The boys getting respect in Calgary too :)

Spokant pointed me (and others) to this article yesterday in the comments, from the Calgary Sun:

Oh say, can you see ...

Americans proving to be dawn's early light of the WHL campaign

By SCOTT FISHER

Most WHL teams have reached the quarter-pole of the season.

And, without question, the red-hot Tri-City Americans are the talk of the league.

It's not that the Americans, who posted a 101-point campaign last season, were expected to flounder.

But few were predicting a league-best 13-3 start to the season.

Head coach Jim Hiller said there were a number of openings in training camp after the club said good-bye to three key graduates.

Taylor Procyshen, Jason Reese and Mitch Fadden piled up a combined 238 points last season.

"We lost three 20-year-olds who played a lot of minutes last season," Hiller said. "We thought we had some guys who were capable of filling those minutes."

One player who's made the most of his increased ice time is 18-year-old centre Brenden Shinnimin.

The Winnipeg product leads the team with a dozen goals and 28 points through 16 games.

"He's one of the guys who we thought would be capable of stepping up," Hiller said of Shinnimin, who had 25 points in 64 tilts last season.

"We knew he'd be good, but he has been great to start the season. There was some opportunities created by (losing the overagers).

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"Yeah, (the fans) have been spoiled -- no question" Hiller said. "There was a question as to who would replace Carey. Then it was, 'Who's going to replace Chet?'

"Both of our guys have answered that question."

Drew Owsley has posted a 12-3 record and is among the league leaders with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.

Prior to last night's game in Kamloops, backup Brett Martyniuk had yet to surrender a goal in 69 minutes of work.