Prospect News

Lightning defensive prospect and 2008 6th round pick Luke Witkowski is reportedly out with an injury and will miss the inaugral season opener of Fargo Force Friday night when they travel to play the Omaha Lancers. The Force is coached by long time UND head coach Dean Blais. The Force begin the USHL season with an eight game road trip, with their home opener on October 30 against the Sioux Falls Stampede.

Witkowski is credited with with first fighting major in Force team history when he dropped the gloves with Blake Thompson of Sioux Falls in Fargo's first exhibition game.

(PG Citizen) Dana Tyrell believes he belongs at a higher level, but that's not going to keep him from doing the best he can at this one.

Tyrell, the captain of the Prince George Cougars, will see his first home action of the WHL season when the Chilliwack Bruins arrive for a doubleheader -- games Friday and Saturday at CN Centre. Tyrell, now a 19-year-old and the longest-tenured player on the team, was on the ice last weekend as the Cats lost in Vancouver but rebounded with an overtime victory in Chilliwack.

"I definitely feel I can play there, and I could've played there this year," said Tyrell, who had a lengthy stay at the main camp of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning.

Damian Cristodero of the St. Pete Times reports that behemoth Bolts prospect defenseman Vladimir Mihalik has not only earned a roster with the Tampa Bay Lightning but is assured of playing in the team's 2008-09 season opener against the New York Rangers on October 4th in Prague. At 6.08 and 241 lbs, the young Slovakian blueliner has drawn comparisons to Boston's Zdeno Chara.

Coming into training camp, BoltProspects had tagged Mihalik as a darkhorse candidate to win a roster spot, but with Matt Smaby and newcomers like Janne Niskala, Andrew Hutchinson, and Ty Wishart slotted ahead of him in the depth chart, chances were slim that he would be starting the season in Bolts sweater.

Per the Tampa Tribune, following the Thursday's preseason game with the New York Rangers, the Lightning made 3 more roster cuts prior to leaving for Europe.

Tampa reassigned prospect defenseman Matt Smaby and forwards Zenon Konopka and Brandon Bochenski to the Norfolk Admirals training camp. Konopka and Bochenski will have to clear waivers before the reassignment is completed, and the these two will be placed on waivers Friday morning.

Erik Erlendsson is reporting the Lightning have made six more cuts: Ty Wishart, Riku Helenius, Paul Szczechura, Wyatt Smith, and Radek Smolenak.

Dana Tyrell was also returned to Prince George of the WHL.

That leaves Matt Smaby, Vladimir Mihalik, and Andrew Hutchinson battling for the seventh job on the blueline, presuming that Janne Niskala has already wrapped up the sixth spot, as it appears.

Eric Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have made six training camp cuts following Saturday night's first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. All six are being sent the Norfolk Admirals training camp and will join the current roster which starts on Monday. The six players include Lightning prospects Blair Jones, Brandon Segal, Chris Lawrence, and Andy Rogers. The remaining two cuts include free agent invitees Jamie Heward and Sean O'Connor.

Heward had previously said that he if he could not make an NHL roster, he would return to Europe instead of playing North American minor league hockey. It is unknown if Heward will report to the Admirals training camp.

Damian Cristodero is reporting that Lightning 2007 2nd round pick Dana Tyrell has received an invitation to join the Tampa Bay Lightning training camp after the Traverse City Prospect tournament concludes today.

James Wright's wake-up call came from NHL teams hitting the snooze button on him at their entry draft.

Wright, a Vancouver Giants centre, may be a pro-level skater already and that led to speculation that he could have been a second-rounder this past summer. That speculation, too, led to him attending the festivities in Ottawa with his family.

Wright, 18, has also had an up-and-down first two years with the Giants, thanks to an inconsistent battle level. NHL teams looked at that most of all, as he wasn't picked until the end of the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune published the Lightning's Traverse City Prospects Tournament roster today. And while Steven Stamkos is a glaring omission from the roster, it is composed mostly of 2007 and 2008 Lightning draftees including Finnish forward Matias Sointu. Recently acquired top defensive prospect Ty Wishart highlights the roster that also includes six free agent invitees and two Norfolk Admirals free agent signees. Five of the six free agent invitees are from the WHL, including Tri-City's surprisingly undrafted Kruise Reddick and Tyson Barrie's and Torrie Jung's Kelowna teammate Lucas Bloodoff.

There's one more unconfirmed player whose name has yet to be released.

Goaltenders
Torrie Jung, Dustin Tokarski

Defenseman
Ty Wishart, Kevin Quick, Daryl Boyle, Mark Barberio, Michael Ward, Scott Jackson, Jeff May

Forwards
Dana Tyrell, Mitch Fadden, Chris Lawrence, Luca Cunti, Kyle De Coste, James Wright, Matias Sointu, Lucas Bloodoff, Kyle Bortis, Brady Leavold, Brett Parnham, Kruise Reddick

Norfolk Free Agent Signees
Free Agent Invitees

For Mitch Fadden, September will be the month that decides where he spends the next year. As the Lethbridge training camp begins, Tampa's 2007 4th round pick is still without a pro contract from the Lightning. After attending the Bolt's Prospect Camp in Victoria, BC last month, the Lightning still want to see more of Fadden before making a decision on where he spends the 2008-09 season.

In talking with the Lethbridge Herald, the WHL's sixth leading scorer was upbeat about the start of the Hurricane's camp, “It’s business as usual, everyone is excited to get back on the ice and we’re ready to start the season.”