Ann Arbor Ice Cube

Incoming Michigan freshman John Gibson expected to be top goalie taken in 2011 ...

The 10 winningest goalies in NHL history are Canadian, so there’s been no debate over which country produces the best goalies, only which part of the Great White North - Ontario, Quebec or the western provinces - they’ll come from.

Now the balance of power is shifting slightly, and University of Michigan commit and Pioneer High School graduate John Gibson is one reason why.

The United States National Team Development Program U-18 goalie is likely to be selected early Friday in the NHL Draft , marking the second consecutive year an American-born player is the first goalie off the boards.

If Gibson is the first goalie taken when the draft starts at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., it would also be the second year in a row that the U.S. NTDP U-18 team - which is run out of the Ann Arbor Ice Cube - produced the top goalie in the draft.

“Our goal is to become known as the best developing goal tending country in the world,” said U.S. NTDP goalie coach Joe Exter , who has been with the program for four years. “(Gibson) is a big kid with size and power and has good athletic ability…He’s very smart, which allows him to use all of his strengths to his advantage.”

A Pittsburgh native, Gibson relocated to Ann Arbor, moved in with a host family and enrolled at Pioneer High School prior to his junior year in order to train with the U-17 squad. At 6 feet, 3 inches and 205 pounds and extremely quick and athletic, Gibson’s physical gifts are obvious. U.S. NTDP head coach Ron Rolston said it is Gibson mental makeup, however, that makes him the complete package.

Gibson seems to be at his best when the limelight is on. He didn’t have a winning record in 21 games played in the 2009-10 season, but led the U-17 squad to the World Hockey Challenge championship. Gibson won both starts when called up to the U-18 squad that year and this past year led Team USA to the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship.

He was named the tournament’s top goalie after posting a 6-0 record, a 2.34 goals-against average and 92.6 saves percentage.

“I think over the course of two years he developed a lot in his mental game in terms of being able to perform in a big-win situation,” Rolston said. “He was put in a lot of situations to help him develop in that area.

Team USA outlasts Lumberjacks 1-0 at Ann Arbor Ice Cube - Junior ...

Jacks (17-18-8 "“ 42 points, fourth place in the Eastern Conference) netminder Paul Berrafato stopped all 27 shots he faced to get to the shootout, then turned aside six consecutive Team USA (19-16-3 "“ 41 points, fifth place in the East) shooters. But Ryan Hartman finally solved Berrafato in the last of the 10th round to secure the win for Team USA, which has now won 10 of their last 11 games. The first period saw just nine combined shots put on target. Ultimately the Jacks were outshot 27-23 in the contest. The Jacks went 0-for-7 on the power play and Team USA went 0-for-8. Collin stopped all 23 shots he faced to improve to 6-4-0 on the season. Berrafato slipped to 5-4-4 through 13 starts. He was vying for his second shutout in less than two weeks. It was the first time the Jacks have been shut out this season. The Jacks are winless in their last four outings, but snapped their three-game losing streak. They"™ll wrap up a two-game week on the road in Youngstown Saturday night. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m., and the AT&T Pregame Show begins at 7. The Jacks will be home for a pair of games next weekend. The Dubuque Fighting Saints will visit Friday, Feb. 25, and the Chicago Steel will return on Saturday, Feb. 26. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. on both nights at the L.C. Walker Arena. More about the Muskegon Lumberjacks: The Lumberjacks are competing in their inaugural season in the United States Hockey League, the nation"™s only Tier I junior hockey league and the leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The USHL has produced 154 active NHL alumni. The Lumberjacks"™ organization prides itself on developing not just premier hockey talent, but also exceptional young men outside the arena of sports. For more information, visit the Lumberjacks on the Web at http://www.muskegonlumberjacks.com/ .

Discover Ann Arbor & surrounding areas

Visitors guide, Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti

Discover, the greater Ann Arbor area

FaxUSA 2002, a directory of facsimile numbers for businesses and organizations nationwide / edited by Jennifer C. Perkins

The annual Ann Arbor guide