By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department
PROSPECT PROMOTIONS / DEMOTIONS:
11-20-11 -- F Brett Sterling called up to St. Louis (NHL) from Peoria (AHL). (LINK).
11-22-11 -- D Cade Fairchild called up to St. Louis (NHL) from Peoria (AHL). (LINK).
11-26-11 -- D Cade Fairchild returned to Peoria (AHL) from St. Louis (NHL). (LINK).
PROSPECT TRADES:
None to report this week.
PLAYERS ON SICK CALL:
11-05-11 -- C Jori Lehtrera (Sibir Novosibirsk/KHL) out indefinitely with a knee injury. (LINK).
PLAYERS RETURNED TO DUTY:
None to report this week.
PLAYERS ON SUSPENSION:
None to report this week.
POWER FORWARD BEACH PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
The prospect spotlight stays out west this week, as up-and-coming power forward Cody Beach takes his turn On The Radar in the Blues' organization.
The 6' 5, 190-pound native of Nanaimo, BC was the Blues' fifth-round pick (134th overall) in 2010, and has developed over the past two years into an important offensive weapon as well as a feared and respected physical player in the rough-and-tumble WHL.
From a 3-11-14 scoring line (plus-6, 157 PM) in 51 games with the Calgary Hitmen during his draft season in 2009-10, Beach has developed into very nearly a point-per-game player. Starting the 2010-11 season with the powerhouse Hitmen, where he posted a 5-10-15 scoring line (73 PM) in 17 games, Beach was dealt to Moose Jaw and became a more integral part of the offense. He responded with 34 points (6 G, 28 A) and 163 PM in 40 games for the Warriors. This year, despite missing several games to suspension and injury early on, Beach is 6-16-22 in 18 games for the Warriors (71 PM), tied for the team lead in scoring
Here's some video from this year's Traverse City tournament, where Beach gets a decision over big (6' 4, 217) Rangers' prospect Randy McNaught.
Here's a LINK to some video from the Moose Jaw Warriors' website, showing a little more of Beach's offensive capability as well as his grit in an Oct. 26 game against the Prince Albert (SK) Raiders. At 1:01 of the video, we see Beach steamroll a Prince Albert player behind the net after a scoring chance. At 1:17, Beach takes a pass from a teammate and fires a wrister past the PA goalie from behind a screen.
In a Prospect Sunday bonus, at 1:30 of this video, we see defense prospect Joel Edmundson take a hit from behind, and respond by giving a beatdown to Prince Albert's Austin Borhis.
Returning the spotlight to Beach, at 1:58 he lays a soft pass to a teammate right in front of the net for a scoring chance, which is denied by Raiders' goalie Cole Holowenko. And at 2:15 of the video, Beach pounds a slapper from the faceoff circle past Holowenko for an insurance marker in a 5-2 Warriors' victory.
FEATURES THIS WEEK:
RIVER READINGS
The Peoria Rivermen are now streaking in the wrong direction with four straight losses, including three this week alone. Details at 2:00 PM Central Time.
TRENDING UP
Goaltenders throughout the organization -- below the NHL, anyway -- had a rough week. Scorers helped pick up the slack. Details at 3:00 PM Central Time.
WEEKLY PROSPECT STATISTICS REVIEW
The most complete weekly source of Blues' prospect scoring and goaltending stats available anywhere in one place. Details at 4:00 PM Central Time.