A bit of recruiting news tonight.  Recruit Shane Walsh who has spent the last 1 1/2 seasons in the USHL has left the Dubuque Saints and returned to his native Massachusetts.  It was an up and down career for him in the USHL.  He contributed to last year’s USHL championship for Dubuque but was never able to consistently produce in the league, something that wasn’t helped by a long recovery from a broken leg suffered in the Spring before he first arrived last year and being traded just 11 games into that same season.  He had already eclipsed his 11 point total last year with 5 goals and 7 assists this season before coming back.  It didn’t take him long to find somewhere to play after returning however as he already suited up for his previous team the South Shore Kings of the EJHL over the weekend with good results.  Overall I’m not too worried about his return.  You figure it has to be tough for these players to leave home and go play in the USHL.  While the competition in the EJHL won’t quite be the same, I’m sure he learned a lot in the year and a half he spent in the Midwest.

Kenny Gillespie – RW – Omaha Lancers (USHL) – 2012
17 GP / 2 G / 3 A / 5 Pts / 29 PIM / 0
Gillespie played in both Lancer games over the weekend, which is good since he’s been injured in the past couple months.  While he didn’t pick up any points, he did have 6 PIM in a game that featured 39 total penalties.

Willy Smith – LW – Springfield Pics (EJHL/EmpJHL) – 2014
EJHL: 17 GP / 1 G / 1 A / 2 Pts / 28 PIM
Empire: 19 GP / 6 G / 18 A / 24 Pts / 20 PIM
Smith played for the EJHL club but did not pick up any points.  He did get kicked out of the second game after picking up an instigator and a game disqualification.

Shane Walsh – LW – South Shore Kings (EJHL) – 2012
Dubuque (USHL):  23 GP / 5 G / 7 A / 12 Pts / 0 PIM / –8
South Shore (EJHL): 2 GP / 1 G / 1 A / 2 Pts / 0 PIM
Walsh had a power play goal in his first game back in the EJHL.

▲

A couple of All-Star related stories on Jon Quick.  The first is a feature from the Kings’ website on Quick’s selection to the team.  The second is from Pro Hockey Talk and has his thoughts on the fantasy draft process and where he thinks he may go.

Paul Dainton has returned to the valley, via Chicago, and Florida, and Reading Pennsylvania.  He tweeted something last night about the airline suggesting he should cut his sticks in half to avoid fees but hopefully he found a way around that as he’ll likely be in net against Worcester and Matt Irwin tomorrow night.