Kenny Gillespie – RW – Omaha Lancers (USHL) – 2012 or 2013
35 GP / 5 G / 8 A / 13 Pts / 47 PIM / +1
Gillespie made the most out of the last regular season weekend for the Lancers, scoring the game winning goal in the last game of the season and adding an assist to go with it.  Omaha has a bye in the first round.

Mark Hamilton – D – Salisbury School (NE Prep) – 2013
29 GP / 2 G / 7 A / 9 Pts

Hamilton was part of a solid defense for Salisbury.  USHR ranked him as the 7th best junior during the year.  Salisbury’s season ended in the first round of the prep championships.

Mike Iovanna – RW/C – Malden Catholic Lancers (MA High School) – 2013
25 GP / 15 G / 27 A / 42 Pts
Iovanna was named an All-Star for his efforts this season.  He capped of the year by scoring the game winning goal in the Super 8 title game to give the Lancers back to back championships.

Willy Smith – LW – Springfield Pics (EJHL/EmpJHL) – 2014
EJHL: 21 GP / 1 G / 1 A / 2 Pts / 28 PIM
Empire: 22 GP / 7 G / 18 A / 25 Pts / 24 PIM
Smith’s season is over as the Pics were eliminated in the Empire League playoffs. You can’t blame Smith though as he was the leading scorer for the Pics with a goal and three assists in the two playoff games.

K.J Tiefenwerth – C/W – Junior Bruins (EJHL) – 2012
43 GP / 30 G / 47 A / 77 Pts / 14 PIM
Tiefenwerth had the third most points and sixth most goals in the EJHL this year as captain of the Junior Bruins. He had a couple goals, including a game winner in four playoff games.

Shane Walsh – LW – South Shore Kings (EJHL) – 2012
Dubuque (USHL): 23 GP / 5 G / 7 A / 12 Pts / 0 PIM / –8
South Shore (EJHL): 9 GP / 7 G / 6 A / 13 Pts / 4 PIM
Walsh’s Kings were eliminated by the New Hampshire Monarchs in the EJHL semifinals. Walsh had 2 goals in six playoff games. Next stop for him: Amherst.

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After complaining about the lack of recruits a couple months ago, they’re coming fast and furious now.  Over the weekend UMass picked up a commitment from Casey Miller, a 5’8” 165lb center who played this past year for Kimball Union (same prep school where Steve Mastalerz played).  Hockey is in the family for Casey.  His father Paul played at BU when Toot Cahoon was an assistant coach there, winning a national championship his freshman year.  His uncle Bob played at UNH and then went on to a pretty long pro career, including four seasons with the Bruins.  He even spent a season in Springfield with the Indians (precursor to the Falcons).

Casey had 18 goals and 24 assists in 31 games in his junior season for the Wildcats, finishing second on the team in goal, assists, and total points.  KUA won the the championship for their level of prep hockey with Miller forcing a turnover and assisting on the overtime game winner against Holderness for the title.  He just had a solid performance in the recent Beantown Classic showcase event that may have helped him land the scholarship offer from UMass.  According to USHR his hands and intelligence are his biggest assets, making up for his lack of size and quickness, and helped to consistently generate a lot of offense.  USHR ranked him as the 26th best junior this past season (Mark Hamilton was ranked #7).  The Billerica native will likely arrive in Amherst in 2014 after playing out his senior year at KUA and then a year in juniors.

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So in case you missed it, Jon Quick and his Kings are on the verge of sweeping the President’s Trophy winning Canucks right out of the NHL Playoffs.  Last night Quick shutout the Canucks 1-0, his second career playoff shutout in 15 games.  In the last two games he’s made a total of 89 saves.  ‘The Quick and the Near Dead’ is the headline in the Vancouver Sun.  USA Today says he’s the #1 reason why Vancouver is on the brink of elimination. NHL.com cites Quick’s work ethic as why he has excelled.  What amazes me is how active he is in the crease compared to his UMass days.  He is constantly moving, trying to make sure he has the best positioning and a constant view of the puck.

Justin Braun in the playoffs with the Sharks got a nice left hand in against the St Louis Blues and then didn’t fare so well.