Reply To: Diary of a Season 2011-12

[Tom Molloy]

This draft process is fun for coaches. You have to figure out what your team needs and predict what the other teams need and the connections they have made etc.
Tonight was the prospects game with 30 non protected skaters and 4 Goalies playing a full game.

The draft followed. I won the lottery and had the choice to draft one, two or three. There are 3 Calgary teams.
We could protect up to 8 skaters and one goalie. I have only 6 skaters returning 4F and 2D and protected all of them plus one of the two goalies.

We had a ranking list of F, D and goalies and our game plan was to draft at least 3 scorers who compete hard and they rest had to compete hard and be able to skate.

Draft order was 1-2-3, 2-3-1, 3-1-2. I chose to draft 2nd. The third pick was automatically one of the other coaches daughters, who is the top D in the draft. So I got the 2nd and 3rd picks and chose 2 scorers. I picked another scorer in the 9th spot and then we took 2 D, A scoring forward, 2 D, a checking forward a D a F a D and 1 more F.

I think that works out to 11 F and 7 D. We have to get down to 15 skaters by sept. 11, so 3 skaters have to be send down.

We again won the lottery making it 3 for 3 for the goalie picks. I traded picks so a girl could stay in the league and another team could draft the two goalies they wanted. I think we ended up with the best goalie in the draft and probably the two best goalies.

So we ended up with an older team with some scoring, a lot of competitors, a top set of D and great goaltending. So it is a good start. I have no idea how good the rest of the league but the top Calgary team ended with a 50% w/L record last year. Lets see what this group can do.

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'