A few things I learned at the RBC Cup

I remember sitting on the plane to B.C. thinking back to the regular season and how far off a Dudley Hewitt Cup appearance seemed then, let alone a trip to the RBC Cup. Yet, here the guys were, on a plane to the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a very real shot at being the national champions only days away.

Of course, it didn't shake up that way. I know it's a cliche, but it's true - the boys did put their whole hearts on the ice for those four games, and one or two bounces one way or the other might have written a different story, but it wasn't to be.

So with some time to take into account all that happened on the ice at 2014 RBC Cup, here are a few of the things I thought/learned at the tournament.

1) Anytime someone tells you that Hockey Canada is pure class, believe it. These guys treat you like professionals. After every practice and game they had a table waiting for the boys practically falling over with gatorade, water, energy bars, and all sorts of other food (the ridiculous amount of bagels meant it was absolute heaven for Nick Ursitti).

Each team at the tournament was assigned to a local school, which followed the club through the tournament and a visit was set up where the guys on the team went out to their respective school to meet the kids. The schools also had a banner awaiting each club in the locker room with everyone's name on it (even mine!).

The photographers were exceptional, the organization was first rate (they even had shuttle cars waiting for the teams if they wanted to go somewhere specific around town), and there were volunteers everywhere. Just blown away!

2) Loud, moving busses are not great places for on-camera interviews. Maybe that's obvious to you, but it wasn't for me.

3) The Okanagan Valley is really, really, really nice. And if you go to the Fairfield in Vernon, B.C., you need to try the water slide. It's not your average hotel water slide, this thing is a legit waterpark-calibre one.

4) The top Junior 'A' teams from out west are good, but they are still just junior hockey teams. I don't really know why, but I was kind of expecting monster quasi-professionals on steroids. I was wrong. The eventual champs, the Saskatchewan League champion Yorkton Terriers, got stomped by the Pats in Game 2 and if I'm fully honest, I thought the best team there was actually the Ottawa suburb-based Carleton Place Canadians from the CCHL. As I said before, a bounce here or there and Toronto was certainly good enough to win the tournament (and I'm not saying that due to bias or because I don't want Forch to kill me).

5) But that being said, the fifth thing I learned was simply that there is no easy game, no easy ice, or easy moment at the tournament. What really stood out to me was that you need to bare down and earn every goal. What might be a tap-in before is a goal that you have to almost break your stick on the post to pound in because the other team is going to be desperate to make sure you don't score that goal. I am not suggesting that anybody needs to change their game to win at the RBC, because you win there with your own game like you did for the Dudley or the Buckland; I'm just saying you can't take anything for granted. This may seem obvious, but it really is heightened there.

The Departed (Toronto Patriots edition)

Just like the Rangers, all the departed players on the Patriots were outstanding guys and outstanding people. There was a real sense all last year that it was this group of vets who were really driving the train to the RBC and say what you want about young talent. In my opinion, you cannot win a thing in the OJHL without older guys who have bought in.

Another thing about the OJ is that if you have a ton of success, next-level people will take notice and want your guys. That is also the case with some of the guys on this list.

So without further ado, here is the list of the departed Patriots.

To be 100 per cent honest, (and I mean no disrespect to any other goaltender in the league the last two years, ) if you were to ask me, "Hey Jamie, which OJ goalie would you want on your club? Which was the best?", I would have answered Evan Buitenhuis in a heartbeat. Playing behind youthful, offensive clubs in Oakville before joining the Pats, Boots was simply unbelievable. Then when Forch told me there was a chance Toronto would acquire him, I knew that instantly made a sensational Pats' team a very real contender for the league and beyond. Off the ice, I came to know Evan as one of those guys who will always give you the time of day, something I really appreciated about him. On the ice he was everything the club needed him to be and Hamilton College is insanely lucky to nab a player and person the quality of Evan.

There was a time earlier in the year that Jeremy Helvig could be considered one of the league's elite goaltenders, and he was barely 16 at the time! I didn't get to talk to him too well, but I know that with his skill set and demeanour, the ceiling for his talent level is absolutely at the highest level. He's likely heading to the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL next year, but if they give him the right shot, he absolutely has a great chance to make it pro one day. The Pats would not have had the great first half without Jeremy, and likewise, they probably would not have had the confidence to do what they did. The kid deserves a ton of credit.

I have already talked about Cortland's newest defenceman, Cory Lauer at length, but he's the type of person that has had the up-bringing and has the attitude to really be successful at what he puts his mind to. He has that hard-nosed determination that college coaches love and as I said before, Toronto doesn't get as as far as they did without his locker room impact.

Tyler Enns was just a phenomenal captain. He's heading to Mercyhurst and leaving Fortier with big shoes to fill since Enns was one of those rare kids who didn't need a spotlight or a superstar role to lead by example. He was key in making everyone feel welcome and part of the club and he fully understood by the end how he could best help the club win (on or off the ice) and those facts deserve pieces of credit for Toronto's success this year.

Alex Grose came in from a quite different level of hockey and really did everything the coaching staff wanted of him. As a mid-season pickup, he had pretty much no entitlement in his attitude and as a result, he was a pleasure to work with. He was brought in to be a physical guy, to make a difference on the forecheck, and add some depth, and he certainly did that very well. He's also a really good kid and I'm going to miss seeing him around the rink as well. Alex is heading to Iowa State.

A lot of major junior veterans come in to the OJHL with some bitterness or a bad attitude. However, after over 150 games in the Canadian Hockey League, Andreas Tsogkas was nothing but a tremendous teammate. His talent was obvious from early in the season, and he brought a crispness and professionalism to the game that kids learn. This is absolutely essential at the next level, and Ryerson certainly is getting an awesome piece. I'll never forget one Jonathan Huberdeau-like shootout move he made vs. the Junior Canadians...it was definitely the nicest shootout goal I've seen in the OJ. He is another great kid and one of the league's least talked about stars last year.

I had only met Brandon Willett once or twice before he came back to the club despite the fact that he was on Vaughan and had been around the league for a while, but he always took the time to say "hey" and treat me with respect. Hamilton College is getting a guy who can really do a little bit of everything at a high level up front, and coaches will tell you that guys like him are invaluable. He grew a great beard and he was really helpful with my playoff videos, for which I am truly grateful.

Doug Bonar and I didn't really start chatting till later in the year, but (I feel like a broken record) he is just another outstanding player and person who the Pats are losing this year. When it came to finishing, Doug was as good as anybody in the OJ last year and with all the accolades Kevin Shier got, as I always say (and Kev would agree 100 per cent) that without the hard work of Doug and Nathan Feric, Shier would not have achieved nearly as much. His penalty kill ability also showed up in a big way in the playoffs and after two straight 20-goal, 50-plus point seasons in a row in the OJ, he is certainly ready to make an impact for the University of Waterloo.

It only comes along once in a while that a team can add the exact type of player and person mid-season that it needs, but the acquisition of Robert Powers from Stouffville was as close to perfect as you can get. A veteran of the Spirit's 2012 championship club, Robert was a great addition to the room. Possessing a tremendous two-way skillset on the back end, his coming on really solidified the Pats D-corps as (in my opinion) the best in the OJHL. He was also another guy who was very helpful and encouraging with any media I was trying to make (writing and video).

Only two more guys...you can make it.

With all due respect to all the kids I've worked with in this league (and 95% of them have been awesome, with all honesty), Kev Shier will go down as one of my absolute favourites. He was always willing and enthusiastic to help me out with an interview or anything I really needed from him. And with everything that happened with him on and off the ice, that's a lot. I really appreciated how he was always willing to chat and be honest about things. On top of everything away from the game, he was one the league's premier talents without a doubt last year. I will always remember Game 2 vs. Georgetown in the conference finals when he scored five points to lead the club back from down 3-0 midway through the second period to win 5-3--probably the best performance I've ever seen in the league. Union is getting a great player and an even better person (by the way, his dad's not too bad either).

Finally, Mike Prapavessis was all right...

But seriously, with the way Praps absolutely DOMINATED (capitals intended) the league this past year, you could forgive him a little bit of cockiness; the guy doesn't have a boastful bone in his body. A really polite, good guy off the ice, you can tell he was raised really well. He has a tremendous head on his shoulders, and at times it was so easy to forget that he was only a 17 year old doing what he did with and against 19 and 20 year olds. He pulled in loads of awards and deserved every single one of them and there are few players I can ever say I enjoyed watching more than Praps (I'm really going to miss it). RPI is so lucky to get him and I'm very confident he'll get taken in the up-coming NHL Draft. How Fortier will replace his minutes is really beyond me

Conversation with the Pats new associate general manager

Hey folks,

Apologies that it took this long for me to post again. I have no excuse.

This off-season the Toronto Patriots have had to deal with a second big shift in staff in two years since former general manager Mike Tarantino took off to become the head coach of the Oakville Blades. Initially, this left both the position of GM and head coach to Jason Fortier, who had carried both roles with the Vaughan Vipers before their demise three years ago.

Yet the addition of Ryan Daniels to the staff last year in the position of goaltending coach proved to be a boon for the club. The former Ottawa Senators prospect and multiple-time CIS All-Star was a hugely valuable asset for both Fortier and Tarantino; beyond simply overseeing the instruction of the net-minding, he also demonstrated an acute eye for the game and a passion for the kids and the club.

So with Tarantino's departure, Daniels has taken on a role of apprentice/associate/assistant general manager of the club.

Daniels was gracious enough to take some time to chat with me about his role and the club next year, so please enjoy my conversation with him.

Click here for the interview

Thanks for listening and for your patience!

The departed (NYR edition)

With the second post I thought it would be good to shout out to all the guys that I've gotten to know that are moving on from the OJ to play hockey at school next year. Literally, every one is an awesome kid.

I will start with the North York guys.

I will always remember Patty Piacentini as one of the classiest, most savvy defencemen I've seen in the league. I've literally watched every season of his junior career, from a rookie in Vaughan three years ago and then in North York the past two, and I have to say that working with him has never once not been a pleasure. He is heading to Mercyhurst University in the fall and I truly believe he'll be a plus for their club right away with his extremely high maturity level.

Brody Power is heading to Buffalo State--North York's D3 feeder school --apparently, with two real beauties in Taylor Pryce and Charles Lapierre having headed there last year. The Halifax native simply played with an insane amount of heart and I really am going to miss seeing him around the Herb. Not sure the guy ever played a game in the OJ without some sort of injury, but he was still as reliable as anybody that Coach Dean could have sent out there last year. Never made excuses, never a complainer, just a load of passion and intensity.

Adam Valadao was one of the real under rated players in the league the last two years and as he got healthier, he really exploded as a key offensive producer in the 2013-14 season. Always friendly, always encouraging me with the stuff I was doing around the club. His loss will be a tough spot for the Rangers to fill because he did so much. Curry College is one lucky school to nab this guy.

Much like Valadao, Alex Leader might have been one of the best kept secrets in the OJ last year. Brought over from Trenton in the off-season, Alex was certainly among the league's best skaters, and his game was very well rounded. Off the ice, I really did get to consider him a friend, which is really meaningful to a guy like me who is kind of on the outside of the 'team family' (not that the other guys I mentioned didn't). The Ryerson Rams are getting a player and a person of the highest calibre.

Corey Kalk is another guy that really treated me like family off the ice, and while his extremely high skill level could have turned him into a punk, he is simply an outstanding guy. It was a pleasure watching him the last two years. His ability to put the club on his back and to play so hungry really appeared to infuriate the opposition. I still think he is still in a process of finding out how good he can be. Nabbing him last off-season was a brilliant call by Dartmouth College.

Liam Kerins exploded into a taste of his potential this year and his one-timer occasionally made me wonder if I was watching a young Steven Stamkos. Didn't get to know Liam too well over the couple years. I watched him when he was a rookie in Vaughan, and was lucky enough to talk to him and learn a bit about him this past year. RIT is getting as pure a sniper as there was in the OJ last year.

There would have been no magical run to the conference final last year without Jason Pucciarelli. He gave some unbelievable performances in net the last two years and he is just loaded with potential. He's the kind of guy that cares a lot about his teammates and has a very strong desire to win. With those in tow, I know that he'll thrive at Salem State. He was another guy that was always very encouraging of the work that I was doing around the team.

Kyle Thacker is a punk. No, I'm not serious. Three years ago both Kyle and I were in Vaughan and because he had some injury issues, I got to get to know him quite well that year. Subsequently, I was very excited to hear it when North York acquired him from Orangeville this past year and he's another guy that I consider a friend off the ice. I'm also excited to see where Kyle's older brother Kevin will end up in the front offices of the hockey world (translation: hopefully he'll remember me and get me a job when he makes it to the show). Big and smooth is a tough combination for coaches to find, so SUNY Potsdam is extremely lucky to get Kyle. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but I am going to say it again. John Carpino, yet another guy that always treated me with a ton of respect and as much as it was fun to watch his dominant hands on the ice, I'm really going to miss seeing him at the rink. It's seriously hard to think of a guy with better hands in the OJHL last year than the Western Michigan recruit, or even over the last two seasons. Confidence and creativity are the name of his game, and I'm convinced that NCAA defences are eventually going to have a tough time containing him. Just a pleasure watching him develop over his whole junior career.

I'll miss every one of these guys, as well as the guys about whom I don't know what the next step is, including Corey Helliwell, Brandon Gaudette, Tye Campbell, and Patrick Simmonds. You're all beauties.

On Quinn and Cory, and a thought on my "favourite team"

First of all folks, I'll let you in on a secret.

I care about both teams equally. I work equally as hard for both teams and when they faced each other in the second round of the post-season, it was a really anxious time because I knew it would be the end for one of them. Better than the first round or one not making the playoffs, I suppose, but I was grumpy from start to finish.

The one thing that was kind of nice about it was that the guys on both seemed to care which team I was 'cheering for', which in a way (and really only in hindsight) is a bit of an ego boost, but at the time the question drove me nuts.

So there's that.

But anyways, with that out of the way I can start on the 'meat' of my thoughts (though my decision to start talking about one of the teams over the other has zero significance, and I will attempt to alternate teams throughout).

My first thought about how the Toronto Patriots came together as a family, won two championships and claimed the honour of being the first ever team from Toronto itself to reach the RBC Cup is not about the team's statistical leaders. My thoughts aren't on the remarkable talent of the likes of Mike Prapavessis or Kevin Shier or even the tremendous goaltending of Evan Buitenhuis (though literally everybody on the team found a way to contribute in a very significant way on the way to British Columbia).

No, my first thoughts go to Cory Lauer and Quinn Syrydiuk.

When Pats head coach Jason Fortier takes aim at anybody for his team, from staff to players, the first thing he wants is passion. Cory and Quinn were made of passion of this year.

The former has the rare distinction of being an OJHL player from the Nashville suburb of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (that's a bit of a joke since I really doubt there has been an OJ player from there...) and was well known by Fortier as it was he that brought the big defenceman north after seeing him play a tournament for his Indiana Ice U18 club in the summer of 2011. At the time, Fortier was the head coach and GM of the Vaughan Vipers and a raw, young Lauer had to battle for ice time - but the potential was there. After a season in Pickering, where Cory went following the Vipers' demise, Lauer was acquired from the Panthers early this year and boy did it pay off.

As a 20-year-old, Cory was all about winning. He wasn't worried about points, he wasn't worried about getting power play time, and he wasn't worried about being an all star. What he was worried about was doing everything he could to bring everyone into the family, about doing his best every shift and playing with passion. The entire Toronto defence corps was sensational, to be honest, even through loads of injuries and absences, and they all deserve mention.

But Lauer, who couldn't get into lineup in Pickering to start the season, stands out in that despite not wearing a letter, despite playing for his fourth team in three years, chose to buy in and be a leader and deserves a ton of credit for Toronto's championship success.

Quinn's path was a bit different. A pretty good scorer for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens midgets two years ago (and an exceptional scorer for the Toronto Red Wings bantams in 2010-11), he (coincidentally) was an affiliated player for the Pickering Panthers in 2012-13. That being said, he truly had no idea if he would/could make an OJHL roster this past campaign. By the end of the season and in the playoffs, the coaching staff could not take him out of the lineup.

On the ice he played like a pit-bull, using his speed to be a dog on raw meat on the forecheck and ended up centring the so-called fourth line.

How did he really earn his spot though? He was the first at the rink, he worked and focussed and bought-in to his role and like Cory, treated everyone in the organization with respect and like family, despite the fact (unlike Cory) that he is a 1996 birth year. Let him be another lesson to all those kids who don't have offers lining up left and right - if you play with passion and chose to be an asset on and off the ice, you will find a way.

Neither of them won awards at the end of the year from the league (though Cory did get a well-deserved scholarship to SUNY Cortland), but everyone in the club from top to bottom knows the impact these two had.

So I salute them.

Why I am writing this blog

Toronto's Nathan Feric (left) and North York's Patrick Piacentini shake hands (OJHL Images/Andy Corneau)

Hello

My name is Jamie Neugebauer and I am the media creator, play-by-play guy and general 'get in the way and sometimes give opinions, whether or not they are asked for' person for both the Toronto Patriots and North York Rangers of the Tier II Junior 'A' Ontario Junior Hockey League's South Division.

Does this make me an expert on anything really? You be the judge. But I watched a ton of hockey this past season, was involved with two great groups of kids and staffs, and was fortunate enough to be on hand for four playoff rounds, a regional championship and a national championship appearance. So needless to say, I have a lot of thoughts from the year, and the fact that this blog will stay 100% positive is no sweat off my brow, because a vast, vast majority of the 2013-14 season was positive and, as such, so is the content locked within my mind.

So with that said, I know that nobody wants to see me drone on forever (or maybe some one does, since I've heard that a few people don't mute me on my fasthockey broadcasts), so I'll keep posts to the point.

But please give the Patriots and Rangers a follow on twitter @patriotsjr and @OJHLRangers, check out their websites, Pats: http://bit.ly/1p5p4kX, Rangers: http://bit.ly/1hGXFPq, and find them on facebook, and we'll all get along.

First real post will come out later today, so stay tuned!