New Recruit for 2008

Joining Mike Garman in the class of 2008 appears to be Locke Jillson, a 5'10" 160lb right wing who plays for the Dallas AAA Stars program (which appears to be the #3 midget program in the country this year, behind Shattuck St. Mary's and Team Illinois). Though he has no accompanying article about it, I first noticed this in Big Red Puckhead's prospects list.

This: [virginiatech.scout.com] pegs the commitment as a couple months ago, at least. The google cache for the AAA stars site lists the commitment in the rotating news banner, but the current site has nothing.

I wonder if he'll head up to Nanaimo for a year.

This kid got cut by Salisbury. I've heard the rumor that he was coming to Cornell but I have a lot of trouble believing it if he couldn't make the Salisbury team.

According to the Dallas News, he was named to the all-area second team as a high school junior, when he was tied as the highest scorer on the team (see
this article). Apparently, his local club team wasn't that good, but then he led them to the Dallas area finals. I'm not sure where Ari is getting his information, but this article makes it sound as if he left Salisbury because he was homesick. He does seem to be one of the top players on the Dallas Stars AAA team, which is an elite midget program that at one time had a pretty good goal tender named McKee. An '88, he also seems to be getting better as time goes by. Was selected to attend the USA Hockey national development camp in 2005.

Also noticed that Austin Smith was named to the 1st team that year. Smith is now at Gunnery, and will be heading to Colgate in 2008.

ithacat
Also noticed that Austin Smith was named to the 1st team that year. Smith is now at Gunnery, and will be heading to Colgate in 2008.

The Gunnery is my alma mater and I spent some time with Smith a couple weeks ago when we went to Quinnipiac-Union game. He played a lot with Jillson growing up and I know the Gunnery pushed hard to get Jillson when he was looking at prep schools. Smith is from Irving, the same town as McKee. He is extremely good and got a full athletic scholarship from Colgate. He actually chose Gate over UNH.

Big Red Puckhead has Jillson's statistics up. In 73 games, he scored 93 points (41-52). This is much higher than any other recruit, with Kennedy being next highest at 47. Jillson is much closer to where Romano was last year in the AJHL with 50-52, although I think Romano played in closer to 50 games (I can't find his complete stats from last year). The Dallas Stars AAA midgets play other teams nationally (e.g., Honeybaked, SJ Junior Sharks) with plenty of tournaments, compared to the NY Bobcats which are in the AJHL, a league based in the northeast, in which teams play among themselves -- strong and weak alike. Does anyone know how the level of competition for a team like the Stars compares with that in the AJHL, the USHL, the BCHL, etc.?

It's hard to read much into stats for recruits. Now obviously you want to see a guy with more points rather than less. But it's hard to say what 93 points in Texas means at the DI level. I wanted to compare Jillson to the rest of his team to see if he stands out but the Dallas Stars AAA site doesn't seem to have a stats page.

IIRC, the most gaudy stats of any recruit we've ever had were for Rick Davis. Matt Connors was eye-popping, too.

It comes down to the level of competition and also whether you had Larry and Curly or St. Louis and Perrin as your linemates.

I tend to remember Moulson topping 100 points from wherever he came.

My favorite recruit stats (and topical too) is that in the year prior to being recruited to BC, Joe Mullen led the NY Metro Jr. Hockey Association with 110-72-182. In 40 games.

The teams that the AAA Stars play seem to be of top competition for that age level. The Little Caesars North American Hockey Showcase which Locke was named the the MVP of, is one of the most highly scouted tournaments among college teams.Also,not to compare him to Sidney Crosby but isn't this the level that he once played at with Shattuck St.Marys? It will be interesting to see how well he performs in either the USHL or BCHL. I'm looking forward to this kid.

I just saw this in the Dallas Morning News -- it's a few weeks old...

[www.dallasnews.com]

I don't think it's been reported before that LJ selected Cornell over CC, Denver, and North Dakota. That makes 2 recruits this spring that selected Cornell over Denver and North Dakota. Future front office guy? Watch out, Mr. Bettman.

Ryan Moynihan had at least 2 PPG as well.

There is a "Joe Bitz" at Nanaimo. Brother?

Trotsky
There is a "Joe Bitz" at Nanaimo. Brother?

It's been mentioned before including:
[elf.elynah.com]

The Des Moines Buccaneers selected Locke Jillson in the second round of today's USHL Draft.

I don't know if it has been mentioned here before, but USHR stated that Will Weber, who was chosen #1 in the USHL draft, is a son of the late Dick Weber who played for Cornell in the 1970's. Dick Weber died in a plane crash.

ursusminor
I don't know if it has been mentioned here before, but USHR stated that Will Weber, who was chosen #1 in the USHL draft, is a son of the late Dick Weber who played for Cornell in the 1970's. Dick Weber died in a plane crash.

Big Red Puckhead had a little bit about him a couple weeks ago. It's a real bummer for Cornell, his dream had always been to play for CU, but the financial aid office obviously couldn't compete with the full ride he got from Miami. He had full-ride offers from every CCHA program. A 6'4" offensive defenseman? He would have looked great in a CU uniform. He would have been the third "son-of" recruit this year.

pfibiger
Big Red Puckhead had a little bit about him a couple weeks ago. It's a real bummer for Cornell, his dream had always been to play for CU, but the financial aid office obviously couldn't compete with the full ride he got from Miami. He had full-ride offers from every CCHA program. A 6'4" offensive defenseman? He would have looked great in a CU uniform. He would have been the third "son-of" recruit this year.

Oops! I posted the same statement as a comment on BRPh. It hasn't shown up yet.

USHR is reporting that Sean Whitney of Cushing Academy has committed to Cornell for 2008. He is a brother of BU's and Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney.

ursusminor
USHR is reporting that Sean Whitney of Cushing Academy has committed to Cornell for 2008. He is a brother of BU's and Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney.

Always weird to see a guy from a New England prep school commit to Cornell. Even more so a guy who has a major tie to a Boston school. Does USHR have anything more about him? A position, even?

There's a little more info here...Interesting that he's from the same place as the Devins.

[bigredpuckhead.blogspot.com]

Josh '99
Does USHR have anything more about him? A position, even?

Besides for what is in BRP, the only other thing that USHR mentions is "Whitney, who will be a senior this year, is going into his second year at Cushing, where he arrived unpolished, but has grown into his big frame and steadily improved his game."

Josh '99

ursusminor
USHR is reporting that Sean Whitney of Cushing Academy has committed to Cornell for 2008. He is a brother of BU's and Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney.

Always weird to see a guy from a New England prep school commit to Cornell. Even more so a guy who has a major tie to a Boston school. Does USHR have anything more about him? A position, even?

He plays Defense and shoots left.
Cheers!
Drew

Edit: The article went on to say, "Whitney, who will be a senior this year, is going into his second year at Cushing, where he arrived unpolished, but has grown into his big frame and steadily improved his game.

A 2/16/89 birthdate from Scituate, Mass., Whitney had a 4-17-21 line in 29 games last season."

Josh '99
Always weird to see a guy from a New England prep school commit to Cornell. Even more so a guy who has a major tie to a Boston school. Does USHR have anything more about him? A position, even?

This site: [mckeenshockey.rivals.com]

[Q]Sean Whitney D, (Cushing)
Has good size, listed as 6 foot 4 and 210 pounds .. displayed a physical presence in the defensive zone and has good defensive coverage .. lacks speed with and without the puck .. when the puck is in the offensive zone, Whitney does possess a certain poise and makes smart plays with the puck, but is not considered an offensive defenseman.[/Q]

Sounds like a prototypical CU defenseman.

That's impressive size for a guy that age - as opposed to the guys who we see get recruited and say "Schafer and company will help him put some muscle onto his frame."

According to BU's past rosters on USCHO, Ryan Whitney was 6'4", 210 lbs as a freshman, but then dropped some weight and listed as 202 lbs as a sophomore and junior. The Penguins now list him at 219.

RichH

Sounds like a prototypical CU defenseman.

Not really, it sounds like he might actually be able to make a pass to break the puck out of our own end. Wouldn't that be something, a d-man that can and more importantly, will actually pass the puck.

DILLIGAF

RichH

Sounds like a prototypical CU defenseman.

Not really, it sounds like he might actually be able to make a pass to break the puck out of our own end.

It does? Where? I don't see anything in that very brief report about passing skills. What I got out of it (in order) is that he 1) can hit. 2) plays positionally well in his own zone. 3) is slow. 4) doesn't panic with the puck in the offensive zone. 5) won't score much.

Given his size, it sounds like a Brian McMeekin type player. I'll take someone like that on my team every season.

Wouldn't that be something, a d-man that can and more importantly, will actually pass the puck.

Wow, bitter much? Most of your posts serve only to stroke your building grudges. I'm guessing you haven't seen many seasons in the Schafer era (maybe you have, I don't know).

A hallmark of the blueliner crews over the last 10 years has been a duopoly of styles: you have the Trees Who Hit (Sacchetti, Murray, O'Byrne) and then the Crafty Guys Who Take Care Of The Puck (Burgoyne, Bell, Cook, Downs). Both styles play off each other very well, and both parts are needed to get the machine moving. One problem that the D had last year besides big injuries was that there was nobody to fill that Jeremy Downs type role who plays smart and disciplined while reaping the benefits of the big hit thrown by his linemate. Nash had stretches of excellent puckhandling skills last season, but also some inconsistant moments as well. Other than that, there was too much "Column A" and not enough "Column B." So in a more diplomatic way, I agree with DILLIGAF.

Given that, looking at our incoming freshmen, I'm very bullish on Jordan Berk stepping into that role of "Crafty Guy Who Takes Care Of The Puck." I'm sure his skills will be quite raw, as it took those other guys a couple years to really grow and excel to the level of the Burgoyne class of defensemen. Who knows, maybe Mike Devin will also have that type of style as well.

RichH
I'm sure his skills will be quite raw, as it took those other guys a couple years to really grow and excel to the level of the Burgoyne class of defensemen.

To be fair, that's a pretty high bar to get over.

I agree with your two types, although I'd argue, even if Age is listening, that Murray combined both strengths, which is why he was one of only two Cornell All-American (twice!) defensemen in the last thirty years.

The two types start off looking awful in different ways. The tree looks like an ungainly traffic cone who can only stop a rush if he happens to fall a fortuitous direction. The crafty guy winds up on the wrong end of hits and looks like a paper cup near a leaf blower. And, by definition, the "freshman mistakes" a defenseman makes lead to more immediate and horrifying results.

Trotsky

The two types start off looking awful in different ways. The tree looks like an ungainly traffic cone who can only stop a rush if he happens to fall a fortuitous direction. The crafty guy winds up on the wrong end of hits and looks like a paper cup near a leaf blower. And, by definition, the "freshman mistakes" a defenseman makes lead to more immediate and horrifying results.

However, the development can have glorious results. Ryan O'Byrne is a classic example as I think most of us cringed anytime he touched the puck when he first started, but by the end of his career at Cornell I wanted him out there every shift.

Big Red Puckhead is reporting another recruit, Vince Mihalek (5', 10", 175) of the USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, has committed presumably for 2009. Here is the link http://www.bigredpuckhead.blogspot.com/.

Swampy
Big Red Puckhead is reporting another recruit, Vince Mihalek (5', 10", 175) of the USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, has committed presumably for 2009. Here is the link http://www.bigredpuckhead.blogspot.com/.

That looks like a fun name to shout