Entering his third campaign as the head coach of the Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team, Bill McDonald knows this year’s group is the closest thing he’s had to a blank slate.
This season’s Thunderwolves squad will be one of the youngest the program has ever put on the ice with nine rookies along with eight second-year players as Lakehead starts play against the Manitoba Bisons with a non-conference series this weekend at the Fort William Gardens.
“I think we have to take it one step at a time and one game at a time, one week at a time,” McDonald said last week shortly after the team’s roster was finalized.
“We have to try to create an identity. The identity we want has to be one of a hard-working, disciplined team that plays with a lot of energy and I think we have that.”
As the dawn of the new year approaches, there are a number of familiar faces who are now absent from the locker room.
Gone are the top two point scorers in Mike Hammond and Keith Grondin along with steady contributors Ryan Magill and Jake Carrick, as well as offensively gifted defencemen Mike Quesnele, Mitch Fillman and Nathan Bruyere.
Replacing that offensive firepower will be a difficult task but third-year forward Cody Alcock is optimistic it can be done.
“There are certain guys we lost but at the same time we gained a lot of skill. We’re quick, we’re smart and we all work hard,” Alcock said. “The roles with the guys we lost I think we did a good job replacing with recruiting.”
Carrying that load will be up to not only veterans such as Alcock, Kelin Ainsworth and Carson Dubchak but sophomores EJ Faust and Brennan Dubchak as well as new additions Billy Jenkins, Sam Schutt and Garrick Gray.
McDonald said it’s up to the seniors, like returning captain Luke Maw and fellow blueliner Jay Gilbert, to help set the tone.
“When you bring all this youth in you have a pile of energy but sometimes you see a lot of mistakes because this is a step up,” McDonald said.
“There are five or six guys I think the young guys can certainly lean on if they need anything on or off the ice.”
Gilbert, who is helping incoming blue-liners Linden Springer, Jake Ringuette, Matt Alexander and Tyler Kunz get acclimated, said the best way to lead is by example.
“When you’re leading a group of mature guys the biggest thing is we need guys to buy in and follow,” he said.
Those returning from last year are hoping to build on the late season success, which saw Lakehead upset the archrival Western Mustangs in the first round before falling in two tight games to the top-seeded Windsor Lancers.
“Our mentality this year is going all the way, which it should be,” Alcock said. “I honestly think we have a team here that has a good shot...I think we’ll be a pretty dangerous team.”
McDonald said it’s likely that freshman netminder Devin Green will see game action during the weekend against Manitoba, possibly even as the starter on Friday. Sophomore forward Jake Wright will likely miss at least the first two non-conference weekends as he recovers from a broken hand.
