09/07/2006

Prospects camp draws enlarged field

Tourney expands from 5 teams to 8

BY JAMES COOK

jcook@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The annual NHL prospects tournament makes its return to Traverse on Friday, and it's bigger and badder.

OK, at least bigger.

The tourney will have its largest field ever, with eight NHL teams sending their top prospects to train and play for five days. The event at Centre ICE — which had five teams last year — marks the return of St. Louis and adds Dallas and the New York Rangers.

Tickets are available each day at the door for $5 for the entire day's slate — practices in the morning and early afternoon and four games in the evening (except Sunday, which is only practices, and Tuesday, which is only games).

Detroit's squad practices from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. today on David's Rink, and the Wings face off against the Atlanta Thrashers at 7:30 p.m. on the Republic Rink.

The prospect camp runs today through Tuesday, concluding with the championship and consolation games at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The Red Wings will bring 23 prospects to Traverse City, including seven players on try-outs. Among those are twin brothers Justin and Tyler Donati, a high-scoring pair of 19-year-olds who played for Toronto in the Ontario Hockey League last season and combined for 181 points in 130 total games.

Justin Donati finished five points behind potential teammate Evan McGrath in the OHL scoring race. McGrath is back for his second run at the prospects camp in TC.

Howard

An interesting situation is the Wings' goaltending position, where Jimmy Howard, 22, and Stephan Liv, 25, are battling to be the top minor-league netminder and get a training camp shot behind Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood.

Quincey

Other top Red Wings prospects in camp are 2006 second-round picks Cory Emmerton and Shawn Matthia, 2005 second-round pick Jakub Kindl, 2003 fourth-round defenseman Kyle Quincey and 2004 third-round defenseman Sergei Kolosov.

Top players for the other teams in the rookie camp include:

Atlanta — RW Alex Bourret, the Thrashers' first-round pick (16th overall) in 2005; C Bryan Little, first-round pick (12th overall) in 2006; D Nathan Oystrick, Northern Michigan University (2002-06); and D Boris Valabik, first-round pick (10th overall) in 2004.

Columbus — C Derick Brassard, No. 6 overall pick in 2006; and RW Adam Pineault, second-round pick (46th overall) in 2004.

Dallas — W Chris Conner, Michigan Tech (2002-06); LW James Neal, second-round (33rd overall) in 2005; and D Mark Fistric, first-round pick (28th overall) in 2004.

Minnesota — LW Benoit Pouliot, first-round pick (4th overall) in 2005; C James Sheppard, first-round pick (9th overall) in 2006; LW Roman Voloshenko, second-round pick (42th overall) in 2004; D Shawn Belle, first-round pick (30th overall) in 2003; and D A.J. Thelen, first-round pick (12th overall) in 2004 out of Michigan State;

New York Rangers — C Lauri Korpikoski, first-round pick (19th overall) in 2004; C Tom Pyatt, fourth-round pick in 2005 from Saginaw Spirit; D Corey Potter, fourth-round pick in 2003 out of Michigan State; D Bob Sanguinetti, first-round pick (21st overall) in 2006; D Marc Staal, first-round pick (12th overall) in 2005; and G Al Montoya, first-round pick (6th overall) in 2004 out of Michigan.

St. Louis — LW Michal Birner, fourth-round pick in 2004 from Saginaw Spirit; D Steven Later, Ferris State (2002-03); and G Marek Schwarz, first-round pick (17th overall) in 2004.

Tampa Bay — D Vladimir Mihalik, second-round pick (30th overall) in 2005; and D Geoff Waugh, third-round pick in 2002 out of Northern Michigan.