Vancouver Lands Another NCAA Player

[Scout]

Courtesy Alan Caldwell:

Thursday thoughts


So, the WHL all-stars (at least the Canadian ones anyway - American and European WHLers aren't allowed to play in this thing) lost to Russia in Cranbrook last night 5-1 in a game which featured a couple fights at the end. Ho-hum. Didn't watch, don't care, yadda yadda.

The Giants have landed yet another NCAA-bound player, their second in a couple weeks. This one is 18 year old forward Garry Nunn, who is passing up a scholarship at Minnesota State-Mankato to join the Giants. The smallish (5'9", 175 lb) Nunn is a very fast skater and was leading the BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies in scoring this year with 40 points in 28 games. His BCHL page with career stats there is here.

How is it that the Giants seem to attract NCAA-bound players regularily while some other WHL teams can never get even one?

The Cougars roster has also swelled by one, with the addition of 16 year old defenceman Matt Cumming from the BCHL's Vernon Vipers. Sounds like Cumming is there to stay.

[wango tango]

Courtesy Alan Caldwell:

Thursday thoughts

How is it that the Giants seem to attract NCAA-bound players regularily while some other WHL teams can never get even one?

i'll bite. mr. caldwell it's the growing gap between have and have not whl teams. outside of a few centres a team doesn't have a chance of landing these kids. the player and their agent hold the spectre of going ncaa to increase their bargaining power.

what makes a whl team a have team? first class: training facilities, transportation, dressing room, rink, accomodations, etc. i don't think a league mandated cap on spending on team 'supports' is necessary, but fans should be asking really tough questions of their favourite teams ownership and management as to what they are doing to compete to ice the best squad possible.

there is bias and preference on the part of players and agents to perceived or so called 'big markets' and opportunities to be seen by more nhl scouts on a regular basis.

there is a growing disparity between teams, each year it means some franchises are handicapped by ownership that does not want to, or is unable to, put necessary resources into making their team a championship contender.

until the hypocrisy of owners and governors who say they want the free flow of players from one region of the league to another is addressed (western region and u.s. region players are far less likely to move to an eastern team than vice versa) there will continue to be problems and a competitive disadvantage.

the rockets play by play man regan bartel had a good article regarding this on his blog once. i wish drinnan, bartel and others who blog regularily would expand on it, and out some of hypocrisy being practised.

[bobby]

Myeeehh......I don't see where the Giants have had all that much success in getting NCAA bound players. They certainly went hard after Dan Bertram and Kyle Turris without much to show for it. Meanwhile a lot of other teams have lured college recruits and players to the CHL. Calgary has T J Galiardi and Keith Seabrook, who were two of the top freshmen in the NCAA last season. T J Fast and Jim O'Brien are two others who spring to mind who spent at least a year in the NCAA then came to play in the WHL. Peter Mueller was a high profile decommit, Sam Gagner, Patrick Kane, Trevor Lewis, A J Jenks, in the OHL. There is a huge list of them if you look around, and the Giants have a couple of the more obscure of them.

The so called "small market" teams have had their share as well. Mike Comrie played in Cranbrook, I think. Duncan Keith and Chuck Kobasew in Kelowna. A J Thelen went to Prince Albert.

[SectionNDeserter]

Has really nothing to do with these teams being in 'big markets' as much as it has to do with them being projected to, and having strong teams this season. Edmonton is in a large market--and you don't really see them flocking to there this season. Also the fact that they have chosen to give up their NCAA eligibility to play in the WHL doesn't automatically equate to them being star players. I don't consider either of the players that Vancouver has acquired this season to be game-breakers that a Bertram or a Turris would be.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Calgary and Van get these players cause they are great cities to live in and have rich teams. It is akin to playing for a pro team. Huge crowds in top notch arena is fun for these guys. Calgary has T J Galiardi and Keith Seabrook, and now Van has 2 top notch NCAA transfers. Have not heard of anyone going to Moose Jaw or Swift, or for that matter Lethbridge. Galiardi was property of someone else in the Dub but would only report to Calgary!!!!!!! Enuff said.

Lets face it. As usual it is all about money and these big time franchises are not good for the overall league. Hey if I was a high first round bantam pick living with mom and dad in North Van, there is no way in hell I am goin anywhere near Timbuck Two for the next 4 years of my life.

Mark my words. This is gonna happen more and more. Soon some smart lawyer is gonna get ahold of some hotshot kid and start asking for more money than the paltry 50 beans a week or a month these kids get.

With the overall success of this fantastic league and these large franchises, the league as we know it will not exist in 5 years. I don't know if it will be in losing franchises or paying players or profit sharing, but something is gonna give.

A victim of it's own success.

[SectionNDeserter]

Calgary has T J Galiardi and Keith Seabrook, and now Van has 2 top notch NCAA transfers. Have not heard of anyone going to Moose Jaw or Swift, or for that matter Lethbridge. Galiardi was property of someone else in the Dub but would only report to Calgary!!!!!!! Enuff said.Gagliardi's hometown is Calgary, and that is just too much of a coincidence to have not factored into his decision. Seabrook has 3 assists and a team worst -8 through 17 games, not too great for a 19 year old defenseman on a Hitman team that is top-heavy with veteran players--if you consider that to be a great pickup, then you can have him :D. Vancouver's pickups are ok, but are not top notch NCAA prospects compared to many others that are there or going there. Players bound for College are one thing, but a lot of teams philosophies dictate that they don't even list a lot of these players, as often they are already 19 by the time they change their mind about the college route, and some WHL teams feel that the "grueling" 20 game schedule that the NCAA teams play, and the less physical nature of college hockey often doesn't prepare these players for the WHL--and the odd player that is good enough to be above all that has a very slim chance of showing up in the WHL before turning pro.


Mark my words. This is gonna happen more and more. Soon some smart lawyer is gonna get ahold of some hotshot kid and start asking for more money than the paltry 50 beans a week or a month these kids get.This is where the WHL will step in and just deem these players ineligible. I don't think any team in the league will be willing to forfeit games to ice these players.

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

Maybe the WHL should just go with those big market big budget teams that the multi millioaires are just drooling to buy. (as an investment.)

I'm sure that there is room in the CJAHL to accomodate those WHL teams that right now are struggling to get by on a Jr A budget.

An 8-10 team WHL would have just outstanding quality hockey and the influx of teams struggling to keep up with the WHL's big buck markets into the grassroots CJAHL would step up the profile of Jr A hockey.

Sure it would hurt to lose your WHL status, but at least by jumping into the CJAHL the small market towns would still have teams to cheer for. dancing pi

[bobby]

If you go back a bit, most top WHL (and CHL generally) players were potential college recruits. I don't see any great message in the fact that the Giants and the Hitmen currently have a couple of very average WHL players who originally wanted to take the college route. The "big market team" whine doesn't hold up when you consider much higher profile recruits like Peter Mueller, A.J. Thelen, Duncan Keith, Chuck Kobasew, and Mike Comrie who have played in the WHL in the past.