Post by mbastarache on Jun 2, 2007 11:59:39 GMT -5
Flyers captain honoured, but to pass on Q draft
Devon MacAusland is flattered to be the seventh best prospect in the central scouting rankings for the 2007 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, which takes place on Saturday in Drummondville.
``It's an honour," he said. ``I take it as a compliment, but I will not be attending the draft. I made the decision about two months ago not to attend the draft and I won't be changing my mind now."
MacAusland, a Moncton resident who's a Grade 10 student at Mathieu-Martin High School, makes it clear that any team that drafts him will be wasting its pick because he's not going to play in the QMJHL. He insists that he's firm in his plans to go the U.S. college hockey route.
The star centre plans to bring his offensive flash to the Moncton Gagnon Beavers of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League next season in order to maintain his U.S. college hockey eligibility.
``Anybody can draft me," he said. ``I have no problem with that, but I'll be reporting to the Beavers next season."
MacAusland, 5-foot-6 and 151 pounds, was captain of the Moncton Flyers this season and he finished fourth in the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League scoring race with 26 goals and 50 points in 35 games.
The 15-year-old played for New Brunswick and finished second in the scoring race at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in February in Whitehorse, Yukon. He amassed 21 points, including eight goals, in six games.
``Canada Games was a really good experience," he said. ``I learned a lot from the guys I played with there. It was just an awesome time to be up there participating in a tournament like that."
MacAusland has been scouted by several U.S. college hockey programs, but he says he hasn't signed a letter of intent with anyone. Has he given anyone a verbal commitment?
``I guess you could say that I have (given a verbal commitment) because I am going to go to Boston College," he said. ``They contacted me at the Canada Games. They scouted me there. They've produced quite a few players who moved on to the NHL. They have a good hockey program so right now that's where I'm planning to go."
Defenceman Simon Despres, who played in the Quebec midget AAA ranks, is the top prospect in the central scouting rankings for the 2007 QMJHL draft. The 15-year-old is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
Forward Louis LeBlanc (Quebec midget AAA) is considered the No. 2 prospect. Forwards Steven Anthony (Dartmouth midget AAA) and Matt Brown (Pictou County midget AAA) round out the top four prospects.
Central scouting projects that 15 of the 18 players claimed in the first round of this year's QMJHL draft will come from Quebec. If the rankings hold true, Anthony, Brown and MacAusland will be the exceptions.
The QMJHL owns territorial rights on players in Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces and New England States. The Saint John Sea Dogs own the first overall pick in the draft for the third consecutive year while the Moncton Wildcats are 15th in the selection order.
MacAusland headlines the list of 18 New Brunswickers who are in the central scouting rankings for this year's QMJHL draft. He sounds convincing when he promises that he's going to bypass the QMJHL in favour U.S. college hockey.
Fact is, there have been many players over the years who have sounded convincing as they insisted prior to the QMJHL draft that they would be opting for U.S. college hockey instead of major junior. Then - surprise, surprise - they end up playing in the QMJHL the next season.
The two most recent examples of this are Angelo Esposito and Kelsey Tessier. These talented forwards slipped down in the QMJHL draft because teams were convinced they were going the U.S. college route and then both ended up playing in the QMJHL for the Quebec Remparts.
Esposito went in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2005 QMJHL draft. Tessier was a fourth-round pick in the 2006 QMJHL draft.
The QMJHL draft is an exciting time, but sadly there's more to it than simply rating the ability of players. The draft is about negotiation ploys and trying to figure out which players are truly serious when they say they're going the U.S. college hockey route.
Some players throw the U.S. college hockey card on the table in an effort to land themselves a better deal with a QMJHL team.
Some players make it well known they're going the U.S. college hockey route as part of a strategy. They want to get passed over in the QMJHL draft until getting selected by a team they've already made a shady secret deal with prior to the draft.
There were allegations that Quebec cut secret deals with Esposito and Tessier before the QMJHL draft the past two years. All parties have denied this.
``I don't have a deal made with any team," said MacAusland. ``My plan since two months ago has been to go away to college. I'll be going to play with the Beavers next season to keep my NCAA eligibility.
``There is one thing that's different between these other guys and me. They're not 5-foot-6. That's been an issue with me for awhile. I looked at both major junior and U.S. college and had a long debate on where I should go. It came clear to me about two months ago that the NCAA route has more benefits to me than major junior.
``I'm not looking for a big deal with any major junior team. It's a matter of what I need and that's combining hockey and education. With my speed, size and skills, I think the NCAA style of play will allow me to develop better."
MacAusland, a native of Summerside, P.E.I., moved to Dieppe at age 12. With the crackdown on obstruction rules, the chances now are better than ever for small skilled players like him to have a career in the pro game.
He has two more seasons before he will be ready to jump into the U.S. college ranks. Whether he will spend both campaigns with the Beavers remains in question.
``I could play for the Beavers next season and then go the U.S. prep school route in my Grade 12 season," he said. ``I'm not 100 per cent sure yet what I'm going to do. I know the Beavers are hosting the 2009 Fred Page Cup so that could be a factor in my decision (to play two seasons)."
Some QMJHL team will select MacAusland - the only questions are who and how high in the draft. If it's Quebec, there will be plenty of raised eyebrows given the club's background of already taking a `gamble' on Esposito and Tessier and then `convincing' them to report.
Devon MacAusland is flattered to be the seventh best prospect in the central scouting rankings for the 2007 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, which takes place on Saturday in Drummondville.
``It's an honour," he said. ``I take it as a compliment, but I will not be attending the draft. I made the decision about two months ago not to attend the draft and I won't be changing my mind now."
MacAusland, a Moncton resident who's a Grade 10 student at Mathieu-Martin High School, makes it clear that any team that drafts him will be wasting its pick because he's not going to play in the QMJHL. He insists that he's firm in his plans to go the U.S. college hockey route.
The star centre plans to bring his offensive flash to the Moncton Gagnon Beavers of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League next season in order to maintain his U.S. college hockey eligibility.
``Anybody can draft me," he said. ``I have no problem with that, but I'll be reporting to the Beavers next season."
MacAusland, 5-foot-6 and 151 pounds, was captain of the Moncton Flyers this season and he finished fourth in the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League scoring race with 26 goals and 50 points in 35 games.
The 15-year-old played for New Brunswick and finished second in the scoring race at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in February in Whitehorse, Yukon. He amassed 21 points, including eight goals, in six games.
``Canada Games was a really good experience," he said. ``I learned a lot from the guys I played with there. It was just an awesome time to be up there participating in a tournament like that."
MacAusland has been scouted by several U.S. college hockey programs, but he says he hasn't signed a letter of intent with anyone. Has he given anyone a verbal commitment?
``I guess you could say that I have (given a verbal commitment) because I am going to go to Boston College," he said. ``They contacted me at the Canada Games. They scouted me there. They've produced quite a few players who moved on to the NHL. They have a good hockey program so right now that's where I'm planning to go."
Defenceman Simon Despres, who played in the Quebec midget AAA ranks, is the top prospect in the central scouting rankings for the 2007 QMJHL draft. The 15-year-old is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
Forward Louis LeBlanc (Quebec midget AAA) is considered the No. 2 prospect. Forwards Steven Anthony (Dartmouth midget AAA) and Matt Brown (Pictou County midget AAA) round out the top four prospects.
Central scouting projects that 15 of the 18 players claimed in the first round of this year's QMJHL draft will come from Quebec. If the rankings hold true, Anthony, Brown and MacAusland will be the exceptions.
The QMJHL owns territorial rights on players in Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces and New England States. The Saint John Sea Dogs own the first overall pick in the draft for the third consecutive year while the Moncton Wildcats are 15th in the selection order.
MacAusland headlines the list of 18 New Brunswickers who are in the central scouting rankings for this year's QMJHL draft. He sounds convincing when he promises that he's going to bypass the QMJHL in favour U.S. college hockey.
Fact is, there have been many players over the years who have sounded convincing as they insisted prior to the QMJHL draft that they would be opting for U.S. college hockey instead of major junior. Then - surprise, surprise - they end up playing in the QMJHL the next season.
The two most recent examples of this are Angelo Esposito and Kelsey Tessier. These talented forwards slipped down in the QMJHL draft because teams were convinced they were going the U.S. college route and then both ended up playing in the QMJHL for the Quebec Remparts.
Esposito went in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2005 QMJHL draft. Tessier was a fourth-round pick in the 2006 QMJHL draft.
The QMJHL draft is an exciting time, but sadly there's more to it than simply rating the ability of players. The draft is about negotiation ploys and trying to figure out which players are truly serious when they say they're going the U.S. college hockey route.
Some players throw the U.S. college hockey card on the table in an effort to land themselves a better deal with a QMJHL team.
Some players make it well known they're going the U.S. college hockey route as part of a strategy. They want to get passed over in the QMJHL draft until getting selected by a team they've already made a shady secret deal with prior to the draft.
There were allegations that Quebec cut secret deals with Esposito and Tessier before the QMJHL draft the past two years. All parties have denied this.
``I don't have a deal made with any team," said MacAusland. ``My plan since two months ago has been to go away to college. I'll be going to play with the Beavers next season to keep my NCAA eligibility.
``There is one thing that's different between these other guys and me. They're not 5-foot-6. That's been an issue with me for awhile. I looked at both major junior and U.S. college and had a long debate on where I should go. It came clear to me about two months ago that the NCAA route has more benefits to me than major junior.
``I'm not looking for a big deal with any major junior team. It's a matter of what I need and that's combining hockey and education. With my speed, size and skills, I think the NCAA style of play will allow me to develop better."
MacAusland, a native of Summerside, P.E.I., moved to Dieppe at age 12. With the crackdown on obstruction rules, the chances now are better than ever for small skilled players like him to have a career in the pro game.
He has two more seasons before he will be ready to jump into the U.S. college ranks. Whether he will spend both campaigns with the Beavers remains in question.
``I could play for the Beavers next season and then go the U.S. prep school route in my Grade 12 season," he said. ``I'm not 100 per cent sure yet what I'm going to do. I know the Beavers are hosting the 2009 Fred Page Cup so that could be a factor in my decision (to play two seasons)."
Some QMJHL team will select MacAusland - the only questions are who and how high in the draft. If it's Quebec, there will be plenty of raised eyebrows given the club's background of already taking a `gamble' on Esposito and Tessier and then `convincing' them to report.