The Pipeline Show: USHL, WHL and Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry
This week on The Pipeline Show we catch up on the USHL playoffs and look ahead to the conference finals, get to know two more players ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft, get educated on the top players eligible for next week’s WHL Bantam Draft and also get reaquainted with a former standout WHL goaltender.
USHL Playoff Update
The post season in the United States Hockey League has reached the conference finals and to get a recap of the first two rounds and preview of what is to come I spoke with Ryan Wagman of McKeen’s Hockey.
Wagman shared his thoughts on the series that have been completed and if there have been any surprises along the way. Then he set the table for the two conference finals with a complete look at the four teams left standing.
We also spoke about the league awards which were dominated by players from the Tri-City Storm. A few draft eligible players were talked about in greater detail and we ended the segment recapping the dispersal draft after the folding of the Central Illinois Flying Aces.
WHL Bantam Draft Preview
The Western Hockey League bantam draft will be held next week in Red Deer during which the 22 teams will restock their prospect cupboards with the top 14-15 year old players from western Canada and the United States.
I personally do not have the time to cover bantam hockey so for me it is important to talk to someone before the draft that does know the players available. One such person is Brayden Sullivan who runs DraftGeek.ca and watches a ton of bantam hockey throughout the season.
Obviously Matthew Savoie is the best player available this year and armed with two 1st round picks, it seems likely that the Winnipeg Ice will select him even though all indications are that he will take the NCAA path. My conversation with Sullivan begins with the next best player on his list and we go through a number of names, positions and some personal favorites of his.
The final rankings from DraftGeek.ca will be available a few days before the draft itself which arrives on May 2nd.
Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect: Tristan Jarry
Recently, I was able to catch up with former Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender Tristan Jarry. It was during Game 4 of the conference championship between the Oil Kings and Prince Albert Raiders. The conversation aired live on TSN 1260 in Edmonton.
2019 Draft Spotlight: Luke Bast
The Brooks Bandits cruised through the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs and are about to tackle their BCHL counterpart before hosting the RBC Cup to determine the top Jr. A squad in Canada. One of the Bandits is also on Central Scouting’s list ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft and he joins me this week on the show.
Luke Bast is originally from Red Deer, AB where he played all of his minor hockey before leaving for the AJHL powerhouse Bandits. We discussed his performance over the last two seasons and his honest assessment was refreshing.
Bast is headed to the University of North Dakota next year where he will get to be teammates with older brother Gabe, the first time the brothers will get to suit up on the same team. We talked about why UND was the right fit for him and Luke explained why the WHL path wasn’t as appealing to him as heading to Grand Forks.
Lastly, we talked about the draft, what happens if he does or doesn’t get selected and also how much the event has been on his mind this season.
2019 Draft Spotlight: Ethan Keppen
One of the big risers from NHL Central Scouting’s 2019 final rankings is power forward Ethan Keppen of the Flint Firebirds. I spoke with Keppen for this week’s episode as he gets back into the swing of off-season training.
We began by looking back at the year that was which saw the Firebirds take some positive steps in the second half of the OHL season. Keppen cited the addition of Eric Wellwood as head coach as one of the reasons for the team’s turn in fortune and looks forward to building on that success next season.
On a personal level, Keppen said he felt really good about his development this past season and gave an honest assessment of where he is at in his personal growth. We talked about his past, his joining the Firebirds and how he views the upcoming NHL Draft in June.
Guy Flaming is the host of The Pipeline Show, a year round, 100% prospect orientated podcast now in its 14th season. Since 2006, the mandate of the program has been to introduce the audience to the future of the NHL and that is accomplished every week by speaking with the top players, coaches, general managers, scouts and media that junior and college hockey have to offer. It is free to subscribe to The Pipeline Show and is available via iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud, Spreaker, the Podcast App and www.thepipelineshow.com