1st CHL Team to Win 2 Div. Titles in 1st 3 years!

[Tipped Off]

Tips win 4-1 in PG, Seattle loses 3-2 to Kelowna. Tips win U.S. Division.

[Number_4]

thats not too bad... congrats. Good luck in the playoffs

[Big Daddy]

Congrats! Nice job by Constantine and the guys. I've always had a blast when at your rink with all the energy circling around.

[CHtoo]

Check out the WHL history and in particular Flin Flon.

However still quite impressive.

[Beaner]

Nicely done, great job by the team and the management staff.

Enjoy the playoffs.

[Tipped Off]

FF was an established team already in existence.

[N.W. Bruin]

FF was an established team already in existence.


They did have the advantage of a few of their Junior A players coming into the Major Junior A level as well as their organization intact. Manager and coach that is. Also only joining a league that had started up one year earlier with teams in the same position as they entered but the better players were already in the league more or less. Bombers did it with younger guys who had played with them in the SJHL or other guys who came on board. Bobby Clarke had been 17 and Reggie Leach had been 16 in the Bombers' last Junior A season before they rejoined the higher league made up of former Alberta and Saskatchewan Junior A teams. And the Bombers finished first overall in the league in their first three seasons at the Major Junior level.

Everett accomplishments are excellent but the Flin Flon Bombers were added as an expansion team as the league expanded to include them.

[Tipped Off]

Silvertips Are 2005-06 US Division Champs
Everett Skates Away From Prince George 4-1
Everett Silvertips Press Release



John Lammers scored a hat trick
Prince George, BC - With tonight's 4-1 win over the Cougars at the CN Centre in Prince George, BC the Everett Silvertips clinch the top spot in the US Division and become the US Division Champions for the second time in three years. The Silvertips are alone in this feat as no other CHL team has ever won their division twice in the first three years of existence.

Shane Harper and John Lammers were responsible for the Silvertips' scoring during the game. Harper, earning his sixth goal on the year, pushed Everett out to a quick 1-0 lead at 9:09 of the first period after he snuck one by Scott Bowles, the Cougars' goalie.

John Lammers earned yet another hat trick, earning goal numbers 36, 37 and 38. His first came 39 seconds after Harper's tally. Jason Fransoo, beating his man at the left point, fired the puck down to the goal line where Lammers waited uncovered. At 3:38 of the second period Lammers avoided two defensemen on the way to the net then waited for Bowles to move before he fired the puck into a gaping hole. Then at 17:28 he struck again earning his third hat trick of the season. All of his hat tricks have been on the road and all have been against BC Division teams. This is the Silvertips' 10th team hat trick with five of them being natural.

His linemates Zach Hamill and Brady Calla did some work tonight with Hamill earning three assists and Calla earning two. Also contributing helpers during the game were Taylor Ellington and Jason Fransoo with one a piece.

Prince George did tally one lone goal midway through the final period. Fred Wikner received the tally with assists from Levi Brotnov and Curtis Cooper.

Leland Irving was outstanding between the pipes tonight and turned away 26 of 27 shots. His record jumps to 36-20-1-3. Scott Bowles, the Cougars' netminder, made 21 saves on 25 shots and falls to 25-15-1-2. On the power play both teams had five conversion opportunities but neither team succeeded. Prince George out shot Everett 27-25.

The Silvertips currently have 83 points and a 39-23-2-3 record, riding out the rest of the regular season as the US Division Champions. Prince George, fourth in the BC Division, has 73 points and a 34-28-1-4 record. This was the third meeting of four and Everett has won all three games. The final match up between these two franchises will be tomorrow night, Saturday March 11, at the CN Centre in Prince George, BC. The puck drops at 7:30pm.

Silvertips Box Scores

John Lammers (36, 37, 38) 3 G (3rd Hat Trick of season)
Shane Harper (6) 1 G
Zach Hamill 3 A
Brady Calla 2 A
Taylor Ellington 1 A
Jason Fransoo 1 A
Leland Irving (36-20-1-3): 26/27 saves
Shots on Goal: Everett 25, Prince George 27
Power Play: Everett 0/5, Prince George 0/5
Attendance: 3,027

3 Stars of the Game

1. John Lammers (EVT)
2. Brady Calla (EVT)
3. Jason Fransoo (EVT)

[Tipped Off]

Everett clinches U.S. title


Herald staff



PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - For the second time in their three seasons, the Everett Silvertips are the WHL's U.S. Division champions.

John Lammers scored a hat trick, and the Silvertips clinched the division title with a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars on Friday night.

The victory, coupled with Seattle's 3-2 loss at Kelowna, secured the division crown for Everett (39-23-2-3). The Tips also won the division title in their inaugural season in 2003-04.

Shane Harper also scored and Leland Irving made 26 saves in goal for Everett, which controlled the game throughout.

The game's highlight reel clearly belonged to Lammers, who scored three consecutive goals to give Everett a 4-0 lead in the second period. His hat trick was his third of the season, Everett's fourth in its last five games, and the team's 10th of the season.

Fred Wikner scored a late consolation goal and Scott Bowles made 21 stops in goal for Prince George (34-28-1-4). The teams face off again tonight.

The Tips now wait to see who their first-round playoff opponent will be. Tri-City beat Portland 3-2 in a shootout Friday, meaning the Winter Hawks now lead the Americans by just one point for third. Everett will face the fourth-place finisher.

Everett came into the game in strong position to earn the division title, leading second-place Seattle by 12 points with six games remaining. However, the Tips have traditionally struggled at Prince George, hindered by the 11-hour bus drive.

But Everett's strategy of arriving a day early in Prince George paid off as the Tips had their best-ever effort at CN Centre.

Everett came out flying and took control with two goals in a 39-second span midway through the first period. First, at 9 minutes, 9 seconds, Harper redirected a shot from the point by Taylor Ellington past Bowles, giving the Tips the lead. Then at 9:48, Jason Fransoo eluded a Cougar at the blue line, skated deep into the zone and sent a pass across the crease for Lammers to tip in at the far post, making it 2-0.

Lammers completed his hat trick with goals at the beginning and end of the second period. At 3:38, Brady Calla won the puck along the boards and sent a pass to Lammers, who raced between two defensemen and beat Bowles. Then at 17:28, the Tips broke three-on-two, with passes from Zach Hamill and Calla opening up the goal for Lammers to score.

The Cougars earned consolation with 9:16 remaining, Wikner getting a shot past Irving.

Everett welcomed a pair of injury casualties back to the lineup Friday. Center Peter Mueller had missed the previous game with a bruised foot and defenseman Jonathan Harty returned after missing four games with a sore back.

Silvertips 4, Cougars 1

Everett 2 2 0-4

Prince George 0 0 1-1

First Period-1, Everett, Harper 6 (Ellington, Dailey), 9:09. 2, Everett, Lammers 36 (Fransoo, Hamill), 9:48. Penalties-Hunter, Prince George (roughing), 16:53; Zimmer, Prince George (slashing), 19:46; Prince George bench (unsportsmanlike conduct, served by Meaver), 19:46.

Second Period-3, Everett, Lammers 37 (Calla), 3:38. 4, Everett, Lammers 38 (Calla, Hamill), 17:28. Penalties-Ellington, Everett (holding), 4:22; Wishart, Prince George (tripping), 4:32; Gendur, Prince George (goaltender interference), 8:41; Lammers, Everett (tripping), 9:02; Potuer, Everett (hooking), 10:08.

Third Period-5, Prince George, Wikner 9 (Brotnov, Cooper), 10:44. Penalties-Fiala, Everett (tripping), 4:30; Featherstone, Prince George (high sticking), 15:25; Fiala, Everett (kneeing), 19:37; Hunter, Prince George (10-minute misconduct), 19:58.

Shots on goal-Everett 9-11-5-25. Prince George 6-14-7-27. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 6. Prince George 0 of 5.

Goalies-Everett, Irving 36-20-1-3 (27 shots, 26 saves). Prince George, Bowles 25-15-1-2 (25 shots, 21 saves).

[Tipped Off]

Copied from the Tips board:http://www.network54.com/Forum/285837/message/1142117921/Never+meant+to+discredit+the+team


....
1. What the Silvertips have accomplished is pretty amazing.

2. The CHL wasn't officially formed until the late 70s but is only a umbrella group name so the Bombers did their thing before it came about. (The three major junior leagues got together figuring more power to them in dealing with the NHL as one not three separate parties).

3. Bombers did have a junior A team in the prior season to them joining the WCHL so basically you are right as had some players make the jump to major junior from the Junior A team and they had a organization in place but the Tips' organization was also together for a year in advance. Same situation that happened with the Bombers could be said for most expansion teams - Red Deer (Rustlers' management and coach plus a couple players) and Prince Albert (Raiders).

4. The official CHL record book (on their website) has so many errors in it with so many missed entries.

[Tipped Off]

Named Tombstone81.....he left this message on the Tips board: http://www.network54.com/Forum/285837/message/1142117898/Congratulations+on+a+great+game+%26amp%3B+great+se ason...

Congratulations on a great game & great season...
March 11 2006 at 2:58 PM
tombstone81 (Login tombstone81)


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Last night was the first chance I have had to see the 'Tips in action and was incredibly impressed. Focused, disciplined, fast, talented, omnipresent...those were a few of the adjectives that came to mind as I watched your boys completely dismantle the team that I am forced to cheer for by virtue of living in PG and being a season ticket holder.

I have seen our boy Eric Hunter work some amazing solo efforts this season...but unfortunately will remember him most for his hot temper, ridiculous theatrics and stupid penalties more than for the magic his stick can do. What I saw from the 'Tips was an amazing team effort, the prettiest tic-tac-toe passing play for a goal that the CN Centre has had the pleasure of watching this year (unfortunately for the opposition!), and an almost seamless array of line changes, breakout passes and vision on the ice.

The only thing that might salvage a first round upset for my Cougars is the fact they seem to have the Giants' number this season, and that psychological edge might parlay into a playoff victory. However, there is no way this team has the talent or discipline to go much further beyond that. I will be cheering the Silvertips on throughout the playoffs and from what I saw believe that you might have a team that could challenge for the WHL championship if the goaltending is hot.

[nelson951]

Big let down Sat nite.

I predict Kelowna and Giants shellacking of the hungover Tips over the next week then a 1st round upset!