Michigan players shine at CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game (with photos)

 

By @StefanKubus –

BUFFALO – In its fourth year, the 2015 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game once again showcased the best draft-eligible players the United States has to offer, featuring two all-star teams coached by former NHL talents.

Team Plante (coached by former Buffalo Sabres players Derek Plante defeated Team Roenick (coached by former nine-time NHL all-star and two-time U.S. Olympian Jeremy Roenick), 6-4. But the end result didn’t matter here. The event itself was truly more about the exposure and promoting hockey in the U.S.

“Just being back here, being able to be with the kids, give my two cents and help with a couple kids in certain aspects, but really, being a good cheerleader,” Roenick said. “It was impressive. It was really fast down there, watching these kids go. I can’t imagine when they really get physical and get mean, how intense that can be, because it was pretty impressive from being that close. I enjoyed it a lot.”

There were 13 Michigan connections – the most of any state – on display in the contest, held at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York, home of the NHL’s Sabres.

Max Jones (Rochester), Will Lockwood (Bloomfield Hills), Jack Kopacka (Lapeer), Tyler Parsons (Chesterfield), Ben Gleason (Ortonville), Drake Rymsha (Huntington Woods), Alex DeBrincat (Farmington Hills), Mitch Eliot (Grosse Pointe), Derek Daschke (Troy), Keenan Suthers (Macomb) and Nick Pastujov (Honeybaked product, Michigan commit) all represented the Mitten in the all-star event. Fellow Michigan commits Griffin Luce (Williamsville, N.Y.) and James Sanchez (Northbrook, Ill.) also competed in the contest.

Photos by Michael Caples/MiHockey

Jones, who scored a pair of highlight-reel goals for Team Plante in the contest, said he was a little nervous before the game, but that it was a thrill participating in such a high-profile event.

“It’s the top prospects in America, right, so everyone’s going to be at the top of their game here, and they obviously split the teams really evenly and that was a really close game,” Jones said.

“The jitters were there, obviously, everyone’s got the jitters, you don’t know what to expect, it’s a big game, a lot of players will be playing there, but I think I adapted real well once I got my first shift over with.”

Jones also drew the praise of his opposing coach, a nine-time NHL all-star, when asked who stood out most to him.

“For Plante’s team, I really enjoyed watching Jones play, really strong, really smart,” Roenick said.

Pastujov, who plays for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and is committed to the University of Michigan, said it was “one of the most fun games” he has played in a long time.

“It was awesome, just playing with all the guys,” Pastujov said. “It was a lot of fun, all the fans, just knowing it was on TV… it was a really cool experience.”

Like Jones, Pastujov said once he got the first couple shifts out of the way, he lost the pre-game jitters.

“I think the first couple shifts are nerve-racking, but once you get in the game, you just start having fun and just really let it go.”

In the game, Parsons made a save early in the opening period that caught him right in the collarbone, as he went down and stayed down for a couple minutes before gingerly skating off on his own, hunched over. Netminder Stephen Dhillon had to relieve Parsons, who was unable to return to the bench.

Parsons later said he expected to make a recovery in a week or so. Roenick added that Parsons had forgotten his neck protector at home.

“Just when you think you can get through one game, he gets hit in the collarbone… and he had a big-sized golf ball on there.”

In each of the past three years of the AAPG, an increasing amount of players have been selected in the first round of the following NHL Entry Draft, from three in 2012 to seven in 2014. Whether there are eight or more drafted in the first round next summer, it certainly speaks to the strength of USA Hockey’s grassroots programs and player development.

“It’s continuing to get better and better, and you’ve got to remember the best player wasn’t even here, Auston Matthews, so you see that talent out there knowing there’s a kid that’s head and shoulders above all the kids that were out here, I mean that says a lot about USA Hockey and where it’s come from,” Roenick said. “The national development has been awesome, so hopefully they continue to improve. I think games like this, where kids from the area can come out and watch these kids and they can sit here and look forward to something and say, ‘Hey I can play in that game some day,’ so USA Hockey has done nothing but make USA a powerhouse worldwide.”