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Dextaria · 06-30-2024, 08:34 PM

The Vancouver Whalers have been in the league since the beginning of the SMJHL. Being such an old team, the Whalers have won multiple cups in their team history, 12 to be exact. The seasons in which the Vancouver Whalers were the champions include S10, S14, S15, S18, S19, S24, S35, S36, S43, S48, S56, and S61. And so, if you count every 10 seasons, the Whalers have won a cup in every single decade with the largest drought being 11 seasons between S24 to S35. That is, until now in which it has been 16 seasons since their last cup and the challenge is even more difficult with 2 more teams being added since then. Looking more closely at their S70s cup to continue their cup every decade, we will break down the last few seasons since S70 in terms of their competitiveness and chances. This is also an opportunity for me to fill in the gap of Whalers knowledge that I have lacked as of late.

The First Contention Window

Starting with S70 although we should be starting with S71, the Vancouver Whalers placed 7th out of 14 teams with 71 points. This was an improvement from their S69 season where the team placed 12th, missing the playoffs. However, placing 7th resulted in them playing the Carolina Kraken in the first round and despite the Kraken being placed 10th, they were defeated in 5 games. In S71, the Vancouver Whalers would improve to 5th with 75 points in the regular season. So the Whalers won their division and their bye, but eventually fell flat once again in the playoffs losing in 5 games but this time against the Nevada Battleborn who were ranked 2nd in the regular season. In S72, one could say the Vancouver Whalers were clearly entering their seasons of contention with their core at the time as the were 2nd in the regular season with 93 points, just one behind being first. However, the Whalers playoff woes continued as the seemingly dominant team was outed once again in 5 games again the Yukon Malamutes this time. Then, in S73 which would be the teams peak, the Vancouver Whalers led the league with 97 points and they finally managed to win their first playoff series since S66 in 7 games against the 14th placed Great Fall Grizzlies. This celebration was short lived as the Whalers proceeded to be swept by the 2nd overall Maine Timber. This is where I would mark the end of their first contention window in the S70s with honestly not a lot of postseason success to show for.

The Rebuild

In S74 the Vancouver Whalers clearly took a step back in which the team placed 8th with 71 points. They entered the playoffs as pretenders and despite pushing a game 7, they were beat by the 7th placed Anchorage Armada. S75 continued the downwards trend as the team bottomed out at 13th with 37 points, losing again in the first round in 7 to the 4th place Detroit Falcons.

The Second Contention Window

With last season, S76, the Vancouver Whalers are looking at their second contention window of the S70s. The SMJHL expanded to 16 teams and the Whalers themselves managed to improve and place 12th with 57 points. In the playoffs, the team managed to their second playoff series in 10 seasons winning against the 6th placed Regina Elk in a 7-game upset. They proceeded to be swept again like in their last series win, but this time by the Quebec City Citadelles who were first in the league and eventually won it all. This season, S77, the team has improved once again to their current in-season placement of 8th and are looking to do more damage in the playoffs. They traded for some pieces from the Newfoundland Berserkers and have drafted some studs with the few draft picks that they had that season. All that is left is to wonder if this is the core to do it?

Vancouver Whalers S70s Summary (season | regular season placement | playoff result)

S70 | 7th/14 | eliminated in the first round in 5 games
S71 | 5th/14 | first round bye, eliminated in the second round in 5 games
S72 | 2nd/14 | first round bye, eliminated in the second round in 5 games
S73 | 1st/14 | first round bye, won in the second round in 7 games, eliminated in the third round in 4 games
S74 | 8th/14 | eliminated in the first round in 7 games
S75 | 13th/14 | eliminated in the first round in 7 games
S76 | 12th/16 | won in the first round in 7 games, eliminated in the second round in 4 games
S77 | 8th/16 (currently as of this deep dive) | TBD

*CptSquall* · 07-06-2024, 09:25 AM

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