Post-Trade Deadline South Division Notebook

As of midnight on Jan. 10, the Ontario Junior Hockey League's trade deadline had passed, and the picture of the stretch run of the regular season has finally come into some sort of clarity. How will the new players fit? How will teams react to staying put and not adding? These are the questions that will be answered in the coming two months.

Here is a team-by-team outlook, solely from my opinion, as we head down the final 20 games or so of the season in the wild OJHL South.

Standings as of Jan. 14

South Division

TEAM	GP	W	L	T	OTL	PTS	PCT	GF	GA	PIM	HOME	AWAY
Oakville	39	24	12	2	1	51	.654	157	128	595	12-4-2-0	12-8-0-1
Toronto Jr. Canadiens	39	20	13	3	3	46	.590	127	124	593	11-8-1-1	9-5-2-2
North York	40	19	14	2	5	45	.563	136	124	586	9-6-1-3	10-8-1-2
St. Michaels	36	18	17	1	0	37	.514	114	116	499	13-5-0-0	5-12-1-0
Toronto Patriots	38	14	19	1	4	33	.434	123	150	534	9-7-0-2	5-12-1-2
Mississauga	41	7	32	0	2	16	.195	106	209	908	3-17-0-2	4-15-0-0

Oakville Blades

The Blades certainly would have liked to add a defenceman, but it would be hard to argue that they have the best Top 6 forward group in the conference. Christian Rajic is healthy, Tyler Rollo and Josh Kosack do not appear to have any World Junior 'A' Challenge hangover, and the versatility of guys like captain Ryan Garvey and Merrimack commit Jackson Bales really gives Coach Mike Tarantino and company a ton of options to move a guy like super-rookie Bryce Misley up and down the roster. A whole paragraph, and I have not even mentioned Patrick Kudla, who I would argue is the most talented player in the league with the puck on his stick (51 points 39 games as a D! Are you kidding me?). If goaltending can hold the Blades in it, they are most certainly deep enough to take the Buckland (especially if whoever wins the Northeast is beaten up by the time they get there). Watch out for Kosack to be an absolute monster in the playoffs, because he plays like he is in the post-season all year...so he has plenty of practice.

Toronto Jr. Canadiens

If you take the 2015-16 season in isolation, the Jr. Canadiens won the trade deadline by a country mile. Nabbing Nick Ursitti, Connor Beck, and Michael Siddall from the Toronto Patriots gives them scoring, depth, and - perhaps most importantly - championship experience. No less than five JRC forwards played at least one game for the Pats in their Buckland winning season in 2014-15, including Ursitti, Beck, Nico Gonzalez, Lucas Colallilo and George Novachis - though the last two were APs (on a side note, Novachis actually scored for the Pats against JRC). Michael Siddall is as hot as anyone in the league right now, and is the most complete player of the three, but watch for Ursitti in the playoffs, as he probably played the best hockey of his junior career in the 2014 RBC Cup in Vernon, B.C. A veteran forward group, an elite and mature defence corps anchored by the two-headed monster known as Andrew Mullen and Sal Filice, and an infusion of recent championship experience; this JRC group has all the weaponry it needs to go deep, especially with the imminent return of captain Justin Maolino. I also love the grit and underrated skill that Anthony Trujillo brings - he is a true playoff-type warrior. Whether this group will gel, and how Daniel Lopapa will do in his first run as the No. 1 at Scotiabank Pond, are the two key questions that should determine how far Coach Mario Cicchillo's troops will go.

North York Rangers

Would the real North York Rangers please stand up? There are times that the really-quite veteran Rangers are world beaters, and times that they are pretty ordinary, even over the span of 60 minutes. The likes of dynamic veterans Ted Hunt, Keegan Blasby, Michael Morgan, Tyler Currie and Jeremy Szabo, and elite youngsters Nick Campoli, Ryan Hunt, and Grayden Gottschalk give North York a load of depth, but there are times that they still appear to get overwhelmed against determined opposition. The solid additions of Chris Sekelyk and Shawn Tessier appear to hand Coach Brent Hughes' club the trade deadline silver medal behind JRC, and with a veteran D-corps that looks to have very few holes, North York should be a club to be feared by all. The only thing holding them back is consistency, as with the exception of the excellent energy line formed by Nick Zanette, Kyle Clarke, and Louis Kereakou, they have struggled to find that. Consistency has also plagued Gianluca Baggetta in net, though he is capable of being high quality, if not elite. Rookie speed demon Josh Dame continues to grow up as well, with few paying too much attention to him, so if this group gets it together, it will be a fascinating fight to the finish in the South division. The 20-year-old Currie, who the Rangers paid a steep price for earlier in the year when they sent Jake Harris to the Patriots, has Buckland, Dudley Hewitt, and RBC Cup experience, and that pedigree will most certainly be leaned on by Coach Hughes and company. Captain Szabo has been nothing short of brilliant for most the season on the North York blue line, and might be the most underrated player in the league.

St. Michael's Buzzers

You have to give Coach Rich Ricci and his Buzzers credit: they have a re-building plan, and they are sticking to it. With no less than 11 quality 1998 and 1999 birth years in his line-up, and no in-coming transactions at all this season, they are building a club from the ground up. That isn't to say that they have no 'right-now' quality at St. Mike's Arena, because they certainly do. The biggest gun the Buzz have is certainly Michigan Tech commit and 20-year-old Thomas Beretta, but I like a bunch of their kids to make a lot of noise real soon. My favourite of the young Buzzers is Cameron Wright, a hard-nosed yet skillful forward with a great attitude and a nose for the net with 17 goals already this year. His running mates on the so-called '98 line' (called because they are all 1998 birth years) are both well-thought of Ontario Hockey League prospects in Cameron Searles and Colton Trumbla, and together that unit is already a force. In net 16 year-old Jacob McGrath is as capable as any goaltender in the league already, and I would be shocked if he was not a full-time member of the Sudbury Wolves next year. On the back end, the loss of Sam Hunter to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL has to be a hit, but young Mark Paolini continues to show plenty of promise in his wake. I predict that St. Mike's has the weaponry to climb even as high as seventh in the conference, though they have been entrenched in eighth for a while now; and with the parody in the league at the moment, who knows what kind of upset this group can pull. 

Toronto Patriots

At the beginning of the year, many left Coach Justin Teakle's troops for dead after a brutal start; but with some of that old Westwood Arena magic in tow, they managed to make themselves respectable and begin to challenge for the last playoff spot around early-to-mid December. Now, with their unloading of the aforementioned Ursitti, Siddall, and Beck, the question of how much pressure can this squad put on St. Mike's or Orangeville for that final spot is really up in the air. New captain Jeremy Pullara - who replaced Siddall - has been absolutely outstanding all year (Division I outstanding, in my opinion), while his deputies on the back end Mario Ferraro and Louis Di Matteo certainly have what it takes to be elite on a given night. Young Jake Harris has also shown flashes of brilliance since coming over in an early-season deal from North York, while there is certainly evidence of former high school superstar Nick Stuckless taking big steps forward for the two-time defending champs. All that being said, this club will now have to really come together and be more than the sum of their parts to make noise the rest of the year with a brutal schedule coming up. Rookie goaltender Jacob Standen was unbeatable at times for the Hill Academy U18s last year, and has proven to be a capable Junior 'A' goaltender, but can he make enough saves to give this team a shot on a given night? Newcomers Eric Eremita and Lee Lapid are both young, and both will get a chance to prove themselves with bigger roles than they had on the Jr. Canadiens.

Mississauga Chargers

It has been another tough year for Coach Joe Washkaruk and the Chargers, but big Scott Docherty has certainly stepped up in his second year in the league. When in the line-up and not busy in the OHL, Daniel De Sousa and Thomas Lattavo have certainly been capable and contributors.

Neugybowl Preview: Dec. 21, NYR at Toronto Patriots

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.