As the 2010-11 hockey campaign gets set to open this month (Europe) and next in North America, it is time to start looking at the 2011 NHL draft class.

Unlike 2009, when the New England region had a top-20 selection (Boxford’s Chris Kreider- 19th to the Rangers) and hits in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and 2010, with a pair of late first-rounders in Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) and Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) to the Blackhawks and Sharks respectively, the 2011 crop may not be as prolific.

One player who left the area last year to skate for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. is defenseman Mike Paliotta (Westport, Conn.) who played for Choate Rosemary in the 08-09 season before joining the Under-17 team. Paliotta has nice size  (6-3, 185) and skates very well, although the offensive numbers have not yet come for him. If he can get a little more going on the scoresheet this season with the Under-18 squad, his upside could carry him to a first-round grade. The University of Vermont recruit is the hockeyjournal.com preseason No. 1 prospect for the 2011 NHL draft.

Another defenseman worth following is Avon Old Farms standout Colin Sullivan (Milford, Conn.), who helped the Winged Beavers to the 2010 prep championship last spring with a solid performance. He’s got some good wheels, plays a smart positional game and has some interesting potential, but will need to have a dominant year to raise his draft profile. Right now, he’s looking like a solid mid-round option, but could crack the top-60 with a strong campaign.

Keep an eye on small but talented forward Alex Gacek (Dracut, Mass.) who tore it up (33 goals in 41 games) for the EJHL champion NH Jr. Monarchs last season. He’s under 6-feet and isn’t a great skater, but like other NHL scoring stars who have overcome size and mobility concerns in the past and present like Adam Oates and Marc Savard, Gacek has special instincts and that unquantifiable knack for finding the back of the net. He could develop into a special player in time.

Gacek’s Monarchs teammate, Chris Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) got a chance to shine early last season when No. 1 netminder Brian Billett (Kennebunk, Me.) went down with an ankle injury. The crease will be crowded in Hooksett with Billett, the reigning league goalie of the year (and unconscionable draft snub) slated to come back for another season. Eiserman has some impressive potential, but playing time will be an issue if the status quo holds.

Goalie Steve Michalek (Glastonbury, Conn.) plays for Loomis-Chaffee and made a name for himself on the silver medal-winning U.S. team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament last season and will get a longer look from scouts this season.

There is one very intriguing player in the area who attracted a lot of notice at last month’s NHL Research and Development Camp in Toronto. Newmarket, Ontario native Mike McKee, a defenseman for the Kent Lions under Matt Herr (Kent, Conn.) is already 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, but skates extremely well.  The Northeastern recruit had NHL scouts in a tizzy after looking very poised as a pairing with Scott Mayfield, and if he returns to the prep ranks this year, will have a lot of talent hounds following him.

Another potential first-round prospect in the New England prep ranks is Quebec native Philippe Hudon, who skated with Paliotta at Choate two years ago and brings a highly polished offensive game. He got into academic trouble last spring and was suspended from the team’s successful large school tournament run, costing him a chance to showcase himself for NHL scouts in attendance. This is a big year for the Cornell recruit for obvious reasons.

Although the season has yet to start, there isn’t a lot of excitement surrounding the 2011 New England draft class, but watch out for 2012, when the ’94s are expected to make a big splash. Malden Catholic scoring star Ryan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) headlines the region’s 2012 draft hopefuls list. The son of longtime NHLer and current Pittsburgh front office member Tom Fitzgerald (Billerica, Mass.) can do it all. New NTDP recruits Brendan Silk (Melrose, Mass.), two-way defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.), Cam Darcy (South Boston, Mass.) and Frankie Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) bring one of the strongest New England contingents to Ann Arbor in the program’s 12-year history. They’ll have a shot at landing in the first-three rounds of the 2012 NHL lottery if they continue their upward developmental curves.

Also of note for 2012 is Boston Jr. Bruins forward Brian Morgan (Windham, N.H.) and defenseman Teddy Doherty (Hopkinton, Mass.) who along with Fitzgerald were on the Sean Tremblay (Newburyport, Mass.)-coached U.S. Under-17 select squad that took first place at the Five Nations tourney in Switzerland last month.

Goaltender Richard Sabol made 44 saves as Slovakia overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the U.S. Under-17 Select Team in the second contest of the Five Nations tournament in Huttwil, Switzerland by a 3-2 score.

Kyle Osterberg and Jordan Masters scored for the U.S., while Marko Dano’s third period strike stood up as the game-winner for Slovakia.

Brian Morgan (Windham, N.H.) assisted on the first of two U.S. goals scored in the second period, but Slovakia evened the score in the middle frame, then tallied in the third to pull off the upset win. Team USA outshot Slovakia by a 46-19 margin.

The U.S. team will face Switzerland on Saturday. Ryan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) leads the squad with three points (1 goal, 2 assists)  in two games.

The U.S. Under-17 Select Team got off to a good start in the Five Nations tournament being played in Huttwil, Switzerland, getting a three-point game from Ryan Fitzgerald in a 5-3 victory over the Czech Republic.

Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) is a standout forward at Malden Catholic and the son of former 17-year NHL veteran and current Pittsburgh Penguins assistant to the General Manager Tom Fitzgerald (Billerica, Mass.). The Boston College recruit tallied the winning goal in the contest, and added a pair of assists.

“It was a tremendous effort by our special teams today,” U.S. head coach Sean Tremblay (Newburyport, Mass.), said in a USA Hockey release. “I was very pleased with our penalty kill. This victory is a great first step towards winning this tournament.”

Team USA, which features top talent with 1994 birthdates (many of whom are eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft), outshot the Czechs by a 44-18 margin.

In addition to Fitzgerald, defenseman Teddy Doherty (Hopkinton, Mass.) of Shattuck St. Mary’s, and forward Brian Morgan (Windham, N.H.) of the Boston Jr. Bruins (EJHL) are the other New England roster players on the U. Under-17 Select squad.

Tremblay is the head coach of the EJHL’s reigning champion N.H. Jr. Monarchs. Assistant coach Matt Herr (Kent, Conn.) is a former University of Michigan star and NHL forward with the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins. He has been Kent School’s head coach since 2005.

Providence Bruins winger Mikko Lehtonen, a third-round pick by Boston in 2005, has signed a one-year deal to spend the 2010-11 campaign with AIK of the Swedish Elite League.

Lehtonen, who led the Baby Bruins in scoring in each of the last two seasons, played just two games (one in each campaign) for the parent club.  Although the Bruins tendered him a qualifying offer to retain his rights, it had been rumored that he was headed back to Europe after failing to impress the team enough to get more of an extended NHL look.

The former Espoo Blues standout in Finland’s SM-Liiga before signing a two-year contract with the Bruins in 2008 scored 28 goals in his first AHL season, but was benched during the ‘09 playoffs, and had struggled with his intensity and a dedication to playing a complete two-way game.

The move is not a surprising one for who were able look past the solid statistical production and saw the flaws in his game holding him back from getting more of an opportunity at the NHL level. It also allows Boston to surge young recently signed talent up front onto the Providence roster. Forwards such as Joe Colborne, Maxime Sauve and Jordan Caron headline a skilled but inexperienced group expected to play important roles in the AHL this season, and so Lehtonen’s departure frees up the ice time and ratchets up the pressure on them a bit.

Canada defeated the U.S. Under-18 Select Team in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament’s championship game in Piestany, Slovakia Saturday by a 1-0 score.

Red Deer Rebels forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a potential top-five selection in next June’s NHL draft, scored the only goal of the game on a wrist shot from just outside the right faceoff circle, beating goaltender Stephen Michalek (Glastonbury, Conn.) at the 1:42 mark. It was an unassisted tally for Nugent-Hopkins, who lead his team in scoring for the tournament.

Michalek made 23 saves in the loss, while Canada goalie Tyson Teichmann stopped 22 U.S. shots for the shutout.

U.S. coach Tim Army (East Providence, R.I.) did an excellent job in getting an unheralded group of players to the final match, and then limiting the offensive juggernaut Canadian squad to just one goal.

The U.S. Under-18 Select Team defeated Sweden in overtime today to capture at least a silver medal in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.

The Americans will face heavily favored Canada on Saturday in the championship game, and have positioned themselves for a gold medal largely thanks to contributions from a pair of New Englanders (goalie and head coach) and another player whose dad skated for the Boston Bruins.

“I thought we had a strong start and played very well,” said Tim Army (East Providence, R.I.), head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team in a USA Hockey release. “We really settled into our game and did the things that we needed to reach the championship game.”

Goaltender Stephen Michalek (Glastonbury, Conn.) is the only roster player who is a New England native, but defenseman Connor Murphy is the son of former B’s defenseman (and current Florida Panthers assistant coach) Gord Murphy. He’s tall and lanky (6-3, 195) like his old man, and plays a similar unspectacular, shutdown  style. But today, Murphy was the player of the hour when he scored on Sweden 41 seconds into overtime to propel the Americans into the championship game.

“It’s always great to wear the USA jersey as much as possible,” Murphy told the Bleach Report last month. “It’s obviously the best competition in the world. Canada only has one team going (to the Hlinka tournament), compared to last year at the World (Under-17) Challenge. They have a bunch of teams from different districts.”

In addition to Murphy, the Americans have two other players with NHL bloodlines in forward Lukas Sutter, whose father, Rich Sutter, was one of six brothers to play in the big show, and defenseman Keegan Lowe, whose father, Kevin Lowe, won six Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers and currently serves as the Oilers’ president.

Team USA  has gotten a good performance from Michalek, who will be a senior at Loomis-Chaffee this season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound netminder  was the player of the game in USA’s win over Finland on Wednesday, but faced 23 shots from Sweden, making 19 saves to raise his record to 2-0.

Army has managed to get a tremendous effort from his squad, which features only one true first-round candidate for the 2011 NHL draft in Minnesota power forward and USHL standout Seth Ambroz, who had a goal and assist (on Murphy’s OT winner) today and has been a dominant offensive performer throughout the tourney. The U.S. select team does not draw heavily from the U.S. NTDP, which speaks extremely well for the job Army and his staff have done.

The Americans have also gotten outstanding two-way play from Boston University recruit Cason Hohmann, an undersized but skilled and abrasive forward originally from Arlington, Texas, who played his midget major hockey in Michigan and is currently in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. From the looks of things, Hohmann has the chance to eventually make the kind of impact for the Terriers that former Boston College mighty mite Nate Gerbe did for the Eagles.

Team USA will have its hands full with the challenge they face in the form of the undefeated (4-0) Canadian team, but if the last year has been any indication, USA Hockey is enjoying a renaissance of success in global competition, and this plucky underdog could pull off another upset just as their Under-20 counterparts did in Saskatoon last January.

Three years ago, left wing Craig Cunningham was basking in the glory of a Memorial Cup championship despite having played the entire WHL season (46 games) without a goal for the Vancouver Giants.

In his first draft-eligible season in 2007-08, he sought to make a bigger impact for his team, which was to be captained by close friend and mentor Milan Lucic. But Lucic beat the odds and won a spot on the Boston Bruins as a 19-year-old, and the Giants were unable to duplicate their CHL championship run. Individually, Cunningham found the back of the net just 11 times and got 25 points at season’s end.

With a Sep. 3, 1990 birthdate, Cunningham was one of the youngest players eligible for the 2008 NHL draft. He was passed over, and his big league hockey dreams took a hit.

“It was tough; a real disappointment,” Cunningham told hockeyjournal.com at the Bruins development camp in July when asked about not getting picked. “But I’ve always believed in hard work and not giving up on my dreams, so I just stayed with it.”

With a lack of size (5-10, 180) and production working against him, the Trail, B.C. native, who folks out west call “Richie”, didn’t hear his name called in Montreal a year later. However, his 28-goal, 50-point season earned him an invite to New York Rangers camp. He didn’t get offered a contract, but the seed of confidence was planted inside him, and it didn’t take much for that belief in self to flourish when he got off to a hot start last season.

“I had a good experience with the Rangers and I think it definitely helped me with my confidence last year,” Cunningham said. “It also helped that Evander Kane (Atlanta) and James Wright (Tampa Bay) were in the NHL, because I got a lot of ice time and a chance to start the season on the top line.”

Cunningham’s offense took off as he became coach Don Hay’s go-to guy in every situation, playing well at even strength and on special teams. He racked up 97 points to lead the Giants in scoring, finding the back of the net a career-best 37 times. It was enough to not only see Cunningham get the draft call the third time around, but inside the top-100, as he was tabbed with the 97th overall selection, originally belonging to the Carolina Hurricanes acquired by Boston in the Aaron Ward trade last August.

B’s amateur scout Dean Malkoc, a former defenseman for the team who covers the Western Canada region, was a big supporter of Cunningham’s having seen firsthand the player’s significant development over the past several seasons. The fact that Cunningham also got some positive character references from his former junior teammate and off-season workout buddy Lucic didn’t hurt his cause with the Bruins, either.

Cunningham made a positive impression at the development camp last month in Wilmington, Mass. Despite not having ideal height, he has a stocky build and is naturally strong, with nice skating ability and a willingness to go to the dirty areas of the ice and win battles for loose pucks. He has a quick stick and good feel for the offensive flow of things based on the limited exposure at camp. What Cunningham’s offensive ceiling at the next level is yet to be determined, but he does have some intriguing potential.

20 years old when the 20010-11 season starts, Cunningham is eligible to return to Vancouver as an overage player, or he could sign with the Bruins. However, the team is currently at 47 out of a maximum allowable 50 contracts, so inking Cunningham could wait another year unless the team feels he’s best served by going pro and playing next season in Providence of the AHL. That decision will likely come in September, when Cunningham will have the opportunity to test his mettle against the Bruins veteran players and other experienced roster hopefuls.

When it comes to skill and character, Cunningham has NHL credibility, but he’ll have to overcome the lack of size to be an impact player at the next level. Given his drive, work ethic and leadership, don’t bet against him doing just that, even if it may take time.

“I’m a two-way player. I can play a checking role or scoring role; it doesn’t matter,” he said. ”I can play up or down the lineup– I can be moved up or moved down. I pride myself on my work ethic and that’s kind of what gets me to where I am today.”

Justin Florek had long gotten over the disappointment of not being drafted by any of the NHL’s 30 teams when he was first eligible two years ago, but he held out a small hope he would get picked in the 2009 draft.

No dice.

So, it wasn’t surprising that the Marquette, Mich. native gave little thought to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft when he signed on to work a shift at his local YMCA gym on the afternoon of June 26. 

“First year, I was heartbroken like any kid would be expecting to get drafted and not being drafted,” Florek told hockeyjournal.com at last month’s development camp in Wilmington, Mass. “The second year I didn’t really think about it  but obviously, it’s in the back of your head. And then, the third year, I just picked up the shift on Saturday, draft day, and didn’t even think about it. I was working when I got the call.”

If he was sitting in the local gym not thinking more about deadlifts than about hockey, his world and future outlook turned upside down in an instant when his cell phone rang.

“When I got the call and found out I was a Bruin, it was the best feeling in the world,” said the Northern Michigan University junior, who could be primed for a major breakout season after showing the signs of being a productive presence at the NCAA level in 09-10.  He scored 12 goals and 35 points in 41 games for the Wildcats as a sophomore, doubling his freshman totals.

Whether the 20-year-old can translate that kind of promising production at the pro level remains to be seen, but Florek has the size (6-4, 195) and skating ability to at least bang bodies and be a solid two-way presence if he continues in his development.

“I’m a big power forward; I pick up loose pucks around the net and maintain possession down low,” Florek said.”I throw the body around when I need to. I’m a defensive forward; I penalty kill a lot and play the power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5– I do it all.”

As a member of of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., Florek showed promise. Enough so that in October, 2007, he was viewed by USA Today’s Kevin Allen as a possible first-round selection. Allen wrote:

Other potential first-round picks include Phil McRae, son of former NHL player Basil McRae who is playing in London, Ontario, and U.S. Under-18 team player Justin Florek, a 6-4 forward. He’s also off to a slow start, “But in his prime he will be a good hard power forward,” (Under-18 coach John) Hynes said. “He works at it and understands the game.”

Florek struggled with injuries that limited his playing time and cost him a draft slot, and then played sparingly as a freshman in 08-09. However, the opportunity to be a part of the national team and the comprehensive challenges the program puts its players through proved beneficial to Florek.

“Playing that minor-18 year, we played the college teams and that made the transition that much easier,”Florek said. “Just the speed, the tempo of the game helped a lot. Now in the college game, I’m starting to become a force out there, so I hope I can keep doing that and hopefully it can transition over to the next level here.”

Although Florek wasn’t able to see as much of Boston as he would have liked while participating in the development camp, he is an avid fisherman who got excited about future angling opportunities when flying into Logan and looking down at the open ocean and Boston harbor.

For now, however, Florek’s focus is on hockey and his upcoming academic year in which he hopes to take major strides forward and perhaps convince the Bruins that he’s worth offering a contract to and getting into the system.

“I’m just looking forward to getting bigger and stronger and more physical and always improving on the speed aspect of the game,” Florek said.

Being at camp was just a brief glimpse into what it will take to succeed in the Bruins organization, but for a young man who was snubbed twice, that the team took a chance on him at this stage was like an ice cold glass of water proffered in the middle of a sweltering desert.

“It was a great week, great experience. It’s awesome to be here in Boston, wearing the Boston uniform; it was everything I expected and more,” he said.

The Boston Bruins and general manager Peter Chiarelli made the Tyler Seguin signing official today, hosting an afternoon conference call with the Boston media to announce the entry-level deal that will reportedly pay the second overall pick the maximum allowable salary and bonus package under the current CBA.

“These deals aren’t overly difficult to do,” Chiarelli said Tuesday after announcing that the team and Seguin had come to terms on a three-year, entry level contract. “There’s some nuances to them but there’s a body of work on the No. 2 picks that have signed prior to that and we felt it was time to sign Tyler.

“He’s obviously a high pick and he performed well in our development camp. We thought it was time to sign him to give him peace of mind and make him feel part of the organization.”

Seguin is the team’s highest draft selection since the Bruins took Joe Thornton first overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, and like Thornton, is an OHL product who brings elite offensive skills to the table even if he doesn’t have the San Jose center’s size.

“Following the development camp I told Tyler that we’d begin discussions to sign him,” Chiarelli said. “That would’ve been starting at the beginning of July. We had some discussions- there was no real urgency to it- we had some discussions with Tyler’s representative, Ian Pulver, and it happened that it finished in the last couple of days.”

The recent signings of Seguin and Blake Wheeler (to a one-year, $2.2 million pact) means that the Bruins are over the cap, but still within the 10 percent overage cushion allowable during the offseason, factoring in all contracts including that of injured forward Marco Sturm.

“Well right now we can ice a team with 13, 14 players, seven ‘d’ and two goalies as it stands putting Marco Sturm on LTI,” Chiarelli replied when asked about the team’s cap situation. “So right now we don’t have to do anything really, but we may still do something.”

Chiarelli acknowledged that he was pleased with the current Bruins roster as it stands, but is always looking to improve if the right window of opportunity presents itself.

“There are some spots for some young players to earn spots,” he said. “You’re never done with your roster and I can’t say definitively that we’re done with it.”

Although there’s a palpable buzz this offseason and the fact that fans came out in force to see the newest Bruin in Wilmington last month, Chiarelli didn’t want to overstate the perceived excitement level that exists around the team that came within a game of the conference finals for the second consecutive season.

“If I’m a fan and I see a young player like this that is an exciting young player and people saw how he played at the development camp, I’d be excited about seeing him play,” he said. “And we’ve got some other good additions, too. I guess what I can say is that I don’t focus completely on the excitement level, I just try to put a team on the ice that’s going to win the Stanley Cup.”

Chiarelli talked about having the ability to ice a good team right now with Sturm going on LTI, acknowledging that something would have to be done when he comes back if everything else stayed the same between now and then. However, he added that while he considers the various opportunities to make moves to improve the roster, no move was imminent or forthcoming.

The GM also discussed the probability of Seguin playing the wing this season given the team’s strength at center, but didn’t completely rule out the possibility he could play in the middle depending on how things play out.

In the meantime, fans can take comfort in knowing that Seguin is on board and a new era for the Bruins is about to get underway.

“He’s a terrific young player, so I think he’s going to open some eyes at camp,” Chiarelli said.

TSN.ca is reporting that the Boston Bruins have come to terms with top prospect Tyler Seguin on an entry-level contract.

Seguin, 18, who was the second overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, tied the No. 1 overall pick for Edmonton, Taylor Hall, for the OHL lead in points last season with 106.

The deal, which falls under the rookie maximum salary structure of $900,000 base per season, could be valued as high as $3.75 million if Seguin were to hit all achievable bonuses allowable under the current collective bargaining agreement.

Seguin, who drew Bruins fans in droves last month when he debuted at the team’s development camp in Wilmington, Mass., has generated the kind of B’s buzz not seen since 1997, when the team came away with  Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov in the first round.

“I know that I have to make the team, but just being here with the chance to skate and having the Bruins logo on the practice jersey is a nice start,” Seguin told hockeyjournal.com at the development camp. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s great getting to know the coaches and all the guys here and it’s a good introduction to the organization. I’m looking forward to coming back to Boston in September and trying to win a spot with the Bruins.”

Although the recent Blake Wheeler signing and the report of Seguin coming to terms puts the Bruins over the salary cap limit, the team is allowed to be 10 percent over the cap before the start of camp. The team is currently within that cushion with a little over a month remaining before the rookies report for an early camp and exhibition preceding the veterans arriving.  The team  also has Marco Sturm’s long term injury exception in place to help offset the ceiling prior to his projected return in November, but something clearly will have to give in terms of a trade or major roster transaction at some point in order for the team to be cap compliant.