A little later than originally planned, I’d like to welcome everyone back for the 2024/25 season! It goes without saying that the season didn’t start the way anyone had hoped, but I know everyone has been happy to see Fletch back around the rink over the last few weeks, and that has helped to make things seem a little more normal.
There was some quiet controversy this offseason, and a lot of people may not even been aware of it. With the increased focus on inclusion and making people (referees) feel safe, the league took the unprecedented step of escalating last year’s suspension to Motor MacDonald from 5 games for “shooting” the puck at a referee, to a one year ban from the league! Perhaps Devon was worried he was going to get stuck on Motor’s team this year? Or perhaps he’s just trying to put himself in position for favourable calls in the playoffs? Either way it certainly sends a strong message to anyone considering shooting, passing, or speaking in the direction of a referee. And speaking of a strong message, let’s take a look at this first edition of the 2024/25 NBC Power Rankings.
POWER RANKINGS |
 RANK: 1 RECORD: 6-2-1 This team rebranded in the offseason, shifting from peddling gummies to pushing lawn mowers. That’s a bold strategy for a reigning champion, so we’ll have to see how it plays out for them. One interesting side effect of the name change, it was noted that several players were devastated to learn that the “Double Ds” they thought they were going to play with turned out to only be Darren DeVries. Despite that initial let down, the group is off to a strong start on the ice. This is great news for them,as it looks like no team will need to do more this year, with less talent. Never before have we seen an entire team assembled of bottom 6 forwards and 8 th defensemen, so it will interesting to see if this group is able to continue to perform at a level beyond the sum of their parts. |
 RANK: 2 RECORD: 6-1-1 By about the 4th round of the draft, onlookers could start to see (hear) the problems with this team’s roster. Although Zack Korol’s flashy return as a sponsor may have come with pant shells and some nice uniforms, the heavy concentration of loud personalities on this team quickly stole the attention of observers. Lucky for Korol, that distraction appears to suit Josh Miller just fine, as he’s off to an impressive start, leading the league in points and already nearly halfway to his total from all of last year. Only time will tell if this team will be able to continue their early success, or if the constant whining and complaining from their bench will start to detract from their performance. |
 RANK: 3 RECORD: 5-1-2 The Mortgage Teacher is out to a strong start this season, currently sitting as the highest scoring team in the league. While they are led by Kevin Moon and Cole Jenner up front, with seven players already registering three goals or more, this roster has the most balanced attack in the league. On the back end this team has a mobile D core, led by the balletic Mike Mowry. The only question mark they may have is in goal, where Adam Alexander has been as inconsistent in his play (and attendance) as the gear he wears. |
 RANK: 4 RECORD: 4-4-0 Early in the season Blue Con looks to be still trying to decide what type of team they’re going to be. This group is the only team in the league where every skater has registered a point, but at the same time they don’t have a single player in the league’s top 12. You could argue they’re balanced, but their goals for minus goals against is only a plus one and they’ve given up the second most goals in the league. That’s not a combination to be proud of, and it certainly isn’t a blueprint for success at this level of hockey. Perhaps if a couple of the forwards came back in their own zone once and a while and introduced themselves to Bobby Raine, they might be able to translate a few less goals against, into a few more “W’s”. |
 RANK: 5 RECORD: 3-3-2 Despite not building a single house in the past year, local construction magnate and first year NBC sponsor Matt Spence managed to find time to try his hand at assembling a hockey team. While you may like his home designs, his roster construction leaves much to be improved upon. Case in point, Matt Pollard is third on the team in scoring. In this league, if your team is relying on someone who audibly cheers and celebrates with his arms in the air when he scores, chances are high that your team is going nowhere. Beyond the struggles upfront, this team has only managed to generate one goal from the defense so far, somehow capturing lightning in a bottle that one time when Matt Jansel attended a game. And if the situation with the skaters wasn’t enough to give you concern about this squad, I need only mention that they are also blessed with Erik Cochrane in goal. |
 RANK: 6 RECORD: 2-5-1 This team is obviously built around the idea that speed and talent are overrated in today’s game. Early returns suggest that drafting strategy may have been a mistake as they have struggled tremendously to score goals this season. Through their first 8 games they have been shut out twice (including once by Erik Cochrane) and held to 2 goals or less on 3 other occasions. With such a poor offence, goaltender Lance Scott will need to stay on his toes, like a midget at a urinal, if this team is to have any chance of success this year. |
 RANK: 7 RECORD: 2-6-0 TIGGS was the lowest scoring team in the league last year, and their first few games this year are sending the message that they’re well equipped to hold onto that title. While that may not seem impressive, it’s harder not to score than most would think simply due to the caliber of goaltending in this league. Speaking of goaltending,that leads us to the one big change to the TIGGS roster from last year. Last season, Ben Walmsley helped this team win close games as he posted one of the lowest GAAs in the league. However, this year TIGGS has Darryl Gilbert between the pipes,and he has historically struggled to hold teams to single digits. When you combine a league worst offence with one of the weakest goalies, you have to think TIGGS fans are already looking ahead to next year. |
 RANK: 8 RECORD: 0-6-2 This team was terrible last year and somehow got worse this season, which probably explains why they’re still searching for their first win. Unfortunately for them, the way they play, they are likely to be looking for a while. When Jeff Risdon is your leading scorer, you should be concerned. When he has as many goals as the rest of the team combined, you need to panic. On top of the underperforming offence, this team has surrendered the most goals in the league. With no offence or defence, it’s easy to see why Dave Grayson has been working the phones in an effort to overhaul his roster constantly since the draft. If they can’t make some big changes, they could be the first team ever not to qualify for the playoffs. |
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