fightstrap50
12-19-2005, 01:05 PM
I know its a little old but some of us may not have readt it yet so here ya go
WHL This Week-News Edition
WHL THIS WEEK - News Edition
CRACKNELL AND ICE KEEP ROLLING DESPITE MANY CHANGES - Just over a third of the way through the 2005-06 Western Hockey League season and the Kootenay Ice find themselves in familiar territory - atop the B.C. Division and first in the league standings.
Not bad for a team picked by many pundits to finish anywhere from the middle of the pack to the bottom end of the Western Conference standings at the season's outset. Yet, not surprising considering the team was also picked to struggle last season, but instead, brought home the franchise's first Scotty Munro Trophy as regular-season champs.
One person who is not the least bit surprised by the team's early-season success is 20-year-old veteran forward Adam Cracknell.
The Victoria, B.C. native, in his fourth season with the Ice, has been a key cog for the team and currently shares the team lead with 16 goals. He has also taken on a crucial leadership role as the team's new captain.
"It's different," said Cracknell regarding wearing a 'C' on his jersey. "I've never been a captain of a team before. But, I have been here for four years and I know what it takes to win.
"As captain, I just have to go out and play my game, bring a physical element and try to keep the team going...hopefully other guys follow along," he said.
So far, the Ice have followed Cracknell's lead, becoming one of the most dominant teams in the league. And they've done it despite the departures of key players from last season such a former captain and 50-goal man Nigel Dawes, rugged rearguard James Cherewyk, and All-Star netminder Jeff Glass.
Cracknell says the team has managed to continue its dominance because other players, both veterans and rookies, have stepped in and picked up the slack.
"We have a lot of depth on our team this season," said Cracknell. "It is hard when you lose guys like Dawes and Glass because those are hard roles to fill, but we've got lots of guys who contribute in other ways to help us win.
"If everyone keeps looking after their own role, we'll have a really good squad that can keep going...maybe even farther than last year," said the Calgary Flames prospect.
There are plenty of good examples illustrating how the Ice have managed to fill the holes left by their departed stars. For instance, increased offense from guys like Ryan Russell, Ben Maxwell and Steven DaSilva has dramatically softened the blow of losing Dawes. Meanwhile, a pre-season injury to Jeff Glass' heir apparent Taylor Dakers could have been devastating to the team, but 16-year-old rookie goaltender Kris Lazaruk stepped in and performed admirably.
The Ice have also benefited from the strong play of many of their other new faces, which has Cracknell believing the future of the club is in good hands.
"Lazaruk obviously has performed well when we've needed him, (rookie defenceman) John Negrin has been playing really well lately, especially with the departure of (recently-traded) Josh Fauth," said Cracknell, also noting the strong contributions of other freshmen like Dustin Sylvester, Trent Fussi, Wayne Bass and Andrew Bailey.
"Those are the guys to look out for in the future, and they'll be making a good impact to the team over the next few years," he said.
While the Ice may be sitting pretty right now, Cracknell knows circumstances can change quickly - especially considering Kootenay plays in the B.C. Division, which happens to be league's most competitive group.
"I've never seen it this competitive before," said Cracknell. "I think because it's so close, we can't take any nights off because if we lose, we'll start falling behind pretty quick.
"We just have to keep winning and keep doing what we do best, and also hope a couple other teams start dropping some points so we can have a bit of a comfort zone," he said.
So far, the Ice appear to have figured out a formula for success despite an array of changes from last season to this season. If Cracknell and his teammates can stay the course over the season's second half, they will surely have, once again, proven all their detractors wrong.
Jesse Watts
whl.ca
WHL This Week-News Edition
WHL THIS WEEK - News Edition
CRACKNELL AND ICE KEEP ROLLING DESPITE MANY CHANGES - Just over a third of the way through the 2005-06 Western Hockey League season and the Kootenay Ice find themselves in familiar territory - atop the B.C. Division and first in the league standings.
Not bad for a team picked by many pundits to finish anywhere from the middle of the pack to the bottom end of the Western Conference standings at the season's outset. Yet, not surprising considering the team was also picked to struggle last season, but instead, brought home the franchise's first Scotty Munro Trophy as regular-season champs.
One person who is not the least bit surprised by the team's early-season success is 20-year-old veteran forward Adam Cracknell.
The Victoria, B.C. native, in his fourth season with the Ice, has been a key cog for the team and currently shares the team lead with 16 goals. He has also taken on a crucial leadership role as the team's new captain.
"It's different," said Cracknell regarding wearing a 'C' on his jersey. "I've never been a captain of a team before. But, I have been here for four years and I know what it takes to win.
"As captain, I just have to go out and play my game, bring a physical element and try to keep the team going...hopefully other guys follow along," he said.
So far, the Ice have followed Cracknell's lead, becoming one of the most dominant teams in the league. And they've done it despite the departures of key players from last season such a former captain and 50-goal man Nigel Dawes, rugged rearguard James Cherewyk, and All-Star netminder Jeff Glass.
Cracknell says the team has managed to continue its dominance because other players, both veterans and rookies, have stepped in and picked up the slack.
"We have a lot of depth on our team this season," said Cracknell. "It is hard when you lose guys like Dawes and Glass because those are hard roles to fill, but we've got lots of guys who contribute in other ways to help us win.
"If everyone keeps looking after their own role, we'll have a really good squad that can keep going...maybe even farther than last year," said the Calgary Flames prospect.
There are plenty of good examples illustrating how the Ice have managed to fill the holes left by their departed stars. For instance, increased offense from guys like Ryan Russell, Ben Maxwell and Steven DaSilva has dramatically softened the blow of losing Dawes. Meanwhile, a pre-season injury to Jeff Glass' heir apparent Taylor Dakers could have been devastating to the team, but 16-year-old rookie goaltender Kris Lazaruk stepped in and performed admirably.
The Ice have also benefited from the strong play of many of their other new faces, which has Cracknell believing the future of the club is in good hands.
"Lazaruk obviously has performed well when we've needed him, (rookie defenceman) John Negrin has been playing really well lately, especially with the departure of (recently-traded) Josh Fauth," said Cracknell, also noting the strong contributions of other freshmen like Dustin Sylvester, Trent Fussi, Wayne Bass and Andrew Bailey.
"Those are the guys to look out for in the future, and they'll be making a good impact to the team over the next few years," he said.
While the Ice may be sitting pretty right now, Cracknell knows circumstances can change quickly - especially considering Kootenay plays in the B.C. Division, which happens to be league's most competitive group.
"I've never seen it this competitive before," said Cracknell. "I think because it's so close, we can't take any nights off because if we lose, we'll start falling behind pretty quick.
"We just have to keep winning and keep doing what we do best, and also hope a couple other teams start dropping some points so we can have a bit of a comfort zone," he said.
So far, the Ice appear to have figured out a formula for success despite an array of changes from last season to this season. If Cracknell and his teammates can stay the course over the season's second half, they will surely have, once again, proven all their detractors wrong.
Jesse Watts
whl.ca