Winter 2026 – Series II

Draft Reactions from the Insiderrrrr

New season. New captains. New everything. The board is wiped clean. Boulos takes over Los Banditos. Iano steps in to command the Spartans. Different voices. Different philosophies. And after this draft, two very different roster identities.

Los Banditos (Captain: Boulos)

Boulos didn’t draft safe. He drafted upside. Locking in Heise (1) and Battery (3) gives the Banditos stability up top, but the real storyline of this draft sits at 9th overall. Kyriopoulos (9). The super-skilled newcomer. The mystery. The wildcard. Nobody’s really seen him in this setting. Word is he’s got hands. Vision. Offensive creativity. But until the puck drops, it’s all projection. If he’s legit? That pick changes the series. If he needs time? It puts pressure elsewhere. And that’s where the smartest move of Boulos’ draft might come in. Eric D’Amour (13) – goalie. While others loaded up on skill, Boulos quietly secured the backbone of his team. In a short series, goaltending isn’t just important — it’s everything. If D’Amour gets hot, Banditos can win games they shouldn’t.

Around them, you’ve got:

  • Spensieri (5) and Monty (7) bringing finish.
  • Dumas (11) adding edge and playoff composure.
  • Alves, Belfer, Bourdages, Battery Sr, Pat Mall — depth that won’t back down from tight, physical games.

This roster feels fast. Skilled. Slightly unpredictable. Banditos’ identity: High ceiling. Ride the goalie. Bet on upside.

Spartans (Captain: Iano)

If Boulos drafted potential chaos, Iano drafted control. Right away, he anchored the blue line. Joey Dunne-Fox (4) – defense. Strumas (6) – defense. That’s structure. That’s breakout control. That’s the ability to dictate pace instead of chase it. In playoff hockey, that matters. Up front, the Spartans aren’t lacking firepower:

  • Armstrong (2) sets the tone.
  • Rhyser (and Savoie (10) bring pure offense.
  • Paddy Dunne-Fox (12) adds skill and finishing touch.

And then the depth wave hits: Handfield. T-Mann. T-Watt. Al Lemay. Hazan. Simpson. Ray. Lisi. There’s no obvious weak link. No line you can comfortably attack. Spartans’ identity: High floor. Defensive structure. Layered offense.

The Early Read On paper? Spartans look safer. Banditos look more explosive. But Series II won’t be won on paper.

It’ll be won if:

  • Kyriopoulos lives up to the hype.
  • D’Amour steals a game.
  • Or Dunne-Fox and Strumas completely shut things down.

Two new captains. Two different builds. One series that already feels personal. Winter 2026 just got real.

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