<div align="center">Before I reveal my selections, please allow me a moment to explain away any surprises which may lie in wait for you. I firmly believe that the key to a good side is balance; it’s all well and good throwing s bunch of superstars together, but if their skill sets do not compliment one another, then they are never going to perform together. With that in mind, here is the side I would choose to represent the rookies of the SMJHL.

Goaltender
Austin Lemieux 216 TPE

No surprises here. Lemieux was the standout goalie in his draft class, and is already out-performing established starters like Erik Lundqvist (in save % & GAA), and Igor Ogorodnikov (GAA). He has also stopped five of six penalty shots taken against him, which shows that he can perform under pressure. He has good control, and good speed, and I fully expect him to see him become a regular starter in the SHL in a couple of seasons.

Defence (right)
Maria Maximova 225 TPE

As far as defencemen (or defencewomen) go, only John Matthews ( ) has more points than Maximova. He’s put up 16 points at a team who have 11 points more after 22 games than Maximova’s Kelowna Knights, while Maximova has 14 points for a side whose form has been far more erratic. With a higher TPE rating to boot, there was little doubt in my mind as to which player I would prefer to have.

Maximova is a two-way defencewoman with good hands, and an eye for goal. As she’s shown this season, she can also rack up the assists (12 thus far), and in that regard has out-performed one of the other candidates for this spot: Bastien Salabanzi ( ). If there is a drawback to Maximova’s game it is perhaps her size, but she’s already shown that she can hold her own against the big boys, and she has had a wonderful season thus far. I will cook and eat my own hat if this girl doesn’t go far.

Defence (left)
Rick Chleb 200 TPE

Here, perhaps, we have my first controversial selection, but remember what I said: balance! With Maximova beating out all other rookies for a spot in defence, I felt it necessary to compliment her offensive capabilities with a more defensively minded player, and if anybody has been keeping a close eye on the SMJHL, this lad will not have gone unnoticed.

Chleb leads rookie defencemen in shots blocked, showing that he has the courage and determination required to succeed at the highest level. He is an excellent checker as well, and his points return is almost startling high for such a (supposedly) defensively minded player: in twenty two games, Chleb has notched up thirteen points for a Firebirds side who have been as erratic in form as any of the Western sides.

If—for consideration’s sake—we compare Chleb’s stats to those of the highly-rated Salabanzi, we will find that his 13 points is more than double the Irishman’s 6, and he has racked up more hits (30 vs 24) and blocks (35 vs 20).

Left wing
Evandrus Jesster :impact: 311 TPE

Well, he had to be here, didn’t he? Jesster came into the draft as one of two highly sought after prospects, and so far he has lived up to the billing at Montreal. Slightly surprising, perhaps, is his goals to assists ratio: Jesster has scored just 6 goals, but still leads all rookies with 19 points. In fact, of all players in the SMJHL this season, only Alex Mack ( ) and Kaapo Kekkonen ( ) have more points than he does. So why, I hear you ask, do I have him out on the left wing?

All will be revealed, but I will say that Jesster has the ability to be productive anywhere along the offensive line. He is an excellent skater and puck-handler, and coming off the left wing with a right-handed shot would only leave him with a wider choice of shot. He has shown this season that he can create as well as score, and while this is obviously tremendously beneficial to any side, I think that having him come in from the left onto his strong side would do his goalscoring output no harm.

Right wing
Robb Wind 308 TPE

As sure as the unicorn is the national animal of his native Scotland, Robb Wind was another player who simply had to be in the line-up. A gifted skater with an eye for goal, Wind is perhaps more one-dimensional than Jesster, but no less dangerous. He also has tremendous fitness, and is very difficult to remove from the puck.

With 8 goals so far this season, Wind is ranked #1 amongst rookies—along with Zack Hoover ( ) and Adam Fälk ( :impact: )—and has backed up his goal tally with 8 assists. Many are still expecting more from the Scot, and you can bet your house and your grandmother on the fact that more will come.

Centre—and the answer to a dilemma!
With twin snipers Wind and Jesster patrolling the flanks, there is simply no room in a balanced line for someone like Jesster’s Montreal team-mate, Lord Pretty Flacko ( :impact: ). What players like Wind and Jesster need is someone to feed them the puck in good scoring positions; what they need is a playmaker. For my selection I have given this responsibility to…

Kristján Vilhjalmsson 224 TPE

As strong as the draft class was this year, it didn’t take very long for me to come to this decision. Wind and Jesster need a provider, and the Icelandic viking fits the bill perfectly. He has put up great numbers already this year (G: 3, A: 12, Pts: 15), and is a natural centre with the third best face-off win percentage in the entire league (55.38%). Compare this to Jesster’s 48.74%, and I think that even the staunchest Whalers fan would have to admit that Vilhjalmsson is a good fit.

On top of all of this, the Icelander is a well-rounded player, far stronger than either of his illustrious would-be line-mates, and has a keen eye for the pass. His 15 points have him ranked 7th out of all centres in the league this year, and—having worked closely with him—I can tell you that he’s only going to get better.</div>

(Word count: 1,000+)