St. Louis Jr. Blues (14-4-0-0, 28 pts) vs. Cincinnati Thunder (7-11-0-0, 14 pts)
VENUE: South Metro Sports, Centerville, Ohio
GAME TIMES: November 26 at 6:00 PM, November 27 at 12:00 PM (all times Central)
WHERE TO FOLLOW: All Jr. Blues games are streamed live on HockeyTV.com (subscription required). On Twitter, follow @JrBluesGameday for live updates.
WHO’S HOT FOR THE JR. BLUES: While all skaters that played in last weekend’s sweep of Chicago came away with at least one point, Nick Balestra (Ballwin, Mo.) stood out with eleven points (5 goals, 6 assists) for the series.
FREEZE IT: This weekend’s results will be the final determinant as to who the Jr. Blues will play at the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minn. beginning December 16. This year’s format will pit teams from other divisions against each other based on position in the standings, so as it stands the Jr. Blues will face three other teams who are at the top of their respective divisional tables. The full schedule reveal takes place on November 30.
#BESTRONG29: The St. Louis Jr. Blues, the Missouri hockey community, and junior hockey as a whole send their thoughts and prayers to Mick Deaver and his family. Deaver, originally from Columbia, Mo., broke his C5 vertebrae in a freak collision while playing for the Boston Bandits of the EHL Elite League last weekend. Mick’s injury hit close to home for the Jr. Blues organization, as he played in the Affton CSDHL program with multiple current and former Jr. Blues, and was regarded as both a great player and an even better teammate. The Deaver family has set up a GoFundMe site to help defray the costs of dealing with such an injury: we ask that you please visit it for updates on his condition, as well as to donate.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Thunder come into this weekend’s series off of a sweep at their in-state rival Wooster, winning 3-2 on Saturday and taking a 1-0 overtime decision on Sunday. Topping the scoring sheet for Cincy is Cameron Sangster, who has 17 points (9 G, 8A).
JUNIOR NOTES: The entire Jr. Blues organization congratulates assistant coach/strength and conditioning coordinator CJ Jung and his wife Kelsey, who are expecting a baby girl. This will be the couple’s first child.
