Silvertips still buzzing about being over .500

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, November 26, 2003

EVERETT – After the Everett Silvertips defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 2-1 on Saturday to move above the .500 mark for the first time in franchise history, the sounds emanating from the Tips’ locker room were those of a party.

Several days have passed since that victory, giving the jubilation a chance to subside, but there has still been a buzz around practice this week about having a winning record 23 games into the inaugural season (10-9-1).

“I think it’s a huge accomplishment for the organization and all the guys in the dressing room,” defenseman Mitch Love said. “We’ve worked really hard here ever since our 0-4-1 start and we’ve really turned things around. And what better time to get it than Saturday night in Seattle against our I-5 rivals.

“I think it’s a huge confidence boost,” Love added. “A team like us was not expected to do that well, but we’re doing fairly well right now and it’s going to make some noise throughout the league.”

Everett had three previous chances at breaking the .500 barrier, but the Tips lost 3-2 in overtime at Kelowna, lost 5-2 at Vancouver and lost 4-2 at home to Spokane. The fourth time proved the charm.

“I think it’s great that we finally did it,” left wing Jeff Schmidt said. “It was our fourth try at beating .500 and finally we all stepped up and got over that plateau. So I think our expectations are just getting higher and higher. First it was to just be .500. Now we’re over .500, so hopefully we can keep going and try to get up to first place.”

Grooming: Taylor Ellington, the Silvertips’ third-round pick in the 2003 Bantam Draft, took full advantage of Everett’s open-door practice policy, spending much of the week with the team.

The 15-year-old Ellington, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defenseman from Victoria, British Columbia, arrived in Everett on Monday and returned home today. In between he had the opportunity to hone his skills against superior competition.

“It’s awesome,” said Ellington, who has three goals, 10 assists and 86 penalty minutes in 22 games for his Junior B team, the Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey Association.

“It’s sort of (intimidating),” Ellington added. “I already play against older kids. It’s just that these guys are so much faster.”

Everett has a policy where any of the Tips’ listed players can attend and participate in practice, provided they give advance notice. A handful of players have attended single practices. Ellington is the first to arrange for an extended stay with the team.

“We enjoy having some of our protected listed players come in and skate,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “I think it’s good for them to get used to things, make it so it’s not such a big deal next year when they’re going to be part of our team.”

And how did Ellington look?

“I think he was very good out there,” Constantine said. “I didn’t think he looked out of place. I actually think he’s gotten quite a bit better from when he was with us in training camp and the exhibition schedule. It’s pretty exciting. He’s a big, strong, young kid who’s learning the game and getting better.”

Ruzicka rating: The Red Line Report, an independent scouting service based in Lake Placid, N.Y., listed Everett forward Martin Ruzicka 105th in its November rankings of players eligible for the 2004 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Ruzicka, a native of Beroun in the Czech Republic who turns 18 on Dec. 12, has one goal and five assists in 22 games for the Silvertips in his first season in the WHL.

Russian left wing Alexandre Ovechkin is ranked No. 1. The top-ranked WHL player is Medicine Hat defender Cam Barker, who is listed fourth.

No other Silvertip was among the 172 players ranked.

Around the WHL: Everett moved up two more places in the Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll and is now ranked 13th. Kelowna consolidated its place at the top of the poll, pulling in 14 of the 16 first-place votes. Fourth-place Swift Current earned the other two first-place votes. Kamloops and Moose Jaw were tied for second. … Swift Current forward Alex Leavitt was named the WHL Player of the Week for Nov. 17-23. Leavitt, a 19-year-old rookie, had six goals and five assists to lead the Broncos to a 4-0 record for the week. He is the first player to win the award twice this season. … Kamloops center Erik Christensen, the WHL’s reigning scoring champion, will be sidelined for eight games after undergoing surgery to repair damage to the bursa sac in his right ankle. Christensen, who led the league in goals (54) and points (108) last season, has eight goals and 12 assists in 23 games this season.