wny hockey report
DESCRIPTION
Septermber 2011 Volume 1, Issue 2TRANSCRIPT
September 2011 Volume 1, Issue 2
Peca N
amed
Junior Sabre
s GMBuffalo Shamrocks &
Mark Messier
A Great Combo!
Community
Service
Develops
LeadershipBy Randy Schultz
Photos by Tom Barnett
Summertime is usually a time for Western New York youth hockey teams to relax. But for the
Buffalo Shamrocks hockey organization it is a time to give back.
“Ten years ago my wife and I discussed ideas of how we could come up with an idea of keep-
ing the kids in the Shamrocks organization together over the summer,” recalled Tom Barnett,
founder of the Buffalo Shamrocks. “We came up with several different ideas including visits to local
hospitals.“Then we came up with the idea for the zoo.”There were other ideas that Barnett wanted to implement with this program.“We wanted something where the kids could give something back to the community,” continued
Barnett. “And we wanted to have them do it as kids, instead of waiting until they were older as adults.“Plus, you have to remember that we are a non-resident program. We have kids in our program
from Buffalo, Snyder, Williamsville, Lancaster, Depew, East Aurora, Hamburg, Strikersville, Grand Is-land, Kenmore and Tonawanda.
“While we have a very high retention rate in our program, most of the kids don’t live that close to eachother. They would see each other during the hockey season, but what about the spring and summer?
“So I went to Donna Fernandes from the Buffalo Zoo and promoted the idea of our kids planting a garden, takingcare of it, harvesting it for the Zoo. I wanted a long term investment and a long term deal.
“After talking to Donna and members of their Board, I went home. A couple weeks went by and I ran into Donna. “That’s when she told me the good news that the Zoo’s Board liked the idea and wanted us to go ahead with it. We chose the area where
we wanted to start our garden.“That was 10 years ago. It has grown a little bit more every year and today is a pretty good size garden.“And we do everything with it. We plant it in the spring. “We water it, which was fun in the beginning when we had to carry buckets of water to water the garden. Today Donna makes sure that we
have a tap near the garden so we don’t have to carry buckets anymore.“We worked over the garden, pulled the weeds, each week or so doing a little more. Then we would harvest our crops which included
tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, among other things, and feed it to the animals in the zoo.“And we researched every vegetable we grow to make sure it won’t hurt the animals in the zoo. Even the flowers we grow can be eaten by
the animals.”So what have the kids found out about themselves?“It’s amazing to see how they work so well together,” answered Barnett. “You have snipers working along side the grinders on our teams. “The defenseman working with a goalie. They find out things about each other that they didn’t know before the project or see during the
regular season.“In the end it’s a real team building effort. Leadership also evolves, sometimes from players you wouldn’t expect it from.“In the end the kids see a complete cycle of life. Planting the plants and then harvesting the crop. It’s truly a ‘growing’ experience.“It’s a win-win situation for everyone.t
P.O.Box 302East Aurora,NY 14052
(716) 909-2961
Managing PartnerIan C. Woods
MarketingNed McDonnell
PublisherSteve Manson
Managing Editor& Senior
CorrespondentRandy Schultz
Designer & PhotographerJanet Schultz
ColumnistsWarren Kozireski
Janet SchultzDave ReichertMike Mroziak
Contributing Writers
James FinkMike HaimDave Ricci
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Contents 2011 Western New York
Hockey Report.All rights reserved.
Western New York Hockey September 2011 3
Western New York Hockey Report
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Cover Photo provided by Buffalo Shamrocks Hockey. Peca photo by Janet Schultz.
4 Western New York Hockey September 2011
Junior Sabres Take Chowder Cup TitleBy Michael Mroziak
ABuffalo Junior Sabres squad made up of players from theJunior A and 18-Under hockey levels went undefeated andclaimed the College Open Division Championship at the
2011 Chowder Cup Tournament in suburban Boston. This highlyacclaimed tournament attracts teams each year from all over theUnited States and Canada.
The Jr. Sabres opened the tournament on Thursday, July 21with a 3-0 shutout victory over Toronto-based Arsenal Hockey.Shane Bennett scored twice for the Jr. Sabres while Nick Berstadded his own tally. Tyler Fallica earned the shutout in the Buffalonet.
The Jr. Sabres’ next game the following day was essentiallyno contest, as the boys in blue and gold rolled over an undermannedNorth Coast Hockey Development squad from the Cleveland-Akronarea, 15-0. Kennedy Monaco scored a hat trick while Bennett, RyanSchmelzer, Connor Boyd and Nick Smith scored two goals apiece.Chris Luker, Dylan Howatt, Bryan Komasara and Nolan Sheeranscored single goals for Buffalo while goalie Parker Gahagen earnedthe shutout win.
Buffalo’s momentum carried into Saturday, July 23. Ben-nett’s 4-goal performance led the Jr. Sabres in an 8-2 win over oneof the local teams, the Mass Attack. Berst, Monaco, Max Mikowskiand Sean Patry completed Buffalo’s goal scoring. Tyler Fallica
started in the net for Buffalo and earned his second win of the tour-nament.
On Sunday, July 24 the playoff round began, played as a se-ries of one-period mini-games. Buffalo started its playoff run with a2-0 win over the Assabet Valley Patriots. Howatt and Sheeranscored Buffalo’s two goals. Next up was another Boston-area team,the New England Nordiques. Boyd opened the scoring about 2 min-utes into the game to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead but the Nordiquesevened the score just under 6 minutes later. Howatt’s goal restoredBuffalo’s lead while Bennett’s tally secured a 3-1 victory.
Next up on this busy Sunday was a match against the Que-bec Prospects, which the Jr. Sabres won, 4-1. Buffalo took the leadabout 8 ½ minutes into the contest on Komasara’s goal. Smith,Patry and Berst added goals, while Quebec’s Jordan Boucher-Gouldscored a late goal that did nothing more than foil Parker Gahagen’sshutout bid.
Buffalo then faced the Connecticut Yankees for the title, in agame that was low in scoring and high in rough play. Buffaloopened the scoring with Kollin Schultz’s goal 9:45 into the game.Mikowski’s power play goal built Buffalo’s lead but the Yankeesthreatened to tie the game late with its own power play tally. Buf-falo held on, though, to win the game and the Chowder Cup.
The players will soon report to their respective teams, withthe Buffalo Jr. Sabres’ Junior-A squad preparing to open its OntarioJunior Hockey League season on Saturday, September 10 at homeagainst Newmarket.t
Saturday, Sept. 10 vs Newmarket Hurricanes @ 7:30 p.m.Tuesday, Sept. 13 vs Oakville Blades @ 7:30 p.m.Sunday, Sept. 18 vs Burlington Cougars @ 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 20 vs Hamilton Red Wings @ 7:30 p.m.Monday, Sept. 26 vs Aurora Tigers @ 7:30 p.m.
All games are held on the Feature Rink at the Northtowns Center, Amherst
SeptemberHome
Games
The 2011-12 season is just weeks from starting. For me it begins when I re-
ceive the Buffalo Sabres training camp announcement and from there, it
rolls.
The news around the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation is that the
same number of schools and teams will participate this year. Funding is still an
issue for several of the teams but their supporters are out there fundraising and
friendraising. If you own a business, or are involved with a company that wants
to help let me know and I’ll direct you to the right person.
We look forward to having Monsignor Martin and Williamsville battle for
first place and hopefully, see the other five teams battle to boost them out. I know
the girls have been on the ice this summer, attending camps and keeping in
shape. We also will see some new faces as the Seniors have moved on.
Moving on for most means college and those coaches have been working
hard all summer getting their 2011 recruits into place.
Most Division I schools have their rosters up and I’m waiting to hear from
the DIII schools.
Niagara University’s Coach Chris
MacKenzie has selected WNY’er
Kelsey Welch as one of his eight new re-
cruits for this season.
Welch played 71 games during her
two years at Syracuse University, scoring
her first collegiate goal against Rensse-
laer in 2009. She was Team Captain and
MVP at Nichols High School and also
played with the Buffalo Bisons taking
the state championship six times and
going to nationals seven times.
His other recruits include
Kalli Funk of St. Paul,
Minn. Funk played
for Cretin-Durham
High School where
she was the leader in goals and points for the 2008 and
2010 seasons. Delaney Middlebrook also hails from St.
Paul where she played for St. Paul Academy and the
Minnesota Ice Caps. She holds the distinction of having
played the most varsity games with 157 and the most
points scored by a defenseman with 88.
Coming from across the border are Amy Helfrich of
Cochrane, Alberta. Helfrich played for the gold medal
team of the 2011 Canada Winter Games, Team Alberta.
She received an invitation to Team Canada U-18 in both
May 2010 and August 2010. Kayla Raniwsky is a for-
ward from Windsor where she played for WF Herman
Secondary School and led the Southwest Wildcats with
42 points in 36 games.
Erin Burns is a defenseman from Listowel, Ontario
and also comes from Syracuse University. She played in 38 games in her two
years with the Orange and was the CHA Rookie of the Week in November 2009.
Kelsey Gunn of Smith Falls played on Team Ontario’s U-18 Hockey Team and
was Smith Falls District Collegiate Institute 2009 Female Hockey Player of the
Year. Goalie Abby Ryplanski of Manitoba was a JWHL Liz Turgeon Player of the
Year nominee, named to the JWHL Second All-Star Team and was a member of
Team Manitoba from 2009 to 2011. She also competed in the 2011 Canada Win-
ter Games and played for the Balmoral Hall Blazers Prep Team.
“They bring a commitment to academics, community service and a team first
attitude,” said Coach MacKenzie of his new recruits. “I know they will compli-
ment our returning players as we attempt to win our first CHA championship in
2012.”
Overbeck Promoted on Buffalo State
Women’s Hockey StaffFormer standout player and current staff
member Jamie Overbeck has been promoted to
First Assistant Coach on the Buffalo State
Women's Hockey staff.
Overbeck joined the Bengals’ coaching staff
in 2007-08, one year after completing her four-year
playing career in the orange and black. In her new
role, she will play a key role in player-coach com-
munication as well as assisting with all other facets
of the program. Overbeck will also oversee all
alumnae relations for the program, including coordinating "Maddy's Game" the
annual women's hockey reunion game. Overbeck has additional previous coach-
ing experience as an assistant with the Ken-Ton Girls High School hockey team
during the inaugural season of the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League.
Syracuse Adds EightSyracuse, now in its third season, has added two defense and six forwards to
their roster. Kaillie Goodnough comes from Mannsville, New York and the Na-
tional Sports Academy. She recorded 39 goals, 78 assists and finished +100 in
her career at the Academy.
Four other players hail from the United States including Defense Jordyn
Burns, Shiann Darkangelo, Nicole Ferrara, Casey Hirsch and Allie LaCombe.
Burns, Chanhassen, Minn. led the Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School team
to an overall record of 76-16-6 during her four year career. She was Team MVP
and Team Captain in both her junior and senior years.
Darkangelo comes from Brighton, Michigan and was a member of Team
USA squad that won the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF Women’s World U18
Championship. While attending high school she played for Little Caesars tallying
71 goals and 80 assists in 192 games.
Ferrara of Winthrop, Mass., had 46 goals and 44 assists in the 79 games she
played in her career at Rivers School. She also has attended a number of USA
National Camps and competed for Assabet Valley, winning six National Champi-
onships from 2004-06 and 2008-10.
Hirsch comes from Maple Grove, Minn.
where she played center on the Maple Grove
high school team. She recorded 49 goals and
86 assists in her career and took part in the Na-
tional Development Camp. During the sum-
mers she played for the Minnesota Ice Caps
organization.
LaCombe joins her cousin Christina La-
Combe in Syracuse. LaCombe comes from
Eden Prairie, Minn. She was a semifinalist for
the 2011 Minnesota Ms Hockey Award and
ranks third all-time in career points at Eden
Prairie High with 173. She also played for the
Minnesota Wild Caps during the summer.
Forwards Laurie Kingsbury and Julie Kneer
come from Quebec. Kingsbury played her ca-
reer at Cegep de St. Laurent, where she
recorded 18 goals and 14 assists in 29 games.
and played with Team Canada at the IIHF
Women’s World U18 Championship in 2009
and 2010. Knerr had 17 goals and 28 assists in
59 games for John Abbott College. At College
Bourget she was the three-time Female Athlete
of the Year.
Cornell NewsEight members of the 2011-12 Cornell women’s ice hockey team have been
invited to the Canada Under-22 National Team Selection Camp. These women
are among 40 invited. No other program had more players invited. Invited were:
Goaltender Amanda Mazzotta; Defenseman Hayleigh Cudmore, Laura Forting,
Lauriane Rougeau; Forwards Jessica Campbell, Brianne Jenner, Chelsea
Karpenko, Jillian Saulnier and Catherine White. Karpenko was unable to attend.
In addition to those players invited, the Big Red’s Rebecca Johnson is a mem-
ber of the Canada National Women’s Team.
If you want to follow Cornell University Women’s Ice Hockey make sure you
go to Twitter (@Cornellsports); friend them on Facebook (Cornell Athletics) and
subscribe to YouTube channel (Cornell Athletics).
RIT Announces Class of 2015RIT Head Coach Scott McDonald announced the addition of seven student-
athletes to the RIT squad. They include four forwards, two defensemen and a
goalie.
Up front are Lindsay Grigg of Oakville Hornets; Julie Hall, Mississauga
Chiefs; Marissa Maugeri, Durham West Lightning and Celeste Brown from the
National Sports Academy.
On defense will be Emilee Bullied and Morgan Scoyne, both coming from
the Stoney Creek Sabres.
In net Ali Binnington comes from the Mississauga Chiefs where she helped
them take the Ontario Provincial Championship.
(continued on next page)
Western New York Hockey September 2011 5
Women’sIce Hockey
by Janet Schultz
Kelsey Welch
Jamie Overbeck
6 Western New York Hockey September 2011
McDonald also announced that Chelsea Walkland will join the women’s pro-
gram as an assistant coach. She will work on recruitment, game-day and practice
day preparation and mentor the RIT student-athletes. Walkland, a native of Henri-
etta, played at Division I Robert Morris and served as their Hockey Operations
Manager while working on her master’s degree in instructional leadership.
Walkland played for the Rochester Edge, serving as assistant captain from
2004-06 and also played two seasons of boy’s varsity hockey at Rush-Henrietta
High School where she took the Coaches Award in 2005. She also was with the
Western Region at the 2005 Empire State Games, taking the gold medal.
University of BuffaloIt’s been a hard year for the Lady Ice Bulls as they played the fourth hardest
schedule in the country last season with a really young team and one of the top
goalies in the country in Western New York’s own A.J. Sliwinski.
The majority of the team will return for the 2011 season keeping a strong core
of players. Along with Sliwinski, of Clarence, will be Buffalo’s Katelyn Bothwell
and Brittany Fields, Fallon Waxman (Long Island), Katie Wrona (Massachusetts),
Alison Edwards (Ogdensburg) and Chelsea Eppolito (Clayton).
Two WNY’ers are joining the Lady Ice Bulls this year. Lockport’s Alexandria
Colling and Kenmore’s Maggie Ryan will be among the new faces on the ice.
“We usually get quality walk on’s that show up on tryout days,” said Coach
Jody Rosen.
Girls Hockey Day SetUSA Hockey is looking for associations and rinks to host opportunities to cel-
ebrate, build awareness and grow girls’ hockey. In order to do this they have set
Sunday, October 2, as Girls’ Hockey Day across the United States.
They are asking organizations to host events that will bring girls to the rink to
learn the sport. If your organization is interested in taking part go to the USA
Hockey website at usahockey.org. Ideas include a season kick-off party, skating
party, and skills clinic.
If you do schedule an event please contact WNY Hockey Report, Janet
Schultz, at [email protected].
Note: A correction to the WNYGVIH All League Selections. Under Honorable
Mention it should have been Katie Page from Frontier/Orchard Park, not Grace.
Both Grace and Katie play. t
North Buffalo Bisons Bantam A TravelALL Bantam Majors and Minors Welcome!
INCLUDES Skating clinic conducted every other week throughout the ENTIRE SEASON!
We will participate in at least 3 tournaments.
EVERYONEwill have
fun and learn!
716-
832-
7495
Coach Tom 716-832-7495 or Wendy 716-465-8667
STILL LOOKING FOR A FEW PLAYERS
FOR THE UPCOMING 2011 - 2012 SEASON
Buffalo Junior Sabres:
Where The Past & Future MeetBy Michael Mroziak
When he joined the
Buffalo Sabres in
1995, Michael Peca
quickly rose to become a team
leader and a fan favorite. His strong
play earned him the National
Hockey League’s Selke Award
(best defensive forward) in
1997. He captained the
Sabres during their run to
the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.
The captain is coming
back to lead, this time in the
front office of the junior-A
hockey team bearing the
same name and colors he
once wore. On August 4,
Michael Peca was intro-
duced as the new general
manager of the Buffalo Jun-
ior Sabres.
“I am most looking for-
ward to getting to know
these kids and start getting
their young careers and
dreams headed in the right
direction,” said Peca.
“Along with that, I am very eager to start getting around the Western New York
area and scouting the great talent pool we have here. We want to provide a pro-
gram that is as good as any in the country.”
Peca is the fourth former Sabres player to currently hold a role with the jun-
ior team, which is co-owned and operated by the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Associa-
tion.
Larry Playfair, who is president of the Alumni Association, is also the junior
team’s president. Grant Ledyard is the team’s head coach. Ric Seiling, who has
spent the past few seasons broadcasting for the Rochester Americans, will serve
as the play-by-play announcer for Junior Sabres broadcasts.
Since the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association bought the
team in 2008, Ledyard had been handling both general manager and coaching du-
ties. By bringing Peca aboard, Ledyard will be freed to focus more on coaching
and player development. As Playfair explained, Ledyard faces the challenge of
preparing a squad that will take on intensified competition in the Ontario Junior
Hockey League, where the Junior Sabres are the only U.S.-based franchise.
“Grant Ledyard has shouldered the lion's share of work for the Junior Sabres
for the past two seasons,” said Playfair. “The OJHL has contracted down to 27
teams from 36 in the past two season. The competition has become better. It will
be important that we allow Grant to spend more time coaching and in order to do
this we had to take some stuff off of his plate.
“With Michael interested in helping out, it was a perfect fit. Michael is
going to take over some of the duties that Grant was doing and allow Grant to
concentrate more on what Grant is very, very good at, and that’s coaching.”
The Sabres Alumni have made it their mission to build the Junior Sabres into
a model program not just for Western New York but also for junior hockey
throughout the U.S. Among those impressed with their efforts so far is the com-
missioner of the league in which the Junior Sabres compete.
“The Buffalo Junior Sabres are in a very unique position having the Sabres
Alumni Association involved with the team,” said OJHL commissioner Marty
Savoy. “The addition of Michael Peca to the management team and Ric Seiling as
the team's broadcaster would be a tremendous addition for any team in the OJHL.
With Michael and Ric joining ex-Sabres Grant Ledyard and Larry Playfair, the
Sabres Alumni are getting directly involved with the support of the Junior Sabres
and their goal to advance the education and hockey careers of their players.”
Although the team has been in existence since the 1970s, many local hockey
fans remain unaware of the junior team and its history of advancing players to
NCAA college hockey. The Junior Sabres, which also competed under the names
Niagara Scenics and Buffalo Lightning during its history, have also helped shape
careers in the NHL for players including Brian Gionta, Ryan Callahan, Todd
Marchant, Aaron Miller, Kevyn Adams, Bob Beers and Jeff Farkas.
“I want all our best players from Western New York and surrounding area to
look at our program as their undisputed first choice,” Peca said. “I cringe watch-
ing a lot of our best kids moving away at 15 to 17 years old to go somewhere
else. I want to change that.”
More recently, the Junior Sabres have made their presence more noticeable
in the local hockey community. This past spring, for exam-
ple, the Sabres and Sabres Alumni struck a deal
with the Buffalo Regals youth organization to
rename two of its divisions Junior Sabres
16-Under and Junior Sabres 18-Under.
Also this spring, more than 200 prospects
attended the Junior Sabres’ tryouts at the
Northtown Center at Amherst.
“I think word is getting out
that we’re starting to move,”
said Playfair. “But we’re not
anywhere where we want
to be.”
Lest we forget,
this team is also co-
owned by Terry Pegula,
whose purchase of the
Buffalo Sabres last Feb-
ruary sparked a new ex-
citement among Sabres
fans. He has invested
considerable dollars to re-
build the Sabres, both its
roster and its facilities within
HSBC Arena. The Junior
Sabres, oddly enough, may
benefit more from one of Peg-
ula’s other major hockey in-
vestments.
Before buying the Sabres, Pegula invested millions to help build a new arena
at Penn State University, which is launching a NCAA Division I-A hockey pro-
gram. Could there be an ironic return on his investment in the future, with Junior
Sabres shaping Penn State’s new era in college hockey?
“They know we’ve got a lot of great hockey players in Buffalo, New York,”
said Peca. “They see an opportunity to have great hockey players from Western
New York possibly start filling spots with the Penn State Nittany Lions.
“There’s a great synergy throughout the whole organization to allow this to
be a very strong program, and that’s what our mission is.”t
Sabres Alumni:
Working on a Miracle
In the meantime, the Sabres and Sabres Alumni have also worked to change
their community, not just in hockey. This month in Grand Island, for exam-
ple, Sabres officials
including former players
will help open and dedi-
cate the Miracle League
of Grand Island and
Western New York, a spe-
cially built baseball dia-
mond that features a
smooth surface to allow
physically challenged
children to enjoy baseball
like their peers.
“(Former Sabres co-
owner) Dan DiPofi said to some of the alumni, we ought to get together and do
something big,” explained Playfair. “He said ‘let’s find something really unique
and something we can do.’ This actually came along at the right time.“
Funds provided by the Sabres Alumni and Sabres Foundation were raised
through 50-50 split club sales at Sabres home games. t
Western New York Hockey September 2011 7
Grant Ledyard (l) and Larry Playfair (r) welcome the return of
Michael Peca to Buffalo! Peca will serve as the General Manager
of the Buffalo Junior Sabres. (Photo by Michael Mroziak)
Miracle Field under construction this Spring.
(Photo by Janet Schultz)
On July 26, repre-sentatives fromCanisius and Ni-
agara met with CCHACommissioner FredPletsch and two mem-
bers of the league’s executive committee (Ferris StateAthletics Director Perk Weisenburger and BowlingGreen State Associate Athletics Director Jim Elsasser) to explore the opportuni-ties of the four current members of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) join-ing the CCHA. Mercyhurst and Robert Morris also attended the meeting.
"We had very open and honest discussions with representatives of the fourschools from the AHA," said Pletsch. "And we are committed to having furtherdialogue in the future to potentially accommodate those schools, while represent-ing the interests of our member schools that are committed to staying in theCCHA for the 2013-14 season and beyond."
After the meeting, which took place on the campus of Mercyhurst College inErie, Pa., the four current members of Atlantic Hockey released these comments:
"We had a very frank and open discussion with Commissioner Pletsch andmembers of his executive committee about joining the CCHA. The CCHA offersseveral exciting opportunities for our institutions, however each of us feels theneed to bring the information we discussed back to campus and discuss it withour school president and our hockey staff."
The meeting with the CCHA is in response to a drasticrealignment of the college hockey landscape which will in-clude and Big Ten conference and a National CollegiateHockey conference to both begin in 2013-14. The CCHAwill lose Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State to theBig Ten conference and Miami of Ohio to the NCHC. Thestatus of Notre Dame and Western Michigan was also un-decided as of this writing.
The rest of the CCHA includes Lake Superior State,Ferris State, Bowling Green and Alaska-Fairbanks, whichfor the most part makes geographical sense with the fourAtlantic Conference teams.
R.I.T.
The Tigers will induct Tyler Euverman (2003) as one of seven individualsand one team into the Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies on October 16th.
The Surrey, British Columbia native was an All-American and three-timeAll-ECAC selection. While he was in net, RIT competed in three NCAA DivisionIII Championships.
In 2001 and 2002 he was the NCAA Division III statistical champion in win-ning percentage and was also MVP of two ECAC playoffs.
For his career, Euverman posted an 83-13-5 record with a .918 save percent-age and 2.43 goals against average. He holds school marks for lowest GAA in aseason (1.74 in 2001-02), highest save percentage in a season (.935 in 2001-02),lowest GAA in a career (2.43 from 1999-2003), highest save percentage in a ca-reer (.918) and most shutouts in a season (seven in 2000-01).
NIAGARA
Greece native and former Purple Eagles defenseman Pat Oliveto was namedAssistant Coach. “I am very pleased to welcome Pat and his family back to theNiagara University community,” Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder said onthe Niagara website. “He was a role model on and off the ice as a student-athlete.His experience as a professional player and his most recent coaching tenure atBuffalo State made him the best candidate for the coaching vacancy with NiagaraHockey. He brings a great deal of passion and energy back to his alma mater. Hetruly is the perfect fit to our staff.”
Oliveto played on the blueline for Niagara recording 10 goals, 46 assists and56 points in 138 games. The Greece native was a member of the 2004 NCAATournament team while earning CHA All-Rookie team honors and was on con-secutive CHA regular season championship teams (2005-06 and 2006-07) includ-ing serving as team captain his senior season.
Following graduation Oliveto spent two seasons in the East Coast HockeyLeague with the Mississippi Sea Wolves, before spending two seasons as an assis-tant coach with the Buffalo State Bengals.
CANISIUS
Cory Conacher signed an American Hockey League contract with the Nor-folk Admirals. He finished his four-year Griffins career holding 12 different teamrecords.
“Signing with Norfolk and getting the opportunity to go to the Tampa BayLightning camp is a dream come true," Conacher said on the Canisius website. "Iplan on continuing to improve as I am now faced with a new coaching staff and anew set of teammates and I plan on learning a lot from them. I am really lookingforward to my time with the Norfolk Admirals. Both the team and the organiza-
tion are run so well and I am excited to prove that theyhave made a terrific decision."
Scott Moser and Preston Shupe will serve ascaptains of the Golden Griffin hockey program for the2011-12 campaign.
"These two players are terrific student-ath-letes who are excellent leaders and role models on andoff the ice," Smith said. "They follow in the footsteps
of many great captains dating back to our first varsity captain in Joe Casaci. Ourcaptains have gone on to great careers and have carried with them the responsibil-ity of leadership throughout their lives."
Moser, who served as an assistant captain during his junior campaign, set ca-reer highs with 21 points and nine goals last season to go along with 12 assists.During his first three seasons with the Griffs, the Tonawanda, N.Y. native has ap-peared in 98 career games with 49 points, 16 goals and 33 assists.
Shupe played in 32 games as a sophomore during the 2010-11 season, total-ing 24 points, 10 goals and 14 assists. The team's Rookie of the Year during the2009-10 campaign, Shupe has totaled 49 points, 20 goals and 29 assists in 69 ca-reer games as a Griff.
SUNYAC
League officials voted to move to the two-two referee/linesman system forthe upcoming season. In doing so, they are the first Division III league to followthe Division I model.
GENESEO
Two 1981 hockey standouts will be among those inducted into the GeneseoSports Hall of Fame in ceremonies on September 24.
Teammates Keith Hyde and Jeff Stitt will become the 11 and 12 hockey play-ers inducted and the first since John Keady and Mark Breeden went in with the2007 class.
Hyde was a three-time All-SUNYAC selection while Stitt was named to thepostseason squad twice. Stitt is still fourth all-time in career goals while Hyde is13 and 14 all-time in career points and assists respectively.
FREDONIA
Head coach Jeff Merideth, heading into his 24th year behind the Blue Devilsbench stands 50th all-time in college hockey coaching wins. He needs just nine totie former Canisius head coach and fellow Brockport alumni Brian Cavanaughwith 342 victories.
BROCKPORT
It was ten years ago that Brockport High School ice hockey goaltender NickUnger had a magical senior season helping his Blue Devils to a 25-2 season andtheir first berth in the State Final Four before losing in the quarterfinals. The teamwould go on to win the State Championship one year later.
Now Unger is returning home as Assistant Ice Hockey coach at the Collegeat Brockport.
“I did want to come home,” said Unger by phone as he was packing for hismove from Worcester, Massachusetts back to Western New York. “Even as a littlekid playing Tri-County (Youth Hockey) I always wanted to be a part of Brockporthockey.
“Now, after being in Massachusetts for seven years plus more when I went toschool, it’s going to be great to be back with family and friends to a place that Isincerely have a soft spot in my heart for.”
“That year we had my senior year I think helped prepare the team for what itwould take to win in the State tournament.”
After his high school career ended, Unger briefly attended SUNY Canton butthen came back to play junior hockey with the Buffalo Lightning (now called theJunior Sabres). Then he played at Nichols College.
After college graduation and summer internship with the New York Rangersof the National Hockey League, Nichols offered him an assistant coaching posi-tion where he has spent the last three years. He has also been the General Man-ager and Director of Hockey Operations for Puckmasters Hockey Training inMarlborough, Mass.
Unger joins the staff of Brian Dickinson, who begins his 15th season behindthe Golden Eagles bench. He will be the primary recruiter, handle breaking downgame video and coach the defensemen and goaltenders.
“My main job will be to find players who fit what we’re trying to accom-plish,” said Unger. “I can’t wait to get started.”t
COLLEGE REPORTby Warren Kozireski
8 Western New York Hockey September 2011
Subscribe to WNY Hockey Report. Receive One Full Season for $15 and
access to WNYHockeyReport.comGo to WNYHockeyreport.com or call (716) 909-2961
Western New York Hockey September 2011 9
The July article of Hockey Timeline: Goals and Plans for a successful 2011-12 season reviewed the establishment of goals and season planning. Asteams begin their season, it is time to implement the actions deemed neces-
sary to achieve the goals that were established during the season planning process.As the season progresses, circumstances will require modifications to the seasonplan. Nevertheless, the season plan that was developed prior to the season willstill provide the primary structure to keep your team on track toward its goals.
Again, the Team Season Plan should establish specific goals, objectives andpriorities and include the following training elements:*Physical (ex., endurance, speed, agility, etc.)
*Technical (ex., skating, shooting, passing, etc.)*Tactical (ex., individual offensive, team offensive play, etc.)*Mental (ex., relaxation, concentration, motivation, etc.)
The final component of the Team Season Plan is a methodology toexecute the season’s activities in a manner that is aligned with theachievement of the established goals. Therefore the Season Plan ulti-mately is embedded in the following tactical activities:
Practice PlansIt is important to script out your practice plan for the entire season to
ensure that the plan is structured to allow teaching of all the planned train-ing elements. A series of practices will be combined to form a trainingsegment. When constructing the training segments keep the following inmind:
Be systematic: each element of the program has a set goal sup-ported by a specific objective in pursuit of that goal
Be sequential: the program follows a logical sequence from easyto hard and simple to complex
Be progressive: training loads are increased to force the body toadapt to the training demands.
All this will help ensure continuous optimal performance improve-ment and peak performance at the end of the season. Especially with lim-ited ice time (due to cost and/or availability) it is important to have a clearplan for each practice throughout the season. This same topic was dis-
cussed in the August 2011 edition (The Fine Art of Practice Plans; page 12) ofUSA Hockey Magazine.
Assessing Team and Coaching Performance Ongoing: Make recommendations after each practice or game. Drill sheets
and game cards should have input areas.End of Training Segment: Note whether objectives set out were met. If so,
you are on track. If not, make adjustments for next segment.Sources of Information: Sources come from you, players, coaching staff and
any other related persons to the program.Continued on Page 13
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WNY Hockey
Report
Product Highlights
& Reviews
Players are able to work on skating off-ice on HPHD’s Skating Treadmill,
building their strength and speed. (Photo provided by HPHD.)
Hockey Timeline: Implementing the Season Plan
By Steve Thomson, HPHD Staff Writer-Owner
10 Western New York Hockey September 2011
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West Seneca Youth Hockey Association
By Randy Schultz
The Buffalo Shamrocks Hockey Club and Mark Messier/Cascade Sports have
partnered together in an international educational, marketing and advertising
program to promote the M11 hockey helmet, as well as address the issue of
concussions.
“The Shamrocks are the first program globally to initiate a program-wide
safety-first mandate exclusively using the highest rated head protection available,”
commented Tom Barnett, co-founder of the Shamrocks. “There are over 500 teams
from around the world that use the Messier helmet.
“But we are the only organization that has the entire organization using the
M11. We felt that it was the best way to go in protecting our players.
“In addition, the Shamrocks have developed an educational program for our en-
tire coaching staff and managers. It’s called a ‘Return-to-Play Protocol’ program. It
will instruct coaches and managers to identify an injury and when the player in
question will be allowed to come back.”
According to Barnett, the Protocol program almost
came to him like a gift from heaven.
“A friend of mine came to me regarding a young
man she knew of who was returning to the Western
New York area to do a college internship program,”
said Barnett. “She had talked to him and found out
that he had played hockey in college and now wanted
to give something back to the game.
“So this young man, whose name is Zak Juliano,
got in touch with me and we had a meeting. During
the meeting I gave him a tour of the Shamrocks office
and showed him the Messier project, including the
helmet, that we were now involved in.
“It was at that point that he indicted that his stud-
ies for his past two years in college dealt with mild
traumatic brain injuries. That caught my attention im-
mediately.
“He indicated to me that he had come up with a protocol to identify concus-
sions. He had a 26-page booklet as well as a power point presentation.
“This young man has now been approved to be our Safety Advisor. He is going
to present copies of his paper and power point presentation.”
The Messier Project, in conjunction with the Shamrocks, is an all-encompassing
grassroots and education initiative which aims to change priorities in hockey by en-
couraging athletes to play smart and choose the best protective equipment.
“When it comes to reducing the risk of concussions, protective equipment for
that must come first,” continued Barnett, the first-ever winner of the Bridgestone
Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award. “There is no doubt that players and their
families spend big money on skates and sticks.
“So priorities must change so that head protection comes first. When you think
about what is at stake, safety for the head must be the number one priority.”
The relationship between the Shamrocks and Messier goes back to Barnett win-
ning the Messier Leadership award.
“We’ve maintained in contact with each other since that time,” stated Barnett.
“I found that Mark believed in what we believed in as an organization regarding
hockey: sportsmanship, team play and personal responsibility.
“Our philosophies regarding how he thought youth hockey should be played
and how we thought it should be played were very much alike. In the end Mark re-
ally felt that our organization should be the one that wore his helmet throughout
the entire organization.
“He said what about at the beginning of the season when our organization
meets, in addition to getting a jersey and a pair of socks, they would also get the
best helmet in the market place.
“I thought it was a great idea. My only concern was the cost because hockey is
an expensive sport.
“I brought the idea to our board. They thought it was a great idea.
“But at the same time, how do we add $155 to the players bill? The more we
thought about it the more it became a no-brainer.
“They needed a hockey helmet anyway, right? And how many times have you
gone into a hockey rink and saw players wearing helmets that didn’t fit right in
some way, shape or form?
“We did the research over and over again. We found that there was no better hel-
met in the market.
“In the end, we were fair to our families. We instituted the helmet as our head-
gear last year, but we gave all the families one year to fall into compliance.
“We had the Messier Group come in to fit our kids with their helmets. We did it
the right way.”
Barnett also recalled an incident last season when the value of the helmet to a
players head paid off.
“The Buffalo Shamrocks were playing
the Regals in a game last season. It was a
very competitive and good game.
“On one particular play the puck was
dumped into the Shamrocks zone. Two
players, one from the Shamrocks and the
other from the Regals were chasing the
puck.
“The puck went behind the net. Both
players were going full tilt.
“The Shamrocks player, Millard
Young, caught an edge with his skate. He
went into the boards, hitting the back of
his head with full force.
“We thought right away this kid was
hurt badly. He was motionless.
“The crowd was extremely quiet. Play-
ers went to one knee.
“The entire coaching staff ran out on the ice and circled
around him. It wasn’t a pretty situation.
“All of a sudden Millard rolled on his back, got up and
immediately went to the faceoff circle as though nothing had
happened.
“The coaches took him to the end of our bench, sat him
down and went through the procedure that you go through when somebody has had
a possible concussion. Millard sat there answering all our questions and smiling.
“He remained on the bench for the rest of the game, just as a precautionary
measure. After the game we were in the lockerroom.
“One of the coaches happened to take a look at Millard’s helmet. That’s when
we discovered that the helmet had been split in two in the back.
“The helmet had taken the full impact of the hit and the player walked away
from it.
“Millard got a new helmet. The organization kept the old one.
“It is now in our trophy case. We think the Messier helmet works.
“We think we have living proof that it works.”t
Western New York Hockey September 2011 11
Shamrocks Use of Messier Helmet Proven Effective
“One of the coaches
happened to take a
look at Millard’s
helmet. That’s when
we discovered that
the helmet had been
split in two in the
back.” -- Tom Barnett
Co-founder, Buffalo Shamrocks
Shamrock Team
Photo courtesy
Buffalo
Shamrocks.
Tom Barnett
Photo by
Janet Schultz
Buffalo Shamrocks taketo the ice
in their new M11 Helmet.
12 Western New York Hockey September 2011
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Western New York Hockey September 2011 13
Hornets Punctuate the End of an Era with
Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roll Tournament VictoryBy Wayne Morlock and Tommy Mullen
The weekend
of April 8
through 10
was a special one for
what turned out to
be the last amateur
hockey team to play
wearing the black
and purple of the
Buffalo Hornets.
First, the 18U team
was taking the ice
for the last time as a
unit as many of the
boys were aging out and moving on to college club, junior hockey and whatever
else life brings. Second, the Hornets who have been in existence since 1974 will
be playing going forward under their parent Buffalo Stars colors and logo. So it
was a special weekend for these boys just to compete in this, their final tourna-
ment, the Cleveland Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roll Open.
Assembling a team that didn’t play together last Fall, with some not playing
for two years, Coach Tommy Mullen, rolled the dice to create one last memory
for the boys that he had guided over the years.
The weekend began with a hard fought 3-1 loss to the Markham Waxers, a
AAA club from the Toronto area. Travis Densmore netted the only Hornet goal
off a nice feed from Brandon Dombrowski.
The Saturday morning matchup pitted the Hornets against the Cleveland
Blues in a must win game. A tight checking chess match ensued as the score re-
mained 0-0 after two periods. Hornet's goaltender Evan Korn made several great
stops to keep his team within reach. Early in the third period, Buffalo winger
Ricky Cartwright found himself alone at the side of the Cleveland net and pro-
ceeded to execute “The Michigan” by throwing it over the startled Blues goalie.
The move and the game’s first goal seemed to stun the Cleveland squad and in-
spire his teammates. Then the Hornet’s fierce fore-check took over and opened
the floodgates. Goals from George Zimmerman, Brandon Dombrowski (2) and
Bryan Clark rounded out the scoring in a 5-0 win. Corey Swift, Brian Clarke,
Tommy John Mullen, Ryan Mullen and defensemen Zack Morlock and Jonathon
Skorka assisted on the goals. Evan Korn earned the shutout in goal after an 18
month hiatus from playing ice hockey.
Moving on to Saturday night, the Hornets needed a win to play in the Cham-
pionship game on Sunday, a loss and their tournament would be over. The deter-
mined Hornets played the Euclid Panthers in a rough, hard hitting battle. Buffalo
took a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by Bryan Clark from Skorka. The lead was
extended to 3-1 in the second period on goals by Skora and Corey Swift, with
helpers from Dombrowski and TJ Mullen. Korn kept the Panthers off the board
the rest of the way and the final remained 3-1.
The championship was a rematch of the 2-1 Hornets and the 3-0 Waxers.
Buffalo drew first blood as Ricky Cartwright went top shelf for a 1-0 lead. The
helper was credited to Brandon Gallo. The Hornets were not done, as Corey Swift
once again scored late in the first period to jump up 2-0 at the end of one. The
lead allowed the Hornets relentless fore-check to go to work bottling-up the
Markham defense and preventing clean breakouts. The solid Buffalo defense with
Morlock, Skorka, Captain Tyler Olejniczak, Joey Bauer and Ryan Okon pro-
ceeded to own the neutral zone and frustrate the Waxers. The Hornets hit a rough
patch in the third period as they found themselves two men short with a 2-1 lead.
The penalty killers, together with the eventual tournament MVP Korn, stood
tall and prevented the tying goal. Brandon Gallo finished off Markham with a tip-
in off a nice feed from Kyle Swift.
The last weekend was truly a total team effort. Kyle Hartl and Will Kuettle
backed-up Evan Korn over the weekend. Assisting Head Coach Tommy Mullen
were Justin Mullen, Norm Robinson, Bill Gallo and Jim Bauer. “Thank you for
bringing us together as a team”! t
Sabres Set Preseason Schedule
The Buffalo Sabres have announced their 2011 preseason schedule.
The team will play seven games, including two at HSBC Arena.
Ticket information for each home game will be announced at a later
date.
The Sabres will begin their preseason slate at home on Monday, Septem-
ber 19 when the Carolina Hurricanes visit HSBC Arena. The Sabres will
then travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Wednesday, September 21.
The team will participate in a home and home series with the Toronto Maple
Leafs starting at the Air Canada Centre on Friday, September 23 and then at
HSBC Arena on Saturday, September 24. After a game on the road in
Columbus the following day (Sunday, September 25), the team will travel to
Washington on Friday, September 30 to face the Capitals.
The Buffalo Sabres will also play an exhibition game against Adler
Mannheim at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, as
part of the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge to complete the 2011
preseason schedule.
Below is the 2011 preseason schedule:
Mon., Sept. 19 Carolina at Buffalo 7 p.m. (HSBC Arena)
Wed., Sept. 21 Buffalo at Montreal 7:30 p.m.(Bell Centre)
Fri., Sept. 23 Buffalo at Toronto 7 p.m. (Air Canada Centre)
Sat., Sept. 24 Toronto at Buffalo 7 p.m. (HSBC Arena)
Sun., Sept. 25 Buffalo at Columbus 5 p.m. (Nationwide Arena)
Fri., Sept. 30 Buffalo at Washington 7 p.m. (Verizon Center)
Tue., Oct. 4 Buffalo at Adler Mannheim, TBA (SAP Arena –
Mannheim, Germany)t
(Continued from Page 9)
How to Assess and Get Information: One on one interview. Prepare some questions and leave the opportu-
nity for open-ended discussionQuestionnaires. Keep them short and to the point.Group discussion. A meeting can be conducted in the presence or ab-
sence of the coach(es). List specific items about which you want commentary.Analysis of statistical data. Stats will be used to support or negate
other information; not to stand on its own.Comparative analysis. Compare preseason objectives and actual per-
formance outcomes.
Game/Competition PlansThe season is typically broken down into the follow sub-seasons:
Pre Season, b) Competitive I, c) Competitive II, d) PostseasonEach sub-season will have unique objectives that will build upon the prior
period. Sample Objectives:Pre Season
Specific skill developmentCompetition attitudeEstablish routineIncrease general strengthIncrease specific strengthIncrease specific endurance
Competitive IMaintain developed qualities Systems developmentIncrease work capacity
Competitive II Maintain developed qualitiesPeak appropriately
Post Season Regeneration and recuperation Focused/Personalized Individual Skill DevelopmentLimited Game Competition in support of Skill Development
Specific performance objectives can also be set during the Competitivephases and adjusted based on statistical data, such as:
Number of winsGoals for or against (overall and per game)Shots for or against (per game)Special team efficiency
HPHD Staff Writer HPHD instructors are trained to develop hockey skills for players of all agesand levels. High Performance Hockey Development (HPHD) Training Centersoffer a variety of programs to accelerate the hockey development of players,teams and coaches in Western New York.t
Reach customers by ADVERTISING inWNY Hockey Report and on WNYHockeyreport.comGo to WNYHockeyreport.com or call (716) 909-2961
As the weeks went by this summer, Ted Nolancouldn't help but notice the number of coachingpositions being filled by teams at all levels of
hockey.Throughout it all, his phone never rang once.At least it didn't until late last week when the des-
perate Latvian hockey federation placed a long dis-tance call and offered him the chance to coach thestruggling national team. He barely hesitated before ac-cepting the position.
"You've just got to have faith and belief that thingswill work out," Nolan told The Canadian Press onWednesday. "My perseverance and my patience havebeen really, really tested. I sent out resumes to teams(in North America) to see if there's any coaching va-cancies within their organization and received noreplies.
"It's kind of tough to go through it, but maybe Ijust didn't fit in."
Nolan is no stranger to feeling like an outsider. Hewaited nine years to get another coaching job afterparting ways with the Buffalo Sabres in 1997 -- follow-ing a season where he won the Jack Adams Award --and has said in the past that he believes racism played arole in the long hiatus.
An Ojibwa from the Garden River First NationReserve in northern Ontario, Nolan's last coaching stintwith the New York Islanders ended in 2008.
He most recently spent two years as vice-presidentof hockey operations with the AHL's Rochester Ameri-cans but longed to get back behind the bench.
"I've been sending out resumes here for the lastnumber of years and not getting a phone call back,"
said Nolan. "Then all of a sudden you get a call from a(national team), which was very humbling. I'm veryhonoured."
The hockey-mad Baltic countryhas fallen on hard times. Latvia'sworld ranking dropped to 12th after adisappointing 13th-place finish at theIIHF World Hockey Championship inMay, costing former coach OlegsZnaroks, two assistants and generalmanager Sandis Ozolinsh their jobs.
That led to a "difficult" summer forthe entire federation, according to president KirovsLipmans, who indicated five candidates were consid-ered for the coaching job.
"We were looking for a neutral, authoritativecoach with lots of experience and good hockey knowl-edge," said Lipmans. "This is exactly what we foundwith Ted Nolan."
Nolan's credentials were so strong that he wasgiven the job without a formal interview. The 53-year-old signed a one-year deal that includes an option foradditional years.
He'll visit Riga for the first time later this monthand plans to do a fair amount of travelling back andforth from his permanent residence in Canada.
It promises to be a challenge unlike any he's facedbefore as a coach -- and not just because of potentialcultural or language barriers. Unlike the pace of a re-lentless NHL season, there will be a lot of time to pre-pare for big events like the world championship.
"Now I get to see all the names on the board, I'llget to watch (the players) all season and see what
works with what," said Nolan. "It's kindof like putting a big jigsaw puzzle to-gether for six or eight months and then
all of a sudden you have competition."It's a unique experience. It's going
to be fun and exciting."A handful of former NHLcoaches have taken jobs
with European nationalteams in recent years.
Curt Fraser andGlen Hanlon
both hadstints with
Belarus andHanlon also coached Slovakia
before getting fired earlier this year.Nolan already has a relationship with two of the
players that Latvia will likely be calling on.Oskars Bartulis and Martins Karsums were each part ofhis Moncton Wildcats team that went all the way to theMemorial Cup final in 2006.
They'll already be familiar with one of Nolan'sfavourite teaching messages.
"My whole philosophy in coaching has alwaysbeen based on the way I got raised in a First Nationcommunity," said Nolan. "We have always worriedabout now. (I had) the Ojibwa word for now ... writtenon a lot of T-shirts when I was coaching up in Monc-ton. Just worry about now.
"I'm just going to worry about now and concen-trate on what we have to do to make Latvia a verystrong team."t
Western New York Hockey September 2011 14
Nolan to Coach Latvian National Team
Now Accepting House League Player Registrations for :
Mite Cross Rinks Peewee HouseSquirt House Bantam House
Also, Accepting Coaching Applications
For All 2011-12 House League Teams
Call 716-897-7218 or Email [email protected]
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Now Accepting Registration For The
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More efficient use of ice time and space.The size of the rink is in proportion with the size of the players.
Increased puck possession time for each player. Individual technical skills develop more quickly.
Requires quicker mental and physical reactions by the players.Being an important part of the action increases because of the small rink.
By Michael Mroziak
Junior Sabres: Thinking Big, Getting Big
The Buffalo Junior Sabres opened
training camp on August 13, still not
having finalized a roster. As players
were leaving the ice, head coach Grant Led-
yard was asked about his prospects for the
coming season in the Ontario Junior Hockey
League.
“We’re excited this year. I think this
is probably the best we’ve looked at this
time of year in my five years being here,”
Ledyard said.
He’ll have a rebuilt squad with plenty
of fresh faces. The goaltending group is
new, he explained, and so too will be most
of the defensemen. Coming back for a sec-
ond year will be Jake Ledyard and Trevor
Clark, the latter of which is also coming back from an injury, Ledyard noted.
“Our forward group … Joe Johnson, Mark Arnone …these guys are
going to be leaned on heavily… Rocky Gruttadauria … great leaders. Shane Ben-
nett, he’s an explosive young kid,” Ledyard added. “We’re going to lean on those
guys heavy but they’re going to have to teach the guys underneath them as well.”
The teams Ledyard looks to as the ones to beat in the OJHL Western
Conference are the Oakville Blades, Georgetown Raiders, Burlington Cougars and
Hamilton Red Wings. All are programs, he said, that have a strong work ethic and
respect for the game. But he also believes Buffalo can run with this pack.
“We’re not going to look much different than one of the top teams be-
cause our size is much bigger than some of the other teams,” said Ledyard.
“You’re going to find that we’re a big, strong group this year.”
For the second consecutive year, the OJHL has contracted, this time whit-
tling its ranks down to 27 clubs. The remaining Southern Ontario franchises all
got to pick up players left available when their clubs left the league. Buffalo,
being the lone American franchise, was left out. But Ledyard thinks while they
can’t get involved in a player shopping spree across the border, the Junior Sabres
can build a more competitive team, as well as elevate Western New York Hockey
in general, by bringing in some outsiders.
“We not only have to have the top players from Buffalo but we have to
pull some in from surrounding areas, Rochester, Pittsburgh,” said Ledyard. “We
can’t be scared to billet kids.”
“I’d like to scout not only this area but also down in the Cleveland and
Pittsburgh areas. We’re going to be busy expanding our program. The reason we
would do something like that is to push these kids in the area to be a little better
than they are right now.”
Ledyard said this year’s roster tentatively includes players from Sweden,
Long Island and Calgary (though he added that the Calgary resident was born in
Buffalo but now lives in Alberta).
The Junior Sabres will open their OJHL season on Saturday, September
10 at home against the Newmarket Hurricanes. t
Buffalo Stars: Conditioning andChemistry
While the Buffalo Stars or-
ganization is down to
just one junior team for
the 2011-2012 season, team presi-
dent and head coach Pete Preteroti
is feeling very optimistic about the
roster that will take the ice this fall
and winter.
After finishing up a player and parent orientation meeting at the Millen-
nium Hotel in Cheektowaga, Preteroti spoke of the character and work ethic he
has observed during the summer months.
“Excellent group of kids. You could hear a pin drop at the meeting. This
is a focused group,” he said. “I usually judge teams by eye contact and their eyes
didn’t leave me, and I think that’s good.”
Paying attention in meetings, though, is only one way the players have
shown promise to be a disciplined and dedicated bunch. Even before training
camp formally started on August 1, Stars players were participating in mandatory
workouts during the summer months. The team took an official two-week break
with several players’ families going on vacations, but some of the players staying
behind decided they’d call their own workout. And with 90-plus degree weather
bearing down on them, eight players still showed up to work out.
“Tommy Leistner, myself and our goalie Alex Willis decided that while
Pete gave us two weeks off we should get something in before August, because
Pete said he was going to hit us hard in August,” said first year Star Cody Selbert.
Leistner, a returning defenseman, says the mandatory summer workouts
have made a noticeable difference in his conditioning.
“I feel a lot better compared to last year,” Leistner said. “We didn’t do as
much (last year) but we’re pushing hard and we keep going.”
Among the participants in the player-called workout was Kevin MacK-
rell, whose 2010-2011 season came to an early end thanks to a broken leg during a
game in Massachusetts. His recovery progressed ahead of schedule, with his doc-
tors clearing him to resume workouts a surprising two months earlier than ex-
pected.
“The bone’s completely healed,” said MacKrell. “It’s down to the last 10
percent, building up the muscles. I feel great.”
The Stars wrapped up their month of August with a trip to Lake Placid to
work out at the Olympic Training Center, including time on the same rink where
the “Miracle On Ice” took place in 1980. Perhaps channeling the late Herb
Brooks, Preteroti was vowing earlier this spring that the Stars would be the most
conditioned team in the Empire Junior Hockey League this season.
Continued on Page 17
Western New York Hockey September 2011 15
WNY Hockey Report - Junior Journal
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AMERKS REPORTBy Warren Kozireski
For some Rochester fans it will seem like a lot of change with now three head
coaches in three seasons after the appointment in late July of Ron Rolston as
new head coach.
But, with the franchise purchase by and re-affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres,
stability is the buzzword as the proud minor league franchise moves forward with a
new chapter in their storied history.
Rolston is not at all new to being in charge of a team as he arrives after seven
seasons as head coach of the U.S. National Development Team Under-18 program
that competed in the United States Hockey League junior circuit.
While there, the team won three gold medals and a silver in international com-
petition at the World Junior Under-18 Championships as well as the title in the 2011
Five Nations tournament and the 2010 Four Nations Cup.
Before joining USA Hockey, Rolston served as an Assistant Coach at the Divi-
sion I level helping Lake Superior State win a National Championship under now-
Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson in 1992 and 1994 as well as serving in the
same capacity with Boston College, Harvard and Clarkson.
He is not new to Rochester, though, as he has spent part of at least five summers
here as USA Hockey has brought their Under-15, 16, 17 and 18 camps to the MCC
SportsCentre.
“This is an exciting time for me with a new organization and strong leadership,”
said Rolston by phone in mid-August.
“Rochester fans should be excited as well—I think we have the best situation
for a minor league system with travel and resources. This is a positive step for Buf-
falo as we use our minor league system to develop and get players ready for Buffalo
and their needs.”
The 44-year old native of Fenton, Michigan and older brother of NHL veteran
Brian Rolston is very much looking forward to the challenge of coaching the
Amerks and learning the nuances of the American Hockey League.
“I really didn’t seek out the position. Darcy (Regier) called USA Hockey and
asked for permission to talk with me and I started interviewing. It all happened fairly
quickly.”
“We are very excited for Ron to join the organization as head coach of the
Amerks,” said Buffalo General Manager Regier at a press conference the day of the
announcement.
“He has achieved tremendous success with USA Hockey’s development pro-
gram and he fits our vision for how we want to develop players at the American
Hockey League level.”
“We will have every resource we need,” said Rolston. “Power skating instruc-
tors and mental skills coaches will be shared with Buffalo and Rochester, but we
will have our own strength coach, goaltending coach and video coach.”
As of this writing, the Amerks and Buffalo were in the process of interviewing
for two assistant coaches for Rochester.
“We’d like to have them in place and at our rookie camp in Traverse City,
Michigan starting September 9th so we can get the staff meshing,” said Rolston. The
Sabres regular camp begins September 16th.
“I like what we’ve done already in terms of signing veteran players for
Rochester. We need quality veterans for success on and off the ice and to create an
environment for the younger players to thrive. The veterans have been through it
and can lead the way.”
The Amerks regular season kicks off October 7.
News & Notes:
...The Amerks will remain in the North Division of the AHL, but with just
five teams with Abbotsford moving to the West. Grand Rapids, Hamilton,
Lake Erie and Toronto remain division foes. The AHL will move this sea-
son to a six division format with five teams in each. Eight teams in each
conference will qualify for the postseason with the three division winners
earning the top three seeds and the other five seeded according to points.
The first round of the playoffs (1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, etc) will play a first round
best-of-five series before the remaining four teams in each conference are
re-seeded with highest seed playing the lowest remaining seed in the con-
ference semi-finals.
...Former Amerks defenseman Mike Hurlbut was promoted from Assistant
to Associate Head Coach of his alma mater—St. Lawrence University. He
has coached there since his career ended in 2002.t
Western New York Hockey September 2011 16
WNY Hockey Report Junior Journal Continued...
Brooks, of course, built an Olympic winner not only with conditioning
but also through team chemistry. Stars players believe they have plenty of the
latter.
“I figure this is probably one of the closest-knit teams I’ve ever played
for,” said Selbert. “I love every one of these kids. I figure this entire season is
going to be a great experience, especially playing in my first year of junior.”
The Stars will host a Labor Day tournament at Holiday Twin Rinks and
Leisure Rinks September 2 – 4. The Stars open their Empire Junior Hockey
League regular season on Saturday October 1 at home versus the Jersey Wildcats.
As every season, the home opener will include a “Salute to the American Troops”
pregame ceremony.
Buffalo Blades: Beyond Wheatfield
Wheatfield, New York is still home of the Blades hockey organization.
But so, too, is Buffalo. The junior team has parted ways with its youth
hockey counterparts at the Hockey Outlet on Niagara Falls Boulevard.
Meet the Buffalo Blades.
The junior team will again call Buffalo State College its home rink, as it did
last season. The uniforms look strikingly similar to the modern Buffalo Sabres
uniforms, with the exception being the logo. The Wheatfield Blades’ “W” above
crossed swords will be replaced by a letter “B” over those same swords.
Running the Blades this season will be two former coaches from the Buffalo
Stars, John Bruno and Jerry Shorthouse. Shorthouse led the Buffalo Stars’ Em-
pire Junior Hockey League team last season. This season, he’s the head coach for
the Blades. Bruno, who will serve as the Blades’ general manager and assistant
coach, led the Stars’ Continental Hockey Association Junior B squad last season,
one year after leading the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles boys’ midget team to a
national championship.
A final roster had not yet been set at press time. Training camp opened on
August 22 and according to the team’s website tryouts were still available to
players.
Bruno and Shorthouse will take on the monumental task of improving a
Blades team that has historically been a cellar dweller in the Greater Ontario Jun-
ior Hockey League’s Golden Horseshoe Conference. Last year, the Blades mus-
tered only four wins, all of them at home.
But while the Blades struggled as a team, there were some individual accom-
plishments of note last season. Forward Mitchell Eisenberg, who scored 16 goals
and 19 assists in 51 games with the Blades, was called up to the Ontario Hockey
League’s Erie Otters. Eisenberg also enjoyed a brief promotion to the Buffalo
Junior Sabres, along with Nick Schiro, Ryan Schmelzer and Darrin Trebes.
It’s unknown if it was intended, but renaming the team Buffalo Blades actu-
ally recalls a forgotten period in local hockey history. The original Buffalo
Blades were formed as a charter member of the New York Penn Junior Hockey
League in 1973. After claiming the best record in the league in its first two years
of existence, they folded after the 1976-77 season.
The Buffalo Blades open their 2011-12 GOJHL regular season on Saturday,
September 17 on the road at Stoney Creek. The Blades host their home opener
on Tuesday, September 20 against Port Colborne.
More Junior News
Western New York Hockey Report is dedicated to bringing you the most
comprehensive coverage of local amateur hockey, including breaking news and
game results. Be sure to visit our website, www.wnyhockeyreport.com, for more
junior hockey news!t
Western New York Hockey September 2011 17
Western New York Hockey September 2011 18
Buffalo Junior Shooting StarsPlayers ages 5-7
The Buffalo Stars will conduct an In House Cross Rink Development Program for the 2011-2012 Hockey Season. The program will be known as the Buffalo Junior Shooting Stars. The program will run from September through February and include 36 ice sessions and cross ice games.
The program is geared towards the 5-7 year old who have already completed a learn to skate program.
Cost for this program will be $249 and will include Jersey and Socks. Players will register individually with USA
Hockey.
Instruction will be conducted by Buffalo Stars Travel Coaches as well as Buffalo Stars Junior B Players.
Registration for this program will take place on Wednesday nights in the lobby of Holiday Twin Rinks between 6:30-8pm.
For more information contact us at 685-1122 or visit us on line at: www.buffalostars.com
*****************************************Register by Mail***********************************************
Player Name: _______________________________________ Date of Birth: _____________
Address: _______________________________________ City & Zip: ___________________
Phone#: __________________________ Email: ____________________________________
Past Participation? (Learn to Skate; Pepsi Kids) ____________________________________
A $50 deposit will hold your spot. Return check payable to:
Buffalo Stars, 3465 Broadway, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
Buffalo Stars Empire
Schedule of
September/October
Home Games 2011-12
Sept. 2 6:15 pm Mass Maple Leafs
Sept. 3 10 a.m. Team Ohio
Sept. 4 8:00 am Pittsburgh
Sept. 4 6:30 pm Syracuse
Oct. 1 6:45 pm Jersey Wildcats
Oct. 2 11 am Jersey Wildcats
Oct. 19 7:30 pm Maksymum
All Games at Holiday Twin Rinks
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