Panthers on track for opener
So far, so good for the Pelham Panthers.
The Panthers, who opened training camp three weeks ago and have split a pair of exhibition games, are on course according to head coach/assistant general manager Zac Rinaldo.
“I have expectations we needed to meet and in both those games we met those expectations so right now everything is going according to plan,” Rinaldo said.
Rinaldo, who is in his second season behind the bench, has modified training camp from last season.
“I think I learned my lesson last year,” he said. “I wanted them to test, to skate, to be in shape to where I thought I did too much in training camp last year. Toward end of season, got a lot of guys hurt and fatigued both mentally and physically.”
This time around, there has been no physical testing with twice a week practices and a scrimmage.
“It wasn’t too taxing. I wanted to see who could understand the systems and could play within the structure and who could compete at a very high level,” he said. “The kids I brought in are U18 or already played junior up north or other leagues. I wanted to see how they were going to mold with my structure and my philosophy. I brought in kids who I have known for three or four years that I have been developing on my own time through my own business so I’ve known a lot of these kids for a long time.”
Rinaldo is putting the final touches on the roster in preparation for the season opener Thursday, Sept. 12 at Brantford and likes what he sees.
“Up front, I’m pretty confident we have our pieces. On the back end, we still have one or two decisions to be made,” he said. “On the goalie front, we have Patrick Sutherland in Flint and he has a great chance to make that team so I’m up in limbo to make decisions on goalies. It’s a fine line how to navigate that. It’s new to me, I’ve never experienced this before.”
Returning from last season are Caleb MacLeish, Ty Boone, Cooper Drennan, Noah Aboflan, Brandon Petrova, Luke Breadner, Riley Smythe and Josh Czalij while goaltender Birk Cassels, son of former National Hockey League forward Andrew Cassels, has been signed.
Rinaldo is eager to see how his club stacks up against others in the Eastern Conference of the newly-aligned Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“We’re going to be very fast and very smart, mixed in with some physical elements. We have a big, fast, smart team,” the said. There are still lots of moving parts between now and October. Things can change but right now we are shaping up to be top five in our division.”
The Panthers take on Caledon Wednesday at 6:45 at the Pelham Arena and are in Hamilton Thursday to conclude pre-season.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 6,200 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
