EHM 2005: The OHL returns to Niagara Falls

[NoSkillz]

Junior 'A' Hockey Returns to Niagara Falls

June 15, 2004 (Niagara Falls Review) -
CHL and OHL commissioner Dave Branch announced today that a consortium led by former Niagara Falls, Ontario Mayor Wayne Thomson has purchased the Saginaw Spirit junior ‘A’ hockey club from Dick Garber and will bring the franchise back to the Honeymoon capital for the 2004-05 Ontario Hockey League season.

“We’re thrilled to bring top-level junior hockey back to Niagara Falls”, exclaimed Thomson. “The fact that this franchise played in the city for six years is icing on the cake.”

The Saginaw franchise goes all the way back to 1943, when the St. Catharines Falcons were born. The junior team became affiliated with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks in 1947 and when the OHA was formed in 1951, the St. Catharines club became one of its ten members and was renamed the Teepees. In 1976, the club relocated down the road to Niagara Falls and became the Flyers. Six short years later, the club would relocate again, this time to North Bay. Dick Garber purchased the club in 2002 and moved them to his hometown of Saginaw.

“The commitments I have to my other business ventures necessitated this transaction”, a tired looking Garber explained. “The team is in great hands with Wayne and his management team. My family and I wish him our very best.”

Thomson later announced to great applause that the club would once again be called the Flyers. “The name has great historical significance for the city and we look forward to creating new memories for all of our fans in the Niagara Region.”

The team will be lead by new General Manager Matthew Bosela, a 32 year old born and raised in the city. “We already have a great nucleus of talent and I will work hard to ensure that our fans have an entertaining hockey club to root for.”

Bosela went on to confirm that former GM/Head Coach Bob Mancini will be kept on board to coach the club for the upcoming season. Bosela also verified that the Flyers have signed an affiliation agreement with the Niagara Falls Canucks from the Golden Horseshoe League.

The Flyers will play out of the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena in 2004-05. Thomson said the city has plans to expand the arena beyond its current capacity of 3109 in the next year or so.

[NoSkillz]

Thu. August 19, 2004:

2004/05 Niagara Falls Flyers Training Camp

The 2004/05 Training Camp roster has been finalized. Here is the list of players segregated by position, along with brief notes on each guy, starting with our netminders:

Training Camp Roster: Goaltending

Ryan Daniels, 16 years old, 6'1", 180 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Third Round (#48) by Saginaw in 2004
2003/04 Stats: Pickering (OHA) 1GP 0-1-0 3.00GAA 0 SO
OHL Totals: None
Just drafted, Daniels looks to have great potential. Three of my four coaches are convinced he's the real deal and could develop into a star. Seems quite gifted technically. Will have to fight for a spot as a 16 year old.

Aaron Rock, 17 years old, 6'0", 183 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted Sixth Round (#121) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Rock is another goalie with technical skill but is not physically gifted. My goalie coach Randy Wilson feels he has potential but the rest of my staff isn't sold on him and feel he's trade bait. Another guy with a fight on his hands to stay on the Flyers.

Chris Rowan, 18 years old, 6'0", 171 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Sixth Round (#117) by Barrie in 2002
2003/04 Stats: Barrie (OHL) 1GP 0-0-0 7.06GAA 0 SO
OHL Totals: 1GP 0-0-0 7.06GAA 0 SO
Rowan will likely provide depth for the Flyers this year. Not particularly talented, I'll likely have him play with the Junior B Canucks or loan him out. An extreme longshot to make the club.

Jeff Weber, 19 years old, 6'2", 185 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Eleventh Round (#220) by Sault Ste. Marie in 2000
Drafted Eighth Round (#235) by Buffalo (NHL) in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Plymouth (OHL) 13GP 2-4-4 3.04GAA 2 SO
Barrie (OHL) 13GP 6-3-0 2.71GAA 0 SO
OHL Totals: 53GP 23-12-7 2.84GAA 3 SO
Weber was a late round pick by the Buffalo Sabres after a fine year in 2002-03 with Plymouth. Weber again put up great numbers last season with two clubs and comes to Niagara Falls as a number one goaltender for the first time in his junior career. My staff is very high on him and he'll play a lot this year as one of my overage players.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
Weber is the man without doubt. He's an NHL draft pick and looks ready to assume the #1 role for the first time in his career. Daniels looks like he's the future but I'm not interested in having him learn the trade from the bench. Therefore, Rock has the best shot at earning backup status with the club.

[NoSkillz]

Training Camp Roster: Defensemen

Rick Caughell (RD/RW), 18 years old, 6'3", 211 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Third Round (#44) by Sault Ste. Marie in 2002
2003/04 Stats: Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 1GP 0g 0a 0pts 0 0PIM
Mississauga (OHL) 42GP 0g 5a 5pts -3 21PIM
OHL Totals: 43GP 0g 5a 5pts -3 21PIM
Caughell's ability to play both defense and wing make him a useful player. The coaching staff thinks highly of his potential, although I don't really see him becoming anything more than a role player. Limited scoring ability but a decent crash & banger.

Matt Corrente (RD), 16 years old, 5'11", 185 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#2) by Saginaw in 2004
2003/04 Stats: Vaughan (OHA) 42P 4g 10a 14pts 85PIM
OHL Totals: None
Corrente was our first pick in this year's draft. He's a smallish player but is quite the competitor. He also has some offensive potential as well, and wasn't utilized a lot in Vaughan last year. The coaching staff obviously feel he's going to be a good one. I plan on bringing him along slowly but he'll be playing this year.

Scott Fletcher (RD), 16 years old, 6'3", 198 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted Second Round (#22) by Saginaw in 2004
2003/04 Stats: Detroit Honeybaked 88's (USAAA) Unknown Stats
OHL Totals: None
Our second round pick in this year's draft behind Corrente, Fletcher is a hard nosed, physical player. Very lanky, with room to grow, Fletcher should prove to be popular with his teammates, as he's a willing fighter. Great determination and hits hard.

Tyson Gimblett (LD), 19 years old, 6'3", 216 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#40) by St. Michael's in 2001
2003/04 Stats: Owen Sound (OHL) 5GP 0g 2a 2pts 16PIM
OHL Totals: 80GP 0g 4a 4pts 113PIM
Tyson is the twin brother of Jesse Gimblett, another Flyer player. Tyson has needed to fight to stay in the OHL over the past few years and will need to do so again this year. He's limited from a skill standpoint but shows a lot of heart, something my coaches seem to like in him. Gimblett is actually under contract to Georgetown of the OPJHL and here on loan.

Thomas Harrison (RD), 20 years old, 6'2", 220 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Eleventh Round (#214) by Kitchener in 2000
2003/04 Stats: Kitchener (OHL) 44GP 0g 9a 9pts -4 143PIM
OHL Totals: 156GP 2g 21a 23pts +13 416PIM
Our 'tough guy'. Harrison won't back down from anyone in the league and will protect our smaller, more skilled players. Brings veteran leadership to the club in addition to providing big hits and solid defense. Will likely be in the lineup most games as an overager.

Dan Idema (LD), 20 years old, 6'3", 211 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Fourth Round (#55) by Medicine Hat in 1999
2003/04 Stats: Medicine Hat (WHL) 69GP 4g 14a 18pts 0 93PIM
OHL Totals: None
Idema is another overager who comes to us from the Western Hockey League. He had a decent year with Medicine Hat in 2003 and seems strong mentally but weak from a skill standpoint. A guy who'll have to impress to stick around.

Jamie Klie (RD), 17 years old, 6'0", 205 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Fifth (#82) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 10GP 1g 0a 1pts 0 13PIM
OHL Totals: 10GP 1g 0a 1pts 0 13PIM
My coaches seem to like the potential of Klie, a determined young blueliner. He got a taste of OHL action last year and didn't look out of place. Will have a lot of competition on the right side to earn a spot with the Flyers.

Erik Lundmark (RD), 19 years old, 6'4", 220 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Not Drafted
2003/04 Stats: Plymouth (OHL) 51GP 1g 3a 4pts 0 24PIM
OHL Totals: 92GP 3g 3a 6pts +5 44PIM
Lundmark is a big kid but is pretty soft. He's also quite slow and not a real skillful player. He's got some experience and may provide some cover in case of injury. I don't see him playing a big role with the club.

Patrick McNeill (LD), 17 years old, 6'0", 194 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#1) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 57GP 3g 11a 14pts -19 28PIM
OHL Totals: 57GP 3g 11a 14pts -19 28PIM
Only 17, the first overall pick in the 2003 Priority Draft is arguably the best player on the club. McNeill has great offensive ability, excellent leadership skills and is extremely reliable in his own end for a smaller defenseman. McNeill will play in all situations and is our number one blueliner.

Garrett Sinfield (LD), 17 years old, 6'3", 207 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Tenth Round (#192) by Owen Sound in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Sinfield is another recent pickup and will have trouble cracking our main lineup. He isn't particularly skilled but has nice size. He'll have to have a great camp to get consideration.

Steve Whitely (RD), 17 years old, 6'5", 191 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Fourteenth Round (#273) by St. Michael's in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Lanky young defenseman was a late round pick by St. Michael's and a recent pickup by our franchise. Big hitter and uses his size and long reach to his advantage. My coaches like his potential so he'll have a chance to play some minutes with the club.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
I'm concerned with the lack of depth on defense, especially on the left side. McNeill is going to be a good one but after him, the jury is out. I've invited two unsigned LD prospects to camp on a tryout basis (Simon Gysbers from Stouffville and Mike Pain from Aurora) in order to bring some competition to the others. On the right side, things look more promising but again, our top talent is very young (Corrente and Fletcher). It will be an interesting camp, as it really is an open competition for spots.

[NoSkillz]

Training Camp Roster: Forwards

Patrick Asselin (LW), 17 years old, 6'0", 180 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#34) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 64GP 5g 4a 9pts -10 21PIM
OHL Totals: 64GP 5g 4a 9pts -10 21PIM
Asselin owns a soft pair of hands and all of my coaches feel he has great potential. A second round pick in 2003, he'll be given every chance to show he deserved the high selection. Probably will never be a big scorer, but has a good work ethic and owns a great pair of wheels.

Chris Bain (LW), 19 years old, 6'0", 209 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Tenth Round (#186) by London in 2000
2003/04 Stats: London (OHL) 4GP 1g 0a 1pts +1 21PIM
Mississauga (OHL) 54GP 2g 9a 11pts -14 187PIM
OHL Totals: 178GP 7g 10a 17pts -13 562PIM
A tough guy with very limited skills, Bain is an overager here on a trial basis. I don't see a spot for him on our club due to his advanced age.

Michal Birner (RW), 18 years old, 6'1", 180 lbs, Shoots Left, Czech
Drafted First Round (#8) by Barrie in 2004 Import Draft
Drafted Fourth Round (#116) by St. Louis (NHL) in 2004
2003/04 Stats: HC Slavia Praha Jr. (Cze-Jr) 55GP 25g 35a 60pts +6 112PIM
Slavia (Cze) 1GP 0g 0a 0pts -1 0PIM
OHL Totals: None
Birner comes over from the Czech Republic after recently getting drafted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues. He looks to have a lot of offensive potential but is pretty green right now. Lots of flair and should bring some people into the rink. Birner should be a lock for a position on one of the top two lines.

Daniel Borges (C), 18 years old, 5'11", 180 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#25) by Saginaw in 2002
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 54GP 3g 7a 10pts -10 24PIM
OHL Totals: 110GP 10g 19a 29pts -24 63PIM
Borges looks to be a bit of a bust, scoring only 29 points in two seasons as a second round pick. He's undersized and lacks skill in almost every department. He's certainly a determined individual and looks to prove my assessment wrong. Lack of depth means he'll likely see action but I'm looking for an upgrade for sure.

Chase Crowder (RW/LW), 16 years old, 6'2", 191 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Third Round (#42) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 54GP 2g 4a 6pts +1 23PIM
OHL Totals: 54GP 2g 4a 6pts +1 23PIM
Crowder has my coaching staff divided. Head Coach Mancini and AC Bill Paige think he could develop into a good player while my other assistant Ian Herbers thinks he's overrated. I tend to agree with Herbers but Crowder was solid defensively last year and will get a chance to play again this year. Nice size but not particularly skilled. Not projected to score much.

Chris Ferguson (C/LW), 16 years old, 6'0", 165 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#32) by Saginaw in 2004
2003/04 Stats: Thunder Bay Kings (OHA) Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Played in Thunder Bay with heralded forward Jordan Staal (brother of NHL's Eric). Ferguson is highly touted and in some circles is thought to be a better player than Staal. I don't necessarily agree but Ferguson has a mature game already and is quite good in his own zone. I will likely pencil him in as a third line checker and let him go from there.

Jesse Gimblett (LW), 19 years old, 6'3", 211 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Third Round (#49) by Owen Sound in 2001
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 66GP 10g 23a 33pts -4 46PIM
OHL Totals: 197GP 38g 53a 91pts -23 154PIM
The more talented of the Gimblett twins, Jesse will play a big role in Niagara Falls this year, likely spending time on a scoring line. He's pretty well rounded and brings some offensive skill to the club.

Marek Kvapil (RW), 19 years old, 5'11", 187 lbs, Shoots Right, Czech
Drafted First Round (#11) by Saginaw in 2004 Import Draft
2003/04 Stats: HC Slavia Praha Jr. (Cze-Jr) 41GP 18g 17a 35pts 41PIM
Slavia (Cze) 11GP 0g 0a 0pts 0PIM
OHL Totals: None
Kvapil was a teammate of Michal Birner's in the Czech Republic and is a highly skilled winger. Kvapil is arguably a better player than his countryman right now but may not have Birner's long-term potential. Either way, Kvapil and Birner will get the chance to play together in Niagara Falls and bring the crowd out of their chairs. Explosive speed and great hands, along with a competitive spirit mean Kvapil will play a lot this year.

Tom Mannino (RW), 17 years old, 5'11", 196 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted First Round (#10) by London in 2003
2003/04 Stats: London (OHL) 13GP 0g 3a 3pts +2 2PIM
Windsor (OHL) 26GP 1g 3a 4pts -4 4PIM
OHL Totals: 39GP 1g 6a 7pts -2 6PIM
Mannino, a recent pickup, is a flashy forward with a lot of skill. A great passer and stickhandler, Mannino will play on a scoring line this year. He's undersized and not a physical player but will give our team energetic performances every game.

Joe McCann (RW), 17 years old, 6'2", 196 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Fourth Round (#63) by Kitchener in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Kitchener (OHL) 5GP 0g 0a 0pts -1 2PIM
OHL Totals: 5GP 0g 0a 0pts -1 2PIM
A good chance to play on a checking line this year. McCann comes to us from Kitchener and has nice size and is pretty well rounded as a player. Won't score a ton but could be used in penalty killing situations.

Nick McParland (RW/LW), 17 years old, 6'0", 180 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Twelfth Round (#222) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Another long shot here, as the speedy McParland is not technically gifted and is very green as a prospect. A bit undersized as well. I'll have him participate in camp and may loan him out to another junior team if not needed here.

Tom Pyatt (C), 17 years old, 5'11", 180 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#21) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Saginaw (OHL) 67GP 9g 9a 18pts -24 21PIM
OHL Totals: 67GP 9g 9a 18pts -24 21PIM
Tom, brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Taylor Pyatt, has none of his sibling's size but more speed and skill. He has great wheels, great competitive spirit and budding technical skills. Pyatt is a lock for one of the top two scoring lines. Good leadership ability as well.

Kevin Tuckey (LW/C), 17 years old, 6'0", 169 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Eleventh Round (#201) by Saginaw in 2003
2003/04 Stats: Unknown
OHL Totals: None
Tuckey is a longshot to make the club. He's a good checker but owns a terrible set of hands. He's also terribly undersized, although his love of big hits can make him look like a very poor man's Michael Peca. Will have to have a huge camp.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
I'm much happier with the way things look at forward. We have a good nucleus of offensive talent and we should be able to score some goals. Depth is still a major concern so I've invited a few of my unsigned prospects to camp to compete for a job. Kvapil, Birner, Pyatt, Mannino and Gimblett should be the top scorers on the team and there's some young talent like Ferguson and Asselin who have a chance to move up the depth chart.

[NoSkillz]

Sat. August 21, 2004:

Ugh. I'm checking my personnel tab and notice that I no longer have a head coach!!! Of course, this is a known issue with the pre-2.02 version of the game so I'm just going to have to work with it. Mancini ended up going to Elmira of the UHL. I've sent an offer to 50 year old Canadian Bob Ferguson, who is very good working with youngsters.

The first order of business is meeting with my scouting staff and delegating responsibilities. I'm lucky enough to have 10 scouts working for the Flyers so we'll be able to cover a lot of ground. My head scout, Dan Haliburton, will start off scouting our own club. I'll later have him scout all of our unsigned prospects then he'll move on to scouting players on my shortlist along with key players scheduled to be selected in the OHL Priority Draft later this season. Here are the other scouts and their assignments:

Ron Valerino: Advance Scout (scouting next opponent)
John Burkart: OHL Priority Draft
Doug Colbon: CHL Import Draft
Jack Ferguson: Ontario Hockey League teams
John Trempe: Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
Kevin Devereaux: Golden Horseshoe League
Mark Cupolo: Young Prospects (12-16 years old)
Matt Rabideau: Canada
Owen Gibbons: United States

I've scheduled nine exhibition games for our club, which should be enough time to tell which players deserve a spot on the roster. I'm concerned about the lack of depth at centre especially right now; I really don't have anyone for the second line right now. I may have to investigate a trade.

As far as practice goes, everyone is taking part in general training right now. We'll get more specific when the season starts. I need another coach to spread things out a bit - right now, my three coaches (Ian Herbers, Bill Paige and Randy Wilson) are overworked. It's best to only have each coach assigned to three areas but I have them assigned to four each right now. Hopefully Ferguson signs a deal with us. As a backup plan, I've also offered Jim Hiller a contract.

On Tap Next Week
Sat. August 28, 2004: vs. St. Michael's (EXHIBITION)

[NoSkillz]

Tue. August 24, 2004:

Alright, I held a press conference today to announce the signing of Bob Ferguson as our new head coach. Ferguson was drafted by the NHL's Los Angeles Kings back in the mid-70's and brings some needed experience to our organization.

Thu. August 26, 2004:

Weird trade in the NHL today. Anaheim was denying reports that they were unloading superstar Sergei Fedorov and later that morning did just that, moving him to San Jose for the rights to forward Steve Bernier, who's playing with Moncton in the QMJHL.

Fri. August 27, 2004:

Today I decided that 17-year old defenseman Patrick McNeill was going to captain the club this season. McNeill is very young but he's well respected by his teammates and arguably our best player. Marek Kvapil and Tom Pyatt were named alternate captains.

Sat. August 28, 2004: Toronto St. Michael's Majors at Niagara Falls Flyers (EXHIBITION)

St. Mike's comes to Niagara Falls for our first exhibition contest. The Majors have a pretty nice team, led by goaltender Justin Peters, a Carolina Hurricanes draft pick from this summer. Advance scout Ron Valerino claims 17 year old defenseman Ryan Wilson leads a steady blueline. He's also high on undrafted winger Darryl Boyce.

We'll employ a counter-attack style of play to start the exhibition season (attacking style coupled with the neutral zone trap). I'm really just toying with line combinations and rosters to start the preseason.

TEAM             1    2    3    TOT
St. Michael's    3    0    1     4     (L: J. Peters)
Niagara Falls    2    2    1     5     (W: J. Weber)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
St. Michael's: M. Caria (2),  P. Franchin, C. Preston
Niagara Falls: M. Kvapil (2), S. Gysbers, A. Marcoux, J. Gimblett
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
St. Michael's: 36        St. Michael's: 0-3
Niagara Falls: 39        Niagara Falls: 1-4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Kvapil (NFF) 2g +2
2. M. Caria (SMM) 2g +2
3. A. Marcoux (NFF) 1g 1a +1

We start off on a positive note with a victory. Gimblett scored on a five-on-three advantage with less than four minutes left in regulation to break the deadlock. Marcoux, an unsigned centre playing with Huntsville in the OPJHL, had a multipoint game along with Kvapil (2g), Tyson Gimblett (2a), Pyatt (2a) and Borges (2a). Jeff Weber wasn't sharp through two periods but was fantastic in the third, stopping 20 shots in that period alone. A cause for concern was the Borges/J. Gimblett/T. Mannino line, which was on for three Majors goals. The line was a combined -9 on the night.

On Tap Next Week:
Wed. September 1, 2004: at ERIE OTTERS (EXHIBITION)
Sat. September 4, 2004: vs. Oshawa Generals (EXHIBITION)
Sun. September 5, 2004: at BELLEVILLE BULLS (EXHIBITON)