The Puck Will Drop Soon
By DAVE BORODY
If there was ever a year Sarnia Sting fans might need a program to know who the players are, this year would be it.
As the Sting prepare to open their much-anticipated Ontario Hockey League training camp this weekend, new head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu has been one of the busiest people in the league.
One could call it the “Extreme Makeover” of the OHL.
After taking over the reins of the Sting in early May, Beaulieu has pulled off nine trades while signing several of the team’s top draft picks, including a first round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in Connor Murphy.
“We’ve made a lot of changes within the organization, not just player moves,” said Beaulieu from his office on Wednesday. “It just hasn’t been hockey operations, but the business side as well. I’m just trying to get my head around everything right now. I want this ship sailing in the right direction and it’s my job to make sure that happens.”
Beaulieu admits he didn’t expect all the moves he did pull off during the summer.
“I knew when I came here what I wanted. I wasn’t sure how many moves it would take, but I didn’t expect this many so soon. But you usually pay less for players in the off-season than during the season. That’s the method I’ve used with other teams. Usually if you wait 10 or 20 games into the season, teams know what you are looking for and will demand more in return.”
Beaulieu doesn’t expect team chemistry will be an issue.
“There’s a lot of new bodies, but most of them have played in the league before so they know what to expect. We have to bring them together and do some team building until they get comfortable with one another. That’s why after the opening two days of camp we are going to two-a-day practices to get right into our systems and try and get everyone on the same page as quickly as possible.”
But despite the changes, Beaulieu is making sure one thing remains clear to all the players coming to camp.
“I want camp to be competitive. There are positions open even with all the moves we’ve made in the off-season. I want the players to compete for jobs.”
On-ice workouts begin Monday with scrimmages at 9 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Fans are reminded all workouts and scrimmages are open to the public.
There is a renewed sense of optimism in the community with all the changes to the Sting. Not since the team arrived in Sarnia back in 1994, have fans seen so many changes in such a short period of time.
One of those on-ice changes includes forward Justin Thomas, who was acquired from Sault Ste. Marie in exchange for Brandon Alderson. Thomas will begin his third season in the OHL after being taken in the second round by the Greyhounds.
“The trade is probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” said the 18-year-old Thomas, following an off-ice workout this week at the RBC Centre. “I couldn’t be happier. Getting a fresh start is what I needed.”
Thomas missed most of last season after having shoulder surgery. He is 100 per cent healthy now. Thomas also arrived in Sarnia in early July to take part in a rigorous off-season workout program, led by Mark Anderson, the team’s strength and conditioning coach.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in the off-season. I’ve been pushed hard, but the other guys who have been here have pushed one another and that’s a good thing. I came to Sarnia in early July about 230 pounds and today I’m at 207.”
He added, “This is certainly a big change for me from what I was used to in Sault Ste. Marie. There’s a lot of off-season training, but it’s because Jacques knows what it takes to produce good hockey players.”
Other acquisitions the Sting made over the summer include overage forward Taylor Carnevale from Windsor, overage goalie Brandon Maxwell from Kitchener, forward Charlie Sarault and defenceman Patrick Harrison, both from Kingston, defenceman Alex Basso from Belleville, defenceman Julian Luciani from Ottawa and forward Domenic Alberga from Brampton.
The Sting also signed Swedish import Ludvig Runsveldt, a second round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. They were also able to retain Nick Latta as a non-import after being an import player form Germany last season.
Beaulieu was able to sign to highly touted American players, who the team drafted two years ago. They included defenceman Connor Murphy and forward Reid Boucher, a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils this year. Unfortunately Murphy suffered a knee injury at the United States world junior development camp and is expected to miss two to three months.
Beaulieu was able to sign the team’s top two picks from the 2011 OHL draft, first rounder Ryan Kujawinski, (fourth overall), and second round pick, defenceman Anthony DeAngelo, (24th overall)
If all these moves aren’t enough to get Sting fans excited, one can’t forget two of the most dynamic players in forwards Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk. Yakupov was named the Canadian Hockey League’s rookie of the year last season when he set a Sting rookie record with 49 goals and 51 points while Galchenyuk, the first overall pick in last year’s OHL draft had 31 goals and 82 points.
There will be plenty of National Hockey League scouts following the Sting this season as Yakupov is already being projected as the top pick in the 2012 National Hockey League draft while Galchenyuk will likely be in the top five. Some scouts are saying the two could go one-two in the draft, which would be a first for any Canadian Hockey League team.
And one certainly can’t forget first round pick of two years ago, Brett Ritchie. He suffered through an injury-plagued season a year ago, but still managed 21 goals and was a second round pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2011 NHL draft.
The annual Black and White inter-squad game will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the RBC Centre. The first of six pre-season games will be Sept. 2 in London while the two teams have a return engagement on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at the RBC Centre.
Sarnia will open the regular season at home against the Erie Otters on Sept. 23rd.
Dave Borody is a freelance writer who covers Sting games both home and away and also does features for the Sting Website.
