#72

Biscuits and Breezers

    

              Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! In this blog we will be talking about Jordan Boyd unfortunately passing away and Andrew Shaw auctioning off his Game 6 Stanely Cup finals stitches for charity. Now first off I would like to talk about Jordan. He was a 16 year old forward prospect for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL. Boyd was picked fourth round in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft. It is reported that he under went a full medical evaluation before participating in the camp. Jordan was skating in an individual skating session when he suffered severe discomfort and collapsed. Team doctors tried to revive him several times but were unsuccessful. Boyd was immediately transported to a New Brunswick hospital where he was pronounced and confirmed dead. The team, families, friends, and the rest of the world are awaiting the autopsy results to determine the cause of death. At the time there seemed to be no red flags of any health related issues. It is always very tragic when there is a loss in the hockey world because we are all family. Especially when we lose someone as young as Jordan. R.I.P. Jordan Boyd.

(Credit to Google Images)

  On a more lighter note, Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw will be auctioning off his game 6 stitches to benefit the charity, The V Foundation, for cancer research. These are the same stitches everyone saw the night Shaw took a puck to the face on his upper right cheek. The auction will begin on August 15th on eBay and not only will they include the framed stitches, they will include Shaw's autograph and many more items to benefit the fund. Andrew Shaw reportedly wanted to help breast cancer research and this was one of the way's he could do it and be involved with it at the same time. The V Foundation was formed by ESPN and Joe Valvano in 1993 and it funds multiple cancer research funds. I think this is a great idea and it is a win-win situation. There will be more money raised for cancer research and the NHL will get more credibility for supporting charities. It also gives a good background to the sport. I personally think this is very cool and a gracious thing for Shaw to do! 

   Now we have come to the "Players of Today" segment of our blog. For the Prospect pick we have TPS SM-liiga defenseman and Buffalo Sabres 1st round pick Rasmus Ristolainen. For the NHL pick we have Chicago Blackhawks Defenseman Johnny Oduya. For the European pick we have Lukko U18 Jr. B SM-liiga center Aleksi Saarela.

    Rasmus is 6 ft 3 in, 207 lbs, and is from Turku, Finland. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 3 goals in 52 games played, 12 assists, 15 TPs, 32 PIMs, and a +/- of -7. He went 8th overall in the 1st round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft to the Buffalo Sabres. Rasmus was one of the best defenseman in his age class this year and definitely shows why he deserved to get picked in the first round. He has great two way abilities and can almost always get right into the action. Ristolainen loves to be near the front of the net and to get physical. He loves to bang bodies and play the blue just as aggressively. He is always confident when he has the puck and knows how to move it well. I personally think that he has a great framework to be in the show and is ready to hit the ice. He could work on his positioning and his stick skills but otherwise he is set. Most of the time the NHL requires large defenseman and smaller forwards but this guy is the classic tall and tough blue liner. He is one to watch in the up coming years. Good luck Rasmus with SM-liiga, the Buffalo Sabres, and your future hockey career!

     Johnny is 6 ft 0 in, 190 lbs, and is from Stockholm, Sweden. He was picked 221st overall in the 7th round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 3 goals in 48 games played, 9 assists, 12 TPs, a +/- of 12, 10 PIMs, 52 shots on goal, and a 5.8 S%. Johnny was part of the Blackhawks Stanley Cup winning roster this June. He might not be the best defenseman in the league but he definitely makes up with it in passion. Oduya has firm sturdy skates and quick hands. He will get physical to defend his blue line and will even leave to assist a team mate. He has quick skates and can cover large areas of ice in short periods of time. I think that Johnny will eventually blossom out to be quite a good player but unfortunately that time has not come yet. He was a major asset to Chicago's wins this season and he will be a major contributor to their wins in the 2013-2014 season. Good luck Johnny with the Blackhawks and your future NHL career!

    Aleksi is 5 ft 10 in, 187 lbs, and is from Helsinki, Finland. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 17 goals in 16 games played, 19 assists, 36 TPs, and 14 PIMs. As you can see this kid has the skills of a beaut in the show. Some are saying that he is the next Finnish youth star. Aleksi is expected to go early on in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Due to his '97 birth year, he does have some time to grow and expand his skills. Right now he has amazing wristers, quick skates, amazing on-ice vision, and great physical abilities. I think that Saarela should be moved up into the higher leagues so he has more competition to play against but as we all know that doesn't happen on every whim. If a junior B player can score more points than there are games there is definite talent there. If he keeps everything up he will go very far in his career and possibly to the NHL. I hope that I can see Aleksi play one of these days because it would be a great experience! Good luck Aleksi with Lukko and your future hockey career!

    Thank you 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 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!