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| Brady Skjei (Minnesota Golden Gophers) |
Brady Skjei (NYR 2012 1st) was in the lineup when Team USA took on Team Sweden in a warmup/evaluation/exhibition/every thing else game on Thursday. It is kind of interesting how so many can watch the same game but yet wind up with different views of the game.
Skjei who reportedly is on the bubble to make the USA squad was in the lineup against Sweden. Have to admit that Skjei did not really help his own cause here.
Skjei looked shaky in the first period and while his play improved over the rest of the game; his ice time decreased as the game went on. 19 shifts for a total of 13:41 and that was the fewest minutes played by a US defender.
Skjei will have one more practice and exhibition before the final cuts are made but right now; don't think Skjei makes the team unless he has a big game against Finland on Saturday.
Peter Ceresnak (NYR 2011 6th) on the other hand has made the Slovakian roster and was in the lineup against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. This is the 3rd appearance for the Slovakian Under-20 squad and while I have not confirmed it; it looks like Ceresnak will be wearing a letter on his jersey.
Good for him and while I hope for a change that the Slovaks can make the medal round, the odds are really stacked against them. Slovakia is in the same group as the USA, Canada and the team that they will open play with; the hosts Russia.
When Ceresnak returns to the Peterborough Petes after the tournament he will be playing for a new coach as former Ranger Assistant Coach Mike Pelino was fired on Thursday and replaced by former Ranger (and 5 other NHL teams) player Jody Hull.
In this case the power of the media played a part in Pelino's firing. One day after a very critical article on the Petes was written by Mike Davies was the last straw for the Board of Directors of the Petes.
Actually if it was me then I would have fired Pelino and GM Dave Reid after watching the Petes over the final 15 games last season. Way too many players playing for themselves and not the team.
(stick tap to Neate Sager who also wrote this gem about how the NHL lockout is affecting the juniors)
I got a good laugh reading all those "end of the world" stories but really they don't come close to the "predictions about the end of the world" that happen when Team Canada losses any game.
Nobody freaks out better than a Canadian hockey fan. Besides I just paid a 20 dollar non-refundable deposit to attend college and no way does the world end when I am out 20 bucks.
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