The Plymouth Whalers head into the OHL season expecting to be missing last year's biggest star.
The Plymouth Whalers aren't waiting for a courtesy call from the Boston Bruins to begin life after Tyler Seguin.
The second overall pick in last summer's National Hockey League draft is as good as gone in the minds of the Whalers. Although other rival Ontario Hockey League teams are seeing the return of their star players from NHL camps, Whalers head coach and general manager Mike Vellucci isn't holding his breath on Seguin one week into the new season.
"There's no hope whatsoever," Vellucci joked. "With all seriousness, I don't expect him back at all. If he did (come back), great. But I think there's less than a five per cent chance (he comes back). I believe he's going to earn a spot there and we wish him luck."
The Whalers began to bid their star adieu at the conclusion of last season, as Vellucci hardly needed to hear from the Bruins that Seguin was NHL-ready.
But Seguin's rise to the NHL ranks had less to do with his maturity and preparation than it did the team that drafted him, some experts claimed. Boston, a playoff caliber team loaded with centers, may have a lineup which is hard for the rookie to crack.
That is, unless Vellucci hadn't already prepared him for it.
"Two years ago I explained to him if he wanted to make an NHL team as an 18-year-old he was going to have to be able to play all three positions," Vellucci explained. "He accepted it and thrived under it."
It remains to be seen if Seguin will play the wing and not center in Boston, let alone whether they hold onto him all season. Vellucci claims he hasn't gone seeking that answer from the Bruins, as the Whalers' club policy is not to call pro teams asking for status reports on their players.
"They'll make the decision based on what's best for their team and for Tyler and they'll notify us when they decide," he said.
That doesn't mean the Whalers aren't interested in other players still at camps. Plymouth could see the return of two overage forwards in James Livingston and Robbie Czarnik who attended NHL camps with Edmonton and Los Angeles respectively. Both are unsigned, but eligible to join the American Hockey League.
So how do the Whalers begin replacing the 106 points scored by Seguin a year ago? The first step paid immediate dividends when Vellucci traded a pair of second-round picks to Belleville for local forward Alex Aleardi. The 18-year-old scored seven goals and had eight points in the opening week of the season, earning both OHL and Canadian Hockey League player of the week honours.
Another move is by grooming the young players already in the fold. The team's first-round priority selection pick in 2009, forward Garrett Meurs, is fresh off winning the gold-medal with Team Canada at this summer's under-18 tournament.
Meurs, once dubbed 'Mini-Seguin' by teammates at training camp last season, could be on the verge of a breakout after an impressive rookie season a year ago. Aside from a nickname bearing his former teammate's name that the 17-year-old now claims ended just as quickly as it started, there's not much of a comparison between the two.
"Garrett's a totally different player," said Vellucci. "I think he's more of a scorer than Tyler was. Tyler sees the ice and he can slow it down whereas Garrett has that fast pace, the thoroughbred kind of skating stride. He takes the puck hard to the net and he's got really good hands."
Meurs credits Seguin as a role model and inspiration last season, but isn't going to argue with the added minutes he's about to receive via his departed teammate.
"It's a little bit of pressure there, but it's also a great opportunity for me to show everyone what I can do (and) not being in the shadow of Seguin anymore," he said.
Being a teammate of Tyler Seguin last season meant an up-close and personal look at the process involving a top draft prospect. Although Meurs doesn't have the same hype surrounding his second season, he could still find his way into the draft's opening round.
"It really showed me what I have to be prepared for and it's helped me knowing what's going to happen," Meurs admits.
"(Meurs) had a heck of an underage year on a team with a lot of depth and players wanted to play with him so that's always a good sign," Vellucci added.
Whether Seguin's OHL days are numbered, it's clear the road isn't as rocky for the Whalers who are prepared for life after a superstar.
