16/16 TPE Total

1. Fan Appreciation Day (111 words +2 TPE)

To celebrate their run to the SMJHL finals, the Ottawa Highlanders will be giving out commemorative foam claymore swords to all fans in attendance at their home opener for season 78. These swords will be a full 4 feet long, and adorned with the Ottawa Highlanders logo on the pommel and the hilt wrapped in cloth of the official Highlanders tartan. There will be an appearance by Christopher Lambert of the 1986 Highlander movie, a custom jersey auction, and a raffle for a chance to duel your favorite Highlander player! On second thought, this might not be the best idea. It could be worse I guess. The backup idea was bagpipes.



2. Looking Towards the Future (155 words +3 TPE)

The Ottawa Highlanders that made an unlikely run to the SMJHL finals is a young team that returns mostly intact for season 78, with a couple of key losses. Second line center Benji Hockiwi and third line Florian Hascek the forward ranks have graduated to the SHL but the forward ranks are still stacked in Ottawa, with enough second year players ready to step up to fill the holes.

Defense is a different story, with losses of Demir Bellona and Jacob Maccabees leaving only one player under contract on defense. Ottawa will want to find a few stalwart defenders in the draft or  as free agents to fill those holes if they hope to make another deep playoff run.

The goaltending corps is anchored by game-stealing Bishop Van Apeldoorn who was a key part of the playoff run. Van Apeldoorn will need a backup to share the workload but the net is otherwise well tended.


10. In the Zone (315 words +6 TPE)

You don't get to the finals of the playoffs without a number of players stepping p when it matters most, but when it comes to the two teams that met in the SMJHL finals, we can pick one that stood out for each team. For the runner-up Ottawa Highlanders, the standout player is Bishop Van Apeldoorn. While posting a moderate .900 SV% and 3.40 GAA in the regular Van Apeldoorn took his game up a notch in the playoffs and flat out stole enough games to keep the Highlanders rolling. With a young defense in front of him, Van Apeldoorn faced an average of 36 shots per game, and 200 more shots than any other goalie in the playoffs. He posted the highest goals saved above average and the most shutouts in the playoffs and his SV% led playoff goalies until Ottawa ran into red hot Vancouver.

For Vancouver it is more difficult to pick one standout player. In the regular season only one player scored higher than a point per game but five players did so in the playoffs. The whole team stepped up their game in a dominant performance that won them the Four Star Cup. To pick just one, I'm going to choose Right Winger MattyJ. After scoring 50 points in the regular season, MattyJ scored 24 in 19 games. While he was just behind the team leaders, MattyJ was a force at even strength, scoring all but one of his points there and leading the team in shots and most possession stats. While the championship was definitely  a team effort, MattyJ provided a spark that helped propel the Whalers to victory.

With Van Apeldoorn on the losing side and MattyJ a few points behind the team leaders, there's a good chance that neither of these players end up as playoff MVP, but in my opinion, both should at least be nominated.


12. On the Radar (257 words +5 TPE)

One intriguing prospect in this year's draft class is Ottawa Highlanders left winger Spaceman Spiff. Drafted 11th overall in the SMJHL draft, Spiff has shown flashes of skill but only put up 39 points in his rookies season while playing on Ottawa's 3rd line. A small but quick skating forward, with a laser fast wrist shot Spiff rounded out his game in the playoffs with solid defensive play to make up for the lower point totals. Despite the slow start to his career, Spiff's ceiling is high and his strong work ethic has already proven itself on and off the ice. With a little work to do on the defensive side of his game, and fine tuning of his offensive skills, Spiff projects to be a top six winger in the SHL with the skills and potential to play effectively on the first line.

Off the ice, Spiff is a classic character guy in the locker room. He is eager to learn from the coaches and veterans, with a specific interest in the tactical areas of the game. He's a hard worker in practice, the first on the ice and the last off of it, and leads by example with his team-first attitude, hard work, maturity, and even his sense of humor. Activity level is high and he has the drive to do all he can to make his mark on this league. Spaceman Spiff has been projected to be an early pick in the draft, and will be a great asset to whatever team takes him.