Soo Thunderbirds goalie Landon Miller was able to get his pad down to block a shot from Timmins Rock captain Nicolas Pigeon on this play despite the crowd of players from both teams in the crease area during the first period of Game 2 of the best-of-seven NOJHL final at the McIntyre Arena. The Thunderbirds drop the puck on another season early next week at the Northern Community Centre. PHOTO BY THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
“I am excited about the season, but it’s in my nature to be cautious,” head coach Cole Jarrett told the Sault Star. “We could have the best team in the world but I would never say it out loud. I am probably excited as I am going to get.”
Gordon Anderson – The Sault Star
In general, this particular bench boss has a very conservative opinion about his hockey club in the late August timeframe.
The Soo Thunderbirds drop the puck on another Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season early next week at the Northern Community Centre.
“I am excited about the season, but it’s in my nature to be cautious,” head coach Cole Jarrett told the Sault Star. “We could have the best team in the world but I would never say it out loud. I am probably excited as I am going to get.”
The club will practice mornings at the NCC until Sept.1, returning to the nest at the John Rhodes Community Arena the following day.
With the recent addition/return of American forward Jackson Truchan, the Thunderbirds will have 23 players when the club hits the ice Tuesday morning.
Six players from last year’s team have returned, seven signees are from the U18 Soo Jr. Greyhounds club, the rest of the team composed of free agents.
Daniel Beaupre, Samuel Lake, Alex Remenda, Kolby Fellinger, Truchan and goaltender Kolton Bourret returning for a run at a third consecutive league championship appearance.
In other words, the T-Birds have the help wanted sign hanging on the front door of the franchise, so to speak.
“We have lots of roles up for grabs, whether that is a powerplay guy, an offensive guy or a defensive guy who can play on the penalty kill, what I want to see players identifying those available roles and fighting for them right from the beginning,” Jarrett said. “That is going to be important. We will need to see the intensity level really high from the get-go.”
Jarrett and GM Jamie Henderson assumed direction of the club in time for the start of the 2021-22 campaign. This season, the roster is devoid of players from the previous administration.
Brock Santa Maria, Michael Chaffay, Ethan Novello and Kaden Dundas were the final remnants of the previous regime under head coach Denny Lambert.
Jarrett and Henderson are fairly like-minded when it comes to what they are searching for in a hockey player, Henderson in charge of the bringing those like qualities to camp.
“We (both) look for compete and hockey sense,” Jarrett said. “I think everybody would have that answer in their own way. We want to play at a high level and we feel the players that we’ve been able to recruit, or are coming this season, kind of fit that style. The most important one would be compete and we will see what we have for real when we start on Tuesday. And that is something we are looking for on day one and keep building right through the end of the season.”
While the rumour isn’t 100 per cent confirmed, it appears more than likely the birds will eschew the NOJHL exhibition pre-season slog for a third consecutive season, Jarrett saying “we may add one game but that will be a last minute thing.”
Jarrett and Henderson prefer to work on their systems and correct mistakes under controlled conditions. The club has made two consecutive appearances in the league final, so Jarrett doesn’t see any need to alter the team’s preparation mode.
“For us, it’s not an issue,” Jarrett said. “We will have a lot of guys away during the first week of camp and then the following week we go right into the season. It is a learning curve and it makes sense for our club to do it this way.”
As Jarrett mentioned, several of the club’s U18 prospects are heading to OHL camps early next week
The T-Birds begin the regular season on Sept. 8 with a home game against the Soo Eagles.
