January 3rd
The Czech Republic suffered a blow today, as team captain, and first line center Lukas Vopelka suffered a neck strain, and will miss the remainder of the tournament! Called in as a replacement player is Victoriaville Tigres center Jan Mandat!
Defenseman Alex Rasner will take over the captaincy, with Patrik Zdrahal, and Matej Lev as Alternates!
IceDogs goaltender Brent Moran has been named to the Team Cherry Roster for the CHL Top Prospects Game!
January 5th
The IceDogs return home to play host to the Sudbury Wolves! Brent Moran stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced, and though the Wolves scored early in the second period to tie the game 3-3, four unanswered IceDogs goals would give them the victory!
Sudbury 3, Niagara 7
Maletta (21) (Masch, Blasby) PP
Maletta (22) (Masch, Haydon) PP
Blasby (15) (Protapovich) PP
Auger (5) (Maletta)
Kelly (5) (Maletta)
Wilkie (7) (Protapovich)
Jarvinen (7) (Maletta)
First star honours would go to Niagara IceDogs center Jordan Maletta, who scored two goals, and three assists! Second star would go to Sudbury Wolves center Connor Crisp, who scored a goal! Third star would go to Niagara IceDogs winger Justin Auger, who scored a goal!
World Junior Championship Quarter-Finals
Switzerland vs. Russia
Russia defeat Switzerland 3-0! First star honours would go to Russian center Vladislav Boyko, who scored two goals, and an assist! Second star would go to Russian goaltender Maxim Tretyak, who posted a 31 save shutout! Third star would go to Russian winger Yevgeni Svechnikov, who scored a goal, and two assists!
Sweden vs. Czech Republic
Czech Republic get ready to play their World Junior Championship Quarter-Final Game against Sweden! Radek Melka stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced, and though Sweden scored at the end of the first to tie the score 3-3, Melka held the line for the last two periods, while the Czechs exploded for seven unanswered goals in a massive blowout upset!
Sweden 3, Czech Republic 10
Musil (2) (Unassisted) SH
Kubalik (1) (Zacha, Karabacek) PP
Karabacek (3) (Klimes)
Hrach (1) (Zacha)
Pyrochta (1) (Karabacek, Musil)
Fiala (2) (Zdrahal, Kepka)
Kubalik (2) (Zacha)
Lev (1) (Karabacek, Klimes)
Kudelka (2) (Musil)
Fiala (3) (Lev) SH
First star honours would go to Czech winger Vaclav Karabacek, who scored a goal, and three assists! Second star would go to Czech center Adam Musil, who scored a goal, and two assists! Third star would go to Czech center Matej Lev, who scored a goal, and an assist!
In Relegation League action, Kazakhstan defeat Finland 3-1, and Latvia and Slovakia battle to a 4-4 draw!
With the trade deadline approaching the IceDogs announce the completion of a deal with the Kitchener Rangers, sending defenseman Vince Dunn, and winger Mitchell Fitzmorris to the Rangers in exchange for the rights to Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington!
Vince Dunn has been doing well at Niagara Icedogs affiliate team St. Catharines Falcons this season, playing in 34 games, and putting up 40 (11+29) points, and is +27, with 60 penalty minutes, but hasn't been able to find his way to the big club where all the defenseman are having solid OHL seasons!
Mitchell Fitzmorris is a gritty winger, who has been playing well for the St. Catharines Falcons this year, playing in 34 games he has put up 31 (17+14) points, and is +14, with 68 penalty minutes! He will be an overage player next year, and doesn't fit in to the IceDogs long term plans, however, he could provide the Rangers with a gritty veteran prescence going towards the playoffs!
Oliver Kylington was the Rangers 1st Round Pick (3rd Overall) in the 2007 CHL Import Draft! Rumours say he wants to play Junior Hockey, but to this point has been hesitant about moving to North America! How the heck does he think he's going to play Junior Hockey without moving to North America?!? He will likely go late in the first round of this summers NHL Entry Draft! He has been playing this season with Farjestad's J20 squad, where in 21 games he has put up 18 (4+14) points, and is +3 with 14 penalty minutes!
The Rangers get a solid defensive prospect, who at this point provides decent depth on the blueline, and a gritty winger that could likely act as their enforcer, as well as playing on a checking line. The IceDogs get the rights to a defenseman who could be a star in this League...of course if he never plays in the League I won't look that smart...
January 6th
The IceDogs head out on the road, travelling to play the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds! Backup goaltender Pierre-Olivier Harper will get the start in goal for Niagara! Pierre-Olivier Harper stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced, and though the Greyhounds scored two early goals, the IceDogs took advantage of some bad goaltending, and dominated the scoring the rest of the game!
Niagara 7, Sault Ste. Marie 3
Mercer (10) (Verhaeghe) SH
Auger (6) (Kelly) SH
Julien (8) (Haydon)
Jarvinen (8) (Unassisted) PP
Blasby (16) (Knott, Bresden)
Maletta (23) (Verhaeghe) SH
Betz (8) (Verhaeghe)
First star honours would go to Niagara IceDogs center Carter Verhaeghe, who recorded three assists! Second star would go to Niagara IceDogs center Jordan Maletta, who scored a goal! Third star would go to Niagara IceDogs defenseman Luke Mercer, who scored a goal!
In Relegation League action, Latvia defeat Kazakhstan 5-4, and Finland defeat Slovakia 4-1!

Latvia and Slovakia have been relegated to the Division 1 World Junior Championship for next year, they will be replaced at next years tournament by Germany and Norway, who won their respective Division 1 Groups this year!
January 7th
World Junior Championship Semi-Finals
Czech Republic vs. Canada
The Czech Republic ready themselves for their World Junior Championship Semi-Final clash with Canada! Radek Melka stopped 35 of the 42 shots he faced before being pulled in favor of Zdislav Rezek, who stopped 4 of 5 shots the rest of the way, as Canada streamrolled over the Czech Republic defense and blitzed the net mercilessly in a complete annihilation! Somehow the Czech Republic were so inept that they only got 2 shots on goal!!!!

Czech Republic 0, Canada 8
First star honours would go to Canadian center Matt Barzal, who scored a hat trick, and two assists! Second star would go to Canadian defenseman Ryan Pilon, who scored a goal, and an assist! Third star would go to Canadian defenseman Roland McKeown, who recorded two assists!
IceDogs winger Brendan Perlini played 9:34, recorded an assist, was +3, and had 2 shots on goal, and a hit for Team Canada as they defeated the Czech Republic 8-0!
Russia vs. USA
USA defeat Russia 4-0! First star honours would go to American center Jack Eichel, who scored two goals! Second star would go to American goaltender Eric Comrie, who posted a 32 save shutout! Third star would go to American winger Nick Schmaltz, who scored a goal!
Niagara IceDogs center Jordan Maletta is named OHL Player of the Week! In 3 games he scored 4 goals, and 4 assists!
Helsingin Jokerit of the Finnish SM-League have won the Continental Cup!
January 8th
IceDogs center Alexander Protapovich will miss 2 weeks with an abdomen injury!
January 9th
World Junior Championship Medal Round
Bronze Medal Game, Russia vs. Czech Republic
The Czech Republic prepare to play the Bronze Medal Game against Russia! Radek Melka stopped 27 of the 32 shots he faced, as Russia both shut down the Czech offense, depleted by the losses of Kopelka, Vrana, and Pastrnak, and got past their defense in a decisive victory!
Russia 5, Czech Republic 0
First star honours would go to Russian center Vladislav Boyko, who recorded four assists! Second star would go to Russian winger Yevgeni Svechnikov, who scored two goals! Third star would go to Russian goaltender Maxim Tretyak, who posted a 19 save shutout!
Gold Medal Game, USA vs. Canada
Canada defeat the USA 5-1! First star honours would go to Canadian winger Nick Ritchie, who scored a hat trick! Second star would go to Canadian center Connor McDavid, who recorded three assists! Third star would go to Canadian defenseman Ryan Pilon, who recorded an assist!
IceDogs winger Brendan Perlini played 13:26, was Even, and had 1 shot on goal for Team Canada as they defeated the USA 5-1!
Bronze: Russia
Silver: USA
Gold: Canada
IceDogs at the World Junior Championship
LW Brendan Perlini, Canada: 6GP, 1G, 2A, 3P, +7, 2 PIM, 6.50 AvR, Gold Medal
GM Mark Addison, Czech Republic: 4th Place


January 10th
The IceDogs remain on the road, travelling to play the Mississauga Steelheads! Brent Moran stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced in the game, but the IceDogs, despite having their fair share of chances, couldn't get one past Mississauga goaltender Spencer Martin!
Niagara 0, Mississauga 2
First star honours would go to Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Spencer Martin, who posted a 29 save shutout! Second star would go to Niagara IceDogs goaltender Brent Moran, who stopped 31 of 33 shots in the loss! Third star would go to Mississauga Steelheads defenseman Frank Hora, who recorded an assist!
January 12th
The IceDogs return home to play host to the North Bay Battalion! Brent Moran stopped only 10 of the 14 shots he faced before being pulled in favor of Pierre-Olivier Harper, who stopped 12 of the 14 shots he faced the rest of the way, and the Battalion took the lead early, and though Niagara battled back, they couldn't quite complete the comeback!
North Bay 6, Niagara 5
Maletta (24) (Blasby, Jarvinen) PP
Jarvinen (9) (Maletta) PP
Todosichuk (4) (Verhaeghe, Wilkie)
Julien (9) (Knott, Mercer)
Shipley (4) (Maletta) SH
First star honours would go to Niagara IceDogs center Jordan Maletta, who scored a goal, and two assists! Second star would go to North Bay Battalion winger Nick Paul, who scored a goal, and an assist! Third star would go to North Bay Battalion winger Michael Amadio, who scored two goals, and an assist!
January 14th
The IceDogs return home to play host to the Mississauga Steelheads! Brent Moran stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced in the game, and the IceDogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and aside from Mississauga breaking the goose egg near the end of the second period, the IceDogs didn't give up an inch the whole game!
Mississauga 1, Niagara 6
Maletta (25) (Mercer) PP
Maletta (26) (Blasby) PP
Verhaeghe (4) (Betz, DiFruscia)
Knott (4) (Todosichuk, Julien)
Jarvinen (10) (Maletta)
Verhaeghe (5) (Masch, Wilkie) PP
First star honours would go to Niagara IceDogs center Jordan Maletta, who scored two goals, and an assist! Second star would go to Niagara IceDogs center Carter Verhaeghe, who scored two goals! Third star would go to Mississauga Steelheads defenseman Conor Cummins, who recorded an assist!
Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian Superleague have won the Euro Champions Cup, defeating the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga 4-3 in a shootout in the final!
Kingston Frontenacs center Ryan Verbeek is named OHL Player of the Week! In 3 games he scored 4 goals, and 5 assists!

