http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrzvfwJXMR8

 Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Tuesday that the hockey club has signed forward Brad Ross to a three-year entry level contract

In 270 career games with the Winterhawks from 2007-08 to present, Ross has registered 109 goals, 136 assists, 245 points and 656 penalty minutes. He has also appeared in 29 playoff games with Portland in that span, collecting 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) with 69 penalty minutes. The 6-1, 183-pound forward was originally Toronto’s first choice, 43rd overall, in the 2010 Entry Draft.

For more on this story go to: http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=623262

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVCrpnQ7xa0

Forwards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlZrK-V2cuY

Defensemen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhFBge-uiNQ

CCH Hockey Academy student athletes were exposed to different sessions this week. The first session players were exposed to focused on passing. Students worked on a variety of passing and receiving techniques. The second session that all athletes took part in was a position specific one. Goaltenders were involved in base line testing that looked at agility and rebound control. Forwards worked on edge control and transitions in order to protect the puck and be more effective in the offensive zone. Defensemen worked on backwards starts, pivoting & toes up ice in order to improve on their gap control.

Students during their first few weeks of the hockey academy program have been exposed to the skill centre and base line testing on ice.

 Hockey Alumni Lukas Sutter, who is currently playing for the Saskatoon Blades, was invited to the CHL Home Hardware Top Prospect Game. Lukas Sutter is having a strong year in his draft year as he has accumulated 22 G, 24 A, 46 P, 127 PIM in 49 Games. The NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Ranking for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft has Lukas sitting at 86th out of all the CHL Skaters. For more information go to: NHL Central Scouting Report

Lukas Sutter played on Team Orr in the Top Prospect Game. During the skills competiton Lukas Sutter participated in the “Fastest Skater Event”. For results go to: http://www.chl.ca/article/team-orr-wins-skills-competition.

Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 2 to 1. For more details go to the following link: http://homehardwaretopprospectsgame.com/

CCH Hockey Academy students enjoyed a lesson on scuba diving at the Max Bell Pool.  The Awesome Adventure scuba instructors taught the students about scuba safety, equipment and techniques. The students took part in a thirty minute instructional session on the pool deck where they learned how to use the equipment  and how to be safe while enjoying the experience. The three main instructional points students got out of this session were how to use the regulator, how to clear ones mask, and how to equalize ones ears under the water. Students then got fitted for their equipment and entered the pool. In the pool each instructor took 4 students and made sure they could perform certain tasks in the water before letting them go on their own. Students were in the water for an hour and enjoyed every minute of it. Go to the multimedia tab on the website to see scuba diving pictures  http://www.cchacademies.com/hockey/multimedia-2/pictures-q-12/

CCH Hockey Academy students went through their final testing on ice this past week. Both players and goaltenders were tested in a series of skills in September for baseline results and re-tested in January to evaluate student development. The results are as follows:

Player Results:

Shot Accuracy improved  from 23.3% to 39.2 %. That is a 15.9 % improvement on average.

Wrist Shot Power improved from 51.3 MPH to 54.3 MPH. That is a 3 MPH improvement on average.

Slap Shot Power improved from 59.8 MPH to 63.5 MPH. That is a 3.7 MPH improvement on average.

Forehand Passing improved from 63.3 %. to 90.0 %. That is a  26.7 % improvement on average.

Backhand Passing improved from 46.0 % to 66.6 %. That is a 20.7 % impovement on average.

Goaltender Results:

Lateral Movement improved by 3.78 seconds on average.

Iron Cross Shuffle improved by 1.6 seconds on average.

Iron Cross Slide improved by 3.95 seconds on average.

Hand Rebound Control improved by 22 % on average.

Feet Rebound Control stayed around the same at 70 % efficiency.

CCH Hockey Academy alumni Patrick Holland got traded to the Montreal Canadians as a result of the Mike Cammalleri trade. Holland, 20, was a seventh-round pick by the Flames in the 2010 draft and had 22 goals and 62 points last season with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League. He has 17 goals and 40 assists for 57 points in 40 games so far in 2011-12.

For more information on this story go to http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=611432&navid=DL|NHL|home.