Goligoski reminds me alot of Brian Rafalski. Right down to the wrister on the PP and way he moves the puck. Plus he an undersized defenseman that's a great all around skater. Goli has his flaws, like defensive reads and problems with bigger players, but I really think that they're correctable. I would feel alot better if he was at Harvard and Ted Donato was molding him but every player has their own question marks. He seems like the type of kid that'll work on his flaws so I think that once turning pro his two way game will blossem. Plus I really feel that Minny played some sloppy hockey last year and that would make any D-man look bad.
Lee kind of reminds me of Kenny Jonsson. He has good size but isn't overly physical. He uses his smarts to be effective in every zone and is a very mobile skater. IMO he'll be a very good defenseman but not elite. The type thats always under-rated by the rest of the league but his fans and team will love him because you have to watch him play to see how good he is.
As a lifer-Goofer fan and as a rabid UND hater, I have to say that Lee has more potential. That doesn't knock Goligosky that much. Lee has been playing prime-time hockey since his freshman year in High School and has always been surrounded by talent. Goligosky played on an inferior Grand Rapids team. Alex has been really good with the Goofers and we'll see if he can jump to the next level.
W. in the F. has Ted Donato done as a coach, BTW? The Don has groomed Leopold, Martin, Ballard and will be grooming a ton more talent here in MN. O yea ... won a couple more national titles than Ted Donato.
...Moorhead High School Coach Dave Morinville told Hockey’s Future that Lee is very coachable and compares Lee to another American defenseman.
"He is an extremely great leader in a quiet way," said Morinville. "He's a guy I always compare to Brian Leetch, as he's solid defensively and he's guy that can bring you some offense without giving up chances." Morinville added that Lee is a dedicated student to the game, and indicated that Lee put an emphasis on plyometric and sprint work in the off-season, recognizing that first step quickness will play a huge role at the next level. Lee did not see much ice time with the U-20 team, but his resume should push him into the first round.
This is exactly what I see when I've watched him play either for Moorhead or for UND.
Goligoski is a ridiculous name. I take Lee hands down.
Wow. Your intelligence and insight shine right there. Thanks for participating.
They both played their senior years in high school. What were their stats for both of their senior years?
The MN HS site my Dad,
mnpuck, has this on Lee and Goligosky (it's hard to search and I keep complaining to him about it, but the info's there):
Goligosky, Grand Rapids
2004 First Team All-State
2004 GR was 12-11-2, not a good team
2003 All-State Honorable Mention
Lee, Moorhead
2005 Mr. Hockey 24GMs, 12G, 26A, 38pts
2005 Moorhead was 20-2-2
2005 First Line All-State
2004 All-State Honorable Mention
2004 Moorhead was 20-2-0
It should be noted that Moorhead is
always good.