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MyLittleHexx · 09-19-2020, 08:21 PM

A Look Back At Kelowna

Regular Season:
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With 150 games played in the last three seasons, Justin Keahi was a name many fans learned to love seeing out on the ice. In his rookie season, he would lead all Kelowna Knights rookies with 13 points and also lead the Kelowna rookies in shot blocks with 54. In his first season, Keahi would establish that he was a team first player, willing to sacrifice his body to stop a puck from getting to his net. If he wasn’t blocking shots, he was using his body in a more blunt way. If you were on the ice, you needed to keep your head up with Keahi on the ice. As a rookie, he would dish out 66 hits during the 50 games. His play was hard nosed and physical, a player that has grit to his game. Opponents described him as a pest, as Keahi was known to agitate and try to get under the skin of his opponents. During the season, the referees were quick to clip his wings if he ever got too out of hand, serving 30 minutes in the box over the season. Keahi wouldn’t drop the gloves over the course of season 53, but that would change in season 54.

In 50 games, Keahi would drop the gloves three times during the course of season 54’s regular season. In total, Keahi would sit in the box for 29 minutes, meaning over half his time in the box was because of fights. Season 54 would see an expanded role for the young agitator, as he looked to grow and impress the team that drafted him, the Chicago Syndicate. He would score eight goals and thirteen assists for a total of 21 points during the season. Keahi would still throw the body during the season, amassing 77 hits. With more ice time, Keahi wanted to cut back on the amount of shots blocked to save the wear and tear on his body. Still though, 45 blocked shots for a forward is nothing to scoff at. Keahi’s final season in Kelowna would be the biggest for the Pacific born winger.

Fourteen goals, 15 assists, for a total of 29 points. That would be his final regular season points in the SMJHL. Not bad for an agitator that not many expected to even last more than a season. The season would be the most disciplined for him, as he would only sit in the box for 19 minutes and only drop the gloves once during the season. Wanting to make his last season go out with a bang, Keahi would throw 114 massive hits during the season. He would go to block 52 shots, breaking the 50 mark for shots blocked twice in his three seasons with Kelowna.

In total, his regular season career would see him play 150 games. He would find the back of the net 28 times, while having a helping hand on another 35 goals officially. He finishes with 63 points as a Knight. For 78 minutes, Keahi could be seen in the penalty box. He’d drop the gloves four times during the regular season, and throw 257 hits. He’d sacrifice his body for 151 shots during his time in Kelowna. On the ice, he’d give the puck away 59 times, and take it away from the opponent 55 times.

Playoffs:
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In the playoffs, Keahi would play 44 games for the Knights. In his three seasons, the Kelowna Knights would go to win the Four Star Cup. In the playoffs, Keahi would really tighten his game and would strive to be displaced. In those 44 games, he would sit in the box for nineteen minutes. Of those nineteen minutes, fifteen would be the result of a fighting major. Each season, he’d average about two hits per game, for a total of 89 hits during his 44 total playoff games. Possession would not be his game, as he would turn the puck over 29 times while taking it away 14 times. In the end, Keahi would score eleven times during the post season and assist on fourteen goals for a grand total of 25 points in 44 playoff games. Not too bad for an agitating forward.

The Future

So what does the future hold for Justin Keahi? Well first, he’ll be playing his first SHL games as a Tampa Bay Barracuda. At the beginning of the season 55, it was announced that Justin Keahi would be traded to Tampa Bay, and the Chicago Syndicate would get a season 58 second round pick. Reports are that there was no bad blood or issues between Keahi and Chicago, it had to do with playing time. Keahi made it clear that he didn’t want to spend more than three seasons in juniors, but Chicago didn’t have space for him at the start of season 56. Chicago’s general manager then offered to move Keahi if he truly wanted to play in the SHL the next season. A week later, Keahi would start looking for an apartment in Tampa as he finished his junior career in Kelowna.

Now what can we expect from Keahi in his first SHL season? “Not much,” the younger winger would tell a reporter after Kelowna was eliminated from the playoffs. Not an optimistic look, but Keahi understands that he won’t be an impact player right out of the gate. “If anything, I’ll have a start similar to juniors,” he said as he took his skates off. The SHL is a very tough league, and to make an impact right out of the gate is no easy task. Most players see an extra season in juniors, so to take three and go up might not mean Keahi gets as much playing time to develop as he would if he stayed down in juniors. However, he is excited for the chance to play in the SHL.

“Yeah I could go down and have another big season with Kelowna. Score goals, bang bodies, the whole show. Where does it get me though? It’s another season playing against younger players still developing and figuring out their game. I don’t think I felt challenged once during the regular season. It’s hard to grow and develop when you aren’t being challenged and forced to do things you usually don’t do. I appreciate everything the Kelowna Knights have done for me, but I made the decision that the SHL is where I need to be this season. I’ll admit it, I’m not going to go out and score 20 goals and assist on 30 more. I wouldn’t even be able to do that in juniors. All I want to do is go out and play every night. I want to compete and feel challenged every single shift this season. I know Tampa isn’t the best team, so it’s going to be a long season. Hell, I’ll probably have a negative plus/minus that rivals are total team goals during the season. Here’s the thing though, we are a young and hungry team. We can only get better. I have faith in the direction this franchise is going and I’ll gladly put the jersey on my chest.”

Looking at the Tampa Bay roster, Keahi could be slotted on the third line. However, I don’t think he would be there long as he could easily become the number two right wing in the organization. With the way he plays, he could be an asset all through the lineup. A physical agitator is rare in the SHL the last few seasons, and though many teams will hate playing against Keahi, many will wish they had him. Tampa might take full advantage of his physical play, or they might try to keep him on a short leash. If they take full advantage of his play style, they could possibly see more fans at the games as he buzzes around the ice finishing hits and getting in the face of his opponents. On the other hand, keeping him on a short leash could reduce the pain that the Barracuda will face this season. Let’s be real, they are looking at a tough season and the last thing they need is to be killing penalties because a rookie from the Pacific islands is spending his time in the box most games.

Hopefully this season will be the start of a long career in the SHL for the young forward. Many will be interested to see how long the agitator can last in the current SHL, while others will want to see how long Keahi can last based on his personality alone.