By Gary Moskalyk
27 GP 21-5-1 Points 43 WPct .796
1st place
GF 110 GA 73 +37
GFPG 4.07 GAPG 2.70 +1.37 goals per game differential
Penalty minutes 23.9 per game
PP% 14.2 PK% 84.9, Shorthanded GF 3, Shorthanded GA 1 Shutouts 4
TOP SCORERS GP G-A-PTS
Ethan Lang (27 GP, 8G-22A-30 PTS), Jeremy Dunmore (22GP, 10G-14A-24 PTS), Jack Cook Defence (20GP, 7G-15A-22 PTS), Carson Gorst (24 GP, 8G-12A-20 PTS), Max Leduc Rookie (25GP, 7G-11A-18 PTS), Ryan Doucette (19 GP, 8G-9A-17 PTS), Euan Morrison Rookie (26 GP, 6G-11A-17 PTS), Anthony Oviedo (23 GP, 9G-6A-15 PTS).
GOALIES GP W-L-T GAA SV% Shutouts, Minutes)
Eric Vanska (19 GP, 15-2-1, 2.67, .918, SO 2, 1,100)
Jack Orchard (10GP, 6-3-0, 2.45, .900, SO 2, 539)
One of the biggest headlines of the year belongs to the Fighting Walleye. Coach of the year for 2021-22 Matt Valley was fired on Nov. 4. New head coach, 2021-22 Bill Salonen Cup winner Geoff Walker (Red Lake), was hired on Nov. 15. GM Kevin McCallum and Asst. Coach Vern Ray served in the interim.
Valley ended his career with a 49-12-2-1 log. The club was looking for a more full-time coach. Walker is signed through 2023-24.
The Walleye haven’t missed a beat. They are 7-0-1 in one-goal games this year continuing a trend from last year.
New addition Kobe Braham will see his first action in January. The former Espanola Paper Kings forward is 5-10, 179-lb. He brings seven goals and 12 assists in 20 games from the NOJHL.
Kam River is injury free to start the second half of the season on January 10 against Fort Frances.
“The last couple weekends we’re finally starting to play the way I want to play,” said Walker, prior to the cancelled Red Lake series. “It’s something you can kind of feel. We’re seeing it in practice and now we’re seeing it in games. I don’t think anyone will practice as hard as we do. It carries us through tough situations like it did last year. This group, credit to them, they’re coming to work every day.”
Josh Pufahl and Josh Morton have stabilized the defence corps,
“Those two 20-year-old defencemen from the SJ (SJHL), Pufahl and Morton, both are really good kids, really good people, and are buying in right away to what we want to do. Big pieces for us moving forward.”
Walker wants the team fully engaged come playoff time, if it isn’t already. They’re on a five-game winning streak and are 9-0-1 in their last 10.
“We want to be hitting our stride come playoff time,” he said. “We want that number one seed. I believe there’s only one bye this year (true). We’re in good position for that for now. We have a lot of games against Dryden. . . They have an identity. I was impressed with their team for sure.”
Red Lake garnered an honourable mention.
“We finally have our roster full. We’re excited to get a look at that, see what that really looks like ahead of the break.”
The power play was at 4 for 62 through five weeks.
“That was the big thing when I came in,” said Walker. “You look at the personnel and we’re at seven per cent on the powerplay. You see the record. Kind of mind boggled at that.
“It’s just a crucial part of the game,” he continued. “Crucial part during a playoff series. You come up with a big power play goal here and there, could be the difference in a game, in a series.”
Penalty kill is a work in progress as well.
“I think our penalty kill’s been really, really good since we installed a new one,” said Walker.
Walker was coaching in Sweden when the call came to be part of the Fighting Walleye.
“Really happy to be here. Really happy with the group,” he said. “Couldn’t be happier with where we’re at. Team morale, guys that we have, just want to be peaking at the right time. What we do moving forward will be geared to that.”