Brunner U Brunner

International Scouting Services: Prospects to watch at Canada's U-18 camp

The nation’s top under-18 players, who will make up Canada’s squad for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in August, have come together for their summer evaluation camp. The Ivan Hlinka is one of hockey’s hidden gems and it’s a real shame that it does not get the coverage or exposure that it deserves. No disrespect to the IIHF Under-18 World Championship held every April, but the Ivan Hlinka tournament is the true gauge for the best national teams at the level, as all the best players are generally available to play (many are tied up with playoffs in April). In goal, Canada has a strong crop this year and, for good reason. Daniel Altshuller seems to be the player getting the most attention from scouts, but the player I’m most interested in seeing perform at this level is Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound Matt Murray. Murray’s effort level at last month’s development camp was unmatched and he has proven to be very quick in the crease, making him a difficult netminder to deceive and open up some net against. The battle in goal will be intense as both Francois Tremblay and Dominic Graham are also capable of stealing the show. I’m a little surprised that my favorite Canadian under-18 goaltender, Chris Driedger, did not get an invite, but I think that actually just proves how competitive this position will be for the tournament and the draft. It’s a nice position to be in for Canada’s coaching staff. Much has been made of the crop of D-men for this year’s draft and it truly is exceptional. How do you cut down the list if you’re Canada’s coaching staff? Tough call. My personal favorite in the group is Matt Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels. I have been lucky enough to watch him play since he was in bantam and tried to coach against him in the Alberta Cup under-16 program. Dumba is extremely dynamic and can change the momentum of a game with his stick or body. He’s the kind of player who gets fans on their feet and can intimidate opponents with his presence. The blueliner I’m looking forward to getting a better look at is Niagara IceDog Jesse Graham. Graham had a solid rookie season in the Ontario League, but really stepped up in the playoffs. He might be a bit of a dark horse at this point, which is ridiculous considering his abilities, but I’m very interested to see how he does against the higher level of competition.

At forward, I urge everyone to keep their eyes on Hunter Shinkaruk. This will be the third straight under-18 camp (that I know of) Shinkaruk will be attending, but the first time he’ll actually be on the ice for it. The Calgary-raised Shinkaruk is an absolute rink rat and has that love and passion for the game that is truly genuine and exciting. Perhaps the most underrated player in the mix at forward is Brandon Magee. An easy player to write off because of his size, Magee is a warrior and is potentially the best two-way player in the group. Do not overlook him, it would be a huge mistake as there is nothing the kid won’t do for his team and he is full of surprises. Magee is almost guaranteed to be one of the biggest dark horses/wildcards of the 2012 NHL draft, jump on his bandwagon now because he just doesn’t let you down. None of these players are locks to make the team, although Dumba is pretty darn close, and I’m not trying to say who I think the best players are. I could go on, excitedly, for hours talking about the potential of every single one of the players on the invite list (give me a shout on Twitter @rossmaclean if you want to challenge that), but these are the players I really want to see strut their stuff. I wish all the players the best of luck and I am really looking forward to watching them compete for their dream and see who jumps out at this level. Lastly, it would be wrong to write a column about this event and not mention Griffin Reinhart…so, Griffin Reinhart…I imagine I will get to talk about him enough this season.

Jennifer Brunner applauds John Kasich

As Gov. John Kasich rattled through his policy agenda during a speech to the Columbus Metropolitan Club yesterday, there was an audience member seated near the stage nodding in agreement.

Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat.

…

“Not everyone agrees with those changes, but he’s making an effort. You can tell that he cares.” . . .  Kasich is “dedicated to reforming Ohio,” Brunner said.

When you read a story and the only thing that your mind creates that makes a news story makes since involves alien “pod people” or that you somehow got transported to “Bizarro Ohio,”  you know you’ve hit a WTF moment.

I was one of the first people to publicly jump to support Jennifer Brunner when she decided to run for the Senate last year.  I did so because I admired Jennifer Brunner’s work as Secretary of State, her position on the issues, and her willingness to unapologetically support progressive causes (and because I believed that history had shown that Lee Fisher would be a trainwreck of a nominee.)  But who is this person who talks about John Kasich as the empathizer?  John Kasich the reformer?  REALLY?!?

Brunner, allegedly, has been considering running for Governor in 2014.  Perhaps it was just a rumor, but I had heard it from multiple reliable sources who would seem to know what Brunner was intending.  But I fail to see how these positions Brunner positions her to make such a run.

I supported Brunner’s Senate candidacy because of where she stood on the issues, and tactically, I thought Lee Fisher was the worst candidate at the worst possible time.

But unless the Dispatch with its…. um… massive African-American population.

It’s like Kasich views the economy with the zest of an interior decorator.  “I want African-Americans working in the natural gas industry over here in Appalachia, and I want Asians doing the fishing in Lake Erie… Oh, and see if we can get some Native Americans for the casinos…”  Look, I’m glad that Kasich says he wants African-Americans to find jobs but…. I mean… did he really nod in approval during such a speech?

I checked on Brunner’s Facebook pages, and although at least one other follower has asked her to respond to this story, she hasn’t.  Before posting this, I’ve emailed Brunner for an explanation.  If she responds and agrees to go on the record, I’ll post it.  But she’s got some serious explaining to do.