GOODWIN STEPS IN AS HEAD COACH

KINGSTON — John Goodwin has had longer stints behind an Ontario Hockey League bench as a head coach than what is coming up for him.

Goodwin had 93 wins during three seasons as head coach of the Oshawa Generals from 1997 to 2000

The 54-year-old Scarborough native has also been an assistant coach for the Generals, the North Bay Battalion and is now into his second season as an assistant to Kingston Frontenacs head coach Paul McFarland.

However, for the Frontenacs next five games, while McFarland is in British Columbia coaching in Hockey Canada’s World Under-17 Challenge, Goodwin is in charge.

Newly named assistant coach Jason Supryka and general manager Doug Gilmour will be on the Frontenacs bench with McFarland away.

“I guess the big point that myself, Jason and Doug will be putting to the players is don’t stray from what we’ve been doing. It’s worked so let’s stay on it,” Goodwin said.

“We don’t want to change a whole lot. Just do what we do best.

What the Frontenacs have been doing is putting up points. The team’s 9-2-1-1 record, good for 20 points, has the Frontenacs in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Eight of the team’s wins have been by one goal. The Frontenacs have never gone into the third period ahead or down by more than a goal.

“It really gets you prepared to play 60 minutes every night because nothing has really come easy to us,” Goodwin said.

“The kids are certainly showing no quit at all. They are quite confident enough that if they do fall down by a goal or two (as was the case Sunday in Guelph when it was 2-0 for the Storm after one period) they know they can come back.”

That resilience and quiet confidence is a new trait of the team.

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