#115

Biscuits and Breezers

   Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! First off I just want to wish you all a Happy Halloween hockey fans! Getting back to our regular routine, there were many NHL Headlines this week, quite a few junior hockey updates, and as always, much more. Currently, this is the 198th post for Biscuits and Breezers and we are on our way to 40,000 views (4,800 left!). There will be a special post for the 200th blog of Biscuits and Breezers and I hope to have as many fans and players involved as possible! During the last celebration blogs, I've done player competitions, player reviews and interviews, fan appreciation, but for the 200th blog I think I will try to kick things up another notch. All of course will be a surprise until the post is published!

  Back to the NHL news, Marian Hossa has reached his 1000th point, John Moore has been suspended 5 games, Gordie Howe's stroke, the reoccurring injury report, John Scott's suspension, and the St. Louis Blues lose their main super stars Oshie and Backes to concussions. Starting off with St. Louis! It was confirmed on Thursday that both Blues captain David Backes and alternate captain TJ Oshie will be out indefinitely with concussions. Backes was hit by Stars defenseman Trevor Daley and his head connected with the ice and Oshie slid into a goal post the same game after a shove from Patrick Eaves where he hit the left side of his face. At this moment in time, St. Louis has also lost Paul Stastny and Joakim Lindstrom. The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Rangers defenseman John Moore for 5 games for an illegal hit on Minnesota Wild forward Erik Haula. Moore will also lose $51,859.75 in salary that will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Sabres forward John Scott has been suspended seven games without pay for an illegal check to Bruins forward Loui Eriksson's head. Scott forfeit $26,923.05 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, has suffered a major stroke earlier this week and is recovering in the care of his daughter in Texas. He has lost some function in the right side of his body and has difficulty speaking but all the reports coming in are stating this his condition is indeed improving. Get well soon Gordie Howe! As you can read above, Marian Hossa has recently reached his 1000th point! Congrats! To start off with injuries, Taylor Hall of Edmonton will be out 2-4 weeks with a sprained MCL and Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers will be out 3-4 weeks with a separated shoulder. There have been many injuries up to this date in time and, since I would want to keep everything up to date, here is a list of all the current injuries in the NHL: http://www.espn.go.com/nhl/injuries

Happy Movember!

(Credit to Google Images)

(Credit to Google Images)



Ekblad's 1st NHL Goal!!!



  As usual, here is where I will introduce some EIHL news! Andrew Lord has signed a two year extension with the Cardiff Devils, Ben O'Connor will remain with the Sheffield Steelers for the next three seasons, defenseman James Issacs has returned to the Dundee Stars, and Arizona Coyotes favorite Paul Bissonnette will not be signing with the Cardiff Devils as previously thought. He has found team contacts in the AHL while he is in a brief recess with the NHL.

While there were not very many headlines, here are the standings up to this point:

1. Belfast Giants - 19 points

2. Braehead Clan - 19 points

3. Nottingham Panthers - 18 points

4. Sheffield Steelers - 16 points

5. Coventry Blaze - 16 points

6. Fife Flyers - 14 points

7. Hull Stingrays - 11 points

8. Cardiff Devils - 11 points

9. Dundee Stars - 6 points

10. Edinburgh Capitals - 5 points

 It has been fairly quiet this season in junior hockey as far as headlines go but there have been a few. The Ontario Avalanche have traded forward Brett Fernandez to the Whitefish Wolverines for future considerations, Scott and Spencer McHaffie to the El Paso Rhinos for Czech forward Filip Masek and future considerations, Jesse Simone has been acquired from the Long Beach Bombers, and Coleton Dawson from the KIJHL. The Butte Cobras have recently added Bogdan Shleev from Ufa, Russia to their roster as well as Clinton Hildebrand from Langley, British Columbia and Nikita Polishchuk from St. Petersburg, Russia. Nashville Jr Predators forward Trent Kulczyk has been called up to the NAHL to play for the Rio Grande Killer Bees and Metro Jets forward Kevin Shand has been called up to the Springfield Jr Blues in the NAHL. Currently, the Casper Coyotes are leading the WSHL with 28 points so far this season, followed closely behind by Ogden, Fresno, and Southern Oregon who are all tied at 23. The Oklahoma City Blazers have the best win percentage at 1.000, the Fresno Monsters are 2nd with a .958, and the Idaho Jr Steelheads are in 3rd with .955. The Fresno Monsters have the most goals for with 99 and the WSHL's current PIM leader is Southern Oregon with 479 penalty minutes. The Granite City Lumberjacks and the Pittsburgh Vengeance are leading the NA3HL with 26 total points and are followed behind by the Great Falls Americans who are currently holding 24. Great Falls has the highest win percentage in the NA3 at 1.000, followed by the Nashville Jr Predators with .875, and Granite City who has a .867. North Iowa has the most goals for with 79 total so far and the Chicago Jr Bulldogs are the NA3HL PIM leader with 566 in 18 total games. 

NA3HL Plays of the Week October 20-26

   Now for the "Players of Today" segment! For the prospect pick we have HV71 forward Kevin Fiala. For the Junior pick we have IFK Tumba forward Carl Edstrom. For the European pick we have Everett Silvertips defenseman Noah Juulsen.

  Carl is 6 ft 0 in, 180 lbs, and is from Arsta, Sweden. In the 2013-2014 season, Edstrom had 20 goals in 46 games played, 14 assists, 34 TPs, 35 PIMs, 7 power play goals, 8 power play assists, and 1 short handed assist. I was able to watch Carl a few times last season and he is, with out a doubt, one of the most solid and strongest players I have seen in quite a while. Edstrom plays a huge game at both ends of the ice and is absolutely a beast of a player. His game is built on three components; speed, aggression, and loyalty. Nobody will stand in Carl's way, and if he is set on scoring a goal, it will happen. Edstrom is very loyal to his team and will do almost anything that will benefit it. There is nothing that will deter Carl from the goals that he has planned and he always brings out his best game in every shift. Weakness is not a word you would find in Edstrom's dictionary. He always puts in as much effort as he possibly can and is the type of player that a team can always depend on. No matter how much things start to break down or crumble under immense pressure, you can guarantee that Edstrom will be a pillar for he and his teammates that always remain standing. If one thing is certain, Carl has a very bright and prosperous future in the sport. Good luck Carl with IFK Tumba and your future hockey career!

(Photo credit to Rodney Rampy)

  Kevin is 5 ft 10 in, 187 lbs, and is from Sankt-Gallen, Switzerland. In the 2013-2014 season, Fiala had 10 goals in 27 games plated, 15 assists, 25 TPs, 40 PIMs, and a +/- of +10. In the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Kevin was drafted in the 1st round 11th overall to the Nashville Predators. Kevin Fiala is an absolutely amazing player with quick skates, great stick handling skills, and he always brings a huge game to the ice. He plays a very clean and respectable game, but he isn't afraid to hold his own. Fiala works every shift with speed and agility and can get in and out of tight spaces or corner wars for the puck very quickly. He has very silky mitts with the biscuit and is always in control of the puck's movement whether he has it or not. When Fiala leaves the bench, he knows exactly what must be done and he will execute it to a "T'. He has an out of this world slap shot and will always make sure he gets a shot on goal if he has an opportunity to do so. Kevin is definitely the player you send out on the ice when you are down by one with 30 seconds left in the third. If he does go on to play with the Predators, he will be a great asset to amp up their scoring department and will certainly even out the aggression and the talent in the Predators roster. Good luck Kevin with HV71 and your future hockey career!

(Credit to Google Images and jnytt.se)

  Noah is 6 ft 0 in, 165 lbs, and is from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2012-2013 season, Juulsen had 6 goals in 35 games played, 19 assists, 25 TPs, and 24 PIMs. Noah is a prospect for the 2015 NHL Entry draft, and at the moment, he is expected to go 75th overall to the Washington Capitals. Juulsen is a very strong homebody defenseman. He doesn't tend to stray from the blueline, but when he does, he is very skilled at keeping the puck between teammates and ensuring that the biscuit reaches it's destination in the back of his opponents net.  Juulsen is a very physical defenseman but he plays a very clean game. Along with working the boards very proficiently, he is one of the most offensively thinking blue liners. He knows what must happen to get points on the board and he will do whatever he can in the defensive zone to make that possible. Juulsen will be a great professional player as he continues and grows in the game because he has a great grasp on the necessary basics of the game and Noah is already branching out to the very advanced concepts of the sport. Juulsen has a very prosperous future in the sport and is on the fast track for a very successful career. Good luck Noah with the Silvertips and your future hockey career!

(Credit to yalesportacademy.com)

  Thanks for reading another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! Every blog will 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!

2 Blogs Left Until 200!!!