By / John B. Spigott
Bonnyville Pontiacs
Unfortunately for head coach and general manager Chad Mercier, his dressing room looks more like a MASH unit.
For the better part of November, Mercier has been without leading scorer Kirk Belyk, captain Craig Cuthbert, and star defenceman Steven Seigo, who was first lost to the World Junior A Challenge in Camrose before suffering a lower-body injury.
“We were minus those three guys for both those games in Grande Prairie, which was tough,” said Mercier, whose club dropped a pair of games to the Storm on Nov. 12th and 13th. “But that’s life. We would love for those guys to be 100 per cent healthy, but you don’t want to rush them back.”
With the absence of Cuthbert and Belyk, 20-year-old Ashton Hewson has stepped right up, as the former Seattle Thunderbird had points in 12 of his first 14 games with the Pontiacs.
Drayton Valley Thunder
The rebuilding project in Drayton Valley continues for head coach and general manager Jeff Battah.
In his first season at the helm of the last-place Thunder, it’s already been a long season for Battah and his staff.
“This is kind of what we expected, to be quite honest,” said Battah. “We knew we were rebuilding … it’s been disappointing, and it’s a battle every day to change the culture and our expectations.”
Battah has been busy as of late, as he swung five trades between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, highlighted by a deal that sent Adam Gummer to Trail for promising young defenceman Skyler Smutek.
Fort McMurray Oil Barons
The Oil Barons have been in some unfamiliar territory as of late.
After starting the season 10-0 at home, the Oil Barons dropped three of five home games in the friendly confines of the Thickwood Heights Arena through Nov. 22, a losing skid that came right in the middle of a crucial seven-game homestand.
Expect more moves from Fort McMurray head coach and general manager Gord Thibodeau, who dealt Matt Williams and Andy Williams to Brooks on Nov. 18 for forwards Matt Hallick and Erik Toews.
Grande Prairie Storm
Goals don’t come easy against the Storm.
Through Nov. 23, the Storm had only allowed 59 goals against in 29 games, the fewest in the AJHL, and a large part of the Storm’s success rests with 19-year-old goaltender Matt Milne. Milne, a native of Newmarket, Ont., leads the AJHL in both goals-against average and save percentage.
The Storm continue to roll in November, as they have beaten the three teams they are trailing in the North Division.
Lloydminster Bobcats
What an acquisition Jared Jagow has been for the Bobcats.
Jagow has sparked the Bobcats both on the powerplay and at even-strength, as the 20-year-old former Seattle Thunderbird has looked right at home alongside local products Brody Foster and David Dziurzynski.
Even after having a seven-game goal-scoring streak snapped on Nov. 23 in Grande Prairie, Jagow had 21 points in 14 games and at one point put up 10 points in three games for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats also stabilized their goaltending situation on Nov. 18, acquiring 20-year-old Calvin Bartel from the Flin Flon Bombers.
St. Albert Steel
Talk about overhauling a roster.
Steel head coach and general manager Greg Parks has brought in six new faces since late October, highlighted by former Camrose Kodiaks forward David Andreassen, and Kyle Aschim, who was re-assigned by the Prince Albert Raiders.
“We don’t make changes just for the sake of making changes,” said Parks. “We do a lot of research on these kids, and they all have a lot of character. We have addressed our blueline, and just with the changes in the league, we thought we needed more size and grit.”
Parks also acquired a pair of veterans from Drayton Valley in Brady Hogg and defenceman Colby Sutton.
Sherwood Park Crusaders
The top team in Canada makes its home in Sherwood Park – at least as of Nov. 17.
The Crusaders knocked the defending national champions from Humboldt off their spot atop the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings, and with good reason. The Crusaders were 22-4 on Nov. 8, but did hit a bit of a rough patch in their next five games.
The Crusaders were 2-3 in five games through Nov. 23, and had particular problems with Spruce Grove in that stretch, winning once in overtime and dropping two other games to the Saints in regulation.
Spruce Grove Saints
The Saints have their eyes set squarely on the Crusaders for top spot in the North.
Spruce Grove has beaten Sherwood Park twice in regulation in November, and as of Nov. 23 had closed the gap between first and second place to a single point. The Saints, who had only lost four times in regulation through Nov. 23, already have five players over double digits in goals, while another – forward Jordan Draper – had nine goals in 16 games.
The Saints were ranked 12th in Canada in the Nov. 17 national rankings, but look for them to move up after two wins over top-ranked Sherwood Park. |
