Hockey: WTF?

Michael Spath has an information-laden post up over at the Wolverine. To summarize:

• Three Cs next year on Montoya, Tambellini, and Ebbett. No alternates. What the sam-hell is that? I have never ever in one hundred billion years heard of such a strange captaincy arrangement on a hockey team. Further indicates that Tambellini and Montoya are returning (although Mike Van Ryn did get an A immediately before his departure).
• Pat Kane and Blake Geoffrion are "not in the fold yet" but are "potential commitments," which is phrased in an odd way that makes it seem like he's backing off a previous strong statement that Kane and Geoffrion are coming. That information must have slipped past my radar if that is indeed the implication. Getting Geoffrion is important, as most of the high end '06 forwards have been snatched up already and Michigan hasn't acquired any of them. Kane is an '07 recruit, and you know what that means. The worst player to commit that early to the Wolverines was Dwight Helminen, who was damn good. Others who have done so: Jack Johnson, Andrew Cogliano, Tristin Llewellyn. Blue-chippahs.
• Not in said post, but being batted around on USCHO is this: if Montoya returns Sauer will return to Chicago of the USHL. He and Jakiel will both enter as freshmen in '06 and stage a spirited battle for the #1 goalie spot.
• Left unstated is this: Swystun should come in with the '06 class. He has not ripped up the AJHL this year and is still extremely young. Coming right now would probably mean fourth-line duties or a redshirt year, neither of which seems appropriate for someone with Swystun's latent talent level. Will Michigan ask him to? Almost certainly not after the Bryan Lerg and Matt Nickerson defections. They may ask, but they've made room for him in this class and will take him if that's what he wants.
• Packer487 has been posting informative updates on our recruits in their playoff series. Check them out here, here, here, and here.