NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals; Providence Friars 3PM - Boston U 6:30PM - TSN 2
Mark Jankowski, John Gillies, and John Gilmour of the Providence Friars will be taking on Nebraska-Omaha at 3PM Mountain time on TSN 2, while Brandon Hickey and Boston University will face North Dakota at 6:30 in the semifinals for the NCAA title.
Couple things to start. Little early to start a game day thread but with the early start time of the Friars game thought it would be good to get it going the night before. Also, it's a huge game for the Flames as well so this might be totally missed by some so wanted to post it in the main forum. The prospects forum and this one get a lot of cross over lately so thought it was okay. Figured it would be the de facto game threads for both as well. If a mod wants to move it to the sub forum, by all means.
I'm not much of a writer so I'll just copy and past and steal from others!
Junior Jon Gillies is a potential difference maker for the Friars. The Calgary Flames prospect is as good a goaltender as there is in Division I when he's on top of his game. He's big, he covers the net front, he squares up to shooters and he eats up or deflects rebounds into the corner. As Leaman said after the team's win in the East Regional Final over Denver, Gillies needs to be the team's best player in order for the Friars to advance.
Gillies is the difference maker for Providence but if you watched the two tournament games for the Friars two weekends ago you know that despite putting up only one assist how important Jankowski is for that team and how good he was in those games specifically.
They were joined on the ice for the first time since last season by Drew Brown. Brown would have been a senior this season, but missed the entire year undergoing treatment for cancer, which was diagnosed shortly after the season ended last year. He received the word that he's cancer-free just last week.
That should be a nice inspiration for the team.
Remember: Before the Flames game tomorrow, you can watch Providence take on Omaha at 3:00pm MT on TSN2. The BU-North Dakota game is at 6:30pm MT, also on TSN2 (unless the first game runs long). The winners of the two games meet on Saturday at 5:30pm MT, again on TSN2.
With former Boston College Eagles standout Johnny Gaudreau now signed, sealed and delivering as a rookie at the Saddledome, there’s not nearly as much buzz in Calgary about the latest instalment of the NCAA’s Frozen Four.
There’s still plenty of reason for fans in Southern Alberta to set their PVRs for Thursday’s collegiate semifinals in Boston.
GM Treliving's thoughts on the four Flames prosepects involved Gillies
Quote:
Treliving’s take: “Obviously, the first thing you notice with Jon is his size, but he’s not just a big body. He’s a big body who has tremendous athletic ability. It’s a real rare combination, quite frankly, in terms of a guy that big and that athletic. There’s a real poise to him. He has a mature game. As big as he is, as athletic as he is, there’s a quiet maturity to his game. He’s not somebody who over-works or overdoes it in terms of his movements. And he has hockey sense. Some people, sometimes, don’t think that hockey IQ is important in goaltenders. It’s really important, in terms of being able to read plays and those types of things.”
Could be Gillies last College game, lots of talk of him signing with the Flames this summer.
Gilmour
Quote:
Treliving’s take: “He’s a real mobile, puck-moving defenceman. He plays on both special-teams units. Great feet, good mobility. I like his ability to move the puck. He can make short- and long-range passes, and he’s a heads-up player. He’s able to see plays, create plays and transition a puck out of his end. A big part of defending now is being able to go back and get the puck and get it out of your end so that you’re not defending, and John does that real well. He’s still got work to do, but he’s got really good feet and a good sense, a good head for the game.”
Jankowski
Quote:
Treliving’s take: “He continues to mature physically. A big, long body. Really long reach. A really good skill-set. He has some offensive ability and I think he’s learning to play away from the puck and play in all three zones. Not necessarily learning to play, but he’s really taken a step forward in that regard. What we’ve seen is he’s continuing to have, even as this season has gone along, more and more of an impact on the game. I think it was noted at the time that he was drafted that it’s a work in progress with Mark. There’s some really attractive attributes to this player — size, centreman, he has the ability to make plays. For him, it’s just continuing to mature and develop, physically more than anything else.”
Hickey
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Treliving’s take: “His development curve has probably spiked more than a lot of guys in his first year. He’s at a good program and went into a good situation — I think they were graduating four defenceman from last year so there was opportunity right from the get-go, and Brandon grabbed it. He’s got tremendous feet. This guy is very mobile, has really good edges. He has the ability to transport pucks, either by passing or with his feet. We always liked his ability to defend. He’s not necessarily going to run your over, although he’s become much more physical this year. He’s adding a physical element to his game. He has an excellent stick. His defending, for a young guy at that level, I think has been tremendous. We’ve really liked the year that he has had.”
Jay Feaster @therealjfeaster
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Good luck 2 @FriarsHockey at #FrozenFour! .@JGillies32 @Janko61 @johngilmour93 & @tfeaster92! For the record, YES, on @Janko61 I would again
Again, I think a Game Day/Game Thread will be well served on the main board for these two games, and it's a major heads up to anyone who wants to see four good young potential Flames play before the huge match up our Calgary Flames have against the Kings tomorrow.
Go Providence, Boston University and Calgary Flames Go!
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A year ago, Jon Gillies had a decision to make: Stay at Providence College or sign with the Calgary Flames, the team that drafted him in 2012.
The Friars’ trip to the 2014 NCAA tournament was their first since 2001, a big step in the program’s rebirth under head coach Nate Leaman. Providence lost only three seniors in the off-season, so the idea of reaching a Frozen Four in 2015 wasn’t out of the question.
It was with that that Gillies put aside the allure of signing a professional contract and announced he would be returning for his junior season. He saw what Leaman had built since the coach arrived in 2011 and felt future success was still to be had.
“A few things (went through my mind),” said Gillies, “but where we’re sitting right now, I knew the team we had in our locker room and the type of character players on and off the ice that I would have the privilege of playing with once again. It was a couple day process, but at the end of the day, the reason you come back to college hockey is to be a part of something like this and have a chance to compete for a national championship.”
I suspect he'll officially be a Flame by Monday. Hopefully, with a National Championship on his resume.
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From the sounds of it (flames STH fan forum), I can see Gilles backing up (and maybe even starting) on Saturday if the friars lose and flames win on Thursday night.
Zane McIntyre who is in net for The University of North Dakota is one of the three Hobey Baker finalists this year. He had a save percentage of .931 and a GAA of 2.0. Jon Gillies had almost identical numbers ( a save percentage of .929 and a GAA of 2.01) so basically Hobey Baker finalist material - but they likely only could have one goalie make the final three.
Would be nice to see Gillies win the Final Four this weekend since he can't win the Hobey Baker.
Zane McIntyre who is in net for The University of North Dakota is one of the three Hobey Baker finalists this year. He had a save percentage of .931 and a GAA of 2.0. Jon Gillies had almost identical numbers ( a save percentage of .929 and a GAA of 2.01) so basically Hobey Baker finalist material - but they likely only could have one goalie make the final three.
Would be nice to see Gillies win the Final Four this weekend since he can't win the Hobey Baker.
That's not how the Hobey Baker selection process works.
All 59 head coaches nominate top 3 players in their conference and the top 3 in the nation.
From those nominees, 59 coaches and fan votes select a top 10.
A selection committee then chooses a 3 finalists and a winner.
I rag on him a lot, but I think its really cool how Feaster is such a fan of this team. Pretty awesome.
I noticed all the comments out those prospects (notably Gilmour and Hickey) is quick feet, and getting back after pinching... really fits what is being done in Calgary, sounds like Gio/Brodie/Russell/Wideman... great pipeline.
Jankowski - all jokes aside, is he going to turn pro this off season too? Or does he still have a ways to go yet? I guess he gets ragged on a bit on CP, but it sounds like Treliving & the Flames are still high on the kid, so he must be still developing well, right?
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At the Fan Forum on Monday, Treliving said he couldn't talk about offering the college kids contracts until their seasons are over, but he heavily hinted that Gillies will be signed once Providence's season is over.
He also mentioned that he had recently spoken to Jankowski's family advisor (NCAA rules don't allow their players to have agents, so their agents get around that by working for the kids' families as advisors until the kids turn pro), and they will be making a decision on what to do with him after the Frozen Four. He did mention that he thought Jankowski could benefit from another year at College and they didn't want to rush him, but they would have the discussion when his season is done and see if it makes sense for him to give him a contract now, or have him play his senior year.
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I rag on him a lot, but I think its really cool how Feaster is such a fan of this team. Pretty awesome.
I noticed all the comments out those prospects (notably Gilmour and Hickey) is quick feet, and getting back after pinching... really fits what is being done in Calgary, sounds like Gio/Brodie/Russell/Wideman... great pipeline.
Jankowski - all jokes aside, is he going to turn pro this off season too? Or does he still have a ways to go yet? I guess he gets ragged on a bit on CP, but it sounds like Treliving & the Flames are still high on the kid, so he must be still developing well, right?
I could mention in short form how Jankowski is likely to play his senior year next year and has all the right tools as a centre while progressing nicely, but Calgary4life does a fantastic job describing how Jankowski is doing and how to view his progression so far. http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?p=5189453
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I could mention in short form how Jankowski is likely to play his senior year next year and has all the right tools as a centre while progressing nicely, but Calgary4life does a fantastic job describing how Jankowski is doing and how to view his progression so far. http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?p=5189453
In all honesty, I would get his pen to paper this summer. If we wait a year, the know kid and his agent might see the 1st round pick pressure and centre depth in Calgary as a negative. He might just go UFA.
Zane McIntyre who is in net for The University of North Dakota is one of the three Hobey Baker finalists this year. He had a save percentage of .931 and a GAA of 2.0. Jon Gillies had almost identical numbers ( a save percentage of .929 and a GAA of 2.01) so basically Hobey Baker finalist material - but they likely only could have one goalie make the final three.
Would be nice to see Gillies win the Final Four this weekend since he can't win the Hobey Baker.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sureLoss
That's not how the Hobey Baker selection process works.
Ok, but we can say Gillies has near identical numbers to one of the finalists.
Not sure where to put this but I've just heard a rumour that the city of Belfast is discussing with Boston to bring the Beanpot Tournament to Belfast next year. If true I am definitely going!
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Last edited by GreenLantern; 04-09-2015 at 07:35 AM.
In all honesty, I would get his pen to paper this summer. If we wait a year, the know kid and his agent might see the 1st round pick pressure and centre depth in Calgary as a negative. He might just go UFA.
I think the chances of him going UFA are close to zero (unless it is because the Flames didn't offer him a contract).
Having said that, I agree about signing him this year. IMO, he has learned all he is going to learn from the Providence program. If he wants to become an NHL hockey player, he would be far better off spending the next year with pro coaches and pro trainers, working on the things that he needs to work on.
With a good summer of training, he should be physically ready for the AHL by October. He is already ready, skills-wise.
Except considering that he is still a 'project', it would be better to have him develop off the clock than on, imo.
A big part of his development is still physical, and that will only come with age.
Can't see how a 4th year in Providence wouldn't be a good choice for the organization and for the player.
NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals; Providence Friars 3PM - Boston U 6:30PM - TSN 2
