Roundup: KIngs, Aces & the draft

Today's link roundup has items on former Ice coach Darryl Sutter a win away from another Stanley Cup, a peek at the NHL Entry Draft, the Alaska Aces winning the Kelly Cup, a peek at the ECHL offseason and Ice player movement updates. All below the jump.

Ice's Jacobs, Mantha among CSS top 150

Two current Indiana Ice players and three more with ties to the franchise were rated in the final NHL Central Scouting Service pre-draft rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft. The rankings list the top players eligible for the NHL Draft -- generally 1996 birth-year players.

The full CSS list is here

Defenseman Josh Jacobs is ranked 43rd on the CSS list among North American skaters -- which would project him to be picked somewhere between the second and fourth rounds. Jacobs, who stands 6-2, 193 pounds, has been a member of the Ice for two years. He has five goals and 18 assists this season, posting a +36 rating that was second to defensive partner Austin Kosack among USHL defensemen. A right shot from Shelby Twp., Mich., Jacobs is committed to Michigan State University. Jacobs is the seventh-highest rated USHL player (and the second-highest rated from a team other than the USNDTP -- Green Bay's Nick Schmaltz is ranked 19th. The highest-rated USHL player is forward Alex Tuch of Team USA, ranked 12th among North American skaters).

Ice Defenseman Ryan Mantha ranks 149th on the list. The 6-5, 225-pound rearguard joined the team halfway through the season in a trade with Sioux City. A physical, big defender, he has two goals, nine points and a +11 rating in 24 games with the Ice. In two USHL seasons, he has played 103 games, with four goals and 22 points. Mantha is a right-shot defender from Clarkston, Mich.

Mitch Slattery is an affiliate list player who played one game with the Ice this season. He's a 6-0, 185-pound left wing from Hill-Murray High School in Minnesota.

Among former Ice players, defenseman Blake Siebenaler is rated 55th among North American skaters. The Fort Wayne native played 11 games for the Ice in 2012-13 before moving to Niagara of the Ontario Hockey League this year.  He has six goals and 30 points for the IceDogs this season. Siebenaler stands 6-1, 192.

Defenseman Rinat Valiev ranks 83rd on the CSS list among North American skaters. He had six goals and seven assists in 36 games for the Ice in 2012-13. This year, he had five goals and 23 assists to go along with a +27 rating for the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice. He's a 6-1, 190-pound left-shot defenseman from Russia. 

Three current members of the Ice roster have already been drafted -- right wing Sam Kurker was taken in the second round of the 2012 draft by the St. Louis Blues, forward Aidan Muir was taken in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Edmonton Oilers, and center Brian Pinho was taken in the sixth round of the 2013 draft by the Washington Capitals.

Indiana Ice in the NHL Draft 
Round/pick: Player (drafted team) (years w/Ice) (current team)
2013
2R/33: Adam Erne (Tampa Bay) (2010-11) (AHL-Syracuse)
4R/113: Aidan Muir (Edmonton) (2013-14) (USHL-Ice)
6R/174: Brian Pinho (Washington) (2013-14) (USHL-Ice)
20122R/56: Sam Kurker (St. Louis) (2013-14) (USHL-Ice)
2R/59: Cristoval "Boo" Nieves (NY Rangers) (2011-12) (NCAA-Michigan)
3R/75: Jon Gillies (Calgary) (2010-12) (NCAA-Providence)
5R/136: Robbie Baillargeon (Ottawa) (2011-13) (NCAA-Boston U.)
2011
3R/62: Samu Perhonen (Edmonton) (2013-14)
3R/75: Blake Coleman (New Jersey) (2009-11) (NCAA-Miami)
4R/101: Brian Ferlin (Boston) (2009-11) (NCAA-Cornell)
5R/133: Sean Kuraly (San Jose) (2009-12) (NCAA-Miami)
2010
3R/86: Stanislav Galiev (Washington) (2008-09) (AHL-Hershey)
6R/168: Anthony Bitetto (Nashville) (2008-10) (AHL-Milwaukee)
6R/180: Nick Mattson (Chicago) (2009-11) (NCAA-North Dakota)
7R/183: R.J. Boyd (Florida) (2011-12)
2009
7R/198: Nic Dowd (Los Angeles) (2009-10) (AHL-Manchester)
7R/199: Mike Cichy (Montreal) (2008-09) (NCAA-Western Michigan)
20081R/27: John Carlson (Washington) (2007-08) (NHL-Washington)
3R/81: Corey Fienhage (Buffalo) (2007-08) (ECHL-Orlando)
7R/183: Garrett Roe (Los Angeles) (2004-07) (Austria-Salzburg)
2007
4R/108: Brett Bruneteau (Washington) (2007-08)
4R/120: Ben Blood (Ottawa) (2007-08) (AHL-Binghamton)
5R/135: Paul Carey (Colorado) (2007-08) (NHL-Colorado)
6R/153: Scott Darling (Phoenix) (2007-08) (AHL-Milwaukee)
2006
5R/135: Alex Kangas (Atlanta) (2006-07) (ECHL-Alaska)
6R/157: Brent Gwidt (Washington) (2006-09) (ECHL-Utah)
2004
3R/85: Brian Gifford (Pittsburgh) (2004-05)
7R/218: Sergei Kukushkin (Dallas) (2004-05)

Non-drafted Ice NHL players
Torey Krug (Boston) (2008-09)
Cameron Schilling (Washington) (2007-08)
Joel Rechlicz (NY Islanders) (2005-06)

Gillies on TSN watch list

Craig Button has ranked the top 30 2012 draft prospects + 30 more players in his "Craig's List" on TSN. 

Ice goaltender Jon Gillies is ranked in the second 30 -- Craig's "Watch List."

Several USHL players are listed:
Top 30
10. Jacob Trouba, D, USNDTP
11. Zemgus Girgensons, C, Dubuque

Watch list
Jon Gillies, G, Indiana
Miles Koules, RW, USNDTP
Michael Matheson, D, Dubuque
Stefan Matteau, C, USNDTP
Jordan Schmaltz, D, Sioux City

United States of Hockey gives Ice some kudos

in its draft review, the United States of Hockey blog gives the Ice some props, while mostly talking about the benefit the USNTDP has for the USHL (even though there has been some controversy, especially today with one of Dubuque's top players going to the national team next year).

Says USoH's Chris Peters about the Ice and Green Bay Gamblers: "Both have proven to be among the top developmental teams in the league, while also building winning teams."

Brian Ferlin is on the roster for the Bruins' developmental camp July 7-10 in Wilmington, Mass. The Devils  (Blake Coleman) and Sharks (Sean Kuraly) will hold theirs in July.

Also, read the Indiana Ice.com review of the draft.

Sean Kuraly interview

There were three Ice players drafted last Saturday. USHL.com has an interview with the third Ice player to be picked, Sean Kuraly. Watch it here.

Brian Ferlin interview

Indiana Ice player Brian Ferlin chatted with the USHL's Jim Olander after being drafted by the Boston Bruins.

Watch the interview here.

Blake Coleman interview

Blake Coleman chats with the USHL's Dan Fermuth at the Xcel Energy Center after being drafted by the Devils. Click below to watch.

Ice draftees in the media

Blake Coleman to the New Jersey Devils in the 3rd round
In the Newark Star-Ledger, Coleman says "I'm kind of an all-around player, tough to play against. I can also put it in the other team's net."
New Jersey's "In Lou We Trust" blog has a very in-depth look at Coleman's game, with lots of embedded video.

Coleman is one of several Ice players to play for Miami University next year. 

Brian Ferlin to the Boston Bruins in the 4th round
Lots of media cover the Bruins, so a few perspectives
NESN points out that Ferlin, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., isn't from a hockey haven, but has a style Bruins fans should be familiar with. Bruins assistant GM Jim Benning said Ferlin is a power forward who does the things the Bruins covet -- "he's strong along the wall. He's strong protecting the puck. He takes pucks to the net." Bruins president Cam Neely might be the first player to be given the "power forward" moniker, and Milan Lucic carries that mantel today.

His draft was also covered in Naples, Fla., where he played before he came to the Ice. Says Ferlin: "There's a couple of organizations I think anyone would want to go to and Boston is one of them. It's special because they've done a really good job drafting in the past."

Draft guru Kirk Luedeke summed up the Bruins' second day in the New England Hockey Journal.

Ferlin will play at Cornell University next year. 

Sean Kuraly to the San Jose Sharks in the 5th round.
We couldn't find much media coverage yet -- but the Bay Area papers haven't hit their deadlines and begun posting online by midnight EDT. Here is the Sharks' press release on their day.

Kuraly plans to return to the Ice next year. 

Congratulations to the three Ice players selected in the draft.

Three Ice players picked

Three Indiana Ice players found new homes in this year's draft, including two-thirds of the USHL's highest-scoring line this year.

USHL Player of the Year and USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year Blake Coleman was the first Ice player selected, picked 75th by the New Jersey Devils.

Linemate Brian Ferlin went next, at the end of the fourth round, going 121st to the Boston Bruins.

Then, Sean Kuraly went in the fifth round to the San Jose Sharks. Kuraly plans to be with the Ice again next year, while Coleman (Miami) and Ferlin (Cornell) will play collegiately.

This matches the Ice's 2010 draft haul, when Stanislav Galiev (Washington), Anthony Bitetto (Nashville) and Nick Mattson (Chicago) were all selected. In addition, defenseman R.J. Boyd (Florida) was traded to the Ice this past off-season and gave the team a fourth player with ties to the NHL Draft.

The biggest draft year was 2007, when Brett Bruneteau (Washington), Ben Blood (Ottawa), Paul Carey (Colorado) and Scott Darling (Phoenix) were all selected. The 2006 (Brett Bennett-PHX, Alex Kangas-ATL, Brent Gwidt-WSH) and 2008 (John Carlson-WSH, Corey Fienhage-BUF, Garrett Roe-LA) classes also included three players each who either played for or would eventually play for the Ice.

The Ice have now had 20 players drafted since joining the USHL in 2004. Of those, 18 have come in the last six drafts.

They were among 43 players with USHL ties picked among the 210 players selected in this year's draft.

Next year's Ice squad figures to have draftees Kuraly and Boyd on the roster, plus a handful of potential draftees, including Daniil Tarasov, the USHL's leading goal scorer this past season and -- should he choose to play in Indiana -- Quebec star Jeremy Gregoire. Adam Erne, considered one of the top American prospects in his age group, won't be draft-eligible until 2013.

NHL: Draftees from non-traditional places

Over the last 20 years, NHL, junior minor-league teams have sprung up in just about every hamlet in America. The AHL stretches from coast-to-coast after absorbing the old IHL. When the Ice played in the CHL, much of the league was based in the South and Southwest. And of course, the NHL has franchises in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, North Carolina and has had two attempts in Georgia.

That is paying off in bringing hockey to somewhat non-traditional places. Blake Coleman, the top Ice player selected in the draft, is from Plano, Texas. The second Ice player picked, Brian Ferlin, hails from Jacksonville, Florida. A couple of Ohioans -- including Sean Kuraly and USNDTP player Tyler Biggs -- have been picked out of a state better known for its football prowess. The Ice's R.J. Boyd -- a 2010 NHL draftee -- is from Florida. As this year's draft haul attests, the Ice have had great success getting players from "non-traditional" markets including the Deep South and West Coast, in addition to the hockey-centric areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New England. Hockey continues to grow in the United States, and a lot of the Americans drafted have ties to the USHL.

NHL.com noticed the trend, and noticed that the first Minnesotan drafted came at the end of the second round. 

Ferlin going to Bruins

Two-thirds of the Ice's top line now has been picked by the NHL. Brian Ferlin was taken by the Boston Bruins with the final pick in the fourth round -- the 121st pick overall. 

Ferlin scored 25 goals and added 48 assists this year in the USHL, playing with linemates Blake Coleman (3rd round, New Jersey) and Daniil Tarasov. Ferlin also had a 6-10-16 line last year for the Ice. 

Ferlin is committed to play collegiately at Cornell. 

The Stanley Cup champs have made some Indianapolis-related waves today, not just selecting Ferlin but also in elevating ex-IHL Indianapolis Ice player and coach Bruce Cassidy to head coach of the AHL Providence Bruins. 

Fourth round & beyond: USHL watch

In all, 43 players with USHL ties were picked. The top non-USNDTP teams were Green Bay (four) and Indiana (three). Here's the list.

Fourth round
95. NYI: Robbie Russo (USNDTP). Defenseman committed to Notre Dame.
97. Montreal: Josiah Didier (Cedar Rapids). Big 6-2, 199-pound defenseman committed to the University of Denver.
98. Columbus: Mike Reilly (Sioux Falls - affiliate list). Defenseman who played at Shattuck St. Mary's last year. Committed to University of Minnesota. Not certain if he'll play in the USHL or not next year. His twin brothers played for Sioux Falls before heading to Minnesota.
99. New Jersey: Reid Boucher (USNDTP). Center committed to Michigan State.
104. Calgary: John Gaudreau (Dubuque). The highest-scoring non-Ice player in the USHL, he finished fourth in the league in scoring and second to Daniil Tarasov in goals scored. Led the Fighting Saints to the Clark Cup this year. Committed to Northeastern.
110. Los Angeles: Michael Mersch (USNDTP 09-10). Left wing playing at Wisconsin.
121. Boston: Brian Ferlin (Indiana Ice). Forward who is committed to Cornell. 25-48-73 line for the Ice this year.
That's 7 third-rounders, 25 overall.

Fifth round
128. Columbus: Seth Ambroz (Omaha). Lots of natural talent. 20-goal scorer each of the last two years with the Lancers. Committed to Minnesota.
129. New Jersey: Blake Pietila (USNDTP). Left wing, committed to Michigan Tech.
130. Toronto: Tony Camaranesi (Waterloo 2011-12). High school center from Wayzata, MN. Committed to Minnesota-Duluth, but appears likely to spend a year in Waterloo.
131. Minnesota: Nick Seeler (Muskegon 2011-12). High school defenseman from Eden Prairie, MN. Committed to Nebraska-Omaha, but will play next year in Muskegon.
133. San Jose: Sean Kuraly (Indiana Ice). Center ranked 50th by the CSB. Committed to Miami, will play for the Ice in 2011-12.
Five more USHL players, 30 overall in 151 picks.

Sixth round
154. Florida: Ed Witchow (Waterloo 2011-12). Was the fourth overall pick in this year's USHL Entry Draft. Big defenseman from Burnsville, MN.
163. Carolina: Matt Mahalak (Youngstown 2009-10). Goaltender played this past season for OHL London.
170. Nashville: Chase Balisy (USNDTP 2009-10). Center who played for former Ice coach Jeff Blashill at Western Michigan this past season.
171. Ottawa: Max McCormick (Sioux City). Left wing who is headed to Ohio State.
177. Washington: Travis Boyd (USNDTP). Center committed to Minnesota.
178. Tampa Bay: Adam Wilcox (Green Bay). Second Gambler selected in the draft. Also headed to Minnesota.
Six more USHL players picked. 36 total through 181 selections.

Seventh round
187. Winnipeg: Aaron Harstad (Green Bay). Gives the Gamblers three picks, joining the Ice as the most-drafted non-USNDTP team. One would expect it from a squad that has been in the Clark Cup Finals two years in a row. Defenseman helped the Gamblers post the lowest GAA in the league this season. Headed to Colorado College.
196. Phoenix: Zac Larraza (USNTDP). Left wing committed to University of Denver.
199. Chicago: Alex Broadhurst (Green Bay). Fourth Gambler to go, including the third in a span of 22 picks. Will play at Nebraska-Omaha.
203. Toronto: Max Everson (USNTDP). Defenseman who also played at Edina (MN) high school this season.
204. Ottawa: Ryan Dzingel (Lincoln). A center who was the first Star to be selected. He'll play collegiately at Ohio State.
207. Washington: Garrett Haar (Fargo). Defenseman headed to play at Northeastern University.
Six more players picked. 43 in all.

Coleman picked by Devils

Blake Coleman is the first Ice player to be picked in the NHL Entry Draft.

Coleman, the 5-10, 198-pound center, was chosen by the New Jersey Devils with the 75th pick. Coleman was the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year (as well as the USHL Player of the Year and Forward of the Year), leading the USHL with 34 goals and 58 assists this past season. He and linemates Brian Ferlin and Daniil Tarasov were the top three scorers in the USHL.

Second/third rounds: More USHL picks

Seven USHL players in the second and seven in the third -- 18 overall drafted in the first 91 picks (actually, the first 90 as New Jersey had to forfeit a pick due to the Kovalchuk mess last summer).

Among them:
33. Florida: Rocco Grimaldi (USNDTP). Committed to play for ex-Ice player Dave Hakstol at North Dakota this fall. 5-6 forward with a lot of skill.
34. NYI: Scott Mayfield (Youngstown). Committed to the University of Denver. Twitter buzz is that the Isles got a steal in the defenseman.
36. Chicago: Adam Clendening (USNDTP 09-10, Boston University).
39. Anaheim: John Gibson (USNDTP). Committed to Michigan. First goalie taken in the draft.
43. Chicago: Brandon Saad (USNDTP 09-10, OHL Saginaw).
47. San Jose: Matt Nieto (USNDTP 09-10, Boston University).
60. Minnesota: Mario Lucia (USNDTP/High school - Wayzata, MN. USHL rights held by Des Moines).

Third round
66. Columbus: T.J. Tynan (Des Moines 09-10). Forward currently playing for Notre Dame
70. Chicago: Michael Paliotta (USNDTP). Defenseman committed to Vermont.
72. NYR: Steven Fogarty (Minnesota high school). USHL rights held by Des Moines. Has yet to decide whether he'll play the 2011-12 season in the USHL or in Canada.
75. New Jersey: Blake Coleman (Indiana). Forward committed to Miami. USHL leading scorer and USA Hockey National Player of the Year.
82. Los Angeles: Nick Shore (USNDTP 09-10). Center currently playing at the University of Denver.
83. Anaheim: Andy Welinski (Green Bay). Solid defenseman who helped lead the Gamblers to the Clark Cup Finals this year. Committed to Minnesota-Duluth.
91. Florida: Kyle Rau (Sioux Falls). Played most of this past season in high school, but did suit up for a couple of games with the Stampede. Was Mr. Hockey in Minnesota this past season. Committed to the University of Minnesota.

Ice draft history

The Ice have been represented at every NHL Entry Draft but one since their inception, and have (so far) had two players matriculate to the NHL. Seventeen Ice players have been selected, a number that will grow today.

Ice draft picks
2004: Brian Gifford (Pittsburgh, 3rd round, #85, played at University of Denver). Played with Ice 2004-06.
2004: Sergei Kukushkin (Dallas, 7th round, #218, played in Russia). Played with Ice 2004-05.
2006: Brett Bennett (Phoenix, 5th round, #130, playing at Wisconsin). Played with Ice 2008-09.
2006: Alex Kangas (Atlanta, 5th round, #135, playing at Minnesota). Played for Ice 2006-07.
2006: Brent Gwidt (Washington, 6th round, #157, playing at Nebraska-Omaha). Played with Ice 2006-09.
2007: Brett Bruneteau (Washington, 4th round, #108, playing at North Dakota). Played with Ice 2007-08
2007: Ben Blood (Ottawa, 4th round, #120, playing at North Dakota). Played with Ice 2007-08
2007: Paul Carey (Colorado, 5th round, #135, playing at Boston College). Played with Ice 2007-08
2007: Scott Darling (Phoenix, 6th round, #153, playing at SPHL Louisiana). Played with Ice 2007-08.
2008: John Carlson (Washington, 1st round, #27, playing for Capitals). Played with Ice 2007-08.
2008: Corey Fienhage (Buffalo, 3rd round, #81, playing for AHL Portland). Played with Ice 2007-08.
2008: Garrett Roe (Los Angeles, 7th round, #183, playing for St. Cloud State). Played with Ice 2004-07.
2009: Mike Cichy (Montreal, 7th round, #199, playing for North Dakota). Played with Ice 2008-09.
2010: Stanislav Galiev (Washington, 3rd round, #86, playing for QMJHL Saint John). Played with Ice 2008-09.
2010: Anthony Bitetto (Nashville, 6th round, #168, playing at Northeastern). Played with Ice 2008-10.
2010: Nick Mattson (Chicago, 6th round, #180, finished career with Ice). Played with Ice 2009-11.
2010: R.J. Boyd (Florida, 7th round, #183, playing for Ice). Will play with Ice 2011-12.

Note: 2005-06 Ice player Joel Rehlicz was undrafted, but has played in the NHL with the New York Islanders

First round redux

The first round of the NHL Entry Draft is in the books. The Ice's Sean Kuraly is expected to be chosen Saturday when rounds 2-7 commence. Kuraly is ranked 50th among North American skaters. Brian Ferlin, Blake Coleman, Daniil Tarasov and others are among players who could hear their names Saturday. The draft resumes at 11 a.m. and will be televised by NHL Network.

One Ice player has already heard his name at the NHL Draft. Defenseman R.J. Boyd was the Florida Panthers' seventh-round pick last year.

A handful of players with USHL ties were picked in the first round:
14: Jamie Oklesak (Chicago Steel/Sioux Falls Stampede/Northeastern U.), Dallas. Was also the only college player selected in the first round.
15: J.T. Miller (USNTDP), New York Rangers. Will play for ex-Ice player Dave Hakstol at North Dakota next year.
20: Connor Murphy (USNTDP), Phoenix (son of ex-NHLer Gord Murphy)
22: Tyler Biggs (USNTDP), Toronto (son of ex-Cincinnati Cyclone Don Biggs).

Both Biggs and Murphy are headed to Miami to play with several Ice players, including Blake Coleman, Alex Wideman and Sean Kuraly.

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!

Kuraly featured in Columbus Dispatch

Ice forward Sean Kuraly and the USNTDP's Connor Murphy -- a couple of Columbus, Ohio natives -- are featured in today's Columbus Dispatch NHL Draft preview.

Link to the story

The draft is at 7 p.m. Friday, and will be televised by Versus.

Kuraly at NHL combine

Sean Kuraly

Ice forward Sean Kuraly is participating in the NHL combine for players eligible to be drafted in 2011. Kuraly is one of 100 players who have been invited to the combine. He was rated 50th among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final rankings. The Dublin, Ohio native tallied eight goals and 21 assists for the Ice this past season.

TSN will be live-blogging the combine here.

The USHL's Pipeline Show features an interview with Kuraly here.

A couple of other views on the combine: Toronto Sun,  New England Hockey Journal