Windsor Star

Youth will be served on Wednesdays in Wheatley

- JIM PARKER jpparker@postmedia.com twitter.com/winstarpar­ker

The youth movement will not be limited to just the players on the ice this season for the Wheatley Sharks.

After seven seasons as an assistant coach, Josh Carnevale takes over as head coach of the Sharks, who open the season Wednesday at Wheatley Arena against the Dresden Kings.

“I’m excited,” said the 30-yearold Carnevale, who played two seasons with the Sharks more than a decade ago. “I’ve been part of the coaching staff. When you’re an assistant, you’re on the outside and help when you’re needed, but when it’s your gig you can do it your way. “To be at the helm now is exciting to be able to put things in place.” He has added youth to the coaching staff as well with former University of Windsor Lancers Blake Blondeel, Brett Oliphant and Ian Faubert joining the club. Marc Tremblay and Adam Hatt round out the staff.

“Really excited by the staff that’s come together,” Carnevale said. “A lot of good ideas and they’re fresh coming out of their playing days.” Players say they can feel the energy from the new coaching staff. “It’s kind of a younger perspectiv­e,” Sharks fourth-year forward Cole Butler said.

It’s not the only change for the Sharks, who will play the majority of their home games on Wednesdays.

“They decided to switch to Wednesdays and try to draw a better local crowd,” Carnevale said of the switch from Monday games. “Ownership got some good feedback.”

Butler, who led the team in scoring

Who:

Wheatley Sharks (13-24-0-3 last season) vs. Dresden Kings (27-9-1-3 last season)

Home opener for the Sharks in the Bill Stobbs Division of the PJHL. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Wheatley Area Arena.

What: When: Where:

last season, returns up front along with Delaney MacDonald, Kyle Gagnon, Matt Carvalho, Alix Saliba and Dawson Iles, while Drew Denomey returns after a one-year absence and Eric Prudence after being away at school. “I think we’re going to rely on speed and not going in and trying to wreck bodies by hitting people 50 times a game,” Butler said. “As a smaller guy, I like it.”

The Sharks are also high on rookie forwards Bradeon Caetano and Jace Leach.

Curtis Rodrigues and Matt Taylor are the lone returnees on defence with the club adding David Cooke, who has played with Amherstbur­g and Essex, Braydon Davis, who spent last season in Essex, and rookies Mason Gow and Michael Connelly.

“They ’re a young group and willing to learn and we’re hoping they can get better and we can keep the same core for a couple of years,” Carnevale said

Catalin Morin, who was acquired last season from Amherstbur­g, is the clear No. 1 in goal.

“This year, with turning over so many guys, I’m hoping we cannot worry so much about the noise of other teams, but play our game and results will come for us,” Carnevale said.

 ?? NICK BRANCACCIO ?? Ethan Hamelin and Gianluca Pizzuto will try to pace the LaSalle Vipers to an improvemen­t on their third-place finish last season as they host their home opener Wednesday.
NICK BRANCACCIO Ethan Hamelin and Gianluca Pizzuto will try to pace the LaSalle Vipers to an improvemen­t on their third-place finish last season as they host their home opener Wednesday.

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