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Post by Bob on Aug 30, 2005 12:52:09 GMT -5
A lot depends upon who makes the Habs this year but the Hamilton roster could look something like this
G - Yann Danis
G - Edmonton prospect
D - Andrew Archer
D - Jean-Phillippe Cote
D - Jonathan Aitken
D - James Sanford
D - Edmonton prospect
D - Edmonton prospect
D - Nicolas Marcotte or Andre Benoit
C - Corey Locke
C - Cory Urquhart
C - Maxim Lapierre
C - Edmonton prospect
LW - Michel Lambert
LW - Edmonton prospect
LW - Edmonton prospect
LW - Raitis Ivanans or Jimmy Bonneau
RW - Andre Kostitsyn
RW - Duncan Milroy
RW - Jonathan Ferland
RW - Edmonton prospect
Who have I missed and who shouldn't be included?
If this is close, it looks like a very young team that may be less competitive than last year. I can't see Plekanec, Hossa, Higgins, Hainsey or Perezhogin playing in the AHL this year so some of the others will have to pick up the slack.
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Post by montreal on Aug 30, 2005 17:12:50 GMT -5
The only guy I'm not sure of is Carpentier, who could be back. He can play LW or defense. Also Sanford still has to be signed. I thought he signed a one year deal with the Habs plus a team option but can't find any info about the team option part, everything just says one year. If so he'll need to be resigned, which I assume he will be.
Also Halak should be there until Danis is back unless Michaud takes his job.
From what I understand Benoit will be there no doubt. I was told he has been signed by Hamilton already but then the Habs wanted to sign him, so there's a rumor that we did sign him already which seems a little off base since it would seem more likely that we would wait until we see what he does at camp. Guess we'll see soon enough.
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Post by Skilly on Sept 5, 2005 18:19:50 GMT -5
I'd like to see Kyle Chipchura playing in Hamilton this season instead of playing in the WHL as a 20 year old. (Feb. 19)
Also, I can't see Plekanec, Higgins, Hossa, Perezhogin and Hainsey all making the NHL roster. At least one of these guys will have to be sent down. Will they clear waivers? Will they end up in the AHL on another team? My bet is that Higgins loses out in the numbers game unless he completely outplays Hossa during training camp.
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Post by montreal on Sept 5, 2005 18:42:31 GMT -5
I'd like to see Kyle Chipchura playing in Hamilton this season instead of playing in the WHL as a 20 year old. (Feb. 19) Also, I can't see Plekanec, Higgins, Hossa, Perezhogin and Hainsey all making the NHL roster. At least one of these guys will have to be sent down. Will they clear waivers? Will they end up in the AHL on another team? My bet is that Higgins loses out in the numbers game unless he completely outplays Hossa during training camp. Chipchura can't play in the AHL this year until PA's season is over in March/April. |
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Post by Bob on Sept 13, 2005 12:25:24 GMT -5
Looks like the Dogs will have a new website by the end of the month. It is supposed to have more content than the old canoe-based site. I look forward to it, anything would be an improvement.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 13, 2005 13:44:17 GMT -5
I'd like to see Kyle Chipchura playing in Hamilton this season instead of playing in the WHL as a 20 year old. (Feb. 19) Also, I can't see Plekanec, Higgins, Hossa, Perezhogin and Hainsey all making the NHL roster. At least one of these guys will have to be sent down. Will they clear waivers? Will they end up in the AHL on another team? My bet is that Higgins loses out in the numbers game unless he completely outplays Hossa during training camp. Chipchura can't play in the AHL this year until PA's season is over in March/April. Mr. Chips missed a whole year last year (almost) and could use another year of Jr's to have the ice time to develop the confidence and skills he will need in the AHL. Chips has leadership and attitude but flashy skilled forward is not something we hear regularly about him. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 29, 2005 18:52:08 GMT -5
Edmonton just made their next to last reassignments from their main camp, and have increased the competitiveness of the Dogs' camp with the addition of 4 good players:
forwards JF Jacques and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, defender Mathieu Roy, and goalie Jeff Droiun-Deslauriers. Dogs finally have some competition at camp, after starting with only 14 guys. Big competition will be on the blueline with 11 guys fighting for spots right now, with potentially more once final decisions are made at the Habs' camp where one guy is likely to be reassigned (Hainsey or Streit).
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 2, 2005 16:10:06 GMT -5
The Bulldogs made some personnel moves today, although nowhere as splashy as the Habs with Latendresse.
Edmonton prospects Radunske, Sestito and Little were all cut, Melanson was sent back to juniors, Halak was assigned to Long Beach Ice Dogs, and Lavallee, Walker and Martin all were sent to the Ice Dogs to join their camp.
The roster is now taking shape.
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Post by Bob on Oct 4, 2005 20:34:22 GMT -5
The new Bulldogs website looks better than the old CANOE based website... I hope the content improves. too.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 14, 2005 20:08:46 GMT -5
The question of the year...
Who scored the first Hamilton Bulldog goal of their 10th season in 2005/06?
And the answer...
Andre Benoit (great signing from the OHL overager of the year last year)
p.s. Locke and Hainsey (who?) get the assists!!
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Oct 17, 2005 17:40:49 GMT -5
bladesofsteel at Habfans filed this report:
Hey gang, I went to see the Bulldogs Saturday night. They're definitely weaker then last year's, but that's to be expected.
Here's a quick update on a few of our prospects:
Michaud: I was very surprised to see him playing in Hamilton. Nice to see he's still hanging in there. He allowed 3 goals, but didn't really have a chance on any of them. For the most part he was solid.
Locke: Wasn't really noticable. Pushed off the puck all night long.
Lapierre: WOW. He had a great game, showed some nice offensive skills and finished all his checks. On one occasion, he turned a defender inside-out(I think it was on the PK) and made a nice shot on goal. I'm loving what I see from him. Looks like Chipchura's got competition for the 3rd line center spot.
Murray: Threw his weight around, but otherwise wasn't that noticable.
Milroy: invisible.
Kostitsyn: Holy crap did he log some serious icetime. He never wants to leave the ice, he must have amazing conditioning, as he played an entire PP with little stoppage. He's not as fast as Pleks or Perezhogin, and I really wish he'd fight harder for the puck, but he scored a real beauty on a nice play with Pouliot. Not as good a stickhandler as I seem to remember him being, however. Hopefully he can play with a little more toughness this year. Put Locke's heart and brain in his body and you've got a star. I'm really hoping he puts it together this year.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Oct 17, 2005 17:49:22 GMT -5
CANADIENS REASSIGN CORY URQUHART Monday, October 17, 2005 - 06:30PM The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned center Cory Urquhart to the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). Urquhart, 21, did not see any action this season with Hamilton. He appeared in one game for the Bulldogs in 2004-05, going scoreless. In 63 games with the Ice Dogs last season, the native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, collected 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) and 14 penalty minutes. - www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/index.php?module=newser&func=display&nid=25 |
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Post by Bob on Oct 17, 2005 18:16:23 GMT -5
CANADIENS REASSIGN CORY URQUHART Monday, October 17, 2005 - 06:30PM The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned center Cory Urquhart to the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). Urquhart, 21, did not see any action this season with Hamilton. He appeared in one game for the Bulldogs in 2004-05, going scoreless. In 63 games with the Ice Dogs last season, the native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, collected 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) and 14 penalty minutes. - www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/index.php?module=newser&func=display&nid=25Oh oh! The boards are gonna be full of "I-told-you-so" comments |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 17, 2005 19:29:03 GMT -5
I wonder if we should place a call to Bobby Clarke?
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Post by duster on Oct 17, 2005 20:47:05 GMT -5
Clarke was likely just as surprised as anyone that Urquhart was picked so early in the second round...
I realize that the draft is a crap shoot. What did the Habs scouting team see in this guy? He's made zero progress. It's a mystery...
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Post by montreal on Oct 17, 2005 22:16:57 GMT -5
Clarke was likely just as surprised as anyone that Urquhart was picked so early in the second round... I realize that the draft is a crap shoot. What did the Habs scouting team see in this guy? He's made zero progress. It's a mystery... I'm guessing they gushed over his impressive playoff performance right before the draft, got something like 15 pts, was the then Montreal Rocket's best player from what I'm told. It's not looking good for him that's for sure. I saw him a lot in Long Beach last year (good team, fun to watch) and he was a disappointment for the most part. He did show off his offensive skills a bit with a nice shot that he seems more willing to use, but is still so soft and weak physically. He would get easily knocked off the puck and would hardly ever battle for open space or in the trenches. I saw around 20 games including some playoff and either him or Lambert or Michaud stood out. Larrivee imo was much better with his efforts but didn't have the same set of skills and I thought Shasby was the Dogs best defensemen, smart kid with decent skills but not overly strong in any area. When you look back at say the '95,'96,'97,'99,'00 drafts it's so freaking sad. When we can get a Higgins, Komisarek, Perezhogin, Plekanec out of 2 drafts, I have hopes for what we can turn out from the last 3 drafts. Urquhart may yet still surprise, although imo it will take him getting stronger physical and much much meaner. Most prospects won't make it, but watching Markov and others makes me forget all the mistakes, including some 2nd round picks that really have disappointed in Milroy, Linhart and Urquhart. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 18, 2005 1:23:58 GMT -5
Not much in the way of singles hitters from our scouting staff, in a way. They either hit a double or better or go down swinging. Markov's a home run, for sure.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Oct 18, 2005 6:07:49 GMT -5
some 2nd round picks that really have disappointed in Milroy, Linhart and Urquhart. Do not draft players who's name ends in -hart. |
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Post by oldhabsfan on Oct 18, 2005 9:41:45 GMT -5
What did the Habs scouting team see in this guy? He's made zero progress. It's a mystery... At the time, Savard gave his reasons for picking Urquhart as "Hands, hands, hands." I thought then that Patrick O'Sullivan would have been a better bet, and I still think so. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 19, 2005 23:28:22 GMT -5
Seems like there is a new sherriff and attitude in Steeltown with Coach Lever taking over the reigns from Coach Jarvis, who as we know is now running special teams in Montreal.
In a Hamilton Spectator article two days ago, Lever was reported as wanting to take a much more open and offensive approach to the game, much moreso than the conservative approach that Doug Jarvis adopted. In order to make that work, his skilled offensive guys have to be on their game and generating chances, something that was not evident in any stretch this past weekend as the Dogs mustered no bark nor bite with their three goals scored in two games.
Specifically, Lever had this to say about Kostitsyn:
And then there's Andrei Kostitsyn. Perhaps the most talented player on the Bulldogs and the owner of one of the best wristshots in any league, he's never shown much of an interest in going to the hard areas on the ice. Instead of fighting through a tough check to make something happen, he too often settles for an ineffective long shot. The one time he did cut hard to the net Saturday, he scored a beauty.
"Why did he turn it on there? Where was he in the first period and second period?" the coach asked. "If he learns to play like that (all the time) he'll be up in the National Hockey League. If not ...
Lever was also critical of all his offensively skilled players as not bringing it the way he expected, so I would guess that Lever is going to be pushing some of these guys pretty hard down in Steeltown. Under Jarvis, Kostitsyn learned how to play in both ends of the ice, as that clearly was Jarvis' focus with him in his rookie season. Maybe this year Lever will pass on consistency, work ethic and the like.
Sounds like a plan I can live with, as those raw skills and talent deserve to be used to their maximum potential.
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Post by duster on Oct 20, 2005 17:20:53 GMT -5
I think an experienced coach that pushes him to work hard every game is exactly what Kostitsyn needs. I suspect he's never had someone do just that so far in his career. I hope they play the daylights out of him and, no doubt, there'll some nights that are better than others. It's a little early perhaps, but Kostitsyn, in my opinion, is going to benefit from Lever's coaching.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 21, 2005 20:40:28 GMT -5
Another clip from the Ham Spectator about newbie Garth Murray.
The Hamilton Bulldogs are counting on Garth Murray to be one of their team leaders this year and he knows exactly how he plans to go about it.
"For me it starts with leading by example," says Murray, who has worn one of the A's (the Dogs have not named a captain) in their first two games.
"I want to put the onus on myself to be sharp all the time and try and be an example for the younger guys."
Murray said he learned that when he played for the Wolfpack in Hartford.
"Ken Gernander was the captain the whole 10 years the franchise was there until he retired last year," Murray said. "He always led by example. He was always the hardest working guy on the ice and he was always working on things out there. It was great for me being able to learn from a guy like that and if I can work half as hard as he did, I think I'll be all right."
It was a lesson Murray obviously learned very well.
"I've been impressed with his work ethic since he got here," head coach Don Lever says. "He's very mature for 23.
"In practice and in games, his work ethic is tremendous."
This kid also looked really good tonight, as I caught the first period of the Dogs' game on the tube tonight and am listening to the rest. He really skates and works hard, and is in the absolute middle of everything. He won't finesse his way into any lineup, but he seems to bring that work ethic to the rink as the coach has already rewarded him with a "A".
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Post by seventeen on Oct 21, 2005 21:14:40 GMT -5
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Oct 22, 2005 4:32:43 GMT -5
Another clip from the Ham Spectator about newbie Garth Murray. The Hamilton Bulldogs are counting on Garth Murray to be one of their team leaders this year and he knows exactly how he plans to go about it.
"For me it starts with leading by example," says Murray, who has worn one of the A's (the Dogs have not named a captain) in their first two games.
"I want to put the onus on myself to be sharp all the time and try and be an example for the younger guys."
Murray said he learned that when he played for the Wolfpack in Hartford.
"Ken Gernander was the captain the whole 10 years the franchise was there until he retired last year," Murray said. "He always led by example. He was always the hardest working guy on the ice and he was always working on things out there. It was great for me being able to learn from a guy like that and if I can work half as hard as he did, I think I'll be all right."
It was a lesson Murray obviously learned very well.
"I've been impressed with his work ethic since he got here," head coach Don Lever says. "He's very mature for 23.
"In practice and in games, his work ethic is tremendous."This kid also looked really good tonight, as I caught the first period of the Dogs' game on the tube tonight and am listening to the rest. He really skates and works hard, and is in the absolute middle of everything. He won't finesse his way into any lineup, but he seems to bring that work ethic to the rink as the coach has already rewarded him with a "A". Even Steve Bégin needs a backup. |
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Post by Bob on Oct 22, 2005 11:11:24 GMT -5
Even Steve Bégin needs a backup. Or someone on his line who plays the same style of game (rather than Dags, for example). |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 23, 2005 1:50:41 GMT -5
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Post by Bob on Oct 23, 2005 10:13:19 GMT -5
We outshot Cleveland badly, but can't seem to win. It's a step in the right direction, though. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 23, 2005 18:54:18 GMT -5
Hamilton beat the Toronto Marlies at home this afternoon to end up 2-1 this weekend and they collected their first home win as a result. Andre Benoit led the way with two wins, and Corey Locke had two helpers, for his fifth point this weekend. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers had his first start and got the win. The Dogs now sit with a 2-3 record early in the AHL season. ahl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1001110 |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Oct 23, 2005 19:37:54 GMT -5
After 2 games, Locke began scoring again.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 29, 2005 11:12:08 GMT -5
I know there is some discussion on last night's game in the Kosty (bust) thread, but want to give credit to some other good performances in that wild 7-6 win over the Crunch. www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/index.php?module=newser&func=display&nid=39The Dogs power play had some real power as it notched 5 goals on the evening. Hainsey and Benoit are really getting lots of quality time on the points during the PP, and both put up great numbers on the night. Benoit had 1g 2a and Rocket Ron had 4a. Hainey also had a short handed goal on Wednesday night against the same Crunch team, so he is getting it done on the scoreboard. How the rest of his game is remains to be seen, but at least he isn't rolling over and playing dead. Andre Benoit, as a rookie, is making quite an impression. Another big night with three points from this undersized offensive defenceman who led all OHL Dmen in points last season, one that had him named overager of the year in the league. Sure makes it easy to forget that Mark Flood snubbed the Habs and didn't sign a contract this past summer...Mark Who? Andre Savard was interviewed on a recent Hamilton Bulldogs radio broadcast and management are really high on this young man Benoit. Could he be the latest good young free agent find by Habs' scouts? Time will tell, but a great start to date (4g 4a 8pts in 7gp which is tops for all rookie Dmen and 4th overall for Dmen in the AHL). Mad Max Lapierre had two assists, as he continues to bang, crash and fight hard on shifts in his rookie season. Look for this kid to have a good season due to his work ethic, speed and willingness to crash and bang. The Dogs haven't named a captain yet, but there is some speculation on the Dogs' message board that Garth Murray would be a good choice (the Hossa guy). It appears that his hard work and leadership is evident out there, and has even gained some praise from Coach Lever in the Spectator. A little Begin-like perhaps? We can only hope!! |
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