SEASON FIVE IN THE BOOKS, RECORDS SMASHED, AND NOW IT'S RUSSELL CUP PLAYOFFS!

February 25, 2011

The 2010-11 regular season is now in the books, and as the playoffs begin, it's time to acknowledge the accomplishments of players and teams in this, our fifth anniversary season.

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Congratulations to the Elliot Lake Bobcats, capturing the GMHL Regular Season crown for the second straight season.  Along the way, the team established some new league marks and tied some others that venture back throughout the previous four years of the league.

The 'Cats tied South Muskoka's mark for wins with 38 set in 08-09, tied Bradford's mark of 78 points set in the GMHL's inaugural season in 06-07, and set a new record for goals scored in a season with 320, surpassing the mark of 314 set by the Rattlers in 07-08.

Only the Rattlers and Bobcats have won two consecutive regular season crown.  Bradford went on to win the Russell Cup both times, and the Elliot Lake will look to turn that regular season success into playoff success, after getting knocked out by eventual champion, Deseronto.

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As for individual accomplishments, not one, but two players shattered the record for most points in a season, and both happen to be teammates with the Shelburne Red Wings.

Stanislav Dzakhov and and Alexander Nikulnikov finished the season in a dead heat, both amassing 140 points in 41 games, each missing only one game all season.  The previous mark was set last year by Deseronto star forward, Brad Clark, who put up 127 points.

Both players will also lay claim to individual marks for goals and assists, with Nikulnokov scoring 69 times to break the mark of 62, put up last year by Bradford forward, Artem Podshendyalov, and Dzakhov assisting 78 times, to shatter the old mark by 10, also set by Deseronto's Clark.

Congratulation to both players on a great season.  Both players have attracted a lot of attention from NHL scouts this season, and their scoring prowess is certainly the reason.

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Congratulations to all teams on an exciting season, and with the kind of parity the league has seen this year, anything can happen in the pursuit of the Russell Cup.

Best of luck to all teams in the 2010 - 2011 playoffs.