TPH Top 40 Invitation!

"Dear Mr. Landers, congratulations! Attached is your son's official invitation to participate in the TPH Top 40 program. Your son has been selected to try out for the most prestigious Spring AAA program in the Southeast Region. This invite only elite program will take place in Huntsville Alabama on March 24th and 25th at the Huntsville Municipal Ice Complex. This top 40 festival will serve as tryouts for the TPH Prospects Spring Program."

Wow! How cool is that?!?! JJ was invited to participate based on the TPH staff watching him play and/or from a referral of a well-respected hockey person in our area. We've always known that JJ is an awesome hockey player...now, it's official!

If JJ is chosen to participate in the spring program, that will be awesome! Even if he doesn't get chosen, this is still a great opportunity for him. This is sort of like a first step towards the NHL!

The goal of the Top 40 program is to invite the top players in the region to compete in a weekend of games and development. The players will go through positional clinics and placed on teams for tournament play. They'll be evaluated not only on their skills but how they play and sportsmanship. We certainly think JJ is a well-balanced player, with awesome hockey skills! Now is the time for him to start showing the world!

So, it's off to Huntsville Alabama in March! We're so proud of him and what he's already accomplished in just a few short years.

Show 'em what you've got, JJ!

Nashville games

Off to Nashville TN for hockey games again

On Saturday, they lost 2-3.
JJ had 1 assist

They had two games on Sunday.

In the first game, they won 4-3. JJ had 2 goals. Okay, get this....One of the goals was the game winner with a shot from half ice, on a break away with an empty net, and...with 1.8 seconds left!
Awesomeness!

In game 2, they tied 2-2, and JJ made a goal.

Nov 19-20, 2011

This was another great weekend for the Memphis team! They won all 4 of their games. Here's a breakdown...

Nov 19th
Game 1 against Kennesaw (Georgia): WIN 4-1
JJ scored 1 goal. The coaches from the Kennesaw team all told Jeremy that "it's always a pleasure to watch JJ play". Awesome!

Game 2 against A-Game (Nashville): WIN 4-0
JJ scored 2 goals.

Nov 20th:
Game 1 against Huntsville: WIN 4-0
JJ had 2 goals in this game.

Game 2 against Point Mallard: WIN 13-0
JJ only had 1 assist in this game. He played defense the whole game and refused to take it in when it was easier to pass it.

Another awesome weekend of playing hockey. In December, they have some possible scrimmage games coming up in Decatur AL and Nashville TN, and then 2012. What a great start to the season!

Nov 12-13, 2011

More games in Decatur, AL. JJ had an awesome weekend of playing!

Nov 12th:
Game 1 against Point Mallard Jr Havoc: WIN 10-0
JJ had 2 goals and 5 assists

Game 2 against Kennesaw (Georgia): WIN 6-2
JJ scored 1 goal with 1 assist

Nov 13th:
Game 1 against Huntsville (AL): WIN 5-1
JJ scored 2 goals with 2 assists
He also got a misconduct for not backing down from 2 members of the other team that were trying to start something. It all started when JJ kept trying to push the puck from under the goalie's glove afterthe whistle blew, so the other team tried to start something with him. JJ didn't back down, so he got a misconduct!

Game 2 against A-Game (Nashville, TN): WIN 7-1
JJ had 3 goals with 2 assists

Way to go!

Oct 22-23, 2011

Off to games at Decatur, AL!

JJ got a penalty in one game for interference.

"Hey, how much longer?"

Jeremy worked the penalty box.

JJ is #11 in this game because they didn't have a #10 jersey.

 Daddy and son....

Before the first game, feeling very confident!

Decatur ice time!

JJ traveled to Decatur AL for some ice time over the weekend. They had a couple of practices set up, along with scrimmage with Point Mallard.

Saturday
1:50-2:50 - practice
4:45 - chalk talk in the locker room
5:40-6:50 - scrimmage with Point Mallard

Sunday:
9:15a-10:15a - pratice
12:10-1:50 - scrimmage with Point Mallard

JJ did great! On Saturday in the scrimmage, he scored 4 goals and had 8 assists. The final score was 15-0! Afterward, they went to eat at Applebee's.

They won again on Sunday, with a score of 14-1. JJ scored 2 goals and had 7 assists!

This was only practice and scrimmages, but what a way to start the season! He and his daddy had some good quality father/son time, and JJ had fun.

Way to go, JJ!

And it starts again!

Well, here we go for the 2011-2012 season! JJ is on the travel team again, so weekends will be spent on the road. Dryland practices, schedules being created. JJ is getting excited. They were supposed to have a tournament in Pelham next weekend (Labor Day weekend), but not enough teams signed up for it so it's been cancelled. There are plenty more coming, though!

JJ, wishing for you a great season this year!

Decatur 2011

JJ and the Memphis Blues traveled to Decatur AL this weekend for their final official games. It was a "guy" weekend...JJ, his daddy and grandaddy!

Saturday, 2/26/11:
Game 1 Memphis vs Huntsville: loss, 3-1
Game 2 Mmphis vs Huntsville: WIN 4-1...JJ had 1 assist and played good!
Game 3 Atlanta Knights vs Memphis: Loss 5-4...JJ had 2 goals!! Even though this game was a loss, they played well.

Sunday, 2/27/11:
(will update this...)

Nashville games Jan 2011

JJ is off to Nashville again! He has 4 games this weekend.

Game 1: played Pelham (AL) - loss: 6-1
Game 2: played Atlanta - loss: 6-2
...At the end of the first period, the score is tied 2-2. JJ's team is playing great!
...They played well and played hard, but Atlanta ended up winning.

Game 3: loss: 7-2

Game 4: loss: 8-0

JJ, we're still proud of you, but we know that it isn't fun when you lose a game. You're still a very good hockey player, and this is a tough year. Next year will be better! Keep up that fighting tough spirit that you have inside you. Bring your determination, your spirit and your awesome hockey skills to every game next year. If you do that, you'll be a winner, no matter what!