Greetings all – we’re coming to the end of hockey season (looks at NHL playoff schedule…) well for my area of expertise at least. The Jackets had two prospects competing for a spot in the Memorial Cup with one making it the other’s season coming to an end with another starting back up but more on that later.
Kerby Rychel-Guelph Storm (OHL) Won OHL Championship Series 4-1
OHL Final Stats 5GP 3-6-9 +8 11PIM
OHL Playoff Stats 20GP 11-21-32 +20 23PIM (Led OHL Playoffs in scoring)
Regular Season Stats 58GP 34-56-90 +41 43PIM
Kerby and the Storm faced off against the North Bay Battalion for the OHL’s J. Ross Robertson Cup. In a 3-2 game one overtime won Kerby was held off the scoresheet. In game two, with Guelph leading 1-0 Kerby picked up another assist from his partner in crime Robby Fabbri when, after a turnover Kerby received a drop pass/fake shot from Zack Mitchell and found Fabbri. He shot the puck and it bounced off the Troops’ goalie’s stick to make it 2-0. Unfortunately, the Storm would lose the game 4-3 in overtime.
When the series moved to North Bay for game three, Kerby picked up his eighth multipoint game of the playoffs. In the third with Guelph trailing 2-1, Kerby got the puck to Nick Ebert at the point who passed to Fabbri he fired a shot to tie the game. Kerby also got an assist on the game tying goal but, because of the crowd standing it’s hard to see (I’m not kidding that’s where the camera was). After allowing the tying goal with 30 seconds left, the Battalion gave up the game winning goal…19 seconds later to give the Storm a 2-1 series lead. Also in game three Kerby got into a fight with Battalion captain Barclay Goodrow. After Kerby drove to the net it appears Goodrow either didn’t like Kerby running over a teammate or running into the goalie (be it ever so slightly).
If game three’s loss in the final 30 seconds wasn’t a big enough punch to the stomach game four was a punch delivered by Tyson in the 80s. In the 10-1 Storm victory (see, I told you it was a rough one) Kerby picked up three points. Kerby’s first assist came on a pass/dump behind the net to Fabbri who collected the puck and sent it out with just enough on it to find a streaking in Zac Leslie to make it 4-0. Kerby assisted on the extra point when he cleared the puck and Zack Mitchell gathered it before skating in and unexpectedly dropping it to Tyler Bertuzzi (yeah – he’s a relative). Bertuzzi spun and shot to make it 7-0. Kerby scored to make it 9-0 when he took a pass from behind the net and unleashed an absolute missle to make it 9-0. Somehow Kerby was only named third star in the win.
In game five, Kerby was the hero. In the third with Guelph trailing 3-1, Kerby took the puck behind the net and got it to Fabbri who found a pinching Matt Finn who made it 3-2. You can see post goal a close moment to celebrate between Kerby and Ebert who came to Guelph in the same trade. Late in the third Kerby must of said to the team “no big deal guys I got this.” With less than five minutes to play Robby Fabbri passed to Zack Mitchell whose shot was stopped. Fabbri also got a shot off with the rebound trickling to Kerby who had a wide open net to shoot into to tie the game at three. Four minutes later on a bit of a scramble play Scott Kosmachuk backhanded a pass that Fabbri couldn’t gather. Kerby got to the loose puck and snapped in a shot to win the game and well I think he wanted to do a Yakupov slide but decided he’s classier than that and just went nuts. Here are some postgame comments from Kerby along with Storm coach/ex Nashville Predator Scott Walker. The puck and Kerby ‘s stick are off to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
For his performances in games three, four and five Kerby was named OHL player of the week for the second time in three weeks.
Up next for the Storm in the Memorial Cup in London where they’ll face off against the host London Knights and fellow Jackets prospect Josh Anderson also of the OHL, the Western Hockey League champs the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champs the Val-d’Or Foreurs (literal translation Valley of Gold Drillers). This will be the Storm’s fifth appearance in the Memorial Cup and the first since 2004. This will be Kerby’s first Memorial Cup as a player but not his first time at one.
Oliver Bjorkstrand-Portland Winterhawks (WHL) Lost WHL Finals 4-3
WHL Final Stats 7GP 1-4-5 +4 6PIM
WHL Playoff Stats 21GP 16-17-33 +17 18PIM Tied for Playoff lead
Regular Season Stats 69GP 50-59-109 +44 36PIM
Oliver and the Winterhawks were in the WHL finals for the fourth straight season and were playing the Edmonton Oil Kings for the third straight season. Starting off in game one, late in the first period Oliver won a puck battle along the boards and got the puck to Chase De Leo who shot and scored to make it 3-0. The Hawks would go on to win game one 5-2.
Early in game two, Oliver and De Leo hooked up again when Oliver kept the puck in the zone and got it to De Leo who snapped a shot off to make it 1-0 in a 3-1 Hawks win. Oliver would be held pointless in game three and four marking the first time he had two straight games without a point since a four game pointless streak in late December-January.
Game four was very unique as it was the first time the Winterhawks were shutout in 247 games counting both regular season and playoffs (don’t worry – they still have a 182 regular season game streak with at least a goal). In game five Oliver picked up another assist in a 3-2 los but you can’t see it in the highlights.
In the do or die game six, after spotting the Oil Kings a 3-0 lead after one, the Hawks fought back to make it 5-4 midway in the third. Derrick Pouliot caught the puck in midair and got it to Oliver who skated in and dropped the puck to Brendan Leipsec. Leipsec dropped a pass to Pouliot who skated in and fired a shot past the Kings goalie to tie it. The Hawks would win the game 6-5 in overtime. When the game was 3-0 my Portland Source Scott Sepich sent out a tweet making it sound like the Hawks were done and I asked what Edmonton was doing to shut down the Hawks and he told me this.
In game seven, Oliver finally struck for his playoff leading 17th goal. Early in the first, Oliver streaked in and fired a laser to make it 1-0. Sadly the Hawks would fall 4-2 in the game ending their season. Oliver tied for the WHL lead in scoring with 33 points; he also led the playoffs in goals. As for next season Oliver will more than likely be back in Portland despite being signed by the CBJ as his only options to play are with the big club in Columbus or Portland. Back in Portland Oliver should be one of the Hawks main offensive weapons.
Quickly in transaction news, Oscar Dansk was signed to his three year entry level deal and was named a third team OHL All Star. The only remaining prospects that need to be signed are Daniel Zaar, Gianluca Curcuruto and Martin Ouellette. Zaar and Curcuruto need to be signed by June 1 or they re-eneter the draft, I’m hoping the CBJ sign Zaar and I’m 50/50 on Curcuruto. The deadline for Ouellette is August 15 since he is a college player and will be a free agent but Martin does have his degree just in case.
Alexander Wennberg was named top junior player by what appears to be Sweden’s hockey writers – here’s the translated announcement. As for my next update it will be my final recap as it will be a recap of the Memorial Cup. I’m not going but my colleague @Alisonl (the lucky…oh hi) is up there for a few games.
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