Mark writes:
>Mike writes:
>>Wish I had the paper here today...some of the players chosen include
>>Shawn Bates of Medford (headed to BU) by Boston, and 6-8 225 D John
>>Jakopin of Ontario (headed to Merrimack) by Detroit in the 4th.
>
>   Yow, that Merrimack recruit is a big one.  Along those lines
>   UW football recruit Rob Luertsema(sp?) was drafted in one of the
>   late rounds of the NHL draft.  He is listed at 6'5" and 252 lbs.
 
I may or may not have mentioned this before...but the two biggest
incoming freshmen in Hockey East this season are both going to
Merrimack, and they are both defensemen.  Besides Jakopin, who is
actually 6-5 225 (got the two confused), we'll see Steve McKenna, also
from Ontario - *he* is 6-8 225.  Both played Tier II.  So, we're
basically talking a double dose of Chris Therien (6-5 230).  I hear at
least one of them has wheels like Therien, too.  (And Merrimack has no
football team - they're both going for hockey. :-))
 
What is interesting about this is that after I was out at Western
Michigan last October to see the Warriors split with the Broncos, and
John Hauessler made the drive to see one of the games, he asked me
(John being a closet Merrimack fan) if Ron Anderson could somehow find
a big, strong defenseman to do the dirty work in front of the net...and
now there are TWO of them. :-)  The Twin Towers of Defense.  (Getting
ready for my radio work this fall.)
 
People tend to ooh and aah over kids who are tall playing hockey, but
size alone won't get the job done.  That's why Merrimack people are
anticipating the arrival of these two - they're said to have size and
skill; the Red Wings must think so too if they took Jakopin in the 4th
(I think McKenna may have been picked too, not sure).  A few years
ago, the Warriors had a player who was tall (6-6) but weighed no more
than 190/200 - soaking wet with his clothes on.  Opposing players loved to
take a run at him because of his height; one of the Bavises from BU
put him through the glass outside of the rink at the Volpe.  He was a
very nice kid but just had trouble making the adjustment from DivII to
DivI and the additional strength and skill that is usually required.
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Mike Machnik           [log in to unmask]    [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMN* 11/13/93