Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) CHL Profile (WHL Edition) Hello everyone and a huge welcome back to a former article written by yours truly for many years in the Victory Hockey League. The last time I profiled the CHL or NCAA was roughly fifteen seasons ago when some old time vets were starting their careers and recent retirees hadn't even graduated peewee hockey. If any of you were around back then you'll probably remember the article that was such and what it shed light on. What I like to do is look at the factories in junior hockey and give you the information regarding each as it related to our very own Victory Hockey League. What a better way to get it started then to slid all the way out west and visit the Western Hockey League. The Western Hockey League is a league that's bread and butter has been build on teaching the fine two-way game and ability to hit properly. If you have watched a lot of junior hockey you will have found out that the Western Hockey League doesn't always produce the top scorers in the CHL, but often times they are the most NHL ready in regards to a complete game. There is no true deciding factor for this but it's like the comparison between the high flying NHL Eastern conference and the hard nosed defensive NHL Western conference. For years I got to sit in a press box and watch players develop and others get noticed when I tagged along with my uncle. His job as an amateur scout with the New Jersey Devils and then scout for the Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince George Cougars gave me a distinct life experience myself. I then had the honour of going to school with many current and former NHLers who were all members of the Vancouver Giants. Today you will get insight on some relations between the WHL teams in place currently and the VHL stars you see today. Enjoy and don't forget to rep your roots! The Moose Jaw Warriors have never won a WHL Championship, but they have come close to one in 2005-2006. Unfortunately we can't say that any VHL star or past player helped them get there that season. Moose Jaw however, is looking to right that statistic and the recent stem of great prospects has given them hope. Currently coached by former NHL player Tim Hunter, they hope that their past few seasons is just the start of great things. Everyone remember Theo Fleury and Ryan Smyth, well both gentlemen were once members of the Moose Jaw WHL franchise. Current NHLer's such as Brooks Laich, Ryan Stanton and Troy Brouwer have all seen the ice in the small Saskatchewan town. How do the Moose Jaw Warriors relate to the Victory Hockey League you wonder? None other than New York Americans star forward Connor Low, that's how. Low patrolled the Americans blueline for several seasons before making the switch up front but he had a great pedigree built by his time in Moose Jaw. The Seattle Thunderbirds have also never won a WHL championship, getting swept in their only ever trip to the finals. However, this franchise has a long list of alumni that makes the Kent, Washington based franchise very proud. Seattle is another franchise hoping for success with a former NHL player; pinning their hopes on former Avalanche star Steve Konowalchuk as their coach. Records in the Thunderbirds franchise are still held by alumni members like Petr Nedved and the aforementioned Moose Jaw head coach Tim Hunter. You may recognize current NHLer's from the Thunderbirds franchise like Brendan Dillon, Nate Thompson and another familiar name in Brooks Laich. I bet you didn't know that prospect Jakob Ackerman is also a former alumni player? Well he is a damn good one too. Ackerman helped the Thunderbirds to a Western Hockey League quarterfinals matchup against the Kelowna Rockets two seasons ago. The Vancouver Giants are considered a young franchise by hockey terms, only having been around for 14 seasons thus far. Don't let that franchise youth confuse you though, because this franchise has won a Memorial Cup and two WHL championships in that time. Now led by former Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel, the Giants have been and currently are in good hands. Everyone knows of former Giants Gilbert Brule and Milan Lucic, but the franchise has way more prestigious alumni. Brendan Gallagher, Lance Bouma and Evander Kane are all graduates of the Vancouver Giants system. Little do most know, so is current Toronto Legion forward Sachimo "Roid" Zoidberg. Zoidberg played on the Giants when they weren't in their best years two seasons ago. Now he looks to change his past by re-writting the future in his own little hockey dream. The Calgary Hitmen might just be one of the most recognizable franchises in the Western Hockey League. They have a long history of dominance and a bloodline that runs deep within management. The franchise has won the WHL championship twice and losing in the Memorial Cup final once as well. Currently coached by Mark French, who has a Calder Cup under his belt with the AHL franchise in Hershey known as the Bears. French takes over a franchise which has struggled in the postseason recently. However, the Hitmen haven't struggled in pumping out great prospects for various professional leagues. Karl Alzner, Johnny Boychuk and Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf are all products of the Hitmen system. The VHL is blessed to have benefitted by this in the likes of the most popular player in the league, Bennett Wahl. Whale helped the Hitmen to three straight WHL Eastern conference finals. The current Edmonton Oil Kings have been a franchise with little to no history. The Oil Kings have been around since the 2006 season when Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz invested in the franchise. Despite that they have actually succeeded quite well in in regards to their records and their alumni. The Edmonton based squad has been to the Memorial Cup once and took home that trophy that very season. They also have two WHL championships in eight years, which is remarkable. It goes without saying that great players must have achieved those accolades and you wouldn't be wrong there. Curtis Lazar, Griffin Reinhart, Mark Pysyk and Henrik Samuelsson are the only NHL drafted Oil Kings, all having been drafted in the first round. How does the VHL outdo that sparkling statistic? They don't, however Borje Samuelsson who is a Seattle Bears draftee and he might just be the start of something special between Edmonton and the Victory Hockey League. Hope you enjoyed this edition, be sure to check out future editions of this on-going series! For Junior Profiling I am your host Joey Kendrick signing off. Edited December 16, 2014 by Kendrick Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smarch 3,185 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Good read Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164055 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Um.... The Edmonton Oil Kings have been a franchise with little to no history You know ... aside from being one of the founding member teams of the WHL and stuff right? The current incarnation of the Oil Kings is recent, but this is actually version four (if you include the Ice). They actually won the Memorial Cup in the 60s I believe. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164067 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Um.... You know ... aside from being one of the founding member teams of the WHL and stuff right? The current incarnation of the Oil Kings is recent, but this is actually version four (if you include the Ice). They actually won the Memorial Cup in the 60s I believe. Well I was talking about the current version. I know it's not the first version, however I'm speaking about the now and what the team has done with it's current franchise. Not the other ones who failed. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164085 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Okay. Just an odd way to state things since, while they have had gaps, they are a founding franchise. Good article overall though. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164099 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Okay. Just an odd way to state things since, while they have had gaps, they are a founding franchise. Good article overall though. Different ownership. Not odd at all. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164109 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Okay. Odd to me. Not to you. Fair enough. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164111 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Okay. Odd to me. Not to you. Fair enough. Call it odd but the original three attempts had Oilers management involved at a different era. The current WHL is bigger and Katz took advantage of a numbers game. The current Oil Kings is a new brand and as far as I've seen, heard and been told it is not at all affiliated with it's former attempts. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164113 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Yeah the Oilers hated the Ice and wouldn't even let them use the arena. Funny stuff. Anyways, I found it confusing. Like I said, good article overall, it was just that part that didn't really make sense to me. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164118 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Fair enough, it makes sense regardless though. In all fairness it did say "when Daryl Katz invested in the franchise". Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164122 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I disagree, but that's not a big deal in the grand scheme of the cosmos! Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164125 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 It is an entirely different franchise, but just so no one else has a brain aneurysm I changed some of the wording. For anyone who knows the Edmonton Oil Kings they've had 4 different attempts in the WHL, I was referring to the 4th one which is the current one that has only been around for 8 seasons and has little history in regards to their accomplishments as the 4th attempt. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164167 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIM-11 134 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Thankfully I have a positronic brain and cannot have an aneurysm. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-164176 Share on other sites More sharing options...
twillcox94 21 Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Content: 3/3 Really creative article. Great read. Grammar: 2/2 Nothing much build --> built Well, he is a damn good one too. Franchise's youth Appearance: 1/1 Really organized and clean. Great pictures and format. Total: 6/6 Overall: 6/6 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-165234 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler 1,514 Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Claimed Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/15488-claimedchl-profile-whl-edition-final-66/#findComment-166689 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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