Oulahen, Poirier prove up to Challenge
NORTH BAY, Ont. – The North Bay Battalion was well represented on and off the ice at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Ryan Oulahen, an assistant coach with the Ontario Hockey League club, and rookie centre Zach Poirier took part in the seven-day event held at Sarnia and nearby Lambton Shores. Oulahen was an assistant coach with Canada Red, while Poirier played for Canada Black.
The tournament numbered eight teams, made up of three Canadian entries and squads from Russia, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia and the United States. Russia defeated the U.S. 2-1 in the championship game Saturday night. Canada Red finished sixth with a won-lost-extended record of 2-2-1, while Canada Black, also 2-2-1, placed seventh. Canada White finished fifth, earning that spot with a 3-2 overtime win over Red.
Having debuted in 1986 as the Quebec Esso Cup, the tournament previously featured five regional Canadian entries and five international teams in a competition which started just after Christmas.
“It was a really good learning experience,” Oulahen said Monday. “It was something I hadn’t been used to as a coach. It was a lot of preparation.
“We were trying to figure out a group of 16-year-olds and trying to get them on the same page. In the past, it was kids from Ontario and different regions getting together as teams. Now the teams were made up of kids from all over Canada. They had to come together quick, and it was a challenge to make them a team.”
Poirier, a first-round choice in the OHL Priority Selection in April, was one of 66 players chosen by Hockey Canada to compete for the Canadian teams. Poirier, who led Canada Black with three goals, has one goal in eight OHL games.
“It was a good experience, even if we didn’t come out with the result we wanted,” said Poirier. “I thought I did well, and I thought I got better throughout the tournament. I felt I gained some confidence scoring a few goals and getting back on the ice with guys my own age.”
Oulahen said time was a factor in getting the Canadian teams ready.
“We had to find ways for them to create chemistry and the bond you have as a team in a short amount of time. We had only one day before we started playing, and the results showed that it was an issue to get everyone together. The kids are all stars where they come from, and it was a challenge to find roles for every kid. We got better as the tournament went on, and I thought we had a chance to move on, but we lost some important games at the end.
“It was fun to be able to sit down with some of the players and put aside where they play in the OHL. We were there for Canada, and it was really rewarding to work with so many different kids.”
Oulahen, who captained the Brampton Battalion in 2004-05, served under Dan Lambert, head coach of the Kelowna Rockets, the top team in the Western Hockey League.
“He was great to work with. He has a different background. He played pro hockey for 19 years and had a lot to give the players in that respect. Being able to share different ideas was great. When you’re sharing drills you find it’s very similar, but you can find a different way to do something that can freshen up things with your club team.”
Oulahen said he thought changing the format and scheduling of the event were positive moves.
“I talked to people who had been involved with the tournament in other years, and they said in terms of scouts and crowds it was a big change.
“I think Hockey Canada will analyse it and find a way to make it better. It was the first time for this format, and now they get to step back and look at the whole situation of how it worked with the summer camp and the tournament and they can look to improve the program. It has good fundamentals and is a great idea.”
The tournament marked Oulahen’s first exposure to Hockey Canada’s programs, as either a player or coach.
“Hopefully, I showed some things they liked. There’s a lot to improve on, but to get a foot in the door is the first step.”
