Roster starting to take shape for Kings’ 2015-16 season
With training camp and preseason gameses underway, the team is starting to pare down the list of prospectspro
PROSPECTIVE ELMIRA SUGAR KINGS showed off their skills at the team’s main training camp last week, as the Junior B squad prepared for two preseason games this weekend.
Coaching staff are still narrowing down the list and expect to have a complete roster by the Labour Day weekend. So far, they’re happy with the talent they’ve seen.
“I’m impressed with our returnees this year. They’ve all come in, in excellent shape, looking very good on the ice and committed to doing a great job this year. So that’s been excellent,” said head coach Jeff Flanagan.
He notes they’ve also seen some talented young players come through and sign, like Jeff Jordan from North Bay, who he says is fitting in well. Another young forward looking good on the ice is Tyler Biles.
“Sunday we cut down and last night we cut down again. So we’re to about 29, maybe 28 players including goalies,” Flanagan said. “Everything seems to be coming along very well and we practice tonight and then practice Thursday, and then we play in Listowel Friday. So we’re looking forward to doing some finer tuning, the next two nights just to see compete level. And then on Friday it’ll be exciting to see these guys get in a game, especially in Listowel which is a very difficult arena to play in.”
He says the coaching staff is looking forward to seeing how quick the players are in a game and how hard they work. Taking over the role as captain this season is fourth-year veteran Rob Kohli. The Cambridge forward racked up 17 assists and 17 goals in the 2014-15 season, two of which were game-winning goals.
“I’ve worked with Rob for three years now and he’s the type of player, probably any team would thank their lucky stars to have,” Flanagan said. “He’s an extremely hard worker, he’s committed to the team and he always puts the team in front of himself. He feels strongly about doing the right thing, whether it’s on the ice and off the ice.”
Flanagan says players look up to him because on the ice he always seems to do the right thing for the situation, and when things get tough, he never drops his head. Instead he works harder, and tries to find a different way.
“I really can’t say enough good things about him. We’re pretty excited to have him leading our guys this year,” Flanagan said.
He’s joined by Zac Coulter and Ethan Skinner as assistants, with a third to be announced later.
An Owen Sound native, Coulter led the team in scoring with 27 goals and 37 assists, including seven game winning goals. This will be the fourth and final year as Sugar Kings for Kohli and Coulter.
Flanagan said Coulter’s working toward playing at the next level.
“Every time he asks what should I do or what do I need to do to get better, and we tell him, he does exactly what is asked of him,” Flanagan said. “He’s had some ups and downs as far as his on ice play over the past couple years, but he’s never got frustrated where it changed his game. He just keeps going back and changing things and working harder. The last two summers there were some specific things he was asked to do physically to be better prepared and he did those things and over the top. He came back in incredible shape, got stronger, more skilled, he worked his tail off to get better.”
Skinner came in as a rookie last season from Kincardine. He accumulated 18 goals and 17 assists, with three game-winning goals for the Kings. Flanagan said he’s vocal in a constructive way, which will make him a good leader for the team.
“He worked hard at school, he worked hard on the ice. We felt that he’s a leader in those areas and we thought that he being one of our top players this year, when you add in those other things it’s going to be good leadership,” Flanagan said.
The Kings also signed forwards Jake Moggy and Quinten Bruce, along with centre Brock Welsh earlier this summer. Welsh was drafted by the Oshawa Generals in the OHL, so it all depends if he makes the team, whether he’ll be playing for Elmira this season.
Flanagan says despite numerous players aging out and leaving for different leagues, they’re going to have another good team this year.
“We really hope the community gets out to support our young guys because one of the focuses this year is character and players who are community minded, they’re good people, and who will really help the community of Elmira, whether it’s with the youth minor hockey or the school system. So we hope the people will come out and fill the arenas so we can make another run,” Flanagan said.
In preseason action, the Kings travel to Listowel Friday night to take on the Cyclones before returning home on August 30 to play Cambridge at 7 p.m. They’ll also play Listowel at home on September 1 at 7:30 p.m. and head down to Cambridge on September 5 for their final preseason game.