Outstanding:

"clearly very much better than what is usual"
"exceptionally good"
"very remarkable and impressive"

How do /you/ define outstanding? At a time in pro sports when athletes are training like never before and are in absolute peak physical condition, the divide between the elite and the rest of the pack becomes ever more narrow.
When you look at stats from decades long past, the "stars" from that time were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

So how do we distinguish what makes one outstanding in this day and age? Is it as cut and dry as just looking at the league scoring charts and singling out whosevers name sits at the top? There's already an award for that. However, when looking at the recipients of the Raymond Lindsay over the past several seasons it appears that is often the frame of mind for voters. And at times it's not entirely unwarranted. In S75, winner Frøya Solberg came first in scoring and it wasn't even close, finishing 23 points ahead of the next closest player. Similarly, Mia Lavoie claimed the award with a 15 point spread in S76.
In S77 (Mia Lavoie) and S74 (Langston Hardison-Laurent), the runner-up in league scoring took home the honour, with Jeff Hunziker in S73 rounding out the winners of the past five seasons after he was first in scoring (finishing a point better than Thomas Sawschuk.
A common theme amongst the past five winners was that they were all the leader in game-winning goals in their winning season (excluding S77 when Matviy Cajabi led with 10(and wasn't even nominated!)).

A lot of points and timely goals = outstanding? Without diving into it much deeper, those two things seem paramount when it comes to who voters deem worthy. It's not terrible logic either. What do you use to decide who you vote for when it comes award time? A cheeky vote for yourself or go the homer route and pick the best player on your team?

Time is running out to cast your vote for the Raymond Lindsay, so if you're having troubles deciding who deserves your vote, I'll do a quick round-up of the SMJHL teams and try to help make your decision all the more easier.

---

ANCHORAGE ARMADA

Jefferson Steelflex - 84 points (Team Rank: 1st), 2 game winning goals

Steelflex flexed his offensive muscles. obliterating his point totals from his first two seasons in Anchorage where he had 78 points combined. His 2 GWG were only good enough for T5th on the Armada (Chris McZehrl III led the team with 9), which may preclude him from "outstanding" status. At the very least, he should be a favourite for the Alex Light (Most Improved).

Fun Pick
Javelin Bodine - 12 goals, 49 points
I'm a bit bias here as I'm bullish on Bodine. But hear me out. He led his team in ice time and was their highest scoring defenseman. Did I mention that he's a rookie? Talk about outstanding.

CAROLINA KRAKEN

Jonny Fox - 64 points (Team Rank: 2nd), 5 game winning goals

Without even looking at the stats, suffice to say that Fox is outstanding at standing out. The 6'7" behemoth is hard to miss when he's on the ice. After converting from the wing to center this year, he's even harder to miss on the scoresheet. After only getting into 17 games during his first season, he averaged nearly a point per game this year while also leading the Kraken in GWGs.

COLORADO RAPTORS

Baron Samedi - 93 points (Team Rank: 1st), 7 game winning goals

As this list gets longer, the players seemingly grow larger. You might get confused when you see Samedi and Raptors in the same sentence and think you're reading about basketball when you realise he's 6'9" and 230lbs. He slam dunked 44 goals this year, good enough for second best in the league and 93 points which put him alone in 4th place overall. Throw in a remarkable 21.5% shooting percentage, tops in the league, and you have all the makings of a worthy candidate for the Lindsay!

DETROIT FALCONS

Simon Science - 68 points (Team Rank: 3rd), 8 game winning goals

Simon got scientific in his third campaign in the SMJHL, steadily improving on his statline year after year (42pts in S76, 52pts in S77). His chemistry with his linemates is evident as is his physics-ality, ranking amongst the top ten in hits across the league.
To his credit, his teammate Theo Kane had a great season as well, but I just wanted to make horrible science puns.

GREAT FALLS GRIZZLIES

James Howlett - 65 points (Team Rank: 2nd), 2 game winning goals

Perhaps an odd choice, especially when you consider that Marian Hanak had 72 points and 7 GWGs for the Grizz this year.
Howlett, however, held the highest overall game rating amongst his peers, finishing the season with an 82 (80 OGR, 80 DGR). I don't know how much stock gets put into the game rating, but I personally think it's an intriguing stat and one that shouldn't be overlooked.

His name also reminds me of Canadian screen legend Jaimz Woolvett, whom I grew up watching on YTV. Ahh, YTV. I wonder what PJ Phil and Warren Grog are up to these days...
Also, Wolverine.

KELOWNA KNIGHTS

Ivan Godinez - 51 points (Team Rank: 5th), 6 game winning goals

The second d-man to make the list after Javelin Bodine. His 6 GWGs led the Knights, proving just how valuable he was to the team, while also ranking amongst the league's best blueliners in goals (3rd), assists (T6th) and points (T5th). All this in just his second year in the J.

MAINE TIMBER

May O'Nayse - 96 points (Team Rank: 2nd), 7 game winning goals

As a present member of the Timber, I'm extremely biased here. Any one of Doug Weight, Stavros Kondos, Anna Skovgaard or even Valtteri Pulkkinen are worthy of being my pick for the team, but O'Nayse gets the nod here with his impressive +60. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that his 96 points (which tied him for second in the league) was accomplished while averaging a hair under 18 minutes of ice time per game AND a paltry 31 seconds of powerplay time per game as well! 91 even strength points!!! That truly is outstanding!

NEVADA BATTLEBORN

3WW Wingmate-Roc  - 96 points (Team Rank: 1st), 4 game winning goals

A change of scenery made all the difference for Wingmate-Roc as he posted his best totals in the SMJHL after being traded by Quebec City in the offseason after three steady years wearing the blue and white. His GWGs totals weren't tops on the Battleborn, but that's easily forgiven when you consider he lit the lamp 43 times throughout the year (3rd in the league) and finished only behind Doug Weight for total points.

NEWFOUNDLAND BERSERKERS

Jason Warwaha - 60 points (Team Rank: 1st), 2 game winning goals

On a team where the highest point getter only had 60 points, it's hard to consider anyone's season outstanding per se. Still, Warwaha scored 35 times, which put him just outside the top 10 in league goal scoring.
Shout out to Hannah Crowder for leading the team in GWGs with 5 in just their second year in the league. Never an easy feat.

OTTAWA HIGHLANDERS

Easton Schaffer - 73 points (Team Rank: 2nd), 7 game winning goals

Easton Cowan in the NHL and Easton Schaffer in the SMJHL. Two players in the hockey world trying their best to get my brain to disconnect from thinking of shiny, silver hockey sticks whenever I associate Easton to hockey.
His 7 GWGs makes him no slouch in that department, not to mention his 81 overall game rating tied him for the second best mark in the league.

QUEBEC CITY CITADELLES

Gwendolyn Telenn - 52 points (Team Rank: 4th), 5 game winning goals

It seems only fair the Citadelles give the rest of a league a chance to try and win the Raymond Lindsay after a recent string of success with Frøya Solberg and Jeff Hunziker.
And Telenn might seem an unlikely choice given both Roccamontepiano and Thompson-Smythe finished tied for first on the team with 76 points. But what makes Telenn outstanding is her diminuitive stature, standing a mere 5'0" (and weighing 150lbs).

SAN DIEGO TIDAL

Skyler Stevens - 50 points (Team Rank: 2nd), 1 game winning goal

It was another tough season for the Tidal, finishing at the bottom of the standings for the second year in a row. With only 36 wins over that span, there aren't a lot of game winning goals to go around.
Stevens was a bright spot though, putting in another steady season in his third year with San Diego. His -25 +/- rating was one of the better marks on the team and he posted a decent 74 overall game rating.

ST. LOUIS SCARECROWS

Alexa Johansen - 82 points (Team Rank: 1st), 3 game winning goals

Of course it was going to be Alexa, right?
The heart and soul of the Scarecrows over her four year stint, Johansen put up her best numbers to date and led the team in scoring for the third season in a row.
While Scar Bealey was tops in St. Louis with 7 GWGs, it's hard to think of a more outstanding Scarecrow than Johansen.

THUNDER BAY WALLEYE

Puddles O'Duckling - 49 points (Team Rank: 3rd), 2 game winning goals

One of only two rookies to make their way onto this list, O'Duckling took like a fish to water in his freshman year in Thunder Bay. His 49 points might not seem like much, but finsihed second leaguewide in hits with 194 as well as tied for second with an 81 overall game rating. As a rookie!

VANCOUVER WHALERS

NoNo Jo - 60 points (TeamRank: T1st), 9 game winning goals

As steady as they come, NoNo posted their third consecutive season with at least 60 points, improving their overall game steadily over their SMJHL career. Consistency may not scream outstanding, but the 9 game winning goals certainly does. The mark was good enough to tie him for tops in the league.

YUKON MALAMUTES

Jakub Alexa - 0 points (Team Rank: Last), 0 game winning goals

The other rookie to make this list, you might be wondering how someone who didn't score a single point throughout the season could possibly warrant consideration.
Aside from being a rookie, Alexa is also the only goalie to make my list. 17 wins and 1 shutout in 31 games played might not scream off the page. It's his .917 save percentage that does it for me, numbers not often seen or expected from a first year netminder.

---

So there you have it. My very unofficial ranking and look at potential candidates to win the Raymond Lindsay award  this year. Did it help you make up your mind who you wanted to pick or sway your vote in anyway? Are there any names I left off the list that you think I overlooked? Let me know in the comments.

Happy voting, everyone!