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| Major Midget League Team Reports |
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By / Adam Dunfee
The BC Major Midget League kicked off its sixth season Sept. 19 and Hockey Now has the rundown of what to expect from each of the leagues 11 teams.
Vancouver North West Giants
Last Season: BC Major Midget League champions; lost to Calgary Buffaloes in Pacific Region finals
The Giants lost a lot of firepower over the summer with the departures of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Colton Sissons and Joey Laleggia but head coach Jon Calvano’s expectations for the team remain high. The defending champs have five returning players including forward Steven Iacobellis who will serve as team captain. The team is also expecting big things from first-year forward Connor Rankin, who was drafted seventh overall in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. On the backend, the Giants have the first woman to ever play in the league in 17-year-old Kaleigh Fratkin.
Greater Vancouver Canadians
Last Season: Lost to Giants in final
Former Vancouver North West Giants assistant coach Leland Mack is the new head coach for the Canadians. Mack says the team will move away from the defensive game the team has used the past couple of seasons and play a more attacking style. The Canadians will have six returning players, four of whom turned down Junior B offers to return to the club. The most notable newcomer is forward Ryan Olsen, a first round pick of the Saskatoon Blades in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.
South Island Thunderbirds
Last Year: Lost in semifinals to Vancouver North West Giants
The Thunderbirds have six players returning from last season’s squad.
Head coach Rob Milliken says the team doesn’t possess any natural goal scorers and will need all players to chip in on offense. Milliken suspects the team is the youngest in the league as almost half the team is made up of players born in 1994. Milliken says the key to success this season for the Thunderbirds will be playing strong in all three zones and limiting mistakes.
Cariboo Cougars
Last Season: Lost in semifinals to Greater Vancouver Canadians
With last seasons top scorer Brett Bulmer now plying his trade for the Kelowna Rockets scoring for the Cougars is going to have to come by committee. Head coach Trevor Sprague says the team will continue to play a physical game and will roll four lines. Sprague is looking to forwards Jari Erricson, Lyndon Martel and Tyson McCallum to lead the offense.
Okanagan Rockets
Last Season: Lost in quarterfinals to the South Island Thunderbirds
Misko Antisin takes over behind the Rockets bench this season and has five returning players at his disposal. Antisin is looking for big offensive years from Brett Mulcahy Brandon Bruce and Colton Malmsten. As part of their preparation for the season the Rockets played a pair of games against the Swedish women’s national team. The Rockets won the first game 4-2 and the second 4-1.
Fraser Valley Bruins
Last Season: Lost in quarterfinals to Cariboo Cougars
The Bruins were the most penalized team in the league last season but that didn’t stop them from qualifying for the playoffs. Head coach Patrick Ansell says the team wasn’t flattered by being the league’s most penalized club but that overall penalty minutes aren’t a great concern to him. The Bruins players are small but quick says Ansell who hopes to use the team’s speed to generate opportunities off the rush.
Valley West Hawks
Last Season: 16-16-8 40 Points, seventh place
Head coach Bill Tzetzos is expecting big things from the Hawks this season after they finished one point out of the playoffs last season. The Hawks boast a big team with 16 players 5-10 or taller but don’t expect a group of pylons as Tzetzos says his lineup features a lot of speed. The Hawks will be without the scoring punch of Mark Jordan until November as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Jordan finished second on the Hawks in scoring last season with 33 points.
Vancouver North East Chiefs
Last Season: 14-20-6 34 Points eighth place
The Chiefs have their eyes set on the playoffs this season as head coach Doneau Menard says he has the most returning players he’s ever had. The Chiefs will have experience in net as goaltenders Matthew Hewitt and James Davison are both returning. On offence, returning forward Connor Sanvido will be relied upon to fill the net once again after leading the team last season with 38 points and finishing seventh in the league with 21 goals.
North Island Silvertips
Last Season: 9-23-8 26 Points ninth place
The Silvertips will have a new face behind the bench this season as Steve Parsons returns to his native Vancouver Island to take over head coaching duties. Parsons says the Silvertips will be playing an “aggressive puck pursuit game.” The Silvertips will feature a big defence with five defenceman 6-2 or taller. Returning captain Teagan Waugh will be counted on once again to lead the offense and is expected to play on a line with Swift Current Broncos first round pick Evan Richardson.
Thompson Blazers
Last Season: 5-31-4 14 Points 10th place
For the first time in Blazers history they will have a head coach return for a second season. Greg Hermiston will be back behind the Blazers bench as the team looks to challenge for a playoff spot. The Blazers will ice a young lineup as no 17-year-olds made the squad. To make a playoff push the Blazers will need to find more scoring as they finished second to last in the league last season with only 87 goals for.
Kootenay Ice
Last Season: 2-36-2 6 Points 11th Place
The Ice are hoping to climb out of the league basement this season. New Ice head coach Brent Petrick says for the team to be successful they’ll need to take fewer penalties then last season when they finished second in the league with 997 penalty minutes. The Ice have to battle with several Junior B teams in the area for top talent so the key to success according to Petrick is to outwork opponents. |
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