Chris Hylands - Junior Review

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Chris Hylands: Junior Review

 

     It was clear to see from as early as 3 years old, Chris Hylands was going to be a special hockey player. He was always pretty far ahead of the other kids on his team, maybe not as far as size goes, but he was very skilled. He started playing hockey for the Erindale Spitfires in the MJHL at 5 years old, and quickly became one of the hottest young prospects in the league. As he progressed, there were many teams trying to get the hot prospect to play for their organization, and Chris ended up choosing to play AAA hockey for the Toronto Marlboros and would continue to develop into a young star.

 

     He would play his entire minor hockey career for Toronto in the GTHL. It wasn't a walk in the park at first for Chris, as he managed to put up an unimpressive 17 points in 33 games in his first season for the Marlboros as they stumbled to a last place finish in their division. This early adversity proved to be fuel for his fire, as Chris managed to set a Marlboro record the next season with an incredible 58 goals in 33 games the next season, as the Marlboros cruised to an easy 1st place finish atop their division. However, it was heart break in the finals of the playoffs for the Marlboros as they fell short. A final score of 4-2 in the series was enough for the Jr. Canadiens to take home the silverware. This would be a rivalry that was only just beginning.

 

     Over the next 6 seasons the Marlboros and Jr. Canadiens would meet in the playoffs an incredible 5 times! The games were always fast paced, and very physical, with both teams racking up penalty minutes like they were going out of style. The Marlboros used their hurt and desire from their original playoff defeat to win the playoff championship 4 years in a row, defeating the Jr. Canadiens each time. In the last playoff meeting between these teams, with this class of players now eligible for the upcoming OHL selection draft, this was going to be a matchup for the history books. It was a back and forth 7 game series, with each team trading wins up until the deciding final game. You would think that the stage is set for Chris Hylands to become a hero for the Marlboros and lift them to a 5th playoff victory over the Jr. Canadiens. However it wasn't meant to be. Early in the 1st period Chris took a very awkward hit in the corner and needed help to get up, the arena was silent as the trainers took Chris off the ice into the dressing room. He had broken his ankle in the final game of his minor hockey career. The Jr. Canadiens won the game easily, by a score of 7-2, and that was the end of an era for a truly great Toronto Marlboros team.

 

     Many people expected this to put a screeching halt to Chris's career, but he was determined to prove everybody wrong. Chris was selected 1st overall in the OHL Priority Selection Draft by the London Knights, and he couldn't have been more excited to play for arguably the top franchise in the entire CHL. The list of players that have gone on to have amazing hockey careers that have played for this organization is filled with incredible talent. Chris knew that one day, he would be considered one of those players, but he had lots of hard work to do if he was going to live up to the potential.

 

     Chris managed to rehab his broken ankle in the off season and was 100% healthy going in to the first year of his Junior career. He was ready to go, and he certainly had a fire lit underneath him to prove that he deserved to be the #1 pick. It ended up being a great season for Chris and the London Knights. Chris put up 59 points in 64 games, nearly producing at a PPG pace. It wasn't an amazing season for him, but it certainly caught the eyes of scouts up in the Pro leagues. London had the opportunity to host the Memorial Cup that year, however, they were not ready to compete at such a high level that year and they were eliminated in the Round Robin after losing all 3 games.

 

     The next season would prove to be a monumental season for Chris. Putting up an incredible 126 points in 63 games, it was clear to see that Chris Hylands was going to be a future star. His early injury that was almost guaranteed to slow him down was a thing of the past, and everybody was on the hype train. The Knights were turning in to a formidable team and they finished 2nd in their division behind the Erie Otters. These teams matched up in the 2nd round of the playoffs, but the Otters were just too strong of a team and managed to sweep the Knights easily. Heartbreak again in the playoffs for Chris.

 

    Now it's his final year playing Junior. Chris has another amazing year, this time putting up 116 points in 57 games. The Knights cruised to a 1st place finish in the conference, ahead of their rivals the Erie Otters. Once the playoffs started, there was something different about the Knights this time around. They were hungry, and determined. The whole team knew they were good enough to be considered an all time great team and now was the time to prove it. The first round proved to be their toughest challenge, a matchup against Owen Sound, but they came out on top 4-2. What happened next, was unbelievable. London managed to sweep the 2nd round over Kitchener, they then went on to face their opponent from last year, the Erie Otters who had swept them embarrassingly in the 2nd round. The Knights did to the Otters what the Otters had done to them the year before, they swept them, and it was with relative ease as well. This set up a playoff finals matchup between the London Knights and Niagara Ice Dogs. Many people expected a tough battle going both ways, as Niagara was actually on an even more incredible run than London! However, what actually happened surprised everybody. The London Knights managed to pull off a 3rd consecutive series sweep and win the J. Ross Roberston Cup. Chris put up 44 points over 18 games in the playoffs and now had his eyes set on the Memorial Cup. Unlike the first time when the Knights hosted the tournament, they were now ready to compete with the best of the best.

 

     The tournament started and the Knights were firing on all cylinders. Scoring 20 goals in only 3 games the Knights were comfortably on top of the standings and earned themselves a bye to the final. All they had to do was win one final game to cement their place in not only London Knights history, but junior hockey history in general. The game was actually very close (maybe some complacency on behalf of the Knights came in to play here) and needed Overtime to determine the winner. With 12:11 left to play in the game, Chris carried the puck over the blue line and threw a quick wrister through a screen and managed to beat the goaltender through the 5-hole. Chris was on top of the world. The Knights had won the Memorial Cup, and Chris put up a whopping 14 points in just 4 games. This was the perfect end to his junior career, and one that made him completely forget about how his minors career had ended.

 

 

 

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