Kuwabara hockey experience ‘unique’
During the off-season the Thorold franchise was sold to Scott Barnes, who last season led Pelham to a 12-34-0-4 during his first year as head coach.
Barnes intends to join the Canucks’ Frank Pietrangelo as a team owner doing double duty as head coach.
In all four teams in the ’Shoe will be starting 2017-18 with a new bench boss, with the latest change taking place in Ancaster where Ken Peroff was hired to succeed Ryan Kuwabara.
Kuwabara, 45, left the Avalanche after four seasons as general manager and head coach to accept an assistant coaching position with the Saginaw, Mich., Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League.
“His experience in hockey is unique and impressive,” Spirit head coach Troy Smith in a story posted on the team’s website. “We are extremely fortunate to add a staff member who is an Olympian, NHL draft pick, first-round OHL pick and a Bobby Smith Award winner.”
Kuwabara spent three seasons playing in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s and was taken in the second round, 39th overall; by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
The Hamilton native spent 14 of his 18-year professional career playing in Japan. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Kuwabara scored two goals in a shootout win over Austria, Japan’s first victory at the Olympics in men’s hockey in 22 years.
His position with the Spirit becomes official after his immigration paperwork is approved, the team said in a story posted on its website.
Peroff, 28, spent last season with the Milton IceHawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League as an assistant coach.
The North Bay native played professionally in the ECHL, Toledo Walleye; as well as in France, Strasbourh Etoile Noire; after four seasons in OHL with the then Brampton Battalion followed by four years at the University of Guelph.
“This young man really impressed me,” Avs owner Tim Wilson said. “There is no doubt in my mind he will take our players to a higher level.”
Ancaster went 30-15-0-5 in league play finishing fourth in the Golden Horseshoe. After sidelining Fort Erie in five games in the opening round of the playoffs, they were swept by Caledonia in the conference semifinals.
One-time Falcons coach Mark Barrick was hired to succeed Barnes in Pelham, and Dan Fitzgerald is taking over from Chris Johnstone in St. Catharines.
Fitzgerald, 30, was the 2016-17 Midwestern Conference coach of the year with Cambridge, but he found himself without a team after the Winter Hawks opted to leave the league.
The position became open after the Falcons and Johnstone, who led St. Catharines to a 40-7-0-3 record before losing in six games to Caledonia in the final, agreed to part ways following the season.
Back behind the bench for another season are Jay Maciejewski, Buffalo; Mike Bullard, Caledonia; Todd Clayton, Fort Erie; and Frank Pietrangelo, Niagara Falls.
Head-to-head play for Golden Horseshoe teams gets underway Thursday, Sept. 14, when Welland visits Thorold. St. Catharines is home to Niagara Falls the following night.
Buffalo is at Fort Erie, Pelham at Caledonia and Thorold at Ancaster on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The complete GOJHL schedule is available online at http:// gojhl-cms.stats.pointstreak.com/ leagueschedule.html?leagueid=6 68&seasonid=17286.