I'm a little late to the party, but the waiver saga is over! I am now a member of the great Vancouver Whalers, who are just 1 season removed from winning it all in S77. Success, however, comes at a mighty cost, and that cost was a multitude of players from that championship team making the jump to the big leagues. If that wasn't enough of a loss for ya, they then AGAIN lost more players to call ups just this off-season, and now are left with 4 remaining players from that championship team.

How is the outlook this year for Vancouver? If we're being honest, it's going to be a tough one. The team is now loaded with young players looking to continue their development, as well as a few rookies (myself included) that are just getting started. While the future looks bright for Vancouver, the upcoming year will be an uphill battle to find cohesion amongst a group of young players who are still finding their identity in the league.

But the best championship victories are never the ones won by the dominant teams. The best championships are won by the underdog, the teams that were counted out from the get go, only to battle through the adversity to rise above the rest.

And you can bet your ass that we're gunning for that championship.

The Whalers will ride or die on the backs of their core 4, who will be expected to carry the load and show the rookies exactly what makes Vancouver the championship winning team that it is. And no success can be sustained without a goalie who can take over games.


1. Oliver Cornwall 
One of the 4 remaining players from Vancouver's championship winning team, Oliver has made the transition from defense to forward this year, playing RW on Vancouver's top line. Not only is the team relying on the veteran leadership from players like Cornwall, but Cornwall themself will need to adjust on the fly to a brand new position on the ice. If Cornwall can make the transition seamlessly, then you can rest assured that Vancouver will be a competitive team in what will be their final season in the SMJHL.

2. Trevor Lopez
Another one of the veterans from the championship squad, Trevor will make the jump back to the left side of the defense in hopes of continuing to anchor a tough, hard to play against top pairing in Vancouver. Trevor will need to continue being a leader on this team, and will share the responsibility of showing the young defensemen on this team how to play the position at this level. Trevor is also in the final year of their tenure in the SMJHL, and will surely be looking to prove that they're ready to make the jump to the SHL.

3. David Vent
The other half of the monstrous top pair, David Vent is the 3rd of our veterans from the championship squad on our list. Like the others, David will set out to show that they're ready to play in the big league, as they are in their final season in the SMJHL. David will be looking to continue to improve on their offensive game from the blue line, and will surely be expected to shoulder some more responsibilities offensively to make up for the loss of players from call ups.

4. Ville Sato-Maki
Ville is going into their 3rd year in Vancouver, and seems primed to becoming the leader of this team following the departures of the previously mentioned players at the end of this season. Anchoring the left side wing, Ville will need to continue to show off the skills that allowed them to become an important piece of the championship squad in just their rookie season in the SMJHL. They should also expect to become a more important voice in the locker room, as they will be the longest tenured player on Vancouver next season, provided they don't make the jump to the SHL early.

5. Trent Mackenzie
What can you say about goalies that hasn't already been said? A hockey team is only as good as it's goaltending, and Trent will have to carry the load in the net in his rookie season. Trent had a fantastic season by my goaltending metrics, posting a .900sv% in 7 games, and showing flashes of the elite potential they have in preseason games against Anchorage (.960sv%) and Nevada (.940sv%). If Trent can continue this form, than you can expect one of the all time great rookie seasons for a netminder in the SMJHL to be coming, as well as a dominant year for Vancouver.


It's clear that Vancouver has the pieces to be a contender this year. It'll be up to the rookies on the team to show that, not only do they belong in this league, but that they are absorbing the knowledge they're gaining and putting that information to good use, and it will be up to the veterans on this team to guide the ship to victory.