Subject: USA U-18 Team

Sent some players to camp this week.

I'm going to leave in Brownlee and Holt (and Milton) to gain chemistry. Shorter has max chemistry, so I replaced him this week. I also replaced Medley on the bench.

I'm going to finish the introduction of the lineup now:

Line 3:

LW: Paul Braxton (Bouncing Pucks - I.1): Braxton, who plays for the recently renamed Bouncing Pucks, probably won't lead the team in goals scored, but he is otherwise one of the most positionally and defensively sound forwards on the team, augmented by his ability to play on either side. He should be able to fill in well should there be an injury to a wing on the top two lines.

C: Max Jack (Montana Miners - I.1/East Side Titans - defunct): Max Jack is another positionally sound player that should be useful on the third line. Positionally, he is about as good as the other centers. Max Jack is another player that originally came from a division III team.

RW: Levar Jones (Salt Lake Karma Police - II.3): Levar Jones is another product of the youth movement that the Salt Lake Karma Police went through a little while ago. At 18 years old, Jones is already a relatively experienced hockey player. He is probably the best player offensively on the third line.

LD: Vernon Freed (Esbjerg Sailors - Denmark I.1/Razorback Thugs - I.1): Freed is the only 17 year old to make one of the top 3 lines this season. He should anchor the first line next season. He is an everyday player on his team in the top league in Denmark.

RD: Marshall Rodriquez (GoldFish - I.1): Rodriguez may end up playing on the second or third line for the tournament. He has the opportunity to become a significant weapon or the United States as a defense defenseman

Line 4:

LW: Edwin Flores (Westchester Red Wings - I.1): Edwin Flores is a solid LW for the fourth line. He was on the roster last season as well.

C: Chad Welch (Westchester Red Wings - I.1): Chad Welch is a solid C for the fourth line along with his teammate, Edwin Flores.

RW: Sam Rhoads (Boilermakers - I.1): another 17 year old. Rhoads is a very promising player with good shooting for his age. He should hit 1,000 OR by next season when we will take over at first line LW or RW depending on the needs of the team.

LD: Homer Simon (Buffalo Lasers - II.4): Homer Simon is a solid fourth line defenseman with some offensive ability. He is the first representative from his team on one of the United States national hockey teams. Hopefully there will be an increasing amount of new teams represented on the national teams over the coming seasons.

RD: William Burks (Boilermakers - I.1): William Burks is the second 17 year olds from the Boilermakers on the fourth line. He should hit 1,000 OR by next season. Burks will likely play alongside Vernon Freed on the first line next season. Even as a 17 year old, he and Simon are better than the fourth line defense in past years when the defensive depth was much weaker.

Bench (the best 17 year olds not already on the roster that project to start next season):

LW: Vernon Brenner (Boilermakers - I.1): Vernon Brenner is another 17 year old from the Boilermakers class of prospects that could possibly start on the first line.

C: Michael Richardson (SC SSK Slezska Ostrava - Czech Republic III.7/Cold Mountain Freeze - II.1): Richardson will be the starting center on next season's U18 team. He is a regular starter on his team in the Czech Republic and is already very experienced. He is another player to come originally from a team not previously on a United States national hockey team. He has great potential and should also hit around 1,000 OR by next season. Richardson is already about as good as Chad Welch.

RW: Theo Timmons (Psychos - I.1): Timmons will be part of next year's contribution to the team by the Psychos. He could possibly end up on the first line and should be in the high 900's by next season.

LD: Darwin Medley (STL Saints - I.1): Medley should start on the second line next season.

RD: Perry Mead (Bouncing Puck - I.1): Perry Mead is a talented offensive defenseman that should start on the second line next season, though he might be a little undisciplined.

G: Sanford Scruggs (ZZ Crushers - Czech Republic II.4/Detroit Red Wings - II.3): Scruggs will be the starting goaltender next season (which means that he gets the custom goaltender mask for the U18 national team). He is another player from a division III team, though the Detroit Red Wings are one of the more prolific producers of talent in the United States. He has great potential, though he will probably only hit 900 OR or so by the start of next season.

I've put together the list of players I can't cover by the deadline for next season. I've already scouted (or will be able to scout) all of the other potentially interesting 16 year old and 17 year old players.

These players don't necessarily have a good chance of making the team, though they all meet the minimum threshold for consideration.

I won't start scouting the potentially interesting 15 year old players until next season since it is possible that a good player will be generated between now and the end of the season.

The league indicators (X.Y)) indicate the league of the following teams as of season 17.

There are about 40 players to cover over the next 40 days (though I will need more help once I put together a list of 15 year old candidates at the beginning of the next season). If you notice a player from your team that is scouted, a message with the pertinent information would be very much appreciated.

II.3)

29) Rufus Taylor (Bulls4ever Club – III.1)
30) Jim Ralston (Bulls4ever Club – III.1)
31) Eldridge Simpson (Bulls4ever Club – III.1)
32) Adam Wendland (Bulls4ever Club – III.1)
33) Brad Barcholtz (Bulls4ever Club – III.1)
34) Eldridge Melton (Miami Revenants – II.3)
35) Carter Roosevelt (Miami Revenants – II.3)
36) Lucas Rae (Miami Revenants – II.3)
37) Alex Piper (Miami Revenants – II.3)
38) Tristan Hudson (Miami Revenants – II.3)
39) Juan Simon (Miami Revenants – II.3)
40) Geoffrey Christie (Bleeding Wildcats – II.3)
41) Jeff Beaulieu (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
42) Josef Coburn (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
43) Fred Roberts (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
44) Ross Dempsey (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
45) Donny Zamora (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
46) Rene Boyce (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
47) Harold Schumacher (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)
48) Pete Watters (Salt Lake Karm Police – II.3)


II.4)

49) Sean Barnes (San Crispino – II.4)
50) Paul Dankert (Bufalo Lasers – II.4)
51) Stan Martinez (Bufalo Lasers – II.4)
52) Bodhi Lafave (Rochester Americans – II.4)
53) Jeff Dahl (The Rainbow Unicorns – II.4)
54) Dylon Wheeler (The Rainbow Unicorns – II.4)
55) Stanton Newcomb (Bombsville Atomics – I.1)
56) Bryan Root (Bombsville Atomics – I.1)
57) Pete Russ (Bombsville Atomics – I.1)
58) Cater Kirkpatrick (Bombsville Atomics – I.1)
59 Kerry Dahl (Bombsville Atomics – I.1)
60) Ronald Jacobson (Bombsville Atomics – I.1 – transfer)


III.1)

61) Fred Engelhardt (Thunder Dogs – II.1)


III.2)

62) Stan Block (HC New Britain Stars – III.2)


III.7)

63) Jeb Trinklein (Brad’s Icebreakers – III.7)
64) Juan Barrett (Brad’s Icebreakers – III.7)
65) Jurius Stoen (Rochester – III.7)
66) Dante Franko (Detroit Red Wings – II.3)
67) Charles House (Warehouse Warriors – III.7 – transfer)


III.9)

68) Julio Denis (Ferris State U Bull Dogs – III.9)

I can definitely post all of my players (Karma Police) to the database. Of the ones you've listed, I actually think Coburn and Zamora have a great shot, although they won't build up the same experience that some of my past prospects did. Schumacher has good qualities but is a bit behind on OR.

Also, don't forget Jim Spear, my new 15yo phenom. He should be a monster defenseman and I could even see him sneaking into the lineup when he's 17.

You want me to post these to the database now? Wait until the season change in a few weeks?

Thanks! I already have Spear and your better prospects over 16 that I didn't mention scouted. Spear definitely looks like a very strong candidate to make the team in 2 or 3 seasons.

I don't believe that there is going to be a database next season, so I would actually need all scouting information in a message. Copying and pasting the player's page into the message seems to work well enough.

With that in mind, it would definitely be best if you, and anyone else, could wait at least until the season changes in a few weeks, because I am going to have to project OR and attributes of players whose scouting information I get early for next season.

Ok, cool. Well, consider all of mine scouted, then.

with 2 (or 3) games left, youngster sensation Angel Berry has already 18 experience points.

sorry about the database, but it was a $30 monthly expense I didnt need to have considering the stress and lack of motivation to continue playing ppm.

That's really impressive. Few 18 year olds good enough to make the team have more experience than that. There is not usually more than one player with more than 50 experience at 18, so Berry should have a significant advantage in that area, combined with his great qualities and starter caliber OR.

My 15 year old prospect, Val Taylor, already has 533 OR, but only 1 experience from playing in exhibitions. I might start to play him and a few other players on the fourth line next season. I can probably hold down a playoff position in II.3, even with a weak fourth line, and I finally have the facilities to train players well.

Don't worry about the database. It was really helpful while it lasted and it was nice of you to maintain it for as long as you did, but the national team managers should manage well enough next season.

Last Saturday, the United States managed a win against Spain, which is in the same group as the United States in the World Championships.

The World Championships start this Saturday. The United States will be competing in the top division for the first time. The United States' division is comprised of Slovakia, Russia, and Spain, all teams that have been regular playoff teams in the top division over the last few seasons. It will be a challenge, but I think that the United States, lead by Ty Shorter, can surprise a few teams.

For anybody who is interested, the Serbian PPM magazine has an article (and will probably run a few more as the tournament progresses) about the U18 Top Division World Championships:

ppm.powerplaymanager.com/...

Google translate is necessary unless you know Serbian

I think the nicest thing they (almost) said was that the US could beat Spain to advance to the playoffs.

It's a tough division. All 3 teams have been playoff teams (among the top 8 in the world) at least twice during the last 3 seasons, and the United States gets to start against Slovakia right away. Even so, if the United States advances past the qualifying round, then it will likely be by beating Spain.

In any case, hopefully the random number generator decides to be nice today.