A Blizzard of Possibilities as Alexandria Opens NAHL Season
September 18, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Alexandria Blizzard News Release
BLAINE, MN - Rebuilding is a fact of life in junior hockey and recruiting goes on year-round. With more than a dozen players departing annually, franchises can go from last-to-first or first-to-last in a hurry.
The Alexandria Blizzard enters its fifth season in the North American Hockey League with 11 veterans. More importantly, coaches Brad Willner and John Rosso have assembled their best recruiting class to date. "We are definitely more skilled than we have been in the past and we are faster, too," Willner said.
Gone are goalie Dustin Carlson (Ohio State), forward Rylan Galiardi (MSU-Mankato), and defenseman Adam Hammerbeck (St. Norbert). Three-year vet Dustin Trail calls the loss of Carlson crucial. "That hurts," he admitted. "We lost some veterans on defense, too, and we need some people who can bury the puck. It's hard to tell without playing more games but the rookies have been very good."
Five Returning Forwards
Gifted playmaker Jerry Freismuth (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) joined the Blizzard midway through the year and is the team's top offensive threat. Nesper (Eagle River, WI) reported in great shape and is a leader on and off the ice. Winger Pavel Zurek (Poland), gritty Mikael Lickteig (Little Falls), and much-improved Ryan King (York, PA) also return.
Texans Brandon Nutt and Kyle Clement give the Blizzard some moxy up front while Jake Stadstad (Manvel, ND) is a highly-skilled center who makes everyone he plays with look good. Then there is the giant Swede, Jens Nilsson. With size (6-4, 210 lbs) and skill, he is a force to be reckoned with.
"We've never really been a big team in the past but Jens is huge," Trail said. "A guy like that can mean so much - he's big, he can skate, he can shoot, he likes to hit. When he's on the ice, you know it."
Rosso also scored a recruiting coup by landing Rochester high schoolers Joe Knoepke (Century) and Brandon Bahnemann (Lourdes). Tony McDonald (Totino-Grace) has speed to burn while Ian Guzzo (Duluth Marshall) is a solid two-way player. Noah Nemgar (Bemidji) and Jascha Pettit (Wadena) have great hands.
Five Veterans on 'D'
Trail (Albert Lea) and David Hines (Sartell) anchor an experienced defense that includes Joe Hartman (St. Cloud), Kent Detleftson (Lakeville), and Matt Erickson (Burnsville). Hard-nosed Lane Bitz (Bellevue, WA) and Derek Kaiser (Crookston) will play as will offensive talent Fred Bidinger (Sartell).
Goalie Ryan Leets, a high school senior from Michigan, is the likely number one while Matt Beggs (Apple Valley) and 16-year-old RJ Heath (Holly, MI) are battling for backup rights.
The biggest change for the Blizzard is the added physical presence. "We haven't really had that before. We just have to use it to our advantage," Nesper said. "Intimidation is a big factor. When the other team's defensemen are going back into their zone to get the puck and they know there are two guys coming hard who are going to level them, it creates turnovers, it creates opportunities."
The Blizzard will face four NAHL opponents in four days this week, beginning with the Topeka Roadrunners Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Last year, the Blizzard opened with a win over Texas, the defending league champions, before losing three straight.
"I think the key is to just go out and play. You can't think about all of the scouts who are there watching you," Nesper said. "You just have to forget about it, especially the new guys."
North American Hockey League Stories from September 18, 2007
- U.S. National Under-18 Team Travels to North American Hockey League Showcase - U.S. National Team
- Jets Upcoming NAHL Showcase Schedule - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Jets Name Strasheim New GM - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- A Blizzard of Possibilities as Alexandria Opens NAHL Season - Alexandria Blizzard
- Stars face interdivisional quartet - Traverse City North Stars
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.
