#28

Biscuits and Breezers

      Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! In this episode we will be talking about Daniel Alfredsson staying with the Senators and the Detroit Red Wings alums add 4 of the 5 players from the Russian 5 to play at the Winter Classic Alumni game. Starting with Daniel Alfredsson. For all you Sens fans out there, Swedish team captain Daniel Alfredsson will be returning for his 17th season with the Senators. Now, the hockey world wasn't sure if he was coming back, but indeed he is. Being captain of one of the 2012 NHL All Star teams and currently the longest serving active captain in the NHL, he is definitely a major influence on the not only the prospects and the younger Senators but also the older players and others in the NHL. I can definitely tell that he will have a lot of space to fill after fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom retired but I think that will be for the fans and management to decide! Congrats for coming back and good luck in future seasons!

   Next thing we will talk about is the Russian 5. Now maybe some of you haven't heard of the Russian 5 but I bet most you have, especially all of you Red Wings fans. Now for all of you that don't know who the Russian 5 are, they were a line of 5 Russian players put together similarly to how the players would have been back in Russia. The line consisted of Sergei Fedorov,Vyacheslav Kozlov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Viacheslav Fetisov. They were widely known for their puck domination and extreme work at both ends of the ice. Now, they are coming back for more. At least 4 of them are. Igor, Sergei Vladimir, and Viacheslav are the only ones returning for the 2012 Winter Classic Alumni game vs. the Maple Leafs on December 31st, the day before the current players take on the Maple Leafs. Some of the alumni the Maple Leafs will have will be Gary Leeman, Russ Courtnall, Bill Delargo, Bob McGill, Vincent Damphousse, and Dave Ellett. On January 1st, the Red Wings will go against the Maple Leafs for the 2012 Winter Classic being held at Michigan Stadium.

   Now, we have come to the players of today! For the Junior player we have Helena Bighorns forward Cody Blom. For the Prospect pick we have Montreal Canadiens draft pick Dalton Thrower. Finally, for the European player we have Rogle left/right wing Simon Olsson.

   Starting off with the junior player. Cody Blom is 5 ft. 11in, 179lbs, and is from Butte, Montana, USA. For his 2011-2012 season he started playing with the Bozeman Icedogs but in the middle of the season, he was sent to the Helena Bighorns. In his time with the Bighorns, he had 12 goals in 21 games played, 12 assists, 24 TPs, 8 PIMS, and a +/- of 20. In the 2011-2012 playoffs against the Missoula Maulers, he had 4 goals in 8 games played, 4 assists, 8 TPs, 21 PIMs, and a +/- of 1. He is a very good player who controls the puck well and will play the boards when he needs to. He will play physical when it is needed. He has sharp skills on the ice and has very good on ice vision. Cody will be playing D3 college hockey at Lake Forest College in Illinois. The team will surely benefit from his experience in the AWHL. Good luck Cody in the 2012-2013 season and with your future hockey career!

    Next we have the Prospect. Dalton is 5ft. 11in, 190lbs, and is from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was drafted in the second round 51st overall at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. In the 2011-2012 season, playing with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, he had 18 goals in 66 games played, 36 assists, 54 TPs, 103 PIMs, and a +/- of -4. Dalton is signed with the Blades for the 2012-2013 season. He is a very good defenseman that watches the puck very well and plays the boards to his advantage. He isn't afraid to get physical once in awhile whether it's to protect a team mate or it's because things are getting chippy on the ice, Dalton will do it. He plays the blue line tight and keeps the puck in his sights always. Good luck with the Blades and Canadiens and with your future hockey career!

    Now, we have the European player. Simon Olsson is 5ft. 7in, 163 lbs, and is from Goteborg, Sweden. In the 2011-2012 season, he played for the Rogle Allsvenskan team. He had 4 goals in 45 games played, 10 assists, 14 TPs, 30 PIMs, and a +/- of -8. Simon is signed with the Orebro Allsvenskan team for the 2012-2013 season. Simon is a very good forward with great skills on the ice and very good on-ice vision. He plays the puck well and will play aggressively when it is needed. Even though he is on the smaller side, Simon packs a powerful punch is always there when he is needed. If he needs to play aggressive he will, if he needs to take over a shift for his team mates, he will. All around, he is a very good and well rounded hockey player. Good luck Simon with Orebro and in your future hockey career!

   Thanks for reading another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! Every blog will be filled with updated hockey news, player reviews, and much more! Until next time, don't get your breezers in a bunch because hockey is always around the corner. Remember it's always a great day for hockey and it's a lifestyle not just a sport!