S24 Top Performers

Kelowna’s success was very much a team effort all season long. However, it is still important to recognize the individual efforts of the most outstanding players this season.

Adam Abodobe
Of course Abodobe is the first guy on this list. He has been among the top scorers in the league all season long, bouncing between number one and two at times. He led the Knights in goals and total points, and had one of the highest shooting percentages on the team. He very clearly benefited by being on the same line as two other guy son this list, but you don’t get these kind of numbers by just being a warm body on the ice. Abodobe has an uncanny ability to find the back of the net. He seems to always find himself in the right spot to pick up a loose puck, or have a rebound come right onto his stick. He is, without question, one of the best players in the SMJHL. Abodobe ended the season tied for the league lead in points, second for goals scored, and with an outstanding shooting percentage of 19.51%.

Randy Randleman
The Knights’ captain had an outstanding season after coming in as an undrafted rookie last year. His skill level and point totals have increased dramatically from the year before. He finished the year with the second most goals on the team, and third most total points. Randleman’s shoot-first attitude created opportunities for rebounds and deflections all year long, and would show up in his line mates’ point totals. In addition to his on ice performance, Randleman was the leader in the locker room. He led a large and talented rookie class to a first round bye in the playoffs. Randleman ended the regular season with the second most goals and total points on the team.

Stacker Pentecost
When Pentecost fell through waivers and into the Knights’ lap, the season took a noticeable upward turn. He came in and provided an offensive spark from the blue line that the Knights had been searching for. In addition, Kelowna’s power play benefited heavily from the addition of Pentecost, making it a major strength of the team, and helping them to lead the league in power play percentage. Pentecost led the team in assists, and had the third most points on the team. He also led the Knights in shots blocked. His contribution on the man advantage was considerable, he finished with the most power play goals, assists, and points on the team.

Reginald Howard
The first line wasn’t the only line that had excellent performances. Howard was fourth in total points and third in goals for the Knights. Unlike the first line, where everyone contributed to a large degree, Howard stood out among his partners on the second line. Like Abodobe, his shooting percentage was stellar, at 18.42%. He wasn’t just about the scoring though. Reg led the Knights in hits by a significant margin with 129. Howard was third on the team in goals, with 21, and fourth in total points, with 41.

Kristján Vilhjalmsson
The only rookie on this list, although, an argument could be made for Maximova. The Viking started the season on the second line, but would get promoted to the first. His excellent passing allowed him to rack up an impressive assist count. He had the second most assists on the Knights roster, with 34. As a center, he was very reliable in the faceoff circle, winning 53.2%, good enough for third in the entire league. Finally, he is tied for the team lead in +/- at a +10, which is very impressive for a rookie. Compared to the league, he had the fifth most points among rookies, and he ranked first among rookies in assists. He is also one of three rookies in the league to finish the season with a +10 or better.

Honorable Mentions
Ivar Ogorodnikov, Igor Ogorodnikov, Maria Maximova, and Dr. Timeturner Whooves all made major contributions to the team as well, and deserve to be mentioned here. Ivar was second on the team in blocked shots, and tied for the highest +/- on the team at a +10. Igor, the goaltender, started 50 out of the 52 games during the season, making him crucial to the team’s success. Maximova was fifth on the team in assist, with 24. She also made a major contribution on the power play as a rookie. Whooves had the fourth most goals on the team with 14, and was eighth in total points.


Rookie Evaluations

Kelowna’s rookie class showed a huge amount of promise throughout the season. Each of them has been important to the success of the team. Below, we get an idea of how they each did this season in terms of progression, and we’ll also speculate on what round in the draft each player might get picked.

Jonathan Lundberg
Center || 224tpe
Stats: 1g || 5a || 6p || -1 || 32pim || 63hits || 2sb || 448minutes
Lundberg was a late addition to an already deep Knights rookie class. His play this season has not been noteworthy. Despite making noticeable progress over the course of the season, and moving up from the fourth line to the third, he is still very raw, and needs more time to continue his development. There is no reason to believe he won’t continue to develop at the rate he has in his short time in Kelowna. Because he is still very much a work-in-progress, it is hard to tell where teams will look to draft him. Teams will probably see him as a middle round selection. Regardless of where he goes, the team that takes him will get a dedicated player with a good locker room presence.

Fredrik Zavstrom
Center || 205tpe
Stats: 4g || 9a || 13p || +1 || 14pim || 13hits || 8sb || 619minutes
Zavstrom was the Knights’ fifth round pick in the SMJHL entry draft. While the expectations placed on a fifth round picked aren’t extremely high, Zavstrom has not made the progress that Kelowna would have liked. He is skilled in the faceoff circle, and his skating is some of the best on the team. He also has great defensive instincts for a forward. His offensive skill set will need to improve if he wants to contribute to a SHL team. Judging by his steady rate of development, he may be a good long term investment for the team that picks him up. Look for him to be drafted in the middle to later rounds. It is also worth noting that Zavstrom has expressed interest in moving up to the SHL sooner rather than later.

Ivan Koroviev
Right Wing || 248tpe
Stats: 10g || 10a || 20p || +3 || 12pim || 27hits || 6sb || 556minutes
The Russian right wing was the Knights’ third round pick. Koroviev is the classic playmaking wing, who focuses on possessing the puck and passing. He has a great balance of size, skating ability, and vision on the ice. His development has been good, showing that he knows how to work hard, and it has showed up on the ice. If he continues this pace, the team that picks him can look forward to having a solid first or second line player for the future. Koroviev should be worth early round consideration.

Hugh Johnson
Center || 186tpe
Stats: 9g || 16a || 25p || -1 || 12pim || 44hits || 10sb || 958minutes
This BC native didn’t have to travel far when he was drafted in the seventh round. Johnson is a sniper, so naturally he has an accurate shot. The Knights tried him out as the first line center in preseason and early on in the regular season. Johnson’s lack of improvement in his skill set, as well as the emergence of other rookies, got him shuffled down to the third line. Johnson is a case of a talented player who relies too much on his talents. If he is willing to put in the work, he could develop into a good center, however, he has not been willing to put in the effort thus far. Unless his work ethic improves, teams will likely look at him in the late rounds of the draft.

Dominic Weber
Defense || 196tpe
Stats: 0g || 9a || 9p || +10 || 63pim || 56hits || 19sb || 417minutes
Weber is a giant human being. Standing 6’9”, the German defenseman has better hands, and smoother skating ability than you might expect. He has solid defensive awareness, and fills passing lanes the way you want a young defenseman to. He has been on Kelowna’s fourth defensive pair for the entire season. Weber’s primary issue is that he has been slow to develop. His defensive ability gives him an excellent base on which to build, but he needs to make an effort to improve. Right now, he is a late round selection at best.

Tony Flow
Right Wing || 184tpe
Stats: 4g || 7a || 11p || -4 || 36pim || 65hits || 2sb || 439minutes
Tony Flow was Kelowna’s eighth round pick in the SMJHL entry draft. Flow had been a bit of a conundrum. Despite being well liked in the locker room, his progression has not met expectations. Flow is widely accepted as being among the most physically fit, and game ready players, among the Knights. He has a fairly balanced set of offensive skills, but doesn’t excel at anything. His passing will need to be addressed before he moves up to the next level. Tony should be looked at as a late round prospect, who may need a good locker room to keep him motivated.

Jukka-Emil Vanaja
Defense || 215tpe
Stats: 3g || 4a || 7p || +9 || 20pim || 24hits || 25sb || 419minutes
This ninth round selection of the Knights has, maybe, the squarest head in the league. He is another defenseman for the Knights who has a good defensive base. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much to separate himself on a Kelowna team that has some solid defenders. His passing and puck handling are serviceable, but will need to develop further. He will need to show teams that he can step up his efforts when it comes to improving himself, otherwise, he will likely remain a middle to late round draft selection.

Nikolaus Scholz
Center || 237tpe
Stats: 5g || 9a || 14p || +4 || 2pim || 7hits || 1sb || 635minutes
The German, Scholz, has had a solid rookie season. Nothing to get too excited about, but he has been one of the better Centers on a team that has all rookies at that position. He started the season on the third line, but has worked his way up onto the second line. While his point totals may not be where he wants them, his work ethic is what will interest prospective teams. Scholz has shown a willingness to make the extra effort in practice and in his off time. With this in mind, teams could look at taking him in the early to middle rounds of the draft.

Matt Veenstra
Defense || 216tpe
Stats: 2g || 12a || 14p || -3 || 31pim || 14hits || 21sb || 686minutes
Veenstra has been a pretty solid value pick for Kelowna, getting him in the sixth round. His numbers haven’t been amazing, but decent for a sixth round defenseman. Matt’s skating ability, hands, and skill are all good, but not great. He will need to get stronger or he might get pushed around at the SHL level. If he continues his current development trajectory, there is no reason he can’t be a good offensive defenseman at the next level. Teams should be looking at Veenstra in the middle rounds of the draft, most likely.

Kristján Vilhjalmsson
Center || 258tpe
Stats: 6g || 31a || 37p || +10 || 30pim || 49hits || 2sb || 890minutes
The Icelandic Viking was Kelowna’s first pick in the SMJHL draft. He has delivered on the ice for them. He started on the second line, but found himself on the first line with veterans Randleman and Abodobe by the end of the season. Vilhjalmsson is excellent in the faceoff circle, and uses his crisp passing to make plays all over the ice. Kristján’s biggest strength is that he makes the players around him better with his puck possession and vision of the ice. In terms of development, he is about where you would want him to be. If he maintains his current pace, he should be a good player for any SHL team. An early round selection is a safe bet for when he be picked.

Maria Maximova
Defense || 256tpe
Stats: 10g || 24a || 34p || +6 || 35pim || 31hits || 32sb || 869minutes
Maximova is a two-way defender by trade, but plays more like an offensive defenseman. She has been a great pick up for the Knights, who selected her in the second round. Maximova has an excellent shot, and is one of the better skaters on the team. She has also great success with her passing, and showed good positioning defensively. The only concern with her, is her lack of physical play. This should not be a major factor for teams, give her offensive production. She has improved steadily since arriving in Kelowna, and appears to be a safe draft pick. She should be selected in the early rounds of the draft.


S25 Roster Outlook

With the success they had this season, it seems quite possible that the Knights will be losing players to their SHL teams. Some players have shown an interest in remaining with the Knights, if possible, while others have said they would prefer to move up, even if it means playing fourth line with an SHL team. While it is unclear which players will actually remain as send-downs, and which will get called up, we’ll take a look at what the lines could look like in the event that some of the higher profile veterans get the call from their SHL teams. All of this is purely speculative.

Players potentially leaving:
Adam Abodobe
Randy Randleman
Reginald Howard
Richard D’amour
Fredrik Zavstrom

Players likely to remain:
C - Nikolaus Scholz
C - Kristjan Vilhjalmsson
C - Jonathan Lundberg
C - Hugh Johnson
RW - Tony Flow
RW - Ivan Koroviev
RW - Dr Timeturner Whooves
D - Tom Berkis
D - Stacker Pentecost
D - Ryan Woito
D - Matt Veenstra
D - Maria Maximova
D - Jukka-Emil Vanaja
D - Ivar Ogorodnikov
D - Dominic Weber
G - Igor Ogorodnikov
G - Emmet Roy

This leaves Kelowna lacking players on the wing. Last season, center was a position of weakness, and the team addressed it in the draft. This year, the wing position appears to be a weakness, while center has become the strong position on the team. It is likely that we will see players playing out of their natural position during the coming season, much like Lundberg did, playing left wing the entire season. For the sake of simplicity, we will look at the lines with everyone playing in their natural position. We’ll leave it up to the GM’s to decide if they will be moving players around the line-up next season. The impending expansion creates the distinct possibility that Ogorodnikov, the goalie, may not return next season. If that is the case, Kelowna may also look at adding an additional goaltender.

Given that the players listed above are not likely to return to the team next season, this is what the lines look like, before the SMJHL entry draft.

<div align="center">Forwards
Left Wing - Center - Right Wing
<Empty> - Kristjan Vilhjalmsson - Ivan Koroviev
<Empty> - Nikolaus Scholz - Dr. Timeturner Whooves
<Empty> - Jonathan Lundberg - Tony Flow
<Empty> - Hugh Johnson - <Empty>

Defense
Ivar Ogorodnikov - Maria Maximova
Stacker Pentecost - Matt Veenstra
Jukka-Emil Vanaja - Tom Berkis
Dominic Weber - Ryan Woito

Goalies
Igor Ogorodnikov
Emmet Roy</div>

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