Kim Chaewon lit the SMJHL on fire. Now that the season is over let's look at the highlights and the lowlights. We'll take a look at the three best and the three worst games Kim played this year. Normally there would be an option here, good news or bad news first but since Kim Chaewon has had such a great rookie season I've decided to go with bad news first.


Worst Games (The bad news):

Oct-31 vs. Nevada
Carolina Win 7-5
Kim Chaewon: 0 P, -1, 0 SOG, 4 PIM, 3 Hits, 1TA/2GA

In a high scoring game that resulted in Carolina winning 7-5 it would be a good bet that Chaewon would be on the score sheet. However, this was not the case and Kim spent 4 minutes in the sin bin instead. Likely they were frustrated not being able to get a shot through and instead focused on hitting with 3 hits in the game. They got a takeaway too with their aggressiveness but gave away the puck twice. This was a game worth forgetting.

Nov-29 vs. St Louis
Carolina Loss 3-7
Kim Chaewon: 0 P, -2, 4 SOG, 1 Hit, 1TA

Luck was not on Chaewon's side this night with 4 shots on goal but unable to get one past the keeper. Kim was able to hold onto the puck all night and never give it away even managing a takeaway. But a -2 on the evening means that this night Chaewon and their linemates weren't doing their part defensively. And lastly a hit a game keeps the doctor away (and treating the other team) and Kim had one. This game was likely a poor overall performance by Carolina and Kim wasn't able to elevate themselves above that.\

Dec-29 vs Quebec City
Carolina Loss 3-6
Kim Chaewon: 0 P, -5, 2 SOG, 1 Hit, 3 GA

December 29th was likely Chaewon's worst game of the season. While they managed a couple shots on goal they ended the game with a -5. It's hard not to attribute this to their giveaways which totaled 3 on the night. Their 1 hit was also slightly lower than their average. In the St. Louis game on November 29th Chaewon played as well as their team did but this time it feels like they held their team back.


Best Games (The good news):

Oct-7 vs. Anchorage
Carolina Win 6-5
Kim Chaewon: 2G, 1A, 3P, +1, 3 SOG, 2 BS, 2 PIM, 1 Hit, 1 TA, 1 GA

Second game into the season and Kim was a monster on the ice. They did everything, 2 Goals, 1 Assist for 3 points with 3 SOG. Not to mention 2 blocked shots, a hit, being +1 and a takeaway on the night. The only downsides were a 2 minute minor and a giveaway but are easily overlooked compared to Kim's other contributions on the ice.

Oct-10 vs. San Diego
Carolina Win 5-4
Kim Chaewon: 2G, 1A, 3P, +2, 3 SOG, 1BS, 3 Hits, 3 TA, 1GA

Kim followed up that beast of a game with another a few days later. Another 2 Goals and an Assist and playing better defensively with a +2. On top of a solid 3 SOG, Chaewon blocked a shot and took the puck away 3 times this game. The only blemish, and it's barely a blemish, is that they gave away the puck once on the night.

Feb-6 vs. Kelowna
Carolina Win 4-1
Kim Chaewon: 1G, 2A, 3P, +3, 2 SOG, 1 Hit

Everyone knows Kim got off to a hot start but one of their best games near the end of the season in Feburary. One Goal on two Shots and two Assists which was good for 3 points and a great +3. They even got a hit in and didn't hurt their team by taking a penalty. This game was a return to form for Kim Chaewon.


Conclusion:

While Kim Chaewon had some bad games, they had many more good games. It was much harder and closer to do the top 3 for the best games than the worst. Also, there were many games where Kim wasn't rewarded despite having a strong game in regards to SOG, +/-, Hits and Takeaways. Look to this rising star in the SMJHL to be a force for years to come.