The Minnesota Dockheads are headed into a long offseason earlier than they wanted, and make no mistake, ownership is not pleased. An early exit from the Beacon Cup Playoffs is not the standard this organization expects, and after a series that featured narrow margins and missed opportunities, there is real frustration surrounding how this season came to a close.

Still, disappointment and belief can exist at the same time.

Minnesota’s first-round loss to the Orcas was not a series where the Dockheads were completely outclassed. In fact, they were right there nearly every night. Game 1 ended in a 2-1 regulation loss. Game 2 was a 3-2 overtime defeat. Game 3 saw the Dockheads fall 4-2 on home ice. Facing elimination, Minnesota answered with an overtime win in Game 4 to extend the series and show the fight that remained in the room. But in Game 5, the Dockheads were shut out 2-0, ending their season in frustrating fashion.

That is what will sting the most.

This was not a team that folded. This was not a team that got embarrassed. This was a team that battled shift after shift, stayed within reach, and simply could not find the extra play or bounce needed to turn the series. And that is the cruel reality of playoff hockey. Winning the Beacon Cup is incredibly hard. Every mistake is magnified, every missed chance matters, and every opponent left standing is dangerous.

Ownership is clearly unhappy with the result, but there is still a strong sense that this core group deserves continued faith. With the expansion draft approaching, that becomes even more important. This organization now faces an offseason where difficult decisions may have to be made, but there is still reason to believe the foundation in place is good enough to compete again.

As for the Orcas, this writer believes they are good enough to finish the job. After surviving a hard-fought series with Minnesota, they look like a team built for this moment, and I expect them to go on and win the championship.

For the Dockheads, the ending is painful. But with the expansion draft looming and a core still worth trusting, this may not be the end of a window, only a hard lesson in how difficult it is to reach the top.

 In what may be his last game in pro hockey Privateers C Zackary Nowry left nothing in the tank.  Nowry recorded 3 goals in a 4 - 2 victory over the Miami Trident.   Nowry finishes the season with 36 goals, 35 assists for a total of 71 points.   If this is in fact his last game his career line reads 397 Games Played  172 Goals, 208 Assists for a total of 380 Points.   He also had 35 playoff games with an additional 30 points.   Nowry played in 3 All Star Games and made the Cup Finals one time back in Season 3.   

Gentlemen, as we wrap up the regular season I want to lay out what is coming up so you can all be prepared.  

Pro/Farm Playoffs will run as normal.  As quickly as possible after the playoffs we will handle retirements, rerates and aging.  

We will then have a quick window for GMs to submit their protection lists for the Expansion Draft.  Hopefully you all have started planning and the rerates will just finalize what you already have planned.  

During World Juniors (roughly 13 Days) the Lumberjacks and Redtails will plot and scheme, and maybe make some deals before the Expansion Draft begins.  

When World Juniors is complete we will run the Expansion Draft. 

We will then move on to the regular Season 6 Draft and Free Agency.  

Please be prepared especially for the expansion protection lists.  You have a lot of time during the playoffs to get that figured out.  We have a lot to accomplish this offseason and nobody wants to be waiting around for one person to get it together.  

Since the recent coach change, the Miami trident are now 8-2 in their last 10 games. New coach Trudel wanted to shuffle lines and rightfully so with the team previous performances. That puts the newly aquired 3 time all star Jimmy Ruddel on the first line with Kennelly and Larochelle, and Lokhanov on the 2nd line with Koonts and Peltokangas. Ruddell's impact is already noticeable: The first line is now scoring again (9pts for Ruddell and Larochelle and 10 for Kennelly in the last 11 games) and on the 2nd line, the Lokhanov-Koonts duo is on fire (13 pts in 11 games for Lokhanov and 15 in 11 games for Koonts). Granted, this is a small sample to truly evaluate Trudel's impact on the team but one thing is for sure: The Miami Trident are looking more and more like they did at the start of the season. 

The Trade Deadline is this Sunday February 22nd at 6PM EST.  

All trades must be agreed to and posted by this time.  NO EXCEPTIONS.  

Contract Extensions will remain open until March 1st so that newly acquired players can be extended.