It’s been an impressive run for Flint Powers. The Chargers have won three consecutive Saginaw Valley League (SVL) championships, with a 16-0-1 record in league play during that span. The last time Powers lost to an SVL team, COVID wasn’t a thing.

Coach Travis Perry has had the Chargers on an absolute heater, and it peaked last March with the program’s first state championship in history. It was a run that was years in the making, with a graduating class of 11 skaters. That core group had played together throughout their four years of high school hockey, but also several years of youth hockey as well. I’m not saying Powers won’t have success this season, but replicating that in ‘23-24 will be near impossible. The chemistry, the culture, the vibe amongst the group will be vastly different than what it’s been over the last few seasons. Can guys like Nolan Berner and Andrew Parmentier put their own spin on things to make this Chargers team unique in its own way while also maintaining on-ice success?

While Powers basked in its success, winning games and hoisting hardware over the last few seasons, a bullseye on its back grew bigger and bigger. Heritage — not far removed from being the class of the SVL — quietly rebuilt and retooled itself. Midland Dow, 18 months removed from its own state championship, added and developed new players. Additions to Bay City and Midland offer a lot to like as well. Point is, the rest of the league is starved and ready for revenge.

CONTINUE READING