What a season that was, as the Mitchell Hawks won their first ever Pollock Division title after a gruelling 7 game battle with the Hanover Barons in the final.
After that triumph, the Hawks got hit badly by the injury and sickness bug, as they gave the Stayner Siskins all they could handle in the Conference Finals, eventually bowing out in 6 games. Following that loss, the offseason brought some sweeping changes in the front office and on the roster. Former CKNX Junior Hockey broadcaster Scott Bridge signed on as the new GM, with Josh Kiel taking over as the President of Hockey Ops. Bridge and his staff quickly went to work replacing outgoing talent and reinvigorating a roster that feels they can not only repeat as division champs, but go further in the league playoffs.
Notable losses include the captain and heartbeat of the team, Malcolm Mcleod, who was every bit the leader any team would want, which included a heroic game 7 against Hanover that included a huge goal that all but sealed the title for the Hawks, all on a bad shoulder. His physicality and positive influence on all his team mates, demanding they follow his intensity with a quiet leadership, will be sorely missed as he ages out. Leading scorer last year, Carter Lewis, is badly injured and requires a likely surgery that won't allow him to return, so Mitchell will have to rely on new additions to make up his 35 points. Tyler Parr, the incredible goaltender who put in some of the best performances in the playoffs that yours truly ever witnessed at this level, is also aging out, with the goaltending being a huge point of interest for GM Scott Bridge to take care of.
Evan Dowd, another OA, will also not return, and he leaves a pretty big hole at centre with his face-off acumen and brilliant two way play, to say nothing of his 30 points in just 26 games. Seth Huygen, who made plenty of impactful clutch plays, especially in the playoffs, signed on with the Jr. B Stratford Warriors, after an impressive 22 point season for the Hawks. Patrick Holloway was dealt to Jr. C Woodstock, as the Hawks lose a speedy depth piece up front, and backup goalie Bradley Boville is off to Jr. B Thorold. Defender Jameson Mitchell will also not return, as the Hawks were in an OA crunch, only being allowed to keep four, and forward Ryan Murray will also not return due to his impending OA status this year. Despite all those losses, the Hawks are bringing back a great returning cast and some exciting new names.
Braeden Burdett will be relied upon a ton in terms of offence, after scoring 20 points last year in 29 games, and really raising his game in the playoffs. His release and ability to get open will always be a threat, and he could become a 20 goal scorer for this Hawks team. The brilliantly talented and equally bright personality of Mark Cassidy coming back will be a major lift to Mitchell. Cassidy was a dominant centre last year, displaying excellent two-way play and chipping in with huge, clutch goals at key times during the playoffs. He is sure to improve on his 33 point effort from last year and will likely lead this team in scoring, ice time, big face-offs and moustache style. One of the funnier characters and beloved team mates on the roster. Tyson Hall, the third leading scorer with 32 points last year, also returns, and the Burdett-Cassidy-Hall line will be a major threat to score every night.
Secondary scoring will come in the form of returning Nolan Gagnier, who will get ample opportunity to improve on his 16 point outing last season. Youngster Caleb Musselman will also return and get plenty more ice for him to build on a 12 point effort. Additionally, some new/old faces will be back in the form of rookies Talbot Geiger, Connor Lockhart and Dawson Dietz, who had to step into action in the Stayner series due to the Hawk's issues with injuries, suspensions and illnesses, and all of them didn't look out of place playing in the most high pressure situation of the season.
On the back end, the ever reliable rock that is Charlie Rankin will round out the four OA's coming back for Mitchell. Rankin led the D core in scoring last year with 24 points, and he will not only run the power play and penalty kill, he will run opposing forwards through the boards all season long. He's as good of a leading D man as you'll find across the PJHL. Caleb's brother Carter Musselman will be back, having played some forward, as well, but it's likely he will slide more consistently into a blue line role this year.
Callan Ferguson is back, too, to add some power play pop, and Aiden and Callum McMann both are back and ready to take on more ice. Adding to the back end is the exciting addition of Brady Brezynskie out of Jr. C Wellesley. A 20-year-old with Jr. B experience, mostly with the Listowel Cyclones, Brezynskie is expected to bring some flair to the back end, with elite skating ability, a bit of a mean streak, and a big, booming shot. He should instantly help the power play efficiency and drive opponents crazy with his gritty nature. He posted 10 points in just 21 games for Wellesley last season.
Obviously, when a team, let alone a championship team, loses both goalies in an offseason, some heavy lifting and phone dialling needs to occur. GM Bridge and his staff got right to work, acquiring Jr. C and Pollock Division veteran Josh Jacklin from the Kincardine Bulldogs, who happens to be the son of Assistant Coach, Ken Jacklin. Josh was very solid for a young Bulldogs team, posting a 2.98 GAA and a .904 save percentage with a shutout. Behind a better D core and a team hungry to retain its division title, expect Jacklin's stats to get a boost. Joining him is a youngster that GM Bridge is very excited about, in rookie Deklan Jermol, who steered the Mitchell U18 team to an OMHA title last year. Bridge says Jermol looked extremely good in camp and has great size and command of his net already at a young age, and he has the talent to push Jacklin for minutes. A goalie battle is never a bad thing, especially for a team with lofty expectations.
Another major benefit for the Hawks, is their whole coaching staff is returning, led by the incomparable Louis Livingston. When it comes to local junior hockey, there aren't many with as much experience, passion, great stories, and more importantly, success, than Louis. Many thought he may hang up his whistle after winning another division title last year, but he's back to try and repeat with a talented group beside him. The aforementioned Ken Jacklin returns and brings so much knowledge and structure to the team, almost professor like in his approach to offensive game planning, and GM Bridge says Jacklin knows how to get young players to believe in the systems, which is critically important. Holdyn Lansink, who many of the players around here watched skate to unprecedented success with the Jr. B Listowel Cyclones, has future head coach written all over him, as passionate and competitive behind the bench as he ever was jumping over it as a player. Ben Nelson, who the goalies can rely on as an encyclopedia for the position having enjoyed his own success as a Mitchell Hawk, Wingham Ironmen and WOAA goalie, continues to grow into his own as a coach, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the most critical position on the ice.
For more on the Mitchell Hawks upcoming season, here is the full length interview with new GM, Scott Bridge:
[audio mp3="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SCOTT-MITCHELL-INTERVIEW.mp3"][/audio]
