3. Niko Hovinen, 23, Pelicans
NHL Rights: Philadelphia Flyers
Drafted by Minnesota Wild, 5th round, 132nd overall, 2006
Signed entry level contract with Philadelphia (May 2011)
Like Helenius, Hovinen has resurrected his hopes for a career in the NHL and has continued to be a workhorse in his third season with the Pelicans.
Hovinen was a fifth-round pick of Minnesota in 2006 after a successful junior career in Jokerit but was never signed by the Wild. His impressive season in 2010-11, despite playing on a last-place club, earned him an entry level contract with the Flyers in May 2011.
This season, the Pelicans have been one of the SM-Liiga's success stories, sitting in second place in the 14-team circuit. Hovinen has appeared in 41 games and leads the league with 21 wins while posting a career-best 2.26 goals against average and .919 save percentage. Hovinen has also appeared in three games for Team Finland during the European Trophy tournament against Sweden, Czech Republic, and Russia and has a microscopic 0.41 goals against average and .979 save percentage.
With the Flyers' goaltending struggles earlier this season well-chronicled, it is not surprising that Hovinen has been the source of much conjecture. As with Helenius, Eloranta still sees areas in which Hovinen can improve.
"Everybody is speaking of him and how great he is but he's still fighting technical problems," said Eloranta. "He allows too many rebounds and he's just covering, which is good overseas but not (in the NHL)."
He has an average game last time and looked alittle overwelmed by older bigger players. Needs more juniors time i would think
That's not a bad thing though in terms of exposing Cousins to the pro game. If I remember correctly, Giroux also didn't tear it up when he played with the Phantoms on an ATO either. People need to remember that Cousins is still an 18 year old. The Flyers are developing Cousins properly.
Akeson is currently 7th in AHL rookie scoring and 1st in assists with 41. He's got a total of 53 pts in 73 games for the phantoms, good for 1st on the team (Ford actually has 56 pts but he wasn't on the phantoms the entire year).
No but saw a few games earlier in the year. He's a big, mobile kid, IIRC, all around player like Meszaros, not a huge banger but physical, not an offensive D but has some O.
Another player the Flyers will have seen, while scouting/following up on Mathers, so he's on the radar either way.
Noebels' Winterhawks knocked out Ranford's Blazers last round. Ranford finishes with 14 points in 11 playoff games. Noebels is tied for 6th in playoff scoring with 15 points in 12 games.
Noebels' Winterhawks knocked out Ranford's Blazers last round. Ranford finishes with 14 points in 11 playoff games. Noebels is tied for 6th in playoff scoring with 15 points in 12 games.
I'm hoping for the best with Noebels but I feel his point totals in the playoffs are a result of playing with Bartschi and Rattie.
For those wanting to keep track of former Flyers prospects. Simon Bertilsson is nowadays a Swedish champion after his Brynäs defeated Joacim Eriksson's Skellefteå with 4-2. It was the second year in a row that Skellefteå lost in the finals. It was still a very good job of them to return after having lost Adam Larsson, Tim Erixon and David Rundblad to NA, from last year's team. Neither Bertilsson, nor Eriksson were invited to play for Sweden in the final Euro Hockey Tournament before the World Championships, so their chances (Bertilsson's has never been that good) to take a spot there seem to be very slim, unless Eriksson's been given some time off to rest. Nothing said about that what I've heard though. Jhonas Enroth has joined the team, otherwise Eriksson would probably have been the third goalie.
The season for Mario Kempe wasn't as fortunate, his Djurgården was relegated at the end (Djurgården is the team with the most championships, so it's quite big a deal here). Kempe will stay in the SEL however, as he's signed on for MoDo for the next season where he'll be a teammate with Joonas Lehtivuori. It's a returning to the roots for Kempe, he played some junior seasons for MoDo and the Kempe family is very much connected with Örnsköldsvik, which is the city where MoDo plays. Even the team name comes from their old company, and the former arena was called Kempehallen.
For those wanting to keep track of former Flyers prospects. Simon Bertilsson is nowadays a Swedish champion after his Brynäs defeated Joacim Eriksson's Skellefteå with 4-2. It was the second year in a row that Skellefteå lost in the finals. It was still a very good job of them to return after having lost Adam Larsson, Tim Erixon and David Rundblad to NA, from last year's team. Neither Bertilsson, nor Eriksson were invited to play for Sweden in the final Euro Hockey Tournament before the World Championships, so their chances (Bertilsson's has never been that good) to take a spot there seem to be very slim, unless Eriksson's been given some time off to rest. Nothing said about that what I've heard though. Jhonas Enroth has joined the team, otherwise Eriksson would probably have been the third goalie.
The season for Mario Kempe wasn't as fortunate, his Djurgården was relegated at the end (Djurgården is the team with the most championships, so it's quite big a deal here). Kempe will stay in the SEL however, as he's signed on for MoDo for the next season where he'll be a teammate with Joonas Lehtivuori. It's a returning to the roots for Kempe, he played some junior seasons for MoDo and the Kempe family is very much connected with Örnsköldsvik, which is the city where MoDo plays. Even the team name comes from their old company, and the former arena was called Kempehallen.
Örnsköldsvik and the towns around it must be the area with the most hockey talent per square metre in the world...
Helps when you have Forsberg and Naslund born in the same hospital 10 days apart.
And a certain set of twins as well! And Hedberg... and Sundstrom, Anders Hedberg, Thomas Gradin, Tobias Enstrom...
Örnsköldsvik and the towns around it must be the area with the most hockey talent per square metre in the world...
Helps when you have Forsberg and Naslund born in the same hospital 10 days apart.
And a certain set of twins as well! And Hedberg... and Sundstrom, Anders Hedberg, Thomas Gradin, Tobias Enstrom...
It's a bit insane. The kids in that area born around 1973-1977 must have pushed each other something ridiculous. Not only Forsberg, Näslund, Sundström and Påhlsson, but a whole bunch of players in the SEL were from the MoDo junior teams. It's dried up a little bit since then however, though after Victor Hedman they hope that Ludvig Byström will make it big.
I think there's a Czech town that's even more impressive when it comes to churning out NHL players however. Litvinov? Kladno?
In other semi-Flyers related news, Greg Gilbert, no longer being shackled by the Phantoms, has apparently been awarded the OHL coach of the year award.
I'm hoping for the best with Noebels but I feel his point totals in the playoffs are a result of playing with Bartschi and Rattie.
True, but if he is really the Hartnell type player on that line as Sa Cryed has been saying then his skills should translate well to the pro game. I've only been able to watch two of his games this year and was not really able to get a good enough read on him myself but obviously the team is high on him.
It's a bit insane. The kids in that area born around 1973-1977 must have pushed each other something ridiculous. Not only Forsberg, Näslund, Sundström and Påhlsson, but a whole bunch of players in the SEL were from the MoDo junior teams. It's dried up a little bit since then however, though after Victor Hedman they hope that Ludvig Byström will make it big.
I think there's a Czech town that's even more impressive when it comes to churning out NHL players however. Litvinov? Kladno?
In other semi-Flyers related news, Greg Gilbert, no longer being shackled by the Phantoms, has apparently been awarded the OHL coach of the year award.
Kladno is pretty impressive... but the town is maybe 4 times bigger than Örnsköldsvik!
Their list is absurd however!
Jagr
Voracek
Plekanec
Pavalec
Jiri Tlusty
Frolik
Michal Pivonka
The Kaberle's
Petr Tenkrat
True, but if he is really the Hartnell type player on that line as Sa Cryed has been saying then his skills should translate well to the pro game. I've only been able to watch two of his games this year and was not really able to get a good enough read on him myself but obviously the team is high on him.
Ya, I cant really see him being a big point guy. It's his size and the way he plays that COULD allow him to play at the next level. Portland is also high on him, considering what they gave up for him at the deadline just to play on the Rattie and Sven line. He was looked at to carry the team in Seattle, putting a lot of pressure on him (he even said it himself). With Portland though, he doesnt have that pressure and play his game the right way. He isnt a points guy by any means, but I think he COULD be a 40 point or so 3rd line winger.
It was Litvinov I thought of... I think. It's about the same size as Örnsköldsvik, I believe, and has fostered players such as:
Joesf Beranek
Ivan Hlinka
Petr Klima
Robert Lang
Petr Nedved
Robert Reichel
Martin Rucinsky
Vladimir Ruzicka
Martin Skoula
Jiri Slegr
Petr Svoboda
and Roman Vopat, let's not forget about him.
That is quite a list...
Though I bet there is some Canadian hamlet of 8000 people with 10 NHLers!
Thunder Bay is 100,000, but their list is absolutely absurd, and unfair on other towns with no hockey talent:
Jack Adams (HOF)
Bud Poile (HOF)
Alex Delvecchio (HOF)
Jack Walker (HOF)
Phat Wilson (HOF)
Chris and Sean Pronger (bit of a lie, family moved after Sean was born... but family is from there.)
Greg Johnson
Trevor Letowski
Patrick Sharp
Steve Rucchin
Alex Auld
The Pyatt brothers and dad Nelson
The Staal brothers
The Adduono brothers and Jeremy Adduono
Robert Bortuzzo
John Bednarski
Chris Porter
David Bruce
Mike and Ron Busniuk
Marc and Taylor Chorney
Jeff Heerema
Bill Houlder
Tony Hrkac
Kevin Dahl
Lee Fogelin Sr and Jr
Bruce Gamble
Danny Gruen
Jason Jaspers
Bob Kelly
Danny Lewicki
John Adams
Norm Maciver
Mitch Maunu
Steve Passmore
Walt Poddubny
John Schella
Ralph Stewart
Mike Tomlak
Vic Venasky
Gary Veneruzzo
These are all guys who were 100+ game NHLers (or more recent draft picks who are in NHL system but not played as much.) If you add all the pre-expansion players born from 1900-1930, the list is even bigger!
Ya, I cant really see him being a big point guy. It's his size and the way he plays that COULD allow him to play at the next level. Portland is also high on him, considering what they gave up for him at the deadline just to play on the Rattie and Sven line. He was looked at to carry the team in Seattle, putting a lot of pressure on him (he even said it himself). With Portland though, he doesnt have that pressure and play his game the right way. He isnt a points guy by any means, but I think he COULD be a 40 point or so 3rd line winger.
It will be interesting to see if he plays with the Phantoms next year or plays another year in the WHL as an overrager (don't know Portland's situation).
Though I bet there is some Canadian hamlet of 8000 people with 10 NHLers!
Thunder Bay is 100,000, but their list is absolutely absurd, and unfair on other towns with no hockey talent:
Jack Adams (HOF)
Bud Poile (HOF)
Alex Delvecchio (HOF)
Jack Walker (HOF)
Phat Wilson (HOF)
Chris and Sean Pronger (bit of a lie, family moved after Sean was born... but family is from there.)
Greg Johnson
Trevor Letowski
Patrick Sharp
Steve Rucchin
Alex Auld
The Pyatt brothers and dad Nelson
The Staal brothers
The Adduono brothers and Jeremy Adduono
Robert Bortuzzo
John Bednarski
Chris Porter
David Bruce
Mike and Ron Busniuk
Marc and Taylor Chorney
Jeff Heerema
Bill Houlder
Tony Hrkac
Kevin Dahl
Lee Fogelin Sr and Jr
Bruce Gamble
Danny Gruen
Jason Jaspers
Bob Kelly
Danny Lewicki
John Adams
Norm Maciver
Mitch Maunu
Steve Passmore
Walt Poddubny
John Schella
Ralph Stewart
Mike Tomlak
Vic Venasky
Gary Veneruzzo
These are all guys who were 100+ game NHLers (or more recent draft picks who are in NHL system but not played as much.) If you add all the pre-expansion players born from 1900-1930, the list is even bigger!
Technically Sharp is from Winnipeg. He moved to Thunder Bay when he was 9
