Hello all! With the college hockey season getting under way it’s time for my preview of the Jackets NCAA prospects. Like last year, I’ve asked for help from my sources who have seen these players play.
Martin Ouellette-University of Maine(Hockey East)
2012-13 Stats 30GP 9-12-8 .917Sv% 2.42GAA 2SO
The Black Bears will have a new coach this season after last year’s 11-19-8 record cost Tim Whitehead his job after 12 seasons. Matt Booth with Mainely Hockey had this to say:
The 2013/2014 season is upon us and the University of Maine’s starting goaltender Martin Ouellette is primed for his breakout season. Ouellette played in 30 games last season finishing with a 9-12-8 record and a 2.42 GAA and .917 save percentage. The fiery Canadian from Saint-Hippolyte, Quebec started his career with the Black Bears slowly but, as of late, many of the hopes and faults of the team will rest on his very capable shoulders. Ouellette has begun to show the fans in Orono why the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to draft him and why this new coaching staff has slated him as their No. 1 netminder.
Seth Ambroz and Mike Reilly-University of Minnesota(Big 10)
2012-13 Stats AMBROZ: 38GP 9-7-16 22PIM
REILLY: 37GP 3-11-14 14PIM
Mike and Seth return to Minnesota for their sophomore and Junior seasons respectively. For some thoughts on the duo, I’ll turn things over to Nate Wells who covers the Gophers for SB Nation College Hockey & College Hockey News.
Mike Reilly (4th round, 2011) – With a freshman season that saw him go through some ups and downs in the rearview mirror, Mike Reilly now shoulders more responsibility this year.
Reilly came in last season as one of two heralded freshmen defensemen (2012 New York Rangers first round pick Brady Skjei being the other) after a stellar year in Penticton (BCHL) where he scored 83 points (24G-59A) as an 18 year-old. It caused a bit of a logjam. All six of Minnesota’s 2011-12 blue liners returned from the Gophers’ Frozen Four team, which meant one or two defensemen would have to sit.
Instead, Minnesota men’s hockey head coach Don Lucia played one or two D up front. Justin Holl (Chicago) spent the entire season as a forward while Jake Parenteau was a forward who killed penalties as a defenseman. That left Reilly, who was protected by being paired with 6’5” Mark Alt, playing as an offensive defenseman for the Gophers.
Reilly was successful offensively as a freshman on the nation’s top offense, scoring 14 points (3G-11A) in 37 games, and even played on Minnesota’s second PP unit (along with fellow Columbus draft pick Seth Ambroz). His vision is second to none and Reilly utilizes his shot well.
(Reilly also made Team USA for the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia. He scored 3 points during the tournament, which saw the Americans win Gold for the second time in three years. At the same time, the number of games and tournament wore down on him towards the end of the season. It happens to a lot of freshmen playing in the WJC, but Reilly struggled at times in February/March and was even scratched towards the end of the season.)
Defensively was a different matter. Although Reilly’s skating is good, the adjustment to college hockey meant he struggled at times during the year. He would get caught out of position. Pinches would be mistimed. In some cases Reilly would be overmatched and was lucky Alt bailed him out at times. (Alt did the same thing the year prior with Detroit draft pick Ben Marshall – a similar player size and position-wise to Reilly).
Alt is gone this year, having signed a professional contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Besides Alt, Minnesota has holes defensively this year with junior Nate Schmidt and senior Seth Helgeson also departing for the pros.
There will be more responsibility this season for the 20 year-old on the defensive side. Reilly can’t be pushed over anymore. The good news there is that he put on 10 lbs of muscle in the offseason (Reilly was listed at 6’0”, 174 lbs and that might be generous). He will be called on to do more offensively, but no longer can he play as a fourth forward. How much Reilly improves defensively is going to tell a lot about his development
Seth Ambroz (5th round, 2011) – The more time that passes with Seth Ambroz, the more apparent his role becomes.
Ambroz has yet to become the power forward imagined when he committed to Minnesota as a HS freshman. The 6’2”, 210 lbs forward scored 16 points (9G-7A) in 38 games as a sophomore, double his freshman total, but eighth among Minnesota forwards. He has spent his entire Gopher career in the bottom-six behind guys like Nick Bjugstad, Erik Haula, Zach Budish and fellow juniors Kyle Rau and Sam Warning.
Where Ambroz has shined, however, is using his size. The 20 year-old can hit, can agitate and is strong on his skates. When he plays on the power play, Ambroz is in front of the goalie and trying to make room. Few defensemen are successful in getting him out of the way. He has improved discipline-wise from his freshman season by cutting his penalties in half.
That should continue as a junior. Minnesota’s freshman class includes multiple scoring forwards at the junior level. They and others like Christian Isackson (Buffalo) and Travis Boyd (Washington) should get the first opportunity to replace Bjugstad, Haula and Budish (who all left for the pros).
Ambroz isn’t the fastest skater and that is apparent on a team that prides itself with its speed. While that limits his scoring ability (Ambroz does get limited offensive opportunities on the third line) it’s not the point. When he’s on he scores in bunches, but that is more of an added benefit than an expectation.
Ambroz’s role is clear. The Columbus draft pick is at his best as a large checking forward.
TJ Tynan-Notre Dame University(Hockey East)
2012-13 Stats 41GP 10-18-28 28PIM
It was another down year for TJ at Notre Dame with his point total dropping for the third straight season. This will be a make or break season for TJ as the CBJ will have to decide if they want to sign the playmaking center. Darin Pritchett who is the radio play by play voice for the Irish on WSBT offers his thoughts on TJ.
TJ Tynan is 21 year old senior on the University of Notre Dame hockey team.
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