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Jr A Flyers rebuild for new season

August 20, 2014   ·   0 Comments

Ten rookies in the line-up

 

After a disastrous season that saw the Orangeville Junior A Flyers finish in the basement of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League in the 2013 / 2014 season, the team is rebuilding with a new line-up and new coaching staff.

The squad has ten core players that are returning and will form the nucleus and leadership for the new season.

In the head spot on the bench will be Jamie Caruso – a veteran coach with the Mississauga Rebels organization.

New assistants include Bill Bradford, a veteran coach and most recent with the championship team at Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne, Craig Teeple – also from the Mississauga organization, goalie coach Ken Tisi – also the goalie coach for the Kitchener Rangers, and Craig Teeple, special teams coach.

Assistant Arron Alphonso was on the bench last season is returning this year.

“We re-stacked the deck of the staff and we have ten rookies that are already signed,” Said Flyers GM Dana Baker, prior to the Flyers first exhibition game. “We have John Delorenzo, who was captain of the Port Colborne Junior B Pirates, Darren Nesbitt, who was the leading scorer for the Midland Flyers Junior C. We have four former members of the Mississauga Rebels. We have the former captain of the Markham (Jr A ) Waxers, Daniel Derose, and we have two underage players.”

The underage players are both draft picks for OHL teams.

“We have ten returning veterans. The players we kept are quality players. We brought back the core of the young guys we picked up after the trades last year. They played significant minutes. You have to have some veterans, you can’t have all rookies. They will be expected to lead the team,” Baker said. “It may take us a while to get going but that’s why we have six exhibition games.”

With a whole new coaching staff on the bench, you’ll have an entirely new philosophy that goes with it. The acquisition of ten new, carefully picked players, should produce some good results when the regular season gets underway on September 15.

The Flyers will play their first exhibition game tonight (Thur. Aug. 21) against North York and will host another game on Saturday, Aug. 23, against Newmarket.

The Flyers first game of the 2014 / 2015 season will be the home opener on Saturday, September 6, when they host the Milton Icehawks at the Alder Street arena.

Game time is 7:00 p.m.

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