Stacked Plymouth squad not flying under radar
By Matt Mackinder –
Before the season even started, so-called Ontario Hockey League experts pegged the Plymouth Whalers as the team to beat in the Western Conference.
And with two NHL-drafted goalies, three forwards drafted in the first round by NHL clubs and every defensemen returning, how could anyone argue?
Plymouth coach and GM Mike Vellucci took the nonchalant approach when talking about his expectations this season.
“We’re obviously very excited and feel we have a pretty good team,” Vellucci said. “I think we have good balance and we’ll need that in the tough Western Conference. It’s always a tight conference and I think it will be that way again this year.”
Fourth-year Whaler Beau Schmitz leads the defense and is in his second season serving as captain. Schmitz is one of three overage (20-year-old) players on the roster along with forward R.J. Mahalak and Andy Bathgate, acquired from Belleville in August.
“Coming into this season, I want to play a bigger role with bigger responsibilities,” said Schmitz, a Howell native. “A lot of guys here want to work hard and we definitely have a lot of skill. It all comes down to who wants to win at the end of the day.”
Last season, Plymouth upset Kitchener in the first round of the playoffs and then lost to eventual OHL champion Owen Sound in the second round. Schmitz thinks last spring will benefit the Whalers this year.
“That was a tough Owen Sound series and we played as well as we did with a young team,” explained Schmitz. “That experience will help us out in the long run.”
Stefan Noesen, Rickard Rakell and J.T. Miller were all taken in the first round of the NHL draft in June, while Scott Wedgewood and Matt Mahalak are a solid 1-2 combo between the pipes.
Miller played the past two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor after being a Whalers draft pick in 2009. His arrival could pay immediate dividends for Plymouth.
“J.T. is the hardest worker I’ve ever seen and wants to win every battle,” Schmitz said. “He always wants to score, even if it’s in practice. He’s that kid that always wants to win.”
Vellucci agreed with his captain’s assessment and said with a lineup on paper that looks as good as any in the OHL, he knows his squad is targeted this season.
“We usually fly under the radar,” Vellucci said. “Last year in the playoffs against Kitchener, we were the underdog and we won. We can be at the top of any list, but the games are what matter and it’s my job to keep these guys focused.”
Bathgate, the grandson of the NHL Hall-of-Famer of the same name, was brought in for leadership and scoring. He scored in his first game with the Whalers and has been an alternate captain as well.
Vellucci likes all three of his over-agers and said each brings unique qualities to the team.
“Bathgate’s a good kid, works hard and will fit with our system here,” Vellucci said. “R.J. is the guts of our team and will do anything for us. Beau is one of the best defensemen in the league and certainly one of the most under-appreciated.”
Gone from last year are forwards Robbie Czarnik, Tyler Brown, Jamie Devane and James Livingston and defenseman Max Iafrate, with the latter going to Kitchener over the summer after being Plymouth’s top pick in the 2010 OHL draft.
Newcomers Mitchell Dempsey, the Whalers’ first-rounder this past May, Matt Mistele and Danny Vanderwiel should help fill some of the voids.
Still, when all is said and done, Vellucci said experts will say what they want, but he doesn’t put much stock into predictions.
“Last year when we lost Tyler Seguin to the NHL, everyone thought we wouldn’t score any goals,” said Vellucci. “Then Noesen scored 34 and we had a good run in the playoffs. Noesen is a kid that I give all the credit in the world to. Not only did he mature physically over the past year, but he matured mentally, too.”
With four games in the books, the grind has begun for the Whalers. How it finishes is anyone’s guess, but if the Whalers are there at the end, the experts can say they knew they would be.