Every journey has its end, and it’s up to each of us to make the most of the journey towards that end. Brandon Sanderson eloquently said in my favorite book, “Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination”. You have to put your best foot forward, life is truly about making the most of your journey.

Oliver Cornwall has come a long way since his stint on waivers before entering the SMJHL. A young brit, he was scouted by several organizations who showed interest in the defender, but the most comprehensive discussions were with Seany, the GM of the Vancouver Whalers. The Whalers had finished the previous season second to last, giving them second priority on the waiver wire. When the Whalers organization picked him up, Cornwall was a tentative member of the locker room to start his career. The Whalers were a rebuilding team with a strong core of Veterans including NoNo Jo, Sven and Groaty Bronson. They also had a strong young group like Trevor Lopex and David Vent, it was a great environment with lots of opportunity for young players to step up and become a leader.

Cornwall struggled on the ice in his first season, playing third pair minutes on a weaker Whalers squad who finished 12th in the league. However, the standings didn’t truly reflect the growth of the team as the young players gradually started to contribute. The locker room became a much more lively place, especially with the acquisition of Ville Sato-Maki as a post-deadline waiver pickup. The new players took on a leading role as the season wore on, causing the Whalers to shock the league in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the vaunted Regina Elk in a seven game battle. While they ended up being swept by the Quebec City Citadelles in the second round of the playoffs, the organization was galvanized by the success which they had battled so hard to attain, and the Whalers faithful suddenly had a reason to believe in the on-ice product.
For Cornwall, it was a particularly special offseason as he was eligible for the S77 SHL entry draft. Despite his inactivity in the rookie gathering spaces, Luke from New England took a keen interest in the young British defenceman. Scouting went smoothly and New England recognized the immense potential in the youngster, going off the board early to grab him at tenth overall. Cornwall has since pointed to the belief of the Wolfpack organization as a galvanizing force for him, causing him to believe that he truly had a future in this league if he could only reach out and grab it.

With his belief in himself solidified, Cornwall returned to the Whalers after training camp with the big club, ready to dive in and make a name for himself in the SMJHL. His teammates recognized his newfound drive and marked the Brit as an emerging leader in the room, giving him the nod as an alternate captain for their group. Despite another middling season in terms of on-ice performance, Cornwall did his job and enabled his teammates to shine. The Whalers were significantly better that season, going 35-27-4 en route to a sixth overall regular season finish. Going into the playoffs, the atmosphere in the room was electric. The Whalers had added two excellent scoring forwards via trade and standout rookie goaltender Galton Woggins came into his own as the season wore on, the Whalers knew that they had the roster to make some noise in the playoffs, and that’s what they did.
New additions MattyJ and Olafur Atlason made an immediate impact, coming fourth and fifth on the team in playoff scoring respectively. They slotted into a deadly forward corps already featuring incumbent stars Niclas Wastlund (2nd), NoNo Jo(1st), and Robo Sven (3rd) and the Whalers went on an unexpected winning streak. They demolished the Yukon Malamutes in a round one, five game tilt. From there they swept the second and third rounds, sending the Quebec City Citadelles and now-defunct Regina Elk home in a total of four games. From there, the Cinderella run came up against the Ottawa Highlanders. The Whalers would dispatch the Highlanders in a six game tilt, marking an early high point in the career of young Cornwall.

The impact of that playoff run truly cannot be overstated. The previously dead locker room ignited with an excitement that only a championship can inspire. For Cornwall, it was a formative experience where he truly became a leader in the locker room. He dove into the management groups of his SMJHL and SHL clubs, even stepping up to GM a WJC club after the unexpected departure of the incumbent. The existing friendships in and out of the locker rooms deepened, and this is where Oliver decided to get truly serious about this career so he could chase that feeling again.

In his third season on the Whalers, it was a bit of a let-down in terms of on-ice results. The core group understood that this was likely the last year of their window to win a championship with a majority of the core hitting the end of their SMJHL eligibility at the conclusion of that season. The Whalers fought like hell, but ended up placing a disappointing tenth place and being bounced by the Great Falls Grizzlies in a seven game round 1 war. With tat, the contention window of this iteration of the Whalers slammed shut, with only Oliver, David Vent, Trevor Lopez, and Ville Sato-Maki remaining from the championship team when the wave of call-ups concluded. With that, the organization geared towards rebuild mode. Over the off-season, Whalers management approached the core of veterans to get their thoughts on how they would like to be treated going forward, stating that they had earned the right to decide whether they would stay or go. To a man, the veterans stated that they would prefer to stay, but if it was in the organization’s interest, they wouldn’t fight a trade. Fortunately, the trade market for the veterans didn’t meet the threshold needed to convince the Whalers to move their veterans, and they all remained.

Oliver Cornwall is not used to being on losing squads, and it’s no secret that this year’s Whalers team is generationally bad in terms of on-ice product. But with the change of the focus of the team, it has been an opportunity for Oliver to flesh out his leadership skills and focus on developing a successful culture in the Whalers organization. Whalers management recognized Oliver’s drive to help the team off the ice as well, and named the Wolfpack prospect as the Whalers’ Captain for S79.
Oliver took to the captaincy well, diving in immediately to lead the future of the Whalers towards the path of champions. However, that has not been difficult as the Whalers also picked up one of the best crops of young players in recent memory. Sophomore Dominic Enselmo has continued to be an effective presence in the Whalers locker room, and the on-ice results are starting to develop; the centre is at half a point per game on the worst team in the league.
First round pick Aaron Noxus has been an immediate contributor on and off the ice. He is producing at an incredibly impressive rate of 20 points in 27 games so far, while being a defensive liability. But that is expected from a scoring rookie! Off the ice, Noxus immediately became a key member of the Whalers leadership group. He brings an unmatched energy/aura to the locker room, keeping the team’s spirits up as the team continues to struggle on the ice.
Second round pick goaltender Trent Mackenzie has also quickly endeared themselves to the team. They unflinchingly face far more shots than any other goaltender in the league, making far more saves than could ever be expected from them given the atrocious defence being played in front of them. They have also been an integral part of the culture of the Whalers, jumping in regularly to make a quip and is one of the most involved people in the organization.
Finally, Oliver chose to spotlight fellow waiver pickup Hans Gronlund has drawn comparisons to the Whalers Captain beyond their acquisition method. Hans has become an immediate contributor on the Whalers’ depleted blueline, playing on the second pair next to Cornwall. While being steady in unsheltered minutes, Hans has been another elite contributor to the Whalers off the ice. He dove into the management side of the game, working constantly to improve his understanding of tactics while being a steady presence in the locker room.

Truly, the three Whalers rookies are where Oliver takes the most comfort. These are players who truly need no guidance on or off the ice, they are players you would feel comfortable building a franchise around. Oliver is a lucky man to spend the last season of his Junior career with players who will be faces of the SHL in a matter of seasons, and giving them an opportunity to shine is the best farewell tour the Whalers captain could ask for.
Damn the on-ice results, the foundation of this league is about the culture and environment in the locker room. In this respect, it will absolutely be another championship season.

1551 Words