Panthers add sniper
Wyatt Thole has been just what the doctor ordered for the Pelham Panthers.
The 20-year-old forward has given the Panthers a much needed offensive boost since re-joining the team from a stint in the North American Hockey League.
Thole has nine goals and 12 points in 10 games for the Panthers, including a hat-trick Sunday in a 6-5 upset victory over the league-leading Caledonia Corvairs.
“It’s a big lift for us,” Pelham coach Chris Johnstone said of the addition of Thole. “He’s just getting going for us now. He was OK potting the odd one here and there, and now he’s caught fire.”
Thole, a native of Minnesota, played for the Panthers last year and enjoyed the experience. He bounced around the North American Hockey League this season before finally deciding to come back to Pelham.
“It was a little frustrating not having my spot and having to battle day in and day out,” Thole said. “It’s kind of nice to just come here, be relaxed, and go to work each day and know what to expect.
“I loved it last year. I had a really good experience so it made it a lot easier coming back and I also love living in the area.”
Johnstone has given Thole the chance to contribute since his arrival and the big forward has excelled.
“It’s exciting to know the team relies on me,” he said. “I like to be that guy. Be the guy at end of the game if we’re up by a goal or down by a goal, I want to play in every situation.”
The Panthers have scored the fewest goals in the Golden Horseshoe Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and Johnstone is hopeful Thole’s presence in the lineup will help the younger players.
“It’s a big lift if anybody is scoring,” Johnstone said. “We’re so young. We’re getting opportunities at times but with experience they’ll start scoring. It’s a team that will score. Thole, as a 20-year-old who is scoring, will rub off on the other guys.”
Thole, who lived about 30 minutes outside of Minneapolis, said it was all hockey, all the time when he was growing up.
“Before I could walk I was skating on the pond with my dad pushing me around,” he said.
He would love nothing more than to be able to continue with his career, be it at the collegiate level, or even pro.
“I’m just having fun playing hockey,” he said. “I’m going to see where it takes me. I just want to keep playing hockey.
“I want to enjoy the moment and have fun in my 20-year-old year.”
The Panthers, 11-17-0-2 overall, are coming off a six-game stretch which saw them defeat Caledonia, St. Catharines and Hamilton, while losing twice to Buffalo and once to Fort Erie.
“The last three wins, that will carry us for a while,” Johnstone said. “They will realize if they work hard and do things well they can compete.
“We have to learn to play with that pressure when we are playing teams below us. We’re expected to get those points. That’s different than working hard and whatever we get against the big teams is gravy.”
Johnstone and his staff have been on the job just over two months since taking over for Mark Barrick and feels the team has found its identity.
“The team spirit and the team culture has come together,” Johnstone said. “They know who and what they’re playing for.
“They realize they are what they are. They are a younger, hard-working hockey team and I think they’ve really developed that mindset.”
Johnstone loves his team’s dedication.
“For us as a coaching staff, it’s been the most satisfying thing for us. Most nights, whether they’re making bad decisions or not, they’re working their butts off, so that’s all you can ask,” he said.
The Panthers are in Caledonia Saturday and home to Niagara Falls Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in their final game before the Christmas break.
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