Furstenau takes reins as Quake’s head coach

Craig Furstenau, the former head coach of the Oakland University (Mich.) Grizzlies and a coach in the prestigious Little Caesars hockey organization in Michigan for three years, has agreed to a two-year contract as head coach of the Jr. A Yellowstone Quake.

Furstenau takes the reins from Sean Hogan, who has accepted an assistant coaching position at Western Michigan University (NCAA Division 1). Hogan will continue his association with the Quake as a scout and consultant.

“We are excited to have Coach Furstenau join our organization,” said Quake board president Bob Bole. “His enthusiasm and background will help our program to continue building quality hockey players.”

“I am confident that Craig will do a great job. I have worked with Craig and have known him for many years,” Hogan said. “His hockey knowledge and hockey background are unmatched, and I am excited for the Quake this season.”

Last season, the Yellowstone Quake finished second in the America West division of the Northern Pacific Hockey League (“NORPAC”) and were the 2008-2009 regular season America West Division champions.

Furstenau spent this past season as an assistant coach with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, the professional hockey Double-A co-affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

During Furstenau’s three-year tenure as a coach in the Little Caesars organization, his teams qualified for the national championships twice. His Midget Minor team won the state and national championships in 2008.

After going 23 games without a loss in 2004, Furstenau led Oakland University to the Greater Midwest Hockey League playoffs and won the American College Hockey Association’s Division 2 championship.

“I have always wanted an opportunity to coach hockey in the West. I take my annual vacations in Wyoming and Montana in order to fly fish,” said Furstenau, a native of Grosse Ile, Mich. “I live and breathe hockey.”

Furstenau had to give up on a career as a hockey player when he suffered too many concussions, but he’s been coaching ever since.

“There are days when I’m on skates for six hours,” Furstenau said. “I am very passionate about the game, and I take pride in my ability to develop players, not only on the ice but with life skills. I want to play an integral role in helping players achieve their dream of playing hockey at higher levels.”

The next Quake tryout camp will take place in Arvada, Colo., from Aug. 13- 15 at the Apex Arena. The Yellowstone Quake start regular season play on Sept. 24 at home against Missoula.

Cedar Rapids Roughriders

Costello, Aneloski are Senators hopefuls

And here they thought their days as hockey teammates were over.

The possibility exists where former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Bryce Aneloski and Jeff Costello might just join forces again some day in the professional ranks. Aneloski was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The defenseman from Pekin, Ill., was the 196th overall pick. Costello, who also played this past season in Cedar Rapids, was a fifth-round pick of the Senators last year.

RoughRiders forward Michael Parks also was drafted this year, in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I haven’t talked to him, yet,” Aneloski said of his former/future (?) Teammate Costello prior to a Senators rookie camp in Kanata, Ontario. “I’m going to see him plenty [soon].”

Aneloski will be a sophomore this season at the University of Nebraska- Omaha. Costello will be a freshman at Notre Dame.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Aneloski, who led all United States Hockey League defensemen with 54 Points in 2009-10 and is the Riders’ career scoring leader for defensemen.

“Ottawa was one of the teams I talked to. They showed a lot of interest. You hear so much from different teams, so it’s pretty cool that I got drafted by a team that I talked a lot to,” said Aneloski.

Parks had 22 points this past season for Cedar Rapids. The resident of the St. Louis suburbs will play college hockey at the University of North Dakota, but will play one more season with the Riders first.

He suffered a broken tailbone after an on-ice collision with teammate Peter Sakaris at the Riders’ tryout camp in early July but should be back to full health and ready to roll when fall camp begins in August.

“I really didn’t want to stare at the computer or the TV all day or I figured I’d just get too nervous,” Parks said, about Draft Weekend [June 25-26]. “I tried to do other things.”

He said his family advisor, who was at the draft in Los Angeles, phoned him with the news after he was selected.

“It’s very exciting. I’m very happy to be drafted by the Flyers,” Parks said.