Handicapping the Memorial Cup Field

The Memorial Cup Tournament is set to get underway this weekend in Windsor, ON, and the four teams were set when the WHL playoffs were wrapped up on Sunday when the Seattle Thunderbirds won in six games over Regina, who is slated to host next year's Memorial Cup tournament. Let's look at the teams in this year's tournament, and why each can claim that they have a chance to win.

WINDSOR SPITFIRES

The host team, the Spitfires had a crash landing during the OHL playoffs, losing in the first round to London, thus having to wait a while before they can play again. Injuries to the likes of Logan Brown and Logan Stanley were seen as culprits, and with the extended rest, the Spitfires boast considerable talent with Mikhail Sergachev, Jeremy Bracco, and assuming they're healthy, the Logans.

SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS

They were the most dominant of the three champions in the tournament, as they lost just twice en route to the QMJHL championship. Their best players are Thomas Chabot, Matthieu Joseph, and overager Callum Booth, though they also have NHL prospects in Julien Gauthier and Nathan Noel.

ERIE OTTERS

The OHL champions, the Otters had their share of adversity, needing seven games to dispatch last year's champion London Knights in the Conference semi-finals, but a team that boasts prolific scorers such as Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome always have a chance to do something special. Getting key role players in trade deadline deals such as Anthony Cirelli and OHL playoffs MVP Warren Foegele pushed them over the hump.

SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS

League champions for the first time in their 40 year history, the Thunderbirds rode Matt Barzal's play into a fairly dominant start to the playoff run, sweeping top ranked Everett in the Conference semi-finals. That momentum manifested itself into a six game win against the top team in the Canadian Hockey League in the Regina Pats to win the championship. Ethan Bear, Ryan Gropp, and rookie Carl Staniowski have played key roles in addition to Barzal.

Catching Up

It's been some time since I last put something on this blog, and predictably, there's items that should be addressed, so let's get to it.

• First, the picture you see is Wayne Gretzky in Simpsons form, as he will be lending his voice and likeness to a December 11 episode of the Simpsons. Where I really give the animators props is the fact that they even got the right side of the sweater being tucked in, a long-time Gretzky trademark in his playing days.
• Connor McDavid scored his first NHL hat-trick in Saturday's 5-2 win over Dallas that also saw the Oilers get off the losing streak. While it took McDavid a little longer to get his hat-trick compared to Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, there is the matter of him missing half the season last year.
• Evander Kane is still a Buffalo Sabre. The long-rumored Kane to Vancouver deal fell through, according to sources, when the Canucks balked at the Sabres' asking price. It was thought that the Sabres were going to try and recoup some of what they lost, value-wise, in the deal they made with Winnipeg to get Kane.
• Dylan Strome got returned to Erie from Arizona. The move came a day after the Otters named Kyle Pettit the captain for this season, a role Strome held last season. It will be interesting to see what happens with Strome and the Otters and whether the Otters decide to move Strome, as the Otters are actually doing well and they may be looking to try and sustain their current run of success for a little while longer. Hamilton may be an option, since Dylan's younger brother Matthew currently plays there.
• It's the Trans-Canada Highway bottleneck in the East Division of the WHL, as Regina leads the way with Swift Current, Moose Jaw, and Brandon all just behind them, and Saskatoon and Prince Albert are bringing up the rear. Prince Albert likely conceded the season, as they traded Brendan Guhle to Prince George for three players and draft picks.
• SKA recently had a 15-game winning streak snapped against Avtomobilist.

The hockey season is still young, and there is still more to happen. For now, I get to rest a little.

A Tale of Two Teams

Two seasons ago, the Erie Otters and the Guelph Storm were squaring off in the OHL Western Conference Final in which Guelph would ultimately win in five and go on to win the J.Ross Robertson Trophy before falling a win short of the Memorial Cup that season.  Here we are now, and Erie is at the top of the league while Guelph still hasn't cracked 10 points for the season.  What happened?

In the junior leagues, every team will see their share of highs and lows, some more on the high side than others. Erie was supposed to fall off a little this season with Connor McDavid moving on to the NHL.  They were still supposed to be good with Dylan Strome being the man now, but somewhere along the way, something better happened.  Alex DeBrincat has emerged as a true goal scoring threat, something that was still in question after last season even though he was the only 50-scorer in the league last season. It is clear that DeBrincat is out to not only prove that his play isn't just a result of playing with McDavid, but also that being 5'7" isn't going to be a hindrance, and given that there is a precedence for players his size succeeding in the NHL, he may do it.  On the other end, Guelph is dead last with just five points to show for the season, and it's now past the first third.  Seeing the likes of Jason Dickinson, Robby Fabbri, and Tyler Bertuzzi leave to turn pro, it wasn't supposed to be this terrible.  However, this is where they are, and now, not only can they not score, they can't stop the puck from going in, either.  Justin Nichols accounts for both of the team's victories, and he sports a decent save percentage at .914.  However, the same cannot be said for Bradley Van Schubert, who is winless in nine starts, and sports a ghastly 5.89 GAA and a .845 save percentage, which was why they brought in Michael Giugovaz, who has been well-traveled in the OHL.  Of course, he hasn't done great in two starts with the Storm, but then again, the Storm are the worst offensive team with just 42 goals, which is 20 behind the next worst team in Owen Sound, who sit in the sixth spot for the playoffs as of this writing.  Given that the Storm share a division with Owen Sound, Kitchener, London, and Erie, with the last three leading the Conference in the standings, things look bleak for the Storm this season, which means they will have the first overall pick in the OHL Priority Draft to look forward to, whoever that ends up being.

Back from Holiday Break

It's been a while since the last update, and yes, I realize that I've missed weekly updates for both the Erie Otters and the Portland Winterhawks. To that end, here is what has been missed since the last update:

• The Erie Otters will be getting Connor McDavid back after he missed time due to injury and the World Junior Championships.  McDavid had a slow start to his WJC tournament, but he got better as the tournament went on, helping Team Canada to gold in a tournament where the true stars of the team included the likes of Max Domi, Sam Reinhart, and Curtis Lazar.
• McDavid will be rejoining the team and will have to get familiar with a couple of new faces, as the Otters acquired Jake Marchment and Remi Elie from Belleville.
• The Portland Winterhawks get Nic Petan back this week from the WJCs, where he tallied a hat trick in the semi-final game against Slovakia.  He too, will have to get familiar with a couple of new faces, as Adam Henry was acquired from Saskatoon while Evan Johnson was acquired from Calgary in a deal that saw Brendan Burke go the other way.
• The soap opera that is the Toronto Maple Leafs took another turn, as Randy Carlyle was fired this week and Peter Horachek was named interim coach.  No need to rehash the many issues that the Leafs have faced here, as it's ongoing.
• Over the holiday break, the New Jersey Devils did a little house cleaning of their own, relieving Peter DeBoer of the coaching duties, and taking over in the interim is Lou Lamoriello, with Scott Stevens and Adam Oates handling assistant coach duties on defense and offense, respectively.  Yes, you've heard this story before, as Lamoriello is coming down from the press box to take over as coach again...while still being employed as General Manager.
• The Edmonton Oilers fired Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson is now the interim coach.  Oh, and the Oilers are still stinking up the joint while the front office group is somehow still employed.
• The WHL trade deadline is this Saturday, and some big names are getting moved, with Morgan Klimchuk jumping from Regina to rival Brandon, Brycen Martin going from Swift Current to Saskatoon, Tyler Sandhu heading to Tri-City from Red Deer, and Kelowna loading up for a deep playoff run, acquiring Josh Morrissey and Leon Draisaitl from Prince Albert.

There is plenty of hockey movement going about, and with the All-Star game in Columbus looming, it's just getting started.  

Erie Examiner: Stumbling to the Finish

In the weeks before holiday break, the Erie Otters are not playing their best hockey right now.  The week began with a 7-4 loss Tuesday at Kitchener in which the Otters couldn't do much on defense.  That would be the theme of the week, even in a 6-4 win at home against Saginaw on Friday.  Saturday, they had no answer for Oshawa in a 5-1 defeat.

In the last games before break, the Otters will at home Friday against Niagara before heading to Guelph on Saturday in the first meeting since the Western Conference Finals last year.  After that, the Otters won't play until December 28, and they are likely to be missing Connor McDavid due to World Junior Championship duty, which should provide the Otters an idea of where he is in his recovery.

Erie Examiner: Rough Times on the Road

The Erie Otters started out the week well, but then they had to go out on the road, and the results weren't all that great.  Wednesday, the Otters needed a strong second half, highlighted by newcomer Nicholas Baptiste's two goals to hold off Owen Sound 4-3 at home.  Saturday, the Otters began a three game stretch where they hit the road, and it started in Belleville, where they managed to get a point in a 3-2 shootout loss.  Sunday, the Otters traveled to Oshawa, where they were throroughly outclassed in a 4-1 loss.

The Otters finish the road trip Tuesday against Kitchener before coming home for games Friday against Saginaw and Saturday against Oshawa.

Erie Examiner: Two Wins and a Bear

In a tough three game stretch in as many days, the Erie Otters came out with four points, which isn't bad.  A Thanksgiving tilt with Mississauga saw the Otters dominate the game in a 5-1 win.  Friday, the Otters traveled to London, ON to take on the Knights in an attempt to avenge an earlier loss in the Forest City.  The Otters were successful, as they edged out London 3-2.  Saturday was the Teddy Bear Toss game, and Travis Dermott scored the goal that sent the bears flying onto the ice.  However, the Belleville Bulls would turn a strong third period into a 3-1 win, handing the Otters their second home loss of the season.

The Otters are at home Wednesday against Owen Sound before hitting the road for games Saturday at Belleville and Sunday at Oshawa.

Erie Examiner: Where They Belong

Last week, the Erie Otters found themselves in a spot they have been accustomed to for many weeks: perfect.  Wednesday, the Otters were able to hold off Plymouth in an early home game by a 4-3 score.  Friday and Saturday, they dominated Sarnia and Saginaw by identical 7-1 scores.  And earlier this week, the Otters acquired Buffalo Sabres prospect Nicholas Baptiste from Sudbury for draft picks, which means the Otters are all in this season, and it should make the Otters a tougher team to stop.  The only shoe left to drop is Connor McDavid, who is expected back after holiday break.

This week, the Otters have three games in three days, with a home game on Thanksgiving against Mississauga, a road trip to London on Friday, and will wrap up by welcoming Belleville on Saturday.

Erie Examiner: A Costly Fight

The Erie Otters are facing adversity for the first time this season, and it happened in their first game of the week.  Tuesday, the Otters shut out the Mississauga Steelheads 4-0, but that wasn't the story, as Connor McDavid will miss 5-6 weeks after fracturing his hand in a fight.  Life after McDavid hasn't gone so smoothly, as the Otters were unable to get anything going Friday in a 2-1 loss to Niagara and the floodgates opened in the third period of the Saturday game against Kitchener, as the Rangers scored four times to win 5-2.

The Otters will try to find their way on Wednesday, as they host Plymouth before hitting the road for a game Friday at Sarnia and Saturday at Saginaw.

Erie Examiner: A Bump in the Road

The Erie Otters remain at the top of the OHL, but it wasn't without a shocking loss.  Three games in three days meant that the Otters would be hard pressed to keep their amazing start going.  It just so happened that Niagara was the team to do it on Thursday.  In the Otters' 5-2 loss, the point streak of Connor McDavid came to an end, and the Otters were unable to answer the IceDogs' second period barrage.  Friday was a new day, and the Otters made the most of it, as they were able to turn back Sarnia 5-2 on the strength of an Alex DeBrincat hat trick.  Saturday was the team's statement win of the weekend, as they handled Saginaw easily 8-1.  McDavid and Dylan Strome had four points apiece.

The Otters are at home tomorrow against Mississauga in a Veterans' Day game that will have a start time of 5:30 PM.  They will also hit the road on Friday against Niagara before coming home for a Saturday game against Kitchener.

Erie Examiner: Still Winning

If you're keeping score, the Erie Otters have still only lost once this season (in a shootout at London).  That is fourteen games played so far and thirteen of them have been wins, including this past week.  Thursday, the Otters had a fairly easy time with the Plymouth Whalers in a 5-2 win that saw Dylan Strome's point streak end and Connor McDavid notching his 200th point in the OHL (and counting).  The Otters continued to score in bunches on Saturday, as they would defeat Ottawa 7-4 in a game where Travis Wood and TJ Fergus scored their first OHL goals.  To date, Alex DeBrincat leads the league in goals (15) while McDavid leads the league in points (42) and +/- (+30).  Amazingly, He also leads his team in PIM with 19 minutes.  That is a tie for 60th in the league.

The Otters look to continue their winning ways, as they travel to St. Catharines, ON for a match against Niagara before coming home to take on Sarnia on Friday and Saginaw on Saturday.

Erie Examiner: All They Do is Win

The Erie Otters are continuing their winning ways, and now, it's extending to an NHL city.  Wednesday, the Otters had a home game in Buffalo, NY against the Niagara Icedogs, and if you know your Sabres team this year, it's the team's fans' opportunity to see what they could be getting if they tank hard enough.  In the Otters' convincing 8-4 win, Connor McDavid did not disappoint, scoring a goal and three assists, and even when he missed, his skill was on display in the effort to get there.  Friday, the Otters had an opportunity to extend their mastery of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, something that dates back to their sweep in last year's Conference semi-finals.  Two Dylan Strome goals helped propel the Otters to a 6-4 win and extended their league best record to 10-0-0-1.  Sunday was a trip to Sudbury, and an opportunity to make a statement and a chance to add to the record.  The Otters did not disappoint, as they put an eight-spot on the Wolves, as they dominated in a 8-1 win.  McDavid and Strome have points in all 12 games so far this season.

The Otters come home for a Thursday tilt against Plymouth before welcoming Ottawa for a Saturday night game.

Erie Examiner: Big Week Ahead

The Erie Otters head into the week with only one loss, and even that took an effort from the opposing team.  Wednesday, the Otters headed to London, where the Otters forced overtime, but could not close the deal, as they lost 4-3 in a shootout.  Friday, the Otters hosted Sudbury, and were able to hold off a struggling Wolves team for a 3-2 win.  Saturday was a day of vengeance, as the Otters rode a strong third period for a 6-2 win over London.

The Otters will head to Buffalo for a tilt against the Niagara Icedogs on Wednesday in what is likely the city's first look at a potential draft pick in Connor McDavid, as well as Dylan Strome, both of whom are eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft.  The city of Buffalo is likely going to be playoff-free this season, as the Sabres are stumbling out of the gate (predictably).  The Otters will also hit the road for games at Sault Ste. Marie on Friday and Sudbury on Saturday.

Erie Report: Double the Fun on Kitchener

The Erie Otters started last weekend's home and home against Kitchener with a perfect record, and they ended the weekend the same way, though it was a little harder than expected to get there.  Friday, the Otters traveled to Kitchener and put up an 8-spot en route to an 8-3 win.  The game also marked the first time the Otters scored first in a game this season.  Saturday, the Otters took on the Rangers at home, but needed a shootout to settle things.  Mason Marchment got the shootout winner and made a winner of Daniel Dekoning, who was making his first start in an OHL game.

The Otters travel to London to take on the Knights on Wednesday before coming home for games Friday against Sudbury and Saturday against London.

Erie Report: Home Cooking

The Erie Otters made their home debut last Saturday against the Sarnia Sting. Like every other game they've played so far this season, the opposing team had scored first, and like every other game this season so far, the Otters have won all of them. This time, the Otters would take a 7-3 win thanks to a strong third period.

The Otters are back in action on Friday and Saturday, as they play Kitchener in a home and home, with the Friday game being in Kitchener while Saturday's game is in Erie.

Erie Report: A Hot Start

The Erie Otters kicked off the 2014-15 season on Wednesday, and they didn't show too much rust in their opening game at Saginaw.  Despite the Spirit opening the scoring, the Otters would put up a 7-spot en route to a 7-1 win.  Dylan Strome and Nick Betz had four points apiece and Mason Marchment had three points.  Friday, the Otters traveled to Windsor and while they found themselves down two goals to start, the Otters came through once again, this time, with five unanswered goals in a 5-2 win.  Connor McDavid scored four points and Taylor Raddysh scored his first OHL goal in the game.  Saturday was a little shakier, as the Plymouth Whalers led 2-0 after one period and were up 3-2 after the second period.  However, McDavid forced overtime with a goal in the third period and Darren Raddysh would score the game winner in a 5-4 overtime win for the Otters.  The Otters have their home opener in a Saturday tilt with the Sarnia Sting.

Erie Review: Starting a New Season

Beginning this season (let's see how long this lasts), there will be a new segment that covers the weekly exploits of the Erie Otters.  Tonight, the Otters will head on the road to take on the Saginaw Spirit in a rematch of last year's Western Conference quarterfinal match-up in which the Otters won the series 4-1.  They will be going into the season with Connor McDavid as the captain and Dylan Strome, Cory Genovese, and Joel Wigle serving as Assistant Captains.  The Otters will also play on Friday and Saturday at Windsor and Plymouth before coming back to Erie for their home opener on October 4 against Sarnia.

Spits Exchange

It's been a wild week for the Windsor Spitfires, as they made two major trades.  Earlier this week, the Spitfires made a major trade with the Guelph Storm, as both Kerby Rychel and Nick Ebert were sent to Guelph while Windsor got Brody Milne and several draft picks, which include Guelph's 2nd round picks from 2014 until 2018.  For perspective on how this impacts both teams, consider that Guelph is trying to match offense with Midwest Division leader Erie, and certainly, Rychel's addition to go along with Jason Dickinson and Tyler Bertuzzi is a step towards countering Erie's group of Dane Fox, Connor Brown, Andre Burakovsky, and Connor McDavid.  I'll get to how it impacts Windsor after I get to the other trade the team made this week, this time with the Kingston Frontenacs, as Ryan Verbeek was sent out and in exchange, the Spitfires will get Sam Povorozniouk and a fourth round pick in 2016.  The Frontenacs are a youthful group, with Sam Bennett, Henri Ikonen, and Roland McKeown all NHL draft eligible in 2014.  The addition of Verbeek only makes the Frontenacs younger, and given that the Frontenacs are still trying to figure out the bottom portion of their roster, Povorozniouk's departure wasn't much of a surprise, as the Fronts needed character guys, and that is where Verbeek is likely to get his chance.

As for the Spits, on the surface, it can be said that they are packing it in for the season.  However, they are only five points behind Sault Ste. Marie in the Western Division and are on a three game winning streak.  Milne gets an immediate chance to prove his worth, as he is likely lining up with 2014 NHL Draft eligible Josh Ho-Sang.  Povorozniouk will also get considerable ice time with the Spitfires, something that would be less likely with the Frontenacs squad that remains young.  The draft picks are obviously important for the Spits, as they can rebuild through the draft for years to come.  Moving Rychel was difficult, as he is the son of Spits GM Warren Rychel, but the Spits still have Ho-Sang, and with the influx of players coming in from the class, it is clear that the Spitfires are looking to keep a tradition of winning going for a while.

Winterhawks Weekly: Importing Players

The title of today's piece is somewhat misleading, as this is about more than just the Winterhawks.  Before I get to the happenings of the CHL Import Draft, however, let's get to the news of the Winterhawks.

First, the trade: the Winterhawks have acquired Shane McColgan from Saskatoon in exchange for a couple of draft picks.  With 66 points in 69 games last season, McColgan will be one overager on next year's squad, as Joey Baker will pursue educational opportunities next season and Ty Rattie and Tyler Wotherspoon are expected to turn pro (teams are allowed three overaged players).  As for the other roster move, that happened in the Import Draft, as the Winterhawks picked 60th and took defenseman Anton Cederholm.  Since teams are only allowed two import players, that meant Kiril Vorobev was cut loose, as Oliver Bjorkstrand is expected to return.

Speaking of the Import Draft, there were a few NHL players that were taken in the Import Draft, which will allow teams to see what they're getting.  Andre Burakovsky headlines this group, as he will be watched by the Washington Capitals as he tries to add to an Erie Otters team that doesn't have much beyond Connor McDavid and Oscar Dansk.  Other players drafted by NHL teams to be taken in the Import Draft were Matej Paulovic (Dallas prospect by Peterborough), Jacob de la Rose (Montreal prospect by Windsor), Dmitry Sinitsyn (Dallas/Regina), Viktor Crus Rydberg (NY Islanders/Plymouth), Fabrice Herzog (Toronto/Quebec), Cederholm (Vancouver/Portland), and Artturi Lehkonen (Montreal/Kootenay).  This year's Import Draft also marks the last year a European goaltender can be taken, as the Draft will be limited to skaters starting next season.  Daniel Gibl will be the last European goaltender selected, as he was taken 47th overall by Barrie.