CMJHA Preview 2011-12
Plenty of news surrounds the Canadian Major Junior Hockey Association in the days leading up to the start of the season. Each league has added two expansion teams this season, bringing each league's total to 8 with 2 divisions of 4 each. As a result the playoff format will be changed as well, allowing the top three teams from each division to make the playoffs with each division winner earning a first round bye. The Christiansen Cup will be hosted by the Kelowna Icemen this season with the Icemen getting a conditional automatic birth in the tournament as hosts. Here is the predicted standings for each league.
BC League
West Division
1. Victoria Cougars
2. Abbotsford Falcons
3. Vancouver Vikings
4. Burnaby Whitecaps
East Division
1. Kelowna Icemen
2. Vernon Dolphins
3. Kamloops Ice
4. Prince George Pirates
Playoff Champions: Victoria Cougars
Prairie League
West Division
1. Lethbridge Tornados
2. Red Deer Rockies
3. Calgary Steeds
4. Saskatchawan Bulwarks
East Division
1. Brandon Bison
2. Moose Jaw Octan Oilers
3. Prince Albert Riders
4. Rochester Northern Lights
Playoff Champions: Brandon Bison
Ontario League
North Division
1. Cornwall Flames
2. Thunder Bay Rebellion
3. Sudbury Blazers
4. Ottawa Muscle
South Division
1. London Dragons
2. Detroit Motor
3. Kitchener-Waterloo Warriors
4. Brampton Bandits
Playoff Champions: Cornwall Flames
Quebec League
North Division
1. Drummondville Kings
2. Laval Jets
3. Trois Rivieres Faucons
4. Montreal Physique
South Division
5. Rouyn-Noranda Battleship
6. Sherbrooke Fureur
7. Rimouski Pinch
8. St. Jean Generale
Playoff Champions: Rouyn-Noranda Battleship
Maritime League
West Division
1. Portland Charge
2. Moncton Stallions
3. Fredericton Giants
4. Saint John Nuggets
East Division
5. Halifax Metros
6. Cape Breton Ocean Terror
7. Prince Edward Islanders
8. Annapolis Royals
Playoff Champions: Portland Charge
Top Ten Rankings
1. Brandon Bison
2. Portland Patriots
3. Cornwall Flames
4. Lethbridge Tornados
5. Rouyn-Noranda Battleship
6. Halifax Metros
7. Victoria Cougars
8. Kelowna Icemen
9. London Dragons
10. Drummondville Kings
Top Prospects:
1. Martin Fritzmeyer, Lethbridge, F
2. Dustin Cole, Fredericton, D
3. Anthony Gilbert, Rouyn-Noranda, F
4. Dustin Wolf, Cornwall, D
5. Victor Chistov, PEI, F
PEI Wins Christiansen Cup
After a thrilling 5-2 win over the Detroit Motor, the Prince Edward Islanders are at the top of the junior hockey world. Spencer Wakabayashi scored 4 goals for PEI, bringing his tournament total to 10 and earning him tournament MVP honours. Meanwhile Detroit goaltender Simon Bekkar made 56 save despite the loss. The win was a big one for PEI as this was their first appearance in the tournament, while the Motor made their first appearance since Jamie Moore led a strong Detroit team to the championship game in 2003.
Among the other teams who participated in the tournament, the Fredericton Giants had a strong tournament showing after losing the Maritime League final in 4 straight to PEI, the Vancouver Vikings were eliminated for the second straight year in the round robin, while the Montreal Physique and Lethbridge Tornados were eliminated in the preliminary round.
The Islanders are expected to open next season with a dramatically different rostor. Spencer Wakabayashi and Ben Comeau are both considered high-end prospects for the upcoming WHL draft and will be expected to turn pro right away, while Su Wang is expected to turn pro with the Hamilton Flames, who drafted him in 2010. Meanwhile, the championship marks the end of the road for 20-year-olds Tim Weiss and Donnie McLennan. Both players plan to play university hockey next season.
Spotlight Team: Prince Edward Islanders
|
Donnie McLennan |
The Prince Edward Islanders were founded in 1997 as an expansion team along with the Cape Breton Ocean Terror. The Islanders struggled in their first few seasons, missing the playoffs every year until 2003. That year, Jan Lednikov became the first member of the Islanders to be selected in the WHL draft when he was selected by the St. John's Ocean. Lednikov played in over 200 games with the Ocean/Vancouver Killer Whales franchise. He currently plays for the Edmonton Beavers. In 2004, Islanders forward and PEI native Jake Streatch became the second Islander to be drafted and the first to become a WHL superstar playing with the Regina Rage. Streatch would later win the league MVP award and the Player's Choice Award while leading the Rage to the WHL final in 2010. The Islanders best season was in 2005-06, when the team went 23-7-0 before losing in the league semifinal to the Fredericton Giants. Defenseman Nick Bouchard led the team that year with 40 points in 30 games, the most ever for a defenseman in junior hockey. Bouchard was drafted that spring by the Winnipeg Wilderness. In the spring of 2009, the CMJHA selected Charlottetown as the host city for the 2011 Christainsen Cup. Beacause the Islanders will automatically gain a berth in the tournament as hosts, GM Don Salenski decided to rebuild the team. The Islanders feature a relatively young team this season, with 2011 draft prospects Spencer Wakabayashi and Ben Comeau leading the way along with Hamilton Flames prospect Su Wang. In September of 2010, Salenski dealt 18-year-old Calgary Bulls draft pick Ian Murphy to the Halifax Metros in exchange for overage defenseman Donnie McLennan. The deal has paid off so far for the Islanders as the rugged Sydney, NS native has provided a valuable veteran presence on the PEI blueline. The Islanders currently sit in 3rd place in the Maritime league and after a big win over Halifax on the weekend, they hope to make a serious run in the second half of the season.
Draft Preview: Ben Comeau
Every draft class needs a big hard-hitting defenseman and Ben Comeau of the Prince Edward Islanders fits the bill perfectly. The 6'1", 197 pound native of Shediac, NB has proven at just 17 years old to be one of the most feared defenseman in the league. After playing only 4 games for PEI as a rookie last season, Comeau made an impression right away in his first full season of junior,when he delivered a devistating hit on 19-year-old Max Alen of the Fredericton Giants. Comeau continued to play a hard-nosed style, combining it with strong hockey sense and terrific puck skills. "Ben has a great hockey mind, I think a lot of scouts see him as that big thug who can play physical and deliver the big hits, he can do that very well, but there's a strong technical side to his game as well." Comeau says he models his game after his boyhood idol, Gary Johnson. "Ever since I was a kid he's been my favorite player." says Comeau. "He's big and strong but he's also very smart with the puck, I just try to learn things from watching him and model my own game after guys like him." Comeau had the opportunity to meet his hero one night when the Islanders were visiting the Halifax Metros and Johnson showed up for the game. "He's going to be a great player some day." said Johnson. "I've never seen a kid that smart at age 17. he's tough as nails too, that will be important when he gets to the pros." Comeau is expected to be a top 5 pick in this year's entry draft, but says it doesn't matter where he goes. "As long as I can play pro hockey." says Comeau. "Thats been my dream for as long as I can remember."
Spotlight Team: Saskatchawan Bulwarks
The Saskatchawan Bulwarks were added to the Prarrie Hockey League as an expansion team for the 1989-90 season. The Bulwarks struggled incredibly during their first decade and did not make their first appearance in the post season until 1999, where they lost in the first round to Brendan Marlo and the Lethbridge Tornadoes. In 2002, the Bulwarks debuted two 16-year-olds from the east, PEI native Jimmy Streatch, and goaltender Martin Barker from Nova Scotia. In 2003, Jeremy Miller became the first Bulwark to be selected in the pro draft when the Montreal Warriors selected him in the 2nd round. Unfortunatly, Miller never became a truly effective player in the World League, playing in only 12 career games with the Warriors. The Bulwarks best regular season to date was the 2003-04 season, where the team won 21 of it's 30 games. Despite a stellar preformance in net from Martin Barker, and a 30 goal season from Jimmy Streatch, the Bulwarks suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Christiansen Cup, losing in the preliminaries to the Vancouver Vikings. In June 2004, Streatch and Barker were both taken in the SHL draft by the Regina Rage. Both players became stars in the SHL and later in the WHL as well. 2010 was also the second time the Bulwarks found themselves in the Christiansen Cup, this time going all the way to the final, where they lost to the Cape Breton Ocean Terror. Two weeks later, 3 Bulwarks were selected in the WHL draft, Peter Dwyer went to Winnipeg, Jonathan White to Toronto, and rugged winger Gary Surma was selected by the Halifax Giants. The Bulwarks have started 2011 strong as well despite White and Dwyer's absence, with Gary Surma and 2011 draft prospects Darcy Ozolinsh and Tom Ruggeri leading the way.
Stallions Defy Expectations
The Moncton Stallions entered the season ranked dead last in the Maritime League and 2nd last in Canada. Only 2 weeks into the season the Stallions sit in 1st place in the Maritimes and tied for 3rd place in the CMJHA with 4 wins in 5 games. Strong play from 17-year-old rookie Grant Bradley has been a key factor. Bradley has scored 8 goals in 5 games, including a 4 goal game against Cape Breton on December 27th. "I guess I've been lucky." said Bradley. "So far it's like everything has been finding the net." Another nice surprise this season was the return of 20-year-old defenceman Matt Munn. The Halifax native had left the Stallions to attend university but decided to return to Moncton after completing his first semester to finish his junior career. "I wasn't so sure about leaving school but we came so close to winning a title last year and I wanted to give it one more shot." Munn plans to return to school next year, but for now his steady play on the Moncton blueline has played a huge roll in the Stallions success. Now the Stallions must decide if they will continue to build for the future or if they will make some deals in the upcoming trading period to make another run this season. "We'll see what happens over the course of the season and we'll see if we want to bring some guys in for the playoffs." said team GM Ryan Michaud.
Draft Preview: Darcy Ozolinsh
One year ago nobody knew who Darcy Ozolinsh was, they do now. The 17-year-old rookie has 5 goals in his first 2 games for the Saskatchawan Bulwarks after tearing it up in the pre-season with 12 goals in 4 games. It's pretty crazy, I didn't know what to expect going to my first junior camp but it's turned out pretty good I guess" said the smooth-skating winger. A native of Swift Current, Saskatchawan, Ozolinsh led the Saskatchawan Midget AAA league last season with 30 goals and 67 points. Although scouts where aware of him, they weren't sure how his 5' 7" 157 pound frame would adapt to the physical nature of major junior hockey. "The thing with Darcy is he will need to get bigger." said one scout. "He's not tall which means he will need to get a lot stronger, we're looking for him to get to around 180-190 before he's ready for the World Hockey League, but he's got tremendous skill and he's gonna be quite a player some day." Ozolinsh was made well aware of what he'll face in the rugged Prarrie Hockey League monday night in Saskatchawan's home opener against the Brandon Bison when hard-nosed 19-year-old defenseman Chad Dalton knocked him down with a devestating hip check. "I guess I learned to keep my head up there." said Ozolinsh. "Obviously there's a lot for me to learn this year and I just want to learn as much as I can. I want to play hockey for the rest of my life and it's my dream to play in the World League someday." If Darcy Ozolinsh continues to work as hard as he has, that day isn't far off.
Major Junior Season Kicks Off
The CMJHA season got off to a big start last night with 10 games to start the season. In the game of the night, 19-year-old AJ Paille led his Ottawa Muscle club to a big overtime victory against the visiting Sault Ste. Marie Blazers. Here are the scores from the rest of the league:
BC
Kitimat 3 @ Kamloops 5
Kelowna 4 @ Vancouver 2
Prarries
Red Deer 3 @ Calgary 2 (OT)
Lethbridge 4 @ Brandon 1
Ontario
Detroit 0 @ Thunder Bay 4
Sault Ste. Marie 4 @ Ottawa 5 (OT)
Quebec
Montreal 6 @ Rouyn Noranda 3
Sherbrooke 2 @ Laval 1
Maritimes
Moncton 3 @ Portland 1
Fredericton 2 @ Halifax 3
Major Junior Preview
The Canadian Major Junior Hockey season is right around the corner. Here are predictions for all 30 teams and 5 leagues.
BC League
1. Kelowna Icemen
2. Kamloops Ice
3. Kitimat Dolphins
4. Abbotsford Falcons
5. Victoria Cougars
6. Vancouver Vikings
Prairie League
1. Lethbridge Tornados
2. Moose Jaw Octan Oilers
3. Saskatchawan Bulwarks
4. Red Deer Rockies
5. Calgary Steeds
6. Brandon Bison
Ontario League
1. Thunder Bay Rebellion
2. Detroit Motor
3. Ottawa Muscle
4. Hamilton Jr. Flames
5. London Dragons
6. Sault Ste Marie Blazers
Quebec League
1. Montreal Physique
2. Rouyn-Noranda Battleship
3. Trois Rivieres Falcons
4. Laval Jets
5. Drummondville Kings
6. Sherbrooke Fury
Maritime League
1. Prince Edward Islanders
2. Cape Breton Ocean Terror
3. Fredericton Giants
4. Halifax Metros
5. Portland Charge
6. Moncton Stallions
Prospects to Watch
1. Dylon Wright -Lethbridge C
A speedy center with great offensive skill. Most accurate shot in junior hockey.
2. Spencer Wakabayashi -PEI C
Big powerful center with great size and speed.
3. Darcy Ozolinsh -Saskatchawan RW
Small winger posesses unbelievable puck skills.
4. Richard Houlle -Sherbrooke C
A tough, nasty forward who can score too.
5. Ben Comeau -PEI D
Big physical defenseman hits harder than anyone in the league.
