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Miners Have High Expectations For New Season
2011-09-22
The Glace Bay Junior Miners were rushed out of the gate last October to make their league debut, but faired well and ended up making the playoffs before bowing out to the 1st place Strait Pirates in 6 games.
This time around, the Miners have had a full summer to prepare by signing players and hosting a full training camp.
"I know between (team co-owners Jordan Evasuk-MacDonald and Sonny MacDougall) they did a lot of work in the summer to attract a lot of attention and bring in some new players," said head coach Ryan Joe MacKenzie. " Everyone was ready to go right when we started a couple of weeks back with dryland and right into the on-ice sessions and just building on where we left off last season. We've got quite a few returning, so to build on that, it's pretty simple instead of starting from scratch last year."
MacKenzie took the reins when the Miners debuted a month into the 2010-11 season, after the Cape Breton Canadians franchise was revoked by the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League.
Glace Bay gets its first full season going on the road this weekend against the Sackville Blazers Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Sackville Arena. Sunday, they play the Eastern Shore Junior Mariners at the Eastern Shore Community Centre at 12:30 pm.
Players to watch like forwards Brett McCarron and Jordan Langlois are expected to lead the way both on and off the ice. The line of RJ Barrett, Ryan MacDougall and Cal McNeil has developed some great chemistry in pre-season play.
The team also brought in a pair of defensemen. Kevin Cormier and Taite Paul are former Maritime Junior Hockey League players looking to make an impact, joining veterans Brett Simmons and Scott Sampson. In goal, the Miners will rely on former Cape Breton Tradesmen Scott MacDonald and Saskatchewan native Keith Boon, both recently released from Bridgewater of the MHL.
MacKenzie is setting his goal for home-ice advantage in the playoffs this year as a team goal. "After last year making the playoffs, you have to set the bar higher and something to aim at," he said. "Hopefully, to get into the top two positions in our division this year will give us that advantage coming into playoffs and going forward."
"I know between (team co-owners Jordan Evasuk-MacDonald and Sonny MacDougall) they did a lot of work in the summer to attract a lot of attention and bring in some new players," said head coach Ryan Joe MacKenzie. " Everyone was ready to go right when we started a couple of weeks back with dryland and right into the on-ice sessions and just building on where we left off last season. We've got quite a few returning, so to build on that, it's pretty simple instead of starting from scratch last year."
MacKenzie took the reins when the Miners debuted a month into the 2010-11 season, after the Cape Breton Canadians franchise was revoked by the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League.
Glace Bay gets its first full season going on the road this weekend against the Sackville Blazers Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Sackville Arena. Sunday, they play the Eastern Shore Junior Mariners at the Eastern Shore Community Centre at 12:30 pm.
Players to watch like forwards Brett McCarron and Jordan Langlois are expected to lead the way both on and off the ice. The line of RJ Barrett, Ryan MacDougall and Cal McNeil has developed some great chemistry in pre-season play.
The team also brought in a pair of defensemen. Kevin Cormier and Taite Paul are former Maritime Junior Hockey League players looking to make an impact, joining veterans Brett Simmons and Scott Sampson. In goal, the Miners will rely on former Cape Breton Tradesmen Scott MacDonald and Saskatchewan native Keith Boon, both recently released from Bridgewater of the MHL.
MacKenzie is setting his goal for home-ice advantage in the playoffs this year as a team goal. "After last year making the playoffs, you have to set the bar higher and something to aim at," he said. "Hopefully, to get into the top two positions in our division this year will give us that advantage coming into playoffs and going forward."