Junior B teams under construction
Squads tested themselves at tournament on the weekend; season opens Sept. 14
It’s a busy time of year in junior B training camps across Niagara.
With the start of the regular season 18 days away for some teams, coaches and players are getting ready for the coming campaign.
Much of the work underway comes in the category of evaluating players and forming rosters.
Teaching team concepts and building skills aren’t practical with 40 or more players in camp, said Frank Pietrangelo, the owner and coach of the Niagara Falls Canucks.
“We haven’t had a practice yet,” said Pietrangelo said. “We have had some exhibition games. We’ve had some inter-squad games where the referees run the scrimmage for us.
“This week we will have our first two real practices. Having said that, we have seven guys away at OHL camps. Training camp is a tough time of year. Part of what we are doing is trying to make sure everybody has a place to play. Obviously, not everybody is going to make the team.
“You have to evaluate talent. We need to see who is going to AP (a player who is called up to fill out the roster in the event of injury or suspension) during the season.
“Things will settle down in the next seven to 10 days. You can’t get into any systems when half the guys on the ice won’t be on the team. We will use a lot of this week’s practice time for conditioning.”
The Canucks, as well as the Welland Junior Canadians and the Thorold Blackhawks, used a pre-season tournament held last weekend at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls — the Canucks Junior Classic — to help with evaluations. Other teams taking part included the Brampton Bombers and the Caledonia Corvairs.
The Canucks, who finished last season with 33-13-0-4 record, defeated Thorold 8-2 and lost to defending Golden Horseshoe champions Caledonia 4-1.
Scott Barnes, who coached the Pelham Panthers last season, has taken over as the new owner, coach and general manager of the Thorold Blackhawks. Thorold ended last season 11-36-1-2 and under a cloud of management issues, suspensions and forfeited games.
Barnes’ Blackhawks went 0-3 at the Junior Classic, which included the loss to Niagara Falls as well as a 6-3 decision to Brampton and a 5-4 decision to Welland.
It was, nonetheless, far from a lost weekend, he said.
“We saw that some guys can play at this level and some guys can’t,” Barnes said. “We are going to be OK. We’re not playing these games to win. It gives some kids a chance.
“They worked hard in camp and deserved to play an exhibition game. They will have that experience heading back to wherever they have to go.
“We are going to have some fun this year. It’s a little crazy right now. It would have been better if I had the team a little earlier. It would have given me more time.
“The on-ice part of it is pretty well looked after. That took precedence over everything else. The last couple weeks have been more about off-ice stuff, the business part of it. I have about 25 volunteers, and there is a lot to do.”
The Golden Horseshoe regular season 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.
Welland coach Keith Osborne said he’s still getting a feel for his new players.
The Junior Canadians dropped an 8-2 decision to Caledonia and a 3-1 decision to Brampton before edging Thorold. Welland was 22-26-0-2 last season.
“We learned a lot about the kids trying out,” Osborne said. “We have another week to fill out the rest of the roster and go forward from there. It gave me a chance take a look at the new players and how they play, and all the things I need to know as a head coach for the upcoming season. We have some work to do this week.
“I think we are going to be a little better this year once we get everybody in the lineup we have signed. Next weekend we have home-and-home exhibition games with Niagara Falls, and we will see where we stand.”