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We’re kinda running through a week where Alberta is just catching up to BC and Ontario, who are a good week deep into their post-season, so we won’t be naming our finalists for all that year end hardware we’ve been hypin’ until this time next week.

But as we said last Thursday, the final top ten names being considered for The National Junior Playerof the Year will be dropped, along with the five candidates for Defender, Goalie, Rookie and Coach of the Year. All that’s comin’ atcha next week, so keep your pants on, unless you were involved in our NLL Girl of the Year voting, and in that case, do whatever you feel comfortable with, just let me know when it’s gonna happen.

And although our award winners will be named just prior to the Minto going off, we’ll also be naming our Playoff MVP, encompassing a player’s provincial and Minto Cup performances. Making the Minto isn’t a necessity if you wanna be named the best post-season stud, but it certainly helps.

Either way, since The Junior Player of the Year stuff is kinda in limbo this week while we wait for Alberta to finish up their regular season, here are the guys that have impressed the hell out of us in this early stretch of the playoffs…

Brock Armour, Burnaby Lakers
The guy takes more heat online then he deserves, way more, but Armour has looked damn good after two games in the Lakers’ opening series against PoCo. He’s been pretty decent at the circle but has stepped up his game with seven points in two games while Burnaby’s pure O guys have been hit and miss so far.

Martin Cummings, Port Coquitlam Saints
He did some damage every week in The Money Ballers, so it was no surprise when he scored the game winner against Burnaby in Game 2. Expect more of the same if the Saints are gonna continue making this thing a solid series against the favored Lakers.

Cody Bremner, Nanaimo Timbermen
Outside of leading the playoffs in scoring, Bremner looked like he was gonna give the T-Men a chance to knot up their series against New West with two big goals, thirty seconds apart, late in the second period in Game 2. They still got nailed with the L, but Cody, as he has all year, looked scary good.

Alex Turner, New Westminster Salmonbellies
After barely averaging a goal a game during the regular seaosn, Alex Turner has exploded for seven goals in the Bellies’ two wins to start against Nanaimo, plus throwin’ down with Morgan Mitchell in Game 1. Can anyone say, big impact power forward? What a gamer!!

Jason Jones, New Westminster Salmonbellies
Two games, two game winners, plus a grand total of seven points in two. He’s the Max Gallant of the post-season.

Adam Jones, Orangeville Northmen
Many thought a healthy Jones woulda won MVP honours over the summer, but with an injury and the U19’s, we never got a full look at one of the sport’s biggest prospects. Either way, with ten points in just two games and an impact on a roster loaded with top shelf talent, Jones’ post-season might be as damaging as the regular season many were hoping for. Don’t know him yet? Remember the name kids, cuz you’ll be hearing it a lot over the next, hmmm, 20 years or so.

Jesse Guerin, Peterborough Lakers
Guerin’s Game 2 against the Arrows was so, so, so sick and a big reason why the Lakers took it to Six Nations the way they did. After seein’ what he did this past season, I’d say, expect more of the same, especially if the Lakers end up knocking off the Arrows. The guy is about as clutch as they come in 08.

And as far as Alberta goes, will any of their kids factor into our end of year hardware?

Well, there are three names that are on our radar during this last week of the regular season. Who are they? The Edmonton Eclipse’s Simon Giourmetakis, the Calgary Moutaineers’ transitional stud Kiel Donahue and then the guy we gave a bit of a plug to last week, the Edmonton Miners’ Nate Schmidt. All three have had outstanding summers, even though Giourmetakis spent a bit of time on the shelf, but there’s no denying all three were on fire all season long.

Where will those three and the rest of the country land next week? Check back on Thursday for a full rundown of our finalists for year-end honours.

So again, for those not following, next Thursday we’ll name out final ten candidates for The National Junior Player of the Year and our five candidates for best Defender, Goalie, Rookie and Coach of 2008. Then during the week leading up to the Minto Cup, we’ll announce the winner of each category, plus announce our All-Canadian First and Second Teams (think that’s pretty self explinatory).

See ya next week…

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