Malone ready for Jr. Club World Cup in Russia

Seamus Malone is in his second season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound left wing was part of NHL Central Scouting's Futures List as a player to watch for the 2014 NHL Draft from the USHL. Regarded as a skilled forward, Malone had six goals, 27 points and a plus-12 rating in 50 games for the Fighting Saints in 2012-13. Committed to the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 2015, Malone has offered to maintain a blog during his team's stay in Omsk, Russia, while competing in the 2013 Junior Club World Cup that runs Aug. 25-31.

Hello!

My name is Seamus Malone and I play forward for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. I am a native of Naperville, Illinois, am 17 years old, and am entering my second season with Dubuque. I am committed to the University of Wisconsin.

The Fighting Saints are currently overseas in Omsk, Russia for the 2013 Junior Club World Cup, a tournament in which we will get to square off with some of the world's best junior hockey teams. I was honored and want to thank NHL.com for allowing me to share my experiences overseas and during this upcoming season.

I grew up around the ice rink in the Chicago area. My sister was a figure skater at a very high level, so I always found myself at the rink. I started playing hockey and was on skates at around 2- or 3-years-old and have been in love with the game ever since. My parents have helped me out so much along the way. Even though no one in my family really played hockey, both my mom and dad have been there for me every step of the way from youth hockey to now.

Last year, I was lucky enough to be a part of an amazing team in Dubuque that claimed both the Anderson Cup as the regular season champion, and also the Clark Cup as the post-season champion. It was a year that I will never forget, and the amazing group of talented players we had really taught me a lot that I can take into this upcoming season. Being a member of a championship team and doing whatever it takes to help the team win is something that I want to achieve in my career every step of the way and it was amazing to do that last year in Dubuque.

Obviously, it will be a tough challenge following up last year but I think we have a great group of players and we are very excited for this year. We do have seven other players returning from last year's team in addition to myself, so I think those guys will take a leadership role and we will build a chemistry amongst each other that will help us win as a team.

Next summer, I'm eligible for the NHL Draft. I have heard about my name on lists of being a prospect that could be chosen next summer, but right now that doesn't mean a lot. I just have to go out and play my game and work hard no matter what is on the horizon. Obviously it would be an honor to be drafted and a dream come true. It is something that every hockey player would love to happen, so if it does for me, words would not even describe the feeling. For now, I am just worried about playing my game, helping the team, and getting better.

As for now, I am excited to get a chance to take on some of the world's best junior hockey teams in the Junior Club World Cup in Omsk. It is an honor to represent the USHL and the United States and so far I have really enjoyed Russia. We had a chance to do some sightseeing in Moscow and check out the Red Square. The culture is very different over here, but it is an unreal experience and the rink here in Omsk is awesome. Our first game of the tournament is Sunday against HC Riga from Latvia. Our goal is to win a championship here in Russia, so we are looking forward to the first challenge.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you over the next week in Russia and throughout the upcoming year!

Thanks for reading.

Follow Seamus Malone on Twitter: @seamus_malone