Even amongst the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mitchell Hawks are, at least roster wise, in great shape for the next season, whenever that is.
The Hawks have a massive advantage in that 17 of their players from last year and slated to return, bolstered by some young faces from the local minor hockey scene. The massive changes have been in the head office, with new GM Josh Kiel stepping off the bench and into the office chair. Kiel got busy right away, hiring former Listowel Cyclones star Holdyn Lansink as his Assistant GM, fitness guru and Listowel Legionnaires baseball owner Chris Kurz as Director of Hockey Ops, and Jason Baier, father of former Cyclone and Windsor Spitfire goalie Brock Baier, as Director of Player Development. Kiel has put together an all-star team off the ice to run the ship, and he's hoping he has the same type of group on the ice.
Mitchell has the advantage of 17 returnees, but the players they lose are massive. Jarrett Bogdon and Jake Finlayson were their best and most dangerous forwards, while defender Spencer Dowd was a two-way force on the blue line. They also lose starting goalie Seth Monkhouse to the NCAA, which looks great on the Hawks as a developer of talent. However, there is a strength in the returnees. Tanner Hertel was a breakout star last year and will surely be the top centre and go to threat after a 40 point campaign. Tyson Hall and Carter Lewis will also get more top end ice time and will improve on 31 and 28 point seasons, respectively. Ethan Hill and Ryan Murray will also get ice time boosts and will be leaned on for more.
Defensively, with Dowd moving on, the Hawks will rely on Luken Van Pelt to continue leading with his heavy physical game and big shot. Brett Denny will have a shot at the top pair after a great season, and Callum McMann and Riley Keupfer will give the Hawks a reliable top 4 who can all skate well. Kyle Langlois, a veteran presence formerly of Wingham, should also be back to help on the power play after only playing in 9 games, posting 5 points. In goal, Monkhouse leaves a void, but Lucas Bain was excellent in spot duty, and GM Kiel has a line on some good young goalies to back him up.
The Mitchell Hawks finished in 5th last year in the Pollock Division, tied on 49 points with Hanover, but the Hawks had 2 fewer wins. Mitchell boasted the third best offense with 165 goals behind only Mount Forest and Wingham, but they had the 5th worst defense allowing 153. However, the biggest issue that needs fixed? Penalties. Mitchell by far led the division in penalty minutes with 967, well past second place Wingham's 816. That simply has to drop immensely for them to survive in the playoffs and go on a run.
For more on the hopefully upcoming Mitchell Hawks season, here is the full interview with GM Josh Kiel:
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