Same name, new owner
Scott Barnes opts to retain historic nickname after buying the Thorold Blackhawks
Scott Barnes will be back behind the bench, and the Thorold Blackhawks will be back on the junior B hockey schedule.
Months of uncertainty over whether either would return in time for the 2017-18 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season was cleared up late last week.
That’s when the Ontario Hockey Association approved the sale of the Blackhawks to Barnes from Tony Giglotti and Ralph Sacco, the team’s owners for the past four years.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed Monday at Thorold Community Arena where Barnes was officially introduced as the team’s new owner in a photo op that featured Thorold Mayor Ted Luciani.
However, the 38-year-old Dunnville native who now lives in Crystal Beach confirmed while he has “some backers,” who want to remain nameless, he will be sole owner of the Golden Horseshoe Conference team. He said the buck will stop with him.
“No one else is making any decisions here,” Barnes said. “I’m more of a guy who wants to run things by himself.”
The Blackhawks lost the rights to retain players when the franchise was suspended and the team’s remaining opponents were awarded 5-0 forfeits in their remaining matchups to close out the season.
“These players went through a lot last year and a lot of negative things they dealt with last year,” he said. “I have first priority on them but at the end of the day, I can’t force anyone to stay.
“There are already a lot of guys who have signed with other teams. I’m looking at this like we’re starting from scratch.”
Given what the franchise suspension did to the team’s reputation, Barnes considered changing the team’s nickname, its uniform, even the colour scheme from black, red and white.
“I thought both ways about this, but the history behind the Blackhawks means a lot to this community.” he said. “I think the history here over the long haul means more to me than a really bad year that happened last year.”
“I think if we have a couple of good years we’re all going for forget about this past season.”
Barnes, who played two seasons professionally overseas followed by two more years in the U.S., first thought about getting into ownership when he coached junior B 10 years ago.
That goal came off the back burner when he took the coaching reins of the Pelham Panthers at the beginning of the 2016-17 season with the hope of buying the team from Tim Toffolo.
When that didn’t happen, Barnes didn’t have to wait long for the next opportunity. He said the idea really caught fire after the OHA, citing player safety due to a depleted lineup, suspended the Thorold franchise with eight games remaining in the regular season.
“I really felt this was going to be a really good opportunity for me if I was able to make it work,” Barnes said.
He has owned and operated Barnes Hockey, a development program that operates camps, spring hockey and junior tournaments during the summer months, for the past 10 years. The program has been his full-time job since 2010.
Barnes plans to be Blackhawks head coach and general manager in addition to owning the team.
“Basically, I will be the hockey department,” he said. “I might have another guy as a general manager, but I will have the final say on things.”
Barnes isn’t worried that he will be putting on too many hats and juggling too many duties as he enters the ownership ranks in junior B hockey.
In fact, he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m the kind of guy of you put it in front of me, I am going to get it done,” he said. “If things aren’t going well, I’ll change it up and maybe step back.”
“But I think that at the end of the day, if you surround yourself with good people, you’re going to be OK.”
Barnes said his top priority from the administrative side is to have good support staff as well as a good volunteer base.
“I’m going to rely on other people to help me.”
His goal from a hockey standpoint is put a competitive team on the ice.
“I think we’re going to be off to a good start,” Barnes said. “I know with my connections there are a lot of players who want to come here and play.”
Under Barnes expect the Blackhawks to play a structured game and especially aggressive on the forecheck.
“We’re going to be playing on our toes and using our speed,” he said. “I’m not a sit-back-and-defend type of guy, I want to get after teams.” “I want to let kids play hockey.” As the Blackhawks bench boss Barnes intends to coach the players the way he wanted to be coached.
“I want the individuals to showcase their talents and move on.”
Barnes took over a last-place 1-450-4 team and guided them to a 1234-0-4, seventh-place finish in his lone year as Pelham Panthers head coach.
He played two seasons playing junior B hockey with the then Port Colborne Sailors and collegiate hockey at Humber College in Toronto before going on to play one season professionally in Belgium, one in Scotland and splitting one season between Youngstown, Ohio, and Oklahoma City in the Central Hockey League. His final season of pro hockey was 2006-07 with the Muskegon, Mich., Fury.
Barnes and wife Leah live in Crystal Beach with their 17-month-old son Chase.
I think the history here over the long haul means more to me than a really bad year that happened last year.” New Thorold Blackhawks owner Scott Barnes