Coaches’ poll reveals interesting choices
By Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury –
Of course you also wonder how much of the voting is done based on statistics or reputation.
The Guelph Storm didn’t fare too well in the annual voting among Western Conference coaches, which was released Thursday. Coaches nominate one of their own players in each of the 16 categories, then vote. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players.
Four Storm players finished third in different categories.
Defenceman Sam Lofquist finished third in the hardest shot category, well behind Windsor’s Ryan Ellis and top vote getter Jacob Muzzin of Sault Ste. Marie. Kind of an odd choice for a guy who only had five goals like Lofquist did.
There would be a strong argument to be made that Lofquist doesn’t even have the hardest shot on the Storm, never mind one of the hardest in the league. Adam Comrie has a howitzer, but perhaps actually getting the shot on net was part of the voters’ thinking.
The Storm’s Peter Holland (pictured) finished third in the best shot category, behind winner Ryan Ellis of Windsor and runner-up Jeremy Morin of Kitchener. Holland does have a great wrist shot when he gets it off. Accurate and hard.
