With Boughner and Rychel anything is possible, sadly.
I still think the Rangers will be the team to beat in the West, considering Morin and Skinner are both back. Plus they'd need to trade for a veteran d-man to replace Kelly. But I think they have the tools to make a run and get out of the West, especially with the experience they gained last season. I may sound biased, but that's okay, I'm just going by what I see.
The Spits may be losing Taylor Hall, but they're gaining Jack Campbell. I suspect Fowler will be back in the O as well. They could (sadly) repeat.
thats the general feeling and talk throughout windsor that Fowler and quite possibly ellis will be back which would load up windsors D especially if cantin is back for an OA year...and if Rychel and company can get Stephan Johns to come over that defense is scary good. if rychel can swing a trade for one more scoring forward i wouldn't rule out windsor getting out of the west especially with Campbell in net, it'll be interesting to see if rychel re-tools and trades assets for youth and prospects of if he loads up and aims to three-peat again
spits picked up Alexander Khokhlachev today and from different articles about him hes considered "the face of russian junior hockey" and would be a massive boost to the forward group.
Rangers Acquire Julian Melchiori From Generals - 6/29/2010
Rangers Head Coach and General Manager Steve Spott announced this afternoon the team has completed a trade with the Oshawa Generals. In the deal the Rangers have acquired defenceman Julian Melchiori in exchange for a conditional 5th round pick in 2013.
Melchiori, a 6'3", 186-pound defenceman, was a 3rd round pick (87th overall) of the Atlanta Thrashers at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season with the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Central Canadian Hockey League where he recorded seven goals and 23 points in 39 regular season games.
Julian Melchiori
Hometown: Richmond Hill, ON
Birthdate: December 6, 1991
Height: 6.03
Weight: 186 lbs
Position: Defenceman
Shoots: Left
Just what the Rangers needed was a defenseman. I'd really like a veteran d-man, but I'm sure Spott will address that during the season.
I read up on him a little, he's committed to the University of Massachusetts-Lowel. I guess we'll see what comes of that.
thats the general feeling and talk throughout windsor that Fowler and quite possibly ellis will be back which would load up windsors D especially if cantin is back for an OA year...and if Rychel and company can get Stephan Johns to come over that defense is scary good. if rychel can swing a trade for one more scoring forward i wouldn't rule out windsor getting out of the west especially with Campbell in net, it'll be interesting to see if rychel re-tools and trades assets for youth and prospects of if he loads up and aims to three-peat again
spits picked up Alexander Khokhlachev today and from different articles about him hes considered "the face of russian junior hockey" and would be a massive boost to the forward group.
I like the sounds of this Russian kid
Sad to see Gru traded, but it was expected considering we have Campbell now
Rieder is going to Kitchener for 2010-11, the news just got out today (German newspaper Landshuter Wochenblatt). Landshuts management seems surprised and disappointed but they'll let him go. Apparently Rieder talked to (Landshut native) Marco Sturm about it and was advised to make the jump. His agent also wants him to play OHL to increase his draft chances.
Yes! great news.
He had a clause in his contract that if he wanted to play in Junior in either Canada or Germany's top league they would let him go.
signed sealed and delivered...Jack Campbell is now officially signed and a member of the spits..cant wait
Quote:
Goalie Jack Campbell might be the most hyped prospect to ever join the Windsor Spitfires.
"He could be one of the best goalies to ever come through this league," Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel said. "There's a lot of hype."
Taylor Hall and Ed Jovanovski were first picks overall in the National Hockey League Draft, but they joined the Spitfires as young and promising prospects that needed developing.
The 18-year-old Campbell, who has yet to play a game for the Spitfires, was officially introduced by the club Wednesday.
However, the reputation of the native of Port Huron, Mich., has long preceded him.
"There's expectations for a guy that has the credentials he has coming in," Spitfires head coach Bob Jones said.
Campbell backstopped the United States past Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship earlier this year and led the Americans to back-to-back World Under-18 titles.
A first-round pick by the Dallas Stars last month, Campbell is comfortable with the expectations placed on him for his first Ontario Hockey League season.
"People expect a lot from me whether it was last year, the year before or this year," said the six-foot-two, 185-pound Campbell, who will wear No. 1.
"I'm my own biggest critic and have big expectations for myself, so it's no problem."
For the past two seasons, the Spitfires have only asked their goalies to play well enough not to lose a game in winning back-to-back Memorial Cups.
With graduations, the club knows it might have to lean on Campbell to steal a few games.
"It starts with Jack," Rychel said.
"We might be more defensive and have to win 2-1 or 3-2, but with him in net, if we're 2-2 going into the third period, I feel good about our chances."
A sixth-round pick by the Spitfires in 2008, Rychel knew Campbell was headed for the United States Development Program for two seasons, but hoped to sway the talented puckstopper to join the team once his two-year commitment was up.
"Jack is huge for us," Rychel said. "I can't tell you how excited we are."
In was last November when Campbell made the decision to withdraw his verbal commitment to attend the the University of Michigan and join the Spitfires.
"It's an opportunity to play more games and help me learn what it's like to play night-in and night-out and how to probably take care of my body," Campbell said.
With Campbell chasing gold on the international stage and the Spitfires chasing a second straight Memorial Cup title, the two sides didn't get together until Wednesday to sign the deal, which Rychel said is equal to the deal he would have got at the University of Michigan.
"I really couldn't be more excited to put this jersey on," Campbell said.
Like most fans, Jones has only seen Campbell on television, but Spitfires forward Kenny Ryan played with Campbell two years ago.
Ryan knows the talent Windsor landed.
"I can't wait for fans to see this guy play," Ryan said.
That'll be a little further down the road.
Campbell heads to Lake Placid, N.Y., today for the American world junior summer camp.
He'll then go to rookie camp with Dallas and then the main camp before getting back to Windsor.
While that's a few weeks away, Campbell can't wait to play in front of a packed house at the WFCU Centre.
"It'll be crazy," he said. "We maybe had 200 people at our games (with the USDP) and here it'll be 6,500. I'm really looking forward to it."
The Windsor Spitfires are days away from cashing in on a major gamble.
Two trades moved the Spitfires up to No. 23 in last month's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft and the club landed Russian phenom Alexander Khokhlachev.
The 16-year-old Khokhlachev is under contract with Spartak, but Russian agent Alexei Dementiev expects things to be cleared up in the next week to enable him to join the Spitfires.
"He's with Spartak right now at camp," Dementiev said from Moscow. "He's signed until August. They're releasing him Aug. 4. We'll sign the documents Aug. 5."
If all goes according to plan, Dementiev expects Khokhlachev to arrive in Windsor by Aug. 15.
RANGERS ACQUIRE SOL AND BRAUN - 8/3/2010
Rangers Head Coach and General Manager Steve Spott announced that the team has acquired defensemen Cody Sol and Matt Braun from the Saginaw Spirit.
In acquiring Sol and Braun the Rangers send Micky Sartoretto, a 2nd round pick in 2011 and 3rd round pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection to the Spirit.
In 55 games played last season, Sol accumulated 15 points and 151 PIM's. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers (125th Overall).
Braun was a 2008 OHL Priority Selection of the Spirit, he played 11 games in the 2009-10 season.
Cody Sol
Pos: D
Shoots: L
Height: 6.05
Weight: 214
Birthdate: 1991-02-11
Hometown: Woodstock, ON
Matt Braun
Pos: D
Shoots: R
Height: 6.00
Weight: 198
Birthdate: 1992-07-05
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Really like this trade, especially for Sol. The Rangers desperately needs to add some size and grit on defense. Mickey never really worked out and I don't think he fit into the Rangers plans for this upcoming season, I will be sad to see him go though.. he really sparked the Rangers in a game against the Spirit in the playoffs last year and for that, I'll remember him fondly.
Kitchener Rangers Head Coach and General Manager Steve Spott announced that the team has signed Julian Melchiori to an Ontario Hockey League contract with the Rangers.
Spott had this to say, "We are pleased that Julian and his family have decided to play in Kitchener. Julian has recognized that this decision was best for both his athletic and academic future. He can play in the best development league in the world (Canadian Hockey League) while at the same time attending a world class Canadian University. Julian's size and skill level will be a welcome addition to our blueline. We look forward to helping Julian achieve his goal of playing for the Atlanta Thrashers".
Melchiori, a 6'3", 186-pound defenseman, was a 3rd round pick (87th overall) of the Atlanta Thrashers at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season with the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Central Canadian Hockey League where he recorded seven goals and 23 points in 39 regular season games.
Julian Melchiori
Pronunciation: Julian Mel-key-or-E
Hometown: Richmond Hill, ON
Birthdate: December 6, 1991
Height: 6.03
Weight: 186 lbs
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Rangers just keep getting better today. I hate all the high expectations and being a "favourite" but I do hope they can live up to it. They're looking like a team that will be able to dethrone the Spits this year in the West.
Whaddya know, another College committment broken to go to one of the 'big 2'.
Quote:
The London Free Press reports that the 18-year-old defenceman has chosen to play with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League next season, instead of joining Notre Dame.
With the move to the OHL, Tinordi will play a longer schedule and can attend the Canadiens' training camps. College players are not allowed to go to camps until they have left school and signed with their NHL team.
wonder if that means Stephan Johns will de-commit to and head to windsor now since him and Tinordi planned to play at ND together since they were best friends and Johns citied that as the main reason earlier on when he elected to go to ND over the Spits
06-29-2010, 12:59 PM
