The Yorkton Terriers have not made it beyond the first round of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs for three years.
The 2013-2014 season was their last time. That year, they won the league final (Canalta Cup), the Western Canada Cup and the RBC National Cup. To say it was a successful season for the team is an understatement.
This year, the Terriers have made it past the survivor series because of their sixth place finish in the league, which secured them a bye to quarterfinals.
Most players on the team have never had success in their playoff runs as Terriers. 聽
Last year, the Terriers were swept in the survivor series by the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
The year before, the Terriers missed the playoffs with their twelfth place finish.
So, the majority of players on this year鈥檚 roster have never won a playoff game.
But a few players, and head coach/GM Casey O鈥橞rien, were around for that 2013-2014 year, so they remember the feeling of winning.
O鈥橞rien was assistant coach to Trent Cassan at that time. But this year he took over as head coach early in the season.
Terriers鈥� captain Corwin Stevely played as an AP for the Terriers in 2014.
Terriers鈥� forward Jordan Ross was in his first year of junior hockey for the 2013-2014 season.
And while forward Dakota Odgers wasn鈥檛 with the Terriers in the 2013-2014 season, he was around for the season before when the Terriers won the Canalta Cup.
Stevely has been the most constant on the team, while Ross and Odgers have been back and forth between the Terriers and teams in the Western Hockey League.
Comparing
Stevely said being a well-rounded team has given them success this year.
鈥淐oming into playoffs right now, we鈥檙e firing all cylinders. We鈥檝e got four lines going, and I think that鈥檚 big,鈥� said Stevely.
When it comes to comparing this year鈥檚 team to the 鈥�13-鈥�14 Terriers, Stevely said it鈥檚 a tough comparison, but there are parallels.
鈥淚n both teams, there are lines that can score. You can count on each line,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter who鈥檚 out, you know what you鈥檙e going to get.鈥�
Jordan Ross agreed with what Stevely had to say. He also noted a high level of goaltending this year that鈥檚 up there with, if not stronger than the 鈥�13-鈥�14 season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also a bigger team this year. I think we鈥檝e got bigger D-men and bigger forwards, so I think that鈥檒l help us out,鈥� added Ross.
Coach O鈥橞rien has been with the team through all the highs and lows over the past half-decade. He said right now, he really likes the team he has going into this playoff season.
He said comparing this year鈥檚 team to that 鈥�13-鈥�14 team is hard because he and Trent Cassan (former head coach) had three years to work with that team.
鈥淭his year, everything is different for myself, Mat (asst. coach), Karsten (asst. coach) and the players. It probably took us five months to get where we wanted to be,鈥� said O鈥橞rien.
O鈥橞rien said the Terriers鈥� strengths this year are being tough, physical and relentless.
鈥淭hese guys haven鈥檛 quit at all this year. That鈥檚 why, in the last eight games, we went 7-0-1. Guys are believing that we can win on any given night,鈥� said O鈥橞rien.
Pressure
Coach O鈥橞rien and captain Stevely have both, in their own way, moved up in the Terriers鈥� ranks since the 鈥�13-鈥�14 winning season.
O鈥橞rien from assistant coach to head coach, and Stevely from AP to team captain.
Both said there are more pressures going into playoffs this year than there has been in past years.
鈥淭here is pressure as a head coach. You want to put the best product on the ice, you want to win, you want the crowd to be entertained,鈥� said O鈥橞rien. 鈥淏ecause I have such a great staff and great players, it makes my job a lot easier because we鈥檙e all in this together. I鈥檓 only as good as the rest of my staff.鈥�
O鈥橞rien also noted that the team has very minimal junior A playoff experience, which he said is important to keep in mind going into this year鈥檚 playoffs.
Stevely said he doesn鈥檛 necessarily feel pressure on him as much as a team-wide desire to do well.
鈥淭he fans deserve a good playoff push. The coaches, the whole organization, and the guys who have been around through these ups and downs,鈥� said Stevely.
The Terriers will face the Estevan Bruins in the quarterfinals of playoffs. Stevely, Ross and coach O鈥橞rien all agreed that the key to a successful series will be a consistent, physical and fast-paced game.
