Mar 29, 2015 | Todd McIver | 1583 views
Final Thoughts of the Season
Although the season ended sooner than we wanted, the fact is that we overachieved. No one gave us a chance to make the AA loop and figured we would end up in the middle of A. Not only did this team prove our detractors wrong, we ended the regular season in the middle of the AA loop!
Over the course of the season we had lots of ups and downs. Our original goal was to stay in AA. We did that. 5th place at the end of the regular season in AA was a massive accomplishment for a bunch of MD players. We wanted to win a couple tournaments. We won 2 out of 5 AA tournaments and placed 2nd in another 2. We wanted to beat every team in AA. We beat all, but the eventual Alliance AA champions... our own Kitchener Reds.
Did we end the year earlier than we wanted?.... Yes. But the fact remains that we ended up in the AA loop when no one gave us a chance. This is a testament to the ability, ferocity, and commitment of all our players. Over the course of the year we heard from many opposing coaches that we were the team that no one wanted to play. Why? Because our boys never gave up, never stopped playing, and had more ability than people thought. We were fast and physical and that scared a lot of teams.
Had we stayed in single A, we would likely have gone further than we did but to play in the division we did was such an amazing feat. As a group of coaches we saw tons of potential in all our players. Over the course of the year they proved over and over again that they deserved to be here.
In the big picture, our team was a great success. The final outcome of the season did not define us. We, as a team, became a family. We, as a team, became an anomaly. We, as a team, showed that there are lots of kids in Kitchener that can play this game at a high level.
As a coaching staff we could not more proud of the progress our players made this year. Each and every day they showed us that the competitive spirit was alive and well in all of them! We extend our deepest gratitudes to all of our Team Blue families for making sure to cheer loud, and be your players biggest supporters.
Looking forward we wish all of our players nothing but the best. Keep chasing the puck. Keep playing with heart. Keep loving this game. No matter where your hockey career takes you, the experiences you have during your years in minor hockey will stay with you for ever. Be proud of everything you have accomplished.
Thank you to all our families and especially our players for a fantastic season.
On a personal note, I would like to thank Dave, Jae, and Brad for being such a great team. It has been a pleasure to coach with you this past season. It is your dedication and commitment to this group of boys that helped to make this year such a success.
Good luck to all the Team Blue players in their hockey futures.