Left wing Seamus Malone is in his second season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League. The 5-foot-9.25, 165-pound left-handed shot, who was born in Naperville, Ill., is a B-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's December players to watch list for the 2014 NHL Draft. Regarded as a skilled forward, Malone has nine goals, 17 points and a plus-10 rating in 18 games for the Fighting Saints in 2013-14. Committed to the University of Wisconsin in 2015-16, Malone has offered to maintain a blog leading up to the 2014 draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Hello fans!

It has been a bit since I last checked in, and the season is certainly in full swing. Coming into this weekend, the Dubuque Fighting Saints are first in the USHL's Eastern Conference and we have won our past three games. We have a pair of games this weekend before a brief break for the holiday season. We had a lot of high expectations this year and so far we are meeting those goals but have to continue working hard and playing our game.

In November, I had the honor of playing for Team USA at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Canada. It was an honor and an amazing experience representing my country and playing with Team USA. We were able to win gold, which is something I'll never forget. Two of my teammates, Karson Kuhlman and Shane Eiserman, were on the team as well and both played really well.

In my second season in Dubuque, the team is certainly playing well and I have been lucky to really click with my two linemates, Karson and Brett Boeing. We have had a lot of success lately and really have meshed well. Karson and I have played together most of this season, and Brett adds that extra key ingredient that pushes us over the top. Karson is a great player and is really smart, while Brett moves the puck well, is fast, and can make plays. I enjoy playing with both of them.

All of our lines are finding a lot of chemistry and it has been showing up on the scoreboard. It's a total team effort. The offensive success is so spread out this year and it's really fun to watch. When one guy isn't scoring, another guy is.

Over the last year, I have certainly matured and grown. From my rookie season last year to playing an expanded role this year, I've gotten stronger and faster and I’m going to continue working on my game. This year I have added a little bit of an edge to my game.

People have told me that when I play chippy, I'm at my best. I am a competitive guy and hate losing, so I'll do whatever it takes for the team. I've also been playing the point a lot on the power play this season. As a forward back there, you have to be safe and make smart plays while creating offense. It helps having a pretty good defenseman and our captain, Alexx Privitera, playing back there with me.

Obviously there is a lot of season left for our team and each and every day we are going to work on getting better, doing the little things right, and making sure the wins keep coming. For now, we have two big games to play this weekend, and then I am looking forward to a little time to relax at home for the holidays. It will be great to spend time with family.

Happy Holidays to all the readers and our great fans!

Follow Malone on Twitter at: @seamus_malone