Hello sports fans. The 2020-21 CCHL season
is about 1/3 of the way completed and what a year it has been thus far. Not
only are teams dealing with COVID-19, but the battles in the Corfield and
Canosa conferences are fierce. In this two-part series, we will look at the
battles in each conference.
Let's
start with the Corfield Conference. The defending conference champs, the Fort
Erie Falcons led by GM Young, looked like they would run away with the
conference title yet again, based on the strength of their team and their
offseason acquisitions. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the battle for first in
the Corfield is up for grabs. The high-flying Falcons lead the conference based
on winning percentage, led by superstars Patrick Kane, Alex Pietrangelo, Nathan
MacKinnon and the "great 8", Alex Ovechkin. They lead the league in
goals for, goals against and goal differential. Those Falcons are going to be
tough to unseat in this conference.
But
let's not overlook the Wisborg "Team Sweden" Donuts, who are making
things tough on the Falcons. They are led by the defending Calder winner, Elias
Pettersson, perennial Selke candidate, Anze Kopitar, and Mr. all-purpose
defenseman, Shea Weber. This looks to be a very tough race throughout the
entire year. The Donuts really stocked up in the offseason, signing the big
Slovenian center to a massive free agent contract. So far, the transaction has
really paid off for Wisborg. Wisborg has made a great turnaround this past
season, having finished 9th in the Corfield last season. That must have been a
huge disappointment for GM Kallum, after making it to the Kehler Cup finals 2
seasons ago.
In
third place in the Corfield are the pesky Portland Owls. GM Zoladz has put together
a very competitive team this year, rebounding from a 10th place finish last
year in the conference. The Owls are led by superstar Finnish winger, Mikko
Rantanen and a very pleasant surprise in JG Pageau. Pageau has averaged a point
per game thus far which is incredible. Anchoring the blueline for the Owls is Calder
trophy candidate, Cale Makar. Cale will be the cornerstone of that defense for
many years to come. Veteran Anntti Raanta has taken young Carter Hart under his
wing and is showing the young goalie a thing or two, posting an amazing 1.55
GAA and .934 save percentage in his 10 games played! Wowsers!
The
resurgent Calgary Chinook are in 4th place but only 5 points out of first! GM
Yip is trying to recapture the magic of his Kehler Cup victory 3 seasons ago,
and his young Chinook team is playing at a very high level. Superstar Czech
winger, David "Pasta" Pastrnak, leads the team with an eye popping 43
points in just 29 games. Pasta is part of a jaw-dropping top line for Calgary,
with Aleksander Barkov in the middle and left winger Johnny Gaudreau. That line
has combined for 120 points in 29 games! They are lighting the lamp so much
that opposing goaltenders are asked to wear sunscreen on their necks!
Rounding
out the top 5 in the Corfield are the returning Bismarck Ibex. GM Matt Condon's
return after being away for over a decade sparked some concern in the league.
GM Condon is one of the very few GMs in CCHL history to win back-to-back
championships, winning in 2005 and 2006. The only other team to achieve such a
feat were the legendary Copenhagen Crusaders, led by Hall of Fame GM, Bruce
Niblett. Back in his championship winning seasons, GM Condon went all in with
trades that helped him win his 2 championships. Version 2.0 of GM Condon
appears to be one that is intent on building a powerhouse for years to come,
through smart trades for youth and drafting. Obviously, GM Condon knows how to
win, but can he unseat the Falcons? The Ibex don't possess the same firepower
as the top 4 teams in the Corfield, but never underestimate an experienced GM.
The
Seattle Reign currently sit in sixth place in the Corfield Conference, but GM
McCurdy knows how to win. Last season not only did the Reign finish 3rd in the
conference, but they pushed the Falcons in the playoffs, putting a scare into
GM Young. Can they repeat and improve on their success from last year? Time
will tell. Just behind the Reign are the Tampere Lynx, a relocated franchise
with a new GM. After a tumultuous offseason that resulted in having to find a
replacement of a replacement GM, the Lynx appear to be in good hands with
veteran GM, Sylvain Dallaire. The Lynx are only 9 points out of first and are
led by young star, Jake Guentzel, superstar, Evgeni Malkin, and resurgent star,
Taylor Hall. We will see what GM Dallaire's strategy will be as the season
progresses. Will he be all in or will he look to rebuild if he cannot make up
ground in the Corfield?
The
final four spots are held by the Parry Sound Orrsmen, the Niagara Falls
Thunder, the Chippawa Crackerjacks and the Capeside Loons. New GM, Charlie
Plante, has recently made some strong acquisitions to push for a playoff spot.
One of those important trades was acquiring last year's Vezina trophy winner,
Matt Murray. Unfortunately Parry Orr and Niagara Falls are struggling for a
second straight year, but maybe GM Nicol and GM Connors have an ace up their
sleeve. This season must be especially hard for GM Czepiel of the Capeside
Loons. After making the playoffs the last 2 years, the Loons currently sit in
last place in the entire CCHL. Well, rebuilding takes time and even if they
finish last, they may be rewarded with a tremendous talent in the next CCHL
entry draft.
Look
for part 2 soon, as I analyze the Canosa Conference. Stay tuned, sports fans!
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