Winning back-to-back Western Canadian championships is hard enough in any sport at any level, but try doing it with a bantam hockey team that saw all but three of its players move on following championship No. 1. That, however, is just what the North Shore Winter Club's bantam Tier 1 Winterhawks have done over the past two seasons. The Hawks claimed their second straight Western Canadian Bantam Championship last weekend in Winnipeg, knocking off Alberta's Rocky Mountain Raiders 6-0 in Sunday's final. The same two teams met in round robin play with the Winter Club squeaking out a 3-2 win, but there was no doubt about it in the final.
"Our group played literally their best game of the season in the final and Alberta wasn't able to keep up," said Cam Paddock, director of hockey operations at the Winter Club. "It was pretty impressive. Everything was clicking. Our guys were, as they say, firing on all cylinders."
Last season the Hawks had a tougher fight in the final, claiming a 4-3 double-overtime win over the Lloydminster Heat. Jack Shephard, Jackson Leppard and Kabir Gill are the only three players who suited up on both squads. With their second win the Winterhawks became only the third team ever to win back-to-back Western Canadian Championships.
"I think people take for granted how easy it is because we've done it back-to-back," said Paddock. "It's incredibly difficult. It's a long year, there are a lot of things that can happen."
The team was led by head coach Jim Dinwoodie with assistants Mitch Pinsky and Kevin Pedersen. Luka Burzan, a Surrey native who was named the tournament's MVP, led the team in scoring with 10 points in five games and was named a first-team all-star forward along with North Vancouver's Leppard. Defenceman Ethan Cap, who moved over from the North Van Minor system this year, earned a spot on the first all-star team as a defenceman while North
Vancouver goaltender Donovan Buskey earned first-team all-star status as well as the tournament's Top Goaltender award.
West Vancouver native Shephard, who served as the team's captain, racked up nine points and was named to the second all-star team.
The win completed a long, grueling season for the team that saw them play nearly 80 games, racking up a 64-6-6 record.
"(It's a) really demanding schedule," said Paddock. "I know Hockey Canada talks about the bantams across the country playing too many games. It's just a tough schedule. You've got to get seen so you've got to play games in the big tournaments but then you have the same number of games in your league schedule. It's a lot of games. It's been like that for a while."
The players also piled up hours of practice time as well as extensive off-ice training, said Paddock. "They're ultra- dedicated. That's why I was so happy they won. I know the group of kids and how much they put into it, and how much the coaches put into it. And the time and money from the parents - it's nice for everyone to finish on a high. They definitely all earned it."
The Hawks won their league and then finished second in the zone playoffs, losing to the Burnaby Winter Club. The North Shore boys got their revenge at provincials, however, beating Burnaby 6-0 on their way to their third consecutive provincial championship win.
Paddock also lauded the coaches who have led the team all the way despite working other full-time jobs. "The amount of time that they put in is ridiculous," he said. "After
they won provincials the coaches had to go back to their jobs and be like, 'Uh, so, I'm going to Winnipeg in a couple of weeks, I need a couple more days off.'" The final payoff for the team will likely come May 7 during the WHL bantam draft. Last year seven Winterhawks were drafted, including three of the top five picks. Jordy Bellerive went second overall, Nolan Kneen went third and Justin Almeida fifth.
"We could have four or five go in the first round again," said Paddock. "I know this group really looked up to Jordy and Justin. They watched them play for Team BC and saw what they've gone on to do. I think that really helps develop that culture at the Winter Club. The young guys see what that next step is."
