Free time isn't easy to come by when you're a professional hockey player. You're suiting up for more than 60 minutes on game day. There's daily practices, not so optional skates, game tape review, and more. Then there's the requirements that aren't even hockey related, such as charity work or visiting children in hospitals.
Karl Hefeweizen, rookie defenseman for the Detroit Falcons, doesn't have a lot of free time these days. What time he does have, however, he's beginning to spend on an interesting hobby away from the game.
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"It's called falconry," Karl laughed while hoisting a massive bird of prey on a gloved hand. "They're magnificent creatures that are smart and deadly, and excellent companions." Falconry has a long history as a hunting sport with humans, but it's a recent adoption for Karl. "I have to be honest, a buddy asked me about it and I only thought twice because I'm a falcon now too." Karl enjoys the training and bonding parts of the sport more than the actual hunt. "I'll just go to Whole Foods or whatever, I don't need him to catch me anything. Still, dude loves to hunt."
When asked about his plans for falconry, Karl just laughed and said he'd see where it takes him. "I won't be a falcon forever, but for now it's nice to have a pet and Falco seems to enjoy the company too."
Kelowna, BC - Fans from around the league, and now more specifically in Kelowna, have taken a lot of interest in SMJHL rookie Nour Harrak, since his rise of media attention in the Prospect Showcase this year and more recently through his first 8 games as a member of the Knights. Harrak, as a sniper, has generated a lot of hype for his on-ice performance, but off the ice he might just be one of the more unique prospects in this year’s draft class. Besides a passion for gaming and comic collecting, the Kelowna right winger takes time to regularly participate in Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments around the area. “Once I had gotten settled into Kelowna after the draft, I immediately searched for the local card shops in the area to get a feel for some of the regulars.†Harrak said, “I’ve been duelling since I was a kid, its always been very fun for me to do and I’ll continue to do it into the future!â€. Harrak has already started to become a big part of the Yu-Gi-Oh community in Kelowna, regularly visiting Dragon Cards, Games and Collectibles for some friendly competition. “I mostly run a Dark Magician deck with a few tweaks to some of the support cards I use, I always get a lot of help from other players too when I visit.†Harrak also mentioned. In the offseason, he plans to host a Yu-Gi-Oh fan tournament, with proceeds from entry fees and tickets going towards funding for after school programs in local Kelowna Elementary Schools, with more details to be revealed through his Twitter page.
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**First GM in SMJHL history to win 3 Four Star Cups back-to-back-to-back**
Joseph Lombardi is regarded as one of the steals of this year's draft. The 16-year-old RW was known for lighting it up in high school at Eastern Regional in Voorhees, New Jersey. His HS coach Erik Forster said that his former star "has great potential and will become a future star." On the ice, Lombardi is known as a sniper who's known for his shooting. He also is a good skater who can handle the puck well and pass when needed. Off the ice, he's known as a great teammate who is easy to get along with and a player with a bright future. Lombardi loves listening to music and his favorite band is Coldplay. He also enjoys playing video games with friends and watching sports on TV, in particular the SMJHL and SHL. He's friends with many of his teammates and some other players as well. His teammates Finn Jakobsen, Louie Garrett, and Roman Augustus are some of his closest friends, and they can often be seen playing video games in the locker room. Halifax rookies Cloud McCarthy and Cody Fletcher are also friends with Lombardi and hang out whenever they can see each other. Overall, this exciting young prospect looks to have a bright future and if he lives up to his potential could be a first-round pick in the SHL draft.
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Mook Registered
S22, S32, S34, S40, S42,S52 Challenge Cup Champion
Casey Creller is one of the newest additions to the Colorado Mammoths. While his on-ice performance has been lackluster in terms of offense, he certainly holds his own when it comes to defending his net. The rookie is certainly making his impact for the team and finally notched his first ever goal in his 10th game. When we asked him what his plans to celebrate, he pulled out a small piece of paper, looked to be cut out of a magazine. Slowly unfolding the page, he spoke "I've had my eyes on this beauty ever since it was released a month ago." Holding up a picture of a small doll, wearing a hockey helmet and a jersey. A big smile came across his face "It's a Casey Creller doll!" He began to go in depth about how he collects a new line of dolls that are based off of players in the SHL and SMJHL. "Currently I have 43 of these bad boys, and they are bringing out the S35 SMJHL rookies now. Gotta collect them all!" For a big man like Creller, it definitely is weird to see him obsessed with such a childlike hobby such as doll collecting, but hey, to each his own. There could be worse things
Now a starter for the Detroit Falcons, the young Russian is adjusting to life being on the big show. You will not hear much about Evgueni Marmeladov as he tends to be pretty quiet and always sporting a hoodie and huge smile underneath it. What does he do outside of the rink? “If we have couple days off I’ll invite some of my teammates over for a movie night or some video games. I’m definitely into gaming just can't stay up all night like I used or coach will give me an ear fullâ€. Privately he enjoys listening to music, “I like genre pretty much all across the board, from ambient, metal (yea even death), rap, and pop. Can’t get into country thoughâ€. Russian rookie also loves to be with his Boxer named Chloe and go try out the sushi places around his apartment. “Ohh I love sushi! We should go after this haha. I’m not just a casual sushi eater that only eats california rolls either. I go for real stuff you know? I’ll eat octopus, squid, fish eggs and honestly...dont tell my team...but honestly sea urchin is deliciousâ€. Quite understandable why Evgueni would want to keep that...flavor(?) a secret from the rest of his team.
On the ice, Yuri Boyka Jr. is a offensive machine that has the skills and raw talent to surpass his father,Yuri Boyka. However, when not on the ice, the kid is the complete opposite of what you would expect in a professional hockey player. During his free time, he loves to be around with his friends. That may sound normal at first, but reports have shown that this Russian dangler was once seen in a nightclub with taking cocaine. When asked, he completely denied it and said he was just having fun with baby powder. Now, who does this immature kid take for a fool. Although he does dumb things like this, the kid does have a heart. He sponsored a charity for kids with cancer. He now runs his own charity and may have started loving the Russian due to this. They let him slide by when he wrongs just because of the good deeds he has also done to the society. Boyka Jr. loves to party like his old man. He loves being in a crowd and being the center of attention. He holds the title of beer monster just cuz he can gulp it down like water. In fact, his regular routine before a game is to chug down a 350 ml Russian Vodka. Just like there is drunken fighting, he believes in a weird form of hockey called drunken hockey. This allows him to slide by just any defender with his odd movements and along with his puck handling and scoring touches, he becomes a deadly wapon on the ice. Well that is all for the soon to be Russian superstar for now, stay tuned for another article next week on how he was reportedly seen with Kim K in her house.
Ted Glass interviewed by Halifax beat writer, Manny Dethane.
Dethane: Let's get this party started! t's the middle of summer. Where are you? What are you doing with your off time?
Glass: I usually spend my summers training in the same town the team is in, but I took a long weekend in Florida this past weekend, so that's where I am now. In addition to training, I like spending time on the beach, hiking, and playing sports with my friends.
MD: Well, as a follow up, what sports, other than hockey, do you play?
TG: I enjoy kicking around a soccer ball, and I've always loved playing pickup football, volleyball, or whatever everyone else is playing. I actually grew up playing soccer, it wasn't until high school that I found hockey.
MD: What are some of your hobbies?
TG: Weightlifting is one of my favorite hobbies, to be honest. There's nothing like the rush after a good workout, and I love being able to see my progress. I also like to do a bit of woodworking, making furniture and such. It's not something that I'm super good at, but it's relaxing and rewarding,
MD: What's your favorite wood working project you've completed? Any woodworking projects coming up?
TG: My favorite project has been the minibar that I made, and boy has it come in handy! Gotta store all that Raider rum somewhere. My next project is a captain's wheel that I'm going to hang somewhere in either my abode or in the team's facility.
MD: What's your favorite game at the summer Olympics?
TG: My favorite game at the summer Olympics is Tennis, because of how competitive and heated they get!
MD: Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for your responses!
Today we sit down for an interview with Lizzy Jukka of the vancouver Whalers:
Interviewer: Hi Lizzy, thanks for joining us
lizzy: Thanks for having me
interviewer: Are you enjoying your time in vancouver so far?
lizzy: vancouver has been great, the weather is nice here and Im liking the night life a bit more than I did in st louis. It is a pretty big city which im not really used to, but everyone seems so friendly and im enjoying it
interviewer: What do you see yourself doing when you're not playing hockey?
lizzy: Ive always ridden horses since I was a kid and I really enjoy doing that as much as I can. I used to do barrel racing, but haven't had as much time for it now with my summer training regiment for hockey
interviewer: I know it's during the season right now, but in the off-season, do you see yourself staying in vancouver?
Lizzy: Ill probably go home to Finland to visit my family and ride my horses. I really like it here but there isn't as much room to move around and get out into the open fields when your living in a city
Chuck Bernstein is a monster of a man with a horrible accent. On the ice they know him as the hard hitting two-way forward, currently tied for first on the team with a solid +1 and tied for 2nd in goals with 4. But off the ice, you can see Chuck with a bit of a softer side. He tells us that his favorite activity is just kicking back with a nice, ice-cold glass of water and playing with his cats. It's a great way to unwind and think about how simple life is. He'll usually end his night playing some videogames with his teammates and bitching about how SMJHL 17 has his stats wrong, but all in all, Chuck enjoys the quiet life. Cats, water, hockey, and video games. This young skater has really gotten close with his teammates as well. He's always working to arrange sleepovers with his draft-mate Fletcher. "We're like twins, you know? We got drafted together, back to back. I'm the higher draft pick, so he looks up to me, but I let him make the decisions once and a while." The Raiders have some of the best team chemistry among their rookies and it really shows. Winning 3 games early in the season in a rebuild year shows the amount of grit and guts this team has on and off the ice. And cats.
The crack of rifle and pistol shots fill the air around the outdoor range 30 minutes outside of Prince George. Colton Hagan smiles as he carries two bags towards an open lane. Ever since he hit his teenage years, Hagan had loved to shoot, and the relocation to Prince George to play Major Junior hockey had only forced him to find yet another shooting range. "The only shitty thing," Hagan said as he set the bags down,"is that I had one hell of a time getting them in here and getting my licenses set up with the RCMP." It's not surprising that Hagan is one of the many Americans that love to shoot - especially given his roots. "I bought my first rifle on my 18th birthday, and I was shooting years before that, even with the constant travel from travel hockey and juniors." He unzips the larger of the two bags, revealing an AR-15. As he takes it out of the bag, he remarks,"Favorite rifle to shoot right here. Something about it is just fun." He loads his magazine into the rifle, then pulls the bolt back and looks downrange. He looses his first round of the day, then pauses and smiles. "Dead center."
Inari Twain has made a life in hockey, even at the age of 19, out of defying expectations. Standing short at only 5’9â€, Twain’s drafting in the 9th round wasn’t unexpected or bothersome to the feisty Finn. In fact, Inari welcomed the late round selection by the Vancouver Whalers. “I’ve always said I preferred a challenge. I welcome it for myself, my future.â€
Sure enough, Twain has always been a late bloomer, as he recalls, only just recently getting his growth spurt to his current height. Nevertheless, Twain is known for his aggressive work ethic, and powerful stride, something he honed skating up and down the hills in his hometown on rollerblades. Unconventional? Yes, but so are Inari’s outlooks on his drafting. “I didn’t expect to even get drafted, so now I know who is in my corner, you know? I know who believed in me day one. There is not a lot of ways you can get that kind of knowledge and support in life. I welcome it, and I am excited about the chance to be part of an organization that has already given me so much.â€
Twain looks to be part of an exciting Vancouver Whalers team that should cause fits for every other team in the SMJHL. If Twain can keep his determination, he just might reward the Whalers with a coveted late draft steal.
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