Columns
November 27, 2008 08:19 PM
John Cudmore
When the York Simcoe Express executive got tough, its teams got going.
Hindered for years by typical growing pains and, in large part, players seeking releases to hone their hockey skills elsewhere, the triple-A hockey program pledged to stand firm five or six years ago to keep its kids playing at home.
The result, whether or not a direct link to on-ice success, is tough to gauge for certain. Nevertheless, the on-ice successes have been impressive for the eight-community triple-A program that was granted zone status in time for the 1990 puck drop.
“Our last few years, we’ve had a strong executive that has backed our coaches and that’s how we’ve strengthened ourselves,” says Greig Baxter, vice-president of hockey operations for the Express for the past six seasons. “We don’t just hand over a release if the coach doesn’t want it.
“We’ve built a very strong organization and, at some levels, I’m sure we could ice two or three triple-A teams. Look at the standings from novice to midget.”
Yes, let’s have a look. Seven of the nine YSE teams are the top team their Eastern Triple-A Hockey Association in either winning percentage or points and all nine are playing at a rate of .500 or better.
Even more telling is the manner by which Express teams perform at playoff time. In each of the past three seasons, Express teams have won four OMHA titles and an OHF crown, secured at the peewee level in the 2006-07 season. Two more Express teams secured silver medals in OMHA play last season.
“We base success on the competitiveness of our teams, not the number of gold, silver and bronze medals we win,” explains Baxter, who has been involved with the program for at least a dozen years. “They’re nice, but competitiveness is the key thing.
“We pride ourselves on the local talent available in York-Simcoe. Five years ago so many people wanted to take their kids elsewhere. Now kids are fighting to come because it is one of the top programs. Our program sells itself.”
Assuredly, winning attracts players, or at least keeps talented players from straying. President Denise MacNeil recalls just one YSE team qualified for the playoffs when her son, Bennet, began playing with the Express program several years ago.
“When we became successful it became more likely players and parents wanted to stay here,” recalls MacNeil, whose son is one of the several Express graduates now playing for the Newmarket Hurricanes.
“Most kids that have gone to the GTHL have come home.”
It is an aggressive stance that the Express executive listens to and backs its coaches — all are non-paid, unlike some triple-A programs, by the way — on disputes with players seeking releases. Theoretically, the top players will remain in the program rather than dispersing.
‘We base success on the competitiveness of our teams, not the number of gold, silver and bronze medals we win. They’re nice, but competitiveness is the key thing.’
“We’ll assess each individual situation,” says MacNeil. “We think we’re running a good program and hoping to keep our kids at home.”
That assessment is gaining credence almost annually in the Ontario Hockey League draft. Last season, nine Express players were selected, the most since the 2004 minor midget crop, coached by Bob McGill, that also had nine players chosen.
For the 2009 draft, Newmarket resident Daniel Catenacci of the No. 1 ranked minor midget team is the early front-runner as top pick. Teammate Ryan Murphy of Aurora is regarded as the top defenceman. In all, at least five Express players stand to be selected in the first two rounds alone with at least as many more scattered through the rest of the process in May.
Besides Aurora and Newmarket, which provide the majority of players, Beeton, Schomberg, Tottenham-New Tecumseth, Georgina, Bradford and East Gwillimbury are contributors, in varying degrees, for players and facilities.
Some rivals argue the zone is unfairly large and are pushing for changes to the zone’s boundaries and a reduction in YSE’s reach.
All of which is not to say the Express program doesn’t face its share of challenges starting with ever-escalating costs, the looming possibility Newmarket will one day finally become a triple-A centre on its own and a home base. It has always been something of a nomadic existence for the Express, which, for a few years, called a Vaughan facility home. But finding a centre willing or able to provide the 50-plus hours required weekly to operate a nine-team program remains tricky.
Still, it is encouraging new facilities in Aurora and Newmarket offer regular venues for Express teams.
“Home ice is an issue, but as a zone club we don’t see it,” says MacNeil.
“We’ve come a long way in nine years to bring kids home to play hockey. For a while nobody wanted to say, ‘These are our kids’. They lost sight of the fact it was for minor hockey players but it has settled down in recent years.
“We’re a hometown hockey program and have done our best to bring (about a central location) in Newmarket and Aurora because the majority of our players are from Newmarket and Aurora.
“We are hometown hockey and want to give kids in these towns a chance before going looking in the city.”
Just Jawin’ ... Former Express forward Steve Downie was eligible to return last night from a three-game suspension against the Springfield Falcons following a hit-from-from-behind penalty in a game played Nov. 19 against Worcester Sharks’ Kyle McLaren ... Don McKnight completed a three-year term as Baseball Ontario president recently. The longtime volunteer will serve as the Ontario representative to Baseball Canada. He is succeeded by former Newmarket resident Mark Orton, now a resident of Oshawa.