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Grapehead · 03-12-2017, 08:52 PM

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Ready to grade. Word count: ~3,100

Militia's Season Not So Surprising for GMs
by Nolan Gaudet

The Montreal management duo of Copenhagen and Grapehead started the season with a depleted roster that was coming off an embarrassing playoff appearance in season 32. They knew the pieces they already had were the core they needed, but surrounding them with the right supporting cast was key.

â€œI was absolutely sure that we had a first line, d pair, and goalie that would be at the top of the league in each of their positions.â€ said Grapehead, â€œIt was just a matter of filling the rest of the roster with players who could keep up with them.â€

Montreal went into the S33 draft with only a few picks, but had won the 2nd overall pick in the lottery. It didn't take long for them to trade the pick though, as they sent it and their S34 2nd to Vancouver in exchange for 4th and Vancouver's S34 1st.

â€œWe felt as though we had the opportunity to trade back in the draft and still acquire the player we had at the top of our list,â€ said Copenhagen. â€œIt was clear to us early on that goalies would go early, and we felt extremely comfortable picking at number 4. Then we landed Lindstrom in the 2nd round, who played for us last season down the stretch. Me and Grape were very happy with the result.â€

In the end Montreal came out of the draft with the last two pieces of their top 6, and the roster was set now. One of the new additions to the top 6 was Tim Elliot, who found himself making the jump from 3rd line duty last season, to 1st line this season.

"During the off-season, I just worked on the basics. I was doing okay on the third line. I was reliable and I'd get a goal or assist every now and then,â€ said Elliot. â€œIn order to make a difference for the team though, I had to be there in the clutch moments, so I worked on my strength and conditioning after the playoffs. It is incredibly boring to just work out and do suicides, but it makes the difference near the end of the game. To mix things up I did work on my accuracy and fired a lot of pucks at the net, which definitely helped. However, that scoring ability is nothing if you don't have the conditioning to be there in the later periods. I'm not tooting my own horn but there is a reason I had six game-winning goals this season and it's because I'm not sucking wind in the third period. There is nothing special about my play; I'm a bridesmaid compared to the other guys on my line. Walker? I don't even try to keep up with him but if the puck bounces out, I'm right there to pick it up. I'm not breaking any records or making any highlight reels. But I'm pretty good in the clutch. If you have good strength and conditioning, you can build around that. If any rookies are reading this, focus on the basics. The goals will come."

Unfortunately a slow start in the pre-season saw them lose 5 of their first 6 games. However, after that the team exploded to finish the pre-season with a 16-2-0 run.

â€œThe boys were really buzzing after the pre-season, there was a lot of optimism in the room,â€ said first line center Michael Walker. â€œ We knew the pre-season didn't mean anything in the long run, but it really gave us a boost in confidence that we had the right pieces in place. For me personally I felt like I had really settled into the center ice position by the end of pre-season, and I was so anxious to get the puck dropped on the regular season.â€

Prior to the beginning of the season the Militia faced a scandal regarding newly drafted Elias Lindstrom, who did not enter the league under proper circumstances. For his offense Lindstrom was suspended 25 games, meaning Montreal had to scramble to replace him on the 2nd line. Early indications were that Montreal would have a good season and fit comfortably into the playoff picture. Through the 25 games of Lindstrom's suspension the Militia put up a 15-8-2 record, putting them directly in the hunt for the division lead.

â€œIt was awesome coming back to the team and seeing them already doing so well,â€ said Lindstrom. â€œI dying to get back out there and try to help propel them even further ahead. It really felt like a special team, and it was nice to see everyone welcome me back to the locker room despite what I went through with the league.â€

Shortly after Lindstrom's return the Militia went on a 7-game win streak that thrust them into 1st place in the league. They quickly followed up this streak with a 7-game losing streak which saw them slide below Halifax in the division race.

â€œReally not sure what happened during that stretch. Something really knocked the wind out of our sails,â€ said Copenhagen. â€œThe more we tried to fix it, the farther we seemed to get from the team we were. Finally Grape approached me and mentioned that we may be able to acquire Adam Kaiser from the Whalers. That trade really sparked the club, and once we found the right spot for Kai the team found their winning ways again.â€

On top of the addition of Kaiser from Vancouver, Montreal also signed two free agents after the deadline in Carrick Murray and Yuri Bakos-Markov. For Murray he had a special first game, facing off against the Vancouver Whalers who he has had personal ties to in the past.

"It felt great to join the Montreal Militia organization as a backup,â€ said Murray. â€œThe coaches put trust in me today against the Vancouver Whalers. They were the other team that put in an offer to sign me. It feels great to get my first career SMJHL win wearing Montreal colors as well as winning in my debut game. I have to thank the team for making me look a lot better than I played though. I look forward to this post season"

Then Montreal cut Hylytyr NoRetornable in favour of proven center Marcos Maciel.

â€œWe felt our center depth was far weaker than our depth on the wing,â€ said Grapehead. â€œI felt, and Cope agreed, that it would be wiser to bring in Maciel to give stability to the 3rd line, while letting Bakos-Markov eat up the minutes vacated by NoRetornable.â€

The new additions all made big impacts, whether in the form of game winning goals, being effective in the faceoff circle, or getting the Ws between the pipes. Montreal wrapped up their season with a 7-1-2 stretch which landed them 2nd in the east, and set them up for a first round matchup against the Detroit Falcons. I had a chance to follow up my interview with the team by getting some time with co-GM Grapehead. Below you can read the transcript of that second conversation:

NG: You're playing the Falcons in the first round for the third season in a row now, how will the team be approaching this series differently?

GH: Our rivalry with Detroit is well documented to say the least. I know the fans love these games, and I know the boys get extra excited to face the Falcons. For management though we will approach this game the same way we approach every game. The coaches will prepare the boys the same way they have all season. The fact that we're playing Detroit isn't anymore significant than if we were playing any of the other 6 teams in the league.

NG: Which player are you most proud of this season?

GH: Tough question because I'm honestly so proud of a lot of these guys. Walker was chasing that scoring title all season, Prince was a wall for us, Dodds thrived on the first pair, and I could go on and on. Tim Elliot though really stands out to me as a player who had to really earn his way up the depth chart. We tried squeezing him into bigger roles occasionally last season but each time he just wasn't able to keep up. There was some frustration from him last season, you could tell it was hard on the kid to be struggling. He came to us in the off-season and said he would do whatever it takes to get up to speed with the first line. So we told him he needed to be in better condition, that that was what was holding him back. He was tired after the first period, so forget about contributing in the third, you know? Needless to say, Tim showed up to training camp in excellent condition, in fact I don't think anyone on this roster is in better shape than Tim. It is a real testament to his determination.

NG: Which team are you most worried about going into the playoffs?

GH: Well I'm only worried about one team... well let's say I'm only concerned with one team and that is Montreal. We have scouted every team thoroughly, and we won't be taking anyone lightly, however I know it's best to focus on making sure we are playing the right way.

NG: Alright, then which team do you think will win the west?

GH: I think it will come down to Kelowna and Prince George, after that though I think it is going to be an absolute war between those two teams. We know Stephen Harris is a goalie capable of stealing that series from Kelowna on his own, but add to that the incredible depth of the Firebirds roster. Hard to bet against Kelowna though, because they have a strong winning culture there, and a lot of dangerous offensive weapons. No matter who comes out of the west though they will be a very deserving team, even if Colorado makes the upset.

NG: What is something Montreal needs to be cautious of to avoid another first round exit?

GH: We have really been stressing to the coaches the importance of winning faceoffs. The team was pretty bad in that regard this season, but I think we've seen a big improvement there down the stretch. I think Maciel has been a big boost down the middle. We will be taking on Detroit who were the best faceoff team in the league this season, so we don't want to see a winning goal given up or an opportunity to tie a game late missed because of a lost faceoff.

NG: How much importance is the coaching staff putting on special teams?

GH: We definitely have a lot of confidence in our special teams, especially after the addition of Kaiser late in the season. Arguably we had the best special teams units in the league, which is incredible because early on in the season this was our key weakness in my mind. We weren't clicking on the PP and our PK was never settled, always scrambling and chasing the puck. Our coaches saw an opportunity to juggle some of the lines, all the players bought in fully and they really stepped up in the back half of the season. Kaiser was a huge part of bringing up the PP. It allowed us to ice two deadly PP units, forcing teams to either play their first PK longer or run the risk of having their 2nd unit exposed. Adam was totally on board for changes as well, sometimes he'd be out on the first PP, sometimes on the second, but he was able to create offense with almost every opportunity. He's a very special player, and has been well worth the price thus far.

NG: Tell me a little about the Kaiser trade, because it was a little unorthodox.

GH: Yeah, that kind of trade is very rare for sure, because a lot of things go into creating that situation. First of all, it is possible although uncommon for a player to fill the role of player and GM. Most guys have moved onto the SHL before they step into a managerial role. So Kaiser was certainly an exception to normal occurrences. Second, a team would have to be missing the playoffs to let go of such a key player. For a GM to go play with another team, and to avoid any conflict of interest, you would have to see the GM in a position where he won't be coming back next season, and his team won't be making the playoffs. It was a lot of fun to work out that deal with Kaiser, and I think it really surprised a lot of people when it was announced.

NG: Was Kaiser your primary target heading into the trade deadline?

GH: Me and Cope both felt our primary target was an offensive defenseman who could bring life to a struggling PP line. We didn't have Kaiser pegged as a target, but only because we just hadn't considered that as an option. Vancouver made it known that they were looking to trade Tommy Salami for assets to help their rebuild. We knew they were going to want their 1st round pick in the upcoming draft back, but we weren't sure if that we could afford to let go of the pick. So we were sitting on the decision for a while and Vancouver found another landing spot for him so we missed out there. We had a talk with the coaches, and the players about how we felt that the price to add someone to the roster wasn't in a range we felt comfortable with. We wanted to ensure that the team knew that we believed they were already good enough to win a championship. It wasn't until after me and Cope had sort of accepted that we weren't going to make any additions that the additions started rolling in. A few days before the trade deadline I was sitting at home, when I just picked up my phone and called Kaiser. I asked him if he'd trade his playing rights to Montreal for the rest of the season, and he immediately setup a conference call with our GM partners to discuss the trade. It really happened very suddenly, and it generated a lot of buzz in the locker room, the guys were really excited to see us make a big splash. We move back at worst eight positions in the draft, and threw in a mid and late round pick in season 35, to add the highest scoring defenseman in the league. That was a big moment for us in the season.

NG: You mentioned additions, and there were a few. After missing out on so many free agents through the season, did it surprise you to finish off the season with a pair of signings?

GH: It had been weighing on me personally that I had yet to negotiate a contract signing with any of the mid-season free agents in my two seasons with Montreal. I felt like I was really trying my best to attract these players to join us in Montreal. A lot of them didn't even return my phone call; which I think says more about their character than my team. I had sort of given up on signing free agents this season, it really just didn't seem like it was in the cards for me. Once the trade deadline passed and a few players joined the league I remember thinking I might as well take one more crack at landing a free agent. So I put out one offer to Carrick Murray who we felt was going to be a major upgrade for us at the backup position, where we had struggled mightily this season. The other offer went to Yuri Bakos-Markov who was a winger. I told them both that we wouldn't have a ton of minutes for them, but what we could offer was some opportunity to showcase themselves before the next SMJHL draft, and a chance to win a championship. They both accepted quite quickly, and the paperwork was filed immediately so we could get them in the lineup. We gave Murray the start right away, and not only did he get the win but Yuri had the winning goal. I think the energy in the locker room after that game was incredible.

NG: How have they lived up to expectations?

GH: Yuri has been great, chipping in a few really key goals for us down the stretch. We put him out there with limited ice time, but a few looks on the PP with Walker, and we feel like he really excelled. Can't say we didn't have any feedback for him of course, but he has certainly exceeded our expectations. Murray as well contributed with two huge wins for us. After our previous backup failed to get even one win this season, expectations were quite low for Murray. The kid showed up hungry, got that first W right away, and he never made a peep about wanting another start. Extremely humble player who was a really great presence in the locker room. For that reason me and Cope wanted to get him another start. The coaches agreed that Murray deserved another start, and he proved us all right with another win. Going two-for-two to start his career is definitely going to help boost his stock in the upcoming draft.

NG: So what's the ceiling for this team?

GH: I really don't see one. This is a roster that has proven equally skilled at producing and suppressing offense. If they put in the work and bring the type of complete game they were playing in the last ten games then they will have an excellent chance to bring home the Four Star Cup. I couldn't be happier to see this amazing group of players being in a position to bring home a championship. Last season was heartbreaking, and I think that really propelled the returning players to elevate their games to another level. They made big leaps in their leadership, and helped bring along the rookies this season. At this point Cope and I have done all we can, and now it's time to watch.

NG: Alright that's all my questions. Thank you so much again for the follow-up interview.

GH: It's my pleasure, Nolan. Thank you for the opportunity to shine some light on this great group of guys we have in Montreal.

NG: And thank you to our readers for supporting our work.