Olympic Hockey Blog
This might be the hardest player profile for me to write. Yes, Bryz is a Coyote and has the potential to be a great goalie. But alas, I am just not a Bryz fan. Earlier this season I wrote this post on why I wasn't jumping on the Bryz bandwagon (I won't go into that here, you can click and read for yourself). Of course I am happy when Bryz plays well but I am always wondering, when will he fall apart?
Ah, but he dresses impeccable!
And I may have a right to be leery. After being named NHL's first star for the month of December, he has been pulled from two games in January. Does this surprise me? No. Is it all Bryz's fault? No but as the goalie he needs to keep his head in the game. He needs to keep thinking, "I am a big strong horse" and not let the goals get to him.
Ok, after the jump, it will all be happy, positive stuff!
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Jeff McIntosh - AP
Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Newton never met Douglas Murray.
When a man hits Douglas Murray, Murray remains unmoved. The force of his colliding with this massive wall of humanity sends him sprawling across half the ice, to land dazed and confused somewhere between here and next Tuesday. You do not hit Douglas Murray, Douglas Murray hits you.
Rumor has it he's made of brick or adamantium. Others say he's really Hercules, making a living by hiding his gifts of strength in plain sight. It's entirely possible that Douglas Murray is the real man of steel. His only weakness appears to be long waits for beer, which is why he invented the Uber Tap. He'll never have to endure another long, agonizing wait for a beer again. Well, ok, that and hot blondes.
no commentsZbynek Michalek might just be one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL. Thankfully Czech hockey has seen what the Phoenix fans see in a daily basis and named him to their Olympic roster.
I stole this picture from Z's biggest fan. Thanks Mo! So this is Z being manly handsome.
Fans in Phoenix may just riot if Z is not resigned before he becomes UFA. He is a valuable member of the Coyotes, and not just because he is "manly handsome".
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Name: Antero Pertti Elias Niittymäki
Birth Date: June 18, 1980
Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Nickname: Niitty, Frank
This 29 year old goalie started out playing in Finland with the TPS Turku in the Finnish Elite League (SM-liiga) before being drafted 168th overall, in the 6th round by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. In 2000 he won rookie of the year in the Finnish Elite league, winning the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy. He played 4 seasons in Finland before going and playing for the Flyers' AHL affiliate the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2002-2003.
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If you went to high school in the U.S., you have no doubt read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other than Randall Patrick McMurphy, the most compelling character in the book is Big Chief Bromden, a huge, enormously strong, yet mostly silent and extremely gentle giant.
I submit to you: Erik Johnson is Big Chief. Johnson, 21, is listed at 6'4" and 236 pounds--a hulking defenseman. However, he's not known as a big hitter, or even a physical player. In his 116 NHL games, he has accumulated a puny 81 PIM, with many of those coming on inadvertent delays of game. When there's trouble in front of the net, EJ can often be found over in the corner, sweeping the ice and minding his own business, lest he draw the unwanted attention of The Combine.
Who will be crazy enough to get him to wake up?
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Name: Andrej Meszároš
Birth Date: October 15, 1985
Birthplace: Povazska Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Nickname: The Butcher, Mezzy, Mesz
This 24 year old defenceman started out playing in Slovakia for Dukla Trencin before being drafted 23rd overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played one year in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants and recorded 41 points in 59 games making him fifth in WHL rookie scoring.
The next year Mesz made the jump to the NHL with the Senators and played with Zdeno Chara on Ottawa's blueline, finishing the season with 10 goals and 39 points. But during the summer of 2008 while an RFA, Meszaros and the Senators couldn't come to deal so he was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning signed him to a 6 year $24 million contract.
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no commentsSami Lepisto will be guarding the blue line for Team Finland this February. But just who is Sami Lepisto and what dance moves has he been up to lately?
Photo: my own
My first memory of Sami Lepisto is from camp. I look over to the corner and there is Sami doing his best Shakira impression. I have been hooked on this Fin ever since.
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Name: Sami Salo
Birth Date: September 2, 1974
Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Nickname: Glass Salo
This 35 year old defenceman was born in Turku, Finland. He was drafted in the 1996 draft in last place by the Ottawa Senators. He played two more years in Finland, with his last year for Jokerit, before leaving to play for the Senators. In his second season in the NHL, he was injured for 45 games with a combination of the flu, shoulder, foot and knee injuries.
no commentsSign: Leo
Birth year: 1975
Home Town: Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan (also a Russian citizen.)
Nickname: Nabby
Drafted: 1994, 9th round
"Hey, uh, Joe? Trying to make a save here..."
(April 29, 2008- Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America)
The Goalie formerly known as "John."
Much like the Klingon Empire treatment of their amazing facial transformations, he doesn't like to talk about that period of his life.
He hates stupid after game questions, has been known to call out team members who he feels are underperforming (hai Pickles!), and until recently, he avoided the press like the plague. He is a ping pong master. He sports a gold chain at all times, as far as I can tell. This is to remind you that he is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that he can wear jewlery during the game and still look cool. His name is mentioned in a Sting song.
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