Juniors Update

Biscuits and Breezers

    As the regular season is coming to an end, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on some of your favorite junior teams. I, personally, have had a great year with all the junior teams and getting to know a lot of the guys was absolutely phenomenal. There are many new teams that I have made connections with and I am very happy that I did. The playoffs are just around the corner, some teams have made it and some haven't, and it is time to discuss a couple of teams who I feel have stood out for various different reasons! Hope you enjoy!

Dells Ducks: MnJHL

  The Ducks have been playing fantastically this season and are really showing every one that the MnJHL is one of the leagues to watch out for in the next few years. This team is built on players who are very skilled in speed, team chemistry, a fantastic physical game, and players with silky mitts who don't have a problem racking up points. Recently, the Ducks have clinched the Minnesota Division title and are sprinting into the playoffs looking very strong. It has been great to watch them conquer all of their obstacles this season and watch them grow and expand their team. Speaking of strong pairs, the Hefner brothers are absolutely amazing on the ice. They work extremely well together and individually also. They make a strong base for the boys to rely on and produce some extremely powerful plays. Another player you might want to take note of would be  Joey Bower. This beauty is quick around the rink and is great handling the biscuits. He certainly is a major component for the Ducks' success and will go through any situation with a fighting spirit. A few more gems you should take a look at would be Jimmy Buckingham, Yari Neitenbach, and Layne Martin! Hopefully we will see them just tear apart the playoffs, good luck boys! Definitely make sure to give this team one heck of a luck as they continue to be on of the top ranked teams in Wisconsin and in the Minnesota Junior Hockey Leagues. There are some large surprises to come in the bright future of this team! Here is their website: http://www.dellsduckshockey.com/

Ogden Mustangs: WSHL

 What a team. Where to even begin? The Mustangs are an absolute power house and every time they play you know it is going to be an amazing game. During a series against the Tulsa Jr. Oilers this year, they beat them with scores of 16-2 and 18-2. In my personal experience these are the highest scoring games I have ever seen in a junior hockey league. They have an unmatched style of play in this league which is quick, extremely aggressive, and constant attacks on the opposing net. This is a team full of snipers, aggressors, and leaders. I love to watch them play because every time they do, you know something out of this world is going to happen. The first key point I would like to address would be their goaltending unit. Fallica, Quinn, and Webb are three separately solid goalies and when you have a force like that between the pipes you know your season is going to go phenomenally. Tyler Fallica, the main goaltender, is an absolute machine in the net and he is almost always on top of his game. This guy takes goaltending to the extreme and is never afraid to be the best. At times it seems like you won't be able to stop him! Another player on this team you should look at would be Simon Teodorsson. This kid is on fire. He has speed, he has skill, and he has aggression. If you meet him on the ice, you might as well give the puck to him because he will just take it from you anyway. He isn't afraid to get dirty when he is on the ice and that is one of the reasons why he stands out from the rest. He constantly pushes to be the best out there and so far he is accomplishing that to a "T." Other players that are absolutely rocking it out there would be David Clements, Martin Hallin, Jimmy Peplinski, George Babos, Tommy Pokorney, and Schyler Seyfert among others! Good luck in the playoffs boys!! Here is their website: http://ogdenmustangs.com/

Helena Bighorns: AWHL

   This is probably one of the best junior teams I have ever been in contact with. When you look up the word gem in the hockey dictionary, there is a picture of this team as the definition. These boys work so hard and so long to be the best in their games that their games are always intense, riveting, and have you on the edge of your seat. The score of their games are predominantly in the double digits and are packed with bone-crushing hits. One of the main things I love about this particular team is their team chemistry. It seems that all of these boys are incredibly close both on and off the ice They work for and with each other to climb mountains and tackle almost impossible obstacles to progress. All of the boys on the roster are skilled beyond belief, in my opinion. They all seem to have a heightened sense of hockey and are always willing to push the boundaries further to become better and better. Going into the playoffs this year, their regular season record is 43-1-1. For this year one of the guys I think has stood out the most would definitely be Sebastian Hansson. I have written about him before but I think I need to again because honestly this kid is unbelievable with a capital "U." 78 points recorded in only 42 games says a lot about what kind of player he is. He never ceases to amaze me at what he can accomplish and is without a doubt NHL material. Seriously. The other player I have in mind is Dylan Webster. Wow what a player. With 72 points in 42 games, you can see again that this gem is bound for professional hockey. He can almost always score the goals and isn't afraid to work the corners for the biscuit. He is physical, focused, and driven to be the best! Some other players to watch out for coming out of this team would be Corbin Belling, Parker Olson, Logan Henne, Matt Mohar, Theo Campe, John Petersson, and Nick Okada among the rest of this amazing team. Steal the show in the playoffs ya beautys! Their website is: http://helenabighorns.pointstreaksites.com/view/helenabighorns#.UxVhTfldWPM

Idaho Jr. Steelheads: WSHL

  This is another one of the power houses from the WSHL and there is no doubt at why they are the leaders of the entire league. The boys from the Junior Steelheads are looking for one thing and one thing only; success. All of the players included on the roster are extremely talented at both ends of the ice and are hungry for a win. I love watching this team play because they exude confidence during games and they are gritty players. They will go through anything to go home with the 2 points and if for some reason they can't, they won't leave without a good fight. Any opponents of the Steelheads will work 10 times harder than they would normally have to because this is a puck domination team. Every time I watch these boys play I am reminded of what a strong, confident, and determined team looks like. They are at the top of their game almost every night and always give the crowd a show whether it's spectacular goals or a fantastic fight that will certainly get the fans going. They are a team you want to hide the biscuit from because when they have control of it, their number on the scoreboard will start to sky rocket. I am amazed by all of the guys on this team but there are obviously two I want to talk about. The first one is Jesper Jensen. Wow can this beaut play. This guy is incredibly fast around the ice and can go into the a pile up, come out with the puck, go on a breakaway, and get it past the opposing goaltender without any one realizing it. He is physically aggressive and will work the boards in order to make plays happen. The other player is Dak Dice. Dak is an incredibly talented player who has all the skills to gain more and more points throughout the season but also is a strong leader. He helps out his team mates whenever he can and makes sure the team stays afloat. He will throw some chirps around and represent the Junior Steelheads logo proudly. Jano Blasko, Victor Carlsson, Macky Power, Oskar Af Bjur, Drew Decker, and Sean Healy are other players that I believe represent Idaho very well. They are going to storm into the playoffs and that means more time for excellent hockey! Good luck! You can check them out at: http://www.idahojuniorsteelheads.com/leagues/front_pageSteelheads.cfm?clientID=4849&leagueID=17107

Edina Lakers: MnJHL

   I thought I would end this part one on a high note and the first team that came to my mind would be the Edina Lakers. This is a great program with fantastic values and a team bond that is absolutely unbelievable. Set outside the Twin Cities, the Lakers have a lot of competition for a fan base considering they are in the vicinity of Minnetonka, Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, and Bloomington which are all major hockey towns, this junior team is paving their own path in a very competitive hockey market and are looking at future seasons with loads of possibilities. One of the main reasons for this is because of their captain Jessee Game. Jessee is an out of this world leader who keeps his team strong throughout the rough patches and supports them on the hot streaks. Game is not only a great captain, he is a phenomenal player. He has incredibly silky mitts, quick skates, a high hockey IQ, and a knack for finding the back of the net. Honestly, I think that Jessee is one of the keys to success the Lakers have. He has a great future in hockey and definitely stands out from the pack. Another great player on this team would be Dylan Vanbrocklin. I am very enthused with Vanbrocklin's game because it fast paced and very physical. He is great at both ends on the ice and is skilled both offensively and defensively. Both of these players certainly help out a growing team which is necessary because every program, no matter how talented, needs building blocks. These boys have found themselves a place into the playoffs and I am very excited to see how they do. As I said before, this team has a fantastic team bond and they are on a quick pace to becoming one of the most prominent teams in southern Minnesota. Some very important players for Edina are Dallas Marvin, Austin Duffy, Greg Shelonzek, and Michael Pederson, Matiss Kivlenieks, and Sam Nelson. Best of luck going into the playoffs boys! Their website is: http://www.lakershockey.com/

   Part 2 will be out soon! 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!

Pictures credit to Google Images and (in order):

mnjhl.com

themortreport.blogs.deseretnews.com

helenabighorns.pointstreaksites.com

idahojuniorsteelheads.com

mnjhl.com