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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 20:21:03
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What’s past may serve as prologue to the story of a championship season. Such is the desire of the Lethbridge Hurricanes as they look to use the experience of this season’s run to the Western Hockey League championship series as a springboard to a WHL title and Memorial Cup appearance next season.
It’s a lofty goal, to be sure, but one grounded in the knowledge that the 2008-09 Lethbridge Hurricanes will look remarkably like the team that won the Eastern Conference title but with 19 games of playoff experience added to the mix. If all who were eligible to return to the ’Canes rolled back into town in the fall, three cuts would have to be made (to get to the league overage limit of three) and 17 roster spots would already be occupied. It means training camp could be short but extremely competitive.
“We’ve done some pre-planning already,” Hurricanes general manager Roy Stasiuk said this week. “When you pencil in some of the names we think will take those spots, there’s no reason for a huge camp.”
Let’s take a look at who’s coming back and what needs Stasiuk will look to address.
Overages
Lethbridge loses forwards Nick Hotson and Mike Wuchterl, along with defenceman Jeff May as they all graduate from the league. Eligible to return as 20-year-olds next season are goaltender Michael Maniago, defencemen Ben Wright, Mitch Versteeg and Paul MacDonald, and forwards Mitch Fadden and Adam Chorneyko.
Maniago is likely to be moved either during camp or early in the season. Juha Metsola, established himself as a number one goaltender this spring and Maniago, who won 25 games over the course of the regular season, needs to play as a starter somewhere.
“With the emergence of Juha, (Maniago’s) probably a pretty good asset to move but I’m not going to look at that until we’ve determined we have a back-up goalie to go with Juha,” Stasiuk said.
Wright, the team’s captain, has yet to sign a professional deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets (who selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft) and has indicated he’s ready to come back to the Hurricanes if no professional opportunities arise over the summer.
“We’d love to have him back and after looking at Chris Bruton in Spokane, if he brings back that maturity, which I’m sure he will, that’s a big key for us,” Stasiuk said of his captain.
Fadden offers the most intrigue. The team’s leading point-getter (34-55-89) over the regular season, he’s a fourth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He, too, will be looking for a pro job in the fall but if he can’t land one, would be back in junior. Stasiuk compares his situation to that of Colton Yellow Horn, in that he and the team might be best served parting ways.
“We moved (Yellow Horn) to provide an opportunity for a Mitch Fadden so do you move a Mitch Fadden to provide an opportunity for a Carter Ashton,” Stasiuk asked. “I really think it’s time that Carter gets that opportunity to step up. He was a high draft pick, he has to play with some of our better players.”
From the eligible group, it would appear that Wright and Versteeg would have the inside track to stay on as blueliners and Chorneyko would fill the third spot as an overage forward.
Forwards
Counting Chorneyko, a total of 10 forwards who saw time in the post-season could be back on the roster, including three 30-goal scorers in Zach Boychuk, Dwight King and Colton Sceviour, who would all be 19. Carter Bancks also enters his 19-year-old season, while Craig Orfino and Dan Iwanski would return as 18-year-olds. The list of 17-year-old returnees includes Cam Braes, Austin Fyten and Ashton.
In terms of goals coming back to the lineup, the Hurricanes got 208 goals out of their forwards last season and in taking Fadden, Hotson and Wuchterl’s totals away, would return 148 of those goals. Add in the fact that Orfino managed just one goal in the regular season but scored four times in the post-season and Fyten played just six regular season games and there’s a lot of depth up front.
Also, don’t forget that Derek Whitehill and Reid Linaker, two more selections from the 2006 bantam draft who will be 17 in the fall, are knocking on the door, along with 16-year-old rookie Mark Reners.
Defence
Should Wright return, the Hurricanes would have three of their top-four in the fold. Luca Sbisa has already said he’d return and Jesse Craige will be entering his 19-year-old season. Pencil in Versteeg and Brennan Yadlowski, who should play much more as a 17-year-old, and the framework of a solid defence is in place. Lucas Alexiuk is also back as a 19-year-old and you’d have to think that Brock Sutherland (another 17-year-old picked in 2006) will get a long look, along with 16-year-old rookie Alex Theriau (last spring’s first-round bantam pick).
“My biggest concern is making sure our D is ready to go,” Stasiuk says. “If we get Ben Wright back, that solidifies a lot of things. Then it’s a matter of finding somebody to take Jeff May’s spot.”
Goal
Metsola, along with Sbisa, has already signed his IIHF transfer agreement to return next fall and the ’Canes are counting on him being the starter. To move Maniago, they then have to find a dependable back-up and as of now, have three goaltenders in the mix.
Brandon Anderson, the 16-year-old rookie from last year’s draft, will get a look, as will Peter Sombyk (18) and Michael Tadjdeh (17).
“If Juha goes down, it has to be a guy who steps in who can give us quality minutes, quality games and the most important thing, some wins,” Stasiuk said.
Overview
Bottom line, this team is built to win now. With potentially 10 players at 19 or older, the push for a league title is the obvious focus and yet Stasiuk wants to keep the group grounded.
“I think we’re really focused on trying to take this as far as we did this past season,” he said. “Number one we have to make the playoffs and number two we have to get this far by getting past the first round, so we’re take nothing for granted.”
He also said the entire organization learned from the loss to Spokane and as is often the case, expects the ’Canes to emulate the champion.
“I think we’re going to lose a little skill with the absence of Fadden but at the same time, we might be more determined and a more consistent team,” Stasiuk said.
“I like the way Spokane plays, not with one or two superstars. It’s a good team effort, night-in night-out.”
The Lethbridge Hurricanes should be a veteran team with the experience of a long playoff run already in their back pocket. It promises all the ingredients of a championship season.
“It’s really based around your 20-year olds, which for the first time we’ll really have the option of having homegrown players,” Stasiuk said. “The 19s are then the age group, I believe, that really puts you over the top.”
That’s what we’ll all be waiting to see.
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
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