#63

Biscuits and Breezers

         Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! In this blog we will be talking about the Ontario Avalanche, Sidney Crosby taking a puck to the mouth, and a Russian KHL forward being killed after a violent blow to the head. Now let's talk about the Ontario Avalanche. They are the new expansion team for the Western States Hockey League located in Ontario, California and in my opinion they did really well  for being the roster of a rookie team. I knew some guys on the team and I thought I would check it out. At the end of the season they came in 5th out of 6 places and had 24 wins out of 46 games, 22 losses, 48 points total, .522 PCT, 157 goals for, 164 goals against, 657 PIMs total, 8-8-0-0 for home, and 16-14-0-0 for away. I think that even though they came in a lower position, they fought very hard. They showed that they can step up to the face off and as a team won't back down until they have done what is needed to be done. I have a video that was made by one of the team members, Dillon Kivo, and it really expresses the emotions and connections that went on during this season. Congratulations guys on a very good first season and I hope that we can work together more in the future! I really liked how the whole entire team played and how they were off the ice. I can't wait to see you play again next year! Enjoy the video everyone!

  

      Next thing I want to talk about is Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby. I know that I have some Flyers fans out there and I don't want any controversy over this. I also know that I have some of my viewers that do not particularly like Sidney Crosby either and please no controversy over this. I want this to be a fair article with no negativity behind it. Playing a game against the New York Islanders, Crosby was struck in the mouth with a puck. The way it panned out was, defenseman and assistant captain Brooks Orpik was fed the puck aimed directly at the net and Sidney Crosby on the other side. Unfortunately a millisecond put Crosby's upper jaw and that vulcanized rubber at speeds of an unknown measurement from a mean slap shot in a collision. Sidney instantly dropped to the ice and was producing blood at a rapid pace. He skated off the ice on his own power and he eventually was taken to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. It was clear that he lost teeth and would require oral surgery. Now he didn't have to have his jaw wired shut, but his life has changed drastically. His meals now consist of shakes and soups, all verbal communication is forbidden to allow his jaw to heal, and his off-ice training has ceased due to his injury. His team mates have come to visit him and some of his coaches, friends, and family. Recently, it was put out that he would have to be out indefinitely until the playoffs but now news has come up that he could return within a couple of games. Odds are that from now on he will be wearing a cage. Yes the dreaded cage almost all youth and junior players end up wearing now and again. Some NHL players too but it is very uncommon to see them with one on unless they have an injury. Jaw and facial injuries have to be taken very seriously because if they aren't they can lead to personal health problems as well as career and social issues. What I saw coming after this happened just astonished me. People were calling him very nasty and crude names, criticizing him for what happened, and just being flat out vicious. I know it is human nature for omegas in a "pack" to challenge the alphas but this was not needed at all. Yes it might have been his fault he wasn't wearing a larger face protector, but he was indeed in need of professional care providers. Yes people might be jealous or challenged by his success and his talent, but that can't interfere when someone is in actual harm. I thought it was absolutely absurd and totally inhumane. I hate it when people react like this when they haven't even met the guy or talked to him for even 5 minutes. It brings us back to the old schoolyard dominance story. That was ridiculous even then! Sidney Crosby, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I hope your injuries heal very quickly and as painless as possible. The Pens need a strong leader that can prepare them for battle! It just isn't the same without you on the ice and in the igloo. Get well soon!

    The last thing I want to talk about is Dmitri Uchaykin's untimely death. During a game against the Arystan Temirtau, Lithuanian forward Donatas Kumeliuskas decided to place a hugely violent and cheap shot on Ertis Palvodar forward Dmitri Uchaykin's head. Dmitri left the ice on his own power and went home after the game. The next day he was reportedly suffering from major headaches and then was rushed to a near by hospital. There he slipped into a coma, never regaining consciousness, and died from cerebral hemorrhage. He will be leaving behind a pregnant wife and a young daughter. My thoughts and prayers go out to them and the rest of his family. Not only a player was lost but a father, a son, a husband, and a best friend were lost as well This action taken will ultimately make leagues around the world crack down even harder on cheap and head shots due to all the brain injuries being received. Please don't be "that guy" that ruins it for everyone just because you hate someone on the ice or you want to make a nasty shot to impress someone. This will back fire because a) the guy you hit could potentially be paralyzed, brain dead, or physically dead and b) you are not going to impress anyone it will be the exact opposite. Now don't get me wrong, I love the goons, the grinders, the muckers, and the guys who are willing to work the boards for his team. I don't want to see their positions on the team being taken away because of someones mistake. I think that if cases like this keep happening more and more, checking will be ultimately ruled out of the sport of ice hockey for good just to protect the health of the players. What kind of sport would hockey be without the physical part? Exactly. It wouldn't be hockey at all. So please when you want to make that huge hit, do it safely. I am not trying to tell you all what to do. But when something happens like this it doesn't only effect the one being hit but it will effect everyone who straps on the skates. Be careful out there!

     Thanks for reading another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! Every episode will be filled with updated hockey news, player reviews, and much more! Until next time remember, 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!

      I hope you all didn't perceive this as a rant blog because it definitely wasn't meant to be! I hope you like it anyway and can see where I am coming from! On a happier note, we are almost to 9000 views! Can you believe that?? In almost 2 months we have just about doubled all our combined views since May of 2012. Thank you everyone and let's hit that 10,000 mark soon! Biscuits and Breezers is a continuously growing family of people from all places all around the world and we are going to keep growing and growing and growing! Huge thanks to everyone in my audience for sticking with me on this massive journey whether it was from this blog, future blogs, or from the very beginning! We are going to go to very far and high places together!