Alex Nedeljkovic and Josh Wesley have been at the center of one of the largest hockey stories over the last 60 hours.
The two Hurricanes prospects along with their Flint Firebird teammates staged a walkout after their head coach was abruptly fired Sunday. Head Coach John Gruden and others employed by the team were dismissed in the hours following a 4-3 overtime victory at home against the Oshawa Generals. News of the walkout, or strike, came out late Sunday night. Less than 24 hours later Gruden and other members of his staff were rehired. Whether the players will resume practicing and preparations for the next game Friday remains to be seen.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek provided two excellent radio interviews yesterday on SN590 with context on the situation. He mentions both prospects as players having power in this situation should they no longer want to remain in Flint, but specifically mentions Nedeljkovic as one of the more vocal players.
Before this fiasco both Nedeljkovic and Wesley were considered trade assets on a young and struggling team. Nedeljkovic’s chances of being moved seem pretty high, as he’s the former OHL Goaltender of the year and will he will turn pro next season with his entry-level contract already signed. The common theory in the rumor mills (HFBoards, etc) is the Niagara Ice Dogs could be the favorite to acquire him.
Wesley, who remains unsigned by the Canes Organization to date, may also be in his last OHL season. He’d be a depth or 5-6 defenseman on a contending team. He could be a candidate for an Over Age year given the number of defensive players Carolina have signed for next year.
Prospect reports for Nov. 2 – Nov. 9, 2015
2015 Draft Picks:
Sebastian Aho, 2nd Round (#35 overall)
- Last Week: 1GP – 0G-0A-0PTS 2PIM (CHL)
- Karat Oulu lost in their first match in a best of two series.
- This Season: 17GP –7G-8A- 15PTS, 0 PIM, 46 shots, 15.2% shooting (Liiga) 5GP – 2G-2A-4PTS, 2 PIM, 6 shots, 33.3% shooting (CHL)
- Aho has joined Finland’s U20 group after the CHL game, but returns to the team today.
Callum Booth, 4th Round (#93 overall)
- Last Week: 1GP – 0W-0L, .875%, 3.00 GAA (20 minutes of play)
- Booth left after the first period in the 11/3 match against Victoriaville with stomach pains. He was diagnosed with appendicitis and had surgery last Wednesday. He’s out indefinately.
- This Season: 14GP – 8W-5L-1OTL, .900%, 3.27 GAA
Nicolas Roy, 4th Round (#96 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP – 3G-2A-5PTS, 10PIM, 9 shots, 33.3% shooting, 49.3% Faceoffs
- Chicoutimi Seguenees went 1-2-0, Roy recorded at least a point in all three games.
- This Season: 17GP – 12G-12A-24PTS, 28PIM, 60 shots, 20.0% shooting, 58.6% Faceoffs
- Extended his point streak to 14 games. Longest streak of his career; tied for 3rd for longest current point streak in the QMJHL.
- Next Game: Wednesday, November 13, 2015 vs. Queébec Remparts
Spencer Smallman, 5th Round (#138 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP – 1G-2A-3PTS, 7 PIM,5 shots, 20.0% shooting
- Saint John Sea Dogs went 2-1, 1-1 when Smallman recorded a point.
- This Season: 17GP – 5G-8A-13PTS, 15 PIM, 42 shots, 11.9% shooting
- Next Game: Thursday, November 12, 2015 vs. Moncton Wildcats
Luke Stevens, 5th Round (#126 overall)
- Next Game: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 vs Pomfert (HS)
David Cotton, 6th Round (#169 overall)
- This Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 4 PIM, 2 shots, 0.0% shooting
- Waterloo Black Hawks went 2-0.
- This Season: 12GP – 3G-6A-9PTS, 6 PIM, 33 shots, 9.1% shooting
- Next Game: Friday, November 13, 2015 vs. Bloomington Thunder
Steven Lorentz, 7th Round (#186 overall)
- Last Two Weeks: 3GP – 1G-1A-2PTS, 0 PIM, 3 shots, 33.3% shooting
- Peterborough Petes went 0-3.
- This Season: 18GP – 5G-6A-11PTS, 7 PIM, 32 shots, 15.6% shooting
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 vs Kingston Frontenacs
2014 Draft Picks:
Haydn Fleury, 1st Round (#7 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP – 2G-1A-3PTS, 2PIM
- Red Deer Rebels went 2-1, 2-0 when Fleury recorded a point.
- This Season: 13GP – 8G-8A-16PTS, 17PIM
- Fleury skated in the first game of the CHL Canada / Russia Super Series last night for Team WHL.
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 vs. Team Russia (Team WHL/CHL), Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at. Brandon Wheat Kings
Alex Nedeljkovic, 2nd Round (#37 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP (3 Start) – 2W-1L, 3.25 GAA, .915%
- This Season: 9GP (9 Starts) – 4W-4L, 3.50 GAA, .899%
- Next Game: Friday, November 13, 2015 vs. Sarnia Sting
Roland McKeown, 2nd Round (#50 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP – 2G-1A-3PTS, 2 PIM, 18 shots, 11.1% shooting
- Kingston Frontenacs went 2-1, 1-0 when McKeown recorded a point.
- This Season: 18GP – 4G-15A-19PTS, 23 PIM, 63 shots, 6.3% shooting
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Peterborough Petes, Thursday, November 12, 2015 vs. Team Russia (Team OHL/CHL)
Warren Foegele, 3rd Round (#67 overall)
- Last Week: 3GPP – 1G-1A-2PT, 0 PIM, 4 shot, 25.0% shooting
- Kingston went 2-1 last week, 1-1 when Foegele recorded a point.
- This Season: 4GP – 1G-2A-3PT, 2 PIM, 5 shot, 20.0% shooting (OHL) 5GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 6 PIM, 8 shots, 0% shooting (NCAA)
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Peterborough Petes
Josh Wesley, 4th Round (#96 overall)
- Last Week: 2GP – 0G-2A-2PTS, 7PIM, 7 Shots, 0.0% shooting
- Flint Firebirds went 1-1 with Wesley in the lineup, 1-0 when he recorded a point.
- He was heald out of the lineup of the game 3 of three-games in three days after receiving a major penality and game misconduct on 11/7.
- This Season: 14GP – 1G-1A-2PTS, 6PIM, 30 Shots, 3.3% shooting
- Next Game: Friday, November 6, 2015 @ Sarnia Sting
Lucas Wallmark, 4th Round (#97 overall)
- Last Week: 1GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0 PIM (CHL)
- Lulea HF lost game one of two in the CHL round of 16 against Tappara Tampere.
- This Season: 13GP – 2G-12A-13PTS, 6 PIM (SHL), 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 4 PIM (CHL)
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 vs Tappara Tampere (CHL), Thursday, November 12, 2015 vs. IF Malmö Redhawks (SHL)
Clark Bishop, 5th Round (#127 overall)
- Last Week: 3GP – 2G-2A-4PTS, 4 PIM, 6 shots, 33.3% shooting, 40.8% faceoffs
- Cape Brenton Screaming Eagles went 1-2, 1-1 when Bishop recorded a point.
- This Season: 19GP – 8G-9A-17PTS, 46 PIM, 47 shots, 17.0% shooting, 51.4% faceoffs
- Next Game: Friday, November 13, 2015 at Saint Johns Sea Dogs
Kyle Jenkins, 7th Round (#187 overall)
- Jenkins remains out of the lineup since suffering an upper-body injury on 10/23.
- This Season: 12GP – 0G-3A-3PTS, 10PIM, 16 shots, 0% shooting
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 vs Kingston Frontenacs
No 2013 Draft Picks
2012 Draft Picks:
Collin Olson, 6th Round (#159 overall)
- Last Week: 1GP (1 start) – 0W-1L, 2.05 GAA, .947%
- This Season: 4GP (4 start) – 2W-2L, 2.27 GAA, .932%
- Next Game: Friday, November 13, 2015 @ St. Cloud State Univ.
Brendan Collier, 7th Round (#189 overall)
- Last Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0PIM, 0 shots
- This Season: 8GP-0G-0A-0PTS, 4PIM, 2 shot, 0% shooting
- Next Game: Thursday, November 12, 2015 @ Univ. of Notre Dame
2011 Draft Picks:
Gregory Hoffman, 4th Round (#103 overall)
- No games played last week.
- This Season: 19GP – 6G-5A-11PTS, 10 PIM
- Next Game: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 vs. Lausanne HC
