East Prevails in Second Round of Interdivision Play

The SHL Eastern Division made its case as the superior division over the last couple of weeks. The season’s second and final round of interdivision play concluded on Tuesday, and the East once again prevailed, going 29-24-3 against the West in their home arenas after going 28-23-5 against them at home in the first half of the season.

“For years now, we have said that the West is no longer the best,” said coach Martin Delorme, whose Quebec Tigres went 5-2-1 in this round. “Now we have the numbers to back it up with evidence.”

For the season, the East finished 57-47-8 in interdivision games, winning approximately 55% of the games. It’s a nice payback for the East after the West won both rounds of interdivision contests last season, in addition to winning the SHL Finals.

Somewhat surprisingly, the results of this round affected the Western Division race more than the East. The Tigres’ 5-2-1 mark allowed them to hold onto first place and the league’s best overall record, but they were barely better than their closest pursuers, the Boston Badgers and Hershey Bliss, each of whom went 5-3-0.

“We’re still within striking distance,” said Badgers coach Kyle Barrow. “We’ve got a dozen games left, and we’ll settle this thing head-to-head on the ice, which is the way it should be. Would we have liked to win one or two more here? Sure. But bottom line, we won more than we lost, and we’ll take that.”

Further down the Eastern standings, the Rhode Island Seekers (4-3-1) held onto the final playoff spot, but finished just slightly better than the Washington Galaxy and Hamilton Pistols (both 4-4-0). The only Eastern team to lose meaningful ground was the last-place Baltimore Longshoremen, who went 2-6-0 in this round and 5-11-0 overall, the only team in the division with a losing record against the West.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Growlers finished with the best overall record in this round, going 6-2-0 to surge into first in the Western race. Milwaukee got a significant boost after the Michigan Gray Wolves (3-4-1) and Anchorage Igloos (2-6-0) both stumbled, and the Portland Bleubacks (4-3-1) lost ground as well.

“We’ve taken the lead out of the clubhouse turn!” exalted Growlers coach Rodney Reagle. “We’re coming down the stretch, and we’re riding the prettiest horse in the race. I don’t know a lot about horse racing, but I assume that there’s a beauty contest that’s part of it.”

If the Igloos wind up falling short in their quest to win the West this season, they will likely have their interdivision record to blame. They went 6-10-0 against the East this season, the only one of the four top Western contenders with a losing interdivision record. The Igloos have given up 9 points to Milwaukee, 8 to Portland, and 5 to Michigan in interdivision contests.

“Not the result we wanted by any stretch, but we’ve got to put that behind us and move on,” said Igloos coach Sam Castor. “The good news is, the first two rounds of the playoffs are against the West, and we’ve done great against those guys this year, so I like our chances.”

One bright spot for the West: the last-place Saskatchewan Shockers went 3-4-1 this round, suggesting that they have broken free of their dismal midseason skid. “It’s a small step forward, but any steps forward are good for us,” said Shockers coach Jeffrey Marsh. “We found the rope, and we’re pulling ourselves out of the quicksand.”

Does the East’s superiority in interdivision play presage a potential Finals win, the division’s first since 2020? Delorme, whose Tigres have lost the last two Finals, certainly hopes so.

“I am not opening any champagne based on this,” said the Quebec coach. “But perhaps I will put a bottle in the refrigerator, in case we need it later on.”

Shockers Sell Off at Deadline

This year’s SHL trade deadline was largely devoid of major activity. Most of the contending teams had little cap space to work with, and very few teams are definitely out of the race at this point. That combination of factors made it difficult for teams to work out deals.

What trading activity there was came thanks to one team: the Saskatchewan Shockers. Despite having let go of their highest-salary players over the last couple of seasons, the Shockers still had a few players that held appeal to contending teams. And having lost 18 of 20 games heading into the deadline, Saskatchewan is quite clearly out of the running for the postseason. As a result, the Shockers dealt half of their starting blueline corps, along with RW Samson Kucharov, away to contending teams.

The flurry of deals doubtless pleased the contenders. But Saskatchewan fans, who saw an already lengthy rebuild timeline get even longer, were less pleased with the outcome. And given the jockeying between teams for the few available players, GM Royce McCormick faced significant criticism for what observers perceived as a light return haul: no first-round picks and few top-shelf prospects.

By far the largest available prizes were Saskatchewan’s top defensive pairing: Harald Haakom and Blake Blacklett. At the deadline, Haakom led the league in blocks with 99, while also putting up 14 points (1o goals, 4 assists). Blacklett, who has more of an offensive-minded reputation, recorded 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) and 48 blocks in 40 games. Haakom, in particular, was sought by multiple team, in essence any team that could afford his $1.5 million price tag. (The Shockers, whose financial issues are widely known at this point, did not offer to retain any salary.) The three most serious suitors were the Hershey Bliss, Portland Bluebacks, and Rhode Island Seekers.

In the end, the Bliss came out on top, sending D Dustin Ecklenburg and a second-round pick to the Shockers in exchange for Haakom. The 23-year-old Ecklenburg, in his third SHL season, put up solid numbers, 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) and 50 goals in 34 games. But given the demand for his services, it seemed surprising that McCormick was unable to obtain a first-round pick for Haakom.

Blacklett, meanwhile, apparently saw his market dampened by comparison to Haakom. Rather than waiting until Haakom was dealt and then trying to move Blacklett to one of the runners-up, McCormick shipped the 25-year-old blueliner to the Washington Galaxy straight up for minor-league D Stieg Lisander. The 19-year-old Lisander, a third-round pick for the Galaxy in the most recent draft, has shown promise in his rookie season, with 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists) and 42 blocks in 40 games. But he remains a raw player, and it surprised most observers that McCormick could not extract a draft pick in addition to Lisander. Neither Haakom nor Blacklett was a pure rental; Haakom is signed through next season, while Blacklett’s contract extends through the 2026 season.

The Shockers GM defended the return he received for both players. “I pushed hard to get a first-rounder for Harald,” said McCormick, “but in the end, the market just wasn’t there.” As for Blacklett, the GM said that Lisander “looks to me like he has the potential to produce like Blake a few years down the line. Considering our timeline, a player like Stieg is more valuable to us.”

In their other deadline deals, the Shockers moved D Buster Kratz to the Michigan Gray Wolves in exchange for a third-round pick and journeyman minor-league D Ilya Morozov and Kucharov, the 26-year-old winger, to the Quebec Tigres in return for minor-league rookie RW Bryan Irvin and a 3rd-round pick. “We weren’t necessarily looking to move Buster or Samson,” said McCormick. “But in both cases, we got an offer we liked, and we wanted to give both those guys a chance to chase the postseason. They worked hard for us, and I’m glad we were able to give them that opportunity.”

Which is all well and good for them. But what of the remaining Shockers and their fans? After the trades, Saskatchewan’s payroll stands at just over $11.5 million, barely a third of the $34 million salary cap. Like the Dakota Jackalopes before them, the Shockers seem perilously close to a death spiral, where tiny payrolls lead to uncompetitive teams, knocking down attendance even further, leading to even greater cuts in payroll.

McCormick insists that this is not what’s happening. “I promise, our payroll is not going any lower than this,” said the Saskatchewan GM. “We are going to be building from now on, and our payroll will be increasing in future seasons.”

That said, SHL Commissioner Frank Driscoll is keeping a close eye on the Shockers. “We’re committed to the success of hockey in Saskatchewan,” said the commissioner. “But we’re also committed to all of our teams maintaining competitive integrity. I’m fine with teams deciding to rebuild, but if you can’t maintain your payroll at a level anywhere close to your competitors, that becomes a problem for the league as a whole. So yes, we’re definitely monitoring the situation there.”

Bliss Surge, Turning East into Three-Team Tango

Throughout most of the season, the SHL’s Eastern Division has been a two-way race between the Boston Badgers and the Quebec Tigres. One or the other of those teams has led the division all season long.

However, the Hershey Bliss made a bold statement this week, going undefeated and climbing within two points of the division co-leaders. With the trade deadline looming, Morris Thompson’s club looks like they might turn the East into a three-team battle down the stretch.

“The Tigres and Badgers might have forgotten about us,” said Bliss C Justin Valentine, “But we’re not going away quietly! We absolutely believe that we c n win the division.”

On Sunday, the Bliss to Narragansett Arena to face the Rhode Island Seekers. The Seekers have been on a run of their own lately, so this was expected to be a challenging game. But visiting Hershey blitzed Rhode Island’s typically stout defense and goalie Sonny Kashiuk, scoring three times in the first period and rolling to a 5-1 rout. The Bliss thrived on the power play, going 2 for 3.

Two nights later, Hershey was at home facing the banged-up Baltimore Longshoremen. Surprisingly, the Longshoremen gave the Bliss a tougher battle than Rhode Island had. But D Damien Maubelle and LW Lance Sweet scored in the second period to give the Bliss a lead they would not relinquish on the way to a 2-1 win.

On Thursday, Hershey hosted the Hamilton Pistols, who were desperate for a win to shake up their recent slide. The teams traded goals in the first period, then played through a scoreless second. D Dominic Sanchez scored four minutes into the third period to put the visitors ahead, and Pistols G Lasse Koskinen held the lead for much of the frame. But RW Dino Carlucci and D Steve Cargill scored 20 seconds apart with less than 4 minutes to go in regulation to pull out a 3-2 win.

“That was a huge win for us, absolutely,” said Cargill. “To come from behind late, send the fans home happy… that’s what it’s all about.”

The Bliss closed the week at home against the Washington Galaxy, who are battling for a playoff spot. Neither teams scored in a tentative first period, but beginning in the second, it turned into a spirited back-and-forth battle. Three times, the Bliss scored to take the lead; three times, Washington answered back with a tally of its own to tie things up. D Russ Klemmer, up from the minors due to an injury to Geoff Moultrie, was an unexpected hero for the Galaxy, scoring a pair of goals for the visitors.

But when Bliss D Reese Milton scored a fourth goal for Hershey about seven and a half minutes into the third, the Galaxy were unable to come up with the equalizer, allowing the Bliss to claim their fourth straight win of the week.

“We haven’t really been part of the discussion this season; it’s all been about Boston and Quebec,” said Milton. “But we’ve been a contender in this division for a long time. It would be really awesome if we could sneak up from behind and snag this.”

Critics, though, might point out that the Bliss didn’t face either the Badgers or Tigres this week. When Hershey did play those teams last week, they lost to both of them, losing 1-0 to Boston and 3-2 to Quebec. So far this season, the Bliss are 2-2-1 against the Badgers and 0-4-1 against the Tigres, with three matches remaining against each foe.

“If they want to pass us, they will need to beat us,” said Tigres RW Stephane Mirac of the Bliss. “They can beat up on the bad teams all that they wish, but we remain the kings. And you do not dethrone the king without a battle.”

Mirac’s words notwithstanding, Hershey is clearly a threat to the division’s top two. And given that they have a bit more cap room than either of the teams ahead of them, the Bliss have a chance to make some interesting moves at the trade deadline. The division is far from decided.

“All season long, I’ve told my guys not to look at the standings and just focus on the next game,” said Thompson, the Hershey coach. “There’s no reason for us to get away from that philosophy now. The most important game is always the next one.”

Interview of the Week: Landon O’Quinn

This week’s interview is with Hershey Bliss C Landon O’Quinn.

SHL Digest: This week, we’re speaking with one of the SHL’s rising stars, a player who was just named to the All-Star team in just his second season in the league. Landon, thanks for speaking with us.

Landon O’Quinn: Thank you! This is really neat.

SHLD: First of all, congratulations on being named an SHL All-Star at just 20 years old. How does it feel to receive such recognition at this early stage of your career?

LO: It’s truly an honor to be selected as an All-Star. I really never expected anything like this. I couldn’t be more excited to represent the Bliss and showcase my skills alongside some of the best players in the league. It’s a dream come true, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

SHLD: Speaking of the Bliss, you’ve seemed to mesh seamlessly with your teammates. How have you managed to pull that off?

LO: Well, the credit for that has to go my teammates. It’s a really great team to be part of. Really welcoming clubhouse, and terrific chemistry on the ice. It’s a tremendous situation for a young player to find himself in.

SHLD: Would you single out any teammates as being particularly welcoming?

LO: For sure, my linemates, Gabe Swindonburg and Elliott Pepper have been great. Elliott, being a veteran, he’s always looking to get me the puck in situations where I can score or set up a goal. We’ve developed a great rapport both on and off the ice, and that chemistry translates into our gameplay. They’re both talented players, and I feel lucky to have them as teammates.

SHLD: That’s terrific.

LO: And on a personal level, I really have to single out Lance Sweet. He’s been terrific, showing me the ropes and how a big-league player should act. He’s welcomed me like I’m his little brother.

SHLD: Coming into this season, it was clear that the organization had a lot of faith in you; they traded Spencer Kirkpatrick, who had been a longtime team stalwart, so that they could slot you into the second-line center position. How did that make you feel?

LO: It was an honor. And I won’t lie,I definitely felt some pressure with it too. But it made me work that much harder in the offseason, because I wanted to validate their faith in me.

SHLD: You’ve certainly proven that you deserve the ice time.

LO: Thank you! I appreciate that.

SHLD: On a personal note, we’ve heard you have a unique hobby of collecting salt and pepper shakers from every city you visit. Can you tell us more about that?

LO: Ah, yes! That’s something I picked up from my grandmother. She was a wonderful lady. She used to collect salt and pepper shakers in all the places she traveled, and she kept them in these display cases. By the time she died, she probably had hundreds of them. Whenever I’d come to visit, she’d take out some of her favorites and tell me the story of her trip to that place.

SHLD: That’s a wonderful memory.

LO: Anyway, I guess I inherited the habit from her. It’s a fun way for me to remember all the places I’ve been and the experiences I’ve had throughout my career. Plus, it’s always a conversation starter!

SHLD: Looking ahead, do you believe the Bliss have what it takes to make a playoff run this season?

LO: Absolutely. We have a strong team with a lot of depth and talent. We’ve been working hard all season, and I have full confidence in our ability to compete at the highest level. Making the playoffs is definitely our goal, and once we get there, we’re going to give it everything we’ve got to make it all the way to the Vandy.

SHLD: Thank you for your time, Landon, and best of luck in the rest of the season with the Bliss.

LO: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure chatting with you. See you in the playoffs!