A New Bunch of Superstars

[mzator21]

Interview With Matthew Zator

Welcome to Sportsnet's Junior Report! We are live with top CHL prospect Matthew Zator a member of the east leading Niagara Ice Dogs.

How's it going Matthew?

I am great!

How exciting is it being one of the top teams in the CHL and one of the favorites to win the Memorial Cup?

It's very exciting! Our line has produced a lot so far, Macdonald and Geradi have been playing great. Chemistry is definitely starting to form and we hope to keep it going. It's still a long way to the Memorial Cup and a lot can happen between now and then. We have to keep our noses to the grindstone and keep having success

Coming into the season, you said that you were primarily a playmaker. But so far you have four goals tied for second on the team. How do you equate the success you are having in the goal scoring department so far?

I have great line mates as I've said before. I'm also trying to become more well rounded as a player being a threat passing as well as shooting. But definitely Macdonald and Geradi have helped a lot.

The second line seems to be producing a lot more then the first line right now. Is that a product of not playing against the top defenders every night?

It could be a contributing factor, but that is a mark of a championship team. Having two threatening lines wins Memorial Cups. I don't look at ourselves as a second line but a 1b. I'm sure Geradi and Macdonald would say the same thing.

Thanks for doing this, and good luck in the next game!

Thanks for having me!

[mzator21]

@M_Zat98 : TyGeradi28 : @N_Mac_#17 We have been really producing lately! Let's keep it going next game! Let's all try to score a goal!

[TubeStorm]

@Z_Nelson#21 Hope I get drafted first hyped about it!

[TubeStorm]

With Zack-Attack:


How do you feel being one of the top scorer's on the team?:
Feels pretty good to be a top scorer and I hope to continue

Do you think you will be one of the top scorer's at the end of the season?:
I don't know but I have a chance.


You can buy Ice Dog's Merchandise online and at the arena

Thanks for taking some time Zack

Thanks for having me

[devo22]

@Rob_Miller_13
great atmosphere in the locker room, all the guys are so fired up - winning makes a lot of things easier ... let's go all the way boys! #winning

[seb170455]

Mart Smeets of Studio Sport (Netherlands) interviewed Sascha Jansen, to update the Dutch people.

Mart Smeets:

Sascha, how did you like the CHL till now?

Sascha Jansen:

I am having the time of my life right now, here at Niagara. I'm with the top team in the OHL. I have a couple of very good teammates here with the Ice Dogs. Couldn't be better actually.

Mart Smeets:

Are there any players you like?

Sascha Jansen:

I am a big fan of Jagr, Crosby, Datsyuk, Malkin,...

Mart Smeets:

Hahaha, no. I mean at the Ice Dogs?

Sascha Jansen:

OOOOH. We have a good team. My linemate Oleksiak has a +/- of 10, which is great. At this moment the 2nd line is very hot. Zator, Geradi and MacDonald are rockin it right now. Nelson is having a good year as well with 11 points. The first line good be better, but Bellini, Mettler and Noah are playing with great effort and I'm sure they will get it on. The defense is on the right track right now, with (1st line) the great smurf Miller and Lusak combining for 43 hits and 8 points. It's a great team on the right track.

Mart Smeets:

How do you grade your own hockey right now?

Sascha Jansen:

I have 5 assists till now. That's not to bad. A plus/minus of +8 is not bad at all. Only my PIMS of 31 is much too high. I had a few bad penalties, but , in my defense, some penalties were up for discussion. But down the stretch I shouldn't be penalized this much. This is one of the areas I want to work on. I have to develop as much as possible. This team gives me many opportunities to develop my own game and make it to the big leagues.

Mart Smeets:

Thanks for the update and good luck in future games.

[nz2407]

After ten in the season we decided to have a little talk with Maus Noah. Noah plays on the 1st line of the Niagara Ice Dogs. The 6'3 power winger had a slow start to the season, with only 1 goal and 1 assist. His plus minus is even. He has 10 hits so far. Noah told us, he's been happy at the team. Noah would have liked better numbers, but his best number is the number 1 position on the standings. Noah feels that the team effort has been great and they will keep on going. #76 wants to contribute more, but feels his abilities are getting better as he is learning from the other players and experiences of the past games. Noah wants to lifts his game so that Bellini and Mettler can profit and reap the benefits.

[SENS_AK27]

September 20th, 2011
By: Ed O'Harris

Earlier in the month we did a segment on Nathan MacDonald, a Halifax born player currently playing for the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs. In that article, I mentioned that I'd be following his season tracking his performance leading up to the draft. Well, it would appear his stellar play thus far through 10 games has garnered the attention of someone else, that someone is none other then the Iconic Don Cherry. Cherry, who is never afraid of bringing exposure to many of Canada's top young talents used some time on Hockey Night in Canada to sing the praises of the young forward. The following is an excerpt from the intermission show 'Coaches Corner'

Quote:

Cherry: Boys, I'll tell yah, there is a young kid now playing for Niagara that is just ripping it up down there. Now he's some kind of hockey player, my type of guy not only can he score but he'll also bang bodies and play defense. I just wanted to be the first to say that this kid is a real gem and he is going to make some NHL team really happy. Maclean: Don, who were you saying he reminds you of? Cherry: Now I don't believe in labels, as each player is his own person but boy I'll tell you he looks like the 2nd coming of a young Steve Yzerman. MacLean: That's a pretty big comparison but we'll leave it at that, but maybe he'll catch Lightning in a bottle this season and be drafted by Tampa Bay come this June. Cherry: *Gives a Big Thumbs Up*

Cherry wasn't far off when he said that MacDonald was off to a hot start. Now with 10 games played he leads the team in goals with 6, tied with 2 others for the team lead in points, 3rd in plus/minus rating, and 2nd on the team in hits. If the young forward could keep this up he easily could be a top 5 pick at this years draft.