Werek, cont'd; NHL picks highly rated

Some light is being shed on the reasons for Ethan Werek’s decision to leave his USHL team’s camp to sign with the OHL Kingston Frontenacs. An article in the Kingston Whig Standard contends that at Indiana Ice training camp, “the calibre of the league came into question when Ethan scored so many goals in an intrasquad game that he was asked to hold back,” according to his father. Pardon me for being cynical, but the USHL is recognized as the top U.S. junior league and is well-respected by NHL teams. In fact, an Indiana Ice player, John Carlson, was a first round choice in this past June’s NHL draft. Carlson, who had committed to UMass, has since joined the OHL London Knights.

A Hockey News article presents the more likely reason:

Werek had a change of heart, due almost solely to the fact this is Werek’s NHL draft year.

“That was probably the biggest reason,” said Werek’s agent, Mark Guy. “I think it came down to which was the quickest route to the NHL for him. In the end, he wanted to be somewhere where he could play 68 games and get lots of exposure.”

One NHL scout said Werek is a solid top-10 prospect with the potential to move higher as the season goes along.

Young Werek, who led Stouffville in scoring as a rookie last year, sees himself on the fast-track to the NHL, and rightfully so, given his size (6-2, 195) and skill level. BU fans can take a small amount of solace knowing that had Werek played in the USHL this season, he’d likely have been “one-and-done” at BU.

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Blog contributor srsterrier provided this item about some current Terriers who are NHL draft picks:

"The Hockey News Season Preview includes an updated list of each NHL team's top ten prospects with a one-line comment on each one (disclaimer: I don't know their source for the lists but they normally consult with NHL scouts). Five current Terriers are on their team's list: "

• Kevin Shattenkirk - #1 on Colorado's list of prospects: "Great skater moves the puck well."
• Colby Cohen - #4 on Colorado's list of prospects: "Hits hard and can contribute offensively."
• Colin Wilson - #2 on Nashville's list of prospects: "Power forward already has NHL body."
• Corey Trivino - #4 on NY Islanders' list of prospects: "Crafty playmaker bound for Boston University."
• Brian Strait - #4 on Pittsburgh's list of prospects: "Stay-at-home D-man captained USA at WJC."

srsterrier pointed out that these five comprise 25% of BU’s game lineup.