Schooners "Clinch" Last Place
Halifax - Another year, another last-placed finish.
As the 2009-10 regular season comes to a close, the Nova Scotia Schooners are entrenched in the league's basement. For the second straight year, the Schooners will have the best odds in the SICHL Lottery Draft. Unlike last year though, when John Tavares and Matt Duchene both donned Schooners sweaters, GM Schneider may not have his pick of the litter.
The SICHL is expected to expand this off-season, adding two as-yet unnamed teams. Despite Schneider's pre-season campaigning that the new teams should at least be subject to the lottery, barring trades the two new teams will hold the top two picks in the 2010 SICHL Entry Draft.
"We've made peace with it," said Schneider. "We're preparing to draft in either the third or fourth spot, and we're confident there'll be someone we like in either position."
While OHL star forwards Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin are virtually guaranteed to be drafted in the top two, speculation abounds as to the following picks. For Schneider's part, he wasn't willing to tip his hand.
"There are some very talented defencemen around there, guys like (Cam) Fowler, (Erik) Gudbranson, (Brandon) Gormley, our Dub (WHL) scouts really like Brett Connolly, and there are some pretty impressive Russians to consider too. Hopefully that'll keep us busy through the off-season, lord knows we haven't got much else to do..."
The Schooners will conclude their season May 13th in Winnipeg.
As the 2009-10 regular season comes to a close, the Nova Scotia Schooners are entrenched in the league's basement. For the second straight year, the Schooners will have the best odds in the SICHL Lottery Draft. Unlike last year though, when John Tavares and Matt Duchene both donned Schooners sweaters, GM Schneider may not have his pick of the litter.
The SICHL is expected to expand this off-season, adding two as-yet unnamed teams. Despite Schneider's pre-season campaigning that the new teams should at least be subject to the lottery, barring trades the two new teams will hold the top two picks in the 2010 SICHL Entry Draft.
"We've made peace with it," said Schneider. "We're preparing to draft in either the third or fourth spot, and we're confident there'll be someone we like in either position."
While OHL star forwards Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin are virtually guaranteed to be drafted in the top two, speculation abounds as to the following picks. For Schneider's part, he wasn't willing to tip his hand.
"There are some very talented defencemen around there, guys like (Cam) Fowler, (Erik) Gudbranson, (Brandon) Gormley, our Dub (WHL) scouts really like Brett Connolly, and there are some pretty impressive Russians to consider too. Hopefully that'll keep us busy through the off-season, lord knows we haven't got much else to do..."
The Schooners will conclude their season May 13th in Winnipeg.
Nova Scotia Schooners