And because the lockout is ongoing in the NHL, I will remain committed to hockey (after all, this is a predominantly hockey blog, as the name suggests), so in an effort to expand horizons, I will attempt to cover the Western Hockey League happenings (hopefully without bias). This week, the Edmonton Oil Kings will begin the defense of their Ed Chynoweth Trophy on Thursday against the 2011 Ed Chynoweth Trophy winners in the Kootenay Ice. Laurent Brossoit, Martin Gernat, and Griffin Reinhart are the backbone of a defense that was very good on the way to dominating the Eastern Conference. Michael St. Croix was the leading scorer last season, and he will return to lead an offense that led the Conference in goals scored. A full season of Henrik Samuelsson will improve the team's toughness up front.
Kootenay will be looking to improve an offense that fell off the map last season. If the team is looking to improve its offense, Sam Reinhart (Griffin's younger brother) will be the guy to lead them. He looks like a lock to do so, and will likely be a first round pick in the 2013 NHL draft.
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