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Sports

 

 

a COMUCKS LOM WET Hodgson on the Rise

 

a

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

look at nearly every star player
in the NHL you can pinpoint
a specific moment, season, or
play that defines their career and
changes them from an average
player into one of the elite. Some
players are drafted into the NHL
already as superstars, while
others develop over the years into
their full potential.

Just look at the Sedin twins,
who have consistently been
among the best NHL players in
the league over the past several
seasons—after many years of
being criticized for not living
up to the hype of being drafted
second and third overall in the
1999 NHL draft. The breakout
year when they officially went
from being dubbed the ‘Sedin
sisters’ to the respected “Swedish
twins’ was back in the 2005-06
season when they were partnered
up with the one-hit-wonder,
Anson Carter. Daniel Sedin
finished that year off with 22
goals 49 assists and 71 points
while brother Henrik had 18-

[ seems as though when you

57-75. That’s quite a jump from
the 42 points that Hank had the
previous year and the 54 points
that Dan had as well. And ever
since that breakout season, both
brothers’ performances and point
totals have grown increasingly
stronger and stronger as the years

 

third—because of the return of the
injured David Booth—tt is quite
evident that the level of pressure
that was shouldered on him

from the start of the season has
disappeared. He is playing like

a different player entirely, with
loads of confidence along with the

“He is playing like a different player entirely, with loads of
confidence along with the instant chemistry he has acquired
with line mates Jannik Hansen, and Mason Raymond, who all

seem to be gelling together at a rapid pace.”

have progressed.

Now in 2012, Canucks
rookie Cody Hodgson—after a
somewhat slow start— has shown
flashes of brilliance as of late with
nine points in his last nine games,
which makes us to believe—like
the twins— that this might indeed
be ius time.

Hodgson, at the tender young
age of 21, could very well be the
next go-to-guy for the Canucks
organization in the foreseeable
future. Ever since he was moved
from the second line to the

instant chemistry he has acquired
with line mates Jannik Hansen,
and Mason Raymond, who all
seem to be gelling together at a
rapid pace.

Saturday afternoon’s match
against the San Jose Sharks was
an entertaining contest which
featured a pair of goals, including
the game winner, by Cody “the
Hog” Hodgson. He banged home
a backhand off of a rebound to
make the score tied at 2-2 in the
second period and then tallied his
second helper of the game in the

third period off of Sharks forward
Michal Handzus to make the
score 4-3.

However, the two goals—as
beautiful and timely as they
were—weren t the major things
that popped out in Cody’s play
in an impressive way. It was the
way he skated with the puck,
the way he made plays with
confidence, and the way that he
carried himself on the ice. This
was the first time that I can mark
seeing the Toronto, Ontario native
playing like a star in this league.
Now, as I said before, there is
always a certain moment that
defines a player’s career either for
the better or the worse... I’m not
saying that Hodgson is now all of
a sudden a bona fide player in the
NHL, but with the way he played
against the Sharks last Saturday
he definitely showed flashes of
one—and that has to count for
something.

Hodgson is on the rise, and
will most likely be in the Canucks
organization for years to come.
Whether those years include
100-point seasons and a Stanley
cup ring... only time will tell.

‘

 

J
19