#117

 

 

 

 

 

Biscuits and Breezers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Welcome back to another blog for Biscuits and Breezers! This is the first regular blog of 2015 and quite the packed article it will be! Starting off as usual, we will begin with a brief injury report. On Wednesday of last week, the Florida Panthers' Kris Versteeg underwent hip surgery to repair a cyst problem that caused very limited movement in his left hip. The expected time of recovery is unannounced at the moment. Out for an expected four months, the Tampa Bay Lightning's Radko Gudas has recently undergone arthroscopic knee surgery. Claude Giroux has had quite the lucky break lately as he is able to return to the ice without having sustained a particularly nasty leg injury. After having been checked by the Hurricanes' Justin Faulk, Faulk's skate inadvertently whipped backwards and caught Giroux in the left leg. Claude barely made it back to the bench, but it was observed by Flyers staff that he was bleeding through his equipment. After being treated for a not-too-serious cut the ankle, Giroux has improved and is back on the ice with his team. As for the injured reserve, here are the recent additions: Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks) with upper-body injury, Taylor Beck (Nashville Predators) illness, Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs) lower-body injury, Nazem Kadri (Toronto Maple Leafs) lower-body injury, and Peter Holland (Toronto Maple Leafs) upper-body injury. In another topic of news, thoughts and prayers are with the Parise family as Zach Parise's father, J.P. Parise, has passed away after battling stage four lung cancer. Once again thoughts and prayers are with the Parise family. Due to too many inconsistencies in the team, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the decision to fire Coach Randy Carlyle. On January 7th, Peter Horachek was named interim head coach. To end the news for this week, Vincent Trochek and Gustav Nyquist have been fined $2,000 each for adding embellishment to diving. These players are not the first to be fined for the NHL's new diving-embellishment rule that was introduced before the start of this season. The most recent player fined under NHL Rule 64 was James Neal.

              There was plenty of media showing up in the hockey world and here are some of

                                                     the amazing productions of this week!:

 

 

Amazing video about NHL player participating in a game of

sled hockey with the Cruisers Sledge team. Absolutely shows the beauty

and the passion of the sport as well as the big heart the hockey community contains.

MUST WATCH!

 

 

Absolutely outstanding clips of Denmark youth player Mathias Emilio Pettersen!

 

 

Controversial move pulled in the EIHL

 

 

Birthday Prank on Canucks goaltender Eddie Lack!

 

 

Very gracious move by the Canadian World Junior team after eliminating Team Denmark

in this year's World Juniors

 

 

(Photo Credit to TSN)

Julius Hudacek celebrating a win in a way, in my opinion,

how all wins should be celebrated!

 

 





 



Well, the 2015 IIHF World Juniors have concluded and as the dust settled, there was one champion left standing. Team Canada, this year's host country, walked away with the Gold medal after 5 years of drought. Team Russia would go home with the Silver and Team Slovakia walked away with the Bronze medal. I want to wish all the teams that competed in this year's tournament a congratulations due to stunning performances all around the board. This year's draft will definitely see some amazing names up for grabs and this next draft class is shaping up to be one of the best ones yet! I started to post the annual recaps for the World Junior Championship, but this year, you can read the remainder of the articles not posted here on my juniorhockey.com page (the medal round games will reviewed within the next few days)! Next year's tournament will in no doubt be one of the most impressive yet!



(Photo credit to hockeycanada.org)

  Now for the "Players of Today" segment! For the junior pick we have Dells Ducks forward Brady Hefner. For the NHL pick we have Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty. For the European pick we have Lugano U19 defenseman Colin Fontana.

  Brady is 5 ft 10 in, 175 lbs, and is from Billings, Montana, USA. In the 2013-2014 season, he had 17 goals in 45 games played, 23 assists, 40 TPs, 7 power play goals, 3 game winning goals, and 37 penalty minutes. This year, Brady is serving as the Duck's assistant captain and it is no wonder due to his absolutely phenomenal performances during games night after night. Brady brings to the ice a perfect mixture of respect an aggression that right off the bat sets him in the group of top players. Brady plays a very clean yet physical game that is an excellent example of how to execute ice time. Hefner is a fantastic team player and is constantly making sure his team has everything to be successful. If his team needs to have more control over the puck or they need to see a few more genos before the end of the period, he will work extremely hard until every brick is in it's place. Hefner never rests until his team is past the finish line and he gives the logo on his chest every ounce of effort and determination he has. Brady never seems to run out of ambition and will carry on full steam ahead no matter what the game throws his way. Brady is the type of player that if his nose is broken or is busted up from a tough period, he will come back temporarily mended asking when his next shift will be. Hefner brings great values to the ice and is never afraid to step out of the box. Brady is the skater that youth skaters strive to be and fans absolutely admire season after season. He has nothing but a bright future with a sport and will continue to amaze hockey fans no matter what rink he plays in. Best of luck Brady with the Ducks and your future hockey career! (A Spotlight Player review is planned for Brady as well as his brother Bradley so that is something to keep in mind!)


(Photo Credit to Randy Ritari)

  Max is 6 ft 2 in, 214 lbs, and is from New Canaan, Connecticut, USA. He was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft to the Montreal Canadiens. In the 2013-2014 season, he had 39 goals in 73 games played, 21 assists, 60 TPs, a +/- of 8, and 35 PIMs. Pacioretty has become a name synonymous with Montreal and for good reason. Max has done a ton for the city and has been one of the key factors in keeping the team moving in the right direction. Pacioretty is close to the exact definition of a power forward and has a great head on his shoulders while he is on the ice. Max can absolutely tear around rinks with the rockets that are strapped to his feet and is absolutely phenomenal with the puck. He has become one of the Canadiens' top players and is a phenomenal player for Montreal to rely on in both good times or bad. Pacioretty is incredibly smart and can execute any play near perfection. He is an incredibly stable player that is there to play big with his fellow veterans and gives a supporting hand to the rookies. Max is a great player to have on any NHL roster because he can pull his team out of the red and put them on a path trending towards a top ten league placement. Pacioretty has amazing puck handling skills, which can be seen in almost any game he is playing in. Max continues to add strength, talent, and intelligence to the Canadiens' style which keeps them stable and on an unwavering pace season after season. He will no doubt be one the NHL's pack leaders within the next five or so seasons. Best of luck Max with the Canadiens and your future hockey career!



(Photo Credit to sportinglife.com)

 Colin is 6 ft 7 in, 195 lbs, and is from Switzerland (couldn't find a specific hometown unfortunately). Fontana is a highly sought after European prospect for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to be picked within the first four rounds of the draft. In the 2013-2014 season, he had zero goals in 29 games played, 5 assists, 5 TPs, and 18 PIMs. Every player has their own designated role on their team, and for Fontana, he oversees the ice looking for any potential problem. He brings a very large frame to the ice and isn't afraid to embrace it. Colin is the type of skater who fills in the holes of plays and is there to do whatever is needed by his team. If he needs to work the boards, he'll do it. If he needs to challenge a few opponents in order to take attention off the puck, he'll do it. Fontana oversees the plays while he is on the ice and repairs the damage done. He is a very smart player and can very easily perform one task after another. Fontana is a very good at completing his team's requirements with ease and finesse. If he is picked up by an NHL team this summer, his role on the ice would, I assume, be very comparable to that of Patric Hornqvist's. Protect the team's main goal scorers, take on the necessary targets, and aid his team all the way to the net. Fontana is certainly a great type of player to have on the ice due to his ability to put the bricks back in order and keep the gears of the bench running smoothly. Best of luck Colin with Lugano, your future hockey career, and the NHL Draft!

Photo Credit to heshootshescores.com via Google Images

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!