2014–15 CSC season

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2014–15 CSC Season
League The Conn Smythe Corner
Sport Ice hockey
Duration October 8th, 2014 – April 5th, 2015
Number of teams 16
Regular season
Season champions Atlanta Thrashers
Top scorer Alex Ovechkin (Montreal(W))
Playoffs
CSC1 champions Atlanta Thrashers
  CSC1 runners-up St. Louis Eagles
CSC2 champions VAN Millionaires
  CSC2 runners-up Colorado Rockies
Cam Ward Cup
Champions Atlanta Thrashers
  Runners-up VAN Millionaires
CSC seasons

The 2014–15 CSC season was the third season of operation of the Conn Smythe Corner (CSC). The regular season began on October 8, 2014 and ended on March 16, 2015, with the playoffs to follow until April 5. This was the first season slated to end a week earlier on the calendar as a result of the controversy of the Cam Ward Cup Finals in 2014.

For the second consecutive season, several GMs met for an in-person draft at the John Molson School of Business in Montreal. To accommodate those who could not be there in person, the draft was held online over Yahoo!. The draft was held on the 13th floor, one higher than the previous season, demonstrating the quickly growing prestige of the CSC.

League business[edit | edit source]

Team Movement[edit | edit source]

One franchise was moved following the end of the 2013-2014 CSC Season.

The Columbus Chill relocated to Vancouver and undertook a new identity: the VAN Millionaires. Andreas Lyberopoulos retained his position as GM after a decent showing in 2013-14.

While teams are normally required to allocate a portion of their waiver budget relocating, the Millionaires were absolved of this payment after pointing out a mistake made by the commissioner when assigning keeper positions to players: Brent Burns was to be kept by Vancouver for a Round 5 pick, but was occupying a spot in the 11th round. In a demonstration of nobility and selflessness, the younger Lyberopoulos notified the commissioner's office of the error, with the league covering the waiver budget relocation cost in return.

New Waiver Rules[edit | edit source]

Once again, team budgets were set to match the salary cap of the NHL. Teams were allotted $69 million (USD) each, another sign of growth for the CSC.

League Structure[edit | edit source]

In a shift from the four division structure of the first two seasons, the league divided itself into two conferences of eight teams. The conferences were once again named after the general managers of the two teams that participated in the finals of the prior season. The winner of each conference would clinch a playoff spot, and the rest of the seeding would be determined based on team record.

Scanlan Conference Raizenne Conference
Cleveland Barons Colorado Rockies
St. Louis Eagles Montreal Wanderers
Atlanta Thrashers KC Scouts
Cornwall Aces Cal Golden Seals
VAN Millionaires Miami Matadors
North Stars QC Athletic Club
Hartford Whalers Philadelphia Quakers
Brooklyn Americans Montreal Maroons

The Draft[edit | edit source]

The second CSC Draft was held on October 4th, with the draft order being determined based on the previous season's results. The higher a team's finish in the regular season, the higher the draft pick, with the two finalists picking first and second. This season, the top eight picks would be dependent on their playoff finish as opposed to only the top two. In a first in the CSC's history, the defending champion Atlanta Thrashers traded the first overall pick, along with their sixth round pick and Tyler Johnson to the Cornwall Aces for Ryan Johansen and Cornwall's first and second round picks. Cornwall GM Brahm Hurwitz would select Sidney Crosby first overall.

Regular season[edit | edit source]

Beginning on October 8th, each team would play 21 matches. Each team would play each other at least once, with between ten and thirteen matches within a team's conference depending on scheduling.

Postponements[edit | edit source]

The Toronto Maple LeafsOttawa Senators game originally scheduled for October 22 was postponed due to the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa.[1] The game was rescheduled for November 9.[2]

The New York RangersBuffalo Sabres game originally scheduled for November 21 was postponed due to the winter weather-related difficulties in the area. The game was rescheduled for February 20, 2015, displacing a Sabres home game with the Senators that was originally scheduled for the same day. That game was moved to December 15, 2014, as a result of the rescheduling of the Rangers–Sabres game.[3]

As a result of these postponements, the players scheduled to play these games were unavailable for their respective CSC franchises on these nights.

Standings[edit | edit source]

Rank Team W-L-T Pct Div Pts Waiver Budget Waiver Moves
Scanlan Conference
*1. Atlanta Thrashers 15-6-0 .714 9-3-0 8261.25 $4000000 16 60
*2. VAN Millionaires 14-7-0 .667 6-5-0 7979.75 $496107 9 48
*3. St. Louis Eagles 16-5-0 .762 9-3-0 7991.25 $36599865 6 31
*6. Cornwall Aces 12-9-0 .571 6-6-0 7527.25 $36249990 3 15
*8. North Stars 13-8-0 .619 5-5-0 7901.00 $45695018 12 11
9. Cleveland Barons 11-10-0 .524 5-6-0 7604.25 $6955623 13 67
11. Brooklyn Americans 8-13-0 .381 3-10-0 6953.50 $18354993 5 17
13. Hartford Whalers 7-14-0 .333 3-8-0 7129.50 $18789375 4 29
Raizenne Conference
*4. Colorado Rockies 16-5-0 .762 7-3-0 8413.25 $16347587 2 36
*5. Montreal Wanderers 13-8-0 .619 7-4-0 7685.50 $3699823 14 33
*7. Cal Golden Seals 14-7-0 .667 9-3-0 8325.50 $999999 15 41
10. Philadelphia Quakers 9-12-0 .429 7-6-0 6517.25 $51220000 11 14
12. KC Scouts 8-13-0 .381 7-4-0 6807.25 $42049999 7 29
14. Miami Matadors 7-14-0 .333 5-6-0 6648.00 $43936790 10 12
15. Montreal Maroons 3-18-0 .143 3-9-0 5887.50 $300000 1 19
16. QC Athletic Club 2-19-0 .095 1-11-0 5051.50 $27250000 8 24

Milestones[edit | edit source]

The Atlanta Thrashers became the first team to ever successfully defend their championship, backed by the strength of a record setting 11 game winning streak. Neither feat has been equaled. Marco Scanlan's 2014-15 Thrashers are considered the greatest team in CSC history, according to himself.

The St. Louis Eagles and Colorado Rockies would each tie the record for wins in a season with sixteen.

QC Athletic Club would set the record for losses in a single season with nineteen after beginning the season with a record twelve consecutive losses.

The two highest scoring weeks by a single team both occurred in week 18, in what would be a preview of the Cam Ward Cup Finals matchup between the Atlanta Thrashers and the VAN Millionaires. The Thrashers would win the matchup 545 to 509.5.

The only team that would make the playoffs for the third consecutive season was the deposed champion Montreal Wanderers.

The final week of the season would bring to light the most significant regular season matchup in the history of the CSC. The Cleveland Barons would face the Cornwall Aces, with the winner advancing to the final position in the postseason. There were several weeks of buildup to this match, as both Cleveland and Cornwall had engaged in an arms race, with each club trading several high picks each in order to bring in elite talent. When the dust settled, Cornwall would emerge victorious, earning their first ever playoff berth. They would lose in the first round.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Maple Leafs at Senators game postponed". NHL.com. October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014. 
  2. "Toronto at Ottawa game rescheduled for Nov. 9". NHL.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014. 
  3. "Postponed Rangers-Sabres game rescheduled for Feb. 20; Feb. 20 Senators-Sabres game moved to Dec. 15". NHL. November 21, 2014.