Bliznak's back!!!!

[N.W. Bruin]

By Joey Kenward-Voice of the Giants)

The Vancouver Giants have been informed forward MARIO BLIZNAK (left) will be returning to the hockey club. The 20 year-old centre was assigned to the Giants this morning by the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Bliznak will be entering his third season with the Giants. The native of Trencin, Slovakia appeared in 47 regular season games last year, scoring eight goals and 14 assists. In 22 playoff games, he tallied six goals and six assists. During the Memorial Cup, Bliznak had one goal and six assists in five games.

"We're very excited to have Mario return to our hockey club," says Giants General Manager Scott Bonner. "He has enjoyed great success with our organziation the past few seasons and definitely knows what is expected of him every game. We look forward to seeing Mario play a huge role for our team this season."

Bliznak was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft (7th round, 205th overall). He also represented Slovakia last winter at the 2007 World Junior Championships.

Bliznak will be in the Giants line-up Friday October 5 when Vancouver plays host to the Chilliwack Bruins.

[old_time_hockey]

:groovy: Right on! :groovy:

[Smalltime]

Awesome news. I can't wait to see him on Friday.

[jason hardole]

Blizznak is back and supposedly Lucic is still with the bruins but will most likely be returned to the Giants....

So which forwards will be lost in the shuffle?

Evander Kane - Not a Chance
James Wright Not a Chance

Piluso- Possible
Cunningham- Possible
Hunt-POssible

[dondo]

Kraus was already lost in the shuffle :D

So that fills our OA and our Euro spot.. he better be worth it :thumb:

[Giants_24]

Blizznak is back and supposedly Lucic is still with the bruins but will most likely be returned to the Giants....

So which forwards will be lost in the shuffle?

Evander Kane - Not a Chance
James Wright Not a Chance

Piluso- Possible
Cunningham- Possible
Hunt-Possible

Are you kidding me? Hunt is possibly one of the best players on the Giants. Sure, he doesn't rack up the points like anyone else, but you can guarantee that every shift he takes will be entertaining, energy-filled, and a boost for the team.

Quite honestly, you can't take Cunningham out either. He's a great player, and is developing a lot.

The only one there is Piluso.

[rinkrat]

Are you kidding me? Hunt is possibly one of the best players on the Giants. Sure, he doesn't rack up the points like anyone else, but you can guarantee that every shift he takes will be entertaining, energy-filled, and a boost for the team.

Quite honestly, you can't take Cunningham out either. He's a great player, and is developing a lot.

The only one there is Piluso.

Piluso played great in Chilliwack last game. It was all his work that resulted in the first goal by Cloud. It could be Henry that gets re assigned.

[Beaner]

I don't think the Giants are done yet. I have a feeling Wuchterl will get moved for an overage Dman.

I just dont see the need for 2 overagers who play the same role in Hunt and Wuchterl. And Hunt isn't going anywhere.

[rinkrat]

I don't think the Giants are done yet. I have a feeling Wuchterl will get moved for an overage Dman.

I just dont see the need for 2 overagers who play the same role in Hunt and Wuchterl. And Hunt isn't going anywhere.

It'd be a tough trade to pull off as teams are trying to unload 20's. Maybe Wookie for a 19 y/o D man. Or maybe we get another player returned from pro. Its definately silly season.

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=a0301661-40fc-4957-a164-a6185142d67a


Bliznak bounces back to Giants
Slovak centre assigned by Manitoba Moose

Gary Kingston, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007

NEXT GAME

Friday vs. Chilliwack Bruins

7:30 p.m. at Pacific Coliseum

The Vancouver Giants filled their open import and 20-year-old spots with the same guy Tuesday.

Slovakian centre Mario Bliznak, a terrific checking centre who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NHL draft by the Vancouver Canucks, was assigned to the WHL Giants by the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

"We're glad to have Mario back," said Giants' head coach Don Hay. "You look at the improvements he showed throughout last year, he was very strong for us in the playoffs and very good in the Memorial Cup."

Bliznak had a goal and six assists in five Memorial Cup games after tallying six goals and six assists in the WHL playoffs.

While he has only 17 goals and 43 points in 116 regular-season games, Hay said the six-foot, 200-pounder has some offensive upside. He'll play on a line with Michael Repik, the Giants' leading scorer, and skilled 16-year-old Evander Kane.

"We'll give him a little more of an offensive-type role. There's no reason why he couldn't score 20 goals. He scored a big one for us in the Memorial Cup final. He's got to bear down and go in those dirty areas, but he's proven that he'll do that.

"In talking to the Canucks, we know they'd like to see him get better in that area."

Bliznak will be in the lineup Friday when Vancouver, 4-0-0-1, plays host to the Chilliwack Bruins.

"I'm sure his heart was set on playing pro, but he's coming back to a place he's familiar with," said Hay. "There might be a little adjustment time, but a good year getting stronger in juniors will really help him next year."

Meanwhile, Hay said he'll give his players a chance to express their opinion in a vote before he ultimately decides who replace Milan Lucic as captain. Lucic, 19, is starting the season in the NHL with the Boston Bruins.

garykingston@hotmail.com




© The Vancouver Sun 2007

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=5ccbd1fc-88e5-479e-b94b-03be5c842305


Bliznak's return good news
Slovak centre back to G-men after AHL re-assignment

Steve Ewen, The Province
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Michal Repik feels bad for Mario Bliznak and glad for himself all the same time.

Bliznak, a 20-year-old Slovak centre, was re-assigned Tuesday to the Vancouver Giants from the Vancouver Canucks' AHL farm team in Manitoba, meaning that Czech right-winger Repik has one of his closest friends and favourite linemates back.

"It would have been better for him to stay and play in Manitoba, but after I heard he was being sent down I was happy," said Repik, 18. "We lived together last year and had lots of fun. Hopefully, we can do the same thing and we're looking forward to playing together, too.

We play well together because we like to pass. He's good defensively and I'm going to help him be better offensively.

"I'm excited he's back. The team is better with him, for sure. He's a good centre man for us. We were waiting for him. We're going to have a good time and a good season."

Things had been awfully good for Repik already this year. He was shut out in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Chilliwack Bruins, but he was still tied for third in league scoring going into games Tuesday night, on the strength of the two goals and seven assists he produced in the first four games.

He had been teaming with Evander Kane to flank Mitch Czibere on a line, but maybe as processor to Bliznak's impending return coach Don Hay had Czibere skating between Chris Cloud and James Henry at practice Tuesday. Mike Piluso, who has been rotating with Henry in and out of the lineup, was centring Kane and Repik yesterday.

Hay, of course, mixes up his lines frequently and winger Mike Wuchterl, who has been on the Cloud line, also missed practice Tuesday to get his wisdom teeth out.

The defensively conscious Bliznak finished last season on a shutdown line, playing between Spencer Machacek and Kenndal McArdle, but he excelled on Vancouver's top scoring unit just before Christmas, centring Repik and Milan Lucic.

"Everybody watches stats, but if you're watching Mario you have to watch him close and see him lots of times before you can really say what kind of player he is," Repik said of Bliznak, who had eight goals and 14 assists in 47 regular-season games last year.

"He's great defensively. He's great on faceoffs and penalty killing. The only thing is that he probably needs to be better offensively."

Most WHL onlookers figured that Bliznak, a seventh-round pick of the Canucks in 2005, was on his way to the Giants when they opened up both an overage spot and an import post by dealing centre Tim Kraus and defenceman Juraj Valach last week. Giants GM Scott Bonner insists that he wasn't sure about Bliznak until Tuesday.

It was still a big deal to the players. Defenceman Jon Blum proclaimed, "Good news, good news, boys," to the high school-aged players when they showed up for practice.

"He fits in," said Blum. "The guys are excited to get him back."

steve.ewen@gmail.com




© The Vancouver Province 2007