Historically, the Great North Midget League (GNML) playoffs have not been home to ongoing, drawn-out drama.
Sure, there have been some outstanding first-round matchups, complete with a sprinkling of overtime games. And yes, there has been a mixing of championship series to remember, with teams fighting tooth and nail for the right to represent the north.
But more often than not, each and every year, ardent fans of the league could likely narrow down their possible NOHA champions to one or two teams, at the most.
Not in 2012. Not by a long shot.
As post-season play opened on four fronts last weekend, it would be absolutely fair to say that GNML prognosticators have identified a quartet of teams fully capable of ascending to the throne this year. And for very good reason.
A quick scan of the league website provides ample statistical evidence to support the common-sense conclusion that has been drawn by the masses. Only 11 points separated the top four teams in the league this year, with the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves and Soo North Stars finishing deadlocked with 57 points apiece.
In contrast, just last year, the gap between first and second place was even greater than this, with the Nickel City Sons pulling in a full 15 points ahead of the mighty North Stars.
Surveying the online stats that have been maintained since the 2005-06 season, only once have the top four been separated by less than 20 points, and that in 2009-2010 when the margin dropped only slightly to 19 points.
The 57-point total that Sudbury recorded in capturing the regular season title represents the lowest championship winning point total on record.
All signs point to Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Nickel City and the Kapuskasing Flyers cruising through their quarter-final affairs. All four front-runners completed a sweep at home over the weekend, earning 2-0 series leads and needing just one more victory apiece to move along to the semifinals.
Beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess. As much as the Nickel Capital Wolves have allowed teams well below them in the standings to remain in games, they have displayed an uncanny ability to win the close ones against the upper echelon of the GNML.
Coach Peter Michelutti Jr. and company have been involved in no less than 10 games decided by a single goal this year, winning eight of them. There is not likely another team in the league that can boast the balance of scoring that Sudbury has at its disposal.
The Wolves feature 11 skaters who scored eight or more goals this year, exactly the same total as Sault Ste. Marie, despite Sudbury potting 64 fewer markers, in total, than their Lock City rivals.
The “spread the wealth” approach that sees Sudbury led by the likes of Michael Laidley (22G), Brandon Jones (19), Charlie Venedam (19), Josh Moore (16), Connor Burgess (15) and Steven Green (15) will likely be put to the test against a high-octane Soo offense that features three 30-goal scorers in Michael Amadio, Ryan Vendramin and Anthony Stefano.
As for the defending champs, the key will be at the other end of the rink. No GNML goalie has arguably stolen as many games this year as Nickel City netminder Joel Horodziejczyk. As one of the Sons management team told me, “he flat out gives us a chance to win each and every game that he’s in net.”
Add in the emotional motivation of coaches Joel Whissell and Jason Young and the fact that the Sons seem to relish the opportunity to knock off their cross-town rivals and the fact remains that no one is ruling out the possibility of a repeat performance in Chelmsford.
While Nickel City ranks fourth amongst the grouping in goals scored, the Sons have already shown a willingness to tap into the offensive spring that lies within their affiliated players to add some fuel to the fire.
Complemented nicely with the veteran presence of Alex Bottigoni, Brandon Bazinet, Malcolm Bilton, Giovanni Foschia, Jimmy Roy and Christopher Rossi, the newcomers could make the Sons that much tougher a foe in two weeks time.
Throw in a Kapuskasing Flyers’ team that will host home games in, by all accounts, the toughest venue in the league to visit as an opposing team, and things become even more interesting.
Oftentimes a league doormat, Kapuskasing opened a number of eyes one year ago, upsetting the Soo North Stars en route to an appearance in the league final, eventually falling to the Nickel City Sons.
Ironically, the Flyers may have benefitted most from their southernmost counterparts as the likes of Olivier Chabot and Cameron and Braden Etherington all cut their teeth finding top end competition playing for Sudbury-based teams one year ago.
Returning home, the trio have combined with sniper Marc Dubé, Brennan Nesrallah and Joel Drolet in allowing the Flyers to win 25 of their 34 games this year.
Prediction time: Since I have never shied away from being willing to put it all on the line, I will suggest that the Nickel Capital Wolves will, in the end, duplicate their regular season success, taking down the Soo North Stars in five hard-fought games to capture the playoff crown.
Randy Pascal is the founder of SudburySports.com and a contributing sports editor for Northern Life.
Posted by Laurel Myers
