Jordan Eberle: SK Jr Player Number Uno (in a three part series)

Our Father, who art in Ottawa, Hockey be thy name. Thy kingdom come, gold medals won, on Earth as we beat Czechs by seven. Give us this day a jersey in red, white and black while we make crisp passes. And forgive those who play against us, for it's likely we'll beat the hell outta them. Amen.

Now I know pre-game prayers are more of a football thing, but perhaps Pat Quinn sits the boys down for a bit of spiritual time before each game. Although hockey isn't known as an angel's game, take one look at the face of Jordan Eberle and try not to be reminded of a twelve year old choir boy at the annual Christmas service.

Jordan Eberle was born and raised in Regina, SK and plays his junior hockey with the Regina Pats of the WHL. He left his team as their leading scorer, with 42 points in 33 games, good enough for 14th in the league. Right now though, he is in Ottawa playing on Canada's top line, tied for fourth in the tournament with one goal and four assists in two games. I'm not a doctor, but that seems like a pretty good clip to be scoring at. What makes him special to us, however, is how cool it is to watch him dangle around opponents with his impressive stick handling, and taking apart defences with precise passing. Here's video of a nice sweet-pass-follow-puck-to-net-and-score sequence from the ridiculous game against Kazahkstan:



Eberle has looked great playing with Cody Hodgson and Zach Boychuck on the first line, as well as on the power play with Tavares. It's so cool to see a home-town kid doing so well, being so successful.

Check in later for bios on the two other SK born players on team Canada: goaltender Dustin Tokarski (Watson) and defenseman Keith Aulie (Rouleau). They start in one minute. Enjoy the game!

Tavares Leads Canada to 8-1 stomp over the Czechs

Team Canada and the Czech Republic met for the opening tilt of the World Junior Championship for a boxing day prime time match. Already pegged to win their 5th consecutive gold medal under the coaching of Pat Quinn, the Canadian squad silenced any critics with an 8-1 victory over their opponents, with 2 goals from Jon Tavares, as well as goals from Tyler Ennis, Ryan Ellis, Zach Boychuk, Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Didomenico, and Angelo Esposito. The win extends Canada's streak over the Czech Republic, in which the Czechs have never beat Canada in the tournament, since they were known as Czecheslovakia.

Our SK boys did quite well in the victory, with Jordan Eberle leading the way with 2 assists, as he proved that he is extremely comfortable playing on the top line with Cody Hodgson and Zach Boychuck. Keith Aulie also saw considerable time with defensive partner Tyler Myers, both considered the "shut-down" defensemen of the Canadian squad, at 6"6 and 6"7 respectively.

Dustin Tokarski received the start in net, and although he was not tested often in the game, he looked good in the saves that he did make, and the 1 goal he did let in was a preventable goal that he may want back. It was an overall solid performance that allowed Canada to score the victory and manage a slight edge in Goals For differential over the United States who earned a fellow Group A victory this afternoon with an 8-2 win over Germany. Chet Pickard, who the PrairiePuck thought would be the starting goaltender for the tournament, will get the start against Kazahkstan on Sunday afternoon, but many are foreseeing the game to be an untested blowout, so we may see Watson, SK native Dustin Tokarski emerge as the #1 goaltender for the New Years Eve game vs the United States.

Overall a solid effort from the SK boys, as well as the rest of the squad at ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa, and we'll all be looking forward to the next game!

PP

SK UPDATE: Good ol' SK kids making huge splash in the league

Instead of a weekly update of the high and lowpoints of the league, we would like to give a shoutout to all hockey fans, particularly those from the hockey province of Saskatchewan, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. As our Christmas gift to you, this update is entirely dedicated to Saskatchewan. It may not be much different than last week, but our SK boys are continuing to tear the league up. Without further adieu,


#18 JEREMY WILLIAMS - Toronto Maple Leafs

We would never claim that the PrairiePuck is in any way a Maple Leafs fan, but there is something in the air that can not be ignored, and the Leafs may have a shot to make a run into the post season this year. How is this so you may ask? It is because of Jeremy Williams. It is one thing to score your first NHL in your first NHL game a few years back, it is another to score it on your first shot. It's another thing to score your 2nd NHL goal on your 2nd shot (in your 2nd game), but anyone who may have thought Williams has just been on a hot streak may begin to believe what the PrairiePuck has been saying all along. This kid is the REAL DEAL. In all 4 of his career "call-up" games, Jeremy has scored in all 4 games, something no player has done since Sergei Fedorov. Since his most recent call-up on December 8th, the Leafs have gone 5-1 with his presence in the lineup, notching 5 goals and 2 assists, and to-date has a 25% career shooting percentage. Maybe the PrairiePuck's petition to get Jeremy Williams out of Toronto was a little hasty, because Williams may be the catalyst that could turn around the entire organization. The 7th round pick in 2003 was a steal of a pick, and Williams has already become an instant fan favourite, and potentially a future franchise player. He not only is an excellent addition to the scoresheet, he simply makes mediocre players such as Jason Blake better. Building a team around SK-born boys Jeremy Williams and Luke Schenn, along with the recent call-up of Goaltender Justin Pogge (not from SK, but still a player that the PrairiePuck recognized in September) is exactly what this organization needs. After all this Maple Leafs bashing in the last few months from a Saskatchewan-centred blog, who knew that the turnaround of the Toronto Maple Leafs could come from 2 Saskatchewan-born players.

To get to know Jeremy Williams better, take a look:

#19 SCOTT HARTNELL - Philadelphia Flyers

We talked about it last week: Scotty has really picked up his game in December, currently tallying 7 goals and 5 assists in an impressive string of wins for the Flyers. Not only did Hartnell notch his 4th career hat trick 2 weeks ago, he turned his 5th career trick this past Saturday night in a 7-1 thrashing of the Capitals. (Just a side note---the lone Washington goal was scored by SK product Brooks Laich). We could give Hartnell recognition due to his hockey hair alone, but he makes it pretty easy to give him props with his stellar play in the last month. Stay tuned for a potential monthly award, succeeding both Patrick Marleau and Ryan Getzlaf for achievement from a SK-born player.

Happy Holidays from the PrairiePuck, and we'll be back with some All-Star predictions soon!

PP

HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE PAST WEEK

It was a busy week in the NHL, with many stories and all-star efforts from a variety of players, but this week's thumbs up and thumbs down are highlighted by the announcement of the Final roster for the IIHF Canadian Junior team:

THUMBS UP - The Canadian Junior Team (SK Edition)

The Canadian Junior team for the upcoming U20 World Championship in Ottawa was named Monday, and out of the 4 possible players attempting to make the team, we have 3 SK boys who were named to the final roster. Defenseman Keith Aulie of Rouleau, SK, Jordan Eberle of Regina, and goaltender Dustin Tokarski of Watson, SK round out this year's roster. Keep in mind that both Chet Pickard and Dustin Tokarski were the keepers named to the roster, something that the PrairiePuck predicted 2 months ago.

Another player that made this year's roster worthy of a shoutout is forward Angelo Esposito, who has tried out for the Junior team for the 4th consecutive time, and has finally cracked the roster.

THUMBS UP - Jeremy Williams - Toronto Maple Leafs

Jeremy Williams, of the Toronto Maple Leafs is an extraordinary part of the Leafs' franchise, and many have never even heard of the guy. Jeremy is a native of Glenavon, SK., and has been playing back and fourth between the Maple Leafs and the AHL Toronto Marlies for the past 5 years, notching 63 AHL goals and 79 assists. His NHL stats, although small, are more impressive. In 22 career games, Williams has tallied 6 goals on just career shots. How is he not a regular on the Leafs' lineup? A fun fact...in every single game that Williams has been called up (4), he has scored a goal in each game. I sure hope that Brian Burke is able to recognize raw Saskatchewan talent when he sees it, and we all hope that Williams will finally break the Leafs' lineup for good.

THUMBS UP - Scott Hartnell - Philadelphia Flyers

We all heard about the infamous "Glove throw" that is still the cause of some heckling from Hartnell's teammates. Scotty did redeem himself, however, in a game vs the Carolina Hurricanes last week, which the Flyers came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Canes in a shootout 6-5. A big part of this amazing comeback for the Flyers, was the effort of Hartnell, who tallied his 4th career hat trick. Along with an assist to round out the past week's effort, the PrairiePuck is proud to give Scotty a thumbs up this week.

THUMBS UP - Saskatchewan's favourite scorers Patrick Marleau & Ryan Getzlaf

We've said it here before: If the NHL had a team made only of players from Saskatchewan, we would be well represented. Ryan Getzlaf has been a threat in this league for the past 2 years, and this year, he is taking the league by storm, sitting at 4th overall in points with 36. But even more impressive, Aneroid SK native Patrick Marleau is enjoying a resurgent season, sitting at #6 in the league in points with 34. Not only do we have 2 Saskatchewan born players in the top 10 in scoring, we have 2 players that are on teams that are in prime condition to make a serious Stanley Cup run. Could we be seeing either of these two players hoisting the Hart Trophy this year, or succeed Cam Ward as the next Saskatchewan-born Conn Smythe winner? It is very possible.

PP

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS - The top players in the NHL that could be on many team's Christmas lists

We have gone through 2 and a half months so far in the 2008/2009 season, and we have yet to see any big trades occur. Sure the Leafs moved Steen and Coliacavo to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak, and our good friend Wade Belak has found a new club in Nashville, but I am talking about those major "blockbuster" trades that keep everybody talking for weeks. A prime example would be when the Bruins shipped star forward Joe Thornton to San Jose. Many thought that this was a poor move by the Bruins, but coincidentally Boston and San Jose are both Conference leaders at this point in the schedule. There are many teams that are very deep in certain positions, and could afford to make some moves. Here are the top players most likely to fall into this category:

G Pascal Leclaire - COLUMBUS BLUEJACKETS

Last year Leclaire took the league by storm with his impressive string of shutout wins. He is a good keeper, but let's face it, what the BlueJackets have been doing for their entire existence in the NHL does not work, and each year they show no signs of making the playoffs. They seem to be stuck in neutral, and they need to be building their team around their young players, and in our opinion, rookie goaltender Steve Mason has proved that he can be a #1 guy. This could be considered a risky move, but the rewards could be huge. As a rookie, Mason has posted an 8-4-1 record with 2 shutouts, a 1.97 GAA (3rd in the league) and .922 save percentage. The emergence of a young star like this could make Leclaire's days in Columbus numbered.



TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Los Angeles Kings
-Colorado Avalanche
-Phoenix Coyotes
-Tampa Bay Lightning

G Manny Fernandez - BOSTON BRUINS

Manny Fernandez's last few years in the NHL have been interesting to say the least. In Minnesota, he was part of a 2-keeper tandem with Dwayne Roloson. When Roloson was shipped to Edmonton in 2006, Fernandez became the #1 guy, but was soon eclipsed by another emerging keeper in the system, Nicklas Backstrom. Fernandez signed with the Boston Bruins in the 2007 off season and was expected to become the #1 keeper, but fell to injury for a substantial part of the season, allowing Tim Thomas to emerge as the #1 keeper, which has since earned him an all-star selection last year, and a solid #1 spot as the Bruins guy to keep their stellar play in the Eastern Conference rolling. Although Fernandez does help his team, a move before the all-star break may not be a bad idea, allowing Finnish sensation Tuuka Rask to emerge from the Bruins' AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins.


TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Tampa Bay Lightning
-Colorado Avalanche
-Los Angeles Kings

F Martin St.Louis - TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

We can't believe that the Lightning have been playing as poor as they are. Before the season started, we predicted that the Lightning would make the playoffs this year, but nothing has clicked, and the organization has already parted ways with their head coach, Barry Melrose, who in recent days has proved that he may have been the cancer in the locker room. Steven Stamkos was hyped to be the next big thing in the league, but has put up mediocre (at best) numbers, and the entire team has proved time and time again that they are no match for their opponents. Even goaltending, which has been a problem in Tampa for many years, with such heavy confidence put behind mediocre keepers such as Marc Denis and Johan Holmqvist in the past has not been the same since Nikolai Khabibulin won a cup with the team. Mike Smith, who has emerged as the started after he was involved with the trade with Dallas last year that sent Brad Richards away, is an odd keeper to watch. He makes the effort, but almost seems to bulky in net and not capable of making athletic saves. As for Marty, he does produce for the squad, but the Lightning need to branch out and realize that the mentality behind winning a cup with the "3-headed monster" of Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards is dead. They made the right move with Richards last year, and now may need to find a new home for St. Louis. It makes sense financially and for the well being of the team to add secondary scoring.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE
-Minnesota Wild
-Florida Panthers
-Toronto Maple Leafs (If anybody would do it, Burke would)


D Jay Bouwmeester - FLORIDA PANTHERS

Therehas been talk of trading star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester for quite some time, and if the Panthers want to shake this funk they have been stuck in since their '96 cup run, the time may come to cut the ties with Bouwmeester. Currently, Bouwmeester is the leading scorer for the Panthers, which should say something about the lack of scoring of the team. It is about time that the Panthers add some offensive punch and restructure their team that has long been known as "second bananas" in the Eastern Conference.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Toronto Maple Leafs
-Columbus Blue Jackets
-Phoenix Coyotes
-Tampa Bay Lightning
-Buffalo Sabres


Some other players that may generate some interest around the league are Maple Leafs' blueliner Tomas Kaberle, Minnesota foward Marian Gaborik, and Buffalo forward Maxim Afinigenov.

It is believed that Mats Sundin has set a personal goal of making a decision for his NHL future by Monday, Dec 15 (tomorrow), so we will keep you updated on his playing status.


PP

Hometown Boys Going for All-Star Spots: WADE REDDEN NEEDS YOUR HELP!

As of 12:09pm on Thursday, December 11th, there are three Saskatchewan-born players on the ballot for the NHL All-Star game: Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Marleau in 6th and 10th place respectively among Western Conference forawards, and Wade Redden, 10th place among Eastern Conference Defensemen. As far as I know, this means that Getzlaf and Marleau will be in the game but not starting, and Redden will be 4 places out.

It seems as though Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney of the Pittsburg Penguins will not be participating in this year's contest because both have been injured all year. This just goes to show one major flaw in the voting system. Actual play on the ice has nothing to do with how many votes a player gets. The most important factor is where you play your hockey. At any rate, if neither Gonchar nor Whitney partakes in the festivities, that moves our boy Wade Redden into 8th place, a mere two spots out of contention.

To move into eighth position Redden would have to pass Teppo Numminen (9th) and Kimmo Timonen (8th). To pull it off, he needs to make up the 45,607 votes. Who's going to help him? We all are! The Prairie Puck will vote every day, twice a day, to get Mr. Redden into that game, and we beg you to do the same. He grew up on the good side of Lloydminister, so you know he deserves it. C'mon guys, it's the season for giving. Let's give Wade Redden a shot at the big game!

Ode to a Good Saskatchewan Kid

Ranked among the top 30 unrestricted free agents to sign during the 2007 Offseason, Sk-born product Scott Hartnell was a type of player that was in high demand throughout the league. His rough, agressive, and hard-working attitude, not to mention a strong asset on the scoresheet, particularly in powerplay and clutch situations, Scotty is one of Saskatchewan's best hockey exports.

Scott played his junior hockey in Prince Albert, SK. with the Raiders, along side teammate, and now Minnesota defenseman (also from SK), Nick Shultz. In 3 seasons with the Raiders, Hartnell tallied 37 goals, and 90 assists, and 230 minutes in the sin-bin. His third and final season was a career junior season for Scott, earning the captaincy of the Raiders, and a prospect rating of #1 overall in Canada, going into the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The still "fresh-face" expansion franchise, the Nashville Predators selected Hartnell 6th overall in 2000. (Among the top 5 were Rick Dipietro, Dany Heatley, and Marian Gaborik just to give you an idea of the talent that was in this draft) A side note--NYR superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist went 205th overall in this draft. Scott played 6 seasons with the Predators, and before free agency, Scott was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers along with teammate Kimmo Timonen, and continued his style of play, helping the Flyers all the way to the Eastern Conference final.

We could go on about how Hartnell is a great, tough player from Saskatchewan, or we could mention how Toppings is actually a cousin of Hartnell, but we won't bore you with that.

Recently, Scotty has made headlines across the league for his antics during a game vs the Eastern basement dwelling Tampa Bay Lightning. Ryan Malone, of the Lightning was on a breakaway, and Hartnell, without a stick, chased down Malone and in an act of desperation, threw his glove at Malone, forcing him to miss on the breakaway. Malone was rewarded a penalty shot in the dying seconds of the 3rd period that could have broken the tie, but missed on the penalty shot in a stop by Marty Biron. Ironically enough, Malone ended up taking a penalty in Overtime, and Mike Richards scored the game winner for the Flyers.

To honor Scotty for his act of desperation, and perhaps stupidity if the Flyers had lost the game, the Flyers' AHL Affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms will be designating their December 14th game as "Scott Hartnell Glove and Mitten Toss" Night, in which fans will have the opportunity to bring winter clothing to toss onto the ice for charity.


Great job Scotty, you make the PrairiePuck proud.


If you happened to miss the game, check out the video:

WEEK IN REVIEW

Another week has come and gone...let's take a look

THUMBS DOWN - Sean Avery - DALLAS STARS

-It's pretty well known around the world that Sean Avery is (for lack of a better word), an asshole. We are pretty big fans of Avery at the PrairiePuck, because he brings an element to the game that makes it that much more fun to watch. The superpest Avery has made a name for himself for diving, beaking the opponent without mercy, and of course the infamous rule adaptation that the league made in last year's playoffs when Avery decided to screen Marty Brodeur in an unorthadox fashion. This time, however, Avery has gone too far, making a comment to the media regarding the apparent "trend" of other players dating his "sloppy seconds", obviously referring to Dion Phaneuf's current girlfriend, actress, Elisha Cuthbert. Leave the trash talk on the ice Avery, because you may have just cost yourself a job in the NHL.

THUMBS DOWN WITH A HINT OF THUMBS UP - TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

- The PrairiePuck always cherishes the moments when we get to point out how incredibly bad the Toronto Maple Leafs are, and this is no exception. The Leafs have lost 3 straight and have sinked down to a comfortable last place in the North East division. If the Leafs have any chance in making the playoffs (which they don't), Brian Burke will need to make a move for some talent quick, before Ron Wilson starts sitting every single player to send a "message". The Leafs scoring has exceeded everyone's expectations this season, with a good effort from Matt Stajan and rookie sensation Mikhail Grabovski, but the bottom line is their defense is brutal...their goaltending is worse. At 24 games played, Vesa Toskala has tallied a .885 save percentage, which is good enough for second last in the league, and the team together has produced a 3.41 goals against per game, which is good enough for 27th place. Pretty pitiful stats. If the Leafs are going to shop Kaberle around, then they should do it...maybe to a team that is apparently shopping around scoring talent...like a Marian Gaborik in Minnesota perhaps. As for the hint of thumbs up, we are sad to see Luke Schenn struck with the first injury of his NHL career, which has been dubbed a "lower body injury". That being said, even when we lose a SK kid to injury, one comes up in the ranks, as Jeremy Williams, of Glenavon SK will suit up for his first game of the season this week, to replace Niklas Hagman.

THUMBS UP - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

-What a young an exciting team this is to watch. At 12-6-7, it still seems that the team stacked with young-guns is still trying to find it's identity, but they seem to be taking it one game at at time. We're not believers that the Hawks can contend for home-ice advantage this season, but they could pull off their first playoff series victory in years. The way the standings are set right now, they will most likely end up in a 5th or 6th place situation, if they can keep up their current pace, which would probably pin themselves up against the Northwest division champs, or the 4th place team, so a playoff series vs Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, or Minnesota is a distinct possiblity, and will make for an exciting series. Led by youngstar captain Jonathan Toews, and the scoring ability of Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Martin Havlat, and a strong defensive core led by Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith, the only area that may be shaky is goaltending, as the squad has failed to pull of close games down the stretch, accounting for 7 shootout losses this season (2nd to only Tampa Bay with 8).

Whatever happens with the Blackhawks this season, it will be nevertheless a step in the right direction. Speaking of the Hawks, don't forget to watch them battle the Red Wings in the 2009 Winter Classis on New Years' Day in the cold winds of Wrigley Field.

The Blackhawks have also been busy joking around in campaigning for spots on the Western All-Star Team. Take a look at the campaign videos for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and defenseman Brian Campbell:

PP

FEATURE: Brothers in the NHL

We often see that hockey talent has run in the family, from the Sutters, to the Staals, to the Stastnys. Throughout the history of the NHL, there have been many cases where brothers have played against each other, scored on each other, deked out each other, or in some cases, fought each other (Keith and Wayne Primeau). Every once in a while, something special happens, and siblings get the opportunity to play on the same team together. This article is devoted to sets of brothers that have played on the same team, a few sets of brothers from Saskatchewan, and one very unique set of brothers from the Calgary Flames.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin - VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Drafted 2nd and 3rd overall by Vancouver in the 1999 NHL Entry draft, these swedish twins have been two of a kind (to say the least) With 585 games under his belt Daniel leads to duo with 403 points in his career. With 4 more games played, Henrik is close behind with 401 points. With both having accounted for 23 points this year, is it crazy to think that both will finish their career with the same # of points? The Sedins have been a great move for the Canucks organization, and we won't see the club split them up any time soon.

Scott and Rob Neidermeyer - ANAHEIM DUCKS

Not only did this brother duo have the opportunity to play against each other in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final between Anaheim and New Jersey (Rob - Anaheim, Scott - NJ), shortly after, Scott signed a deal with the Anaheim club to have the opportunity to play with his brother Rob. In 2007, the Ducks, led by Niedermeyer hoisted the Stanley Cup, and the Neidermeyers bros did so on the same club, something that doesnt happen too often.


And now, the SK born bros...

Wade and Sheldon Brookbank - CAROLINA HURRICANES AND NJ DEVILS

The Brookbank bros, coming in at 31 and 28 years of age, respectively, hail from Lanigan, Saskatchewan. Both played their junior hockey in Saskatchewan (Wade in Melville, Sheldon in Humboldt). Both brothers are not known for their scoring prowess, filtering back and fourth between the NHL and the minors, combining for only 17 career points. They may not be flashy, but the Brookbank brothers are the gritty, Saskatchewan kids that the PrairiePuck supports.


Gordie and Vic Howe - DETROIT RED WINGS AND NEW YORK RANGERS

You may not realize, but Gordie Howe did have a brother in the NHL, and his name was Vic. Together, the Howe bros, of Floral, SK. have been one of the most dynamic brother duos in NHL history. They have combined for 804 goals, 1054 assists (1858 points) in their careers. Mind you, Vic only came up with 8 of the 1858 points.




Robyn and Richie Regehr - CALGARY FLAMES

The Regehr boys are something special in the NHL. Born to mennonite missionaries, older brother Robyn was born in Recife, Brazil, and Richie was born in Bandung, Indonesia. They were raised, however, in Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

Robyn has become a staple in the Flames' defensive core in the last 8 seasons, and in 2005/2006, the younger brother, the undrafted Richie was granted the opportunity to play along side his older brother for the Flames franchise for a total of 20 games between 2 seasons. Richie now plays overseas in the elite league for the Frankfurt Lions.

An interesting side note: Before Robyn Regehr ever played an NHL game, he was traded from his team that drafted him (Colorado, 19th overall in 1998) to the Calgary Flames along with PrairiePuck favorite Wade Belak for Calgary superstar, Oxbow SK native Theoren Fleury. There's a lot of Saskatchewan in that trade.



PP

HOCKEY CANADA ANNOUNCES ALL 38 INVITEES TO WORLD JUNIOR CAMP

On Wednesday morning, Hockey Canada announced all 38 players that have been invited to the World Junior development camp, in order to decide which players will make the final roster after the camp concludes on December 15th. Among the 38, the Western Hockey League is extremely well represented, accounting for 3 of the 4 goaltenders, 6 of the 14 defencemen, and 9 of the 20 forwards.

Originall, we here at the PrairePuck would have hoped to see all 7 Saskatchewan-born players from the ADT Canada/Russia Challenge to be invited to camp, but 4 out of 7 is not bad at all. The 4 Saskatchewan-born players are:

G Dustin Tokarski - Spokane Chiefs (Drafted by TB) ---> Watson, SK

D Keith Aulie - Brandon Wheat Kings (Drafted by CGY) --> Rouleau, SK

F Jordan Eberle - Regina Pats (Drafted by EDM) ----------> Regina, SK

F Brayden Schenn - Brandon Wheat Kings (Eligible 2009) -> Saskatoon, SK

There are only 4 returning players to camp this year, consisting of P.K. Subban, Zack Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, and superstar Jon Tavares, so needless to say, this team will be a young one. One thing that the Canadian squad will not be short of is talent. Goaltending is solid with a duo of either Chet Pickard/Dustin Tokarski, or Chet Pickard/Tyson Sexsmith. Either way, Pickard has the start in our book. Defense is big, quick, and strong, and the list of forwards provides some extraordinary scoring talent to the mix, including of course Jon Tavares, Eberle, Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, and a surprise cut last year, Angelo Esposito. If this isn't enough, Hockey Canada also has the option to add players to the roster that are still eligible that play in the NHL. Among these are Phoenix's Kyle Turris, Minnesota's Coelton Gillies, Carolina's Brandon Sutter, LA's Drew Doughty, Tampa's Steven Stamkos, Toronto's Luke Schenn, NYI's Josh Bailey, and Edmonton's Sam Gagner. We wouldn't hold our breath about these NHL clubs releasing these players for the tournament, though.

Team Canada is in a good position to win their 5th consecutive gold medal in our nation's capital, beginning on Boxing Day vs the Czech Republic.

PP

NOVEMBER'S PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

Another month has passed us by in the NHL, which means another installment of the monthly awards winners at the PrairiePuck. Rounding out the list, beginning with the league's top forward in November:

TOP FORWARD
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN - Washington Capitals

Simply amazing. AO got off to a rather slow start this season, tallying a disappointing 5 points in October. I think everybody knew though, that his "slump" would not last long, and Ovie would get back on track. In the month of November, Ovechkin tallied 11 goals, and 14 assists, bringing him back on track with the league's best scorers. Although there were solid efforts from forwards Sid Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Simon Gagne, Ovechkin was a no-brainer for Forward of the month.

TOP DEFENSEMAN

ROB BLAKE - San Jose Sharks

With his 39th birthday only 9 days away, one would wonder how Blake can manage to impact a team as much as he does. With 20 points this year (5 goals, 15 assists, 16 points of which came in November), Blake is on pace to tie a career high season, with 68 points to close out the season. Keep in mind, the last time he accomplished this feat, the Montréal Canadiens were Stanley Cup Champs. A veteran presence like Blake on the blueline has clearly been a great fit for the Sharks. With a 20-3-1 record, does anyone doubt us that the Sharks will win the Cup this year?

TOP GOALTENDER

ROBERTO LUONGO - Vancouver Canucks

The decision to give the top goaltender award to Luongo was a mixed decision, as he only suited up for 8 games, due to a late-month injury. But in those 8 games, Luongo posted a 5-1-2 record, with a .959 save percentage, a 1.25 goals against average, and 3 straight shutouts to round out the month's resumé. Pretty impressive we must say. Henrik Lundqvist and Tim Thomas also had note-worthy performances for the month of November, but Captain Canuck takes the cake.

TOP ROOKIE

Mikhail Grabovski - Toronto Maple Leafs

It pains me, once again to suggest that a Maple Leaf deserves an award on this blog, but the Leafs have been making some pretty good strides in the past month. Among these improvements, was obviously the signing of new GM Brian Burke to a 6-year deal, a trade that saw Alex Steen and Carlo Coliacavo to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak, and the performance of rookie sensation Mikahil Grabovski. Grabovski tallied 8 goals and 5 assists for 13 points in 12 games in November, including a +3 rating to help out his team. 8 of his 9 goals this season were scored in November alone, so we'd say Grabovski is coming into his own. We hate that he's a Leaf, but I guess the tallest of trees still grow from dirt.

WENDEL CLARK ACHIEMENT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PLAY BY A SK BORN PLAYER

Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim Ducks

This was actually a difficult decision to make, and it really came down to Anaheim's last game of November to make a decision. Before the Ducks' game last night, both Saskatchewan stars Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Marleau had tallied 5 goals and 10 assists each for 15 points a piece in the month of November. Marleau did have an edge with a +5 rating, and a team record 20-3-1 over Getzlaf's +2 rating and team record 14-8-3. Marleau was on a narrow pace to repeating as SK player of the month, but last night's performance, which Getzlaf notched 1 goal and 2 assists, lifts his tally to 6 goals, and 12 assists for 18 points with a +4 rating for the month of November, and some consideration for November's MVP

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER FOR NOVEMBER

It was a very tight race this month for MVP, as there were 21 and 23-point performances from Pittsburgh stars Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a resurgent Simon Gagne tallied 19 points this month, Ryan Getzlaf's 18-point performance, and of course, Roberto Luongo's stellar play in net, but ultimately, we have to give the MVP award to Alexander Ovechkin, who was a clear-cut winner with 25 points in November. This is the 2nd consective month that a player from the Washington Capitals has won the monthly MVP award (Alexander Semin won the MVP of October)

Thats all for now though,

Stay tuned for an article about SK-born sibling duos later on this week...

PP