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Schmidt · 11-03-2014, 04:56 AM

Schmidt walks off the stage with stars in his eyes after being selected by the Platoon.

When the West Kendall Platoon drafted goaltender Colin Schmidt 5th overall in the S19 SHL Entry Draft, they expected a solid foundation to rebuild the franchise around. Two seasons later, and their investment is already starting to pay off, as the young netminder lead the team to their first playoff berth in three seasons and their first season above .500 since S15. Unfortunately, the Platoon were two points shy of avoiding the powerhouse Steelhawks, who swept West Kendall in the first round. Today we will take a look at Schmidt's rookie campaign in the SHL, as well as peek into what the future has in store for the Canadian keeper.

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The Impact eliminated Schmidt's Falcons in five games in the first round of the S19 playoffs.

Immediately after the draft, Schmidt was slightly disappointed to have not been picked by Calgary, who had shown considerable interest in him and had a few Detroit Falcons involved with their organization. Still, he was happy that West Kendall management was entrusting him with the future of the organization. Schmidt opted to play a second year in juniors as the Platoon had a pair of aging but solid netminders, and not much of a team core to build upon. He also wanted to try to catch the Four Star Cup that had eluded him the previous season after his Falcons fell 4-1 in the Eastern Finals to St. Louis. However, despite having won the starting role in Detroit and training hard, Schmidt's numbers were nowhere near the SMJHL-leading stats he put up in his first year in juniors, and once again the Falcons made an early playoff exit.

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Schmidt stretches out the glove to rob Roy Razin in his first career shutout.

S20 was going to be Colin Schmidt's year though, and he knew it. In the offseason he used his graphic design talents to upgrade the team branding, and this combined with an excellent S20 draft crop really helped turn the team around. There was a third reason he waited a second season to enter the big leagues, and that was so he could train and enter into his rookie SHL season at a competitive level. Management had trust in Schmidt early on as well, naming him an alternate captain before he even stepped out onto the ice for the first time. His first game of the season was a 2-0 loss to the Steelhawks, but he made an impressive 35 saves and the Platoon knew they had a franchise player. Schmidt would go on to win five of the next six games, and West Kendall held second spot in the Eastern conference early in the season. Shortly after this stretch, Schmidt would post his first career SHL shutout, making 18 saves in a 1-0 shootout loss to Manhattan. He finished the season with four shutouts, more than in both his junior seasons combined.

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Schmidt celebrates his first playoff berth with teammate Zalleras Szlerchek.

The honeymoon stage had to end at some point, and Schmidt hit a massive slump in the middle of the season, going 2-9-3 in fourteen games. Both wins in that span were shutouts, but it hardly mattered, the Platoon were once again at-risk of missing the playoffs. Backup Fabian Fuhrberg came in for the next eight games, posting a slightly better 3-3-2 record. The rest was clearly needed though, as Schmidt won six in a row after he put back in between the pipes. He would go on to post a 7-3-0 record in the final ten games of the season, and West Kendall was back in the postseason. Schmidt finished the season with a 2.49 goals against average and a .908 save percentage, holding the seventh and fourth spots in the league in those categories, respectively.

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Schmidt and the Platoon salute their home crowd after being eliminated by the Steelhawks.

However, Schmidt struggled in the shootout over the season, losing five and winning just once. This ended up being the difference between facing the mighty Steelhawks in the playoffs as opposed to the much more evenly-matched Wolfpack. Despite being swept, Schmidt improved on his regular season stats, posting a 2.47 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. He was by far the best Platoon player in the series, who only managed six goals against the Hawks in their four games. Game four was where Schmidt really shone, as he battled Edwin Ask in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss. West Kendall looked to have their first win of the series, but the Hawks tied the game with 54 seconds left to send it to extra time. Schmidt made 39 saves in the loss, and nobody on the ice was more dejected than him when the winning puck squeaked through.

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Colin Schmidt shuts the door on the Americans in the world junior gold medal game.

Critics would look at Schmidt's playoff performances and deem him to be a choker, as he has a 2-8-3 record in his 14 playoff appearances between Detroit and West Kendall. Colin is quick to point out his play for team Canada in the S19 World Junior Championships however, as he lead a ragtag Canadian squad to a tight victory over their American rivals in the gold medal game, proving he can play in high-pressure scenarios. Schmidt is confident him and the Platoon can win a playoff series in S21, and is hoping for nothing less than to play in the Challenge Cup finals in S22. This is a main reason why Schmidt signed a five-year contract extension following the Platoon's elimination. He is completely bought in to the team and committed to bring a playoff contender back to West Kendall.

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Schmidt makes a sprawling save against Edmonton in his first game against his goalie mentor.

Highlights of Schmidt's rookie season include his first career win, posting four shutouts as well as an above .500 record, and recording two game-tying assists. Making the playoffs in his rookie season was another huge accomplishment, and a more personal achievement happened in his first game back after Fuhrberg was put in. Schmidt made 32 saves in a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Blizzard in his first game against his former junior GM Jakub Aittokallio, as he handed his mentor his 100th career loss. After the game, Aittokallio had encouraging words for his former player, saying "try getting winningest before losingest." Solid advice from an SHL veteran.

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Schmidt tracks a puck battle in a game against the Panthers, sans Jackson Weekes. His Platoon were lacking the spark of the rivalry, and mustered only ten shots in the same.

There were only three other games that Schmidt had circled on his calendar, the three matches against the Los Angeles Panthers and his rival Jackson Weekes. The rivalry had simmered down quite a bit now that both goalies were playing on opposite sides of the continent, but both were anticipating the matchup. Unfortunately, bad communication from Schmidt meant that Fuhrberg ended up playing two games against Weekes, and by the time the third game came around, starting Panther goalie CJ James was back in net. Colin will make sure he gets in net for all future matchups, lest he be accused of backing down from the challenge. He also looks forward to Mike Schmidt's entrance into the league. The most recent Schmidtstorm came at the end of S19, when Mike's Whalers handed Colin's Falcons a pair of defeats. Mike will be playing for the rival Toronto North Stars, and fans of both teams eagerly anticipate these future games.

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Schmidt is proving to be a refreshing face for the West Kendall franchise.

As for the future of the team, Colin is very excited. With the S20 draft crop already maturing quickly, and young star Joolyan Marszal on the rise, the Platoon are going to be playoff contenders for the foreseeable future. Schmidt is eagerly anticipating the S21 draft class, who rookie John Heimer-Schmidt has been helping the Platoon with scouting. A veteran defenseman would also be a key acquisition for the club, and would help boost the current rebuild, especially with Seattle superstar Daniel Merica now playing for the Rage. For now, Schmidt will enjoy the Miami sun while following the remainder of the SHL playoffs, and soon be preparing for the annual West Kendall Europe vs. World Showdown and the S21 SHL season.

Code:
1409 words.

9 images.

JackCross · 11-03-2014, 05:04 AM

That was a good read!

You have a long and very promising career ahead of you!

Schmidt · 11-03-2014, 05:05 AM

Quote:Originally posted by JackCross@Nov 3 2014, 02:04 AM
That was a good read!

You have a long and very promising career ahead of you!

Thanks! I owe you a beer for simming it so well in my favor. Wink

701 aka YUNG GUAP GOD · 11-03-2014, 05:15 AM

CTRL + F Thomaz, no results, not reading this shit.

jk, good read my dude! Let's go win that cup please.

Schmidt · 11-03-2014, 05:18 AM

Quote:Originally posted by 701@Nov 3 2014, 02:15 AM
please.

I didn't realize you were Canadian!

701 aka YUNG GUAP GOD · 11-03-2014, 05:25 AM

Quote:Originally posted by schmidtzkrieg@Nov 3 2014, 03:18 AM

I didn't realize you were Canadian!

ByrdeMan · 11-03-2014, 07:54 AM

Quote:Originally posted by schmidtzkrieg@Nov 3 2014, 05:35 AM

Thanks! I owe you a beer for simming it so well in my favor.

I just fax him beer.

Andy · 11-03-2014, 09:33 AM

See! This is why I wrote my ROTY article about you! You da bomb Schmidt and next season is going to be sick Smile

Schmidt · 11-03-2014, 11:04 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Andybj18@Nov 3 2014, 06:33 AM
See! This is why I wrote my ROTY article about you! You da bomb Schmidt and next season is going to be sick

ROTY would be icing on the cake.

**.bojo** · 11-03-2014, 11:08 AM

I'm sure it helped that Schmidt has some awesome defense in front of him! :D

#SchmidtOfTheYear

CM Syckez · 11-03-2014, 11:45 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Dj RaY@Nov 3 2014, 09:08 AM
I'm sure it helped that Schmidt has some awesome defense in front of him! :D

#SchmidtOfTheYear

Eh, George Schmidt played pretty solid. Think he might have the SOTY trophy in the bag.

Whikadoodle · 11-03-2014, 12:01 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Syckez@Nov 3 2014, 09:45 AM

Eh, George Schmidt played pretty solid. Think he might have the SOTY trophy in the bag.

That's a load of schmidt.

Merica · 11-03-2014, 12:28 PM

Good shit.

JHS · 11-03-2014, 01:10 PM

Good schmidt

Steelhead77 · 11-03-2014, 01:50 PM

Great season Schmidt!

Cheers

---> ParmBorg Highlights <---

#1 All-Time SHL Goal & Point Scorer
- First 2,000 TPE Player in SHL History -
- First 400 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- Only 500 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- First GM to Win 5 & 6 Challenge Cups -
Esa Anrikkanen Award - SMJHL ROY - Est. S34
Vidrik Onoprienko Award Winner - S45

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