Team of the Year

Kinnelon

The Kinnelon hockey team had high expectations entering this season, coming off the Colts' Public B state championship the previous winter.  But the reality for the Colts was that they would be playing an even tougher schedule in the Mennen Division, and had lost more than half of that title-winning squad to graduation.

Despite the challenges, coach Jeff Myhren's team put together another sterling season, proving that the little guy (in terms of school size) could compete with the big boys.  Despite being the second-smallest hockey-playing public school in New Jersey, Kinnelon finished a close runner-up in the Mennen, earning several impressive wins along the way.  Had it not been for a down stretch in December the Colts might very well have won the league crown.

Led by the offensive fireworks of the Crampton brothers and the spectacular goaltending of Jeff Molner, Kinnelon posted three impressive wins to return to the Public B final at the Prudential Center in Newark.  The dreams of a repeat title fell short in a tough 2-0 loss to Ramsey, but the Colts distinguished themselves and earned a top ten ranking in the state.

For overcoming some tough obstacles and recording another fantastic season, the Kinnelon Colts are our JSN Hockey Team of the Year.

Player of the Year

Pete Crampton, Kinnelon

The only senior on the state runner-up Colts, Crampton led the team in scoring as he and his brother shouldered a heavy load.  With the other lines and the defense made up mainly of inexperienced youngsters, it fell to the Cramptons to provide much of the offense.

They certainly delivered, and Pete posted his best season with 37 goals and 24 assists.  Many times, Crampton created chances for himself with end-to-end rushes or fancy stickwork.  The skillful passing of brother Mike and linemate Justin McLaughlin also set the stage for many of Pete's heroics.

"You knew from day one that Pete was going to be a special player, that he was going to mean a lot to Kinnelon hockey," said coach Jeff Myhren.  "He's had a tremendous career.  I'm never going to forget Pete."

Crampton scored over 100 goals during that career, and said despite Kinnelon's loss in the state finals that it went as well as he could have hoped.  Well enough to make him the JSN Hockey Player of the Year.

Coach of the Year

Jeff Myhren, Kinnelon

Lots of competition in this category:  Mark Lio of Pompton Lakes and Mark Pych of West Milford guided their teams to big bounceback seasons, while Frank Krause's DePaul squad had its best year yet.  But we're going with Myhren, whose team thrived, not just survived, in its first season with the big boys.

The Colts could have been excused had they posted a so-so record this season.  Moving up to the Mennen Division while losing 10 players hardly seems the recipe for success.  But Kinnelon proved it belonged, and Myhren's upbeat leadership was a key ingredient.  He expertly filled in the holes from last year's squad, turning to a number of freshmen and sophomores for key roles.

Despite the small size of the school, Kinnelon appears to be forming something of a hockey dynasty.  For his role in helping to make that happen, Jeff Myhren is our JSN Hockey Coach of the Year.

Hockey Notes

HISTORIC CUPS:  Two local teams got to celebrate a cup championship for the first time in school history.  After winning the Northern Blue division title, West Milford put a ribbon on its season with a 2-0 win over Nutley in the Nardello Cup final.  Montville also celebrated when it captured the Haas Cup.  After finishing second to Madison in the regular season, the Mustangs scored a comeback 5-3 triumph over the Dodgers in the cup final.

ON THE RISE:  Like West Milford and Montville, DePaul is a fairly new player on the local hockey scene.  The Spartans made their mark this season, however, winning 20 games and the Passaic County Tournament title.  DePaul finished as the runner-up in the Northern White division and the McMullen Cup playoffs, and should be solid again next year.

BEST OF THE BUNCH:  State finals in New Jersey high school sports are conducted at many great arenas around the Garden State, including Giants Stadium, Rutgers Stadium and the RAC, the Izod Center and more.  But the hockey finals at the Prudential Center are a step above all of those.  Part of it has to do with the Rock itself, a fantastic building that allows for an intimate feel despite its size.  The other part is the New Jersey Devils organization, which goes all out for this event including a luncheon for the teams, logos on the scoreboard, on-ice introductions for every player and more.

-- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now