In what comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, Sioux Falls Stampede rookie Kieffer Bellows has been named the USHL Rookie of the Year.
The son of longtime NHL great Brian Bellows, Kieffer set a league rookie record with 33 goals and totaled 52 points in 58 games to clinch second on the team in regular season point scoring. No other rookie has scored more goals in the USHL's Tier-1 era (2002-present), no doubt a considerable achievement. The youngster had three hat tricks and six multi-goal games on the campaign, and added nine more goals and 11 points in 12 postseason games. The last of his four playoff game-winning goals clinched the league championship for the Herd and tied the league record for the most game-winning goals in the playoffs.
Bellows is a big cornerstone piece for the Stampede in their defense of the league title next season. He burst onto the scene in a big way this past campaign and is sure to come out with a bang in his draft season. A Minnesota High School state champion, Bellows seems to win everywhere he goes, and will look to bring that winning attitude when he returns to the Herd this fall, then Boston University in 2016-17 and, finally, the NHL upon the conclusion of his collegiate career.
The Edina, MN native joins Sioux Falls alum Matthew Ford and Jack Connolly as USHL ROTY winners. He was also named to the league's All-Rookie First Team.
Fans can expect big things from Kieffer Bellows. This kid is going places, and it's time for Stampede fans to sit back and continue to enjoy the ride as far as it goes.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
OFFICIAL: Stampede name Scott Owens head coach and GM
It was a name whispered frequently through the Herd fan base the past few weeks. Today it was confirmed - Scott Owens is the new head coach and general manager of the Sioux Falls Stampede.
A 15-year coaching vet of D-I NCAA hockey, Owens led the Colorado College Tigers with a school-best 324-228-54 record, three WCHA championships, seven NCAA tournament appearances and a Frozen Four visit in 2005. He has 16 All-Americans and two Hobey Baker Award winners (the best player in all of college hockey) to his credit and has become very accustomed to the Stampede having coached former alum such as Marty Sertich, current Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser, Sam Rothstein, Nick Dineen, Gabe Guentzel, Matt Overman, Scott Thauwald and Cody Lampl.
Yes, Owens has a formidable history of college puck, but his coaching background goes much further. The Madison, WI native coached his hometown Capitols (USHL, but not the current Caps franchise) to a 136-85-16 record between four seasons in the 1980s. From there, he made a stop in Des Moines, leading the Buccs to Anderson and Clark Cups with a 179-76-9 record from 1995-99, amassing an astonishing 62-12-1 record in their '98-'99 Anderson and Clark clinching season.
As anyone can tell, this guy is a winner and he'll be expected to repeat his past USHL success with a team that has the pieces to establish a legitimate title defense next season. Having just won the organization's second Cup in franchise history, the expectations of ownership and fans alike are sky high at the moment. Will Owens be able to deliver? Fresh off the NCAA, fans can be sure he'll give it the good ol' college try.
Talk to you during tryouts.
A 15-year coaching vet of D-I NCAA hockey, Owens led the Colorado College Tigers with a school-best 324-228-54 record, three WCHA championships, seven NCAA tournament appearances and a Frozen Four visit in 2005. He has 16 All-Americans and two Hobey Baker Award winners (the best player in all of college hockey) to his credit and has become very accustomed to the Stampede having coached former alum such as Marty Sertich, current Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser, Sam Rothstein, Nick Dineen, Gabe Guentzel, Matt Overman, Scott Thauwald and Cody Lampl.
Yes, Owens has a formidable history of college puck, but his coaching background goes much further. The Madison, WI native coached his hometown Capitols (USHL, but not the current Caps franchise) to a 136-85-16 record between four seasons in the 1980s. From there, he made a stop in Des Moines, leading the Buccs to Anderson and Clark Cups with a 179-76-9 record from 1995-99, amassing an astonishing 62-12-1 record in their '98-'99 Anderson and Clark clinching season.
As anyone can tell, this guy is a winner and he'll be expected to repeat his past USHL success with a team that has the pieces to establish a legitimate title defense next season. Having just won the organization's second Cup in franchise history, the expectations of ownership and fans alike are sky high at the moment. Will Owens be able to deliver? Fresh off the NCAA, fans can be sure he'll give it the good ol' college try.
Talk to you during tryouts.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Cary Eades, Sioux Falls Stampede part ways
After three successful years at the helm of the current USHL Clark Cup Champs, Cary Eades is leaving Sioux Falls.
The Stampede issued a press release earlier this morning on the team's website. The club's former head coach and general manager has taken an identical position with the Herd's regional rival in Fargo, ND.
Prior to taking over for Kevin Hartzell in 2012, Eades spent eight seasons on the coaching staff of newly-hired Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol at the University of North Dakota. His coaching history extends much further back, however, as he spent 11 seasons in Warroad, MN, leading the Warriors three Minnesota "A" State Championships (including their first in school history) with an absolutely phenomenal 237-62-6 record.
This year's league championship wasn't a first for Eades as he also won a Clark Cup as head coach and GM of the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 1991-92 season. He was named USHL GM of the Year upon conclusion of that season.
Eades has left a big mark on the franchise. He is his own man and can often remind players and fans of the late Herb Brooks in his coaching style. Eades leaves the team in a good spot. Not just with a Cup, but with a good shot at defending the title next year, as well. For that, the fans and ownership group have a lot to be thankful.
The Herd will announce their new head coach and GM at a press conference to be held tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at 3:30 PM in the front lobby of the Denny. The likely candidate is Scott Owens, arguably the best head coach in Colorado College history, and the man who sources say ran the Stampede's table at the 2015 USHL Draft.
More tomorrow.
The Stampede issued a press release earlier this morning on the team's website. The club's former head coach and general manager has taken an identical position with the Herd's regional rival in Fargo, ND.
Prior to taking over for Kevin Hartzell in 2012, Eades spent eight seasons on the coaching staff of newly-hired Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol at the University of North Dakota. His coaching history extends much further back, however, as he spent 11 seasons in Warroad, MN, leading the Warriors three Minnesota "A" State Championships (including their first in school history) with an absolutely phenomenal 237-62-6 record.
This year's league championship wasn't a first for Eades as he also won a Clark Cup as head coach and GM of the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 1991-92 season. He was named USHL GM of the Year upon conclusion of that season.
Eades has left a big mark on the franchise. He is his own man and can often remind players and fans of the late Herb Brooks in his coaching style. Eades leaves the team in a good spot. Not just with a Cup, but with a good shot at defending the title next year, as well. For that, the fans and ownership group have a lot to be thankful.
The Herd will announce their new head coach and GM at a press conference to be held tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at 3:30 PM in the front lobby of the Denny. The likely candidate is Scott Owens, arguably the best head coach in Colorado College history, and the man who sources say ran the Stampede's table at the 2015 USHL Draft.
More tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Exciting times in Stampede Country
Friday night's chants of "We want the Cup!" turned to "We got the Cup!" as captains Logan O'Connor and Ryan Schwalbe led the rest of the Stampede into the Sioux Falls Convention Center's first banquet room on Monday night. Between them was held the holy grail of United States junior hockey - the Clark Cup.
It was a beautiful moment, a culmination of all the hard word put into the team by the players and coaching staff the past few seasons. It was also a special moment for the Denny Sanford Premier Center, a facility that will shortly boast a championship banner in the rafters to finish off an incredible inaugural season. But the most remarkable thing is to look back at the on-ice product at the start of the season. Opening night on home ice had a bunch of promising, but raw young boys playing in front of a near NHL-size crowd of 10,678 fans. The atmosphere was nearly as intense as I've ever witnessed at a hockey game, but the boys did not have their legs under them whatsoever.
It took a few months, but the team finally started to get the hang of things and - with the additions of guys like projected 2015 second round pick Cooper Marody and Mikey Eyssimont, and the rapid development of 2016 top NHL prospect Kieffer Bellows - began rising through the standings to finish the year in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The big boys stepped it up in the playoffs with Troy Loggins, Dakota Joshua (what a great name, but I'm biased), Bellows, Eyssimont, Marody and O'Connor combining for an incredible 37 goals and 79 points in just 12 games. Loggins would clinch the playoff MVP award with 10 goals, and tied in total points with Eyssimont (16). Joshua, a fifth round pick by Toronto in 2014, had 13 points and four goals, including one in the Cup-clinching game which just so happened to be played on his birthday.
In goal, Stefanos Lekkas was lights out, collecting nine wins, a 2.10 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. He was brilliant in one of the best campaigns ever played by a goalie in Sioux Falls.
The season is now over. The Cup is won, and a good number of players will now move on to bigger and better things in their hockey careers. However, a strong nucleus will remain for next year's squad, led by none other than Bellows and Lekkas. They'll be the franchise centerpieces next season, and will be surrounded by some intriguing talent in the Stampede's 2015 top pick Teemu Pulkkinen (35 goals, 74 points and a plus-25 in 47 games with the Espoo Blues of the Finnish Junior-A SM-Liiga), Luverne, MN native Chaz Smedsrud (a dominating top line player for the Cardinals the past few seasons) and Ales Stezka, a top Czech goaltender eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. These are just a few of the exciting new Stampede prospects. The full list of 2015 USHL Phase II draft picks can be found here.
The good residents of Stampede Country will have to wait a few months before once again filling up the affectionately player-nicknamed "Snake Pit". But that doesn't mean there won't be exciting opportunities for fans in the meantime. Try-Out Camp is just a few weeks away, so be sure to come out to the Denny June 12th-15th to get your first glimpse at the USHL's stars of tomorrow. Barring no news on the head coaching front in the next few days, I'll talk to you then.
Bleed Stampede!
It was a beautiful moment, a culmination of all the hard word put into the team by the players and coaching staff the past few seasons. It was also a special moment for the Denny Sanford Premier Center, a facility that will shortly boast a championship banner in the rafters to finish off an incredible inaugural season. But the most remarkable thing is to look back at the on-ice product at the start of the season. Opening night on home ice had a bunch of promising, but raw young boys playing in front of a near NHL-size crowd of 10,678 fans. The atmosphere was nearly as intense as I've ever witnessed at a hockey game, but the boys did not have their legs under them whatsoever.
It took a few months, but the team finally started to get the hang of things and - with the additions of guys like projected 2015 second round pick Cooper Marody and Mikey Eyssimont, and the rapid development of 2016 top NHL prospect Kieffer Bellows - began rising through the standings to finish the year in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The big boys stepped it up in the playoffs with Troy Loggins, Dakota Joshua (what a great name, but I'm biased), Bellows, Eyssimont, Marody and O'Connor combining for an incredible 37 goals and 79 points in just 12 games. Loggins would clinch the playoff MVP award with 10 goals, and tied in total points with Eyssimont (16). Joshua, a fifth round pick by Toronto in 2014, had 13 points and four goals, including one in the Cup-clinching game which just so happened to be played on his birthday.
In goal, Stefanos Lekkas was lights out, collecting nine wins, a 2.10 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. He was brilliant in one of the best campaigns ever played by a goalie in Sioux Falls.
The season is now over. The Cup is won, and a good number of players will now move on to bigger and better things in their hockey careers. However, a strong nucleus will remain for next year's squad, led by none other than Bellows and Lekkas. They'll be the franchise centerpieces next season, and will be surrounded by some intriguing talent in the Stampede's 2015 top pick Teemu Pulkkinen (35 goals, 74 points and a plus-25 in 47 games with the Espoo Blues of the Finnish Junior-A SM-Liiga), Luverne, MN native Chaz Smedsrud (a dominating top line player for the Cardinals the past few seasons) and Ales Stezka, a top Czech goaltender eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. These are just a few of the exciting new Stampede prospects. The full list of 2015 USHL Phase II draft picks can be found here.
The good residents of Stampede Country will have to wait a few months before once again filling up the affectionately player-nicknamed "Snake Pit". But that doesn't mean there won't be exciting opportunities for fans in the meantime. Try-Out Camp is just a few weeks away, so be sure to come out to the Denny June 12th-15th to get your first glimpse at the USHL's stars of tomorrow. Barring no news on the head coaching front in the next few days, I'll talk to you then.
Bleed Stampede!
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