The Thunder Bay Kings have come a long way this season, says coach Rainer Prager.
Unfortunately they still have a long way to go.
The hockey Kings on Thursday wrapped up a dismal All-Ontario Pee Wee AAA Championship week at Fort William Gardens, doubled 6-3 by the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.
“We didn’t show up for the second and it didn’t quite work out for us. We tried to fight back and we came out and had a pretty strong third period. We just came up a little shy of scoring a few more goals,” Prager said.
“I think that was one of our Achilles heels all year, to be able to finish. We had the opportunities. Today was pretty evenly matched, and it was good, actually.”
The Kings haven’t won the AAA championship at the Pee Wee level since 1980, but despite being outscored 42-9 against tough competition this week, Prager is convinced the Kings program can find its way back to the top.
“I honestly believe it can be done. To be able to perform at this level there’s a few things that need to happen and it starts at the grassroots. We need to change our philosophy in the grassroots. At the novice level and the atom level, instead of being more about games, maybe have a little bit more on development,” said Prager, who would like to see the minor-hockey league player draft disappear and all-star teams stick together for more than one season like the practice in southern Ontario.
“You look at the Mississauga Rebels, they’ve now been together for the last four years, from what the head coach was saying yesterday. Basically they know where to find each other on the ice and they buy into a system."
It’s too hard to get that done in one season, Prager added.
Thursday’s finale was the Kings closest game of the tournament, save a 1-1 draw against the winless Northwestern Ontario All-Stars, who finished with an identical 0-5-1 record in round-robin play.
Tied 1-1 after one, the Chiefs, in a playoff battle and looking finish 3-3-0, took control in the second, scoring five times.
Forward Jake Murray, who opened the scoring in the first, added two more in the second to complete the hat trick. Noah Hamilton, Aidan Reid and Eric Guest also delivered goals for the Chiefs.
Thomas Brassard had a pair of goals for the Kings, one in the first and one in the third, with Thunder Bay’s other goal going to Anthony Tassone.
The 12-year-old Brassard said he thinks the Kings did pretty well, all things considered.
“We couldn't win all of them. We gave a good effort and we’ll have a good summer,” he said. “I guess we kind of had our heads down low because we gave up a few goals. But we got some of them back. It just took a little time to do it.”
