Aurora asst. GM jumps to Spirit
Aurora asst. GM jumps to Spirit
Sports
July 24, 2008 11:39 PM
Silverman joins old friends in Stouffville
By: Mike Hayakawa
For the last three Provincial Jr. A Hockey League seasons, Perry Silverman served as assistant general manager for the Aurora Tigers.
When the puck is dropped to start the upcoming season, the 50-year-old Richmond Hill native will serve in the same capacity.
Only this time around, he will do it with the Stouffville Spirit.
While Silverman enjoyed his time with the Tigers, he felt the time was right for a change in scenery.
Especially since the Spirit will be moving into the league’s newly-formed pilot project eight-team division placing an emphasis on rigorous operating requirements and development of players for the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian and U.S. university hockey.
New division“It’s exciting and it’ll be a new challenge and a great opportunity to be with the new division the Spirit will be playing in,” Silverman said.
Employed full-time by the Richmond Hill Arena Association where he handles ice bookings, Silverman said he was first approached by the Spirit near the end of last season by Spirit co-owners Zeev Werek and Dave Laren.
And when the Spirit officially hired Mark Joslin in to fill the general manager void left when Thomas Milne resigned, it was an easy decision for Silverman.
“I’ve known Zeev and Dave for a long time,” Silverman said. “And I’ve also known Mark (Joslin, Spirit general manager and associate coach) for a long time, too.”
Joslin said Silverman will have more of a prominent role with the Spirit.
prominent role“He will do a lot of administrative stuff,” Joslin said of Silverman’s responsibilities. “Perry knows the league executive well along with the rules and regulations and he will help Pat (Pare, Spirit assistant coach) with schooling issues the kids have and I will convene with Perry on any player transactions.
“That will definitely help me focus in on what I have to do. I’m more of a hands on guy on the ice,” Joslin said.
Silverman was a convenor in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and with minor hockey in Richmond Hill.
“I will definitely take that role (administrative capacity) on. I feel it’s the most important role to keep the junior team close to the minor hockey association. Right now I feel this group (the Spirit) is going in the right direction,” he said.