The self-proclaimed slow starter has been nothing short of a brilliant closer for the Okotoks Junior A Oilers.
Chris Collins, 20, is indisputably the hottest player in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) as he rides into the post-season on a franchise-high 17-game point streak in which the Calgarian has registered 17 goals and 38 points.
“I can’t think of having a 17-game point streak ever. It’s something new to me,” Collins said Friday following the Oilers’ regular season finale. “It just seems to be going in for me right now.”
The statistics were far from gaudy out of the gate in 2012-13 for Collins.
Following three seasons in the Western Hockey League and being cut by the Memorial Cup host Saskatoon Blades in September, Collins struggled to find the back of the net in the opening weeks in Okotoks.
“Last year I didn’t have a great season in Saskatoon and I think I lost some of my confidence with the puck and with my speed,” Collins said. “It just took some time to really get that back and get back to where it was a couple of years before that. I feel like I’m there again and maybe even improved on it because I’m older and maybe a bit stronger.”
The veteran forward asked the Oilers brass to be switched from wing to centre, a position where Collins excelled in Midget AAA. He hasn’t looked back since.
“It’s allowed me to be a bit more active in the play,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re on the wing you can find yourself sleeping. This just allows me to really use my speed to my advantage more, to always be moving.”
Oilers head coach James Poole said Collins has been the best player in the league in 2013 after making the position switch.
“He’s been good for us all season and now the puck is just starting to go in for him and he’s got some confidence,” Poole said. “He’s on a roll right now and hopefully he carries it into playoffs.”
Collins is picking up AJHL awards for fun in 2013, including player of the month for February, two player of the week honours in the same month as well as being named to the South Division All-League Team.
The six-foot-one, 200-pound forward’s success has been parallel to the Oilers’ recent run of fortune and it’s no accident. Playing on a line with co-captains Robbie Fisher and Greg Lamoureux, Collins finished the campaign fifth in league scoring with 72 points (32 goals, 40 assists).
“In the second half we’re the hottest team in the AJHL and when the team’s going I feel like I’m going more,” Collins said.
“Playing with Fisher and Lamoureux is always nice and we’ve found our niche together in the second half.”
Fisher and Collins have proven to be quite the dynamic duo with Fisher embracing the blue-collar, unglamorous role of digging pucks out of the corner and setting up shop in front of the opposition goal.
“We bring our own skills to the table and what (Fisher) does for me is he just opens up the ice and screens the goalie all the time,” Collins said. “He just gives me so many other opportunities.
“And Greg brings it all to the table. He’s both a skilled player and he gets to the dirty areas. It’s just a weird combination (for the three of us) that works.”
Fisher, no slouch offensively with 27 goals and 46 points in his own right, said the success of the line comes down to complementary skill sets.
“We just try to get the puck to Chris as fast as possible. Things happen when he has the puck,” Fisher said. “He’s on fire and now we have to keep it going for playoffs when the real season starts.”
Lamoureux, a teammate and linemate of Collins dating back to their tenure with the Calgary Midget AAA Buffaloes, is feeling nostalgic since joining the top-line one month ago. The Buffaloes were also coached by Poole.
“James usually does this where he gets a line together around playoff time that has good chemistry,” said Lamoureux, the playmaker on the line. “You can see when Chris gets to full speed he’s hard to stop so it makes it pretty fun for a guy like me who likes to pass to find him at full speed.”
Not so enjoyable for opposing defencemen.
As Collins has made a name for himself as a top-sniper in Alberta he’s attracted more attention from the opposition.
The Oilers’ first-round playoff opponent, the Olds Grizzlys, are looking forward to the challenge Collins presents.
“Collins is a phenomenal player. We’re just trying to do whatever we can to keep him off the scoresheet,” said Grizzlys head coach Brett Hopfe. “I think our players are excited to play against a player of his calibre.
“We’re trying to be physical and work hard and hopefully that can help us keep him in check.”
For Collins, the line matching and attention he is likely to receive will only offer more opportunities to his teammates flanking him on the wing.
“Going into playoffs if their guys are worried about getting me off my game then they’re not going to be on their game,” Collins said. “If they’re keying on me then it’s just going to leave Lamoureux and Fisher that much more open so I have to make sure I’m moving the puck.”
