Aaron Ness impresses at Islanders' camp

July 14, 8:56 AMWCHA ExaminerBrian Pietrzak

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With things relatively quiet in the WCHA right now as the teams are attempting to enjoy what is left of summer, we'll check in on some of the league's best professional prospects.

The NHL recently held prospect camps and numerous players with WCHA ties had opportunities to show off their skills to the teams who drafted them. Today, we'll check in on New York Islanders' prospect and University of Minnesota incoming sophomore defenseman Aaron Ness.

Ness entered the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2008 fresh off a brilliant high school career at northern Minnesota powerhouse Roseau High School. He was named "Minnesota Mr. Hockey," awarded to the top high school player in the state. The defenseman was selected by the New York Islanders in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft, but played his freshman season at the University as scheduled.

As a freshman at Minnesota, Ness played a ton of minutes, mostly in the top defensive pairing with David Fischer, a first round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2006. Ness played 37 games for the Gophers last season, notching 2 goals and 15 assists for 17 points. 

At the Islanders' mini-camp last week, Ness impressed Chris Botta of the "Islanders Point Blank" site. Botta noted that he looked comfortable in the game and that "everyone was raving about him." Botta also notes that Ness will return to the University of Minnesota for a second season, which is good news for Gopher fans.  

The defenseman is not big (5-10, 170 lbs.), but he is a smooth skater who moves the puck well. With the Gophers last season, he looked tentative at times in shooting the puck, but that will develop over time.  Defensemen generally take longer to develop, which is why the Islanders are apparently comfortable with Ness playing at least two seasons in the WCHA instead of rushing him into the pro ranks. Aaron Ness will be a key contributor for the Gophers in 2009-10, and for the New York Islanders down the road.

Site News: We'll check in on some of the other NHL prospects in the coming weeks, aiming for two-to-three prospects per week. In early September, we'll begin our team-by-team season previews. Check in throughout the summer as we monitor breaking league news.