Amongst all the teams that had seasons affected by COVID-19, perhaps none were more hard done by than the Wingham Ironmen.
After back-to-back fierce battles against the Mount Forest Patriots in the Pollock Division final that ended in disappointment, Wingham were back in the final and had just tied the series 1 apiece against those same Patriots when the virus shut the world down, and robbed a great team of a shot at finally overcoming their nemesis.
Head Coach Cory Hamilton says it was extremely difficult for the whole team, especially the over-agers who saw the end of their junior careers taken from them through no fault of their own. But, after a difficult beginning to the strangest offseason ever, it is time to look ahead and embrace a new roster that will have many returning faces. Wingham finished 2nd in the Pollock Division last year, just 7 points back of the 1st place Patriots. They were second in goals with 171 to the Patriots' 214, but led in defensive might with just 107 goals allowed. That coupled with many capable returning faces has the team feeling pretty good about finally grabbing the Pollock Division trophy at season's end, if we get one.
The Ironmen will welcome back top scorers in Chase Meurs and Rhys Vollmer, who both had 43 points, as well as Logan Toltan, who chipped in 37. That alone gives them 3 top end threats in the division, as well as three very responsible forward sin their own end. Also returning will be defensive wiz kid Carter Collinson, just 2 years removed from being named Junior C Player of the Year by the OHA. Collinson dealt with a nagging hand injury last year but battled back to appear in the final. Count on him to be healthy and load up points on the power play and lead the team with his smooth skating and excellent stick checking.
Most of the roster will return, according to Coach Hamilton, but they are looking for a few young players to help fill out the losses of veterans like Corey Restoule, Brady Becker and Justin Donnelly to name a few. One thing Wingham won't be looking for is goaltending. Both of their excellent tandem are eligible to return, with starter Devon Carson already committing to retuning after a brilliant season in which he went 16-6-2 with 2 shutouts, a .922 save percentage and 2.23 GAA. His backup, Garrett Golley, a Wingham kid, can return, but might be snapped up by a Junior B squad. Whether Golley returns or not, just having the certainty of Carson in the blue paint is massive for a team still with a championship or bust mentality.
Wingham will still be a formidable foe for all the Pollock Division this year, and will be challenging for 1st place. For more on the hopefully upcoming season, here is the full interview with Head Coach Cory Hamilton:
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