As the Pieces Start Falling into PlaceSo, let's see. At this time last year Kamloops was mired in last place in their division. The talent was there but the cohesion hadn't quite started.
Fast forward to late October. The Storm are in first place and starting to dominate their division. The way that they have played lately they could be really scary by Christmas. All the pieces are starting to come together.
Consider the following:
1) This team has speed to burn, probably as much as any team that I have seen over the last 3 seasons of watching the KIJHL. Players like Reyes, Mann, Menton, Cech, Kirkham, Jackson and Hanes could be the fastest guy on any other team.
2) The addition of Josh Caron and Shea Naka to an already solid defensive crew gets my vote as the most talented in the league. Their transition game (D to D - out of the zone) is the best it has been in the last 3 years. A little more care in their quiet-zones give-aways will ultimately lead to more offensive breakouts where the team has speed to burn (see #1).
3) Goaltending is solid. Until Manfredi showed up in either of the previous years, the team struggled for a #1 goaltender. No problem this year. He's been here since the beginning of the season. And back-up Christian Pedersen has proven to be a solid in his appearances, especially at home.
4) Head coach Ed Paterson and Co-Coach Steve Passmore are back for a 2nd year. They gained the confidence of the boys last year and with continuity the team has developed much faster than than previous years.
5) The team hasn't even fielded a full healthy line-up yet.
6) The penalty killing efforts of Kirkham, Mann, Hanes, Menton, Long, and Jackson make Kamloops a scoring threat on almost every short-handed effort.
7) Team leadership is solid. Captain David Gore along with group of solid vets like Reyes, Ludvig, Mann, Goode, Kirkham and Galbraith are leading by example. The younger guys have fine examples to rise up to.
The current version of the Kamloops Storm could be the best so far... but not yet. There's a little thing called consistency. And another called focus. With a tournament called the playoffs. Only time will tell if this group of hockey brothers can keep on improving to take the final step in a league and provincial championship.
The Storm host the Nelson Maple Leafs (1st Place in the Neil Murdoch Division) for an epic battle of division leaders. Let's hope that the game is as good on the ice as it is on paper.
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ps... good to see Tory Caldwell doing so well with Fernie. He deserved his shot as a starter and he is making the most of it.
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