Silvertips: An 'unbelievable' season
It wasn't just a first-year hockey team that defied all odds by continuing to win games in the most dramatic ways.
It wasn't just how an American city adopted a group of mostly Canadian teenagers as its own.
It wasn't just a new first-class facility that revitalized a downtown area or a team that became a rallying point for a community long in the shadow of a big-league city to the south.
It was the combination of all those ingredients that gave the Everett Silvertips' inaugural season a magical quality most often described by participants and observers as "unbelievable."
The Silvertips exceeded all expectations by reaching the Western Hockey League finals before falling to the Medicine Hat Tigers in four straight games.
Everett coach Kevin Constantine, named the league's Coach of the Year, knew his team's accomplishments had transcended hockey.
"If, in some way, sport can draw a community together and make a contribution to its happiness, it doesn't get any better than that," Constantine said. "These players have become a part of the fabric of this community."
One day after the Silvertips' season ended — about two months later than expected — Jeff Harvey admitted he still got chills just thinking about the way more than 8,000 people had chanted his name. The goaltender, who like so many Silvertips had been considered expendable by his former team, has received interest from several National Hockey League clubs.
Yet Harvey, who at 21 won't be eligible to play for the Silvertips next season, said he will put off leaving Everett for home in St. Albert, Alberta, as long as possible.
"None of us want this season to end," Harvey said. "We built the foundation for winning for this organization for years to come. I'm just proud to say I was here during the inaugural season and was a part of such a great thing."
Mitch Love, who transformed himself from a fighter into a valuable defenseman, plans to stay in Everett during the offseason to train. He'll be motivated by the amazing season that just ended and Constantine's words.
"Kevin told us after the last game that we proved that if you believe something and you dream about it and work for it, it can come true," Love said.
"This was a dream come true for a lot of guys in our dressing room. This is something we'll remember for the rest of our lives."
Love, 19, who is eligible to return for one final season next year, believes the organization has a bright future.
"We have a great core coming back," Love said. "Michael Wall in goal will be a god here, just like Harvey was. If you take what our guys accomplished in the playoffs with the guys we have coming in, we've got a shot at winning the division again. We wanted to establish a winning tradition, and we did."
General Manager Doug Soetaert spent one full season scouting the league and has a simple draft formula: take only players who would work hard to get better.
"The only promise we made to the players is that they would improve," Soetaert said. "Every one of them did improve, and as they improved, so did our hockey team."
Soetaert said he didn't set up the team for one season.
"We didn't think we'd go as far as we did this year, but knew we would be competitive," Soetaert said. "We wanted to be competitive in year one and continue to get better."
Many people share in the team's success, starting with owner Bill Yuill.
"Everybody, including our owner, who had the vision to come down the road from Seattle and set this up, is part of this," Soetaert said. "We feel we've done it the right way to get this organization off the ground."
No matter what happens in the future, it could be hard to top.
"Many people go through their whole hockey careers and don't get something as special as what happened this year," said Constantine, a former NHL coach.
"Our players put their heart and soul into this season. Whenever you exceed expectations by so far, it just becomes so enjoyable."