There are now ten banners hanging from the rafters of the iconic Duck Dome - GM Collard and his Wild Ducks employing an explosive forward attack, the league’s best defense and just enough goaltending points to seize their league record 10th FHL Cup championship.When the NHL season was shortened to 48 games by a labor dispute in 2012-13, GM Collard took stock, modified his approach and captured the FHL Cup.
Given any set of circumstances, the Ducks find a way to win. Strike-abbreviated seasons, full 82-game seasons, and now, a season cut short by a global pandemic.
This year’s championship padded the Wild Ducks already ridiculous winning percentage, the Ducks having now won 38.5% of the FHL Cups awarded in the 27-year history of the league.
That’s not a typo, I double-checked the math.
In years past GM Collard literally traded his way to the title; filling holes and shoring-up his team by conducting a series of shrewd swaps. GM Collard always leads the league in “trades made.”
Not this year.
While it wasn’t for a lack of trying, the Ducks traded just nine players en route to the championship. While “nine” might be a high number of trades for most teams, it was an unusually light year for the Original Six boss.
With regard to the accumulation of a league-best 1178.2 points - an average of 52.6 points per week - goals galore (not to be confused with goalies galore) would prove to be the muscle that lifted the Ducks to the 2019-20 title.
Alexander Ovechkin (48) and Auston Matthews (47) combined for 95 markers; the two first-round draft picks finishing No. 1 and No. 3 in “goals scored” - Matthews netting one bonus-heavy hat trick while the ageless 34 year-old Ovechkin would trick the twine a league-best four times.
While the barrier created by Ovechkin and Matthews was largely impenetrable, it was the inspired play of defenseman Roman Josi that helped distance the Ducks from the field.
Drafted with the third pick in the second round, Josi scored 16 goals and collected 49 assists; 65 points in 69 games. Josi was in rare form from the middle of December to early January. During a nine-game stretch, the 29 year-old defender ripped 7 goals (in five games) and doled-out 10 assists; many of the numbers resulting in opponent-crushing bonus points.
While these was nothing typical about the 2019-20 campaign, some things never change - GM Collard’s outright disdain for goaltenders.
As he has done in years past, Collard ignored the goalie position until late in the eight-round draft; waiting until the 5th round to ink his first backstop.
Employing his Cup-proven “find them as you go” strategy, GM Collard started 14 different goaltenders during the 23 week season (that’s not a typo either) routinely acquiring the backup of struggling and/or injured starters.
The strategy (again) worked to Cup-hoisting perfection.
With his league-best performance, GM Collard’s (crowded) mantel is now home to 10 FHL Cups. GM Collard’s bank account is also a bit more crowded, the 2019-20 championship resulting in a $510.00 haul.
Congratulations to GM Collard and his Wild Ducks, again.
Drafted by GM Henry in the first round, star forward John Tavares was asked to lead the Ice Hogs to the FHL Promised Land. The end result was “Mission Unaccomplished,” the Hogs falling 39.4 points short of what would have been their third FHL Cup.On draft day, when the 13th pick in the first round rolled around, GM Henry selected John Tavares. Henry could have nabbed Auston Matthews (as could have ten other GM’s). Tavares was good (26g, 34a) but Matthews (47g, 33a) - drafted by the Wild Ducks - would prove to be a difference-maker, the missed opportunity one big reason why the Hogs weren’t able to get their mitts on the coveted FHL chalice.
Another reason - contend many a pundit - is that the season was cut short. The contention may be valid given the Hogs took a huge step toward first place (outscoring the Ducks 14.0 to 1.0) on March 11th, a day prior to “The Pause.”
Regardless of what may have been in 2019-20, the Ice Hogs will officially be known as the second best team in the league; a designation that provides GM Henry with a check for $212.50.
The SC Cobras lay claim to 3rd place and it’s $127.50 prize; the 5th year franchise riding the leagues best forward attack to their first Top 3 finish.
The Polar Bears endured a brutal campaign, the 2016 champion now the 4th team to have won both the FHL Cup and the Laughing Bag - the league’s booby prize for finishing dead last.On March 11th the Polar Bears were trailing the first place team by 333.2 points - and stood 116.1 steps from ground level (11th place). On March 12th - when the plug was pulled on the season - GM Elya was finally relieved of his pain, the Bears saddled with their first-ever Laughing Bag.
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