CHICAGO – The National Hockey League is set to open its 2011-12 regular season tonight and among the opening day rosters for NHL teams are 66 alumni of the USHL, including St. Louis Blues captain David Backes , 2011 NHL All-Star Game MVP Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks, and a total of 10 players who have won the Stanley Cup.
The total of 66 players surpasses the 57 who began last season on NHL rosters. Overall, an all-time high of 87 USHL alumni played in the NHL during the 2010-11 season.
Leading the way this season are the Los Angeles Kings with six USHL graduates on their opening day roster – Davis Drewiske , Matt Greene , Trevor Lewis , Alec Martinez , Scott Parse , and Jeff Zatkoff – while 11 other NHL clubs have at least three former USHL players. All but three of the 30 NHL clubs have at least one USHL alumnus on their roster to begin the season.
The Omaha Lancers lead USHL teams with a total of 11 alumni on NHL opening day rosters, followed by the Green Bay Gamblers and Sioux City Musketeers who each boast eight alumni. The Des Moines Buccaneers and Sioux Falls Stampede each have seven former players on the NHL rosters that once suited up for their teams, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Lincoln Stars both have six, and the Waterloo Black Hawks have five alumni beginning the season in the NHL.
Eight USHL alumni on the opening rosters will be making their NHL debut when they hit the ice this season – Matt Bartkowski (Boston Bruins), Stu Bickel (New York Rangers), Hunter Bishop (Montreal Canadiens), Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes), Matt Read (Philadelphia Flyers), Brandon Saad (Chicago Blackhawks), Craig Smith (Nashville Predators), and Jeff Zatkoff (Los Angeles Kings).
While there are 66 USHL alumni currently on NHL rosters, nearly 100 more are currently under NHL contract and have the opportunity to appear in the NHL this season.
Also making a NHL debut this season is new Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Jeff Blashill , who coached two seasons in the USHL with the Indiana Ice (2008-10) and led them to their first-ever Clark Cup title in 2009.
In addition to the 66 former players, seven USHL officiating alumni will also be skating in the NHL this season, including referees David Banfield , Mark Lemelin , Brian Pochmara , Chris Rooney , and Ian Walsh , along with linesmen Brian Mach , and Bryan Pancich . Comment@prohockeynews.com
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