Earlier Moves Allow Whalers to Stand Pat at OHL Trade Deadline

On the final day of the Ontario Hockey League Trade Deadline, Plymouth Whalers General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci reported to his office at several hours before the noon deadline.

And after working the phones, email and social media with fellow OHL general managers for two weeks prior the deadline – right up to the final minutes of the today's deadline - Vellucci decided not to make a move with another OHL team.

It wasn’t for lack of effort.  In the end, it was the fact that Vellucci made several deals earlier this season.

“We made all our deals in the summer and earlier in the season,” Vellucci said.  “We picked up Andy Bathgate in the summer, and then we signed J.T. Miller.  We didn’t expect Jamie Devane to come back, but he did.  And we got Cody Payne earlier.”

Plymouth wasn't the only OHL team that decided not to make a deal at the deadline.  Kitchener and Guelph stood pat as well.

The Whalers did decide to bring in draft choice Mitch Jones, a 16-year-old defenseman from Rochester, MI taken in the 11th round of the 2011 OHL Draft.  Jones played in one game in the December for Plymouth, but has played most of this season with the Compuware U-18’s. Jones will add depth to the Whalers' blue line.

Even without loading up with veterans at the OHL Deadline, there’s a lot to like about the Whalers.

“Usually, trades are made to fill holes,” Vellucci said.  “I don’t feel like we have any holes to fill.”

Plymouth moves into the final two months of the OHL season with a record of 28-9-2-1, good for 59 points – first in the West Division, second in the Western Conference to London and second overall in the OHL.

Coming into the middle of January, Plymouth has won six games in a row, 11-of-12 and is 21-3-0-1 since Oct. 29.

When four players (Rickard Rakell, J.T. Miller, Dario Trutmann and Scott Wedgewood) went to play for their respective countries at the 2012 World Junior Championships, and Mitchell Dempsey played for Ontario in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Plymouth still won five of six games in December.

While all five players were away, young players Matt Mistele, Danny Vanderwiel and Chris Albertini all scored their first OHL goals to help in winning efforts.  Payne played well, filling in for Rakell on a line with Garrett Meurs and Stefan Noesen.

Without making a deal, Plymouth enjoys outstanding offensive balance.  The Whalers are second in the OHL with 164 goals scored through 40 games, but has just one player (Noesen) in the OHL's Top 20 in scoring. 

Eight Whalers total between 44 and 32 points. The players include Noesen (18 goals, 26 assists for 44 points and 20th the OHL scoring race), Alex Aleardi (23-17=40), Miller (13-26=39), Rakell (17-21=38), Meurs (16-22=38), Mitchell Heard (20-17=37), Bathgate (13-24=37) and Beau Schmitz (11-21=32).

In addition, the Whalers have arguably the best goaltending tandem in the OHL with National Hockey League drafts Scott Wedgewood (New Jersey) and Matt Mahalak (Carolina).  Mahalak has better numbers - 2.13 GAA, 0.935 save percentage, as compared to Wedgewood’s 2.98 GAA and .907 save percentage - but both goaltenders have 14 wins.

On the blue line, Whalers captain Schmitz combines offense - 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 40 games – with mature play. It’s easy to overlook he’s +24.  Colin MacDonald (+24), Austin Levi (2-16=18, +11), Dario Trutmann (6-8=14, +9) and Curtis Crombeen (+14) don’t play with Schmitz’s offensive flair, but are solid, along with Nick Malysa (+9) and Dylan MacDonald.

From top to bottom, the Whalers work as a team every night.  That fact might be the best deal of all.

Plymouth plays in Kitchener on Friday (7:20pm, www.plymouthwhalers.com), before returning home Satirday to host Mississauga at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena.