Flying under the radar, fuelled by wins
They finished second overall in the league during the regular season scoring bunches of goals in the process and giving up the third-fewest. Then they posted the best record in the playoffs so far en route to winning their conference title and advancing to the Ontario Hockey League finals.
Pretty good? Sure is. Almost certainly outstanding enough to get them noticed and perhaps bring a little hardware and glory into the dressing room, right?
You’d think. Yet the Hamilton Bulldogs haven’t exactly been feeling the love this season.
First, they were bypassed for hosting duties for the Memorial Cup. Once the year got going, 11 teams were featured on nationally televised games (Barrie had three) while Hamilton didn’t get make a single appearance. They had just one guy get recognized as OHL player of the week all regular season despite the team’s success.
Despite going 12-3 so far in the playoffs, they haven’t yet had a single player of the week in the post-season — the first week’s honouree came from Ottawa which Hamilton was in the process of crushing — and as the league big awards have been trickling in there has been nary a Bulldog among the recipients.
Do they feel a tad underappreciated?
“Maybe a little bit,” says Brandon Saigeon, owner of 12 goals in these playoffs including three game winners but no individual honours. “But at the end of the day, we’re winning and that’s really all that matters.”
OK, but does it ever get brought up in the dressing room when the press releases come out and the weekly winners are announced? That their work is being bypassed? “For sure,” he says, a smile starting to take over his face. “Some of the bigger name guys (on other teams), the golden
boys, get all the prestige. But I’m not worried about it right now.”
His view is echoed by player
after player. They all say roughly the same thing, individual guys deserve more recognition but
winning makes it irrelevant right now.
Goalie Kaden Fulcher says this lack of personal glory has allowed them to fly under the radar this season.
First-round NHL draft pick Robert Thomas — the one guy to be named player of the week — says they know how good they are without needing anyone to tell them.
Hamilton-born-and-raised Isaac Nurse says as long as they get two points each night everything is fine. Matt Strome says it’s all motivation.
So they don’t feel they’ve been overlooked?
“Nope,” says head coach John Gruden. “Doesn’t matter. That’s just noise.”
While he believes there are guys who deserved some recognition, he’s not bent out of shape about it. Instead, he’s looking at the positives.
First, the Bulldogs were on national TV twice last season and didn’t fare well either time. In fact, Gruden says they were awful. So they may have dodged a bullet this time.
More importantly, the lack of individual stars on a winning team means the team concept is working.
“That’s kind of a compliment, actually,” the coach says. “That means everyone’s doing their job.”
It could be interpreted that way, for sure. Besides, there is still the chance for some individual glory. If they win the championship — the series begins Thursday either in Sault Ste. Marie against the Greyhounds or here in Hamilton against the Kitchener Rangers — someone from the Bulldogs is bound to win the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP.
You’d think, anyway. sradley@thespec.com 905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Scott Radley Show weeknights 6-8 on 900CHML.