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Plymouth Olympic rink new home for USRBL

US Rink Bandy League Primed for 2014 Season

By USA Bandy, 05/05/14, 11:15PM CDT

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2014 USRBL schedule announcement.

The United States Rink Bandy League (USRBL) is excited to announce the schedule of play for the 2014 season. 

This year’s competition for the Cannon Cup promises to feature thrilling battles on the ice every single week of the summer. Play kicks off on Monday June 2nd at Braemar Arena in Edina, with the Cannon Cup Championship Final being contested on Monday, August 18th at Plymouth Ice Center. 

The USRBL league calendar is located on the USA Bandy website http://www.usabandy.com . Instructions to creating a customized calendar for your team is at the bottom of the page, and includes the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds to your desktop, calendar and smartphone.

The 2014 campaign will see a few changes coming off a very successful 2013 season. The main venue for regular season match ups will shift from the Bloomington Ice Garden to the Plymouth Ice Center. Monday nights will feature triple header match ups on the Olympic sized Rink A at Plymouth. In an effort to increase exposure and accommodate players from all over the metro area, several feature games will be competed in Minneapolis at Augsburg College Rink A and Parade Ice Garden in addition to the City of Edina at Braemar Arena. 

As the already successful on ice product continues to improve, the 2014 season will see very few adjustments to the game itself. Head of Officials, Tim Roth and Kevin Bowen will once again be in charge of the referees and game integrity. With their combined 40+ years bandy experience, the USRBL is in good hands. The only change of note; a hanging ‘goal drapery’ inside each net will be introduced and adopted by the league for the 2014 season. This will limit/eliminate situations where a ball is shot in and rebounds out of the net so quickly that it is extremely difficult for the players and officials to tell if a correct goal has occurred.

The Rink Bandy League will welcome its 10th team into the mix this year, as the Saints will be fielding a team for the summer season. All 10 teams competing this season will offer bandy and hockey talent from the highest levels.  

The Saints, made up of primarily younger players, is largely a product of Chris Middlebrook’s USA bandy factory. Many of the Saints have developed their bandy skills on the big outdoor ice this past season, whilst assisting the Minneapolis Bandolier capture the 2014 Winter Championship Gunnar Cup.  

It would be fair to state that The Orioles are the team to beat entering the 2014 season. The Orioles, last season’s Cannon Cup champions, came together at just the right time, and had a roster loaded with talent which carried them to the title. Player/Manager BJ Bayers is at the helm of the Orioles once again, with playoff MVP Andy Sackrison looking to build on a dominating 2013 playoff performance.

Summer bandy powerhouse Sirius BC won the 2013 regular season title in addition to the  2011 and 2012 Cannon Cups. Sirius BC features some of the most accomplished USA bandy veterans the sport has to offer; including John Jensen, John Kuzara, and Hokan Almstrom.

USA Bandy Legend Chris Halden will look to build off a regular season 2nd place finish in 2013 with his Minnehaha Maulers. Archie Skalbeck (Hopkins HS/Colorado College) was a goal scoring machine last year, and is just one of many Mauler weapons. 

The Flying Sparrows saw a franchise resurgence in 2013 with Jeff Arundel stepping in as GM and steadying the ship. Jesse Perron, Chase Nystedt, and Lucas Whelan all had breakout rookie campaigns with the Sparrows. 

2010 Cannon Cup champions Spanky’s United, once again captained by Todd Blackstone, should always be in the mix by the end of the season. Blackstone’s recruitment of elite hockey talent (Jamie McBain, Justin Faulk, Mike Carmen, Ryan Thang) makes a game against Spanky’s something opponents circle on their calendars.   
 
Chris Middlebrook’s primary summer club, Dynamo Washburn, has seen steady improvement the past several summer seasons, with last year’s team closer to pushing for a title. Goalie Anders Jecha between the pipes may well be Dynamo’s ace in the hole for 2014. Last season’s goalie of the year is still getting better. 

After reaching two straight finals in 2011 and 2012, the Mississippi Mojo led by Michael Hosfield and his green army need to find their Mojo early this season if they want to find their way back amongst the top teams. 

The Duluth Tigers have made a few offseason roster moves that team co-chair Davis Plaunt thinks will get them back on top. Plaunt; “Look out for the DulTigers this year, man. We’ve got the personnel to make this thing happen, now we just need to execute.” 

Former US National Team Captain Steve Nelson continues to rebuild the Edina Yaks, blending a mix of cagy bandy veterans with youthful hockey speed and enthusiasm. Yak sniper Bobby Scott has enjoyed a career resurgence of late, and is once again often being mentioned amongst the games elite scorers.

Sharpen your steel, tape your sticks, and hang on – The United States Rink Bandy League’s 2014 season is fast approaching, and it’s going to be a wild ride!