Hockey: Another Oompa Loompa

Cue up Dora the Explorer again. Michigan hockey has received a third commitment for the 2008 season, again a forward from Honeybaked AAA, center David Wohlberg. TBarr reposts Paul Shaheen's Research On Ice email. The thread that sprung up around it is also worth perusing. NCAA recruiting guru Chris Heisenberg's new blog has some detail:

That means that all of the 2008 commitments are from Michigan natives. So, what gives? Well, the Michigan group of 1990s stood out during the Summer's Select 15 Festival, and their play there helped secure the scholarships. (Czarnik and Wohlberg also stood out at last year's Select 14 Festival.)

It's also of note that Michigan experiences the fiercest competition with the CHL--it's a total

That is one creepy monkey.

afterthought in Minnesota, Peter Mueller excepted, and not a huge priority out east (unless you can't read; Hi Keith Yandle!). The OHL has a number of franchises in the state itself and there's no high school hockey culture or local NCAA-feeder junior league to combat the Canadian menace. Jumping on these kids early is no more risky than waiting a year or two and watching the OHL get involved.

The 2008 class will replace the 2004 class, which consists in its entirety of forwards Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter. Obviously 3 > 2; probably more are coming; obviously Red isn't expecting the whole of this year's class to make it to graduation. (Duh.)

Three commits from the same team over three years out in under a week. That must have been one hell of a Sesame Street Live trip.