Rats Acquire Shattenkirk

The Minnesota Rink Rats have announced the acquisition of Kevin Shattenkirk, a highly-touted defensive prospect currently playing in the NCAA. In exchange for Shattenkirk Minnesota sent RW Petr Kalus and a 4th round pick in the upcoming draft to the Harlem Hoodrats. Kalus has seen a decrease in playing time since Patrick O’Sullivan was moved to right wing and was recently a healthy scratch that was sent to the minors.

Kalus wasn’t quite about his recent demotion and many in Minnesota were concerned about how his behavior would affect the team. The organization knew they were dealing with a bit of an ego and decided to make a move sending the speedy young winger to Harlem.

“We are delighted to be bringing in a fine prospect like Kevin to this organization”, stated GM LaDouceur. “We’re hoping Kevin will progress into a solid, top-4 defenseman in the future and he provides great leadership and an ability to play in the offensive zone. He’s played very well thus far in college and we’re excited to see what he can do once he’s ready to play in the big leagues”.

Minnesota has been off to somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde season thus far. They have shown traces of their abilities against squads like the Vipers, the Fighting Irish & the Saints but have also played very poorly in other games that have been played going 1-4-2 in their first 7 games played.

Clearly the team is missing Captain Jay Bouwmeester who has been out because of an upper body injury the past 4 games. Bouwmeester is expected to make a full recovery but will be out of the lineup the next few weeks. The team has recently found a spark on their 3rd line since the callup of David Krejci. Krejci has played in 2 games and has 2 assists in those games sparking the play of linemates Rob Schremp and Darcy Tucker.

Minnesota’s first two lines has been up and down and has been lead by Matthew Lombardi who has 4 goals and an assist through 7 games. Head Coach, Barry Melrose stated that he’ll continue to mix up his lines and hopes to see improved play from winger Derek Roy who has yet to find the back of the net.

WHL15 Season Outlook

Cammalleri, a highly skilled, speedy, offensive threat. The addition
of Cammalleri provides Minnesota with a proven scoring option that can play all 3 positions up front. In exchange for Cammalleri, Minnesota dealt prospect Dustin Boyd, a WHL16 draft pick and Chuck Kobasew, a potential scoring threat that has taken some time to develop and received a couple of upcoming draft picks as well. Cammalleri will fit in well on the Rink Rat’s first line with Derek Roy and Patrick O’Sullivan.

“Cammalleri is a guy that has scored at every level he’s played and I feel very confident he’ll be able to help us offensively,” said Head Coach, Barry Melrose. “I feel as though we have an improved team over last season and think we have a strong shot to make the playoffs again this season”.

The playoffs will be no easy task for Minnesota as many WHL teams are boasting improved rosters. Within their conference look for the Cats, Orcas and Fighting Irish to see improvements over last season and with the likes of strong clubs like the Bulls, Express, Voodoo, Dropkicks and Timberjacks the division will be pretty competitive again this season.

Minnesota will expect big things out of returning Hart Trophy runner-up Ryan Miller to help carry the team again. The defense looks to be somewhat improved over last season with Brent Burns looking pretty sharp in team training camp. Word has it that Burns is looking like he’ll be one of the best in the league and will most likely be paired with Captain Jay Bouwmeester on the squad’s first line and power play units. The remainder of the team will look like this:

Left Wing
Derek Roy
Geoff Sanderson
Rob Schremp
Mike York

Center
Patrick O'Sullivan
Matthew Lombardi
Alexei Yashin
Kris Beech

Right Wing
Michael Cammalleri
Darcy Tucker
Richard Park
Petr Kalus

Defense
Jay Bouwmeester
Brent Burns
Derek Morris
Toni Lydman
Mike VanRyn
Karel Rachunek
Shane Hnidy

Goal
Ryan Miller
John Graham

Farm
David Krejci
TJ Hensick
Tyler Kennedy
Jimmy Howard
Ryan Potulny
Petteri Norkelainen
Kyle Cumiskey
Brian Elliott
Casey Borer

WHL15 Offseason Report

With the draft completed and the season about to hit full swing the Minnesota Rink Rats have a lot of new faces and an optimistic view for the new season. That optimism is a result of returning goaltender Ryan Miller who was voted to the WHL’s 2nd team All-Star squad and was a close second in voting for the Hart & Vezina Trophies. Miller returns behind the same defense as a season ago but will have a new-look offense in front of them. That offense will be lead by new Rink Rat Patrick O’Sullivan and Derek Roy. O’Sullivan is a solid player who could very well up 40 goals and 40 assists and Roy is a small but speedy winger who is a great setup man and strong finisher.

Jay Bouwmeester returns to the squad and is expected to be named team captain. Bouwmeester will likely be paired with returning defenseman Brent Burns whom the team expects will be much improved with an offseason of hard work and conditioning. The rest of the defense will be rounded out with Derek Morris, Toni Lydman, Mike VanRyn & Karel Rachunek.

Other new faces include newly drafted TJ Hensick, Tyler Kennedy & Brian Elliott along with Ryan Potulny & Alexei Yashin whom were acquired via trade and free agency. The remainder of the offense will be a question mark as the team expects to return the likes of Chuck Kobasew who can put up 20 goals if he stays healthy, Darcy Tucker, Dustin Boyd, Rob Schremp, Matthew Lombardi and possibly David Krejci and Petr Kalus depending on the health of the team.

We recently sat down with GM Rink Rat to ask some questions on the upcoming season and here’s what he had to say:

Q: How do you feel about your draft this season?
A: I feel pretty good about what we were able to do in this year’s draft. There were a lot of great talents in this draft and every GM coming out of it has to be pretty happy with the exception of maybe one club who missed out. We had targeted both TJ Hensick & Tyler Kennedy for our two 2nd round picks and luckily we were able to acquire them. I think both players have a strong chance of playing for our 2nd or 3rd lines next season. We needed help in goal with the possible departure of John Graham in the next season so we picked up Elliott in the 3rd round. We had both Elliott & Greiss targeted as potential 4th round picks but without a pick in that round we had to grab up Elliott in the 3rd. We're happy with that pick and we think he'll help provide us with added depth in the future.

Q: You had Derek Roy on the trade block before the draft. What happened?
A: We came close to making a move but when the player we were targeting at a certain pick got drafted, we decided to stick with Roy. Roy is a tremendous talent with good speed and a great ability to setup his linemates. If we move him it has to be right for our team and our future.

Q: Where do you see this squad finishing during this season?
A: We’ll have to see how the rosters play out. Our division has gotten so good it’s really going to be a struggle. The Cats, Orcas and Cougars will all have improved clubs and this is in a division that already has clubs like the Bulls, Express, Timberjacks, Voodoo, Dropkicks & Fighting Irish. I think our team is going to be fairly comparable to last season, maybe a tad better with an improved Brent Burns on dee, but it’s going to be a tougher division for sure.

Q: Long-term, how does this team look?
A: With our current squad I think we’re 2 seasons away from being a good solid club. A lot of our guys are still trying to figure things out, but I think that they’re not too far off and will have a good chance to put us into contention if they stay healthy and can continue to improve. Guys like David Krejci, Dustin Boyd, TJ Hensick & Rob Schremp all have top-6 potential and give us a good arsenal of options on offense in the upcoming seasons. Plus we have a strong core group of guys like Burns, Bouwmeester, Roy & O’Sullivan that are still in their young 20’s and are improving. O’Sullivan could turn out to be a 50 goal scorer and Roy could end up scoring 80 points each season for the next 6 years. We also have players like Chuck Kobasew & Matthew Lombardi that have put up numbers in the past and have strong potential if they can continue to be consistent. Lombardi is one of the fastest players in the league and we hope his speed and playmaking can put some points on the
board. Right now we’re taking it one game at a time and we’ll see what happens.

Q: Are there any players that you’re currently shopping on the trade block?
A: We like our squad but yeah I think there are still needs that need to be filled. Right now we’re looking for a 2nd line right wing or center for our squad and have Chuck Kobasew, Toni Lydman, Rob Schremp, Matthew Lombardi, Dustin Boyd, Darcy Tucker, Petteri Norkelainen & Petr Kalus available. Roy’s name has been mentioned in a few deals but so far no offer has been good enough to make that move.

Thanks for being here with us and ggood luck to you and your club on the upcoming season.

WHL14 Season Review

After what could be considered a surprise season for many owners in the WHL, the Minnesota Rink Rats ended their "cinderella" season with a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Edmonton Express. The Rink Rats, ranked 7th in the Campbell Conference at season's end, made the playoffs for the 1st time in 5 seasons and more than doubled the team's wins from the previous season.

The team relied on the strong play of MVP candidate Ryan Miller and Captain Marc Savard to turn around the team's fortune and bring success back to this storied franchise. Solid play from young players such as Derek Roy, Nikolai Zherdev, Jay Bouwmeester & Jamie Heward as well as the addition of veterans like Darcy Tucker and Brian Leetch before the trade deadline helped lift the team to the playoffs, but in the end the Express proved too much.

The offseason will provide a few question marks for Minnesota as to the direction of the club. The team will most likely return with a core nucleus consisting of Derek Roy, Brent Burns, Jay Bouwmeester and Ryan Miller but has some question marks as to the status of the rest of the roster. Players such as Darcy Tucker, Geoff Sanderson, Mike VanRyn, Karel Rachunek, Mike York and Josef Vasicek are considered to be on Minnesota's trade block to bring in a few extra picks for this year's draft. Rumors have also swirled that Minnesota may again consider moving Captain Marc Savard who still provides quite a bit of scoring potential, to get into the 1st round of this year’s draft plus a rookie or prospect. Johnny Oduya, Nikolai Zherdev, Rob Schremp and Dustin Boyd may also be on the move if the right offer were in place.

“We’re going to consider all our options and go from there” stated GM LaDouceur. “We’ve got a solid group of players on this team and a couple that are on the verge of going to the next level. We need to continue to find ways to improve and develop our young players. I'm real proud of what we did this season. We're a young club and to improve that much was nice to see. Our fans treat us well in Minnesota and they deserved to watch a winning club.”

Rats Add Offensive Firepower

The Minnesota Rink Rats are on a roll and they look to increase their recent winning ways with some key new additions. The team has announced that they have sent young defenseman Brent Seabrook to the Toronto Stallions in exchange for veteran right winger Darcy Tucker and young phenom Rob Schremp.

"This move is big for us," exclaimed Head Coach Barry Melrose. "It automatically gives us two strong lines and makes us good playoff contenders. I think we had one of the best young defenses in the league with Jay Bouwmeester, Brent Burns & Brent Seabrook so it's hard seeing Seabrook go, but this also gives us an immediate impact and also allows us to think about our future with a guy that has the offensive potential like Schremp. This move means we need to bring in some extra help on defense and we are currently talking to a few teams about that help. We hope to have something completed real soon".

Minnesota's defense has been a bit shaky lately as Ryan Miller recently had a two game streak where he had to stop 93 of 96 shots to get his wins. The team says that it is proud of their defense and feels that players such as Burns, Johnny Oduya and Kyle Cumiskey are developing very nicely and will hopefully be able to make a stronger impact next season as they continue their progress. Still, the team has not ruled out the idea of moving the aforementioned Oduya, Cumiskey, Schremp or even 1st round pick Dustin Boyd to bring in some extra help on defense.

Miller Receives Honor

Ryan Miller was recently named second runner-up for player of the week. Miller put up incredible numbers during his stretch. He had a 2.35 goal against average as well as a .925 save percentage. However, clearly not by his fault we finished the week with 1 win in 4 games.

Minnesota has been in search for a little more offensive all season. Team GM has stated that the team doesn't want to jeopardize their future by getting rid of star young talent such as Nikolai Zherdev & Derek Roy to obtain a player that may or may not help them in their short-term run. Look for Minnesota to shop Brent Seabrook or Brent Burns to obtain a young centermen the second half of this season.

Sanderson Passes 1,000 Games

A recent milestone was accomplished in Minnesota as Rink Rats veteran Geoff Sanderson surpassed 1,000 games. Sanderson, who was an All Star last season, has 16 goals and 34 points this season and is 3rd on team scoring for Minnesota.

Sanderson stated after the game, "It's been great playing on this club and I feel privileged to have had such a long and lustrous career. I love playing for Minnesota and hope to retire a Rink Rat".

Sanderson recently turned 36 years old and is slowly approaching the end of his career. Minnesota had him on their trade block earlier this season but have kept him in hopes of a playoff run and believed his leadership could help their young club.

All-Star Weekend In Full Force

The WHL All-Star Weekend is in full effect. Many of the WHL’s finest have gathered to compete in the festivities. This year the WHL has added new concepts in the WHL Young Stars Game & Skills Challenge. Some of the WHL’s most promising young stars have battled it out in Niagara in what could surely be the future of the WHL All-Star Game.

The Minnesota Rink Rats had a strong presence in the Young Stars Game with 3 defensemen and 1 forward competing in the Young Stars Game. Minnesota’s Brent Burns scored the Campbell Conference’s lone goal with an assist credited to Ladislav Smid. Smid & Burns were joined by teammates Brent Seabrook & Dustin Boyd representing the Campbell Conference in the Young Stars Game.

Minnesota had 1 player participating in the All-Star Game as well in young goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller will play as the 3rd string goaltender for the Campbell Conference behind Bulls goaltender Tomas Vokoun & Martin Brodeur. Miller seemed shaky at times in the Skills Competition allowing 3 goals in the shootout but then stopping 2 of 3 in a sudden death shootout. Perhaps nerves got the better of the young goaltender early on but he showed his true colors late in the contest.

In other Rink Rats news, the team has announced that they've put young defenseman Ladislav Smid back on the trade block looking for similar value in a young forward. Teams that are interested are asked to send in trade requests immediately to be reviewed by GM Rink Rat. "We're looking for a young forward who we may be able to use this year. We'd like to see someone with a shot of 6 or better so we're asking teams to send in offers and we'll review our options. Smid is still a great young defenseman and could help many teams in their future".

Mid-Season Awards

We're almost half way through this season so Minnesota writers have huddled together (literally - it's freaking freezing in Minneapolis right now) and came out with their midseason awards for the WHL. Here is their compilation of thoughts:

Hart (MVP)
1. Alex Tanguay - Where would the Sparrows be without Tanguay's talents? Tanguay truly is the leader of one of the league's most surprising teams. He continues to be one of the league's top scorers and has all of the skills and talents to continue straight through the playoffs.
2. Marek Svatos - Svatos is not only the WHL's leading scorer but he's also one of the quickest, most creative and most exciting young players in the game today. Svatos has been a treat for Las Vegas fans all season as the Bulls continue to be one of the best teams in the WHL.
3. Ryan Miller - Take Ryan Miller out of Minnesota's lineup and where would they be this season? Probably not in position to make the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons. Minnesota fans are going nuts for this kid and are optimistic about their future because of his strong play all season.

Norris
1. Marc-Andre Bergeron - Bergeron is one of the league's top scoring defenseman but has also been strong in his own zone. Bergeron has 41 points and is plus 11 this season. Bergeron has been one of the main reasons for the Sparrow's success this season.
2. Dan Boyle - Boyle has been absolutely awesome with his strong play for the Citadels. Rumored to be on the trade block earlier in the year because of the depth on the Citadel's point, the Citadels have to be happy they hung onto him.
3. Brad Stuart - There were a lot of votes for many players in this 3rd spot, but the consensus was Stuart. Stuart is one of the league's better offensive defensemen and hopes to help turn around HC Slavia's early season misfortune.

Vezina
1. Tomas Vokoun - Vokoun is the best goalie on the league's best team. He ranks No. 1in wins, save percentage shut outs and goals against average. Although he's got a lot of help in front of him, it's hard to not appreciate what this kid is doing in Las Vegas.
2. Kari Lehtonen - Lehtonen has been lights out all season. The Citadels are one of the league's best teams and Lehtonen has played a big part in that. He ranks 2nd in GAA, save percentage & shut outs behind No 1 Tomas Vokoun.
3. Ryan Miller - Miller is one of the league's most valuable players but he's not the best goaltender this season. There were votes for many players in this position as well but Miller has played awesome all season long and is one of the league's top young goalies. Of the top 5 leaders in save percentage, Miller has more shots against him then any other goalie. He doesn't have the help in front of him that other teams do and that's what puts him on this list.

Surprise Underachiever (Team)
1. Badgers - The Badgers looked as though they had a bit of playoff hangover starting out this season. The team had a rough start and was among the lowest rated teams in the Campbell Conference. The team has since rebounded and are looking to charge their way into the playoffs for their second consecutive year.
2. Hoodrats - The Hoodrats are the 3rd worst team in the league this season above the Dynamite and Orcas. The Hoodrats have talent and depth but are one the league's oldest teams. It seems some of their guys don't have the legs they once used to and they'll be sellers around All Star break.
3. Saints - The Saints are a young, very talented team and although Minnesota writers put them on this list, they all acknowledge that the Saints will be one of the better teams in the WHL in future years. Kovalchuck is one of the league's top scorers and they have help on both the offensive and defensive side. I think people are surprised to see the team hovering near the bottom of the league's standings.

Surprise Overachiever (Team)
1. Fighting Irish - The Fighting Irish is one of the Campbell Conference's newest premier teams. The team is stacked with young talent and looks to be a strong team for many seasons to come.
2. Sparrows - Who would've thought before this season that the Sparrows would be on the verge of making the playoffs? The team has proven doubters wrong and with talent such as Alex Tanguay, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Martin Lapointe the Sparrows have proved doubters wrong. The team is currently in 8th place in the Wales Conference and doesn't look to stop winning games anytime soon.
3. Rink Rats - Minnesota was one of the league's worst teams last season. The team has seen improvements in many of their players and have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs this season. Despite a 9 game losing streak earlier this season, the Rink Rats have seen a lot of successes out of their team.

Team on the Rise
1. Badgers - The Badgers have been hot recently going 7-3 in their last 10. They're playing as well as any other team in the league. GM Olson surely shook his coach & team up after their early season woes and now the team is making a run for the playoffs. Look out for Badger, Badger, Badger.
2. HC Slavia - The Slavics are under new management and the team hopes to turn their season around in the 2nd half. The team has assets to sell off if they find their season going downhill close to the trade deadline.
3. Vipers - The Vipers have been buyers all season and GM Skidmore is still looking to bring in guys who can make an impact. The team has young assets and may look to sell some of their prospects in order to bring in high quality talent. They're 2 players away from being a playoff contender.

Surprise Overachiever (Player)
1. Anson Carter - Carter has surprised all of those in the WHL this season and has a legitimate shot at becoming a WHL All Star. The feisty veteran has provided leadership & points for the Fighting Irish the first half of this season which may be one of his last.
2. Manny Legace - He may not even be the best goaltender on his team but he's looking like one of the better goaltenders in the league this season. He ranks 4th in GAA and wins this season.
3. Carey Price - Price has only played 12 games this season but he's looked good when he plays. The Orcas have got a future star on their hands in Price.

Team Generates Wins Despite Loss of Roy

The Minnesota Rink Rats are without speedy young winger Derek Roy for the next 9 games but they're still finding ways to put the puck in the net. Roy, who has 28 points in 33 games, was injured late in the Rink Rats game against the Maniax earlier in the week.

Despite the loss of one of their top offensive players, the Rink Rats are still managing some wins. They've pulled off wins against the Bulls & Fighting Irish putting up some goals in the process. Head Coach Barry Melrose said he continues to feel optimism about the team's ability to put up wins and attributed a huge reason for their recent success to goalie Ryan Miller.

Rats Upset Bulls, Fighting Irish

Minnesota is riding a 2 game winning streak! That's right, a 2 game winning streak! After beating the Fighting Irish at home a couple of nights ago, the Rink Rats beat the no. 1 team in the league in the Las Vegas Bulls on the road last night. This increased their lead to 5 points in the Campbell Conference for the 8th and final playoff spot.

GM LaDouceur stated, "It's pretty nice to see the guys win again. We were riding a 9 game losing streak coming into our game the other night and beat one of the better teams in our conference in the Fighting Irish. Then we beat the Bulls 7-3 in what I consider our best game we've played since I took over".

In other Rats news, Ryan Miller remains second in voting for Campbell Conference All Stars. Last night's game had to prove his worth in stopping 45 of 48 Bulls shots. The Rats have a strong contender in Marc Savard who is currently out of the top 3 in his conference's voting but Head Coach Barry Melrose hopes GMs will recognize his worth & value to the club and vote him in. This year's series will feature a Young Stars game which features some of the WHL's future finest young players. Stipulations for the contest have yet to be set but Minnesota could see Brent Burns, Nikolai Zherdev, Brent Seabrook Dustin Boyd and possibly Derek Roy & Jay Bouwmeester depending on age limits. With these guys at the helm, it looks like there is a good future in store for Minnesota!