Almost everyone knows about Ryan Malone, R.J. Umberger, Josh Gibson, J.T. Miller, Vince Trocheck and other current NHL players that are from the Pittsburgh region. But what about the next generation of Pittsburgh hockey talent?
Just like Malone idolized Mario Lemieux, and Miller grew up during Jaromir Jagr’s reign as the best player in the world, there is a group of young players that have developed in Western Pennsylvania since Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have taken up the Penguins mantle.
Riley Barber decided to join the Hershey Bears after scoring 123 points in 116 games in three seasons with the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks. Barber won a Gold Medal with the United States at the 2013 World Junior Championships and captained the team the following year, leading the team with four goals in five games. Picked in the sixth round by the Washington Capitals in in 2012, expect Barber to end up being a steal.
Packaged with Patrick Sharp in a trade with the Dallas Stars in the offseason, former Chicago Blackhawks second rounder Stephen Johns comes with skill, size and potential. The defenseman led the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL with a +30 plus/minus rating as a rookie last season. Prior to turning professional, Johns played four seasons for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, serving as alternate captain as a senior and leading the defense with eight goals and 20 points in 40 games.
Jake Hildebrand (pictured above) filled in at Penguins rookie camp last season after two impressive seasons at Michigan State. Despite below .500 records, Hildebrand posted a .928 save percentage in 29 games as a freshman and a .923 save percentage in 32 games as a sophomore. Last season, Hildebrand played in 35 games, posting a 17-16-2 record with a .930 save percentage, 2.18 goals against average and six shutouts.
Matthew Skoff impressed between the pipes for the Pittsburgh Penguins at rookie camp in August. As the Penn State hockey program continues to develop after being founded only three seasons ago, Skoff looked steady in net, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.81 goals against average in 18 games. The undrafted goaltender hopes to post strong numbers as a senior and garner some attention in free agency.
Though somewhat of a dark horse, expect sizeable blueliner Alexander Kuqali to earn at least a little attention among NCAA free agents at the end of next season. Named team captain of the Rochester Institute of Technology for the 2015–16 season, the 6’2”, 225 lbs. blueliner finished fourth on the team and first among defenders with 22 points, including five goals, in 40 games as a junior last season.
Committed to start at Yale next season, Andrew Gaus played for the Pittsburgh Hornets U16 team before moving to Connecticut to attend the Taft School in Watertown. The Wexford native scored 14 goals and 32 points for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last season.
A former standout for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Michael Gornall served as the captain of the Topeka Roadrunners in the NAHL last season, finishing second on the team with 49 points and tied for fourth with 15 goals. The Irwin native committed to play for the prestigious University of North Dakota next season.
Another product of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, Matt Mendelson opted to stay somewhat close to home and play for Penn State next season. Mendelson finished second in points with 37 and goals with 14 for the Bloomington Thunder of the USHL last season. Mendelson grew up in Upper St. Clair.
Bridgeville native Liam Walsh hopes to debut for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, the top junior league in the United States, next season at only 16 years old. After playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Bantam Major team and Bishop Canevin High School in Greentree, Walsh moved to Detroit for a year to play for Victory Honda U16, finishing third on the team with 25 points in 31 games.
A standout on the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 team with 35 points in 32 games last season, Brendan Walkom decided to move to New England to play for the Selects Hockey Academy U18 team in 2015–16. Son of NHL referee Stephen Walkom, the Moon Township native finished with three points in five games at the U17 U.S. Selects Hockey Development Camp in the summer.
Only 15 years old, Trevor Gilliland skated with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 team last season, finishing sixth on the team with 14 points in 32 games. The Butler native really impressed at the U15 U.S. Selects Hockey Development Camp, tying for first on Team Kelly with seven points in five games.
Probably the best amateur goaltender in Pittsburgh, Joe Dragonjac skated with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 team last season at only 15 years old, posting a .904 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average in 15 games. The Beaver Falls native finished sixth among goaltenders at the U15 U.S. Selects Hockey Development Camp with a .911 save percentage in five games.
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
