Rest trumps practice for tired Troops
BRAMPTON, Ont. – While the overhauled Brampton Battalion needs practice time together, most players need rest even more. That was why coach Stan Butler gave them a second consecutive day off Tuesday.
Five players were added in as many deals in three days leading to the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline Friday. Four players, including one of the newcomers, are only a week removed from international tournaments held over the holiday season.
Centre Cody Hodgson and left winger Evgeny Grachev were key performers for Canada and Russia respectively at the World Junior Championship at Ottawa, where newly acquired Thomas McCollum tended goal for the United States. Centre Sam Carrick skated with Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge in British Columbia.
“The trade deadline can be tough on guys mentally, and players like Hodgson, Grachev, McCollum and Carrick had been in high-level tournaments,” noted Butler. “You need time to recover from those.
“When we had guys away we were pretty short-staffed and, while we had some guys come up and play for us, we had others playing a lot more than they normally would. We felt giving them the extra day at this time of the season would be a welcome thing. We need our guys healthy and mentally and physically ready the rest of the way.”
McCollum, acquired Friday from the Guelph Storm, played one game with Guelph after returning from Ottawa and started both ends of the Battalion’s weekend home-and-home set with the Barrie Colts. He faced 36 shots in a 5-3 loss at Barrie on Saturday night and made 24 saves in a 2-1 overtime win Sunday.
“I hadn’t had a day off since I got home from Ottawa, and it was pretty stressful wondering whether I would be traded,” McCollum said Sunday. “A break is nice.”
McCollum, who played at least 51 games in each of the last two campaigns with Guelph, has played 33 games this season. He said he’s ready for a heavy workload.
“I want to play a lot. That’s the way it’s been throughout my OHL career, and I’m looking forward to that the rest of the way.”
Hodgson said he would take advantage of the extra day of rest.
“It’ll be nice to relax and get organized for the rest of the season. I’ve been on the go with hockey for the past month.”
Centre Matt Duchene, who spearheaded the Battalion attack in the absence of the world junior and under-17 participants, has had to do without the extra rest, having left Monday for the Canadian Hockey League’s Top Prospects Game at Oshawa on Wednesday night. That event entails a skills competition Tuesday night.
Duchene, who missed six games in November and December to injury, played five games for the undermanned Troops during the world and under-17 tourneys, scoring four goals and earning six assists for 10 points. He followed that with a career-high five points on three goals and two assists Thursday night in a 6-2 victory over the visiting Sudbury Wolves.
With Duchene away, a Battalion practice featuring the full roster will have to wait.
“We need time to practise and we’ll need some time to make sure the guys know what we want, how we want to play,” said Butler. “We’ll have to get continuity with our lines.”
Said Hodgson: “We’ve looked pretty good so far for a team that hasn’t really practised. It will be good to get a couple of practices in with the new guys. They look like they’ll fit in well.”
The Battalion hosts the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds at 7 p.m. Thursday.
