an endurance contest.

Q. Do you feel the layoff between series will affect you at all? Would you prefer to get right back at it?

TIM THOMAS: Well, first of all, I haven’t put too much thought into it because it’s just one of those things that you can’t control. Probably everyone’s heard “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” That’s pretty good wisdom there and I try to follow that.

Having said that, there’s times during this week that we’ve had that I wish we could just get at it. Then there are other times where it’s a good thing. I can think of one area that is a good thing. I’ve been able to get a lot of the media and the media interviews done at a time when it really shouldn’t impact or take the energy out of my game preparation.

So you can look at it in a positive or negative way. I prefer to look at it as get the most positives you can out of it. There is nothing you can do about it. Both teams are doing pretty much the same thing in this case. It’s not like one team was playing and one team was sitting.

Q. Is it kind of amazing to think a year ago you’re undergoing hip surgery and here you are leading the team to the conference finals? And I guess as a second question to that one, did surgery force you to rethink how you played the position?

TIM THOMAS: It is amazing. I haven’t taken too much time to really focus on how different it is this year than last year, because still too busy putting all my focus and energy toward trying to accomplish more.

As far as the hip surgery making me have to rethink my game, yes and no. When I had the surgery and I’m recovering and rehabbing from the surgery, I did wonder how it was going to affect the way that I played or the way that I had to play. But actually when I got to playing and realized how good the hip was, it actually allowed me to play the way that I wanted to.

So I didn’t have to really change anything. I actually had to change less than I had to change even last year when I was playing with the injury. So it kind of put me back to a spot where I didn’t have to change much, I could just play. I think that’s added to my success this year.

Q. Following up on that, when you’re looking at hip surgery at age 36 and now that you’ve had a full season and a couple series, when you looked back, did your personal results surpass your expectation?

TIM THOMAS: Yes and no. A lot of the stuff that I’ve accomplished this year are goals that I actually set for myself last summer. Not exactly like to the number, like I’m thinking oh, I’m going to have a .9-whatever save percentage, not like that.

One goal I did have was to be a Vezina finalist. That’s one of the things I thought of last summer. And one goal, one dream that I thought a lot about was raise the Stanley Cup over my head.

In that way I’m not surprised, because they are goals that I made. But the other side of that coin is you can make goals, but you never know whether you’re going to be able to accomplish them.

I’m not explaining this correctly, but I’m doing the best I can. But having said that, who would have thought it? I was probably the only one that was thinking it, so that was something that was at least a possibility. I understand why other people are surprised. I’m not that surprised myself, maybe that’s the best way.

Q. Can you describe the difference in mindset? The contrasting mindset with a year ago you’re hamstrung on the bench there, you’ve got a bad hip, watching your mates on the ice in the playoffs. Now here you are playing so strong and you guys are doing so well.

TIM THOMAS: Well, it was a totally different perspective last year. It gave me a unique perspective because I was on the bench, and I got to see the game from a different viewpoint than I’d ever gotten to see it before.

I’d watched playoffs on TV, but at every level I’ve been at I’ve always been the one who played in the playoffs. Even when there were times that other goalies only played one game or something. It gave me a unique perspective to be a part of the team too and what goes into having success in the playoffs. Where sometimes when you’re just the one playing and in the net, you’re not on the bench, you’re not cut completely apart, and you can forget.

That’s one thing I learned from last year is that even if you’re not on the bench, you can be a part of that whole team feeling that helps you to have success in the playoffs.

But it also really increased my hunger to want to be able to play in the playoffs and what a gift and opportunity that is to be in the NHL playoffs and competing at the high level for the Stanley Cup.

Having said that, I rehabed my hip really hard starting at about mid April last year. By the time we got to the second round playoffs of Philadelphia, I was actually feeling really good and really strong. I had the ability to play, so that changed my outlook.

I actually had a more positive outlook during that last Philadelphia series personally. For the first time last year I felt like I could play to the level I wanted to play. Then I had to go have surgery, which you never know how that’s going to turn out. But I had the ability to play towards the end of last season and that helps me coming into this year, helped my confidence coming into this year.

Q. Tim, it was 1999, you were invited to the Lightning camp. Did you have any recollections of that?

TIM THOMAS: I was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning for that whole season, actually. I was on a two way contract. And I played the whole year with the Detroit Vipers, the minor league team though.

It was the first year that I forget the guy’s name that owned the Palace of Auburn Hills (Bill Davidson). He owned the Vipers there. He bought the Tampa Bay Lightning. I was down there for a while during camp, five or six weeks, so I remembered quite a bit. I remember quite a bit.

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