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The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 21, 2008 - Al 9 SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE LeBLANC e-mail sleblanc@haltonsearch.comn One Iast run for veteran defencemeýn Ove'r-agers Reid aind Shepley loakin<g ta wite successful end ta final chapter- of Qi-L cai-eers By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN C HAMPION, STAFF P'brxjcîsîic ilcstitîiie foi' CXIîeî - ence, espcialiy the cbainionship xarictîy \Vith thain inid, Vilîon's îwo QHI defencernen -- oh ovcxer-agers wbo've heeni ici the Meitiorial Cup - wili nou dîthibh calcd upotiic îrox'îde a stahilizing prex- ence during their final Majîîr Icniot play'oil mLn, xxbîcb got îîîîcerwax' ast init (Tbursday') Elgin Reid's leacdership ctuil lbe pauticularly taluable tb the rehuildîng NVindsctr Spitlîres, xvbo rnissed the posu-seasio lasi ycar anci haxe cmi) twcî other plavers xxitb an\x real playoff experience. A fifîh y'ear veteran and assistant captain, the five- foot-l 1-inch, 190-pound blueliner bas emhraced the added responsibility placed upon him since putting off bis pro hockey plans to aid the young Spitfires. Thaî's included' Elgin one recent test of Reid bis character he neyer wants to be confronted wiîh again. "its reaily dificuli to describe what that did, but it forced some of us to grow up a lit- île," explained Reid, refemrng to last month's sudden death of captain Mickey Renaud. "We became good buddies and he was some- one 1 could lean on when there were prob- lems. " Just how much they've been driven by inspirationai fuel remains open for debate, but whaî's clear is that the young Spitfires head mbt the playoffs as the leagues hotîest team - punctuating an 8-0-1-1 run since their tragedy with Sunday's 3-2 comeback victory over the Memorial Cup host and nationally top-ranked Ktchener Rangers. Il its gaxeictil a4 1 -1i-3 iîcîci iand pu lici îîi n iii i ciseccîtîci Illc'\\'csîcî'îî f tîtîleruiLc c xxiti I lilc 'caLtIi t ic. iii c (tiex iouticis, wxx %icxlntue tci , hc i virîccil axiîg tîiîcc motre xî iic Procductive final season RZecen tix reitninîg ri n t xciiiiîier xlolîcîcilî itîcîtyRiiiccîxîu'd its lîlcîs ittinus ici 20 cxer \\'iîdsuîr's laie-xcasuuiiteai - tt itîtîxit top-lt) aiung al] QI1Il dclîeîîeîî iini tuai cepcîrîîîîeîî - Mbie lits cîglît gtoals ancl 34 - assîsîs in 54 gatites italies iitît oe col tue iltisixxcll rocicec I bite- I-iiiîerx i ti y'ears llax tlI -picitieC. Thlc ipicir- iunit) ti sbiîxcase fls tixerali gaine xxas whaî drew hîîn t ici n'îdsoir, after being iargely' relegaîcd - to a iough-guy' role witb ihe Qttawa 67s - a ibree-and-a- i hall -year stint bigblighted by a ~, 2005 trip to the national S 1'championship in ILondon. I have no bard feelings about my tine in Qttawa, but the role they had me in - a grinder and enforcer - was one I was neyer really comfortable with," the seasoned blue- liner said earlier ibis season. 'I always con- sidered myself a sîrong skating defenceman with good puck movement, and it was nice that someone finally saw that in me." Alîhough currenily focused on the Samia Sîing, Reid knows that A roads evenîuaily lead to the Rangers, who mighî not even need the automatie hosî berîh to ibis spring's national showcase. But if momenîum counts for anyîlîing, Windsor could be every bit as difficuli to dis- pose of ibis spring. i.\ii i'tcSc'\ictc ix iohahix thaxe t11111, ii gciiitt udt iig Mi i t ii icii i i11 'r i iiiI c i'l t c i u xi x ti ilict cixi iti ta( lxtpic liiliftitaixîii a iiiiig'vaix tif Idcc lix i'iixMiioianii,iii ac k cxcleicyx tfinat arinthe -0 iax featIteI-CI bhcîiîchange attd adx'eixity." Thc latter cainiithec icrîi of ofi-scascîn scirgery tii repaîr iwo ici nted dises in bis iîîwer hack. '\ ext niinithx laitr, thc six iOtî itur- iIcI1, 2 i t'-pcLtitder udt oi iiîiî'cud hit- x;cii hack it iactîinbut haclx ai home - wiiiî a iaie-Nox'eiber trade ici the Branîpioti Baitalittn aiiiîxviig flitici ilve xx'ilî iîxfanilywhii incîxec here frtîin Qakx'ille a fexxý yearx agct. -Thaï. was kind ol an acjusi- tient aftîi play îng n Ply mouth [oii tbiree y'carx, adniitted Slîcple<, who lhelped the Whalerx to the 0I-IL tîtie and a berth te, the Memoriai Cup un Vancouver last spring. "But now 1 get my meals cooked and I dont have to wonry about any- thing but hockey" Solid since return That may have been just the thing to ease bis zc return from a lengthy Sheple hiatus. hpe Bolsîering an already sturdy blueline, the veteran defencemans firsi game back ended in a 3-0 shutout over Niagara, while from there he helped the Baîtalion finish with the second-best goals-against average in the Eastern Conference - and secured the number two seed as well (having won the Centrai Division with a 42-22-1-3 record). His physical presence and solid back-end coverage have contributed to Brampton lim- iting its opposition to two goals or less in 19 gaines since bis Deceinher 7 debut. l'i iîk i xc docicî'preux' x c'll ince thec icicirti niîithe icstax -ai lircîtîte cicici tuait xx uc) tic1 xi\axx n;id xvaxa lplus-i i ini 3) i c'guiat xeaxitigaîtiex, Thec îîîîîx" iiiBrttîîptîîîî cefîttelv puisx 'xhicin a heteu cixtîcîî [cr the piaxtifis, xxiî tuIle divxisiconîrixvaliBarrie Coltx prox'îiîîîg fiistron oiiccniîppoxitiocn. hi a sirnîlai- scenraîito ici xhat Reid's 67s iaced îhrec years ago, the Baîtalion ccîuid ieach the Merncuiai Cup wuîbout need iiian oxerall icague chaînpionship. Shciuld Kitchener win the West, the Eastern Ccnference winnerx - be it Bramptcon, fax'ouî ic Bellexille or felhcîw contenders Qshawa or Niagara -wîhl autornatically earn a herth ici the nationais. Sbepiey realizex it's, inuch too soon to taik *about that, aiîbough bis îrcîopx bave been showing strongiv in recent weeks and son over Bellevuie and onme against Kitchener. -1 think we've gota good chance (10 go far), as long as we stick to our systems and work bard," said the towering blueliner, whos carved oui a credible QHL career for himself despite only being taken in the 10th round (199th- overaîl) in the 2003 Priority Draft. Though part of a club witb a hatle more playoff experience than Reid's Spitfires, Shepley is the only Battalion who's been to the Memonial Cup. So wbat advice does he bave for bis less- seasoned counterparis? 'Just that you've got te, play one game at a time and defence wins championships," he offered. "Good offensive chances are usually the result of surong defence." Meanwhile, Multons other OHLer - 18- year-old Josh Bri ttain - xii mot see playoff action this year, as bis Kingston Fruntenacs finished second last in the East. 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