Strong goaltending, punishing defence and the best first line in the league.
The Canmore Eagles are the hottest team in the AJHL’s southern division and have won six in a row after a pair of lopsided victories over the weekend.
The Eagles bowled over the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 8-1 on Nov. 13, and followed up the offensive outburst with an 8-5 win over the Calgary Mustangs on Nov. 15.
The top line of Matt Forchuck, Lane Olson and Logan Ferguson were simply unstoppable, as the trio now occupies three of the top four spots in league scoring. Forchuk leads the league in scoring with 15 goals and 23 assists in 24 games, while Olson is third with 19 goals and 14 assists. Ferguson was awarded AJHL player of the week honours for his stellar play of late. He’s fourth in league scoring with nine goals and 23 assists this season.
“I’m happy with where we’re at. It’s not easy going to Fort McMurray and (to Calgary) after that. I thought our guys responded with a good effort. We had a sloppy start in Calgary, but we found our legs,” said head coach and general manager Andrew Milne.
The team currently sits third in the southern division, two points out of first place, as there is a fight between the Eagles, Brooks Bandits and Camrose Kodiaks.
Milne describes his top line as dynamic, stating they all bring the right tools for success.
“Forchuck has great vision. He sees the ice so well. Lane has speed that he’s able to use to get to open ice, and Fergie skates well and shoots well. The dynamics of that line are why it’s doing so well,” Milne said.
All three had smaller roles with the club last season, but have blossomed with increased ice time and responsibility. All three are buying into the club’s system, Milne said, and he’s not surprised they’re putting up such huge numbers.
“With Lane, it’s confidence. We expected him to have a great year last year, but the points weren’t there. Lane hasn’t shocked us. We knew he was capable of this,” Milne said. “Matt, playing with Connor Wilson last year, his understanding of the game grew. He learned where to make plays, where to shoot, where not to shoot. Last year was a real learning experience for him.”
As for Ferguson, Milne said while the points weren’t there last season, his role was invaluable to the club, and that has only increased this season.
“Logan is quietly having success. We knew how valuable he is to the organization. Last year he led the team in plus/minus as a rookie. The experience he gained last year was invaluable. He’s not a loud, vocal guy, but he does so many thing right. We knew he could score,” Milne said.
While the top line gets much of the attention, Milne said Braden Saretsky, Coy Prevost and Jonas Gordon – all of whom played for the championship winning Kimberley Dynamiters last year – have brought a winning attitude to the team. Former Eagles coach Bob Miller actually scouted the trio, and gave them glowing revues.
The team has bought into the system, Milne said, which is the main difference from years past.
“Those three guys won a championship and they have had an impact. One of the things we wanted to do is create a winning culture, and emulate and reproduce what those guys did,” Milne said. “So many times you teach them to play and you don’t have immediate success, then the guys want to deviate. The young kids want instant results, and it’s hard to get them to see the long term goals.”
The Eagles play back to back games at home this weekend, as they face the Drayton Valley Thunder on Nov. 20 and Sherwood Park on Nov. 21.
