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Tipped Off
04-14-2005, 09:53 AM
The Everett Silvertips finished their 2nd season in the Western Hockey League on a tough note by falling to the Kootenay Ice in the 2nd Round of the 2005 WHL Playoffs but the future is definitely bright for the Silvertips in years to come. In the 2004-2005 campaign the Silvertips finished the regular season with 33 victories and a berth into the WHL Playoffs for the 2nd straight season in their 2nd year in the WHL. The hard working Silvertips would win an exciting first round series against their arch U.S. Division rivals, Portland Winter Hawks in seven games and played a very competitive series against the Kootenay Ice in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

A SALUTE TO THE FANS
A total of 255,441 fans flocked to the Everett Events Center in the 2004-2005 season to watch the excitement of Silvertips hockey. Overall the Silvertips averaged over 6,200 fans in 36 regular season home games and 5 home playoff games. The Everett Silvertips Hockey Club would like to say a big Thank You to the fans for making the Everett Events Center the loudest and the most special atmosphere in the Western Hockey League.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Silvertips finished the regular season with 20 home wins at the Everett Events Center. Last season the Silvertips picked up 19 victories on home ice.

REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Alex Leavitt finished the season as the top scorer for the Silvertips with 16 goals and 46 assists for 62 points. Leavitt also led the hockey club with 46 assists which ranked him 10th in the WHL. Torrie Wheat finished the season leading the Silvertips with 25 goals and ended the season tied for 8th in the WHL with 14 power play goals. Wheat also finished 2nd on the team in scoring with 57 points. Defenseman Shaun Heshka led all Silvertips defensemen in scoring with 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points. Rookie forward Zach Hamill (8 goals, 25 assists) ended his season 4th on the hockey club in scoring with 33 points. Hamill also finished 8th in WHL Rookie scoring and finished first in the league as the top 16 year old scorer. Forwards Brady Calla and Tyler Dietrich led the Silvertips with a +6 rating. In goal the Silvertips were led by Michael Wall and Leland Irving. Wall finished the season 5th in the WHL in Goals Against (1.92), 3rd in Save Percentage (.931), 2nd in Shutouts (10) and 8th in Wins (24). Rookie netminder Leland Irving finished his rookie season with solid numbers. Irving posted a 9-8-1 record with a 1.80 Goals Against Average and a .930 Save Percentage.

REGULAR SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS
The Silvertips finished the regular season 9th in the WHL on the power play (69 for 383, 18.0%) and 1st on the penalty kill in all of the CHL (245 for 276, 88.8%).

PLAYOFF SCORING LEADERS
Alex Leavitt led the Silvertips in playoff scoring with 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists). Leavitt also led the hockey club in goals (6) and assists (5). Mark Kress finished 2nd on the team in playoff scoring with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists). Rookie forward Zach Hamill finished 3rd on the team in playoff scoring with 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists). Defenseman Ivan Baranka led all Silvertips defensemen in scoring with 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in the post season. Defenseman Randy King led the Silvertips in the plus/minus category in the post season with a +3.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
The Everett Silvertips played the most 16 year olds in the WHL this season. Overall eight players from the 2003 Silvertips bantam draft class made major contributions this season. Zach Hamill (1st Round/3rd Overall) played in 57 regular season games and all 11 playoff games this season. Hamill finished 8th in the WHL in rookie scoring and was the top 16 year old scorer in the league this year. The Port Coquitlam, B.C. native also was named the Silvertips Rookie of the Year. Defenseman Taylor Ellington (3rd Round/41st Overall) played in 47 regular season games and 8 playoff games this season. The 6-1, 195 pound defenseman was named the Silvertips Most Improved Player at the end of the regular season. Brady Calla (4th Round/61st Overall) played in 68 regular season games and 11 playoff games. The Kelowna, B.C. native finished the season with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists). Goaltender Leland Irving (5th Round/81st Overall) was very solid between the pipes his rookie season playing in 23 games. Irving finished with a 1.81 Goals Against Average and a .931 Save Percentage. Graham Potuer (9th Round/161st Overall) played in 29 regular season games and 5 playoff games this season. The Red Deer, Alberta native finished with a goal and an assist in his first season on defense. Zach Sim (10th Round/181st Overall) started the season with Everett in January and played in 28 regular season games and 10 playoff games. Sim finished with 3 goals in his rookie season. Arborg, Manitoba native Brennan Zasitko (11th Round/201st Overall) played in 28 regular season games and 7 playoff contests. Zasitko picked up 3 assists during the regular season. Jonathan Harty (12th Round/221st Overall) played in 58 games during the regular season and all 11 playoff games. Harty finished his rookie year with 11 points (2 goals and 9 assists) as a defenseman and forward. In total the Silvertips 16 year olds played a combined 338 games in the regular season and 63 playoff contests.

A FOND FAREWELL TO LOVE, LEAVITT AND DIETRICH
The Everett Silvertips will say goodbye to Silvertips captain Mitch Love and forwards Alex Leavitt and Tyler Dietrich as they move on to the next level in their careers. Love played over 300 games in his successful WHL career and tallied a total of 99 regular season points and 11 points in the playoffs. Tyler Dietrich played a total of 72 games for the Silvertips in his 2 years with the hockey club. In those 2 seasons Dietrich tallied a total of 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) with the Silvertips and 78 points overall in his WHL career. The Silvertips acquired Alex Leavitt in a trade with the Swift Current Broncos in early November of 2004. Leavitt finished the regular season with 48 points as a Silvertip and led the Silvertips in playoff scoring with 6 goals and 5 assists in 11 games. The Edmonton, Alberta native finished with 43 goals and 87 assists in 135 regular season games in his short but successful WHL career.

FINAL SILVERTIPS HOCKEY SHOW MONDAY NIGHT
Join Keith Gerhart and Dave Sheldon for the final Everett Silvertips Hockey Show for the 2004-2005 season on Monday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. on North Sound 1380 ESPN Radio. Keith and Dave will recap the season and look ahead to next year as the Silvertips embark in season three in 2005-2006.