#NHLDraft2013: Minnesota High School Hockey Part I: The Headliners...Tommy Vannelli, Minnetonka HS

(MN Hockey Hub)

Thomas Vannelli, Defense
Minnetonka HS/USNTDP U18
6'2" 170 Pounds 1/26/1995

If Connor Hurley was the top forward in Minnesota High School Hockey, Tommy Vannelli would be arguably the most notable defenseman in the Draft. It's been a whirlwind calender year for the Minnetonka native; he blew scouts away at the Select Festival in Rochester, New York last Summer, earning an invite to play for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and his season just culminated recently again suiting up for the Stars and Stripes and coming home from Sochi, Russia with a Silver Medal in the World U18 Championships.

#NHLDraft2013: Minnesota High School Hockey Part I: The Headliners...Connor Hurley, Edina HS

(Getty)

Connor Hurley, Center
Edina HS/Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6'2" 175 Pounds 9/15/1995

Arguably the cream of the crop in terms of Minnesota High School Hockey. It's been a hell of a year for Hurley; he started the season playing in the Elite League (16 points in 11 games) before playing with the USNTDP for some exhibition games against NCAA teams and a gold medal effort at the Four Nations Tournament (3 points in 9 games). He played with Muskegon before and after his High School season (9 points in 14 games). He finished his State Tournament winning season with 52 points in 31 games.

#NHLDraft2013: ...And Now A Word From Our Sponsors

I just finished my second year working for Future Considerations, working as a regional scout for the Upper Midwest, and as the "In The US" columnist. I'm thankful to be afforded the opportunity to do so, and a lot of what I've seen and heard in the name of FC I am able to convey to the readers of First Round Bust.

So I ask the readers of the blog to check out our products, including a pre-sale opportunity for our 2013 Draft Guide, in which all of my colleagues have put an immense amount of time into; we have great pride in our opinions and in our product, and we hope it shows. I was buying FC's Draft Guide before I was working for them ("I'm not just the president, but also a client") and have been impressed by it year after year.

Hell I know some NHL scouts who are looking forward to checking it out (presumably to laugh at the idiot who scouts the Upper Midwest) so I think you should too.

There is another FC tie in the Wild Blogosphere, as Hockey Wilderness' Daniel Chan serves as one of our British Columbia-based scout.

So I beg of you to check out the website on an everyday basis, maybe thrice a day, and to order our products. Our 2013 Draft Guide is shaping up to be our best yet.

FC's 2013 NHL Draft Guide Pre-Sale

#NHLDraft2013: Kicking It All Off

2013 Season Postmortem

Well, the season is over kids.

Everyone is writing up the eulogies, the analysis, the harebrained opinions, the calls for heads to roll; so I figure First Round Bust should do the same before we delve into Entry Draft stuff.

Not Shea Weber Nominated For Norris Trophy

Rejoice Young American Natives, Someone Underrated Today Earned Rewards

NEW YORK- The National Hockey League named their three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy on Tuesday. They are, in alphabetical order: Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens and Not Shea Weber of the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota-Chicago Game 3 Posts 7.6 Rating in the Twin Cities

Minnesota's Game 3 victory Sunday afternoon over Chicago posted a 7.6 rating locally in the Twin Cities according to Steve Lepore of SB Nation.

The first postseason game at the Xcel Energy Center since 2008 saw rookie forward Jason Zucker score 2:15 in overtime to give the eighth-seed Wild a 3-2 win. Despite the victory, Chicago leads the best-of-seven Western Conference Quarterfinal 2 games to 1.

2013 Calder Cup Playoffs: Aeros end 19 year run with 7-0 loss

Goodbyes are never easy. For Houston, neither was this game.

Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings-AHL) rebounded from a 4-1 loss Friday night to defeat Houston 7-0 Saturday in the decisive Game 5 of their first round Calder Cup series. The Griffins scored four times in the second period to break the game open at Van Andel Arena. Tomas Tatar, meanwhile, notched two goals and completed a Gordie Howe hat trick.

Keep On Learning To Reach Higher Ground

It doesn't look too promising for our favorite hockey team, as we stand here on the eve of the first home playoff game in five years; The Wild are down 2-0 to Chicago, who won in rather convincing fashion Friday night, exposing Minnesota's deficiencies and also the fears, trepidations, and panic in the fanbase.

We have to remember its all a process though; no one should have bet the farm that this incarnation of the team- the initial act in what Owner Craig Leipold feels is a five to eight year window- was going to win the Stanley Cup this year. Is it disappointing that it looks like we're gonna get our lunch money taken and tee time reserved so soon? Yes. However, I contend for Minnesota to win this series, there were going to be a lot of "ifs"; if Minnesota does this, if Corey Crawford does that, If Jason Pominville returns...

But there is much to learn from what is going on in this series, and more specifically our opponent Chicago, whose path Minnesota is trying to emulate.

2013 Calder Cup Playoffs: Mike Condon makes 41 saves to keep Houston's season alive

Tonight is do or die for the Houston Aeros.

Houston kept their season and franchise alive Friday night with a 4-1 win over Grand Rapids in Game 4 of their first round AHL series. Mike Condon, pressed into goalie service with Darcy Kuemper called up in Minnesota, made 41 saves. Justin Fontaine, meanwhile, had three assists.