Blais Announces Six Signees For Next Season
Nov 21, 2013 | Hockey
OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha hockey head coach Dean Blais announced the signing of six student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Thursday.
“We are very excited by our incoming class for 2014,” said Blais. “These players will bring great skill and speed to our lineup. They are the kind of players who will have an immediate impact on our team and help us compete for championships in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.”
This year's signing class includes five forwards and one defenseman. Five of the incoming players hail from Minnesota while the sixth is from Canada. They will join 2012 signee Jake Montgomery (Oakdale, Minn.) who elected to play another year of junior hockey for Sioux City in the United States Hockey League before joining the Mavericks next fall.
The following is a list of the incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forwards
Avery Peterson – Sioux City (USHL)/Grand Rapids HS
Height: 6-2; Weight: 201; Hometown: Grand Rapids, Minn.; DOB: June 20, 1995
Peterson is in his first season of junior hockey, playing for Sioux City of the USHL. In 12 games this season, he's scored three goals, two on the power play, and eight points and has posted a plus/minus rating of +3. He's also earned two penalty minutes. Peterson is a sixth round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, taken 167th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He is expected to rejoin his high school team in Grand Rapids, Minn. for the upcoming season.
David Pope – West Kelowna (BCHL)
Height: 6-3; Weight: 200; Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta; DOB: Sept. 27, 1994
Pope has put up six goals and 10 points in 10 games for West Kelowna in the British Columbia Hockey League. He's also earned two penalty minutes. Now in his third season in the BCHL, he's totaled 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points in 96 career games. He is in his second season with West Kelowna where last year, he had a career high 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points with 20 penalty minutes. He also added four goals and five points in seven playoff games for the Warriors. Pope is a fourth round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, taken 109th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Jake Randolph – Omaha (USHL)
Height: 5-9; Weight: 174; Hometown: Duluth, Minn..; DOB: March 8, 1994
Randolph currently leads the Omaha Lancers and the USHL in scoring with nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points in 17 games. He's picked up six penalty minutes and earned a plus/minus rating of +20. This is his second season in Omaha where last year he had 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points and 12 penalty minutes. He has also been named the USHL's forward of the week once this season. Prior to coming to Omaha, Randolph played for powerhouse Duluth East High School and led the team in scoring as a senior with 32 goals and 66 points in 25 games.
Steven Spinner – Muskegon (USHL)/Eden Prairie HS
Height: 6-0; Weight: 188; Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn..; DOB: Dec 15, 1995
Spinner began the 2013-14 season with Muskegon of the USHL but is expected to rejoin his high school in Eden Prairie, Minn. for the start of its season. In just three games with Muskegon, he had two goals and an assist for three points and a +3 rating. Last season as a junior and teammate of fellow incoming Maverick Luc Snuggerud, he led Eden Prairie in scoring with 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points. He also had 29 penalty minutes. He also had four goals and five points in two games in the sectional playoffs before his team was eliminated.
Tyler Vesel – Omaha (USHL)
Height: 5-11; Weight: 180; Hometown: Rochester, Minn..; DOB: April 14, 1994
Vesel ranks third for the Omaha Lancers and in the USHL in scoring with 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points in 17 games. His goal total also leads the USHL. He's also scored three powerplay goals, two shorthanded goals and three game winning goals. Vesel also has earned six penalty minutes and a +20 rating this season, his first with the Lancers. He has twice been named the USHL's forward of the week.
Defense
Luc Snuggerud – Muskegon (USHL)/Eden Prairie HS
Height: 6-0; Weight: 180; Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn..; DOB: Sept. 18, 1995
Snuggerud has played in just three games with Muskegon of the USHL this season, scoring a goal and adding two assists for three points and a +3 rating. In that short time, he picked up a USHL defenseman of the week honor. He is expected to rejoin his high school in Eden Prairie, Minn. for the start of its season. Last year as a junior and teammate of fellow incoming Maverick Steve Spinner, he tied for second in team scoring at Eden Prairie with five goals and 33 assists for 38 points in 25 games. He also had 24 penalty minutes.
The Mavericks finish a six-game home stand this weekend when they host No. 8 Miami for NCHC games on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. while Saturday's game starts at 8:07 p.m.
“We are very excited by our incoming class for 2014,” said Blais. “These players will bring great skill and speed to our lineup. They are the kind of players who will have an immediate impact on our team and help us compete for championships in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.”
This year's signing class includes five forwards and one defenseman. Five of the incoming players hail from Minnesota while the sixth is from Canada. They will join 2012 signee Jake Montgomery (Oakdale, Minn.) who elected to play another year of junior hockey for Sioux City in the United States Hockey League before joining the Mavericks next fall.
The following is a list of the incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forwards
Avery Peterson – Sioux City (USHL)/Grand Rapids HS
Height: 6-2; Weight: 201; Hometown: Grand Rapids, Minn.; DOB: June 20, 1995
Peterson is in his first season of junior hockey, playing for Sioux City of the USHL. In 12 games this season, he's scored three goals, two on the power play, and eight points and has posted a plus/minus rating of +3. He's also earned two penalty minutes. Peterson is a sixth round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, taken 167th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He is expected to rejoin his high school team in Grand Rapids, Minn. for the upcoming season.
David Pope – West Kelowna (BCHL)
Height: 6-3; Weight: 200; Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta; DOB: Sept. 27, 1994
Pope has put up six goals and 10 points in 10 games for West Kelowna in the British Columbia Hockey League. He's also earned two penalty minutes. Now in his third season in the BCHL, he's totaled 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points in 96 career games. He is in his second season with West Kelowna where last year, he had a career high 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points with 20 penalty minutes. He also added four goals and five points in seven playoff games for the Warriors. Pope is a fourth round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, taken 109th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Jake Randolph – Omaha (USHL)
Height: 5-9; Weight: 174; Hometown: Duluth, Minn..; DOB: March 8, 1994
Randolph currently leads the Omaha Lancers and the USHL in scoring with nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points in 17 games. He's picked up six penalty minutes and earned a plus/minus rating of +20. This is his second season in Omaha where last year he had 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points and 12 penalty minutes. He has also been named the USHL's forward of the week once this season. Prior to coming to Omaha, Randolph played for powerhouse Duluth East High School and led the team in scoring as a senior with 32 goals and 66 points in 25 games.
Steven Spinner – Muskegon (USHL)/Eden Prairie HS
Height: 6-0; Weight: 188; Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn..; DOB: Dec 15, 1995
Spinner began the 2013-14 season with Muskegon of the USHL but is expected to rejoin his high school in Eden Prairie, Minn. for the start of its season. In just three games with Muskegon, he had two goals and an assist for three points and a +3 rating. Last season as a junior and teammate of fellow incoming Maverick Luc Snuggerud, he led Eden Prairie in scoring with 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points. He also had 29 penalty minutes. He also had four goals and five points in two games in the sectional playoffs before his team was eliminated.
Tyler Vesel – Omaha (USHL)
Height: 5-11; Weight: 180; Hometown: Rochester, Minn..; DOB: April 14, 1994
Vesel ranks third for the Omaha Lancers and in the USHL in scoring with 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points in 17 games. His goal total also leads the USHL. He's also scored three powerplay goals, two shorthanded goals and three game winning goals. Vesel also has earned six penalty minutes and a +20 rating this season, his first with the Lancers. He has twice been named the USHL's forward of the week.
Defense
Luc Snuggerud – Muskegon (USHL)/Eden Prairie HS
Height: 6-0; Weight: 180; Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn..; DOB: Sept. 18, 1995
Snuggerud has played in just three games with Muskegon of the USHL this season, scoring a goal and adding two assists for three points and a +3 rating. In that short time, he picked up a USHL defenseman of the week honor. He is expected to rejoin his high school in Eden Prairie, Minn. for the start of its season. Last year as a junior and teammate of fellow incoming Maverick Steve Spinner, he tied for second in team scoring at Eden Prairie with five goals and 33 assists for 38 points in 25 games. He also had 24 penalty minutes.
The Mavericks finish a six-game home stand this weekend when they host No. 8 Miami for NCHC games on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. while Saturday's game starts at 8:07 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
