Hockey link roundup: June 23

A little bit to cover on Draft Week:

• ICYMI, Dominik Hasek was elected to the 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame class on Monday. Hasek is the 17th person with Indianapolis ties to be chosen for the Hall of Fame. 
• The NHL Draft is this weekend. Five players with Indiana Ice ties -- Josh Jacobs, Ryan Mantha, Blake Siebenaler, Rinat Valiev and Mitch Slattery -- are projected to be picked. Check out profiles of each. A few mock drafts from the NHL Bleacher Report, The Hockey Writers & The Hockey News. Looking ahead, there's a lot of scout comments about several USHL prospects (including Jacobs & Slattery) at OTB.
• Also, an update on Jeff Brown, the Indiana Ice's championship coach, going to Ottawa.

Ryan Huska with the Ice.

Former Indianapolis Ice captain Ryan Huska is moving up the coaching ladder. The longtime coach of the WHL's Kelowna Rockets, Huska was named as the head coach of the AHL's Adirondack Flames on Monday. They are the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames, and are based in Glens Falls, NY (the Flames' ECHL affiliate is the Kelly Cup champion Alaska Aces). Huska's boss in Calgary, Brad Treliving, is also a former IHL Ice player, although their tenures did not coincide. Treliving was also the president of the Central Hockey League when the Indianapolis Ice played there.

In other former Ice player news, Bruce Cassidy is mentioned as a possibility for the Boston Bruins' coaching vacancy (scroll down the article to catch it). He is currently the head coach of the AHL Providence Bruins, and his development work has been heavily praised. Cassidy played for, and later coached, the IHL's Indianapolis Ice. He also has been the Washington Capitals' head coach. 

There are also a couple new NHL head coaches: Gerard Gallant in Florida, Willie Desjardins in Vancouver. And, as of yet, nobody in Pittsburgh.

Indiana native Mike Emrick describes for SI his call (and subsequent 110 seconds of silence) of the Kings' Stanley Cup championship moment, as well as a brief interview with the broadcasting legend. 

If you need to know when your favorite NHL team is playing, the 2014-15 schedule is out. It opens Wednesday, Oct. 8, and will conclude on Saturday, April 11.

The ECHL meetings took place over the weekend. This link has a small recap, but expect a few changes to be announced soon. Among the notables, a voice that might be familiar to Central Indiana fans, Fort Wayne's Bob Chase, was named Broadcaster of the Year. The 88-year-old is on his seventh decade as the Komets' broadcaster

Looks as if @ECHL will have a new divisional alignment and playoff format next season. Expect it to be announced in the next week or so.
— Barry Schickling (@DoubleSMedia) June 23, 2014

Kuraly draft video

The USHL has released highlight reels of some of its top players in preparation for tomorrow night's NHL Entry Draft. Here is the one involving the Ice's Sean Kuraly. Enjoy!

NHL draft upcoming

This weekend, 210 players will hear their names called and become parts of NHL organizations. 


As usual, we'll likely hear the Indiana Ice in the mix.

The first round of the draft will be in prime time at 7 p.m. Friday night and televised by Versus. The second through seventh rounds will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday and be televised by NHL Network.

Among the Icemen who could get the call:
Sean Kuraly. Ranked 50th among North American skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau. Had eight goals and 21 assists for the Ice last year, and will likely be back in Indy this winter.
Brian Ferlin. Ranked 152nd among North American skaters by the CSB. Was the USHL's third-leading scorer last year with 25 goals and 48 assists. He will play collegiately at Cornell University next year.
Blake Coleman. Ranked 198th among North American skaters by the CSB, but was the USA Hockey National Junior Player of the Year last season. He totaled 34 goals and 58 assists and was the USHL's leading scorer. He was named league MVP and top forward. He will play collegiately at Miami (Ohio) next year.

“I think these players have proven on the ice what there capabilities are now and what their abilities could be in the future,” Ice president Charlie Skjodt said in a press release issued by the team. “Today’s players are not only judged on their stats and skating, but on their character and intangibles.  I was proud to be a part of their junior careers and I know they can make an impact with the team that selects them down the road."

Also potentially hearing their names this weekend: 
Daniil Tarasov. Not ranked by the CSB, but he led the USHL in goals scored last season (37) and was the league's second-leading scorer to his linemate Blake Coleman. The Moscow native is likely be back in Indy next winter.
Jarrod Rabey. Defenseman headed to St. Cloud State University.
Joseph Fiala. Western Michigan commit, a defenseman who will likely play for the Ice this coming season after playing last year with the USNTDP team.

Kuraly, Ferlin, Coleman mentioned in final CSB ratings

Our friends at Indiana Ice Alums have noted that Sean Kuraly, Brian Ferlin and Blake Coleman have all moved up in the final CSB rankings. They're all in their draft year this season.

Kuraly is 50th on the final list, Ferlin 152nd and Coleman 197th. All three moved up from their mid-season rankings.


Indiana Ice Alums post
Central Scouting Bureau site