Christopher Ralph

Chris is THW's senior draft/prospect analyst and a Managing Editor. Watch for "The Next Ones" Prospect Profile series, exclusive rankings, mock drafts, as well as the annual THW NHL Entry Draft Guide. Follow @ChrisRalphYQ on Twitter as he infiltrates, dissects and analyzes all happenings of hockey prospects and the NHL entry draft. Email: cralph[at]thehockeywriters[dot]com

They Call Me Killer – Book Review

Though the cover could be mistaken for a biography of some famous mobster, They Call Me Killer is an in depth into the story of Hockey Hall of Fame junior hockey coach, Brian Kilrea. If you are not familiar with “Killer”, he is regarded as perhaps one of the best junior hockey coaches (CHL) of all time. He is a dynamic story teller. Above all else, he is outstanding person and has positively greatly influenced countless young hockey players – from future NHL stars to guys who moved on from hockey following their junior hockey careers.

NHL Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 4: 1 to 25)

#4 Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson EDM F 2009-10th

One-Timer: MPS. MSP. MP. Now known as simply Magnus Paajarvi. Call him anything, but call him one of the most talented young players in the game. Even at 10th, the Oilers got a gift. I had him ranked 7th in my my 2009 Draft Preview and here’s an excerpt:

MSP is a super creative winger with speed to burn. Known more of a playmaker, the talented Swede still knows how to finish. The powerful and smooth skating MSP is also very tough to knock off the puck. At 7th overall, he could prove to be a steal even at this rank.

NHL Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 3: 26 to 50)

Christopher Ralph is THW’s prospect and draft analyst. To qualify for this list, a prospect has to be drafted or signed as a free agent and is eligible for the…

NHL 2010-11 Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 2: 51 to 75)

#61 Zack Kassian BUF F Drafted: 2009-13th

One-Timer: Kassian is one of the OHL’s toughest players and doesn’t shy away from donnybrooks, but needs to show more discipline after sometimes taking needless penalties. (Since I wrote that portion for my 2009 draft profile, he unfortunately took it to a new level last season.)There is no doubting the size, skill and energy he brings to the table, but he does need to continue to work on his skating and likewise getting quicker.

NHL Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 1: 76 to 100)

86 Jordan Weal LAK F Drafted: 2010-70th

Only Hall and Seguin have compiled more points last season in the CHL amongst draft eligible players. To accomplish this in the toughest of the three CHL leagues, the Dub (WHL) that is, is all the more impressive. In fact, Jordan Weal became the first 17-year-old player in over a decade to record 100 points in a season in the WHL (WHL.ca).