Panthers looking onward and upward
Mark Barrick isn’t interested in the history of the Pelham Panthers.
The head coach of the Panthers is well aware of the struggles of the organization in previous seasons, but feels it is futile to dwell on the past.
“There have been struggles here. Call a spade a spade, but all of that is the past,” Barrick said. “The book has already been written. Been there, done that. I don’t care whether I was here or not.”
The Panthers won just one game in the 2015/16 season, but over the last two seasons have begun the rise to respectability. They finished with 17 wins last season and are determined to top that mark this year.
“We started to change things last year, in the room and on the ice, the mentality of the team,” Barrick said from his office at the new Pelham Community Centre. “That has grown leaps and bounds over the summer and from the end of last year until we opened training camp.”
Barrick is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt the Panthers will be a force to be reckoned with.
“Are we going to be in first? I don’t know.”
“Are we going to be in eighth? Definitely not.”
“Do I think we are 100 per cent better than we were last year at this time? Absolutely.”
Barrick has a reputation as a no-nonsense bench boss who demands 100 per cent effort, 100 per cent of the time.
“We aren’t here just to put on a jacket, those days are gone,” Barrick said. “Nobody here cares we play junior hockey. We’re here to be a hockey team and to compete every single night.
“There are no excuses in this dressing room. That has been a mantra, it has been preached since Day 1.”
Barrick admits he isn’t quite sure of the identity of his club this season just yet.
“You never know what you’re going to get now that league is starting — sometimes you don’t know game to game — but it’s building that consistency into the team that separates you from others and consistency comes over time.”
The Panthers begin the 2018/19 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League season Monday at Hamilton versus the Kilty B’s. Their home opener is Sunday, Sept. 16 at 2:30 p.m. versus the Lockport Regals.
Barrick is curious to see his charges fare in regular season game action.
“We’re going to be much, much better in our end. We’re going to be a tight, shut-down hockey club. Everything we do will start in our end first. We want to be a quick transition team and take pucks away in the neutral zone and attack from the neutral zone.”
The Panthers appear set in net with Nicholas Kidd and former Welland Caledonia netminder Brandon McCorriston.
“I firmly believe and am very, very confident this team has the best 1 and 1A goaltenders in the league,” Barrick said. “They are great together. They work well with each other. They push each other. It’s great for the hockey club.”
The defence will be anchored by former Corvair Nate Ellis and returnee Adam Scholz.
“Adam and Nate are our veteran guys back there,” Barrick said. “We’re young, mobile and physical after that. We have to rely on those guys for the leadership on the back end.”
Sophomore Mike Butterfield is back after a solid rookie campaign.
“He’s very mature for his age,” Barrick said of Butterfield. “He will play as a 19-20-year old veteran. Having those three to bring the others along with, I’m very happy.”
The offence will be headed up captain Thomas Young (20-17-37), Matt Ruigrok (20-28-48) and Noah Caperchione (20-20-40).
“We’re extremely strong down the middle with Young, Ruigrok and Curtis Emery,” Barrick said.
Emery played major midget in Oakville last season. Barrick is also high on forward and Cambridge native Eli Palfreyman, the lone 16-year-old on the club.
The Panthers are coming off a memorable pre-season tournament in Cochrane where they dropped a 4-3 decision in the final of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Polar Bear Classic. The Panthers were 4-0 heading into the final.
“It was an absolute, awesome thing,” Barrick said. “We competed in a Tier 2 junior tournament and lost to Cochrane in the finals. It was phenomenal.”
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