An In-Depth 2012 Memorial Cup Preview
The Memorial Cup is the most prized possession in Canadian major junior hockey. Presented each year to the champion of the Canadian Hockey League, the Memorial Cup tournament is round robin-style, with the champions from the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League, all competing for the trophy. This year, [...]
Seattle Thunderbirds Make Mathew Barzal Top Pick in WHL Bantam Draft
The Seattle Thunderbirds got a much needed shot in the arm Thursday when they selected Mathew Barzal with the first overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft held in Calgary. Barzal had been playing his Bantam hockey in Burnaby, British Columbia with the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam A team last season and put [...]
Edmonton Oilers Top 10 Prospects Not Named Nugent-Hopkins
The Edmonton Oilers have an impressive stable of young talent at the NHL already, one of the most exciting collections of young players in the league, and a group soon to be added to at the draft table in June. What gets lost sometimes in all that hype is that they also boast some top end prospects still to [...]
Top 10 NHLers Who Could Have Been CHL Import Players
If you have read two of my previous articles, “The ‘Import’-ance of the European CHL Goalie” and “Top 10 Best CHL Franchises for Imports,” you can attest that I have a deep admiration for Canadian Hockey League import players. I have researched these players from every possible angle, whether it’s what team in the CHL [...]
Final Top 60 NHL Prospect Rankings for 2012 Draft
With the hustle and bustle of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, some hockey fans seem to forget that some of the world’s top prospects are also duking it out in the CHL to be crowned Memorial Cup Champions. The USHL is also holding their playoffs, where forwards, defensemen, and goalies are battling to be crowned [...]
Designer Prospect: Taylor Vause
Bob Gainey once said that you can never have enough quality players on your team. This may strike some as stating the obvious, but Gainey meant it in the context of players who bring more than goals and assists, more than grit or tenacity; rather, they bring that quality-without-a-name, the intangible love and respect for [...]
An April 2012 NHL Mock Draft (Full First Round)
Now that the Edmonton Oilers will have the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft for an astounding third time in three years, things are beginning to shape up near the top of the draft board. The number one question still remains though: will the Oilers pick a dynamic offensive threat, or a potential [...]
Top 10 Best CHL Franchises for Imports
Ever since the Canadian Hockey League has adopted its annual import draft, the talent pool of European players who have come over has been incredible. Nearly 190 imports who have come over to North America to play junior hockey have graduated to play at least one game in the NHL. Imports have been very helpful [...]

Andrey Makarov – The Next Ones: 2012 NHL Draft Prospect Profile – The “Other” Russian Goalie
Andrey Makarov THW Close-Up: Date of Birth: April 20, 1993 Place of Birth: Kazan, Russia Height: 6’1″ Weight: 178 lbs. Shoots: Left Position: G NHL Draft Eligibility: 2012 For complete coverage and analysis of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and its prospects, click here for Chris Ralph’s 2012 NHL Entry Draft Guide. The [...]
May 10, 2012Read More