Avalanche continue to load up on young talent

WASILLA — With all but four players from the 2007-08 season eligible to return next year, you can’t exactly classify the recruiting efforts of the Alaska Avalanche as “reloading.”

The Avs are simply loading up on young talent.

As of Monday, the Avs have tendered nine players who will compete for spots on the 2008-09 Avalanche roster.

“It’s as good as the one we had last year, if not better,” Smith said of Alaska’s recruiting class. “And we still have seven draft picks. We want to get out there and lock down some people and bring as many kids as we can into our main camp.”

The latest tender is forward Justin Taber, who comes from the same Ohio Blue Jackets Midget AAA program that produced Avalanche forward Grant Highley.

“He comes from a good program, and is one of their top players,” Smith said of Taber. “He’s seen a higher level of play than most AAA midget players, played in a lot of national tournaments and has had a ton of exposure.”

Smith said Taber, a player who had been courted by teams in the United States Hockey League, flew to Alaska last week for a tryout.

“He and his dad loved it up here,” Smith said.

Taber is one of five forwards to be tendered by the Avs. The list also includes Ryan Bachman and David LaBerre, both from the Chicago Fury Midget AAA program, as well as Service High School standouts Logan Rounds and Ryan Kowal.

Bachman was fourth on his squad in scoring with seven goals and five assists. LaBerre posted three goals and four assists, for a team that finished in the middle of the pack in the Mid-West Elite Hockey League.

Rounds and Kowal helped guide Service to the ASAA 4A state title game in February. Rounds also led his Midget AAA squad, the Alaska All-Stars, in scoring with 13 goals and four assists.

One of Rounds’ All-Stars teammates, Tyler Morgan, is one of four blueliners to be tendered by Alaska.

Morgan, a Dimond High School product, finished second on the All-Stars in scoring with nine goals and seven assists.

The Avalanche snagged a pair of blueliners from the Colorado Rampage, a Midget AAA squad that recently captured its third straight Colorado state championship.

Coming from the Centennial State are Daniel Hildebrandt and his partner on the blue line, Thomas Wees.

Hildebrandt, a 6-foot-2 and 180-pound defenseman, scored two goals and 11 assists, while Wees, a 6-foot-2 and 200-pound blueliner, added two goals and nine assists.

Alaska has also tendered Hermantown (Minn.) High School blueliner Mike Boese.

Hermantown High also produced Alaska forwards Ryan Schmidt and Tommy Engseth.

Smith said the Avs have built a good relationship with the Hermantown High coaching staff.

“Their coach is fantastic,” Smith said. “He really moves kids along.”

Smith said Boese is a player with great hands and moves fast.

Of the defensemen tendered by the Avs, three of the four are at least 6-feet. Only Morgan, at 5-11, is under the 6-foot mark.

Size on defense has been a focus in the Avs’ recruiting efforts.

“This solidifies our defense too,” Smith said.

In addition to recruiting, the Smith and the Avs are preparing for three offseason camps. The first is slated for May 9-11 at the Subway Center in Anchorage.

Tryout camps are also scheduled for June 13-15 in Las Vegas, Nev., and July 11-13 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.