Dean sees Greyhounds as contenders
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media)
While discussing the potential of the 2025-2026 Soo Greyhounds, John Dean made one thing abundantly clear: This isn’t last year’s club.
A young team with nine rookies a season ago, the Hounds battled injuries and inconsistent goaltending, finishing with a 29-35-2-2 record.
That was good for seventh place in the Western Conference and just a single round of playoff action, bowing in five games to the Windsor Spitfires.
And while they’re still relatively young this season – the Soo presently has eight-first-year OHL skaters and just one overage on its roster – the influx of top-level new talent has been eye-catching.
Add in a year of maturity for the returning players and the new-look Hounds begin the regular season with an air of confidence.
“It’s fair for us to expect to win every single game. We should walk into the building every night with the expectation of coming out on top,” said Dean, the club’s veteran head coach, whose team begins play against Saginaw on Friday (7:07 p.m.) at GFL Memorial Gardens. “It’s there for us. That’s where we need to start. And then, what that translates into is up to the players.”
Can the Greyhounds contend for top spot in the Western Conference?
“Yes, I believe we can,” the coach said.
Dean was then told of a recent interview with star centre Brady Martin, who spoke of how he sees the Hounds contending for an OHL championship.
That story ran Tuesday on SooGreyhounds.com.
Is that a possibility?
“Well, when your leadership, the clearly special players on your team, believe it, the rest of the group usually follows,” the coach said. “If he thinks we have an opportunity to win a championship, then I’m on board with Brady.”
While pundits consider goaltending an area of concern for the Greyhounds, Dean says he continues to believe in veteran Landon Miller.
The 19-year-old (2006 birth year), a fourth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2024, posted a 4.07 goals against average and a saves percentage of .877 a season ago.
But Miller, who, as of late Wednesday, remained at training camp with the Wings, begins this season as the Soo’s No. 1 puck-stopper.
“I’m really excited to see Landon grab the ball and run with it this year,” the coach said. “He’s taken a new approach to his development and his day-to-day habits. He worked hard in the offseason and early on, deserves to be the guy to settle this team in.”
But Dean also agreed Miller will be pushed by fellow 19-year-old Noah Tegelaar.
“He’s extremely polished and foundationally strong,” the coach said of Tegelaar, outstanding a season ago for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Collingwood Blues.
Meantime, while Martin (33-39-72), OA Marco Mignosa (36-49-85) and Travis Hayes (21-30-51) are being counted on to lead the offence, the Hounds are expecting a bump from second-year forwards Brady R. Smith, Jordan Charron, Carson Andrew and Brady T. Smith.
The first-year additions serve as the wild card moving forward.
The Greyhounds love what they’ve seen from first-round draft choices Noah Laus and Ryan Kaczynski. Another forward, free agent Quinn McKenzie, has shown plenty and is ready for regular duty to begin the season.
And both Dean and general manager Kyle Raftis believe import addition Tobias Zvolensky will also battle for playing time.
Add in some additional returning players and it appears as if there’ll be lots of internal competition for ice time up front.
“That’s a good way to put it,” said Dean, whose team is also set to entertain Sarnia on Sunday (2:07 p.m.) before playing six straight on the road. “We have a number of guys on this hockey club who are skilled and good enough to play. Day to day, guys are pushing each other. Who plays is going to be up to them.”
Ditto for the defence, led by returning star Chase Reid (7-33-40 in just 39 games last season). The Greyhounds were thrilled to sign Callum Croskery, their second-round choice (No. 40 overall) in 2024.
“He has surprised me with how far along he is,” Dean said of Croskery, who skated last season for the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel. “I’m so impressed with his day-to-day habits, level of professionalism and mature approach. He’s first in the gym, first on the ice and last off of it.”
Dean called Croskery one of the top players in his age group heading into the 2026 NHL draft.
Returning veterans Spencer Evans, Brodie McConnell-Barker, Hunter Solomon and Keegan Gillen are also in the mix along with import draft choice Jakub Winkelhofer.
“Evans will lead the way with his physicality and compete level and Solomon is a year older, bigger and stronger,” Dean said. “How the starting six will look, I’m not sure yet.”
After entertaining the Spirit and Sting this weekend, the Soo’s first road trip begins on Thursday of next week in Peterborough.
