Baby Penguins Update: January 8, 2017

1. Just wondering what H.C. Clark’s contract situation for next season is??? Wondering if he gets a NHL HC chance??

   1. Hi pen’s4ever
      Good question my friend.
      He is only about 50 years old I think and he had 4 successful years in Wheeling and he is continuing the same in WBS this year.
      So he should end up in the NHL very soon in some capacity as either an assistant Head Coach or maybe a Head Coach.
      The Pen’s have depth in the Coaching position as well. Good for us moving forward.
      Hope you had a good holiday!
      Cheers

      1. Hi pen’s4ever,
         Just talked to one of my hockey buddies and they said he has a 1 year contract , which he claims is standard practice for the Pen’s.They will probably try to resign him to longer one in the off season if he continues to have success and do well in the playoffs.He also said a lot of AHL Coaches have specific clauses negotiated in advance that will allow them to leave early if a NHL position comes available.
         ( I have no direct knowledge of that.)
         Cheers

2. Hey Rick,
   Another interesting look at the future Pens players headed to the NHL someday. Jake Guentzel, only 21 as a first year pro seems to be a real gem.
   I was talking Pens talk yesterday, and my friend reminded me that the Pen’s are indeed 50 years young this year. A truly amazing achievement.
   The conversation changed to the NHL draft, and how in 1978 the draft age was lowered to 18, but before that it was 20. Apparently there is some discussion on raising the age up to 19. His observation was that when a player today is 21 or 22 and not playing in the NHL, we think some how his career is a miss. Which is simply not true. He reminded me that when he was drafted by Montreal in 1968, he was just 20 years old and then had to spend a season and a half with one of their 2 different farm teams to learn their systems.A year later the Canadians traded him to Minnesota where he won the Calder trophy. So he said he never really became a true NHL player until he was 24 years of age. He says the same is true in the NBA, in that most players finish their University careers before turning Pro.
   The reason I say this, was my false belief that you get drafted at 18, a few make the NHL right away, most go back to Major Junior, stay in Europe or go the College route.They come back the next year and go to the NHL or get sent to a development league. By 21 or 22 they are in the NHL or gone !
   That is why he laughed when I mentioned Jake, Derrick and Oscar being older and maybe being a little to late to fully develop into NHL stars.
   The kids today are faster, 35 % of them are bigger, and they are all much more talented he said than his generation was and yes the Connor McDavid, Austin Mattews, Patrick L. , and Sid Crosby are incredible talents, but they are the exception and not the rule.
   So now when I look at the list of WBS players and their ages, I have a better
   understanding of where they all fit in, especially from a Historical perspective.
   It was a good hockey conversation indeed !
   Cheers

   1. Thanks Jim.

      And thanks for sharing your conversation with Danny Grant. It goes to show how ridiculously deep the Montreal farm system was back then that they could trade off a future rookie of the year (and 50-goal scorer) and hardly bat an eye.

      Rick

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