2005-06 Team Looks for Respect

Plymouth Whalers President, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci was succinct in summing up the feelings for the 2005-06 Whalers at the team’s season-ending banquet.

"Working with this team was the most fun I've had in fifteen years of coaching," Vellucci said. "Sometimes in January and February, the season drags on.  But I didn't feel like that this year.

"This year's team got no respect around the league.  Nobody - except John Vigilante - made an all-star team.  We got very little mention on the Coaches' Poll and no consideration for Rookie of the Year.

"But in playing the way our team played this year, they earned everyone's respect."

The Whalers won their ninth division title in their history in 2005-06 with a record of 35-28-1-4, going to the final second of regular season play to defeat the Saginaw Spirit in dramatic fashion, 3-2, in overtime on March 18 for the West Division crown.

Following a heart-stopping seven-game elimination of the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Conference quarterfinals, the Whalers lost in six games to the Guelph Storm in the WC Semi-finals.

Perhaps the end result wasn’t exactly what the Whalers anticipated, but the team’s combination of returning veterans and young players sets up Plymouth for good seasons down the road.

The 2005-06 season started with the usual personnel questions:

THE OVERAGE QUESTION – FOUR AVAILABLE, THREE CAN PLAY.

The Whalers started the season with four overage players - goaltender Ryan Nie, defensemen Mike Looby and Mike Letizia and left wing John Vigilante.   The team’s overage situation changed by the middle of December, though.

GOALTENDING

As the team’s Most Valuable Player and Western Conference all-star in 2004-05, Ryan Nie was clearly Plymouth's number one goaltender going into the season with second-year goaltender Justin Garay as the backup.  In addition, the Whalers brought in 16-year-old Jeremy Smith, Plymouth’s 4th round pick in 2005 and he stuck with the team all season.

RETURNING FORWARDS WORTH WATCHING – Gino Pisellini and Vaclav Meidl 

Ironically, these veteran players went through opposite seasons.

Pisellini suffered through an injury plagued 2004-05, going from 30 points as a rookie in 2003-04 to just 10 in 2004-05, but rebounded nicely in 2005-06 in a penalty-killing and checking role to score 15 goals with 16 assists at 194 PIM’s in 63 games.  There was no questioning his toughness and ability to drop the gloves as well. Pisellini – taken in the 5th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers – was eventually signed by Philadelphia.

Meidl dropped from 42 points as a rookie in 2003-04 to 28 in 2004-05.  His overall inconsistency continued in 2005-06, however, and he was traded to Saginaw at the 2006 OHL Trading Deadline for Joe McCann.

ANDREW FOURNIER REBOUNDS FROM INJURY:

Fournier made an impact in 2005-06, scoring 23 goals with 16 assists for 39 points, but as fans found out, there was more to his game.  Fournier played with an edge - in the face of the opposition, chirping, often playing bigger than his size. Fournier brought ingredients to the rink that every team needs.

OTHER KEY FORWARDS:

Dallas-draft James Neal improved from 6 points in 9 games in 2003-04, to 44 points in 2004-05, to 58 points last season, while saving his best hockey for the 2006 playoff run; Florida-draft Dan Collins, who improved from 22 points as a rookie to 46 points in 2004-05 and then overcame a back injury last January to make an impact with 49 points in just 44 games in 2005-06; John Armstrong went from 19 points as a rookie in 2004-05 to 37 in 2005-06 and was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames.  Another second-year player, Tom Sestito, emerged as one of the most improved players in the OHL to score 10 goals with 10 assists for 20 points and specialized in a penalty killing roll. Sestito was selected in the third round 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

NEW FORWARDS WHO MADE AN IMPACT: At 19, Jared Boll was older than your average OHL rookie in 2005-06. Boll made an immediate impression as a power forward with a scorer’s touch when he contributed 19 goals with 22 assists for 41 points and a team-leading 205 PIM’s in 65 games.  Second round pick Chris Terry showed his ability to score when he added 9 goals with 19 assists for 28 points and turned out to be proficient in the OHL’s new Shootout procedure when he scored three game-winning goals in Whaler Shootout victories.

KEYS ON THE BLUE LINE

Steve Ward continued his improvement to score a career high 47 points while playing in all key situations.   Los Angles-draft Ryan McGinnis was solid and steady in 2005-06 and added 26 points after having 10 points combined in his first two seasons in Plymouth. Zack Shepley and overage Mike Letizia were steady on the blue line in all situations.  Rookies Leo Jenner and Brett Bellemore saw time as well.

The Whalers started the season with a bang, hammering Saginaw, 7-2, at the Dow Event Center on Sept. 21.  Collins – poised for a big season – led the Plymouth attack with three goals and three assists.  Whaler captain John Vigilante added a goal and five assists.

As promised, OHL officials enforced rules governing obstruction, holding and hooking to promote speed and transition all season.  The new rules - at their best - promoted flow and offense.  At their worst, the rules paved the way to a constant parade penalty box.

After losing three games in a row to close out September, Plymouth ran off a six-game winning streak Oct. 7-21 to raise their record to 7-2-1-0.  The Whalers received strong performances in goal from Nie and Garay. 

Garay was particularly sharp in a 3-0 victory in Kitchener on Oct. 21 for his first-ever OHL shutout.

Garay was shaken in the first period but not stirred when the Rangers were at their best offensively, at one point outshooting Plymouth, 7-1, through the first ten minutes. But Garay was steady, making his best stop of the game when he got hammered in the mask by a Jakub Kindl slap shot.  Garay was wobbly for a few minutes before continuing.

"It hit me right between the eyes," Garay told the Kitchener-Waterloo Record.  "My eyes went as big as baseballs.  He got me right in the middle of the face.  It didn't feel too good."

Garay's shutout left him at the time with the best goals against (2.17) and save percentage (.933) in the OHL.

And suddenly, Vellucci had a pleasant problem in goal with Garay and Nie, as both were playing well.

"Justin's playing very well this year," Vellucci said.  "He didn't get a lot of ice time last year, but he's making the most of his ice time this year.  Ryan's an all-star goaltender in this league.   So we've been rotating them both so far this year."

Vellucci was asked if he had a clear number one goaltender.

"No, I think they both have played equally well so far this year," Vellucci said.  "So we go with a hunch sometimes with who we think the hot goaltender is.  And with Justin playing so well, it gives us an opportunity to play another overage (Mike Looby) on defense."

Plymouth finished October at the Compuware Sports Arena with a wild, 6-5 victory over Owen Sound.   The Whalers had a 5-1 lead early in the third period, only to see the Attack roar back with four goals in a span of 3:31 to tie the game.

But Tom Sestito's power play goal at 7:48 of the third period broke the 5-5 tie and the Whalers hung on for the victory.

Nie played well despite giving up five goals while stopping 39 Owen Sound shots.  In all, Owen Sound outshot Plymouth, 44-23.

"The momentum of the game changed quickly," Nie said.  "We were up, 5-1 and they came back with four quick goals, so we had to keep our composure and battle back. We had a rough weekend, but the guys showed a lot of character in coming back to win the game."

Besides Sestito (2nd of the year), Fournier (4th of the year), Neal (5th), Cory Tanaka (penalty shot for his 2nd), Boll (5th) and Pisellini (2nd) all scored single goals for Plymouth.  Chris Terry added three assists for the Whalers.

Plymouth closed out October with a temporary resolution to the team’s crowded overage situation when Vellucci sent Mike Looby to Kingston for a conditional draft choice, leaving Vigilante, Nie and Letizia as the team’s overages.

Armstrong set a Whaler team record in a 7-2 loss in Guelph Nov. 4 when he scored just 8 seconds into the third period for the fastest goal in franchise history at the start of a period, beating Keith Redmond’s mark by a second set on Feb. 15, 1992 in Belleville.

Whaler fans got their first look at the OHL’s new shootout rule in an exciting 3-2 victory over Toronto on Nov. 5.  Chris Terry provided the heroics in the shootout with the game winner.  Terry also scored in shootout victories over London on Nov. 12 and Sault Ste. Marie on Mar. 12 to tie for the league lead in Shootout Winners in 2005-06.

"The three I have scored, I didn't think about what I was going to do before I picked up the puck," Terry said of the shootouts. "I don't have a pre-set move at all. I just go in and try to do the best I can. I think I had a pretty good season, definitely highlighted by the shootout winners.  I was happy with how I finished up in terms of stats.  I'm just looking forward next year to having a bigger role and put up some more points for the team."

Terry was asked what he learned the most about his first year in the OHL.

 "Every game counts," he said. "You can't take a shift off.  You have to go hard every shift or you won't be getting another shift.  Game in and game out, you have to play hard."

Terry fits right in with a number of returning younger players looking to take a bigger role in 2006-07.

The Whalers honored former captain Mike Morrone in a ceremony Nov. 12 against London.  Morrone was the captain of the first Whaler team to play at the Compuware Sports Arena in 1996-97.

Morrone was asked what he remembered about the 1996-97 season.

"I remember the first time I walked into the Compuware Sports Arena," Morrone wrote in an e-mail.  "I couldn't believe we were so lucky to play there.  The arena was beautiful, brand new, professional, the best in the league.  It was quite a change from Oak Park.  We had the perfect arena, great billets and a great community supporting us.  It was really nice to have a place to call home.”

Looking to bolster the team’s scoring, Vellucci acquired veteran center Evan Brophey and defenseman Wes Cunningham from Belleville in exchange for popular second-year center Cory Tanaka and a future second round draft choice on Nov. 22.

"It's tough trading Cory," said Vellucci.  "He is a great hockey player and a quality individual.  In making the trade, we had a chance to acquire two of our needs - a number one center and another experienced defenseman.  You have to give up quality to get quality.”

Although the OHL's Final Trading Deadline wasn’t until January 10, the Whalers didn't want to miss an opportunity in acquiring Belleville's leading scorer - even if it meant trading a popular player, on and off the ice.

Brophey left the Bulls with 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 22 games.  Originally selected by the Barrie Colts in the second round (37th overall) in the 2002 Ontario Hockey League Draft, Brophey was acquired by Belleville in 2004-05. Brophey was taken in the 3rd round (68th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Brophey and Cunningham drove five-and-a-half hours from Belleville to Plymouth the next day and were in the lineup when the Whalers beat Sarnia, 4-3, in overtime.  Brophey played on a forward line with Vigilante and Meidl.

"The team looks great - there's a lot of speed and skill here.  I think we'll be a contender this year," Brophey said after his first game with the Whalers.  "I think with the players here it will boost my game. (Vigilante and Meidl) see the ice real well, they're good playmakers and it seems we have some good chemistry."

Brophey was asked if he was tired after the long drive and was there some adrenalin in joining a new team.

"I had a case of both," Brophey said.  "You see the new guys, so you want to try to perform your best. I tried to do that, but I guess you could say I had a case of the bus legs as the game wore on."

Vellucci wasn’t done making deals, acquiring Derek Merlini from Erie for a conditional draft choice on Dec. 6.  Merlini scored in his Whaler debut in at 6-3 win in Sarnia on Dec. 8.

The victory was Nie’s career 100th game for Plymouth and as it turned out, his last game for the Whalers.

Vellucci made two deals Dec. 9, acquiring defenseman Steve Spade from the Belleville Bulls in exchange for two draft choices – Belleville’s own 4th round draft choice in 2006 and Plymouth’s 4th round pick in 2007. In the second deal, Plymouth acquired 19-year-old goaltender Justin Peters from the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors in exchange for Spade and Nie.

 “Ryan Nie’s been a quality goaltender for us and his statistics speak for themselves,” Vellucci said.  “But with this move, we free up an overage spot and get a quality goaltender in Peters, who could come back to play next season for us.  Being a Carolina Hurricanes draft pick, we’re very familiar with him.”

Nie played in 21 games in 2005-06 for Plymouth, posting a 3.24 goals against average and .915 save percentage.  In 100 games with the Whalers, Nie posted a 2.72 goals against average and .914 save percentage.

As Vellucci said, the trade resolved Plymouth’s overage situation – Merlini, Letizia and Vigilante, who spent two weeks in December with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League after signing as a free agent with the Nashville Predators.

Peters was selected in the third round (59th overall) by Toronto is the 2002 OHL Draft and was Toronto’s number one goaltender for the last two-and-a-half seasons.  Peters came to the Whalers with a 2.92 career goals against average in 154 games played for Toronto.

If Whaler fans weren't sure about Peters, they got an eyeful in his Plymouth debut, a 6-3 victory over Owen Sound on Dec. 10.  Peters stopped 44 of 47 Owen Sound shots, allowing a hat trick to the Attack's Bobby Ryan but shutting everyone else out.

"It was an emotional game, coming in the night before and all the changes that happened over the last 24 hours," Peters said.  "It was exciting and emotional, but it was nice to get the first one out of the way.  I'm looking forward to many more.

"I felt good in my first game here - getting a bunch of shots, getting the feel of the puck and getting some confidence."

Peters asked to be traded from Toronto.

"I really enjoyed my time in Toronto - it was a great organization," Peters said.  "I just felt it was time for a change (so) I did ask for a trade. I'm happy that Plymouth stepped up to the table and I'm here now.  Obviously, with Carolina owning the Whalers, it's a good opportunity for them to see me here and for me to communicate there.  I'm looking forward to the opportunity here."

Plymouth completed the first half of the season in Toronto, winning 4-1 and defeating old friend Nie while the Toronto crowd cheered Peters. Rookies Joe Gaynor and Ondrej Otcenas – along with Neal and Boll - scored for Plymouth as the Whalers headed home for Christmas with a record of 18-11-1-3.

A three-team race for the top of the West Division between Plymouth, Saginaw and Windsor added spice to the second half of the season.  Vellucci made one more deal at the Jan. 10 deadline in picking up Joe McCann from Saginaw for Meidl.  McCann made his Whaler debut in a 4-1 victory over his former team Jan. 11.

The injury bug started to hit Plymouth in late January as Collins hurt his back shooting a puck in practice.  He tried to play Jan. 20 in a 4-2 loss in Guelph, but couldn’t.  Doctors corrected a disc problem and Collins missed the rest of the regular season after scoring 26 goals with 23 assists for 49 points in 44 games.

Plymouth continued to acknowledge alumni from other years when former captain Randy Fitzgerald and Jamie Lalonde were honored Jan. 21 in a 2-1 loss to Windsor.

Plymouth lost a season-high five games in a row Jan. 20-28, but rebounded to break the streak in a 3-2 victory in Kingston on Feb. 3.  Boll scored the game-winner.  After losing in Belleville, 4-1, the next evening, the Whalers won, 4-2, on Super Bowl Sunday on Armstrong’s first-ever OHL hat trick.

A turning point in the season occurred when the Whalers went into London and defeated the high-flying Knights, 3-0, on Feb. 10 before a sellout crowd of 9,090 at the John Labatt Centre.

The Whalers' Chicago Connection did all the scoring in the game. Plymouth got goals from Letizia in the first period and second period goals from Pisellini and Boll.  Plymouth goaltenders Peters and Garay set a franchise record as they became the first-ever Whaler tandem to combine efforts in a single game for a shutout.  Peters stopped 31 shots as the game's second star in 45 minutes of work; Garay finished up with two saves the rest of the way.

Plymouth penalty killers shut down London's league-leading power play (28.9 percent) by going 11-for-11 on the penalty kill - including four separate London two-man advantages.

Early in the second period, Boll started the physical side of the game when he hit London forward Robbie Drummond with a heavy-but-legal check at center ice.  Drummond did not return to the game and Boll was not penalized for the hit.  

Drummond received five stitches and was released from the hospital a couple of hours later.

"I've never been hit that hard before in my life," Drummond told the London Free Press.  "All I remember was reaching for the puck and that it was bouncing a little bit.  I don't remember much after that.  But I got to see the tape of it and none of it was very pretty."

 
Peters was working on a shutout in the third period when fighting started in front of the bench areas at 5:25 of the third period and he was challenged by London goaltender Adam Dennis.  The two went to center ice and fought, with Peters winning decisively.  Both were ejected from the game for leaving their respective creases and fighting.  In all, referee Sean McQuigge handed out 12 fighting majors in the overall incident.

The Whalers won their next game, 3-2, over the Barrie Colts on Feb. 11 at the Compuware Sports Arena, with Peters,  Merlini, Brophey and Pisellini all suspended for two games for their participation in fighting in the London game  They joined injured Whalers Collins, Sestito, McGinnis and Ryan Stephenson on the sidelines.  Plymouth won the game utilizing three forward lines and six defensemen.

The Whalers also lost Vigilante in the Barrie game with a hand injury, after he blocked a shot in the final minute of regulation to preserve the victory.  Vigilante scored his 92nd career goal and recorded his 243rd career point in the Barrie victory.

Plymouth moved into March with a record of 29-25-1-4 needing wins and got them Mar. 3 in a 5-2 victory over Saginaw and a 4-2 win the next night over Windsor at the Compuware Sports Arena. 

With leading scorers Vigilante and Collins out of the lineup with injuries, Plymouth got excellent contributions from their own version of a Grind Line, with Fournier centering Pisellini and Sestito.   The line enjoyed the challenge of being matched up against the opposition’s top scoring line and did very well.

Fournier was the game’s first star in scoring the game-winning goal in the Windsor game. Pisellini was the game’s second star and was also awarded a star in Plymouth’s 5-2 victory the night before against Saginaw.

“We really enjoy going up against the other team’s top line,” Pisellini said.  “We know we can give the team a lift by shutting them down.  We can help some of our other lines, who can concentrate on scoring.

“Tom and I don’t have the best hands in the world, but Fournier has excellent hands.”

In 2004-05, Pisellini and Sestito were rarely part of the Whaler penalty killing effort.  A year later, they were integral parts of a group that ranked near the top of the OHL in penalty killing.

“I’ve worked very hard to improve my skating,” Pisellini said.  “A year ago, I wasn’t given much of a chance to work on the penalty kill.  But Tom and I – and really the whole team – loves to block shots.  We do what we have to (in order) to get the job done.”

Plymouth won four of their last five games to win the West Division.  After beating Sarnia, 4-2, on Mar. 17, the Whalers season came to the final regular season game Mar. 18 against Saginaw.

The Whalers and Spirit battled through 67 Ontario Hockey League regular season games tied with 73 points each.  The teams were tied a 2-2 through sixty minutes with 32 shots apiece during the final game of the regular season.

But Evan Brophey’s tap-in of a rebound at 3:29 of overtime gave Whalers a heart-stopping 3-2 victory over the Saginaw and the Ontario Hockey League West Division crown at the Compuware Sports Arena before a sellout crowd of 3,829

After a scoreless first period, Armstrong scored his 14th goal of the season at 1:57 of the second period and Fournier his 23rd at 15:19 of the period to give Plymouth to a 2-0 lead after forty minutes.  But Saginaw came back in dramatic fashion in the third period, cutting the Plymouth lead to 2-1 on Tim Priamo's fourth goal of the season on a power play at 6:37 and then tying the game with one second left in regulation on Michal Birner's 31st of the year.

That set the stage for Brophey's game-winner, set up by Vigilante, who skated hard into the Saginaw zone and got a shot on the right wing door step of the Saginaw goal.  Spirit netminder Francois Thuot made the save, but allowed a rebound and Brophey tapped in his 19th goal of the season for the Plymouth victory.

"It's one of the biggest goals I've ever scored," Brophey said.  "Just being the situation it was - they tie it up with one second left and we go into overtime.  We just had to dig down deep and get a goal in overtime.  Vig came up the wing and I let him cut across to the middle and he got a good shot off.  Actually, I thought he scored on the rebound, but the goaltender made a good save.  But the goaltender (Thuot) didn't handle the puck right and I put in the rebound."

Plymouth faced Windsor in the Western Conference quarter-finals and after six hard-fought games, the Whalers closed out Windsor, 6-2, on Apr. 4. Vigilante scored two goals and an assist and Terry scored twice to lead the Whalers’ attack.  Neal and Armstrong scored the other Plymouth goals.

Neal scored shorthanded at 2:14 of the first period, his team-leading fifth of the playoffs, when he took Fournier’s pass from the right face-off dot and scored from the left hash mark past Windsor goaltender Anthony Guadagnolo.  Vigilante scored at 7:24 with a shot in tight by Guadagnolo and Terry scored at 18:14 when he was set up by Boll from the right corner and beat Guadagnolo with a low shot from the left hash mark.

Aston got one back for Windsor on a power play at 1:35 of the second period, but Brophey found Armstrong at the left face-off dot, who beat Guadagnolo top-shelf at 9:55 for his third goal of the playoffs.  Terry scored his second of the night and third of the playoffs on a hard shot from the left dot at 14:57.

Plymouth outshot Windsor, 43-24 and if not for the work of Guadagnolo would have scored more than six goals.  Guadagnolo stopped at least five separate breakaways.

The Whalers faced an excellent Guelph team in the WC semi-finals and lost the first three games of the series.  But true to the Whalers’ character, they didn’t quit, winning Game 4 in dramatic comeback fashion, 4-3 in overtime, on Apr. 12 in Guelph.  After missing 33 games. Dan Collins returned to action just in time and ignited the victory, scoring twice in the third period to tie the game and then winning the game at 10:55 of overtime.

Neal scored the other Plymouth goal, his team-leading sixth of the playoffs, while Plymouth captain John Vigilante added three assists.  Guelph received goals from Ryan Callahan (6), Matt D’Agostini (5) and Rafael Rotter (3).

Guelph led 2-0 late in the second period when Neal started the Whaler comeback when he scored in tight quarters in front of the Guelph net, beating Storm goaltender Ryan MacDonald with a backhand shot at 19:05 of the second period.

After Rotter restored Guelph’s two-goal lead at 3-1 at 1:30 of the third period, the Whaler power play went to work to tie the game.  Both of the goals (8:05 and 15:11 respectively) were by Collins, with hard shots from the left wing that found the back of the net.

In overtime, both teams had a chance to win and Collins hit the goal post about five minutes into the extra session.  The teams were skating a 4-on-4 when Plymouth defenseman Wes Cunningham found Collins on the left wing at the Guelph blue line.  Collins skated to the left face-off dot and beat MacDonald with a hard shot for the game winner.

Guelph outshot Plymouth, 42-35, with Whaler goaltender Justin Peters stopping 39-of-42 shots in picking up his fifth victory of the playoffs.

Plymouth won Game 5 of the series, 5-2, on Apr. 14.  Neal continued his excellent play with his first-ever playoff hat trick and Fournier and Brophey added single goals. Guelph closed out the Whalers season the next night with a 4-3 victory.

Mike McLean’s goal with 3:02 remaining in regulation snapped a 3-3 tie and stood as the game-winner

Kelsey Wilson (6th of the playoffs), Rafael Rotter (4) and Ryan Callahan (7) also scored for Guelph.  Sestito, Boll and Armstrong replied for Plymouth.

The game featured no more than a one-goal differential the entire game.  Sestito gave Plymouth a 1-0 lead at 1:34 of the first period when linemates Pisellini and Fournier worked well beneath the Guelph goal line and Fournier found Sestito out in front of the Guelph goal, who made no mistake in guiding the puck past MacDonald.  Guelph tied the game at 1-1 at 3:40 of the period when Wilson scored from the left wing past Peters.

Plymouth took a 2-1 lead at 4:07 of the second period when Boll skated hard down the left wing into the Guelph zone and scored from a severe angle – left wing goal line – on a shot that caromed off MacDonald.  Rotter tied the game on a Guelph power play at 15:05 of the period when he scored in tight by Peters.

Guelph took their first lead of the game at 5:15 of the third period when Callahan took Matt D’Agostini’s pass from the right dot in the Plymouth zone and scored, deflecting the puck past Peters.  But Armstrong came right back for Plymouth to tie the game at 3-3 twenty seconds later when he one-timed Boll’s pass from behind the Guelph net from the right hash mark by MacDonald.

The Whalers appeared to take a 4-3 lead at 6:19 of the third period when Brophey carried the puck over the Guelph line and passed to Neal on the right wing.  Plymouth put the puck in the net on a scramble in front of the Guelph goal, but referees Pat Smola and Ryan Carroll waved the goal off and sent Neal off on a penalty for goaltender interference.

That set the stage for McLean’s game-winner, just two seconds after the Whalers had killed off a two-man Guelph power play, when he scored from the left hash mark.

Plymouth pulled goaltender Peters with 1:08 remaining and called a time-out with 4.9 seconds left and a faceoff in the Guelph zone.  Boll had the last shot on MacDonald, who made the save.

It was a sad ending to the season, but a potential springboard to better things in 2006-07.

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