A Look At The Season 6 Warbirds

A Look At The Season 6 Warbirds

PART I

The BHL is currently enduring a regime change and with it comes the hope of Season 6 getting started. It is clearly noted that both GMs and players are feeling frustrated with the lack of leadership that has been shown since the close of Season 5. That frustration is about to change into anticipation after word from new Commissioner Miren Makwana stating that Season 6 is right around the corner.

With that being said, The Art Of War is going to take a look at the FINAL roster that Greg Ezell and Robi Albert has put together. An early power ranking done by Mr. Ross has the Warbirds just barely edging out the Gem City Aviators as the top team in the league, but with the recent retiring of superstar Chris Walters, the gap may have widened.

We are going to start with the guys up front where winning and losing a face off could make the difference in a particular game. The center position has certainly changed from a year ago where players have moved to a different position, as with Miika Kemppinen moving to the left wing position.

The position, however, is far from decimated even with the captain changing places on the ice. During the S6 entry level draft, the Warbirds grabbed Charlie Hooker in a trade from New England that saw Jordan Swance and Tumous Kuiru buying plane tickets to Boston.

Hooker, however, didn’t get a chance to play as a Minnesota Warbird when the opportunity came to strengthen their defense. In a 3-way trade that saw Jon Desouza go to Castelgar, Charlie Hooker go to San Fransisco and Chris Hie come to Minnesota, it was clear that the Warbirds had one to many starting defensemen on the roster.

Enter “Captain Castor”.

Minnesota and Castelgar were able to pull off a shocker of a trade, one that shook the core of the Castors. Castlegar, looking to supplement the loss of Chris Hie traded their ex-captain Pat Albanese for Dylan Withers.The move was a shocker, but both teams benefited by filling up holes created from their previous trade.

Now it’s time to break down the centers:

#7 – Chris Coogan

The 6’1”, 185lbs center is what the Warbirds are all about. Hell, he’s the one who brought a professional team to Minnesota. Although technically a center, Chris will be playing a lot of wing to make way for Priscilla Williams to get a shot with the 4^th line. Chris provides the ‘Birds with versatility as he is able to take draws in the faceoff circle, play the wing and even have to play defense if needed.

Last year, Coogan finished with 13 goals and 6 assists (19 points), and a plus/minus of -3. The biggest concern with Chris will be his health as some offseason health issues made him relinquish his GM role and pass it on the Greg Ezell. The reports from the Warbirds are that Coogan has made great strides and is ready to begin training camp.

#4 – Pat Albanese

Captain Castor is now a Warbird in one of the most shocking and questioned moves this offseason. Pat brings a multitude of abilities to the table – faceoff wins, scoring, leadership and character being just a few of them – that should help the Warbirds’ chances in obtaining a Thundercup.

It was noted throughout last year’s sub par season that the team lacked any real scoring threat, outside of center Ryan Sassman, and Albanese is a player who can put the puck in the back of the net.

In Season 4, Albanese was 6^th in the BHL in scoring, putting up 17 goals and 15 assists (32 points) and a plus/minus of +11. Season 5 was a better season for Albanese, who still finished 6^th in the BHL in scoring, but saw his goal scoring and assists increase (18 and 18 for a total of 36 points). His plus/minus also shot up to a +20, which was in the top 3 in the league.

There are some questions with Albanese however. Will he be able to maintain this level of consistency in a new city? How will he fare with new line mates? One thing remains certain, Albanese has the ability to bring a cup home to the nest.

#84 – Adam Stevens

When everyone thinks of Adam Stevens, most remember him for being removed as the Toronto Vipers GM. What Greg Ezell remembers him for is leading the BHL in scoring during Season 5. The 6’1” 195 lbs center was an absolute force last year putting up 25 goals and 14 assists (39 points) and ending the season a +12 in plus/minus.

Stevens not only brings a scoring touch, but also leadership in both a player and GM role. Stevens took Toronto (who was 9^th overall in Season 4) to #3 overall in Season 5, a #2 seed in the Wilen Conference and a trip the Thundercup finals.

After a tumultuous offseason, Stevens is now with old friends Greg Ezell and Chris Hie, but the questions do remain. Can Adam put behind the Toronto fiasco and focus on hockey? Can he remain an elite player in the BHL with some new line mates? Whatever the case may be, Adam was on of the offseason’s prized free agents and will help Minnesota as they make a run in the Wilen Conference.

#20 – Ryan Sassman

When your leading scorer is slated to be the #3 center, you know you have depth. Ryan Sassman, along with Miika Kemppinen, carried the Minnesota offense a season ago. Ryan posted 20 goals and 13 assists (33 points) last year and ended the season with a plus/minus of +8. Ryan was also one of the most disciplined players, logging a mere 4 penalty minutes in the entire season.

Ryan will most likely be paired with Kenneth Lehtinen and Scott Edmonds, a pair he is already very familiar with. Many within the organization see the last year’s play as a shooting off point as he won many of the team awards (S5 MVP, Best American player of the season and Best forward of the season).

The expectations of “Sass” will not diminish based on where he sits on the depth chart. His gritty, tough attitude, team leading 16.5% shooting percentage (min. 50 shots) and locker room presence proves that he has the ability to be a great player on and off of the ice.

#21 – Priscilla Williams

Priscilla is the wild card amongst the group. The 5’2” 135 lbs rookie came to Minnesota in a trade that also saw boyfriend Chris Bell don the brown and wheat. Williams has great talent in front of her to learn from and will be used on the 4^th line with Abrams and fellow rookie Sawyer Withers.

Williams had a great run with the Brooklyn Comets last season in the BMHL and her activity within the locker room was a big reason why Ezell wanted her on the team. She is pegged as the future center in Minnesota and should have a bright career.

The next group that will be analyzed are the right wingers.