Photo credits: Ray MacAloney / Charles Harrison / Spencer Smye / Kevin Raposo / Andy Corneau / OJHL Images

Oakville Blades Season-In-Review

As the Blades finished regulation play and our captain Jake Alcaraz left the ice in what was the final game of his junior career, it signalled the official end to our 2022-2023 OJHL season. To say that it was full of emotion would be an understatement as frustration, disappointment, optimism and hope set in at various points throughout the year (in that order). The team saw new stars emerge, rookies shine and veterans mentor as it was a year of building a competitive team for success in the coming years. The Blades, one of the youngest teams in the whole league with only one overage player, were able to piece together a very good season considering the circumstances. As always, it would never be possible without the support of the fans. Even with the team going through struggles, the support from the fans was fantastic, leading the Blades to one of the higher total attendance numbers in the whole league. We have been very fortunate in Oakville to have not missed the playoffs since 2013-2014 season, and the 2000-2001 season before that. This is only the 3rd time since moving up to Jr. A for the 1993-1994 season, that the club has missed the playoffs.

There are many big storylines that appeared this season, one among them being the drastic change in teamwork, effort and scoring from the first half of the season to the second half. Although difficult to express in numbers, it was obvious that the team has achieved a new level of cohesiveness and willpower as the games wore on. Early leads weren't automatic losses, zone breakouts were cleaner, neutral zone turnovers were limited and players took more initiative to get to the front of the net. All of these factors combined vaulted the Blades to be competitive in more matchups and as a result morale gradually improved throughout the season. The team that hit the ice for the first game of the season is not the same one that wrapped up the season in Oakville. 

We'd all be lying to ourselves if we said that the Blades were competitive in every game they played this year. They obviously didn't manage to make the playoffs either, but you'd be mistaken to call this season a failure. This was a year for individual and team growth, which is exactly what happened. With the exception of some players who were consistently producing such as Wang or Brown, there were exceptional leaps in production from the team. Skaters like Crisp, Wells, Churchill, Costante and especially Akimov showed vast improvement throughout the course of the season. 

Crisp managed to double his goal totals on the season in his last 15 games, Wells was piling up assists like crazy and Churchill had multiple multi-goal games. However, the most impressive among the bunch are two rookies, Costante and Akimov. Costante was tied for 5th among defenceman for goals as rookie! As the season was winding down though, Gleb Akimov fully stole the spotlight. It felt like everything he was shooting was going in. His goals came in both consistency and quality, as he was scoring in many different ways. It felt like every game, Akimov found a way to get on the scoresheet once, twice or in a few cases even three times! Huge progress from everyone on the team. 

Now that we have completed the 2022-2023 season, it's time to look forward to the 2023-2024 campaign. There are many things to look forward to when it comes to this team. The Blades top scorers will have plenty to build off of as they have acquired a plethora of ice time at a young age. The veterans are exceptional as well, and with players like Brown and McCarthy leading the charge, it indicates good times ahead for the franchise. Add on top of all that a year of the coaching staff working together and things are looking good. Should the Blades not win the bid for the Centennial Cup, they'll certainly be contenders to punch their ticket.

Although not the ideal end to the season, there is nothing that can be done about it now. We as Blades faithful must look to next season when the team will come back stronger than ever, ready to put on a show for us at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. Until then, it's goodbye for now, and we'll see you all next year! Go Blades Go!

By Ty Brooks