http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2148012
Vees No. 1 in the country
Posted By MIKE KOREEN MKOREEN@THEWHIG.COM
Posted 15 hours ago
There were no high-fives or fist pumps.
The music wasn't blasting like it might after a big win.
On the day the Kingston Kimco Voyageurs were recognized as the top junior A hockey team in Canada for the first time in franchise history, the players simply went about their business in normal fashion.
Their dressing room at the Invista Centre yesterday before practice was quiet as players changed and chatted like they would any other day.
"I heard about it," team captain Kevin Christmas said yesterday. "I think everyone (in the dressing room) knows about it.
"It feels good to accomplish that and be recognized as one of the top teams after all the hard work we've put in. Really, it's not that big a deal, but it's nice to be recognized as the top team in Canada."
That's about all the boasting that was coming out of the Veesland yesterday.
Sure, most of the team did check the Internet yesterday to see if the Vees reached the top after stretching their season-opening undefeated streak to 15 games this weekend.
But nobody seemed overly excited about the accomplishment, which is a pretty neat feat for a team that didn't have a glorious history before last year's run to the central Canadian championship.
Of 142 teams in Canada, the Vees are No. 1 based on a complex mathematical formula.
"You don't get a trophy or a banner for being first in the country in October," Vees coach Evan Robinson said. "It's a nice honour for us, but to have the success we had last year, we've got a long way to go. Hopefully, it's news that will excite our guys a little bit."
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A loss by the previous No. 1 -- the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League -- this weekend opened the door for the Vees to take top spot.
While the ranking really means little in the grand scheme of things, the Vees have made a bunch of key decisions to maintain their place in the national junior A spotlight.
When the Ontario Junior Hockey League split in two in the off-season, the Vees opted to compete in the newly-formed Ontario Junior A Hockey League, allowing them to carry nine 20-year-old players.
The other league, the Central Canadian Hockey League, has limited teams to five 20-yearolds.
While nine 20-year-olds is a bigger number than previous years for the Vees, squads that compete for national junior A titles tend to be older.
Last year's RBC Cup champ, the Vernon Vipers, had six 20-year-olds. In 2008, the champion Humboldt Broncos had eight.
"After having the opportunity to experience the Canadian championships last year, we felt that if we ever wanted to return, we had to do that with the help of 20-year-olds," Vees owner Gregg Rosen said.
"The west teams that beat us didn't do that with 16-year-olds. I'm not taking anything away from 16-year-olds, there are 16-year-olds that are capable of playing there. But if you don't add (guys like Tyler) Melancon, Christmas and (Justin) Levac, you'll have a hard time competing at a Canadian championship."
The Vees also have several key younger players, including 1992-born goaltenders Joel Vienneau and Landon Noel and 1992-born Kingston native Brock Higgs, a forward.
Rosen was determined not to let the Vees become a one-year success story because he has big future plans. He already has stated he intends to bid to host the 2012 RBC Cup.
"After last year, we wanted to have an opportunity to submit an application to host an RBC Cup," Rosen said. "We wouldn't want to do that with a team that isn't presentable (as a solid contender)."
The Vees, who employ two full-time assistants to Robinson in Kory Cooper and Peter Goulet, worked hard behind the scenes in preparing for this season while still playing last year.
Goulet attended several league meetings while the Vees played in the playoffs and the team even swung some deals for players for this year's roster right before the RBC Cup.
"I'm thrilled for our coaching staff," Rosen said. "The (best thing) about (being ranked No. 1) is it gives this team its own credibility. Everybody still talks about last year's team, but this shows that this year's team is doing a heck of a job."
The Vees will try to extend their perfect run Thursday (7:30 p. m.) at the Invista Centre against the Villanova Knights.
Article ID# 2148012
