Whalers' Blue Collar Effort Gains Respect

Published on April 20, 2006 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


Plymouth Whalers President, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci was succinct in summing up the feelings for his team at the Whalers' banquet Tuesday night at Ginopolis on the Ice.

"Working with this team was the most fun I've had in fifteen years of coaching," Vellucci said.

"Sometimes in January and February, the season drags on. But I didn't feel like that this year.

"This year's team got no respect around the league. Nobody - except John Vigilante - made an all-star team. We got very little mention on the Coaches' Poll and no consideration for Rookie of the Year.

"But in playing the way our team played this year, they earned everyone's respect."

After defeating Windsor in seven dramatic games in the Western Conference Quarter-Finals, Plymouth was eliminated in six games in the conference semi-finals by the Guelph Storm.

Guelph advances to the Western Conference Finals against the London Knights, who eliminated Owen Sound in six games last Saturday night with a 5-2 victory over the Attack.

Trailing 4-3, Plymouth took Guelph right down to the final seconds of Game 6 last Saturday, taking a face-off in the Guelph zone with 4.9 seconds remaining. Jared Boll got one final shot on Guelph goaltender Ryan MacDonald, who made the save.

Earlier, Mike McLean's goal with 3:02 remaining in regulation snapped the 3-3 tie.

Kelsey Wilson (6th of the playoffs), Rafael Rotter (4) and Ryan Callahan (7) also scored for Guelph. Tom Sestito (5), Jared Boll (2) and John Armstrong replied for Plymouth.

The game featured no more than a one-goal differential the entire way. Sestito gave Plymouth a 1-0 lead at 1:34 of the first period when linemates Gino Pisellini and Andrew Fournier worked well beneath the Guelph goal line and Fournier found Sestito out in front of the Guelph goal, who made no mistake in guiding the puck past MacDonald. Guelph tied the game at 1-1 at 3:40 of the period when Wilson scored from the left wing past Peters.

Plymouth took the lead at 2-1 at 4:07 of the second period when Boll skated hard left wing into the Guelph zone and scored from the severe angle - left wing goal line - on a shot that caromed off MacDonald. Rotter tied the game on a Guelph power play at 15:05 of the period when he scored in tight by Peters.

Guelph took their first lead of the game at 5:15 of the third period when Callahan took Matt D'Agostini's pass from the right dot in the Plymouth scored deflected puck past Peters. But Armstrong came right back for Plymouth to tie the game at 3-3 twenty seconds later when he one-timed Boll's pass from behind the Guelph net from the right hash mark by MacDonald.

The Whalers appeared to take a 4-3 lead at 6:19 of the third period when Evan Brophey carried the puck over the Guelph line and passed to James Neal on the right wing. Plymouth put the puck in the net on a scramble in front of the Guelph goal, but referees Pat Smola and Ryan Carroll waved the goal off and sent Neal off on a penalty for goaltender interference.

That set the stage for McLean's game-winner, just two seconds after the Whalers had killed off a two-man Guelph power play, when he scored on a rebound the left hash mark after Peters made a save of a point shot from Tyler Doig.

Plymouth could have folded in the series after losing the first three games of the series, but didn't.

The Whalers took Game 4 of the series in Guelph, 4-3 in overtime, on April 12.

Dan Collins' third goal of the game at 10:55 of overtime gave the Whalers a come-from-behind victory. Collins was playing in just his second game since Jan. 20 after returning from an injury.

Neal scored the other Plymouth goal, his team-leading sixth of the playoffs. Plymouth captain John Vigilante added three assists. Guelph received goals from Callahan (6), D'Agostini (5) and Rotter (3).

Guelph led 2-0 late in the second period when Neal started the Whaler comeback when he scored in tight quarters in front of the Guelph net, beating MacDonald with a backhand shot at 19:05 of the second period.

After Rotter restored Guelph's two-goal lead at 3-1 at 1:30 of the third period, the Whaler power play went to work to tie the game. Both of the goals (8:05 and 15:11 respectively) were by Collins, with hard shots from the left wing that found the back of the net.

In overtime, both teams had a chance to win and Collins hit the goal post about five minutes into the extra session. The teams were skating a 4-on-4 when Plymouth defenseman Mike Letizia found Collins on the left wing at the Guelph blue line. Collins skated to the left face-off dot and beat MacDonald with a hard shot for the game winner.

Plymouth inched a little closer in the series in winning Game 5, 5-2, last Friday at the Compuware Sports Arena.

Neal had a hat trick and Fournier and Brophey scored single goals as the Whalers built a 5-0 lead after two periods of play to win.

D'Agostini (6) and Jason Pitton (4) scored third period goals for Guelph.

Guelph outshot Plymouth, 31-27. Storm goaltender MacDonald - who started the game leading the OHL playoffs in goals against average (1.68) and save percentage (.949) - was lifted after forty minutes of play after stopping 14-of-19 Plymouth shots. Peters was steady as the game's third star, stopping 29-of-31 shots.

Plymouth won the battle of special teams, going 3-for-13 on the power play while going 4-for-5 against the Guelph power play.

The Whalers also won the battles in front of the Guelph net, with all goals coming on deflections or rebounds.

Fournier gave Plymouth a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal of the playoffs at 3:37 of the first period when he tipped Wes Cunningham's point shot by MacDonald. Neal's first goal of the game came on another power play at 19:15 of the first period when - stationed at the left wing side of the Guelph net - he tipped Steve Ward's shot from the point by MacDonald.

Neal's second goal of the game came at 1:54 of the second period when Fournier passed the puck in front of the Guelph goal. Storm defenseman Kyle Wharton tried to direct the puck back to MacDonald, but Neal jammed the puck into the goal. Brophey scored at 6:46 when Neal - in the left face-off dot in the Guelph zone - found Collins at the lower rim of the right circle. Collins passed in front to Brophey, who was denied on the first shot by MacDonald, but potted home the rebound for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Neal completed his hat trick (and team-leading ninth of the playoffs) when he tipped Collins' hard shot left the top of the left circle on the left wing side of the Guelph goal at 10:35 of the period.

WHALERS COMPLETE 2005-06 SEASON WITH AWARDS BANQUET

The Whalers ended the 2005-06 season with an Awards Banquet Tuesday at Ginopolis on the Ice Restaurant at the Compuware Sports Arena.

The following players received awards:

REGULAR SEASON MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, LEADING SCORER and ALICE IAFRATE AWARD as OVERAGE OF THE YEAR - Outgoing captain John Vigilante (Dearborn), who scored 24 goals with 53 assists for 77 points this season. John finished his career in Plymouth sixth on the team's all-time career list in scoring (245 points), ninth in career goals (93), fifth in career assists (153) and third in career games played (254). Vigilante has signed as a free agent with the National Hockey League Nashville Predators.

BEST DEFESEMAN - Steve Ward, who scored 14 goals with 33 assist for 47 points and 90 PIM's in 67 games.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE - Overage defenseman Mike Letizia, who carried a B average at Schoolcraft Community College. Letizia finished his career is Plymouth fifth overall on the Whalers' all-time games played list with 247 and has signed as a free agent with the United Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs.

TOP ROOKIE - Center Chris Terry, who scored 9 goals with 19 assists for 28 points in 64 games.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Second-year left wing Tom Sestito, who scored 10 goals with 10 assists for 20 points and 176 PIM's in 57 games. Sestito is one of the Whalers eligible to be selected in this summer's National Hockey League Entry Draft.

HARDEST WORKER - First-year right wing Jared Boll, who scored 19 goals with 22 assists for 41 points and 205 PIM's in 65 games. Boll is a 4th round pick of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

BARARA ANN KARMANOS COMMUNITY GOALS AWARD - Second-year goaltender Justin Garay, who played an integral part in the Compuware Sports Arena's Learn-to-Skate Program and worked tirelessly in the Whalers' Community Relations Events over the course of the 2005-06 season.

PLAYOFF MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Third-year left wing James Neal, who led the Whalers in scoring in the playoffs with 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points in 13 games. Neal is a second round pick of the Dallas Stars.

BOOSTER CLUB AWARDS: Scholastic Player of the Year - Mike Letizia Grinder of the Year - Tom Sestito Player of the Year - John Vigilante

This season, Plymouth won their eighth West Division title since 1994-95 in going 35-28-1-4. After winning their Western Conference Quarter-final series in seven dramatic games against the Windsor Spitfires, the Whalers were eliminated in six games by the Guelph Storm in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

NEXT UP: Plymouth will be participating in the Ontario Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday, May 6.

LIFFITON, JARRETT MAKE NHL DEBUTS - The list of Whaler alumni playing in the National Hockey League grew by two when Dave Liffiton played for the New York Rangers Apr.11 and Cole Jarrett played Tuesday night for the New York Islanders.

Both were sent back to their respective American Hockey League teams after the NHL debuts - Liffiton to the Hartford Wolfpack, Jarrett to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Former Whalers playing at least one game this season in the National Hockey League include: Jamie Allison (Nashville, Florida), Jason Bacashihua (St. Louis), Bryan Berard (Columbus), Jesse Boulerice (Carolina, St.Louis), Eric Cairns (Florida, Pittsbugh), Gregory Campbell (Florida), Robert Esche (Philadelphia), Todd Harvey (Edmonton), Cole Jarrett (New York Islanders), Chad LaRose (Carolina), David Legwand (Nashville), Dave Liffiton (New York Rangers), Paul Mara (Phoenix), Karl Stewart (Atlanta), Chris Thorburn (Buffalo), Jason Ward (New York Rangers), Stephen Weiss (Florida Panthers), Justin Williams (Carolina) and Chad Wiseman (NY Rangers).

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 20, 2006


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