Willis said in his post that it was always a dream of his to be a Gopher. Always awesome seeing that. I think we take that for granted around here sometimes as so many players who come through here dreamt of being a Gopher as kids.
After Knies and now Willis, we’re certainly cornering the market on Arizona players. Not to mention the famed Nathan Burke.
Willis said in his post that it was always a dream of his to be a Gopher. Always awesome seeing that. I think we take that for granted around here sometimes as so many players who come through here dreamt of being a Gopher as kids.
After Knies and now Willis, we’re certainly cornering the market on Arizona players. Not to mention the famed Nathan Burke.
Given that, it's very funny to me that his dad played baseball at North Dakota.
Willis said in his post that it was always a dream of his to be a Gopher. Always awesome seeing that. I think we take that for granted around here sometimes as so many players who come through here dreamt of being a Gopher as kids.
After Knies and now Willis, we’re certainly cornering the market on Arizona players. Not to mention the famed Nathan Burke.
Gopher legend Nathan Burke. Part of the electric BMW line from 2019-20.
Unsure if he’ll ever make it to campus, but Phillips had his rights traded to med hat so that’s where he’ll be playing this year
Unsure if he’ll ever make it to campus, but Phillips had his rights traded to med hat so that’s where he’ll be playing this year
Good catch. Hoping to see some offense emerge in the dub.
Mace’o Phillips stood out at Flames camp. At the moment he’s still committed for 2027.
https://twitter.com/blastyprospects/status/2073083333907775691?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
https://twitter.com/blastyprospects/status/2073093075170455867?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
Phillips is still huge, athletic, and mean, so I would rather keep him in the pipeline and see what shakes out. Of course, big defenseman can develop at a pace which is tough to justify over the short-term. Will be interested to see how this plays out.
Conboy at #7. That’s quite high. He’s got a blend of size and goal scoring plus he plays with a ton of snarl. NHL GMs will be frothing at the mouth for that type of player.
https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/2074071404144718253?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
Conboy at #7. That’s quite high. He’s got a blend of size and goal scoring plus he plays with a ton of snarl. NHL GMs will be frothing at the mouth for that type of player.
https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/2074071404144718253?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
a significant amount of projection on his trajectory, but imagine it’s same idea of why the Wild jumped at Stramel. Conboy fits an archetype and has great size and grit which raise his floor with a ceiling that a lot of teams look for (scoring touch but plays a gritty defensive/shutdown style if need be à la Barkov).
Conboy at #7. That’s quite high. He’s got a blend of size and goal scoring plus he plays with a ton of snarl. NHL GMs will be frothing at the mouth for that type of player.
https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/2074071404144718253?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
welcome back Matthew Knies
Conboy at #7. That’s quite high. He’s got a blend of size and goal scoring plus he plays with a ton of snarl. NHL GMs will be frothing at the mouth for that type of player.
https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/2074071404144718253?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
welcome back Matthew Knies
like Knies, but better because he’s a center
Way in the future but the 2028-29 team will have J. Cullen, Conboy and senior Mason Moe down the middle… just saying😳
@maroon_and_gold Possibly W Cullen also.
i do think we get three years to play with Joey and because he is extremely young for his draft year
Five American goalies taken and still I felt more could be (Boettiger, Casey, the undersized Wendt).
Knowling is American on a technicality, he lives next door to Drake in Toronto and his parents blackmailed USA Hockey into putting him on the WJC roster over Reyelts last year by threatening to leave for Hockey Canada. 
Interesting to see who USA Hockey invited to WJC summer camp; 08's Knowling, Wendt and Fetterolf and 07's Boettiger and Cameron. Both Fetterolf (5'-11.5") and Wendt (6'-0.5") are considered undersized while Cameron (6'-1") and Boettiger (6'-1.5") are NHL prototypes. Cameron is a bit of a head scratcher, would've taken Minchak or maybe Casey over him but I'm probably splitting hairs.
@bertogliat yes I seen him projected in the early part of the second round for 2027
I don't think Willis is eligible for the 2027 draft. His 18th birthday is Sep 16, 2027. The cut off is Sep 15th.
@bertogliat yes I seen him projected in the early part of the second round for 2027
I don't think Willis is eligible for the 2027 draft. His 18th birthday is Sep 16, 2027. The cut off is Sep 15th.
you're correct and he may very well end up as a 1st rounder in the 2028 draft pending how much he grows
I know it was posted a short time ago that Phillips rights were traded, and he has now officially signed with Medicine Hat. Also, I have seen reports that he had pretty good development camp with the Flames. I don't think we need to give up on him yet. Let"s see how he plays in Canada this year.
https://twitter.com/tigershockey/status/2080699534204977208
I actually give a @#$* about the Twins
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
I know it was posted a short time ago that Phillips rights were traded, and he has now officially signed with Medicine Hat. Also, I have seen reports that he had pretty good development camp with the Flames. I don't think we need to give up on him yet. Let"s see how he plays in Canada this year.
while I agree with sentiment (and there's a reason he hasn't been officially decommitted), Phillips is one who's going to be highly likely to need to come in next year wherever that is (2nd year post NTDP of JRs and he'll be 20). they graduate Begley/Murr and we'll see on Smith, but there's not a ton of room for extras as they'll need to replace lost offensive Dmen and Calgary is not going to want him to be somewhere as the 7th dman. obviously can't teach size, but you can't have multiple guys with poorer puck skills/passing playing in the B10. He's a guy that may really blossom in the CCHA (and that's not a bad thing for him). Maybe you can hide him down the lineup if all things work out well, but he's going to need to take a massive step this year to be under consideration to be at the U imo. He seems to be a hard worker so fingers crossed he can do so.
Is he really that unskilled at playing hockey?
Is he really that unskilled at playing hockey?
compared to 95% of hockey players, no. Problem is the margin with handling the puck and skating are the two most punishing. He’s gotten much better skating when I’ve watched his ushl games and per the flames folks (I do not remotely claim to be a pro, but he moves pretty well for a guy his size). He just doesn’t handle the puck/pressure well. It’s kind of like a guy who’s huge in peewee and bantam so he never learns how quickly he needs to move the puck and really struggles when the size and speed catch up. I think the WHL year will be hugely beneficial to if he’s going to put it together. The B10 (and NCHC) are just such fast games comparatively to the rest of the ncaa now
He’s got all the tangibles, just hasn’t put them together yet. I was hoping he’d take a step last year in Green Bay but he spent the whole year in the penalty box or fighting. Hopefully his second crack at it in Medicine Hat goes better because there really is a hockey player in there somewhere.
Yeah makes sense, like you said we all kinda know he needs at least another year to develop and see what happens. I just didn't realize his puck handling was that big an issue (when he actually got to see the ice).Is he really that unskilled at playing hockey?
compared to 95% of hockey players, no. Problem is the margin with handling the puck and skating are the two most punishing. He’s gotten much better skating when I’ve watched his ushl games and per the flames folks (I do not remotely claim to be a pro, but he moves pretty well for a guy his size). He just doesn’t handle the puck/pressure well. It’s kind of like a guy who’s huge in peewee and bantam so he never learns how quickly he needs to move the puck and really struggles when the size and speed catch up. I think the WHL year will be hugely beneficial to if he’s going to put it together. The B10 (and NCHC) are just such fast games comparatively to the rest of the ncaa now
Yeah makes sense, like you said we all kinda know he needs at least another year to develop and see what happens. I just didn't realize his puck handling was that big an issue (when he actually got to see the ice).Is he really that unskilled at playing hockey?
compared to 95% of hockey players, no. Problem is the margin with handling the puck and skating are the two most punishing. He’s gotten much better skating when I’ve watched his ushl games and per the flames folks (I do not remotely claim to be a pro, but he moves pretty well for a guy his size). He just doesn’t handle the puck/pressure well. It’s kind of like a guy who’s huge in peewee and bantam so he never learns how quickly he needs to move the puck and really struggles when the size and speed catch up. I think the WHL year will be hugely beneficial to if he’s going to put it together. The B10 (and NCHC) are just such fast games comparatively to the rest of the ncaa now
I say that with the caveat of I’m not a pro by any means, it just seems like anything more complicated than a simple outlet and it’s trouble. Kind of like Rombach on the puck early in the year but happening at a lower talent level of competition. Seems like that’s the similar feel from the people who review Calgarys prospects.
well see. Big year coming up for him one way or the other
Yeah I get it, actual pros drafted him in the third round. That org is so incompetent though, it's hard to argue that by itself means much. Especially when NHL orgs have a bad habit of over emphasizing size with Dmen.
The U.S. junior team is so weak on LHD that Phillips could actually make world juniors. Would be really interesting.
He’s got all the tangibles, just hasn’t put them together yet. I was hoping he’d take a step last year in Green Bay but he spent the whole year in the penalty box or fighting. Hopefully his second crack at it in Medicine Hat goes better because there really is a hockey player in there somewhere.
how is fighting handled in The Whl- more like ncaa or ushl. Is it possible his excessive fighting limits his ice time or would Medicine Hat not tolerate that?
He’s got all the tangibles, just hasn’t put them together yet. I was hoping he’d take a step last year in Green Bay but he spent the whole year in the penalty box or fighting. Hopefully his second crack at it in Medicine Hat goes better because there really is a hockey player in there somewhere.
how is fighting handled in The Whl- more like ncaa or ushl. Is it possible his excessive fighting limits his ice time or would Medicine Hat not tolerate that?
there's a little more latitude up north. 5 min major for fighting (unless its a "staged fight" meaning they fight right off the drop of the puck, then it's a game) vs USHL is an auto game for fighting and your second fight with the same team in the same season carries a multi game suspension (this is part of why Phillips had multiple games he missed last year)
In theory he should be able to play more even if he fights roughly the same amount, but refs have quite a bit of latitude on tossing people. Think that is part of why you may have seen a good number of the CHL guys get tossed this year as the NCAA is a bit more stringent on tossing guys who fight comparatively
Phillips listed as a forward on the line chart for today’s game.
https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/2081400935813689424?s=61&t=-_wGA13cAbVi0rBpXZvfNA
Cullen centering the top line for team blue
Rombach 2nd pair
Moe is one of the extras/4th line
Cullen playing center is not nothing. Something to note.
Cullen playing center is not nothing. Something to note.
i mean we already know he's going to be playing center here. Has been around since the draft and his dad (and him) telling the teams that's what he'd be doing
Yeah it’s just good to see him doing it before he gets here.
Cullen with a really nice setup for the first US goal
Cullen scored one later in the game
Gunnar Conboy makes the U.S. Hlinka team as was expected.
Joey Cullen, Nash Roed, Becker Wenkus and Rylan Hanson (Elk River) also made the team.
Has anyone heard of Hanson before? Feel like he came out of nowhere…
Med Hat trades away Casey’s main competition in net. This is huge for his development imo.
https://twitter.com/tigershockey/status/2082149089974817243?s=46&t=AvtsG2WfNuGRyXzbYJqB7g
Really good news that they're confident in him as well.
Great news. Reps are going to be critical, and would assume the plan (always subject to change in the portal era) is he backs up Strahl come 2027-2028.
Great news. Reps are going to be critical, and would assume the plan (always subject to change in the portal era) is he backs up Strahl come 2027-2028.
Or competes with Strahl even
It is difficult to compare stats between the two as they've played in very different leagues, but Casey's sv% stats over the years have been better than Strahl. Strahl has a an average sv% of about 0.900. There is no reason to think Casey wouldn't compete with Strahl.
We got Roed!!!
Yep .
https://twitter.com/PuckPreps/status/2083590495595290740
I actually give a @#$* about the Twins
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
Great start to the class!
Per Jess Myers---
https://twitter.com/JessRMyers/status/2083592547067105386
I actually give a @#$* about the Twins
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
Jess is apparently privy to that information lol
Cullen is a Gopher. Great get on Roed!
Let’s get Daley and Meier now! Staff is all over them.