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hhh81 · 03-24-2019, 03:07 PM

Darrow breaks century mark; poised to move up playoff leaderboards

By: Harry Hemmert, The Athletic Denver

One of the lone bright spots in the Colorado Raptors’ Day 85 loss to the Montreal Militia was captain Cassius Darrow’s assist on the Raptors’ first period goal. With his assist on Parker Smeb’s 21st goal of the season, Darrow became just the eighteenth player in franchise history to score 100 or more points in their career.

If this is, as many expect, Darrow’s final season in the SMJHL, he will end his illustrious juniors career as one of the greats to ever wear the Raptors’ jersey. Along with being 18th on the franchise leader board for total points, his 85 assists also tied William Goddard for ninth most in franchise history. He passed former teammate Kevin Maddox for eighth in shots blocked (195), has played the 21st most minutes in his career of any Raptor, he is 16th in regular season power play points (32). Darrow holds the franchise record for shorthanded assists (6) and tied Vratislav Zbynek for career short handed points.

Leading up to their first round matchup with the Halifax Raiders, Darrow was reluctant to celebrate his successes and discuss his 100-point milestone.

“Right now, we’re focused on doing whatever we can to get better in preparation for playing Halifax,” the Raptors captain remarked. “We’ve had some success in the playoffs the last few years, and we’re trying to find ways to channel that edge again. I know I’ll have to play well for us to win.”

The two-year captain has proven himself a leader on and off the ice. Last season, during a challenging streak for the young Raptors, Darrow and current Buffalo Stampede rookie Alexander Selich organized some early morning team-only workouts to refocus the players’ energy and conditioning.

“I love Cass—that bloke will do anything to help the team win,” second year winger and assistant captain Nick Brain said. “This year he’s been more vocal in the locker room encouraging the young guys and keeping morale up. Things could have been a lot worse without him”

“I’ve been quite impressed with Darrow’s growth as a leader,” Colorado General Manager Sebastian Frost shared. “He’s never been a loud guy, but this season I’ve really noticed he’s worked to be a strong, positive locker room presence for the other guys. He leads by example and pushes himself so hard to be the best. He makes me look smart as a team executive for drafting him.”

To that aim, he’s taken his game to another level when playoff hockey starts. Over the last two seasons where the Raptors made deep playoff runs, Darrow has scored 8 goals and 30 points, the ninth highest total in franchise postseason history. The Raptors’ 18 wins over the last two years also is the second highest of any team during that stretch. Only the defending champion St. Louis Scarecrows have more playoff wins. There is worse company to share.
If the Raptors can repeat their past playoff successes, Darrow will have to be a huge part of it. Last season, Darrow’s 19 points led all scorers for much of the playoffs, and was a dominant force every shift. He needs just 8 points to pass Vratislav Zbynek for third in career playoff scoring, eight power play points to take second place, and nine assists to tie the franchise record of 31. He also will inevitably pass J.P. Gay for the most blocked shots in the playoffs, and needs to play 296 minutes to pass Charlie Conway for most playoff minutes played. Regardless, Darrow will likely cement himself more securely in the top ten for playoff minutes played.
While interviewing Brain, rookie forward Julio Tokolosh overheard and asked to be quoted about the captain.

“Cassius Darrow was a great teammate and leader before I even knew his titles and accolades. He is the ultimate team player and that is reflected in his on ice performance, his locker room presence, and his relationship with the front office,” Tokolosh gushed. “I have been very lucky to come into the league with someone like him present to look over the team and myself, offering guidance and advice. He has a hard job that often times isn’t rewarding, but he keeps his head up and does the right thing.”

When I asked Tokolosh what he’s learned from Darrow, he was quick to respond.

“He knows his priorities and where his loyalties lie, and displays that in every interaction. I’ve tried to be a student of the game and soak up his commitment to not just the franchise, but to the league.”

The Colorado Raptors open the S46 playoffs Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

***Vandy*** · 03-24-2019, 07:10 PM

Love you bro

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