Hey whoever grades this, me and <a href='index.php?showuser=2588' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>good_dude_great_hands</a> co-wrote this
When you're a young kid going into the SMJHL draft, all you want is to hear your name called. Only a couple people had me anywhere in the top 15 in mock drafts and even fewer had me in the top ten. If you'd told me I would be taken ninth by the defending champions in the militia I would have called you crazy. So when grapes called my name, calling me up to that stage it was the craziest moment of my life.
Montreal Militia. I mean, I was completely serious about being pumped to play anywhere in the SMJHL, but it's another level entirely to be picked that early by a franchise like Montreal. I would get to play alongside Michael Walker and Elias Lindstrom, and then adding my good buddy Jack Hansen later. And I would play for a team coming off a championship.
The past two seasons have been so huge in me becoming who I am now. I'll always remember my first training camp; Jack and I moved in together to an apartment that was completely covered in post-it notes that the incoming captains put up, and all the ones around the doorframe had a piece of advise for on the ice. Of course, there were no bright ideas for how to quickly clean up post it notes. After a couple hours cleaning them out ice time, we ended up being up until 4 in the morning!
After that long night, Grapes called us into his office individually and gave us the run-down. He set out his expectations for us, and he welcomed us into the league and to the team. I will always be thankful and admire his ability to balance professionalism with making our group feel like a family. I really believe that that's a key part of what will make Montreal a consistent force in the SMJHL, GMs like Grapes are huge and I really do wish you the best man. I want to thank you for believing in me and helping me develop my playing style and my career. The player I am and will become was shaped hugely by you. Even his comments about jack and I in a recent interview were super classy. To save you a click, I'll quote it for you guys.
"Trading away two players like Scotty Steele and Jack Hansen is never an easy decision to make. Both of them joined Montreal for the S34, Scotty through the draft and Hansen as a free agent. Montreal was coming off a Four Star Cup win but they had lost a few key players who were called up to their respective SHL teams. The biggest hole in the lineup was on defense, so bringing in a guy like Hansen really turned our season from bad to good immediately. Hansen was a rock for us, and really stabilized our 2nd pairing. With Steele we had a tremendous two-way player on our hands; 21 points and a +37 rating while playing a shutdown role. It was no surprise to see we had the best PK that season, and Scotty Steele was a key to that success. Both players were so easy to coach as well because they valued the input we offered and weren't scared to express their own desires toward training. As a coach and GM it is difficult to say goodbye to two players like that, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they did for this team, and this city, on and off the ice."
Having a great relationship with a GM like we did with him isn't something I've ever experienced and I don't know if I ever will again. I hope one day we play together up in the SHL, and it'll be a day I look forward to greatly.
Two seasons wasn't enough time to spend with this group of guys and gals. Thank you all, past and present, for helping me through the ups and downs of my career. You've helped me personally to gain tremendous success, and I believe that you guys, given a little time, will get Montreal back up to the top.
Finally, Jack buddy. I'm stoked that we get one last hurrah together to chase that cup. I know we'll be playing together still but I wanted to say thank you for being a great teammate and a great friend. I know we'll rock this league and the Crows have the tools to get us that ring.
The start to my SMJHL career was exciting and confusing. There’s a lot going on that you need to learn and then remember. Luckily, Montreal’s GM Grapehead was as helpful and informative as anyone could have asked for. I didn’t start my career in the SMJHL like most players do; I missed the entry draft. That meant I basically got to choose which team I went to, which sounds a lot better than it actually is. It was stressful; I had it narrowed down to 3 teams, but in the end Montreal just felt like the right team for me. If I remember correctly, Grapehead was the first GM to contact me. The Militia seemed like an excellent fit, having just come off a Four Star Cup win with lots of depth on forward, arguably the best goalie in the league, and a nice juicy spot playing big minutes on the blueline. I didn’t actually know it at the time, but my long-time friend Scotty Steele had just been drafted by Montreal. Even better! The season started quickly after I joined, and I can honestly say I never expected to have so much success as a rookie.
I knew Montreal would be a strong contender when I joined them, I just hoped that I would be able to provide a positive impact stepping into such a big role early on. I think I surprised everyone to be honest. I managed 37 points, tying for the rookie scoring lead, but that wasn’t even the best part. My +39 on the season was good for 2nd all-time in the SMJHL (or at least since a particular season, I can’t remember). We were a strong team as a whole and I was excited to see what we could accomplish in the postseason. Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed in an upset loss to Detroit. My next season I was ecstatic to see that I was an alternate captain for the Militia. I took on an even bigger role that season, playing the most minutes of any player in the league. Scotty took a giant leap forward as well, playing his way to being my pick for Montreal’s S35 MVP. We had a fresh crop of rookies to grow with and help mentor here-and-there. Though that season ultimately ended in disappointment as we were eliminated in the 1st round, it was as fun as I could have asked for.
I loved every minute of my time in Montreal, and I am glad I picked there as the place to start my career. That said, I am also extremely excited to be a part of the St. Louis Scarecrows moving into this season. I haven’t had much of a chance to get to know everyone on the team, but I can tell they are a very active and welcoming group of people. A special thanks goes to Grapehead for keeping me and my boy Scotty together. I hope this is our year to run the board and win the Four Star Cup. I know Montreal is in excellent hands, and I’ll be secretly cheering for Montreal (except when we face them) and their new leadership core with Lui and Dakota. Thank you everyone that made Montreal feel like home! I look forward to beating you guys this season!
The biggest part of getting <a href='index.php?showuser=2598' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Seth</a> and <a href='index.php?showuser=2588' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>good_dude_great_hands</a> isn't that they'll be awesome on the ice, but that they'll be awesome people off it too.
Seth
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