News and views from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League All Star game in Temiscaming, Quebec:
…For many, it was a day that began at 7 a.m. on Saturday when the bus left Sault Ste. Marie and didn’t end until 5 a.m. on Sunday when the old iron lung rolled back into the Soo. But I would make the long trek all over again, if need be. As Team West assistant coach Jim Yardanoff noted on the bus ride back home to the Soo that included player-drop-off stops in North Bay, Sudbury and Blind River: “It’s been a long, tiring day but we do what we do for the love of the game and the kids.”
…While so many players on both sides stood out with their exceptional play during the All-Star game that was won 6-5 by Team East, my list of outstanding performers would be topped by the Temiscaming Royals troika of Cedric Boutin, Robin Mendelsohn and Andre Leclair, North Bay Trappers forwards Jonathan Aubertin and Dan Zawacki and defenceman Marcel Konopelky, Sudbury Jr. Wolves forward Chris Kangas and defenceman Chris Pontes, Abitibi Eskimos defenceman Ryan MacDonald and forward Josh Clancy, Soo Eagles goalie Michael Doan and defenceman Anthony Raymond, Soo Thunderbirds defenceman Bronson Kovacs and forward Michael Schug, Blind River Beavers forward Chad Richard and defenceman Grant Paulson and Manitoulin Islanders forward Blake Pederson.
…The timing of the All-Star game could have been better with so many players having not been on the ice for games or practice since before Christmas, a fact that probably led to many of the Blind River and Soo Eagles players not showing their best.
…The game was videographed by Dawstar Video Scouting Services complete with audio play-by-play and commentary. All players who participated in the game will receive a DVD copy of the broadcast, which will also be made available by request to American and Canadian college and university coaches.
…Always nice to chat with East Division coaches and executives who I don’t get to see as often as those from the West Division, given that I live in the Soo. Those who made for interesting chat included Paul Gagne and Scott Marshall from Abitibi, Dave Clancy from Sudbury and North Bay’s Ian Swalucynski, who’s a pretty funny and quick-witted character.
…Commissioner Hector Seguin told me that there’s a possibility that once the Ontario Jr. Hockey League is finished its “re-organizing” that both Parry Sound and Huntsville could end up as part of the NOJHL.
…Kudos to Steve McCharles and his staff of volunteers from the Temiscaming hockey club who did a nice job of hosting the All-Star day and ensuring that a good-sized crowd of 600+ was on hand.
Bird watch how come Thomas is not on the TB roster but on the hounds roster.
Bird Watch- Are you sure that Pye played for Salem State. He is nowhere in their history. Not on Roster, no stats and I checked from the start of the year. I don’t believe he was on their squad and he doesn’t come up in hockeyDB which tracks players. He may have tried to walk on but they have three other goalies there.
scout – I found this when doing a search, so I guess he was with the team.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:z9XMy3mhzCcJ:www.uscho.com/stats/team-overall.php/salem-state-vikings/mens-college-hockey/season,20092010/team,ssc/gender,m.html+eric+pye+salem+state+hockey&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk
So did the Traps get Perdicaro or Kennedy?
Colton Kennedy went to the Melville Millionaires SJHL, Sean Gallagher of the Millionaires was sent to FF, and yes Eric Pye was with the Salem State Vikings, he has chosen to pursue a higher level. He was with Muskoka last year, here are his stats http://gmhl.net/profile.php?player_id=82479 He is a great young man and works hard every minute he is on the ice. Oh ya, Beavers at the Rhodes tomorrow, Wed. 7:30, should be interesting to see the lineup for both teams, hope Elaine shows up, my favourite Beaver fan! and I owe someone a bubbly pop, hmmmm
Bird Waztch- Doesn’t take much to get to a level higher than the number 4 goalie on a middle of the road D-3 program
09 is there any point to what you say, the bios are up on site, they are bios of some fine young men, like almost every player in this league. if you take that as an inference, then take a pill and don’t sh!t on someone you’ve never seen. http://www.tbirdhockey.ca/news01_02_09.html
scout,
a simple google worked for me and I’m computer illiterate…a ‘thank-you bird’, from you, would be appropriate…learn how to use a computer, if you want to be a scout, or thank those who go out of their way to help…
Eric Pye shut out the Eagles last Friday in what I think was his first game in the NOJHL and he was full marks with his effort…a south paw (I think this throws shooters off), well over 6′, and worked his area well, cutting down angles…good find bird…
Yes Bird good reporting. Now the real question is are the Tbirds going to carry 3 goalies? Any thoughts. The Eagles had three and parred down. As for walk-ons and such the Eagles are glad John K. walked on aren’t they. As for the league especially in the west (my opinion only) most of the tweaking that has made a difference in the West has been the goalies. So another thought do you build the team around a goalie or around the skater. Takes a lot of skaters to change things but a good goalie is precious.
just posted on OspreyBlogs.com:
LET’S BEGIN WITH BEGIN
Ryan McDonald and Eric Pye are the two goalies for the TBirds. Tyler Vernelli is with the Soo Greyhounds. Should have our full roster updated tonight after photos of the new guys are taken. But hey the Beavers are in town, so it might not get done till Thursday. Those pesky Beavers have beaten us twice in a row, so I guess Soo fans will need to really get behind their TBirds. Hope the Beaverettes can make it and of coarse #1 Beaver fan Elaine!!!
et P-P est ici!
Calm down Eagle One. Fact is he may have been on the roster at Salem State, but he wasn’t in their plans for goaltending. Probably a great move on his part to backtrack to potentially move forward. Hope he works out. And yes I do scout. More players in the NOJHL than most scouts. Thank you for your in depth research.
For the record I would like to say that Scout09 is a well known and highly respected scout who is responsible for advancing many, many, young players into the JR and NCAA ranks throughout Ontario and north-eastern US.