Stewart eyes Cup to close Junior career
May 25, 2005 20:59:53 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2005 20:59:53 GMT -5
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LONDON, ON. - Summer may officially be less than a month away, but Danny Stewart is as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Since Saturday, the forward and his teammates on the Rimouski Oceanic have been in the midst of the chase for the Memorial Cup, an honor the club claimed five years ago. For Junior players, there isn't a better time of the year.
Stewart, drafted 123rd overall by the Canadiens in 2003, has the chance to cap his Junior career in style by laying claim to the symbol of junior hockey supremacy in Canada. The Oceanic's chances in the tournament are looking good thus far - any team that enjoyed a 35-game undefeated streak this year would have to be a favorite - but the charges of Doris Labonte are well aware they won't be receiving any gifts in their pursuit of the Memorial Cup.
"We're ready," confirmed Stuart ahead of his departure for the tournament in London, ON, last week. "It's obvious a lot of pressure will be on us because a lot of people expected us to be here way back at the start of the season. The simple fact is, now we have to deliver the merchandise."
With the eyes of countless pro scouts, NHL brass, and fans squarely on Rimouski (and a certain prospect called Sidney Crosby) for the duration of its time in the tournament, Stewart recognizes he'll never again have as good a platform to showcase his talents for a potential future career in the NHL.
"The media coverage surrounding this tournament is huge," he admitted. "I need to prove I can raise my game to the highest levels when it counts the most."
After the big three of Crosby, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, and Dany Roussin, it's up to Stewart to fuel the Oceanic's charge alongside linemates Mark Tobin and Zbynek Hrdel.
"We all know what we need to accomplish, so we're all working toward the same goal," said Charlottetown, P.E.I. native. "It's a cliché, but if we want to drink from the Cup we need to get there as a team. There isn't a bigger tournament for us to play in, and we're all focused on coming out of it on top."
There was a time not so long ago where the Oceanic were far from even contemplating reaching the Memorial Cup, let alone winning it. The club got off to a lackluster start to open the 2004-05 campaign, failing to meet the lofty expectations held by many observers. Stewart struggled out of the gate in his own right, and drew some pointed criticism from his coach that a lack of discipline was central to his lack of production. By his own admission, his play back in the fall fell well short of that which made him a promising pick for Montreal two years ago.
"It's true," he conceded. "At the start of the year, we were definitely scuffling. The guys weren't playing with much energy and we were always seeming to miss a little something. There were several games we lost as a direct result of our own mistakes. At one point, though, it was as if everyone rolled up their sleeves and decided to play a full 60 minutes every night."
The Oceanic's success in the postseason has helped Stewart erase some memories of a regular campaign that was a relative disappointment on a personal level. Benefiting in part from the artistry of occasional linemate Crosby, the 20-year-old amassed 67 points in 69 games for Rimouski in 2003-04. This past year, he earned just 52 points in 70 games.
"I wasn't playing well at the start of the season, but what matters is that I got things turned around, and the team got things turned around," Stewart noted. "As a unit we struck the word 'defeat' from our vocabulary, and for much of the past three months we've been invincible."
In the playoffs, Stewart netted an impressive 14 points in 11 games to help his team win the President's Cup against the evenly-matched Halifax Mooseheads. In 2003-04, he collected four points in nine games that were nowhere near as memorable for Rimouski.
Stewart's focus at the moment, however, is squarely on the present, not even the recent past. He is cognizant of the fact his club has much work remaining in the days ahead should it realize its ultimate goal.
"We need to be more physical, because we know that teams in the Memorial Cup hit hard and skate like there's no tomorrow," he said. "We can't back down from anyone, because games are decided in the corners. Irrespective of whether opponents drop the gloves or take an early lead, we'll simply refuse to be intimidated."
Though the Oceanic might still have some rough seas ahead, their collective will is clearly steering them in the right direction.
LONDON, ON. - Summer may officially be less than a month away, but Danny Stewart is as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Since Saturday, the forward and his teammates on the Rimouski Oceanic have been in the midst of the chase for the Memorial Cup, an honor the club claimed five years ago. For Junior players, there isn't a better time of the year.
Stewart, drafted 123rd overall by the Canadiens in 2003, has the chance to cap his Junior career in style by laying claim to the symbol of junior hockey supremacy in Canada. The Oceanic's chances in the tournament are looking good thus far - any team that enjoyed a 35-game undefeated streak this year would have to be a favorite - but the charges of Doris Labonte are well aware they won't be receiving any gifts in their pursuit of the Memorial Cup.
"We're ready," confirmed Stuart ahead of his departure for the tournament in London, ON, last week. "It's obvious a lot of pressure will be on us because a lot of people expected us to be here way back at the start of the season. The simple fact is, now we have to deliver the merchandise."
With the eyes of countless pro scouts, NHL brass, and fans squarely on Rimouski (and a certain prospect called Sidney Crosby) for the duration of its time in the tournament, Stewart recognizes he'll never again have as good a platform to showcase his talents for a potential future career in the NHL.
"The media coverage surrounding this tournament is huge," he admitted. "I need to prove I can raise my game to the highest levels when it counts the most."
After the big three of Crosby, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, and Dany Roussin, it's up to Stewart to fuel the Oceanic's charge alongside linemates Mark Tobin and Zbynek Hrdel.
"We all know what we need to accomplish, so we're all working toward the same goal," said Charlottetown, P.E.I. native. "It's a cliché, but if we want to drink from the Cup we need to get there as a team. There isn't a bigger tournament for us to play in, and we're all focused on coming out of it on top."
There was a time not so long ago where the Oceanic were far from even contemplating reaching the Memorial Cup, let alone winning it. The club got off to a lackluster start to open the 2004-05 campaign, failing to meet the lofty expectations held by many observers. Stewart struggled out of the gate in his own right, and drew some pointed criticism from his coach that a lack of discipline was central to his lack of production. By his own admission, his play back in the fall fell well short of that which made him a promising pick for Montreal two years ago.
"It's true," he conceded. "At the start of the year, we were definitely scuffling. The guys weren't playing with much energy and we were always seeming to miss a little something. There were several games we lost as a direct result of our own mistakes. At one point, though, it was as if everyone rolled up their sleeves and decided to play a full 60 minutes every night."
The Oceanic's success in the postseason has helped Stewart erase some memories of a regular campaign that was a relative disappointment on a personal level. Benefiting in part from the artistry of occasional linemate Crosby, the 20-year-old amassed 67 points in 69 games for Rimouski in 2003-04. This past year, he earned just 52 points in 70 games.
"I wasn't playing well at the start of the season, but what matters is that I got things turned around, and the team got things turned around," Stewart noted. "As a unit we struck the word 'defeat' from our vocabulary, and for much of the past three months we've been invincible."
In the playoffs, Stewart netted an impressive 14 points in 11 games to help his team win the President's Cup against the evenly-matched Halifax Mooseheads. In 2003-04, he collected four points in nine games that were nowhere near as memorable for Rimouski.
Stewart's focus at the moment, however, is squarely on the present, not even the recent past. He is cognizant of the fact his club has much work remaining in the days ahead should it realize its ultimate goal.
"We need to be more physical, because we know that teams in the Memorial Cup hit hard and skate like there's no tomorrow," he said. "We can't back down from anyone, because games are decided in the corners. Irrespective of whether opponents drop the gloves or take an early lead, we'll simply refuse to be intimidated."
Though the Oceanic might still have some rough seas ahead, their collective will is clearly steering them in the right direction.
