By / R. WAYN GEEN
A number of teams have jumped out early with strong starts in the 2007-08 OPJHL season. The question now is, can these teams maintain their momentum?
East Division
The East Division will be more competitive than usual, with the Bancroft Hawks gone AWOL and the Oswego Admirals moving to Dixie (and the South Division).
Lindsay Muskies head coach Tom Thornbury figures the East is “the toughest division to play in.”
“Kingston [Voyageurs]have come out pretty good this year,” Thornbury noted. The team hasn’t lost many players, and therefore should contend for the top rung of the East Division ladder.
The Wellington Dukes “are always a contender,” while the Bowmanville Eagles have had a big turnover during the offseason, but have still come out of the gate strong.
The Peterborough Stars will be “a contending team,” according to Thornbury.
“I see them contending for third or fourth spot,” he said.
Under new coach Jayson Supryka, the Quinte West Pack (formerly the Trenton Sting) will get better.
“They’re going to improve once everyone adjusts to Supryka,” Thornbury said.
As if the Port Hope Predators and Cobourg Cougars didn’t have enough reasons already to dislike each other (the two are only about 8 km apart), former Cougars GM Brian Drumm has taken over behind the bench in Port Hope. The Preds are always strong, and the rivalry will only get stronger as head coach Bill Brady puts his stamp on the Cougars.
Thornbury feels his Muskies can compete in the East Division.
“It will come down to 49 games to see where we stand,” he said.
North Division
The North Division should be a four-team race, between the always-strong Aurora Tigers, Newmarket Hurricanes, Huntsville Muskoka Otters and Stouffville Spirit.
“I think the North Division is the strongest in the OPJHL,” said first year Spirit coach Dave D’Ammizio.
Goals will not be hard to come by this year in the North Division.
The Hurricanes will be hosting this year’s Dudley-Hewitt Cup.
Coach Brian Perrin has put together “another solid team,” according to D’Ammizio, while the Tigers “are a great team like they are every year,” with more speed in their line-up.
In Huntsville, head coach Tom McCarthy has his squad flying early on.
“They’ve been putting up some big numbers,” noted D’Ammizio, including a 6-3 win over the Spirit. “They can score.”
The Couchiching Terriers, who return to the OPJHL after a one-year hiatus, can also score. Coach Bart Crashley has put together a good team, but look for them to fall off as the schedule wears on.
“They are a feisty team,” added D’Ammizio.
Three other North Division teams – Seguin Bruins, Orangeville Crushers and Villanova Knights – will struggle this year.
As for his own Spirit, he feels they will contend for the top of the division.
“We’re headed in the direction that we set for ourselves – the North Division final,” he said.
West Division
With the departure of the Bramalea Blues and no-corssover (games with teams in other divisions), the West Division has also become tighter and more competitive.
It should boil down to a four-team race, between the Milton Icehawks, Hamilton Red Wings, Oakville Blades and Georgetown Raiders
The Icehawks, according to Red Wings bench boss Gord Fournier, have a strong team, with a netminder – Vince Cusick – that “could steal some games this year.”
The Raiders “have a good, fast squad,” said Fornier. They also possess strong netminding, while the Blades “are always a good club.” The Blades will be a big, strong team that likes to play it physical.
The Streetsville Derbys are the surprise so far, icing a young team that is capable of stealing games.
The Brampton Capitals return with a solid core of veterans, and will provide some solid competition.
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are a “chronically weak” franchise, according to Fournier, while the Mississauga Chargers, under coach Jay Anderson, “can be underestimated.”
The Burlington Cougars, under new coach Shawn Hudson, will fall in the middle of the pack.
“We’re looking fairly strong,” said Fournier of his Red Wings. His only weakness, he feels, is goaltending, and that will be addressed.
South Division
The South Division should be a three-team battle for top spot between the St. Michael’s Buzzers, Markham Waxers and Vaughan Vipers.
“They have a strong tradition and the find a way to win,” said North York Rangers head coach PJ Yedon of the Buzzers.
Markham, he says, are a “big, fast” team with lots of experience. “They can explode offensively.”
“Vaughan has a very good program,” Yedon said. To beat them, opponents will have to “capitalize on their chances against them.”
The Toronto Jr. Canadians are offensively talented, and the Pickering Panthers will play a very high tempo game.
Yedon said the Durham Fury are a “gritty team.”
“You’ve got to be ready to play them.”
The Ajax Attack “are only going to get better,” he added, while the Dixie Beehives are a bit of an unknown.
Yedon’s Rangers are in the second year of a rebuild.
“We’re hoping to compete more than we did last year,” he added. |