Whalers taking the OHL by storm
The Plymouth Whalers, the team I’m a game night intern for, have taken the OHL by storm. The Whalers 6-2 loss on Saturday night against Saginaw marked their first regulation loss since November 18th. Yep, the Whalers had won 16 games in that time span and their only three losses came in overtime and the shootout.
The Whalers are on a roll. They haven’t lost in regulation play in 16 games. They’ve only given up 97 goals, by far the fewest goals in the league. They’ve been outstanding defensively and have a duo of young goalies who will keep them strong in net for several years.
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“We got back from a road trip a while ago and didn’t play very well,” [Whalers head coach Mike] Vellucci said. “We had a meeting and I told the kids that you can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t work hard it doesn’t mean anything.
“They got the message and have been working hard ever since.”
The Whalers goaltending has been a key reason for the team’s success so far this season. The team does not have a clear cut No. 1 goalie so it goes back and forth between Michael Neuvirth and Jeremy Smith. Neuvirth is from the Czech Republic and the Washington Capitals had made him their second round draft pick (34th overall) in 2006. Smith is 17 years old and has been heavily scouted for this summer’s upcoming NHL draft. However, Velluci will not alternate goalies. Instead he plays whichever goaltender is performing better at that point in time.
The CHL and NHL pick the top 40 players in the CHL to play in the 2007 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Quebec City on January 17th. All 40 players are eligible for the 2007 NHL Draft and will be divided into two teams for the game. The Whalers’ Jeremy Smith was one of four goaltenders to be selected for the game.
“This is a major event where scouts can see all the premier draft-eligible players in Major Junior hockey compete head-to-head,” said Director of Central Scouting for the NHL, EJ McGuire. “This game promises to be as exciting as years past with several top prospects looking to establish themselves as the premier prospect in the CHL on this night. We are very excited to see which of these young men will best use the opportunity of this event to showcase himself for the 2007 NHL Draft in Columbus, Ohio and beyond.”
OHL Player of the Month
The Whalers’ own player, Evan Brophey, was named OHL Player of the Month for notching 26 points in 11 games in the month of December. Brophey was drafted in the third round (68th overall) by Chicago in 2005.
OHL Player of the Month – Evan Brophey, Plymouth Whalers Brophey was named the OHL’s player of the month after leading the league in scoring during December with seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 11 games. The overage centre recorded at least a point in 10 out of the 11 games Plymouth played during the month, helping the team to a 9-0-0-2 record. Brophey had eight multi-point games, including a five-point game on December 17 in a 5-1 win over the Brampton Battalion. He also enjoyed back-to-back four-point performances, against Guelph on December 3 and London on December 7. Brophey, a third round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, in 2005 also finished the month with a plus/minus rating of plus-10. The native of Kitchener is currently third in the OHL scoring race with 65 points in 37 games.
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