ELECTRICIAN ALUM HONORED WITH AWARD
Cody Omilusik (photo from
Army Hockey Media Guide)
Former
Electrician and Roadrunner forward Cody
Omilusik (Traverse City, MI), playing
in his first year for the Division I Army Black
Knights (Atlantic Hockey Assoc.) was honored
with the Heinmiller Award as the team’s
Outstanding Freshman of the Year. Omilusik (pronouned
“oh-muh-LOO-sik”) was the top point-producing
freshman on the team, netting nine goals and
seven assists and tying for the team lead with
two short-handed goals. He scored three
game-winning goals and one power play tally. The
award is named after John Heinmiller, a former
hockey player who worked his way from the junior
varsity to varsity. Following the competition of
his freshman varsity season, he was tragically
killed in a train accident in April, 2001.
Omilusik receiving
Heinmiller Award from Second Lieutenant Mike
Picone.
Moving from junior hockey to the collegiate
ranks is not without its challenges. “I'd say
the biggest challenge in coming to West Point is
being able to manage my time between hockey and
school”, Omilusik said. “The amount of school
work here is overwhelming on it's own. Being
able to put as much time in to hockey and still
be able to do well in school is a skill I am
learning and working on.” The demanding
schedule and regimen of junior hockey, though,
was the right training ground to prepare him for
school. “Junior hockey was a great stepping
stone into college hockey and West Point
especially, because it allows you to get the
feel of living away from home and having a good
time with your best friends and teammates before
having to knuckle down and get serious about
school work and making something of yourself.”
Omilusik came to the RoadRunners as
a free agent after the Bozeman ICEDOGS withdrew
from the NAHL, and the experience is one he
continues to treasure. “My time with the
RoadRunners holds some of the best stories and
times of my life thus far. While I was there I
started to write a book to keep track of some of
the memories, so hopefully someday I'll be able
to put that together and give people a little
more insight to what being a Junior A Hockey
player is like. In general though, living in a
new city where the only people you know are your
new teammates, you form friendships that will
last a lifetime. That is what junior hockey is
all about.”
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Electros get new jerseys
By CRAIG
REMSBURG, Senior Sports Writer
MARQUETTE - More than just a roster change will be
involved with the "new look" Marquette Electricians Local
1070 Midget AAA hockey team this coming season.
Icers under first-year head coach Mike Dagenais will be
sporting new jerseys.
"The (current set) is 4-5 years old," Electricians board
chairman Glenn Andrews said. "It was time to replace them.
"We wanted to get a new style and design."
He said Dagenais, who served as the team's interim coach
the last half of the 2007-08 campaign and once played for
the team, worked with some projected returning players in
developing the jerseys.
"They're styled like the (NHL) Washington Capitals'
jerseys," Andrews said, adding he didn't know what the cost
of the jersey replacement - together with new socks - will
be.
"The kids will be extremely happy with the new jerseys.
Primarily red and white,, there will be both home (white)
and away (red) color schemes and include a player's name on
the back.
"We'll (also) have a (Northern Lakes Hockey League) patch
on one sleeve and a Local 1070 patch on the other," he said.
"They'll (the jerseys) look good."
Andrews added putting team sponsors' names on the jerseys
will be a future project.
"We haven't had a sponsor program for a couple of years,"
he said.
"We'll be working on that."
Adding the old jerseys will likely be sold, Andrews said
he'd like to see the jerseys replaced on a "more regular"
basis.
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Marquette’s Hantz earns MAHA honor
MARQUETTE - Kristopher Hantz of Marquette
has been named the recipient of the "Wes Danielson Memorial
Award" for the 2007-08 hockey season by the Michigan Amateur
Hockey Association.
The honor came at the association's annual
summer meeting in Sault Ste. Marie.
The award is presented annually to someone
in the state who, "overcomes a major handicap or diversity
and continues to participate in - or make a major
contribution to - the game of ice hockey."
Marquette Junior Hockey Corp. Director Tim
McIntosh said Hantz, 19, was recommended for the award by
coaches Mike Dagenais of the Marquette Electricians; Randy
Enders, former coach of the Marquette Rangers; and Walt Kyle
of Northern Michigan University.
Hantz is an achondroplastic dwarf who played
in the MJHC program through age 16, before going on to
become a member of the support staff for three teams at
once.
"I'm very proud of Kris," Kyle said in a
statement. "His work ethic is at the same level that I
expect from my players. He deserves this award."
Hantz will enter NMU this fall as a
freshman. He'll also become part of the student staff for
the hockey Wildcats.
McIntosh said through the award, Hantz will
have the cost of his books at Northern covered by the MAHA
his freshman year.
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Congratulations to former Electricians and
Current NMU Wildcat Mark Olver for getting drafted in the 5th round of the 2008
NHL Draft!!
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University head hockey coach
Walt Kyle said Wildcat sophomore center Mark Olver was more
highly regarded in NHL circles than his Central Scouting
Service ranking indicated.
Kyle was right.
Olver, ranked No. 207 by the CSS, was picked in the fifth
round Saturday by Colorado in the NHL Entry Draft. The
Avalanche made him the 140th overall pick.
A 5-11, 160-pound center, Olver led the Wildcats in scoring
last season with 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points.
The Burnaby, British Columbia, native was named to the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association All-Rookie Team for
2007-08.
Olver follows in his older brother’s footsteps in being
drafted by an NHL team.
Darin Olver, now 23 and a former Wildcat (2003-07), was
picked by the New York Rangers in the second round of the
2004 NHL draft.
He was the 36th selection overall — the highest an NMU
player has ever been picked in the draft.
This past season, Darin played for Bremerhaven REV of the
2.GBun league in Germany.
In 52 games, he posted 21-35-56 offensive numbers to go with
56 total penalty minutes.
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Marquette Electricians
Join League for 2008-2009 Season
The Marquette Electricians Midget AAA
Hockey Program is pleased to announce that it will play a league schedule
for the upcoming season. The Electricians will play in the Northern Lakes
Hockey League with two former MWEHL members, and one former MAHL team. The
league will consist of the following teams in addition to the Electricians:
Ojibwa Eagles, Soo Indians, Green Bay Gamblers, and the Thunder Bay Kings.
Thunder Bay will be an affiliate member of the league, and will play half of
the league schedule. The Kings will be a full member in 2009-2010. Other
teams are being considered to join the league in the near future and league
details will be finalized in late June.
Congratulations to Kevin
Gravel and Joel Benson for getting drafted in the 2008 OHL Draft!!
Congratulations to Kevin
Gravel for getting drafted in the NAHL Draft by the Marquette Rangers!!
Electros holding tryout camp - May 3rd, 2008
By JAY TOMLINSON
Journal Sports Writer
MARQUETTE — Already looking ahead to next season, the Marquette
Electricians Midget AAA hockey team decided to get an early start
Friday.
First-year head coach Mike Dagenais had nearly 60 players from lower
Michigan, British Columbia (Canada), Wisconsin and other areas for the
first spring tryout camp for the 2008-09 season. Also, some
returning players from last year’s team are trying to reclaim their spot
on the team this weekend.
Dagenais, a former assistant coach with the Electricians, has replaced
Scott Nevenhoven as the team’s head coach.
Dagenais said he and his coaching staff are eager to see the type of
talent they’ll have to work with.
“I’m excited about getting an early look at the kids and I’m also
looking forward to the season to come,” Dagenais said. “With the group
that we have here at tryouts, I think it can be a very positive year.
“The potential is there with are returning guys from last season and I
think if we build upon that, we’ll be in good shape.”
Dagenais added many returnees are in better shape than they were last
year. He also said he’s particularly excited about five players from
downstate Traverse City that he spotted on a recruiting trip. The camp
began Friday night at the Berry Events Center and will last through
Sunday. Dagenais said he plans to get a few practices in before
scrimmaging. Also, off-ice physical testing will begin today, followed
by the weekend’s first game at 2 p.m..
The games will give the coaches a chance to see each player in a game
situation and are open to the public.
Players selected for the team that aren’t local, have the option of
living with host families during the season.
Electricians board chairman Glenn Andrews said a lot of icers are eager
to come and see what it takes to play for the Electricians.
“Some of our returning players are going to be here, so it will be
interesting to see how they measure up with these new guys,” Andrews
said.
Andrews and Dagenais agreed last season was a tough one, as the
Electricians’ roster included five 15-year-old players, which is a
rarity in Midget AAA circles. The Electricians went 20-33-8 overall and
0-21-5 in the Midwest elite Hockey League.
“It was a tough one last season,” Andrews said. “The fact that we had
some guys that hadn’t played at that level was a factor in that.
“We played well, but couldn’t quite put the puck in the net as much as
we needed to.”
The Electricians will kick off their 2008-09 season when they host the
Fall Classic Tournament on Sept., 25-28, with roughly 20 Midget AAA
teams planned to attend.
Two Former Electricians in the
2008 NCAA Frozen Four Tournament
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Justin White
University of Notre Dame |
Eric Elmblad
University of Michigan |
March 19, 2008
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The
Marquette Electricians announced today that Mike Dagenais would be replacing
Scott Nevenhoven as Head Coach.
Dagenais, 24, a Marquette native, has been performing as Interim Head Coach
for the Electricians since early December. This will be Dagenais’ first solo
stint behind the bench. He was named Assistant Coach of the Electricians
last summer, and prior to that, was Associate Head Coach of the American
Legion Post #44 AA Bantam team in 2006-07, and has also been Assistant Coach
of the ReMax Pee Wee AA team and the U.P. Sports Connection Squirt AA team.
As a
player, Dagenais played two seasons for the Marquette Electricians under
Head Coach Jon Nebel. He won the Gold Medal in the “Four Nations Tournament”
for the United States U17 Select Team in the Czech Republic, defeating the
host team, Germany, Canada and Sweden. Dagenais also played three seasons
for the United States Hockey League Waterloo Blackhawks.
“To
have the opportunity to step into this leadership role for a team that I
played for is a great honor.” Dagenais said. “I look forward to building
upon the proud tradition of Electricians hockey. My first duty is to build a
competitive team around the strong returning base that we have from last
season.”
Dagenais’ first duties will be running the Electricians Spring Evaluation
Camp, which will take place at the Berry Events Center on May 2-4.
Information on the Spring Camp along with information on the Electricians
Summer Skate is available on the Electricians web site at
www.mqtelectricians.com , or you can contact Coach Dagenais at
906-362-3406.
Dagenais is currently a senior at Northern
Michigan University majoring in Nursing and will receive his R.N. Degree in
December.
Mike Dagenais – 906-362-3406
Glenn Andrews – 906-226-6130
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-12-08
Electricians, Rangers Form Alliance
Midget AAA, Junior Tier II
teams will work to promote Marquette Hockey
Contact:Mark Evans
Rangers Marketing and Public Relations
906-225-9077 – office 906-362-8532 cell w/voice
Lakeview Arena –
In an effort to further enhance the identity
and success of both organizations, the Marquette Electricians of the Midget
AAA Midwest Elite Hockey League and the Marquette Rangers of the North
American Hockey League (Tier II Junior) have announced a cooperative effort
between the two clubs. The announcement comes after several discussions
between the two entities on how to continue to upgrade talent and how to
best work together in the recruitment and placement of the nations’ top
players – both local and national. The cooperative effort between the
Electricians and the Rangers will offer age-eligible players the
opportunity, when appropriate, to move between the two teams for up to six
games per player through the NAHL roster freeze date in mid-February of
every season. The two levels of hockey are closely related. The vast
majority of midget AAA players will attempt to move on to junior hockey
teams such as the Rangers as the next step toward advancing their hockey
careers. In a similar way, Junior Hockey players try to move on to college
or professional hockey as their next step of evolution. “This is a real
win-win for both of our organizations” said Glenn Andrews, chair of the
Marquette Electricians Board of Directors. “Both the Electricians and the
Rangers are in the business of promoting hockey in this area, so it would
make sense that we do this together to try and attract the best players
possible to play here.” “We have the unique situation of sharing a
building, so it makes perfect sense that we would combine resources and work
together to advance Marquette’s reputation as a quality hockey town.” “It
adds to our ability to draw top talent, with the players knowing that
there’s a Tier II Junior organization in the same building that they could
play for during and after their midget career.” David Saint-Onge, President
and General Manager for the Rangers, says it’s a best-case scenario for both
organizations. “In the competitive environment of recruiting talent, you
need to look for and implement the best strategy to achieve your goal. For
the Rangers, the benefits of a local affiliation are obvious. We know we
can help one another tremendously, and we’re excited at the opportunity of
working together.” “This program is governed by USA Hockey and should help
both clubs recruit talented players, whether they are local, national or
international,” said Saint-Onge. The alliance between the two clubs was
finalized March 3 at the Electricians Board of Directors meeting and will be
effective immediately.
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Hockey: SNC's Pulak enjoying a
happy homecoming
Green Bay Press Gazette
By
Weston Hodkiewicz
whodkiew@greenbaypressgazette.com
On and off the ice, there is
little St. Norbert College freshman
Scott Pulak can't do. The
not-so-green around the gills
freshman forward for SNC's
top-ranked hockey team excels in
pretty much everything he does.
Whether it is in the classroom,
where Pulak earned a spot on SNC's
honor roll in his first semester, or
at the rink, the Green Bay native is
making a name for himself. His
family's reputation in the sport,
however, is well-defined. Scott's
father, Ron, played hockey at the
University of Wisconsin-Superior and
for the Green Bay Bobcats.SNC coach
Tim Coghlin remembers meeting the
elder Pulak during his days as a
junior hockey player. "I knew
Ron when I was 18 years old,"
Coghlin said. "Ron used to fly out
and do hockey schools out in British
Columbia when I was growing up
playing junior hockey." Through
those encounters, Coghlin got to
know the Pulak family and Scott, who
spent his first two years of high
school at the head of the class at
Green Bay Southwest before leaving
to play junior hockey for the
Marquette (Mich.) Electricians
Midget AAA team.
Pulak had for a long time known
he wanted to play for Coghlin, but
that almost didn't come to fruition.
Pulak was torn between advancing to
the collegiate level and continuing
his education or continuing in
junior hockey. He chose college, but
SNC had filled its roster. "We had
already made commitments, because we
thought he was going to go back and
play another year of juniors,"
Coghlin said. With connections at
Lake Forest, Pulak turned his
attention on becoming a Forester.
Late last summer, though, St.
Norbert junior forward Jeff
Hazelwood opted to transfer to Curry
College, opening a slot for Pulak.
"Growing up here, I've always wanted
to play for St. Norbert," Pulak
said. "So, when that opportunity
came, I felt I had to take it. It's
been a great year so far." Things
couldn't have turned out better for
Pulak or the Green Knights, who take
a 15-1-1 record into tonight's home
game vs. Lake Forest. Pulak, who has
worked his way onto the Knights'
second line, is a big reason for the
team's success."I think he's ahead
of expectations we had for him, I
really do," Coghlin said. "He's a
very smart player. He's got
exceptional hand-eye coordination.
We don't have anyone else on the
roster that has his hand-eye
skills." Coghlin recalled Pulak's
first collegiate goal, when a
full-speed Pulak batted into the net
a puck that was about 3 feet off the
ice. With sophomore speedster Shane
Wheeler sidelined with a high ankle
sprain, Pulak's ability to adapt has
been vital to the Green Knights'
14-game unbeaten streak. Not
surprisingly given SNC's success and
his history with Coghlin, Pulak has
no regrets about becoming a Green
Knight instead of a Forester. He has
grown a lot during his short time at
the school. "I think I've learned a
lot already with the practices and
the amount of detail we have to go
through," Pulak said. "I think I've
learned probably more in this
half-year than all my time in
juniors and midget put together, so
it's been really good so far."
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Pulver takes his talents to
another level
By DAVID BOSSICK / The
Chippewa Herald
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:45 PM CST
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Mitch
Pulver wanted more ice time.
It wasn’t that Pulver didn’t like his
experience with the Chippewa Falls Senior
High School’s varsity hockey team, either.
That’s what led Pulver to play AAA Midget
hockey for the past three years in the
Midwest Elite Hockey League.
“I guess I wanted to play more competitive
hockey. There’s a lot more competition. You
also get looked at a lot more with a 70 game
schedule instead of 22 games in high
school,” he said. “It’s more
hockey-oriented.”
Pulver left after his freshman year at
Chi-Hi for the Ojibwa Eagles for the 2005-06
season. The Eagles are another AAA Midget
hockey team, based in Houghton, Mich.
“He came as a recommendation from a friend.
He came out of tryouts and without question,
he was good enough,” former Eagles coach and
current Electricians coach Scott Nevenhoven
said. “What stands out about him is his
passion and work ethic. I’ve never seen
anyone his age so intense.
“It’s kind of intimidating.”
The move for Pulver was a little difficult
at first.
“I get a lot of support. At first, when
I decided to leave the high school team,
there was some people who weren’t very
happy. But, for the most part, they’ve
helped me out when I needed it,” he said.
Nevenhoven left the Eagles following
Pulver’s first season with the team and took
a year off. Pulver sought a new team after
the coach left and Nevenhoven recommended
Pulver to the former Marquette coach.
“He didn’t want to go back,” Nevenhoven
said. “He went to my home town, where the
Electricians were, and I knew the head coach
from last year.
“I told him, he was definitely a great
player. They offered him a spot.”
Pulver also was attracted to the
Electricians because for a variety of
reasons.
“My decision to go to Marquette was based on
the tradition of the organization and our
coaching staff,” he said. “They’ve always
had a good team.”
Along with playing 70 or so games a season,
Pulver’s family has remained in Chippewa
Falls while he plays hockey in Michigan. He
stays with what’s dubbed a billet family, or
a family that allows Pulver to stay in their
home for the season.
“It’s a different experience than most kids
my age, but I love to play hockey and my
billet family is nice,” he said.
He’a also maintained his academic studies at
a good pace as well. Pulver attends
Marquette High School where many of the
players, both natives of the surrounding
area and players from around the country, go
to school.
“It’s kind of exciting because everyone
knows you play. You don’t really know that
many people other than your teammates,” he
said. “You’re almost treated differently at
school. We’ve got a kid from Russia, Norway
and Iowa all on the team and going to school
there.”
Nevenhoven said Pulver’s grades are also in
good shape, as is his maturity.
“Other than he’s than the fact that he’s a
4.0 (grade-point average) student, he’s just
all-around a great person to be around,” he
said. “He’s got a great personality.
“He’s older than his age is. He’s very
mature.”
That maturity level that Pulver displays has
helped earn him the captain’s “C” on his
sweater. Nevenhoven said there’s two sides
to Pulver’s leadership abilities as the
Electricians’ captain.
“He leads by example and hardest working kid
we’ve got. He’s boisterous, but not in a
yelling kind of way,” he said. “He kind of
gets his point across in a mild manner. He
doesn’t have to get loud.”
Pulver is draft-eligible for the National
Hockey League, as are all 18-year-olds, but
he’s looking toward the potential of junior
hockey and college.
“This is a critical year,” Pulver said. “My
coach doesn’t like to talk to us about who’s
scouting.”
Nevenhoven said he didn’t know where Pulver
stood in the eyes of scouts.
“We don’s really know until it happens,” he
said. “That kind of stuff they keep on the
down-low. I don’t know where they stands in
that.”
What may or may not add more pressure to
Pulver this season is an injury. He suffered
a tear of his Medial Collaterial ligament (MCL)
and he was out for a part of this season
already.
“I’m going to rehab everyday and it’s going
good,” Pulver said in early December. “It’s
still week-to-week.
“The more time you sit out, the less games
you’ll play and you’re not going to get
looked at.”
Reach David Bossick at david.bossick@lee.net. |
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