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 Guelph Storm

Storm City Weekly

December 13, 2013 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


Weekend Recap

The Storm had another three-in-three weekend, playing host Friday night to Owen Sound followed by two road games in Plymouth and Sarnia respectively.

Friday night was the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Brent Johnson of Wellington Motors. Owen Sound got on the board first, with a short handed goal from Holden Cook. The Attack would add two more goals to take a 3-0 lead to the dressing room. At 8:36 of the second frame, Robby Fabbri would get the home side on the board and Storm fans were finally able to release the bears! Thousands of Teddy's came flying down on the ice, and have been donated to local organizations throughout Guelph and Wellington County. Nick Ebert would bring the Storm within one goal to end the second frame. Fabbri added another goal to tie the game at 3, but Owen Sound added a powerplay goal followed by an empty net goal to win the game.

Final Score: Owen Sound 5. Guelph 3.

Saturday night Guelph stormed into Plymouth, who were also hosting their Teddy Bear Toss. The first period remained scoreless. Guelph opened the scoring at the 6:44 mark of the second period with a goal from Scott Kosmachuk. A few minutes later, Tyler Bertuzzi would put Guelph up by 2 goals and they would take this lead to the dressing room. Robby Fabbri opened third period scoring with a powerplay goal at the 1:03 mark. Literally seconds later, Plymouth would finally get on the board with an unassisted goal from Josh Wesley. Zach Lorentz added Plymouth's only other goal of the night late in the third. Zack Mitchell would answer back with his 12th of the year, followed by an empty net goal.

Final Score: Guelph 5. Plymouth 2.

Sunday the Storm would play their third Teddy Toss game in as many nights, when they paid the Sarnia Sting a visit. Robby Fabbri opened the scoring floodgates for Guelph at the 10:48 mark on the power play for his 14th goal of the year. Minutes later, Sarnia would answer back and unleash the Teddy Bears with a goal from Patrick White. The game headed to intermission tied at 1. Kerby Rychel scored his first goal in a Storm uniform 59 seconds into the second period. The Storm finished the period with a 3-2 lead. The third period saw Tyler Bertuzzi score two goals, Brock McGinn scored his 23rd of the year, and Scott Kosmachuk would add the empty net goal. Sarnia added two goals but it wasn't enough to beat the new-look Storm.

Final Score: Guelph 7. Sarnia 4.

Please Note: Sunday's game vs. Erie Otters is at 6:30pm!

Player of the Week

The Guelph Storm announced today that forward Robby Fabbri is the HY GRADE STEEL ROOFING Player of the Week for the week ending December 9th, 2013.

Fabbri recorded six points in three games over the weekend. Named second star of the game on Friday night, the Mississauga native recorded two goals in the Storm's 5-3 loss. Saturday night in Plymouth, he had a goal and an assist in the Storm's 5-2 win over the Whalers. In Sunday's 7-4 victory over the Sting, Fabbri scored the first goal and added an assist.

After 21 games, Fabbri has 30 points, 14 goals and 16 assists. He has recorded four power play goals and is a +19.

Next up, the Storm play a rare game away from the Sleeman Centre on Friday night as they take on their conference rival, the London Knights. They return home on Sunday for another huge conference match up against the Erie Otters. Tickets still remain for Sunday and can be purchased by visiting or calling the Guelph Storm Box Office at 519-837-9690. Or new this year the Storm Kiosk at Stone Road Mall near H&M.

Storm Trade Locke to North Bay

The Guelph Storm Hockey Club announced today that they have acquired a 12th round pick from the North Bay Battalion in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection in exchange for defenceman Kyle Locke.

Locke was originally drafted by the Storm 30th overall in the 2nd round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. The Aurora native split last year between the Storm and the Cambridge Winterhawks, playing 27 games in a Storm uniform.

Mike Kelly said, "We fully expect Kyle to reach his full potential as a member of the North Bay Battalion. He has elite physical tools and outstanding character. Our depth on defence did not allow us to get him the playing opportunity that he needs to develop. We thank Kyle contribution to the Storm over the past year and a half."

Rychel Headed to Team Canada Camp

Storm winger Kerby Rychel and 24 other players will head to Etobicoke for Canada's National Junior Team selection camp beginning Thursday, December 12th.

The camp roster includes two goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. Canada's final roster for the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in Malmö, Sweden, will include 22 players, and must be finalized by Dec. 25.

Rychel has been a part of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence since representing Team Ontario at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2011. More recently, the Tecumseh native represented Canada at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and the 2012 U-18 World Hockey Championship.

Switzerland opens camp on December 16th

Guelph Storm defenceman Phil Baltisberger was named to the 27-man roster that will compete for a spot on the Swiss U20 national team in Sweden beginning December 26th. During the past two tournaments, Storm graduate Tanner Richard represented Switzerland at the event.

The Swiss U20 national team starts practicing on 16 December in Lenzerheide with a 27-man roster including three goalkeepers, 10 defencemen and 14 forwards but not including Christoph Bertschy. The star forward, one of the players competing in the highest senior league of the country, was also invited but suffered a foot injury in a game on Tuesday and will be sidelined for several weeks.

Most of the Swiss players compete in Switzerland's domestic senior or junior leagues but the camp roster also includes six players from the Canadian Hockey League and two who play in Sweden.

Goalkeeper Melvin Nyffeler, defenceman Phil Baltisberger and Mirco Müller, and forwards Lukas Balmelli, Lukas Sieber, Dario Simion and Sandro Zangger have already played in last year's World Junior Championship. For Baltisberger and Simion it will be their third U-20 tournament.

Fashion Lighting Player Spotlight

From a very early age, it was clear Adam Craievich's primary goal was putting pucks in nets.

"He began skating lessons in Toronto on plastic ice," his mom, Cherie, recalls. "He was only 2 ½ and he would just lay on the plastic ice for 25 minutes, and then for the last five minutes of the lesson when they would bring out the mini-nets he would be up on his feet.

"His dad used to get frustrated with him," Cherie laughs.

Adam's dad Paul was a Junior B goalie with the Chatham Maroons, while his uncle David Craievich won a Memorial Cup as a defenceman with the Oshawa Generals "so hockey was in their blood," Cherie says.

"My dad played hockey so I tried it, but all along the thing I liked the best was scoring goals," Adam says.

And score goals he has.

Last year, he potted 44 goals in 68 games with the provincial-champion Oakville Rangers and was named most valuable player at the prestigious OHL Cup in March.

But Craievich, 16, almost didn't sign with the Storm. He and his parents wavered between joining the OHL and the National Collegiate Athletic Association by going to an American school.

"The importance of education was always ingrained in him," Cherie says. "We always told him school was first and hockey was second and he would only play hockey as long as his grades were good."

That hasn't been a problem, as Adam maintained a near-90 per cent average and was named Valedictorian last year at Oakville's Appleby College, where he also played on the school's hockey team.

"His goal is to go to the NHL, as all hockey players want, but he also realizes it's a short-lived career," Cherie says.

Adam plans to pursue a business degree in university.

"School is really important because you never know what could happen in hockey," he says. "One hit and your career could be over so you have to have something to fall back on.

"Even if hockey does work out, your playing career is over by your mid-30s."

Since joining the Storm this season, Craievich has found himself the healthy scratch a few times.

"It's tough sometimes because obviously you want to play a lot," he says, "but I know you've got to earn your place and impress your coaches and teammates."

Craievich -- who counts soccer, fishing and playing piano among his non-hockey interests -- has worked hard to become a better skater, addressing a frequent criticism of his game.

"It's coming along," he says. "I skated the same way for 10 years and it's hard to break that technique, but over time I know I'll do it."

Cherie says the family -- including younger sister Gabrielle, 13 -- went through a "huge adjustment" last year when Adam moved from the family home in Sarnia to attend Appleby in Oakville and began juggling a heavy course load while playing several games a week.

"This year his schedule is probably a bit more manageable," his mom says.

But while Craievich is playing less this season, he also knows the stakes are higher.

"The expectations are a lot higher than in minor hockey," he says. "For the coaches this is their job and to keep it they have to win, so there's a lot of pressure."

Scott Tracey is a Guelph-based writer. He can be reached at scott_tracey@live.com and followed on Twitter @scottjtracey

Spyke's Holiday Hours

Looking for that perfect gift for the sports fan on your shopping list? Stop by Spyke's in the Old Quebec Street Mall, the Storm Kiosk at Stone Road Mall, or shop from the comfort of your own home with our online Storm Store!

Extended Holiday Hours at Spyke's Sports in the Old Quebec Street Mall:

Monday-Friday 10am-6pm

Saturday 10am-4pm

Sunday 10am-2pm

Christmas Eve 10am-4pm

Storm Kiosk Hours at Stone Road Mall:

Monday-Friday 10am-9pm

Saturday 9:30am-9pm

Sunday 11am-5pm

Online Store - Always Open!


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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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