THE FALCON'S WING

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Falcon's Wing - a (normally weekly) review of the Falcons' season, taking a look at the week that was and the week that will be. Except not this issue. It's our regular-season review issue! That's right folks, the season has come to an end, and it's time to look towards the playoffs.

In today's issue, we're going to start out by taking a look at the end-of-season standings in the SMJHL, and the Falcons' final five games of the season. We'll also be talking a bit about the teams' first round opponents.

Then we'll move onwards and grade the Falcons performance this season in our Falcon's Report Card!

And then we've got something special to round out our issue this week - instead of just showing your our Falcons' High Flyer of the Week, we're going to announce our team-voted end of year awards! We'll explain more about the voting process down below.

Now, let's get things started with the Falcons' (not quite a) week in review!

THE "WEEK" IN REVIEW
Games 48-52

The Falcons had a bit more trouble this week than in past weeks, only walking away with five points out of a possible ten with a record of 2-2-1. Not the best of performances for the Falcons, but winning two of the last three games of the season (and taking the third into the shootout) is some strong momentum to carry the team into the playoffs.

:impact: GAME FORTY-EIGHT: The Impact really seem to know how to jump in front of the Falcons, and stay that way. It's a pattern that we've been seeing all season when these two teams have played each other, and it's a pattern that continued when the two met in game number forty-eight of the season. Right out of the gates it didn't take long - thirty-seven seconds if you want to be specific - for rookie Evandrus Jesster to score goal number eighteen on the season, with an assist going to Jack Burton. Montreal kept the momentum, being the first team to go on the powerplay when Bjorn Knutsen went to the box at the two minute mark for cross-checking Buster Killington. About fifty seconds later, right off of a faceoff Evandrus Jesster moved the puck over to Alexander Wolff of Wolff's fourth goal of the year, and Jesster's second point of the night. Momentum mostly stayed in Montreal's favour, until finally Detroit was able to see a glimmer of hope when Buster Killington went to the box for tripping with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening period. Soon after the draw, Michael Burch put the puck behind the net to Alex Mack, who passed it back in front to Bjorn Knutsen who tapped it in behind John Hirschman for league-leading goal number thirty-one. Momentum remained with Detroit, as the Falcons skated into the Montreal zone immediately after the draw, and Yorgen Bartenberry tipped the Tim Tebow shot from the point to make the score even at two. Again immediately off the draw Detroit moved in to the Montreal zone, and this time it was Mack who passed it to Burch, who in turn gave the cross-ice pass to Knutsen who scored goal number thirty-two. Just like that, with three goals in less than forty-five seconds, it was 3-2 Falcons, and that was how we ended the opening period.

Early on in the second Ray Pejonis took a penalty for roughing Lord Pretty Flacko, and although Montreal failed to capitalize on the powerplay they maintained momentum and Jack Reacher scored his first goal of the year from Intars Ogle at the three-and-a-half minute mark to tie the game at three. Then, towards the end of a Bastien Salabanzi penalty for hooking, Klaus Wagner scored his ninth of the year from Adam Falk and Alexander Wolff, and the powerplay tally gave Montreal the one goal lead back again. It didn't take long for that lead to become two, as Michael Gerrard scored his sixth of the year from Klaus Wagner and Alexander Wolff at the eleven and a half minute mark, and that would end the night for Falcons' goaltender Austin Lemieux, who had stopped eleven of the Impact's sixteen shots.

The Falcons came on strong at the end of the game, and with thirty seconds to go they pulled back within one as Barney Tuzis scored goal number sixteen from Yorgen Bartenberry. But their efforts would prove futile, and Montreal would go home with the one goal victory by a score of 5-4. Lee Bowden stopped all nine shots he faced in his relief effort, and John Hirschman stopped twenty-four of twenty-eight in the win.

:impact: GAME FORTY-NINE: Game two of the two-game series between L'Impact and and the Falcons was held back in Detroit, with the Falcons hoping to end the season series with a win. The high flying birds got this started off right, as the wonder twins converted to score the first goal of the game - Kaapo Kekkonen passed it to Ray Pejonis on the rush and it he buried it at the four-and-a-half minute mark. Five minutes into the game, Clive Stonehands was sent to the penalty box for tripping, and Montreal was able to take advantage a little more than halfway into the powerplay. Klaus Wagner was credited with his tenth goal of the year, and Alexander Wolff and Buster Killington were given recognition for the helpers. It took almost ten minutes for us to see the next goal of the game, but it came from Yorgen Bartenberry for the Falcons. His twelfth of the year came off passes from rookies Ross Burke and Jasper Clayton, and put the Falcons back on top. However it was the Impact who would respond twice more before the period ended to go back on top - Evandrus Jesster scored first, with his ninth of the year from Jack Burton and Vladimir Lidstrom tying it up on the powerplay after Andre Martushev was sent off for hooking. Buster Killington picked up goal number twenty about a minute later, with assists to Klaus Wagner and Chris Welch.

We entered the second period with the Falcons hoping to steal momentum away early and tie it up with an early goal. But it wasn't to be. Just five minutes into the period, Bastien Salabanzi was called for hooking Evandrus Jesster, and towards the end of the ensuing powerplay Chris Welch scored goal number thirteen, from Klaus Wagner and Alexander Wolff. This ended the night for Austin Lemieux, who stopped five out of nine Montreal shots. Just a minute after that, Montreal scored again to extend the lead to three, when Shane O'Ferghall scored goal number twelve from Klaus Wagner and Alexander Wolff. That was it for goals in the game, as Lee Bowden was able to stop ten of eleven shots in his relief effort. John Hirschman was impressive, stopping twenty-five of twenty-seven shots on the night.

Fans were surprised to see the Falcons fall apart so much in a game where they had dominated the course of play in the beginning. In the first period alone, shots had been nineteen to six in favor for the Falcons, but by the end the shot totals were twenty-seven to twenty, with the Falcons taking only five in the second period and three in the third.

The Montreal Impact easily took the season series, with the Falcons going 3-5-2 against them in ten games in S24.

GAME FIFTY: After two disappointing games against the Montreal Impact, the Falcons were looking to turn things around against Prince George's Firebirds. And they looked like they were going to have no problem doing that, as Michael Burch scored his eleventh of the year from Alex Mack and Bastien Salabanzi at the fourteen second mark of the period. Kaapo Kekkonen kept momentum in Detroit's favor, when he scored goal number twenty-four from Shayne Gow and Elvis Libra at the eight minute mark of the game's opening period. Nine minutes later, DJ Stanley was finally able to put the Firebirds on the board when he scored off of the Cynthia Taylor pass. Finally, Sum Ting Wong tied the game up at two with less than two minutes to go in the period. His seventeenth goal of the season was assisted by DJ Stanley, who picked up his second goal of the night.

In the second period, it was Detroit who capitalized to take the lead back again. Barney Tuzis scored goal number seventeen at the two minute mark from Tim Tebow and Yorgen Bartenberry to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Falcons. A little more than six minutes into the game, Alex Mack was sent to the box for high sticking, and Patrick Brumm capitalized by scoring goal number seventeen for the defenseman. Just forty-five seconds passed before Mirko Antonio Scuderi scored his twenty-fourth of the year, with Cynthia Taylor and Mario Nyquist picking up the assists. The second period ended here, with the Firebirds holding a one-goal lead.

We only saw one more goal in the third period, and that one was off the stick of Detroit's Ross Burke - his third of the year, which could not have come at a more opportune time. Shayne Gow and Yorgen Bartenberry picked up the assists on the tying goal, which game nine and a half minutes into the final period of regulation.

Overtime was a relatively boring affair, with the Falcons taking three shots and the Firebirds taking one, but with nobody scoring that meant it would take a shootout before we could find our winner. In the shootout, Lee Bowden stopped three straight shooters - Patrick Brumm, Leon Webb, and Mirko Antonio Scuderi, while Kyle Prince denied Ray Pejonis and Bastien Salabanzi - but not Ross Burke, as the young forward was able to sneak one past the goaltender! The Falcons took this one 5-4 in the shootout, in a game where they outshot their opponents by a huge margin of thirty-eight to seventeen.

GAME FIFTY-ONE: The Falcons were looking to sweep the two-game series against the Firebirds as the action remained in Prince George for the second straight night. Things did not start in their favor, however, as Shayne Gow went to the box almost immediately for high sticking Luke Fleming. The Falcons managed to kill off this powerplay without any problem whatsoever, but it ten seconds after it ended the Firebirds were able to bury one. Rick Chleb passed the puck across the ice to DJ Stanley on the rush, and three minutes in the Prince George Firebirds had managed to steal the one goal lead. But the Falcons got lucky, and it took just a minute for them to find a response. Michael Burch scored goal number twelve on the season a little after four minutes in, with assists going to the defensemen - Bastien Salabanzi and Brandon Girard. The first period ended with the score still knotted up at one apiece.

In the second, the Falcons were the ones to come out of the gates flying. Kaapo Kekkonen scored goal number twenty-five on the year, after taking the pass from Brandon Girard. Elvis Libra picked up the secondary assist on the play. It didn't take long for the other team to respond, however, as Mirko Antonio Scuderi added goal number twenty-five of the season while the Falcons had Brandon Girard serving two in the box. Thong Bonerstrom and Patrick Brumm picked up the assists on the powerplay tally.

The third period was heavily one-sided in favor of the Falcons. Just three minutes into the period, Ross Burke scored his fourth of the season (and his second in two games) with assists from Tim Tebow and Yorgen Bartenberry. That would end up being the game-winner, as Bastien Salabanzi fired one into the empty net to give the Falcons the 4-2 victory over the Firebirds in the teams' final game of the season.

The season series between the Prince George Firebirds and the Detroit Falcons ended up going to the Falcons, who took it with a 6-4-1 record.

GAME FIFTY-TWO: The Falcons have absolutely dominated the Scarecrows all season long. This domination continued in the first period, when Barney Tuzis scored his eighteenth of the season from defenseman Brandon Girard a little under fourteen minutes into the game. And the Falcons didn't stop there, as they added a second goal just fourteen seconds after the first one when former quarterback Tim Tebow scored his third goal of the season from wonder twins Kappo Kekkonen and Ray Pejonis.

But just as the first period was all about those Falcons, the second period was all about those Scarecrows. Michael Ferkland opened the scoring for the Scarecrows, putting away his third of the year from Winston Windsor and Dan Rage nine and a half minutes into the period. On the ensuing faceoff, Yorgen Bartenberry took a hooking penalty, and the Falcons were forced to defend on the penalty kill. It only took thirty seconds for that penalty kill to fail, and the Scarecrows added goal number two from Derek Underscore, with assists credited to Robb Wind and Damien Wert. Two minutes later, those three combined for the Scarecrows' third goal, as Damien Wert scored number twenty-eight, with Robb Wind and Derek Underscore picking up the assists this time.

In the third period, the Falcons were looking for the goal to tie the game back up. It didn't take long for them to find themselves on the man advantage, when The Carl Mountain took a hooking penalty fifty seconds in. With five seconds to go in that powerplay, Bjorn Knutsen capitalized for goal number thirty-three, the league leader's final regular season goal of his career before his retirement. In the shootout, Sergei Kozar stopped first three Detroit shooters he faced - Ray Pejonis, Ross Burke, and Bastien Salabanzi. Lee Bowden didn't do quite as well, however, stopping Nick Leier and Damien Wert, but not Anton Federov. The Scarecrows took the last game of the season, 4-3.

While the Falcons did lose this one, they were still the happier team at the end of the game. By forcing overtime, they had guaranteed themselves first place in the SMJHL, and even though they dropped this game against St. Louis, the loss only dropped them down to 9-0-1 in the season series this year against the Scarecrows.

SMJHL STANDINGS
Through 52 Games

1. Detroit Falcons 27-13-7; 66 Points (Last Week: 1st, 2-2-1)

A great performance the week before by the Falcons was enough to keep them in first place despite an average performance in their games this week. A strong performance all season long has resulted in the Falcons leading both the Eastern Conference and the SMJHL. Because of this, the team will not be playing in round one, and receives a bye to face the winners of the Eastern Conference first round series between the St. Louis Scarecrows and the Montreal Impact. Expect the Falcons to be rooting for the Scarecrows in the first round action, as the team has dominated the Scarecrows 9-0-1, and can feel pretty certain of their chances were the two teams to end up facing off in round two.

2. St. Louis Scarecrows 28-18-2; 65 Points (Last Week: 2nd, 3-0-1)

St. Louis' struggles the past two weeks seem to have been resolved. By opting to put goaltender Sergei Kozar back between the pipes again, they may see themselves carried to victory in the playoffs this year, just as Kozar has done all season long. They face the Montreal Impact in round one of the playoffs, a team they have dominated all season long with an 8-2 regular season record, including three straight wins against the Impact towards the end of the season. The Scarecrows should have no trouble eliminating Montreal in round one, especially now that Kozar is back in goal.

3. :impact: Montreal Impact 27-21-4; 58 Points (Last Week: 4th, 4-1-0)

Montreal almost didn't make it back into third place before the season ended, but thanks to back-to-back wins over the Firebirds to close the year the team was able to regain their former position. The Impact are definitely a long shot to defeat the Scarecrows in the playoffs, due in part to a lack of depth at goaltending and struggles in the faceoff circle, but also because the team have had trouble outshooting their opponents all year. For the Impact to have any chance to get out of the East, they're going to have to show that they're better than the 2-8 record that they posted against St. Louis this season. But if they somehow manage to knock out the Scarecrows, they've been better than the Falcons all season long - the Falcons have only one three of their ten meetings this season. They're definitely a long shot against the Scarecrows, but not so much against the Falcons.

4. Kelowna Knights 26-21-5; 57 Points (Last Week: 4th, 2-3-0)

The Kelowna Knights were the best team in the western conference this season - but they still had less points than the worst team in the East. That doesn't really bode well for the western conference in the playoffs this year. But if any team is going to take it to the East in the playoffs, it's going to be Kelowna. They're in the best position to do so, with a bye in week one. The Knights are about even with both of the Western conference teams, posting five wins in ten games against both the Firebirds and the Whalers. Whichever team moves on out of round one, round two in the western conference is going to garner a lot of attention due to the close matchup that is going to result no matter which team moves on.

5. Prince George Firebirds 21-19-7; 52 Points (Last Week: 5th, 1-3-1)

Relocation hasn't done much for the :force: Regina Force. Other than a shiny new logo and a cool new name, the team is still the same old team they were last season, struggling to put wins together on the ice. Although goaltender Kyle Prince has done as well as expected all season long, the team hasn't really put up numbers to match his performance. In the playoffs, they'll be facing the last place Vancouver Whalers as they look to move out of round one to face the Kelowna Knights. Prince George has a 4-4-2 record against Vancouver this year, meaning that we should see a pretty close series that either team could win.

6. Vancouver Whalers 19-26-3; 46 Points (Last Week: 6th, 2-1-1)

The Whalers failed to overcome their early season failures and pull themselves out of last place in the SMJHL. The team still has the worst goal differential in the league, but recent performance has shown that this team can actually put together wins on the ice. It'll be interesting to see what they can do once the playoffs actually begin and the puck drops to start the series between Prince George and Vancouver. The Whalers are 6-4 against Prince George this year, and most recently they were able to shut out the Firebirds by a 4-0 score in the final meeting between the two teams this season. It'll be fun to see what happens when the teams hit the ice in game one in Prince George.

The Falcons' Wing Playoff Picks

East:

3 - :impact: Montreal Impact vs 2 - St. Louis Scarecrows

The Montreal Impact have struggled all season against the Scarecrows. Look for the Scarecrows to continue this domination against Montreal in the playoffs, as the St. Louis Scarecrows will defeat the Montreal Impact in a six game series.

2 - St. Louis Scarecrows vs Detroit Falcons

The Detroit Falcons have been the stronger team all season long. The Scarecrows haven't defeated them yet outside of the shootout, and there aren't any shootouts in the playoffs. It should be easy for the Falcons to defeat the Scarecrows if this is the series that results. My call is Detroit Falcons over the St. Louis Scarecrows in five games.

West:

3 - Vancouver Whalers vs 2 - Prince George Firebirds

The West is going to be a lot more entertaining than the East, that's for sure. With three very close teams, it's going to be a lot of fun to see what happens. While Vancouver has struggled all season, they've shown some upside in recent games, and goaltender Kyle Prince can only carry Prince George so far. Look for the Vancouver Whalers to move on from round one in a seven game series.

3 - Vancouver Whalers vs 1 - Kelowna Knights

Another great series in the West. You really can't go wrong with whichever team ends up moving on into round two, or into the finals. There's an argument to be made for everyone. While Vancouver is going to give the Knights a run for their money, the Knights have the support of Adam Abodobe, Randy Randleman, and Maria Maximova. Good luck getting past that. Kelowna Knights defeat the Vancouver Whalers in six games.

Finals

4 - Kelowna Knights vs 1 - Detroit Falcons

The top seeds face off as both teams hope to be the ones to go home with the Four Star Cup at the end of the season. In the regular season, the teams split the season series with each holding a 5-3-2 record. It would be an amazing series to watch, with league-leading scorers Adam Abodobe and Bjorn Knutsen going head to head with one another. It's a tough series to choose a winner in, but by looking at scoring and shooting stats I'm going to have to give the edge to the Detroit Falcons over the Kelowna Knights, but in what would almost definitely be a seven game series.

Want to see more thoughts on the outcomes of the playoffs? Then check out this article where we break down each team's individual performance this season more in depth, and look at what needs to change before the playoffs begin.

FALCONS REPORT CARD
Through 52 Games

SCORING: A+

The Falcons are still the top scoring team in the SMJHL. At 3.75 goals per game, the Kelowna Knights who are second with 3.46 goals per game aren't even close to passing them. It's been the offense that's pretty much led the Falcons to victory all year (remember that time the Falcons defeated the Kelowna Knights 8-7 in overtime?). And at 29.98 shots per game, the team is far ahead of second place Vancouver Whalers at 26.21 shots per game. The offense hasn't slowed down all year, and it's not about to come to a halt now. Look for the Falcons offense to continue being the driving force behind the team throughout the playoffs.

DEFENSE: A+

Since last week, the Falcons have actually lowed their opponents' shots per game by .3, down to 24.75 shots against per game now. They're still in first in the SMJHL, with the Prince George Firebirds sitting at 25.19. However, while their opponents have been shooting less, they have been scoring more - the Falcons' goals against per game is finally above three goals per game at 3.04, with the Montreal Impact sitting behind them with 3.13 goals per game. Even though the offense has led the way, the defense has still been the cream of the crop. There's no better team defensively in the SMJHL, so on nights when the offense struggles the defense often can step up to win them the game.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-

The penalty kill got worse again, as did the powerplay. Really not much surprise there. For some reason, this team just can't seem to put two and two together to make four when there's one less player on the ice. If the Falcons fail to repeat for the Four Star Cup this season, then the special teams will likely be the reason why - especially considering that's been what's led the Kelowna Knights to victory all season long. At this point, everything's been tried and changes have been made but nothing's worked. The only hope can be that something suddenly clicks and things start working together like they haven't been able to do all season long.

GOALTENDING: A+

Congratulations to Lee Bowden, the number one goaltender in the SMJHL. Bowden is first in the league to end the regular season, with a save percentage of .894 and a goals against average 2.61, which is far and away the best goals against average in the entire SMJHL. He's also the fourth best goaltender in the league when it comes to facing penalty shots. And when he's not in goal, the Falcons have Austin Lemieux, who was recently selected to represent his S25 draft class as the starting goaltender in the draft class tournament against the S24 team. Lemieux posted a .868 save percentage this season, and a 3.16 goals against average. Both goaltenders started twenty-six games this season for the Falcons, and both have made their case to be the starting goaltender once the playoffs begin. It's definitely a huge strength of the team to have a 1a/1b situation where they haven't even named a starter all season long.

OVERALL: A+

Remember the plus/minus chart last week? It's even better now:

Code:

1 Brandon Girard (DET) 20
2 Alex Mack (DET) 19
3 Bjorn Knutsen (DET) 19
4 Shayne Gow (DET) 18
5 Ray Pejonis (DET) 17
6 Yorgen Bartenberry (DET) 17
7 Bastien Salabanzi (DET) 17
8 Tim Tebow (DET) 15
9 Barney Tuzis (DET) 13
10 Andre Martushev (DET) 10

The Falcons are truly flying high above the competition.

There isn't a category this season in which the Falcons have struggled outside of their special teams. They're an extremely well-rounded team that can play well on both sides of the puck. Whether they're chasing down their opponents in the defensive end to stop them from scoring on their goaltender, or firing rockets past their opponents, the Falcons have been a shining example of how to play the sport of hockey all season long - that is, so long as it's five-on-five hockey. While it would be nice to have better performance when up or down a man, at least everything else has clicked this year for the Falcons.

FALCONS END OF SEASON AWARDS

The team has decided to vote on who they think should win the Detroit Falcons end of season awards. We have a lot of trophies to give out here tonight, and we're glad you've decided to join us as we announce all of the winners!

First up are our stats-based awards!

MVP
Bjorn Knutsen

This award goes to the team's points leader! Through fifty-two games this season, Bjorn Knutsen has been an absolutely standout player both when compared to the rest of the Falcons and the rest of the league on the whole. In fifty-two games this year, Knutsen had thirty-three goals and twenty-nine assists for sixty-two points, good enough for both the team and league lead. Congratulations to the S24 Detroit Falcons MVP, Bjorn Knutsen!

Rookie of the Year
Austin Lemieux

This award can go to either a skater or to a goaltender, and it was definitely a very tough call. While all the rookies have had great seasons for the Falcons, it was Austin Lemieux who came out right away and took the entire league by storm. He's been the only rookie goaltender this season to make regular appearances between the pipes for his team, and was an easy pick to be the S25 SHL draft class' starting goaltender in the draft class game this year. Congratulations to Austin Lemieux, the S24 Detroit Falcons Rookie of the Year!

Hardest Hitter
Kaapo Kekkonen

Sometimes you have forwards who forget that to win games you need to make sure that the other team can't score. Kekkonen is not one of those forwards - in fact, he's probably one of, if not the best, two-way forward in the league right now. He has 132 hits this season, the third most in the league, alongside forty-nine points. What an amazing performance we've seen from him all season. He'll be a dominating force once he reaches the SHL. Congratulations to Kaapo Kekkonen, the S24 Detroit Falcons Hardest Hitter!

Penalty Box Hero
Andre Martushev

Surprisingly, the Detroit Falcon's penalty box hero this season is Andre Martushev! With 105 penalty minutes this season, he's been in the box for three more minutes than Brandon Girard. And he's had to work hard for those penalty minutes this year - he's only been in three fights all year long. These weren't just free penalty minutes he picked up five at a time, he had to really work to get there. Congratulations to Andre Martushev, the S24 Detroit Falcons Penalty Box Hero!

Most Bruised
Andre Martushev

Two in a row for Andre Martushev! In addition to spending a lot of his time sitting in the box, he's spent a lot of it lying on the ice to keep pucks from reaching his goal! With eighty-one shots blocked this season, Martushev has been setting the example for rookies all season long by giving his body up to keep pucks from ever reaching the goaltender, leading both the Falcons and the league in the category of shots blocked. Congratulations to Andre Martushev, the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Bruised Player!

Most Helpful
Brandon Girard

The Falcons' captain has been busy all year, dishing out passes to his teammates to set them up for big goals. With forty-four assists in fifty-two games, Girard came close to an assist-per-game pace from the blue-line this season. Girard has set a great example for the other Falcons players all season long, always putting his teammates before himself. Congratulations to Brandon Girard, the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Helpful Player!

Most Handy
Bjorn Knutsen

It's no wonder that Girard was able to lead the league in assists when you realize that Bjorn Knutsen was leading the league in goals! All season long, Knutsen's been able to bury pucks in the back of the net, putting up numbers like you wouldn't believe in his final season before retirement. Congratulations to Bjorn Knutsen, the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Handy Player!

And now, for our team-voted awards!

Falcons' High Flyer of the Year
Alex Mack

Mack has been an unstoppable force all season long. In fifty-two games this season, he's scored sixteen goals and forty-two assists for fifty-eight points - more than a point per game. With a +19 this season, Mack has been a leader by example on the ice, showing everyone how the game of hockey should be played. There is nobody more deserving of this award than Mack, whose performance was absolutely spectacular. Congratulations to Alex Mack, the 24 Detroit Falcons' High Flyer of the Year!

Most Improved Player
Ross Burke and Michael Burch

Both Burke and Burch have shown incredible improvement this season. Burch has been steadily improving all season long, moving up all the way from the third line to the first line, where he'll be throughout the playoffs. With twelve goals and twenty-two assists this year, he's put up thirty-four points, which leads Falcons rookies. Ross Burke's improvement has been evident towards the latter half of the season. A relatively softer-spoken player, he's recently become a lot more vocal in the locker room, and a lot more active in training. Currently playing a depth role on the team this season, Burke will most likely be moved up to the second line to start next season at this rate, and would be contesting for a spot on the top line. Congratulations to Ross Burke and Michael Burch, the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Improved Players!

Best Locker Room Presence
Jasper Clayton

While nobody seems willing to tell him this, Clayton spends way too much time in the Detroit Falcons locker room. Seriously - almost 23% of the posts in the season's main discussion thread for the Falcons locker room are Clayton. It's almost a guarantee that when you walk into the locker room, Clayton will be there talking to everyone. So congratulations to Jasper Clayton, the S24 Detroit Falcons Best Locker Room Presence!

Tommy Creller Trophy
Jasper Clayton

The Tommy Creller Trophy was named after former Detroit Falcons' player and current Falcons' GM Tommy Creller, who went first overall to the Manhattan Rage in the draft, and has been one of the strongest players of his draft class. As voted by the Falcons themselves, Clayton is the rookie most likely to be a great contributor the league in the long term - probably because he posts really long media articles about the Falcons every week or something. So congratulations to Jasper Clayton, the S24 Detroit Falcons Tommy Creller Trophy winner!

Biggest Brony
Jasper Clayton

It all started innocently enough, when the rookie hazing incidents began. Some teams put their players through bag skates. In St. Louis, they shoved their goaltender in the press box and wouldn't let him out. But in Detroit, the hazing was a little more. . .unique. Word leaked out that the veterans were forcing to do something a little different than normal - they had to dress up in pony costumes, dance around, and pose for pictures. All of the rookies were hesitant at first. All of them, that is, except Clayton. First word came out that he had immediately and excitedly reached for a costume. Then it was revealed that he had a whole collection of MLP stuff at home. Then things just got plain weird. But in any event, all season long the team has bonded over My Little Pony, and apparently Jasper Clayton has enjoyed it more than everyone else. So congratulations, Jasper Clayton, you're the S24 Detroit Falcons Biggest Brony!

Most Likely to be Traded to the Whalers
Sasha Kovalev

As most everyone is aware, Vancouver Whalers GM John Heimer-Schmidt thinks that Kovalev is one of the best, most friendly members of the league and would want nothing more to have him as a part of the Vancouver Whalers today and in the future. Plus, with the way the Whalers have played all season, he can't possibly make the team any worse. So congratulations JHS, he's yours now and forever! Sasha Kovalev, the S24 Detroit Falcons Player Most Likely to be Traded to the Whalers!

Kevin Hart Trophy
Austin Lemieux

Austin Lemieux, the rookie goaltender for the Falcons is one of the funniest guys in the room. Whenever he comes in, it's almost guaranteed that he'll make you laugh! A great player for the Falcons on the ice, and one of the friendliest and funniest guys off the ice, when Lemieux's around the entire team's got a smile on. Rumour has it he once stopped a breakaway by making Robb Wind fall on the ice because he was laughing so hard. So congratulations to Austin Lemieux, the S24 Detroit Falcons Kevin Hart Trophy winner!

Dog the Bounty Hunter Award
Brandon Girard

Some guys scare you because they threaten to hurt you. Others scare you because they'll have you on the ground, unconscious before you even realize you've pissed them off. Girard falls into the latter category. He's been in six fights this season, and not many have survived to tell the tale. Everyone knows not to cross him, because he is by far the most badass guy on the Falcons. Think Chuck Norris, but more badass. So congratulations to Brandon Girard, the S24 Detroit Falcons Dog the Bounty Hunter Award winner!

Cutest Couple
Ray Pejonis and Kappo Kekkonen

You almost never see these to guys go without each other. When they were put on separate lines, their on-ice performance suffered greatly. But the moment they were reunited, suddenly everything clicked, and they were putting up numbers like you wouldn't believe. Described by Kekkonen as "the cutest twin power forwards in the league," these two go almost everywhere together - practice, games, dinner, the spa, comic conventions, etc. So congratulations to Ray Pejonis and Kappo Kekkonen, the S24 Detroit Falcons Cutest Couple!

Most Loyal
Jasper Clayton and Austin Lemieux

Whenever Detroit comes up in conversation, Clayton and Lemieux are always staunch supporters of the team. Anyone who tries to say anything bad about the Falcons will have these two to answer two. These two probably even bleed red, that's how much they love their Detroit Falcons. Congratulations to Jasper Clayton and Austin Lemieux, the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Loyal Players!

Most Consistent
Lee Bowden

Lee Bowden has been absolutely spectacular all season long. The best goaltender both in terms of save percentage and goals against average in the entire SMJHL, he's kept the Falcons in every single game he's played in. It's a feat worthy of recognition, and because of his performance which hasn't wavered once this entire season, his team has voted for him here. Congratulations, Lee Bowden, you're the S24 Detroit Falcons Most Consistent Player!

Loudest Player
Jasper Clayton

As mentioned under the Best Locker Room Presence Award, Clayton never shuts up. Ever. Whether it's in writing media articles, or in the locker room, or on the ice, everyone can hear him. It's almost impossible to get a moment of silence when he's around, and his team knows it. Whether it's about the game, team events, or My Little Pony (it's usually about My Little Pony), Clayton is by far the loudest player on the Falcons. Congratulations to Jasper Clayton, the S24 Detroit Falcons Loudest Player!

Vsevolod Nikitin Award
Austin Lemieux

Some people just invoke the spirit of Vsevolod Nikitin whenever they're around, and never stop using hashtags. Even in regular conversation. Well Lemieux is definitely one of those guys. One of the few people you'll ever meet who can work a hashtag into almost every conversation, sometimes you have to wonder if Nikitin and Lemieux might even be the same person. At any rate, Lemieux is the best goaltender from the S24 draft class, so his teammates are usually willing to look past his hashtags. Usually. Congratulations to Austin Lemieux, the winner of the S24 Vsevolod Nikitin Award!

Best Forward
Alex Mack

An easy pick to say the least. Alex Mack has been great for the Falcons all season long. There aren't many players who can put up the same numbers we've seen from him consistently, and Mack is definitely going to have a huge impact up in the SHL. He's been a star down in juniors, and pretty soon it'll be time for him to be a star up there in the SHL. Congratulations to Alex Mack, the S24 Detroit Falcons Best Forward!

Best Defenseman
Brandon Girard

Brandon Girard has been playing on the blue-line with one of the least-experienced defensive teams in the SMJHL, but he hasn't let this slow him down. He led the league this season in assists, and led all defensemen in points. Girard leads by example, and his example is one that every defenseman in the SMJHL should be looking towards. Congratulations to Brandon Girard, voted the S24 Detroit Falcons Best Defenseman!

Best Goaltender
Lee Bowden

We keep talking about Lee Bowden's performance this year, but it deserves recognition one last time before we close. He was the best goaltender in the league all season long, and at times it seems like it might actually be impossible to shoot a puck past him. Players that have been lucky enough to beat him this year should consider themselves lucky, because not many have been able to snipe him. Congratulations to Lee Bowden, you've been voted the S24 Detroit Falcons Best Goaltender!

Thank you for reading The Falcon's Wing all season, and we hope you'll continue to count on us for your source of news on the Detroit Falcons! Enjoy the S24 playoffs in both the SHL and in the SMJHL!

WHOOSH

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Code:

6,751 Words

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Great article Clayton keep em coming

Originally posted by carousel182@Jul 16 2015, 01:40 PM
Great article Clayton  keep em coming

Keep giving me stuff to write about!

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Youre so good at the media stuff Clayton. Give me pointers for stuff to write about

George Walsh | Goalie | Prospect | 




- Profile Page - Update Page -

Originally posted by Hoovuh@Jul 16 2015, 02:14 PM
Youre so good at the media stuff Clayton. Give me pointers for stuff to write about

Write post games. That way you have stuff to write about every week.

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Originally posted by Hoovuh@Jul 16 2015, 01:14 PM
Youre so good at the media stuff Clayton. Give me pointers for stuff to write about

Have a GM that writes scouting reports for players with a team-oriented 1000 word article

Originally posted by mpc@Jul 16 2015, 02:33 PM


Have a GM that writes scouting reports for players with a team-oriented 1000 word article

What do I get for having two team-oriented articles of over 6,000 words this week?

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I am proud to accept my "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Award especially, as well as the others. ) Great group of guys this season, everyone deserves an award... or maybe another 4 Star Cup will suffice?

Player Page - Update Thread
[S70] - Alekss Ivanova - [NBB|MIN] - 499 TPE

Name: Alekss "Nova" Ivanova
Birthplace: Ventspils, Latvia
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 205
Number: 28
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[S69] Claimed off waivers by GFG
[S69] Traded to NBB
[S70] Drafted 31st Overall by MIN
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Career Accomplishments:
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Career Statistics:
SMJHL Regular Season:
[S69] GP:66|G:17|A:23|P:40|+/-:-16|PIM:12|FO:49.9%
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Originally posted by rfbeaudry@Jul 16 2015, 09:10 PM
I am proud to accept my "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Award especially, as well as the others. ) Great group of guys this season, everyone deserves an award... or maybe another 4 Star Cup will suffice? 

I think a 4 Star Cup would do just fine.

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well done guys and congrats to everyone.
great write up

Wow, I almost know more about the Falcons than the Impact!

You've done it again, bud. I'm a sucker for these long morning reads w/bulletproof coffee before I have to do any laboratory stuff.

Originally posted by GCool@Jul 17 2015, 07:38 AM
Wow, I almost know more about the Falcons than the Impact!

You've done it again, bud. I'm a sucker for these long morning reads w/bulletproof coffee before I have to do any laboratory stuff.

Glad to hear that someone outside the Falcons is enjoying these too!

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