Wednesday Notes

The Tigers departed this afternoon for Duluth without right wing Stephen Schultz, who is still recovering from a concussion suffered in the first period against St. Cloud State on Feb. 9. Captain Scott Thauwald will travel, but hasn’t skated since he suffered a concussion in the third period of the Feb. 9 game. Defenseman Brett Wysopal could pull spot duty on the fourth line after practicing at forward Monday and Tuesday for the first time in his life. Wysopal, who marveled at going through a whole practice without skating backwards, will be CC’s only extra skater.

Travel roster:
Sweatt–Rau–Testwuide
McCulloch–Vlassopoulos–Kilpatrick
DeBoer–Johnson–Walsky
Overman–McMillin–Quilico/Wysopal
D: Fredheim, Gannon, Hillen, Prosser, Connelly, Lowery
G: Bachman, O’Connell

UPDATE: Per Chris Heisenberg, CC landed its first Wisconsin kid since Brady Greco in defenseman Ted Behrend. Behrend hails from Oregon, Wisc., which is just south of Madison, coach Scott Owens’ hometown.

Around the league
The WCHA handed out more penalties for fights that occurred in last Saturday’s Denver-North Dakota game. Kyle Radke and J.P. Testwuide dropped gloves and squared off, which should have been an instant ejection and game disqualification, but referee Marco Hunt allowed them to go to the penalty box instead. Then, at the end of the second period, an all-out brawl broke out (YouTube) and Radke and Denver’s Brandon Vossberg went at it (from Vossberg’s perspective). Although the WCHA isn’t the first league to come out with additional penalties after the fact (this Canisius-RIT fight resulted in additional sanctions from Atlantic Hockey), when you take Hunt’s under-call into account with previous missed calls by now-suspended referee Randy Schmidt, it has been a rough year for officiating in the WCHA.

Denver, North Dakota Players Suspended for One Game
MADISON, Wisc. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today (Feb. 20, 2008) announced that J.P. Testwuide, a junior defenseman at the University of Denver, and Kyle Radke, a senior forward at the University of North Dakota, have been suspended for one game each as the result of an on-ice incident that occurred in the game between the two teams on Saturday, Feb. 16.

The supplemental disciplinary action was taken by WCHA Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod after a review of the incident that occurred at 6:38 of the second period and originally resulted in each player receiving two-minute slashing, two-minute roughing and 10-minute misconduct penalties.

Testwuide will be required to serve his one-game suspension during Denver’s home game against Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 22.

Radke, who also received a fighting penalty and game disqualification penalty later in the game on Feb. 16, will now be required to serve a two-game suspension during North Dakota’s upcoming home series against Bemidji State on Feb. 23-24.

Recruiting
USA Today featured CC recruit Colten St. Clair of Gilbert, Ariz., as evidence of the spread of talent beyond traditional hotbeds like Minnesota. Kevin Allen writes that St. Clair is “considered one of the top 1992-born players in the U.S. and maybe even the world.”

Tiger Tracks
–Several people brought up half-shields as I researched the concussion story that ran today with the argument being that if players wear visors, they keep their checks down and adhere to an honor code (enforced by fighting).
The American Hockey League requires half-shields, whereas the National Hockey League leaves it up to the players–visor or no visor. CC alum Noah Clarke, who plays for Lowell (AHL), may feel differently about facemasks after he was hit in the face with a slap shot last Saturday. Clarke was hospitalized. (In the notes section)
UPDATE: Clarke, who is out indefinitely, suffered a cheekbone fracture and nose damage, but his eyes are OK. Read here.
–I thought this story on former defenseman Tom Preissing, a Hobey Baker finalist in 2003, was pretty neat. The reporter got Preissing to open up about his senior thesis at CC. Paid to play hockey for the Los Angeles Kings at the moment, the 2003 WCHA student-athlete of the year has plenty to look forward to after hockey.

Straub To Report To Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)

Former Colorado College defenseman Brandon Straub learned Sunday afternoon that he will be sent to the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, the Lake Erie Monsters (Cleveland, Ohio).

Once the Avalanche returned from the Burgundy and White scrimmage, held at Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs, a cut list was posted. Straub estimated he was among “four or five” defensemen, one goaltender and “a bunch” of forwards who did not make the Avalanche roster for Monday’s exhibition game at Phoenix, he said.

In his meeting with the Avalanche coaching staff, Straub received positive feedback about his performance during four days of rookie camp, two days of training camp and the scrimmage, in which he had two assists.

“They said they were happy with me, especially because I came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent,” Straub said. “They thought I was a pleasant surprise.”

Straub’s report was consistent with coach Joel Quenneville’s comments after the game.

“He got our attention in rookie camp,” Quenneville said. “I thought that he’s done a nice job here. Not everybody had that opportunity to come to training camp . . . I didn’t know that much about him but he showed his versatility and he was being active in the game.”

Although he was disappointed that he didn’t make the roster, Straub made a point to stress the positive.

“About a month ago, I didn’t have a camp to go to,” Straub said. “Now, I have a week off and I can go in there with an edge, having gained experience here.”

During Sunday’s scrimmage, Straub was mostly paired with John-Michael Liles, who was also his partner throughout the two-day training camp.

“I thought he did great,” Liles said. “There’s a reason why he’s here.”

Liles said he had to remind Straub not to apologize for mistakes.

“He’s very humble,” Liles said. “I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”

Straub said being paired with Liles helped ease his nerves.

“I could ask him for pointers,” Straub said. “He was really helpful and told me about their systems and where to be on face-offs and stuff like that. . . . With some guys, you’re on edge and afraid to make mistakes. With him, it’s the opposite. He encouraged me to take chances. As long as I was working hard out there, he was happy.”

A contract still hasn’t materialized and the organization can continue to evaluate Straub until the end of the month, per the terms of Straub’s amateur tryout contract.

Straub said he will spend the week in Colorado Springs, training, skating and lifting. Tigers strength coach Mark Stephenson, who was in attendance Sunday, is directing Straub’s lifting program.

When he reflected on the experience of taking the ice at Cadet Ice Arena in an Avalanche uniform, Straub called it “one of the most fun times I’ve ever had playing hockey.”

“I could do it in my hometown and next to NHL players and I was right there playing well and contributing,” he said. “It was very exciting.”

***

Former CC defensemen Richard Petiot and Tom Preissing are among 39 players and 13 defensemen left in the Los Angeles Kings’ training camp. Preissing scored a goal for the Kings in Saturday’s preseason game against the Ducks. The Kings play the Avalanche at Pepsi Center at 7 p.m. Sept. 19.

This writer called former CC defenseman Mark Stuart a “virtual lock” to make the Boston Bruins’ final roster.

Former CC forward Aaron Slattengren signed on for another season with the Augusta Lynx (ECHL). Lynx training camp begins October 5 and former CC right wing James Brannigan will be bidding for a roster spot.

CC recruit David Civitarese (Calgary, AB), who is slated to join the Tigers in 2008, scored his first goal of the season Saturday.