In the first edition of Corridor Cross Checks for the 2024-25 hockey season, we take a look at the upcoming ECHL season for the Iowa Heartlanders and Week 3 of the United States Hockey League season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
With NIL exploding and a lawsuit filed to possibly allow major junior players in Canada the chance to play college hockey, how that all could affect the United States Hockey League is a burgeoning topic of discussion.
Winger Loa Milfors came over to North America and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders this past January from his native Sweden. It was a tough adjustment but he made it and seems in line for a productive second season in the United States Hockey League.
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders won all five of their preseason games and hope to carry that momentum into the United States Hockey League’s regular season. That regular season begins Thursday for the club at the league’s Fall Classic in suburban Pittsburgh.
Defenseman Nikita Konevych of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders came to the United States three years ago at the age of 15 to pursue his hockey dreams. He hasn’t been home to Ukraine since because of the Russian invasion of his country two years ago. His family insists he stay here, though they live a literal day-to-day existence in their war-torn country.
Rudy Guimond is a Quebec resident, Yale commit and Detroit Red Wings draft pick. The 19-year-old goaltender hopes to have a strong second season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, who begin preseason play this weekend.
The Boston Bruins selected defenseman Elliott Groenewold of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the fourth round of the National Hockey League Draft on Saturday. Defenseman Gabriel Eliasson went in the second round to the Ottawa Senators. He is expected to play for C.R. this coming season.
Andrew Oglevie played 211 USHL regular-season games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, the second-most in team history by one. After playing in college at Notre Dame and three years in the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres organization, concussions forced him to retire. He’s now an assistant coach at Colorado College, back in town this weekend to observe the RoughRiders’ annual tryout camp.
Of course, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders wanted guys who could skate, who had skill, who could make plays, score goals and all that. But in the recently concluded United States Hockey League Draft, head coach/general manager Mark Carlson and his coaching and scouting staff went beyond that.
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders failed to qualify for the United States Hockey League playoffs this season. But with the league drafts upcoming and the possibility of several returnees, the club seeks a quick turnaround.
Thomas Vandenberg of Nepean, Ontario, has signed an official United States Hockey League tender agreement with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. The 15-year-old center counts as C.R.’s first-round pick in the upcoming USHL Draft, Phase I
Winger Nico Blachman of the Iowa Heartlanders is a fan favorite and engaging guy who left his Florida home at 13 to play prep school hockey in Minnesota. He has played for 20 junior, college and professional teams in 10 years and vows to keep going as an enforcer type of player.
At this point last month, Mark Carlson was believed to be on the verge of setting the United States Hockey League record for most career coaching victories. But the league then discovered they had miscalculated Carlson’s win total. Having already reached out to RoughRiders alumni and others in the hockey world for comment on playing for Carlson, The Gazette has decided to not wait until next season when Carlson does indeed break the USHL wins record. Here is what NHL players like Ross Colton had to say.
The Iowa Heartlanders beat Wichita on three consecutive days last week. The ECHL club gave up just four goals in those games. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders dropped three games last week.
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have picked up standings points in their last six USHL games to climb into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Part of the surge can be credited to the goaltending tandem of Rudy Guimond and James Norton. Guimond, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, has been here all season. Norton joined the club in January after beginning the season in the NAHL and excelling in a short emergency stint with Dubuque of the USHL.
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