New Recruit- Armand De Swardt

Heisenberg and BRP both make note a new commitment today.

Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

BRP says:

McKeen's is very high on Armand and speaks of an impressive finishing ability due to having a "bone-rattling" wristshot. They also report he has good hands and mobility, especially for someone his size. He is also, not surprising, a very physical player.

He brings the average height of the recruits listed by Heisenberg for the next couple of years to over 6'1".

A giant with good hands who can finish? That could be fun.

Chris '03
A giant with good hands who can finish? That could be fun.

I'll believe that he can finish at the colliegate level when I see it (especially wearing a carnellian and white jersey). But he sounds like a pretty good pickup.

Chris '03
A giant with good hands who can finish? That could be fun.

All I can think is:

<Spaceballs>May De Swardt be with you!</Spaceballs>

Chris '03
Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Grew up in Texas.

Trotsky

Chris '03
Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Grew up in Texas.

The possibility of having three Texans on the team is weird and exciting at the same time...almost as exciting as the name Armand De Swardt. He sounds like a James Bond nemesis.

"No Mister Biega, I expect you to die."

have we been running lighter on nanaimo clippers as of late? i think garman was recruited several years ago and, prior to that, the devins had committed to cornell before nanaimo. any insights anyone?

Trotsky

Chris '03
Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Grew up in Texas.

How did you know he was from South Africa? I can't find a link anywhere.

bernie
have we been running lighter on nanaimo clippers as of late? i think garman was recruited several years ago and, prior to that, the devins had committed to cornell before nanaimo. any insights anyone?

I don't have any inside information, but if I had to guess, I'd suppose that other college coaching staffs have caught on to what a good job Bill Bestwick does developing players and there's more competition for his recruits.

ebilmes

Trotsky

Chris '03
Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Grew up in Texas.

How did you know he was from South Africa? I can't find a link anywhere.

Very first google entry was: [www.facebook.com]

Al DeFlorio

ebilmes

Trotsky

Chris '03
Armand De Swardt is a 1990 birthday and 6'5" forward most recently of the Dallas Stars AAA team.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Grew up in Texas.

How did you know he was from South Africa? I can't find a link anywhere.

Very first google entry was: [www.facebook.com]

I got that far, but I was curious about the Pretoria part. Sorry, I should have specified.

[forums.internationalhockey.net]

Quoting:

"Armand de Swardt is South African. Plays Major Midget AAA for the Dallas Stars.
I believe he's from Pretoria. BY 90'. I've met him and played against him and he's a damn good player. He will definitely be seen in the NAHL or USHL in a year or two.

Only catch is he was most definitely raised in Texas. The only South African thing about him is the place he was born."

pfibiger
http://forums.internationalhockey.net/showthread.php?p=99276

Quoting:

"Armand de Swardt is South African. Plays Major Midget AAA for the Dallas Stars.
I believe he's from Pretoria. BY 90'. I've met him and played against him and he's a damn good player. He will definitely be seen in the NAHL or USHL in a year or two.

Only catch is he was most definitely raised in Texas. The only South African thing about him is the place he was born."

This was my source -- I missed the "I believe" part. All I know is "We are marching to Pretoria," an extremely un-PC song they taught us in third grade back in the Paleozoic Era:

Trotsky

pfibiger
http://forums.internationalhockey.net/showthread.php?p=99276

Quoting:

"Armand de Swardt is South African. Plays Major Midget AAA for the Dallas Stars.
I believe he's from Pretoria. BY 90'. I've met him and played against him and he's a damn good player. He will definitely be seen in the NAHL or USHL in a year or two.

Only catch is he was most definitely raised in Texas. The only South African thing about him is the place he was born."

This was my source -- I missed the "I believe" part. All I know is "We are marching to Pretoria," an extremely un-PC song they taught us in third grade back in the Paleozoic Era:

?????

We gain one, we lose one. Jordan Escott, who was coming in 2010, left his junior team to play for the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL:

[www.amherstdaily.com]

Escott was given a scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Cornell University in 2010. Giving up the scholarship to play with the Rocket also made the decision tough.
“Cornell treated me like gold,” Escott said.

Escott played with 2009 recruits Nick D'Agostino and Braden Birch for Team Canada East in the Word Junior A Championship a couple weeks ago. As recently as a week ago he was talking about meeting them, and knowing people when he headed to Cornell:

[thechronicleherald.ca]

"And to play with Braden and Nick was great. They were unbelievable guys. They said my play will take care of itself, not to worry about hockey, just stay on top of school. They said I have the talent and the work ethic.

"And they told me how awesome it is at Cornell. Now, when I get there, I’ll know a few players and won’t have to worry about not knowing anyone."

pfibiger
We gain one, we lose one. Jordan Escott, who was coming in 2010, left his junior team to play for the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL:

[www.amherstdaily.com]

Escott was given a scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Cornell University in 2010. Giving up the scholarship to play with the Rocket also made the decision tough.
“Cornell treated me like gold,” Escott said.

Did you see the reader comments? $150,000-$200,000. It's tough to compete with that...if it's true.

ithacat

pfibiger
We gain one, we lose one. Jordan Escott, who was coming in 2010, left his junior team to play for the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL:

[www.amherstdaily.com]

Escott was given a scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Cornell University in 2010. Giving up the scholarship to play with the Rocket also made the decision tough.
“Cornell treated me like gold,” Escott said.

Did you see the reader comments? $150,000-$200,000. It's tough to compete with that...if it's true.

Not if we had the USC boosters who remunerated Reggie Bush when he played there.

ithacat

pfibiger
We gain one, we lose one. Jordan Escott, who was coming in 2010, left his junior team to play for the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL:

[www.amherstdaily.com]

Escott was given a scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Cornell University in 2010. Giving up the scholarship to play with the Rocket also made the decision tough.
“Cornell treated me like gold,” Escott said.

Did you see the reader comments? $150,000-$200,000. It's tough to compete with that...if it's true.

And that's Canadian dollars, which I believe is now $2 million US.

ugarte

ithacat
Did you see the reader comments? $150,000-$200,000. It's tough to compete with that...if it's true.

And that's Canadian dollars, which I believe is now $2 million US.

Actually sanity has been restored. $1 US = 1.28 loonies today.

pfibiger
We gain one, we lose one. Jordan Escott, who was coming in 2010, left his junior team to play for the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL:

[www.amherstdaily.com]

Escott was given a scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Cornell University in 2010. Giving up the scholarship to play with the Rocket also made the decision tough.
“Cornell treated me like gold,” Escott said.

Escott played with 2009 recruits Nick D'Agostino and Braden Birch for Team Canada East in the Word Junior A Championship a couple weeks ago. As recently as a week ago he was talking about meeting them, and knowing people when he headed to Cornell:

[thechronicleherald.ca]

"And to play with Braden and Nick was great. They were unbelievable guys. They said my play will take care of itself, not to worry about hockey, just stay on top of school. They said I have the talent and the work ethic.

"And they told me how awesome it is at Cornell. Now, when I get there, I’ll know a few players and won’t have to worry about not knowing anyone."

How does that team afford salaries like that?

Their rink is smaller than Lynah

this blogger thinks that Escott just used Cornell to drive up PEI's offer. I'm not quite as cynical, but it is possible:

[theworldofjuniorhockey.blogspot.com]

pfibiger
this blogger thinks that Escott just used Cornell to drive up PEI's offer. I'm not quite as cynical, but it is possible:

[theworldofjuniorhockey.blogspot.com]

I don't know about that, but at least he got this right,

(I say that because I believe Cornell is an Ivy League school which don't give out atheltic scholarships.).

even if he can't write or spell in correct English.

pfibiger
this blogger thinks that Escott just used Cornell to drive up PEI's offer. I'm not quite as cynical, but it is possible:

[theworldofjuniorhockey.blogspot.com]

Ancient news now, but here's an old fluff piece about it, and hey, it's June. Also tangentially relevant re: the potential with Brisson.

Trotsky

pfibiger
this blogger thinks that Escott just used Cornell to drive up PEI's offer. I'm not quite as cynical, but it is possible:

[theworldofjuniorhockey.blogspot.com]

Ancient news now, but here's an old fluff piece about it, and hey, it's June. Also tangentially relevant re: the potential with Brisson.

Brisson was drafted 8th in the USHL, he's headed to Omaha next year (where Keir Ross played, as well as Louis Leblanc, another star Quebecer headed to the ECAC). They wouldn't have drafted him that high if he hadn't made a firm commitment to come play in the NCAA. I have pretty high hopes that he'll make it to Ithaca in 2010. PEI has pushed hard for him a couple of times with no success, according to the QMJHL East forums. Of course his rights could be traded to a team that he's more interested in, but I am cautiously optimistic.