Phantoms Send Six to Top Prospects
Published on December 24, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
YOUNGSTOWN, OH (Wednesday, December 24th, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are taking a little time off for the holidays, while celebrating sewing up six spots on the North Division All-Star roster for January's Top Prospects by virtue of their first place standing after last weekend.
Following their series split with the Marquette Rangers, the Phantoms (17-7-2, 36 pts) needed a little help to clinch first place in the North heading into the holiday break.
Fortunately for the Phantoms, the Motor City Machine provided all the help they would need when they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to upend the second-place Traverse City North Stars (15-6-5, 35 pts) 6-4 on Sunday to ensure the Phantoms the division's top spot over the break.
Each division will select a 21-player all-star roster to participate the Top Prospects Tournament, which will run January 18-20 in Ann Arbor, MI. The number of players that will represent each team is proportional to their standing as of this past Monday.
In the North, the first-place Phantoms will have six selections; the second-place North Stars get five representatives; the third-place Alpena IceDiggers and fourth-place Rangers are each given three selections; the last-place Machine will send two players. There will also be two wild-card selections from any of the above teams to round out the roster.
Phantoms Head Coach and General Manager Bob Mainhardt says the organization is very pleased to have the most representatives on the North Division squad.
"This league is all about the development of its players and giving them the most exposure as possible, the Top Prospects is an excellent example of this," says Mainhardt. "Anytime you can provide your players with an opportunity like this it is very exciting, so it is very rewarding to our organization to have six players attending."
The North Division All-Star Team will be coached by Mainhardt; his assistant coach will be Traverse City Head Coach Anthony Palumbo.
The North Division All-Star Team is scheduled to play Team USA, the Central Division All-Star Team and the South Division All-Star Team at Top Prospects.
The annual tournament is a top draw for NCAA and NHL scouts; over 20 players who participated in last year's Top Prospects Tournament went on to secure NCAA Division I scholarships.
Saad to Play in World Under-17 Challenge
When the Phantoms host the Alpena IceDiggers this weekend, they will be doing so without the services of leading goal-scorer Brandon Saad, as he will be in British Columbia playing for Team USA at the 2009 World Under-17 Challenge.
The event runs December 29th through January 4th; Team USA will also play a pre-tournament game against Team Canada-Pacific.
National Team head coach John Hynes says Saad is a perfect fit for Team USA at the Challenge.
"We're looking forward to having Brandon on our team," said John Hynes, head coach of Team USA. "He is a very good player who's playing style and character are what we are looking for when adding players for a major international event."
Saad currently leads the Phantoms with 11 goals and is second on the team with 18 points.
The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge welcomes 10 teams including five Canadian regional teams (Pacific, West, Atlantic, Ontario and Quebec) and the United States, Germany, Slovakia, Finland and Russia.
The U.S. National Under-17 Team has won the tournament twice (2001, 2002) in the 13 years it has participated. Team USA is coming off of back-to-back second place finishes at the Challenge.
The Phantoms, meanwhile, open a two-game series with Alpena on Sunday at the Chevrolet Centre. The puck will drop for the North Division contest at 7:15 PM.
The game will be broadcast locally on ESPN Radio 1240, WBBW, and worldwide at MVPPhantoms.com via B2 Networks. The pregame show will begin at 7:00 PM.
Phantoms season tickets and individual tickets are now on sale at the Phantom Box Office at the Ice Zone in Boardman. Call (330) 965-7500 for more information.
North American Hockey League Stories from December 24, 2008
- Phantoms Send Six to Top Prospects - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
