Centennial Cup in Calgary
Group A
Trenton Golden Hawks:
The Ontario Junior Hockey League champions were one of the highest ranked teams all season. While some people thought the Leamington Flyers would've been league champions, the Golden Hawks tore through the playoffs beating Pickering, Stouffville and Haliburton County in five games, before beating the Milton Menace in the league finals in six games. Corbin Roach led Trenton in points through the playoffs with 26, while Ryan Sanborn was the best goaltender in the postseason with a sparkling 1.97 goals against average and .935 save percentage. Possessing the top offence in the OJHL, the Golden Hawks can outscore any opponent, but with Sanborn in net, they are also capable of grinding out games. In this group, Trenton should be one of the favorites. Prediction: finish 1st in Group A.
Northern Manitoba Blizzard:
The Cinderella team in Canada. Northern Manitoba was never supposed to make it this far. But with a red hot rookie goalie, timely scoring and a no quit attitude, the Blizzard not only have made the Centennial Cup for the first time since 2002, but feel like they can shock the world and win it. The Blizzard race their way to the MJHL finals, beating Neepawa in five games, before sweeping the league leading Winkler Flyers. In the finals, it was a series to be remembered in the Parkland region, where Northern Manitoba took it in seven games after a Quincy Supprien triple overtime winner. The Blizzard had the top three point getters in the playoffs, which shows they have depth. But the story has been playoff MVP Taye Timmerman. The Winnipeg native boasted a 1.68 goals against average and .937 save percentage, both tops in the playoffs. If this team finds a way to the elimination round, they could make a run that surprises the nation. Prediction: finish 3rd in Group A
Grande Prairie Storm:
It's been a roller coaster of a season for Alberta's northwestern squad. Starting the season with a 15-1-2 record, Grande Prairie was firmly in the top five of the CJHL Top 20 rankings. Then December rolled around, the Storm dropped like a stone, giving up the league and division lead, before righting the ship in time for the playoffs. Once they got to the postseason, the Storm swept aside Lloydminster and Whitecourt, before getting swept by the Centennial Cup hosts, Calgary Canucks. The Storm boasts one of the top offences in the AJHL. Led by Tomis Marinkovic and Will Harris, Grande Prairie has plenty of depth up front, bolstered by the addition of Colin Doherty from the Spruce Grove Saints of the BCHL. One of the biggest questions Grande Prairie faces, which version of Nicholas Jones will show up to Calgary. The Storm netminder can be one of the best goalies in the nation, but can be unreliable, as seen in the finals against Calgary. If the good version of Jones shows, plus a favorable group, the Storm could make plenty of noise at the national championship. Prediction: finish 2nd in Group A
Greater Sudbury Cubs
The Cubs didn't face much resistance in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, until the finals. Having torn through the NOJHL with a 44-6-1-1 record, Greater Sudbury relied on 101 point getter Lucas Signoretti, Samuel Assinewai who almost averaged two points a game and two strong special teams units. In the playoffs, the Cubs swept Iroquois Falls and the SOO Thunderbirds, before needing a full seven games to knock off Hearst, which saw Greater Sudbury almost give up a 3-1 series lead. Again, offence is the name of the game for the Cubs. Only twice in 15 playoff games, did they score fewer than four goals in a game. It means Greater Sudbury is capable of remaining in any game, but how they handle a generally stiffer round of competition is to be seen. This is a team they will be eyeing making at least the quarterfinals, and once you're in the knockout bracket, anything can happen. Prediction: finish 4th in Group A
Kam River Fighting Walleye
The Fighting Walleye weren't the top team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League, but they found a way to take down the top dogs to qualify for the Centennial Cup for the second time in four years. Having the top offence and defence in the SIJHL which includes the top four scorers in the postseason, Kam River feels like they have the depth to compete at nationals. Daxton Lang and Jett Mintenko led the team in points through the regular season and playoffs, and they will be relied on heavily to bring their team to success in Calgary. Ashton Sadauskas was a revelation in goal for Kam River, leading the SIJHL in most major goaltending categories. The playoffs saw the Walleye swept aside Ironwood and Thunder Bay, before downing Dryden in six games, capped by a series clinching goal by Mintenko in overtime. Many view Kam River as the underdog at the Centennial Cup. With a favorable group, the Fighting Walleye will look to clinch a playoff berth, which would be a first for the SIJHL. Prediction: finish 5th in Group A
Group B
Melfort Mustangs
Back to back Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champions, some people see the Mustangs as a stronger squad than the one that made the Centennial Cup final last year. Breezing through the SJHL, Melfort took out Kindersley in five games, swept the Yorkton Terriers, before beating Weyburn in the league finals in five. Virtually uncontested in league play, Melfort had the top offence, top defence, top power-play and penalty kill, top point scorer and two of the top three goalies in the league. Reilly Kotai runs the offence for the Mustangs, which also saw the return of Zac Somers to the lineup, plus the emergence of Zayden Sadlemyer as a point a game player. The defence is deep with veterans like Ty Thornton, Nolan Roberts, Cole Unger and Nicholas Andrusiak, while they can lean on either Kristian Coombs or Madden Mulawka in goal. Eyeing to better last year's results at the national championships, Melfort will be one of the favorites, albeit in a very difficult group. Prediction: finish 2nd in Group B
Rockland Nationals
Rockland finished the season ranked third in the CJHL Top 20 after spending the majority of the final weeks in the top spot. Having a relatively easy time through the playoffs, the Nationals showed why they were one of the top teams in the nation. Opening with a sweep of Cornwall in the first round, the Nationals had a scare, needing seven games to down Smith Falls, before sweeping Carelton Place in the finals. Simply put, Rockland does not give up many goals. Benoit Forget had a terrific season, having the best goals against average and five shutouts in the regular season, before doubling down with similar numbers in the postseason. The Nationals will look to shut opponents down first and foremost, while using a score by committee approach, which has been their bread and butter this season. Prediction: finish 4th in Group B
Valleyfield Braves
The Braves were consistently the top team in Quebec's Junior A circuit. Finishing with a record of 37-9-1-1, Valleyfield relied on their veterans to power their high octane offence. James Swan and Nathan Levesque form a two headed monster, both leading the league in points with 89. Complemented by Samuel Frechette, William Arsenault and Matis Ouellet, the Braves are capable of outscoring any opposition. The biggest question mark for Valleyfield may be their defence. When they won, it was in dominant fashion, when they lost, they were getting blown out of the water. Finals losses to Longueuil of 9-3 and 6-2 are warning signs, and when put up against the gauntlet of Group B, the Braves could be in one heck of a fight. Prediction: finish 5th in Group B
Edmundston Blizzard
The CJHL's top ranked team, Edmundston tore up the Maritime Junior Hockey League with ease. Finishing with a record of 44-6-1-1, the Blizzard only lost one game in the postseason and that was during their first round series against Miramichi. Very few games were close for the Blizzard, whose defence suffocated their opponents, giving up a league low 126 goals. The funny thing is, they alternate their goalies. Austin Caley was a mid season pick up from Truro, who has yet to lose a game for Edmundston, while Frederic Cousineau is a large tender who just finds ways to win. Not to say that the Blizzard can't score, four of the top five producers in the postseason are on Edmundston, but the Blizzard's success is based on tightening up their own zone before they go to work in their opponent's. Prediction: finish 3rd in Group B
Calgary Canucks
The hosts are another returnee to the Centennial Cup this year, blasting through the AJHL playoffs with style. Downing Camrose in five games before sweeping Drumheller and Grande Prairie, the Canucks are a team that is not used to tasting defeat. Calgary is rolling at the right time and depth is a big reason why. They have the top point getter in Jack Plandowski (who did so without taking a single penalty). If you take him away you then have to deal with the highly motivated captain Bowden Singleton. Get by him and then you face Nolan DuPont. Get by him and you've got Hayden Fechner, Nathan Maloney, you get the point, the Canucks are stacked. That's not even mentioning Lukas Renaud. The Montreal native has quietly been one of the best goalies in the AJHL, capable of making a boatload of saves. For a team that finished in the semifinals of last year's tournament, the Canucks are eyeing national championship glory on their home ice. Prediction: finish 1st in Group B
Overview
This is a very interesting tournament. The host, Calgary Canucks appear to be the team to beat, but other teams in their division (Melfort and Edmundston), as well as fellow AJHLers Grande Prairie and the OJHL's Trenton will look to change that narrative. First place in the group stage will mean everything. Having the extra day of rest and getting a bye to the semis could be the difference between capturing national glory and running out of gas. Group B is a killer group, with all five teams capable of winning it. However, Group A contains the Cinderellas in Northern Manitoba, while Grande Prairie looks to ensure that every team ends the season with some hardware. This should be a very entertaining tournament at the Max Bell Center.
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