Help wanted

Writer wanted: Unfortunately I have too many projects right now and haven't been able to maintain this site properly. I apologize to those of you who frequent Maverick Hockey Recruits looking for updates.

I still plan to maintain the blog when possible. I'll try to keep the sidebar up-to-date with new recruits and do write-ups on any recruits I see play.

However, it would be nice to have some additional content put in place on the site. If you're interested in contributing, please send an email to (msurecruits at gmail.com -- use subject: Blog Contributor) along with a few writing samples, if possible. Additionally, let me know why you're interested in helping contribute.

As always, thanks for reading.

Brett Knowles to MSU

Vanderhoof, British Columbia native Brett Knowles became the second player from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to commit to Minnesota State for the 2012-13 season.

Knowles recently wrapped up his second full-season of competition in the British Columbia Hockey League and was recognized by the Silverbacks for his work ethic, earning the Most-Dedicated Award at the year-end banquet. Knowles, a '91 birthdate, finished with 58 points (30 goals) in 57 games this season.

Listed as a 5-foot-11, 176-pound forward -- who shoots left -- Knowles had a breakout year in 2010-11. Last season, 2009-10, he tallied just 16 points in 41 games. The year prior, 2008-09, he played in a total of seven games for the Silverbacks. 

Looking at Knowles' breakout season this year, he should be a good fit for the Mavericks. He can clearly score goals -- at least at the BCHL level -- and it will be nice for him to have a teammate (Bryce Gervais) making the trip to Mankato as well.

Gervais commits to MSU

Canadian Bryce Gervais has committed to play hockey for Minnesota State, per Chris Heisenberg.

Gervais, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound forward, is slated to join the Mavericks for the 2012-13 season. He currently plays in the British Columbia Hockey League for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks -- where he has logged 51 points (29 goals) in 58 games.

Last season, Gervais played for the Prince Albert Mintos of the SMHL, compiling 36 goals and 34 assists for 70 points in 43 games. He is a '92 birthdate from Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Stephon Williams commits to Minnesota State

Just a few days after Minnesota State received a commitment from defenseman Mat Knoll, it picked up another as goalie Stephon Williams committed to play for the Mavericks on Monday, according to Chris Heisenberg.

Williams, a 17-year-old '93 birthdate, appears to be an extremely solid find for MSU. The young netminder currently plays in the United States Hockey League for the Sioux Falls Stampede.

In 23 games played, the Alaska native has gone 14-3 with a .915 save-percentage, allowing just 2.37 goals over that stretch. Williams tallied a 7-1 record, in January, while only allowing one goal in five of those games -- all of which turned into wins for the Stampede. The lone loss occurred in a 5-4 overtime heartbreaker in Sioux City on January 4.

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound, standout is ranked No. 32 among North American goalies by NHL Central Scouting, according to the 2011 Mid-Term Report.

I haven't had the opportunity to see him play, but I'm hoping to make a trip to Sioux Falls sometime in the near future in order to do so.

Mat Knoll commits to Minnesota State

A few of you have been asking if Minnesota State will add another defenseman for the 2011-12 season. It looks like your question has been answered.

The Mavericks picked up a commitment from Canadian Mat Knoll this week. Knoll, 20, has spent the last three seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. This season -- in 43 games with the Spruce Grove Saints -- he has four goals and 15 assists. Prior to his time with the Saints, he played for the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL, logging eight goals and 28 assists in 112 games.

Knoll, a '90 birthdate, who is listed as an 180-pound, 6-foot, defenseman is expected to join the Mavericks next season. He is scheduled to join fellow freshmen Zach Palmquist and Brett Stern on the blueline next fall.

Recruit Reconnaissance Jan. 17 Edition

Here is the first Recruit Reconnaissance update for 2011...

J.P. LaFontaine, F, Green Bay Gamblers, 5-foot-9, 168-pounds,
32GP, 8 goals, 21 assists--29 points (+12)

Max Gaede, F, Sioux City Musketeers 6-foot-2, 191-pounds,
26GP, 7 goals, 9 assists--16 points (-15)

Brett Stern, D, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), 6-foot-3, 177-pounds,
17GP, 0 goals, 2 assists-- 2 points (+9)

Zach Palmquist, D, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 6-0, 175-pounds,
29GP, 3 goals, 7 assists-- 10 points (-12)

Dylan Margonari, F, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) 6-0, 178-pounds,
30GP, 3 goals, 2 assists-- 5 points (-9)

Recruit Reconnaissance Dec. 21 Edition

It's time for another Recruit Reconnaissance update. 

J.P. LaFontaine, F, Green Bay Gamblers, 5-foot-9, 168-pounds,
24GP, 4 goals, 17 assists--21 points (+7)

Max Gaede, F, Sioux City Musketeers 6-foot-2, 191-pounds,
19GP, 7 goals, 7 assists--14 points (-11)

Brett Stern, D, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), 6-foot-3, 177-pounds,
11GP, 0 goals, 2 assists-- 2 points (+6)

Zach Palmquist, D, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 6-0, 175-pounds,
21GP, 2 goals, 6 assists-- 8 points (-7)

Dylan Margonari, F, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) 6-0, 178-pounds,
23GP, 2 goals, 2 assists-- 4 points (-9)

Mavericks officially ink four for '11

This should come as no surprise, but Minnesota State announced that Max Gaede, Jean-Paul Lafontaine, Brett Stern and Zach Palmquist all signed NCAA Letters of Intent to attend and play hockey for MSU next fall. Read the full release, and a few details on each player, here.

Dylan Margonari Commits to MSU

According to a United States Hockey League press release published earlier today, Minnesota State received a commitment from Dylan Margonari. The Greensburg, Pa., native plans to join MSU for the 2012-13 season.

Margonari is listed as a 6-foot, 178-pound forward. He is currently playing in his second season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. Last season, in 23 games played, he compiled four goals and two assists. This year, he has two points (1G, 1A) through 10 games.

In this year's USHL Fall Classic, Margonari finished +2 in plus/minus and reportedly impressed those in attendance.

I don't have much more on him at this point, but TheScoutingNews.com hints that Margonari might be a solid find.

Gaede makes World Jr. A Team USA roster

Minnesota State recruit Max Gaede will play for Team USA in the World Jr. A Challenge this November. Gaede -- a 6-foot-2, 191-pound forward -- is currently playing in the United States Hockey League for the Sioux City Musketeers. The Woodbury, Minn., native has three goals and three assists in seven games this season.

Gaede was drafted 88th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2010 NHL Draft. He is expected to join the Mavericks for the 2011-12 season. 

You can view the full USA Hockey World Jr. A Challenge Roster here (pdf).

A couple thoughts on the 2010-11 freshmen

I haven't seen these guys play much, but I figured I'd jot down a few initial thoughts on each of the 2010-11 MSU men's hockey freshmen. I focused exclusively on positive attributes.

Danny Heath (D)- Solid skater, moves the puck well, good offensive potential for a defenseman.
Corey Leivermann (F)- Great hustle, reads the puck well, ready to battle in the corners.
J.P. Burkemper (F)- Good size, moves well, hard shot, physical.
Chase Grant (F)- Fast, great skater, good hands, nice passing (head's up player), looks at ease with the college game.
Zach Lehrke (F)- Good offensive instincts, impressive on the powerplay, moves the puck well, solid skater.
Josh Nelson (D)- Does a nice job holding the blueline, seems to be a solid defensive defenseman, but shows offensive potential, nice hustle.
John McInnis (F)- Good hustle, fast, has potential to score goals as he adapts to the college game.
Evan Karambelas (G)- Haven't had the opportunity to see him play.

Feel free to add your own thoughts via the comment section.  Overall, I'm very impressed with this group of incoming freshman and looking forward to watching their development this season. Please keep all comments positive.

Berge Decommits

Josh Berge, a forward for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League, and brother of former Minnesota State Maverick Mick Berge, has reportedly withdrawn his commitment to MSU.

Berge was traded to the Lincoln Stars by Tri-City last winter. In 16 games with the Stars, he totaled eight points (two goals and six assists). Prior to the trade, he scored two goals and compiled eight assists with the Tri-City Storm during the 2009-10 season. To date, the 5-foot-8, 158-pound Oklahoma native has tallied 16 career goals in the USHL.

He's probably not a huge loss for the program, but it would have been nice to have another Berge wearing the purple sweater.

Leitner out for 2010-11 Season

You may have noticed a fairly significant change to the Minnesota State men's hockey roster recently. 

Early last week Matt Leitner - a top incoming recruit - was no longer on MSU's active roster. I immediately sent out a few emails to see if I could get the scoop.  The lack of response surrounding the issue threw up a red flag. Something was wrong.

Earlier this evening, Shane Frederick of the Mankato Free Press and author of Puckato shed some light on the subject with this tidbit:

Leitner is academically ineligible to play for the Mavericks this season, something that was a concern for the coaching staff since the California native and United States Hockey League standout committed to MSU last year.

Leitner's ineligibility is a big loss for the program, but he is enrolled in classes at the university and working to improve his GPA.  He remain's hopeful that he will be able to hit-the-ice next year, 2011-12, and re-join his former Fargo Force teammates and current Mavericks Corey Leivermann and Chase Grant.

The California native is a tremendous hockey player and has a bright future in the NCAA if he can regain his eligibility. Last season, in the United States Hockey League, he scored 66 points in 54 games (25 goals, 41 assists).

I had the opportunity to watch Leitner play in Sioux Falls last winter.  You can read a few of my initial thoughts here. In March, CollegeHockey247.com ranked Leitner 42nd among the Top-50 recruits for the Class of 2010.

Leitner will be missed this season, but should be an extremely valuable asset next year if he puts his mind to it.

It's All In The Numbers...

Minnesota State released the 2010-11 men's hockey roster today.  The team has nine incoming freshman this season.  Here are their sweater numbers: No. 2- Josh Nelson (D), No. 7- John McInnis (F), No. 11 Corey Leivermann (F), No. 13- Danny Heath (D), No. 15- J.P. Burkemper (F), No. 18- Matt Leitner (F), No. 19- Zach Lehrke (F), No. 20- Chase Grant (F), No. 35- Evan Karambelas (G).

Click on player names above to view their full profile on the Minnesota State Mavericks website. You can view the complete roster here.

Gaede Drafted by the San Jose Sharks

Woodbury High School graduate and USHL Sioux City Musketeer Max Gaede was drafted by the San Jose Sharks earlier today. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound forward was taken late in the third round, 88th overall, in the 2010 NHL Draft. Gaede plans to attend Minnesota State in the fall of 2011 after playing one-year with Sioux City in the USHL.

Max Gaede Profiled on Western College Hockey Blog

Chris Dilks, author of the Western College Hockey Blog, profiled Minnesota State recruit Max Gaede as a potential NHL draft pick.

I haven't had the opportunity to watch Gaede play, so WCH is a truly great resource. Dilks wraps up his article with a nice final analysis of Gaede.

Gaede really rose up draft boards all year long. He made it all the way up to 104th on the final Central Scouting rankings, and now looks like a lock to be selected somewhere on the second day of the draft.

He's a bit of a raw talent. Playing high school hockey at Woodbury, he wasn't always playing with or against equal or better talent, and his skating could still probably use some work. But he's got some intriguing potential as a power forward once he fills out a little more that can make plays offensively.

Unless a team really likes him, the fourth round is probably about as high as he'll go. If he lasts any later than that, I wouldn't necessarily call it a steal for the team that picks him, but they would be getting some pretty nice value on a late round pick.

Gaede will likely join the Sioux City Musketeers, of the United States Hockey League, next season before heading to Minnesota State, Mankato. He played a few games with the Musketeers earlier this spring after concluding his senior year with the Woodbury Royals (28GP - 22 goals, 17 assists - 39 points). 

Meet MSU's New Goalie: Evan Karambelas

Stephen Heisler of AmericanJuniorHockey.com is reporting that Evan Karambelas will be MSU's newest netminder following the departure of Kevin Murdock from Minnesota State this offseason. Karambelas spent last season in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Topeka Roadrunners. The 6'2", 205 lb. goaltender completed the regular season with a 22-4 record, logging a 0.890 save percentage, while allowing 2.29 goals per game.

Last January, Karambelas participated in the NAHL Top Prospects tournament and led all goalies with .963 save percentage and a 1.34 goals against average through three games played. Prior to his time in the NAHL, Karambelas played in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the Powell River Kings. He graduated from North Peace Secondary School.

Current Minnesota State forward Eriah Hayes played for Topeka (NAHL) during the 2007-2008 season where he tallied 30 goals and 26 assists in 53 games.

Brett Stern Profiled on WCH

Chris Dilks, of the Western College Hockey Blog, profiled Minnesota State recruit Brett Stern as a potential NHL draft pick.

Dilks highlights the fact that Stern is a very defensive defenseman. I haven't had the opportunity to watch Stern play yet, so I enjoyed reading through the profile. It's likely that he will play in the USHL next season, where it will be much easier to get a true read on his talent.

Stern completed the 2009-2010 season with 27 points - 10 goals, 17 assists - in 27 games. 

MSU Announces 2010-2011 Recruiting Class

Minnesota State University, Mankato confirmed their 2010-2011 men's hockey recruiting class yesterday via a press release, you can read it here. The list is pretty much identical to what I had posted on the right sidebar.  The only change is that Josh Berge will play another year of junior hockey, which isn't really a huge surprise. 

Berge is currently on the roster of the USHL's Lincoln Stars.  He was pulled from the lineup in late January due to a knee injury and rode the bench for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season.  The Stars have been pretty quiet about the injury but the rumor was that it wasn't serious enough to warrant surgery. It's likely that he will return to the Stars lineup next season and enroll at Minnesota State in the Fall of 2011.

MSU's press release, linked above, provides a brief profile on J.P. Burkemper, Josh Nelson and John McInnis.

Chase Grant Injured in Game 4 of the USHL Clark Cup Finals

The Fargo Force will play the deciding Game Five of the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup finals in Green Bay on Wednesday night after losing 5-3 in Game Four Saturday night at home. In addition to losing the game, they lost team captain and future Maverick Chase Grant to a knee injury.

Grant's injury will put him on the sidelines for the remainder of the series. MSU recruit Corey Leivermann is still out as well, recovering from a concussion suffered in Fargo's playoff match-up against the Omaha Lancers.

At this time, it's unknown how serious the injury to Grant's knee is. Heath Hotzler of Fargo-Moorheads INFORUM quoted Grant stating, “It was just an awkward hit on the knee. It’s pretty sore right now. I can’t put any weight on it. … They think it’s a torn meniscus. I’m hopeful.”

I will post updates as they become available. 

Update: Grant's injury is now being labeled a compression fracture to his right leg.