In junior hockey, player movement is constant; they come and go frequently. The result is it normally leaves a very small window for teams to capture a championship (like the 2006 Peterborough Petes team that won last year but did not make the playoffs this year). For the Whalers, it is this year or bust.

The team will lose five outstanding forwards next season: Evan Brophey (107 points), Daniel Ryder (92), James Neal (65), Tom Sestito (64), and Jared Boll (55). Four of those players (Ryder, Neal, Sestito and Boll) have already signed professional contracts with their NHL teams. The team, at the trade deadline mortgaged some of their future away (including forward John Armstrong) when acquiring forward Sean O’Conner from the Erie Otters, forward Ryder from the Peterborough Petes, and defenseman Steve Whitely from the Belleville Bulls.

The additions fit right in and the team kept rolling, finishing the regular season with a record of 49-14-2-3, just one point behind London for the overall regular season title. The Whalers used a mix of powerful offense with outstanding goaltending from Michal Neuvirth and Jeremy Smith, all the while getting solid defense from Ward, Brett Bellmore, and Zach Shepley. They finished the regular season ranked fifth in the CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings. Some players received some honors due to the Whalers success. Brophey was second to Tyler Donati as best overage player, head coach Mike Vellucci was named coach of the year, and goaltender Neuvirth finished second to Steve Mason for goaltender of the year.

Now into the playoffs, the team faced Guelph, beating them in four games (two of them were overtime wins). The team then beat second round opponent Kitchener in five, setting up the long awaited match-up of the two regular season powerhouses: Plymouth and London.

The Whalers took three of the four contests during the regular season. The only win that the Knights got was on October 14th, well before the Whalers made their run into one of the top teams not only in the OHL but in all of the CHL. Meeting in the conference finals, the Whalers took the first two games in convincing fashion, winning 5-1 in both contests.

The team is 10-1 in the playoffs and has continued to play the same style they did in the regular season, high scoring with terrific goaltending. After splitting the first series with Smith (2-0, 2.5 GAA, .900 SV %), Neuvirth (8-1, 2.31 GAA, .941 SV %) has taken the reigns the last two series going 6-1 and looking better and better every game. The Whalers seem primed for a Robertson Cup and a trip to the Memorial Cup if they keep playing like they have the last five months.