Ottawa Senators: Rookie Tournament Rosters

The Senators have released their Rookie Tournament roster (senators.nhl.com/ club/news.htm?id=587481&cmpid=rss-News).  The team will play against the rookie teams of Toronto, Chicago, and Pittsburgh in Oshawa.  Here’s the roster (invites are in italics; I’ve put a star next to those on Ottawa’s side who participated last year):

Forwards
Louie Caporusso (3-90 2007, NCAA 41-11-20-31)
Corey Cowick (6-160 2009, AHL 30-1-3-4)*
Jakub Culek (3-76 2010, QMJHL 55-7-15-22)*
Stephane Da Costa (FA, NCAA 33-14-31-45)
Derek Grant (4-119 2008, NCAA 38-8-25-33)
Wacey Hamilton (FA, WHL 67-20-53-73)
Darren Kramer (6-156 2011, WHL 68-7-7-14)
Stefan Noesen (1-21 2011, OHL 68-34-43-77)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (4-96 2011, QMJHL 67-32-47-79)
Andre Petersson (4-109 2008, SEL 31-8-4-12)
Shane Prince (2-61 2011, OHL 59-25-63-88)
Matt Puempel (1-24 2011, OHL 55-34-33-69)
Mark Stone (6-178 2010, WHL 71-37-69-106)*
Mika Zibanejad (1-6 2011, SEL 26-5-4-9)

Defence
Mark Borowiecki (5-139 2008, NCAA 31-3-8-11)
Jared Cowen (1-9 2009, WHL 58-18-30-48)*
Eric Gryba (3-68 2006, AHL 66-3-4-7)*
Jordan Fransoo (7-186 2011, WHL 63-6-12-18)
Josh Godfrey (2-34 2007 Wsh, ECHL 49-15-12-27)
David Rundblad (1-17 2009 Stl, SEL 55-11-39-50)
Patrick Wiercioch (2-42 2008, AHL 67-4-14-18)*

Goaltenders
Robin Lehner (2-46 2009, AHL 10-8-2 2.70 .912)*
Matej Machovsky (Invite, OHL 7-13-2 2.90 .904)

The Toronto roster (http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=585936):

Forwards
Tyler Brenner (FA, NCAA 37-26-15-41)
David Broll (6-152 2011, OHL 65-13-21-34)
Sam Carrick (5-144 2010, OHL 59-16-23-39)
Jerry D’Amigo (6-158 2009, AHL 43-5-10-15)
Jamie Devane (3-68 2009, OHL 63-19-19-38)
Matt Frattin (4-99 2007, NCAA 44-36-24-60)
Mitchell Heard (Invite, OHL 66-19-29-48)
Josh Leivo (3-86 2011, OHL 64-13-17-30)
Greg McKegg (3-62 2010, OHL 66-49-43-92)
Kyle Neuber (7-197 2009 Clb, AHL 15-0-1-1)
Josh Nicholls (7-182 2010, WHL 71-34-53-87)
Sondre Olden (3-79 2010, SuperElit 33-7-15-22)
Brad Ross (2-43 2010, WHL 67-31-38-69)
Kenny Ryan (2-50 2009, OHL 63-22-38-60)

Defence
Jesse Blacker (2-58 2009, OHL 62-10-44-54)
Garrett Clarke (Invite, QMJHL 57-6-23-29)
Dave Cowan (Invite, NCAA 30-1-5-6)
Jake Gardiner (1-17 2008 Ana, NCAA 41-10-31-41)
Stuart Percy (1-25 2011, OHL 64-4-29-33)
Mike Schmidt Mike Schwindt (Invite, OHL 68-0-11-11)
Matt Stanisz (Invite, OHL 61-12-31-43)
Danny Urban (Invite, ACHA 22-14-12-26)

Goaltenders
Mark Owuya (FA, SEL 2.18 .927)
Garret Sparks (Invite, OHL 8-6-1 3.64 .890)

Pittsburgh’s roster (http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=587484):

Forwards
Jessey Astles (Invite, WHL 59-3-3-6)
Brandon DeFazio (FA, NCAA 36-14-12-26)
Stefan Fournier (Invite, QMJHL 67-20-27-47)
Brian Gibbons (FA, NCAA 39-18-33-51)
Tom Kuhnhackl (4-110 2010, OHL 63-39-29-68)
Nick Petersen (4-121 2009, ECHL 40-24-33-57)
Zach Sill (FA, AHL 80-11-19-30)
Ben Street (FA, AHL 36-12-11-23)
Eric Tangradi (2-42 2007 Ana, AHL 42-18-15-32)
Daniil Tarasov (Invite, USHL 57-37-38-75)
Paul Thompson (FA, NCAA 39-28-24-52)
Dominik Uher (5-144 2011, WHL 65-21-39-60)
Kevin Veilleux (2-51 2007, AHL 66-12-24-36)
Ian Watters (Invite, OHL 68-20-22-42)

Defence
Robert Bortuzzo (3-78 2007, AHL 79-4-22-26)
Simon Despres (1-30 2009, QMJHL 47-13-28-41)
Alex Grant (4-118 2007, ECHL 14-3-2-5)
Scott Harrington (2-54 2011, OHL 67-6-16-22)
Reid McNeil (6-170 2010, OHL 62-2-4-6)
Joseph Morrow (1-23 2011, WHL 60-9-40-49)
Joe Rogalski (6-152 2010, OHL 63-7-25-32)
Phillip Samuelsoon (2-61 2009, NCAA 39-4-12-16)
Carl Sneep (2-32 2006, NCAA 42-11-17-28)
Brain Strait (3-65 2006, AHL 75-2-8-10)

Goaltenders
Patrick Killeen (6-180 2008, ECHL 19-16-2 2.87 .901)
Maxime Lagace (Invite, QMJHL 8-4-0 3.59 .884)

Chicago’s roster (http://blackhawks.nhl.com/v2/ext/CHI_RookieTournamentRoster.pdf):

Forwards
Phillip Danault (1-26 2011, QMJHL 64-23-44-67)
Christopher Didomenico (6-164 2007 Tor, ECHL 37-6-19-25)
Rob Flick (4-120 2010, OHL 68-27-30-57)
Byron Froese (4-119 2010, WHL 70-43-38-81)
David Gilbert (7-209 2009, QMJHL 52-28-23-51)
Jimmy Hayes (2-60 2008 Tor, NCAA 39-21-12-33)
Peter LeBlanc (7-186 2006, AHL 57-12-18-30)
Mark McNeill (1-18 2011, WHL 70-32-49-81)
Jeremy Morin (2-45 2009 Atl, AHL 22-8-4-12)
Philippe Paradis (1-27 2009 Car, QMJHL 59-23-30-53)
Ludwig Rensfeldt (2-35 2010, Swe Jr 26-17-19-36)
Brandon Saad (2-43 2011, OHL 59-27-28-55)
Andrew Shaw (5-139 2011, OHL 66-22-32-54)
Paul Zanette (FA, NCAA 35-29-26-55)

Defence
Simon Denis-Pepin (2-61 2006, ECHL 33-3-9-12)
Simon Lalonde (3-68 2008, AHL 73-5-27-32)
Joe Lavin (5-126 2007, NCAA 44-6-11-17)
Neil Manning (Invite, WHL 72-15-36-51)
Dylan Olsen (1-28 2009, AHL 42-0-4-4)
Ryan Stanton (FA, AHL 73-3-14-17)
Ben Youds (FA, NCAA 37-7-14-21)

Goaltenders
Mac Carruth (7-191 2010, WHL 18-7-1 3.08 .913)
Johan Mattsson (7-211 2011, Swe Jr 2.62 .930)

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August 30, 2011
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Draft, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 1 Comment

Paul MacLean: A Look at Ottawa’s New Coach

On June 13th Bryan Murray announced the hiring of Paul MacLean as the team’s new coach.  MacLean is Murray’s fourth coach (excluding himself) since becoming GM in 2007.  This is the first coach since Craig Hartsburg (in 2008) who was hired after the usual process of interviews.  Fans and the team have to hope the process has worked.

MacLean was an elite scorer during his NHL career (673 points in 719 games over 10 seasons) before entering the coaching ranks in 1993.  Here’s a brief outline of his performance as a head coach:

1993-94 IHL (Peoria) 51-24-6; lost 1st round
1994-95 IHL (Peoria) 51-19-11; lost 2nd round
1995-96 IHL (Peoria) 39-38-5; lost 2nd round*
1996-97 (Don Hay’s assistant coach in Phoenix)
1997-98 IHL (Kansas) 41-29-12; lost 2nd round
1998-99 IHL (Kansas) 44-31-7; lost 1st round
1999-00 IHL (Kansas) 36-37-9; missed playoffs
2000-01 UHL (Quad City) 55-12-7; Won Colonial Cup
2001-02 UHL (Quad City) 57-15-2; lost 2nd round
2003-11 (Mike Babcock’s assistant coach in Anaheim and Detroit)
* the IHL franchise moved to San Antonio afterward; Mark Reeds was an assistant coach with MacLean for all three seasons (as he will be in Ottawa this year)

Neither the IHL nor UHL exist anymore (they merged with the Central Hockey League (CHL) to form a professional league that’s below the ECHL).  When MacLean coached in the IHL was considered on par with the AHL and was still used as a location for NHL farm systems.  Looking at MacLean’s resume what jumps out to me is: 1) he hasn’t been a head coach in nearly 10 years, 2) he made the playoffs in nearly every season he coached (7 out of 8), 3) he did not enjoy much playoff success.  Needless to say, MacLean wasn’t hired because of the Colonial Cup he won in 2001.

When he was hired Murray talked about the importance of communication and being a winner, “I felt Paul fit the profile (of what the team needed). He’d been a player, been a head coach, been an assistant coach in the National Hockey League. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. … I think he brings energy, experience, expertise and people skills, most importantly.” And “He’s got that presence about him of a guy that can take charge” (msn.foxsports.com/ nhl/story/report-ottawa-senators-hire-Paul-MacLean-as-coach-061311).  MacLean himself talked both about communication and his system, “I think it’s important in the NHL today that the coach and the players communicate. Communication with the players is important in empowering them and having them invest in what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s not me against them, it’s us – the Ottawa Senators – against the rest of the league and we have to work together in order to accomplish that goal.” And “I don’t know if we’re going to play the Red Wing way, but we’re going to play a game that’s going to be played with some pace and tempo. You’ve got to play 200 feet, you’ve got to be able to skate, and if you have the puck, you can dictate what’s going on.”

Bruce Garrioch talked to a couple of league executives who had this to say: “Paul MacLean deserves the chance.  He’s paid his dues. He’s won at every level. Now, it’s time to find out whether he can coach at this level”, And “He’s won everywhere — including as an assistant. He’s very knowledgeable and he’s very well respected.  He took his time before looking for a head coaching job. He’ll be able to relate to the players. I’m not sure whether he can be the hard guy, but this is probably what they need right now: A teacher and a more patient guy” (www.ottawasun.com/2011/06/13/ report-maclean-new-sens-coach).

My belief is that MacLean was hired primarily because Murray is familiar with him (they worked together in Anaheim) and he admires Detroit’s success in the league.  I don’t know what to expect from MacLean this year; he’s never been an NHL head coach and is long removed from his last coaching gig.  The good thing for both MacLean and the organisation is that there is no pressure to succeed this year, so there’s time for him to find his stride.

August 30, 2011
Categories: Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 3 Comments