Monday evening, the 2016-17 NOJHL regular season and playoff champion Powassan Voodoos gathered one last time at the Grande Event Centre to break bread, swap stories, and give well wishes before heading home for the summer.
"Special." In exit interviews with players, coaching staff, and management, that same word kept coming up when describing not only the play of the Voodoos this season but the bond that had formed between all involved with the Voodoos.
There were definitely some special statistics, telling of the club's dominance this past season. There were the streaks. From October 12 to January 7, a string of 25 consecutive games, the Voodoos won every time. In the playoffs, after a first-round bye, the Voodoos reeled off 12 consecutive wins to capture the franchise's first Copeland Cup - McNamara Trophy, signifying NOJHL supremacy.
The team ultimately lost in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup semis, a game Head Coach Scott Wray feels his team would have won if the game had been extended by five minutes. "You could see how emotional the guys were when the buzzer went, it made me emotional. That's what hockey's all about, the friendships and the brotherhood," said Wray, reflecting on this group's final game together.
"It was a fun season, but it was disappointing losing down there. You're right there, you're that close, and you lose in the semifinals by a goal. It was a real frustrating game, just one of those things that could have been," said Wray Monday.
With only defenceman Justin Schebel out of junior age eligibility, Wray said he thanked his veteran for his service and wished him well. With only Schebel gone for certain, there are many possibilities for next season.
Wray noted that he and his family have settled down in the area after many years of the nomadic lifestyle of a professional hockey player and looks forward to the next step with the Voodoos, while also reflecting on the season that was. "As a young coach, we were gutted at the end, these kids worked so hard to get to that next level. It started right from game one here.
There were also individual accomplishments and awards.
Powassan's Parker Bowman was named the NOJHL playoff MVP after exploding for 20 points (11 goals and nine assists) in 12 playoff games. The Bracebridge, Ont. native also notched four game-winning goals in the post-season run. Bowman, in his rookie season, was also named the NOJHL's top defensive forward during the regular season.
Andy Baker led the league with 45 goals and the team with 75 points. This was far from a one-man show for Powassan, as the team used a balanced, four-line attack. Baker and Gary Mantz (32-37-69) finished fourth and ninth, respectively in league scoring and were named first team all-stars, while Tyson Gilmour (23-38-61) was 20th.
The defensive unit of captain Eric Nagy, offensive dynamo Dayton Murray, Ryan Bazzana, Cameron Moore, Bo Peltier and Justin Schebel performed admirably. Strong play from the back-end, in conjunction with responsible three-zone play from the forwards, were key factors in the success of the team. Nagy, Murray and Peltier all saw action with the OHL Battalion this season, as did forwards Baker and Brett Hahkala.
Murray, an Alberta native who will be returning to the team next season, had a stellar offensive showing in 2016-17 while rounding out his game defensively under the coaching staff's guidance throughout the season. Known around the league for his powerful point shot, teams started to play Murray to shoot more and more as the season went on, forcing the defenceman to develop other aspects of his game. Murray finished with an impressive 16 goals and 48 points, leading all NOJHL defencemen in goals and finishing second in points.
"I expect it to be harder for us next season. We definitely had a great season as a young team. With the number of guys coming back though, we will still have a great team next year for sure," said Murray.
Murray, who was named an all-star at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup, said that he would take a few weeks off to visit with family and friends before getting back to the gym, and eventually, the ice in preparation for next season. Murray is also expecting to take on a bigger leadership role. "For sure, with some of the guys leaving, I definitely will step up as a veteran player, as an overage player."
General Manager Chris Dawson and Trainer J.J. Johnson were also named first team NOJHL for their roles. Wray was a second-team selection, as first-team honours went to Blind River Beavers coach Kyle Brick, whose team improved by 22 wins and 44 points over their 2015-16 showing. The Voodoos swept the Beavers in the NOJHL finals.
Goaltender Nate McDonald, a North Bay native and the NOJHL's most valuable player, is the first to acknowledge that the individual accolades came as a result of not only team excellence but team cohesiveness. McDonald also claimed the Wayne Chase Memorial Award for lowest goals against average (2.16) and he and Andrew Suriano were awarded the team goaltending award for fewest goals against (121). McDonald has also been named a finalist for CJHL goaltender of the year.
McDonald, who had committed to Niagara University to play next season, says that after a restructuring of the program, he is actively exploring other options to play NCAA Division I hockey. The possibility remains that the reigning MVP could suit up for the Voodoos once more.
On his experience at the recent Dudley-Hewitt Cup, McDonald said, "It was a great experience getting to play against the top teams in Ontario, us being one of them. It was really special with the group of guys that we have.
"Everybody knew going in that we were going to be the youngest team, but we played like that all year. It was really special to be able to share that with the group of guys in the room and to show that our league could compete with the leagues in southern Ontario."
Another common message among the group assembled Monday was the gratitude expressed to the faithful fans in Powassan, who have opened their hearts and their homes to the Voodoos organization.
Said Wray, "We want everybody to get bigger and stronger and quicker. They got a taste now. I was driving here tonight, already thinking about playoffs next year. We went through the playoffs like it was nothing, maybe that's part of it, but we got down there [to Dudley-Hewitt] and lost the first game, and we were like, oh boy.
"I don't think next year, the year after that, playoffs will be that easy for us as it was last year. Not to discredit any team we played, but to win 12 straight in the playoffs is unheard of. Last year, we had a great team and lost in six. With the guys returning, we want everybody back. We've got good quality kids in that room, and kids that are top players in this league."
