UAF 2003-2004 Ice Hockey Recruits
Name Pos Shot Ht Wt DOB Hometown / Last Team GP G A Pts PIM
Lucas Burnett RW R 6-2 224 04/01/82 Rossland BC / Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL) 57 24 28 52 45
Jordan Emmerson LW L 6-4 220 01/05/82 Abbotsford BC / Merritt Centennials (BCHL) 59 32 53 85 62
Nathan Fornataro D R 6-1 195 01/14/83 Calgary AB / Calgary Royals (AJHL) 30 5 23 28 107
Curtis Fraser C L 6-2 188 04/04/82 Surrey BC / Vernon Vipers (BCHL) 60 53 52 105 116
T.J. Pettersson D R 6-1 192 04/25/82 Calgary AB / Olds Grizzlys (AJHL) 45 4 11 15 56
Name Pos Catch Ht Wt DOB Hometown / Last Team GP W-L-T GAA SV%
Ryan Comeau G L 5-9 167 02/20/83 Red Deer AB / Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL) 11 5-6-0 4.28 .856

Lucas Burnett

Lucas Burnett, a 6'2", 224 pound right wing from Rossland, British Columbia, scored 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 57 games in 2002-2003 for the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League. He added five goals and three assists in 13 games of the playoffs. Burnett played for Team Labatts Blue in the BCHL Prospects Game and was named their Player of Game. After the season he received Trail's Most Unsung Player Award. In the 2001-2002 season with the Smoke Eaters he scored 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points and earned their Most Improved Award. In 2000-2001 he totaled 32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points in 42 games for Beaver Valley Nitehawks of Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

"Over the course of two seasons Lucas has established himself as one of the premier power forwards in the BCHL," said Trail assistant coach Aaron Wilbur. "He is a solid player at both ends of the rink and his leadership skills on and off the ice were invaluable. Lucas is without a doubt the most athletic individual I have ever coached. Aside from being head and shoulders above every other player on our team in the fitness categories we tested, the level of energy he is able to maintain over a 60-minute game is remarkable for such a big man."

"He is a workhorse," UAF coach Guy Gadowsky said. "He has solid offensive skills, but his strengths are playing in all zones. He will make us a tougher team to play against. He is a very physical, imposing player."

UAF assistant coach Tavis MacMillan added, "The first word that comes to mind when talking about Lucas is horse. He is a big, strong kid who is very well conditioned. He is a big forward who plays great along the boards and will do the little things that a lot of players don't like to do, but that are needed to help a team win."

Jordan Emmerson

Jordan Emmerson, a 6'4", 220 pound left wing from Abbotsford, British Columbia, finished the 2002-2003 season 11th in league scoring with 32 goals and 53 assists for 85 points in 59 games for the Merritt Centennials of the British Columbia Hockey League. In 2001-2002 he scored 24 goals and 19 assists with the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Penticton Panthers. Emmerson also played for Langley Hornets and Nanaimo Clippers during his BCHL career. Prior to the BCHL he played for the Delta Ice Hawks of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League. He was also drafted by Seattle in the ninth round of the 1997 WHL Bantam Draft.

"We are very happy to hear that Jordan Emmerson is signing with (UAF). He will bring a lot to their hockey club, including a great attitude which is one of Jordan's biggest attributes," said Merritt head coach and general manager Al Glendinning. "He is also a great team leader on and off the ice and will play with tremendous grit and determination on the ice."

"When Aaron Voros left the lineup you could see we were lacking in size a little bit," UAF coach Guy Gadowsky said. "Jordan brings a scoring touch on a big frame. Over the past couple of years he has started to play with more grit and his skating has improved a lot along with his ability to use his size. The fact that he can play big and has offensive talent is exactly what we were looking for and I also really like the way he handled himself when he was here visiting. He is a very good person as well as a good player."

UAF assistant coach Tavis MacMillan added, "Jordan will provide some much needed size up front for us. But one thing we didn't want to do was sacrifice skill to get that size. He has made huge strides in his game in the last year and went from a good player in the BCHL to a great player. One thing that has impressed us about Jordan was his commitment to being a better hockey player. He is hungry to improve. As a coaching staff we made numerous calls to people associated with BCHL hockey and every call came back with glowing remarks about Jordan."

Nathan Fornataro

Nathan Fornataro, a 6'1", 195 lb., defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, finished the 2002-2003 season with the Calgary Royals of the Alberta Junior Hockey League totaling five goals and 23 assists for 28 points in just 30 regular season games and three assists in five playoff games. After the season Fornataro was named to the AJHL All-League South Second Team. He started the season with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League and had one assist and six penalty minutes in 11 games and was named the Black Hawks' Defensive Player of the Week on October 21.

Fornataro played the entire 2001-2002 seaon with Waterloo and had five goals and 13 assists for 18 points with 75 penalty minutes in 59 games and was listed as a 'B' player in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Player to Watch preliminary rankings. In the 2000-2001 season he played for the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Midget Hockey League and received the Brian Benning Trophy as the league's top defenseman after scoring nine goals and 34 assists for 43 points in 43 games. He was also the Flames' team captain and their Player of the Year. Fornataro was named November 2000 Timex AMHL Player of the Month and was a First Team All-Star and assistant captain for the AMHL South Team. He was an 11th round draft pick of Seattle in the 1998 WHL Bantam Draft.

"Nate would have been one of the premiere defensemen in the AJHL next season," Calgary head coach Doug Hergenhein said. "The Calgary Royals will definitely miss his presence on the blue line, however graduating players on to Division I Universities is a goal of the Royals. He is a good positional hockey player who is a power-play specialist. He sees the ice very well and is an excellent team player. UAF is getting not only a great hockey player, but a great young man."

"After evaluating our needs at the end of the season we identified two major areas that need improvement. Nate will fill both those needs extremely well," said UAF coach Guy Gadowsky. "He will clear the front of the net and be a valuable right-hand shot defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. He will add size to our back end and will move the puck with intelligence. We feel we found the perfect fit for our needs."

Curtis Fraser

Curtis Fraser, a 6'2", 188 pound center from Surrey, British Columbia, was traded to the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League on December 15 after playing nearly four years with the Victoria Salsa. Fraser's role changed this year when he became Victoria's first-line center and during the regular season he led the BCHL in goals and was second in scoring with 53 goals and 52 assists for 105 points in 60 games. In eight playoff games he had four goals and three assists. After the season he was named to the BCHL Interior Conference First All-Star Team.

In 2001-2002 Fraser totaled 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points with 189 penalty minutes in 52 games and in 2000-2001 scored 7 goals and added 19 assists for 26 points in 46 games. Fraser reached his previous career high in scoring in his rookie season with the Salsa in 1999-2000 when he scored 28 goals and added 37 assists for 65 points in 57 games. As a sixteen-year old in the 1998-1999 season, he scored ten goals in 40 games for the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League.

"Curtis Fraser has spent four seasons with the Salsa and his role changed dramatically this year, much in the same way the Aaron Voros situation played out here in his last season with Victoria," said Victoria Salsa general manager Pete Zubersky. "Curtis, like Aaron, was an enforcer for the club, however this season he was asked to put points on the board. He is our top center and I think he will be in the top five in league scoring when all is said and done at season's end. He has 'NHL wheels', can score, and is a gritty hard-nosed player who will fill any role he is asked. I think UAF has landed another player in the 'Aaron Voros' mold."

"I witnessed first-hand Curtis's play in a seven-game (final) series with Victoria two years ago," said Vernon Vipers head coach Mike Vandekamp. "He's a strong offensive player and he plays with an edge. He's a Joe Thornton-type player. He's the complete package. Not only does he play physically, but he can beat you on offence."

"He's capable of playing all styles," said Nanaimo Clippers head coach/general manager Bill Bestwick. "Do you wanna play physical? Do you want a finesse game? Do you want a run-and-gun? Do you want a tight-checking style? He can play them all. And when he gets around the net, he really wants to score. He's strong. He's got an adult-strength body, while most kids have a teenage-strength body."

"He plays a very physical game, can use his body well and wins face-offs," said UAF assistant coach Tavis MacMillan. "He has cut down on his penalty minutes a lot. We wanted a big forward who could skate and he can really get up and move."

"Aaron speaks highly of his competitive nature and that speaks volumes to me," said UAF coach Guy Gadowsky. "He's got great legs, can really jump on his skates and go. He is a big kid who can skate and score."

T.J. Pettersson

T.J. Pettersson, a 6'1", 192 pound defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, is a four-year veteran of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and played this season for the Olds Grizzlys. Obtained by trade for his leadership qualities, Pettersson had four goals and 11 assists in 45 games and was scoreless in ten playoff games after recovering from an early season shoulder injury. In 2001-2002 he played for the Brooks Bandits and totaled five goals and 18 assists for 23 points with 190 penalty minutes in 64 games.

"From day one in training camp TJ established himself as our best D-man. He is a player who was very committed in the off-season to give himself an opportunity to be an impact player in his final season--he hasn't disappointed," said Olds coach Brett Cox. "Because of TJ's maturity, physical strength and speed, he will be able to step into the Nanooks' lineup and be a contributor from day one of his NCAA career."

"The first thing you notice about him is his feet. He can skate. His first two steps are as good as anyone I've seen," said UAF assistant coach Tavis MacMillan. "He battles hard, he's intense and focused. He is a very explosive player."

"We wanted someone who could play physical, but could also skate well," said UAF coach Guy Gadowsky. "Coach Mac immediately after seeing him said 'This is the guy we want.' He is the type of player we were looking for, but is also the type of person we were looking for. He is a very positive, determined, well-mannered person."

Ryan Comeau

Ryan Comeau, a 5'9", 167 pound goaltender from Red Deer, Alberta, finished the 2002-2003 season with the Dryden Ice Dogs of the Superior International Junior Hockey League after spending most of two seasons on the Canmore Eagles in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. This season Comeau had a 5-6-0 record with a 4.28 goals against average and .856 save percentage in 11 games with Dryden and was 17-10-1 with a 3.51 goals against average and .887 save percentage in 30 games for Canmore. In two playoff games for Dryden he was 0-2-0 with a 4.50 GAA and .868 save percentage. In 2001-2002 with Canmore he compiled a 21-8-2 record with a 3.21 goals against average and .898 save percentage in 36 games. He was one of just three AJHL players and the only goaltender rated as an 'A' Player in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau October 2001 Players to Watch listing.

Comeau played for the Red Deer Chiefs in the Alberta "AAA" Midget Hockey League during the 2000-2001 season and was named to the First Team of the South Division All-Stars.

"Ryan is an extremely focused, intense competitor--obvious traits you like to have in a goaltender," said Canmore Eagles coach Bob Miller. "His agility and quick reflexes are strengths which have contributed to his success at the Junior A level. He is a fan favorite and an exciting player to watch."

"He's a two-year veteran now and will come in that much more mature. He is a goalie who brings a lot of energy to the team, a very upbeat kid," said UAF assistant coach Todd Jones. "On the ice he is very quick, very active in net. He has big save potential. I like his demeanor and I like his chances of having a very positive impact on our program."