The past couple of seasons have been rough for the Mississauga Steelheads. Twice in a row, they finished eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs. They also struggled to score, finishing with the league’s lowest goal totals for two years in a row.
But today, despite the fact that the Steelheads currently find themselves sitting in seventh place, things are looking up. That’s because they’ve finally put together a consistent top line, with some veteran help on the blue line.
Much of Mississauga’s newfound offensive scoring is thanks to the recently acquired centreman Jimmy Lodge. After eyeing him for awhile, the Steelheads traded for Lodge in late November, slotting his sharp playmaking skills and strong vision between team-leading right winger Bryson Cianfrone and overaged Sam Babinstev. Lodge likes his new line. “From the very first game we clicked well together,” he says.
As an older player joining a fairly young team, Lodge brings leadership, scoring, and personality to the group. “I think he’s added a new dimension to our team,” says Steelheads coach and general manager, James Boyd.
His linemates seem to agree. “He’s a natural goal scorer, a really good player,” says Cianfrone of Lodge. “Sammy, on my left wing, is a really good player as well. He’s one of the older players and been in this league for three years so he knows how to get the puck in the net and how to set up plays. I’m a playmaker so I just try to get those guys the puck. It’s been working out so far.”
The three have scored a combined 35 points.
Lodge was playing top minutes with the Saginaw Spirit before making the move to Mississauga. A Philadelphia native, Lodge played minor midget in the Great Toronto Hockey League, and was happy to be able to play close to Toronto once again. He also welcomed the opportunity to play in the league’s Eastern Conference. “I think the East is more about scoring and high pace, while the West is more of a battle.”
In trading for Lodge, the Steelheads sent forward Jesse Barwell and defenceman DiTomaso to Saginaw along with three picks. It was a hefty price to pay, but indicative of just how highly the organization thought of him. “He’s very workmanlike, and he’s very serious about his game,” says Boyd.
“He’s a player who is trying to sign an NHL contract and I think that plays into it too.”
Lodge was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 84th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. He is one of two NHL-drafted players on the Steelheads roster, the other being their starting goaltender, Spencer Martin.
His experience at Jets’ training camp is something Cianfrone looks up to.
“This year I’ve really tried to step my game up because I want to get to the next level,” says Cianfrone. “Jimmy’s been to the next level. He works hard every day in the gym and on the ice.”
The Steelheads have also benefited from the addition of blueliner Brandon Devlin, who joined the team earlier in the season.
“[Devlin’s] another veteran guy and adds that experience to our defence core,” says Boyd. “He also really improves our power play, which is nowhere near where we want it to be, but he’s a key part of it when it’s working. He’s got a tremendous shot, he’s a big, strong guy and he’s another wealth of experience in the leadership department.”
The Steelheads traded for Devlin early in the season in exchange for two picks. After spending parts of five seasons with four different OHL clubs, he’ll finish his junior career in Mississauga. As an overager, he’s joined a much younger blue line. “It’s great to have a ’94 out there with our mostly young d-men,” Cianfrone says.
The next couple of weeks could be big for the Steelheads, as unlike many other teams, they haven’t lost any players to the World Junior Championship. According to Boyd, whether or not they take advantage lies in their approach.
“This time of year, some of the goofiest hockey is played in this league. There are players who have been away from home and players missing. We just have to concentrate on our process and the way that we’ve been playing.”