Meet the Blaze
(submitted by K. Armstrong)
After trying through free agency and the not so smart trading of good draft picks to put together a squad that would reach the post season, and met with bitter unsuccessfulness, I have begun to rebuild the team from the ground up. We have let our top players such as Rucchin, Mogilny and Laukkanen go while obtaining high draft picks and dropping salary. This meant saying goodbye to guys like Deadmarsh sooner than we would like, but it is the direction we have decided to take. It is exciting however because now we have 9 picks in the first three rounds of next years draft, including three firsts.
Forwards - Mikko Koivu is obviously the pride of the system right now. Im hoping to keep guys like Young and Holzinger around to complement some talent we will hopefully develop. This will be an area we concentrate on in the draft this year.We feel we have a few solid prospects in the system already, and have high hopes for the likes of Sjostrom. Again this is an area we are really looking to work on in the draft this year, and at this time we are looking to move Donald Audette.
Defence - We believe we have alot of talent in the likes of Tyutin, Linhart and Bell. Carney and Therien will obviously be the anchors as this core matures. We are also hoping for Martin Grenier to become a solid DWSHLer. We proabably will not add alot in this area at the draft, and arent looking to move anyone.
Goal - Hopefully when the NHL resumes Boucher will continue his development. We feel we have a solid prospect for the future in Cory Schnieder, and Naumenko is an above average minor leaguer. Trevor Kidd is currently available to the highest bidder.
Me - I am currently working alot in my new job as Shop Supervisor at QC Powder Coating. This means usually working in the neighbourhood of 60 hours a week. However I do come on the site daily, and check the Blazes' inbox daily. I don't get on icq much just due to time, but please leave me the emails, my computer died at the start of September but I am back to checking it daily. I have as much interest as ever in the league, although day to day activity probably looks low becasue I know I have no chance during this regular season, Im gearing up for the off season when I'll need to be at my smartest. I've made probably more mistakes than any GM in the league, but I've learned from them all. Anyways im sure I'll be in touch with you all in the near future, and if the NHL ever resumes, (this is for you Harvie) go Canucks go! Especially #44.
Ziggy Palfy’s on the shelf for 1-2 weeks, but if you’re only barely in the playoffs, you can’t go without your stud scorer for too long.
The Wolves’ great start hit a skid when Jason Arnott and Jason Marshall both received facial lacerations (apparently more severe than nicks from shaving).
The Icebats lost their 1st-2nd line center Jan Hlavac for the foreseeable future. While MacLean and Kaigorodov have been better than expected, they aren’t top 6 guys.
Perhaps the most significant injury, the Brahmas, riding the playoff cutoff line, lost their starting goaltender and backbone Roman Turek for 2-4 weeks. GM Hockin has already declared his season over.
The Rattlers finally got themselves under the payroll, and Saku Koivu is now under plaster as he’s got a broken arm and is shelved for half a month or so. It’s big blow, but the Toronto club is stacked to weather the storm.
Curtis Leschyshyn is out for over a month, but the Blizzard is already out of contention, so who’s sweating?
The Nighthawks have to go without Marty Rucinsky and Brett McLean for 2-4 weeks, and while the Nighthawks are fighting for the last spot in the JD, neither guy is a cog in the Helsinki machine.
Niklas Kronwall is out for a good while in Washington, but since not many folks realize there’s a Washington franchise, and since not many people realize there’s a Niklas Kronwall, there’s not much to worry about there.
Indefinitely
(submitted by B. Ommen)
Running down the DWSHL injury report there are several big names that ought to impact playoff races, just not for the better.
THE BANDITS BREAKDOWN
(submitted by E. Lakatos)
The DWSHL hockey season is into the 30+ game mark for each team. The Boston Bandits are thus far a big surprise at this point of the season. Here is how they have fared in each 10 game segment with some commentary from their coach, Joel Quenneville.
Games 1-10
Bandits 2 Cannons 4
Bandits 3 Rattlers 2
Bandits 3 Crunch 7
Bandits 2 Justice 3
Bandits 1 Blizzard 2
Bandits 1 Rams 5
Bandits 5 Vipers 6
Bandits 5 Sabercats 2
Bandits 4 Hornets 1
Rattlers 4 Bandits 3
Quennevillle..."We started the season on the road, 8 games in a row then we had 2 at home. These 1st 10 games were important to our team chemistry. Although we ended up 3-7(6 points), we learned alot about our team."
Player G A Pts PPG
Parrish 2 7 9 0
Larsen 3 3 6 1
Cisar 2 4 6 0
White 4 1 5 2
Boguniecki 2 3 5 1
Nichol 2 3 5 0
McCarty 2 3 5 0
Bordeleau 2 3 5 0
Estrada 1 4 5 0
Games 11-20
Army Ants 6 Bandits 1
Rams 2 Bandits 3
Storm 6 Bandits 3
Spartans 7 Bandits 2
Bandits 1 Spartans 6
Prowlers 7 Bandits 4
Sabercats 4 Bandits 4
Justice 2 Bandits 3
Kings 3 Bandits 3
Bandits 2 Phantoms 5
Quenneville"This time,the 10 games was 2 away and 8 at home. We ended up 2-6-2(6 points). We had the same amount of points but other players have begun to take turns at being in the scoring.Our top 2 lines of Parrish,Estrada,Boguniecki and Larsen,Nichol,Cisar have begun to play well together."
Player G A Pts PPG
Nichol 3 6 9 0
Larsen 5 2 7 0
Parrish 4 3 7 1
Cisar 1 6 7 1
Boguniecki 1 6 7 0
Estrada 1 5 6 1
Lynch 4 1 5 0
Horacek 2 3 5 0
White 2 2 4 1
GAMES 21-30
Bandits 3 Racers 4
Phantoms 4 Bandits 3
Bandits 0 Kings 1
Brahmas 2 Bandits 4
Bandits 2 Icebats 2
Wolves 5 Bandits 4
Riptide 1 Bandits 5
Crunch 4 Bandits 5
Bison 3 Bandits 4
Nighthawks 5 Bandits 7
Quenneville"Our 3rd 10 game set was very good.We actually went over .500 at 5-4-1 and we were 4-1 at home in the last 5 games.We ended up with 11 points and now sit in 12th place, 7 points out of the last playoff spot.The opposing teams seem to be putting their best checkers against out top line which has opended the door for the 2nd line of Cisar,Nichol and Larsen."
Player G A Pts PPG
Cisar 6 3 9 1
Nichol 2 7 9 0
Larsen 4 4 8 1
White 3 5 8 0
Parrish 4 3 7 0
Andreychuk 4 3 7 0
Eade 1 6 7 0
Horacek 0 7 7 0
next Bandits Breakdown at the 50 game mark.
Welcome to the first edition of the Digest for the 2006 season. We've got a couple of team rundowns on the Bandits and the Blaze and Ommen's thoughts on the recent rash of injuries to big-time players across the league.
Vol VI, Ed. 1
10/15/04
