IIHF World Junior Championship quarterfinal preview | NHL.com
USA, Sweden, and Russia are favored to win their games fairly handily and the Finland-Canada showdown will be one to watch. Still, anything can happen in just one game so don’t expect it to be smooth sailing for all of the favored teams.
Upper Bracket:
Sweden vs. Slovakia: 8 AM CT (NHL Network)
Canada vs. Finland: 10 AM CT (NHL Network)
Lower Bracket:
Russia vs. Denmark: 6 AM CT (NHL Network)
USA vs. Czech Republic: 12 AM CT (NHL Network)
Relegation Round
Switzerland vs. Belarus: 4 AM CT (not televised)
Nashville Predators News and Notes
Predators’ Cody Hodgson endures stretch as scratch | The Tennessean
Predators forward Cody Hodgson has been scratched in Nashville’s past three games. Hodgson is a player I want to do well because of his bumpy past but he’s just not producing offensively and that is what he needs to do to retain his roster spot.
Why The Predators Are Failing On The Ice | Along the Boards
The lifeblood of the Nashville Predators, Pekka Rinne, playing bad hockey and a lack of finish is a truly rotten recipe for the Nashville Predators. Things have to change in order for the Predators to be successful, whether it be the execution by the players or the nameplates in the locker room.
Seven Harvard players score in rout of Ferris State | U.S. College Hockey Online
The Harvard Crimson had their way with Ferris State in the semifinals of the Mariucci Classic; a tournament hosted by the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Jimmy Vesey (NSH, 3rd round, 2012) had a goal and an assist and was dominant on the ice while Tyler Moy (NSH, 6th round, 2015) was a minus-1 but also a cool 10 for 13 in the faceoff dot.
Check out the great play by Vesey and Kerfoot for Harvard’s second goal of the 1st #GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/74oWELvJPy
— Harvard Men’s Hockey (@Harvard_Hockey) January 1, 2016
College hockey: Quick-answering Gophers gain Mariucci Classic final | TwinCities.com
Increasing his point streak to 7 games, the third star of the game and Preds Prospect Tommy Novak (NSH, 3rd round, 2015) had two assists in a 3-2 Minnesota Gophers win over the Connecticut Huskies. The Gophers will move on to the finals where they will play Jimmy Vesey, Tyler Moy, and the Harvard Crimson.
Here are Novak’s two assists:
GOAL: @GopherHockey’s Michael Brodzinski ties the game at 1 with a bullet power play goal https://t.co/649TqazeDB
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) January 2, 2016
GOAL: Another short-lived tie as @GopherHockey’s Hudson Fasching answers Letunov, 3-2 Minnesota in the 3rd https://t.co/gl2EY5XuKT
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) January 2, 2016
Minnetonka’s Jack Hillen calls it a career | Lets Play Hockey
Former Nashville Predators defenseman Jack Hillen ended his career after 304 games in the NHL. 55 of those games were with the Predators.
Around the World of Hockey
Canadiens overwhelm Bruins to win Winter Classic | NHL.com
In the most lopsided win in Winter Classic history, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 5-1. It has to be a great feeling for the Canadiends and their fans to start January off on the right foot after a bad month in December.
P.K. Subban designed Winter Classic skates, looked retro and awesome (Video) | Yahoo Sports
Enough said…
Best and worst of the 2016 NHL Winter Classic | Yahoo Sports
Why was Zac Ronaldo put on the ice so much in the final five minutes of play? This so called “message sending” is a really dumb fabrication in the world of hockey. Also, get well soon Denna Laing!
Brendan Gallagher’s return sparks Montreal Canadiens to Winter Classic victory | NHL.com
Brendan Gallagher started his New Year off right with a goal and two assists in his return to the ice at the Winter Classic.
Bob Hunter commentary | Rumblings: Safety targeted by Ohio State puts decision on hold | The Columbus Dispatch
Zach Werenski, the Columbus Blue Jacket’s 8th overall pick from the 2015 NHL draft and team USA’s captain in the WJCs, is rumored to be unhappy with college at the University of Michigan. There is a chance he could jump ship and join the Blue Jackets, their AHL affiliate, or the London Knights (who own his CHL rights) this season.
Virtanen, Canada ready for challenge of Finland at world junior championships | Montreal Gazette
They better be if they are going to down the Finns, led by forward, Jesse Puljujarvi, who has 5 goals and 7 assists in only 4 games for team Finland as a draft-eligible under 18 player, no less.
Community Ice Rink Gift From Hockey-Loving Man | ABC News
What a great story. Marc Kohn built an ice hockey rink in honor of his step-daughter, Melanie Osborne, who loved hockey and passed away due to a respiratory disease. People are now flocking from all over to enjoy Kohn’s generosity in the name of his child.