Dean says defence will ‘get it done by committee’
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) – Photo by Luke Durda (OHLImages)
They resembled a three-headed monster with the ability to terrify Ontario Hockey League opponents.
A season ago, Jack Thompson, Ryan O’Rourke and Rob Calisti combined to bring speed, skill, toughness and offensive and defensive expertise to the Soo Greyhounds blue-line.
Their talents helped give John Dean’s team perhaps the best defensive unit in the 20-team loop. But all three have moved on, leaving the Hounds defence in a state of transition.
Of those who regularly skated in the Soo’s top four a season ago, only Kirill Kudryavtsev returns.
So is Dean concerned about his defence heading into Friday’s season opener against North Bay (7:07 p.m., GFL Memorial Gardens)?
“Not at all,” said the coach, who was hired by the Greyhounds in the summer of 2018. “We won’t have three guys logging a ton of minutes like we did last season. But we’ll get it done by committee.”
Dean spoke of Kudryavtsev and how the team will “lean heavily” on the 18-year-old (2004 birth year).
The Hounds are counting on the native of Yaroslavl, Russia, to be “an example to the group with our style of the play and also with what it takes to compete as a Soo Greyhound,” the coach added. “He’s very competitive, does everything right and his habits are incredible.”
Dean also lauded second-year man Caeden Carlisle, calling the 18-year-old (2004) “an extremely, extremely underrated player. He’s very physical with good boots.”
Luc Brzustowski, a 19-year-old (2003), has been sidelined with a lower-body injury and missed all four of the team’s exhibition games.
“But he’s a guy who can play tough minutes for us,” Dean said. “He played top-four minutes at times in last season’s playoffs.”
Among this roster’s newcomers is overage Ryan Thompson, acquired from Erie over the summer for a 10th-round draft choice.
Dean said Thompson has been the player the Hounds thought he’d be.
“Big, heavy kid who can eat minutes and put out fires,” the coach noted.
While in no hurry to rush him, the Hounds have been wowed by 16-year-old (2006 birth year) rearguard Matthew Virgilio. A fourth-round selection in the 2022 OHL draft, the Greyhounds believe the Vaughan, Ont., native would have been a first-rounder had he not committed to skate at the University of Michigan.
“He’s jumped off the page for me,” said Dean. “Matt has the poise and maturity of a much older player.”
Eighteen-year-old (2004) Connor Toms and 17-year-old (2005) Andrew Gibson are capable offensive players who continue to work on the defensive part of their games.
Dean said he’s looking forward to seeing the improvements Toms has made, while noting how Gibson was the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s top defenceman a year ago, while skating for the Soo Thunderbirds.
“I believe we have a serviceable defence with a high ceiling,” the coach added. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen it as yet because the three guys last year logged a lot of minutes.”
