Dream Lives On For Nine As Mad Hatters Make Tryout Camp Selections
September 17, 2008 - Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL)
Danbury Mad Hatters News Release
(DANBURY, CT) - The Danbury Mad Hatters of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) have announced the players who will be moving on to their official training camp in October from this past weekend's open tryout camp. The group of players coming to camp includes one goaltender, three defensemen, and five forwards.
General Manager of Hockey Operations Brendan Tedstone said of the camp and its participants, "We saw some spirited play in the 3 NHL formatted games in less than 24 hours. We were lucky to get 40 young, strong hockey players at this camp who played a nice, fast tempo of hockey that we liked, and I think we saw the cream of the crop.
"The goal of this camp was find a diamond in the rough. I think we may have at least 3 or 4."
Mike Ronan is the lone goaltender from the open tryout that will be going to training camp. Mike is 24 years old, 5' 11", and 185 lbs. He most recently played for Salem State University.
"Mike is a goalie I've had my eye on for some time. I've seen him recently play against some current NHL players and he shut the door on them," General Manager of Hockey Operations Brendan Tedstone said. "What I'm looking for from Mike is consistency. If he can consistently play the way I've seen him, there's absolutely no reason I shouldn't see him finish the season playing on a AA roster."
The three defensemen are T.J. Cline, Phil Henrichs, and Matt Harutun.
T.J. Cline is 28 years old, 6' 1", and 220 lbs. Last season, T.J played 4 games for Valley Forge of the MAHL scoring 1 goal and adding an assist with 15 penalty minutes. Before turning pro, T.J. played 46 games in 2 full seasons at Manhattanville College.
"T.J. hits like a truck! He played for me last year in Valley Forge and he hit like a truck then," Tedstone said. "He has a keen ability to step up and punish a guy. He knows what he needs to do to make this team. It's all up to him."
Phil Henrichs is 20 years old, 6', 175 lbs. Phil most recently played with the Connecticut Jr. Whalers.
"Phil is a steady, but not flashy defenseman," Tedstone said. "He makes a good first pass and is very aware of what his defense responsibilities are."
Matt Harutun is 26 years old, 6' 4", and 235 lbs. Most recently, Matt attended Colorado State University where he also excelled as a weightlifter.
"At 6' 4" and 235 lbs, Matt is a big, raw kid that I hope we can get the most out of. He is a very defensive defenseman," Tedstone said. "He's already in shape, and since we're going with 5 defensemen, that's a big deal. He needs confidence, but he's back in Colorado getting ready mentally for camp."
The five forwards to make the cut are Joe Borsella, Tim D'Orazio, Pat Forshner, Bill Haas, and John Lamken.
Joe Borsella is a 26 year old, 5' 10", 178 lbs. native of Connecticut.
"Joe was one of our surprises coming out of this tryout," Tedstone said. "He played hard every shift out on the ice. He blocked a ton of shots and transitioned well. He seems like a smart player."
Tim D'Orazio is a 20 year old, 5' 8" 165 lbs. native from Philadelphia, PA. He spent last season playing with a Junior B team in Valley Forge, PA.
"It seemed like every time a goal was scored this weekend, this kid scored it," said Tedstone. "He was recommended to us from an NHL great from Philly. I am really looking forward to seeing how he looks in camp against with the bigger, more experienced guys going against him."
Pat Forshner is a 23 year old, 5' 6", 165 lbs native of Natick, MA. He recently graduated from St. Anselm College, where in 4 full seasons he played 77 games scoring 27 goals and adding 28 assists.
"Pat is a kid that I have watched play since he was in high school at Catholic Memorial," said Tedstone. "Although he is a small kid, he works his tail off and comes out of the corners with the puck on his stick. He has the grit and jam that we're looking for this year."
Bill Haas is 23 years old, 5' 11", and 190 lbs. A native of New Jersey, Bill played for West Virginia University before beginning his professional career. Last season, Bill played 30 games for Valley Forge of the MAHL scoring 20 goals and adding 23 assists to lead his team. He was twice named MAHL Player of the Week, was named a starter on the MAHL All-Star team, and was called up to play in 2 games for Elmira of the ECHL.
"Bill has a knack for the net and works really hard for every shift," Tedstone said. "He can also jump back and play defense for us as well."
John Lamken is a 22 year old, 5' 11", 165 lbs native of Wareham, MA. He is a recent graduate of Framingham State University where in 4 full seasons, John played 80 games scoring 23 goals and adding 17 assists.
"I've seen John play all 4 years in college, and he put up good numbers on a bad team," Tedstone said. "His work ethic is there, but I am eager to see how he handles himself with some of the better players in October.
"All in all it was a great camp," Mad Hatters principal owner Tim Kolpien said. "We saw some entertaining hockey and the 200 or so people who attended all 3 games really seemed to love it.
"Everyone wishes we could fast forward the calendar to November 1 because we are eager to get this season underway."
The Mad Hatters are scheduled to play 50 games this year and will open their inaugural season on November 1 at 7:30 pm at the Danbury Ice Arena against the Rome/Copper City Chiefs.
DANBURY MAD HATTERS HOCKEY: WELCOME TO THE MAD HOUSE! Season tickets and game plans are on sale now! Visit www.madhattershockey.com for more information or call 203-885-1128
Eastern Professional Hockey League Stories from September 17, 2008
- Dream Lives On For Nine As Mad Hatters Make Tryout Camp Selections - Danbury Mad Hatters
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