#92

Biscuits and Breezers

       Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! Well, the IIHF WJC are over for 2014 and it is back to the daily grind as usual (until the Olympics start on February 7th that is) and we are finally back to our regular blog scheme! I have been a bit under the weather lately but now I am feeling back up to normal and am 100% back! I have a lot of news for you all today and that would include the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic rosters, the multiple NHL injury updates, and the Gleason/Liles trade between Toronto and the Hurricanes. Well, let's get started shall we?  The Columbus Blue Jackets' Blake Comeau has been placed on injured reserve due to a sprained ankle sustained in practice and he is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Dennis Seidenberg, defenseman for the Boston Bruins, will be sidelined and underwent surgery to repair his torn MCL and ACL in his right knee. His rehab is expected to take 6-8 months. Lastly we have the injury riddled Minnesota Wild. The team's captain, Mikko Koivu, has recently had ankle surgery after receiving a broken ankle in the game against the Washington Capitals and is expected to miss a month. Their star goaltender Josh Harding is out on injured reserve after being afflicted from a "mysterious" illness. Along with these two major injuries, Zach Paries and Jared Spurgeon have already been placed on IR with foot injuries. Good luck to all of you and get well soon!

    Now for an update on Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne. This will be short and brief but after a hip infection that required surgery after only 9 games into the season, Pekka Rinne has been cleared to start weight bearing exercises under a doctor's supervision. This is the first step on a long road of rehabilitation but he will get there soon enough! Get well soon Pekka!

(Credit to Google Images-fangfaction.com)

    Next we have a trade announcement as well. Announced during the Winter Classic, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent John-Michael Liles and the rights to prospect Dennis Robertson to the Carolina Hurricanes in return for veteran Tim Gleason. Also the Leafs have signed captain Dion Phaneuf to a seven year extension.

    Last but not least we have the announcement of the final Men's Olympic hockey rosters! Seeing that the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are only about a month away, all of the nations participating in the Men's Olympic Hockey categories have finally released their final rosters after intense try outs and training camps. There are 12 countries participating in these rounds and they are as follows: Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. You can view all the complete rosters here: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/sochi-2014-winter-olympic-mens-hockey-rosters/! It will definitely be interesting to see how each team levels up to their competitions considering the depth of all of their teams, injuries, performances in the past, and so on. Will Canada reclaim and defend the gold medal status or will one of the dark horses sweep it from underneath their feet? Will Crosby captain Canada? Will the host country pull it all in for a podium win? We will just have to wait and see! I am very excited to watch how things play out remembering how the 2010 Vancouver Olympics rolled along. Olympics here we come! Congratulations to all the players that were named to their home nations and hopefully you can make them very proud!

(Credit to Google Images-attitude.co.uk)

   It's now time for the "Players of Today" segment of the blog! For the Prospect pick we have USHL Green Bay Gamblers center Nick Schmaltz. For the Goalie pick we have New York Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot. For the European pick we have WSHL Arizona Red Hawks forward Oscar Hagborg Olsson.

   Nick is 6 ft 0 in, 172 lbs, and is from Verona, Wisconsin, USA. He is a potential draft pick for the up and coming 2014 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to go 24th overall in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 18 goals in 64 games played, 34 assists, 52 TPs, 15 PIMs, and a +/- of 2. His brother is Jordan Schmaltz who was the 25th overall pick to the St. Louis Blues in the 2012 NHL draft and Nick is signed on to go to the University of North Dakota for the 2014-2015 season. He has great on ice vision, quick skates, and a very high hockey IQ. Nick is very skilled at both ends of the ice and has silky hands that allow him to get the puck out of any situation. Even at 6 feet tall, Schmaltz can slip in and out of plays to retrieve the biscuit and is very effective at carrying out risky plays. Hopefully we will see him picked early on at the draft in Philly. Good luck Nick with the Gamblers and your future hockey career!

(Credit to Google Images-lastwordonsports.com)

  Cam is 6 ft 3 in, 205 lbs, and is from Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. He was signed by the Rangers undrafted as a free agent on March 30th, 2010. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 25 wins in 55 games played, 28 losses, 1 tie, 2 shut outs, 136 goals against, 1,668 shots against, .918 S%, 2.63 goals against average, and 3105 minutes played with the Connecticut Whale in the AHL. Cam is a very good goaltender with a heightened sense of knowledge about what is going on outside the crease, he has fantastic glove saves, and is very impressive about watching the puck's movement out on the rest of the ice. I think he is a good addition to the Rangers considering he is a back up to Henrik Lundqvist which gives their goaltending department more depth than usual. Good luck Cam with the Rangers and your future NHL career!

(Credit to Google Images-rantsports.com)

   Oscar is 6 ft 4 in, 210 lbs, and is from Vanersborg, Sweden. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 20 goals in 45 games played, 17 assists, 37 TPs, and 12 PIMs. Oscar is a very strong forward who is great at rushing the puck and at the same time keeping it in his possession. He has quick skates that allow him to whip around the ice with ease and is a definite leader on the roster. I like to watch Oscar play because no matter what game it is or who the opponent is, he always seems to surprise me with what he is capable of achieving. When things get hairy or intense, Olsson is never afraid to show his physical/aggressive side no matter if it is fighting for the puck or standing up for a team mate. He also is not afraid to work the boards and the pockets once in a while to pick off or stall opposing players. In my opinion, Oscar is an all around great forward with the skills and aggression of a great defenseman. He is the complete package for a college hockey player and I hope that we see him continue on the path to college hockey. Good luck Oscar with the Red Hawks and your future hockey career! 

(Credit to Sofie Alexandra Kitterod)

   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!