Michigan State Hockey Notebook II

Aug. 6, 2004

EAST LANSING, Mich. - With fall and the school year just around the corner, here are some more brief tidbits on Michigan State's hockey team to get you pumped up for the upcoming season. The Peachtree State
Atlanta Thrashers draft picks Jim Slater (No. 30, 2002 NHL Draft) and Colton Fretter (No. 230, 2002 NHL Draft) attended the 2004 Thrashers Prospect Camp at the IceForum in Duluth, Ga., July 10-18. The camp focused on improving off-ice conditioning and advanced on-ice training. Thrashers Director of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Dan Marr oversaw the development camp and Thrashers Strength and Conditioning Coach Ray Bear conducted the off-ice training and conditioning. On-ice sessions were run by members of the teams scouting staff, including Mark Dobson, John Perpich and Head Scout Marcel Comeau. Power skating was taught by Chicago Wolves special instructor Kenny McCudden.

Colton Fretter attended the Atlanta Thrashers Prospects Camp for a second-straight year in July.

It marked the third camp for Slater since Atlanta drafted him in the first round (No. 30 overall) in the 2002 NHL Draft. Meanwhile, it marked the second straight year that Fretter has attended the Prospects Camp. Thelen Heads To U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp
Sophomore defenseman A.J. Thelen heads to the 2004 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, Aug. 9-14 at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. The camp will include exhibition contests between two U.S. squads (Teams Blue and White) and under-20 select teams from Finland and Sweden. Participating players in the camp are candidates for the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team, which will compete in the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. The tournament will take place Dec. 25, 2004-Jan. 4, 2005 in Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn. The 2004 All-America Second-Team honoree finished second among CCHA blueliners in scoring with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) and tied for fifth in the nation is scoring among rearguards. His 11 goals placed him tied for ninth on MSU's single-season list for goals by a defenseman. The Savage, Minn., native has five power-play goals among his 11 tallies to rank first on MSU. All told, he paced the team with 10 power-play points (five goals, five assists). The WHA
The World Hockey Association held its free agent draft at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort on July 17-18. WHA teams selected 30 NHL/AHL Free Agents on July 17 and 30 Entry-Level Free Agents on July 18. The season is set to begin in late October, and the new league will look to stock its teams with free agents from both the NHL and American Hockey League Several former Spartans were among the players selected on Saturday (July 17), including:
Round Three (No. 23 overall) - Dallas - Kip Miller, C, Washington Capitals Round Nine (No. 68) - Hamilton - Anson Carter, C, Los Angeles Kings Round 13 (No. 100) - Hamilton - Jim Cummins, RW, Colorado Avalanche Round 13 (No. 103) - Dallas - Andrew Hutchinson, D, Nashville Predators/Milwaukee Admirals Round 19 (No. 150) - Founders' Franchise - Kevin Miller, RW, Detroit Red Wings/Grand Rapids Griffins Several current Spartans were among the players chosen on Sunday (July 18):
Round Eight (No. 58 overall) - Florida - Jim Slater, F Round Nine (No. 69) - Dallas - David Booth, F Round 14 (No. 110) - Detroit - Lee Falardeau, F Little of This & That
* Former Spartan All-American defenseman Mike Weaver (1996-2000) inked a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings on July 16. The Brampton, Ont., native played in one game for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003-04. He also played in 78 regular-season games for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, totaling three goals and 14 assists for 17 points and 89 penalty minutes. Weaver has appeared in 57 career NHL regular-season contests with the Thrashers and has six assists. * Andrew Hutchinson (1999-2002) inked a deal with the Nashville Predators on July 26. The Evanston, Ill., native registered eight points (four goals, four assists) in 18 games with Nashville in 2003-04. He scored his first career NHL goal in a 4-3 win vs. Colorado on Jan. 8, 2004. A member of the 2004 AHL Calder Cup Champion Milwaukee Admirals, Hutchinson posted 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 46 regular-season games. He ranked fourth on the club with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the playoffs and played for the PlanetUSA All-Stars at the 2004 AHL All-Star Classic. * On Aug. 2, the Atlanta Thrashers agreed to terms with restricted free agent left-wing Brian Maloney (2000-03). During his first professional season, Maloney registered 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) and 56 penalty minutes in 69 games with the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves.

Brian Maloney tallied 137 points (63 goals, 74 assists) during his four-year Spartan career.

During his four-year MSU career, Maloney tallied 137 points (63 goals, 74 assists) and 292 penalty minutes in 160 games. * Former MSU standout and Lansing, Mich., native Danton Cole (1986-89) has signed a one-year extension to remain as the head coach of the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins. In doing so, Cole becomes the first Griffins coach to return for a third season. In two seasons, he has compiled an overall record of 92-50-16-2 and is five games and four wins away from breaking the Grand Rapids franchise records for hockey games coaches (164) and wins (95). Cole, a member of the 1986 MSU national title team, tallied 163 points (69 goals, 94 assists) during his four-year career. The two-time CCHA All-Academic First-Team honoree stills ranks tied for 27th on MSU's top-30 all-time scorers chart. * In the Aug., 2004 edition of The Hockey News, Nashville's Jason York provided some humor with his two minutes in the box. His final question ... Which NHLer has the best nickname?
"Last year, we called (David) Legwand `The Donkey From Shrek', for obvious reasons, and Adam Hall (former Spartan captain and four-year letterwinner) was `Bitter Beer Face'. But my favorite is Scott Walker. We called him `Pluto Legs'; that started after Andreas Johansson saw Scotty trying to keep one of his super-short little legs behind the blueline to avoid an offside. Andreas said, `Hey look, he's got Pluto Legs!' and a great nickname was born."

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