Denny Urban in Beaver County Times
July 28, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under Off-season
By Chris Bradford
Times Sports Staff
PITTSBURGH — In a Penguins locker room adorned with photos of Stanley Cup champions and swarming with high draft picks, Robert Morris University junior Denny Urban didn’t seem the least bit out of place.
Not bad for a kid who grew up in Pittsburgh a Penguins fans.
And certainly not bad for a budding hockey program that has existed for only five years.
Urban and fellow Colonial Nathan Longpre are two of the 27 players participating in this week’s Penguins rookie orientation camp. Urban’s coach at Robert Morris, Derek Schooley, is also serving as an instructor.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Urban said of his invitation. “It was pretty unexpected.”
A week before the Penguins’ seven-game victory over Detroit, Schooley told Urban that he should keep working hard in the summer in case he would be invited.
Urban, a smallish 5-foot-10 defenseman, certainly has built up some impressive credentials.
He was the Colonials’ defensive player of the year with 27 points (23 assists) in 34 games, while garnering College Hockey America first-team honors last season.
This week’s camp is the perfect platform for the RMU duo to test their mettle against the Penguins’ top prospects like Eric Tangradi, Luca Caputi, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Brian Strait and Simon Despres.
“I’m just trying to get my name out there and open up some eyes as a free agent,” Urban said. “All of the draft picks, (the Penguins) know what they can do. I’m just trying to show what I can do.”
As is Longpre, a Peterborough, Ontario, native who led the CHA with 29 assists last season.
“The first two guys to ever go to a training camp … It’s really helped put Robert Morris on the map and shown people that Robert Morris has good players,” Urban said.
The Colonials have a pretty good team, too.
Last season the Colonials lost to Alabama-Huntsville in the CHA championship. With this upcoming season being the CHA’s final year — RMU is being absorbed into the more prestigious Atlantic Hockey conference in 2010-11 — Urban would like to see the Colonials make the most of it.
“We’ve never won it,” Urban said.
“Last year we had 21 sophomores that are juniors now. We should have experience and have a good shot.”
New Hampsire faces 2 years probation for recruiting violations
July 27, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under College Hockey
From USCHO.com
July 23 — The NCAA has placed New Hampshire’s men’s hockey team on two years’ probation as part of a punishment for major recruiting violations.
The national association reported that a New Hampshire associate head coach sent 923 impermissible e-mail messages to 30 prospective student-athletes during the 2007-08 season.
The associate head coach, who was not named in the NCAA’s report, said he misinterpreted how data needed to be entered into recruiting software that sends e-mail messages to multiple recipients.
That, according to the report, led to 30 recruits getting e-mails from UNH before June 15 after the end of their freshman or sophomore years in high school.
The New Hampshire Union Leader reported that the associate head coach was Scott Borek.
“It was an honest mistake,” New Hampshire coach Dick Umile told the newspaper. “Probation means we can’t make another mistake. We self-reported when we realized a mistake had been made with the scouting software. Hopefully this sort of thing will not happen again.”
An NCAA committee on infractions decided more punishment than UNH was willing to give itself was warranted.
The punishments given to New Hampshire are:
• Public reprimand and censure.
• Two years of probation beginning on the date the university accepted the committee’s additional recommended penalties (April 24, 2009, to April 23, 2011). That punishment was self-imposed by the school.
• A reduction by one in the number of recruiters who are allowed to be off campus at the same time through Oct. 23.
• The 30 recruits will not be allowed to receive an expense-paid visit to the campus, nor will they be allowed to sign a National Letter of Intent with UNH. Both punishments were self-imposed.
The members of the Committee on Infractions who reviewed the case for the NCAA were: Paul Dee, chair of the committee and lecturer of law and education at Miami (Fla.) and formerly the institution’s athletics director and general counsel; John S. Black, attorney; Melissa Conboy, deputy athletic director at Notre Dame; Eileen Jennings, general counsel at Central Michigan; Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA; Alfred J. Lechner Jr., attorney; and Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly athletic director at Hampton.
Cody Crichton attended the Thrashers Prospect Camp
July 26, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under Off-season
Just has his teammates Denny Urban and Nathan Longpre are attending the Penguins Prospect Camp this year, Sophomore Forward, Cody Crichton spent another summer (he went last year as well) with the Atlanta Thrashers and their prospect camp.
Cody skated with some of the top prospects in the Thrashers camp, such as 2009 Draft Pick, Evander Kane. Cody wore #68 during the camp, scoring a goal on Day 3 of the camp, which lasted from July 10th through the 15th: Thrashers Prospect Camp
Local Pittsburgher, Steve Mears, let go from the Islanders
July 25, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under NHL
In reading the Yahoo! Puck Daddy blog this evening, I found out that local Pittsburgh product, Steve Mears, who has served as the MSG New York Islanders Play-by-Play broadcaster for the past three seasons, found himself out in New York, as the Islanders have cut their radio crew, in a deal with MSG to simulcast the Television Play-by-play and color voices over radio next year, in an effort to cut costs.
Mears, who is from Peter’s Township and 29 years old, has been pointed as an up-and-coming Hockey personality, who has gained the respect of his fellow media members, in his short stint with the Islanders.
Penguins sign deal with Mitsubishi for new scoreboard
July 21, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under NHL
The Post Gazette has reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins have purchased their new High Definition scoreboard for the new Consol Energy Center. The new scoreboard will offer a “life-sized” picture for the attending fans at the new arena, as well as adding a much larger impact from the videos that are presented on the scoreboard.
The Sports & Exhibition Authority today approved a $8.37 million contract for the scoreboard system at the city’s new arena.
The payment to Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. will cover the center ice scoreboard, ribbon scoreboards around the interior of the arena, game clocks, signal lights, air horn and ticket window displays for Consol Energy Center. The scoreboard will have capabilities for hockey and basketball.
The board also approved a $3.7 million contract with DSI Video Systems/Diversified Systems for the arena’s video control room.
Read more: Post Gazette.com
The dimension of the center ice scoreboard will measure to the exact same size as the current scoreboard that is in the Washington Captials Verizon Center (above picture).
Here is more information on the board at Verizon Center (from verizoncenter.com)
Debuting during the 2007-2008 season, the brand new high-definition LED scoreboard is the first true indoor high-definition scoreboard of its kind for arenas. The center hung scoreboard exclusively features the Diamond Vision LED Fascia, corner stat displays and video boards driven by ANC Sports’ patent pending VisionSOFT operating system. Sitting at 14 feet 5 inches high x 25 feet 2 inches wide, the new scoreboard provides the highest clarity of all the action, including video playback, and exhibits over 68 billion colors. The scoreboard features four 6mm video screens, four 10mm LED video matrixes measuring 5ft x 25ft, and two 20mm LED rings. Over a 1,000 feet of linear LED boards encompass the upper bowl of the arena, as well as 400 feet of LED boards surrounding the lower bowl of the arena with full motion signage. Four additional LED displays highlight the top corners of the arena offering animation, 3D graphics and advertisements.
Chris Margott added to Nailers “Protected” List
July 19, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under Colonials in the Pros
At the end of last season, Margott signed a contract with the Wheeling Nailers, beginning his Professional hockey career, at the end of their regular season. He played in 12 total games (4 in playoffs) scoring 8 points (1 G, 7 A)
To start the Nailers regular season, Chris Margott has been Protected, along with former teammate Aaron Clarke.
When Money talks, Everyone listens
July 19, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under College Hockey
In a recent article in the Denver Post, columnist Mike Chambers wrote an article surrounding the financial status of each WCHA Head Coach, specifically Denver Pioneers Head Coach, George Gwozdecky. It’s hard to gage College Hockey across the board, when ESPN doesn’t hide from Coaching contracts in College Basketball, and there isn’t much coverage in the media for College Hockey, especially when Coaches sign new deals.
Patterson leaves RMU, Russell has Graduated
July 19, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under Off-season
Goaltender Jim Patterson has decided to leave Robert Morris and transfer for next season, his current status of where he will be next year is unknown. Fellow Goaltender Wes Russell has decided to fore-go his Senior season and Graduate from Robert Morris University. Wes was a transfer from Quinnipiac University in 2006, and sat out the 2006-2007 season due to NCAA transfer rules that prohibited him from playing during that season. With one year of eligibility left, Wes decided to move on, as the Colonials will be stacked with Goaltenders this year.
Pens prospect camp; Schooley to attend, along with Longpre and Urban
July 14, 2009 by Dave Weldon
Filed under NHL
Robert Morris will be well represented in the upcoming prospect camp being held by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Head Coach Derek Schooley has been invited to participate as an instructor, and current Colonials Nathan Longpre and Denny Urban will be actively participating in the camp.
The Pens Prospect camp go from July 20th through the 26th (the RMU Hockey Camp begins next week as well).
