CCHL Standings Analysis - The Corfield Conference

 

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!

CCHL Standings Analysis - The Canosa Conference

 

                Hello sports fans. Now that we have looked at the Corfield Conference after a third of the season, let’s switch gears and look at the equally tough Canosa Conference.

                During the offseason, the Canosa Conference looked to be a blood bath of a conference based on the strength of the teams and the talent being acquired by many teams in the conference. The last two Kehler Cup champions are both from the Canosa Conference and there is a movement to #KeepItInTheCanosa. Certainly, the battle has been worthy of the preseason hype.

                First place in the Canosa is currently a tie between two teams, the Siberia Icecats and the up and coming Amos Comets. It’s no surprise to see the Icecats near the top of the conference, but GM Quesnel has done a fantastic job in taking over a dysfunctional team and leading them to the top of the conference. The Amos Comets have made many important acquisitions. Some of the most important acquisitions have helped lead this feisty team. Captain Jonathan Toews, Reilly “Smitty” Smith and Artemi “the breadman” Panarin, have helped vault the Comets into a tie for first. The Comets have had a few small injuries recently. This will certainly test their depth, but GM Quesnel has shown that he is not afraid to make a trade to bring in the players he needs.

                The other team in a tie for first are the defending champions, the Siberia Icecats. The Icecats got off to a very cold start as they were trying to figure out their new combinations after having lost several key members of their championship team. Adding insult to injury, Captain McDavid was lost for nearly 40 days. It looked like the Cats would be in for a long season, but assistant captain, Patrice Bergeron, put the team on his shoulders and helped the team battle for first. With Captain McDavid returning, will he assume his role as the #1 center, or will GM Saouaf ride the “hot hand” of Bergeron? Perennial Norris Trophy candidate, Victor Hedman, leads their blue line. Can they win the Canosa Conference again?

                In third place, a spot they also held last year, are the radioactive Springfield Isotopes. GM Stacey has put together another competitive team, with many returnees from last year’s team. Selke winner Ryan O’Reilly is tied for the team lead in points with Gabriel Landeskog. Mark Giordano is averaging nearly a point-per-game from the backline and Russian netminder, Sergei Bobrovsky, has a sparkling GAA of 2.55 and a save percentage of .918. Can they make the jump to the next level or will GM Stacey be shouting “Doh” again this year?

                In fourth place, based on winning percentage, are the Halifax Norsemen. GM Wendt relocated the Norsemen, leaving Minnesota for what can only be considered “warmer weather” Halifax. The Norsemen went through a quick retooling year last year but are on the hunt for another Kehler Cup this year. Halifax is led by superstar John Tavares, talented Claude Giroux, and two star defensemen, John Carlson and Doug Hamilton. All four are at or nearly at a point-per-game. It’s clear that they will be one of the teams to beat in this conference.  

In a tie for fifth place are the Sudbury Miners. GM James has really built a very strong team from top to bottom. If that weren’t enough, GM James acquired one of the best young players in the game, Auston Matthews. The Miners have a ton of talent, which is supported with grit and determination. Players like Brayden Point and Bryan Rust just ooze a “work your ass off” mentality. It’s clear that GM James is gunning for the cup, and with his prospect pool, it looks like he will be challenging for the cup for many years.

                  The other team tied for fifth are the Las Vegas Aces. GM Watson has “rolled the dice” with some older but supremely talented veteran centers, Sidney Crosby and Joe Thornton. So far that gamble has paid off as the Aces are having a strong season thus far. Captain Crosby has been injured for part of the year but is averaging his usual better than a point-per-game. Veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has anchored this blue line and defensive wiz, Anthony Cirelli, has made a big impact on the team. The Aces don’t have a deep prospect pool, so it appears that GM Watson is in “win now” mode.

                One of the early feel-good stories of the season was the Long Island Express. The Express came out of nowhere to lead the Canosa Conference, only to have fallen back to almost .500. GM Zuk has some talented “new yawker” pieces in Matthew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee and Adam Fox, but the team has struggled to regain their early, winning form. Adam Fox appears to be ready to challenge Cale Makar for the Calder trophy, averaging over a point per game. The Express’ weakness appears to be in goal, as both Martin Jones and Joonas Korpisalo have a GAA over 3.60 and a save percentage under .890. It’s hard to win with two struggling goalies.

                The final four teams to round out the Canosa Conference are the Moscow Freezing Bears, Georgetown Millers, Victoria Ronin and the Hamilton Tigers. The Bears and Tigers both have new GMs and it will likely take some time for GMs Zhivov and returning GM Poelker, to shape the teams into their mold. GM Poelker is a former Kehler Cup champion himself. How quickly can he turn the Tigers around? Speaking of Tigers and Bears, we need a Lions team! GM Kash struggled early on and decided to rebuild this year, in hopes of competing more strongly next year. “The Godfather” GM Canosa, is also in a retooling state, after making the playoffs last year.

                There you have it, sports fans, the Canosa Conference. Can the Cup stay in the Canosa? Will the teams beat each other to a bloody pulp, leaving the Corfield Conference to regain the championship? As usual, only time will tell. Until then, stay tuned, sports fans!

 

Millers Press Conference December 2, 2020

 

Millers Press Conference December 2, 2020

Millers GM Chris Kash took questions from the local press via Zoom call today. Media involved in the call included The Georgetown News-Graphic, The Stamping Ground Herald and The Sadieville Weekly Bulletin.

 

Q: Are you done dealing?

A: Probably not.

 

Q: What would you like to acquire?

A: It’s not been any secret that we’d like a defensively strong Dman to pair with Theodore on the top unit. One with term and in his prime. Del Zotto has done a great job stepping up but he fits better down the lineup and he’s UFA and although he’s been an asset I can’t guarantee he’ll be re-signed.

 

Q: Anyone you’re desperate to trade?

A: Desperate is not the right word, but we have a lot of bottom 6 guys and we can’t play them all. It will be a logjam when Byron returns. These are good players who will have to sit and I’m willing to find them a place to play and not ask for the moon in return.

 

Q: Will Parise be your UFA re-sign?

A: Too soon to say.

 

Q: Chris Tierney has been drawing a lot of trade interest from what we hear. Is he on the market? What would you move him for?

A: Tierney has been fantastic for us, he’s in his prime, and his next contract will be reasonable. I’d have to be blown away to move him. He’s no superstar but this is a guy that teams need to be successful.

 

Q: You acquired Troy Stecher with the idea of playing him regularly. Lately he’s sat as you’ve brought in Simek, now Sbisa and even Brad Hunt. Is he out of favor?

A: Troy needs to play better. It’s simple. He needs to play strongly at both ends of the ice. When he shows that consistency he will play. I have faith and I’d expect him to be a regular sooner than later.

 

Q: Joel Farabee played one game which has knocked him out of the CCHL Prospect Tournament. Any regrets?

A: That was an oops on my part. I still think us and Siberia have the best team in the tourney, but Farabee really could have put us over the top.

 

 

 

 

Q: Will Kotkaniemi, Texier, Farabee or Peeke see the ice?

A: Really depends on how the rest of the season goes. If we are in contention for a playoff spot probably not as they don’t really fill a particular role. If things go south and we move some players they’ll get a chance to play.

 

Q: When the outdoor series was announced with Halifax you said the game would take place in Georgetown or somewhere in Scott County. You decided to stay at the Horse Park and hold it in the outdoor stadium. Why the change?

A: We really did want to play in Georgetown and thought we could use the Bird’s Nest Stadium but  neither the football field or the soccer pitch would support the rink structurally. Georgetown College did not feel they had adequate parking or facilities to host the game at Toyota Stadium.  We considered the open field behind Cardome where the summer Shakespeare plays are held but again there’s just not enough parking and building a temporary stadium was prohibitive. Rolex Stadium is of course adjacent to Alltech Arena, has plenty of parking and is right off of I-75. It’s perfect for what we need, and it’s a mile from the Scott County line.

 

Q: Several fans say the team, and specifically, your leadership, does not have a long-term plan and that you are essentially playing it by ear.

A: Eh, maybe. We tried to provide entertaining hockey after last year’s disaster, bringing in several highly-paid veterans. Given the high payroll we had to have good results quickly and when the team stumbled out of the gate we had to make moves to cut costs. We have a healthy balance sheet but I’m not willing to lose $50 million on a team that’s struggling to reach 8^th place in the standings. We cut payroll, identified areas we could strengthen without giving up top prospects and acted accordingly. We’ve brought in Fabbri, Schmaltz, and Tierney to augment the top 6 and dealt one top prospect in Formenton to do so, and we are loaded at LW with roster players and prospects. We are building this team to be a long-term contender, but in the meantime I want a competitive team on the ice. We won’t be a bunch of no names and journeymen trying to get a lottery pick. We’ll stay in the hunt for a playoff spot until it’s not feasible to do so. The bottom 5 teams in the Canosa are separated by 6 points. There’s no reason to not keep chasing a playoff spot but we can do it in a responsible way.

 

 

31 Thoughts That Are Actually 5 Thoughts by the Commissioner!

 It's another week of CCHL action and another week of my brilliant thoughts.  Once again I couldn't quite come up with 31 thoughts but we'll stay with the five for the week.  

Let's get it underway because I'm short on time and long on ideas this week.  

1.  Travis Zajac could have been had by anyone if they wanted to assume his large salary for the year.  It was looking like Zajac would become a free agent and likely not play the rest of the season in the CCHL until a two and a half month injury to Fort Erie's Sean Couturier made Zajac an appealing option.  

Zajac has helped improve the Falcons PK by 5% since his arrival and has bounced back and forth between the first and fourth lines.  It's impressive to see the veteran center sit at a plus-five rating in seven games with the Falcons despite flip-flopping in his role almost every other game.  

2.  After a scorching red hot start to the season, the Long Island Express find themselves losers of five straight contests and sit in seventh place, just two points ahead of Moscow for the final playoff spot in the Canosa conference.  

It seems impossible to think that after that start that Long Island would have been in this spot but goaltending has become a bit of an issue of late.  Can Long Island rebound and go on another hot streak?  Remember just two years ago Fort Erie started 10-2 before losing eight straight and having to start from scratch.  It worked out well for Fort Erie that year; can it work out well for Long Island with a solid winning record again?  

3.  Vlad Terasenko is averaging a point per game through 20 games and finds himself on the trade block in the land of the Freezing Bears.  It's incredible that no other CCHL team has stepped up to acquire the dynamic, yet injury-prone winger.  He's managed to stay healthy all year but with a questionable durability rating, can he maintain that health throughout the year?  I bet there's at least one team that will take a chance on him.  

4.  Who is looking forward to the prospect tournament?  Are you excited?  

5.  The league average penalty-killing rate has gone up illustrating the early power-play success was unsustainable as I had originally thought.  Still an interesting study to watch going forward.  

Well, that's it for another week of 31 thoughts.  I hope you enjoyed it.  If you didn't, send an email to the league commissioner.....wait, nevermind that's me.  I guess if you didn't like it, wait until next week when I write something you may like more!  Until then, take care and stay safe friends.  

The Nickel Report – Evaluating the 2020-21 Sudbury Miners: Volume 3

 CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

 

Up to games ending on November 8, 2020

Miners 5-Game (Nickel) Record:  3 wins, 2 losses, 0 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  11 wins, 5 losses, 2 OT Loss = 24 points total.  Currently sit in 3rd place in the Canosa Conference, 8th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 19.5% (11th); Penalty Kill – 80.8% (12th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Defenceman Roman Josi (4G – 18A = 22 pts; 19th Overall in the CCHL)

 

If recent activity is any indication, then it appears that the Miners are all in for the next couple of years.

In acquiring both winger Nikita Kucherov and defenceman Ryan Ellis, Miners management sent a message to both the team and their fans, that they are in a win-now mode.

“We paid a price no question to acquire both of these players”, stated General Manager Terry James.  “But, we feel these two additions can compliment our group and give us a push in a very tight Canosa Conference.  We owed it to the team and our fans to try and put our best foot forward”.

However, initial results have not been good.   The Miners have failed to register a point since both players arrived and their special teams, that once sat in the top 5, have dipped to middle of the pack.   Both Miners management and fans are hopeful that the right chemistry can be found quickly, and get back in the win column soon.

 

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Bo Horvat

Simply put, Horvat an excellent two-way player.  He skates well, has very good hockey sense and is a sound positional player most of the time.   He has a knack for coming up big in clutch situations. Horvat is good on face-offs and plays with plenty of grit.  He may never be a big point producer in the CCHL, but he is a better all-around player given his defensive ability.

 

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Peyton Krebs

Scouts agree that Krebs is a talented, versatile playmaker with upside.  He is an extremely fast skater with great burst and the ability to be quick with the puck on his blade.  He is not a liability when he does not have the puck and is good at working the defensive side of the game for a player of this age.   At times, he may be guilty of passing the puck when he should be shooting it.  He can play both wing and center, which adds to his overall value.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2023-24.

31 Thoughts that are actually 5 thoughts by the affable CCHL Commissioner

 Welcome, welcome, welcome back to the third edition of your favorite weekly column - 31 thoughts that I condense into five pieces of pure brilliance!  

Alright, so it may not be pure brilliance but it's still pretty good stuff!  Without further adieu, let's get the pontification going!  

1.  The Sudbury Miners kicked off a flurry of league-wide trade activity this week when they acquired Nikita Kucherov from the Moscow Freezing Bears.  Kucherov did not come out of the gates flying in Moscow this year with 14 points in 16 games, and many thought he'd be rejuvenated moving to a contender from the Polar Bears.  

The early results have not been good for Sudbury as Kucherov has been held without a point and is a -1 in two games as a member of the Miners.  While it's still really early to evaluate that trade, you have to wonder if Kucherov will fit in good with that group given his playing time will be reduced given the talent on the roster.  

2.  Home Cooking in the Corfield!  What is it about the home cooking in Chippawa, Niagara Falls, and Parry Sound this year?  Chippawa has gone 1-6-2 at home while both the Thunder and Orrsmen are 2-7 on home ice this year where they have the last change advantage.  

You'd have to think all 3 would have much better records even if they were .500 at home this year but hockey is a funny game.  

3.  Las Vegas find themselves tied for second place in the Canosa Conference and they have been the recipients of some great goaltending performances from the immortal Mike Smith.  Smith has a save percentage of .923 in 9 games for the Aces this season and has been a pleasant surprise.  

Of course, Sidney Crosby leading the way with 25 points and Kevin Shattenkirk has made a living with seven powerplay points to give him 19 for the season.  It's a great start to the season for Darrell and the Aces this season!  

4.  Is it just me or does anyone else feel like the penalty minutes in the CCHL are a bit high this year?  Well, being me, I did a little research as I thought the average of 14 penalty minutes per team was a little high.  

Looking at the 2019-2020 NHL season, it turns out that each team was only averaging eight penalty minutes per game.  I get that fighting is a lot more prevalent in the CCHL but the powerplay and penalty kill numbers seemed high and now we know why.  It's not just an illusion folks - Kerry Frasier and crew like to raise their arms!  

5.  Speaking of penalty minutes, Wisborg, Seattle, and Calgary have been lethal on the power play this season.  Wisborg has scored 31 goals which is 42% of their entire offensive output.  

Calgary and Seattle have both scored 27 goals with the man advantage as well.  That's good for 41.5% of both teams offensive firepower this season.  If you are going to play these teams, staying out of the box will be critical to your chances of leaving with a victory!  

Well would you look at that; we're already at five thoughts for the week.  Sorry everyone I've used up all of my thoughts for the week (my wife will argue that's five more than normal) so I think we'll end this week's column.  

Have a great week everyone!  

Commish out!  

The Nickel Report – Evaluating the 2020-21 Sudbury Miners: Volume 2

 CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

 

Up to games ending on October 27, 2020

Miners 5-Game (Nickel) Record:  4 wins, 1 losses, 2 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  8 wins, 3 losses, 2 OT Loss = 18 points total.  Currently sit in 3rd place in the Canosa Conference, 6th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 23.1% (5th); Penalty Kill – 84.1% (7th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Winger Bryan Rust (7G – 10A = 17 pts; 8th Overall in the CCHL)

 

It is still early in the 2020-21 CCHL season, but for the Sudbury Miners, if the last 5 games are any indication, things seem to be coming together for the team this season.

By going 4-1-0 in their past 5 games, their recent run of play has now vaulted the Miners into 3^rd place in the Canosa Conference, 1 point behind the division leading Long Island Express, who hold 2 games in hand.

“We are happy with our start, and our special teams have been good so far this year”, stated Sudbury Coach Derek Sutton.   “But it is early, and there are areas that we need to improve and get some better production out of some of players.   We are a work in progress but we feel like we are heading into the right direction”.

What Sutton was referring to was the production from the third line, which has seemed to be non-existent this season.  In an effort to shake up the lines and try to light a fire under some players, General Manager Terry James acquired center Bo Horvat from Fort Erie, in exchange for winger Timo Meier.  Initial results have been decent, but it will take some time to find the right combination and have this group come together.

 

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Roman Josi

Another one of the Miners main off-season acquistions, Josi has wasted no time making is mark in Sudbury.  Josi has great puck-moving skills, outstanding skating ability and a very low panic threshold. He has shown that he can produce big numbers and log huge amounts of ice time, and it has been no different this year in Sudbury. He can be a little loose in his defensive play from time to time, so he could stand to tighten things up a little bit more, but there is no question that he is a true No.1 defenceman.

 

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Rasmus Sandin

Sandin is one of the Miners top defence prospects currently in their system.  Sandin’s main strength is that he is an excellent passer who skates very well and thinks the game smartly. While capable of putting up a lot of points, he can also defend his position well due to his cerebral approach and active stick.  All he needs is to become a more consistent performer when he does not have the puck and to add more bulk, since he is a bit undersized.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2021-22.