GMHL Wrap Up - September 23, 2014

Week in Review

Twenty-one of the twenty-two GMHL teams have dropped the puck on the 2014-2015 season. Only the expansion Cambridge Bears are left to start this Wednesday.

The league has been split into two uneven divisions with North (10 Teams) and South (12 Teams) based on geographical alignment.

Strong early showings in the Northern Division have come from the Temiscaming Titans, Seguin Huskies and South Muskoka Shield. Temiscaming is leading the North with an impressive 5-0-0 record. Just behind them is the defending regular season champion Seguin Huskies, who sport a 3-1-0 record. The only loss for the Huskies was a defaulted decision to the Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks as a result of a ice malfunction at their home arena (Humphrey Arena). The South Muskoka Shield have showed strong with a record of 2-0-0. Despite a short bench, the South Muskoka squad has showed a high level of skill with a strong goaltender.

In the South, the expansion Tottenham Steam are leading the way with a 5-0-0 record of their own. The Steam are comprised of veteran junior hockey players that are fast and skilled. Second in the South sit the Toronto Attack. The Attack have grown together as a team, with many of their top end players being two and three year veterans. Third place is the Orangeville Americans, who have won their first three games -- each by just one goal. The Americans have a young squad with some high profile prospects. Under Head Coach Tyler Fines, the team has rallied together to have had strong opening to the season.

Alumni Update

- Nikita Jevpalovs (South Muskoka Shield, 2011) has been released from the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers training camp roster. Jevpalovs has been returned to major junior with the QMJHL's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he has spent the last two seasons. Nikita is a '94 born Latvian winger that was the GMHL's rookie of the year in 2011.

-  Darren Archibald (Richmond Hill Rams, 2007) has signed a contract with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. Archibald made his NHL debut last season, dressing for 16 games and scoring his first NHL goal. Archibald holds the honour of the GMHL's first ever goal scorer back in 2006.

- Dustin Jesseau (Bradford Rattlers/Toronto Attack, 2014) has been added to the ECHL's Evansville Iceman training camp roster. Jesseau had a 65 point GMHL season last year between the Bradford Rattlers and Toronto Attack.

'Inside the GMHL' Podcast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vNwLE9_TPY

This weeks episode features host Bob Bernstein interviewing various league personalities. South Muskoka Shield General Manager Frank De Masi, Bradford Rattlers Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier and GMHL President Bob Russell give their perspective about the GMHL.

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