#73
Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! This is a special blog because this is the first time since the Stanley Cup Finals that there is enough news to report on! So in this blog we will be talking about the WSHL preseason tournament, the soon to be first Australian NHL player, and the NHL preseason starting off with the WSHL. For those of you who have never heard of the WSHL it is the Western States Hockey League and consists of teams in Washington, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Oklahoma, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, and California in the US. This past weekend teams from Seattle, Missoula, Southern Oregon, and Idaho took the ice in McCall, Idaho for a 3 day tournament. The Totems went 0-3 with an unfilled roster, Missoula (new entry to the WSHL) went 1-2 in their inaugural season, Southern Oregon went 2-1, and the 3 time defending Thorne Cup champions Idaho went 3-0 which was no surprise. The Idaho Junior Steelheads are a huge force out on the ice and they use that brutality to rack up the wins. It is no surprise to me that they will be seen in the playoffs this season as usual but they have another team threatening their title; the Southern Oregon Spartans. The Spartans are definitely packing a punch this year and are hungry for a Cup win. With only 3 returning players the team basically has a clean slate of what they can do with the roster. Maybe the new coaching staff can run the boys to a title. Missoula is the rookie team and that says quite a bit but they still have their veterans. To be quite honest I wasn't the most happy person in the world with their league move (and I am still not) for undisclosed reasons but I am interested to see where they go. They have tons of rookies on the team this year but their goaltending department has it on lock. They have a mix of Swedish, Canadian, and American styles and it brings an awesome mix to the party. The team is getting highly competitive and drops the mitts quite often. They have promise though! Lastly we have Seattle. With an incomplete roster things can not be fully said yet but if they can get enough hard hitting guys they can be named for their physicality trademarked in their past. Let's get the season going!
Next up is the NHL preseason just to stick with the groove. Yes NHL players and hopeful draft picks are battling out on the ice to show off their new talents. I have watched a couple of games including Pittsburgh, Washington, the Flyers, Bruins, and Canadiens. The teams aren't exactly pulling out of the tricks or the stops but there are some highlights such as the Flyers racking up fights and physical plays, the Penguins' d-man, Washington's snipers, Boston's determination, and Montreal's intensity. Currently the scores are as follows:
Lastly we have the Australian player. If you haven't heard Nathan Walker is trying to be the first Australian player to make it into the show. He calls Sydney, Australia home and hockey isn't the most prevalent sport in a country dominated by soccer. Since Walker never took to soccer he decided to choose the hockey lifestyle. With this decision he packed his bags and headed up to the Czech Republic to learn the ropes and start his career. Even though he was never drafted he is currently participating in the Washington Capitals' training camp. He played his first preseason game on thee 14th of this month in Winnipeg and was thoroughly amazed. Nathan skated hard and aggressively and it paid off with the placement between Troy Brouwer and Chandler Stephenson. If he isn't signed by the start of this season he will star in his first USHL season with the Youngstown Phantoms also this is the last year of his NHL draft eligibility. I sincerely hope he is signed because that would bring more attention to the NHL, expand their fan base, and break yet another barrier for the league. I know if he had a roster spot I would buy his jersey. I am excited to see where he ends up because if Walker makes it into the league he will with no doubt make his name known.
Now we have come to the "Players of Today" segment! For the Junior player we have Kootenay Ice captain and center Sam Reinhart. For the European player we have HC Slovan Bratislava center/winger Marko Dano. For the NHL player we have Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen.
Sam is 5 ft 11 in, 165 lbs, and is from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 35 goals in 72 games played, 50 assists, 85 TPs, 22 PIMs, and a +/- of 8. Sam is the younger brother of Griffin Reinhart drafted by the Islanders and Max Reinhart drafted by the Flames. His father was Paul Reinhart who played 11 NHL seasons with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Canucks. Sam is a very big and aggressive skater who is very determined to make it into the show and follow in his family's footsteps but at the same time making his name known on his own standards. He has big form and a huge shot as well. Reinhart skates fast and his hands are just as quick. He has a knack for finding the back of the net and going top shelf. He is a great leader and can definitely put a team in its place. I think that when he gets drafted he should go to a team such as the New York Rangers or the Montreal Canadiens. One of the power house teams. He has quick hands and sharp eyes. Good luck Sam with the Ice and your future hockey career!
Jussi is 5 ft 11 in, 198 lbs, and is from Kalajoki, Finland. In the 2012-2013 season, Jussi had 13 goals in 43 games played, 9 assists, 22 TPs, a +/- of -5, 24 PIMs, 3 power play goals, 3 game winning goals, 74 shots on goals, and a S% of 17.6. He was drafted 192nd overall in the 6th round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft to Dallas. During a mid-season signing, Jokinen was traded up to Pittsburgh from the Hurricanes and he very much helped out the team. He was a major benefactor towards their success in the playoffs and he is a huge presence out with the team. Jokinen has a great team connection and amazing hands. His stickhandling skills are incredible and he has unbelievable on ice vision. I hope to see him out on the ice with the Pens this season because he is quite the asset to them. Good luck Jussi with Pittsburgh and your future NHL career!
Marko is 6 t 0 in, 214 lbs, and is from Eisenstadt, Austria yet plays for the Slovakian national team. In the 2012-2013 season, Dano has 3 goals in 37 games played, 4 assists, 7 TPs, 26 PIMs, and a +/- of 4. This kid right here is sick out on the ice. I mean he was drafted first round last year, plays in the KHL at 18 years old, and is making headlines world wide. Dano has great puck control and pairs that with great feet. He is fast and accurate along with banging bodies. I definitely think that when this beaut makes it to the show that he will rival some of the bigger players out there. He definitely brings a passion and enthusiasm to the game that is undeniable. Marko is a huge presence out on the ice and is a good leader for rooks. It will be exciting to see how he does with Bratislava because there are a lot of expectations to live up to from the many stars that have been involved with the league. Good luck Marko with the KHL 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 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! Before I go I want all of you guys out there to watch a sick video I found while cruising on the internet today. It is called "Juniors" by Elliott Martin. He is basically singing about the lifestyle of a junior hockey player. Pretty sweet and a lot of Sauce Hockey apparel featured in the video so make sure to check it out! Every body knows that junior hockey is the way to go!
Biscuits and Breezers
Next up is the NHL preseason just to stick with the groove. Yes NHL players and hopeful draft picks are battling out on the ice to show off their new talents. I have watched a couple of games including Pittsburgh, Washington, the Flyers, Bruins, and Canadiens. The teams aren't exactly pulling out of the tricks or the stops but there are some highlights such as the Flyers racking up fights and physical plays, the Penguins' d-man, Washington's snipers, Boston's determination, and Montreal's intensity. Currently the scores are as follows:
9/14
WASHINGTON-WINNIPEG:
4-3
EDMONTON-CALGARY:
3-2 and 6-5 OT SO
9/15
PITTSBURGH-COLUMBUS:
4-5 OT
TORONTO-PHILADELPHIA:
4-3
ST. LOUIS-DALLAS:
6-5 OT SO
BUFFALO-MONTREAL:
5-4 OT SO
OTTAWA-WINNIPEG:
3-1
PHOENIX-LOS ANGELES:
5-1 and 2-4
9/16
NASHVILLE-FLORIDA:
3-6 and 2-3 OT
BOSTON-MONTREAL:
6-3
NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY:
1-2
WASHINGTON-PHILADELPHIA:
4-3 OT SO
DETROIT-PITTSBURGH:
4-1
PHILADELPHIA-TORONTO:
3-2 OT SO
CALGARY-OTTAWA:
2-4
PHOENIX-ANAHEIM:
2-6
SAN JOSE-VANCOUVER:
3-2
9/17
BUFFALO-COLUMBUS:
3-1
NEW YORK-PHILADELPHIA:
3-2
BOSTON-WASHINGTON:
3-2 OT SO
DETROIT-CHICAGO:
0-2
COLUMBUS-MINNESOTA:
3-1
EDMONTON-WINNIPEG:
2-3
NEW YORK ISLANDERS-CALGARY:
3-5 and 4-2
LOS ANGELES-ANAHEIM:
6-0
Can't wait to see the rest of the games and finally some regular season match ups! 2013-2014 season here we come and the world is anxious and taking it by storm!Lastly we have the Australian player. If you haven't heard Nathan Walker is trying to be the first Australian player to make it into the show. He calls Sydney, Australia home and hockey isn't the most prevalent sport in a country dominated by soccer. Since Walker never took to soccer he decided to choose the hockey lifestyle. With this decision he packed his bags and headed up to the Czech Republic to learn the ropes and start his career. Even though he was never drafted he is currently participating in the Washington Capitals' training camp. He played his first preseason game on thee 14th of this month in Winnipeg and was thoroughly amazed. Nathan skated hard and aggressively and it paid off with the placement between Troy Brouwer and Chandler Stephenson. If he isn't signed by the start of this season he will star in his first USHL season with the Youngstown Phantoms also this is the last year of his NHL draft eligibility. I sincerely hope he is signed because that would bring more attention to the NHL, expand their fan base, and break yet another barrier for the league. I know if he had a roster spot I would buy his jersey. I am excited to see where he ends up because if Walker makes it into the league he will with no doubt make his name known.
Now we have come to the "Players of Today" segment! For the Junior player we have Kootenay Ice captain and center Sam Reinhart. For the European player we have HC Slovan Bratislava center/winger Marko Dano. For the NHL player we have Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen.
Sam is 5 ft 11 in, 165 lbs, and is from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 35 goals in 72 games played, 50 assists, 85 TPs, 22 PIMs, and a +/- of 8. Sam is the younger brother of Griffin Reinhart drafted by the Islanders and Max Reinhart drafted by the Flames. His father was Paul Reinhart who played 11 NHL seasons with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Canucks. Sam is a very big and aggressive skater who is very determined to make it into the show and follow in his family's footsteps but at the same time making his name known on his own standards. He has big form and a huge shot as well. Reinhart skates fast and his hands are just as quick. He has a knack for finding the back of the net and going top shelf. He is a great leader and can definitely put a team in its place. I think that when he gets drafted he should go to a team such as the New York Rangers or the Montreal Canadiens. One of the power house teams. He has quick hands and sharp eyes. Good luck Sam with the Ice and your future hockey career!
Jussi is 5 ft 11 in, 198 lbs, and is from Kalajoki, Finland. In the 2012-2013 season, Jussi had 13 goals in 43 games played, 9 assists, 22 TPs, a +/- of -5, 24 PIMs, 3 power play goals, 3 game winning goals, 74 shots on goals, and a S% of 17.6. He was drafted 192nd overall in the 6th round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft to Dallas. During a mid-season signing, Jokinen was traded up to Pittsburgh from the Hurricanes and he very much helped out the team. He was a major benefactor towards their success in the playoffs and he is a huge presence out with the team. Jokinen has a great team connection and amazing hands. His stickhandling skills are incredible and he has unbelievable on ice vision. I hope to see him out on the ice with the Pens this season because he is quite the asset to them. Good luck Jussi with Pittsburgh and your future NHL career!
Marko is 6 t 0 in, 214 lbs, and is from Eisenstadt, Austria yet plays for the Slovakian national team. In the 2012-2013 season, Dano has 3 goals in 37 games played, 4 assists, 7 TPs, 26 PIMs, and a +/- of 4. This kid right here is sick out on the ice. I mean he was drafted first round last year, plays in the KHL at 18 years old, and is making headlines world wide. Dano has great puck control and pairs that with great feet. He is fast and accurate along with banging bodies. I definitely think that when this beaut makes it to the show that he will rival some of the bigger players out there. He definitely brings a passion and enthusiasm to the game that is undeniable. Marko is a huge presence out on the ice and is a good leader for rooks. It will be exciting to see how he does with Bratislava because there are a lot of expectations to live up to from the many stars that have been involved with the league. Good luck Marko with the KHL 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 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! Before I go I want all of you guys out there to watch a sick video I found while cruising on the internet today. It is called "Juniors" by Elliott Martin. He is basically singing about the lifestyle of a junior hockey player. Pretty sweet and a lot of Sauce Hockey apparel featured in the video so make sure to check it out! Every body knows that junior hockey is the way to go!
"That's what juniors' for"
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