Huntsville Otters wrap up the season with class

The first round of the playoffs had the Huntsville Otters facing off against the Midland Flyers for a best of seven series. Six games were played with Huntsville winning the first two and Midland surging back to win the next four to move on to the next round. In the early games, the series was tight with the teams winning by one goal or fighting hard in double overtime for the win.

After a hard loss in game five in Midland on Tuesday, February 14 that saw the Otters fall 12-3 to the Flyers, they needed a comeback to stay alive in the series. Their chances would be thwarted by heavy penalties throughout game six.

Midland scored early in the game and then the penalties began – 36 minutes in the first period alone with Otter Matt Smith ejected with a game misconduct.

The remainder of the game would be just as difficult for the Otters. By the final buzzer, Midland had scored four more goals – three on powerplays – to the Otters single to take the game 5-1. But it was the penalties that would tell the tale. A total of 121 penalty minutes were logged, almost four times the average for the previous five games, weighted heavily against the Otters. The Otters received 97 penalty minutes on 27 infractions compared to the Flyers’ 24 minutes on 8 infractions which gave Midland the powerplay advantage 15 times compared to just three for the Otters. Five Otters players, including goalie Connor Christanson, had been ejected by the time the game was done.

The fans’ tension rose every time a penalty was called and the refs had to talk with the coaches, the players and the scorekeeper. The players stood around on the ice more than they had skate time. It was hard to watch player after player get kicked out of the game.

Spectators called the tone set by the refs, their bad calls and the loss of control over the players “heartbreaking” and “unfair” and “a crazy game”.

When push came to shove, the refs had clearly lost control. Supervisor of refs, Ken Bannerman, was in attendance and met with the refs between the second and third period. When asked about the tone of the game, and the response of the crowd and players, he said, “No comment, I’m not allowed to comment.”

As the clock wound down to the final seconds of play, the Otters skated with heads low due to the loss but their sticks held high to their hometown fans. The game and the end result was disappointing but the players left the ice with class. They shook hands with their opponents and then made the effort to thank the refs and to shake their hands.

The Otters shook hands with their opponents and the refs to end their season

Thank you to all of the Otters players, coaches, and staff that make the season happen and to all of the fans and the community who support our hometown team. See you next season.

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