Nobody wants to digest Christmas dinner while still churning over a recent loss to a local rival, and the North York Rangers and Toronto Patriots will both get a chance to avoid that situation when they do battle at Westwood Arena on Dec. 21.
Coach Brent Hughes and his Rangers had won four of five before losing a special teams-filled battle vs. the Markham Royals at North York's Pink at the Rink game last Sunday. Two time defending Buckland Cup champion Patriots had taken three of four, and then had their streak derailed by a tough 5-3 loss at the hands of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens at Westwood last Saturday.
Here is a breakdown of the next edition of the Neugybowl by position.
Forwards
Perhaps more than any other forward in this game, my eyes will be watching Jake Harris very closely. The Rangers dealt the skillful 1998-born forward to the Patriots for elite defenceman Tyler Currie back on Oct. 21, and Harris has been excellent. An interesting wrinkle is that acquiring Harris was a bit of a "if you can't beat em, join em" move, as the second-year man actually led North York with three points in the two games these clubs have played this year - both Ranger victories at the Herb Carnegie Centennial Arena.
For North York, I always am interested in what kind of performance Keegan Blasby will bring. Everyone around the league by now knows how good the skilled and speedy duo of Michael Morgan and Teddy Hunt can be for the Rangers, but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Blasby has all the tools to be offensively dominant on a smaller ice surface like Westwood.
My dark horse for North York is Nick Zanette. Guy works hard, and should shoot from everywhere, because he has a bomb. Toronto's dark horse is Jeremy Pullara. The former Toronto Young National midget can dominate any team in the league on the face off dot, but is starting to get his chances and can pull out a productive performance on any given day.
In a side note, watch for Pats' captain Michael Siddall. The club's leading scorer and captain had a bucket full of chances vs. the Jr. Canadiens last Saturday and only converted on one, so he's due a bunch of goals. He also has a rocket.
Another side story is the close relationship Toronto veteran Connor Beck has with North York goaltender Gianluca Baggetta. The two know each other very well, so you know Beck will be motivated (also, Beck just always seems to play well against the Rangers).
Defence
Maybe for this year I should change it from the Neugybowl to the Curriebowl. Former Pats captain Tyler Currie is starting to absolutely dominate for the Rangers, and you know he'll be emotional stepping back on Westwood ice where he won two championships, for the first time in another jersey. Will he rise to the occasion, or will he be overcome with the emotion of the day? Those are big questions as he holds a critical role for North York, especially on the power play.
I obviously have a big heart and am a fan of all the guys on the teams I work for, but it's hard for me to like a player any more than I do Mario Ferraro. The Western Michigan commit is dynamic, energetic and does not let anything get him down. At the beginning of the year, a coach on another team suggested he was a Top 3 defenceman in the league, and while that is a hard statement to make, it can also easily be argued. He is the best skater with the puck in the OJHL on the back end, with really only Adam Clements of Trenton and Patrick Kudla of Oakville to really challenge him. Some sort of skills competition would be fun to see between those three.
Speaking of near the top of the league, Daniel Barnes' shot from the point on the power play for the Pats is certainly up there. If only he got it off more often, shot blockers would have to really beware. Goalies should already be.
Jeremy Szabo has a huge heart too, and is the emotional spine of the Rangers. He is quick, and loves to stand up in the neutral zone. He does everything on the very aggressive side of the meter, and that always makes him fun to watch.
Fedor Rudakov is also starting to get a little more comfortable in the Junior 'A' game after taking some time due to not playing at all to start the season, jumping straight in from midget. His wrister from the point is vicious.
Goaltending
Both of North York's goaltenders - Gianluca Baggetta and Jeremie Lintner - are 19 years old, and both are more than capable of being No. 1s in this league. Baggetta, the all star, has a save percentage of .922, Lintner's is at .930. I have no idea which of those two Coach Hughes will go with; either way, it's the right choice.
Similarly, Coach Teakle has gone back and forth with the Pats duo of Jacob Standen and Sean O'Reilly this year, with the younger Standen showing a little more consistency despite O'Reilly's better numbers. Like the Rangers, who knows who will be in net on Monday night!
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Looking forward to 2015-16 (North Division)
There is new day dawning in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, as of the 2015-16 season. Almost all of the league's stars that were fixtures atop the scoring tables, like JRC's Anthony Repaci, Georgetown's Steve Hladin, Cobourg's Connor Armour, and Trenton's Brady Wiffen, as well as many others, are all gone. That does not mean that I expect a severe drop off in the league's quality, however. All it means is that a new breed is poised to infuse the league with their ability, and take leading rolls in their respective clubs.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various teams' outlooks heading into the new year.
This blog will focus on the North Division.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
Ever since the excellent Newmarket team of 2012-13, the North has been owned almost exclusively by the perennially loaded Aurora Tigers. Every season the Tigers have a ton of stars, those stars move on, and then they raise up and bring in new stars; and there is no reason to expect any different for next season.
By all accounts, future Niagara University man and skilled speedster Drake Board is ready for a big role and to fill in for Johnny Curran, who is off to Western Michigan. He will be well supported by the similarly sized and fleet-footed Daniel Mantenuto, while the incredibly intelligent future Robert Morris University defender Noah Delmas should certainly be able step into the No. 1 defender spot vacated by Eric Williams.
I am also interested to see if veteran Liam Neuman, another speedy fast forward, can break through into a truly impact player in the OJ. Also, will Jordan Sambrook, who was one of the best midget defenceman in all of Canada last year stick in the OHL? If not, he is property of the Tigers, and he is outstanding.
Much was written and discussed concerning the plight of the Pickering Panthers last year, but inking head coach Matt Caroll appears to signal a desire to head in the right direction for the club. His Ajax/Pickering Raiders midgets were an excellent squad last year, and it serves to expect a number of those quality players will follow him there. If veteran BJ Salerno returns, he remains as dangerous offensively as any player in the league.
The Newmarket Hurricanes went down a similar path as the Panthers, bringing in Brett Punchard, who led his impressive Toronto Young Nats midgets to a national championship last year. The likes of Mack Graham, Max Routledge and Alex Ierullo were dominant in midget, and should be excellent Junior A players if they follow their coach to the Hurricanes.
In terms of returnees, Sam Hu parlayed quickness and an incredible work ethic into 26 goals and 43 points last year, and looks ready to continue to climb the rungs into the elite of the OJHL. Connor Ryckman was also excellent in net in his rookie season, and could be as good as anyone in the league next year.
The newly re-coined and relocated Markham Royals are excited about their fresh start, and don't appear to be sparing any expense to make it a success. A lot of guys are back, including their dynamic captain Jason O'Connor, and if all-around elite defender Khadyn Butterfly returns, then expect Markham to give the Tigers a decent push in the north. Future Merrimack College man Laine McKay is a big boy with loads of scoring potential, and he was very impressive at the CJHL Top Prospects game last year.
Stouffville really impressed by getting to the No. 5 seed in the Northeast last year, but they will need an absolute monster year from Nick Thomakos to replicate that success. Fortunately for them, he is extremely dynamic, and is ready to cement a place among the league's best forwards. Former Kitchener Ranger James Mense-Dietrich showed flashes of brilliance last year as well, so he will have to help Thomakos out in the production category. Former Owen Sound prospect Aaron Taylor is very talented goaltender, and should be back in the Spirit net.
Offensive-minded defenceman Brandon Washer really thrived in the free-roaming roll he got from the Muskies last year, so it makes sense to expect he'll keep putting up numbers in Lindsay next year. The huge Keegan Cairns showed flashes of ability too, while the diminutive former Junior C sniper Jack Scanlon certainly has the skill to be dangerous at this level.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various teams' outlooks heading into the new year.
This blog will focus on the North Division.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
Ever since the excellent Newmarket team of 2012-13, the North has been owned almost exclusively by the perennially loaded Aurora Tigers. Every season the Tigers have a ton of stars, those stars move on, and then they raise up and bring in new stars; and there is no reason to expect any different for next season.
By all accounts, future Niagara University man and skilled speedster Drake Board is ready for a big role and to fill in for Johnny Curran, who is off to Western Michigan. He will be well supported by the similarly sized and fleet-footed Daniel Mantenuto, while the incredibly intelligent future Robert Morris University defender Noah Delmas should certainly be able step into the No. 1 defender spot vacated by Eric Williams.
I am also interested to see if veteran Liam Neuman, another speedy fast forward, can break through into a truly impact player in the OJ. Also, will Jordan Sambrook, who was one of the best midget defenceman in all of Canada last year stick in the OHL? If not, he is property of the Tigers, and he is outstanding.
Much was written and discussed concerning the plight of the Pickering Panthers last year, but inking head coach Matt Caroll appears to signal a desire to head in the right direction for the club. His Ajax/Pickering Raiders midgets were an excellent squad last year, and it serves to expect a number of those quality players will follow him there. If veteran BJ Salerno returns, he remains as dangerous offensively as any player in the league.
The Newmarket Hurricanes went down a similar path as the Panthers, bringing in Brett Punchard, who led his impressive Toronto Young Nats midgets to a national championship last year. The likes of Mack Graham, Max Routledge and Alex Ierullo were dominant in midget, and should be excellent Junior A players if they follow their coach to the Hurricanes.
In terms of returnees, Sam Hu parlayed quickness and an incredible work ethic into 26 goals and 43 points last year, and looks ready to continue to climb the rungs into the elite of the OJHL. Connor Ryckman was also excellent in net in his rookie season, and could be as good as anyone in the league next year.
The newly re-coined and relocated Markham Royals are excited about their fresh start, and don't appear to be sparing any expense to make it a success. A lot of guys are back, including their dynamic captain Jason O'Connor, and if all-around elite defender Khadyn Butterfly returns, then expect Markham to give the Tigers a decent push in the north. Future Merrimack College man Laine McKay is a big boy with loads of scoring potential, and he was very impressive at the CJHL Top Prospects game last year.
Stouffville really impressed by getting to the No. 5 seed in the Northeast last year, but they will need an absolute monster year from Nick Thomakos to replicate that success. Fortunately for them, he is extremely dynamic, and is ready to cement a place among the league's best forwards. Former Kitchener Ranger James Mense-Dietrich showed flashes of brilliance last year as well, so he will have to help Thomakos out in the production category. Former Owen Sound prospect Aaron Taylor is very talented goaltender, and should be back in the Spirit net.
Offensive-minded defenceman Brandon Washer really thrived in the free-roaming roll he got from the Muskies last year, so it makes sense to expect he'll keep putting up numbers in Lindsay next year. The huge Keegan Cairns showed flashes of ability too, while the diminutive former Junior C sniper Jack Scanlon certainly has the skill to be dangerous at this level.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Looking forward to 2015-16 (South Division)
There is new day dawning in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, as of the 2015-16 season. Almost all of the league's stars that were fixtures atop the scoring tables, like JRC's Anthony Repaci, Georgetown's Steve Hladin, Cobourg's Connor Armour, and Trenton's Brady Wiffen, as well as many others, are all gone. That does not mean that I expect a severe drop off in the league's quality, however. All it means is that a new breed is poised to infuse the league with their ability, and take leading rolls in their respective clubs.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various teams' outlooks heading into the new year.
I continue with my own division, the dirty dirty South.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
Obviously the easiest team for me to talk about is the North York Rangers, so I'll start there.
The gun that looks to do the biggest part in filling the Gabe Valenzuela-Matt Whittaker production void is most certainly Michael Morgan. The 20-year-old red-bearded speed demon has the talent and work ethic to rival anyone in the OJHL, and I have complete faith that he'll be an all star calibre player for the Rangers next year. In terms of younger players, Ryan Takamatsu looks ready to take another big step forward. As 97-born players go, his intelligence and competitiveness are absolutely excellent, and with a speedy brand of hockey to go with a very solid frame, watch for the one they call Taka to be a force in 2015-16.
I am also very excited to see the continued development of the dynamic 'heart-and-hustle-and-underrated-skill' duo of Kyle Clarke and Nick Zanette. Those two played their hearts out in big minutes against the Repaci line vs. the Junior Canadiens last year, and both have potential to be very good secondary scorers in the OJ starting next season. For new players that could very well be in the lineup next year, I am most looking forward to seeing Jonathan Hampton in Ranger blue. This is, of course, dependent on whether or not the big-bodied, bulldog-type power forward makes his OHL club in Owen Sound.
Last but not least, watch for a breakthrough season from Gianluca Baggetta, who should be a top goaltender in the OJ next year.
It is difficult for me to talk about the Toronto Patriots, of course, because I have no idea who will or won't be there. Should he be back, Tyler Currie is almost a lock to be a captain, and in my opinion a Top 3 defenceman in the league in all areas of the ice. Depending on circumstances, of course, Jeremy Pullara and Mario Ferraro should both improve on their extremely impressive rookie seasons, where they demonstrated maturity way beyond their respective years. Matty Robson was only a 1996 birth year when he brilliantly backstopped the Pats to the Cup, so another great year, depending on circumstances, is almost certainly in his future.
The Oakville Blades will likely be looking hard to add quality pieces to a roster depleted by a lot of graduations from last year, but look no farther than captain Ryan Garvey to lead the charge in filling those voids. Speed and compete are his trademarks, and with a World Junior A Challenge already under his belt, Coach Mike Tarantino is clearly expecting big things from the hometown boy.
The two-way presences of 97-birth years Jackson Bales--who at one point last year was considered an NHL draft prospect--and Josh Kosack should both take steps forward offensively next year, and look to be key leaders on this Oakville reload.
Look for rookie 1998 birth year goaltender Michael Botiz to be an absolute star right away.
The Toronto Junior Canadiens are losing the all-league talent of captain Anthony Repaci, but retain an elite D-corps, and could have two-thirds of their top line back with Nick Jarzabek and Justin Maolino. They both had great offensive seasons at Buckingham Arena, and if JRC can find some forward depth, they certainly have the pieces to make a run at the Conference. Kevin Hancock is an intriguing 1998-born power centreman, and if he isn't in Owen Sound in the OHL, I expect he'll make a nice addition to the top line, where he spent some time last year. As far as I know, Sal Filice, Andrew Mullen and Luca Farrace should all be back on the blue line, an impressive group to be sure.
I am not privy to any information regarding who is or isn't back with the Mississauga Chargers, though 1998-born Oshawa Generals prospect Domenic Commisso was very impressive in the couple viewings I had of him last year.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various teams' outlooks heading into the new year.
I continue with my own division, the dirty dirty South.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
Obviously the easiest team for me to talk about is the North York Rangers, so I'll start there.
The gun that looks to do the biggest part in filling the Gabe Valenzuela-Matt Whittaker production void is most certainly Michael Morgan. The 20-year-old red-bearded speed demon has the talent and work ethic to rival anyone in the OJHL, and I have complete faith that he'll be an all star calibre player for the Rangers next year. In terms of younger players, Ryan Takamatsu looks ready to take another big step forward. As 97-born players go, his intelligence and competitiveness are absolutely excellent, and with a speedy brand of hockey to go with a very solid frame, watch for the one they call Taka to be a force in 2015-16.
I am also very excited to see the continued development of the dynamic 'heart-and-hustle-and-underrated-skill' duo of Kyle Clarke and Nick Zanette. Those two played their hearts out in big minutes against the Repaci line vs. the Junior Canadiens last year, and both have potential to be very good secondary scorers in the OJ starting next season. For new players that could very well be in the lineup next year, I am most looking forward to seeing Jonathan Hampton in Ranger blue. This is, of course, dependent on whether or not the big-bodied, bulldog-type power forward makes his OHL club in Owen Sound.
Last but not least, watch for a breakthrough season from Gianluca Baggetta, who should be a top goaltender in the OJ next year.
It is difficult for me to talk about the Toronto Patriots, of course, because I have no idea who will or won't be there. Should he be back, Tyler Currie is almost a lock to be a captain, and in my opinion a Top 3 defenceman in the league in all areas of the ice. Depending on circumstances, of course, Jeremy Pullara and Mario Ferraro should both improve on their extremely impressive rookie seasons, where they demonstrated maturity way beyond their respective years. Matty Robson was only a 1996 birth year when he brilliantly backstopped the Pats to the Cup, so another great year, depending on circumstances, is almost certainly in his future.
The Oakville Blades will likely be looking hard to add quality pieces to a roster depleted by a lot of graduations from last year, but look no farther than captain Ryan Garvey to lead the charge in filling those voids. Speed and compete are his trademarks, and with a World Junior A Challenge already under his belt, Coach Mike Tarantino is clearly expecting big things from the hometown boy.
The two-way presences of 97-birth years Jackson Bales--who at one point last year was considered an NHL draft prospect--and Josh Kosack should both take steps forward offensively next year, and look to be key leaders on this Oakville reload.
Look for rookie 1998 birth year goaltender Michael Botiz to be an absolute star right away.
The Toronto Junior Canadiens are losing the all-league talent of captain Anthony Repaci, but retain an elite D-corps, and could have two-thirds of their top line back with Nick Jarzabek and Justin Maolino. They both had great offensive seasons at Buckingham Arena, and if JRC can find some forward depth, they certainly have the pieces to make a run at the Conference. Kevin Hancock is an intriguing 1998-born power centreman, and if he isn't in Owen Sound in the OHL, I expect he'll make a nice addition to the top line, where he spent some time last year. As far as I know, Sal Filice, Andrew Mullen and Luca Farrace should all be back on the blue line, an impressive group to be sure.
I am not privy to any information regarding who is or isn't back with the Mississauga Chargers, though 1998-born Oshawa Generals prospect Domenic Commisso was very impressive in the couple viewings I had of him last year.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Looking forward to 2015-16 (West Division)
There is new day dawning in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, as of the beginning the 2015-16 season. Almost all of the league's stars that were fixtures atop the scoring tables, those like Toronto's Anthony Repaci, Georgetown's Steve Hladin, Cobourg's Connor Armour, and Trenton's Brady Wiffen, as well as many others, are all gone. That does not mean that I expect a severe drop off in the league's quality, however, not at all. All it means is that a new breed is poised to infuse the league with their ability, and take leading rolls in their respective clubs.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various team's outlooks heading into the new year.
I will start with the West Division.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
All signs point to the continued upward trajectory of Jamie Caruso's excellent rebuild in Orangeville, and as such the Flyers look ready to take another big step forward in 15-16. The now 18-year-old Lucas Smilsky was nothing short of dynamite, showcasing some great speed and hands, and as a 97-birth year, led his club in scoring last year with 57 points (something not many 17 year olds do!). Look for him to keep getting better.
It will be interesting to see what Caruso will do with the departure of Ian Nichols, who anchored that top line, along with Smilsky and Connor Stack. Nevertheless, watch for James McLaughlin to take another huge step forward next year. He's well built and competes like a horse, but there is more skill for him to show as well. I do believe Stack is back too, while Derek Topatigh, himself just a 97 birth year, will compete for the title of best defenceman in the league, and is all-but certain in my mind to attract serious Division I attention.
I never know who is going where, or what is going on in Buffalo, but all I will say about the Sabres is that '98-birth year Justin Cmunt has a ton of potential, and I predict he will be an elite Jr. A scorer sooner than later. Union College seems to agree with me, and has already given him a commitment.
The post-Steve Hladin era in Georgetown will be interesting, and with fellow stalwarts Anthony Marra and Liam Clare gone, it will be interesting to see what direction Greg Walters and company will go. I have been a fan of Brendan Jacome for a long time, especially for his work ethic, and he will need to lead the new charge for the Raiders. Jacome's brother Jack also showed some flashes of brilliance, and looks to be an excellent Jr. A player in the near future, with perhaps a little more razzle-dazzle than his older brother. Walters always finds a way to attract top talent, so I expect a reload more than a rebuild at Alcott Arena.
With all due respect to Burlington and Milton, the only direction they can go is up. In the Cougars case, they do at least have a true star-in-the-making to build around in Jack Jeffers. The late 97-birth year forward must have garnered a lot of interest at last year's deadline, but in keeping the dynamic forward, the Burlington brass signalled to their fans that they do believe in the future. Their team was incredibly young last year, so they will have a ton of returnees, including their captain in Burlington's own Willy Paul, who as a 1996-born defenceman, was the old man of the corps last year.
The 1998-born defenceman Jonathan Schaefer was the most intriguing piece that the IceHawks rolled with last year, though it is unknown to me whether he is a serious contender to make the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League next year. If he is back, he has the dynamic skating ability and shiftiness to be a real exciting Junior 'A' player. Ryan Taylor is a 1996-born forward with a decent amount of ability as well, so he should put up some numbers next year too. The most valuable piece that the IceHawks currently possess, in my opinion, is Erie Otters prospect Cosimo Lazzarino in goal. His numbers don't reflect a great rookie campaign, but he is more than capable of being an excellent goaltender in this league.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have on the various team's outlooks heading into the new year.
I will start with the West Division.
Note: I have, of course, stuck to players that I am fairly confident will be back in the OJ next year.
All signs point to the continued upward trajectory of Jamie Caruso's excellent rebuild in Orangeville, and as such the Flyers look ready to take another big step forward in 15-16. The now 18-year-old Lucas Smilsky was nothing short of dynamite, showcasing some great speed and hands, and as a 97-birth year, led his club in scoring last year with 57 points (something not many 17 year olds do!). Look for him to keep getting better.
It will be interesting to see what Caruso will do with the departure of Ian Nichols, who anchored that top line, along with Smilsky and Connor Stack. Nevertheless, watch for James McLaughlin to take another huge step forward next year. He's well built and competes like a horse, but there is more skill for him to show as well. I do believe Stack is back too, while Derek Topatigh, himself just a 97 birth year, will compete for the title of best defenceman in the league, and is all-but certain in my mind to attract serious Division I attention.
I never know who is going where, or what is going on in Buffalo, but all I will say about the Sabres is that '98-birth year Justin Cmunt has a ton of potential, and I predict he will be an elite Jr. A scorer sooner than later. Union College seems to agree with me, and has already given him a commitment.
The post-Steve Hladin era in Georgetown will be interesting, and with fellow stalwarts Anthony Marra and Liam Clare gone, it will be interesting to see what direction Greg Walters and company will go. I have been a fan of Brendan Jacome for a long time, especially for his work ethic, and he will need to lead the new charge for the Raiders. Jacome's brother Jack also showed some flashes of brilliance, and looks to be an excellent Jr. A player in the near future, with perhaps a little more razzle-dazzle than his older brother. Walters always finds a way to attract top talent, so I expect a reload more than a rebuild at Alcott Arena.
With all due respect to Burlington and Milton, the only direction they can go is up. In the Cougars case, they do at least have a true star-in-the-making to build around in Jack Jeffers. The late 97-birth year forward must have garnered a lot of interest at last year's deadline, but in keeping the dynamic forward, the Burlington brass signalled to their fans that they do believe in the future. Their team was incredibly young last year, so they will have a ton of returnees, including their captain in Burlington's own Willy Paul, who as a 1996-born defenceman, was the old man of the corps last year.
The 1998-born defenceman Jonathan Schaefer was the most intriguing piece that the IceHawks rolled with last year, though it is unknown to me whether he is a serious contender to make the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League next year. If he is back, he has the dynamic skating ability and shiftiness to be a real exciting Junior 'A' player. Ryan Taylor is a 1996-born forward with a decent amount of ability as well, so he should put up some numbers next year too. The most valuable piece that the IceHawks currently possess, in my opinion, is Erie Otters prospect Cosimo Lazzarino in goal. His numbers don't reflect a great rookie campaign, but he is more than capable of being an excellent goaltender in this league.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Jason Fortier
By now the news that Jason Fortier is going off to Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL is old, but I thought I'd put together a few words about what I think of him, as he leaves the OJHL to Frencher pastures.
Back in the early summer of 2011, I had returned to the GTA from Waterloo where I did my undergrad at Laurier, and I decided that after a couple of years working in the OHL and in Ontario University hockey I would love to find a decent level team to write articles for while I waited to start my post-grad at Centennial College.
I emailed around a couple of teams, including the Jr. Canadiens, and St. Mike's, but got no response. Finally I came across the Vaughan Vipers, which made sense since I lived in Vaughan at the time (though not super close to the rink), and fired off an email with pretty much no expectation of any sort of response. Except this time I got one.
It was from Jason Fortier, who said that he'd be happy to have me out to do whatever I could. I went out to the Al Paladini Community Centre, where the Vipers played, and wrote some game reports, and some player features, and it was a pretty good time getting to know some of the guys. But that really is Fortier to a tee: when other people in the league don't want to bother, don't want to reply to you, Jason will if you are passionate and willing to do your best.
Eventually I ended up realizing that Vaughan had a guy (the great Steve Mitchell, of course) who filmed the games, but had nobody doing play by play. Growing up, I would go to the Hockey Hall of Fame and do the play by play booth there and love it, so I figured, what the heck, why not ask Forch if I could do it. I wasn't sure what he'd say, but once again, if you're willing to do your best, then you're ok with Forch - and he said that it would be a great idea.
So I got into it, and I've done it ever since.
But enough about me.
It is common knowledge that Jason Fortier's personality isn't for everyone. Those that are loyal to him are fiercely so, and those that dislike him, well, are also fiercely in that category. But what cannot be overlooked is the job he does while coaching junior hockey players, and preparing them for the next level.
My favourite thing about his coaching philosophy is that he's sort of like a junior hockey version of the Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. What I mean by that, is that he truly believes in intentionally creating a pack of competition crazy players; he makes little tournaments, little games in addition to practice that promotes a hyper competitive attitude among his squad, so that when it comes down to crunch time, whether it's Game 7 of the finals, or down 5-0 in the first period of the semifinal at the Dudley Hewitt Cup, his players are so used to battling each other, that the other team's best is just normalcy. That was, as with everything in coaching, dependant on the players buying in and executing, but the tone he intentionally sets is undeniable.
When it comes to the Xs and Os of hockey and its systems, he truly does ooze knowledge. He lives and breathes for hockey, so his players always can know that he quickly understands what's going on out there and that they will be prepared for the opposition. And really, when you ask players, the importance of having a coach that understands preparation cannot be understated.
Players also never need to worry about where they stand with Forch, because for better or for worse he'll tell you. He'll especially tell you for worse, but take a lack of words as a compliment. I believe this demonstrates a key part of his player-handling philosophy: that he genuinely cares enough for his players to put aside the need to feel that they like him, and instead he focuses on them being accountable for being a better player and person.
Another big reason in my mind how Forch led the Pats to the title two years in a row, is his ability to let losses roll off him. Pretty much every team will go on a losing streak at some point, but how quickly you can healthily come to terms with losses, and take them in perspective will go a long way in determining how quickly the streak will end. Forch did that in a masterful way, and his players responded to setbacks and failure the last two years incredibly well.
So now he heads off to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, a team that was in the middle of the playoff pack last year despite being quite young. As such, they have a ton of quality returning, so look out Q.
My relationship with Jason Fortier has not always been easy, but he has always done his best to vouch for me and get me opportunities, so for that I am grateful. There are a ton of things that I admire about him, and the job that he and his staff did the past two years cannot be adequately covered in this blog post. Yet the way the Pats players responded to hearing that he wouldn't be back next year is telling; as a group they truly loved playing under him.
So here's to Mr. Fortier, the best coach in the OJHL in the last two years.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
My translation of Rouyn-Noranda's press release Re: hiring Jason Fortier
Following the departure of Simon Nadeau at the end of the season, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are proud to announce the addition of Jason Fortier behind the bench next season as an assistant coach.
Fortier was a head coach in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He won the league championship in each of the last two years. Huskies' head coach Gilles Bouchard said he was very pleased with this addition to his team: "This is a man with experience. He has had a nice coaching career, and ultimately he wants to be a head coach in the Canadian Hockey League one day, and wants to learn the ropes in Rouyn-Noranda. He is a guy that is well loved by his players, and who is able to get the best out of them."
Jason Fortier will likely join the team soon at the annual meeting in Sherbrooke.
The pack would also like to take the time to thank Simon Nadeau. "Simon decided to be closer to his family. We thank him for all he has given to the team. He put a lot of heart into the club! We wish him well in his future projects", commented the head coach of the Huskies, Gilles Bouchard.
Fortier was a head coach in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He won the league championship in each of the last two years. Huskies' head coach Gilles Bouchard said he was very pleased with this addition to his team: "This is a man with experience. He has had a nice coaching career, and ultimately he wants to be a head coach in the Canadian Hockey League one day, and wants to learn the ropes in Rouyn-Noranda. He is a guy that is well loved by his players, and who is able to get the best out of them."
Jason Fortier will likely join the team soon at the annual meeting in Sherbrooke.
The pack would also like to take the time to thank Simon Nadeau. "Simon decided to be closer to his family. We thank him for all he has given to the team. He put a lot of heart into the club! We wish him well in his future projects", commented the head coach of the Huskies, Gilles Bouchard.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
The OJHL Playoffs - a quick retrospective (Round 2)
The 2015 OJHL playoffs took 83 games, and were as full of storylines as any post-season I can remember. When the No. 1 seed in both conference goes down in the second round - albeit both for very different reasons - you know there was an air of crazy surrounding proceedings. Here is a retrospective of that crazy Round 2.
Southwest
No. 1 Georgetown Raiders vs. No. 4 Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Who can really say what happened to the mighty Georgetown Raiders? As I mentioned in my last post, Georgetown head coach Greg Walters told me he was a little nervous heading into the first round against Buffalo, and after a seven-round tilt, it serves to assume it took a lot out of the Raiders. The Georgetown D-corps, that many considered the best in the league, was missing its two top guns for most of the series, with Liam Clare out to both suspension and injury, and Jake Clements sidelined with a bad upper-body injury. So say what you want about any club, but when you take out the top two D, it's going to be a tough day. There is also that old adage about goaltending: it is 50% of a hockey team, until you don't have it, because then it's 80%. Young 16-year-old net minder Jack Lafontaine had a great season for the Raiders, but maybe he ran out of gas after playing more hockey than he ever had in his young career.
But all that, and the over-reliance on league superstar Steve Hladin to produce offence aside, take nothing away from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. By my money, Jr. Canadiens' captain Anthony Repaci was the best single player in the entire league in the playoffs (with 23 points in 14 games), and along with his line of Nick Jarzabek and Justin Maolino, and a top-4 D that nobody had any fun playing against, coach Mario Cicchilo's men simply had more will to win. Nobody picked a sweep by the Jr. Canadiens under any circumstances, but while three of the four games were of the one-goal variety, the underdogs from Toronto were full value to reach the conference final.
No. 2 Toronto Patriots vs. No 3 Oakville Blades
There really was a lot to like from a Patriots' perspective heading into this series. Not only were the Blades coached by former Toronto coach and GM Mike Tarantino, but the Pats had won three of the four contests between the two in regular season quite comfortably. The matchup was also a good one on the ice for Toronto, as the Blades' attempted to play a more open, skating game, something the Pats were clearly the best at in the Southwest (and maybe the OJHL). The series itself went five games as the Pats quicker forwards were nothing short of dominant, while at the same time the Blades struggled to generate offence, scoring only seven goals in the five contests. Toronto's Mat Robson also continued to emerge as an absolutely elite goaltender in the OJHL, though Daniel Mannella did well in the other end as well. Nevertheless, the Pats juggernaut continued to pick up steam.
Northeast
No. 1 Aurora Tigers vs. No. 4 Kingston Voyageurs
Some of the many vocal Aurora fans voiced their concern after the plucky and youthful Newmarket Hurricanes gave the mighty Tigers fits in the first round, but still, few picked Kingston over Aurora. The Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the entire league, were ranked high in the national rankings, and quite frankly, were loaded with talent. Kingston swept a Stouffville team in the first round that probably had overachieved in the regular season, and not many knew what they were about.
Of course, the story has been well told already. The Tigers were on their game early in the series, and after a 5-1 pounding in Game 3 to put Aurora up 3-0, it looked as though it would be curtains for the Vees. Yet a Game 2 incident, in which Tigers' defender Kyle Locke knocked Kingston forward Corey Caruso out with a vicious head hit, clearly sparked the Vees, especially after Locke was not punished for Game 3, and therein had a three-point night. Four wins in a row followed for Kingston, including a bizarre Game 7 in which veteran Jr. B goaltender Blake Richard was called in to start for Aurora (making his first ever Jr. A appearance) in relief of an ill Andy Munroe, and it was off the conference final for a Vees team that started to feel the call of destiny.
No. 2 Trenton Golden Hawks vs. No. 3 Cobourg Cougars
This was supposed to be a series for the ages: a war of attrition between the two most veteran and physically aggressive clubs in the league; until it was derailed by one off-ice incident. Of course what happened in Cobourg is well known, and I do not want to even mention it here as nothing has been officially released by the police investigation at the time of this writing. Yet suffice it to say, this series was clearly coloured by things not related to hockey.
For their part, the Cougars did a nice job of competing for most of the series, especially given the circumstances, and even pushed the contest to six games after going doing 3-0 with little difficulty to the Golden Hawks. The one negative theme that did emerge as far as Trenton was concerned, however, was the beginning of an over-reliance on superstars Brady Wiffen and Zach de Concilys to create offence. They would, as time would tell, meet their match in the conference final against a brilliant Kingston duo, one that proved to have a little bit more support, and perhaps a little broader shoulders in those particular games. For Cobourg's part, they needed captain Connor Armour to absolutely dominate, like he did in the first round against Whitby, but he could not.
Southwest
No. 1 Georgetown Raiders vs. No. 4 Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Who can really say what happened to the mighty Georgetown Raiders? As I mentioned in my last post, Georgetown head coach Greg Walters told me he was a little nervous heading into the first round against Buffalo, and after a seven-round tilt, it serves to assume it took a lot out of the Raiders. The Georgetown D-corps, that many considered the best in the league, was missing its two top guns for most of the series, with Liam Clare out to both suspension and injury, and Jake Clements sidelined with a bad upper-body injury. So say what you want about any club, but when you take out the top two D, it's going to be a tough day. There is also that old adage about goaltending: it is 50% of a hockey team, until you don't have it, because then it's 80%. Young 16-year-old net minder Jack Lafontaine had a great season for the Raiders, but maybe he ran out of gas after playing more hockey than he ever had in his young career.
But all that, and the over-reliance on league superstar Steve Hladin to produce offence aside, take nothing away from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. By my money, Jr. Canadiens' captain Anthony Repaci was the best single player in the entire league in the playoffs (with 23 points in 14 games), and along with his line of Nick Jarzabek and Justin Maolino, and a top-4 D that nobody had any fun playing against, coach Mario Cicchilo's men simply had more will to win. Nobody picked a sweep by the Jr. Canadiens under any circumstances, but while three of the four games were of the one-goal variety, the underdogs from Toronto were full value to reach the conference final.
No. 2 Toronto Patriots vs. No 3 Oakville Blades
There really was a lot to like from a Patriots' perspective heading into this series. Not only were the Blades coached by former Toronto coach and GM Mike Tarantino, but the Pats had won three of the four contests between the two in regular season quite comfortably. The matchup was also a good one on the ice for Toronto, as the Blades' attempted to play a more open, skating game, something the Pats were clearly the best at in the Southwest (and maybe the OJHL). The series itself went five games as the Pats quicker forwards were nothing short of dominant, while at the same time the Blades struggled to generate offence, scoring only seven goals in the five contests. Toronto's Mat Robson also continued to emerge as an absolutely elite goaltender in the OJHL, though Daniel Mannella did well in the other end as well. Nevertheless, the Pats juggernaut continued to pick up steam.
Northeast
No. 1 Aurora Tigers vs. No. 4 Kingston Voyageurs
Some of the many vocal Aurora fans voiced their concern after the plucky and youthful Newmarket Hurricanes gave the mighty Tigers fits in the first round, but still, few picked Kingston over Aurora. The Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the entire league, were ranked high in the national rankings, and quite frankly, were loaded with talent. Kingston swept a Stouffville team in the first round that probably had overachieved in the regular season, and not many knew what they were about.
Of course, the story has been well told already. The Tigers were on their game early in the series, and after a 5-1 pounding in Game 3 to put Aurora up 3-0, it looked as though it would be curtains for the Vees. Yet a Game 2 incident, in which Tigers' defender Kyle Locke knocked Kingston forward Corey Caruso out with a vicious head hit, clearly sparked the Vees, especially after Locke was not punished for Game 3, and therein had a three-point night. Four wins in a row followed for Kingston, including a bizarre Game 7 in which veteran Jr. B goaltender Blake Richard was called in to start for Aurora (making his first ever Jr. A appearance) in relief of an ill Andy Munroe, and it was off the conference final for a Vees team that started to feel the call of destiny.
No. 2 Trenton Golden Hawks vs. No. 3 Cobourg Cougars
This was supposed to be a series for the ages: a war of attrition between the two most veteran and physically aggressive clubs in the league; until it was derailed by one off-ice incident. Of course what happened in Cobourg is well known, and I do not want to even mention it here as nothing has been officially released by the police investigation at the time of this writing. Yet suffice it to say, this series was clearly coloured by things not related to hockey.
For their part, the Cougars did a nice job of competing for most of the series, especially given the circumstances, and even pushed the contest to six games after going doing 3-0 with little difficulty to the Golden Hawks. The one negative theme that did emerge as far as Trenton was concerned, however, was the beginning of an over-reliance on superstars Brady Wiffen and Zach de Concilys to create offence. They would, as time would tell, meet their match in the conference final against a brilliant Kingston duo, one that proved to have a little bit more support, and perhaps a little broader shoulders in those particular games. For Cobourg's part, they needed captain Connor Armour to absolutely dominate, like he did in the first round against Whitby, but he could not.
Friday, April 24, 2015
The OJHL Playoffs - a quick retrospective (Round 1)
The 2015 OJHL playoffs took 83 games, and were as full of storylines as any post-season I can remember. When the No. 1 seed in both conference goes down in the second round - albeit both for very different reasons - you know there was an air of crazy surrounding proceedings. With the finals two days gone, and the defending Buckland Cup champion Toronto Patriots preparing for the Dudley Hewitt Cup that begins Tuesday, I thought I would go back by round, and discuss a few prevailing thoughts I have surrounding each one.
The two biggest stories of the first round definitely came out of the Southwest, where the upstart Orangeville Flyers and Buffalo Jr. Sabres gave their higher ranked, and more experienced foes, big runs for their respective money.
First-year Flyers' bench boss Jamie Caruso had his power play humming along nicely, and while Oakville bench boss Mike Tarantino got his troops to rally after going down 3-1 to win in seven games, it was an extremely tough, dramatic series. It was only fitting, then, that Blades' forward Ryan Garvey scored with only seconds on the clock to win in the final contest at Oakville's beautiful Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
The No. 8 Jr. Sabres may have come into that series with No. 1 Georgetown as big underdogs in the standings, but Raiders' head coach and GM Greg Walters certainly was not comfortable. Buffalo had toppled big teams down the stretch in the regular season, and especially at their beautiful new home, where they had finally settled after a tumultuous beginning of the year, they were a tough nut. I really believe that series, that went to seven games as well, took a ton out of the Raiders, especially their biggest gun Steve Hladin, and played a role in their surprise later demise. That being said, Georgetown did find a way at home in Game 7.
Opinions on how the 4 v 5 series in the Southwest between the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and North York Rangers would go varied greatly. JRC had come into the playoffs on an absolute tear, while the Rangers had stalled due to mass absences on the D-Corps. North York had talent, but how much mileage could the top parts of its lineup, and second-year goaltender Gianluca Baggetta, ultimately take against a physical and more veteran Jr. Canadiens club. They did answer, making life difficult most of the time for anyone on Toronto not named Anthony Repaci or Justin Maolino; and a couple of dramatic overtime wins at Scotiabank Pond stretched the series to six games. Baggetta was especially brilliant behind a defence that was young, without it's captain, and asked to play very different roles than it was used to (ie Will Reilly). Nevertheless, North York's inability to win at home killed them.
With all due respect to the St. Mike's Buzzers, their first round series with the No. 2 Toronto Patriots was never in doubt. More on the Pats later!
In the Northeast, the No. 1 Aurora Tigers raised some alarms with a far more difficult first round series against their ancient rivals, the No. 8 Newmarket Hurricanes, than many predicted. They found a way after five games of course, with three of the five being one-goal games, but they won anyway. If Newmarket could've held early leads, however, this might have been a bigger deal. That being said, the youthful and energetic Hurricanes, and especially '96 birth year forward Sam Hu, made some fans.
Perhaps the biggest question heading into the NE playoffs was surrounding the Whitby Fury, who fired their head coach Tom Boyle one game before the end of the regular season, and then had to take on probably the most aggressive team in the league, the Cobourg Cougars (speaking of questions, more on Cobourg later!) Without a sudden coaching change in Whitby, however, I do wonder if this could have been a brilliant series. The Fury had a roster with a lot of talent, including Ryan Kirkup, who was one of the best players in the OJ last year, and had brought in a bunch of guys around deadline day. Although the Fury made it tough on a game-to-game basis, the No. 3 Cougars ended up with the sweep, albeit with three of the four wins coming in one-goal games.
Marty Abrams' top heavy Wellington Dukes were in tough against the Trenton Golden Hawks, and despite one of the league's top one-two punches in Abbot Girduckis and Joe McKeown, the Dukes fell in four hard-fought contests. Trenton's Brady Wiffen, who many considered to be the toughest forward to stop in the OJ last year, counted for seven points in the four games.
Also missing their head coach were the Kingston Voyageurs, as their bench boss Colin Birkas was handed a heavy suspension late in the regular season. That being said, the veteran Vees found two Alex Tonge overtime winners, and went on to sweep the underdog Stouffville Spirit. Both Adam Brady and Tonge were absolute animals in the series, but that will be a broken record in these playoffs - I promise you. Stouffville's most consistent producer was veteran offensive-minded defenceman Mike Giacometti, who once had double digits in goals in the OJHL regular season. A quick series was a godsend for the Vees, however, as their road to the finals proved to be as grueling as it could be.
The two biggest stories of the first round definitely came out of the Southwest, where the upstart Orangeville Flyers and Buffalo Jr. Sabres gave their higher ranked, and more experienced foes, big runs for their respective money.
First-year Flyers' bench boss Jamie Caruso had his power play humming along nicely, and while Oakville bench boss Mike Tarantino got his troops to rally after going down 3-1 to win in seven games, it was an extremely tough, dramatic series. It was only fitting, then, that Blades' forward Ryan Garvey scored with only seconds on the clock to win in the final contest at Oakville's beautiful Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
The No. 8 Jr. Sabres may have come into that series with No. 1 Georgetown as big underdogs in the standings, but Raiders' head coach and GM Greg Walters certainly was not comfortable. Buffalo had toppled big teams down the stretch in the regular season, and especially at their beautiful new home, where they had finally settled after a tumultuous beginning of the year, they were a tough nut. I really believe that series, that went to seven games as well, took a ton out of the Raiders, especially their biggest gun Steve Hladin, and played a role in their surprise later demise. That being said, Georgetown did find a way at home in Game 7.
Opinions on how the 4 v 5 series in the Southwest between the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and North York Rangers would go varied greatly. JRC had come into the playoffs on an absolute tear, while the Rangers had stalled due to mass absences on the D-Corps. North York had talent, but how much mileage could the top parts of its lineup, and second-year goaltender Gianluca Baggetta, ultimately take against a physical and more veteran Jr. Canadiens club. They did answer, making life difficult most of the time for anyone on Toronto not named Anthony Repaci or Justin Maolino; and a couple of dramatic overtime wins at Scotiabank Pond stretched the series to six games. Baggetta was especially brilliant behind a defence that was young, without it's captain, and asked to play very different roles than it was used to (ie Will Reilly). Nevertheless, North York's inability to win at home killed them.
With all due respect to the St. Mike's Buzzers, their first round series with the No. 2 Toronto Patriots was never in doubt. More on the Pats later!
In the Northeast, the No. 1 Aurora Tigers raised some alarms with a far more difficult first round series against their ancient rivals, the No. 8 Newmarket Hurricanes, than many predicted. They found a way after five games of course, with three of the five being one-goal games, but they won anyway. If Newmarket could've held early leads, however, this might have been a bigger deal. That being said, the youthful and energetic Hurricanes, and especially '96 birth year forward Sam Hu, made some fans.
Perhaps the biggest question heading into the NE playoffs was surrounding the Whitby Fury, who fired their head coach Tom Boyle one game before the end of the regular season, and then had to take on probably the most aggressive team in the league, the Cobourg Cougars (speaking of questions, more on Cobourg later!) Without a sudden coaching change in Whitby, however, I do wonder if this could have been a brilliant series. The Fury had a roster with a lot of talent, including Ryan Kirkup, who was one of the best players in the OJ last year, and had brought in a bunch of guys around deadline day. Although the Fury made it tough on a game-to-game basis, the No. 3 Cougars ended up with the sweep, albeit with three of the four wins coming in one-goal games.
Marty Abrams' top heavy Wellington Dukes were in tough against the Trenton Golden Hawks, and despite one of the league's top one-two punches in Abbot Girduckis and Joe McKeown, the Dukes fell in four hard-fought contests. Trenton's Brady Wiffen, who many considered to be the toughest forward to stop in the OJ last year, counted for seven points in the four games.
Also missing their head coach were the Kingston Voyageurs, as their bench boss Colin Birkas was handed a heavy suspension late in the regular season. That being said, the veteran Vees found two Alex Tonge overtime winners, and went on to sweep the underdog Stouffville Spirit. Both Adam Brady and Tonge were absolute animals in the series, but that will be a broken record in these playoffs - I promise you. Stouffville's most consistent producer was veteran offensive-minded defenceman Mike Giacometti, who once had double digits in goals in the OJHL regular season. A quick series was a godsend for the Vees, however, as their road to the finals proved to be as grueling as it could be.
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