Columns
September 12, 2007 09:45 PM
Cuddy Shark
By: John Cudmore
Ontario Provincial Jr. A Hockey League fans, of the North Conference genre specifically, are in for a treat this season.
Dudley Hewitt is largely responsible for that bold forecast after a season in which the Aurora Tigers ran away and hid, making many good teams look ordinary in the process.
The fact the Newmarket Hurricanes are hosting the Dudley Hewitt Cup, aka the Central Canada championship, assures they will be considerably improved on a disappointing 2006-07 season, respectable playoff showing aside.
On its own, the Hurricanes’ return to competitiveness boosts quality in the nine-team division that promises to be at its competitive best this season.
In fact, now that the 35-team league has moved to reduce the playoff field to 24 from 32 teams — the top six in each division qualify — the regular season schedule will actually carry some meaning.
No longer are two wins, a tie and an overtime loss going to earn teams the right to get pounded an extra four games in February. From a Newmarket standpoint, no host wants to go into the DHC as a pity pick on extended rest, a notion that, apparently, has compelled Hurricanes ownership to consider power-play production at least on par with postal codes as a means to assessing talent.
To be sure, the off-ice chess match between the Tigers’ Jerome Dupont and the Hurricanes’ Brian Perrin will be interesting as they extend their summer-long toe-to-toe fight for talent to autumn’s chill.
Battle of Yonge Street? Watch this.
The weapons of choice — a team guaranteed just one step away from a national championship berth and the other that starts for the second time in four years as defending champion and a leader who knows what it takes to get there.
With the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the Royal Bank Cup (Cornwall) both in Ontario, what better time than the present season for other rivals to bulk up, too.
The Stouffville Spirit appears strong with much of its cast returning from last season and poised to take a run at a second conference playoff title in three seasons.
Led by veteran Randy Johnson and second-year star Corey Trivino, the Spirit seems to have weathered an off-season that saw the franchise enter the ever-growing number of family-fun teams in which dad owns and son plays.
A showdown between ownership and hockey management resulted in the departures of general manager Kenny Burrows and head coach Dan West and leaves the Spirit prone in those critical areas against the other big hitters in the conference.
And don’t discount Tom McCarthy’s Huntsville Otters, based on a strong cast of returnees led by netminder Jeff Dawson and 40-goal sniper Aaron Chambers.
This may be the season the Otters, who blew up in the first round of the playoffs against the Hurricanes, finally are to be taken seriously.
As for the rest of the North gang, serious contention seems a stretch.
But as much as the North group is eyeballing a handy DHC, so too will be the usual suspects across the OPJHL landscape.
For fans in Newmarket and Aurora, on paper, at least, the Hurricanes appear to have matched the Tigers pretty much stride for stride, hitting the high road in search of talent.
And there is plenty of time to tinker.
Buckle up. It should be quite a northern ride.
Lasers take aim at Cup
The Newmarket United Lasers aim to become the first Newmarket Soccer Club girls team to capture an Ontario Cup title when it kicks off against the Oakville Titans in the under-13 final Saturday at The Soccer Centre in Woodbridge. Game time is 12:30 p.m.
The Lasers breezed into the final of the season-long tournament with a 6-0 victory over Flamborough Flames in semifinal action in late August.
Close shave for stats man
Newmarket Hurricanes statistician Gary Tobin will participate in the Red Patch Boys Head Shave, a pre-game head shaving fundraiser for cancer to be held in the parking lot prior to Toronto FC’s MLS game Saturday at BMO Field.
Olympic dreams
Aside from the occasional international hockey game that may or may not pass through town — and would probably prefer the larger seating and potential ticket sales of the Ray Twinney Complex — why, again, does the Magna Centre in Newmarket include an Olympic-sized ice surface among its four rinks?
No show for show
Granted, she’s a busy lady. And who wouldn’t want to hang with Hollywood types, such as Matt Damon?
But since the posters read ‘Battle of Yonge Street presented by Belinda Stronach’, should Stronach not make even a token appearance either at the media event launch to announce the event or at the event itself?
Question for the ages
Oshawa Generals’ John Tavares making noise about being granted special status for the 2008 NHL draft recalls a conversation with Central Scouting Bureau’s E.J. Maguire who noted: “I’m a lot better scout of 20-year-olds.”
If anything, the NHL should raise its minimum age standard.