Spartans Take on Harvard in GLI Semifinals
12/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 28, 2006
in brief
MSU closes out the 2006 portion of its schedule with a trip to Detroit to participate in the 42nd annual Great Lakes Invitational. Michigan State is one of the three traditional participants, along with Michigan and host Michigan Tech. This season, Harvard joins the field as the fourth invitee, and will serve as MSU's semifinal opponent.
historical perspective
The Spartans are 39-24-1 (.617) all-time in the holiday event, the highest winning percentage of the three traditional participants.
recent gli history
Michigan State has appeared in the GLI final in eight of the last nine years (and 11 of the last 13), and has won 10 tournament titles, its most recent in 2004. Since 1997, MSU is the only traditional participant to win the GLI - the Spartans have won five of the last nine titles, with North Dakota (2001), Boston University (2002), Boston College (2003), and Colorado College (2005) winning the others.
The Spartans are 5-3 under Rick Comley in the GLI, which included the 2004 title. The Spartans have been in the championship game the last three seasons.
the matchups
The Spartans will take on Harvard in the early semifinal on Dec. 29. This will be the Crimson's fifth appearance in the tournament, and first since 1991. MSU is 6-4-1 all-time against Harvard, which includes a 3-1-0 mark in neutral-site games.
Harvard and MSU have met twice (both in consolation games) in the GLI, the most recent a 3-1 Spartan win in the 1991 and a 6-4 MSU victory in 1980.
The Spartans are 21-3 all-time against Tech in this tournament, and have met 152 times overall in the storied history of the programs. While the Huskies own a 73-77-2 mark all-time, MSU has won the last 11 meetings and 24 of the last 28. The teams have met only in this tournament since 1986, and the Spartans staged a dramatic overtime victory in last year's semifinals (3-2 in overtime).
The series record between Michigan and Michigan State in GLI games is an even 6-6-1, with the tie coming in the 1981 consolation game. Should the teams meet in this year's tournament, it would be the fourth meeting of the season of the two teams and the first of a possible three at Joe Louis Arena this season. Overall, Michigan State trails 116-130-16 in the series. MSU and Michigan have met ten times in the finals of the GLI, and U-M owns six victories in those games. The last meeting of the teams in the GLI was in the 2004 finals, when a Colton Fretter overtime tally sent the Spartans to a 2-1 victory.
old friends
Six of the 11 all-time meetings of Michigan State and Harvard have occurred in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans' 1986 National Championship was a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Harvard in the title game in Providence, while the Crimson defeated MSU in the 1989 semifinals (6-3) en route to the school's NCAA title. The teams also faced off in the 1983 and 1988 regionals as well.
captain factory
The captains of the Crimson (Dylan Reese) and Spartans (Chris Lawrence) were teammates on the Pittsburgh Forge (NAHL) and helped lead the squad to the 2003 Junior "A" National Championship. MSU senior Brandon Warner was also on that team.
more connections
Spartan forward Kurt Kivisto will certainly have some familiar faces across the ice this weekend, as his younger brother, John, is a freshman defenseman at Michigan Tech, playing alongside their cousin, Lars Helminen.
fancy new duds
In Saturday's game, the Spartans will debut a fourth jersey for this season, the Nike Swift Hockey Jersey. The new sweater reduces overall uniform weight, adds increased mobility and comfort while making the jersey aerodynamically the most advanced in the world. First unveiled to the global stage in Torino, Italy in February, the Nike Swift jersey will be worn by nine men's college hockey programs in action this weekend: Cornell, Denver, Maine, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Ohio State.
among the giants
Head coach Rick Comley brings a 697-543-88 record into this weekend's games, during his 34th season as a collegiate head coach. He is third among active head coaches in career victories and sits fifth on the all-time NCAA list, which is headed by former Spartan mentor Ron Mason (924 victories). With three wins, he will become the fifth collegiate coach to record 700 hockey coaching victories.
Comley won his 100th game behind the Spartan bench on December 9, a 3-2 victory at Northern Michigan. He owns a 100-67-17 mark during his Michigan State tenure.
scouting the crimson
The Crimson, under the tutelage of NHL veteran and 1991 Harvard graduate Ted Donato, own a 4-9-0 mark on the season, and is looking for its first back-to-back wins of the season after a victory over conference foe Dartmouth (3-2) on Dec. 15. The squad sees a mix of youth and experience atop its scoring chart, as freshman Doug Rogers (3-7-10) and senior Kevin Du (2-8-10) share the scoring lead. First-year blueliner Alex Biega has contributed four goals and five assists for nine points, while senior Ryan Maki owns the team lead with five goals (eight points).
Between the pipes, Donato has employed a platoon with senior Justin Tobe (a transfer who spent one season at MSU) and first-year backstop Kyle Richter - Tobe owns a 2.57 GAA and .893 save percentage in nine games played, while the freshman owns a .891 save percentage and 3.38 GAA in six contests.
in the polls
Michigan State's position in both national polls held steady for the second straight week - the Spartans are 14th in the most recent (Dec. 18) USCHO.com poll as well as theUSA Today/USAHockeyMagazine survey.
quite the cluster
Michigan State is now 7-5-1 in conference play, in a tie for sixth place. Seven of its first nine games were played against its clustermates (Ferris State, Western Michigan, and Michigan), where the Spartans own a 3-3-1 mark. Ferris is 2-4-1 in cluster games, Western is 3-4-0, and Michigan is 5-2-0.
non-conference success
Since the 2000-01 season, Michigan State has posted a 32-18-4 mark against non-CCHA opponents during the regular season. In the four-plus seasons under Rick Comley, MSU is 20-16-3 against non-CCHA opposition, including a 6-3-1 mark last season.
fast starts, slow starts
In the first seven games of the season, the Spartans scored 22 of their 29 goals in the first two periods. In the eight games since, 16 of their 19 goals have come in the second or third frame - which includes 10 third-period markers. Six of MSU's last seven goals scored have come in the third period, and the Spartans have scored one first-period goal in their last seven games (at Minnesota).
rare nc's
The Spartans are 2-2 in their non-conference action this season, with just two more games against outside competition left on the regular-season schedule. MSU swept a home weekend against St. Lawrence and Sacred Heart back in October, then dropped back-to-back games at the Showcase against Wisconsin and Minnesota over Thanksgiving weekend. The only remaining games on the slate which don't count in the CCHA standings are the pair in the Great Lakes Invitational.
preseason accolades
The Spartans have been recognized as one of the most promising teams in the CCHA for the upcoming season. MSU earned the first-place nod in the CCHA coaches' poll, earning seven first-place votes. Thirty-eight members of the CCHA media had MSU first on their ballots, but the Spartans were one point behind Michigan in the media poll and were second.
Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg (first team) and senior defenseman Tyler Howells (second team) were recognized as Preseason All-CCHA selections. Lerg is the league's reigning Rookie of the Year, as well as the CCHA Tournament MVP from 2006.
the munn advantage
Michigan State is 6-1-1 at home this season, and just 3-6-0 on the road. The Spartans have outscored their opponents 32-20 and outshot them by an average of 30-24 at home, while being outscored (22-26) and are outshot (29.1-23.6) in road venues. Six of Michigan State's 22 goals scored on the road came in a 6-0 victory at Ferris State.
The last time MSU had a better start than its current 6-1-1 at home was 2001, when it started the season on a 10-game (9-0-1) unbeaten streak.
call it after after two?
Michigan State is 7-1-1 this season when leading after two periods. The Spartans were 21-2-1 with a second-intermission lead a year ago and are 97-6-6 over the last five years.
MSU is 1-6-0 this season when trailing after two periods, but the Spartans rallied from a 2-1 deficit with a pair of goals in the final ten minutes of the game in its most recent outing at Northern Michigan - Nick Sucharski's power-play tally at 10:12 tied the game, and Bryan Lerg potted the game-winner at 17:22.
break out the brooms
With the road sweep at Northern Michigan, the Spartans improved to 3-6-0 away from Munn Arena and recorded a CCHA sweep for the first time since February 17-18, 2006, when MSU took a pair from then-second-ranked Miami. It was the first CCHA road sweep for the Spartans since January 23-24, 2004, at Ohio State.
lady byng
Michigan State has allowed the third fewest goals among CCHA teams (46), and ranks 48th among 58 Division I teams in penalty minutes per game (15.3).
tight squeezes
The Spartans picked up a pair of one-goal wins in their final pre-holiday action at Northern Michigan, their first of the season - they had been 0-3-0 in one-goal contests. MSU was 12-6-0 in one-goal games last season.
holiday comparisons
Compared to last season at the holiday break, MSU owns two more victories in two fewer games - the 2005-06 Spartans entered the holiday break at 7-7-5, and were 2-4-3 on the road. The Spartans used a strong second half - where they went 17-4-3 after January 1 - and advanced to the NCAA regional final.
tales of two halves
During the Rick Comley era, the Spartans have traditionally been a second-half team. The first three months (October, November, December) of the last four seasons (2002-06), the Spartans have gone 37-34-7 (.519), then compiled a 55-26-8 mark in January, February, and March (.663).
streaks and trends
This season, MSU started out with a 4-1-1 record,(outscoring its opponent 25-16) then went 3-6-1 from Nov. 4 to Dec. 2 (outscored 26-23). In 2005-06, State started 5-1-1 (outscoring its opponent 27-15), and went 1-6-3 from Nov. 9 to Dec. 3, being outscored 32-24. Michigan State has had 27 fewer power play attempts and has been shorthanded 25 fewer times this season compared to last.
line shuffling
Rick Comley has used 23 different line combinations this season - of the eight lines put together over two nights in the final pre-holiday weekend at Northern Michigan, five of them had never been used before in 2006-07. Only four of the 23 line combinations have been together for more than three games: Kennedy-Abdelkader-Crowder (16 of 17 games), B. Lerg-Mueller-McKenzie (12 games), Schepke-Sucharski-Sprague (10 games) and Lawrence-Kivisto-Warner (6 games). Fifteen of the 23 lines have been used only one game.
More shakeup is expected for the GLI, as Justin Abdelkader is in Sweden competing for the US at the World Junior Championship.
struggling special teams
MSU's penalty kill allowed two goals in 16 chances in its most recent series at Northern Michigan, while converting on two of 11 chances when skating on the man advantage. On the year, the Spartans are only 17-for-102 (.167) on the power play, and halve allowed 14 PPG in 85 chances against (.835).
home sweet home
• MSU is averaging 4.0 goals at home, but only 2.4 goals on the road.
• Michigan State has been outscored 14-6 in the second period on the road, but has outscored its opponent 14-6 in the middle frame at Munn.
• Nine of MSU's 22 road goals have come in the third period, and the Spartans have outscored their opponents 9-6 in the final frame.
• Six of Kennedy's 11 goals have come on the road, that accounts for nearly 28 percent of MSU's road production. Four of the five he has scored at home have come on special teams - three with the man advantage, and one empty-net shorthanded effort.
• Opponents are averaging 29 shots on goal at their buildings, but only 24 at Munn.
in the last five games ...
• MSU is clicking at 12.0 percent (3-for-25) on the power play, while opponents are at 18.5 percent (5-for-27).
• The Spartans have been outshot by a 28-25 average, and have been out shot in the first (48-32) and second (48-46) periods. The Spartans own a 48-44 edge in third-period attempts.
• MSU is 3-2-0, but has scored as many goals as its opponent (11). Five of the goals against have come on the power play.
• Chris Mueller is the team's top scorer in this span, with four goals and five points. Both Bryan Lerg and Tim Kennedy have a pair of goals and two assists each. Tyler Howells also has four points, all assists.
shutout notes
MSU is the only team with two shutouts in conference games this season. Since Rick Comley took over in the 2002-03 season, Michigan State has recorded 28 shutouts - of those, 15 have come after the team has loss or tied its previous game.
pair of shorties
Michigan State gave up two shorthanded goals in its most recent loss to Ohio State, scored in the final minute of the first period and opening minute of the second frame (both on the same minor penalty). The last time MSU gave up two shorthanded goals in the same game was Jan. 11, 1997 in a 4-4 tie at Lake Superior State. In that game, Joe Blaznek scored at 15:03 of the second and 4:31 of the third.
injured reserve
Senior blueliner Ethan Graham will likely return to the lineup the this weekend's tournament after missing the last seven games with a leg injury, sustained in the Nov. 18 win over Notre Dame.
at the dot
Chris Mueller leads all Spartans in faceoff winning percentage, with 154 wins and 119 losses (.564). Nick Sucharski is also better than .500, with 103 wins and 95 losses (.520).
he scores, too
At Northern Michigan on Dec. 8, Chris Mueller had his second multiple-goal effort in three games, and has 4-1-5 in his last four contests. Mueller's penalty shot on Friday was the first for the Spartans since Bryan Lerg scored on his attempt on Dec. 2, 2005 against Bowling Green.
everybody loves a winner
Bryan Lerg's third-period game-winner was his fourth game-winner of the season, which ties him for the national lead in that category. He currently has nine goals on the season.
keep `em healthy, ace
Tim Kennedy led the 2006 freshmen in assists (13), and had 17 of his 19 points after returning from a hand injury on Dec. 29 (he missed 16 games). Kennedy had seven points in his last six games a year ago. This year, he's picked up right where he left off - he owns the team lead in scoring with 19 points (11g, 8a), having tied his freshman-year point total before Christmas.
more on kennedy
Tim Kennedy has six multi-point games and three multiple-goal outings in 17 games. He had six multi-point games all of last season. In 2005-06, Drew Miller and Tyler Howells paced the Spartans in multi-goal games with three apiece over 44 games.
Kennedy has been the Spartans' most exciting offensive player this season, and bolstered that image with a highlight-reel, end-to-end rush at Yost on Nov. 21 during which he beat four Michigan players to score an unassisted goal.
more sophomore production
Justin Abdelkader tied his career best with a three-point night at Minnesota on a goal and pair of assists. In the last seven games, Abdelkader, along with Kennedy, were both +6 despite an 3-4 team record for the Spartans.
internationally known
Abdelkader was selected for the 2007 U.S. National Junior Team, which is currently participating in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship (Dec. 26 - Jan. 5) in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. The announcement of the team was made on Dec. 5 by USA Hockey, and aired live on Versus. He is the 22nd Spartan to participate in the World Junior tournament.
Spartan video coordinator Keith McKittrick has also been selected to join the World Junior team in a similar capacity - he worked with MSU assistant Brian Renfrew and the select Under-17 teams at the Three Nations Cup in Rochester, NY this past August.
points on the blueline
Freshman Mike Ratchuk scored his third goal of the season at Minnesota on Nov. 24, a goal which tied the game at four in the third period. He is the only defenseman to find the back of the net for the Spartans this season.
howie's a helper
Despite not having a goal on the season, Tyler Howells has been on the ice for six of the Spartans' nine game-winning goals this year, best on the team. He set up both Nick Sucharski's game-tying tally and Bryan Lerg's game-winner on Saturday at Northern.
open tryouts
While his top two lines have been settled since the beginning of training camp, Rick Comley has tried several combinations for the third and fourth units in recent games. Against St. Lawrence, his fourth line of Brandon Warner and Dan Sturges centered by Kurt Kivisto generated the eventual game-winner. It was Kivisto with the tally - and he was appearing in just his third career game. Kivisto has appeared in five of the last six games, and has seemingly earned a spot on the fourth line.
Each of MSU's 23 skaters has appeared in at least two games this season, and 19 of those have at least one point. Freshman Justin Johnston made his collegiate debut at Wisconsin and played one of the games in Marquette, which means every skater has dressed in at least two games.
start out strong
Freshman Jay Sprague opened his freshman campaign with a five game point-scoring streak, which also featured back-to-back multiple-point games (two assists). He was the only Spartan skater to score in each of the team's first five games, but he has not scored a point since MSU's home game against Michigan (Nov. 3).
ccha honors
Jeff Lerg was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Week on Nov. 13 for his performance against Ferris State, stopping 64 of 66 shots in a three-point week. The sophomore had 29 saves in a 2-2 midweek tie, then came back with a season-best 35 saves in a 6-0 victory on the road in Big Rapids, his (and the team's) first shutout of the season.
zeroes
Jeff Lerg's 25-save shutout of Notre Dame on Nov. 18 was the fewest saves he has had to make in his five career shutouts; the other four totals were 31 (Alaska 1/13/06 and Michigan 1/17/06), 36 (New Hampshire 3/25/06) and 35 (Ferris State 11/10/06). It was the second time in the his career he has had two shutouts in a three-game span.
Michigan State was shut out by Wisconsin, 2-0, on Nov. 25. It was the first whitewash of the Spartan offense since Feb. 12, 2005 at Alaska Fairbanks (1-0). Spartans goaltenders have posted 10 shutouts since then.
finding the touch
Sophomore Nick Sucharski, who missed significant time due to illness as a freshman, has five goals on the season after netting only two in his first year.
playmakers
Fifteen of Tim Kennedy's 19 points have been either goals (11) or primary assists (4). Six of Jim McKenzie's ten have been on goals or PA's, while all seven of Nick Sucharski's are of that variety as well.
extra advantage
Tim Kennedy (5g, 2a) and Jim McKenzie (2g, 4a) have been prolific on the power play, with seven and six points, respectively, while MSU is skating on the man advantage. Six of Tyler Howells' eight points (0-6-6) have come on the PP, while Mike Ratchuk (2g, 2a) and Crowder (4a) each have four points.
stuff we're not sure means much yet,
but is worth mentioning
• Justin Abdelkader posted the first goal of the 2006-07 campaign, just 1:44 into the opener against Western Michigan. Abdelkader also scored the first goal of the 2005-06 season, at the 2:03 mark of the first period against Wayne State in the Lefty McFadden Invitational in Dayton, Ohio.
• MSU has spread its poewr play goals equally among periods: six in the first and second periods, and five in the third.
• The earliest goal MSU has scored in a game this season is 1:44 into the first period. The latest the Spartans have scored (excluding an empty-net tally) is 18:33 of the third frame.
• MSU's fastest two goals this season came at Minnesota, with two third-period tallies within 38 seconds (7:06, 7:42). Their fastest two goals allowed were just 14 seconds apart at Notre Dame (10:35, 10:49). Earlier this season, the Spartans netted tallies 40 seconds apart in the first period (4:13; 4:43) at Ferris State.
• State has lost the second period in six of its last eight games, being outscored 11-5.
who's got next?
Rick Comley has seen the bulk of the scoring come from his sophomore class this year. While the number of sophomore skaters is a third larger to triple the size of the other classes, one can't underestimate the impact the class has had on the team's offensive fortunes. A breakdown, by class - followed by last year's breakdown.
2006-07 Class (No.) GP Goals (pct.) Points (pct.) Freshman (4) 48 4 (7.4%) 14 (10.4%) Sophomore (9) 116 29 (53.7%) 59 (44.0%) Junior (6) 83 19 (35.1%) 43 (32.0%) Senior (4) 60 2 (3.7%) 18 (13.4%)2005-06 Class (No.) GP Goals (pct.) Points (pct.) Freshman (8) 164 35 (25.4%) 78 (20.6%) Sophomore (6) 219 40 (29.0%) 102 (26.9%) Junior (6) 201 35 (25.4%) 102 (26.9%) Senior (5) 175 28 (20.2%) 96 (25.3%)
fun and games, but an education at stake
The Spartan hockey team participated in a contest of sorts during the first semester, drafing four teams for an academic competition that they waged over the course of the first half - the team with the highest combined GPA for the semester would be served dinner by their teammates. The winning team, with a cumulative GPA of 3.15 for the semester, was captained by junior Jeff Dunne, and consisted of Dan Sturges, Brandon Warner, Justin Abdelkader, Steve Mnich, and Chris Snavely.
schedule capsule
Six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago are the highlight of the 2006-07 Spartan schedule, which includes 15 home games, three at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, and non-conference opponents from the WCHA, ECAC, and Atlantic Hockey will be featured on the Spartans' docket for the upcoming season. The traditional four games against Michigan, the College Hockey Showcase against Minnesota and Wisconsin, and annual appearance in the Great Lakes Invitational are once again the marquee games on the schedule. The Spartans will play one of their games against the Wolverines at Joe Louis Arena, and will face off against ECAC champion Harvard in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Invitational. In all, Michigan State will play 11 games against teams which earned spots in last year's NCAA Tournament, including the defending National Champion Badgers.
media darlings
Twenty-one Michigan State regular-season hockey games will be aired live in the upcoming hockey season, in addition to one exhibition game. The array of MSU games will be aired on FSN Detroit, College Sports Television (CSTV), ESPNU, and Comcast.
In addition, the Michigan State Department of Athletics has announced that 14 of its 17 regular-season home games will be available via live webstream on its official website, www.msuspartans.com. Part of the All-Access package, subscribers will be able to get live video synched with the radio call by Scott Moore and Rob Woodward. Michigan State cannot webcast games which will air live on FSN Detroit.
harley to the hall
Calgary Flames owner Harley Hotchkiss - a 1951 graduate of Michigan State University - was inducted into the National Hockey League's Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, November 13 in Toronto.
The class was announced on Wednesday, June 28 by Jim Gregory, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and also includes Patrick Roy and Terrance `Dick' Duff in the Player Category. Hotchkiss and former coach Herb Brooks were elected in the Builder Category.
Hotchkiss was part of the ownership group which brought the Flames to Calgary from Atlanta in 1980, where the Flames have prospered (they appeared in the Stanley Cup finals as recently as 2004) and won the coveted chalice in 1989. He was also instrumental in helping bring the Olympic Winter Games to the city in 1988, and has served as the Chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors for the past 10 years.
Hotchkiss was a member of the Michigan State hockey team in 1950, playing for former coach Harold Paulson. It was the first season of reinstatement for the program after a 19-year hiatus. Hotchkiss had a goal and three assists in an abbreviated 14-game schedule.
Mr. Hotchkiss is an Officer of the Order of Canada and holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary and an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Michigan State. He was awarded the Alberta Order of Excellence in 1998.
faces of the future
Rick Comley announced the signing of National Letters of Intent by three more recruits for the fall of 2007, bringing the total number of incoming freshmen for the 2007-08 school year to five.
The three who signed in this most recent period are Corey Tropp (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Sioux Falls Stampede), a 5-10, 180-pound forward; Dustin Gazley (Novi Mich./Sioux City Musketeers), a 5-8, 150-pound forward; and defenseman AJ Sturges (Madison, Wis.), who is a 6-4, 190-pound standout for the US National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. Sturges' brother, Dan, is a current Spartan, and their father, John, was an MSU standout from 1972-76 and ranks eighth all-time in career assists (132).
Tropp, Gazley, and Sturges join previous signees Jeff Petry (Farmington Hills, Mich), a 6-3, 200-pound defenseman who is currently playing for the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) and 6-1, 180 pound winger Andrew Rowe (Muskegon, Mich.), who is a teammate of Gazley in Sioux City.
catching up with ...
Five members of the 2005-06 team are now playing professional hockey.
David Booth was called up by Florida on Wednesday, Dec. 27 for his second stint with the parent club after a highly successful stint with the Rochester Amerks, where he had a 7-20-27 scoring line in 25 games.
Two others - Drew Miller and Jared Nightingale - have logged time on American Hockey League (AHL) rosters, the top developmental league for the NHL. Miller has four goals and 11 assists (+3) in 30 games played for the Portland Pirates, the top affiliate for the Anaheim Ducks.
Nightingale, who signed a free agent contract in late March and appeared in 10 games with the Springfield Falcons last spring, was called up in late October by the Iowa Stars. He had a goal in his first AHL game this season, a win over Omaha on Oct. 27. He had a pair of goals in six games played in Iowa before being returned to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, where he has since played in 11 games.
Two other members of last year's team are playing in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) - Colton Fretter has certainly made a splash in his first professional season. He ranks seventh in the ECHL in scoring (33 points), and leads the league with 19 goals. He recently was named to the ECHL All-Star game, was named the League's Rookie of the Month on Nov 1, and tied the Gwinnett Gladiators team record with four goals in a game.
Meanwhile, Corey Potter has five goals and eight assists in 12 games with the Charlotte Checkers.
baker's dozen
A total of 13 former Spartans are currently on NHL rosters: David Booth (Florida), Rod Brind'Amour (Carolina), Anson Carter (Columbus), Adam Hall (NY Rangers), Shawn Horcoff (Edmonton), Andrew Hutchinson (Carolina), Duncan Keith (Chicago), John-Michael Liles (Colorado), Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Jim Slater (Atlanta), Bryan Smolinski (Chicago), Mike Weaver (Los Angeles) and Mike York (NY Islanders). Booth was called up on Dec. 27, but had an earlier stint with the Panthers in November.
spartan-on-spartan crime
Last year, Rod Brind'Amour and Andrew Hutchinson won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes, defeating Shawn Horcoff and the Oilers in seven games. The Hurricanes advanced to the finals after defeating Ryan Miller and the Sabres in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games as well.
up next
The Spartans return to conference action to kick off 2007, traveling to Oxford, Ohio to tangle with league-leading Miami in a showdown of conference pre-season favorites.
