Burning Down the House

  The Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League lost to the Kelowna Rockets in last night’s match up in Kelowna as the Blazers were shut out 3-0 in regulation. It’s anything but down in the dumps for the Blazers, as it was the first regulation loss in 18 games – a loss that broke a franchise record of 14 straight victories. The winning streak breaks the previous record of 13, which was accomplished in both 1986-87 and 1989-90.

  The goal differential during their 16-1-1 record this season is equally impressive at 81 goals-for, and 41 goals-against.  As they head into their 19th game of the year tonight, this time back at home against the Prince George Cougars who sit 8th in the Eastern Conference, the Blazers are looking to get back to their winning ways.

  Heading this dynamic team are four particular forwards who are not only leading their team to unrivaled success, but they’re also leading the league with staggering numbers. The Blazers hold the top three positions in the 2012-13 scoring title chase, while the fourth member high in the rankings sits currently in 8th overall – in a three-way tie for sixth. Two of th Blazers, Colin Smith and JC Lipon, have been selected to represent Team WHL in the Subway Super Series on November 14th and 15th in Vancouver and Victoria against Team Russia.

  At this point, 19 year-old J.C. Lipon leads the WHL in points with 40, while 19 year-old Colin Smith sits 2nd with 39, 18 year-old Tim Bozon is 3rd with 31 points, and 20 year-old Brendan Ranford is 8th (tied for 6th) with 23 points.

  19 year-old J.C. Lipon, native of Regina, SK, is having the time of his life in his fourth year for the Blazers. In 18 games, Lipon has scored 16 goals and 24 assists for a league leading 40 points. In less than a quarter of the games he appeared in last season, he sits just 25 points behind his personal record-best year.

  As tribute to the outstanding start for the young winger, the WHL has recognized and dubbed him as the ‘Player of the Month.” While all of his points were through the first 17 games, he had at the time been on the second longest points scoring streak, behind only his teammate Colin Smith who finished at 14 straight games having scored points. Lipon, prior to last night’s loss, had also maintained a +17 rating, but has dropped one in this category heading into tonight’s game. Four times has Lipon been named the first star of the game out of a total eight ‘three star’ appearances. For the week ending on October 7th and 14th, he was named the WHL and CHL Player of the Week, while this is Lipon’s first WHL Player of the Month Award.

"He's now taking his game to another level. JC is a hard-working and dedicated individual. I don't think he ever expected this to happen…to be the face of junior hockey at this point, but it's a credit to him." Kamloops Blazers Head Coach Guy Charron said, having nothing but praise for his winger.

  Lipon’s style of play is not just that of a scoring forward, but a forward determined to play hard along the boards and fight for every inch to make scoring chances happen.

“I have lots of little things to touch up on,” Lipon noted. “A big thing is consistency, playing good hockey in the defensive zone and just to keep getting better at everything.”

“Playing good in the defensive zone allows offensive chances to come.”

  Incredibly, Lipon has gone undrafted since his debut with the Blazers in the 2009-10 season. In fact, Lipon was even passed up in the WHL Bantam Draft. That, most assuredly will change if he continues to display such offensive excellence. Lipon has led his team to the top, and along with his teammates seems unstoppable at this point.

“Everything is just coming together,” Lipon said when asked of his team’s success. “We have a lot of experience, lots of character in the room, [and the] young guys, especially on the back-end, are really buying in.”

  Lipon’s failure to be drafted by this juncture is never the less going to be a thing of the past. Having admittedly based his game around that of T.J. Oshie, he has shown the ability to dig tirelessly to retrieve the puck from his opponent in the offensive zone, and has distributed and placed it with flying colors game after game. It is quite obvious that Lipon has found his niche.

“I just wasn’t ready at the right times I guess. There are always some late bloomers out there,” Lipon told Hockey’s Future. “I never really had any doubts, but there were some things I couldn’t control. When coaches did give me opportunities, I just went for it.”

  Lipon may have already had a contract at this point, as he was invited to fellow teammate Collin Smith’s NHL affiliate’s training camp, the Colorado Avalanche, but his chance was stymied by the NHL lockout.

  His dominance is only rivaled by one other thus far, his teammate Colin Smith.

  Smith, who was drafted 192nd overall in the 7th round by the Colorado Avalance in the 2012NHL Entry Draft sits just one single point behind the WHL’s league leading Lipon. The Blazers selected Smith in the 1st round – 7th overall in the 2008 WHL Draft, and in 218 games with the club he has recorded 74 goals and 128 assists.

  In the week ending on October 22nd, Smith earned his fair praise from the WHL as well, as he earned the WHL ‘Player of the Week’ recognition. The 2010-11 WHL  Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year) Award winner is also in his fourth (complete) season with the Blazers, and has tallied 13 goals and 26 assists through 18 games of play.

  Smith, though at a relatively small frame of 5’11 and 175lbs. may just be a diamond in the rough type of find for the ever improving and extremely young Colorado Avalanche group in the future. Smith finished second to teammate Brendan Ranford on the team in points last season where he posted an impressive 35 goals and 85 points, and is proving that he only intends to move up.

  The third man on the dynamic top line that is offensively blowing the WHL away is 18 year-old Tim Bozon. Bozon finished third on the Blazers’ scoring list last season with 36 goals and 71 points, and is currently third in the WHL with 14 goals and 31 points. He was selected by Kamloops 27th overall  in the first round of the 2011 CHL Import Draft.

  Bozon was selected 64th overall in the 3rd round by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the highest pick of the four Blazers’ stars, and has carried with him from his play in homeland Switzerland the offensive skill sets to carry him to the top. His quick release and ability to elude defenders has put him in the position of the top line, and will continue to grow in only his second season with the Blazers.

  Brendan Ranford, who led his team last season with 40 goals and 92 points, may be behind this top line of point-producing mayhem, but is poised to keep on track having gotten off to a great start himself. So far this season Ranford has netted 7 goals and 23 points, and is helping to round out the Blazers’ complete offensive package.

  Ranford heads into his fifth full year with Kamloops, and is itching to make the jump to the next level. Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 7th round (209th overall) in 2010, Ranford was returned to the Blazers where ever since he has totaled 294 regular season games, notching 122 goals and 293 points.

  The Blazers are the most exciting team in the WHL at this point, and with this offensive power house rounded out by the four aforementioned forwards, the Blazers are in a prime position to clinch the CHL Memorial Cup Championship title since the back-to-back championships of 1994 and 1995. The Blazers are the team to watch, and the duel amongst its’ young offensive core through the rest of the year will be a delight. Lipon will be signed, and the question on everyone’s mind throughout the CHL and NHL respectively is where he will in fact play one day.

- Kendall Grubbs