Week 2 Previews
Sharks vs Hawks @ 8:45pm
The Sharks and Hawks will play the first game this week. The Sharks took a loss last week but proved their scoring capabilities to be something to fear. Expect a heavy scoring hand from Musa Bhoola, who will try to weave his way through the Hawks defense. As for the Hawks, they pulled off a W last week through some very disciplined play. They will need to adapt to a much faster paced game this week.
Nordiques vs Bruins @ 9:45pm
The Nords and Bruins will face off in a game that is heavily sought after. The Bruins shocked the league with a complete domination of Game 1. GM Suhaib Shaikh has no doubt drafted a strong team, and goalie Mohammed AK Patel seems unbreakable. As for the Nords, a tough one goal loss will be used as motivation to push forward for a win. Expect them to play some heavy defense.
Falcons vs Jets @ 10:45pm
And to cap off the night, the Falcons and Jets will fight it out in a game that is expected to produce some great hockey. The Falcons are coming off of a strong win, displaying their strengths in Yusuf Ingar and goalie Abbas Shaikh. As for the Jets, some serious doubts have already creeped in on their performance. GM Ricky Saili is expected to use this opportunity to prove pundits wrong.
Week 1 Summaries
Bruins defeat Jets 11-6
Getting the season off to a great start the Bruins and Jets bumped heads at 8:45. Bruins international man of mystery Mhajor Gill was an absolute force, keeping all over the Jets offense. GM Suhaib Shaikh scored the first goal of the season, with Joe Bruno retaliating shortly after. That being said, this was an all Bruins show as Gill scored 4 goals and tallied 3 assists on his MMGL debut. Talk about sleeper pick! GM Ricky Saili had a pair for the Jets but to no avail as they were subdued 11-6. For the first time in a long time, the Jets seem to have no chemistry while the Bruins played like a band of brothers.
Hawks defeat Nordiques 5-4
Next up, the Hawks and Nords went at it in a relatively low scoring game. Aziz Patel of the Nords struck first, tied by Umaar Panchbhaya late in the first. Shoaib Rangrez and Faizan Kazi opened up scoring for the Nords in the second, but the Hawks fought back with a trio of goals thanks to Muhammad Iqbal and Rahman Rana (2). GM Syed Ahmed would help tie things up with 1:50 left in the game. The Hawks would eventually prevail in this game of great skill with a goal from Huzzy Panchbhaya. Hawks win it 5-4 and goalie Ridwaan Khanji wins his first game back in the league.
Falcons defeat Sharks 10-8
The Falcons and Sharks capped the night off in a great back and forth game. Heavily armed with snipers on both sides, this was definitely worth waiting for. Yusuf Ingar opened up scoring for the Falcons. Not to be outdone, Musa Bhoola scored a pair for his team. The Falcons pushed back with a pair from Sufyaan Shaikh and a second from Ingar for the 4-2 lead going into the half. Abbas Shaikh was on point for the night as he made some jaw breaking saves, despite the fact that Bhoola tallied 5 goals on the night. GM Abdul Manjra also came clutch in the last few minutes with a pair of his own to secure the 10-8 win for the Falcons.
Week 1 Previews
Jets vs Bruins @ 8:45pm
Ricky Saili and company will take on the #BruinGang in the first game of the season. Both teams are very confident coming in and will be displaying different streams of talent. The Jets will be relying on veteran skill to pull them through, betting that experience trumps athleticism and stamina. As for the Bruins, it is expected that the young guns will take the lead on this one. In the battle of goalies, Mohammed Ingar will be facing an uphill challenge battling it out against experienced netminder Mohammed AK Patel.
Nordiques vs Hawks @ 9:45pm
The new look Nords will be taking on the Hawks in a game that will answer many questions about player chemistry and rookies. While the Nords may have the more experienced goalie in Kaleem Mirza, the Hawks are betting on strong physical play from their Jr Salaam Cup picks. Goalie Ridwaan Khanji is perceived by analysts to face a few difficult shots before settling back into his original goaltending groove.
Sharks vs Falcons @ 10:45pm
Musa Bhoola and company will take on the Falcons in a game that will display two very different styles of play. The Sharks are expected to force a fast-paced game, utilizing the chemistry between GM and first round pick Shadab Patel. As for the Falcons, finesse and ball movement will be the name of the game for Abdul Manjra's squad. Abbas Shaikh is expected to have the upper hand in terms of netminding, while Mohamed Bashir will be making his return to goaltending.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to another season of the glorious MMGL! The GMs for this season will be in the following original draft order: Suhaib Shaikh of the Bruins, Huzaifah Panchbhaya of the Hawks, Ricky Saili of the Jets, Musa Bhoola of the Sharks, Syed Ahmed of the Nords, and Abdul Manjra of the Falcons. We wish all teams the best of luck and look forward to a great season filled with fast-paced clean hockey. As we make clear every season, the referee's decision is final and is to be respected. Insubordination to these rules will NOT be tolerated and can result in suspension.
A special addition to this season will be the first ever Rookie Draft featuring young stars from MMYC: Zaheer Kazi, Fuad Kazi, Muhammad Dippy Patel, Yusuf Patel, Umair Ingar, and Abraar Gangat. We wish this group of rising talent the best in their inaugural MMGL season!
#BleedOrange
FALL 2016
GM PREVIEWS
Suhaib Shaikh, leading the Bruins once again, wasted no time in picking the first overall for this season with goalie Mohammed AK Patel. This came as no surprise due to AK's prior success in Salaam Cup and regular season hockey. Bolstered by veterans Shahrukh Shah and Arif Billa Hanslod, the Bruins look like a solid team that can support the development of rookie pick Yusuf Patel. A possible weak point for the Bruins may be speed, as other teams have stacked up on quick legs.
Huzaifah Panchbhaya of the Hawks was committed to drafting Rahman Rana first overall given his breakout success in Junior Salaam Cup. This will be his first time GM-ing in the big leagues, and will be looking to make a strong first impression. The Hawks' netminder this season will be Ridwaan Khanji, making a long-awaited return after nursing a shoulder injury. The rookie pick will be Umair Ingar, signalling a trend in this team that they will be playing physical as they've drafted Muhammad Iqbal Patel and Umaar Panchbhaya as well. A likely weak point for this team will be goal tending as it will take a while to settle back into the groove.
The Sharks led by Musa Bhoola drafted to no one's surprise Shadab Patel first overall. Goalie Mohamed Badger Patel will be making his return to MMGL as a Shark and will be looking to support a team consisting of six Patels. The rookie drafted is Muhammad Dippy Patel, who is arguably the most versatile of his class is in good hands with veterans like Zakaria Manjra and Sadik Patel. With a definite run and gun offence, a possible weak point for this team is a slowed down defence that may not be able to connect as they should.
Syed Ahmed is at the helm of the Nordiques after the leave of Captain Khan, and took Shoaib Rangrez first overall, counting on past success of this tandem to pull through yet again. Kaleem Mirza will be the man between the pipes supporting an offence consisting of Gurmit Bhatal, Aziz Patel, and Faizan Kazi. Rookie drafted is Abraar Gangat, who will be looking to add to his skill set. With a mashup of unfamiliar faces in one team setting, communication will be the weakness for this team with goalie Kaleem Mirza.
The Jets led by Ricky Saili look like a reincarnation of past teams, drafting Jason Gogna first overall. Mohammed Ingar will be goalie, supporting a Jets team that is a solid mix of old and new. Rookie Fuad Kazi will be playing alongside the likes of Zahid Panchbhaya, Vik Saili, and young star Sufyan Kazi. This team will be by far the most offensively potent, and you can bet on teams exploiting goal tending as a key weakness. Easier said than done, with a team as versatile as this in search of their fourth franchise championship.
The Falcons led by Abdul Manjra, traded draft picks to go third and selected Yusuf Ingar as their first overall in hunt for that elusive Verdi Cup. Yusuf brings with him years of experience and numerous championships. His expertise will be instrumental in refining the play of rookie Zaheer Kazi. The Falcons boast a strong defence consisting of Navdeep Virdi and company. Goalie will be Abbas Shaikh, who is considered by many to be a sleeper pick this season. As a well-rounded overall team, there are no particular weak points glaring as of yet.
