#33 

 

Biscuits and Breezers

 

 

 

      Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! In this blog we will talk about Gabriel Landeskog's crowning moment and a little AWHL preview!! Starting off with Gabriel Landeskog. Gabriel will now be wearing the "C" for the Colorado Avalanche. Milan Hejduk has handed down the leadership to now the youngest captain in NHL history. Yes Landeskog has beat out my favorite player in the NHL, Sidney Crosby, for being the youngest captain at 19 years, 286 days which is 11 days younger than Sid. Gabriel was even surprised when this monumental event happened. Now you have to ask yourself, is he ready for it? Is this a logical choice for the Avs? We shall see if he can prove himself in later seasons. It seemed to be a decision on Milan's part of not being on the top two lines and not being a huge factor like Landy was on the team. Many feel though that he will be the captain for a very very long time, which if he is a great captain, will serve them well. Hopefully the veterans will be able to help this young kid during this enormous transformation. This is every kids' dream to be captain of an NHL team. Now this young gun is living the dream. Good luck Gabriel with what is to come your way. Maybe he will take Lidstrom's spot in the best Swedish captains in the NHL! Only time will tell.

 

     The next thing I would like to talk about is some good old junior hockey. In the AWHL, I feel, there is a star rising above the rest. I have heard and seen many good things from this team. Yes, it's the Missoula Maulers. Now, I know if you are a fan of any other teams such as the Helena Bighorns or let's say the Gillette Wild they are also very good too, but the Maulers have sent a lot of talent forward since joining the league in the 2007-2008 season. I recently went to one of their practices to scope out the team before I begin my trip discovering talent across teams around the USA. Here is what I gathered from my experience. First off they are a great bunch of guys more closely knit in a family way than a lot of teams could think of. Many of the returners from last season such as Matt Chamberlain, Paxton Bell, Cody Ogrin, Zach Paisley, Donovan Mattfeldt, Anders Nord, and Dustin Pierce are set and ready to go for this season to defend their title as Regular Season champions. You can definitely tell that all these guys are really dedicated to what they do on this team and will try their best on every shift even if that means pushing it past their breaking points. Talking to some of the players personally, I got that they love this team with all their hearts and its like 20 brothers out there playing pond hockey. They are also very accepting.  With last season's outstanding star defenseman and one of my personal favorite players " Swedish Sensation" Oscar Bjorkander, the organization had one of their best years ever, packing the barn every night and almost doubling seating. I can understand why because just to see him play was outstanding. He carried himself very well on and off the ice, kept the blue line tight and orderly barely letting a puck slip through his territory. This year we have a new Swedish Sensation and his name is Viktor Steenson. Coming from Vaxjo, Sweden, Viktor has certainly made a huge impact not only on my views but in this team's performance. A huge left wing who dominates the ice and packs a wicked punch in his shots. Viktor will definitely be someone to watch as the season goes on because he, my friends, has tons of potential. If I were on another team I would stay out of his path. I am very, very, very excited to see him play because his shifts are amazing. Clean cut and to the point, this Swede is going to rock the house. Another player who is a huge part in the team is Matt Chamberlain. Standing at 6ft. 4in and 190lb , Matt is a huge threat on the ice with a sick shot, puck domination, and who definitely plays the bodies. Another enormous impact on the team not only with his size but his skill. Matt always plays his heart out on each shift until the very last second he can be out there. He definitely is a player for teams everywhere to look at because his style of play and techniques are amazing. Zach Paisley has sharp skills, keen eyes, and an incredible ability to score goal after goal after goal. Paxton Bell has astronomical shooting abilities and plays the ice to his advantages every time he steps onto it. Cody Ogrin is a leader in ways that can only be described on the ice and his slap shots are gigantic almost wanting to burn a hole in the back of the net. Donovan Mattfeldt plays every shift likes it's his last, daring to do things other might not and taking the game to a personal level. Anders Nord is quick on foot with very sharp eyes that are constantly chasing the puck no matter where it goes and he will be the biggest player he can be out there while being a sniper at the same time . Dustin Pierce with leadership and amazing talent, is a player who at all times is there when you need him and who will take the puck to wherever it needs to be exactly when it needs to be there. Always going to where the puck is going to be. These are some unbelievable guys who I am excited to interact with this year. The rookies should be thrilled because they have come to the right team if they want to experience the real junior hockey lifestyle. A certain song comes to mind when thinking of the team. Living The Dream (Junior Hockey Anthem) by Chucky Slick ring a bell? Well good luck boys in the season and defend that title! Can't wait to see you play and talk to you more. Thanks! See you soon!

   Now we move onto the "Players of Today"! For the prospect player we have Djurgården J20 SuperElit defenseman and Edmonton Oilers pick Erik Gustafsson. For the junior player we have Missoula Maulers forward Paxton Bell. For the European player we have Jokerit SM-liiga defenseman Teemu Eronen.

    Starting off with the prospect player. Erik is 6ft. 0in, 176 lbs, and is from Nynashamn, Sweden. For the 2011-2012 season, he had 3 goals in 21 games played, 11 assists, 14 TPs, 14 PIMs, and a +/- of 3. Erik was the 93rd 4th round overall pick for the Edmonton Oilers. He is playing with the Djurgarden team for the 2012-2013. Erik is definitely a really good defenseman with some very sharp skills. He can take control of the play and has the stamina to log long minutes on the ice. Erik has a great edge to his game and has amazing on ice vision. He has great puck releases and a very powerful shot to add to his great games. His defenseman skills are very tight. Good luck Erik with Djurgarden and your future hockey career!

    Next we have the junior pick. Paxton is 5ft. 8in, 150 lbs, and is from Spokane, Washington, USA. He played with the Missoula Maulers in the AWHL for the 2011-2012 season. During that time, he logged 12 goals in 45 games played, 22 assists, 34 TPs, 43 PIMs, and a +/- of 19. I got the great pleasure to talk to Paxton this week and was very impressed when I saw him in practice. I asked him if he was excited to be back with his old team mates again and he replied, "Yea it is, we have a pretty tight group and it's good to see the guys who came back from last year." I then asked Paxton what he did to get ready for the impending season and he responded with, "I skated about 3 times a week and worked out and ran three to four times a week also." I could definitely tell he was getting ready by the way he practiced on Saturday. He was very good handling the puck, a quick skater, and very keen on where to go. Thanks Paxton for the interview! He is a very very good player who is always in the right places and definitely trusts his team mates to take a few risks once in awhile. Those risks pay off big time. Great forward whose skills get better and better every time I see him. Ice domination are just words compared to how he handles himself out there. Good luck Paxton with the Maulers and your future hockey career!

     Lastly, we have the European pick. Teemu is 5ft. 10in, 181lbs, and is from Vantaa, Finland. He plays for the Jokerit SM-liiga team. In the 2011-2012 season, Teemu had 9 goals in 46 games played, 18 assists, 27 TPs, 12 PIMs, and a +/- of 1. He was picked 192nd overall 7th round in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He very good on power plays and uses them his advantages. Teemu might not be such a physical player as some of his other team mates but he will work the ice instead of the boards. He is signed with Jokerit for the 2012-2013 season. Very tight defenseman, watching the blue line constantly. Good Luck Teemu with Jokerit and 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!