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Silvertips 2007-2008 Recap
Silvertips Remain the Hottest Ticket in Town
The Everett Silvertips remained successful both on and off the ice in 2007-08, as the club finished with a winning record for the fifth consecutive year while drawing over 230,000 fans. Through five years in Everett, the 'Tips have welcomed over 1.3 million fans into Comcast Arena while compiling 201 wins as they have proven to be the archetypal franchise in the Western Hockey League. The on-ice success has transferred over to the box office, as Everett averaged 6,424 fans per game this year and finished with over 230,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season. Including the playoffs, the Silvertips sold their one millionth ticket in March, 2007, prior to the team's 141st regular season game. Featuring a franchise-record eight sellouts this season, the Silvertips have now sold out the 8,200 seat Comcast Arena 26 times in the club's history.
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Regular Season Leading Scorers
Though Kyle Beach and Zach Hamill may have drawn more headlines throughout their junior careers, it was overage forward Dan Gendur that made the loudest statement this season, turning in career highs of sixty games played, 29 goals, 55 assists, and 84 points. The 55 assists and 84 points more than doubled his previous career highs, as the Vancouver Canucks’ seventh round draft pick contributed with his best hockey since being acquired from the Prince George Cougars in November, 2006 for a sixth round draft pick. At the start of the season, he pinpointed the key for last year’s enhanced development. "When you're playing with Zach Hamill and Kyle Beach you're going to get lots of opportunities, and I was lucky to capitalize on most of them. I came in with an attitude of having nothing to lose. I wasn't really having much success with Prince George, so I looked at it as my last opportunity and just gave it all I had. Everything seemed to work out very nicely for me."
Hamill entered the season with the pressure of building off his 2006-07 season, when he took home the Bob Clarke Trophy by leading the league with 93 points in 69 games. Though the point total was not replicated, Hamill proved to be another one of the Silvertips’ go-to-guys this season, as he provided two overtime game winners (vs Kamloops 10/12/07; @ Kamloops, 2/10/08). Through a tremendous showing in the first half, forward Kyle Beach also contributed some excellent hockey on both ends of the ice, extending a point streak for an entire month (10/6/07-11/6/07; 12 games total), and scoring a goal in five consecutive games (10/27/07-11/6/07).
Defenseman and Captain Jonathan Harty was an unsung hero for the Everett offense, posting career highs of eleven goals, 34 assists and 45 points. He was a factor for the ‘Tips in the playoffs, leading the team with five points and scoring a game-tying goal with 55 seconds left in game four to send the game to overtime.
Playoff Performances
Even though the Silvertips were dispatched by a talented Spokane Chiefs squad in the first round, there were still a variety of postseason performances that leave room for optimism heading into 2008-09. Matt Ius was able to tally a playoff goal in his rookie season as he looks to build the bridge to a productive sophomore campaign, where he will be expected to develop as a top-six forward for Everett. As noted above, Jonathan Harty practically willed the Silvertips towards victory against Spokane with some especially courageous performances. The hard-hitting captain of the ‘Tips led all playoff scorers with five points. Still, the most outstanding contribution from any of the ‘Tips came from the pads of Shayne Barrie, who capped off a strong rookie season with two outstanding playoff performances. Though he dropped game four in overtime, Barrie looked spectacular by stopping 32 of 35 shots in the losing effort, and 56 of 60 overall in the postseason. Expecting to shoulder a good deal of the load next season in net, Barrie received crucial playoff experience that will no doubt help his confidence and ability to play well in important games in 2008-09.
Leland Irving Ties WHL Shutout Record
Leland Irving stopped all 37 shots he faced of Friday, February 29th as the Everett Silvertips skated to a 2-0 blanking of the Seattle Thunderbirds at Comcast Arena. His 21st career shutout tied him with former Thunderbird and Kootenay Ice goaltender Bryan Bridges for the most career shutouts in WHL history. Behind goals from Clayton Bauer and Kyle Beach, the nineteen-year old goaltender faced fifteen shots in the first, thirteen in the second and nine in the third period, marking his fourth shutout of the season and fourth career shutout against Seattle. Irving shutout Seattle and Spokane four separate times, while also posting three shutouts against Portland and Tri-City. He also shut out Kamloops, Chilliwack, Swift Current, Kootenay, Vancouver, Prince George and Kelowna once each. In addition to his 21 career regular season shutouts, he has also posted clean slates in the postseason against Tri-City (twice) and Kelowna. He started his WHL career with a bang, earning first star honors in his first career start by stopping 36 of 38 shots against Vancouver on October 2nd, 2004 and would go on to post his first career shutout exactly two weeks later in a 3-0 blanking of Seattle on October 16th. The Swan Hills, Alberta native was selected by the Everett Silvertips in the fifth round (81st overall) of the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft. Following the 2005-06 season in which he posted a record of 37-22-3-1 with a 1.91 GAA and a .925 save percentage, he was selected in the first round (26th overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Through 191 career Western Hockey League games, Irving is 107-55-8-3 with a 2.05 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He recorded his 100th career victory in a 4-2 win at home against Spokane on January 19th, 2008, by stopping 22 of 24 shots.
Kyle Beach Emerges as Likely Lottery Pick
When the Silvertips selected Kelowna, BC product Kyle Beach with the tenth overall pick in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft, they knew they would be receiving an incredibly skilled forward who had the potential to make an immediate impact. What they didn’t foresee was that they had selected a player who was potentially going to be selected early in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft as one of the top Junior Hockey skaters in all of North America. Beach, who took home the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie the previous season, streaked out of the gate and remained among league leaders in points, goals and power play goals for much of the first half of the season. Though his production cooled slightly from a statistical standpoint in the second half, he remains a consensus top-ten pick in the NHL draft. Having endured concussions, a bruised hip, and a slapshot to the face towards the end of the season that fractured a bone in his face and necessitated a full face guard, Beach still played in sixty of the team’s 72 games this season, and continued to exhibit his power forward nature despite the nagging injuries. For someone whose love of the game is evident in every single shift, Beach never gave anything short of his absolute best while he played through pain and the added pressure of needing to produce consistently in his draft year. His scoring flair and creativity were exhibited with two unbelievable highlight reel “lacrosse-style” goals (10/3/07 vs Spokane; 11/1/07 @ Edmonton) in which he picked the puck up on the blade of his stick and whipped it into the upper reaches of the net from behind the goal. Both plays are available to view on the Silvertips’ highlight section on the front page of everettsilvertips.com.
Young Defensemen Seize Key Roles
As injuries on the back end forced the Silvertips to make adjustments to their roster and defensive pairings, three Silvertip rookies seized the opportunity to showcase their abilities while leading the team into the playoffs. Chris de la Lande, Jeff Regier and Tyler Kieffer picked the second half of the season to contribute their best hockey, as injuries to Taylor Ellington, Graham Potuer and Mike Alexander provided an opportunity that the three rookies seized with gusto. Despite the inexperience on the blueline, the 'Tips embarked on an eleven game unbeaten streak (10-0-0-1) from February 8th through March 7th.
A skilled puck mover and gifted passer, Winnipeg, MB native Chris de la Lande has been referred to by Head Coach John Becanic as "a young Shawn Heshka" because of his ability to move the puck up the ice and contribute from the point on the power play. Don't be confused by his lack of size or bulk - he still has some work left in the weight room after weighing in at the beginning of the season at 5'11, 160 - the right handed shooter has a blistering shot from the point. It was a shot that beat Prince George netminder Joel Danyluk in the second period of a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday, February 9th, marking de la Lande's second game winning goal this season. Another skill Coach Becanic is most impressed with is de la Lande's decision making and playmaking abilities. "We like his poise with the puck and his ability to see the ice and read the ice and make the appropriate plays at the appropriate times," Becanic noted. "It certainly will help us this year and down the road."
Abbotsford, BC product Jeff Regier gained essential experience last season through five regular season games as well as six playoff games as a fifteen-year old with a world of potential. An all-around steady defenseman who has shown an ability to both make big hits on the defensive end and lead the rush with the forwards, Regier continues to have his physical play seep into the Western Hockey League. With Fraser Valley of the BCMML last season, the Abbotsford, BC native compiled 228 penalty minutes en route to a sixteen point season as he began to show why the Silvertips selected him with the second pick (34th overall) of the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft. Unafraid to mix it up with the league's more experienced fighters, he dropped the gloves - and won a unanimous decision - against former Regina Pat Troy Ofukany, a veteran center four years Regier's senior. Though the fight was a nice addition to Regier's mental mantelpiece, it will be the steady progress and period by period improvement that Regier has demonstrated that would continue to define his 2007-08 season.
The lone American of the trio, Stillwater, MN native Tyler Kieffer joined the team in late December to add depth to the Everett defensive corps. Though he joined the team in the middle of the season from the USHL's Lincoln Stars and was not expected to be an immediate focal point on the defense, Kieffer made his mark by playing in 27 out of a possible 32 games in the second half after making his WHL debut on January 4th against the Chilliwack Bruins. Though he has shown the ability to join the rush, resulting in three assists, Kieffer's gritty play and open ice hitting have been evident as he inherited the role of the bruising, physical defenseman temporarily vacated by Taylor Ellington's injury in late January. His presence on the ice had a positive effect on the entire team, as Everett soared to a six game winning streak and an eleven game unbeaten streak with Kieffer healthy and contributing on the back end.
Thank You Dan, Dane, and Clayton
The Silvertips received excellent production from their overage players, as Dan Gendur led the team in scoring, Dane Crowley led all defensemen in minutes played, and Clayton Bauer complemented the top line by cashing in on goals off rebounds and tip-ins. Falling in line with the U.S. Division’s trend of getting the most production from their overagers (Spokane – Bruton, Blackwater, Rutherford; Tri-City – Fast, Yellow Horn, Vey), Everett was in the mix all season long as having produced the most skilled twenty year olds in the league.
With the recognition of having the hardest shot in the Western Conference, Dan Gendur was lethal from the point on the power play. Whether he was firing up slapshots or his reliably accurate wristshots, Gendur not only keyed Everett’s power play success but also revitalized the top line, forming a fearsome trio of Bauer and Hamill. His six points and a +5 rating in a 6-0 blanking of the Prince George Cougars in Prince George, BC on January 23rd was part of a larger effort in which the Victoria, BC native was named the Husky WHL Player of the Month. Throughout January, Gendur scored ten goals and added sixteen assists for 26 points to complement his +9 rating, statistically completing the most productive month in Silvertips history. Gendur’s personal success helped lead the team, as the ‘Tips rallied to go 9-5 in January.
Dane Crowley was the workhorse of the Silvertips’ defensive corps, often times logging upwards of thirty minutes of ice time in the second half of the season while various players succumbed to injury. With Taylor Ellington, Mike Alexander, Graham Potuer and Tyler Kieffer sidelined with various ailments in the second half, Crowley used his keen leadership and intelligent on-ice presence to steady the locker room and produce wins. Despite the injuries that wreaked havoc on Everett’s line pairings, the Silvertips were still able to complete a 19-6-0-1 stretch in the second half, partly due to Crowley’s added defensive responsibilities and added ice time. The Winnipeg, MB native finished with a career-high ten goals along with nineteen assists and 29 points in 66 games.
Acquired in a November trade, Clayton Bauer made an immediate impact on the Silvertips’ offense, scoring nineteen goals in his first thirty games with Everett. Inheriting Moises Gutierrez’s role of camping out in front of the crease, it wasn’t just the “garbage” goals that defined Bauer’s 2007-08 season. His wrist shot was among the most accurate in the Western Conference, and he put it to use in completing a natural hat trick in an eight minute and thirty second span in a 4-2 victory over Spokane on January 19th. In 51 games with Everett this season, the Kelowna, BC native scored 21 goals and added fifteen assists for 36 points. Though he was acquired to provide secondary scoring for this ‘Tips squad, Bauer instead provided the primary scoring as he excelled through his tenure on Everett’s top line.
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