DALLAS -- In a span of four months, not only did Ed Olczyk learn he would be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame alongside Mike Modano and Lou Lamoriello, but that his son Tommy would captain the ice hockey team at Penn State University in 2012-13.

When Tommy got word that dad was the newest inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, he was obviously filled with pride.

Tommy took some time to discuss his dad with NHL.com prior to induction ceremonies on Monday evening at the Plaza of the Americas Atrium in downtown Dallas.

Sean Monahan is a center for the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound forward was a second-team OHL all-star last season after scoring 33 goals in 62 games, and he added 15 points in 18 playoff games. A highly regarded prospect, Monahan has offered to maintain a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2013 NHL Draft.

Hello, my name is Sean Monahan. I play In the Ontario Hockey League on the Ottawa 67s. I'm in my third season I'm really enjoying it so far. This season I've been given a bigger role as co-captain, sharing the captaincy with Cody Ceci. It's a huge honor and I was very excited when I found out the news.

I was born in Brampton, Ont., and grew up playing hockey and lacrosse there. I started both when I was about 3 years old. I loved playing both sports growing up, but as I got older I became more and more passionate about hockey. Hockey started to be a serious part of my life as I began to approach the game very seriously. In minor midget, my OHL draft year, I was playing on the Mississauga Rebels with one of my best friends, Brett Gustavsen. Come draft day the Ottawa 67s selected both Brett and I. We couldn't believe it. We have lived together at our billets the past two years and it's been unreal. Living with such great billets as well as Brett has made the transition of living away from home very easy.

The 40th U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Dinner will surely be an evening to remember on Monday at the Plaza of the Americas Atrium in Dallas, Tx.

In addition to honoring 2012 U.S. Hall of Fame inductees Mike Modano, Eddie Olczyk and Lou Lamoriello, Lester Patrick Trophy winners Bob Chase-Wallenstein and Dick Patrick and Wayne Gretzky Award winner Murray Costello will also be saluted.

This marks the first time that the State of Texas will host the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction Ceremony & Dinner, which is slated to begin 8 p.m. ET.

Steve Levy, longtime ESPN SportsCenter anchor and hockey broadcaster, will serve as Master of Ceremonies at the event. All award recipients will be available to the media in attendance from 5-6:30 p.m. ET at the Dallas Marriott City Center prior to the ceremony.

Keep checking back to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame blog on NHL.com for up-to-the-minute reports and reaction from all those being honored on Monday.

Forward J.T. Compher of the U.S. Under-18 National Team Development Program will be sidelined this weekend due to an undisclosed injury.

J.T. Compher, Under-18 USNTDP

Compher, who has two goals and three points in six games for the NTDP this season, is considered by many to be a potential first-round NHL Draft pick in June. He was listed as an A skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary list of players competing in the United States Hockey League in September.

The U-18 USNTDP (3-3-1) dropped a 6-4 decision to the University of North Dakota on Friday and is slated to face Bemidji State University on Saturday before returning home to Ann Arbor, Mich., to battle the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL on Tuesday.

The team added 2013 draft eligible forwards Connor Hurley (B skater), Ryan Fitzgerald (B skater) and Frank Vatrano (C skater) to this weekend's roster.

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

Halifax Mooseheads center Nathan MacKinnon is regarded as the potential top pick of the 2013 NHL Draft for his incredible offensive skills. The 6-foot, 182-pound center led all first-year players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season with 47 assists, was second with 78 points and tied for third with 31 goals.

He's gotten off to a sensational start this season, with nine goals -- third in the League -- and 15 points in eight games.

His most recent goal might be his most spectacular. In a game Wednesday against the Moncton Wildcats, Halifax led 4-1 and after already scoring one power-play goal, he got another chance when Halifax went on the power play early in the third period.

MacKinnon took a pass at the Moncton blue line and carried the puck into the offensive zone. As Moncton defenseman Cameron McDonald stepped up to defend, MacKinnon slid the puck between McDonald's skates and went around the bewildered blueliner.

The puck rolled on net, where Moncton goalie Alex Dubeau tried to swat it into the corner. He whiffed on the attempt, however, and as the puck bounced off Dubeau's pads, MacKinnon controlled it and shot it under Dubeau.

That goal came one game after MacKinnon put on another show in an 11-2 rout of two-time defending league champion Saint John Sea Dogs. The 17-year-old forward had a hat trick, but the prettiest goal was his second.

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles center William Carrier showed why he's an A-list skater in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary rankings of top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft, totaling four goals and four assists in four games to earn the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's First Star of the Week award.

Carrier, a 6-1.5, 198-pound forward, started his week with both Cape Breton goals in a 5-2 loss Wednesday to Rouyn-Noranda. He had a goal in Saturday's rematch with the Huskies, and had a goal and an assist Saturday in a 5-3 win against Val-d'Or. And on Sunday, he had three assists in a 7-3 loss to Foreurs.

Carrier now has a point in a league-high nine straight games, and with 16 points, he's tied for second in the league in scoring.

Another A-rated skater earned the QMJHL Second Star of the Week, as Halifax Mooseheads left wing Jonathan Drouin was honored after totaling seven points in three games. Drouin had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win against Acadie-Bathurst, and followed that with a goal and an assist, plus a game-high six shots, in a 4-3 win against Saint John. And in Saturday's 11-2 rout of Saint John, Drouin had a goal, two assists and a plus-4 rating. The three-point game was Drouin's fifth multi-point game in seven this season, giving him 15 points in seven games.

The 16th Ice Breaker Tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., will officially ring in the 2012-13 collegiate ice hockey season on Oct. 12-13.

The two-day event features four teams -- Army, Notre Dame, the University of Maine and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This year's tournament will be the fourth for Maine, third for Notre Dame and Nebraska-Omaha, and the second for Army.

According to the most recent U.S. College Hockey poll, two of the four teams are ranked among the top 20 -- No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 15 Maine. All the schools have won titles in their respective conferences.

"We are extremely excited to be invited to college hockey's premier showcase," Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said in a statement. "We look forward to opening the 2012-13 season in a great hockey city and in an NHL-caliber building like Sprint Center. Hockey fans in Kansas City will definitely be entertained with some great college hockey from four great programs."

One player who will be in the crosshairs of those NHL scouts in attendance will be 2013 draft eligible left wing Will Merchant, a freshman at Maine. The 6-foot, 172-pound forward impressed many as a free agent invitee to the Minnesota Wild's development camp in July. He also participated in the CCM/USA All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo on Sept. 29.

"I was surprised he wasn't drafted last June," NHL Central Scouting's David Gregory told NHL.com. "I thought he'd be a nice late-round addition. He needs to show scouts that he can take the next step. Oftentimes, a player overlooked will suddenly get it the next year and teams see that and then give him a shot."

Merchant produced 25 goals and 52 points in 2011-12 as a senior for Eagan High (Minn.), which finished 25-5-1 last season. The Wildcats won the South Suburban Conference and Section 3AA championship, and finished sixth in the Minnesota state tournament. He was a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Hockey Award, given to the top high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota.

Last year, Boston College started its NCAA championship season by capturing the Ice Breaker championship at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

It marked the second time in four years that the champion of the Ice Breaker would capture the national title. In 2008, Boston University won the Ice Breaker at their home rink before going on to win the 2009 national title.

All games in the tournament will be televised on the NBC Sports Network, with the exception of the third-place game. The championship team will win a trophy and an All-Tournament Team is announced at the conclusion of the event.

Ice-Breaker Tournament Schedule

Friday, Oct. 12

7 p.m. ET: Notre Dame vs. Maine

10 p.m. ET: Army vs. Nebraska-Omaha

Saturday, Oct. 13

4:30 p.m. ET: Third-Place Game

7:30 p.m. ET: Championship

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

Nathan MacKinnon's hat trick was part of a four-point night as he led Halifax to an 11-2 win over Saint John in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Saturday.

MacKinnon, one of the top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft, had an assist and was a plus-5 for Halifax, which led 4-0 after one period and 7-0 after two.

MacKinnon and linemates Stefan Fournier and Jonathan Drouin combined for five goals and five assists.

In seven games this season, MacKinnon has 13 points (seven goals, six assists).

The Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League on Wednesday confirmed the suspension of three players for Friday's home game against the Youngstown Phantoms.

Defenseman Ian McCoshen and goalies Eamon McAdam and Calvin Petersen will sit out the game for a violation of team rules.

"They did not adhere to an internal team rule," associate head coach and director of player personnel Shane Fukushima told NHL.com via email.

All three players, who participated in the inaugural CCM/USA All-American Prospects Game on Saturday, are considered top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft.

NHL Central Scouting ranked McCoshen an A skater in its preliminary players to watch list. McAdam is ranked as a B goalie, while Petersen is a C goalie.

According to Fukushima, the team will likely start Logan Halladay in goal on Friday. Halladay, who earned the start when McAdam and Petersen attended the All-American Prospects Game, was the organization's third-round pick in the 2012 Futures Draft. He scored an 8-4 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede in the team's home opener before joining the Chicago Young Americans Midget Major team.

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

While forward Justin Bailey of the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers still is experiencing concussion-like symptoms from a hit he sustained last month, the team anticipates a full recovery at some point.

"Generally, Justin is feeling better," Kitchener's head trainer, Dan LeBold, told NHL.com via email. "However, he is still experiencing some symptoms so we have not begun the 'Return to Play' protocol as of yet. We are continuing to monitor his symptoms to see when he may be ready to begin the RTP protocol."

Bailey was on the receiving end of tremendous neutral-zone hit by Calgary Flames prospect Pat Sieloff of the Windsor Spitfires on Sept. 27. Sieloff was given a charging penalty and a game misconduct on the play.