Meteors make a change at the top
The new coach and general manager of the Fort Erie Meteors is a familiar face in the Golden Horseshoe Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Former Thorold Blackhawks owner Dave Marrone takes over for Rob Hubbert, who was dismissed after the team compiled a disappointing 5-22-0-4 start.
Marrone will be joined by associate coach Chris Risi, assistant coaches Steve Dol, Joe Fazio and Liam Conway, who was promoted from goalie coach to assistant coach.
“When it’s (hockey) in you, it’s in you all the time,” said Marrone, a 49-year-old Pelham resident. “I was quite happy doing what we were doing, but I spoke to Chris and Steve and (equipment manager) Armando (Caputo) and without any of them I don’t think we would be able make this move.
“A lot of what’s going on in hockey has changed and we do have the dynamics to help facilitate the change in Fort Erie.”
Marrone, who sold the Blackhawks following the 2012/13 season, said the Meteors approached him last season after long-time owner Tony Passero passed away.
“We had a long working relationship when we had the Thorold team with Tony,” Marrone said. “We made many deals and developed a friendship. He had requested a couple of times since we left (Thorold) to come back to Fort Erie and we declined him.”
Meteors director of hockey operations Nic Passero said there is a comfort level in hiring Marrone.
“(Dave has) a good track record and someone I have been very close with for a long time,” Passero said. “I worked for him for upwards of seven years and he was close with my dad. I just think he knows what we need now and it was a good situation to fall into.”
Passero felt the Meteors needed to make a switch heading into the final two months of the season.
“I think we needed to make a change,” he said. “We still wanted to make a playoff push. We didn’t just want to the season to end and act like nothing was going to happen.
“It’s important for us to make the playoffs. The first season dad is not here, for us not to make the playoffs, would be tough.”
Passero and Hubbert both had high expectations coming into the season, but the Meteors got off to a slow start losing their first seven games and never seemed to recover.
“I think when we brought Rob in we had full expectations of being successful and it just didn’t work,” Passero said. “It’s business and that’s life and that’s hockey for sure. I appreciate everything he did for us and the team, but a change is a change.
“Hopefully, it’s a little bit of a breath of fresh air and the guys react positively and they realize it’s in the dressing room and it always has been. The ball is in their court. We talked to them a little bit about that and it’s up to them now.”
Hubbert wished the Meteors well.
“I have no ill feelings,” he said. “I am responsible for the hockey team but I don’t think they were patient enough.”
Hubbert conceded his demanding personality may have rubbed some the wrong way.
“I’m old school. They asked me to clean up the dressing room and take away the country club atmosphere, which I obviously think I did. Maybe I was a little hard. I push guys and sometimes when you push guys, you hurt feelings.
“At the end of the day maybe they didn’t respond to me and they had to make a change. Obviously, I’m going to disagree with that but I’m entitled to my opinion, just like they are entitled to their opinion.”
Marrone will make his debut behind the bench Friday, Jan. 3 when the Meteors visit the Niagara Falls Canucks.
Fort Erie have three players — Blake Hall, Nic Paone and Paul Cartone — participating in the 2002/2001 Prospect Game Saturday in Waterloo.
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