Thanks to Brian Wiebe for contacting me yesterday with thenews that Vernon Vipers defenceman Jordan Klimek has joined the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints. Klimek was part of the Vipers-Surrey trade that took part last season at the BCHL trade deadline. The Vipers sent forwards Adam Tambellini & Michael Roberts to the Eagles in return for forward Mason Blacklock, defenceman Jordan Klimek and d-man Demico Hannoun.
Jordan Klimek's Player Profile:
http://www.bchl.ca/leagues/rosters_profile.cfm?clientID=1413&leagueID=2393&teamID=378210&playerID=823972
This is posted on the Saints Roster:
Dubuque Fighting Saints Name Junior Club World Cup Roster
Thursday July 11, 2013
24 players, including eight returners, to international tournament in Omsk, Russia
by Zack Fisch, Dubuque Fighting Saints
The Dubuque Fighting Saints will begin the 2013-2014 campaign overseas, and today the club announced the group of 24 players that will be making the trip across the globe. The Fighting Saints have named its roster for the 2013 Junior Club World Cup, an international tournament in Omsk, Russia on August 24-31 that brings together eight of the world’s top junior hockey teams, each from different countries.
“It was obviously a tough decision to get to 24 players for our trip to Russia, and there are still decisions to be made down the road,” said Fighting Saints Head Coach and General Manager Matt Shaw. “On this trip, we are going to go over and learn about each other. It’s a good group with the ability to go over and be competitive and answer any questions that may be had about our team.”
The Fighting Saints roster features eight players returning from the 2012-2013 Clark Cup and Anderson Cup championship team including goaltender Arthur Brey. The Yorba Linda, California native was among the USHL’s statistical leaders last season, racking up a 24-6-4 record with a 2.22 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Brey helped lead Dubuque to a Clark Cup title by going 9-1-0 in the playoffs with a sparkling 1.65 GAA and .935 SV%. Brey’s goaltending partner Christian Frey also returns after going 7-2-2 last season.
Forwards Seamus Malone, Jarrid Privitera, Karson Kuhlman, and Dylan Gambrell are all back for another year with the Fighting Saints. Gambrell led the returning forwards with 27 points last season while Malone and Privitera both had 26 points. Kuhlman looks to continue his strong push made during the playoffs. After arriving in Dubuque following his high school season in Minnesota, Kuhlman adjusted to USHL play with one goal and eight assists in 16 regular season games. In the postseason, Kuhlman scored four goals and added two assists in 11 contests.
On the blueline, Dubuque’s roster for the Junior Club World Cup features a pair of returning players. Keegan Ford put together an impressive rookie season with Dubuque in 2012-2013, registering four goals and 12 assists for 16 points, to go along with 94 penalty minutes in 43 games. The scrappy blueliner will be complimented by Phil Boje, who also returns for Dubuque. The Shoreview, Minnesota native had a goal and three assists for Dubuque in 48 games. Boje can also play forward.
"It’s very important to have that group of eight returning," said Shaw. "A lot of the championship returners are still young guys. They have earned the right to play, and they have experience coming back to help our team grow.”
One of the team’s top new additions is forward Shane Eiserman who was an affiliate player last season for Dubuque. Eiserman spent the 2012-2013 season with Team USA and in 22 USHL games he tallied four goals and three assists for seven points. Overall with Team USA U-18 he notched 21 points in 56 games. He is committed to the University of New Hampshire. Other previous affiliate list players advancing to Dubuque’s roster for the Omsk trip includes forward Jason Ford, Keegan’s older brother who skated in five games for Dubuque last year, defenseman Matt McArdle from Shattuck St. Marys, and forwards Andrew Gaus and Jacob Benson who both had stints for Dubuque last season.
New additions to the team include several top selections from the 2013 USHL Draft. Dubuque’s 1st Round selection in the Phase I draft, forward Gordie Green from Ann Arbor, Michigan, will skate for Dubuque. Eric Robinson, a 3rd Round selection (via Sioux Falls) in Phase II of the draft, is also featured on the roster.
Dubuque’s blueline will also be bolstered by 2013 draft picks Blake Hillman and import players Dylan Chanter and Jordan Klimek. Chanter brings his veteran experience, and 6-foot-3 frame, south of the border after spending a pair of seasons with Merritt of the British Columbia Hockey League. During his time in the BCHL, the native of Armstrong, British Columbia put up 11 goals and 22 assists from the blueline. In 2012-2013, he struck for nine goals and added another tally in the playoffs. Chanter is committed to the University of New Hampshire and was Dubuque's 5th Round selection in Phase II this past year. Klimek is another highly touted blueliner from Canada who played in the BCHL. With South Surrey, Klimek scored six goals and added 17 assists for 23 points. The Langley, British Columbia native was Dubuque's 10th Round selection in Phase II in the 2013 USHL Draft.
Dubuque has also added a pair of veteran players who were born in 1993. Defenseman Alexx Privitera, older brother of Jarrid, was acquired from Muskegon after leaving Boston University where he spent two seasons. He was an Eastern Conference All-Star in the USHL with Muskegon in 2011 and scored 34 points for the Lumberjacks that year. The addition of Alexx, plus the influx of players such as Chanter and Klimek will help Dubuque rebuild its strong defense that was a trademark last season.
Another 1993 born player joining Dubuque is talented forward Matt Marcinew who scored racked up 33 goals and 25 assists for 58 points last season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 59 games split between Lloydminster and Olds. Marcinew hails from Calgary, Alberta.
The Fighting Saints will depart for Russia on August 20. The team will travel to Moscow where they are slated to play an exhibition game prior to flying to Omsk. In the Junior Club World Cup, Dubuque will play HC Riga from Latvia, the Vitkovice Steel from the Czech Republic, and the hometown Omsk Hawks in pool play.
The Fighting Saints are coming off a team best 45-11-8 season that saw them claim the Anderson Cup, the USHL's regular season title, as well as the earn the Clark Cup championship with a 3-0 series sweep of the Fargo Force in the Final. Information on how to follow the team in Russia, as well as a complete 2013-2014 season schedule will be available in the near future.
Dubuque Fighting Saints Roster for 2013 Junior Club World Cup
Goaltenders
Arthur Brey 6-0 155 2/12/1994 Yorba Linda, CA
Christian Frey 5-10 185 6/12/1993 Arlington, TX
Hayden Stewart 6-2 184 9/22/1994 Rockford, IL
Defensemen
Phil Boje 5-10 190 4/13/1994 Shoreview, MN
Dylan Chanter 6-3 200 9/17/1995 Armstrong, BC
Keegan Ford 5-9 180 5/30/1996 Waunakee, WI
Blake Hillman 6-1 155 1/26/1996 Elk River, MN
Jordan Klimek 5-10 150 8/18/1995 Langley, BC
Matt McArdle 6-0 180 7/11/1995 Annapolis, MD
Alexx Privitera 5-11 195 1/18/1993 Old Tappan, NJ
Forwards
Jacob Benson 5-10 182 2/1/1996 Grand Forks, ND
Brett Boeing 5-7 154 1/14/1995 Barrington, IL
Rob Darrar 5-10 185 7/30/1994 Monroe Township, NJ
Shane Eiserman 6-1 180 10/10/1995 West Newbury, NH
Jason Ford 6-0 180 6/2/1994 Waunakee, WI
Dylan Gambrell 5-11 178 8/26/1996 Bonney Lake, WA
Andrew Gaus 5-11 165 2/23/1995 Wexford, PA
Gordie Green 5-7 143 2/24/1997 Ann Arbor, MI
Shane Kavanagh 5-11 185 1/5/1995 E. Providence, RI
Karson Kuhlman 5-10 165 9/26/1995 Cloquet, MN
Seamus Malone 5-10 160 5/6/1996 Naperville, IL
Matt Marcinew 5-9 177 10/7/1993 Calgary, AB
Jarrid Privitera 5-5 150 7/19/1994 Old Tappan, NJ
Eric Robinson 6-1 170 6/14/1995 Bellmawr, NJ
This might not hurt all that much. The opening up of Klimek's spot on the roster might mean that Alex Gran will move onto the roster. In the few games I saw him last year, he looked really good. He was the top scoring defenseman in the BC 4A Midget league and is phycially capable of moving up to Junior A. I hope he doesn't decide to go somewhere else.
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