BHL Season Preview - The Show : Season V

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All 6 Hockey House Franchises have now assigned 

a minimum of 14 players to thier FHL Affiliates.

In addition, they have announced their Starting Lineups

for THE SHOW : SEASON 5 .

2018 BHL Season Preview

*= Rookie Season

LES PHOQUES

The Seals are  filled with plenty of depth on the backend

with several players capable of playing up front or on

the point. Veteran Leadership is also very apparent

in Les Phoques lineup this season with several players possessing plenty of experiences at all levels of hockey

here in NZ and overseas. If skipper Aaron Somerville

can get his troops working together, the Seals will

make some noise again in March after coming up

short in the 5th and deciding game in 2017.

Forwards:

Aaron Somerville  - Chris Van Poppel - Rob Moon

Braedyn Durbin* - Scott Henry - Damien Peters

Ryan Chadwick - Matt Harvey  - Stephen Pause*

Defencemen:

AJ Spiller*      Jono Pol

Matty Roxborough   Glen Terlesk

Alex Bouwman*      Leon Tabb

FHL Reserves

Alex Bouwman*      Leon Tabb

Goaltender:

Brad Hill

BURNING QUESTION : 

After building a roster over 4 seasons that finally

saw the Seals reach the final ...Now faced with

The Reset and a rebuild ... Can they repeat the feat  ?

ONE TO WATCH :

AJ Spiller - D/F - Canada

  The 5th Overall pick in this years draft. Great hockey

IQ, Better Guy. Responsible, deceptive speed,

can play in any situation and blessed with soft hands.

Argueably the Top NZIHL defenceman in 2017 Season

and helped lead the West Aucklnd Admirals to thier

first Finals Appearance.

ON THE FARM :

Les Coqs were 11-1 in 2017 but fell 1 goal short

of thier goal losing to the SAUCE in the longest game

in BHL history. With several returning players and

Gaston Bruneau backstopping the club, the Roosters

look poised to reach the final in consecutive seasons.

Les Coqs ROSTER = http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488105

 

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TOP CHEESE

Top Cheese have always been viewed as a team

with great depth and they continued thier trend of

drafting quality players this summer. The Cheese

drafted a remarkable 13 rookies throughout the

franchise including naming 7 to thier BHL Squad .

After the exit of long time team Co-Founder Ryan

Langford, the Green Machine has been forced to

start again from scratch and will start by restructuring

 thier leadership team,  Jeff Albert will wear the lone

"C" for the club and be joined by 3 "A"s in 2018. 

Forwards:

Andy Hart - Dylan Dickson* - Kieran Judge

Jared D'Amico* - Justin Daigle - Cam Green

Csaba Kersco-Magos - Tom Joseph -  Tyrell Peak* 

Defenceman:

Cameron McLeod*   Jeff Albert

Blake Moyle*   Jack Hull*

Devin Fennell   Dwayne Maki 

FHL Reserves:

Dwayne Maki    Tom Joseph

Goaltender:

Joel Rindelaub*

BURNING QUESTION:  To noone's surprise Top Cheese selected Justin Daigle with the BHL franchise's first ever first overall pick. That pick, matched with the strategy of drafting several ex-pats and first year unknown players. The green and gold made a total 11 roster changes from the previous version of the Cheeseheads that lost in the Conference Finals last season.

Can the Cheese find a new identity in time to land thier

first BHL Championship ?

ONE TO WATCH: Joel Rindelaub - G - USA

After being taken with the 25th Overall Pick, Joel becomes

just the 2nd Goaltender in the Franchises history. The

Purdue University product in the NCAA could prove

to be the steal of the draft, should be able find his

form early and often ... only time will tell.

THE FARM:Winners of the Inaugural FHL Season will look

to repeat as Champions in 2018. Armed with incredible

depth up front and on the backend , the Top Cheese affiliate

will look to Goaltender Tabitha Crump to help lead a charge

for a second title, her performance may very well be the

deciding factor in year two for the club.

Sauce Roster = http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488107

 

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ICEHOLES

The 2017 Backyard Cup Champion Iceholes will try

to complete the semmingly impossible feat of defending

a BHL Title in 2018. 4 Seasons, 4 New Champions.

To help them get there will be a few new faces, including

curent and former New Zealand Ice Blacks Denny Monk,

Josh Hay & 2017 BHL Rookie of the Year , Blake Jackson.

Forwards:

Josh Hay* - Ritchie Hopkinson - Stephen Vlok*

KC Ball* - Chase Koolen* - James Currey

Bryce Rouse - Brad Parsonson - Andy Richmond

Defencemen:

Steve Barati*    Blake Jackson

Eric Chung      Thomas Heather

Joel Jefferies   Joel Stirling

Flex Player:

Joel Jefferies    Andy Richmond

Goaltender:

Mikey Hopkinson

 

BURNING QUESTION: Can the become the first

BHL Franchise to win a 2nd Backyard Cup?

ONE TO WATCH:  Chase Koolen - F - New Zealand 

After competing in the scouting scrimmages and

demonstrating great playmaking ability and speed,

Koolen made his presence felt in the preseason.

The Iceholes have traditionally never had a clear cut

#2 centre that can add to their high impact

offence. Koolen could be that answer.

THE FARM:The HYDE factor will most definately have

an impact here. Reigning FHL Top Defenceman Paul Hyde

and daughters 2-Time BHL Champion & 2017  FHL

Goaltender of the Year Lochlyn Hyde and returning

BHL veteran Alex Hyde will help lead the Fishticks

in 2018 as they shoot to land a spot in the Frontyard Finals.

Fishsticks Roster= http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488103

 

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LES PYLONES

Skill and comeraderie are Les Pylones formula for

success. The red machine has been the team that

always competes hard and enjoys playing as a unit.

After landing perennial BHL Allstars Robbie Chamberlain

and league MVP Tim McKay in the draft the Red

Machine is poised to make a run to the finals for t

he 3rd time in 5 years.

Forwards:

Logan Gilliard*- Tim McKay - Robbie Chamberlain

Ivan Kitslitskiy - Shawn Cormier* - Vadim Novikov

Daren Spencer - Richard DeVere - Gary Goodall

Defencemen:

Russell Black     Dmitriy Chaykovskiy

Sean Fullan*    Phil Lyle

Marius Krikstanairis*    Chris Jefferies

FHL Reserves:

Phil Lyle      Daren Spencer

Goaltender:

Tony Simmis

BURNING QUESTION: Can the Red Machine Return

to thier post-season form from year's past, retain some

of that magic from last year's postseason and become

the first BHL team to claim two Backyard Cups ?

ONE TO WATCH:

Logan Gillard - F - Canada

Gilly has been dominant in the SNC season since

arriving in the country. Being paired with Chamberlain

and McKay could prove to be a lethal recipe for opponents.

If he can adjust his game to suit the BHL style he has

the Hockey IQ & skill set to completely take over games.

THE FARM: Les Cones recieved an overhaul and will

be a much improved team for  the Frontyard's 2nd

season. The rentention of several core players to the

squad and the addition Inaugural FHL Champions Rachel

Park, Stu Sontier and goaltender Janet Kidd will be an

integral part of the rebuild as the Red Machines affiliate

moves forward.

Les Cones Roster=

http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488104

 

 

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TOE DRAGONS

The Toe Dragons made a major overhaul of their

roster this season after losing BHL 2-time MVP

Justin Daigle in the 2017 Entry Draft. Somehow,

the Dragons brass was able to not only improve but

bolster thier lineup dispite the loss of such a significant contributer. The development of players like Wesley Binedell, Mike Harvey & Adam Laycock has benfited

the Dragons and the addition of a few perennial BHL

playmakers such as Ice Blacks Jordon Challis and

Gareth McLiesh will only further thier development

moving forward.

Forwards:

Sam Kay - Jordan Challis  - Shaun Dickinson

Johnnie Andrews-Nye - Taylor Campbell - Adam Laycock

Taylor Campbell - Rob Morse - Willy Noy

Defencemen:

Alex Luggen *   Gareth McLeish*

Evan Terlesk    Karl Parker

Mike Harvey   Jordan Hills

FHL Reserves:

Mike Harvey   Jordan Hills

Goaltenders:

Greg Davis*

Shawn Henry*

BURNING QUESTION: After a complete franchise

change and the  revamping 3/4 of last years roster in

the draft will the changes change thierpost season

fortunes and allow them to raise the silver chalice for

the 2nd time in 4 years ?

ONE TO WATCH:

Alex Luggen - F - Canada

Luggen is a playmaker pure and simple and it

was the Toe Dragons who benefitted when BHL Veteran

Elliot Osbourne was forced to withdrawl from Season 5 due to injury. GM Mike Harvey was quick to sign the BHL Free Agent following the draft  . Alex will instantly become the newest version of a true quarterback of the Dragons offensive attack.

THE FARM: 

Familiar faces will adorn the Tip Insects roster in 2018. 

The reunion will see 8 roster spots filled by members of

the 2014 / 2015 Backyard Cup Championship team.

The team will also have a large upgrade in net as Gregg

Franco will find himself backstopping the club. Can

comeraderie prevail and reignite the winning ways for

the Toe Dragons affiliate ? That remains to be seen.

Tip Insects Roster: http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488106

 

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LES CASTORS

After raising the Cup in 2016, Les Castors entire

franchise turned in its worst performance to date in

2017. One year later, with a new GM and excutive

team installed, the Beavers look poised to return

to the Finals. Newly added Captains Joe Durie and

Ian Wannamaker have helped to revamp a roster

that is now bursting at the seams with offensive

explosiveness, extreme depth and featuring one

of the premier goaltenders in the country in Csaba

Kerco-Magos Jr. Season 5 will also mark the return

of  BHL Co-Founder and Les Castors founder,

Benji Potvin. Potvin returns after a 2 year absence

and will hope to get his name etched into the cup

as a player for the first time.

Forwards:

Ian Wannamaker - Eric DeWit* - Fraser Ellis*

Benji Potvin - Matt Fuscic - Mike Dobbs

Sam Pillidge - Sean Abe - Darcy Keane

Defencemen:

Joe Durie     Richard Cowsill

Hamish Lewis   Matt Gaffikin*

Alain Giauque   Chris Grisdale

Goaltender:

Csaba Kersco-Magos Jr.

FHL RESERVES:

Darcy Keane   Alain Giauque

BURNING QUESTION: Can the Beavers overcome

the high expectations and projections, adapt to a

bunch of changes to thier roster and return to the 

Backyard Cup Finals ?

ONE TO WATCH: 

Eric DeWit - F - Canada

A candidate for BHL Rookie of the Year right out of the gate, DeWit will be tested this season to maintain his ridiculous point totals since entering the SNC hockey world. If he can power through the Backyard with the same ease, the Beavers will again be a very dangerous team to play night in and night out.

THE FARM:

Improvement should be the easiest thing for Les

Bucherons this season. The Lumberjacks 2017

Season was one of nightmares for the club as they

posted a miserable 1-11 regular season followed by

a first round playoff exit. Thankfully the new Beavers

brass have taken care of thier little brothers as well

as them selves as the new look farm club features 3

top level SNC Players and even one of the New Zealand

Ice Fernz in Jaime Jones. Newly minted co- captain

Curtis Crosswhite will tend to the netminding duties

after several years serving in the BHL and FHL as a player.

Les Bucherons Roster =   

 http://esportsdesk.com/leagues/stats_1team.cfm?clientid=5857&leagueID=23670&teamID=488102

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