Three Stars: April 29, 2019
1ST STAR: TRISTAN LENNOX (SAGINAW SPIRIT):
Thrust into action late in Game 2 of the Western Conference Championship Series, 16-year-old Tristan Lennox came in and gave his Saginaw Spirit a fighting chance right until the final buzzer of Game 7. Lennox turned aside 30 shots on Monday with a number of big saves to keep the Spirit within striking distance before they dropped a 3-2 decision and saw their season come to an end. Lennox played to a 2-4 record in the postseason with a 3.11 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Though the Spirit will lose a few bodies to graduation, their goaltending is in good hands for years to come with Lennox in the fold. The Cambridge, Ont. native isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2021.
2ND STAR: OWEN LALONDE (GUELPH STORM):
Smooth and steady blueliner Owen Lalonde picked up two assists on Monday, helping the Guelph Storm skate to a 3-2 road win over the Saginaw Spirit in Game 7 to be crowned Western Conference Champions. Lalonde, who had 41 points (7-34–41) this past season, picked up his first two points of the series and finished with a plus-2 rating as Guelph completed its second straight series comeback to bring Saginaw’s season to an end. A 19-year-old native of Windsor, Ont., Lalonde was the second overall pick of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. He attended training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs last September.
3RD STAR: DAMIEN GIROUX (SAGINAW SPIRIT):
Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux scored a pair of goals in Monday’s 3-2 Game 7 loss to the Guelph Storm. The Saginaw Spirit captain finished-off a Brady Gilmour feed 3:29 into the first period and scored to give the Spirit new hope with 1:04 left in regulation but it proved to be too little, too late. The 19-year-old Hanmer, Ont. native finished the postseason with 13 points (9-4–13) over 17 games after a 51-point (30-21–51) regular season. Expect Giroux to be a cornerstone of the 2019-20 Spirit that will see a number of talented names return to the lineup. Giroux was Minnesota’s fifth round pick last summer.
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