New York Islanders winger Kyle Okposo will represent the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Hockey Championships. The tournament will take place from May 4-20, in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

“It’s always a big honor to play for your country and it’s a special feeling when you put on that sweater,” Okposo said.

Kyle Okposo in action against Sweden during the 2010 World Championships in Germany.

The St. Paul, MN, native will be participating in his third World Championships (2009, 2010) and has recorded eight points (3g/5a) in 15 international games. Okposo has also represented the US at two World Junior Hockey Championships (2007, 08) winning a bronze medal in 2007. 

“It’s definitely nice to know how highly they think of you to keep asking,” Okposo said.

Okposo isn’t satisfied with just being named to the team. He’s looking to win gold and redeem his finish with the Americans in 2010.

“I’m going in with the mindset that this is the playoffs,” Okposo said. “The last time I went, we didn’t have a very good showing and I want a little bit of redemption from that.”

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Ryan Strome:
Strome dominated the first three games of Niagara’s series against Oshawa, picking up eight points (3g/5a). The Islanders fifth overall pick in 2011 currently leads the OHL playoff-scoring race. Strome scored a goal and added two assists in Thursday’s 8-2 win and put 51 shots on goal. On Saturday, Strome posted two assists including a helper on Freddie Hamilton’s game-winning goal in a 6-1 victory. Strome scored two goals in 1:05 on Sunday and Niagara threw 50 shots on net again, but Niagara fell 6-4 to Oshawa.

Niagara holds a 2-1 lead over the Oshawa Generals. Next game: Wed. @ OSH 7:05

Andrey Pedan:
Pedan’s seventh-seeded Guelph Storm currently hold a 2-0 series lead over the second-seeded Plymouth Whalers. The Islanders prospect and Guelph blueliner is second in playoff scoring amongst defenseman in the OHL. Pedan scored the game-winner in a 4-2 victory on Friday night and contributed two assists in Sunday’s 5-3 win. Pedan holds the Whalers’s number as he now has two goals and six assists in six games against Plymouth.

Guelph holds a 2-0 lead over the Plymouth Whalers. Next game: Tues. @ PLY 7:05

Kirill Kabanov
Kabanov and the Shawinigan Cataractes beat up the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies over the weekend, winning both games by a combined 13-4. Kabanov contributed a goal in Friday’s 7-1 rout of the Huskies and a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 6-3 win. Shawinigan showed no mercy against Rouyn-Noranda, outshooting them 28-5 in the third period of Friday’s contest. Rouyn-Noranda reached double-digit shots in a period for the first time in the third period of Saturday’s game.

Shawinigan holds a 2-0 lead over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Next game: Tues. @ ROU 7:30

Brock Nelson (University of North Dakota) and Scott Mayfield (Denver University) both appeared in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Here is the complete schedule and results for all teams. Nelson advanced to the round of eight, while Mayfield lost on Friday in the first round.

First Round: Round of 16 (Played March 23 and 24)
DCU Center, Worchester, Mass. (March 24)
Boston College 2, Air Force 0
Minnesota Duluth 5, Maine 2

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (March 24)
Minnesota 7, Boston University 3
North Dakota 3,  Western Michigan 1

North Dakota scoring leader and Islanders prospect Brock Nelson continued to put up important points, adding a goal and an assist against Western Michigan. Nelson’s assist came on the game-winner to push the Fighting Sioux to the elite eight. Nelson has 28 goals and 18 assists in 41 games this season. 

Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Conn. (March 23)
Union 3,  Michigan State 1
Massachusetts-Lowell 4, Miami Ohio 3

Resch Center, Green Bay, WI (March 23)
Cornell 3,  Michigan 2
Ferris St. 2, Denver 1

Islanders prospect Scott Mayfield recorded two penalty minutes as the University of Denver fell, 2-1, to Ferris State. The rookie defenseman finished his first season with three goals and nine assists in 42 games on the Denver blue line.

Second Round: (Round of Eight)
Union 4, Massachusetts-Lowell 2 (March 24)

Ferris 2, Cornell 1 (March 24)

Boston College vs. Minnesota Duluth (March 25)
Minnesota vs. North Dakota (March 25)
 
After Sunday’s action, the Frozen Four resumes on Apr. 5, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Union and Ferris will make their first ever Frozen Four appearances.

Want to follow the Islanders prospects on the road to the Memorial Cup? The league playoffs are getting under way in each of the three leagues. Here are your matchups:

*Shawinigan has an automatic bid into the Memorial Cup as the host of the tournament

OHL: West 1 London vs. 8 Windsor 2 Plymouth vs. 7 Guelph 3 Kitchener vs. 6 Owen Sound 4 Sarnia vs. 5 Saginaw OHL: East 1 Niagara vs. 8 Oshawa 2 Ottawa vs. 7 Bellville 3 Barrie vs. 6 Mississauga 4 Brampton vs. 5 Sudbury

WHL: West 1 Tri City vs. 8 Everett 2 Kamloops vs. 7 Victoria 3 Portland vs. 6 Kelowna 4 Vancouver vs. 5 Spokane WHL: East 1 Edmonton vs. 8 Kootney 2 Moose Jaw vs. 7 Regina 3 Calgary vs. 6 Brandon 4 Medicine Hat vs. 5 Saskatoon

OMJHL: 1 Saint John vs. 16 Cape Breton 2 Shawinigan vs. 15 Rouyn-Noranda 3 Blainville-Boisbriand vs. 14 Gatineau 4 Victoriaville vs. 13 Baie-Comeau 5 Quebec vs. 12 Drummondville 6 Halifax vs. 11 Moncton 7 Rimouski vs. 10 Val-D’Or 8 Chicoutmi vs. 9 Acadie-Bathurst

Where do the Isles prospects specifically fit in? Here are the breakdowns of their matchups.
*indicates if necessary

BRENDAN KICHTON

Brendan Kichton

WHL Western Conference Quarterfinals:
4 Vancouver [40-26-2-4] vs. 5 Spokane [38-25-5-4]
Gm. 1 3.23.12 @ VAN
Gm. 2 3.24.12 @ VAN
Gm. 3 3.27.12 @ SPO
Gm. 4 3.28.12 @ SPO
Gm. 5* 3.30.12 @ VAN
Gm. 6* 4.1.12 @ SPO
Gm. 7* 4.4.12 @ VAN
Season Series: 0-1-1 Kichton: 0 pts in 2 games played
Kichton: 17g/57a 74 points in 71 games played
Led by Islanders prospect and top-scoring defenseman Brenden Kichton, the Spokane Chiefs enter the WHL playoffs as the fifth seed. The Chiefs take on the fourth-seeded Vancouver Giants in their quest for the Memorial Cup starting Friday. Vancouver held the edge in the season series as Spokane took one of a possible four points. Kichton was held pointless in the two meetings, but the Spruce Grove, Alta. native led his team with 74 points [17g/57a] and is overdue to bury one on the Giants. 

ANDREY PEDAN
OHL Western Conference Quarterfinals:

Andrey Pedan

2 Plymouth [47-18-2-1] vs. 7 Guelph [31-31-2-4]
Gm. 1 3.23.12 @ PLY
Gm. 2 3.25.12 @ GUE
Gm. 3 3.27.12 @ PLY
Gm. 4 3.29.12 @ GUE
Gm. 5* 3.31.12 @ PLY
Gm. 6* 4.1.12 @ GUE
Gm. 7* 4.3.12 @ PLY
Season Series: 2-2 Pedan: 1g/4a in 4 games played
Pedan: 10g/30a 40 pts. In 63 games played
The seventh-seeded Guelph Storm take on the second-seeded Plymouth Whalers in the opening round of the OHL playoffs. Separated by 29 points in regular season play, the teams split the season series 2-2 and Guelph steamrolled Plymouth for a 9-1 victory on Feb. 18. Islanders prospect Andrey Pedan scored a goal and two assists in the 9-1 rout and posted 40 points [10g/30a] in 63 games on the Storm’s blueline. Both teams have offensive depth as Plymouth boasts nine players with over 40 points to Guelph’s eight.

RYAN STROME AND MITCHELL THEORET
OHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals:
1 Niagara [47-18-0-3] vs. 8 Oshawa Generals

Ryan Strome	Mitchell Theoret

Gm. 1 3.22.12 OSH 2 @ NIA 8 Strome 1g/2a
Gm. 2 3.23.12 @ OSH
Gm. 3 3.25.12 @ NIA
Gm. 4 3.28.12 @ OSH
Gm. 5* 3.31.12 @ NIA
Gm. 6* 4.1.12 @ OSH
Gm. 7* 4.3.12 @ NIA
Season Series: 1-1 Strome 1g/1a in 2 games played Theoret: 0 pts in 2 games played
Niagara dominated the OHL’s Eastern Conference, finishing nine points ahead of the second-seeded Ottawa 67’s. As a result, the IceDogs draw the eighth-seeded Oshawa Generals in the OHL quarterfinals. Twenty-eight points separate the teams in the standings, but they split the season series 1-1. Ryan Strome, the Islanders fifth overall selection in 2011, scored a goal and two assists in an 8-2 victory on Thursday to open the series. Mitchell Theoret, the Isles 7th round pick in 2011, did not play in the series opener. Strome posted 68 points [30g/38a] in 46 games, good for fifth on the stacked Icedogs roster. Theoret set a new career high with 21 points [12g/9a] in 62 games this season.

KIRILL KABANOV

Kirill Kabanov

QMJHL East Division Playoffs
1 Shawinigan [45-16-3-4] vs. 6 Baie-Comeau [29-34-1-4]
Gm. 1 3.23.12 @ SHA
Gm. 2 3.24.12 @ SHA
Gm. 3 3.27.12 @ ROU
Gm. 4 3.28.12 @ ROU
Gm. 5* 3.30.12 @ SHA
Gm. 6* 4.1.12 @ ROU
Gm. 7* 4.3.12 @ SHA
Season Series:  2-2-0  Kabanov: 4A in 2 GP
Kabanov: 21g/34a 55 pts. 50 games
The Shawinigan Cataractes, host team of the 2012 Memorial Cup, open the QMJHL playoffs as the second-seed, against the 15th-seeded Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Shawinigan and Rouyn-Noranda met four times this season, splitting the series 2-2. Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov suited up for two of the four matches against Rouyn-Noranda, totaling four assists in both victories. Kabanov set a new career high this season with 55 points [21g/34a] in 50 games, but in the past has played his best hockey in the post season. Last year Kabanov scored 20 points [8g/12a] in 15 games for the Lewiston MAINEiacs and will be a factor in Shawinigans quest for the Memorial Cup.


 

The fifth annual Lighthouse International Youth Hockey Tournament was yet another success for all participants.

After three days full of games, Finland’s Ilves Islanders skated away with the gold and silver medals in a thrilling back and forth final. They showcased a group of talented young players with the ability and hockey sense of much older teams.

The Ilves Islanders took home the gold, and the silver. Watch retrospective video Click here for photos from Day 1 Click here for photos from Day 2 Click here for photos from Day 3 Click here for photos from Day 4

Japan, which travelled the furthest to attend the tournament, showed their European friends and North American hosts that the under-represented hockey nation is growing a crop of young, smooth skaters. Japan played a hard team game that was competitive all the way to the end of their tournament.

The New York teams, two from Nassau, two from Suffolk and a Westchester squad had the incredible opportunity to skate on professional ice and receive the superstar treatment of their Islanders heroes. Fostering international good will and making friends from around the world was a bonus; kids this young may not even realize how special that part of the tournament was. 
And of course, everyone got to take a few days off school to play hockey. What could be better than that? 

“It was really fun,” Maxlee Lerow of Team Japan said. “It’s a really big experience. I’ve been playing with kids in Japan all the time and it’s really different to see other countries play with a different style.”

One of the highlights of the tournament was when 10-year-old Jere Turunen of Finland pulled off a play usually reserved for professional skills competitions. Turunen may not be a household name yet, but the Finnish youngster scored a breath-taking, lacrosse-style goal from behind the net that wound up on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays for Jan. 21.

Turunen beat out John Tavares’ two goals that night for the number No. 9 spot, an unheard of feat for that age level.

Off the ice, the teams watched an Islanders practice and enjoyed by a private meet-and-greet with the players. Andrew Hartog of the Nassau Islanders even brought home a souvenir from the tournament - a signed stick from Kyle Okposo.

“I was on the rails and he walked by,” Hartog said excitedly. “I gave him a high-five and he stuck the stick out and I got it.”

New York City also had a starring role in the Lighthouse Tournament. For many of the international players, it was their first time seeing the bright lights of the Big Apple. They had the sports experience of a lifetime, including a tour of Citi Field, tickets to a New Jersey Nets game and a special visit to the Islanders-Hurricanes game on Saturday night.

“It’s a big city,” Henri Ekman of Finland said. “Everything is…big.”

The week started off with a skills competition for the international teams on Wednesday and wrapped up with a banquet for all teams on Sunday evening at the Marriott. There were a few special guests on hand at the banquet, including the man responsible for this yearly tournament, Islanders owner Charles Wang.

Sunday also was a chance for the players to say good-bye to one another before heading home for another year. Before it ended, the sharpies were brought out and they went around signing each others jerseys.

“I’ve made friends with a couple of the Finnish kids,” Nassau Lions Owen Brown said. “It’s cool.”
Islanders’ autographs may be worth a bit more, but you can’t put a price on making new friends at the rink. 

 

The Lighthouse International Youth Hockey Tournament ended with some Finnish flare, as the Ilves Islanders I topped the Ilves Islanders II 5-4 in the final to capture the gold medal at Nassau Coliseum.

Valteri Koivonen of the senior Ilves (team I) scored the winner on a late breakaway in the third period. It was a thrilling conclusion to the all-Finland final that saw both teams trade leads.

Islanders General Manager Garth Snow attended the championship contest and presented the medals following the game. Both teams came together to skate a lap around the ice and wave the Finnish flag in front of their many family members and friends who flew across continents to watch them play this week.

The hot hands of the tournament struck again Saturday afternoon, although with less frequency than they had in the round robin. Marc Lahtinen and Taaui Palotic of the senior team each scored two goals and notched an assist. Lahtinen had nine goals and two assists in his last two games alone. Santeri Tahuanainen, Elias Nieminen and Jarkko Maki each had two points for the junior team and Jere Turunen also had a goal in the final game. 

Another day on the Coliseum ice saw both Finland teams take commanding wins over two local teams. The Nassau Islanders eeked out a win in the final seconds of their game against Japan. 

Read on for complete game recaps.

Game 1: Finland I: 9 – Nassau Islanders: 1
With a shot to go to the championship game on the line, Finland’s Marc Lahtinen did all he could to get his team to the big game. Lahtinen resembled the Finnish Flash, scoring his teams first seven goals and assisting on the eighth. Justus Kunnusmaki scored Finland’s final two goals and added two assists. Harry Nicolas of Westbury tallied the Islanders lone goal.

Game 2: Westchester: 4 – Suffolk: 0
Goalie Mike Schur recorded a shutout for Westchester, the second goose egg of the tournament. Carmine Christiano carried the offense for Westchester, scoring two goals on Friday afternoon. Peter Orlowski and Nick Barbero rounded out the offense for the Mariners. Westchester improves to 1-2-0 while Suffolk drop to 0-3-0.

Game 3: Nassau Islanders: 5 – Japan: 4
Defenseman Max Evans broke a deadlock with 48.5 seconds remaining in the third period, as the Islanders beat Japan 5-4. Nassau battled back from a 3-1 deficit, winning in dramatic fashion. Hunter Rossi, Teddy Ingrassia and Evans scored three second period goals to spark the comeback, taking a 4-3 lead at the end of the middle frame. Nakamichi, Kobayashi, Yasuno and Ikeda scored for Japan, who fell to 1-1-1 and just shy of the championship game. Nassau finished the tournament 2-1-0.

Game 4: Finland II: 10 – Rinx: 1
Finland punched their ticket to the championship game, defeating the Rinx 10-1, going undefeated in round-robin play. Jere Turunen scored a hat trick including the breathtaking game-winner. Turunen balanced the puck on his blade behind the net and wrapped it around to the top corner, much like a lacrosse goal. Santeri Tahuanainen finished the game with four goals and three assists, giving him 17 points (8g/9a) in three games. John Forlenza scored the Rinx only goal, giving the Lake Grove native a hand in his teams last five goals.
 

Day 2 of the Lighthouse International Youth Hockey tournament was rough for some of the local teams, as both teams from Finland and Japan brought big offensive games.

After the action on the ice, the teams from Finland and Japan took a tour of CitiField, home of the New York Mets.

Game 1: Finland II: 10 – Nassau Lions: 1
Finland followed up a dominant first game against Suffolk with a 10-1 win over the Nassau Lions. In a Finnish Flash, the European squad was up 4-0 and top forward Jere Toronen scored a hat trick and added three assists for six points. Toronen now has 14 points (9g/5a) in two games. Santeri Tahuanainen scored four points (2g/2a) giving him 10 points (4g/6a) in the tournament. Michael Saleme broke the shutout with a goal for the Lions.

Game 2: Japan: 18 – Westchester: 0
Japan’s offense was on display again, but this time, they secured the win with stingy defense as well. After letting Finland score seven goals Wednesday, the Japanese team recorded the first shutout of the tournament. Up front, Nakamichi lit the lamp with six goals, adding one assist, and Yasuno hit double-digits, scoring 10 points (4g/6a).

Game 3: Finland I: 15 – The Rinx: 1
After tying Japan in their tournament opener, Finland I responded by convincingly beating The Rinx. Valtien Koivuna scored two hat tricks and added two assists. Justus Kunnusmaki, who scored the tying goal against Japan, had a five-point game, scoring a hat trick of his own and also adding two assists. Peter Caputo scored the Rinx only goal. 

Game 4: Nassau Lions: 3 – Suffolk: 1
Daniel Gelabert flashed the leather on a late breakaway to preserve the win for the Nassau Lions. Jason Latin of Roslyn scored the game-winner in the second period, with the puck deflecting off of a Suffolk stick and into the net. Gelabert’s save kept the score at 2-1 before an empty-netter sealed the deal in the closest game of day two. Joseph Zirkel and Joseph Dunn rounded out Nassau’s offense while Billy MacQuarrie scored Suffolk’s lone goal. 

Game 5: The Rinx: 4 – Westchester: 1
John Forlenza had a hand in all four Rinx goals, netting a hat trick and adding an assist. Westchester’s Luke Matthison opened the scoring before Rinx answered back with four straight. Peter Caputo scored the Rinx third goal and Marc Rohrbacker had three assists. The Rinx finished the day 1-1 while Westchester dropped to 0-2. Both teams are back in action on Friday.   
  

An unusual scene was unfolding on Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum. Two 11-year-old boys, one from Finland and another from Japan were teaching each other a new language…in English.

That can only mean one thing, the New York Islanders annual Lighthouse Tournament is under way.

The tournament brings teams from Europe and Asia to Long Island to compete against local teams for medals and international bragging rights on professional ice. The teams come from different countries, speak different languages, but have a shared passion -hockey.

“I’ve been playing with kids in Japan all the time and it’s really different to see other countries with a different style,” Max Lee, a Japanese left-winger said. “And at the hotel we’ve already been making Finnish friends.”

A skills competition kicked off the festivities on Wednesday, including a fastest team event, featuring five players per squad, a puck-relay competition, a timed breakaway event, and a 2-on-0 scoring competition.

“I was very impressed with some of the kid’s skill level,” Mike Lang, one of the head Iceworks instructors said. “I thought the kids had a really good time.” 

In the past, the skills competition has been the wrap-up event, but this year, it’s in the leadoff position, for the international teams.

“I think they [the kids] are just getting acclimated with being in a different country and it was good for them to get out and do the skills first,” Lang said. “It gets their legs under them, it gets them acclimated to playing at the Coliseum which can be a little intimidating. I think they are going to have a real good time this week.”

Henri Ekman of the Finland 1 team was taking everything in, from scoring a couple goals in the competition, to the arena, to being in New York for the first time.

“It’s a big city. Everything is big,” he said. “It [the Coliseum] was the best ice that I’ve ever been on.”

Day 1 Recap:
Game 1 – Finland 1 vs. Japan
Japan jumped out to an early lead, going up 4-1 on Finland after the first period. The resilient Finns battled back in the second period, resulting in a 5-4 Japan lead heading into the third period. Justus Kunnusmaki of Finland scored with 51 seconds remaining to complete the comeback and tie the game at 7.

Game 2 – Nassau Islanders vs. Nassau Lions
The Islanders won the battle of Nassau, 7-2, over the Lions in Wednesday’s afternoon action. Defenseman Max Evans of Oyster Bay scored a hat-trick for the Islanders and Harry Nicolas of Westbury had two goals and an assist.

Game 3 – Finland 2 vs. Suffolk
The second Finnish team and Suffolk hooked up for Wednesday’s late game. Finland had the most dominant performance of the day, winning 14-1. Jere Turunen scored six goals and added two assists for an eight-point afternoon. Banteri Tahranainen had a hand in three of Turunen’s goals, finishing with two goals and four assists as well.

It can’t be too hard to spot a hockey player in a crowd. The tall, lean muscular build is a telling sign. Flip-flops, shorts, t-shirt and a hat are standard attire, but the most telling sign that you’re looking at a professional hockey player is long, glorious, wavy hair.

Hockey hair, or “flow” has been a part of the sport for generations. Guy LaFleur’s hair used to fly back as he charged down the ice in the 70’s, and Jaromir Jagr’s mullet in the 90’s are just two in hockey’s storied history. Today’s New York Islanders are continuing the trend with several players wearing the look.

Moulson's flow towards the end of the 2010-11season.

What could be cooler than having long locks poking out of the helmet? Well according to Matt Martin, Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau, the answer isn’t short hair.

“The first time I ever grew it out was because I wanted it coming out the sides and back of my helmet,” Moulson said. “I thought that was cool when I was younger.”

It’s not just all about the looks. It’s believed that good flow can lead to good play. Some players credit their mop for their good fortune.

“I’ve had the flow for probably six or seven years now,” Parenteau said, who has been above a point per game in the AHL for four years and scored 20 goals for the Islanders last year. “So I don’t know, things have been going well for me hockey wise, so it’s kind of related.”

The same can be said about the opposite effect. If slumping, cutting the flow can kick-start success, giving a player a fresh start.

No one wakes up one morning with long hair. It takes years to develop the length and style of ones’ flow. This process is usually inspired and these players are no different.

Moulson, who grew up in North York, Ont. was a fan of Toronto Maple Leaf captain Doug Gilmore’s hair and San Jose Sharks captain Mike Ricci’s. Martin cited less traditional hockey sources.

“Brad Pitt’s hair in Troy was pretty sweet,” Martin said. Martin, who is also a blonde, cited David Beckham’s hair as inspiration growing up.

Long hair can be hard to take care of, especially hair that’s constantly in a helmet, and enduring on-ice drills. Learning what conditioners and products to buy and what hats to where, comes with experience and a little help.

“Me and PA, we talk about new products out there and what we use. Technique, what we do,” Moulson said.

Parenteau's headshot taken at the start of the 2010-11 season. He's modeling an even longer flow these days.

It’s a small brotherhood on the team, but they compete to lay claim to best flow.

“Matt Martin’s trying out-do us, I think he’s being a little silly,” Moulson jokes.

“Matt Martin, he thinks he looks like Brad Pitt,” adds Parenteau.

But as much as athletes love their flow, eventually they will have to part with it. Even defensive end Jarred Allen cut his trademark mullet, which he claimed he wouldn’t, for his wedding day. What would it take for these guys to cut their flow?

Martin plans on cutting and donating it for Locks for Love, a charity that takes hair and turns it into hairpieces for sick children. Parenteau said he would cut it for a Stanley Cup, but who wouldn’t.

The start of the season usually signals the ‘no more cuts’ date and the beginning of a new season’s flow.  It’s a long season, and there won’t be a limit on how long the hair could get, unless the boss says so. It’ll be a grind, but the best thing to do, just go with the flow.