Home Hardware Sponsored Kincardine Novice Kinucks – A Season in Summary!!
Writing my final article and wrapping up the Home Hardware-sponsored, Kincardine Novice Kinucks season, has left me with some mixed emotions, to be honest. Firstly, like any father, I am immensely proud of my own son’s contribution as well as that of his teammates. This was simply a great bunch of kids, whom I got to know a lot better throughout the season. All of them are a credit to their families.
Following the
exhilarating Chris Knott Tournament win, the season culminated in a 3-1 WOAA
play-off series loss, against the Mount Forest Rams. Losing the last two games
2-3 and 4-5, with a little more luck, Kincardine could have just as easily
claimed the trophy as their own! Even in defeat, you have to say that this was
a great series between two excellent teams.
Moving on, the
boys took to the ice for one final tournament, in Elmvale. Just as they had
done all season, they battled hard and made it through to the final, where they
lost out to the BCH Ice Dogs, in a 3-4 thriller. Again, we might not have
experienced the best of luck in the final, and as disappointing as the loss may
have been, you’ve got to give the kids a whole lot of credit for getting as far
as they did. There’s no shame losing in that manner, against a team that went
to the final of the International Silverstick.
Overall, the team and player
progress was quite astonishing, in my opinion.
This player
progress has to be attributed to the four members of the coaching staff, who
willingly gave up their time and shared their hockey knowledge with these kids.
I honestly don’t think the kids could have had better coaches and it’s probably
something that will stay with them, for the rest of their lives. It’s equally,
everything that the coaches were able to share with the kids, as well as the
manner in which they did it.
Head coach Greg
Tanner, led the way, as he always had a lot of patience and a ready smile, for the
players. Standing and watching the games unfold he’d sit down with each
individual player to give them advice, while they took a break on the bench.
Never did you see him raise his voice, unless it was one of the few occasions, it
was directed toward a deserving man in stripes!
The Assistant
coach Jason Swann, had a similar approach, often giving advice to these young
players on what to do or not to do, in certain situations, as they sat on the
bench. Again, the only time that you might have seen him raise his voice would
have been at some unusual officiating. That said; he was able to stop himself
from shouting at referees as he developed a great throwing arm, on the bench. I
don’t think there is a more accurate water bottle thrower, in the Province!
Doug ‘Atta Boy’
MacTavish is another guy who had a lot of patience with the players. ‘Nibs’
would always help the kids, showing them what they should be doing in a given
situation. In what is becoming a trend, the only time you saw his frustration
was following a bad call. The Dorchester Tournament, would really be the only
time that you saw him express any frustration, as he leapt around the bench,
veins pulsating in his head, like a scene from Planet of the Apes!!
Art Houghton was
also able to make a significant contribution. Sharing his own experiences with
our goalies, and it can’t be a coincidence that both Ryan Tanner and Kwade
Beisel went on to excel between the pipes. In a similar fashion to the previous
three, Art had a lot of patience and time for the kids, always willing to share
a laugh.
Last but not
least would be the Team Manager, Courtney Page. Her efforts cannot be ignored
as she did an absolutely outstanding job, probably setting the standard for all
on ‘How to do the Team Manager role’ with her weekly updates.
As far as the
players go, here is my take on it:
#1 - #14 – Ryan
Tanner. A genuinely nice and hugely talented kid, whether it is between the
pipes or on the wing. Some of the saves that he made will be the things that
stick with me when I think back upon this season. The one save against the
Kitchener Rangers really springs to mind, which was simply breath taking and
that’s no exaggeration! As a skater, I thought he really excelled in the first
Blyth Brussells game when he was given a particular role to play, as well as
the most recent semi-final against the Bancroft Jets, in the Elmvale
Tournament.
One final
lasting memory would have been early in the season, when he broke free from any
chasing skaters, only to realize he was heading for his own net! The look on
his Dad’s face was priceless, as well as Kwade Beisel’s in the Kincardine goal!
#30 - #15 –
Kwade Beisel. This is another player that contributed both between the pipes
and as a skater. Never would he be outdone by his goal tending partner, which
is the biggest compliment I can pay him. For me, the thing that made his
performances even more impressive was the fact that he was only six years old
when the season commenced. Like Ryan Tanner, his highlights were numerous, but
two that spring to mind were a one on one pad save against Saugeen Shores
that put us into the tournament semi finals, and his play-off game against Mount Forest,
when we beat them on their own ice. Kwade and Ryan formed a brilliant
goaltending partnership that will always be known as the Berlin Wall!
One lasting
memory for Kwade? The fact that the Santa that goes to his house isn’t quite as
good as the one that others get!
#2 – Noah Page.
This is a player that I felt would be a defensive linchpin for the team, at the
beginning of the season. Not only did he prove that he could do exactly that defensive
role, but he also went on to show he could do just as well as a forward.
Ironically, as the season came to a close he was continually getting better and
better, playing on the wing. He picked up key goals against both Mount Forest
Rams and the BCH Ice Dogs, showing that he was a player for the big occasion!
Like many kids at this age, he’s possibly not a naturally aggressive boy and
it’s something he’s developed as the season has progressed.
This leads me to
my lasting memory for Noah ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ Page….. from Quebec… as his coach
would say! This was the game prior to his Australian vacation, against Minto.
He was skating around the ice like a man possessed, playing aggressively and
getting involved in the play. This physical approach led to his first couple of
visits to the penalty box, as his Mother cheered loudly from the stands!!!
#3 – Quintin
Pagé. The team DJ is quite the character. Essentially, stepping up from Tyke
level, this kid is full of skills, goals and hard work. Hugely talented, I’m
sure that next years team will be looking for him to lead the way, as Noah
Swann did for us this year. As well as having speed and skill, Quintin always
turned up with 100% effort, which made him such an offensive handful for other
teams to deal with.
His skills and
goals provided me with a number of on-ice memories for the season. One goal
that does spring to mind was in the final seconds, away to Hanover. However, the things that will stick
with me the most are probably his changing room dancing and discussions around
how he keeps in shape for his girlfriends! A funny kid and a great player!
#4 – Holden
Stevenson. This was another player that I expected to be a defensive linchpin
at the season start, and he proved to be exactly that. Getting better and
better as the season progressed, you always knew what you would get from
‘Holden the blue line’ Stevenson. He’s just an excellent defenseman that will
only get better in the years ahead of him. A genuinely nice kid (which I could
say of all the players) he was an unofficial leader in the changing room.
Physically bigger than others, of his age group, I did feel that he was
regularly called for unjust penalties, purely because he’s a big tall boy.
A most memorable
moment for Holden? Easy!!! It was the game against the Kitchener Rangers Jr,
when their speedy winger broke towards our goal as we changed lines. Initially,
it looked like it was going to be a breakaway on our net, until Holden stepped
onto the ice. The timing of the line change was just perfect! Wham!!!!!!! The Kitchener forward must’ve
thought he’d hit a brick wall, as he lay on the ice with Holden just standing
there, towering over him! It was priceless..
#6 – Sam
MacTavish. ‘The Hair’ is another player that was getting stronger and stronger
as the season progressed. I know he would sometimes infuriate his Dad, but in
my opinion, I think a lot of this is just down to how much potential this kid has
got. This is another big boy that was becoming more and more willing to get
involved in the physical battles that led to key goals. He would regularly crop
up on the score sheet in big games. His speed and size will help him continue on
to be an excellent player in the coming years.
A most memorable
moment for Sam? Ironically, it’s not the key goals that he scored, although I
do immediately recall one play-off goal against Hanover. The one main thing that springs to
my mind is a penalty that he collected against Walkerton. Forever being reminded
by his Dad to skate hard and work hard, he certainly did that when he delivered
some kind of Hanson brother open ice hit against the oppositions forward!! I’m
not quite sure that is what ‘Nibs’ MacTavish meant during his pre-game team
talk!?
#7 – Cam Fletcher. Nicknamed ‘Chara’ by his coach, it’s a
little difficult to summarize your own son’s efforts. At the start of the
season, I felt he was looking a little lost playing out on the wing. The team
was looking for someone to step into defense and it’s this move that probably
really made his season. Certainly not the biggest kid on the team, he’s not
currently a player that’s going to stick handle his way through the opposition,
either. However, in fairness to him, he’s a fluid skater and his progress was
quite remarkable over the year. What he didn’t provide in goals, he made up for
in heart. Unlike his defensive colleague, Holden, what he got away with in potential
penalties, was almost criminal, because of his size!
Most memorable
moments? For me they’re probably around some of his ‘physical battles’..
Whether it was the ‘special friendship’ that he made with the Mount Forest
forward, in the final WOAA series, or the ‘pick on someone your own size’
moment against Petrolia Oilers? Even in the final game of the season, when the
BCH forward was scrambling to score against Ryan Tanner. ‘Chara’ skated in and
flattened him, only for the Ref to tell him ‘well done for protecting his
goalie!’… Maybe it was poetic justice that he spent the last one second of the
season in the penalty box, following one final tussle!!
#8 – Cody
McLelland. This is an easy summary, because this kid is just a brilliant player
and a top athlete. Whether it was playing in defense or forward, it didn’t
really matter. Wherever you play me, I’m just going to be brilliant.. That
seemed to be Cody’s approach. He is a player that any team would want on their
side, as he’s a phenomenal skater, skillful and relentless. He also sings crazy
songs in the changing room!
Highlights for
Cody? The things that spring to mind for him, apart from being excellent in
pretty much every game, are some of the breakaway goals that he would bury –
bar down! I remember him doing it in the Silverstick and in the final series
against Mount Forest.. Simply a great young player!
#9 – Carson Fletcher. ‘Teddy’
started the season a little bit like my son, to be honest. Looking a little
lost, he was the leagues most prolific ‘off-sider’ in the early stages!
However, he soon put that behind him and quickly became the all action, fast
skating winger that we all know. You knew exactly what you were going to get
from him, in every shift. He’d skate, skate and skate, as he was willing to
compete in every single physical battle to produce turnovers and chances for
his team.
My most
memorable moments for ‘Teddy’ were some superb one on one breakaway goals as
well as the Chris Knott Tournament, where his physical style resulted in him
having almost his own personal seat in the penalty box! Another genuinely nice
kid that is going to go on to be a great player in the coming years.. watch
this space..!!
#11 – Noah
Swann. What can I say about this kid, whom we relied upon so heavily? He scored
over 150 goals and racked up almost 200 points for the season! I can tell you
that, in my opinion, we did not face a single player in any team that caused us
as many problems as he did to the opposition(s). He’s talented beyond his years
and certain to go on to be a great player. His Dad will tell you that he can be
a handful to coach, yet I can tell you he also has the personality to look
almost embarrassed when you compliment him on a goal that he scored or an
assist that he made.
A memory for the
season? There were obviously many times when Noah scored crucial goals that
helped his team. I recall one goal, when he stick handled through the entire
team, only for the first two players that he’d beaten to have caught back up.
He stick handled past them both ‘again’ and scored! Seven players!
That said; even
after all of those great goals, in the Elmvale semi-final he skated through one
on one with the goalie before trying to set up Cam Fletcher, for his first goal
of the season. When he was complimented on his pass, after the game, he just
looked almost embarrassed!!
#12 – Caydence
Gibson. For some reason I always had a bit of a soft spot for Caydence, maybe
because she was the only girl on the team, which I thought couldn’t have been
too easy. Nonetheless she was the AP player on the team and whenever she was
called up she would never let them down. She’s another smooth skater that is
sure to go on to be a top player.
A lasting memory
of Caydence? That seems to be Mount Forest! It felt like
every time she played, it was against the top team in the division and she had to be driven to Mout Forest! Every time she
did it though, she never let anyone down!
#13 – Jesse
Pagé. This was another player that made the huge step up from essentially Tyke
level, to Novice Rep very impressively. I’m sure he will be another player that
the Novice Rep Team will look to lead the way, next year. He’s a player that
grew in confidence and contributed more and more, as the season progressed. You
would regularly see his name crop up on the score sheet, providing goals and
assists. More importantly, you could see him competing in those physical
battles for his team. He demonstrated this in the Elmvale Tournament, more than
ever. Whether he was in the corners in offensive situations, or back checking
for his defensive teammates, he would be out there giving his all.
The most
memorable memory for ‘The French Connection’? I have to admit that him blunting
his skates for the first game in Dorchester
does jump out! However, although there were games where he scored crucial
goals, the main one for me was his ‘hardest working’ player award in the Mount Forest
series. That probably summed his efforts up best.
#16 Brock
Courtney. How do I summarize the Brock Star? I see some similarities to the
summary that I gave my own son. Brock may not currently be a player that is
going to stick handle around three players and score a goal. However, he will
skate over and through three players and score a goal! Another great kid, he
only seems to have one setting when it comes to playing hockey. It isn’t 50%,
nor is it 75%! The only setting that Brock has is 100%! Whether he is on the
wing or in defense, you know exactly what you’re getting. If you’re in the
corner or against the boards, you’d better brace yourself for Brock’s arrival,
because it is full tilt 100%!!
What do I remember
about Brock’s year? I remember one thousand full bore attempts for the puck,
but more than that I recall a goal in Hanover.
Bar down, top corner, goal!!
#17 Jared
Houghton. The last player that made the leap from Tyke level, to Novice Rep.
Like a few of the other players, he looked a little overawed at the very start
of the season. Playing both in defense and as a forward, his confidence
steadily grew as the weeks passed by. Never once would he shy away from a
physical battle. His “thou shall not pass” nickname, proved to be very apt, as
the season wore on. When he returned to the blue line he really started to
thrive, proving himself to be a reliable defensemen and fierce competitor. I’m
sure that Jared will be another key member of the Novice Team, next year.
A lasting memory
for Jared? It would be an overall excellent season for Jared and the hardest
working player award being attributed to his younger brother Trent, following a
full season of issuing team jerseys!
So, that is all he
wrote folks! My final article! Great kids, hockey, coaches, players and
families! It was certainly a wonderful and new experience for my family and I.
Hopefully, we can do it all again, in the years to come.
Scoop Fletcher.
Over and Out!