Veteran D returns Wednesday
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Imagine illness keeping you from being able to experience something you love, while also watching healthy teammates enjoy every moment of it?
“Pretty tough,” said Soo Greyhounds defenceman Brodie McConnell-Barker.
But there’s more to it than that, added the 19-year-old (2006 birth year) veteran.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve gone through in my OHL career,” said the London, Ont., native, who is slated to finally play his first game of the season on Wednesday.
That’s when the Soo entertains the Flint Firebirds in a 7:07 p.m. start. It’s the beginning of a three-game homestand that also sees the Hounds play host to Guelph on Friday and Barrie on Saturday.
Diagnosed with mononucleosis, McConnell-Barker believes he contracted the viral infection, which can cause fever, a sore throat, headaches, body aches and extreme fatigue, early in training camp.
He missed the exhibition campaign and, following further complications, was out for the first 18 games of the regular season.
“You’re watching the games and all you can think about is being out there with the guys,” said McConnell-Barker, a third-round pick (No. 48 overall) of the Greyhounds in the 2022 Priority Selections. “Especially over the last few games I was getting antsy to get back.”
Asked how it feels to know he’s on the verge of returning, the six-foot, 190-pounder spoke of how “it feels unreal. I’m just really excited to be playing Wednesday and I can’t even express it. It feels great to know I’ll be playing hockey again.”
A season ago, McConnell-Barker skated in 56 games, scoring three times, assisting on 13 others and posting a plus-minus of minus-10.
“I hope to add some offence, play a complete game and be a leader as an older guy,” he said of his goals upon returning. “I want to help out in any way I can.”
Having also been without promising rearguard Callum Croskery (upper body) since the exhibition season, Greyhounds head coach John Dean spoke of how excited he is to get McConnell-Barker back.
“He’s a guy who knows our style of play. He’s a 19-year-old who understands the league and understands the level of compete you need,” added Dean, whose club won three straight on the road last week and enters Wednesday’s clash with an 11-6-1-0 record. “He’ll bring an element of composure to our group.”
Fresh from Saturday’s 6-1 victory in Oshawa, the Soo will face an 8-6-1-0 Flint squad.
After reviewing video of the Gens contest, Dean said he was pleased for the most part.
But he spoke of how it wasn’t the best of the Hounds three road tilts.
“We definitely looked as if we were fatigued a bit,” the coach added. “But for the most part, we managed the puck well, stayed structured and capitalized on our chances.”
The powerplay, which had struggled mightily for most of the season, went 3-for-6 with rearguard Chase Reid scoring twice. That was after surrendering the spot at the top of the power play to fellow defenceman Jakub Winkelhofer. Reid moved to the right side, where his shot can do damage.
“It was a good start,” Dean said of the powerplay’s production last Saturday. “We’re excited about the direction we’re headed, but it’s only one game.”
Of late, the coach has been enthusiastic in his praise of recently acquired Jeremy Martin.
“He’s been very good for us with his level of compete and ability to protect pucks in the offensive zone,” Dean said of the third-year-winger. “He competes and competes. But I still think there’s more to give.”
Sunday was a mandatory day off for the players and Dean said his group was exhausted on Monday, leading to his decision to keep them off the ice.
In the week’s lone practice on Tuesday morning, Dean said the focus was on the club’s return to defensive-zone coverage.
“We have to be more efficient before we get to the D-zone,” the coach explained. “And we have to return to our D-zone in a very organized fashion.”
Asked for his thoughts on the Firebirds, who went through a recent 7-1 stretch, before dropping their last two straight, Dean was complimentary.
“They’ve really been finding their game. They have an older forward group that is taking advantage of younger teams,” the Hounds coach said. “They play a very scary brand of hockey, very offensive and very good off the rush. They also have an overage goaltender (Mason Vaccari) who’s making saves for them.”
Notes:
Rookie winger Ryan Kaczynski will not play on Wednesday, Dean said. He’s listed as day-to-day (upper body) and joins teammates Croskery and Carson Andrew (upper body) on the injury list.
