If you aren't tired of me posting articles yet, boy, do I have some word stew that will change that real quick. Bergen division is up next, good luck getting through this one.

Bergen Division

Bergen was another strong, tight division where all three teams earned a playoff berth. Though none of them were among the top of the standings, who will sink and who will rise to the top as a serious contender this upcoming season? 

  Regina Elk 

Picks:

Round 2, 20OA - Ralph Ryan, C

Round 3, 34OA - Angry Gilmore, LD

Regina finished first in the Bergen division last season with a respectable 34-28-4 record which was good for seventh overall, right behind the Maine Timber. I’ll be completely honest here - I have no idea how the SMJHL playoff seeding works because apparently that was a good enough record to earn the Elk a by from the first round of the playoffs. During the second round they were paired with the Detroit Falcons who had just swept Anchorage, it was a hard fought series but Regina would eventually fall in seven games, one that they would assuredly want back. 


Luckily enough for Regina they wont be losing too many players this season, though. Their top scorer was center Jaeger Jones who put up a hefy 65 points with 25 goals and 40 assists while leading the league in penalties minutes and tied third for fights won will be moving on to (hopefully) greener pastures. As well as second in line in terms of point production, right winger Yannik Svoboda who posted a solid 59 points.


While the loss of Jones and Svobda will hurt the Elk they have a super young group of cetermen that can fill the void, while the production probably wont be at the Jones’ level, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have depth down the middle which in a season or to the Elk will have in spades. They even have wingers like Dan King and M’Baku Olubori that will be ready to take a step forward this season and in the future to keep the Elk contending. 


Regina decided to add to their center depth which is never a bad choice as they took Ralph Ryan with their first pick in the second round. Ryan is going to be a fantastic playmaker, he can get open and thread the needle quite well, and his puckhandling is above average - the 6’3 Minneappolis native is weighing in at 225 pound and wont be pushed around, either. They also managed to snag Angry Gilmore, a left defense from Boston, Mass. Angry has more offensive upside than most defenders, but he has time to learn from some of the best like Theo Berglund as he gets ready to play his last season in the J.


Draft Rating: A


Even before the draft the Elk were well on their way to being contenders, but the managed to add to their center depth and bolster their blue line. I think the Elk have a serious shot at the cup this season, keep an eye out.

 Kelowna Knights  

Picks:

Round 1, 8OA - Rikkert Beirmans, LW

Round 2, 15OA - Graj Virrok, G

Round 2, 21OA - Munko Aitmukhambetov, RW

Round 3, 32OA - Casey Fantobens, G

The Knights are coming off a season that they finished just above .500 with a 31-28-7 and a second place finish in the division and eighth in the league. Their playoff performance surprised a lot of people when they eliminated the Anaheim Outlaws in five game, then took the Colorado Raptors to seven in the second round before ultimately being eliminated themselves. It was a heartbreaking loss but not a bad omen for this young team.


The best part about Kelowna’s surprise playoff push is that I don’t believe they’re losing any players which is fantastic news for them. Their entire core stays intact while they managed to add some great players. The time for the Knights may be one the horizon. The only red flag, and it is a big red flag, is that they’re starting the season with two rookie goalies. They have a veteran defense group but they will have to work overtime if they plan on giving their young goalies a solid chance at actually winning them some games. Graj Virrok and Casey Fantobens will presumably be splitting the crease this season - and hey, if it doesn’t work they have more than enough players to make a trade at the deadline for a seasoned netminder.


They also managed to add Rikker Beirmans and Munko the hockey bear to their forward group, if nothing more their team just got a whole lot bigger. Beirmans will do his work in close to the net, scooping up rebounds and using his big frame and strength to create a bit of space. Munko will just roar and shit on the ice, nobody will want to go near him.


Draft Rating: A


The Knights addressed all of their weaknesses, which wasn’t a whole not. Now their young group just needs to mature and turn potential into production. I do wish they would have taken a goalie in last seasons draft because icing to rookies is hella risky.

  St. Louis Scarecrows 

Picks: 

Round 1, 5OA - Tommi Koivu, LD

Round 1, 13OA - Bavel Pure, RW

Round 2, 24OA - Jonathan Mercer, RD

Round 3, 31OA -  Konstantin Äyräpää-Möttönen, LD

Round 3, 38OA - Anthony Dionne, G

The ‘Crows had a huge draft, they are losing a ton of players and took this chance to stock the cupboards. I’m not certain if you can call it a rebuild but it sure looks like it from here.  They finished last season twelfth overall and last in the Bergen, posting a record of 22-41-3 and a .356 point percentage. Oof. Somehow that record was still good enough for a playoff spot, but to the surprise of nobody they were swept in the first round by Nevada. 


St. Louis will also be losing their top two point getters which I guess isn’t a huge deal when you’re building for the future anyway. Left winger Dan Baltisberger scored a respectable 31/26/57, followed by centerman Sisyphus Embros who scored 15/30/45 - both of those number are quite impressive when you put it in perspective that they played on the twelfth of fourteen placed team. 


They did however manage to get a haul at the draft, including two picks in the first round. In one single night the Crows completely overhauled their blueline with Tommi Koivu, Jonathan Mercer and Konstantin Äyräpää-Möttönen - all of whom have a unique play style. Koivu is a beast, to say he hit hard is an understatement, he has good hands and offensive IQ but can also play a shut-down role when needed. Jonathan Mercer is more of an offensive-defenseman, he is going to put up point in droves. And last but not least is Konstantin Äyräpää-Möttönen who is a defensive tactician, a shut-down guy through and through. This mix of young defense will anchor their blueline for a long time. 


The lone forward the Crows picked up was with their second pick in the first round, Bavel Pure, who has the potential to be one of the best goal scorers in the draft, what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in speed and raw talent. This guy can deke and dangle with the best of them. Bar down, top titty. All. Day. Long. They also managed to pick up the Quebecoise netminder Anthony Dione to challenge for the starters crease.


Draft Rating: A


The Scarecrows seem to be doing their rebuild properly, the got an absolute haul on Saturday. If these players stay active they will be a huge part f the future.

"f the future"

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                                                 Thanks to everyone made sigs to me!!!! (Gif made by myself)

                        

Yup we got a great draft and our defense will terrific so it will help me make my job 

Ps: It's Quebecois with no «e», I'm not a women... (yeah French rule haha)

Yup we got a great draft and our defense will terrific so it will help me make my job 

Ps: It's Quebecois with no «e», I'm not a women... (yeah French rule haha)

My French is very, very bad. Thanks for pointing that out!

Yup we got a great draft and our defense will terrific so it will help me make my job 

Ps: It's Quebecois with no «e», I'm not a women... (yeah French rule haha)

My French is very, very bad. Thanks for pointing that out!

No worries, even if it's my mother tongue I make mistakes everyday! So many rules and exceptions...
You make an effort so I respected that. If you want to be better (but probably not hahaha) I had to correct you