LIAM MAGUIRE 7 | GEARING UP: A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT JUNIOR STARS ARE WEARING 21
CENTRE-ICE.CA
NOVEMBER 2013
NEW KID IN TOWN 67’S ROOKIE SENSATION TRAVIS KONECNY FEELS RIGHT AT HOME IN CAPITAL MINOR HOCKEY’S MAJOR CHALLENGE
WHY PLAYERS ARE DROPPING OUT, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE
Q&A
WITH NEW 67’S ASSISTANT COACH SHEAN DONOVAN
T H E O F F I C I A L H O C K E Y M A G A Z I N E O F T H E O T TAWA 6 7 ’ s
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There’s a whole lot of truckin’ going on.
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IN THE LINEUP PUBLISHER MARK SUTCLIFFE mark@greatriver.ca ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DONNA NEIL donna@greatriver.ca CHIEF STICKHANDLER & ADVERTISING LIAM MAGUIRE liam@greatriver.ca EDITOR DAVID SALI david@greatriver.ca CONTRIBUTORS DEREK ABMA, SARAH JEAN MAHER, RANDY RAY
FIRST PERIOD 7 LIAM MAGUIRE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR TANYA CONNOLLY-HOLMES
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DESIGN & PRODUCTION SARAH ELLIS ADVERTISING LIAM MAGUIRE liam@greatriver.ca TERRY TYO, V.P. SALES 613 238-1818 EXT. 268 terry@greatriver.ca CENTRE ICE IS PUBLISHED BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARK SUTCLIFFE
8 STARTING LINEUP
9 Q&A
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Ottawa’s Maple Maniacs set sights on Australian adventure New 67’s assistant Shean Donovan’s Killer conversation about coaching, the Cup and playing for a hockey legend
SECOND PERIOD 11 LOST GENERATION
PRESIDENT MICHAEL CURRAN CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DONNA NEIL
Facing stagnant enrolment, minor hockey officials search for ways to reinvigorate the national game
18 COVER STORY
OFFICE LOCATION: 250 CITY CENTRE DRIVE, SUITE 500, OTTAWA
CENTRE OF ATTENTION 67’s rookie Travis Konecny looks to live up to his first-pick billing
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O BOX 3814, STATION C OTTAWA, ON K1Y 4J8
THIRD PERIOD 21 WHAT’S IN THE BAG
Young junior star’s gear of choice
25 CATCHING UP
Former Ottawa Senator defenceman Norm Maciver
27 PROUDEST MOMENT
9 CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
Gloucester Rangers’ Joshua Huard on scoring his first goal
29 LIAM MAGUIRE’S
HOCKEY TRIVIA This day in hockey history
30 NUMBERS ON ICE
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LIAM MAGUIRE
Still coaching after all these years
W
elcome back, minor hockey enthusiasts, players, parents, volunteers and officials. Year 12 of Centre Ice magazine coincides with my 12th season of coaching minor hockey in Osgoode-Rideau, and I’m thrilled to be back with both endeavours. I was reminiscing recently about my first day coaching the initiation program. On the ice with me and the ’96s that early morning were two dear friends with their sons born in 1995, Dan Petschenig and his son William and Mike Byron and his son Blaine. William is now in his second season with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL and Blaine Byron, as many of you
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
know, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this year and is now in his first season at the University of Maine. Amazing. Contrary to the trend of declining or stagnant minor hockey enrolment in many parts of Canada, in Osgoode-Rideau, our midget-aged group’s registration numbers have increased tremendously. We had so many ’96s and ’97s sign up we’ve been scrambling to make sure they all have a team. This certainly flies in the face of Hockey Canada’s waning participation numbers in many areas of the country. (Later in this issue, contributor Derek Abma takes a closer look at the reasons behind this troubling trend and what is
hockey is arguably the biggest detriment to the game. I was warned before I began coaching in midget last season that the players would be out-of-control brawlers. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. In 33 games, we had just two fights. In one of them, our player did not throw a punch. Minor hockey is controlled by the coaches. Sure, the ODMHA, conveners and players’ parents all have an influence on how the game is played, but ultimately the buck stops with you as a coach. You run the practices, you set the lines and it’s ultimately your team. The past 11 years, both as a member of the
being done about it.) We need to do more as volunteers and leaders in minor hockey to help figure out the reasons for the game’s decline in popularity among our youth and try to reverse it. But overall, there’s still a viable interest in playing our national sport. The spotlight on what some consider excessive fighting in
coaching fraternity and as the chief stickhandler of Centre Ice, have been fantastic. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I follow these five guidelines – work on skill, team structure, team play, commitment and sportsmanship and make it fun! Enjoy the season. Centre Ice is thrilled to be right there with you.
We need to do more as volunteers and leaders in minor hockey to help figure out the reasons for the game’s decline in popularity among our youth and try to reverse it.
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STARTING LINEUP
WRITTEN BY LIAM MAGUIRE
None of the players on the Ottawa Maple Maniacs have likely ever heard of Hockey Hall of Famer Tom Dunderdale. But in a way, they will soon share a connection. Dunderdale was a prolific scorer who was also tough as nails, setting penalty records. One of his biggest claims to fame was scoring the first-ever penalty shot goal in pro hockey history in 1921 while playing for Victoria of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He’s also the only player in the Hall who was born in Australia. He didn’t take up Canada’s national obsession until his family moved to Ottawa when he was 17. Now, the Maple Maniacs, a team of boys aged 8-13 who play minor hockey in Leitrim and Gloucester, are preparing to reverse Dunderdale’s journey and hit the ice Down Under. The Maple Maniacs were formed last spring with the intention of touring Australia for two weeks in July 2014.
The trip will give the kids and their families an opportunity to experience a different culture while representing their own community and country in a place where hockey is still in its infancy, but growing. St. Mark High School teacher Mike Paron, a major novice coach in Leitrim and one of the chief organizers of the event, says it will be an invaluable learning experience for the players. “I was lucky enough to play professionally and coach in Australia, and I have to say that the experience I had will never be forgotten,” says Paron, who played Down Under for a couple of seasons while on a work exchange a few years ago. “I am hoping that by providing this experience to these kids that they will share some of the experiences I had, make some new friends and will realize that hockey is truly an international game that is loved by many others outside our own country.” Australia has more than 20 ice hockey rinks and the sport is supported by expat Canadians,
MAGUIRE PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIAM
Aussie tour the ultimate road trip for Maple Maniacs
The Ottawa Maple Maniacs, including Cameron Bender, Dylan Bender, Owen Burgess, Rhys Burgess, Josh Davis, Brady Gould, Chase Gould, Dylan Paron, Jake Paron, Jordan Sheahan, Matthew Sheahan, Ethan Silveira and Nolan Silveira, are heading to Australia for a two-week tour next July.
Americans and Europeans as well as Australians. The country now has the largest semiprofessional hockey league in the southern hemisphere. The Maple Maniacs’ tour will take them to Sydney, where they will play two games against the Sydney Bears and the Sydney Ice Dogs. They will continue on to the Australian capital of Canberra, where they will face off against the Canberra Phoenix in two friendly matches, before their tour concludes with one or two games in Brisbane against the Junior Blue Tongues.
The players, who have already been busy fundraising, can’t wait for their road trip of a lifetime. “I am very excited to go to Australia because it is a very exotic place halfway around the world,” says 13-year-old Chase Gould. “I also think I will see all sorts of amazing things there.” Paron’s son Jake, 11, played in Australia in 2010 while his dad was having his own hockey adventure. “I was in the national championships in Adelaide, and I can’t wait to visit these different states,” says Jake.
WE ASKED: What is the most fun part about playing hockey?
Carson Garrod Age: 6
Carleton Place Kings “Scoring goals.”
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Eli Bennett Age: 7
Carleton Place Kings “You get to score.”
Aaron McLeod Age: 7
Carleton Place Kings “Being on the ice.”
Sawyer Brandino Age: 7
Carleton Place Kings “Skating fast and shooting the puck.”
Wyatt Baker Age: 7
Carleton Place Kings “Passing the puck.”
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
Q+A
Q&A
After four standout seasons with the Ottawa 67’s, Shean Donovan went on to play more than 900 games in the NHL before retiring as an Ottawa Senator in 2010. This season, he returned to the 67’s organization as an assistant coach. Centre Ice recently caught up with Donovan, 38, who talked about life after the NHL, the toughest goalie he ever faced, playing for Brian Kilrea and much more. Q: You retired from the NHL in 2010. What have you been doing the last few years? A: A little bit of everything, but mostly just teaching some skating, doing some hockey schools and raising kids. I guess just having fun. I dabbled in some different things – building decks, a few different things. But I always keep coming back to hockey. It’s fun, it’s what I know.
Q: You were a junior star with the 67’s for four seasons. What’s it like to be back with the organization where your career really took off? A: It’s great. I don’t know if I was a junior star, but I played here for a few years and had tons of fun. I was born in Timmins, but I grew up in Carleton Place when I was a little bit older, so it was my hometown. This is where a lot of my friends and family were. I loved playing junior in Ottawa. I got to play for Brian Kilrea,
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
obviously a legend. I love the chance I get to come back and work with junior guys. It’s invigorating. I’ve got a good group here. Chris Byrne and the coaching staff, they’re fun to work with, too. It’s just nice to help out a little bit. Q: You mentioned Brian Kilrea. What do you remember most about playing for Killer? A: He was hard on guys, but in a good way. At those ages, you’ve got to be hard on the kids because they can kind of drift off and they can think they’re pretty good. I mean, there’s lots going on at those ages – the guys are starting to get girlfriends, you’ve got to balance hockey and school. A guy like Brian Kilrea kept everybody in line, made sure that you were walking the straight and narrow. At the same time, he let you be a man. When you crossed that line, he treated you like a man. He did a good job.
To say it was easy every day, I wouldn’t say that, but in the end, if it’s easy, it’s probably not the right thing.
Q: What are your responsibilities as a coach this season? A: I’m not on the bench. I try to make every practice. I’m probably not going to go on all the road trips, but I watch all the games, I watch tape, I help out at practice. I just try to be around the guys and just try to give any kind of feedback I can. Sometimes maybe they just want to hear some stories. Maybe they just want to hear about who was the hardest goalie I ever shot against in the NHL. Q: Who was the toughest goalie you ever faced in the NHL? A: I think all of them for me, but I was lucky enough to play with a lot of great goalies in practice. I’d have to say Patrick Roy or Miikka Kiprusoff. Tim
Thomas was good, too.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge about making the transition to coaching? A: Just getting back to the junior game. I went to a bunch of (67’s) games with my kids, but I can’t say I knew who every kid in the OHL was. Now as a coach, you’ve got to know the guys we’re playing against.
Q: How have things changed in junior since you were a player nearly 20 years ago? A: These young guys are like pros now. When we were younger, there was a lot more feel to the game, and now there’s a lot more structure. You have to play with structure now or you don’t win. I liked it a lot more when it was kind of freewheeling. Now there’s tons of video. I don’t remember any team ever having video. Now you’re breaking it down like the NHL.
Q: You were part of Calgary’s magical run to the Stanley Cup final in 2004. What do you remember most about that playoff run? A: If you look at most teams that are in the Cup finals, usually they’re the tightest teams. You have to be a tight-knit group, and that’s what we were in Calgary. All of us knew that we had each other’s back. On top of that, we had an incredible goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff. When we were playing those Detroit Red Wings (in the conference semi-final), people didn’t give us a chance. But Kipper stole Game 1, and we realized, ‘You know what? We could actually do some damage.’ After that, we got tons of confidence.
Q: What was it like playing for the Senators to finish your career? A: When I got traded (from Boston) in the summer (of 2007) for Peter Schaefer, we had no idea. When I was told, I didn’t believe it. We’d been talking about how, when I became a free agent at the end of the season, it would be nice to come back to Ottawa. It was great to play in front of friends and family. My wife is from South Mountain. We knew we were going to retire here. It was a nice transition. You always wish you could’ve played longer, but it ends for everybody. (Senators GM) Bryan Murray was good to me. We didn’t win a Stanley Cup, but I got to play in the playoffs a few years. It was fun.
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Carleton Place’s Andrew Gray is one of many Canadian kids who’ve decided hockey isn’t for them.
HAS CANADA’S GAME BECOME A NATIONAL PAIN? With the sport losing ground to less expensive games such as soccer, Canada’s hockey associations are struggling to find ways to reignite kids’ passion for the ice WRITTEN BY DEREK ABMA PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK HOLLERON
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CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
C
an hockey remain Canada’s sport when fewer than one out of every 10 boys in the country is joining a league? In recent years, those who promote the game have been studying the issue and trying to find out to how to maintain the interest of young hockey players and attract new participants. But it’s not easy. Despite the pedestal on which many Canadians place hockey, a lot of others don’t have an emotional connection to the sport and are unwilling to subject themselves or their children to the time commitments, expenses, pressure to win and risk of injury that are associated with the game. Even those who have been around hockey most of their lives may have children who don’t share their passion for it. Carleton Place’s Chris Gray, who played hockey throughout his youth and continues to referee and coach in adulthood, recently found that out. His son, Andrew, had been playing since he was five years old. But before his fourth season was even over, he decided to quit.
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“Even though you’re not supposed to, I think parents want to win. And sometimes they’re putting that down on the kids, even at the novice C, novice B levels. And frankly, who really cares? I mean, even at the higher levels, it should be, ‘Just go and have fun.’ ”
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— HOCKEY PARENT CHRIS GRAY, WHOSE SON ANDREW QUIT BECAUSE HE WASN’T HAVING FUN
“It really boiled down to, in February, when dad’s kind of making you go to hockey and you get there and you don’t really want to be there anyways and then the coach nips at you for something,” Gray explains. “So you’re sitting on the bench and you’re messing with your friends, because you’re eight years old, and then the coach talks to your parents after the game, and you’re like,
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‘I don’t want to be here anymore.’ ” As someone who loves the game, Gray says he was a little sad that his son walked away from hockey. On the other hand, he just wants Andrew to be happy. Gray is coaching his six-year-old son Cameron’s team this year, and his third son, three-year-old William, is showing an interest in hockey and likes skating. But Gray has misgivings about the way children’s hockey is run.
status quo, but what they haven’t done is grow,” says Jeff Baker, technical coordinator of the organization. “And that’s where the focus is now. How do we get more people to start playing hockey, and especially new Canadians?” He adds: “Soccer, for example, is booming. It’s a tough sport to combat against because the price tags are not nearly the same. So we battle the cost factor, and we battle the negative press
“Our numbers have kind of stayed status quo, but what they haven’t done is grow. And that’s where the focus is now. How do we get more people to start playing hockey, and especially new Canadians?” — JEFF BAKER, TECHNICAL CO-ORDINATOR OF HOCKEY EASTERN ONTARIO
“I think the overall system is broken in a lot of ways,” he says, listing expenses, early mornings, busy schedules and the pressure parents place on their children to succeed as some of the things that can reduce the enjoyment kids have for the game. “Even though you’re not supposed to, I think parents want to win,” he says. “And sometimes they’re putting that down on the kids, even at the novice C, novice B levels. And frankly, who really cares? I mean, even at the higher levels, it should be, ‘Just go and have fun.’ ” Figures from Hockey Canada show that registration in hockey programs across the country rose from 508,414 in the 1998-99 season to 625,152 last season. Paul Carson, vice-president of development for Hockey Canada, says this is mostly due to an increase in participation among adults and females. As for the core demographic of Hockey Canada’s programs — boys in minor hockey — Carson says the overall numbers have stayed relatively flat in the last decade or so. But when one considers population growth, he says, the proportion of young boys playing hockey has fallen to about nine per cent nationwide from around 15 per cent a little more than a decade ago. Officials with Hockey Eastern Ontario (formerly the Ottawa and District Hockey Association) say their registration numbers largely mirror what’s happening at the national level — modest increases, but not enough to keep up with population growth. “Our numbers have kind of stayed
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factor on a daily basis. You don’t hear about all the concussions in soccer, even though they’re happening … But every time there’s a concussion in hockey, you hear about it.” Carson agrees the growing popularity of sports networks on TV and their repetitive coverage of stars like Sidney Crosby suffering devastating concussions and other injuries has had a damaging effect on hockey’s reputation. A study released by Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey Inc. this summer found that expenses, time commitments, risk of injury and lack Chris Gray (with
of fun — or at least the perception of these factors — were the main barriers to families not enrolling children in hockey. A study of parents who were involved in hockey by Charlton Strategic Research for Hockey Canada — not released publicly, but recently reported on by the Globe and Mail — found that more than 20 per cent indicated during the 2011-12 season there was a good chance their child would not play the following season. Parents of younger players cited a lack of interest as the main reason, while risk of injury was the main concern of those with players 15 or older. “There’s a multitude of reasons why they leave,” Baker says. “It could be financial, they don’t like checking … They could like soccer and they decided they’re going to do that 12 months of the year because soccer people want their children playing soccer 12 months of the year.” And then there’s money. The Globe and Mail article quoted the Charlton study as saying the average cost to have a child in hockey in the 2011-12 season was $2,898. Carson acknowledges that annual costs can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars for novice house league players to $8,000 for
son Andrew, above) says hockey shou ld be about fun. Below, Andrew and brothers William and Cameron play with their dad.
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
HOCKEY
(FALL/WINTER)
VS
SOCCER
(SPRING/SUMMER)
Typical costs for a seven-year-old child in recreational hockey vs. soccer: REGISTRATION: $500
REGISTRATION: $200
TEAM FEES: $300
TEAM FEES: $0
(can be offset through team fundraising)
EQUIPMENT: $250
EQUIPMENT: $50
(including pants & pads “starter kit,” helmet & stick)
(cleats & shin pads)
TRAVEL: $250
TRAVEL: $0
(one out-of-town tournament 200 kilometres away requiring one night away, including gas, hotel & food for one adult & one child)
TIME COMMITMENT:
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once a week for three months
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those in midget triple-A. He says team and league organizers can be overzealous at times, causing financial strain for parents. “The game itself starts to get pushed by certain factions within the game,” he says. “I’ve heard of teams travelling — young teams, novice-age teams, atom-age teams — travelling to tournaments more than 200, 300 miles away from home, and then now you have travel costs, you’ve got accommodations, you’ve got tournament registration fees. “And what we’re really trying to get across is that while some of those areas of the game may have grown in that direction, how do you maintain the purity of the sport and the easy access to recreational hockey, easy access to a competitive level of hockey that stays closer to home, that doesn’t require five nights a week?” Hockey Canada is taking steps toward offering a more affordable and less demanding version of hockey to kids. Starting this season, in partnership with Bauer Hockey, it launched pilot programs in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Hamilton and the Nova Scotia locations of Halifax and East Hants that provide six weeks of hockey for $100, equipment included, with ice time once a week for an hour. Carson says the intention is to gradually spread this program across the country. “It’s the same night six weeks in a row,” he says. “My wife is a tutor. People don’t ask my wife, ‘What night this week?’ at the start of the week. They actually bring their child Tuesday afternoon at 4:30. And that’s the time slot, and that’s because families are trying to wrap a lot of activities around their schedule, and I think we have to be sensitive to that.” Debbie Rambeau, executive director of Hockey Eastern Ontario, says this kind of pilot program could be worth trying in her area. “I think it’s something that we want to look at,” she says. “I don’t think we’re against that, we just have to start that initiative.” Gray says such programs might be just the thing to allow those with a modest interest or curiosity in hockey to get involved. He recalls how in the run-up to his son’s decision to quit hockey last year, it was his fourth day in a row on the ice. “It’s good they have a lot of ice time for kids, but I think there has to be a happy medium,” he says.
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#8
Ryan Van Stralen POS LW SHOOTS L HT 6’3” WT 207 DOB 10/11/1993 Prescott, ON
#9 Andrew Abou-Assaly POS LW SHOOTS L HT 6’ WT 190 DOB 18/06/1996 Ottawa, ON
OTTAWA 67’s 2013-14 PLAYER ROSTER
Trevor Dulong POS C SHOOTS L HT 5’11” WT 193 DOB 09/07/1996 London, ON
#1
#5
#11
#3
#6
#12
Jacob Blair POS G SHOOTS L HT 6’2” WT 176 DOB 16/03/1995 Kanata, ON
Troy Henley POS RD SHOOTS R HT 5’11” WT 192 DOB 07/01/1997 Paulsboro, N.J.
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#10
Adrian Sloboda POS LD SHOOTS L HT 6’ WT 182 DOB 20/08/1996 Skalica, Slovakia
Jonathan Duchesne POS D SHOOTS L HT 6’ WT 204 DOB 12/02/1996 Brampton, ON
Mike Vlajkov POS D SHOOTS L HT 6’2” WT 189 DOB 03/02/1995 Grimsby, ON
Tyler Hill POS LW SHOOTS L HT 6’6” WT 236 DOB 13/04/1995 Hagersville, ON
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
#16
#22
#27
#17
#23
#28
#18
#24
#29
#19
#25
#36
#21
#26
#40
Connor Graham POS C SHOOTS L HT 5’11” WT 186 DOB 02/01/1996 Woodbridge, ON
Travis Konecny POS C SHOOTS R HT 5’10” WT 166 DOB 11/03/1997 Clachan, ON
Taylor Davis POS D SHOOTS R HT 5’10” WT 210 DOB 24/05/1995 Trenton, N.J.
Joseph Blandisi POS RW SHOOTS L HT 6’ WT 205 DOB 18/08/1994 Markham, ON
Jacob Middleton POS D SHOOTS L HT 6’2” WT 208 DOB 02/01/1996 Stratford, ON
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
John Urbanic POS RW SHOOTS R HT 5’11” WT 204 DOB 24/04/1995 Overland Park, Kan.
Sam Studnicka POS RW SHOOTS R HT 6’1” WT 196 DOB 15/01/1995 Tecumseh, ON
Nevin Guy POS D SHOOTS L HT 5’11” WT 173 DOB 11/07/1995 Mountain, ON
Brett Gustavsen POS LW SHOOTS L HT 5’7” WT 177 DOB 13/03/1994 Scarborough, ON
Dante Salituro POS C SHOOTS R HT 5’8” WT 185 DOB 15/11/1996 Willowdale, ON
Brendan Bell POS LW SHOOTS L HT 6’2” WT 202 DOB 17/03/1994 Uxbridge, ON
Connor Brown POS LW SHOOTS L HT 5’11” WT 187 DOB 22/08/1995 Georgetown, ON
Philippe Trudeau POS G SHOOTS L HT 6’6” WT 209 DOB 28/09/1993 Blainville, Que.
Taylor Fielding POS RW SHOOTS R HT 6’2” WT 207 DOB 01/01/1994 Hampton, ON
Alex Lintuniemi POS LD SHOOTS L HT 6’3” WT 227 DOB 23/09/1995 Helsinki, Finland
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“He’s doing his job – grinding, setting up players and putting the puck in the net. We really couldn’t ask anything more from him.” – 67’S DEFENCEMAN TAYLOR FIELDING
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These are only some of the things that Travis Konecny has had to adjust to as a highly touted rookie who is expected to be a huge part of the Ottawa 67’s rebuilding project. But whether it’s on the power play, penalty kill or forecheck, the 16-year-old first overall pick in last April’s OHL draft has proven he has no problem keeping up with the faster pace of major-junior hockey. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound centre admits he is still adjusting to the higher calibre of the junior game, but he sees the challenge of competing against older, more experienced — not to mention more physically imposing — opponents as an opportunity to gain more confidence on the ice. With the lustre of being chosen No. 1 subsiding and his first OHL season well under way, Konecny says his biggest challenge now is making smart decisions at game speed. “You can never second-guess yourself,” he says, “but if you make mistakes, that’s where you learn.” Konecny has spent a lot of time practising and playing alongside wingers Sam Studnicka and Tyler Hill, who are also new additions to the 67’s lineup. While he stresses he has good chemistry on the ice with both Studnicka and Hill, he says he’d probably click with anyone on the team. “There is so much good chemistry in the room, it doesn’t even matter who I play with,” says Konecny. To help make Konecny’s transition to junior as smooth as possible, 67’s coach Chris Byrne is trying to make sure he isn’t thrown into any situations where he won’t be successful this early in the season. Still, Byrne says he’s confident it won’t take long for Konecny to earn more ice time in different situations. “We’re not feeding him too many minutes or putting him up against guys who are a lot older,” says Byrne. “He’s still a young player, but we know he’s going to be real good in this league.” Having grown up in the small town of Clachan, southwest of London, Ont. — “the sticks,” as he calls it —
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
Konecny is enjoying the thrill of living in the nation’s capital. “Coming from the country, I never even had a mini-putt to go to,” he says. “I was always putting in a dirt pile or something like that. It’s neat having more of a variety of things to do.” While he was quick to adjust to the big-city lifestyle, it also didn’t take long for the 16-year-old to feel at home on the ice. A strong performance in Ottawa’s 5-4 win over the Belleville Bulls — a game in which he had two assists and finished plus-one — earned him the first star in his OHL debut. “(The first star) was pretty special to get, but I knew it wouldn’t have happened if the team hadn’t given it their all,” he says. It was his first time playing at the Canadian Tire Centre, and when he saw the cheering crowd of 12,379 fans, he knew he definitely wasn’t in Clachan anymore. “I’ve never played in front of a large fan base before,” he says. “This is a new experience.”
TIPS FROM THE VETS
Konecny says he owes a lot to the team’s veterans for helping him through the transition from Triple-A midget to the OHL. His teammates are impressed with the youngster’s talent and poise. Co-captain Ryan Van Stralen used one word to describe Konecny’s presence: “Exceptional.” Van Stralen believes part of his job as an overager is to make sure the team’s rookies are on the right track. “Some of the guys keep him under their wing and show him how to do things,” says the 19-year-old winger, “but at the same time, his skill level can be just as high as theirs.” Forward Joseph Blandisi, another OHL veteran, is most impressed with Konecny’s “nifty” puck-handling skills. “He does everything,” Blandisi says. “He makes hits, scores goals and supports the defence.”
PLAYER STATS
While fourth-year defenceman Taylor Fielding wants to help Konecny enjoy the experience of playing in the nation’s capital, he also tries to keep him calm and down to earth. “We’re trying not to put too much pressure on him,” he says. “He’s a 16-year-old first overall pick. He already has the pressure from all of Ottawa on him.” But Konecny doesn’t like to think of it as pressure. Instead, he prefers the term “motivation.” Honoured to be chosen first, Konecny likes to think of himself as simply “the best player for Ottawa.” “He’s doing his job — grinding, setting up players and putting the puck in the net,” says Fielding. “We really couldn’t ask anything more from him.”
THE NEWEST 67’S FANS
Travis isn’t the only Konecny adjusting to life in the OHL. For his parents Terri and Robert, the biggest transition has been getting used to their youngest son living in another part of the province. The whole Konecny clan, including aunts, uncles, grandparents and big brother Chase, made the trip to Ottawa for Travis’ OHL debut weekend in late September, where they watched him score his first two goals in a 67’s uniform in a 4-3 loss to North Bay. “I’m just so glad my family was here to experience that with me,” he says. The family plans to make at least one trip to Ottawa a month, while squeezing in visits to other OHL arenas. Terri says her son’s positive attitude has made what could be a difficult situation easier. “Trav is just so easy-going,” she says. “It’s good to have that lifestyle.” Both Terri and Robert say the 67’s organization has been wonderful in welcoming Travis to the community. “It’s just so exciting to see him doing well already,” Robert says. “We’re the newest fans of the Ottawa 67’s.”
TRAVIS KONECNY’S RECENT STATS: 2011-2012: Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs Bantam AAA: 78 G, 74 A, 152 PTS 2012-2013: Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs Minor Midget: 53 G, 61 A, 114 PTS CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
DEFENCEMAN JACOB MIDDLETON IS EXPECTED TO BE A HIGH NHL PICK.
67’s hoping young guns trigger brighter future WRITTEN BY SARAH JEAN MAHER
R
ebuilding at the major-junior level is never easy, something Chris Byrne knows all too well. After a dismal 2012-13 season in which his club finished last in the league, winning just 16 games, the 67’s coach and GM came into the new campaign focusing on the positive: a crop of young players ready to become the foundation for what he hopes is a successful future. Much of the attention has focused on the OHL’s first overall pick, Travis Konecny. But Byrne also has his eye on other young players hoping to make a lasting impression with the team. Defenceman Jacob Middleton is projected to be a high NHL draft pick next spring. Middleton was acquired last season from the Owen Sound Attack in the trade that cost the 67’s NHL first-rounder Cody Ceci. Byrne expects Middleton, an imposing presence at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, to be a solid player in his own zone this season. Another player with a bright future is Ottawa’s firstround pick last season, Dante Salituro. The 16-year-old centre picked up 40 points as a rookie, finishing third in team scoring behind Sean Monahan and Joseph Blandisi. Byrne is also closely watching the progress of 16-year-old blueliner Jonathan Duchesne. Byrne describes the six-foot, 205-pound Duchesne, who was a second-round pick in the OHL draft last year, as a “strong defenceman, especially on the penalty kill.” Fellow defenceman Troy Henley, another secondrounder who turns 17 in January, has also impressed his boss. “It’s a compliment to the defencemen when you don’t notice them out there,” Byrne says of Henley. “He’s doing a good job of moving his feet.” Forward Trevor Dulong, a 17-year-old who saw minimal ice time with Ottawa last season, will earn more of a chance this season as well, Byrne says. “He’s played well and he’s practised hard,” the coach says.
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21
Play an exhibition game on Canadian Tire Centre ice prior to a Senators home game. ®
Each game consists of (2) twenty minute periods and includes the same game production as the NHL’s Senators: • Sens theme music as your players take to the ice • Individual player introductions • National anthem • Music between stoppages in play • Sens Goal horn Visit ottawasenators.com/futuresens for complete information or contact a group sales representative 613-599-0210.
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WORLD’S PREMIER ATOM & PEEWEE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT Ottawa, Ontario
Dec. 28, 2013 Jan. 1, 2014 Register now at bellcapitalcup.ca
Scotiabank Minor Hockey Week November 12 – 19, 2013 Presented by
Join the Ottawa Senators and Scotiabank in a weeklong celebration of minor hockey at Canadian Tire Centre and throughout the community.
November 30, 2013 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Canadian Tire Centre
Presentations led by members of the Ottawa SenatorsÂŽ Coaching Staff and other elite coaching minds. Receive a complimentary Coaches Handbook and Practice Planner. Watch a professional hockey practice. Registration is FREE! ottawasenators.com/coachesclinic
Win the chance for your child to join the Senators pre-game ceremony courtesy of Scotiabank! Winners will lead the Senators onto the ice by carrying the Sens flag before the start of the game and stand alongside the players on the blue line for the national anthems. Enter online at scotiaskaters.com
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CATCHING UP or will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, including Mark Messier, Guy Lafleur, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux.
STYLE: The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Maciver was known as an offensive defenceman who could quarterback the power play.
PHOTO COURTESY OTTAWA SENATORS
WHERE IS HE NOW?
NORM MACIVER – former Ottawa Senators defenceman WRITTEN BY RANDY RAY
VITAL STATS: Norm Maciver was born in Thunder Bay on Sept. 1, 1964 and played his minor hockey for the Fort William Minor Hockey Association. After his final year of midget he tried out for the Winnipeg Warriors of the Western Hockey League, but being too small (about 140 pounds) he opted instead for an NCAA hockey scholarship at the University of MinnesotaDuluth, where he played for the Bulldogs for four seasons. Maciver was never drafted by an NHL team, but in 198687 broke into the lineup of the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free agent. His pro CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
career lasted until 1999, when, after playing with eight NHL teams, he retired as a member of the Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League.
CLAIMS TO FAME: As a college hockey blueliner, Maciver helped UMD win two divisional titles and was a member of the squad that lost the NCAA championship to Bowling Green in 1984 in quadruple overtime in Lake Placid. His UMD teammates included Brett Hull and Tom Kurvers. In his senior year, Maciver was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award given to the NCAA’s top player. As
an NHLer, he played in 500 regular-season games and was a member of the Ottawa Senators from 1992 until 1994-95, when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 55 regular-season goals and 230 assists in the NHL, his best offensive year being 1992-93 when he notched 17 goals and 46 assists for the Sens. In 2010, he won a Stanley Cup as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks scouting staff and repeated the feat last season as the Hawks’ assistant general manager. Maciver figures he played with at least 20 players who have been
After a string of injuries forced him to leave the NHL at age 34, Maciver returned to the University of Minnesota-Duluth and obtained a communications degree. While there, he was an assistant coach with the university hockey team. He later was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League and the Boston Bruins. He rejoined the Senators as a part-time pro scout for one season, and in 2007 he joined the Blackhawks as director of player development. He is entering his second year as the team’s assistant general manager and lives in Duluth with his wife Lisa. The couple has one son and four daughters.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: On winning his second Stanley Cup: “The first time you see your name on the Cup is pretty surreal. To know that it is on it twice in the last three years, means you have been very fortunate to be around a special group.”
FABULOUS FACT: In the spring of 1996, Maciver scored the final goal for the Winnipeg Jets before the team relocated to Phoenix. The goal was scored in a 4-1 Game 6 playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. 25
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MY PROUDEST MOMENT: My proudest moment was scoring my first goal in competitive hockey. After playing hockey for only two years, I made the Gloucester Rangers Major Peewee A team. We were at an out-oftown tournament and I came wheeling down the wing with the puck. Once I crossed the blue line, I wound up and fired a shot top right corner. I was so surprised when I saw the puck bounce off the twine. Everyone on the team was surprised I scored such a nice goal, especially because I made the team mainly because of my size and ability to skate and hit. My puckhandling was not that good back then. After the game, my buddy Liam grabbed the puck from the ref and gave it to me as a memory of my first competitive goal. I still have that puck on a shelf in my room and it reminds me I am blessed to be able to play this game and that each shift on the ice is another chance to have a proud moment. CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
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LIAM MAGUIRE’S HOCKEY TRIVIA
THIS DAY IN
HOCKEY Oct. 19 ON THIS DAY IN 1989: Quebec’s Peter Stastny scored an empty-net goal to become the first Europeantrained player (and 24th overall in NHL history) to score 1,000 career points. It came in the Nordiques’ 5-3 win at Chicago. Alain Chevrier was the Chicago goalie of record.
NHL history to record 6,000 points with a 4-2 road win against the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens reached the milestone in their 4,986th regular-season game. Alexei Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson scored the Senator goals.
Oct. 27
ON THIS DAY IN 2000: The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings reached milestones by playing in their 5,000th games in franchise history, the fourth and fifth NHL teams to do so. The Blackhawks lost 1-0 at St. Louis, while the Red Wings beat the visiting Buffalo Sabres 5-4 in overtime.
ON THIS DAY IN 1989: Pierre Turgeon assisted on the tying goal in the final minute of regulation, then scored the winner at 2:30 of overtime to give the Buffalo Sabres a 6-5 win over Toronto. The Sabres had trailed 5-2 with eight minutes left to play. Sounds very similar to Toronto’s loss to Boston in Game 7 of the first round of last season’s playoffs.
Oct. 23
Oct. 29
ON THIS DAY IN 1993: Derek King scored his fifth career hat trick to lead the Islanders to a 5-5 tie against the Senators in New York. Sylvain Turgeon had his fifth career hat trick (and his first with the Senators) and an assist for Ottawa.
ON THIS DAY IN 1942: The Montreal Canadiens signed Maurice Richard to his first contract. He made his NHL debut two days later. He would score his first NHL goal on Nov. 8, 1942, and he would become the all-time goal-scoring leader 10 years later to the day, Nov. 8, 1952.
Oct. 21
Nov. 1
Oct. 25 ON THIS DAY IN 1997: The Montreal Canadiens became the first club in CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
ON THIS DAY IN 1987: Former Ottawa 67’s defenceman Denis Potvin became the first player to appear in 1,000 games with the New York Islanders. The milestone came as the Isles ended their 10-game road
winless streak against the Bruins (0-6-4) with a 6-5 overtime win in Boston.
Nov. 3 ON THIS DAY IN 2002: Mark Messier moved ahead of Larry Murphy into second place all-time in NHL games played, with the 1,616th of his NHL career in a 3-2 Rangers loss against the visiting St. Louis Blues. Messier scored a goal in the game. He would end his career with 1,756 games played, second only to Gordie Howe’s 1,767. Messier finished 11 games behind Howe, he wore sweater No. 11 and he played his last NHL game ever on March 31, 2004, Gordie Howe’s birthday.
was Doug Favell. Berenson also added an assist for a seven-point night.
Nov. 9
Nov. 5 ON THIS DAY IN 1967: Former Ottawa Senators defenceman Lance Pitlick was born in Minneapolis on this date. Pitlick played in the NHL from 199495 through 2001-02 with Ottawa and Florida, including 238 games with the Senators.
Nov. 7 ON THIS DAY IN 1968: Gordon “Red” Berenson of the St. Louis Blues set an NHL record with six goals in a road game. Berenson’s Blues beat the Philadelphia Flyers 8-0. The Flyer goalie
ON THIS DAY IN 1995: Shawville native and brother of Bryan, Terry Murray, recorded his 200th win as an NHL head coach in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-1 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames. Mikael Renberg led the scoring with two goals and an assist in the third period.
Nov. 11 ON THIS DAY IN 1981: Speaking of Bryan Murray, the Washington Capitals named him as their new head coach on this date, replacing Gary Green. Dan Belisle had filled in as interim head coach for one game. Murray, now the Senators GM, went on to coach the Capitals for the next nine seasons.
Nov. 13 ON THIS DAY IN 1984: L.A.’s Bernie Nicholls
became the first player in NHL history to score a goal in all four periods of a game. He scored once in each period, plus the overtime winner, when the Kings beat the Nordiques 5-4 in Quebec City. The only other player to score in all four periods is Sergei Fedorov.
Nov. 15 ON THIS DAY IN 1996: Damian Rhodes became the Senators’ leader in career victories when he earned his 15th win with a 4-3 triumph over Chicago. Rhodes broke the mark of 14 career wins, held by Don Beaupre. Rhodes is also one of only 10 goalies in NHL history to be credited with a goal scored.
Nov. 17 ON THIS DAY IN 1981: Renfrew-born Jim Peplinski scored four goals (including his first career hat trick) to lead the Flames to a 6-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Calgary. 29
PUCK DROP
NUMBERS ON ICE
10
Most shutouts in one season for the Ottawa Senators (2001-02 — Patrick Lalime 7, Jani Hurme 3)
314
Most goals scored in one season by the modern-day Ottawa Senators (2005-06)
9
Number of coaches in modernday Ottawa Senators history, including Paul MacLean
13
12
Number of years the Ottawa Senators have made the playoffs since their modern-day inception in 1992
7 30
Number of general managers in modern-day Ottawa Senators history, including Bryan Murray
318 Most penalty minutes in one season by a member of the Ottawa Senators (Mike Peluso, 1992-93)
8
Number of captains in modern-day Ottawa Senators history, including Jason Spezza
Longest undefeated streak on home ice for the Ottawa Senators (Dec. 18, 2003Jan. 24, 2004 — 10 wins, two ties)
11 NUMBER OF STANLEY CUP BANNERS HANGING AT CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE
CENTRE ICE NOVEMBER 2013
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