Category Archives: Junior
Talented Arizona names selected during USHL, WHL Drafts
May 24th, 2016Each year, early May brings the two-part United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft and the Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft. And as has become the norm, several players with Arizona ties were selected in both drafts. Phase I of the USHL Draft, held May 2, was strictly for 2000 birth year players, while Phase…
Graduating Knights captain Ericsson reflects on ’15-16
May 12th, 2016As a 1995 birth year, Jim Ericsson knew this past season with the Western States Hockey League’s Phoenix Knights would be his last in junior hockey. And aside from not winning the Thorne Cup, he said the 2015-16 campaign was “the most fun I’ve had playing hockey in a long time.” “On a team level,…
Former Jr. Coyote Burgess selected NAHL MVP
April 28th, 2016Phoenix Jr. Coyotes grad and Phoenix native Todd Burgess had one of the better individual seasons in recent NAHL history and was named the league’s MVP and Forward of the Year for the 2015-16 season. Burgess, who is committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, recorded 95 points (38 goals, 57…
Tempe native Vance chooses Wisconsin as NCAA destination
March 24th, 2016Carson Vance grew up playing youth hockey in Arizona, but since leaving home at 16 four years ago to play juniors, he’s been all over the country. Quite literally, actually. The 20-year-old Tempe native and steady defenseman has played more than 200 games of junior hockey in the North American Hockey League for the Kenai…
Knights acquire familiar face Johnsson for WSHL’s stretch drive
March 2nd, 2016Last season, the Phoenix Knights traded defenseman Brennan Johnsson to the El Paso Rhinos as the Rhinos needed experience on the back end to contend for the Western States Hockey League’s Thorne Cup. This season, the Rhinos returned the favor, dealing the Phoenix native back to the Knights in early January to add depth and…
Arizona trio named to NAHL Top Prospects Tournament
January 25th, 2016The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the rosters for next month’s NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, presented by Easton, which will be held from Feb. 15-16 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The number of players each NAHL team is sending to the tournament, in which four teams from the four NAHL divisions…
Knights captain Ericsson ‘what every team needs’
January 14th, 2016At the start of each season, most teams have their leadership group in place with captains and assistant captains. This year for the Western States Hockey League’s Phoenix Knights, Jim Ericsson wears the ‘C’ and Davis Dryden, Vojtech Zemlicka and Dominik Synek are the assistants. Ericsson said he knows his role and relishes it to…
Paradise Valley’s Lemieux takes home monthly OHL honors
January 6th, 2016Winnipeg Jets prospect Brendan Lemieux of the Windsor Spitfires is the Ontario Hockey League Player of the Month after recording 12 goals, six assists and 18 points in nine games between Windsor and the Barrie Colts. Lemieux recorded points in all nine of his December contests, helping Windsor play to a 5-1-1-0 record following his…
Coyotes prospect Dvorak garners weekly OHL, CHL awards
December 14th, 2015The Ontario Hockey League on Monday announced that Arizona Coyotes prospect Christian Dvorak of the London Knights is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 13 and then Tuesday, was also awarded the same honor for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The CHL encompasses the OHL, Western Hockey League…
Former Jr. Coyotes defenseman Kiraly commits to Alaska-Fairbanks
November 10th, 2015Former Phoenix Jr. Coyotes defenseman Daniel Kiraly has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks beginning with the 2016-17 season. The Nanooks are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). “Alaska was the right choice because of their style of play,” said Kiraly. “I like the coaches and I…