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University of Massachusets Athletics
Werner Selected By Hometown Team
July 21, 2003 | Hockey
July 21, 2003
This story has appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette and is being printed with permission.
If Stephen Werner had been selected by someone other than the Washington Capitals in this summer's NHL draft, the University of Massachusetts forward most likely would have told the media assembled in Nashville that he was happy to be drafted and it didn't matter who took him.
But Werner, a native of D.C. suburb Chevy Chase, Md., was picked by the Capitals and for the lifelong fan, it did matter.
"It was just amazing to be drafted by the Caps," said Werner, who was taken in the third round with the No. 83 overall pick. "I was pulling for that. I can say that now and it did work out."
Werner was one of two Minutemen to be drafted on June 21-22. Kevin Jarman, the UMass freshman-to-be from the Stouffville Spirit, was taken by Columbus as the second pick in the fourth round (No. 103 overall).
The Blue Jackets may be developing a Minuteman pipeline as they selected UMass forward Greg Mauldin last year in the seventh round.
NHL and NCAA rules allow players who are selected to return to college as long as they don't sign with an agent. NHL clubs retain a player's rights throughout their college careers. Jarman and Werner are both expected to be in Amherst in the fall. Werner said that even being picked by his hometown team won't accelerate his timetable for becoming a pro.
"I'll definitely going back to school next year," he said. "I don't think I'm ready to go, that's for sure. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future, but my plan for now is to stay four years in college. I think I need another three years in college to develop."
Werner admitted when the Capitals' turn to pick came up in the third round, he was hoping to hear his name called.
"I knew there was a chance that I would go, so I had my hopes up," he said. "I was pretty nervous, but it worked out.
Werner's bedroom closet over the years has been home to considerable Capitals merchandise, including jerseys of stars Petr Bondra and Dale Hunter. Even his youth team was named the Little Caps.
"I've been playing in the jersey for as long as I can remember," he said. "I got my first real one at the draft."
Werner has spent the past three summers working out at the team's rookie camp, which he'll do again this year. He thought the Capitals familiarity with him helped.
"I don't think they knew anything about my skill and ability that other teams didn't, but they did know me as a person a lot better," said Werner, whose family accompanied him to Nashville for the draft. "I've met a lot of the staff and we already had a personal relationship."
Capitals General Manager George McPhee told the Washington Post that drafting a local kid was a nice bonus, but not the reason for picking him.
"It's a very nice story," McPhee said. "But we drafted him because he was the best player available at that pick. When we got there (to pick No. 83) we had two players who were really close who we really liked, and he was one of them. It was easy to pick him. Our scouts really liked him. He's earned this selection."
Current Capital Jeff Halpern echoed McPhee's sentiments in the Post.
"I saw him for the first time at our rookie camp when he was 16, and I was pretty impressed," said Halpern, a fellow Little Capitals alum who played for UMass coach Toot Cahoon at Princeton. "He was doing really well against some of the 18- and 19-year-olds. He's a big, fast kid who has good moves with the puck."
Werner and Jarman were the seventh and eighth Hockey East players selected and the 20th and 25th U.S. college players taken.
WERNER SELECTED FOR U.S. JUNIOR EVALUATION CAMP:
Werner was also named to the roster for the 2003 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, USA Hockey announced recently. The camp will be held Aug. 3-10 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., and will include exhibition contests between two U.S. squads and under-20 select teams from Finland and Sweden.
Werner was one of five Hockey East players to be named to the squad that features 43 of the best players in the country under 20 years old. Werner, who turns 19 on August 8, led Hockey East freshmen and was sixth nationally with 38 points (16 g, 22 a) on the season. He was selected as a unanimous All-Hockey East Rookie Team selection and was the only freshman to be named to the Hockey East All-Tournament team. Werner is UMass' first-ever U.S. National Team Development Program player, as he played with the U.S. Junior National squad prior to coming to Amherst.
MULLINS CENTER AWARDED 2005 NCAA HOCKEY REGIONAL:
The University of Massachusetts was awarded the NCAA Northeast Regional for the 2005 NCAA Ice Hockey Championships to be held at the Mullins Center on March 26-27, 2005. It is the first time that the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships will be held at the Mullins Center.
UMass Athletic Director Ian McCaw, who is the chairman of the Division I men's ice hockey committee and must sit out of the voting process when discussing the University of Massachusetts per NCAA rules, is thrilled to have the opportunity to host the 2005 Northeast Regional.
"We are looking forward to hosting the 2005 NCAA Northeast Ice Hockey Regional," said McCaw. "It will be an exciting event for UMass fans and the entire community."
Mullins Center Executive Director Nancy Beauchamp is also excited about the chance to host the regional.
"The Mullins Center is very excited to be chosen as a regional host," said Beauchamp. "Given the buzz around hockey at UMass, it is definitely a win-win situation for UMass and the Mullins Center. The fact that we have the facilities to host a regional, but also have a practice rink to meet the needs of all four teams, ensures that the Mullins Center and the University of Massachusetts will be terrific hosts."
The Mullins Center is one of four regional sites selected by the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee, joining the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Midwest Regional), the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, Mass. (East Regional) and Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. (West). The committee also announced the regional sites for the 2006 and 2007 tournament and the sites for the 2007 and 2008 Frozen Fours. The 2007 Frozen Four will be contested at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Mo., and the 2008 event will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.
"This presents a great opportunity for the University of Massachusetts and UMass hockey," said Head Coach Don Cahoon. "Anyone with the slightest bit of interest in college athletics will be thrilled at this opportunity. We are just ecstatic at the chance to host the NCAA Regional, and hopefully will do our part by playing in it."
The Mullins Center has been home to Minuteman hockey since the program's resurrection in 1993. The arena seats 8,389 for hockey. The Mullins Center has played host to one other NCAA Championship as the 1995 NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four was played in Amherst.
JARMAN SPENDS DAY IN COLUMBUS:
One of incoming freshman Kevin Jarman's first duties under the Columbus Blue Jackets was to partake in their annual "Red, White and Blue Jackets Breakaway". Jarman and the other draft picks rode on a float during the annual parade on July 3. On the next day, Jarman participated in the team's development camp in New Albany, Ohio, following the community parades. Junior forward Greg Mauldin (Holliston, Mass.) also was slated to participate in the squad's development camp after his parade in Westerville, Ohio. Mauldin was taken by the Blue Jackets in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft in the seventh round, starting the UMass pipeline to Columbus.
ANOTHER AWARD FOR JARMAN:
The awards just keep piling up for Jarman.
The freshman-to-be was named to the Ontario Hockey Association's Top Prospect team at the OHA's annual meeting in London, Ontario. Players from more than 60 junior teams in Ontario were eligible. He was the only player from the North Conference of the Provincial Junior A Hockey League named to the prospect squad. Jarmas was named the team MVP of the Stouffville Spirit and was selected as the most improved player in the North Conference this past season. He scored 79 points (43 g, 36 a) in 46 games for the Spirit.
Insidecollegehockey.com on Washington's selection of Werner
While the Caps grabbed local boy made good and UMass standout Stephen Werner in the third round - a good pick for more than just his ability - many draft watchers think the team scored big when by taking Wisconsin-bound Andrew Joudrey, a forward who played at legendary Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., last season in the eighth round. Don't get us wrong: We still think Werner should be a solid pro.
George McPhee - Washington Capitals General Manager
"It's a very nice story. But we drafted him because he was the best player available at that pick. When we got there (to pick 83), we had two players who were really close who we really liked, and he was one of them. It was easy to pick him. Our scouts really liked him. He earned this selection."
Jeff Halpern - Current Washington Capitals Player
"I saw him (Werner) for the first time at our rookie camp when he was 16, and I was pretty impressed. He was doing really well against some of the 18- and 19-year-olds. He's a big, fast kid who has good moves with the puck."
Paul Carlson - Director of Player Development for the Columbus Blue Jackets
"I hadn't seen him (Jarman) play before (July 4's development camp) and I was quite surprised. He brings a lot of speed and skill as well. He's going to play college at UMass, which is not a high-profile school. They (the UMass coaching staff) did very well to get him to commit because I am wondering why a school like Michigan didn't get him."
Dan Boyd - Columbus Blue Jackets Director of Amateur Scouting
"We tested him (Jarman) a few weeks ago, and he scored very well. He is an intense young kid who can skate and we think we have some time to see how he develops. He has decent - but not great - size and he was able to put the puck in the net last year".