Total Sports Quinte Hockey Edition

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QUINTE

BELLEVILLE . QUINTE WEST . PRINCE EDWARD

TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

COUNTY & SURROUNDING AREAS

COVERING LOCAL SPORTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

FALL 2021 Vol 5 Issue 4

QUINTE RED DEVILS U16 MINOR MIDGETS

& BEN DANFORD TEAMS DRAFT YEAR pg 10

Total Sports Exclusive With Ron MacLean

INSIDE Belleville Sens Belleville Bearcats Lady Dukes Wellington Dukes Trenton Golden Hawks Picton Pirates Frankford Huskies Napanee Raiders Campbellford Rebels Quinte Red Devils Tweed Oil Kings Deseronto Bulldogs

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QSWC.ca 613-966-4632

Recreation for all ages and abilities!

Preschool, Children and Youth programs Health & Wellness classes (fitness, yoga, strengthening - various types & levels) Older Adult workshops Swim lessons, recreational swims, Aqua-Fitness, leadership courses Free Family Dental Centre Indoor Track

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Winter 'A' Session Registration Dates City of Belleville Taxpayers: January 6 Non-City Taxpayers: January 10

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HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES CANADA

Hometown Heroes

Recently I had the privilege of being at the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour and I began thinking about what a Hometown Hero is. A hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams 250 Sidney Street Belleville, On K8P 3Z3 Tel: 613-969-3300 Fax: 613-969-3313

So what is a Hometown Hero? Is it a local athlete who has gone on to do great things in the sports world and represents our community wherever they go? Is a Hometown Hero the parent who sacrifices their sleep, free time and hardearned money so their child can be involved in minor sports? If that’s the case, then a true hero is everyone who puts the community above themselves. It’s the referees, the coaches and the businesses who sponsor the local sports teams. They are all Hometown Heroes.

As a lifelong resident of the Bay of Quinte and now as the newly elected Member of Parliament for this region I have also had a chance to reflect on the everyday heroes. Covid-19 has made us see each other in a different light.

The word “hero” was used a lot, but it does represent the people who go about their everyday lives without concern for their own well-being. It has made me truly appreciative of the hardworking people in the Bay of Quinte.

Thank you for being Hometown Heroes!

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Fall 20214 Volume 5 Issue 4

QUINTE REGION

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kelly Leigh Martin

WRITERS

Randy Uens Jeff Gard Allyson Tufts Economical Insurance Amanda Killeen Scary Mary - Skary Skate EDITOR

Dallas Knowles - Total Sports Jeff Gard DISTRIBUTION

Angela Douglas

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Joseph Belanger Shawna Adams of Shawna Leigh Photography Total Sports Staff OJHL Images Amy Deroche Ed McPherson Andy Corneau

TotalSportsQuinte TotalSportsQuinte.ca Total Sports Quinte is a free magazine, digital stories posted daily, print+digital versions published six times a year. Contents Copyright 2020 Total Sports Quinte. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or depicted in print or digital form without the written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors may not be those of Total Sports Quinte. Total Sports Quinte assumes no liability for submissions or omissions.

Contributors - OJHL Images - Amy Deroche, Ed McPherson, Andy Corneau, Joseph Belanger, Wellington Dukes, Total Sports Quinte Podcast, The Boathouse Seafood Restaurant & Waterfront Patio, Ryan Williams - Williams Hotels, Randy Uens, Allyson Tufts, Trent Valley Distributors, Mix 97, CJBQ, Rock 107, Deroche Sports Photography, Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, MPP Todd Smith, Mr. Print, Newman Insurance, Economical Insurance, Amanda K - Hello Bonjour PEC, Christine Rutter - Exit Realty, Quinte West Chamber of Commerce, Popeyes Suppliments Belleville, Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre, Skare Skate, Ron MacLean, MP Ryan Williams, McKeown Motors, Uncle Chesters Flaming Hot Pepper Sauce, Dewmill Ents, Parsons Cafe

COVER PHOTO By Joseph Belanger

2 ............... Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre Registration Dates 3 .................................. Hometown Heroes By MP Ryan Williams 5 .................................... BSHF Looking for Committee Members 6 ............................ YourTV Brings jr A Hockey to Your Television 7 ........................................ When you give a Child a Hockey Stick 8 ..................... Never Underestimate the Power of a Teammate 9 ............. Popeye’s Suppliments - Get Your FREE Protein Shake 10 -11 ...... Madison Excuvating U16 Quinte Red Devils Preview 12-13 ...................... Quinte Red Devils Teams - Return to Action 14 ............... Backyard Skating Rinks and Your Home Insurance 16 ............................ Boathouse Now Serving Dukes 5 Star Beer 17 .................. Wellington Dukes Giving Back to the Community 18-19 ...................................... Wellington Dukes Season Preview 20-21 ............................ Trenton Golden Hawks Season Preview 22 .............................................. Backward Skating By Scary Skate 23 ........................................ Deseronto Bulldogs Season Preview 25 ............................................... Tweed Oil Kings Season Preview 27 ........................................... Belleville Bearcats Season Preview 28-29 ........................................... Belleville SENS Season Preview 30 ....................................................... Women’s Hockey Roundup 31 .................................................... Lady Dukes Off to a Hot Start 33 ............................................ Napanee Raiders Season Preview 35 ..................................... Campbellford Rebels Season Preview 36 .............................. Ron MacLean - Fond Memories of Quinte 37 ... Quinte West Chamber - Hockey Road Trip - Tickets on Sale 38-39 ........ Brock Ormond 7th Year Broadcaster for the Dukes 40 ...... Buy or Sell with Christine and get $1,000 for your Team 41 .................................................. Picton Pirates Season Preview 42 ................... Hitting the Ice and Staying on it - Hello Bonjour 44 .... Dewmill & Parsons are ready to Cater Your Sporting Event 45 .......................................... Frankford Huskies Season Preview 46 ................. Become Part of the Hub ... Post Your Scores FREE

FEATURES

Quinte Red Devils Madison Excuvating U16 Ben Danford

Quinte Red Devils U16 Special Feature 10

Women’s Hockey Roundup 30

TICKETS ON SALE

Ron MacLean Exclusive 36

Quinte West Chamber Bus Tour Tickets 37

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BELLEVILLE SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Looking for New Committee Members

As we continue our work amidst the disruption to the Hall of Fame process due to COVID-19, we have been reviewing our present status and setting priorities for the next year. We will be continuing to follow the local health unit for information, guidance and restrictions, and look forward to setting a date for our next induction ceremony. Currently, we are hoping to hold our next event in Fall 2022.

achievements accomplished by the city’s elite athletes and builders from all eras, and displaying them on a permanent basis. The Hall of Fame is housed in the Dr. R. L. Vaughan Atrium at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Center.

Contact:

bellevilleshof@gmail.com Belleville Sports Hall of Fame Online Application for New Committee 265 Cannifton Road Members Belleville, ON K8N 4V8 We are presently looking to expand our committee.

Interested people from the community can do so through a brief online application process via our website www.bellevillesportshalloffame.com/ new-member-application The due date for applications is Wednesday, November 24. Questions regarding the committee or application process can be directed to bellevilleshof@gmail.com

Social media: Twitter: @bellevilleHOF Instagram: @bellevillesportshalloffame Facebook: Belleville Sports Hall of Fame

The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honouring, and preserving the record of outstanding

Visit BellevilleSportsHallOfFame.com

Proud Supporters of the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame

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YourTV QUINTE

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Brings junior A hockey to your television

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

LindseyHarren* - YourTV Quinte host Lindsey Harren interviews an Oakville Blades player during the first intermission on April 18, 2019 at Wellington and District Community Centre. (Photo by Amy Deroche/OJHL Images)

Local fans of junior A hockey, who are Cogeco television subscribers, can experience great broadcast coverage of not only the Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks, but on occasion teams from other Ontario Junior Hockey League markets as well.

Out-of-market games won’t necessarily be shown every week, but when there is an opening in the local schedule, YourTV Quinte has access to games from their partners in the Burlington area, which produce broadcasts for the Burlington Cougars, Georgetown Raiders, Milton Menace and Oakville Blades.

“YourTV Quinte has committed to in the season 10 home games in Wellington and 10 home games in Trenton and then playoff games as available, but because we’re part of the YourTV group across Ontario, our partners in Burlington area produce games so those games are ones we can show locally as we have an opening,” says producer Ian Acton. “For our viewers, the schedule on our website (yourtv.tv) gives them an opportunity to see what other games are available.”

As a community television provider, YourTV is dependent on the efforts of volunteers in the various communities, Acton noted.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have a great base in the Quinte area with not only adults who come out because they enjoy the sport and the activity of television production, we also have opportunities for high school students.”

Check your Cogeco television listings for upcoming OJHL broadcasts on the YourTV channel. You can also follow YourTV Quinte on Facebook and Twitter (@yourtvquinte).

Anyone interested in volunteering for YourTV Quinte can get in touch at: yourtv.tv/contact-us/become-a-volunteer.

The following Local Games will be broadcast live on YourTV Cogeco Channels 4 and 700 Sunday Nov 19th Cobourg @ Trenton 7:30 PM (Hasty P’s Cup) Sunday Nov 28th Lindsay @ Trenton 7:30 PM Sunday Dec 5th Lindsay @ Wellington 2:30 PM Friday Dec 10th Cobourg @ Trenton 7:30 PM Sunday Dec 12th Wellington @ Trenton 7:30 PM (Hasty P’s Cup) Friday Dec 17th Haliburton @ Wellington 7:30 PM Sunday Dec 19th Lindsay @ Trenton 7:30 PM Sunday Jan 9th Lindsay @ Wellington 2:30 PM Friday Jan 28th Cobourg @ Wellington 7:30 PM Sunday Jan 30th Trenton @ Wellington 2:30 PM (Hasty P’s Cup) Friday Feb 4th Cobourg @ Trenton 7:30 PM Sunday Feb 20th Wellington @ Trenton 7:30 PM (Hasty P’s Cup) Friday Feb 25th Trenton @ Wellington 7:30 PM (Hasty P’s Cup) Sunday Feb 27th Cobourg @ Wellington 2:30 PM

YourTV Quinte also has a great partnership with Loyalist College’s broadcasting program with students having the opportunity to volunteer their time to gain hand-on experience. On occasion, instructors will also include YourTV in the curriculum as a remote production opportunity, Acton said.

“In fact, one of the games in December will be crewed by the Loyalist students from the program,” he remarked, referring to a Dec. 10 matchup in Trenton when the Golden Hawks host the Cobourg Cougars at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens.

While the Dukes and Golden Hawks have great attendance at their home games, the broadcasts provide an opportunity to watch for those who either can’t attend in person or perhaps aren’t familiar with the OJHL teams.

“Both the Dukes and Golden Hawks organizations do a great job of bringing hockey to our community. We are there as support for that because the fan base can grow by people tuning in,” Acton said.

“People can view that and think ‘this is pretty good quality hockey, I might take the family out to that.’ We’re helping to build awareness around the brand of the OJHL hockey. This is what our sister stations in the Burlington area have found as well.

“The viewers will learn more about the product and the game and the players because we also do interviews with the players. We fill our intermissions with feature interviews and background interviews so we’re informing and entertaining the viewers as well as bringing them the hockey game. It’s good for our viewers because they can gain an appreciation and identify with these players as they’re developing their hockey career.”

Ian Acton - YourTV Quinte producer operates a camera for the YourTV Northumberland crew during a game between the Trenton Golden Hawks and Cobourg Cougars on January 4, 2020 at the Cobourg Community Centre. (Amy Deroche/OJHL Images)

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Sports Column By: Randy Uens

U Turns: When You Give A Child A Hockey Puck A View on Sports

If you give a child a hockey puck, they will want a hockey stick to go with it.

You’ll buy them the best stick you can find, and then they will probably want a helmet, gloves, and skates to go with it.

Then, they will probably spend hours begging you to go outside in the driveway to play with them, even though you may want to sit on the couch and watch tv. They will insist. And their insistence will win.

And when a child gets a jersey, they will need breezers and socks and suspenders to go with it. And a TEAM…..And then life as you know it will end.

and bravery, and courage and LIFE, and memories. And they will have ALL of these things, simply because you gave a child a hockey puck.

Because you gave a child a hockey puck, you too will develop new/lifelong friendships, developed solely from the same passion for the game and love of your team. You will root together. And spew PG-13 things out of your mouths together.

Because you gave a child a hockey puck.

Then one day, many years from today, they will be in their room and a puck will roll out from an old dusty hockey bag underneath their bed. And they will pick it up and realize instantly that when you gave that child a hockey puck, you also gave them a childhood that they would never forget. And then they will hug you, and your eyes may leak – because you realize that everything YOU gave up along the way…..was worth it!

All because you gave a child a hockey puck...

Author: Unknown

There will be no more lazy weekends watching tv. You will see more sunrises than you ever thought possible. Every spare minute of your time will be spent hauling bags and stinky gear and crazy kids all over tarnation for hours to practice or a game.

THE GAME And your house will be a mess. And your car will be dirty. All because you gave a child a hockey puck.

Your weekends will be spent freezing in a hockey rink. And their weekends will be spent gaining confidence and friends, and learning new skills and having fun and getting sweaty. So sweaty in fact that you will have to learn how to do laundry in a whole new way, like maybe at a carwash using the pressure washer.

And you will be there the day they score their first goal, gets their first assist and kills a penalty by blocking shots. And they will make you SO proud. The other parents will congratulate you.

But you feel weird saying thank you because it’s not you on the ice or on the penalty kill. It’s them. They did this.

And right before your eyes, your little child will be transformed from the baby who spun around with their skates on the ice, (because they love attention), into one of the best hockey players you’ve ever seen.

When you give a child a hockey puck, you give them more than just a puck. You give them a sport, and talent, and hope, and dreams, and friends, a new family, a place to learn about life, room to grow as a person where they can push their limits,

Photo: Joe Belanger These are my own views and do not reflect the views of Total Sports Magazine, Dukes Sports & Entertainment or the Wellington Dukes Hockey club.

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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A TEAMMATE By: Allyson Tufts - Author, Speaker, and Passionate Hockey Mom My brothers loved Saturday morning hockey, it was a ritual, a necessity, and the opportunity to be with their teammates. My husband used to join them when he could manage to escape me and the kids on the odd Saturday. I honestly don’t think I ever understood how important those two hours a week was to a group of guys that used to live on the ice.

As marriage and kids became a priority, they were now reduced to these two hours of time, once a week, to feel young again.

My brother and his friend Kitch met every Saturday morning.

Kitch would pick him up with coffee in hand. He’d have a smile on his face that made him look like a 10-year-old about to play pond hockey for the first time. The two of them looked comical on the ice. My brother on skates stood a whopping 5’8” tall and Kitch towered over everyone at 6’5”. Although they looked like the odd couple, they were the best of friends. They had met playing ball hockey. After their first game, they went to a party, told stories all night and laughed until their stomachs hurt. In that moment, in that kitchen, at a party in the middle of nowhere, these teammates became brothers. He was always a gentle giant off the ice but a force to be reckoned with on the ice. My brother tells many stories of how he got away with being mouthy as a little guy because he knew nobody would touch him with Kitch towering behind him.

Kitch had played for our local Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team, he moved to our hometown and started billeting with a family at the ripe old age of 17. After his stint with the OHL, he went out east on a hockey scholarship. After graduation he moved back to our little hometown to set down roots. He wanted to come back to the town where he met all of his brothers, his friends, his teammates and his beautiful wife. They built a house next door to his billets and started a family. He literally built his life around the people he met through hockey.

One winter Saturday morning as my husband and I sat in our pajamas drinking coffee, I got a call from one of my brothers. I picked up the phone and I could tell by the trembling voice on the other end that something terrible had happened. Kitch had collapsed on the ice and unfortunately, he didn’t get back up. My husband had the pleasure of many skates with this incredible man; he was also his teammate. I remember hanging up the phone and having to break the news that Kitch had died on the ice surrounded by his brothers and teammates. We both sat in our pajamas all day in utter shock of the news. In the next few days as we walked around in a haze, we all told stories of him, his friends gathered at their favourite watering hole, they cried and they laughed as they spoke of this incredible man.

I think one of the most impactful moments on the day of the funeral was when a group of young Junior players walked in wearing their

jerseys from the OHL team where Kitch had played for so many years before. They never played with him but somehow, they were still his teammates. In trying to decide on pallbearers it became too difficult. He had played hockey with so many guys that they ended up having over 30 of his former teammates walking in a procession behind his coffin. It was one of the most powerful things I’d ever witnessed. I couldn’t help but think that this man had moved here for hockey at 17 years old and didn’t know anyone, yet today he filled a church with family, friends and teammates.

I don’t think you can ever underestimate the power of the moments in a dressing room with your teammates, those giggles as a sevenyear-old playing tyke, a 15-year-old playing Midget or a 40-yearold playing Saturday mornings. Those relationships are the ones that will carry you through your adulthood, your wedding, your promotion, your divorce and perhaps those relationships will carry your family through when you no longer can. Is it really as simple as, “They played on my team” or does it come down to, “We started out as teammates and now we’re family”. Enjoy your moments on the ice with these incredible friends, never take them for granted and most of all, “Never underestimate the power of a teammate.”

Written by Allyson Tufts www.lessonsfrombehindtheglass.com This article is the property of Allyson Tufts and is not to be used or changed without her permission.

Watch the video here https://youtu.be/226paOOzLx0

Buy the book at Amazon https://www. amazon.ca/LESSONSBEHIND-GLASSJourney-Hockey/ dp/1686333498

Check out Allyson’s video on YouTube - Allyson Tufts: Lessons From Behind the Glass

Visit LessonsFromBehindTheGlass.Com

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QUINTE RED DEVILS U16

Number of players watched by OHL scouts and some are already getting attention By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

It’s for sure a big year with the return of hockey, but every season is a big one for the U16 group of players, especially at the triple-A level.

That’s certainly the case for the Quinte Red Devils group that will have prospects for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection draft.

“Just to be able to go through the whole season. Obviously coming off a season where we didn’t play hockey at all, just to be able to play games and get back to some sort of normalcy, we’re all excited about that,” said Red Devils U16 coach Kenny Chesher, who has coached the core group of players for three seasons now. “Also getting to go through all the things that a minor midget year brings whether it be the big tournaments where all the scouts are there, the playoffs and possibly the OHL Cup if you get to that point. Just excited for all that stuff for them.”

There will certainly be a number of players watched by OHL scouts and some are already getting attention.

The U16 Pod with Ryan McArthur and Connor Williams (check them out on Twitter @TheU16Pod) had Quinte ranked No. 4 in their pre-season top teams list behind the Mississauga Senators, North York Rangers and Toronto Jr. Canadiens.

McArthur (@ryanmcarthur) also released his pre-season list of 33 candidates to be selected in the first round of the 2022 OHL draft. The watchlist included three Red Devils players Ben Danford, Braedyn Rogers and Ethan Toms.

Continued next page ...

U16 RED DEVILS

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U16 RED DEVILS The reports were: Ben Danford: “Mobile defender with speed and great hands/ highly skilled. Fast with quick feet, which are nimble and quiet.

Has good moves when working into the o-zone. Can handle super hot passes no problem with good cradling/puck control.

Tall defenceman that loves to attack and join the rush. Good skater with excellent escape-ability due his mobility and edges.

Utilizes edges/turns effectively to be more himself more elusive on the attack or to get out of tricky situations.

Braedyn Rogers: Skates extremely well and very smooth.

Excellent lateral movement and mobility that makes the game look easy. Great passer and puck distributor and makes good decisions with the puck. Great edges and escape ability. Strong shot from the point and can hammer his slap shot with good power, especially off the one timer.

Ethan Toms: Excellent body control and balance. Pure scorer

but also excellent at setting up his teammates in front and from behind the net by finding them and getting the puck flat/on their tape in a hurry. Special player with high-end finishing abilities.

Crazy good hands and wicked dangles. Cuts to the middle aggressively and not afraid to do so against top D. Had some nice back checks where he made up lots of ground and thwarted scoring attempts. Plays a 200-foot game and skill is off the charts good.

Checkout the full watchlist and updates throughout the season at watchlist.theu16Pod.com.

That’s part of the U16 experience, but Chesher wants his players to focus on the task at hand.

“Just basically, it’s there, but you have to treat it like it’s background noise a little bit and even more than normal narrow your focus on just playing the game because ultimately the draft isn’t until the spring so there’s no sense worrying yourself about it right now,” he said.

Chesher expects a big season from the Red Devils with a strong core group of returning players to go with some new impact players joining the roster through the new open borders rule.

“We’ve made some pretty key additions heading into this year,” he said.

Toms was Peterborough’s captain and is one of the top centres in the league. The defence was also bolstered with the additions of Reed Gee, who was Kingston’s captain, and Jared Woolley, who previously played for Oshawa and whose family has moved to Port Hope.

“We kind of felt it was an area that if we could upgrade it was a spot we were looking at,” Chesher said. “We feel that we’ve upgraded substantially with those two guys as well as the group that was already there with them growing and developing as well. We feel our ‘D’ is a lot stronger than it was previously.”

Gee and Woolley join a talented defence that also includes Danford, Rogers and Carson Campbell.

In addition to Toms, the Red Devils have another top two-way center in Jared Langdon who has consistently been a top scorer with this group of players through his triple-A years.

Other returning players up front include Ben Vreugdenhil, Beckett Ewart and Nolan Donnelly as well as a strong goaltending tandem of Michael McIvor and Glen McInnes.

This Red Devils group once again won’t have a captain, but rather a leadership group of four alternates.

“We feel like we have more than one captain so we’ve just never named one,” Chesher said.

All Red Devils U16 home games are played at Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. The players are thrilled to be back playing meaningful games.

Last year wasn’t a waste, though, as the players worked Mondays with the Belleville Senators coaches, had a Wednesday skill session and also had a practice or split squad scrimmage.

“Definitely for our kids being able to work with the Senators coaches once a week, that in itself was a great bonus for them plus for a lot of them it gave them a year to grow physically and develop their skillset,” Chesher said.

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THE QUINTE RED DEVILS

Return to action, looking to be top in the Province By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

The Quinte Red Devils association has returned to action looking to continue to be one of the top ‘AAA’ minor hockey organizations in the province.

tryouts, teams formed and exhibitions. Teams were expecting to play 35-game regular season schedules in the ETA (Eastern Triple-A) loop.

One big change since the teams last played competitive games is the new ‘open borders’ policy that allows players U14 (previously minor bantam) and up the ability to move freely between organizations.

Prior to the COVID shutdown in March 2020, five Quinte teams were heading to OMHA championships. Longo thinks the Red Devils should duplicate or better that success this season.

Red Devils president Tyler Longo said there was hope restrictions would be put in place for how many non-registered players teams could add to avoid the creation of “super teams” but there aren’t any official ones.

“Quinte as an association has put a limit of four (per team) on,” Longo said. “We still feel confident and loyal to our areas that we’ve had for the last 30 years. We still want to make sure we’re developing our own kids, but at the same time we understand to be competitive we have to open it up a little bit.”

Longo believes the new open borders rule will hold associations accountable to ensure their development programs are top notch, not just for U14 and up but the younger age groups as well before they reach the older groups and the players have a positive experience.

“If your development program is strong and the vision is there and the coaching is in place and kids are improving every year, I think you’ll see families stay.”

It was in 1990 that associations in Bancroft, Belleville, Brighton, Colborne, Deseronto, Frankford, Grafton, Madoc, Marmora, Napanee, Picton, Tamworth, Trenton, Tweed and Wellington came together to form the Red Devils as a regional organization to compete at the AAA level.

“Obviously our novice program which is our Foley Bus Lines U9 Quinte Red Devils program they will continue to follow the pathway of Hockey Canada, which is cross-ice hockey until January and then they’ll integrate into full ice,” Longo said of the Jeanna Oke-coached team.

The Gillespie Tree Service U10 Red Devils are coached by former Belleville Bulls captain and OHL lineman Andrew Brown. “He’s got a great squad so I’m looking forward to seeing that team progress as the year goes on,” Longo said.

Longo calls the Borchert’s Roofing U11 Red Devils coached by Gary Sage “a special group.”

“I’m amazed every time I go and watch these players,” he said. “The things they’re able to do at the age they’re at right now is pretty impressive. It’s going to be exciting to watch that team continue to flourish. The last time they played together as a team was half-ice which was novice so they’re going to finally get a full season where they play full ice.”

Another strong team is the Stampkrete Concrete U12 Red Devils coached by Brian Thompson.

“They’ve always been a top team in the ETA,” Longo said. “Once again, a team that was set to make the OMHA before things shut down before COVID and I think they’ve only improved adding a few kids to their roster this year so that will be a fun team to watch.”

Local players have had the opportunity to compete at a high level, but when players are ready is individual-based.

The e360s 13U Red Devils team coached by Sean Gawley is “always a strong competitive team as well,” Longo noted.

“The development path of each player is different. Some players develop a lot quick than others. I think if a player is in their home centre and things are starting to get a little too easy for them, the challenge isn’t there anymore, that’s usually a good indication that maybe it’s time to give your daughter or son a bit more of a challenge and put them in a higher level,” Longo said.

In continuing having some great coaches in the organization, the Freeflow Petrolium U14 Red Devils will be led this season by Ty Green, coming in following six seasons with the Picton Pirates of the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

That being said, if it’s not going well at the AAA level, it’s not a bad idea to step back. Travel is another factor that must be considered as games and venues can be held in a number of different areas.

“All depends what the families are looking for,” Longo said. “If you don’t want to travel then I wouldn’t suggest AAA.”

“We’ve had a lot of kids come in from out-of-town that moved to this area whether parents transferred for work and the open borders now,” Longo said. “That’s a team that’s always kind of been middle of the pack for us here in Quinte and they’ve got probably six to seven new kids on their roster. I watched them play an exhibition game and wow, a very skilled team and run well.”

In September, some sense of normalcy had returned following

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Quinte’s Pita Pit U15 Red Devils coach also brings PJHL experience with the Napanee Raiders in Mike Hartwick.

“He’s made some changes, especially with the open borders,” Longo said. “Just talking to Mike he feels pretty excited and confident about the group he’s put together.”

Longo expects a great season for the Kenny Chesher-coached Madison Excuvating U16 Red Devils (see team preview on that group). “I expect that group to make the OHL Cup so it will be real fun to watch that whole group flourish as well,” he said.

The oldest group – the McInroy Maines U18 Red Devils – is one Longo will especially keep an eye on as he coached many of those players for the past three seasons. Seven players were selected in the 2021 Ontario Hockey League draft.

Jeff Culhane takes over as head coach now that Longo has moved on to become an assistant coach with the Wellington Dukes. Players will be eligible for the OHL’s 2022 U18 draft.

“I certainly have an interest in that group to see how the boys fare in their second go-around of the draft,” Longo said. “I think the major midget draft this year will be looked at closer than ever just because of the circumstances of last year. They’ve put together a really strong team of some 04’s and 05’s. The majority of the kids that didn’t move on through the draft this year will return to Quinte and the 05 players bring a great deal of leadership and experience.”

All seven players drafted in the OHL Priority Selection have moved on. Ethan Miedema (fourth overall to the Windsor Spitfires) and Cal Uens (42nd overall to the Owen Sound Attacks) have made their respective OHL clubs, Ethan Quick (64th overall to the Ottawa 67’s) is with the Wellington Dukes, Jack Dever (No. 68 to Ottawa) is with the Pickering Panthers, Duncan Schneider (94th overall to the Kingston Frontenacs) is with the Cobourg Cougars, Christopher Brydges (162nd to the Guelph Storm) is

with the Peterborough Petes U18 AAA team and Ethan Beattie (253rd to the Hamilton Bulldogs) is playing AAA hockey closer to home for Ajax/Pickering.

Longo will keep an eye on all their successes, but is excited to continue watching the 2021-22 Red Devils teams.

“It will be fun to watch all our teams this year,” he said. “I’m expecting great things from all the teams in Quinte. As long as things keep moving the way they are and we keep pushing forward, it will be a fun year to see all these teams kind of do their thing.”

Longo is also excited about a new partnership between the Red Devils and Wellington Dukes, noting the junior A club’s general manager Rob Ridgely and head coach Derek Smith were involved in the process of the coaching selection committee for Quinte.

“Now Mike Murphy the goaltending coach for Wellington is the goaltending coach for the Quinte Red Devils as well,” Longo added. “He will oversee all nine teams, two goaltenders on each team. He’ll work with them on a weekly basis.”

Smith is also involved with the development team that includes Frontenacs assistant coach Chris Longo as well.

“The relationship we hope to build is one where players get to know a lot of the players who are in Wellington now, get to know the program that’s in Wellington and get to see a little bit just by coming out to the Dukes game experience,” Tyler Longo said.

“I think it’s a win-win situation for both organizations. In Quinte you’re still producing local players and it’s great for Wellington by putting local boys on your team and essentially that puts more butts in the seats and probably helps with billet costs as well. It’s great to have that relationship with minor hockey and a junior team.”

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HOW DOES BUILDING A SKATING RINK IN YOUR BACKYARD

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Effect Your Home Insurance?

By: Economical Insurance The backyard skating rink is a beloved tradition for families across the country. It calls to mind memories of lacing up skates on chilly winter nights, shooting the puck around with friends, then sipping hot cocoa and snuggling up by a crackling fire. If you’re tempted to bring back your childhood in the form of a DIY ice rink, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered under your home insurance policy and take the right measures to protect yourself in case anything goes wrong.

Building a skating rink in your yard is a liability risk Like a swimming pool, a skating rink increases the chances of someone getting injured on your property or causing damage to a neighbour’s property. What if someone slips and breaks a leg? What if your kid accidentally shoots a puck through your neighbour’s window? Or what if your rink floods your neighbour’s yard when it melts in the spring? Even if someone gets hurt after sneaking into your yard for a late-night skate, you could still be considered responsible. This is why it’s so important to make sure you have enough third-party liability coverage on your home insurance policy to protect you if you’re held liable for an injury or property damage. If you’re planning on building a skating rink on your property, ask your home insurance broker if your existing coverage is enough, or if they recommend increasing your liability limit for this new risk.

Plan ahead to prevent rink-related liability concerns To avoid injuries and other incidents that could lead to liability claims, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and lay out some rules for your rink. Before you even begin building your rink, you should carefully inspect the area you’re planning on icing and ensure that it doesn’t slope towards a neighbour’s house (in case it causes a minor flood in the spring). If your plan is to use your rink for hockey practice, you should install boards around it to prevent pucks from flying where they shouldn’t. And as far as rules go, you could require visitors to wear helmets and other safety equipment (like knee and elbow pads) while on the ice, and only allow kids to use the ice with adult supervision.

Damage caused by rink water might not be covered While most homeowners who install ice rinks plan to safely drain or pump the water away at the end of the season, a rapid melt could lead to a flood in your yard — or worse, in your basement.

Most basic home insurance policies only include limited coverage for water damage (generally for things like burst pipes or malfunctioning appliances), so damage caused by your melted rink likely wouldn’t be covered. Even if you’ve added overland water coverage to your policy, your claim may still be denied, as this is typically designed to protect against damage caused by natural spring runoff and overflow of nearby bodies of water. Before you build your rink, contact your home insurance broker to find out if your own policy would protect your home in the event that your melting rink causes water damage.

Think carefully about where you’ll build your rink When you’re thinking about building an ice rink in your backyard, it’s important to ask yourself whether or not your yard (and your home) are equipped to handle the amount of water involved. If you know your basement has been leaky in the past or that water tends to pool easily in your yard when the snow starts to melt, it’s probably not the best idea to add even more water to your yard in the form of a rink. But if you don’t have a reason to be especially concerned about leaking and you decide to go ahead with building a rink, be sure to set it up in an area that doesn’t slope towards your home.

Before you get started on your backyard ice rink, contact your licensed home insurance broker and tell them your plans. Your broker can help you review your coverage and explain any potential concerns or gaps you should be aware of when it comes to protecting you from rink-related mishaps.

This article was originally posted on economical.com

For more information please visit us at

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Photo by Ed McPherson/ OJHL Images

Wellington Dukes Giving Back to the Community The Wellington Dukes have really stepped up this season to help their local charitable organizations in their fundraising initiatives.

This season the Dukes are donating $1 per paid ticket to their charities of the night. In addition, the charities have the opportunity to presell tickets to their game and keep 50% of the proceeds. Charity groups are welcome to setup a table, sell merchandise or have a raffle to add to their donation from the Dukes and their fans.

Tealah Clement (right) presents 99.3 County FMs Christine Seale with a cheque from Dukes Oct 15th fundraiser.

To kick off the season, the Dukes Home Opener featured special guests Garry and Lois Hull and daughter Susan to drop the puck with special guest Kale Hennessy who lost his father last year in a tragic work accident in Trenton. (Top Photo) The Hull’s also suffered a tragic loss when their son Troy Hull lost a short battle with Cancer last November. The Hull family, together with Troy’s best friend and illustrator of Troy’s book “Raisin’ Hull”, Kelly Martin raised funds for Kale through book sales. Together with the Dukes they were pleased to donate $1,919.00 to little Kale to help fund his hockey expenses.

On October 15th the Dukes were thrilled to raise $345.00 for 99.3 County FM, the local radio station run by volunteers in the county and then on November 14th they raised approximately $514.00 plus dozens of new winter clothing items for the PEC OPP Keep Kids Warm Campaign. The Dukes wish to thank their fans, staff & volunteers for helping us help the community!

Dukes fans receive autographed hockey cards from NHL Drafts Zach Uens and Ben Roger

The following Charities are also scheduled to be fundraising recipients at this seasons Dukes games.

• • • • • • • • • •

PEC OPP Festive RIDE Program Highland Shores Children’s Aid Reaching for Rainbows PEC Hospital Foundation Storehouse Foodbank PEC - Sponsored by Christine Rutter Realtor Airforce City Pipe Band - Sponsored by Christine Rutter Realtor Hospice Prince Edward County Community Living Prince Edward County Kates Rest The Rock

Jayce, Nash and Kale with Dukes Captain Emmet Pierce after he presented Kale with his game used, autographed stick.

The Dukes Help PEC OPP Keep Kids Warm

Thumbs Up from Dukes Cutest Fan Ethan

Thumbs Up Dukes from these little but big fans!

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WELLINGTON DUKES Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Derek Smith knows what it means to play for the Wellington Dukes.

As a player you’re battling for your team, your own growth on the ice and as a person away from the rink, the staff, the volunteers, the fans and the Prince Edward County community.

Before returning to the organization as a coach, the 37-year-old spent four seasons on defence with the Dukes from 2000-2004 before moving on to play NCAA hockey for Lake Superior State University followed by a 10-year pro career, including 94 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames.

“It’s amazing. Honestly, it’s the best place to play junior hockey,” Smith, now the Ontario Junior Hockey League club’s head coach, said, recalling past national junior A championships as a player and assistant coach with the Dukes. “The fan support that we have is second to none. I remember in 2003 when we went to Charlottetown for the Royal Bank Cup and all the fan support from the people that made the trip there. I wasn’t around here for 2011 but when we went to Chilliwack in 2018, the amount of people that made the trip and were behind the team 100 per cent, win or lose, it’s just exciting to be a part of it. With the ownership group we have, they’ve put a lot of time and investment into making sure this program is what it is.”

The organization is built on the strength of longtime staffers, volunteers and fans. Many familiar faces remain to this day that were with the Dukes when Smith played.

“Don Cotton has been around here for 30 years now and without him we wouldn’t be where we are,” Smith said. “Just to be able to come to the rink and see the same faces that are here as when I played and are still in it for the same reason of the love of hockey and love of the community, it’s something special.”

With the OJHL having returned this fall after a cancelled season, Smith wants the 2021-22 Dukes players to be ready to battle for their roster spot every night as the players return to traditional hockey.

“We want competition,” Smith said. “We want guys that are intense and want to battle for the Wellington Dukes and want to battle for their personal development. It’s going to take some time, but we’re starting to come together. We’re excited about the group we have, but we need to be hungry coming out of the gate. Realistically every team is in the same position. Everybody’s happy with their team, but we’re going to have to get out to a quick start so we can get our feet under us and get back to playing hockey.”

Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images Emmet Pierce #5 of the Wellington Dukes and Jacob Vreugdenhil #16 of the Wellington Dukes

Defence - Maguire, who is 19 and from Belleville, is expected to be a big part of the Dukes defence this season. The former Red Devil played 16 games for the Pickering Panthers during the 2019-20 season before heading to Wellington where he’s been since.

“He’s somebody we’re looking forward to taking big steps,” Smith said of Maguire. “He took some huge strides last year and he’s going to be part of our leadership group.”

Continued next page ...

Some key pieces to the roster were in place to return, including Barret Joynt, Jacob Vreugdenhil and Mason Reeves with new some great new additions like Emmet Pierce, Payton Schaly and Ethan Quick.

Pierce, a Napanee native and Quinte Red Devils product who joins the Dukes for his final junior year following two seasons with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, was named team captain while alternates Vreugdenhil, Reeves and defenceman Cole McGuire round out the leadership group.

“It’s a big honour to be named captain and I’m really looking forward to the season,” Pierce said. “We have a great group of guys and hopefully I can help lead this team to a championship.”

Visit WellingtonDukes.com

Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images Cole McGuire #24 of the Wellington Dukes

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Photo by Andy Corneau / OJHL Images Ethan Quick #18 of the Wellington Dukes tries to keep the puck from Boyd Staulbaum #28 of the Lindsay Muskies

One of the new players this season is 16-year-old Ethan Quick, of Trenton, who was a fourth-round draft pick of the Ottawa 67’s in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection and will develop in Wellington this season.

“For a 16-year-old kid, the strength he has and the maturity, it’s unbelievable,” Smith said. “With any 16-year-old there’s going to be a little bit of growing pains, but I think with the work he’s put in and the commitment to being the player he can be, the growing pains aren’t going to be what you would expect. He’s a big body, below the dots in the offensive zone he’s a special player, he’s an old school throwback kind of guy and you don’t find those guys too much anymore. We’re excited to help him with his development.”

“Hopefully they can both keep pushing each other and it’s just going to help their development as well our team in the future,” Smith said.

Smith said the Dukes players are energized from returning to regular hockey and the team is built on the strength of depth, skill and leadership from goaltending out to the defence and forwards, but they still have to put the work in to ensure success at the OJHL level.

“Just make sure that every night you bring it and you push each other and you push the other team,” Smith said. “With the makeup of our group, there’s going to be a lot of competition and it’s going to be fun to see the guys grow.”

Goaltending should be an area of strength for the Dukes this season with the tandem of Matt Dunsmoor and Ethan Morrow.

Dunsmoor is relishing his return to Wellington after coming back from the QMJHL.

Dunsmoor, now 20, posted an impressive 24-5-2 record, 2.25 goals-against average and .932 save percentage with the Dukes during the 2019-20 season before moving up to join the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic.

“It’s an amazing place to play,” he says. “Last year going to Quebec was also an awesome experience, but it’s awesome to be back here to finish my junior career. I love it here and there’s no place I would rather be.”

“He’s a big part of what we want to do this year. He’s a 20-yearold now and has taken some leadership upon him,” Smith said. “(Dunsmoor) is somebody that’s going to be the backbone of our team and he’s going to help with Ethan Morrow’s personal development as well. If he can help Mo get to where he wants to be and they can push each other, it’s just going to make our team stronger.”

Brodie McDougall, now 20, also returned to the Dukes after starting the season with the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the North American Hockey League.

Morrow, a 17-year-old prospect for the Sudbury Wolves, returns for his second season in Wellington, though his rookie campaign was a lot of development through practices and exhibition games.

“I loved it in Welly,” he sayss. “I went down to the States so I could play hockey and once things started to open up back in Canada I wanted to come back and play in Welly and try to win a championship.”

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TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS

Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

March 2020 was set to feature another series in the long rivalry between the Trenton Golden Hawks and Wellington Dukes.

The series was postponed and never got underway before the rest of the Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs were cancelled. The Dukes and Golden Hawks had finished atop the regular season standings with 88 and 84 points, respectively.

“You go back and look at all the guys we had...that whole crew was a great team,” said Golden Hawks head coach and general manager Peter Goulet, noting players like Griffen Fox and goalie Anand Oberoi. “People are still talking to me about that. It’s probably been a long time since Trenton and Wellington have been 1-2 in the league and everyone was really excited for that series.

Smitty (Dukes head coach Derek Smith) had put together a good team over there too in Wellington and it would’ve been special.”

Some of the players aged out of junior hockey, but for others there were conditions on the trades that the players return to Trenton for the OJHL 2021-22 season. Bancroft and Butler, heading into their fourth junior A seasons, and Jacob, for his third, are back with the Golden Hawks.

“It’s all a ton of experience and at the junior A level it’s very important to have on your hockey team,” Goulet said. “All of them are leaders and they’re going to have a huge impact on our team this season.”

Bancroft and Butler will serve as co-captains this season. Goulet noted Bancroft is Trenton’s longest-tenured player, is local and has a lot of upside following in the footsteps of his father Steve, who played 16 seasons of professional hockey.

“There’s a lot of pedigree there, the guys all like him and respect him,” Goulet said. “He has the right demeanour for it.”

Butler was also named a captain due to his experience and the intangibles he brings to the Golden Hawks a tough defenceman with offensive upside.

“I think we’re going to see a great year from Brannon,” Goulet said.

“He’s going to bring a lot of physical play and be able to put up some numbers and score some goals and help lead our hockey team from the back-end.”

Continued next page ...

Photo By: Amy Deroche/ OJHL Images Anand Oberoi #1 of the Trenton Golden Hawks

While the two teams met in a number of exhibition games during 2020-21 when there was no OJHL regular season, but it wasn’t the same. Goulet traded a number of players away from Trenton to give them an opportunity to play regular competitive hockey elsewhere, including a number of them to the Maritime Junior Hockey League. Dalton Bancroft, Marko Jakovljevic and Fox were traded to the MHL’s Amherst Ramblers, Kyle Robinson and Stefan Dobrich to the Yarmouth Mariners and Julian Jacob to the Grand Falls Rapids. Brannon Butler was dealt to the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Photo By: Ed McPherson / OJHL Images Dalton Bancroft #24 of the Trenton Golden Hawks tries to keep the puck from Cole McGuire #24 of the Wellington Dukes

Visit TrentonGoldenHawks.com

21

Photo by Amy Deroche / OJHL Images Jordyn Mughal #13 and Trystan Mughal #14 of the Trenton Golden Hawks

Goulet worked the phones during the off-season to add more big pieces to the Trenton roster. The Golden Hawks were also able to bring in 20-year-old Aiden MacIntosh from Amherst. In addition to his MHL experience, MacIntosh previously played 93 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.

Trenton has also added a couple sets of brothers, who played in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, including 19-year-old twins Jordyn and Trystan Mughal from the Hearst Lumberjacks. Coming in from the Blind River Beavers are 17-year-old Devin and 19-year-old Justin Mauro.

Another player brought in with QMJHL experience is 19-year-old Lucas Robinson, the younger brother of Kyle, and who played 86 games with the Halifax Mooseheads.

“They add great depth, they’re great skaters, they have great compete and are very strong hockey players,” Goulet said.

“Both high-end players and men with great character,” Goulet said of MacIntosh and Robinson. “It’s priceless for an organization when you get the right players with the right attitude coming in.”

In net, the Golden Hawks have brought home Trenton native and 20-year-old goaltender Ethan Taylor from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds.

“He lives five minutes from our rink and played three years in the Soo so it’s a huge pickup for us,” Goulet said, noting Taylor will make a strong tandem with William Nguyen.

“We’ve added some great pieces to our team,” Goulet added.

Belleville’s Sami Douglas-Najem, who played for the Quinte Red Devils, has signed with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, but will spend the upcoming season developing with the Golden Hawks.

Goulet is looking for his players to just compete as they find their footing again and many return to contact hockey for the first time in 16 to 18 months and learning to play with their new teammates.

“It’s just about building relationships with each other and trusting each other. Probably half our players are new on the team and understanding what the coaching staff is asking of them,” Goulet said. “All that stuff doesn’t happen overnight and you’ve got to figure which way your team plays best. There’s many different ways you can play the game and it’s important we understand the best way for our team to play.

“There’s no trophies in September. Trophies are at the end of the year so it’s about building our team and our product and getting through the process to where we want to end this year.”

TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS

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By Mary Giacalone “Scary Mary” Head Instructor Owner of Scary Skate Inc.

Backward Skating

Avoid these mistakes …

More often than not when we are at team practices or power skating sessions and we let the skaters know that the class lesson is backward skating we hear “yuck” or “oh no, not backwards”. I simply explain to the skaters that if backward skating were easier than forward skating we would all be better backward skaters, and the vast majority of us, simply are not!

1.

The technical aspect of backward skating is often overlooked at practices, and I feel not enough time is spent working on this important skating skill. We all need to be able to skate straight backward very fast. It is important that all you forwards on the team learn to skate backwards, just as efficiently as the defensemen, to really improve your 2-way game. All players at some point in the game are placed in defensive situations. We are going to cover some basic points to remember and to continue working on in our backwards skating segment.

3.

How to do it …

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Try and skate backwards with your knees bent, head and eyes up, and back slightly arched as if you were just about ready to sit down on a chair or bench. I find getting the skaters in this position really helps them keep their full blades on the ice.

Keep your hips always square throughout the stride and glide When the stride begins your feet should be close together. Your striding leg or thrusting leg should dig into the ice powerfully carving out a “C” with your inside edge pushing out to the side until your leg is fully extended and as far away from your body as possible. Have that knee on your thrusting leg lock and the toe of your inside edge pushing against the ice.

Once that stride is completed, step to the opposite foot and lift the skate you have pushed with. Bend the knee of the free leg and pull it in towards the skating leg keeping your skate low to the ice.

As the free foot comes in close to the skating foot start your stride with the opposite leg.

Make sure you push down on the ball of your foot so you are pushing off the front of the blade, using your ankle as well as your knee.

Remember that both the striding leg and gliding leg should have the full length of the blade in contact with the ice. Lifting up one or both of your heels will cause the body to pitch forward over your toe of your skate.

Remember to hold your stick with your top hand and keep the stick always on the ice in front of you. Just as in forward skating remember to keep your arms moving in rhythm with your legs.

Remember to keep your weight a little ahead of the middle of your blade when skating backwards.

2.

4.

Don’t leave your feet spaced so far apart…. after each push you need to bring the striding leg back into recovery position to start the stride on the opposite leg.

Don’t let your shoulder sift from side to side… this takes the pressure off the striding leg causing it to slip and throw you off balance. I always say to my skaters “keep your shoulders parallel to the ice”. You really need to dig in on your striding leg.

Don’t rock to the back of your blade… when you’re skating backwards keep your weight on the balls of your feet. If too much weight goes to the back of your blade, they heel of your skate will dig into the ice and trip you.

Don’t skate on straight legs… a stride is made by a bent leg that pushes out completely straight. You cannot straighten a leg if it is already straight. Keep the seat of your pants near the ice so that every stride starts with your thrusting leg well bent.

Great exercise …

Hold your hockey stick up in front of you across your chest and have a teammate face you. Hold on to your stick palms down keeping the stick just below your chest. Start skating backwards working on developing power with one leg striding and complete recovery of that striding leg, pulling your team mate along. Your team mate who is going forward should do a simple snowplow stop and be giving you enough resistance so that you are working really hard to keep that leg backward striding.

Making sure you keep the full length of your blade down on the ice as you stride and recover. Remember to keep that striding leg fully extending as far away from your body as possible with a locked knee on each stride. Go back up the ice working on the opposite leg. You then continue striding backwards using both the right and left leg.

Once you have worked on this for a while try the backward strides on your own without any resistance. You must concentrate on staying low, and digging in just as powerfully as you needed to with the resistance.

Remember to keep your chest, head, and eyes up while striding and keeping the seat of your pants down low to the ice.

Until next time Scary Mary says I will see you at the rink ...

SCARYSKATE.COM fb/scaryskate @scary_skate

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DESERONTO BULLDOGS

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DESERONTO BULLDOGS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League action has returned and grown since the last time teams played.

Four teams, including the Deseronto Bulldogs, competed in the inaugural 2019-20 campaign, but the EOSHL has now expanded to 12 teams for the 2021-22 season.

The Bulldogs are looking to take strides forward after almost upsetting the eventual champion Cornwall Prowlers in 2020. Deseronto (4-12-11) won the best-of-three semifinal opener before Cornwall (13-2-0-1) was victorious in two straight. The West Carleton Riverman, which lost the final in five games to Cornwall, and the Maxville Millionaires now known as the Mustangs, were the other two entries for the new senior A’ hockey league.

Those four teams are now joined by the Tweed Oil Kings, Smiths Falls Rideaus, Gananoque Islanders, Frontenac Phantoms, South Grenville Rangers, Glengarry Pipers, Bytown Royals and North Dundas Rockets.

Bulldogs owner and president Landon Punchard, who also plays, said the inaugural season “was a complete success” and the team is excited to be back.

“We knew going into it that Deseronto was a hockey town with lots of very passionate fans,” Punchard said. “The support we got from the community was absolutely amazing. We were successful on the ice as well in the fact that we improved as a team from the start of the year to the finish. We feel that in our first year we could’ve won the championship. We’ve added some very important pieces moving forward. The league has also grown to three times the size. We’re confident we have a championship team this year as well.”

Losing a full season certainly meant some lost momentum for the Bulldogs.

“It was very disappointing. Our first year was kind of an opportunity to prove ourselves to the local area and show the product that we’re trying to build on the ice and establish ourselves in the league,” Punchard said. “There was a lot of excitement and hype going into our second year. Our following grew tremendously and we grew on the ice as well.”

Some key returning players include Will Lamoureux, Chris Rogalsky, Craig Cross, Joey Mayer, Cullen Hinds, Jordan Cannon and Brett Maracle as well as goaltender Graeme Gemmill, who is also one of the team owners.

Lamoureux was one of the players who got called up during the Bulldogs inaugural season to play for the Watertown Wolves of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Deseronto has an affiliation

agreement with the semi-pro Watertown club.

Since the Bulldogs last played, they have signed former Belleville Bull Brody Morris, former junior A player Brodie Butt (Trenton/Wellington/ Yarmouth), former Napanee Raiders Brodie Maracle and Evan Foley, former Amherstview Jet Cody Smith and former Picton Pirate Griffen Conger.

“We’re extremely excited about the 30 guys that we have signed moving forward,” Punchard said.

The same goes for the staff, including head coach Steve Durnan and assistant coach Brandon Tucker.

Punchard gave a special shoutout to announcer Richard Crouse. “He’s a guy that’s been there since day one,” he said. “He’s a huge supporter of our team and does an amazing job announcing at our games. He does a lot behind the scenes as well.”

Even when Punchard and Gemmill were painting the club’s dressing room prior to the start of the first season, Crouse was there to help “Any little things we need help with, he lives and breathes Deseronto Bulldogs hockey,” Punchard said.

Deseronto Bulldogs home games are scheduled for Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons. All EOSHL games are played during the weekends in order to provide the players the opportunity for a balance between work and hockey.

“That’s what our league is all about. It’s an opportunity for guys that are working Monday to Friday full-time jobs that still have that competitive edge to be able to play competitive hockey every week,” Punchard said.

“We only play one game a week so it works out well for a guy that works a full-time job.”

It’s also a great opportunity for hockey fans to watch players from a variety of different leagues and backgrounds come together. Players from the league’s teams have competed in major junior, junior A, junior C, Canadian university, NCAA and even some with NHL experience.

It’s exciting hockey,” Punchard remarked. “It’s awesome that we’re able to provide this type of hockey with the following that we do have because it’s important to the guys that play for us.”

Deseronto Bulldogs photo by Laura Astralis

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TWEED OIL KINGS

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TWEED OIL KINGS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Starting a new senior A hockey team during a pandemic is exciting, but not without its challenges.

Just ask Johnny Desjardins, the general manager of the Tweed Oil Kings, one of the newest entries into the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League.

“It’s the first year so we are going to have some growing pains and I can guarantee you I’ve had some ups-and-downs myself just trying to get guys to play and to make a commitment,” Desjardins said. “It’s been a struggle when you think you have somebody and then all of a sudden they can’t play for certain reasons.”

There’s no expense to taxpayers, Desjardins added, as the team is funded through money that has been raised through sponsorship, advertising and game day ticket sales.

Home games are played at 2 p.m. on Sundays and Desjardins believes players will appreciate playing in a small community.

“Some guys that haven’t been to Tweed, but (residents) will welcome them,” Desjardins said. “They’ll think they’re great because they’re playing in Tweed and they don’t even know them yet.”

Desjardins is certainly pleased with the players he was able to sign leading up to the start of the 2021-22 EOSHL season. They include Murray Free, Dan Atkinson, Andrew Rhynold and Devin McCann.

Free, who is from Campbellford, played junior A hockey in Port Hope and Lindsay while getting some OHL game action with the Oshawa Generals as well. He later played senior hockey with the Norwood Vipers and Whitby Dunlops.

Atkinson, who now lives in Cobourg, has previous senior hockey experience with the Shelburne Muskies and played university hockey for the Nottingham Mavericks in the United Kingdom.

Rhynold played some junior A hockey with Port Hope and Ajax and junior C hockey with the former Colborne Cobras.

McCann, who is from Trenton and a product of the Quinte Red Devils, played four seasons with the Picton Pirates junior C club.

Building a strong staff was also important and Desjardins believes the Oil Kings have accomplished that objective.

Troy Ward, a retired paramedic, was hired as head coach along with assistants Lou Crawford and Tom Clement. Ward played junior hockey for Bob Hartley in Hawksbury. Before that, he played junior C hockey in Madoc and was a teammate of Desjardins and Clement.

Crawford, who coached the Belleville Bulls to the OHL championship in 1999, also has commitments as a scout for the Vancouver Canucks, but will bring a wealth of knowledge to the new club in Tweed.

“We have lots of good guys and as a player you won’t have any more fun than with us, I can tell you that,” Desjardins said, noting he retired last December and accepted the offer to take on the GM role when it was presented it to him.

“I can you in Tweed they’re really excited about it. The team is owned by the municipality so it makes it kind of unique.”

Visit eoshl.hockeyshift.com

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toddsmithmpp.ca Constituency office in Rossmore Plaza

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Through COVID-19 and beyond, I’m on your team Bay of Quinte

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BELLEVILLE BEARCATS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media The Belleville Bearcats continue to provide females the opportunity to play hockey in the Quinte area.

It comes following a year of uncertainty, though one that still saw players get on the ice a fair bit.

“Last year most of our season for rep teams was development, but they were able to play games eventually in bubbles,” said Bearcats board chair Lynn Thibedeau. “They did get games in and were on the ice quite a bit. Our house league, we ended up doing mostly development. We did do some games, but we had to be very cognizant of the protocols about how many were allowed on the ice and stuff like that.”

This season, the Bearcats have five rep teams (U9, two at U11, U15 and U18) as well as the junior and senior house league programs.

The U18 and U15 teams will both have busy Ontario Women’s Hockey Association schedules in their respective ‘AA’ rep leagues while the U9 and U11 teams will be following Hockey Canada’s new half-ice program.

“They’re limited in the beginning to a lot of development and a few exhibition games,” Thibedeau said. “As the season moves on they’re able to do a bit more. U15 and U18 are the busiest ones right now.”

The junior house league program is for played U13 and below as they continue to develop their skills in a recreational environment.

Meanwhile, senior house league has a mix of older teens and ladies.

Usually 45 to 50 players register.

“Quite often moms will play with daughters,” Thibedeau noted, adding it’s not limited to parents. “We have a lot of old rep players coming back to Belleville or Trenton and playing hockey. They’ve gone off to university and they come home and have a job here now…want to get out one night a week and play hockey like they used to. We have some younger ladies in there too because we just don’t have a place for them to play, like your 15 and 16 year old girls. The ladies are very good with the young ladies, very helpful and good at mentoring them.”

Thibedeau said it would also be nice to get more parents of younger players involved on the executive. Her daughter played for the Bearcats a number of years ago and as a former player herself, she just loves the game of hockey.

That’s why the executive members, especially those with no kids still playing, want to continue and grow female hockey in the Quinte area.

“We want to keep it going, that’s for sure,” Thibedeau said.

A great way to help grow the game is hosting a First Shift Program through Bauer for new players between the ages of 6 and 10. The Bearcats host the program and provide ice time and instructors.

For $199, the players receive the necessary equipment to play, including skates, helmet, gloves, shin pads, elbow pads and shoulder pads, and also receive six one-hour skills sessions.

“Afterwards we offer them a space in our house league if they wish to continue on,” Thibedeau said.

Normally it’s open to the first 45 girls to register, but this year it was limited to 30 and filled up fast. It’s been a popular program.

“We’ve had it for quite a few years,” she said.

An even longer tradition is hosting a tournament, but the Bearcats weren’t able to last season. The Belleville Bearcats New Years Classic tournament is expected to return January 7-9, 2022. There are a number of divisions offered for the age groups of U9, U11, U13, U15, U18, U22 and Senior and the event usually attracts teams between Ottawa and Niagara Falls.

“People want to get into it,” Thibedeau said. “They haven’t been able to do tournaments for two years now so once you get your tournament up on the OWHA website, it gets filled up pretty fast.

It’s a big fundraiser for us so when you can’t run it, it makes things a little tight but we’re hoping to get back into it this year and it will be nice to see everybody.”

It takes a lot of work to run a season and tournament, but Thibedeau was quick to praise all the volunteers from the executive members, coaches, trainers, dressing room moms and more.

“We’re very proud of what we do,” she said. “We’ve been around for well over 40 years so we’re hoping to stay around for another number of years.”

Most games are played at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre, but occasionally ice is available in Tweed and Marmora as well.

TOP PHOTO: The Belleville Bearcats are once again planning to host the New Year Classic. The last time it was held, the Bearcats peewee AA team won its division.

Visit BellevilleBearcats.ca

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BELLEVILLE SENATORS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

The American Hockey League’s Senators are back in Belleville.

As a professional team, the Belleville Senators – affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators – were the only local team to play regular hockey games during the 2020-21 season.

They weren’t based in Belleville, though, and even if they had been there wouldn’t have been fans allowed. The Senators were instead limited to a 35-game AHL regular season and played out of Ottawa.

“Last year was filled with a lot of adaptation going on and flexibility,” said Belleville Senators head coach Troy Mann. “The fact that we’re back in our own rink, able to practice at CAA Arena, have our own locker room, that’s certainly what you want as a team.”

Mann, who received a two-year contract extension during the offseason, considers Belleville to be “a great little town,” a good fit for AHL hockey and he’s looking forward to spectators returning.

He’s pleased to be sticking around to build a competitive team in Belleville while also continuing to develop prospects for the NHL club.

“I certainly love the organization, I love the people in it and I’ve really enjoyed coaching the prospects,” Mann remarked. “There’s a lot of pressure on us as coaches because for Ottawa to have success, they need our prospects to graduate and I think we’ve done a good job of that and we’ll have to continue to do that for the Sens to have some success at the NHL level.”

Coaching in the AHL presents a unique challenge many leagues don’t face as there is constant movement and change for the roster. You can practice or play one day and the roster is different by the next morning.

“You’re always having to adapt and that’s one of the things at the AHL level you have to be conscious of,” Mann said, noting injuries at both the NHL (which leads to recalls) and AHL levels can have a huge impact as the season goes on. “Sometimes you’re just

All photos by Amy Deroche Total Sports Quinte hanging on and that’s why there’s so much movement in the AHL in the standings because you could be really shorthanded for a month and not have a great month and then be full strength where another team is not and you’re able to make up ground. The teams that are able to manage that and have enough depth are usually the ones that have the most success at the AHL level.”

With not many jobs available in Ottawa during training, Mann expected some of the club’s top prospects like Lassi Thomson, Roby Jarventie and Egor Sokolov to begin the season in Belleville.

“They have tremendous upside and will play in the NHL at some point,” the coach said. “It’s just a matter of us getting them ready and a position being available for them to be recalled.”

The same goes for the goaltenders. Matt Murray and Anton Forsberg had the spots locked up in Ottawa, leaving Filip Gustavsson, Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese to battle for the two positions in Belleville.

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“Obviously Gus has been a pro for a couple years and is really the No. 3 guy in the organization, but I’m certainly looking forward to Sogaard and Mandelese battling it out,” Mann said. “One of those two guys will have to go to Atlanta with our ECHL affiliate and get plenty of starts. Sogaard came over from Denmark last year and made a great impression down the stretch and Mandelese has had a great camp so far.”

“He’s another one who will be relied upon heavily from a coaching perspective in terms of leadership that’s on an AHL deal,” Mann said.

In addition to the prospects, there’s a good mix of new and returning players that bring a wealth of experience.

“We have a player coming in, Tyrell Goulbourne, that’s had some NHL experience and was a real force down in Lehigh Valley when I coached in Hershey and brings a level of toughness to the table,” Mann said. “He’ll be a guy that will be looked upon to help the third and fourth lines and be physical.”

Logan Shaw, an experienced AHL player with over 200 games of NHL experience as well, is back as team captain.

“Logan is a constant professional. I love his work ethic, I love his detail and his passion for the game,” Mann said. “Last year once we got to know our new players and identify the leadership group, to me it was a no-brainer that he be named captain. The fact that he was on a two-year contract also helped. I’m a big fan of Logan. He’s solid, solid two-way player, very versatile, can play the wing or centre and just tries to play the game the right way and that’s what you need from your captain and leadership group.”

Up front, most of the forwards in the lineup are comprised of NHL prospects and others on two-way contracts that have the potential to get called up to the big club during the season, but there was certainly a need to add veterans as well.

Sometimes players might get frustrated being sent down to the AHL, but Mann likes to give them space initially and then press the reset button to get them ready for another shot in the NHL.

BELLEVILLE SENATORS

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“Even though you’re not in the NHL, the American League you’re still making a pretty good living and you’re playing the game you love so it’s up to you to meet the coaches halfway and try and be part of a winning team.”

On defence, Colby Williams was re-signed after impressing the Senators brass last year. Mann was familiar with the 26-yearold who played four seasons for the Hershey Bears where Mann coached until 2018 before taking the Sens job.

“I had him in Hershey. He came in last year on an AHL deal and was one of our mainstays on the back-end,” Mann said. “We thought enough of his season over the 35 games to bring him back. He’s still very young, but on an AHL deal he’ll be coming down to Belleville and should be one of our anchors on the back-end.”

Another player expected to bolster the Belleville blueline is defenceman Zac Leslie, who has six years of AHL experience under his belt with the Ontario Reign, Chicago Wolves and Stockton Heat.

Visit BellevilleSens.com

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TOTASPORTSQUINTE.CA

WOMEN’S HOCKEY ROUNDUP

Provided by Melissa Armstrong. Edited by Total Sports Media

Photo by Shawna Leigh Photography

Women’s Hockey is on the move in North America. Opportunities for young women to pursue hockey careers at academic institutions in both Canada and the U.S have grown exponentially.

Another pro prospect is Brighton resident, Rae Ann Breton is off to a great start at University of New Hampshire. The Wildcats are perennial contenders in Hockey East.

With the emergence of the Premier Hockey Federation(Formerly the NWHL) and the elite Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, the awareness of elite women’s hockey has grown.

Zoe Uens, a Rossmore resident, is currently playing for Kingston in the PWHL. She is committed to Quinnipiac University in Connecticut where Alexa Hoskin is currently playing.

Many are hopeful that this momentum will lead to a truly professional league, like the WNBA, for women’s hockey. Quinte and the surrounding area have and are producing a number of elite worldclass athletes that will have tremendous futures in hockey. This is a brief overview of some notables.

Zoe Uens, a Rossmore resident, is currently playing for Kingston in the PWHL She is committed to Quinnipiac University in Connecticut where Alexa Hoskin is currently playing. Zoe was named to the Team Canada roster that would have played in Sweden in January at the scheduled World championships had it not been for Covid 19 cancellations.

Hanna Bunton, a Cornell graduate, came out of the Belleville Bearcats Organization and played in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). After playing with the U18 Team Canada team (winning gold), her international experience was expanded into the Team Canada Development squad and Hanna has been a key figure in the PWHPA after the collapse of the CWHL.

Team Canada invited that U18 roster this past summer to Calgary to train with the upcoming U18 hopefuls as well as the U23 Development squad under the label of the “NextGen” team.

While in the CWHL, Hanna played for the Vance Rays, also known as the Kunlun Red Star team in Shenzhen China that played in the CWHL. Hanna is currently working for Hockey Canada in an administrative role and will continue playing in tour events with the PWHPA while advocating and growing women’s hockey. She was recently featured on the cover of Elle Canada.

Maddie Wheeler, a Stone Mills native, played her minor hockey with the Quinte Red Devils Association and then graduated to Junior hockey playing for Nepean and Kingston in the PWHL. She appeared twice in the U18 World Championships representing Canada and taking home a gold and a silver medal. Most notably, Maddie scored the overtime winner that captured the gold medal in her first year with Team Canada U18.

Maddie’s winning ways continued as she joined the Wisconsin Badgers on a full hockey scholarship and enjoyed an NCAA championship in her freshman season. This success led to an invite the the U23 Development Squad for Team Canada this past summer.

Because of her strong showing she was invited to skate with the Main Team Canada team as they prepared for the 2021 World championships this past July/August. This opportunity clearly shows that Maddie is squarely on the radar with Team Canada as she enters her sophomore season in the NCAA. Alexa Hoskin, another Belleville Bearcat and Kingston PWHL standout, is currently in her junior year at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Quinnipiac is coached by Campbellford native Cassie Turner who has been a coach with the U18 Canadian National team after a strong NCAA career at Brown university.

Alexa has started the 2021-22 season strong on a very talented team currently ranked #8 in the Nation for NCAA hockey. She has emerged as one of the offensive leaders on a very potent offence.

This tremendous start to the season pays tribute to Alexa’s off season work and will put her on the radar for Team Canada and the professional women’s ranks going forward.

Zoe will be attending Quinnipiac University on a full scholarship in 2022-23 and will be watched closely by Hockey Canada as she develops.

Brighton native Sara Roger was invited to the U18 Team Canada Selection Camp this past summer. Sara is committed to Colgate University in the NCAA on a full ride scholarship and currently plays for Kingston in the PWHL. The final roster will be announced in December for the U18 team that will compete in Sweden for the U18 World championship in January. Sara was recently named to the Team Ontario Red U18 Squad as well. Good luck Sara!

Annabelle Phillips, a Madoc resident, is currently playing with the Kingston IceWolves of the PWHL. She recently committed to play hockey at Yale University and will begin studies ther in 2023. A standout goalie in the PWHL, Phillips played boys hockey in Madoc before joining the Belleville Bearcats and the Ice Wolves.

Taylor Gilmour a Napanee native is currently playing for the Kingston IceWolves of the PWHL The 6’3” Gilmour has some great hockey bloodlines as she is a niece of former Bull Jake Gilmour and ex Pro Brian Coughlin as well as a cousin of former Bulls Captain and Ex Pro Matt Coughlin. Taylor has garnered a lot of NCAA attention and recently committed to Providence College for a full scholarship .She was also recently named to the Team Ontario Blue team which is a development squad that competes at the national U18 tournament annually.

Taryn Rathwell, from Belleville, is a graduate of the Belleville Bearcats and Wellington Lady Dukes program. She is now entering her second year with the Kingston IceWolves of the PWHL and has been on the radar of a number of schools. At press time Total Sports was notified that Taryn was very close to being committed with a well respected academic institution.

There are a number of Quinte area players playing in Canadian USports and NCAA Division 3 hockey as well. Too many to name here.

If anyone wishes to provide updates of other players from the region, please forward to the Total Sports Quinte website.

The success of these young women as well as the quality of so many up and coming players in the minor system speaks volumes to the job being done locally by organizations, coaches and skill providers to develop so many quality players from one region.

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BEARCATS U18 LADY DUKES

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By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

WELLINGTON LADY DUKES AA Midget Team Off to a hot start

Wellington Lady Dukes - Belleville Bearcats U18AA, sponsored by Well Busters, have started the season strong with a winning record in preseason followed by a Silver medal at the prestigious annual Stoney Creek Showcase tournament.

Game one of the weekend was an early start Friday against the BlueWater Hawks. After a slow start to the game the Lady Dukes opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal from Sydnie Johnston assisted by Kaya Brahaney. Just over a minute later captain Emily Moore sniped a bar down goal of her own assisted by Lilia Brown to finish with a final score of 2-0 and the first win of the tournament.

Game two saw the girls face off against the Windsor Wildcats and continue their win streak beating them 4-1 with goals by Hailey Putnam, Makenzi Jones, Maci Davis and Kaya Brahaney with assists going to Brahaney, Hailey Robinson and Siyerra Vandewal.

Saturday started as a gloomy day outside but inside the rink the Lady Dukes were on fire beating Brantford Ice Cats 5-0 in game three of round robin play. Goals scored by Moore (2), Taylor Adams, Brahaney and Johnston with assists going to Elyse Ives (2), Moore, Johnston, Putnam, Adams (2) and Peyton Armstrong.

With first place in the pool on the line game four was fast paced against Ancaster Avalanche with the Lady Dukes doubling up for the fourth straight win of the weekend with a score of 4-2. Goals

scored by Jones, Robinson (2) and Brahaney with assists going to Armstrong(2), Moore, Adams and Jones.

Semi final Sunday for the Gold medal was a hold your breath type of game as they took on Saugeen Maitland in a hard fought battle to advance to the finals with a 1-0 win. The game-winning, power play goal was scored by Adams, assisted by Ives and Moore.

Sunday afternoon’s Gold final game against Durham West Lightning was a nailbiter with no goals from either side until 4:48 left in the third when Durham West capitalized on the power play.

The Lady Dukes were not giving up and pulled their goalie with two minutes left to give them the extra attacker. All their attempts were turned away with a final score of 1-0. Coaches and parents were very proud of the hard work and effort brought by all players and the dynamic duo goaltending of Addi Cochrane with three awesome shutouts and Cassidy Dobson with stellar split saves and a fast action glove hand.

Lady Dukes started their regular season on the road October 23 with a 2-0 win in Peterborough and then continued their winning ways with a win and a tie in Cornwall. This team is poised to make some noise this year.Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and the Total Sports Quinte website to get all of the postgame highlights.

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NAPANEE RAIDERS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media In March of 2020, the Napanee Raiders were two wins away from capturing their second straight Tod Division title in the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

They went from being eager to defend their Schmalz Cup PJHL championship from the year prior to a lot of unknowns this 2021-22 campaign following a wiped out season last year.

“No one really knows,” said Raiders head coach Ben Hagerman as the new campaign was about to get underway. “You can kind of guess and look at everyone else’s potential roster, but you really don’t know where you stack up until you’ve been around the league at least once, maybe even twice. Thirty five games, so it’s going to be really, really fast. Every game is going to mean a lot with two points up for grabs in the standings to make sure you finish in hopefully a home-ice advantage scenario for the playoffs.”

One thing was evident as Napanee’s training camp got underway and players returned to exhibition games and hockey with physical contact.

“It’s been really exciting to see how the kids are responding in terms of their level of thankfulness and not taking hockey for granted,” Hagerman said.

That being said, the coaching and management staff didn’t take the 2020-21 season for granted either, even if exhibition games were few and far between. The team was changing and the Raiders needed to be prepared for when hockey returned in the traditional way.

“We had the four 21-year-olds and about eight more 20-year-olds on that (2020) team…we’re basically left with about five guys from that March 2020 team on our team now,” Hagerman said. “We really went to work during the COVID year when we were only allowed to do scrimmage and exhibition games and practices and really found out about some guys who were attending Queen’s that were first year students and some really strong local products that graduated out of major midget.

“We were able to kind of slowly reconstruct the roster during last year when we were really only allowed to practice. That put us in a good spot for training camp this year and we had a few surprises from guys that ended up coming in and making the team as 17-yearold rookies. We feel pretty confident with our roster.”

Having two veterans goaltenders is a great place to start with the return of 20-year-olds Bailey Maracle and Mitch Brown.

The other returning 20-year-old players from the 2020 playoffs are forwards Logan White and Soren Zamuner and Logan and defenceman Noah Westwater.

New to the Raiders this year are Payton Gauthier of Kingston, who played 41 games for the Gananoque Islanders during the 2018-19 season, Napanee’s Ben White who is the younger brother of Logan White, and Reid Lambert, also of Napanee now playing for his hometown junior C team.

The Queen’s University students Hagerman referred to are Matt Sheehy and Johnny Wright, who played prep school hockey together for Upper Canada College and Chris Edwards who played for St. Michael’s College School. The three players usually play on a line together.

Hagerman wasn’t expecting to use a card on a 16-year-old player this year.

“I really feel strongly that if you take a 16-year-old player he needs to be put in a position where there’s going to be quality ice time and their role is going to be pretty significant, at least as significant as if he was playing midget,” Hagerman said. “The further we got into camp and how many guys returned from the COVID season where we rebuilt last year and the role they were going to play compared to taking a 16-year-old, I didn’t think it was fair. We’re just going to AP as many 16-year-old players as we can and get them in the lineup while they’re playing midget. I think that’s the best for everyone right now.”

Despite the unknowns, Hagerman does expect the Tod Division to be “very competitive” this year and considers it to be one of the top divisions in the entire PJHL. The Raiders have been successful in recent years and Picton and Port Hope have had great runs as well. Amherstview and Campbellford hope to be improved and the Frankford Huskies are new this year, replacing Gananoque.

“We’ve got a couple small, tough barns in this league that will be no easy points coming out of those rinks,” Hagerman said. “I think this is going to be a really solid division with whoever ends up winning it and making a push for a provincial title. All we can worry about is ourselves. We like what we have and we’ll keep moving forward.”

Hagerman grew up in Stirling and played minor hockey there before moving on to the Quinte Red Devils, eventually moving up to play junior hockey in Napanee while also gaining some junior A experience with the Wellington Dukes.

He likes the opportunity junior C hockey provides to players to continue playing while also attending school and perhaps working jobs as well. Often times it also means players can continue playing in their hometown for a team they grew up watching.

“For kids to play out of their hometowns, it’s a huge thrill if you’ve grown up watching that particular team and you have something to strive for in your hometown. It gives people and the fans that recognizable face that maybe they watched that kid grow up because they’re friends of his family. It’s an exciting brand of hockey,” Hagerman said.

“These kids don’t hold anything back. They play hard, it’s still a physical brand of hockey, excellent goaltending and ultimately I think every team in our league is moving players each year onto junior A. You’re looking at six to 10 guys moving on after a year of junior C sometimes to a higher level so we’re proud of that as well.

“I encourage anyone to check out your local team if you can this year.”

Visit NapaneeRaiders.com

NAPANEE RAIDERS

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35

CAMPBELLFORD REBELS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Missing a full season of regular Provincial Junior Hockey League action had an interesting affect on the Campbellford Rebels.

“We managed to get a lot older, but not gain any real game experience,” says Rebels general manager Tyler Revoy. “We had a relatively young group of guys last year mixed in with a few veterans. This year those guys are now veterans despite not actually playing any games in the PJHL.” Campbellford was able to get some 3-on-3 games against Little Britain and non-contact games against Lakefield, but it wasn’t the same.

That has changed with the return of regular hockey.

“It’s amazing just to get that normalcy back in our lives,” Revoy said.

That doesn’t mean the Rebels are just happy to be back. Revoy, the second-year GM in Campbellford after a number of years in Lakefield, wants to flip the script in the PJHL this season after the Rebels went 1-41-0-2 during the 2019-20 season.

“We need to stick to our game plan, which is a cliche thing to say, but we have to take advantage of the first two trips through the schedule where teams are going to think they’re playing the old Campbellford Rebels and it’s stat night and they’re going to put up 10 goals and are maybe be a little lackadaisical in the defensive zone,” Revoy remarked. “I think the first two trips through the schedule will be really important for us to not only pick up some wins, but really show the league we’re here to play.

We’re not going to mess around this year.”

The Rebels have some great returning veteran players to build around including forwards Ethan Salter, Benny Scarr, Ben Krauja and Josh Sainthill, defenceman Andrew Moran and goaltender Eric Martin.

“They’re both returning guys who have a number of years of junior experience under their belt,” Revoy said of Salter and Scarr. “We’re relatively young on the back-end, but Andrew Moran is back for his OA year with us and he’s been a lifelong Campbellford guy that’s played all of his years here.”

Martin returning in net is also key to the Rebels finding success.

“Having our No. 1 goalie back from last year really helps us,” Revoy said. “I know he’s really eager to keep going. Hopefully we can find him the backup that will push him and help him become better, but also set us up for the future.”

Martin previously played for the Port Hope Panthers and Revoy also had him as a goalie in Lakefield before inviting him to Campbellford and he’s come in as expected.

“You could just see the presence in net, the focus, the poise that he has when the situation becomes a little panicky in the crease, he just remains calm, finds the puck and covers it.”

“This year he showed up to camp ready to go. He’s been eager to get on the ice.”

“He’s an older guy and whatever backup we bring in, they’re going to learn a ton from him just the way he prepares for games and the mental focus that he has going into the games.”

Krauja, 19, returns as the team captain.

“He’s a quiet leader and lets his play do the talking. He’s not a big vocal guy, but he will step up and speak if we need something said in the dressing room between periods or before a big game,” Revoy said. “He goes out on the ice and dazzles with what he can do with the puck and put in the back of the net. I know a lot of guys can see his work ethic and demeanour and know if all 18 guys can show up and play like that we’re going to be in a lot of games this year.”

Revoy expects veteran players to be extremely motivated to have a successful season. They will play a big role in the club achieving success.

“They don’t panic when the situation gets too big. They’ve been around the block,” Revoy said. “One thing they haven’t had is a winning culture or a winning season so they want that just as bad as everyone else.”

New players are also expected to play big roles, including forwards Connor MacGregor of Cobourg and Adam Klass from Clarington as well as defenceman Jesse Markov of Cobourg. The Rebels also made a trade in August to acquire defenceman Zach Lavergne from Port Hope in exchange for a player development fee.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have those guys join the core group of guys,” Revoy said.

Leading the players from behind the bench is PJ Michael, who was hired last year as head coach. A former Cobourg Cougars junior A player, Michael went on to coach at the Canadian university level and went on to work with the Toronto Furies of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League as well as the Profession Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).

“Hopefully that knowledge he has will transpire down to the guys on the team,” Revoy said.

Revoy believes the parity in the Tod Division for all six teams will be something not seen in many years.

“I think this year you’ll find it will be a lot more competitive with teams the first half of the season feeling each other out and then that back-half jockeying for playoff positions you’ll see the teams start to intensify and there might be playoff atmospheres come January instead of the middle of February,” he said.

Every team will make the playoffs with the top two receiving a bye. Revoy isn’t a huge fan of it as he would rather the top four earn their way in, but the experience this season will be great for the organization and fans.

“It will be nice to have meaningful games back in Campbellford because it’s been a long time and the fans deserve it,” Revoy said.

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CAMPBELLFORD REBELS

TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

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RON MACLEAN

Has Fond Memories of the Quinte Region

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media Rogers Hometown Hockey returned to Belleville for the fan festival Oct. 30-31 and was also the broadcast site for hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone from the mobile studio on Nov. 1.

Heading into the event, MacLean fondly remembered the show’s 2018 stop in Belleville.

“The Hasty P’s right, that was a really nice thing. The Regiment helped us out,” MacLean said, referring to the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment also known as the Hasty P’s. “They’re one of the most decorated, if not the most decorated Regiment in World War II so we had an opening there with the Regiment. We had Andrew Raycroft as a guest, it’s the home of the Belleville McFarlands, the Crawford family.

Those were at the forefront. The Belleville Senators were just kind of coming into vogue so we had the history of international play, we had the Belleville Bulls and a lot of junior hockey reminisces that year.”

MacLean, also the longtime host of Hockey Night in Canada, has memories of Belleville and the Quinte region that extend beyond hockey.

“I was going to answer immediately, the Hull family and Bobby specifically,” he remarked. “I always get a huge kick out of the fact that at his home in Point Anne he had a big fireplace mantle, spotlit, none of his trophies from hockey were there like his replica Stanley Cup and the Hart and Art Ross...they were all tucked away on the other side of the room. All that was on the fireplace mantle were red and blue ribbons for his cattle. I loved that, being a boy from central Alberta.”

Belleville was always a key stop for MacLean and company when sailing to the Thousand Islands.

“Friends of ours had a 35-foot sailboat and my wife Cari and I used to go with Pat and Linda up through the Murray Canal and head to the Thousand Islands and we would be all through the area whether it was Picton and Waupoos, just a beautiful part of the world. One of the great harbours is Belleville so I think a lot about the marina and sailing in that neck of the woods as well as the hockey.”

This year’s Hometown Hockey stop in Belleville was the backdrop of the broadcast of the game from Chicago between the Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators. MacLean was looking forward to having the recentlyretired Andrew Shaw as a guest.

“Andrew’s now dabbling in TV, he’s down doing some Chicago Blackhawks work so that will be nice to have him as the ambassador for this particular show,” MacLean said. “They used to have an expression about, I think it was the McFarlands, they said they had ‘acres of heart’ and that’s a great description of Andrew Shaw.”

Sharing the stories of players like Shaw and other individuals involved in hockey is what MacLean believes makes the show great.

“It has to begin somewhere and success has roots. We get to experience those beginnings and there’s lots of great lessons,” he said. “How did Andrew Shaw get to be Andrew Shaw? Every kid wants to know that.

Where does the competitive drive come from, the skill sets come from, so when you go into the communities, you see it first hand and it goes deeper. It could be referees, it could be the 50/50 ticket sellers, there’s so many people that make it come together. For us it’s a balancing act over the 25 shows to just find a few of those great volunteers and in some small cases hired guns whole drive the sport.”

A change from previous Hometown Hockey seasons is moving the live broadcast from Sunday evening to Monday. A meet-and-greet with local dignitaries that used to be held the afternoon of the show now moves to Sunday evenings with more preparation available for the hosts on the day of the broadcast.

Heading to show locations on time, especially on the west coast, following Hockey Night In Canada would often be a challenging endeavour for MacLean.

“It was stressful and in addition to running on very little sleep,” he said.

“I used to arrive the morning of the show and we’d go right into a meetand-greet and we barely get on the air having talked to one another, Tara Slone and myself, and that was tough. The show moves a hundred miles an hour and there’s all these different stories to try and weave. I hope it will make the show smoother from a production point of view and easier for Tara and me and the crew.”

MacLean has lots of praise for his co-host who is on the ground in the communities gathering stories leading up to the show’s broadcast, though he’s hoping the new format will enable him to help out more with that as well.

“She has done a lot of the heavy lifting over the years,” MacLean said of Slone. “She’s a great storyteller, really hard worker and does a fabulous job on the air of course so we’re blessed to have her.”

The Quinte region is loaded with teams to support, including the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators, junior A Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, junior C Picton Pirates and expansion Frankford Huskies and nearby Campbellford Rebels and Napanee Raiders of the Provincial Junior Hockey League, and the senior A Deseronto Bulldogs and expansion Tweed Oil Kings of the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League.

MacLean said he visits so many great communities with great hockey programs “and that’s what you have all through the Belleville area.

“The backbone of our game, it’s just such an incredible thing,” he added. “I’m grateful Hometown Hockey came along to find that. We always say “let’s get to the local organizing committee and ask them ‘who are the ones that deserve the spotlight, who inspires the game in your region and there’s always a great story about such a person.”

In addition to Hometown Hockey, MacLean recalled coming to Belleville for a Kraft Hockeyville broadcast, though noted it was StirlingRawdon that won the competition that year.

“We could go there 10 times and not tell all the stories,” MacLean said of the Quinte region. “The history of supporting hockey is incredibly rich. They used to joke that at the old Memorial Arena (downtown) they would walk 99 steps to the Queen’s for a beer during the period intermissions.”

MacLean, who refereed for 23 years, has fond memories of officiating games in Trenton as well as Dukes games, though never in Wellington, but wishes he would have had the opportunity. He’s just fond of the whole area which provides a great backdrop for Hometown Hockey.

“We’re not a travel show, per se, but it’s always best when we have a stage like you have in the Quinte region,” he said.

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BROCK ORMOND 7th Season As Dukes Hockey TV Broadcaster By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Brock Ormond learned from a young age that the hockey community is like a family.

“Growing up it was so fun having the players,” Ormond said.

“They felt like the older brothers I never had. Stajan comes in at

That family has certainly grown over the years for him and he considers the Wellington Dukes to be a big reason for that.

The 25-year-old is entering his seventh season as play-by-play announcer for Dukes broadcasts on HockeyTV and YourTV Quinte. He also writes game reports for the Ontario Junior Hockey League club.

16-years-old and turning 17 that year and he treated me just like I was his little brother.”

“I really enjoy the camaraderie and just being able to work as a team. The Dukes are so much like a family. There’s the same people that come out every single game. Seeing volunteers like Doug Robinson, Betty Masterson as well as Dave Wakefield and so many others, it feels like you’re part of a big family along with the team on the ice,” Ormond said. “It’s really outstanding that way.”

Away from the rink, Brock is the only child to parents Lisa and Mark Ormond, but it never felt that way growing up. The family has billeted hockey players for so long that Ormond went from having “older brothers” to having “younger brothers.”

After the Bulls left town, the Ormonds billeted players from the Trenton Golden Hawks for a couple seasons and now have been do so for the Dukes ever since. The long tenure of billeting for family has enabled Brock to experience it in different ways.

“I started out as a four-year-old and then growing up the guys started to get closer and closer to my age so then it ended up becoming like we were the same age and then by the time I got older there had players coming in that were younger than me so then I became kind of the defacto older brother to some guys,” Ormond said. “It was really neat to have that extra body or two or three in the house to really get to know and develop a good relationship with.” Those relationships sometimes continue once the player has moved on.

The Ormonds became a billet family for the Belleville Bulls in 2000 when Brock was just four and continued doing so until the club relocated to Hamilton in 2015. Matt Stajan, who went on to play over 1,000 NHL games, joined the family as a rookie with this Bulls as did Paulo Colaiacovo.

Chris Mifflen lived with the Ormonds during the 2007-08 season and was part of the Bulls team that advanced to the Memorial Cup.

Continued next page ...

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“He was only here for one season, came earlier that year in October in a trade and he fit in so well,” Ormond said. “He had the biggest personality you could ever imagine in a player and a person.

He was an outstanding individual and still comes and visits us.”

In more recent seasons, the Ormond’s billeted Ben Woodhouse for two of his seasons with the Dukes.

“He was a guy that came in and felt like he was part of our home for years,” Ormond said. “He was such a down-to-earth kid, really helpful around the house and he just felt like a true younger brother that I never had.”

Ormond encourages anyone who has the space to consider billeting for their local hockey team. Check the team’s website for contact information as there is usually a billet liason.

Ormond played a lot of house league hockey growing up and one year of rep for the Belleville Bobcats (before they became the Jr. Bulls). He enjoyed being on the ice, but enjoyed the broadcasting side when watching games on TV. So much that he started practising on his own.

“When I was younger I would turn down (the volume on) my video game or a real game and commentate on it,” Ormond recalled.

“That’s kind of where it all started right from a young age. Some kids have different interests and different things they want to work on or different things they want to be when they grow up, but I was fixated on that and eventually the opportunity came to be able to go to Loyalist College.”

Calling a live game was certainly challenging to learn compared to do so on a television screen. “There’s a lot of things happening during a

live game so you have to keep track. I do the games mostly by myself but sometimes I’ll have a colour person,” Ormond said. “It’s definitely tough to pick up everything that’s going on on the ice even with a colour person because there’s so much happening. I just try and stay focused on the play at hand and if I catch something off to the side I’ll make mention of it. Just with more practice and repetitions I’m getting better and better over the last six-seven years at being able to really track what’s going on.

“I do other sports as well. I’ve done football, basketball, a little bit of baseball, soccer as well and I’ve even done some track announcing.

It’s all different elements involved to it, but the general basis of it is keeping up with what’s happening.”

His interest in broadcasting led Ormond to volunteering for Cogeco Belleville (now YourTV Quinte) to get his required volunteer hours.

“I got to learn different behind-the-scenes work on the TV side of things,” he said. “I was supposed to get 40 hours of community service in high school and I ended up getting way more than I could have ever imagined.”

Ormond was accepted into Loyalist College’s journalism program in 2014 and not only started learning different journalistic elements in online, print and broadcast, but quickly got some great hands-on experience broadcasting Bulls and Dukes games and picking up a parttime job along the way.

Eventually Ormond landed a full-time job with Starboard Communications as a reporter for InQuinte.ca, 95.5 Hits FM and Cool 100.1.

While Ormond, like most hockey broadcasters, have ambitions to work at the professional level one with the NHL being the dream job, he recognizes he’s got a lot of learning to do first.

But, he loves his InQuinte job, which includes covering the AHL’s Belleville Senators and his work with the Dukes.

“I’m still very happy and energized with what I do in Quinte,” Ormond said. “I’m in a good spot right now and where I want to be.”

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PICTON PIRATES

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PICTON PIRATES Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

The Picton Pirates were playing in the Tod Division final when the 2020 Provincial Junior Hockey League playoffs came to an abrupt end in March of that year.

They trailed the Napanee Raiders 2-0, but the first two games were competitive with the Raiders earning 2-1 and 3-1 victories. Napanee (36-5-1-2) and Picton (27-15-1-1) had been separated by 19 points atop the division standings during the regular season. Both clubs had swept their first-round match-ups in four games.

Jason Parks, who has now reprised the general manager role, was covering the Pirates for the Picton Gazette newspaper at the time, which he has done for numerous years when he hasn’t been directly involved with the junior C hockey club.

Photo by Shawna Adams / Shawna Leigh Photography

local triple-A teams. He was automatically a frontrunner for the vacant job in Picton.“It’s just natural here with the community that they like to support their own,” Parks said. “He’s been looking for a head coaching job. He really wanted his own ship to run, pardon the pun.”

Parks said Hawkins-Schulz wants to use the opportunity to develop as a head coach while also developing players for the next level.

The GM considers that to be a perfect fit. Hawkins-Schulz has even coached some the current players, like captain Devin Morrison, with a Dukes development team.

“As soon as Devin found out that Hawk was coming aboard he was really just elated that we had gone in this direction,” Parks said.

Parks recalls chatter during the second game against the Raiders that the rest of the series would be suspended. He thought the series was far from over at the time, despite the Raiders being favoured to win. “That was the team that was going to give Napanee the best run for its money,” Parks said of the Pirates. “We had beaten them at home, we stayed competitive with them. Down 2-0, that series was far from over and we’d proven we could win in Napanee.”

Morrison is a key player back for the Pirates at forward as are Nate Boomhower, Nick Kirby-Palliser and Landon McLellan. On defence, Derek Vos is an anchor of the back-end while Noah Brandt is back with the club after spending the 2019-20 season with the Powassan VooDoos of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The 21-year-old defenceman registered 93 points during 79 previous regular season games for the Pirates.

Game 2 on March 12, 2020 was the last time the Pirates would play at the Prince Edward Community Centre in 18 months. The Pirates were able to meet up for non-contact exhibition games with the Port Hope Panthers and Napanee Raiders last year, but didn’t host any of the games as there was no ice in Picton.

One defenceman the Pirates won’t have is Logan James. He played some exhibition games last season with the Trenton Golden Hawks and could have played in Picton this season, but has earned a spot the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

As is the case every season, changes have been made to the Pirates roster, but the big changes came off the ice to the management and coaching staffs.

Chris Masterson retired as general manager and head coach Ty Green left as well. Parks said Masterson voiced to him his concerns about the future of the club if new executive members didn’t step up. Parks agreed he would reach out to some people about coming on board.

“I found some folks that didn’t want to see the Pirates leave, including club founder Ron Norton who was president, coach, has done everything with the franchise here and there,” Parks said.

Norton returned to the club as team president and named Parks the new general manager, a role he held from 2009-2011, helping to put some pieces in place ahead of the Pirates’ 2013 Schmalz Cup provincial championship win.

A big task has been “getting out in the community and reminding the good folks of the County and hockey fans that we’re here,” Parks remarked, noting there’s great support locally for the Pirates on Thursday nights and the junior A Wellington Dukes on Friday nights.

In selecting a new head coach, Parks turned to former Pirates assistant coach Kyle Hawkins-Schulz who played junior A hockey locally for the Trenton Sting and Wellington Dukes.

“Hawk actually played for me for a few games back in 2009-10 (during a conditioning stint in Picton),” Parks said. “I knew him as a player and he’s from the County, grew up in West Lake. He was part of the staff in 2013 with Ryan Woodward that won the Schmalz Cup.” In more recent years, Hawkins-Schulz has helped out with some

“We certainly would’ve liked to have him back, but on the other side of things and to a greater extent we’re very proud he’s able to make the leap and be an impact player in that MJHL,” Parks said, adding that teams should place an emphasis on moving players to high levels of hockey.

“You can try and build perennial Schmalz Cup winners and that’s great, but on the other end of things you can also develop kids and get them up and out and eventually you’re going to build a Schmalz Cup winner just because of your reputation of having kids in your lineup and then getting them up and out to higher levels,” he said.

“That’s sort of the long approach, but I think the right approach.”

Picton gave long looks in the pre-season to younger players like Ben Smith and Gerrit Kempers with final roster decisions still to be made. Though limited roster spots were available, it was important to get local players as much junior C experience as possible.

“We want to expose as many of those County kids as we can to this level of hockey,” Parks said.

Recruiting each year is important and now because more challenging with the addition of the Frankford Huskies to the Tod Division.

“Frankford certainly makes us all up the ante in terms of what the recruitment will be out of the Quinte area,” Park said. “Obviously they’re going to be coming knocking as well as us and Napanee and Campbellford to a certain extent. It’s going to be harder to recruit, but that’s the challenge and as long as you have a good sound program and you’re doing your business the right way, at the end of the day you should win a lot of those recruitment battles.”

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HITTING THE ICE And Staying On It!

By Amanda K. Culinary Nutrition Expert & Owner of Hello Bonjour in Wellington

This is probably the most important reason for making sure you’re not part of the majority that are “D deficient”. However additional benefits include the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections, as well as protecting lung cells.

A great way to get some Vitamin D into your life this winter? Stop into to Hello Bonjour for a bowl of their French Onion Soup on Fridays. The broth is made with the power of mushrooms! Be sure to bundle up and walk down to the Wellington park soaking in some of the suns rays (even if it’s a cloudy day you’ll still benefit from some sun exposure). The soup will keep your hands warm and your tummy happy while you get your recommend daily intake of Vitamin D.

So I’m not just talking about an ability to balance on skates while wearing 20 pounds of equipment or staying upright for 3 whole periods... but I am going to offer some tips about how to keep yourself active and healthy for the rest of 2021 without having to deal with any injuries or trammel.

The winter can bring some of the most beautiful and incredible sceneries, enjoyable gatherings of many and an abundance of indulgent sweet treats, but each of these wonderful wintery things can have a down side that may just take you down with them.

Staying active in the winter has some challenges, after the first snowfall, generally people tend not to bring their exercise routine outdoors as often. The cold air can be difficult to handle for some, the slippery sidewalks are risky and the dim dreary days are not very inviting.

Changing up your routine to lighter exercise indoors is a great option, but you’ll still need to get out for at least a short amount of time daily. The importance of Vitamin D is not given the attention it deserves. How do we get Vitamin D? And why do we need it?

Spending more time around crowds, cheerful celebrations and sweet treats also comes with the season and often with the sniffles too. Try to be mindful of your indulgence, and counter it with extra healthy eating habits in between. How? Hearty soups, nutrient rich smoothies, and even choosing refined sugar free dessert options can keep you from falling into sugar induced physical and mental crashes. There are plenty of delicious options for you to choose from like a fresh fruit platter at a party, or planning ahead and bringing your own treats with you! For a mid-day gathering the Pumpkin Spice Muffins from Hello Bonjour are an excellent choice and a catering option hit!

Why? Because they are vegan, gluten free, sugar free and super yummy. And who doesn’t just love a great muffin! The Vegan Pleasecakes can turn your party up a notch! They’re stunning to look at and loved by everyone who’s ever had one. The best part!?!? The ingredients are beneficial for brain health, bone and teeth health and the cashew presence in this dessert offers a delicious source of zinc.

So although the winter is here to stay for a few months, you are now equipped with ways to stay happy and healthy!

I hope to see you out and about soaking in as much as you can on all of the sunny days and be sure to contact Hello Bonjour should you need some healthy and hearty food and desserts to get your through the winter or maybe even just through a family gathering.

Cheers to health and happiness!

Amanda Kovatchev Culinary Nutrition Expert & Owner of Hello Bonjour

Vitamin D can be obtained from sun exposure as most of us may have learned at a young age, but it can also come from some foods like fish (particularly sardines, herring and mackerel), dairy, eggs, red meat and dark coloured mushrooms. From October to May, it is also recommended in addition to your diet, to supplement with a whole food Vitamin D. Vitamin D regulates the immune response. What does this mean? Well it means it turns on your system to defend against foreign invaders; kind of like a goalie! (Go Dukes!)

Visit hellobonjourpec.com

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FRANKFORD HUSKIES By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

Season Preview

The Frankford Huskies are new to the Provincial Junior Hockey League this season and it’s fitting they are playing in the Tod Division.

Director of operations Frank Robinson remembers Huskies junior C teams from the late 1970s into the 1980s. Wayne Tod, who this division is now named after, was the general manager, he said.

“Wayne went on from there to become the treasurer of the OHA,” Robinson added.

There was also senior A hockey in Frankford from 2005 to 2008.

In the PJHL’s Tod Division, the Huskies new junior franchise joins the Amherstview Jets, Campbellford Rebels, Napanee Raiders, Picton Pirates and Port Hope Panthers.

“We just thought it would be a great thing for the Quinte West area because it’s such a hockey community,” Robinson said. “They just love their hockey and we’ve seen that already through the support we’re getting. The council is very supportive and we’re finding now the Town of Frankford just loves to have us back and renewing the Huskies franchise. We hope to be successful and be there for many years.”

Success in the standings will help the Huskies gain a following, but Robinson said the team will need to be visible in the Frankford area as well.

“It has to be a reciprocal arrangement where they support us…but we have to be out in the community and support the community,” Robinson said.

Robinson noted that he’s involved with the Trenton Golden Hawks as are Huskies’ president John MacDonald and business manager Tim Durkin so there will be a great partnership between the junior clubs.

“The Huskies are our chance to use local players,” Robinson said. “We thought we owed it to the local community to have players in the community play junior hockey which are the best years of your life.”

In July, the Huskies named Ian Green the club’s first general manager and Patrick Shearer the inaugural head coach.

“That’s the two guys I wanted,” Robinson said, noting Green won 18 playoff rounds in four years as GM of Port Hope “which is unheard of.”

Robinson added that “Patrick’s ready to be a head coach in junior hockey and has experience with Kingston, Cobourg and Trenton as an assistant coach. He actually had one year with Napanee junior C as an assistant coach and many years with the Red Devils as a head coach.”

Shearer, meanwhile, says he has benefited from the experience of working with a number of different coaches and can apply those lessons to his own work behind the bench.

“I’m really looking forward to starting with a new organization right from scratch and getting the chance to build a team and hopefully

Photo by Amy Deroche OJHL Images

taking that on for numerous years,” Shearer said.

“We got a late start. A lot of players were already taken, but we were looking to get players from local triple-A systems and then small towns, their home centres. We’ve drawn players basically anywhere from Prince Edward County north to Centre Hastings, all the way to Northumberland, Belleville and every little small town in between.

We’re really looking to stay mainly local.”

Shearer praised the Red Devils as one of the best triple-A organizations in Ontario, but says the Quinte region is also fortunate to have quite a number of other organizations in the area.

“Our local centres do a really good job developing players and keeping guys in hockey so I think it’s made it that we could introduce a new team into the Quinte region at the junior C level in Frankford and still have enough talented players to put on another hockey team and make the junior C loop even that much better with another local team.”

Only three members of the Huskies 2021-22 roster have previous junior C experience. Stirling’s Hunter Cooney played two seasons with the Amherstview Jets, Campbellford’s Caleb Summerfeldt has experience with his hometown Rebels and Kurt Gibbs of Cobourg joins the Frankford club after gaining experience with the Campbellford Rebels, Port Hope Panthers and Port Perry MoJacks.

PJHL rookies will include Cobourg’s Noah Richard, who comes from the Red Devils organization and could be an affiliated player for the Cobourg Cougars junior A club.

“We’re really excited to have him on board and he’ll play a big role for us,” Shearer said.

Parker Mattis will be another great young player joining the club following successful minor hockey years with the Prince Edward County Kings. Shearer expects the Huskies will be one of the youngest teams in the entire PJHL. “It will take some time for them to adjust to the junior level and the speed that comes with it,” he said. “The early part of the season is just about development, getting our structure together, improving on our skills and going right back to square one and building it from the defensive zone out while improving their skills and habits at the same time.

“It will just be a daily and weekly improvement over the course of the season for us and that’s our focus.”

Every team will make the playoffs in the Tod Division, which will give the young Huskies players something to strive for with goals to achieve along the way.

“There will be times when we struggle, but there will hopefully be enough successes along the way that keep the guys motivated and knowing they’re going to be in playoffs and have the entire season to look forward to, I think it will keep guys really engaged and keep striving to get better to be prepared for that,” Shearer said.

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UNCLE CHESTER’S Flaming Hot Pepper Sauce

has been a family recipe for generations.

Our sauce originated in Trinidad and Tobago of the Caribbean but took a hop, skip, and a jump and landed in the Quinte Region of Eastern Ontario.

Utilizing local, farm fresh ingredients, we make our sauces in small batches with extreme care; just like those who came before us.

UNCLE CHESTER’S Flaming Hot Pepper Sauce is Gluten Free, Vegan, and offers excellent health benefits from its nutritious ingredients. We want our hot pepper sauce to be enjoyed globally, while staying true to our homegrown, farm to kitchen roots.

From a holistic approach, putting the right foods in your body can act as medicine and help you live better and healthier lives. We’re not doctors but we can tell you that hot sauce, more specifically Hot Peppers, is the rockstar of healthy foods.

Interested in Selling Uncle Chester’s at your store?

Contact us for sales or to become a partner Head Office Phone 613-391-7198 Email: info@unclechesters.ca

Visit unclechesters.ca

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