Hockey: Another newsdump Comment Count

Brian
First, I said that Blake Geoffrion wasn't drafted in last week's OHL draft. This is true. However, the reason is because he was drafted in last year's OHL draft. He went in the second round to Brampton. He obviously did not report.

On to NY D Nick Petrecki, who is not the OHL lock I asserted he was over the weekend. Petrecki probably won't report this year, and even Plymouth GM/Head Coach Mike Velucci says drafting Petrecki is "a big gamble on our part." Petrecki's plans appear to be to stay in the EJHL this year and then make a decision. What will that be? Well, Bob Miller on the Wolverine speculates that Petrecki was slated for Kitchener before Plymouth played spoiler, but that he is still likely to end up in the OHL anyway. Miller says Petrecki is "still a Michigan target to a small degree"--I wouldn't hold out much hope.

That post by Miller came from this thread on The Wolverine which is an interesting read if you're into the hockey recruiting... so that would be Maize, Packer487, and nobody else. And they probably already read it. Oh, well.

On to the '05 team instead of the composition of the '06 and '07 teams: Mike Spath reports that Michigan is "more than 90 percent confident" that Montoya will return for his senior year. Goalie recruit Billy Sauer, who was tenatively scheduled to come in next year, will delay until '06 and return to the USHL. The chances of him Lerging (defecting to a hated rival in order to get to school a year earlier) it are low. Sauer split time with UW goalie recruit Shane Connelly last year and could use an additional year as a full-time starter to hone his game before reaching the NCAA. Spath also reports that in '06 there will be a pecking order with Sauer on top and Jakiel second, though Jakiel will be a much more significant threat to play than Noah Ruden or Kevin O'Malley in days gone by.

Finally, about that hated rival... MSUStudent, a well respected poster on the Yost Post board I've been referencing like mad, confirms that Tom Goebel has left Michigan State, likely for Ohio State. mgoblog posted on this a while ago using an RCMB rumor as a source. MSUStudent's independent confirmation raises my confidence in the veracity of this rumor to around 99 percent.

Update: Find more OHL draft fallout at WesternCollegeHockey. He points out that OSU may have some worries about freshman sensation Tom Fritsche and that '07 UNO recruit Anthony Peluso may bolt.

Update II: Goebel's departure is official.